Syria
and officials of the Lahoud regime appear to have given
the approval nod for direct contacts with jailed Lebanese
Forces Commander Samir Geagea sparking speculation that
they may be trying to get the maverick former Christian
warlord back to the fold.
Reliable sources told Naharnet the direct contacts with
Geagea at his prison in the defense ministry have been
under way for some time through an LF go-between.
The
intermediary was identified as Richard Jreisaty, who
was in charge of foreign and diplomatic affairs of
the LF before it was outlawed by the government in
1994. His apparent mission was to "discuss ways
of resolving the state of affairs that landed Geagea
in jail."
Jreisaty
has been allowed to see Geagea twice so far: the first
on April 4, which lasted three and one half hours
and the second May 1, which lasted 75 minutes, according
to the Naharnet sources.
"Jreisaty
sought to persuade Geagea of the need to end the state
of belligerency with Syria and the estrangement with
President Lahoud as a prelude to go into details leading
to resolve Geagea's plight," one source told
Naharnet.
Geagea's
response was inconclusive. He had shown a clear inclination
to reject the offer, fearing attempts to befriend
him after spending seven years in jail were merely
a flank attack to abort Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's
drive to regain Lebanon's sovereignty and freedom
of decision.
Geagea
associates stress, however, that his mind was made
up not to accept what he had refused seven years ago.
"Geagea
is not at all willing to be used to stab the Patriarch
in the back even at the expense of staying on in jail,"
one Geagea associate told Naharnet.
