Eid Accuses Suleiman of Failing to Support Tripoli, Warns Unrest Will Spread throughout Lebanon
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Arab Democratic Party chief Rifaat Ali Eid accused on Tuesday President Michel Suleiman of failing to properly tackle the situation in the northern city of Tripoli.
He said during a press conference: “The unrest in the city will spread throughout Lebanon if the situation is not addressed.”
He added: “Suleiman is not supporting Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, but he is dragging him into the Tripoli unrest in order to stop him from taking his place as president.”
Eid explained that fighters from Tripoli's Jabal Mohsen neighborhood were forced to wage a battle in the city on May 21 after the “provocations against it became unbearable.”
“The fighters only waged one battle, while the remaining unrest were just skirmishes,” he said of the clashes with the rival neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh.
In addition, he stated that the fighting intensified in Tripoli after gunmen that were seeking to take part in battles in Syria's al-Qusayr region decided to return to the city and take part in the clashes.
He revealed a network from the Free Syrian Army was involved in the Tripoli unrest.
Moreover, he accused the army of being biased in tackling the situation, saying: “It responds to us with weapons, while it responds to the other side with words.”
“We accuse the state of these shortcomings,” declared Eid.
“Why didn't Monday's cabinet session tackle the unrest in Tripoli?” he wondered.
“Lebanon's borders are breached and terrorism is arriving in Tripoli from Syria,” warned the Arab Democratic Party chief.
“We want guarantees that our existence will be preserved should the unrest subside,” he demanded.
Eid also announced that he will run in the parliamentary elections according to the 1960 electoral law.
Clashes between Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen broke out on May 19.
The sectarian fighting between the two main neighborhoods stretches back four decades to Lebanon's civil war, but it has become more frequent and increasingly lethal since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. The two districts support opposite sides.
The latest round of gunbattles had been the bloodiest yet, leaving at least 31 dead and more than 200 wounded.
28 May 2013, 14:13
184
The elections should go forward ... It is painfully obvious that the current leadership namely Mikati and Suleiman need to be replaced with leaders that will take charge of the security forces and place them in a proactive stance.
Tripoli has been raging for weeks yet this leadership has done nothing to halt the violence. Many steps could have been taken including a curfew and warrants for arrest of known perpetrators. Instead Mikati and Suleiman use the situation in Tripoli to benefit chaos.
28 May 2013, 15:18
29
Suleiman has little powers. The government is mainly controlled by the PM. The current one is from Tripoli and doesn't do much about his city.
28 May 2013, 15:45
01
LOL - you are funny. Your PM was not even able to extend the retirement of Ashraf Rifi.
Think well next time, the President is the supreme commander of the armed forces
28 May 2013, 16:10
34
And I spelled out Mikati's name in my post. And this is why we need elections now ... a fresh start with a new Prime Minister that will stand up for Tripoli and all of Lebanon.
28 May 2013, 17:49
14
The usual suspects are out attacking the president. How dare he criticize military invlvement in Syria - even in the softest possible terms?! I support holding elections in Lebanon on time. However, this will not solve our biggest problem: the hizb and its arms and its willingness to use threats and arms to enforce its agendas.
28 May 2013, 14:30
214
Mr Eid when you become Lebanese then the state will protect you.
28 May 2013, 14:53
32
The "state" under Mikati and Suleiman has shown no inclination to protect the Alawite population in Tripoli. In fact their policies of disassociation with strategic and tactical engagement have only incited more violence ... as well as cost the Army casualties and dead while leaving Tripoli a bleeding wound.
28 May 2013, 15:28
21
@ the1phoenix
It is up to Suleiman to perform his mandate of protection of the Lebanese people ... If indeed there are factors that prohibit the exercise of his mandate he should explain in detail what those impediments are and how they can be overcome ...
If Suleiman was sincere he would assail all those who are and would destabilize Lebanon. These factors need to be placed in public display for all to see so that public opinion, not backroom deals, holds sway over policy and action ...
28 May 2013, 14:41
01
it is a nice feeling to realize that our fakahmto is doing so well,slowly..slowly. i am absolutely sure that situation in lebanon will remain under control,and parasites will go away after exhausting their life limits.
28 May 2013, 14:43
17
Don't Worry about FT he tries to talk up all the traitors like himself.
28 May 2013, 14:48
51
Eid knows well of Suleiman's calculations as do many. This is no surprise, only naming one of the elements in Suleiman's misuse and abuse of his role over directing the Army's responsibilities ...
28 May 2013, 15:04
14
Eid is a Syrian agent for the Syrian regime by his own admission.
he should be jailed and not supported. what are his weapons doing in jabal Mohsen?
he instigated strife in Tripoli on behalf of the Syrian regime and hizbushaitan.
who is he to attack our president?
28 May 2013, 15:42
32
Jabal mohsen are instigating the fight?????? WOW you are truly deluded or completely miss informed. Every time FSA have a setback in Syria, Islamic terrorists from bab tebeneh seek retribution. This has been happening since the very start of the Syrian conflict with the blessing of Hariri & co. Everyone goes on about the weapons,,, let me ask you this,, if me and 50 other armed men surround you, would you lay down your weapons before I do????
28 May 2013, 15:08
51
@ the1phoenix
Suleiman must take charge of his responsibilities. His dereliction of his duties only inflames the situation for those who would "derail the entire nation".
28 May 2013, 15:42
42
The situation is larger than Eid, Aoun and Geagea. This has to do with the State of Lebanon. If indeed it is to continue as a state then the army, internal security forces and all institutions must perform their duties.
The strife in Tripoli is being caused by Salafists in service to the opposition forces in Syria. Why not a curfew and arrest warrants? Because it is all about rebel supply lines from Lebanon to Syria.
28 May 2013, 15:44
25
if the army intervenes against the sunnis it will be divided.
gohsn and the army chief qahwaji are obviously pushing for that to happen under the orders of the Syrian regime, and before anyone starts saying anything: it has been established that the army was firing on Tripoli residents along with eid, which created this whole issue we heard about last week.
if this continues, the army will split, and it will be the doing of qahwaji and Suleiman franjieh who are pushing the limits.
28 May 2013, 16:08
31
Imposing order through curfew and warrants would delight the vast majority of Tripoli's Muslim residents ... They want peace and stability ... The Muslims you talk of will never be appeased until their Wahhabi agenda is accomplished.
28 May 2013, 16:23
12
Ft and mckinl
dream on....
misrepresenting what has been going on in the north will not sell to anyone.
qahwaji and gohsn are doing the job for the assad regime.
28 May 2013, 16:42
32
@ geha
It is obvious what is happening in the north ... deliberate tactics that keep the unrest growing. Unrest in Lebanon is politically and publicly harmful to Hezbollah and M8 in general.
Why not curfews and arrest warrants in Tripoli? Because that would hurt the rebel supply lines depriving them of night cover and putting their leadership in hiding ...
Why is it that Mikati won't commit to peace in his own city? He and his business partners benefit from supplying the war in Syria. The extension of Parliament gives him more latitude to do NOTHING and profit.
28 May 2013, 17:52
12
"Why not curfews and arrest warrants in Tripoli?"
Mc isn t the present gvt M8? so you are saying that the present gvt benefits from the rebels supplying? LOL....
the situation in tripoli benefits only to hezbis to deflect their involvment in syria....
28 May 2013, 18:15
31
@ peace
As you well know Mikati and Suleiman were compromise candidates largely put forward by Jumblatt.
Aoun made the mistake of trusting that Mikati and Suleiman would perform their duties. They have not, quite the contrary.
This is an M8 government in name only. The betrayals of Mikati and Suleiman to the people of Lebanon are now obvious.
28 May 2013, 18:20
31
@ peace
The situation in Tripoli benefits only M14 and the Wahhabis. This causes unrest throughout Lebanon so that they can blame Hezbollah and M8 in general.
This also gives cover to the rebel re-supply efforts to Syria by changing the discussion. If real measures were taken to calm Tripoli it would harm the rebels and M14s propaganda.
If curfews and warrants were issued the supply lines would have the cover of night and their leaders would be hiding from warrants. With the violence diminished M14 would have lost this propaganda.
28 May 2013, 16:24
22
yes franjieh through gohsn are doing their job for the Syrian regime in Lebanon as Mansour is doing the same at the foreign ministry...
28 May 2013, 16:52
31
Please stop looking through your M14 glasses and distorting the truth......
28 May 2013, 17:30
23
it is a fact! ali eid said it repeatedly: his allegiance is towards assad!
28 May 2013, 16:28
02
phoenix. neat scenario. But they will fail because in spite of their faults, the lebanese know better now.
28 May 2013, 16:28
02
phoenix. neat scenario. But they will fail because in spite of their faults, the lebanese know better now.
28 May 2013, 17:50
24
“Why didn't Monday's cabinet session tackle the unrest in Tripoli?” he wondered."
coz hezbi do not want it... they want to drag lebanon into their war to cover their involvement in syria and bring chaos....
28 May 2013, 18:44
31
Wrong ... Tripoli wasn't discussed because Mikati and Suleiman don't want to discuss it ... They want business as usual even if it pushes Lebanon towards civil war.
28 May 2013, 19:33
22
mckinl
look I have had enough of your misrepresentations.
hizbushaitan has been arming some salafi groups for a while in Tripoli as well as fortifying ali eid.
these are the facts.
as well did you ask yourself why did the justice department open an investigation into ali eid?
did you ask yourself who is bombarding Tripoli?
did you ask yourself why is ali eid tolerated while he expressly advised his total allegiance to assad and the Syrian regime? is he Lebanese or Syrian?
last but not the least: who is he to criticize our president?
28 May 2013, 19:37
51
@ geha
"hizbushaitan has been arming some salafi groups for a while in Tripoli as well as fortifying ali eid."
got a link for this crazy talk ?????
28 May 2013, 19:52
23
the only thing crazy is your blindness. check with anyone in the security or military and they will confirm it to you immediately.
29 May 2013, 12:27
10
do some research MC... you ll see that hezbi have armed and trained some sunni extremists from tripoli...
that is if you really want to know some truths, otherwise stay in your comfortable hezbi propaganda....
28 May 2013, 18:03
02
Mc - what duties? Remenber the 2007 storming of Beirut by your favorite militia, the overturning of government decisions by force and then the 2008 night of black shirts, that was the start of the state slide into the abyss. If sleiman and mikati or any government order all militias disarmed, what will reaction of the hizb and affliated militias be?
28 May 2013, 18:06
03
Yo tambien, I agree. Violent people should get banned, decent one allowed to stay.
29 May 2013, 01:59
12
Alawites have been in Lebanon for centuries, so no, they can not just "go back to Syria". The state has never protected them from Sunni fundamentalists, so what choice do they have but to turn to self-defense or to Syrian protection? They are a secular and tiny minority, they have no interest in war for the fun of it, unlike Jihadis.
