March 14 Plans Zahle Visit after Report of Arms Flow to Bekaa Clans
A March 14 alliance delegation plans to visit the eastern city of Zahle on Monday for talks with officials in the Bekaa valley after reports that major clans in the areas of Hermel and Arsal have been arming heavily.
The delegation's visit to Zahle will include talks with lawmakers and major officials in the Bekaa to prevent strife and preserve coexistence, An Nahar daily said.
It added that the planned talks come after information that the well-known families of Hermel, whose population is Shiite, and the Sunni town of Arsal are receiving heavy weapons, including rockets.
The delicate religious and sectarian balance in Lebanon, has been disrupted by the war across the border in Syria. Tensions have been high for months, with Lebanon's Sunnis largely supporting their brethren in Syria who make up the majority of the rebellion, while Shiites have supported President Bashar Assad.
But Lebanon's splits have been further inflamed after Hizbullah openly joined the fight in Syria on the side of Assad.
Al-Joumhouria daily said the members of the March 14 general-secretariat discussed the visit during their weekly meeting on Wednesday.
The trip to Zahle is similar to other visits that the general-secretariat had previously made to Arsal and the northern city of Tripoli, the newspaper quoted sources as saying.
It is aimed at making an appeal to the state and mainly President Michel Suleiman to take the required measures to control security and provide stability, the sources added.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/87547 |