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

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

International Support Group for Lebanon Urges 'Effective Govt. Decisions'

2022-01-20

That’s like wishing for world peace... and as effective. [An Nahar] The International Support Group for Lebanon Hezbollahstan ...The land area formerly occupied by the state of Lebanon, before that Phoenicia... (ISG) said Wednesday that it has taken note of steps to reconvene the Council of Ministers, urging the resumption of its meetings as soon as possible."The ISG urges expeditious and effective government decisions to initiate the direly needed reforms as well as measures, among which the swift adoption of a budget for 2022, that would enable an agreement with the IMF to support a way out of the macro-economic and fiscal crises," it said in a statement. It further called on the Government of Lebanon to take the necessary steps to "ensure fair, transparent and inclusive elections in May 2022 as scheduled, including by enabling the Supervisory Commission for Elections to carry out its mandate." As for the Beirut port blast investigations, the ISG reiterated its call for :justice and accountability through a transparent and independent investigation" and for "the respect of the independence of the judiciary." The ISG also emphasized that it "continues to stand by Lebanon and its people." The International Support Group has brought together the U.N. and the governments of China, La Belle France, Germany, Italia, Russia, the UK and the U.S., together with the EU and the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... .  It was launched in 2013 by the U.N. Secretary-General with former President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... to help mobilize support and assistance for Lebanon’s stability, illusory sovereignty and state institutions.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Kerry Not Sure if Hariri's Support of Aoun Will Lead to New President

2016-10-22

[An Nahar] U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... expressed caution on Friday regarding the possibility of electing a new president in Leb in the near future, a day after ex-PM 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. formally endorsed Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... founder MP Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... for the presidency. In response to a news hound's question during Washington talks with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah, Kerry hoped there will be progress in Leb but noted that he is not sure about the outcome of Hariri's move. "This stalemate on the issue of the presidency is hurting Leb and hurts the region and we hope it will move forward," Kerry added. Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... bloc MP George Adwan later tweeted that Kerry's statements "prove that the presidential juncture is Lebanese par excellence," noting that "his skepticism increases Aoun's chances." In a speech on Thursday, Hariri described his decision to endorse Aoun as a "major political risk" that he is willing to take for the sake of the country. Leb has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... ended in May 2014 and 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... , Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Berri Slams Accusing Aoun and Hariri of Seeking to 'Topple Shiism'

2016-10-20

[An Nahar] Berri denied reports that quoted him as accusing the al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... Movement leader ex-PM 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. and MP Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... of seeking to "topple Shiism," and described the reports as "inciting," An Nahar Daily reported on Wednesday. "All the news and talks that AMAL and the Liberation and Development bloc mentioned something about a Maronite-Sunni bilateral power-sharing of the 1943 are unfounded. This rhetoric is inciting and I categorically deny it," Berri told the daily. "We will not boycott the election sessions in spite of our objection to vote for Aoun. I will congratulate anyone who succeeds," he added. Media reports alleged Tuesday that Berri had accused Aoun and Hariri of seeking to "topple political Shiism" in Leb, warning that such an attempt might lead to a "civil war" in the country. MP Alain Aoun of the FPM announced Monday that Hariri will announce his endorsement of Aoun "this week." The ex-PM has been exploring the possibility of endorsing Aoun for several weeks now and on Sunday Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced that Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid. Leb has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... ended in May 2014 and 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... , Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Geagea Says Hizbullah Does Not Want Aoun as President

2016-03-24

[An Nahar] Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... leader Samir Geagea ... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ... stressed Wednesday that 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... does not want presidential elections in the current period or the election as president of its main Christian ally, Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... founder MP Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... "At the strategic level, Hizbullah cannot coexist with a real state in Leb ... and at the tactical level Hizbullah does not want General Aoun as president, although it cannot afford to lose him, which has pushed it to obstruct the presidential vote," Geagea said in an interview with Russia Today TV. "This way it does not lose Aoun and it postpones the problem," Geagea added. On Monday, Hizbullah chief His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... accused the LF of seeking to stir a dispute between Hizbullah and the FPM. "If we head to parliament, it is known that =Aoun will not be elected," Nasrallah noted, dismissing LF calls in this regard. "Our relation with (Speaker Nabih) Berri is not based on coercion and we are ethically committed to supporting Aoun's nomination," Nasrallah added. Leb has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... ended in May 2014 and the FPM, Hizbullah and some of their allies have been boycotting the electoral sessions. Al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... movement leader ex-PM 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. launched late in 2015 a proposal to nominate 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... chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his suggestion was rejected by the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah. In January, Geagea announced his support for Aoun's presidential bid after the LF and the FPM signed a rapprochement agreement described as a "declaration of intent."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Berri Urges Hizbullah to Elect Franjieh as President

2016-03-20

[An Nahar] Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... has urged 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... to settle for the election of Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh as president in light of the unlikelihood of their candidate MP Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... to reach the post, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday. "Berri held contacts with Hizbullah a few days ago and has explained his point view on the need to expedite the election of Franjieh before the Saudi-Iranian dialogue kicks off in order to help a candidate of the March 8 forces ... the opposition to the Mar. 14th movement, consisting of Hizbullah and its allies, so-called in commemoration of their Mar. 8th, 2006 demonstration of strength in Beirut ... to win the post" sources close to the Speaker said on condition of anonymity. "Berri has urged Hizbullah not to waste the opportunity at the time being since it is impossible for the Change and Reform bloc chief Aoun to win the seat," they added. But the sources confirmed that Hizbullah is adamant to continue supporting Aoun as their sole candidate. Leb has been without a president since the term of president Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... ended in May 2014. Conflicts among the rival March 8 and March 14 camps thwarted all attempts aiming at electing a successor. In addition to Aoun and Franjieh, MP Henri Helou is a nominee of the Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Wally Jumblat ... Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling... Franjieh was nominated by the al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... movement chief 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. late last year.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Thousands rally in Beirut over politician's presidential election call

2015-09-05

[AF.REUTERS] Thousands of protesters rallied in Beirut on Friday to support Christian faction leader Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... 's call for Leb to elect its president by popular vote to address a crisis that has paralysed government and parliament. Aoun's supporters waved the orange banners of his Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... , and listened to a brief televised address by him. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, another leader of the movement, told the gathering: "We Lebanese want to choose our president." The president, who the sectarian power-sharing system stipulates must be a Christian, is chosen by parliament. But MPs have failed in at least 26 sessions to elect one since Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... 's term expired last year. Aoun would like the post, but cannot muster the cross-party consensus required, and there is no sign of a credible alternative. Meanwhile, ...back at the pie fight, Bella grabbed the cocoanut cream... Prime Minister Tammam Salam's government, which groups parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum, has been largely crippled since it took office with the blessing of Iran and Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , which back rival Lebanese factions. Opponents have accused Salam of usurping powers reserved for the president, and Salam has threatened to resign in frustration with the failings of his cabinet.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Rival Lebanese Christian leaders hold rare meeting

2015-06-03

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Leb's two main Christian politicians held their first meeting in years on Tuesday, an effort to find common ground among civil wartime enemies whose rivalry has helped obstruct the election of a new president. Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... and Samir Geagea ... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ... , who fought each other in the dying years of the 1975-90 civil war, are both candidates for the Lebanese presidency that has been vacant since Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... 's term expired a year ago. The post is reserved for a Maronite Christian according to the country's sectarian power-sharing system. Their meeting at Aoun's house in Rabieh north of Beirut seems unlikely to yield a breakthrough: agreement on a new president is widely seen as requiring a broader deal backed by rival regional states Iran and Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... . The leaders issued a joint statement calling for the election of "a strong president" accepted by the Christian community and capable of reassuring Leb's other sects. The presidential vacuum is part of a wider crisis fuelled by the war in neighbouring Syria that has paralysed much of the state and triggered spasms of deadly violence. A government formed in February 2013 with Saudi-Iranian blessing has spared Leb from a complete vacuum in the executive arm. But that government has struggled to take even basic decisions. Parliament barely functions.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Leb Presidential Elections Postponed to May 13

2015-04-23

Clearly Lebanon, like Belgium, doesn't actually need an executive branch to function well enough. [AnNahar] The presidential elections were postponed once again after parliament failed for the 22nd time to meet the required quorum to hold the polls. Speaker Nabih Berri postponed the elections to May 13. MTV reported that 44 lawmakers were present at the session. Lebanon has been without a president since May when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor. Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise presidential candidate have thwarted the polls. The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc of Hizbullah and the Change and Reform bloc of Michel Aoun have been boycotting the elections.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Leb Security Forces Boost Measures near Egypt's Embassy over ISIL Threats

2015-03-13

[AnNahar] Security measures have been boosted near the Egyptian embassy in Beirut's Bir Hassan area after receiving threats from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq confirmed in comments published in al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... newspaper on Thursday the threats. "The Egyptian embassy informed the ministry in an official letter that it received threats from ISIL," Mashnouq pointed out, saying: "The concerned security apparatuses took precautionary measures near the mission's building." On Wednesday, Egyptian Interior Minister Magdi Abdel Ghaffer warned in a speech that his nation is facing an "existential war" in its battle against "terrorist groups." Speaking to a meeting of Arab interior ministers in Algeria, Ghaffar stressed that the danger posed by ISIL has escalated after local-area terror groups pledged allegiance to the organization. The Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis ...Supporters of Jerusalem, the current pen name of al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula... and similar local groups in Libya are now linked to ISIL, with Ansar having since changed name to "Sinai Province." Egypt proposed creating a joint Arab force to preserve Arab national security. So the Mamluk Pashas present themselves as the military saviours of the Sunni Ummah? That's how they came to rule Egypt, as I recall... For his part, Egypt's Ambassador to Leb Mohammed Badreddine Zayed urged in an interview with An Nahar newspaper on Thursday regional and international countries to cease their negative intervention in Leb's affairs, which is impeding its political life. He called on the political arch-foes to immediately elect a new head of state to safeguard the country. Asked if his country will engage in a dialogue with 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... , Zayed said that Egypt is open to any positive stance by the Lebanese rivals. "Egypt welcomed the dialogue between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement... the foreign ministry issued a statement that supports (Speaker Nabih) Berri's efforts to defuse tension," he remarked. He stressed that "the success of dialogue would end the presidential vacuum." Hizbullah kickstarted in December dialogue with al-Mustaqbal Movement under the auspices of Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... in Ain el-Tineh. President Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... 's term ended in May without the election of a successor. Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps have thwarted the polls.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hezbollah faces internal criticism in Lebanon

2015-01-30

[Ynet] Senior Lebanese officials say Nasrallah is dragging the country into another war in Israel; 'Hezbollah has no right to implicate the Lebanese people in a battle with Israel,' says leader of March 14 Alliance. While some 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... and in Beirut's Dahieh suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, fired shots of jubilation into the air, celebrating Hezbollah's Wednesday attack on Mt. Dov, bigwigs in Leb were quick to accuse Hassan Nasrallah's organization of trying to drag the country into another war with Israel. "Where is the interest of Leb if it gets dragged into a war with Israel, when Israel is the one that needs it?" former Lebanese president Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... wrote on his Facebook page. Samir Geagea ... Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005 ... , one of the leaders of the March 14 Alliance, said that "today's development indicates that Hezbollah is more and more expanding its regional schemes against the Lebanese state." "Hezbollah has no right to implicate the Lebanese people in a battle with Israel. There is a government and a parliament which can decide on that," Geagea went on to say. Hezbollah has been facing a lot of internal criticism in Leb over the past three years, mostly due to its constantly increasing involvement in the civil war in Syria. Two years ago, Hezbollah sent large forces to Syria to help Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... 's army recapture territories it lost to rebels trying to oust the Syrian president, after it appeared Assad was losing his grasp on Syria. Since Hezbollah joined the fighting in Syria, Leb has turned into a target for attacks by Sunni rebels - some more moderate than others - as well as attacks by al-Qaeda and the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... , both Sunni organizations opposing the Assad regime. Dozens of Lebanese people - both soldiers and civilians - have been killed in these attacks, which include boom-mobiles and rocket fire, while Hezbollah has been accused of dragging Leb into a war it has no stake in. Like Syria, Leb is a complicated and tangled web of religions and sects which includes Christians, Druze and Moslems. There's a variety of Moslem sects - Sunni, Shi'ite and Alawites. Leb itself was torn to shreds in a civil war that claimed the lives of thousands between the years 1975-1990. Many in the country fear that Hezbollah's involvement in Syria will lead to another civil war, mostly between Sunni and Shi'ites. Many rounds of fighting between Sunni and Shi'ite have already taken place in several Lebanese cities, particularly in Tripoli, since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. Officials in Leb expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... of the consequences of any Hezbollah response to the attack in Quneitra even before Wednesday's attack, especially in light of the crisis the country faces - including attacks by Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra ...the current nom de guerre of al-Qaeda in the Levant, which isn't to be confused with al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant... as well as matters of internal politics. The Times of Israel provides more disapproving quotes from more major Lebanese politicians here.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Russian Deputy FM Meets With Hezbollah Chief

2014-12-08

[IsraelTimes] Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Leb over the weekend as part of the diplomat?s two-day trip to the region, which focused on the Syrian civil war. Bogdanov arrived in Beirut on Thursday and met with Lebanese leaders, including Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, parliament speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... , and former president Michel Suleiman ...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too... . The Russian diplomat pledged that Russia would help arm Leb against Syrian rebel groups, and said Moscow was working to restart negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition without preconditions. Both Russia and Hezbollah back the Syrian regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators... , and both have condemned the US Arclight airstrikes against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... . Hezbollah has dispatched fighters to Syria to bolster Assad?s forces. Bogdanov arrived at the invitation of the Lebanese government to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During his visit, Bogdanov said Russia was prepared to ?help Leb?s army, police and security forces to effectively combat terrorist groups,? according to the Russian TASS news agency. He called on Leb ?to join forces to fight terrorism, which poses a threat not only to the Middle East but to the whole world.? Bogdanov termed the situation ?dangerous and alarming,? and called for dialogue between the Syrian opposition and government to resolve the four-year civil war that has claimed over 200,000 lives. ?It is impossible to find any fundamental solution to the problems without a dialogue involving all concerned parties,? he said. The Russian diplomat said Moscow was negotiating with the rebel groups in an effort to restart peace talks. ?Our task is to improve consultations for preparing serious talks without preconditions,? he said. ?The Syrians should gather together and start a dialogue. This will make it possible to bring together views on all issues,? he said, noting that ?the Syrian people will determine the fate of Syria and its future.?

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon parliament fails again to elect new president

2014-08-13

The Lebanese parliament failed Tuesday for the tenth consecutive time to elect a new president to replace incumbent president Michel Suleiman because of lack of the required quorum. Speaker Nabih Berri called for a new session to be held on September 2, after no one won two thirds of the parliament as required by the constitution. The western-backed March 14 alliance is backing head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea as candidate for the post, while the Syrian-Iranian backed March 8 camp has not declared the candidacy of any of its components as MP Michel Aoun, one of its prominent leaders, insist on running to the post as a consensual candidate. Centrist Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt announced the candidacy of the Gathering member MP Henri Helou. Because of the sharp division among the political forces in the parliament, the presidential elections have failed so far on none occasions to conclude as the constitution requires the presence of two thirds of the 128-member parliament which is far from being achieved. Since May 25, the government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam is running the country according to a constitutional article that stipulates that in the absence of a president, the cabinet will take charge of the post until the election of a new president. Might not be the worst thing to happen... Lebanon has witnessed a vacuum in the presidency post in the past following the end of the term of former President Emile Lahoud in 2007 and following the end of the term of former President Amine Gemayel in 1988.

Link

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