08/02/2008 The former chief of the (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire DST, France's internal security service) and one of the most prominent experts in security and counter-espionage in France Yves Bonnet said that there are three states that are seeking to set foot in Lebanon, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Bonnet was speaking to the Al-Intiqad weekly. He added that these three countries have common interests stressing "deep Saudi-Israeli cooperation in Lebanon through "David Welch's people, namely the head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblat, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, Future Movement chief MP Saad Hariri and the head of the unconstitutional government Fouad Saniora."
The security expert said the US wants Lebanon to be its ground to pressure Syria and Hezbollah. Bonnet warned of sheer divisions in Lebanon which resulted in weakness within the Christian society. He accused the United States of obstructing every effort to form a national unity government in the country, "because divisions in Lebanon serve Israel's interests in the first place." Yves Bonnet underlined an American will to set military foot in Lebanon through the north of the country, "and this is why the incident of Nahr el-Bared and the Fatah al-Islam problem took place."
 
On assassinations in Lebanon, Bonnet ruled out Syrian hands in any of them, "because they know very well that they are under the microscope." He commented on the latest murder case of Internal Security Forces Major Wissam Eid saying that his assassination was carried out by people close to him and work in his milieu. "It is not important to know who pushed the button; what's important to know is who's directing the killer," Bonnet said adding that the purpose of such assassinations is to keep the crisis going with all its complications.
 
Bonnet tackled the Memorandum of Understanding between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement saying that MP General Aoun has worked through this understanding to avert civil war. He added that Aoun is working hard to preserve the existence of the Christians through the understanding. "Hezbollah is a strong support that reassures the Christians and their important role in Lebanon and the Middle East."
 
The former French security officer described Paris' policy in Lebanon since the last days of former President Jacques Chirac in the Elysee as "pitiful". "Chirac did not differentiate between his pocket and France's interests whereas President Nicholas Sarkozy is close to the Americans and his Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has his own beliefs which rule his conduct," Bonnet said adding that Kouchner was among the very few in France who backed the US invasion of Iraq.