Lebanese Army to Host Bekaa Reconciliation Meeting

Lebanese Army to Host Bekaa Reconciliation Meeting

Readers Number : 243

18/06/2008 Calm prevailed over central Bekaa a day after heavy armed clashes left three people killed and four wounded in Saadnayel and Taalbaya towns, urging political parties to reconsider their positions and assume the responsibilities. Press reports said the Lebanese army would host on Wednesday a reconciliation meeting between residents of the Bekaa Valley towns of Saadnayel and Taalabaya. The meeting is due to take place Wednesday afternoon at the army barracks of Ablah. According to Lebanese daily As-Safir, the meeting was preceded by talks the Lebanese army held with the different parties, mainly with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah leadership and the head of Future movement MP Saad Hariri. It would be attended by main officers in the region as well as the Bekaa Mufti Sheikh Khalil Mays, and representatives from the three mentioned parties. Earlier, Berri expressed his deep regret for the fabrication of security incidents, warning that this would not help serve anyone but would, instead, threaten the national peace. Speaking to Lebanese daily As-Safir, Berri stressed the response to such incidents should be a political one, emphasizing the importance of accelerating the cabinet formation process. "The government should see light as soon as possible, and whoever delays this formation has to assume the responsibility of all security incidents," he said. Berri also told Lebanese daily An-Nahar that the security situation was a major issue that should be treated at the earliest opportunity. "It is unacceptable to see anymore victims falling and people's lives being wrecked whether in Bekaa or in other Lebanese regions," the Speaker said. He called on to accelerate the cabinet formation, saying at the same time that he started doubting the ones responsible of forming the cabinet were standing behind the ongoing obstruction. For his part, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman expressed regret for the clashes erupting recurrently in different places, noting he has always been in contact with security leadership to stop violence and take appropriate procedures so that such incident don't happen again.