LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 28/09
Bible Reading of the day
Matthew 13/10-17 :The disciples came, and said to him,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered them, “To you it is given to
know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For
whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever
doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I
speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they
don’t hear, neither do they understand. In them the prophecy of Isaiah is
fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way
understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive: for this people’s
heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their
eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears,
understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.’ “But
blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For most
certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the
things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you
hear, and didn’t hear them.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
The consensus fallacy/By: Hussain
Abdul-Hussain/Now Lebanon/October
27/09
This is the general/BY: Hazem al-Amin/Now
Lebanon/October 26, 09
Hezbollah and the new regional
reality/By: Firas Maksad & Anthony Elghossain/Now Lebanon/October 27, 09
The “Dispersed” Gulf Diplomacy/By:
Jamil Theyabi?Al Hayat/October
27/09
The “Brotherhoodization” of the
Arab World/By:
Husam Itani/AlHayat/October
27/09
A
widening generation gap?/By Mira Baz/Daily Star/October
27/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 27/09
Barak: Ready for Any Confrontation with Lebanon/Naharnet
Franjieh from Baabda:
Cabinet Negotiations Close to 'Achieving Something'/Naharnet
9
General Security Staff Charged with Taking Bribes/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Urges All
Parties to Help Facilitate Cabinet Formation/Naharnet
Cabinet Crisis,
Postponement of Parliament Session Threaten to Paralyze State Institutions /Naharnet
Cairo Snaps Back at 'Acrobat' Jumblat
/Naharnet
Jumblat:
Difficulties are 100% Lebanese
/Naharnet
Security Council Discusses Tuesday Ban's Report on 1559 without Feedback
/Naharnet
Hussein Khalil Met Hariri
Sunday, Berri to Visit in Following Hours
/Naharnet
Jumblat: '1559 Report'
Tackled Issues Under Discussion through National Dialogue Table
/Naharnet
Phalange Party: Relations
with Syria Through Official Channels Not Individual Ones
/Naharnet
Bassil: We Are Open to
Solutions
/Naharnet
IC Ras Beirut Middle
School Closes Down over Swine Flu
/Naharnet
Pakistan arrests 11 Iranian guards who crossed border/Daily
Star
Iran Helped Syria Acquire WMD, Missile
Technology, Report Alleges/Global
Security Newswire
Saudi king pardons reporter sentenced to 60 lashes/Reuters
Jumblatt: Syria Is Lebanon's Political
Support/MEMRI
Fears
arise of open-ended crisis as Lebanon cabinet delays persist/Daily
Star
Sleiman slams horrific Baghdad bombings/Daily
Star
Saudi
king pardons LBC journalist/AFP
Israel vows to persist with espionage efforts in Lebanon/Daily
Star
A
widening generation gap?/Daily
Star
'Gentleman's agreement' draws Bekaa clans closer to state/AFP
Lebanon sees highest tourism growth worldwide - report/Daily
Star
Lebanon second-biggest player in Arab world in IT, ICT services/Daily
Star
Event
honors sons of Lebanon's fallen heroes/Daily
Star
School protest attacked by gun fire/Daily
Star
Residents of Ghobeiri suburb exchange gun fire/Daily
Star
Family of pregnant woman insists her death due to negligence, not swine flu/Daily
Star
UNIFIL carries out amphibious exercises/Daily
Star
Italian Embassy pledges support for mental health care in south/Daily
Star
Jabal
Moussa mountain to become ecotourism center/Daily
Star
US
ambassador hands AUB $457,475 check for scholarship assistance/Daily
Star
Canada Condemns the Deadly Attacks on Baghdad
(No. 315 - October 25, 2009 - 6:30 p.m. EDT) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the
double bomb attacks that occurred in Baghdad this morning, killing more than 130
people and wounding more than 500: “Canada is appalled and gravely concerned by
today’s two deadly bomb attacks in Baghdad, near the Justice and Foreign Affairs
Government buildings, which took many innocent lives. “Canada condemns these
cruel and unjustified acts of violence. We are confident that such affronts on
the Iraqi people will not weaken the country’s strong desire to establish a
secure, stable and unified democracy. “On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my
sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed and injured in
the bombings. Our thoughts are with the Iraqi people. “The Government of Canada
stands firmly with the Iraqi people to help strengthen freedom, democracy, human
rights and the rule of law in Iraq.”
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Pakistan arrests 11 Iranian guards who crossed border
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Abdul Sattar/Associated Press
QUETTA, Pakistan: Pakistan arrested 11 Iranians on Monday after they shot at a
vehicle carrying smugglers on the Pakistani side of the border, officials said.
The incident came amid tensions over a recent suicide attack that Tehran alleges
was carried out by militants sheltering inside Pakistan and supported by its
intelligence officials.
Pakistani officials initially identified the men as members of Iran’s powerful
Revolutionary Guard, but later said most were regular border guards. One
official said three senior officers among the detainees belonged to the elite
unit. Iran’s Press TV carried what it described as a statement from the guard
condemning the arrests, but saying that the 11 were not its members. The report
cited “informed” sources as saying the 11 were “border guards hunting fuel
smugglers [who] accidentally entered Pakistan.”
In an attempt to boost security in the region, Iran in April put the
Revolutionary Guard directly in control of Sistan-Baluchistan Province. Its
officers typically take the lead in any operations on Iran’s border. The 11
officers were taken into custody in Mashkel district, around 7 kilometers from
the countries’ border in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan,
said paramilitary official Mohammad Naseer Baluch. He said they were arrested
soon after they shot out the tires of a car driven by “two petty smugglers.”
Ties between Pakistan and Iran have been strained since an October 18 suicide
attack killed 15 members of the Revolutionary Guard, including five senior
commanders, and at least 27 others in the town of Pishin on the Iranian side of
the border. Iranian officials blamed a Sunni rebel group known as Jundallah, or
Soldiers of God, in the attack. Iran’s president and the guard chief have since
publicly accused Pakistan’s intelligence service of supporting Jundallah.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari met with Iran’s interior minister in
Islamabad on Sunday to discuss the attack. Zardari vowed to cooperate in
capturing any attackers and said those behind the blasts “were the enemies of
both countries.” Other Pakistani officials Monday said the arrested Iranians
were in two cars and had no travel documents. “We need to probe that,” said
Murtaza Baig, a spokesman for the paramilitary border force. Pakistan has been
accused of past and ongoing support of militant activities in two other
neighboring countries, Afghanistan and India, greatly complicating relations
with both of them. Tensions with another regional power would only add to the
problems facing it as it battles Al-Qaeda and the Taliban within its borders.
Jundallah has waged a low-level insurgency in Iran’s southeast in recent years,
claiming to fight on behalf of the Baluchi ethnic minority, which it says is
persecuted by Iran’s government. The 120,000-member guard is Iran’s strongest
military force and is directly linked to the ruling clerics. It also controls
Iran’s missile program and guards its nuclear facilities. Iran has also accused
the United States and Britain of having links with Jundallah, charges both
nations deny.
Security Council Discusses Tuesday Ban's Report on 1559 without Feedback
Naharnet/The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to discuss on Tuesday the tenth
bi-annual report of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the implementation of
resolution 1559.
Al-Mustaqbal daily said that the Council is not expected to issue any statement
on the content of the report during a closed-door session. It quoted diplomatic
sources as saying, however, that the report did not adopt a stern language. The
sources added that the report was the "weakest" issued so far. In the report,
delivered to the Council last week, Ban urged the Lebanese to benefit from the
successful June 2009 parliamentary elections and visits between Saudi King
Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad. The U.N. chief also warned that the
presence of Hizbullah and Palestinian militants in Lebanon is contributing to
tensions and insecurity and could eventually lead to a resumption of
hostilities. The secretary-general said he took seriously recent reports "of a
proliferation of extremist groups activities and of arms in Lebanon," but said
the U.N. doesn't have the means to independently verify them. He said
Hizbullah's paramilitary force "poses first and foremost a key challenge to the
safety of Lebanese civilians, and to the government's monopoly on the legitimate
use of force." "I call on the leaders of Hizbullah to complete the
transformation of the group into a solely Lebanese political party," Ban said.
Beirut, 27 Oct 09, 10:05
Cairo Snaps Back at 'Acrobat' Jumblat
Naharnet/An Egyptian source has described MP Walid Jumblat an "acrobat" who
keeps changing stances after the Druze leader said those who established ties
with Israel have ended up in "history's dunghill." "Such talk from Jumblat is no
longer a source of surprise for Egypt," the source told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat
in remarks published Tuesday. "He (Jumblat) has got used to jumping back and
forward in a single acrobatic move." Jumblat said Sunday that Lebanon's
geopolitical situation leaves it before two choices; the sea or Syria which he
described as "the path to the Arab World." The Egyptian source said the Druze
leader was in vain trying to knock on Syria's doors while criticizing Egypt and
its stances. Jumblat "is handing over his credentials again in order to be an
ally (of Syria) and its exclusive agent in Lebanon," he added. He told al-Hayat
that the Progressive Socialist Party leader changed his stances and "resorted to
fabricating lies" when Egypt did not respond quickly to his demand to visit
Cairo. "People like Jumblat who used to kill their Lebanese and Palestinian
brethren during the war have no right to talk about a heroic military mission
carried out by the biggest Arab army in modern history," the source said.
Beirut, 27 Oct 09, 09:44
Cabinet Crisis, Postponement of Parliament Session Threaten to Paralyze State
Institutions
Naharnet/A decision by Speaker Nabih Berri to postpone for the second time a
parliamentary session to elect committees threatened to create a scenario
similar to the 2008 presidential void that lasted around seven months. An Nahar
daily said Tuesday that political circles have expressed fears over a return to
a similar situation amid an ongoing cabinet crisis.
They said repeated expressions of optimism on the possible formation of a
government followed by escalation indicate there are attempts by some
politicians to play the game of paralyzing the functions of state institutions.
It took around seven months for parliament to convene and elect Michel Suleiman
as president in May 2008. The country had been without a president since
November 2007, when Emile Lahoud's term ended and parliamentarians could not
agree on a candidate to replace him. Scheduled parliamentary elections were
repeatedly cancelled as party officials argued over who was best fit for the job
and what shape the government should take once the new president was in place.
Berri set a date for another session on November 5 due to lack of quorum on
Tuesday. Al-Liwaa newspaper quoted parliamentary sources as saying that Berri is
not comfortable with procrastination and that he would continue to set dates for
the session after agreement was reached for the majority to keep its share of
nine committees and the opposition seven. Beirut, 27 Oct 09, 08:55
Hussein Khalil Met Hariri Sunday, Berri to Visit in Following Hours
Naharnet/Manar TV mentioned that a meeting between PM-designate Hariri and
Hizbullah secretary-general's political assistant Hussein Khalil was held
Sunday. Manar sources also confirmed that Speaker Nabih Berri will have a
similar meeting in the following hours to shake the situation. Sources from the
Free Patriotic Movement mentioned that MP Aoun requested the Justice portfolio
in exchange of Telecommunications and Labor in exchange of Energy, according to
Manar TV. MP Aoun should have word over the formula soon, according to Manar TV.
Meanwhile the Progressive Socialist Party said that it will not give up the
Labor portfolio, Manar TV said. Beirut, 26 Oct 09, 21:15
Phalange Party: Relations with Syria Through Official Channels Not Individual
Ones
Naharnet/The Phalange Party Office after its weekly meeting celebrated at the
Central residence in Saify headed by leader Amin Gemayel claimed that digging up
the realities of the Lebanese war does not serve the co-existence. The Office
also mentioned that the good relations with Syria should be carried out through
official channels and not individually.
The Phalange party refused to leave the Lebanese with two choices without an
alternative of a third one; either turn to Syria, or any other country, for
support or commit treason.
The party offered its cooperation in PM-designate Hariri's tedious task and
expected to get what it deserves of governmental representation equivalent to
the sacrifices made to serve the required political and national balance. The
office warned against procrastination in fear of it turning the government
crisis into an institutional paralysis. On the region, the Phalange party
condemned the bloody aggressions targeting Iraqi constitutional institutions and
hundreds of innocent people in a time when the legitimate government aims at
gathering the torn country and spread the security. The Arab silence over the
Israeli attempts at judaizing Jerusalem and changing the map of the Al-Aqsa
Mosque was also reproached at the meeting. The Office called the Arab League to
refer the case to the U.N. Security Council or to the NGO's to secure the holy
city which pertains to the celestial religions. "These unaccepted Israeli
procedures hinder the national attempts at reaching whole and fair peace in the
region which is the long awaited hope of the Palestinian nation to recuperate
their simplest right of going back to their land and to Jerusalem, as its
capital", the Office added. Beirut, 26 Oct 09, 20:04
Bassil: We Are Open to Solutions
Naharnet/Caretaker Telecoms Minister
Gebran Bassil stressed that the Free Patriotic Movement is open to solutions but
will not tolerate being discriminated in an unfair manner. After meeting with
Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday, Bassil said: "We are concerned with facilitating
the solution and acknowledging the elections results," adding that "there is no
obstacle, rather a creation of obstacles, once through a name, and another
through a concept," Bassil considered that the fair distribution of cabinet
portfolios produces a government that is politically stable. Beirut, 26 Oct 09,
17:30
Fears arise of open-ended crisis as Lebanon cabinet delays
persist
Hariri and Aoun continue discussions through envoys
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
BEIRUT: Indirect exchange of ideas through envoys between Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP
Michel Aoun continued on Monday but no concrete progress was made on the cabinet
front. The negotiations over the distribution of ministerial portfolios
concerning the Reform and Change bloc’s share in the next cabinet were kept away
from the media, as both parties refrained from disclosing any details over the
discussed proposals.
Consequently, the delay in the formation process raised concerns regarding the
country’s social and economic pressing issues. Analysts fear that the
persistence of the deadlock will lead to an open-ended crisis.
Addressing a delegation of students at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Caretaker
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora stressed that the upcoming cabinet would be
eventually formed but required some time.Future Movement MP Ammar Houri told The
Daily Star on Wednesday that Hariri and Aoun were in constant contact as they
were exchanging ideas through visits by reciprocal envoys.
Houri added that the past few days witnessed the resolution of some
complications, but he refrained from disclosing the details of negotiations over
ministerial shares between Aoun and the premier-designate.
A well-informed source told The Daily Star Monday that the cabinet line-up could
see light by the end of this week, as positive deliberations were aiding the
formation process.
The source added that the sole remaining obstacle to the cabinet formation was
the ongoing debate over the Telecommunications Ministry, for which Aoun might
relinquish his demand if granted the Justice Ministry or the Public Works and
Transportation portfolio as part of a “weighing basket” of ministries.
The Telecommunications Ministry has been the subject of much debate between the
majority and the opposition, given its significant role in funding the state’s
treasury, as well as its pivotal importance with regard to security issues
related to monitoring phone calls.
Caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil said Monday that the FPM was
open to all solutions regarding the ongoing negotiations over the distribution
of ministerial portfolios, but only in a just way.
Similarly, FPM official and caretaker Deputy Premier Issam Abu Jamra said on
Monday that since the Reform and Change bloc size had grown from 21 to 27 MPs,
the bloc was entitled to key portfolios in addition to those held in the current
caretaker cabinet.
Abu Jamra also underscored the rising financial and security importance of the
Telecommunications Ministry.
Following a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, Bassil
expressed his party’s concern over the cabinet deadlock, adding that there were
no obstacles impeding the government formation but fabricated complications
every now and then.
“Obstacles were being fabricated just like the majority’s objection to the
nomination [as ministers] of defeated candidates in the June 7 parliamentary
elections,” Bassil said.
The majority had earlier rejected the nomination of ministers who failed in the
June 7 elections but later relinquished its condition as they are expected to
nominate, as minister, a March 14 candidate who lost the race to Parliament in
response to Bassil’s appointment.
Bassil lost the elections in Batroun to independent MP Boutros Harb and Lebanese
Forces MP Antoine Zahra
Bassil, who praised Berri’s efforts to facilitate the cabinet formation away
from the media, added that the fair distribution of ministerial portfolios
ensures the cabinet’s political stability. The daily As-Safir reported in
remarks published on Monday that Berri has set the end of this week as a
deadline for the conclusion of the formation process.
Otherwise, the speaker would in cooperation with President Michel Sleiman take
the necessary steps in order to reach an understanding over the cabinet line-up,
the paper added.
Quoting Berri’s visitors, the paper reported that the speaker believes that the
remaining obstacles hindering the formation process were fully domestic.
Also in efforts to break the deadlock, Marada Movement leader Sleiman Franjieh
is to play a role in smoothing the government formation following a phone
conversation with President Bashar Assad who urged him to facilitate an
agreement over the cabinet line-up, the daily An-Nahar reported on Monday.
Franjieh is expected to talk Aoun, his opposition ally, into showing more
flexibility in order to end the cabinet impasse.
Ali Bazzi, an MP from Berri’s Liberation and Development bloc, said his group
supports the swapping of ministerial portfolios as long it is applied to all
political parties, stressing that no group should have monopoly over any
ministry.
In a joint statement on Monday, the Amal Movement and the Socialist Arab Baath
Party called on Hariri to speed up the formation of a national unity government
based on the 15-10-5 structure so as to benefit from the existing positive
regional atmosphere following the Syrian-Saudi Summit.
Separately, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said on Monday that the
continuation of the cabinet void threatens Lebanon’s regime.
Future MP Okab Sakr quoted Sfeir on Wednesday as urging the prompt formation of
a cabinet in order to preserve Lebanon’s identity and national unity.
Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt criticized the
UN’s bi-annual report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution
1559.
In remarks to be published by his party’s weekly Al-Anbaa newspaper on
Wednesday, Jumblatt accused Ban Ki-moon’s report of marginally touching upon
Israeli violations against Lebanon, and urged the UN not to take sides with
Israelis. “I wish the report was more balanced,” Jumblatt said.
Lebanon second-biggest player in Arab world in IT, ICT services
Report shows country exported $7bn in IT, ICT-enabled services in 2007
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, October 27, 2009
BEIRUT: Figures released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) indicate that Lebanon exported $6.95 billion in Information
Technology (IT) and Information Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled services
in 2007, making it one of the largest exporters of such services among
developing economies.
Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group, reveals
that worldwide Lebanon is the 35th largest exporter of IT and ICT-enabled
services among 173 countries covered in the survey, ranking immediately behind
Hungary, Australia and Brazil, and coming ahead of Malaysia and Poland.
Lebanon is also the 9th largest exporter of IT and ICT-enabled services among
developing economies, ranking behind Brazil and Taiwan and ahead of Malaysia and
Thailand.
Also, Lebanon was the second-largest exporter of such services in the Arab world
behind Saudi Arabia that exported $7.9 billion. Kuwait followed with exports of
$5.4 billion, Morocco with $2,5 billion, Egypt with $2.4 billion, Tunisia with
$572 million, Jordan with $350 million, Oman with $133 million, Yemen with $106
million, and Sudan with $66 million.
Exports of IT and ICT-enabled services from Lebanon accounted for 0.42 percent
of global imports, 2.1 percent of exports to developing economies, and 26.3
percent of exports from the Arab world. Further, exports of IT and ICT-enabled
services to Lebanon rose by 13.7 percent in 2007 from $6.1 billion in 2006. In
parallel, Lebanon imported $5.14 billion in IT and ICT-enabled services in 2007,
making it one of the largest importers of such services among developing
economies. Globally, Lebanon was the 38th largest importer of IT and ICT-enabled
services, ranking immediately behind Portugal, Greece and Nigeria, and coming
ahead of South Africa, and Turkey. Lebanon was the 12th largest importer of IT
and ICT-enabled services among developing economies, ranking behind Angola and
Nigeria and ahead of South Africa and Turkey. Further, Lebanon was the second
largest importer of such services in the Arab world behind only Saudi Arabia
whose imports reached $21.9 billion. It was followed by Egypt with $4.4 billion,
Oman with $2.5 billion, Morocco with $1.4 billion, Yemen with $887 million,
Jordan with $640 million, Bahrain with $524 million, Tunisia with $497 million,
Kuwait with $284 million, Libya with $299 million, and Sudan with $82.5 million.
Imports of IT and ICT-enabled services to Lebanon accounted for 1.55 percent of
imports to developing economies, and 13.4 percent of imports to the Arab world.
Furthermore, imports of IT and ICT-enabled services to Lebanon rose by 22
percent in 2007 from $4.2 billion in 2006. – The Daily Star
Israel vows to persist with espionage efforts in Lebanon
Spying to continue ‘so long as hizbullah poses a threat’
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
BEIRUT: Israel will continue to spy on Lebanon in spite of condemnation from the
United Nations, according to media reports on Monday. After refusing to confirm
or deny assertions made by United Nations peacekeeping divisions and Lebanese
groups that it had violated international law by planting espionage devices in
south Lebanon, an Israeli Army official vowed Israel would not cease its
surveillance activities. The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted representatives at
last week’s tripartite meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli armies and the
United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura. The report
indicated that Israel’s representative at the conference, Brigadier Yossi
Hayman, said that continuing to spy on targets in south Lebanon did not
constitute a breach of international law. Although UNIFIL did not comment on
specific conversations, it confirmed that recent security breaches were
discussed, “with a view to preventing the reoccurrence of such events.”The paper
quoted “a Western diplomat” who was privy to information discussed at the
meeting. It said Hayman had vowed that Israel would continue to spy on Lebanon
“so long as Hizbullah poses a threat.” “Israel will continue to use all means
necessary to defend its citizens,” Hayman was quoted as saying.
Earlier this month, “at least two” spying devices were discovered and destroyed
in south Lebanon, near the villages of Mais al-Jabal and Houla, according to a
UNIFIL spokesperson. Dispute rages as to when the devices were planted, with the
UN’s official line in opposition to that of Hizbullah’s, which claims that the
equipment was installed after the 2006 summer war.
Retired Lebanese Army General Elias Hanna told The Daily Star Israel’s spying
activity was likely to continue indefinitely. “This is the ABC of warfare.
Israel will continue to update its tactical intelligence and this is nothing
new. If you think they will stop, you are wrong.”
According to Haaretz, a Lebanese representative present at the Naqoura meeting
said that the technology in the devices suggested they post-dated the 2006
conflict – meaning they violated Security Council Resolution 1701. “It seems
that something new was put in place recently,” he was quoted as saying. The
resolution was drafted to end the 34-day war of 2006 in which more than 1200
Lebanese, mostly civilians, were killed. The Security Council recently voted to
extend its mandate until August 2010, which stipulates that Lebanese sovereignty
be respected. Israel has repeatedly violated the resolution, with near-daily
over flights by its war planes. The unearthing of spying devices last week
prompted the government of Lebanon to write to the UN, asking the international
community to pressure Israel into ceasing such breaches.
For its part, Israel accuses Hizbullah of stockpiling weapons south of the
Litani River – something it claims to be a serious violation of Resolution 1701,
which also provides that no arms must exist in Lebanon outside of state control.
Hanna said while the UN could overtly condemn violations, it lacked the capacity
to enforce the resolution.
“The UN is not really equipped to stop this and take action because its rules of
engagement are totally to do with the Lebanese government,” he said.
October saw another blast involving weapons from Hizbullah’s suspected arsenal,
when a shell exploded in a garage in the southern village of Tayr Felsay. In
view of all this we do not consider this instance [of listening devices] as an
Israeli violation of Resolution 1701,” Hayman said. He added that any unearthing
of listening devices should be considered “in the broadest sense” in light of
the fragile peace and deep mistrust which persists between players either side
of the Blue Line – the boundary of Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon.
Hanna said that Resolution 1701 continued to be relevant in spite of either
side’s apparent disregard for its stipulations. “The resolution is still working
and we need to remember that here there is no 100 percent security. The LAF and
UNIFIL still work and there’s a high level of stability, although everyone is
violating 1701,” he said. More than 70 people have been arrested since the start
of the year for spying for Israel in an anti-espionage crackdown, including a
number of Lebanese generals and security officials. If convicted, a spy faces
life imprisonment.
A widening generation gap?
By Mira Baz
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
First person By Mira Baz
If Noor al-Sharif stands accused of being gay – let him be gay. It’s none of our
business. And let’s start calling things by their names; the magazine being
discussed is called Jassad. So exclaimed, emphatically, provocatively, the young
Lebanese journalist in the audience – not in those exact words but stating those
opinions in no uncertain terms. Her voice was resolute. She was assertive and
loud, the way parents have traditionally told their children not to be. Her
belly-revealing top seemed to underscore each word.
She made the comment at last week’s New Arab Woman Forum and raised several
eyebrows among a generally older audience during the panel on “Sexuality and the
Media.” It was an attack on the subdued manner in which the two subjects, the
allegations surrounding the renowned Egyptian actor and the sexually explicit
Lebanese magazine, were discussed. Many in the audience may have considered her
attitude crass, but the young participant was making two points. First, she was
critical of how discussions in Arab public circles don’t identify their subjects
and prefer not to call a spade a spade, according to her. The example of the
controversial new, sexually explicit Lebanese magazine Jassad (Body) was raised
and censured by a prominent, older Lebanese activist, without identifying the
publication by name. Similarly, the actor’s identity was protected by the
panelists and his case not clarified to those who may not have been familiar
with it.
Second, the young journalist was supporting personal freedom and privacy, two
values that are still nascent but integral to a democratic, tolerant and open
society. That a famous Egyptian actor thought to be gay should be condemned is
unacceptable, according to her, should he be facing defamation for something
personal and not criminal charges. In the same vein, she argued that adults –
not underage youngsters – having access to a magazine with explicit content
should also be about personal freedom.
Regardless of whether members of the audience agreed with her perspective or her
delivery, she made one thing clear: she was outspoken, she had strong
convictions, and she wanted to be heard. In brief, at that moment, she became
the voice of the youth at the forum – or a segment of the youth, at least.
But most significant is how this exchange between the young journalist and the
older activist is symptomatic of a rupture between two generations of the
Lebanese: the pre-war generation – those over 50 years old – and the post-war
generation, those under 30.
On the one hand, some pre-war activists come off as too protective of the youth
from what they perceive to be a cultural invasion that they did not experience
in their youth. They want to preserve the innocence of the values they grew up
on and pass them down. They may have progressive views but that don’t take into
consideration the youth’s own. Instead of educating young people, they opt for
censorship. They can be likened to protective parents who, in trying to shield
their children, end up suffocating them with prescriptive and overbearing
formulas which don’t relate to their reality.
On the other hand, the post-war generation is tolerant of what they’re exposed
to, be they images or ideas. In the case of sexual images in the media, some may
be influenced by them, but others may see them for what they are, that is,
commercially driven. And while not completely embracing every new idea, young
people don’t outright reject it either. They are weighing new ideas because they
are surrounded by them. They are the product of their own age and time.
The older generations are needed to give guidance. But unless we want to be a
closed society, the young should not be shielded or removed from the issues
facing them. Protectionism might hurt them more in a time when global cultures
are now open to each other and an overabundance of information exists.
They should be included in the discussions and encouraged to make informed
decisions and educated choices, within the social framework. This is not a
rebellion against the old but a natural progression. And if the younger
generation is seen as passive receivers, it’s because our patriarchal societies
have made them so, as those before them.
This is how patriarchy establishes itself: by not only prescribing specific
roles for men and women, but by quieting the youth as well and by convincing
young people that they are not able to make responsible decisions on their own,
and that the patriarch is the one who makes those decisions for them.
The ocean between the two is huge, and each generation is trying to shape the
other in its own image. But this is a useless endeavor. It’s alienating the two
generations from each other, and could push the youth to recklessness in their
rebellion. Inter-generational communication is needed, with respect given from
both sides.
**Mira Baz is a women’s rights researcher based in Yemen and a contributor to
The Daily Star.
Lebanon sees highest tourism growth worldwide - report
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, October 27, 2009
BEIRUT: The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) released its World
Tourism Barometer in which Lebanon came first worldwide among countries that
witnessed an increase in tourism. In 2009 so far, the number of tourists
visiting Lebanon saw the highest growth rate among the 165 countries examined by
UNWTO. The barometer, which was published by Audi Bank’s Weekly Monitor, ranks
countries according to their year-to date variation in the number of visiting
tourists, and this time it compared the number of tourists visiting each country
in the first eight months of 2009 relative to the same period of 2009. For
countries where data for August 2009 is not yet available the UNWTO calculated
the variation as per the latest available data. The study noted that with the
world facing the most severe recession of the post World War II period, tourism
has also been seriously impacted, and most countries witnessed a plunge in the
number of incoming tourists. Among the 165 countries, only 15 countries bucked
the overall negative trend posting positive growth rates. Lebanon, with its
flourishing tourism activity in 2009, ranked first among those 15 countries. In
Lebanon’s case, the survey used data of the first seven months of the year and
thus placed Lebanon in the top spot. In the first nine months of the year when
Lebanon saw a 46.3 percent escalation in the number of its incoming tourists,
the country still performs best globally, as the country which ranked second,
Kenya saw its tourists rise by 43 percent in the first eight months of 2009.
They were followed by Korea with a 15 percent year-to-date growth in the number
of tourists, as well as Syria and China with a growth of 12 percent each. – The
Daily Star
Event honors sons of Lebanon's fallen heroes
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, October 27, 2009
BEIRUT: The sons of Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) martyrs were honored in Beirut,
Monday. A dinner organized by the coordination committee for the support of the
activities of the children of LAF martyrs was attended by LAF Commander General
Jean Kahwaji. Committee head Joanna Kahwaji said the group helped the children
of fallen Lebanese soldiers, but nothing could compare to the sacrifices made by
their fathers. The ceremony was compared by journalists Toni Khalifeh and
Georges Qordahi, and featured performances by singers Nancy Ajram, Zein al-Omer
and Wael Kfoury. – The Daily Star
UNIFIL carries out amphibious exercises
By Mohammed Zaatari /Daily Star staff
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
NAQOURA: A joint amphibious exercise conducted by the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) was carried out
Monday at Naqoura Harbour. The exercise, running from October 23-26, aimed at
testing the command and control procedures and training for both forces and
check all facilities used for basic water operations. Participating in the
exercise were Lebanese Naval Forces, Navy Rangers and the sixth Brigade of the
Lebanese Armed Forces as well as a component of the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force
and the Italian Navy’s amphibious vessel “San Marco,” which was under the
tactical command of Graziano for the duration of the exercise. Naval helicopters
were also used, besides assets to secure the coastline both on land and at sea.
The exercise was attended by UNIFIL Force Commander Major General Claudio
Graziano, LAF Brigadier General Maroun Khraish representing the Lebanese Armed
Forces Commander General Jean Kahwagi, as well as a number of Lebanese Army and
UNIFIL officers, public officials and media representatives. On the day
personnel and vehicles were embarked and disembarked by Landing Craft Units and
a landing on a fictitious suspect smuggling vessel in Lebanese territorial
waters was simulated. The amphibious exercise is the second of its kind. The
last such joint exercise was conducted by UNIFIL and LAF in March.
The “Dispersed” Gulf Diplomacy
Mon, 26 October 2009
By: Jamil Theyabi?Al Hayat
http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/70029
A pitched battle of repeated advances and retreats is taking place between the
Western capitals and Tehran, while the capitals of the Gulf are busy watching
the play “Gharbistan”.
For the moment, Tehran seems to be oscillating between acceptance and
irresponsiveness in what regards the [agreement] to enrich the majority of its
uranium abroad, all in order to achieve political gains, and to gain more time
and more Western incentives and rewards.
Was the Velvet Revolution, meanwhile, defeated, following the start of the
trials and executions of those who were deemed by the government of President
Ahmadinejad as having “caused” the turmoil that shook the country and threatened
the Wilayat-e-Faqih [Supreme Leader of Iran]?
Also, how accurate are the accounts of a scheme by the Revolutionary Guard to
liquidate Arab and Gulf journalists opposed to the Iranian ambitions and
policies in the region?! Is Iran actually capable of carrying out the
assassination of journalists by giving the green light to its militias and
columns to execute its plans?
Perhaps, but Iran will not do so if compromises should be agreed upon with the
West regarding its nuclear program. Instead, Iran would carry out its plans by
using its Special Forces unit which enjoys an unlimited budget and powers,
including issuing passports and diplomatic passports for any of its operatives;
this in addition to the fact that most of the latter, including those operating
inside Iran, are fluent in more than one language, in particular Arabic, many of
whom having being seen speaking with a fluent Lebanese dialect. These
individuals are carefully selected so as not to arouse any suspicions around
them, whether in terms of their presentation or dialect, something that also
applies to all the members of the unit. (I will detail this and more in another
forthcoming article).
Did the collapse of the Velvet Revolution, then, along with the decline in the
reformists’ resolve in confronting the conservatives – following their being
oppressed, abused, imprisoned, and murdered –, in addition to the Western
incentives bundle, did this all encourage the government of Ahmadinejad to
regain its “aggressive” determination? Did it encourage this government to
resume its “hostile” ideology of exporting its revolution in order to fill the
vacuum and distract the people with “illusory” external dangers? It is thus in
fact, that Iran will set off its allies in the region, Hezbollah, Hamas and the
Huthis, while activating some of its supporters and partisans in Iraq, Lebanon,
and the Gulf countries to carry out acts aimed at inciting sectarian riots and
insurgency in order to sabotage the relations between Arab governments and their
peoples.
Nevertheless, will the shared interests of the West and Iran lead to the
weakening of Arab governments, and render them the victims and satellites of the
new relations drafted by the Western capitals and Tehran?
A while ago, Karim Sadjapour, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, prepared a study that urged Washington and Tehran to
resolve their differences on the basis of common concerns and mutual or shared
interests, in a manner that would modernize Iran and reintegrate it in the
global economy, in addition to restoring mutual trust in dealing with the
sensitive issues. Sadjapour also pointed out that the interests of the United
States meet and overlap with those of Iran in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than
with any other neighbouring country. (Al Mushahid al-Siyasi [Political Observer]
Magazine – Issue 700; August 16 – 2009).
Iran is behind everything in Iraq, and is interfering there not far from the
eyes and ears of the Americans. In fact, the ones who gave Iran the strength and
ability to be free to do whatever it wants in Baghdad are the Arabs themselves,
by shunning Iraq and the Iraqis under the pretext of the security situation,
until Iran managed to completely have its way there, and build bridges and roads
on the backs of Iraq’s own inhabitants to serve its own policies and interests.
In Afghanistan meanwhile, the overlapping interests [of the U.S and Iran] are
even more evident, despite the fact that the Iranian behaviour in Afghanistan is
almost “schizophrenic”, when its official radio for instance, describes the
Afghan President Karazai as being “an American puppet”, while Iran is actually
one of the top ten countries that grant aids to Karazai’s government. This in
addition to the fact that what brings Washington and Tehran together in this
regard is their number one enemy, the Taliban.
Is Iran seeking to dominate the Middle East and threaten Israel, or is it
seeking to shake hands with the latter by extending a long arm above the Arab
disarray, in order to oppress the Arab peoples and discipline them?! Is there
some kind of a need for the religious establishment in Iran that pushes it to
further zeal in order to protect itself from “unstable” neighbours, and from
American and the neighbouring governments that have a common animosity against
Iran?!
What is certain is that Iran has non-peaceful intentions, and that Iran cannot
be trusted no matter how many pledges, commitments, promises or guarantees were
offered. As such, the international community must not allow Iran to enrich
uranium, as long as Iran is playing with both fire and water, as it supports
extremist groups and armed militias, and is carrying acts of sabotage against
neighbouring countries. Iran must not be allowed to do so since it also
threatens all those who dare whisper against it, so that the world would not
become a jungle of beasts that can throw sand in our eyes, and “slip poison in
the honey”, all in order to carry out murderous assassination plans and criminal
schemes.
The negotiations between Iran and the West and the incentives package do not
concern Tehran alone; the Gulf countries as such must learn all the secret items
on the negotiation table and the developments related to the latter, since there
is no bigger threat to the Gulf countries than the Iranian menace. The Gulf
countries remaining politely neutral, or respectfully diplomatic, will not
achieve anything for them, and may perhaps even become a factor that exacerbates
political pressures against them in the future, similar to what their neglect of
Iraq has incurred upon them.
The “Brotherhoodization” of the Arab World
26 October 2009
By: Husam Itani/AlHayat
http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/70030
No one benefits from the recurrent arrests which the Muslim Brotherhood is
subject to in Egypt, the latest being what took place a few days ago in Mit
Ghamr, except the Brotherhood itself. Indeed, this kind of persecution is
renowned for strengthening the core of ideological parties, as well as the
arsenal of means they use to deal with the government, according to an opinion
prevalent in partisan circles.
Moreover, harassment from here and annoyance from there against the largest
opposition party in Egypt are things that will not, in the eyes of the
Brotherhood and its supporters, lead to restricting their activity, but rather
will contribute to improving their image for common citizens who observe the
deterioration of the government and its apparatus, as legislative and
presidential elections draw near in Egypt. Harassment in the past did not
prevent a “deal” from being reached between the Brotherhood and the government,
one that ensures for the Islamic organization a fixed share of seats in the
People’s Assembly, according to the latest press interview by the Chairman of
the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Mahdi Akef.
Beyond the political hunts that indirectly benefit the hunted, one can speak of
a type of “political” practice spread by the Brotherhood in Egypt over the past
two decades and popularized by their counterparts and peers throughout the Arab
world. And if the list of “issues” raised by Brotherhood MPs before the Egyptian
Parliament – most of which are concerned with the personal or public affairs of
artists, as well as with journalistic and literary writings and with dubious
fatwas – is ever transgressed, this is indicative not only of the
narrow-mindedness of the Brotherhood and of its efforts to forcibly impose its
values on society, but also of the inability to understand the broader meaning
of politics.
One could state many examples of the damage caused by the multitude of
television “preachers”, who barely disappear from one channel before appearing
on another, and who seem to have taken control of the system of mores and values
prevailing in Egypt and beyond it in the Arab World, especially as most of them
are from among those who have received only half a religious education, forming
the ideological “vanguard” of the Brotherhood. These kinds of sermons, which
blend the current trend of consumerism with a partial and deficient
understanding of tradition, impedes in the most severe way any focused efforts
towards progress and modernization, efforts which Arab and Muslim peoples are in
the most dire need of today.
The distance seems short between the cultural and social climate that pleases
the Brotherhood and puts it at ease, and the political climate which it seeks
after. This appears in the form of refusal to realize and understand if one
compares the scarcity of its power and paucity of its influence to the hegemony
and influence that the Brotherhood has in popular circles (or “society”). Such a
comparison reveals the Brotherhood’s lack of a political and economic program
that would support their looking after what they consider to be virtues and
concern for public morals.
If what Mohammed Mahdi Akef said about the deal that ensures the share of MPs in
the People’s Council obtained by the organization and about his wishes and those
of the security apparatus meeting over not making a “ruckus” is not surprising,
then – to the same extent – neither is the Brotherhood not moving to
straightforward opposition to the government, despite all the elements of
opposition between them that appear on the surface. Indeed, what is clear in
this approach is that the organization does not know quite exactly how to draft
policies that go beyond topical opposition to this or that issue, most of it no
more than stances condemning the shows of singer Beyoncé Knowles or of female
Arab singers who have come to form a major source of pretexts for intervention
by Brotherhood MPs in past years.
Leaving politics and focusing on this kind of “ethical” opposition reveals in
its depth the vacuity of the program which the Muslim Brotherhood calls for.
Egypt is only one sample, but the stances and opinions of the Brotherhood are
imitated throughout the Arab World and across it.
The consensus fallacy
By: Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Now Lebanon
October 26, 2009
Lebanon’s parliament. (Archive)
Pioneers in their own minds, the Lebanese have introduced concepts to the world
of political philosophy by chewing up recognized principles and spitting them
out with a hint of Lebanese peculiarity.
The result is a paralyzed state beset by perpetual political deception.
The most famous of Lebanese invention has been the concept of “Consensus
Democracy.” The expression itself is an oxymoron. While the word consensus means
the approval of all parties involved, democracy means the rule of the majority.
Lebanon has exported its brand of democracy to neighboring states, such as Iraq,
where the parliament has repeatedly failed to pass an election law for the vote,
which is scheduled for January. Just as a failing Lebanese parliament delegated
its problems to an even more incapacitated forum, the “Dialogue Table,” the
Iraqis often take their stalemates to a so-called “Political Council for
National Security.”
As that name would suggest, the Iraqi council is no more than a powerless
gathering for the country’s top leadership.
Here in Lebanon, MP Michel Aoun and his crew certainly win the prize for the
most creative twists of political concepts.
Proportionality means that in a parliamentary election the amount of seats a
political party wins is proportional to the percent of votes it receives. Such a
concept guarantees wider representation, as opposed to Lebanon’s bloc-vote
system, where a single vote decides who wins between two candidates with equal
popular appeal.
The Aounists, however, never proposed proportionality for the June elections.
Had they done so, Aoun would have lost at least two of the five seats that he
swept in Kesrouan, for example.
Knowing that proportional elections would break the monopoly he seeks over
Christian representation, Aoun restricted his demands to the formation of the
cabinet, perhaps a precedent in the history of government politics, especially
given that Aoun’s opponents command a majority in parliament and could, in
principle, form a cabinet without him.
Even more entertaining are the continuous demands from Aoun and his allies that
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri forget the results of the June elections,
in which March 14 defeated Aoun and the March 8 coalition.
But if Aoun was so keen to forget the results of the June elections, how come he
complained that his parliamentary bloc had expanded from 22 to 27, which he said
mandates that his ministerial bloc be accordingly increased from five to six
ministers?
In parliamentary elections and cabinet formations, it seems, numbers and
proportionality only count when they give Aoun more, and to that end the
Aounists are ready to obstruct cabinet formation and sabotage – with their
allies in Hezbollah – the whole country.
And if Aoun’s dance around proportionality was not enough, the Kesrouan MP has
repeatedly lectured the Lebanese about the constitution, which, in his mind, is
being breached by the successive Sunni prime ministers. These men, according to
Aoun, have undermined the Lebanese state by controlling the Finance Ministry for
the better part of a decade and a half.
To destroy a country, as Aoun and his supporters argue, one needs to dominate
its economic direction. Having a militia with tens of thousands of rockets and a
couple of thousand of fighters, who would not hesitate to kill their political
opponents, is a force of regional justice, per Aoun.
What is missing from Aoun’s dishonest rhetoric, however, can be always found in
that of his allies. Hezbollah, for instance, slanders anyone who dares talk to
an American ambassador or delegate. But when Washington’s delegates find their
way to Damascus or hold talks with their Iranian counterparts, one cannot but
detect a sly smile on the face of news anchors on Al Manar.
Hezbollah, the champion of consensus in cabinet, has never shared what it deems
to be Shia issues. Speaker Nabih Berri was re-elected in June, whether the March
14 majority liked it or not. Similarly, the “arms of resistance” are staying,
regardless of what non-Hezbollah supporters think. This, to Hezbollah, is
consensus.
Likewise, talking to Israel – even through the UN to win back the Shebaa Farms –
is an act of espionage, unless Hezbollah does it to free Samir Kuntar.
With Aoun and Hezbollah hypocrisy runs high. No wonder Hariri has, since June
27, been unable to form a cabinet. The state will remain on hold, until Aoun and
his allies decide otherwise. This, they call partnership, again giving the word
a new meaning.
With Aoun and Hezbollah, political concepts are redefined and everything else
takes a whole new meaning. This is Lebanon’s “unique experience,” which others
simply call the absurd.
This is the general
Hazem al-Amin ,
October 26, 2009
Now Lebanon
We have moved with Michel Aoun from talk about “the numerical majority” to
discussions of “the parliamentary majority.” At previous times when the Lebanese
government was being formed, Aoun’s pretext for demanding more seats and
ministries was that the elections proved that he represented a “numerical
majority,” despite the fact that the elections did not result in Aoun receiving
half of the majority in parliament. However, today, the notion of “the numerical
majority” is no longer included in his rhetoric. He speaks about his bloc as
being the largest Christian bloc while his [current] adversaries do not have the
right to bring up this same notion of “the numerical majority” which he had
previously concocted. However, it should be kept in mind that his adversaries’
claim to such a majority is better founded and more legitimate than the
general’s former claims since they are a “Christian numerical majority” within a
“general Lebanese parliamentary majority,” and also having “a Christian
parliamentary majority.”
Whereas Aoun retained one instance of majority representation – a “Maronite
parliamentary majority,” which, in any case, is a trivial majority – his
Christian adversaries obtained those three [significant] instances of majority
representation mentioned above. Despite this, Aoun still wants six ministerial
portfolios.
It seems there is a tax on the Lebanese which leaders have paid during the last
four years called “the Michel Aoun tax.” The crisis with Aoun today is not
political at all. Politically everyone knows that regional actors are no longer
applying pressure [over the country] in order to prevent the formation of the
government as[, to the contrary,] Syria and Iran’s allies have supposedly
received instructions to facilitate the process of government formation.
Politically it was also presumed that the results of the elections would be
translated during the process of forming the government. Furthermore,
politically [major] players must find a balance between their ambitions and
their capabilities. Aoun has remained aloof to all of these political premises.
All he did was take advantage of his ability to obstruct and everyone else,
including his allies, have had to bear the consequences.
The right to six ministries does not extend from his share in parliament or from
his representation among the Lebanese people. It only comes from the ability to
obstruct as well as from that “great religion” which he lent to Hezbollah, Syria
and Iran, knowing full-well that he had overtaxed his political funds.
It is difficult for PM-designate Saad Hariri to respond to Aoun’s demands. The
issue is not at all political since concessions in the political sphere have
been yielded to factors which seem unrelated to these demands. The issue is
personal, a one man’s deadlock which he has forced upon the rest us, saying: “I
want six portfolios or else don’t even bother showing up for talks… I have the
ability to demand that, and I have the desire and the intent.” He continues:
“The Saudi-Syrian agreement took place so come on, pay up, to me and only me. My
allies have no objections [to this] but you, the majority, need to get over the
fact that you are the majority.”
There is no doubt that Aoun’s strength extends from his departure from all
political convention, or rather the ease with which he has been able to depart
from politics itself, paying little heed to the consequences. This comes from
the experiences of one who has engaged in wars without asking any questions
about the consequences of the calamities that such wars cause and without asking
any questions about the consequences that could arise were he to lose or even
win in these wars.
Before “the opposition” occupied downtown Beirut in an act, which at the time
was called a sit-in, done to disrupt activity in the city, a debate took place
between two personalities: the first has an intimate knowledge of the Christian
community, and the second has an intimate knowledge of General Michel Aoun. The
first personality pondered that the Christians would not to be burdened by their
participation in a sit-in which would shut down the city’s commercial center, as
they represented more than half of its commercial workforce and as the sit-in
would mean that Hezbollah forces would be delivered to Achrafieh’s doorstep.
Moreover, this first personality thought that participating in the sit-in would
signify a great loss for General Aoun and the Christian community will hold him
accountable to that. The second personality agreed with the first except in one
detail which he conveyed to his friend, saying: despite that everything you have
said is true, the general will participate in the sit in!
After the sit-in, this same scene played itself out more than once, and Aoun
paid the price in the elections, never having admitted to himself that he made
any error.
This is the general, and it falls upon us to pay the Aoun tax while we wait for
the 2013 elections
Hezbollah and the new regional reality
Firas Maksad and Anthony Elghossain ,
October 27, 2009
Now Lebanon
The bombing of the Marine barracks at Beirut Airport some 26 years ago by a
suicide truck bomber killed 241 US servicemen and led to an American withdrawal
from Lebanon, where it had sent soldiers to establish some sort of peace, eight
years into the country’s complicated civil war. While the bombing forced an
eventual American withdrawal and once again changed the course of the conflict,
it can be argued that it was also the opening salvo in Iran’s fight for hegemony
in the Middle East, a battle that is very much raging today.
In ushering in a new era of war against the United States, the bombing, for
which the Iranian-backed Hezbollah has long been blamed, helped cultivate the
notion that state-supported militant groups could harass the United States into
retreating from a robust tradition of foreign policy adventures in the region.
Over the past quarter-century, the Islamic Republic has built a forward
operating base in Lebanon (through its local proxy, Hezbollah), an alliance with
Syria, and considerable influence in Iraq to complement its domineering presence
in the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s current nuclear program must be understood as part of this broader
challenge to the United States and the existing order in the Middle East. From
the ashes of the Marine barracks, Iran and Syria have nurtured Hezbollah from a
rag-tag militia into a formidable army-cum-pseudo-state. It is Hezbollah’s
entrenchment that has altered the region’s strategic calculus and which best
reflects how Iran perceives the conflict.
A new regional reality
First, Hezbollah will ultimately serve as Iran's advance guard in a regional
confrontation. The Party of God already demonstrated its military capacity in
2006 by fighting Israel to a standstill and retains a network of operatives in
Latin America, West Africa, and the United States itself.
Second, at a deeper level, Hezbollah is a manifestation of Iranian ideology and
a franchise of the Iranian Revolution. The concept of Hezbollah as a
disciplined, determined and zealous organization has electrified the region and
has helped Iran create an arc of influence from the Persian Gulf to the Eastern
Mediterranean.
Iranian largesse and Syrian facilitation have allowed Hezbollah to build
schools, hospitals and utilities as well as rebuild neighborhoods destroyed by
Israel. In the same vein, Iranian military support and ideological guidance have
helped Hezbollah defy Israel and irritate Sunni or moderate (read pro-western)
regimes in the region.
Thus, while the authoritarian regimes in Tehran and Damascus have failed to
provide their people with the level of prosperity and freedom they would have
liked, Hezbollah has, by and large, made a decent stab at providing for its
constituents both through its social services and its largesse. Thus the Party
of God is far more than a tactical nuisance - it strives to be an existential
alternative for the people of the Middle East.
What to do
And so today, it can be argued that Iran is winning right where the battle began
26 years ago on the Beirut airport road. The United States must respond at every
level, doing for the Lebanese state and its other allies what Iran has done for
Hezbollah and Hamas.
For starters, the United States must maintain its post-Cedar Revolution economic
and diplomatic support for Lebanon, such as the $67.5 million allocated by
USAID's 2009 budget for Lebanon. Similarly, the US should support Lebanon's
pending accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and provide assistance
to related reform efforts as well as military aid to bolster Lebanon’s woefully
feeble army. The latter will go a long way in convincing those Lebanese who
support Hezbollah’s armed presence as long as the national army is weak that
statehood can only come with genuine state institutions.
Yet, while America should continue its support for Lebanon, it cannot end there.
To protect progress, Washington must adopt a firm stance against rejectionists
in Tehran and Damascus. The problem is the regimes themselves; engagement,
sanctions, or war will not change their world-view overnight.
The U.S. must pursue a policy of active containment to exhaust such regimes in
the long term and prevent them from violating clear and enforceable "red lines"
in the short term. When engagement stalls, targeted financial and economic
sanctions should follow. Congress must legislate, and presidents must implement,
sanctions to discourage Syria and Iran from milking new administrations for
concessions while the clock ticks out every four years.
At the same time the U.S. should make clear that it will intensify sanctions and
diplomatically isolate the Assad regime if Syria continues to support insurgents
in Iraq and militias in Lebanon. Washington should also, subject to reliable
intelligence and the advice of the military command, establish a time horizon
beyond which it would adopt a more robust policy, including a military option,
if Iran refuses to cease its nuclear program and submit to IAEA inspections.
There is no need to stir the pot now. Engagement may bear fruit. Nevertheless,
the Marine barracks bombing on October 23, 1983 should serve as a lesson in
vigilance. All too often, to paraphrase a Marine who survived the attack, the
United States is "caught with its pants down." Best it not happen again.
**Firas Maksad is a Middle East analyst. Anthony Elghossain is a former
journalist for Lebanon's The Daily Star and a J.D. candidate at The George
Washington University Law School