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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| March 14: Whole of Lebanon Was Targeted in Sidon Clashes |
| 2013-07-04 |
| [An Nahar] The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday the recent festivities in the southern city of Sidon, refuting accusations that the alliance was supporting Salafist movements in Leb. It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: "We stand against such groups ... Sidon has been an example of Mohammedan-Christian coexistence." On claims that the Sunni sect was being targeted in the unrest, it said: "The whole of Leb and its population were the victims." "We deserve a productive state and army," added the March 14 General Secretariat. Eighteen soldiers were killed and 50 were maimed in festivities in Sidon between the army and armed supporters of Salafist holy man Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir on June 22 and 23. Commenting on the political deadlock in Leb, the general secretariat voiced its confidence that Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam would be able to succeed in forming a new government. President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... and Salam enjoy the complete support of the Lebanese people in their mission, it stressed. It blamed Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian crisis for obstructing the government formation efforts, as well as its "placing of preconditions that are rejected by the Lebanese people." The Hizbullah-led March 8 forces ... the opposition to the Mar. 14th movement, consisting of Hizbullah and its allies, so-called in commemoration of their Mar. 8th, 2006 demonstration of strength in Beirut ... has been demanding that it be granted veto power in a new cabinet. Salam has repeatedly rejected this suggestion, saying that such a power renders a government ineffective. |
| Posted by:Fred |