Political group wins concessions from neutral Lebanese army
Reuters May 10, 08 12:56 PM CDT
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Hezbollah began withdrawing gunmen today from Beirut after winning concessions from the Lebanese army to overturn the government measures that sparked days of fierce fighting. The army, a neutral player in the ongoing struggle between the insurgent political group and the Western-backed government, said it would reinstate Beirut airport’s security chief and would maintain Hezbollah’s military communications network, Reuters reports.
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Hezbollah doing bidding of Syria, Iran in Beirut firestorm, government claims
Reuters May 9, 08 1:48 PM CDT
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Hezbollah’s takeover of Beirut is nothing less than an “armed coup,” Lebanon’s ruling party said today. “The armed and bloody coup which is being implemented aims to return Syria to Lebanon and extend Iran's reach to the Mediterranean,” one official in the US-backed government said. The militant group made further progress, the New York Times reports, with troops loyal to the government disappearing and Hezbollah knocking state TV off the air.
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Major blow to US-backed government
Reuters May 9, 08 6:12 AM CDT
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Hezbollah militants have taken control of Muslim areas of Beirut and now control all the roads to the Lebanese capital's airport, Reuters reports. Gunmen forced a pro-government TV station off the air. At least 11 people have been killed, including those trying to flee the city, as sectarian violence continued into a third day.
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Open violence rattles streets a second day
CNN May 8, 08 3:15 PM CDT
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What began as a strike yesterday is now “open war” in Lebanon, according to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, CNN reports. Open violence continued for a second day today, with loyalists and opposition fighters clashing after the US-backed government tried to muscle through measures against Hezbollah on Monday, including a crackdown on the Syria- and Iran-friendly group’s communications network.
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'Yes, there are flaws ... but behind the flaws a wonderful country is hidden,' speaker says
Jerusalem Post (Israel) May 7, 08 4:11 PM CDT
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Thousands gathered across Israel today for the nation’s 60th Independence Day celebration, the Jerusalem Post reports. At one ceremony, lawmaker Dalia Itzik first remembered the 22,437 Israelis killed in conflict since 1860. "Friends, you are not, and you will never be alone. We will never be able to pay off our debt to you."
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Casualties unclear as workers demand higher wages amid government crisis
BBC May 7, 08 1:04 PM CDT
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Explosions and gunfire sounded throughout Beirut today as a politically charged workers' strike turned violent. A Hezbollah-led opposition party had called for a one-day general strike, ostensibly for higher wages, the BBC reports. But things soon turned ugly, with flaming barricades along major roads, and gunfire between various factions in several neighborhoods; casualty figures remained unclear.
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Report contradicts Tehran's pledge not to meddle
New York Times May 5, 08 9:45 AM CDT
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Hezbollah is helping to train Iraqi militants in Iran, the US claims in a report to Iraq’s government. The information, obtained during US questioning of captured Shiite fighters, suggests Iran is quietly aiding the militia, despite repeated claims it’s not interfering in internal Iraqi matters, the New York Times reports.
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Gunman had ties to Hamas; family members detained
CNN Mar 9, 08 10:32 AM CDT
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Israeli police have arrested eight people in Thursday's deadly attack on a Jerusalem seminary, including the father, two brothers, and two cousins of the gunman, who was killed by an off-duty soldier during the attack. The gunman was apparently following orders of Hamas leaders in Syria and Hezbollah, Palestinian sources told Haaretz, and his family had ties to Hamas. Neither group has claimed responsibility.
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Geography forces balancing act; gas wealth make it a player
Bloomberg Mar 5, 08 7:00 PM CST
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The challenges of being Qatar, a peninsular nation bordering Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf, could be a hint of the diplomatic discourse to come, Bloomberg reports. The emirate cannily attends to the demands of its Saudi and Iranian neighbors, and it hosts US military forces; it also has learned to use its natural-gas wealth to avoid favoring one side exclusively.
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Deployment of USS Cole signals 'we're engaged,' official says
Reuters Feb 29, 08 4:30 AM CST
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The US has ordered a warship to the coastal waters of Lebanon amid fear the country's political deadlock could turn violent, Reuters reports. The country's presidential election has just been delayed for the 15th time and the US blames the political quagmire on Syrian meddling on behalf of its Hezbollah allies. "The presence is important. It signals that we're engaged, we're going to be in the vicinity," said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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Nasrallah blames foe for killing of top commander
NPR Feb 14, 08 3:09 PM CST
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The leader of the terrorist group Hezbollah said today that the assassination of one of its commanders amounted to a declaration of “open war” by Israel, NPR reports. "Zionists, if you want this type of open war then let the whole world hear: let it be an open war," Hassan Nasrallah told a funeral gathering for Imad Mughniyeh, killed Tuesday in Syria.
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Thousands gather to honor Hariri, Mughniyeh
Al Jazeera Feb 14, 08 8:16 AM CST
(Newser)
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Tension is high and security tight across Beirut today as thousands gathered for two opposing memorials—one marking the third anniversary of the assassination of anti-Syrian PM Rafiq al-Hariri, the other a funeral for top Hezbollah commander Imad Moghniyeh. More than 8,000 army and international troops are trying to ensure violence does not break out between the anti-Syrian Hariri demonstrators and pro-Syrian Hezbollah mourners.
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Israelis, Americans, others had reason to want Imad Mughniyah dead
Time Feb 13, 08 8:44 PM CST
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So many parties had a motive for killing Hezbollah mastermind Imad Mughniyah that it’s unclear who assassinated him last night in Syria, Time reports. The Lebanon-based terror group blamed the assassination in Damascus on Israel, which denied involvement. Said one insider, “The Americans wanted him, so did the Saudis, and the Lebanese Christians. We weren’t the only ones.”
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FBI was offering $25 million for man suspected in TWA incident
Al Jazeera Feb 13, 08 7:34 AM CST
(Newser)
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A notorious Hezbollah commander was killed by a car bomb late last night in Damascus, the group said today, ending his reign of high-profile terror attacks that included the 1985 TWA hijacking, the 1992 Israeli embassy bombings, and the killing of more than 200 Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s. Hezbollah claims Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated by Israeli agents, Al Jazeera reports, though Israel denies that charge.
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