BEIRUT:
Lebanon leaders Monday remembered late Pierre Amine Gemayel, who was
assassinated 10 years ago in broad daylight by a group of masked gunmen. “He was a promising young man full of energy and people loved him,”
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri told Voice of Lebanon radio
(100.5). “His assassination was a big loss for Lebanon and all the
Lebanese.”
Hariri mourned the “loss of a brother, who was a very important person in my life.” “We will always remember you Pierre. You were an honest man with all
the Lebanese and honest in your work for Lebanon and its people,” he
said.
Gemayel was a prominent figure in the “Cedar Revolution,” which
forced the Syrian Army out of Lebanon in 2005. He then took on the
Industry Ministry portfolio under the Cabinet of former Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora. Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel, Pierre’s brother, said via Twitter that
“we will remain loyal to you and our cause,” using the hashtag
#steady_serving Lebanon.
“Pierre Amin Gemayel embodies the Lebanon of tomorrow and everything
we aspire to be,” MP Marwan Hamade said, adding that Kataeb leader was
continuing in his brother Pierre’s path.
The March 14 rally, dubbed the “Cedar Revolution,” was the climax of a
month-long series of rallies that followed the assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in a massive truck bomb on Feb.
14, 2005.
The Arab Tawhid Party staged a parade in a Mount Lebanon village Sunday, displaying for the time its members in a military context. khazen.org rejects creation of any new “militia” or “Brigades” or so called “volunteers forces” outside of the Lebanese government, Lebanese institution control. This is very worrying and we request our Lebanese security […]
Part of the article from Ya Libnan – The newly elected Lebanese President Michel Aoun held a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Sunday to celebrate the country’s Flag Day. An enormous flag, 15 meters in height and 10 meters in width (nearly 50ft x 33 ft) was displayed inside the palace’s courtyard. […]
Parts of the Articles by Middle-East Monitor
The Lebanese authorities have begun constructing an isolation wall
around one of the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camps, as they
begin a process of securitising refugees who have been living in Lebanon
since the State of Israel forced them out of their homes in 1948.
Munir al-Maqdah, the head of the Joint Palestinian Security Forces, told
Sky News Arabia that “the wall is being built outside the camp and far
away from residential areas.” The military informed Palestinian
leaders in Lebanon that “the wall and [watchtowers] are being built for
security concerns, which we accepted,” Maqdah added.
He acknowledged, however, that the wall will have a bad effect on camp
residents. “The psychological implications of a wall will be negative
and difficult [to overcome],” he said, adding that the military agreed
to a number of Palestinian proposals to amend the wall’s path and the
watchtowers’ locations. Lebanese authorities say that Ain al-Hilweh has become a refuge for
terrorists who are planning to carry out attacks on Lebanese targets.
El Khazen Waqf
By Paul Astih – english.aawsat.com
Beirut- Lebanon has been lately witnessing the rise of new political
alignments amid ongoing consultations on the formation of Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s government. Now that the March 8 and 14 alliances have become from the past, the
new stage following the election of President Michel Aoun last month
paved way for formation of new coalitions.
The parliament was divided between those in favor of Aoun and those
rejecting his election, mainly Speaker Nabih Berri, Marada Movement
chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, the Kataeb Party that is led by lawmaker
Sami Gemayel and several independent MPs. Informed sources said that there is now an alliance whose 44 members
either voted against Aoun or cast white votes. This coalition should
have a balanced role in the consultations carried out by Hariri to form
his cabinet.
The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “minor obstacles are preventing
the formation of the government but resolving them is necessary to pave
way for the new lineup.” The sources suggested forming a government that is quite similar to
that of Prime Minister Tammam Salam to facilitate the announcement of
the lineup.
A Free Patriotic Movement official, who refused to be identified,
told Asharq Al-Awsat that all efforts were being exerted to form the
cabinet before the Nov. 22 Independence Day.
By Joseph A. Kechichian Senior Writer – Gulf News
Beirut: LibanPost, the private entity associated with the Ministry of
Telecommunications, issued 15 stamps to honor individuals who
contributed to the country’s independence.
Although previous
stamps included the first head-of-state (Bisharah Al Khoury) and first
prime minister (Riad Al Solh), the latest batch included lesser known
figures who, nevertheless, ensured that the nascent republic lived up to
expectations.
Among these were Saeb Salam, the father of current
Prime Minister Tamam Salam [and the man often credited for designing the
national flag in his Rashayah prison cell], Sabri Hamadih, Camille
Chamoun, Abdul Hamid Karami, Habib Abu Shahla, Majid Arslan and Henri
Pharaon.
Pierre Gemayel, the founder of the Phalange Party, was
also included even if the choice was controversial because of the role
he played in the civil war. Other prominent figures, men like Rashid
Baydun, Hamid Franjieh and Salim Taklah, whose names most Lebanese
citizens are unfamiliar with, graced the postal issues in what may well
be a long-overdue civics lesson.
As Lebanon prepares to celebrate
its 73rd Independence anniversary on November 22, 2016, the
commemorative postage stamps was an occasion to assemble the families
and descendants of the 15 figures and, simultaneously, prepare for the
important date after a two-and-a-half year vacancy at the head of the
state. On Tuesday, Beirut will hold a military parade in the Downtown
area in the presence of newly elected President Michel Aoun.
By
When it comes to body-baring, dead-sexy and richly-embellished, Beirut
and Paris-based designer Zuhair Murad has a lock on the look.
He’s dressed nearly every star in the Hollywood galaxy for the red
carpet, most recently outfitting Jennifer Lopez in a semi-nude glittery
black jumpsuit for the Latin Grammy Awards, Beyonce in thousands of
flower-shaped crystals at the Country Music Awards, and Kristen Bell in a
fairytale floral print gown at the Emmys.
Latin Grammy Awards; Beyonce, center, at the 2016 Country Music Awards;
Kristen Bell, right, at the 2016 Emmy Awards.
While in Los Angeles this week for fittings, the designer hosted a
cocktail party at his penthouse suite at Sunset Tower for stylists (Jen
Rade, Joseph Cassell, Law Roach, Tanya Gill and more). He chatted with Pret-a-Reporter about his favorite red carpet moments, his personal style and his thoughts on the U.S. election.
Pret-a-Reporter: Tell me about the brooch you’re wearing! It’s amazing.
Zuhair Murad: It’s by Alexander McQueen. The suit is
by Saint Laurent. I’m always in black, so I have to play with
accessories. I make the most beautiful dresses in the world, but
sometimes I have to take care of myself!
Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Reuters
BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) – On the eve of Donald Trump’s election
victory, members of a Western-backed Syrian rebel group met U.S.
officials to ask about the outlook for arms shipments they have
received to fight President Bashar al-Assad.
They were told the program would continue until the end of the
year, but anything more would depend on the next U.S.
administration, a rebel official at the meeting said. When Trump
takes office in January, it may stop altogether. The president-elect has signaled opposition to U.S. support for
the rebels, and an overhaul of policy on Syria.
The military aid program overseen by the Central Intelligence
Agency has given arms and training to moderate rebels in
coordination with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and others. It helped to support these rebels, fighting under the Free Syrian
Army banner, as jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda emerged as a
major force in a war approaching its sixth anniversary. U.S. officials declined to comment on any meetings with rebel
groups, and previously have not commented on the CIA program
given its covert nature.
But Trump has indicated he could abandon the rebels to focus on
fighting Islamic State which control territory in eastern and
central Syria. He might even cooperate against IS with Russia,
Assad’s most powerful ally, which has been bombing the rebels for
over a year in western Syria.
Assad, in an interview published on Tuesday, said Trump would be
a “natural ally” if he decides to “fight the terrorists”.
By Alex Lockie
Under the landmark Iran nuclear deal, the international community
“calls upon” Iran to halt work on missiles that can be used to
deliver nuclear weapons for up to eight years. But there’s a glaring problem with this provision — Iran can
simply say it’s working on a conventional missile, not one
intended to carry a nuclear payload.
And that’s exactly what Iran has done since the early days of the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran has repeatedly tested ballistic missiles that
it can easily convert to carry nuclear payloads. While observers have argued that these tests go against the “spirit” of the agreement, the
language of the agreement fails to explicitly prohibit these
activities, and nothing indicates that Iran will stop testing
missiles. “Iran’s defense capabilities cannot be compromised and are under
no circumstance negotiable,” foreign ministry spokesman Bahram
Ghasemi told Iranian TV, according to the AFP. “Missile tests are
conducted within the framework of Iran’s defense policies.”
But President-elect Donald Trump has vowed repeatedly to
renegotiate the Iran deal, and according to Dr. Jonathan
Schanzer, a Middle East expert who is a vice president of
research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, missile
testing could be on the table. “Trump has repeatedly slammed the deal as being a bad deal — the
assumption is that he’s going to do something,” Schanzer told
Business Insider, though he admits that given Trump’s ambiguity
on the subject it’s “extremely difficult” to anticipate how
negotiations would play out.
“We haven’t heard specifics,” said Schanzer, but there are limits
to what a President Trump could do. “We can’t rip it up on day
one … the idea that you can do a 180 is unrealistic.”
