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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">All sides see imminent solution to Lebanese crisis<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Summit</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> between ahmadinejad and king abdullah credited with breaking logjam<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">By Rym Ghazal <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Daily Star staff<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Monday, March 05, 2007<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">BEIRUT</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">: Rays of hope emerged in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s political crisis over the weekend, with key politicians saying that a "solution" had been agreed upon by all sides. The positive signs followed a meeting between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz. Ahmadinejad made his first official visit to the kingdom on Saturday. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> was one of the main issues on the agenda of the Saudi-Iranian summit.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The predominantly Sunni kingdom and the Shiite-ruled Islamic Republic agreed to fight the spread of sectarian strife throughout the region.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Information Minister Ghazi Aridi hailed the Saudi-Iranian summit as an event that would "help reopen doors of dialogue" in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"What comes out of the meetings will have an immediate impact on internal affairs as it will generate a better environment for dialogue," said Aridi.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Like other politicians from the March 14 camp, Aridi said a solution had been reached. He declined to say whether the breakthrough entailed the expansion of Cabinet to 30 members for a so-called "19 + 11" setup, with the opposition holding 11 seats. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a strong critic of the opposition who has been repeatedly accused of hampering efforts to end the deadlock, confirmed on Sunday that there was "indeed an effective solution."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"The solution is based on two things, on forming a joint committee that will oversee the modifications to the international court [to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri] and the formation of a national consensus government of 19 + 10 + 1," Geagea told the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The unaffiliated Cabinet minister in Geagea's formulation would belong neither to the majority or the opposition but would serve as an independent.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Geagea's version of the agreement was confirmed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who earlier had called for a "joint judicial committee" to work on a final draft of the international tribunal.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">This announcement by Geagea came a day after Berri told the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat that a deal to end the country's worst political crisis since the Civil War could emerge "within 48 hours."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Like other politicians over the weekend, Berri said that the chances for a solution were greater than at any other point in the crisis, which spilled over into lethal street violence in late January.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"The chances of success this time are greater than at any previous time," said Berri.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Ash-Sharq al-Awsat said the settlement would include a deal on a unity government as well as an agreement on the international tribunal.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The opposition says it agrees with the idea of setting up a tribunal but wants to discuss the details and has said that it fears the court will be used as a political tool.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">http://www.dailystar.com.lb <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Justice Minister Charles Rizk called on the two sides Sunday to study the details of the court "before making any accusations about its guarantees."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"It was never an issue of poor formation of the court, but rather an issue of ill treatment of the issue politically," Rizk told an Abu Dubai television station on Sunday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Former President Amin Gemayel left Sunday for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where he is scheduled to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday to discuss the Lebanese situation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"<st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region> is now at an important point because of all the Arab and regional initiatives that focus on helping <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> find a solution," Gemayel said before his departure.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">While the former president expressed optimism over the negotiations, he warned against "temporary fixes."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"It is not enough for the solution to be limited to the international tribunal and to the formation of government," said Gemayel. "It should be more encompassing and long-term."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Hizbullah officials, meanwhile, insisted on a 19 + 11 solution.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hizbullah Politburo member Mahmoud Qmati, accompanied by Hizbullah MP Amin Cherri, met with former Premier Salim Hoss on Saturday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"The Arab initiatives and the Saudi-Iranian efforts have arrived at the 19 + 11 deal and at allowing certain modifications to be made to the international court," Qmati said afterward.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"The Saudi-Iranian summit will have repercussions far beyond <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region>, where it will help unite the region against strife and will hinder the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> administration's projects on the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>," said Qmati. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Amal MP Hassan Ali Khalil said the opposition does not want a solution that would constitute a "loss" by either side.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"We refuse to accept a solution that would lead to a side being defeated, as we want to work together and participate in governing the country as equals," he said Saturday. "We want to work hand-in-hand with the international community in prosecuting the criminals who have plagued <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> for years," he added.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said Saturday that he is waiting for a date to be set for his trip to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Saudi Arabia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"I was invited ... 24 hours before the [November] assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and so I had to postpone it," Aoun told the Okaz newspaper. "But things have settled down now and so we asked ... to set a date for a visit."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">He warned that if a solution does not materialize soon, the opposition "has no choice but to launch civil disobedience."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"We don't want to cause a civil war, but if it happens, we will defend ourselves if necessary," the MP added. "But the democratic way remains our main way of dealing with problems." - With agencies<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></DIV></div></body></html>