Khazen

Lebanese leaders head to Qatar for crisis talks

DOHA (Reuters) – Rival Lebanese leaders flew to Qatar on Friday aiming to end a protracted political conflict that has pushed the country to the brink of a new civil war.Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani was due to open the talks in a Doha hotel at 9:00 pm (1800 GMT).  "Let us deal with matters calmly at the dialogue table. Each one of us and them must offer concessions to bury strife," Walid Jumblatt said during a tour of Druze villages. We are going to the dialogue with a great political wound," said Jumblatt, who later flew to Doha in a Qatar Airways plane along with both his allies and rivals. Lebanese forces leader Samir Geagea, former president Amin Gemayel and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt of the ruling coalition boarded a Qatari aircraft  along with opposition member and parliament speaker Nabih Berri and the Free Patriotic  leader Michel Aoun. The leader of the militant Shiite Hezbollah movement Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah did not go to Qatar, apparently for security reasons, but was to be represented by Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad.

Arab mediators, led by the Qatari prime minister, concluded a deal on Thursday to end the fighting which killed 81 people and exacerbated sectarian tensions between Shi’ites loyal to Hezbollah and Druze and Sunni followers of the ruling coalition. "We are going to Doha …. to come back, God willing, with an agreement that will allow Lebanese to look forward, benefiting from the past and its bitter experience," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said before leaving for Qatar.In another concession to the opposition, the ruling coalition also appears to have dropped its demands that the election of a new president precede discussions on a new cabinet and a new parliamentary election law — the two main issues on the agenda of the Qatar talks. "The atmosphere is excellent and we will put our efforts into reaching a solution which is in the interest of all Lebanese," parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an opposition leader allied to Syria, told as-Safir.

The feuding Lebanese politicians agreed on Thursday to launch a dialogue as part of a six-point plan, following Arab League mediation led by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani. Under the deal the rivals undertook "to shore up the authority of the Lebanese state throughout the country," to refrain from using weapons to further political aims and to remove militants from the streets. It also called for the removal of roadblocks that paralysed air traffic and closed major highways, and for the rivals to refrain from using language that could incite violence. Life began returning to normal in Beirut on Friday as the port, businesses and many schools reopened. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told Beirut’s pro-opposition daily As-Safir that "Syria supports the agreement." He called it "a real opportunity to save Lebanon from the dangers it faces," but warned against "international interference that could have negative impacts." Lebanon’s pro-government daily An-Nahar described the deal as "an achievement bordering on a miracle," although the country still remained on the brink. "Beirut’s streets and airport returned to what they were before May 5, but this return does not mean the retreat of the explosive political situation." The pro-opposition newspaper Al-Akhbar said: "Those going to Doha today carry an immense patriotic duty in their hands. "Lebanon will be relieved of its leaders for a few days, but people are still worried about picking up the pieces of their lives as they are still under threat in the event the Doha meeting fails to bring a comprehensive solution." A group of disabled people, some bearing injuries from Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, gathered on the Beirut airport road bearing signs for the leaders: "If you don’t agree, don’t come back."

For more pictures please click READ MORE

Read more
Appel aux chr

                                دعا النائب نعمة الله أبي نصر المسيحيين في لبنان وبالتحديد الموارنة الى أن يستعيدوا دورهم الحقيقي في لبنان والمشرق لأنهم أصحاب رسالة عنوانها الحرية والإنفتاح . وقال :       في ضوء الأحداث الخطيرة التي شهدها لبنان أظهر المسيحيون درجة من الوعي تبشّر بالخير ، لكنها غير كافية إذ أنَّ عليهم أن يبادروا فوراً لطرح حلول […]

Read more
Lebanon opposition lifts blockade on airport – DAY 9

Loyal to Lebanon’s opposition on Thursday began removing roadblocks on the highway leading to Beirut‘s international airport, paving the way for commercial flights to resume, an AFP correspondent said.  A MEA plane was set to arrive in the early evening, the first commercial flight since incoming and outgoing services were suspended a week ago. "An MEA flight from Paris is scheduled to arrive from Paris at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) and will depart to Larnaca, Cyprus at 8:30 pm," an airport official said.  Crowds of people gathered on a bridge overhead to watch as tractors piled sand and rock into trucks as they dismantled the roadblocks."The airport is the pulse and life of the country," said Samih Karneb, 45. "At least now there won’t be any more shows of force. Each side knows their size." Abbas, 26, said that opening the airport motorway was "a beautiful sight," while a soldier standing nearby disagreed, telling AFP that "it shouldn’t have come to this in the first place. "Are we supposed to be happy about this?" he asked.

 Arab mediators unveiled a deal on Thursday to defuse a long-running feud between rival political factions. Under the agreement announced after two days of intensive talks, the factions agreed to relaunch a dialogue to end a paralysing political crisis that boiled over into six days of deadly sectarian gunbattles last week.  Under a six-point plan announced by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, the rivals agreed to go to Qatar on Friday to begin a national dialogue to try to elect a president and form a national unity government. "May 15 is normally a day we consider a sad one because of the memories it evokes," said Arab League chief Amr Mussa, referring to the creation of the Jewish state 60 years ago which is regarded as a "catastrophe" by Arabs. "But this May 15, 2008 was witness to an important step forward on the Lebanese scene because of the success towards relaunching dialogue and a return to normal life and an accord between all the parties." Under Thursday’s deal, the rivals agreed to launch a dialogue "to shore up the authority of the Lebanese state throughout the country," to refrain from using weapons to further political aims and to remove armed militants from the streets. It also called for the removal of all roadblocks that have paralysed air traffic and closed major highways, and for the rivals to refrain from using language that could incite violence. Hopes of a deal were raised after the government, in a major climbdown, on Wednesday cancelled controversial measures against Hezbollah that had triggered the latest unrest  in the counbtry. Parliament is scheduled to convene on June 10 for its 20th attempt to elect a president.

For more pictures please click Read More

Read more
Lebanese army expands deployment to impose order – Day 8

The security outlook in Lebanon continued to improve on Wednesday, amid a tumultuous political situation and a whirlwind of mediation efforts. Southeast of Beirut, the Lebanese Aarmed Forces (LAF) detonated unexploded hand grenades in Choueifat as part of a deployment to the Aley and Chouf districts, which were the scene of intense clashes over the weekend between Progressive Socialist Party and opposition fighters.  The Zahle district in the central Bekaa region also saw a relative return to normalcy, with the reopening of several roads shut off last week by government supporters. Despite clashes and reports of brutality in Tripoli during the past few days, a security source told The Daily Star that the security outlook in and around the Northern port city has improved markedly, with LAF deployments resulting in a citywide clamp-down on violence. An overnight explosion was reported, but it appears that this was due to an overloaded electricity generator. In a measure aimed at easing the burden of citizens affected by the violence, the Internal Security Forces released a statement Tuesday announcing that "all ISF bureaus and stations" will be open for the airing of complaints and assuring citizens that "appropriate and necessary measures will be taken to mitigate any existing difficulties."  In other security-related news, the LAF’s commander, General Michel Suleiman, met with US Charge d’Affaires to Lebanon Michele Sison and a US Central Command (CENTCOM) delegation headed by acting CENTCOM commander Lieutenant General Martin E. Dempsey in order to discuss a possible shoring up of the Lebanese military’s capabilities.


An Arab League delegation late Wednesday continued talks with Lebanese rivals in a bid to reach a settlement to deadly sectarian clashes that have driven Lebanon close to civil war. "The delegation is continuing its talks with the Lebanese rivals with optimism," a member close to the Arab delegation told Deutsche Press-Agentur dpa.  The team, headed by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani and Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa, held talks with Lebanon’s House Speaker Nabih Berri, premier Fouad Seniora, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, Opposition leader Michela Aoun,  Lebanese Armed Forces chief General Michel Suleiman, Majority Leader Saad Hariri, former president Amin Gemayel and Lebanese forces’  leader Samir Geagea.  The delegation had issued no statements since their arrival in Beirut.  By late evening, there was no apparent breakthrough as the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora gathered to decide on the next step. Several officials close to the majority and the opposition said the government would likely cancel measures against Hezbollah on Thursday as part of a "package deal" following further meetings. "The government is unlikely to announce any decisions tonight," one official told AFP. "It will probably do so tomorrow as part of a package deal," he added, without elaborating. The cabinet decided to agree on the suggestion of the army commander… which includes the cancellation of the two decisions," the statement, read by Information Minister Ghazi al-Aridi, said. It is also a first step towards easing the broader standoff between Siniora’s government and opposition forces that has left Lebanon without a president since November.

Meanwhile, sources close to Berri told The Daily Star that he told the Arab delegation that the opposition was not trying to realize any political gains from the recent clashes in the country.  The sources added that Berri did not mind holding talks between rival leaders in Doha.  Later on Wednesday, Gemayel said after meeting the Arab delegation at his residence in Sin al-Fil that the first item on the agenda of any dialogue should be Hizbullah’s arsenal.  "We welcome Sheikh Hamad’s proposal to hold dialogue in Doha," Gemayel said. But "before taking part in any dialogue, we need guarantees after Hizbullah’s using of its arms against other Lebanese parties."  "People are worried as a result of Hizbullah’s actions and we need reassurances," he added. "What Hizbullah did left a big bruise in the hearts of many people … A great effort should be made to heal this bruise."  Meanwhile, Aoun said after meeting the delegation at his residence in Rabieh that he will not spare any effort to facilitate the success of the Arab mission.  "I also hope that other parties do all that is necessary to help the Arab delegation," he said. "The current circumstances are very tough and could be even tougher unless some concessions are made." Aoun blamed the recent escalation on the government.  "We have been warning against such behavior for three years," the former army commander said. "A new approach in rule should be adopted."  After meeting Aoun, the delegation headed to meet Geagea at his residence in Zouk Mosbeh. Geagea said after the meeting that any talks between the rival parties should tackle two issues: Hizbullah’s relations with the Lebanese state and a new electoral law for the 2009 parliamentary elections. He said that although he did not mind holding dialogue in Doha, he preferred holding the talks in Lebanon: "I appreciate what our Qatari brothers are doing, but I personally prefer inter-Lebanese dialogue in Lebanon."  Geagea also said that the government did not need to cancel its decisions regarding the airport security chief and Hizbullah’s private telecommunications network.  "The government has referred the decisions to the army, which in turn is in charge of tackling this issue," he said before the moves were rescinded. Wael Abu Faour, a parliamentarian in the ruling coalition, told Reuters after Siniora met the Arab mediators ."The general direction of the Lebanese government is … to put civil peace above all else, including the latest (cabinet) decisions," 

 Lebanon has been largely calm for two days and Hezbollah activists removed some roadblocks on the airport road on Wednesday to give the Arab mediators passage to the city . In what they described as a reciprocal move, pro-government Sunni forces partially lifted their border blockade on the main road link between Beirut and Damascus. Syria threw its weight behind the mediation effort on Wednesday. A foreign ministry statement in Damascus urged all Lebanese parties to cooperate constructively with its proposals. If it succeeds in easing tension, the delegation is expected to invite the rival leaders to Qatar  for talks aimed at resolving their protracted political conflict.  Another political source, speaking before the talks, said the pro-government leaders wanted guarantees Hezbollah would pull out of the streets and vow not to use its guns against its foes before any dialogue.  The recent fighting raised concerns Lebanon was edging towards wider civil strife among Druze and Sunni supporters of the governing coalition and Shi’ites who back Hezbollah.  Saudi Arabia, a backer of the governing coalition, has said Hezbollah’s actions, if backed by Iran, could threaten Tehran’s ties with Arab states. Iran has blamed the United States for the violence in Lebanon. No commercial flights have been scheduled from the country’s only international airport for the seventh straight day, an airport official said.

U.S. President George W. Bush, in Jerusalem to celebrate the anniversary of Israel‘s founding in 1948, accused Iran on Wednesday of using the Islamist Shi’ite Hezbollah to destabilize Lebanon. He said: "This is an Iranian effort to destabilize their young democracy." He said the United States stood by Lebanon, a parliamentary democracy since independence from France in 1943. Iran has rejected accusations from Washington that it is meddling in Lebanon and has blamed the violence on the United States and Israel. "Iran is the only country not interfering in Lebanon," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad    said on Tuesday.  Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the acting commander of U.S. Central Command, spent Wednesday in Beirut, Lebanon, to discuss the security crisis with officials there and assure them that U.S. military aid will continue, a U.S. military official said. He met Defense Minister Elias Murr and Lt. Gen. Michel Suleiman, the commander of the Lebanese armed forces in the wake of the Lebanese government losing control of part of its capital to the militant group Hezbollah. The trip had not previously been scheduled. It is not clear when it was added to the agenda of the top U.S. military commander for the region.  Discussions centered on continued U.S. military assistance to the Lebanese armed forces in light of the ongoing crisis. "The U.S. government will continue to support the legitimate institutions of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people as they seek to preserve their independence and security," the military official said. For the last several years, the Defense Department has supplied Lebanese armed forces with ammunition, armored vehicles and weapons.

 Lebanon’s cabinet is likely to cancel measures on Wednesday that angered Hezbollah movement and triggered the worst internal conflict since the country’s civil war, political sources said. You can say it’s a done deal, but we’re waiting for the cabinet meeting," one political source said shortly before Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is supported by the United States, convened his ministers for talks at 11:30 a.m. EDT. Rescinding a ban on Hezbollah‘s communications network and the sacking of Beirut airport‘s security chief, who is close to the group, is one of Hezbollah’s demands to lift its blockade of the airport and its campaign of civil disobedience. It would also be a first step towards easing a broader 18-month-long standoff between Siniora’s government and opposition forces that has left Lebanon without a president since November. At least 81 people have been killed since violence broke out on May 7 following the cabinet decisions against Hezbollah.

Please click read more for more pictures

Read more
Lebanon army ready to use force to halt fighting – Day 7

BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Lebanese army expanded its troop deployment to several tense areas around the country Tuesday, saying its soldiers would use force if needed to impose order. The army has played a central role in defusing the violence that started last Wednesday by calling on armed supporters from both sides to leave the streets. But it has remained neutral in the conflict and did not intervene. The army’s announcement signaled that it could step up its involvement to bring an end to the country’s worst internal fighting since the end of the civil war. Army units will prevent any violations, whether by individuals or groups, in accordance with the law even if this is going to lead to the use of force," said an army statement released late Monday. One reason the army had largely stayed out of the fighting was the fear that its forces could break apart along sectarian lines as they did during the civil war. The army statement said troops would prevent armed civilians from roaming the streets and called on all groups in the country to cooperate. Streets in the capital were busy as more businesses opened, but schools and universities remained closed. Also, many roads were still blocked including the highway leading to the country’s only international airport. The tense areas where troops deployed early Tuesday included the northern city of Tripoli that witnessed heavy clashes the day before. The army also continued its deployment in the mountains overlooking Beirut and several neighborhoods in the capital.

President Bush expressed his support for the Lebanese army on Monday during an interview with Al-Arabiya television, saying Washington would continue to supply and train the country’s forces. "We want to make them better so they can respond," Bush said. The president confirmed that the US military  has moved the destroyer USS Cole  off the coast of Lebanon but said it was "part of a routine training mission that had been scheduled a long time before." Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman is the consensus candidate for president and the army’s success in calming violence in the country could enhance his chances of being elected. Bush said in his interview that the U.S. would continue its support for the Lebanese government and keep up pressure on Iran and Syria,  The president also called on Arab nations to support Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. Arab foreign ministers met in Egypt on Sunday and pledged to send a delegation to Beirut to help find a solution. The delegation was expected in Beirut on Wednesday. Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri pledged on Tuesday there would be no political surrender to what he called a bid by Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers to impose their will on the nation by force. They simply are demanding that we surrender, they want Beirut to raise white flags… This is impossible," Hariri told a news conference in his first public appearance since Hezbollah swept through Sunni-dominated areas of the capital last week. "They will not be able to obtain Saad al-Hariri‘s signature … on a deed to surrender to the Iranian and Syrian regimes." Lebanon experienced its calmest day since violence broke out on May 7 after U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora outlawed Hezbollah’s communications network and fired Beirut airport’s security chief.  Hezbollah said this was a declaration of war and swiftly took over much of Beirut, crushing pro-government Sunni Muslim gunmen. It then handed over its gains to the army.  Saudi Arabia said that if Iran endorsed Hezbollah’s actions it would affect the Islamic Republic’s ties with the Arab world. "Of course, for Iran to back the coup that happened in Lebanon … will have an impact on its relations with all Arab countries," said Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.  said al-Faisal ‘s claims of Iranian support for Hizbullah’s recent actions in Lebanon were made in anger. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied his country was meddling in Lebanon. According to Ahmadinejad, the Saudi Foreign Minister was not following the orders of Saudi King Abdullah. The Iranian leader conveyed Iran is the only country that does not interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs.French Foreign Minister hinted at a possible U.N. Security Council resolution on Lebanon.  "A resolution, which is still not entirely complete, could be proposed to the Security Council," Kouchner told parliament.

There is no civil authority in the country now, so the army is under tremendous pressure," said Timor Goksell, a security expert and former spokesman of UN peacekeeping forces who coordinate with the military in south Lebanon.  "If they had used their weapons during the clashes, tomorrow there would be no army and no country." But Goksell said the army’s pledge as of the morning of 13 May to "halt violations

Read more
Mountain clashes bring Lebanon death toll to 81- Day 6

– Lebanon was on a knife-edge on Monday . Pro-government gunmen and supporters loyal to Lebanon’s Hezbollah battled with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday. Security sources said six people were wounded when Sunni government supporters in Tripoli’s Bab Tebbaneh district exchanged machine gun and grenade fire with Alawite militiamen Mohsen area. The fighting later gave way to the occasional crack of sniper fire, witnesses said. A security official said three cars with Syrian licence plates came under fire on Monday, leaving three people wounded. Such incidents have raised fears the situation could escalate again against the backdrop of seething hatred between Sunnis who support the ruling bloc and Shiites who back the opposition.The Masnaa border crossing with Syria was also blocked.  Such incidents have raised fears the situation could escalate again against the backdrop of seething hatred between Sunnis who support the ruling bloc and Shiites who back the opposition.  Sunni Islamist groups in Tripoli loyal to the pro-government on Sunday declared that they were launching their own resistance to defend the country.

At least 36 people had been killed on Sunday in fighting between Hezbollah and its pro-government Druze opponents east of Beirut. A precarious calm prevailed in Beirut, where politicians prepared to meet Arab League mediators. "What has been happening is negotiations by fire," a political source said. "Now everyone is waiting for the Arab committee to come for the political negotiations to start."  Officials could not immediately provide casualty figures from other mountain towns where fighting also raged a day earlier.One source said the dead in Sunday’s battles included 17 Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah-led forces overran several posts held by gunmen loyal to Walid Jumblatt in the Aley district before the Druze leader agreed to hand them over to the army. Jumblatt had authorized Talal Arslan his rival  Druze leader, to mediate with Hezbollah. Arsalan said Jumblatt’s men had handed over most of their offices and strongholds in Aley to the army, but said he was still waiting for them to turn in heavy weapons and arms depots. This is what is causing the delay and unrest. He has also suggested that these heavy arms to be handed to his party who in return will hand them,to the Lebaneese Army. The latest fighting in  Lebanon, which began on May 7, has killed 81 people and wounded 250.

Former President Amin Gemayel of the pro-government Christian Phalangist Party insisted Monday that the ruling majority will not engage in dialogue with Hezbollah without a pledge that it will stop using its weapons inside the country. Hezbollah has for years vowed its weapons would only be used for resistance against Israel and would never point them toward internal disputes.  The events since Wednesday, however, have sharply reduced the group’s credibility as a purely anti-Israeli resistance organization and apparently given more reason for parties seeking to disarm it, according to independent analysts.  "They cannot come to the negotiating table with their artillery," Gemayel said, describing Hezbollah’s power gains as an "illusionary victory."  that was taken by them which in return has cause the Lebanese situation to explode in certain regions in Lebanon. On the other hand General Aoun has declared that the there will be no fight between the Christians and that the situation  is safe in the Christian regions,  because of their accord with Hezbollah. He has also added that the Government is the only one that is responsible  to the current situation because of the two decision (outlawing Hezbollah communications network and sacking the airport security chief .) He has also declared that the current uncertainty  and continuous violence can be solved only by clearly rejecting these 2 decisions and not the uncertainty and hesitation of the government and also the only solution is the government resignation through the Parliament and electing a new national unity government. From another stand Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea declared after visiting Prime Minister Senioura that the government is very unified and calm and standing behind all of their decisions and there is no plans of any backing up . Meanwhile, shops began opening in the capital and more civilians were seen emerging from their homes, though traffic was lighter than usual. Many schools and universities were still closed.  A minor clash broke out at dawn between government supporters and supporters allied to the opposition gunmen in the busy Hamra district, security officials said on condition of anonymity, also because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Two cameramen for Al-Jazeera television, who arrived at the scene to cover the shooting, were lightly wounded and briefly hospitalized, the channel said. Most gunmen have withdrawn from Beirut

Read more
Clashes in Lebanon as army deploys in capital – Day 5

BEIRUT, May 11  — Pope Benedict XVI condemned the sectarian fighting. "I beg the Lebanese to end clashes which are leading this country" to the point of no return, he said.

The army deployed across much of Lebanon on Sunday after Hezbollah ceded control of west Beirut but clashes raged on in the north and in the Druze mountains as Arab foreign ministers held crisis talks. Lebanese troops patrolled Beirut on Sunday after Hezbollah fighters pulled back from areas they had seized in deadly gunbattles with supporters of the U.S.-backed government. Heavy clashes between pro and anti-government supporters broke out Sunday in mountain areas in central Lebanon, local New TV reported.  The violence started in mountain village of Aytat in Aley area, and expanded to other villages and then spread out to Chweifatcity where heavy gunfire exchange is taking place, according to the report. The report said automatic rifles and RPGs were used in the battles, and huge sound of explosion could be heard in the area. The fighting was reportedly between the supporters of pro-government Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Druze opposition leader Talal Erslan’s gunmen.  local LBC TV reported that  after a phone conversation between Jumblatt and Arslan  came in agreement to hand the control of mountain area over to the army to end the current violence. Civil peace and halting the destruction are paramount," Jumblatt told Lebanese television. He also asked his supporters to lay down their weapons. Arslan also called on opposition fighters to halt the fighting . Shortly after the appeals the army began deploying in the area.  Earlier on Sunday the army had moved into the northern city of Tripoli where fierce overnight sectarian clashes had left one woman dead at at least five wounded. So far, 38 people have been killed in clashes that began Wednesday, the worst sectarian violence since the civil war. Overnight, there were fierce clashes in the north, particularly in the city of Tripoli where pro-government supporters exchanged rocket propelled grenades and heavy machine gun fire with opposition followers, security officials said. One woman was killed. The clashes were over by morning when the Lebanese army deployed on the streets to separate the warring factions.

Calm returned a day after Siniora placed the implementation of two government decisions in the army’s hands: to shut down Hezbollah’s electronic surveillance operation at Beirut’s international airport and a vast land-line telephone network. The military, in a statement, overturned the government’s plans. It reinstated the head of airport security fired over the existence of the spy system and left the phone lines under Hezbollah’s control.  “This was probably an inevitable moment, when Hezbollah felt it had to show the government the real balance of power between them,” Rami Khoury.  Beirut‘s streets were largely deserted Sunday, a day off in Lebanon. Many roads remained blocked, including the one to the airport, by the ongoing civil disobedience campaign of the opposition . In the western Beirut neighborhood of Karakol Druse, which saw heavy fighting Thursday, a man swept glass outside his shop. A gaping hole from a rocket propelled grenade and bullet holes marked the facade of a normally busy bakery, now closed.  There were few signs of gunmen openly carrying weapons, save for small knots of Hezbollah allies from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party sitting outside the Economy Ministry in one seaside district.  On Beirut’s normally bustling seaside corniche, workers outside five-star hotels cleaned blackened streets scarred by burning tires.

Arab League foreign ministers meanwhile held emergency talks on Lebanon in Cairo in the absence of Syria’s top diplomat, Arab League urged: "In view of the danger of the situation in Lebanon, the council of ministers sends out an urgent appeal for an immediate end to violence in Mount Lebanon (Druze regions) and other areas,"  Dijbouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmud Ali Yussuf, who was chairing the session, told fellow ministers that "a number of steps and measures to resolve the situation in Lebanon have been put forward." He urged the different factions in Lebanon to "exercise restraint and cooperate with Arab endeavours," stressing that an Arab plan to resolve the crisis "is the only initiative on the table." That initiative calls for the election of Lebanese army chief General Michel Sleiman as president, the establishment of a national unity government and the drafting of a new electoral law. The opposition pulled back its militants from Beirut after the army revoked the government’s decisions and deployed in the affected areas. Many Lebanese, including cabinet ministers, observed a minute of silence on Sunday for the victims of the violence, heeding a call by embattled Prime Minister Fuad Siniora who described Hezbollah’s power grab as an armed coup. Syrian official daily Al-Baath said on Sunday that Hezbollah had foiled a US-planned coup to seize control of Lebanon.  "The Americans launched a pre-emptive strike against opposition nationalist forces, starting with the (Hezbollah) resistance, and attempted a Washington-planned coup but were taken aback by the opposition, which restored order in Lebanon," it said.  The White House welcomed the lessening of violence in Beirut but warned that "our concerns regarding Hezbollah are unchanged."  "They continue to be a destabilising force there with the backing of their supporters, Iran and Syria," US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

For More pictures please click READ MORE

Read more
Lebanese army overturns measures against Hezbollah – Day 4

Hezbollah and its allies began withdrawing their gunmen here in the capital on Saturday evening, raising hopes for a political settlement after four days of street battles .Hezbollah and its allies will end all armed presence in Beirut after the Lebanese army overturned government measures against the group, an opposition statement said on Saturday. "The Lebanese opposition will end all armed presence in Beirut so that the capital will be in the hands of the army," the statement said. – Earlier The Lebanese army overturned on Saturday two government measures against Hezbollah that had triggered the group to take control of Beirut, and the military urged gunmen to withdraw from the streets.  The army said in a statement it was keeping the head of the security at Beirut airport in his post and that it would handle Hezbollah’s communications network in a way "that would not harm public interest and the security of the resistance". Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said earlier on Saturday that he was putting the two issues to the army for them to decide. They have also requested from the government to cancel these 2 decisions taken.

On Saturday afternoon, after another day of sporadic violence, the army offered to broker a face-saving solution by promising to "investigate" Hezbollah’s controversial private telephone network without harming the group’s integrity. It also proposed to retain the current chief of airport security, a Hezbollah ally whom the government had tried to fire. That proposal

Read more
فريد الخازن: الم&#1608

ديانا سكيني, يرى النائب في كتلة الاصلاح والتغيير فريد الخازن، ان قرارات مجلس الوزراﺀ الاخيرة التي فتحت المواجهة مع حزب الله في هذا التوقيت لا تؤدي سوى الى استثارة الأطراف والهروب الى الامام وعدم البت في الملف السياسي المتجسد بالوصول الى اتفاق سياسي. اتفاق بدا شكله مسهلا جدا في الايام الاخيرة حيث كان قانون الانتخابات مطروحا "على نار حامية"، فهل تلك القرارات ارادت تمويه تلك المشهدية وتغيير مسار الازمة؟ "، ذلك أن شيئاً جديدا لم يطرأ على الملفات الإقليمية لربط التطورات بها.

يعيد الدكتور فريد الخازن مشهد الأزمــة اللبنانية الحالية الى جذوة الــصــراع القائم منذ الــعــام 2005 والمتمثل بــعــدم إيــجــاد الاطـــراف اللبنانية لنقطة تــــوازن جــديــدة يرتكز عليها النظام السياسي.

وتبدأ المعضلة من غياب المرحلة الإنتقالية الــتــي تهيئ الساحة اللبنانية للإنتقال من عهد الوصاية السورية الى مرحلة سيادية جديدة.

فجأة أعيد الاعتبار للطرح السيادي وحدثت تطورات متسارعة ادت الى تدويل الازمة ورفع الغطاﺀ الاميركي والاوروبــــــي والــعــربــي عــن الــوجــود السوري في لبنان من خلال القرار 1559. تصاعدت وتيرة التطورات مع اغتيال الرئيس رفيق الحريري والاغتيالات اللاحقة التي أدت الى إنشاﺀ المحكمة الدولية.

وجدت الأطراف اللبنانية نفسها أمــــام مــلــفــات كــبــيــرة ومــتــغــيــرات السياسة الدولية، فللمرة الأولــى طرح ملف سلاح حزب الله بجدية وشهد الميدان في الجنوب تغيرات جوهرية بعد صدور القرار 1701. لكن الاستحقاق الأبرز تمثل بلعبة السلطة الداخلية التي حاولت الاستمرار بوتيرة فترة الوصايا ذاتها. اعتبر الجنرال ميشال عون المستهدف الوحيد من التحالف الرباعي، واستمر الاستهداف اثناﺀ تشكيل الحكومة حيث فضلت قوى الاكثرية التعامل مع الرئيس السابق اميل لحود على اعطاﺀ اربعة مقاعد وزاريــة للعماد ميشال عون. وعليه فان استهداف العماد عون سابق لتحالفه مع حزب الله الذي كان له ثمنا دون شك في الساحة المسيحية.

Read more
Hezbollah tightens grip on Beirut – DAY 3

HEZBOLLAH  took control of large areas of Beirut last night, tightening their grip on the city in a major confrontation with the Government. Security sources said at least At least 18 people have been killed and 38 wounded in three days of battles between pro-government gunmen and fighters loyal to Hezbollah in the worst internal strife since the 1975-90 civil war. Hezbollah and its allies controlled all of mainly Muslim west Beirut, except in one district, Tarek al-Jadidi, where pro-Government gunmen laid down their arms late yesterday and allowed the army to move in. Witnesses in the neighbourhoods of Zarif, Corniche Mazraa and Ras al-Nabi said of Hezbollah and its ally Amal were out in force. Fierce gun battles were raging in the mixed Sunni-Shiite-Christian neighbourhood of Hamra, where Hezbollah appeared to be gaining ground. Beirut’s port was shutting down because of the conflict, port official Elie Zakhour said.Gunmen loyal to the Islamist movement, and Iran, forced the pro-Government Future News television off the air, said a senior official at the Beirut station. Future News is owned by Saad al-Hariri, a Sunni politician who leads the governing coalition known as the March 14 Alliance, which enjoys backing from the US, France and Saudi Arabia. Gunmen had also taken over the offices of Mr Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal newspaper. A rocket had hit the outer perimeter of Mr Hariri’s house in west Beirut, a source close to the Sunni leader said.

The gunmen later handed over several seized posts, including the Hariri media outlets and homes of some of his deputies and ministers, to the army without clashes.Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut, said the events of the past few days "certainly leaves the Government weaker and the Future movement weaker."But Hezbollah did not want to be seen as an occupier by keeping its fighters in areas whose residents’ political loyalties lie with Mr Hariri, Mr Salem said. Handing control to the army appeared the most likely exit. Despite its military dominance, Hezbollah is unlikely to attempt a full takeover of government in the manner that Hamas secured control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Hezbollah’s chief, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has said the group will not use its weapons to bring about such a change. The violence was triggered by the Lebanese Government’s decision to declare Hezbollah’s phone and internet system

Read more