Fake Antelias Accusations, Hariri into Dispute with Suleiman
As the week is closing its agenda on several security and political developments, the Lebanese series of political titles extends from weapons smuggling, individual crimes, electricity, dialogue, and Special Tribunal of Lebanon's fabrications.
However, it seems that the homeland security file, with its new successive developments in various Lebanese regions, forms the most important priority that led to an emergency meeting of the Higher Defense Council.
Higher Defense Meeting:
The Higher Defense Council agreed during an extraordinary meeting Friday to beef up security measures across Lebanon following a series of incidents that raised fears about the country's security.
The council's meeting, headed by President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace, came to take "appropriate measures in line with the government's policy to defend and maintain security," after the president voiced fears during Thursday's ministerial session that "the current popular upheavals in the region would impact the Lebanese internal security situation."
The council kept its decisions secret according to law.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the council announced that its members discussed the general security situation in the country, the army missions, the Internal Security Forces and other security apparatuses to preserve and protect the country."
An official security source informed "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper that the Higher Defense Council took protective and guarding actions against increasing individual crime rates that reached the extent of threatening the security of citizens in daylight, as well as to assault on religious symbols and shrines.
"The council also emphasized on monitoring, following -up, and detecting "Israeli" security violations and espionages, especially that the enemy usually invests in a tense atmosphere to increases its inflame, taking advantage of any political division in the country," "as-Safir" reported.
Agreeing to "tighten security measures to bolster civil peace and prevent any breaches or tampering with security, the council stressed "preventing the transportation and smuggling of arms into Syria."
According to "as-Safir" official source, there is information on the presence of activists in this direction.
"Some seek money and trading without taking the risks into consideration, and others are linked to Lebanese political parties that are employing their logistics capabilities for that. In this context, the council demand from the concerned authorities in public security, customs and internal security forces to take action to stop this suspected work, to bring perpetrators to the competent authorities for investigation, and to take the necessary legal steps."
In parallel, the council also discussed the measures taken by relevant ministries and departments to help Syrian citizens who came to Lebanon.
Discussing the small demonstrations and gatherings taking place in some Lebanese areas, against the backdrop of events in Syria, "the council members expressed fears that failing to adjust all these unlicensed moves may portend an escalation that threatens to take the direction of sedition, so that the council requested concerned ministries and agencies to put an end to this reckless."
The conferees also agreed to boost cooperation with UNIFIL and to protect its troops' movements and travels in Lebanon.
"After deliberations, the council distributed the missions to ministries and relevant agencies and issued instructions for permanent coordination between the military and security apparatuses to exchange information to ensure a better implementation of laws and rules in force," said a statement issued by the council after its meeting.
The meeting was called by Suleiman and was attended by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi, Economy Minister Nicholas Nahhas and Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour. The country's top security and military commanders, including Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi and ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, also attended.
"As-Safir" official source pointed out that the council also heard a report about Antelias incident and its individual and personal nature.
Hizbullah Slams Antelias Fabrications
However, "March 14" forces continue amplifying this issue seeking fake
political gains through guiding the fingers in the direction of Hizbullah.
Hizbullah slammed attempts to link it to any security incident in the country.
"Some Lebanese and Arab media outlets, whenever any security incident occurs, have persistently rushed to implicate Hizbullah as part of a programmed accusation plan that twists facts in an attempt to distort Hizbullah's image and weaken its credibility before its Arab and Lebanese public. This is what we witnessed yesterday through a frenzied media campaign to accuse the party of what happened in Antelias."
The statement urged media outlets to avoid exaggeration and distortion that fuel tension, emphasizing that this was not in the country's interest.
In the same context, "Loyalty to Resistance Bloc" MP Hassan Fadlallah, said in a statement issued overnight, that the preliminary security official investigations confirmed the presence of the possession of a bomb blast in Antelias.
"It has exploded as a result of an argument that developed into a fight, and such an incident has its recurring models in other Lebanese regions, and usually takes the path to the relevant judicial authority away from any political or media noise," Fadlallah stressed.
He accused "the other team of fabricating facts, manufacturing false witnesses, fabricating false events, and amplifying them, to build prepared accusations, and this time to target security and stability and to spread chaos, as well as to disrupt the judiciary work."
For his part, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stated that 80 percent of information gathered by police investigators on Antelias explosion indicated that "the motive had been a personal and financial dispute between car dealers, uncovering that forces were hunting for a third accomplice.
"An-Nahar" Lebanese daily has learned from several sources that "the explosion is due to an explosive device rather than to a hand grenade. Investigations are focusing on statements of mobile phone calls made by the killed perpetrators."
In the meantime, Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr pressed Friday charges against unidentified individuals for being accomplices to the preparation and detonation of the explosive device which went off in a parking lot in Antelias.
Saqr charged "unknown individuals for being an accomplice with Ihsan Ali Dia and Hassan Nayef Nassar in the plot to prepare and blow up a bomb and cause casualties and material damage."
STL: What's Next? Hariri Rejects Dialogue
Meanwhile, in a remarkable sequence in its content and action rhythm in the past two daysm, the STL informed Friday the family of slain former Communist Party leader George Hawi of a link between his case and the killing of former PM Rafik Hariri.
The delegation met with Hawi's wife, Suzy, and daughter, Nohra, at State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza's office at the Justice Palace in Beirut.
Nohra said following the meeting that the three-member STL delegation informed her that Hawi's case was now under the jurisdiction of the STL, and not with Lebanese authorities after probes established a link to Hariri's killing.
Former Defense Minister Elias Murr, MP Marwan Hamadeh, and journalist May Chidiac were informed of similar information.
As the International Tribunal continues to promote a climate of anticipation, through its new serial communications, the expatriate former PM president Saad Hariri is back to the political internal scene through announcing rejecting President Suleiman's invitation for national dialogue.
"Identifying the purpose of National Dialogue as a way of resolving pending contentious issues takes the idea of dialogue back to square one," Hariri said, adding that doing so would mean discussing topics "which have been previously discussed and agreed upon."
Addressing an Iftar banquet he hosted Thursday at Baabda Palace on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan, Suleiman said his call for national dialogue had the aim of seeking "the means to resolve outstanding controversial issues and to explore potential solutions for future problems before the latter build up and exacerbate.
Hariri snapped back at Suleiman on Friday claiming that "the only door for dialogue opens by solving the issue of illegitimate arms and not by making renewed overt attempts to lure the issue of the international tribunal to the dialogue table."
Source : Lebanese Newspapers
