Rai warns Ban against Fundamentalists’ Rule, Smuggling Weapons into Syria Continues

Zeinab Essa

Politics in Lebanon is characterized by a lot of coincidences and paradoxes.

Here, in my country, where everything is opened to all possibilities, debated subjects turn into bombing threads waiting for lightning to explode.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, budget, wages, strikes and inflation is only a tip of the giant accumulating iceberg.

However, the determination is as usual on the decisive trusted talk.

The resistance's Leader, the Secretary General of Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is to declare Monday Hizbullah's position from both international and local files as the hands remain on the arms to grind the enemy's bone in any coming battle.

Raad: Resistance Ready, Keen on Internal Stability

From Moscow, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad stated on Friday that ""Israel" resembles a constant threat to Lebanon, its security, stability, and natural resources."

Noting that the resistance should therefore remain in constant readiness to thwart any "Israeli" threats, Raad stressed that "Israel" will also fail in destroying the Resistance through the joke that is the politicized Special Tribunal for Lebanon that it being used to eliminate the truth and justice and create strife among
the Lebanese."

"We have repeatedly presented before the media the STL's violations since its formation through unconstitutional means, and we wouldn't be surprised if it was employed to impose international hegemony over Lebanon," he remarked.

The MP who is heading a delegation comprised of himself, MP Hassan Fadlallah and Nawwar al-Sahili pointed out that "the resistance is keen on finding solutions to disputes in Lebanon through national dialogue, which it believes is the only way to end the current political divide in the country."

During a seminar, Raad emphasized that "the Resistance is not deluded in believing that it can singlehandedly rule a country, even if it was in a position of power."

"Seeing as the Resistance in Lebanon is an expression of the Lebanese people's will for liberation, it cannot but assume the national responsibility of maintaining civil peace, stability, and the achievements of the liberation," he said.

"The Resistance gains its legitimacy through the support of the majority of the Lebanese people and its arms have been dedicated to confronting "Israel"," Raad continued.

"Targeting these weapons is done at an "Israeli" request," the MP added.

Addressing the Syrian developments, he stated that: "The United States is pressuring Syria in order to punish it for its opposition to "Israel" and support of the Resistance."

"The United States is not pressuring Syria to implement reform, but it wants to change the balance of power in the region to compensate for the vacuum created by its withdrawal from Iraq and fall of the rule of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak," the MP said.

"Reform in any country can only be implemented through the hands of its people," noted the Hizbullah official.

ISF Promotions: Coming Clash, Rai Warns of Extremists' Rule

In Lebanon, The promotion of ISF officers and divergences on this issue shot to the forefront, thus transforming the issue into far more than routine promotions and politicizing it par excellence.

"As-Safir" newspaper viewed the debate as "an attempt to force upon PM Najib Mikati's government an issue that will drive a wedge among its components, especially since the conflict is over the promotion of ISF Information Branch chief Colonel Wissam al-Hassan."

Sources within the majority informed "that raising the issue of Hassan's promotion now denotes of suspicious timing, knowing that active parties within the government are stressing the need to remove pro-Hariri figures in security services from the state apparatus."

Meanwhile, "Change and Reform Bloc" held its legislative conclave that began Friday.

During the session, the bloc's leader General Michel Aoun reiterated that Mikati's government was not one-sided.

"The government is not one-sided, as it has been said. Each party has its priorities. Our priorities are to fight corruption and bring about reform. We will continue with this policy," Aoun said according to "al-Akhbar" Lebanese newspaper.

Concerning the Maronite Patriarch Bshara Rai's meeting with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Rai warned against "civil wars, growing fundamentalist movements and their taking over power because they are armed and well financed."

"As-Safir" informed that during the Patriarch addressed Hizbullah issue, saying that "it is problematic, however, the solution does not hinge on Lebanon alone as it is also linked with the international community."

"The international community should pressure "Israel" into withdrawing from the territories it occupies, implementing international resolutions regarding the Palestinians' return to their homeland and providing the Lebanese with weapons," Rai explained.

"Let the international community help us so that we reach an internal understanding with Hizbullah," he added in New York.

"March 14" Hands In Syria

Turning to the Lebanese-Syrian relations, "al-Binaa" Lebanese daily unveiled new data on the smuggling of arms to Syria, which it get from Northern Lebanon and the Bekaa district.

Arab diplomatic sources disclosed important and accurate information concerning the roles played by "March 14"and other extremist organizations in the management of security attacks that occurred in the Syrian "Homs" district by financing and arming these groups.

For his part, the Secretary General of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury stressed Friday the daily coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian armies, adding that they hold field meetings on weekly basis.

Meeting with PM Mikati, Khoury noted that "the Syrian army did not infiltrate Lebanese territory as it had been claimed and the Lebanese army can vouch for this as it is responsible for controlling the situation on the border."

"The media is trying to demonstrate that incursions had taken place and it has not backed its claim with any official source," he added.