The Anti-Drug Bureau on Wednesday announced it had foiled an attempt to smuggle 65.7 kilograms of hashish from Lebanon to the Netherlands.

A police statement said the shipment was packed in the form of chips inside a secret hiding in the trunk of a silver Kia with a European plate.

President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday condemned plans by a small church in the U.S. state of Florida to burn copies of the Quran to protest the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Such a move "would totally contradict with the logic of dialogue of civilizations, religions and culture," Suleiman said in a statement.

MP Sami Gemayel said Wednesday that the Phalange was not ashamed of its past despite accusations that the party was proud of its collaboration with Israel during the civil war.

"They say we are proud of our collaboration with Israel," Gemayel said about his critics during a press conference. "Maybe they are used to collaborating with people who gave up their past in favor of their own interests."

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea attacked Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun on Wednesday and called his Change and Reform Bloc in parliament the "ruined bloc."

"The biggest threat to the state is that it can't make any defense strategy decision as far as military, or security operations are concerned," Geagea told a delegation from Baskinta in response to Aoun's accusations of violations that allegedly threaten the state.

There are no mediation efforts between President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun who has created controversy after verbally attacking the head of state and several cabinet ministers, Baabda sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

The sources called for calm before any steps to reconcile the two officials.

Phalange Party bloc MP Elie Marouni stated Wednesday that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is a central player in the plan to prevent the establishment of a strong state.

He told Asharq al-Awsat daily that the MP is charged with creating strife among the Christians in Lebanon, saying that his recent attack against President Michel Suleiman is unjustified.

MP Oqab Saqr noted Wednesday that whenever attempts are made to improve ties with Syria, there are some sides that try to thwart these efforts.

He told LBC that once the relationship between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad improved, the premier apologized for mistakes made against Syria after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The United Nations stressed Tuesday that it was committed to the decisions that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would make and expressed trust in Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare.

"It's up to the tribunal to determine how its work proceeds and we expect that any development on the ground, if they have any impact, would be assessed by the tribunal accordingly," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri traveled to Mecca on Tuesday to perform the Omra and spend the Eid al-Fitr holidays with his family.

On Wednesday, Hariri extended greetings to the Lebanese on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and expressed regret for not welcoming well-wishers for being in Mecca.

Syrian President Bashar Assad held talks with former head of the General Security Department Maj. Gen. Jamil al-Sayyed who will hold a press conference soon to make announcements about his lawsuit against several Lebanese personalities in Syrian courts.

Sayyed's media office said the meeting that lasted two hours in Damascus touched on the general situation.