The Kataeb's Political Bureau held its weekly meeting under the chairmanship of party leader Samy Gemayel, during which it reviewed recent political and security developments and issued the following statement:
1. The Political Bureau strongly condemns statements made by Iranian officials referring to “support for resistance forces on front-line battlefields,” viewing them as an explicit and blatant acknowledgment of ongoing efforts to usurp the Lebanese State’s authority over decisions of war and peace. Such statements expose the ongoing use of illegal weapons in regional proxy conflicts whose consequences are borne solely by the Lebanese people, at the expense of their security, stability, and future.
The Political Bureau reiterates that the only viable path to protecting Lebanon lies in placing all weapons exclusively under the authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate security agencies, keeping the country neutral from regional power struggles, and fully adhering to the Constitution, the 1949 Armistice Agreement, the Taif Agreement, and relevant international resolutions.
2. In recent days, certain parties have sought to misrepresent and deliberately distort the Kataeb Party’s position on the ongoing negotiations with the Syrian state, going so far as to portray it as targeting the respected Sunni community. These attempts echo earlier efforts to frame the party’s call for limiting weapons to state authority as an attack on the respected Shiite community.
In this context, the Political Bureau underscores that the position taken by the Minister of Justice is strictly legal in nature, grounded in a firm commitment to the limits of his constitutional authority and in full respect for the independence of the judiciary, which alone has the power to issue rulings or decide on the release of detainees.
The Kataeb Party emphasizes that relations between Lebanon and Syria must be clearly defined and conducted as a relationship between two sovereign states, based on equality and mutual respect. At the same time, the party reaffirms that its demands for the arrest of convicted criminal Habib Chartouni and for full disclosure of the fate of Lebanese citizens missing in Syrian prisons are principled and non-negotiable. These demands do not in any way contradict efforts to improve relations between the two countries.
3. The Kataeb Party condemns the recent attack that took place in the Australian city of Sydney, which claimed the lives of innocent civilians, and expresses its full solidarity with the Australian people and the families of the victims. The party reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of all forms of violence against civilians and of any acts that undermine security and stability, wherever they occur. It also calls for enhanced international cooperation to confront violence, extremism, and hate speech, and to safeguard societies against threats to their peace and security.
1. The Political Bureau strongly condemns statements made by Iranian officials referring to “support for resistance forces on front-line battlefields,” viewing them as an explicit and blatant acknowledgment of ongoing efforts to usurp the Lebanese State’s authority over decisions of war and peace. Such statements expose the ongoing use of illegal weapons in regional proxy conflicts whose consequences are borne solely by the Lebanese people, at the expense of their security, stability, and future.
The Political Bureau reiterates that the only viable path to protecting Lebanon lies in placing all weapons exclusively under the authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate security agencies, keeping the country neutral from regional power struggles, and fully adhering to the Constitution, the 1949 Armistice Agreement, the Taif Agreement, and relevant international resolutions.
2. In recent days, certain parties have sought to misrepresent and deliberately distort the Kataeb Party’s position on the ongoing negotiations with the Syrian state, going so far as to portray it as targeting the respected Sunni community. These attempts echo earlier efforts to frame the party’s call for limiting weapons to state authority as an attack on the respected Shiite community.
In this context, the Political Bureau underscores that the position taken by the Minister of Justice is strictly legal in nature, grounded in a firm commitment to the limits of his constitutional authority and in full respect for the independence of the judiciary, which alone has the power to issue rulings or decide on the release of detainees.
The Kataeb Party emphasizes that relations between Lebanon and Syria must be clearly defined and conducted as a relationship between two sovereign states, based on equality and mutual respect. At the same time, the party reaffirms that its demands for the arrest of convicted criminal Habib Chartouni and for full disclosure of the fate of Lebanese citizens missing in Syrian prisons are principled and non-negotiable. These demands do not in any way contradict efforts to improve relations between the two countries.
3. The Kataeb Party condemns the recent attack that took place in the Australian city of Sydney, which claimed the lives of innocent civilians, and expresses its full solidarity with the Australian people and the families of the victims. The party reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of all forms of violence against civilians and of any acts that undermine security and stability, wherever they occur. It also calls for enhanced international cooperation to confront violence, extremism, and hate speech, and to safeguard societies against threats to their peace and security.
