BEIRUT (AFP) June 9 – Factions from across Lebanon’s political divide gave their support Friday to a proposal from former colonial power France to chair informal fence-mending talks. Both the Future Movement, to which beleaguered Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora belongs, and the Free Patriotic Movement of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun welcomed the offer to try to broker an end to a political deadlock that has paralysed government legislation for nearly seven months.

A Future Movement official who asked not to be identified told AFP that the group "welcomes the initiative.""We are absolutely ready to respond positively to the initiative, once it has been formally made," the official said.Aoun spokesman Simon Abu Ramia told AFP: "We strongly welcome this invitation." He said Aoun had already indicated that he would respond favourably to the proposal when he met French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris on May 28.

June 9 – NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon – Lebanese army tanks and artillery  again pounded Islamists holed up inside a refugee camp, as authorities claimed the militants also wanted to target UN peacekeepers.Lebanon’s National news agency said 16 militants were believed to have been killed Friday, in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, while the army reported no casualties.Meanwhile, the Daily Star newspaper said the army continued to take over buildings used by Fatah al-Islam snipers and tighten the grip on remnants of Fatah al-Islam fighters with heavy and persistent bombardment.The English daily quoted a senior army source as saying that the army was advancing ‘extremely slow’ and clearing rigged buildings and troops have not yet penetrated into the heart of the camp. Five Lebanese soldiers were killed on Saturday in heavy fighting against al Qaeda-inspired militants entrenched in a Palestinian refugee camp, a military source said.

In a statement issued Friday, the army said it is steadily taking control of militant positions in and around the camp with the aim of ‘ending this deviant phenomenon’ that has been imposed on Lebanon for the purpose of creating instability and insecurity in the country. Meanwhile, mediation efforts continued as a group of Sunni clerics and politicians, known as Islamic Action Front, met with Palestinian clerics Friday evening trying to mediate a peaceful end to the clashes. The Lebanese army have been fighting with Fatah al-Islam militants at the Nahr al-Bared camp since May 20. Militiamen from the Al-Qaeda inspired Sunni Muslim group replied with automatic gunfire and anti-tank rockets, as the Lebanese army renewed its warning that "the terrorists’ only choice is to give themselves up."During a lull earlier on Friday, relief workers of the Lebanese Red Cross and the Palestinian Red Crescent evacuated about another 30 refugees from the camp in northern Lebanon, an AFP correspondent said. On Thursday, Fatah al-Islam spokesman Shahine Shahine threatened that the group "will widen the scope of the attacks beyond Nahr al-Bared" if the army continues its "destructive bombardment."

But Lebanese sources said the Islamic Action Front, which includes Sunni politicians and clerics, and a grouping of Palestinian clerics, would continue efforts to find a solution."We are trying in every way to convince them, even using Islamic intellectual arguments and sharia (Islamic law) that this is not the right way," the Front’s leader Fathi Yakan told Reuters. Yakan said a proposed first step was the surrender of the group’s Lebanese members.The militants, many of whom are foreign fighters from other Arab countries, have vowed to fight to the death and are refusing to surrender or give up their weapons."The army is attacking from afar and they don’t come close. We will keep fighting until this oppression is lifted, We will fight until the end, even for months, it’s not a problem," Abu Hurayra, a Fatah al-Islam commander, told Reuters from the camp.The fighting began on May 20 when the militants attacked army units deployed around Nahr al-Bared after one of their hideouts in a nearby city was stormed.Lebanon is already struggling with a 7-month-old political crisis, and there are fears that fighting could spread.Deadly clashes have erupted at Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp in the past week, and five bombs have rocked civilian areas in and near Beirut since May 20. Fatah al-Islam was officially formed late last year. Its leader, veteran Palestinian guerrilla Shaker al-Abssi, says he shares the same ideology as al Qaeda

Blast hits industrial area at Zouk Mosbeh

ZOUK MOSBEH: Employees, store owners, friends and families joined forces on Friday to clear up the debris left behind from the bomb that rattled the industrial area of Zouk Mosbeh on Thursday evening. The explosion, which killed one person and wounded four, caused severe damage to the surrounding area because of the materials present inside the stores. Internal Security Forces (ISF) head General Ashraf Rifi told The Daily Star that the bomb was placed outside one of the stores in the area. "It was not placed underneath a car," he said. "It weighed approximately 20 kilograms. One person was killed and only two of the injured were critical."

On Friday, twisted metal poles, shattered glass and mangled cars, some of which were completely torn apart, littered the small street in Zouk Mosbeh where the bomb detonated. Oxygen tanks, some burned beyond recognition, lay on the ground in front of the stores. Spare machine parts were located meters away from the stores where they were being sold. "What can we do but start cleaning right away?" asked Elias Medawar, a mechanical engineer who owns an air-conditioning store in the area. "You get used to these things, and you go back to normal. There is nothing else to do."

A statement issued by the Zouk Municipality and traders and industrialists said immediate measures will be taken to raise security in the region. Officials have been urged to assess the damage and pay compensation as quickly as possible. Siraj Mourse, owner of Snack Paminos, said she was determined to get business back on track as quickly as possible. "We are workers, and we work everyday, my husband and I," she said. "We come here, we work, and that is what we live off – we don’t have huge savings, so we need to get back to work as quickly as possible." Outside her little cafe was a row of refrigerators and freezers damaged in the blast. Glass from the fridges and windows covered the floor inside the cafe. The entire kitchen was destroyed. On the back wall hung a clock which read 9:16, the time the explosion occurred Thursday evening.

Estimating her damages at approximately $3,000, she still managed to smile and give away drinks to the workers in the area. "They’re good, hardworking people here," she said. The irony behind the bombing for Mourse was that on Thursday afternoon local entrepreneurs had held a meeting to discuss the issue of security. "Some of us wanted to bring in security, others didn’t," she said. "Now look what happened."

Near her cafe was Nerses, which sold refrigerator and washing-machine parts. Collecting the stock that the blast threw onto the street was Nayiri Telvisian, whose brother owns the store. "It’s going to cost around $15,000 to fix everything, and, on top of that, all these parts around us are useless, so we had to re-order everything," she said. The store holding the oxygen tanks now houses a massive crater in the middle of the floor, as a result of several tanks piercing the ground when they burst. Across the street from the store an oxygen tank was embedded in a concrete wall, apparently having been blown across the street by the pressure of the blast and the tank’s oxygen contents. Garage owner and mechanic Chadi Khoury said it would take him about a month to open his business again, because he has to replace every wall and doorway. It was his wall where the oxygen tank was lodged. "If I could leave Lebanon, I really would, but I can’t," he said, looking at the eight damaged cars in his garage. "We’ve had enough of all of this," said his friend Manuel Gabrian, who came to help. "We’ve been seeing this for 30 years, and nothing is stopping. The war hasn’t finished."

Video of the scene showed several buildings burning.

Zouk Mosbeh is a predominately Christian neighborhood north of Beirut. (Posted 9:45 p.m.) Please click read more to view more pictures

Deputy Farid el Khazen will appear on Kalam al