UN Secretary-General visits Lebanon

BEIRUT UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Friday for dialogue to break Lebanon's political deadlock. He was making his first official visit to Lebanon after attending an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia at which little visible progress was made at resolving the protracted crisis UN Secretary-General visits Lebanon "I again urge the leaders of Lebanon to engage in dialogue for the purpose of promoting national reconciliation," Ban told reporters after talks with parliament speaker Nabih Berri. He also urged politicians to make progress toward creating a U.N.-backed tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of ex-premier Rafik al-Hariri. The court is one of the key issues dividing Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government from the opposition led by the Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah group. "I welcome Lebanese national consensus on the tribunal but stress the importance of moving forward on this issue," Ban said. "I urged the parties to find a quick solution to this issue while respecting Lebanon's constitutional procedures." Siniora sent a draft law on the court to Berri's office on Friday, but no one was there to receive it, a source close to the assembly speaker said. Berri had been expected to return it because pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud has not signed it. The opposition says Siniora's attempt to send the bill to parliament was timed to show Ban that constitutional channels are closed and that the court will have to be set up by other means, such as an enforceable U.N. Security Council resolution. Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, says it supports the tribunal in principle, but wants to ensure it cannot be exploited politically. Pro-government leaders blame Syria for Hariri's 2005 killing. Damascus denies involvement. For security reasons Ban stayed away from U.N. headquarters in downtown Beirut, where opposition supporters have camped out since December 1 as part of a campaign to topple the government. Instead, hundreds of U.N. staff were driven in buses across Beirut to meet the secretary-general at a seafront hotel. Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, has held inconclusive talks this month with Saad al-Hariri, son of the slain former premier. Hariri's Sunni Muslim-led faction holds a majority in parliament and is the mainstay of Siniora's government. Contacts between Saudi Arabia and Iran helped calm street clashes between rival factions in January, but Lebanon's institutions remain paralyzed over the opposition's demand for a unity government in which it would hold veto power. Ban also planned meetings with Siniora, leaders of Hariri's faction and Hezbollah's Mohammed Fneish, who quit Siniora's cabinet along with other opposition ministers in November. The U.N. chief will also visit a U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon that was expanded to 13,000 from 2,000 after the July-August war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

UN Secretary-General visits Lebanon

"I again urge the leaders of Lebanon to engage in dialogue for the purpose of promoting national reconciliation," Ban told reporters after talks with parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

He also urged politicians to make progress toward creating a U.N.-backed tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of ex-premier Rafik al-Hariri. The court is one of the key issues dividing Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government from the opposition led by the Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah group.

"I welcome Lebanese national consensus on the tribunal but stress the importance of moving forward on this issue," Ban said. "I urged the parties to find a quick solution to this issue while respecting Lebanon's constitutional procedures."

Siniora sent a draft law on the court to Berri's office on Friday, but no one was there to receive it, a source close to the assembly speaker said. Berri had been expected to return it because pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud has not signed it.

The opposition says Siniora's attempt to send the bill to parliament was timed to show Ban that constitutional channels are closed and that the court will have to be set up by other means, such as an enforceable U.N. Security Council resolution.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, says it supports the tribunal in principle, but wants to ensure it cannot be exploited politically. Pro-government leaders blame Syria for Hariri's 2005 killing. Damascus denies involvement.

For security reasons Ban stayed away from U.N. headquarters in downtown Beirut, where opposition supporters have camped out since December 1 as part of a campaign to topple the government.

Instead, hundreds of U.N. staff were driven in buses across Beirut to meet the secretary-general at a seafront hotel.

Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, has held inconclusive talks this month with Saad al-Hariri, son of the slain former premier.

Hariri's Sunni Muslim-led faction holds a majority in parliament and is the mainstay of Siniora's government.

Contacts between Saudi Arabia and Iran helped calm street clashes between rival factions in January, but Lebanon's institutions remain paralyzed over the opposition's demand for a unity government in which it would hold veto power.

Ban also planned meetings with Siniora, leaders of Hariri's faction and Hezbollah's Mohammed Fneish, who quit Siniora's cabinet along with other opposition ministers in November.

The U.N. chief will also visit a U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon that was expanded to 13,000 from 2,000 after the July-August war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.