LEBANON POLITICS

LEBANON POLITICS

Sleiman insists reconciling is no obstacle to democracy
By Hussein Abdallah
President Michel Sleiman urged Lebanese parties on Monday to continue engaging one another, stressing that reconciliation was not at all against the concept of democracy. "Recent reconciliations as well as the media truce have reflected positively on the political and economic situation in the country," Sleiman.

What a 'presidential bloc' might mean for Lebanon
By Michael Bluhm
A movement to build a bloc of MPs representing President Michel Sleiman's interests after next year's elections appears to be brewing, even though such a tack might drag down the president's standing and inflame sectarian tensions, a number of analysts told The Daily Star on Monday.

Fadlallah: 'Israel has vicious plans for Lebanon'
Compiled By Daily Star Staff
Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said that "reconciliations and the atmosphere of stability in Lebanon receive international and regional support." However, Fadlallah said Israel had "vicious plans for Lebanon which we should be aware of." He called on "the political leadership.

Resistance urges steps to halt Israeli breaches
Compiled By Daily Star Staff
Hizbullah's international relations officer, Nawaf Moussawi, warned Monday against Israeli violations of the Blue Line. "Certain actions on various levels should be taken in order to preserve Lebanon's rights," Moussawi said during a meeting with British Ambassador Frances Mary Guy.

Ahmadinejad lauds example set by Hizbullah
Compiled By Daily Star Staff
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the Lebanese resistance to the Israeli regime was a good model for all countries in the region, Tehran's Islamic Republic News Agency reported Sunday. The agency on Monday said Ahmadinejad made the remark during a meeting with former President Emile Lahoud.

State Department official came and went - embassy
Compiled By Daily Star Staff
The US Embassy announced Monday that Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs Brian Hook made a four-day visit to Lebanon last week and held a series of meetings with UN officials. During his October 29 through November 1 visit Hook met with officials from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

Americans in Lebanon all set for big day - and long night
By Andrew Wander
Remember life before this US presidential campaign season? That's right, those far-off days when political pundits were telling us that the 2008 election would be contested by Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani? It seems like years ago... come to think of it, it was.

Belgian UNIFIL troops enjoy being in South - but may be headed home
Compiled By Daily Star Staff
The commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's (UNIFIL) Belgian contingent told The Daily Star over the weekend that his team felt safe in the South, and were enjoying their missionn. "The Belgian contingent won't hesitate to make sacrifices so as to preserve peace and stability in the South.

Lebanon has been below radar for US presidential rivals
By Nicholas Kimbrell
Early Wednesday morning the speculation will likely be put to rest - America with have a new president-elect. But the announcement of a new US president will only fuel a fresh round of speculation on how a President Barack Obama or a President John McCain will translate campaign rhetoric into executive action.

'Lebanese working for Mossad' may have played role in Mughniyeh hit
Compiled By Daily Star Staff
The alleged leader of a Mossad spy network arrested by Lebanese authorities monitored the Kfar Sousa neighborhood in Damascus a few months before senior Hizbullah military commander Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated by a car bomb last February, according to a report published by As-Safir newspaper on Monday.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/headlines.asp