LBC Seeks Protection after Intentional Sabotage

Source: Al-Manar TV, 09-02-2009

The battle between the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) and the Lebanese Forces (LF) heads towards more escalation!
After several failed attempts to regain control of LBC through legal channels or even political interventions on both domestic and foreign levels, the LF have reportedly shifted to the "offensive" level.

A studio belonging to the Lebanese TV station was sabotaged on Saturday January 31, 2009. The corporation accused its own security elements that are known to be loyal to the Lebanese Forces (LF) of deliberately destroying some of its Adma studios and of writing derogatory slogans.
LBC issued a statement on Sunday indicating that investigations have revealed that a former dismissed corporation employee that continues to remain in his position ‘by force of arms' provoked one of the assailants identified as T.T. to damage the studios. The statement added that LBC is awaiting an official end to the investigation to take legal action.

According to Lebanese daily As-Safir, the incident drove LBC's CEO, Pierre Daher, to initiate contacts with the ministers of Information, Justice, Defense and the Interior as well as with LAF and ISF command. The contacts initiated by Pierre Daher led the army to take a series of measures, including the installation of a fixed army checkpoint at the entrance leading to LBC and the consolidation of the military unit tasked with protecting the station.

Interior Minister Ziad Baroud told As-Safir that he was closely following up on this issue "with total neutrality." Baroud explained that the security force present at LBC is under the jurisdiction of the judiciary alone.

LF Accuse LBC Chairman of 'Fabricating Stories'

Meanwhile, the LF retorted with a statement in which they accused LBC's Daher of fabricating stories to "defame" the party in the framework of the continuous battle between them.
"LBC Chairman of the Board is fabricating stories and issuing statements only to deceive and misguide public opinion to influence the legal conflict with the Lebanese Forces," The LF said in a statement.