Lebanese officials called on Sunday for distancing Lebanon from the developments in Syria amid the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati carried out a series of contacts with the heads of security agencies, urging them to tighten security measures at the border with Syria and to keep Lebanon away from the fallout of the regime’s ouster.
He also called on the Lebanese people, regardless of their differences, to “act wisely and steer clear of provocative reactions during this sensitive time.”
He contacted the concerned authorities and tasked them to follow up on the case of Lebanese people forcibly detained in Syrian jails.
Meanwhile, opponents of the regime, which for several years suffered at the hands of Damascus’ brutal policies and practices, stressed that the downfall was a victory for justice against oppression.
The regime is widely blamed for the assassination of several of its opponents in Lebanon.
Former head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt telephoned former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, stressing to him that “divine justice has been achieved for slain former PM Rafik al-Hariri and all of the martyrs of the March 14 movement who were killed by Bashar al-Assad's regime.”
For his part, Saad replied: “May God have mercy of Kamal Jumblatt’s soul.”
Walid’s father Kamal was a major Druze political leader who is widely believed to have been assassinated by Damascus in 1977.
Rafik Hariri, Saad’s father, was assassinated in a major car bombing in February 2005. Members of Hezbollah, a regime ally, were indicted in his killing, which the opposition says was ordered by Damascus. His assassination sparked massive anti-regime protests in Lebanon that culminated in Syria withdrawing its forces from the country.
“Greetings to the Syrian people at long last,” said Jumblatt in a post on the X platform commenting on Assad’s downfall.
In a post on X, head of the Kataeb party MP Samy Gemayel recalled his uncle slain president-elect Bashir Gemayel, whom Syria is accused of killing in 1982, and his brother former minister Pierre, who was gunned down in 2006.
“The oppressor has fallen, and Lebanon and the Kataeb remain. Your names will continue to breathe freedom, sovereignty and independence,” he added.
The Mustaqbal Movement congratulated the Syrian people over the “victory of justice against oppression and for toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime.”
It called on the Lebanese people to maintain national unity during this critical time and to protect the gains of the Syrian people from attempts to create instability.
Marada Movement leader Tony Franjieh, whose father Suleiman is a personal friend of Assad, said on X: “The priority for Syria is the peaceful transition of power and for stability to prevail in the country.”
“Lebanon’s stability has long been closely connected to Syria’s,” he noted.
Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Gebran Bassil, a former ally of Hezbollah, said on X: “The developments in Syria concern Syria. We hope that it will reflect positively on Syria and Lebanon and lead to the rapid return of Syrian refugees back to their homes.”
He also hoped for the establishment of “positive and balanced ties” between Lebanon and Syria that preserve the sovereignty of each country without meddling in the other’s affairs.
