Lebanon

The votes have been counted,  the results have been reported, and the triumphant victory speeches have been delivered. Now the real work begins. As the pro-March 14 celebrations are dying down around Lebanon- as well as Washington and Riyadh- the nation’s politicians are gearing up for the next battle. Saad Hariri and his Sunni and […]

Not about Lebanon, but regionally relevant and interesting: From Stratfor By George Friedman June 8, 2009 Amid the rhetoric of U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech June 4 in Cairo, there was one substantial indication of change, not in the U.S. relationship to the Islamic world but in the U.S. relationship to Israel. This shift actually […]

Two days have passed since  Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, and everything is still all quiet on the Middle Eastern front.  The Western-backed March 14 coalition retained a majority in Lebanon’s 128 seat parliament. Both Hizballah and its Shia ally Amal had strong showings in their districts, but it was not enough to put its March 8 […]

Hizballah has reportedly been meeting with IMF officials before the June 7 polls to make sure that Lebanon will continue receive IMF support in the event of a Hizballah win.  IMF officials have confirmed the report. The Hizballah-led opposition (to the Western-backed March 14 coalition) is considered by many to be favored in their effort […]

It has been five days since the release of the Spiegel magazine article claiming Hizballah was responsible for the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005.  So far the streets of Beirut are still quiet, save for the occasional gunshots and fireworks that go off after a speech. But this calm might not necessarily reflect what […]

German news website Spiegel Online is reporting, according to “sources close to the tribunal”, that Hizballah was behind Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination. Until recently, Syria was thought to be responsible for the murder, which also claimed the lives of 22 others. The new allegations come just two weeks before the Lebanese parliamentary elections. It is […]

US Vice President Joe Biden is in Beirut today to meet with government leaders just two weeks before the Lebanese parliamentary elections. Biden will be meeting with the three heads of government: President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, and Speaker Nabbih Berri. His visit is expected to last for  a few hours, just long […]

Less than three weeks before the Lebanese parliamentary elections, Israel is stirring up trouble from the south. Israel has announced that it will be conducting large scale military training maneuvers the week before the  Lebanese elections. Also, a network of Israeli spies has been slowly uncovered in Lebanon over the past few weeks. To date, […]

Israel has turned over maps showing where cluster bombs were dropped during the 2006 war with Lebanon. The maps, which were given to UNIFIL officials on May 12, could greatly help the de-mining effort in South Lebanon. UNIFIL  and other groups have been working to remove the explosive devices, as they pose an enormous safety […]

A Hizballah official complained Monday that the Lebanese army is still not equipped to deal with Israeli aggression. MP Mohammad Raad commented on the situation: “In military science, two regular armies should own balanced weapons to be able to confront each other,” adding “Despite the brave officers and soldiers of the Lebanese army, there is […]

A judge has ordered the release of four generals that were being held in connection with the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Belgian judge Daniel Fransen ordered the men to be freed Wednesday after it was determined that the evidence being used to hold them  was insufficient. The four generals […]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came to Beirut this past weekend to voice American support for the pro-Western March 14 coalition of Sunni and Christian leaders in the upcoming election. She delivered a letter to President Sleiman from President Obama declaring that the United States would not “sell out” Lebanon in any deal made in […]