The army communique said the detainees have confessed to "collecting information about (political) party centers and monitoring the movements of the party leaders for the sake of the enemy."

The army also said it has arrested the cell's leader in the Western Bekaa valley after closely watching his moves in Lebanon and between Lebanon and Syria during security developments in the Bekaa

Sources close to the investigation said the suspect was recruited by the Mossad in the 1980s. He has also recruited several people and documents seized from his house and vehicle proved his use of high-tech equipment to monitor or contact the Israelis.

In other developments:

- The second session of the dialogue talks scheduled for November 5,2008 is accelerating the reconciliation activity in Lebanon. Democratic Gathering parliament bloc leader and progressive socialist party chief MP Walid Jumblatt will soon be meeting with Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah according to local reports. Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan, who returned from a trip to Indonesia is reportedly trying to arrange the meeting

- President Suleiman has returned from Rome.

- The reconciliation between Geagea and Franjiyeh continues to face obstacles. The Maronite League has not given up , but Syria has been accused of blocking the reconciliation effort .

- The US raid against Syria continues to be the focus of the media in Syria.

Saturday

16:21 Thirteen arrest warrants have now been issued against suspects in the August Tripoli bombing, with an additional eight arrest warrants issued in absentia.

15:54 Karami After the meeting Franjiyeh told reporters that “No doubt … everyone is working for peaceful elections” in 2009. He added : “Seven months separate us from the elections,” which he said was ample time for different conditions to surface in Lebanon and that he doubted alliances would materialize before January. “The [electoral] battle depends on the circumstances and nothing can be judged now,” he said

15:04 Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt says the March 14 alliance remains committed to the protection of Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty and Arabism.

14:47 Former PM Omar Karami requested PM Fouad Siniora to release Islamist prisoners from Roumieh to avoid “exacerbating tension.”

14:33 Marada leader Suleiman Franjiyeh said the four generals (who are suspects in the murder of Hariri) are innocent and added" shame on government for detaining them"

14:00 Speaker Nabih Berri is meeting President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace.

12:04 Aoun: “Neutrality is not a virtue”. He added “There is a significant difference between a consensus president and a neutral president,” Aoun told a student delegation at his residence in Rabiyeh on Saturday.

11:43 MP Harb said he did not have “an answer to the question of how General Aoun claims to defend Christians while at the same time take positions contrary to the proposals of Bkirki.” He foresees different Christian vote in 2009

11:30 A meeting is underway in Tripoli between Former PM Omar Karami and Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjiyeh.

11:20 The Lebanese army said its troops have arrested two persons with links to a terror and spy network involved in collaboration with the Israeli enemy.

11:10 MP Nabil Nicola told New TV: We are not against expanding the dialogue table on condition that Franjiyeh, Arslan and Karami join us. He added: General Michel Aoun will visit Syria soon and in the open, “unlike those who go in secret in women’s clothes.”

9:50: Former PM Mikati told VOL: I don’t believe that President Suleiman wants to head a parliamentary bloc. However, he is calling for an unbiased bloc to end political bickering.

Friday

22:06 Now Lebanon: Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Abdulkarim Khalaf said that before the strike by American forces into Syria last Sunday, his government had informed Syrian officials that a “terrorist cell” was operating in their territory. He added “Syria didn’t take any measures to uproot the terrorists in the Bou Kamal border region with Iraq.” Khalaf said “Iraq is surrounded by Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia , but we face the most serious problems along the Iranian and Syrian borders.” He concluded : “We are not satisfied with what happened but we would have been much happier if the Syrian brothers had taken the initiative” to combat the terrorists"

21:24 At least nine Kurdish and Syrian opposition parties plan to stage a demonstration in front of the Syrian Parliament protesting Decree 49, which, according to the organizers, will drive Kurds from their homes and prevent them from returning. The organizers said they feared that the Syrian security forces will violently suppress the demonstration.

17:35 Gen. Jean Kahwaji said the army is beefing up its troops deployed along the borders to combat smuggling and illegal infiltration of individuals.

17:20 President Suleiman discussed with the Pope bilateral relations between Lebanon and the Vatican.

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