Appointments Soon... Shaaban Back to the South

Zeinab Essa

As the Syrian opposition refused to submit any written guarantees for a military cease fire, peace plan deadline came and went Tuesday without new facts on the ground.

However, the diplomatic movement was intensified on more than one level.

From Moscow, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem announced that "Damascus started implementing UN envoy Kofi Annan's plan" who reached Tehran after visiting Syrian refugees camps Turkey.

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later spoke with Annan by phone, telling him to put more pressure on the rebels to cooperate with his initiative.

He told Annan "the Syrian opposition and states that support it must take urgent measures to ensure a sustainable ceasefire," and urged him "to step up his work with them along these lines."

Meanwhile, UN Security Council called Syria to keep a Thursday 6:00 am [Damascus time] deadline for a complete ceasefire in the country.

Smuggling Weapons, Soldiers?

In Lebanon, "as-Safir" Lebanese daily uncovered Wednesday that "two Lebanese recruits, whose service was extended in the army, escaped from military service and are currently outside the Lebanese borders."
The daily's sources said that "the recruits (Z. A.) and (E.A.), who serves in Arman in the Bekaa left their service during their vacation."

"As their military head called their parents in the Wadi Khaled in Akkar, they informed them that they know nothing about their fate," "as-Safir" added.
It further mentioned that several days after their escape, their officer received an via mobile phone of the recruit (E. A.) texting a "special tribute from the al-Qseir Syrian village."

"My colleague and I had joined the " Free Syrian Army free" and are currently fighting against the Syrian regime," the SMS read.
The sources stated that "the escape took place in the first of April and that the Syrian authorities learned of it, in order to take appropriate action and to work on their arrest and hand them to the competent Lebanese authorities."

This came as Lebanese authorities issued Tuesday arrest warrants against three people on charges of smuggling arms to Syria.
Two Lebanese, Ahmed Mohammed M. and Husseim Kamil A., and a Palestinian, Zainab Safi G., are included in the warrants, while investigations are underway to determine the full identity of their two accomplices, Walid Haidar and Issam Hatoum.

The National News Agency reported that the three suspects were arrested in Aley region and possessed a number of light weapons, as well as rockets, worth $7,200.
They included eight rocket-propelled grenades, a thousand Kalashnikov rifle bullets, and 500 MLC rifle bullets.
According to the agency, the smugglers were carrying out their activity through Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon and they have so far conducted four operations in Syria.

Telecoms Data Back to Dispute

On another level, the telecom data dispute emerged back to the Lebanese surface as competent judicial authority refused to provide the Internal Security Forces with the complete telecoms data under the cover of alleged assassination attempt targeting Head of Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea.

The judicial authority which is tasked with assessing the possibility of providing the security forces with the telecom data includes Head of the Audit Bureau Judge Aouni Ramadan, Head of the Shura Council Shukri Sader and first president of the Court of Cassation Judge Hatem Madi.

According to "al-Akhbar" daily, "the committee refused to respond to the ISF request linking the issue to Law 140/99, which protects the privacy of phone calls."
"The committee considered granting a specific part of the data in a specific issue, based on a previous request so that it can be examined by the Independent Judicial Commission itself," two of the committee members informed the daily.
The paper further noted to "a striking point resembled by the political color of the committee's members, especially since two of them are consider affiliated to "March14" forces.

In the same context, Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui responded to "March 14" campaign accusing his ministry of blocking the security authorities from obtaining the telecom data.
In an interview with "al-Joumhoria" daily, Sehnaoui stressed that "the ministry receives monthly around 300 applications by the security forces (The General Security, the Internal Security Forces, the State Security and the Army) and we approve their requests."

However, he noted that providing the security authorities with "all the data requires the approval of the competent judiciary authority."
The minister also acknowledged that "the telecom ministry has to provide the security authorities with all the required help in order to track down criminals and terrorists to maintain stability and security in Lebanon."
In parallel, Head of "Change and Reform bloc" MP Michel Aoun lashed out at the March 14 forces.

After the weekly meeting of the bloc, Aoun confirmed that "there is a legal process that needs to be followed."
"The committee of judges is concerned with this issue and not the minister," he said.
With regard to the "attempt to assassinate" Geagea, Aoun asserted that "there is no reason why I would not call Geagea," adding that "I am the head of a parliamentary bloc and a former army commander, and I always wait for investigation results before adopting any stance."

Appointments: Gov't's Next Step

In another context, "as-Safir" daily stated that the agreement on electricity file left its positive impacts on other titles on top of which, the appointments.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati revealed that the government will approve a new set of administrative appointments on the session following that on April 20.
"The session after the one on April 20 will witness the approval of some appointments after they are further researched," Mikati told "as-Safir".

The PM also stated that as he would return to Lebanon this week from his visit to London, he will "follow up on the country's matters... and prepare the appropriate answers to the issues that the MPs, especially the opposition MPs, will bring up during the next parliamentary session."

During his visit to the UK, Mikati said that "his meeting with British Foreign Minister William Hague was very positive."
According to Mikati, Hague announced "his backing for the policies adopted by the Lebanese government to achieve stability in the country at a stage that witnesses a lot of shakeups in the region."

"London understands Lebanon's adoption of a self-distancing policy on the Syrian crisis," the PM said noting that "Britain would offer military assistance to Lebanon as a sign of British support for the country."
"Hague asked me about the needs of the Lebanese military and we to send an invitation to Army Chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji to visit London," he confirmed.
In parallel, Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi informed the same daily that his candidate for the head of the Higher Judicial Council is not one of the two names that created controversy among President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

"I will not reveal the name of my candidate unless the issue is tackled at the government," Qortbawi told "as-Safir".
Similarly, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel the daily that he is at the final stages of naming the candidates for the vacant posts of governors.
"The appointment of governors only requires Suleiman to sign a decree proposed by the interior minister as it doesn't require the approval of the government," he added.

Shaaban Laid Rest

On another level, the martyrdom of al-Jadded [New TV] cameraman, Ali Shaaban, along the Lebanese-Syrian border colored the scene with grief and sorrow.
Family, friends and colleagues of Shabaan laid him rest in the Southern village of Maifadoun.

"Loyalty to Resistance" bloc MP Hasan Fadlallah denounced the attack and called on the government to launch an investigation and bring those behind the attack to justice.

"We call on the Lebanese government to launch a probe into the incident and punish the culprits who targeted the media and its men," Fadlallah said after offering condolences to Shaaban's family in Maifadoun representing the Secretary General of Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
He further stressed that "the media should be free anywhere they are."

In parallel, "an-Nahar" daily reported that "the official authorities are keeping up with the incident through the Lebanese-Syrian joint security and military committee."
According to these sources, "the Lebanese authorities were informed Tuesday that the Syrians are attached to their account of the incident as reported by SANA, which held terrorist armed groups as responsible of the incident."


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