Charbel Urges Officials to Assume Responsibilities, Deal with Gunmen in Tripoli
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel urged officials on Wednesday to assume its responsibilities and take a cohesive political decision in dealing with the gunmen in Tripoli.
“We are ready to discuss the recent incidents with all the parties in Tripoli in order to preserve security in the city,” Charbel told reporters after chairing a security meeting at the Tripoli Serail.
Tension between the two rival neighborhoods of Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh and Alawite Jabal Mohsen came to a head at the weekend and left nine people dead and nearly 50 wounded before the army intervened early on Tuesday to restore calm.
Charbel stressed that the government will “resolve all the disputes,” which have erupted over the weekend in Tripoli.
He called on politicians in Tripoli to unite and resolve the flaws “as soon as possible.”
The clashes highlighted deep divisions among political parties in Lebanon over the crisis in Syria and fears that the unrest could spill over.
Concerning the Islamist inmates, the minister revealed that the judiciary will issue indictments against some detainees and allow others to be released.
“I am ready to cooperate with the (Islamist protesters) to reveal the truth in Shadi al-Mawlawi’s case,” he said.
Sectarian violence has flared on a number of occasions in Tripoli since the revolt broke out in the neighboring country Syria but the recent escalation was the deadliest and saw hardline Sunni Islamists, or Salafists, taking part in the fighting after the General Security Department detained Shadi al-Mawlawi on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization.
On al-Qaida’s presence in Lebanon, Charbel said: “Al-Qaida doesn't exist in Lebanon but there are people who support it. It doesn't have a training base in the country nor does it receive funding.”
Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr had charged on Monday al-Mawlawi and five others with forming an armed terrorist group and undermining the authority of the state, as well as having links to al-Qaida.
He later issued an arrest warrant against al-Mawlawi.
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