Wednesday 7 April 2010

Soleiman: Lebanon Won't Allow Anyone to Harm Hezbollah


07/04/2010 The security agreement signed between the Lebanese government (at the time of the unconstitutional government of Fouad Saniora) and the US embassy remained at the top headlines on Monday as President Michel Sleiman was warning against seeking to harm Hezbollah through the agreement at the time the Information and Telecoms committee was concluding its discussions and referring the whole issue to Speaker Nabih Berri.

Indeed, and despite the seriousness of the dangers and violations present in the agreement, lawmakers couldn't reach a "unified" resolution amid a "political division" and decided to refer the whole issue to Speaker Nabih Berri who would take the "appropriate" step.

In the meantime, President Michel Sleiman broke his silence and announced his position of the agreement for the first time, rejecting any attempt to harm Hezbollah through the mentioned agreement.

In an interview with the Qatari newspaper Al-Watan, Sleiman said that Lebanon will not allow anyone to "harm" Hezbollah through the issue of US agreement with the Internal Security Forces.

"We will not allow, and no one in Lebanon would allow or would want, particularly at the level of institutions and officials, to bring harm to the resistance" through the so-called "security agreement" with Washington, President Sleiman said.

Sleiman said the agreement has been dealt with in accordance with the Constitution. "When the executive authority puts its hands on an issue, we wait for the report to be issued so we can judge," Sleiman explained.

ANY ATTACK ON LEBANON IS NOT A PICNIC BUT STUPIDITY

Meanwhile, Sleiman recalled that the Israeli enemy has to think twice before committing to a new aggressive adventure against Lebanon. According to him, "Israel is fully aware that any attack on Lebanon is not a picnic, but a stupid thing to do."

"The Lebanese are united behind the army and together, with the resistance, will ward off any aggression and defend their land and dignity," Sleiman stressed. "They, too, will not allow anyone to harm the resistance."

'Stronger Ties with Syria Mean Firmer Position toward Israel'

07/04/2010 Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Wednesday that the conflict between the Israeli enemy and the Palestinians is "much more explosive" than the Iranian nuclear crisis.

The Middle East conflict "is much more explosive, brimming over with 'uranium and extremism', than any other regional issue," he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, without elaborating.

Hariri, who is expected for a two-day visit in Madrid on Thursday, said Lebanon was in favor of a "Middle East without nuclear weapons" which he said "includes Israel" and not only Iran.

As Hariri prepares to make his second visit to Syria since taking office in November, he also said closer ties with Damascus were key to counter an "Israeli threat".

"Stronger ties with Syria mean there is a firmer position toward Israel," Hariri said.

He also accused the media of under-reporting Israeli "atrocities" toward the Palestinians.

While pedophile priests in the Roman Catholic Church were given "extensive media coverage" amid "attacks against the Vatican", "atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians" go practically unreported, said Hariri. For Israel "war is always an option," he added.

River to Sea
 Uprooted Palestinian

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