LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 25/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:45-51. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 The ‘demons’ of suspension. By Ahmed Al-Jarallah/Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times 24/08/09
 Lebanon: Beyond the Governmental Predicament. By:Abdullah Iskandar/AlHayat 24.08.09
 The Region: Iran and Syria: So happy together-Jerusalem Post 24/08/09
 Talk peace, don't shake mothballs out of the 'road map. By:Yossi Beilin 24.08.09
A cautionary tale/Now Lebanon/August 24, 2009

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 24/09
 Majority sources respond to Syrian paper’s criticism of Hariri and Sfeir-Now Lebanon
Al-Watan: Stalling cabinet formation could turn into governance crisis/Now Lebanon
 PSP urges all parties to facilitate cabinet formation, warns against Israeli threats/Now Lebanon
Masnaa Security General Officer Beaten Up-Naharnet
Salim Sayegh: Iran exploits Aoun to maintain its place in the region-Future News
 MP. Salim Karam: Sfeir’s stances hostile toward the biggest Christian bloc-Future News
 Sfeir: Experience Has Shown a Cabinet of Pro-Government and Opposition Forces Is Not Encouraging-Naharnet
 'Nasrallah predicts Israel-Hezbollah war before next spring'-Ha'aretz
 Peres: Nasrallah speeches amusing-Ynetnews
 Egypt 'Hezbollah cell' on trial-BBC News
 Egyptian court postpones trial of Hezbollah cell to Oct. 24-Xinhua
 US the key to Syrian rehabilitation: analysts-AFP
 Expect More Adventurism From Iran-Wall Street Journal
 Dubious deals come with the territory-Times Online
 Lebanese Beaten by Skinheads in Germany-Naharnet
 Hizbullah Sees Alloush Claims Not Worthy of Reaction, Military Sources Place them under Political Pressure-Naharnet
 Hariri in Beirut Soon Amid Syrian Criticism to PM-designate, Sfeir-Naharnet
 Aoun: 'Aoun Obstacle' Broke Guinness World Record, Majority Cabinet is Wrong-Naharnet
 Th Incredibly Shrinking War On Terror-Right Side News
 Salloukh denies Peres' claim Hizbullah has 80,000 missiles-Daily Star
Najjar, Bassil trade blame over illegal internet company-Daily Star
 Sfeir reiterates concern over political deadlock-Daily Star
Effort to form cabinet stalls as Ramadan begins, Hariri travels-Daily Star
'Hizbullah cell' accused allege torture in Egypt jail-By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Number of tourists to Lebanon reaches record in July-Daily Star
UNIFIL peacekeeper dies in road accident-Daily Star
 Roumieh guards showed 'negligence' during escape-Daily Star
Erection of checkpoint stokes tensions in Baddawi-Daily Star
Australia announces next ambassador to Lebanon-Xinhua

The ‘demons’ of suspension
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times -Future News
LEBANON has been taking time to form a new government under the pretext of an artificial crisis orchestrated by the ‘demons’ of suspension. Apparently, somebody is cunningly supervising the distribution of certain roles to these demons. By the time MP Michel Aoun comes out to announce his decision regarding the fate of the whole country to satisfy his son-in-law, the ‘orchestra’ of those who are loyal to foreign masters will play perfectly, while waiting for a sign to instruct its tool — the former major general — to stop the farce of suspending the interests of a small Arab country burdened with a number of concerns and cases.
Aoun has turned into a ballerina in the hands of Hassan Nasrallah, who has been sitting in his cellar giving out orders to his followers. This gives him a chance to delay the formation of the Lebanese government while waiting for the outcome of the recent incidents in Tehran, and then the International Court will issue a report on the steps taken towards Lebanon. The court is not dealing with a single assassination case. It has been tasked to look into numerous crimes and the offenders are still free searching for an outlet.
If Aoun, who gained fame by fighting what he calls “the Syrian occupation of Lebanon”, has become a ‘launch pad’ for the Weapons Party leader to fire at everything, allegedly to protect the sovereignty of Lebanon, the general is wrong in case he thinks he has the ability to confront the ‘flood of dreams’ that emerged on June 7, 2009. These dreams include cleansing Lebanon, to totally eradicate the residues of wars and slogans aimed at keeping this country in the tent of the middle ages. It is also pointless to believe that the country will survive through obstinacy.
Aoun considers his victory in the elections as the greatest territorial power. He issued random statements and turned the blood that flowed in the banks of his slogans 20 years ago into fuel for strengthening familial leadership and striking a balance, which would enable him to secure the future of his brother-in-law, nephew, other relatives and friends. However, Aoun’s passion for personal interests blinded him, until he gave up the main purpose of the blood that had been shed previously to win a parliamentary seat. He even went to the extent of embracing things he used to despise, including terrorism.
Lebanon is now the captive of tenders signed in cellars in the southern part of Beirut. Actually, these tenders are fragments of regional and international proposals that Aoun doesn’t really care about. Nevertheless, if the chairman of the military government on Monday bragged about the delayed formation of the government for the sake of the brother-in-law, he will soon discover that the game is bigger than him. He is just a small part of this gargantuan scheme and he will be deleted once the new equations come into play. Aoun tried to cover the real objectives of those who are committed to keep Lebanon in the bargaining market. These people never pondered on the destiny of their homeland and children.
Apparently, they are aware that they cannot deceive anybody through little intrigues and by using the tactics of a former general, who compares politics with an armed attack. His main philosophy in life is based on artillery. He used weapons to push his nation into the unknown. Aoun has done everything to protect the interests of his relatives and heirs, because he knows that the Lebanese elections in 2013 will be totally different from the recently concluded elections, which turned him into one of the most powerful people in his country. The Syrian-Iranian support will not available by that time and he will no longer be visible in the political arena. If we take a closer look at the recent events in Lebanon, we will notice that a politician is always available to serve as a ‘mailbox’ for the territorial entity. The Lebanese postman puts messages inside this mailbox, in the same manner that Nasrallah bombards Aoun’s mailbox with messages, such as the illusory victory!
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com

Lebanon: Beyond the Governmental Predicament
Sun, 23 August 2009 -Daily Star
Abdullah Iskandar/AlHayat
It seems that resolving the crisis of forming the next Lebanese government cabinet will be very difficult, if not impossible. Floating at the surface of the crisis are two issues dominating the concerns of the Prime Minister designate and the political class as a whole, namely the shares of parties and coalitions as well as the names of their representatives in the cabinet, and what is referred to as regional consensus in Lebanon.
These two issues are directly related to the notion of the next government, which has been dubbed the national unity government, meaning that it would include all of the parliamentary coalitions in its ranks. And in order to bring all of those conflicting parties together, regional parties must exercise their influence on those it affects inside the country, through pressures or through guarantees, so that they may sit together.
And thus the matter goes round and round between the two issues. As soon as there appears a breeze of optimism over reaching a possible consensus on shares, it is blown away by the winds of regional divergence, or vice versa. This is accompanied by phenomena that reveal the depth and the roots of the predicament. Indeed, for the sake of a solution, all means are resorted to except that which should alone be the solution, i.e. the constitution. This applies to both the loyalists and the opposition, i.e. to the political class as a whole. If some speak in generalities about the necessity of abiding by constitutional principles, without abiding by them of course, others openly express their disregard for these principles in a crude manner. The degradation of political language is not only indicative of the state of those who use it, but also of the frailty of the relationship between them and the notion of public service, as well as of disengagement within the state, constitutional institutions and the principles by which they function.
Ever since the results of the last parliamentary elections, which dictated a change of cabinet, were made public, and it appeared that the March 14 Alliance had retained a majority in parliament, enabling it to form the next cabinet, both the loyalists and the opposition have behaved as if the national unity government was one of dividing up ministerial portfolios, and not one where the majority invites to minority to participate in government on the basis of a vision and a program it has laid down, and where governmental and political decisions remain in the hands of the party that won the elections, as required by the principles ruling the work of government institutions.
That is the core of the problem, which has snowballed from an obstructing one-third to shares to sovereign ministries to imposing certain names on the Prime Minister designate, who has not made use of his constitutional right to set a program and form a cabinet, but has rather let himself be driven into this endless cycle.
Had Saad Hariri made use of his constitutional rights, like any Prime Minister designate, he would have been confronted with the complex of the cabinet’s faithfulness to the National Pact, as he would not have been able to appoint significant Shiite political figures as ministers without the approval of Hezbollah, the Amal movement, or both, knowing that he is not lacking in either Sunni or Christian cover. Thus the process of forming the national unity government cabinet has gradually turned into one of trade-offs between sects and communities, concealing complex contradictions and calculations, and of increasingly relinquishing constitutional guidelines.
Such a matter reveals that no one, either among the loyalists or in the opposition, is concerned with restoring the dignity of those principles, which were infringed during the period that preceded the elections to avoid the worst, in light of the crises that were raised in the face of the previous government headed by Fouad Siniora and the election of President Michel Suleiman. Taking such distance is linked to fears that ending the crisis might come in the form of a military victory in a civil conflict by the party that is strongest on the ground. This is in fact what the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, has expressed. Indeed, any threat, be it substantial or hypothetical, from an internal party of a military victory in a civil conflict would deepen the crisis over constitutional principles, at it would in itself be a breach of all these principles.
In other words, the current governmental crisis has revealed the regression of unified political standards for all Lebanese, their detachment from the notion of the state and its institutions, and the elimination of the one link between them, which makes every party have its own standards and its own links. It has also revealed the presence of leaders that are strong on the ground and within their sectarian communities, to the point that they impose their political stance and its regional extensions as a priority over the constitutional principles that are usually set down in order to organize disagreements and to have everyone submit to them. Furthermore, it has revealed the lack of statesmen in Lebanon who can overcome the instincts and practices of the street, with what this involves in terms of the coming difficulty, and even the impossibility, of engaging in the process of political and administrative reform which Lebanon needs after years of crises. Because the matter is such, it is better to speak of a sectarian federation government and of leaderships that have imposed their own self-rule, at the expense of the state and the nation, than of a national unity government, where none of the conditions needed to form a cabinet are available. And this is where the crisis lies.

'Hizbullah cell' accused allege torture in Egypt jail
Suspects plead ‘not guilty’ to multiple charges against them
By Agence France Presse (AFP) /Monday, August 24, 2009
Jailan Zayan /Agence France Presse
CAIRO: Twenty-two men, dressed in white and crowded into a cage in a Cairo court, denied charges on Sunday of plotting attacks in Egypt for Lebanon’s Hizbullah, with some alleging torture by police. As the trial began, the alleged members of the cell pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy to murder, spying for a foreign organization with intent of conducting terrorist attacks and weapons possession.” Some of the defendants said they had been tortured in police custody, with one of the men shouting to the judge: “If you don’t believe us, just look at our bodies.”Four more accused are on the run and are being tried in abstentia, including alleged Lebanese mastermind Mohammad Qublan.
The accused include two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians. During the hearing one man shouted, “We are at your command Nasrallah,” in an apparent reference to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who admitted in April that one of the defendants, Lebanese Mohammad Yusuf Ahmad Mansur known as Sami Shihab, was a Hizbullah agent. Nasrallah said Mansur was tasked with smuggling weapons to militants in the Gaza Strip. Family members were barred from attending the hearing. Dozens of relatives stood outside the courtroom under the scorching heat in the hope of getting a glimpse of the defendants they had not seen in months. “We don’t know anything about him. We have not seen him or heard from him in over nine months,” said the mother of Ihab Abdel Hadi, 30, who was arrested from his home in the north Sinai town of Al-Arish in December. Ihab’s wife Dina, 20, wearing a long black gown and niqab slitted to reveal her wet eyes, prayed nearby as she carried her one-year-old son. “He is innocent, totally innocent. He is not into politics. He is a simple builder who only cares about his family,” the softly spoken woman told AFP. As the blue vans carrying the defendants rolled in amid a blare of sirens, female relatives began to wail. “May God punish the punishers,” screamed one woman at the top of her voice. “Show some mercy during [the holy month of] Ramadan,” shouted another. Munira al-Hanafi, the wife of defendant Mossad Abdel Rahman al-Sherif, said her husband had been living in Saudi Arabia for the past two years and only came back to Egypt in April, when he was arrested at the airport. “If he were guilty, would he have come home in the middle of the storm?” she asked, standing next to Mossad’s two sisters who were carrying plastic bags filled with food and drink they hoped to pass on to their brother. Authorities began arresting members of what has become known as the “Hizbullah cell” in 2008, accusing them of plotting attacks against Israeli tourists and on ships in the Suez Canal. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hizbullah’s Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit accusing Iran of using Hizbullah to gain a foothold in Egypt. The next hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Sfeir reiterates concern over political deadlock
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir reiterated his concern about Lebanon’s current political deadlock, saying the formation of a new government was the only way out of the impasse. “Anyone who is obstructing the cabinet formation will answer to God, the homeland and to history,” Sfeir warned in his Sunday sermon. Over the weekend, Christian opposition MPs criticized Sfeir’s call to form a majority cabinet, saying the move “weakened the Lebanese presidency.” Sfeir on Friday urged President Michel Sleiman and Premier-designate Rafik Hariri to form a majority cabinet based on the outcome of the June 7 elections, in which the Hizbullah-led opposition was defeated by March 14 coalition. In comments published on Sunday by Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, Zghorta MP Istfan Doueihi said he shared Sfeir’s regret for the long delay in forming the government. He nevertheless wished Sfeir hadn’t spoken outside the borders of a “consensus democracy,” saying Lebanon was in dire need of it, particularly during such politically trying times. “Bkirki should have been the keeper of consensus democracy and shouldn’t have rushed in issuing statements that are directed at a party representative of a large fraction of the Lebanese people” he said. Doueihi’s said Sfeir should have taken the same stance as Sleiman, who has refused to agree on any cabinet that is not representative of all of Lebanon’s political parties. “Sfeir weakened Lebanese presidency through his statement” Doueihi told the newspaper. Sfeir’s remarks also drew criticism from Reform and Change bloc MP Nabil Nicholas, who said the patriarch’s position was simplistic. “The patriarch is looking at the situation from a single angle” he said, explaining that the opposition March 8 coalition was not linked to Syria or Iran. “We believe in solving our own problems and refuse to be associated with outside countries” he said. Sfeir on Saturday said he regretted the criticism, saying it was difficult enough for people to communicate in the current political climate without having to result to insults and accusations. – The Daily Star

Salloukh denies Peres' claim Hizbullah has 80,000 missiles
‘I don’t know how he counted these rockets … He imagines too much’
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Monday, August 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh on Sunday dismissed remarks by Israeli President Shimon Peres that Hizbullah now possessed 80,000 missiles as “lies.” In comments published Saturday by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, Peres said Israel was aware of around 80,000 missiles belonging to the Shiite group. These missiles “might lead to a disaster for the Lebanese because the last war brought unnecessary calamities to Lebanon,” he said in reference to Tel Aviv’s 34-day war on Lebanon in July-August 2006 which killed roughly 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians. Israeli attacks destroyed much of Lebanon’s infrastructure, with the bombing of the Jiyyeh oil-fuelled power station also causing the country’s worst-ever environmental disaster.
Responding to Peres’ comments, Salloukh dismissed the figure as “lies.” “I don’t know how he counted these rockets,” Salloukh told The Daily Star. Let them [Israel] give us a list showing who the source is and how they identify these rockets. [Peres] imagines too much.”
Salloukh also referred to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s tenth report on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, where he found that “to date, [UN peacekeeping force] UNIFIL has neither been provided with, nor found, evidence of new military infrastructure or the smuggling or arms into” southern Lebanon. Resolution 1701, adopted on August 11, 2006, called for an immediate ceasefire, the disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon, the redeployment of UNIFIL troops, and for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, among other things.
Peres also said he was skeptical about Hizbullah’s “goals and the justifications for its presence,” arguing the group would continue to exist even if Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty desisted. “Hizbullah is working for its own interests and will always find a pretext to continue its policy against Israel, even if the [Israeli Army] withdrew from Shebaa Farms and the Lebanese Ghajar village,” he told the Al-Rai. Reiterating comments made last week about how Lebanon aspired to become the Switzerland of the Middle East, Peres said Lebanon had “instead become the Iran of the region.”
Hizbullah’s creation of a state within a state and its considerable military capabilities have “ruined” Lebanon, Peres said. The Israeli president also claimed Israel was “not interested” in another war with Lebanon, saying problems between the two countries could be ironed out in negotiations. He nevertheless admitted to Israeli spy operations in Lebanon, arguing that “if Hizbullah did not exist, we would not have needed any spy networks.”
For Salloukh, the admission came as no surprise. The Israelis “have planted a good number of spy networks, nobody can deny that,” he said. Lebanese security forces have arrested or detained several dozen individuals on suspicion of spying for Israel’s intelligence services, Mossad, in a high-profile crackdown since the beginning of the year. A number of additional suspected spies have fled to Israel, according to Lebanese officials, who suspect fugitives received Israeli help crossing the heavily guarded border.
Salloukh also said Beirut would never negotiate for a withdrawal from occupied Lebanese land, echoing the official government stance that Lebanon would be the last Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Tel Aviv. “There will be neither direct nor indirect negotiations with Israel,” Salloukh said. “Israel should have withdrawn from the first minute of Resolution 1701. They should implement all UN resolutions,” including those that call for the right of return for Palestinian refugees, he said. When asked if Israel would retaliate against any Hizbullah attack to avenge the 2008 assassination of the group’s military commander Imad Mughniyeh, Peres replied that “obviously if Israel is attacked it will defend itself.” Mughniyeh was killed in a car bombing in Damascus, Syria in February last year. The attack was blamed on Israel although Tel Aviv has denied involvement. In his interview, Peres also referred to the speeches of Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a “source of amusement.” Salloukh meanwhile called Peres “an ageing political leader.”

Najjar, Bassil trade blame over illegal internet company
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and Telecommunication Minister Jebran Bassil traded blame over the weekend regarding the case of the illegal internet and telecommunications company in Barouk. Najjar denied on Saturday that the Justice Ministry had received any reports or information from the Telecommunications Ministry about an Israeli transmission station located in the mountainous region of Barouk. “The Lebanese judiciary did not receive any technical reports or information, either from the Telecommunications Ministry or any other party regarding any Israeli transmission station in Barouk Hill or [that the station was] directing its satellite dishes toward the south [Lebanon] or used sophisticated Israeli-made equipment,” Najjar said. Najjar added that the Barouk internet station had been given a license by former Telecommunications Minister Jean Louis Qardahi in 2004, while former Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh had refused to grant the station domestic interconnection in 2007. In response to Najjar, Bassil stressed that the judicial authorities had been aware of the case since April 2, adding that his ministry had asked the public prosecution for permission to shut down the station and acted accordingly. “The question is not whether the judiciary was aware of the case but rather if the justice minister knew what was happening in the judiciary [institution],” Bassil told An-Nahar newspaper in remarks published on Sunday. Criticizing Najjar for attempting to underestimate the case’s importance, Bassil said the justice minister issued a false statement which said the station was unrelated to the internet but rather operated in television broadcasting. Bassil underscored that after his confirmation, the station had transmitted 300 megabits of internet bandwidth. – The Daily Star, with Naharnet

Sfeir: Experience Has Shown a Cabinet of Pro-Government and Opposition Forces Is Not Encouraging
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said in comments published Monday the formation of a cabinet that includes pro-government and opposition forces was "not encouraging" based on the previous experience. In an interview with al-Massira magazine, Sfeir said: "A government in which a majority rules and the minority opposes will do well."
He added: "However, if a government is formed with one horse in the front and another in the back then the carriage will not be able to move." He said the presence of both pro-government and opposition forces in a future cabinet would lead to "the obstruction and hindrance" of its work. Sfeir insisted that he will continue to "be candid and speak the truth regardless of their words or threats." "The important thing is for the Christians to know where they are headed," he added.
Asked whether he was pleased that March 14 remained a majority in parliament, he said: "To a certain extent the weight did not move to March 8, but we do not know what the future is hiding for us. Isn't it true that a transfer of power means that each of Iran, Syria and the opposition's Palestinians control the Lebanese situation?" He said that the Lebanese expatriates "live in the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe not in Iran." He said that Lebanon had "absolutely no interest" to boycott the West. On Hizbullah's weapons arsenal, Sfeir said "there is no country in the world in which there are armed groups and others unarmed. The people wants to live in a state that treats them equally."
"The issue of weapons is in the hand of the state alone. The problem is that Hizbullah has become stronger than the state forming an abnormal and unnatural situation," he added.
"Is liberation an exclusive right for Hizbullah?" he asked. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 15:33

Hariri in Beirut Soon Amid Syrian Criticism to PM-designate, Sfeir
Naharnet/Premier-designate Saad Hariri is expected to return to Beirut on Monday, a day after Syria's al-Baath newspaper criticized the Mustaqbal movement leader and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. Hariri's close circles told As Safir that the PM-designate is keen on giving dialogue a new chance to reach consensus on a formula acceptable by all sides. They added that Hariri, upon his return to Lebanon, will start a new round of consultations with the opposition, including Aoun, if the FPM leader was responsive. MP Antoine Zahra also told Voice of Lebanon radio on Monday that the premier-designate will make a new suggestion to all parties upon his return to Beirut. Zahra said that Hariri has already consulted several opposition forces on his new plan which is still based on the 15-10-5 formula. Majority sources, meanwhile, criticized al-Baath which slammed Hariri and Sfeir on Sunday. The sources said the daily's report indicates the Syrian regime's attempt to obstruct government formation in Lebanon. Al-Baath also said that there are Egyptian-Saudi efforts to keep the caretaking cabinet headed by Premier Fouad Saniora. The newspaper stressed that Cairo wants to reappoint Saniora. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 10:30

Masnaa Security General Officer Beaten Up
Naharnet/Head of the General Security at the Masnaa border crossing, Maj. Wadih Khater, was beaten up Monday by a group of assailants who intercepted his car in Majdal Anjar.
The state-run National News Agency said a group of young men in four cars intercepted Khater's automobile as he headed to work and beat him up.
It said Khater was taken to the Lebanese-French hospital in nearby Zahle for treatment. NNA said the officer was in 'stable condition." Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 10:17

Aoun: 'Aoun Obstacle' Broke Guinness World Record, Majority Cabinet is Wrong
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said the so-called "Aoun obstacle" has made the world record. "The Aoun knot made Guinness whose officials contacted me to see if they could include it as the world's biggest obstacle," Aoun told his OTV mockingly. He said he hoped that a new government would be achieved during the holy month of Ramadan, pointing that both PM-designate Saad Hariri and caretaker Premier Fouad Saniora have stressed that there is no problem in forming a Cabinet during Ramadan. Aoun hit back at Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir for urging formation of a majority Cabinet. "A majority Cabinet is a wrong principle in Lebanon," Aoun commented. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 08:50

Bassil: We have Made Enough Concessions
Naharnet/Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil said Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has made 'enough concessions" regarding government formation. In remarks published by the daily As-Safir on Monday, Bassil said Aoun has made two concessions to facilitate PM-designate Saad Hariri's task. The first, according to Bassil, was giving up proportional representation and the second was accepting the 15-10-5 Cabinet makeup. Bassil believed that it was now Hariri's turn to offer Aoun similar concessions.
Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 09:14

Hizbullah Sees Alloush Claims Not Worthy of Reaction, Military Sources Place them under Political Pressure
Naharnet/Hizbullah refused to comment on remarks by leading Mustaqbal Movement member Mustafa Alloush who accused Hizbullah of forning militias in Tripoli. "These claims are not worthy of reaction," a Hizbullah source said in remarks published by the daily As-Safir on Monday.
Alloush, also a former MP, said Hizbullah has been trying to "recruit individuals to carry out militia-related activities by paying them sums of money."
Hizbullah already has two groups in Tripoli, he claimed. Alloush warned that Tripoli might witness "a security explosion," the pan-Arab daily quoted him as saying in an interview published Sunday. As-Safir quoted high-ranking military sources as saying that Alloush's statement is "probably not accurate." The sources said they believed Alloush's statement comes within the framework of political pressure. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 11:09

Majority sources respond to Syrian paper’s criticism of Hariri and Sfeir
August 24, 2009 /Now Lebanon/On Monday, sources close to the majority responded to a report by the Syrian ruling party’s Al-Baath newspaper that criticized Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri as a Syrian attempt to meddle with the cabinet formation. Sunday’s Al-Baath described as “questionable” Hariri’s frequent visits to Saudi Arabia while the political situation in the country is unstable. The daily added that “some spiritual leaders’ call for a majority-dominated cabinet while disregarding the opposition was surprising,” an indirect reference to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. The paper also said that Egypt seeks the reappointment of outgoing PM Fouad Siniora, “which is feasible given that Hariri’s current visit to Saudi Arabia is expected to last longer than usual.”

Al-Watan: Stalling cabinet formation could turn into governance crisis
August 24, 2009 /Now Lebanon
The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan warned on Monday that stalling the formation of the Lebanese cabinet could turn into “a governance crisis,” which would negatively affect security and stability in Lebanon, adding that overcoming it would only be possible by taking exceptional measures, such as holding a second Doha Agreement to reach a political settlement or signing a second Taif Accord to amend the Lebanese constitution. Prime Minister-designate Saad “Hariri has a difficult and delicate mission in light of the domestic and regional situation,” the daily said, adding that he remains the main figure with the authority to resolve the cabinet crisis.

PSP urges all parties to facilitate cabinet formation, warns against Israeli threats
August 24, 2009 /Now Lebanon
The Progressive Socialist Party issued a statement on Monday calling for all political parties to facilitate Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s mission to form the new government based on the 15-10-5 cabinet formula. The statement said that the formation of the government should be finalize d in order to properly confront the ongoing Israeli threats, “regardless of the bad sentiments and the best interests of son- in- laws,” a reference to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s demand to reappoint his son-in-law, Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil. The statement warned against Israel’s threats against Lebanon, which, it added, are an interference in domestic affairs and are proof of the Jewish state’s aggressive intentions toward the nation. The statement also said that all parties should make concessions to pave the way for a national-unity cabinet and in order to resolve pending issues, such as Lebanon’s debt and the conflicts within the electricity sector.

Lebanese Beaten by Skinheads in Germany
Naharnet/A young Lebanese man has been beaten up by a group of skinheads in Germany who are known to hate anybody who is different. German police said a group of about 15 skinheads "seeking trouble" attacked three foreigners, including the Lebanese man, 23, as they headed home after a Saturday evening party. A police statement said the reason for the attack remains unknown. It said German police sent reinforcements to the area and arrested 11 people aged between 17 and 22. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 08:09

A cautionary tale
August 24, 2009
Now Lebanon/The release on compassionate grounds of Abdel Bsat Al-Megrahi, the Libyan security agent who was convicted by a Scottish court of carrying out the bombing on December 21, 1988 of Pan Am flight 103 in which 270 – mostly American – people died, has opened old wounds and created a sense of moral outrage, both among the families of those killed and American and British politicians who believe that allowing him to die at home with his family is a gesture too far.
But for the Lebanese, Megrahi’s release also coincides with the formative stages of another quest for justice: the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, set up to try those charged with the February 14, 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others in a roadside blast near the St. Georges hotel, as well as over a dozen other subsequent political killings. Those who have a chronic distrust for the credibility of such judicial processes have no doubt already pointed to the accusations of backroom trade deals, Megrahi’s claims of innocence and Libya’s recent rehabilitation as reasons why the tribunal cannot avoid being politicized.
Sadly, there were always serious doubts over Megrahi’s conviction. If indeed he was involved, analysts say that he was nothing more than a small piece in a jigsaw puzzle that they believe involved Iran, Syria and operatives of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in an operation to avenge the shooting down of Iran Air flight 655 over the Straits of Hormuz by the US Navy on July 3, 1988. (There are even those who believe the bomb was planted by the South African government to kill Bernt Carlsson, the United Nations Commissioner for Namibia, who was on the doomed flight.)
But justice needed to be seen to be done, and, after years of pressure by the US, Megrahi and his co-defendant, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, based on what many legal experts argue was flimsy evidence, were given up by Colonel Kaddafi to stand trial in the Netherlands. While many of the American relatives of the Pan Am victims are spitting mad at Megrahi’s release, others, including Dr. Jim Swire, who lost a daughter in the atrocity, and who is a strident campaigner for the truth, have been able to see through the emotional mist and believe the Libyan was a fall guy.
Back in Lebanon, nearly five years have passed since the Hariri murder, and, as much as the event served to unite the Lebanese in an unprecedented display of public outrage, one that brought down a government and forced the Syrian regime to withdraw its army after nearly 30 years of occupation, it also proved divisive. Not only did that dramatic spring in 2005 divide Lebanon into two distinct political blocs, it also opened up a debate on the wisdom of going after the truth.
Those who believe in the tribunal, see its establishment as a landmark ruling against the political terror that has blighted Lebanon and other Middle East countries for decades. Others – and we do not include the crackpots whose default position is to blame the Mossad and the CIA for everything – will simply point to the holes in the Lockerbie conviction and predict yet another cover-up. Justice, they will argue, was concocted once and will be concocted again.
Indeed Megrahi’s release will not have helped those who seek to convince the Lebanese that the Special Tribunal is worth it, that it is essential to the development of the modern Middle East. The best we can take away from the affair is to recognize it as a cautionary tale. It is not about the rights and wrongs of the decision taken by the Scottish Justice Minister. It is not about British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s clumsy handling of the matter and it is not about sending a positive signal to terrorists as a handful of US senators and FBI director Robert Mueller have suggested.
It is simply that when the truth is absent, division, heartache and anger remain.

 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 25/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:45-51. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 The ‘demons’ of suspension. By Ahmed Al-Jarallah/Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times 24/08/09
 Lebanon: Beyond the Governmental Predicament. By:Abdullah Iskandar/AlHayat 24.08.09
 The Region: Iran and Syria: So happy together-Jerusalem Post 24/08/09
 Talk peace, don't shake mothballs out of the 'road map. By:Yossi Beilin 24.08.09
A cautionary tale/Now Lebanon/August 24, 2009

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 24/09
 Majority sources respond to Syrian paper’s criticism of Hariri and Sfeir-Now Lebanon
Al-Watan: Stalling cabinet formation could turn into governance crisis/Now Lebanon
 PSP urges all parties to facilitate cabinet formation, warns against Israeli threats/Now Lebanon
Masnaa Security General Officer Beaten Up-Naharnet
Salim Sayegh: Iran exploits Aoun to maintain its place in the region-Future News
 MP. Salim Karam: Sfeir’s stances hostile toward the biggest Christian bloc-Future News
 Sfeir: Experience Has Shown a Cabinet of Pro-Government and Opposition Forces Is Not Encouraging-Naharnet
 'Nasrallah predicts Israel-Hezbollah war before next spring'-Ha'aretz
 Peres: Nasrallah speeches amusing-Ynetnews
 Egypt 'Hezbollah cell' on trial-BBC News
 Egyptian court postpones trial of Hezbollah cell to Oct. 24-Xinhua
 US the key to Syrian rehabilitation: analysts-AFP
 Expect More Adventurism From Iran-Wall Street Journal
 Dubious deals come with the territory-Times Online
 Lebanese Beaten by Skinheads in Germany-Naharnet
 Hizbullah Sees Alloush Claims Not Worthy of Reaction, Military Sources Place them under Political Pressure-Naharnet
 Hariri in Beirut Soon Amid Syrian Criticism to PM-designate, Sfeir-Naharnet
 Aoun: 'Aoun Obstacle' Broke Guinness World Record, Majority Cabinet is Wrong-Naharnet
 Th Incredibly Shrinking War On Terror-Right Side News
 Salloukh denies Peres' claim Hizbullah has 80,000 missiles-Daily Star
Najjar, Bassil trade blame over illegal internet company-Daily Star
 Sfeir reiterates concern over political deadlock-Daily Star
Effort to form cabinet stalls as Ramadan begins, Hariri travels-Daily Star
'Hizbullah cell' accused allege torture in Egypt jail-By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Number of tourists to Lebanon reaches record in July-Daily Star
UNIFIL peacekeeper dies in road accident-Daily Star
 Roumieh guards showed 'negligence' during escape-Daily Star
Erection of checkpoint stokes tensions in Baddawi-Daily Star
Australia announces next ambassador to Lebanon-Xinhua

The ‘demons’ of suspension
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times -Future News
LEBANON has been taking time to form a new government under the pretext of an artificial crisis orchestrated by the ‘demons’ of suspension. Apparently, somebody is cunningly supervising the distribution of certain roles to these demons. By the time MP Michel Aoun comes out to announce his decision regarding the fate of the whole country to satisfy his son-in-law, the ‘orchestra’ of those who are loyal to foreign masters will play perfectly, while waiting for a sign to instruct its tool — the former major general — to stop the farce of suspending the interests of a small Arab country burdened with a number of concerns and cases.
Aoun has turned into a ballerina in the hands of Hassan Nasrallah, who has been sitting in his cellar giving out orders to his followers. This gives him a chance to delay the formation of the Lebanese government while waiting for the outcome of the recent incidents in Tehran, and then the International Court will issue a report on the steps taken towards Lebanon. The court is not dealing with a single assassination case. It has been tasked to look into numerous crimes and the offenders are still free searching for an outlet.
If Aoun, who gained fame by fighting what he calls “the Syrian occupation of Lebanon”, has become a ‘launch pad’ for the Weapons Party leader to fire at everything, allegedly to protect the sovereignty of Lebanon, the general is wrong in case he thinks he has the ability to confront the ‘flood of dreams’ that emerged on June 7, 2009. These dreams include cleansing Lebanon, to totally eradicate the residues of wars and slogans aimed at keeping this country in the tent of the middle ages. It is also pointless to believe that the country will survive through obstinacy.
Aoun considers his victory in the elections as the greatest territorial power. He issued random statements and turned the blood that flowed in the banks of his slogans 20 years ago into fuel for strengthening familial leadership and striking a balance, which would enable him to secure the future of his brother-in-law, nephew, other relatives and friends. However, Aoun’s passion for personal interests blinded him, until he gave up the main purpose of the blood that had been shed previously to win a parliamentary seat. He even went to the extent of embracing things he used to despise, including terrorism.
Lebanon is now the captive of tenders signed in cellars in the southern part of Beirut. Actually, these tenders are fragments of regional and international proposals that Aoun doesn’t really care about. Nevertheless, if the chairman of the military government on Monday bragged about the delayed formation of the government for the sake of the brother-in-law, he will soon discover that the game is bigger than him. He is just a small part of this gargantuan scheme and he will be deleted once the new equations come into play. Aoun tried to cover the real objectives of those who are committed to keep Lebanon in the bargaining market. These people never pondered on the destiny of their homeland and children.
Apparently, they are aware that they cannot deceive anybody through little intrigues and by using the tactics of a former general, who compares politics with an armed attack. His main philosophy in life is based on artillery. He used weapons to push his nation into the unknown. Aoun has done everything to protect the interests of his relatives and heirs, because he knows that the Lebanese elections in 2013 will be totally different from the recently concluded elections, which turned him into one of the most powerful people in his country. The Syrian-Iranian support will not available by that time and he will no longer be visible in the political arena. If we take a closer look at the recent events in Lebanon, we will notice that a politician is always available to serve as a ‘mailbox’ for the territorial entity. The Lebanese postman puts messages inside this mailbox, in the same manner that Nasrallah bombards Aoun’s mailbox with messages, such as the illusory victory!
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com

Lebanon: Beyond the Governmental Predicament
Sun, 23 August 2009 -Daily Star
Abdullah Iskandar/AlHayat
It seems that resolving the crisis of forming the next Lebanese government cabinet will be very difficult, if not impossible. Floating at the surface of the crisis are two issues dominating the concerns of the Prime Minister designate and the political class as a whole, namely the shares of parties and coalitions as well as the names of their representatives in the cabinet, and what is referred to as regional consensus in Lebanon.
These two issues are directly related to the notion of the next government, which has been dubbed the national unity government, meaning that it would include all of the parliamentary coalitions in its ranks. And in order to bring all of those conflicting parties together, regional parties must exercise their influence on those it affects inside the country, through pressures or through guarantees, so that they may sit together.
And thus the matter goes round and round between the two issues. As soon as there appears a breeze of optimism over reaching a possible consensus on shares, it is blown away by the winds of regional divergence, or vice versa. This is accompanied by phenomena that reveal the depth and the roots of the predicament. Indeed, for the sake of a solution, all means are resorted to except that which should alone be the solution, i.e. the constitution. This applies to both the loyalists and the opposition, i.e. to the political class as a whole. If some speak in generalities about the necessity of abiding by constitutional principles, without abiding by them of course, others openly express their disregard for these principles in a crude manner. The degradation of political language is not only indicative of the state of those who use it, but also of the frailty of the relationship between them and the notion of public service, as well as of disengagement within the state, constitutional institutions and the principles by which they function.
Ever since the results of the last parliamentary elections, which dictated a change of cabinet, were made public, and it appeared that the March 14 Alliance had retained a majority in parliament, enabling it to form the next cabinet, both the loyalists and the opposition have behaved as if the national unity government was one of dividing up ministerial portfolios, and not one where the majority invites to minority to participate in government on the basis of a vision and a program it has laid down, and where governmental and political decisions remain in the hands of the party that won the elections, as required by the principles ruling the work of government institutions.
That is the core of the problem, which has snowballed from an obstructing one-third to shares to sovereign ministries to imposing certain names on the Prime Minister designate, who has not made use of his constitutional right to set a program and form a cabinet, but has rather let himself be driven into this endless cycle.
Had Saad Hariri made use of his constitutional rights, like any Prime Minister designate, he would have been confronted with the complex of the cabinet’s faithfulness to the National Pact, as he would not have been able to appoint significant Shiite political figures as ministers without the approval of Hezbollah, the Amal movement, or both, knowing that he is not lacking in either Sunni or Christian cover. Thus the process of forming the national unity government cabinet has gradually turned into one of trade-offs between sects and communities, concealing complex contradictions and calculations, and of increasingly relinquishing constitutional guidelines.
Such a matter reveals that no one, either among the loyalists or in the opposition, is concerned with restoring the dignity of those principles, which were infringed during the period that preceded the elections to avoid the worst, in light of the crises that were raised in the face of the previous government headed by Fouad Siniora and the election of President Michel Suleiman. Taking such distance is linked to fears that ending the crisis might come in the form of a military victory in a civil conflict by the party that is strongest on the ground. This is in fact what the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, has expressed. Indeed, any threat, be it substantial or hypothetical, from an internal party of a military victory in a civil conflict would deepen the crisis over constitutional principles, at it would in itself be a breach of all these principles.
In other words, the current governmental crisis has revealed the regression of unified political standards for all Lebanese, their detachment from the notion of the state and its institutions, and the elimination of the one link between them, which makes every party have its own standards and its own links. It has also revealed the presence of leaders that are strong on the ground and within their sectarian communities, to the point that they impose their political stance and its regional extensions as a priority over the constitutional principles that are usually set down in order to organize disagreements and to have everyone submit to them. Furthermore, it has revealed the lack of statesmen in Lebanon who can overcome the instincts and practices of the street, with what this involves in terms of the coming difficulty, and even the impossibility, of engaging in the process of political and administrative reform which Lebanon needs after years of crises. Because the matter is such, it is better to speak of a sectarian federation government and of leaderships that have imposed their own self-rule, at the expense of the state and the nation, than of a national unity government, where none of the conditions needed to form a cabinet are available. And this is where the crisis lies.

'Hizbullah cell' accused allege torture in Egypt jail
Suspects plead ‘not guilty’ to multiple charges against them
By Agence France Presse (AFP) /Monday, August 24, 2009
Jailan Zayan /Agence France Presse
CAIRO: Twenty-two men, dressed in white and crowded into a cage in a Cairo court, denied charges on Sunday of plotting attacks in Egypt for Lebanon’s Hizbullah, with some alleging torture by police. As the trial began, the alleged members of the cell pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy to murder, spying for a foreign organization with intent of conducting terrorist attacks and weapons possession.” Some of the defendants said they had been tortured in police custody, with one of the men shouting to the judge: “If you don’t believe us, just look at our bodies.”Four more accused are on the run and are being tried in abstentia, including alleged Lebanese mastermind Mohammad Qublan.
The accused include two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians. During the hearing one man shouted, “We are at your command Nasrallah,” in an apparent reference to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who admitted in April that one of the defendants, Lebanese Mohammad Yusuf Ahmad Mansur known as Sami Shihab, was a Hizbullah agent. Nasrallah said Mansur was tasked with smuggling weapons to militants in the Gaza Strip. Family members were barred from attending the hearing. Dozens of relatives stood outside the courtroom under the scorching heat in the hope of getting a glimpse of the defendants they had not seen in months. “We don’t know anything about him. We have not seen him or heard from him in over nine months,” said the mother of Ihab Abdel Hadi, 30, who was arrested from his home in the north Sinai town of Al-Arish in December. Ihab’s wife Dina, 20, wearing a long black gown and niqab slitted to reveal her wet eyes, prayed nearby as she carried her one-year-old son. “He is innocent, totally innocent. He is not into politics. He is a simple builder who only cares about his family,” the softly spoken woman told AFP. As the blue vans carrying the defendants rolled in amid a blare of sirens, female relatives began to wail. “May God punish the punishers,” screamed one woman at the top of her voice. “Show some mercy during [the holy month of] Ramadan,” shouted another. Munira al-Hanafi, the wife of defendant Mossad Abdel Rahman al-Sherif, said her husband had been living in Saudi Arabia for the past two years and only came back to Egypt in April, when he was arrested at the airport. “If he were guilty, would he have come home in the middle of the storm?” she asked, standing next to Mossad’s two sisters who were carrying plastic bags filled with food and drink they hoped to pass on to their brother. Authorities began arresting members of what has become known as the “Hizbullah cell” in 2008, accusing them of plotting attacks against Israeli tourists and on ships in the Suez Canal. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hizbullah’s Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit accusing Iran of using Hizbullah to gain a foothold in Egypt. The next hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Sfeir reiterates concern over political deadlock
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir reiterated his concern about Lebanon’s current political deadlock, saying the formation of a new government was the only way out of the impasse. “Anyone who is obstructing the cabinet formation will answer to God, the homeland and to history,” Sfeir warned in his Sunday sermon. Over the weekend, Christian opposition MPs criticized Sfeir’s call to form a majority cabinet, saying the move “weakened the Lebanese presidency.” Sfeir on Friday urged President Michel Sleiman and Premier-designate Rafik Hariri to form a majority cabinet based on the outcome of the June 7 elections, in which the Hizbullah-led opposition was defeated by March 14 coalition. In comments published on Sunday by Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, Zghorta MP Istfan Doueihi said he shared Sfeir’s regret for the long delay in forming the government. He nevertheless wished Sfeir hadn’t spoken outside the borders of a “consensus democracy,” saying Lebanon was in dire need of it, particularly during such politically trying times. “Bkirki should have been the keeper of consensus democracy and shouldn’t have rushed in issuing statements that are directed at a party representative of a large fraction of the Lebanese people” he said. Doueihi’s said Sfeir should have taken the same stance as Sleiman, who has refused to agree on any cabinet that is not representative of all of Lebanon’s political parties. “Sfeir weakened Lebanese presidency through his statement” Doueihi told the newspaper. Sfeir’s remarks also drew criticism from Reform and Change bloc MP Nabil Nicholas, who said the patriarch’s position was simplistic. “The patriarch is looking at the situation from a single angle” he said, explaining that the opposition March 8 coalition was not linked to Syria or Iran. “We believe in solving our own problems and refuse to be associated with outside countries” he said. Sfeir on Saturday said he regretted the criticism, saying it was difficult enough for people to communicate in the current political climate without having to result to insults and accusations. – The Daily Star

Salloukh denies Peres' claim Hizbullah has 80,000 missiles
‘I don’t know how he counted these rockets … He imagines too much’
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Monday, August 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh on Sunday dismissed remarks by Israeli President Shimon Peres that Hizbullah now possessed 80,000 missiles as “lies.” In comments published Saturday by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, Peres said Israel was aware of around 80,000 missiles belonging to the Shiite group. These missiles “might lead to a disaster for the Lebanese because the last war brought unnecessary calamities to Lebanon,” he said in reference to Tel Aviv’s 34-day war on Lebanon in July-August 2006 which killed roughly 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians. Israeli attacks destroyed much of Lebanon’s infrastructure, with the bombing of the Jiyyeh oil-fuelled power station also causing the country’s worst-ever environmental disaster.
Responding to Peres’ comments, Salloukh dismissed the figure as “lies.” “I don’t know how he counted these rockets,” Salloukh told The Daily Star. Let them [Israel] give us a list showing who the source is and how they identify these rockets. [Peres] imagines too much.”
Salloukh also referred to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s tenth report on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, where he found that “to date, [UN peacekeeping force] UNIFIL has neither been provided with, nor found, evidence of new military infrastructure or the smuggling or arms into” southern Lebanon. Resolution 1701, adopted on August 11, 2006, called for an immediate ceasefire, the disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon, the redeployment of UNIFIL troops, and for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, among other things.
Peres also said he was skeptical about Hizbullah’s “goals and the justifications for its presence,” arguing the group would continue to exist even if Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty desisted. “Hizbullah is working for its own interests and will always find a pretext to continue its policy against Israel, even if the [Israeli Army] withdrew from Shebaa Farms and the Lebanese Ghajar village,” he told the Al-Rai. Reiterating comments made last week about how Lebanon aspired to become the Switzerland of the Middle East, Peres said Lebanon had “instead become the Iran of the region.”
Hizbullah’s creation of a state within a state and its considerable military capabilities have “ruined” Lebanon, Peres said. The Israeli president also claimed Israel was “not interested” in another war with Lebanon, saying problems between the two countries could be ironed out in negotiations. He nevertheless admitted to Israeli spy operations in Lebanon, arguing that “if Hizbullah did not exist, we would not have needed any spy networks.”
For Salloukh, the admission came as no surprise. The Israelis “have planted a good number of spy networks, nobody can deny that,” he said. Lebanese security forces have arrested or detained several dozen individuals on suspicion of spying for Israel’s intelligence services, Mossad, in a high-profile crackdown since the beginning of the year. A number of additional suspected spies have fled to Israel, according to Lebanese officials, who suspect fugitives received Israeli help crossing the heavily guarded border.
Salloukh also said Beirut would never negotiate for a withdrawal from occupied Lebanese land, echoing the official government stance that Lebanon would be the last Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Tel Aviv. “There will be neither direct nor indirect negotiations with Israel,” Salloukh said. “Israel should have withdrawn from the first minute of Resolution 1701. They should implement all UN resolutions,” including those that call for the right of return for Palestinian refugees, he said. When asked if Israel would retaliate against any Hizbullah attack to avenge the 2008 assassination of the group’s military commander Imad Mughniyeh, Peres replied that “obviously if Israel is attacked it will defend itself.” Mughniyeh was killed in a car bombing in Damascus, Syria in February last year. The attack was blamed on Israel although Tel Aviv has denied involvement. In his interview, Peres also referred to the speeches of Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a “source of amusement.” Salloukh meanwhile called Peres “an ageing political leader.”

Najjar, Bassil trade blame over illegal internet company
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and Telecommunication Minister Jebran Bassil traded blame over the weekend regarding the case of the illegal internet and telecommunications company in Barouk. Najjar denied on Saturday that the Justice Ministry had received any reports or information from the Telecommunications Ministry about an Israeli transmission station located in the mountainous region of Barouk. “The Lebanese judiciary did not receive any technical reports or information, either from the Telecommunications Ministry or any other party regarding any Israeli transmission station in Barouk Hill or [that the station was] directing its satellite dishes toward the south [Lebanon] or used sophisticated Israeli-made equipment,” Najjar said. Najjar added that the Barouk internet station had been given a license by former Telecommunications Minister Jean Louis Qardahi in 2004, while former Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh had refused to grant the station domestic interconnection in 2007. In response to Najjar, Bassil stressed that the judicial authorities had been aware of the case since April 2, adding that his ministry had asked the public prosecution for permission to shut down the station and acted accordingly. “The question is not whether the judiciary was aware of the case but rather if the justice minister knew what was happening in the judiciary [institution],” Bassil told An-Nahar newspaper in remarks published on Sunday. Criticizing Najjar for attempting to underestimate the case’s importance, Bassil said the justice minister issued a false statement which said the station was unrelated to the internet but rather operated in television broadcasting. Bassil underscored that after his confirmation, the station had transmitted 300 megabits of internet bandwidth. – The Daily Star, with Naharnet

Sfeir: Experience Has Shown a Cabinet of Pro-Government and Opposition Forces Is Not Encouraging
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said in comments published Monday the formation of a cabinet that includes pro-government and opposition forces was "not encouraging" based on the previous experience. In an interview with al-Massira magazine, Sfeir said: "A government in which a majority rules and the minority opposes will do well."
He added: "However, if a government is formed with one horse in the front and another in the back then the carriage will not be able to move." He said the presence of both pro-government and opposition forces in a future cabinet would lead to "the obstruction and hindrance" of its work. Sfeir insisted that he will continue to "be candid and speak the truth regardless of their words or threats." "The important thing is for the Christians to know where they are headed," he added.
Asked whether he was pleased that March 14 remained a majority in parliament, he said: "To a certain extent the weight did not move to March 8, but we do not know what the future is hiding for us. Isn't it true that a transfer of power means that each of Iran, Syria and the opposition's Palestinians control the Lebanese situation?" He said that the Lebanese expatriates "live in the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe not in Iran." He said that Lebanon had "absolutely no interest" to boycott the West. On Hizbullah's weapons arsenal, Sfeir said "there is no country in the world in which there are armed groups and others unarmed. The people wants to live in a state that treats them equally."
"The issue of weapons is in the hand of the state alone. The problem is that Hizbullah has become stronger than the state forming an abnormal and unnatural situation," he added.
"Is liberation an exclusive right for Hizbullah?" he asked. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 15:33

Hariri in Beirut Soon Amid Syrian Criticism to PM-designate, Sfeir
Naharnet/Premier-designate Saad Hariri is expected to return to Beirut on Monday, a day after Syria's al-Baath newspaper criticized the Mustaqbal movement leader and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. Hariri's close circles told As Safir that the PM-designate is keen on giving dialogue a new chance to reach consensus on a formula acceptable by all sides. They added that Hariri, upon his return to Lebanon, will start a new round of consultations with the opposition, including Aoun, if the FPM leader was responsive. MP Antoine Zahra also told Voice of Lebanon radio on Monday that the premier-designate will make a new suggestion to all parties upon his return to Beirut. Zahra said that Hariri has already consulted several opposition forces on his new plan which is still based on the 15-10-5 formula. Majority sources, meanwhile, criticized al-Baath which slammed Hariri and Sfeir on Sunday. The sources said the daily's report indicates the Syrian regime's attempt to obstruct government formation in Lebanon. Al-Baath also said that there are Egyptian-Saudi efforts to keep the caretaking cabinet headed by Premier Fouad Saniora. The newspaper stressed that Cairo wants to reappoint Saniora. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 10:30

Masnaa Security General Officer Beaten Up
Naharnet/Head of the General Security at the Masnaa border crossing, Maj. Wadih Khater, was beaten up Monday by a group of assailants who intercepted his car in Majdal Anjar.
The state-run National News Agency said a group of young men in four cars intercepted Khater's automobile as he headed to work and beat him up.
It said Khater was taken to the Lebanese-French hospital in nearby Zahle for treatment. NNA said the officer was in 'stable condition." Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 10:17

Aoun: 'Aoun Obstacle' Broke Guinness World Record, Majority Cabinet is Wrong
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said the so-called "Aoun obstacle" has made the world record. "The Aoun knot made Guinness whose officials contacted me to see if they could include it as the world's biggest obstacle," Aoun told his OTV mockingly. He said he hoped that a new government would be achieved during the holy month of Ramadan, pointing that both PM-designate Saad Hariri and caretaker Premier Fouad Saniora have stressed that there is no problem in forming a Cabinet during Ramadan. Aoun hit back at Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir for urging formation of a majority Cabinet. "A majority Cabinet is a wrong principle in Lebanon," Aoun commented. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 08:50

Bassil: We have Made Enough Concessions
Naharnet/Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil said Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has made 'enough concessions" regarding government formation. In remarks published by the daily As-Safir on Monday, Bassil said Aoun has made two concessions to facilitate PM-designate Saad Hariri's task. The first, according to Bassil, was giving up proportional representation and the second was accepting the 15-10-5 Cabinet makeup. Bassil believed that it was now Hariri's turn to offer Aoun similar concessions.
Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 09:14

Hizbullah Sees Alloush Claims Not Worthy of Reaction, Military Sources Place them under Political Pressure
Naharnet/Hizbullah refused to comment on remarks by leading Mustaqbal Movement member Mustafa Alloush who accused Hizbullah of forning militias in Tripoli. "These claims are not worthy of reaction," a Hizbullah source said in remarks published by the daily As-Safir on Monday.
Alloush, also a former MP, said Hizbullah has been trying to "recruit individuals to carry out militia-related activities by paying them sums of money."
Hizbullah already has two groups in Tripoli, he claimed. Alloush warned that Tripoli might witness "a security explosion," the pan-Arab daily quoted him as saying in an interview published Sunday. As-Safir quoted high-ranking military sources as saying that Alloush's statement is "probably not accurate." The sources said they believed Alloush's statement comes within the framework of political pressure. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 11:09

Majority sources respond to Syrian paper’s criticism of Hariri and Sfeir
August 24, 2009 /Now Lebanon/On Monday, sources close to the majority responded to a report by the Syrian ruling party’s Al-Baath newspaper that criticized Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri as a Syrian attempt to meddle with the cabinet formation. Sunday’s Al-Baath described as “questionable” Hariri’s frequent visits to Saudi Arabia while the political situation in the country is unstable. The daily added that “some spiritual leaders’ call for a majority-dominated cabinet while disregarding the opposition was surprising,” an indirect reference to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. The paper also said that Egypt seeks the reappointment of outgoing PM Fouad Siniora, “which is feasible given that Hariri’s current visit to Saudi Arabia is expected to last longer than usual.”

Al-Watan: Stalling cabinet formation could turn into governance crisis
August 24, 2009 /Now Lebanon
The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan warned on Monday that stalling the formation of the Lebanese cabinet could turn into “a governance crisis,” which would negatively affect security and stability in Lebanon, adding that overcoming it would only be possible by taking exceptional measures, such as holding a second Doha Agreement to reach a political settlement or signing a second Taif Accord to amend the Lebanese constitution. Prime Minister-designate Saad “Hariri has a difficult and delicate mission in light of the domestic and regional situation,” the daily said, adding that he remains the main figure with the authority to resolve the cabinet crisis.

PSP urges all parties to facilitate cabinet formation, warns against Israeli threats
August 24, 2009 /Now Lebanon
The Progressive Socialist Party issued a statement on Monday calling for all political parties to facilitate Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s mission to form the new government based on the 15-10-5 cabinet formula. The statement said that the formation of the government should be finalize d in order to properly confront the ongoing Israeli threats, “regardless of the bad sentiments and the best interests of son- in- laws,” a reference to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s demand to reappoint his son-in-law, Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil. The statement warned against Israel’s threats against Lebanon, which, it added, are an interference in domestic affairs and are proof of the Jewish state’s aggressive intentions toward the nation. The statement also said that all parties should make concessions to pave the way for a national-unity cabinet and in order to resolve pending issues, such as Lebanon’s debt and the conflicts within the electricity sector.

Lebanese Beaten by Skinheads in Germany
Naharnet/A young Lebanese man has been beaten up by a group of skinheads in Germany who are known to hate anybody who is different. German police said a group of about 15 skinheads "seeking trouble" attacked three foreigners, including the Lebanese man, 23, as they headed home after a Saturday evening party. A police statement said the reason for the attack remains unknown. It said German police sent reinforcements to the area and arrested 11 people aged between 17 and 22. Beirut, 24 Aug 09, 08:09

A cautionary tale
August 24, 2009
Now Lebanon/The release on compassionate grounds of Abdel Bsat Al-Megrahi, the Libyan security agent who was convicted by a Scottish court of carrying out the bombing on December 21, 1988 of Pan Am flight 103 in which 270 – mostly American – people died, has opened old wounds and created a sense of moral outrage, both among the families of those killed and American and British politicians who believe that allowing him to die at home with his family is a gesture too far.
But for the Lebanese, Megrahi’s release also coincides with the formative stages of another quest for justice: the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, set up to try those charged with the February 14, 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others in a roadside blast near the St. Georges hotel, as well as over a dozen other subsequent political killings. Those who have a chronic distrust for the credibility of such judicial processes have no doubt already pointed to the accusations of backroom trade deals, Megrahi’s claims of innocence and Libya’s recent rehabilitation as reasons why the tribunal cannot avoid being politicized.
Sadly, there were always serious doubts over Megrahi’s conviction. If indeed he was involved, analysts say that he was nothing more than a small piece in a jigsaw puzzle that they believe involved Iran, Syria and operatives of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in an operation to avenge the shooting down of Iran Air flight 655 over the Straits of Hormuz by the US Navy on July 3, 1988. (There are even those who believe the bomb was planted by the South African government to kill Bernt Carlsson, the United Nations Commissioner for Namibia, who was on the doomed flight.)
But justice needed to be seen to be done, and, after years of pressure by the US, Megrahi and his co-defendant, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, based on what many legal experts argue was flimsy evidence, were given up by Colonel Kaddafi to stand trial in the Netherlands. While many of the American relatives of the Pan Am victims are spitting mad at Megrahi’s release, others, including Dr. Jim Swire, who lost a daughter in the atrocity, and who is a strident campaigner for the truth, have been able to see through the emotional mist and believe the Libyan was a fall guy.
Back in Lebanon, nearly five years have passed since the Hariri murder, and, as much as the event served to unite the Lebanese in an unprecedented display of public outrage, one that brought down a government and forced the Syrian regime to withdraw its army after nearly 30 years of occupation, it also proved divisive. Not only did that dramatic spring in 2005 divide Lebanon into two distinct political blocs, it also opened up a debate on the wisdom of going after the truth.
Those who believe in the tribunal, see its establishment as a landmark ruling against the political terror that has blighted Lebanon and other Middle East countries for decades. Others – and we do not include the crackpots whose default position is to blame the Mossad and the CIA for everything – will simply point to the holes in the Lockerbie conviction and predict yet another cover-up. Justice, they will argue, was concocted once and will be concocted again.
Indeed Megrahi’s release will not have helped those who seek to convince the Lebanese that the Special Tribunal is worth it, that it is essential to the development of the modern Middle East. The best we can take away from the affair is to recognize it as a cautionary tale. It is not about the rights and wrongs of the decision taken by the Scottish Justice Minister. It is not about British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s clumsy handling of the matter and it is not about sending a positive signal to terrorists as a handful of US senators and FBI director Robert Mueller have suggested.
It is simply that when the truth is absent, division, heartache and anger remain.