Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Former PMs Condemn Tayyouneh Violence, Urge Immunities Lifting

2021-10-16

[M.NAHARNET] Former Prime Ministers Fouad Saniora, Saad Hariri
...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too....
and Tammam Salam condemned Friday, in a joint statement, the Tayyouneh festivities and demanded Parliament to "lift immunities" in the port blast case.

They slammed those who "instead of directing all efforts to reforms, are still trying to distract the Lebanese from their tragedies, push them back into their sectarian squares, stir up civil strife, and bring back memories and nightmares of civil war."

Saniora, Hariri and Salam reiterated "their firm opinion" about "freedom of expression and peaceful protesting" and condemned the use of violence.

They asked for an international or Arab probe in the Beirut port blast, to reach the complete truth instead of getting distracted with "professional negligence issues," and urged the parliament to quickly issue a constitutional law to lift "immunities of all kinds without any exception."

The three former PMs went on to say that all "presidential, ministerial, parliamentary, judicial and military immunities should be suspended, in order to achieve a full, non-selective and impartial justice."

They also stressed on the independence of the judiciary and on full commitment to the constitution, urging President Michel Aoun
...president of Leb, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
and the judiciary to respect the constitution and to adhere to it.

The former presidents called on the army and the security forces to take the utmost measures "to prevent all forms of violence, arrest the button men who committed the (Tayyouneh) crimes, protect civilians and maintain civil peace."

They also called on the competent judicial authorities to carry out their duty and impose the necessary penalties on the perpetrators.

Link

Arabia

Saniora Meets Kuwait Envoy to Deplore 'Hizbullah Cell', Mashnouq Ready to 'Cooperate'

2017-08-01

[An Nahar] A Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
bloc delegation led by ex-PM Fouad Saniora on Monday visited Kuwaiti Ambassador to Leb Abdul-Al al-Qinai to condemn alleged Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
involvement in a "terrorist cell" that has been busted in the Gulf emirate.

In addition to Saniora, the delegation comprised MPs Atef Majdalani, Amin Wehbe and Ahmed Fatfat.

"We came here today to express, in the name of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, our condemnation of the presence of a Hizbullah group in the so-called al-Abdali cell, which has been verified after a three-year trial," said Saniora after the talks.

"This act would only lead to sabotaging ties between Leb and the brotherly state of Kuwait, which was among the first countries to embrace Lebanese expats," he added.

"The state of Kuwait has always stood by Leb and supported its stability, growth and development," Saniora went on to say.

Also on Monday, Kuwaiti Ambassador al-Qinai held talks with Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq at the Interior Ministry.

Mashnouq said the meeting tackled the issue of the letter of protest that Kuwait has submitted to Leb over Hizbullah's alleged involvement in the cell.

Expressing his "great respect for Kuwait," Mashnouq expressed "his readiness and the readiness of the Lebanese security agencies to cooperate with the Kuwaiti interior ministry and to offer any help possible in this case or any other issues," Leb's National News Agency said.

The supreme court in Sunni-ruled Kuwait, which has a sizable Shiite minority, last month convicted 21 Shiites of forming a "terrorist cell" with ties to Iran and Hizbullah and plotting attacks in the Gulf state.

Kuwait has protested to Leb over the alleged training of the cell members by Hizbullah, which has ministers in the Lebanese government.

Earlier this month, Kuwaiti authorities expelled 15 Iranian diplomats and shut down the military, cultural and trade missions of the Iranian embassy in Kuwait over Tehran's backing of the "terrorist cell."

Iran said the allegation is baseless.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hariri’s movement ‘bows to Hezbollah’ -- Rifi

2017-01-25

[Gulf News] Continuing his vocal opposition to any accommodation with Hezbollah, Ashraf Rifi -- Leb’s former head of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and former Minister of Justice -- told Kuwait’s Al Qabas daily that his former allies in the Future Movement and the moribund March 14 coalition "bowed to Hezbollah."

In what was a dramatic accusation, Rifi declared "the party has 17 [out of 30] ministers in this government [led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri
Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too.
] and this is a major national crime against the cause," which implied that except for Future (7), Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
(3), Progressive Socialist Party (2) and a sole independent minister, all of the others -- those that belonged to the Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
(8), Amal (3), Hezbollah (2), and one each for the Tashnag Party
Socialist party representing the Armenian diaspora in Leb. They're Christians, but they try to remain neutral, which means they get shot at without shooting back...
, the Marada Movement
the personal militia of Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon at the outbreak of the civil war, currently Syrian toadies, but you never know when that could change...
, the Lebanese Democratic Party and the Syrian National Socialist Party -- were beholden to Hezbollah.

Rifi accused his erstwhile Future allies, declaring: "Corrupts cannot build a state and those who surrender cannot build a state. We are against corruption and surrender," adding that it was better to remain principled than to kowtow to pragmatism.

In what was a direct attack against Hariri, a potential rival in the upcoming parliamentary elections, Rifi stated that pragmatists "might cooperate with the occupier in a certain period while principled individuals shun any post or personal gains," concluding with an open declaration of war: "the approach of pragmatism sometimes leads to high treason."

The increasingly popular Rifi announced that he would be a candidate in the next elections as he anticipated to field candidates in Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
, Minieh, Dinniyeh, Akkar, central and western Bekaa, Iqlim Al Kharroub and Beirut’s second and third electoral regions. These are all Future strongholds where Sunni constituents lead.

"We will not engage in Sidon’s electoral battle out of respect for Bahia Hariri and Fouad Saniora," two leading Sunni parliamentarians, Rifi added, but vowed to fight for all other seats.

Unabashed, he affirmed that his contenders "will not allow a win for any of Hezbollah’s candidates in [these] electoral strongholds," underscoring that the party’s military might did not scare him. "Hezbollah cannot overlook or eliminate me, even if it possesses 200,000 rockets," he hammered, because he insisted that he was "not engaged in a military confrontation."

Far more important, and perhaps for the first time uttered by a leading Sunni figure, Rifi clarified that Sunnis and Shiites "are equal demographically and ... present on the same land."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Powerful explosion near bank in Beirut

2016-06-13

A blast caused by a bomb rocked the western part of the Lebanese capital late Sunday, with the interior minister saying a major bank had been targeted.

Might be nothing more than a bank robbery, Middle Eastern style...

An AFP correspondent saw almost all the entire glass facade of a branch of Blom Bank, one of the country's largest, blown out, with debris littering the ground.

Interior Minister Nuhad Mashnuq told AFP that a bomb containing about 3-4 kilos of explosives had been "placed behind the back wall of Blom Bank".

"It is clear that the bank was the target," he said.

Mashnuq gave no further details, but in comments to LBCI television channel he said the blast was "different" from other explosions that have occurred in Lebanon over the past few years. He said there were "no victims", but a civil defence official said one person had been lightly wounded.

Blom Bank director general Saad Al Azhari told reporters that no threats had been received by the bank.

There was confusion over where the bomb had been placed. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that the explosive device had been left under a car, but police chief General Ibrahim Basbous said it had been put in a plant pot.

The AFP correspondent also saw damaged cars near the scene of the blast in the Verdun business district before an army patrol arrived and kept reporters back.

Update from An Nahar at 11:00 a.m. ET:

Report: Iranian Threats Preceded BLOM Bank Blast

The explosion that rocked Beirut Sunday evening and that targeted the HQ of BLOM Bank, was preceded by a series of “threat” messages the most recent was a report published by the Iranian Fars News Agency, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Monday.

The message enclosed warnings attributed to a figure associate of Hizbullah against the banking sector in Lebanon, it said.

The Iranian News Agency's report was published only two hours prior the explosion and it included a clear threat that Hizbullah is ready to put into implementation a plan similar to the “May 7” incidents in 2008, that brought the country to the brink of a new civil war.

In 2008, Gunmen belonging to Hizbullah and its allies swept through Beirut’s neighborhoods after the government of then PM Fouad Saniora tried to dismantle the group's telecommunications network. The fighting left scores dead and wounded.

Mustaqbal added “it is clear that there is a close link between the message intended from the bank blast and the mounting tension between Hizbullah and the banking sector after the U.S. sanctions against the party.”

But sources of Lebanon's Central Bank told the newspaper that “the message will not work because the banking sector has no option but to implement the U.S. and International laws.”

Saad Azhari, the head of BLOM bank, said no one should jump to conclusion as to who was behind the attack.

“We are interested in being a serious bank that serves the interests of all (Lebanese). We don't take measures to harm any one particular group," he told reporters at the scene of Sunday's blast in the Verdun area.

The blast preceded several fervent statements against Lebanon's banking sector, particularly when the Fars News Agency assured that the “confrontation has become inevitable between Hizbullah and the banks,” it said.

The report expressed dismay at the stance of the Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh when he said that Lebanon cannot but abide by the U.S. laws. The report voiced threats against Salameh and said that “abiding by the US law is gravely endangering the banking sector.”

A U.S. law was voted in December by the Congress and it imposes sanctions on banks that deal with Hizbullah.

In May, Lebanon's central bank instructed the country's banks and financial institutions to comply with the U.S. law.

Washington has labeled Hizbullah a global terrorist group since 1995, accusing it of a long list of attacks including the bombing of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Eight Killed, 15 Wounded in Syrian Shelling on Arsal

2014-01-18

[An Nahar] A number of people were killed and maimed on Friday in shelling from the Syrian side of the border against the Bekaa border town of Arsal.

The National News Agency reported that seven people were killed and 15 maimed in the attack.

Five of the victims have been identified as children from the al-Hujairi family, whose ages range from 2 to 11-years-old, added NNA.

Another victim has been identified as Hassan Ezzeddine.

Voice of Leb radio (93.3) later said that the corpse count from the shelling had risen to eight after a young women died from injuries she had sustained.

The town's municipality chief later told VDL (100.5) that four houses received direct hits in the shelling.

Several rockets fired from the Lebanese-Syrian border area struck a number of other regions in the Bekaa region on Friday, reported NNA earlier.

Rockets landed in the area between al-Qaa's barren mountains and Ras Baalbek near the border with Syria.

Al-Jadeed television said that the mortar shells landed near an army position in the area.

Other shells hit Sahl al-Ain in north of Bekaa and Bouwaida.

The areas of al-Labwe, Zaboud and the outskirts of Hermel were also hit by four rockets.

Earlier the news agency said that two rockets hit the villages of al-Qasr and al-Kwakh, which are located in northeast Leb's Hermel district.

The Army Command later confirmed the shelling in the various regions, adding that a total of 20 rockets and mortar shells were fired from Syria.

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...
later condemned the shelling, demanding that the army and military officials take the necessary measures to protect border towns and villages.

"Protecting Lebanese regions and people against any assault is a priority," he added.

Moreover, the president warned against the "dangers of getting involved in the Syrian crisis as the Lebanese people are paying a hefty price for it."

He also offered his condolences to the families of the victims of Friday's attacks.

Caretaker Premier

Najib Miqati later condemned the Arsal shelling, saying that he had requested that the army take the necessary measures to protect Lebanese territories.

In addition, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam condemned the attack in a telephone conversation with caretaker Minister Marwan Charbel.

Meanwhile,
...back at the mall, Clarissa spent the day shopping for new underwear. Tonight was going to be a special occasion...
head of al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora held phone talks over the deadly shelling with Suleiman, Miqati, Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji and Arsal municipal chief Ali al-Hujairi.

Saniora stressed "the importance of conducting a speedy and transparent probe into the circumstances of this criminal attack."

He noted that the bombardment proves that "demanding the withdrawal of Hizbullah from the fighting in Syria and the deployment of the army and UNIFIL on the eastern and northern Lebanese-Syrian border was based on substantial reasons."

"The only serious solution is the deployment of the Lebanese army, assisted by the U.N. Interim Force in Leb, to control the border, curb violations, put an end to retaliatory attacks and identify those responsible," Saniora said.

He added that that must happen simultaneously with "the pullout of Hizbullah and its militias from the Syrian conflict, because its continued participation in the fighting between the regime and the Syrian people will lead to inflicting further tragedies and problems on Leb and the Lebanese."

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Wally Jumblat
...

Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...
warned that Leb could witness more terrorist activities as he mourned the victims of Arsal.

"The resilient and proud city of Arsal that has given many sacrifices is paying the price once again," Jumblat said.

"And today, again, several people were killed or maimed. These victims are innocent of whatever is happening."

Hermel comes under frequent shelling from the Syrian side of the border.

On Thursday, a group calling itself Al-Nusra Front in Leb said it was responsible for the deadly bombing that targeted Hermel, a bastion of Hizbullah.

The Bekaa town of Arsal and other areas in the Bekaa have also been targeted by rockets fired from Syria in recent months and most attacks were claimed by Syrian rebels.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Saniora Says March 14 to Resume Peaceful Protests, Will Liberate Lebanon from Illegitimate Arms

2013-12-30

[An Nahar] Head of the Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
bloc MP Fouad Saniora declared that the March 14 camp will not back down from its principles and its struggle to achieve a free, democratic, and independent Leb.

He said: "We will liberate Leb from the occupation of the illegitimate arms."

He made his remarks at the end of the funeral of slain former Finance Minister Mohammed Shatah.

"They killed Shatah in broad daylight and in cold blood," he stated.

"The murderer is carrying out his crimes without anyone to stop them and believing that he can escape punishment," he added.

"The Lebanese people will not surrender and we will not fear the criminals, murderers, and terrorists," stressed Saniora.

"They instead should be afraid because they are murderers," he noted.

"They commit murders in order to assert their control over Leb, but we will renew our commitment to coexistence and civil peace," said the former prime minister.

"They continue their killing, while we commit to a free and democratic Leb that respects human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
, accepts the peaceful rotation of power, and respects the law and constitution," he stressed.

"They have become adept at murder and the destruction of people, the economy, and Leb's ties with other countries," continued Saniora.

"We will not be transformed into murderers and we will not destroy Leb as they do," he declared.

"Leb will remain an open ground for freedom, dialogue, and reconciliation, not that of strife and fighting," added the head of the Mustaqbal bloc.

"We will remain committed to the national pact and coexistence. We will reject terrorism, extremism, and violence," he said.

"We will not back down from the rights of the deaders no matter how arrogant and deceitful the murderers become," Saniora stated.

"We will confront the oppression as we demand freedom, justice, and righteousness," he said.

"We have decided to wage a peaceful, civilized, and democratic resistance," he added.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Mourners Vent Fury at Hizbullah over Shatah Assassination

2013-12-30

[An Nahar] Mourners vented their anger at Hizbullah on Sunday, accusing it of assassinating former finance minister Mohammed Shatah, who was also an adviser to former premiers Saad Hariri
Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too.
and Fouad Saniora.

As Shatah was buried in the center of Beirut, mourners chanted "Hizbullah is the enemy of God." The movement's name means "Party of God" in Arabic.

There was little doubt among the mourners that Hizbullah and its Syrian government ally were behind the killing of Shatah and seven other people in Friday's boom-mobileing in the heart of the capital.

Sectarian tensions have soared in Leb since Hizbullah openly intervened in the conflict in neighboring Syria alongside

Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
's forces earlier this year.

Many Lebanese Sunnis have provided sympathy or support to the mainly Sunni rebels fighting to overthrow him.

Hizbullah and Syria have been accused of a spate of killings of Damascus opponents in Leb since the 2005 liquidation of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Hizbullah targets have been hit by a string of deadly bombings this year, following the intervention in Syria.

"Syria and its allies in Leb, particularly Hizbullah, are the ones who assassinated Shatah, they don't want this country to be peaceful," said 40-year-old teacher Youssef Sati.

Massive rallies and an international outcry that followed Hariri's murder prompted Syria to end a three-decade troop presence in 2005 but many Lebanese complain that the influence of their larger neighbor has never ended.

"Both old and young know that Syria hasn't left Leb," said 57-year-old Susanne Abdel Mejid, an Egyptian married to a Lebanese citizen, who has lived in Leb for 40 years.

"Even if its army withdrew, its henchmen and supporters are still here," she said, wiping away her tears with a white tissue.

Shatah is the ninth high-profile critic of the Syrian regime to be killed in Leb since Hariri's liquidation, and his death serves to remind many Lebanese that no one has been held accountable for those killings.

"We want to punish the criminals. We've lost someone very important," said Ibrahim Allawi, 19, from northern Leb.

"We want to know who the criminal is and make sure they are punished and held accountable."

But there has been little sign of accountability in the string of liquidations that have rocked Leb since 2005.

A U.N.-backed tribunal has spent years investigating the attack that killed Hariri and 22 others, but Hizbullah has refused to hand over the suspects accused by the court.

Instead, five members of the group are to be tried in absentia when the Special Tribunal for Leb convenes in the Netherlands next month.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hamadeh Hits Back at Aoun, Says His Ministers Hired 'Hizbullah Cronies' at Telecom Ministry

2013-09-18

[An Nahar] MP Marwan Hamadeh on Tuesday snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
leader MP

Michel Aoun
...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
over remarks related to Hizbullah's controversial telecom grid in Zahle, accusing ministers loyal to Aoun of employing "Hizbullah cronies" at the Ministry of Telecommunications.

Aoun "protected Hizbullah's May 2008 coup against the Lebanese government, which tried back then to prevent Hizbullah from installing its illegal telecom network," Hamadeh said, noting that the party "invaded the capital Beirut and attacked Mount Leb" to thwart the government's efforts.

Hamadeh reminded the FPM leader that former telecom "minister Jebran Bassil was the one who assumed the telecom ministry portfolio after the Doha settlement which followed the May coup, and it was him and the minister who succeeded him (Nicolas Sehnaoui) who brought Hizbullah cronies to the heart of the telecom ministry and technically abolished the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority."

The MP, who served as telecom minister in Fouad Saniora's cabinet, hailed "the residents, MPs and dignitaries of Zahle for their steadfastness" and lauded the municipality and residents of the Bekaa town of Tarshish, where a similar confrontation over Hizbullah's grid had taken place in the past.

Hamadeh called on the military and security institutions to "draw lessons from the vigor of the Lebanese public opinion and prevent any May 7-like coup."

Earlier on Tuesday, Aoun said: "Whoever allowed Hizbullah to expand its telecommunications network in the Bekaa town of Zahle must resolve this issue to prevent unrest similar to that of May 7, 2008."

"What did former Premier Fouad Saniora and then Ministers Marwan Hamadeh and Elias al-Murr do on May 5 and 7, 2008?" he asked.

Gunmen belonging to Hizbullah and its allies swept through Beirut's neighborhoods on May 7, 2008 after the government of then PM Saniora tried to dismantle the group's telecommunications network, which Hizbullah says is for purely military purposes related to its conflict with Israel.

The fighting that left scores dead brought the country to the brink of a new civil war.

Tensions were running high in Zahle after members of Hizbullah attempted to expand the party's telecommunications network in the area on Sunday evening.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Aoun: Expansion of Hizbullah Network in Zahle Must Be Resolved to Avert Another 'May 7'

2013-09-18

[An Nahar] Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
leader MP

Michel Aoun
...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
stated on Tuesday that Hizbullah's expansion of its telecommunications network can be attributed to the failure to address this issue back in 2008 when this case first arose.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: "Whoever allowed Hizbullah to expand its telecommunications network in the Bekaa town of Zahle must resolve this issue to prevent unrest similar to that of May 7, 2008."

"What did former Premier Fouad Saniora and then Ministers Marwan Hamadeh and Elias al-Murr do on May 5 and 7, 2008?" he asked.

"We did not allow the establishment of this network and I cannot resolve problems that emerged in the 1990s," he declared.

Asked what the residents of Zahle should do to confront Hizbullah's actions, Aoun replied: "Let them block roads."

Commenting on stalled efforts to exploit Leb's offshore oil and gas wealth, he remarked: "It seems that there is a conspiracy to prevent the country from exploiting this wealth.

"We all know who is responsible for calling the government to convene," he added.

"It would be a disaster if we fail to exploit our oil wealth. It would be a shame if this wealth is not exploited due to some official's negligence," the MP noted.

Gunmen belonging to Hizbullah and its allies swept through Beirut's neighborhoods on May 7, 2008 after the government of then PM Saniora tried to dismantle the group's telecommunications network.

The fighting that left scores dead brought the country to the brink of a new civil war.

Tensions were running high in Zahle after members of Hizbullah attempted to expand the party's telecommunications network in the area on Sunday evening.

Residents of the city protested the move and temporarily blocked the road in the area.

The army soon intervened and set up checkpoints in the industrial zone and security forces deployed patrols in the city, which led to Hizbullah's withdrawal from the area.

There was an uproar in October 2011 when Hizbullah allegedly attempted to expand its telecommunications network in the Tarshish region on the outskirts of Zahle.

The residents thwarted the attempts and Telecommunications Ministry at the time denied any party actions in the region.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Saniora from Abra: Clashes May Renew in Presence of Non-State Arms

2013-07-13

[An Nahar] Head of the Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora on Friday voiced concern that festivities might renew in the southern city of Sidon because of the presence of weapons in the hands of non-state actors.

Saniora voiced his remarks from Abra, a Sidon suburb that witnessed deadly fierce festivities last month between army troops and gunnies loyal to anti-Hizbullah Islamist holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir.

"The main issue is that the residents of the city of Sidon absolutely do not want to see these festivities being repeated in any manner whatsoever," said Saniora as he inspected reconstruction works in Abra.

"As long as weapons exist in the hands of individuals defying the authority of the Lebanese state, especially the authority of the Lebanese army and the security agencies, there is always a possibility that (festivities) might renew every now and then, which would harm the Lebanese, the city's residents and also stability," Saniora warned.

Saniora reiterated his call for turning Sidon into a "weapons-free city."

"This is our main concern ... we want to know the truth and we also want to follow up on the issue of the detainees," the ex-PM said, stressing that the gunnies who attacked the army must be held accountable and "the innocents must be released from jail."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

March 14 Calls for Arms-Free Sidon, Says 'Statelet' Cause of Violence

2013-07-08

[An Nahar] The March 14 alliance called on Sunday for announcing Sidon an arms-free city, saying the presence of an "illegitimate statelet" was the reason behind the violence in the southern city.

Following a large-scale meeting held by around 170 politicians, academics and journalists at MP Bahia Hariri's residence in Majdalyoun, the alliance said in a statement read by former politician Fares Soaid that Sidon's and Leb's wounds were "still bleeding."

It is the role of the state to heal them, said Soaid, who is the March 14 general-secretariat coordinator.

He said the conferees, including Hariri and al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
bloc MP Fouad Saniora, called for announcing Sidon a weapons-free city, where only the military's arms should have a presence.

They also rejected the phenomenon of so-called Resistance Brigades in Sidon.

"The source of the violence and strife in Leb is the presence of a statelet," they said, adding that such an "unprecedented situation" is drawing "unacceptable violent retaliation."

The statement was referring to Hizbullah, which the March 14 coalition has accused of being the source of the violent festivities between the army and Salafist holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir two weeks ago.

The gunbattles, which have left 18 soldiers and around 20 gunnies dead, were sparked after al-Asir's followers opened fire on an army checkpoint.

But March 14 officials say that al-Asir's growing frustration from Hizbullah's presence in apartments near his Bilal bin Rabah mosque in Abra were one of the reasons behind his militancy.

"We reject all counter-violence and counter-extremism," they said in their statement.

The conferees considered the memo handed to 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...
by Sidon MPs Hariri and Saniora as a "national memo."

The memo asks for the referral of the case of the Sidon festivities to the Judicial Council and the prevention of all armed activities in the city.

It also calls for the removal of all political flags from the city and the closure of all offices belonging to "gangs," in reference to Hizbullah.

The conferees called on the Higher Relief Council to speed up the compensation to citizens whose properties were damaged in Sidon's festivities.

They also urged the judiciary to inform the public about the results of the investigation.

Soaid said the officials formed a "national committee" to follow up the decisions reached during the meeting.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Mustaqbal Rejects Army's 'Threats and Preaching'

2013-07-03

[An Nahar] Al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
parliamentary bloc stated on Tuesday that Hizbullah is the "only party to be held responsible for what Leb is going through" because of its involvement in the Syrian conflict.

"Hizbullah, its weapons and its militia's involvement in the Syrian war are responsible for what Leb is going through," the politicians said in a released statement after their weekly meeting at the Center House.

They questioned Hizbullah's role in last month's festivities of the southern city of Sidon, accusing the party of encouraging strife in the country.

"Has Hizbullah's role transformed into moving its Shabiha between (the Syrian border town of) al-Qusayr, Beirut and Sidon?," the MPs asked.

"We demand answers regarding the party's involvement in Sidon through a transparent probe."

Restating its support for the army in its mission of preserving security, the bloc, however, criticized the military institution's statements of "threats and preaching."

"What were the measures and punishments adopted against those who assaulted (Salafist holy man Ahmed al-Asir's supporter) Nader al-Bayoumy? What is the truth behind the behavior of the head of the army intelligence's office and the military police officials in the South before and after the festivities?"

On Thursday, the army handed over to the military police soldiers suspected of humiliating and beating a man suspected of ties to Asir.

The body was identified as Nader al-Bayoumy, whom the Association of Mohammedan Scholars said had "handed himself in" after the Abra clash.

The statement stressed: "The bloc and the Lebanese people demand honest and quick answers to these questions as well as holding parties accountable."

"We reject the army's unacceptable statements of threats and preaching."

Al-Mustaqbal also criticized the military institution for "preventing journalists from doing their job" in Sidon.

The politicians assured that they abide by the articles of the memo submitted by Sidon MPs Bahia Hariri and Fouad Saniora to 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...
"We are still waiting for a security plan to transform Sidon into a city free of arms and party slogans," they noted.

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