Arslan Calls on Hariri to Stop Sending 'Overseas Messages'
Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan on Sunday called on Prime Minister Saad Hariri to stop sending what he called “overseas messages.”
“I call on PM Saad Hariri not to send us overseas messages, because the country can no longer bear them. Those who await overseas messages are the weak ones and not us,” Arslan said at a memorial service marking 40 days since the death of Rami Salman and Samer Abi Farraj -- two bodyguards of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib who were killed in a clash with Progressive Socialist Party supporters in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun.
Hariri, who is currently visiting the United States, had defended PSP leader Walid Jumblat upon his arrival in Washington.
“Those who attack Walid Jumblat would be attacking me personally as well as Speaker (Nabih) Berri. This is something that we proved through what happened after the Qabrshmoun incident,” Hariri said.
Commenting on the reconciliation meeting that was held with Jumblat at the Baabda Palace, Arslan said: “We support the reconciliation, but it is a long course and several terms are part of it.”
“We consider it as a first step towards the other steps and we are only demanding justice without any bargains,” Arslan added.
“I said (in Baabda) that we are ready to address the government’s situation on the basis of separating between the security, judicial and political tracks and what we reached in the Baabda meeting was a result of all the previous initiatives,” Arslan noted.
He added: “Our loss is huge and not an ordinary one and what happened with our precious minister was not minor and it was not a random incident.”
“We don’t belong to the school of negotiating over blood,” he stressed.
Source: Naharnet
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