Reports: Failure to Enter Ain el-Hilweh Brought Down Sidon Military Zone Proposal

The Higher Defense Council rejected declaring the southern city of Sidon a military zone to avoid the embarrassment over the failure of the Lebanese Army to enter the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, media reports said Thursday.

The Council, which met under President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace on Wednesday, tasked armed forces with taking all measures to prevent attempts to undermine security and preserve civil peace.

A statement said that agreement was reached on the coordination between the Army and Internal Security Forces to maintain security.

But it fell short of declaring Sidon a military zone after clashes between Hizbullah and supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir on Sunday left three people dead.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had made the proposal for the Army to have full control in Sidon. But such a move was rejected by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and ministers loyal to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat during a cabinet session held at the Grand Serail on Wednesday, An Nahar daily reported.

Their rejection led to a swift meeting of the Higher Defense Council, which had been scheduled to convene on Friday instead.

The objection to turn Sidon into a military zone then reached the Council meeting which was attended by Premier Najib Miqati, several cabinet ministers and top Army and Police officials, including Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and the head of the General Security Department, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

As Safir newspaper said the Council avoided the implementation of Charbel's proposal over the embarrassment that the armed forces could face for their failure to enter the Ain el-Hilweh camp which lies near Sidon and geographically falls in the suggested military zone.

The military controls access to the camp and has checkpoints outside the shantytown but by long-standing convention, the Army does not enter the refugee camps in Lebanon, leaving security inside to the Palestinians themselves.

As Safir quoted informed sources as saying that the Council also avoided declaring Sidon a military zone for fears that the Army would face a difficult test in trying to control the area, and to avert criticism for not taking such measures in other trouble spots such as the northern city of Tripoli and the district of Akkar.

The Council instead decided to give the armed forces wider authorities and a bigger role in carrying out missions in the city, the sources added.