Ya Libnan

Charbel defends Rifi’s role in Tripoli, North Lebanon

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marwan charbelInterior Minister Marwan Charbel defended former Internal Security Forces chief General Ashraf Rifi’s role in Tripoli and said that Rifi is working to calm down the situation in the city.

“Rifi is working to calm down the situation in Tripoli, contrary to the accusations against him that he was running battlefronts in the city,” Charbel said in an interview with Al-Joumhouria newspaper.

Charbel also denied any involvement of the ISF or the Information Branch in the clashes. He also denied that the apparatus stood by the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood against its rival Jabal Mohsen.

He also said that Rifi had the right to give his opinion on the situation in Tripoli, “because he is no longer [in office], he is retired.”

“Rifi does not do anything against the law. I worked with him for a long period of time in the Interior Ministry and his goal is to achieve security and apply the law,” Charbel noted.

Turning to the situation in Tripoli, the interior minister said that the battles in Tripoli would come to an end once the conflict in Syria is resolved.

“What is happening is beyond the power of the state, and we cannot [end] it,” Charbel said,

“Everyone is involved in the clashes in Tripoli… and it has become clear that there will be no solution [because] if you want to know what is happening in Tripoli you need to know first what is happening in Syria,” the interior minister added.

Fierce sectarian clashes erupted between the Alawite-populated neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and neighboring Sunni areas on Sunday, leaving at least 20 people dead as of Friday morning.

The fighting in Tripoli erupted as Syrian regime troops backed by Hezbollah attempted to storm Al-Qusayr, a strategic rebel stronghold linking Damascus to the Mediterranean coast.

Jabal Mohsen residents have frequently clashed with locals from neighboring areas in the troubled northern city of Tripoli. These recurrent disputes triggered by sectarian differences also reflect a split in Lebanon’s political scene in which the March 14 coalition back the revolt in Syria while the March 8 alliance, led by Hezbollah, supports the Damascus regime.

Meanwhile, Rifi said on Thursday said that the clashes that erupted on Sunday in Tripoli aimed to turn attention away from the Syrian regime and Hezbollah’s attacks against Al-Qusayr.

“There are some [parties] who made a miscalculation on the ground in the town of Al-Qusayr, and they are trying to turn attention to Tripoli,” Rifi told LBC television in an implicit reference to the military campaign waged by Syria and Hezbollah against the rebel-held Syrian town.

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4 responses to “Charbel defends Rifi’s role in Tripoli, North Lebanon”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    “Everyone is involved in the clashes in Tripoli …. ” NO THEY ARE NOT !! What BS, Charbel.
    Unless by ‘involved’ you mean the women and kids hiding in fear and hunger, or the ones who brave bullets to go and protest all guns and wish it would stop, or the relatively few who managed to live past 65 with a lifetime of stress. They are ‘involved’, it seems.
    The only reason there is ‘no solution’ is because you in government won’t make one.
    TASK the LAF to go door to door – methodically – and search for the weapons stores, just like Hitler searched for Jews. Make a pogrom against ALL weapons. And if anyone starts a fight, take them out.
    Too simple for Lebanon, I know, but don’t say ‘everyone’ is involved.
    After that, they can whack at each other with kitchens knives … who cares? At least there would be some peace and quiet at night.

    1. kamille1 Avatar
      kamille1

      this is such a shame, that a minister in our government, tells his people there is nothing we can do..what we need is somebody with 2 big balls that will dare put his feet down and do whatever is necessary to disarm those few individuals that are running the show. i was in tripoli last year around this time when we had few days like they experienced this time , i thought i was back in the 80’s, unbelievable. unfortunately it is going to take another civil war to end the previous one.

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    “Everyone is involved in the clashes in Tripoli …. ” NO THEY ARE NOT !! What BS, Charbel.
    Unless by ‘involved’ you mean the women and kids hiding in fear and hunger, or the ones who brave bullets to go and protest all guns and wish it would stop, or the relatively few who managed to live past 65. They are ‘involved’, it seems.
    The only reason there is ‘no solution’ is because you in government won’t make one.
    TASK the LAF to go door to door – methodically – and search for the weapons stores, just like Hitler searched for Jews. Make a pogrom against ALL weapons. And if anyone starts a fight, take them out.
    Too simple for Lebanon, I know, but don’t say ‘everyone’ is involved.
    Affter that, they can whack at each other with kitchens knives … who cares? At least there would be some peace and quiet.

    1. kamille1 Avatar
      kamille1

      this is such a shame, that a minister in our government, tells his people there is nothing we can do..what we need is somebody with 2 big balls that will dare put his feet down and do whatever is necessary to disarm those few individuals that are running the show. i was in tripoli last year around this time when we had few days like they experienced this time , i thought i was back in the 80’s, unbelievable. unfortunately it is going to take another civil war to end the previous one.

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