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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | ||
| Hezbollah wants seats in new Lebanon cabinet | ||
| 2005-07-05 | ||
| BEIRUT - Shia militant group Hezbollah said on Monday that it was seeking cabinet posts for the first time in the new Lebanese government, in a move likely to complicate UN demands for its disarmament. âIt has become our right to participate directly and not just through our allies, in the decision-making process,â said Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollahâs parliamentary bloc, which holds 14 of the legislatureâs 128 seats. Fellow Hezbollah MP Mohammed Fneish said the movement, which was involved in deadly clashes with Israeli troops in a disputed border zone just last week,was seeking âtwo cabinet postsâ.
Hezbollahâs push to join the government came after Siniora abandoned efforts to woo Aoun, whose Free Patriotic Movement was the only major faction to advocate compliance with Resolution 1559, albeit through negotiations with the militant group. âIt is impossible to respond to the demands of Michel Aoun concerning the ministries that his movement would like to have,â said Siniora, who is tasked with forming the first government since the pullout of Syrian troops from Lebanon in late April. Aounâs movement had insisted it be given the justice portfolio but Hariri rejected the call, saying his party needed to control the ministry amid the continuing inquiry into the February 14 murder of his father, the former prime minister and tycoon Rafiq Hariri. This prompted Aoun to tell Hariri that his bloc of 21 MPs, which swept the third round of Lebanonâs elections for central areas, would not be taking part in the government. Former finance minister Siniora was named Thursday to head the first government of the post-Syria era and pledged to try to reunite the country and embark on across-the-board reforms. Siniora has made clear that another priority for the government is to uncover the truth about the assassination of Hariri and subsequent killings of an anti-Syrian journalist and a veteran communist politician. Former general security chief Jamil Sayyed, who stood down from his post amid opposition allegations of complicity in Haririâs killing, expressed doubt in comments published Monday that the perpetrator of the huge bomb blast on the Beirut seafront would ever be found. âAccording to international exports, in an explosion as powerful as this one no trace of the bomber is left if itâs a suicide attack and DNA analysis is impossible,â Sayyed told the Saudi-owned London daily Al-Hayat. A UN team began an inquiry into the bombing last month after a fact-finding mission found serious flaws in Lebanonâs own. It has already identified the likely vehicle used to carry the expolosives and has questioned senior officials in post at the time.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Wow! I finally get to say it first? "And a pony too!" |
| Posted by: BA 2005-07-05 09:11 |
| #1 ima can barley fit em saken poetatoes in me pantree |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2005-07-05 01:17 |