30/7/09 Assafir. Israel studies to create an armistice committee in order to use it as a channel for dialogue between both countries. 28/7/09 Al-Baladonline. The UN, Hezbollah, Amal Movement and the Lebanese Army met in Kherbet Salem to find a solution for current crisis after the explosion an alleged Hezbollah weapons depot in this village. 28/7/09 Assafir newspaper published a detailed report about the 22 Lebanese citizens that are accused of spying for Israel. 28/7/09 Assafir. Amal movement re-elected MP Nabih Berri during its annual conference for another three years, and releases an official statement calling for the strengthening of relations with Syria, Arab and Muslim neighbors. Also he renew his commitment with the Ta'if agreements, the resistance project and the abolition of political sectarianism. 28/7/09 Hezbollah sees progress on Lebanon government BEIRUT: A leading member of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah said yesterday there was progress in talks towards the formation of a new government to be headed by the billionaire Sunni politician Saad Al-Hariri. Hariri, designated prime minister a month ago, is aiming to form a coalition cabinet grouping his "March 14" alliance with a rival coalition including the powerful Iran- and Syria-backed Hezbollah and its allies. Hariri's alliance, supported by countries including the United States and Saudi Arabia, defeated Hezbollah and its allies in a June 7 parliamentary election. 28/7/09 Lebanon’s caretaker cabinet seems to be taking a long summer vacation Thousands and thousands of people are making Lebanon their summer destination in 2009, whether various types of expatriate Lebanese, foreign tourists from a range of countries, or other visitors and guests. They’ve come to see friends and family, relax and see the sights, and in general, have a nice vacation. 28/4/09 Al-Tufaily to al-Hayat: Hezbollah could have been Lebanon’s salvation instead of its plague In an interview published by Al-Hayat newspaper, Sheikh Sohbi Al-Tufaily – a former Hezbollah Secretary General who is now one of the most outspoken figures against Hezbollah’s role in the East and North Bekaa – discusses elections, politics in the Bekaa, and his views on the position of the Shiite community in relation to the current Lebanese dilemma. 28/4/09 A Bad Season for Elections and Hashish Journalist Hazem al-Amin interviews a member of the Jaafar clan who spoke to Al-Hayyat on the condition that he be referred to only as M. Jaafar. Jul 2009 Charges filed against alleged Hizbollah cell By: Nadia Abou el Magd Source: National , 28/7/09 Some of the accused have also been charged with digging tunnels under Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip to smuggle people and goods. Said Khatib / AFP CAIRO // Egypt’s prosecutor general has charged 26 suspects with spying for Hizbollah and plotting terrorist attacks against tourists in Egypt. more... Interpol pursue Hezbollah’s Mohammad Qabalan By: Now Staff Source: Now Lebanon, 28/7/09 The Egyptian magazine Al-Masriya reported on Tuesday that the Interpol in Egypt is pursuing a Hezbollah official, Mohammad Qabalan, suspected of being involved in the Hezbollah cell discovered in the Sinai last April, after General Prosecutor Abdel Majid Mahmoud issued a warrant to arrest Qabalan and three others. more... Rival Lebanese factions close to an agreement on cabinet By: Mitchell Prothero Source: National , 28/7/09 BEIRUT // Lebanon’s political divisions appeared to take a step closer to healing yesterday as the incoming majority alliance that won June’s parliamentary elections forged a compromise with the Hizbollah-led opposition on the make-up of the new cabinet. more... Israel warns Lebanon amidst tensions on northern border By: Barak Ravid Source: Haaretz, 28/7/09 Israeli officials said Monday that they believe Hezbollah will try to escalate the tension on the Lebanon border by organizing civilian demonstrations and protests in the Har Dov area, as it did about a week ago, as part of an effort to launch a popular uprising against Israel more... Hezbollah sees progress on Lebanon government By: Reuters Source: kuwait Times, 28/7/09 BEIRUT: A leading member of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah said yesterday there was progress in talks towards the formation of a new government to be headed by the billionaire Sunni politician Saad Al-Hariri. Hariri, designated prime minister a month ago, is aiming to form a coalition cabinet grouping his "March 14" alliance with a rival coalition including the powerful Iran- and Syria-backed Hezbollah and its allies. Hariri's alliance, supported by countries including the United States and Saudi Arabia, defeated Hezbollah and its allies in a June 7 parliamentary election. more... Lebanon’s caretaker cabinet seems to be taking a long summer vacation By: The Daily Star Source: The Daily Star, 28/7/09 Thousands and thousands of people are making Lebanon their summer destination in 2009, whether various types of expatriate Lebanese, foreign tourists from a range of countries, or other visitors and guests. They’ve come to see friends and family, relax and see the sights, and in general, have a nice vacation. more... IDF chief: New Israel-Hezbollah war unlikely By: Anshel Pfeffer and Barak Ravid Source: Haaretz, 28/7/09 he Israel Defense Forces is closely monitoring the situation along the border with Lebanon though no eruption of hostilities is expected on this front, army chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi said on Tuesday. more... Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for rocket launches into Israel from Lebanon By: Menassat Staff Source: Menassat, 28/7/09 The militant Islamic group Al-Qaeda says it’s responsible for the rocket attacks on northern Israel from Southern Lebanon earlier this year, in a new video purportedly produced and posted on the Internet by the group. more... Israel angry at UNIFIL-Hizbullah contact By: YAAKOV KATZ Source: Jerusalem Post, 28/7/09 Defense officials lashed out at UNIFIL commander Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano for meeting with Amal and Hizbullah officials this week in southern Lebanon. more... Shalev: Lebanon blast reflects Iran threat By: E.B. SOLOMONT, JPOST CORRESPONDENT AT THE UNITED NATIONS Source: Jerusalem Post, 27/7/09 The July 14 explosions in southern Lebanon, which exposed an apparent Hizbullah arms cache, demonstrate a "volatile reality" and reflect the threat posed by Iran throughout the Middle East, Israel's UN ambassador told the Security Council on Monday. more... Summer Heats Up in Lebanon By: David Schenker Source: The Washignton Institute , 27/7/09 Six weeks after the pro-West March 14 coalition defeated the Hizballah-led alliance in Lebanon's parliamentary elections, no new government has been formed in Beirut. Although March 14 leader Saad Hariri was given a mandate back in early June to become prime minister and form a cabinet, he has still not completed the sensitive and contentious negotiations with the opposition. Hariri's difficulties in allocating seats among his coalition allies and political adversaries were anticipated, and to a certain extent are routine for Lebanon. But the calm that followed the free and fair elections is eroding, as Hizballah and its allies in Damascus press for more political concessions from Hariri. These developments, coupled with the apparent failure of Saudi-Syrian reconciliation efforts, are elevating tensions, threatening a banner tourism season, and raising the possibility of a return to violence in Beirut. more... Report: Hezbollah Leader Threatens Tel Aviv Strike By: Assoicated Press Source: Fox News, 27/7/09 BEIRUT — Hezbollah's leader was quoted by two Lebanese newspapers Monday as warning that his Iranian-backed militants will strike Israel's largest city of Tel Aviv with missiles from Lebanon — if the Jewish state attacked the guerrillas' south Beirut stronghold in a new war. more... Hezbollah chief expects Israeli aggression on Lebanon By: Mu Xuequan Source: China View, 26/7/09 BEIRUT, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Saturday he expected an Israeli war on Lebanon in the period between the end of the year and next spring, local New TV reported. more... Egypt refers Hezbollah case to emergency court By: Al Arabiya, Reuters Source: Al-Arabiya, 26/7/09 Egyptian prosecutors referred 26 men to an emergency state security court on terrorism and espionage-related charges, a prosecution statement said on Sunday. more... Putting words in UNIFIL’s mouth By: Emily Dische-Becker Source: Menassat, 26/7/09 he Israeli English-language press reported this week that the UN had laid the blame for both the Khirbet Salim explosion and subsequent attack on UNIFIL soldiers who arrived to investigate the explosion, at the feet of Hezbollah. more... Lebanon: U.N. Official Points to Hezbollah in Blasts By: NEIL MacFARQUHAR Source: The New York Times, 24/7/09 The chief of United Nations peacekeeping forces told the Security Council that explosions in southern Lebanon on July 14 most likely came from an illegal Hezbollah arms cache. more... Another Israeli spy arrested in Lebanon By: HE/DT Source: Press TV, 19/7/09 Lebanese intelligence forces have arrested another man on suspicion of spying for Israel amid an anti-espionage crackdown in the country. more... Hezbollah-Iran-American dialogue Source: Now Lebanon, 19/7/09 Kassim Kassir wrote one of the week’s most newsworthy items on July 19, 2009. His piece, published on the news website NOW Lebanon, was titled: “American and Iranian personalities and a number of Hezbollah officials attended frank discussions in the southern suburb on the Iranian situation.” more... Israel tests anti-Katyusha missile shield By: Anne Barker Source: ABC News, 17/7/09 Israel has tested a missile defence system, developed to shoot down short-range rockets fired by militants in Gaza and Lebanon. more... Hezbollah: Israel still holding Lebanese terrorist By: The Associated Press Source: Haaretz, 17/7/09 Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday Israel is still holding a Lebanese prisoner and the remains of others despite a prison exchange a year ago in which all were to be returned. more... Russia not to interfere in formation of Lebanon's cabinet, says envoy By: Yan Source: China View, 16/7/09 BEIRUT, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov said on Thursday that Russia will not interfere in the formation of a new cabinet in Lebanon which is the task of the Lebanese, local Elnashra website reported. more... LEBANON: Different sides tell different stories regarding explosion By: Jahd Khalil Source: Los Angeles Times, 16/7/09 On Tuesday, a series of mysterious explosions in southern Lebanon raised the sensitive issue of Hezbollah’s weapons. more... The right credentials By: New Opinion Source: Now Lebanon, 14/7/09 Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, according to one Lebanese daily, recently discussed the 2006 July War with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. As-Safir reported Jumblatt as saying that Nasrallah had “admonished” him for his stand against the conflict. “He has the right to do so,” the enigmatic Druze leader said, “but the most important thing is that we decided to turn a new page, build trust, and foster dialogue and reconciliation.” more... 'Hezbollah arms cache' blows up Source: BBC, 14/7/09 Reports from southern Lebanon say there have been a number of explosions at a weapons depot belonging to the Hezbollah movement. more... Senior US official: Our policy toward Hezbollah will not change unless it disarms By: Now Staff Source: Now Lebanon, 10/7/09 Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, Deputy Coordinator for Programs and Policy in the Secretary’s Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, said in an interview with Al-Sharq newspaper on Friday that the US policy toward Hezbollah will not change, unless Hezbollah disarms. more... Fadlallah: Foreign interference proves Lebanon “helpless” in decision-making By: Now Staff Source: Now Lebanon, 10/7/09 Prominent Shia cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said during Friday prayers that meetings among regional players and foreign interference in the formation of the new cabinet among other Lebanese issues prove that Lebanon is “helpless” in taking its own decisions without having to refer back to other countries. more... German FM visits Syria, Lebanon By: FTP/ZAP/HGL Source: Press TV, 8/7/09 German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has met the Syrian president and Lebanon's prime minister-designate to discuss Middle East peace. more... Elmaleh’s case and Iran tell us much about Hezbollah By: Michael Young Source: National , 2/7/09 What do the recent protests in Iran have in common with the decision of the French actor and comedian Gad Elmaleh not to attend the Beiteddine Festival next week? Simply that both events exposed once again the extent to which illiberal tendencies are an inherent part of Hezbollah’s identity. more... Lebanon’s Hariri faces tough team building By: Ferry Biedermann Source: Tehran Times, 2/7/09 BEIRUT (Financial Times) -- Saad Hariri begins consultations on Monday with all political factions after being designated Lebanon’s prime minister at the weekend and charged with forming a government. more... Defying Hezbollah, Lebanon welcomes French Jewish comedian By: The Associated Press Source: Haaretz, 1/7/09 A French comedian of Jewish descent is welcome to perform in Lebanon, a cabinet minister in Beirut said Tuesday. Tourism Minister Elie Marouni even offered to receive Gad Elmaleh at the airport, defying a Hezbollah campaign claiming he served in the Israel Defense Forces. more... A secret meeting with Lebanon's notorious drug war lord By: Mitchell Prothero Source: National , 1/7/09 BEIRUT // The black SUV with tinted windows pulls up at the agreed rendezvous point along a quiet road in the northern Beqaa Valley. Inside are four burly young men with tattooed arms, long hair and machineguns. Without a word, they open a door for a journalist and then speed off down a side road away from the village centre. more... Jun 2009 US and Syria have own goals in closer ties By: Opinion Source: National , 30/6/09 The announcement by the White House of the return to Damascus by a US ambassador was a new breakthrough in the stalemate in US-Syrian relations, which were on the brink of a total rupture after the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, wrote Zine al Shami in the Kuwaiti Arabic newspaper Al Rai. more... Relatives burn tires after Lebanon sectarian clash By: Hussein Dakroub Source: Guardian, 29/6/09 Associated Press Writer-BEIRUT (AP)€” Relatives angry over the fatal shooting of a Lebanese woman in a clash between rival Sunnis and Shiites in a Beirut neighborhood burned tires and briefly blocked a road Monday, in a sign of the country's lingering tensions as it struggles to form a unity government. more... Lebanon searches for unity as Hariri’s son becomes PM By: Mitchell Prothero Source: National , 28/6/09 BEIRUT // Saad Hariri, the son of the former prime minister killed in a 2005 car bomb attack, was named premier of Lebanon’s incoming government in a vote yesterday that, although widely expected, now sets the stage for the difficult wrangling apparently necessary to form an effective government. more... Israel: Lebanon still responsible for any Hezbollah attacks By: Haaretz and Reuters Source: Haaretz, 28/6/09 Israel on Sunday warned the incoming Lebanese government that Beirut would be held to account in the event Hezbollah launches attacks against the north. more... Interview with Hezbollah's strategy man By: Thanassis Cambanis Source: Global Post, 27/6/09 Ali Fayyad, 46, is an Oxford-trained political strategist for Hezbollah. He was elected to the Lebanese Parliament in June 2009. more... Where does Hezbollah go from here? By: Thanassis Cambanis Source: Global Post, 27/6/09 Analysis: The Party of God's loss in the recent election has it rethinking its political strategy, though not its commitment to armed struggle. more... Hizbollah blames West for unrest By: Mitchell Prothero Source: National , 26/6/09 BEIRUT // The unrest over allegations that Iranian authorities rigged this month’s presidential election in favour of the incumbent, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been met with almost complete silence by Lebanese parties closely aligned with and supported by Iran’s religious conservatives. more... Berri re-elected as Lebanon speaker By: Al Jazeera and Agencies Source: Al-Jazeera, 25/6/09 Nabih Berri, the leader of the Shia Muslim Amal movement, has been re-elected for a fifth term as the speaker of Lebanon's parliament. more... Lebanon assembly re-elects Hezbollah ally speaker By: Tom Perry Source: Washington Post, 25/6/09 BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament Thursday elected Nabih Berri as speaker for the coming four years, extending his 17-year leadership of the chamber in a vote that underlined improved ties between rival politicians. more... Hezbollah is being elusive on Wilayat al-Faqih By: Tony Badran Source: Now Lebanon, 24/6/09 There is a glaring contradiction between Hezbollah’s recent statements about the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih (the rule of the jurisprudent) and events in Iran. The reverberations of the events, regardless of their outcome, are being felt hundreds of miles away in Lebanon, specifically by Hezbollah. Far more than protesting a fraudulent electoral process, the Iranians who have chanted “death to Khamenei” have also taken a sledgehammer to the basic tenets of Hezbollah’s dogmatic universe. more... Lebanon elections: A defeat of democratic order By: Abbas J. Ali Source: Online Journal, 23/6/09 “They Were Broken . . . Lebanon Wins,” was the headline of Saudi Arabia’s influential newspaper, Asharq Alawsat, a day after the June 7 parliamentary elections in Lebanon. more... Lebanese Opposition Daily Turns Against Opposition By: Sati' Nour Al-Din Source: MEMRI, 22/6/09 Following the Hizbullah-led Lebanese opposition's loss in the Lebanese parliamentary elections, Sati' Nour Al-Din,columnist for the Lebanese daily Al-Safir, which for years has been known to be affiliated with the Lebanese opposition and with Syria, wrote a harsh critique of the opposition and its conduct in recent years. He stated that the Lebanese people were against everything that it represented, and had rejected its plan. more... What To Do With Hezbollah Now By: David Schenker Source: CBS News, 19/6/09 David Schenker: Lebanon's Elections Are Over But Tough Questions Remain more... Nasrallah meets his rival Jumblat By: Press TV Staff Source: Press TV, 19/6/09 Lebanese rival leaders, Seyyed Hasssan Nasrallah and Walid Jumblatt have held a meeting in Beirut to discuss political cooperation. more... CIA, Mossad Hitting Iran's Hezbollah Hard, Report Says By: Jeff Stein Source: CQ Politics, 18/6/09 American and Israeli intelligence organizations, in cooperation with local security services, have scored notable recent successes against Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terror organization, according to a new report. more... Reactions to elections results in Iran and Lebanon show marked contrast By: Patrick Galey Source: The Daily Star, 18/6/09 BEIRUT: The different manner in which opposition supporters greeted defeat in June elections in Lebanon and Iran could not have been more pronounced. In Lebanon's general polls on June 7, parties from the defeated March 8 coalition were quick to accept the outcome, with a Hizbullah spokesman conceding the same night as preliminary results were announced. more... UK envoy in first Hezbollah talks Source: BBC, 18/6/09 The British ambassador in Lebanon has held her first meeting with a senior official from the Hezbollah movement. more... 'Israel hatching new plot in ME' By: Press TV Staff Source: Press TV, 17/6/09 Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah says the recent speech by the Israeli Prime Minister suggests that the regime is hatching a new "plot" against the region. more... Former head of US homeland security says Hezbollah is 'threat' but Europe moves closer to Lebanese group. By: Middle East Online Staff Source: Middle East Online, 17/6/09 WASHINGTON- Hezbollah could surpass Al-Qaeda as the most serious long-term threat to the United States, the former head of homeland security Michael Chertoff is to warn in a book published later this year. more... Good signals from US and Europe: UAE newspaper By: WAM Staff Source: USIP, 15/6/09 WAM Abu Dhabi, Jun. 15, 2009 (WAM) -- A major UAE English daily today commented on the latest developments in the efforts to bring the Middle East peace process back on track with the US envoy, George Mitchell, visiting Damascus where he met with Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, while European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, held unprecedented talks with a Hizbollah official in Beirut. more... INTERVIEW-Gemayel rules out veto for Hezbollah and allies By: Tom Perry Source: Reuters, 15/6/09 BIKFAYA, Lebanon, June 15 (Reuters) - A leading member of the winning alliance in Lebanon's parliamentary election this month has ruled out giving veto power to Hezbollah and its allies in the opposition. more... Solana holds first ever meeting with Hizbollah MP By: Agencies Source: Jordan Times, 14/6/09 EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana held unprecedented talks with a Hizbollah official on Saturday, during a Beirut visit to reaffirm Europe's support for Lebanon after last week's polls. more... Hezbollah still holds sway in Lebanon By: James Denselow Source: Guardian, 13/6/09 Before we get carried away with excitement at the victory of the "pro-western" (US and Saudi backed) 14 March alliance in the Lebanese election, it is worth remembering that real power in the country is based away from the parliament that is now busy organising a new government. more... Lebanese vote for the status quo By: Paul Cochrane Source: Wolrdpress, 11/6/09 In Lebanon's hotly contested elections on June 7, the Lebanese overwhelmingly voted to retain the status quo, ostensibly rubber-stamping the continuation of sectarianism, corruption, cronyism and dynastic rule. more... Lebanon Elections By: Mona Yacoubian Source: USIP, 9/6/09 Lebanon's pro-Western bloc, known as the "March 14" coalition, will retain control of the country's government despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance, according to results from the country's June 7 parliamentary elections. more... Hariri seeks to defuse Hizbollah dispute By: Ferry Biedermann Source: Financial Times, 9/6/09 Saad Hariri, the leader of Lebanon’s US-backed coalition, has adopted a conciliatory tone toward his opponents after his bloc retained its majority in closely fought parliamentary elections. more... Baabda stations see flood of citizens eager to shape Lebanon's future By: Osama Habib and Patrick Galey Source: The Daily Star, 8/6/09 BAABDA/ALEY: In the suburbs of South Beirut and the villages of the surrounding foothills, pleas from both March 14 and March 8 blocs for high voter participation seemed to have been heeded. In Baabda, where six parliamentary seats - three Maronite, two Shiite and one Druze - were contested, a lack of voters was never likely to be a problem. more... Lebanese hoping for ‘central bloc’ following election results By: Robert Fisk Source: Belfast Telegraph, 8/6/09 There will be no Islamic Republic of Lebanon. Nor will there be a pro-Western Lebanese republic. There will, after yesterday's vote – for the Hizbollah-Christian coalition and for the secular Sunni-Christian alliance – be a government of "national salvation" in Beirut, run by an ex-army general-president with ever-increasing powers. more... Lebanon's ruling coalition claims election victory over Hezbollah By: Hugh Macleod Source: Guardian, 8/6/09 Jubilant supporters of Lebanon's US-backed ruling coalition took to the streets last night, claiming a decisive election victory. It marks a dramatic reversal of fortunes after polls showed it losing its slim majority to a Hezbollah-led coalition backed by Syria and Iran. more... Lebanon's American-Backed Government Holds on to Power By: Andrew Lee Butters Source: Time, 8/6/09 n a surprising boost for the Obama Administration Middle East agenda, Lebanon's American-backed ruling coalition maintained its majority in parliament after the country voted in record numbers yesterday. more... Hezbollah accepts election loss, U.S. backs allies By: Yara Bayoumy Source: Washington Post, 8/6/09 BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accepted on Monday the result of a parliamentary election in Lebanon in which his U.S.-backed opponents secured a majority over the Iranian-backed group and its allies. more... Lebanon's ruling coalition wins unexpected victory By: Ben Gilbert Source: Global Post, 8/6/09 BEIRUT — America’s allies in Lebanon have defied predictions in elections that reaffirmed the coalition's popularity after four tumultuous years in power. more... A win, but not yet a government By: National Staff Source: National , 8/6/09 So the Lebanese people have spoken: a loud and clear no to Hizbollah’s arms, no to Wilayat al Fakih, no to May 7. The opposition remains an opposition and the March 14 coalition preserves its majority in parliament, this time with no help from any Iranian/Syrian-backed parties, unlike in 2005. Hizbollah and its allies can no longer claim that regardless of who commands a parliamentary majority they have the sympathy of the Lebanese people. They lost. Now may be a good time to re-examine their rhetoric, particularly the part about last year’s violence on May 7 being a “glorious day”. more... Hezbollah official: Muslims don't need sermons from Obama By: Agencies Source: Haaretz, 5/6/09 A lawmaker belonging to the Hezbollah militant organization on Thursday dismissed a speech given by United States President Barack Obama earlier in Cairo as being like a "sermon," without signaling real change. more... Lebanon’s Elections: Avoiding a New Cycle of Confrontation. Middle East Report N°87 By: International Crisis Group Source: International Crisis Group, 4/6/09 Lebanon’s 7 June elections risk offering a false hope. That the parties agreed to shift their conflict from street to ballot box is surely a good thing, but it should not be misinterpreted. The results almost certainly will be close and so replicate the schism that divides the political arena into two irreconcilable camps. With the crisis that pushed the country to the brink of new civil war in 2008 apparently past, the parties are reverting to form, thus reviving rather than resolving the underlying conflicts. Regardless of who ultimately prevails – the Hizbollah-dominated alliance or the pro-Western coalition – forming a viable government and agreeing on a common program will in the best case be time-consuming and require difficult compromise from all. more... Hizballah in Lebanon: Down but Hardly Out By: Andrew Lee Butters Source: Time, 3/6/09 The temptation to make too much of Hizballah's failure to unseat Lebanon's Western-backed government in Sunday's election is obvious. For past three years, the Shi'ite Islamist movement has been on a roll, withstanding an Israeli invasion, then paralyzing the U.S.-backed government, eventually humiliating its militias in a street confrontation, in the process winning veto power over Cabinet decisions. Many had feared that the election would see the Iran-backed movement lead an opposition coalition to victory. Instead, voters on Sunday affirmed the status quo, prompting some observers to claim that the region's political tide had turned against Iran and its "rejectionist" allies. more... Old Wine in Older Skins: Lebanon Elects Another Parliament By: Heiko Wimmen Source: MERIP, 3/6/09 On June 8, when all votes are cast and counted between the glitzy urban quarters of Beirut and the dusty hamlets of the Bekaa valley, the Lebanese elections will have produced one certain winner: the local advertising industry. Despite a newly imposed cap on campaign spending, candidates have been falling over each other to plaster the billboards along the roads and highways of this miniscule country with their oversized likenesses and airy slogans. Crowded out by the politicians, some peddlers of more pedestrian seasonal merchandise have retaliated in kind, with a brand of cheap fruit juice poking fun at notorious practices of vote rigging by promising democracy "extra," thus drawing attention to its product by the same name, while the only locally produced beer brand declared itself "victorious for lack of competition" already three months ago -- true to the form of much of the electoral contest. more... Inside Lebanese Hezbollah militia By: Natalia Antelava Source: BBC, 2/6/09 Ahead of key elections in Lebanon, BBC News has gained rare access to a fighter of the powerful military wing of Hezbollah, which stands a strong chance of making political gains via the ballot box. more... Petraeus questions Hezbollah's existence Source: Middle East Times, 2/6/09 BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 2 (UPI) -- The reason for Hezbollah to exist will end once a resolution is established to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus said. more... Shi'ite politician challenging Hezbollah in Lebanon By: The Associated Press Source: Haaretz, 2/6/09 A U.S.-educated Shi'ite politician is making a rare challenge to Iranian-backed Hezbollah for Shiite votes in Lebanon's election this weekend. In return, his party has been targeted by death threats and arson attacks. more... Lebanon's Parliamentary Elections: Anticipating Opportunities and Challenges By: Mona Yacoubian Source: USIP, 1/6/09 This report is the first of two papers addressing Lebanon's parliamentary elections. It is based on research conducted in Lebanon as part of a pre-election observation trip sponsored by the National Democratic Institute as well as the author's ongoing work as director of the Institute's Lebanon Working Group. Topics discussed include power-sharing in Lebanon; opportunities for reform; electoral challenges; and stakes in the Lebanese parliamentary elections. more... Why the Saudi Shiites Won’t Rise Up Easily By: Leo Kwarten Source: Online Journal, 1/6/09 Shiite citizens face considerable religious, political and social discrimination in Saudi society. In the 1970s and 1980s, this situation has instigated bloody street protests and Shia calls for an Islamic revolution. Although the Saudi Shiites have considerably moderated their position since, these incidents still feed speculations about the impact the political emancipation of the Shiites in Iraq and the rise of Shiite Iran as a regional power will have on the Saudi Shiites. Do they feel emboldened enough as to put pressure on their government by pushing through their political demands more forcefully to the point of striving for secession from the Saudi state? Leo Kwarten strongly disagrees with this line of reasoning. Making use of interviews with local Shiite leaders, he argues that the Saudi Shiites are strongly aware of their limited political options and strive to improve their position first and foremost through dialogue with the government. At the same time, they ally themselves with other neglected minorities and liberals in Saudi society hoping to change the absolutist foundations of the Saudi kingdom into a more pluralistic one. more... Haven from politics in Hizbollah heartland an oasis of calm By: Mitchell Prothero Source: National , 1/6/09 BEIRUT // Abu Marwan is very old and, thus, when asked about Lebanon’s upcoming parliamentary elections and concerns that they could lead to renewed sectarian violence, he reached back into French history for his answer. more... Israel's botched Lebanese intelligence operations By: Paul Woodward Source: National , 1/6/09 In what could be "one of its worst-ever intelligence setbacks", Israel's intelligence operations throughout Lebanon have in recent weeks been unravelling. Ironically, the breakthroughs for the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) came with Western technical assistance. more... Sayyed Fadlallah: Some UN Envoys Execute Israeli Plots By: Al Manar TV Source: Al-Manar, 1/6/09 Ayatollah Sayyed Mohamad Hussein Fadlallah said on Sunday that some United Nations' envoys were playing an instigative role in issues related to the Arab-Arab relations and Islamic-Arab relations. more... The mysterious case of the Israeli spy ring, Hizbollah and the Lebanese ballot By: Robert Fisk Source: The Independent, 1/6/09 Spying is as familiar in Beirut as it was in post-war Vienna – there's even a giant "Third Man"-type ferris wheel here – but the events of the last few days are growing more mysterious by the hour. Over the past two weeks, a special unit of Lebanon's Internal Security Force (ISF) has been arresting a clutch of Lebanese allegedly working as spies for Israel. more... May 2009 Balancing act for Lebanon’s opposition By: Mitchell Prothero Source: National , 31/5/09 BEIRUT // An hour before Michel Aoun, a former general and one of Lebanon’s most popular Christian leaders, was due to speak on Saturday night, his political advance team realised it had a crowd control problem. more... 'Hezbollah, Iran plotted bombing of Israel embassy in Azerbaijan' By: Yossi Melman Source: Haaretz, 31/5/09 Iran and Hezbollah were behind a plot to attack the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan a year ago, according to a report published on Saturday in the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper said the trial in Baku began last week of two Lebanese and four Azerbaijanis on charges of terrorism, espionage and other offenses. more... Likely Hizbollah electoral victory in Lebanon raises prospect of new tensions with Israel By: Hugh Mcleod Source: The Independent, 30/5/09 Hizbollah, the heavily armed militant group supported by Iran, is poised to lead a coalition to victory in Lebanon's parliamentary elections next week. more... Sayyed Fadlallah expresses surprise at state’s lack of national strife investigation By: Now Lebanon Staff Source: Now Lebanon, 29/5/09 Shia religious authority Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said on Friday that he is surprised that the state did not seek and investigate those who were promoting national strife, “especially when the leakages about the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri clearly meet the goals of the Israeli espionage networks.” more... IMF Chief Says No Negotiations Held With Hezbollah By: Bob Davis Source: UN News Centre, 27/5/09 WASHINGTON -- The International Monetary Fund's chief for the Middle East, Masood Ahmed, said the IMF hasn't negotiated with Hezbollah members or sympathizers in the Lebanon over a possible loan. "We haven't had any conversations (with Hezbollah) or provided assurances that there would be continued financing," after the IMF's current loan to Lebanon expires next month. more... Der Spiegel's Journalist Stands by Hezbollah Report By: Mohammed Al Shafey Source: Asharq Al-Awsat, 27/5/09 London, Asharq Al-Awsat- Der Spiegel's Erich Follath, the journalist behind the report implicating the Hezbollah organization in the assassination of former Prime Minster Rafik Hariri has stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that he stands behind his report and that the documents cited in the germen publication's report were "original." more... Hezbollah Psychology By: Mshari Al-Zaydi Source: Asharq Al-Awsat, 27/5/09 Hezbollah's response to the report by the German Der Spiegel magazine that accused the group of being responsible for Rafik Al Hariri's assassination, and revealed a number of details surrounding the Lebanese crime of the century, caught my attention. more... Hizbollah tries to secure IMF funds By: Roula Khalaf and Anna Fifield Source: Financial Times, 26/5/09 Lebanon’s Hizbollah has held talks with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union as it seeks to secure continued financial support for Lebanon if the alliance it leads was to win next month’s parliamentary elections. more... Hizbollah denies report it plotted Hariri slay By: Roula Khalaf Source: Financial Times, 25/5/09 Lebanon’s Hizbollah on Sunday branded as pure “fabrication” a German magazine report that claimed the militant Shia group was behind the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri, Lebanon’s billionaire former prime minister. more... New Evidence Points to Hezbollah in Hariri Murder By: Erich Follath Source: Spiegel Online, 23/5/09 The United Nations special tribunal investigating the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri has reached surprising new conclusions -- and it is keeping them secret. According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, investigators now believe Hezbollah was behind the Hariri murder. more... Biden visits Lebanon, offers support for government By: Borzou Daragahi Source: Los Angeles Times, 22/5/09 The vice president warns that a win by Hezbollah in upcoming elections could mean U.S. aid would be reevaluated. more... Spies’ Roots Reach Deep in Lebanon By: Robert F. Worth Source: The New York Times, 22/5/09 Beirut, Lebanon — When the Lebanese authorities announced the arrest of an Israeli spy ring late last year, the news aroused little surprise. It is no secret that Israel has long maintained intelligence agents here. more... The Year of the Elephant By: David Samuels Source: The New Republic, 20/5/09 'Yes, sometimes I go into the room with my advisers and I start shouting. And then they say, 'And then what?'" The question hangs in the perfectly cooled air in Sa'ad Hariri's marble-floored sitting room, where Beirut appears as a sunlit abstraction visible at a distance through thick windows. more... Hizbollah defies basic notion of democracy By: J. Mouracadeh. Source: Financial Times, 14/5/09 Sir, The interview with Sheikh Nairn Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hizbollah, is quite revealing of his party’s frame of mind (“Party of God believes in its poll supremacy”, May 13). more... Hezbollah chief still has doubts over Hariri court. By: AFP News Source: France 24, 1/5/09 Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday said a decision by a UN-backed court to free Lebanese officers held over the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri does not mean the tribunal is "honest." Nasrallah also called anew on the Lebanese authorities to widen its investigation into the 2005 assassination of Hariri to probe a possible involvement by Hezbollah's archfoe Israel. more... Lebanon: persistence of armed groups mars general progress, Ban says By: UN News Center Source: UN News Centre, 1/5/09 While the political stability of Lebanon has continued to “improve markedly,” the ongoing armed posture of Hizbollah and Palestinian militia groups hampers Government control of the country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a report released today. more... Apr 2009 Now the Tribunal must do its job By: The National Source: National , 30/4/09 The release of the four former Lebanese security officials detained on the recommendation of the prosecutor of the Special Tribunal on Lebanon has inspired much passion. The four men and those who advocated their innocence must now surely feel vindicated. more... Egypt 'hunts Hezbollah suspects' By: BBC Source: BBC, 13/4/09 Egyptian security forces are scouring the Sinai Peninsula for 13 alleged Hezbollah operatives, officials say. more... Feb 2009 Rare Shiite protests in Sunni-led Saudi Arabia By: Donna Abu-Nasr Source: ABC News, 25/2/09 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Shiite Muslims are shouting anti-government slogans and demanding more freedoms in rare protests amid the minority’s worst confrontations in years with authorities in this overwhelmingly Sunni kingdom… more... Jul 2008 Iran's Aggressive Proselytizing Campaign By: Oliver Guitta Source: Middle East Times, 21/7/08 Oliver Guitta discusses the intense proselytizing policy initiated by Iran in the Middle East, and beyond. According to the author, Iran is planning to challenge Sunni Islam in the region not only by military means, but also through conversion campaigns in many communities in the region. more... Hizballah's Military Wing Under Pressure Despite Political Gains By: Matthew Levitt Source: The Washignton Institute , 16/7/08 Hizballah has much to celebrate. With the formation of a national unity government in Lebanon last week, it is now well positioned to block any effort to dismantle its military wing. more... Jun 2008 At the tip of Iran's spear By: David Ignatius Source: Washington Post, 9/6/08 Imagine that you are Qassem Soleimani, commander of a covert Iranian army deployed across the Middle East: You doubt the Bush administration would run the risk of a military strike against Iran, but you can't be sure. more... May 2008 Pity Lebanon’s Shia community By: Michael Young Source: Now Lebanon, 15/5/08 The failure of Hezbollah’s latest effort to tilt the political and military balance in its favor was visible in the eyes of the mild inhabitants of the Shia village of Qomatiyeh on Tuesday, as they buried a young Hezbollah man killed by Druze fighters. According to the villagers, the young man, Suleiman Jaafar, was first wounded then executed by members of the Progressive Socialist Party. Such frightful ferocity will greet Hezbollah in every hostile location it would ever wish to control. more... Apr 2008 Middle East Notes and Comment: Iran's Soft Power Creates Hard Realities By: Ethan Chorin and Haim Malka Source: CSIS, 15/4/08 While U.S. public diplomacy appears to be withering in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran is on a tear. The country is exploiting an ever-widening array of instruments to build goodwill and strategic partnerships throughout the Muslim world and beyond. Even as it comes under growing pressure for its apparent pursuit of nuclear weapons capabilities and ongoing support for violent extremist groups in the region, Iran has successfully deployed an array of “soft power” instruments (including but not limited to media, trade and investment, local assistance, and cultural ties) to advance the country’s international agenda. more... Feb 2007 Hezbollah's Continuing Work - Post-ceasefire Victories. By: Lokman Slim & Inga Schei Source: National Review Online, 26/2/07 The relative calm on the Israeli-Lebanese border is an illusion; Hezbollah remains alive and well. As the international community continues to pledge diplomatic, financial, and military support for Lebanon, it is imperative that the U.S. and its European allies counter Hezbollahs power play which threatens to plunge the country back into the days of Syrian hegemony and inter-communal violence. more... Jan 2007 The Sunni-Shia Rivalry By: Bernard Rougier Source: Middle East Online, 16/1/07 Political and, of course, religious discord between Sunnis and Shias complicate the Middle East picture. In the past year, support for Hizbullah during its war with Israel last summer was one of few unifying causes - and it unified only partially. Bernard Rougier summarizes the situation. more... Nov 2006 Shiites Against Hezbollah. The Other Struggle in Lebanon. By: David Schenker Source: Weekly Standard, 13/11/06 HEZBOLLAH ROCKETS stopped raining on Israel nearly two months ago, but the Shiite organization's onslaught continues. Today, instead of directly attacking Israel, the Party of God is targeting Lebanese intellectuals and politicians who have the temerity to question Hezbollah's hegemony over local Shiite politics. more... Feb 2006 Interview with Bahraini Shiite Cleric Sayyid Dheya Al Musawi By: Salman Dossari Source: Asharq Al-Awsat, 9/2/06 It is important that the Shiite ideology is not viewed only in the context of Wilayat al Faqih. This concept has been placed under the spotlight because a strong state, namely Iran, supports this notion. However, we have dozens of scholars who do not believe in this concept, and they have their reservations about it (…). Not all Shiites in the Islamic world or in the Gulf adhere to this theory. This is in addition to many religious references that have their reservations upon the theory in terms of breadth and powers. They have millions of supporters. more... Apr 2005 The Shia Influence, from Iraq and Iran to Syria and Lebanon By: The Economist Source: Economist, 25/4/05 But outside pressure on Hizbullah to disarm has recently coincided with growing dissent among Shias themselves. Sparked by America's liberation of the hawza in Najaf itself, the historic nerve-centre of the world's 170m or so Shias, Lebanese Shias are re-examining their attitudes to clerical power. more...   < Previous Next >     الأولى البيت اللبناني  يحدث جلبة الطوائف اللبنانيون عداً ونقداً حروب الطرق والعقارات هذا البلد الأمين... «التزاحم» السني/الشيعي بقاعيات جنوبيات فلسطينيات بيت بيوت دولة الإعلام المنزل الشيعي  الأسبوع الشيعي المجلس الإسلامي الشيعي الأعلى حزب الله حركة أمل الشيعة «الثالثون» سادة وعلماء الضاحية ــ وعد سجالات ملفات مطالعات الرأي قبل  أيام الحالة الشيعية   ألف ياء الحالة الشيعية   الأممية الشيعية  خزانة خطط  كاتبونا