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 […]
With six weeks to go before the Lebanese parliamentary elections, The New York Times is reporting a significant amount of money being spent on vote-buying. The June election is seen as a battle between factions allied with the West, like the March 14th Coalition, and factions allied with Iran and Syria, such as Hizballah and […]
The Associated Press reported Sunday that Mohammed Zuhair al-Siddiq was arrested in Dubai in connection with the murder of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in 2005. But attempts to confirm the story proved difficult, as officials from Dubai denied the report. “There was definitely no arrest in Dubai,” Dubai’s deputy police chief, Major General Khamis […]
Less than two months before the parliamentary elections and things seem relatively calm. Posturing and overt displays of force and support have been absent, as are incidents of confrontation and violence. There has been some engagement of the Lebanese Armed Forces with a drug cartel operating in the south, but that situation seems contained to […]
Egyptian authorities have arrested a group of 49 people accused of plotting attacks on it’s soil. The suspects are alleged to be part of the Lebanese Shiite resistance movement Hizballah. The group’s alleged leader, Sami Shihab, was confirmed as a being a Hizballah operative by Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in a speech last friday. “Brother […]
Future Movement leader Saad Hariri declared his platform of disarmament of all resistance groups in Lebanon. At the party’s rally Sunday night, Hairi declared, “The arms of the Lebanese state should triumph over all other arms. The dialogue table should tackle the issue of the resistance’s arms while discussing means by which Israeli offensives against […]
During the 2009 Arab League summit in Doha last weekend, there was much clamor made in support of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir and his continued defiance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant in his name. Bashir is wanted by the ICC for his alleged role in the genocide taking place in the Darfur […]
Moody’s credit rating agency has increased Lebanon’s bond rating to B2 from B3. This means that the capacity for Lebanon to honor its debt obligation is stronger in the eyes of the ratings agency. A stronger rating enables a country to borrow money at lower interest rates because of the perception of lower risk. “Lebanon’s […]
Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the government Saturday for its procrastination in the reconstruction efforts in South Beirut and Southern Lebanon. Those areas suffered major damage during the 2006 War with Israel. The areas, predominantly Shiite, were the targets of Israeli bombs in that country’s effort to exterminate Hizballah, the resistance group that forced out Israel […]
The Russian Federation is giving ten of the fighter jets to Lebanon as military aid. The Lebanese army is largely funded by the United States, so the gesture from Russia is a bit of a surprise, especially to Israel, Lebanon’s neighbor to the south. Lebanon also seems to be surprised by the offer. The United […]