LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 16/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Luke 1:39-56. During those days Mary set out and traveled to
the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of
Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the
infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out
in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that
what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."And Mary said: "My soul
proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he
has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call
me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his
arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the
rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has
filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped
Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our
fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." Mary remained with her
about three months and then returned to her home.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
You do not speak for Lebanon/Now
Lebanon/August 15, 2009
Now Lebanon: Interview with the
Kataeb official Salim Sayegh/By: Matt Nash/15.08.09
Peres is twisting the
facts by saying Israel has no quarrel with Lebanon-The
Daily Star 15/08/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
15/09
Aoun Obstacles the Same and Hariri
Admonished at Hizbullah/Naharnet
Jumblatt calls for establishing a
new political system/Future News
Nasrallah: Israel No Longer a
Nation that Cannot be Crushed … We Are Strong Now-Naharnet
Judge
Howard Morrison Resigns from Special Tribunal for Lebanon-Naharnet
Tashnag
Delegation in Maarab Seeking Political Openness-Naharnet
Peres
claims Israelis have no quarrel with Lebanon-Daily
Star
Nasrallah vows ‘surprises’ if Israel hits Lebanon-Daily
Star
Sleiman urges faster telecom probe-Daily
Star
Cabinet delays spur finger-pointing-Daily
Star
Geagea files complaint against Wahhab over ‘slander-Daily
Star
Judge
Morrison quits Special Tribunal for Lebanon-Daily
Star
Lebanon’s GNI per capita 94th in world, 6th in MENA-Daily
Star
Lebanon swine flu cases jump to 500 within two weeks-Daily
Star
ISF
rounds up 37 persons on various warrants-Daily
Star
AUB
professor elected to Lebanese Academy of Science-Daily
Star
Military judge issues 15 verdicts against accused-Daily
Star
Zahle
man presumed drowned in Lake Qaraoun-Daily
Star
First
lady urges change of attitude on gender equality-Daily
Star
First
lady urges change of attitude on gender equality-Daily
Star
Rising temperatures, reduced rain window threaten water crunch-By
IRIN News.org
Three
years on, Israeli cluster bombs keep killing and maiming-Daily
Star
Six
dead as Hamas police crack down on radical Islamists-(AFP)
Mario Aoun: Bassil’s
appointment is not a family issue/Now Lebanon
Moussa: Berri rues failure
to take advantage of previous alignments to form cabinet/Now Lebanon
Najjar: Lebanese Forces demand
services ministry instead of Public Works/Future News
Mouawad:
What made Jumblatt a national hero?/Future News
Hamas crushes 'al-Qaeda
uprising'/Ynet news
Aoun Obstacles the Same and Hariri Admonished at Hizbullah
Naharnet/Lebanon approaches an eighth week without Cabinet after talks have
dragged on amid Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's demands which have
been rejected by the majority camp. Political maneuverings within the March 8
and March 14 camps have complicated the allocation of portfolios despite
agreement on the number that each side will get – 15 for the majority, 10 for
the Opposition and five for President Michel Suleiman. Aoun, who holds 27 of the
Opposition alliance's 57 seats, has made a number of demands that the majority
March 14 coalition is unwilling to agree to. March 14 accuses Aoun of blocking
Cabinet formation since he insists that his son-in-law, caretaker
Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil, be given a ministry again. Secondly,
his persistence in having a key portfolio -- the telecommunications ministry.
Tones reached high pitch in the Aoun dispute in the wake of Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri's admonishment at Hizbullah for breaking a
promise that the Shiite group would resolve the "Aoun problem." Hizbullah,
instead, urged Hariri to maintain "direct contact with Aoun personally" in order
to settle the disputes related to government formation. Well-informed sources
told the daily An Nahar in remarks published Saturday that the deadlock in
efforts to form a government goes back to Hizbullah's commitment to Bassil's
appointment contrary to a promise made to Suleiman by Hizbullah official Haj
Hussein Khalil and another made to Hariri in which Hizbullah vowed to deal with
Aoun's demands once agreement on a government makeup has been reached. The
sources ruled out any dispute within the March 14 coalition regarding the
portfolios. "There is no problem with Speaker Nabih Berri, nor with Hizbullah or
with the President or MP Walid Jumblat or the Phalange party or the Lebanese
Forces," one source said. "Both the crisis and the stalemate revolve around one
thing only – Aoun's impossible-to-implement demands and insistence on Bassil
first," the source added.
He denied that the Phalange party or the Lebanese Forces had made proposals and
held on to them regarding a Cabinet lineup. "Neither did they threaten to turn
the table unless their demands were met." As-Safir newspaper, meanwhile, quoted
sources close to Hariri as saying that no breakthrough has been reached in the
last 24 hours as Aoun remains the only obstacle. Al-Mustaqbal daily, in turn,
accused the Hizbullah-led Opposition of "continuing to hide behind the Aoun
obstacle."FPM sources said Aoun is likely to take a "tough stance" on Monday
regarding accusations that he was hindering government formation. Beirut, 15 Aug
09, 08:28
Nasrallah: Israel No Longer a Nation that Cannot be
Crushed … We Are Strong Now
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that Israel is no
longer a nation that cannot be defeated and warned that if the Jewish state
bombards Beirut or the southern suburbs Hizbullah will strike Tel Aviv.
"We are now strong. We have become a strong force. Israel is no longer a nation
that cannot be defeated," Nasrallah said in a speech on the occasion of the
third anniversary of the Hizbullah-Israel July war. Addressing Israel, Nasrallah
asked: "Can you wage war to uproot Hizbullah?""No, I tell you," he shouted.
He said Lebanon must have a deterrent military force to meet head-on with
Israel.
"When we have such a deterrent force, we can tell the Israelis that they will
not be able to achieve their goals," Nasrallah added.He said that Hizbullah did not believe that behind Israel's threats are plans
for war on Lebanon."But rather Israel is seeking to pressure the Lebanese government against
Hizbullah participation" in the new Cabinet, Nasrallah said.
But, nevertheless, he threatened Israel against attacking Lebanon.
"We tell the Israelis, today, that if they bombard Beirut or the southern
suburbs we will bomb Tel Aviv," Nasrallah warned.
He said Hizbullah believes that Israel also aims at blocking formation of a
national unity government "because this issue hurts the enemy."
Nasrallah described Israel's ongoing psychological war as "a failed war."
Beirut, 14 Aug 09, 22:31
Nasrallah vows 'surprises' if Israel hits Lebanon
Resistance now 'three times stronger' than in 2006
By Elias Sakr /-Daily Star staff/Saturday, August 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah has the power to hit any location in Israel with its weapons
and has more “surprises” up its sleeve in the event of a future Israeli attack,
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday. The Hizbullah leader also encouraged the
authorities to continue their search for networks of Israeli spies in Lebanon,
claiming that there are “agents in every village and every neighborhood.”
Nasrallah made the comments during a speech in front of thousands of supporters
via a large screen in Beirut’s southern suburbs, to celebrate the third
anniversary of the party’s “divine victory” in the July-August war of 2006. “We
no longer hear about the ‘new Middle East,’” Nasrallah said, arguing that the
local, regional and international situation today “is not worse” than three
years ago. Nasrallah was defiant in the address, mocking the Israeli army’s
military capability on several occasions, and urging the Lebanese to show
national solidarity to prevent an outbreak of conflict, which he said Hizbullah
didn’t want, but didn’t fear.
Nasrallah said that since the 2006 war, the Israelis have “been training and
getting weapons, and changing their military leaders … if this is a ‘victorious’
army, what would a defeated army look like?” Israel’s verbal campaign against
Hizbullah in recent weeks has rebounded against the Zionist state, as the
resistance party is now “three times stronger” than it was in 2006, Nasrallah
said.
Amending a recent party slogan Nasrallah added the Beirut to the southern
suburbs, promising that “if you bomb Beirut or the southern suburbs, we will
bomb Tel Aviv.” The earlier slogan was “the southern suburbs for Tel Aviv,” as
Nasrallah appeared to be reaching out to supporters beyond the party’s
stronghold.
Amid the speculation and media reports of an imminent war, the Hizbullah leader
said there were two choices for the Lebanese. “We can say ‘take it easy, Israel,
we’re ready to do whatever you want.’ Or we can strengthen our capabilities, to
prevent the possibility of war.” The Hizbullah leader said that when Lebanon
possesses a deterrent capability, via a national defense strategy, it would be
able to prevent Israeli leaders from “even thinking” about waging war. “It’s not
easy for any Israeli government to take the decision of war against Lebanon,” he
said. “They won’t think 1,000 times, but one million times” before taking such a
step. “Any new war against Israel would involve ‘new rules of the game,’” he
said.
He said the Israeli army had come up with the notion of the “suburbs doctrine,”
a reference to the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hizbullah’s stronghold.
Nasrallah said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other officials had
incited the international community against the party and its military
capabilities. He said this had backfired, meaning that they were forced to admit
to the Israeli people that Hizbullah’s arsenal could now hit anywhere in Israel.
In July 2006, “the people of Haifa, Nahariya and Kiryat Shemona fled,” Nasrallah
said, adding that the entire population of Israel would flee their homes in the
event of a new war. Nasrallah devoted most of the speech to evaluating Israel’s
recent stream of statements and threats, warning about Hizbullah’s military
capabilities in Lebanon, and its supposed plans to target Israeli diplomats
abroad, as revenge for the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, the party’s special
operations commander. There will be “no war now,” Nasrallah
Peres claims Israelis have no quarrel with Lebanon
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Saturday, August 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon is not an enemy of Israel and deserves true independence,
according to Israeli President Shimon Peres. Speaking on the eve of the third
anniversary of the end of Israel’s summer war with Lebanon, a conflict which
killed more than 1,000 Lebanese civilians, Peres said: “We wish to see Lebanon
again as the Switzerland of the Middle East.” He warned however that Hizbullah
would prove to be a “curse” on Lebanon. In a speech in the northern Israeli city
of Kiryat Shmona on Thursday night, Peres sought to dampen the fiery rhetoric
emerging from Tel Aviv in recent weeks. “The situation in Lebanon has changed.
We have not changed. We never were and never will be enemies of Lebanon,” he
said. “There was not in the past nor is there now any reason for Lebanon to be
Israel’s enemy or for Israel to be Lebanon’s enemy.” He said he hoped “that an
alliance of peace and good neighborly relations will emerge between us.” Peres
said the situation surrounding the UNIFIL-demarcated Blue Line – the boundary of
Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon was “still threatening” and claimed
that “Israeli deterrence has been restored.” Peres continued that Hizbullah had
“brought calamity on Lebanon and its people.” “Hizbullah established a state
within a state, and army within an army; an organization thirsty for blood in a
land yearning for peace. It is not Israel which is a danger to Lebanon. The land
of the cedars is cursed by Hizbullah,” he added.
“Israel’s interest is clear,” Peres said. “To see Lebanon truly independent; to
see it as a normal country, without a foreign military inside it. We have no
ambition in Lebanon.”
His comments came the same day as UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael
Williams said he hoped the Lebanese new cabinet would fully implement Resolution
1701 once formed.
“Today I also expressed hope for the next government, once formed, to work
effectively to renew its commitment to the resolution and to work on its full
implementation,” the National News Agency quoted Williams saying following a
meeting with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. Media reports on Friday said
that the UN Security Council had decided to extend the mandate of its Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) without amendment. However, UNIFIL deputy spokesman,
Andrea Tenenti, told The Daily Star that discussions were in a preliminary stage
and a decision was due on the mandate extension at the end of the month.
“There will be discussions at the end of the month but these are not open
meetings so we don’t have a reading of [the decision making process],” he said.
“What we have at the moment are Member States meeting in New York but these
consultations on mandate extension are normal and regular.” According to
reports, Deputy Assistant Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations
Edmond Mullet briefed member states on UNIFIL’s mission and the incidents which
occurred in Khirbet Silim and Kfar Shuba last month. An arms cache blast near
the southern village of Khirbet Silim on July 14 and a protest in Kfar Shuba a
few days later – in which southern residents broke through a barbed-wire fence
to plant flags on the Israeli side of the Blue Line – have been labeled “serious
violations” of Resolution 1701. Al-Nahar newspaper quoted an unnamed diplomat in
Washington, indicated that Member States were not seeking to alter UNIFIL’s
mandate which provides it assist Lebanese Army operations south of the Litani
River. Tenenti stressed that the mandate renewal was “an ongoing process that
will take until the end of the month. Each country will draw up its own
recommendations.”
You do
not speak for Lebanon
August 15, 2009
Now Lebanon
A woman shouts slogans next to a portrait of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan
Nasrallah in Dahiyeh on Friday during a rally in which the party’s leader spoke
on the third anniversary of the end of the 2006 July War. (AFP/Ramzi Haidar)
In a speech to the party faithful delivered on Friday night, Hezbollah Secretary
General Hassan Nasrallah sought to tie the failed attempts to form a government,
attempts made all the more catastrophic by the posturing – some would call it
blackmail – of the March 8 opposition that his party leads, to alleged acts of
Israeli skullduggery. They were, he said, designed to stymie consensus among
Lebanon’s political parties.
In a speech that had it all, including fulsome praise for newly-elected Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad, Nasrallah used his peculiar brand of logic to
taunt Israelis, reminding them that his rockets could hit any town in their
country. He was careful to include all Lebanese (just in case Israeli jets level
all of Lebanon) in his call for a defense strategy made up of “the people, the
army and the Resistance.”
To those whose software overrides all other considerations when there is mention
of an Israeli threat or an Israeli plot, it was a virtuoso performance. But the
fact remains that his speech was both dangerous and irresponsible. Furthermore,
it was not his to make. Nasrallah does not speak for Lebanon. The last time we
checked, he was on the losing side in the June 7 polls, but, like some turbaned
Big Brother in his secret bunker, he insists, with alarming regularity, on
updating us on the progress of his party’s struggle, one which we are all forced
to endure.
One wonders if Nasrallah was aware that half the nation is blissfully enjoying a
bumper tourist season and would be jolly angry if, like in 2006, he and his
stout Resistance fighters spoiled the party. The booming business being done
across the country is another – and equally legitimate – reality of modern
Lebanon, one that cannot coexist with Nasrallah’s dreams of martial supremacy.
The good news is that Nasrallah doesn’t think there is much of an Israeli
threat. (Thank God. Now we won’t have to dive for cover as the Israeli jets
swoop over Bamboo Bay on their way to bomb Beirut.) He argues that the “miracle”
of 2006 has put a stop to such a danger. But the reality is that Nasrallah knows
he cannot afford another war. Why else would he continue to carp on about how
sunk in shame we would be without his Divine Victory. Miracles don’t happen
every day, and the good people of South Lebanon have not spent three years
rebuilding their homes only to have them once again vaporized.
Is Israel behind the delay in forming a government? The recent security
incidents have not been helpful and will have further reinforced the idea among
those who blame Israel for everything that it wants to destroy our homes and eat
our children. But Hezbollah is simply throwing out political chaff. It has the
guns and it has a sectarian majority, and yet it cannot understand why it lost
the elections. It cannot understand that the true majority of Lebanese said no
to its weapons and its agenda. They said no to an armed militia taking its guns
to the streets every time it gets the hump. Nasrallah asked where our image
would be without Hezbollah’s contribution to brand Lebanon. In short, it could
be argued that we would be seen as a prosperous, stable and moderate Arab
nation, a magnet for foreign investment, with a rich well of natural and human
resources.
Say what you want about Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and what Michel
Aoun calls the March 14 “businessmen”. They may have disappointed us, but they
don’t play with our lives in quite the same way Nasrallah does.
Talking To: Kataeb official Salim Sayegh
By: Matt Nash,
NOW Lebanon
August 14, 2009
NOW spoke with Kataeb Party Vice President Salim Sayegh about a number of hot
political topics.
Tumult has been the word of the day for the past week and a half. When
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt announced on August 2 that he
would defect from the March 14 coalition, Lebanon’s political world went into
upheaval. It now seems the previously agreed-upon 15-10-5 distribution of
cabinet posts among the majority, March 8 and the president will stand, and that
Jumblatt will vacillate between supporting March 14 and the opposition depending
on the issue. NOW spoke with Kataeb Party Second Vice President Salim Sayegh
about Jumblatt’s decision, the ministerial statement, relations between the
Kataeb Party and Syria, and Christian rapprochement.
What do you expect from the future government with Jumblatt apparently prepared
to act as a “swing vote?”
Sayegh: Jumblatt said he is committed to and will side with March 14 on most
issues, but [he] will not challenge Hezbollah on their weapons. We are now sure
that Hezbollah’s arsenal will not be mentioned in the ministerial statement.
The Kataeb Party has long called for the disarmament of Hezbollah, the only
militia allowed to keep their arms following the civil war. Is the party
disappointed that, once again, Hezbollah’s disarmament will not be included in
the government’s policy statement?
Sayegh: We want this issue discussed during the national dialogue. We distance
ourselves from [Jumblatt’s position on Hezbollah’s arms]. We distance ourselves
from unilateral decisions about whether or not an issue is negotiable.
Particularly after [UN] Resolution 1701, we [refuse] to give Hezbollah any
concessions when it comes to [decisions regarding Lebanon’s] sovereignty. This
is a matter of principle for us, and we remain anchored to our principles.
Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab recently visited Kataeb Party President Amin
Gemayel in Bikfaya, where he was reported to have delivered a message to Gemayel
from Damascus. What was the message?
Sayegh: There were good [wishes] conveyed to us not only through Wiam Wahhab; we
have [other] contacts with the Syrian leadership, [through both Lebanese and
Syrian people close to the Syrian government]. (…) [The Kataeb Party] welcomes
this. (…) We received a message of good faith, and we expect this to be
translated [into action]; not toward the Kataeb Party, not toward individual
parties, but toward the Lebanese State. (…) The wounds between Lebanon and Syria
are very deep. To be able to heal [them], we need a step-by-step
confidence-building process that is founded on concrete steps (…) taken with the
state, and only the state, [such as releasing Lebanese detained in Syria].
On Sunday, Kataeb political bureau member Sejaan Kazzi said that high-level
communication continues between the Kataeb and the Syrian leadership. What are
you saying?
Sayegh: What we are communicating to the Syrians – aside from demanding they
deal first and foremost with the state – is we will not accept our allies being
isolated. We will not accept the Lebanese Forces – most notably – to be
considered the bad guys while we are considered the good guys. It does seem as
though there is an effort in Lebanese politics to isolate LF leader Samir Geagea.
What is your reaction to that? Sayegh: We are in an alliance. You cannot deal
with us individually. Speaking of alliances between Christian parties, Kataeb
Party President Amin Gemayel recently met with Marada Movement leader Sleiman
Franjieh. Are there plans for him to meet with Free Patriotic Movement Leader
Michel Aoun soon? Sayegh: At this point, the time is not right for a meeting at
the highest level. However, nothing impedes us from exploring that venue. (…) We
have informal contacts with leaders of the FPM. It is very important to talk,
discuss and see what the common denominators are on which we can work.
Jumblatt calls for establishing a new political system
Date: August 15th, 2009
Source: Annahar
Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblatt has said it was difficult to build a
country without the establishment of a new political system An-Nahar newspaper
reported.
Jumblatt’s remarks came as he sponsored the Al-Erfan school central festivity in
the Chouf-Mount Lebanon that was held on Friday. He congratulated Hizbullah on
the third anniversary of the so-called “Victory Day” that commemorates the end
of the July war between Israel and the party. “The resistance and reconciliation
mountain of Kamal Jumblatt congratulates the resistance as it commemorates the
third anniversary of the Victory Day. It salutes the Islamic resistance and its
martyrs, the Lebanese army martyrs and their families as well as Hizbullah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” he said. He also saluted the “Palestinian
people in the occupied Palestinian land,” “This is the Druze particularity and I
hope that it became clear to all,” he maintained. “I call my friend Sheikh
Saadeddine Rafic Hariri to hinder transforming the Sunni’s into a sect because
it defies logic and history,” he added. Jumblatt’s son Taymour represented him
at the celebration held by Hizbullah, Friday, on the third anniversary of so
called “Victory Day” accompanied by MP Akram Chehayeb. MP Mohammad Kabbani
represented Premier designate Saad Hariri on the same occasion.
Hamas crushes 'al-Qaeda uprising'
At least 16 people killed, scores wounded in battles between Hamas forces,
al-Qaeda followers in Strip; unconfirmed report says suicide bomber blew up
amidst Hamas men. Earlier, radical cleric pledges allegiance to Bin Laden
Ali Waked Latest Update: 08.14.09, 23:51 / Israel News
Mayhem in Gaza: After hours of fighting Friday, Hamas' security forces were able
to crush an uprising by gunmen associated with al-Qaeda, in the wake of a
provocative speech by a local imam critical of Gaza's current rulers.
At least 16 people were killed in the clashes and more than 80 were reportedly
wounded.
Earlier, the leader of the radical Salafi faction in Gaza, Abdul Latif Musa,
slammed Hamas' conduct as not sufficiently Islamic, as he declared the Strip an
"Islamic emirate" and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
Following fierce gunfights, eyewitnesses reported that Hamas was able to take
over most rebel strongholds. Friday night, Hamas forces reportedly bombed the
last stronghold, where Imam Musa and his men were apparently barricaded.
According to one report, the commander of the al-Qaeda faction's military wing,
Abu-Abdullah al-Suri, may have been killed in the attack.
'Ideological deterioration'
Unconfirmed reports said a Musa loyalist blew himself up within a group of Hamas
men near the mosque where the radical cleric spoke earlier. According to other
reports, Hamas members, some of them masked, were pursuing more Salafi loyalists
in the Strip.
Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhari addressed the fierce clashes in Rafah,
characterizing the views presented by the Salafi faction as "ideological
deterioration."
"This group has no connection to any outside organization," he said. "No element
or group has the authority to take the law into its own hands, and those who do
not respect that will be dealt with by the security establishment."
Meanwhile, members of the Salafi group, Jund al-Ansar Allah, said they were
completely loyal to Musa and warned against any attempt to undermine the Islamic
emirate he declared.
According to other reports, the secretary general of the Popular Resistance
Committees was leading mediation efforts between the warring factions.
Peres is twisting the facts by saying Israel has no quarrel with Lebanon
By The Daily Star /Saturday, August 15, 2009
Editorial
Israeli President Shimon Peres on Friday engaged in in a malicious distortion of
historical facts when he declared that his country has no quarrel with Lebanon
and that there is no reason for the two states to be enemies. In Peres’ version
of reality, tensions between the two neighbors are the sole fault of Hizbullah,
which he accused of “destroying Lebanon” with its “thirst for blood in a land of
peace.”
The problem with this reasoning is that Israel was attacking Lebanon decades
before Hizbullah ever came into existence. Hizbullah was not created until 1982,
when the resistance group emerged as a direct response to Israel’s invasion of
Lebanon that year. But the group did not yet exist during the nearly
three-and-a-half decades of Israeli incursions and invasions that preceded the
1982 assault. The first of these that was recorded was the massacre in Houla, a
village in southern Lebanon that was captured by the Israelis in 1948 without
any resistance. According to the testimony of the Israeli officer who commanded
the raid, 50 Lebanese men from the village were rounded up and shot dead in a
house that the Israelis blew up on top of them to become their grave. Israel’s
aggression didn’t stop there. In the period between 1948 and 1982, dozens of
Lebanese villages were either occupied or raided, thousands of civilians were
killed and scores of massacres and other acts of war were recorded by
historians. Before Hizbullah was ever formed, the United Nations Security
Council had already issued nine resolutions condemning Israel’s acts of
aggression against Lebanon. Peres claimed in his speech on Thursday that “we
never were and never will be enemies of Lebanon.” But if committing acts of war
against our people and continuing to illegally occupy our land does not
constitute good reason for enmity, then what does?
The Israelis have a habit of sustaining their dysfunctional pattern of acting
badly by blaming somebody else for their bad behavior. In the 1970s and 80s,
they claimed that the killing of Lebanese women and children was “necessary” to
defeat the Palestinian militants who had been forced out of their homeland and
into neighboring Arab states. In 2006, they alleged that the wanton destruction
of Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure and the slaughter of over 1,200 civilians
was “required” to eliminate Hizbullah “terrorists” and retrieve a captured
soldier who was seized in a bid to force the return of Lebanese from Israeli
jails. But the Israelis pursued these goals in Lebanon with such vile methods
that they achieved nothing but this country’s enmity.
Judge Howard Morrison Resigns from Special Tribunal for Lebanon
Naharnet/Judge Howard Morrison has resigned from the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon effective 14 July 2009.
Morrison, in his letter of resignation to the STL President Judge Antonio
Cassese, said his resignation was due to his appointment by the U.N.
Secretary-General as Judge of the International Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia, effective 31 August 2009.
Cassese congratulated Morrison on his new appointment and expressed the STL's
regret at his departure.
The STL has requested the U.N. Secretary-General to take the necessary steps to
appoint Judge Morrison's replacement.
Morrison was selected by the United Nations Secretary-General as a judge for the
Special Tribunal of Lebanon and was sworn into office on 9 March 2009. His
appointment had not yet been made public. Morrison has served as counsel before
domestic courts and international criminal tribunals and as circuit judge in the
United Kingdom.
Morrison's departure will not affect the day-to-day operations of the STL and
will not result in any delays to the judicial process. Beirut, 14 Aug 09, 20:29
Tashnag Delegation in Maarab Seeking Political Openness
Naharnet/Tashnaq Party leader Hovik Mukhtarian met Friday Lebanese Forces leader
Samir Geagea as part of the group's political openness toward the various
Lebanese sides.
Mukhtarian, accompanied by a delegation which included MP Hagop Pakradounian,
stressed following the meeting at Geagea's residence in Maarab the party's
"continuous contact" not only with the LF, but also with the majority March 14
coalition and the Hizbullah-led Opposition.
"We, again today, agreed on the fundamental national principles found in both
the Lebanese Forces and Tashnag," Mukhtarian said.
Turning to the Cabinet issue, Mukhtarian hoped a new national unity government
would soon be formed.
He assured that Tashnag's seat in the new Cabinet is "reserved."
From Maarab the Armenian delegation headed for a meeting with Lebanese
Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan.
Pakradounian acknowledged following the talks that there was "more than one
obstacle" facing government formation.
He said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's demand for the appointment
of his son-in-law Jebran Bassil was "only a small portion of the problem."
"Regretfully, the problem is not just Lebanese. An Arab-Arab balance is needed,"
he added.
Meanwhile, the Political Council of Armenian MPs held its periodical meeting at
Tashnag's headquarters to discuss the latest developments, particularly the
issue of a Cabinet lineup.
A statement issued following the meeting stressed the "importance of
accelerating formation of a national unity government that will hasten a
solution for the urgent economical, social and welfare problems" and provide the
Lebanese citizens with "the right for a descent life in their own country."The statement also stressed the need for "widening relations with all concerned
political parties and implementing a policy of openness based on the principles
of moderation, dialogue and free decision-making." Beirut, 14 Aug 09, 19:39
Justice
for Mahmoud Rafeh – The “confessions” Mr. Mahmoud Qassem Rafeh was forced to
sign under torture should not be used against him
The CLDH (Lebanese Center for Human Rights), ALEF (Lebanese Association for
education and training) and Al Karama for Human Rights urge the Military
Judiciary not to try Mr. Rafeh on the basis of these "confessions", which he
allegedly signed under torture.
Mr. Rafeh was arrested on June 7, 2006 by the Intelligence Services of the
Lebanese Army and subsequently detained at the Ministry of Defense.
In 2007, the CLDH notified the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture of
the risks of torture that Mr. Abou Rafeh was incurring during his detention at
the Ministry of Defense. (cf. A/HRC/7/3/Add.1, par.133).
In a letter dated January 7, 2008 (cf. A/HRC/10/44/Add.4), the Lebanese
Government told the Special Rapporteur on Torture that "Mahmoud Rafeh made a
deposition of his own will before the Investigating Panel of the Intelligence
Directorate."
However, in the weeks following his arrest, Mahmoud Rafeh is alleged to have
been subjected to very egregious acts of torture at the detention center of the
Defense Ministry with the objective of making him sign documents he was not
allowed to read.
The acts of torture to which he was allegedly subjected include: extended
durations of sleep deprivation (one week without sleep); constantly blindfolded;
hands tied with plastic rope; and subjected to the "balanco". He also was
subjected to psychological torture: his interrogators told him that since no one
knew where he was, no one would be concerned if he were to die, or "we have your
family; we will do to them whatever we want."
In its letter mentioned above, the government states that "before beginning the
interrogation, the Military Examining Magistrate notified Mr. Mahmoud Rafeh of
his right to request an attorney in order to handle his defense, but the
defendant stated that he did not wish to have an attorney, and that he was in
good health, psychologically and physically, confessing of his own free will to
the crimes of which he was charged."
Yet, according to the information obtained, Mr. Rafeh could not remain standing
during his first appearance before the Military Examining Magistrate as a result
of torture, and the judge simply asked him to "sit down". He apparently wanted
to recant his confessions and show the examining judge the marks of torture on
his body, but the judge kept his head down. The Military Intelligence Services,
who were present and watching the exchange, subsequently took their revenge on
him by forcing him to remain seated in a corridor without sleep for 10 days
because he dared to complain to the judge about torture.
The Lebanese government further says that "the judiciary does not initiate an
inquiry regarding psychological or physical violence that may have been used to
extract information or confessions unless a complaint is filed by the victim
(and that) since he was referred before a judge with jurisdiction, the defendant
Mahmoud Rafeh has not come forward with any complaint before the relevant court
regarding the acts of torture to which he alleges he was subjected, something he
is allowed to do under the law."
Yet, every time Mr. Rafeh has tried to complain about the torture, he suffered
harsh reprisals by the Army's Intelligence Services.
In its response, the Lebanese government also indicates that "the premises where
people are held in custody for questioning at the National Defense Ministry
provide very satisfactory sanitary conditions. Detainee Rafeh takes a daily walk
in fresh air and in the sunlight, unhindered. Moreover, he is provided, at his
request, with religious books and books on social issues, as well as cultural
magazines. Detainee Mahmoud Rafeh receives regular visits from his parents."
Mr. Rafeh has been for a total of two years and nine months in detention in
isolation in the basement of the Defense Ministry. He allegedly was first held
in a tiny isolation cell deprived of a toilet with only a bottle to relieve
himself. It is only after a year and a half of detention that he was allowed to
go outside, once or several times a week, for 10 minutes, while handcuffed to a
guard. Family visits did take place under the strict control of the Army's
Intelligence Services that denied him any communication with his family. He was
able to see an attorney only after two years, in the presence of an officer of
the Army's Intelligence Services.
Having been transferred to the Central Prison of Roumieh in March 2009, Mr.
Rafeh still bears the marks of torture in his wrists. He also exhibits signs of
a grave physical exhaustion. He is also deeply affected psychologically because
of what he likely has suffered at the hands of the Army's Intelligence Services.
The CLDH (Lebanese Center for Human Rights), ALEF (Lebanese Association for
education and training) and Al Karama for Human Rights earnestly request the
military judiciary to dismiss the confessions that Mr. Rafeh has in all
likelihood signed under torture. We furthermore demand an independent inquiry by
a non-military body into the allegations of torture to which Mr. Rafeh has been
subjected, and that those responsible be held accountable. The signatories of
this press release hold the authorities responsible for his physical and
psychological wellbeing.
Beirut, August 14, 2009.
Contacts: Wadih Al Asmar, (+961) 70 950 780, (Arabic, English, French) – Marie
Daunay, (+961) 3 887 108, (English, French).
Justice pour Mahmoud Rafeh - Les « aveux » que Mahmoud Rafeh a été contraint de
signer sous la torture ne doivent pas être retenus contre lui.
Le CLDH (Centre Libanais des Droits Humains), ALEF (Association Libanaise pour
l’Education et la Formation) et l’association Al Karama for Human Rights
demandent à la Justice militaire de ne pas juger Monsieur Rafeh sur la base de
ses « aveux », qu’il aurait été contraint de signer sous la torture.
Arrêté le 7 Juin 2006 par les services de renseignement de l’armée libanaise, il
a ensuite été placé en détention au Ministère de la Défense.
Le CLDH a saisi en 2007 le rapporteur spécial sur la torture des Nations Unies,
informant ce dernier du risque de torture encouru par M. Rafeh au Ministère de
la Défense. (cf. A/HRC/7/3/Add.1).
Par lettre datée du 07 janvier 2008 (cf. A/HRC/10/44/Add.4), le Gouvernement
libanais a indiqué au rapporteur spécial sur la torture que « Mahmoud Rafeh a
fait une déposition de son plein gré devant le corps d’instruction de la
Direction des renseignements. »
Or, durant les semaines suivant son arrestation, Mahmoud Rafeh aurait subi au
centre de détention du Ministère de la Défense de très graves tortures visant à
lui faire signer des documents qu’il n’a pas eu l’occasion de lire.
Parmi les tortures qu’il aurait subies : des privations prolongées de sommeil (une
semaine sans dormir), les yeux bandés en permanence, les mains attachées par des
liens en plastique, et soumis au balanco. Il aurait également subi une torture
psychologique : ses interrogateurs lui auraient dit que comme personne ne savait
où il se trouvait, personne ne se souciera qu’il meure, ou encore « nous avons
ta famille, nous leur ferons ce que nous voulons ».
Dans sa lettre, le gouvernement indique qu’ « avant de commencer
l’interrogatoire, le juge d’instruction militaire a indiqué à Mahmoud Rafeh son
droit de mandater un avocat pour assurer sa défense, mais le défendeur a déclaré
qu’il ne souhaitait pas faire appel à un avocat, et qu’il était en bonne santé
sur le plan psychique et physique. Au cours de l’interrogatoire, il a confirmé
les propos qu’il avait tenus durant l’enquête préliminaire, avouant de son plein
gré les crimes qui lui étaient imputés. »
Or lors de sa première présentation au juge d’instruction militaire, selon les
informations recueillies, M. Rafeh ne tenait pas debout à cause de la torture et
le juge lui aurait simplement dit « assieds-toi ». Il a semble-t-il voulu
revenir sur ses aveux et montrer au juge d’instruction les traces de torture sur
son corps, mais le juge n’aurait pas relevé la tête. Les services de
renseignements militaires, qui assistaient à l’entretien se seraient ensuite
vengés sur lui en le forçant à rester assis sans dormir pendant 10 jours dans un
couloir parce qu’il avait osé se plaindre de la torture devant le juge.
Le gouvernement libanais ajoute que « la justice n’ouvre une enquête concernant
des violences psychiques ou physiques qui auraient été exercées pour extorquer
des informations ou des aveux que sur dépôt d’une plainte par la victime (et que)
depuis qu’il a été déféré devant le juge compétent, le défendeur Mahmoud Rafeh
n’a présenté aucune plainte devant la justice compétente en ce qui concerne des
actes de torture qu’il aurait subis, ce qu’il serait autorisé à faire par la loi.
»
Or chaque fois qu’il a tenté de se plaindre de la torture, M. Rafeh a subi de
sévères représailles de la part des services de renseignement de l’armée.
Dans sa réponse, le gouvernement libanais indique aussi que « les locaux de
garde à vue du Ministère de la défense nationale offrent des conditions
sanitaires tout à fait satisfaisantes. Le détenu Rafeh effectue une promenade
quotidienne en plein air et sous les rayons du soleil, en toute liberté. En
outre, on lui fait parvenir, à sa demande, des livres religieux et sur des
sujets de société ainsi que des revues culturelles. Le détenu Mahmoud Rafeh
reçoit périodiquement la visite de des parents. »
Au total, M. Rafeh aura subi deux ans et neuf mois de détention à l’isolement au
sous-sol du Ministère de la Défense. Il aurait été détenu d’abord dans une
minuscule cellule d’isolement dépourvue de toilettes avec seulement une
bouteille pour faire ses besoins. Ce n’est qu’au bout d’une année et demie de
détention qu’il aurait été sorti à l’extérieur, une ou plusieurs fois par
semaine, durant 10 minutes et menotté à un gardien. Les visites de sa famille se
déroulaient sous le contrôle strict des services de renseignements de l’armée,
empêchant toute communication du détenu avec sa famille. Il n’aurait rencontré
un avocat qu’après deux ans, en présence d’un officier des services de
renseignements de l’armée.
Transféré à la prison centrale de Roumieh en mars 2009, M. Rafeh porte encore
les traces de la torture au niveau de ses poignets et présente des signes
d’affaiblissement physique importants. Il est également fortement marqué
psychologiquement par ce qu’il a vraisemblablement subi aux mains des services
de renseignements de l’armée.
Le CLDH (Lebanese Center for Human Rights), ALEF (Lebanese Association for
education and training), and Al Karama for Human RIghts demandent instamment à
la justice militaire de ne pas utiliser les aveux que Monsieur Rafeh a selon
toute vraisemblance signés sous la torture. Nous demandons d’autre part une
enquête indépendante et non militaire sur les allégations de tortures subies par
M. Rafeh et que les responsables en soient sanctionnés. Les signataires de ce
communiqué de presse tiennent les autorités pour responsables de son intégrité
physique et psychologique.
Beyrouth, 14 Août 2009.
Contacts: Wadih Al Asmar, (+961) 70 950 780, (Arabe, Anglais, Français) – Marie
Daunay, (+961) 3 887 108, (Anglais, Français).
Wadih AL-ASMAR CLDH (Centre libanais des droits humains)
Centre mar Youssef Daoura - Liban
+961 1 24 00 23 (office) +961 70 950 780 (lebanon mobile)
+966 59 2446 059 (Saudi mobile)
www.solida.org / reverleliban.blogspot.com