LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 12/09

Bible Reading of the day
Paul's Letter to the Galatians/1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Aoun in Damascus: I am Syria’s favorite/Future News/December 11/09
Appointment in Damascus/By: Michael Young/ December 11/09
The last chance saloon/By The Daily Star/December 11/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 11/09
NBP: Politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate/Future News
Hariri Government Wins Parliament Vote of Confidence/Naharnet
Hariri's Cabinet wins record number of confidence votes/Daily Star
Hariri makes statement following three-day parliamentary session on Thursday/Now Lebanon
Sami Gemayel: 6th Clause is Illegal, Tells Hizbullah it Can't Impose its Ideas on its Foes/Naharnet
Israeli Army Simulates Combat Scenarios against Syria, Hizbullah/Naharnet
Ghajar Residents Protest Town's Division, Referendum Law Hampers Pullout from Shabaa

Gemayel: Our Trust in Hariri is Immense, But We Reject 'Arms Article'/Naharnet
Alain Aoun: the “General” didn’t complain about Berry in Damascus/Future News
Four reasons make Syrian “summons” illegal/Now Lebanon
Gemayel: utter confidence in Premier Hariri/Now Lebanon
Fattoush Votes 'No Confidence', Slams Hariri, March 14/Naharnet
Syrian Former Political Prisoners Demand in Beirut to Halt Torture in Syrian Prisons/Naharnet
Suleiman Urges International Community to Pressure Israel
/Naharnet
Abu Jamra: Aoun Violated FPM Rules of Procedure by Nominating Non-FPM Ministers
/Naharnet
Sultan Yaqoub Explosion Remains Mysterious, Military Source: Lebanese Army Has No Access to Area
/Naharnet
Justice Ministry to Deal with Syrian Warrants 'Legally'
/Naharnet
Bellemare cites progress in Hariri murder case/Daily Star/Daily Star
Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia soon/Now Lebanon
Fayyad says Gemayel’s speech in parliament is positive/Now Lebanon
Israeli official says Turkey thwarted Hizbullah attack - Haaretz
Hamade denounces Sayyed's 'theatrical' Syrian lawsuit/Daily Star
Lieberman indicates imminent withdrawal from north Ghajar/Daily Star
Real economy shrinking in Lebanon, Jordan/Daily Star
Lebanese University launches courses in forest-fire management/Daily Star
Islamist sleeper cells 'operating' in Ain al-Hilweh/AFP
Bookstore draws on biblical inspiration to preserve culture of Beirut/Daily Star
Men brought on board in efforts to fight gender violence/Daily Star
Lebanon prevents science ship from studying marine ecosystem/Daily Star


Hariri Government Wins Parliament Vote of Confidence

/Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his 30-member Government won the Parliament's vote of confidence with the majority of 122 votes out of possible 128.
The sixth and final session of debate on a vote of confidence kicked off at 6:00pm of Thursday evening. After consulting PM Saad Hariri in the morning session, Speaker Nabih Berri said: "The night will extend till its end," signaling the session would remain open till MPs finish their debates and vote on confidence in government.
The evening session kicked off with the statement of MP Assem Qanso who said: "Israel cannot do anything against Lebanon in presence of the resistance. International resolutions did not give any result and the resistance is what liberated Lebanon.""I, the Maronite Christian Lebanese Arab, grandson of Patriarch Estefan Doueihy, declare my pride to be a part of our people's resistance in the South. Can one renounce what guarantees his rights?" said MP Estefan Doueihy.
The session took an escalatory direction when MP Nicolas Fattoush denied the government his vote of confidence and slammed its premier Saad Hariri and the March 14 coalition he was a part of in Zahleh constituency as they won the June 7 parliamentary elections. Fattoush addressed Hariri by saying: "When I met with you, you told me that those objecting on designating me as minister were the president, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel. I asked you then whether you object on designating me and you answered that you have allies whom you can't abandon. I then answered: You have abandoned me.""My brothers in March 14 have tusks that are harsher than the tusks of wolves," said Fattoush, slamming his previous allies. On other hand, Fattoush was interrupted by his colleagues MPs Serge Toursarkissian and Ahmed Fatfat who addressed Fattoush by saying "all of this for a (ministerial) seat."
After Fattoush's statement, MP Boutros Harb asked Speaker Nabih Berri to delete "insults" against Hariri and March 14 from the parliamentary session minutes. Berri answered by reassuring Harb that what was considered as insulting was already deleted. Earlier, Change and Reform bloc's MP Ghassan Mokheiber was the first to speak in morning's session, he said security should be a priority for government's missions, and called for an agreement on "a defensive strategy that protects the citizen."
Mokheiber called on each of President Suleiman and PM Hariri to establish a state ministry for human rights affairs, tasked with one mission: implementing the compliances of the national bill for human rights. He added that there will be no reform in Lebanese-Syrian relations unless the case of "the missing in Syrian jails" gets solved.
AMAL's MP Abdul Majid Saleh wished "if only the government had met Speaker Nabih Berri midway, when he called for the formation of the National Commission for the Abolition of Political Sectarianism."On his part, Lebanese Forces' MP George Adwan said: "Christians consider that abolishing political sectarianism is an abolishing of equal Christian-Muslim powersharing and for their very existence in Lebanon, especially under circumstances where the State has not extended its authority on all territories and where there is a party that is illegally armed."MP Sami Gemayel told Hizbullah lawmakers that they can't impose their ideas on him or his Phalange party and criticized the policy statement's 6th clause for allegedly being adopted under the force of arms. In his statement to parliament, Gemayel considered the sixth clause illegal "because it was adopted under the pressure of May 7 and weapons." "No matter what your or our ideas are, you can't impose your ideas on us," the MP said, addressing Hizbullah legislators. The young lawmaker also said that Palestinian arms have no justification in Lebanon. Furthermore, he called for improved ties with Syria after solving several issues, including the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria and demarcation of the border. Thursday's sessions also witnessed statements by MPs Hussein al-Mussawi, Abbas Hashem, Simon Abi Ramia, Walid Khoury, Nayla Tueiny, Michel Helou, Anwar al-Khalil, Mohammed Kabbara, Antoine Zahra, Mohammed Raad, and Fouad Saniora. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 23:25

4000 Hizbullah and Hamas members training in Iran

Date: December 10th, 2009
Source: Nablus TV
An Israeli Intelligence report titled “Iran in Numbers” said that Iran’s danger is not limited to the Zionist enemy or Middle East but the whole world.
The report assured that Hamas and Hizbullah are receiving Iranian support to confront Israel, adding that 900 member of Hamas and 3000 Hizbullah cadets received military training in Iran.
The Israeli report noted that Iran provided Hamas with missiles of sixty miles range, and could reach Tel Aviv if launched from Gaza, adding that the funding provided by Iran to Hamas each year amounts to about $30 million, as 50 other million dollars were granted following the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections year 2006, to strengthen its position and military capabilities at the same time.
Iran also funds Hizbullah an amount of $ 200 million annually, in addition to $ 300 million after the 2006 July war.

Aoun in Damascus: I am Syria’s favorite

Date: December 11th, 2009
Future News
“How do the March 8 rivals read MP Michel Aoun's visit to Syria?”
This question has been raised among many political March 8 closed round-tables, while big questions marks are being drawn regarding the timing of the General’s meeting with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as it’s being said this meeting carries concealed and veiled signals.
Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil headed to Syria on the night before the new government was formed, along with Bassil’s Godfather Michel Samaha.
What’s been circulating lately is that Bassil’s visit to Damascus paved way for Aoun-Assad’s meeting.
Sources in the majority hinted that Bassil, on the sidelines of his visit, met high-ranking Syrian officials, While New TV reported that former Cabinet Minister Michel Samaha accompanied Bassil to Damascus where the two held a number of meetings with Syrian officials in an effort to settle the dispute over the ministerial portfolios allocated to Aoun.
Aoun’s decision to send his son in law to Damascus back then resulted of the General’s anxiety emerging of his feeling that The Marada movement Leader MP Sleiman Franjiyeh was assigned the role as Damascus mediator and godfather to the Syrian role in the formation of the Lebanese government.
Aoun felt very angry as he sensed Franjiyeh was trying to take his role; especially that he was commissioned by Syria and the parliamentary minority to be the negotiator who will form the government in the minorities’ name.
It is no longer a secret that conflicts emerged within the opposition ranks out of Aoun’s act while talks about alienation between Aoun and Franjieh spread and led Franjiyeh to break his mediation role and his efforts to produce a national unity government from his position as a close ally to Syria.
Furious Aoun decided to cut the road on Assad by sending Bassil to Syria under a veiled title, as Bassil claimed his visit was to pay condolences to Syrian Presidential Political and Media Advisor Buthaina Shaaban for the death of her mother.
However, the real title for this visit was in fact nothing but the General sending a message, “If President Assad wants to buy my approval over the cabinet line-up, then I am the only one who sells it to him,” thus slamming Franjiyeh’s mediation and demanding to stay Syria’s number one man.
Bassil and Samaha arranged a meeting for the General with the Syrian President, so that Aoun can finally get relieved of his worries and anxieties not only toward his Christian opponents, but also toward his Christian Allies, and Marada Leader Sleiman Franjiyeh on top of the list.
In other Words, Aoun’s visit to Syria came to declare “I am still Syria’s favorite and number one Man,” and this is what the Free Patriotic Movement sources tried to slip to the media, by quoting Assad accrediting Aoun for finalizing the cabinet formation and recounting the General’s actions as national and wise.
Aoun’s wish came true as Syria responded to his claims and declared its message to the public reassuring the General he is still its favorite puppet.
Returning to the FPM leader choice of Samaha to accompany Bassil, especially that he sent after the former Minister from France to go along with his son in law, First of all, it is to note Samaha is not a Maronite, thus there is no way he would compete with the General or Bassil in the future for any political post especially the presidency.
Second of all, Samaha has been reported to be working on the course of the relationship between the Syrian leadership and Paris, thus in Aoun’s eyes, Samaha could turn into an intersection point serving not only the General’s interests inside Syria, but also within the bilateral French – Syrian relationships.
Sources have been reporting another task is assigned to Samaha, and it is to arrange the General a meeting with the French Leadership and President Nicolas Sarkozi in particular.
Going back to Aoun’s visit to Damascus, Sources has also revealed Samaha advised Aoun to follow the following terms in his visit:
First, the General shouldn’t accompany his Son in law with him so that the conflict between Bassil and FPM MPs Alain Aoun and Ibrahim Kanaan doesn’t expand, especially as the two deputies accuse Aoun of favoring his son in law over them at the expense of their roles as activists in the Change and Reform Bloc.
Second, Samaha alerted Aoun Syria doesn’t want to take part in the internal FPM conflicts, as it prefers Aoun’s visit to be accepted of all the movement’s rivals.
Third, Samaha advised Aoun to accompany with him a delegation of the FPM regulatory cadre, to cut any Syrian talk asserting the General’s relationship with Damascus is not getting the enthusiastic of the movement’s internal cadre.
On March 14, 1989, after a Syrian attack on the Baabda presidential palace and on the Lebanese Ministry of Defense in Yarze, Aoun declared Liberation war against the Syrian army which was better armed than the Lebanese forces (some 40,000 Syrian troops were in Lebanon at the time). Over the next few months Aoun's army and the Syrians exchanged artillery fire in Beirut until only 100,000 people remained from the original 1 million, the rest fled the area.

Four reasons make Syrian “summons” illegal

Date: December 11th, 2009
Future News
Justice ministry received, on Tuesday via the foreign ministry, a letter from the Syrian embassy in Beirut that carries the number 156\2009 dated December 8 with attached summons warrants against 25 Local officials.
The summons was issued by the Syrian prosecutor general on November 23 according to a lawsuit filed by Jamil Sayed against Lebanese and Syrian officials.
Lebanese justice ministry issued a statement declaring that it is scrutinizing this issue and will deal with it from a judiciary perspective and would take the appropriate legal action accordingly.
The ministry asked the legislative and consultative commission for advice on the Syrian letter and the demands and summons it included in order to make the proper response.
A judicial source told the almustaqbal.org that the legislative and consultative commission has finalized its primary deliberations on the first warrant sent from Syrian prosecutor general to Lebanese Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza directly.
The source confirmed the illegality of the Syrian warrant for several reasons:
* The warrant was not delivered through legal channels because of the lack of coherence between the lawsuit filed against Syrian former Vice President Abdulhalim Khaddam and Mohammad Zuhair el-Siddik Syrian nationals, and that filed against Lebanese officials.
* Filing a criminal suit by a Lebanese against a fellow national regarding a crime that was committed on the Lebanese territory is not a jurisdiction of the Syrian judiciary.
* The warrant did not respect the political, judicial and functional immunity of the people against who the lawsuits were filed. It also did not respect the criterion that must be followed in informing them.
* The way the warrants were issued contradicts the provisions of Syrian-Lebanese judicial cooperation provisions regardless of the titles or posts of the people against whom the suits were files.

NBP: Politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate
Date: December 11th, 2009/Source: NNA
The National Bloc Party (NBP) said Thursday that legitimizing the arms of the resistance gives Israel the pretext to launch an aggression against Lebanon, the State-run National News Agency reported. “The Lebanese politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate,” added the party in a statement issued after the meeting of its executive committee headed by former MP Carlos Edde. The party asserted that the sovereignty cannot be fragmented and the state has the exclusive right of possessing arms as the violation of this rule would be considered treason in a respectable state. The party alliance called for the rapid formation of the national committee in charge of disarming militias “instead of the national dialogue table that lost its principle role.” According to the statement, the visit of Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun to Syria contradicts his previous criticisms for these unofficial visits, “the visit unveils the conduct of the Syrian regime vis-à-vis Lebanon in spite of the diplomatic exchange.”

Covert alliances in the LAU elections

Date: December 10th, 2009
Future News
The students of the Lebanese American University are pursuing their preparations in the campuses of Beirut and Byblos for the student council elections that will occur on Friday.
These elections witnessed a sweeping victory for the students of the March 14 coalition, but this year a prominent part of the alliance, the students of Progressive Youth Organization announced their withdrawal from the competition in Byblos following the directives of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, while they named two independent candidates for the Business faculty of Beirut.
The candidates of other sides in the university are still undecided, as the coordinators of each political organization refuse to unveil the number or names of their nominees.
Student sources told almustaqbal.org that “the March 8 coalition named a complete list of six students for the Arts and Sciences faculty and only four for the Business faculty leaving two vacant seats for the “progressive” students.”
The environment of the university points to a covert alliance between the Socialists and Syria’s allies, as at the end of their meeting, the PYO students came out to cheer MP Jumblatt and received instantaneously welcoming applaud from the March 8 students sitting next to the upper gate of the university. The circle or applauds expanded then to include Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Dr. Samir Geagea.
On the other hand, the students of the March 14 coalition decided not to name any candidate, according to informed sources, and preferred to back “Voice of the Silent Majority” list that includes independent candidates with academic aim that serve the interests of the students and of the university in general.”
As for the campus of Byblos where the 12 seats are distributed on four faculties: 3 for the Arts and Sciences, 3 for the Business, 3 for the Engineering and 3 for the Pharmacy, the competition seems boiling especially after the violent events between the students last month.
In this campus, the candidates of the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah, the Amal Movement and the Marada Movement compete against the candidates of the Lebanese Forces Party, the Kataeb Party and Almustaqbal Movement.
Dean of student Dr. Tarek Nawas said that “the cause behind the postponement of these elections from November 13 to this Friday is the tense atmosphere of the country in the previous period on the sidelines of the impediment of the government formation.”
Nawas also noted that the violent events between the students in Byblos campus forced the administration to forbid electoral campaigns in both campuses this year.
But these events did not affect security measures on the day of the elections, according to Nawas, “members of the interior security and the Lebanese Army will ensure the security of the gates, while the security personnel of the university will be in charge of ensuring a proper electoral operation inside.”
The Dean of students specified the location of ballots this year, as the male students of the Arts and Sciences will vote in the LRC building, while this faculty’s females cast the ballots at the Gulbenkian amphitheatre leaving the Irwin auditorium to the students of the Business faculty.
Dr. Nawas stressed his confidence in the students, and hoped for “a democratic environment in these elections, as the winning students will represent all the students of the university not a specific side.”
Fouad Imad Chehab

Fattoush Votes 'No Confidence', Slams Hariri, March 14

Naharnet/MP Nicolas Fattoush on Thursday denied the government his vote of confidence and slammed its premier Saad Hariri and the March 14 coalition he was a part of in Zahleh constituency as they won the June 7 parliamentary elections. Fattoush addressed Hariri by saying: "When I met with you, you told me that those objecting on designating me as minister were the president, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel. I asked you then whether you object on designating me and you answered that you have allies whom you can't abandon. I then answered: You have abandoned me."Zahleh's MP accused Hariri of not keeping up his promises and added: "That justifies denying you my confidence, with my due love and respect to some ministers." Fattoush described the government as being sponsored by foreign regional powers. "My brothers in March 14 have tusks that are harsher than the tusks of wolves," said Fattoush, slamming his previous allies. Fattoush added that Zahleh contributed in achieving the goals of March 14 and was paid back by "the hijacking of its dream by March 14 leaders." The inflamed MP described the ministerial Policy Statement as "surrealistic," and slammed the concept of voicing reservations by some ministers while asking the parliament for its confidence based on the same statement. On other hand, Fattoush was interrupted by his colleagues MPs Serge Toursarkissian and Ahmed Fatfat who addressed Fattoush by saying "all of this for a (ministerial) seat."After Fattoush's statement, MP Boutros Harb asked Speaker Nabih Berri to delete "insults" against Hariri and March 14 from the parliamentary session minutes. Berri answered by reassuring Harb that what was considered as insulting was already deleted. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 21:57

Abu Jamra: Aoun Violated FPM Rules of Procedure by Nominating Non-FPM Ministers

Naharnet/Former Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Issam Abu Jamra considered that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun had violated FPM's rules of procedure by nominating two ministers from outside the Free Patriotic Movement, clarifying that the rules of procedure put by Aoun himself prohibit that.In an interview with Al-Afkar weekly magazine, Abu Jamra said he conducted a "frankness" meeting with Aoun, but stressed that "the ball now is in Rabiyeh's court."He reiterated his demand to hold a meeting for the founding committee of the FPM to discuss a vote of no confidence in appointing two ministers from outside the party. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 17:16

Gemayel: Our Trust in Hariri is Immense, But We Reject 'Arms Article'

Naharnet/Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said that "the current situations are critical and tough, and the challenges are huge," and asserted "the party's solidarity with PM Saad Hariri and with Phalange's representative in the cabinet Minister Salim al-Sayegh."However, Gemayel expressed "the party's objection on article six of the ministerial Policy Statement related to Hizbullah's arms."In a press conference he held Thursday in Phalange's Central House in Saifi, Gemayel said: "On the eve of granting the vote of confidence in the government, we reiterate for one last time the party's stance rejecting to any principle that believes in two states on Lebanese soil; and in two armies and two authorities. Regarding trust in government, our stance is clear and our trust is immense in its premier, but we reiterate our rejection for the arms article."On the other hand, Gemayel pointed at "the democracy found inside Phalange Party through freely exchanging opinions in the meetings of the political bureau which takes the final decision in all issues." Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 17:38

Syrian Former Political Prisoners Demand in Beirut to Halt Torture in Syrian Prisons

Naharnet/Syrian former political prisoners called on the United Nations on Thursday to uncover the fate of thousands of Arabs who have gone missing in Syria and are believed to have been jailed without charge. "We call for the formation of a committee to investigate the Syrian regime's persistent violation of human rights and the enforced disappearance of thousands of Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians at the hands of the regime," Syrian dissident Mamoun Homsi told a Beirut news conference. A former member of parliament, Homsi was sentenced to five years in prison in 2001 for "attempting to overthrow the regime" and now lives in Lebanon with his family. He and other members of the Beirut-based Committee of Torture Victims in the Prisons of the Syrian Regime also displayed torture methods they said are used in Syrian prisons, including a chair frame, whips and electric cables. "We are trying to get the message out to the world, that the human rights situation in Syria is deteriorating," Homsi told AFP. "There are 1,000 intelligence branches in Syria that use methods of torture on people who did nothing but express their opinion or demand basic rights," he said. New York-based Human Rights Watch released what it said was a partial list on Thursday of detainees in one of Syria's largest prisons, at Saydnaya just north of the capital Damascus, whose families have been unable to obtain word of their whereabouts for 18 months. The watchdog said it had documented the torture of inmates in the prison.(AFP) Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 19:20

Sharaa: Accusations against Syria of Hariri Crime Backfired on Them

Naharnet/Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said accusations by many against Syria saying it stands behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Assassination have "backfired on them."He told a Progressive National Front meeting in Damascus on Wednesday that Syria has succeeded in overcoming "all the crises that hit it since 2003."He expressed hope that formation of a Lebanese national unity government would "open the way to build a positive Syrian-Lebanese relationship."Sharaa pointed out that Syria has worked to fill the "strategic vacuum" after the war on Iraq by strengthening ties with Iran and establishing a strategic relationship with Turkey. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 08:35

Sami Gemayel: 6th Clause is Illegal, Tells Hizbullah it Can't Impose its Ideas on its Foes

Naharnet/MP Sami Gemayel told Hizbullah lawmakers on Thursday that they can't impose their ideas on him or his Phalange party and criticized the policy statement's 6th clause for allegedly being adopted under the force of arms.In his statement to parliament during a debate on the government's policy statement, Gemayel considered the sixth clause illegal "because it was adopted under the pressure of May 7 and weapons.""No matter what your or our ideas are, you can't impose your ideas on us," the MP said, addressing Hizbullah legislators.
The young lawmaker also said that Palestinian arms have no justification in Lebanon. Furthermore, he called for improved ties with Syria after solving several issues, including the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria and demarcation of the border. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 14:55

Israeli Army Simulates Combat Scenarios against Syria, Hizbullah

Naharnet/The Israeli army carried out two separate defense exercises this week, including simulation of war with Syria and Hizbullah, Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday.
During the drills dozens of reserve officers were mobilized and included scenarios in which ballistic missiles with conventional and non-conventional warheads landed in Israeli cities, Haaretz said. According to Haaretz, the first drill was carried out by the Home Front Command and included the emergency rapid distribution of gas masks, in the event of a threat. Israeli army officials emphasized that the exercise did not involve the deployment of forces in the field. The second drill was held by the Paratroops Brigade in northern Israel and simulated various combat scenarios against Syria and Hizbullah. One drill with live munitions took place on the Golan Heights and involved tank, artillery, sappers and Israel Air Force combat aircraft and helicopters, according to Haaretz. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 07:48

Ghajar Residents Protest Town's Division, Referendum Law Hampers Pullout from Shabaa

Naharnet/Ghajar residents staged a demonstration on Friday to protest the division of their border town in the wake of ongoing international efforts to secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Lebanese part of the town.
The demo began at 10:30am after men roamed the streets of Ghajar broadcasting a call to protest via loudspeakers.
About 500 residents gathered in the town's square, then marched up toward the street where U.N. Spanish troops are stationed and handed them a letter calling on U.N. chief Ban ki-Moon to reject Ghajar's division.
The letter also urged Ban to keep Ghajar committed to U.N. Security Council Res. 242. The protest coincided with Israeli military activity across both sides of Ghajar, local press reported.
The Secretary for the town council Hussein Khatib also read a statement in which he stressed Ghajar was Syrian.
"Ghajar is Syrian, it's people are Syrian and its land is Syrian," Khatib said.
The statement said Ghajar residents reject an Israeli decision to withdraw from the northern part of the town, adding that the town's division was "just like separating the son from his father or the daughter from her mother."
The demo came in the wake of an Israeli announcement that the withdrawal from Ghajar depends on the new Lebanon government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee earlier this week that he was discussing a withdrawal from the northern half of Ghajar with UNIFIL.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, also said during talks with his Italian counterpart late Wednesday that Israel could pullout from the northern part of Ghajar "very soon."
"But this depends on the new Lebanese government," he added.
Meanwhile, a "Referendum Law" the Knesset voted to advance on Wednesday is likely to hamper an Israeli pullout from Shabaa Farms.
The "Referendum Law" would restrict the Israeli government's freedom of action in negotiations with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon by making it harder to cede East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights or even Shabaa Farms, whether unilaterally or by agreement. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 07:32

Hariri's Damascus Visit Not Yet Known, Delay Tied to Syrian Warrants

Naharnet/Preparations were underway for Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Syria, but the date of the trip is still unknown.
An-Nahar daily, however, said the visit is likely to take place on Monday although several media sources believed that the issue of Syrian warrants against Lebanese officials in Jamil Sayyed's case has created what they described as a "sudden barrier" for Hariri's trip.
Among these sources was LBC TV which reported Thursday evening that Hariri has sent an indirect message to Damascus via Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh associating his visit with revoking of all Syrian warrants.
It said Lebanese parties in touch with Damascus informed Hariri that the warrants are likely to be withdrawn in conjunction with the visit.
Well- informed sources, however, ruled out the possibility that Hariri has demanded that the warrants be canceled.
At the same time, they believed the measure was a "discouraging signal" for the improvement of Syrian-Lebanese relations.
An-Nahar said Hariri, who will head the Lebanese delegation to the Copenhagen Conference on Tuesday, is likely to visit Saudi Arabia over the weekend ahead of his Damascus trip. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 09:04

Appointment in Damascus

Michael Young, December 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/You have to hand it Michel Aoun; he knows how to provoke. Only days after Jamil as-Sayyed, the former head of the General Security directorate, asked Syria’s judiciary to bring in for questioning several Lebanese politicians, judicial officials and journalists whom he accused of slandering him, Aoun headed up to Damascus for a photo op with Bashar al-Assad. Better still, he was delivered on Assad’s private airplane.
The photograph itself was interesting: Assad shaking Aoun’s hand, gripping his elbow with overstated conviviality, on the esplanade outside the presidential palace built for the Syrians by Rafik al-Hariri in the 1980s; and Aoun, staring straight ahead with inexpressive mien, caught, mid-shutter, between stupefaction and a tentative smile.
The rest of the Aoun visit was filler. Assad had gotten what he wanted. Proof positive that he can divide the Lebanese by playing their politicians off against each other; proof, too, that a major Christian representative will readily ignore the Sayyed incident, a ploy designed to ensure that Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, when he ascends to Damascus, will do so with the added humiliation of knowing that Syria’s judiciary is taking Sayyed’s side on the matter of his father’s assassination. And proof, lastly, that the frequent visit with Bashar al-Assad is again a necessary passage for Lebanese leaders, when there were those who thought (how naively) that that sort of thing was over after the Independence Intifada of 2005.
It would be unfair to blame Aoun alone for this. Saad al-Hariri, too, realizes that his Damascus visit is inevitable, now that Saudi Arabia and Syria have reconciled. He, apparently, informed Sleiman Franjieh Wednesday that he would arrive with several of those individuals whom Sayyed named in his legal case, his way of obliging the Syrian regime to clarify their status beforehand. But Hariri will still have to shake the hand of the Syrian president, whose regime is the only serious culprit in Rafik al-Hariri’s murder, and he may well do so in the palace his father built.
Then there is Walid Jumblatt. Talk that Jumblatt would be the first to visit Syria was idle. No doubt the Druze leader would have liked to be first, but he also knew this was never likely. “Too much has passed between me and Syria,” he often says. On many an occasion Syrian spokespersons, official and unofficial, have indicated that the Assad regime would, henceforth, deal with Taymour Jumblatt, who returned to Lebanon last summer. For Walid, the eventual handover to his son requires, above all, reconciliation with Damascus, because Taymour could not long last against Syria, and because Syria contains a significant number of Druze whose support the Jumblatts must count upon.
Two Christian politicians, Amin Gemayel and Michel al-Murr, also revealed some time ago that they would make their way to Damascus, padding this eventuality with a bodyguard of explanations and provisos that they may or may not respect. Both men have good reasons to plan a Damascus junket, not least the fact that they have sons who are physically vulnerable and politically ambitious. Here we have the two sides of Syrian leverage in Lebanon: intimidation and the ability to promote or demote.
There was a time when Syria’s intelligence officers stationed in Lebanon used the appointment as an instrument of power. If you were a politician, or just someone meriting Syrian attentions, you might be urged by an intermediary to make an informal call on Ghazi Kanaan or his successor, Ruston Ghazali, in Aanjar. There you could be kept waiting, quite as informally, for several hours, until all self-esteem evaporated. The more experienced would wait at Hannouch’s on the Damascus road, asking to be summoned once Kanaan or Ghazali was ready to receive them.
Then there was the appointment in Damascus. The late Hafez al-Assad ran Lebanon like a baronial province, where selected subordinates, civilian and military, would each run their Lebanese politicians as they saw fit, while parallel lines of authority ran down from Damascus to Beirut, Assad the ultimate arbiter, using everyone against everyone. To visit Damascus was fairly easy, but to be granted an audience with the president was altogether different – an occasion for him to send a strong message, advance a politician or issue a threat or reprimand. No doubt we shall soon have to decipher more regularly the subtleties of the unwritten code of Syrian appointments. Observers will watch to see whether politicians drive or fly up to Damascus; whether they attend a lunch or earn no more than coffee and a glass of water; whether they meet with Bashar in person or are passed off to a high-level or mid-level nonentity, or, worse, are asked to deal through the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, the invisible man whose presence is detectable only by the displacement of air occurring when he slides by.
The road to Damascus from Beirut is open; but the real story is that the road from Damascus to Beirut is also open, and is being widened. It was the road taken by tanks and car-bombs. Now it will be backed up with far more dangerous contraptions: craven Lebanese politicians.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut.


Hariri makes statement following three-day parliamentary session on Thursday

December 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/
Prime Minister Saad Hariri made a statement on Thursday night before the vote of confidence was held after a three-day parliamentary session convened to discuss the Ministerial Statement. Hariri said that the MPs’ comments on the document exhibited “our democratic parliamentary system.”
Hariri stressed that while the Ministerial Statement is used as a reference to resolve disputed issues, dialogue remains the main means to deal with settling controversial topics. The PM emphasized that “these issues should not become a reason for division in the country.”
“We do not want to turn our Ministerial Statement into a list of promises… but a clear and responsible vow to all that we will not repeat previous experiences of having the ruling party and an opposition within one cabinet,” Hariri said.
Hariri also said that the cabinet is one of national agreement, adding that “the moment the government turns into a cabinet of national disagreement and sectarian fronts, I will be the first one to withdraw the vote of confidence from my cabinet and myself.”
He stressed that the government should not only work on implementing balanced development, but it should also seek having “balanced [national] belonging. We are born into our sects [and] we are affiliated with our parties, but we belong first and foremost to our state.”
He added that such an approach would turn the national-consensus government into a “national conciliation cabinet.”
In his speech, Hariri stressed on the following points:
1- We all agree on the need to confront Israel’s threats and violations and to defend our national rights. That is what we have stressed on in Article 6 – that pertains to Hezbollah and its arms – and that does not annul the role of the state and the military institution in defending Lebanon. The government is fully committed to enhancing the army’s capabilities so it can shoulder its national responsibilities.
2- We have stressed in the Ministerial Statement that we should adopt Arab solidarity away from the politics of regional axes to better serve our national interests. As such, we will enhance our relationship with other Arab states, and we specifically look forward to establishing brotherly relations with Syria. 3- I stress on our role to respect the constitution, democratic principles and implement the Taif Accord.
4- The cabinet will focus on the people’s priorities. Some parties described our program as ambitious, however, I can say that it remains feasible.
Hariri concluded his speech and said, “People want to have electricity, a clean environment, clean water, equal access to education and health and a conclusion to the issue of those displaced” by wars.
“People want a cabinet that can competently manage its public affairs and that allows the participation of youth and women in state administrations,” he added.
-NOW Lebanon

Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia soon

December 11, 2009
An anonymous source told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida published on Friday that he expects Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia “very soon.”
Preparations for the trip have begun months ago, said the source, adding, “Ever since Prime Minister Saad Hariri was appointed to form the cabinet.” However, all Lebanese parties were waiting for the formation of a national-unity government and for its vote of confidence, he explained. “Damascus played a pivotal role in convincing Saudi Arabia to host Aoun,” he said, highlighting that the FPM leader discussed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad the issue during the former’s visit to Damascus on Wednesday.
-NOW Lebanon

Fayyad says Gemayel’s speech in parliament is “positive”

December 11, 2009
In an interview with Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel’s speech commenting on the Ministerial Statement on Thursday was “positive.”Gemayel’s speech showed that his party is ready for dialogue and that it recognizes other Lebanese parties, said Fayyad.
However, he added that there were two points in Gemayel’s speech that he did not agree with.
“First, Gemayel considered Syria’s presence in Lebanon as an occupation, which will negatively affect the establishment of good relations between the two countries. Second, Gemayel said that the Taif Accord was imposed by pro-Syrian parties and that Christians were not free [to oppose the agreement at the time],” Fayyad told the daily.
-NOW Lebanon

This is doable

Now Lebanon/December 10, 2009
A French traffic policeman trains his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut this year as part of a traffic accident reduction program. (AFP/Joseph Barrak)
Ziad Baroud has made a name for himself as something of a popular reformer: the people’s minister. In the previous government, the youthful Interior Minister (he is not yet 40) went about setting an example of efficiency by making sure parliamentary elections were held on one day, rather than spread over four weekends. But what really caught the public imagination was the move that allowed Lebanese to delete their religion from the national register and his efforts to give Lebanese mothers married to foreigners the right to pass their nationality to their children. Both were seen as the first shots in the battle to chip away at Lebanon’s corrosive sectarian influence.
Now Baroud has pledged to turn his attention to our roads – typically scenes of mayhem and carnage – starting with a promise to deploy over 1,000 new police officers to deal with the motoring pandemonium expected over Christmas and New Year’s.
But before our expectations get the better of us, let’s get a bit of perspective. Baroud’s predecessors before 2005, with a few honorable exceptions, were appointed by Syria and were mainly concerned with maintaining a draconian security regime. Compared to them, Baroud shines as a thoroughly modern technocrat, a lawyer with touchy-feely civil society credentials. But it is important to not get carried away and confuse stellar achievement with doing what is expected of a public servant.
If Baroud really is to go down in the history books as a man who seized the ministerial nettle and radically changed life for the average Lebanese, then he must tackle the state of Lebanon’s roads head on with his sleeves rolled, and this means doing more than just dealing with frustrated Christmas shoppers caught in gridlock.
It would be a Herculean, some might argue impossible, task. Since the outbreak of the war, road safety has deteriorated to the point where we have one of the worst safety records on the planet (800 people, out of a population of 4 million, died on our roads in 2008). Responsible driving is the preserve of the terrified, while the number of cars on our roads, many not even fit for scrap, has ballooned. Improving our roads, and the life expectancy of those who use them, will almost certainly take longer than Baroud’s ministerial term, but what he can do is lay down a blueprint for reform, and ensure that the foundations are there for its gradual implementation, even if it takes decades.
Road culture does not happen overnight. People forget that the UK, a country that has been spared the trauma that Lebanon has endured in its short history, only made seatbelts mandatory in 1983, after more than ten years of campaigning with its “Clunk Click Every Trip” ad campaign. In the US, a country where libertarian values run strong, New York State was the first to enforce buckling up in 1984.
So what needs to be done in the short term? Abiding by the basic road rules – respecting the speed limit, staying in lane, obeying road signs, maintaining a road-worthy vehicle and not getting behind the wheel after drinking a bottle of whisky – while creating a culture that that sees good driving as responsible driving would be a start.
There is also financial incentive. Every second of every day witnesses a traffic violation. Children who are allowed to stand in the foot well of the front passenger seat waiting to turned into a human airbag should be spared from their parents’ ignorance, while those who don’t use seatbelts, who speed, whose brake lights don’t work and who don’t respect traffic signals should be fined mercilessly. This would not only raise awareness and reduce deaths, but also bring in millions to the state coffers each year.
This is doable. Too many of our youth have perished needlessly on our roads that there is an almost moral obligation to enforce these simple rules. Having an accident-free Christmas would be the best present we have ever had.

As-Sharq Al-Awsat: Aoun didn’t complain to Assad about Berri

iloubnan.info - December 11, 2009
BEIRUT – Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun did not go to Syria to complain about Speaker Nabih Berri’s proposal to abolish political sectarianism as some sources said; the bloc MP Alain Aoun told as-Sharq al-Awsat daily.
“These information are untrue”, the paper reported on Friday. He stressed to the paper that, “General Aoun never asked foreign support neither in his past, nor in his present nor in the future, to defeat domestic rivals”.
He signaled that the parties rumoring so used to ask for foreign support to defeat locals during the Syrian trusteeship. He added that Aoun discussed with Syrian President Bachar al-Assad crucial regional issues and challenges, not Lebanese issues.

 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 12/09

Bible Reading of the day
Paul's Letter to the Galatians/1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Aoun in Damascus: I am Syria’s favorite/Future News/December 11/09
Appointment in Damascus/By: Michael Young/ December 11/09
The last chance saloon/By The Daily Star/December 11/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 11/09
NBP: Politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate/Future News
Hariri Government Wins Parliament Vote of Confidence/Naharnet
Hariri's Cabinet wins record number of confidence votes/Daily Star
Hariri makes statement following three-day parliamentary session on Thursday/Now Lebanon
Sami Gemayel: 6th Clause is Illegal, Tells Hizbullah it Can't Impose its Ideas on its Foes/Naharnet
Israeli Army Simulates Combat Scenarios against Syria, Hizbullah/Naharnet
Ghajar Residents Protest Town's Division, Referendum Law Hampers Pullout from Shabaa

Gemayel: Our Trust in Hariri is Immense, But We Reject 'Arms Article'/Naharnet
Alain Aoun: the “General” didn’t complain about Berry in Damascus/Future News
Four reasons make Syrian “summons” illegal/Now Lebanon
Gemayel: utter confidence in Premier Hariri/Now Lebanon
Fattoush Votes 'No Confidence', Slams Hariri, March 14/Naharnet
Syrian Former Political Prisoners Demand in Beirut to Halt Torture in Syrian Prisons/Naharnet
Suleiman Urges International Community to Pressure Israel
/Naharnet
Abu Jamra: Aoun Violated FPM Rules of Procedure by Nominating Non-FPM Ministers
/Naharnet
Sultan Yaqoub Explosion Remains Mysterious, Military Source: Lebanese Army Has No Access to Area
/Naharnet
Justice Ministry to Deal with Syrian Warrants 'Legally'
/Naharnet
Bellemare cites progress in Hariri murder case/Daily Star/Daily Star
Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia soon/Now Lebanon
Fayyad says Gemayel’s speech in parliament is positive/Now Lebanon
Israeli official says Turkey thwarted Hizbullah attack - Haaretz
Hamade denounces Sayyed's 'theatrical' Syrian lawsuit/Daily Star
Lieberman indicates imminent withdrawal from north Ghajar/Daily Star
Real economy shrinking in Lebanon, Jordan/Daily Star
Lebanese University launches courses in forest-fire management/Daily Star
Islamist sleeper cells 'operating' in Ain al-Hilweh/AFP
Bookstore draws on biblical inspiration to preserve culture of Beirut/Daily Star
Men brought on board in efforts to fight gender violence/Daily Star
Lebanon prevents science ship from studying marine ecosystem/Daily Star


Hariri Government Wins Parliament Vote of Confidence

/Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his 30-member Government won the Parliament's vote of confidence with the majority of 122 votes out of possible 128.
The sixth and final session of debate on a vote of confidence kicked off at 6:00pm of Thursday evening. After consulting PM Saad Hariri in the morning session, Speaker Nabih Berri said: "The night will extend till its end," signaling the session would remain open till MPs finish their debates and vote on confidence in government.
The evening session kicked off with the statement of MP Assem Qanso who said: "Israel cannot do anything against Lebanon in presence of the resistance. International resolutions did not give any result and the resistance is what liberated Lebanon.""I, the Maronite Christian Lebanese Arab, grandson of Patriarch Estefan Doueihy, declare my pride to be a part of our people's resistance in the South. Can one renounce what guarantees his rights?" said MP Estefan Doueihy.
The session took an escalatory direction when MP Nicolas Fattoush denied the government his vote of confidence and slammed its premier Saad Hariri and the March 14 coalition he was a part of in Zahleh constituency as they won the June 7 parliamentary elections. Fattoush addressed Hariri by saying: "When I met with you, you told me that those objecting on designating me as minister were the president, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel. I asked you then whether you object on designating me and you answered that you have allies whom you can't abandon. I then answered: You have abandoned me.""My brothers in March 14 have tusks that are harsher than the tusks of wolves," said Fattoush, slamming his previous allies. On other hand, Fattoush was interrupted by his colleagues MPs Serge Toursarkissian and Ahmed Fatfat who addressed Fattoush by saying "all of this for a (ministerial) seat."
After Fattoush's statement, MP Boutros Harb asked Speaker Nabih Berri to delete "insults" against Hariri and March 14 from the parliamentary session minutes. Berri answered by reassuring Harb that what was considered as insulting was already deleted. Earlier, Change and Reform bloc's MP Ghassan Mokheiber was the first to speak in morning's session, he said security should be a priority for government's missions, and called for an agreement on "a defensive strategy that protects the citizen."
Mokheiber called on each of President Suleiman and PM Hariri to establish a state ministry for human rights affairs, tasked with one mission: implementing the compliances of the national bill for human rights. He added that there will be no reform in Lebanese-Syrian relations unless the case of "the missing in Syrian jails" gets solved.
AMAL's MP Abdul Majid Saleh wished "if only the government had met Speaker Nabih Berri midway, when he called for the formation of the National Commission for the Abolition of Political Sectarianism."On his part, Lebanese Forces' MP George Adwan said: "Christians consider that abolishing political sectarianism is an abolishing of equal Christian-Muslim powersharing and for their very existence in Lebanon, especially under circumstances where the State has not extended its authority on all territories and where there is a party that is illegally armed."MP Sami Gemayel told Hizbullah lawmakers that they can't impose their ideas on him or his Phalange party and criticized the policy statement's 6th clause for allegedly being adopted under the force of arms. In his statement to parliament, Gemayel considered the sixth clause illegal "because it was adopted under the pressure of May 7 and weapons." "No matter what your or our ideas are, you can't impose your ideas on us," the MP said, addressing Hizbullah legislators. The young lawmaker also said that Palestinian arms have no justification in Lebanon. Furthermore, he called for improved ties with Syria after solving several issues, including the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria and demarcation of the border. Thursday's sessions also witnessed statements by MPs Hussein al-Mussawi, Abbas Hashem, Simon Abi Ramia, Walid Khoury, Nayla Tueiny, Michel Helou, Anwar al-Khalil, Mohammed Kabbara, Antoine Zahra, Mohammed Raad, and Fouad Saniora. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 23:25

4000 Hizbullah and Hamas members training in Iran

Date: December 10th, 2009
Source: Nablus TV
An Israeli Intelligence report titled “Iran in Numbers” said that Iran’s danger is not limited to the Zionist enemy or Middle East but the whole world.
The report assured that Hamas and Hizbullah are receiving Iranian support to confront Israel, adding that 900 member of Hamas and 3000 Hizbullah cadets received military training in Iran.
The Israeli report noted that Iran provided Hamas with missiles of sixty miles range, and could reach Tel Aviv if launched from Gaza, adding that the funding provided by Iran to Hamas each year amounts to about $30 million, as 50 other million dollars were granted following the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections year 2006, to strengthen its position and military capabilities at the same time.
Iran also funds Hizbullah an amount of $ 200 million annually, in addition to $ 300 million after the 2006 July war.

Aoun in Damascus: I am Syria’s favorite

Date: December 11th, 2009
Future News
“How do the March 8 rivals read MP Michel Aoun's visit to Syria?”
This question has been raised among many political March 8 closed round-tables, while big questions marks are being drawn regarding the timing of the General’s meeting with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as it’s being said this meeting carries concealed and veiled signals.
Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil headed to Syria on the night before the new government was formed, along with Bassil’s Godfather Michel Samaha.
What’s been circulating lately is that Bassil’s visit to Damascus paved way for Aoun-Assad’s meeting.
Sources in the majority hinted that Bassil, on the sidelines of his visit, met high-ranking Syrian officials, While New TV reported that former Cabinet Minister Michel Samaha accompanied Bassil to Damascus where the two held a number of meetings with Syrian officials in an effort to settle the dispute over the ministerial portfolios allocated to Aoun.
Aoun’s decision to send his son in law to Damascus back then resulted of the General’s anxiety emerging of his feeling that The Marada movement Leader MP Sleiman Franjiyeh was assigned the role as Damascus mediator and godfather to the Syrian role in the formation of the Lebanese government.
Aoun felt very angry as he sensed Franjiyeh was trying to take his role; especially that he was commissioned by Syria and the parliamentary minority to be the negotiator who will form the government in the minorities’ name.
It is no longer a secret that conflicts emerged within the opposition ranks out of Aoun’s act while talks about alienation between Aoun and Franjieh spread and led Franjiyeh to break his mediation role and his efforts to produce a national unity government from his position as a close ally to Syria.
Furious Aoun decided to cut the road on Assad by sending Bassil to Syria under a veiled title, as Bassil claimed his visit was to pay condolences to Syrian Presidential Political and Media Advisor Buthaina Shaaban for the death of her mother.
However, the real title for this visit was in fact nothing but the General sending a message, “If President Assad wants to buy my approval over the cabinet line-up, then I am the only one who sells it to him,” thus slamming Franjiyeh’s mediation and demanding to stay Syria’s number one man.
Bassil and Samaha arranged a meeting for the General with the Syrian President, so that Aoun can finally get relieved of his worries and anxieties not only toward his Christian opponents, but also toward his Christian Allies, and Marada Leader Sleiman Franjiyeh on top of the list.
In other Words, Aoun’s visit to Syria came to declare “I am still Syria’s favorite and number one Man,” and this is what the Free Patriotic Movement sources tried to slip to the media, by quoting Assad accrediting Aoun for finalizing the cabinet formation and recounting the General’s actions as national and wise.
Aoun’s wish came true as Syria responded to his claims and declared its message to the public reassuring the General he is still its favorite puppet.
Returning to the FPM leader choice of Samaha to accompany Bassil, especially that he sent after the former Minister from France to go along with his son in law, First of all, it is to note Samaha is not a Maronite, thus there is no way he would compete with the General or Bassil in the future for any political post especially the presidency.
Second of all, Samaha has been reported to be working on the course of the relationship between the Syrian leadership and Paris, thus in Aoun’s eyes, Samaha could turn into an intersection point serving not only the General’s interests inside Syria, but also within the bilateral French – Syrian relationships.
Sources have been reporting another task is assigned to Samaha, and it is to arrange the General a meeting with the French Leadership and President Nicolas Sarkozi in particular.
Going back to Aoun’s visit to Damascus, Sources has also revealed Samaha advised Aoun to follow the following terms in his visit:
First, the General shouldn’t accompany his Son in law with him so that the conflict between Bassil and FPM MPs Alain Aoun and Ibrahim Kanaan doesn’t expand, especially as the two deputies accuse Aoun of favoring his son in law over them at the expense of their roles as activists in the Change and Reform Bloc.
Second, Samaha alerted Aoun Syria doesn’t want to take part in the internal FPM conflicts, as it prefers Aoun’s visit to be accepted of all the movement’s rivals.
Third, Samaha advised Aoun to accompany with him a delegation of the FPM regulatory cadre, to cut any Syrian talk asserting the General’s relationship with Damascus is not getting the enthusiastic of the movement’s internal cadre.
On March 14, 1989, after a Syrian attack on the Baabda presidential palace and on the Lebanese Ministry of Defense in Yarze, Aoun declared Liberation war against the Syrian army which was better armed than the Lebanese forces (some 40,000 Syrian troops were in Lebanon at the time). Over the next few months Aoun's army and the Syrians exchanged artillery fire in Beirut until only 100,000 people remained from the original 1 million, the rest fled the area.

Four reasons make Syrian “summons” illegal

Date: December 11th, 2009
Future News
Justice ministry received, on Tuesday via the foreign ministry, a letter from the Syrian embassy in Beirut that carries the number 156\2009 dated December 8 with attached summons warrants against 25 Local officials.
The summons was issued by the Syrian prosecutor general on November 23 according to a lawsuit filed by Jamil Sayed against Lebanese and Syrian officials.
Lebanese justice ministry issued a statement declaring that it is scrutinizing this issue and will deal with it from a judiciary perspective and would take the appropriate legal action accordingly.
The ministry asked the legislative and consultative commission for advice on the Syrian letter and the demands and summons it included in order to make the proper response.
A judicial source told the almustaqbal.org that the legislative and consultative commission has finalized its primary deliberations on the first warrant sent from Syrian prosecutor general to Lebanese Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza directly.
The source confirmed the illegality of the Syrian warrant for several reasons:
* The warrant was not delivered through legal channels because of the lack of coherence between the lawsuit filed against Syrian former Vice President Abdulhalim Khaddam and Mohammad Zuhair el-Siddik Syrian nationals, and that filed against Lebanese officials.
* Filing a criminal suit by a Lebanese against a fellow national regarding a crime that was committed on the Lebanese territory is not a jurisdiction of the Syrian judiciary.
* The warrant did not respect the political, judicial and functional immunity of the people against who the lawsuits were filed. It also did not respect the criterion that must be followed in informing them.
* The way the warrants were issued contradicts the provisions of Syrian-Lebanese judicial cooperation provisions regardless of the titles or posts of the people against whom the suits were files.

NBP: Politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate
Date: December 11th, 2009/Source: NNA
The National Bloc Party (NBP) said Thursday that legitimizing the arms of the resistance gives Israel the pretext to launch an aggression against Lebanon, the State-run National News Agency reported. “The Lebanese politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate,” added the party in a statement issued after the meeting of its executive committee headed by former MP Carlos Edde. The party asserted that the sovereignty cannot be fragmented and the state has the exclusive right of possessing arms as the violation of this rule would be considered treason in a respectable state. The party alliance called for the rapid formation of the national committee in charge of disarming militias “instead of the national dialogue table that lost its principle role.” According to the statement, the visit of Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun to Syria contradicts his previous criticisms for these unofficial visits, “the visit unveils the conduct of the Syrian regime vis-à-vis Lebanon in spite of the diplomatic exchange.”

Covert alliances in the LAU elections

Date: December 10th, 2009
Future News
The students of the Lebanese American University are pursuing their preparations in the campuses of Beirut and Byblos for the student council elections that will occur on Friday.
These elections witnessed a sweeping victory for the students of the March 14 coalition, but this year a prominent part of the alliance, the students of Progressive Youth Organization announced their withdrawal from the competition in Byblos following the directives of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, while they named two independent candidates for the Business faculty of Beirut.
The candidates of other sides in the university are still undecided, as the coordinators of each political organization refuse to unveil the number or names of their nominees.
Student sources told almustaqbal.org that “the March 8 coalition named a complete list of six students for the Arts and Sciences faculty and only four for the Business faculty leaving two vacant seats for the “progressive” students.”
The environment of the university points to a covert alliance between the Socialists and Syria’s allies, as at the end of their meeting, the PYO students came out to cheer MP Jumblatt and received instantaneously welcoming applaud from the March 8 students sitting next to the upper gate of the university. The circle or applauds expanded then to include Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Dr. Samir Geagea.
On the other hand, the students of the March 14 coalition decided not to name any candidate, according to informed sources, and preferred to back “Voice of the Silent Majority” list that includes independent candidates with academic aim that serve the interests of the students and of the university in general.”
As for the campus of Byblos where the 12 seats are distributed on four faculties: 3 for the Arts and Sciences, 3 for the Business, 3 for the Engineering and 3 for the Pharmacy, the competition seems boiling especially after the violent events between the students last month.
In this campus, the candidates of the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah, the Amal Movement and the Marada Movement compete against the candidates of the Lebanese Forces Party, the Kataeb Party and Almustaqbal Movement.
Dean of student Dr. Tarek Nawas said that “the cause behind the postponement of these elections from November 13 to this Friday is the tense atmosphere of the country in the previous period on the sidelines of the impediment of the government formation.”
Nawas also noted that the violent events between the students in Byblos campus forced the administration to forbid electoral campaigns in both campuses this year.
But these events did not affect security measures on the day of the elections, according to Nawas, “members of the interior security and the Lebanese Army will ensure the security of the gates, while the security personnel of the university will be in charge of ensuring a proper electoral operation inside.”
The Dean of students specified the location of ballots this year, as the male students of the Arts and Sciences will vote in the LRC building, while this faculty’s females cast the ballots at the Gulbenkian amphitheatre leaving the Irwin auditorium to the students of the Business faculty.
Dr. Nawas stressed his confidence in the students, and hoped for “a democratic environment in these elections, as the winning students will represent all the students of the university not a specific side.”
Fouad Imad Chehab

Fattoush Votes 'No Confidence', Slams Hariri, March 14

Naharnet/MP Nicolas Fattoush on Thursday denied the government his vote of confidence and slammed its premier Saad Hariri and the March 14 coalition he was a part of in Zahleh constituency as they won the June 7 parliamentary elections. Fattoush addressed Hariri by saying: "When I met with you, you told me that those objecting on designating me as minister were the president, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel. I asked you then whether you object on designating me and you answered that you have allies whom you can't abandon. I then answered: You have abandoned me."Zahleh's MP accused Hariri of not keeping up his promises and added: "That justifies denying you my confidence, with my due love and respect to some ministers." Fattoush described the government as being sponsored by foreign regional powers. "My brothers in March 14 have tusks that are harsher than the tusks of wolves," said Fattoush, slamming his previous allies. Fattoush added that Zahleh contributed in achieving the goals of March 14 and was paid back by "the hijacking of its dream by March 14 leaders." The inflamed MP described the ministerial Policy Statement as "surrealistic," and slammed the concept of voicing reservations by some ministers while asking the parliament for its confidence based on the same statement. On other hand, Fattoush was interrupted by his colleagues MPs Serge Toursarkissian and Ahmed Fatfat who addressed Fattoush by saying "all of this for a (ministerial) seat."After Fattoush's statement, MP Boutros Harb asked Speaker Nabih Berri to delete "insults" against Hariri and March 14 from the parliamentary session minutes. Berri answered by reassuring Harb that what was considered as insulting was already deleted. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 21:57

Abu Jamra: Aoun Violated FPM Rules of Procedure by Nominating Non-FPM Ministers

Naharnet/Former Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Issam Abu Jamra considered that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun had violated FPM's rules of procedure by nominating two ministers from outside the Free Patriotic Movement, clarifying that the rules of procedure put by Aoun himself prohibit that.In an interview with Al-Afkar weekly magazine, Abu Jamra said he conducted a "frankness" meeting with Aoun, but stressed that "the ball now is in Rabiyeh's court."He reiterated his demand to hold a meeting for the founding committee of the FPM to discuss a vote of no confidence in appointing two ministers from outside the party. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 17:16

Gemayel: Our Trust in Hariri is Immense, But We Reject 'Arms Article'

Naharnet/Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said that "the current situations are critical and tough, and the challenges are huge," and asserted "the party's solidarity with PM Saad Hariri and with Phalange's representative in the cabinet Minister Salim al-Sayegh."However, Gemayel expressed "the party's objection on article six of the ministerial Policy Statement related to Hizbullah's arms."In a press conference he held Thursday in Phalange's Central House in Saifi, Gemayel said: "On the eve of granting the vote of confidence in the government, we reiterate for one last time the party's stance rejecting to any principle that believes in two states on Lebanese soil; and in two armies and two authorities. Regarding trust in government, our stance is clear and our trust is immense in its premier, but we reiterate our rejection for the arms article."On the other hand, Gemayel pointed at "the democracy found inside Phalange Party through freely exchanging opinions in the meetings of the political bureau which takes the final decision in all issues." Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 17:38

Syrian Former Political Prisoners Demand in Beirut to Halt Torture in Syrian Prisons

Naharnet/Syrian former political prisoners called on the United Nations on Thursday to uncover the fate of thousands of Arabs who have gone missing in Syria and are believed to have been jailed without charge. "We call for the formation of a committee to investigate the Syrian regime's persistent violation of human rights and the enforced disappearance of thousands of Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians at the hands of the regime," Syrian dissident Mamoun Homsi told a Beirut news conference. A former member of parliament, Homsi was sentenced to five years in prison in 2001 for "attempting to overthrow the regime" and now lives in Lebanon with his family. He and other members of the Beirut-based Committee of Torture Victims in the Prisons of the Syrian Regime also displayed torture methods they said are used in Syrian prisons, including a chair frame, whips and electric cables. "We are trying to get the message out to the world, that the human rights situation in Syria is deteriorating," Homsi told AFP. "There are 1,000 intelligence branches in Syria that use methods of torture on people who did nothing but express their opinion or demand basic rights," he said. New York-based Human Rights Watch released what it said was a partial list on Thursday of detainees in one of Syria's largest prisons, at Saydnaya just north of the capital Damascus, whose families have been unable to obtain word of their whereabouts for 18 months. The watchdog said it had documented the torture of inmates in the prison.(AFP) Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 19:20

Sharaa: Accusations against Syria of Hariri Crime Backfired on Them

Naharnet/Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said accusations by many against Syria saying it stands behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Assassination have "backfired on them."He told a Progressive National Front meeting in Damascus on Wednesday that Syria has succeeded in overcoming "all the crises that hit it since 2003."He expressed hope that formation of a Lebanese national unity government would "open the way to build a positive Syrian-Lebanese relationship."Sharaa pointed out that Syria has worked to fill the "strategic vacuum" after the war on Iraq by strengthening ties with Iran and establishing a strategic relationship with Turkey. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 08:35

Sami Gemayel: 6th Clause is Illegal, Tells Hizbullah it Can't Impose its Ideas on its Foes

Naharnet/MP Sami Gemayel told Hizbullah lawmakers on Thursday that they can't impose their ideas on him or his Phalange party and criticized the policy statement's 6th clause for allegedly being adopted under the force of arms.In his statement to parliament during a debate on the government's policy statement, Gemayel considered the sixth clause illegal "because it was adopted under the pressure of May 7 and weapons.""No matter what your or our ideas are, you can't impose your ideas on us," the MP said, addressing Hizbullah legislators.
The young lawmaker also said that Palestinian arms have no justification in Lebanon. Furthermore, he called for improved ties with Syria after solving several issues, including the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria and demarcation of the border. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 14:55

Israeli Army Simulates Combat Scenarios against Syria, Hizbullah

Naharnet/The Israeli army carried out two separate defense exercises this week, including simulation of war with Syria and Hizbullah, Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday.
During the drills dozens of reserve officers were mobilized and included scenarios in which ballistic missiles with conventional and non-conventional warheads landed in Israeli cities, Haaretz said. According to Haaretz, the first drill was carried out by the Home Front Command and included the emergency rapid distribution of gas masks, in the event of a threat. Israeli army officials emphasized that the exercise did not involve the deployment of forces in the field. The second drill was held by the Paratroops Brigade in northern Israel and simulated various combat scenarios against Syria and Hizbullah. One drill with live munitions took place on the Golan Heights and involved tank, artillery, sappers and Israel Air Force combat aircraft and helicopters, according to Haaretz. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 07:48

Ghajar Residents Protest Town's Division, Referendum Law Hampers Pullout from Shabaa

Naharnet/Ghajar residents staged a demonstration on Friday to protest the division of their border town in the wake of ongoing international efforts to secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Lebanese part of the town.
The demo began at 10:30am after men roamed the streets of Ghajar broadcasting a call to protest via loudspeakers.
About 500 residents gathered in the town's square, then marched up toward the street where U.N. Spanish troops are stationed and handed them a letter calling on U.N. chief Ban ki-Moon to reject Ghajar's division.
The letter also urged Ban to keep Ghajar committed to U.N. Security Council Res. 242. The protest coincided with Israeli military activity across both sides of Ghajar, local press reported.
The Secretary for the town council Hussein Khatib also read a statement in which he stressed Ghajar was Syrian.
"Ghajar is Syrian, it's people are Syrian and its land is Syrian," Khatib said.
The statement said Ghajar residents reject an Israeli decision to withdraw from the northern part of the town, adding that the town's division was "just like separating the son from his father or the daughter from her mother."
The demo came in the wake of an Israeli announcement that the withdrawal from Ghajar depends on the new Lebanon government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee earlier this week that he was discussing a withdrawal from the northern half of Ghajar with UNIFIL.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, also said during talks with his Italian counterpart late Wednesday that Israel could pullout from the northern part of Ghajar "very soon."
"But this depends on the new Lebanese government," he added.
Meanwhile, a "Referendum Law" the Knesset voted to advance on Wednesday is likely to hamper an Israeli pullout from Shabaa Farms.
The "Referendum Law" would restrict the Israeli government's freedom of action in negotiations with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon by making it harder to cede East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights or even Shabaa Farms, whether unilaterally or by agreement. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 07:32

Hariri's Damascus Visit Not Yet Known, Delay Tied to Syrian Warrants

Naharnet/Preparations were underway for Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Syria, but the date of the trip is still unknown.
An-Nahar daily, however, said the visit is likely to take place on Monday although several media sources believed that the issue of Syrian warrants against Lebanese officials in Jamil Sayyed's case has created what they described as a "sudden barrier" for Hariri's trip.
Among these sources was LBC TV which reported Thursday evening that Hariri has sent an indirect message to Damascus via Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh associating his visit with revoking of all Syrian warrants.
It said Lebanese parties in touch with Damascus informed Hariri that the warrants are likely to be withdrawn in conjunction with the visit.
Well- informed sources, however, ruled out the possibility that Hariri has demanded that the warrants be canceled.
At the same time, they believed the measure was a "discouraging signal" for the improvement of Syrian-Lebanese relations.
An-Nahar said Hariri, who will head the Lebanese delegation to the Copenhagen Conference on Tuesday, is likely to visit Saudi Arabia over the weekend ahead of his Damascus trip. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 09:04

Appointment in Damascus

Michael Young, December 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/You have to hand it Michel Aoun; he knows how to provoke. Only days after Jamil as-Sayyed, the former head of the General Security directorate, asked Syria’s judiciary to bring in for questioning several Lebanese politicians, judicial officials and journalists whom he accused of slandering him, Aoun headed up to Damascus for a photo op with Bashar al-Assad. Better still, he was delivered on Assad’s private airplane.
The photograph itself was interesting: Assad shaking Aoun’s hand, gripping his elbow with overstated conviviality, on the esplanade outside the presidential palace built for the Syrians by Rafik al-Hariri in the 1980s; and Aoun, staring straight ahead with inexpressive mien, caught, mid-shutter, between stupefaction and a tentative smile.
The rest of the Aoun visit was filler. Assad had gotten what he wanted. Proof positive that he can divide the Lebanese by playing their politicians off against each other; proof, too, that a major Christian representative will readily ignore the Sayyed incident, a ploy designed to ensure that Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, when he ascends to Damascus, will do so with the added humiliation of knowing that Syria’s judiciary is taking Sayyed’s side on the matter of his father’s assassination. And proof, lastly, that the frequent visit with Bashar al-Assad is again a necessary passage for Lebanese leaders, when there were those who thought (how naively) that that sort of thing was over after the Independence Intifada of 2005.
It would be unfair to blame Aoun alone for this. Saad al-Hariri, too, realizes that his Damascus visit is inevitable, now that Saudi Arabia and Syria have reconciled. He, apparently, informed Sleiman Franjieh Wednesday that he would arrive with several of those individuals whom Sayyed named in his legal case, his way of obliging the Syrian regime to clarify their status beforehand. But Hariri will still have to shake the hand of the Syrian president, whose regime is the only serious culprit in Rafik al-Hariri’s murder, and he may well do so in the palace his father built.
Then there is Walid Jumblatt. Talk that Jumblatt would be the first to visit Syria was idle. No doubt the Druze leader would have liked to be first, but he also knew this was never likely. “Too much has passed between me and Syria,” he often says. On many an occasion Syrian spokespersons, official and unofficial, have indicated that the Assad regime would, henceforth, deal with Taymour Jumblatt, who returned to Lebanon last summer. For Walid, the eventual handover to his son requires, above all, reconciliation with Damascus, because Taymour could not long last against Syria, and because Syria contains a significant number of Druze whose support the Jumblatts must count upon.
Two Christian politicians, Amin Gemayel and Michel al-Murr, also revealed some time ago that they would make their way to Damascus, padding this eventuality with a bodyguard of explanations and provisos that they may or may not respect. Both men have good reasons to plan a Damascus junket, not least the fact that they have sons who are physically vulnerable and politically ambitious. Here we have the two sides of Syrian leverage in Lebanon: intimidation and the ability to promote or demote.
There was a time when Syria’s intelligence officers stationed in Lebanon used the appointment as an instrument of power. If you were a politician, or just someone meriting Syrian attentions, you might be urged by an intermediary to make an informal call on Ghazi Kanaan or his successor, Ruston Ghazali, in Aanjar. There you could be kept waiting, quite as informally, for several hours, until all self-esteem evaporated. The more experienced would wait at Hannouch’s on the Damascus road, asking to be summoned once Kanaan or Ghazali was ready to receive them.
Then there was the appointment in Damascus. The late Hafez al-Assad ran Lebanon like a baronial province, where selected subordinates, civilian and military, would each run their Lebanese politicians as they saw fit, while parallel lines of authority ran down from Damascus to Beirut, Assad the ultimate arbiter, using everyone against everyone. To visit Damascus was fairly easy, but to be granted an audience with the president was altogether different – an occasion for him to send a strong message, advance a politician or issue a threat or reprimand. No doubt we shall soon have to decipher more regularly the subtleties of the unwritten code of Syrian appointments. Observers will watch to see whether politicians drive or fly up to Damascus; whether they attend a lunch or earn no more than coffee and a glass of water; whether they meet with Bashar in person or are passed off to a high-level or mid-level nonentity, or, worse, are asked to deal through the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, the invisible man whose presence is detectable only by the displacement of air occurring when he slides by.
The road to Damascus from Beirut is open; but the real story is that the road from Damascus to Beirut is also open, and is being widened. It was the road taken by tanks and car-bombs. Now it will be backed up with far more dangerous contraptions: craven Lebanese politicians.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut.


Hariri makes statement following three-day parliamentary session on Thursday

December 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/
Prime Minister Saad Hariri made a statement on Thursday night before the vote of confidence was held after a three-day parliamentary session convened to discuss the Ministerial Statement. Hariri said that the MPs’ comments on the document exhibited “our democratic parliamentary system.”
Hariri stressed that while the Ministerial Statement is used as a reference to resolve disputed issues, dialogue remains the main means to deal with settling controversial topics. The PM emphasized that “these issues should not become a reason for division in the country.”
“We do not want to turn our Ministerial Statement into a list of promises… but a clear and responsible vow to all that we will not repeat previous experiences of having the ruling party and an opposition within one cabinet,” Hariri said.
Hariri also said that the cabinet is one of national agreement, adding that “the moment the government turns into a cabinet of national disagreement and sectarian fronts, I will be the first one to withdraw the vote of confidence from my cabinet and myself.”
He stressed that the government should not only work on implementing balanced development, but it should also seek having “balanced [national] belonging. We are born into our sects [and] we are affiliated with our parties, but we belong first and foremost to our state.”
He added that such an approach would turn the national-consensus government into a “national conciliation cabinet.”
In his speech, Hariri stressed on the following points:
1- We all agree on the need to confront Israel’s threats and violations and to defend our national rights. That is what we have stressed on in Article 6 – that pertains to Hezbollah and its arms – and that does not annul the role of the state and the military institution in defending Lebanon. The government is fully committed to enhancing the army’s capabilities so it can shoulder its national responsibilities.
2- We have stressed in the Ministerial Statement that we should adopt Arab solidarity away from the politics of regional axes to better serve our national interests. As such, we will enhance our relationship with other Arab states, and we specifically look forward to establishing brotherly relations with Syria. 3- I stress on our role to respect the constitution, democratic principles and implement the Taif Accord.
4- The cabinet will focus on the people’s priorities. Some parties described our program as ambitious, however, I can say that it remains feasible.
Hariri concluded his speech and said, “People want to have electricity, a clean environment, clean water, equal access to education and health and a conclusion to the issue of those displaced” by wars.
“People want a cabinet that can competently manage its public affairs and that allows the participation of youth and women in state administrations,” he added.
-NOW Lebanon

Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia soon

December 11, 2009
An anonymous source told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida published on Friday that he expects Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia “very soon.”
Preparations for the trip have begun months ago, said the source, adding, “Ever since Prime Minister Saad Hariri was appointed to form the cabinet.” However, all Lebanese parties were waiting for the formation of a national-unity government and for its vote of confidence, he explained. “Damascus played a pivotal role in convincing Saudi Arabia to host Aoun,” he said, highlighting that the FPM leader discussed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad the issue during the former’s visit to Damascus on Wednesday.
-NOW Lebanon

Fayyad says Gemayel’s speech in parliament is “positive”

December 11, 2009
In an interview with Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel’s speech commenting on the Ministerial Statement on Thursday was “positive.”Gemayel’s speech showed that his party is ready for dialogue and that it recognizes other Lebanese parties, said Fayyad.
However, he added that there were two points in Gemayel’s speech that he did not agree with.
“First, Gemayel considered Syria’s presence in Lebanon as an occupation, which will negatively affect the establishment of good relations between the two countries. Second, Gemayel said that the Taif Accord was imposed by pro-Syrian parties and that Christians were not free [to oppose the agreement at the time],” Fayyad told the daily.
-NOW Lebanon

This is doable

Now Lebanon/December 10, 2009
A French traffic policeman trains his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut this year as part of a traffic accident reduction program. (AFP/Joseph Barrak)
Ziad Baroud has made a name for himself as something of a popular reformer: the people’s minister. In the previous government, the youthful Interior Minister (he is not yet 40) went about setting an example of efficiency by making sure parliamentary elections were held on one day, rather than spread over four weekends. But what really caught the public imagination was the move that allowed Lebanese to delete their religion from the national register and his efforts to give Lebanese mothers married to foreigners the right to pass their nationality to their children. Both were seen as the first shots in the battle to chip away at Lebanon’s corrosive sectarian influence.
Now Baroud has pledged to turn his attention to our roads – typically scenes of mayhem and carnage – starting with a promise to deploy over 1,000 new police officers to deal with the motoring pandemonium expected over Christmas and New Year’s.
But before our expectations get the better of us, let’s get a bit of perspective. Baroud’s predecessors before 2005, with a few honorable exceptions, were appointed by Syria and were mainly concerned with maintaining a draconian security regime. Compared to them, Baroud shines as a thoroughly modern technocrat, a lawyer with touchy-feely civil society credentials. But it is important to not get carried away and confuse stellar achievement with doing what is expected of a public servant.
If Baroud really is to go down in the history books as a man who seized the ministerial nettle and radically changed life for the average Lebanese, then he must tackle the state of Lebanon’s roads head on with his sleeves rolled, and this means doing more than just dealing with frustrated Christmas shoppers caught in gridlock.
It would be a Herculean, some might argue impossible, task. Since the outbreak of the war, road safety has deteriorated to the point where we have one of the worst safety records on the planet (800 people, out of a population of 4 million, died on our roads in 2008). Responsible driving is the preserve of the terrified, while the number of cars on our roads, many not even fit for scrap, has ballooned. Improving our roads, and the life expectancy of those who use them, will almost certainly take longer than Baroud’s ministerial term, but what he can do is lay down a blueprint for reform, and ensure that the foundations are there for its gradual implementation, even if it takes decades.
Road culture does not happen overnight. People forget that the UK, a country that has been spared the trauma that Lebanon has endured in its short history, only made seatbelts mandatory in 1983, after more than ten years of campaigning with its “Clunk Click Every Trip” ad campaign. In the US, a country where libertarian values run strong, New York State was the first to enforce buckling up in 1984.
So what needs to be done in the short term? Abiding by the basic road rules – respecting the speed limit, staying in lane, obeying road signs, maintaining a road-worthy vehicle and not getting behind the wheel after drinking a bottle of whisky – while creating a culture that that sees good driving as responsible driving would be a start.
There is also financial incentive. Every second of every day witnesses a traffic violation. Children who are allowed to stand in the foot well of the front passenger seat waiting to turned into a human airbag should be spared from their parents’ ignorance, while those who don’t use seatbelts, who speed, whose brake lights don’t work and who don’t respect traffic signals should be fined mercilessly. This would not only raise awareness and reduce deaths, but also bring in millions to the state coffers each year.
This is doable. Too many of our youth have perished needlessly on our roads that there is an almost moral obligation to enforce these simple rules. Having an accident-free Christmas would be the best present we have ever had.

As-Sharq Al-Awsat: Aoun didn’t complain to Assad about Berri

iloubnan.info - December 11, 2009
BEIRUT – Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun did not go to Syria to complain about Speaker Nabih Berri’s proposal to abolish political sectarianism as some sources said; the bloc MP Alain Aoun told as-Sharq al-Awsat daily.
“These information are untrue”, the paper reported on Friday. He stressed to the paper that, “General Aoun never asked foreign support neither in his past, nor in his present nor in the future, to defeat domestic rivals”.
He signaled that the parties rumoring so used to ask for foreign support to defeat locals during the Syrian trusteeship. He added that Aoun discussed with Syrian President Bachar al-Assad crucial regional issues and challenges, not Lebanese issues.