Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Sunday's vote early results: LF, independents make significant gains
2022-05-17
[AnNahar] Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan, Arab Tawhid Party
... a Leb political party established by former minister, MP, and Syrian stooge Weaam Wahhab in 2006. Supporters of the party are mainly Druze and it is a part of the March 8 (Hezbollah) Alliance. A bomb exploded outside a party office in the Chouf in 2012.
 leader Wiam Wahhab, and Assaad Hardan of the Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party have lost in Sunday's parliamentary vote, according to early results.

Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch started the buffalo stampeding......
 the LF said it won at least 20 seats, adding five members from the 2018 vote. This would make it the largest Christian bloc in parliament, replacing the Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
The October 17 forces said they won at least seven seats, three in Beirut II, three in Chouf-Aley and one in South III, with a reported probability of a second breakthrough in the South III.

Hardan, a strong Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
 ally in the third district in the South reportedly lost his seat to the independent candidate Elias Jradeh, while another independent, Mark Daou, running in the Mount Lebanon Hezbollahstan
...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. ...
 region of Aley against longtime Druze politician Talal Arslan, said he's "heading to a big victory."

In Beirut II, the list backed by ex-PM Fouad al-Saniora won one seat and the Hizbullah, Amal, FPM list won three seats, while the October 17 forces won at least two seats. The PSP candidate on Saniora's backed list, MP Faisal al-Sayegh, lost his seat to the Druze candidate who ran on MP Fouad Makhzoumi's list. The latter's list won two seats.

In Beirut I, the LF have won so far 3 seats, while independent candidate Paula Yaacoubian's list Li Watani won two seats, the FPM won two and the Kataeb two.

In Sidon-Jezzine, the LF won 2 seats and the Free Patriotic Movement and Amal lost in an unprecedented defeat in this district.

Ghada Ayyoub (LF), Abdel Rahman al-Bizri, Oussama Saad, Said al Asmar (LF) and independent candidate Charbel Massaad won the highest votes in the district.

In Batroun, FPM chief Jebran Bassil maintained his seat while the LF won the second seat by a higher number of votes.

In West Bekaa, according to early results, Hassan Murad, Wael Abou Faour, Qabalan Qabalan, Charbel Maroun, independent candidate Yassin Yassin, and Ghassan Skaf will likely win, while Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli will likely lose.

In Akkar, the FPM won three seats while ex-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
 affiliated, MP Hadi Hbeish, has lost.

In Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
-Minieh-Dinniyeh, Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi's list has won at least 3 seats, for the first time, with one seat to an allied LF candidate, while Faisal Karami's seat is not guaranteed yet.

In the Metn district, the Kataeb, the LF, and the FPM have won 2 seats each. Michel Murr and Hagop Pakradounian have also won.

In Baadba, the FPM lost one of its past seats to an LF-allied candidate Camille Chamoun of the National Libaral Party (al-Ahrar).

Al Ahram explains:
Early results: Lebanon's Hezbollah suffers election losses

[AlAhram] Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group and its allies appear to have suffered some losses in this weekend's parliamentary elections, with their opponents gaining more seats and some of their traditional partners not making it into the legislature, early results showed Monday.

Despite the apparent setback, Hezbollah and its main Shiite ally, the Amal group of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, are likely to retain the 27 seats allocated to the sect. The unofficial results show that independents, including those from the 2019 protest movement, made some gains by removing longtime politicians from parliament.

The closely watched elections on Sunday were the first since a devastating economic crisis erupted in Lebanon in October 2019, triggering nationwide protests against the ruling class blamed for decades of corruption and mismanagement.

It was also the first election since the August 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital. The blast, widely blamed on negligence, was set off by hundreds of tons of poorly stored ammonium nitrate that ignited in a port warehouse.

The Saudi-backed Christian Lebanese Forces party, which has been among the most vocal critics of the Iran-armed Hezbollah, says it won at least 20 seats, adding five members from the 2018 vote. This would make it the largest Christian bloc in parliament, replacing the Free Patriotic Movement that was founded by President Michel Aoun and has been a Hezbollah ally since 2006.

Independents also appear to be making some significant gains, but they remain far from making changes as the main winners of the vote are likely to be mainstream political group.

A strong Hezbollah ally in south Lebanon reportedly lost his seat to an independent, while another independent, Mark Daou, says ``we are heading to a big victory.'' Daou is running in the Mount Lebanon region of Aley against longtime Druze politician Talal Arslan.

Official results were expected to be announced later Monday.

Lebanon holds elections every four years and the new parliament will elect a new president after Aoun's term ends in October.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Early Results Emerge in Lebanon's Parliamentary Vote
2018-05-07
[AnNahar] Preliminary results started emerging around mmidnight Monday after Leb voted in its first parliamentary elections in nine years.

Media reports said the Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
-AMAL Movement coalition won all seats in south Leb's second and thirds electoral districts.

The coalition's campaign meanwhile said its list won four seats in Beirut's second district -- one for Hizbullah, one for AMAL, one for al-Ahbash and one for the Free Patriotic Movement
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
According to media reports, the list of Prime Minister Saad Hariri
Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too.
's al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
 Movement won six seats in the district as the businessman Fouad Makhzoumi won a Sunni seat.

In Beirut's first district -- Ashrafieh, Saifi, Rmeil and Medawar -- the list backed by the Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
 and the Kataeb Party won three seats as three seats went to the list backed by the Free Patriotic Movement and the Tashnag Party
Socialist party representing the Armenian diaspora in Leb. They're Christians, but they try to remain neutral, which means they get shot at without shooting back...
 and two went to the Kollouna Watani civil society coalition -- Joumana Haddad and Paula Yagoubian.

Also according to media reports, MP Bahia Hariri retained her seat in Sidon as Popular Nasserite Organization chief Osama Saad won the city's second Sunni seat and his ally Ibrahim Azar won a Maronite seat in Jezzine.

The FPM meanwhile won two seats in Jezzine, including that of incumbent MP Ziad Aswad.

Elsewhere, FPM chief Jebran Bassil announced that he won a Maronite seat he ran for in Batroun and that the FPM has won a seat in Akkar.

The Marada Movement
the personal militia of Suleiman Franjieh, president of Lebanon at the outbreak of the civil war, currently Syrian toadies, but you never know when that could change...
 meanwhile announced that it won four seats in the Batroun-Koura-Bsharri-Zgharta district as three went to the coalition of the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Mustaqbal Movement and Michel Mouawad and three other seats were clinched by the Lebanese Forces-Kataeb Party alliance.

In Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
-Minieh-Dinniyeh, the lists of ex-PM Najib Miqati, al-Mustaqbal Movement and ex-minister Faisal Karami were leading the vote count.

In Baabda, the Hizbullah-FPM coalition won four seats as the LF and the Progressive Socialist Party managed to win two seats.

In northern Metn, the leading candidates at 12:30 am were Sami Gemayel, Ibrahim Kanaan, Eddie Abi al-Lamaa, Michel Murr, Hagop Pakradounian and Elias Bou Saab.

Low Turnout in Lebanon's First Parliamentary Vote in 9 Years

A Look at the Key Players In the Lebanese Elections

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Officials Deny Reports of Alleged IS Deployment in Sannine
2014-09-07
[AnNahar] Reports of an alleged deployment by Islamic State gunnies in Sannine's mountains stirred an uproar in the country on Friday, although several officials refuted the claims and the army said its measures in the area were part of "preventive security."

Ad-Diyar newspaper had on Friday morning quoted Arsal's municipal chief as saying that "members of the IS are deployed in the mountains of Zahle and Sannine."

"The Lebanese army raided a hotel in Sannine's mountains and tossed in the slammer
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
 heavily armed Syrians," ad-Diyar added, noting that the military also deployed troops "all the way from Baskinta to Baqish to Sannine's mountains."

"A large number of civilian residents were seen carrying arms and deploying in the mountains to defend Baskinta, Bteghrine, Bikfaya and the highlands of Northern Metn," the newspaper alleged.

The claims prompted the army to issue a communique in which it condemned inaccurate reports that "spark unjustified fear among citizens."

The military stressed that the allegations are baseless, reassuring that its recent measures in some areas, including Baskinta, were part of "preventive security across all Lebanese regions, given the circumstances that the country is going through."

Earlier on Friday, Northern Metn MP Ibrahim Kanaan of the Change and Reform bloc reassured after phone talks with the army command and the intelligence directorate that "there are no security developments in Sannine and Northern Metn's mountains but rather preventive measures by the Lebanese army."

He said troops were "inspecting the places of residence of (Syrian) refugees to make sure that there are no runaways among them."

"There is no need to panic," Kanaan added.

MP Michel Murr for his part denied "media reports about the presence of IS gunnies in the mountains of Baskinta and Sannine."

The reports come in the wake of a deadly battle that the jihadists fought against the Lebanese army in the Bekaa town of Arsal, during which they overran the town and killed and kidnapped dozens of troops and coppers.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
First Day of Parliamentary Consultations: 59 Votes for Miqati, 49 for Hariri
2011-01-25
It's been a while since a situation merited dear Alexius Comnenus in all his glory.
.Demonstrations in support of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri broke out Monday in Beirut as well as in and around the northern city of Tripoli and in the southern city of Sidon after parliamentary consultations showed that former PM Najib Miqati was winning the battle against Hariri.
Miqati is a compromise kind of candidate. His party only controls two seats in parliament. He was prime minister before, in 2005, taking over from Karami and marking time for a few months in the last days of Lahoud's presidency before handing off to Siniora.
Results at the end of Day 1 of binding parliamentary consultations -- which showed 59 MPs voted for Miqati while 49 only voted for Hariri -- sparked a public outcry.
That'd be because March 14th holds a couple seat majority over the Hezbollah bloc. I'm guessing there are a lot of people unhappy with Wally Jumblat at the moment. There will be more in the days to come.
Hundreds of demonstrators condemning Miqati's nomination for premiership erupted into the streets of Tariq Jedideh, Cola, Corniche Mazraa, Cite Sportive as well as Naameh and Jiyyeh south of Beirut and in neighborhoods in and around Tripoli shortly after the results emerged around 5:30pm, blocking roads with burning garbage containers.

Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
 supporters in Saadnayel and Majdel Anjar also blocked the highway linking Beirut to Damascus.

Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance
That'd be the Hezbullies, natch...
 bloc headed by MP Mohammed Raad, Michel Aoun's
...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
 Change and Reform bloc and Suleiman Franjieh's bloc as well as other Opposition blocs have all voted for Miqati, including Druze leader Walid Wally Jumblat
... who's been on every side in Leb at least four times...
 and six MPs from his bloc.

Following the collapse of Hariri's government, Hizbullah won the support of Jumblat, a longtime kingmaker in Leb's politics.

The four other MPs of Jumblat's Democratic Gathering bloc -- Marwan Hamadeh, Mohammed Hajjar, Fouad al-Saad, and Henry Helou -- announced support for Hariri.
Hamadeh was injured in a car bomb explosion on October 1, 2004 that killed his driver and injured his bodyguard. He probably retains a bit of curiosity about who dunnit. Helou and al-Saad occupy Maronite seats. I believe Hajjar was also aligned with March 14th with a nominal membership in Wally's Democratic Gathering bloc.
At this point, Jumblat emerged from talks with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace, announcing the end of his Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, after four MPs of the 11-member gathering decided not to back Miqati. Jumblat, instead, said he was renaming his bloc "The National Struggle Front."
As in the Struggle™ to find new members after selling the other ones out for a mess of pottage.
Among the politicians who endorsed Hariri were MPs Michel Murr and Nayla Tueni.
The Tueni family owns an-Nahar. Gebran Tueni was assassinated in 2005 by a false nose and mustache group calling itself "Strugglers for the Unity and Freedom of al-Sham" -- al Sham is Greater Syria. Murr is Nayla Tueni's grandfather.
Monday's consultations included in addition to Hariri, Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
... the Hizbullah sock puppet ...
 whose Development and Liberation bloc also named Miqati.
... since nominating Knobby as PM would have been asking for trouble...
Berri described the atmosphere as "very, very good" following talks with Suleiman.
... despite the people out in the street burning tires...
The fate of the two-day consultations, which are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, remains unknown following the protests.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Naharnet: Leb Elections 2009 Live Coverage
2009-06-07
  • 5:05pm Fist fights erupt between supporters of PM Fouad Saniora and candidate Osama Saad in Saida.
  • 5:00pm LBC: LBC team was attacked in Beirut.
  • 4:40pm MP Saad Hariri following a tour of polling centers in Beirut: I hope that all Lebanese will exercise patience during the election process.
  • 4:30pm Baroud: No extension of voting hours across the entire country. Extending voting hours is only up to the polling center registrar.
  • 4:27pm Baroud denied use of forged IDs, adding that extending voting hours till after 7pm may vary depending on each polling center.
  • 4:25pm Baroud: The security plan was a success and all breaches were not a cause for concern and were quickly brought under army and police control.
  • 4:20pm Baroud during a news conference at interior ministry: The intensity of the ballot was normal in some areas and upsetting in others.
  • 3:35pm NBN: reports of a scuffle between Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar's bodyguards and Lebanese troops in Zahle.
  • 3:30pm Syriac Bishop George Saliba denied reports that priest Akari had been held by MP Michel Murr supporters.
  • 3:11pm MP Mohammed Raad after casting his vote: The problem of congestion at polling stations is due to holding elections in a single day.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Outraged Lahoud tells Aoun: Stop misleading the Lebanese
2009-03-18
Lebanon's Minister Nassib Lahoud responded to the attacks of the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's during a press conference on Tuesday, by telling the retired general "to stop cheating and misleading the Lebanese people."

Lahoud, who appeared to have had enough with Aoun told reporters : Aoun has reached a new low, which does not suit the Lebanese and the Christian communities.

In response to Aoun's allegations that he was with Saiqa, Lahoud said : " The Lebanese people will decide who is right. Everyone knows that I was never a member of the "Saiqa" organization. I was an adherent to the National Liberal Party not to the 'Saiiqa' as Aoun claimed." He added : "what Aoun said about the issue is fabricated. Let the Lebanese people judge who is the ignorant amongst us." He continued " General [Michel] Aoun's rhetoric is based on rumors. Misleading information cannot fool the Lebanese."

In response to Aoun's attacks against the Church Lahoud said : " Who forgets the campaigns against Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, the Maronite bishops and the Patriarchy?"

" I tell Aoun: Stop fooling and misleading the people, enough forgery, enough cheating . You deceived people too many times and we won't let you cheat them again." He added

With regards to the elections in the Metn , Lahoud said : "I believe that the Lebanese and the Metn residents will abide by the Maronite Patriarchy's recommendations." He added " June 7 would witness the response to General Aoun personally."

Lahoud stressed that : "The March 14 alliance would be unified in the Metn district and a unified list will be announced in the forthcoming weeks."

Lahoud criticized Aoun's campaign style : " Attacks and campaigns are Aoun's style to run in the elections. Aoun's campaigns also targeted prominent journalists, the spirit of the martyrs." Lahoud warned: " We will not remain silent to these attempts."

With regards to Aoun's former ally MP Michel Murr, Lahoud said : "There used to be a disagreement with MP Michel al-Murr in the past, but I previously announced that there are some common points between us."

In response to allegations that March 14 leaders are behind his defeat in 1990 Ladoud responded
" Those responsible for October 13, 1990 are not only those who were present at BIEL on Saturday, but also some were Aoun's allies. I have nothing to do with the Presidential Palace's invasion in Baabda in 1990 as Aoun claimed."

Aoun "should have remembered Oct. 13 during his visit to Damascus," Lahoud proclaimed

For the record on 13 October 1990 Aoun was defeated by the Syrian army and forced into exile. He returned to Lebanon on May 7, 2005, eleven days after the March 14th Cedar Revolution forced the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

Lahoud concluded: "I remind Aoun that I was within the opposition for 15 years. If he wants to hold me accountable for participating in governance, this would be for the past six months when I became minister of state."
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Siniora meets MPs to discuss allocation of cabinet posts
2008-06-01
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Fouad Siniora began on Friday consultations with the various parliamentary blocs in a bid to form a new national unity government. Sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri told The Daily Star on Friday that a late afternoon meeting between Berri and parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri was "very positive." The sources added that Berri sees no obstacles facing the formation of the new government.

Siniora kicked off the consultations by meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, deputy Speaker Farid Makkari, Independent MPs Michel Murr and Hussein al-Husseini.

After talks with Siniora, Makkari said that he told the prime minister that the new government must take Lebanon from political confrontation to political dialogue. Makari added that the cabinet must adopt the inaugural speech of President Michel Suleiman and start preparing for next year's parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad told reporters after meeting Siniora that the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc has forwarded its requests regarding the number of ministers and the portfolios it wants in the next government. Raad said the bloc has requested that the opposition get a Sunni minister and a Druze minister at the expense of Hizbullah's Shiite representation in the government. The Hizbullah bloc also discussed with Siniora the prospects of the next ministerial platform. "There were no differences between our vision and Siniora's vision on the issue of the resistance," Raad said.
Hezbollah military threats are working like a charm ...
Media reports on Friday said that the opposition wanted to trade two Shiite ministers for a Sunni and a Druze minister and two draft picks next year. Under such formula, Hizbullah, the Amal Movement, and the Free Patriotic Movement would give their Sunni and Druze allies the chance to take part in the government.
Loyal votes, bought and paid ...
Meanwhile, Berri's Liberation and Development bloc insisted after talks with Siniora that the Interior Ministry portfolio in the new government should go to a neutral figure.
Assuming they can find one in all of Lebanon ...
The next interior minister is likely to be appointed by the president as he is required to remain neutral while conducting next year's legislative elections.

Meanwhile, Murr lashed out at the opponents of his son, Defense Minister Elias Murr, saying that "Elias Murr is our candidate for the government and this is the case for a big portion of the people of Metn." "I want to tell some lawmakers who are against appointing Elias Murr in the new government that they would not have made it to Parliament had it not been for the votes of the supporters of Elias Murr's father," he said, in an indirect criticism of members of MP Michel Aoun's Reform and Change bloc. "It is up to Siniora and to the president to appoint Elias Murr in the ministry that best suits him," Murr added.

Aoun told reporters after meeting Siniora on Friday that his bloc wanted five ministers in the next cabinet, adding that the posts would be distributed among different Christian sects.

Meanwhile, MP Hagop Parkradounian of the Armenian bloc, which is allied with Aoun, told reporters after talks with Siniora that it wants two ministers in the next government. Pakradounian said that former minister Alain Tabourian was one of the bloc's nominees for the next government.

Meanwhile, the different blocs representing the March 14 Forces maintained a low profile regarding their demands in the next government. Hariri only told reporters that the general atmosphere was positive, while Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said he preferred not to make any comment. MP George Adwan, representing the Lebanese Forces bloc, also declined to reveal the number of ministers requested by his bloc. However, the Tripoli bloc, headed by MP Mohammad Safadi, requested that Safadi remain in his post as public works and transportation minister.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Did Murr finally divorce Aoun?
2008-03-18
MP Michel Murr, a key member of Aoun's reform and Change Parliamentary alliance, has called today for a meeting of the alliance, and warned that "if the meeting will not take place, I will resign today from the alliance."

General Aoun responded, "we are not going to call for a meeting of the alliance." If Murr meant what he said, this spells a divorce between him and Aoun.

Murr said "I will return to my own base in the Metn region and will be completely independent. After all I have been independent for 30 years."

Murr has been very critical of Aoun's role in blocking the election of a president. Murr has insisted on several occasions that Lebanon should have a president before the summit in Damascus.

The news today did no not come as a complete surprise. Many political analysts in Lebanon saw this coming. Murr said he and Aoun will remain friends.

The summit is scheduled for March 29-30, and the election of a president, which was postponed sixteen times, is now scheduled for March 25th. Murr does not expect the presidential election to take place as scheduled, and said he is against the representation of Lebanon by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. He added, "only a Christian Maronite president should be representing Lebanon at the summit."
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Geagea: New alliances would emerge after presidential election
2007-12-10
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea predicted on Saturday that new alliances would emerge in Lebanon after the election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman President. Geagea did not explain what he meant by the new alliances , but some analysts predicted that the Reform and Change alliance of General Michel Aoun will split into two blocs. One will be headed by MP Michel Murr and MP Elias Skaff which will join the majority alliance and the other by Michel Aoun which will remain with Hezbollah-led opposition.

Murr and Skaff MPs are expected to vote Monday for the constitutional amendment while aoun’s MPs will refrain from voting . Geagea, in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio, said "We are heading to electing a president next week and (former president Emile) Lahoud wouldn't be the last Christian president."

Geagea criticized MP Saad Hariri, head of al-Moustaqbal Movement, for announcing the nomination of Gen. Suleiman prior to reaching collective agreement within the March 14 forces, stressing that amending the constitution was the problem and not the army commander in person. He said the decision to nominate Gen. Suleiman is "purely Lebanese."

Geagea accused Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun without mentioning him by name, noting that "some Christian leaders have a unilateral viewpoint that cannot be subject to discussion."

Lebanese Forces MPs, Geagea stressed, will take part in a parliamentary session set for next week to vote Gen. Suleiman into the presidential office following adoption of a constitutional amendment that permits his election. "I stress on the fact that there are no intra-Christian grudges, however there are differences in view points."

"Had the Christians been rallied around one stand they would have been the strongest party" in Lebanon, Geagea said. This was viewed as criticism of General Michel Aoun, who is accused of dividing the Christian community .

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Aoun - Murr parliamentary alliance is falling apart
2007-12-02
The alliance between General Michel Aoun, MP Michel Murr and MP Elias Skaff is falling apart, as was evident during a meeting last week between the leaders of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc. According to eyewitnesses , Aoun was very critical of MP Michel Murr and attacked him personally for visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and proclaiming his support to the government. "How dare you declare a political position that is completely different from our position and inconsistent with our political path, which we have agreed to since the beginning of our commitment to the formation of the bloc . This gives the impression of lack of harmony within the bloc as if each one of us is going in a different direction. I do not ever accept this behavior... I will not accept the philosophy of taking independent paths." Aoun told Murr.

Murr angrily responded by saying: "I do not accept at all such a talk from you. Before opening your mouth and talking about a change in our position you should stick to our agreements and not strike deals with your buddies and relatives behind our backs. As an ally I have the right to take positions that are consistent with my own convictions and beliefs. I have never let you down, I have supported you in the last election, you know this and everybody knows this very well." Murr added

Here Aoun interjected by saying "you know we are against the government of Siniora, you know we are constantly attacking Siniora and calling his government 'illegitimate', how dare you tell the media that you support his government?"

Murr angrily responded to Aoun by saying " during the previous meeting you declared the position of the bloc to the media without ever discussing this with us. Look here he added : The main issue at this time is the election of a new president and the nomination of Major General Suleiman for the presidency of Lebanon , and everyone knows, I was the first to put forward the name of the commander of the army and encountered opposition from you because you are against this proposal. I want to say now frankly, I am back and I support this idea despite the position taken by you, because I know you do not support the commander of the army." Murr then looked around and said " there are colleagues in the bloc that support General Suleiman. "

Here MP Elias Skaff responded by saying: "My bloc supports the candidacy of the army commander and we want to get the country out of this political vacuum." Following the heated disagreement General Aoun abruptly left the meeting and went outside to talk to the media.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Is Aoun's parliamentary coalition falling apart ?
2007-11-18
General Michel Aoun's parliamentary coalition is falling apart. This was confirmed when MP Michel Murr , a leading member of Aoun's Change and Reform parliamentary block decided to take a different position in regards to the presidential elections. Murr, father of Defense Minister Elias Murr announced Friday from Bkirki that he would support any president chosen from a list drawn up by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir even if Aoun and Hezbollah did not agree with him on the name. Murr said he and at least seven MPs from Aoun's Change and Reform Bloc would attend Wednesday's session to "elect a compromise president chosen by Nabbi Berri, Saad Hariri and the patriarch."

Another leading member of Aoun's coalition sided with Murr with regards to the presidential elections: A statement issued by MP Elie Skaff's Popular Bloc stressed that Bkirki's commitment to its fundamentals "promoted consensus" over the next president. It said efforts to find a compromise president have reached a "turning point ... when Speaker Berri and MP Hariri paved the way for a constitutional election session which requires agreement in advance between the (government) loyalists and the opposition on a name and cannot go straight to parliament unless consensus was achieved."

Aoun , who attacked Sfeir's list even before it was issued, had threatened to block a two-third quorum to elect a new head of state for Lebanon if the president-to-be did not enjoy popular backing and urged deputies from his Change and Reform Bloc to boycott Wednesday's session set to elect a new head of state. "We will not support any president, not even if elected by a two-third quorum, if he does not enjoy popular support," Aoun had said. Aoun did not define 'popular support'.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
U.S. rewards Lebanon army victory with weapons support
2007-09-11
The United States has pledged to ship additional weapons to Lebanon. Officials said the Bush administration has sent a series of messages that the Lebanese Army would receive additional U.S.-origin weapons and platforms. They said the administration was encouraged by the army's victory over Fatah Al-Islam in northern Lebanon. "Our partnership includes the commitment of the United States to provide the LAF with the supplies they need to battle — and conquer — the armed extremists in the North," U.S. ambassador to Beirut, Jeffrey Feltman, said.

The administration has allocated more than $270 million for Lebanon in fiscal 2007, which ends in October. So far, the United States has delivered 130 Humvee combat vehicles, and was preparing to send another 165 to Lebanon over the next few months, Middle East Newsline reported.

U.S. Central Command chief, Adm. William Fallon, said Lebanon would soon receive additional military equipment. In late August, Fallon held talks with Lebanese military and political leaders to discuss Beirut's requirements. "As for the future, I would like to offer my services and the services of my command to work with you to complete issues that you consider beneficial to build the Lebanese Army to become an institution that could even be more beneficial than now for this country," Fallon said.

Lebanon has complained of the slow pace of U.S. deliveries as well as the type of weapons sent. Lebanese Army Chief of Staff Gen. Michel Suleiman and Defense Minister Michel Murr said Beirut requires new platforms rather than munitions. "Arming and equipping the LAF is of great importance for the defense of Lebanon's sovereignty and for the continuation of the war on terrorism that does not only threaten Lebanon, but the countries of the region and the world," Murr said. "It is in the best interest of friendly nations to cooperate with and support the LAF to combat this dangerous phenomenon."

But U.S. officials cited the war in Iraq as well as force protection issues for the delay in weapons deliveries to Lebanon. They said both Washington as well as European allies have refrained from supplying the Lebanese Army with major weapons platforms, particularly combat helicopters, out of concern that they would come under the control of the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah.
Link



Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More