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Culture Minister Gaby Layoun has asked the Internal Security Forces to stop all works near the Cedars Forest. In case you missed it, Former MP Gebran Tawk was apparently destroying a part of Bcharreh’s ancient Cedar Forest to set up an outdoor venue for his son’s wedding.

That’s definitely good news but I think the government should confiscate the land from Tawk for good.

LOrientLeJour also posted about that.

“I’ve asked the Internal Security Forces to stop all works there,” Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun told NOW over the phone. “It’s private land, but it’s protected,” he added.

Assad Seif, coordinator of the scientific departments in the Directorate General of Antiquities, explained the legal status of the land in more detail.

“The land [of the wedding site] is private land, but according to the management plan for the area, the land is part of the world heritage site and intended to be replanted [with cedar trees]. So, the [works] were done within the premises of the world heritage site,” Seif said. [NowLebanon]

Thank you Omar!