Salam Travels to Berlin: Order to Take Decisive Action against Terrorists Has Been Given

Prime Minister Tammam Salam stated on Monday that the unrest in the northern city of Tripoli “is nearing its end,” stressing the need for a national stance towards eliminating the terrorists.

He said: “The order to take decisive action against the terrorists has been given.”

He made his remarks before reporters during his flight to Berlin where he is scheduled to attend a conference on Tuesday on Syrian refugees.

“We cannot go back on our decision to confront the terrorists,” Salam stressed in reference to clashes that erupted on Friday between the army and gunmen in Tripoli.

Scores of soldiers, civilians, and gunmen were killed in the fighting that lasted three days. The army on Monday was still pursuing the gunmen who had fled their posts.

He kicked off his visit to Germany by meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Salam added during his flight: “All sides are determined to impose security and stability.”

“The military confrontation was imposed on us by the terrorists, but the national confrontation was a choice and it gave the army and security forces the opportunity to wage this challenge and succeed in it,” he noted.

“The cost has been high … but the unity of our national powers will remain our safe haven,” remarked the premier.

“There are no rules that determine how to face terror and terrorists. We have no choice but to maintain the unity of our internal front,” Salam stressed.

Asked whether a settlement was made in Tripoli, he responded: “Several measures are always involved in military and security confrontations.”

He also denied claims that sectarian agendas played a role in the latest round of Tripoli clashes.

Commenting on the case of soldiers and policemen abducted in August by Islamist gunmen from the northeastern town of Arsal, he replied: “The Qatari mediator is making his efforts and seeking results, but no clear resolution has been reached.”

“For our part, we will continue to deal with all factors that emerge in order to properly employ them to ensure the release of the servicemen,” stated Salam.

Earlier, the premier refused to say that Lebanon's security situation was getting out of control stressing that the army was engaged in a “ferocious confrontation” with terrorists to stop the country from being torn apart.

“It's true that things have deteriorated, but the Lebanese army is keeping the situation under control, but at a high price,” he said.

“The military is engaged in a fierce confrontation with the kidnappers of the people and the entire society” and “will not back down,” the PM told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Monday.

“The army has made huge sacrifices to preserve security and peace,” he added.

Salam rejected to consider the battles between the army and terrorists as a security chaos that has gone out of control.

He was asked whether he thought the fighting in Tripoli and the Akkar town of Bhannine would affect his participation in the Berlin conference on Tuesday.

“The conference is very important. We have been making preparations for it since the announcement about it was made,” he said.

“The world should share with us the burden” of the Syrian refugees, said Salam.

He stressed that Lebanon's stance at the conference would be clear in terms of its rejection to accept more refugees except for humanitarian cases.

The document, which Lebanon will present at the conference, was unanimously approved by the government last week.

Salam traveled to Berlin on Monday.

Lebanon already hosts around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, an enormous strain for a country with a population of just four million.

The influx has tested overstretched infrastructure, and created fresh tensions.

The UNHCR has regularly urged the international community to provide Lebanon with greater assistance to tackle the influx.

The agency has also called on other countries to open their doors to fleeing Syrians to ease the burden on Lebanon and other neighboring states.

More than three million Syrians have fled their country since the uprising that began in March 2011, with most taking shelter in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

M.T./G.K.

H.K.