 |
| 17/06/2008 Just hours after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to Lebanon, security situation returns to light with clashes erupting in the Bekaa region changing all priorities. Is it just a coincidence or is it the preliminary outcome of her visit?
While Lebanese were hoping their national unity government would finally be formed and announced, news came from somewhere else, mainly from the Bekaa region.
Violent clashes broke out on Monday night in Saadnayel and Taalbaya in the middle Bekaa, killing three people and wounding four others. News reports said rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine gunfire were used in the fighting that took place in the two villages.
It was not known what triggered the clashes which began shortly before midnight and raged well into the morning hours.
Among the victims was a school teacher identified as Samira Shukr Mazloum who was killed by gunfire as she stood at the balcony of her apartment. The other casualties included a man and his son whose car came under gunfire. The father, Hasan Takesh, was killed while his son sustained injuries. Another man, Bassam Ghazi, was killed as he drove past Saadnayel and his two sons were wounded.
News reports said fighting dwindled around 1:30 am after Lebanese army tanks ringed bases on the highlands of the villages of Tweiti and Qommal in the Bekaa and warned fighters they would silence the source of gunfire.
Schools, banks and other businesses were closed in Taalbaya and Saadnayel on Tuesday for fear of renewed fighting. More Lebanese troops, backed by commando units, were dispatched early Tuesday to beef up security in the embattled areas.
HEZBOLLAH, AMAL: TO RESTORE STABILITY & BRING CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
Hezbollah and Amal movement issued a joint statement in which they responded to Future Movement's media outlets that accused them of starting the confrontations. Hezbollah and Amal denied the mentioned reports, and refused claims that the clashes were between Amal and Hezbollah on one side and the Lebanese army on the other.
"Everyone must be under the army and security forces’ control so they can restore stability and bring the criminals and perpetrators to justice," the statement read, adding that "in response to the strife, the contacts, which reached their peak Monday afternoon, must continue."
HAJJ HASSAN CALLS ON HARIRI TO TAKE POLITICAL DECISION TO STOP CLASHES
Meanwhile, member of Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Hussein Hajj Hasan called for calm and for an end to the clashes, in spite of everything. He noted that the Future movement must be convinced that what it is doing is not useful and will only lead to additional tension and deaths, calling on MP Saad Hariri to take a political decision to stop clashes.
During a TV interview, MP Hajj Hasan stressed there was a third party that is probably trying to create tension for electoral reasons or because of outside decisions or just pure hatred. He reported solid information that parties of the Future Movement started the confrontations.
The Hezbollah MP reiterated that his party's weapons were directed since 1982 against the Zionist enemy, and would not be pointed inside the country. "But why are they arming themselves, and against whom will they use their weapons?" he wondered. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment