Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea said that Bashar al-Assad is an integral part of the terrorist system in Syria as he reiterated calls for removing Assad from power.
Speaking to reporters after receiving a delegation of the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) headed by former Ambassador Edward Gabriel in Maarab on Wednesday, Geagea said that “matters do not stand at the borders of Daesh (ISIS) and Nusra or other terrorist organizations.” He stressed that “the problem was before the birth of these organizations and will continue after their elimination in the event of failing to establish serious political foundations for ending the crisis in the region.”
“We must not forget that at the beginning of the Syrian revolution there was no Daesh or Nusra, but a peaceful revolution that Assad met with brutal crackdown,” Geagea said.
“Fighting Daesh is inevitable, and this is a duty and a demand, but eliminating Daesh does not mean ending the Syrian crisis. Therefore, the fight against terrorism must continue, simultaneously with efforts to solve the Syrian crisis.”
Geagea added: “We warned against the militarization of the revolution and its transformation from a peaceful civil revolution to militarization and extremism if the regime is allowed to continue with its brutal crackdown.”
Geagea emphasized that there is no solution in Syria under the rule of Bashar al-Assad “who is an integral part of the terrorist system.”
“The solution begins by getting rid of both Daesh and Assad, and then by pushing for a political settlement that will restore stability to the entire region and this part of the world, which has not known stability for decades,” Geagea added.
Geagea stressed the need for safe areas inside Syria so that Syrian refugees in Lebanon can return to their homes with dignity, stressing that this step would undermine all attempts to change the demographic landscape in Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
