Lebanon Explodes

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July 2008
- Freed Militants Vow to Continue Fight With Israel
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jul 17, 08 2:30 PM CDT
  
  A day after being freed in a prisoner exchange, Hezbollah fighters vowed to continue to fight Israel as they prayed at the grave of a fallen commander, the AP reports. “At this moment, I am yearning more than before to confront them,” Samir Qantar, who had been jailed in Israel for almost 30 years, said at a cemetery near Beirut. More »
- Hezbollah Included in Lebanon Unity Government
  
  newser | Reuters | Jul 11, 08 1:15 PM CDT
  
  Lebanon’s political factions finally formed a unity government today, Reuters reports, with militant group Hezbollah included in the coalition formed after weeks of wrangling. With Hezbollah and its allies effectively holding veto power, it appears Syria—long allied with the militants—will regain some of the dominance it long held in Lebanon—where fears of civil war are now greatly diminished. More »
- Quiet Qatar Plays Key Mideast Peacemaker Role
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 9, 08 3:40 AM CDT
  
  Qatar has managed the amazing diplomatic feat of staying friendly with just about everybody in the Middle East, the New York Times writes. The tiny, oil-rich emirate, which somehow maintains close ties with Iran while also hosting an American airbase, is rapidly becoming the region's mediator. Its diplomats recently pulled Lebanon back from the brink of civil war and are pushing for more peace deals. More »
June 2008
- Israel Invites Lebanon to Talks
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 18, 08 2:06 PM CDT
  
  Israel today invited the Lebanese government to direct negotiations, adding that it would be willing to discuss all issues, including a long-disputed area along their border, the New York Times reports. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who visited both nations earlier this week, is attempting to use negotiation over Shabaa Farms to kick-start wider talks. More »
- Mideast Peace Initiatives Dodge US Disapproval
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 3, 08 10:00 AM CDT
  
  Middle East nations are moving to resolve their conflicts without, and often in defiance of, Washington, write Hussein Agha and Robert Malley in the New York Times . Israel is in peace talks with both Hamas and Syria, and Lebanon has reached political reconciliation after a near civil war. All three deals have been mediated by US allies—Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—despite US disapproval. All realize that US guidance has failed. More »
- Israel-Hezbollah Swap May Signal Progress
  
  newser | Independent (UK) | Jun 2, 08 3:39 PM CDT
  
  The weekend swap of a Hezbollah spy for the remains of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers has whipped up speculation about the release of more Lebanese prisoners, the Independent reports. Although Israel denied the return of the remains was negotiated, the German foreign minister has been facilitating talks between the parties, which may be addressing the fate of 10 Lebanese operatives and two Israeli soldiers. More »
- Israel Returns Hezbollah Spy
  
  newser | BBC | Jun 1, 08 3:27 PM CDT
  
  Israel returned a Hezbollah spy to Lebanon today and may have started a prisoner exchange, BBC reports. Hezbollah quickly handed over the bodies of Israeli troops killed in 2006, but officials on both sides deny a swap is under way. Secret talks clearly are, perhaps aided by German mediators; a larger prisoner swap may include the two Israeli soldiers whose capture sparked the 2006 war. More »
May 2008
- Lebanon Picks Prez, Ends 6-Month Crisis
  
  newser | Washington Post | May 25, 08 5:26 PM CDT
  
  Lebanon elected its first leader in 6 months today by naming Gen. Michel Suleiman as president, the Washington Post reports. Fireworks filled the sky to a chorus of car honks after Suleiman secured the post with a near-unanimous 118 of 127 parliamentary votes. But the nation remains torn between US-Saudi backing and the forces of Hezbollah. More »
- Lebanon Pays High Price to Avert Civil War
  
  newser | Washington Post | May 22, 08 9:15 AM CDT
  
  The agreement that ended Lebanon's 18-month political crisis is nothing less than a sea change for the country, writes the Washington Post , strengthening Hezbollah and dealing a blow to America and its Middle East allies. The US-backed government in Beirut said that the last-minute deal averted a civil war, but gives Hezbollah many of its demands—including a veto over any cabinet decision. More »
- Lebanon Forges Peace Deal
  
  newser | BBC | May 21, 08 3:32 AM CDT
  
  A civil war in Lebanon may be averted by a new agreement reached in Qatar, reports the BBC. The deal includes fresh elections next year, a power-sharing government, a new president, and a pledge by Hezbollah not to use weapons in Lebanon. The pact was reached after five days of talks between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah following Beirut clashes that claimed 65 lives. More »
- Deal Brings Lebanon Thaw, Promise to Talk
  
  newser | Reuters | May 15, 08 3:15 PM CDT
  
  As Beirut International Airport welcomed the first commercial flights in a week, the Arab League announced today a deal that would end the worst fighting in Lebanon since the civil war and lead to talks aimed at ending the 18-month political crisis, Reuters reports. The talks, set for tomorrow in Qatar, will continue “until agreement is reached," the Qatari prime minister said. More »
- Hezbollah Pulling Gunmen From Beirut
  
  newser | Reuters | May 10, 08 12:56 PM CDT
  
  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. More »
- Lebanon Condemns 'Armed Coup'
  
  newser | Reuters | May 9, 08 1:48 PM CDT
  
  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. More »
- Hezbollah Seizes Muslim Beirut
  
  newser | Reuters | May 9, 08 6:12 AM CDT
  
  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. More »
- Hezbollah Chief: Beirut 'War Has Started'
  
  newser | CNN | May 8, 08 3:15 PM CDT
  
  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. More »
- Blasts Accompany Crippling Lebanon Strike
  
  newser | BBC | May 7, 08 1:04 PM CDT
  
  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. More »
March 2008
- Cheney, Peres Warn of Iran's Reach
  
  newser | Associated Press | Mar 23, 08 10:41 AM CDT
  
  Following an early Easter prayer service in Jerusalem, Dick Cheney continued his 10-day trip focused on the Mideast peace process by meeting with Israel President Shimon Peres this morning. Both men warned of Iran’s rising influence in the region, reports the AP. "We have this problem of the Iranians who want to build two satellites, the Hezbollah (in Lebanon), and the Hamas in Gaza,” Peres says. More »
February 2008
- US Warship Heads for Lebanon
  
  newser | Reuters | Feb 29, 08 4:30 AM CST
  
  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. More »
- Pope Appeals for Lebanon Peace
  
  newser | Associated Press | Feb 17, 08 11:40 AM CST
  
  Pope Benedict XVI expressed concern today over the escalating tensions in Lebanon, calling on its people to find a “president for all Lebanese” to end the months of infighting that have stalled elections. After his noontime blessing, the pontiff told the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square that he was troubled by the country’s newly routine clashes, the AP reports. More »
- Hezbollah Chieftain Warns Israel of 'Open War'
  
  newser | NPR | Feb 14, 08 3:09 PM CST
  
  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. More »