March 14, Hizbullah Rattle Sabers over ‘Militia Practices’ in Telecom Building

The March 14 forces and Hizbullah have engaged in a war of words over the “militia practices” in the facility affiliated with the telecommunications ministry in Beirut’s Adliyeh area on Thursday.

The March 14 general-secretariat said in a statement on Saturday in reference to Hizbullah that “the militia” which turned its arms against the Lebanese during the May 7, 2008 events and carried out a “coup” against Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri’s government in January this year “does not have the right to accuse anyone of making a coup against the state and its institutions.”

Hizbullah wondered on Friday whether a third GSM network which was behind the dispute between Caretaker Telecom Minister Charbel Nahhas and the Internal Security Forces “belonged to the March 14 camp or security forces functioning independently from the state.”

Given these “militia practices,” the Lebanese have the right to know the truth behind what happened at the facility, the Shiite party stressed.

The clash between Nahhas and the security forces “with the support of the militia of Hizbullah is a militia act,” said the general-secretariat. “It is an attempt to target a constitutional decision of the council of ministers and to cover up the scandal of corruption.”

“March 14 backs the ISF in its attempt to implement the law in the protection of state institutions and properties,” said the statement. It also condemned the campaign against the general directorate of the ISF.

On the bombing that targeted a UNIFIL convoy in the south on Friday, the March 14 general-secretariat condemned the attack and said that it comes at a time when G8 countries announced they would resort to U.N. Security Council action against Syria if it doesn’t halt the violent repression of its people.

The statement warned against turning southern Lebanon into a front for “regional sides that are in crisis” and reiterated the March 14’s commitment to Security Council resolution 1701.