Bassil Refuses Blackmail, Qassem: Gov’t Prevented Dragging Lebanon into Syrian Crisis

33 years have passed and the scene is absented from neither the minds nor the hearts.

9:33 morning in Tehran: He was just there.
 
He really came. And from the international Airport of Tehran to Bahshte Zahraa (Zahraa's Cemetry) people filled the squares.
 
Tears mingled with the cries: the Imam is back. He is really here: the Head of the Oppressed Revolution in the World: Rohollah al-Moussai al Khomeini.

It was the miracle that with God's will and people's faith turned to a reality: It
was the Islamic revolution in Iran

Mikati, Aouni Dispute Suspends Sessions

In Lebanon, the February fogs were clearly reflected in Wednesday's governmental session upon addressing the appointments title.

Between suspension and boycott, the governmental session ended as it started with a dispute concerning telecommunications data and ended with a severe blow on appointments.

In details, Prime Minister Najib Mikati Wednesday threatened to boycott cabinet sessions if a dispute over the issue of administrative appointments was not resolved, after the "Change and Reform" Bloc ministers walked out from the session .

In an interview with "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper, Mikati said that "I proposed a number of appointments according to the mechanism set in the Council of Ministers, and I was surprised by "Change and Reform Bloc" ministers' refusing them under multiple pretexts."

"Thus, I requested the session's adjournment," he added denying plans to resign or to suspend his activities as premier."

"I will not call for new meetings, and I will not take the responsibility of obstruction after today," Mikati told "as-Safir".

According to the paper, the premier called the government to "stop wasting time."
"If they want the cabinet to be productive everyone should assume their responsibilities," Mikati reiterated.

For his part, Energy and Water Minister Gibran Bassil clarified for the same paper that "the PM proposed candidates for the post of the head of the High Disciplinary Committee and the government representative at this committee without consulting with any one as we have agreed to be done."


"If the PM has the right to propose a name or more, from inside or outside the mechanism, it is our right and mandate to agree or not agree," the minister stressed.

Commenting on Mikati's saying "stop wasting time," Bassil replied "let him stop blackmailing the Lebanese in the name of stability at a critical regional and international moment."


In parallel, "March 8" ministerial sources expressed "astonishment of Mikati's reaction in the ministerial session considering it an exaggeration."

"His move raises a lot of question marks about the real motives and background," the sources explained noting that "it is unnatural that the prime minister is trying to identify the names of administrative sites occupied by Christians without consulting with other parties to agree on them, especially the Free Patriotic Movement."

On the same subject, House speaker Nabih Berri reported that the latter showed wrath from the governmental scene.

"Instead of working for the sake of the country's interests, the government is busy with its own problems," Berri sources told "al-Akhbar".

Gov't Forms Data Committee

Separately, the Cabinet unanimously agreed to form a committee to be headed by Mikati to discuss amending Law 240 on wiretapping and to prepare a mechanism to regulate the work of the wiretapping command center.

The committee comprises Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, Telecoms Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui and Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn

Qassem: Gov't Prevented Dragging Lebanon into Syrian Crisis

At another level, Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that "the internal Lebanese situation is the best"

"Given the regional and international conditions as well as the attempts of some Lebanese to drag foreign tutelage to Lebanon and link it to new the new US-"Israeli" Middle East axis, the Lebanese situation is the best," His Eminence viewed.

Explaining that "Hizbullah is following up the governmental situation to provide more interests to the Lebanese," Qassem confirmed that "if it had not been for Prime Minister Najib Mikati's cabinet, Lebanon would have been pushed into the Syrian crisis."

"Because of the other Lebanese side, Lebanon would have turned to a back base to sabotage both Syria and Lebanon mentioning the implications of the practical results of their bias to the "Israeli"-American project in the region," His Eminence clarified.
 
"The Resistance is fine. We are fully confident with the revolutionary people," he added.

Confirming that "no one owns the power cards alone," sheikh qassem called people "to remain persistent so the region does not fall under the control of the US," Qassem confirmed.

Moving to Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the latter announced Wednesday that "the Trial Chamber is to start to try the so-called suspects in absentia."


Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org