Bahia Hariri: We Don't Want the Resistance Brigades in Sidon
Sidon MP Bahia Hariri on Tuesday said the southern port city rejects “the presence of the Resistance Brigades” -- a group affiliated with Hizbullah.
"We do not want the presence of the Resistance Brigades in Sidon, period,” Hariri stressed in various interviews reported by the state-run National News Agency.
She explained: “We are not against anyone and Hizbullah's weapons are debatable on the national level, but the Resistance Brigades has no place in the city.”
"We all resist Israel but we will not allow demarcation lines between the people.”
The al-Mustaqbal MP said Sidon is open to people of all religious factions: “The city welcomes Sunnis, Shiites, Christians, Palestinians and Syrians. This is the view of the people I represent and I know it is the opinion of everyone who has affections towards Sidon.”
Hariri described the latest clashes in the city as a “dangerous thing.”
"If we do not know how to deal with people, things will go back to being scattered,” she warned.
“We quickly want a security plan that reassures people. We want the army to be at a single distance from everyone.”
Hariri continued: “We want to be protected by the state and the army to take control of our security. We do not want any other kind of security.”
"I will strive to make this happen this through my official post.”
At least 16 soldiers were killed and 50 were wounded in the clashes with the armed supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir in Sidon in the past two days.
More than 20 of al-Asir's supporters were killed, according to a security official.
Dozens of them were also arrested, but there was no sign of the cleric.
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