Aoun calls for calm to prevent escalation in Lebanon

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun noted on Monday that Lebanon is influenced by all of the developments in the Middle East. He said during an FPM conference: “Given the very high tensions in the region, we must calm the situation in Lebanon as much as possible in order to prevent an escalation.” “Peace in Lebanon is caught between the state institutions and rise of fundamentalist movements,” he noted. It would be idiotic to believe that anyone would be able to escape the unrest should the situation spiral out of control, he continued. Furthermore, he warned against attempts by the United States to transform northern Lebanon into a “safe zone” that may pave the way for its meddling in the Syrian crisis. “Economic and security interests, hidden beneath slogans of democracy and human rights, are at the heart of the regional conflict,” stated Aoun. The MP noted that the crisis in Syria will be resolved after an agreement is reached between the United States, Russia, and China. U.S. Senator John McCain, who had visited Lebanon last week, was reported as saying that his country is seeking to establish a "safe zone" in northern Lebanon to help the Syrian opposition and the Free Syrian Army. He later denied the claims.