Report: Mustaqbal Agrees with Army on Plan to Resolve Arsal Crisis
Al-Mustaqbal Movement on Monday agreed with the Army Command on a plan for resolving the Arsal stand-off that would “preserve the dignity of the army and appease the town's residents,” a media report said.
The reported agreement was struck during a meeting between a Mustaqbal delegation and Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji on Monday afternoon in Yarze.
The delegation was composed of MPs Atef Majdalani, Assem Araji, Jamal al-Jarrah and Bassem al-Shab, who offered Qahwaji their condolences over the death of Major Pierre Bashaalani and Adjutant Ibrahim Zahraman, the National News Agency reported.
“The delegation condemned the incident and voiced support for the military institution's efforts to impose security and stability in the country,” NNA said.
Meanwhile, Mustaqbal movement sources told Turkey's Anatolia news agency that the movement agreed with the army on a plan to resolve the Arsal crisis that would “preserve the dignity of the army and would not deal with Arsal's residents as if they are all fugitives.”
“The meeting with the army commander was very positive,” the sources said, adding that “an agreement was reached on a several-point plan to resolve the crisis.”
“We also agreed on the need to refrain from discussing these points in the media so that we don't obstruct the anticipated solution and stressed the importance of leaving the issue to the judiciary, away from political overbidding,” the sources added.
A Mustaqbal movement delegation that visited Arsal on Sunday had called for a fair and transparent investigation into the ambush of an army patrol that left two soldiers dead.
Arsal municipal chief Ali al-Hujairi reiterated the request of the town's residents for army chief Qahwaji to hear the two versions of the story.
The army said that last Friday a patrol was ambushed by Arsal gunmen as it was hunting a man wanted for several terrorist acts.
The clashes that ensued left Major Bashaalani and Adjutant Zahraman dead and several troops wounded, it said.
But Arsal residents claimed that the soldiers were in civilian clothes and hadn't informed the town's authorities that they were planning to carry out a raid.
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