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Jumblat: Nasrallah Was Better Off Not Referring to Symbol of Syrian Oppression as Comrade-in-Arms

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Monday Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s position on the Syrian crisis, saying that he should have taken a stance towards the Syrian people that is “more in line with the liberation role he played in the South.”

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “He was better off not referring to one of the symbols of oppression against the Syrian people as a comrade-in-arms.”

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EU Hails Lebanese Efforts to Support Syrian Refugees

The European Union expressed on Monday its readiness to continue providing assistance to Lebanon in coping with the burden of harboring refugees fleeing the unrest in neighboring Syria.

It said in a statement after a council meeting on Lebanon: “The EU commends the Lebanese authorities for their efforts to support those fleeing the violence in Syria, and encourages the government of Lebanon to continue meeting its responsibilities in this respect.”

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Barak: Israel Can't Accept Transfer of Advanced Weapons Systems from Syria to Lebanon

Israel will not tolerate the transfer of advanced weapons to Hizbullah, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Sunday, as fears grew about the future of Syria's suspected chemical arsenal.

"The State of Israel cannot accept the transfer of advanced weapons systems from Syria to Lebanon," he said in remarks relayed by his office.

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Hariri Urges Authorities to Take Decisive Stand on Telecom Data Dispute

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed on Saturday the failure to deliver the telecommunications data to the investigations into the assassination attempts against March 14 leaders.

He said via Twitter: “This is simply unacceptable and requires that Lebanese authorities at the highest level take a stand on this critical national issue.”

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STL Sets March 25, 2013 as Tentative Date for Hariri Trial

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen issued on Thursday an order setting March 25, 2013 as a tentative date for trial to start in the Ayyash et al case, announced the tribunal in a statement.

“The order provides the parties and the victims' legal representatives with a concrete starting date allowing them to continue preparing for trial,” explained the statement.

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Netanyahu Accuses Hizbullah of Bulgaria Attack as FBI Joins Probe

Bulgarian investigators worked with the FBI and Interpol Thursday to identify the suicide attacker behind a deadly bombing on a bus carrying Israeli tourists, as Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack "was perpetrated by Hizbullah" and Iran denied involvement.

The attack "was perpetrated by Hizbullah, Iran's leading terrorist proxy," said Netanyahu, describing the Lebanese group as "the long arm of Iran."

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Nasrallah Hails Slain Syrian Officials as 'Martyrs', Says Relation with Aoun Strategic

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday stressed that Syria is a “real military supporter of the Resistance,” extending condolences over the death of three top Syrian officials in a blast that rocked the headquarters of National Security in Damascus.

The bombing killed Defense Minister General Daoud Rajha, Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat and General Hassan Turkmani, head of the regime's crisis cell on the uprising, state media said.

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STL Rejects Defense Appeal to Reconsider Decision Defining Terrorist Crime

The Appeals Chamber of the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued Wednesday a decision rejecting the request of the Defense to reconsider its ruling of February 16, 2011, “which defined terrorism for the first time in international law,” the STL said in a statement.

The Defense argued that the content of the decision should be revisited. They also challenged the procedure followed to issue that decision.

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One Killed in Tripoli by Gunshots Fired in Celebration of Damascus Bombing

One person was killed in Tripoli on Wednesday by gunshots fired in celebration of the Syria bombing.

Khaled Fares was killed at the Malloula roundabout by a stray bullet shot during the Tripoli celebrations over the news of the Damascus explosion that targeted a number of Syrian security officials, reported MTV.

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Syrian Defense Minister and Assef Shawkat Killed in Damascus Blast, FSA Claims Responsibility

A suicide bomber on Wednesday struck at the heart of Syria's security apparatus, killing the country's defense minister and President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law, state television said.

The attack, which for the first time in a 16-month anti-regime uprising targeted members of Assad's inner core, came hours ahead of a U.N. Security Council debate on Syrian sanctions, when a showdown between Western powers and Russia and China is expected.

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