Resigning Lebanese Minister of Justice Ashraf Rifi: Hizbullah and Iran Have Gone Way Too Far in Their Terrorist Practices

Ashraf Rifi, who recently resigned from his post as Lebanese minister of justice said on Al-Jazeera TV that the time has come to say to Hizbullah: Enough! Rifi, former General Director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, accused Hizbullah of carrying out assassinations in Lebanon. He added that Iran does not really want presidential elections to be held in Lebanon, and called to embark on civil disobedience to prevent Lebanon from becoming an Iranian province. The interview was aired on March 2.

Ashraf Rifi: Hizbullah has gone too far, and Iran has gone way too far in its criminal and terrorist practices. The time has come to say: Enough! We should call a spade a spade.

[…]

In the past, we in Lebanon always tried to avoid making direct allegations, even though we knew full well that criminal terrorist attacks were carried out in Lebanon - the assassination of the great martyr, President Rafic Al-Hariri, the assassination of the former leaders of the national resistance, the assassination of some of the former leaders of the Amal movement. We know who did this. There were many assassinations of leaders of the March 14 Alliance, which we refrained from classifying as terrorism, in order to preserve domestic calm. But Hizbullah has gone too far with these actions, and this has made us say: "Enough!" and call things what they are.

Interviewer: Does this mean that you are accusing Hizbullah of all the murder crimes, which you just mentioned?

Ashraf Rifi: I am talking about specific crimes: The elimination of the leaders of the national resistance from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and from the Communist Party, who were fighting the Israeli enemy before Hizbullah. They were eliminated so that Hizbullah and Iran would have a monopoly over the resistance, under the slogan of Islamic resistance. I call to stop the dialogue with Hizbullah. In addition, I call for the Lebanese government to resign. This government has become a fig leaf for Hizbullah, used to cover up its actions in Lebanon and the Arab world, or in its fighting in Syria.

[…]

Some Lebanese security agencies, which I'd rather not name, still act like Hizbullah satellites, and have not disengaged from the hegemony of Hizbullah, and of the Syrian presence (in Lebanon) of the past. Iran does not want presidential elections to be held in Lebanon. A political vacuum is the real candidate supported by Iran, because Iran wants these elections to continue to serve as a bargaining chip in the regional negotiations, completely disregarding the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese, be they allies or rivals. I believe that most of the Lebanese are ready to participate in civil disobedience. All the independent pro-sovereignty and pro-liberty forces are ready to say to Hizbullah that we will not change our constitution to become an Iranian province, or fall into the grip of Hizbullah.

[…]