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Rise in strident rhetoric in Israel and Lebanon concerns Secretary-General - Mar 12, 2010 - 4:34:29 AM

More than three years after the Security Council adopted a resolution calling for a complete halt to fighting between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbollah, the situation in the region remains fragile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report, which also raises concerns over increasingly bellicose rhetoric warning of renewed fighting.
Resolution 1701, adopted by the Council in August 2006, called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah, respect for the so-called Blue Line separating the Israeli and Lebanese sides, disarming of militias and an end to arms smuggling

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Shifting allegiances in Middle East mean opportunities for President Obama - Mar 6, 2010 - 6:07:21 AM

Much as he would like to disentangle himself from his Middle East inheritance, President Obama is having a rough time doing so. The obvious legacy is an unwanted war in Iraq and a bankrupt Israeli-Arab peace process. But equally constraining is a popular way of conceiving of the region -- divided, schematically, between militants beholden to Iran and moderates sympathetic to the United States. While there is some truth to this construct, it assumes a relatively static landscape and clear fault lines in a region that is highly fluid and home to growing fragmentation. By disregarding subtle shifts that have occurred and awaiting tectonic transformations that won't, this mind-set risks missing realistic opportunities to help reshape the Middle East.

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New Hurdle to Iran Sanctions - Mar 4, 2010 - 6:19:15 AM

The Obama administration, still struggling to win China's pivotal backing for a new round of United Nations sanctions against Iran, is increasingly worried about gaining the support of some other members of the U.N. Security Council, particularly Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon, according to U.S. and European officials.
Officials involved in the diplomacy fear that China's stated opposition to tough new sanctions, if reinforced by other players, could weaken any U.N. penalties against Tehran. Though Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon hold temporary seats and can't veto sanctions-unlike permanent council members including China-they could make it harder for the U.S. to get agreement by sustaining the opposition campaign.

News : International News
U.S. bomb victim families seek Iran-linked NY tower - Mar 1, 2010 - 7:16:43 PM

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Families of U.S. Marines killed in a 1983 bombing in Lebanon demanded ownership on Monday of a New York skyscraper that U.S. prosecutors say is owned by companies illegally funneling money to Iran.
In a lawsuit filed in New York federal court, the relatives sought the 36-story building at 650 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan as payment for more than $2.6 billion in damages awarded by a U.S. court three years ago.
A U.S. judge in 2007 found Iran's government liable for providing material, financial and logistical support to Hezbollah, the guerrilla group accused of bombing the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and killing 241 military personnel.
The damages have not been paid, so the families of those killed and wounded are pursuing the skyscraper.

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"الاتحاد السرياني": الاغتراب اللبناني مستاء من التهميش المستمر بحقه

- Feb 28, 2010 - 10:01:09 AM

عبر رئيس حزب "الاتحاد السرياني" ابراهيم مراد إثر عودته اليوم من المشاركة في المؤتمر السنوي العام لقيادة الاتحاد السرياني الاوروبي الذي انعقد في السويد وهولندا لمدة اسبوع، عن استياء ابناء الجاليات اللبنانية الذين التقاهم من السويد والمانيا وهولندا وبلجيكا وسويسرا للتهميش والإقصاء المستمر بحقهم وعن إبعادهم عن المشاركة في أي عملية انتخابية تحصل في لبنان وكأن المطلوب منهم فقط تقديم الدعم المادي للبنان ومؤسساته دون ان يكون لهم حق المشاركة في مسيرة بناء الوطن سياسيا.