Saudi Letter Seeks Lebanese Intelligence Cooperation against Hizbullah, Jalili in Beirut

Organized Campaign against Gov't, GS

In this context, "as-Safir" Lebanese daily commented on the joint National Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt- March 14 campaign against the General Security.
This came after the mentioned security agency deported 14 Syrian for their criminal acts on the Lebanese territories.

"As some parties didn't hesitate to politically blackmail the issue of 14 criminal
Syrians to their country, the decision turned to a platform for lunching a violent attack on the government and the General Security," the paper highlighted.
It furthest noted that the organized campaign came to confront "the government i.e. trying to reactivate its work."

In parallel, the government succeeded till Lebanon in passing crucial livelihood and political file.

Mikati To Critics: Do You want Chaos?

Prime Minister Najib Mikati Mikati slammed the campaign.
In an interview to "as-Safir", the premier wondered: "do they want the country to be exposed to security dangers? Do they want chaos?"
"Those who were deported forms a daily threat to the citizen's security, because of the criminal files, and these are the limits of matter," Mikati confirmed.

He also emphasized that he "is committed to achieving a balance between respect for the laws in force, to protect Lebanon's internal security and adherence to Human Rights."
Moreover, Mikati stressed that "the violent campaign against the government, with all weapons[means], gives the impression that it is not working."
"We were almost to believe such claims. However, a bit of verification clarifies that the government has made and is still recording a lot of achievements," Mikati added.

He further addressed his critics by saying: "He who has an alternative must propose it"
"I am ready to clear the scene for them but everyone knows that in these circumstances there is no better than this government. However, the lack of an alternative does not absolve the government from being more productive," the PM clarified.

On this level, he explained that " there is a need in this area to enhance the interaction between the ministries, so that not each one forms a stand-alone island."
"More coordination among different ministries will improve the government's work," Mikati stated.
Asked about oil governing body, Mikati explained that he is ready to put it on the ministerial agenda as soon as he receives the proposal from the concerned minister, Energy and Water Minister Gibran Bassil.
As-Safir has learned that "618 people have announced their candidacies for the body and Bassil is working on choosing the best of them and refer the issue to the government for approval."

In parallel, Mikati predicted that "there is likely a rate 90% rate that the cabinet endorses an electoral draft law on its Monday session."
"Otherwise we need an additional session and no more," he confirmed.
For its part, "al-Akhbar" daily quoted a ministerial source as saying: "The government will only discuss the electoral law in its first meeting at the presidential summer palace in Beiteddine on Monday unless a minister presents an issue related to his ministry."

The source explained that "a second normal governmental session will be held next Wednesday at with an administrative agenda away from appointments."
"The judicial and diplomatic appointments are not included on the agenda, except they are to be added later," he noted.

Saudi Letter Seeks Lebanese Intelligence Cooperation against Hizbullah

On another level, the same daily unveiled that "the Lebanese state had received a letter from Saudi Arabia, asking for Lebanon's intelligence cooperation with it."
"This intelligence cooperation includes several countries led by the US," the letter clarified and pointed out that "the objective of the cooperation is to monitor the entry of weapons from Syria to Lebanon."

However, the paper warned that "the implicit goal of such intelligence effort is Hizbullah's arms."
It further mentioned that "the demand arrived to Lebanon through a letter sent by the Saudi Foreign Ministry to the Lebanese Embassy in Riyadh."
"The KSA's government, in the context of its review to the future events in Syria and risks of leakage of any kind of weapons from Syrian territory to neighboring countries and then its access Saudi Arabia, hopes to cooperate with the Lebanese government in exchanging intelligence information of about the subject," the Saudi letter read.

Al-Ahkbar viewed that "such demand would have technically been understood if it had been limited to monitor the smuggling of non-conventional weapons."
"However, the Saudi letter used the term "any weapon"," the paper mentioned and noted that it didn't specify the type of forces, which it fears to be the weapons receiver."
It highlighted that "the letter just indicated the Lebanese territories as the receiving region."
"What the Saudi letter demands from Lebanon is to join the Western-"Israeli" intelligence effort that existed since the pre-Syrian crisis," al-Akhbar stated.

The paper revealed that the real aim " is goal to monitor the line of arm supply of the Lebanese resistance [Hizbullah] in Lebanon through Syria."
"The new indication in this demand is the attempt to establish a common intelligence mechanism with the Lebanese government to monitor the supply of resistance through Syria, under the title that Damascus has turned to a failing state and there is a regional fear of smuggling of weapons to non-disciplined terrorist organization," the paper said.
"Al-Akhbar" stated that "in case Lebanon agreed to this idea, it is not unlikely that this procedure is dubs Hizbullah as a "terrorist organization that benefits from the smuggling of weapons as a result of Syrian chaos."

Jalili in Beirut

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, will arrive in Beirut Monday where he is to hold talks with top Lebanese officials.

The Iranian official is to discuss regional and international developments as well as bilateral ties with President Michel Suleiman at his summer residence in Beiteddine.

He will also hold talks with House Speaker Nabih Berri, PM Mikati and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. Jalili will attend an iftar banquet Monday organized by the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon on the occasion of al-Quds Day and Iran's Journalist Day, as Tehran intensifies its campaign to support the Palestinian cause.
Lebanese, Iranian and Palestinian officials have been invited to the event.

Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org