IRAN'S MOTTAKI MIGHT MEET HEZBOLLAH LEADER, TOP IRAQI SHIITE CLERIC
Beirut, 16 Feb. (AKI) - Iran's foreign minister Manushehr Mottaki is in Beirut for a two-day official visit "to strengthen bilateral relations," the spokesman of tha Iranian embassy in Beirut told Adnkronos International (AKI) on Thursday. Mottaki will meet with Lebanon's president Emile Lahoud, premier Fuad Siniora, the president of parliament Nabih Berri and his counterpart Fawzi Sallukh. Embassy officials said the foeign minister would also visit with representatives of all religions but did not confirm reports of a likely meeting with Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallahnor nor with Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr.
After arriving at the airport on Wednesday night, the foreign minister told reporters that he meant to "convey a message of support and protection to the government and people of Lebanon, inviting them to resist against Zionist aggressions violating Lebanese sovereignty." "Iran supports national Lebanese unity," Mottaki added.
In the past few weeks, most of Lebanon's political forces labelled as anti-Syrian have denounced a Syrian-Iranian axis trying to "make Lebanon a new battleground in the clash between East and West."
Indeed, Hezbollah leaders organised a demonstration on 17 January near the US embassy in Beirut to protest against "America's interference in the country" after the visit of US undersecretary for Middle East affairs David Welch.
Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr is expected in Beirut on Friday after a week-long visit to Syria.
"A meeting between the Iranian minister and the leader of Hezbollah and Moqtada al-Sadr to define the details of a Shiite Lebanese-Iraqi-Iranian alliance cannot be ruled out," a Lebanese intelligence speaking on condition of anonymity told AKI.
Meanwhile on Thursday Mjamah Ahl Beit, an institution directly controlled by Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, announced that a new Shiite satellite channel, Tashaio, is about to open.
The channel will target the 300.000 Shiites living in Asia and Africa as well as European converts, a Mjamah Ahl Beit statement said.
After arriving at the airport on Wednesday night, the foreign minister told reporters that he meant to "convey a message of support and protection to the government and people of Lebanon, inviting them to resist against Zionist aggressions violating Lebanese sovereignty." "Iran supports national Lebanese unity," Mottaki added.
In the past few weeks, most of Lebanon's political forces labelled as anti-Syrian have denounced a Syrian-Iranian axis trying to "make Lebanon a new battleground in the clash between East and West."
Indeed, Hezbollah leaders organised a demonstration on 17 January near the US embassy in Beirut to protest against "America's interference in the country" after the visit of US undersecretary for Middle East affairs David Welch.
Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr is expected in Beirut on Friday after a week-long visit to Syria.
"A meeting between the Iranian minister and the leader of Hezbollah and Moqtada al-Sadr to define the details of a Shiite Lebanese-Iraqi-Iranian alliance cannot be ruled out," a Lebanese intelligence speaking on condition of anonymity told AKI.
Meanwhile on Thursday Mjamah Ahl Beit, an institution directly controlled by Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, announced that a new Shiite satellite channel, Tashaio, is about to open.
The channel will target the 300.000 Shiites living in Asia and Africa as well as European converts, a Mjamah Ahl Beit statement said.
posted by Marko at 2/16/2006 09:37:00 AM
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