LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 01/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4:16-30. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'" And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Inglorious Baathists. By: Tony Badran, Now Lebanon August 31/09
What a pity that Sayyed has sunk to such a state of helpless rage- The Daily Star August 31/09
Review: 'Syria and Iran: Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in/Foreign Policy Journal August 31/09
Peace will help keep Obama popular-By Steven W. Barnes and Nadia Bilbassy August 31/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 31/09
Majority Lebanese MPs: Our Openness Doesn't Give Anyone the Right to Impose Conditions-Naharnet
Aoun, Hariri Vow to Continue Talks despite Difficulties-Naharnet
Berri: Hizbullah is a Must to Make Sure that Israel Never Returns-Naharnet
Lebanon spoilers must end political paralysis-Financial Times
Hezbollah and Al Qaeda Expanding African Operations-Christian Broadcasting Network
Arab-Israeli indicted for helping Hezbollah plot assassination of Israel’s chief of staff /Now Lebanon
March 14 prepares to present unified face-Daily Star
No end in sight for Lebanon's cabinet dilemma-Jerusalem Post
ISF detains Lebanese citizen on espio nage charges-Daily Star
'European Resistance' rebuilds youth center at Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp-Daily Star
Clock ticking on climate change, NGO warns in new campaign-Daily Star
Reconstruction at Nahr al-Bared c amp halted-Daily Star
Fadlallah warns against accepting 'humilia ting' concessions for Israel-Daily Star
Sfeir holds commemoration mas s for late Kennedy-Daily Star
Sayyed tells Hariri: 'You are your ow n father's killer'-Daily Star
Bellemare to return to tribu nal duties-Daily Star
Spanish UNIFIL peacekeeper di es of heart attack-Daily Star
Qabalan: Press Libya to reveal Mu sa Sadr's fate-Daily Star
Hizbullah MP urges 'consensus, resista nce, reform'-Daily Star
Gemayel says terrorists plotting his assassination-Daily Star
A Year Ago Today at Israel National News-Arutz Sheva
Aoun Carries 5 Demands to Hariri as PM-designate Proposes Compromise Cabinet Deal-Naharnet
Solana in Beirut to Make New Push for Mideast Peace-Naharnet
Lebanese Billionaire Went Bankrupt, Left Thousands Unemployed-Naharnet
Hizbullah Calls for Action to Force Libya to Release Sadr, 2 Comrades-Naharnet
Jumblat: I will Take Part in Majority Meeting in Show of Support for Hariri-Naharnet
The international tribunal: An updated mean of obstruction-Future News
Al-Mouallem adopts Al-Sayyed’s declarations in attacking the International Tribunal-Future News
Rayess: cabinet disruption exposes the country to dangers- Future News
Geagea, Kairouz: Patriarch Sfeir’s stances are Lebanon’s shock absorbers- Future News
Qabalan: Press Libya to reveal Musa Sadr's fate- Future News
Memorial on Captain Hanna’s assassination anniversary-Future News
Harb: Hanna’s martyrdom to be addressed in criminal courts-Future News

Majority MPs: Our Openness Doesn't Give Anyone the Right to Impose Conditions
Naharnet/Parliamentary majority MPs announced following a meeting on Monday that their openness toward a national unity cabinet does not give any political party the right to impose conditions on the premier-designate and the president. "The majority's openness towards the formation of a national unity government does not give anyone the right to impose conditions on" Saad Hariri and Michel Suleiman, they said in a statement read out by MP Wael Abou Faour. A total of 67 out of 71 MPs of the parliamentary majority held the meeting in Hariri's mansion in Qoreitem. Progressive Socialist Party leader was among the attendees who voiced "full support" for the prime minister-designate. The statement said that the majority adheres to the Taef Accord and the equal sharing of power among Christians and Muslims. It also said the conferees abide by the constitution in cabinet formation. The MPs slammed "attempts to distort the constitution" and said national interest should come before any other interest. On the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins, Abou Faour stressed on "the need not to hurl the international tribunal in political bickering." Beirut, 31 Aug 09, 18:30

Aoun, Hariri Vow to Continue Talks despite Difficulties
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun met at Baabda Palace in the first direct meeting between the two sides and both men pledged to continue talks despite the "many difficulties." The long-awaited meeting under the patronage of President Michel Suleiman began at 12:30 pm on Monday. Both leaders emerged from the 80-minute meeting saying talks will continue despite the difficulties. "There are many difficulties facing Cabinet formation, but there is a possibility of continuing talks," Aoun told reporters. Hariri, in turn, said the meeting aimed at breaking the ice and "we shall continue talks after Aoun's return from an overseas trip." Sources from both sides said earlier that the Lebanese should not expect too much out of the talks. As-Safir newspaper quoted a well-informed political source as saying that developments are not so encouraging and warned not to get over-optimistic from the reunion. It said that while the meeting is expected to break the ice between Hariri and Aoun and contribute in part in the restoration of bilateral relations, there are no indications that the meeting would come out with immediate results with regard to removing obstacles facing Cabinet formation "unless a miracle pops up," according to the political source. As-Safir quoted sources close to Aoun as saying that the FPM leader will hear from Hariri his response to questions about getting five ministerial portfolios, including the telecoms and interior, in addition to four Maronite seats. OTV, mouthpiece of the FPM, said Aoun was carrying with him a basket of demands that include commitment to the 15-10-5 Cabinet makeup, distribution of ministerial portfolios, acceptance of the names of proposed ministers by consensus leaderships and agreement on a ministerial statement.
Mustaqbal Movement sources, meanwhile, told as-Safir that the Hariri-Aoun meeting would not resolve the Cabinet lineup crisis "by pushing a button." "The meeting, however, is expected to open the door for a serious dialogue that we hope would be fruitful away from political wrangling," one source said. Al-Akhbar daily, for its part, quoted sources following up on the Hariri-Aoun meeting as saying that the FPM leader will carry with him a "final settlement" to the Cabinet dispute which calls for either keeping his ministers with the same portfolios in the caretaker government or he would continue to hold on to his demand to get both the telecommunications and interior ministries in addition to three other ministries.
An official with Mustaqbal Movement, meanwhile, uncovered in remarks published by al-Liwaa newspaper that Hariri would propose a "very significant compromise Cabinet deal" during Monday's meeting. On the other hand, information revealed that Hizbullah was behind encouraging Hariri to launch his initiative to meet Aoun and at the same time the Shiite group also pushed the FPM leader into accepting the offer. Beirut, 31 Aug 09, 08:03

Berri: Hizbullah is a Must to Make Sure that Israel Never Returns
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Monday that Hizbullah is a must not only to drive Israel out of Lebanon but also to make sure that it never returns. "The Amal movement sees the resistance as a necessity not only for withdrawal but also to make sure that Israel never returns. The movement is surely against naturalization (of Palestinians)," he said on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of Imam Moussa Sadr's disappearance. "I still believe that the Saudi-Syrian equation is the key to Lebanon's stability," he said during the speech in Beirut's southern suburbs. However, he refused to make comments on cabinet formation, saying the upcoming government should reset its priorities and declare an economic emergency. He requested the president to find feasible ways to tackle the economic and social crisis and called for increasing health insurances as well as implementing a new tax policy. Berri believed that the planning ministry should be established to eliminate all funds. Beirut, 31 Aug 09, 19:52

Gemayel says terrorists plotting his assassination
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Phalange MP Sami Gemayel said on Saturday that a terrorist cell inside the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh was plotting his assassination, as well as attacks against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Gemayel told the Voice of Lebanon (VDL) radio station that Hizbullah’s arms were preventing Premier-designate Saad Hariri from forming a new government. The Phalange official described Hariri as a “moderate person” and said his party backs the premier-designate in his efforts to establish an “institutionalized state.” “Extremism in Lebanon only leads to trouble,” he added. Gemayel also told VDL that foreign countries were interfering in the cabinet formation process. “Unfortunately, all regional and Western countries should give prior consent before a government is actually formed.” The MP called for placing Lebanon under UN tutelage. “Some Lebanese groups that own arms are trying to impose what they want on other groups,” he said, in reference to Hizbullah. “Let the UN come, form a commission, establish headquarters in Lebanon and lead reconciliation and national dialogue [efforts] to reach a solution,” Gemayel told VDL. – The -Daily Star

Sfeir holds commemoration mass for late Kennedy
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir headed on Sunday at his summer residence in Diman, a mass to commemorate the death of United States Senator Ted Kennedy. Tackling Kennedy’s political career, Sfeir praised the US senator for his courage to speak the truth as well as his efforts to pass laws to the benefit of the poor with regard to health care, social security and education. Sfeir also praised Victoria, Kennedy’s wife of Lebanese origin, for standing by her husband and supporting his political career and electoral campaigns after she left her career as a lawyer to handle family matters Kennedy, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected senator for nine consecutive terms until he passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77 after suffering a brain tumor. Sfeir offered his condolences to his wife Victoria Araiji and to US President Barack Obama. Following the mass, Sfeir discussed with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, his wife MP Strida Tawk Geagea, LF MP Elie Keyrouz, and Phalange Party MP Nadim Gemayel the recent developments on the Lebanese political scene, mainly the deadlock over with the formation of a national-unity cabinet. Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Gemayel stressed that the “Maronite patriarchy was the foundation of the Lebanese state,” adding that “Lebanon would not have existed without it.” “Thus I urge all parties to reconsider their rhetoric and echo the patriarch’s stances, which has long called for Lebanon’s unity and coexistence among the Lebanese,” Gemayel said. Last week, Sfeir said if efforts to form a unity cabinet fail, then a majority government should be formed. In response, Senior Shiite Cleric Mohammad Fadlallah said that “Lebanon’s glory has been given to the struggling and resilient people.” Fadlallah was referring to a popular proverb in Lebanon saying that the “glory of Lebanon is given to the Maronite Patriarch.” – The Daily Star

Tannourine marks Army pilot Hanna’s death
BEIRUT: Daily Star: The north Lebanon Batroun village of Tannourine commemorated the anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese Army pilot Samer Hanna, who was killed while on mission in the hilltop of Sujod in south Lebanon. “Samer died as a matyr, he was killed by Lebanese hands, which are supposed to help and protect rather than kill and assault,” Batroun’s Maronite bishop Boulos Saade, who headed the parayers, said in reference to Hizbullah. First lieutenant, Hanna, was killed when Mustafa Hassan Muqaddim, a Hizbullah member, fired shots at his helicopter on August 28, 2008 in the Sujod Hills south of Lebanon. Muqaddim was accused of unintentional killing and was released earlier this year by the military court on bail.
The Hizbullah member said he mistook the Lebanese helicopter for an Israeli aircraft. During the mass attended by MPs and representatives of the three top officials, Saade praised Hanna’s courage as a soldier who served “his country’s stability, security and national-unity.” Saade also stressed that the memorial should not be an occasion “to open wounds but rather to pray for Hanna’s soul.” Representative of Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji, Colonel Charbel Feghali also praised Hanna and vowed to “follow the martyr’s path.” – The Daily Star

March 14 prepares to present unified face
Alliance ‘remains a unified majority’ – Hariri
By Elias Sakr and Nafez Qawas /Daily Star staff
Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said on Sunday that the March 14 Forces still hold the majority of seats in Parliament, adding that the alliance was ready to team up with its national partners for the welfare of Lebanon. Speaking during an iftar banquet at his residence in Qoreitem, Hariri said the March 14 Forces are to hold a large-scale meeting also on Monday to discuss pressing issue on the Lebanese political scene. “Our meeting tomorrow is aimed at showing the March 14 Forces remain a unified parliamentary majority, which is extending its hand to all other groups in the country,” he said. “Lebanon should be our main priority, Lebanon comes first,” he added
A total of 71 MPs of the parliamentary majority will hold a meeting on Monday at 3 p.m. in Qoreitem to voice support for the prime minister-designate, and stress the unity of the March 14 coalition, a parliamentary majority source told The Daily Star on Sunday. The source said the meeting aims to remind
that the March 14 alliance has won the majority of seats in Parliament during the June 7 polls.
However, the source added that the statement to be issued following the talks would emphasize that the parliamentary majority “adopts a policy of openness and highlight that the alliance will reach out to opposition groups for partnership in the next cabinet.” Monday’s meeting, which will be attended by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, will also attempt to “resolve to the lingering impact of the May 7 events,” the source said.
On May 7, 2008 bloody clashes between pro-government and opposition groups erupted in Beirut and the Chouf mountainous region following the Cabinet’s decision to dismantle Hizbullah’s telecommunication network and sack Beirut airport’s security chief. The clashes came to an end with the Doha accord that led to the election of President Michel Sleiman and the formation of a national-unity cabinet headed by current caretaker Premier Fouad Siniora.
Hopes of reaching an agreement on the formation of a new national unity cabinet were revived over the weekend after reports that Hariri would soon meet with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun. Well-informed sources told The Daily Star on Sunday that the Hariri-Aoun meeting was likely to take place on Monday. However, the sources did not disclose the time and location of the meeting.
The awaited meeting is likely to take place at the Baabda presidential palace, which is regarded as a neutral location for Hariri and Aoun to hold talks after the latter rejected a lunch invitation by the premier-designate last week, saying he would not meet with Hariri before Future Movement MPs “refrained from attacking him in the media.”
During an iftar on Friday, Hariri expressed readiness to meet with Aoun at Baabda or at the Parliament and informed Sleiman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri of his decision.
“Lebanon’s interests are above any politician personal interests,” Hariri said, adding that he hoped that his initiative would be met positively by Aoun.
On Sunday, FPM MP Alain Aoun said a meeting between both leaders would be the “ideal” approach to reach a breakthrough over the cabinet deadlock, adding that his party would not hamper the formation process but rather “had several demands.”
However, he added that even despite a successful outcome, several complications would still face the formation process.
“We did not tackle the issue of portfolios that the March 14 politicians would handle,” Alain said.
Meanwhile, Aoun’s opposition ally, Hizbullah’s politburo member Mahmoud Qomati, denied claims during an iftar on Saturday that his party had encouraged Aoun to obstruct the formation process. Qomati added that the 15-10-5 formula which guaranteed real partnership remained the valid political framework for a national-unity cabinet.
The 15-10-5 formula grants March 14, 15 ministers, opposition groups 10 and the president five seats. March 14 and the opposition would both be denied an absolute majority and veto power while Sleiman would be guaranteed the tipping vote. Echoing Qomati, Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc leader MP Mohammad Raad stressed that a national-unity cabinet was the only guarantee to stability and civil peace, adding that remarks on a parliamentary majority and a minority were “behind us.” Another initiative is also expected to get matters moving; media reports on Sunday said Speaker Nabih Berri would launch a new initiative to break the government impasse. Berri is due to deliver an address on Monday to mark the 31st anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Musa Sadr. However, a source close to Berri would neither confirm nor deny the reports, adding that “the event did not take place yet.”
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of Hariri during an iftar Saturday night, Future Movement MP Amar Houri said the premier-designate’s “efforts aimed to form a harmonious government capable of accomplishing real work.” Houri stressed the need to” allow some time to form a cabinet that would not collapse due to internal conflicts since it would reflect negatively on the country.”

Arab-Israeli indicted for helping Hezbollah plot assassination of Israel’s chief of staff
August 31, 2009
Now Lebanon
Israeli authorities reported on Monday that they have arrested an Arab-Israeli accused of helping Hezbollah plan the assassination of military chief-of-staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi.
Rawi Fouad Sultani, 23, admitted he met a Hezbollah activist in Morocco one year ago and told him he had information on Ashkenazi, who worked out at the same gym as he did.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s press office issued a statement saying that Sultani said that he had remained in contact with the man through e-mail and social networking site Facebook after returning to Israel.
In December 2008, Sultani flew to Poland where he gave to another Hezbollah member information he had collected on Ashkenazi and discussed ways in which he could be attacked.
"Hezbollah is continuing in its effort to recruit Israelis to perpetrate terrorist missions," the statement said, adding that it "has sought to perpetrate revenge attacks against senior VIPs" since top Hezbollah military commander Imad Mugniyah was killed in a car bombing in Damascus in February 2008.
Israel has denied any involvement in Mugniyah's death, but senior officials have openly welcomed it.
Sultani, who was arrested on August 10, is to be formally indicted on Monday, the statement said.

Inglorious Baathists
Tony Badran,
Now Lebanon , August 31, 2009
A crisis has erupted between Iraq and Syria after the bombings in Baghdad last week that claimed hundreds of victims, dead and injured. The Iraqi government has blamed Syria for the attacks, declaring that Syria must choose between normal relations with Iraq or remaining a terrorist haven. These officials have also suggested that the Syrians are trying to forcefully carve a political role out for themselves in Iraq. The bombings immediately followed a visit to Syria by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and occurred a week after a trip to Damascus by a delegation from US Central Command. The Iraqi government named two Baathist figures harbored by Syria as having a direct role in the attacks. Of the two, Muhammad Younis Ahmad bears closer attention. A former Iraqi Baathist official, Ahmad tried forming a new leadership of the Iraqi Baath party at a conference in 2007, which he sought to hold under Syrian auspices. This led to his expulsion from the Baath led by Saddam Hussein’s former deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who accused Ahmad of working with Syrian intelligence. The conference never saw the light, a testament to the political irrelevance of the figures involved.
At that time, and much like Maliki did earlier this month, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani led a delegation to Syria in order to discuss border security and the handing over of wanted figures--among them, it was rumored, Ahmad himself. And like today, the Syrians refused to accede to this.
Ahead of the recent Central Command visit, news reports indicated that the US military, too, had presented Syria with the names of individuals they wanted captured. The Syrians, with their usual evasiveness, apparently told certain foreign diplomats that they had expelled Ahmad earlier this year. Clearly, that claim was untrue as the Iraqis now say that they repeatedly requested Ahmad’s handover, to no avail.
More curious was what Iraqi official sources told the Al-Sabah daily several days after the Baghdad attacks. They said that Iraq had “recently rejected a Syrian wish to have a role in painting the Iraqi political landscape ... by creating a foothold for itself through figures close to [Damascus].” The sources noted that Syria was trying to “impose certain Baathist figures and open the way for them to participate in political life and the upcoming parliamentary elections.”
We can speculate that one such Baathist client would be Ahmad, whom the Syrians have been cultivating for over two years.
A quick perusal of the talking points the Syrians have distributed to their advocates in the media further supports this conclusion. The Syrians essentially explained to Maliki that there would be no security in Iraq without true “reconciliation”--meaning, without the inclusion of their Baathist clients such as Ahmad. That is why they told the Iraqi prime minister that they would not hand anyone over. Sami Moubayed, a Syrian commentator who often channels regime thinking, even wrote that Maliki now “realizes the folly of such a request”, since Syrian-harbored figures can “help bring about reconciliation” in Iraq. Thus, they were “a blessing in disguise” that Maliki “will use to bolster his own government.”
The Syrians tried to shape Maliki’s agenda ahead of his visit to Damascus. They leaked to the media that the purpose of the talks was not an Iraqi appeal that Syria hand over wanted figures, but rather that Maliki sought Syrian “help” in forming a “nationalist” electoral coalition, and perhaps even to use Syria as a counterweight to the Iraqi Awakening Councils.
The Syrians may have calculated that Maliki was politically vulnerable and had “lost the US umbrella.” Thus, they were wagering that he would see “the light in Damascus,” as Moubayed put it. The commentator even suggested that the Syrian bid enjoyed American cover, with the United States having “invited” the Syrians to “play a greater role in Iraqi affairs”!
Seen in this context, the Baghdad bombings were a familiar calling card from Syria: violent extortion to extract political gains. The use of Ahmad has also been a vintage tactic of the Syrians--which they have played effectively in such places as Lebanon and on the Palestinian front--namely sponsorship of splinter factions and the cultivation of clients who have no constituency, therefore who are reliant on Syria. This is endemic to Syrian behavior, and why we shouldn’t expect any change. Syria’s destabilization of its neighbors and interference in their affairs are the only tools permitting Damascus to project influence beyond its real political weight.
Maliki has, since, publicly rebuffed the Syrians. Iraq is not Lebanon. Such brazen Syrian acts will also have negative repercussions on the already cautious US engagement of Damascus. As one diplomat observed ahead of the Central Command visit, “the [US] effort to convince Syria to change its behavior is not open ended.” With Syria’s regional policies becoming increasingly destructive, we can only hope the diplomat is right.
……………………………………….
Tony Badran is a research fellow with the Center for Terrorism Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Al-Mouallem adopts Al-Sayyed’s declarations in attacking the International Tribunal
Date: August 31st, 2009/Source Future News
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mouallem adopted the latest stances issued by Jamil Al-Sayyed concerning the international tribunal, considering at the same time “that it is Lebanese internal issue.”Al-Mouallem said Sunday during a press conference with the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana that “the international tribunal for the assassination of martyr President Rafic Hariri is a Lebanese issue between Lebanon and the United Nations.”He considered that “it is clear now, after the announcement of Major General Al-Sayyed, that the investigation held by the former UN investigator Detlev Mehlis, that the charges were all programmed and addressed to accuse Syria.”

Memorial on Captain Hanna’s assassination anniversary
Date: August 30th, 2009/Source: LBC
The family and friends of 1st Lieutenant Samer Hanna held the first anniversary for his assassination Sunday in Tannourin and unveiled a memorial held in his honor in town square.
Maronite Pastor Boutros Saadeh headed mass at the Lady of Assumption Church in the presence of MPs Boutros Harb, Antoine Zahra and representatives of President Michel Sleiman, Caretaker Premier Fouad Siniora, Speaker Nabih Berry and designated Prime Minister Saad Hariri. It should be noted that Hanna was flying a helicopter when he was shot at, causing the chopper’s crash and leading to his death. Hezbollah fighter Mustafa Hassan Muqadim, arrested for gunning the chopper down was released by a military court order.

Harb: Hanna’s martyrdom to be addressed in criminal courts
Date: August 31st, 2009/Source: Future News
MP Boutros Harb called to refer the case of killing Captain Samer Hanna to the criminal courts, regretting to “address this issue in a military court.”
Harb emphasized that there are efforts to close this file, because its follow up will lead to political and financial problems between the authority and Hizbullah, describing the military courts as “exceptional and subject to the ministry and the Generals might be affected with the decisions of their leaderships.”He pointed that martyr Hanna’s family is not interested in money as compensation.

The international tribunal: An updated mean of obstruction
Date: August 31st, 2009/Future News
Parallel to Premier-Designate Saad Hariri’s initiative to meet with MP Michel Aoun, in an attempt to resolve the issue obstructing the government birth, what was prepared in the closed sessions of March 8 group emerged to the public. Suddenly and without any alert, the International Tribunal returned to present the target of the minority group, starting with the leaderships of Hizbullah, the symbols of the trusteeship era, and recently Major General Jamil al-Sayyed who culminated the campaign in an attack on "the credibility of the court" and went to the point of targeting the son of the martyr President Rafic Hariri, and his alleged involvement the “crime of age.”This surprising development did not only reach this far, but exceeded to reach outside the borders as the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem entered on the line of targeting where he built his words on Al-Sayyed’s allegations saying: “it is clear now, after the announcement of Major General Al-Sayyed, that the investigation held by the former UN investigator Detlev Mehlis, that the charges were all programmed and addressed to accuse Syria,” which is an evidence that the campaign is “coordinated” and its goal became clear. According to the previous, Almustaqbal movement responded to Al-Sayyed fabrications, considering that “all that will not change in the work of the International Tribunal, and will not frustrate the process of justice” stressing its confidence "that the International Tribunal is not politicized.”
Almustaqbal movement expressed its insistence and belief that “martyr President Rafic Hariri and the other martyrs, did not die in car accidents, but were betrayed with thousands of kilograms of explosives.” The statement pointed that “the campaign is held in the time of “calm” posed by the Premier-Designate on the path to form the government and the developments taking place in the region,” stressing on the movement’s adherence to the tribunal and its decision, whatever its nature because “days proved that we did not object on any of the tribunal’s decisions and work, because our only concern remains the truth and justice.”

Fadlallah warns against accepting 'humiliating' concessions for Israel
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Senior Shiite Cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah warned on Sunday against attempts to normalize ties with Israel and submit to its “humiliating” conditions. In a statement, Fadlallah accused Arab leaders of “attempting to fool” the Muslim and Arab world. He said Arab leaders were negotiating the normalization of ties with Israel, “while the Palestinian people are getting exhausted and becoming further subdued.” Fadlallah spoke about a US-Israeli implicit scheme to seize control of the Arab world.
The Sayyed noted that Israel continued to build new settlements with the approval of the United States. He added that the US does not ask for concessions from Israel.
He said a scheduled meeting between US President Barack Obama, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “aims to draw the Palestinian Authority into a new round of long negotiations without granting them any of their rights.” “This is not to speak about efforts by international and some Arab powers to divide the Palestinians and force them to relinquish their right for a viable state by trying to establish a Palestinian security force that would protect Israel’s security.” – The Daily Star

Sayyed tells Hariri: 'You are your own father's killer'
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Former head of General Security Jamil al-Sayyed accused on Sunday Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri along with some judges and officers of falsifying evidence in the assassination case. Sayyed said that the prime- minister designate has “no right to claim justice” from by the United Nations Backed-Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), “when he approved of people making baseless accusations and falsifying facts for four consecutive years.”
The former general was speaking during a news conference at the Coral Beach to mark the day he was incarcerated on August 30, 2005 for alleged involvement in the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Sayyed said former Premier Rafik Hariri was murdered three times. “The first on February 14, 2005] and the assassins remain at large thanks to some officers and politicians surrounding [Saad] Hariri,” he said.
“The second time Rafik Hariri was assassinated was when the four generals were arrested after false witnesses were dictated lies by certain politicians, officers and journalists,” he added.
“The third time Hariri was killed was when the four generals were released in April,” he added. Sayyed was among four top generals who were released in April after four years in custody in connection with Hariri’s assassination, none has ever been formally charged. The other three are the former head of the presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan, Internal Security Forces chief Ali Hajj, and military intelligence chief Raymond Azar, 56. Sayyed accused a number of prominent figures of misleading the investigation, including MP Marwan Hamadeh; former head of the Lebanese Armed Forces Intelligence Branch, Johnny Abdo; current head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence department, Wissam al-Hassan; Hariri advisor Hani Hammoud; journalist Fares Khashan; State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza; and investigative judge Saqr Saqr.
He called on Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar to imprison Mirza and Hassan for “crimes against the state,” as they oversaw the investigation into Rafik Hariri’s assassination, questioned witnesses and ordered the arrest of the four generals, without charge. He also accused Hariri of protecting false witnesses, including as Mohammad Zuheir al-Siddiq, Hossam Hossam and Ibrahim Jarjoura. Addressing Hariri, Sayyed said: “You are your father’s own killer until you hold all of those accountable.”
He also urged Hariri to “clean-up state institutions and to hold accountable all those who distorted the truth for political reasons.”
Sayyed called on the international tribunal to try false witnesses, “rather than overlook their existence.” Spokeswoman for STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, Radhia Ashouri told reporters during a news conference in July in Beirut that the prosecution was not seeking to speak further with Mohammad Zuhair Siddiq, the former Syrian intelligence officer who alleged that Syrian President Bashar Assad and his then-Lebanese counterpart Emile Lahoud ordered Hariri’s killing. Siddiq was initially treated as a witness by the tribunal but became a suspect after his testimonies were discredited. “The evidence he provided is not acceptable and we are not interested in him,” said Ashouri. During his news conference, Sayyed also slammed President Michel Sleiman, requesting that he act “as an honorable military general and not as a prisoner of Baabda Palace and the civil suit.” “Sleiman and Hariri specifically should hold all those who committed mistakes accountable since the assassination of Rafik Hariri,” he added. The former general also accused Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt of being “deceitful on the political level,” adding that anyone who takes Jumblatt for an ally “is making a mistake.” – The Daily Star

Future movement surprised at campaign against stl
Daily Star/BEIRUT: The Future Movement issued a statement on Sunday expressing surprise over the campaign directed against the United Nations-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) launched a few days ago by some media outlets “of known affiliations” as well as former deputies and state employees. The statement said that among those attacking the STL was former General Security Director Jamil Sayyed, whose comments during his press conference earlier on Sunday came filled with “fabrications,” including attacks on President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, religious authorities, the Lebanese judiciary and the international investigation.
The Future Movement statement said such campaigns will not affect the work of the STL, explaining that it trusts the STL is not politicized and that “former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and all the martyrs did not die in a car accident, but were assassinated with thousands of kilograms of explosives.” The statement added that the recent renewal of criticism targeting the STL “comes in response to Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s successful efforts in guaranteeing internal stability and resolving the political complexities facing cabinet formation.”
The statement concluded that the Future Movement “insists more than ever on adhering to the STL and its verdicts, no matter what they are. The days have proven that we have not objected to any of the tribunal’s decisions because truth and justice are our aim,” the statement said. – The Daily Star

Bellemare to return to tribunal duties
Politicians urged to avoid speculation
By Patrick Galey
Daily Star staff
Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) chief prosecutor Daniel Bellemare is set to return to The Hague to resume his duties in the investigation into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, according to his official spokeswoman. In an interview with the LBC on Sunday, Radhia Ashouri said that Bellemare was expected back in the coming few days following time off in his native Canada for health reasons.
Ashouri urged Lebanese political figures to refrain from making predictions as to the outcome of any investigation, asking them “not to jump to conclusions, predict dates for an indictment or predict the content of such indictment.”
The STL was set up following the killing of Hariri on February 14, 2005, in a massive car bomb attack which left 22 others dead and wreaked widespread destruction in Ain al-Mreisse, Beirut. Many have laid responsibility for the attack at Syria’s door. Although Damascus has repeatedly denied involvement, Hariri’s assassination prompted the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon after 29 years. The STL has been plagued by controversy since its inception in 2007 and has been a key polarizing issue between Lebanon’s March 14 and March 8 political coalitions. In an interview published in the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat on Sunday, Lebanon First bloc MP Okab Sakr said that the STL was a key factor delaying the country’s government formation. “Impeding the cabinet formation is linked to the progress of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” the MP was quoted as saying.
“All indicators show that discussing the outcome of the STL trials is back in the spotlight,” he said. He added that “targeting the STL, in addition to the [parliamentary] minority’s demand for the Telecommunications Ministry, which is connected to the investigations being carried out, proves that the tribunal is the most significant difficulty preventing the cabinet formation.”
Chafik Masri, Professor of International Law at American University of Beirut, told The Daily Star that he didn’t believe political wrangling was behind the tribunal’s apparently sluggish progress. “The political implications or complications are not within this story because [Bellemare] seems to be a very professional and discrete man,” he said.
Political interests are not being served, according to Masri, because “the investigation is in the hands of 100 experts and the investigation is still going on. Before the conclusion there will be no political intervention.” Bellemare’s absence had led to speculation that the prosecution’s progress would be further hindered. Earlier this month it was announced that a new deputy state prosecutor had been appointed to ensure the STL’s continuation while Bellemare was recuperating.
In spite of renewed media attention following the release of four Lebanese generals – each held for four years – by Bellemare in May this year, insiders in the international justice community have said that any potential verdict could be years away. Earlier this month, the tribunal sustained another blow as Judge Howard Morrison resigned from his position, although the STL at the time issued a statement stressing his “departure will not affect the day to day operations of the STL and will not result in any delays to the judicial process.”
Ashouri repeated her previous comments that the tribunal was “top secret” and refused to provide any information on how the prosecution’s case was progressing.
“There is no set deadline for an indictment. But this does not at all mean that the prosecutor does not see a need to inform the Lebanese public on whether there is one or not,” Ashouri said.
Masri said Bellemare’s verdict “will be issued based on sound evidence. If there is no evidence, he will not issue anything.”
He expected some conclusion to be reached by the start of next year, given the STL’s initial three-year jurisdictional lifespan. A prosecution case could be brought “toward the end of this year,” said Masri. “The court has a period of three years and there should be a tangible result as a prerequisite for a trial. Of course, everything should remain secret until it is committed to the court.” Masri pointed to several complicating factors that could be behind the tribunal’s difficulties in building a tangible prosecution. “The complications of this case are that the assassins are not mere individuals, they are within a tightly organized group,” he said. “We have [to find] not just the perpetrators but also those who financed and arranged the operation.”
He added that “the crime itself could be tightly connected with other crimes in Lebanon. The technique in this crime was very professional and [committed by] an organized group,” making it difficult for a straightforward line of prosecution to emerge. Ashouri also denied accusations that the STL’s investigation had become politicized. “We are not a political side and we have never and will never be influenced by politics,” she said.

Spanish UNIFIL peacekeeper dies of heart attack
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009/BEIRUT: A Spanish peacekeeper serving as part of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has died from a heart attack while playing basketball, according to reports in the Spanish media. According to media reports, efforts to try and reanimate him lasted for 40 minutes. Antonio Godia Pi from Lérida, 21, joined the Spanish military in September 2007. – The Daily Star

Qabalan: Press Libya to reveal Musa Sadr's fate
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: The Arab League and the United Nations should pressure Libya into revealing the fate of Shiite leader Imam Musa al-Sadr, the deputy president of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, said on Sunday. Qabalan spoke during a gathering commemorating the disappearance of the prominent Shiite leader, “who follows the footsteps of the prophets.” During his speech, he called on the international community to multiply efforts to uncovering the truth behind the disappearance and strongly condemned the actions of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. “You pretend to be allied with the Arabs and with the Africans and for this we ask you to reveal the truth you withhold from everyone,” Qabalan said, addressing Gadhafi. “Our relations with you are not those of friendship but we ask you to reexamine your conscience and ask forgiveness during the holy month of Ramadan,” he added. Sadr and two of his companions disappeared on August 31, 1978 under mysterious circumstances after a visit to Libya. – The Daily Star

Jumblat: I will Take Part in Majority Meeting in Show of Support for Hariri
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat said he will take part in a Majority meeting to be held Monday in a show of support for Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. "The Democratic Gathering (bloc) and the Progressive Socialist Party will participate in the meeting in support for efforts by the premier-designate in forming a government based on consensus over a 15-10-5 Cabinet makeup," Jumblat said in remarks published by the daily An-Nahar on Monday. Jumblat said the meeting will also emphasize commitment to Taef Accord and will stress that any inter-Arab rapprochement will have a "positive impact" on Lebanon. "This is what we hope to continue to achieve in the next phase," he added. Jumblat also cautioned that the PSP "won't accept Lebanon to be used as an arena for negative pressure on any Arab-Arab rapprochement or to separate processes as part of a game played by external powers in the Middle East." Beirut, 31 Aug 09, 09:08

Solana in Beirut to Make New Push for Mideast Peace
Naharnet/European Union Foreign Minister Javier Solana will arrive in Beirut on Monday as part of a Middle East tour. A statement issued by the European Commission to Lebanon said Solana will hold talks on Tuesday with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minster Fouad Saniora, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh. It said that Solana's trip "takes place in the context of the major push by the international community" in the direction of a regional peace. Solana is scheduled to visit Syria, Israel and the Palestinian territories prior to Lebanon, which will be followed by a stop in Cairo. Beirut, 31 Aug 09, 07:10

Aoun Carries 5 Demands to Hariri as PM-
designate Proposes Compromise Cabinet Deal
Naharnet
The long-awaited meeting between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun finally got underway Monday at Baabda Palace in the first direct talks between the two men aimed at resolving the dispute over a Cabinet lineup. The meeting under the patronage of President Michel Suleiman began at 12:30pm with sources from both sides saying the Lebanese should not expect too much out of the talks. As-Safir newspaper quoted a well-informed political source as saying that developments are not so encouraging and warned not to get over-optimistic from the reunion. It said that while the meeting is expected to break the ice between Hariri and Aoun and contribute in part in the restoration of bilateral relations, there are no indications that the meeting would come out with immediate results with regard to removing obstacles facing Cabinet formation "unless a miracle pops up," according to the political source. As-Safir quoted sources close to Aoun as saying that the FPM leader will hear from Hariri his response to questions about getting five ministerial portfolios, including the telecoms and interior, in addition to four Maronite seats. OTV, mouthpiece of the FPM, said Aoun was carrying with him a basket of demands that include commitment to the 15-10-5 Cabinet makeup, distribution of ministerial portfolios, acceptance of the names of proposed ministers by consensus leaderships and agreement on a ministerial statement.
Mustaqbal Movement sources, meanwhile, told as-Safir that the Hariri-Aoun meeting would not resolve the Cabinet lineup crisis "by pushing a button." "The meeting, however, is expected to open the door for a serious dialogue that we hope would be fruitful away from political wrangling," one source said.
Al-Akhbar daily, for its part, quoted sources following up on the Hariri-Aoun meeting as saying that the FPM leader will carry with him a "final settlement" to the Cabinet dispute which calls for either keeping his ministers with the same portfolios in the caretaker government or he would continue to hold on to his demand to get both the telecommunications and interior ministries in addition to three other ministries. An official with Mustaqbal Movement, meanwhile, uncovered in remarks published by al-Liwaa newspaper that Hariri would propose a "very significant compromise Cabinet deal" during Monday's meeting. On the other hand, information revealed that Hizbullah was behind encouraging Hariri to launch his initiative to meet Aoun and at the same time the Shiite group also pushed the FPM leader into accepting the offer. Beirut, 31 Aug 09, 08:03

Hizbullah MP urges 'consensus, resistance, reform'
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said on Sunday that recent developments in Lebanon showed the Lebanon’s need for three main principles, “consensus, resistance and the need for reforms.” According to the Hizbullah MP, a national-unity cabinet can only be formed “when politicians assume these three principles. Fayyad added that an Israeli war against Lebanon is unlikely, “at least in the near future.” However, he warned that Israeli and US policies were “destabilizing the region.” – The Daily Star

Hizbullah MP urges 'consensus, resistance, reform'
Daily Star staff/Monday, August 31, 2009
BEIRUT: Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said on Sunday that recent developments in Lebanon showed the Lebanon’s need for three main principles, “consensus, resistance and the need for reforms.” According to the Hizbullah MP, a national-unity cabinet can only be formed “when politicians assume these three principles. Fayyad added that an Israeli war against Lebanon is unlikely, “at least in the near future.” However, he warned that Israeli and US policies were “destabilizing the region.” – The Daily Star

A Year Ago Today at Israel National News
Reported: 05:06 AM - Aug/31/09
Follow Israel news briefs on and .
(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas met in Jerusalem Sunday afternoon as Israelis watched closely to see if the two would try to negotiate the division of the capital.
Olmert’s Kadima party will elect his replacement on September 17, leaving little more than two more weeks for the PA to decide whether it will accept his proposal for a final status deal based on his proposal for a “shelf agreement” that would leave the issue of Jerusalem on the back burner for the time being but would at least give the PA the borders for a permanent state of its own.
The prime minister is expected to try and convince Abbas to accept the deal, despite the PA leader’s insistence that he will agree to nothing less than a PA state with Israel pulled back to its pre-1967 borders, contiguous land running between Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and with Jerusalem as its capital -- which Israel has already said it will never agree to.
--Hamas has begun to build an oil pipeline from Egypt to Rafiah inside one of the tunnels designed to smuggle fuel, as well as weapons, according to Arabs sources. The move represents an attempt by Hamas to bring fuel to Gaza on a regular basis and to control smuggling.
Smuggling tunnels also are used for smuggling drugs, a practice Hamas wants to stop. Several Arab leaders favor the tunnel system, especially for smuggling weapons, but have noted the numerous deaths as a result of work accidents. The tunnel system has become a booming local industry, employing approximately 5,000 people and netting tunnel operators millions of dollar a month.
--“No one in Syria knows where Eli Cohen is buried, and so Israel will have a difficult time receiving his remains,” a man who served as Bureau Chief to former Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad claims.
The former official, Munzar Al-Musli, told Arabic TV network Al Arabiya in an interview: “We buried Cohen three times, in three different places. The grave was relocated after a day or two. We were afraid that Israel would secretly land forces and snatch the remains. It is difficult to locate Cohen’s remains.”
Three Years Ago Today in IsraelNN
Israel Police’s Yomam commando unit targeted and killed two Hizbullah agents operating in the Balata area of the Shechem district in Samaria. The two were directly responsible for the March 30, 2006 attack near Kedumim that claimed the lives of Rafi HaLevy, 60, his wife Helena, 59, Re’ut Feldman, 20, and Shaked Lasker, 16.
--Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, declared that his country would be the last to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Siniora rejected any direct contacts with Israel whatsoever.
(IsraelNN.com) A day before the beginning of the school year, Minister of Education Gideon Saar offered to place observant Ethiopian immigrant students in non-observant state-run schools in order to find a solution to the students’ lack of a school. Saar communicated to the Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar Sunday night that the Ethiopian students would receive supplemental lessons in Judaism at the Petach Tikva secular schools.
Three semi-private religious Zionist schools in Petach Tikva that refused to take in dozens of young pupils from Ethiopian-Israeli families may lose their funding. Education Minister Gideon Saar said that if the pupils were not enlisted, the schools would lose the 55-70 percent of their budget that comes from state funding. Last week, Saar accused the schools of racism for refusing to enroll the students.
Petach Tikva’s Mayor Yitzchak Ohayon and Kadima MK - and former director-general of the ministry - Ronit Tirosh, issued a statement backing the three schools threatened with budget cuts, and accusing Israel's media of “slander” and “a coordinated assault” aimed at portraying the schools as racist. The schools in question have a history of taking in new students from Ethiopia, and were unfairly targeted, Tirosh said.