The murders of Lebanese Forces activist Ramzi Irani and Jihad Jibril, son of the secretary -general of the PFLP-GC, Ahmad Jibril, were met with harsh condemnation on Tuesday from across the political spectrum, while giving the opposition ammunition to criticize the performance of security bodies.
Former President Amin Gemayel said the country’s security authorities were not doing enough to prevent such murders.
Two weeks after going missing, Irani’s body was discovered on Monday evening, the same day that a car bomb took the life of Jibril.
In a statement, Gemayel said such incidents had led to general insecurity and were enough to prompt people to “leave the country to run away from the unknown, which is waiting for them every day.”
He said security personnel “have been spending their time in side issues and narrow electoral issues, at a time when (they) should be focusing on security.”
However, Health Minister Suleiman Franjieh rejected a description of the security situation as hopeless. Speaking to reporters following a visit to Beirut Orthodox Bishop Elias Aoude, Franjieh said that while there are “security gaps that should be addressed, the security situation in general is not bad.”
He argued that such murders also take place in other countries that are considered safe, “but this does not mean the situation is out of hand.”
Minister of State Pierre Helou expressed concern that “such incidents could give the impression abroad that the security situation in Lebanon is out of control. This would deal a severe blow to the tourism season, which Lebanon is impatiently awaiting.”
Beirut MP Atef Majdalani condemned both murders, describing them as “destabilizing Lebanon’s security situation.”
The National Bloc said the incidents displayed a “clear intention to target Lebanon, as an arena for other people’s war on its territory,” urging the authorities to “face up to the new challenge in order to reassure other Lebanese about the situation in the country.”
The National Coordination Committee, which comprises the outlawed Lebanese Forces, the National Liberal Party and the Free Patriotic Movement, expressed concern that Irani’s murder would push Lebanon, once again, into “political murders.”
“The state should focus on pursuing the perpetrators of such crimes instead of wasting its time harassing conscientious objectors like university students and other thinkers and politicians,” the committee said in a statement.
The Progressive Socialist Party’s youth organization condemned Irani’s murder.
“The security services, which make a significant amount of noise, should have protected Irani as a citizen, instead of keeping an eye on him and every other political activist,” a statement by the Progressive Youth Organization said.
The Free Patriotic Movement accused the authorities of having done nothing to reveal Irani’s whereabouts.
“During the 14 days Irani had been missing, the security authorities spent their time rejecting any responsibility for the man’s disappearance and saying he was not being held by the security services,” a statement by the FPM said Tuesday.
Now that the man has been found dead, the security authorities “can announce that his whereabouts have been revealed,” the FPM quipped.
Irani’s murder was also condemned by the Communist Party’s engineers’ wing, students and academics at LU’s Branch Two. The head of the Lebanese University’s Professors League, Bahij Rahban, urged the state to “give priority to the security issue over all other considerations.”
The LF’s student section condemned Irani’s murder and called on all the late activist’s friends and relatives to take part in funeral services on Wednesday, at noon at the Mar Taqla Church in Hazmieh.
For its part, the Lebanese Democratic Party, which is headed by Minister of State Talal Arslan, deplored both murders and accused Israel of killing Jibril. The recent murders have shown that Lebanon was still “targeted in its civil peace and security,” a statement by the party said, calling on top officials not to waste time on political bickering and “focus on Israeli infiltration.”
The Phalange Party deplored the Irani’s killing, saying “Ramzi will be missed for his love of others and spirit of dialogue at a time when such qualities are becoming rare.”

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