Hezbollah

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 Hezbollah's arsenal undermines state authority and runs counter to UN resolutions. "We cannot accept that there be another authority that has the power ... 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 conspiring to give Hezbollah proceeds from the sale of fake passports, counterfeit money and stolen real money. The United States lists Hezbollah as a ... 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 obtain better representation and restore to expatriates their rights, including nationality and the right to vote." In line with the current power-sharing system in Lebanon, the president is a Maronite Christian, the speaker ... 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 delay was caused by internal Lebanese difference and the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to ... 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 has emerged for an independent non-governmental Arab forum, active and influential in promoting policies and projects to support sustainable development and defining common environmental issues, ... 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. The day before, the Israeli army chief told parliament members that the Shiite group now has tens of thousands of rockets stored in southern ... 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 has emerged for an independent non-governmental Arab forum, active and influential in promoting policies and projects to support sustainable development and defining common environmental issues, ... Read Full Story