Berri Expresses Fear over Arsal Situation, Calls for Averting Sedition

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed concern on Saturday over the developments in the northeastern border town of Arsal, calling for “awareness to avert sedition.”

“The current stage is very delicate... Awareness is required to avoid falling into sedition,” Berri said according to al-Akhbar newspaper.

On August 2, deadly fighting erupted in and around Arsal, which borders Syria, leaving 19 soldiers, 16 civilians and dozens of jihadists dead.

The clashes ended with a truce negotiated by Lebanese Sunni clerics, but the jihadists withdrew from the area taking around 34 captive security personnel with them.

In the wake of the battle, Washington announced that it will quickly offer military aid to the army as Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil sought Moscow's assistance.

On Friday, a shipment of weapons, ammunition, and equipment was delivered by the United States to the Lebanese army.

Saudi Arabia has also donated a billion dollars to the Lebanese army but it is still unclear how the amount will be spent.

The AMAL Movement leader told his visitors that he frankly demanded the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly to “establish an air bridge to aid Lebanon with arms from their stock in the Middle East.”

On Tuesday, Berri summoned the envoys to urge them to quickly equip the Lebanese armed forces, even if that required “bypassing the routine mechanism.”

He said that “the threats that Lebanon is facing, which were manifested in the incidents that the Arsal region suffered still exist.”

Berri reiterated, according to al-Akhbar, calls for “investing in security,” reiterating his proposal to “recruit additional 5,000 soldiers.”

H.K.

D.A.