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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Geagea, PSP agree on 'unified approach' for govt. formation

2022-06-14

[An Nahar] The Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... has agreed with the Progressive Socialist Party on a "unified approach" regarding the formation of the new government, LF 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... said on Monday. "The opposition must unify its efforts in order to stop the ruling camp’s plans," Geagea added, following talks in Maarab with MPs Akram Shehayyeb and Wael Abu Faour of the PSP. "The delay in the formation of the government is not due to (U.S. mediator Amos) Hochstein’s visit nor due to the formation of the (parliamentary) committees; the reason is that some are trying to seize control of the government to benefit from appointments prior to the presidential term’s expiry," Geagea charged. "They are trying to consolidate their positions," he added. He also stressed that "there is only one door for salvation ahead of us, which coordination among the opposition." "We will leave the naming of a PM candidate to the Strong Republic bloc’s last meeting" before the parliamentary consultations, Geagea went on to say.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Abu Faour: Hizbullah's Stances Have Become an Unbearable Burden

2022-01-05

[An Nahar] MP Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party announced Tuesday 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... ’s stances and regional policies have become an unbearable burden for Lebanon Hezbollahstan ...a strong argument in favor of European colonialism, even French colonialism... ," hours after Hizbullah chief Sayyed His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... launched a blistering attack on Saudi 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. Fifteen of the nineteen WTC hijackers were Saudis, and most major jihadi commanders were Saudis, to include Osama bin Laden. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman quietly folded that tent in 2016, doing terrible things to the guys running it, and has since been dragging the kingdom into the current century... and its monarch. "Insulting Saudi Arabia, its leadership and Lebanon’s Arab ties is no longer an occasional stance... It is clear that it has become a premeditated policy aimed at destroying these ties and plunging Lebanon into the Iranian trap," Abu Faour said. He accordingly criticized Hizbullah for "taking the country hostage to matters that have nothing to do with Lebanon’s belonging, interest or ability." "It is clear that the promised defense strategy is no longer limited to Lebanese soil and logic requires that it include Hizbullah’s policies in the region," the politician added. Nasrallah verbally attacked Saudi King Salman ...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Lord of Most of the Arabians... in his speech on Monday, saying Riyadh helped spread bully boy ideology worldwide and is taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the Gulf region "hostage." Nasrallah's statements during a televised speech came in response to comments by King Salman, who called on the Lebanese in a speech last week "to end the terrorist Hizbullah's control" of Lebanon. The comments come as Lebanese authorities are trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia that hit a new low in October when the kingdom recalled its ambassador from Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports. The Saudi move followed comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister who said in a televised interview that the war in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Report: Hizbullah ‘Cuts’ Ties with Jumblat

2019-04-07

[AnNahar] 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... has decided to "break" its relations "indefinitely" with Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-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... , al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday. The party reportedly took this decision after "Jumblat’s repeated positions on the Syrian refugee crisis, and issuance of a decision by PSP Minister Wael Abu Faour annulling that of former Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan (Hizbullah) grantig a license to establish an industrial complex in Ain Dara," said the daily. It added that "Hizbullah informed Abu Faour that cancelling Hassan’s decision violates the law and the State Shura Council." According to the newspaper, "it was only a few days before Abu Faour unhesitatntly revoked the license, and asked that Hizbullah leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... reviews the matter with Jumblat," which the party considered as a "challenge."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Mustaqbal Hits Back at Qassem, Abu Faour Speaks of Russian Initiative

2018-11-09

[An Nahar] al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... Movement sources snapped back Thursday at 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... deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... over remarks he voiced about the controversial issue of representing the so-called independent Sunni MPs in the new government. "The ball is in the court of the obstructors and the party responsible for obstruction is known by all Lebanese," the sources told LBCI television. "The PM-designate abides by the constitution and will not turn the formation process into an arena for obstacles... He has accomplished his mission of ironing out the hurdles and others must stop recycling obstacles," the sources added. Qassem had earlier announced that "the ball is in the court of the PM-designate." "He has the ability to iron out the obstacles and reach a reasonable and appropriate solution in order to represent the Consultative Gathering," Hizbullah number two added. MP Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party meanwhile told LBCI that "an expected Russian initiative towards Leb may reactivate the stalled cabinet formation process." Abu Faour was in Moscow on Wednesday along with MP Taymour Jumblat, the head of the PSP-led Democratic Gathering bloc. The government was on the verge of formation on October 29 after the Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... accepted the portfolios that were assigned to it but a last-minute hurdle over the representation of the Consultative Gathering ‐ a grouping of pro-Hizbullah Sunni MPs.

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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

After Scare, Lebanese Man Tests Negative For Ebola

2014-10-24

[Ynet] A Lebanese man who arrived in Beirut from West Africa believing he may have Ebola was reassured by doctors that he is disease free but was still taken into a hospital quarantine on Thursday as a practice run to check the country's preparedness, a health official said. The case initially raised concerns because it was announced by the health minister, Wael Abu Faour, who said earlier in the day that Leb had quarantined a man suspected of having Ebola. The announcement came after days of warnings by the government that the country was at a high risk of exposure to the disease.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Pencilneck forces seize Nabak

2013-12-10

[Al Ahram] Syria's regime captured from rebel fighters a key town near Lebanon on Monday, as doubts were cast on any breakthrough at a Geneva peace conference slated for next month. France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, downplayed the chances of a peace agreement being reached in Geneva, while expressing confidence the January 22 conference would go ahead. But his British counterpart lamented the fact that after 1,000 days of conflict in Syria, more than 100,000 people have been killed, 2.2 million driven abroad, and 2.5 million cut off by the fighting. "Today is 1,000 days since Syrians took to the streets calling for freedom. It is time to end the conflict in #Syria," Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted. The conflict flared in March 2011 with peaceful pro-democracy protests inspired by the Arab Spring but escalated into a full-scale civil war after President Bashar al-Assad's regime launched a brutal crackdown. And the violence again showed no signs of abating on Monday, with a powerful storm forecast to make matters worse for Syrians, including those who have sought shelter in neighbouring countries like Lebanon and Jordan. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime forces regained control of the strategic Damascus-Homs highway after seizing most of the town of Nabak in the Qalamoun region. The army has been fighting for weeks to secure the Qalamoun region, north of Damascus, in a bid to sever rebel supply routes across the nearby border with Lebanon. But Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that the army had secured most of Nabak, including all of the western part of the town adjacent to the highway. Pro-government newspaper Al-Watan said the highway, essential to move troops and weapons and cement regime control from Damascus to the central province of Homs, would reopen soon. The highway has been closed for about 20 days because of fighting that also prevented the delivery of fuel to the capital, Damascus, where shortages have taken a toll on daily life. Al-Watan also quoted a military source as saying regime forces had killed or captured some 100 opposition forces in Nabak, and seized a large weapons cache. The Observatory, which relies on activists and medics on the ground for its reports, has said the fighters from Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah have been battling alongside Syria's army in the region. Hezbollah has helped Syrian loyalist forces recapture other towns from rebels, including Sbeineh, an enclave south of Damascus, in November, and the key town of Qusayr near the Lebanese border in June. On the diplomatic front, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius played down expectations that the peace conference dubbed Geneva 2 will yield any breakthrough. "I believe that it will take place but... it is very difficult to imagine a quick positive outcome," said Fabius. "The Geneva conference -- and I must say it's no surprise -- is taking place under very difficult conditions." There is still no certainty the UN-backed talks, which seek to put in place a transitional government, will go ahead. The main opposition National Coalition has said it will attend with conditions, while some key anti-regime figures have refused and others have said no final decision has been made. The opposition is insisting Assad play no role in Syria's future -- a demand flatly rejected by the regime. On the humanitarian front, refugees who have sought haven in camps in neighbouring countries braced for a harsh winter, particularly in Lebanon which was expecting a storm. Lebanese authorities, with the help of the UN refugee agency, are mobilising to protect thousands of refugees who live in makeshift, informal shelters, before snow and heavy rain hit on Tuesday night. "There are a large number of informal camps... and quick action is required with the approach of the storm," said Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour. Abu Faour said authorities, working with the army and international aid agencies, had begun distributing plastic sheeting, wood planks, heaters and food to the refugees.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Higher Defense Council Stresses Border Control, Prevention of Arms Smuggling

2011-12-30

[An Nahar] The Higher Defense Council on Thursday stressed the prevention of arms smuggling in and out of Leb and called for controlling the security situation in border towns. The HDC convened at Baabda palace to contain the repercussions of allegations that the al-Qaeda terrorist network was operating in Leb. But it did not unveil details over the issue. A statement issued after the meeting said the Council asked security agencies to take stronger measures to fight terrorism and stressed cooperation with the United Nations ...what started out as a a diplomatic initiative, now trying to edge its way into legislative, judicial, and executive areas... Interim Force in Leb. It kept its decisions secret in accordance with the law but said in the terse statement that discussions focused on the security measures taken in the country. It also quoted 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... as condemning the killing of three Lebanese men in the northern border area of Wadi Khaled by Syrian cross border fire. He stressed the importance of investigating the incident. Suleiman and PM Najib Miqati held closed-door talks ahead of the meeting that was attended by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi, Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas and Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour. Top security officers, including Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, the head of the General Security Department, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, and head of Lebanese Army Intelligence Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel also attended the meeting. The cabinet on Wednesday tasked the HDC with convening to discuss the alleged presence of al-Qaeda and other security concerns, including the Wadi Khaled incident and the bombing that targeted Tyros restaurant in the southern city of Tyre. Ghosn, who made the allegations last week, briefed the cabinet on Wednesday on the information he had obtained about the operations of al-Qaeda gunnies in and out of the eastern border town of Arsal. The minister slammed his critics, saying "let them give us other information to prove that what we're saying is not true." Ad-Diyar daily quoted him as saying that his critics snapped back at him through a political campaign "for known reasons." "I work in accordance with my convictions and conscience and I take full responsibility" for what I said, Ghosn said. Several ministers played down Ghosn's information with Miqati saying that "there is no solid evidence" about the presence of al-Qaeda in Arsal.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jumblat Seeks Mending Ties with Old Allies, Aims at Reviving Democratic Gathering

2011-11-17

[An Nahar] 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... is seeking to revive the "Democratic Gathering," al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Wednesday. Wally's getting tired of snuggling with Nasrallah and Berri, at least for awhile. "He is paving way to meet with ex-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 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. sources told the daily. Jumblat is mending ties with old allies after he met on Tuesday a delegation from al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... movement to restore the Democratic Gathering in Mukhtara, the newspaper said. In January 2007 Jumblat announced the end of his Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, after four MPs of the 11-member gathering decided not to back his candidate for the premiership. He named his new bloc the National Struggle Front including MPs Ghazi Aridi, Wael Abu Faour, Akram Shehayyeb, Alaeddine Terro, Nehme Tohme and Elie Aoun. The four MPs who are not part of Jumblat's bloc anymore are Marwan Hamadeh, Henry Helou, Antoine Saad and Fouad al-Saad. The meeting was attended by members of the PSP leadership and al-Mustaqbal officials Ahmed Fatfat, Hadi Hobeish and Ziad al-Qaderi. The daily reported that the meeting was held away from the media spotlight. However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... sources told al-Liwaa that the gatherers discussed the latest developments concerning the Syrian turmoil and the possible repercussions of the regime collapse, the funding of the Special Tribunal for Leb probing the liquidation of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, and the new electoral draft law. They noted that the meeting was successful and was aimed at restoring the relations between the two sides. PSP sources said that the meeting was to discuss the electoral draft law. Both sides agreed on coordinating their stances regarding all the issues. Al-Liwaa reported that a delegation from the PSP leadership will meet with Secretary General of Mustaqbal movement Ahmed Hariri on Tuesday, and other party leaders in the next few days after the establishment of the PSP's new leadership council.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Miqati from Tripoil: We all Want the Truth, Weapons Must be Directed towards Enemy, Not Domestic Scene

2011-02-26

[An Nahar] Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati stressed on Friday that he is seeking to form a government that would rise up to the expectations of all the Lebanese. He said during a popular gathering in the northern city of Tripoli: "We ask for forgiveness over the delay in the Cabinet formation because we want to establish a government that works for the whole of Leb." "We have assumed this difficult responsibility to extinguish the flame of strife and work for stability," he continued during his first trip to his hometown since his appointment as premier-designate. "We return to you to derive our strength and determination from Tripoli to begin a major mission to restore its role in the country so that it may once again become Leb's second capital as it always has been," he added before the popular reception that was also attended by Caretaker Economy Minister Mohammed Safadi and MP Ahmed Karami. "Tripoli has created national leaders. It is the city of moderation and we are all in its service," he stated. Miqati asked: "Who of us is greater than Leb? Who of us does not want justice?" "Let us return to dialogue under the authority of the state institutions and we are committed to the constitution that was produced by the Taif Accord," he said. "All problems have solutions and dialogue solves them all," the premier-designate noted. "We are keen on Leb's unity. We are a nation and whoever wants to transform us into a sect is harming our identity and convictions," he stressed. An Nahar daily reported on Friday that Miqati will stay in Tripoli until Sunday and would welcome visiting delegations at his residence over the weekend. Although no official statement was made on his activities on Thursday, An Nahar said Miqati met with Caretaker Minister Wael Abu Faour delegated by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Wally Jumblat ... Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times.... While no progress has been made in the formation of the cabinet, An Nahar said that the idea to grant the finance portfolio to Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... leader MP Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... began floating again. Aoun is at loggerheads with President Michel Suleiman over the interior ministry which was part of the head of state's share in Saad Hariri's government. An Nahar said Miqati came under pressure over the possibility of granting the finance rather than the interior ministry portfolio to Aoun. However, The infamous However... the premier-designate is seeking to keep the finance ministry with the Sunnis and give it to Safadi. Miqati held a 45-minute meeting with Suleiman at Baabda palace on Friday after the president's return from Rome. The two men discussed the latest developments in the cabinet formation process.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jumblat Declares Democratic Gathering End, Resurrects National Struggle Front

2011-01-25

[An Nahar] Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Wally Jumblat ... who's been on every side in Leb at least four times... on Monday announced the end of his Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, after four MPs of the 11-member gathering decided not to back his candidate for the premiership. Following binding consultations with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace on naming a new PM, Jumblat said that his bloc will now be renamed to the National Struggle Front. "I would've hoped to continue the road with the comrades of yesterday in the Democratic Gathering, but circumstances dictate that there is no justification for its persistence, that's why we will go back to the old, historic naming -- the National Struggle Front -- which dates back to the days of martyr Kamal Jumblat," Jumblat said. The new bloc, which voted for ex-PM Najib Miqati to head the country's next government, comprises MPs Walid Jumblat, Ghazi Aridi, Wael Abu Faour, Akram Shehayyeb, Alaeddine Terro, Nehme Tohme and Elie Aoun. The four MPs who are not part of Jumblat's bloc anymore are Marwan Hamade, Henry Helou, Antoine Saad and Fouad al-Saad. They voted for caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri later in the day. Jumblat's stance comes after he declared Friday that he will side with "Syria and the Resistance." That'd be the Hezbullies, natch... He said the aim of his decision was to preserve Leb's stability. Hizbullah and its allies last week brought down the government of Saad Hariri because of a dispute over a U.N. probe into the 2005 liquidation of Hariri's father, ex-premier Rafik Hariri.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Saudi Arabia- France Attempt to Delay Hariri Tribunal Arrest Warrants — Hezbollah Source

2010-12-05

[Asharq al-Aswat] Information in Leb confirms that Soddy Arabia and Syria have intensified their efforts to delay the Hariri tribunal issuing its final decision in conjunction with pressure being exerted by the March 8 Alliance to reach a compromise [with the international tribunal] ahead of the forthcoming indictment. In this context, Future bloc MP Ammar Houri told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the compromise being cooked up today, and the discussions that are taking place, are confined to one single point and that is what is going to happen following the indictment." Houri said that "we are trying to reach a certain formula that will help the country avoid violence, discord, and rhetoric that leads to the unknown, following the issuance of the [international tribunal's] indictment. However there will be no compromise on the date or content of this decision, and there is no possibility of this being raised." As for the rumors that the Future bloc will not accept the international tribunal utilizing evidence from Leb's infiltrated communication network, Houri said that "the infiltration of the communication network is something that occurs in all countries, however what was revealed by the Minister of Communication about the manipulation of data must be investigated by the office of the Attorney General as soon as possible. We will not issue any early judgments on the evidence that may be put forward by the international tribunal." A Hezbullies source also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that "there is a newly emerging Soddy Arabian effort to accelerate the reaching of a compromise [with the international tribunal] before the issuance of this indictment." The source also revealed that "Washington desires the issuance of the [international tribunal's] decision before the fifteenth of this month...whilst there is also a French -- Saudi effort to delay the issuance of this decision." The Hezbullies source also told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the compromise that is being cooked up revolves around two main points that it seems that the Future movement are beginning to be convinced of, and these two points are the necessity of the international tribunal's decision not relying upon the false witnesses or the infiltrated communication network. These two points are part of a deal whose chances of success stand at around 50 percent." Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... Lebanese Minister of State Wael Abu Faour stressed "the necessity of the Arab efforts being exerted by Syria and Soddy Arabia to find a national consensus over the disputed issues being met with local efforts by all parties to reduce congestion and restore the climate of internal dialogue." He also pointed out that "this [effort] could help in the acceptance of any Arab initiative to protect Leb internally from any internal or external dangers." For his part, Development and Liberation bloc MP Michel Moussa commented on these external efforts, saying "at one time, things reached a dead end internally, and so this necessitated the worthy initiatives from our friends abroad, especially Syria and Soddy Arabia." He also pointed out that "rapprochement between the two countries [Syria and Soddy Arabia] gives rise to a good atmosphere that may produce solutions." Leb First MP Khaled Zahraman apologized for what he described as the country reaching "a state of impasse" and he stressed "the importance of internal dialogue that was lacking in the recent period taking place, which must be accompanied by external dialogue, especially with Syria, Soddy Arabia, Iran, and Turkey."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hariri vows March 14 wonŽt ŽsurrenderŽ Bekaa

2009-04-22

[Beirut Daily Star: Leb] Electoral rhetoric heated up on Monday and over the weekend, with the country's political foes exchanging accusations and criticizing each others' agendas. On Sunday, Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri announced the March 14 Forces ticket for West Bekaa. Meanwhile, Premier Fouad Siniora over the weekend continued his tour of Sidon as Speaker Nabih Berri visited several villages in South Lebanon. As candidates battled it out, President Michel Sleiman prepared to head to Turkey on Tuesday for an official two-day visit. Hariri announced on Monday the March 14 forces' list in the district of Western Bekaa- Rashaya. During a gathering held in the town of Rashaya, Hariri said the majority would not "surrender the Western Bekaa-Rashaya district to the candidates of foreign tutelage." "The people of this district will vote on June 7 for state-building and for dignity. They will vote for the dignity of Lebanon, of Beirut and for what was done to Beirut. They will vote for Lebanon and Palestine to say that Palestine is our cause." The list in the district included Ministers Robert Ghanem and Wael Abu Faour, MP Jamal Jarrah, MP Antoine Saad, Amin Wehbeh and Ziad Qadri.

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