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Lebanon Arrests Human Rights Activist, Releases him the Same Day

State commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr released a human rights activist on Monday night the same day he was arrested by the army intelligence for allegedly sending reports to the U.N. on torture cases in Lebanese prisons.

Al-Mustaqbal daily said Tuesday that Activist Saadeddine Shatila was arrested on Monday morning for writing reports about torture cases and informing the U.N. about them in 2010 and for following-up cases of Syrian refugees who began arriving in Lebanon since the start of the uprising against the Assad regime.

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Nasrallah to Stress Hizbullah’s Ability to Defeat Israel as Qassem Slams March 14

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver a televised speech at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on the latest developments in Lebanon, Hizbullah’s Media Relations Department announced.

Nasrallah will deliver his speech on the fifth anniversary of July 2006 war. The “Dignity and Victory” rally will be held at al-Raya Stadium in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs.

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Abou Faour: Jumblat Concerned Over Lebanon’s Civil Peace, Syria’s Stability

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat continues to remain a centrist and seeks to defend civil peace, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Tuesday.

Civil peace is a priority for Jumblat who is only interested in keeping Lebanon away from strife, Abou Faour, who represents the PSP chief in the cabinet, said.

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Jumblat: Media, Political Battle on Arms Leads to Sectarian Tension

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said that the media and political scuffle between the March 8 and 14 forces is “a battle without any horizon and won’t lead to any result.”

In remarks to al-Liwaa daily published Tuesday, Jumblat said: “The only result of this battle is more Sunni-Shiite tension.”

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Phalange Party Rejects Arms Sway over National Dialogue

Phalange Party on Monday said it wants a “constructive” national dialogue and accused “some parties” of relying on the influence of “illegal weapons” in order to impose their own vision on the country.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the party’s political bureau noted that holding national dialogue under the clout of arms “would be counterproductive and would deepen the current crisis, especially in the absence of a clear agenda that would tackle topics away from intransigent ideological stances.”

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U.S. General Visits Qahwaji, Stresses U.S. and Lebanese Army Cooperation to Implement Resolution 1701

Lieutenant General Vincent Brooks, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Central Command, visited Lebanon on Monday to discuss the continuing cooperation between the Lebanese army and the United States military.

During the visit, he met with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji to discuss bilateral security cooperation initiatives.

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Fistfight in Houla over Attempt to Shut Down Liquor Shop

A fistfight erupted in the southern town of Houla in Marjeyoun when members of a party ordered the owner of a liquor store to close the shop, reported the Central News Agency.

The owner was saved when members of another party intervened to end the dispute.

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Pietton Hopes Truth in Estonian Kidnapping Will Be Revealed

French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton denied on Monday that France had taken a decision to halt military aid to the Lebanese army, noting a contradiction between this matter and Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji’s recent visit to the European country.

French sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that French military support for Lebanon would continue and that the decision to suspend a missile agreement with Lebanon was due to the regional situation.

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Suleiman: Proportional Representation in Electoral Law Liberates Youth from Sectarianism

President Michel Suleiman condemned on Monday the terrorist attacks in Norway, attributing them to the loss of family values.

On an electoral law for the 2013 parliamentary elections, he stated: “It’s important for a country like Lebanon to prepare laws that allow youths to escape the clutches of sectarianism, starting with the adoption of proportional representation in elections.”

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Report: Miqati to Meet with Qatar PM in France

Prime Minister Najib Miqati is expected to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem during his family trip to France, As Safir daily reported Monday.

Miqati’s private visit abroad is his second since the formation of his government on June 13.

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