Most MPs who addressed the House yesterday chose to tackle the issue of security, blasting the inefficiency of the Government and the country's security bodies. Nicolas Fattoush complained that Hariri was unable to act against "transgressions of authority" by unnamed officials. "We would like to know whether [Hariri] is willing but powerless, or unwilling and inept," he added.
In February, former Minister Elie Hobeika was assassinated by a car bomb. A Palestinian official, Jihad Jibril, was killed 10 days ago in similar fashion. Meanwhile, the country was shaken by the murder earlier this month of Lebanese Forces official Ramzi Irani. Western Beka'a MP Robert Ghanem said that it was difficult to predict such incidents, but the security services should at least find those responsible for them.
Kesrouan MP Farid Khazen accused the security bodies of failing to fulfill their job because they were busy with politics. He called on Parliament to condemn Irani's assassination. However, Batroun MP Butros Harb said "Parliament's role is not to denounce the murder, but to hold the Government accountable" for its inability to deal with such events. He also claimed that security officials are busy elsewhere." State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum had informed him that there was nothing new about the Irani case!
