As of last Saturday, the Lebanese state
began working to the beat of events in Tripoli, which, in turn, are
inextricably linked to the developments in Damascus.
The arrest of Shadi el Mawlawi prompted the
escalating violence in Tripoli and his release would almost certainly stabilize
the situation once again. It is at once a simple yet terribly complex
situation. El Mawlawi is now in the custody of the judicial branch that issued
a warrant for his arrest. However, the arrest has led to protests in Lebanon’s
second city calling for his release.
This situation has spun off a political
subplot with a feud erupting between Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi and
General Security. It was in one of Safadi’s Tripoli social services office
where Mawlawi was arrested. Despite the
interior minister summoning the arresting officer for questioning Safadi
insisted on being fully briefed on the circumstances behind the arrest and to
punish those that decided to use his office to lure Mawlawi into a trap.
Not long ago, Sheikh Ahmad el Asir arrived
in Tripoli to participate in the sit in. This explosive situation forced Prime
Minister Najib Mikati to cancel an afternoon meeting to discuss public
spending, focusing his attention on the developments in the northern capital. Some
sources even mentioned the possibility of postponing Wednesday’s Cabinet
session.