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| Predominantly Shiite Sit-In to Topple Saniora Government Hundreds of thousands of predominantly Shiite demonstrators launched a sit-in across the street from Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's offices in Beirut Friday, demanding his government's resignation. Retired General Michel Aoun, leader of the predominantly Christian Free Patriotic Movement, addressed the crowd from behind a bullet-proof glass shield saying: "I call on the premier and his ministers to resign". Aoun told the cheering crowd: "Resignation is the only way out". He criticized some media reports that said participation in the protest by Christians, Sunnis and Druze Muslims was marginal. Aoun, addressing media organizations, said: "Shame on you to differentiate one sect from another… we've gathered under the Lebanese flag". However, security sources said most participants in the sit-in drove from the mainly Shiite south Lebanon and the eastern sector, which are traditional strongholds for Hizbullah. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Thursday criticized street protests, noting that they haven't succeeded in settling any conflict in Lebanon. Saniora, in a televised address to the nation screened on Thursday evening, vowed that his cabinet would only resign if it lost a vote of confidence at parliament. The March 14 coalition, which supports Saniora's government, enjoys majority at Lebanon's 128-seat house. Army troops and armored personnel carriers were heavily deployed around Saniora's offices, where the premier and other cabinet ministers have been residing for over a week after the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. Barbed wire fences as high as two meters were erected around the premises as heavily-armed troops kept demonstrators around 150 meters away. Meanwhile, organizers set up a chain of tents and makeshift toilets to accommodate the protestors. In an apparent effort to avoid friction, Hizbullah "disciplinary members" formed a chain separating the protestors from security forces. Protestors brandished Lebanese flags and white banners that read: "Down with Feltman's government," in reference to the Saniora cabinet which has been termed by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah the government of U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Feltman. "We want a national unity government," and "We want a clean government," other banners read. The protest was launched at 3 p.m., the zero hour set by Nasrallah in a televised statement aired Thursday. Opposition factions, most of which are backed by Syria and Iran, demand a bigger share in power that would enable them to block decisions by the cabinet that they do not approve. When protesters glimpsed Saniora appearing briefly on the balcony, they shouted, "Out, out Saniora!" Parliament member Ali Hassan Khalil, who represents Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal movement, said the sit-in would be called off "only when this government resigns and a national unity government is formed." Armored vehicles, police and army troops were deployed in several neighborhoods of Beirut while near Saniora's office civil defense trucks equipped with water cannons were also on standby as soldiers kept watch from rooftops. Organizers distributed flyers calling for the protest to be peaceful, while demonstrators shouted "America get out of Lebanon." and "We want a free, free government."(Naharnet-AFP)(Photo shows Aoun addressing protestors) Beirut, 01 Dec 06, 15:29 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition calls for protests By Nadim Ladki BEIRUT, Lebanon - Pro-Syrian Hezbollah and its allies called for a peaceful protest and open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut on Friday to demand a new government in a fresh challenge to U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The anti-Syrian majority says the Hezbollah-led campaign could amount to a coup against last year's "Cedar Revolution" -- large protests that forced Syria to pull out its forces and elections that swept the coalition to power. Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah and its main allies -- the Shi'ite Amal Movement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the Free Patriotic Movement of Christian leader Michel Aoun -- say they want greater participation in decision making and better representation in government to reflect their political weight. Many Lebanese fear that large-scale protests could lead to street violence, deepening the political crisis and pushing Lebanon toward chaos amid escalating sectarian tension. An opposition statement on Thursday called for a demonstration and open- ended sit-in in central Beirut at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) to demand formation of a national unity government. "All of you Lebanese -- regardless of where you come from, your beliefs, your sect or religion -- are invited to a peaceful, civilized popular movement," Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address later. Nasrallah has repeatedly criticized Siniora's cabinet over what he says was its failure to back Hezbollah during a July-August war with Israel, accusing some of the majority leaders of hoping at the time his group would be crushed. ARMY NEUTRAL The Lebanese army has said it would be neutral in the political standoff but intervene to stop violence or attempts to storm government buildings. Thousands of soldiers and police have been deployed in the streets of Beirut since the November 21 assassination of anti-Syrian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel. The protest will take place near the government offices and parliament in downtown Beirut, scene of Lebanon's largest protests last year. Six opposition ministers resigned this month, weakening Siniora's government. Hezbollah and its allies said they pulled out their ministers after the majority coalition rejected their demands for a decisive say in government. The anti- Syrians say they quit to derail plans for an international tribunal to try suspects in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005. A U.N. inquiry has implicated Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the assassination. Syria denies involvement. Siniora's depleted cabinet approved U.N. plans last week for the special court for the Hariri trial. Even though the two camps are divided on political lines, there are fears the crisis could deteriorate into sectarian strife between Muslims because most of the pro-Syrians are Shi'ites and the anti-Syrian majority is headed by Saad al- Hariri, Rafik's son, a Sunni. -Reuters Lebanonwire. |
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Accusations against Syria foolish,
Lebanese MP Aoun says
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Rome and Cairo, (SANA)-Lebanese
Chairman of Reform and Change
Parliamentary Bloc, MP Michel Aoun
on Wednesday described accusations
against Syria, latest, the assassination
of Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel
as foolish, unreasonable and lack
responsibility.
"Such accusations against Damascus
were fabricated and came in the
framework of distortion campaigns,"
Aoun told Italian newspaper La
Republica, wondering "who is the
beneficiary from rushing behind the
international court before reaching a
tangible proof on the responsible side."
He stressed that those who
assassinated Gemayel wanted to "set
fire to a new civil war in Lebanon".
Meanwhile, Egyptian Nasserite Arab
newspaper said that anyone who has
mentality and logic couldn't accuse
Syria of assassinating Gemayel
because it is not of her interest,
adding that the only beneficiary of
instability in the region is Israel.
"Israel's interest is in setting new fire
in Lebanon in order to revoke new
internal seditions and mount
pressures on Syria," the Egyptian
newspaper underlined in an article.
Mazen / N.Edilbi
Lebanese MP Aoun says
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Rome and Cairo, (SANA)-Lebanese
Chairman of Reform and Change
Parliamentary Bloc, MP Michel Aoun
on Wednesday described accusations
against Syria, latest, the assassination
of Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel
as foolish, unreasonable and lack
responsibility.
"Such accusations against Damascus
were fabricated and came in the
framework of distortion campaigns,"
Aoun told Italian newspaper La
Republica, wondering "who is the
beneficiary from rushing behind the
international court before reaching a
tangible proof on the responsible side."
He stressed that those who
assassinated Gemayel wanted to "set
fire to a new civil war in Lebanon".
Meanwhile, Egyptian Nasserite Arab
newspaper said that anyone who has
mentality and logic couldn't accuse
Syria of assassinating Gemayel
because it is not of her interest,
adding that the only beneficiary of
instability in the region is Israel.
"Israel's interest is in setting new fire
in Lebanon in order to revoke new
internal seditions and mount
pressures on Syria," the Egyptian
newspaper underlined in an article.
Mazen / N.Edilbi
| ^CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION WAS "OVERWHELMING." |
| NEO-FPM |
| AOUN WAS PROTECTED BY HEZBOLLAH'S SECURITY GUARDS. HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT STOP HIM FROM SHOOTING HIMSELF IN THE HEAD TODAY...VERY SAD ENDING!!! |
| Sfeir: Protests Never Resolved Problem Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has criticized threats to stage protests "which have never been a way to resolve any problem". "We can only resolve matters through honest and sincere dialogue," he told hundreds of black-clad widows, mothers, daughters, sisters and friends of assassinated leaders from the anti-Syrian ruling majority Thursday afternoon at Bkirki, the seat of the Maronite patriarchate northeast of Beirut. "We don't see that strikes, demonstrations and street protests can solve the problems, but rather complicate them," Sfeir told the crowd which begged for peace and stability in Lebanon. "Street protests will only bring (counter) street protests … and we will have a collision, without knowing how it will end," Sfeir said. "We are fed up of assassinations and deaths and clashes among the Lebanese," Sfeir said. "What distinguishes Lebanon is the fact that 18 sects from all religions coexist. This makes Lebanon exceptional because Muslims and Christians live side by side … and it shall remain like that." "Our problems can only be solved through dialogue," Sfeir concluded. During the protest, the mother of slain Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, Joyce, called on all Christians to refrain from taking part in the demonstration called by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "Any Christian who demonstrates on Friday will be digging Lebanon's grave," she said to loud applause. (Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 01 Dec 06 |
