Mustaqbal: Suspects in Hariri Assassination Should be Arrested in Dahieh

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc hailed on Tuesday the deployment of the state's security forces in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahieh, hoping that the plan will be replicated throughout Lebanon.

It said after its weekly meeting: “The plan should be implemented in full and the accused in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri should be arrested in Dahieh.”

“The security forces in Dahieh have the sole right to impose the law in the area,” it declared.

Moreover, it noted that the deployment of the security forces in the Hizbullah stronghold of Dahieh is similar to the army's deployment in the South in 2006, which demonstrates that there can be no substitute to the authority of the state and its institutions.

All other experiences that violate the authority of the state have been failures, said the bloc.

“The residents of Dahieh who rejected the phenomenon of autonomous security have instead demonstrated their commitment to the state and its security forces,” continued the Mustaqbal bloc.

Moreover, it held the government responsible for the success of the Dahieh plan since it is responsible for the actions of the security forces.

“The government should not be lenient with any violations as the plan is the right measure that will help restore the people's trust in the state's security institutions,” it added.

The Dahieh plan should be replicated throughout Lebanon in order for the state to reassure the people that it is keen on their safety, stressed the bloc.

Four Hizbullah members were accused by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon of being involved in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Hariri.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had labeled the STL an American-Israeli product bent on destroying the party, vowing that it will never cooperate with it and saying that the suspects will never be found.

The four accused remain at large despite the Lebanese authorities' efforts to apprehend them.

Around 1,000 army troops and security forces deployed Monday in Dahieh where Hizbullah normally keeps a tight grip on security.

The security points were established after car bombings in the area killed 27 people on August 15 and wounded more than 50 on July 9.

Following the bombings, Hizbullah turned the southern suburbs into a fortress with guards in civilian clothes policing the streets, stopping and searching cars, and asking motorists for their identity cards.