SNC Official Related to Kidnap, Mikati: One Week to Resolve Spending, No Electricity in Lebanon?
The families of 11 kidnapped men by Syrian rebels still search for a glimmer of hope announcing the release of their beloved sons.
However, the only statement they have been hearing since ten days is: "the hostages are fine, nothing new."
Meanwhile, the families surrounded by all Lebanese people renewed hope that Prime Minister Najib Mikati's visit to Turkey result with a breach in the case of the hostages or even their release.
This comes as UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan will reach Beirut Thursday to discuss the Syrian crisis with Lebanese officials.
Mikati in Turkey
PM Mikati arrived in Istanbul Wednesday accompanied by Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.
Before departing, Mikati informed reporters that he will hold multiple meetings with senior Turkish officials to follow up on the case of the kidnapped Lebanese and to be informed whether there are new developments on the matter.
He also voiced hope that the crisis would soon be over and that the 11 Lebanese return home. "We hope to end this humanitarian case and reassure the families of their [the hostages'] safe return back to Lebanon," PM said.
For his part, Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil announced that the mediation in the case of the kidnapping was serious and progress has been recorded at the level of the hostages' release.
In this context, local and regional sources confirmed to "an-Nahar" Lebanese newspaper "that the meeting of the Turkish ambassador Anan Ozzeldiz with the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad resulted in a positive atmosphere."
"A good news will soon emerge to announce a happy ending after days of confusion and lack of clear vision," sources told the daily.
SNC Official Heads Kidnapping Group
In parallel, "al-Akhbar" daily unveiled that a group called "Ahrar al-Atareb (Free of al-Atareb) [al-Atareb: region in Aleppo district] deployed in the rural part of Aleppo is responsible for kidnapping the Lebanese pilgrims as soon as they crossed the Turkish borders on their way back to Lebanon."
"The group handed the hostages to another Salafist extremist group," the paper added and revealed that "one of the members of the so-called "Syrian National Council" (SNC) is directly related to the group of kidnappers.
According to the daily, the council member lives in Turkey, and his armed groups estimated by 400 fighters control the Syrian border area adjacent to Turkey.
"The head of the SNC and a large number of its members know about the involvement of this member who lives in Turkey and receives informal support from Qatar and Saudi Arabia," "al-Akhbar" reported.
It also mentioned that "the armed groups of this SNC official contain a mix of outlaws and Salafists, including a number of Libyans and Algerians."
Annan in Beirut
On another level, UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan is scheduled to arrive Beirut on Thursday noon coming from the Jordanian capital, Amman.
In this context, "an-Nahar" reported that "Annan will meet Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, House Speaker Nabih Berri, and PM Najib Mikati after he comes back from Turkey."
"The international envoy is to discuss several issues on top of which are: the Lebanese-Syrian borders, smuggling of weapons, and fears the Syrian crisis spills over into Lebanon amid the latest security incidents in the country," the daily said.
Diplomatic sources told "an-Nahar" that he will warn Lebanese officials against destabilizing the country.
EDL Employees Protest, No Electricity?
On the internal front, the Electricite du Liban (EDL) contractual employees' Wednesday protests emerged their file to the top of discussions.
In its weekly session, the government slammed protests by the contract workers, and viewed "their actions went beyond peaceful means of expression."
After the meeting at Baabda Presidential Palace, Information Minister Walid Daouk told reporters that "the council of ministers view that the contractual workers exceeded the limits of recognized peaceful expression."
Earlier in the day, the workers blocked several Lebanese roads and stormed the
company's headquarters in Beirut.
Daouq also announced that the government endorsed an examination in order to choose who among several thousand EDL contract workers is eligible for permanent employment.
For his part, Water and Energy minister Gibran Bassil warned that "electricity is
at stake, and power outages might aggravate in the coming days."
In an interview with "as-Safir" daily, Bassil stated: "I had received a book from the EDL telling me that the employees were fed up with the situation in the company and can't work under pressing conditions."
"This means that the capability to provide electricity power to people has become threatened," Bassil added and noted that because of the contractual workers sit in, they are no longer collecting bills."
He further warned "therefore, there is no income."
Mikati: One Week to Resolve Spending
Amid all this, Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi proposed in coordination with PM Mikati the allocation of 100 million dollars as treasury loans to carry out development projects in the North.
According to "as-Safir", several ministers approved the plan. However, they rejected the implementation of the projects through treasury loans.
"The ministers viewed the move as illegal," the daily mentioned.
It further clarified that Mikati told the council of ministers that "no government can rule without being able to spend."
"Wednesday's next session should be a decisive point to resolve the issue," the PM stressed.
Sources close to Mikati told "al-Akhbar" that the "PM has repeatedly warned during this period of a new wave of domestic and regional pressures on the government and the country."
"He feels there is an attempt to force him to recant political action if he wants to retain the premiership," they added.
Source: Lebanese dailies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
