AMERICAN LEBANESE COORDINATION COUNCIL

Statement on Three-Part Comprehensive Settlement

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Jerusalem
July 31, 2006

SECRETARY RICE: Good morning. Over the course of the past eight days, I have participated in a series of intense meetings and discussions with leaders in Israel and Lebanon — as well as leaders from throughout the world gathered in Rome and Malaysia — to try to find common ground and bring an end to the violence that has claimed so many lives.

This morning, as I head back to Washington, I take with me an emerging consensus on what is necessary for both an urgent cease-fire and a lasting settlement. I am convinced we can achieve both this week — and I am convinced that only by achieving both will the Lebanese people finally be able to control their country and their future, and the people of Israel finally be able to live free from the threat of attack from terrorist groups in Lebanon.

Based on what we have accomplished, and the urgency of the situation, we will call for the United Nations Security Council action this week on a comprehensive settlement that includes three parts: a cease fire, the political principles that provide for a long-term settlement, and the authorization of an international force to support the Lebanese army in keeping the peace. We are working simultaneously on all three tracks so that a cease-fire can be supported by the deployment of an international stabilization force as soon as possible after Security Council action.

During my discussions, I found consensus on several important issues that, taken together will address the causes of this conflict and form the political basis for a truly lasting settlement — and one that will prevent a return to the status quo ante.

Lebanon, Israel, and the international community agree that the government of Lebanon must be able to extend its authority over all its territory. To help achieve this, Lebanon, Israel and the international community agree that an international Stabilization Force should be deployed. There is broad agreement that armed groups must be prohibited in the areas where the international force is deployed; an international embargo must be enforced against the delivery of weapons to anyone other than the government of Lebanon or the Stabilization Force; no foreign forces will be allowed unless specifically authorized by the government of Lebanon, and Lebanon should, as assisted where appropriate by the international community, disarm armed groups.

During this proposed settlement, Israel and Lebanon would also agree to respect the Blue Line that divides them.

I also found substantial consensus on the role of an international stabilization force: This force would support urgent humanitarian work and enable the return of internally displaced persons; assist the Lebanese Armed Forces to deploy to the Blue Line and police the border with Syria; help create a stable and secure environment, especially in southern Lebanon, so that UN Security Council resolution 1559 and the Taif accords can be implemented.

In our view, to implement a cease-fire, the Lebanese armed forces should deploy to the Blue Line border between Lebanon and Israel, and the Stabilization Force should always operate in coordination and support of Lebanon’s armed forces.

I believe our work has prepared the way for the United Nations Security Council to act on both an urgent and comprehensive basis this week.

I have been deeply grieved by the tragic losses we have witnessed, especially the deaths of children, Lebanese and Israeli. Too many families have been displaced. Too many people urgently need medical care, or are living in shelters.

I welcome Israel’s decision to suspend aerial attacks for 48 hours as it investigates what happened at Qana. We also obtained agreement on a 24-hour period of safe passage to help innocent civilians who want to escape southern Lebanon. I hope this can be renewed. I hope that this will improve the humanitarian situation and allow much faster and more significant delivery of desperately needed aid. These are important, yet temporary measures. An urgent and more permanent end to this violence is something that we all want, and that we must work together to achieve. To make a cease-fire more than words alone, the international community must be prepared to support and sustain it — and I call on my international partners to do so this week in New York.

Thank you very much.

Released on July 31, 2006

Guardian | Syria stands to gain from Lebanon’s pain

Hizbullah’s stock is rising among the Arab public, and the Syrian regime is making the most of it, reports Brian Whitaker from Damascus
Brian Whitaker in Damascus
Monday July 31, 2006

Guardian
The Bakdash ice-cream parlour is one of the great institutions of old Damascus, established in 1895 and renowned throughout the city. Among the more distinguished visitors to have sampled its produce is the king of Jordan, whose photo hangs prominently on the wall.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, may be too busy just now to drop in for a pistachio-sprinkled cornet but his photo has recently joined that of the king. Interspersed between the elegant chandeliers hanging from Bakdash’s ceiling, meanwhile, are images of a fist clasping a rifle: the yellow-and-green flags of the Lebanese Shia movement.

In a street around the corner, the owner of a jewellery shop also sings the praises of Hizbullah. He’s an Armenian Christian, but that makes little difference. “It’s the first time that Arabs hit Haifa,” he says.

Reaching for a scrap of paper, he draws a rough map of the Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli border and points to the Shebaa Farms, the tiny patch of land claimed by Lebanon but still occupied by Israel.

“Five km, 10km - what does it matter? Give it back, sign an agreement. Finished!”

Less than three weeks into the war in Lebanon, Hizbullah’s standing is rising dramatically among the Arab public. The reasoning in Damascus is that, short of annihilating Lebanon’s Shia population, Hizbullah cannot be destroyed. At some point, the argument goes, Israel will have to back off and Hizbullah will claim victory for having survived the onslaught.

In anticipation of this, the Syrian regime, while trying to stay out of the conflict itself, is seeking to bask in Hizbullah’s glory. Posters on sale in the streets, and displayed in the back of car windows, depict President Bashar al-Assad shoulder to shoulder with Hassan Nasrallah.

“Syria doesn’t have to do very much to be potentially in a position to gain,” said one western diplomat in Damascus.

After years of international isolation, the regime is acquiring leverage again through its ties with Hizbullah, though political analyst Sami Moubayed doubts Syria can impose its will on the Lebanese Shia if acting on its own.

“Only with Syrian-Iranian support can this war come to an end,” he said. “Bringing Syria alone into talks will not end it.”

Damascus would also expect rewards for its help, he added. “The Syrians need carrots - big carrots.” Among these would be a resumption of talks about the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the lifting of US-imposed sanctions.

Internally, meanwhile, after a sticky period following the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and the reluctant withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon, the Syrian regime looks far more secure. People have rallied round in support of a popular cause and reformists are once again in the wilderness.

“The Syrian opposition will be silenced by growing dislike of the United States,” Damascus-based commentator Joshua Landis wrote in his blog. “Syrians are less likely to trust the proposals for democratic or pro-western change being put forward by the opposition. A month ago there was considerable attention being paid to Assad’s crackdown on the opposition. Not today.”

Another result of the war is that despite international efforts last year to end Syrian hegemony over Lebanon, Israeli bombing is driving the two countries together again.

“Lebanon needs Syria more than ever,” Mr Landis wrote. “It needs Syria to be kind to the many refugees who have found protection and safety in Syria. The Lebanese economy will be increasingly vulnerable to Syrian pressure.”

In the eyes of many Syrians, this simply proves that President Assad was right all along when he predicted the Lebanese would regret casting off the protection of their larger neighbour. His prophecy that without Syrian troops Lebanon would once again descend into civil war has not yet been fulfilled, though some Lebanese fear it may if Israeli attacks continue.

Ultimately, the Damascus regime may emerge as the war’s real winner, but the stakes are high and so are the risks, especially the risk of being drawn into direct conflict with Israel. In the last few days, Israeli warplanes have been probing Syrian airspace and Syrian forces responded - as they always do in such a situation - with anti-aircraft fire.

A week ago Syria quietly raised its military alert to the highest level and cancelled all leave. All units are at full strength, contingency plans are in place, and troops and equipment have been dispersed in what one diplomat called a defensive posture.

“They are being very careful not to be provocative,” the diplomat said, though he thought there was still a 20% to 30% chance that unforeseen events might drag Syria into the war.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

US Department of State
Press Statement
Adam Ereli, Acting Spokesman
Jerusalem
July 30, 2006

Suspension of Aerial Activity in Southern Lebanon

Israel has agreed to a 48-hour suspension of aerial activity in South Lebanon while it investigates today’s tragic incident in Qana. Israel has, of course, reserved the right to take action against targets preparing attacks against it.

During this time, Israel will coordinate with the UN to allow a 24-hour period of safe passage for all residents of South Lebanon who wish to leave. Humanitarian convoys remain in effect. We expect that Israel will implement these decisions so as to significantly speed and improve the flow of humanitarian aid.

The United States welcomes this decision and hopes that it will help to relieve the suffering of the children and families of Southern Lebanon.

July 30, 2006

Lebanonwire

Protestors attack UN HQ in Beirut after Qana deaths

BEIRUT - Angry protestors attacked and broke into the United Nations headquarters in Beirut on Sunday after Israeli raids on the Lebanese village of Qana killed at least 51, AFP correspondents said.

The demonstrators hurled stones at the building and smashed windows with rocks and iron bars before penetrating the building from the main door, they said.

The protestors burned curtains and destroyed furniture inside the building, they said.

“Feltman out now!” they shouted in unison, in reference to US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman.

A UN employee told AFP that the UN staff in the building had sought refuge in an underground basement.
Copyright 2005 AFP.

Rice Sees Lebanese Statement a Positive Step
29 July 2006
Rice Sees Lebanese Statement a Positive Step

U.S. Secretary of State to meet with Israeli and Lebanese officials

By Jaroslaw Anders
Washington File Staff Writer

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in Israel Saturday, July 29. (Photo US Emb Tel Aviv - Matty Stern)

Washington – U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the Lebanese cease-fire plan announced on the evening of July 28 after a six-hour meeting of the Lebanese cabinet is “most certainly a positive step.” Speaking with journalists en route to Jerusalem, Rice said she has not seen the full statement, but from press reports “it looks like there are some very good elements.”

The Lebanese plan calls for immediate cease-fire and an exchange of prisoners. According to reports, Hizballah, which is a member of the Lebanese governing coalition, did not specifically agree do disarm and objects to the presence of “a robust force” of international peacekeepers, but the proposal calls for the implementation of the Taif accords, which ended the Lebanese civil war in 1990 and include disarming of all militias.

Speaking about her second trip to the Middle East since the outbreak of the recent hostilities, Rice said she expects “fairly intense” negotiations with the Israelis and the Lebanese, and that a settlement would involve “a fair amount of give and take” on both sides. But she praised Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora for taking initiative.

“It is for, I think, Prime Minister Siniora quite an achievement to have gotten his cabinet of ministers to essentially endorse his Rome speech, which, if you remember, both talked about [Security Council Resolution] 1559 and Taif, which includes the disarmament of militias, and an acknowledgement that an international force will need to be a part of the solution,” Rice said.

She said the Lebanese statement “shows a Lebanese government that’s functioning as a Lebanese government. That is, in and of itself, extremely important. This has not been easy for Prime Minister Siniora. Everybody knows it’s a very complicated coalition, but that he is able to go back and bring his government together around a way forward is very encouraging.”

Rice said she has reasons to believe that “the leadership on both sides of this crisis would like it to end,” and may want to look for a solution that “puts Lebanon, the Lebanese government in full control of its territory with the Lebanese army able to deploy south, with the south stable, with an international force that can help that to take place.” She also reiterated the U.S. position that “there cannot be a return to the status quo ante” in southern Lebanon and called for the return of Israeli soldiers captured by Hizballah.

The United States, with British support, seeks a Security Council resolution that would create a framework for the deployment of a multinational force in southern Lebanon. President Bush said during a joint press opportunity with British Prime Minister Tony Blair: “Prime Minister Blair and I agree that this approach gives the best hope to end the violence and create lasting peace and stability in Lebanon. This approach will demonstrate the international community’s determination to support the government of Lebanon, and defeat the threat from Hizballah and its foreign sponsors.” (See related article.)

In his Saturday radio address the President said that “An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of humanitarian relief, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and support the Lebanese government as it asserts full sovereignty over its territory and guards its borders.” (See related article.)

Rice said she is not setting any deadline for the U.N. action, but “since we want an early end to the violence, it’s increasingly important that we get agreement on the elements.”

On Monday, July 31, the U.N. Security Council will discuss possible troop contribution to the force. The secretary mentioned that some forces could be deployed quite quickly, while “for a full scale, blue-helmeted force, it takes some time.”

Rice returns to the Middle East after a visit to East Asia. (See related article.)

For the full transcript of Secretary Rice’s briefing, visit the State Department Web site.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.

The Lebanese Crisis and Iran’s Nuclear Program

Witnessing the latest round of barbaric violence against Lebanon, many have
been wondering as to why Israel has decided to end its normally limited
reactions to Hizbullah’s aggression and to ferociously and widely escalate its
response. Many analysts and spectators have been wondering what could
happen next. Is the US initiative in the Middle East over? Will the US and the UN
be forced to cut a deal with Syria and/or Iran to curb Hizbullah, and would such a
deal bring Syria back to Lebanon? Will Israel invade Lebanon, again? When will
this barrage of death and destruction end?

Screening the latest political maneuverings in the broader Middle East region
(including Iran) as well as the latest fierce bombardment against Lebanon and
the Palestinian territories, it seems that Israel has decided to launch its own war
on terrorism. Meanwhile the Bush Administration’s policy, supported by most
Arab states, is to place the whole world (the United Nations, the European
Union, the Arabs states, Iran and Syria as well as the Lebanese people and
government) before their responsibilities by forcing them to take a clear and
cautiously calculated stance from the latest developments. Hence, it is without
a doubt that some of these players are being squeezed between a rock and a
hard place.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) can no longer issue fancy
presidential statements and crafty resolutions with empty slogans for fear to
upset the feelings of this rogue state or that dictator, or to avoid the veto of China
and Russia whose actions have been frustrating due to their sympathetic
sentiment towards their strategic allies in the region i.e. Iran, Syria, and their
terrorist proxies-Hamas and Hizbullah. Thus, this escalation will impose a
higher standard of ethics and responsibility on the shoulders of the concerned
states. If they fail, they will deem the UNSC irrelevant in today’s world order. The
same applies to the European Union.

The Arab leaders must clearly declare their stance. Since Israel has succeeded,
so far, to portray its war on Hizbullah and Hamas as a war on terrorism, it will be
nearly impossible for most leaders to side with the terrorists. The not so implicit
criticism of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan falls within this framework of
understanding, but it must be clearer. Furthermore, since Hizbullah and Hamas
are the long arms of Iran, through which Ahmadinejad is influencing, if not
dictating, the politics of the region through terrorist attacks and through
spreading the Shiite Islamic Revolution, which has began in 1979 by Ayotallah
Khomeini, the Arabs can no longer sit idle for this aggression is double edged;
Persians vs. Arabs and Shiites Vs. Sunnis. Historic facts indicate that such
threat poses an Iranian clear and present danger to the Arab Sunnis in the ME
region, which have been witnessing an overwhelming increase in Shiite
population. Such demographic change is of great danger to a region which is
adopting democratic political systems. On the other hand, Israel poses no direct
threat to any Arab state ideologically, economically, or militarily. Therefore, it
should not be a surprise if the Saudis and their allies end up in one way or
another financing the bombs and ammunitions being dropped in today’s battles.
As for the US initiative in the ME, it is far from being dead. In fact, the Israeli war
has provided the US Administration another path through which it can deal with
Iran’s nuclear program. This added dimension gives the US the option to go on
its own or through NATO away from the UN frustrating and rather ineffective
declarations and maneuverings. This may occur through the Defense Treaty
between Israel and the USA, if the latter decided to take military action against
the Hizbullah-Syrian-Iranian axis, especially if these two rogue states decided to
intervene along side Hizbullah. Otherwise, Hizbullah will eventually be crushed
and defeated.

Furthermore, the Israeli aggression has helped the US Administration for it
showed the world, Middle Easterners in particular, the alternative to the US
peaceful initiative and partnership program. Notwithstanding, when the Director
of Public Diplomacy and MEPI affairs at the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) Mr. Walid Maalouf traveled to Egypt and Lebanon, June
11-18, where he met with religious leaders, influential civil society members,
and students to discuss U.S. foreign assistance, Syria and Hizbullah accused
him of being an Israeli agent and a Zionist. Today’s aggression highlights that
nothing can be further from the truth than these allegations. Mr. Maalouf’s visit
was supported by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who affirmed that “our
Arab speaking diplomats must tell America’s story, not just in translated op-eds,
but live.”[i]

It is hard to predict the end of this crisis, but it seems that Israel will keep
escalating its aggression even after defeating Hizbullah in order to provoke Syria
and Iran to join the fight. This will serve as a perfect justification to bombard Iran’
s nuclear facilities. Unfortunately, a successful assault on Iran’s nuclear
facilities is the only way to end this aggression against Lebanon and its
innocent people for the road to Tehran goes through the Southern Suburb of
Beirut. This is due, regrettably, to the fact that Hizbullah and his allies placed
Lebanon’s fate in the hand of the Iranian radical regime.

In conclusion, it is time for the Lebanese people and government to take a solid
stance against any official or organization that acts independently through
channels outside the government institutions, especially the cabinet, which is
the executive branch of the government. It is also time to implement UNSCR
1559 aimed at disarming militias, deploying the Lebanese Army in southern
Lebanon, electing a new president, and reforming Lebanon’s political and
economic systems. Furthermore, the Lebanese government must hold
Hizbullah, Iran, Syria, and Israel accountable for the deaths of innocent people,
as well as for the destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructures by suing these
culprits in the International Court of Justice.[ii] By order form the proper
authorities, the Lebanese Central Bank must seize the accounts of Hizbullah in
order to pay retribution for all the deaths and damage they caused to Lebanon’s
infrastructure and its people. Moreover, the Lebanese government must
confiscate all properties owned by Hizbullah and its affiliate organizations. Last
but not least, the Lebanese people must hold accountable the officials who are
responsible for this crisis. This includes anyone who participated in supporting,
planning, and or participating in Hizbullah’s latest miscalculated aggression,
which brought Lebanon to its knees.

The civilized world should be outraged regarding the inhumane treatment and
the suffering of the innocent Lebanese people who are being massacred and or
living in constant fear and now disease and poverty. It is for this reason that we
support Secretary Rice’s adamant quest to reach a comprehensive solution to
the Lebanese crisis, which will result in disarming Hizbullah and in curbing Iran
and Syria’s constant destructive intervention in Lebanon’s internal affairs,
instead of a brief ceasefire that will maintain the troublesome status quo.

For those who harbor ill-sentiment toward a free and democratic Lebanon, we
assure them that Syria will not return to Lebanon; Iran’s Nuclear Facilities will be
destroyed; Hizbullah’s Jihadist movement will cease to exist; the US initiative for
a free, democratic, and sovereign Lebanon will prevail for it is the wish and the
will of the Lebanese people.

Pierre A. Maroun
Senior Policy Advisor
American Lebanese Coalition
ALCC
727-641-9764

July 26, 2006

[i] Mr. Maalouf’s speeches and negotiations were conducted in Arabic.
[ii] http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/igeneralinformation/inotice.pdf

Lebanonwire.com | Syria, Iran come under spotlight at Rome talks
July 26, 2006

Lebanonwire

ROME - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Syria and Iran on Wednesday that it was time for those countries to “make a choice” about their role in Middle East peace, following international crisis talks on Lebanon.

The international community would work to “try to gain an understanding from other states that they have responsibilities too” in ending the violence in Lebanon, Rice told a news conference following the five-hour talks.

“Syria has a responsibility,” Rice said. “And we are deeply concerned, as we have said, about the role of Iran. It is high time that people make a choice.”

Further criticism of Syria came from French President Jacques Chirac, who told Le Monde newspaper Damascus was “at odds with security and peace”.

Referring to the Syrian president, Chirac said: “There was a time when I spoke to Bashar al-Assad. I spoke to his father. To hide nothing from you, this dialogue came to an end. It was he who wanted it. “And then, I realised that it was coming to nothing. That the regime embodied by Bashar al-Assad seemed to me to be at odds with security and peace.”

In a reference to the abduction of Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah, which sparked the Israel-Lebanon conflict, Chirac spoke of his “feeling” that “Hamas as well as Hezbollah did not take these irresponsible initiatives simply of their own accord”.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said before the Rome conference ended he was “not optimistic” about the meeting, because of the “role played by the United States and the (UN) Security Council in favour of the Zionist regime.”

He hoped the conference would take decisions “to put an end to the crimes of the Zionist regime”.

He also criticised the failure to invite Iran and Syria to the talks, saying “the absence of certain countries could not help the chances” of success in Rome.

Copyright 2005 AFP. All rights reserved.

Lebanonwire.com | U.S., EU, Arab leaders fail to reach truce deal
July 26, 2006

Lebanonwire
Rice says Mideast region can’t return to ‘status quo’ prior to clashes

ROME - U.S., European and Arab officials holding crisis talks on Lebanon failed to agree Wednesday on an immediate plan to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Although officials called for an end to the violence, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there cannot be a return to a “status quo” of political uncertainty and instability in Lebanon. She said any cease-fire must be “sustainable.”

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the solution to the Mideast crisis should involve Iran and Syria. He also called for the formation of a multinational force to help Lebanon assert its authority and implement U.N. resolutions that would disarm Hezbollah.

After listening to a dramatic appeal from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora for them to stop the killing, the officials said they had agreed on the need to deploy an international force under the aegis of the United Nations in southern Lebanon.

“An international force in Lebanon should urgently be authorized under a U.N. mandate to support the Lebanese armed forces in providing a secure environment,” Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema said — but there was no mention of who would take part or any other details.

“Participants expressed their determination to work immediately to reach, with utmost urgency, a cease-fire that puts an end to the current violence and hostilities. The cease-fire must be lasting, permanent and sustainable,” D’Alema said.

He said many of the participants in the meeting appealed for an immediate and unconditional truce.

Opposition to a cease-fire
The United States and Britain opposed the push for a quick cease-fire, saying any truce should ensure that Hezbollah no longer is a threat to Israel and should ensure a durable peace.

Referring to the cease-fire, D’Alema said, “To obtain this objective, you must exercise pressure on all parties involved, directly and indirectly, on who can exercise influence on Hezbollah and on Israel.”

The foreign ministers and other senior officials from the 15 nations, as well as Annan and representatives from the European Union and the World Bank, agreed on a declaration expressing “deep concern” for the many civilian casualties in Lebanon, where government officials say hundreds have been killed.

The officials called on Israel to exercise “utmost restraint” and deplored the destruction of infrastructure in the country.

Plans for a peacekeeping force

A new multinational force for southern Lebanon would be far tougher than the existing, three-decade-old UNIFIL operation which has lacked a mandate to prevent hostilities.

“What we agreed upon is that there should be an international force under a U.N. mandate that will have a strong and robust capability to help bring about peace, to help provide the ability for humanitarian efforts to go forward and to bring an end to the violence,” Rice told reporters.

There was no immediate response from Israel, which did not attend. Israeli officials have expressed support in principle for the deployment of an international force, recognizing that the weak Lebanese government could not likely subdue the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah without assistance.

Rice said the force’s mandate would be discussed “over the next … several days.” She added: “We also have asked that those meetings be held urgently so that force can be put together.”

“We all committed to dedicated and urgent action to try to bring about an end to violence that would be sustainable” and leave the Lebanese government in full control of its territory, Rice told reporters. She also pointed the finger at Iran for stoking the violence.

July 26, 2006

Lebanonwire
Lebanon estimates war damage at two billion dollars

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon has already cost an estimated two billion dollars in damage, a state-run institution said Wednesday, in an evaluation which was to be presented to the Rome conference on the conflict.

“The damage to infrastructure, housing, businesses and factories reached 2.07 billion dollars on Monday,” Fadl al-Shalak, head of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, told AFP.

“A crisis cell is updating an assessment on a daily basis of the damage which is increasing all the time with the Israeli bombardments,” he said.

Shalak said Lebanon’s infrastructure had been hit by 721 million dollars in damage, housing and businesses another 953 million, and the industrial sector had suffered losses of 180 million dollars.

Petrol stations had sustained 10 million dollars worth of damage from Israeli strikes and Lebanese military installations another 16 million dollars, with an additional 191 million lost in other damage, according to a report compiled by the council.

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora was to submit the evaluation to the international conference on the Lebanon crisis underway in Rome on Wednesday.

Israel has waged an air and artillery war it says is aimed at destroying Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah which has been firing hundreds of rockets at northern towns in the Jewish state.

More than 400 people have been killed in Lebanon, the vast majority of them civilians, and the country’s infrastucture heavily damaged in Israeli attacks since the crisis erupted after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers on July 12.

Iranian report: Suicide bombers en route to Lebanon - News from Israel, Ynetnews

Iranian report: Suicide bombers en route to Lebanon

Iranian news agency claims expeditionary force of suicide bombers sent from Tehran via Syria to Lebanon. Its goal: To wreak havoc near military, civilian targets, trigger civil war in Lebanon
Roee Nahmias

Is Tehran stepping up its involvement in the Israeli-Lebanese confrontation? Iran is set to send the first group of suicide bombers to Lebanon on Wednesday, the Iranian news agency ILNA reported.

The expeditionary force, dubbed by the Iranian regime as “Loyalists of Islamic Justice,” will be the first ever to be sent to Lebanon. According to the report, the force is compiled of seekers of the Shahadah (death for the sake of heaven), who are set to depart from Tehran after the noontime prayer on Wednesday. more…