Outrage as Telecoms Minister forcibly denied entry into own Ministry

Australia: The United Australian Lebanese Movement (UALM) is outraged that in this day and age, Lebanon?s Telecommunications? Minister Charbel Nahas is forcibly denied entry to inspect an illegal mobile phone network operating outside the oversight or the knowledge of the Lebanese Government.Information is emerging that this equipment was donated by China to Lebanon in 2007 for the purposes of testing, however the equipment is being used to run an illegal third mobile phone network outside the Lebanese state?s knowledge.On the 26th of May upon trying to enter the building owned by the Ministry accompanied by two General Managers and a technical team, Minister Nahas was confronted by 400 heavily armed members of the ?Information Branch? a unit within Lebanon?s Internal Security Forces (ISF). The ISF lead by Brigadier Ashraf Rifi, a close ally of Lebanon's care taker Prime Minister Saadedine Hariri (who has been spending more time in Saudi Arabia than in Lebanon since his government toppled after mass resignations), the Information Branch within the ISF has been operating outside the control of the state, arbitrarily arresting and imprisoning people without any judicial oversight questioning their actions or monitoring their budget. Their protection of imprisoned members of Fateh Islam (an Al Qaeda inspired terrorist groups such as that waged a brutal war with the Lebanese Army in 2007) has even raised eyebrows of the United States who along with Saudi Arabia back Hariri?s Future Movement.Another shocking event is the blatant refusal by Rifi to follow orders of Interior Minister Ziad Baroud to withdraw his troops from the Telecoms Ministry prompting Baroud to resign his post.� Baroud was appointed by President Michel Sulieman but has been impotent to achieve anything since he is not backed by political cover to implement needed changes within the Interior Ministry.� In an admission of his failure to run the Ministry, Baroud has now taken up in his residence.Sulieman along with Najib Mikati (who has been appointed to form a new government) have been locking horns with the new majority lead by Change of Reform Bloc of which Minister Nahas is a member.� The Change and Reform Bloc have been insisting on the appointment of reformist Ministers to clean up the country of 20 years of institutionalised corruption and improve the economic and security situation.Questions are starting to emerge in Lebanon and by the Lebanese Diaspora; why does the Information Branch operate outside the State?s control? Why do they have their own illegal phone network?� Why were 400 heavily armed troops (many of which in civilian clothing) sent down to prevent the Telecommunications Minister from entering his own Ministry?In a country where assassinations have been plaguing the populace the last 6 years in addition to the attack on UN Peacekeepers two days after the Telecom Ministry event, these questions among many others must be answered.The UALM calls upon a speedy government formation with reformists and parliamentary blocs given their fare share based on the size of their blocs.� This incident at the Telecoms Ministry is just another example of how rampant the corruption and violations of the country has been by those perceived as ?pro Western?.The United Australian Lebanese MovementMedia Office

Source: http://www.tayyar.org/Tayyar/News/PoliticalNews/en-US/129510669678409633.htm

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