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U.S. Treasury Cautions Lebanese Banks on Syria

The United States is urging Lebanese banks to take "extra" caution in handling financial transactions with Syria, to prevent the Assad regime and its supporters from stashing money abroad, a senior Treasury official said Thursday.

"We want to be as careful as possible that the regime, its cronies, its allies that may be trying to shield their assets might not be able to do so," said David Cohen, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

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Geagea Slams 'Consensual Security' in Freeing of Father Gharious

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has warned that the abduction on Monday of Father Walid Gharious in the Bekaa Valley “might jeopardize civil peace.”

In an interview with CNNArabic, Geagea strongly condemned the kidnap operation, stressing that the case “must not be wrapped up through the approach of consensual security, because consensual security implies that the state has ceded its powers to local organizations, which would destroy the state and violate the coexistence charter.”

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Badreddine Defense Team Challenges Legality of STL Establishment

The defense team for Mustafa Badreddine -- who is accused of involvement in the 2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri -- on Friday filed a motion challenging the legality of the establishment of the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon which has been probing the case since 2007, the STL said in a statement.

“In its Motion the Badreddine team argue that the STL was unlawfully established and that the Security Council abused its powers by adopting resolution 1757 (2007),” said the STL.

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Suleiman Contacts Assad: Bombings Aren’t Proper Way to Reach Democracy

President Michel Suleiman telephoned on Thursday his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad to condemn the twin Damascus explosions that took place earlier in the day.

He told Assad: “Bombings that have cost the lives of several civilians are not the proper way to achieve democracy.”

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Miqati Calls for Cooperation among Lebanese to Safeguard Country

Prime Minister Najib Miqati called on the Lebanese on Thursday to cooperate in order to safeguard the country and overcome all the obstacles facing it.

“The political rhetoric (in Lebanon) remains under the cap of democracy that we hold onto, as the country has always been able to overcome” the obstacles through the unity of its people, Miqati said during the opening ceremony of the Arab Economic Forum at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut.

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Report: Lebanon Informs Syrian Authorities about Lutfallah ll Investigations

Authorities are tracking down a Lebanese man who is allegedly playing a critical role in smuggling arms to the Syria opposition, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the daily, the Lebanese authorities informed the Syrian authorities about the preliminary investigations regarding the Lebanese navy’s interception of weapons aboard the Sierra Leone-flagged Lutfallah II ship.

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Justice, Interior Ministers Bicker over Telecom Data

The cabinet session held at the Baabda Palace witnessed a heated debate between Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel over the controversial telecom data dispute.

Qortbawi lashed out at Charbel during Wednesday’s session for criticizing three judges at the judicial committee, which is tasked with assessing the possibility of providing the security forces with the telecom data, accusing them of not carrying out their full responsibilities.

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Head of Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Says Time for Syrian Refugees to Return to Their Country

The head of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury relayed a message from the Syrian leadership that it is time for Syrian refugees in Lebanon to be returned to their country, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday.

He explained that calm has been restored to Syria after international monitors entered the country and the United Nations and Arab League ceasefire plan has been implemented.

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Syrian Troops Kidnap Citizen in Akkar

Syrian troops crossed over into Lebanon Wednesday night and kidnapped a Lebanese citizen, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Thursday.

It said that Syrian border guards crossed the Kabir River near the town of al-Abboudiyeh in Akkar and abducted Mohammed Mahmoud Ibrahim.

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Serra Describes Tripartite Meeting as 'Constructive,' Urges Parties to Maintain Calm

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander Maj.-Gen. Paolo Serra voiced his support to the wall that Israel is building along the Lebanese border.

“This project was designed to improve the security in the area and therefore, we cannot allow a de-conflicting project to become a source of conflict in one of the most sensitive areas,” Serra said on Wednesday after chairing a tripartite meeting with senior Lebanese and Israeli security officials at the U.N. headquarters at Ras al-Naqoura crossing.

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