Hariri’s Financial Crisis, “March 14” to UN: Justice or Chaos

The Lebanese "al-Akhbar" newspaper revealed Saturday that "since 1978, the date of its incorporation, and till the death of (former Prime Minister Rafiq) Hariri, the "Saudi Oger" company didn't pass critical stages as those it is wandering through since nearly three years."

Mentioning the reasons behind the new crisis, "al-Akhbar" stated that "after the increase in talks and smells concerning suspicious transactions, and the start of the audit in "Oger's" mechanisms, a lot of circumstances pointed to the involvement of many of the company's officials in financial embezzlement and bribes cases."

Insiders say that "Oger's" first row managers are like ghosts in the Saudi society; they are rarely seen at public events and even so special ones. However, the second and third row directors are miniatures of Saad Hariri. They talk only of travel, Cuban cigars, and the latest amendments to the regular and SUV Porsches. "All this at a time when the company is floundering in a financial crisis that nobody knows when it will end one, to the point where one of the Saudi officials raised the question: How can Saad lead a country and he is unable to lead a company with such directors?" "al-Akhbar" said.

Appointments on Hot Flame

Moving from the stench of corruption in Hariri's companies to the Lebanese internal political scene, one can witness the following fact: As the country enters in a political vacation that extends until the second of August, the date of the government's next session, the political circles are preoccupied with the preparations for the adoption of a mechanism to appointments' file that was put on hot flame according to ministerial sources.

The Minister of Administrative Development Mohammad Fneish told "as-Safir" Lebanese daily that "this issue is on the top of the government's priority, and that it initiated action to implement the mechanism that was approved previously."
Clarifying that "the mechanism includes as it is known, everything that takes into account law, efficiency, merit, and to provide opportunity to eligible people away from what is said about maliciousness or revenge or discretion."

Fneish, who submitted to the Prime Minister a draft strategy for administrative reform and a plan which is an extension to the executive project of electronic transactions, said that "his role in the issue of appointments is to contribute in moving this file and urging the concerned ministers concerned to do the application of the mechanism."

"We will begin sending letters to ministries to identify vacancies in each ministry or department providing that the procedure is to choose three qualifiers before submitting the CVs to the government that is supposed to take a decision later," the minister added.

In the same context, the Foreign Minister of State Adnan Mansour informed the same paper that he is preparing the diplomatic formula, ranging from the promotions of the third category to the second category and from the second to the first.

Noting that "the number of vacancies in the ministry is 31 ambassadors and 30 in the rank of adviser," Mansour said to "as-Safir" that "after obtaining the promotions of the third category i.e. the Secretariat to the second category, the vacancy in this category becomes around forty staff, while it is now only eight, and at that time we will perform a contest through Civil Service Board to fill the vacancy in this category, and all the leaked talk in the media is not accurate."

Transfers to Include al-Hassan

For his part, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel declared that "the appointments and transfers within the Internal Security Forces will involve officers, including the director general of the ISF Wissam al-Hassan,"
Charbel told "The Daily Star" newspaper that "the formation of a new 10-member Command Council for the ISF is awaiting a decree from the government."
"Any appointments or transfers within the ISF will be carried out by the new Command Council," Charbel said.

In an interview with al-Manar TV that aired Friday night, Charbel said Hassan used to play a political role in the past.
"He was involved in politics in the past. But on my watch, no one will be allowed to deal with politics," Charbel told The Daily Star.

Charbel said "ISF officers could talk politics when they are off duty."
Stressing that "anyone in the ISF found talking politics while on duty will be brought to account," the interior minister announced that "the Future Movement and any political party will be forbidden from interfering in the ISFs' affairs."
"ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi will not make statements without permission" anymore, Charbel emphasized.
Addressing the issue of administrative appointments, the minister stressed that "no dispute will erupt between the president (Michel Suleiman) and (Change and Reform Bloc leader) General Michel Aoun or among any of the political leaders over any administrative posts in my ministry."

Jumblatt: Against Dialogue Rejection

Meanwhile, sources close to "National Struggle Front" leader Walid Jumblatt stressed that "we had always called for calm and rational dialogue to limit the tension in the country and prevent further political divisions among the Lebanese that threaten civil peace."

The sources commented on President Michel Suleiman's invitation for all-party talks at the Baabda palace that "dialogue is now more important than ever."
"We support anyone who pushes (for dialogue), particularly the president, Speaker Nabih Berri and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," the sources told "as-Safir" daily.
"We are against the rejection of dialogue by any side," the sources said.
A minister close to Jumblatt told "al-Liwaa" daily that dialogue consolidates the local political situation to avoid any deterioration given the upheaval in Syria.
An informed source said that Jumblatt might visit Turkey next week after a trip he made to Russia.

"March 14" Warns UN: Justice or Chaos

In a parallel context, "an-Nahar" daily reported that "March 14" is to organize a legal meeting next week under the slogan of "Justice for Stability."
"March 14" sources told "an-Nahar" that the meeting, which will be held at the Bristol hotel in Beirut on Tuesday evening, will stress "the need to remain committed to the international tribunal and continue funding it."
At the end of the meeting, one of the organizers will read a message urging U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to consolidate and protect the court. The message includes a statement that says "security stability cannot spread in Lebanon without justice and without putting the Lebanese in front of two choices: justice or chaos because only justice guarantees stability."

Lebanon on Right Track, US Denies Hof Visit

As the file of Lebanon's rights in natural resources and maritime borders still occupies the Lebanese interests; Energy Minister Gibran Bassil said Friday that "Lebanon was moving quickly on the maritime border issue."
Following a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, he acknowledged that Lebanon had only completed a portion of the work, citing "negligence" at the time."

"Thanks to PM Mikati, the government and all Lebanese lawmakers in this nation who cooperated to affirm Lebanon's rights," Bassil said from the Grand Serail.
"Any slackening of efforts will be used by "Israel" to harm Lebanon," Bassil believed adding that "Lebanon today works according to international law to assert its rights."

He said Mikati was "moving quickly and seriously and has shown a true intention in addressing problems, not just standing by and watching
In a parallel context, US embassy denied the report that its official Frederic Hof is making routine visits to Beirut to follow up the dispute between Lebanon and "Israel" on their maritime borders, as Western diplomatic sources in Beirut informed "as-Safir" Friday.

"The U.S. notes that Lebanon (in October 2010) and Israel (in July 2011) have submitted to the United Nations claims to their adjacent exclusive economic zone (EEZ) limits. It is entirely normal in the practice of international boundary-making that their claims differ," the embassy said in a statement.
Any claims that the United States has taken sides in this issue are patently false," it said.

"We are not a party to this issue," the embassy said. However, it added that "the United States is prepared to assist in any manner the two sides agree is appropriate."

The sources told "as -Safir" that "Hof is visiting Lebanon along with cartographers in an expression of Washington's interest in solving the feud over oil and natural fields and setting the stage for possible U.S. investments in the sector in the future."

Sources said Hof's main objective is "to prevent the rise of new maritime Shebaa farms and use oil as a source of investment and stability."