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Cabinet to Address Electoral Law during Wednesday Session

Cabinet is scheduled to hold two sessions this week, one on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, reported the daily An Nahar on Monday.

It is expected to tackle the draft parliamentary electoral law and the restoration of nationality to Lebanese living aboard during its Wednesday session, which will be held at the Baabda Palace.

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Jumblat: Arab Initiative is Syria’s Salvation

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that Lebanon’s position at Saturday’s Arab League summit “should not have been the same as Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.”

He told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Monday: “Lebanon was better off voicing its commitment to the Arab initiative on Syria.”

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Hariri: Justification Attempted Today for Shameful Arab League Vote Simply Unacceptable

Former premier Saad Hariri on Sunday said “the justification attempted today for Lebanon's shameful vote in the Arab League is simply unacceptable,” in a clear reference to the remarks voiced earlier in the day by President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati.

“Those claiming to want to keep Lebanon neutral and shielded from Syria's repercussions have thrown the country in the middle of the storm and on the wrong side -- the side of murder, dictatorship and anti-Arab identity,” Hariri said on the social networking website Twitter.

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Gemayel Calls for 'Leaving Behind Resistance Approach'

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Sunday called for “leaving behind the approach of resistance” against Israel and “endorsing the approach of defending the Lebanese state.”

He noted that armed resistance against Israel lost its purpose “after the 2000 Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and the issuance of (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701,” – which ended the devastating 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.

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Syrian Expats Rally in Beirut to Condemn Arab League Decision

Syrian expatriates in Lebanon on Sunday organized a rally outside the Syrian embassy in Beirut’s Hamra district in support for embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and to condemn the Arab League’s decision to suspend Syria’s membership.

“The Arab League has died,” read a sign carried by demonstrators in front of the embassy.

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Miqati from Tripoli: Our Arab League Stand Stems from Historic Considerations

Prime Minister Najib Miqati urged on Sunday all political leaderships to cooperate with the repeated calls to resume the contacts, whether through national dialogue or answering the people’s inquiries over the country’s future.

He said: “This government places Lebanon’s interest above all else and it does not seek to take uncalculated risks or exploit the Syrian refugees’ plight.”

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Jerusalem Post: Israel Preparing for War against Hizbullah or Iran

The Israeli army is conducting intense training over a possible strike against Iran, which may possibly lead to a war with Hizbullah, reported the Jerusalem Post on Saturday.

The training comes at a time when the media spotlight has focused on a possible war between Iran and the Jewish state over the former’s nuclear ambitions.

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March 14 Mulling Withdrawing Lebanon's Ambassador to Syria

The March 14 forces are weighing the possibility of withdrawing Lebanon’s Ambassador to Syria, Michel Khoury, in light of the Arab League’s decision to suspend Syria’s membership at the organization, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

A prominent March 14 source told the daily that the forces are also mulling the possibility of suggesting the expulsion of the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul Karim Ali.

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Lebanon’s Stand on STL Will Determine Fate of Country’s Ties with France

France is keen that Lebanon state its clear position on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, whether it is positive or negative, revealed French diplomatic sources to the daily al-Mustaqbal Sunday.

They added that the ties between the two countries will remain the same until Lebanon reveals its stance on the tribunal.

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Washington Advises Lebanon to Avoid Repercussions of Syrian Crisis

The United States has warned Lebanon against incurring negative consequences of the developments in Syria, especially regarding the Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon, reported the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper on Sunday.

Diplomatic sources explained that Lebanon should not hand over the refugees to Syria.

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