By Hasan Lakkis
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati hit back Thursday at March 14 parties that have accused his Cabinet of failing to provide relief aid to Syrian refugees fleeing the turmoil in Syria, saying the opposition was using the issue to lash out at the government in an attempt to achieve political gains.
Addressing a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Grand Serail, Mikati said the government was doing its job to provide aid to the estimated 3,500 Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanese towns in the north near the border with Syria since the popular uprising began there in mid-March.
“It seems some parties want to use the issue of our Syrian brethren who were forced to flee to Lebanon as a result of the security events in Syria as an item for political exploitation and a chance to target the government with criticisms and campaigns whose objectives are known,” Mikati said, according to a statement read to reporters by Information Minister Walid Daouk.
Mikati said since Syrian citizens began fleeing to northern Lebanon, the government has dealt with this issue from a humanitarian standpoint, rejecting attempts to politicize it.
“The Lebanese state has done its humanitarian duties toward our Syrian brethren from all aspects and within the resources available to the Higher Relief Committee and the Social Affairs Ministry,” Mikati said. “We are determined to ensure care to the refugees.”
Mikati denied March 14 accusations that the government had halted medical care to the refugees.
The opposition March 14 parties, which strongly support the popular revolt against President Bashar Assad, have lambasted the government for failing to protect Syrian dissidents in Lebanon, stop Syrian incursions across the border and provide relief aid to the refugees.
Mikati dismissed rumors about an expected deterioration in the security station, calling it stable. He cited the flow of Arab tourists in large numbers to Lebanon to spend the Eid al-Adha holiday and the high rate of hotel occupancy last week.
He said spreading rumors about expected security incidents harmed Lebanon’s image and weakened the world’s confidence in the country’s security and stability. “It is not permissible to use the security dimension in political disputes,” he said.
“The growing touristic activity has confirmed Arab and international confidence in the situation in Lebanon, particularly the stable security situation, contrary to rumors spread in this regard which are aimed at creating panic and harming the prevailing stability in the country which has not been affected by normal individual incidents which were immediately dealt with,” Mikati said.
However, Mikati said this did not prevent attempts to continue beefing up security measures.
Mikati briefed the ministers on the results of his talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron. He said he had agreed with Cameron on “a mechanism to expand cooperation between the two countries.”
The Cabinet took several decisions, including the appointment of Brig. Fadi Khoury as acting director general of General Security, and the transfer of LL9.4 billion from the budget reserves to the Interior Ministry’s budget to build a prison in Deir Ammar in the north.
The Cabinet agreed to lease electricity generated by ships and formed a ministerial committee to study offers, Daouk said.
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