By Nora Boustany, Saad Hariri , a Lebanese legislator and the son of slain prime minister Rafiq Hariri , said Wednesday that a recently renewed alliance between Iran and Syria and fallout from Tehran’s nuclear program could pose a threat to Lebanon."There is an international crisis on this issue. They will have to answer to the international community, not Lebanon," he said at a leadership forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Hariri came to Washington this week to meet with President Bush , Vice President Cheney , Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley and the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, C. David Wel c h .Iran’s standoff with international institutions over its nuclear ambitions could have an impact on Lebanon, Hariri said, given the armed presence in the country of Hezbollah. Lebanon should be spared possible repercussions, he said.
WASHINGTON – Lebanese parliament member Saad Hariri, son of slain prime minister Rafic Hariri, expressed interest in seeing the U.S. send equipment to help Lebanon protect its borders. 
BEIRUT, 23 Jan 2006 (IRIN) – Ten months after the start of a sit-in protest in front of UN headquarters in Beirut, the families of Lebanese nationals who have disappeared or been detained in Syria say their campaign for information is making little progress. "None of our demands have been met and nothing new is being done on the issue," said Samia Abdallah, whose brother, a member of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement in Lebanon, was arrested by Syrian agents in 1984.
DUBAI, 23 January (IRIN) – Political observers often cite Lebanon as an example of freedom and democracy amidst other non-democratic states in the region. They point to the country’s relatively free press, and the fact that no major political parties have been banned. Consequently, Lebanon’s political landscape has not been dominated by one family or party, but by a variety of faces and parties. 
Pierre and Hadi Katra announce their first appearance in the United States and New York (NY) Fashion Week this February 3rd-4th at Grand Hyatt. After long negotiations with International Fashion Shows Headquarters in Switzerland, the Katras have agreed to present an exclusive collection for the organization’s special fundraiser gala."We have personally met with Sianetta Sunnasee of International Fashion Shows, and we find her intent to be sincere and true," says Pierre Katra. "Our group is designing an exclusive collection, specifically for the New York Fashion Week event.
DAMASCUS/BEIRUT, 19 Jan 2006 (IRIN) – With the imminent arrival of Serge Brammertz, the United Nation
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The head of Lebanon’s Hizbollah guerrilla group has called on Saudi Arabia and Egypt to intervene to resolve a crisis brewing in Lebanon. In an interview published on Wednesday in the pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared to back Saudi mediation to ease tensions between Lebanon and Syria, and called for efforts to resolve rifts among Lebanese leaders. 
BEIRUT, 18 January (IRIN) – The UN Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) refuted accusations that it had reduced the quality of medical care for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, following reports of deteriorating health services. "UNRWA has reduced neither the quantity nor the quality of medical care," said Hoda al-Turk, assistant public information officer at UNRWA. "On the contrary, it has signed an agreement with a hospital that offers first class medical care at a very reasonable cost." 
By Rasha Elass, DAMASCUS (Reuters) – For generations, Lebanese shoppers have journeyed to neighboring Syria to stock their larders and buy clothes and even furniture at bargain prices.But many have stayed at home since the assassination of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri last February put a chill on once-cosy relations between the two countries."I used to buy everything from Syria. My wife and daughters would head up there every couple of weeks to buy food, clothes, washing powder because it is less than half the price," said Hassan, a Lebanese driver with seven children living at home.
