Jumblat Rejects Provoking Confrontation between Army, Arsal Residents

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat rejected on Tuesday attempts to shove the eastern border town of Arsal in a direct confrontation with the Lebanese army, which aims at creating incitement and destabilizing the country.

The Druze leader called on the Lebanese to support the army and to consolidate its patriotic role.

He pointed out that solidarity with the army shouldn't be expressed by blocking roads or politically exploiting the incident.

Jumblat expressed support to the army, describing it as the “institution that safeguards the Lebanese no matter what their affiliations are.”

His comments came in light of an attack at the army in Arsal which targeted a patrol last week, leaving two soldiers dead.

The patrol was in the area to pursue a suspect wanted on terrorism charges.

Concerning the arrest arrest warrants against two Syrian officials over their links to the case of former Minister Michel Samaha, Jumblat lauded the judiciary in Lebanon.

He called on the judicial system to follow up the case till the suspects are brought to justice.

On Monday, First Military Investigation Judge Riyad Abu Ghida issued an warrant against Syrian security chief Ali Mamlouk and a colonel identified only by his first name Adnan.

Samaha was arrested in August and charged with plotting to assassinate Lebanese leaders and of transporting explosives from Syria into Lebanon to carry out attacks in the country's north in an attempt to provoke sectarian strife at the behest of the Syrian regime.

Similar charges were leveled against Mamlouk and Adnan.

On General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi's request to strip March 14 MP Butros Harb of his parliamentary immunity, the PSP chief called on resolving this case according to norms and away from media sport light to preserve the prestige of the judiciary and the rights of the lawmaker.

Judge Madi filed a request on Monday to Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to lift immunity off Harb for offending President Michel Suleiman and the judiciary in recent remarks.