Major General Ashraf Rifi confirmed that whenever Iran’s axis and its affiliation in Lebanon “Hezbollah” feel that their extremism and their subversive project are exposed, they start making accusations and fabricating rumors to divert attention from their destructive practices to the state institutions and the interests of the Lebanese at home and abroad.
He said that the terminology of accusation is ready against anyone who opposes the policies and practices of this subversive axis. The Christians are agents, the Sunnis are extremists, and the free Shiites and those of free opinion are called Shiite embassies.
Rifi said in a statement: “Once again, the mouthpieces of the axis of resistance began to work on demonizing the city of Tripoli and northern Lebanon, by accusing our people that they are fortifying an environment that fosters extremism, and promoting that a large number of young people from the north went across Syria to join the terrorist organization “ISIS” in eastern Syria and northern Iraq.
He pointed out that it is extremely ironic for someone who works for Iran and its embassy in Lebanon to accuse others of coercion and treason.
Rifi added: “It is ridiculous for Hezbollah to think that the Lebanese citizen has forgotten who secured the air-conditioned buses for extremist members to get out of the deserts of the eastern mountains of Lebanon for fear of arresting them and exposing those behind them and supporting them, after the heroic Lebanese army won the battle of the deserts in favor of Lebanon and his people.”
He stressed that extremism has one description and goal, which is to destroy the homeland and the interests of its people, and this is what Hezbollah and ISIS have succeeded in practicing.
Rifi said: “The Lebanese are wondering about the meaning, purpose and timing of spreading these fabricated rumors about northern Lebanon, especially at this delicate and sensitive stage that Lebanon is going through from Hezbollah’s disruption of the work of the Council of Ministers and pressure on the Lebanese judiciary, to stop the investigation into the Beirut Port crime.”
He added: “All Lebanese ask, why didn’t the Syrian regime and Iran’s ruling militias in Syria block the path of these groups and arrest them? Unless the forces of this axis are inciting against the north and its people to implement something?”
Rifi believed that northern Lebanon never surrendered to the axis of Iran-Syria, and will keep resisting the Iranian’s penetration. The north is also faithful to preserving diversity, protecting civil peace, and fostering coexistence, despite all the intimidating campaigns launched against it, and despite all the rumors being spread against the people of the North.
He said: “Our people in the north will remain on their national path and protect the homeland in cooperation with the Lebanese Army and all security agencies that protect the homeland and the people.”
Rifi said: “The terrorist and the agent is the one who burns his homeland and his people for the benefit of another state or regime, and the terrorist is the one who kills his partners in the homeland to implement a project that serves a totalitarian, dictatorial regime. The takfiri is the one who accuses others of blasphemy, and he who raises sectarian and religious slogans that provoke some of his citizens.”