Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
In an interview with Al Hayat newspaper, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora described how he saw events unfold before last summer’s war:
Al-Hayat: When you heard of the operation carried out by Hezbollah outside the Shebaa Farms area on July 12 last, were you afraid Israel would wage war on Lebanon?
PM Siniora: I was having a meeting with His Excellency President Emile Lahoud when we were informed of the operation. After the meeting, I sent for Haj Hussein Khalil (the political aide to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Mr. Hassan Nasrallah), and discussed the issue with him.
I asked him, "Why the operation, and why outside the Shebaa Farms?’
He replied: "We got the chance."
I asked him:"Did you consult anyone?’ He said, "Like whom?" I answered: "The government. Are you confronting it with a fait accompli?"
I reminded him of what Mr. Nasrallah had said in the national dialogue, that the Resistance would not interfere in operations, and, if it did, it would only be as a reminder to the enemy in the Shebaa Farms area.
I asked him, "What will the Israelis do?" He answered: "Nothing".
I said to him: "Don’t you see what is happening in Gaza?". He answered: "Lebanon is not like Gaza".
I said: "They can do like what they are doing in Gaza, and more, and Lebanon is not ready to face a situation like that." He ruled out a response of that kind.
In the end, I told him, "What happened has happened, how do we cooperate to contain any reaction?" Hours later, the war started.
