March 14: Dahieh Security Plan Must Compel State to Take Control of Arms

The March 14 General Secretariat hailed on Tuesday the security forces' deployment in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahieh on Monday.

It said after its weekly meeting: “The security plan in Dahieh should act as a precursor to the state implementing its right to take control of all arms throughout Lebanon.”

It hoped that the measures in Dahieh will be implemented throughout the country.

Around 1,000 army troops and security forces deployed Monday in Dahieh where Hizbullah normally keeps a tight grip on security.

The security points were established after car bombings in the area killed 27 people on August 15 and wounded more than 50 on July 9.

Following the bombings, Hizbullah turned the southern suburbs into a fortress with guards in civilian clothes policing the streets, stopping and searching cars, and asking motorists for their identity cards.

Addressing President Michel Suleiman's participation at the United Nations General Assembly, the March 14 General Secretariat remarked: “We praise the president and international forces' efforts to provide all of Lebanon's needs during this critical time in the region.”

“The political, diplomatic, military, and financial aid will help it overcome the pressures that are threatening its political, social, economic, and security stability,” it continued.

It thanked the international support group for addressing the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

It hoped that the international community would offer “clear and tangible support for the complete implementation of U.N. Security Resolution 1701 and the Baabda Declaration, which is based on keeping Lebanon away from regional crises.”

Suleiman will address world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, Suleiman along with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will head a meeting of an international support group for Lebanon, which is burdened by the flow of refugees from Syria.

The meeting, which will include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, will examine ways to help Lebanon maintain political stability and security, and confront the continuous flow of Syrian refugees.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR has registered more than 746,000 Syrians in Lebanon, though many others remain unregistered.

The Lebanese government puts the number of Syrians in the country at 1.3 million, though that figure includes Syrians who were already in the country when the conflict began 30 months ago.