Lebanon
Latest stories
Aoun Says New Era to Begin after 'Downfall of Some Parties, Spiritual Leaders, Media'

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Monday noted that a "drastic change" has occured in Lebanese politics, after the Hizbullah-led alliance forced the collapse of Saad Hariri's unity government last month.

"An entire approach will be changed ... after the downfall of several political parties as well as spiritual and political leaders ... and media outlets," Aoun said after presiding over a meeting for the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc.

W140 Full Story
STL Discusses Terrorism, Bellemare Says Only a Few Have Read Indictment

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon started a hearing Monday on how to define the crime of terrorism as listed in the draft indictment filed under seal by prosecutor Daniel Bellemare.

"Today's proceedings show that Lebanon, a proud founding member of the United Nations, is set for a course of judicial accountability through the rule of law," presiding judge Antonio Cassese said as the hearing opened before the STL, based in Leidschendam near The Hague.

W140 Full Story
Ghassan Salameh: Origin of Dispute is South Lebanon, Tribunal is Part of it

Former Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh has said that the dispute among Lebanon’s politicians lies on southern Lebanon and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“Some believe that southern Lebanon should remain alive to confront Israel in the name of the Arab group as long as no solution has been yet reached on the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Salameh told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in an interview published Monday.

W140 Full Story
Government Formation Stuck in Dispute between Suleiman, Aoun over Key Cabinet Post

A dispute between President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun over the distribution of Cabinet posts may delay the formation of a new government.

Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is close to the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp, on Monday quoted well-informed sources as saying that government formation hit a snag after a "conflict" broke out between Suleiman and Aoun over the interior ministry portfolio.

W140 Full Story
Phalange Asks for Veto Power, Waits for Answers from Miqati

Phalange party official Sami Gemayel denied that he was being named to fill a cabinet seat and hinted that the March 14 alliance would participate in the government only if it gets veto power.

While criticizing “the huge concessions made by the March 14 forces,” Gemayel said: “These concessions and the results of negotiations on the international tribunal led us to where we stand today.”

W140 Full Story
Israel’s Pullout from Ghajar on Hold: We Won't Give Hizbullah Gifts

An Israeli official has said that a plan to withdraw from the Lebanese side of the occupied border village of Ghajar is now on hold due to recent changes in the region, including Lebanon.

"We don't want to give the Hizbullah government free gifts," the official in Jerusalem told Israel’s Ynet news website, hinting that for the time being the plan to withdraw from the northern part of Ghajar has been frozen.

Full Story
Assad, Erdogan to 'Exert All Efforts Possible for Lebanon Stability, Security'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday "agreed to exert all efforts possible for the stability, security and prosperity of Lebanon," Syria's state-run news agency SANA reported.

Erdogan was in Syria to take part in a landmark ceremony for a joint "Friendship Dam" to be built over the Orontes river at the border between the two countries.

W140 Full Story
Qaouq: New Govt an Opportunity for Whole Country, We Reject Power Monopolization, Revenge

Deputy Head of Hizbullah's Executive Council Sheikh Nabil Qaouq stressed Sunday that "the Resistance has managed to put an end to the episode of falsification and deception that had lasted for more than five years."

"Today, Lebanon is in a better position in the face of the conspiratorial scheme and U.S. hegemony," Qaouq noted.

W140 Full Story
Berri Arrives in Doha: Matters Moving in Right Direction, We'll Begin Discussing Portfolios Monday

Speaker Nabih Berri arrived in Qatar Sunday to take part in the 17th Conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union which will be held in Doha on Monday and Tuesday.

The house speaker was accompanied by MPs Nicola Fattoush, Michel Moussa and Hagop Pakradounian.

W140 Full Story
Hizbullah Commemorating Iranian Revolution: With this Change, We are Standing before a New Horizon for Lebanon

Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Mousawi stressed on Sunday that Lebanon has chosen the equation of the people, army, and Resistance.

He said during a ceremony commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the Iranian revolution: “With the change that started on the legislative level in Lebanon, we are standing before a new horizon that would fall in the country’s favor.”

Full Story