Lebanese Forces Official Website

الكونغرس يصادق على تعيين سيسون سفيرة لدى لبنان

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:59:55 PST

صادق الكونغرس الأميركي على قرار تعيين القائمة بالأعمال الأميركية لدى لبنان ميشيل سيسون سفيرة لبلادها في بيروت. وقالت سيسون في جلسة إستماع امام لجنة العلاقات الخارجية في مجلس الشيوخ في وقت متأخر امس ان "لبنان هو في واجهة جهودنا لتشجيع الديمقراطية وحقوق الانسان والحرية ومكافحة التشدد في الشرق الاوسط". واضافت ان "الشعب اللبناني استفاد من اتفاق الدوحة" في اشارة الى انتخاب الرئيس ميشال سليمان وتشكيل الحكومة الجديدة واعتبرت ان وجود وزير واحد لحزب الله في هذه الحكومة "مثير للاهتمام" فيما قللت من اهمية امتلاك حزب الله الثلث المعطل لان الحكومة اللبنانية "تعمل عادة على قاعدة الاجماع".

42 million Euros to Lebanon from the European Commission

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:45:37 PST

According to “Lebanon This Week”, issued by Byblos Bank, the European Commission (EC) announced it will provide 42 million Euros in assistance to Lebanon under the European Neighborhood Policy.
The funds will be earmarked to three priorities in the 2008 Action Program, with 14m Euros allocated to the reinforcement of the private sector competitiveness, 18m Euros to support local development in Northern Lebanon by promoting sustainable development especially in the agricultural sector and finally 10 million Euros for the modernization of the Lebanese justice system.

بطرس خوند في أقبية "خان أبو الشامات"؟

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:07:29 PST

سؤال برسم من يدّعي عدم وجود مفقودين ومعتقلين في السجون السورية: أين هو بطرس خوند، ومن خطفه من أمام منزله في حرش تابت وسلمه إلى المخابرات السورية؟ بطرس خوند أحد القياديين في حزب "الكتائب"، انتسب إلى الحزب في العام 1956 ليسطع نجمه في العام 1976 بعدما حاز على ثقة بشير الجميّل لتأسيس فرقة الكومندوس التي كان لها الدور الأبرز في فك أسر الجميّل بعد أن اعتقله الفلسطينيون واحتجزوه في مخيم تل الزعتر. أكمل بطرس خوند حياته الحزبية مع "الكتائب" ليصبح مسؤول مجلس الأمن في الحزب ولينال ثقة رئيس الحزب بشير الجميّل الذي أهداه المنزل الذي لا تزال عائلته تقطن فيه في حرش تابت. خطف بطرس خوند عندما كان عضو مكتب سياسي في "الكتائب" من أمام المنزل في حرش تابت في 15 أيلول من العام 1992 على يد مجموعة مسلحة تردّدت معلومات عن كونها تابعة لـ"حزب الله" بحجّة ان خوند على علاقة بقضية خطف الديبلوماسيين الايرانيين الأربعة، مع العلم ان الأمين العام لـ"حزب الله" السيد حسن نصرالله نفى هذا الموضوع عندما قابلته زوجة خوند في العام 1995، ما يطرح علامات الاستفهام حول مكان وجوده إذا لم يكن في ايران ولا لدى "حزب الله". يتساءل الكثيرون عن مصير بطرس خوند، ولكن القضية كما سائر قضايا المعتقلين في السجون السورية، محكوم عليها أن تغيَّب، وحتى وقت قريب كان ممنوعاً على أحد أن يطرح هذه القضية لأنها تهدد "المسار والمصير"

Can Lebanon's March 14 Reverse the Tide?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:04:13 PST

This week, Lebanon's new national unity government is slated to announce its ministerial statement (bayan waziri), the policy document that will define Beirut's working parameters and agenda through the spring 2009 elections. For the pro-West majority March 14 coalition, the priority will be to incorporate into the statement a reference to UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701, which prohibits weapons movement to Hizballah and expands government sovereignty throughout Lebanon. Hizballah, for its part, will look to maintain the legitimacy of "the resistance." Although March 14 still maintains a government majority, three years of hostility and self-inflicted wounds have left the ruling party dramatically weakened, making it unclear whether the coalition will be able to prevent Hizballah from consolidating further political gains.

جعجع رداً على المعلم: السياسة السورية لم تتغير

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:42:08 PST

أكد رئيس الهيئة التنفيذية في "القوات اللبنانية" الدكتور سمير جعجع ان الشعب اللبناني كان ينتظر من سوريا مقاربة اكثر جدية للعلاقات اللبنانية - السورية بعد العزلة التي فرضتها الاسرة الدولية على دمشق من جراء سياستها في لبنان. وقال: "نشعر بعد تصريحات وزير الخارجية السوري وليد المعلم ان السياسة السورية لم تتغير من ناحية النظرة المستقبلية الى العلاقات بين البلدين ومن ناحية التعامل مع لبنان". جعجع، وخلال اجتماعاته في باريس مع كوادر الحزب للبحث في المسائل التنظيمية للفروع الفرنسية والاوروبية، اشار الى ان "المعلم تحدث عن المرحلة الماضية باختصار من دون الخوض في الآلام التي عاشها الشعب اللبناني خلال الوجود السوري في لبنان".

Forest fire rages amid munitions in Lebanon

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:20:53 PST

BEIRUT (AFP) — Firemen battled a forest fire in Lebanon on Tuesday, amid exploding cluster bombs and the danger of mines left over from the country's 1975-1990 civil war, a civil defence official told AFP. Flames swept near the summer resort town of Aley, east of Beirut, after breaking out overnight in the mountainous region of Bmikin, between Souk el-Gharb and Aley. "Firefighters are having a hard time extinguishing the flames because the region is full of Israeli cluster bombs and landmines left over from the 1975-1990 civil war which are exploding and making the situation worse," said the official who asked not to be named.

Hizbullah's Resistance, Weapons and Relations with Syria Hamper Policy Statement

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:19:36 PST

Three controversial topics have prevented agreement on a policy statement for the new cabinet: Hizbullah's resistance and its weapons; relations with Syria; and state sovereignty over its territories.
The various Lebanese factions, despite their differences, have managed to agree on a joint approach to tackling all other topics and challenges facing the nation.
Representatives of the March 14 majority in the nine-man committee trying to draft the cabinet's policy statement, want a clear-cut pledge that the resistance would be "absorbed" by the regular force, and that it does not have the right to decide on launching military operations in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms and other sectors.

Realism must rule in engaging Syria

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:15:58 PST

THE DEBATE over whether or not to engage Syria is once again center stage this week as a Syrian delegation visits Washington for talks with American officials and academics. Syria's enthusiasm for engaging the next American administration offers the incoming president an opportunity to influence Syrian behavior. The next president would be ill advised to aim this silver bullet on an Israeli-Syrian peace treaty unlikely to be realized. Instead, the United States should aim at getting Syria to end its meddling in neighboring Lebanon and its support for Hezbollah militants.

Syria Moves Ahead in Recognizing Lebanon

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:38:03 PST

BEIRUT, Lebanon – The foreign minister of Syria reiterated on Monday that Syria intends to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon, for the first time since the two nations gained independence more than 60 years ago. “We are determined to open an embassy and to exchange diplomatic representation,” Walid Muallem told reporters here. “But this determination has to be shared.”

World Just Waking to Hezbollah Threat

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:36:09 PST

The two Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah guerrillas two summers ago have been laid to rest at last, but it's the reaction in Lebanon that should be a wake-up call to the civilized nations of the world.

The five terrorists released by Israel - including Samir Kantar, convicted of four murders in 1979 - were given an official welcome in Beirut not just by Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, but also Lebanon's president, prime minister and Parliament speaker.

"Your return is a new victory, and the future with you will only be a shining march in which we achieve the sovereignty of our land and the freedom of people," President Michel Suleiman said.

الاردن: اعتقالات في صفوف التيار السلفي لفك لغز الهجوم المسلح على فرقة «الكسليك»

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:52:37 PST

شنت الأجهزة الأمنية الاردنية حملة اعتقالات طاولت 9 اشخاص في مخيم البقعة للاجئين الفلسطينيين، كما شملت 3مساجد يتردد عليها افراد من الجماعات السلفية الجهادية، وذلك بهدف حل لغز الهجوم الذي نفذه الشاب ثائر الوحيدي على باص يقل اعضاء الفرقة السمفونية التابعة لجامعة الروح القدس – الكسليك الاربعاء الماضي قرب المدرج الروماني وسط عمان، والذي ادى الى اصابة 6 اشخاص ومحاولة المهاجم الانتحار.

Video: Mothers of Lebanese in Syrian Prisons

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:31:22 PST

اعتصام لأهالي المعتقلين في سوريا ومذكرة الى رئيس الجمهورية طلبت إدراج القضية في البيان الوزاري

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:12:01 PST

تجمع أهالي اللبنانيين الموقوفين في السجون السورية الساعة العاشرة والنصف قبل ظهر اليوم عند طريق القصر الجمهوري، مع ممثلين لعدد من هيئات المجتمع المدني اللبنانية، وخصصت لهم بقعة للتجمع أمام "سوبر ماركت بو خليل"، وذلك لمناسبة زيارة وزير الخارجية السوري وليد المعلم للقصر الجمهوري.

Geagea for Serious Lebanese-Syrian Ties

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:10 PST

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said he favors the establishment of "serious" diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria "as two independent states."
Geagea, in remarks published by the daily An Nahar on Monday, also expressed hope that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem "will bring with him Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails."
He said putting an end to the painful 30-year-old history between the two neighboring countries would only be achieved if Syria "apologizes" to the Lebanese and "recognizes its mistake."

Mideast's Balance of Power

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:25:19 PST

A handful of Middle East nations and groups are pursuing talks that are dramatically shifting the region's balance of power in ways that could undercut U.S. interests. The various diplomatic efforts come as the Bush administration moderates its policy of isolating the governments of Iran, Syria and their regional allies. The State Department's point man on the Middle East is scheduled to meet this week with a delegation of Syrian academics and lawyers that includes the top legal adviser to the Syrian government team involved in indirect talks with Israel, according to Syrian officials.

Efforts Underway to Revive Lebanon's Jewish Community

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:23:54 PST

It's not easy being Jewish in Beirut where the synagogue is crumbling, the rabbis have left, the community is dwindling and where Jews are commonly branded "Israelis."
The last vestiges of the Jewish community in Lebanon, the Magen Abraham synagogue in the Lebanese capital, reflects a community falling into oblivion.
Built in 1920 in the area of Wadi Abu Jmil, formerly known as Wadi al Yahud (the Jews' Valley), the synagogue is today a place of desolation.

UK court to rule on Islamic law case

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:19:06 PST

LONDON (AP) — Britain's highest appeals court is scheduled to decide this week whether a divorced woman and her son should be deported to Lebanon, where she claims her abusive husband will gain custody under Sharia law. The case will address the issue of Islamic law and the extent to which Britain is obliged to provide asylum to those wishing to flee countries that practice it. Lawyers acting for the 34-year-old woman are expected to tell the House of Lords on Monday that her human rights would be violated if she were forced to return to Lebanon. They plan to argue that she has a right to a family life that will be lost in Lebanon.

Syrian FM in Lebanon for talks on relations

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:13:02 PST

BEIRUT: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem is to visit Beirut on Monday a week after Lebanon and Syria agreed to establish diplomatic relations between the adjoining nations. Moallem is to deliver an invitation to Lebanese President Michel Sleiman from his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad to visit Damascus - a trip the Lebanese press said would take place within a week or 10 days. Moallem last visited Beirut on May 25 to attend the election of Sleiman.

2 pro al-Qaeda militants killed

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:10:54 PST

Shehadeh Jawhar

Beirut - Lebanese security officials say two Palestinian militants allied to a pro al-Qaeda group have been killed in a clash with members of the mainstream Fatah movement in a southern refugee camp. One of those killed was a member of the Jund al-Sham group, which followed the extremist ideology of al-Qaeda, and the other with an affiliated organisation. Security officials said Shehadeh Jawhar, a Jund al-Sham military commander, had been critically wounded in Saturday's clash. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media

Hizballah Terrorist Samir Kuntar Basks in Freedom While Syria Tortures Innocent Lebanese

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:53:30 PST

As the number one star in the Hizballah “Divine Victory” lineup, Samir Kuntar has been the flaming sword that Hizballah holds aloft to show the Lebanese and the world that Nasrallah is in charge. Promising to strike Israel again, Kuntar said, “I return today from Palestine, but believe me, I return to Lebanon only in order to return to Palestine.” Kuntar went beyond just attacking the “Little Satan” (Israel), and moved onto criticizing the “Great Satan” (the United States of America).