Nasrallah And Hariri Break The Ice During Secret Weekend Meeting -- The Daily Star
Rival leaders stress commitment to Taif, doha and 'civil peace'
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Future Movement head Saad Hariri have jointly expressed "total adherence and respect for both the Taif Accord and the Doha Accord" after a long-awaited meeting over the weekend, Hariri's office said Monday. The two met secretly on Sunday in a bid to mend fences between the country's main Shiite and Sunni parties.
Sunday's meeting - the first between Hariri and Nasrallah in more than two years - came ahead of a national dialogue session next week set to address issues dividing the March 8 and March 14 factions, notably the fate of Hizbullah's arsenal.
Statements from Hariri's office and Hizbullah said the talks stressed the importance of "national unity and civil peace to prevent tensions and reinforce dialogue." They said both sides underlined the importance of maintaining cooperation and described the tone of the session as "open and frank."
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My Comment: Why now? Israel is in the midst of an election. The U.S. is resuming providing weapons to the Lebanese Army. Syria is in disarray with assassinations of key officials and supporters, coupled with U.S. incursions into their territory. The price of oil is collapsing, hurting Hezbollah's main benefactor .... Iran. A new Iraq-U.S. security arrangement will eventually be agreed upon .... shifting the strategic equation in the Middle East. Hamas and Fatah cannot agree on much, thereby continuing the split within the Palestinian community.
Yup .... there is a lot to talk about.
Rival leaders stress commitment to Taif, doha and 'civil peace'
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Future Movement head Saad Hariri have jointly expressed "total adherence and respect for both the Taif Accord and the Doha Accord" after a long-awaited meeting over the weekend, Hariri's office said Monday. The two met secretly on Sunday in a bid to mend fences between the country's main Shiite and Sunni parties.
Sunday's meeting - the first between Hariri and Nasrallah in more than two years - came ahead of a national dialogue session next week set to address issues dividing the March 8 and March 14 factions, notably the fate of Hizbullah's arsenal.
Statements from Hariri's office and Hizbullah said the talks stressed the importance of "national unity and civil peace to prevent tensions and reinforce dialogue." They said both sides underlined the importance of maintaining cooperation and described the tone of the session as "open and frank."
Read more ....
My Comment: Why now? Israel is in the midst of an election. The U.S. is resuming providing weapons to the Lebanese Army. Syria is in disarray with assassinations of key officials and supporters, coupled with U.S. incursions into their territory. The price of oil is collapsing, hurting Hezbollah's main benefactor .... Iran. A new Iraq-U.S. security arrangement will eventually be agreed upon .... shifting the strategic equation in the Middle East. Hamas and Fatah cannot agree on much, thereby continuing the split within the Palestinian community.
Yup .... there is a lot to talk about.