Note: Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement have since denied the truth of the following article printed in Syrian newspapers and distributed by the Sham New Agency:

FPM leader General Michel Aoun ascertained the importance of Syrian-Lebanese relations and criticized those trying to undermine them. Following talks held with German Foreign Minister Frank Walter-Steinmeier and other German officials, Aoun organized a press conference yesterday in the Adelon Hotel in Berlin during which he said: “Our Syrian brothers have helped us in the past and will help us in the future. We have come to terms with them and we will again in the future on the political, economic and social levels.”

He indicated that the current problem between both countries was purely related to the media rather than a political problem made up by some people pursuing internal and external interests and seeking to hurl accusations at Syria to tarnish its image. This media problem was imposed to the world in order to serve the internal and external interests of a few.

The FPM leader asserted that the identity of people involved in the assassinations that took place in Lebanon has yet to be revealed because some do not want this to happen. The most important thing for them is to drag this crisis into the United Nations in order to damage Syria’s reputation.

He also referred to the prevailing corruption in Lebanon due to the policies of Siniora’s illegitimate government and said that corruption in Lebanon is a part of the government plan while hoping for investigations to be carried out in this respect with members of this government.

Aoun rendered the current government responsible for – if not an accomplice in – the development of Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon. He wondered where the Lebanese intelligence services were when members of this organization entered Lebanon and when it stored weapons and supplies in Nahr al-Bared, adding in a sarcastic tone: “Maybe they were busy watching over the way we moved about in our houses.” Aoun said that his European trip aimed at clarifying the real positions and points of view regarding the Lebanese crisis while indicating that some were tarnishing Lebanon’s true image and making the public opinion believe that there was a peaceful government striving to make Lebanon an independent and sovereign state compared with an opposition that intended to ruin it and wage wars against others.

Moreover, he criticized the Western support that is being used to serve the interests of Siniora’s illegitimate government in order to impose solutions rather than to solve the crisis. He also asserted that the sole aim of the government side was to wage a war on us. Aoun described his relations with Hezbollah as special while stressing upon the need to achieve a national consensus in Lebanon and form a national unity government, which brings the political crisis to an end and prevents any eventual clashes.

Translated by NOW Staff