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Saniora Meets Kuwait Envoy to Deplore 'Hizbullah Cell', Mashnouq Ready to 'Cooperate'

2017-08-01

[An Nahar] A Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... bloc delegation led by ex-PM Fouad Saniora on Monday visited Kuwaiti Ambassador to Leb Abdul-Al al-Qinai to condemn alleged 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... involvement in a "terrorist cell" that has been busted in the Gulf emirate. In addition to Saniora, the delegation comprised MPs Atef Majdalani, Amin Wehbe and Ahmed Fatfat. "We came here today to express, in the name of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, our condemnation of the presence of a Hizbullah group in the so-called al-Abdali cell, which has been verified after a three-year trial," said Saniora after the talks. "This act would only lead to sabotaging ties between Leb and the brotherly state of Kuwait, which was among the first countries to embrace Lebanese expats," he added. "The state of Kuwait has always stood by Leb and supported its stability, growth and development," Saniora went on to say. Also on Monday, Kuwaiti Ambassador al-Qinai held talks with Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq at the Interior Ministry. Mashnouq said the meeting tackled the issue of the letter of protest that Kuwait has submitted to Leb over Hizbullah's alleged involvement in the cell. Expressing his "great respect for Kuwait," Mashnouq expressed "his readiness and the readiness of the Lebanese security agencies to cooperate with the Kuwaiti interior ministry and to offer any help possible in this case or any other issues," Leb's National News Agency said. The supreme court in Sunni-ruled Kuwait, which has a sizable Shiite minority, last month convicted 21 Shiites of forming a "terrorist cell" with ties to Iran and Hizbullah and plotting attacks in the Gulf state. Kuwait has protested to Leb over the alleged training of the cell members by Hizbullah, which has ministers in the Lebanese government. Earlier this month, Kuwaiti authorities expelled 15 Iranian diplomats and shut down the military, cultural and trade missions of the Iranian embassy in Kuwait over Tehran's backing of the "terrorist cell." Iran said the allegation is baseless.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Fatfat in Maarab to Stress Strong Alliance between al-Mustaqbal, LF

2014-02-22

[An Nahar] Al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... Movement MP Ahmed Fatfat held talks with Lebanese Forces A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb... Chief 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 ... in an attempt to rectify ties between the two parties after the formation of Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet. Fatfat stressed after a two-hour meeting in Maarab that the two parties are "allies," pointing out that "it's is a necessity to reconsider the current political stage after the formation of the new government, which we hoped that the LF would have been part of." However, Switzerland makes more than cheese... he pointed out that al-Mustaqbal movement "respects the stance of the Lebanese Forces." Ties have deteriorated between al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Lebanese forces after al-Mustaqbal 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. agreed to participate 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... in Salam's government. Geagea had been adamant to stay out of the cabinet, saying he would not share power with Hizbullah. He has also reportedly expressed dismay at the recent rapprochement between Hariri and his foe Free Patriotic Movement Despite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... chief Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... . Concerning Salam's cabinet ministerial policy statement, Fatfat stressed that the Baabda declaration should be the basis of any ministerial statement, which should be in alignment with the Bkirki charter. Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi had unveiled early in February a treaty that calls for holding the presidential elections on time. It also demanded that political powers adhere to the country's national pact and place national interests above personal ones. Asked about army-people-resistance equation, the politician ruled out the possibility of mentioning the formula in the ministerial statement, whether directly or in an indirect way. "Hizbullah has realized that the party's intervention in Syria is imposing great threats on it and its popular base as we are on the doorstep of a historical stage that compels us to act responsibly and take straightforward stances," Fatfat said in his statement. The MP warned that "if the there was no intention to safeguard Leb from its crises then the national unity cabinet doesn't exist." He reiterated that the "dissociation policy is Leb's only salvation." Fatfat revealed that several al-Mustaqbal movement politicians support the withdrawal of the party's ministers from the cabinet if "the army-people-resistance equation was adopted in the ministerial policy statement."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Fatfat: Berri is Hizbullah Tool in Constitutional Council Crisis

2013-06-17

[An Nahar] Al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat has accused Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, a member of AMAL, a not very subtle Hizbullah sock puppet... of being a Hizbullah tool after two Shiite judges boycotted the meetings of the Constitutional Council. In an interview with An Nahar daily published Sunday, Fatfat said: "What happened at the Constitutional Council showed that Nabih Berri is an execution tool to what Hizbullah says." Three judges, two Shiites and a Druze, boycotted earlier this week the meetings that were aimed at discussing a report drafted by the council's president, Judge Issam Suleiman, on the petitions filed by 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... and the Change and Reform bloc to challenge the 17-month extension of parliament's term. Fatfat said that both Berri, a Shiite, and Druze leader 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... are capable of influencing the judges. The politician denied that al-Mustaqbal had been playing any role in the paralysis of the council's work. "Those paralyzing the Constitutional Council are those who are not attending the meetings," Fatfat said. "It's obvious that this absence is the result of a political decision." The council has set another meeting for next Tuesday but it is not likely to convene over lack of quorum. The approval or the rejection of the challenges requires the go-ahead of seven out of the council's half-Christian half-Musselmen members and a quorum of eight members is needed to vote on challenges. The lack of quorum would make the 17-month extension law valid after the end of parliament's mandate on June 20. Asked what measures al-Mustaqbal would take if the council remained crippled, Fatfat said: "We are heading towards a political confrontation that could reach civil disobedience." "We will ask the people not to pay their bills and taxes and to confront the state because everything is crippled in it under the force of arms," he told An Nahar.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Report: Mamlouk Sent Hizbullah New List of Assassination Targets

2013-02-11

[An Nahar] A top Syrian security official has recently sent Hizbullah a list of Lebanese political and military personalities targeted for assassination, the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper reported on Sunday. The daily quoted a Gulf diplomat in Abu Dhabi as saying that the list, which includes 13 names, was sent by Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, who has been charged by a Lebanese military court of involvement along with ex-Information Minister Michel Samaha in a terror plot to destabilize Lebanon. Arrest warrants in absentia were issued on Monday against Mamlouk and his aide known only by his first name as Adnan. A Gulf intelligence agency informed Lebanese security apparatuses several days ago about the list that was provided by a suspect arrested in the UAE, the diplomat said. The Lebanese suspect struck a deal with UAE authorities to provide the names in return for his release and deportation to a country of his choice, he said. The list reportedly includes the names of al-Mustaqbal lawmakers Ahmed Fatfat, Nuhad al-Mashnouq, Khaled al-Daher, Moeen al-Merehbi and former general prosecutor Saeed Mirza. Other names on the list are MP Marwan Hamadeh, who was the target of an assassination attempt in 2004, Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and opposition lawmaker Butros Harb. Geagea escaped gunfire at his residence in Maarab last year while Harb was also the target of an assassination plot that was thwarted when the residents of a building where he has an office in Badaro saw suspects placing a bomb in the elevator. Other well known March 14 opposition officials on the list are al-Mustaqbal movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri, who is in Paris for over a year, and Phalange MP Sami Gemayel, who was reportedly warned by security forces on several occasions that he could be the target of an assassination attempt. Two other army generals are on the list, al-Seyassah said, adding that they are tipped to succeed army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji. Late last year, reports said that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel received a list of 15 names targeted for assassination.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Charbel: Fear of Assassinations still Lingers in Lebanon

2012-12-30

[An Nahar] Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed that the security agencies are prepared to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of officials who believe themselves to be threatened, reported the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah daily on Saturday. He told the daily: "Fear of liquidations still lingers in Leb as long as the political tensions and disputes persist." "It is unfortunate that the threats remain and this requires all who feel in danger to take the needed measures to protest themselves, including limiting their mobility," he explained. In October, March 14 alliance MPs Houri, Ahmed Fatfat, Hadi Hbeish, Khaled al-Daher and Nuhad al-Mashnouq said that they were texted death threats from a Syrian telephone number before and after Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan's liquidation.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Al-Mustaqbal MP al-Daher Receives New Death Threats

2012-11-11

[An Nahar] Al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... parliamentary bloc MP Khaled al-Daher said on Saturday that he received new death threats after several March 14-led opposition politicians received similar threats recently. "I received new death threats via a telephone call to my bodyguard," al-Daher told LBCI. He pointed out that his bodyguard telephoned him around 4:40 p.m. saying that he received a telephone call from an unknown person telling him to "convey a message to me." "Tell your boss that he will be (shattered) like his friend was... You will get the same fate,"al-Daher said. He noted that his bodyguard said that the accent of the caller is "Syrian." "They are using a new method to intimidate us," al-Daher added, confirming that he informed Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi about the incident. In October, March 14 alliance MPs Ammar Houri, Ahmed Fatfat, Hadi Hbeish, Khaled al-Daher and Nuhad al-Mashnouq said that they were texted death threats from a Syrian telephone number before and after Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan's liquidation.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Opposition MPs Receive 'Syria Threats' by SMS

2012-10-24

[An Nahar] March 14 camp MP Ammar Houri revealed that he and four colleagues were texted death threats from a Syrian telephone number before and after Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan's liquidation on Friday. "On the eve of the attack, we received an SMS from a Syrian number that read: 'Sons of bitches, we will get you one by one,'" Ammar Houri said on television on Monday night. He named the other MPs as Ahmed Fatfat, Hadi Hbeish, Khaled al-Daher and Nuhad al-Mashnouq. "At the time, we didn't pay any attention to it, until the liquidation of Hasan," which was widely blamed on Damascus ...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world... that also left two others dead. "After the liquidation, we received a second SMS that read: 'Congratulations, the countdown has begun. One of 10 eliminated.'" Hasan was noted for his investigation of Syrian political crimes in Leb. His murder plunged the country, divided between partisans and opponents of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... , into a political crisis. Houri and the four other MPs belong to the March 14 opposition, which is led by former Premier 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. , a strong opponent of Assad, whom he blames for the 2005 liquidation of his father and former premier, Rafik. The opposition has demanded that Prime Minister Najib Miqati resign, accusing him of covering for the murderers of Hasan. Since Rafik Hariri's murder, several other Lebanese political figures hostile to the Damascus regime have also been assassinated.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Geagea Murder Attempt Marks Beginning of Wave of Security Unrest in Lebanon

2012-04-09

[An Nahar] The security situation in Leb is "fragile" and any security incident may lead to internal unrest, reported Al-Seyassah Kuwaiti newspaper on Sunday. A centrist ministerial source told the daily: "Unrest will erupt in more than one region, especially in areas of mixed political presence in order to avoid blame being directed against a certain camp." It added that "saboteurs" have been deployed in areas that are controlled by the March 14 camp. "The unrest is aimed at destabilizing Leb through assassinating an influential opposition figure and damaging the country's tourist season," it revealed. On Wednesday, 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 ... was the target of a failed liquidation attempt at his Maarab residence. The source predicted that security incidents will take place "very soon, because all the signs indicate that the situation has reached a dangerous phase given the escalation of the crisis in Syria." It explained that Syrian regime is keen ending the popular uprising against it and it may therefore seek to shift attention from its crackdown by creating strife elsewhere, such as Leb. Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat told the daily that "everything is possible" after Geagea's liquidation attempt, adding: "It seems that we have entered a new phase in Leb and everything is possible for the criminal mind that does not heed the consequences of its actions."

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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

Fatfat Holds Hizbullah Responsible for Any harm Inflicted on Him

2011-10-26

[An Nahar] Al-Mustaqbal ... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri... bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat on Tuesday held Hizbullah responsible for any harm inflicted on him after he accused the Shiite party politician, Ali Ammar, of telling him to fight it out outside parliament. Fatfat told Voice of Leb radio (100.5) that Ammar's invitation was a direct public threat in front of scores of politicians during the meeting of the human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... parliamentary committee on Monday. Fatfat along with other March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... opposition MPs argued with Hizbullah politicians over several issues, throwing accusations and cursing each other. He blamed Hizbullah MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi of initiating the debate after bringing up several political issues during the session that was aimed at discussion a report on the alleged Syrian embassy involvement in the disappearance of Syrian opposition members in Leb. Fatfat told news hounds at the end of the committee meeting that Ammar threatened him "to sort out their problem on the street."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Beirut Rally Backs Syrian Activists Call for Int'l Protection

2011-09-09

[An Nahar] A number of Lebanese activists, journalists, intellectuals and politicians on Thursday staged a sit-in at the Samir Qassir Square in downtown Beirut in support for "the freedom and dignity of the Syrian people." Simultaneously, a group of supporters of Syrian President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators. Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor... , who belong to a number of Lebanese political parties, gathered outside the Beirut Municipality in the center of the capital, carrying Syrian flags and pictures of Assad and shouting slogans in support of the Syrian leader and his regime, state-run National News Agency reported. Security forces deployed in the area prevented any clash between the rival rallies. Speaking on behalf of the organizers of the pro-Syrian uprising rally, activist Saleh al-Mashnouq said: "We reject that Leb, the representative of Lebanese and Arabs at the U.N., be a real partner in the attack against the Syrian people." "Leb should rather be in its normal position, alongside the majority of Lebanese and Arab people who are opposed to the crimes against humanity being committed. A camp for Syrian refugees must also be set up in Leb, where they would feel secure and be treated according to the standards of human dignity," Mashnouq added. "We declare our full support for the demands of the Syrians who are seeking international protection for civilians by all means possible. We call on all the Arab leaders to take a historic decision and achieve this Syrian demand, and we also urge all human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... organizations concerned to stand by these refugees," he went on to say. Present at the rally were MPs Khaled al-Daher, Marwan Hamade, Ahmed Fatfat and Khaled Zahraman; ex-education minister Hassan Mneimneh; ex-MPs Fares Soaid and Elias Atallah; Democratic Renewal Movement secretary Antoine Haddad; National Bloc chief Carlos Edde; and members of the March 14 Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys... general-secretariat.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hariri Allies Criticize Nasrallah's Call to Boycott UN Tribunal

2010-10-30

[An Nahar] Prime Minister Saad Hariri's allies on Friday denounced a call by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to boycott a U.N.-backed tribunal to try ex-PM Rafik Hariri's killers, calling on their government to take a stand. Nasrallah on Thursday called on the Lebanese -- civilians and officials -- to end cooperation with the international investigation into Hariri's 2005 murder, warning that further collaboration was equivalent to an attack on Hizbullah. Hariri, son of the slain ex-premier, is already in a standoff with Hizbullah over unconfirmed reports that the Tribunal is set to indict members of the Shiite group. MP Ahmed Fatfat, a member with Hariri's Mustaqbal bloc, said Nasrallah's comments amounted to a call to "revolt against the international community." "Accepting this request pits the Lebanese government against the international community," Fatfat told the Voice of Leb radio station. He said Leb will eventually turn into a country that rejects U.N. resolutions if the Government abides by Nasrallah's call. Fatfat said the Government must "clarify" where it stands regarding Nasrallah's statement and whether it will revoke its policy statement. The ministerial statement to which Fatfat referred states the Cabinet's respect for and commitment to cooperating with the Special Tribunal for Leb. 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, a key Hariri ally, called on Hariri and President Michel Suleiman to set up an emergency meeting on the issue. "This is a threat to the Lebanese government, as the government is the first to cooperate with the investigators through its memorandum of understanding with the Security Council," Geagea told al-Arabiya televisions station. LF MP Antoine Zahra, also told al-Arabiya that Hizbullah has "turned into a coercive group for Lebanese, warranting a peaceful resistance to defend human rights." ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you...

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