Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri vowed on Friday that the House "would be the first to fight any attempt to set up a military regime,” but cautioned the opposition against statements that would undermine the army's credibility, reported the Daily Star.
Emerging from the conspicuous silence he had maintained during the recent political crisis, despite a hint of support for President Emile Lahoud, Berri admitted that Parliament had "courted" the head of state when it endorsed on August 13 amendments to the Criminal Procedures Law that he had demanded.
But he insisted that "this was no crime" and the vote was taken in accordance with the law, rejecting accusations from the opposition, led by his maverick ally, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, that the vote constituted a "bloodless coup" to strengthen the grip of the president and the military establishment on the legislature.
Berri spoke at a massive rally in Bint Jbeil to mark the 23rd anniversary of the disappearance of top Shiite leader Moussa Sadr while on a visit to Libya.
Tens of thousands of people converged on the town's sports stadium for the event, organized by the Amal Movement, which Sadr founded and Berri now heads.
"Libyan President Moammar Kadhafi and Zionism are two faces of the same coin" read banners hoisted in the streets of Bint Jbeil.
People flocked to the festival area starting from the early morning. By 3:00pm, the huge open field had been filled, and there were no seats left under the giant tent.
Lahoud sent Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares to represent him at the event, while Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri dispatched Finance Minister Fouad Siniora.
In their speeches, they appealed for help to shed light on Sadr's fate.
His keynote address at the rally dwelled heavily on regional tensions, offering backing for the Palestinian Intifada and punctuating his remarks with blistering assaults on Israel and its prime minister, Ariel Sharon, said the paper.
He called on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to join the "diamond triangle" of Syria, Lebanon and Iran.
This alliance, he said, had chased the Israelis out of the south last year.
"Israel is waging a heated, explosive war with all kinds of lethal weapons, through terrorism on the Palestinian front," Berri said, cautioning against the spread of violence to the Lebanese border.
Israel this month has been making repeated charges that a large-scale Hizbollah attack is being prepared along the border – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
