Aoun: Zahle shootings "individual act"

Source: NowLebanon.com, 21-04-2008
Head of the Change and Reform bloc General Michel Aoun emphasized the necessity to keep the recent Zahle shootings "within the framework of Zahle," adding that limiting the magnitude of the incident to its real size would help "prevent chaos."
"The Zahle incident should remain within the limits of an individual act, and must remain under control," he said, calling on security forces to act decisively.
"Whoever wants to take advantage of the Zahle accident is the one who has executed the incident and part of the campaign against us," General Aoun added.
"Three fourths of all politicians thrive on attacking General Aoun," Aoun said.
On Sunday, a gunman opened fire after the inauguration of the Kataeb headquarters in the eastern Lebanese city of Zahle, wounding citizens and killing Kataeb activists Nasri Marouni and Salim Assi.
After the bloc's weekly meeting in Aoun's Rabiyeh residence on Monday, Aoun expressed his surprise at the discovery of "people who effect political festivals through municipality councils," referring to MP Michel Al-Murr, who announced his split with the bloc earlier this month.
Aoun also accused the ruling majority of development plans with "electoral, political and sectarian" motives and propagating the presidential vacuum through their refusal to agree on an electoral law.
Aoun attacked US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch, saying Welch directly handled all matters Lebanese. "Some people find this surprising... But this is not strange to me, for he has always headed the (ruling) majority's meetings."
"Welch preaches to us of a hot summer, as though he were the prophet of the twenty-first century. Then his student predicts assassinations," Aoun said in reference to Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's predictions of more assassinations among ruling alliance ranks. "We will not let this plan pass. They are drawing a plan then threatening us with it, but we will resist."
"We do not wish to continue attacking the United States, but the US should leave us alone," Aoun added.
Aoun said he feared Army Commander General Michel Sleiman had been appropriated by some, thereby annulling his consensual character. General Aoun also noted that if Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butrous Sfeir had the ability to convince the pro-government team of an electoral law, he would have the bloc's full support.
Aoun addressed other issues of concern to the opposition bloc, mainly foreign intervention in Lebanon, Palestinian naturalization, and the mass graves, a war relic many say is best left buried.
"When we talk of participation, we will wait for neither Egypt nor Saudi Arabia nor Syria nor France nor any other countries to achieve that."
"We are talking about (Palestinian) naturalization which is happening according to secretly planned steps," he continued.
"Mass graves are everywhere," Aoun stated. "Whoever committed the crimes should clear their conscience and point the families of missing persons to where their children are buried."