Phalange Party: Dahieh Security Plan an Encouraging First Step Regardless of Concerns

The Phalange Party on Monday described the security plan that got underway in Beirut's southern suburbs as "an encouraging first step" to put an end to “all forms of autonomous security.”

“The Phalange Party sees in the security plan devised for Dahieh an encouraging first step to put an end to all forms of autonomous security across Lebanon, regardless of any concerns” that some parties might have over the move, the party said in a statement issued after the weekly meeting of its political bureau.

A joint force of 800 men composed of soldiers from the army and security services began their deployment on Monday afternoon in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where they will take over security at checkpoints set up by Hizbullah in the wake of two bombings that hit its stronghold.

Separately, the Phalange Party called for “intensifying efforts to secure the release of (Syrian) bishops (Boulos) al-Yaziji and (Yohanna) Ibrahim and the Lebanese citizens who were abducted in Aazaz, and to liberate the two Turkish citizens, which would strengthen confidence in the military and security authorities and put an end to the circumstances that pushed some Arab and foreign countries to ban their citizens from traveling to Lebanon.”

Turning to the international conference that will be held this week in New York to help Lebanon cope with the influx of Syrian refugees, the party called for a "responsible national stance to contribute to the success” of the meeting.

Addressing the Lebanese delegation that will take part in the conference, the Phalange Party proposed a series of “beneficial measures” at the humanitarian, social and security levels.

It suggested “controlling the border and the legitimate and illegitimate crossings; addressing the problem posed by the numbers of refugees, which have surpassed all the limits of Lebanon's ability to cope at the demographic, economic and security levels; limiting the presence of refugees to specific locations near the Lebanese-Syrian border; and conducting an accurate survey of their numbers.”