"Am I therefore become your enemy,because I TELL YOU THE TRUTH...?"
(Galatians 4:16)

Syrian, Lebanese presidents to meet in Paris

PARIS-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad(picture left) and his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman will meet in Paris on Saturday ahead of a summit of EU and Mediterranean leaders, the French president's office said on Friday.It will be their first meeting since Suleiman was elected in May and comes after a prolonged period of tension between the two Arab neighbors.Suleiman took office after a deal mediated by Qatar to end months of political stalemate between Lebanon's ruling coalition and an opposition alliance led by Hezbollah-a group backed by Syria and Iran.The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, will also attend the Assad, Suleiman meeting along with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at 6 p.m. 1600 GMT. The four are expected to make a statement to the press afterwards.France's own relations with Syria have been troubled by accusations Damascus has fuelled tensions in Lebanon, but Assad told a French newspaper this week that his trip to Paris showed the mood was changing."This is an historic visit for me, an opening towards France and towards Europe," Assad said.Lebanon formed a unity government on Friday in which Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies hold effective veto power, a deal that should close a long political crisis that had threatened to plunge the country into a new civil war.
As in the days of Noah...