Aoun Urges Change in Methods of 'Combating Terrorism' in Lebanon
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday called for a change in the methods of “combating terrorism” in the country, slamming what he called the “chaos” that characterizes the relations among the various security agencies.
“Everyone knows that we had warned against the entry of Syrians and said that they must be registered because we can't host people whose political affiliations we don't know, even if they come from a neighboring country,” Aoun said after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc in Rabiyeh.
“We also called for controlling the border and the illegitimate border crossings, but the survey (of refugees) and the controlling of the border and crossings did not happen and our calls fell on the deaf ears of the security officials,” Aoun added.
He noted that the number of Syrian refugees has swollen to more than one million “and our ministers proposed plans to reach a solution that guarantees their return to their country.”
Aoun recalled that he had told premier Najib Miqati “countless times” that it is unacceptable to “keep 400,000 civilians in Tripoli under the mercy of 400 gunmen.”
Commenting on the latest audio message released by Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, Aoun said the fugitive Islamist cleric hinted that “no region will remain immune to attacks in the vein of what happened in Tripoli and Dahieh.”
“We will be targeted and we are not better than the others citizens. Had there not been conspiracies involving domestic parties, security measures would have accompanied the escalation on the border, but unfortunately the 'occupied minds' cannot decide anything unless it serves the interest of the occupier,” Aoun added.
“Terrorists and Takfiris begin small, just like plants, before they grow bigger and the same can be said about the terrorist Takfiri cells, but state officials are saying that they can't do anything,” he lamented.
“We had stressed the need to address terrorism and terrorists, who find a safe haven in society which offers them a cover and rejects any attempt to capture them,” the FPM leader went on to say.
Aoun said that he had noted around the national dialogue table that “confronting such acts requires equipment and accurate coordination among all security agencies.”
“We also said that security incidents between the army and some Palestinian organizations and some Palestinians spark concern among citizens, who fear that Palestinians might become a party in the domestic conflict,” he added.
Aoun warned that “militias jeopardize the state's stability and its ability to control the situations, knowing that these arms can't be compared to the disciplined arms of the resistance.”
Separately, the FPM leader said there are two urgent oil decrees that were submitted to the cabinet before its resignation "and we don't understand why they have not been signed."
"There are political and personal reasons," Aoun charged.
"Some parties do not like the energy minister ... and who can prevent the firms from withdrawing their bids should the signature be delayed further?" he warned.
“It is unacceptable to tamper with our credibility towards the international community, especially in the issue of oil, and we know that Israel does not want Lebanon to extract its oil and wants to monopolize the market for a long period ranging from 20 to 30 years,” Aoun added.
He noted that negligence and delay in signing the two decrees “serves Israel's interest.”
“Who is responsible for convening the cabinet? The issue is urgent,” he stressed.
“We committed ourselves to the terms and conditions and to a cabinet resolution promising that they will be issued on time. May God curse those who delay them, because they would be taking part in the conspiracy,” added Aoun.
Source: Naharnet
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