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| Hussein Assi | |||
| Wissam Issa to Al-Manar Website: 
In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar Website, Issa praised Patriarch Rahi’s stances, and said the Patriarch proved to be really the patriarch of Antioch and all East, while his predecessor Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir was only Jounieh’s patriarch, after he was involved in personal disputes and proved to be biased. Issa criticized the Lebanese Forces party which never showed commitment to the state, and said the mentioned party has always dreamt of federalism and division. He warned that the LF stance was not backed at the Christian level, and highlighted that “the Sunni and Shiite LF base does not allow the party to neglect its Christian base.” On the Syrian situation, Issa expressed belief the “danger became behind us,” and said that reforms were advancing against sedition schemes. He hailed the Russian position which considered “was not a joke,” and revealed that the possibility of external threats in Syria was very limited. WE DON’T STAND BEHIND CHURCH  Issa told Al-Manar Website that Al-Marada movement was not accustomed to stand behind the church, and distinguished between religious and political matters in the regard. Yet, he expressed full satisfaction for the harmony between his party and the Church’s stances towards the Syrian developments. He spoke of a serious role to be played by the Vatican as part of its commitment to the East’s Christians. He noted that the decision to change the Patriarch came in this future Vatican vision, in light of the experience in Iraq and Palestine, alongside the inability for Christian to visit their sacred sites.While noting that Patriarch Beshara Rahi was adopting the Vatican position, he expressed belief the Patriarch was showing some kind of openness, in contrast with his predecessor Nasrallah Sfeir. “It is the first time we feel we really have a Patriarch for all East. We believe Patriach Sfeir was Jounieh’s patriarch as he was involved in personal disputes and conflicts. Patriarch Rahi’s moves are great.” WHERE IS LF PARTY GOING?  Commenting on the Lebanese Forces stance towards the Patriarch’s latest positions, Issa denounced the LF claims that the Patriarch’s statements undermine the logic of the state. “The LF party has never shown commitment to the state. They have always sought to establish their own state inside the state. They dream of federalism and division. This scheme is old, it returns to the seventies,” he said.Issa warned that the LF stance was not backed at the Christian level. He also cautioned that the LF Sunni and Shiite bases do not allow the party to neglect its Christian base. He said the LF was committing in this context a historic mistake, and wondered where the LF has been taking itself along with others. Issa noted that balances have changed, in light of the openness reflected by the Christian leaderships, at the top the Marada movement head MP Sleiman Franjieh as well as the head of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Michel Aoun who signed the famous understanding with Hezbollah. “This is the Eastern honorable alliance. We know we’ll remain here and we’ll live here. We perceive days of surrender have gone. All balances have changed. Our allies are victorious. We don’t know defeat anymore.” DANGER BECAME BEHIND US  Asked about the developments in Syria, the Marada movement politburo member expressed belief that “danger became behind us.” He noted that all tools to undermine the regime and trouble it were exploited but failed to achieve anything. He noted that reforms were advancing and sedition schemes were retracting.Issa also assured that Syria was externally fortified. He pointed to the Russian solid position, noting that Moscow’s stance was not a joke, as it obstructed the possibility to military interfere in Syria through the United Nations and the NATO forces. He also concluded that the possibility of external threats was very limited. Furthermore, he urged the remaining “honorable opposition figures” in Syria to release a specific program and to open dialogue with the regime over their demands and dreams. He noted that the main weak point in this regard is that the Syrian regime does not enjoy a serious interlocutor. SECURITY UNDER CONTROL  To conclude, Issa was asked about the possible repercussions of the Syrian crisis on ground, whether in Lebanon or Syria, in light of the tense political rhetoric. He warned that the collapse of the sedition plot would take its sponsors to a new dangerous stage, the retreat one. He predicted that the next stage could represent a real crisis in Syria, which would be reflected through explosions and assassinations.Issa expressed hope Lebanese “heroes” would not take Lebanon to the same scenario, and noted that the security in Lebanon was still under control and that the Lebanese army was consistent. Yet, he did not rule out the possibility that some “crazy men” could seek to move things according to a sectarian vision. “There are some attempts that were suppressed in this context. I don’t think they can create such atmosphere in Lebanon. However, we believe disruption happens everywhere, without necessarily creating a threat to the regime.” | |||
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River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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