Antoun Al Fata -Akhbar Al yawm
It is a disgrace, on the front of the Lebanese State, of its various authorities, bodies and forces, that an ambassador from a foreign country announces that his residence in Lebanon has been hit by stray bullets, that this announcement either for the first time, or more. Sadly Japan's Ambassador to Lebanon, Takeshi Okubo, announced yesterday that his house had been hit by a "most likely" Kalashnikov-type stray bullet in an incident which is the second of its kind, after also announcing in May last that his house in Lebanon had been hit by a stray bullet, due to the celebrations of the results of the legislative elections.
Okubo noted that this time the bullet ricocheted and settled in the hall of the house, but no one was injured. "I am very sad about what is happening," he said.
It is shameful for the Lebanese State, with all its organs. The invitation addressed by the Ambassador of Japan to the snipers, asking to stop this phenomenon, so that it does not turn into harm or tragedy for others is very remarkable.
Embassies, diplomatic and official residences are, after all, foreign territories. This means that two Lebanese bullets landed on Japanese soil in May and yesterday, without any Lebanese shame, and even without any serious official Lebanese interaction, without going beyond "mocking" official threats to the shooters, from time to time. , at celebrations, holidays and public events, which no one adheres to at all.
Will the fate of the Lebanese, and of the foreigner in this country, only be "projects of the dead", no more, and forever?" And who asks at least, of the leaders of this country, if bullets raining down on the residence of a foreign ambassador in Lebanon are truly reckless or intentional and that gives us the exact and high precision answers.
A source close to some security files pointed out that "embassies in Lebanon and foreign residences are foreign lands. The Lebanese state must protect them, be more serious about any complaint from a ambassador or a diplomat," it said.
It stressed in an interview with the Akhbar Al-Yawm news agency that "it is the duty of the state, through its security forces, to stop any form of weapon in flight, and its results random, or perhaps not random. But the announcement by the Japanese ambassador that his house was hit by bullets, almost several times, in a few months, constitutes a condemnation of the Lebanese State first, before any other part of the country",
The source explained that "random bullets can be fired from one place, reaching relatively far distances, especially in places surrounding certain unsecured areas, where the state has no real authority.
It concluded: “Nevertheless, such complaints cannot be overlooked, whether they come from citizens or diplomatic bodies, regardless of the circumstances. It is worth investigating whether these events were intentional, perhaps be, or not. The protection of people, local or foreign official seats, is the responsibility of States everywhere in the world. It is not allowed to ignore this reality any longer in Lebanon, or to be satisfied with positions of condemnation or only a few "cosmetic" measures".