Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour announced on Saturday that Lebanon will not participate in the Arab observer mission intended to oversee an end to nine months of bloodshed in Syria, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Sunday.

He explained that the decision was reached by President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati, “who deemed Lebanon’s participation as unnecessary.”

Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour said on Saturday that the tenure of the cabinet depends on the how its members will fulfill their duties, the National News Agency reported.

“The cabinet’s efforts should be exerted to fulfill its duties in a number of security, political, economy, and social issues that the Lebanese citizens are waiting for,” Abou Faour said.

The army command urged citizens on Saturday not to engage in celebratory gunfire on New Year’s eve to ensure the public’s safety.

A communique issued by the command warned that the army would arrest any person who violates the law.

President Michel Suleiman hoped on Saturday that Lebanon would enjoy stability, and peace would prevail in the world, a statement issued by Baabda palace said.

Suleiman sent his Christmas greetings to the Lebanese in general and the Christians in particular.

A war of words is heating up between Hizbullah and Washington, with allegations and counter-allegations flying between the two foes as the crisis in Syria takes its toll on the Shiite group.

The cold war between Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hizbullah and the United States runs back decades.

The Lebanese army command said Friday that army units have taken exceptional security measures on the occasion of the holidays.

“Army units carried out and are still taking security and exceptional measures around places of worship and their surroundings, major roads and shopping areas,” the military command said in a communique.

The Lebanese government remained tight-lipped on Saturday on Syrian claims that Lebanon had warned Damascus about the infiltration of al-Qaida members into Syria from its territories.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour was only quoted as saying that “Lebanon hasn’t officially notified the Syrian foreign ministry about the infiltration of al-Qaida members to Syria.”

Hizbullah stressed on Friday that the bombings that took place in Syria will not weaken the resolve of the forces of resistance in the region.

It said in a statement: “The United States and its regional proxies are behind the Damascus bombings.”

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri noted on Friday that some members of the Lebanese government are seeking to drag Lebanon onto a path of terrorism through covering up the Syrian regime’s crimes.

He made his statements in light of the twin bomb attacks that took place in Damascus earlier on Friday and the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s statements that Lebanon had warned earlier this week that members of al-Qaida had infiltrated the country.

The General Labor Confederation announced on Friday that it has suspended the strike it was planning on holding on December 27.

The confederation made the decision after agreeing on the government’s wage hike, which adopted Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ proposals on the matter.