April 2015 Highlights
April 1
Heated arguments over the PM’s position towards developments in Yemen mark the Cabinet session; and Hezbollah says Tammam Salam’s remarks do not represent Lebanon’s official position. The Cabinet appoints Mount Lebanon Governor Fouad Fleifel as the Cabinet’s Secretary General in succession to Souhail Bouji and keeps him in his position as acting Governor. Bouji remains in the Serail as advisor to PM Tammam Salam.
Tit for tat kidnappings between Syrians and the residents of Ersal.
Media war erupts between al-Jadeed and LBC after the latter broadcasted a report on the rows between Hezbollah and al-Jadeed television. Al-Jadeed fired back by airing a report on Pierre Daher’s beginnings at the Lebanese Forces.
April 2
Speaker Nabih Berri adjourns the 21st session scheduled to elect a new president until April 22 due to lack of quorum with only 43 MPs attending.
The Lebanese Army Intelligence receives from An-Nussra Front, through the Committee of Scholars of Qalamoun, the body of soldier Ali Bazzal in order to hand it over to his parents. Bazzal’s father holds Sheikh Mosatafa Houjeiry responsible for the death of Ali.
Economic, agricultural and industrial events caution of the disaster that Lebanon will suffer as a result of the closure of the Nasib border crossing between Jordan and Syria, after it was captured by the Syrian opposition, for this crossing is Lebanon’s portal to the Gulf.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil holds a press conference where he emphasizes the importance of national unity and Arab solidarity and commends the resistance.
Hezbollah and the Future Movement hold their ninth dialogue session in Ain Tineh.
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil visits the headquarters of the Regie Libanaise des Tabacs et Tombacs and emphasizes the discovery of large-scale smuggling.
April 3
Lebanese towns celebrate Good Friday mass.
Syrian rebels abduct a number of Lebanese truck drivers on the Jordanian border and demand ransom for their release.
Patriarch al-Rai receives the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and his wife Strida. Geagea says the US-Iran nuclear deal will not bring Lebanon any benefits.
April 4
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Assiri reveals that a group of lawyers has been designated to sue Al-Akhbar for assaulting Saudi leaders, stressing that the newspaper has crossed the line. Hezbollah expresses solidarity with Al-Akhbar.
Drug Office patrol comes under fire during a crackdown on the neighborhood of the Zouaiter family.
Maronite Patriarach al-Rai renews his call for MPs to elect a president during his Easter speech.
April 5
Syrian militants release Lebanese national Hussein Seifeddine, resident of Hosh el-Rafiqa, after having kidnapped him from the border town of Ersal and held him for days.
Six of the kidnapped truck drivers return from the Nasib border crossing and the fate of the remaining five remains unknown.
April 6
US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Lebanese officials and reiterates that the presidential election is a strictly Lebanese matter adding that Hezbollah’s entry to Syria brings harm to both Lebanon and Syria. Blinken also visits MP Walid Jumblat.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah tells Al-Ikhbariyyah TV that his views are justified when it comes to the Yemen issue and renews his attack on Saudi Arabia. Nasrallah says the Qalamoun battle is a Lebanese-Syrian issue.
Maronite Patriarch al-Rai leads annual mass in honor of France and accuses a political group of failing in their electoral duty.
Security forces thwart an attempt to smuggle 3.5 tons of hashish from Lebanon to Egypt.
Proponents of Al-Akhbar stage a protest of solidarity condemning the positions of the Saudi ambassador.
April 7
Spanish King Philip arrives in Lebanon and inspects the Spanish contingent in UNIFIL in South Lebanon. He later visits PM Tammam Salam.
The Lebanese Army carries out a military operation in the outskirts of Ras Baalbeck to clamp down on terrorists.
Information Minister Ramzi Jreij apologizes to Saudi ambassador Ali Awad Asiri over Tele Liban’s broadcast of an interview with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during which he renewed his harsh criticism of the kingdom; he promises to investigate the matter.
Following its weekly meeting, the Change and Reform Bloc warns against extending the mandate of security leaders and calls for new appointments much like the appointments made in the Banking Supervision Committee. The Bloc applauds the Iranian nuclear deal.
The Future Parliamentary Bloc welcomes the Iranian nuclear deal and encourages Iran to stop exporting sectarian strife.
Families of the Abra martyrs hold a press conference cautioning from any compromise at the expense of their children.
April 8
Special envoy of the Iranian President and Foreign Minister Mortada Sarmadi emphasizes during his visit to Lebanon that the military donation destined to the Lebanese Army will resume after lifting sanctions.
Former PM Saad Hariri regrets that Tele Liban has aired Nasrallah’s interview and lashes out at both Nasrallah and Bashar Assad.
A media gathering at the Faculty of Information and Documentation at the Lebanese University voices solidarity with Al-Jadeed television in the STL summons issue.
The Cabinet designates the Agriculture Minister to look into the possibility of transporting agricultural commodities overland and appoints members of the Exclusive Economic Zone in Tripoli under the chairmanship of former minister Rayya Hassan. Among the other decisions is the appointment of Firas Rabih al-Abyad as a chairman of Rafic Hariri University Governmental Hospital.
The Lebanese Army Intelligence arrests two terrorist suspects in Beqa’a, one named Nabil Seddeeq of Syrian nationality and one Lebanese called Nabil Saddiq.
TV personality Mona Abou Hamzeh holds a press conference urging the release of her husband Bahij Abou Hamzeh after he was arrested unfairly and was forced to renounce his shares in all the companies he managed.
April 9
The Intelligence Branch chases down Sheikh Khaled Hablas in Tripoli for allegedly orchestrating terrorist attacks and manages to arrest him after shooting dead notorious Islamist militant Osama Mansour and one of his partners, Ahmad Naze, during the operation to arrest Hablas.
In his STL testimony, former aide of the late PM Rafic Hariri, Mustapha Nasser, says Hariri and Nasrallah have developed a good relationship over the years, judging from the meeting he attended in their presence.
MP Ibrahim Kanaan visits Patriarch al-Rai before going to Meerab to meet the LF leader Samir Geagea to complete dialogue between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces.
Abdallah Nabih Berri announces that he does not seek to inherit the leadership of the Amal Movement.
April 10
MP Walid Jumblat visits Mohsen Ibrahim, Head of the Organization for Communist Action, and extols his support for Ibrahim and his father.
April 11
Temperatures drop, leading to heavy rain and snow in different Lebanese regions and causing road closures in mountainous areas.
April 12
The Greek Orthodox celebrate Easter.
Actor Issam Breidy dies in a car crash in Dawra.
April 13
Saudi ambassador Ali Awad Asiri receives envoys of member countries of operation “Decisive Storm” at his residence and says Hezbollah’s tirade against Saudi Arabia did not serve Lebanon’s interests.
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim, receives a delegation chaired by the former PM Saad Hariri who says ‘Lebanon has not exited a war to enter into others.’ Hariri returns to Saudi Arabia where he meets Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq.
The STL listens to the testimony of journalist Ali Hamadeh who says he had transmitted messages from Hariri to President Bashar Assad through Major General Mohammed Nassif.
The drivers detained at the Nasib border crossing return from Amman via the Beirut airport, welcomed by Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayyeb who thanks the Free Syrian Army. The ninth truck driver returns via Al-Masnaa road after a ransom has been paid to kidnappers.
Former President Michel Suleiman launches his political gathering, which issues a statement urging commitment to the Baabda Declaration.
April 14
Chief of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim visits Speaker Nabih Berri and briefs him on the positive developments in the captive soldiers’ file.
Hezbollah and the Future Movement hold their tenth dialogue session in Ain Tineh.
The Change and Reform Bloc calls for the appointment of military leaders.
Prominent playwright Raymong Gebara dies after a long battle with illness.
STL President Judge Ivana Hrdličková arrives in Lebanon in her first official visit to the country and holds meetings with PM Tammam Salam and a number of officials.
The Future Parliamentary Bloc says Hezbollah’s burial of Yemeni leader Abdul Malak
Chami in Rawdat al-Shahidayn near the grave of Hezbollah’s military commander Imad Mughniyeh plunges Lebanon deeper into regional conflict.
April 15
MPs quote Speaker Nabih Berri saying during Wednesday’s meeting ‘dialogue is a national and Arab necessity’. Berri voices optimism about the release of captive soldiers.
A number of journalists and lawyers backing al-Jadeed television and Karma Khayyat, including Head of the National Audio-Visual Media Council, Abdul Hadi Mahfouz, arrive to the STL headquarters in Hague.
Hezbollah issues a statement denouncing the Future Bloc’s assault on Iran and support of Saudi Arabia.
In his STL testimony, former aide of the late PM Rafic Hariri, Mustapha Nasser says Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had obtained Basha Assad’s approval to establish an Arab tribunal to look into Hariri assassination but Saad and Bahaa Hariri insisted on an international tribunal.
The Cabinet discusses the 2015 draft budget and disputes arise over whether to include the salary scale in the budget or not.
The Loyalty to Resistance issues a statement following its weekly meeting voicing solidarity with al-Jadeed television and slamming the Saudi hostility against Yemen.
The Ambassadors of the Security Council’s big five powers and the representatives of the UN Secretary General and the European Union convene in Bkerke upon the call of Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rai for talks over recent developments in the local and regional scenes and urge speedy elections of a president, supporting the dialogues taking place among the Lebanese.
In his speech before the Arab clans in the north, Future Movement’s Secretary General Ahmad Hariri reiterates the continuity of dialogue, stressing that the days of overlooking Iranian encroachments are long gone.
Former PM Najib Mikati says during the inauguration of the al-Azm University in Tripoli that Lebanon is better off far from polarizations, calling for the respect of public liberties in his talk about the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
An-Nussra Front announces the death of Ossama Mansour and urges the Sunni to take action.
Deputy head of news in al-Jadeed television, Karma Khayyat, appears before the STL and the prosecution claims that the TV station intended to intimidate the witnesses by publishing information about them.
April 17
Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji inspects army units in Marjeyoun and assures that the armament of the army has begun.
In a speech delivered during a gathering of solidarity with Yemen in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah launches a fierce tirade against Saudi Arabia, calling for distancing Lebanon from the Yemeni conflict. Nasrallah’s words draw rebuke from former PM Saad Hariri who assures that Nasrallah obeys Iran’s orders and that his escalation will not lead the Future Movement to sabotage dialogue.
The Constitutional Council emphasizes continuity of work until new members are elected.
During his meeting with a delegation from the Syndicate of Press Editors, Chief of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim says he foresees a not-too-distant solution for the captives’ crisis, adding that he refuses to have a vacuum in security institutions.
April 18
MP Walid Jumblat receives a delegation of the parents of captive soldiers and renews his support for a swap operation to release them.
The Roumieh Prison regains order after stamping down the rebellion.
In an interview with Voix du Liban radio, former President Michel Suleiman says he will not run for presidency unless he is a consensual candidate. He proceeds to explain that had he wished to stay President, he would have worked towards extending his term.
Judge of Summary Matters in Baabda, Hassan Hamdan halts the convening of the Baath Party exceptional conference called for by the Head of the Baath Party in Lebanon, Fayez Shokr and scheduled for Sunday at the Marriott Hotel. Shokr slams the decision as ‘illegal’.
April 19
Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorius Lahham III hands former President Michel Suleiman the Rabieh Gathering document, calling on everyone to rise above their personal interests and elect a new president.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil tours towns in the Qada’a of Akkar.
Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi lambasts Iran during a ceremony held by the National Liberal Party at the Quality Inn Hotel in Tripoli.
April 20
The first shipment of Saudi-funded French weapons arrive in Lebanon containing 48 “Milan” anti-tank missiles. Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji, Lebanese Defense Minister and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon welcome French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian upon his arrival at Beirut airport airbase, during a ceremony to hand over the weapons to the army.
Former PM Saad Hariri holds talks with the Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince and commends the Saudi donation offered to the Lebanese Army.
Families of Islamist inmates in Roumieh Prison demand the dismissal of Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq and stage a protest near the residence of Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi in Tripoli.
Speaker Nabih Berri chairs a meeting for the Parliament’s Bureau Committee to agree on the agenda scheduled for the legislative session; the Lebanese Forces refuse to participate in any session that does not touch on the electoral law and the public budget.
Maronite Patriarch al-Rai receives former PM Fouad Seniora who accuses Iran of holding back the presidential elections.
Military court initiates the trial of former Minister Michel Samaha who admits smuggling explosives to Lebanon after having fallen in the trap set by Milad Kfoury.
Military court sentences Omar Fostuq and Jamal Daftardar to three years and seven years in prison respectively.
April 21
The Cabinet postpones budget discussion and approves an advance worth USD 1 million to the Higher Relief Committee to cover the expenses of returning the Lebanese drivers and their trucks from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait.
Families of the Islamist inmates in Roumieh Prison rally in front of the Interior Ministry crying for the dismissal of Minister Nouhad Mashnouq. Mashnouq says he will not resign for he has not made any mistakes.
The ISF Directorate General says new Traffic Law will be implemented starting tomorrow, April 22.
Ministry of Education and Higher Education holds a conference entitled ‘All for Education’ at the Phonecia Hotel.
April 22
Speaker Nabih Berri adjourns the session scheduled to elect a new president until May 13 due to lack of quorum.
Speaker Nabih Berri brandishes the possibility of dissolving non-working Parliament.
Former PM Saad Hariri holds meetings with a number of officials including US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington and reiterates his refusal to allow Iran’s interference in the region. Kerry stresses the need to elect a president in order to protect Lebanon.
April 23
The Cabinet approves a request by the Interior Ministry to recruit 500 new officers to General Security and adjourns talks about a donation to the Ministry of Social Affairs to assist Syrian refugees after a row erupted between Minister Rashid Derbas and Minister Gebran Bassil leading the former to leave the session.
Islamists in Tripoli refuse the Education Minister’s decision to close schools in honor of the Armenian genocide centenary commemoration, which results in cancelling a concert for an Armenian band in Tripoli.
The Lebanese government reportedly hands over two al-Qaida-linked Saudi nationals, including Fahd Mghames, to Saudi Arabia.
Three ministers from the Change and Reform Bloc, including Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, participate in Armenia’s commemorating ceremony of the Armenian Genocide centenary. MP Walid Jumblat lays a wreath on the memorial erected at the Haigazian University.
MP Mohammed Kabbara criticizes Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq and former PM Fouad Seniora. Mashnouq denounces Kabbara’s statement and assures that he has the Future Movement’s support.
Employees at the Rafic Hariri University Governmental Hospital go on strike and close the entrance of the Emergency Room.
The Union Coordination Committee stage a protest and schools strike demanding the approval of the salary scale.
April 24
Armenians rally from Antelias to Bourj Hammoud’s playground in commemoration of the Armenian genocide centenary. All speeches delivered in the occasion hold Turkey accountable for the genocide and urge it to acknowledge the rights of Armenians.
Sources report the death of Major General Rustom Ghazali, head of Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon.
International movie star Salma Hayek arrives in Lebanon to launch her movie, which is adapted from Gebran Khalil Gebran’s book ‘The Prophet’.
The Islamic Makassed Alumni Association honors Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri who criticizes Hezbollah and urges dialogue to defuse the tension.
Some mosque preachers denounce the closure of schools in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, yet acknowledge the massacre and its causes. This coincides with a protest near the Taqwa Mosque in Tripoli condemning Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq.
Former PM Fouad Seniora assures that General Michel Aoun has been informed that he has zero chances in becoming President and reiterates ongoing dialogue with Hezbollah.
April 25
PM Tammam Salam holds in the Grand Serail an honorary ceremony on the occasion of retirement of the Cabinet’s Secretary General Souheil Youji on April 26. Salam says Youji’s presence has helped him face several critical junctures and reveals that Youji will continue to serve in the Serail as his advisor.
Head of the Municipality of Tripoli Nader el-Ghazal resigns upon the request of former PM Saad Hariri and says he would not have attained his position without the sacrifices made by Islamists. El-Ghazal lashes out at Armenians.
April 26
Former PM Saad Hariri continues his Washington visit and meets US Vice President Joe Biden and National Security Advisor Suzan Rice.
Maronite Patriarch al-Rai meets the Lebanese diaspora and a number of French officials in France. Al-Rai awards a papal honor to former Minister Issam Fares and inaugurates Archdiocese headquarters in the French City of Mondon.
April 27
A delegation from Tripoli and North Lebanon visits the Saudi embassy in Beirut to express solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for its stances.
Former PM Saad Hariri says in a talk in Washington ‘Syrian Major General Rustom Ghazali called us before his death and wanted to appear on television and announce something we don’t know’, but he was killed before doing so.
April 28
Security forces kick off implementation of the security plan in the Southern Suburbs and crack down on suspects.
Following the Change and Reform Bloc’s weekly meeting, General Michel Aoun brands the decisions of the Army Commander as illegal, saying they could be subject to an appeal. Aoun reiterates the need to appoint a new Army Commander with a wide popular base.
Maronite Patriarch al-Rai meets French President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace before concluding his visit to France and requests him to back the efforts exerted to elect a new president. The presidential statement emphasizes France’s support of minorities.
MP Atef Majdalini testifies before the STL and says ‘Syrian Brigadier General Mohammed Khallouf summoned me to the Beau Rivage Hotel asking me to approve the extension of Lahoud’s term.’
April 29
Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq tours the Southern Suburbs to verify proper implementation of the security plan and assures that there are no areas in Lebanon beyond the control of the state.
The Cabinet convenes at the Grand Serail and approves the Terms of Reference to tender the licenses of mobile phones after extending the current operation contracts until the end of 2015. It also approves a budget worth USD 30 million to build a regional prison.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, Speaker Nabih Berri acknowledges the difference of opinion between him and General Michel Aoun while assuring that they do agree strategically.
Cosmetic surgeon Nader Saad reveals that he operated on Sheikh Khaled Hablas causing an alteration of his features without knowing his real identity.
April 30
During his press conference, Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq runs a footage showing the assaults carried out by inmates against members of the security forces, stressing that the security operation in Roumieh prevented the transformation of Roumieh into a center of terrorist operations. Mashnouq says Hezbollah’s weapons falls within the defense strategy agreed upon in Baabda and is not part of any security plan.
The Loyalty to Resistance Bloc accuses the Future Movement of violating the Taef accord, wrenching away the presidency and paralyzing the institutions.
General Michel Aoun and Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hold talks during a night meeting.
Amer Rafei elected Head of the Municipality of Tripoli following the resignation of his predecessor Nader Ghazal.
Justice Minister says he met Khaled Khoja, President of the Syrian National Coalition, in Turkey and explored with him ways to release the captive soldiers.
Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji inspects the Commando Regiment led by Brigadier General Shamel Roukuz.
Health Minister Wael Bou Faour and Education Minister Elias Abou Saab reveal that 49% of water samples from schools do not conform to safety standards.
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