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UNIFIL Bomb Triggered by Electric Wire, French Investigators to Assist in Probe

Investigators probing the roadside bombing that targeted a U.N. convoy on Tuesday have said that the bomb weighed around 6 kilograms and was detonated through an electric wire.

Security sources told Beirut dailies that the 6-kilogram TNT was hidden under dirt on the side of the road near the southern port city of Sidon when it was detonated, injuring six French peacekeepers.

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Jumblat Says Vacuum in South Benefits Israel

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat expressed fear on Thursday that targeting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will cause a major vacuum in the south which will benefit Israel and endanger Lebanon.

Jumblat told As Safir newspaper that the attack on the UNIFIL is “suspicious” and it might be intended to cause vacuum in the south, which will lead to a minimized presence for these forces in the area.

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Asarta: Investigators Have a Lot of Evidence on Attack on UNIFIL

UNIFIL Commander Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas has said investigators trying to determine who was responsible for a roadside bomb that injured six French peacekeepers have "a lot of evidence" that will hopefully lead to the perpetrators.

Speaking in New York, Asarta wouldn't speculate on who set off Tuesday's bomb near the southern port city of Sidon as a four-vehicle U.N. convoy was passing by.

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Dialogue Not Imminent as Suleiman Faces Difficulties in Reaching Deal on Agenda

President Michel Suleiman’s attempt to come up with an agenda for the national dialogue is becoming complicated as he moves to his summer residence in Beiteddine next week and as both the March 8 and 14 forces hold onto their stances.

Informed sources ruled out that Suleiman could put the agenda of the dialogue that he intends to hold during Ramadan. The president will move to Beiteddine on August 3 and will hold consultations there during his three-week stay to mull the viewpoints of political leaders on his invitation for dialogue, the sources told An Nahar daily.

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Gemayel Says Property Seizure a Recipe for 'Civil Strife'

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Wednesday stressed that “land is as important as dignity and sovereignty,” warning that “persistence in the seizure of others’ property” might lead to “civil strife.”

Maronite “Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has made a lauded initiative and we support him in his bid to solve the dispute over land owned by the church,” Gemayel said during a visit to the Jbeil District town of al-Ghabat, which borders the predominantly Shiite town of Lassa – the scene of recent controversy over property rights between locals and the Maronite Patriarchate.

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Israeli Diplomatic Package onboard Cypriot Plane Accidentally Arrives in Beirut

An Israeli package from the Israeli Embassy in Larnaca accidentally arrived in Beirut on Wednesday onboard a Cypriot plane.

Airport security confiscated the package and is currently conducting investigations over how it arrived in Lebanon.

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Italy Approves Withdrawal of 700 Soldiers from UNIFIL

The Italian Senate agreed on Wednesday to withdraw 700 soldiers from the United Nations Interim force in Lebanon, reported AKI Italian news agency.

This decision was part of an agreement to lower the number of Italian troops from international peacemaking missions from 9,250 to 2,028 in 2012.

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Singh: UNIFIL’s Safety and Security is of the Utmost Importance

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon spokesman Neeraj Singh noted on Wednesday that the attack against French UNIFIL troops near Sidon on Tuesday is the second such attack in two months.

He said that the safety of UNIFIL troops is of the utmost importance as it regularly performs comprehensive training over its security.

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Berri: Dialogue is Not a Cover-up for Cabinet, it Belongs to Whole of Lebanon

Speaker Nabih Berri renewed on Wednesday the importance of dialogue in Lebanon, especially under the current circumstances in the region.

He said before MPs during his weekly meeting at parliament: “Lebanon is not isolated from the rest of the region and we should not hesitate in implementing any step that would help fortify it.”

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Geagea: Situation Can Never Turn to Normal under Magical Equation of Army, People, Resistance

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned on Wednesday the attacks against the French unit in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon that took place near Sidon on Tuesday, thanking the French government for all its support for Lebanon.

He noted: “The security situation can never turn to normal as long as there are hundreds of thousands of unofficial security apparatuses.”

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