Friday 12 June 2009

Sfeir: Poll Outcome Prevented “Takover by Syria, Iran”


Sfeir: Poll Outcome Prevented “Takover by Syria, Iran”
Readers Number : 248

12/06/2009 Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said that poll outcome has prevented “takeover by Iran and Syria.”

Had the opposition won parliamentary elections, "Syria and Iran would have taken control of our country," Sfeir said in remarks to pro Lebanese Forces’ al-Massira magazine. “Don’t you know that weight transfer means that both Iran and Syria and Palestinians in the opposition would have gained the upper hand in the Lebanon situation?" The opposition "wanted to take over Lebanon," Sfeir stressed. "They can say what they want. But the president is the president. He is the one who rules Lebanon now."

On the eve of general elections, Sfeir announced that Lebanon as an entity was in danger. Sfeir’s comments that were considered against the election law, had served as a lever for the March 14 bloc that won the elections. March 14 ministers had interfered with the body overseeing the election to prevent banning Sfeir’s remarks, and they succeeded.

Sfeir accused Syria of still having still having ambitions in Lebanon.
Insinuating he prefers isolating the opposition, Sfeir stressed that the presence of pro-government forces and the opposition in the government is "not encouraging in light of (threats) of obstruction and veto."

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