Moqbel Meets Aoun, Says They Back Naming New Security Chiefs
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Defense Minister Samir Moqbel held talks Monday with Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun in Rabieh.
“I came here today to explore General Aoun's demands and we held a thorough discussion on the current situations in the country,” said Moqbel after the meeting.
“The General fully supports the appointment (of new security chiefs) and I personally support this option,” the minister noted.
“In the event of failure to reach consensus and appoint new officials, we will see what to do, as General Aoun said” during the meeting, Moqbel added.
Aoun and Moqbel had been at loggerheads after the FPM chief accused the minister of extending the terms of several military officials in an "illegal" manner.
The cabinet sessions were recently suspended for more than three weeks due to the dispute over the appointments. The bickering later escalated into a thorny debate over the cabinet's decision-making mechanism in the absence of a president, with the FPM accusing Prime Minister Tammam Salam of infringing on the powers of the Christian head of state.
Aoun has been lobbying for political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, his son-in-law, as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers.
The cabinet will convene Tuesday at the Grand Serail and the issues of the decision-making mechanism and the growing garbage crisis are expected to be the focus of the session.
Y.R.
M.T.
27 July 2015, 19:14
32
Blackmail. Moqbel has succumbed to the blackmail of this guy. He is holding the collapse of the entire government over everyone's head to get his way and he does not want to give up anything to get it in the way of quid pro quo compromise. It is a game of threat and intimidation that could not be carried out by Aoun the agent, but for the fact that everyone knows he is doing the bidding of his boss, Hezbollah which has the capacity to bring down the government forcefully if this inane demands of this old man are not met. A shame, a real shame that the government is being forced to bend its will to Hezbollah in this manner.
27 July 2015, 19:44
11
Aoun? Evil? Aoun is not evil. To be evil you have to be smart and cunning.
27 July 2015, 20:23
12
When people get their palms greased, then this is what you may get. Moqbel or no Moqbel, Aoun or no Aoun, Hezbollah or no Hezbollah, such decisions will be made by people a lot higher than these clowns.
27 July 2015, 20:33
12
Lol, one look at this picture says it all. On the right is th clown himself JudAoun wanting to be our president, now turned past 80 years old, and Moqbel our defense minister who needs to be helped when holding his glass. Is this what we want to lead the nation? Hell no, Sukleen, take them, they smell bad both of them.
