Franjieh "Challenges" Geagea to Go for Reconciliation

Source: Al-Manar TV, 23-9-2008
As expected, the "apology speech" delivered by Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Sunday couldn't have passed without reactions..
Geagea admitted committing horrible mistakes ‘in the past' but instead of calling for reconciliation or making direct apologies to the families of those he and his Lebanese Forces have killed, Geagea lashed out at his political foes, particularly Hizbullah and General Michel Aoun's FPM, and torpedoed the open chances for further reconciliations in the tense country.
Marada party chief Suleiman Franjieh expressed deep belief that Geagea's apology was artificial and a mere maneuver, "nonetheless, I will accept it."
But by apologizing for every "unjustified wound, harm, damage that we inflicted during the civil war," Geagea sought to justify these heinous acts saying they come in the framework of "national duties during the war." "If we could have avoided those mistakes, we would have never committed them," Geagea said on Sunday.
"The fact that he said ‘while performing our duties' shows that he was pressured by his milieu to apologize," Franjieh noticed.
"While performing his national duty, he killed 30 martyrs in Ehden. His national duty killed Tony Franjieh, army officers and his national duty killed former PM Rachid Karami," Franjieh explained.
"We challenge him to go for reconciliation," he pointed out, noting that "Geagea's speech about Christian unity was an attempt to escape reconciliation."
"I know that the people of Lebanon are looking forward to unity and reconciliation. We aim to unite but over what?" Geagea asked during his speech. Franjieh also called on Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to act as arbitrator between Christians, not to take sides. "Patriarch Sfeir is the Patriarch of all Christians in the Middle East," he said.
He noted, however, that ballot boxes in the upcoming elections will determine who has the Christian's support. "We are talking about resorting to the people's will in the elections. If you win, we will congratulate you, if you lose, you have to accept the results of democracy," he addressed Geagea.