In Lebanon Carter had requested a meeting with the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah , a political and military movement, which is listed as a terrorist group by Washington, as part of a visit to assess whether his Carter Center will monitor a legislative election next year.

"I understand that some of the leaders of Hezbollah have said they were not going to meet with any president or former presidents of the United States," Carter said upon his arrival at Beirut airport, adding that he would meet other leaders.

A Carter spokesman confirmed a meeting had been requested with Hezbollah, whose guerrilla army fought a 34-day war with U.S. ally Israel in 2006. "They said they were not able to meet," Carter spokesman Rick Jafculca said.

Carter's agenda in Syria includes a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, whose ties with the United States remain strained despite a recent thaw in relations with Western states including France and Britain.

Tuesday

22:19 FPM MP Nassif Qazzi told Hezbollah's al Manar TV: Aoun's viist to Syria will benefit the official relations between both countries even though his visit was not official

21:55 Former US ambassador Feltman told LBC: Washington 's support for Lebanon is firm and is not influenced by change in administration . We still have doubts about Syria's intentions towards Lebanon

21:01 Geagea told Future TV I have my own reservations on response to President Suleiman about the legality of General Kahwaji visit to Syria, . The subject was handled by the Council of Ministers .

20:20 Minister Taborian told LBC: there won't be any delays in securing the gas and fuel needed and the cooperation with Algeria and Kuwait continues to secure the quantities needed

18:20 MP Samir Franjiyeh accused general Aoun of allowing the Iranians and Syrians to use the Christians in Lebanon and the ME as tools to serve their own interests

17:50 Interior Minister Baroud: We cannot say that the security situation in Lebanon is completely under control . There are weak points and specially the Palestinian refugee camps and for this reason we coordinate with the Palestinian leadership , in the interest of the Lebanese and Palestinians alike. In reference to speculation about more assassinations , he said those speculations are based on analysis and not on intelligence facts

17:45 Interior Minister Baroud: We have not asked carter to monitor the upcoming elections nor did he ask us for same

17:30 Aoun will brief tomorrow members of the change and reform bloc about his visit to Syria and the results of the visit

17:00 The Lebanese pilgrims are comfortable with the Syrian measure taken and the follow up by the Lebanese consulate during their hajj pilgrimage

16:30 DPA: Siniora agreed with Iranian officials on formulating the framework of an agreement between Iran and Lebanon before visiting Iran

16:00 Carter : Syria and Lebanon will exchange diplomatic missions and hope this will pave the way for better relations between them
15:30 March 14: Aoun's participation in the government is a clear recognition of the Taef Accord

15:00 former minister Joe sarkis withdraws his candidacy for membership in the the Maronite League

14:58 Shadi Assaf Bustani contacted Lebanon Files to clarify that he was not the one that was arrested in connection with a robbery in Broummana

14:37 3 were wounded and 2 killed ( Hussain Sharaf and samira Omar ) in a road accident on the Tel Dannoub road in western Bekaa

14:30 Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in Beirut on a two-day official visit where he will meet with Lebanese leaders.

13:30 Aoun after meeting Suleiman: Criticizers of my visit to Syria are broke and have nothing to offer the Lebanese people -- neither at the economic nor political level.

13:00 FPM leader Gen. Michel Aoun visited Lebanese President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace and briefed him on his trip to Syria.

12:30 The state-run Lebanese University announced that classes will resume Thursday morning and exams will take place as scheduled.

11:47 The General Secretariat of Catholic Schools in Lebanon announces that tomorrow, Wednesday is a regular school day.

11:30 Deputy PM Issam Abu Jamra to Mufti Qabbani: Lebanese did not approve the Taef Agreement which was imposed under the pressure of warplanes and shelling.

11:22 National Bloc Party leader Carlos Eddé said that current conflict in Lebanon surpassed the issue of inter Christian and is really about Lebanon’s sovereignty and the danger of a Syrian return to the country. Aoun in his visits exploited the Church to serve Iranian and Syrian interests.

11:12 AFP: Lebanese citizen Youssef al-Hajj Dib was sentenced to life in prison for a failed bid to attack German passenger trains in July 2006.

10:55 New TV: Change and Reform MP Nabil Nicolas defended Syria with regards to missing and detained Lebanese in Syrian jails: " “Syria has the right to thoroughly investigate the issue to know the truth,” he said. He accused the cabinet of delaying Lebanese-Syrian diplomatic exchange

10:53 Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar told ANB TV that Syria is releasing the wrong people . This is in reference to the 50 criminals that president Assad promised Aoun to release. He added : “We have all the names. The number is more than 140 persons and the Syrian authorities gave us the names in a previous period…these are not the political detainees and missing persons,” he said.

10:26 Change and Reform bloc MP Kamil Khoury speaks to Hezbollah's al-Manar television: We support the Syrian-Iranian axis until the end. General Aoun’s visits will not stop here but will continue.

10:08 Future TV: Future MP Mohammad Qabbani condemns Syrian release of criminals rather than political detainees

10:00 Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan: We should not forget that Syria always stands by us and Iran is a friend which helps in curbing the axis of evil supported by Israel.

9:40 VOL: An overnight dispute took place in the village of Bafleh near the southern city of Tyre between UNIFIL soldiers and local residents who surrounded the Italian battalion for taking souvenir pictures in the area.

9:35 Future News TV: Two vehicles owned by officials from Ahmed al-Asaad's ‘Lebanese Belongingness Movement’ were set ablaze in the southern town of Khiam.

9:00 MP Elias Atallah to VOL: Aoun’s behavior is unbalanced and he should be held accountable, particularly by the Christians because he cannot play with people’s feelings by shifting from absolute animosity to absolute creeping.

08:46 Security Forces continue pursuing Majed Amhaz, implicated in Jdeide fighting on Monday.

8:15 MP Ammar Houry to VOL: Taef Accord is not sacred but consensus is needed for any amendment

Monday

21:45 French president Sakozy does not regret the dialogue with Syria and praised its 'positive' role in Lebanon

21:40 Pakradoni told OTV; Aoun's visit to Syria is an unprecedented event The reaction is mixed..some opposed and some supported the event

20:05 Fares Suaid told LBC : Aoun's visit only served the interest of the Syrian regime . The Syrians welcomed him knowing that such welcome robs Aoun of his popularity within Lebanon as a whole and the Christians in particular. The Syrians are mistaken... the representation of the Christians of the east is not the responsibility of the politicians . This is in reference to the fact that the Patriarch Nasrallah is the Christian leader in the east

20:04 Kanaan told LBC: Aoun did not bring up the Lebanese security issues with the Syrian authorities . any issue with Damascus has to be resolved in the national dialogue

19:37 Mayor of Boushriyeh told Lebanon files the incident was an individual issue not politically or sectarian motivated. The security forces are pursuing the culprits

19:23 Phalange party says Aoun's visit to Syria following his trip to Tehran strengthens the Iranian -Syrian axis but will not result any gains for Lebanon

18:35 Boushriyeh incident took place in a Street known as Kabathayat street ( troublemakers' street) and the security forces are deployed throughout the area

18:01 Voice of tomorrow: Boushriyeh incident has an emotional background

17:59 some members of the security forces were wounded in the Boushriyeh incident

17:30 PSP rejected charges by former minister Wiam Wahhab that its supporters had assaulted residents in Kfarhim on Sunday. The PSP leader Walid Jumblatt had instructed the party to hand over anyone involved in the Kfarhim incident to authorities. According to PSP Wahab instigated the incident when he brought along so many bodyguards during his visit to his sister

17:00: Five people were wounded in clashes between residents of al-Ruwaisat and New Jdeideh in northern Metn.

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