“February 14” powers also failed to cause Hizbullah – FPM division

Source: Al Manar, 06-6-2006
Perhaps one of the most demanding places for balance is Lebanon, the small country of eighteen sects and different political trends and creeds.
Political leaders are numerous in this country. Some have personal interests and want to rule only "to take"; while others sacrificed and "gave" without reminding of their favors. They are Rulers and Knights, as some may call them.
On Monday, Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, denied the February 14 ruling majority the opportunity to drive a wedge between Hizbullah and the popular base on the one hand and cause division with the Christian based Free Patriotic Movement, with which it signed an historical understanding paper last February, on the other.
As the pro-February 14 media spared no effort to delude the public opinion and politically exploit last Thursday`s spontaneous protests against the mocking of Sayyed Nasrallah on a satire program on the local LBC television, Hizbullah`s chief made his statement: Although the party did not organize the protest, however it will not disavow those who took to the streets driven by their true sentiments towards a spiritual and resistance symbol they respect.
Not only did Sayyed Nasrallah take full responsibility for what happened, he also announced that Hizbullah will compensate those whose properties were damaged.
According to an interior ministry report, the damage across Lebanon was minor, some five car windows and fire in a few garbage containers, however a February 14 statement still insists that the extensive damage was done to private and public properties, without any evidence.
Sayyed Nasrallah said, "The February 14 statement also mentioned terrifying people. Where did this happen? Speaking of dangerous aggression against innocent people, public or private properties, mob-like attacks and attempts to target religious places, reveals the level these powers have reached in dealing with such incidents. Allow me to use this expression, but when lies are intensively used, those who use them undoubtedly have a political project which lacks concrete material and therefore, they use fabricated material to accomplish it".
The February 14 powers also failed to cause division between Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, at a time the pro-ruling media sought to instigate sectarian strife through portraying that last Thursday`s events were aimed against the Christians, 70% of whom represent the popular base of MP Michel Aoun`s movement.
Aoun said, "I reassure the Lebanese that no one can undermine stability in this country, because there are at least two major powers spreading across Lebanon, capable of keeping security under control. The proof is that the spontaneous protest could have developed into a state of major chaos, but Hizbullah was able to control it from the beginning, and was bold enough to take full responsibility for what took place. When something happens, it should be kept within its normal dimensions, and let the authority assume its responsibility."
But the concerned authority, or the interior ministry headed by acting minister Ahmad Fatfat, dealt with the incident as a side and not as a minister who should have been neutral.
Sayyed Nasrallah said, "We were being constantly told on Thursday that we have a state of law and institutions. Of course we doubt this. The ministers did not deal with the incident within the framework of the state of law and institutions, but as a political side. The interior minister says that he is a political foe to Hizbullah. How can he say this while being a minister? Let him leave the ministry and go back to the February 14 follow up committee and then say that he is Hizbullah`s political adversary. But you are a minister and you ought not to speak with this language."
After publishing his first report presented by security forces, on the beating of Sami, the son of former President Amin Gemayel, saying that Sami was beaten by Army and Security forces when he attacked them, as the footage shows, Fatfat ordered another investigation into the case, upon a phone call by Gemayel senior. Within two hours, Fatfat`s second report was published and dynamited the first report. It said that protesters beat Sami and his friends. But when the footage was broadcast, showing Sami aggressively trying to penetrate through security forces, Fatfat issued his third report, dynamiting the first two. He said that Sami was first beaten by the protester and then by the security forces.
The February 14 bloc thanked Fatfat for his quote boldness in dealing with the Gemayel incident and portrayed what happened on Thursday as a operational order to strain the situation. But Hizbullah was seeking since weeks to ease down political tension, ahead of next Thursday`s national dialogue session especially that a crucial issue is to be raised: the defensive strategy for Lebanon.
It goes without saying that facing whatever circumstances and not running from responsibility is a key constituent of a knightly behavior, while twisting facts for political ends, is something for the people to judge.