We Turned the Page… Geagea: We Struggled for the Establishment of a Real State in Lebanon
The leader of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, affirmed that “we have turned the old page with all its calamities and woes and begun a new phase, and we now have hope of emerging from the situation we are living in.”
He pointed out that “in recent years, we have struggled for the establishment of a real state in Lebanon, and we have won this bet through the rebuilding of the state, alongside the election of a new president, the appointment of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and the formation of the government.”
Geagea expressed astonishment at the recent launching of new rockets toward Israel at a time when the state remains absent, warning that this could lead to a reshuffling of the cards and more human and material losses.
Geagea made these remarks during a celebration organized in Maarab by the “Department of Martyrs, Wounded, and Captives” of the Lebanese Forces Party under the title “For Martyrdom, a Mother” on the occasion of Mother’s Day. The event was attended by MP Ghayath Yazbek, a member of the Strong Republic Bloc, former MP Antoine Zahra, Lebanese Forces Secretary-General Emile Mokrzel, Assistant Secretary for Administrative Affairs Rafik Shahin, coordinators of the party in various Lebanese regions, the head of the Department of Martyrs, Wounded, and Captives, Charbel Abi Akel, as well as mothers of martyrs and captives.
Geagea began his speech by emphasizing that the call of the mothers of martyrs is the strongest and most precious to him, expressing his happiness at the gathering. He said: “Be assured that the memory of the martyrs is always with us. Personally, I always remember them, simply because their memory keeps us from losing our way. The proof is that for 40 years, the Lebanese Forces have walked only the right path, the path our martyrs paved for us. Remembering them makes it nearly impossible to choose another path.”
Geagea praised the efforts of his comrades in the Department of Martyrs, Wounded, and Captives and the General Secretariat of the Lebanese Forces for their work in preparing the event. He noted that despite not meeting frequently due to the current conditions, “our martyrs are with us every day, and that is why we have not erred.”
He justified holding this year’s celebration, after previously declining it, by stating: “For the past fifty years, we have become part of history. We have often heard people ask, ‘What a waste of youth, for what did they die?’ Our response has always been rooted in faith and conviction, without tangible proof: ‘They did not die in vain; they sacrificed to build a homeland and martyred for the survival of society.’ I fully understand that the families of the martyrs have suffered from these questions more than I have.”
He continued: “But today, our response is backed by concrete facts. Over the past three to four months, two major developments have proven our viewpoint to be 100% correct. Divine justice has revealed the truth, despite all the sacrifices and pains you have endured.”
“The first development is the fall of the Assad regime, which we fought against for fifty years, from father to son. At that time, the Syrian army was one of the strongest in the region, possessing tanks, artillery, and manpower, while we fought with our bare flesh, from Ashrafieh to Zahle to Qanat and all areas in between. No one can imagine the scale of the battles in these towns, where a few dozen or hundred of our young fighters stood bravely against the mighty Syrian army.”
Responding to those who questioned the deaths of his comrades over the years, Geagea stated: “The Assad regime is gone, while our youth remain, the Lebanese Forces remain, and we remain. With each passing day, the extent of this regime’s evil is revealed. Our opposition to it was not merely political but far beyond that. Some describe the Assad regime as part of the Axis of Evil, and that is a very accurate description. If not for our martyrs, this regime would have completely taken over Lebanon, not just partially.”
“The second reason our youth sacrificed their lives in the last two to three decades was to establish a strong and real state. Many of our martyrs fell for this cause, including Elias Al-Hasrouni, Pascal Sleiman, and Roland Al-Murr, each in a different context. However, two months ago, we turned the page on all these tragedies and began a new phase, with hope for a way out of our crisis.”
Geagea also remarked: “Recently, new rockets were launched from the south toward Israel—one, two, or three—enough to stir chaos again and bring more human and material losses, while the Lebanese state remains absent. And yet, our only salvation lies in building a strong state.”
He added: “We have struggled in recent years to establish a real state in Lebanon, and we have won this bet by rebuilding the state in parallel with the election of President Joseph Aoun, the appointment of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and the formation of the government.”
Geagea concluded: “This occasion is dear to my heart, just like the annual mass for the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance. We have endured a great deal, but the Lebanese state will rise again.”
Nous avons tourné la page… Geagea : Nous avons lutté pour l’établissement d’un véritable État au Liban
Le chef du parti des Forces libanaises, Samir Geagea, a affirmé que « nous avons tourné la page du passé avec toutes ses calamités et ses malheurs et entamé une nouvelle étape, avec l’espoir de sortir de la situation actuelle. »
Il a souligné que « ces dernières années, nous avons lutté pour l’établissement d’un véritable État au Liban, et nous avons gagné ce pari en reconstruisant l’État parallèlement à l’élection d’un nouveau président, la nomination du Premier ministre Nawaf Salam et la formation du gouvernement. »
Geagea a exprimé son étonnement face aux récents tirs de roquettes en direction d’Israël alors que l’État est toujours absent, mettant en garde contre un nouveau bouleversement et davantage de pertes humaines et matérielles.
Geagea a fait ces déclarations lors d’une cérémonie organisée à Maarab par le « Département des martyrs, blessés et captifs » du parti des Forces libanaises, sous le titre « Pour le martyre, une mère », à l’occasion de la Fête des Mères.
Il a déclaré : « Soyez assurés que la mémoire des martyrs est toujours avec nous. Leur souvenir nous empêche de perdre notre cap et prouve que, depuis 40 ans, les Forces libanaises n’ont suivi que la voie tracée par les martyrs. »
Il a poursuivi en évoquant la chute du régime Assad et la lutte pour l’établissement d’un État fort, insistant sur le fait que « notre seul salut réside dans la construction d’un État puissant. »
Enfin, Geagea a affirmé que, malgré toutes les épreuves, « l’État libanais renaîtra et sera reconstruit. »