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Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah. (AP) Last update - 02:57 02/04/2008 Hezbollah: Saudis siding with gov't in Lebanon power struggle By The Associated Press Tags: Lebanon, Hezbollah  Lebanese guerilla group Hezbollah criticized Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, accusing it of siding with Lebanon's Western-backed government in its power struggle with the Syrian-allied opposition. The comments by opposition leader Hezbollah came only days after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal slammed Syria and its Lebanese allies for obstructing an Arab League initiative to help Lebanon elect a new president. Hezbollah rejected Prince Saud's criticism and instead accused Lebanon's anti-Syrian majority of obstructing parliamentary elections for a new president. Advertisement Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud ended his term last November without a successor. "This [Saudi] accusation against the opposition harms the kingdom's role and raises big question marks about its position and role in the Lebanese political crisis," Hezbollah said in a statement. In its rare criticism of Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia, the Shi'ite Hezbollah group said Prince Saud's comments had put the kingdom in a biased position incapable of playing a positive role in a solution to Lebanon's deepening political crisis. Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun also rejected Prince Saud's comments and said he was surprised by the Saudi position holding the opposition responsible for failure to implement the Arab initiative. He urged friendly countries not to be a party to the Lebanese conflict. Prince Saud delivered his criticism Saturday in a press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh timed to coincide with the opening session of the Arab League summit in Syria. Several Sunni Arab leaders, including Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, boycotted the summit and instead sent low-level officials to protest Syrian policies in many parts of the Mideast and its close alliance with Shiite Iran. Lebanon boycotted the summit completely, accusing Damascus of preventing the election of a new Lebanese president in order to destabilize the country and reassert its control over the neighboring country. Arab foreign ministers unanimously adopted a plan in Cairo in January that called for the election of Lebanese Army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as a consensus president, formation of a national unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law. The country's sharply divided parliament has failed to elect Suleiman as president because the parliamentary majority and the opposition remain deadlocked over the shape of the future government. The majority has strongly rejected the opposition's demand for veto power over future government decisions. The presidential impasse has compounded the yearlong fierce power struggle between the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the opposition, which has sporadically degenerated into street clashes in Beirut between supporters of the rival camps. The United States and Lebanon's anti-Syrian coalition have accused Syria of blocking the presidential election. Damascus has denied the charge, while its Lebanese allies have blamed Washington for scuttling attempts at reaching a solution. Related articles: Lebanon minister confirms gov't will boycott Arab summit Hezbollah, the only party in Lebanon U.S. spy chief: Hezbollah may be behind Mughniyah killing Bookmark to del.icio.us   Security.com Shin Bet is reaching out to English and Arabic worlds with new web sites. Obama's blunder As Penn. primary approaches, Clinton has latched on to 'values' remarks by Obama.   1.   Hezbollah: the Lebanese government is legitimate 00:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/04/08   2.   so,according to hesbullah[and hamas too] if you speak the truth 00:00  |  terrornator 02/04/08   3.   Gosh, Hezbollah has it tough in Lebanon 00:07  |  Joe Sittizen 02/04/08   4.   Hezbollah: Saudi Arabia is siding with gov`t in Lebanon power str 00:17  |  Galvin Templar 02/04/08   5.   hajde neka bude ja i vi 01:23  |  selim 02/04/08   6.   hajde neka bude ja i vi 01:28  |  selim 02/04/08   7.   Really now!!! 01:41  |  Uzi 02/04/08   8.   hajde neka bude ja i vi 01:43  |  selim 02/04/08   9.   Suudi Kings are all ZIONISTs so are their governments 02:11  |  Tayfun_Turkey 02/04/08   10.   Yes, and what`a wrong with that? 02:15  |  Dan 02/04/08   11.   Hizbollah is right,the Saudis should not kow tow so much to the 02:16  |  lakshmi 02/04/08   12.   selim 03:03  |  natan 02/04/08   13.   Quite true 03:28  |  Mark Lincoln 02/04/08   14.   Cipora - does reality never intrude? 03:35  |  Mark Lincoln 02/04/08   15.   #14, MarkL, I need no lesson in reality from you 05:08  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/04/08   16.   MARK 05:23  |  SUZANNE HAMZA 02/04/08   17.   Yes, Cipora you do 05:59  |  Mark Lincoln 02/04/08   18.   #16, Suzanne Hamza 06:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/04/08   19.   The Lebanese people love and admire Hezballah. 06:42  |  Ali 15/04/08

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