Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi resigned/Asiri: Lebanon Must Work on Preventing its Slide to Where it Does Not Belong/Geagea Warns of ‘More Resignations

Rifi Resigns from Cabinet over Samaha File, ‘Hizbullah’s Hegemony over Govt.’
Naharnet/February 21/16/Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi resigned from government on Sunday in wake of the release of former Minister Michel Samaha from jail and in light of “the national crisis caused by the de facto powers.”He said in a statement: “The actions of these forces are leading the state towards fragmentation and vacuum, including tarnishing the national identity and exposing Lebanon’s sovereignty, economy, future, and international and Arab ties to grave dangers.”
He listed the “obstruction imposed by Hizbullah and its allies on the government and outside of it,” the presidential vacuum, paralysis of state institutions, failure to refer Samaha’s case to the Judicial Council, and “destruction of Lebanon’s ties with Saudi Arabia and other Arab brothers for the first time in Lebanese history.”He also noted the ongoing “garbage disposal farce that is jeopardizing the lives of the Lebanese people.”“This crisis should have been tackled the minute it erupted out of mercy for this beautiful country, whose wrong policies and various conspiracies have tarnished its image before the Lebanese people and the world,” Rifi lamented. “From my position as minister in this cabinet, I witnessed what words cannot describe. Today, I am being frank with the Lebanese by saying that the practices of Hizbullah’s statelet and its allies are no longer acceptable,” he added. “Remaining in this government will be a sign of acceptance of this perversion or the inability to confront it, both of which are options that I reject,” he stressed. “The developments in the Samaha case were a national crime that Hizbullah should be solely responsible for as it covered for the murderer and turned him into a new saint when it and its allies prevented the case from being referred to the Judicial Council,” Rifi remarked.
“Regardless of Hizbullah’s culpability in this issue and the government’s inability to confront the party, the result remains the same and that there exists an armed group that is dominating the cabinet’s decisions and turning them, whenever its needs demand, into a corpse,” he noted. “I have taken it upon myself to refer Samaha’s case to the International Criminal Court and I, along with the Lebanese people, will continue to follow up on this file until the end,” he stated. He then called on the Lebanese people to sign a national petition, demanding Samaha’s referral to the ICC. “Samaha’s case is only one example of the hegemony over the government’s decisions that have been obstructed for months at the altar of familial and personal demands,” he continued.
“Hizbullah has used this cabinet to deepen its statelet project, whereby it sought to transform it into a tool to impose its control over the state and its decisions,” Rifi declared in his statement. “Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil’s actions at the Arab League summit are a blatant example of the practices of the Hizbullah statelet that disregards Lebanon and its interest,” he noted. “He dared, at Hizbullah’s request, to insult Saudi Arabia, vote against Arab consensus, and refrain from condemning the attack against Riyadh’s embassy in Tehran,” Rifi said.
“It is unfortunate that no one condemned such a shameful stance that led to the deterioration of ties between Lebanon and its closest friend, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries,” he lamented. He announced his “complete rejection to the insult,” urging the cabinet “to at least make an apology to the kingdom, its leadership, and its people.” “In fact, I call on it to resign before it turns into a complete pawn in Hizbullah’s hands,” Rifi added.
“I stress that we will remain Arab Lebanese and the kingdom will remain the same friend who stood by us in the worst times,” he added. Furthermore, Rifi stated: “My participation in this government was not a goal, but it was an expression of my will to serve my nation and people with all my determination and what God has bestowed me to meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people because this nation deserves so much from us.”“We wanted this cabinet to ease tensions to avoid slipping into complete vacuum, but they wanted to use it to further their destructive agenda,” he continued. “We wanted this government to avert economic collapse and save what is left, but they obstructed it and deprived the people of the most minimal hope of economic revival and instead we witnessed a decline in central services and in all vital sectors,” he added.
“We wanted this government to stand in the way of attempts to violate the state and its sovereignty, so they used it to destroy Lebanon’s ties and they completely disregarded the state’s sovereignty and dignity,” he remarked.
“I was never accustomed to shying away from my responsibilities and have shouldered them during the worst times,” he stressed.
“I will remain by your side and I will strive for the sake of Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty, and dignity, but I refuse to be turned into a false witness and I will not provide cover to those trying to take over the state and its institutions,” vowed Rifi.“I therefore submit my resignation to you and Prime Minister Tammam Salam.
“I will continue on the path paved by slain former Premier Raik Hariri and the martyrs of the Cedar Revolution. I will continue to confront the statelet and remain by you, the honorable Lebanese people, in the battle of saving Lebanon,” he pledged.“I have faith that Lebanon the state will be victorious with you and for you no matter the challenges,” he concluded. In January, the Military Tribunal released on bail former Minister Samaha, who was arrested in 2012 after being caught red-handed while smuggling explosives from Syria to Lebanon to carry out attacks in the country. He was sentenced in May 2015 to four-and-half years in prison, but in June, the Cassation Court nullified the verdict and ordered a retrial. His release in early 2016 sparked uproar in the country Rifi vowing to refer the case to the International Criminal Court after his demand to refer it to the Judicial Council was unheeded. Saudi Arabia said on Friday that it has halted a $3 billion program for military supplies to Lebanon in protest against Hizbullah’s policies and recent diplomatic stances by the Lebanese foreign ministry. The move brought widespread condemnation from the March 14 alliance against Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, whose leader is Bassil.

Asiri: Lebanon Must Work on Preventing its Slide to Where it Does Not Belong
Naharnet/February 21/16/Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri stated that it is now up to the Lebanese to cooperate to return the country “to its brothers who have long stood by it,” reported the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in wake of the kingdom’s decision to halt aid to the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces. He told the daily: “The Lebanese should work against their country’s slide to where it does not belong.”“Lebanon’s natural place is among its brothers” in the Arab world, he stressed. “The picture has become clear now in that some sides want to destroy Lebanon, while others are keen on preserving it,” remarked Asiri.“We have grown aware in the past two days of those who seek their country’s interests and those who want to drag it back,” he said. Saudi Arabia said on Friday that it has halted a $3 billion program for military supplies to Lebanon in protest against Hizbullah’s policies and recent diplomatic stances by the Lebanese foreign ministry. The move brought widespread condemnation from the March 14 alliance against Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, whose leader is Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

Moqbel Knew of Saudi Decision on Lebanon since Monday
Naharnet/February 21/16/Defense Minister Samir Moqbel was aware of Saudi Arabia’s decision to halt aid to the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces since Monday, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday. He told the daily that, at the time, he had not received official confirmation of the decision, but French figures had relayed the news to him on Monday when he was visiting Cyprus.He was told that Saudi Arabia had requested that he stop working on the grant deal, but it seems that Prime Minister Tammam Salam was not aware of these developments, said the daily. Lebanon has not received official confirmation of Saudi Arabia’s decision, but the premier’s circles noted that he was “disappointed” with the current state of affairs in spite of the fact that Lebanon had repeatedly sought to clarify its stances.Salam’s circles did not reveal whether he will call cabinet to convene next week in order to tackle Riyadh’s stand. Saudi Arabia said on Friday that it has halted a $3 billion program for military supplies to Lebanon in protest against Hizbullah’s policies and recent diplomatic stances by the Lebanese foreign ministry.

Geagea Warns of ‘More Resignations’ as Gemayel Says Lebanon is a ‘Hostage State’
Naharnet/February 21/16/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Sunday saluted Ashraf Rifi over his resignation from his justice minster post, noting that “someone had to take a stance” in light of the latest row with Saudi Arabia and the developments in Michel Samaha’s case. “I salute justice minister Ashraf Rifi on his stance, seeing as without any political calculations, someone had to take a stance, especially after the deterioration in the relation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the issue of Michel Samaha’s trial,” Geagea told MTV in a phone interview. “Some issues oblige the person to take a stance,” he added, calling on the government to “take this resignation into consideration” and stressing that “it is prohibited for anyone to undermine Lebanon’s ties with the friendly countries.”In response to a question, Geagea noted that a resignation of the entire government “will not achieve anything.”“There is a large number of March 14 ministers in the cabinet and they must voice their viewpoints on Samaha’s trial and the relation with Saudi Arabia,” he added. Asked why he has allegedly focused his criticism on Hizbullah without referring to Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil in the current row with Saudi Arabia, Geagea warned against getting entangled in “petty details.”“Supposing that Minister Jebran Bassil has committed a mistake, the government should have summoned him and asked for an explanation, but it didn’t do so, and today it must shoulder its responsibilities,” the LF leader added. Asked about the presidential vote and his nomination of FPM founder MP Michel Aoun, Geagea reminded that “entire March 8 has nominated General Michel Aoun” and “now they have the voices of the LF bloc.” “So let the March 8 camp continue what it had started,” he added. He later warned in remarks to Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath television that “if the government doesn’t make serious steps in the relation with Saudi Arabia, we will witness more resignations.”Meanwhile, Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel warned that “Lebanon has fallen a hostage in Hizbullah’s hand” as a result of the party’s controversial arsenal of weapons. “Lebanon must be dealt with as a hostage state,” Gemayel told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television. “The March 14 forces will make a warning step today and if the government does not respond, we will take other stances,” he added. He noted that “Hizbullah’s remarks and insults against the kingdom can only lead to the reaction we have witnessed from Saudi Arabia.”“We have an influential presence in the government along with al-Mustaqbal movement, and we must shoulder our responsibilities,” Gemayel added. Rifi, a fierce opponent of Hizbullah, said earlier on Sunday he was resigning over the group’s alleged “domination” of the government. The minister’s decision came two days after Saudi Arabia announced it was suspending $3 billion in aid to Lebanon’s army in protest over “hostile” diplomatic positions it said were inspired by Hizbullah.
Rifi’s resignation statement also cited alleged Hizbullah interference in the case of Lebanon’s former information minister Michel Samaha, who is facing charges of having planned “terrorist” acts in collaboration with the Syrian regime. Rifi accused Hizbullah of blocking his efforts to transfer the case against Samaha, a former close confidante of Damascus, to Lebanon’s highest court, the Judicial Council. Samaha is currently free on bail as he faces retrial on charges of plotting attacks with Syrian security services chief Ali Mamluk.