Video - Lebanese Women in Blood Stained Dresses Protest a Law Exonerating Rapists Who Marry Their Victims.

LEBANON - Expropriation of land inhabited mostly by Christians are likely to stir up sectarian conflicts.

LEBANON - Expropriation of land inhabited mostly by Christians ordered by the government are likely to stir up sectarian conflicts. (Fides).

The possible confiscation of collectively owned land from the State near the Lebanese village of Aqoura (Jbeil district) is likely to stir up sectarian strife.

The tension around the sensitive issue of land control of the various religious communities that live in Lebanon is increasing again after the Ministry of Finance, led by the Shiite Ali Hassan Khalil, expressed his intention to make a decree signed in 2015 operational which provides for the expropriation by the State of the shared use of land adjacent in Aqoura, a village inhabited mostly by Maronite Christians, and other villages and towns of the district of Jbeil.

The issue, according to some analysts, is likely to trigger yet another feud with sectarian implications regarding the control of the land.

The potential conflict came to the fore on Tuesday, August 30, when the local authority was notified by the Ministry of the intentions to transform state-owned common land, until now considered as belonging to all the villagers.

The inhabitants of Aqoura, represented by lawyer Gaby Germanos, yesterday submitted to the Council of State a request for the annulment of the Ministerial Decree.

While Naufal Daou, a member of the general secretariat of the "March 14" political coalition, said to al-Markaziya agency that the expropriation represents "a confiscation of Christian goods by a Minister that has exceeded its prerogatives".

On his behalf, Minister Ali Hassan Khalil’s press office denied that the decree in question had to do with the collectively owned land, stating that the ministerial provision is aimed only at defending lands that are already property of the State from infringements and abuse.

There have been sectarian clashes in recent times around the control of land and real estate in Lebanon.

In autumn 2013, a pressing call to curb the misuse of land belonging to the Christians to build housing for the Muslims was launched by Talal al-Doueihy, leader of "the Lebanese Land, Our Land" Movement (see Fides 15/10/2013).

The appeal denounced in particular the case of Al-Qaa, a Christian village near Baalbek, in whose area large plots of land had been acquired by Muslims - Shiite and Sunni - as agricultural land, only to be destined to building housing estates to be sold to Lebanese and Syrian refugees belonging to their own religious communities.

Related?

Lebanese friends say #Hezbollah is already buying land from Christians & Druze leaving.Related to Iran's settlement project for mercenaries?

— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) August 31, 2016

TEHRAN- Iran to set up fund for #Pakistani and #Afghan Shiite fighters in Syria who wish to settle in #Lebanon later,to buy land,build homes

— Amir Taheri (@AmirTaheri4) August 31, 2016

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Lebanon - Syrian 'Sex Slave' Ring Busted after Hizbullah Tip-Off.

Lebanon - Syrian 'Sex Slave' Ring Busted after Hizbullah Tip-Off. (Naharnet).

A Hizbullah tip-off helped the Internal Security Forces dismantle the country's largest known sex trafficking ring, media reports said on Sunday.

The ISF operation that freed 75 mostly Syrian women was carried out last Sunday and Tuesday.

“A Syrian public passenger van driver was passing Friday night in a non-residential street in Beirut's southern suburbs when he noticed four scantily-dressed young women standing on the side of the road,” MTV said in a report on Sunday.

“The driver convinced the women to get in the van after they told him that they escaped from a faraway place where they were locked up,” it added.

The driver promised to help them and took them to an apartment in Beirut's southern suburbs where he lives with a number of Syrian compatriots, the TV network said.

The women were later “sexually harassed in the apartment, which prompted them to start screaming, the thing that drew the neighbors' attention,” MTV added.

“The neighbors then informed Hizbullah's 'security committee' in the area that something unusual was taking place in the apartment,” the TV network went on to say.

“The members of the security committee arrived on the scene and detained all of those who were in the apartment,” it added.

During interrogation, the young women said that they had escaped from a place in Jounieh “where they were suffering beatings and rape.”

The women revealed to police investigators that other women are locked up at the Chez Maurice resort in Maameltein, which prompted the ISF to carry out the raids, MTV said.

A doctor who was arrested in the operation has confessed to carrying out “nearly 200 abortions,” according to the ISF.

"This is the largest sex trafficking ring we've uncovered since the outbreak of the Syrian war," a Lebanese security source told AFP on Friday.

Ten male ring members, eight female workers and a nurse who worked for the traffickers were also arrested in the raids.

A security source said "an eight-month-old baby, likely the child of one of the rescued women" was found during the raids.

Even before the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, Syrian women had been pushed into the illicit sex trade in neighboring Lebanon.

"However, as with any war, conflict has made Syrian women and children even more vulnerable," the security source said. "They pay the highest price." Read the full story here.

Iranian IRGC Forms Base Near Saudi Border.

Iranian IRGC Forms Base Near Saudi Border. (IMRA).

             Iran has established a military base in Iraq near the border with Saudi Arabia.

An Iraqi military source said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was operating a base in Naqib, along the Saudi border. The unidentified source said IRGC was storing weapons as well as training Hizbullah.

"They want to create a foothold for IRGC's Quds Force along the Saudi border," the source said.

The source, identified as an Iraq Army colonel, told the Saudi-owned A-Sharq Al Awsat that IRGC was working with its Shi'ite proxy, Abbas Brigade. The brigade was said to have expelled the residents of Naqib, also off-limits to the Iraq Army.

"They also want to secure a safe land route to transport IRGC fighters and weapons into Syria and Lebanon," the Iraqi officer said.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia came under mortar attack from alleged Iranian-sponsored militias in southern Iraq. As a result, Saudi Arabia has bolstered its military presence along the Iraqi border.

Other Iraqi sources confirmed that IRGC held large areas of southern Iraq, particularly around Basra. They said Teheran was controlling much of the south through such proxies as Hizbullah-Iraq and Shi'ite militias funded by the Quds Force.

"When armed militias seized control of the town [Naqib], Sunni and Shi'ite Arabs were expelled under the pretext that they want to protect Karbala from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant fighters," the Iraqi colonel said.

Saudi TV Channel Parody Lampoons Hizbullah's Leader Nasrallah, Sparks Anger among Supporters.

Saudi TV Channel Parody Lampoons Hizbullah's Leader Nasrallah, Sparks Anger among Supporters. (MEMRI).

On February 27, the Saudi MBC TV channel aired a parody, in which an actor impersonating Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is shown taking orders from Iran. "We are independent... Iran does not give us any orders at all," declared "Nasrallah" in the skit, as he fawningly kissed the hand of an off-screen black-robed cleric, representing Iran. The parody sparked anger among Hizbullah supporters in Lebanon.

French Arrest four Hezbollah operatives in Paris on U.S. Arrest warrants.

French Arrest four Hezbollah operatives in Paris on U.S. Arrest warrants. (albawabaeg).

French authorities reportedly detained four Lebanese based on an arrest warrant issued by the United States, local daily As-Safir said Friday.

The newspaper identified the four men as Mohamad Noureddine, Mazen Al-Atat, Ali Zbib and Osama Fahs.

The report said that the French authorities did not inform Lebanese authorities of the arrest until Fahs' relatives in Paris reported him missing to French police. This prompted the latter to contact the Lebanese embassy in the capital to inform it of the detention of four of its nationals.

The daily added that preliminary information disclosed that French authorities had no charges against any of the four men, but it briefed Lebanese authorities on a U.S. arrest warrant issued against them.

Noureddine was targeted in sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department Thursday, along with another Lebanese Hamdi Zaher, for his alleged activity in money laundering at the behest of Hezbollah.

The department targeted Noureddine and Zaher for providing financial services to Hezbollah, which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization.

Treasury claims Noureddine has laundered money through his company called Trade Point International S.A.R.L. He is accused of using his network across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East to provide money laundering, bulk cash shipment, black market currency exchange and other financial services to clients, including members of Hezbollah.

The sanctions freeze any assets the two men have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit U.S. citizens from doing business with them.

The U.S. has sanctioned more than 100 individuals and entities associated with Hezbollah.

US lawmakers, analysts warn Trudeau 'admin' Syrian refugee plan puts America at risk.

US lawmakers, analysts warn Trudeau 'admin' Syrian refugee plan puts America at risk. (Fox).

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the first big wave of Syrian refugees last Friday, part of the more than 10,000 expected to resettle in Canada by the end of the year.

But with the plan come questions about whether their vetting process is up to the task and whether lax standards north of the border could undermine America's security.

“There is a concern with this large volume in such a short period of time that adequate vetting may not be occurring,” Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told FoxNews.com.

“It is an obvious concern that without robust vetting by Canada, these individuals could represent a threat to America given our porous border.”

“The majority of these refugees, all receiving permanent residence, will settle in Toronto and Montreal – cities in close proximity to the U.S. border,” Marguerite Telford from the Center for Immigration Studies, recently wrote. “How many of these refugees will enter the United States to join the 11 million-plus illegal aliens already here? How many will join terrorist sleeper cells, which we are told exist in all 50 states?”

“Small tweaks do not alleviate the safety hazards associated with the refugee resettlement program,” Telford said, adding that Canada does not have access to databases in the U.S. that detect criminal background or terrorist links.

A new report from Johnson’s committee calls out Canada’s rushed refugee plan and exposes weaknesses in the system. Hmmm.....Nobody can screen 800 Syrian refugees a day and guarantee all is safe, that's a blatant lie.   Read the full story here.

Turkey's deteriorating situation has complicated every phase of Canada’s refugee plan https://t.co/OvB4TOlRek pic.twitter.com/jIiH2ZMEc6

— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) December 19, 2015

Lebanon arrests fugitive hardline Sunni Islamist leader Ahmad al-Assir.

This is how Ahmad al-Assir looks like now.via @ogero99 via @green_lemonnn #Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/btFDyLYQco

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

Lebanon arrests fugitive hardline Sunni Islamist leader Ahmad al-Assir.(AlArabia).

Lebanese authorities have detained a hardline Sunni Islamist leader wanted for militant activity, including attacks on the Lebanese army, a senior security official told Reuters on Saturday.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that Ahmad al-Assir was detained at Beirut airport as he was trying to leave the country.

Security sources added that Assir was using a fake passport and was trying to fly to Egypt, according to Agence France-Presse.

The firebrand cleric had been on the run since June 2013, after he and his supporters engaged in a deadly two-day battle with the Lebanese army in the southern city of Sidon.

The army seized his headquarters after 48 hours of clashes that killed 18 soldiers, but Assir was able to escape with several of his followers.

He continued to issue audio statements while on the run, and various rumors circulated as to where in Lebanon he was hiding.

Below twitter report by EjmAlrai AL RAI Chief International Correspondent AlraiMediaGroup.

#JN Threaten to kill #لبنان Military Lebanese prisoners unless Ahmed al-assir is released in 8 hours according to account.

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

Lebanese sources saying: "Tip-off by a #Palestinian source in Ayn el-Helwe 2 d suretée generale about al-assir who left the camp disguised"+

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

"Ahmad Al-Assir left the camp dressed as a woman to change into a man before reaching the airport. He has done some plastic surgery".+

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

"Al-Assir was travelling under false psprt under Rami Abdel Rahman Taleb, an existing real person.Al-Assir modified his look 2meet d FT"+

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

Army intel was monitoring Ahmad al-Assir phone conversation since months. He will be transferred to the MOD today. #Lebanon.

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

This is how Ahmad al-Assir use to look like #Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/c0KfERwGL3

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) August 15, 2015

Update:

#Lebanon | Notorious Islamist Ahmad Al-Asir has been arrested in #Beirut Airport after attempting to flee to #Egypt pic.twitter.com/pjGO01KV9v

— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) August 15, 2015

Al-Asir's close associate Yusuf Al-Hanini was also reportedly arrested #Beirut #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/V1EfKjYGwd

— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) August 15, 2015

Video - Worshippers Chant "Death to America, death to Israel" at Moment of Houthi Mosque Bombing in Yemen

Video - Lebanese Cleric Maher Hamoud: Israel Will Cease to Exist in 2022

ISIL terrorist command preparing to declare Islamic emirate in Lebanon: sources

ISIL terrorist command preparing to declare Islamic emirate in Lebanon: sources. (DS).

ISIS is preparing military plans to declare an Islamic emirate in Lebanon very soon to serve as a geographical extension of the so-called “Islamic State” as announced by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq last year, security sources said.

ISIS fighters have demanded support from the militant group in northern Syria to achieve this goal, the sources said.

They added that the ISIS command has begun preparations to set up a military organizational committee tasked with running Lebanese affairs and considering Lebanon as part of its state.

However, ISIS is facing difficulties in choosing a Lebanese commander for this mission. The reported appointment of the fugitive preacher Ahmad al-Assir for this post was merely a trial balloon, the sources said.

They added that arrangements to form an ISIS command for the Lebanon emirate were taking place under the supervision of the group commander Khalaf al-Zeyabi Halous, codenamed “Abu Musaab Halous,” a Syrian who had played a key role in the ISIS offensive to capture the Raqqa province in 2013.

As Lebanon faces growing security threats, military assistance to the Lebanese Army is expected to be stepped up to help the country stand on its feet.

The United States will provide the Lebanese Army with six Super Cobra fighter aircraft as part of the U.S. military aid to the Army, reports said. The aircraft are manufactured by the Bell military helicopter company.

Also, sources close to the military establishment said that America had agreed to sell some F-5 fighter jets to the Lebanese Army in the next five months. Hmmmm.....that 'Leading from behind' while exercising 'strategic patience' really works great.(Sarc). Read the full story here.

Al-Nusra leader appoints Salafi sheikh to head Lebanon branch.

Al-Nusra leader appoints Salafi sheikh to head Lebanon branch. (Alalam).

Lebanese radical Salafi sheikh, Ahmad al-Assir, has been appointed as head of the terrorist al-Nusra Front group in Lebanon, media reports say. Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper wrote in a Friday report that, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, head of Syria’s al-Nusra Front has appointed Assir as head of Lebanon’s al-Nusra branch.

The report cited sources as saying that Assir and a group of his followers have left their hometown, Sidon, for Syria and are now fighting against the Syrian army in the Qalamoun area, located near Lebanese borders.

Al-Nusra Front is al-Qaeda’s main representative on the ground in Syria war and is one of the main allies of the Western backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) which is fighting to topple the Syrian government.

The report also says Assir followers were involved in recent wave of deadly bombings in south of Beirut.

The group has been active in Palestinian refugee camps, as well as capital Beirut and other areas in north of the country to absorb more followers, it says.

It also says some of the arrested members of the AL-Qaeda-affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades terrorist group have talked about a new front being formed by al-Assir in Syria’s al-Qalamoun.

Azzam Brigades was responsible for a deadly bombing near Iranian embassy in Beirut in November 2013.

Some analysts believe Azzam Brigades militants are entering with more powerful stance as compared to other militant groups in Syria, since they stayed away from the recent deadly infighting between Syria militants, especially between al-Nusra Front and former al-Qaeda representative, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

Sheikh Assir is a staunch supporter of Takfiri militants fighting in Syria. Takfiris dismiss most of Islamic sects as infidels. Assir was not so known up until two years ago when he gained prominence as the spillover into Lebanon from the conflict in neighboring Syria escalated.

The Lebanon’s army has pledged to fight against Assir's terrorist group until it ‘finishes with’ the radical sheikh.Hmmmm.....Salafi Sheik:   many of the sheikhs who ruled [that people must] vote for him would agree with us that democracy and Islam are incompatible.Democracy Stipulates that Man Is Above Allah – Which Is Blatant Heresy.

'Big trouble' brewing for little Israel? Russia preparing to develop Gaza gas field.

Not so 'Kosher' after all.

'Big trouble' brewing for little Israel? Russia preparing to develop Gaza gas field.(Al-Monitor).

In a significant political and economic development, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Jan. 23 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting came as a prerequisite to officially sign an investment agreement aiming to develop the Gaza offshore gas field in the Mediterranean Sea.

It is only logical to assume that this step will raise the ire of Israel. The latter does not appreciate the role Russia plays in the region, especially since Israel has never come to an agreement with Russia.

AFP reported that there were talks of investing $1 billion to develop the Palestinian gas field. It is known that the two fields explored offshore of Gaza in the Mediterranean are called Gaza Marine 1 and 2.

In 1999, the Palestinian Authority granted the British Gas Group the exclusive rights to explore gas. In 2000, the company announced that it discovered gas and was seeking to develop the field in partnership with Consolidated Contractors Company and the Palestinian Authority.

However, the eruption of the second Palestinian intifada, in addition to Ariel Sharon assuming the premiership of the Israeli government and his refusal of funding the Palestinian Authority through gas revenues, has impeded the finding of markets to produce and subsequently develop this field. Back then, the Israeli government sought to buy gas from Egypt to avoid buying gas from the Palestinian field.

Ever since that time and until recently, the British Gas Group, in addition to the British and US governments and the former quartet envoy to Palestine Tony Blair, have attempted in vain to find solutions to the issue of the gas field.

When the split between Hamas and Fatah occurred in 2007, and dealing with the Gaza government became prohibited, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah was no longer powerful. This would then increase the frustration of the British Gas Group, leading the company to stop its communications aiming to sell gas and to shut down its offices in Israel a year after that.

However, three months ago, the Financial Times mentioned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had granted his approval to develop the field. The newspaper noted that Netanyahu had given the green light to the development of the field hoping to create joint economic interests between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. 

At the time, Israeli sources noted that Netanyahu has probably started to believe that Gaza Marine constitutes a source of natural gas, which compensates for the loss of Egyptian gas.

These fields would help avoid a gas crisis, before the Leviathan gas field begins to produce gas in 2017, at the earliest. Some economic experts noted progress in the stance of Netanyahu, which is attributed to his desire not to place the Israeli economy under the mercy of Tamar-Leviathan partners, especially that the driving force behind them are the American Noble Energy and the Israeli Delek.

The official Russian news agency Itar-Tass noted that the Russian energy giant Gazprom wishes to produce 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas as part of its process to invest the field. It also worth mentioning that the Russian engineering company Technopromexport is studying the feasibility of investing in the process of oil exploration in a small land field located near the city of Ramallah.

AFP, however, explained that the progress of communications — in terms of the two deals — is not yet clear, as well as the launching of the work.

It is important to note that according to economic estimations, the reserve of Marine Gaza can hold up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas, noting that its development will need three to four years and will cost around a billion dollars. The revenues of this field are estimated at $6 to $7 billion a year, throughout many years. A part of the said revenues will be given to the Palestinian Authority in the form of taxes and fees. This is supposed to render the authority independent from donor countries.

Abbas announced in Moscow that he is dealing with Russia as a major power, which has to play a key role in the Middle East. He added, “We are happy to see that Russia is an active and influential power on the international arena.” Abbas old Itar-Tass, “We would like to see Russia playing a leading role in the Middle East, since it is a major power.”

This issue prompts the following question: Is this development related to the fact that the deadline of US-brokered negotiations is imminent?

It is only normal for the Palestinian Authority not be satisfied with the US stance, which constantly refuses any pressure exerted on Israel to implement international resolutions. Could Russia, however, enter the area of Israeli economic influence, without coming to an agreement with the government of Netanyahu?

Hmmmm....Just what Gaza needed more money to buy arms, Between Turkey and Russia it seems Israel's gas future might get 'Squeezed'.

Lebanese General reveals Mysterious Saudi National Accompanying Majed is "Son of of Saudi Intelligence Chief Bandar bin Sultan,"

Lebanese General reveals Mysterious Saudi National Accompanying Majed is "Son of of Saudi Intelligence Chief Bandar bin Sultan,"(Fars).

A high-ranking Lebanese General disclosed the identity of a Saudi national who was detained by the security forces along with Majed al-Majed, the mastermind of the November 19 bombing attack on the Iranian embassy in Lebanon and ringleader of the terrorist Abdullah Izzam Brigade.

“The Saudi national accompanying Majed al-Majed at the time of detention was the son of Saudi Intelligence Chief Bandar bin Sultan,” the Lebanese General told FNA on Sunday on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

He also said following the reports on the apprehension of the Saudi terrorist, a number of European intelligence agencies demanded the Lebanese government to give them access to Majed for his interrogation by the Europeans.

“During the interrogation of Majed who had played an important role in reviving the terrorist al-Qaeda group, the western intelligence services sought to find important clues to identify other ringleaders of Abdullah Izzam Brigade, their new tactics in obtaining facilities and recruiting members, identifying the group’s financial sources and supporters as well as its future plots and missions,” the Lebanese General said.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese security forces said they have arrested Majed al-Majed, the Saudi ringleader of Abdullah Izzam Brigade which has claimed responsibility for the November 19 bombings in front of Tehran’s embassy in Beirut, which left 23 dead, including cultural attaché Ebrahim Ansari.

On Saturday, a Lebanese army General, who spoke on the conditions of anonymity in line with regulations, said Al-Majed died in custody in Lebanon. The General said Al-Majed died on Saturday after suffering kidney failure.

Political analysts believe that the supporters and financers of Abdullah Izzam terrorist group have killed Majed for the fear of the possible revelations he could make against the Saudi Takfiri groups and his masters.

Also, other observers say that the Lebanese security forces had started Majed’s interrogation before his death, but refrained from disclosing their information upon Riyadh’s request.

Al-Majed, a Saudi citizen was detained in Lebanon late last month and had been held at a secret location. According to Islamist websites, al-Majed was announced as leader of the Brigades in 2012.

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades was formed in 2009 and is believed to have branches in both the Arabian Peninsula and Lebanon, but may have been active as early as 2004.

On Thursday, Lebanese sources disclosed that Majed had taken orders from Saudi Spy Chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

Lebanese information sources said that they have found information linking Majed al-Majed, the Saudi commander of the al-Qaeda affiliated group Abdullah Azzam Brigades who claimed responsibility for the attack to the Saudi spy chief.

A few hours later on Thursday, the Iranian embassy in Beirut requested access to the investigation into the double suicide bombing.
“The (caretaker) Foreign Ministry received a memo from Iranian authorities in which they asked to stay informed about the investigation with al-Majed, considering that the explosion took place on an Iranian soil,” caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour told LBCI television.

For its part, the Lebanese news site Naharnet reported that Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Qazanfar Roknabadi announced that an Iranian intelligence delegation participated in inspecting the scene of the explosion near the embassy in Beirut’s Southern suburbs.

“Both Lebanese and Iranian authorities agreed that Iran will take part in the investigation,” the Iranian ambassador said.

In 2009, Lebanon sentenced Majed in absentia to life in prison for belonging to a different extremist group, the Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam.

Earlier today, senior parliamentary officials in Tehran disclosed that Saudi Arabia had offered to pay $3bln to the Lebanese government in return for the extradition of Al-Majed, the suspected head of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades – Ziad al-Jarrah Battalion, that claimed responsibility for the November attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut which killed 23 people.

“The Saudi government has considered $3bln for the extradition of the individual behind the Iranian embassy blast in Lebanon, indicating that the remarks he might make are vitally important for the Saudi government,” Vice-Chairman of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mansour Haqiqatpour told FNA on Saturday.

“Saudi Arabia has demanded Lebanon to extradite Majed in return for $3bln,” he reiterated.

Haqiqatpour also underlined that Tehran is entitled to file a lawsuit at the UN against Saudi Arabia because the mid November attack was conducted on the Iranian embassy in Beirut.Hmmm.....you don't search for a 'dead man.'

Iranian MP calls for probe into al-Majed’s death

Iranian MP calls for probe into al-Majed’s death.(Taz).

A senior Iranian lawmaker has raised doubts about the death of Saudi national Majed al-Majed who masterminded the twin bombings outside Iran's Embassy in Beirut last November, Press TV reported.

Chairman of the Foreign Policy and National Security Committee of Majlis Alaeddin Boroujerdi on Saturday described Majed al-Majed's death as "very ambiguous and questionable" and called on Beirut to launch a comprehensive investigation into the case.

"Under the current circumstances, it is necessary for the Lebanese government to conduct tests and perform an autopsy on al-Majed to establish the cause of his death and prepare a report on that," Boroujerdi said, urging Beirut to launch a special inquiry into the case if evidence shows the Saudi national did not die a natural death.

The lawmaker highlighted Saudi Arabia's support for terrorists operating in the region, noting that Riyadh, as "the main supporter of al-Majed," did not want its role in the Beirut bombings to be revealed.

Iran was to send a team of judiciary officials to Lebanon to follow up the case and receive the information obtained during the interrogation of al-Majed, Boroujerdi said.

He noted that the delegation should be dispatched to Lebanon now to discover the reason behind the Saudi terrorist's death.

"Since al-Majed was a clue [that could lead] to [indentifying] many elements behind the terrorist act outside the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, his interrogation would have definitely yielded useful information on the hidden aspects and masterminds of such acts," he said.

Detained Saudi terrorist Majed Al Majed, the head of the Abduallah Azzam Brigades, was announced dead in Lebanon's military hospital on Saturday.

Majed had been arrested in connection with the twin bombings at the Iranian Embassy in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on November 19, 2013.Hmmmm....As i said yesterday "You don't look for a dead man'.

Majid al-Majid, Azzam Brigades Commander, Dies of kidney failure while in Custody.

Majid al-Majid, Azzam Brigades Commander, Dies of kidney failure while in Custody.(BBC).

Majid bin Muhammad al-Majid, the emir of Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group that claimed responsibility for bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut last November, died in custody on Saturday, Lebanese security sources said. (BBC, 4 January)

Majid al-Majid, a Saudi national, suffered from kidney failure and went into a coma on Friday, the sources said. He died in a military hospital in Beirut. Lebanon had announced his arrest on January 1st.

Azzam Brigades staged the double suicide bombing on Iran's Beirut embassy, which killed at least 25 people. In tweets at the time of the bombing, the Brigades threatened more attacks in Lebanon unless Iran pulled its forces out of Syria.

On Thursday, the Iranian authorities had requested Lebanon access to Majid al-Majid during his interrogations. It was not clear if the Iranians had interrogated him prior to his death.Hmmm....Al-qaeda and kidney failure....lethal combination, you don't look for a 'dead man'.Read the full story here.

Lebanon Arrests Head of Group that Claimed Attack on Iran Embassy.

Lebanon Arrests Head of Group that Claimed Attack on Iran Embassy.(UOI).

Lebanese Army’s intelligence agents have arrested the leader of an Al-Qaeda linked militant group that claimed a double suicide bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut last November, AFP quoted the Lebanese defense minister as saying.

Majid al-Majid, the “emir” of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, was arrested by the intelligence services of the Lebanese army in Beirut, said Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn. He did not provide any details when the arrest took place. (AFP, 1 January)

“He was wanted by the Lebanese authorities and is currently being interrogated in secret,” the minister added.

In 2009, Lebanese authorities sentenced Majid in absentia to life in prison for belonging to a different extremist group, the Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam.

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry also confirmed that Majid, a Saudi citizen, was on a list of 85 suspects wanted by the kingdom. (AFP, 1 January)

The Azzam Brigades, formed in 2009, was designated by the United States as a terrorist organization in 2012, and has in the past claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel from Lebanon.

Video - Explosions Target Iranian Embassy in Beirut – at least 23 People Killed, injures 146.

Explosions Target Iranian Embassy in Beirut – at least 23 People Killed, injures 146.(RT).

The al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam brigades said on Tuesday they were behind double suicide attack on Iranian embassy in Beirut 

Two blasts near the Iranian embassy in Beirut killed at least 23 people, injuring 146 and causing havoc and a massive fire in the Lebanese capital. Six buildings were reportedly destroyed in the embassy compound.

According to a local news source, Almanar News, the harrowing scene was caused by 100kg of TNT loaded into a Renault Rapid. Security sources on the ground said there were two blasts - the first caused by a person on a motorbike, while the second was by a suicide bomber who tried to ram the compound with the car.

Witnesses at the scene reported that they occurred within one or two minutes of each other.

Injured people and destroyed buildings were seen on very disturbing pictures circulated by Lebanese media in the immediate aftermath.The Iranian cultural attaché was also killed in the attack.

Witnesses speaking to Al Arabiya reported seeing smoke rising from the battered embassy compound, while footage from the bloody scene showed raging fires, with the death toll rising by the minute.

It is not clear who was behind the attack at this time, but the area where the blasts occurred is significant in two ways: it is considered to be a stronghold for the Lebanese Shiite faction, Hezbollah. And secondly, it is a popular area and a home to many families of Iranian diplomats working in Lebanon.

The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon reacted promptly to the situation, saying that it was beyond any doubt that the embassy was the target of the attack and placing blame on a "Zionist entity." He added that such attacks only "keep us strong and proves the righteousness of our stances." Minutes before it was reported that the Iranian cultural adviser for Lebanon was wounded in the blast, but shortly thereafter succumbed to his injuries.

Iran's foreign ministry subsequently added that the blast was the work of Israeli mercenaries.

Syrian information minister Omran Zoabi to al-Manar has come out with a similar opinion, saying that Israeli and Saudi intelligence are behind the explosions.

Lebanon and Iran enjoy close relations, both having a large Shiite population.

This is not the first attack that has occurred in the area. Hezbollah compounds have come under frequent fire before, especially as Sunni-on-Shia tensions have begun to mirror each other across the Middle East.

“Whoever did this is a monstrous terrorist...The resistance (Hezbollah) message is that it will continue. It will continue in all its efforts to defeat Israel and defeat the terrorists,” said Ali Ammar, a Hezbollah official.

Saudi prince: Lebanon on brink of civil war because of Hezbollah’s role in Syria

Saudi prince: Lebanon on brink of civil war because of Hezbollah’s role in Syria.(NCRI).

Source: yalibnan.com - Prince Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies and former director-general of the Kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate has warned that “Lebanon is on the brink of civil war as Hezbollah continues to implement its own agenda without giving any consideration to law and order.”

The party “is willing to risk the foundations on which the entire Lebanese political system was built in order to prevent the collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime and impede the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that is probing the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri,” al-Faisal said during a lecture he delivered at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in Washington, DC on October 22.

“Saudi Arabia believes that the law needs to be imposed in Lebanon and it supports all efforts aimed at putting an end to Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria and bringing its leaders who are suspected of being involved in the Hariri murder to court,” he added.

Asked about the pressure for Turkey to crack down on Islamists on its Syrian border, and what it means for Saudi Arabia’s approach to Syria, Prince Turki said that he understands the goal is “a unified opposition that can represent all of the Syrian community, and that these countries will coordinate with each other on helping that organization defend itself against the onslaught of the Assad killing machine.

Commenting on Iran, Prince Turki said, “It is up to the Iranians to show that their sweet and sensible talk is going to be translated into action, “ adding, “when and if that happens then there is a chance for the situation between, not just the Kingdom and Iran, but also between Iran and the rest of the world to improve.” Al Monitor reported

Prince Turki added that the kingdom has been direct in its dealings with Iran about the issues of tension between the two countries, telling its officials, “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t deal with us and then go and support somebody who wants to overturn us. And this is what they’ve been doing in Lebanon, this is what they’ve been doing in Syria, this is what they’re doing in Bahrain, and what they’re doing in Iraq etc., so this is how we deal with Iran.” The former Saudi ambassador to the US said

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