Geagea urges to remove weapons from streets

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea called on the government Wendesday to confiscate weapons from the beleaguered northern city of Tripoli and halt cross-border arms smuggling. “The Lebanese government should make a series of urgent and tough decisions” instead of wasting time at the National Dialogue table, Geagea said in a statement released by his office Wednesday. Geagea said among these decisions were entrusting the Lebanese Army with removing weapons from Tripoli, deploying Lebanese troops along the eastern and northern borders and the preventing arms smuggling from Lebanon to Syria and vice versa. The LF chief said the Lebanese Army should also collect Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps, mentioning the eastern towns of Qussaya, Halwa and Sultan Yaqoub. Geagea noted that this issue was agreed upon during previous National Dialogue sessions and approved by the Palestinian Authority. He also called for drawing up a budget for the years 2011 and 2012. Geagea urged the government to “seriously embark on [improving] the rapidly deteriorating economic situation and living conditions.”