Aoun: Syrian Regime Won’t Fall, Rahi: Ask ’’Israel’’ To Withdraw Before Talking to Hizbullah
Mariam Ali
The electrical achievement scored by the government proved that stability and peoples' living interests remain a top priority for its factions.
However, this stability and coherence turned to a nightmare that disturbs "March 14" and particularly "Future movement".
After their consecutive political defeats, "Future" media political rhetoric declined to an unprecedented level by using relentless campaign aiming at scoring a fake political victory by attacking House Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri.
Higher Islamic Shiite Council, Raad Slams "Future"
Traffic of files is waiting the Lebanese government next week, most notably the completion of arrangements to transfer the plan of electricity to the parliament in preparation for its approval.
However, the catchiest file that the Lebanese are waiting its reveal is House Speaker surprises of "July War" diary to be published in "as-Safir" Lebanese paper with the beginning of the next week.
The astonishing surprises of some Lebanese bets against the resistance and its people are expected to put an end to the rabid campaign waged by "Future" against Berri.
The Higher Islamic Shiite Council said in a statement Thursday that "the dispute has reached a new low verging on defamation against national, political, and spiritual principles, especially those of such esteemed figures as House Speaker Nabih Berri in an attempt to distort facts and tuck cheaply in order to stir up sedition."
Stressing that the "national army is an important guarantee of civil peace which with the resistance and people form a fixed equation to complete the liberation from "Israeli" occupation, to protect the homeland and to defend it," the council noted that "targeting the army and abusing its national role targets all the Lebanese in their security and stability."
Sources told "an-Nahar" daily that "the escalation over the past few hours may not be limited to the escalation of tensions between the two sides, especially as religious reference figures came into the fray."
For his part, Head of Loyalty to Resistance Bloc MP Mohammad Raad accused "Future" MPs and media outlets of "adopting a repulsive rhetoric."
"The persistence reached to overcome the red lines in stabbing the resistance, insulting the shrines and religious symbols, inciting against the Lebanese army i.e. the guarantee of the country's security and stability, using snappy rhetoric that neither the Grand Mufti, nor the Patriarch, the chief of the army, a colleague, a leader, a party, a current, or the President of the Republic, were free from," he added.
"The "immorality" of their political rhetoric has driven them today to destroy the remaining communications bridge with Lebanese patriots" by targeting Speaker Nabih Berri, who has always "tolerated the burden of opening dialogue between political opponents," Raad acknowledged.
Stressing that "Hizbullah confirms Berri's role in negotiating during the 2006 July War supported the Resistance," Raad clarified that "his role protected the country's unity and disappointed the hopes of those betting on the fulfillment of US-"Israeli" goals."
Commenting on the "Future" recent statements, Raad noted that "what we hear and read in Future's media and from its officials and MPs, at least recently, contradicts the logic and morals of its founder."
He added that "Future" has been "distressed over not being in power and no longer wants a state, the constitution and the law."
"Today, their opposing rhetoric has turned to insults... and their performance is malicious and aims to obstruct and sabotage," he said.
"What credibility do they still have? What state do they claim to build?" Raad wondered.
Berri: Oil the Next Priority
In another context, Berri stated that "oil exploration and drilling file must be tackled
right after the issue of the energy bill approval."
In an interview with "al-Jumhuriya" newspaper Berri explained that "the application rulings must be presented as soon as possible and the project must be assigned to a specialized company."
Berri also continued on that "negotiations must be held with Cyprus to restore an area of 870 km of Lebanon's regional waters."
Aoun: Syrian Regime won't Fall
Meanwhile, the Head of "Change and Reform bloc" MP Michel Aoun said that former PM Saad Hariri's "idleness in the face of problems was the reason behind his ouster, while we are tackling them day after day."
In an interview with "LBC" channel, Aoun said that "any official who chooses to remain silent over the violations of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, ISF Intelligence Bureau chief Col. Wissam al-Hassan and State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza would be committing a crime."
On Syria, Aoun emphasized that reassure that the Syrian regime will not fall and will carry on with the reforms," Aoun said.
"I am with human rights, but would an alternative regime support human rights? When some say they are against pluralistic rule, would they be respecting human rights? There are no demonstrations at the moment, but rather gunmen and security incidents only. When some try to topple the regime through riots, the regime will defend itself and that is its right," he added.
Aoun's series of stances came parallel to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi's stances on the situation in Syria.
Al-Rahi: International Community Must Pressure "Israel"
Al-Rahi urged the international community to grant Syrian President Bashar al- Assad more time to implement reforms and resume dialogue with the opposition.
Adding that "al-Assad cannot make miracles," the Patriarch voiced support "for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of Hariri on condition that it is not politicized."
On Hizbullah's arms, Rahi stressed that "the international community must pressure "Israel" to withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories ... and fulfill the Palestinians' right of return, and consequently Hizbullah will have to lay down its arms."
"The international community did not put pressure on "Israel" to liberate the Lebanese territory, and as long as there is an occupied Lebanese territory, Hizbullah will continue to say that he wants to have arms in defense of his land, then what do we say to him? Don't you have the right?" Al-Rahi wondered.
At another level, "National Struggle Front" leader MP Walid Jumblatt hoped that the electricity draft law would be adopted at parliament without any complications."
"As-Safir" newspaper reported on Friday Jumblatt position that "what happened during the ministerial meeting is positive and approving the electricity project is an accomplishment."
He expressed optimism over the issue and hoped that the country "had entered the phase of solving the chronic electricity crisis."
Urging "the government to embark on achieving more accomplishments especially regarding the administrative appointments that will be eventually completed," the MP noted that "there are flagrant vacancies that should be filled based on an individual's competency and efficiency, not his political affiliations."
The STL President Antonio Cassese issued a decision to hold the first meeting of the STL first-instance chamber in order to address various issues, such as holding a session to have the accused appear before it for the first time."
"It was revealed that the first-instance chamber was composed of five Swiss judges, one Australian and one Jamaican judge, in addition to Lebanese judges Micheline Breidy and Walid Aakoum. The first meeting of the chamber will reportedly be held on September 20," "an-Nahar" reported.
Siniora's New Scandal
In an article entitled "The missing checks between Ministry of Finance and Bank of Lebanon," "al-Akhbar" newspaper reported Friday that the secret records of the Lebanese Ministry of Finance, with the errors and sins, are unfolded day after day where the image appears dark in the ministry.
And the new is the "discovery" of exchanging 108 billion LL from Bank of Lebanon, in the absence of any mention of them in the records of the ministry during MP Foad Siniora's heading to the ministry.
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org team
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