Rifi: Rifaat Eid in California, No New Violence in Tripoli
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi confirmed Sunday that Arab Democratic Party leader Rifaat Eid left the country as an unprecedented security plan got underway in Tripoli, reassuring that the northern city will not witness any new round of sectarian violence.
“From now on, there won't be any new round of violence in Tripoli and (former) Prime Minister Saad Hariri is seriously thinking of turning Syria Street into a … piece of art, similar to what martyr premier Rafik Hariri did in Beirut,” Rifi said.
“Military conflict, fighting, wars and shelling will be things that belong to the past,” Rifi added, during a reconciliation between the al-Aswad and al-Lisa families which he sponsored at his Tripoli residence.
The justice minister, who had served as the chief of Internal Security Forces for several years, stressed that “the security plan will continue and the residents of Tripoli and the North will support it.”
“Most fugitives have become outside the country and according to confirmed information, Rifaat Eid is also outside the country, contrary to what some reports have claimed,” added Rifi.
"Rifaat Eid was spotted in Orange County, California" in the United States, he revealed.
Turning to the issue of the presidential election, the minister emphasized that there is no “excuse” to delay the vote.
“I tell the Lebanese that we don't have any security excuse or any other excuse that prevent holding this constitutional election,” Rifi underlined.
On Saturday, Arab Democratic Party spokesman Abdul Latif Saleh was detained by the army for several hours after he told al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that Eid was still in Tripoli.
The military judiciary had issued on Tuesday an arrest warrant in absentia against Eid, days after he was charged with belonging to an armed group, possession of arms and inciting sedition.
Security forces kicked off last week a security plan in Tripoli, seizing arms depots and detaining wanted suspects, who are involved in security chaos in the area.
Tripoli has witnessed around 20 sectarianly-motivated gunbattles in recent years between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. The war in Syria has played a major role in aggravating the tensions between the two districts.
Y.R.
13 April 2014, 19:53
05
He is in California?? Oh my God I live there and don't want him there
extradite him please
13 April 2014, 19:57
25
ice-man ice-man, arrest the criminal or I will do it myself when I get over there:))
13 April 2014, 20:00
16
"Rifaat Eid was spotted in Orange County, California" in the United States, he revealed.
14 April 2014, 02:08
33
Shoushou, I was about to feel this way, but you got there before me. Yet it makes one wonder about how deals are done in the corridors of power, I mean, the US stands against Hezbollah, yet Eid is a US national, wanted by Lebanese law and now ends in the US? Quite baffling to be honest, but everything is possible in politics.
13 April 2014, 20:03
05
Since security concerns are no longer an issue, why don't we proceed with Parliamentary elections first (the current Parliament expired last summer after all) The we can have a legitimate Parliament elect a legitimate President..
As far as fugitives being outside the country. If this was Syria or Iran they would have sent assassination squads to hunt them down. But we are Lebanon, we do not do assassinations and that makes me proud to some extent.
13 April 2014, 20:07
03
Helicopter
he is in Orange county southern calif I live there...
13 April 2014, 20:45
42
watch him buying Tripoli one cent to $1000 like he did in beirut
13 April 2014, 20:54
37
@Jaafar: If you have a problem with me, I’d really rather you talk behind my back like a normal person would do.
13 April 2014, 20:58
39
Hello Flamethrower: why is the self-help book "The Lovers' Guide to Toilet Etiquette" your favorite?
13 April 2014, 21:02
11
speakfreely
I hope it will happen I don't want him around me
imagine if I find out we're neighbors? help me god
13 April 2014, 21:13
20
Tripoli was a city of art until they took the statue of late hamid karame and replace it
13 April 2014, 21:13
02
ice man
do it before camp Pendleton do it before he passes by my area..lol
13 April 2014, 22:03
41
Funny how everything works fine for hariri and co. The only common value is CASH, they have taken properties owned by noble famillies to turn down town Beirut into a spiritless place where you find everything but Lebanese people. These people are ready to anything just to make cash...they are even capable of becoming shoe lickers of the syrians for 15 years...until the syrians did not want to cover their cash activities anymore (remember the SALSA and Syrian Act that Aoun brought to the US congress where any pro Syrian would be having their cash frozen...funny how the syrian lovers became anti syrian when it came to their cash)
Anyway you deserve the leaders you have..so keep loosing your history and cash and with a skile please ! When we fight corruption you accuse us of sectarian ..
13 April 2014, 22:48
132
The criminal Rifi and co. takes over Tripoli, and will build alot of saudi related complexes around the Alawi muslim areas, to isolate them and murder them, just because they lost in Syria, they punish the Jabal Me7sen minority in Traplous.
14 April 2014, 00:01
36
do u think they'll try to use sarin against jabal mohsen ?
do u think rifi is linked to the taliban ?
14 April 2014, 09:47
62
Just like Al nusra used sarin in Syria ghouta? Wouldn't surprise me if the ISF along with takfiri militias murdered all Jabal me7sen citizens. If that happens, I can only promise you, that the takfiris will be targeted in Beirut from all locations.
14 April 2014, 00:07
27
Mystic - I know you living in a world of myth or is it too much hashish? Mind you, watching Al-Manar is more detrimental to one's senses.
14 April 2014, 09:50
71
You should listen to the truth, Instead of Al Jazeera & Al Arabiyas lies. Or American lies for that matter. When i turn on Future TV it sounds like Israeli words translated to Arabic.
14 April 2014, 09:07
02
He went there just because the name of the county starts eith ORANGE....
14 April 2014, 09:13
21
He didn't flee. He was invited to dinner by the Angry Arab after which he's heading to L.A. to put his hand print on the Walk of Fame.
14 April 2014, 09:51
82
He is still in Tripoli. The ISF just can't find him, uses this as excuse instead.
