Lebanese leaders quarrel at meeting

Khartoum: Lebanon's troubles spilled over to Khartoum when Arab leaders meeting behind closed doors on Tuesday night were taken off guard by the eruption of a rare squabble between Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

According to a Lebanese delegate, Siniora requested to speak as the leaders were discussing the Lebanon article of the agenda, which says "The resistance [referring to Hezbollah] is an honest expression of Lebanon's right to liberate and defend its territories."

Siniora, whose anti-Syrian government has agreed to implement UN Security Council resolution 1559 which calls for disarming Hezbollah, told the meeting he cannot agree to the article, approved by the foreign ministers' preparatory meeting, because the fate of Hezbollah arms was "still under discussion at the National Dialogue."

The dialogue started earlier this month between 14 political leaders to discuss thorny issues such as Hezbollah arms, the presidency, and ties with former powerbroker Syria, which tuned sour following the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Hezbollah is backed by Damascus and was the key force that ended Israel's 22-year-old occupation of south Lebanon in May 2000.

Lahoud strongly objected to his prime minister's request. But Siniora, his voice rising, told the Arab leaders the summit should not "take sides" in Lebanese internal issues, said the source.

Lahoud, a strong supporter of Hezbollah, responded by saying the group is "the genuine expression of Arabs determination and behind the only victory against Israel," according to the Lebanese delegate.

Algerian President Abdul Aziz Boutaflika joined the quarrel, saying Hezbollah is "a source of pride to the Algerian people."

The summit's chairman, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir said he agreed. He asked that the motion be passeed as was approved by the foreign ministers. Siniora tried one more time to object, said the source, but was told by Bashir the summit was "a meeting of presidents."

Lahoud requested then that the motion be passed and all leaders agreed.

He later asked the summit to "protect Lebanon and its right to liberate and defend its territories in the face of continuous Israeli aggression," according to a copy of his speech released by his office here.

He also asked for "all possible" help to unravel the truth of the murder of Hariri and 22 others in the blast of February 14 last year.

Country cringes over argument

Lebanon cringed yesterday after its president and prime minister publicly argued at the Arab League summit in what media and officials described as a shameful airing of the country's dirty laundry.

"The Summit of Shame" read the headline of the Al Balad newspaper.

"The prime minister's objections over the draft resolution were detrimental to the Lebanese cause," said former prime minister Salim Hoss, who added that the two leaders should have refrained from "airing their dirty laundry" in public.