ISF ends illegal construction around Beirut airport

Future TV quoted an unnamed security source on Monday as saying that illegal construction which was jeopardizing public safety around Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport has been stopped by the Internal Security Forces ( ISF).

The priority is to end violations around the airport, (more…)

Baroud: Illegal construction will be demolished

Commenting on the protests against internal security forces who are trying to implement the demolition order for illegally constructed buildings, Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud told As Safir newspaper that the government is taking responsibility for removing all illegal construction on public property. (more…)

Baroud: Lebanon’s Napoleon of Traffic

By Diana Nemeh
And the title goes to … Ziyad Baroud, minister of Interior and Municipalities … applause?

Baroud: The priority should be the rescue operation

Lebanese Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud said in reference to Ethiopian plane crash: “The disaster must be addressed by experts in this field and the priority right now is not to investigate the incident , but to rescue the bodies of the passengers .”
He said in an interview with “OTV “, “in Lebanon we are not accustomed to such disasters, we need system of crisis management, ” stressing that this is a day of solidarity and requires all Lebanese to support the efforts of the security forces and the military .
Baroud called on the citizens to inform the security forces and concerned departments immediately if they find anything related to the air crash without tampering with it.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Harir ( L) , Transportation and public works minister Ghazi Aridi ( C), Interior Minister Ziad Baroud (R) and Health Minister Mohammad Khalife  (R) behind Baroud are in a helicopter to view the scene of the plane crash

Baroud to present plans for municpal elections

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ziad Baroud told LBC TV that he will submit his plans for the municipal elections to the cabinet tomorrow on the basis of a legal voting age of 21 years , because the grace period for amending the law has ended.

In a related development a national youth and student organizations that is promoting the reduction of the voting age to 18 has urged Speaker Nabih Berri to take the necessary constitutional steps to amend Article 21 of the Constitution to allow the 283 ,000 young people aged between 18 and 21 years to cast their votes in the upcoming municipal elections

283,000 voters between 18-21 awaiting the new election law

Lebanon’s Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud told Al-Nahar newspaper that the ministry has been preparing the electoral lists for the municipality elections since December 15 last taking into account that the voting age is 21 years Ziad Baroud. Since then there has been talk about dropping the voting age to 18. Baroud said 283,000 voters between 18-21 are awaiting the new election law

Baroud: Lebanon arrested members of a major car theft network

During a press conference in Tripoli, Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ziad Baroud revealed that security forces arrested the members of a major car theft network.
Commenting on the upcoming municipal elections , Baroud said that the electoral law of municipal elections needs amending, the thing which is underway currently.

Future Movement: Baroud is not convincing

Future Movement did not buy the explanations provided by Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud with regards to the efforts of the ministry following the explosion in Haret Hraik .
A high-ranking source from Future Movement told As-Safir newspaper in remarks published Thursday that Baroud’s statement was “not convincing.”
“His (Baroud’s) statement constitutes an attempt to escape from his responsibilities as interior minister,” the source said.
He accused Baroud of “negligence” in dealing with the incident “in terms of explaining the circumstances and determining the reasons behind the hindrances to the work of authorities in charge of the probe.”
The explosion occurred in a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut and targeted Hamas officials

Baroud defends Interior ministry and criticizes Future block

During an interview with LBC, Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ziad Baroud responded to future movement criticism of his ministry over its lack of action following the Haret Hraik explosion by saying :The primary parties responsible for investigating the case are the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Lebanese judicial system.” He said Future Movement bloc statement “does not foster the prevailing positive atmosphere in the cabinet.”

President Suleiman calls Syrian president to offer condolences

Lebanese president Michel Suleiman who is currently in Washington to meet with US president Barack Obama , called Syrian president Bashar al Assad to offer condolences for the death of his brother Majd
Suleiman also sent Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ziad Baroud to represent him at the funeral and to offer condolences on his behalf