LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 7/06
Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9,38-43.45.47-48.
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe (in me) to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'
Free Opinions & Studies
Collective, domestic decision-making is a step forward for all Lebanese -Daily Star 07.11.06
Not a matter of 'Democratic Means'Hazem Saghieh Al-Hayat - 07/11/06Move Saddam Hussein's trial abroad .By Chibli Mallat 06.11.06
Latest New from the Daily Star for November 07/06
No casualties as bomb goes off under car in capital
Jewish state claims Hizbullah, Syria planning new war
Iraq scores next to last on index of transparency
Lebanese politicians kick off 'ice-breaking' talks to debate calls for unity government
Fatfat: Unity Cabinet hinges on Hariri court
70 FPM members attend strategy meeting in Zahle
Norwegian envoy condemns 'any' breaches of 1701Report reviews Lebanon's labor demographics
Salameh gives pound a clean bill of health
Inadequate infrastructure makes nasty weather even more perilous for motorists
Deadly lessons: Children learn dangers of ordnance
'Beirut Diaries:' the end of political innocence
Suicide bomber attacks Israelis in GazaClerics gather in Cairo to raise AIDS awareness
Latest New from miscellaneous sources for November 07/06
Lebanon's National Dialogue endures broken bridges-Ya LibnanHaaretz: Possibility of Syria, Hizbullah War Against Israel Next ...Naharnet
Lebanese open crisis talks-Washington Post
Lebanese talks seek to avert showdown over govt-Asharq AlawsatLebanon rival factions return to dialogue-United Press International
Private political daily hits Syria newsstands-Middle East Times
Syria threatens war with Israel-Jerusalem Newswire
Vote for a Senator that supports humanity-Ya Libnan
Status quo ante-Ynetnews
IDF girds for possibility of war with Syria, Hezbollah in 2007-Ha'aretz
HOW IRAN BECAME SYRIA'S MASTER-New York Post
HEZ POWER GRAB-New York Post
Syria hints at armed struggle for Golan-Jerusalem PostLebanon Leaders Return for Crucial Dialogue-Naharnet
Switzerland Imposes Arms Ban on Lebanon-Naharnet
The Unfinished Business of Hizballah-ThreatsWatch.Org
Car bomb goes off near barracks-The AustralianUnexploded Hezbollah rockets pose risk-Reuters
Listen to Maj. Gen. Stern-Ha'aretz
In Wake of War, Israel Steps Up Effort Against Gaza Tunnels-Washington Post
Lebanese politicians kick off 'ice-breaking' talks to debate calls for unity government
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Consultations day 1
BEIRUT: Lebanon's top politicians kicked off "ice-breaking" talks on Monday to debate the demands of Hizbullah and its allies for the formation of a national unity government. Following the four-hour session, Speaker Nabih Berri, who is sponsoring the meetings, said the leaders decided to pursue their consultations on Tuesday. Berri called for the talks in a bid to prevent rising tensions from degenerating into street clashes between the country's political groups. "It is necessary to reach a solution because we cannot stay in this situation. They were ice-breaking talks and everyone is keen to unite in order to resolve issues," Berri said later.
The talks were attended by all major political leaders, except Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who sent the head of his parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, to represent him for security reasons.
Most participants, leaving Parliament building in Downtown Beirut, refused to comment on the talks but said that they were "positive."
Transport and Public Work Minister, Mohammad Safadi, who represents the anti-Syrian Tripoli bloc, told reporters the consultations will likely result in a new government. "They will lead to the formation of a new Cabinet and future ministerial statements should include all debatable issues and solutions to them including the presidential crisis," Safadi said. Political sources close to the talks told Reuters there seemed to be little chance of an agreement as intense contacts over the past few days had failed to bridge the gaps between the camps. They said the talks would focus on a possible compromise to expand Siniora's government.
President Emile Lahoud said Monday there is a good chance these talks might succeed if leaders put their differences aside. "I hope everybody understands that we will all pay a high price if justice and real democracy in this country are not well preserved and practiced," Lahoud said. Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) reported that during the talks Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun demanded at least four seats in a new Cabinet.
Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri said the problem is in the presidency and there would be no government change "without a presidential" one, while Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said it is important to reach a united vision. Druze leader MP Walid Jumblatt told Raad during the session to "calm down. Sayyed Nasrallah used to sit for four hours and discuss the issues with us calmly." It was unclear why Jumblatt made those comments.
Aoun and Geagea later had lunch together at one of the restaurants in Downtown Beirut and FPM MP Abbas Hashem said the former general accepted the invitation to prove that there are no tensions between his party and the LF.
Hizbullah and the FPM have been demanding a governmental change since the war with Israel ended on August 14. The groups have threatened to take to the street to force a change if the talks fail to produce a national unity Cabinet by mid-November. These demands are seen by Hizbullah's opponents as a bid by Damascus to regain influence in Lebanese politics, after it was forced to withdraw its troops from the country in 2005.
Hariri, who heads the Future Movement, told LBC Sunday night he was waiting to hear what reasons there could be for changing the government. "We want to know what this government, which took 99 percent of its decisions by consensus, is guilty of. Why do they want a third [of the seats] in a government, whose decisions are made by consensus and are unanimous?" Hariri asked. In response to Nasrallah's threats to take to the streets, Geagea had warned last week that his camp was ready to stage counterdemonstrations. Demonstrations and counterdemonstrations could degenerate into violence and instability that would cripple prospects for postwar recovery following Israel's devastating war on Lebanon.
Hizbullah, which has two representatives in the 24-member government, is attempting to win greater national political power by inviting the FPM into the Cabinet to secure a "blocking minority." The anti-Syrian majority has said it is willing to consider adding FPM representatives to Siniora's government.
But it opposes forming a new government or giving its opponents a third of the seats in Cabinet. Such a proportion can block decisions or bring down the government by resigning. It also says a unity government can only be achieved after the ouster of Lahoud. The presidential election in the fall of 2007 and the creation of a special tribunal for the trial of suspects in the 2005 murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri are at the heart of Lebanon's domestic disputes.
Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies have stood accused of Hariri's assassination in a massive Beirut bombing which forced Damascus to end nearly three decades of military domination of Lebanon in April 2005. - With agencies, additional reporting by Nafez Qawas
Haaretz: Possibility of Syria, Hizbullah War Against Israel Next Summer
Syria and Hizbullah are likely to start a war against Israel next summer, according to assessments of Israeli military intelligence, said the online edition of Israel's daily Haaretz on Monday.It said the assessments were gathered by what it called "General Staff" during a series of meetings in recent weeks.
While there is no specific estimate concerning the timing of a potential attack, all preparations are being made to ensure maximum preparedness in advance of summer 2007, it added. It said that since the lessons of the war in Lebanon have not yet been finalized in reports, it was decided to consider 2007 as an interim period, and to make decisions concerning a multiple-year force build-up only at the end of that year.
Meanwhile, it said, two important interim decisions were made during the recent deliberations: The development, within three years, of a system capable of intercepting 220 mm. and 302 mm. surface-to-surface rockets, of the sort that Hizbullah used to target Haifa and other towns during the recent war; and to wait to make a final decision with respect to cancellation of the Merkava tank production line. The rocket interceptor system will be developed on the basis of existing missiles, and according to future developments of these platforms, Haaretz said on its website.
It said that regarding the Merkava, an analysis of the use of tanks during the fighting in Lebanon in the July-August war, and particularly the performance of the Merkava Mark-4, suggests that if properly deployed, the tank can provide its crew with better protection than in the past.
The conclusion is that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) still require an annual supply of dozens of advanced tanks in order to replace the older, more vulnerable versions that are still in service, Haaretz added.
Also, it was decided to postpone for a year the decision made by the previous Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on shortening the duration of military service for conscripts by four to eight months, which was to go into effect in March 2007, according to the website.
It said that retaining the current terms of service will allow the necessary training to enable divisions to be prepared for combat and to heighten their effectiveness in battle. It said that at the end of a series of General Staff meetings, Chief of Staff Dan Halutz designated five main areas, or scenarios, that the IDF must seriously consider, including: Preparation for conflagration in the north: A war initiated by Syria or Hizbullah, separately or together, with backing from Iran. The likelihood is that such a conflagration will erupt in the next two years, peaking in the spring-summer months of 2007.
Among the reasons for tension: a growing sense of "success" among forces in the region that oppose Israel and the West.
A decision in Washington to withdraw the majority of its forces from Iraq will contribute to this atmosphere and will necessitate concentrating on the possibility that Iraq may become part of an eastern front comprising Iran and Syria. Israeli Military Intelligence estimate that there are 5,000 Katyushas in southern Lebanon, even after IDF mop-up operations there.
Asymmetric fighting: Hostile Arab states, with Syria at the lead, and paramilitary organizations, prominent among them Hizbullah, have relinquished － even before the fighting in Lebanon and as a consequence of it － the possibility of a direct confrontation with Israel.
In their view, Haaretz said, Israel's superiority in both air and armored forces negates the chances of a major ground offensive succeeding. Instead they have opted for a war of continuous attrition, with the deployment of infantry forces heavily equipped with anti-tank weapons, commando units, ballistic weapons and tunnel access. In countering them, the IDF would like to develop necessary preparedness, partly overt, in an effort to deter them, or in case of failure, to achieve a significant military gain quickly, along parameters determined by the political leadership, Haaretz wrote.(Naharnet file photo shows a Hizbullah fighter walking on the rubble of detroyed buildings in Beirut's southern sububrs during the war) Beirut, 06 Nov 06, 11:46
Not a matter of 'Democratic Means'
Hazem Saghieh Al-Hayat - 06/11/06//
Let us assume that the masses of Hezbollah and Michel Aoun took to the streets and toppled Fouad Siniora's government. Let us also suppose that the masses of the March 14 Forces, in their turn, took to the streets and dispersed only after removing Emile Lahoud or forcing him to resign.
The two moves are democratic and legitimate, but this does not annul the fact that they will lead to an impasse that will disrupt all democratic and legitimate means and turn the Lebanese into a warlike nation, with Lebanon split down the middle. Any dialogue must focus on this issue, especially when we take into consideration the tense atmosphere in the region: the US-Iranian confrontation over the nuclear file and the Tehran regional role, and Israel renewing its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
In this regard, two ways to deal with the impact of the inflammatory conditions in the area offer themselves to Lebanon.
The first is the difficult attempt to fortify the internal situation as much as possible and to deal with the division as part of domestic political life. The second is to remove all the obstacles that obscure the distinction between the internal and external situations.
The last choice is a dangerous game in the circumstances. We can realize how dangerous it is when we look at Iraq. Iraq is the best example for removing the obstacles between the internal and external situations. The US and Iranian influences are strongly felt there, while the State has only a nominal presence. The likelihood of a flare-up goes beyond Iraq. This is proved, for instance, by the effects of the remarks made by Jordanian-Palestinian politician Adnan Abu Odeh to Al-Jazeera.
Thus, the plan to push Lebanon along this road is tantamount to a premeditated collective crime driven by two main presumed desires:
First, according to this plan, there is nothing called a Lebanese internal situation, and, therefore, no Lebanese nation with its own, special interests.
Second, wholesale destruction remains the only way open to politics and the people alike. In this sense, the internal schism is carried to extremes, and is completely integrated with foreign divisions that are also pushed to extremes.
That being the case, the plan that addresses the division by forming a 'national unity government' is, at best, characterized by duplicity. The 'national unity government' is like a cloak-and-dagger meeting, where the 'traitors' and the 'agents' are supposed to engage with a group of 'patriots' to confront the projects of 'treason and collaboration'.
If less than one-third of the members of the incumbent government had caused a lot of disruption in the interest of the 'project of confrontation and opposition', what will happen when more than a third of the cabinet members become 'real patriots'? If less than one-third dragged the government and the country into a devastating war, more than a third will definitely put the Lebanese, on a permanent basis, in the trench.
The International Tribunal will be first to plunge into the abyss for a reason known to every discerning and objectively-minded person. A regime like the Syrian, which does not tolerate a movie by Omar Amerlai or a Michel Kilo's signature, will not accept to stand trial.
From this trench only one thing would be visible: Michel Aoun's head. Of course, he will pop his head over the top of the trench and cry enthusiastically: 'I will become president!'
Lebanon's National Dialogue endures broken bridges
Monday, 6 November, 2006 @ 5:13 PM
A lot has changed for Lebanon in the last five months. Over 1,300 people, mostly innocent civilians, were brutally murdered. Every bridge in our nation was destroyed, both politically and literally. While partisan debate looms upon the question of who won, the July-August war was unarguably initiated by Hizbullah. The very militia who a month after the desperately needed ceasefire declared a "divine victory", and celebrated upon the fresh graves of Beirut's southern suburbs. While Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah may have obtained a personal victory, Lebanon has not by any stretch of the imagination. Despite Nasrallah's joyous celebration, he has only made one public appearance since the end of the war on August 14, nearly three months ago. The single appearance being the very "Super Sweet 16 divine victory" celebration he organized to pat himself on the back.
Lebanon's rival political leaders meeting for the first time in nearly five months decided Monday to carry on national talks Tuesday in a bid to bring calm to the war-ravaged country. Speaker Nabih Berri (pictured right with Walid Jumblatt), dubbing Monday's session an "ice breaker," said Lebanon's top leaders would meet again at parliament house at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.
"We agreed to a news media truce," Berri told reporters after the four-hour meeting at parliament building in downtown Beirut which began at 11:00 a.m.
This was a reference to the political bickering between Hizbullah and its allies from one side and the anti-Syrian March 14 Forces on the other, which was highlighted by threats from both sides to take to streets. "It is necessary to reach a solution because we cannot stay in this situation. Everyone is keen to unite in order to resolve issues," Berri said. All 13 "first-rank" politicians sat for the dialogue amid tight security, except for Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for safety reasons. The group's secretary general was represented by chief legislator Mohammed Raad.
Hundreds of police officers cordoned off parliament in a major security operation that caused huge traffic jams in downtown Beirut.
The leading daily An-Nahar said Monday a consensus has been reached to include General Michel Aoun's (pictured right) bloc in the 24-member cabinet of Premier Fouad Saniora. However, this has not been Hizbullah's primary demand.
Nasrallah has said he wants his Shiite party, which has two representatives in the government, and allies to comprise one-third of the cabinet. That effectively means that Hizbullah and its allies could veto key decisions. A two-thirds vote in the cabinet is needed to pass decisions that are not made by consensus. A resignation of one-third of the cabinet automatically brings down the government.
The move, if successful, would significantly raise Hizbullah's standing in the cabinet, where it and its Shiite ally, Amal, currently have five ministers. Such veto power and influence in decision-making would also bolster their standing in the 128-seat parliament, where the group and its allies hold less than half the seats, compared to 70 seats held by the anti-Syrian majority. An-Nahar said the so-called "one-third" issue remains an "explosive topic" in Monday's consultation session. Hizbullah has been seeking to cash in on its "divine victory" -- for its fighters' fierce resistance to the month-long Israeli offensive -- by pressing for a government of national unity.
The March 14 coalition has rejected the idea of a national unity government before winning a pledge for the ouster of Syrian protégé President Emile Lahoud. Berri, the dialogue's initiator, has called for the roundtable talks among leaders of the various communities to consider a unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law to end the political stalemate. Lahoud's term was extended for three years in a Syrian-inspired controversial constitutional amendment in September 2004. The presidential election in the fall of 2007 and the creation of a special tribunal for the trial of suspects in the 2005 murder of anti-Syrian former premier Rafik Hariri are at the heart of Lebanon's domestic disputes.
The anti-Syrian majority says the country needs a tight government to carry out the post-war reconstruction and reform program with the help of the international community. But Hizbullah insists that only a national unity government can lead to stability and prevent Washington from meddling in Lebanon's affairs. Nasrallah has threatened to resort to street protests if the national dialogue fail to help produce a government of national unity within a week from Monday. In response, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea warned his camp was ready to stage counter-protests, while warning that Hizbullah's demonstration may be used by other pro-Syrian parties to provoke violence.
Sources: Ya Libnan, Naharnet, AP
Haaretz: Possibility of Syria, Hizbullah War Against Israel Next Summer
Syria and Hizbullah are likely to start a war against Israel next summer, according to assessments of Israeli military intelligence, said the online edition of Israel's daily Haaretz on Monday. It said the assessments were gathered by what it called "General Staff" during a series of meetings in recent weeks.
While there is no specific estimate concerning the timing of a potential attack, all preparations are being made to ensure maximum preparedness in advance of summer 2007, it added. It said that since the lessons of the war in Lebanon have not yet been finalized in reports, it was decided to consider 2007 as an interim period, and to make decisions concerning a multiple-year force build-up only at the end of that year. Meanwhile, it said, two important interim decisions were made during the recent deliberations: The development, within three years, of a system capable of intercepting 220 mm. and 302 mm. surface-to-surface rockets, of the sort that Hizbullah used to target Haifa and other towns during the recent war; and to wait to make a final decision with respect to cancellation of the Merkava tank production line. The rocket interceptor system will be developed on the basis of existing missiles, and according to future developments of these platforms, Haaretz said on its website.
It said that regarding the Merkava, an analysis of the use of tanks during the fighting in Lebanon in the July-August war, and particularly the performance of the Merkava Mark-4, suggests that if properly deployed, the tank can provide its crew with better protection than in the past.
The conclusion is that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) still require an annual supply of dozens of advanced tanks in order to replace the older, more vulnerable versions that are still in service, Haaretz added. Also, it was decided to postpone for a year the decision made by the previous Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on shortening the duration of military service for conscripts by four to eight months, which was to go into effect in March 2007, according to the website. It said that retaining the current terms of service will allow the necessary training to enable divisions to be prepared for combat and to heighten their effectiveness in battle. It said that at the end of a series of General Staff meetings, Chief of Staff Dan Halutz designated five main areas, or scenarios, that the IDF must seriously consider, including:
Preparation for conflagration in the north: A war initiated by Syria or Hizbullah, separately or together, with backing from Iran. The likelihood is that such a conflagration will erupt in the next two years, peaking in the spring-summer months of 2007. Among the reasons for tension: a growing sense of "success" among forces in the region that oppose Israel and the West. A decision in Washington to withdraw the majority of its forces from Iraq will contribute to this atmosphere and will necessitate concentrating on the possibility that Iraq may become part of an eastern front comprising Iran and Syria. Israeli Military Intelligence estimate that there are 5,000 Katyushas in southern Lebanon, even after IDF mop-up operations there.
Asymmetric fighting: Hostile Arab states, with Syria at the lead, and paramilitary organizations, prominent among them Hizbullah, have relinquished － even before the fighting in Lebanon and as a consequence of it － the possibility of a direct confrontation with Israel.
In their view, Haaretz said, Israel's superiority in both air and armored forces negates the chances of a major ground offensive succeeding. Instead they have opted for a war of continuous attrition, with the deployment of infantry forces heavily equipped with anti-tank weapons, commando units, ballistic weapons and tunnel access. In countering them, the IDF would like to develop necessary preparedness, partly overt, in an effort to deter them, or in case of failure, to achieve a significant military gain quickly, along parameters determined by the political leadership, Haaretz wrote.(Naharnet file photo shows a Hizbullah fighter walking on the rubble of detroyed buildings in Beirut's southern sububrs during the war) Beirut, 06 Nov 06, 11:46
Lebanon talks break ice between rivals
By Nadim Ladki- Reuters
Monday, November 6, 2006; 10:48 AM
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rival Lebanese leaders agreed on Monday to halt media campaigns against each other as an ice-breaker in talks to defuse a political crisis threatening to spill over into violence.There was no breakthrough over Hezbollah's demands for a national unity government giving the guerrilla group's allies a bigger say in running the country, but talks with anti-Syrian majority leaders were due to continue throughout the week.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement and is convening the talks, said the atmosphere at the first session had been positive."The ice has been broken," he told reporters in the central Beirut parliament building after the meeting was adjourned. "We have started by agreeing a media truce... to ease tensions."The political power struggle has intensified since Lebanon's devastating war with Israel. Hezbollah accuses the anti-Syrian coalition led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of failing to back it during the war and supporting U.S.-Israeli demands for the disarmament of its Shi'ite Muslim guerrillas.Though the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations backed Berri's call for "national consultations," a political source close to the talks said the first session had shown just how deep divisions between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps really were.
While Syrian-backed Hezbollah and its allies pressed for a new government, the majority leaders called for replacing pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, he said.The leaders will meet again on Tuesday.
Washington last week accused Syria, Iran and Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah of working to topple the government led by Siniora.
Damascus and Tehran denied the charge but Hezbollah, popular among Shi'ite Muslims who comprise Lebanon's largest religious community, has given the anti-Syrian majority until mid-November to agree to a unity government giving its allies more say or face street protests demanding new elections.
Demonstrations and counter-demonstrations could degenerate into violence or instability that would cripple prospects for recovery from the war in July and August. The leaders met amid tight security. Scores of Lebanese army soldiers and police cordoned off central Beirut around parliament blocking traffic and searching pedestrians. Political sources said there were only faint hopes of a breakthrough but that talks would focus on a possible compromise to expand Siniora's government.
Hezbollah has called for the cabinet to include more opposition members after what it saw as its victory in the war. Anti-Syrian leaders have said they were willing to consider including representatives of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, to Siniora's Western-backed government. However, they vehemently oppose forming a new government or giving their opponents one third of the seats in Siniora's cabinet, a proportion that would allow them to block motions or bring down the entire government by resigning. Aoun, once an outspoken foe of Damascus, has allied with Hezbollah in opposing the policies of the anti-Syrian majority who kept him out of the government although he swept elections in the Christian heartland last year.
Hezbollah and Amal together have five ministers in Siniora's cabinet. Lahoud has one, while Aoun is not represented.
(Additional reporting by Laila Bassam)
Lebanese talks seek to avert showdown over govt
05/11/2006
BEIRUT,(Reuters) - Rival Lebanese leaders begin a week of talks on Monday on Hezbollah demands for a national unity government, in a last-ditch effort to defuse a crisis threatening to spill into the streets. Political sources said chances the "national consultations" would result in a deal to form a new government were slim but did not rule out a compromise to expand the current Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
The United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations have all backed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's call for the talks. But Washington last week accused Syria, Iran and their ally Hezbollah of working to topple Siniora's government. Damascus and Tehran denied the charge.
Hezbollah has led calls for a more representative government, with more opposition members, after what it saw as its victory in a war with Israel in July and August. Such a government would go some way in redressing the balance of power in Lebanon, which swung in favour of an anti-Syrian coalition after last year's withdrawal of Syrian troops following the killing of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed last week to stage peaceful protests demanding fresh elections unless his anti-Syrian opponents, including the majority in Siniora's cabinet, agree to a new government by mid-November.
Such demonstrations and likely counter-demonstrations could degenerate into street clashes, leading to instability that would cripple prospects for recovery from the summer's devastating war. "There are some positive signs, the first of which is that all leaders have agreed to attend the consultations and to discuss the demand for a government change," a senior politician allied with Hezbollah said. The politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a compromise could be reached to expand the 24-member cabinet by adding six members, most of whom would be from Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun's bloc. Aoun, once a bitter foe of Syria, has allied with Hezbollah in opposing the policies of the anti-Syrian majority, who kept him out the government even though he won elections in the Christian heartland.
Hezbollah and its ally Berri currently have five ministers, pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud has one, while Aoun is not represented. These leaders want to make up a third of the cabinet, enough to block any decisions. Their opponents say such demands would effectively make the government hostage to Syria's allies because the resignation of a third of the cabinet ministers would automatically lead to the resignation of the whole government. But some believed all parties would lose out if people took to the streets to topple the government or to defend it. "Giant efforts are ongoing to avert a showdown in the streets," Sateh Noureddine, columnist at the As-Safir newspaper, told Reuters. "The door for a compromise is not closed."
Except for Nasrallah, all the key Lebanese players are expected to attend the talks, including anti-Syrian leaders Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt who both returned from visits abroad over the weekend. Hezbollah is likely to send the head of its parliamentary bloc Mohammad Raad, due to concerns over Nasrallah's personal security. Israeli officials have in recent months threatened to assassinate the Hezbollah chief.
Hezbollah accuses the anti-Syrian coalition of failing to back it during the war and of supporting U.S. and Israeli demands for the disarmament of its Shi'ite Muslim guerrillas. The coalition blames Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into a disastrous war at the behest of its Syrian and Iranian allies