Hariri urges Hezbollah to return to Lebanon from regional conflicts
The Daily Star/Mar. 10, 2016
BEIRUT: Future Movement leader Saad Hariri Thursday defended the Gulf Cooperation Council’s March 3 decision to classify Hezbollah as a “terrorist organization,” saying that Hezbollah’s actions in the Gulf had led to this decision.
“Hezbollah goes to Yemen, and threatens the security of the Gulf, what do you expect from these countries? Who gave Hezbollah permission to go and fight abroad? This goes against Lebanon’s agenda,” Hariri said during LBCI talk show Kalam El-Nas.
He pointed to accusations made by the Saudi-backed government in Yemen that Hezbollah was physically involved in their conflict, as well as what he said was Hezbollah military uniform found in a security bust in Kuwait of an alleged “terror cell.”
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah has publicly announced his party’s involvement in the Syrian, Yemeni and Iraqi conflicts, saying it is a “humanitarian and religious duty” to protect the people of these countries against Saudi-backed terrorist groups.
The unanimous GCC decision to brand Hezbollah a “terror group” was followed by an Arab ministerial meeting held in Tunisia on the same day to make the same decision.
Hariri pointed out that Hezbollah had not shown solidarity with him when Syrian President Bashar Assad listed him (Hariri) as a “terrorist” for supporting the uprising against the Syrian government.
He also denied claims made by Hezbollah that the Future Movement sent or supported fighters in Syria, asking where was the Lebanese state’s right to veto Hezbollah’s actions within and outside of Lebanon.
“We will only support Hezbollah in its war against Israel, not when it fights outside of Lebanon’s borders … Hezbollah should stop talking about national unity if it wants to stay involved in regional conflicts – this talk about national unity is all a lie,” Hariri said heatedly.
“I returned to Lebanon, I hope you return too,” he said, directing his attention to Nasrallah, in reference to Hezbollah’s participation in the region’s wars.
Hariri returned to Lebanon last month after living in self-imposed exile.
He also criticized Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil’s refusal to vote in favor of a statement condemning Iranian influence in Arab affairs during the pan-Islamic Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah in January. He said he understood Bassil’s stance at the previous Cairo Arab League summit, but not the position he took at Jeddah.
“The summit at Jeddah did not mention Hezbollah. Bassil committed a big mistake by voting against Arab consensus and condemning the attack against the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran,” Hariri said.
While the OIC statement focused its condemnation on Iran, the Arab League summit in Cairo slammed Hezbollah as being an “Iranian-backed militia” sowing chaos in the region.
Bassil condemned the attacks on the Saudi missions separately, but argued that he could not endorse a statement which referenced Lebanese parties.
The Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran’s Tehran and Mashhad were torched by angry protesters after the Saudi execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in January.
Bassil and Hezbollah were largely blamed after Saudi Arabia announced last month that it was halting $4 billion in aid to Lebanon’s military and police. He was chastised for not coordinating his stance with Salam before announcing his position at the Cairo and Jeddah meetings.
Hariri clarified that $450 million of the aid was given to the Lebanese Army, General Security and Internal Security Forces, while the rest was frozen by Riyadh.
Asked by the host on whether he thought Hezbollah controlled Lebanon, Hariri said Bassil’s stances indicated that the party did, but quickly added that in reality it didn’t.
Nevertheless, he defended his party’s ongoing dialogue with Hezbollah, saying it was essential to keep the country stable.
“We participated in the government with Hezbollah and are continuing dialogue with it as it is an essential component of the country. [Parliament Speaker Nabih] Berri is doing the impossible to keep this dialogue ongoing and the country stable,” Hariri said in his remarks.
The dialogue, sponsored by Berri since December 2014, is aimed at defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions stoked by the 5-year-old war in Syria.
Hariri went as far as to say that he would continue to cooperate with Hezbollah as a Lebanese partner even if the party was convicted of his father’s assassination, late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“For the first time in Lebanon’s history, there is an international tribunal looking into the assassinations which took place in the country, and it is showing us who was behind Rafik Hariri’s killing,” he said.
The Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon, set up in 2007 to investigate the killing of Hariri, accused Hezbollah members of being behind the assassination, something the party completely denies and dubs as “Zionist propaganda.” No one has yet been jailed for the crime.
Regarding the presidency crisis, Hariri reiterated his full support for Marada Movement head Sleiman Frangieh for the position, stating that he would not vote for Aoun in case the latter was able to garner enough votes.
“I will go to Parliament to attend the presidential election session, however no one must expect me to vote for [Change and Reform bloc leader Michel] Aoun,” he said, adding that he would congratulate Aoun in the case he won the election, however.
Hariri refused to consider his nomination of Frangieh as provocative, defending his endorsement of the Marada Movement head by arguing that it had brought the issue of Lebanon’s presidential void to the political foreground.
“Nobody cared about the presidency (issue),” he said, adding the initiative was solely intended to end the political deadlock gripping the country.
“I understand Frangieh’s position if he boycotts the parliament sessions (to elect a president), and I am not forcing him, but I hope he does attend … My backing of a (rival) March 8 official) was for the benefit of Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” he reiterated.
Hariri voiced optimism however that a head of state would be elected in the upcoming parliamentary session, set for March 23. The last session on March 3 saw the highest turnout of MPs since April 2014.
MPs have failed for 36 times to elect a president due to a lack of quorum, as Frangieh’s party and its allies Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement have observed a boycott of sessions.
Hariri secretly endorsed Frangieh for the presidency in November after the two met in Paris at the former’s residency. After returning to Lebanon, Hariri publicly announced Frangieh’s nomination, reiterating his support for the latter numerous times during televised interviews.
The endorsement shook relations between Hariri and his long-time ally in the March 14 camp Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces, who had been the camp’s official candidate.
Relations also became tense between long-time March 8 allies Aoun and Frangieh, as Aoun was considered his camp’s official candidate. Despite this, Frangieh vowed to continue with his candidacy.
Geagea then in January officially nominated Aoun for the presidency, during a land-mark reconciliation ceremony which ended over 25 years of bitter ties between the Civil War-time foes.
The endorsement further deepened the rift between Geagea and Hariri.
“We and Geagea have only disagreed over the presidency crisis, and what brings us together is greater than what separates us,” the Future Movement said, claiming the March 14 alliance was still strong and united.
Hariri repeatedly blamed rival party Hezbollah for the presidential crisis, criticizing it for its continued boycott of sessions to elect a head of state.
“It is their constitutional right not to attend one or two sessions, not to completely obstruct the election. If they want to respect the Constitution, they must respect it all … I am not asking anything from them, I am just asking that they go to Parliament,” Hariri said in reference to Hezbollah.
He called for pressure to be exerted on all MPs to attend Parliament, warning of greater consequences if the presidency vacuum continues.
“Anything is better than this vacuum; even if me and Frangieh disagree, in the case he was elected president and I became prime minister, it would be a million times better than living in this paralysis. At least there would be functioning institutions,” he said.
He added that his party would not resign from the Cabinet despite the many differences between rival factions.
Voicing worry over the country’s deteriorating economic situation, Hariri said the election of a president would cause a positive shock, ultimately improving the economy and the country’s overall situation.
Central Bank of Lebanon Governor Riad Salameh has put the economic growth rate for Lebanon at nearly zero percent for 2016, due to the ongoing political crisis.
Hariri also said the ongoing trash crisis which has plagued Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon for nearly eight months is close to being solved.
A ministerial committee looking into ways to end the crisis has voiced optimism in recent days over the issue, with the possibility of at least three or four landfills being established in different areas of the country to accommodate the waste.