Miqati Calls for End to Exploitation of Arsal Clash that Only Serves to Widen Divide among Lebanese
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister Najib Miqati renewed on Wednesday his condemnation of the Arsal clash, calling on all sides to cooperate in handing over the assailants to the judiciary, while hoping that the national dialogue would be resumed.
He said: “We are obligated to reassure the people and not issue political statements, which some sides believe will increase their popularity, that only serve to widen the divide between the people.”
He made his remarks during a cabinet session that was held at the Baabda palace.
The premier stressed his support for the military institution, describing the Arsal attack as an “unacceptable and unjustified assault” against the authority of the state.
“We call on all sides to help ease the tensions that can have dangerous repercussions on Lebanon given the critical regional situation,” Miqati noted.
“As politicians, we must all be wary of the heated rhetoric and impulsive positions being issued. One must place national interests above all else,” he stressed.
To that end, the premier urged President Michel Suleiman to once again issue a call for the resumption of national dialogue, which is a necessity at the moment.
He hoped that all concerned sides would comply with the call for dialogue in order to hold talks that would help fortify and protect Lebanon.
A clash broke out between the army and gunmen in the Bekaa town of Arsal on Friday as the former was attempting to arrest a wanted suspect.
Two officers, Pierre Bashaalani and Ibrahim Zahraman, and Khaled Hmayyed, the suspect, were killed in the ensuing clash.
Miqati also stressed the importance of the judiciary “as one of the main components of the state.”
“It should be fortified and kept away from political disputes, while simultaneously maintaining the freedom of expression of everyone, including lawmakers,” he added during the cabinet session.
“The president of the republic should also be kept out of these disputes and we are certain that the justice minister would be able to resolve all issues linked to the judiciary,” he said in an indirect reference to MP Butros Harb's announcement that he will file a lawsuit against General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi.
On Tuesday, the MP decided to file the lawsuit after Madi requested that he be stripped of his parliamentary immunity over statements he made over President Michel Suleiman and the judiciary.
Harb condemned the request and instead accused Madi of being biased in his handling of judicial affairs, including the investigation in the attempt on his life in July 2012.
06 February 2013, 08:51
03
WOW that is a handful of work:
1) Request the full disclosure of all the documents and evidence regarding the terrorist attack and act accordingly.
2) End the town's blockade since any half witted terrorist that was taking refuge in that town would be half way to china by now and open a neutral investigation that would eventually be corrupted by massive bribes.
3) Ground Mr. Harb and Mr. Madi, take away their PlayStation and no more TV, send them to their rooms and let them think of how much they have embarrassed themselves on public television lately.
4) Tax the huge sums of money that get transferred by real-estate purchases, especially the third party kind (Samsara) and give them the money tht thy have been promised and promised and promised since President Hrawi's time.
Easy... Moving along
06 February 2013, 11:09
01
Actually we are not just paying their salaries, we are paying much more... There is something I believe everyone has heard of it is called the national debt but not many people know where that debt has came from... It is quite simple really the central bank prints money and gives it to the government in exchange for a promise to pay it back with a certain % interest... if you do some simple math you will find out that the money out in circulation is less than the money that the bank wants back: Money owed=money printed + interest... where the hell can we get the interest if it doesn't exist??? go to the only place where there is more money creation, the central bank, borrow more money with even more interest eventually the interest that has to be paid is so huge that now the central bank can order the government around...
06 February 2013, 11:10
01
Most of the taxes that we pay go directly to feed the interest on the loan from that bank... And who is in charge of that bank?? The elite, that control everything from interest rates in every other bank to the volume of the money supply effectively they are controlling the value of the paper that we carry in our pockets which if you think about it was created from a promise to pay it back (Debt)
06 February 2013, 16:58
11
ft, you are so narrow minded and you calim to care about our country but all you care about is feeding your hate of others that disagree with you...
06 February 2013, 21:15
11
Ft have you noticed that the only one giving the islamists and salafis attention and a place in the media spotlight is the fpm. Non one gave a damn about them until tayyar and otv decided to turn into the bearded men diaries and telling the world about every move they make, thus making them more relevant and accessible.
Wat im trying to say is, people with glass houses my friend. Fpm is the one stirring hatred against sunnis, trying to portray all of them as extreme salfis who want to wear white robes and behead christians.
Some christians are f.pm and some christians are lf. Does that mean all christians are fpm?
Some sunnis are mousta2bal some sunnis are salafis.
The only racist is you, clumping all people of one sect into a single undivisible group.
07 February 2013, 00:20
10
that is aoun strategy: to frighten people over baseless statements, to make the north of lebanon look like an islamist emirate forgettting the dozens of christian villages living in peace among muslims, to make believe tripoli is a salafist city forgetting all the christians living there, to provoke others awaiting a reaction to then play the little outraged virgin!
07 February 2013, 00:22
10
and how can a man that used the same strategy against hezbollah for decades calling them terrorists just to suit his interests at the time be credible...!
06 February 2013, 21:38
11
What does this mean FT? Every community has had extreme sectarians since the founding of Lebanon. We all know about the radicals of Tripoli, you don't have to keep reminding us unless you have a hidden agenda. P.S. Ana Troboulsi
06 February 2013, 22:44
00
It is filthy positions of low lives like this toul bala ghalleh that infuriates the decent Lebanese, and they are mostly decent, and increases their disgust with a semblance of a country that we call Lebanon. The hell with scum like this piece of crap. All the money won't buy him an ounce of honor. For proof, just look at his doubles, Saad Hariri and the garbage of MPs that he leads.
