Higher Defense Council Stresses Border Control, Prevention of Arms Smuggling

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The Higher Defense Council on Thursday stressed the prevention of arms smuggling in and out of Lebanon and called for controlling the security situation in border towns.

The HDC convened at Baabda palace to contain the repercussions of allegations that the al-Qaida terrorist network was operating in Lebanon. But it did not unveil details over the issue.

A statement issued after the meeting said the Council asked security agencies to take stronger measures to fight terrorism and stressed cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

It kept its decisions secret in accordance with the law but said in the terse statement that discussions focused on the security measures taken in the country.

It also quoted President Michel Suleiman as condemning the killing of three Lebanese men in the northern border area of Wadi Khaled by Syrian cross border fire. He stressed the importance of investigating the incident.

Suleiman and PM Najib Miqati held closed-door talks ahead of the meeting that was attended by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi, Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas and Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour.

Top security officers, including Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, the head of the General Security Department, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, and head of Lebanese Army Intelligence Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel also attended the meeting.

The cabinet on Wednesday tasked the HDC with convening to discuss the alleged presence of al-Qaida and other security concerns, including the Wadi Khaled incident and the bombing that targeted Tyros restaurant in the southern city of Tyre.

Ghosn, who made the allegations last week, briefed the cabinet on Wednesday on the information he had obtained about the operations of al-Qaida fighters in and out of the eastern border town of Arsal.

The minister slammed his critics, saying “let them give us other information to prove that what we’re saying is not true.”

Ad-Diyar daily quoted him as saying that his critics snapped back at him through a political campaign “for known reasons.”

“I work in accordance with my convictions and conscience and I take full responsibility” for what I said, Ghosn said.

Several ministers played down Ghosn’s information with Miqati saying that “there is no solid evidence” about the presence of al-Qaida in Arsal.

Comments 15
Default-user-icon Farce (Guest) 29 December 2011, 09:39

What a farce, really! You idiots, if Qaeda has been or is present in Lebanon, you would have had suicide bombers every day of the week.... Qaeda has always claimed on their websites and through various speeches that Lebanon is not a "theater of operations" for them. Qaeda do not normally come to a country for tourism and night spots. Regardless, nobody wants people of this nature here in Lebanon.

Thumb thepatriot 29 December 2011, 13:16

Nahr el bared ya sweaty... are you talking about Shaker el Absi?? The guy that was trained, jailed, released,financed and protected by Damascus??
Are you going to dig up the 2007 theorie of the Fatah al islam financed by hariri (that was retracted in 2008 after links to the syrian regime were established)?? hahahahaha... Yallah give us a good laugh ;o)
As for "Al quaeda"...it doesn't mean anything anymore... anyone can call himself a member of al quaeda...it's not like you get a membership card or anything...;o)

Missing sergio 29 December 2011, 14:43

to all you Filthy Hezziz, the only TERRORIST group that we have in this country is noone but our own HEZBULLAH led by Hassouni the rat.

Default-user-icon Mehdi (Guest) 29 December 2011, 15:02

mowaten some ---- like yourself added that Wikipedia paragraph based solely on Seymour Hersh's claims. Hersh, who had barely even heard of Lebanon previously, admitted that his visit to Lebanon was arranged by Syrian brown noser extraordinaire Michel Samaha and got his information from Hezbollah officials, talk about reliable sources. The irrefutable facts are Shaker al Absi was serving a sentence in Syria for terrorism was released and instantly was seen in Ain el Helweh controlling Fatah el-Intifada a Syrian funded Palestinian faction he renamed Fatah al Islam. Another irrefutable fact is the Hassan Nasrallah took time out of his busy schedule to draw red lines around the terrorist controlled camp and refuse to supply arms to the ordnance strapped Lebanese army in it's fight with the terrorists.

Thumb thepatriot 29 December 2011, 15:32

hahahaha... thanx for a good laugh mowaten...now enjoy some reading :)

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/Jul/19/Fatah-al-Islam-member-confesses-to-strong-ties-with-Syrian-intelligence.ashx#axzz1hvcsf0Dp
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/New-charges-against-Syria,-Fatah-al-Islam%E2%80%99s-real-master-9867.html

http://www.byaaronhoward.com/index.php?action=details&record=200
http://vkb.isvg.org/Wiki/Groups/Fatah_Al-Islam
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=7181
http://middleeast.about.com/od/lebanon/a/me070905.htm
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6535325.html
http://www.meforum.org/2406/damascus-supporting-terrorists#_ftn19

Thumb thepatriot 29 December 2011, 15:33

About Hersh:

-"In March 2007 Seymour Hersh, investigative reporter for New Yorker magazine, suggested that the Lebanese government was giving support to Fatah al-Islam, in order to defeat Hezbollah."
In Beirut, Hersh himself is known for his strong links with former Information Minister Michel Samaha, who is in turn known for his staunch loyalty to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime through Assad’s political and media advisor, former Minister Buthayna Shaaban.
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=66896#ixzz1hvTaHMWd

Thumb thepatriot 29 December 2011, 15:37

@sweaty
U gay??

Thumb thepatriot 29 December 2011, 15:39

@sweaty
Surely you're high! WTF braught you to the white house shooting!?? Have I expressed an opinion in this regard?? How is that related to the topic?? Oh man sweaty...you're loosing it...again!

Thumb thepatriot 29 December 2011, 16:24

@sweaty
other threads... you had to go fetch up to 2 or 3 years back...uffff... I don't have a clue about what I said then... I admire your memory...

PS: Relax sweaty. It's ok to be gay. You're anonymous here...

@mowaten
There is much more... you can search wikileaks and Elias Murrs declaration, etc... ;) enjoy!

Default-user-icon Gabby (Guest) 29 December 2011, 17:09

I agree with the council, stop arms amuggling to the Hezz from Syria.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 29 December 2011, 20:54

all this noise about el qaeda, and alqaeda didnt start warming up yet

Thumb shab 29 December 2011, 21:30

So smuggle weapons out of Lebanon is not ok, but vice versa ok? Killing Lebanese is ok but not vice versa? What a Zionist government.

Missing peace 29 December 2011, 23:05

funny how can some forget easily... aoun said that the day syria would leave lebanon they would infiltrate it with islamists groups to spread chaos and leave their spies behind ... and a few months after they left ... guess what?

oh! i believe they would say that aoun is a liar paid by the USA to say that...

funny how the leader of fath el islam came from...syria and spent a few days before nahr el bared in ... dahiye...

put the facts under their noses they will always find excuses to deny them...
how funny they are ! and not afraid of being ridicules!

Thumb jabalamel 30 December 2011, 03:57

i noticed that shab has lost it. he is now taking about his own goverment in a bad way

Thumb jabalamel 30 December 2011, 04:01

the filthy zionist information is reaching new moral depths. now if you don't agree with them you are gay