Gemayel Stresses from Sidon Need for National Plan to Tackle Illegitimate Arms, Groups

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stated on Thursday that the recent clashes in the southern city of Sidon demonstrated that all sides must adhere to the state and its official armed forces.

He said: “We are in great need of a national plan and an expanded meeting of political forces to tackle the spread of illegitimate arms and groups.”

“The plan should serve to eliminate all illegitimate forces that are undermining the state and that are contributing to factors that may lead to wars in the future,” he said from Sidon where he held talks with Mustaqbal bloc MP Bahia Hariri at her residence.

The meeting was attended my a number officials from the city, including its Mufti Sheikh Salim Sousan.

“It is the duty of any citizen to show solidarity with the city given the ordeal its residents had to deal with,” remarked Gemayel.

“This city does not discriminate between Muslims and Christians,” he declared.

“The clashes demonstrated that only the state and its official security forces should be responsible for the citizens' fate, security, and stability,” stressed the Phalange Party leader.

“The Sidon clashes are new evidence that there can be no stability or security or peace without respecting the state,” he added.

“We must once and for all eliminate illegitimate arms and closed security zones,” Gemayel demanded.

“The Sidon clashes proved that these zones need to eliminated because they contradict the concept of the state,” he explained.

Eighteen soldiers were killed and 50 were wounded in clashes with the armed supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir in Sidon on June 22 and 23.

More than 20 of al-Asir's supporters were killed, according to a security official.

Dozens of them were also arrested, but there was no sign of the cleric.