the focus of the media in Lebanon
Yesterday General Michel Aoun made it very clear that he is the one who is blocking the reconciliation meeting . He said during a press conference after the meeting of change and reform bloc "
“If my attendance at the reconciliation meetings between the Lebanese Forces and Marada will ruin it, this means that one party does not want reconciliation.”
Franjiyeh's Marada is insisting on the attendance of Aoun in the reconciliation meeting.
According to media reports General Aoun is concerned about being isolated if such a meeting between Marada and the Lebanese Forces takes place and that is why he is blocking it.
No one seems to be able to logically explain the reluctance of Franjiyeh to meet alone with Geagea, for this reason many observers have raised the issue of the independence of Franjieh and his ability to make any decision on his own.
Tuesday
13:20 Hale said after meeting PM Siniora: We reiterated U.S. support for the Lebanese government and the national dialogue.
12:45 Military Prosecutor Rashid Mezher has received the file on the Bsarma incident and has started to examine it
12:34 Assistant Secretary of the German Foreign Minister began a visit to Beirut
12:18 A meeting is underway between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and a Hezbollah delegation headed by MP Mohammed Raad.
12:15 Hale meets Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Grand Serail.
12: U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Mary Beth Long left Lebanon for Germany aboard a special military plane , after signing three deals worth $63 million in U.S. grants to the Lebanese army.
11:40 A meeting is underway between Hale and President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace
11:32 MP George Adwan : The reconciliation meeting between geagea and Franjiyeh will take place in Baabda in the presence of president Suleiman
11:30 Alloush : The decision to return to Lebanon is not in Syria's hand
11:15 Fares Souaid, member of March 14 General Secretariat, told Future TV: We have sensed during our Paris visit - that France is interested in the international tribunal issue and tolerates no comprises.
10:57 Sources of The Lebanese Forces described the conditions set for reconciliation between Geagea and Franjiyeh as impossible
10:44 Sources told "Al-Watan" ( Qatar) : The delegation of March 14 to Paris, France failed to incite France against Syria
10:38 Al Watan ( Qatar) : President Suleiman feels safe about the Syrian deployment in north Lebanon
10:37 U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Hale is meeting MP Michel Murr.
10:27 Al Arab : The US is not seeking to arm the Lebanese army but to train it
10:22 The US grant to the Lebanese army is valued at $63 million
10:09 The US army arrests 5 Hezbollah members in Iraq for involvement in smuggling arms from Iran
09:44 Azour : The Lebanese financial system is not ain danger as a result of the international financial crises
09:12 Al Qabas : rules out any meeting between Nasrallah and Hariri before Suleiman visits the kingdom
09:10 David Hale, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State told Voice of Lebanon : That Washington completely rejects any military intervention in Lebanon and said that the United States was committed to supporting Lebanon.
Hale denied that US had changed its policy toward Syria and said that the “terrorist acts” in Tripoli and Damascus must not be used as a pretext for Syria's intervention in Lebanese internal affairs.
09:09 Al Sharq : The effort of the Maronite League in reconciling Geagea and Franjiyeh has failed
08:56 Minister Hariri told al Riyadh newspaper : Saudi Arabia has contributed to reducing the burden of 352 thousand Lebanese students
08:50 Al Anbaa: The US delegation is keeping Beirut busy
08:34 Khoja told Okaz: Saudi Arabia is committed to supporting the safety, security and stability of Lebanon
08:30 Ghanem told Okaz: The new parliamentary elections will take place in the presence of a new constitutional council
08:26 Israel : Lebanon is now an advanced front line for Iran
08:20 Debka: Damascus is plotting a terrorist attack against north Lebanon
07:53 A possible bilateral meeting between Jumblatt and Nasrallah following a Hariri Nasrallah meeting to be held soon
07:48 Syrian newspaper al Watan : Hezbollah is in the middle of a plan to reconcile between minister Talal Arslan and Wiam Wahab
07:36 Al Sharq al Awsat : Conflicting reports about the whereabouts of the fugitive Fatah al islam leader Shaker al Absi . Unofficial reports stated that he fled to Syria
07:07 Al Hayat sources rules out any other aims for the Syrian deployment than what was declared
07:05 The Syrian troops along the borders of northern Lebanon have set up checkpoints and the illegal crossings are now under their control
06:59 Syria adds more tanks to its massive deployment in north Lebanon
06:47 Sources in the Salafist movement that signed a memorandum understanding with Hezbollah is concerned about a plot to implicate some members
06:34 According to the pro-Syrian newspaper al Akhbar : March 14 delegation and specially former minister Marwan Hamade was shocked by the change of behavior of the French administration with regards to Syria during their recent visit to France . The French refused to even question Syria's motives for the massive deployment of troops along the Lebanese borders . The French Foreign ministry also refused to line up any meetings for the March 14 delegation with president Sarkozy or any of his close associates
05:56 optimism about improvement in the relations between Franjiyeh and Patrirch Sfeir
05:50 Nothing new expected in Ghajar before the formation of the new Israeli government
05:46 The Lebanese American military committee : Simply means the establishment of a committee to study the requirements of the Lebanese army
05:45 The US administration will not come up with any move prior to the US elections and that includes the transactions connected with the Lebanese army
05:22 US State dept official : Lebanon does not have any friend as strong as George Bush or the United States
05:18 US official : The meeting between Welch and Moallem was unfriendly and cold
05:13 US official : There is no change in US policies towards Syria
Monday
23:19 The US embassy warns its citizens of a possible security threat in the middle of this month
19:02 Army Command denies a quote attributed to Army chief General Qahwaji accusing groups located in Beddawi of carrying out terrorist attacks in Tripoli including the recent explosions
17:41 Marada Movement media spokesman Suleiman Franjieh told Now Lebanon: LF does not want to admit that Aoun is the primary Christian representative or that Gemayel is a major Christian leader
16:45 President Michel Suleiman says that dialogue will determine national defense strategy and highlights the importance of Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland.
16:37 Aoun said at press conference that his party had no objection to arming the Lebanese army, but he added that “I do not believe there are weapons for the Lebanese army.” Aoun said that US policy toward the region was fickle in the extreme.
On reconciliation between the LF and Marada he said : “If my attendance at the reconciliation meetings between the Lebanese Forces and Marada will ruin it, this means that one party does not want reconciliation,” .
Tags: Breaking News, source: Lebanon Files, source: Now Lebanon, Ya Libnan
