PSP: Bassil’s Provocative Rhetoric Sparked Qabrshmoun Incident

The Progressive Socialist Party on Tuesday said the Free Patriotic Movement and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil was fully responsible for sparking the Qabrshmoun incident and accused the Movement of interfering in the course of judicial investigation to involve the PSP.

PSP official Nashaat Hasanieh, who handles the party's legal affairs, was first to speak at a press conference, he said: “The prosecution had bypassed the investigation and the judicial course had been diverted elsewhere.

“The PSP filed yesterday before the military investigative judge a complaint on the incompetence of the military judiciary to consider the case. We are waiting for the decision to complete the procedures as provided by law.”

For his part, PSP Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour said: “Bassil is the head of the FPM and because his political rhetoric was provoking sectarian tension it sparked the Qabrshmoun incident. His rhetoric has been provoking sectarian, hostile tension. If it was not for Bassil’s rhetoric the incident would not have happened.”

Addressing President Michel Aoun, Bassil’s father-in-law, Abou Faour said: “Do you appreciate the magnitude of risks to Lebanon and its civil peace and stability derived as the result of sectarian and devastating discourse adopted by your political heir?”

“We are perplexed. One moment the group close to the (presidential) term (of Aoun) says (state minister for refugee affairs Saleh) al-Gharib was the target of the assassination and another they say the target was Bassil. Why don't they make up your minds?” asked Abou Faour.

“According to investigations run by the Information Branch, the ambush theory against al-Gharib was dropped,” he added.

The Minister concluded by saying: “We accuse a group close to the president of the republic of fabricating a case against the PSP. We urge the justice minister to assume his responsibility and take a brave decision.”

The June 30 incident in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun left two guards of Lebanese Democratic Party minster al-Gharib dead, and several others injured when his convoy was passing through the area.

On the day of the incident, Bassil an ally of the LDP, was touring the area where he made a speech that Abou Faour described as “provocative.”