BASSIL SAYS AGREEMENT OVER PRESIDENT A PRIORITY, RULES OUT FULL-BLOWN WAR ON LEBANON

Free Patriotic Movement chief, MP Gebran Bassil, renewed rejection of linking Lebanon front to that of Gaza, seeing as it might trigger a long-term open war. "Lebanon's interest is to win, but we are not with the connection of fronts, because this would lead to an open war that would not end in the short run. Therefore, Lebanon cannot be alone in this war without the contribution of the Arabs, or at least Syria," Bassil told Sky News Arabia. "I fear that Israel wages an all-out war on Lebanon, but I do not expect (war) because (Israel) is incapable of it," he said. "It could not defeat Hamas in a 340-km2 area; it will not be able to defeat Lebanon." "Israel cannot defeat Hezbollah, which has a much bigger power than Hamas." "We do support the resistance against Israel because this our duty and our right," he went on saying. Moreover, Bassil stressed the obligation to elect a president of the republic. "There must be an agreement over the next president, because Lebanon cannot afford the failure of an ent ire tenure," he said. "Priority is for agreeing over a president' otherwise, we must head to elections," he added. Source: National news agency - Lebanon