Sabra Telephones Geagea over Hizbullah Interference in Syrian Affairs
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea received a phone call from Syrian Opposition leader George Sabra on Wednesday, during which both men discussed the involvement of Hizbullah fighters in Syria's conflict.
They also tackled how this issue might be reflected on the people of both countries.
“We reject any security or military interference of a Lebanese group in Syria's internal affairs,” Geagea stressed to Sabra.
He stated: "We demand Lebanese authorities to urgently take all necessary measures regarding any Lebanese involvement in Syria's war.”
Geagea condemned during a press conference on Tuesday Hizbullah's fighting in Syria alongside the Syrian regime, accusing the party of violating the Baabda Declaration that calls for Lebanon to distance itself from regional crises.
He said: “The government must hold a session to put an immediate stop to Hizbullah's fighting in Syria.
He explained that the government is obligated to address the country's national interests, especially when Hizbullah's actions are threatening to drag Lebanon towards the Syrian crisis.
Moreover, he said that Iran is employing Hizbullah in order to defend its expansionist ambitions in the region.
Meanwhile, In the first speech after being named caretaker Syria National Council leader, Sabra described Hizbullah's role in fighting in the central province of Homs as a "declaration of war against the Syrian people."
"The Lebanese president and the Lebanese government should realize the danger that it poses to the lives of Syrians and the future relations between the two peoples and countries," he said.
Sabra accused Hizbullah of "occupying villages in Homs, terrorizing the residents and preventing them from expressing their opinions."
He warned that Syrians “will not be tolerant with any group occupying their land, be it Lebanese or non-Lebanese.”
“We urge our Shiite brothers in Lebanon to call for an end to the killing of their Syrian brothers,” Sabra added.
His condemnation of the role of the party follows reports that elite Hizbullah fighters were taking the lead in the Syrian regime's battle against rebel fighters in the Qusayr area of Homs.
Hizbullah has announced that it is offering assistance to Lebanese residents of Syrian border towns who are defending themselves against attacks by Syrian rebel groups.
The area, near the Lebanese border, has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent days, with regime troops capturing a string of strategic villages in the area and raising rebel concerns that the town of Qusayr, an opposition stronghold, could also fall.
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