Geagea to L’Orient-Le Jour: Dahr al-Baidar incident is the most dangerous in years

The incident at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint, where authorities arrested two Hezbollah members and seized hundreds of kilograms of explosives from their car, is "the most dangerous in years," Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told L'Orient-Le Jour. He called on the state to take a firm stand and complete its efforts to establish a monopoly on weapons.

"It's not just a dangerous incident. It's the most dangerous incident in years. Especially since the weapons seized included C-4, which is generally used in assassinations," Geagea said. "Then there is another indicator that must be taken into account: The shipment was headed from the Bekaa to Beirut. If the weapons in question were really intended for use against Israel, the vehicle could have taken another route to reach south Lebanon."

"All this leads me to say that these weapons were probably intended for use inside Lebanon," he added.

The Dahr al-Baidar case comes as the Lebanese Army increasingly seizes weapons shipments. "The military institution announced about two weeks ago that it had seized 250 kilograms of explosives. If the Dahr al-Baidar case were now to end with just two arrests, it would be a real scandal," Geagea said.

The Lebanese Forces leader, who seeks to lead the anti-Hezbollah camp, called for a wider investigation. "It's not just the car's driver and his companion who should be arrested. The investigation should continue until the entire chain of command is dismantled, even if it includes [Hezbollah Secretary-General] Naim Qassem," he said. "This time, we will not accept the case ending with two minor arrests."

The Lebanese Forces holds four Cabinet seats and leads the largest parliamentary bloc. Geagea has criticized the current authorities for moving too slowly to disarm Hezbollah.

Asked what message he wanted to send President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam after the incident, Geagea replied, "What happened shows that it is dangerous not to act." He called for state institutions to be "cleansed of elements close to Hezbollah," arguing that "they cannot stand up to the militia."

His remarks reflect his reluctance to sever ties with Aoun and Salam completely. The Lebanese Forces has sought to maintain its position within the governing camp even as Energy Minister Joe Saddi boycotts Cabinet meetings amid the crisis in the electricity sector. "We must act in the face of these weapons. But it is important for us not to destabilize the sovereignist camp," Geagea said.