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Lebanese politicians discuss peace in France

Lebanon's rival parties' delegates arrive on Saturday in La Celle Saint-Cloud. Members of the country's 14 leading parties gathered behind closed doors with no set agenda. It is the first time the parties have met since November. PHOTO: AP

Politicians from Lebanon's divided factions held a second day of talks in France yesterday to try to ease eight months of deadlock that has paralyzed the nation.

The talks in the state-owned chateau of La Celle Saint Cloud west of Paris brought together representatives of 14 factions including members of the pro-western government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

The Syrian-backed opposition Hezbollah, which fought a war against Israel last year and has been branded a terrorist organization by the US, was taking part in the meeting.

France hopes to encourage Lebanese leaders to renew a dialogue that was shattered during the conflict with Israel last year and the resignation in November of opposition ministers.

It is the first time the 14 parties are meeting since a national dialogue conference in November that failed to resolve the tensions.

The meeting will focus on the theme of "strengthening the Lebanese state," eight months after six pro-Syrian ministers quit the Cabinet, triggering the worst crisis since the end of the 1975 to 1990 civil war.

Fears are running high that the situation could worsen ahead of the election by parliament in late September of a successor to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud.

Back in Lebanon, soldiers traded machinegun fire with die-hard militiamen of Fatah al-Islam entrenched in the seafront Nahr al-Bared camp, which came under sporadic army bombardment early yesterday.

An army spokesman said the al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militiamen now controlled an area of only 300m by 600m on a small hill inside the camp.

Witnesses also reported seeing a few Lebanese flags hoisted on the roofs of destroyed buildings inside the camp where the army appeared to be in control.

The Islamists fired more Katyusha rockets which struck outside the camp yesterday. Security officials said at least five Katyusha rockets landed in farm fields in the northern Akkar region, a few kilometers north of the camp.

No casualties were immediately reported, said the officials, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give press statements.

The use of Katyusha rockets appears to be a new tactic by the militants to ease the military pressure and expand the battles outside the camp.

The militants fired at least six Katyusha rockets on Saturday and 19 rockets on Friday that crashed into villages neighboring the camp, slightly injuring two people and causing damage to property.

About 80 Fatah al-Islam fighters remain and are being supported by dozens of pro-Syrian Palestinian militants, according to a Palestinian source, citing activists who were evacuated from the camp.
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