MP Nicolas to Al-Manar Wesbite: Telecoms Ministry Incident Very Dangerous

Hussein Assi

MP Nabil Nicolas to Al-Manar Wesbite:

• What Happened in Telecoms Ministry Very Dangerous
• Rifi’s Statement Untrue; Baroud Should Have Sued Him
• No Trust Crisis with Miqati from Our Side
• If Miqati Wants to Visit Aoun, He’s Welcome… Otherwise, He’s Free!

Member of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Lebanon MP Nabil Nicolas slammed as “very dangerous” Thursday’s events at the Telecoms Ministry where some 400 heavily-equipped members from the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch banned Telecoms Minister in the caretaker government Charbel Nahhas from entering the second story of the building attached to the ministry in Beirut. According to reports, a third telephone networks existed on the second floor; one that was established in 2007 yet not made available to Lebanese. The Information Branch’s behavior posed major questions on the nature of the Ogero-Mobile network and the purpose of its existence. MP Nicolas said that the incidents “signal a very dangerous development” and wondered who could guarantee that the recently-discovered network is not one for spying on the Resistance.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar website, Nicolas rejected the statements made by ISF chief Ashraf Rifi about a personal conflict with Minister Nahhas as untrue. He said Interior Minister in the caretaker government Ziad Baroud should have referred Rifi to the concerned justice authorities.

The MP found strange the news about Dar Al-Fatwa’s (top Sunni religious authority in Lebanon) intention to sue Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for “inciting strife” according to a WikiLeaks document in which former Justice Minister Charles Rizq, not Aoun, was quoted. He wondered why Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Kabbani only acted now, and was not provoked with slogans such as “the Sunni giant woke up”. (In reference to pro-Future Movement journalist Mohamad Salam’s remarks during the bloody events in Tripoli, north of Lebanon, earlier this year)

On the cabinet crisis, Nicolas denied the presence of a confidence crisis, at least from the FPM side. While wondering about the reasons behind what he described as “the battles launched by Miqati against Aoun”, he stressed that “no one asked Miqati to declare the cabinet from Aoun’s residence in Rabieh”.

WHAT HAPPENED IN TELECOMS MINISTRY IS VERY DANGEROUS

Commenting on the incidents which erupted on the second story of the Telecoms ministry building attached to the ministry in Beirut, Nicolas noted that the security forces deployed to protect the network did not correspond to the number of personnel usually deployed to protect an official building. He called on the judicial authorities to assume their responsibilities in this regard.

Nicolas urged Attorney General Judge Said Mirza to act, as well as the presidency and speakership. He stressed the need for all authorities to take action to deal with the situation. “Who can guarantee us that the recently-discovered network is not aimed at spying on the resistance?” he asked.

RIFI’S STATEMENT UNTRUE

While noting that all coups in the world start from the Telecoms networks, Nicolas slammed ISF Chief Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi’s comments about old problems with Telecoms Minister Charbel Nahhas as untrue.

Commenting on Rifi’s claims that he was carrying out orders by OGERO’s director Abdul Menhem Youssef, Nicolas noted that Minister Nahhas was still Youssef’s supperior. “Therefore, when the minister asks something which contradicts the demands of his employees, the minister’s opinion must be taken into consideration,” he said.

Nicolas stressed that what happened was “actually a riot”. He said that the FPM’s allies should be asked about their stances towards these incidents.

BAROUD SHOULD HAVE REFERRED RIFI TO JUSTICE AUTHORITIES

The Lebanese lawmaker said he had wished Interior Minister in the caretaker government Ziad Baroud had taken his decision to “refer Rifi to justice authorities first, and then let him do whatever he wants.”

He said that Baroud’s cry was “righteous, as he could not make achievements in his ministry while being pushed by President Michel Sleiman towards complete fiasco”.

According to Nicolas, Baroud’s statement was tantamount to holding President Sleiman responsible. “Baroud spoke about a direct responsibility of the head of the state who is believed to be the Constitution’s guardian”. He wondered “why the president did not order the army to evacuate the building from Information Branch personnel and end the riots”.

The MP denied the fact that Minister Baroud had no power to take a decision against Rifi. “After the Taef agreement, the minister became everything in his ministry,” he pointed out.

He rejected what some say is fear of vendetta against Rifi and other officials by the new majority in Lebanon. “Any officer who assumes his duties should not fear revenge. However, some should be questioned, especially in such a sensitive ministry.”

DOES CHARLES RIZQ HAVE ANY CREDIBILITY?

Nicolas tackled, during his interview with Al-Manar website, the news about Dar Al-Fatwa’s intention to sue Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for “inciting strife”, based on the contents of one WikiLeaks document.

He clarified that the document was not about a meeting between Aoun and the Americans, but about a meeting with former Minister Charles Rizq who claimed the statement was false, given that Aoun has sued him.

However Nicolas did not doubt the accuracy of the WikiLeaks documents, but questioned the credibility of Rizq himself, whose experience with former President Emile Lahoud is notorious.

Nicolas also wondered why Dar Al-Fatwa was seeking to create a sectarian problem in the country especially that Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Qabbani was not provoked by slogans such as “the Sunni Giant woke up.”

He also asked why Dar Al-Fatwa did not sue other officials who incited Americans against the Resistance and who frankly called for assassinating Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah.

NO ONE URGED MIQATI TO DECLARE CABINET FROM RABIEH

On the cabinet crisis, Nicolas agreed with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah that foreign pressures are delaying the cabinet formation. “Nothing can be said after Sayyed Nasrallah,” he said. Nicolas recalled reminded of recent visit by US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman to Lebanon and predicted “things could not be resolved following that visit and that something would happen”.

The FPM MP said the effective confidence crisis with Prime Minister-Designate Najib Miqati was from the latter’s side, not the FPM said. “We are the ones who gave him our confidence,” he noted.

Asked about Miqati’s refusal to announce the cabinet from Aoun’s resident and that he’s not willing to visit Aoun, Nicolas said that “no one asked Miqati to visit Aoun. If he would like to visit the General, then he’s more than welcome. If not, he’s free to do whatever he wants,” Nicolas said.

LET MIQATI TELL US THE NUMBER OF HIS BLOC LAWMAKERS

Asked whether it was helpful that Miqati and Aoun do not meet while they should be cooperating to form the government, Nicolas answered that “Power Minister Gebran Bassil as well as Hezbollah Secretary General’s political assistant Hajj Hussein Khalil and Speaker Nabih Berri’s political advisor MP Ali Hasan Khalil are dealing with the issue, and this is fair enough.”

The MP wondered whether Miqati was expecting Aoun to visit him on a daily basis “to be satisfied”. “No, this is too much for Miqati,” Nicolas said. “First, Aoun is a former premier who once enjoyed the president’s authorities. Even more, Aoun heads a parliamentary bloc, which includes 28 lawmakers. Let Miqati tell us how many lawmakers he has in his parliamentary bloc,” he went on to say.

Asked about whether he agrees with Marada movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh who said that the new majority did not make a mistake when it nominated Miqati to form the government, Nicolas said that “the whole majority agreed on nominating him. However, love from one side is not possible.”

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian