tagged w/ Lebanon Conflict
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TRIPOLI, Lebanon: The crumbling streets of this ancient city are starting to resemble a battleground.
A string of bombings over the past two months has left at least 20 people dead, most of them Lebanese Army soldiers, and scores of wounded. Hard-line Sunni Islamist leaders have gained new followers here, fueling sectarian violence that has scarred the city and its economy. Already, the president of Syria has warned that northern Lebanon has become "a real source of extremism and a danger to Syria."
But this being Lebanon, it is not clear what part of all this is terrorism and what is just election-year politics - or which of those is more dangerous.
Many Lebanese political leaders say Syria and its allies here - including the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which has little power in northern Lebanon - are trying to win votes in the coming parliamentary elections by smearing their opponents with the image of Al Qaeda. Some openly accuse Syria of orchestrating the bombings.
"The north is the victim of terrorism, not the source of it," said Ahmad Fatfat, a member of Parliament from the northern region of Dunnieh. "Someone is trying to send a message to the people, to make them believe the Sunnis of the north are the real danger in Lebanon."
The absence of clear evidence makes such arguments inevitable. Even when the Lebanese authorities make an arrest - as they did Sunday, accusing a jihadist cell of carrying out the bombings in Tripoli - basic questions persist because foreign powers have so often used such groups as proxies inside Lebanon in the past.
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: The crumbling streets of this ancient city are starting to resemble... more
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Two people have been killed in a second day of fighting in the north Lebanese city of Tripoli.
The deaths on Monday came a day after four people died as supporters of the ruling majority and the Hezbollah-led opposition battled in the Bab al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen areas of the city.
Some residents fled their homes and others hid as machine-gun fire and grenade explosions erupted on the streets.
One person was killed on Monday morning in renewed violence, while another died of wounds sustained in the previous day's clashes. More than 30 people have been injured in the fighting. A police officer was killed by a stray bullet on Sunday in al-Qobbe district while three other men were killed during clashes in Jabal Mohsen, security officials said.
The various factions had agreed earlier on Sunday that the Lebanese army should be deployed to maintain security and they would keep their fighters off the streets, but clashes continued soon afterwards.Two people have been killed in a second day of fighting in the north Lebanese city of... more
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged support for Lebanon's new president and for efforts to promote national unity, following the country's deadly political crisis.
Sarkozy spoke after arriving in Beirut Saturday for a one-day visit aimed at supporting the country's peace efforts. He said Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has a big responsibility to achieve national reconciliation.
Sarkozy is leading a French delegation that includes Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and the leaders of all of France's major political parties.
The delegation is expected to hold talks with Mr. Suleiman and representatives from 14 Lebanese political factions, including the Shi'ite opposition group Hezbollah.
President Sarkozy is the first Western head of state to visit Lebanon-a former French colony- since Mr. Suleiman took office May 25, following an Arab-mediated agreement to end the crisis. Lebanon is trying to recover from recent deadly sectarian violence that nearly resulted in a civil war.French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged support for Lebanon's new president... more
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Lebanon on Tuesday banned motorbikes, political demonstrations as well as flag waving and provocative slogans from the Lebanese capital until further notice after clashes between rival factions last night.
"Motorbikes will be banned in Beirut effective at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on May 27, 2008, until further notice," an interior ministry statement said.
Demonstrations, the waving of party flags or provocative slogans were also banned in the city.
It is common practice in Beirut for supporters of various rival political parties to drive around the city waving party flags, blaring slogans on loudspeakers and shooting in the air.
Hezbollah and its ally Amal movement put out a statement on Tuesday calling on their supporters to put an end to these practices saying that they would "not provide political cover for them."
ast night's clashes came as Hezbollah supporters were celebrating a speech by their leader Hassan Nasrallah, who vowed his powerful group would not use its weapons to achieve political gains.
Rival supporters insulted the Hezbollah backers who reacted by firing off a stun grenade at the Sunni mosque of Abdel Nasser.
The Lebanese army cordoned off the area and restored order, said state-run Tele Liban, without giving details or reporting any casualties.
It was the first such incident since the army took control of west Beirut after Hezbollah pulled out its fighters who seized control in several days of mostly Shiite-Sunni clashes earlier this month that killed 65 people.
Lebanon on Tuesday banned motorbikes, political demonstrations as well as flag waving... more
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Lebanon's leaders are set to elect Michel Suleiman, the country's army chief, as president in a first step toward defusing an 18-month standoff between rival factions.
Suleiman is expected to be elected on Sunday in a parliamentary session attended by several foreign dignitaries, including Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar.
Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, and Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general, will also be present.
Sueliman's election is part of a deal brokered in Doha, Qatar's capital, on Wednesday that sought to end a political crisis that last month degenerated into violence.
Sixty-five people were killed when armed supporters of the Hezbollah-led opposition took control of much of Beirut after the US-backed government moved to outlaw the group's private communications network.
Among the 200 dignitaries invited for Suleiman's election are also the foreign ministers of Syria and Iran. Also, a US congressional delegation has been invited and would be headed by Nick Rahall, a West Virginia Democratic Representative of Lebanese origin.
Lebanon's leaders are set to elect Michel Suleiman, the country's army... more
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Rival Lebanese leaders signed a deal on Wednesday to end 18 months of political conflict that had threatened to push the country to a new civil war.
The agreement, reached after six days of Arab-mediated talks, also paved the way for the election of a new president.
Parliament will convene on Sunday to elect army chief General Michel Suleiman as head of state, aides to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Reuters in Qatar, where the feuding sides signed the accord.
The agreement between the U.S.-backed ruling coalition and the Hezbollah-led opposition resolved a dispute over a law for holding 2009 parliamentary elections and met the opposition's long-standing demand for veto power in cabinet.
It followed a Hezbollah military campaign this month against the ruling coalition which bolstered the opposition's political strength. Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran and Syria, routed its rivals in six days of conflict that killed 81 and prompted the Qatari-led mediation.
The fighting was Lebanon's worst civil conflict since the 1975-1990 war and exacerbated tensions between Shi'ites loyal to Hezbollah and Druze and Sunni supporters of the government.Rival Lebanese leaders signed a deal on Wednesday to end 18 months of political... more
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