NOVANEWS
US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in Washington on Tuesday that the Lebanese need to elect leaders who will be able to deal with what she calls the threat of a spillover from the Syrian crisis.
“The export of instability from Syria threatens the security of Lebanon now more than ever, and it’s really up to the Lebanese people to choose a government that is going to counter this threat,” she stated.
On October 19, a car bomb blast in Beirut’s eastern Ashrafiya district killed at least eight people and injured scores of others. The intelligence chief of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, General Wissam al-Hassan, was also among those killed in the blast.
The blast was the first major bomb attack in Beirut since 2008. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the government was trying to identify the perpetrators and that they would be punished.
Press TV has conducted an interview with Kamel Wazne, political commentator, to further discuss the issue.
The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.
Press TV: Mr. Wazne, let’s jump right in. What do you think about the recent comments that the United States has made about a new government in Lebanon?
Wazne: Well I think the United States should not interfere in the business of Lebanese politics. We are concerned about the stability and the order of the country. What happened was humongous and should not lead to disorder because Lebanon needs stability and needs the country to run its business and if any changes in government it should be the Lebanese who decide to change this government.
And we have an election coming very soon for the country less than 8 months from today and I think if somebody is unhappy with this government should wait and wait for a democratic transition where people can go to the ballot and elect a new representative.
At this point any resignation of this government will leave the country in a huge vacuum because we do not have a law for this upcoming election and we can have a lot of vacuum in term of leadership at major important posts within the country for the United States to say we need a new government, a new coalition it is actually interfering in the politics of Lebanon and I think it is better for them to step aside and let the Lebanese sort their own business away from international interference.
If anything we wanted now to make sure the stability and the security of Lebanon be the major concern and continue to run the business of the government.
Press TV: And also very briefly if you may elaborate on the reasons that US has stated to back its comments. They say they think that the Lebanese need to elect leaders who would be able to deal with the threat of a spillover from the Syrian crisis, some observers have also already calling they are supplied by the US and Israel and it is also the issue of an FBI being sent to investigate the deadly bombing, that issue needs addressing as well. What are your thoughts?
Wazne: At this point I confirm the issue of stability of the country. Any interference by any major power in the region actually will escalate the tension and would not lead to the calm down now we need it in Lebanon.
The United States has not been very helpful in this situation. I think they should mind their own business and look at their own election and leave the Lebanese to take care of their own business.
Their involvement in Syria and shipping arms to the opposition in Syria actually left an impact on the stability of Lebanon. When you encourage terrorism in Syria by allowing al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations being shipped and supplied by weapons from the United States, this is not helping Syria and definitely it is not helping Lebanon because what happened in Syria actually spread little bit into Lebanon and that’s what Lebanese army came very strong and stopped it.
