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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Arsal officials: Only the Army is allowed to defend us |
| 2015-05-23 |
| [EN.ZAMANALWSL.NET] Arsal's officials have voiced their opposition to the involvement of Hezbollah in battles in or around the town, saying the only party allowed to defend the area is the Lebanese Army. The annoucement was made after a meeting held in the northeastern town's municipality building Thursday night, attended by Mayor Ali Hujeiri, Future Movement's Arsal official Bakr Hujeiri and representatives of the Syrian refugee communities in the town. "Arsal is a Lebanese town, and the Lebanese Army is the only side authorized to maintain security in Arsal," said the first point of a statement released after the meeting. "Arsal is a red line, and no one has the right of to threaten to invade it, shell it, or assault on it and its people," it added, referring to Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah's recent comments. In a speech he gave Monday, Nasrallah warned that if the Lebanese Army does not liberate Arsal's outskirts from Nusra Front and ISIS holy warriors, his group would take matters into its own hands. "We call on the Cabinet, the Information Ministry and the relevant authorities to silence the voices inciting and encouraging the attacking of a Lebanese town," the statement said. The officials praised Future Movement Saad Hariri Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too. for taking a stance "supporting Arsal." Hariri condemned Nasrallah's speech Thursday, describing it as a "call for incitement and strife." He also accused Hezbollah of trying to engage the Army in a deadly battle "scheduled" by the group itself. Hezbollah and the Syrian army earlier this month launched an offensive in the border Qalamoun region from where jihadi groups have been staging attacks on Lebanese territory since the start of the Syrian conflict. In more than two weeks of fighting, the allies have taken control of most of Qalamoun, sending bully boyz fleeing north, many toward the outskirts of Arsal. |
| Posted by:Fred |