But the Army Keeps Busy

The government may not be able to protect itself, ministers are gunned down, but the authorities are keeping busy, as is the army.

From the Lebanese Army Official Web Site:

Arrests of 96 persons
5-11-2006

The Armed Forces arrested 96 persons between October 31 and November 5 2006, for different reasons related to the following infringements:

Driving cars and motorbikes without any legal papers, infractions to residence regulations, not completing the military service duties, running from the Army, stealing, hitting each other, provoking riot acts, fire shooting, provoking military men, holding fire arms without any license, holding and dealing with drugs, smuggling fuel oil, going into night clubs.

There are a couple of things on that list that are army business, but all the rest are the responsibility of the police. Ah but I forgot, the police are busy investigating cases: Hariri, Tueni, Kassir, Chidiac, Gemayel, Pharaon, and wondering: who are the jokers tossing daily grenades at our barracks?

BTW what is “fire shooting”? And do we need the army to go after nightclub goers?

Maybe that was the subject of Commander-in-Chief General Michel Sleimane’s meeting with the Iranian Ambassador, a couple of weeks ago. The army says: “The meeting concerned the current situation”. Would that be the nightclub situation? Or was that meeting's purpose a broader one “for make benefit glorious nation of Lebanon?”

On the plus side, someone in the country came to his/her senses and cancelled tomorrow’s “Independence Day” army celebration and parade in light of today’s most recent horror.