An Event and a Regional Tendency

Sharm el-Sheikh meetings will be held next Monday between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in the presence of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah. Olmert tries to impose an agenda under the title of cooperation with Palestinian authority, whose priority is fighting Hamas and strangling it in Gaza and destroying the Palestinian resistance factions in the West Bank through the complete cooperation of the Palestinian authority’s organs in return for funds and facilitations.
Such summits were characterized by imposing Israeli demands on Palestinians and did not change until today despite promises concerning some Palestinian rights, stopping settlement, the separation wall and crossings preparations.
Latest Palestinian development whet the appetite of Israel and the US to mobilize Palestinian and Arab sides that US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice call “moderates”, in one front with Israel against resistance.
This poses a number of questions on Sharm el-Sheikh’s summit: Does the Palestinian internal conflict justify seeking the occupation’s support against resistance? Will Egypt give up its role as mediator between Palestinian sides and submit to Israel’s conditions? Will Abbas give up the resisting base in Fatah?

An Event and a Lebanese Tendency

The loyals held the opposition responsible for the failure of the Arab League’s delegation’s mission that aimed at finding a solution to the Lebanese crisis.
The loyals said it was legitimate to call the opposition for a frank commitment to securing the quorum of the presidential elections session in return for the loyals’ commitment to agree on a unity government in accordance with the equation of 19+11 and through return to dialogue.
Arab League Secretary General held all the sides responsible for obstructing the solution pointing out that there are regional and international pressures that hinder Lebanese understating.
The opposition sources said the loyals obstructed Amr Moussa’s mission after their failure to convince Moussa’s mission to escalate the campaign that aims at internalizing the issue of the borders with Syria, pointing out the obstruction was ordered by US ambassador Jeffrey Feltman.
The opposition sources stressed that the opposition’s acceptance of the principle of return to dialogue aimed at facilitating understanding despite legitimate fears from the game of wasting time practiced by the ruling team since March 2006.
The sources added that representative Saad al-Hariri refused to announce a public commitment to the unity government and promised to a secret paper, while the loyals refused the formation of the unity government in accordance with an equation that reflects balance inside the parliament, contrary to what was publically announced by Prime Minister Foud al-Siniora (17+13). In addition to this linking a two-month old government with the president, who will be chosen by the loyals and their supporters, and internalizing the presidential merit aim at opening the way for targeting resistance.
Press and political information revealed that Arab initiative took the road of bargaining on naming one of March 14 group, Nassib Lahoud as a presidential candidate in return for promising to form the 19+11 government and jumping over what can the opposition use to oppose this bargain and especially the weigh of the Christian representation of the president and that is what the opposition clings to in order to omit the vocabulary of marginalization and fears of domination from national life.

Arab Press

Arab Press quoted Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa as saying at his press conference that the loyals and the opposition support forming a unity government but they did not reach an agreement pointing out that leaving lebanon’s destiny to others is unacceptable.
The Emirate paper al-Khalij said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will take with him to Sharm el-Sheikh the fuel of the Palestinian schism’s continuity under the title of supporting Mahmoud Abbas’s security forces

Lebanese Press

As-Safir said in its editorial that the Arab League’s delegation’s mission failed in Lebanon, while al-Akbar cites exciting details about the collapse of Amr Moussa’s mediation.
On its part An-Nahr quoted Representative Saad al-Hariri as saying in a comment on the end of Moussa’s mission that the condition is dangerous and our hand is still extended.

International Press

Anthony Cordesman, strategic expert in Middle Eastern affairs at the Strategic Studies Center in Washington said Lebanon is involved in four deep conflicts: the Syrian efforts to restore influence, conflicts on power and a conflict against the emergence of Sunni extremist movements related to al-Qaeda.
The Israeli paper Maariv said the Israeli air force condenses its training on long distance flights, pointing out that Israel and the US coordinate preparations to impose sharp sanctions on Iran.
The British paper The Independent quoted informed sources as saying that Prime Minister Tony Blair said he believes that he faces the danger of attempts on his life in Britain’s streets more than Iraq.
The New York Times talked about the US general attorney’s loyalty to justice department and their violation of civil liberties in the US.
The French paper Le Monde said the security official in the Palestinian authority Mohammad Dahlan changed the streets fighting into a direct attack on the unity government, because he received the green light from somewhere, but it is certain that it is not from Mahmoud Abbas.
Energy Studies Center in Russia prepared a report on Iraq’s position in Russia’s foreign policy which said that Iraq’s vital importance to Russia’s interests in the area did not retreat.
The report pointed out the normalizing US-Iranian relations will solve the crisis in Iraq and achieve stability in the area, and open the way for compromising the Iranian nuclear file.

Arab Satellite Stations Interviews

Al-Arabiya
Program: Frankly
Nassib Lahoud, head of Democratic Renewal Movement in Lebanon said his movement believes that it is time to form a unity government through expanding al-Siniora’s government and providing guarantees to all the Lebanese.

Television Stations News in Lebanon

Al-Manar said Arab League’s Secretary General Amr Moussa held undeclared meetings in Lebanon, while the NTV said this mission is Amr Moussa’s last chance in Lebanon.
The NBN wondered about the destiny of Arab mediation after the Arab delegation’s condensed talk with Lebanese leaders.
The LBC said Amr Moussa’s shuttle diplomacy pushes us to ask if there is any hope; while the Future said the Lebanese looked forward to Amr Moussa’s communications with the involved leaders.