Geagea calls for arrest of attackers against UNIFIL

Nothing has changed in Lebanon...

The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, expressed his dissatisfaction with the position of the Lebanese authorities following yesterday’s attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

He stated: "If UNIFIL forces exceed their mandate, the Lebanese authorities should inform them. However, if they do not, as clearly stipulated by Resolution 1701 and in the context of its renewals over recent years, the competent authorities should take the initiative from the outset—not only to end the clashes but also to arrest the attackers and bring them to justice."

He added: "If the Lebanese authorities continue to act as if they are merely peacekeepers between UNIFIL on one side and those attacking it on the other, this will further weaken them and create the false impression that nothing has changed in Lebanon despite all the events it has gone through. This situation must be remedied quickly by arresting all those who attack UNIFIL and by acting in a way that suggests a real state has begun to emerge in Lebanon."