Syria Not To Stand Still, Berri: Not Sent to Angels

Zeinab Essa

On the weaponry ships to Syrian rebels , the Lebanese weekend closed its agenda.


And on the same topic, the current week opens its doors as more information is revealed on sides that sponsored this ship.


Meanwhile, the Lebanese political circles are still busy debating on extra spending, electoral law, and appointments.

The Ship's Details:

"As-Safir" Lebanese newspaper reported Monday that all the details related to "the ship of arms move within the Syrian opposition's orbit."
A judicial source unveiled to the daily that "the funders of this ship and to the weapons on its board are two Syrian businessmen residing in one of the Gulf states (Saudi Arabia), and that the captain's nationality is Syrian."

"The man who received the arms shipment in Tripoli's port is Syrian and he was arrested," the source said, noting that "he has concluded a deal with the Lebanese savior of customs for a large sum of money."
The source also revealed to "as-Safir" that "the track of the ship started from Libya, Turkey, and passed through Egypt before heading into Lebanon."

"The vessel's cargo was mainly made of arms, ammunition, and gear, without the existence of other goods, as it is the case with usual smuggling operations," he added.
The source emphasized that "the Intelligence Directorate in the Lebanese Army, was informed in advance that a shipment of weapons headed to Lebanon, so that it took the necessary measures and was waiting for the ship to enter the Lebanese territorial waters."
"As-Safir" quoted the source as saying that "investigations are under way with the eleven people on board. These are the Syrian captain and the workers of different nationalities."

According to the source, the quality of weapons consists of:
- Light weapons: machine guns.
- Medium weapons: 12.7 machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
- Heavy weapons: 120-mm mortars.
- Two types of rockets: the type of anti-tank and armored vehicles missiles, and the type of anti-aircraft missiles to be launched on the shoulder.

All of these weapons are equipped with their full ammunition.
"The Arab decision to arm the Syrian opposition began to be strongly manifested," the source highlighted.
He also concluded that "the issue is not related to the smuggling of a number of light machine guns from Northern Lebanon, or elsewhere. It is related to a complete shipment of weapons."

Syria Hails Lebanon, Not to Stand Still

In parallel, visitors to Syria reflected Damascus appreciation to the Lebanese efforts in intercepting the ship.
"The Lebanese performance saved Syria from more bloodshed, victims, sabotage, terrorism, and killing innocent people," a Syrian source told the same daily.

He further considered that "the smuggling of weapons to terrorist armed groups is an act of aggression not only from the sponsors, but also from the Lebanese parties that constitute an incubator for these groups."
"Some of these Lebanese sides don't only wait for toppling the regime, but they turned to be part of the battle against Syria," he said, adding that "Damascus can't accept this act of aggression."

The Syrian source stressed to "As-Safir" that "his country mustn't stand still in face of the serious and huge size of the aggression aiming to destroy the Syrian state and hit the stability and the security of its citizens."

For his part, the Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri commented on the incident by saying: "The attempt to smuggle arms through the ship is very dangerous, but what is certain is that this ship was not carrying weapons to the angels."
According to the same daily, Berri told his visitors that "we should wait for the results
.of the probe before issuing any verdicts as to where the arms were heading."
He further expected that "the investigations are to be finished within a week."

"What was the side that was to receive the weapons especially that all the Lebanese parliamentary sides rejected the smuggling of weapons?" the Speaker wondered.

On the internal Lebanese titles, Berri viewed that "it's strange to call to reformulate the project of extra spending in the government, and then transfer it back to the parliament after taking the observations of the Finance and Budget Committee."
"The project is currently on the agenda of the Parliament's General Assembly along with the amendments proposed by the Commission, and therefore the talk about the amendment is incorrect as it is already verified," the Speaker highlighted.

On the electoral law, Berri praised the meeting that was held between Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and the political aide of Hizbullah's Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, with the Head of the "National Struggle Front" MP P Walid Jumblatt.

"Several issues were discussed with understanding except for proportionality which we already knew that Jumblatt rejected," he said, viewing that "our hope to change him did not have a one in a thousand chance."

"Some Lebanese political parties have launched their electoral campaigns a year before the scheduled polls to prevent the government from functioning."
"It would be better to close the file of the elections now and take care of the people's needs," Berri told his visitors.

Electricity on the Way

On another context, "al-Akhbar" Lebanese daily reported that " the negotiations between Lebanese government and the Turkish company for renting electricity generating ships met at the end of the last week."
According to ministerial sources, "the meetings have resulted in resolving a large number of issues in the contracts."

"Things are moving in a positive direction towards the solution and the conclusion of contracts," they informed the daily, pointing out that "Lebanon took from the company more than the expected."

The sources predicted that "the contract is to be concluded this week before raising it to the cabinet next week."
On another level, "al-Akhbar" reported that "diplomatic appointments are not to be on the ministerial agenda on Wednesday at the Grand Serail."
Ministerial sources informed the daily that "the session will discuss a regular agenda of 68 items."


Source: Lebanese dailies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org


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