LOC17:47
14:47 GMT
PARIS, Jan 25 (KUNA) -- France on Friday strongly condemned the explosion
earlier in the day that killed four people and wounded a number of others in
Beirut and called for all parties to put and end to the vacuum in Lebanon and
elect a President.
"France condemns with the greatest firmness the new attack committed this
morning in Beirut in which an officer of the Interior Security Forces died and
which caused a number of other deaths and injuries," Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Pascale Andreani said.
Captain Wissam Eid of the Internal Security Forces and his bodyguard were
among the four fatalities at the bomb scene.
France warned that the attack against this Security Force was an attack
against "another important institution for the stability of Lebanon," coming
after attacks against the Parliament and the Army.
Andreani said that it is "security of the Lebanese that is being targeted"
and France denounces these repeated murderous attempts at destabilization in
Lebanon.
The spokeswoman urged that "all light should be shed on this terrorist act
and its perpetrators and those who ordered it should be brought before justice.
"
France, on Friday, also reiterated its support for the Arab League
initiative that is seeking an end to the deadlock over the presidential
election, the formation of a national unity government and the reform of the
electoral law in Lebanon.
Some thirteen efforts to get a consensus in the Beirut parliament on these
issues have failed and the next deadline has been set for February 11.
In the meantime, Arab League Foreign Ministers are due to continue
consultations in the coming days on proposals to break the deadlock. (end)
jk.tg
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