Qahwaji: Army to Confront Security Violators Wherever They May Be

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji on Tuesday stressed that the army has decided to confront security violators, “whichever side they may belong to,” in his first comments on the deadly clashes in Tripoli.

“As part of the coordination between the army and the security and judicial authorities over the current developments, Qahwaji held a meeting at noon with acting State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud, State Security chief Maj. Gen. George Qaraa, General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, acting Internal Security Forces chief Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous, army intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Edmund Fadel and ISF Intelligence Bureau chief Col. Imad Othman,” the National News Agency said.

The conferees discussed the security developments in the country, especially in Tripoli, and agreed on “a series of security and administrative measures and steps to restore stability in the city after the official authorities tasked the army with the mission of preserving security in it for a period of six months and placed all the security forces deployed there under its command.”

On Monday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati announced following a meeting in Baabda that the army will be entrusted with Tripoli's security for six months and that all security forces in the city would be put under its authority.

Separately, Qahwaji met Tuesday at his Yarze office with a delegation from the Committee of Muslim Scholars which was led by Sheikh Zakaria al-Masri.

According to NNA, the conferees discussed the security situations in Tripoli and the delegation underlined its "support for the army's efforts to restore normalcy in the city," expressing its willingness to "fully cooperate in this regard."

For his part, Qahwaji emphasized to the delegation that “the army's firm decision is confronting security violators wherever they may be and whichever side they may belong to, away from political or factional calculations.”

The army chief noted that “any security operation that might be carried out by the military forces will only be in the framework of pursuing gunmen and shooters and those who are wanted on judicial warrants.”