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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Beirut bomb threat defused as US envoy arrives

2009-06-13

[Al Arabiya Latest] United States envoy George Mitchell said Friday his country would not sacrifice Lebanon as it seeks to reach comprehensive peace in the region in his latest visit to the countr, which came y as security officials defused a small bomb sent to Beirut's General Security headquarters. "Lebanon will play a key role in the long term effort to build lasting, comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East," Mitchell said after meeting separately with President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. Meanwhile a bomb containing 200 grams (seven ounces) of explosives was defused after failing to explode because of a technical glitch, security sources said. Bombs are rarely sent to government buildings although several explosive devices are defused or explode every week in Lebanon. Mideast tour Mitchell was holding separate meetings with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Saad Hariri, leader of the March 14 coalition that retained its majority in a closely-fought parliamentary election on Sunday. "Clearly, there can be no lasting solution reached at Lebanon's expense and we look forward to continuing to work with Lebanon to build this solution." Mitchell said his latest tour of the region, which includes stops in Israel, the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan, as well as previous visits were clear proof that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration was committed to "actively and aggressively" seek peace in the region. On a visit to Beirut ahead of the vote, Vice President Joe Biden had hinted that Washington may cut off military aid if a coalition led by Hezbollah won. Mitchell arrived in Lebanon after visits to Jordan and Egypt where he discussed with leaders there ways to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians based on a two-state solution.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon: Israel's plan to withdraw troops a 'ploy'

2009-05-05

Israeli plans to withdraw troops from part of a divided village on the Lebanese border are a ploy to divert attention from spy networks uncovered in Lebanon, Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said on Monday. "This shrewd propaganda by the Israeli press reflects Israeli anger and embarrassment in the face of several Israeli spy networks uncovered by Lebanese security throughout Lebanon," Siniora said in a statement. His comments followed reports in the Israeli press that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to announce this week that Israel wants to withdraw its troops from the northern part of the divided border village of Ghajar. Israel's Security Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue on Wednesday. Following the end of Israel's war on Hezbollah in Lebanon in August 2006, Israel has kept a military presence in the northern part of the village and has built a security fence to prevent Shi'ite guerrillas from entering. After the war, Israel said it would keep its troops in northern Ghajar until security arrangements were agreed with UN and Lebanese forces, but such accords have not yet been struck. The village, at the foot of Mount Hermon straddling the Lebanese-Syrian border, is perched on a cliff overlooking the precious Wazzani spring, which has been a source of continuous disputes between Israel and Lebanon. Siniora said Israeli media reports that the withdrawal was a bid to boost his own government ahead of the June legislative elections were but a ploy to divide the Lebanese. "No one will be fooled by these claims," he said, adding that since the 2006 war Lebanon has been demanding that Israel withdraw from Ghajar unconditionally in line with UN Resolution 1701.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Israel stops Lebanese Gaza aid ship

2009-02-05

THE Israeli navy intercepted and boarded a Gaza-bound Lebanese aid boat at sea and was escorting it to the Israeli port of Ashdod, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said. "At first the ship understood we were prohibiting it from heading to Gaza and steered towards El-Arish" in Egypt, Mr Barak said. "From Egyptian territorial waters it tried to slip into Gaza waters. That is when the Israeli navy boarded it, and it is now taking it to Ashdod," he said. The military said the crew would be questioned by police and that any humanitarian goods aboard would be taken to the Gaza Strip. It dismissed claims the navy fired at the vessel. "No gunshots were fired on board during the boarding and capture of the cargo boat," the military said in a statement. One of the organisers of the shipment claimed earlier that the Israeli military had fired at the vessel. "We were informed by the crew that Israeli forces boarded the ship after firing shots at it," Maen Bashur said. He said the Israeli navy had asked the crew to turn back before seizing the vessel. "Two Israeli gunboats intercepted the ship on Wednesday night while it was in international waters trying to reach territorial waters in northern Palestine," Mr Bashur said. "The ship was asked to turn back as two Israeli military helicopters flew over the area and fired flares. The aid boat moved away, but it has been trying since early Thursday to reach Gaza through Egyptian territorial waters," he added. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora called on the international community to press Israel to allow the vessel which was carrying medical supplies, food, clothing and toys, to reach Gaza. On board the "Brotherhood Ship" were eight people including the former Greek-Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem, Monsignor Hilarion Capucci, who left Jerusalem in the 1970s after serving time in an Israeli jail for membership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. The Togolese-registered Tali had passed via the nearby Mediterranean island of Cyprus where authorities inspected the cargo before it headed for Gaza. An Israeli military spokesman said that by entering Gazan coastal waters, the crew "raised suspicion, as it could threaten security concerns, or furthermore, the boat could be used for smuggling banned equipment (weaponry, etc) into or out of the Gaza Strip". He stressed in a statement that "any organisation or country that wishes to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, can do so via the established crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip with prior co-ordination".

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Siniora sez no interest in Israel peace talks

2008-12-26

Wouldn't be right, nope, nope ... BEIRUT - Lebanon's Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said his country has no interest in holding peace talks with neighbouring Israel at the moment. ‘I see no interest for us right now to discuss direct negotiations or indirect negotiations with Israel,’ Siniora said in an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation broadcast on Wednesday. ‘No one has challenged our claim of authority and ownership of the land that Israel occupies. So we see it as premature to take a decision in this regard as yet,’ he added. Israel withrew from south Lebanon in 2000 after more than two decades of occupation, but Lebanon claims it is still occupying land on the border, including Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources. Which belonged to Syria before the games began. If Israel ever gave up Shebaa the Lebanese would just claim something else ... On Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his country would eventually embark on direct peace talks with Israel, but that they must be based on UN Security Council resolutions. ‘We are closely following what the Syrian Arab Republic is undertaking, but that is the decision of the Syrian Arab Republic... we in Lebanon have to look at our situation very carefully,’ Siniora said. ‘We always have said it is in Lebanon's interest to be the last country to enter into a peace process (with Israel),’ he added. Siniora also welcomed the imminent opening of the first-ever Syrian embassy in Beirut after the two countries agreed to reestablish ties for the first time since independence 60 years ago. ‘It is a very important and fundamental step that lays the groundwork for other steps,’ the Lebanese premier said as he was told to say.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Accord signed to end north Lebanon civil war

2008-09-09

A reconciliation accord was signed Monday between Alawites and Sunnis in northern Lebanon's capital of Tripoli aiming to restore state control in the port city and put an end to bloodshed. At least 23 people have been killed since clashes broke out in May between residents of Jabal Mohsen, who mostly support Lebanon's opposition led by Hezbollah, and those of Bab al-Tebbaneh who back the anti-Syrian ruling bloc. The six-point Tripoli Document calls for armed men to withdraw from the streets, security forces to deploy, the displaced to return home, compensation for material losses, and an economic development plan for the city. The accord was signed in the home of Tripoli's mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar, who oversaw the talks between Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and political leaders from different factions in Tripoli. "Tripoli is a single, unified city where there is no difference between Lebanese and Lebanese, Muslim and Muslim or Muslim or Christian. We are all Lebanese," Siniora said in a televised speech from Shaar's home before the agreement was signed. "Tripoli needs to be a city free of weapons. Weapons don't protect anyone," he said of the arsenals held by different political groups in the country's second city before reading out the text of the accord. Siniora called the agreement a contract which all sides should commit to and abide by, and said "the state will play a complete role" in keeping the peace. Parliamentary leader Saad Hariri, a Sunni leader, has been in Tripoli since Saturday trying to reconcile the city's feuding communities. There has been tension between the two sects ever since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite Islam and straddle the border into Syria whose President Bashar al-Assad is a follower of the faith. Hariri accused Syria on Friday of using the instability in Tripoli as a means to meddle in Lebanese affairs. The Syrians "want to use the situation in Tripoli as a pretext to involve themselves in Lebanese affairs and use it as a means for their military and security return to Lebanon," Hariri charged. But Assad said he had asked Lebanese President Michel Sleiman to urgently send more troops to northern Lebanon to combat "extremism." Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said in comments published on Monday that he fully supported Hariri's efforts to calm sectarian tensions in Tripoli.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon lodges UN complaint over perceived 'Israeli threats'

2008-08-23

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora sent a letter of protest to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, having received the cabinet's approval of a decision to formally complain about what it perceived as recent Israeli threats against Lebanon. Siniora urged Ban to inform the UN Security Council's member nations of the seriousness of the Israeli threats, according to his office. "To hear what Israeli officials say, one would think Israel was showering Lebanon with roses during its last aggression," he said of the 2006 summer war between Israel and Hezbollah, in which over 1,200 Lebanese - mostly civilians - were killed. Siniora was responding to remarks made earlier this week by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who said Israel would dispense with restrictions it has so far imposed on itself in combating Hezbollah on Lebanese soil should Lebanon "become a Hezbollah state." Meanwhile, a military source close to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah told a Kuwaiti daily on Friday that the is planning to avenge the assassination of its second-in-command, Imad Mughniyah. "We shall have Dire Revenge!™" Hezbollah has accused Israel of orchestrating the Damascus car bombing which killed Mughniyeh in February. Sheikh Ahmed Murad told the newspaper Hezbollah would take action "as soon as the conditions are ripe." "The revenge will be rattling, and big surprises can be expected," Murad said, warning that "Israel and its generals will not enjoy stability. New intelligence on Hezbollah's intentions to abduct Israelis abroad prompted the government's counterterrorism unit this week to issue a warning to travelers, who were advised to take special precautions. The threat comes days after the government's counterterrorism unit issued a warning to Israeli travelers to take special precautions, following new intelligence on Hezbollah's intentions to abduct Israelis abroad prompted. The Counter-terrorism Bureau, a branch in the Prime Minister's Office, explained that intelligence reports suggested Hezbollah is planning abductions as its revenge for the assassination of Mughniyeh, the militia's former operations chief. Israel has denied any involvement in the bombing. But the Sunday Times in London quoted "informed Israeli sources" that the Mossad spy agency carried out the car bombing that killed Mughniyeh. Hezbollah has previously vowed to avenge Mughniyeh's death by attacking Israel or Israelis abroad. The travel advisory set this week was a general warning, applicable to the entire world, not any specific travel destinations. According to people within the intelligence community, Israel does possess specific information regarding the location where Hezbollah plans to attack. But the Counter-terrorism Bureau's warning says it applies to all countries.

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Arabia

Mubarak, Saudi monarch discuss regional issues

2008-08-17

Talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria have focused on regional developments and boosting bilateral ties. "The two leaders discussed the range of Arab issues, including recent developments on the Palestinian front... developments in Lebanon and the confrontation between the West and Iran over its nuclear file," Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad told reporters, following the talks late on Friday. The two leaders also discussed bilateral trade which has increased to 2.8 billion dollars annually, Awad said. He said the two leaders discussed Egypt's invitation to Palestinian factions to hold talks in Cairo, adding that "we are waiting to receive answers from all the Palestinian factions before we set a date (for the inter-Palestinian talks)." With regards the Iranian nuclear crisis, Awad called on Tehran to adopt a "principle of transparency" with regards its nuclear activities, urging the West "not to drag the whole region into a dangerous situation." President Mubarak met with Oman's Sultan Qaboos on Thursday and is due to meet Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Saturday.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

US army's Petraeus visits Beirut

2008-08-07

BEIRUT - The US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, held talks with President Michel Sleiman during a surprise visit to Beirut on Wednesday, offering further military support to Lebanon. Petraeus also met acting army chief Shawki al-Masri and discussed how to "strengthen the army's defensive capabilities, training and logistics," an army statement said. He held talks with Sleiman on providing US equipment to Lebanon and on key developments in the region, the president's office said. Petraeus also met Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and Defence Minister Elias Murr. The trip follows a visit on May 31 when US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Eric Edelman "stressed the United States' commitment to enhancing the LAF's (Lebanese armed forces) capabilities." Since 2006, Washington has committed more than 371 million dollars (240 million euros) in security assistance to Lebanon. Now that the Hezbies are in charge that should come to a complete halt ...

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon Forms New Cabinet, Hezbollah Keeps Veto Power

2008-07-12

After weeks of political deadlock, Lebanon's Prime Minister announced Friday that a new 30-member cabinet had been formed, opening the door to reconciliation among fighting factions. The country, which has suffered repeated bouts of violence over the past two years, had been without a cabinet for six weeks. Aya Batrawy has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo. Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's new unity government gives 16 seats to the Western-backed parliament majority, 11 to opposition groups such as Hezbollah and three to be chosen by the Maronite Christian president. Prime Minister Siniora expressed hope that this newly formed cabinet will bring peace among the various factions vying for power in Lebanon. "Today, through this national unity government, we have decided to manage our disputes through democratic institutions and dialogue, and not through force and intimidation," he said. In May, after months of internal strife and violence, the Arab League brokered the layout for the newly formed Cabinet, which gave Hezbollah and its supporters in the government veto power over government decisions. The announcement of a cabinet comes at a crucial time for Lebanon. The country was left without a president for nearly six months until former military chief General Michel Suleiman was chosen. During that time and after, violence spilled to the streets between the Muslim Sunni and Shiite and Maronite Christian communities. Over 80 people died in May alone. There were fears that a second civil war would erupt, just eight years after the country's 15-year civil war was put to rest. Analyst Jamil Mroueh of the Lebanese Daily Star newspaper expressed skepticism that this newly formed Cabinet will be able to revive Lebanon's economy, which was once a hub for tourism in the region, and settle deep political rifts. "I don't think that this Government is capable of doing anything about the economy or political stability if it does not set down to talk about issues in a manner that reconciles in a positive way," he said.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanese army occupies abandoned Shebaa Farm

2008-07-11

The Lebanese army moved on Friday into Bastara Farm, the only one of the occupied Shebaa Farms that the Israeli army evacuated when it pulled out of south Lebanon in 2000, an AFP correspondent said. Lebanese army vehicles and bulldozers could be seen moving for the first time into the farm, which lies some 300 metres (yards) away from other farms which Israel has occupied for more than 40 years. A road has been reconstructed to link this new position to other Lebanese army posts in the southeast of the country. The Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources measuring 25 square kilometres (10 square miles), are located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel. Israel seized the Farms from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war when it captured the neighbouring Golan Heights which it later annexed. Ever since, the Farms have been caught in a tug-of-war over ownership. Lebanon claims them, with the backing of Damascus, while Israel says they are part of Syria. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during a visit to Beirut last month, called for an end to the standoff. "The United States believes that the time has come to deal with the Shebaa Farms issue... in accordance with (UN Security Council Resolution) 1701," Rice said. Resolution 1701 brought an end to a devastating 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in summer 2006 And replaced it with a devastating peace, a UN specialty. and called for the UN secretary general to propose a border demarcation for the Shebaa Farms. Israel occupied south Lebanon for nearly 20 years until withdrawing its troops in May 2000, but it remained in the Shebaa. The United Nations ruled at the time that the withdrawal was complete and that the Farms were Syrian. A seven-point plan drawn up by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and adopted by the United Nations envisages placing the territory under UN administration while waiting for the three countries to resolve the issue.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Leb president urges creation of govt in 48 hours

2008-06-30

Keep urging ... BEIRUT - Lebanese President Michel Sleiman pressed on Sunday for the formation of a national unity cabinet within 48 hours after weeks of protracted negotiations between political rivals. ‘All parties must cooperate immediately to enable the establishment of the government,’ Sleiman said, according to a statement from his office. ‘Mr Sleiman stressed the importance of forming the government in 48 hours,’ the statement said, adding that there was ‘no reason to justify’ the delay. How's it feel to be powerless? Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has been tasked with creating a unity government following a deal struck by rival factions in the Qatari capital Doha more than five weeks ago to end a crisis that brought Lebanon to the brink of civil war. But the Western-backed Sunni-led parliamentary majority and the Hezbollah-led mainly Shia opposition continue to squabble over the distribution of key portfolios in the new 30-member government. ‘Those who are not allowing (the creation of the cabinet) are committing a serious error against the homeland and the people of Lebanon,’ Sleiman said. Which is precisely the point for the Syrians and their puppets ...

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Apartment block blast kills one in tense Lebanon city

2008-06-29

TRIPOLI, Lebanon - One person was killed and 20 others were wounded on Saturday as a powerful blast shook an apartment block in the northern port city of Tripoli, a Lebanese security official said. "One man was killed and some 20 people, most of them women and children, were wounded," the official told AFP as rescuers evacuated victims from the site of the 5:30 am (0230 GMT) blast in the Sunni area of Bab al-Tebbaneh. It was not known several hours later what caused the explosion in a district of the tense northern city that has been at the centre of clashes between Sunni militants and fighters of the Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The first floor of the multi-storey building, with four apartments, was destroyed by the explosion along with several stores on the ground floor. Cars parked nearby were damaged. Lebanese troops and police reinforcements were deployed as investigators inspected the scene but they kept tight-lipped about the cause of the blast. "We will say no more!" Almost 500 people later attended the victim's funeral which was also attended by dozens of armed militants, some wearing black headbands and chanting Koranic verses in praise of martyrdom. Lebanon's Sunni mufti, Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, condemned the explosion as a "criminal act aimed at spreading sedition," and urged all politicians to help Prime Minister Fuad Siniora form a new government. Residents of Bab al-Tebbaneh who support the Western-backed majority in parliament have clashed repeatedly with Alawites in the nearby Jabal Mohsen district who back the Hezbollah-led opposition supported by Syria and Iran. Nine people were killed and some 45 wounded in clashes between the two sides on June 22 and 23.

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