For security reasons the location of the meeting may never be disclosed , since Nasrallah has been hiding since the 2006 Hezbollah war with Israel for fear of assassination.
The other future reconciliation meetings that are getting attention are:
- The meeting between Suleiman Franjiyeh the Leader of Marada and Dr Samir Geagea the leader of the Lebanese Forces. Gen. Aoun who will attend the meeting is back from Tehran and Dr Geagea is also back from Cairo
- The meeting between Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt and Hezbollah delegation headed by MP Mohammad Raad was postponed. According to al-Hayat newspaper Jumblatt, who left to Cairo today on an official two-day visit prefers to meet Raad after the reconciliatory meeting between Hariri and Nasrallah.
In other development
- Positioning strategies for the 2009 parliamentary elections continues. Hezbollah and Speaker Nabih Berri have been working hard on MP Michel Murr who was allied with Gen Aoun during the last election but has since dropped Aoun and decided to run as an independent . The opposition is worried that Aoun could lose badly in the Metn area if Murr runs against him in 2009 parliamentary elections. The opposition is also worried about the new strength of the Lebanese Forces
- The media in Lebanon continues to focus on the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria , the naming of the ambassadors and the location of the embassies. Speculation in Lebanon continues over who will be the first Syrian ambassador to Lebanon. According to Hayat , the naming of the ambassador is linked to the status of the Lebanese Syrian higher council head Nasri Khoury. If he remains at his post then a Moslem may be picked as the first ambassador , if the council is dropped then a Christian will be chosen for the post.
Sunday
21:15 Minister Marouni is heading to Saudi arabia to participate in the honoring of the ruler of Mekkah
20:29 MP Boutros Harb: I have the evidence , witnesses and names of individuals and I warn against this atmosphere of bribery and corruption to buy the consciences of people
He was referring to the alleged bribery by the Hezbollah -led opposition for votes in the 2009 elections.
20:23 Mufti Shaar is back from Doha Qatar , where he was a guest of al Jazeera network
20:08 US Ambassador Sison told Kuwaiti newspaper al Rai: the US aid to Lebanon has exceeded one billion and our continuous commitment of support for Lebanon is unquestionable
16:42 DPM Issam Abu Jamra: We have not heard any criticism of Hariri's frequent trips to Saudi Arabia
16:11 Minister Bassil: Praised the treatment of minorities in Iran and added "The diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria are not a victory of Lebanon over Syria
13:15 PM Fouad Saniora called Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to declare solidarity with Iraq's Christians and urged their speedy return to their homes.
13:01 Economy Minister Mohammad Safadi: We completely reject the linking of Islam to Terrorism
12: 25 OTV : Deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra said that Saudi Arabia was the first state to recognize Lebanon’s independence, and that it had offered ongoing assistance to Lebanon for two reasons. “Firstly, it is an Arab state in need; and secondly, because the Lebanese have contributed to building Saudi Arabia,” he said. Abu Jamra rejected the assertion that Saudi Arabia was behind terrorism in Lebanon.
12:00 New TV : Political coordinator of Al Marada Yousef Saadeh is wondering whether the media noise over the formation of committees serves the reconciliation or to claim that the al Marada is reluctant to reconcile while the Lebanese Forces is ready. The Christian street may not be ready for reconciliation specially since this is an ongoing problem since 1978 and such issues cannot be resolved within a day or a week
10:50 Future TV : Former Minister Joe Sarkis said : “Martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who united people during his life united them in his absence,” He was referring to the gathering for the inauguration of the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut . He added : the time of Syrian tutelage has gone and any ambassador should be agreed on by the host state and he should abide by the rules. In reference to the diplomatic relations with Syria.
10:12 Voice of Lebanon: Administrative Minister Ibrahim Chamsuddine said Michel Aoun’s timing of the visit to Iran was poor because it coincided with the president’s foreign visits. He and Iran knew this and should have avoided it . He urged Iran to arm the Lebanese army instead of arming a local faction ( Hezbollah) .
9:30 MP Marwan Hamadeh left for China on a one-week visit.
08:10 An-Nahar : 3 people : Elie Saliba, Moussa Kfoury and Maroun Tannouri were wounded in fighting on Saturday night in Qaa al-Rim-Zahle between its villagers and those of Hizirta, a nearby village. The security forces and the army deployed in the area and cooperated with representatives from both villages to limit the repercussions of the incident.
08:10 Jumblatt sources told Awan: MP Jumblatt is not in a rush to meet Hezbollah and prefers to meet after the Nasrallah - Hariri meeting takes place
08:00 Awan: security discussions will intensify this week for the purpose of improving the security in light of reports that Syrian security is pursuing a terrorist network of 80 members that is planning to carry out a bombings in Lebanon and Syria
07:30 Solana told "Okaz": EU relations with Syria started to thaw somewhat . The shift in Lebanon and Syria with respect to the normalization of diplomatic relations is an important step
07:00 Al Balad : FPM sources denied reports of a meeting between Gen Aoun and Minister Elias Murr
06:30 Al Balad : The meeting between Nasrallah and Hariri is expected to take place next week especially after Hariri declared from Baabda that the reason for the delay is only " the security issue"
06:00 UPI : Jumblatt will arrive in Cairo today for a two- day official visit to meet with president Mubarak and FM Abu Gheit
05:45 An Nahar : President Suleiman will travel to Montreal today to meet with the Arab ambassadors and the Lebanese community before returning to Beirut
Saturday
16:15 LBC TV: The vials containing liquid explosives, which were confiscated in Kfar Shouba , have not yet been sent to France for examination. They may be tested in domestic laboratories instead. Last Friday a military judge accused a police officer and two civilians of possessing these explosives with the intent to commit terrorist acts in south Lebanon
15:18 former PM Karami: Money may be a key player in the upcoming elections and the new electoral law has returned the country to sectarianism
13:53 National News Agency: Security forces found an explosive device in a garbage dump in Wadi an-Nahleh Street in Baddawi Palestinian Refugee camp
13:23 Habib Efrem : The Iraqi government is urged to declare " a state of emergency in Mousul regardless of all circumstance to protect the citizens and to end terrorism in the city
12:43 Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri said during the opening of the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque on Saturday " God would punish those behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri," adding that “the Special International Tribunal will be waiting for them.”
Tags: Diplomatic relations, Iran, Lebanon, source: Lebanon Files, source: Now Lebanon, Syria, Ya Libnan
