Lebanon besieged, anti-Syria conspiracy defeated militarily: FPM chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Website
1 Oct 2023 20:20
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Gebran Bassil recalls the battle of Fajr al-Jouroud in which the Lebanese army, alongside the Lebanese Resistance, defeated ISIS terrorists.

Gebran Bassil, president of the Lebanese Free Patriotic Movement Party, Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022 (AP)

During a speech in the city of Baalbeck, the president of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement and Member of Parliament, Gebran Bassil, asserted that the "conspiracy to subvert Syria has been defeated militarily."

Bassil referenced the landmark Fajr al-Jouroud (Dawn of the Jurds) Battle when former President Michel Aoun authorized the operation leading to the defeat of ISIS terrorists at the hands of the Lebanese army, alongside the Lebanese Resistance, with the support of the Syrian Arab Army from Syria's side of the border.

Bassil added that the conspiracy, which began in 2011 with the aim of subverting Syria and destabilizing Lebanon, was part of a greater course aimed at disintegrating the region and turning it into sectarian substates surrounding "Israel" that would engage in battles against one another rather than fight the Israeli occupation.

Furthermore, Bassil addressed the issue of Syrian refugees, stating that "thousands of Syrian refugees are flooding the borders through unauthorized and well-known crossings, encouraged by international incentives and internal collusion," adding that the influx of refugees had exceeded the land's capacity to accommodate them.

In response to recent statements by the US Department of State, which declared that "conditions are not conducive for the return of refugees, and financial support should be provided to Lebanon," Bassil cynically posited, "Where is this financial support," explaining that Lebanon is "under a blockade."

The European Parliament issued a resolution in July to keep Syrian refugees in Lebanon and not allow their return to their country; a decision that was met with opposition by the Lebanese officials.

Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib sent a letter to the Vice-President of the European Commission and the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, denouncing the EU's decision.

Bou Habib said the situation was starting to "not only threaten the Lebanese social structure but also economic stability and Lebanon's existence as an entity."

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Minister stressed that Lebanon adheres to its rights and responsibilities to facilitate the safe return of the displaced Syrians to their homes.