Gemayel fears Syria crisis could seep into Lebanon

Former President and current Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel reiterated his concern Monday that the Syrian crisis could spill over into Lebanon given the sharp divisions between the country’s main political coalitions. "The circumstances that we live in make us recognize the critical situation [in Lebanon] and [so] we fear the transfer of internal rifts from Syria to Lebanon due to the split between supporters of the regime and those against it,” Gemayel told reporters Monday. Lebanon’s political atmosphere has been fraught with tension of late, what with the Lebanese people divided almost equally between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad. Gemayel, a member of the March 14 coalition, said that it was difficult to predict how the crisis would end in Syria, but pointed out the weakness of the Baath party's position. Nevertheless, the Kataeb leader emphasized that Lebanon’s interest lies in disassociating itself from the ongoing events in its larger neighbor, adding that neither of the two opposing coalitions in Lebanon seeks to fuel internal crises. “We need to convince Syria and any [Syrian] regime that Lebanon has no desire to interfere in the internal affairs of Syria, so that Syria does not interfere in our own," he added.