Najib Miqati has declared that Friday will be a day of national mourning for the victims of the blast that hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday, noting that the Higher Defense Council will convene to discuss the incident."Once again the hand of treachery and the flames of hatred have targeted civilians in a dear Lebanese region that has been known for its enormous steadfastness in the face of the Israeli enemy's malevolence and plots," Miqati said in a statement.
"This blast indicates that the hand of evil is still tampering with this country and its security, safety and all assets," Miqati warned.
He said that "the real solution does not lie in condemnations, but rather in sitting together around the dialogue table without preconditions in order to salvage the country."
The premier added that following consultations with President Michel Suleiman
...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
, it was decided to hold a meeting for the Higher Defense Council at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the presidential palace in Baabda.
According to the statement, Miqati also held contacts with caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and the chiefs of security agencies to follow up on the repercussions of the bombing and the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
For his part, Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam condemned the kaboom as a "barbaric act," urging the Lebanese citizens and political forces to "show solidarity and national unity to fend off those who want to tamper with the country's security."