Radio shutdowns continue, this time quietly

In conformity with the cabinet's decision to close unlicensed media in Lebanon, internal security forces surrounded the building of "The Voice of Beirut" radio station in Burj-Abu-Haidar, yesterday at noon, giving the station twenty four hours to close its doors. The station's management, run by the Lebanese National Conference (LNC), opted for a peaceful solution and ceased transmission at midnight, with verses of the Koran. The decision came after the interference of the country's grand mufti, Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani.

The Lebanese National Conference is headed by Kamal Shatela, who is living in Paris. In a statement aired by his station Mr. Shatela accused Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of "persistently attempting to subdue" those he does not want to face.

Meanwhile, the situation in Tripoli is back to normal after the chaos that accompanied the forcible closing of the Hilal television and Sawt-El-Haq radio station that are run by Sheikh Said Shaaban. The next targets are expected to be TV and radio stations belonging to breakaway leader Sheikh Sobhi Toufeili.