Following are excerpts from interviews with former Lebanese minister Wiam Wahhab. The interviews aired on Al-Manar TV and Al-Alam TV on August 4, 2010:
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/2571.
On Al-Manar TV: "In The Event of a Civil War, Syrian Tanks Will Enter Lebanon"
Wiam Wahhab: "In the case of civil war, Syria will enter Lebanon. We shouldn't fool ourselves. If there is a civil war, the Syrian army will enter Lebanon. There mustn't be a civil war. A civil war will lead to a conflict that will encompass the entire Arab world. This must not happen. Take it from me, in the event of a civil war, Syrian tanks will enter Lebanon. Syria is not fooling around.
"It is not that I talked to anyone about this. This is my own interpretation, based on my understanding of Syrian mentality. If there is a plan to defeat the resistance, Syria will not hesitate to enter Lebanon and wage war. If there is a plan to partition Lebanon, Syria will enter without asking a soul. A civil war in Lebanon will spread to the entire Arab world. In such a case, Syrian tanks will enter Lebanon. Nobody is fooling around.
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"Nobody should imagine that we are hostage in the hands of the UN. The UN – with its soldiers and institutions – are held hostage by us."
Interviewer: "Seriously?"
Wiam Wahhab: "Of course. Let me tell you why. If you come to kill me, I will kill you. I won't just stand there. I'm saying, 'if they come to kill me.' It's conditional. Am I supposed to thank you if you come to kill me?! What does UNIFIL have to do with the tribunal? I am talking about the UN and all its institutions. The UN is used as a bargaining chip by the Americans. If you are used as a bargaining chip by my enemy, I will turn you into a bargaining chip of my own.
"When this game begins, you don't know how it will end. I am not saying that I will carry out operations against the UN – as a group, as Hizbullah, or as the opposition – but the role of the UN in Lebanon will be exposed in the event of a civil war. Today, everything is still fine, but the moment explosives belts begin to explode in the southern suburb, in Beirut, in Tripoli, in the Beqa' Valley, or elsewhere, nobody will have time to protect the UN or UNIFIL."[...]
On Al-Alam TV: "Dozens of Spies in UNIFIL [Work] For the Israeli Mossad"
Wiam Wahhab: "First of all, UNIFIL includes countries that sympathize completely with Israel, countries that cannot but agree and implement the decisions of the US. Who in UNIFIL will dare to revolt against the US? Spain? Italy? France? UNIFIL is not an honest broker.
"In addition, there are dozens of spies in UNIFIL, working for the Israeli Mossad – dozens of soldiers and dozens of officers. I was told by French people that a few weeks ago, France withdrew 15 soldiers from South Lebanon, because they were found to have ties with the Israeli Mossad, without receiving anything in return. It's not like they were spying for money. These were French Jews, who identified with Israel for religious and biblical reasons. The French army discovered that they worked for the Israeli Mossad, and sent them back to France.
"This happened a few weeks ago. I was told about it by people close to the French administration – if not at the heart of the French administration. This caused an internal problem. These people would vacation in Nahariya and other places in Palestine, and would return after having been recruited by the Mossad." [...]
