Sayyed slammed President Michel Suleiman, requesting that he act “as an honorable military general and not as a prisoner of Baabda Palace.” He also said : “President Suleiman has changed and is not the same person I knew before” , adding : “It is a shame that you have become a prisoner “
Addressing president Suleiman Sayyed added: They ( majority) brought you in to control you …you cannot be a consensus president if you are between a party that is right an wrongdoers …for this reason you should not be the president “
Sayyed along with three other senior generals who were sent to jail on Aug 30, 2005 as suspects in the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri were released from jail on April 29, 2009 on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to indict them for involvement in Hariri's murder.
Sayyed accused Saad Hariri of covering for witnesses who “misled” the international investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri with “information obtained from officers, ministers, politicians and media figures” close to him.
Sayyed called on Hariri to apologize to the four freed officers and their families. He also demanded that Hariri “apologize to his father before discussing the STL during any of his Iftar feasts.”
Sayyed said that Hariri has “no right to claim justice that is being served by the STL, when he approved of people making baseless accusations and falsifying facts for four years.” Sayyed also alleged Hariri had protected unreliable witnesses, including as Mohammad Zuheir al-Siddiq, Hossam Hossam and Ibrahim Jarjoura.
He also accused a number of prominent figures of misleading the investigation, including MP Marwan Hamadeh; former head of the Lebanese Armed Forces Intelligence Branch, Johnny Abdo; current head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence department Wissam al-Hassan; Hariri advisor Hani Hammoud; journalist Fares Khashan; and Judges Saqr Saqr and Said Mirza.
Sayyed called on Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar to imprison Mirza and Hassan for “crimes against the state,” as they oversaw the investigation into Hariri’s assassination, questioned witnesses and ordered the arrest of four generals, including Sayyed, without charge.
Sayyed claimed that Hariri had protected unreliable witnesses, including Mohammad Zuheir al-Siddiq, Hossam Hossam and Ibrahim Jarjoura.
He accused the Lebanese magistrate at the STL, Ralph Riyashi, of “protecting the process of making up facts.” He also said Riyashi “should be withdrawn from the tribunal and dumped.”
He urged opposition leaders not to participate in the upcoming national unity cabinet and become partners with “a bunch of swindlers”.
Sayyed’s statements according to Ali Hussein , a Lebanese political observers may reflect the thinking of the Syrian regime , because of his close association with president Basher al Assad. Hussein believes that Assad is using Sayyed to attack Suleiman and Hariri.
PM-designate Saad Hariri has been trying to form a government for the past 2 months , but has been facing difficulties with General Michel Aoun an ally of the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah militant group . A meeting may take place tomorrow between Aoun and Hariri at the Baabda palace and the results could reveal the nature of the obstacles facing the formation of the government
