Karami Government Decisions were Direct Cause of Latest Incidents in Beirut

Source: Nowlebanon.com, 11-5-2008
Ex-Premier Omar Karami said that the government's actions were "the direct cause of the incidents in Beirut."
The "ongoing policies of the government, especially its latest decisions, are the direct cause of the incidents in Beirut," Karami said in a press conference. "The opposition had the choice of either surrendering or doing what it did."
He also noted that the use of light weapons was the result of the government's decisions. "I call on everyone to withdraw from the streets and hand the situation over to the Lebanese army," Karami said.
"We regret what happened in Beirut. What I care about is to preserve the resistance for as long as its main objective is to fight "Israeli"," he added.
Karami said that, "from the very beginning, our stance was to support the resistance against "Israeli". But if the confrontations become sectarian, we either sit home, or we are with our sect, which can only support the Arab national political course and the principles that were launched by leader Jamal Abdul Nasser."
"The government's decision to revoke its earlier decisions is not enough, and I am confident that a political solution is necessary," Karami declared.
"The solution lies in the adoption of the Arab initiative, but only on the basis of the appropriate interpretation, which ensures participation through an agreement over a package deal and the election of a president after an agreement on the national-unity government and the electoral law," he added.
Karami said that the statements made by some Sunni muftis condemning Hizbullah and Amal's invasion of Beirut were unfamiliar and showed that the Sunni sect has been driven away from its normal position.
"A policy is needed to bring the Lebanese back together. It is not true that Sunnis are being targeted by Iran and the Shia," he added.
"We support the freedom of the media and condemn what has happened with Future media, regardless of what we have suffered because of them," Karami said, in a reference to the forced closure of Future news media.
On the other hand, Karami noted that media institutions owned by pro-government factions and extremist factions have played a big role in widening the sectarian divide.
"What happened in Beirut has prevented many things from happening to the country. There were not massacres and people's dignity was not offended," Karami declared.