Miqati Says he is Seeking for Arms-Free Tripoli, No Compromise on Civil Peace
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister Najib Miqati said he backs calls for announcing Tripoli an arms-free city, stressing he does not differentiate between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh districts which witnessed armed clashes on Friday.
“The situation in Tripoli is under control,” Miqati told As Safir daily published Monday. “The Lebanese army is playing its full role on the ground in cooperation with the Internal Security Forces.”
“There is no differentiation between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh,” he said, adding “there is no compromise at all on civil peace and security.”
Asked about demands by Saad Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal movement to declare Tripoli an arms-free city, Miqati said: “This is what I am seeking and this is my ambition from the start.”
The premier slammed al-Mustaqbal for hinting that he was accusing it of instigating the fighting between his hometown’s two districts.
“I haven’t accused al-Mustaqbal movement and I don’t accuse anyone without evidence,” he told As Safir. “Anyways, I will not argue with them about this.”
The newspaper said that Miqati held talks with ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and head of ISF’s Intelligence Bureau Col. Wissam al-Hassan on Saturday night.
He informed the two men that “security is a red line and that the armed forces should play their full role in imposing stability in all of Tripoli’s neighborhoods.”
“There is no differentiation between one Tripoli resident and another,” Miqati reportedly told them.
20 June 2011, 11:10
22
and an arms free Saida. An arms free dahiye? an arms free south? An arms free bekaa?????
come on PM! Show us your guts and idea of same justice for all!!!
20 June 2011, 14:02
23
How about starting with a Dahyeh Weapons-Free Zone Mr. PM? Or you're afraid to violate the "Sanctity" of their weapons??
20 June 2011, 15:30
10
If you stop the ministers from playing politics and giving Monday Morning Press conference ( with completely nonsense statement ) , they will concentrate on their ministerial duty ( if they know the Job Description), then let the army, the ISF take care of Arms Free Lebanon
20 June 2011, 16:22
10
And the preferential treatment goes to tripoli! Sounds like if we start shooting at each other we might be rewarded disarmement and finally peace!. Is that how their logic goes?
20 June 2011, 17:44
00
All this regional disarmament talk is so non-sensical. First of all are they going to go into homes and confiscate weapons? no. Second of all, even if it does become an arms free zone, people can move weapons from the south or the bekaa to tripoli very easily and quickly when the need comes up. It's a small country after all and we already know certain parties have weapons in the north that could not reach Israel but are still present.
20 June 2011, 18:19
00
Get off his back. Miqati is trying to do the best he can with the cards he has in his hands. You think he can empty all Lebanon of weapons overnight? or even talk about it? Get off his back, stop complaining and let him work.
