Islamic Alawite Council Says Won't Tolerate Summoning of 'Sect Leader Ali Eid'
Islamic Alawite Council head Sheikh Assad Assi on Thursday stressed that the council will not tolerate the summoning of top Alawite leader Ali Eid for interrogation in the case of the deadly twin bombings that rocked Tripoli in August.
“The Alawite sect totally disavows the perpetrators of the two massacres that happened outside the al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli and it is awaiting a legal and national investigation, not a politicized investigation linked to a foreign scheme,” Assi said at a press conference.
“Whoever is convicted, we will consider him to be a traitor and we are under the law and the fair investigation,” he added.
The cleric stressed that “it is unjust to accuse the entire Alawite sect" of the bombings, noting that "this cannot be accepted by any Muslim."
"Tripoli is a city for all its residents and we fear for Tripoli from a possible strife," he added.
Assi urged President Michel Suleiman to "personally come to Tripoli to seek a real reconciliation among all the sons of the city."
He called on Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji "not to await a political cover" to restore stability and security in Tripoli.
"Let the army strike with an iron fist against anyone who goes against the national principles of Tripoli," Assi said.
"The summoning of Arab Democratic Party leader Ali Eid by the (Internal Security Forces) Intelligence Bureau is unacceptable, impermissible and it will not take place whatever that may cost," the council's leader underlined, noting that "we are all demanding the truth."
In remarks published Thursday in As Safir newspaper, Arab Democratic Party top official Rifaat Eid, Ali's son, warned that “the ISF Intelligence Bureau crossed red lines when it summoned my father and he will definitely not comply with the request.”
He declared that the accusations against his father are not based on any facts and that they are part of a Saudi Arabian agenda to settle scores with Syria.
As Safir said that former MP and head of the Arab Democratic Party Ali Eid was summoned over testimonies his driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali had made during the investigation over the Tripoli blasts.
The driver was detained by the ISF Intelligence Bureau on charges of smuggling to Syria Ahmed Merhi, one of the main suspects in the bombings against al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli on August 23.
MTV reported Tuesday that Ali Eid's personal driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali was arrested on October 26 by Lebanese army intelligence agents on charges of smuggling Merhi into Syria at the request of the pro-Damascus former lawmaker.
Merhi is reportedly the driver of the second explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near al-Taqwa mosque.
On October 14, seven people involved in the August bombings were charged, including three in custody. The majority are from Jabal Mohsen.
Forty-five people were killed and over 800 wounded in the twin bombings.
The Arab Democratic Party has denied any involvement in the attacks and stressed that the suspects are not members of the party while slamming media leaks attributed to the ISF Intelligence Bureau.
Source: Naharnet
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