Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques reviews in cabinet session Saudi, Arab efforts to get Lebanon out of crisis

Four points should be available before Arab League chief resumes efforts

Siniora calls for excluding army from political conflict

Status quo in Lebanon focal point of discussion between Omani Foreign Minister, Moussa

Lebanese army committed to undergo transparent probe into Sunday incidents

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh.

At the outset of the session, the King briefed the cabinet on the consultations, communications and meetings he held over the previous days including his meeting with Lebanon's Premier Fouad Al-Siniora.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad bin Amin Madani said that the cabinet was briefed by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, in his report on the meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers Council held in Cairo on Sunday to follow up the situation in Lebanon. The cabinet urged the Lebanese parties and all states concerned with Lebanon's stability and security to be committed to the Arab initiative on Lebanon and to exert efforts for implementing the initiative starting from the election of Lebanon's new president.

The cabinet also condemned riots and violence which took place in Lebanon on Monday and warned of the consequences of dragging Lebanon into fighting which leads to the suffering of all parties, and serves the interests of the enemies of Lebanon and Arab and Islamic nations.

The cabinet called on them to positively respond to the legitimate authorities and the security forces in Lebanon.

The Minister of Culture and Information noted that the cabinet reviewed the development of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and stressed that the basis for the suffering of the Palestinian people is due to Israel's policy of settlement and repression of Palestinians. The cabinet affirmed that Palestinian leaderships have no choice other than the return to the formula of the National Unity Government, unification of ranks and renunciation of differences. The cabinet demanded that effective countries in the region shoulder their responsibilities to protect the rights of the Palestinian people and to prevent Israel's hegemony over the Palestinians' life and property.

On the other hand, Arab League foreign ministers met in Cairo on Sunday to try to find a solution to nudge feuding Lebanese politicians to elect a new president and put an end to the almost 14-month-old political standoff which has crippled the country. Arab League chief Amr Moussa held bilateral talks with several Arab diplomats ahead of the meeting, including with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul-Gheit, who told reporters the meeting would help shed light on a proposed Arab initiative to end the stalemate in Lebanon.

The foreign ministers "will issue a statement that will clarify the more obscure parts of the Arab initiative," Abul-Gheit had said without elaborating.

Shortly, the foreign ministers released a statement reiterating their confidence in the Arab League plan and indicating that Moussa would be retuning to Beirut in yet another bid to broker consensus

Moussa has held several rounds of talks with feuding political leaders in Lebanon to spur them to elect a new president and end the crisis which has left the country without a president since November 23.

On January 5 Moussa proposed a three-point Arab initiative calling for army chief General Michel Suleiman to be elected president, the formation of a national unity government, and the adoption of a new electoral law.

Lebanon's ruling parliamentary majority has accepted the plan but the Hizbullah-led opposition is demanding a third of the seats in a new government, giving them veto power.

In a report presented to the foreign ministers, Moussa called on Arab countries to continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the political crisis and heal deep mistrust in Lebanon.

Moussa also urged the foreign ministers to "continue efforts to provide the appropriate atmosphere on the Arab, regional and international fronts to aid the Arab League in its efforts with the Lebanese parties in a positive manner.

"The efforts should take into account the political and security fears and suspicions of the two sides, and their place in Lebanese politics, with its Arab, regional and international dimensions. The differences between the two sides on the formation of the Cabinet reflect the extent of the lack of trust between them, and have implications that go beyond just numbers," he said.

A Lebanese military court charged late Saturday a number of high-ranking officers and soldiers in the Lebanese army for last Sunday's shooting of nine protestors from the pro-Syrian Lebanese Shiite movements, Amal and Hezbollah, a judicial source said. According to the source, "Military Judge Jean Fahd charged three officers and eight soldiers with firing their guns without taking orders direct from their command after they faced a chaotic situation in the street."

The names of the officers and soldiers were not released, but the source said six civilians were also charged with causing chaos and damage in the Beirut neighborhood of Mar Mikhail last Sunday.

Tension rose between the army and followers from Hezbollah and Amal after the protest over power cuts led to the shooting dead of nine people and the wounding of others, mostly protestors.

Both Amal and Hezbollah have called on the Lebanese army command, led by General Michel Suleiman, to open an official investigation into the shootings after accusing the residents of the Christian neighborhood of Ain Roumneh of firing automatic weapons at the protestors.

According to the source, Suleiman - the consensus candidate for president - has handed the report to Lebanon's State Prosecutor Said Mirza.

The source said the investigations have "all but ruled out" the presence of snipers in the Mar Mikhail area. "Neither military nor civilian" snipers were likely involved, as some parties have speculated, the source added.

The source said investigators have concluded that it was "far- fetched" that any gunfire emanated from Ain Roumneh, adding that the shooting was in fact confined to Mar Mikhail, an area controlled by Hezbollah.

"Investigations have shown that the army did not fire first at protestors, but that soldiers responded to shots fired at them by unknown gunmen from the direction where the protestors were standing," the source said.

The Lebanese army arrested 34 people from the Ain Roumneh district as well as the Mar Mikhail area.

Mirza met Friday with investigators and reviewed the statements of people detained for questioning, including those of soldiers and officers who were on the ground in the area during the riots.

Meanwhile, the army was attacked at least three times in the previous 48 hours in and around the capital Beirut, an army source said Saturday.

"The army checkpoint near the Mar Mikhail district in Beirut's southern suburbs was targeted by gunshots at dawn Saturday, wounding two soldiers," the source said.

"This is not the first attack - the same point was targeted by unidentified assailants with two sonic bombs the night before, but no casualties were reported," the source said.

The leading As-Safir newspaper said on Friday that bullets retrieved from some of the dead were M-16 rounds, which are commonly used by the Lebanese army. The bullets that killed the other three victims had either disintegrated inside their bodies or passed straight through and were not recovered.

A Lebanese army source said soldiers caught on camera beating civilians or acting in a "militia-like" fashion have been detained.

Speaker Nabih Berri received the visit of Army Commander General Michel Sleiman and Army Intelligence Services Director Major General George Khoury.

The meeting was also attended by MP Ali Hassan Khalil of the Development and Liberation bloc headed by Berri and Amal official Mohammed Al-Baalbaki.

Berri also discussed over the phone the results of the Arab meeting in Cairo with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.

During the meeting, an agreement was reached over the need to conduct a serious investigation into those responsible for the violence.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) refused to give any details about its investigation into Sunday's riots before its conclusion, as the death toll from the clashes rose on Tuesday to nine after Jihad Rashid Munzir died in hospital of injuries sustained in Mar Mikhael. The army refused to confirm the identities or political affiliations of those arrested or whether they were detained for sniping at protesters. Amid the official silence, however, media speculation remained rife concerning the presence of snipers and their political affiliations.

Lebanese Forces (LF) boss Samir Geagea, who met Premier Fouad Siniora Tuesday, denied that LF members were arrested in connection with alleged sniping activities aimed at protesters in Mar Mikhael.

"These rumors are false. There were members of the Lebanese Forces as well as people from Ain al-Rummaneh that the army rounded up. Some were carrying guns without a permit, but it has nothing to do with [Sunday's riots]. No one was sniping," Geagea said following his meeting with Siniora.

Also Tuesday, the LF accused some media outlets and opposition politicians of launching a campaign aimed at "distorting facts" and laying blame for Sunday's events on the Lebanese Forces. The LF said it has taken steps to file lawsuits against those who take part in this campaign or contribute to it.

The statement said the army rounded up a total of six Ain al-Rummaneh residents, including one Lebanese Customs employee who was in possession of a hand gun, and five other unarmed people. Al-Akhbar daily reported Tuesday that a man identified as Richard A., whom the paper referred to as a Lebanese Forces member, was arrested in possession of an assault rifle fitted with a scope.

A judicial source on Tuesday said that investigators were examining camera footage taken by news crews at the scene to determine where the shots were coming from, as well as footage from security cameras in the area. Investigators are also examining shell casings recovered from the scene and comparing them to bullets recovered from victims to determine where the shots were fired.

The judicial source said 30 people have been officially detained to date in connection with the events last Sunday, but investigations so far could not confirm the presence of snipers.

LAF commander General Michel Suleiman, along with his intelligence chief Brigadier George Khoury, met with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah late Monday night to offer their condolences on those killed in Sunday's riots.

A Hizbullah statement issued Tuesday said the army commander stressed that "serious and comprehensive investigations into Sunday's events in Mar Mikhael have begun and that the investigation will be transparent and unambiguous and precisely determine culpability."

The statement said that Nasrallah in turn stressed the need for a rapid, serious and comprehensive investigation away from pressures and politicization.

Nasrallah stressed the need to conduct the investigations and hold those behind the shootings accountable for the crime, "whoever they may be." He added that this was the only way to do justice to the fallen martyrs and the injured, assuage the pain and sorrow of their families and bolster security and stability in the country. Nasrallah said he hoped to see the results of investigations in a very short period of time.

Suleiman is overseeing the army's investigation into the shootings. Judge Jean Fahd, the government representative at the Military Tribunal, is also conducting a probe into the riots. Fahd met Tuesday with senior judges and officials from the military police to evaluate the progress of investigations to date.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit called upon Lebanese sides to the calm and self restrain, and to avoid any provocations and clashes that lead to the fall of victims and the escalation of the level of tension in the country, in light of the current political crisis. This call came after the clashes that took place at Dahiya suburb, South of Beirut on January 27th.

Abul-Gheit said that it is important for the Lebanese people with their different orientations to avoid chaos in Lebanon, and the potential results of doctrinal and sectarian confrontations that threaten the national peace in Lebanon and could have additional consequences. He added that it is regrettable that Sunday's confrontations came in on time that coincide of with the great Arab interest to solve the Lebanese issue, and to help the Lebanese overcome their political crisis.

Abul-Gheit affirmed the importance of the role to be played by Lebanese political leaders during the current period in making their followers and partisans aware of the importance of respecting the general system as well as law and order in the country, affirming the respect of the Lebanese army inside and outside Lebanon, as a national neutral institution which works hard to keep the security situation under control, especially in such difficult circumstances.

The EU and the Arab world condemned Friday's assassination of Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator that was seen as part of a campaign to dismantle Lebanese institutions.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa Conferred in Cairo On Saturday With Omani Minister In Charge Of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah. They discussed topics that deal with the situation in Lebanon and the latest developments in the Lebanese arena.

The details of Suleiman-Nasrallah meeting have been released: the army chief has promised to find those responsible for the shooting.

Following the Sunday shootings that killed nine opposition supporters in Beirut, General Michel Suleiman visited Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah to offer his condolences and discuss the military's investigation into the incidents.

"I am here to apologize and to offer my condolences to you, I do not know why the incident happened, but it happened ... the army has nothing against you and Hezbollah," General Michel Suleiman said in his meeting with Nasrallah.

"I have no explanation for what happened. But I can tell you that two investigation panels are formed, one of which being court-martial is commissioned to Judge Rahif Ramadan whom you trust. I assure you that nothing will be covered up," he added.

At the beginning of the meeting, Nasrallah being irate, describe the incident as 'very dangerous' saying the notion that the issue has been resolved is an illusion, adding that Hezbollah's stance depends on the results of the investigation.

"Our problem with the army is the scores of people killed in different clashes over the years. We are the strongest group in Lebanon and the weakest in the face of the army. We have done our best to change our belief about the Army. We now believe that the Army has a fighting spirit against the Zionist regime, we don't want to lose that belief now," Hezbollah leader said.

"There are groups of people facing unemployment, poverty, electricity and water shortage, but instead of sympathizing with them, the other group, holds them responsible for the killings,"

"Whether or not putting the incident behind, has to wait for the investigation results," Nasrallah concluded.

Nasrallah, however, said the forensic report confirms that M16 bullets have been the cause of the martyrs' death, citing that the army uses M16.

General Michel Suleiman promised Nasrallah that the army would not use bullets in curbing the people anymore.

In Russia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov on January 29 received Walid Jumblatt, a prominent politician and a leading member of the parliamentary majority in Lebanon, who is staying in Moscow.

In the conversation, the main attention was devoted to the political crisis in Lebanon and to the search for ways to overcome it.

There was reaffirmed on the Russian side its support of the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Lebanon, and the unacceptability of foreign interference in its affairs from whatever quarter it might come. It was stressed that an exit from the acute political crisis Lebanon is going through lies though the restoration of national harmony and the finding of compromise solutions which would take into account the interests of all political and confessional forces. In this connection Lavrov spoke in favor of the soonest election of a consensus candidate to the post of President of the Lebanese Republic.

Jumblatt informed Lavrov of the situation in Lebanon, expressing gratitude for Russia’s balanced line. He expressed the hope that active Russian efforts in Lebanese affairs would be continued.