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Hizbullah: French-Saudi Effort to Postpone Indictment

France and Saudi Arabia were on Friday reportedly engaged in efforts to reach a settlement ahead of issuance of the indictment in the murder case of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted Hizbullah sources as saying that while the U.S. was seeking issuance of the indictment before Dec. 15, Paris and Riyadh were trying to delay the decision by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

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Raad Calls for Serious Efforts to Help Saudi-Syrian Initiative Succeed

Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad has called for serious efforts to help the regional Saudi-Syrian initiative on Lebanon to succeed.

In remarks to As Safir newspaper, Raad said: “At a time when the Saudi-Syrian initiative is becoming more active to settle the crisis, this stage requires serious efforts to help the regional effort.”

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U.S. Rejects Compromises on Tribunal

U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice has stressed that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon should not be compromised on.

Rice said it was important to remember that the Lebanese government and the people are the ones who asked for the establishment of the tribunal.

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Sfeir Wishes Suleiman Success in Efforts to Relaunch Dialogue

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir hoped on Thursday that President Michel Suleiman would succeed in his efforts to relaunch national dialogue sessions.

“Lebanon is a small country dogged by crises … This small country is influenced by its neighbors that’s why its citizens are always worried,” Sfeir told a delegatiion from the Antonine University in Baabda.

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High-ranking Hizbullah Official Rules Out Indictment Soon

A high-ranking Hizbullah official has told opposition parties that the indictment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will not be issued anytime soon, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Thursday.

“There is enough time to seek for a settlement over the indictment,” the official said.

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Miqati Criticizes Boycott of Dialogue Sessions

Former Prime Minister Najib Miqati said he urged President Michel Suleiman to bring back Lebanese leaders together at national dialogue sessions.

The sessions were in addition to discussing the defense strategy aimed at keeping contact between officials during crises, Miqati told As Safir newspaper.

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Gemayel: Suleiman Concerned Over Deadlock

Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel said that President Michel Suleiman has expressed concern over the political deadlock and the crippling of cabinet meetings and national dialogue sessions.

“President Suleiman is alone entitled to reveal the content of consultations” he is carrying out with Lebanese officials, Gemayel told al-Mustaqbal newspaper in remarks published Thursday.

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La Liberation: Indictment to be Based on Telecom as Evidence

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s indictment of Hizbullah members will be based on evidence unveiled by ISF Capt. Wissam Eid through his monitoring of the telecommunications network, the French daily La Liberation said.

“Members of a mysterious team were using their mobile phones to communicate with each other several weeks before” ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination, Eid reportedly discovered.

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London Urges Lebanese to Face Tribunal Challenges Wisely

Britain’s Foreign Office spokesperson Barry Marston said Lebanon’s stability is guaranteed by justice achieved in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination case.

In an interview published Thursday, Marston said Britain will continue to provide financial and moral support to the international tribunal.

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Hajjar: STL is a Main Concern for France

Mustaqbal MP Mohammad al-Hajjar stated on Wednesday that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is a main concern for France, which is committed to Lebanon through rejecting any Israeli threat against it.

He stressed: "This support affirms that France will not take part in any settlement at the expense of Lebanon's stability and pursuit for justice."

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