i want Layla Solh or Mikati.
Having Siniora back isn't a good choice.

i want Layla Solh or Mikati.
Having Siniora back isn't a good choice.

Layla: not even close to having enough experience
Mikati: syrian 3aw ... yea he held it together post-hariri, but only because he know his life depended on it

^^lol.are you saying that Siniora has enough experience ? are you saying that any of our politicians know what the word "politics" means?

Plus i don't think its fair to describe someone as a "syrian 3aw" just because he was neutral and bcz the Gvt at that time had a single goal ,which is to have the elections , that produced 14M(AKA Anti-Syria) as a majority in the Parliament.

...

^^ Anyone who is Aoun's nominee (Layla Solh) should concern us...

They nominated her koz they just hate Seniora,anyway,i think for the time being Seniora is the best choice,,I like Layla as well,but she's not really Experienced.SENIORA IS.

6:30 pm President Suleiman designated Fouad Saniora to from the new cabinet.

meh.. same ****.

^^Why??? he was gr8,didn't do anything wrong,and now that the opposition is IN the government, they won't cause troubles.

I don't even know who Layla is, but I support her because Lebanese women should have a more important role in politics, and having her as our PM would be a good opportunity to encourage women to involve in politics...

Leila is the daughter of Riyad Soloh , the first PM after Lebanon's independence.

^^Why shit???he was gr8,didn't do anything wrong,and now that the opposition is IN the government, they won't cause troubles.

It would have been better to see some changes, new symbols ,new people in charge .
anyway i wish him luck in these next tough 9 months.

^^ Then who is Walid bin Talal's mother?

^^Mona Soleh , Leila's sister.

^^Mona El-Solh is the daughter of PM Riad El-Solh

Is it just me or is bush fixing to make lebanon the next baghdad?
doesn't this sound like a lot of the same rhetoric we heard pre-iraq invasion?


JERUSALEM — Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff warned Thursday that the radical Islamic group Hezbollah "makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team," and poses the greatest threat to national security.

"Someone described Hezbollah like the A-team of terrorists in terms of capabilities, in terms of range of weapons they have, in terms of internal discipline," Chertoff told FOX News. "To be honest, they make Al Qaeda look like a minor league team.

"They have been more disciplined, and they've been in some senses more restrained in the kinds of attacks they carry out ... in recent years, but that's not something we can take for granted," he warned.

Chertoff, speaking before the opening of a two-day terrorism forum in Jerusalem, also warned of the threat of a terrorist smuggling a bomb aboard a passenger airplane.

"I don't think we're really worried about hijacking because we've put a lot of measures in place like a locked cockpit door, flight deck officers who have weapons and the air marshals," Chertoff told FOX News. "So the next threat becomes the bomb. Something that either a person takes on board themselves or smuggles into the cargo."


"One way we've addressed smuggling a bomb is by reducing the size of liquids you can bring on board," Chertoff said. "That was a direct result of learning terrorists had developed a way to disguise liquid explosives.

"The second thing we're in the process of doing is intensifying the degree of screening we use for baggage that goes into the cargo. Whether it comes from the passenger or is shipped from company. All of this is raising the level of defense," he said.

Hezbollah, which represents most of the Shia in Lebanon and whose related factions hold a combined 37 seats in parliament -- more than a quarter of the legislative body -- is openly dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

In a 2000 interview with the Washington Post, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said, "I am against any reconciliation with Israel. I do not even recognize the presence of a state that is called 'Israel.'"

Military analysts estimate Hezbollah's armed strength to be about 1,000 full-time highly trained members, with as many as 10,000 volunteers who openly patrol the streets of Beirut and other Lebanese towns.

The group's primary weapons are believed to consist of an arsenal of Russian- and home-made rockets, as well as arms supplied through Iran, the group's political and spiritual ally.

In addition to Chertoff, the two-day security forum, hosted by Israeli Minister of Internal Security Avraham Dichter, includes representatives of Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Italy, the United Kingdon and the Palestinian Authority.

Part of the agenda will cover the psychology of bombers and a demonstration by Israeli security experts of how to foil an airplane hijacking.

^^ Dont look too deeply into this...note he was speaking to an Israeli audience and this is what matters to them most.

Celebrations still going:
http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/elect2.jpg
http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/elect4.jpg
http://www.bloggingbeirut.com/images/may08/elect1.jpg

Iranian-Lebanese Forces Dispute Over Reports of Preparations to Assassinate Saniora
Iranian predictions of the assassination of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to use his death for political gain in the 2009 parliamentary elections drew resentment from some Lebanese politicians.
The report by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency quoted "observers" of Lebanese politics as saying that the motive behind efforts toward returning Saniora to the premiership "is to pave the way for his assassination and then use his blood to (achieve political gain) in the coming elections."

The sources hinted that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea could have an interest in killing Saniora "just as he used martyr Rafik Hariri's blood."

Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra quickly responded to Fars' accusations, saying he demands to refer this issue to both Lebanese and international judiciaries.

Zahra urged Saniora to "be cautious," and called on Lebanese security forces to take Fars' report "seriously."

"It has been known that each time a Lebanese personality is assassinated, fingers are pointed at us – Lebanese Forces or March 14 Forces," Zahra said in a statement.

"This agency (Fars), just as Sham Press and others, is known for making up excuses (to launch) security operations that are being prepared by its own groups," Zahra added.



Beirut, 30 May 08, 08:37

^^Disgusting... :ohno:

Sarkozy coming to Lebanon in mid-June
Published: Friday, 30 May, 2008 @ 5:42 AM in Beirut (GMT+2)

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/05/30/siniora-%20sarkozy%203.jpg

Beirut / Paris - According to the " Le Canard Enchaine " newspaper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be visiting Lebanon in mid-June to Lebanon to congratulate Michel Suleiman on his election as president of the republic and to meet key officials

The newspaper has also revealed that the Secretary-general of the Elysee Palace Claude Gueant will visit Beirut soon to prepare for the visit of Sarkozy.

The newspaper quoted sources at the Elysee that Gueant will be meetings with all Lebanese officials and even with officials from Hezbollah.


Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday received a phone call from Sarkozy to praise him for his efforts that helped Doha agreement between Lebanese factions succeed according to official Syrian news agency, "SANA."

The agency which is owned by the Syrian government said that Sarkozy praised during the conversation, "the tireless efforts made by President al-Assad for the success of the Doha agreement and the election of the President by the Lebanese parliament ."

France was very critical of Syria's role , when French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner tried to intervene to end the political crises

Photo: French President Nicolas Sarkozy ( L ) Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora ( R) and Minister Marwan Hamade (C)

Breaking News: The Lebanese army shot and killed a suicide bomber who tried to blow himself up at an army checkpoint next to the Ein el Helweh Palestinian refugee camp, near Sidon south Lebanon, according to NBN TV

^^ ALLA LA YREEDO!

Sanioura is working to address the positions of women in politics :banana::banana::banana:

^^how? in what context ? he was talking abt the new gvt?

^^ yup, nayla m3awad spoke with him, but she wouldn't release details .. she did mention it was related to women in government and that he would soon be dealing with it

- also, Ass-ad is coming to visit to congratulate Sleiman :bash::bash::bash:

- American gov't rep is in lebanon working on giving more arms to the army

- LBC just showed blury picture of the terrorist who died
Mahmoud Yassin Ahmad, 28, Palestinian carrying 3 KG of explosives ... 2nd attempt on army today, the earlier one killed 1 soldier Ousama Ahmad Hassan, born 1984, soldier since 2006 with previous injuries in war
http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/image.asp?id=24711

Correction:

Yes, I am aware of the historic context but I am talking in the if-clause! A strong external power would have helped to keep all evil forces at bay and probaly have helped to neutralize them and so Lebanon could have only concentrated upon the economy. As I said without the wars your country would surely be the best country in the entire MENA region, economically better than Israel (apart from the small oil-rich kingdoms).
Algeria was a whole different story, it was a colony, not a protectorate! One needs to differentiate between a colony, a protectorate and overseas terrirories (like Réunion, Bermuda, the French West Indies etc.). I am talking of a "free" country (no oppression!!!), I am alluding to external protection...something like Hong Kong...the country prospered tremendously well and Hong Kong people achieved a very high standard of living when the country got entirely independent in 1997, it was a soft landing for Hong Kong. Local subjects could act freely and make business and communist China would have NEVER tried to intrude upon British territory at that time.

I know all is history and hence unalterable...I also know that these are sensitive topics but maybe you know what I am alluding, too. I have two friends from Lebanon whom I met when I lived in Abidjan (Côte d´ivoire). I know how creative and hard-working Lebanese people are and I feel sorry for all what you had to go through...it is unfair!!!

Algeria was not just a colony, it was an overseas territory till 1962, and Algerians was considered French till 1967. Algeria was divided to three departments:

Alger: the department of number 91 of France now this number is assigned to Essonne after 1963.
Oran: the department of number 92 of France now this number is assigned to Hauts-de-Seine after 1963.

Constantine: the department of number 93 of France now this number is assigned to Seine-Saint-Denis after 1963.

Algiers was the capital of the Free France during the world war after the German took over France.

Confirmed : Sarkozy Going to Lebanon Next Saturday,Followed by Ass-ad the week after.

GO GO SARKO !!!

^^ I like Sarkozy , Hope it's not just a visit to congratulate Sleiman. Wanna see some Serious Relationship Between the Two countries.

How can Ass-ad come??? seriously?

I agree..Assad coming? That would be horrible. It would show the world and the lebanese that HZ won and hes confirming it. Plus i seriously dont think Siniora or Hariri will be there.

dunno i guess its ok , inno he will come , where is the problem ..

he'll be the 1st syrian president to visit lebanon and therefor consider lebanon as STATE independant of Syria

^^No .. he visited Lebanon in the Past years ... but we were under his occupation so now it's different ... but i dont see anything wrong about him coming since i v heard that the first meeting with the 2 president will announce opening embassies ..
anyway the president's "ppl" denied any upcoming visit foe Assad to Beirut//

^^"president's people"? it was confirmed by officials :S

الاسد يزور بيروت في النصف الثاني من حزيران
ويبدأ تحركا لرأب الصدع في العلاقات العربيــة

المركزية - علمت "المركزية" من مصادر مطلعة ان الرئيس السوري بشار الاسد سيزور بيروت في النصف الثاني من شهر حزيران لتقديم التهانئ للرئيس العماد ميشال سليمان في قصر بعبدا في خطوة تعكس اهمية اتفاق الدوحة في الداخل والخارج في آن، وتؤكد على الدور القطري في اعادة وصل ما انقطع في العلاقات العربية - العربية بفعل الازمة اللبنانية وتداعياتها السلبية على اكثر من مستوى وبين اكثر من دولة حتى وصلت الامور الى تراشق علني بين ممثليها.
وتأتي الخطوة السورية البالغة الدلالة بعد الزيارة التي قام بها امير قطر حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني الى دمشق حيث اجتمع الى الرئيس الاسد وكان عرض لملف العلاقات العربية - العربية عموما والسورية - اللبنانية خصوصا ووجوب فتح صفحة جدبدة تضع حدا لتراكمات سلبيات المرحلة الماضية، اضافة الى مناخ عربي مشجع ظهر في الآونة الاخيرة وتجلى برغبة سعودية ومصرية وقطرية بعودة المياه الى مجاريها في اقنية العلاقات العربية، خصوصا بعد نجاح الوساطة القطرية في انهاء الازمة اللبنانية التي شكلت خطوة الانتخابات الرئاسية اولى مراحل اختبارها وهي ستنسحب بحسب الاجواء على مختلف بنود الاتفاق ليشكل معبرا لاصلاح ما انكسر بين بعض الدول العربية.
وفي هذا الاطار يبدأ الاسد بصفته رئيسا للقمة العربية حركة وفاقية اقليمية في الاتجاه المذكور حيث يزور الامارات العربية المتحدة ثم الكويت كخطوة اولى على درب تعزيز هذه العلاقات وإنهاء الشوائب التي اعترت تحديدا العلاقات السورية - السعودية والسورية - المصرية.

^^ who confirmed it? i heard on LBC that it's not yet confirmed .. i hope im wrong though a visit like that would be great

U cant always trust "al masadir l moutali3a"

A demand by Lebanon's highest Shiite authority Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan to create a new Shiite Vice President post drew prompt rejection, particularly from Christian leaders.
Former President Amin Gemayel expressed fears that such a suggestion was tantamount to "crowning a substitute state and a new regime being set up by Hizbullah in Lebanon."

Gemayel said Qabalan's demand was a violation of the Lebanese Covenant.

"How can we suggest any amendments when there is one party heavily armed with potentials that surpass that of the state?" Gemayel asked.

Meanwhile, MP Butros Harb also believed that Qabalan's demand was a breach of the constitution "since there is nothing in the constitution called Vice President post."

"This is a demand that cannot be fulfilled," Harb said.

Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, however, said Qabalan's suggestion "came at the wrong time."

"The new climate aimed at strengthening coexistence leaves no room for badly timed suggestions," Adwan said. "Now is not the time for that."

That is the most stupidest thing I have ever herd ! ...... A Vice President what is the bloody pourpose of one ! There is a Head of State and a Head of Goverment.... Lebanon dosent need some Vice President floating about.

Nord Liban: Le Fatah al-Islam revendique l'attaque contre un poste de l'armée

Dans un communiqué adressé à l’ANI, le groupuscule terroriste Fatah al-Islam a revendiqué l’attentat ayant coûté la vie à un soldat libanais la semaine dernière à Abdeh au Nord Liban. Les autorités militaires libanaises enquêtent actuellement sur la présence de 3 autres charges qui n’ont pas explosé à l’intérieur du poste de l’armée libanaise.

Selon ce communiqué, cette attaque intervient en riposte à l'opération de l'armée libanaise contre le camp de réfugiés palestiniens de Nahr el-Bared où s'était réfugié le groupuscule terroriste l'année dernière. Des combats avaient fait rage entre le 22 mai et le 2 septembre suite à une opération des forces de sécurité intérieure qui avait perquisitionné à Tripoli le domicile d'un membre de ce groupuscule soupçonné d'être impliqué dans le cambriolage d’une filiale locale de la Bank Med, appartenant à la famille de l'ancien Premier ministre Rafic Hariri. Le groupuscule terroriste que les services de renseignement désignaient comme étant lié à Al-Qaida ont alors égorgé 27 militaires libanais en charge de la surveillance du camp durant leur sommeil, provoquant une riposte militaire.

Vidé de ses 30 000 habitants, le camp palestinien a alors été le théâtre durant deux mois des opérations militaires, une première pour l'armée libanaise depuis la signature des accords du Caire en 1969, et pourtant abrogé en 1987, empêchant l'institution militaire libanaise d'entrer dans les camps palestiniens.

À l'issue des combats qui ont fait 170 morts dans les rangs de l'armée libanaise et un nombre estimé de 220 militants islamistes, le dirigeant du groupuscule terroriste Chaker Abssi a disparu, alors que son numéro II avait été tué à un barrage de l'armée libanaise à Tripoli. Deux cent combattants islamistes ayant été arrêtés se trouvent actuellement à la prison de Roumieh, tandis que la justice libanaise a lancé un mandat d'arrêt international contre Chaker Abssi alors que certaines sources estiment qu’il se trouve toujours Liban.
L’attentat ayant visé un poste de l'armée libanaise à Abdeh au Nord Liban samedi matin intervient alors qu'un kamikaze a été abattu le même jour dans l’après-midi par l'institution militaire à proximité du camp d’Ein Helwé au Sud Liban.

Des sources sécuritaires libanaises ont indiqué que ce kamikaze serait originaire d'un pays du golfe et aurait réagi sous les ordres de l'organisation terroriste internationale Al-Qaida.

actully.... I think I read something similer to that on Naharnet

Assad will announce in Lebanon the exchange of ambassadors

Beirut- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has decided to turn his visit to Lebanon into a historic event when he visits president Michel Suleiman to congratulate him on his election

According to As Safir newspaper he intends to announce the normalization of the relations between Lebanon and Syria including a declaration of establishing diplomatic , the establishment of embassies in both capitals and the exchange of ambassadors.

Assad who was planning to visit Lebanon around mid June , decided to postpone his trip till the end of his Arab tour. Assad, who arrived in Abu Dhabi Sunday, is due to visit Kuwait today. During his visit to the UAE he met with UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan and went to Dubai to meet with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, Dubai ruler andthe UAE vice president and Prime Minister.

Assad said in the UAE: "Syria strongly supported the Doha agreement," and that he "personally was concerned that the recent Lebanese crisis will spark a civil war and this will negatively affect Syria too". Assad also said "There is no problem between Syria and each of Egypt and Saudi Arabia and denied there is any Syrian initiative to meet with Egypt and Saudi Arabia to clarify the Damascus position and to remove the misunderstanding regarding Lebanon noting that "differences in views is only natural and that there is no need for mediation between brothers."

Ahmed Yassin , a Lebanese political analyst told Ya Libnan: "If As Safir's story is true this will be a historic and positive development in the Lebanese-aSyrian relations and it is a move in the right direction." He added: "Until now Syria does not recognize Lebanon as a free, independent and sovereign nation. He continued "Assad'd father former president Hafez al Assad used to say Lebanon and Syria are one country with 2 separate governments "

The Syrian goverment is denyign a visit...and today they are saying that they will meet at a Eurpoean conference on the sidelines...Who knows whats right.

Preparations for the visit

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/ArabicMainPagePictures/france-exclusive.jpg

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/ArabicMainPagePictures/France-Leb-EX.jpg

Sarko au Liban

http://nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/ArabicMainPagePictures/sarko-airport.jpg
http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/07/sarkozy%20suleiman%20front.jpg
http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/07/sarkozy%20suleiman%20%2C%20national%20anthems.jpg
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) and his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman listen to their national anthems after arriving at Beirut airport June 7, 2008.


http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/07/sarkozy%20suleiman%20lunch.jpg
President Suleiman ( standing) hosts a lunch in honor of President Sarkozy , his delegation at the Baabda Republican palace


http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/07/sarkozy%20suleiman%20toast.jpg
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman (R) and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy make a toast during an official lunch at the Presidential Palace in Baabda June 7, 2008

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/07/sarkozy%20-%20french%20community%20in%20lb.jpg
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (C)is surrounded by the French delegation and French community in Lebanon as they sing their national anthem at the French Embassy in Beirut June 7, 2008

Suleiman: Shebaa Farms are Lebanese and we can prove it

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/10/shebaa%20map%2C%20Kfarshouba.jpg

Published: Tuesday, 10 June, 2008 @ 2:40 PM in Beirut (GMT+2)

Beirut- President Michel Suleiman has said that Lebanon will present new documents to the United Nations which will prove that the Israeli-occupied Shebaa farms area is Lebanese, a move that could activate diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a solution to the issue.

Suleiman did not reveal if these documents were always present at the presidential palace ( even when president Lahoud was there ) or newly discovered .

Suleiman made the announcement to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband who was on a visit to Lebanon on Monday.

Media reports on Tuesday said the newly-elected president also stressed to Miliband Lebanon's right to regain its sovereignty over the Shebaa farms zone and Kfarshouba hills.

Lebanese sources told Al Hayat on Monday that the Shebaa Farms issue was also discussed during talks between Suleiman and French President Nicolas Sarkozy over the weekend.

The sources said Suleiman saw an Israeli withdrawal from the area "would pave the way for a defense strategy agreement among the Lebanese and a settlement of the (Hezbollah) arms issue."

An Nahar daily on Tuesday quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the British Foreign Secretary promised Lebanese leaders during his visit to Beirut that he will discuss the Shebaa issue with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon in London next week.

The sources said that Miliband will talk with Ban on ways to convince Israel to withdraw from the farms area after Suleiman revealed that Lebanon had new documents proving the identity of Shebaa.

Miliband asked Suleiman to send copies of the documents to the British government, according to the sources.

"As a member of the U.N. Security Council, we are fully committed to play our part and to urge others to do so in ensuring that all of Resolution 1701 is put into practice, including the Shebaa Farms issue," Miliband said Monday.

Resolution 1701 brought an end to a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006 and called for the U.N. secretary general to make a proposal for the delineation of the disputed Shebaa Farms area.

Israel occupied Shebaa Farms in the 1967 war when it took it from Syria along with the Golan Heights. This is why the UN has considered Shebaa a Syrian territory and did not include it inside the Blue Line for Lebanon ( see map) . But the area is all owned by Lebanese and Syria reportedly used it during the 1967 war in its defense against Israel. Syria did tell the UN verbally that Shebaa is Lebanese , but the Syrians never provided the UN with the proof of ownership.

According to Samir Maalouf , a Political analyst : "Shebaa is a deliberately-crafted Syrian pretext for sponsoring paramilitary attacks against Israel ... was used before 2005 as a justification for its occupation of Lebanon and since 2005 it used it for its proxy fights against Israel through Hezbollah, without any consideration for Lebanon"

EDIT
Someone posted the article elsewhere

^^ sorry didn't know where else to post that

Opposition Christian leaders were preparing to launch a new group --the "Christian National Gathering."
The announcement was made after a meeting in Rabiyeh on Tuesday at the residence of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.

The Gathering aims at "drafting a national policy to maintain unity and coexistence among Christians in their homeland, Lebanon, and their openness to the world."

The Christian National Gathering groups, in addition to Aoun, Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh, ex-Phalange party chief Karim Pakradouni, Tashnag boss Hovig Moukhtarian and cabinet minister Elie Skaff.

The Gathering will hold its first meeting on July 4.

________________________________________________________

:bash:

^^Well,their sep indicates how weak they became,koz aoun wouldn't make it alone in the upcoming parliamentary elections,he needs this bigger image,but in vain,christians of Lebanon have always been pro-Lebanon and they always will be.

Beirut- Lebanon's Former Prime minister Omar Karami a key member of the Hezbollah-led opposition criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and accused him of seeking to change the Prime Minister's position into "an office clerk."

Karami made his remarks during a press conference to respond to Aoun's suggestions on amending the authority and power of the prime minster

Karami said Aoun's suggestion is aimed at "stripping the prime minister of all the powers gained by the Taef accord." He added "This is totally unacceptable."

Similarly , Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is closely associated with the opposition, expressed his "shock and great surprise" at Aoun's statements on the powers of the prime minister.

"I was surprised General Aoun's demands for an amendment of the powers of the prime minister and his request that the government amend these powers, which prompts me to wonder about the real reasons that drive him to raise the subject," Mikati said in a statement on Monday.

Mikati added that the request contradicts the constitution, which stipulates that the prime minister was responsible for monitoring the work of various departments and public institutions, coordinating ministerial tasks, and providing general guidance as per article 64.

"I wish General Aoun would not raise such sensitive topics, but seek to bring together the Lebanese," he added.

Even Speaker Nabih Berri a key ally of Hezbollah-led opposition was very blunt today about Aoun's suggestions . "Aoun's proposal for the government is not applicable.... There is no such thing as sovereign ministries ...these existed before Taef accord when the president held the executive authority" Berri told reporters after meeting with the president at the Baabda palace

Ya Libnan

_________________________________________________

Looks like Aoun is getting on everyones nerves now.

Exile: How can they say that Sheba Farms are not Lebanese?
Published: Saturday, 21 June, 2008 @ 7:50 PM in Beirut (GMT+2)

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/06/09/shebaa%20FARMS.jpg

Beirut- The simmering dispute is now back in the international spotlight after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during a visit to Beirut on Monday, called for an end to the standoff.

Mohammad Hammoudi hasn't seen his home village in the disputed Shebaa Farms since it was occupied by Israel more than 40 years ago, but says he remembers every nook and cranny.

"I know every inch of the Farms because I covered every one of them when I was a teenager. How can they say that they are not Lebanese," asked 56-year-old Hammoudi, whose family fled after Israel seized the territory during the 1967 Middle East war.

The Shebaa Farms land is located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel. Israel seized the Farms from Syria at the same time it captured the nearby Golan Heights, which it later annexed.

Ever since, the Farms have been caught in a tug-of-war over ownership. Lebanon claims them, with the backing of Damascus, while Israel says they are part of Syria.

The simmering dispute is now back in the international spotlight after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during a visit to Beirut on Monday, called for an end to the standoff.

"The United States believes that the time has come to deal with the Shebaa Farms issue... in accordance with (UN Security Council Resolution) 1701," Rice said after discussing it with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

Resolution 1701 brought an end to a devastating 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in summer 2006 and called for the UN secretary general to propose a border demarcation for the Shebaa Farms.

Hammoudi, who is now an official with the Shebaa municipality, said, "We are optimists."

"It is the first time that attention has been seriously focused on the issue," he said of Rice's comments.

For Hammoudi and other people from Shebaa, there is no doubt that the stretch of land belongs to Lebanon, even if Israel disagrees.

"Our farms, our land and our animals used to be our lifeblood," Hammoudi said.

"There are thousands of people originally from Shebaa who own properties in the Farms," Hammoudi said, adding they had documentation to support the claims, some of which date back to the Ottoman period.

Israel occupied southern Lebanon for nearly 20 years until withdrawing its troops in 2000, but it remained in the Shebaa Farms. The United Nations ruled that the withdrawal from Lebanon was complete and that the Farms were Syrian. It has not revisited the issue despite protests from Beirut.

In March 2008, Lebanese geographer Issam Khalifeh published a book replete with documents that he said proved the Farms were Lebanese, including a 1946 deal in which Damascus recognized Lebanon's sovereignty over the territory.

A Lebanese source close to the issue said that minutes from the meetings held between Lebanese and Syrian officials in 1946 have been translated and sent to the United Nations and the superpowers.

Attached to the report was a map with 48 border markers but Syria has refused to let this paperwork be sent to the United Nations, a crucial step in recognition of an international border, Khalifeh said.

"Syria wants to use the Shebaa Farms as a pawn in negotiations to recover the Golan Heights," Hammoudi said.

And last week, newly elected Lebanese President Michel Sleiman also spoke of "new documents which proved the Lebanese ownership of the Shebaa Farms."

Confusion over the borders dates back to 1923 when Britain and France, who held League of Nations mandates over the territories now comprising Israel, Lebanon and Syria failed to clearly outline their borders.

"I would really love to go there," said Ali Nabaa, an electrician in his 30s. "If there was a withdrawal (by Israel) we would go back straightaway, even if there were mines."

"Israel has probably transformed the countryside, which will pose some problems because even if the people have old documents, their farms were never officially registered," he added.

Farmer Kassem Kaadan, 71, adores his little orchard in Shebaa but it pales into insignificance compared with the two hectares (five acres) of land in the Farms that he inherited from his father.

"We planted olives, plums, almonds, blackberries and corn. It is a very rich soil," Kaadan said.

Lebanon has accused Israel of refusing to return the Farms in order to benefit from the region's bountiful natural resources, particularly the water which is a scarce commodity.

According to officials, there are 23 natural water sources in the Farms.

The area which rises to 2,000 meter peaks also holds strategic and military importance, Khalifeh said, adding that the Israelis have also set up a ski lift and operate hotels in the Farms.

"The sophisticated Mount Hebron radar station [at 2,814 meters] is of major importance to Israel because from there it can monitor events from Gaza as far as Alexandretta," the geographer said.

Despite the problem remaining unresolved for decades, Hammoudi has new optimism that a solution will be found.

"We have much hope. Some people even think that a withdrawal could take place this summer."

The UN decided in 2000 that it was not Lebaneses territory despite farmer Kaadan strong objection and a map drawn on a toilet paper which was given to him by his great uncle's barber. Due to the criminal gangs that curently leads Israel legal problems, there is a great chance the Farms will be retured to Lebanon, Croatia, Mongolia or who ever is promisses to keep it as a headline for a few weeks and to avoide focusing Olmert's and his his boshevik wife, half a dozen or so masssive curroption and bribery scams. Hezbolla of course is not going to lay their weapons even if given the Farmsas there is an Issue of 1 villages inside Israel hat they claim belong to Lebanon and the fact
that thet already run Lebanon and don't have to listen to the Christian, Druze Sunny and Israeli losers.

Hezzbollah will probably use the area in the future to cut access to the western side of Mount hermon to nutralize Israels monitoring stations in the event of a war with Syria.
In that event Lebanon will be pumeled (again) and Lebanese will appear on the Israel SSC bitching about Israel's use of excessive force while Israelis respond with "why did you have to start another war"; non realizing that its their both combined incerdible stupity is the casue for their problems. Of course Non will take responsibility for their idiocity or ever bother learn from their mistakes.

^^ The farms are historically lebanese in the sense that the people who owned them and lived in the village payed their taxes to Beirut and not to Syria.

The whole thing was born out of a french colonial mistake (typical colonial ignorance) before WW2 when both Syria and Lebanon were under french domination.

But it's not like the occupation of the Golan heights is justified either.

You know, saying delirious and extremist provocative stuff (Bolchevik Olmert for example) does not make you seem "tough" or whatever you want to others to consider you, it just makes you sound like a fool Alon.

edit, double post

^^ The farms are historically lebanese in the sense that the people who owned them and lived in the village payed their taxes to Beirut and not to Syria.

The whole thing was born out of a french colonial mistake (typical colonial ignorance) before WW2 when both Syria and Lebanon were under french domination.

But it's not like the occupation of the Golan heights is justified either.

You know, saying delirious and extremist provocative stuff (Bolchevik Olmert for example) does not make you seem "tough" or whatever you want to others to consider you, it just makes you sound like a fool Alon.

Colonial mistake :)
You do realize that the whole current middle east including Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Iraq (and other 20 countries) was drawn with ruler between a French and a British officer. Before WWI Syria and Lebanon didn't exist if we are already keeping score. We can undo the mistake and return back to the Otman if you wish?
Olmert has followed every step of the way imn accordance with his wife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliza_Olmert) political agenda. She is a communist and so is his daughter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Olmert).
We been through that before Eclips, Just because you are a socialist doesn't mean you can revise history to feet your views.

The occupation of the Golan is not justified from what point?
From a legal point? internatioanl point or from the will of Israelis not
to be shooting ducks for the army of one of the middle east most barbaric
dictatorships.

I not trying to be tough, I'm explaining to both Left wing Israelis that are willing to give land in return for war like the hezzbollah and hamas examples
and the Arabs that want the meaningless Sheeba farms so bad they don't
understand the destruction and death it will bring them.

I'm trying to encourage tought and foresite and not the idiocity that would lead to war. As a supporter of the Israeli left, and the death and distruction they broguht, I would recommend you take a sit and learn a thing or two,
if not for your own sake then at least fout of respect for the 2,000 dead Israelis that your philosophy is responsible for.

destruction and death it will bring them? what are you talking about? why will the return of the shebaa farms bring death and destruction?

destruction and death it will bring them? what are you talking about? why will the return of the shebaa farms bring death and destruction?

Because it will be used by HA to attack the Israeli RADAR monitoring stations
on the mountain above. The response for HA asaault would be similar to the one of summer 2006. Why would anyone want a repeat?

^^ if shebaa is given back to its rightful owners, the radio station will have to be dismantled and moved... so will the ski resort ... and lebanon will get our water back ... besides, if they wanted to hit the radio station, they would've done it a long time ago, dontcha think?

Yes,especially from the Lebanese high slopes of mount Hermon,north to that staton

http://assafir.com/Article.aspx?EditionId=970&articleId=2193&ChannelId=22036

VERY interesting (don't forget to click on the 'mazid min al sowar' below the graph)

^^ if shebaa is given back to its rightful owners, the radio station will have to be dismantled and moved... so will the ski resort ... and lebanon will get our water back ... besides, if they wanted to hit the radio station, they would've done it a long time ago, dontcha think?

The Radar (not Radio) station are on Mount Hermon, the Shaaba farm are southwest of it and are closer to the fortification on Mount Dov that protect the Western route to Mount Hermon, HA did fire rockets into the Radar station and in the Summer 2006 it targeted Radar stations deep in the Galilee near Tzafat. That was ineffective and either way the HA will not capture the Mountain, that task is up to Syrian Comandos. The HA job is to block access to Israeli reinforcments from the Mount Dov elivated position that is currently under the IDF control.

http://assafir.com/Article.aspx?EditionId=970&articleId=2193&ChannelId=22036

VERY interesting (don't forget to click on the 'mazid min al sowar' below the graph)

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/2930/stat2xy9.png

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/5040/statmm4.png

wow..just wow

09 is comming.

^^ what does it say?

(june08)
27,1% of the Lebanese think that no one of the politicians is a true leader.
12%Nesrallah is.
11,3% Michel Aoun is.
9,7%Saad Hariri is.
10,2%Berry is.
just notice the difference between 06 and 08.



78,4% don't trust politicians
14,8%don't know whether to trust or not
6,8% do trust them.

Is it such a surprise after what happened?

^^No ,it's natural for both camps to loose support after all that nonsense.
but what I was surprised at is how Nesrallah's population went straight down ,afterall he was seen as a god or sth.

(june08)
27,1% of the Lebanese think that no one of the politicians is a true leader.
12%Nesrallah is.
11,3% Michel Aoun is.
9,7%Saad Hariri is.
10,2%Berry is.
just notice the difference between 06 and 08.



78,4% don't trust politicians
14,8%don't know whether to trust or not
6,8% do trust them.

Almost as bad as what Israelis think about their elected officials (sorry, couldn't bring my self to call them leaders).

^^ yea u guys can definitely relate after what happened today

Nabih Berri is the only one that saw a spike ... I wonder if it's because a lot of shias are sick of nasrallah and opted for him as the lesser of both evils

^^ yea u guys can definitely relate after what happened today

Nabih Berri is the only one that saw a spike ... I wonder if it's because a lot of shias are sick of nasrallah and opted for him as the lesser of both evils

LOL
I tought you ment what happened today in Israel, when the Coalition parnters recieved bribes from Olmert ($450 Million to the least senior partner) to avoid national election and have Olmert resign. After winning yet again Olmert announced that now he will run for the leadership of his criminal group,
despite strong objection from all parties in the Knesset.

Seems we r going to have a new cabinet today guys :)

Inshallah..they agreed on the portfolios now they are discussing names.

^^ Yes,but it's not today :( Hopefully Tomorrow though :)

shou tabe5 ammo fouad la l bayen ?:D

The new gvt will be declared in the comming days,hopefully.

Up to now :

Bahia Hariri-Education
Mohammed Khalife-Health
Wael Abu Faour- Information
Tarik Mitri-Culture
Ziad Baroud-Interior
Nehme Tomeh-Displaced
Alain Taborian-Energy
Mario Aoun-Social Affairs
Fawzi Salloukh-Foreign Affairs
Talal Sahili-Industry
Gebran Bassil-Telecommunications
Mohamad Fneish-Labor
Ghazi Aridi-Public works
Elias Skaf-Agriculture
Assem Kanso-Youth and Sports

Ghazi Aridi For Public works ???? NOOOOOOO , i want him for MEDIA :(

Wein Nayla ?? :D

^^still not the final formation,there are still plenty of other ministries for M14.
nayla ?halla2? 3al moto! :D

^^ :rofl:

Kan baddy yaha waziret 5arjeyye :)

la2 brabbak la2 :rofl:

^^ :lol: ok, 5alas :D

But only one female minister?? :bash: Chou haida ??????? :bash: Wein ayyoha al lubnanyat wal lubnanyoun ???

you know ..we can write to the president, ask him,talk to him , but i doubt he reads our letters anyhow:ohno:
www.presidency.gov.lb

^^ i did write b4 o Emile Lahoud :lol:

The new gvt will be declared in the comming days,hopefully.

Up to now :

Bahia Hariri-Education
Mohammed Khalife-Health
Wael Abu Faour- Information
Tarik Mitri-Culture
Ziad Baroud-Interior
Nehme Tomeh-Displaced
Alain Taborian-Energy
Mario Aoun-Social Affairs
Fawzi Salloukh-Foreign Affairs
Talal Sahili-Industry
Gebran Bassil-Telecommunications
Mohamad Fneish-Labor
Ghazi Aridi-Public works
Elias Skaf-Agriculture
Assem Kanso-Youth and Sports

You mean Ali Kanso leader of the PSNS (2awmiyyeh), Assem Kanso (Frankenstein) is the leader of the Syrian Baas in Lebanon.

^^assem or ali ,same ****.
where you've got this from?

:badnews: CRAP...... Ali Anso???!!!! 5arjou ykoun ma33ez mish wazir
and dont we deserve a Foreign Affairs minister who can at least speak English :ohno:

^^assem or ali ,same ****.
where you've got this from?

L'Orient-Le-Jour

Voici la dernière liste qui circulait hier dans les milieux politiques.
- Les portefeuilles du 14 Mars
Fouad Siniora-Premier ministre et ministre des Finances
Bahia Hariri-Éducation
Samir Jisr-Justice
Ghazi Aridi-Travaux publics
Ghattas Khoury-Économie
Waël Bou Faour-Information
Élie Marouni-Tourisme
Antoine Karam-ministre d’État
Talal Makdessi-ministre d’État
Mohammad Safadi, Jean Oghassabian, Tammam Salam et Michel Pharaon figurent parmi les personnalités « ministrables », mais les portefeuilles qui leur seraient impartis n’ont pas été précisés.
Une personnalité chiite deviendrait ministre au sein du bloc de la Rencontre démocratique si Talal Arslane venait à être désigné ministre par le Hezbollah.
- La « part » du président de la République, Michel Sleiman :
Ziyad Baroud-Intérieur
Élias Murr-Défense
- Les portefeuilles du CPL :
Gebrane Bassil-Télécommunications
Mario Aoun-Affaires sociales
Élias Skaff-Agriculture
Alain Tabourian-Énergie
Issam Abou Jamra-Vice-Premier ministre
- Les portefeuilles du Hezbollah :
Mohammad Fneich-Travail
Ali Kanso-Jeunesse et Sports
Le Hezb a droit à un total de trois portefeuilles, mais le troisième n’a toujours pas été précisé. De source informée, on indique qu’il pourrait se voir attribuer le portefeuille des Déplacés qui reviendrait à Talal Arslane. Dans ce cas, Michel Pharaon, grec-catholique, serait ministre d’État.
- Les portefeuilles du bloc Amal :
Mahmoud Berry ou Faouzi Salloukh-Affaires étrangères
Mohammad Jawad Khalifé-Santé

Just one female minister ??? :bash:

Come on, Hassoun, Lebanon is a macho country ;)

That's really retarded and discriminating .... we should have a female quota or something
they spoke of such thing for the MPs election but we should have it in ministers too

^^ what really pisses me off is Aoun,lol,2al esla7 2al :bash: he should put one female minister at least.at least 14 azar put a female minister.

^^ Naila still has a chance :)

Come on, Hassoun, Lebanon is a macho country ;)

yea..that's why politics are so messed up in this country:mad:

Nayla should stay at home and cook, honestly

^^ Naila still has a chance :)

chou naila...
we want new faces.. new spirits that can change...

there is Gilberte Zouein from Aoun's gang..ive never heard her voice before!
http://www.zouein.net/New_Folder/Gilberte.jpg
Marada official , Vera Yammine, she is really smart and strong.
http://www.radio.sbs.com.au/images/assets/170967vera%20yammin.JPG
Madame Geagea wein?
http://www.ouwet.com/wp-content/10_01.thumbnail.jpg
Layla el Soleh men chou btechke?
http://www.cccl.org.lb/news_events/IMG_8761.jpg
and ..and..
Probably they are all worse than each other , but no harm in trying.

^^ I have no problem with the last two. the rest akid la2.

^^why?

Vera is so Syrian and she is such a provocative person.and Gilberte was put by Aoun to say he's pro-woman rights person,not more,i never saw her breathing b4.

i still prefer Vera over Kanso anytime!

^^Believe me they r the same :ohno:

Ghinwa Jalloul should have been a Minister...Like Foreign minister.

If we started thinking like "Any women just a women" we d be discriminating again .... we need women of hight intellectual levels and patriotic politicians... not the daughters/wifes/sisters of politicians syrian slaves but real politicians

^^ yes,that's what i am talking about,i see Ghinwa Jalloul as a real Lebanese Female politician.

Vera is so Syrian and she is such a provocative person.and Gilberte was put by Aoun to say he's pro-woman rights person,not more,i never saw her breathing b4.

Gilberte doesn't count for a woman!
I have a theory that if you cut all her hair, she would look like Aoun's little brother :nuts:

^^:lol: :lol:

If we started thinking like "Any women just a women" we d be discriminating again .... we need women of hight intellectual levels and patriotic politicians... not the daughters/wifes/sisters of politicians syrian slaves but real politicians

hehe..those qualities are rare in the lebanese political scene, both men and women ,likewise.
and yes i forgot Ghenwa.

Gilberte doesn't count for a woman!
I have a theory that if you cut all her hair, she would look like Aoun's little brother :nuts:
:rofl:

^^ not really,we have them,but they have no strong persons behind them.

^^like who?
btw isn't Ziad Baroud the one who represented the civil organisations in La Celle Saint Cloud meeting?
if so , i think he is a good person.

what about Demianos Kattar?!
he's good

^^ I love Him ..... He's by fare my best talk show guest ...
and yes Ziad baroud is a verry good person :)

Nayla should stay at home and cook, honestly

Right, nothing special about her

Lebanon's Central Bank governor criticizes New York lawsuit claiming banks helped Hezbollah
The Associated PressPublished: July 8, 2008

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanon's Central Bank governor on Tuesday criticized a lawsuit filed in New York in which several Israeli victims of Hezbollah rocket attacks blame some Lebanese banks for helping fund the militant group.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan Thursday seeks at least $100 million in damages on behalf of 57 victims. It notes that the Lebanese banks maintained relationships with various U.S. banks through which, the lawsuit says, the Lebanese banks were able to provide Hezbollah with "regular, systemic and unfettered access to U.S. currency," enabling it to buy missiles and other weapons.

The banks were identified as Fransabank Sal, Banque Libanese Pour Le Commerce, Bank of Beirut Sal, Banque Libano-Francaise Sal and the Middle East Africa Bank.

The banks did not immediately reply to the lawsuit in court, and it was not clear who might represent them there. An e-mail sent to Banque Libano-Francaise Sal on Monday was not immediately returned.

But Governor Riyad Salemeh said in a terse statement commenting on the lawsuit Tuesday that the Lebanese banking sector "is committed to international standards" and operates within international laws. He did not elaborate.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/08/africa/ME-Lebanon-Israel-Lawsuit.php

^^ Naila still has a chance :)

latest news says she is going to be a minister instead of Ghatas khoury from 'Future Bloc'

Official 30-member national unity government announced.
July 11, 2008

Minister Ministry
Fouad Siniora Prime Minister
Issam Abou Jamra Deputy Prime Minister
Mohammad Chatah Finance
Ibrahim Najjar Justice
Mario Aoun Social Affairs
Ghazi Zoayter Industry
Elie Marouni Tourism
Tammam Salam Culture
Antoine Karam Environment
Elias al-Murr Defense
Raymond Audi Displaced
Ibrahim Shamseddine Administrative Reforms
Mohammad Safadi Economy and trade
Ziad Baroud Interior
Talal Arslan Youth and Sports
Bahia Hariri Education
Ghazi Aridi Transport and Public Works
Fawzi Salloukh Foreign Affairs
Alain Tabourian Energy and Water
Mohammad Fneish Labor
Mohammad Jawad Khalifa Health
Gebran Bassil Telecommunications
Tarek Mitri Information
Elias Skaff Agriculture
Wael Abou Faour State
Ali Qanso State
Khaled Qabbani State
Jean Ogassapian State
Nassib Lahoud State
Youssef Taqla State

I dunno if this has been posted yet...

Hezbollah gains veto power in new Lebanon Cabinet

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah and its allies solidified their hold on Lebanon's government Friday with the formation of a national unity Cabinet that gives them veto power over government decisions.

Still, the Western-backed parliamentary majority managed to deny the Hezbollah-led opposition any of the most important Cabinet positions, except for the one it had already held — foreign affairs.

The Cabinet's formation ends six weeks of wrangling over how to distribute the posts and is another step toward healing the country's deep political divide.

The unity government is the outcome of a deal brokered by the Arab League in May under which the opposition agreed to rejoin the government after its rivals gave in to demands to have a final say over all government decisions.

That deal came after Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and allied gunmen fanned out across Lebanon's capital in May, clashing with government supporters. The violence killed at least 81 people and brought the country to the brink of another civil war.

"We have decided to manage our disputes through democratic institutions and dialogue, and not through force and intimidation," Prime Minister Fuad Saniora told reporters at the presidential palace in suburban Beirut after names of the new Cabinet ministers were announced. But Lebanon's problems "will not cease to exist overnight," he added.

In the new Cabinet, the parliamentary majority holds 16 seats and the opposition gets 11. Three others were distributed by the president.

Both the parliamentary majority and the opposition made concessions that cleared the way for the Cabinet's formation. The opposition dropped demands to take two of the four key ministerial portfolios: defense, interior, finance and foreign affairs.

In Washington, the State Department praised the creation of the new government as a critical step in restoring democracy to Lebanon but stressed that, as in the past, it would not have contact with Cabinet members who belong to Hezbollah.

"We welcome the formation of this new Cabinet," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

Hezbollah's ascendancy is a setback for the U.S., which had strongly backed the outgoing Lebanese government for three years and is concerned that Iran's influence is spreading in the Middle East.

Iran also welcomed the new government. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said he hoped it would lead to a "strengthening of national unity among the Lebanese," Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

The 30-member Cabinet is divided equally between Christians and Muslims in accordance with Lebanon's sectarian political system. It includes nine holdovers from the previous Cabinet and 14 newcomers.

Hezbollah, which was represented in the outgoing government by two ministers, has only one minister in this Cabinet: Mohammed Fneish was named labor minister.

As in the previous government, the new Cabinet includes only one woman. Bahiya Hariri, a sister of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was named education minister.

Saniora faces many challenges, chief among them trying to unify the fractious government.

He also faces the difficult task of improving Lebanon's economy, saddled with a debt of $43 billion, or more than 180 percent of the gross domestic product — making it one of the highest in the world.

"The Lebanese want a government that can lead them toward the future," Saniora said Friday. "We will put everything behind us to work as a united team."

Lebanon,Syria to open embassies

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44827000/jpg/_44827511_-13.jpg

Syria and Lebanon have agreed to open embassies in each other's capitals, French leader Nicolas Sarkozy has said.

The announcement came after Mr Sarkozy held talks with Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman and then Syria's leader Bashar Assad in Paris.

Diplomatic ties between Syria and Lebanon ceased after former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri was assassinated in 2005. Beirut accused Syria of involvement.

Mr Assad's welcome in Paris marks his return to the world stage.

"I would like to say what a historic step forward it is for France that Syrian President Bashar Assad is determined to open a diplomatic representation in Lebanon, and that Lebanon should open a diplomatic representation in Syria," Mr Sarkozy announced after meeting both men.

He said the leaders had authorised him to make the announcement on their behalf.

Relations between Syria and Lebanon have been tense since the forced withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in mid-2005 after Hariri's assassination.

But the two nations have not had diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level since Lebanon became independent in 1943.

Reward for Assad?

Mr Sarkozy also discussed other issues with his counterparts from Syria and Lebanon, during talks in the Elysee Palace.

After his meeting with Mr Assad, the French president said he had asked Syria to help resolve the international dispute over Iran's nuclear programme.

Mr Assad said he was interested in finding a political solution, and he believed that Iran had no intention of trying to obtain nuclear weapons.

The Syrian leader also said he wanted France and the US to contribute to peace efforts between Syria and Israel, but Mr Sarkozy added that conditions were not yet right for direct Syria-Israel talks.

Mr Sarkozy added that he would visit Syria for talks before mid-September.

The Paris visit is a big boost for Mr Assad, helping Syria to break out of its diplomatic isolation, says BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs.

But critics say Mr Assad's reception is too much of a reward, when there are still serious question marks over human rights in Syria and its alleged role in the killing of Mr Hariri.

Mediterranean Union

The meetings with Syrian and Lebanese delegates marked the beginning of a weekend of intense diplomatic effort for the French president.

Earlier on Saturday, Mr Sarkozy held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who will be a key player in the French leader's plan for a union of Mediterranean states.

Mr Sarkozy is hosting a summit on Sunday to launch the union, which will be attended by 43 leaders of countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Only Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is expected to boycott it.

According to our correspondent, critics are dismissing the new union as lacking substance, but French officials say it comes at a significant moment.

Hezbollah gains veto power, Syrian embassy to open in Lebanon. LOL the lebanese forumers must be real happy! :lol:

and are we supposed to be sad if a neighboring country finally admits our independence?

Syrian acknowledge is one of our supreme gaols DingoBingo so yes We r HAPPY

^^ Well that's one positive thing at least. Do u think they will stop meddling in ur affairs? What do u think about Hezbollah's veto power?

^^ Hizbullah's veto power??it's not what it looks like,it's the whole opposition that have the veto power now.and not all the opposition share the same views when it comes to the foreign policy of Lebanon.especially serious decisions.

Your "holocaust crap" caused the death of 6,000,000 people, show some RESPECT. :bash:

How am I being disrespectful?

When the Europeans make similar laws pertaining to genocides committed by Khmer Rouge's or any other genocides the world has seen, I will admit that I was wrong in saying that Jews are deliberately using this excuse to forward their agendas.

^^ WOW !!!!!! man,bikes no longer comes here,,u replied too late :)

Like a year and a half too late...

better late than never

Lebanon,Syria to open embassies

But the two nations have not had diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level since Lebanon became independent in 1943.


Why did they not have diplomatic relations?

^^cuz syria always had the dream that Lebanon is part of it...sucks for them they're very wrong :)

Well it was once upon a time... Sucks for them they're very wrong, its not anymore.. And hopefully won't ever be again..

I think it would've been a lot better if the Arab countries were not divided like the West wanted them to.

^^Well,yeah,but only if the Arab states were democratic and Free.then the union would make Sense.

...

^^lol,when i saw ur nickname i knew u were going to post this :D

well,it's koz we don't know what to write.it's everywhere :D

i have mixed feeling..

Yeah, We should all congratulate each other and him for being freed and saving us from that Evil 3 year old israeli girl he killed!! Pheww!!

^^ BTW, he's talking now on TV,he said he didn't kill the girl.
the girl , her father insisted he wanted o stay with her,so they took him with the girl to outside the building on nahariyya's southern beach.when they fought with israeli police/army.and people died.

Remains of fighters given heroes' welcome in Lebanon
Published: Thursday, 17 July, 2008 @ 1:33 PM in Beirut

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/07/17/prisoner%20sawp%20-%20remains%20of%20fighters.jpg

Beirut - Four tractor-trailers carrying the remains of nearly 200 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters headed Thursday from southern Lebanon to Beirut, a day after a prisoner exchange between Israel and Lebanon.

The convoy carrying the coffins which were returned to Lebanon as part of the deal, was scheduled to stop in many southern villages before reaching the capital for the official ceremony organized by Hezbollah in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The coffins were wrapped in Lebanese and Hezbollah flags and covered with wreaths. A banner on one of the trucks read, "The Martyrs of Victory."

A picture of Hezbollah's military commander Imad Mughaniyeh, who was killed a bomb blast in Damascus earlier this year, was also plastered on all the trucks. The prisoner exchange had been dubbed "Operation of Haj Radwan," in Mughaniyeh's memory.

The bodies, which had been exhumed from a special Israeli cemetery for fallen enemy combatants, included seven Hezbollah guerrillas who fell during the 2006 war which broke out after Hezbollah snatched two Israeli soldiers during a cross-border attack.

But the majority were of Palestinians who carried attacks inside Israel during the 1970s and 1980s and included Dalal al-Mughrabi, remembered by Palestinians as a heroine and by Israelis as a terrorist for leading a raid in March 1978 which killed over 30 people.

Her body was received and saluted with military honours by Hezbollah at Naqoura village, along with the other coffins.

Born in Beirut to a Lebanese mother and a Palestinian father, Mughrabi led a secret life as a guerrilla in Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

Aminah Ismail, Mughrabi's mother told Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Why the hell Nasrallah didn't mention the Lebanese Prisoners in Syria????? he doesn't care :bash:

Samir Geagea said today it's not over till the Lebanese prisoners in Syria are freed. :applause:

^^Well,yeah,but only if the Arab states were democratic and Free.then the union would make Sense.

Why do you say that?

I dont think any of the prioners freed are heroes whats so ever.

Why do you say that?

Unless all the states are democratic , how can u imagine a union???

^^ BTW, he's talking now on TV,he said he didn't kill the girl.
the girl , her father insisted he wanted o stay with her,so they took him with the girl to outside the building on nahariyya's southern beach.when they fought with israeli police/army.and people died.
Yeah you know, prisons are full of innocent people that didn't do anything, guess the girl smashed her own head with a rifle.:nuts:

Anyone who does that to a defenseless 3 year-old is a monster, and regarding him as a hero is DISGRACEFUL, he also looks like a monster...

^^ well,my point is,how could we be sure if this is what really happened!!!!!!!!

its mostly he did. Im not proud of any these Hezbollah fighers that have been freed, they went to Prision for a reason.

that guy killing that Family, should have been hanged.

^^ well,my point is,how could we be sure if this is what really happened!!!!!!!!
True. I mean the descriptions of how he "killed" the girl was extremely detailed which makes me wonder who the witness to the murder was and if the witness was IDF soldiers, why they didnt shoot him since the girl wasn't in the way. Anyways, good to see things are finally going great in Lebanon. Lets hope it stays this way. In other news, I read this article in the daily star and found it kinda creepy but amusing at the same time: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=94238
Anybody get one of these calls?

Unless all the states are democratic , how can u imagine a union???

The same way Hong Kong is unionized with China - only HK (of the two) is democratic.
Anyways, I was speaking in terms of the initial history.. that it would've been better (imo) if the two did not divide in the first place.

yup pretty much da same

Why the hell Nasrallah didn't mention the Lebanese Prisoners in Syria????? he doesn't care :bash:

Samir Geagea said today it's not over till the Lebanese prisoners in Syria are freed. :applause:


^^ would u stop talking nonsense of course he cares but the freedom of these prisoners are under the "diplomatic relations" category btw lebanon and syria

^^Really????
Well,tell this to the families of those prisoners,,those were people got abducted from Lebanon from their homes to syria infront of their families.i think they deserve more.

^^deserve more ..what?? please explain

deserve more attention,an opportunity like freeing the prisoners from israeli jails should have been used to shed a light on the Lebanese prisoners situation in Syria.but nasrallah doesn't care. enno,isn't this obvious ???????? :crazy:

hassoun stop saying that we all care all of us lebanese wether nasralla or others and now thank god they are getting more and more attention wether from 14march officials or others and nchalla they will be freed and the syrian prisoners here will go home again its not gna be left be

^^ well,don't u get it , Syria likes to use any Thing related to Lebanon,to negotiate about it..ENNO,guys u still buy it , till when we have to be under syrian mercy ???? they MUST BE RELEASED NOW.why don't Hizbullah,since he got the arms, go and abduct Syrian soldiers in the syrian side of the border?? and negotiate to release the prisoners,since some of them been held there for more than 20 years ??
When are we going to say that Both Israel and Syria are our enemies , they both put Lebanon's existence into risk. a democratic country between a dectatorship ( syria ) and a one religion colour state ( israel ) . WON'T U GET IT BA2A ???

oum kilne b3d shway !! :P shu ostak btif2a3 dighre?? :P:P:P

and syria is not our enemy and what about the syrians we got in our prisons?the ones guards torture day and night ..hassoun this is a humaniterian issue in which both sides are commiting mistakes! u cant blame one side only !!

^^ ???????????????? :bash:

Syria is not our enemy ???? to me and to nearly half the Lebanese population it's an enemy till it proves the contrary.

What Syrian prisoners???were we in Syria and got Prisoners from there to Lebanon ???

Enno,really,ra7 tjanneni, Study the case the right way.and don't reply on something u know nothing about it,if u were interested , u should have read more about it. :bash: :bash:

and stop watching/reading the 8 march media.they r happy they are syrians.

Okay guys lets keep it calm in here...

^^ its impossble to talk to this guy ...hassoun would you please be more open minded y does it always have to be ur opinion or nothing at all?!

^^ That's what u understood from my point of view???? lol,only that? :D

At the very least it removed more reasons of there raison d'eter for HZ exsistance...It also was further implementation of UNSCR 1701. This in my opinion is a victory for M14 as well as M8...The prime minister and m14 were instrumental in calling for this all along. Also, the diplomatic exchange with Syria.....now what is left is shebaa..and i think that will be resolved in the next year...

Hopefully this will all occur before the tribunal happens...because if indictments are issued against Syrian officials all this will not happen...Its better to resolve these issue b4 hand..:)

mech ma32oul chou lebneniye !
lak ,chabeb ma 7ada menna fehem chi , ma 7ada menna bya3ref chi , kelloun 3am yel3abo fina bel gelle.7alkoun tefhamo i guess...
anyway yes i'm happy that our prisoners are finally freed,regardless the crimes and barberic actions , there is no other way to close that page.
Now what happened in the last days is over ,we as lebanese should only care about how our united monkeys will rule this damned country.

^^ its impossble to talk to this guy ...hassoun would you please be more open minded y does it always have to be ur opinion or nothing at all?!

I agree, well the part for being more open minded and the opinion.

anyway yes i'm happy that our prisoners are finally freed,regardless the crimes and barberic actions , there is no other way to close that page.


I agree .. This is the only way to close that page... but i didnt understand why should we make a hero out of him ....

Well Israel is Lebanon's enemy right?So technically they make a big deal out of everyone who fought Israel,whether dead or alive.
So how about a dude with 4 life sentences getting out of an Israeli jail in a prisoners swap ,which was the main Hezbollah's goal from the 06 war?

U know.. I dont consider him as a fighter .... the others yeah ..they were captured in the heat of battle and on their ground ... his case is not that ... he broke out into an israily house and the rest u all know .... it was even a Palestinian mission with a Palestinian organization not a Lebanese one so the technical part dont apply to him

Just the thought of how things were messed up during those days gives me a headache.
thank goodness I was born when everything was at least apparently over .

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/haririDT420.jpg

Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri visits Beirut's reopened Central District on July 19, 2008. (Dalati & Nohra)

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/Protest-1.jpg

Lebanese women holding pictures of their sons detained in Syria during a gathering today in front of the presidential palace in Baabda. (NOW Lebanon Exclusive)

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/Protest-2.jpg

Participants in the gathering holding signs calling for the release of Lebanese detainees from Syrian jails (NOW Lebanon Exclusive)

...

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9966/cryot0.jpg
:mad:

Join the Facebook group “All for Civil Marriage in Lebanon”
The future of civil marriage in Lebanon may be in the hands of a Facebook group
Hayeon Lee, NOW Staff , August 21, 2008

http://www.nowlebanon.com/ContentPictures/civil-marriage-is-a-civil-r-082108073507.jpg
Two members of the Facebook group “All for Civil Marriage in Lebanon” hold up their logo banner (from the Facebook group website, “Photos” section.)



Already caught up in the intricate web of questions on citizenship, religious identity and sectarian politics, civil society’s efforts to legalize the right to civil marriage continues to disappoint – even though Lebanon remains the only country in the Middle East to acknowledge civil knots tied outside its borders.

Not surprisingly, the recent ministerial statement failed to mention anything on either the issue of civil marriage or the deeply unpopular nationality law, which does not allow Lebanese women to pass on their nationality to their children if their husband is not Lebanese. The Collective for Research and Training on Development Action (CRTDA), the NGO that has been spearheading the nationality campaign and that organized a sit-in this July outside the Grand Serail, expressed its dismay on this absence.

But the news is not all bleak. The campaign to allow civil marriage has been uploaded onto Facebook, the “social networking website” phenomenon that has given young Lebanese activists a powerful platform. “All for Civil Marriage in Lebanon” is an ever-growing Facebook group created by an American University of Beirut (AUB) professor but which has subsequently been managed by students and young professionals. It lists, at last count, more than 6,810 members on its “Groups” page and more than 15,650 members on its “Causes” page.

Mobilizing Lebanese youth on Facebook

According to Ahmad al-Nakib, officer of “All for Civil Marriage in Lebanon” and president of the Student Activism Club at AUB, the Facebook group first started in early 2007 and has been used mainly as a networking tool and means for members to express their opinions on the issue of civil marriage (sometimes even those who are against it). This is manifested by the numerous posts that pop up every day on the “Discussion Board” and “The Wall” sections of the Facebook page. From the outset, different groups outside and inside Facebook quickly started to join “All for Civil Marriage,” making it an umbrella group where activists easily meet each other in cyberspace.

Until the May clashes this year, the core members of the Facebook group, around 7-9 people, met every week or two for heated debates on the second floor of the Hamra branch of Za‘atar w Zeit, the popular Lebanese fast food chain. So far, the group has organized a lecture by a prominent Islamist scholar in May 2007; distributed flyers on civil marriage in three languages, mostly targeted at university students; given questionnaires to university students to gauge their attitude toward civil marriage; and has networked with those involved in the last serious campaign in 1998. Nakib was positive about all these activities, telling NOW Lebanon that “we affected a lot of people… A lot of people are for civil marriage. If we try enough, we can get a lot, a lot of publicity.”

The group is also involved in the drafting of a civil personal status law that will include civil marriage, based on the abortive Hrawi Law of 1998. The initiative is led by another “All for Civil Marriage,” group member and lawyer, Nael Kaedby, who has just completed the third draft of this law, which will be subject to discussion within the group and among experts to be finessed. Kaedby said that the group is trying to learn from the failed 1998 civil marriage law by pinpointing what went wrong, such as allowing adoption – a move seen as un-Islamic – and requiring final judicial approval on men seeking a divorce.

Facebook and the future of civil marriage

According to Dr. Karam Karam, an expert on civil organizations in Lebanon, the younger generation is much more open toward civil marriage due to the changing cultural curriculum in schools. In this sense, Facebook groups have much potential in mobilizing like-minded youth cheering on civil marriage.

According to the 2005 study by Dr. Jean Murad, sociology professor at the Université Saint Joseph (USJ), 68.1% of a sample of 1,500 Lebanese in all age groups considered civil marriage to contradict religious principles. In stark contrast, the Facebook group’s own, non-funded statistical study based on 1,100 university students mostly in Beirut (questionnaires were distributed at a Facebook group meeting to members, who then distributed them amongst their classmates) showed students’ support for civil marriage ranging from 70% to nearly 90%.

This is all well and good, but they have still to come up against Lebanon’s powerful religious institutions, who have a vested interest – financial and authoritarian – in blocking the legality of civil unions. The Facebook campaigners are well aware of the fact that efforts to promote their cause, if launched without the proper political and popular support, will fail.

it's useless:ohno: since it's in the hands of the religions leaders

Hizbullah threatened "earth shattering" retaliation against Israel which the group accuses of killing its top commander Imad Mughniyeh in a car bombing in Damascus last February.
"Retaliation is coming soon," Hizbullah official in south Lebanon Sheikh Ahmad Mrad said in remarks published by the daily Al Akhbar on Friday.

"Retaliation is going to be earth shattering and there will be huge surprises," he vowed.

"Resistance weapons will stay in the hands of Hizbullah until Palestine is liberated," Mrad pledged.

He declared that Hizbullah would go deep into Palestine and vowed that "Israel will no longer exist on the map."

_________________________________

Anyone else think this is just shit talk ?

^^ They wouldn't Dare .....

they talk so much crap. I dont know how these idea's get into there empty heads.
why do they want to fight someone else problem, its not there problem.

they talk so much crap. I dont know how these idea's get into there empty heads.
why do they want to fight someone else problem, its not there problem.

Because they get billions to do so.

if israel attacked first as they were promising in the few days(olmert for example),i'm with hezb doin a reaction for self defence but hezb should never start a war

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! :(

If something happens it will be far wourse !!!!! I still dont understand how they get the weapons into Lebanon...Is the UN turning a blind eye? Is the Leb Army?

the most thing i hate is WAR ,u heard the israeli politicians sayings in the past days? they want wipe us:bash:
i dunno how hezb manage to get the weapons :nuts:

he probably was on crack or so..
Since Nesrallah himself said that he is not happy with leading the resistance alone anymore.

they want wipe us


lol ambitious, very.

^^israel can do not more than words:lol:

the most thing i hate is WAR ,u heard the israeli politicians sayings in the past days? they want wipe us:bash:
i dunno how hezb manage to get the weapons :nuts:

He said that if the hezzi attack's first then they will be wiped out (not Lebanon). To bad the soviet union is gone. you could have had a senior job, changing actual news and reality to match the party's line.

^^
:lol:
israel leaders said that the goverment of lebanon has given legacy to hezb
so in any future stuggle they'll desroy all lebanon infrastructure and everywhere will be targeted, go CHECK the NEWS
BTW stalin isn't my favor:D

Maybe HZ has a vast tunnel network from Syria..it literally passes right under everyone's noses

^^ Yes,this is must have been happening for years now.

^^could be ,it's one of many ways
but as long as we're threatened by israel, they should keep them comin

^^could be ,it's one of many ways
but as long as we're threatened by israel, they should keep them comin

How did Israel threathen you since the pullout in 2000?
Why do you hate other smore then you love your own brothers ans sisters?

^^could be ,it's one of many ways
but as long as we're threatened by israel, they should keep them comin

Didn't your parents teach you not to put your nose in a hornet's nest???? They are waiting for you 3a nakzeh! They want Lebanon destroyed for as many years as possible, wether it be for political reasons, economic reasons, touristic reasons or just because they have always had enemies for the last 5000 years and can't exist without being prosecuted or attacked... No one would care for them anymore if they weren't the poor little people getting attacked!

So all this to say: Hezbollah is against Lebanon's stability and wants Israel to stay a threat so they keep their weapons(power) and Israel wants Hezbollah to keep threatening Israel to keep Lebanese Palestinian and Syrian land. We are all getting screwed and raped by everyone and we keep on clapping and taking sides... THEY ALL S*CK!!!!!! Tey are using us a peon, We are a little chess peon controlled one day by Syria, the other by Iran, the other by Israel, the other by the US, etc... Wake up people! If only I was president! I would kick everyone out and probably be killed by all of them at the same time, but I would make sure we sign a neutrality process like switzerland did in the last 70 years or so before they blow me to tatters...

P.S: I am so pissed, everywhere I go all they people I meet think Lebanon is a country with extremists everywhere, where buildings are destroyed and we live in tents in the middle of the desert...How many people can you educate while every 5 days some asshole blows something up! or every 5 years we get attacked by Israel. I bought myself an IPhone, and I keep connected to skyscrapercity with the Beirut thread open, whenever someone says that I show him a picture...

Wake up people, we are IDIOTS!!!! We laugh about other nations? We brag about being educated, we laugh about Homsiyeh, w sourieh yalleh be lebnen? They are laughing on us, they are using us and don't give if we laugh about them or think they are undereducated... They rule us while we laugh at them.

I will say this phrase again because it sums up all my reply:

THEY ARE RULING US WHILE WE ARE LAUGHING AT THEM...:bash::bash:

EDIT

Didn't your parents teach you not to put your nose in a hornet's nest???? They are waiting for you 3a nakzeh! They want Lebanon destroyed for as many years as possible, wether it be for political reasons, economic reasons, touristic reasons or just because they have always had enemies for the last 5000 years and can't exist without being prosecuted or attacked... No one would care for them anymore if they weren't the poor little people getting attacked!

So all this to say: Hezbollah is against Lebanon's stability and wants Israel to stay a threat so they keep their weapons(power) and Israel wants Hezbollah to keep threatening Israel to keep Lebanese Palestinian and Syrian land. We are all getting screwed and raped by everyone and we keep on clapping and taking sides... THEY ALL S*CK!!!!!! Tey are using us a peon, We are a little chess peon controlled one day by Syria, the other by Iran, the other by Israel, the other by the US, etc... Wake up people! If only I was president! I would kick everyone out and probably be killed by all of them at the same time, but I would make sure we sign a neutrality process like switzerland did in the last 70 years or so before they blow me to tatters...

P.S: I am so pissed, everywhere I go all they people I meet think Lebanon is a country with extremists everywhere, where buildings are destroyed and we live in tents in the middle of the desert...How many people can you educate while every 5 days some asshole blows something up! or every 5 years we get attacked by Israel. I bought myself an IPhone, and I keep connected to skyscrapercity with the Beirut thread open, whenever someone says that I show him a picture...

Wake up people, we are IDIOTS!!!! We laugh about other nations? We brag about being educated, we laugh about Homsiyeh, w sourieh yalleh be lebnen? They are laughing on us, they are using us and don't give if we laugh about them or think they are undereducated... They rule us while we laugh at them.

I will say this phrase again because it sums up all my reply:

THEY ARE RULING US WHILE WE ARE LAUGHING AT THEM...

hezbullah came as a result for occupation and no body taking responsibilty for that.as long as israeli jets violates lebanon sovereignty, kidnaps people, threatens to dertroy our infrastructure and specially it keeps occupying some parts of lebanon, hezb arms should stay, if there's no hezb in the south u can't imagine lebanon, it'll get back to the 80's like a no man's land with all alqaeda and palestinian groups lauching useless rockets and ofcourse lebanon will transfer into a backyard to israel so it can do whatever it wants once again.one of the israeli PMs used to say we can invade lebanon with a bunch of boys and gurls on motorcycles...where's that now,so saying that hezb is against lebanon isnstability is completely out of mind,infact if there where no hezb maybe ther's no stability at all
and of course it's so hard to see some countries intimidate into our internal affairs:bash:

^^
Do you live in Lebanon or had a chance to follow news out of Lebanon in the last few years?

^^i live in and out but i don't listen to propagandas

^^i live in and out but i don't listen to propagandas

So the 80 innocent Lebanese Man ans Woman murderd by hezbullah was a good thing?
Here is a a little gallery of stability.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/popup?id=4819204&contentIndex=1&start=false&page=1

we r not discussing internal relations besides internal conflicts happens everywhere,those r between goverment and pposition as a hole ,so many parties participating,not only hezbullah besides ur so sources r totally biased. american which isn't neutral at all,since they r taking sides ,and in politics america means israel i would bring u some iranian syrian or russian sources which contradict american or israeli news so i'm not listening to both .
see what ur friends has to say about u

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/08/israel.gaza/index.html
http://ifamericansknew.com/stats/child_41304.html
why don't u bring us some sources about the israeli army killing palestinian civilians:D
here's one as an encouragment
HpBM-G9bRaY

we r not discussing internal relations besides internal conflicts happens everywhere,those r between goverment and pposition as a hole ,so many parties participating,not only hezbullah besides ur so sources r totally biased. american which isn't neutral at all,since they r taking sides ,and in politics america means israel i would bring u some iranian syrian or russian sources which contradict american or israeli news so i'm not listening to both .
see what ur friends has to say about u

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/08/israel.gaza/index.html
http://ifamericansknew.com/stats/child_41304.html
why don't u bring us some sources about the israeli army killing palestinian civilians:D
here's one as an encouragment
HpBM-G9bRaY

Where does internal conflicts that see armed groups take over cities and town take place? Britian? USA? Japan?
No. it take place in Somalia or Afghanistan, this are the nations you want to be like? Do you understand of insnae it is that you would even justify the murder of your brothers by terrorist. You have the same self hate complex as the left wing Jews.

The Arabs in the video was filmed throwing rocks at soldiers and was shot with a rubber bullet that slightly scratched his toe. He should have been shot with a real bullet in the head, hezzbollah style!

Parliamentary elections will be held in Lebanon in 2009.A new electoral law will be used following a compromise reached in the Qatar talks in May 2008 between the government and opposition.

even if this a rubber bullet this doesn't justify shooting him so close with his hands tied and eyes closed ,u know what a rubber bullet could do from this close distance at least injures him as in the video.i mean this is insane one soldier handles hime and the other is shooting, what is that a playstaion game?u have to confess, ur army is brutal:bash:

Look Hawa Beirut, Did you see the palestinians fight for the liberation of Lebanon? did you see ANY arab for that matter fight or help us? 30 freeking years we were in shit and no one lifted a finger.. they were all benfiting from our dimiss... Let them all go kill each other for a change and let us live in peace and go back home while we can! We lost three f**king generations waiting for something positif to happen and they are still using us! Let the palestinians fight their own war! They caused ours, why in the world would I want to fght for them! If you don't agree how about you move to Iran? I don't give a tiny piece of whatever you want if palestine is under occupation, all I care about is Lebanon because I AM LEBANESE!!!!!!! NOT PALESTINIAN, NOT IRANIAN, NOT AMERICAN, A NOT MARTIAN! I AM LEBANESEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I think the secret decider will be largely the youth (lowering the age to 18) and the expats who will be eligible to vote...

Is the 1960 law now approved?

I think the secret decider will be largely the youth (lowering the age to 18) and the expats who will be eligible to vote...

I hope so ! whats the legal age in Lebanon to vote ?
Im registerd in Lebanon, I will be able to vote Imn 21 in a couple of Months.

Im just hoping March 14 wins most of the seats, cant bear the thought of March 8 winning.

14 March Coallition

especially if they give Leb. diaspora the right to vote :)

I think the secret decider will be largely the youth (lowering the age to 18) and the expats who will be eligible to vote...

till now the voting age hasn't been lowered but it will be and they r working on letting the expats vote but i would take a lot of time

Is the 1960 law now approved?

no not yet .it's is based on the 1960 law with some minor changes specially in beirut

Im registerd in Lebanon, I will be able to vote Imn 21 in a couple of Months.

congratulations,this could be ur first time voting...btw do u have the lebanese citizenship?

especially if they give Leb. diaspora the right to vote

yes i agree the expats should have the right to vote just like any other country in the world and this issue is on tayyar's agenda:cheers:

^^no body is going to fight for the palestinians they can defend themselves.
this guy Alon pretends that his army is only defending while the real fact it's a brutal army just like the nazis:bash:

Its confusing when u say expats... You mean the Lebanese abroad, right..!?

Our Bahrainis abroad voted in the embassies... :)

^^no body is going to fight for the palestinians they can defend themselves.
this guy Alon pretends that his army is only defending while the real fact it's a brutal army just like the nazis:bash:

If we were like the Nazis, you wouldn't exist!!!
Please show respect. The poor Palestinians still live in much better economic condition then arabs in Syria or Egypt, they are not place in Gas chambers or straved to death. the Nazis didn't build 6 universitys, hospital, conected the stone aged population to Water and electricity and reduced Jewish childhood mortality. Israel saved the Palestinians from brutal Jordainian and Egyptian occupation and now the Hamas will retun their pre 67 condition.

The officer in the shooting has been arrested and charged.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/07/israelandthepalestinians.middleeast?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

How many hezzobolah members are in prison for murdering Lebnese civilians during their Beirut take over?

i will tell one of the terrible actions of ur army,that i can never forget.this happened infront of me.back in the 90s in a village in lebanon there where a business man,rich, had a villa on the highest point in the village,this man wasn't hezbullah at all, at that night he arrived from paris from a vacation with his wife and 2 daughters .he first visited his parents before going to his villa up in the village.his parents told him to stay this night in their place cuz his 2 small daughters were sleeping and it was late night,he told his parents that tomorrow morning he has work to do so he's going to his home.the next day in the early morning i was sleeping at my friends home in that village.i woke up around 6 morning at the sound of explosives i fell of the bed on the floor cuz of the huge explosion,u know what happened.2 israeli jets fired rockets at the man's villa .all the family were killed including a delivery man. poor daughters ,hadnt woke up since last night their bodies were found 100m away on the roof of a neighbouring building this villa became like hit by an earthquake.u know these things about the israeli army?

:yes: till now lebanese outside arn't able to vote

i will tell one of the terrible actions of ur army,that i can never forget.this happened infront of me.back in the 90s in a village in lebanon there where a business man,rich, had a villa on the highest point in the village,this man wasn't hezbullah at all, at that night he arrived from paris from a vacation with his wife and 2 daughters .he first visited his parents before going to his villa up in the village.his parents told him to stay this night in their place cuz his 2 small daughters were sleeping and it was late night,he told his parents that tomorrow morning he has work to do so he's going to his home.the next day in the early morning i was sleeping at my friends home in that village.i woke up around 6 morning at the sound of explosives i fell of the bed on the floor cuz of the huge explosion,u know what happened.2 israeli jets fired rockets at the man's villa .all the family were killed including a delivery man. poor daughters ,hadnt woke up since last night their bodies were found 100m away on the roof of a neighbouring building this villa became like hit by an earthquake.u know these things about the israeli army?


Every tragedy like the one you posted is always publiczied in the Israeli media? Does Lebnese media report about all the Israeli children killed when their homes were purposly targted by hezzbollah?

lebanon media is so diverse and reflects the whole picture.but u didn't comment on the heroic action of ur army

lebanon media is so diverse and reflects the whole picture.but u didn't comment on the heroic action of ur army

If it was heroic or legal he wouldn't have been arrested and charged.

^^looser :D :jk:

'Israel agrees to cede Shaba Farms'
By JPOST.COM STAFF

Israel has expressed to the US government its willingness to withdraw from the Shaba Farms and the northern half of the town of Rajar, on the border with Lebanon, after receiving guarantees from Beirut that the areas would be under UNIFIL control, according to a Lebanese source quoted by the London-based Arab daily Asharq Alawsat, Tuesday.


UNIFIL spokesperson Yasmina Bouzianne confirmed the report, adding that she hoped that a final agreement would be reached soon.

An Israeli diplomatic official was quoted by the paper as saying that the agreement was reached in a telephone conversation between Graziano and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in mid-August.

"An Israeli withdrawal from the Shaba Farms will leave Hizbullah with no more excuses to fight Israel," the official was quoted as saying. "If Israel hands over those territories it will become clear to the Lebanese people that Hizbullah's continued use of violence is nothing more than an excuse to continue its involvement in international terror."

The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the report.


In July, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told visiting Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini that Israel was willing to negotiate with Lebanon directly about the Mount Dov/Shaba Farms issue. During his meeting with Frattini, Olmert - according to government sources - expressed a desire for direct talks with Lebanon on all the issues of contention.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has said in the past that Lebanon would be the last country to negotiate with Israel.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report

^^finally,israel is doing something wise,let's wait and see.

To Hassoun, Hezbollah wants to liberate Palestine ;) They will invent anything to keep their weapons.

To Alon, Palestine was not in the Stone Age before 1948, and thank to your people who came from Europe to reclaim a land that they left 2000 years ago (most of them have mixed blood and are not really Semites), we have hundred of thousands of refugees in Lebanon and the Israelis keep building colonies on Arab Land despite all the UN resolutions. You cannot afford being like the Nazis as you are surrounded by an Arab & Muslim sea. Your only hope for survival in the Middle East is a just peace with the Arabs and Palestinians by facilitating the creation of a Palestinian state in Ghaza and the West Bank like drafted in the Geneva Initiative by Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed-Rabbo. Otherwise, expect to have more hard line regimes surrounding your entity once the Islamists take power In Egypt, Syria and Jordan and one day, you will be forced to leave like the Cruisaders 800 years ago.

I don't wish that the current despotic regimes be replaced by Islamist authocracies & republics, I rather wish that one day, the Arab World would become democratic and hope for a just peace between Israeli & Arab moderates to build a better Middle East.

Excellent post Kheireddine!

Thank you Leb Cedar :)

Kheireddine,i know :)

But,,,at least Hizbullah will lose major support if not from Shia population,then it's From oranges ;) and will be ina real bad situation internally.

UN Secretary-General calls on Israel to pay Lebanon $US 1 billion in compensation
September 6, 2008

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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Israel to pay approximately $US 1 billion in compensation to Lebanon, according to a report in Al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday. These damages, determined by World Bank estimates, relate to the environmental and material damages caused by the Israeli bombing of the Jiyeh power station during the 2006 July War.

Ban will present a report to the United Nations General Assembly by October regarding the subsequent oil spill in the eastern Mediterranean. The Secretary General’s report also says that the UN Development Program has removed related oil contaminants.

This report will also include findings by the Lebanese National Center for Scientific Research and the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, which found that tissue and muscle cells were polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in higher concentrations than were allowed under World Health Organization standards.

These two research programs have also prepared statistics tabling the increased incidence of medical conditions, such as pneumonia and skin diseases.

The report concluded that Israel had not responded to United Nations requests for compensation for Lebanon, which have been made since August 2007.

-NOW Staff

"Israel to pay Lebanon $US 1 billion in compensation"

it's ridiculous, terrorists want money from victims )))))

^^ if u consider the hundreds of Children killed and our infrastructure as terrorists and military targets, then u r right .

Vandoren i dont think Hezbollah are the ones who would recieve the compensation. its the government that would. i think it would be quite fair if the lebanese government recieved some sort of compensation seeing as the war was between israel and hezbollah. lebanon was just caught in the cross-fire and needs to rebuild what was destroyed.

^^Maybe Hezbollah should also contribute to compensation for Lebanon?

Judiciary Orders Arrest of Hizbullah operative for Killing Officer

Examining Magistrate Rashid Mizher on Tuesday interrogated Hizbullah Operative Mustafa Moqaddem and ordered his arrest on charged of killing Air Force Capt. Samer Hanna by shooting at an Army helicopter.
The state-run National News Agency said Mizher on Wednesday would debrief witnesses to the attack that had targeted the army helicopter at the Hizbullah-controlled Sujud hills of south Lebanon.

The Man who was killed in the Helicopter, was going to marry this girl from my mum and dads village. I think she is realted to my cousins Husband.

Parliamentary Committee Allows Non-Resident Citizens to Vote

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/936b14e5ec36bb79c22566f7004e4b46/2ae3b1ea14e38225c22574be00576ac4/Body/0.82?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

The Administration and Justice Parliamentary committee on Monday urged Lebanese citizens living abroad to register with the respective embassies so that their names would be included in the voters' lists for the 2009 elections.
Committee Chairman Robert Ghanem told reporters Lebanese diplomatic missions would send names of voters to Beirut by Dec. 31, so that central authorities would add them to voters' lists in a month time, allowing them to vote where their reside.

"We did not give them the right to vote. It is their non-alienable right. We only created the mechanism that allows them to vote where they are living," Ghanem explained.

The reforms would be proposed to parliament for tackling by a general session prior to a vote for adoption into law.



Beirut, 08 Sep 08, 19:01

Suleiman Sets National Dialogue for Sept. 16

President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday set Sept. 16 as the date for the launching of the national dialogue.
"I invite those who signed the Doha Agreement ... to come meet here in Baabda on Septemeber 16, 2008 at 11:00am," Suleiman said at an Iftar dinner he hosted for political and religious leaders.

Warring Lebanese leaders ended an 18-month-long political crisis with an agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha on May 21.

The agreement led to Suleiman's election and the formation of a national unity cabinet.

The Doha Accord called for conducting national dialogue to be held under the auspices of the president.

The national dialogue was interrupted by Israel's 2006 war on Lebanon. All key political leaders held several meetings in hopes of achieving political reconciliation.




Beirut, 09 Sep 08, 20:58

^^Maybe Hezbollah should also contribute to compensation for Lebanon?

lol, maybe hezbollah should start paying tax and electricity bills!

Parliamentary Committee Allows Non-Resident Citizens to Vote


The Administration and Justice Parliamentary committee on Monday urged Lebanese citizens living abroad to register with the respective embassies so that their names would be included in the voters' lists for the 2009 elections.
Committee Chairman Robert Ghanem told reporters Lebanese diplomatic missions would send names of voters to Beirut by Dec. 31, so that central authorities would add them to voters' lists in a month time, allowing them to vote where their reside.

"We did not give them the right to vote. It is their non-alienable right. We only created the mechanism that allows them to vote where they are living," Ghanem explained.

The reforms would be proposed to parliament for tackling by a general session prior to a vote for adoption into law.



Beirut, 08 Sep 08, 19:01

was that possible before president suleiman? or was it only recently made possible? so (in simple terms) lebanese expats could vote?

^^ Residents who have the nationality and living abroad can Vote. and this was recently made possible.

^^

Cast away
A parliamentary committee says non-resident citizens can vote
Matt Nash, NOW Staff , September 11, 2008

http://www.nowlebanon.com/ContentPictures/Cast-away-main-091108104424.jpg
Election officials counting after polls closed in Tripoli June 19, 2005. A draft proposal passed by a parliamentary committee this week would allow non-resident Lebanese citizens to vote. (AFP/RAMZI HAIDAR)




While the war is far from over, Lebanese citizens living abroad wishing to vote in Lebanese elections won a significant victory Monday when the parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee agreed to give them a voice.

There are some 1.2 million Lebanese who left their homeland between 1975 and 2007, according to estimates by the Lebanese Emigration Research Center at Notre Dame University.While there is no legal mechanism to allow them to vote from their new countries of residence, the constitution is mum on the issue of voting outside the country, merely saying citizens have the right to cast ballots with some restrictions.

The Administration and Justice Committee, which has been tasked with writing a new electoral law based on one passed in 1960 to replace the current legislation adopted in 2000, plans to present a draft electoral law to parliament by September 25. Before passing the committee’s draft, parliament will debate and possibly change the law.

However, the draft proposal stipulates that any Lebanese citizen with either a Lebanese state identification card or passport can register to vote at the Lebanese embassy or consulate in his or her nation of residence before the end of the year. This itself is also a significant shift from the current electoral law.

As it stands, to vote in Lebanon, a resident citizen must first register with the Ministry of Interior to receive a voter ID card. Under the draft proposal, non-resident citizens would not need this ID, according to Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan, a committee member.

This means Lebanese abroad do not have to have previously registered to vote, and it saves the Ministry of Interior a logistical step – namely printing new electoral IDs and shipping them overseas.

Administration and Justice Committee Chairman and MP Robert Ghanem told reporters on Monday that these Lebanese diplomatic offices abroad would forward the list of names to election officials on December 31, 2008. Within a month, non-resident citizens’ names would be added to the voting rolls so they can then cast their ballots at the embassy or consulate where they registered.

The road to reaching this proposal, however, was not a smooth one.

“Yes we had problems in discussing it,” Kanaan said. “There were so many political considerations for each political party.” He refused to elaborate.

This proposal’s fate before the full parliament, therefore, is anything but clear.

“There are the usual points of debate on this issue,” said Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center and a member of the National Commission on Electoral Law, which also wrote draft legislation allowing non-resident citizens the right to cast ballots abroad provided they had an electoral ID.

“Some are political, such as people saying there is more of one community than another abroad,” he said in reference to the common refrain that Christians comprise the vast majority of the Lebanese diaspora and would benefit most from a proposal like this one. “Which isn’t true – or that parties with more financial means can more effectively campaign abroad, giving a disadvantage to parties with less resources.”

Finally, Salem said, others are afraid there might not be sufficient oversight at a foreign embassy or consulate, leaving results open to tampering.

A parliamentary showdown notwithstanding, there is also the issue of logistics. Democratic Gathering bloc MP Elie Aoun, also a member of the Administration and Justice Committee, said that even if the proposal passed, the Ministry of Interior was unlikely to be ready for non-resident citizens to actually vote by 2009.

“As a principle, we support this proposal, but the reality is it is a little bit difficult,” he said. “Time is short… We have no time to make preparations for this so people can vote in 2009.”

Antoine Antoine Saad, a doctor and lawyer who specializes in constitutional law, said the logistical problems are many. First, both the Ministry of Interior and embassies and consulates outside Lebanon would need to hire more employees to handle voters.

New voter lists would have to be organized, and an advertising and awareness campaign would have to be launched so non-resident citizens will know they can vote and how.

Kanaan, while more hopeful about the logistical challenges, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have to coordinate with the Ministry of Interior to make this possible. And, he added, not all non-resident citizens would benefit in 2009 because there are Lebanese living in countries where Lebanon does not have an embassy or consulate.

Equally unclear is exactly what a move like this would mean for Lebanon’s domestic political landscape.

“The experience of most countries is that not huge numbers [of citizens abroad] register to vote,” Salem said. “Only a small group will take the trouble of going to the embassy [or consulate].”

http://askthepresident.naharnet.com/
Send the president a message

8:00pm LBC: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman has been in Israel for the past two days to discuss issues concerning Lebanon which could be brought up during President Michel Suleiman's visit to Washington.


In Israel 2 days to discuss Lebanon? SHEBAA????????????????????? :)

^^ That's exactly what came across my mind when i read this in the news :)

I just hope it's the whole area,not part of it.

...

^^ yes, attached to it actually.also the Hermon summit of 2600+ is part of it.all this makes the shebaa farms , telal kfarshouba and Hermon western slopes.

8:00pm LBC: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman has been in Israel for the past two days to discuss issues concerning Lebanon which could be brought up during President Michel Suleiman's visit to Washington.


In Israel 2 days to discuss Lebanon? SHEBAA????????????????????? :)

let's hope not .. I want a job with the military making maps and if they resolve it now, im screwed :P :nuts:

^^ yes, attached to it actually.also the Hermon summit of 2600+ is part of it.all this makes the shebaa farms , telal kfarshouba and Hermon western slopes.

That is like making sure the band on the Titanic keeps playing while the boat is sinking. Lebanon is going to be Iran II soon and Syria is already reinvaded the the North of Lebanon with French blessing. Chabba farms or No, the next few years are going to be very ugly. The good new is that you will be able to clime the month to look down at the beauty of Israel. :cheers:

^^I didn't understand :S

That is like making sure the band on the Titanic keeps playing while the boat is sinking. Lebanon is going to be Iran II soon and Syria is already reinvaded the the North of Lebanon with French blessing. Chabba farms or No, the next few years are going to be very ugly. The good new is that you will be able to clime the month to look down at the beauty of Israel. :cheers:

:nuts::nuts: :lol::lol:
none of the stupid things you have stated will happen.... Iran II ? Syria to reinvade.... pfft I have no idea what the News is telling you in Israel.

^yeah an israeli security website was spreading a rumor saying that syrian troops returned to areas around tripoli. no truth behind it

^^ That's the only thing they are good at, spreading false news to create paranoia!

^^ That's the only thing they are good at, spreading false news to create paranoia!

Said Ahmdinijads supporter.
At least those that argued with me the fact the hezzi weapons will eventualy be turned against Lebanese civilians learned to listen.

BTW. The reason for Iranian and Syrian attemts and successs to rule Lebanon are a direct result of the criminal scumbag Olmert policies (or lack of).

hey look man
go **** yourself
this is a lebanese thread
so either you respect our land or you should shut the **** up
i have no interest hear a zionist talking about my country in such a pessimeistic and arrogant way
the first thing you should analayse is your society .... where rasism against other none jews is normal
and where you call land steeling and occuping self-defence and your relegious and historical right
thx alot

http://askthepresident.naharnet.com/
Send the president a message

total waste of time.
Some of the questions are hilarious.

would he even read any of those questions anyway. Some Guy asked him if he had any balls lol.

Mr. President, do u love us?
anonymous, Thu Aug 28 15:50:00 +0300 2008

If it was up to you Mr. President Suleiman, would you rather Execute Samir Geagea by: 1- Hanging; 2- Leathal Shot; 3- Execution squad.
Pierre A, Fri Aug 15 15:48:25 +0300 2008

Why you are president?
Any, Thu Aug 14 22:57:02 +0300 2008

Are there any Steers in Lebanon?
Wacky Wednesday, Wed Aug 06 16:03:59 +0300 2008

mr president, mindal bi lebnana wala min fel.
georges, Wed Jul 30 08:41:53 +0300 2008


Mr President, 1.) Do you think that you can have the Champions league finals staged in Beirut in 2009? 2.) Any chance of also bringing Formula 1 to Lebanon??
Rami, Wed Jul 16 13:09:12 +0300 2008

what about gay rights?
RainboWWW, Sun Sep 21 21:22:09 +0300 2008
oh and btw, do you ever like read our bs? I need a proof. Thank you very much.
RainboWWW, Sun Sep 21 21:28:00 +0300 2008


Dear Mr. President, When is Wiam Wahab going to be jailed? and please strip him of his Lebanese citizenship. Thank you. A concerned Lebanese
Anonymous, Tue Sep 16 21:37:43 +0300 2008


Mon general just out of curiosity, Am I going to get bombed tomorrow?
Tony, Mon Sep 22 01:29:16 +0300 2008


hello President, h r u ? one important question.. is that do u have BALLS?
Hassan Sebaali, Sun Sep 21 12:30:08 +0300 2008



He is not going to answer those for sure:rofl:

hey look man
go **** yourself
this is a lebanese thread
so either you respect our land or you should shut the **** up
i have no interest hear a zionist talking about my country in such a pessimeistic and arrogant way
the first thing you should analayse is your society .... where rasism against other none jews is normal
and where you call land steeling and occuping self-defence and your relegious and historical right
thx alot

If F'n my self would changes reality i'd never leave the washroom.
I'm concerned about Lebanon because the situation there effects Israel directly. I'm pessimstic because I havev no reason being optimistic about the current situation wth HA getting stronger and better armed.
I have no racism against any one and defintly not against Lebanese
(which are of many races such as Jews). If you are not older then tweleve
tjen don't bother answering this post.

I have no racism against any one and defintly not against Lebanese
(which are of many races such as Jews).

Contrary to the Israelis, the Lebanese people are ethnically similar at 95%: they are levantine Semites and their language is Arabic. However, the Lebanese are divided in many religious sects.

Contrary to the Israelis, the Lebanese people are ethnically similar at 95%: they are levantine Semites and their language is Arabic. However, the Lebanese are divided in many religious sects.

Those sect are what destroying your beutiful nation.