Geagea: "Not looking for a western settlement to our cause. We have the settlement"

by **Admin** Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:44 pm

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has urged Arab heads of state to boycott the forthcoming summit in Damascus if a president for Lebanon was not elected prior to its March 29 schedule.

Geagea, on an official visit to the United States, also said Wednesday that he relayed this stand to U.S. officials at the State Department.

In addition to meeting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Geagea held talks with her assistant for near eastern affairs David Welch .

Geagea said U.S. officials assured him that they had no plans to naturalize Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and discussed with them the Israel-occupied Shebaa Farms as well as the issue of Lebanese prisoners in Syrian and Israeli jails.

The discussions also covered Lebanon's presidential crisis, the forthcoming Arab Summit and the Arab initiative on Lebanon, Geagea added.

He stressed that the Lebanese crisis "remains in the hands of the Lebanese, despite the fact that some factions are linked to other (foreign) powers."

Geagea said he is "not looking for a western settlement to our cause. We have the settlement. We are looking for backing from all states of the world. We will ask for support even from China."

Geagea denied rumors that the United States might engage Syria, stressing: "The U.S. stand on Syria would not change until further notice."