Other developments in Lebanon:
- The Parliament on Wednesday approved a law widening powers of investigators into cases of money laundering
- The reconciliation meeting between Samir Geagea , leader of the Lebanese Forces and Suleiman Franjiyeh leader of the Marada may not take place any time soon, since the Marada leader according to his interview last night on OTV is still insisting on Aoun's participation in the meeting .
- The massive deployment of troops by Syria along the northern Lebanese-Syrian borders continues to get international attention , but Syria insists that the aim is to prevent smuggling ...few in Lebanon are buying Syria's excuse , except its Lebanese allies. According to knowledgeable sources the smuggling has not stopped along the Lebanese Syrian borders.
- The president is preparing for his trip to Saudi Arabia. According to insiders he will be happy to play a role in reconciling Syria with Saudi Arabia if he is asked by either party
Thursday
22:49 Washington confirms receipt of the 2 American journalists that were jailed in Syria
22:29 PM Siniora after meeting the president in Baabda: President Suleiman's visit to Saudi Arabia will confirm the depth of the Lebanese-Saudi relationship
21:46 Kanaan told LBC: We are for one weapon . This weapon has to be with the Lebanese legitimate authorities. The question is how ? We are for a strategy that creates understanding amongst the Lebanese over how to protect Lebanon from the elements of the Syrian regime and others inside the country
21:42 Alloush told LBC : I support General Aoun of the 1989 . The most important action he took was standing in from of the US congress and demanding the withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon and I do clearly remember him saying that if Syria ever leaves Lebanon it will leave behind many terrorist elements and its intelligence apparatus
20:28 NOW Lebanon: Armed fundamentalist group ambushed Syrian forces and engaged them in a fierce firefight after penetrating security system.
Many members of the group were arrested, and that one had an explosives belt. The group included a large number of Syrian members and others of Palestinian descent.
20:03 Interior Minister Baroud discussed with the Lebanese traffic authorities and the French traffic experts the implementation of new traffic plan
18:35 Al-Arabia television reports that explosive belts were found in the house of an armed group on Yarmuk Street in Damascus.
18:27 Dunia TV : Syrian Security Forces kill three suspected terrorists in clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmuk. One of the men, who was wearing an explosives belt, was overpowered by the Syrian security forces. The report did not say when the incident occurred, but said Iraqis and Saudis were among the suspected terrorists
18:07 Four killed in clashes between an armed group and Syrian security forces on Yarmouk Street in Damascus. Two gunmen reported arrested and one security officer severely injured.
17:16 US State Department “greatly relieved” two journalists safe in Syria. The US embassy in Damascus was "seeking consular access" to the pair.
15:21 Sources in the Syrian Foreign Ministry say the two American journalists will be handed over to the US embassy in Damascus.
14:48 The Syrian Foreign Ministry officially informs the US embassy in Damascus that Syria has detained the two American journalists for crossing the border with Lebanon illegally.
14:29 Sources: The US embassy in Lebanon has told Lebanese State Prosecutor Judge Said Mirza that Syrian authorities informed the embassy that Holli Chmela and Taylor Luck are detained in Syria.
14:00 The Syrian authorities confirmed that they have arrested the two US journalists when they tried to enter the Syrian territories because of travel documentation discrepancies and were suspected of being members of espionage cells hostile to Syria . The two gave testimonies that did not match their documents , the Syrian source said and added the arrests did not have any motives other than investigating the false documents.
13:24 LBC: The US embassy in Damascus has no information on the reported arrest of Holli Chmela and Taylor Luck.
12:55 Al Jazeera : The two American journalists suspected to have gone missing in Lebanon, were arrested in Syria for having tried to cross the border illegally.
11:40 NNA : Fadi Nazih Sawan from Mansouri, Tyre ( Sour) region committed suicide because if a family dispute , after taking a toxic substance that led to his immediate death . His body was taken to a nearby hospital in Tyre . Security forces started the investigation of the
11:30 Israeli overflights reported over Bekaa Valley and Baalbek.
11:23 Judge Nabil Sari was appointed judicial investigator of the Aug 13 bombing in Tripoli
11:15 The U.S. embassy asked the Lebanese general prosecution's office to order a search for two American citizens who have not been heard from since leaving a Beirut hotel Oct. 1.
11:15 LBC reports that security agencies are investigating sightings of missing American journalists. Lebanese people reportedly saw them in Batroun. The American journalist last used his mobile phone from Batroun Square at 6pm on Oct.1.
11:15 PM Siniora discussed developments in Akkar with MP Mahmoud Murad
11:01 LBC: Investigation continues for finding out if the missing US journalists left have departed Lebanon through any of the official crossings. The intelligence authorities could not determine yet if the journalists were kidnapped or missing but stated that if they were kidnapped then this must have been carefully planned in advance
10:50 Khoury: Reconciliations, in my opinion, should not take place across Lebanon while Zghorta is being left out.
10:15 Ex-MP Ghattas Khoury said no real political "barriers" prevent a meeting between Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Mustaqbal leader Saad Hariri.
09:55 Tourism Minister Elie Marouni told Voice of Lebanon: No one should jump to conclusions about two missing US journalists in Beirut. He called for the reinforcement of the state’s authority in all the Lebanese territories to prevent Lebanon from going back decades to conditions where foreigners risked kidnap.
09:54: Minister Marouni: political reconciliation impossible during this period as long as the dispute is between two lines that are impossible to meet .
He also said If any meeting between the Marada Movement and the Lebanese Forces took place then it would be, ”a sham,” and that reconciliations between the March 14 and March 8 forces would be a “media circus.”
09:46 Minister Najjar: we are confident of the birth of the Constitutional Council before the 2009 parliamentary elections
09:06 sources of al Watan : Extraneous elements entered northern Lebanon recently they may belong Qaeda
08:51 internal security forces arrests after a chase involving shooting the best known car thief( known as the Ghost )in Bekaa area
08:44 U.S. embassy confirm the disappearance of American journalists in Lebanon
08:33 Awan: the existence of fundamentalist groups in the north could also serve as a cover to the disengagement of Western isolation of Syria
08:27 "Qabas:" Franjiyeh wants the reconciliation with Geagea a "complete basket integrated"
08:19 Italian newspaper: an Iranian intelligence man replaces Hezbollah's Moughniyeh
8:15 Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said the disappearance of the two American citizens hurts Lebanon's image.
08:06 "Al Jareedah ": the missing American journalists are not involved in political developments
07:56 Hezbollah sources told "al Rai ": The plan for the revenge of the Moughniyah assassination will create an earthquake and will shock the ground under the feet of Israelis
07:52 A March 14 delegation will be heading to Brussels to meet with leaders of the European community and from there will be visiting several arab countries starting with Saudi Arabia ,Egypt , etc
07:45 March 14 Forces is preparing for its General Conference on November 22 during which it will launch its 2009 electoral campaign
07:44, "Okaz": The Lebanese security forces did not receive any communication regarding information about the missing American journalists
07:37 Hale told senior officials that he will be visiting Lebanon on monthly basis to assess the situation
07:33 European sources: France was the first to contact Damascus for the massive deployment of Syrian troops on the Lebanese borders
7:30 A hand grenade exploded overnight in Tripoli's Syria street that separates the districts of Baal Mohsen and Bab Tabbaneh. No casualties were reported.
7:15 A bomb exploded overnight in the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp causing damage, but no casualties were reported.
07:04 Cabinet sources: Suleiman 's visit to Saudi Arabia will cover political and economic prospects
06:58 Suleiman will lay the foundation stone for the Lebanese consulate in Jeddah
06:32 Al Akhbar : Suleiman may expand his Middle eastern trip to cover several Arab countries in addition to the Iranian capital
06:13 Syrian sources told As Safir : Syria has strengthened its border security by adding hundreds of troops , but not thousands as has been reported by the Lebanese media
05:59 knowledgeable sources: The smuggling has not stopped along the Lebanese Syrian borders while the Syrians are claiming that the aim of the massive deployment of troops along the Lebanese borders is to prevent smuggling
05:54 An Nahar : President Suleiman is not seeking a role in reconciling between Damascus and Riyadh , but will be happy to honor any request in his regard
05:51 An Nahar : Security will be a priority issue during the upcoming cabinet meeting specially because of the massive deployment of Syrian troops and the recent bombings in Tripoli
05:45 The president is expected to make 3 trips this month ..starting with Saudi Arabia , Canada to attend the Francophone summit , the Vatican and Rome
Wednesday
21:20 Marada Movement leader Sleiman Franjiyeh told OTV: The purpose of these calls for reconciliation is to drive a rift between Marada and [Free Patriotic Movement leader] Gen. Aoun. Franjiyeh accused the Lebanese Forces of “trying to corner Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun by suggesting that he is the reason why I am rejecting reconciliation with the LF.”
19:36 Army intervenes to stop clash between members of the Jafaar clan in Sharawne district of Baalbek. The army deployed patrols in the region to prevent further clashes.
17:31 Syria defends deployment as measure to combat smuggling and infiltration and dismissed concerns raised in Beirut and Washington. The US State Department said on Monday that Washington was concerned about Syrian troop movements near the Lebanese border and warned Damascus against interference in Lebanon.
17:02 Security sources confirm US embassy notified Lebanese police that two American (Taylor Luck and Holli Shmela) journalists went missing. the pair arrived in Lebanon on September 29 and checked out of their Beirut hotel the following day. Someone withdrew money with Luck's credit card from an ATM machine in Beirut on October 1, a security official said
15:14 Parliament announces that all citizens who pay their roadworthiness and municipality fees by the end of 2008 are exempted from 90% of their overdue fines.
Tags: Breaking News, source: Lebanon Files, source: Now Lebanon, Ya Libnan
