Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Opposition leader Hasan Nasrallah have displayed an interesting difference over an Israeli report into last summer's attacks on Lebanon.

It is one of those rare occassions that I find myself siding with Siniora against Nasrallah.

The report criticised the Israeli government's handling of the attacks on Lebanon, accusing Olmert of "serious failure in exercising judgement, responsibility and prudence."

Nasrallah responded by saying he gave: "every respect to a commission appointed by Olmert that condemns Olmert."

Israel, he said, is "committed and faithful to its own existence". And that Israelis "study their defeat in order to learn from it". That is better than Arab states which "do not probe, do not ask, do not form inquiry commissions ... as if nothing has happened

By contast, Siniora is angry that the report fails to mention the destruction of Lebanon, and murder of 1200 innocent Lebanese civilians. He warned that the report is a precursor to more Israeli terror. There is "talk in Israel of the need to launch new military operations against Lebanon," he said.

Labels: Hizbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Siniora

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Al Huss is in Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

Is he being courted by Lebanon's growing opposition as a replacement for Fouad Siniora?

Labels: Bashar Al-Assad, Lebanon, Siniora

Some of the achievements of the Siniora government (from UNESCO via the excellent Blogging the Middle East).

EDUCATION
- Only one in ten Lebanese primary teachers have received training (equal to Sudan - in Iraq and Palestine, all teachers are trained).

- 12.7% of government expenditure is spent on education (compared to 20% in Djibouti, Morocco, Oman, and UAE).

ELECTRICITY
- There were fewer power cuts during Israel's war on Lebanon (when Israel was targeting power stations) than there are now.

- The government gave the Ministry of Energy and Water 0.5% of all the money it spends in 2005 (before Siniora came to power it was 1.1%).

- The government gives the National Lottery 0.7% of all the money it spends.

Labels: Economy, Lebanon, Siniora