Geagea Calls for Ending Campaign against Rifi: Cedar Revolution Set Berri, his Allies Back 60 Years
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea praised on Tuesday Internal Security Forces chief Major General Ashraf Rifi, saying that the ongoing campaign against him “is targeting the last free position in the Lebanese state.”
He demanded during a press conference an end to the campaign against him, noting: “His tenure at the Interior Ministry contributed to the international investigations for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and uncovered tens of Israeli spy networks.”
“Do they want to put Rifi on trial? Do they want to try him for increasing the percentage of Christians at the ministry from 30 to 40 percent? Or do they want to try him because the security forces don’t follow Syria’s orders?” he asked.
“Is ISF chief Rifi, who is the most ethical officer, the only person to be blamed for the illegal construction, al-Sharawneh clashes in Baalbeck, and Estonians’ kidnapping?” the LF leader wondered.
Commenting on the incident at the Telecom Ministry building at al-Adliyeh on Thursday, Geagea said: “We don’t understand the ministerial uproar regarding last week’s events. We would have understood it had it been over the Nakba Day clashes or during a natural disaster.”
He added: “It seems that several people have forgotten that the current government is a caretaking one. Some sides now want to perform actions that they didn’t carry out before Cabinet’s resignation.”
Addressing Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s statements that he does not oppose amending the Taif Accord, the LF leader remarked: “Lebanon’s system is under constant study and discussion, but now is not the time to tackle the Taif Accord.”
“We have more immediate issues at hand, such as forming a government,” he continued.
On Speaker Nabih Berri’s comment that the Cedar Revolution has set Lebanon back 60 years, Geagea responded: “The Cedar Revolution set Berri and his allies back 60 years, but it sent the Lebanese 60 years forward in freedom and democracy.”
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