The Kataeb (Phalange) party was founded by Pierre Gemayel in 1936, who modeled the party after Spanish and Italian Fascist parties he had observed as an Olympic athlete during the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, then Nazi Germany. The movement's uniforms originally included brown shirts and members used the Nazi salute. Despite the party's uniform, its strong sense of nationalism and dedication to a single charismatic leader, the Lebanese Kataeb was not and never became a fascist party nor did it espouse a totalitarian ideology.
MP Sami Gemayel lashed out on Friday at Lebanese authorities for not suspending diplomatic ties with the neighboring country Syria after the judiciary demanded the death penalty for a Syrian security official.
Gemayel wondered how the Syrian Ambassador to Leb, Ali Abdul Karim Ali, wasn't expelled or summoned.
On Thursday, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr referred a death penalty request against ex-Minister Michel Samaha and Syrian security official Ali Mamlouk to the military court to kick off trials.
The criminal court of cassation confirmed earlier on Friday receiving the file.
The MP addressed in his statements President Michel Suleiman
...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
, Prime Minister
Najib Miqati and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, demanding an explanation."The Syrian regime is protecting him (Mamlouk) and confirming that he is a security official," Gemayel said.
He slammed the Lebanese authorities, stressing that the death penalty request requires the implementation of certain diplomatic measures concerning the relations between the two countries."
"We either respect our judiciary or we don't," the politician added.
Earlier this week, First Military Examining Judge Riyad Abu Ghida indicted Samaha and Mamlouk on terrorism charges.
A search warrant to identify a Syrian colonel known only by his first name Adnan who plotted for the bombings with the other suspects was also issued.
Abu Ghida said Samaha and Mamlouk should be given the death sentence "for transporting explosives from Syria to Leb in an attempt to assassinate Lebanese political and religious leaders."
The indictment also said that Samaha told the Syrian colonel and general that he would recruit people to carry out attacks in the northern Akkar region targeting Syrian rebels and weapons smugglers to Syria.
Samaha was tossed in the slammer
Please don't kill me!
in August, but Mamlouk remains free.