Raad to Opposition: What Type of State You Want?! Gov’t to Condense Performance
Few hours ahead of the implementation of the security plan announced by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Beirut's Monday night turned to strolling chaos and fire.
Masked men decided to attack security and the result was: several Beirut roads were cut with burning tires late Monday.
This came hours after the attack on al-Jadeed television station in which a group of gunmen set fire to its entrance and shot at the building.
Beirut, Media under Attack
In the details, the headquarters of al-Jadeed in the Beirut area of Wata al-Msaytbeh were attacked by unknown masked men, with a number of security guards violently assaulted.
The attackers also burned tires outside the offices, while Wissam Alaaeddine, who was apprehended in the attack was arrested.
"An-Nahar" Lebanese daily reported that "investigations with the suspect were immediately initiated at the Helou barracks."
Al-Jadeed said it did not know who was responsible for the attack.
The channel reported that it had received calls of support from several senior politicians across the spectrum including President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, House Speaker Nabih Berri.
Meanwhile, groups of men clashed with the Lebanese Army and destroyed cars and set tires on fire on Bshara al-Khoury Avenue near Downtown Beirut, with dark smoke rising into the night sky and the sounds of gunshots echoing across the heart of the capital.
Angry men also closed roads with burning tires in the Beirut neighborhoods of Ring, Hawd al-Wilaya, Aisha Bakkar and Hamra.
Coup against Gov't:
On another level, the national dialogue table ended its Monday session with a major achievement: the way was blocked on targeting the resistance arms while the national defense strategy will be discussed on the coming session.
"As-Safir" Lebanese daily commented on the session Monday's dialogue table by saying: "The session certainly confirmed that the PM Najib Mikati's government is the real target and not the weapons."
According to the paper this view was confirmed when President Suleiman announced at the start of the session that "some people have asked that the governmental issue be included on the agenda."
"But since others were not interested in the matter, there is no reason to raise this issue," "as-Safir " quoted the President addressing the conferees.
For his part, Head of Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad defined during the dialogue the specifications for a state "with which we will not be in need of resistance."
"Al-Akhbar" daily informed that Raad said that "a strong state which is in no need for the resistance reflects the integrity of the judiciary, security services that people esteem, powerful political decision-making, and nationalism in commitments."
"Is it the state which some are calling to drive out of the North, the state whose army you do not want in the North, the state that is ruled by lawlessness?" Raad wondered.
He further asked: " is it the state where drugs are sold in pharmacies? Is it the state that can't control a feud between two families? Is it the state which since the liberation of 2000 isn't listening to our calls to have troops or intelligence elements go into Southern suburbs of Beirut?"
However, Speaker Berri stressed to "Ad-Diyar" that "Monday's dialogue and discussion were good and honest ."
Gov't to Condense Performance
In parallel, "as-Safir" mentioned that Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt reiterated during the session his rejection to any attempt to change the government.
"The government's components also expressed their rejection to such attempts and decided to hold a series of coordination meetings, under the title of condensing the governmental performance," the paper added.
It also learned that the government is scheduled to complete the discussion of the 2012 draft budget bill for 2012, in parallel to some critical files.
"The government will launch doses of administrative appointments and the general legislative session to be held by the Parliament, early next month, will form a new governmental launch," "as-Safir" said.
On another concern, the government will meet Wednesday with a 74-item agenda on top of which are the security files and expansion of the US embassy in Awkar.
This came as "al-Akhbar" informed that "Lebanese Judiciary will release within two days a new group of Islamists, who are detained in Roumieh prison."
Source: Lebanese dailies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
