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Butros Harb Vows
to Free Geagea
August 4, 2004
Presidential aspirant
Butros Harb has pledged,
if elected, to dismantle
the police state established
by the Lahoud regime,
free jailed Lebanese Forces
Commander Samir Geagea
and invite Gen. Aoun to
return to Lebanon from
exile in France.
These were the main highlights
of Harb's policy agenda
if elected as Lebanon's
12th post-independence
president, asserting that
Gen. Lahoud's term in
office would not be extended
beyond the midnight deadline
of Nov. 23-24, 2004.
Harb read out his presidential
platform at a packed news
conference in the Lebanese
parliament attended by
an assortment of politicians
and jurists as well as
his wife Marlene.
Asked whether Lahoud's
term could be extended,
Harb said "no extension
and I promise that I won't
seek an extension if I
am elected."
In pledging to release
Geagea and to get Aoun
back to Lebanon, Harb
said "If I am the
president of Lebanon without
being able to dismantle
the police state, then
'El Awad bi Salamtak."
Harb also pledged to deploy
the Lebanese army along
the border with Israel
to end Hizbullah's effective
control of the only active
Arab warfront with the
Jewish state. He pledged
to leave no stone unturned
to liberate the Shabaa
farms from Israeli occupation.
Harb also said he would
seek a redeployment of
Syrian army troops from
Lebanon in stages "until
there is absolutely no
need for them to stay
on."
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