[ad_1]
President Fouad Siniora said in an interview with the radio “Sawt al-Arab”: “From Israel we have become used to committing attacks that Lebanon condemns, and it is not something new. Rather, they are attacks that Israel repeats from time to time, and they are a source of concern for the Lebanese and a source of inconvenience and confusion for Lebanon. For decades, it has been committing such attacks that Lebanon has been suffering, due to their negative internal repercussions on it and its stability. “
Regarding the fire that broke out in the port of Beirut at a time when the results of the investigation of the first attack are not yet known, President Siniora said: “Lebanon was subjected to a seismic explosion forty days ago that destroyed great part of the port of Beirut and had devastating and dangerous results throughout the capital, Beirut. A large part of its buildings were damaged and, as a result, more than 200 martyrs were killed and 6,500 wounded, and the homes of nearly 300,000 Beirut residents were destroyed or damaged. “
He added: “We, as former heads of government, demanded that an international investigation be carried out the day after the suspicious and dangerous bombing, mainly because it looked more like a small nuclear bomb. It turns out that these ammonium nitrate materials were stored in the port, and they arrived suspiciously. ” It raises many doubts and was stored together with other explosive materials. That ship set sail and headed for Mozambique, as they say, but it arrived in Lebanon under a false pretense. And since these explosive materials were illegally unloaded in the port of Beirut, as Lebanon prohibits It is strictly forbidden to import these materials, and when they were stored in one of the port pavilions, it seemed that there was a hidden hand that supervises everything related to these materials in order to continue storing them in that warehouse, but also so that quantities of them are withdrawn in violation of the law.
He continued, “The paradox, that during that period, responsibilities were being shared among port officials, while that invisible hand continued in its constant effort to keep these materials stored in the port and safe from any measure to destroy or re-export them. After that, it becomes clear that a part of them does. ” The materials were taken from the port and transported to a place that we do not know. It was also found that the explosion is of its importance and destructive capacity, and through information provided by some Russian experts, that the amount that exploded does not exceed 300 tons of ammonium nitrate, while the weight reached the materials that originally arrived at aboard that ship and were deposited in the port warehouses amounted to 2755 tons, so where did the remaining quantities go?
And he added: “We have asked, as former heads of government, that an international investigation be carried out by a neutral body, not that the investigation be carried out by the military and security departments and agencies that were present and assume responsibility in the port, and there is a fear that the facts will be erased, and this is what the Lebanese will not be satisfied with. ” “.
Prime Minister Siniora said: “The second event, which occurred 5 days ago, was a large fire. The port warehouses were exposed to this suspicious fire, which indicates the magnitude of the great collapse suffered by the state administrations that, unfortunately, were They returned to a failed state. It is clear if that fire was the result of negligence, indifference or ignorance, but ultimately it was a massive and destructive fire, since it burned large amounts of goods and it is not yet known if it was deliberate, or if there are things that some sought to hide when turning it on. “
He added: “In the end, it is a fire that raises many doubts, just as it surrounded and continues to be the crime of bombing the port. This confirms the need for a neutral international team to clarify all the facts, and thus work to calm the anger of the Lebanese who have suffered in their lives, wounds and livelihoods. In short, these tremendous damages and suffering are not. ” The Lebanese accept it, and they do not accept to obscure what happened. They refuse to hide or conceal the facts. They want the facts to be fully disclosed about what happened and why. “
Regarding the formation of the government, and if there is anyone obstructing the reform process, he said: “In addressing any of the basic problems, and when there is a deviation from the right path, you must go back to the basic principles and principles. There is a Arabic saying that says: “Whoever neglects a Sharia issue May God ask”. What I mean by Sharia is the constitution, which is the Taif Agreement. The Lebanese constitution stipulates that when the government resigns, the President of the Republic must immediately initiate the parliamentary consultations that he is obliged to carry out and also links it to their results. Consequently, the President of the Republic assumes power with the presence of the President. The House of Representatives invites whoever is elected by the majority of the deputies to be assigned to form the government. Subsequently, the designated president must make his consultations, but he is not obliged to submit to everything that this Lebanese party says or declares or that, since it is supposed to form a harmonious government that matches its components with the prevailing conditions in the country, and capable of gaining confidence in the House of Representatives, that is, its ministerial formation will be able to win the support of the majority of parliamentary blocs, and then it will be able to begin to restore the confidence of the Lebanese in it, as well as begin to restore the trust of those Outside the Arab and international community. “
And if Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Hezbollah’s request to the Finance Ministry open the doors for other forces to demand action, he said: “The real test for the Prime Minister-designate is that his ministerial training will win the trust of the majority of the representatives in parliament. And the history of Lebanon, as well as what is stipulated in it. The Lebanese constitution is clear in this regard, as the constitution stipulates that no ministerial portfolio is the monopoly of those who belong to a particular sect and, in return, does not prevent anyone belonging to any of Lebanon’s eighteen sects from taking responsibility. of any ministerial portfolio.
He added: “In pre-Taif Lebanon, he assumed responsibility for a number of ministerial portfolios that are said to be sovereign portfolios, namely: defense, finance, domestic and foreign portfolios, people who do not belong to Lebanon’s main sects. Also, since the signing of the Taif Agreement, 19 governments have been formed so far 7. Among them, the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance was occupied by ministers belonging to the Shiite sect. As for the ministers of the Sunni sect eight times , the Maronite community three times and the Orthodox community once. This shows the continued adherence to this rule since the Taif Agreement and the Ministry of Finance was not the monopoly of the ministers belonging to Exclusively for the Shiite community. “
He continued: “It seems that behind this demand there is someone who is trying to mobilize the support of his supporters, based on President Berri’s demand that finance be Shiite, which has been his demand since 1992 and has not obtained it because it violates the constitution and there was no consensus on this in the Taif Accord. President Berri says this matter was discussed in meetings. ” The Taif Accord that was carried out in 1989, and the truth is that there are those who stayed alive who attended the Taif Accord and say that they did not find out about this lawsuit and it was not agreed to accept it. And suppose that the claim was obtained except that there was no consensus on the matter, and no one can try to impose it on the rest of the Lebanese. Claiming that it was agreed in Taif. If this matter had happened at that time, it would have been mentioned in the agreement as in the case of the Presidency of the Council of Representatives, as it was the insistence on electing the President of Parliament for a period of 4 years while he was in the passed and accepted the Taif Agreement for one year after year.
On the possibility of Iran and the United States agreeing to end the Lebanese crisis, President Siniora said: “It does not appear that there is an agreement between the two parties regarding the Middle East region, but rather an initiative that the president is taking. French Macron in Lebanon, and it seems that the United States does not care, even if it is Iran wants to recognize what it claims to be its interests in the region, and this matter has not yet been translated into a position in favor of him on the part of anyone, although the French continue in their position that distinguishes between the political Hezbollah and the Hezbollah armed militia. On the other hand, there is great pressure on the countries The European Union will follow the example of Great Britain and Germany, considering Hezbollah as a terrorist party, while France is still reluctant to comply with this demand There are therefore great risks that Iran and Hezbollah are feeling as a consequence of not responding to the French initiative, which It can lead France to follow the example of the rest of European countries and classify Hezbollah God is a terrorist. “
Regarding his opinion on the role of France in Lebanon, he said: “There is competition between the permanent members of the Security Council, but there is still coordination between at least three of the members. There is cooperation and distribution of roles in what is France doing, especially since this matter is not far from the United States. If the French initiative is successful, the United States can adopt it, and if it is not successful, it disavows it. This is normal in the relations of the main countries with each other, but States The United States maintains its own position on Iran. And the fear is that at the end of the matter, when they agree, the result will be at the expense of the Arabs, and if they differ, the result will also be at the expense of the Arabs. “
