The Lebanese army is expected to remain in a state of alert in the northern port city of Tripoli for a period of three to six months to contain the latest deadly clashes that erupted between Alawites and Sunnis over a rally against the Syrian government.

Officials in Tripoli that are in contact with security authorities told An Nahar daily published Sunday that “the army succeeded in putting an end to the lava of the Syrian volcano and would continue along with the security forces to confront” a new eruption.

President Michel Suleiman has blamed March 14 politicians over allegedly ending their support to him while the new opposition advised him to become neutral or face the consequences of its campaign against the new government.

An Nahar daily said Sunday that both sides have blamed each other through common friends. Suleiman believes that March 14 stopped supporting him when it decided to boycott the cabinet.

She grew up amid the Lebanese civil war and was orphaned at 9. A nursing director who came to admire businesswomen, Andree "Sara" Bejjani moved to New York to foster her new career in her 40s, settling in an apartment in an elegant hotel overlooking Manhattan's Central Park. She felt safe there, she told her sister.

Within months, Bejjani was found strangled on her kitchen floor at the Jumeriah Essex House with a knife sticking out of her neck, police said. She had been murdered by a housekeeping manager who used his employee key card to break into her apartment and attack her as she slept.

The North’s Lebanon First MPs lamented on Saturday that the residents of the deprived areas in Lebanon would have to pay the price of petty disputes in Lebanon, reported the National News Agency.

They said after holding a meeting at MP Samir al-Jisr’s residence: “We are even more saddened by Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s indirect accusation against the opposition of being responsible for the unrest when he said that the opposition must be ‘constructive and peaceful’.”

Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi stated on Saturday that the clashes that erupted in Tripoli on Friday came as a response to the government formation.

He said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas at the Grand Serail that the cabinet was a product of parliament’s will.

Speaker Nabih Berri rejected labeling his sacrifice of one of AMAL’s Shiite seats in government for the Sunni figure of Faisal Karami as “charity”, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

He stated: “Karami represented the entire passed Sunni opposition.”

The Mufti of Tripoli and the North Malek al-Shaar launched on Saturday a series of contacts with officials from Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen in the wake of Friday’s clashes.

His contacts are aimed at paving the way for holding a meeting to set the appropriate mechanisms to end the unrest in the northern city of Tripoli.

Government policy statement discussions over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon may force the committee drafting it to phrase the statement in general terms regarding Lebanon’s commitment to justice and the tribunal itself, an informed source told al-Liwaa newspaper in remarks published on Saturday.

It said that the final statement may serve to appease the majority and opposition.

Mustaqbal bloc MPs criticized Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s insinuations that the opposition is behind the deadly clashes that erupted in Tripoli on Friday, saying that the loss of one of his major security officials in the unrest made him issue his accusations.

MP Samir al-Jisr told An Nahar daily that Miqati’s statement “on a peaceful and constructive opposition” include “hints” that the opposition is “indirectly involved” in Tripoli’s clashes.

UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh said that the international force has informed the Lebanese army that the Israeli army will stage military exercises along its internal front, As Safir newspaper reported on Saturday.

“The Israeli army will carry out military drills between June 19 and 26,” he announced.