LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 20/09

Bible Reading of the day
Luke 6/39-42: "He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 6:42 Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye"

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Lebanon's Tora Bora/By: Ana Maria Luca/Now Lebanon/December 28/09
Details: Maaloula, Syria/Washington Post/December 28/09
FACTBOX-Who is Saad al-Hariri?/Reuters/December 28/09

Lebanon's Saad Hariri heads to Syria
Hariri had told parliament he was interested in forging "brotherly ties" with Damascus
Agencies
Published: 12:16 December 19, 2009
AP Beirut: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is visiting Syria on Saturday for talks wit President Bashar Al Assad on bilateral relations, his office said. It was not clear how long Hariri would stay in Syria.Hariri told parliament this month he was interested in forging "brotherly ties" with Damascus.
The 39-year-old prime minister has had tense ties with Syria ever since the Beirut bombing in February 2005 that killed his father and 22 others.
The murder was widely blamed on Syria, which withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April 2005 after a 29-year military presence.
Fact Box
Key facts on Syria's relations with its smaller neighbour since its troops first entered Lebanon in 1976:
The Civil War in Lebanon:
In May 1976, Syrian troops entered Lebanon after Muslim fighters along with the PLO had nearly defeated the Christian militias. Syrian troops stayed with the blessing of Saudi Arabia and Egypt to maintain peace.
Israel invades Lebanon:
•In 1982, Syrian troops withdrew to the Bekaa Valley, as Israel captured Beirut and helped Christians back into power. A peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel was signed in 1983, despite Syrian opposition.
•In 1984 President Amin Gemayel facing pressure from Syria broke the peace treaty with Israel.
•In 1987 Syrian forces returned to Beirut to help end inter-Muslim fighting.
•In 1988, Anti-Syrian General Michel Aoun was appointed to head the military. Fierce inter-Christian fighting ensued.
•1990, Syrian forces defeated Aoun’s forces, and Taif Accord was established to end the civil war and establish a new Lebanese Constitution.
Rafik Al Hariri:
•1992 - Rafik Hariri, a Sunni Muslim Billionaire was elected as Prime Minister, in Lebanon’s first post-war election.
•1998 - Hariri quit the government in 1998, after a power struggle with Syrian-backed Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
•2000 - Hariri returned as he won elections. Israel also withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon which placed pressure on Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon.
•2004 - President Emile Lahoud’s term was extended after the constitution was amended, under intense pressure from Syria. Most Lebanese opposed this move, leading to the resignation of many ministers, including Hariri.
•2005 - Hariri was assassinated by a car bomb in Beirut. Pressure mounted on Syria from Lebanese Cedar Revolution and International pressure to finally withdraw its troops and just two months after the assassination, Syria completely withdrew its troops in April.
What's happening now:
Syria still has a significant amount of influence still in Lebanon, through the Shiite Amal and Hezbollah factions. As well as former Anti-Syrian advocate, Michel Aoun. Diplomatic relations were restored for the first time since Lebanese independence in 2008.

Houry: Hariri's Visit to Syria Gateway to New Stage
Naharnet/Al Mustaqbal bloc's MP Ammar Houry on Saturday considered the visit of PM Saad Hariri to Damascus as "a visit for the premier of Lebanon's government to a brotherly country which will be followed by a series of visits to other brotherly countries."Houry told LBC TV network that the visit will take place in a "state-to-state" manner. "It is a step forward in the positive direction," added Houry. On the other hand, Houry said that the talks which will tackle improving the relations between the two countries do not have a specific set agenda. He added that up till now, the details about the accompanying delegation have not been announced. Beirut, 19 Dec 09, 11:21

Washington Strongly Supports Implementation of Resolutions 1559, 1701
Naharnet/Nicole Shampaine, U.S. Director of the Department of State's Near East Affairs Bureau Office for Egypt and the Levant, stressed that Washington strongly supports the full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions related to Lebanon, including Resolutions 1559 and 1701. In an interview with al-Rai Kuwaiti daily, Shampaine said U.S. will continue to offer strong support for the institutions of the Lebanese State, including the Lebanese army. The U.S. diplomat stressed that a strong, prosperous, and democratic Lebanon was in the interest of the region and the international community. Beirut, 19 Dec 09, 10:48

Geagea Slams Aoun: Never Asked Him to Give Us Certification in Christian, Patriotic Values
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday slammed Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for saying that "LF promotes non-Christian values" in his Wednesday interview. In a speech before student delegations from LU and LAU universities, Geagea stressed: "We have never asked General Aoun to give us his certification neither in Christian values nor in patriotic values." "General (Aoun) says that his values are based on virtues, love, faith, and hope, and that statement is true. His values are based on lust for power and faith that Hizbullah and Syria represent the historical benefactors for reaching to that power. They're also based on hope as Hizbullah and Syria work on eradicating every free Christian off the General's path through the approach we've witnessed in the last 4 years or the methods we've witnessed in the last 15 years," added Geagea.
LF leader said that the situation on the southern borders would have been "100 times more stable than it is now" if the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL "existed alone" in that area. Geagea was commenting on Aoun's statement that said: "Hizbullah's arms are for defending Lebanon and creating stability on the borders." "March 14 forces act according to a principle that is in line with the principle of history and its movement, as the other forces -- and I don't know if we can label them like that except for Hizbullah which is truly a movement – have ideologies and political agendas that oppose the course of history and its principle," added Geagea. Beirut, 18 Dec 09, 16:44

U.S. Diplomat Hof Discusses Developments with Hariri
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday discussed the current developments with Frederic Hof, Special Coordinator for Regional Affairs for Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell, who was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison. The meeting at the Center House was also attended by Hariri's Advisors Mohammed Shatah and Nader Hariri. Hof had visited Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday in Ain al-Tineh. The top U.S. diplomat's visit comes in preparation for the regional tour Mitchell intends to make soon, including a visit to Lebanon. U.S. embassy sources told Naharnet that Hof's meetings with Lebanese officials aim to discuss the "Lebanese perspective and role in securing a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region."A main discussion topic related to Mitchell's mission is the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, an issue that President Michel Suleiman had discussed with U.S. President Barack Obama. Beirut, 18 Dec 09, 20:21

Suleiman Extends Condolences to Assad in Damascus
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman arrived in Damascus Friday to offer his condolences to Syrian President Bashar Assad over the death of his younger brother, Majd.
An official source told AFP Suleiman will discuss political developments with Assad. He said Suleiman will take the opportunity of the visit to inform his Syrian counterpart about the outcome of his talks with U.S officials. Beirut, 18 Dec 09, 13:49

11 Dead, 40 Rescued, 31 Missing after Ship 'Danny F II' Capsized off Tripoli Coast
Naharnet/Rescue teams from three countries and the United Nations stepped up their search on Friday for any survivors from a freighter which sank in stormy seas off Lebanon's Tripoli, but they found only bodies. Eleven bodies have now been recovered after the Panamanian-flagged Danny F II, which was transporting livestock, went down in bad weather on Thursday, rescue officials said. Forty crew members have been found alive, leaving 31 passengers and crew unaccounted for. Tripoli port and U.N. officials said nine Lebanese vessels together with a medical crew and three boats of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were taking part in the extended search. Syrian boats were also involved, as was a British helicopter which flew from Cyprus for backup on Thursday and found three of the five bodies located on Friday. "The search is still ongoing on the site and in all the surroundings. But the weather is still very bad this morning," UNIFIL deputy spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP earlier. Force commander Major-General Claudio Graziano called the sinking "a very tragic incident," adding: "Our UNIFIL Maritime Task Force peacekeepers are doing their utmost to save the lives of the victims." The army spokesman said most of those in the water should have managed to don life jackets before abandoning ship, but it was feared that high waves would sweep them further out to sea. The weather office at Beirut airport said heavy winds and rain were expected to lash northern and eastern Lebanon until Saturday morning. Thirty survivors, soaking and wrapped in blankets, were ferried into the Lebanese port city of Tripoli aboard U.N. boats, an AFP correspondent said. Another eight were helicoptered to land, suffering from extreme exhaustion.
Looking terrified and weak, the survivors were put aboard waiting ambulances and taken to hospital. Most were Pakistanis and Filipinos, while a Ukrainian was also on the list. "When I jumped in the water, I had no life jacket because I couldn't find any. The waves were very high and I panicked. The water was freezing and I felt pain in my chest," said a Filipino who gave his name as Jonathan. "I thought I was going to die," he added, smiling weakly but giving a thumbs up. Another Filipino told rescuers that the British captain of the Danny F II, bound from Uruguay for the Syrian port of Tartus, went down with his ship. "He told us that the ship's engine went down and the captain sounded the alarm and told everyone to jump in the water," a rescue official said. "He said that 10 minutes after they jumped, the ship overturned sideways in very high waves and sank with the captain still on board."
The vessel capsized about 11 nautical miles off Tripoli after sending a distress signal at around 3:55 pm (1355 GMT) on Thursday. It had changed course and was trying to reach Beirut when disaster struck. "Rescue efforts are being hampered by the fact that we're operating in an area where the waves are as high as three meters and because of the floating dead animals," a Tripoli port official said late on Thursday. The ship's operator, Agencia Schandy, told AFP in Montevideo that the Danny F II had a crew of 76 and six passengers -- four Uruguayans, one Brazilian and an Australian. It had left Montevideo on November 29 with about 10,000 sheep and almost 18,000 cattle bound for Tartus, north of Tripoli, but was forced to change course because of the bad weather. All of the animals were presumed lost. A Togolese-flagged ship sank off the southern coast of Lebanon last week. Several crew members were rescued by Israel but a number are still missing, presumed dead.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 18 Dec 09, 17:47

Moussawi: 1559 is Worthless
Naharnet/Hizbullah's International Relations Officer Ammar Mousawi said Friday that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 is "meaningless."
"It is being exploited in an effort to impose a trusteeship on Lebanon," Moussawi believed. "No one has the right to exercise the role of the guardian of Lebanon because the issue of weapons will be discussed in the framework of the defense strategy," he added. Beirut, 18 Dec 09, 12:43

Champaign: U.S backs implementation of 1701 and 1559
Date: December 19th, 2009/Source: Al-Rai /Nicole Champaign, the director of the Office of Egypt and the Levant in the U.S State Department has said that its country strongly supports the full implementation of United Nations Security Council’s resolutions including 1701 and 1559. Champaign’s comments came in an interview with the Al-Rai Kuwaiti newspaper published Saturday. “It is clear that Lebanon is strong, prosperous and democratic which is in the region and the international community’s favor,” she said. She renewed her country’s support for the Lebanese state and army saying “the U.S will continue to back the Lebanese state’s institutions including the Lebanese army.”

U.S cautions Lebanon: Israel does not accept continuation of arms flow to Hizbullah
Date: December 19th, 2009/Source: Al Hayat
U.S President Barack Obama had told President Michel Sleiman during the talks held between the two leaders in Washington last week that Israel would not accept the continuation of arms flow to Hizbullah.This information was published by the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper which quoted a Lebanese official source informed with the details of Sleiman-Obama talks.
The source said that in response to the Lebanese side’s insistence during talks that the issue of Hizbullah arms must be left aside to be resolved at the national dialogue table, the American side noted that Israel will not accept the continuation of arms flow to Hizbullah as it is taking place currently. The sources also told the paper that the U.S administration will seek in the coming stage through its special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchel to alleviate the Israeli stance from the resumption of peace talks. The Democratic and the Republican Party understand the Lebanese stance against the naturalization of Palestinians and realize the delicacy of the Lebanese situation. Thus, the U.S is keen that no peace deal is cut at Lebanon’s expense, the source added. Meanwhile, the source said that the U.S side spoke of the continuation of dialogue with Syria, but has also insinuated that there is no tangible progress in this concern because the U.S has demands that must be met by Damascus. The source also quoted U.S officials who criticized the continuation of the Syrian-Iranian relations and noted that the U.S would continue to encourage Turkey to mediate between Syria and Israel’s negotiations.

Masri: Neither Lebanon nor any other country has the right to delete international resolutions
Date: December 19th, 2009/Source: Al Rai
International Law Professor Chafic Al-Masri has said that neither Lebanon nor any other country whether a permanent or a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has the right to delete international resolutions, the Al-Rai Kuwaiti newspaper reported Saturday. “The UNSC can only, impose, remind of or neglect the resolutions and it is the only side that has the jurisdictions to modify UN resolutions,” he said. “Lebanon can demand the UNSC that the item on Hizbullah arms in UN resolution 1559 is resolved by the Lebanese themselves but it cannot request deleting it,” he added. “UN resolution 1701 stated in its introduction that it is based on all previous resolutions concerning Lebanon including resolution 1559. Thus, it is illogical that Lebanon holds to all items of resolution 1701 and asks for deleting part of resolution 1559 simultaneously,” he added. The pan-Arab Ash-Shaq Al-Awsat quoted a ministerial source in an interview published Saturday that he doubts the existence of a possibility to delete resolution 1559, but noted that some of its items were considered as annulled practically. UN resolution 1559 which was issued by UNSC in 2004 demanded the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon and the removal of militias’ arms in Lebanon including these of Hizbullah and Palestinians outside the camps. UN resolution 1701 which was issued in 2006 to end the July war between Hizbullah and Israel demanded ending all military presence south the Litani River in south Lebanon and respecting the blue line on behalf of Lebanon and Israel.

Houri: No agenda for Hariri’s visit to Syria
Date: December 19th, 2009
Future News/Deputy Ammar Houri of the Almustaqbal parliamentary bloc said Saturday there is no specific agenda for Premier Saad Hariri’s visit to Syria and that talks will tackle developing Lebanese-Syrian relations in general. Houri’s comments came in an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation broadcast on Saturday. “This short visit will mark the beginning of a new phase of positive relations,” he said. “There is nothing ambiguous or confidential in the visit,” he added. “It is a normal visit carried out by Lebanon’s Premier to a brethren country that was preceded by visits to other brotherly and friendly countries,” he maintained. “Premier Hariri’s talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad will focus on improving and developing Lebanese-Syrian state to state relations,” he said.Premier Hariri is expected to visit Damascus Saturday to hold talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

NBP: 1559 resolution abolishment caused campaign against Sleiman
Date: December 19th, 2009Source: NNA The National Bloc Party (NBP) said Saturday that the demand for the abolishment of the UN Security Council 1559 resolution seems to be behind the campaign against President Michel Sleiman before his visit to Washington, the National News Agency reported. “They have to say honestly which articles they don’t want to implement. Is it the one related to the retrieve of the arms of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias?” asked the party led by Amid Carlos Edde in a statement after the periodical meeting of its executive council. Hiabullah and its allies circulated in their media a demand for the abolishment of the UN Security Council 1559 resolution which unimplemented article states the retrieve of the arms of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, thus Hizbullah’s arsenal. The statement also noted that international resolutions cannot be abolished but with new resolutions, and considered “the abolishment of a resolution that immunes the stability of the Lebanese State is a dangerous issue.”

Hamadeh: Hariri's Visit to Syria gateway to new stage
Date: December 19th, 2009
Source: Radio Orient
Hamadeh on Saturday considered that Prime Minister Saad Hariri will visit Damascus as Premier of Lebanon's national unity government and majority leader amid an overwhelming Arab support to his policy, especially Saudi Arabia. “The visit will take place in a "state-to-state" manner,” said Hamadeh.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri prospective meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad is not aimed at turning the past’s page; instead it marks the beginning of serious, equal, reciprocal relationship between both countries after Lebanon prevented the Syrian from exploiting the country’s resources and capabilities during its hegemony.
Hariri said after his government received a vote of confidence in parliament he was interested in forging relations with Syria based on "clarity and honesty".
"The government wants to raise brotherly ties between Lebanon and Syria to a level in line with the two countries' historical ties and mutual interest," Hariri stressed.
In an interview with “Radio Orient” Hamadeh noted that the Syrian leadership has shifted its policies in dealing with Hizbullah, asserting that hostility does not exist between two brotherly countries such as Lebanon and Syria. The MP explained that Syria is not serious in liberating the Golan Heights, “contrary to the Lebanese people it did not allow the establishment of any resistance movement within its territories…the country is the only resistance,” he added.
Hamadeh accused foreign powers namely those affected by Israeli politics of fueling the resistance in Lebanon, calling on resolving Hizbullah’s arms on the dialogue table and putting the defence strategy on the right track. He said he expects that Hariri will discuss this particular issue during his meeting with Assad.
Hamadeh reiterated that the Democratic Gathering party leader MP Walid Jumblatt alliance with Hariri is "consistent, unshakable and strong,” asserting that the party’s members remained faithful to the March 14 principles.
He warned of the Israeli’s attempt to stage another war against Lebanon; however he voiced hopes that the inter-reconciliation would not transform Lebanon into a one-party country.
Hamadeh concluded by urging the different political factions to accept each other’s viewpoints and stances given the fact that Lebanon is a democratic country.
The executive council also considered that the ministerial statement is dangerous for Lebanon especially with the article related to the resistance, “as the statement did not provide any guarantees to the Lebanese people but at the contrary it dragged them through a maze of dangers.” “The responsibility is on those politicians who gave the official excuse to Israel to destroy the country, even though it does not need it,” added the statement. As for the nationalization of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, the NBP noted that the March 8 alliance, that was accusing the majority of seeking it before the parliamentary elections, are now demanding to grant the refugees the right of ownership “which is the first step towards nationalization.”

Mneimneh: Hariri’s visit to Damascus shows will for equal ties
Date: December 19th, 2009/Education Minister Hassan Mneimneh said Saturday that the visit of Premier Saad Hariri to Damascus shows the government’s intention to build just and equal relations with Syria. In an intervention on Future News television, Mneimneh stressed Lebanon’s rejection to the nationalization of Palestinian refugees, “so there is irrelevant to use arguments related to this issue.” Mneimenh, member of Almustaqbal Movement, noted that in spite of several Arab peace initiatives, “there is still a problem with the United States of America regarding its biased position towards Israel.”

Hout: Hariri deals with Syria as a man of state
Date: December 19th, 2009/Source: Al Anbaa
MP Imad Al-Hout of the Jemaa Islamiah has said that Premier Saad Hariri has the authentic intention to improve Lebanese-Syrian relations and that his expected visit to Syria conforms to his orientation as a man of state, the Al-Anbaa Kuwaiti newspaper reported Saturday. “Hariri has separated Lebanon’s interest from personal considerations and referred his personal problem to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) which indicates that he enjoys all the characteristics of statesmen,” he said.“Hariri’s visit to Syria will lay foundations for a new form of Lebanese-Syrian relations based on institutions and mutual respect,” he added. On President Michel Sleiman’s visit to Washington that he held last week and his talks with U.S President Barack Obama, he said “the successful visit that signaled out the particularity of the Lebanese stance comes in the context of Lebanon’s openness on regional and international countries.” “The U.S administrations will impose many restrictions on the military aid it intends to grant to the Lebanese army out of its stance against the resistance and its permanent support to the Zionist entity (Israel).” Hout welcomed the U.S military aid if it was “unconditional.” Premier Saad Hariri is expected to visit Damascus today (Saturday) to hold talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Bazzi: A new page for Syria-Lebanon relationship
December 19, 2009 /Now Lebanon/Development and Liberation bloc MP Ali Bazzi told OTV on Saturday that Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s visit to Syria as the head of the Lebanese national-unity cabinet, signals a new page being turned in the relationship between Damascus and the Lebanese government. The minister added that Speaker Nabih Berri’s relationship with the Syrian regime is “more than excellent.” Bazzi also said Palestine is the “central” issue in the region. “Israel is the only enemy of the Arab and Islamic nation, not Iran, Syria or the Resistance,” he added.-NOW Lebanon

Lebanon's Tora Bora
By: Ana Maria Luca,
Now Lebanon
December 19, 2009
The Lebanese Armed Forces base near Sultan Yaqoub. (NOW Lebanon)
Sultan Yaqoub is not a usual Bekaa Valley village with small stone houses, dusty roads and villagers donning red and white kufyiehs. The houses in Sultan Yaqoub, a village at the foot of the Ante Lebanon Mountains, are all immense, white palaces, and they are all empty. They started to pop up in the 1980s, when the villagers who had migrated to South America started to come back and erect monuments to the wealth they had accumulated across the ocean. But then they left again and never returned.
“They were not happy here,” says a bearded man walking back and forth in front of his shop’s door, hoping to get lucky and receive a customer. Most people left the village in the 1960s and the rest followed during the civil war, he says. And then, between 1975 -1978 the Palestinian camp appeared on the mountain.
“It is not like any other camp,” the secretary of the municipality, who preferred not to be named, says. “We don’t talk to them, they don’t talk to us. We have no connection with the boys in there.”
“In there” is in fact a tunnel dug into the side of the mountain, where Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) fighters are hiding. Outside the cave, there is a disused training ground where young Palestinian men from Syrian camps used to prepare for combat. The cave and training ground are well hidden, and nobody dares get near the area for fear of being shot.
The PFLP-GC, led by Ahmad Jibril, a former Syrian army officer, came into being in 1968 during the Syrian-backed split from the original Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Although based in Syria, the PFLP-GC still has three training camps in Lebanon: Sultan Yaqoub, Kfar Zabad and Qusaya.
Jibril’s workshops on the outskirts of his group’s Syrian camps were mentioned as the source of the bomb timing devices used in the Lockerbie plane highjacking. In Lebanon, the PFLP-GC has been involved in a number of clashes with the Lebanese security forces, and in October 2005, the Lebanese army surrounded all three of the organization’s camps and set up checkpoints. Lebanese authorities claimed that the PFLP-GC was receiving arms shipments from across the Syrian border and accused the group of acting on Syria's behalf to stir unrest. In 2009, the Lebanese government also accused the PFLP-GC of launching several rounds of rockets from South Lebanon into Israel. Just last week, Jibril vowed that his group would not surrender its arms to the Lebanese army.
Politicians in Beirut agree that the issue of Palestinian-owned weapons outside the refugee camps is a major concern for the country. “We don’t want any weapons outside the Lebanese army, be they Lebanese or Palestinian,” MP Elie Marouni told NOW. “But this is not just a Syrian or Lebanese problem. It’s connected to peace in the Middle East, and I doubt it is going to be solved easily.”
Two weeks ago an explosion the army deemed “mysterious” rocked Sultan Yacoub. Nobody in the village knows what really happened, but they say they heard the detonation and they suspect it was one of the mines the fighters usually place around their fortress. But the LAF can’t investigate the incident, as Lebanese authorities cannot enter the well-armed PFLP-GC’s territory, for fear they would start a war with the Syrian-backed group.
According to Mahmoud Chokr, a freelance journalist and publicist who covers the Bekaa area, because of the army checkpoints, the fighters have no chance of getting out and crossing the mountain to Syria to bring back weapons as they used to do in the past.
But the villagers in Sultan Yaqoub say that the Palestinian fighters still leave the camp when they “go on a mission” or for “a food run.”
Few people from Sultan Yaqoub venture up the mountain. Villagers say it’s dangerous. “Two years ago they killed a woman because she was working in the field. They shot another one while she was driving her car to the hospital,” the shop owner said.
Nothing happened afterward, no arrest, no investigation. “Now they shoot at you if your car breaks down and you have to stop on the road,” a member of the local council told NOW while having his morning coffee with his neighbors in the back of his vegetable shop.
“They are probably four or five inside that cave up there. But they try to give the impression that they are more. They are placing mines around the camp. That’s why the explosion happened,” one of the men says.
The LAF “headquarters” placed on top of a mountain overseeing the former PFLP-GC training grounds consists of two huts and two trucks. The soldiers at the checkpoint don’t look old enough to grow their beards yet. They stop the few cars passing by, take a look at the driver and then let them go.
The second camp, in the Kfar Zabad area, a few kilometers south of Sultan Yaqoub, is in on a mountain around three kilometers from the border with Syria. The LAF again has checkpoints on all surrounding roads. But the steep footpaths in between the roads are difficult for the young soldiers to guard at night with no equipment other than their old guns.
“During the 2007 war in Nahr al-Bared, people in the village used to say that they could see men coming from the Syrian border to the camp in the mountain. The army increased security then,” Chokr said.
The young Lebanese army soldier at the Kfar Zabad checkpoint looks inside passing cars and lets them go on without checking for papers.
But in the Qusaya area, where the third camp is located, the soldiers at the checkpoint are more careful. They ask for the IDs of all the men in the cars passing by. The PFLP-GC camp here is far from the village, and it straddles the old French mandate border, half of it inside Lebanon, half in Syria.
Back in Sultan Yaqoub, the people say they’ve had enough. “We hate them. Ask the politicians why they keep it like this. And ask Syria, ask [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad,” a shop owner in the village says.

Lebanon’s Ebenezer Scrooge
December 19th, 2009 8:35 AM
The People's Voice
Franklin Lamb, Beirut
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2009/12/19/lebanon-s-ebenezer-scrooge
Jeffrey Feltman Surely we should all have known better. It was just too good to last. It seemed to some Americans in Lebanon that nearly all the Lebanese and their political leaders were ready to try to more of less work together for the good of the country. Many even seemed to be getting excited about Christmas. Several of the diverse sects’ zaim’s (leaders) were seen on TV enjoying attending public lightings of Christmas trees, praising the new unity government and some humming their favorite holiday tunes during family visits to places like the crowded Beirut and City Malls.
The new prime minister Saad Hariri admitted that he relished presiding over the ceremony for the lighting of the ‘national’ Christmas Tree in Downtown Beirut this week and was inspired by fond memories of his student days at Georgetown University when he liked to walk over behind the White House and watch the US President pull the switch and see the huge tree light up to a chorus of “ohs” and “ahs” from kids and their relatives.
The ceremony here was almost the same and it seems to this outsider that the Lebanese have way more relatives than we in America do or at least they get together more often. Given all the electricity problems Lebanon’s population has to endure, with daily power black outs ranging from three hours per day in the more posh Hamra district to more than 12 hours of daily cuts in some areas like the Palestinian refugee camps and sometimes no power at all for days up north in Tripoli, Akkar and over east in the Bekaa Valley, some gathered at the huge tree waiting for Saad to pull the switch joked that it would be a real miracle if all those trails of tangled wires actually worked. Just as one Saudi student was overheard explaining to his English girlfriend that even in Wahabist Saudi Arabia, it is ok to wish western visitors ‘Merry Christmas’, the giant tree lite up brilliantly, as Saad pulled the switch and he and the crowd beamed with child-like delight.
The ‘peace on earth good will towards men’ spirit also seemed to permeate politics. By an historic vote of 122 to 1, the new ‘unity’ Parliament voted its confidence in the new ‘unity’ government. The question of Hezbollah arms was generally believed to have finally been put to rest with Article 6 of the Cabinet’s Policy Declaration, which accepted them as necessary and legitimate. Meanwhile, nimble minds discussed various formulae to unite the National Lebanese Resistance military prowess with the Lebanese Army in order for Lebanon to finally have a real defense force able to end 60 years of Israeli attacks. Signs of unity, pride and hope were popping up all over.
President Michel Suleiman returned from candid talks with President Obama where he reportedly gave his hosts a realistic assessment of Lebanon’s politics, explain that Hezbollah was an equal partner in the government and should be engaged with by Washington. Lebanon’s problems, he told his hosts, included the continuing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory, and its daily violations of UNSCR 1701 as well as serial threats of attack. The Lebanese President also informed the President Obama, NSA advisor James Jones and US Envoy George Mitchell` that UNSCR 1559, regarding decommissioning militia arms was fulfilled as far as Lebanon was concerned. He implied that it should be scrapped. Suleiman is too smart to believe that any US administration will give Lebanon weapons that will deter Israeli attacks but he asked for some and Washington agreed to meet with Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr next year to talk more about the subject. Congressional sources reported that President Suleiman was shown a lot of respect and appreciation for the positions he took and gave their full support for the national dialogue.
Regarding Hezbollah possessing weapons, one US Senate Foreign Relations Committee source reported that several Congressional analysts she has spoken to agree with the recent statement of MP Mohammad Raad that “Hezbollah agrees that the state must take the responsibility for defending its people but when the state is incapable, it is the duty of every Lebanese to help build a strong and just state that can equip its army to face up to Israeli violations."
Regarding Suleiman’s visit to Washington, Raad stressed that "everything the President said in Washington should have been said."
Things seemed to be going well for Lebanon this Christmas season. However, no sooner had the tree lighting crowd dispersed than the atmosphere literally changed and the following days brought sustained heavy rains and flooding with many Lebanese stuck in flooded homes and cars with heavy thunder and lightning. Some are blaming the foul weather on global warming. Others on the return of Jeffrey Feltman, the Assistant Secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, who last month announced from Washington that US officials, are staying away from Lebanon lest they be blamed for trying to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs by choosing its new government.
It did appear that the scowling Jeffrey Feltman, appeared to ride in on the dark clouds, via the airwaves to frighten little children with his patented threats of old. As though he had never been absent from Lebanon, Jeffrey tried his best to stir up the now quiet Lebanese political pot. First he announced on Al-Jazeera TV on 12/16/09 that “Hezbollah endangers the Lebanese people and does not comply with international resolutions and exerts its power in areas where the government has no control.” Critics quickly countered by asking Feltman about the more than 60 UN resolutions that Israel has ignored, more than half with US diplomatic cover, including the UNSCR 1701. Concerning Hezbollah “exerting power in areas where the government has no control” analysts point out that Hezbollah asserts its power in Parliament and the Cabinet which is exactly the seat of government control.
Then Feltman insisted that the Lebanese army assert the government’s authority over all the country’s territory, adding that Hezbollah exercises power in areas where the government has no control. He also stated that his country respects the independence sovereignty, and non-interference in Lebanese affairs and accepts the right of the Lebanese to freely elect their representatives to the parliament. However, he added,” the US will not have contacts with Hezbollah or any party that does.”
Feltman also dredged up the old discredited bromide that his country’s animosity with Hezbollah dates back to the 1980s, when, according to him, “Hezbollah killed a number of US citizens in Lebanon”. Some saw this as a desperation smear by Feltman since former CIA agent Robert Baer, who led the three year CIA investigation of that charge, and others who have thoroughly and repeatedly investigated events of the early 1980’s, before Hezbollah was even coherently organized or released its public “Open Letter” in 1985, found no probative evidence to link Hezbollah to acts targeting American civilians or even its military. Various acts were carried out by more than a dozen newly formed secretive militias during this period. The only thing some of these groups had in common was their goal to expel the occupying Israeli forces and those who were alarming, supporting and assisting in their killing of Lebanese civilians.
According to Lebanese human rights ambassador Ali Khalil, “If Feltman has proof of Hezbollah involvement in the killing of Americans nearly 30 years ago let him come clean as hold a news conference and present his evidence. Otherwise he must immediately apologize to Hezbollah and to the people of Lebanon. Feltman should understand that nobody in Lebanon has to engage in wild speculation about the US role in arming Israeli to kill thousands and thousands of Lebanese, for the past 30 years until today. The facts are clear, available and well documented. Where are his?”
Some expected Feltman to also bring up the discredited “Ohmygod, Hezbollah will create an Islamic Republic in Lebanon and Hezbollah believes in the Wilayat al Faqih Guardianship of the Jurists!” scare tactics. Those charges were reserved for Feltman’s friend, the anti-Resistance MP Dori Chamoun, who minutes after Feltman spoke, announced them during an interview with Al Massira magazine, adding that Hezbollah “is politically immature.” When asked by the interviewer what that meant, MP Chamoun declined comment.
In an interview with OTV on 12/16/09, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun asked Feltman, “How do Hezbollah’s weapons pose a threat to [the US] if we are defending our nation?” Aoun added that he does not trust Washington, because “it has sacrificed us too many times...Hezbollah’s weapons will be kept until Palestinians return [to their country].” Aoun, reiterated that he is against Palestinian naturalization in Lebanon currently being pushed by the US and Israel.
Another reason Jeffrey Feltman has resurfaced is the rumored withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Lebanese village of Ghajar.
Feltman promised almost exactly one year ago that he had a Christmas present for the then Lebanese Prime Minister, Fuad Sinoria. The Christmas present was that Israel would be forced by Washington to withdraw from the Lebanese village of Ghajar before the New Year. There was one catch. Sinioria, a leader of the March 14 US-Saudi team, had to himself figure out how to assure that March 14, the US team got full credit for Israel’s withdrawal from Ghajar and to prevent Hezbollah from getting the credit by the Lebanese public. That, Feltman explained, would ruin the then approaching June election results.
The same applies this Christmas. As it stands now Feltman is concerned because most Lebanese believe that Israel would not leave Ghajar were it not for Hezbollah pressure which is the only reason Israel is still not occupying nearly 600 villages in Lebanon today.
Meanwhile, life in Israeli occupied Ghajar deteriorates. Najib al-Khatib, spokesman for the population and their municipal council, explained “The services offered to the Northern section of the village on the basis of the Blue Line, will officially remain in Israel’s hands. However, the people are not getting the basic services today, let alone when the village is actually divided into small sections.” In statements to Al-Jazeera.net, Al-Khatib pointed to the refusal of the fire department, ambulances and the phone and electricity companies to enter the Northern section of the village, under the pretext that it was “outside the border,” adding: “Last month, an ambulance refused to enter this section, which entailed the death of four-year old Hayat Jaber.” Moreover, the population in the Northern section cannot bury its dead until after the deceased is brought to the Israeli checkpoint at the entrance of the village to get the authorization of the police. “They are depriving the people of a decent living and preventing us from dying with dignity. Imagine that the family of the deceased has to wait with the corpse in the street for long hours, until the Israeli officer arrives, checks the identity of the deceased and writes the burial authorization.”
Al Khatib reported that UNIFIL wants Israel out before its current commander, Claudio Graziano, departs next month.
Israel could easily be pressured by the White House to leave Ghajar, just as Feltman offered Fuad Siniora last Christmas. But Feltman still has no assurance that Hezbollah will not get the credit when Israel leaves and he must find a solution. And so the Israelis remain in Ghajar, life worsens for the Lebanese under its occupation, and Feltman ponders.
Franklin Lamb is doing research in Lebanon and can be reached at fplamb@gmail.com
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Franklin P. Lamb, PhD
Director, Americans Concerned for
Middle East Peace, Wash.DC-Beirut
Acting Chair, the Sabra-Shatila Memorial Scholarship Program Laptop Initiative
Shatila Palestinian Refugee Camp
fplamb@gmail.com

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 20/09