Hizbullah Says It Asked State to Protect Dahieh before Taking Own Measures http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/98186-hizbullah-says-it-asked-state-to-protect-dahieh-before-taking-own-measures
Hizbullah on Sunday noted that it had asked state authorities to protect its Dahieh stronghold and other areas following the deadly Rweiss blast, rejecting accusations that it was seeking “autonomous security.” “Hizbullah is not with autonomous security, but with all due honesty, we openly asked security forces and the highest-ranking officials to shoulder their responsibilities regrading security [[[and no one responded,”]]] Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek, head of Hizbullah's Juristic Committee, said. [[[[[[“What do you want us to do while you are saying that there are booby-trapped cars? Have you ever learned of a state that abandons the security of its people?” Yazbek told mourners during a commemoration ceremony in the Bekaa town of Ansar.]]]] Addressing “those who keep mentioning self-dissociation,” the top Hizbullah official said: “Does self-dissociation involve turning Lebanon into a corridor for sending gunmen and arms to Syria?” Meanwhile, Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said: “We believe that security is the responsibility of Lebanese security authorities and we also believe that the law is the responsibility of the Lebanese judiciary.”But Qassem revealed: [[[[["We communicated with the Lebanese security agencies and tasked a Hizbullah official to meet with the chiefs of security agencies, and we openly asked them to perform their duties and role.” “But they declared their impotence and said they could not provide the needed personnel or protect Dahieh and some other areas,”]]]] Qassem added. [[[[["We said that we do not accept such an answer and that authorities cannot say that they are powerless and that they must seek a solution. If the solution lies in increasing the number of personnel, then beef up the numbers. If the solution lies in boosting the budget, request the needed budget, and if the solution lies in a political decision, let us discuss how to take that political decision,”]]]]] Hizbullah's number two went on to say. He stressed that security agencies “are exclusively responsible for people's security and they must find the solution.” [[[[[“But until that happens, what should we do? Should we keep our regions vulnerable? Should we give a chance to criminals and Takfiris to stage hostile acts against people?” Qassem asked rhetorically.]]] [[[[[“To those saying that the state is the answer – while it is admitting its incapacity – we say: Should we keep the streets open to booby-trapped cars … and allow them to cause casualties? What kind of logic is this?”]]] he added.Hizbullah had beefed up its security measures in and around Beirut's southern suburbs in the wake of bomb attacks that targeted the Bir al-Abed and Rweiss areas and left dozens of people dead and scores others wounded.