The Islamic Group in Lebanon, the nation's largest Sunni group, has said it will not attend a gathering at Ain al-Tina of political forces that support the Syrian-backed Lebanese government. The group on Friday demanded at a news conference in Beirut the resignation of President Emile Lahoud and the dismissal of all security officials in Lebanon, in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The Islamic Group added that it wanted Lahud to resign only after parliamentary elections and the restoration of stability. For his part, Lahoud cautioned that the country's political crisis could affect economic institutions. At a meeting with top executives of major Lebanese economic institutions, Lahud reiterated his call for dialogue with the opposition, which he accused of exploiting foreign pressure.| I still can't tell who dunnit. If Karami steps down, that leaves Lahoud much more exposed. I think he'll try and tough it out, but at this point it's looking like he's not going to be able to. That could turn around, I suppose, but Wally Jumblatt seems like he's on a roll. |
