BEIRUT, July 14 (Reuters) - Lebanon's prime minister said on Thursday he would seek to form a government of technocrats after failing to win agreement on a cabinet drawn from political groups no longer forced to bend to Syria's will.Fouad Siniora, a member of a coalition that pushed for Syria's pullout from Lebanon, made the announcement after talks with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud confirmed that squabbles had scuppered his proposed cabinet of politicians.The next government, the first since Syria ended its 29-year military presence in Lebanon in April, faces many challenges including reestablishing stability after a series of bombings and assassinations, political reform and tackling a huge debt. It also has to deal with a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding the disarming of anti-Israeli Hizbollah guerrillas. "I agreed with his excellency the president that we go ahead with preparing a government line-up from outside parliament, from people who have political know-how but are not members of parties," the prime minister-designate told reporters. He indicated the cabinet would be made up of 24 ministers. Political sources said Siniora would now have to come up with a team of technocrats with political links so that they would win the backing of the various parties.

DAMASCUS, July 13 (Reuters) - Syria's deputy foreign minister said in remarks published on Wednesday his country wanted Lebanon to join it in any peace talks with Israel. "The Syrian and Lebanese tracks have not separated and the reason is very clear," Waleed al-Mualem told Syria's Al Thawra and Kuwait's al-Anbaa newspapers in a joint interview.  "When we negotiate with the Israeli enemy together we can achieve better results." Mualem voiced confidence that Lebanon, now clear of Syrian troops for the first time in three decades, would not sign any separate peace with Israel under U.S. influence.  "Lebanon has a choice now: either the American direction, which means Israel -- a remote possibility because of what we know of the Lebanese people -- or the Arab direction. Syria will be the bridge for Lebanon in the Arab direction," he said.Syria withdrew its forces from Lebanon in April under intense international pressure following the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February. Previously the main powerbroker in its smaller neighbour for three decades, Syria has always opposed any separate peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel.  Mualem said such an agreement was the real agenda of U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, whose demands were partly fulfilled by the end to Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon. The measure also calls for the dismantling of all militias in Lebanon, mainly anti-Israel Hizbollah guerrillas.

Maria el-Beissari, center, wife of Lebanese Col. Elias al-Beissari, chief of security of Lebanon's outgoing deputy Prime Minister Elias Murr, is comforted in the hospital after her husband was seriously injured in a car bomb that hit the motorcade of Murr in the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, July 12, 2005. The car bomb, slightly wounded Murr and killed at least one other person, Tuesday, officials said. A string of bombings has hit Lebanon this year. The explosion left one vehicle a charred and twisted wreck, and several nearby cars and buildings were damaged. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Tawil)

Lebanese security forces and civilians gather at the scene of a car bomb attack in Beirut. Lebanon's defence minister was wounded by a car bomb outside Beirut that killed at least two and injured nine others in the latest attack on a leading political figure, state TV reported.(AFP/Joseph Barrak) For more pictures pls click READ MORE

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A car bomb hit the motorcade of Lebanon's outgoing deputy prime minister Tuesday, wounding him and killing at least one other person, officials said. A string of bombings has hit Lebanon this year. The blast left one vehicle a charred and twisted wreck and damaged several others in the motorcade of Elias Murr, who is also the outgoing defense minister. Murr, who was slightly wounded, later released an audiotape from the hospital saying his was all right. At least 12 other people, including the Mexican ambassador's wife, were also wounded, officials said.President Emile Lahoud, Syria's staunchest ally in Lebanon, has reportedly been pressing for Murr