Lebanese and Israeli representatives are scheduled to meet in Washington Tuesday for US-mediated talks on ending the war in Lebanon, but the prospects of an agreement appear slim.
Naim Qassem -- the leader of pro-Iran Hezbollah, which is battling Israel -- called for the talks to be scrapped before they even began, describing them as "futile."
kAm{632?@? H2D AF==65 :?E@ E96 C68:@?\H:56 xC2? H2C @? |2C49 a 27E6C w6K3@==29 2EE24<65 xDC26=]Â k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96? xDC26=: DEC:<6D \\ :?4=F5:?8 2? 6IEC6>6=J 962GJ 2EE24< @? q6:CFE @? pAC:= g \\ 92G6 <:==65 >@C6 E92? a[___ A6@A=6 2?5 5:DA=2465 >@C6 E92? @?6 >:==:@?[ 56DA:E6 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 42==D 7@C 2 462D67:C6] p?5 xDC26=: 8C@F?5 7@C46D 92G6 :?G2565 D@FE9 {632?@?]k^Am
kAm%96 >66E:?8 >65:2E65 3J $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 |2C4@ #F3:@ H:== :?4=F56 E96 xDC26=: 2?5 {632?6D6 2>32DD25@CD E@ (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 E96 &$ 2>32DD25@C E@ q6:CFE]k^Am
kAmQ%96 xDC26=: 2?5 {632?6D6 8@G6C?>6?ED 2C6 6?828:?8 :? @A6?[ 5:C64E[ 9:89\=6G6= 5:A=@>2E:4 E2=<D \\ E96 7:CDE DF49 E2=<D D:?46 `hhb \\ 3C@<6C65 3J E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[Q 2 $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E @77:4:2= D2:5 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:== D4@A6 E96 @?8@:?8 5:2=@8F6 23@FE 9@H E@ 6?DFC6 E96 =@?8\E6C> D64FC:EJ @7 xDC26=VD ?@CE96C? 3@C56C 2?5 E@ DFAA@CE E96 8@G6C?>6?E @7 {632?@?VD 56E6C>:?2E:@? E@ C64=2:> 7F== D@G6C6:8?EJ @G6C :ED E6CC:E@CJ[Q E96 @77:4:2= 25565]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 EH@ D:56D C6>2:? 5:2>6EC:42==J @AA@D65]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 5:2=@8F6 36EH66? xDC26= 2?5 {632?@?]]] :D 2:>65 2E 5:D2C>:?8 E96 w6K3@==29 E6CC@C:DE @C82?:K2E:@?[ C6>@G:?8 E96> 7C@> {632?@?[ 2?5 6DE23=:D9:?8 A62467F= C6=2E:@?D 36EH66? @FC EH@ 4@F?EC:6D[Q xDC26=: 8@G6C?>6?E DA@<6DH@>2? $9@D9 q65C@D:2? E@=5 ;@FC?2=:DED @? |@?52J]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H:== ?@E 5:D4FDD 2 462D67:C6 H:E9 w6K3@==29[ H9:49 4@?E:?F6D E@ 42CCJ @FE :?5:D4C:>:?2E6 2EE24<D 282:?DE xDC26= 2?5 @FC 4:G:=:2?D[Q q65C@D:2? D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ VtIA64E2E:@?D 2C6 =@HV \k^9am
kAmxDC26=: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C q6?;2>:? }6E2?J29F D2:5 $2EFC52J E92E QH6 H2?E E96 5:D>2?E=:?8 @7 w6K3@==29VD H62A@?D[ 2?5 H6 H2?E 2 C62= A6246 28C66>6?E E92E H:== =2DE 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D]Qk^Am
kAm~? E96 {632?6D6 D:56[ !C6D:56?E y@D6A9 p@F? D2:5 |@?52J 96 9@A65 E96 (2D9:?8E@? E2=<D H:== J:6=5 Q2? 28C66>6?E]]] @? 2 462D67:C6 :? {632?@?[ H:E9 E96 2:> @7 DE2CE:?8 5:C64E ?68@E:2E:@?D 36EH66? {632?@? 2?5 xDC26=]Qk^Am
kAm&$ 5:A=@>2ED 92G6 >62?H9:=6 7@F?5 E96>D6=G6D :? 2 5:77:4F=E A@D:E:@? :? C646?E 52JD C682C5:?8 E96 {632?@? 4@?7=:4E[ 762C:?8 E92E :E >:89E 9:?56C E2=<D H:E9 xC2?[ H9:49 72:=65 E@ 249:6G6 2 3C62<E9C@F89 @? $F?52J :? !2<:DE2?]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :?D:DED @? E96 5:D2C>2>6?E @7 w6K3@==29[ 3FE 2=D@ C6DA64E 7@C {632?@?VD E6CC:E@C:2= :?E68C:EJ 2?5 D@G6C6:8?EJ[ H9:=6 D:>F=E2?6@FD=J FA9@=5:?8 xDC26=VD C:89ED \\ A@D:E:@?D E92E 2AA62C 5:77:4F=E E@ C64@?4:=6]k^Am
kAmxE H@F=5 E2<6 Q2 =@E @7 :>28:?2E:@? 2?5 @AE:>:D> E@ E9:?<Q E92E E96 :DDF6D 36EH66? xDC26= 2?5 {632?@? 42? 36 D@=G65 :? (2D9:?8E@? %F6D52J[ 2 7@C>6C xDC26=: 5676?D6 @77:4:2= E@=5 ;@FC?2=:DED @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ[ 255:?8 E92E Q6IA64E2E:@?D 2C6 =@H]Qk^Am
kAmQxE H:== 36 G6CJ 5:77:4F=E E@ C6249 2?J 28C66>6?E[ 2?5 xDC26= H:== 4C62E6 2 3F776C K@?6 :? E96 ?@CE9 G6CJ D:>:=2C E@ H92E H6 92G6 :? v2K2[Q E96 7@C>6C @77:4:2= 25565]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 A@== 3J E96 xDC26= s6>@4C24J x?DE:EFE6[ E96 C6DF=ED @7 H9:49 H6C6 AF3=:D965 @? |@?52J[ g_ A6C46?E @7 y6H:D9 xDC26=:D QE9:?< E92E xDC26= D9@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E96 7:89E:?8 :? {632?@? 282:?DE w6K3@==29[ C682C5=6DD @7 56G6=@A>6?EDÂ G:D\2\G:D xC2?[ 6G6? :7 E9:D C6DF=ED :? 7C:4E:@? H:E9 E96 &$ 25>:?:DEC2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmw6K3@==29 6?E6C65 E96 |:55=6 t2DE H2C @? |2C49 a E@ 2G6?86 E96 562E9 @7 xC2?:2? DFAC6>6 =6256C p=: z92>6?6:[ H9@ H2D <:==65 @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 E96 xDC26=:\p>6C:42? @776?D:G6 @? u63CF2CJ ag]k^Am
kAmxDC26= 9:E 324< H:E9 =2C86\D42=6[ 5625=J 2:C DEC:<6D 24C@DD {632?@?[ 2?5 2 8C@F?5 @776?D:G6 :? E96 4@F?ECJVD D@FE9]k^Am
kAm3FC\=3^H5^5H^2<Dk^Am
