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Mourners filling Martyrs' Square in Beirut ahead of the funeral for slain Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayel on Thursday. (AP)
Last update - 23:28 23/11/2006
Lebanese PM calls on pro-Syrian ministers to rejoin government
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Thursday appealed to six ministers from Hezbollah and other pro-Syrian factions to return to the cabinet.

"I call on my brotherly colleagues, all the ministers who presented their resignations, to come back to the rows of government ... so that we can come back and open all the pages and issues that are of importance to our people and nation," he said after a cabinet meeting.

The ministers quit the cabinet this month after all-party talks on a new government collapsed. They say the depleted cabinet is a puppet of Washington which lacks legitimacy.

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The Lebanese government will meet on Saturday to approve plans for a special international court to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, official sources said on Thursday.

The court issue is a major source of tension between the Western-backed government and the pro-Syrian opposition. Tensions between the two groups have been exacerbated by Tuesday's assassination of cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel.

Early reports from a UN inquiry into Hariri's death implicated Syrian security officials and their Lebanese counterparts.

Syria, which critics have also accused of involvement in Gemayel's killing, denies any role in their deaths.

Lebanon's government says its Syrian-backed opponents, led by the powerful Shiite Muslim party Hezbollah, want to weaken it and to scupper the international tribunal.

The government, keen to ensure the international tribunal is established, would fall if it lost two more ministers.

Amin Gemayel urges "second Lebanon intifada"
Former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel, the father of slain Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayel, declared the "second Lebanese intifada for independence," during a rally in honor of his son Thursday in Beirut, Israel Radio reported.

"The Lebanese people will not rest until there is a new president in the Baabda palace, in place of Emile Lahoud," said Gemayel.

Later on Thursday, hundreds of Shiite Muslim protesters cut off Beirut's airport main road, witnesses told Reuters.

The demonstrators took to the road near Beirut's southern suburbs to protest what they said were insults against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at Gemayel's funeral earlier in the day.

"Nasrallah don't worry, your Shiites can drink blood," they chanted as they marched on the road.

Hezbollah cars with loudspeakers urged the protesters to disperse and go home and its members blocked off nearby streets to stop the protests from spreading.

At least 200,000 Lebanese poured into central Beirut to pay tribute to murdered Christian leader Pierre Gemayel on Thursday, turning his funeral into a show of strength against Syria and its Hezbollah allies.

The funeral in the St. George Maronite Cathedral in the capital was attended by Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, French Foreign Minister Phillipe Douste-Blazy and Arab League chief Amr Moussa. Television footage showed mourners weeping openly during the service.

Gemayel's coffin, wrapped in the flag of his Phalange Party - white with a green cedar emblem - was brought from his hometown and carried through applauding throngs in downtown Beirut to the cathedral, where the packed congegration sang hymns.

In a rare move, the head of the Maronite Church, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, left his mountain headquarters to lead the funeral service, in which family and dignitaries were participating. The country's most senior Shi'ite politician, Parliament Speaker Nabih Beri, a top Hezbollah ally, also attended in an attempt to show national unity.

Sunni Muslim, Druze and Christian leaders have accused Syria of killing Gemayel, scion of one of Lebanon's most prominent Maronite families. Damascus has condemned the assassination.

"We will not rest until all the criminals are brought to justice," Gemayel's 64-year-old father, the former president Amin Gemayel, told mourners.

Crowds waving the flags of Lebanon and of Gemayel's Phalange Party packed Martyrs' Square in Beirut before the 1 P.M. funeral.

Thousands of soldiers and police were deployed in the capital which came to a standstill. Shops, schools, banks and government offices were closed to let people join the mourning.

Angry crowds carried slogans calling on Syrian-backed Lebanese President Emile Lahoud to resign. "Bashar agent get out of Baabda [palace]," one banner read, referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Gemayel, 34, was shot dead Tuesday, the sixth killing of an anti-Syrian figure in less than two years in Lebanon, a cockpit for regional conflicts and rivalries for decades.

The country was already in the midst of a political crisis over efforts by Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah to clip the wings of the ruling anti-Syrian majority coalition, which the Shi'ite Muslim group regards as Washington's puppet.

Anti-Syrian leaders say Damascus had Gemayel killed to try to derail plans for an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Early reports of a UN inquiry into the Hariri killing implicated Syrian security officials and their Lebanese counterparts. Syria denies involvement.

The UN Security Council approved Wednesday a Lebanese government request to add the Gemayel killing to the string of previous attacks the UN inquiry is investigating.

"Only the international tribunal protects us" and "Lebanon means life" read banners held by mourners in Beirut.

Hariri's son Saad, Jumblatt and Christian Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea urged people to attend ceremonies for the son of former president Gemayel and the nephew of Bashir Gemayel, killed in 1982 after he was elected president.

Gemayel's cortege was driving from his mountain home town of Bekfaya to downtown Beirut, where mass protests after Hariri's assassination helped end Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon.

Jumblatt said Wednesday Gemayel's killing marked the resumption of political killings. "It seems the Syrian regime will continue with the assassinations," he said.

Anti-Syrian leaders say the assassination was aimed at weakening a government opposed to Damascus's influence in Lebanon and which took power after Syrian troops withdrew.

The government, keen to ensure the international tribunal is established, would fall if it lost two more ministers.

The cabinet has been weakened by the resignation of six ministers from the Syrian-backed opposition led by Hezbollah.

They quit after the collapse of all-party talks on forming a government.

Hezbollah had pledged street protests aimed at toppling the government but Gemayel's killing has disrupted those plans.

"It can't stage a demonstration now. It would be widely read as a pro-Syrian demonstration as opposed to an anti-government demonstration," Hezbollah expert Amal Saad Ghorayeb said.

U.S. President George W. Bush called Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Wednesday and pledged to support "Lebanese independence from the encroachments of Iran and Syria," a White House spokesman said.

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  1.   Lebanon will unit over this 09:03  |  gus 23/11/06
  2.   yaiee sho mahdoom 10:43  |  Tamir Gaza 23/11/06
  3.   USA not credible 10:50  |  northern neighbor 23/11/06
  4.   Sad day 10:56  |  John 23/11/06
  5.   the killer 11:10  |  x 23/11/06
  6.   to John saddest day? what about before that during last war 11:21  |  Tamir Gaza 23/11/06
  7.   #4 John , Please express your opinions in the most respectable .. 11:29  |  Max Zinger 23/11/06
  8.   To John (#4) 11:31  |  EyeOnPal 23/11/06
  9.   killers 11:38  |  lebanse 23/11/06
  10.   May our northern neighbours gain peace and independence 12:07  |  Just a guy 23/11/06
  11.   to Gus 12:14  |  Mary 23/11/06
  12.   Mr X 12:16  |  Mr Y 23/11/06
  13.   To Eye On Pal 12:23  |  Beirut 23/11/06
  14.   KILLERS 12:27  |  GAL 23/11/06
  15.   to EyeonPal 12:28  |  Georges 23/11/06
  16.   Spin 12:50  |  Chris 23/11/06
  17.   Jeajea, Gemayal family and their dirty politics 12:53  |  Lubnani Yehudi 23/11/06
  18.   number 9 13:18  |  Michael 23/11/06
  19.   To John (Post No. 4) 13:40  |  Johnny Weintraub 23/11/06
  20.   To John, Max and other worriers of Lebanon`s SAD DAY 13:49  |  Mike 23/11/06
  21.   Lebanon United 13:55  |  Free Lebanese 23/11/06
  22.   The killer wants chaos in Lebanon. 13:58  |  Adel 23/11/06
  23.   13 Beirut you filthy wimp 13:59  |  Tamir Gaza 23/11/06
  24.   Max Zinger is right 14:01  |  Dani Reiss 23/11/06
  25.   cui prodest 14:22  |  mauro 23/11/06
  26.   Responce to northern neighbor. 14:33  |  Michael M. 23/11/06
  27.   Overreaction 14:34  |  Ian 23/11/06
  28.   Tamir ,YEy ma ahdamak 14:48  |  Sad lebanese 23/11/06
  29.   Sad Showing 14:49  |  Chris 23/11/06
  30.   Though shalt not... 14:53  |  Bystander 23/11/06
  31.   An attempt for hizballah to regain Lebanon! 14:53  |  Michael M. 23/11/06
  32.   To Gus 14:56  |  Georges 23/11/06
  33.   Responce to Michael M 14:58  |  Chris 23/11/06
  34.   To Tamir` 15:05  |  Georges 23/11/06
  35.   To a Free and United Lebanon 15:05  |  Even Steven 23/11/06
  36.   To Lubnani Yehudi 15:07  |  Sandra 23/11/06
  37.   # 4 and # 7 15:13  |  libra 23/11/06
  38.   Jumblatt and geagea are liars 15:26  |  Joe 23/11/06
  39.   DOWN WITH SYRIA, IT`S TIME TO TAKE IT APART 15:40  |  Liberation 23/11/06
  40.   Lebanon, we are on your side 15:49  |  Concerned Israeli 23/11/06
  41.   Junblat and GeaGea and Saad Al-Hariri ARE LEBANON`S SAVIOURS!!!!! 15:52  |  Lebanese Druze 23/11/06
  42.   If Syria is ever invated, Hesbolah must be hunted down 15:54  |  on my to do list 23/11/06
  43.   Peace with Syria? 15:59  |  Danite 23/11/06
  44.   LIBERATE LEBANON,DESTROY HEZBOLLAH,EXPAND BORDERS OFPROMISED LAND 16:01  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 23/11/06
  45.   Joe 16:01  |  Danite 23/11/06
  46.   Syria strikes again 16:07  |  Ofer 23/11/06
  47.   Lebanese Druze 16:31  |  Tatiana 23/11/06
  48.   Danite 16:44  |  joe 23/11/06
  49.   GOOD REASON FOR ISRAEL TO EXPAND IT`S BORDERS 16:46  |  Loved by most 23/11/06
  50.   Marketing Assessination 16:51  |  Armando Aimar 23/11/06
  51.   lebanese Druze 16:51  |  Danite 23/11/06
  52.   To Lubnani Yehudi la takuna-using names to get credibility 16:53  |  My humble opinion 23/11/06
  53.   To Voice of Moshicah 16:57  |  Lebanese people 23/11/06
  54.   --- Tatiana --- 16:59  |  leb in Toronto 23/11/06
  55.   Lebanese Druze 17:01  |  Lebanese Patriot 23/11/06
  56.   to Tatiana#47 17:01  |  Ilya 23/11/06
  57.   Cool it Lebanese Druze 17:03  |  Sandra 23/11/06
  58.   To Tatiana 17:04  |  Lebanese Druze 23/11/06
  59.   BIBLICAL ISRAEL IS UP TILL LITANI, LOOK AT THIS MAPS 17:11  |  Factual nut 23/11/06
  60.   #3 northern neighbor 17:19  |  David Epstein 23/11/06
  61.   HISTORICLY LEBANON WAS ALWAYS LEBANON, BUT NOT SOUTH OF LITANI 17:19  |  Belive it or Not 23/11/06
  62.   Lebanese Druze and Leb. Pat. Lebanon is hopeless 17:20  |  Dave 23/11/06
  63.   FOR TAMIR GAZA 17:23  |  Brant 23/11/06
  64.   #5 17:23  |  Zena 23/11/06
  65.   To: VOICE of MOSHIACH, ONLY SOUTH OF LITANI IS BIBLICAL ISRAEL 17:24  |  totaly 23/11/06
  66.   Dave (grow up) 17:32  |  Lebanese Patriot 23/11/06
  67.   Only 200, 000 ? 17:33  |  maoriboy 23/11/06
  68.   The Lebanese thought Hezzy would save them 17:36  |  Dave 23/11/06
  69.   To llya 17:38  |  Tatiana 23/11/06
  70.   To Dave 17:40  |  Sandra 23/11/06
  71.   #61 The French invented Lebanon 17:40  |  Dave 23/11/06
  72.   what strength?? 17:45  |  zena 23/11/06
  73.   to LEB DRUZE re "to tatiana" 17:46  |  dude 23/11/06
  74.   DREAMERS 17:52  |  Canadian 23/11/06
  75.   Zionist Dave 17:52  |  Lebanese Patriot 23/11/06
  76.   To:#71 French was a colonial power, not a real authority 17:55  |  Belive it or Not 23/11/06
  77.   #1 Gus you have GOT to be kidding 17:56  |  Dave 23/11/06
  78.   Tamir `hypcrisy` Gaza 18:00  |  Nik Miller 23/11/06
  79.   KEEP DREAMING ABOUT STEALING SOUTH OF LITANI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 18:03  |  Lebanese Druze 23/11/06
  80.   Dave in Toronto (Post No. 62) 18:13  |  Johnny Weintraub 23/11/06
  81.   Lebanese Druze II 18:35  |  Lebanese Patriot 23/11/06
  82.   To David in Toronto 18:38  |  Tarek 23/11/06
  83.   lebanon doesnt deserve it 18:41  |  alan 23/11/06
  84.