Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea emphasized the necessity of steering Lebanon away from a catastrophic regional war during this very challenging phase, which demands extreme precision in managing current events to spare Lebanon the bitter consequences. In an interview with Italian television "Rai 1," Geagea stated that the current issue is not about whether the "party" has an interest in dragging Lebanon into a regional war, but rather the progression of events that could lead us to such a war. He highlighted Iran's significant role in the party's involvement in the conflict and its potential to expand into a regional war, or the possibility of the latter maintaining its distance from it.
In response to a question, Geagea stressed that, without a doubt, Lebanon is suffering from numerous economic, financial, and monetary issues; however, the main obstacle at the moment lies in the military situation. Hence, it is crucial to navigate this delicate phase peacefully, after which necessary steps can be taken on economic and other levels to rescue Lebanon from its ongoing crises, primarily the election of a new president.
The head of the Lebanese Forces reiterated that there is "one solution to overcome this difficult military phase, which is to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 as it should be applied," meaning that the Lebanese Army should be the only military force deployed in the south, in cooperation with international forces.
Responding to another question, he stated, "Only a Christian president can be elected, as ultimately this election will be contingent upon the Lebanese Constitution, all norms, and agreements. Therefore, this president will be Christian, regardless of how long the presidential vacancy lasts (even an additional year), and thus we cannot base our context on assumptions."
Regarding whether he fears an assassination attempt, Geagea asserted, "I am not one of those people who are afraid," although the risk is always present. He recalled the assassination phase from 20 years ago until today, where "Lebanon has witnessed more than 15 political assassination operations, and naturally, I am among the targeted figures for a simple reason: our opponents, unfortunately, use political assassination as a means to achieve political gains. Accordingly, I take all necessary precautions and measures to prevent my opponents from targeting me and accomplishing their intended goal."
On how the country could exit this dark tunnel, Geagea observed, "This issue is not difficult at all; the first step towards exiting this tunnel is to strive diligently to avoid the ongoing war by implementing international Resolution 1701. After this period ends peacefully, God willing, it is vital to return to practicing genuine and effective democracy in the country, which has not been done in the past 30 years, during which the Assad regime controlled part of it and dictated its politics as it wished, followed by the party dominating the political game and dragging the country wherever it pleased, far from actual democracy, which we must return to in order to establish a viable state in Lebanon, as everyone knew it in the 1960s and 1970s."
