on the ruling majority that Hariri represents
The Free Patriotic Movement leader who at one time fought a war of liberation is allowing himself to be used as the front man for an organization whose loyalty is not for Lebanese sovereignty and independence but for its founders the Iranian Revolutionary Guards
In order to serve Iranian interests Hezbollah wants a powerless government that will allow it to remain a state within a state. Hezbollah is aware that it is politically incorrect to make these demands directly and this is why they are using Aoun . Aoun after all is indebted to Hezbollah , because without its help and support his share in the parliament may have been less than any of the other Christian leaders.
Hezbollah’s Foreign affairs representative Ammar Moussawi told French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that it will be possible to form a government only if Hariri satisfies Aoun . His statement is a solid proof that Aoun is armed by Hezbollah’s guns and is making these demands on behalf of Hezbollah
Yesterday I was asked : What is the solution
Israel has the solution if it wants a peaceful and stronger neighbor . If Israel really wants peace, it should withdraw completely from the Lebanese territories in Ghajar, Kfar Shouba and the Shebaa farms , stop violating Lebanese airspace and abide by UNSCR 1701, as president Suleiman said last week in Madrid . Once this is achieved the so called "resistance arms" of Hezbollah won’t be needed anymore and the Lebanese army will be the sole power responsible for defending Lebanon and maintaining internal security
But the question is does Israel want peace ? Unfortunately …no!
Israel depends on the US handouts . Once it has peace with its neighbors it will not be able to justify the $3 billion a year handout from the US in addition to the billions of funds raised every year in the US in support of Israeli security . Israel therefore is indirectly supporting the presence of Hezbollah in Lebanon and as long as the Hezbollah gun is pointed at the Lebanese people we cannot ever dream in Lebanon of ever having a strong, sovereign and truly independent state
Sunday
9:30 pm The challenger to President Hamid Karzai is considering boycotting the upcoming runoff if his demands are not met to remove the leaders of Afghanistan's election commission who he believes are biased
8:57 pm former president Gemayel : there are no indications that a solution is within reach for the current impasse
8:28 pm MP Boutros Harb : If the opinion of the people of this country is not taken into consideration then I have no other option but to defend their dignity
8:07pm Health Minister Khalifa told LBC: the swine flu vaccine will be in the local market within weeks and the doctors should seriously follow up the status of their patients
8:05pm LBC: Hariri asked Jumblatt to give up the ministry of public works in favor of Aoun but Jumblatt expressed reservation which prompted Hariri to look elsewhere for a solution to the impasse
5:30 the weight of the Lebanese Tabbouleh plate which broke all Guinness world records is 3557 kg or 7840 lbs yesterday Lebanon broke another Guinness world record with the largest Hummus plate ever
4:30pm : Jumblatt at Sofar: the political reality has given us a choice between the sea or the Arabian depth , meaning Syria and the Arab world and Syria has withdrawn from Lebanon and there is no more Anjar
4:10pm The PSP /SSNP reconciliation ceremony started at the municipality building in Sofar . MP walid Jumblatt , his son Taymour, Akram Shehayeb and Faisal Sayegh represented PSP while Assaad Hardan headed the delegation that represented SSNP
4:00pm Development and Liberation bloc MP Anwar Khalil: Lebanon is going through a very important and dangerous period. If the government is not formed in a week, dialogues and approaches should change.
4:00pm Reuters: A team from the UN nuclear watchdog inspected a nuclear site in Iran on Sunday that has heightened Western fears of a covert program to develop atomic bombs, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
3:23pm The Israeli government renewed for another year its financial support for 400 former members of the South Lebanese army
3:15pm The number of casualties of today’s bombings in Iraq has risen to 136 and another 520 were wounded
3:10pm MP George Adwan told LBC: Aoun’s political decision is a failure within the Christians. Tele-communications will not be his share and the Cabinet formation is due in a few days.
3:00pm Leader of the Democratic Gathering bloc Walid Jumblatt: The mountain’s unity is strengthened with its political variations. Unilateral decisions are no good and for this reason we will never take any unnilateral decisions
2:31pm Wiam Wahab : the next few hours will be decisive for government formation and awarding the ministries of education , justice , social work and agriculture to Aoun will solve the problem
2;12 pm MP Okab Sakr said in a Sunday interview on New TV that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri will not step down from his post, explaining, “The final decision pertaining to the cabinet formation has not been taken yet, but there is progress in the ongoing deliberations.”
2:10pm Head of the executive committee of Amal, Mohammed Nasrallah at a memorial service in Ghbeyre: A national-unity government is inevitable.
1:15pm Interior Minister Ziad Baroud told VOL: A unity government is inevitable. We are moving toward a (Cabinet) solution.
12:57pm 5 people were wounded in a traffic accident at a three-way intersection which leads to Kfar Rumman-Nabatiyeh-Habboush.
12:38pm Police arrested the man who shot and wounded Atiyeh and his sons. He was only identified as Ali A.I.
12:36pm A fight over a parking space in the town of Kafra led to a shootout in which Deeb Mohammed Atiyeh and his two sons were wounded.
11:50 Al-Manar : MP Ibrahim Kanaan that the meeting between FPM leader MP Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was very positive and that Aoun proposed to "limit" the swapping of ministerial portfolios to the Change and Reform bloc and the majority.
11:47 FM Fawzi Salloukh: Israeli threats should be addressed in U.N. reports. Domestic issues, however, should be settled by the Lebanese through consensus.
11:31 MP Oqab Saqr to New TV: The hours ahead are crucial regarding formation of a government which is likely to be announced at the end of the month.
10:53 Jamal Youssef Abdullah, 32, was shot and killed in Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabanneh neighborhood and Bassam Ibrahim al-Dishouri,33, was wounded in his leg near a resort area between Barbara and Jbeil.
10:18 MP George Adwan to LBC: We cannot ignore the election results of last June and the rights of the majority must be respected
10:15 President Obama today declared emergency in Puerto Rico and ordered Federal aid for the area struck by explosions and fire.
10:13 Hezbollah MP Hasan Fadlallah: We still encourage various political parties to find a way out around obstacles and settle all crises.
10:05 NYT: At least 30 people killed and dozens wounded in twin car bombs in central Baghdad, one of which was close to the ministry of justice
09:38 Kuwait newspaper Al Watan: the situation in Lebanon is worrying and the political vacuum may have dangerous consequences
9:30 The death toll from a train crash south of Cairo has reached 18, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, a day after the two Egyptian passenger trains collided.
9:30 Maronite Patriarch Sfeir: Any appointment in Beirut Municipality that does not take into account the sectarian balance has a negative impact on citizens.
9:00 Health Minister Khalife: Pregnant women should worry about swine flu. A death investigation is underway to determine the cause of death of a pregnant woman in Riyaq.
9:00 a pregnant lady who was sick with Swine Flu died today in Riyaq . The ministry of health is investigating her death
08:30 The new German government announced its intention to reduce its participation in the "UNIFIL"
08:29 sources: al-Moussawi told Kouchner that it will be possible to form a government if Hariri satisfies Aoun
08:26 "al Qabas ": delegates of "Amal" and "Hezbollah" will be visiting Syria at the end of the week
07:57 Hariri toured yesterday at the Francophone book fair and stressed the importance of culture and science
07:38 a high level delegation form the Phalange party begins today a visit to Washington to meet US state dept officials
07:12 opposition sources told al Hayat : Aoun is not insisting on ministry of communication, but a ministry that is equal in importance such as the Justice
06:46 Al Hayat: Assad told Suleiman that Damascus is serious in its call for speeding up the formation of the government
06:28 Rami el Rayyes : a reconciliation meeting between the "PSP " and "SSNP " in Sofar today to put an end to the issue of Nov 23, 2007
06:06 "An-Nahar": the Hariri and Aoun meeting did not resolve the dispute on portfolios
Saturday
11:40 pm The speaker for Iran's parliament says the proposal to ship out most of the country's uranium for refinement elsewhere is a trick meant to rob Iran of its nuclear fuel.
11:35 pm Thousands of people living on the outskirts of a burning fuel-storage site in Puerto Rico were urged to relocate Saturday to avoid toxic smoke still billowing from the fire. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Fifteen of 40 fuel tanks caught fire, and five were still burning Saturday afternoon, The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Fifteen of 40 fuel tanks caught fire, and five were still burning Saturday afternoon, Gov. Luis Fortuno said
11:10pm Daylight savings time ends in Lebanon at midnight Saturday
11;00pm The Pakistani army dealt a psychological blow to the Taliban yesterday after taking the home village of the insurgent leader Hakimullah Mehsud.
