Political aspirant Ahmad Asaad came down heavily on Speaker Nabih Berri and accused him of acting as a âbrokerâ between the countryâs public institutions and the public. Berriâs policies âare taking the country back in time,â Asaad told a gathering in Bint Jbeil, adding that Berri has said that he worked for the interests of the Shiites, the South and Lebanon, but âthe governmentâs institutions are the ones doing this job using taxpayersâ money.â He said Berri changed the democratic system that historically existed in the South to a system of âtyranny and dictatorshipâ that he presided over. âYou canât ask the public to abide by the law when you are violating it,â Asaad added. Asaad called for the deployment of the [Lebanese] army in the South, saying this was the only way to ensure security and safety. He said that the public wanted the army to assume its role in the South, adding that âthe Lebanese government is the only party that can secure stability and security.â
| As opposed to Amal and Hezbollah and the Paleo "militias." |
Asaad, who is the son of former Speaker Kamel Asaad, urged the Syrian government âon behalf of all the free people in the Southâ to allow the Lebanese army to take control of the situation and stop what he described as violations. âWe are proud to be Arabs and we will fight the Israeli enemy,â he said, âbut Lebanon has sacrificed the most among Arab countries ⊠Enough!â Asaad added that he believed it was the duty of the central government to act to preserve the dignity of the South and its residents.
| When Arabs start talking about preserving their "dignity," it usually amounts to sticking their collective chin out and hollering "hit me!" |
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