By Najia Houssari - arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: The Lebanese judge investigating the Beirut port disaster last year said on Friday he would move to prosecute the country’s outgoing prime minister, Hassan Diab, and that he had taken steps toward indicting several other former ministers, security officials and members of the judiciary. Around 3,000 of tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded on Aug. 4, 2020, killing over 120 people, injuring more than 6,000 and ravaging swathes of the capital, in the midst of the coronavirus disease pandemic and a crippling financial crisis, causing the spotlight to fall on systemic corruption and mismanagement across all levels of Lebanon’s ruling class.

Judge Tariq Bitar began launching prosecutions on Friday, having taken evidence from witnesses for several months. As well as Diab, who has been summoned for preliminary questioning by Bitar, former Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, former Minister of Defense and Public Works Ghazi Zaiter, former Interior Minister Nouhad Al-Mashnouq and Yusef Fenianos, the former transport and public works minister, are also set to face charges, with the judge formally requesting, through the Office of the Special Public Prosecutor, that their immunity from prosecution be lifted.

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@AzziSejean

بدأ هذا الصباحَ في روما "يومُ التفكيرِ والصلاةِ من أجلِ لبنان". لافِتٌ أنْ يُقرِّرَ البابا فرنسيس شخصيًّا فتحَ مِلفِّ حلِّ القضيّةِ اللبنانيّةِ من خلالِ البطاركة الموقَّرين، كأنّه لا يَثِقُ بالدولةِ اللبنانيّةِ وبالجماعةِ السياسيّة؛ والباباوات قلّما يُخطِئون. هذه اللفتةُ تُحمّلُ البطاركةَ مسؤوليّةَ قولِ "الحقيقةِ اللبنانيّةِ" دونَ سِواها، خصوصًا أنّ الشعبَ اللبنانيَّ يَرصُدُهم بأنظارِه وآمالِه ليُرافعوا موحَّدين عن قضيّتِه وأوجاعِه ومصيرِه على غرارِ ما يَفعل البطريركُ بشارة الراعي في لبنان وأحبارٌ لبنانيّون شُجعان كالمتروبوليت الياس عوده.

دعوةُ قداسةِ البابا بطاركةَ الشرقِ تعني أنَّ قداستَه انتقَل من الاهتمامِ بلبنان، إلى التحرّكِ دُوليًّا لدعمِ حلٍّ سياسيٍّ للبنان. ما كان الفاتيكان اتّخَذَ هذا القرارَ لو لم يَبلُغ الوضعُ اللبنانيُّ مرحلةً حَرِجَة، ولو لم يَلمُسْ تجاوبًا أوّليًا لدى المرجِعيّاتِ الدوليّةِ القادرةِ على رعايةِ الحلّ. منذ بَدأت الاضطراباتُ الدستوريّةُ والسياسيّةُ والأمنيّةُ والاقتصاديّةُ، ودوائرُ الفاتيكان تحضِّرُ بصمتٍ وثَباتٍ لعملٍ دُوَليٍّ يوقفُ انهيارَ لبنان ويَضعُ المرتكزاتِ الأسَاسيّةَ لإنقاذِ "الوطن الرسالة". يجري ذلك بالتنسيقِ المنتظِمِ مع البطريرك المارونيِّ بشارة الراعي الذي بادرَ وطرحَ الحِيادَ وتنفيذَ القراراتِ الدوليّةِ قاعدةً لأيِّ حلٍّ وطنيّ. لقد دَخل لبنانُ مدارَ الحلولِ، لكنْ لا نعرفُ مَداها الزمنيَّ، فكل حلٍّ مصيريٍّ يَتضمّنُ إشكاليّاتٍ تَستدعي المعالَجة بشكلٍ أو بآخَر.

By Courtney Mares -- catholicnewsagency.com -- Hosting a day of prayer for Lebanon with Catholic and Orthodox leaders on Thursday, Pope Francis said that the country should no longer be used to serve “unscrupulous interests.” “Stop using Lebanon and the Middle East for outside interests and profits,” the pope said July 1. “The Lebanese people must be given the opportunity to be the architects of a better future in their land, without undue interference.” Christian leaders from Lebanon spent the day at the Vatican in private roundtable discussions about the future of their country, which is facing a severe economic crisis.

Representatives from Lebanon’s Maronite, Melkite, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Chaldean, Syrian Catholic, and evangelical community came to the Vatican for the day of prayer. The day began with a moment of prayer in front of the high altar at St. Peter’s Basilica before the pope and the patriarchs placed lighted candles in the crypt chapel at the tomb of St. Peter. It ended with members of the Lebanese diaspora community gathered in the world’s largest Catholic basilica to pray for peace together with the pope and the patriarchs, with prayers offered in Arabic, Armenian, and Syriac.

IDC Opposes H.R. 4230 and H.R. 4073, Anti-Lebanese Armed Forces Bills Tel: (202) 351-5480 Email: sarah@indefenseofchristians.org – Sarah Bassil  Washington, DC- In Defense …