Al-Mustaqbal Accuses Syria of Being Behind Rejection of al-Hassan’s Promotion

The rejection of Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement to promote head of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch Col. Wissam al-Hassan came upon pressure from Syria, al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc sources said.

The sources told al-Liwaa daily published Monday that Syria was frustrated at ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi’s attempt to link the disappearance of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon to the Syrian embassy.

Rifi has told a parliamentary human rights committee that the embassy had a hand in the kidnapping of the four Jassem brothers and drew similarities between their disappearance and that of Shebli al-Aisamy, a co-founder of Syria's ruling Baath party who fled his native country in 1966 over political differences.

Al-Aisamy, 86, was last seen in May in the eastern region of Aley.

The Mustaqbal sources said that Syria has pressured its allies in Lebanon to reject the promotion of around 400 security officers, including al-Hassan to brigadier general to avenge Rifi.

President Michel Suleiman withheld his signature from a decree to promote the police officers at the behest of Hizbullah and FPM leader Michel Aoun. Media reports have said that the decree has been approved by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Prime Minister Najib Miqati.

Charbel is expected to discuss about the issue with top officials or issue a statement on Monday.

Speaker Nabih Berri backed Suleiman’s decision, telling An Nahar daily that there was no need to create a tumult on the issue of promotions.

The uproar won’t affect the decision of the president to freeze the promotions, Berri said.