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Mansour Expects Cabinet to Make Diplomatic Appointments Next Week

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on Thursday expected the cabinet to make diplomatic appointments next week to improve the performance of his ministry.

In remarks to al-Akhbar daily, Mansour said the draft bill on the diplomatic appointments will be referred to the general-secretariat of the cabinet within days.

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Al-Asir Warns of Escalatory Measures in 'Intifada' over Non-State Arms

Imam of Sidon's Bilal bin Rabah mosque Salafist cleric Ahmed al-Asir warned on Thursday that he would take escalatory measures as part of his open-ended strike if the issue of non-state arms were not resolved.

In remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5), al-Asir said: “Our sit-in in Sidon is peaceful and civilized. It includes women, children and elderly.”

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Report: Year-Long Security Plan Requires 50,000 Members

A one-month security plan launched by security forces on Wednesday requires 50,000 members if it were to be implemented the whole year, sources told As Safir daily.

“The worst part of it is that thousands of personnel are used as bodyguards for lawmakers, ministers, judges and embassies, which lead to a security drain,” the sources said in remarks published Thursday.

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Parliament Bureau Refuses Putting Spending Bill on Session’s Agenda

Members of parliament’s bureau refused to put an urgent draft-law on the allocation of LL11.561 trillion to cover the expenses of state institutions in 2012 on the agenda of a legislative session next week, An Nahar daily reported on Thursday.

A meeting held on Wednesday between the bureau’s members led to the rejection to put the cabinet’s bill on the agenda of the two-day parliamentary session next Monday, it said.

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Suleiman Tells Security Chiefs they Have Full Political Protection in Restoring Order

The cabinet summoned the chiefs of security agencies to Baabda Palace on Monday to discuss the several security events which violated the one-month security plan launched earlier in the day and the overall situation in the country.

The government summoned Army Chief General Jean Qahwaji, Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim. The meeting was also attended by State Security chief Maj. Gen. George Qaraa and State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza.

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U.S. Hits Alleged Lebanese Drugs Network Figures with Sanctions

The United States on Wednesday named five Colombia and Venezuela-based men as key players in a sprawling trafficking and money laundering network of alleged Hizbullah-linked Lebanese drug lord Ayman Joumaa.

The U.S. Treasury set sanctions on two Lebanese-born men, Abbas Hussein Harb and Ibrahim Chibli, for helping Joumaa launder what it said were millions of dollars of narcotics-related proceeds.

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Iraq's Sadr Wants Alleged Hizbullah Member Freed

Powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday called for the release of an alleged Hizbullah member who is jailed in Iraq.

"He must be released immediately, and the government should do this immediately," Sadr said in a statement, referring to Ali Moussa Daqdouq, who was accused of plotting the murder of five U.S. soldiers in 2007.

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Clash Involving Lebanese Families, Palestinian Elements in Bourj al-Barajneh

A personal dispute between members of the families of Jaafar and Dirani and Palestinian elements erupted into gunfire on Wednesday in the Beirut southern suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh, state-run National News Agency reported.

The incident did not cause any casualties, the agency added.

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Youths Temporarily Block Airport Road in Protest against Alaeddine’s Arrest

A number of youths on Wednesday blocked the airport road with burning tires in protest against the arrest of Wissam Alaeddine, who was detained over the attack against al-Jadeed television on Monday.

LBC television said that a number of youths on motorcycles dumped three or four tires on the road and set them on fire before fleeing the scene.

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March 14: Al-Jadeed Attack Aimed at Diverting National Dialogue Talks Away from Hizbullah Arms

The March 14 General Secretariat slammed on Wednesday the recent attack against al-Jadeed television, saying it is part of a long list of assaults by the Syrian regime against freedom of expression in Lebanon.

It said in a statement: “The attack is aimed at diverting national dialogue talks away from tackling a national defense strategy that would incorporate Hizbullah’s arms.”

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