Pro-democracy leaders 'threatened' by Iran

MIAMI – Pro-democracy leaders in Lebanon were threatened and intimidated into siding with Syria and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, revealed Lebanese parliamentarian Samy Gemayel in an interview.

Gemayel, whose Christian Phalange party is one of the last to criticize Hezbollah and Syria, called on the Obama administration to support the pro-Western forces vying for influence in Lebanon.

"We are working today alone, without any backup," stated Gemayel in an interview with WND's Aaron Klein, who hosts an investigative show on New York's WABC Radio.

"This is very dangerous for us because we are defending values the U.S. is defending, and we don't have the support that Hezbollah has from Iran. So we think that the U.S. has very important responsibilities toward the democratic parties in Lebanon," he said.

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Following the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, which was widely blamed on Syria, pro-democracy forces led mass protests that prompted Syria to remove tens of thousands of its troops from Lebanon, purportedly ending nearly 30 years of Syrian occupation.

But with the U.S. and international community seemingly unengaged with the tribunal investigating Hariri's murder – which was reportedly set to blame Hezbollah – and with U.S. support for the pro-Democratic forces in Lebanon nearly nonexistent, the country's traditional pro-Western leaders have been switching allegiances to the Iranian and Syrian axis.

Last month, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of Rafic Hariri, announced to the public he had been wrong to blame Syria for his father's death. Hariri is set to visit Damascus for a second time this month.

"At some point, we made a mistake," Hariri declared. "At one stage, we accused Syria of assassinating the martyred premier. That was a political accusation, and that political accusation is over."

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, previously one of the most vocal critics of Hezbollah and Syria, has also publicly changed his tune, visiting Syria and declaring the country an ally.

Gemayel told Klein that Iran and Syria had threatened Jumblatt and Hariri into changing sides.

"Jumblatt was threatened," he said. "That's why he backed off the fight against Hezbollah and its allies and Iran and Syria. Because he was threatened."

Continued Gemayel: "On the 8th of May 2008, Hezbollah used force and weapons against the Lebanese parties, like Jumblatt and Hariri. That is why Jumblatt and Hariri are afraid that Hezbollah could use force one more time to impose its views on all of the Lebanese. That's why you can see some concessions made by Jumblatt and Hariri, just not to be threatened."

Gemayel comes from a historic Lebanese political family. He is a senior member of Lebanon's Phalange party, which is led by his father, Amine Gemayel, the country's former president. The party was founded by Samy Gemayel's grandfather, Pierre. Samy's uncle, Bashir, was a president-elect of Lebanon, but he was assassinated before he took office. Samy's brother, Pierre Amine, was a Lebanese parliamentarian who was assassinated four years ago.

Earlier this month, Gemayel was the target of a death threat from a Hezbollah website.

The Hezbollah site, the Islamic Resistance Forum, described Gemayel as an Israeli spy and called for his "crucifixion on a pole in the Pride and Dignity Square in Beirut."

Addressing the threat, Gemayel told Klein he is "concerned" and "very conscious" of his security.

"But we cannot give up the fight for democracy and freedom. We are doing our best to stand up, but we need support," he said.