Free Republic

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri locked out lawmakers from the chamber Tuesday, seeking to block efforts to approve an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of a former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. It was the third attempt in as many weeks by lawmakers from the Parliament's anti-Syrian majority to try and force Berri, a key opposition figure, to open the chamber's doors and call a session. Tuesday's events have deepened both the paralysis in Parliament and the political crisis in Lebanon, which since December has been buffeted by an opposition campaign to bring down the Western-backed...

Beirut - The assassination of Pierre Gemayel means that two more ministers need to resign or be killed in order to bring down the anti-Syrian government. As if one assassination were not enough bloodshed for one day, the murderers proceeded to target another anti-Syrian Member of Parliament - Michel Pharaon. Syria's allies in Lebanon are planning to take the streets on Thursday to demand the government resign. The pro-Syrian allies in Lebanon include Hezbollah, Michel Aoun's political party and Nabih Berri's Amal movement. Syria behind violent overthrow? As documented in the U.N. investigation, Syria has openly threatened Lebanese politicians...

Excerpt - BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Lebanon's prime minister called Israel's blockade of the country illegal on Saturday and the parliament speaker urged Arab nations to break the siege. The calls, however, were not expected to make Israel relent in its refusal of European and U.N. requests to end its blockade of Lebanon's air and seaports. But the effort heightens tension that could further upset the already shaky cease-fire. ~ snip ~ Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the parliament plans to send a letter to Arab governments to "ask and insist that all Arab planes and ships break the blockade without...

The relations between Russia and the Shiite's religious leadership in Lebanon started to develop in the beginning of the seventies. The spiritual leader of the Lebanese Shia community, Imam Moussa Al-Sadr, visited Moscow in 1972 and asked Soviet authorities to issue humanitarian aid to his people. At the same time cooperation between the Marxist factions of the PLO that were active in Lebanon and Soviet military intelligence – GRU, intensified greatly. Several soviet officers (speaking fluent Arabic) even visited Palestinian terrorist training camps in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon between 1972-1975. Using their connections in PLO they managed to establish...

Oct. 14, 2003 Lebanon won't let Palestinians buy land By JPOST.COM STAFF A bill which would have allowed Palestinians to buy property in Lebanon has been withdrawn, prompting accusations of racism and discrimination, the Arabic Aljazeera network reported. An estimated 390,000 Palestinians live in Lebanon, half of whom live in camps. On Monday any hopes of ever owning their own property were dashed when Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri withdrew draft legislation which would have lifted a ban on Palestinian refugees from owning property in Lebanon. The current legislation forbids the acquisition of real estate by all non-Lebanese persons "who...