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Lebanon police seize explosives from pro-Syrian group in north
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Lebanese police arrested seven people and seized large quantities of explosives, electrical fuses and timers in several homes in northern Lebanon on Thursday, a police statement said.
An official close to the investigation said those detained were members of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, a pro-Syrian Lebanese political party. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The police statement said Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza ordered authorities to raid the homes in the district of Koura after receiving information of explosives stashed there. Police found large quantities of explosives with electrical fuses, timers as well as large numbers of weapons.
A Lebanese source said police also seized two stolen cars and a truck loaded with weapons and explosives.
The SSNP said most of the weapons seized dated back to the 1980s - the height of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
"The party calls for an immediate halt to raids and the pursuit of National Socialists," party leader Ali Qansou told a news conference. "The National Socialists' patience has limits."
The SSNP is a secular ultranationalist party advocating a greater Syria that encompasses Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Kuwait and Cyprus. It once fielded street fighters in Lebanon during the country's 1975-90 civil war and was active in south Lebanon, fighting against Israeli troops in the 1980s. In the last 20 years, however, the party became increasingly pro-Syrian.
Following the November 21 assassination of anti-Syrian Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, party premises were attacked by a mob of angry Gemayel supporters. Many among Lebanon's anti-Syrian politicians blamed Damascus for the assassination and took out their anger on Syria's perceived allies. Damascus has denied involvement.
Arab League: Assad supports bid to mediate Lebanon crisis
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday gave his full support to Arab League mediation to end the long-running political crisis in neighboring Lebanon, the head of the Arab League said.
"We are moving toward reaching a Lebanese reconciliation," said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa after meeting with Assad. He did not elaborate.
Parties allied to the Syrian-backed Hezbollah have withdrawn from the Lebanese Cabinet and staged daily protests in a bid to force U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora to resign from the Lebanese government. But Siniora has refused to step down, accusing the opposition of attempting a Syrian-backed coup.
Moussa arrived in the Syrian capital earlier Thursday from Lebanon where he held two days of talks with rival leaders. His visit to Lebanon was his second in less than a week amid plans by the Hezbollah-led opposition to escalate its open-ended street protests against the Siniora government.
"I feel relieved," Moussa told reporters. "What is important is to salvage the Arab world from the woes of divisions and threats of what we are seeing in the region."
Assad "supports my efforts, the initiative I am making and the efforts of the Arab League in this regard," Moussa said.
Syria's official news agency said Foreign Minister Walid Moallem had stressed to Moussa his country's "support to the efforts exerted by the Arab League concerning the situation in Lebanon, underlining Syria's keenness for Lebanon's stability and security and its support for what the Lebanese might agree on without any foreign interference."
Moussa said he also received support from the Saudi and Egyptian governments, as well as other Arab leaders, for his Lebanon initiative.
Moussa arrived in Damascus earlier Thursday from Lebanon where he held two days of talks with rival Lebanese leaders. The Syrian government and Arab League did not immediately provide details about Moussa's talks with Assad.
The Lebanese As-Safir daily newspaper reported that Moussa also met on Tuesday night with an Iranian foreign ministry envoy who assured the Arab League chief of Tehran's support for his mediation efforts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said that he might hold talks with Saudi Arabia on ways to defuse the stalemate between the Lebanese government, which enjoys Saudi support, and the opposition, whose main party - Hezbollah - also is backed by Tehran.
Mottaki also told Al-Arabiya television on Wednesday that he had invited Moussa to visit Tehran for discuss Lebanon with Iranian officials.
"We believe [Moussa's efforts] in Lebanon may lead to a comprehensive reconciliation if all friendly countries would cooperate," Mottaki told Al-Arabiya.
Moussa was due to return to Lebanon later Thursday. His visit to Lebanon was his second in less than a week amid plans by the Hezbollah-led opposition to escalate its open-ended street protests against the Saniora government.
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Lebanese police arrested seven people and seized large quantities of explosives, electrical fuses and timers in several homes in northern Lebanon on Thursday, a police statement said.
An official close to the investigation said those detained were members of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, a pro-Syrian Lebanese political party. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The police statement said Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza ordered authorities to raid the homes in the district of Koura after receiving information of explosives stashed there. Police found large quantities of explosives with electrical fuses, timers as well as large numbers of weapons.
A Lebanese source said police also seized two stolen cars and a truck loaded with weapons and explosives.
The SSNP said most of the weapons seized dated back to the 1980s - the height of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
"The party calls for an immediate halt to raids and the pursuit of National Socialists," party leader Ali Qansou told a news conference. "The National Socialists' patience has limits."
The SSNP is a secular ultranationalist party advocating a greater Syria that encompasses Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Kuwait and Cyprus. It once fielded street fighters in Lebanon during the country's 1975-90 civil war and was active in south Lebanon, fighting against Israeli troops in the 1980s. In the last 20 years, however, the party became increasingly pro-Syrian.
Following the November 21 assassination of anti-Syrian Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, party premises were attacked by a mob of angry Gemayel supporters. Many among Lebanon's anti-Syrian politicians blamed Damascus for the assassination and took out their anger on Syria's perceived allies. Damascus has denied involvement.
Arab League: Assad supports bid to mediate Lebanon crisis
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday gave his full support to Arab League mediation to end the long-running political crisis in neighboring Lebanon, the head of the Arab League said.
"We are moving toward reaching a Lebanese reconciliation," said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa after meeting with Assad. He did not elaborate.
Parties allied to the Syrian-backed Hezbollah have withdrawn from the Lebanese Cabinet and staged daily protests in a bid to force U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora to resign from the Lebanese government. But Siniora has refused to step down, accusing the opposition of attempting a Syrian-backed coup.
Moussa arrived in the Syrian capital earlier Thursday from Lebanon where he held two days of talks with rival leaders. His visit to Lebanon was his second in less than a week amid plans by the Hezbollah-led opposition to escalate its open-ended street protests against the Siniora government.
"I feel relieved," Moussa told reporters. "What is important is to salvage the Arab world from the woes of divisions and threats of what we are seeing in the region."
Assad "supports my efforts, the initiative I am making and the efforts of the Arab League in this regard," Moussa said.
Syria's official news agency said Foreign Minister Walid Moallem had stressed to Moussa his country's "support to the efforts exerted by the Arab League concerning the situation in Lebanon, underlining Syria's keenness for Lebanon's stability and security and its support for what the Lebanese might agree on without any foreign interference."
Moussa said he also received support from the Saudi and Egyptian governments, as well as other Arab leaders, for his Lebanon initiative.
Moussa arrived in Damascus earlier Thursday from Lebanon where he held two days of talks with rival Lebanese leaders. The Syrian government and Arab League did not immediately provide details about Moussa's talks with Assad.
The Lebanese As-Safir daily newspaper reported that Moussa also met on Tuesday night with an Iranian foreign ministry envoy who assured the Arab League chief of Tehran's support for his mediation efforts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said that he might hold talks with Saudi Arabia on ways to defuse the stalemate between the Lebanese government, which enjoys Saudi support, and the opposition, whose main party - Hezbollah - also is backed by Tehran.
Mottaki also told Al-Arabiya television on Wednesday that he had invited Moussa to visit Tehran for discuss Lebanon with Iranian officials.
"We believe [Moussa's efforts] in Lebanon may lead to a comprehensive reconciliation if all friendly countries would cooperate," Mottaki told Al-Arabiya.
Moussa was due to return to Lebanon later Thursday. His visit to Lebanon was his second in less than a week amid plans by the Hezbollah-led opposition to escalate its open-ended street protests against the Saniora government.
for getting rid of these loonies.
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