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Jumblat Reportedly Admitted to Conspiring with Syria, Iran Against Hariri

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has admitted that he conspired with Syria and Iran against a Qatari-Turkish initiative, forcing the collapse of ex-Premier Saad Hariri’s government in early 2011, media reports said Tuesday.

“I carried out the coup along with Premier (Najib) Miqati,” Jumblat told 16 leaders meeting at Baabda palace under President Michel Suleiman at the national dialogue session. “We conspired with Syria and Iran against the Qatari-Turkish initiative.”

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Heated Debate and Counter-accusations between Raad, Saniora on Proliferation of Arms

Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad and al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora exchanged accusations on the spread and smuggling of arms during the national dialogue session held at Baabda palace on Monday, media reports said.

In his statement, Saniora blamed Hizbullah’s arsenal for the spread of arms in Lebanese cities and towns. “The resistance’s arms led to the proliferation of other weapons,” he said during the four-hour meeting that was chaired by President Michel Suleiman.

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Aoun Says Geagea Won't Reject Dialogue Resolutions

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday voiced his satisfaction with the national dialogue session held earlier in the day at the presidential palace, noting that “from now on, every person will be held responsible for obstructing the implementation of the principles,” in reference to the Declaration of Principles agreed by the members of the national dialogue committee.

In an interview on his movement’s mouthpiece OTV, Aoun said a “major responsibility” falls on the Lebanese leaders to ensure the implementation of the endorsed resolutions.

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LBC Airs Leaked Minutes of Suleiman's Meetings with Saudi King, Hariri

The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) on Monday broadcasted leaked minutes of the Riyadh meeting between President Michel Suleiman and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

LBC said that Suleiman asked Abdullah to put pressure on March 14 forces to participate in national dialogue.

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Syria to Free al-Ahmed as Wadi Khaled Residents Release Alawite Abductee

Lebanese citizen Suleiman al-Ahmed, who hails from Wadi Khaled, will be released on Tuesday and handed over to the Higher Lebanese-Syrian Council, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

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Phalange: National Dialogue Must Pave Way to Restoring State’s Authority in Security Affairs

The Phalange Party hailed on Monday the resumption of the national dialogue, hoping that the “reconciliatory atmosphere it created will have a positive effect on the tense situation on the ground.”

It hoped in a statement after its weekly politburo statement that the dialogue would be “employed in achieving a reconciliatory atmosphere with the state through recognizing its authority in the political, security, and military fields.”

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Jumblat: Strife is the Only Alternative to Dialogue

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said on Monday that igniting the north front and dragging the country into strife is the only alternative to dialogue “which certain political powers oddly refuse to participate in.”

In his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine, Jumblat expressed his concern over the security events erupting in the northern city of Tripoli, specifically the tit-for-tat abductions that took place Sunday night between Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen rival neighborhoods.

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U.S. Hails National Dialogue, Urges Lebanese Foes to ‘Engage Constructively’

The United States welcomed on Monday all efforts exerted by Lebanese leaders to strengthen the national unity and stability in the country.

“We encourage the participants in the national dialogue to engage constructively,” the U.S. embassy said via twitter.

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Lebanese Foes Optimistic ahead of Crunch Talks Seeking Consensus

The Lebanese foes seeking an accord at a new national dialogue session expressed optimism on Monday as they voiced hope that the all-party talks would have a positive impact on the country, local newspapers reported.

Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel told As Safir newspaper that he will be open to all suggestions during session at the Baabda Palace, noting that the Lebanese leaders should be ready to resolve all the crises Lebanon is suffering from.

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Miqati Advises Leaders to Bridge their Differences to Salvage Lebanon

Prime Minister Najib Miqati warned on Monday that if bickering leaders continue to hold onto their stances the country’s political and security situation would continue to deteriorate.

In an interview with the Saudi Okaz daily, Miqati said: “We should sit together to come closer and limit the differences between the viewpoints” of different leaders.

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