Syrian efforts to arrest outspoken Lebanese parliament member causing crisis
Lebanon-Syria, Politics, 5/24/2006

The Syrian Government has the Interpol, the International Police, to arrest Lebanese leader and parliament member Walid Jumblatt by force to bring him to military court in Syria.

US Department Of State spokesman Sean McCormack said yesterday that this is a "provocative act on the part of the Syrian Government, adding "I think the Syrian Government should be more focused on complying with the UN Security -- outstanding UN Security Council resolutions that are out there right now. There was one that was just passed within the past week concerning their behavior which calls upon them to come into compliance with those resolutions. They might take a first step and actually open up an embassy in Beirut, something which they have failed to do thus far and something which the Lebanese Government has asked them to do. So I think they should really concentrate on getting their own house in order before they start issuing or requesting arrest warrants for political leaders in Lebanon."

McCormack added "We are always looking at where we stand with respect to the Syria Accountability Act, Peter. It's a, I think, nearly continuous exercise to see if we have our actions calibrated correctly to achieve the desired effect. I don't have any announcements today in that regard, but it's something that we're always looking at," but there are no immediate plans for any further sanctions on Syria.

The Lebanese parliament has set Tuesday for a discussion of this subject, and the so-called March 14th group has opposed any interference in Lebanon's sovereignty, and a response from the Shiite powers were expected by some in this regard. Parliament member Wael Abu Faaour said the parliament should make clear on Tuesday its condemnation of the Syrian act for Syria's interference in the rights of a Lebanese parliament member or any Lebanese citizen to speak freely his opinions without legal complications.

Though it did not relate a parliament infighting to this event, Lebanon's Daily Star reported that: "Parliament was suspended less than an hour after it began on Tuesday after a heated argument between Speaker Nabih Berri and a former minister. The incident began after MP Bahij Tabbara asked the speaker about a recent statement by Berri that "Damascus' doors were open for any Lebanese official." "We want to know," the former minister said, "if the open doors were those of Syria's prisons, or what?" Refusing to answer the question, Berri warned that he would walk out of the session if Tabbara did not address issues on the agenda. "If you want me to answer this question, get another speaker and I will go down to you and give you my answer... I haven't authorized you to speak," Berri said from his seat on a raised platform, to which Tabbara replied: "Then come down."

The Daily Star added: The speaker then stormed out of Parliament, stopping a few meters from Tabbara - held back by Information Minister Ghazi Aridi - and shouting: "You don't address me like that... You want to apply accountability on me? You cannot teach me lessons in patriotism."

Previous Stories:
  Junblat party: Lebanese demonstrations were political   (5/12/2006)
  Syrian court summons against Walid Junblat   (5/8/2006)
  Mubarak receives Jumblat   (5/8/2006)

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