The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, criticized the allegations that followed the fall of Ali Al-Taher, saying: “Instead of handing over the hill to the Lebanese army, some claimed that it was empty, unimportant, and a stable.” He stressed that "we are reaping what was sown with the martyrdom of the heroes of the Lebanese resistance. Hence, we did not fear confrontation when it was imposed on us, and we did not back down when the evil ones and those who benefited attacked us. We held on to hope and hope, in the heart of the confrontation with the axis of weapons and hegemony. We fought all kinds of entitlements and were victorious in them wherever we fought them. He said: "It is certain that the dawn of sovereignty has dawned, and we will not accept that anyone stop its dawning, whether by bullying the state or Sovereign, free Lebanese, or by appeasement, procrastination, procrastination, and patchwork.” Expressing his rejection of a state that brings calamities and entangles Lebanon in other people’s wars, and defends Iran at the expense of the Lebanese and Lebanon, he stressed that “the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, tried to light a small candle in the hope that it might dispel the darkness that was created by the hands of others, so they began to curse him as well.” He also reminded of the role of officials in the Lebanese state, in bringing stability and peace to the country. If Hezbollah does not care, then the official officials cannot help but care. These officials must resolve themselves and take decisions that do not remain just ink on paper, but are very practical steps to get rid of the anomalous situation we are in, and thus reach the desired actual state. The hour has come for the establishment of the state and the conditions and preliminaries are in place for it. All that remains is for those responsible for the state to resolve themselves and hasten to seize the international moment. Which will not be repeated. These positions were launched by Geagea during the Lebanese Forces commemoration of the Mass for the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance under the patronage of the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, represented by the Patriarchal Vicar of the Maronite Diocese of Jounieh, Bishop John Rafiq Al-Warsha, who was assisted by a group of priests. He attended the mass for the martyrs, entitled “Dawn of Sovereignty,” along with party leader and his wife, MP Strida Geagea, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Minister of Justice Adel Nassar, Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Al-Sayyid, Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad al-Hajjar, represented by Secretary of the Central Security Council Sami Nassif, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raji, Minister of Energy and Water Joe Al-Sadi, Minister of Industry Joe Issa Al-Khoury, Minister of Displaced Persons and Minister of State for Technology Affairs Kamal. Shehada. Also participating in the mass were the head of the Free Patriotic Party, MP Camille Chamoun, the head of the Independence Movement, MP Michel Moawad, the head of the “Sanad” Party, MP Ashraf Rifi, the head of the “Homeland Project”, MP Nima Frem, the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, MP Taymour Jumblatt, represented by MP Raji Al-Saad, the head of the Lebanese Phalange Party, MP Sami Gemayel, represented by MP Nadeem Gemayel, the head of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi, represented by Roger Choueiri, in addition to MP Ahmed Al-Khair. Representing the National Moderation Bloc and MPs: Michel Douaihy, Melhem Khalaf and Aghoub Pakradounian. Regarding the “Strong Republic” bloc, MPs George Adwan, Ghassan Hasbani, Melhem Riachi, Antoine Habashi, George Okais, Ziad Al-Hawat, Razi Al-Hajj, Ghayath Yazbek, Fadi Karam, Ghada Ayoub, Saeed Al-Asmar, Nazih Matta, Elias Stephan, Elias Al-Khoury and Jihad Pakradouni were present, along with the bloc’s secretary, Saeed Malek. Among the former ministers were May Chidiac, Richard Koyoumjian, head of the Lebanese Forces’ Foreign Relations Service, Joe Sarkis, Alain Hakim, Ziad Baroud, and Salim Wardeh. Also present were former MPs Antoine Zahra, Elie Kayrouz, Eddie Abi Lama, Wahbi Qatisha, Joseph Ishak, Jawad Boulos, Tony Abu Khater, Othman Alameddine, Sami Fatfat and Rami Fanj. At the military and security level, the Army Commander was represented by General Rudolf Heikal, the Director of Intelligence, Brigadier General Antoine Kahwaji, the head of the Mount Lebanon Branch of the Intelligence Directorate, Brigadier General Tony Moawad, the Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Raed Abdullah, the commander of the Regional Gendarmerie Unit, Brigadier General Jean Awad, the Director General of Public Security, Major General Hassan Shukair, represented by Colonel Rami Romanos, and the Director General of State Security, Major General Edgar Lowndes, represented by Brigadier General Jules Shabib. Among the public departments and institutions, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lebanon TV, Elissar Naddaf Geagea, the Governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, the Governor of Akkar, Imad Labaki, the Director General of the Ministry of Industry, Adel Girgis Al-Shabab, the Director General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Energy and Water, Elias Akl, the Director General of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Corporation, Rabih Khalifa, the Director General of Investment, Fadia Hayek, and member of the Supreme Council of Customs, Charbel Nassib Khalil, attended. In addition, the head of the Change Movement, Elie Mahfoud, the head of the International Syriac Union Party, Ibrahim Murad, the Secretary-General of the National Bloc Party, Michel Helou, the Secretary-General of the Tashnag Party, Albert Balabanian, the head of the Ramgavar Party, Avedis Daxian, the head of the Hanchak Party, Vanek Daxian, and the head of the Maronite League, Maroun Helou, attended. In addition to the head of the Beirut Bar Association, Imad Martinos, the head of the Tripoli Bar Association, Marwan Daher, the head of the Beirut Doctors Association, Elias Shalala, the head of the Private School Teachers Association, Nima Mahfoud, the head of the Industrialists Association, Salim Al-Zaani, the head of the Federation of Tourist Syndicates and the head of the Hotel Owners Association, Pierre Al-Ashqar, the head of the Marine Tourism Establishments Association, Jean Beiruti, the head of the Keserwan-Futuh Merchants Association, Jacques Al-Hakim, the head of the Syndicate of Restaurant and Café Owners, Tony Al-Rami, the General Director of Radio Free Lebanon, Charbel. Azar, editor-in-chief of “Nidaa Al-Watan” newspaper, Amjad Iskandar. Regarding the “Lebanese Forces”, the party’s Secretary-General, Emile Moukarzel, the assistant secretaries, assistants, members of the executive body, members of the central council and the party’s general body, attended, along with the head of the media and communication apparatus, Charles Jabbour, advisors to the party president, and a number of heads of agencies, departments, regions, and party cadres, along with families of the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance, figures, and activists, as well as mayors and municipal unions, and a crowd of political, union, economic, media, and social actors. Geagea said during his speech: “Our commemoration of the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance this year in particular brings with it a turning point in the history of Lebanon. It is the fiftieth anniversary of the official founding of the Lebanese Forces in September 1976: fifty years have passed since several resistance parties and groups converged under one leadership and one flag, because Lebanon in particular was facing an imminent existential threat at that time, fifty years of sacrifice, perseverance, resistance, persecution, arrest and confrontation, but despite all of that, It was also fifty years of unwavering faith, endless giving, and continuous loyalty. Fifty years in which we embodied what was stated in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Distress is severe on us from every side, but we are not crushed. We are confused about our affairs and do not despair. People persecute us and God does not abandon us. We fall in the struggle and do not perish.” He added, "Today we remember the leaders, the fighters, the wounded, the disabled, the missing, the displaced, the fathers, the mothers, and the children. We remember a society that rose up from all segments in search of life. We remember the ordinary people who recorded exceptional heroism and reserved a place for them in history and in our hearts forever and ever." In particular, and above all, we remember our martyrs, not as mere numbers, nor as photographs, nor as names engraved in rock or stone, but rather as ages not lived, families torn apart, and the future of thousands offered as an offering so that we may live and Lebanon may not disappear.” He added, "Today we remember our founder, this name that still resonates across generations: Bashir Gemayel, Bashir who not only saw the fragile reality in which we were living, but he saw beyond the horizon, he saw what this reality could be, and he was martyred, leaving a great legacy and unforgettable positions as president of a strong republic that they aborted in the cradle." We believed in our ability as a nation, and we worked to gather our strength and stand strong in the face of all difficulties, and here we remember every comrade who carried this cause in the darkest of nights. Some carried it for a short period, others for long years, whether they carried it until this moment or until their last breath on the battlefields, or in the fields of struggle, for the cause and hope never extinguished their flame. Despite all these sacrifices, memory remains mere nostalgia if it does not turn into responsibility. The Lebanese Forces were never created to live captive to the past and merely nostalgia for it. Rather, we are here to build and defend a future worthy of our children. Our history is not a museum, but rather a trust, a mandate, and action. Geagea addressed the mothers of the martyrs, fathers, wives, husbands, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers, and to every family in which a chair remained empty and a wound on its body remained unhealed, saying, “We promise you one categorical promise: Our beloved martyrs were not martyred so that Lebanon would remain merely a country struggling to survive from one crisis to another. Rather, they were martyred so that Lebanon might live free, sovereign, pluralistic, secure, and worthy of its children, and until this is achieved.” "All of Lebanon. Be confident that our mission is not over yet, and that we will continue the confrontation until we reach this Lebanon." As for the martyred comrades, he said, “Before delving with you today, as usual, into the situation of the issue as a whole, I want to address three matters that are directly related to you, you in particular: The first matter is that a young angel has recently moved from among us to you: When we were making the necessary preparations for today’s celebration, our comrade Charbel Nohra, a vanguard leader in the Patriarch Elias Hoayek Batroun Regiment in the Freedom Scouts, was martyred, and he had not yet completed his nineteen years of age. Charbel Nohra was martyred for no reason. Except because he did not want, under any circumstances, to miss the bus that was going to take him and his companions to Maarab to complete the preparations required by the Freedom Scouts for the celebration, so he fell as a result of a painful accident that claimed his life. It is true that Charbel was not martyred on the battlefront, but he was martyred in the same spirit of a fighter on the most difficult fronts. He was martyred because he was determined to carry out his duty on the path of the cause, whatever the cost, even if that price was his life. My comrade Charbel, the preparations have been completed in the best possible way for our Mass today, and the celebration is going on as you had hoped and looked forward to. I heard the stamping of your feet among the footsteps of your companions today, and I saw the ghost of your smiling face passing among the groups that marched today. Sleep soundly, for you have become immortal in the world of eternity, and immortal through a cause that never dies. The second matter that is closely linked to you, my fellow martyrs, is that, after the members of the accursed former Lebanese-Syrian security regime tried, for a period of time, to hide the truth about the assassination of our comrade Ramzi Irani, and until yesterday one of them continued to lie and try to obscure the truth, until a witness from his family came forward and told the story with sufficient details confirming beyond doubt that the former Lebanese-Syrian security regime was the one behind the crime. I open two small crescent moons to say that the worst criminal in this assassination operation was the one who insisted on misleading the investigation from the first moment, while he was in a position of security responsibility charged with protecting the Lebanese, and then in a position of political responsibility, and unfortunately with great regret, and he was the one who tried, falsely and slanderously, to throw the blame on others, and as recent confessions have shown, he was at least aware of the real perpetrator, if not in complicity with him, if not an accomplice in committing the crime. Whatever the case, we will prosecute the criminals one by one, whether they were perpetrators, accomplices, accomplices, instigators, or concealers, no matter how high their status, and no matter how great their immunity. The third matter, my fellow martyrs, is related to the assassination of our former coordinator for the Byblos region, Comrade Pascal Suleiman, after whom, after a long wait, an indictment was issued regarding his assassination, confirming that the matter was a premeditated killing and not just an accident. We will complete the required judicial procedures, especially with regard to the recovery of the fugitive wanted defendants in Syria, because their recovery will lead to revealing the whole truth, especially the party that is actually behind the assassination. rights, and how if there were faithful and struggling claimants behind him, he would not have been able to support their arm for a day.” He added, "My fellow martyrs, even if the sunrise was delayed after dawn here, it is enough that it is bright in your sky, so that its sunrise becomes inevitable for us. It is your dawn, the dawn of sovereignty, freedom, right, truth, and honorable life. It is your debt to us, and we will pay it to you. You struggled, fought, and were martyred in the darkest and darkest circumstances and days for the sake of this dawn, and now it is finally dawning. If it were not for you, we would not be here, and it would not have been possible." We have land, sky, air, freedom, and a state, even if it is a state as it is. It is your dawn after which a sun will shine that will never set. Some people are surprised by our ability to be patient, endure, steadfast, and resist, at all times and with modest capabilities. But they missed that we are the sons of John Maroun and the sons of Lebanese history. They missed that we are the sons of a struggle whose history is much longer than the Lebanon of the state. They also missed that often in history, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and that the youth that we are tired of and exposed to... Types of persecution at the height of oppression and prevention have become a situation that is at the forefront of the nation, and is embraced by a people yearning for the freedom for which you fell. Today we are reaping what you sowed with your martyrdom and watered with your blood. Therefore, we did not fear confrontation when it was imposed on us, and we did not back down when evil people and profiteers attacked and attacked us. We held on to hope and hope, in the heart of the confrontation with the axis of weapons and hegemony. We fought entitlements of all kinds and were victorious in them wherever we fought them. No wonder, for we are from the school of tireless struggle, from the school of martyrs and loyalty to the martyrs, from the quarry of dignity, and from the core of deep-rooted faith, the roots of the Lord’s cedar. When we said, “The guards will not sleep,” we knew full well that they would not sleep while waiting for the coming dawn, and when we said, “They will not go away,” and “they will remain, and there will be continuous resistance.” We knew that our steadfastness, struggle, and resistance would bring Lebanon out of darkness and injustice until the coming dawn. When we said, “Tomorrow is ours,” we knew that this tomorrow would inevitably belong to a free and sovereign Lebanon, and the dawn of this tomorrow would inevitably come. He said, "Today, it is certain that the dawn of sovereignty has arrived, and we will not accept that anyone stop its dawning, whether by bullying the state and the free, sovereign Lebanese, or by appeasement, procrastination, procrastination, and patchwork. The dawn of sovereignty is approaching, and after it will shine the sun of sovereignty, the sun of freedom, the sun of a balanced and diverse nation, and the sun of the state, the mistress of its land and its decisions. The state that believes in itself is first, and we believe in it. We want to A state that asserts, decides, decides, and rules. We reject a state that brings calamities, gets Lebanon involved in other people’s wars, and defends Iran at the expense of Lebanon and the Lebanese. Between the state and the state, we absolutely and absolutely reject the continuation of the deep state, because this deep state takes from the state for the benefit of the state and for the benefit of the mafias and the corrupt. The deep state is not just another state above the state, it is a state that lives in the shadow of the state, uses its institutions when it needs to, and circumvents them when its interests conflict with them, while the statelet does not always need to abolish the state, but rather uses the deep state to make the state slow, helpless, and shackled. I will be honest with you today that our deep state is the one that aborts the radical changes taking place around us, and hinders progress and access to an actual state. The deep state is a network of interests and benefits in security, military, and judicial institutions, agencies, and authorities. It belongs to the period of tutelage that was Syrian and has become Iranian, and it holds the joints of the state and its administrations. It will not be possible to advance on the path to the actual state if the deep state is not dismantled and cleaned, and institutions and authorities are rebuilt on new foundations.” After he explained that the “deep state” deepens the wounds in the state’s body, obstructs its decision-making process, exhausts its capabilities, and maintains its own, factional, and self-interested references at the expense of the state’s references, law, and conscience, we know that “the vinegar worms are there and in it,” but we will not surrender to this statement. Pointing out that “Lebanon has its own constitution and international resolutions, we have repeatedly called for their implementation before it is too late. It was too late once and twice, but it will not be a third time.” Geagea stressed that the slogans of “army, people and resistance,” “weapons build and protect,” and “unity of path and destiny” have fallen irrevocably and proven that they were the cover for the biggest deception in Lebanon’s modern history, and the time has come to expose this deception and put an end to it once and for all.” As for the Lebanese, he said, “We are in a very difficult and tragic situation in some of its aspects: hundreds of thousands of people displaced to date, devastation and destruction that Lebanon has never witnessed in its darkest days, a faltering economy, Mr. President, and an unclear horizon, not to mention human losses exceeding ten thousand.” In a related context, he continued, “Despite all of that, we see some continuing in the same approach, so that we often see others who are supposed to be more aware, sober, and bold, adopting the same doctrine: Israel, Israeli aggression, and Israeli evil, as if cursing the darkness led one day to a ray of light. To illustrate what I am saying, and to give an example, Israel left the south in the year 2000, and you held a liberation holiday, and you have not stopped it until now,” but Lebanon remained in its ordeal and continued until this moment. The President of the Republic tried to light a small candle in order to perhaps dispel the darkness that was created by the hands of others, so they began to curse him as well.” Dear Lebanese, it is the hour of truth and difficult decisions, as always in difficult days. We can curse Israel as much as you want, but this will not stop aggression, nor will it rebuild a single demolished house in the south. It is true that politics is reality and ideology, but the practical political steps are reality and calculations. Let the cursers of darkness tell us: What do we do practically, now, of course, other than the resonant speeches full of curses, false heroics, and incorrect facts? After the fall of Ali Al-Taher, instead of it being handed over to the Lebanese army, some claimed that it was empty, unimportant, and merely a stable. But now, what do we do now in order to stop the current war, and by extension the series of wars that we have been facing for decades? None of them has an answer except to curse the darkness, and then curse the darkness, and then curse the darkness.” Geagea added, addressing the Lebanese, saying, “The choice made by the President of the Republic with the Framework Agreement is the only opportunity available to stop the current war, and most importantly of all, to stop the series of repeated wars on our southern borders. But despite the importance of the Framework Agreement, there is a very pivotal point on which the success of the Framework Agreement depends, or any other attempt to get rid of what we are in: dissolving the military and security wings outside the state, whether Lebanese or Palestinian, with Hezbollah’s wings at the forefront.” Any talk that does not start from this particular point will certainly lead to no result. Firstly, the Lebanese have suffered greatly from illegal armed organizations over the past four decades, which has set our country back decades, impoverished it, and damaged its political, security and economic systems, due to the paralysis of the state and the ongoing state of instability, and as a result of successive wars, wars in which the Lebanese have no choice but to speak out. And by the way, one of them comes out to us and says to his environment: “Store up your anger... Anger has a time and it may explode...” And I say to him, Sheikh: “What about the anger of the overwhelming majority of the Lebanese, what about the anger of our people in all Lebanese regions and those outside Lebanon? What about the anger of the youth from whom you robbed the dream of living in peace and prosperity in a homeland that you have inflicted endless wounds and wars on, all of them, do they not have the right to be angry and revolt and Will they explode? Fear God and be compassionate to His people, “and refrain from poisoning.” Enough of playing with people’s destinies and their futures without guidance. In this context, he added, “Secondly: These organizations, led by Hezbollah, have continued to undermine Lebanon’s Arab and international relations, which has left Lebanon in a stifling isolation, which did not begin to recede until after the recent presidential elections, the formation of the new government, and the promises that were made to establish an actual state in Lebanon free of illegitimate organizations. All friendly countries, Arab and foreign, view Hezbollah as a faction of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and the only evidence of that was what the head of the Iranian Shura Council said when speaking about the war that Hezbollah had begun in Lebanon on March 2nd: “Hezbollah members and fighters in Lebanon presented more than four thousand dead and twelve thousand wounded during the recent confrontations. They fought for one hundred and four days in defense of Islamic Iran, while Iran fought for... Thirty-eight days. Therefore, how do you want these friendly countries to maintain their friendship with Lebanon at a time when Iran is hostile to these countries? O Lebanese, the majority of the Lebanese, all the Arabs, and the international community, with its overwhelming majority, all want to get rid of the anomalous situation in Lebanon and enter the stage of an actual state. All the theorizing that we hear daily from some Sunnis that we should not submit to American and Israeli conditions on the issue of weapons is misleading theorizing because collecting illegal weapons is a Lebanese demand in the first place, a comprehensive Arab demand in the second degree, and an almost comprehensive international demand in the third degree, and not merely An American or Israeli demand.” He continued, "Let someone tell me: How do we confront Israel or any of our existing problems, whether strategic or economic, if we are in disagreement with the entire Arab group and the overwhelming majority of the international group, and if we do not meet the demands of the majority of the Lebanese and respect their will? What is Lebanon without all of them? There is no Lebanon without the majority of the Lebanese. Lebanon is powerless without all the Arab countries and the overwhelming majority of the countries of the world." The dissolution of the illegal military and security wings of all organizations, at the forefront of which is our “friend” Hezbollah, and before it is an American or Israeli demand, is the necessary precondition for the establishment of an actual state in Lebanon, and for this actual state to restore Lebanon’s true Arab relations and its fruitful international relations. “Loose its back to the state before you ask it to do your work.” He stressed, "We cannot waste any more time. We have wasted almost a year and a half so far, so what was the result? More wars, deaths, devastation, and destruction." So what are we waiting for, and according to all the analyzes issued by reliable authorities on the Lebanese, Arab and international strategic scene, we have more difficult days ahead of us if we do not advance. The President of the Republic, of course, in reaching an agreement with the government majority, took a first step in the right direction, so why has Hezbollah not responded so far? Hezbollah was waiting for Iran, but it has now become clear that Iran itself is under siege, and is waiting for a glimmer of salvation from somewhere that does not actually exist. Therefore, what is Hezbollah waiting for? Either Hezbollah will dissolve its military and security wings, clearly and boldly, and without procrastination or cleverness, or the Lebanese state must resolve itself. If Hezbollah can allow itself to waste time and opportunities until it reaches a new war that destroys the remaining citizens of the south, and what remains of the capabilities, hopes and aspirations of the Lebanese people, then the Lebanese state cannot do that. The "Chief of the Forces" reminded of the role of officials in the Lebanese state, starting with the President of the Republic and all the way to the representatives in the Parliament. "They are elected officials in every sense of the word, and the Lebanese people have a natural right to spare them from killing, destruction and deterioration, and to bring stability and peace to the country, enabling them to live their lives normally. Therefore, if Hezbollah does not care, the official officials cannot help but care." State officials, if Hezbollah does not take the initiative quickly, must resolve themselves and take, not decisions that remain merely ink on paper, “Oh President,” but very practical steps to get rid of the anomalous situation we are in, and reach the desired actual state. It is time for actions, not words, and the time has come for the state to regain its full prestige and role, and prove that it is capable of fulfilling its obligations and implementing its decisions, and that it is a real state and worthy of restoring internal and external trust and worthy of it... The hour for the establishment of the state has arrived, and the conditions and introductions have been met for it, and all that remains is for the officials and those in charge of the state to resolve themselves and hasten to seize the international and Arab moment that will not be repeated and the window of opportunity that, if lost, will not return... before the Hezbollah dilemma in Lebanon is resolved in one way or another. You are succeeding at sea.” He believed that "if solving the Hezbollah weapons dilemma is the main concern of official officials, this does not exempt them at all from their other responsibilities, especially with regard to the reforms required in the country, after dozens of years of loss, irresponsibility, non-statehood, and corruption, starting from the days of Syrian tutelage and ending with Hezbollah's custodianship of many state institutions." He said, "It is true that the current government has made some reforms, and it is also true that it has not emanated any smells of corruption, but integrity is not measured only by the absence of scandal, but also by the speed of reform, the transparency of decisions, the regularity of institutional work, and the effectiveness of accountability. What is required is a lot, while the work is slow and sometimes not done in accordance with sound institutional principles. What draws attention most at this level are the required financial laws, especially those related to restoring deposits, restoring confidence, and relaunching the banking sector again. There is no society without an economy." There is no economy without a banking sector, and the banking sector in Lebanon at the present time is almost paralyzed. Of course, the current government does not bear responsibility for the paralysis of the banking sector, but it is also unnatural that more than a year and a half has passed since the government's life and confusion is still the dominant situation, and depositors are still waiting for a clear answer about the fate of their money, while the economy and the banking sector pay the price of delay daily. Of course, some will say that yesterday the banking reform law was approved in its revised form, and that this delay was caused by deliberations with the International Monetary Fund, and that the Parliament is delaying in discussing and approving the laws... However, if we want to shift responsibilities, we can do so as much as we want, at a time when there is neither bread nor water to drink, and in this context I want to say to our friends in the executive and legislative branches: The time is not now for petty political tactics. History will not discuss in the future who maneuvered better than who, or who was more clever than who. Rather, history will suffice with mentioning who took the required steps to save the situation and who did not. Geagea considered that the responsibility in all these areas is the responsibility of the executive authority in the first place. If the matter requires discussion with the International Monetary Fund, then so be it, but at a very fast pace, and under pressure from Lebanese government officials, and not the other way around. “What are we waiting for the IMF to come?” If the matter is related to a delay in the parliament, and this is what we are not surprised at all, then the government must also raise its voice. He said, “In the matters on which the start of the economy depends or not, the government must pursue the council.” The government’s responsibility does not stop at a draft law that it completes and sends to the Parliament, but rather its responsibility stipulates pursuing sensitive and necessary draft laws in the Parliament itself, and putting pressure publicly to approve them with the required speed. The most prominent example that stands before us is the Financial Gap Law, on which the fate of the Lebanese deposits and the relaunch of the banking sector depend, as the government says it sent it to the Parliament, and some of those in the Parliament say that the Fund The International Monetary Fund requested that the government restore it and make some amendments to it, while those in the government say let the parliamentary committees do that. Thus, for more than six months, we have been lost between the government and the Parliament, people cannot access their deposits yet, and the banking sector is paralyzed. It is true that legislation is the responsibility of the Parliament, but it is the responsibility of the government to establish the world and not slow it down if there are very necessary laws that are delayed in the Parliament, such as the financial gap law. The importance of this law does not lie only in the fact that it is a decisive necessity to restore life to the banking sector, but rather that it is the one that opens the door for the Lebanese to recover their deposits, after a long wait, darkness and deprivation. This recovery constitutes the key to confidence not only in the banking and monetary system in Lebanon, but also in Lebanon’s economic and financial future as a whole.” He added, "On the other hand, we prayed a lot to reach a state of actual institutions, and we considered that by electing President Joseph Aoun and naming President Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, we considered that we had crossed into the stage of a state of institutions. However, it appears that our belief was not entirely correct. For example, but not limited to, the Prime Minister issued an administrative decision last September 2025 that strictly prohibited the use of land and sea public places, archaeological and tourist attractions, or those that carry national symbolism." Collectively, before obtaining the necessary licenses and permissions from the relevant authorities in accordance with the rules, and several days later, a group of Hezbollah used the Raouche Rock in one of their party celebrations, in full view of all the official agencies that were present, and no one moved a finger. As an example and not limited to it, the Army Commander, whose integrity and cleanliness we appreciate, gave a speech during an extraordinary meeting with the leadership staff in March 2026 in which he said that the leadership takes its decisions in accordance with the existing complex circumstances to protect internal stability and national unity, as if the political level is not the one doing that, in clear, major and dangerous violation of the provisions of the Lebanese Constitution and the Lebanese system. In a related context, the “Chief of the Forces” asked, “Who can explain to us which country of institutions this is in which the President of the Republic or the Prime Minister does not accompany the Minister of Foreign Affairs with them on their foreign visits, and he is the minister originally concerned with everything related to foreign relations? Also, and in the same context, how can a political decision be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that considers the former Iranian ambassador, Mohammad Reza Shaibani, to be an undesirable person, and then a regular government administration, by administrative decision, grants him residency, even if only as a courtesy? Everyone knows that we are united, of course.” The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister have many things in common that are unnecessary to enumerate now, but this does not eliminate the existence of gaps that are harmful to the issue, and in the exercise of governance they must be corrected as soon as possible, lest the impression be increased that we have not yet reached the stage of a state of institutions nor those who grieve in this context. I extend a warm greeting to the representatives of the Lebanese Forces, and the ministers who represent the Lebanese Forces for everything they do, and I am proud that these ministers are role models in love of the homeland, high morals, and good management. And the cleanliness of the hand, and I particularly mention the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Youssef Raji, in view of the injustice and injustice that were intentionally inflicted upon him by those far away as well as those closest to him. This minister, whose only crime was that he adhered to the actual policy of the state, starting from the oath speech, passing through the ministerial statement, and not ending with the relevant government decisions. By the way, authority is a responsibility, and responsibility often requires clear, direct, and frank positions, and nothing has been more harmful to Lebanon in the past decades than officials evading clear positions, under various pretexts. If you really love Lebanon, at least show up for it with clear positions.” Geagea continued, addressing the Lebanese men and women, saying, “We, as Lebanese Forces, and I personally, are often exposed to the ugliest, programmed and systematic campaigns of incitement and betrayal from those closest to us and far away. I take advantage of today’s occasion to address you from the deepest of conscience, in all frankness, and with a full mouth, and say: I am Samir Geagea. I believe that my sect is my mother, that Lebanon is my father, and that all the Lebanese are my brothers. I do not neglect any of them except to the extent that he himself does, and whatever happens to them befalls me. I lived with the Shiite brothers when I was growing up in Ain Al-Rummaneh Al-Shiyah, and we entered Saeed Public High School together. I am a human son and a cousin of Deir al-Ahmar, which is located on the shoulder of the Bekaa and in its heart. I say to all the residents of the Bekaa: They seek to frighten you of a Syrian invasion across the eastern border in order to justify preserving their weapons. Firstly, this is not included in the dictionary of the new state that was established in Syria after the Assad regime, and secondly, protecting the borders is the duty of the Lebanese army and security forces, and if duty calls for it, we will not delay for a single moment to defend all Lebanese lands, as we previously defended the areas of our presence, so there is no need for fear or anxiety. When the Sunni brothers felt that they were being subjected to injustice, I stood with them in issuing the general amnesty law without question, answer or calculations, because this is a moral duty. If the Druze brothers are one day, God forbid, exposed to any injustice, I will definitely be by their side. The political position is one thing, and the national duty when it is truly patriotic and not to serve Iran is something completely different. He said: “For fifty years we have been tested by fire, imprisonment, occupation, assassination, exile, betrayal, and war, and yet here we are, steadfast as we remain, forces that persist, free as we remain, Lebanese as we remain. We did not kneel at the height of the occupation’s power, so how can we hesitate now when the dawn of sovereignty has arrived? It did not surrender in the darkest darkness, so how can we lose our way now that the light of dawn has arrived? We have not preserved Lebanon while it was dying for fifty years. I left, let us abandon him today while his ashes are being dusted off him, a tribute to fifty years ago, to courage, to faith, and to every sacrifice made in silence, a tribute to our heroes and martyrs, a tribute to every home inhabited by a wound, to every injured comrade, to every bereaved family, and to every partisan and supporter who steadfastly steadfastly, a tribute to every Lebanese who continued to believe, the day faith itself became madness, and an even greater greeting to the coming years, years that will not be. To resist the occupation, because there will be no occupation, but years to build the republic, years that will not be for death, but years for life.” In conclusion, the “Chief of the Forces” reassured the Lebanese, saying, “Years will not be for emigration, but rather years in which we will return, stay, innovate, and prosper. No matter how strong the winds of the future are, and no matter what the road ahead of us, this is our pledge to you: We, your Lebanese Forces, will remain loyal, strong, rebelling against injustice and difficulties, and always by your side. Lebanon is rising, but its rise depends on us. The future is not something we wait for. The future is something we make. The choices are What we take today will shape the country that our children will inherit tomorrow. Let us roll up our sleeves more than ever before. We are approaching the bank of safety, and I see a great light at the end of the tunnel. Whoever seeks the path to salvation will not be overtaken by destruction, and whoever perseveres until the end will be saved. For the sake of all our martyrs, for the sake of all our children. It is time for us to live up to what we deserve, for the sake of the Lebanon that we have been entrusted with, and the Lebanon that we will entrust to future generations.