the Lebanese officer that was killed by Hezbollah when its gunmen shot at a Lebanese army helicopter.

Hezbollah initially denied any knowledge of the incident , but yesterday Sheikh Naim Qassem , the second in command at Hezbollah told al Manar TV , that Hezbollah has handed over to the judiciary the gunman that shot down the Lebanese army helicopter to help in the investigation

Saturday

21:10 Islamic Dar el Fatwa Ramadan starts on the first of September.

20:00 KSA announced that Ramadan starts on the first of September.

14:10 Interior Minister Baroud Meets Patriarch Sfeir in Diman.

13:45 Geagea : there are many questions regarding the helicopter incident and the dialogue talks . Shebaa Farms can only be liberated through diplomatic and not military means

13:42 Major traffic accident near the Nahr al-Kalb Tunnel involving ten vehicles occurred on highway north of Beirut. It was caused by an oil spill
Red Cross and Civil Defense Forces are evacuating casualties.

12:56 PM siniora plans to allocate next Tuesday for meeting with religious , political and influential leaders of Tripoli to find out the needs of the city

12:20 The new Army Commander Brig. Gen. Jean Kahwaji was promoted to the rank of General at the Baabda Palace where he met with president Michel Suleiman.

11:56 Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani during 30th anniversary memorial of Imam Moussa Sadr’s disappearance: Religious leaders have large responsibilities, and those who carry weapons have much larger responsibilities. We must work for the stability and success of all Lebanon, because sectarian strife is not in anyone’s interest.

11:40 FPM leader general Michel Aoun leaves for Europe on a private visit.

11:30 Former pro-Syrian Minister Wiam Wahhab told al-Manar TV: "There have been many mistakes committed against Syria and the Syrians... This requires an apology.... I am a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, I will take no steps without collaboration with Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement.'

11:14 Baroud told VOL: I want an explanation for Thursday’s attack on a Lebanese army helicopter, which resulted in the death of an officer, and I want to know the details rather than Hezbollah justifications. The incident affected the Lebanese army’s morale... The judicial investigation into the event would continue “until the end,” because Lebanon’s political leaders have given their support to the judicial process... Supporting the army is mandatory because it is the only protector of Lebanon, and it upholds its stability"

11:07 Information Minister Tarek Mitri told LBC: "The helicopter shooting incident raises questions regarding the collaboration between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah.... The core of the problem is the ongoing attempt to obstruct the state-building process .... I think there is an Israeli war on Lebanon, but Hezbollah should not give Israel any excuse or opportunity to attack us "

11:05 former MP Fares Soueid told radio Free Lebanon: "More details of Thursday’s attack on a Lebanese army helicopter, which killed an officer, would be revealed in the coming weeks." He added "the principle of having an armed force existing alongside the state was refused in 1975, leading to the civil war". He also said : "it is the president’s duty to preserve the Doha Agreement, conduct the national dialogue, and guarantee that the weapons issue would be discussed during the national dialogue."

07:47 Zahra told an Nahar : The most important result expected from the dialogue is a solution to Hezbollah arms . If it can't accomplish this result then the dialogue will be considered a failure and this failure will only serve the interest of those that do not want a strong Lebanese state

07:34 Houri told An Nahar : The demand of Hezbollah to have an electoral law before heading to the dialogue talks is suspicious

07:22 2 wounded in overnight clashes between Fatah mainstream and Jund el Sham in Ein el Helweh Palestinian refugee camp

07:13 Judicial sources told Hayat last night: Hezbollah has handed over to the judiciary the gunman suspected of shooting down the Lebanese army helicopter and killing Samer Hanna . According to Hayat it was speaker Berri who urged Hezbollah to hand over the gunman for the investigation

07:02 al Hayat: Minister Murr revealed during the cabinet meeting details on the helicopter incident

06:53 Al Akhbar : What is being rumored about direct participation in the forthcoming elections by the president has no basis. The president is expected to remain neutral and this is not a slogan but the reality

06:22 A Safir: the objections by Ministers Aridi and Abou Faour during the cabinet session were against the procedure and standards used in selecting Kahwaji and not against the man himself

06:01 Ministers Toni Karam, Ibrahim al Najjar and Ibrahim Shamsuddin expressed reservations during the cabinet session over the appointment of Kahwaji , because they were not well informed about the standards used in selecting him as the new army chief

05:43 Kahwaiji will visit Baabda palace today to thank the president for his confidence in selecting him as the new army chief he will later be welcoming well wishers at the officer club in Kaslik

05:31 An Nahar : Kahawji won 21 votes out of 30 in his bid for the post of army chief. Democratic gathering ministers , Lebanese forces and Shamsuddin abstained

05:23 Majority ministerial sources: the results of the vote with regards to selecting Kahwaji will in no way affect the support of the majority to the army one way or the other

05:13 General George Khoury was appointed the ambassador for Lebanon at the Vatican . He was the other leading candidate for the army chief position

Friday

21:47 Information Minister Tarek Mitri said during a press conference after the cabinet meeting: Defense Minister Elias al Murr presented the latest relevant information on the helicopter shooting, and stressed the need to pursue the investigation until its conclusion.

20:41 The Cabinet announces the appointment of General Jean Kahwaji as the new Army Commander.

20:15 Minister of State Wael Abu Faour will address the issue of unauthorized Syrian wells on Lebanese territory during the cabinet’s session in Baabda.

20:00 LBC says Hezbollah has handed over suspects allegedly responsible for Thursday’s downing of a military helicopter.

19:11 Murr said before cabinet meeting that Gen. Jean Kahwaji met the criteria to be next army commander both as a military commander and as a leader. He also said the next army commander should be detached from politics and sectarian divisions

19:05 National unity government led by President Michel Sleiman meets at the presidential palace in Baabda.

18:26 Hezbollah announces , its gunmen are ready to give testimonies on Thursday’s helicopter shooting.

17:20 Armed clashes erupt in the Jabbanat Bab al-Ramel section of Tripoli, leaving three people wounded.

17:19 prayer for the slain martyr Samir Hanna has just begun in the Church of the Lady of the Assumption in Tanurin

17:02 Frankofone delegation will be in Beirut on Monday to meet with Suleiman, Siniora and several ministers

17:00 Sarkozy: My meeting with Assad yielded declaration of establishing diplomatic ties with Lebanon and we hope Lebanon will proceed into indirect talks with Israel

17:00 Representatives of the president, premier and parliament speaker attend the funeral mass of slain 1st Lieutenant Samer Hanna at his hometown of Tannourine .

16:16 Lebanon’s Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar: Underlined the importance of the investigations into Thursday’s helicopter shooting and urged the Lebanese not to rush to conclusions and maintain objectivity in pointing fingers at who was responsible for the shooting.

16:15 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas concludes his visit and leaves Beirut

15:32 former president Amine Gemayel after meeting with president Abbas: Described the visit of the Palestinian President to Beirut as "historic.”

Gemayel outlined the common issues between the Lebanese and Palestinian leaders. “We are fighting a battle together for peace and stability in the region,” Gemayel told reporters. Abbas told Gemayel " Palestine would stand by the Lebanese state in all its decisions."

Share this Article:           
Feedback? We want to hear your thoughts!