Gemayel Rules out Collapse of Hizbullah after Defeat of Syrian Regime
Phalange leader Amin Gemayel criticized hopes by some opposition officials that Hizbullah’s power in Lebanon would fade with the collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.
“The analysis and the betting on the collapse of Syria and the weakening of Hizbullah or its surrender are naïve and irresponsible,” Gemayel told As Safir newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.
“The issue of Hizbullah’s arms will not be resolved with a magic wand. The party will not react easily and without a price,” he said, reiterating that the Syrian situation does not have a major impact on the party’s arsenal.
“The collapse of the regime does not mean the collapse of the logic of Hizbullah and its capabilities in Lebanon,” Gemayel, who is a March 14 opposition member, added.
The former president called for benefitting from the events in Syria to unite the country and carry out a real reconciliation among its different factions, including Hizbullah.
“Syria won’t be stable for years to come…because the opposition is not capable of uniting effectively and coming under a single revolution leadership,” he warned.
“It would take a long time for democracy to take its course, for reconciliations to take place and for a new democratic system to be formed,” Gemayel said, adding “we will be effected by the Syrian situation.”
But he stressed that the Lebanese are aware of not heading towards civil war.
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