Lahoud and Hariri offer help in Syrian dam tragedy
President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Rafik Hariri expressed their sympathy to Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday following the collapse of a dam in central Syria that resulted in several casualties.
In a telephone call, Syrian Prime Minister Mustafa Miro informed Hariri about the damage. Hariri asserted that Lebanon was ready to put at the disposal of the Syrian government whatever it deemed necessary to provide help.
He added that Lebanon would not forget the sacrifices and support provided by Damascus to help him overcome crises here and free lebanese land from Israeli occupation.
The Zeyzoun Dam, located north of the city of Hama, collapsed Tuesday, flooding a large portion of the Ghab region.

Shaath wraps up visit by meeting Berri
Palestinian Cabinet member Nabil Shaath concluded his visit to Beirut on Wednesday by briefing Speaker Nabih Berri on the situation in the Occupied Territories.
Since arriving in Beirut on Sunday, Shaath has also met with President Emile Lahoud, Premier Rafik Hariri and Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud.
He carried messages from Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on the latest developments in the Occupied Territories and the region and the need for continuous coordination among the Arab parties concerned, including Syria and Lebanon, in facing them.
Shaath expressed appreciation for Lebanese support of the Palestinian people and their uprising against Israeli occupation.
He presented Berri with a painting from Arafat illustrating Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. In turn, the speaker presented Arafat with a painting depicting Jesus’ disciples in Qana.

Addoum asks for information on French extradition request
Lebanon urged France on Wednesday to supply it with all documents relating to crimes attributed to a Lebanese businessman after receiving a French request for his extradition last week.
The call was made by State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum through the Justice Ministry and related to Antoine Tannouri, who is being sought in connection with illicit oil and jewelry dealings.
Judicial sources said there was a possibility Tannouri would not be extradited, but would be tried in Lebanon in the event that charges against him were confirmed. They pointed out there was no extradition agreement between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Addoum also instructed prosecutors to supply the commission of enquiry entrusted with combating money laundering at the Central Bank with any information available with regard to cases of drug cultivation or trafficking and organized crime before looking into their bank accounts.

Jumblatt courts Damascus with ode to Hafez Assad
Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt commended Lebanon’s ties with Syria Wednesday, especially under late Syrian President Hafez Assad.
In a statement issued to the official Syrian Arab News Agency, Jumblatt said that on the anniversary of Assad’s death, “the Lebanese people remembered his strategic role.”
Jumblatt also reiterated his Progressive Socialist Party’s “strategic relations” with Syria in the face of “regional dangers lurking ahead.”

Beydoun thanks Iranians for restoring Arab confidence
Energy and Water Minister Mohammed Abdel-Hamid Beydoun said Wednesday that Iran formed a foundation of the “axis of good” that has restored the Arabs’ confidence in their abilities.
Beydoun, representing Speaker Nabih Berri, was speaking at a ceremony held by the Iranian Embassy to mark the 13th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.
Beydoun said Iran was an “element of balance” in the Middle East, which sparked “attacks” against it by the US and Israel.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of State Nazih Beydoun, representing President Emile Lahoud; Labor Minister Ali Qanso, representing Prime Minister Rafik Hariri; Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, and Hizbullah’s secretary-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Social Affairs Minister Asaad Diab, several MPs, Muslim and Christian clerics, military and social figures were also in attendance.
In his comments, Jumblatt said that the security of Syria and Lebanon were linked, adding that “Syrians have the right to a strategic security in Lebanon.”

Islamist group hails killing of ‘Zionist terrorists’
The Islamic Tawhid Movement on Wednesday praised suicide attacks which have been taking place in Israel, after the most recent one struck Wednesday, killing 16 people.
In a statement, the movement that the suicide bombings were “the only weapon that has proven efficient against the Zionist military machine, which causes innocent Palestinians to be killed.”
The movement congratulated the Palestinian people on the occasion of the “heroic operation” that Islamic Jihad launched that lead to the death of 16 “Zionist terrorists.”
The movement reiterated its determination to continue “along the road of jihad and to dismiss divisive issues, “which weaken the Palestinian people.”
It also predicted that all attempts at bringing the intifada to a halt would fail.

Lahoud thanks French official for work on ombudsman
President Emile Lahoud honored the mediator of the French Republic, Bernard Stasi, during a ceremony at Baabda Palace Wednesday that also included French Ambassador Philip Lecourtier.
Lahoud decorated Stasi with the Cedars Medal, with the rank of commander, in appreciation for his role over the past two years in preparation for the establishment of a mediator’s office in Lebanon.
Stasi’s visit to Lebanon is part of his participation in a two-day workshop on the establishment of an official ombudsman in Lebanon being held at the Gefinor Rotana Hotel. Representatives of 17 different countries participated in the workshop, which ended Tuesday.
Stasi said Lahoud’s support for the creation of such an office reflected the president’s interest in improving relations between the state and its citizens.

Taxi drivers try to head off upcoming ban on diesel
One of the country’s two taxi drivers’ confederations urged President Emile Lahoud on Wednesday to re-evaluate government plans to ban diesel engines.
The Confederation of Land Transport and Taxi Driver Unions will meet on Wednesday in a general assembly to discuss an anti-pollution law set for implementation by June 15.
The group said Parliament had issued the law in “caesarean” fashion, urging the authorities to review the situation before “a social catastrophe” resulted.
In April, Parliament decided to ban all taxis running on diesel by mid-June and mini-buses by mid-July, spurring protests by drivers. The confederation demanded that drivers be allowed to use “European-standard” diesel.

Families cry out as Dinnieh suspects press hunger strike
Hunger striker Omar Mohammed Rifai, suspected of participating in clashes with the army in Dinnieh, sent his will to his parents on Wednesday from his prison cell in Roumieh.
Separately, the committee for parents of those arrested in the 2000 Dinnieh clashes urged international organizations to intervene against the “injustice” suffered by their children and to “put their case on the right track.”
The statement accused the government of endangering the lives of those arrested, who have been detained for more than two-and-a-half years.
It said the health of hunger striker Ahmad Dourj and other inmates was deteriorating. It added said that another suspect, Fadi Tiba, had started to lose consciousness and was having repeated heart attacks.

Aridi warns publications to obey their licenses
Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said in a memorandum issued Wednesday that nonpolitical publications were not allowed to publish political research, reports or drawings.
According to the memo, the owners of nonpolitical publications must abide by the licenses they were issued and by the law.
The letter said the violators of related laws were punished by a penalty ranging between LL2 million and LL4 million, adding that in the event of recidivism within a one-year period, the Court of Publications should cancel the license. Licenses cannot be re-issued for three years.

Salameh meets Boutros Ghali to discuss Francophone summit
Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh on Wednesday continued with a visit to Paris in the framework of preparations for the upcoming Francophone summit here in October.
Salameh visited the Francophone Organization and held a long meeting with its secretary-general, Boutros Boutros Ghali, to discuss the summit’s agenda.
Salameh also met with Intergovernmental Francophone Agency officials, several ambassadors of Francophone countries, and the chairman of TV 5, Serge Adda.
Meetings focused on the importance of cooperation and coordination and achieving the optimal level of attendance for the success of the summit.
Earlier, Salameh met with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, who asserted his country’s willingness to contribute to the success of the summit.
He also discussed with French Culture Minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon ways to promote cooperation between the two countries in the fields of heritage preservation and renovation, film production and public libraries.
Aillagon is expected to visit Beirut in September.

Diaspora Lebanese should ‘enlighten’ Americans
In a special celebration Wednesday held by the Lebanese Consul in New York, Rami Mortada, Melchite Patriarch Gregorius III Lahham prompted members of the Lebanese diaspora in New York to “enlighten” American society about the true situation in the Middle East.
Several American religious and political personalities attended the ceremony, in addition to a large number of Lebanese residing in New York and the surrounding area.
Lahham urged the participants to preserve their “Oriental roots and pass them to their children” while integrating themselves into American society and engaging in constructive work.

Bar Association to help hold forum on international court
A conference entitled International Criminal Court: Challenging Immunity, will be held in Beirut on June 14-15, a statement from the UN Information Center said Wednesday.
According to the statement, the conference is being organized by the Beirut Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the UN Information Center in Beirut.
The statement said participants will discuss several topics, including the legal description of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the competence of the court, and the Rome treaty, which seeks to establish a permanent international criminal court.
Speakers will include the ICRC chief delegate in Lebanon, Henri Fournier, and Beirut Bar Association president Raymond Shedid.
The conference’s last session, during which recommendations will be issued, will be presided over by Staffan de Mistura, the personal representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for South Lebanon.

Rashaya group calls for plan to clean up Bekaa sewage
On the occasion of International Environment Day, the Rashaya-based Art Forum called for the development of a plan to solve the problem of sewage in the Bekaa.
The head of the forum, Shawqi Dalal, urged the Cabinet, the Environment Ministry, the Public Works Ministry and Bekaa municipalities to “swiftly” solve the problem, which he said was on the verge of causing a public health and environmental “disaster” for the area.
In a statement, Dalal said the area’s geography prevented all villages from directing sewage water toward the sea, forcing them to dig sanitation pits, thereby threatening to pollute underground water sources.

Sarraf orders banners and placards to be taken down
Placards and banners that have covered the capital recently should be removed immediately, by order of Beirut Governor Yacoub Sarraf.
Sarraf issued a statement on Wednesday in which he ordered the removal
of placards, which were posted last month to celebrate the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday and Liberation Day.
Sarraf urged all who posted banners, posters and pictures in the streets of Beirut to remove them or face the risk of having them removed by the municipality at the expense of those who posted them.

EDL warns of power cuts in capital neighborhoods
Electricite Du Liban announced Wednesday that several areas in the capital will experience power cuts on Saturday due to regular maintenance work on the Shubbak power station.
According to a statement, alternating power cuts of two hours’ duration each will affect the upper part of Achrafieh, the Hotel Dieu area, Corniche al-Nahr, Sin al-Fil-Dahr al-Jamal, Sodeco and Sioufi from 1pm to 6pm.

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