Hariri Rejects Dialogue, Extra Spending into Solution
Hariri Rejected Dialogue
Tripoli's residents did not find till now someone who might reassure them of neither their present nor their future.
However, fears spread all over the Northern capital to reach the whole country as more information has been leaked on al-Qaida presence in the country.
The conspiracy is great, but major questions are raised on the involvement of Lebanese parties in dragging the country to military tension.
Decision to Shake Lebanon's Stability:
According to a Syrian letter to the United Nations, some Lebanese areas on the Lebanese-Syrian border have become an incubator for terrorist elements from al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood organizations.
The letter further confirmed that " some charitable societies supervised by Salafist groups and the Future Movement in Lebanese border areas have been turned into places for receiving and harboring terrorist elements."
This came as the Syrian letter mentioned that " the Head of the so-called "Free Syrian Army" Colonel Riyadh al-Asaad, "had recently arrived in Lebanon to prepare for creating a Syrian buffer zone within Lebanese territory."
In addition to the Syrian accusations, "as-Safir" daily reported Saturday that "there is a decision to shake Lebanon's security and stability."
In this context, the newspaper revealed that "the series of recent border incidents in Akkar, Bekaa, and the North move in this context."
"A great number of wanted men and senior suspects had been heading from Sidon Palestinian refugee camp to the North before moving to Syria," the paper unveiled.
It also quoted reliable sources informing that "new groups plan to leave the camp in the next hours and the coming days."
Moreover, a well-informed security source revealed to the paper details related to the arrest of the cell that was transferring weapons from the camp to terrorist cells which aimed at increasing tension in certain Lebanese areas."
"The Intelligence Directorate in the Lebanese army has been able to arrest the cell which includes the Palestinian detainee M.H.F (owner of vegetable vehicle) and the Lebanese H.M.F." the source clarified.
"Three members, however, managed to escape," he said.
"As-Safir" source listed the weapons seized in the vegetable vehicle of M.H.F. :
- One Grad missile
- Five "81 mm" Mortar shells
- Eight "60 mm" Mortar shells
- Eleven hand grenades
- Kalashnikov, M 16, and G3 equipment
Salafist Revolution?
In parallel, Western diplomatic sources warned of the "beginning of a Salafist revolution to extend from Tripoli to Akkar."
"This will move in coordination with the ideology of the armed Syria rebels, and particularly those in Homs," sources told the same daily.
They also predicted that "the Lebanese are still witnessing the first chapters of the scenario that no state likes to adopt."
According to the Western view, "the ongoing Salafist "revolution" seeks only to secure a safe passage for supplying the Syrian rebels in Homs with the necessary weapons in their fight against the regime."
The diplomatic sources highlighted that "Western countries do not adopt any responsibility the transfer of arms transfers to Syria via Tripoli."
"However, Western and American accounts focus on the internal Syrian front," sources stressed to "as-Safir".
They also viewed "Tripoli is the corridor to achieve these goals."
On another level, two indicators of escalation appeared, as both the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and the Future Movement decided to commemorate the May 7 anniversary in Halba, thus sparking tremendous concerns and questions in Akkar.
The second indicator lies in Sheikh Ahmad al-Asir's decision to hold a religious and political ceremony in the old part of Sidon, the social and political fabric of which present all the elements of a clash similar to the Northern Bab al-Tebbaneh.
In this context, Lebanese Minister of Youth and Sports Faisal Karami expressed concern for Tripoli's situation.
In remarks to "ad-Diyyar", Karami warned that "the fire is still under the ashes. The arms are in the people's hands and there is no political decision to seriously end the crisis."
"The political decision is yet not available," the minister stressed, pointing out that "sniper and shootings govern the scene."
"Things are interconnected and nothing calls for optimism. I am afraid of the future of things in Tripoli and that we are moving into a civil war," he said.
Amid all these concerns, the Head of the Future Movement, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, has rejected the call by House Speaker Nabih Berri to resume national dialogue session.
"Our stance is that Tripoli does not need dialogue, but a decision. Tripoli, just as Beirut and other cities, needs a decision to turn it into a weapons-free city," he claimed.
For its part, PM Najib Mikati's sources Berri's initiative.
In remarks to "as-Safir", the sources stated that "dialogue is the only means to bring the city out of its current woes as there is no alternative to dialogue and necessary reconciliation."
Extra Spending into Solution
On the extra- governmental spending front, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman expressed disgust over the pressure exerted on him to sign the LL 8.9 trillion bill.
"I won't sign under pressure... I am ready to go home," Suleiman told "al-Akhbar" daily.
The same paper, however, reported that " the extra-spending issue is heading towards compromise as Suleiman proposed a solution for the crisis."
"The President became aware that there is no other solution to the paralysis that has started to grip state institutions due to the lack of funds needed for their functioning," sources told the daily.
Meanwhile, "ad-Diyar" newspaper revealed some aspects of the proposal.
"The government will transfer the draft law on the 8.9 trillion LL expenditure to parliament," sources said.
They also acknowledged that "if the opposition blocked the law, the President will sign the draft financial expenditure for 2012 for the sake of preserving the higher interests of citizens and of the state."
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
