According to Geagea, Hezbollah is responsible for the attacks on UNIFIL Beirut – George Shahin Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said that Hezbollah is responsible for the attacks on UNIFIL in the South, whether directly or indirectly, adding the party is responsible for the fate of the South as it lies within its jurisdiction. He stressed that “There will be no salvation for the security situation in Lebanon until the magic spell of the ‘army and people and resistance’, under which military and security organizations and illegal arms exist, is broken and replaced by the natural equation of ‘People and State and Army.’”
These statements were said by Geagea in a press conference held in Meerab, which he started with a quote by Imam Ali “He who demands glory with injustice, Allah bequeaths on him just degradation.” He said “There is a strategic problem disregarded by several officials, a small uncalculated step could lead to ruin and mass destruction.”
He noted that “Some journalists equate the launch of Katyusha missiles to the firing of war guns in any Lebanese village,” going further to criticize the “denunciation of all state officials of the attacks on UNIFIL, whereas the duty of the Lebanese state is not the denunciation of such incidents, nor to analyze them, as it only confuses people, but to recognize the error and fix it.”
Geagea said “For example, a dog was shot in one of the villages in Kesrouan, so security services ran investigations for months to know who shot the dog, meanwhile in the South, major security incidents happen, and no security services investigate the facts, considering the actual authority security in the South to be Hezbollah.”
He asked “If these international forces had the chance, wouldn’t they have carried out their duty to protect the Lebanese territories? However, unfortunately, in all the events happening in the South, neither the UNIFIL nor the Lebanese army were able to reach the scene of the attacks until after Hezbollah elements finish their mission on the same scene, which confirms that the region is under the control of Hezbollah, which has a strong security system.  Thus, is it possible for Hezbollah to not know who attacked UNIFIL? Especially that we all know that the party is responsible for all incidents happening in the South. Any terroristic groups accused of executing the attacks cannot be present in the South without Hezbollah’s knowledge or coverage,” noting that “These cells are raised by Hezbollah and Syria with the aim to use them in nefarious purposes,” recalling “Fatah al-Islam, which was created by the Syrian regime and was abolished by Fouad Siniora’s government.” He stressed that Hezbollah is responsible for all operations against UNIFIL, whether directly or indirectly, thus holding them accountable for the fate of south Lebanon.
Geagea called on Lebanese officials to not denounce or analyze, but rather address basic issues, which are security outposts, ruling out that Abdullah Azzam brigades have anything to do with the incident, as they have no interest in such operation.
He addressed judicial and security authorities “Who kidnapped Ahmed Zidan? And who has been arrested in this case? For Zidan kidnappers cannot carry out such mission and return to Kesouan or the north, for they have no protection in these areas,” noting that “As long as there are illegal arms, we are subject to incidents like the one in the South or like the kidnapping of Ahmed Zidan. How can anyone trust the state after what we have witnessed?”
Geagea did not rule out the possibility that countries worldwide would “withdraw their forces in UNIFIL” as they are occupied with issues other than those of Lebanon.
Regarding whether the incidents in the South (the attacks on UNIFIL and the explosions) are the first spark to a war in Lebanon, Geagea said “No one knows to what extent Hezbollah’s regional connections can reach,” saying that he fears a war in the south due to the current situation. However, regarding the Syrian situation, he said “I do not know the extent of Hezbollah’s capability to open the southern front to assist their allies.”