Miqati Calls for Meeting of Higher Defense Council after Tripoli Bloodshed

Prime Minister Najib Miqati called for a meeting of the Higher Defense Council in Baabda on Sunday to discuss the security situation in the northern city of Tripoli following consultations with President Michel Suleiman.

Following a telephone conversation with Suleiman, who is in Greece, and “in his capacity as deputy head of the Higher Defense Council, PM Miqati decided to call for a meeting at 10:00 am Sunday at the presidential palace in Baabda,” said a statement issued by the premier's office.

Miqati held a series of meetings with security officials at the Grand Serail on Friday.

The statement said Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji informed him about the measures taken by the military to restore calm in the city, which witnessed scores of casualties since the eruption of violence between the neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen on Monday.

The Army entered the two neighborhoods on Friday after a tense night and several days of gunbattles that erupted after news broke that a group of Lebanese Salafist fighters from the North were ambushed by Syrian soldiers in the Syrian border town of Tall Kalakh.

Miqati, who cut short a visit to Europe and returned to Beirut on Thursday night, also met with Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi.

The ISF chief later joined a meeting between Miqati and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who agreed that the minister should preside a meeting of the Sub-Security Council in the city.

The statement quoted Miqati as saying that the government will take all necessary measures to preserve civil peace.

The prime minister called for cooperation among Lebanese officials to put the nation's interest before all other objectives and to shy away from providing the political cover to those “tampering with security.”

He also warned that further clashes would drag Lebanon into an unenviable situation.

“Targeting security agencies with political campaigns has negative repercussions,” Miqati said, adding “a state can't rise if its security forces are targeted.”

He urged the residents of his hometown Tripoli to be “wise and have a sense of national belonging ... by cooperating with security forces and the Lebanese army to end the bloodshed and restore security.”