Kataeb: Adding Saudi Ambassador Name to Assassinations List is Targeted against Bilateral Ties

The Kataeb Party on Monday warned of possible assassinations plots against Lebanese leaders and foreign ambassadors, following media reports about alleged plots to assassinate top figures in the southern city of Sidon and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri.

“The party warns of the new assassination plots which are not only targeted against Lebanese leaders but also against prominent diplomatic figures,” Kataeb's political bureau said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

“Adding the name of the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon to the list of the targeted figures is aimed at targeting the Lebanese-Saudi ties and the kingdom's support for Lebanon,” the party cautioned.

It also called for pressing on with the investigations and interrogation of the alleged detainees in the case.

Al-Shiraa magazine had reported in its latest issue that Asiri had been the target of an assassination bid that was foiled by Lebanese security agencies. The magazine said a Syrian and a Palestinian were arrested in connection with the case.

Separately, al-Liwaa newspaper reported Monday that Lebanese authorities have allegedly received information about a plot to assassinate top officials in Sidon, including MP Bahia Hariri and Hizbullah-linked officials.

Turning to the issue of the 2015 state budget, Kataeb stressed the importance of approving it in the council of ministers, describing it as an “essential element” in the work of state institutions.

The party noted that “it is not beneficial” to link the state budget to the controversial issue of the new wage scale, which has been stalling in parliament for months now.

As for the protracting presidential vacuum, Kataeb reiterated its call for ending the stalemate, warning of its repercussions on the work of government and parliament, the economy and pressing issues such as security appointments.

Y.R.