Miqati Says Army Has Powers to Contain Disorder in Baalbek as City Figures Stress on Preventing Strife

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Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati assured on Saturday that all necessary measures to contain the recent clashes in the Bekaa city of Baalbek were adopted, stressing also that the army has the powers to prevent disorder.

“We will prevent any presence of armed men in the city and we will be strict in prosecuting those involved in the incident,” Miqati said in a released statement after taking part in an emergency security meeting held at the Baabda Palace.

He continued: “We will also prevent attempts looking to transform these clashes into sectarian strife and the expansion of the fighting over other regions in the country.”

Miqati stressed that the Lebanese Armed Forces possess “full powers” to control the situation and apply the necessary measures and procedures to draw an end to disorder, restore calm in Baalbek and to be strict with all outlaws.

He urged the residents and the leaders of Baalbek to “be responsible and to immunize the city against the dangers some parties are trying to create.”

Miqati's statement came after an emergency security meeting took place at Baabda Palace to tackle the latest clashes in Baalbek.

The meeting was chaired by President Michel Suleiman and in addition to Miqati, it was attended by caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji and several military and security officials.

“Instructions were given to adopt strict security measures to control the situation in the Bekaa city, to prevent disturbing public order and to preserve civil peace in these delicate times,” the state-run National News Agency said after the talks.

“The conferees also called for arresting the outlaws and referring them to the military court,” the NNA added.

Meanwhile, prominent figures in Baalbek held an emergency meeting also on Saturday to discuss the deadly clashes in the area.

Chaired by Mufti of Baalbek and al-Hermel Sheikh Bakr al-Rifai, the meeting called on the residents of Baalbek to allow the state's forces to preserve security in the city, assuring also that the clash “would not be erupt into strife.”

“We call on Baalbek's families to adopt a peaceful approach and to allow security forces to preserve security in the city,” a statement released after the meeting said.

It added: “We also urge the Internal Security Forces and the army to preserve security and protect citizens, their possessions and their businesses.”

The conferees stressed that Baalbek “is free of any Al-Nusra Front members.”

“What media outlets are sharing is not true and those promoting such rumors must be held accountable. This is an individual incident and what happened harms the city, its history, and its future.”

The statement remarked: “Baalbek will remain a city of religious coexistence and we will all collaborate to contain what happened and to prevent its eruption into a blind strife.”

In a related matter, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri telephoned Suleiman to discuss the clashes, stressing on the need to contain the fighting.

Five people were killed in Baalbek and several shops were set ablaze on Saturday in clashes between supporters of Hizbullah and armed men of the Shiyyah clan.

The unrest broke out when youths from the Shiyyah clan opened fire at Hizbullah members in the market, reported NNA. The party members fired back, resulting in the ensuing clashes.

The army has since deployed in the area.

The bloodshed is the worst sectarian violence to hit Baalbek and it was the second clash in the city since Wednesday involving Hizbullah and Sunni gunmen.

Comments 8
Thumb benzona 28 September 2013, 21:34

Allahū Akbar. Thank-you for speaking out loud what everyone whispers.

Thumb dasphinx 28 September 2013, 23:06

The army should either take FULL control or no control at all in Hezbostan.

Missing youssefhaddad 28 September 2013, 23:35

The sectarian schism cannot be healed while sectarian armed militias roam the streets.

Missing peace 29 September 2013, 00:46

in syria...

Missing peace 29 September 2013, 00:47

funny then hezbi agreed to elect him PM.... you should have told them before they agreed!

Missing beirutbastard00 29 September 2013, 08:44

HA is an integral part of Shia society, every family has at least one member. There are issues that need to be resolved before you can ask them to give up the thing that brought them from despair, and made them the most powerful group in Lebanon, besides the building of schools, roads, hospitals, etc.. The lack of a state is the root cause of this. HA will only disarm when the Lebanese army proves capable of protecting all citizens, and all borders.

(That's not to say they didn't kill harriri, and they're not a mafia like every other political group anywhere in the world, and they don't take orders from Iran, etc... I'm just speaking logically.)

Missing beirutbastard00 29 September 2013, 08:58

@italktoidiots

So ur saying this had nothing to do with Sunni Shia tensions?

Or the fact that some ppl don't want to be stopped at checkpoints manned by militia members?

Or that since may7 Sunnis have felt like they are outgunned, and outnumbered?

Or the fact that youths from a certain Shia group (Amal) never miss a chance to remind ppl of what happened on may7?

Or the fact that the biggest Lebanese Sunni leader is in exile due to his fear of assassination?

Ur saying all this is so Mikati can buy more land? Maybe he's just an opportunist Lebanese business-man-politician, and he's just taking advantage of a messed up situation for his own profit. Yea he's dirty, but he's a byproduct of our society, not the cause of it.

Missing beirutbastard00 29 September 2013, 22:22

The Sunnis chose him as their leader. Your argument and insults are invalid.

Yes him and jumblatt and the rest of M14 tried to dismantle the phone lines, to the benefit of Israel. An Israeli general admitted to haaretz that they weren't able to hack the lines, and it was one of the major reasons for Israel's stalemate. And the actions of may7 might have actually averted real strife... But afterwards, instead of reconciliation, harriri was threatened with the fate of his father. And since his actions were helping Israel against HA, we can agree that the threats didnt come from Israel. That's "real talk".

Everything is a byproduct of our society? So there are no causes of it, nothing that shaped our society into the one that u are obviously a byproduct of?

Sunnis n Shias get along?? Where, in Australia?