Lebanon
Latest stories
Newborn Child Dead in Nylon Bag, Two Grenades Set Off in Ouzai

An unknown person threw two hand grenades on the main road in Anjar Friday morning.

No person was injured in the bombing that targeted a liquor store, which incurred material damage, reported the National News Agency

W140 Full Story
WikiLeaks: Former MP Ahdab: March 14 Forces Not United, Lahoud Must be Toppled

Former MP Misbah al-Ahdab said that divisions were beginning to emerge in the March 14 camp, according to a WikiLeakes cable published exclusively in al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday.

“We’re not a united team, we only gather to have our pictures taken,” Ahdab told then U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffery Feltman in a meeting on August 17, 2006.

W140 Full Story
WikiLeaks: Fatfat Said Hizbullah is a Regional Problem

Former minister Ahmed Fatfat said Hizbullah is valuable in solving internal conflicts but becomes a problem when dealing with regional issues, revealed a leaked U.S. Embassy cable published exclusively in Al-Akhbar on Friday.

The WikiLeaks cable dated May 23, 2006, spoke of a meeting between then Acting Interior Minister Fatfat, then U.S. State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Henry Crampton, then U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman, ISF chief Ashraf Rifi, and an American diplomat.

Full Story
Lebanese Expatriates Continue to Arrive From Abidjan

An Middle East Airlines flight arrived from Abidjan at Beirut airport at dawn on Friday with 244 Lebanese expatriates onboard, reported the National News Agency on Friday.

Another flight from Iran’s Mahan Air also arrived from Abidjan with 195 passengers and six children onboard.

W140 Full Story
Government Formation Back to Square One, Al-Rahi Suggests Issuing Call to Speed up Formation

Hopes that a new government will be formed soon have disappeared in light of the recent contacts and meetings regarding the formation, reported the daily An Nahar Friday.

It appears that matters have returned to square one, especially given the fragile trust between Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

Full Story
WikiLeaks: Hariri Urged Ending Assad Regime, Khaddam and Muslim Brotherhood to fill Void

Caretaker PM Saad Hariri believed that the Syrian and Iranian regimes are the obstacles behind the deteriorating peace process in the Middle East, revealed a WikiLeakes cable published in al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday.

Hariri stated that Israel is “protecting” the Syrian regime because it fears the unknown.

Full Story
Rifi Denies Confiscation of Two Cars Smuggling Weapons to Syria

Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi denied on Thursday that the security forces had confiscated two cars on the Lebanese-Syrian border that were attempting to smuggle arms to Syria, said media reports on Friday.

Reports said on Thursday that the border patrol had arrested a Lebanese and Syrian while they were trying to cross the border to Syria in cars loaded with arms in the eastern Bekaa region.

W140 Full Story
Hoff in Fleeting Visit to Lebanon, U.N. Awaiting Israel’s Position on Demarcating Maritime Border

U.S. Special Middle East Peace Envoy's assistant, Frederick Hoff, paid a quick visit to Beirut on Thursday during which he met with a delegation from the army command to discuss matters related to the Lebanese-Israeli maritime border and the security situation in southern Lebanon, reported the daily An Nahar Friday.

The military delegation informed him that Lebanon is entitled to demarcate its maritime border, and therefore it has no intention to relinquish this right, said As Safir on Friday.

W140 Full Story
Two Israeli Tanks Enter Disputed Area with Lebanon

Two Israeli tanks briefly entered a disputed border area with Lebanon on Thursday after the alert was sounded over people apparently picking herbs in the volatile zone, a Lebanese army spokesman said.

"The Merkava tanks entered a zone claimed by Lebanon," the spokesman told Agence France Presse.

W140 Full Story
Trucks Delayed at Lebanon-Syria Border as Damascus Toughens Security Measures

Hundreds of trucks have been held up at a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria amid heightened security measures enforced as the Syrian regime faces unprecedented protests.

"Between 400 and 500 trucks, most with Syrian or Jordanian license plates, have been held at the Abboudiyeh border crossing for hours for inspection by Syrian security forces," a Lebanese security source told Agence France Presse.

W140 Full Story