March-14 coalition covers the assassination of Lebanese soldiers at Ersal
New Orient News Agency- ORIENT TENDENCIES
By Pierre Khalaf
The aggression against the Lebanese army in Ersal, Friday, February 1, is the consequence of the climate installed the last two years by the head of the Future Movement, Saad Hariri, which promotes, maintains and supports Lebanese, Syrian and international terrorist groups, while concerned official circles pretend to see nothing.
Senior state officials have denied in the past two years the existence of these terrorist-qaïdistes groups, and when the Defence Minister, Fayez Ghosn, talked about this issue, he was targeted by a virulent campaign launched by the March-14 coalition. The same Mars-14 movement that sent a delegation -which included among others the Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra- to Ersal to express his “solidarity” with the people … against the harassment he suffered from security services!
The death of an officer and a sergeant have not brought to reason this coalition, On the contrary, some March-14 medias endorsed the version of the aggressors, which was well expressed by MP Mouïn Merhebich, who criticized the army under the pretext that it did not implement the “legal process” during the attempt to arrest the terrorist Khaled Hmayyeh. Should the army advance notice before conducting a raid against suspects? or obtain a permission from the head of the municipality, known for its sympathies with Syro-Lebanese extremist groups?
According to concordant versions, residents of Ersal and foreign armed elements ambushed the army patrol, under the pretext that they hadn’t “recognized” the soldiers. Minister Fayez Ghosn ensured that certain elements of the intelligence services of the army were in military uniform, and it was therefore impossible that they were not recognized by the inhabitants of Ersal. Ghosn didn’t exclude the possibility that members of the Free Syrian Army have taken part in the clashes. According to him, the incident Ersal proves the presence of Al-Qaeda in the region.
President Michel Sleiman called on Saturday the army to prevent any action that could undermine the country’s security. “Any breach of security will be fought firmly,” Sleiman said, calling the command of the military institution to prevent any attack “against the officers and soldiers.”
Prime Minister Najib Mikati has also condemned the clashes. He joined Minister Ghosn and commander in chief of the army, General Jean Kahwaji, who held an emergency meeting Sunday devoted to the situation of Ersal.
The army, which requires responsible for the ambush to be delivered unconditionally, arrested Saturday at Ersal four suspects. They were in possession of weapons. According to media reports, the son of the head of the municipality of Ersal, Yehya al-Hojeiry, was also arrested.
The army has strengthened its presence in the region and erected checkpoints.