Hariri visits Lebanon spiritual leaders to brief them on his trips

Lebanon PM Saad Hariri visited the following spiritual leaders to brief them on his trips to Saudi Arabia, Denmark and Syria:
Christian Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir
Grand Sunni Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani
Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan
Beirut Orthodox bishop Elias Aoude
Patriarch Gregorios Laham, the spiritual leader of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church

French FM: Hezbollah arms are a serious problem, 1559 stays

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said during a press conference in Paris on Tuesday that France rejects the cancellation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1559 because it hasn’t been fully implemented.
“The resolution’s clauses haven’t been fully implemented,” Kouchner said
He also said that France rejects ending the mission of U.N. secretary-general’s special envoy on the implementation of 1559, Terje Roed-Larsen.
“The issue was discussed when Ban Ki-moon was appointed U.N. secretary-general. At the time, we rejected” demands to end Roed-Larsen’s mandate, Kouchner stressed.
Asked about the possible resumption of Turkish-brokered indirect talks between Israel and Syria, Kouchner said: “Hezbollah and not Turkey is the problem for Israel … Hezbollah’s weapons are a serious problem.”
Syria and its Lebanese allies specially Hezbollah and Amal have been calling for annulling 1559 . Syria has also been very critical of Terje Roed-Larsen and asked for his dismissal

Sfeir urged the Lebanese citizens to be loyal to their nation

In his annual Christmas message, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Wednesday praised the “calm atmosphere” among the various sects in Lebanon, urging Lebanese citizens to be loyal to their nation.”Lebanon today is in greater need of this atmosphere of calm between the sects,” Sfeir said in his annual Christmas message.”People seem to be avoiding violence. This is a good thing and something we had hoped for a long time would happen ,” he said from Bkirki.”Loyalty to the nation requires every citizen to work for his homeland,” Sfeir added.

Hariri briefed Sfeir on his visits to Saudi Arabia, Denmark & Syria

Prime Minister Saad Hariri told reporters at Bkirki that he briefed Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on his 3 visits to: Saudi Arabia, Denmark and Syria.

Hariri visit to Syria expected to show positive results soon

During the last cabinet meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the coming few days will start showing the results of his visit to Syria.
An Nahar newspaper reported Wednesday that demarcation of the border from northern Lebanon all the way to the south would start in the next 10 days. The two sides would also discuss Palestinian armed bases outside refugee camps and the issue of Lebanese missing or jailed in Syria.
Al-Hayat newspaper reported that several cabinet ministers would exchange visits starting early 2010 to discuss economic issues and implement several of the agreements reached between Hariri and Assad in this regard.

Ali Al Shami: Whose Foreign Minister Is He?

By Ghassan Karam
The unilateral and unauthorized message relayed to the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council by the Lebanese Foreign Minister did not result in any significant outrage within Lebanon.

Hezbollah chief may pay a visit to Iran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ramin Mehmanparast, said on Tuesday that the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group may pay a visit to Iran.
Mehmanparast did not say when Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah would visit Iran, but noted that the Hezbollah chief is a top political figure in Lebanon.
Nasrallah “is also a notable personality who plays an important role in Lebanon. It is possible that he may pay a visit to Iran,” he told reporters at a weekly press briefing, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
His comments came one day after Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met Nasrallah in Beirut. Source: Washington TV

Minister Aridi denied having any heated argument with Lebanon PM

Lebanon’s Minster of Public Works Ghazi Aridi denied having any heated argument yesterday during the cabinet meeting with PM Saad Hariri .
” With all my respect to the Lebanese media no argument took place yesterday between me and the PM” he Aridi said today Tuesday during a tour in Jubeil with the Change and Reform MPs
Aridi added that he and Hariri “discussed the issue of renewal of contract for an airport contractor and we had a difference of opinion on whether this issue should be handled by our ministry or the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR). My personal viewpoint was this should be handled by our ministry for many reasons . Our discussions were serious and we never had any arguments”. Aridi added : The PM is my brother and friend and I have a lot of respect for him and his family and specially the martyr PM Rafik Hariri “.

Lebanon army arrested the suspect in the Syrian bus shooting

New TV has reported that the Lebanese army intelligence has arrested the suspect in the Syrian bus shooting incident in Deir Ammar , His name is Shawki al Nazer .
In a related development Al Mustaqbal TV has reported that after preliminary investigation the army found out that Nazer’s action was of personal nature but his identification documents of Nazer are questionable and is currently investigating his background to determine his identity.
The shooting incident occurred Monday at 3:00 am near Tripoli in north Lebanon. One Syrian laborer was killed

MTV has reported that the preliminary investigation has also revealed that Nazer had a personal financial dispute with the driver of the bus and therefore the motive for the shooting was not political but strictly financial

Iran dismisses year-end deadline over Nuclear fuel

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday dismissed the West’s year-end deadline for Iran to accept an enrichment fuel deal aimed at calming international fears about its nuclear program.
“Who are they to set us a deadline?” Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech in the southern city of Shiraz.
“We set them a deadline that if they do not correct their attitude and behavior and literature we will demand from them the Iranian nation’s historic rights,” the president told the crowd, without elaborating.
Earlier the White House issued a statement in which it said that Iran should take the deadline very seriously or face more sanctions