The head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gebran Bassil, indicated during a dialogue between generations of fighters and youth in the movement, within the activities marking the anniversary of March 14, that "former President Michel Aoun took over the military government of a country with disintegrated institutions, and there was an aggression from foreign armies and militias misleading people, forcing him to defend himself."
He stated, "We struggled for 15 years and understood how costly independence is, and the international situation was unfolding. General Aoun was a symbol of the movement in the diaspora. At that time, the Lebanese scene of March 14, 2005 happened, but it did not complete, and we were the ones who completed it." He added, "In that phase, we were young and dreaming, and when there was no light of hope, we maintained our hopes. They used to tell us, 'You want to stand against Syria and America,' but we had faith and conviction in preserving the country and our value was that we kept the flame alive and remained independent, not waiting for circumstances to demand our rights, and that is what we are doing."
Bassil added that "this is a phase we take pride in, and we still struggle with the same ideas. We must convey that phase to our youth, and the bullying you were subjected to during 'October 17' represents a phase you should be proud of."
Regarding the understanding with Hezbollah, Bassil said: "If you return, we will return, with them and with others."
