Source: Daily Star, 28-6-2006
BEIRUT: Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri is expecting rival leaders to reach a consensus over the country`s national defense strategy during the upcoming dialogue session, since, according to him "all participants agree that "Israel" is the enemy." The national dialogue will resume its sessions on Thursday, when five leaders will present their proposals for a defense policy, including Berri, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Batroun MP Boutros Harb, Tripoli MP Mohammad Safadi and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.
During the previous session, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah kicked off the debate and was followed by Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
"It is possible to reach an agreement since everyone agrees that "Israel" is Lebanon`s enemy," sources close to Berri told The Daily Star.
Berri held a meeting late Monday with Nasrallah to discuss the national talks and their positions on the proposed defense strategies.
Berri also met with FPM MPs on Tuesday to discuss recent local developments.
PSP MP Wael Bou Faour doubted the likelihood of reaching a consensus.
Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad said participants should reach a consensus over the defense policy Nasrallah proposed.
"National interest requires reaching a certain agreement over the defense strategy we have put forward," Raad said.
On Thursday, Berri will present a detailed defense strategy that was prepared by military and political experts and a practical and easily executed mechanism to implement it, sources close to the speaker said.
"He will try to request that all participants limit their discussions to the defense strategy," the sources added.
The FPM leadership doubts the dialogue will be able to reach any new decisions or implement the ones they have announced in the previous sessions.
But FPM MP Ibrahim Kenaan has ruled out the possibility of withdrawing from the dialogue, despite continued threats from Aoun to do so. "Our principle is to participate," Kenaan told The Daily Star.