Latest news with #PetraAbouHaidar
LBCI
02-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Syria caught between Israeli airstrikes and US demands amid escalating internal unrest
Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Mariella Succar The Israeli strike early Friday near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus is being seen as a clear escalation in regional tensions. The strike was not merely a military operation but is being interpreted as one of several political messages directed at the Syrian government by Israel, backed by the United States. Although tensions had eased late Thursday in Suwayda province villages and Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in the Damascus countryside following meetings between Druze community representatives and Syrian officials, the calm did not last long. Clashes erupted in several Druze-majority villages near the Syrian-Jordanian border after armed militants attempted to infiltrate the area and targeted it with mortar shells and heavy machine gun fire. Syrian forces responded by deploying reinforcements between Suwayda and Daraa. The Israeli airstrike near the Syrian Presidential Palace further escalated the situation. It was coupled with a warning from Israel that it would not tolerate threats to the Druze community or the deployment of Syrian forces south of Damascus. Analysts believe the United States is closely aligned with Israel's approach as the situation evolves. Washington is pressuring President Ahmed al-Sharaa's administration to meet a series of demands as a condition for opening the door to normalized relations and the potential partial lifting of U.S. sanctions. These demands include the destruction of any remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons, the expulsion of foreign fighters from the country and preventing them from holding leadership roles in government, the appointment of a liaison officer to assist in locating missing American journalist Austin Tice, and granting the United States permission to carry out 'counterterrorism strikes.' Faced with these pressures, Al-Sharaa finds himself in a difficult position—caught between the heavy demands of the United States and significant internal challenges, including sectarian violence and questions of local legitimacy.
LBCI
28-04-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Mount Lebanon municipal elections: Preparations finalized with extensive security and technical measures
Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi One week before the municipal and local elections in Mount Lebanon, authorities are bracing for potential technical or security issues at polling stations. To ensure smooth operations, multiple support centers have been set up to assist voters, polling staff, and election officials. At the Interior Ministry, two dedicated units are ready: a call center and an operations room, both accessible through the hotline 1766. The call center will be staffed by Internal Security Forces (ISF) personnel and UNDP-trained employees, who are equipped to address issues like delays in delivering ballot boxes, problems with voters' identification documents, or disruptions in electricity and communications at voting centers. If a technical issue cannot be resolved at the call center, it will be escalated to the ministry's operations room, which includes representatives from security agencies, judges delegated by the Justice Ministry, senior officials, and ministry employees. In case of security incidents, such as disputes or disturbances, matters will be transferred to the ISF's operations room for appropriate response. The Interior Ministry's operations room, located in the hall named after the late General Wissam al-Hassan, was inaugurated Monday by the Interior Minister alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. It is connected to a centralized dashboard that links with the ISF's operations center, which monitors the security situation and coordinates units across the country. On election day, the General Director of Internal Security will oversee operations alongside senior officers to ensure the proper distribution of ballot boxes, the orderly start of the voting process, and immediate response to any security breaches. More than 8,000 security personnel will be deployed under a detailed plan to safeguard the electoral process. The Interior Ministry will continuously update voter turnout rates electronically on the shared dashboard. Although preparations are advanced, vote counting will proceed manually as in previous elections. Results will be transmitted from the heads of polling centers to the Mount Lebanon governorate through district centers before being sent to the Interior Ministry and published on the dashboard. Meanwhile, the Mount Lebanon governorate and district centers are finalizing their own plans to manage complaints and issues on election day, with details to be announced once preparations are complete.
