Charbel Denies Pelted with Stones during Inspection of Bomb Blast Scene
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel denied on Wednesday that he was pelted with stones by residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, saying there was only a dispute between them and members of his security team.
His press office said in a statement that the reports about the assault were “exaggerated.”
In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper, Charbel said he was welcomed in the Bir al-Abed area when he inspected the scene of a car bomb blast.
“What happened is that there was a dispute between my bodyguards and some young men who wanted to breach the security provided by them … A few minutes later an argument erupted,” Charbel said.
“One of the security members opened fire in the air to disperse the crowds, which led some of them to shout incomprehensible slogans,” he told al-Joumhouria.
“The security team then took me away from the area,” the caretaker minister said.
Reports said Tuesday that Hizbullah members fired in the air to disperse the protesters, who pelted Charbel with stones after he inspected the scene of the blast.
Charbel was reportedly trapped for 45 minutes in a building before he was escorted through a backdoor.
In other remarks to An Nahar daily, the caretaker minister said he had received a good welcome. But at the end of the inspection of the blast site and after making a short statement, a young men, who neither belongs to Hizbullah nor to Amal movement, threw a bottle on one of the guards.
The guard then fired in the air, which forced his bodyguards to take him rapidly for cover to a building where he stayed there for a short time.
Charbel described the bottle thrower as not normal.
10 July 2013, 08:30
411
The not normal bottle thrower was carrying a sign that say I am Not with Amal or Hizbullah.
10 July 2013, 08:31
38
Ya Charbel, I used to have a lot respect for you before this incident, and now you want to deny it...wow!!! This is the 21st century with live TV coverage my friend.
Please tell me how many members of the security agencies work under your command??? and what was the first thing you were told this morning when you went to work at the ministry???
10 July 2013, 11:30
35
zalame m3attar, albo tayyib !
but we need a strong man in his position especially in these days
10 July 2013, 11:52
37
what a shame when watching the clip on the news and during the event was utterly disgusted, and let us be honest if this took place in Achfrafieh, major crack down and force was to take place, but now a sad story like personal incident with one of the bodyguards led to this, wow......, GO HOME and STAY HOME, shame on the minster and on this government, time to wake up living with these people is impossible, they have set their own rules and agenda, and their view to Lebanon is far different from ours HIZB is way off track and no matter what kind of statement they will release or excuse for that matter BS can not hide facts we saw enough, and as for the minster GO HOME and PLEASE STAY......
10 July 2013, 16:55
02
Il s'est fait lapider, la HONTE! Thats why Lebanese have this favourite insult «ird yinta3ak»....
I like Charbel actually, he's the only one from FPM who's got culture, the others are totally uneducated.
11 July 2013, 00:54
01
a young men, who neither belongs to Hizbullah nor to Amal movement, threw a bottle on one of the guards.................
Is it even possible for anyone to live there unles they belonged to Amal or HA?
The busload of Shi3a who stopped there for a shawarma sandwich was attacked in no time/
