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DOHA-Rival Lebanese leaders arrived in Qatar on Friday for talks to end a protracted political conflict that has pushed the country to the brink of a new civil war.One of the most influential members of the U.S-backed ruling coalition, which was dealt a military blow by Hezbollah in six days of fighting, called for concessions to avoid more conflict. "Let us deal with matters calmly at the dialogue table. Each one of us and them must offer concessions to bury strife," Walid Jumblatt(pictured 3rd from L) said on a tour of Druze villages where his followers this week battled the Iranian-backed Shi'ite Hezbollah."We are going to the dialogue with a great political wound," said Jumblatt, before flying to Doha with his allies and rivals.Arab mediators, led by the Qatari prime minister, concluded a deal on Thursday to end the fighting which killed 81 people and exacerbated sectarian tensions between Shi'ites loyal to Hezbollah and Druze and Sunni followers of the ruling coalition.Qatar invited the rivals to Doha for talks to end a broader political standoff that has paralyzed government for 18 months and left Lebanon without a president since November."We are going to Doha ... to come back, God willing, with an agreement that will allow Lebanese to look forward, benefiting from the past and its bitter experience," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said before leaving for Qatar.The White House said Siniora cancelled talks in Egypt on Sunday with U.S. President George W. Bush so he can focus on the talks in Qatar, which were due to begin on Friday night.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
