4 tuesday, may 22, 2012

Low turnout at Tariq al-Jadideh calm after nighttime chaos peace Two women fainted. Unlike Afi, she ers were more blasé.Youssef, who owns brother carrying an automatic weapon Mikati called such claims “a distor - rally frustrates Neighborhood residents said she was no longer afraid due to the a cellphone shop in the area, believed and grinning the night before. Most tion of the truth.” air mixed feelings about Army presence. “Once the Army the worst was over. “The tension has denied a direct connection to the Few residents even mentioned poli - came,” she said, “I fell asleep .” been released,” he said. Future Movement, despite the reports tics when rehashing the night’s events, attendees escalation after clashes Every resident had a similar story Nearby, Abu Fouad, selling lupine of several witnesses who heard chants but many were quick to claim the major - BEIRUT: Very few people turned out that killed 2 people and pockmarked rooms. “It was hell,” beans and corn from a wooden cart, of “Allah, Hariri, Tariq al-Jadideh” ity-Sunni neighborhood as “theirs.” for the “Say No to War” rally at Mar - one woman said. No one wanted their had already made his rounds of Tariq shortly before the shooting began. One elderly woman, sitting in the tyr’s Square Monday meant to By Annie Slemrod and names published, fearful of embroil - al-Jadideh. “It’s as if you are reading They threatened more violence if entryway to the apartment building, in denounce the bloody clashes that Martin Armstrong ing themselves in a now-violent polit - the news on people’s faces. There is a Berjaoui returned to the neighborhood. the same chair where she had sat out shook Beirut the night before. The Daily Star ical dispute. lot of disgust.” Politicians placed and deflected the night, said it was all too familiar. People unsettled by the violence in Back outside the building, the now The clashes, he said, “are the talk of blame throughout the day. Berjaoui “I haven’t heard anything” about Tariq al-Jadideh that killed at least homeless Afi looked lost. the day. Some are saying it was an iso - blamed the violence on “25 snipers whether the clashes will escalate, she two and wounded 11 used Facebook, BEIRUT: The day after deadly night - Haytham, a 25-year-old law gradu - lated act, others think it is related to the from the Future Movement,” who he said, shortly after a young man brushed Twitter and other social media in the time clashes rocked Tariq al-Jadideh, ate who lives 50 meters from the build - north.” He was only wheeling his said had been aiming at him. He by warning of “gunfire in 30 minutes.” hours during the gunbattles to organ - residents were snapping pictures on ing, said he hoped these clashes would wares to kill time, Abu Fouad said, vowed to return to his office. Two brothers, 11 and 15, who she was ize a rally for peace the next day. Near - their mobile phones where fighters be the end of the violence but was “there’s no business today at all. Peo - After a meeting with other Beirut watching, said they weren’t afraid any - ly 2,000 people responded online that, had wielded guns the night before. A skeptical. “I am worried that some - ple don’t have the stomach for eating.” MPs, Future Movement lawmaker more. “We played football during the yes, they would be there. small crowd of young men mulled thing worse is going to happen. Maybe Several young men who said they Nuhad Mashnouq held Prime Minister last war,” one said. But they weren’t; expats and jour - around, taking shots of the carcasses of this will be the beginning of another spent Sunday burning tires and the ’s government responsi - “These children are a war generation. nalists almost outnumbered Lebanese. cars and motorcycles that lay on shat - civil war,” he said. night burning theArab Movement Par - ble for the evening’s events, calling They were raised during a war and they The group was almost entirely young tered glass in front of soldiers. Some shops were shut because their ty office, gave their version of events, them attempts “to incite strife and cre - are living in a war,” she said. – With and affluent. A non-partisan opportu - But the relative calm on the neigh - owners had fled the night before. Oth - and one showed off a photo of his ate instability.” additional reporting by Reem Harb nity to say no to a slide toward civil borhood’s streets Monday belied the strife was not seized. fact that many locals had spent much of The low turnout of about 100 peo - Sunday night and Monday morning hid - ple visibly frustrated and flummoxed ing in their homes from the guns, RPGs rally attendees. and flames from clashes between back - Disenchanted rally organizer Ziad ers of the Arab Movement Party, head - Samaha had few kind words for the ed by the pro-Syrian regime Shaker Ber - people who didn’t come. jaoui, and Future Movement supporters. At least two people were killed and ‘Our parents pressure another 18 wounded. us; they are afraid and As the day wore on, many residents were just beginning to come to grips they don’t encourage us’ with the events that some observers deemed a spillover from ’s 15 month uprising. To them, the clashes “They all want to change but no one were all too local. wants to put effort,” Samaha said. One person watching the amateur “People are still reluctant and lazy.” photographers was 22-year-old Abed Some people joked that if a politi - Afi, who was perched under the AMP cal party backed the demonstration, offices and his former lodgings. The thousands would turn out; others said student, who lived in student housing more seriously that there was a gener - across the hall from Berjaoui’s office, al lack of hope. escaped through a back entrance when A group of University of Saint the conflict began. Joseph students pointed to a sense of Afi had no qualms about admitting fear that gripped their families both his fear of escalation and his sad - overnight, reminding the older gener - ness that photos of his girlfriend had ation of the war years. been lost in the flames that engulfed “Our parents pressure us; they are much of the building. The wall above afraid and they don’t encourage us,” his bed was riddled with bullet holes, said 20-year-old Francois. and in the next room the blackened They said many families kept their walls were still warm to the touch. children from attending school out of The apartment’s owner, Samir Abu fear for their safety. Naja, stood in the middle of the emp - “No one is here because they are all ty charred room, holding a list of the afraid,” said another 20-year-old, possessions his tenants had lost. University of Saint Joseph student Across the hall, soldiers guarded Melodie Safieddine. the entrance to the AMP office. On the There were no easy answers for an r i upper floors, most people had stayed e impromptu group hoping for change in h K the night. One woman, whose win - d a society with deep-seated problems. u o dows were gone, was pacing around m Most could only wish for something h a her home. At first, she had thought the M better and vow to keep showing up. / r a t shooting to be a celebration of the S “I’m still hoping,” said 19-year-old y l i summer vacation. a Nour Nassif, a student at the Lebanese D e

She and around 50 others spent sev - h Arab University. “I think if there is en hours cramped in a shower and a T one every week I would come down utility room in the center of her home. A burned car in Tariq al-Jadidah. every week.” – S.D.

AGENDA LEBANON Mansour: Gulf countries say travel warnings temporary BEIRUT: Foreign Affair Minister Ministerial sources told The Daily and officials Monday. el to Lebanon, what about the citizens disturbed by the publication, in some Regional Conference on Adnan Mansour said Monday he had Star that Mikati informed Asiri during After a meeting with Mikati at the of the Gulf countries?” asked Mansour. Lebanese media, of the name of one of Freedom of expression received assurances from Gulf coun - their meeting that the situation in Grand Serail, ForeignAffairs Minister Mansour also disputed reports that its citizens who had been briefly arrest - tries that their decision to urge their Lebanon will be stabilized. Adnan Mansour said that he had tele - Qatar had been planning to deport all ed by Lebanon’s General Security. Riviera Hotel, Corniche citizens to leave Lebanon was only Following the killing of Sunni phoned Kuwaiti officials and received Lebanese expatriates from its territo - Warnings by Gulf countries to their al-Manara “temporary,” while the Saudi envoy to preacher Ahmad Abdul-Wahed in assurances that their warning to citi - ries, saying that such reports had no citizens in Lebanon came days after May 21, 9 p.m. Beirut announced that his country had Bireh in Akkar Sunday, a tense securi - zens not to visit, or to leave, Lebanon basis. “Lebanese are working in Qatar General Security had arrested a Qatari not yet made a decision on the matter. ty situation spread throughout the coun - had only been a temporary measure. and they are welcomed by the Qatari national for belonging to a terrorist The Office of the U.N. High Two days after Bahrain, Qatar and try, with road closures and overnight “If the scenes of armed people aired government and people,” he added. group. After being detained for sever - Commissioner for Human the United Arab Emirates urged their protests leading to street clashes on television have affected even Meanwhile, ministerial sources said al days, he was allowed to leave Beirut Rights in Beirut is organizing a citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon, between rival gunmen in the Beirut Lebanese expatriates’ decision to trav - that the Qatari government had been last week. – The Daily Star Kuwait followed the move and called neighborhood of Tariq al-Jadideh. two-day regional conference on its citizens already present in the At least two people were killed and that will discuss issues related country to leave after deadly clashes in more than 10 others injured in the to freedom of expression, the northern city of Tripoli moved to overnight clashes in the capital. establishing associations, and Beirut Sunday evening. Amid the spread of demonstrations The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry called and road closures across the country, the freedom of assembly. on nationals to cancel travel plans to the U.S. Embassy advised its citizens Tashnag Party receives Lebanon “due to developments and the Monday to monitor the news and avoid tense security situation.” In a statement protests and areas of road closures. published on the Kuwaiti National News Agency Monday, the ministry Kuwait joined other Tashnag Party headquarters, urged Kuwaiti citizens in the country to countries urging citizens Bourj Hammoud leave Lebanon “for their safety.” May 21, 11 a.m. “Kuwaitis … should not travel to to leave Lebanon A delegation from Hezbollah Lebanon under any circumstances,” a Kuwaiti ministerial source told the will discuss domestic affairs news agency. “The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. cit - with the leaders of the But SaudiAmbassador to BeirutAli izens in Lebanon of the potential for Armenian Tashnag Party. Awad Asiri said the kingdom had no continued demonstrations, road block - plans to take a decision similar to that ages, and violence throughout this peri - The First Interactive Digital of its Gulf neighbors. od,” the embassy said in a statement. Classroom “We do not feel our citizens are in “The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. danger in Lebanon. When we feel such citizens to monitor news reports, avoid Public Secondary School, a danger, we will take the appropriate areas where closures or protests are Dhour al-Choueir decision,” Asiri said following a meet - reported, and maintain low profiles in May 21, 12 p.m. ing with Prime Minister Najib Mikati. public,” it added. “I have met today with the prime According to the statement, the U.S. Education Minister Hassan minister and the tourism minister, and I Embassy also reminded U.S. citizens Diab will launch the interactive will meet President Michel Sleiman to consult the State Department’s Trav -

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Asiri also voiced hope that the secu - In an effort to minimize knock-on a Choueir School in D e

rity situation in Lebanon would effects to the country’s vital tourism h collaboration with Microsoft. improve, referring to it as a “second sector, government members in Beirut T Assiri meets with Mikati. The Saudi envoy said the kingdom does not believe its citizens are in danger in Lebanon. Public Safety on Lebanese home for Saudi citizens.” continued to hold talks with diplomats Roads Bank Audi, BCD Beirut May 21, 5 p.m. The Kunhadi NGO will announce its new initiative Lebanese exUpNDPaCotuntrybDirrector Sueifeldgin hinstpectiionns throutghout thehentiree folod pmaniymin the cpounrtryoand vcouldehavefa obecoausedLebanseseafoofd ies sotkny own.” entitled “Decade of action for By Stephen Dockery The Daily Star Abbaro, General Director of the Econ - handling process. negative effect on tourism. Aramouni encouraged people to road safety,” in the presence of omy and Trade Ministry Fouad Fleifel “What I want to emphasize more is The Tourism Ministry in particular differentiate between dangerous and government officials, private and Institute of Finance Director U.S. FDA [Food and Drug Adminis - is trying to boost the country’s reputa - not dangerous expired goods, such as sector businessmen BEIRUT: A Lebanese expatriate who Lamia Moubayed were also present at tration] based prevention systems tion for food handling before the the canned goods, that can make the prob - is an expert on food safety has been the first safety training. where you can go and look at facilities, summer season picks up. lem seem more serious than it is. and celebrities. brought in from the U.S. to improve Fleifel said the training was a step employees, warehousing, pest control Ministries are running training Full reform may take a while. Ara - food handling processes as part of the that aims “to take significant action to and water supply,” Aramouni told The courses similar to Monday’s across the mouni will be in the country teaching Censorship in Lebanon response to the expired goods scandal ensure consumer interests and create a Daily Star. “We are going to try and do country to improve food handling.Their food handling projects until the end of Issam Fares Center, Sin al-Fil that shook the food industry last safe environment for consumers and onsite inspections of food establish - work could be very critical to the suc - May but says he may return in the next May 21, 6 p.m. month, revealing hundreds of tons of dealers alike.” ments, whether food processing or cess of the tourism season, which has few years to help move along a wide expired food. The training courses would teach food services, and see how they imple - already suffered a major blow after sev - reaching legal reform as well. Brig. Mounir Akiki from the Fadi Aramouni, a professor from food safety basics such as biological ment those systems.” eral Gulf states issued travel warnings At the same time he says the coun - General Security, researcher Kansas University, was brought in by hazards of food handling, physical Over the past several months 500 for Lebanon following recent unrest. try could be nearer to a safe food han - Dalal Bizri and lawyer Nizar the Economy and Trade Ministry and dangers and other factors that cause tons of spoiled food and 300 tons of Aramouni is upbeat about the dling process than many people think. the United Nations Development Pro - food to spoil or transfer disease. expired drugs were discovered in the prospects of reform and improving “There are a lot of good things Saghiyeh will explore the gram to lead food safety training and Currently most of the country’s country. Much of the food was expired food handling. “What I’m seeing is going on, food-borne outbreaks hap - history and implications start field inspection programs for the food inspections are done when the meat that was being resold to cus - there is definitely a commitment from pen everywhere,” he said. “It is not of censorship. country. He led his first training Mon - food reaches the buyer, but Aramouni tomers. The discovery has created a the ministries to get inspections,” he unusual, but it is preventable and that day at the Financial Institute inAdlieh. said he would try to implement more sense of distrust of meat safety for said. “I think there is an aspect of pride is what we need to work on.”