LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 28/09
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint John 17:11-19. And now I will no longer be in the world, but
they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your
name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. When I was
with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them,
and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the
scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the
world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the
world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong
to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep
them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong
to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they
also may be consecrated in truth.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Hezbollah Psychology.
By Mshari Al-Zaydi/Asharq Al-Awsat 27/05/09
He, (Hassan Nasrallh) the voice of ‘injustice’ .By: By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
27/05/09
9 years after pullout, SLA veterans still dream of Lebanon-Ynetnews
27/05/08
Did Hezbollah Murder Hariri?.By:
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed 27/05/09
March 8’ corruption/Future News
27/05/09
Did Hizballah Kill Rafik Hariri?TIME
27/05/09
Understanding the Der Spiegel upheaval-By
Michael Young 27/05/09
North
Korea's missile test underlines the challenges of a 21st century world-Daily
Star 27/05/09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for May
27/09
Army, UNIFIL on High Alert ahead of Israeli Exercises-Naharnet
Author of Der Spiegel Tale
'Convinced' about Report, Says Documents 'Original'-Naharnet
'I-spy' Alert Sweeps South Lebanon After Arrests-Naharnet
Appointments Made, Budget on Road to Approval-Naharnet
Author of Der Spiegel Tale
'Convinced' about Report, Says Documents 'Original'-Naharnet
Army
Colonel Arrested as Mossad Agent was 'Modest,' 'Brilliant, and 'Loved'-Naharnet
Israeli
Fears and Threats on the Rise Ahead of Lebanese Polls-Naharnet
March 14 Vows to Confront
Coup Plans and Fight for a United Lebanon-Naharnet
Syrian Ambassador Arrives
in Lebanon-Naharnet
HDC Follows Up on
Espionage Cells, Discusses Israeli Military Maneuvers-Naharnet
Ahmadinejad: Opposition
Election Victory will Change Region-Naharnet
Bassil: Hizbullah Weapons
Are a Necessity; We Oppose a Hariri Majority-Naharnet
Sarkozy
opens France's first Gulf military base, pledges to protect UAE-(AFP)
'Hezbollah has more rockets than before Lebanon war'-Ha'aretz
Lebanese army colonel arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel-Daily
Star
March
14 vows to confront plot 'to topple state and Taif Accord'-Daily
Star
LOG
candidate pulls out of Baalbek-Hermel race-Daily
Star
Kuwaiti tried to create Al-Qaeda camp - report-Daily
Star
Ahmadinejad: March 8 victory will 'change region-Daily
Star
Israel claims Iran set up Hizbullah cells in Venezuela-Daily
Star
Lavrov
insists world must recognize results of Lebanon's polls-(AFP)
Baroud: Electoral law represents 'glass half full'-Daily
Star
Der
Spiegel report could cause civil unrest
-(AFP)
Nasrallah: Israel behind Der Spiegel claims-Daily
Star
Lebanese banking sector still going strong - EFG Hermes-Daily
Star
Shatah backs calls to curb corporate corruption-Daily
Star
More
than 200 exhibitors taking part in this year's Garden Show in Beirut-Daily
Star
9 years after pullout, SLA
veterans still dream of Lebanon
Former South Lebanon Army soldiers gather on anniversary of Israel's withdrawal
from area, salute 1,250 comrades who gave their lives whilst fighting alongside
IDF. 'We have a bond with Israel but we dream of going home,' one of them says
Hagai Einav Published: 05.27.09, 08:54 / Israel News
Nine years after Israel withdrew from South Lebanon, some 250 members of the
South Lebanon Army (SLA), gathered Tuesday to hold a memorial service for 1,250
of their comrades, who lost their lives during the years of fighting alongside
the Israel Defense Forces. After the IDF pulled out of the area, many SLA
members and their families moved to Israel, mostly for security reasons. "Out of
7,000 people who moved from Lebanon to Israel, only 2,600 remain," Claude
Ibrahim, a former advisor to SLA Commander Antoine Lahad, told Ynet. "The
majority live in Nahariya, Ma'alot, Carmiel, Tiberias, Kiryat Shmona, Safed and
Haifa. "We have come here today to mark the deep bond between members of the SLA
and the State of Israel, as well as to make the longing to the homeland we
left," he added. The service began with 50 of the SLA members' children singing
both the Lebanese anthem and the Israeli one - "Hatikva". Hoping to return to
Lebanon Members of the SLA living in Israel told Ynet that they too were
greatly affected by the global financial crisis, adding that their respective
municipalities were doing what they could to assist them. "We are even worse off
than most. Our children have found their place in the school system, but its
hard for the older folks to find jobs," Joseph, formerly of the SLA, said. "In
2002, the government decided to split the care of SLA veterans between the
Defense Ministry and the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, which resulted in some
unfair gaps," he said. Nine years after the pullout, most of them still hope to
be able to return to Lebanon one day: "We all wish for peace, and that one day
we can go back," one of the SLA veterans' wives told Ynet. "Our (husbands')
decision to fight shoulder to shoulder with the IDF stemmed from the belief that
the Israelis and the Lebanese can coexist peacefully," she said. "We still
believe that."
Author of Der Spiegel
Tale 'Convinced' about Report, Says Documents 'Original'
Naharnet/Author of the Der Spiegel report implicating Hizbullah in the
assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri said he is "convinced" about the
article and stressed that the documents cited were "original.""The documents
that I reviewed during preparation of my report were original, not copies,"
Erich Follath, Der Spiegel's diplomatic correspondent, said in a telephone
interview with pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat. "I verified every word before
publishing the report," he added. Follath said he visited Syria a few months ago
and met President Bashar al-Assad. "That had nothing to do with the article
published over the weekend," he stressed. Follath said he is a "free" journalist
who takes into account the conscience of his profession. He denied working for
intelligence services, adding that he had "personally" criticized Israel a
number of times for its violations of the rights of the Palestinian people in
the occupied territories. Follath said he was "happy" to be attacked by
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He pointed that he had met senior
Hizbullah officials and was "not surprised by Nasrallah's attack, but was
expecting it." He said Nasrallah's assault had "improved his status," adding
that he is convinced about his tale "today more than ever before." Meanwhile, As
Safir newspaper said Der Spiegel's report was a "replica" story by opposition
Syrian journalist Nizar Nayouf published by "al Hakika" (the Truth) website five
months ago. It said Der Spiegel's report "selected" parts from Nayouf's article
regarding Hizbullah's special forces in addition to names of senior Hizbullah
officials like Imad Mughniyeh, Abdel Majid Ghamloush and al-Haj Salim as well as
using the same terms regarding slain Lebanese army officer Wissam Eid. Al-Akhbar
newspaper, for its part, said Wednesday that Nick Kaldas, head of the U.N.
investigation team probing Hariri's assassination, was "examining" the contents
of the dossier containing names and addresses as well as database and tables
showing link among communication networks.
Beirut, 27 May 09, 08:19
He, the voice of ‘injustice’
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
HASSAN NASRALLAH on Monday said Al-Seyassah daily is a ‘superpower’. He has been
trying to terrorize the daily, using a loud voice because he knows that his
so-called evidence is baseless. A famous Arabic proverb says “if the accused
raises his voice, he is guilty.” This is the current situation between Nasrallah
and the daily. Nasrallah insulted the daily as he and his group has done to the
innocent people in Lebanon and other countries. We don’t focus on such
nonsensical and offensive remarks as the Lebanese know the Hezbollah leader
better.
However, we want to ask the Hezbollah leader whether he knows the concept of
justice or not. In case he knows, has he ever heard about it? Did he hear
justice when his militia killed Lebanese thinker Hussein Marwah, who was in his
80s when the Hezbollah mercenaries threw him out of a window in his house? Did
Nasrallah and his militia hear the voice of justice when they assassinated
another Lebanese thinker, Hassan Hamdan? Did they hear justice when the militia
stormed into South Beirut and wreaked havoc in the area? Or when they invaded
the villages in South Lebanon and killed the innocent who opposed their ideas in
the 1980s?
If he doesn’t know justice, why didn’t Nasrallah and his militia put the case of
Imam Mousa Al-Sadr on top of their priority? Is it because their controllers and
boss are involved in the case of Al-Sadr, which is one of the most controversial
cases in the Arab world and Lebanon? Al-Sadr’s case happened after Hezbollah
started kidnapping foreigners and destabilized Lebanon. Nasrallah is aware that
the case of Al-Sadr is a redline he and his militia cannot cross as it is
connected to their boss and controllers. He will never find the answer to
questions regarding the case. We trust the wisdom of the Arab and Islamic world
to find the answers as the Hezbollah leader lacks common sense.
Again, we are not accusing anyone, we are merely presenting questions. Does
Nasrallah believe Al-Seyassah is a newspaper that follows the instructions of
the security apparatus of Hezbollah? Yes, Al-Seyassah is the voice of justice.
It is not ashamed to expose unjust acts and support the truth. If the newspaper
has indeed published an erroneous report, then why did the ‘voice of injustice’
condemn it? The actual mistake is Nasrallah having a misconception that his
judgment should be taken as it is.
Nasrallah talked about the Voice of Justice Newspaper (known as ‘Tablaid’ before
the Lebanese Civil War). He despised the newspaper, which did not encourage the
killing of innocent people on the streets of Beirut! He thought the world is as
dark as his hiding places (caves) in every corner in Lebanon, where he plans his
attacks to insult the innocent people. The Wiseman doesn’t blame Nasrallah for
his failure to learn the freedom of expression. Nasrallah believes he is a
superpower who controls the universe and his arrogance prevailed until he lost
track of the actual meaning of wisdom.
If the Hezbollah leader claims that he knows everything in Lebanon and owns the
latest technologies to identify thespies, where was his intelligence during the
assassination of Rafik Hariri and other Lebanese politicians? These crimes took
place near the security areas of Hezbollah. Isn’t it that Hezbollah is the main
suspect in these crimes? Why did they stop investigations on the assassination
of Hezbollah military leader Imad Moughaniyah? Does it mean that suicide bombers
are missing and their files are closed? Or Nasrallah doesn’t want to reveal
their identity? Nasrallah should answer these questions because the information
he has might help the International Criminal Court, which is currently
investigating the assassinations, and end the sectarian nightmare in the
country. Or he doesn’t care about justice because it will prove accusations
about the weapons he has been using to earn his living and threaten anyone who
comes in his way? We don’t want to accuse anyone, we are just presenting
questions. Will Nasrallah answer these questions in his public speeches and
celebrations?
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com
Did Hezbollah Murder Hariri?
26/05/2009
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
Asharq Al- Awsat,
Two weeks ago, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, described the 7th
of May as a glorious anniversary in the history of Lebanon. What is the
anniversary, and what happened on the 7th of May that is worthy of celebration?
It was on this day that the militias of Hezbollah attacked West Beirut, the
Sunni districts, and burned, destroyed, and killed inhabitants of the district.
This is the day he describes as glorious; it is a barbarous day, which is one of
the worst that Lebanon has known since the end of the civil war.
What Hezbollah did on that day was not against foreign powers, or even against
an armed Lebanese power, but it was a barbarous invasion of unarmed Lebanese
citizens, who were different from Hezbollah politically and in creed, and who
used to express their opinion - the same as Hezbollah - in parliament and
through the other means of political life.
Therefore, the story of Der Spiegel magazine was neither surprising nor shocking
in its report that a special group of Hezbollah was the one that carried out the
complete operation of assassinating Rafik al-Hariri.
Even if the story is not true, it will not change the fact that Hezbollah has a
tarnished reputation. The latest of Hezbollah's actions in Egypt was the recent
organization of terrorist operations; before that was the attack by its militias
on the Sunni regions in Beirut. I say that even if it is not true that Hezbollah
assassinated Al-Hariri, it has become an organization of bad reputation in
Lebanon and in the Arab world.
Had the accusation of involvement in the assassination of Al-Hariri been
directed at Hezbollah two years ago, perhaps the number of those who believed
this would have been very small. However, today, many people have not been
surprised by it; on the contrary, for some people - who believe that Hezbollah
has acquired influence, strength, and foreign affiliation enough to make it easy
to point the finger of accusation at it - their suspicions have been confirmed.
As for Hezbollah, perhaps it is not bothered about its reputation, because it
does not consider itself to be in a beauty contest, but it relies first and
foremost on its military power, which exceeds the power of the army of its
country. Therefore, Hezbollah does not care about the people's opinion before
committing any action. Hezbollah does not care whether or not people will know
that it killed Al-Hariri and the rest of its political opponents in 14 March
Forces. Hezbollah does not care if the Egyptian street gets angry when its
terrorist cell in Egypt is exposed. Hezbollah does not care even about the way
its Lebanese compatriots in the suburb think. This is because it considers
itself an armed party above all other considerations, and hence let everybody
else go to hell.
Unfortunately, this impression seems true, and the evidence on this is
Hezbollah's celebrations of the anniversary of the "glorious" 7 May on which it
stormed West Beirut, a date that even the families of the victims have been too
ashamed to commemorate for fear of opening old wounds.
This condescending way of thinking confirms that the behavior of Hezbollah has
changed from what it used to be in the past, when it was interested in
understanding the people's opinion of it. Hezbollah has been changed into a
group that wants to remind the people of its strength, which it continues to
call "the weapons of the resistance." Hezbollah believes that by keeping its
weapons it would be able to commit all these atrocities in Lebanon and in the
Arab world without punishment or accountability.
Yes, people now are too afraid not only to confront Hezbollah, but also to
criticize it. Today the situation has become difficult and grave, as it has
become incontrovertibly clear that Hezbollah, which built its striking force to
liberate the occupied Lebanese territories, is using it to spread its hegemony
over the country. It has been proved that all the past theoretical
pronouncements about the Hezbollah transforming itself into a civilian party,
and participating in the political process like any other political group, were
a big lie.
Finally, we would like to ask: Does Hezbollah think that it can continue to
practice all these violations and atrocities ad infinitum?
March 8’
corruption
Date: May 27th, 2009
Future News
The ‘March 8’ opposition alliance uses the issues of public debt and the tough
economic situation to intimidate and terrorize the Lebanese, as it does not have
any other way to approach them prior to the parliamentary elections. Obviously,
this group does not have a political or economic program to implement if it
conquers the rule and governs Lebanon after the elections.
‘March 8’s agenda is coupled with the priorities of Syria’s el Assad and Iran’s
Mullahs regimes, while it perceives Lebanon as a battle field which is not
allowed to become a state.
The current economic situation is catastrophic, but it is a setback which
resulted from the policies of militias, the veto share known as the “blocking
third”, the “May 7” events, the “arbitrary adventures”, and the “if I knew I
wouldn’t have done that” philosophy. The ‘March 8’ opposition which preaches
about corruption should discuss the facts and stay away from populism, crowd,
and manipulating people’s burdens. Let us remember together: - How ‘March 8’
alliance operated the Ministry of Power and Hydraulic Resources which has cost
so far more than 14 billion dollars of the total public debt? - Why the minister
of agriculture affiliated with the group which claims to be seeking a “clean
government” was jailed?
- What is going on in the council whose budget obstructed the budget of the
state, or in the National Social Security Fund? We all know the Minister of
‘Change and Reform’ who was caught red handed while trying to pass on some
contracts by consent. After the contracts were seized and were duly redone by
the Council of Ministers, the contract was sealed by a 30% less cost. Why don’t
those who are keen for fighting corruption talk about the security hubs and the
regions under the control of the regional security scale. Why don’t they say how
these regions became a mini-state within the state even at the economic level,
and what is the number of the institutions there that are not duly registered?
What about the obstruction of the comprehensive plan to repair the electricity
sector, and the obstruction of the projects of dragging voltage from Egypt, as
well as obstructing investments in producing energy?...
Syrian Ambassador Arrives in Lebanon
Naharnet/Syria's ambassador Ali Abdel Karim Ali arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday
to assume his duties 12 days before the scheduled parliamentary elections.
The foreign ministry's head of protocol George Siam and Syria's charge
d'affaires Shawki al-Shamat met Ali at the Masnaa border crossing and
accompanied him to Beirut.
An Nahar daily said that the ambassador will present his credentials to Salloukh
on Thursday and President Michel Suleiman the next day.
According to the daily, Ali was scheduled to arrive in Beirut in the aftermath
of the June 7 polls.
Ali, who was born in 1953, has been ambassador to Kuwait since November 2004 and
has also served as the head of Syrian state radio and television and the
official SANA news agency.
Lebanon opened its first embassy in Syria in March, five months after the
neighbors established diplomatic ties following decades of turbulent relations.
Career diplomat Michel el-Khoury was named Lebanon's ambassador to Damascus at
the start of the year and assumed his duties in April. Beirut, 27 May 09, 08:11
Author of Der Spiegel Tale 'Convinced' about Report, Says
Documents 'Original'
Naharnet
Author of the Der Spiegel report implicating Hizbullah in the assassination of
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri said he is "convinced" about the article and stressed
that the documents cited were "original.""The documents that I reviewed during
preparation of my report were original, not copies," Erich Follath, Der
Spiegel's diplomatic correspondent, said in a telephone interview with pan-Arab
daily Asharq al-Awsat. "I verified every word before publishing the report," he
added. Follath said he visited Syria a few months ago and met President Bashar
al-Assad. "That had nothing to do with the article published over the weekend,"
he stressed. Follath said he is a "free" journalist who takes into account the
conscience of his profession.
He denied working for intelligence services, adding that he had "personally"
criticized Israel a number of times for its violations of the rights of the
Palestinian people in the occupied territories. Follath said he was "happy" to
be attacked by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He pointed that he had
met senior Hizbullah officials and was "not surprised by Nasrallah's attack, but
was expecting it." He said Nasrallah's assault had "improved his status," adding
that he is convinced about his tale "today more than ever before."
Meanwhile, As Safir newspaper said Der Spiegel's report was a "replica" story by
opposition Syrian journalist Nizar Nayouf published by "al Hakika" (the Truth)
website five months ago.
It said Der Spiegel's report "selected" parts from Nayouf's article regarding
Hizbullah's special forces in addition to names of senior Hizbullah officials
like Imad Mughniyeh, Abdel Majid Ghamloush and al-Haj Salim as well as using the
same terms regarding slain Lebanese army officer Wissam Eid. Al-Akhbar
newspaper, for its part, said Wednesday that Nick Kaldas, head of the U.N.
investigation team probing Hariri's assassination, was "examining" the contents
of the dossier containing names and addresses as well as database and tables
showing link among communication networks. Beirut, 27 May 09, 08:19
Appointments Made, Budget on Road to Approval
Naharnet/Cabinet has finally approved the long-awaited appointment of the
remaining members of the Constitutional Council. However, approval of the
delayed 2009 state budget is yet to be achieved. The daily An Nahar on Wednesday
said the Green Light given for the completion of the Council members was based
on a formula such as six seats were given to the parliamentary majority, three
for the opposition and one for the president. The new Constitutional Council
members are: Issam Suleiman, Salah Mukhaiber, Assaad Diab, Toufic Soubra and
Suheil Abdel Samad. An Nahar quoted sources close to Nabih Berri as saying that
the speaker was part of the contacts held that led to Tuesday's cabinet session
that resulted in the appointments of the five remaining Constitutional Council
members. It also quoted sources in the Lebanese Forces as expressing strong
reservation following failure to appoint Judge Muhib Maamari to the Council. It
said Prime Minister Fouad Saniora suggested appointing Maamari instead of Salah
Mukhaiber. Defense Minister Elias Murr, however, insisted on Mukhaiber.
The Council will resume work after all ten members are sworn in before President
Michel Suleiman. Lebanon hopes to approve the state budget at the next cabinet
meeting scheduled for June 2. Beirut, 27 May 09, 11:52
March 14 Vows to Confront Coup Plans and Fight for a United Lebanon
Naharnet/The March 14 alliance vowed on Tuesday to remain unified so that
Lebanon becomes an effective state and said it will work to confront a coup plan
against the country.
"We vow to fight (the elections) unified so that Lebanon becomes a single,
united and capable state and not a state unable to make fateful decisions," the
coalition's general-secretariat coordinator, Fares Soaid, said after a meeting
by top March 14 officials at Bristol Hotel.
He added that the coalition will work to have a "single army" that has "the sole
right to carry arms, defend the nation and liberate the land."
The March 14 leaders called for a single authority based on the constitution and
urged for dialogue and Muslim-Christian partnership away from three-way sharing
of power.
They said Lebanon should be for all the Lebanese and not "an arena for bargains
and regional calculations," calling for non-interference in the issues of other
countries in order to prevent foreign meddling in Lebanon's affairs. The
statement, which came in the form of a pledge, also called for an independent
judiciary and hoped the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would "find the truth" in
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case. "We will confront the plan (to
stage) a coup against the state and the Taef Accord," the March 14 leaders
pledged, saying the Lebanese should "save Lebanon" through their "free voice."
Beirut, 26 May 09, 20:26
Israeli Fears and Threats on the Rise Ahead of Lebanese Polls
Naharnet/Israel's concerns about a possible Hizbullah win in the upcoming
parliamentary elections are increasing as the defense minister warned the
Lebanese from the consequences of voting for the group and the army chief said
there is a possibility that Lebanon "will fall to the radicals."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters in Tel Aviv Tuesday that Israeli
intelligence services expect a bolstering of Hizbullah's power after the June 7
polls.
"Today Hizbullah owns around a third of cabinet ministers. If Hizbullah wins the
elections with a large margin, Lebanon will expose itself to the might of the
Israeli army more than any time in the past," Barak warned ahead of his visit to
Washington. A possible Hizbullah win "will give us the freedom of movement that
we didn't have" in July 2006, he stressed.
In a related development Israeli Army chief Gabi Ashkenazi told a Knesset
committee meeting that Hizbullah has more rockets than before the 2006 war and
is boosting its power in south Lebanon ahead of the elections. "Hizbullah is
secretly bolstering its power south of the Litani river, but UNIFIL's presence
is making that task more difficult. Today it has more rockets and long-range
ammunition than it did before" the war, Israeli daily Haaretz quoted him as
saying. He warned that Hizbullah is still planning to avenge last year's
assassination of its commander Imad Mughniyeh. "Hizbullah has been intimidated
and restrained, but it is still planning a response." The army chief called the
June 7 elections "a fascinating electoral campaign between a radical axis and
moderates. This confrontation will determine which direction Lebanon will take,
and it is possible it will fall to the radicals." Beirut, 27 May 09, 08:46
Army Colonel Arrested as Mossad Agent was 'Modest,' 'Brilliant, and 'Loved'
Naharnet/Lebanese army Col. Mansour Diab, who has been arrested on suspicion of
spying for Israel, was "modest," "brilliant," and "loved," according to
colleagues in the military community. The daily As Safir on Wednesday said
investigation focused on how Diab, a resident of Antelias, was recruited to work
for the Israeli secret service, Mossad, and what tasks where given to him. It
said among the questions that are likely to be raised are:
- Was Diab asked to facilitate the entry and exit of Israeli troops via maritime
routes when he was working for the Lebanese army Special Navy Forces at that
time?
- Did Diab facilitate the entry of what is known as the "dead mail"?
As Safir said Diad, who hails from the northern town of Idbil in the Akkar
province, is married and has a daughter and a son.
Pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat, however, said high-tech communication devices --
similar to those seized from other Israeli espionage cell members arrested in
southern and eastern Lebanon as well as Beirut suburbs -- were confiscated from
Diab's house.
It said Diab's involvement as a Mossad agent was a "great shock" to the Lebanese
military command.
Meanwhile, a senior security source told Al-Akhbar newspaper that several army
officers have underwent investigation "designed to determine the nature of their
relations with the detained colonel." The source said Diab underwent
interrogation in 1997 after one of the pictures taken during a military training
program in the United States showed him standing alongside Israeli officers.
As Safir said Diab's opening to Israel likely took place in the first half of
the 1990s.
In a related development, security forces on Tuesday arrested two Palestinians –
Samir al-Hajj from Ain el-Hilweh and Khaled al-Kun from Mieh Mieh – in addition
to Mahmoud Serhal from Baissariyeh. Pan-Arab daily Al Hayat said there is no
evidence that the three detainees work for the Mossad, adding that they were the
key that led to the arrest of the Mieh Mieh suspect allegedly involved with
spying for Israel. Also on Tuesday, a police patrol raided the house of Raymond
Q. from the border town of Rmeish and confiscated equipment. No other details
were given. Raymond is the brother of Tanios Q. who fled to Israel last week
along with his family. Also on suspicion of spying for Israel, security forces
raided the house of customs officer Hashem A. in al-Khodr village in Baalbek
overnight Monday and arrested him. Beirut, 27 May 09, 10:04
Bassil: Hizbullah Weapons Are a Necessity; We Oppose a Hariri Majority
Naharnet
Telecoms Minister Jebran Bassil on Tuesday defended Hizbullah's weapons as a
"necessity" to confront Israel and said the Free Patriotic Movement opposed a
parliamentary majority by the "Hariri family." He was speaking during a tour of
villages and towns in Batroun. Bassil said that Hizbullah's weapons were not a
threat to Lebanon adding that "the real danger which the country was able to
surmount" was posed by "active and dangerous fundamentalist movements and
explosions across Lebanon." "What Hizbullah is calling for today is a unified
Lebanon. Hizbullah's weapons are necessary to confront Israel and the conspiracy
of settling" Palestinian refugees in the country. Lebanon faced "grave dangers
over the past years including fundamentalist networks that mushroomed in Nahr
el-Bared" camp, he said. On the elections, Bassil said the FPM was not against
the Lebanese Forces and Phalange party winning a majority in parliament. "But
the FPM is opposed to a Hariri family parliamentary majority," he added. He
expressed hope that the FPM will have "the largest parliamentary bloc through
which we can combat corruption."Bassil said political opponents who "describe
themselves as independents and centrists are unable to realize the change that
we aspire for."
The 2005 elections presented an "opportunity to restore unity among the Lebanese
based on partnership and balance. But we were stabbed by those we extended our
hand to," he added.
Beirut, 26 May 09, 18:09
March 14 vows to confront plot 'to topple state and Taif Accord'
Aoun predicts JUne 8 will mark 'end of current era'
By Therese Sfeir
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BEIRUT: The March 14 Forces pledged on Tuesday to face "plans to topple the
state and the Taif Accord," vowing to "build the state of Lebanon and establish
a unified authority and army." The March 14 Forces held a gathering at the
Bristol Hotel in Beirut, in the presence of the coalition's leaders and
electoral candidates from across the country. In a statement issued afterward,
the alliance said: "Together we will confront those who wish to topple the state
and the Taif Accord."
The statement also rejected what the alliance called "plans to establish the
three-way sharing of power instead of the equal sharing of power between
Christians and Muslims." They added that such plans threatened the country's
stability.
The statement also called for the establishment of an independent judiciary and
voiced the March 14 Forces' support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which
will try those accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri.
At the end of the meeting, participants signed a declaration to renew the
coalition's oath and commitments.
Separately on Wednesday, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said that
on June 8, a day after the parliamentary elections, the country would witness
the "end of the current era."
Addressing a delegation from the Metn towns of Bteghrin and Khenshara, Aoun said
that after the elections, Metn residents would be saved from problems "they
witnessed over a period of 18 years."
Meanwhile, a candidate for the Shiite seat in Zahle, Mohsen Dalloul, a former MP
and defense minister, withdrew from the electoral race on Wednesday. Dalloul
announced his decision during a news conference in which he said he thinks the
Shiite community in Lebanon is threatened.
In other developments, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said that the March
14
Forces were likely to maintain the parliamentary majority following the
elections. During an interview with Al-Anbaa newspaper on Tuesday, Geagea said
he was optimistic regarding the elections, adding that the country could not be
ruled by one party regardless of the elections results.
Geagea added that the Free Patriotic Movement's popular support largely
decreased, adding that he was expecting "surprising results in districts
previously dominated by the FPM."
Asked about a possible meeting between him and Hizbullah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the LF leader said "the political rift between us is
too big and too deep," adding that he met Nasrallah a few times during the
dialogue session.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad said on Tuesday that based on available
information "the opposition is likely to win the upcoming parliamentary
elections, despite US intervention."
During a ceremony on Monday in Kfar Tibneet, Raad denied accusations that the
opposition was trying to annul the Taif Accord and to replace it with the Doha
Agreement. "The Taif Accord is what the Lebanese agreed upon to establish the
state," he said.
Separately, Democratic Gathering bloc MP Marwan Hamadeh said that he did not
believe that a meeting would be held between Progressive Socialist Party leader
MP Walid Jumblatt and Nasrallah before the elections. "In any case, the next
national dialogue session will convene on June 1. We hope that Sayyed Hassan
will attend the dialogue, or else he will be represented by MP Mohammad Raad as
usual," he said.
Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil, meanwhile, stressed the importance of
Hizbullah's weapons to face Israel threats. During an electoral visit to Batroun,
Bassil said that Hizbullah's weapons were not a threat to Lebanon, adding that
"the real danger which the country was able to surmount" was posed by "active
and dangerous fundamentalist movements and explosions across Lebanon."
"What Hizbullah is calling for today is a unified Lebanon. Hizbullah's weapons
are necessary to confront Israel and the conspiracy of settling" Palestinian
refugees in the country, he said.
Lebanon faced "grave dangers over the past years including fundamentalist
networks that mushroomed in Nahr al-Bared," he said, referring to the northern
Palestinian refugee camp that saw deadly clashes between militants in the army
in 2007.
On the elections, Bassil said the FPM was not against the Lebanese Forces and
Phalange Party winning a majority in Parliament. "But the FPM is opposed to a
Hariri family parliamentary majority," he added.
He expressed hope that the FPM would have "the largest parliamentary bloc
through which we can combat corruption."
Bassil said political opponents who "describe themselves as independents and
centrists are unable to realize the change that we aspire for." The 2005
elections presented an "opportunity to restore unity among the Lebanese based on
partnership and balance. But we were stabbed by those we extended our hand to,"
he added. - The Daily Star
Cabinet approves appointments to Constitutional Council
Nafez Qawas/Daily Star correspondent
BEIRUT: Cabinet approved on Tuesday the appointment of the remaining five
members of the Constitutional Council but postponed discussion over the 2009
state budget.
"The ratification of the state budget was left pending and the next Cabinet to
be formed following the June 7 polls will be tasked to deal with this issue," a
well-informed ministerial source told The Daily Star.
The Cabinet session, headed by President Michel Sleiman, was held at Baabda
Palace. The new members of the Constitutional Council appointed by the ministers
include Maronite Issam Sleiman, Orthodox Salah Mukheiber, Shiite Asaad Diab,
Sunni Toufik Subra and Druze Suheil Abdel-Samad. Sleiman is the personal adviser
of President Michel Sleiman during the current dialogue sessions, while Diab was
a former minister of social affairs and a former president of the Lebanese
University. Diab is also known to be close to Speaker Nabih Berri. The
biographies of Mukhaiber, Subra, and Abdel-Samad were yet to be distributed as
The Daily Star went to press.
The Constitutional Council is the only governmental body with the authority to
arbitrate post-election challenges, and though five of its seats were filled in
December, political jockeying held up the remaining appointments until Tuesday's
Cabinet session.
Parliament elected five jurists to the Constitutional Council last December -
Antoine Kheir, Antoine Msarra, Zaghloul Atiyeh, Tarek Ziadeh and Ahmad
Taqieddine.
During previous Cabinet sessions, the opposition was insisting on resolving the
pending constitutional and administrative appointments within a single package
that would also include the controversial issues of the 2009 national budget.
But the opposition later agreed on postponing discussions over the state budget.
Opposition ministers had held a meeting before the Cabinet session kicked off on
Tuesday at the office of deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra.
Higher Security council urges cooperation on Israeli spy networks
BEIRUT: The Higher Security Council called on Tuesday for promoting coordination
between ministries and security forces on Israeli spy networks.
During a meeting held at the Baabda Palace, the council discussed upcoming
Israeli maneuvers, alleged Israeli spy networks and preparations for the June 7
parliamentary elections. The meeting was attended by President Michel Sleiman,
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Defense Minister Elias Murr, Foreign Minister
Fawzi Salloukh, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, Finance Minister Mohammed Shatah
and Economy Minister Mohammed Safadi.
In remarks after the meeting, Major General Saeed Eid said the council's
decisions would be kept secret, adding that attendees called for increased
coordination between ministries and security forces to deal with Israeli spy
networks and other security issues. - The Daily Star
LOG candidate pulls out of Baalbek-Hermel race
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Option Group (LOG) candidate withdrew from the electoral
race in Baalbek-Hermel to "avoid" running against the Hizbullah-Amal list with
two separate tickets, the group's leader Ahmad al-Assaad said Tuesday. "Ever
since we started forming our list in Baalbek-Hermel, some of our allies worked
with all their might toward creating a second ticket," Assaad said at a press
conference. "Due to the political reality in Baalbek-Hermel, such actions only
serve to weaken LOG," he added. He said the gathering "preferred to withdraw"
from the race after it failed to reach an understanding on the ticket to run
against the Amal-Hizbullah list. "It is not right to have two separate lists
competing against Hizbullah and Amal in the Baalbek-Hermel district," he
explained. - The Daily Star
Ahmadinejad: March 8 victory will 'change region'
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BEIRUT: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday the opposition
victory in the Lebanese parliamentary elections will "change the situation in
the region." "The opposition victory in the parliamentary elections will
strengthen the resistance and change the situation in the region," Ahmadinejad
told reporters in Tehran. Asked about threats posed by Israel against both
Hizbullah and Iran, Ahmadinejad said: "The Zionist regime is a fake entity,
which aims at threatening, occupying, and waging wars; because without all those
quantities if violence, it would be dead." "Such moves are part of a
psychological war," he said, adding that Israel has "lost its entire value."
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani reiterated Tehran's support
for Hizbullah and Hamas and refuted claims that Hizbullah was a terrorist group.
The US "must know that Iran takes pride in its support for Hizbullah and Hamas,"
Larijani said before Revolutionary Guards maneuvers were set to start in Tehran
on Monday. "Hizbullah is not a terrorist organization, it defends dignity. [Hizbullah's
top military commander] Imad Mughniyeh was not a terrorist either. He defended
the Palestinian people," he stressed. Mughniyeh was assassinated in a car
bombing in Damascus in February 2008. - The Daily Star
Nasrallah: Israel behind Der Spiegel claims
Hizbullah leader says his remarks on May 7 clashes 'taken out of context'
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel on Monday of
being behind a report implicating his party in the killing of former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and called the claim "very, very dangerous." "The
report in Der Spiegel is very, very, very dangerous," Nasrallah said in comments
transmitted via video link to thousands of supporters massed in Hizbullah's
stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs.
"I consider the report in Der Spiegel an Israeli accusation that Hizbullah
killed the martyr Rafik Hariri and we will deal with this claim as such," he
said.
"Israel has issued its verdict in the Hariri case," he said in a speech marking
the ninth anniversary of the 2000 withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern
Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.
Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine reported on Saturday that the UN commission
probing the Hariri murder had new evidence that Hizbullah special forces
"planned and executed" the Beirut car bombing on February 14, 2005.
The attack killed the billionaire former premier and 22 other people
"Through this report they [the Israelis] are saying that if the international
community does not punish Hizbullah then Israel will punish it along with its
leader," he added. Israel has reacted to the report by calling for an
international arrest warrant for Nasrallah.
"The report in Der Spiegel on Nasrallah's direct involvement in the
assassination of Hariri should raise concern in the entire international
community," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday.
"He should have an international arrest warrant issued against him, and if not,
he should be arrested by force," he added.
A spokeswoman for the prosecutor at The Hague-based tribunal said it was unclear
where the German magazine had gotten its story.
"The office of the prosecutor doesn't comment on any issues related to
operational aspects of the investigation," the spokeswoman said.
Der Spiegel's report comes ahead of a June 7 election pitting Lebanon's US- and
Saudi-backed parliamentary majority against an alliance headed by Hizbullah,
supported by Syria and Iran.
Nasrallah said the report was clearly aimed at sowing discord between the
country's Sunnis - most of whom back the majority in Parliament headed by
Hariri's son Saad - and the Shiites, most of whom back Hizbullah and its allies.
"The Israelis and the Americans wondered how to scuttle the election and
influence its outcome. Der Spiegel was their answer," Nasrallah said.
"Spiegel ... and the Zionists are saying: 'Oh Sunnis, those who killed your
leader are the Shiites and more specifically Hizbullah," he said. "As such, your
vengeance and your war should be directed at them."
President Michel Sleiman on Monday described the Der Spiegel report as
"suspicious," saying it harmed the Hariri tribunal's work.
Sleiman said he was confident the tribunal would not be used for political
purposes.
The Hizbullah chief in his hour-long speech, which was met with celebratory
gunfire in Beirut, also warned that his troops would be on alert when Israel
launches one of its biggest military man oeuvres ever at the end of this month.
"No one will see us, no one will see our weapons, no one will know we're there,"
he said. "If you [the Israelis] are stupid enough to enter our land, we will
destroy your troops and your army."
Hizbullah fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006 that killed more than
1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, most of them
soldiers.
The Sayyed said that his earlier statements, in which he described the May 7,
2008 armed clashes as "a glorious day," were "taken out of context," adding,
"May 7 was a painful and sad day, because civilians died and property was
destroyed."
Nasrallah urged supporters to "vote massively" for opposition tickets all across
Lebanon," he also praised his ally Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP
Michel Aoun, describing him as "an honest and patriotic man."
"This is not a temporary electoral alliance, but a national, responsible and
strategic alliance," Nasrallah said of his party's alliance with Aoun.
"[Aoun] has a complete and clear vision. The embassies have no influence on this
man, and no one can tell him what to do. This man is loyal to Lebanon as a
unified nation with a unified people, and he is one of the most reliable leaders
for the Christians," he added.
According to Nasrallah, political differences must be resolved between the March
14 alliance and Aoun "before we reach an understanding with them, or make any
kind of contact."
Nasrallah said his party fights Israel "to protect all of Lebanon and all the
Lebanese not only the Shiites."
"No one can take anything from us through threats or intimidation, but you can
take all that you want by just being loyal. We are loyal to those who are loyal
to us," he said. - The Daily Star, with AFP
Embassy: Germany has no information on magazine's report
BEIRUT: The German Embassy in Beirut said on Monday Germany has no information
regarding a report by the weekly Der Spiegel suggesting Hizbullah was behind the
2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
An embassy statement said Germany supports "independence" of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon.
Germany's Der Spiegel reported on Saturday that the UN commission probing the
murder had new evidence that Hizbullah special forces "planned and executed" the
Beirut car bombing that killed Hariri and 22 other people.
Also on Monday, Syria dismissed as "lies" the German magazine's report. "I
invite the prosecutor to use his prerogatives concerning these lies which
undermine the international investigation," Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem
told a news conference.
Syria, a key backer of Hizbullah, has been widely blamed for Hariri's murder but
Damascus has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Two months after the February 14, 2005, attack, Syria pulled its troops from
Lebanon under international pressure ending nearly three decades of domination
over its small neighbor.
Moallem described the report as "insignificant" and urged Der Spiegel to probe
"who wrote the article and who is behind it." - The Daily Star, with AFP
Jumblatt thankful for Nasrallah's 'kind words'
CHOUF: Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat thanked Hizbullah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday for his "kind words" during the
latter's Monday night speech.
On Sunday, Jumblatt had described a report by German newspaper Der Spiegel,
accusing Hizbullah of direct involvement in the February 2005 assassination of
former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, of aiming to sow the seeds of
strife in Lebanon, adding that it was "worse than the Ain al-Rummaneh bus
incident."
The Ain al-Rummaneh bus incident is considered to have flared up Lebanon's
1975-90 Civil War.
"I salute the courage of Mr. Walid Jumblatt's latest remarks because his
analysis of the situation is correct and I endorse it," Nasrallah said in his
speech
Speaking to Al-Jazeera news television on Tuesday, Jumblatt underlined the
"dimension" of Nasrallah's words.
Jumblatt said the Der Spiegel report was "similar to Israel's pretext of 1982
when it used the [Palestinian Liberation Organization's assassination attempt on
its ambassador to London Shlomo Argov] as an excuse to launch its invasion
Lebanon. Der Spiegel on Saturday carried out a report suggesting Hizbullah
plotted and executed the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri. - Maher Zeineddine
Understanding the Der Spiegel upheaval
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The article published in Der Spiegel accusing Hizbullah of being behind the
assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, appears to
use conceivably correct information to arrive at a conclusion the article itself
never really substantiates: namely that "it was not the Syrians, but instead
special forces of [Hizbullah] that planned and executed the diabolical attack."
At most, the article declares that Syria "is not being declared free of the
suspicion of involvement," but that "President Bashar Assad is no longer in the
line of fire."
The author, Erich Follath, tells us what French journalist Georges Malbrunot
already did in an August 2006 article for the daily Le Figaro. Malbrunot, like
Follath, reported that the investigation of telephone intercepts after Hariri's
killing revealed that one of those involved in the crime had broken protocol by
calling a friend outside the circle of assassins. This mistake led Lebanese
investigators to discover that the alleged assassin had ties with Hizbullah.
Malbrunot did not name the person, but Follath does. He may be Abd al-Majid
Ghamlush, he writes, whose "recklessness led investigators to the man they now
suspect was the mastermind of the terrorist attack: Hajj Salim ... considered to
be the commander of the 'military' wing of Hezbollah ... [whose] secret 'Special
Operations Unit' reports directly to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah."
The differences between Malbrunot's article and Follath's are essential. In his
article, Malbrunot cited "someone close to Saad Hariri", as well as "a source
close to the [Internal Security Forces]" who evidently had information on the
telecommunication intercepts. At the time, the investigation of the intercepts
was headed by ISF Captain Wissam Eid, later killed in a car-bomb attack in
January 2008. Significantly, however, the Hariri source did not believe that
Hizbullah had carried out the Hariri assassination on its own initiative. "Who
had the capacity to bring the equivalent of 1,200 kilos of TNT into Lebanon",
the source asked, before answering: "Syria, a Lebanese security service working
with it, and Hizbullah." The direction of Malbrunot's article was that the
operation was Syrian, but that Hizbullah may have somehow been brought into it.
Follath's informants appear to be different. He says his information comes from
sources "close to the tribunal and [was] verified by examining internal
documents." In other words Follath's source appears not to be an employee of the
tribunal, but someone who has contacts with it and access to documents the
tribunal is working with. That leads to suspicion that the sources are Lebanese
who, to corroborate their information, showed Follath Lebanese documents from,
or on, the Eid investigation, copies of which must also be in the possession of
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon - hence the vague formulation "internal
documents."
Who would leak such documents, and why, remains to be seen. It seems improbable
that this was done by a pro-Hariri source to affect Lebanon's upcoming
elections. After spending four years accusing Syria, the Hariri camp is not
about to exonerate Damascus for uncertain electoral gains. The broader
conclusions reached by Follath are his own, however, and are poorly argued.
Nothing in his piece allows him to make the jump and push the burden of
responsibility for the killing on Hizbullah. There appear to have been at least
two "circles" participating in the crime; that Hizbullah members were, let's
say, in the second circle, which presumably was involved in shadowing Hariri,
does not necessarily mean they were in the first circle, which supervised the
actual assassination, whether directly or through a suicide bomber. Eventually,
the Hariri tribunal may tell us the specifics of how Hariri was eliminated, but
Follath's article never even makes it clear which circle Ghamlush was in.
If Hizbullah did plan and execute the attack, a theory long discussed in
Lebanon, it is virtually impossible to envisage that the party would have taken
this action without receiving prior Syrian approval to do so. In fact, it is
virtually impossible to envisage that it would have taken such action without
Syrian direction to do so - direction that only Bashar Assad, given the
centralized nature of Syria's regime, would have signed off on.
Follath provides motives for the assassination that are laughable. He says that
Hizbullah got rid of Hariri because his "growing popularity could have been a
thorn in the side of the Lebanese Shiite leader Nasrallah. In 2005, the
billionaire began to outstrip the revolutionary leader in terms of popularity."
Hariri also stood for what Nasrallah hated, Follath continues: close ties to the
West and to moderate Arab regimes, as well as "an opulent lifestyle, and a
membership in the competing Sunni faith."
This is nonsense. Those who had an overriding motive to kill Hariri were the
Syrians, because his expected successes in the summer 2005 parliamentary
elections, so soon after passage of Resolution 1559 by the Security Council,
would have seriously threatened their hold on Lebanon. Successive reports by the
United Nations commission investigating the crime repeated that hypothesis,
which has never been challenged.
Follath, intentionally or unintentionally, is being used to draw the light away
from Syria by casting it on Hizbullah. However, all the evidence that has
filtered out from the UN investigation, as well as circumstantial evidence,
leads in the direction of a principal mastermind: the regime in Damascus,
regardless of who was implicated in the crime to guarantee everyone's silence.
It was only Syrian participation that could have pushed the Lebanese security
agencies, then completely dominated by Syria, to corrupt the crime scene; it was
only Syrian participation that could lead a Lebanese security chief to
distribute the video of Ahmad Abu Adas claiming responsibility for the crime;
and it was above all Syrian insistence after 2006 that pushed Hizbullah and Amal
to block the creation of the tribunal through Lebanese state institutions.
Recall this crucial exchange in April 2007 between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
and Assad in Damascus. The Shiite ministers had left the government, and there
was talk of establishing the Hariri tribunal under Chapter VII of the UN
Charter. Ban asked Assad to support the tribunal. Instead, Assad replied that
Lebanon was a country of instability, which "will worsen if the special tribunal
is established. Particularly if it is established under Chapter VII. This might
easily cause a conflict that would degenerate into civil war, provoking
divisions between Sunnis and Shiites from the Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea
..."
Echoes of Assad's message permeate the Der Spiegel article, which implicitly
asks whether the truth about who killed Rafik Hariri merits a Sunni-Shiite war.
The Damascus conversation was leaked by a UN source to the daily Le Monde, and
stands as a telling document. For why would Assad have been so worried about a
tribunal passed under Chapter VII authority had Syria been innocent of Hariri's
elimination?
If Follath was given documents from or on Wissam Eid's investigation, that means
someone may also be trying to discredit Eid's work by generating such a furor
now over the accusation against Hizbullah, that it will be very difficult in the
future to use the disclosures in such a way that they won't be tainted by
politics. The article may also imply that Eid, unlike the UN commission,
actually did his work properly, and that someone is worried about the results.
Who showed the "internal documents" to Follath, and are they the same people who
might have earlier revealed to Eid's killers that he was on to something?
These questions will continue to remain unanswered, and the tribunal process
will continue to be open to manipulation, for as long as the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon does not come out with a formal accusation. We are witnessing the
consequences of a slipshod UN investigation since 2006. The prosecutor, Daniel
Bellemare, may have lost control of his case, and those who leaked to Der
Spiegel could well be pushing for its complete collapse.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Hezbollah Psychology
27/05/2009
By Mshari Al-Zaydi/Asharq Al-Awsat
Hezbollah's response to the report by the German Der Spiegel magazine that
accused the group of being responsible for Rafik Al Hariri's assassination, and
revealed a number of details surrounding the Lebanese crime of the century,
caught my attention. I was not interested in Hezbollah's defense and denials,
nor even in the accusations of treason that the group leveled against any media
organ who merely reported this news; rather what caught my attention was the
statement that Hezbollah released in response to this article, and in particular
what this statement revealed of the organization's underlying psychology and
ideology.
In the statement that was published on the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar website
[the response to the Der Spiegel article was that] "these parties will fail in
achieving their sinister objectives, just as they failed before." The sinister
objective mentioned in the Hezbollah statement is the weakening of "Hezbollah's
position and role." Hezbollah did not respond to the German magazine's report
with evidence and information to clear its name from accusations that the group
betrayed honor and decency.
On an Arab current affairs program that discussed the Der Spiegel crisis in
which a Hezbollah supporter said "It is not enough for [Lebanese Prime Minister
Fouad] Siniora and [Saad] Al Hariri to refuse to comment [on the Der Spiegel
article], and saying that they only recognize the official decision…of the
International tribunal." According to our Hezbollah supporting friend, it was
Hariri and Siniora's duty to [publicly] acquit the party, and immediately and
directly deny everything that the German magazine reported. This would mean [Siniora
and Al Hariri] exiting the world of the judiciary and entering the world of
politics; otherwise the sword that Hezbollah uses to brand others as traitors
would be used against them.
At this point it is not important to express an opinion on the information
revealed by the German magazine, or its sources, or to interpret the magazine's
political objectives – if there are any – for publishing this article, nor is it
important to interpret the timing of this article's publication. This is not the
purpose of this article – despite the importance of the above – rather the
purpose of this article is to examine Hezbollah's statement responding to the
German magazine's report in order to see how the party views itself and its
mission, and how it views its position in the world of politics with regards to
the movement describing itself as a divine authority that transcends everybody
else. This [authority] of course is built upon its weaponry and its faithful
soldiers, as well as the support of Iran's Revolutionary Guard on behalf of the
Supreme Ruler in Tehran.
Hezbollah believes itself to be above the crowd, and therefore entitled to do
what it prohibits others from doing, therefore Hezbollah does not believe that
ordinary laws apply to it due to the good works that it has previously done.
This is similar to a famous story from the life of Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] when
one of the Prophet's companions from the city of Badr made a political mistake.
The Prophet forgave him and when asked the reason for this, he said "Perhaps God
has looked favorably upon the people of Badr and said 'Do what you will, for I
have forgiven you [due to their heroic actions during the Battle of Badr].'" And
so it seems that Hezbollah wants everybody to deal with them in the manner of
"Do what you will for we have all collectively forgiven you."
However Hezbollah's wars are not the same as the Battle of Badr from history,
for Hezbollah's wars are sectarian, and poisons the minds of its soldiers and
supporters internally, whilst fulfilling the obligations of the party's
supporters externally. Secondly, Hezbollah only represent one sect at the
expense of others. Thirdly and most importantly of all, the Battle of Badr is
agreed upon with regards to its details and outcomes which the entire ummah
[Muslim community] benefited from. This is completely opposite with Hezbollah's
wars since the organization began operating in Lebanon in the 1980s, and
includes splitting from the Amal movement and aligning with Khomeini's Iran, as
well as the group's operations in Southern Lebanon against Israel, the Summer
War in 2006 which resulted in Hezbollah giving Israel justification to invade,
and also the invasion of Beirut and the intimidation of its population which
resulted in the death of dozens of Lebanese citizens.
In all of these wars undertaken by Hezbollah, we are not seeing a unified ummah;
rather the only Muslim community that Hassan Nasrallah is addressing is the
small community of his own party. Notice that I did not say the ummah of the
Shiite sect, which we well know that Hezbollah wishes to monopolize, as in some
cases the political ummah of Hezbollah is comprised of nationalist and leftists
trends, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood.
The nature of [political] parties and ideological groups that achieve their
goals by using Tehran's slogans and calling for [religious] salvation is their
belief in their own immortality and endurance. These groups believe they are
last hope for salvation and that they alone possess solutions to the major
problems. These are not parties that have the capacity for discussing
differences in opinion or ideology especially in times when they are convinced
of their own hegemony. They also do not doubt that they alone are in possession
of the whole truth, and are convinced in their own duty of treating everybody as
sheep.
For many of those who were shocked [by the statement] will now understand the
statement made by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in which he glorified the
Beirut attack, in the same way that Osama Bin Laden praised his own military
conquests and bombings across the Islamic world. And so the leader of Hezbollah,
in a moment of transcendence, surrounded by the sounds of celebratory gunfire
and the cheering of his supporters, lacked any political sensitivity, and
without any embarrassment, said that he would do as he willed, for this was
forgiven for him.
This psychological inclination not only applies to religious/political
movements, but also to any who believe that they are the salvation and
[uniquely] possesses the major solutions to problems, from Saddam Hussein, to
Hitler and Mussolini. There is an incident in Islamic history that serves to
remind us of Hezbollah. Abu Al Abbas Al Safah, the first Abbasid Caliph
following the Abbasid victory over the Umayyad dynasty, wished to implement
certain things, he used the slogan of "a return to Mohammed" [i.e. returning to
a more simple way of life] and wished to implement divine justice and restore
the rights of the vulnerable. In his first address to his followers as Caliph in
749 C.E. Al Safah proclaimed that God had chosen the Abbasids specifically to
implement justice, and that power would stay with the Abbasids until the end of
time, and this came before Fukuyama's End of History.
In this speech Al Safah told his cheering followers "You are the happiest of
people with us, and the most generous of people to us."
In the same way that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the people of
Hezbollah are the kindest and noblest of all people, and he is correct in this
assessment according to his own opinion, which must pass the Hezbollah criteria.
In any case, Hezbollah's defiance is only a small entry in the book entitled
"Islamic History" that will eclipse the party, in the same way that it has other
parties with the same ideology of salvation and belief in divine right. However
Hezbollah and its members, do no and will not see this, they believe themselves
to be untouchable, and will continue under the maxim; Do what you will, for I
have forgiven you!
It is only left for me to say that this article does not discuss the report that
appeared in the German Der Spiegel publication which alleges that Hezbollah were
involved in the death of Rafik Al Hariri. Rather this article hoped to examine
the psychological nature behind Hezbollah's statement [responding to the Der
Spiegel article] and Hezbollah's opinion of itself, and its divine nature.