General Michel Aoun to ‘Monday Morning’: (tags)
He has the gift of facilitating matters. With him formalities and ceremonial go by the board. The conversation is quickly under way with the “General” at his residence in Rabiyé, which was thronged with young people and retired Army officers who remain devoted to him. There, one found those who had remained faithful to him, who had waited patiently for 15 years for his return from exile. I saw myself propelled back 16 years to Baabda Palace, with the same images and sensations. But that was another time and place. The general himself seemed unchanged: as feisty as ever, the eternal resistance fighter. He has changed in one way, as he himself said: he has learned to be patient, to move slowly, which for him, unfortunately, is a waste of time. He has great aspirations for Lebanon, which still has much to learn in terms of democracy, human rights and the building of nations.
Gebran Tueni Perishes in Massive Car Bomb Explosion Near Beirut (tags)
Gebran Tueni, a fiery critic of Syria, was assassinated in a car-bomb explosion in Mkalles, east of Beirut Monday. He was 48. Tueni was An Nahar's general manager and Beirut legislator. "God have mercy on Gebran and An-Nahar will remain the beacon for freedom," Druze leader Walid Jumblat told LBCI.
Lebanese information department denies Houssam allegations (tags)
Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law and Syria's overall intelligence chief Assef Shawkat was not among the five Syrian officials interrogated Tuesday by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis in Vienna, a source close to the probe into the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri said:
Condoleezza Rice Makes Surprise Visit to Lebanon (tags)
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to volatile Lebanon under heavy guard Friday to encourage a new democratic government outside Syrian control ,
U.N. Accuses Beirut Authorities of Derailing Hariri Assassination Probe (tags)
A U.N. mission has recommended a new international investigation into the assassination of Lebanon's ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, charging the Lebanese authorities had bungled and systematically manipulated the on-the-scene probe at a waterfront resort in downtown Beirut Feb. 14.
Biggest Opposition Demo Swears to Break Syria's Stranglehold and Lahoud's Regime (tags)
Lebanon's opposition staged the biggest show of force in the nation's modern history from slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's graveside Monday, taking a thunderous oath to break Syria's ruthless stranglehold and tear apart President Lahoud's police state of "secret service phantoms." Between 1.5 and 2 million opposition activists converged on Beirut's downtown Martyrs Square and surrounding neighborhoods to mark the lapse of one month on Hariri's assassination. They shouted slogans demanding the resignation of all security commanders in Lebanon because of dereliction of duty in stopping the assassination.