Hasan Lakkis| The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Cabinet plunged into paralysis Thursday as it failed to agree on the thorny issue of security appointments, deepening the country’s political crisis, though it authorized Army action in the northeastern town of Arsal.
After the government was unable to agree on a new head of the Internal Security Forces, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk signed a decree to postpone the retirement of Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous for two years, incurring the wrath of Free Patriotic Movement ministers.
The decree also tasked Brigadier Generals Fadi al-Hashem, Joseph Helou and Joseph Kallas to serve as acting heads of the ISF’s Gendarmerie Command, Mobile Gendarmerie Unit, and Inspector General respectively. Basbous had been scheduled to retire Friday.
Earlier in the day, Machnouk had proposed appointing Brig. Gen. Imad Othman, current head of the ISF Information Branch, to the top post, but no agreement was reached on the issue.
The appointments of a new ISF chief and Army commander have been extremely contentious. FPM leader Michel Aoun has strongly opposed extending the terms of the heads of the security services, demanding that the Cabinet appoint a new ISF head, and a new Army commander to replace Gen. Jean Kahwagi, due to retire in September. Aoun is lobbying for his son-in-law, Brig. Gen. Shamel Roukoz, to occupy the top Army post.
But the Future Movement and some Christian parties argue that a new Army commander should not be appointed before the election of a new president, as it should have a say in the process. They also supported the extension of Basbous’ term in order to avoid a vacancy in a key security post.
Commenting on the crisis, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said that the group’s ministers would block any Cabinet decision from now on, before security appointments are made.
“We will not allow the endorsement or even the discussion of any Cabinet decision before the issue of security appointments is resolved,” Bassil said at a news conference at Aoun’s Rabieh residence.
“Take your time and think about the matter, we are ready to discuss security appointments only in Cabinet,” he added, addressing government parties.
Bassil said that Machnouk had undermined the law by extending Basbous’ term, and that there has been “systematic targeting” of Christian posts in the country.
“Everyone admits that the person we are proposing to become Army commander is competent, but they oppose his appointment just like they oppose our strong presidential candidate, who is the most competent,” Bassil said, referring to Aoun.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam discussed the Cabinet crisis with Speaker Nabih Berri in a telephone call. Asked how long the paralysis in the Cabinet might last, Berri was quoted by his visitors Thursday evening as saying, “This depends on how it is resolved. Prime Minister Salam is being prudent, just like I was prudent when [major Christian parties] paralyzed Parliament.”
But although the government failed to reach a consensus on security appointments, it did manage to agree on tasking the Army with doing whatever is necessary to drive jihadis from the outskirts of Arsal.
“The Cabinet announces its full confidence in the Army and its leadership, and tasks it with carrying out the best assessment of the situation in the field and taking suitable decisions and measures to resolve any issue inside the town or in its surroundings,” Information Minister Ramzi Joreige said following the session.
The government stressed that there were no restrictions of any kind on the steps that the Army can take to liberate the outskirts of Arsal, Joreige added.
“The Cabinet decided to task the Lebanese Army with taking every measure needed to restore control, and to deploy inside the town of Arsal and protect it from aggression and the dangers posed by terrorist gunmen.”
Joreige said the Cabinet would continue discussions during next Thursday’s session.
Although Hezbollah had warned it would take matters into its own hands if the Army did not push Islamist militants from Arsal’s outskirts, the party did not wait for the government’s decision, launching a military operation in the area Wednesday. Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah is expected to comment on the issue and other local developments in a speech Friday.
FPM ministers expressed their reservations over the Cabinet’s decision on Arsal. “What is needed is a decision rather than a statement. We support tasking the Army [with clearing Arsal’s outskirts of jihadis] as stipulated in the statement, but we oppose the vagueness of it, and we are waiting for results,” Bassil said after the Cabinet session.