Hamadeh Hits Back at Aoun, Says His Ministers Hired 'Hizbullah Cronies' at Telecom Ministry
MP Marwan Hamadeh on Tuesday snapped back at Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun over remarks related to Hizbullah's controversial telecom grid in Zahle, accusing ministers loyal to Aoun of employing “Hizbullah cronies” at the Ministry of Telecommunications.
Aoun “protected Hizbullah's May 2008 coup against the Lebanese government, which tried back then to prevent Hizbullah from installing its illegal telecom network,” Hamadeh said, noting that the party “invaded the capital Beirut and attacked Mount Lebanon” to thwart the government's efforts.
Hamadeh reminded the FPM leader that former telecom “minister Jebran Bassil was the one who assumed the telecom ministry portfolio after the Doha settlement which followed the May coup, and it was him and the minister who succeeded him (Nicolas Sehnaoui) who brought Hizbullah cronies to the heart of the telecom ministry and technically abolished the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority."
The MP, who served as telecom minister in Fouad Saniora's cabinet, hailed “the residents, MPs and dignitaries of Zahle for their steadfastness” and lauded the municipality and residents of the Bekaa town of Tarshish, where a similar confrontation over Hizbullah's grid had taken place in the past.
Hamadeh called on the military and security institutions to “draw lessons from the vigor of the Lebanese public opinion and prevent any May 7-like coup.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Aoun said: “Whoever allowed Hizbullah to expand its telecommunications network in the Bekaa town of Zahle must resolve this issue to prevent unrest similar to that of May 7, 2008.”
“What did former Premier Fouad Saniora and then Ministers Marwan Hamadeh and Elias al-Murr do on May 5 and 7, 2008?” he asked.
Gunmen belonging to Hizbullah and its allies swept through Beirut’s neighborhoods on May 7, 2008 after the government of then PM Saniora tried to dismantle the group's telecommunications network, which Hizbullah says is for purely military purposes related to its conflict with Israel.
The fighting that left scores dead brought the country to the brink of a new civil war.
Tensions were running high in Zahle after members of Hizbullah attempted to expand the party's telecommunications network in the area on Sunday evening.
Residents of the city protested the move and temporarily blocked the road in the area.
The army soon intervened and set up checkpoints in the industrial zone and security forces deployed patrols in the city, which led to Hizbullah's withdrawal from the area.
There was an uproar in October 2011 when Hizbullah allegedly attempted to expand its telecommunications network in the Tarshish region on the outskirts of Zahle.
The residents thwarted the attempts and Telecommunications Ministry at the time denied the party was conducting any works in the region.
over 10 years
Hamadeh was the worst and most corrupt telecommunications minister in the history of the country. If there was any justice in Lebanon he would've been locked up for years for mass embezzlement of public funds.
over 10 years
really? any proof apart from your M8 propaganda? LOL
over 10 years
Whoever allowed Hizbullah to expand its telecommunications network in the Bekaa town of Zahle must resolve this issue to prevent unrest similar to that of May 7, 2008.”
“What did former Premier Fouad Saniora and then Ministers Marwan Hamadeh and Elias al-Murr do on May 5 and 7, 2008?” he asked.
perfectly true... aoun wants to do the same as the M14 ministers did in 2008! but at the time said the gvt had no right to do it! LOL!!!!
hypocrit FPM....
over 10 years
You nailed the sick man. Well done!
over 10 years
stop twisting things FT... the fact is aoun is calling for the dismantle of the line in zahle just like M14 wanted to dismantle it ... whenever built the fact remains that aoun is asking the same as M14 ministers did...
but aoun is right whreas M14 is not! LOL what a farce you are poor little sheep....
this telecom line is against the state of lebanon as it is NOT controled by lebanese but by your iranian mercenary friends... but we know how dear lebanese laws are for you , you just sit on it when it comes to defend an oulaw party....
over 10 years
Shouldn't the half-brained Fabrikante Marwan Hamadeh hit back at himself? After all, isn't it under his lonnnnnnnnnng tenure that the Hizbullah network was expanded upon and maintained? Oh, it was the Syrians AGAIN! Sorry Fabrikante. We did not know you were a collaborator and a man of... well... umm... duh... filthy principles THEN while Rafik Syria, Syria's best Rafic, was preaching the darouri, char3i wa mou2aqat while fleecing the Lebanese treasury! But then when the mou2aqat FINALLY proved to be that, the low life scum back piece of filth feudal warlord Walid Jumblat wanted the Syrians to REDEPLOY to the BEKAA! AMAN YA FRIGGIN RABBI! Let Fabrikante keep hitting back at the wrong time at the wrong crowd. But then isn't this the definition of a low life scum back piece of filth idiot?
over 10 years
Being in existence for decades does not change its legality.
over 10 years
Hizbullah born at your time you won all elections with them you reigned over lebanon fro years with them you slaughtered us n put us in jail when we said the word 'freedom'in 1988 n why in the first place you let the hizb grow up n get strong so please stop lecturing n if you r so wise just info us how the heck your going to take the hizb weapons i mean do you have a plan?!?! is it in war?? at least general has a plan if you let him work n stop facing him each time he does something
over 10 years
FT you really have your wires crossed, Aoun's first clash with the Syrians was supported by the LF, in fact they did most of the fighting and Aoun got the glory. Nevertheless, his only victory, although stolen, got to his head. And he wanted to disarm the whole country and put an end to the civil war. Although an admirable goal, why did he start with the LF and destroy the backbone of the Christian resistance? I'll tell you, the other sects agreed but on condition that his sect first disarms. The LF refused because they told him that he was being played. So disarming them by force was his option.
A move that destroyed the spine of the Christians and paved the way for HA to take over the country.
Thank you Aoun ! Tfeeh
over 10 years
FT: as for the LF helping the Syrians by bombing Aoun, The LF had been disarmed long before that, next thing your going to tell us that the LF piloted the planes that destroyed the Presidental Palace and killed all the soldiers that Aoun left behind. Aoun deserted and fled to France, and he wouldn't give the order to his troops to surrender. The French pleaded with him to do so, but he refused hoping that a miracle would occur. Two hundred of our bravest troops were bulldozed under the football grounds in Baabda because of this lunatic. Tfeeh.
over 10 years
LF cool!
over 10 years
well i had to say it: this militia that his talking about that 'served the lebanese & with a cedar tree on their flag' robbed the lebanese n bought talet me3rab !!
over 10 years
Who can believe one word of the caporal Aoun, «a political gangster» as wrote Alain Campiotti, a swiss reporter, in his book ?
Where was Aoun when his men were victims of the syrian armee ?
Marwan Hamadé proved his integrity. It's the reason because some people tried to kill him.
We don't never forget this fact.
A hero, a patriot who Bachar with the assistance of hezbolah tried to eliminate.
Thank you for defending Lebanon since day one mr hamadeh.