The Higher Defense Council on Thursday stressed the prevention of arms smuggling in and out of Lebanon and called for controlling the security situation in border towns.

The HDC convened at Baabda palace to contain the repercussions of allegations that the al-Qaida terrorist network was operating in Lebanon. But it did not unveil details over the issue.

Information Minister Walid al-Daouq stated on Wednesday that Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn has received information from security authorities on the infiltration of al-Qaida members of the Bekaa town of Arsal and their entry into Syria, adding that the government urged the security forces and Lebanese army to properly monitor the border with Syria.

He said after a cabinet session: “The government called on the Higher Defense Council to convene in order to address the minister’s allegations.”

A wage hike made by the cabinet last week will most likely not be published in the official gazette this year as the Shura Council failed to issue its stance on the decision ahead of the last government session for 2011.

The cabinet convened at Baabda palace at noon Wednesday to discuss 37 items placed on its agenda. President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati held closed-door talks ahead of the session.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said on Wednesday that Lebanon decided not to participate in the Arab League observer mission in Syria in order to “dissociate” itself from the crisis.

“Prime Minister Najib Miqati decided after discussing the issue with President Michel Suleiman not to participate in the mission,” Mansour told As Safir newspaper.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday reiterated “France’s firm commitment towards respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as a result of the special ties between the two countries.”

In a letter he sent to President Michel Suleiman, Sarkozy stressed that “Lebanon’s stability and freedom are now more vital than ever,” noting that “Lebanon and France, as usual, must stand by each other and demonstrate their common determination in the face of hardships.”

A delegation of Beirut MPs held talks on Tuesday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on the need to establish an arms-free Beirut.

MP Ammar Houri revealed after the meeting that the premier had requested the concerned security forces to devise a plan on achieving this goal.

A delegation from the eastern border town of Arsal visited Premier Najib Miqati on Tuesday to condemn accusations that the village is harboring al-Qaida militants.

The delegation to the Grand Serail, led by Municipal Council chief Ali al-Hujairi, urged Miqati to deploy troops near the town along the border with Syria.

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Monday said the remarks voiced by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in his Christmas sermon were “in line with the principles Bkirki has endorsed since the year 2000 concerning the need to accomplish national sovereignty.”

Sovereignty “can only be achieved if power is in the hand of the state,” Gemayel said in an interview on MTV.

Lebanese government officials should exert more efforts to distance Lebanon from the twin Damascus bombings that took place in the Syrian capital on Friday, otherwise the cabinet would appear to be adopting a lax approach in combating terrorism, reported the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper on Monday.

Widely informed sources told the newspaper that President Michel Suleiman’s statements on Lebanon’s rejection of terrorism was the first attempt to ease the government “embarrassment” in this issue.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Sunday that the state would bolster trust in the armed forces.

He said during the Christmas mass that was held at Bkirki: “The state should assign all security and defense duties to the political authorities.”