Syria army ‘storms’ rebel town Qusair

Syrian government forces have surrounded the rebel stronghold of Qusair and are storming it from several directions, says Syrian state TV.

Fighting has gone on around the town, near the Lebanese border, for weeks.

Opposition groups say militants from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement are fighting alongside government forces. (more…)

Iran sanctions hurt Hezbollah and Assad, report

Sanctions imposed against Iran are hurting the Islamic Republic’s ability to support its regional allies Hezbollah and the Syrian government, U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen told Al Arabiya this week. (more…)

Aoun defends Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria civil war

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun defended during a dinner on Saturday evening Hezbollah’s siding with the Syrian regime in its crackdown against the pro democracy uprising, citing the protection of the Lebanese people in Syria as the main cause of the intervention.

“Hezbollah’s intervention in fighting only started when towns inhabited by Lebanese people fell in the hands of the [rebels] and they (more…)

Future Movement may submit candidates based on 1960 law

The failure of the lebanese politicians to agree on a new electoral law for parliamentary elections has prompted the Future Movement parliamentary bloc to make preparations to submit candidates for the upcoming elections based on the 1960 electoral law, according to a report by the An Nahar newspaper on Saturday. (more…)

Syria Begins to Break Apart Under Pressure From War

The black flag of jihad flies over much of northern Syria. In the center of the country, pro-government militias and Hezbollah fighters battle those who threaten their communities. In the northeast, the Kurds have effectively carved out an autonomous zone. (more…)

Geagea brands Aoun as ‘worst thing for Christians’

During a press conference on Thursday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed Free patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, branded him as the worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon. (more…)

Israel warns Syria against arms transfer to Hezbollah

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin warned Syria today that his country would act to prevent any further shipments of advanced arms to Lebanon’s Hezbollah’s militia.

“From our perspective, if there is a transfer of arms we will do everything we can to stop it,” Elkin said today in an interview with (more…)

Israel warns Syria not to retaliate, hints at new strikes,

A senior Israeli official signaled on Wednesday that Israel was considering further military strikes on Syria to stop the transfer of advanced weapons to Islamic militants, and he warned the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, that his government would face crippling consequences if it retaliated against Israel.

The Israeli official said: “Israel is determined to continue to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah. (more…)

Will Hezbollah return Lebanon’s rights?

By: Nayla Tueni, Once you hear Lebanese MP Michel Aoun threatening prime minister-designate Tammam Salam, you realize the momentum that Aoun and others derived from Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s recent television appearance.

Berri offers a counter-proposal for a hybrid electorallaw

In response to the deal reached on a hybrid electoral law ( to replace the current 1960 law ) between the Lebanese Forces party and the Future Movement its key March 14 ally, Lebanon Speaker Berri offered a last minute counter-proposal for a hybrid electoral law following a meeting with about 30 March 8 MPs at his residence Tuesday evening, according to local media reports. (more…)