Naharnet

Baroud Says Only Political, Judicial Solution Would Give him Back his Rights

Ziad Baroud has said that the settlement for the army to take over the second floor of a building affiliated with the telecommunications ministry did not mean that the crisis was solved.

Baroud, who relieved himself of his duties as caretaker interior minister last week, said that he doesn’t consider himself involved with the settlement because a solution to Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi’s rejection to abide his orders was not found yet.

Rifi rejected to pull members of ISF’s Intelligence Bureau from the building on Thursday after Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas sought to dismantle equipment of a third GSM network at the facility’s second floor in Beirut’s Adliyeh area.

Baroud told his visitors that the army’s presence in the building does not give way for a political and judicial solution. “It doesn’t also give me my right because the withdrawal of members of the Intelligence Bureau did not come in response to a minister’s order.”

The visitors told As Safir daily on Monday that Baroud would return to his caretaking tasks if the “big mistake was corrected.”

He lamented that Rifi’s behavior was disrespectful towards President Michel Suleiman given that Baroud is part of his share in the government.


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