Hezbollah to McCain: Lebanon Neither US Protectorate Nor Banana Republic

Hezbollah denounced as a flagrant interference in Lebanon internal issues the call made by the US senator John McCain to establish a “safe zone” in the north of the country.

Hezbollah Media Relations issued a statement in which the party said: “The call from Merab by the US Senator John McCain to establish a buffer zone in north Lebanon, is a flagrant violation to Lebanon’s sovereignty and an impudent interference in its internal issues.”

Hezbollah said that the buffer zone would be “a springboard to interfere in Syria’s affairs,” adding that this interference “totally contradicts” with Lebanon’s policy, declared by the Lebanese government, to distant itself from the Syrian crisis.

“As Hezbollah considers these remarks a practical translation to the US interfering policy… it call on the specialist official authorities to raise their voices against this intervention, and to say to Washington that Lebanon is neither a US protectorate nor a banana republic.”

McCain on Thursday told Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea there was a “need to establish a safe zone” in north Lebanon.

“I have always underlined the need to support the Free Syrian Army that needs weapons… we need to offer a safe zone for the [the Free Syrian Amy] and the Syrian resistance for it to organize its affairs,” McCain said from Geagea resident in Merab.