secret Intelligence service while in exile in France.
According to the paper the French intelligence advised Aoun against holding such meetings with "agents of a country which is engaged in a constant state of war with Lebanon."
Le Figaro added that Aoun rejected the advice because the FPM chief strongly objected to the Syrian military presence in Lebanon.
Last night former president Amin Gemayel commented on Aoun's visit by saying: "There is nothing new since he (Aoun) has aligned himself with Syria's allies long time ago."
Friday
19:15 Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc on Friday praised general Aoun for his courage in visiting Syria and for his frankness regarding his past mistakes
19:10 NNA Fayez Shokor, leader of the Syrian Baath party said: "Aoun went to Syria as a Christian patriotic leader and would come back as the Pope of the orient ". Shokor, made the announcement to reporters after talks with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
19:00 Elie Mahfoud, president of the Change Movement said any reconciliation between Christians must begin at the mother church in Lebanon ( Bkirki) and not in a Syrian church as Aoun is doing. Mahfoud said: "We have 2 enemies, the Israeli enemy and the Syrian enemy . Both have slaughtered our children and our families and have displaced thousands of our citizens." Mahfoud asked: "What should we apologize for ? The killing of Mufti Hassan Khaled or President Bashir Gemayel, or his child Maya Bashir Gemayel? He added : If Aoun continues this way he will be endangering the Christian presence not only in Lebanon but in the entire region
18:22 After meeting at Baabda palace , President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora attend a cabinet meeting in Baabda , which the president is chairing .
18.20 Crude oil is now below $42 / barrel. This represents a drop of over 72 % since last July 11 when oil hit $147 /barrel. Oil price is heading towards $40 and lower according to experts
18:15 US President George W. Bush: The Middle East has become more free and hopeful in 2008. Examples of this are the “Cedar Revolution” in Lebanon which commanded Syrian withdrawal from the country, and Libya’s decision to stop its nuclear weapons program , and the weak democracy in Iraq.
17:30 Minister Fawzi Salloukh returned from Oslo after attending the signing of the agreement on the Prohibition of cluster bombs
16:50 Judge Merza filed charges against two unknown persons accused of assassinating Sheikh Saleh al -Aridi
16:40 Aoun arrived in Aleppo . Was transported from Homs by a Syrian government owned helicopter
16:30 Ayatollah Fadlallah: The al Adha Eid starts on Monday
16:00 Aoun ended his trip to Moms and will head to Aleppo
15:44 Thabet : The schools will close for 2 days except the Catholic schools with Muslim student majority will close for 3 days
15:30 Habib : Aoun is embarrassing his supporters with his support to the Syrians just as he did when he faked his attacks against the Syrians during his exile
15:10 Mouallem : Will have an embassy in Beirut before the end of the year
14:30 President Suleiman to visit Jordan on December 14
14:05 : Communications Minister Gebran Bassil launched two stamps commemorating Maj. Gen. Francois al-Hajj and Charles Malik.
14:00 : President Michel Suleiman from Baabda palace: Lebanon derives its strength through the state.
13:00 : Judge Mezher continues his investigations into the Buhsas bomb incident by questioning detainees.
11:40 : An Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated the Lebanese airspace over Beirut and southern Lebanon.
11:30 : Iranian Ambassador Shebani from Bikirki: There is always an open invitation to Patriarch Sfeir to visit Tehran, Aoun’s visit to Syria is good at the right time and the right place, it serves the interest of region’s people.
10:55 : Iranian Ambassador Mohammed Reza Shebani meets Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in Bkirki.
10:20 Zahra says Aoun will request the Syrian authorities to compensate him for “the prospective electoral loss in Mount Lebanon” by giving him seats in other areas, dominated by Syria’s allies, such as Baalbek-Hermel. He added Syria is exaggerating Aoun's importance in Lebanon
10:15 : Following The Higher Shiite Council’s announcement that Eid el-Adha would start on Tuesday, Prime Minister’s office issued a memorandum calling for a three-day public holiday for Eid al-Adha, starting Monday.
8:46am VOL: Four assailants beat up Lebanese citizen Afif Toufik Sbeity early Friday on the airport road before stealing his car and heading toward Beirut’s southern Hezbollah stronghold of Al Dahiyah. Sbaity works as a driver for a Saudi Arabian man called Khaled Ouwaydat and was driving a Range Rover with a Saudi plate.
08:37 Minister of the Environment Tony Karam told Voice of Lebanon : MP Aoun could no longer fool anyone
08:35 MP Michel Pharaoun told the voice of Lebanon : Claiming Lebanon-Syria relations are normal is not true. He added: "some of the participants in the national roundtable dialogue were paving the way for Syrian intervention in Lebanese internal issues."
Thursday
00:50 March 14 majority alliance held a meting n Quraitem to discuss the latest development
22:53
22:40 Phalange Party leader Amin Gemyael during Kalam el-Nas talk show on LBC: The formula under which the central government is currently functioning is a failure. I am not calling for federalism, but a system which could be applicable to Lebanon’s situation. Aggravated by what I said about Hezbollah arms during my (latest) speech made them distort my words about federalism which I did not mention. There is nothing new in Aoun’s visit to Syria since he has aligned himself to Syria’s allies. An invitation to visit Damascus has been extended to me several months ago. I am among those who call for best relations with Syria, but the time is not right for a visit. The Lebanese Syrian relations have to be set on the right track, but after resolving the outstanding issues such as border demarcation, Sheba farms and the Missing Lebanese in Syrian jails . We must win the 2009 elections . Union elections results are an indication how the upcoming elections are going to be like. We have 54% while the opposition has 39%.
21:30 President Michel Suleiman returned to Beirut, ending a two-day official visit to Germany.
20:00 Crude Oil tumbled below $44 a barrel today
19:38 Kanaan told Hezbollah's al Manar TV: we have witnessed the failure of the adversary politics towards Syria and the history will record for Aoun the honor of achieving the ambitions of the Lebanese. This was in reference to attacks by Christian leaders against Aoun's subservience towards the Syrian regime
19:25 Syrian FM Mouallem: The Lebanese - Syrian agreements were designed to serve the interests of both countries and any agreement that is not seen this way by the Lebanese could be canceled without any repercussions. Aoun’s visit to Syria will boost his popularity . We are friendly brothers with Gen. Aoun because there are common traits between him and President Assad.
18:29 Siniora discussed with the minister of Interior the security situation in the country
18:18 Gemayel : Some Lebanese have transformed themselves into Syrians ( in reference to Aoun) . Those who want to open a new page with Syria , why don’t they open a page with Lebanon first
17:10 : The 3 SSNP attackers of al-Mustaqbal TV reporter Omar Harqous were questioned today. Questioning judge Abdel Rahim Hamoud decided to release two ( Mohammad Ali Awadah & Ali Reda Hassan ) and detained one ( Adonees Asaad Nasr ).
16:50 Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun met “several times with representatives from the Israeli Mossad in Paris, during the period of his exile between 1991 and 2005,” the French newspaper Le Figaro reported on Thursday. According to the paper, French intelligence officers charged with monitoring Aoun’s movements advised him to avoid meeting with agents of a country Lebanon was still officially at war with.
“However, the Christian General refused to listen to these warnings. At the time, Michel Aoun was one of the primary opponents of the Syrian military presence in Lebanon. " The newspaper added
Tags: Aoun, Germany, Hezbollah, merkel, source: Lebanon Files, Suleiman, Syria, UNIFIL, Ya Libnan
