On October 30, the An-Nahar newspaper carried the following report:
Following his bloc’s weekly meeting in Rabieh, Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun held the Lebanese army and UNIFIL responsible for the tension in the South, saying, “They let the incident happen and did not catch the perpetrators.”
He added that “there is nothing new in regard to the formation [of the government] and the talk about it is similar to speculations over horse races.
The [bloc’s] meeting addressed the issues of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Aoun condemned the Israeli acts and called for “solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Judaization of this major Islamic symbol.
We also addressed two parallel incidents. The first was Israel’s announcement of the continuation of its espionage operations while the second was the launching of the Katyusha missiles. We were surprised in this context that some in Lebanon objected to the Katyusha issue and forgot about the espionage issue. I believe that the first incident is not an innocent one and coincided with the Israeli announcement. However, all the officials abstained from addressing the espionage announcement while some talked about the Katyusha and the arms of the resistance - which were acquitted by Israel itself when it said that these missiles were not a part of these arms, seeing as how Israel always gives a technical opinion.
The Resistance has launched thousands of missiles on Israel and they know their type and their range and they know from where they are being launched. This is a misleading process to prevent the objection to the Israeli stance.
We also looked into the developments in the state administrations and the corruption seen on the ground. Insanity is prevailing over all the state institutions, since no one is respecting the law, neither in the judiciary, nor in the security bodies, nor in the administrations, the ministries or the councils whose job is to settle the primordial issues. The people will either have to demand a totalitarian regime and the appointment of one person who would be responsible for food, beverage, security and everything else, or hold on to this regime which protects responsible freedoms. Therefore, our entire state needs plowing so we can stop the growth of thorns in the orchards and render the soil fit for gardening.
There is nothing new [at the cabinet formation] level and the speculations seen in the newspapers are similar to the horse race speculations where no horse reaches the finish line. We are hearing people screaming and yelling, and this is all an outbidding which is far away from reality. There is a crisis and it will be resolved based on specific conditions and standards. It is unacceptable for us to continue working without any standards or logic. There are missing chairs around the table of the authority that should be restored and no one can take another person’s position. For our part, we will restore our position and everything being said in the press is mere entertainment.” Answering the question of journalists, Aoun then said he was not in a position to talk positively or negatively about Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri “as long as the talks are not over yet. Had we reached solutions, we would have announced them and I therefore leave speculations to someone else.”
Asked about the statements delivered by Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh from Baabda Palace regarding the fact that “everything will move forward” if Aoun is pleased, he indicated that he informed those who enjoy the authority to form the government and that he did not want compensation prizes and that he had rights which he wanted to see respected. When asked to comment on the talk of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea regarding the financial, justice and communications portfolios, Aoun replied, “I have nothing to do with him and I only talk with the prime minister- designate. If he heard anything from him, let him inform me of his opinion.” He then assured that he was in favor of the formation of the government imminently, but based on standards that ensure respect for [one’s] rights.
Asked about his opinion regarding the positions of US Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison yesterday and the talk about the disarmament of Hezbollah and the triggering of a war in Lebanon, Aoun replied, “Have they not had enough in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Mogadishu, Ethiopia, Sudan and Chad? Have they not had enough of this creative chaos and the birth of the New Middle East?” Adding, in regards to the tension in the South, “All those in charge of security are responsible because they let the incident occur and did not catch the perpetrator. This is the responsibility of the legitimate forces represented by the army and UNIFIL. The security bodies are morally responsible and the perpetrator who has not yet been identified is criminally responsible.”
Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Michel Aoun
Gma press conference after c&r meeting (28/10/09) -
3 Weeks Ago
