Roger Runningen Thu Oct 4, 1:01 PM ET Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) — President George Bush again warned Syria not to interfere in Lebanon or try to influence the election of a new president scheduled for later this month.“I am deeply concerned about foreign interference in your elections,” Bush told Saad Hariri, the son of slain former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Hariri, who met with Bush this morning at the White House, is the current majority leader of the Lebanese parliament.
Lebanon has been wracked by violence, including the assassination of Hariri’s father in February 2005 and last month’s killing of another anti-Syrian politician, Antoine Ghanem. Bush has condemned the slayings and accused Syria of trying to destabilize Lebanon. “The message has been sent to nations such as Syria that they should not interfere in the election of the President Busgh said. “We expect Syria to honor that.”
Bush said he’s asked Admiral William Fallon head of the U.S. Central Command, “to go to Lebanon to assess how we can further help the government and the forces protect themselves from radical elements who are willing to use violence and terror to achieve objectives.”Hariri, who is following in his father’s political footsteps, said terrorists want to “finish our democracy,” while the Lebanese are focused on preserving it.Won’t Back Down“We will stay resolved, we will stay focused on our democracy, we will not back down,” he said
Tue Oct 3, 2:08 PM ET DEIR AL-QAMAR, Lebanon (AFP) – Fifteen people were injured in fires that raged across forests and damaged houses to the north and east of the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, a local official said. Fifteen people suffered injuries and burns, while 20 others were treated for respiratory problems" in the Shouf mountains east of Beirut, Deir al-Qamar municipality official Edy Renno told AFP.
By Nafez Qawas, NEW YORK: Resolution 1701, the permanent settlement of Palestinians, the presidential poll, and Israeli violations were the main issues addressed by President Emile Lahoud in his address to the UN’s 62nd General Assembly on Friday Lahoud called for international support and assistance for Lebanon to prevent the country from falling apart. "Some states are trying to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs against international norms … I urge the international community to prevent and halt these interferences for they are increasing the existing tensions in the county," he added. 
Lebanon’s central bank has revealed the combined profits of the commercial banks operating in the country increased by 6.8% in the first seven months of the year, in spite of ongoing political turmoil which has badly damaged much of the economy, reported the Daily Star. The combined profits had reached $451m by the end of July, while customer deposits increased by 5.8% to $64.2bn over the same period.
By Tom Perry , 
A bitterly divided Lebanese parliament adjourned Tuesday without officially beginning the process of selecting a new president.Two-thirds of members must attend before an official session can be held. The next session has been scheduled for October 23.Members of parliament arrived in armored convoys, traveling under the protection of security details. The downtown area was sealed off as concrete barriers diverted the normal flow of traffic.
One MP, Ghinwa Jalloul, waved a Lebanese flag from her car and held up a picture of former prime minister and MP Rafiq Hariri whose assassination in February 2005 lies at the root of the current crisis."Long live Lebanon," she shouted to reporters before entering the building.The perimetre around the imposing structure was off-limits to normal traffic after elite troops and tanks deployed in the area. Checkpoints were also set up throughout the city creating traffic jams, and many businesses were shut.Ali Bazzi, an MP with the opposition Amal movement, reiterated that his camp would only take part in Tuesday’s session if the feuding political parties agreed on a consensus candidate.
Khazen.org offers its deepest condoleances to the families of Antoine Ghanem, Nuhad Gharib, Tony Daou, Charles Chikhani, Sonia Baroudi.
BEIRUT, Lebanon Sin el Fil — Lebanese parliamentarian Antoine Ghanem was killed in a massive bombing in Beirut on Wednesday, according to Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., quoting a member of Ghanem’s Phalange Party. At least 4 other people were killed in the explosion, according to a high-ranking government official.
