Mustaqbal Says Unacceptable to Overlook Hizbullah 'Armed Activities' in Sidon
The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday stressed that “it is not acceptable anymore to turn a blind eye to the “armed activities of Hizbullah and associates” in Sidon, after the army managed to overrun Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's security zone following fierce clashes that left 16 troops and at least 20 gunmen dead.
“We offer condolences to the Lebanese people and the residents of the city of Sidon and the surrounding areas,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.
“We condemn any attack on the army, for any reason and whichever side it may come from, because the army is the shield of the country and the attack that targeted it is a rejected criminal act that cannot be tolerated,” it added.
The army said the clashes erupted after Asir's gunmen attacked one of its checkpoints “for no reason” and “in cold blood.”
The bloc called for “pursuing and punishing the perpetrators,” stressing the need to “quickly implement a comprehensive security plan and to put an end to the armed activities of Hizbullah and its associates.”
“We call for continuing to impose the law on all violators and in all regions and the army must use one standard and principle in dealing with all parties as the law must not only be imposed on one region without another because balance and justice are the pillars of stability,” it noted.
“It is not acceptable anymore to turn a blind eye to the armed activities by Hizbullah and its associates and the city will not remain silent anymore over any attack on the dignity of its residents,” the bloc added.
Slain premier “Rafik Hariri's supporters had been and will always be on the side of the state and its institutions and with the army during all bitter experiences, and these supporters have the right to ask the army to endorse one standard, not double standards,” said the bloc.
It raised a number of questions concerning alleged armed activities by gunmen loyal to Hizbullah during the clashes.
“Who are the armed elements who fired on Rafik Hariri's house in Majdelyoun and why did the Resistance Brigades deploy in Abra. Why did the Brigades publicly erect military checkpoints, why did they ask for IDs and why did they search the cars of civilians? Why did Hizbullah members deploy on the Mar Elias Hill that overlooks Sidon?” said the bloc.
“Civil society institutions are awaiting clear answers and the implementation of a comprehensive plan in the city,” it added.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/88206 |