While PM designate Saad Hariri is busy working out formulas for forming the new cabinet, Jumblatt is busy paving the way for Hariri by creating a calm atmosphere and reducing the tension in the country. Jumblatt is ready to do anything to help Hariri . He has reportedly told As Safir that he "does not mind" meeting Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun.
The meeting with Wahab took place at Jumblatt's residence in Clemenceau, while the meeting with Nasrallah was at unknown location because Nasrallah has been hiding ever since the 2006 war erupted
After what Nasrallah and Wahab did to Jumblatt on May 7, 2008, no one imagined that Jumblatt will ever reach out to these two
According to media reports there is one common thread in all these meetings : The Der Spiegel report in which Hezbollah was accused of being behind the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri, father of the PM designate Saad Hariri.
Jumblatt has reportedly information that confirms Hezbollah's involvement in the Hariri assassination exactly as was published in the Der Spiegal report and that The Special Tribunal (SPL) for Lebanon may issue an indictment against Hezbollah that will be duplicate to what was published in the Der Spiegal report.
Jumblatt's concern is that such a revelation could spell the end of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the search for the truth on who killed Hariri and all the 22 other anti- Syrian politicians
Jumblatt's other concern is that such a revelation could trigger an internal Sunni - Shiite civil war which could draw in the regional powers such as Iran, Israel and the Arab countries
Is this why Jumblatt is pushing for calm and reaching out to his arch rivals?
Wednesday
09:15 pm US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged Arab states to make immediate gestures toward Israel in a bid to improve prospects for Middle East peace.
06:45 pm Al-Awan Kuwaiti newspaper : MP Walid Jumblatt called for the revival of the coalition, composed of the Future Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party, Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, following the formation of the cabinet.
05:33pm President Suleiman: Lebanon has the right to defend itself against Israel’s threats. He condemned Israel's "rejection" of the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homeland.
03:16pm LBC: Lebanon experiencing mobile network problems past three hours. ALFA and MTC technical teams resolving the issue
2:05pm PM-designate Saad Hariri arrived in parliament to meet with Berri.
1:47pm Military examining magistrate Rashid Mizher asked for the death penalty for Marwan Kamel al-Faqih, in the first ruling against those accused of spying for Israel.
1:39pm U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said in a letter to Berri that he looks forward for stability and unity in Lebanon based on the Taef accord and international resolutions.
1:30pm Speaker Nabih Berri: Nothing prevents the new cabinet’s formation before end of this month. We are still within the normal timeframe to form the government.
12:58pm MP Nadim Gemayel visited the ambassadors of Norway, Greece, Jordan and Italy. He discussed with them projects that their countries are carrying out in Lebanon.
12:30 AFP: Palestinian Information Ministry suspends Al-Jazeera TV’s broadcast
12;25 pm Iranian plane on route from Tehran to Yerevan Armenia crashed near the city of Qazvin, northwest of Tehran with all 150 people onboard believed to be dead, according to official IRNA news agency
12:23 Speaker Nabih Berri begins deliberations with MPs at Nejmeh Square
12:15pm Caretaker PM Fouad Siniora met with Education Minister Bahia Hariri and discussed with her development projects in the Sidon region. Head of the Council for Development and Reconstruction Nabil al-Jisr also attended the meeting.
10:40 MP Nawwar al-Sahili: The opposition wants an active participation in cabinet. Hizbullah doesn’t want guarantees on its weapons because the issue is to be discussed on the dialogue table.
10:15 MP Michel Pharaon to Free Lebanon radio: Lebanese-Syrian dialogue is important after cabinet formation so that normal relations are established. We ask for not giving the opposition veto power which proved its failure in the last government.
10:00 MP Ibrahim Kanaan told Future News: The Change and Reform bloc explained its proposal to Hariri who has good intentions. There should be an understanding on national priorities.
10:00 Berri sources : the slowdown in government formation is due to freezing of the Saudi-Syrian talks concerning Lebanese and Arab issues in general
09:54 "Al Qabas": Important contacts took place between Berri and Hariri last night to remove the bottleneck of government formation
09:45 Secretariat of the March 14 forces will be holding a meeting this afternoon at its headquarters in Al-Ashrafiyah
09:35 Mousawi: The delay in the the announcement of the Government is natural and continuation of the policy of communication and openness is positive and in the interest of Lebanon
09:28 Berri sources: There is optimism that the government will see the light before the end of the month
09:18 67 wanted people arrested for committing criminal acts
09:10 Saltanov to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday evening for talks with Lebanese officials
08:53 President Suleiman will focus in Sharm el-Sheikh on the rejection the settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon on the importance of inter arab reconciliation and peace in the region
8:40 MP Farid al-Khazen told VOL: Cabinet formation is still within the normal timeframe. There is possibility for a meeting between MPs Michel Aoun and Walid Jumblatt. It comes as part of reconciliations.
8:30 MP Anwar al-Khalil told VOL: Consultations between Speaker Nabih Berri and PM-designate Saad Hariri are part of efforts to remove obstacles in order to form a unity cabinet that guarantees partnership for all.
08:20 Prices of gasoline are down by about 600 to 700 LL per Per 20 liters
7:32 Fatfat: A western ambassador told me on Tuesday night that MP Michel Aoun prefers a cabinet made up of 17 majority ministers and 13 opposition ministers, without any share for the president.PM-designate Saad Hariri is still in the grace period. He will seek for a national unity cabinet without the time pressure.
Tuesday
6:05pm President Michel Suleiman arrived at Sharm el-Sheikh where he is expected to meet President Hosni Mubarak and other leaders during the Non-Aligned Movement summit.
5:55pm Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with ‘Democratic Gathering’ parliamentary bloc leader MP Walid Jumblatt.
4:45pm President Michel Suleiman left Beirut for Sharm el-Sheikh to head Lebanon’s delegation at the Non-Aligned Movement summit.
4:10pm Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji received in Yerze a Hezbollah parliamentary delegation headed by MP Mohammed Raad to thank the military for securing the recent legislative elections.
4:00pm PM-Designate Hariri received MP Dori Chamoun and reviewed the latest developments with him.
3:50pm The Lebanese army and UNIFIL formed a committee to investigate this morning’s explosions at the Khirbit Silim region
03:17pm Gebran Bassil said after meeting Hariri: Proportionality does not violate the constitution
3:00pm PM-designate Hariri received Defense Minister Elias Murr in his house in downtown Beirut.
2:35pm PM-designate Hariri received Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil, as an envoy of FPM leader MP Michel Aoun. Discussions focused on government formation
1:46pm The Indictment Committee revoked its decision to stop the trial for 3 suspects in al-Madina Bank case.
1:15pm President Michel Suleiman meets Iranian ambassador Mohammed Riza Shibani at Baabda Palace.
