Geagea Urges 'Protecting Lebanese' by Controlling Border, Electing President

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea called Friday for “protecting the Lebanese” in the wake of twin blasts that hit the Beirut southern suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh and left 44 people dead and 239 hurt.

“Nothing can save us from the tragedies of the ongoing wars in the region other than this general Lebanese solidarity,” Geagea said during an LF ceremony.

Voicing his “surprise” that the government has not convened despite “this huge incident and disaster,” the LF leader stressed that “only the rise of an actual Lebanese state can salvage the Lebanese.”

“Such a state would have control over all decisions and steps and nothing can protect the Lebanese other than protecting Lebanon's border very well and sealing it permanently in both directions,” Geagea added, referring to the crossing of fighters from Syria into Lebanon and from Lebanon into Syria.

The rise of a real state, according to Geagea, also requires “the rise of Lebanese state institutions, topped by the presidency.”

“This tragic incident must push the boycotters to head to parliament as soon as possible to elect a president, after which a new government would be formed and new parliamentary polls would be organized,” Geagea added.

Two Islamic State suicide bombers blew themselves up Thursday in a busy street in the Beirut southern suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh, killing 44 people and wounding 239 others, in the bloodiest such attack in years.

The blast is the first to target Beirut's southern suburbs since June 2014.

But prior to that, a string of attacks targeted Hizbullah strongholds throughout the country.

Between July 2013 and February 2014, there were nine attacks on Hizbullah bastions, most claimed by jihadist extremists.

The groups claimed the attacks were in revenge for Hizbullah's decision to send thousands of fighters into neighboring Syria to support President Bashar Assad's forces against an Islamist-dominated uprising.

Y.R.