Lebanon
Latest stories
Phalange Party: We Won't Legitimize Resistance and We Won't Lose Anything if Govt. Falls

The Phalange Party on Monday announced that it will not provide a political cover for Hizbullah's military intervention in Syria or for its weapons even if that threatened the collapse of Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet that was formed after an 11-month deadlock.

“This resistance has lost its legitimacy and half the Lebanese have major questions over it and therefore there is no consensus over the resistance. Nothing can be imposed on half the Lebanese in the cabinet,” MP Sami Gemayel, the party's central committee coordinator, said at a press conference.

W140 Full Story
Jumblat: Unavoidable to Reconcile between Baabda Declaration, Resistance in Policy Statement

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed Monday that it is “unavoidable” to reconcile between the Baabda Declaration and the right to resist Israel in the ministerial policy statement, urging an end to futile debates in this regard.

“Lebanon does not need more hot and cold wars and it is unavoidable to reconcile between the various proposals over the Baabda Declaration – which, to remind, was endorsed unanimously – and Lebanon's right to protect its border and resist any possible Israeli aggression,” Jumblat said in his weekly editorial in al-Anbaa online newspaper.

W140 Full Story
MP Geagea Receives Threats after Rejecting Attacks against President

Lebanese Forces MP Strida Geagea said Monday that she received threats on her mobile, calling on security agencies to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Geagea “received a series of phone calls issuing different threats against her on Sunday and today (Monday),” her press office said in a statement.

W140 Full Story
Army Releases Photo of 'Dangerous' Suspect

The Lebanese army released on Monday the photo of a "dangerous" fugitive, calling on whoever acknowledges him to report to the military institution.

“Whoever recognizes the suspect should contact the army operations room on 1701, report to the nearest military base or use the LAF shield mobile application,” the army said in its communique.

W140 Full Story
Report: Surge in Recruitment as Hizbullah Fighters Help Assad

Hizbullah is experiencing a surge in recruitment as it fights alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops in Syria, members of the group have told London's Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper said that two Hizbullah members separately said there had been an increase in the number of men willing to fight in Syria.

W140 Full Story
Arrest Warrants Issued against 4 Suspects Linked with Abbas

The military tribunal issued on Monday arrest warrants against four people suspected of collaborating with al-Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades official Naim Abbas.

Judge Fadi Sawan issued the warrants against the suspects after questioning them, the state-run National News Agency reported.

W140 Full Story
Paris Meeting on Lebanon Set to be Overshadowed by Ukraine Crisis

The U.S. and Russian foreign ministers will attend French-sponsored talks in Paris Wednesday on helping Lebanon cope with the conflict in Syria, but the talks look set to be overshadowed by the Ukraine crisis, France said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to come for the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon meeting but French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday that Russia's Sergei Lavrov would also attend the conference.

W140 Full Story
Abou Faour Pessimistic over Possible Consensus on Cabinet's Policy Statement

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour expressed pessimism on Monday over reaching consensus among the rival parties on the cabinet's policy statement, in particular regarding the army-people-resistance equation and the ongoing war in Syria.

“All sides should offer compromises in order to reach common grounds,” Abou Faour said in an interview with An Nahar newspaper.

W140 Full Story
Berri Says Resistance 'Red Line,' Ready to Propose Policy Statement Solution

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that the resistance is a red line but was ready to make proposals to resolve the dispute on the government's policy statement on condition that the rival parties expressed readiness to agree on a solution on the resistance clause.

Several local dailies quoted Berri as saying on Monday that he would never give up on mentioning the resistance in the policy statement.

W140 Full Story
Controversial Meeting in Tehran to Stir Political Dispute between Rival Parties

Lebanon's participation in a meeting between Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian lawmakers, ahead of a meeting for the International Parliamentary Union, is expected to create a dispute among the political arch-foes, al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Monday.

According to the daily, the preparatory meeting between the four countries on March 10 in the Iranian capital, Tehran, will become a point of contention locally as it would be representing a particular international axis that contradicts the dissociation policy that the Lebanese government had adopted.

W140 Full Story