Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Lebanon patriarch opposes Hezbollah on eve of vote
Sat Jun 6, 2009 9:49am EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Tom Perry
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Maronite Christian patriarch said on Saturday his country faced a threat to its existence, appearing to take sides against Hezbollah on the eve of an election whose outcome will be decided by the Christian vote.
The influential Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who has already warned of "mistakes" were the Islamist group and its allies to win the election, spoke of "a threat to the Lebanese entity and its Arab identity." His remarks were reported by the National News Agency.
Sfeir, 89, has a stormy relationship with Hezbollah's main Christian ally, Michel Aoun, who currently heads the largest Christian bloc in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament. Seats in the chamber are divided according to sectarian quotas.
How Aoun and his Christian rivals fare in the parliamentary election on Sunday will decide whether the U.S.-backed "March 14" alliance, led by Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri, retains its majority or loses to the Shi'ite Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria, and its allies.
Many politicians expect the election to result in a coalition government, regardless of the outcome.
Sfeir has previously echoed March 14 calls for a state monopoly on weapons -- a challenge to the heavily armed Hezbollah.
He also has a record of opposition to Syrian influence in Lebanon, which is central to the agenda of "March 14." The alliance won the 2005 parliamentary election after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, Saad's father.
"We must be alert to the schemes being plotted for us and thwart the intense efforts which, if they succeed, will change the face of our country," Sfeir said.
REGIONAL DETENTE
In February, al-Masira magazine quoted the patriarch as saying victory for the pro-Syria alliance would lead to "mistakes ... with a historic impact on the nation's fate."
Hezbollah's Christian opponents also include Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces party and the Phalange party led by former president Amin Gemayel. Both have attacked Aoun for the alliance he struck with Hezbollah three years ago and his rapprochement with neighboring Syria.
The United States, which lists Hezbollah as a terrorist group, has said it will review aid to Lebanon depending on the shape of the next government and its policies.
Hezbollah, the most powerful single group in the country, holds one portfolio in the current 30-seat national unity cabinet and has repeatedly called for the formation of another broad unity government after the election.
Some 50,000 members of the security forces will deploy on Sunday, paying extra attention to closely contested districts.
Lebanon was pushed to the brink of civil war last year by a power struggle between the alliances, fueled by rivalry between regional states -- in particular Syria, which supports Hezbollah, and Saudi Arabia, which backs Hariri. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Afghanistan and Pakistan
Fighting the Taliban
A growing insurgency in Afghanistan is also spreading deep into Pakistan, making both countries crucial to U.S. war efforts in the region. Full Coverage
More International News
Obama says D-Day saved world from evil
Iran says U.N. report shows its nuclear work peaceful
Airbus recommended new sensors before crash
| Video
New ministers back UK's Brown but fate uncertain
| Video
Afghan leader urges Kyrgyzstan to keep U.S. base
More International News...
Featured Broker sponsored link
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Mystery surrounds "Kung Fu" actor's death | Video
Ex-U.S. State official, wife face Cuba spy charges
Airbus noted speed data problems before crash
UPDATE 4-Brazil crews struggle to gather plane wreckage
Universal Pictures calls "Bruno" suit frivolous
Airbus recommended new sensors before crash | Video
As U.S. presses Israel, EU may join fray
Britain's Brown rejigs cabinet to calm crisis | Video
GM reaches deal to sell Saturn to Penske | Video
Obama slams Holocaust deniers at concentration camp
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Mummies found in Peru
Drought-hit India's frog wedding
Obama raps Ahmadinejad
Uninsured in America
Berlusconi blasts nude party pics
Peru baby's big tumour op
Obama remembers Holocaust victims
British navy sinks pirate boat
The UK political saga takes a twist
No gas for this air-powered car
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
The Great Debate
Fearing the supermen of Guantanamo
Bernd Debusmann
The language used in the debate over plans to close the detention center has taken on a surreal quality and convey the impression that Guantanamo detainees will wander the streets, shopping for sandals and guns. Commentary
Follow Bernd Debusmann on Twitter
We want to hear from you
Join the Reuters Consumer Insight Panel and help us get to know you better
Please take a moment to complete our survey
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Labs |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.