Fierce Competition on Post of Army Intelligence
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Political and religious parties are competing on the name of the brigadier-general who will lead the army intelligence when the incumbent, Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel, retires next September, local dailies reported on Thursday.
The newspapers quoted military sources as saying that the names of Brig. Gen. Wadih al-Ghafari and Brig. Gen. Fadi Daoud have been proposed by a political party.
But officials at the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki are seeking to back the appointment of Brig. Gen. Richard al-Helou at a time when the army's candidate is Camile Daher, said the reports.
Fadel is set to retire on September 20. The government should appoint a successor at least a month before his retirement.
Meanwhile, the term of Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman expires on August 7.
The dailies expected an extension of his term, similar to the tenure of Internal Security Forces chief Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous, which was extended by a decree signed by Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq earlier this month.
The extension angered the Free Patriotic Movement whose ministers have warned that they would boycott any cabinet session which does not have the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials at the top of its agenda.
Their warning forced Prime Minister Tammam Salam to suspend sessions.
FPM chief MP Michel Aoun has been seeking to receive political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers.
18 June 2015, 09:27
13
"But officials at the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki are seeking to back the appointment of..."
i wonder when this country will get out of its sectarian mentality to enter the 21st century... Alas, religious people all cling to their privileges and power backed by the politicians who get their legitimity from these religious backward people...
pity this nation but it seems lebanese are happy with it...
18 June 2015, 12:06
50
no president, no ministerial sessions, an illegitimate parliament that extended itself twice, and now progressively less and less high ranking officials in state institutions... i'm starting to think the only thing that can make this country work again is an enlightened dictator who could get everyone in line.
18 June 2015, 14:09
13
Mowaten in your use of the word enlightened dictator, are you by any chance alluding to your friend Aboul Mish? he is a dictator alright, but about the enlightened bit? NAH, ensa, heyda khaless la Allah.
18 June 2015, 14:49
30
Actually ArabDemocrat, the Arab countries under dictators fared much better before becoming under attack. Iraq under Saddam was a million times better than it is today, Syria before the war against Assad was also a million times better than now, way ahead of all other Arab countries (if we exclude Lebanon) in terms of freedoms and progress.
The very reason why foreign powers would do everything to remove them is because their countries were going too well and growing in economic and military power independently from the West and that is something the US and Israel cannot accept. They prefer either submissive lazy oily kings or chaotic countries where everybody is so busy bickering they can't organize or get anything done.
18 June 2015, 14:52
41
Actually phoenix I think Aoun wouldn't be well cut for that job, he's too fair-minded and good-hearted for it. We need someone absolutely ruthless and determined to get everybody towing the line.
18 June 2015, 16:23
11
You're right Mowaten, Aoun is not cut out for this job, in fact for any job but to have been a rubber stamper.
18 June 2015, 13:06
02
I know one thing, the civilian establishment of Lebanon will turn to dust anything they touch, and that is why I say, let the Army declare martial law and jail all these sods. let the army run this country till this country finds its soul and its senses again.
18 June 2015, 14:33
02
Lebanon needs an army coup, taking over the country, installing a dictatorship for a decade in which we erae all current political partie and "god fathers". Drafting a new constitution that stipulates the future political parties should be transparent and democratic from top to toe. To foreign aid is allowed to political parties.
I have a long list of things we could do during these 10 years.
But of course, an army coup in Lebanon is impossible.
20 June 2015, 13:47
00
I see this as the de facto state of today. What you are describing is Lebanon. It is divided.
If we want to divide it officially we could just skip this failed state.
People wont learn if you divide the country. People will learn if you forbid any religion in politics. They will taste the sweetness of rational politics and a secular state. Religion is kept at home and in mosques/churches etc etc.
