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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanese PM announces new cabinet
2011-06-14
[Al Jazeera] Leb's prime minister has announced a new cabinet, dominated by allies of Hezbullies, five months after the party and its allies brought down the government.

Najib Mikati's cabinet, unveiled on Monday, gives Hezbullies and its allies 16 of the 30 seats. In the previous government they had 10 seats.

The cabinet still must be formally presented to parliament for a vote of confidence.

Mikati was appointed to form a government after Hezbullies and its allies toppled 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 liquidation. 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 coalition in January over a dispute involving a UN-backed tribunal investigating the liquidation of Rafiq al-Hariri, Saad's father.

"Let us go to work immediately according to the principles and basis that we have affirmed our commitment to several times, namely defending Leb's illusory sovereignty and its independence and liberating land that remains under the occupation of the Israeli enemy," Mikati said.

Talal Arslan, a Druze politician who was made a minister of state, resigned within hours of the announcement due to dissatisfaction over his post.

"I cannot participate in a government in which Najib Mikati says the Druze do not have the right to demand a key ministry," he said at a televised news conference.

Political sources said Mikati could easily replace Arslan, who had been demanding the defence portfolio.

Arslan said he would not support a vote of confidence in the government at a parliamentary session, but Hezbullies and its allies still have enough votes for the government to be approved.

Political wrangling had held up the formation of the cabinet, including disagreements over sensitive posts.

Move welcomed
Al Jizz's Rula Amin, reporting from Beirut, says the cabinet formation solves some of Leb's problems.

"This country, without a government, was barely functioning," she said.

"Mikati told the Lebanese people that they shouldn't judge him by the names of the new cabinet, but rather by their future actions."

"This country is a close neighbour of Syria where there are troubles, and many people fear that the crisis could spill over - some people are hoping that forming a new government will help to face some challenges."

Mohammed Safadi, the former economy minister, was named finance minister and will need to improve Leb's growth outlook, which was driven down by the political stalemate.

Fayez Ghusn was named defence minister and Marwan Charbel the interior minister.

Nicolas Sehnawi was given the telecommunications portfolio, a post ridden with controversy due to disagreements over privatising the sector.

Hariri, who is supported by the West and Soddy Arabia, has refused to join Mikati's government.

Tribunal controversy
A main aim of the government will be to agree on a unified stand to face indictments by the UN tribunal , which is expected to implicate members of Hezbullies in the 2005 killing of Rafiq al-Hariri.

The group denies any link to the attack.

Mikati, who says he is politically neutral, said the Lebanese government would seek to maintain positive ties with all Arab countries.

The Syrian president, Bashir al-Assad, who has been fighting a popular revolt against his 11-year rule, telephoned Mikati to congratulate him, Lebanese media said.

Syria is a strong ally of Hezbullies, the main player in the political coalition that helped to bring Mikati to power in January.

"This government is committed to maintaining strong, brotherly ties which bind Leb to all Arab countries without exception," Mikati said.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hariri asked to be caretaker PM
2011-01-14
[Al Jazeera] Michel Suleiman, Leb's president, has asked Saad al-Hariri to remain as a caretaker prime minister until the country's political crisis is resolved, according to Leb's national news agency.
This is just as a caretaker. Hezbollah is working frantically to replace him with someone, anyone, who can then be bullied into shutting down the STL.
Sleiman's announcement on Thursday comes as Hariri prepares to return to Leb to confront a government that has effectively collapsed following the withdrawal of the Hezbullies-led opposition bloc from his cabinet.

In response to the crisis, Hariri cut short a visit to Washington DC, during which he met with US president Barack B.O. Obama. He was set to meet with Nicholas Sarkozy, the French president, on Thursday night before returning to Leb on Friday.

Nabih Knobby Berri,
... the Hizbullah sock puppet ...
the Lebanese parliament speaker, said on Thursday that Sleiman will launch formal talks on Monday to create a new government.

Officials have declined to say whether Hariri, whose coalition won a 2009 parliamentary election, will be asked to form a new government, or if someone else would be nominated.

Leb's opposition, the so-called March 8 coalition between Hezbullies and other parties, including the predominantly Christian Free Patriotic Movement,
Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic...
resigned from the cabinet over disagreements stemming from a UN investigation into the 2005 liquidation of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister and Saad al-Hariri's father.

There has been growing political tension in Leb amid signs that Hezbullies members could be indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Leb (STL).

Ten ministers tendered their resignations on Wednesday after reports that Hariri had refused their call to convene a cabinet meeting to discuss controversial issues including the investigation.

An eleventh member, Adnan Sayyed Hussein, later stood down from the 30-member cabinet, automatically bringing down Hariri's government.

The request to convene a cabinet meeting came on Tuesday after Syria and Soddy Arabia, who have for months been attempting to act as mediators in Leb's political crisis, announced their efforts had failed.

The standoff between Hariri's camp and Hezbullies over the UN tribunal has paralysed the government for months and sparked concerns of sectarian violence similar to the one that brought the country close to civil war in May 2008.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon PM seeks Iran support
2010-11-28
[Al Jazeera] Saad al-Hariri has arrived in Tehran for a two-day visit - his first trip to the Islamic Theocratic Republic since becoming the Lebanese prime minister.

Hours before arriving in the Iranian capital, al-Hariri said Iran had a major role to play in his country, Iran's IRNA news agency reported.

"The Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran has a natural role in the region, especially in resolving crisis and strengthening stability in Leb,"he was quoted as saying.

The visit comes amid a tense political standoff between Hariri's pro-Western camp and the Shia Mohammedan movement Hezbullies, over a UN investigation into the 2005 liquidation of Rafiq al-Hariri, al-Hariri's father and former prime minister.

A Lebanese ministerial source told the AFP news agency that al-Hariri hoped Iran would help to reconcile the two rival groups.

"This visit is important because of its timing at the time when Leb is in crisis because of the expected indictment of the Special Tribunal for Leb," the source said.

Reconciliation

The tribunal is expected to implicate high-ranking Hezbullies officials in the murder, but the party has warned against that, prompting fears of sectarian unrest between al-Hariri's predominantly Sunni Mohammedan supporters and Hezbullies, which is backed by Iran and Syria.

"The Iranians will try to reconcile points of view between Hezbullies and Saad Hariri," the source said.

In return, al-Hariri would support Iran's "development of nuclear capabilities for civilian and peaceful purposes," the source said.

Lebanese officials hope a recent initiative by the leaders of Soddy Arabia and Syria, who back rival camps in Leb, will help prevent any escalation of violence.

Iran's endorsement of the Saudi-Syrian efforts is vital for their success.

"The framework of the Saudi-Syrian initiative is in place and its roadmap is there. Now the discussion is in its details," Okab Sakr, a parliamentarian close to al-Hariri, said.

Tribunal tensions

Al-Hariri's visit follows a trip to Leb last month by Mahmoud Short Round Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, who stressed support for all Lebanese but also made a high profile tour of Hezbullies strongholds, highlighting the influence of Tehran's ally.

Tensions over the Rafiq al-Hariri investigation have already paralysed the unity government, which includes Hezbullies ministers.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbullies's leader, has urged all Lebanese to boycott the tribunal and vowed to block the arrest of any of his members.

He has also called on al-Hariri to repudiate the tribunal, which he described as an "Israeli project".
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hariri tribunal slams CBC report
2010-11-24
[Al Jazeera] The UN-backed Leb tribunal prosecutor has criticised a Canadian media report linking Hezbullies to the killing of Rafiq al-Hariri, the former prime minister.

Daniel Bellemare said on Tuesday that reports by Canadian public broadcaster CBC News could jeopardise lives and affect the investigation into al-Hariri's liquidation.

"The most serious impact of the CBC reports is that their broadcast may put people's lives in jeopardy," Bellemare said in a statement.

His office refused to comment on the accuracy of the allegations made by CBC.

In a documentary based on leaks, the broadcaster cited unidentified sources as saying UN Sherlocks had evidence that "points overwhelmingly" to the involvement of Hezbullies members in the 2005 killing.

Farhan Haq, a UN front man, has also expressed concern that the tribunal's investigation could be influenced by the report.

"Certainly leaks are matters of concern. We want to be able to ensure that the special tribunal on Leb can go about its work without hindrance or interference," he said.

'Analysing phone calls'
CBC News said on Sunday it had obtained mobile telephone and other telecommunications evidence which is at the core of the case.

It said that in 2007 the Sherlocks asked a British firm to analyse telephone calls made in Leb in 2005.

"What the British analyst showed them [the UN Sherlocks] was nothing less than the hit squad that had carried out the murder, or at least the phones they had been carrying at the time," CBC News said.

Hezbullies said it had no comment on the CBC report.

The CBC report also said Leb's head of police intelligence was possibly involved in the murder. This allegation was dismissed on Tuesday by al-Hariri's son Saad, who is currently Leb's prime minister.

The Hague-based tribunal was set up in the aftermath of the Beirut bombing that killed al-Hariri and 22 others on February 14, 2005.

Several media reports have said that the UN tribunal is close to announcing indictments against Hezbullies members for the killing.

Hezbullies, which is part of Leb's unity government, has repeatedly denied any involvement in the killing, and has called for a boycott of the tribunal's work.

Lebanese politicians have expressed fears of a new kaboom of violence if Hezbullies members are indicted.

Michael Williams, UN special co-ordinator for Leb, said last week that he expected indictments to be issued "in the coming months."

Al-Hariri's liquidation plunged Leb into its worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, with Sunni-Shia tensions threatening to boil over into a civil war.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Tireless Efforts to Set off the Lebanese Volcano
2010-11-18
Volcanoes dwell under the surface of the earth, and seldom do they move or explode. However,
The infamous However...
when they do so, they take Dire Revenge™ on all what is around them, and over a great distance. They do so with a certain air of 'coldness', despite their extreme heat.

As for the Arab region, the volcano era ended hundreds of years ago, leaving behind nothing but solid, coarse mountains such as Jabal al-Arab in Syria, the Aden mountains, and the renowned Crater district, an area that used to be a crater of an ancient volcano. However,
Another infamous However...
volcanoes in the Arab region have been replaced with other volatile dangers. They are dormant like volcanoes, and explode from time to time, as volcanoes do, and likewise they kill with fire. Yet these dangers are radically different from volcanoes, as they are man-made. We call them wars; tribal wars, sectarian wars, colonial wars, and so on.

We have these man-made volcanoes in Somalia, Yemen, North and South Sudan, and amongst the fighting sects in Leb. They explode, in most cases, within the borders of their own countries, but sometimes they flow over the border, as is the case with Israel's 'volcanoes', which happened to flood in the direction of Leb, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Man-made volcanoes have other features; for they can sometimes be [externally] controlled, when colonial countries interfere to stir them up, or derive benefits from their 'lava'. We can see evidence of external interference in Sudan, in Darfur, and also in Israel. When the man-made volcano erupts, it is difficult to determine whether it was instigated by a global superpower, a regional country, or by tribal, sectarian and ethnic disputes.

Furthermore, a massive volcanic eruption is sometimes triggered by a small force. These small forces are found on the battlefield, and usually leave behind them dead bodies, pools of blood, widespread destruction, homeless people and starving victims. Yet they are generally backed by much larger powers, which rarely appear on the surface. The only appear in the form of delegations, mediators and representatives. They are seen at high-level conferences, held in elegant halls, where participants exchange threats and menacing messages, using polite words.

If the erupting volcanoes of Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan, have become clear for all to see, then what is going on in Leb now, and these days in particular, deserves to be carefully examined and observed. Volcano experts pay field visits to volcanic zones prior to any expected eruption, to study the volcanic activity, toxic gases, and the ash that is emitted, at temperatures reaching 700 degrees Celsius. Similarly, what is happening in Leb today deserves a close examination by experts, and a careful study of attitudes, statements and threats. Experts should look into the local political situation, where the major actors allow access to some issues, but not others, such as indictments, the International Tribunal, the false witness affair, and Israel's preparations for war.

Furthermore, amidst this festering man-made Lebanese volcano, the memoirs of former US President George W. Bush were published. He explained how he encouraged Israel to wage war on Hezbullies, in the summer of 2006, and how he prevented Israel from ending the war, and forced its duration to be extended. The word "extend" is a very clever diplomatic expression. On the ground, this translated into ferocious air raids, which proved to be most devastating attacks in the war.

Even as a small-time observer, you can deduce that a lot of what is going on now in Leb, has been planned and directed by external powers. This can be seen in current declared positions, escalating challenges, and flagrant diplomatic interventions, made by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society [Susan Rice], the U.S. Secretary of State [Hillary Clinton],
... sometimes described as the Smartest Woman in the World and at other times as Mrs. Bill...
and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Jeffrey D. Feltman, who specialises in giving audacious statements. The directions given by these external forces are received by local parties, who then try and follow them.

The man-made Lebanese volcano has a local aspect, which is currently being stoked, and also an Israeli aspect, which is being primed to set off a major volcanic eruption. We do not need much evidence in this regard; we can already see the explicit signs:

Firstly, Israel was shaken by the results of the 2006 war, and since then it has launched a campaign to re-train its army. This training encompasses all types of armaments, all kinds of drills, and all sorts of modern weaponry, known as 'smart weapons', on account of their massive destructive capabilities.

Secondly, a French official who visited Israel, and toured the north of Paleostine, alongside the Lebanese border, returned and said that "Israel is now ready to wage war against Leb." He added that "The Israelis informed him that they had completed their military and civilian preparations for war." The French official mentioned an even more alarming piece of news, when he noted that future Israeli Chief of Staff, Gadi Eizenkot, had told him "When the next war breaks out, it must end quickly and forcefully, without paying attention to international public opinion." Why? Because the rate of destruction and killing will be extremely high, and will spark a wave of worldwide protest.

Thirdly, US security magazine, "Defense News", reported that the US administration had decided to store military equipment in Israel, and that this stockpile includes highly accurate air-launch missiles. There is a weapons storage treaty in place, which contains a clause allowing Israel to use those weapons. We should also consider the statement made by current Israeli Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, in which he said that "In future wars, Israel will be compelled to use extremely accurate weapons, on a large scale basis." Thus we can interpret that the highly accurate U.S. weapons, which are to be stored in Israel, are the same 'accurate weapons' that Israel will use in the coming war. This suggests that the U.S. is actually preparing Israel for war, as we speak, despite all of Obama's deceptive statements.

Fourthly, the plan to set off the volcano is not only an attack on Leb; Syria has always been a main target. A study carried out by the "Jerusalem Center for Studies and Political Research" showed that Israel would not be able to defend itself, if surrendered the Golan Heights. The study concluded that any settlement with the Paleostinians, with the effect of distancing Israeli troops from the borders of the River Jordan, which are close to the Golan Heights, would effectively turn those borders into a base for potential enemies, including Syria. According to the study, matters become even worse with Syria possessing missiles capable of reaching deep into Israeli territory.

All the aforementioned points indicate that forces are working, on the international and Israeli levels, to set off the Lebanese volcano. The lava would flow towards Syria and beyond, as was the case was in 2005, after the liquidation of martyr Rafiq al-Hariri. The circumstances have changed, but the strategic objective has remained the same.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon summons general on comments
2010-09-17
[Al Jazeera] A Lebanese general who called the country's prime minister, Saad Hariri, a liar and urged people to topple his government, has been summoned for questioning by the state, according to a judicial official.

Brigadier-General Jamil Sayyed, who made the comments, was among four military officers who were jailed without charge for nearly four years for the 2005 assassination of Hariri's father, Rafiq al-Hariri. They were freed last year for lack of evidence.

Said Mirza, the Lebanese prosecutor-general, summoned Sayyed for questioning over his "threats against the Lebanese state" and Hariri, the judicial official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to give official statements to the media.

Speaking on Sunday, Sayyed accused Hariri of selling his father's blood to frame Syria for the killing, which at the time set off huge protests that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops after nearly 30 years.

'False witnesses'

Many Lebanese regarded Sayyed and the three other military officers as the men through whom Syria exercised its control over Leb.

Sayyed, who left Leb shortly after his remarks, also said Saad Hariri supported "false witnesses" who misled the investigation into the 2005 killing.

He warned Saad Hariri that he must be held accountable or "I will do it someday with my own hands". Sayyed later said he meant he would get justice through the courts.

"The Lebanese people must unite against this [government] and topple it, even if by force," he said.

Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, in Beirut, said: "Sayyed is now pursuing the international tribunal to release statements by these witnesses to pursue this further.

"He has already been to Damascus where he asked the judicial system there to pursue some of these witnesses as some of them are Syrians.

"Some of the people Sayyed has been naming are very close to Saad Hariri and his attempt here is seen as very dangerous."

Syrian connection

Rafiq al-Hariri, a billionaire businessman and a former prime minister, was Leb's most prominent politician after the end of the 15-year civil war in 1990.

Suspicion initially fell on Syria after the killing in February 2005, since al-Hariri had been seeking to weaken the country's domination of the country.

Syria has denied having any role in the killing and last week, in a sweeping reversal, Saad Hariri said it was a mistake to blame Syria.

Earlier this year, Sayyed asked the UN tribunal investigating al-Hariri's assassination to release his secret case file so that he might know who accused him.

Sayyed travelled to Paris following his news conference on Sunday to await the court's decision, which is expected this month.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon crisis feared as indictments near in assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri
2010-08-10
The United Nations set up a tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri in an effort to deter future violence in Lebanon. But many in the country now fear indictments in the case could trigger a new political crisis or even sectarian bloodshed.

The Lebanese Shiite political party and militia, Hezbollah, is attempting to discredit the U.N. process amid indications that some of its members will be accused of Hariri's killing in the indictments, expected as soon as next month.

Hezbollah's leaders have pressured the Lebanese government to end its cooperation with U.N. investigators and have threatened consequences if it doesn't. Walid Jumblatt, the Lebanese Druze leader, said naming Hezbollah in the indictments would be enough to trigger a civil war like the one from 1975 to 1990.

Traditional power brokers in Lebanon, including Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have flocked to Beirut in recent weeks to try to avert a crisis. Lebanese sources said Abdullah, who was personally close to Hariri, was so concerned about Hezbollah's warnings that he is working to delay the release of the indictments, setting up a choice for the international community between stability in Lebanon and justice for Hariri.

This internal struggle comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region and concerns about a possible war between Israel and Lebanon following a clash along their border last week that left two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese reporter and an Israeli military officer dead.

On Monday night, Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah sought to incriminate Israel in the Hariri assassination. In an elaborate two-hour live presentation broadcast from his hiding place, Nasrallah, in a lawyer's style, tried to build a case showing how Israel could have been behind Hariri's assassination.

With dramatic flair, Nasrallah spliced his argument with video clips of Lebanese spies confessing they had worked for Israel. He questioned why the tribunal, set up two years after the killing, had not questioned any of them.

Nasrallah also showed what he claimed was intercepted Israeli surveillance footage from an unmanned aerial vehicle of Hariri's travel routes. "We think that these videos were made in preparation for an operation," Nasrallah said. He also claimed that Israeli warplanes flew over the site where Hariri's convoy was attacked on the day of the assassination and that an Israeli spy was present at the Hariri crime scene.

Nasrallah argued that Israel would have been motivated to assassinate Hariri and blame Hezbollah for the operation because Israel aims to harm the group. He said Hezbollah did not trust the U.N. investigators and would not share its findings with them.

Lebanon's prime minister, Hariri's 40-year-old son, Saad Hariri, now faces the painful choice of whether to continue to try to find out who killed his father or to acquiesce to Hezbollah in order to maintain Lebanese unity and stability, many observers said.

"He is in a tough spot," said a person close to Hariri, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity. "But he is still committed to the tribunal. He doesn't believe Hezbollah will be able to stop it. . . . He will not allow a civil war."

Hariri, in a July 24 address to supporters, said his father's "blessed soul will not be a reason to renew civil strife in Lebanon." But he has not said how he will accomplish that. During recent past challenges, Hariri has proved incapable of withstanding pressure from Hezbollah.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria says UN Lebanon tribunals goals political
2010-08-03
[Al Arabiya Latest] Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on Monday that the U.N. tribunal probing the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri has "political goals."

"The international tribunal is not seeking to reveal the truth (about the murder) but to achieve political goals," Muallem was quoted as saying in local media.

"The international tribunal is a Lebanese matter and we will not deal with this court," he said at a meeting of Syria's Baath party late on Sunday.

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah, said on July 22 that he knew the U.N. tribunal was set to indict members of his Shiite party for Hariri's assassination.

His comments raised fears of renewed conflict in Lebanon and prompted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdl Aziz to make an unprecedented joint visit to Beirut on Friday in a bid to ease the tensions.

Hezbollah, whose main backers are Syria and Iran, is the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon and fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006.

Syria was widely believed to have been involved in Hariri's murder, forcing it to withdraw its troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence. Damascus has consistently denied any part in the killing.

The United Nations set up the special tribunal to investigate Hariri's assassination in 2007.

The first reports by a committee of the tribunal, which is due to give its verdict by the end of this year, concluded there was evidence implicating Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Saudi king in Syria prior to joint Lebanon mission
2010-07-30
[Al Arabiya Latest] King of the Arabians Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz arrived in Syria on Thursday for talks with President Bashar "Pencilneck" al-Assad on the eve of a joint mission to Leb aimed at containing political tensions there.

Assad greeted the king at Damascus airport as the two leaders are to travel to Beirut on Friday as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to contain a potentially explosive situation in Leb and fears of a new sectarian conflict.

Assad's visit will be his first since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq al-Hariri -- father of current Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri -- after which relations between Damascus and Beirut took a sharp downturn.

The assassination provoked an international furor led by the United States, France and Saudi Arabia that prompted Syria to end its 29-year military presence in Leb in April 2005 and led to the establishment of the special tribunal.

Syria advises US not to interfere
The Syrian government advised the United States earlier on Thursday against interfering with King Abdullah's visit to Damascus and said the two countries "know better" how to stabilize the Middle East.

U.S. State department official Philip Crowley said on Wednesday Washington hoped Syria would play a constructive role in the region and would respond to the Saudi monarch's concerns about Iranian "threats" to Middle East stability.

"Obviously, King Abdullah has played a significant leadership role in the region. So his prospective travel to Syria and to Leb is consistent with his search for peace," Crowley said.

A Syrian foreign ministry statement said the United States "has no right to define our ties with the countries of the region and interfere in the content of the talks the Saudi monarch will have in Damascus."

"Syria and Saudi Arabia... know better than others the interests of the people of the region and how to achieve them without outside interference and they are able to define their policies to achieve peace and stability in the region," the statement said.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
UN Hariri tribunal to accuse Hezbollah: Nasrallah
2010-07-23
[Al Arabiya Latest] Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Thursday Lebanon's prime minister had informed him that a UN tribunal probing the 2005 murder of ex-Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri will accuse undisciplined members of his group.

"I was personally informed by Prime Minister (Saad) Hariri that the tribunal will accuse some undisciplined members" of Hezbollah, Nasrallah said in a press conference via video link.

In a speech earlier this month, Nasrallah accused Israel of interfering in the probe and slammed the tribunal's impending indictment as "fabricated."

Media reports last year said that evidence implicated Hezbollah in the assassination of former premier Hariri in a massive seaside bombing on February 14, 2005.

Nasrallah said the tribunal was part of a "conspiracy" against his group, Lebanon and the region, claiming that After Israeli and the United States failed to employ break up his group by force they are using other tactics to achieve that goal.

He added that Hezbollah would not hand in any of its members, disciplined or undisciplined, who may be accused by the tribunal. He accused international investigators of not being serious in their probe because they knew, he said, their probe was just procedural.

Nasrallah in March confirmed UN investigators had interrogated members of his Syrian- and Iranian-backed party but said at the time that Hezbollah was not in the tribunal's line of fire.

The Hariri murder has been widely blamed on Syria, a main backer of Hezbollah, although Damascus has roundly and consistently denied involvement.

A UN commission of inquiry had said it had evidence to implicate Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services prior to the tribunal's formation, but there are currently no suspects in custody.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Ahmadinejad: Israel inching closer to collapse
2010-02-27
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls on regional nations to remain vigilant against oppressive powers, saying that the Israeli regime will collapse if it repeats its previous mistakes.

"The recent threats by the Zionist regime [Israel] show the weakness of its officials. As time goes by, the resistance powers and free and independent nations near victory while the oppressive system is declining," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

The Iranian president stressed the importance of strengthening national unity in Palestine.

Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East, the role of resistance forces in the region and the Israeli threat against both Lebanon and Syria.

Nasrallah said resistance forces are closely monitoring regional developments and are ready to counter all threats by the Zionist regime.

He added that resistance movements would give a crushing response to any possible Israeli attack.

Nasrallah has recently warned that the movement will strike Israeli infrastructure including the Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv in the event of any Israeli attack on Lebanon.

"If you hit Rafiq al-Hariri international airport in Beirut, we will hit Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv," he said. "If you hit our ports, we will bomb your ports, and if you hit our oil refineries, we will bomb your oil refineries."
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US names first ambassador to Syria in 5 years
2010-02-18
[Al Arabiya Latest] President Barack Obama Tuesday nominated career diplomat Robert Ford as the first U.S. ambassador to Syria in five years, as he seeks to engage Damascus as part of a wider Middle East peace push.

"His appointment represents President Obama's commitment to use engagement to advance U.S. interests by improving communication with the Syrian government and people," the White House said in a statement.

If confirmed by the Senate, Ford would be the first U.S. ambassador to Damascus since Washington recalled its envoy after Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri was killed in February 2005 in a bombing blamed on Syria.
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