Middle East News

Hezbollah arms dominates talks in Doha - sources

May 17, 2008, 16:49 GMT

Beirut - Lebanon's rival leaders focused Saturday on their talks that started on Doha on the issue of Hezbollah weapons, a member of a Lebanese delegation told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Beirut. 'The issue of the weapons caused some difference between the Hezbollah delegates and members of the majority, which prompted the Qatari hosts to intervene and stop the bickering inside the hall,' the delegate, who requested anonymity, said. Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber al-Thani stopped the row by telling the delegate that 'a proposal on the Hezbollah arms will be presented to the delegates and all parties have agreed to his suggestion.' After 85 people were killed in nearly a week of fighting between the opposition led by Hezbollah and the western-backed majority, the two sides agreed on Thursday to a national dialogue to try to break the impasse on electing a new president and forming a unity government. Hezbollah was the only group that did not have to hand over its guns to the government following the 1989 Saudi-brokered Taef agreement to end the 1975-1990 civil war, because it was fighting the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon and 'was considered a resistance against an occupation.' Israel pulled its troops out of Lebanon in 2000. According to the delegate, despite disagreement over the arms of the Lebanese Shiite movement - which is backed by Iran and Syria - the delegates did agree on forming a committee of three members from each side to address the issue of a new electoral law for parliamentary polls due next year. The delegate said that bilateral meetings were expected to be held between rivals later Saturday. In addition to the electoral law, the leaders are expected to discuss a proposed unity government. Both sides have already agreed on army chief Michel Suleiman to succeed pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud. Lebanon has been with no president since Lebanese pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down in November 2007. Parliament has failed to convene to elect a successor 19 times. It is to make its next attempt when it meets on June 10. The Doha talks officially started on Friday evening with a brief opening session chaired by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Mediation continued overnight between rival parties, according to the Lebanese pro-government newspaper An-Nahar. At the talks the government and its allies, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and parliament majority leader Saad Hariri are present, as well as Christian leader Samir Geagea, former president Amin Gemayel and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah is not present at the talks for security reasons, and he is represented by Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad and Mohammed Fneish. Also attending on behalf of the opposition are parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Christian leader Michel Aoun.

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AlMay 17th, 2008 - 17:41:52

A new landscape where the old lebanease order has been replaced. Hezbollah holds the trump cards in this negotiation where their arms and command and control structures will be enhanced further. What is probably certain is that the challenge to Hezbollah will come as the third war between Israel and Hezbollah, with strong US supporting role. The result of this war will define Middle-east. How it will go, and what powers will be sucked in, or even whether it evolves into a world war with Iran Syria and other powers is difficult to predict. Peace is now a far away prospect.

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