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

Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Regional Party Blamed for Presidential Vacancy in Lebanon: Hezbollah Minister
2016-09-04
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Mohammad Fneish, accused on Saturday a regional party of being responsible for the obstruction and presidential vacuum in the country.

Fneish, who represents Hezbollah in the Lebanese cabinet, added that Leb was going through a severe political crisis titled "presidential vacuum," National News agency reported.

Hezbollah has repeatedly announced our stance to back the nomination of MP Michel Aoun
...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
, stressing our intention to avoid this crisis, Fneish said during honorary ceremony for students who passed their academic year in Tyre.

"The main problem lies in a regional party which backs a political camp in Leb. Yet, this party has not given the green light to solve the Lebanese crisis," Fneish added.

Meanwhile,
...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck and Manuel's rivalry was entering a new and more dangerous phase...
 the minister also underscored the importance to issue the salary scale since it won’t set any additional financial burdens on the state.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hizbullah Denies Security Breach As Fneish Says Blast Aims At Destabilizing Country
2013-07-11
[AnNahar] Hizbullah caretaker Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish considered on Wednesday that the blast that targeted Bir al-Abed neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs aims at destabilizing Leb's civil peace.

"The culprits aim at moving security violations from an area to another across Leb and to create sedition and a sectarian rift among Mohammedans in particular," Fneish told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Wednesday.

Sources close to the party told As Safir newspaper that the kaboom is a "coward act" that targeted a residential area, ruling out reports that it's a security breach to Hizbullah.

At least 53 people were maimed in the kaboom that was caused by a booby-trapped vehicle in the Hizbullah Stronghold neighborhood.

"The attack didn't target any (Hizbullah) figure or center for the party," the sources said, pointing out that the party boosted security near the houses of its leadership and its headquarters.

"It's normal that cars park at a parking lot," the sources said.

Informed security sources told As Safir that preliminary reports are based on the footage taken by nearby security cameras.

A security source also told the daily that a western security apparatus informed Lebanese security agencies days before the blast that an krazed killer group is plotting to carry out a bombing in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Hizbullah sources told As Safir that the ongoing provocation against Hizbullah and its arms paved the way for such acts.

The sources noted that Takfiri
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed...
 groups might be responsible for the the blast over Hizbullah's involvement in the battles in the neighboring country Syria.

Officially neutral in Syria's conflict, Leb is deeply divided into pro- and anti-Assad camps.

Hizbullah and its allies back Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
, who adheres to the Alawite offshoot of Shiite Islam, while the Sunni-led opposition supports rebels seeking his ouster.

For his part, Fneish praised in comments in al-Joumhouria the March 14 alliance's swift condemnation for the attack.

He described the coalition's stance as importance, calling on the March 14 officials to reconsider their rhetoric.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Backgrounder: Lebanon's new cabinet line-up
2008-07-12
(Xinhua) -- Lebanon finally formed a 30-member national unity government on Friday following a five-week political deadlock over key portfolios.

The new cabinet consists 16 ministers of the Western-backed ruling majority, 11 allied with the Shiite Hezbollah-led opposition and the rest three named by President Michel Suleiman. Following is the lineup of the new cabinet:
Prime Minister: Fouad Seniora

Deputy Prime Minister: Issam Abou Jamra

Defense Minister: Elias Murr

Foreign Minister: Fawzi Saloukh

Interior Minister: Ziad Baroud

Finance Minister: Muhammad Shatah

State Minister: Yousef Takla

State Minister: Khaled Kabbani

State Minister: Wael Abo Faour

State Minister: Nasib Lahoud

State Minister: Ali Qanso

State Minister: Jean Ogassapian

Justice Minister: Ibrahim Najjar

Administration Development Minister: Ibrahim Shamseddine

Public Works and Transportation Minister: Ghazi Ariedy

Telecommunications Minister: Gebran Bassil

Economy and Trade Minister: Muhammad Safadi

Information Minister: Tareq Mitri

Culture Minister: Tamam Salam

Minister of Refugee Affairs: Raymond Audi

Environment Minister: Antoine Karam

Youth and Sports Minister: Talal Arslan

Industry Minister: Ghazi Zoayter

Education Minister: Bahia Hariri

Agriculture Minister: Elias Skaf

Health Minister: Mohammad Khalifa

Energy Minister: Alan Toborian

Labor Minister: Mohammad Fneish

Minister for Social Affairs: Mario Aoun

Tourism Minister: Antoine Karam
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah to block presidential elections in Lebanon
2007-05-19
Presidential elections cannot be held in Lebanon until a solution is reached to the six-month old political crisis between the Hezbollah-led opposition and the ruling anti-Syrian majority, a senior Hezbollah figure said. The term of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, extended at the behest of Damascus in 2004, expires in November. Since last year, the country has been locked in a standoff over opposition demands for greater power and its rejection of the government's calls for an international tribunal to try suspects for the killing of ex-prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Mohammad Fneish, a former Hezbollah minister, told Al Hayat daily in an interview published on Friday that rival parties had to find an agreeable government formation. "It is not feasible that this (presidential elections) happens in the midst of the current political divisions and while there is a party (ruling coalition) that is resorting to monopolizing power and getting strength from external support," he said referring to U.S. support of Siniora's government.

Fneish, who along with other pro-Syrian ministers resigned from cabinet last November in protest against Siniora's refusal to give the opposition a greater say in government, added: "If there is no real consensus on partnership, on the political future of the country and on the identity of the president, the opposition will not allow this faction (ruling coalition) from ruling the country...."

The rival camps accuse each other of working to foreign agendas to the detriment of Lebanon. Hezbollah describes the cabinet as a U.S. puppet while the governing coalition says the opposition takes orders from Iran and Syria. Lahoud has said he will not hand over his authorities to the current government, a procedural step towards the election of a new head of state. He might instead appoint a new government, leaving Lebanon with two cabinets.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Cabinet members spar over proposed weapons compromise
2006-08-16
Short version: The Leb pols have returned to business as usual, Hezbollah's not going to give up its fascination with guns and explosives and the government's impotent to do anything about it. So they're twisting and turning and contorting themselves to manage to let the Hezbers have their way while seeming to adhere to 1701. We return to conditions as they were before the war, with the addition of rubble in Beirut and Tyre and the presence of UNIFIL troops who will have to get out of the way when the next flareup occurs.
BEIRUT: A compromise agreement currently being hammered out between Hizbullah and the Lebanese government is expected to allow the party to keep hidden weapons in South Lebanon, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported Tuesday.
“While Hizbullah would need to keep the weapons it possesses south of the Litani River hidden, an agreement for areas north of the river would be 'left to a long-term solution'... ”
While Hizbullah would need to keep the weapons it possesses south of the Litani River hidden, an agreement for areas north of the river would be "left to a long-term solution," the paper said. If the proposed compromise is accepted by Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet, it would violate the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. And it is also a violation of the "one weapon" principle of Siniora's seven-point plan.

Resolution 1701 calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a solution based on previous UN resolutions requiring "the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon" apart from state security forces. While the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) within the new resolution does not require foreign troops to disarm Hizbullah themselves, the force is authorized "to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind" and to support the Lebanese Army in asserting control over all of Lebanon.

“... the session scheduled for Sunday was indefinitely postponed amid reports that Hizbullah ministers would try to pass the hidden-weapons compromise despite strong opposition from some ministers of the March 14 Forces...”
Siniora's Cabinet unanimously approved the resolution last Saturday but scheduled another session to discuss Hizbullah ministers' reservations about it and the operative means to implement. However, the session scheduled for Sunday was indefinitely postponed amid reports that Hizbullah ministers would try to pass the hidden-weapons compromise despite strong opposition from some ministers of the March 14 Forces. "I will oppose this compromise deal to the end," said Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis, who is also a member of the Lebanese Forces. "We are committed to implementing the UN resolution, which clearly states the area south of the Litani River should be disarmed. The Lebanese can fool each other by hiding weapons but we won't be able to fool the international community."

The minister said Resolution 1701, which provides a mandate for an expanded UNIFIL of 15,000 international troops, contained "obligations" that had to be met. "What do you want, Minister Fneish? Not to implement the decision? OK let's not implement it and the hell with the country then," said Sarkis. Energy Minister Mohammad Fneish is Hizbullah minister in Siniora's Cabinet.

Sarkis said commitment to implement the resolution and to unite behind Siniora's Cabinet is to spare the country "a political division and problems." Government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said private discussions are being held to convene a Cabinet session, but with no success yet. They said the talks focus on a pre-set agreement of what the session will decide regarding Hizbullah's weapons south of the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese Army there.

“He said a 'sustainable peace cannot be fulfilled but through a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.'”
Meanwhile Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh met Tuesday with his Brazilian counterpart, Celso Amorim. In a joint news conference, Amorim said talks focused on the need "to establish sustainable peace in the region and deploy the governments' sovereignty over all the Lebanese territories." He said a "sustainable peace cannot be fulfilled but through a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis." Amorim also delivered food and medical aid from Brazil to the Lebanese government. The Brazilian official later met with Speaker Nabih Berri and Siniora.

Separately, Berri met Tuesday with Egyptian Ambassador Hussein Darrar and Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja. Berri also received a phone call from the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Haddad Adel, who expressed his country's support for Lebanon. In another development, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi visited the headquarters of Hizbullah's Al-Manar television station in Haret Hreik, which was completely destroyed by Israeli raids, and hailed the "steadfastness of Al-Manar reporters and employees."
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
If You Are Men
2006-08-13
Yesterday at the Lebanese Council of Ministers’ meeting the following positions were taken:
* Mohammad Fneish (Minister of Energy, and one of two Hezbollah in the cabinet): The position of Hezbollah is NOT TO DISARM in any part of the country until the Shebaa farms are liberated.
*Fneish then challenged both the Government and Lebanese Army to search and destroy Hezbollah’s weapons by force — ‘If you are men!’
* Michel Sleiman (General of Lebanese Army) stated that the Lebanese Army will not deploy one soldier until Hezbollah agrees to the whole political and deployment schedule.
* Sanioura (Prime Minister of Lebanon) called Berri (Hezbollah representative) who assured him that the position regarding unity has not changed. This prompted the “Unanimity with Reservations” scenario.
The cabinet then gave themselves 24 hours. They were hoping that the Israeli Cabinet would oppose UN Resolution 1701. Then they would blame it on the Israelis. But when the Israeli Cabinet agreed they decided to postpone today’s emergency cabinet meeting to avoid further internal clashes.
In sum, as Lebanese we are looking and and suffering under a disgusting match of empty rhetoric bathed in lies and hypocrisies. God Help us for these leaders and politicians.
The media here remains totally and utterly biased. None here gives any opportunity to convey the true feelings and aspirations of our people.
From Pajams Media
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Leb: Shiite coalition 'stands by its decision' on international court
2005-12-15
As the country mourned its latest loss Beirut MP Gebran Tueni, the deadlock between the Shiite ministers and the majority coalition in the government continued, with the Amal-Hizbullah ministers asserting they would not participate in Thursday's Cabinet session. Energy and Water Minister Mohammad Fneish reiterated the decision of Shiite ministers to boycott the Cabinet session, and told The Daily Star that ministers from both Hizbullah and the Amal Movement are "standing by our decision."
It's a variant on the same tiresome tactics of the MMA in Pakland...
Asked whether there had been any contact made by premier Fouad Siniora regarding the issue, Fneish said: "We are not concerned with any calls that might be made. We are still taking our time to discuss our position with our authorities."
"We got all the time in the world. Our masters in Teheran haven't told us what to do yet."
The Shiite ministers had withdrawn from Monday's Cabinet session, and suspended their participation pending talks with their leaders after they rejected the vote to call for an international court to look into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
"That Mehlis fellow is entirely too competent. We'd rather have a Leb handling it. They're controlled a lot more easily."
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's office told The Daily Star that the Cabinet session will still go on Thursday in the absence of any presence by the coalition of Shiite ministers. "I don't think the Shiite ministers will attend the Cabinet session, but it will go on as normal," a spokesperson said. He added: "However, it is important to note that the ministers are operating in their ministries as usual, and they are not boycotting their work in their administrations."
"At least not yet."
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hizbullah, Amal ministers stage Cabinet walk-out
2005-11-11
Hizbullah and Amal ministers walked out of a Cabinet session Thursday, protesting the government's reactions to a speech made by Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"I dunno why we dunnit. We just looked at each other, and it was like we were in Islamabad, so we tromped out..."
In an unprecedented attack on the Lebanese government, Assad said Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had allowed Lebanon to become a base for Syria's enemies, describing him as a "slave following the orders of another slave."
Oh! Civil, well-reasoned discourse, is it?
"The truth we see today is that Lebanon has become a passageway, a factory and a financier of these conspiracies," Assad said in a televised speech on Thursday.
But strangely enough, it wasn't a Syrian bigwig who blew up...
Siniora responded mildly, vowing Lebanon would remain committed "to the will of life, independence, freedom, democracy and sovereignty. Lebanon will remain committed to being part of the Arab nation and its causes ... despite all that is being said or will be said."
Pretty mild response, I'd say. So what's the Hezbollah bitch?
Ministers from Lebanon's two main Shiite parties Mohammad Fneish, Tarrad Hamade, Fawzi Salloukh, Talal Sahili and Mohammad Khalifeh withdrew from the heated Cabinet session after Assad's speech became the dominant topic. Speaking later, Hamade said: "Siniora should have referred to the media and said whatever he wants about Assad's speech."
Assad made charges against the Lebanese gummint which, if untrue, are slanderous and demeaning. So the PM wasn't supposed to discuss them with his cabinet? That must be Islamic logic.
"The Cabinet session was transformed into a platform for immediate and personal reactions," he added.
"Cheeze, it pisses me off when he sez stuff like that," Siniora stated to the cabinet.
"That does it! We're walking out!" responded Hezbollah and Amal.
Fneish said he was not ready to take any position before consulting with Hizbullah.
"I need somebody to tell me what my opinion is."
"There was an insistence on discussing Assad's speech so we decided to withdraw," he said. In remarks following the session, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said the Cabinet rejected the statements made by Assad, and reiterated its trust in Siniora.
What were they expected to do? A year ago, they'd have said something like "Oh, yasss! That's quite true!" and sent another load of tribute to earn forgiveness.
The Cabinet stressed its commitment to the establishment of brotherly relations with Syria.
"Which is not the same as having sex with them."
It also underlined the need to preserve national unity to overcome challenges facing the country. Asked about the withdrawal of Hizbullah and Amal ministers from the session, he said: "Withdrawal is one of their democratic rights."
Link



Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/rantburg/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-8 More