Aoun Slams PSP over 'Racism' Remarks, Says Ideology Responsible for Bombings outside Lebanon
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday noted that “the ideology responsible” for the latest bombings in the country is “outside Lebanon,” lashing out at the “feudalism” of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and his aides.
“Several parties have talked about the issue of (Syrian) refugees and what struck me were the remarks of (Jumblat's bloc MP Akram) Shehayyeb and (PSP spokesman) Rami al-Rayyes, who spoke in the name of the PSP's feudalism about the 'racism' of Michel Aoun and (caretaker Energy and Water) Minister (Jebran) Bassil,” Aoun told reporters after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc in Rabiyeh.
“Shehayyeb and al-Rayyes have mentioned us for the second time and we did not respond so that we don't stir chaos and problems and invoke the past, but they have insisted on attacking us. We do not accept to be called racists, as the racists are those who had derogated Maronites in 'Hitler-like remarks',” Aoun added, referring to remarks voiced by Jumblat in the past.
“I remind Jumblat of the Maaser al-Chouf massacre and I remind of the 64 children they slaughtered and killed in 1983,” Aoun went on to say, accusing the PSP of “feudalism and killing of children.”
The FPM leader noted that there are “safe regions” for the refugees inside Syria. “There are pro-revolution and anti-revolution areas (and the refugees can choose between them,” he added.
Last Tuesday, the Change and Reform bloc proposed a plan to deal with the refugee crisis, calling for putting an end to the entry of Syrians into the country.
“Lebanon must stop receiving Palestinians and Syrians fleeing Syria except for those with special health and humanitarian needs justified by the ministers of health and interior,” Bassil said back then.
“The bloc came forward with plans before to deal with this issue but we were accused of racism. And now Lebanon is left to face the worst crisis in modern history,” he warned.
The bloc urged coordination with Syrian authorities to “assure the return of Syrians to safe regions in their country,” demanding the establishment of “temporary residential compounds” on the Syrian side of the border.
Answering a reporter's question, Aoun said: “Everything is possible and bombings might happen in Christian regions because the ideology responsible is the same and it does not differentiate between one region and another."
He noted that the aforementioned "ideology" is "outside Lebanon."
On Thursday, 25 people were killed and around 300 others wounded in a powerful car bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais, after which Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah noted that the extremist "Takfiris" will not differentiate between Sunnis, Shiites and Christians in their attacks.
Turning to the issue of oil exploration, Aoun said: “We will not allow some parties to obstruct the issue of oil decrees, as these resources can generate revenues for Lebanon."
On the parliamentary session postponed earlier in the day by Speaker Nabih Berri over lack of quorum, Aoun said: "We want clear draft laws and agendas in order to attend parliament sessions."
"Why should we go to parliament amid this approach regarding administrative appointments? To strike deals?" he added.
Separately, Aoun said: "It is still too early to hold a Christian-Christian meeting."
"There is no problem in holding a Christian meeting, but we must first define the topics that we should discuss," he added, in response to a reporter's question.
Source: Naharnet
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