Kerry on Hariri Anniversary: No Justification for Retention of Arms by a Militia that Answers to Damascus, Tehran
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday stressed that there is no “justification” for the retention of arms by Hizbullah, as he urged Lebanon's leaders to elect a new president through local efforts.
“Make no mistake: there is no justification for the retention of arms by a militia or terrorist group that answers -- not to the Lebanese people -- but to foreign governments in Damascus and Tehran,” Kerry said in a message commemorating the tenth anniversary of former premier Rafik Hariri's assassination, in an apparent reference to Hizbullah.
Hizbullah has sent around 5,000 fighters into neighboring Syria to bolster its regime against an Islamist-led uprising. The party argues that its military intervention was necessary to fend off the threat that Syria-based jihadist groups pose to Lebanon.
Noting that no challenge is “more perilous” to Lebanon’s security than “the rise of violent extremism throughout the region,” Kerry noted that Washington remains committed to “helping the Lebanese Armed Forces meet this challenge, because they alone have the legitimacy to defend their country’s borders and protect their citizens.”
Turning to the presidential crisis, the top U.S. diplomat pointed out that while the election of a president will not “fully resolve” the challenges Lebanon is facing, it will be “an essential step in the right direction.”
“I urge Lebanon’s leaders not to look outside of their country for a resolution to the presidential gridlock, but instead to find a solution from within,” Kerry added.
“Rafik Hariri, known to many as 'Mr. Lebanon,' was guided by his vision of a stable, sovereign, and prosperous homeland,” the U.S. official noted.
“He spent his life working to make Lebanon more democratic, more free, more prosperous, and more secure – for all its people. Ten years ago today, he was assassinated because some feared he might succeed,” added Kerry.
While remarking that “justice for that crime has not been served,” Kerry underlined that the United States “stands with the Lebanese people and the international community in supporting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and demanding that the murderers of Rafik Hariri be held accountable.”
“We also recognize the need to focus – not only on justice for the cowardly crimes of the past – but on Lebanon’s future – on honoring the legacy that Hariri left behind,” he went on to say.
Hariri was assassinated in a massive bombing that targeted his convoy in central Beirut on February 14, 2005.
The U.N.-backed STL is trying five Hizbullah members in absentia over their alleged involvement in the murder.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has dismissed the court as a U.S.-Israeli scheme and vowed that the accused will never be found.
On behalf of U.S. President Barack Obama, Kerry reiterated his country's support for “the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, the Baabda Declaration, and Lebanon’s dissociation policy from foreign conflicts.”
Y.R.
13 February 2015, 21:00
59
Kerry: Make no mistake: there is no justification for the retention of arms by a militia ... that answers -- not to the Lebanese people -– but to foreign governments in Damascus and Tehran.
and Mr. Kerry, what are you planning to do about it. All we see is you and Iran always co-ordinating and conspiring with the masters of the terrorist militia. Why is Assad still in power?
13 February 2015, 21:16
104
Because Assad is the only thing keeping Syria from becoming a Wahabi Caliphate.
13 February 2015, 22:00
49
because assad is the only guarantee to keep the golan peaceful for the israelis!
13 February 2015, 22:10
75
peace you really are an amusing little fellow. First you write that Assad protects Israel, then you write that you agree with Kerry whom represents the biggest supporter of Israel.
13 February 2015, 22:14
49
so what ya zaki anta?
kerry says a thing i have always repeated.. so of course i will agree with him! does it make me a friend of him? LOL
when you quote israeli newspapers does it make you friend with them because they say something you agree with?
how more stupid can you be? your stupidity amazes me more each day!
13 February 2015, 22:30
83
Mystic just nailed it. It's funny, March 14 goons are so pro American, yet they claim America and Israel supports Assad. Which is it, hypocrites
13 February 2015, 22:45
28
make no mistake; an evil cannot be cured by an evil. Evil assad cannot be justified by evil isis or nusra
13 February 2015, 21:16
104
Yeah, the Americans tried to make a March 14 militia back in 2008, but that was wiped out, so of course they're mad.
13 February 2015, 21:32
49
keep telling yourself that. Because HA is the only militia that has ever existed in Lebanon and no other militia ever had any power in the past. Genius!
13 February 2015, 21:39
114
The beautiful sight of the U.S presence in Lebanon.
http://b-29s-over-korea.com/USMC-barracks-bombing/images/Beirut-bombing.jpg
14 February 2015, 17:28
11
Dude, that is just plain sick. Rejoicing at the murder of others? Even Americans grieve the deaths of Arabs at the hands of Israelis. You might not like them politically, but rejoicing at mass-murder of them is just sick.
13 February 2015, 21:32
94
What are you going to do about it Kerry? Send your Marines to Beirut? Woops what happen last time your masters did that?
13 February 2015, 22:32
64
Hezbollah and the Syrian army are getting more combat experience than they could ever imagine, which the Israelis are completely lacking, since they only bomb pathetic Gazans. Yes, many have died,but the strongest remain.
13 February 2015, 22:32
54
Hezbollah and the Syrian army are getting more combat experience than they could ever imagine, which the Israelis are completely lacking, since they only bomb pathetic Gazans. Yes, many have died,but the strongest remain.
13 February 2015, 22:27
75
Can't believe M14 are so naive enough to believe, that the LAF would go against the Resistance, do you really think folks from my family whom happens to be in the army, would shoot me on sight? You forget that the army consists of all faiths ya zalame. It's not an army answering to the U.S only.
Our army knows that the Resistance are their guardians across the border holding back takfiris, and using the action that they aren't allowed to use themselves.
The LAF are barely allowed to destroy the takfiris whom beheaded them in Arsal, do you think they would suddenly take orders from some zionist paid commander and attack Hezb? Dream on ya american.
You would see massive desertions in such a case, so don't hope for something like that, you should rather put faith to your zionist/american masters, they are the only ones whom actually want to destroy the Resistance & Lebanon.
13 February 2015, 22:57
64
I have no problems with the LAF outside my door, I say to them mer7aba when I drive through their checkpoints, I drink coffee with them, when they are off duty.
The Army is not going to fight for America or Israel texas, they fight for the Lebanese people and it's existence, which means security for all, why should the Resistance be against that? When they are actively working on the same goal.
Ofcourse your American masters wants the army to be fragmented like in the Civil war when the LF deserted and created a militia, long before Hezbollah appeared.
13 February 2015, 23:21
74
Taking sovereignty? They have all the sovereignty they need, the Resistance are fully compliant with the army, it has been so long before the war in Syria began. They risk their lives on the checkpoints everyday, in fear of takfiri bombs.
Don't forget in the 2008 clashes, when the M14 militias lost their territories to anti government fighters, the LAF were freely allowed to go in and take those positions later, with no struggle.
Sure they can go wherever they want, nobody is stopping them, only the takfiris have a tendency to do that.
13 February 2015, 23:51
63
Try what habibi? Wait for your U.S Marines to invade Lebanon, or your zionist IDF? Waiting everyday. Also waiting for a new M14 attack trying to muscle out the Resistance as in 2008, that could be amusing.
As for the LAF, you can dream on texi. Wishful thinking for you indeed, would break the army apart though. Which is the reason it will never eventuate.
Army/Resistance ya american, don't forget that slogan.
14 February 2015, 00:23
73
Thank you for the update texas, you have finally gone ahead and admitted it. Even contradicting your M14 pals, I congratulate you.
After years of conversations with you, you've always denied it. Now you openly write it on open screen. Takfiris/USA/Zionists fighting together against the Resistance, yes indeed.
13 February 2015, 21:46
48
bless anyone person, entity, organization, brigade or country that inflicts pain and suffering, death, torture, and destruction upon the iranian sectarian terrorist militia and its members, supporters or followers wherever they may be.
13 February 2015, 21:58
47
“Make no mistake: there is no justification for the retention of arms by a militia or terrorist group that answers -- not to the Lebanese people -- but to foreign governments in Damascus and Tehran,”
which is TOTALLY true! when a milita pledged allegiance to the islamic revolution and not to the lebanese flag, what does it make it? exactly as kerry says....
a bunch of anti lebanese mercenaries!
13 February 2015, 22:12
48
Mystic 34 minutes ago 31
What are you going to do about it Kerry? Send your Marines to Beirut? Woops what happen last time your masters did that?
Mystic, you shouldn't be proud of your group committing an atrocity (blowing up 300 troops in their sleep). An atrocity is an atrocity, whether it's with bombs or with knives (e.g Sabra and Shatila which you so hate). The fact that you praise one form of atrocity is disgusting. Go liberate the Farms you sicko.
13 February 2015, 22:22
74
Typical phalangist facists, you compare the slaughtering of women & children to the killings of USMC grunts, your love to the imperialists politics have no end.
Your America is far gone from Lebanon nickjames.
13 February 2015, 22:37
94
Assad doesn't go after civilians directly, like the Phalangists did.
13 February 2015, 22:48
45
mystic this usmc came to lebanon as part of the multinational peace force; they were not part of a war; there is no justification for their killing besides the fact that assad and iran wanted the upper hand to control lebanon. by the way if you think that slaughtering of women and children is an atrocity than you should lead the way and condemn the use of barrel bombs by the criminal assad regimes that is causing the indiscriminate death of civilians. for once be consistent.
13 February 2015, 22:53
64
No matter what you Westernized zio lovers write. That barrack bombing in 1983 resulted in the U.S pulling out of Lebanon, better yet they actually retreating.
So many marines died in one day, was too much for the U.S to handle.
13 February 2015, 22:58
56
Pierre,
Assad and Iran were not allies in the 80s. Assad supported Amal against Hezbollah (look up War of the Camps).
13 February 2015, 23:05
35
mystic yes the us pulled out leaving the assad regime the upper hand in lebanon; assad troops invade and occupied lebanon for over thirty years with a devastating result to our country; you seems though to be very sorry for this past period and would long for our country to be occupied and controlled by the criminal syrian regimes
13 February 2015, 23:34
53
Yet you have no objection to the Israeli occupation of the South. Yet you write I should be consistent.
Syria, Syria and Syria again. That's all we see from you people, how about the takfiris beheading LAF soldiers, they do not matter at all, you only carry old grudges from the past and do not care at all about the future of Lebanon. Ofcourse not, you can always fly off overseas to the West when you like.
14 February 2015, 02:05
32
pierro, you mention it as if Hezb invited the Syrians into Lebanon, it was actually the Phalangists that begged the Syrian President at the time to come and save them.
Read some history, the Phalangists were getting wiped out by the Palestinian militias. Then after sometime, the lousy phalangists turned sides and joined the Israelis instead.
The Resistance did not exist at that time.
13 February 2015, 23:01
43
Do you even think about what you say?? And let's go with your narrative that the US is against Leb: if Aoun was getting help from those against Lebanon, would he not be against Lebanon too??? Lmao you're such a moron please get off this site and learn how to debate without contradicting yourself and your views.
13 February 2015, 22:24
53
Am I amazed that Kerry has apparently not heard of Article 24 of the Lebanese Constitution which condemns the Shia majority to slavery under law, leaving it no alternative to its parallel state: Hezbullah: but I wonder why Hezbullah does not take that support as a mandate to reform the Lebanese legal system to install equal treatment under the law and separation of church and state. If Lebanon did that, what would its friend in Washington do?
14 February 2015, 12:31
22
Khameni sent a letter to Obama. Suddenly Amrika is no longer the great Satan....suddenly Amrika is no longer under the zionist empire of Israel...
strange how the followers follow without thinking...
