"The question is not whether it would be legitimate, whether it would be intelligent. What will we do at that moment? It would be a catastrophe. We must avoid that catastrophe," Sarkozy said
"Of course the West is frightened. We don't want the nuclear bomb in the Middle East," he added
In Lebanon the issue of the Helicopter incident was revived during the speech last night of Hezbollah secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah :
"The helicopter was not downed but was flying over the area and some brethren got suspicious and opened fire. Even in our military training, mistakes happen and members of Hezbollah are killed. The Lebanese army command, the intelligence and the prime minister dealt responsibly with the helicopter issue in Sujud. I express my condolences to the family of Samer Hanna … and we understand more than others what martyrdom means. The person who opened fire on the helicopter was the one who asked to be turned over to the military judiciary. We do not turn over anyone by force." He said during his televised speech from an undisclosed location
Friday
20:21 Hariri vows to defend Beirut, responds to Assad’s comments: Beirut will not be monopolized by gangs. We will remain defending Beirut, the city of Arabism and the gathering place of Christians and Muslims. ( In response to Hezbollah leader's comments )
Concerning what we have heard ( from Assad ) during the last two days, we alert the people of Lebanon and the Arab League that any attempt to return Lebanon back to Syrian domination, through Tripoli, can only be confronted through national unity. Let them stop their interference in Lebanese issues, and Lebanon will be fine.
18:00 Siniora : An agreement was reached between Finance Minister Mohammad Chatah and Labor Minister Mohammad Fneish, which would be discussed in the next cabinet meeting.
He refused to comment on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s suggestion that his Lebanese counterpart, President Michel Suleiman, should deploy troops in North Lebanon to counter the rise of Islamic extremism Tripoli, saying “we are doing our duties, and I do not want to dispute with anyone.” However, Siniora added that “Tripoli is not a center of terrorism like some are trying to picture it. Its representatives told me they oppose weapons and gunmen and support the state, army and security forces in performing their duties.”
15:18 Chatah told LBC TV that the increase of the minimum wage to 500,000 LL will be proposed during the cabinet’s next meeting on Tuesday, and he hopes it will be approved then.
He added that the 2007 draft budget, which will be utilized in the parliament, does not include a VAT increase, because the Lebanese people cannot afford any more taxes.
14:38 Gemayel during visit to L’Orient Le Jour offices responded to aoun's criticism of the paper: MP Michel Aoun had used “the same means to intimidate the press and journalists and impose his positions on them... Aoun was providing a cover for the 'state-within-the-state' project undertaken by Hezbollah."
He also denounced attempts to undermine the importance of “a crime of this magnitude that led to the death of an officer while on duty,” in reference to the August 28 helicopter incident.
On September 4, L’Orient Le Jour wrote in response to Aoun's accusations , “We published on August 30 that slain Officer Samer Hanna was shot when the helicopter landed, and we received the information from ministerial sources.” It added that it published news on September 1 that Officer Hanna was shot when the helicopter was 15 centimeters above the ground according to sources close to the investigations. Aoun’s criticism therefore contradicted the facts, according to L’Orient le Jour.
“This tragic incident once again raises the subject of Lebanese sovereignty,” Gemayel said.
14:45 Siniora said tentative agreement has been reached on a pay raise that would be discussed by the cabinet in its forthcoming meeting.
14:05 Parliament’s justice and administrative committee will convene on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a bill to amend the current electoral law.
12:14 Fatah al-Islam leader is in Syria: Syria informed Sarkozy that Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker al-Absi, was arrested in Syria. Contacts are underway between security agencies in Damascus and Beirut to determine whether Absi would be extradited to Lebanon or tried in Syria. The Lebanese army defeated Fatah al Islam in a 15 week battle in north Lebanon last year but Absi fled to Syria . His wife lied to the judiciary and claimed he was killed but DNA reports proved otherwise
12:00 Israeli jetfighters flew reconnaissance flights over the northern areas of Batroun, Shekka, Tripoli and Diman.
09:50 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned against the consequences of testing Israel’s force of deterrence.
“We are ready to face all circumstances. In recent months, we have conducted difficult military maneuvers, and we continue to do so,” Barak said during an electoral tour in northern Israel.
Israeli public radio reported that Barak's statements came in response to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech Thursday night,
08:00 MP Hassan Yaqoub warned that the aim of the electoral law is the undermining and marginalization of the Christian community which is a part of the project of driving the Christians out of the region to implement the theory of the "clash of civilizations '
07:36 Houry told al Akhbar : The minority is the one that is insisting on the 1960 law and we ( the majority ) are open to any other law
7:15 A Huge traffic jam was reported during morning rush hour near Beirut’s Pierre Gemayel Boulevard which was closed after a main water pipe blew up. Traffic was diverted to secondary roads.
07:07 Sources of the minister of Labor : The project submitted by the economic organizations represents an improvement
07:03 Finance Minister Shatah told al Akhbar : we are now discussing compensating the employees of the public sector by increasing their allowance for travel from 6000 LL ( $4.00) to 8000 LL ( $5.33) for every working day and by providing them with family allowance. This allowance will not apply for private sector employees
06:55 Al Akhbar : The minimum wage increase of 200, 000 LL will not be retroactive
06:40 Hill told as Safir : The diplomatic relations is not limited to establishing embassies but it is about mutual respect and we have to wait and be very careful and should not forget the issue of border demarcation between Lebanon and Syria , which is an extremely important issue
06:03 Sarkozy source told As Safir : The aim of the adventure of the French president in opening up to Syria is to secure a role in the peace in the talks in the region
05:44 An Nahar : It is very unlikely that the cabinet will in its next meeting be able to decide on the appointment of the 4 deputies of the central bank governor because no agreement has been reached on this issue as of yet
05:30 Preparations underway for a cabinet meeting next Monday or Tuesday and the most important issue on the agenda ids the minimum wage increase
05:21 Turkish PM Erdogan: The indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria will be held on Sept 18 and 19 in Turkey
Thursday
21:50 Siniora during an Iftar dinner: We don’t accept the use of weapons as a means to change and we welcome dialogue through constitutional institutions. Tripoli is not a city for terrorism as it is accused by some (people). The conflict is mainly deliberate and (it involves) external parties. The government will tackle the pay raise issue next week.
21:36 Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah: "The helicopter was not downed but was flying over the area and some brethren got suspicious and opened fire. Even in our military training, mistakes happen and members of Hezbollah are killed. The Lebanese army command, the intelligence and the prime minister dealt responsibly with the helicopter issue in Sujud. I express my condolences to the family of Samer Hanna … and we understand more than others what martyrdom means. The person who opened fire on the helicopter was the one who asked to be turned over to the military judiciary. We do not turn over anyone by force."
"Decision of war and peace is in the hands of Israel and America. Israel is the one who is threatening (Lebanon with war). Even if Shebaa Farms is liberated, the weapons will remain because these weapons are for defense. We are threatened by Israel, so let us discuss how to defend our country."
18:38 minister Lahoud: Igniting a battle against the free press will not achieve the aim of distracting the country from the real problem . This is in reference to Hezbollah -led campaign of intimidating the press for keeping the issue of the helicopter attack alive
17:34 MP Jumblatt in an interview with Al-Ousbou Al-Arabi : "I do not fear fundamentalism in Tripoli, I fear the presence of gunmen from all parties undermining security in the city and the region. Reconciliation is the solution and financing and arming the militias must stop."
"I do not oppose the formation of a committee between the army and the Resistance, if this committee would be within the framework of the defense strategy. "
"I do not approve of the expansion of the number of participants in the national dialogue, because this would transform the dialogue into “the tower of Babel.” The issues that must be treated are defense strategy, confirming the Lebanese identity of Shebaa Farms, Palestinian weapons outside the refugee camps, and the establishment of diplomatic ties with Syria."
17:23 Majdalani: Unfortunately, there is a group that focusing on undermining the state and on imposing exclusive security zones and red lines on some Lebanese and even the army
16:30 A Hezbollah delegation offers its condolences to Lebanon’s new army commander over the death of Captain Samer Hanna.
16:15 "March 14:" Hezbollah is directly responsible for the shooting down of the Lebanese army helicopter in Sujod and Aoun's efforts in intimidating the press will not lead to the silencing of free media
Tags: army, Breaking News, Egypt, Elias al-Murr, Future Movement, hanna, Hezbollah, kahwaji, Lebanese Forces, Lebanon, Michel Aoun, Syria
