A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded café in the Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen Saturday evening...
BEIRUT: Hezbollah joined the Future Movement and others in condemning the suicide attack Saturday evening on a café in the Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen which claimed the lives of nine people and wounded more than 30.
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri strongly condemned the terrorist “crime” saying it aims at causing confusion, fueling discord and destabilizing Tripoli, after the success of the Lebanese Army and security forces in stopping the cycle of violence in the northern city, confronting terrorist organizations, and reinforcing security.
Saturday’s explosion is the first serious breach to a security plan implemented in 2014 that ended years of clashes in Tripoli between the mostly Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and the mostly Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh.
Recurring violence in Tripoli took on an increasingly sectarian nature with the beginning of the civil war in Syria. Jabal Mohsen is affiliated with President Bashar Assad, while Bab al-Tabbaneh’s residents largely support the Syrian uprising.
“This heinous terrorist crime requires concerted efforts from all Lebanese, who should strongly support the Lebanese Army and the security forces in taking the required measures to preserve security, arrest the perpetrators and all those behind them and bring them to justice,” Hariri said.
Hezbollah, for its part, condemned the “horrific crime” that targeted Jabal Mohsen, saying “Takfiri” groups were the source of all evil.
“Takfiri ideology targets all of us indiscriminately,” a statement by the party said. Hezbollah noted that the attack on the café denoted that “takfiri” groups were “bothered” by the ongoing dialogue between the various components of the Lebanese political scene, namely the party’s talks with the Future Movement.
“Takfiri terrorists are irritated by the commitment of the Lebanese to national stances and social cohesion, in to the atmosphere of entente and dialogue going on at the domestic level,” Hezbollah said.
The party called on all Lebanese groups to “alienate” terrorist groups that constitute a threat to Lebanon and its Muslim community.
Hezbollah called on the Lebanese to throw their weight behind the Lebanese Army and security agencies, saying all means should be employed to eradicate terrorism.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam also called on the Lebanese to support the Army and security forces against terrorism. He said the attack constituted a new challenge to security forces that had restored peace and stability in Tripoli.
“We tell those sick minds that this crime will not terrorize the Lebanese or the Tripolitans and will not weaken the state’s determination to fight terrorism and terrorists,” Salam said. “Our Army and security forces are on high alert and will continue implementing the security plan and will track down all those looking to harm Lebanon and the Lebanese.”
Salam called on the residents of Tripoli from all confessions and sects to support security forces and thwart attempts to sow strife among them.
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt for his part said the terrorist threat was looming over Lebanon, adding that the Lebanese Army was fully capable of safeguarding the country.
Jumblatt called on the residents of Tripoli to “stand united” against terrorism.
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Lebanon’s judiciary issued a new arrest warrant against the Arab Democratic Party chief Ali Eid because he did not...
BEIRUT: Reform and Change bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan visited the residence of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab as part of talks paving the way for an impending meeting between the latter and his rival Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, the National News Agency reported.
The two hour meeting which discussed the upcoming meeting between the two Maronite leaders lasted for two hours and was attended by Geagea’s political advisor Melhem Riachi, the state-run NNA added without elaboration.
Kanaan of Aoun’s parliamentary bloc and Riachi have joined forces to schedule a meeting between Geagea and Aoun - both of whom are vying for the presidency- in a bid to end the presidential impasse, now in its eighth month.
Geagea is the March 14 coalition's candidate for president, while the rival March 8 bloc is supporting Aoun's candidacy. Neither of them is thought to be able to garner a majority in Parliament, though a boycott by Aoun and his allies in Hezbollah have blocked all presidential elections sessions except the first.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to make Keystone XL pipeline the first order of business in the new term. But one week in, the bill is still a long way from passing.
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Jerry Brown was inaugurated this month for his second term is governor of California — his second second term. NPR's Scott Simon talks to the 34th and 39th governor about the issues facing his state.
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BEIRUT: Public Works Minister Ghazi Zeaiter pledged Tuesday to boost the infrastructural projects in the northern city of Tripoli, saying the city’s socio-economic situation was “tragic.”
“North Lebanon governorate in general and Tripoli in particular live in tragic suffering due to the political and economic circumstances that it passed through,” Zeaiter said after visiting Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi as part of his tour of Tripoli.
“We have done our best to lift Tripoli up,” Zeaiter said. “And we hope to be able in 2015 to give the north and especially Tripoli what they deserve [in terms] of projects.”
The minister rejected allegations of transferring budgets from Tripoli’s development projects to others in other areas. “What is for Tripoli has remained and will remain for Tripoli,” he said, promising the north to “make up for the deprivation.”
Zeaiter, who is a representative of the Amal Movement in the Cabinet, praised Rifi and Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, who accompanied him on his visit, for “the great role they are fulfilling on the level of the nation in general, by answering the demands and offering services to all areas.”
He gave the two ministers credit for the approval of a $100 million budget for Tripoli’s development by the Cabinet.
Zeaiter said he never discriminated between different Lebanese areas based on the sectarian identity of the areas’ residents.
“When I allocated LL3 Billion for the Bekaa, I didn’t dedicate them to the Shiites only,” he said.
“The Bekaa includes Zahle, the West Bekaa, Rashaya, Baalbek and Hermel; Zahle is a Catholic city, Baalbek and Hermel contain Christians and Sunnis as well as Shiites, and the West Bekaa has Druze people.”
Zeaiter said a Justice Palace will be built in Akkar and another in Baalbek-Hermel Qada, explaining that $7 million had been allocated for each of the two projects.
President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn., Jan. 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In this week’s address, President Obama discussed the economic gains we made in 2014, which was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s.
In the coming weeks, the President will continue to preview his State of the Union address and the agenda he’ll put forward to build on that progress. The President will showcase ways he’s working to help every American get ahead in the new year, like plans he announced this week to make community college free for two years, make mortgages more affordable and accessible for creditworthy families, and support manufacturing.
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BEIRUT: Lebanon’s judiciary issued a new arrest warrant against the Arab Democratic Party chief Ali Eid after he did not show up for a hearing Saturday, a judicial source told The Daily Star.
The judiciary had withdrawn the previous arrest warrant, issued in February 2014 against the former MP, last week, after he had fled to Syria and remained on the run with his son Rifaat since last June.
Eid has been charged with aiding a suspect in a twin bombing that targeted the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques in Tripoli, killing 47 people and wounded dozens of others.
Military Investigative Judge Alaa Khatib issued Saturday’s warrant in absentia after Eid failed to show up in court and was not available at his official residence in Lebanon.
On Thursday, Khatib had ordered Eid, who has been at large since a security crackdown on militants in June, to attend the Jan. 10 interrogation or face an arrest warrant and trial in absentia.
Eid and his son fled to Syria when the Army started imposing a security plan that ended years of clashes between the mostly Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen, where Eid enjoys wide popularity, and the mostly Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh.
Recurring violence in Tripoli took on an increasingly sectarian nature with the beginning of the civil war in Syria. Eid’s party is an ally of President Bashar Assad, while Bab al-Tabbaneh’s militants supported the Syrian opposition.
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SIDON, Lebanon: The southern coastal city of Sidon came back to life Saturday, as the strongest winter storm in years leaves the city after five days of ferocious wind and rain.
Sidon’s fishermen headed back to sea Friday night after a long, costly break and spread their nets in the Mediterranean waters.
While some were lucky enough to net fish, while others were highly disappointed.
“Tens of us went up around 17 kilometers to the north and settled our nets, but today we were shocked with what we found,” Ibrahim Bawji told The Daily Star. “Garbage, nylon bags, empty water containers and even tree branches, but not fish.”
“We suffered a big loss today that worsened the losses of the five previous days.”
Mohammad Wehbe, on the other side, came back home with 20 kg of different kinds of fish, he said with a proud smile.
Sidon’s commercial port was also back to work Saturday, when a ship from Turkey named Yaz arrived at one of its docks.
Workers at the port began loading the ship with metals, after five days of pause due to the high waves.
Despite the cold temperature, some residents took advantage of the improved weather to have a walk on the city’s coast, as children whose holidays were prolonged by the storm rejoiced at seeing the sun again.
Many Syrian refugees, on the other hand, saw the sunny day as a chance to dry their mattresses, after rain water soaked their temporary homes in Sidon and other southern towns.
At least four people froze to death during the snowstorm, which covered many areas above 600 meters from sea level with thick layers of storm. The most affected were Syrian refugees staying in tents in mountainous areas such as the northeastern town of Arsal and the southeastern villages of Shebaa and Kfarshouba.
BEIRUT: A man was killed when the 4WD car he was driving crashed with a school bus on the Zouk Mikael highway Saturday morning, the Traffic Management Center announced Saturday.
The accident occurred when the Lebanese national Nizar Nazarian was driving his vehicle at a high speed and under the influence of alcohol, a security source told The Daily Star.
His body was taken to the St. Louis Hospital in the nearby city of Jounieh.
Two passengers on the bus, which belonged to the Mont Las Salle School, were also slightly injured, the source said.
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BEIRUT: The first batch of French weapons from a Saudi-funded military aid package will not be delivered to the Lebanese Army before March, a local newspaper reported Saturday.
As-Safir quoted diplomatic sources in Paris and said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had informed Saudi officials of the delay during his latest visit to the kingdom Sunday.
The aid package was announced earlier this year by former President Michel Sleiman, and includes $3 billion in French weapons, equipment, vehicles and training funded by Saudi Arabia and directed to Lebanon's military.
Saudi Arabia also announced another pledge in 2014, $1 billion for weapons and training to boost the counter-terrorism capacities of Lebanon’s security forces.
The second donation was announced during the clashes between the army and militants from the Nusra Front and ISIS in the northeastern border town of Arsal last August, and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri overseeing its delivery.
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