Hezbollah is a Shiite militant group that is actively involved in the Lebanese government. It holds 14 seats of the 128 seat Lebanese parliament. The group publically opposes the existence of Israel.
Hezbollah is on the U.S. State...
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Hezbollah is a Shiite militant group that is actively involved in the Lebanese government. It holds 14 seats of the 128 seat Lebanese parliament. The group publically opposes the existence of Israel.
Hezbollah is on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist organizations.
Efforts by Lebanon's new government to agree on a policy statement have again stumbled over Hezbollah's weapons, with Christian members of the Western-backed majority rejecting a hands-off approach. A cabinet committee set up earlier this month to draft the statement has met eight times and on Wednesday was to sit down again to try to iron out differences on how to phrase a clause that covers the Shiite party's arms. The Phalange Party and Lebanese Forces, both Maronite Christian, argue that... Read Full Story
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Two Lebanese men were charged on Tuesday with attempting to provide material support to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah by exporting machine guns to Syria from Philadelphia, U.S. authorities said. Hassan Hodroj and Dib Hani Harb -- along with Moussa Ali Hamdan of New York and Hasan Antar Karaki of Beirut -- were also charged with conspiring to provide material support to Hezbollah, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. The four men are accused of... Read Full Story
President Michel Sleiman called in a television speech on Saturday for the establishment of a committee to work towards the abolition of religion-based politics in Lebanon. "To encourage vast participation (in political life), a national committee should be established and charged with abolishing confessionalism in politics," he said in a speech marking Sunday's 66th anniversary of independence. Sleiman also proposed "changing the electoral law relating to general elections in order to... Read Full Story
The militant Hezbollah group says that Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has been re-elected as the group's leader for a sixth term. A Hezbollah statement Thursday did not say when top Hezbollah officials voted to re-elect Nasrallah as the guerrilla group's secretary-general. The statement said Naim Kassim also has been re-elected to as the group's deputy leader. Hezbollah's leadership elections are usually held every three years but they were last held in 2004. A Hezbollah official said the two-year... Read Full Story
The second annual meeting of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) took place this past Thursday and Friday, this time with a harsh warning. That we are not doing enough to prevent environmental catastrophe in the Middle East.
Drawing together a versified group of delegates from the Middle East and North Africa, AFED is an attempt to form a unique Arab forum that is instrumental in promoting new environmental policies. AFED’s mission statement states that “the necessity... Read Full Story
The second annual meeting of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) took place this past Thursday and Friday, this time with a harsh warning. That we are not doing enough to prevent environmental catastrophe in the Middle East.
Drawing together a versified group of delegates from the Middle East and North Africa, AFED is an attempt to form a unique Arab forum that is instrumental in promoting new environmental policies. AFED’s mission statement states that “the necessity... Read Full Story
Lebanon's new government, a shaky coalition of Western-backed factions and the militant Hezbollah, is unlikely to tackle the chief challenge the country faces — a buildup of the Iranian-backed group's weapons — even as the rockets cause sharp new tensions with neighboring Israel. On Wednesday, Israel released documents and photos it said proved Iran was behind a shipment of weapons seized last week, which Israel claimed was bound for Hezbollah. The group has denied any links to the arms ship... Read Full Story
Iran's closest allies in the Middle East are seizing on a deadlock in U.S.-backed peace efforts to try to sway a frustrated Arab world to their side. Radicals have escalated their rhetoric as hopes for progress on an Israeli-Palestinian deal have faded. The leaders of Syria and the Shiite militant group Hezbollah endorsed violence against Israel and attacked President Barack Obama's Mideast approach in recent days. Angry over the stalled peace process, even moderate Arab countries are... Read Full Story
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Wednesday to cooperate with Lebanon's new unity government but warned that it should avoid the "big issues," in allusion to his group's weapons. "Success for this government, its prime minister and ministers will mean success for Lebanon and Hezbollah," Nasrallah said in a televised address to mark Hezbollah's martyrs' day. "But I call for patience in dealing with the big issues," he added, alluding to demands by the UN Security Council and his local... Read Full Story
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri formed a government of national unity on Monday after more than four months of tough negotiations with his Hezbollah-led rivals. The new 30-member cabinet was announced in a decree signed by Hariri and President Michel Sleiman. "Finally, a government of national unity is born," Hariri told reporters after the decree was made public. He added that he hoped the new cabinet will work together in tackling the challenges facing the country. The line-up includes... Read Full Story
