Mikati in Paris, Meets Sarkozy
Zeinab Essa
33 years, and the spirit of the revolution is still in there in every heart.
There in Baheshte Zahraa... In Tehran's squares and homes, the miracle was happening.
There, the image was different: a leader from the era of the sanctities altered the scene: the Islamic Revolution of Iran led by Imam Khomeini toppled the Shah's regime and launched the track of freedom illuminating the path to all oppressed in the world and the region.
Decades later, the flame of freedom hit Egypt.
The Egyptian people said their word after 40 years of dictatorship rule: People wanted to change the regime and their will mingled with faith turned to facts.
18 days of demonstrations, martyrs, and injuries ended up by achieving the desire: the Egyptian people achieved their goal; they toppled the Pharaoh Hosni Mubarak.
However, a year after the revolution the Egyptian image remains vague: people remain calling for the military rule to go as the weak security status threatens stability despite the new changes at the political level resembled by gaining of Muslim Brotherhood to parliamentary majority.
Military Clashes in North
In Lebanon, fears of bombing the weak security situation in the north increases as armed clashes erupted all Friday night between the two areas of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabene leaving a number of unknown causalities between injured and dead.
Families fled their homes during the fighting, streets were deserted and shops were closed. The Lebanese Army deployed between the two neighborhoods at around 6 p.m. after several grenades exploded in neighborhoods adjacent to the fighting.
"Army units deployed in the area intervened and responded to sources of fire and carried out wide-ranging raids in search of those who opened fire and organized intense patrols of Syria street," said a statement from the Lebanese Army.
Commenting on the new developments, high security sources expressed in remarks to "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper fears "that there are premeditated intentions to drag the level of tension into a worse situation."
"The timing is malignant, and we hope that there will be no attempt to distract the army, especially as the latter has a firm decision to adjust the security and stability and to prevent everything that affects the national security," the source added.
At the same context, the chief of political relations in the Arab Democratic Party Rifat Eid confirmed to "al-Akhbar" daily that "his political team has a carries complete trust and respect for the Lebanese army and its leadership."
"We are coordinating with the Directorate of Army Intelligence," Eid stated informing that his party had issued orders to all its members to "remain calm and not to respond to shooters, because the Lebanese army protects us."
Crisis Escalates, Mikati in Paris
At the political level, the governmental crisis remains at its status as the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati continues his two-day official visit to France.
Mikati stressed the importance of strengthening ties between France and Lebanon in all fields, saying: "We have always considered France to be our gateway to Europe, just as Lebanon is the gateway into the Arab world."
After meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mikati announced that he urged the French president to "pressure on "Israel" to stop its land, sea and air violations against Lebanese sovereignty, as well as the to stop its acts of espionage against Lebanon."
"As-Safir's" correspondent in France said that Paris would not risk Lebanon's stability by involving it in an offensive strategy against Syria's regime under through the "Friends of Syria" group.
Meanwhile, "al-Akhbar" reported Saturday that "Sarkozy asked Mikati that the Lebanese government must take the appropriate measures to protect United Nations Interim Forces deployed in South Lebanon."
At the political level, the governmental frozen crisis has escalated further with talk by President Michel Suleiman about the resignation of Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas.
In an interview with "NTV", Suleiman threatened that "there are measures that will be taken against Nahhas if he remains adamant on his position of not signing the decree governing the transportation allowance."
"Either he is dismissed via a two-third vote in Cabinet or his post is changed according to the law," Suleiman asserted.
In parallel, House Speaker Nabih Berri told "an-Nahar" newspaper in remarks published Saturday that "he will call for a legislative parliamentary session before the end of February."
33 years, and the spirit of the revolution is still in there in every heart.
There in Baheshte Zahraa... In Tehran's squares and homes, the miracle was happening.
There, the image was different: a leader from the era of the sanctities altered the scene: the Islamic Revolution of Iran led by Imam Khomeini toppled the Shah's regime and launched the track of freedom illuminating the path to all oppressed in the world and the region.
Decades later, the flame of freedom hit Egypt.
The Egyptian people said their word after 40 years of dictatorship rule: People wanted to change the regime and their will mingled with faith turned to facts.
18 days of demonstrations, martyrs, and injuries ended up by achieving the desire: the Egyptian people achieved their goal; they toppled the Pharaoh Hosni Mubarak.
However, a year after the revolution the Egyptian image remains vague: people remain calling for the military rule to go as the weak security status threatens stability despite the new changes at the political level resembled by gaining of Muslim Brotherhood to parliamentary majority.
Military Clashes in North
In Lebanon, fears of bombing the weak security situation in the north increases as armed clashes erupted all Friday night between the two areas of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabene leaving a number of unknown causalities between injured and dead.
Families fled their homes during the fighting, streets were deserted and shops were closed. The Lebanese Army deployed between the two neighborhoods at around 6 p.m. after several grenades exploded in neighborhoods adjacent to the fighting.
"Army units deployed in the area intervened and responded to sources of fire and carried out wide-ranging raids in search of those who opened fire and organized intense patrols of Syria street," said a statement from the Lebanese Army.
Commenting on the new developments, high security sources expressed in remarks to "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper fears "that there are premeditated intentions to drag the level of tension into a worse situation."
"The timing is malignant, and we hope that there will be no attempt to distract the army, especially as the latter has a firm decision to adjust the security and stability and to prevent everything that affects the national security," the source added.
At the same context, the chief of political relations in the Arab Democratic Party Rifat Eid confirmed to "al-Akhbar" daily that "his political team has a carries complete trust and respect for the Lebanese army and its leadership."
"We are coordinating with the Directorate of Army Intelligence," Eid stated informing that his party had issued orders to all its members to "remain calm and not to respond to shooters, because the Lebanese army protects us."
Crisis Escalates, Mikati in Paris
At the political level, the governmental crisis remains at its status as the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati continues his two-day official visit to France.
Mikati stressed the importance of strengthening ties between France and Lebanon in all fields, saying: "We have always considered France to be our gateway to Europe, just as Lebanon is the gateway into the Arab world."
After meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mikati announced that he urged the French president to "pressure on "Israel" to stop its land, sea and air violations against Lebanese sovereignty, as well as the to stop its acts of espionage against Lebanon."
"As-Safir's" correspondent in France said that Paris would not risk Lebanon's stability by involving it in an offensive strategy against Syria's regime under through the "Friends of Syria" group.
Meanwhile, "al-Akhbar" reported Saturday that "Sarkozy asked Mikati that the Lebanese government must take the appropriate measures to protect United Nations Interim Forces deployed in South Lebanon."
At the political level, the governmental frozen crisis has escalated further with talk by President Michel Suleiman about the resignation of Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas.
In an interview with "NTV", Suleiman threatened that "there are measures that will be taken against Nahhas if he remains adamant on his position of not signing the decree governing the transportation allowance."
"Either he is dismissed via a two-third vote in Cabinet or his post is changed according to the law," Suleiman asserted.
In parallel, House Speaker Nabih Berri told "an-Nahar" newspaper in remarks published Saturday that "he will call for a legislative parliamentary session before the end of February."
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
