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Miqati, FPM Welcome Request by LF to Probe Leasing of Power Vessels

Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan welcomed a request submitted by Lebanese Forces lawmaker George Adwan at the parliament to form an investigation committee concerning the leasing of power-generating vessels, media reports said on Tuesday.

“The formation of the committee would make the issue more transparent,” Miqati told As Safir newspaper.

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Wanted Fatah al-Islam Militants Killed in Syria

A Fatah al-Islam Lebanese militant, who was accused of targeting the Lebanese army, was killed in the Syrian city of Qsair after detonating himself accidentally, the Time reported.

According to a fellow fighter, who goes by the nom de guerre of Abu Ali, Abdul Ghani Jawhar had been preparing an explosive device to be used against the Syrian army when it went off prematurely, killing him instantly.

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Report: Security Officials to Announce Results of Probe on Geagea Attack

Lebanese security authorities will announce the results of the investigation of the sniper attack on Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea in the coming hours, March 14 opposition circles said Tuesday.

The sources told An Nahar that the results of the probe would settle the controversy on whether Geagea escaped an assassination attempt or he was only shot at.

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Cabinet to Tackle on Wednesday Expatriates Voting Mechanism

Lebanese expatriates are waiting for the cabinet decision on the mechanism that would allow them to cast their ballots in the 2013 elections as the session at the Baabda Palace on Wednesday is expected to tackle the issue.

“The cabinet would have to confront the complications that will be caused by the discussions on the mechanism that would enable expats to vote,” ministerial sources told An Nahar on Tuesday.

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Lebanese Officials Seek to Overcome Hurdles in Appointment of Diplomats

Lebanese officials are gearing up for the appointment of more than 39 ambassadors in embassies abroad but are facing a few obstacles that require a last minute solution, An Nahar daily reported Tuesday.

The newspaper said a meeting held between President Michel Suleiman and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on Monday was aimed at discussing ways to fill vacant diplomatic seats ahead of the 2013 parliamentary elections, which could witness votes by Lebanese expatriates.

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Interpol Rejects Egypt Call for Arrest of 15 Foreigners, Including Lebanese

Interpol, the international police organization, Monday said it had rejected a call by Cairo for the arrest of 15 foreigners, including two Lebanese, linked to non-governmental organizations operating in Egypt.

The "request is not in conformity with Interpol's rules ... under which it is 'strictly forbidden for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character'," France-based Interpol said in a statement.

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Report: Israel to Start Work on Lebanon Border Wall

Israel is to start building a wall along part of its border with Lebanon next week to shield the northern town of Metulla, Channel 10 television reported on Monday.

It said the wall, more than two kilometers long and 10 meters high, was also aimed at preventing clashes between Israeli and Lebanese border forces whose posts are often just meters apart.

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FPM: Activists Intimidated in Tripoli, Security Forces 'Dissociated Themselves'

The Free Patriotic Movement on Monday said its activists were “intimidated” on Sunday in the northern city of Tripoli by “some fanatics,” accusing security forces of “dissociating themselves from protecting citizens.”

“The latest period has witnessed numerous intimidation and assault incidents against FPM activists in the North region in general and in Tripoli in particular, the latest of which was on Sunday during the annual breakfast organized by al-Mina committee for the activists and supporters of the FPM and their families,” the FPM’s media department said in a statement, noting that security forces were informed of the gathering.

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March 14 Slams Bassil’s Remarks, Warns against Taking Geagea Assassination Attempt Lightly

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Monday Energy Minister Jebran Bassil’s recent accusation that the March 14 forces are “preparing to kick off a new wave of political assassinations in Lebanon.”

It warned in a statement “the Lebanese state and all of its constitutional institutions, starting from the presidency, against dealing lightly with the assassination attempt against Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.”

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Army Confiscates Truck Loaded with Arms Headed to Syria

The army intelligence foiled an attempt by three men to smuggle weapons to Syria, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

Two Lebanese men and a Syrian national were detained after the army confiscated their pick-up truck in Beirut.

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