Former Lebanese PM accuses Hezbollah of ‘hijacking ‘ his country, says Iran should ‘stay out’ of Lebanon’s affairs

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, laid the blame for the recent conflict at the feet of Hezbollah who has “hijacked” and “destroyed” his country along with Iran, which Siniora feels should “stay out” of Lebanon’s affairs.

Siniora, who was premier during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, had harsh words for Israel regarding civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon but mainly blamed the war on Hezbollah, which he thought had a ruinous effect on his country.

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Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Siniora blamed the terror group for the war.

“It is known without any doubt,” Siniora said. “Hezbollah initiated this war, just as they did in 2006. I don’t deny that Israel harbors bad intentions toward the country, but Hezbollah started the conflict both then and now.”

“You cannot rule a country when you have two states: the state of Hezbollah, which runs things through its power, and the actual state of Lebanon, whose authority has diminished,” he explained.

“This is an opportunity for the Lebanese state to reclaim its authority. With Hezbollah weakened, we must seize the moment to bring the country back to proper governance. If we continue to be hijacked by Hezbollah, there will be no future for the Lebanese people,” he warned.

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Siniora also strongly criticized Iran for backing and strengthening Hezbollah and urged the Islamic Republic to stay out of Lebanon’s affairs.

“By all means, Iran’s presence has been spoiling the country. It has interfered with Hezbollah and others, leading us to this situation. Lebanon cannot afford to let Iran continue to meddle, not only directly but through its tentacles in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond,” he said.

With the bombardments and the displacement of civilians, Siniora despairs that Iran and Hezbollah are ruining the country, which is fast becoming a “total failure.”

He cautioned,” If we don’t take the proper steps to stop this crisis, Lebanon will fail. “Let me be clear: Lebanon is already a failed state, but there is always a way to save it.”