Charbel: Political Agreement over Security Chaos Facilitated Tasks of Security Forces

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed on Monday that the political consensus over ending the security chaos across the country facilitated the tasks of the security forces to control the situation across the country.

“The law will be implemented with all the available means,” Charbel said in comments to As Safir newspaper.

He pointed out that the security forces are currently able to fully carry out their tasks on the ground.

Charbel noted that a decision taken by the Higher Defense Council that prevents the closure of any streets or the presence of armed men in the southern city of Sidon is still active.

The Council held a meeting last week under President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace.

He stated that the Imam of Bilal bin Rabah mosque in the town of Abra in Sidon, Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, is banned from holding any sit-in outside the premises of the mosque.

“Even though he was able on Sunday to reach al-Nijmeh Square security forces prevented him from staying there for a long time,” Charbel added.

The Salafist cleric and his supporters held several sit-ins over the weekend to protest claims that Hizbullah rented apartments in the vicinity of his mosque in the town.

Concerning a request to interrogate al-Asir over the possession of arms, the minister told the daily that al-Asir was only requested to head to Sidon police station to give his testimony.

Charbel revealed that there is no arrest warrant against the controversial Islamist cleric.

Al-Asir had rejected a request by State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr to interrogate him over the issue, describing him as a “coward.”

“The judiciary will decide how to deal with al-Asir if he insisted on not showing up for interrogation,” Charbel said.