BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea Wednesday said the Lebanese Army's victory over Islamist militants in the north proved it was capable of defending the country, reiterating calls for Hezbollah to disarm.
“The Tripoli violence highlighted some of the facts the other team [March 8] tried to hide,” Geagea told a news conference from his headquarters in Maarab, north of Beirut.
“The Lebanese Army [has emerged] as the most powerful military force on the ground and is capable of defending Lebanon and every Lebanese citizen, so others [Hezbollah] must step down,” Geagea told a news conference.
A four-day military standoff between the military and Islamist gunmen ended Monday after the Lebanese Army seized the last militant stronghold in the northern city of Tripoli.
Geagea stressed that Lebanon’s Sunnis do not support terrorists.
"Sunnis in Lebanon do not provide a supportive environment for terrorism,” he said.
“This shows that the people of Tripoli are not with terrorism and extremism,” Geagea said, adding that the Army would not have been able to press ahead with its operation had residents supported extremism.
Addressing Hezbollah, Geagea said: "The Future Movement’s opinion was a huge loss especially for you because the Future Movement greatly contributes to the prevention of the growth of terrorism and extremism and spreads moderation."
Turning to the 27 Lebanese soldiers and policemen held hostage by ISIS and Nusra Front, Geagea disagreed with attempts to negotiate a deal with the kidnappers.
"The way the government is trying to solve this tragedy, in my opinion, is not a solution,” he said, while suggesting two options to resolve the hostage crisis: either for Hezbollah to withdraw from Syria, or to launch a military operation.
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