LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 20/09
Bible Reading of the
day.
Luke12/12-34 He said to his
disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will
eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the
body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they
don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more
valuable are you than birds! Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit
to his height? If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why
are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t
toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one of these. But if this is how God clothes the grass in
the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more
will he clothe you, O you of little faith? Don’t seek what you will eat or
what you will drink; neither be anxious. For the nations of the world seek
after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. Don’t
be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the
Kingdom. Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for
yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t
fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters &
Special Reports
Biting on Fingers in Lebanon and Elsewhere.By:
Zuheir Kseibati/Dar Al-Hayat 19/02/09
A road still long for the Hariri tribunal. By:
Michael Young 19/02/09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for February 19/09
Murr
Warns against Forestalling Results of Hariri Investigation-Naharnet
Jumblat
Visits Qahwaji, Praises Army-Naharnet
IAEA Dismisses Syrian Claims over
Suspect Nuclear Site-Naharnet
Hizbullah Makes Security Changes Following Arrest of Israeli Spy-Naharnet
Hariri Vows to Reduce
Youth Emigration, Ensure Jobs for Them-Naharnet
MEA Pilots Protest
Miqdad's Murder-Naharnet
Shehayeb: Ongoing Contacts
between PSP-Hizbullah-Naharnet
Salloukh Criticizes Kerry
for Breaking Diplomatic Protocol-Naharnet
Hezbollah adopts security changes after arrest of
Israeli agent-Xinhua
Kerry
Says U.S. Will Press Syria on Hizbullah Disarmament-Naharnet
MEA
Pilots Protest Miqdad's Murder-Naharnet
Berri:
March 8 Victory Won't Exclude Hariri, Jumblat from Government Participation-Naharnet
Egyptian Embassy in Beirut Still Under Tight Security-Naharnet
March 14 Forces: Visible
Changes in Military Performance Following Appointments-Naharnet
Bomb Explodes under Car in
South-Naharnet
Man Wounded by MP Oussama
Saad Bodyguard Gunfire-Naharnet
Hizbullah Cannot Be
Involved in Zeineddine Kidnapping, Sources-Naharnet
Jumblat Lauds Nasrallah's
Stance to Consolidate National Partnership-Naharnet
Qahwaji in Washington Soon
to Discuss Military Cooperation-Naharnet
Qassem: Hizbullah Wants to
Get Everyone Involved in Governing Lebanon-Naharnet
U.S. Senator Urges Syria
to End Support for Hizbullah, Hamas-Naharnet
Israeli Force Crosses
Barbed Wire, 4 Explosions Heard in Shebaa Farms-Naharnet
Shatah: Breakthrough
Reached in Budget Crisis-Naharnet
Hariri Tribunal Confirms
It Will Open Doors March 1-Naharnet
Fatah Islam Member Shoots
2 People in Ain el-Hilweh-Naharnet
Murr: Egypt Ready to Arm
Lebanese Military, Pledged Unlimited Support to Army-Naharnet
Lahoud Joins Murr-Gemayel
Alliance in Metn-Naharnet
Europe opens covert talks with ‘blacklisted’ Hamas-Independent
A Spy Caught in the Mideast Vise-New York
Times
US senator urges Syria to break with Hamas, Iran-AFP
US expects Syria's positive role in Middle East-Xinhua
Syria developing chemical weapons site: Jane's-AFP
Israelis and Palestinians: the coming fork in the road-Foreign
Policy
Gemayel: Alliance with Murr in elections 'a reality-Daily
Star
US Senator to press Syria to 'help with disarmament of Hizbullah'-(AFP)
Gunman wounds Fatah members in Ain al-Hilweh-Daily
Star
Philippines foreign affairs secretary meets Sleiman-Daily
Star
Lebanon to get higher-speed internet-Daily
Star
Lebanese minister stresses need to upgrade power plants-Daily
Star
Authorities probe killing of MEA pilot found shot dead in Ouzai-Daily
Star
Swedish diplomat shares insights on conflict resolution-Daily
Star
Region lacks leadership, Middle East expert tells Beirut audience.Daily
Star
A road still long for the Hariri tribunal
By Michael Young /Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 19, 2009
We were delighted to realize last week that Daniel Bellemare, the head of the
United Nations commission investigating the killing of Rafik Hariri and over a
dozen others, could speak - so unlike his predecessor Serge Brammertz, who
neither spoke nor, we're discovering, investigated.
Bellemare gave interviews to three newspapers, in what was a long-overdue effort
to tell the Lebanese what he was up to. However, it was his conversation with
the daily Al-Akhbar that was the most interesting, because Bellemare was pressed
by the interviewer, Omar Nashabeh, to look at the past, when all the
commissioner really wanted to do was talk about the future, specifically the
tribunal for Lebanon that will begin operating on March 1 in The Hague.
Bellemare demurred, far more than he should have, since Al-Akhbar has a close
relationship with one of the four incarcerated generals, Jamil al-Sayyed, the
former head of the General Security directorate. Many of Nashabeh's questions
were aimed at discrediting the work of the first UN commissioner, Detlev Mehlis,
in particular his report of October 2005, which found "converging evidence
pointing at both Lebanese and Syrian involvement in this terrorist act."
The newspaper also managed to allow a rather significant misstatement into the
published interview, which it has yet to correct on its website. At one point
Nashabeh asks, "Do you mean that the continuity [of the investigation] does not
mean that everything mentioned in the first report [of October 2005] remains
valid until now? Bellemare is quoted in Arabic as having answered: "Did you read
the two reports we released? They summarize this matter. We insist on this point
because some believe that what Mehlis mentioned remains valid today... What I'm
saying is that I'm relying on evidence, not on impressions."
Formulated this way, Bellemare is casting doubt on Mehlis' findings; worse, he
seems to be implying that his predecessor's conclusions were based on
impressions rather than evidence. I contacted the spokeswoman of the UN
commission, Radhia Achouri, for clarification. She wrote back saying it was a
mistake, then emailed me the transcript of what Nashabeh had sent her. The key
passage, "[w]e insist on this point because some believe that what Mehlis
mentioned remains valid today", was actually Nashabeh's question, not part of
Bellemare's answer. I would like to think it was an honest blunder, but the
implications were serious.
Two items of news leave us pensive about the progress of the UN investigation.
The first is what appears to be the near certainty that Bellemare will not issue
accusations this year. The commissioner has not said as much, in fact he's
avoided saying anything at all on so noteworthy a matter, but all the signs are
that he doesn't have enough yet to go to trial. If so, that raises questions
about the work and the competence of Serge Brammertz. Sources both inside
Lebanon and outside are expressing their doubts. Already one year ago, Mehlis,
in an interview with me for The Wall Street Journal, went on record to say that
"[f]rom what I am hearing, the investigation has lost all the momentum it had
[when Brammertz took over] in January 2006... Unfortunately, I haven't seen a
word in Brammertz's reports during the past two years confirming that he has
moved forward. When I left we were ready to name suspects, but [the
investigation] seems not to have progressed from that stage."
Information inside Lebanon has, since, confirmed that assessment. Sources told
me that Brammertz had all but admitted to the Lebanese before leaving that he
hadn't added much to his files during his years as commissioner, while Bellemare,
upon arriving in Beirut, said he hoped that within six months he would be more
advanced than he was then. One source defended Bellemare, saying he has since
hired more investigators, whereas Brammertz had brought in an inordinate number
of analysts. That suggested that Bellemare perhaps agreed, at least implicitly,
with what Mehlis advised in his interview, when he recommended that he
"concentrate on the Hariri case itself; don't try to write a history book. Focus
on the whos, hows and whys of the crime. Analysis can never replace solid
investigative police work."
Then there is the fate of the generals. In his Al-Akhbar interview, Bellemare
had this to say when asked by Nashabeh about the four and their continued
detention: "The Lebanese judiciary is sovereign and I cannot, as commissioner,
intervene with the Lebanese judiciary... However that does not mean that I don't
express my opinion to the Lebanese public prosecutor." He went on to affirm that
once the tribunal began operating, the situation would change as the generals
would fall under his jurisdiction. They would be allowed to present an
application for release, and Bellemare promised that he would work quickly to
transfer the files of the Lebanese detainees to The Hague.
Bellemare was noncommittal on whether he would free the generals, but Lebanese
sources believe he will do so after their appeals are heard. His answer to Al-Akhbar
failed to dispel that view. If Bellemare feels an urge to express his opinion to
the public prosecutor on the matter of the generals, presumably it is to
disagree with him - at least that's what the context of his phrase suggests.
There is also the fact that Brammertz had already told the Lebanese that he no
longer needed the generals for his investigation. The Lebanese were unhappy,
considered this a cop-out on his part, and retained the four on the grounds that
they might either escape if released, or affect the progress of the
investigation.
In its rumor box on Tuesday, Al-Nahar reported that the judiciary planned to
indict suspects in the Hariri assassination before the June parliamentary
elections. It didn't say what the implications of this were, but one can guess.
According to the law, Jamil al-Sayyed can run as a candidate in the elections,
because until now he has not been charged with anything. Winning a seat would
grant him parliamentary immunity. An indictment, therefore, would impede that
effort. While Sayyed's candidacy is reportedly still in the air, if the
judiciary is thinking of such a measure, then it is expecting the generals to be
out by June.
We knew the Hariri tribunal was a long road. However, we shouldn't presume that
because it will begin functioning in March, that the road is nearing its end.
Indeed, we may only be at the end of the beginning.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR
Biting on Fingers in Lebanon
and Elsewhere
Zuheir Kseibati
Al-Hayat - 19/02/09//
If it is correct to assume that Iran's motivation for implicating Hamas, in
providing Israel with the latest pretext and setting off the war on Gaza, has
caused damage, along with the damage intended, to indirect negotiations between
Syria and Israel, then it is also correct to assume that Iran has motives to try
to hinder these negotiations again, whereas Damascus indicates its optimism
regarding resuming them.
The question that must certainly be asked is: what comes after Gaza, if Tehran
tries once again to protect what it considers to be one of its assets in the
region, i.e. keeping the Syrian-Iranian alliance in orbit around its interests?
Premature anticipation of a new regional clash? Perhaps, but it is difficult to
give in to scenarios in which Tehran would easily give up assets that have cost
it - aside from money - many years of efforts, in order to protect what it
considers to be in the orbit of its interests, even if the definite outcome is
the scattering of Arab decision-making. Regardless of the paradox of the rise of
Tehran as the authority of reference for Palestinian factions rather than
Ramallah for example, or of what still stands of the results of Ahmadinejad's
visit to Baghdad, or even of the silent struggle of roles between Iran and
Turkey/Erdogan, one cannot ignore the bitterness of the new chapter of the
Egyptian-Iranian clash, nor the bitterness felt by Cairo regarding the
insistence of the "head" of the coalition of defiance to hound its regional role
and frustrate its efforts (directly or indirectly) to settle crises such as the
catastrophic Palestinian fracture.
…nor can one ignore the bitterness felt by Cairo regarding Iran's ability to
convince Arab parties that Egypt's role in the region is secretly preparing
something "in the interest of the Americans," while Tehran itself is organizing
its capabilities in anticipation of the moment of dialogue with Barack Obama's
administration, and while Damascus is welcoming US delegations and urging the
administration to return its ambassador.
If Israel's war on Gaza is an example of what the Arabs can suffer, every time
one party unilaterally gets dragged to the frontlines of the conflict, or
misreads the map of regional interests, then Hamas should demand that Tehran
provide "advice" over a way out that would ensure the longevity of its victory,
after Israel has rendered all paths to appeasement contingent on the kidnapped
soldier, Shalit! …unless the movement becomes convinced that the only path to a
solution is that of Egyptian diplomacy, under the umbrella of keeping the matter
an Arab one. If it does, it will contribute not only to repairing the damage of
the disastrous war, but also to facilitating the transition of Egyptian-Syrian
relations into normalization.
As for the awaited "clash," if Tehran realizes that dialogue between Syria and
the US is off to a quick start, and indeed competes with its own dialogue with
the Obama Administration, then it probably will take place in Lebanon once
again, where long-term campaigns are disrupting internal appeasement, and where
some have grown confused in searching for a stepping stone during the
transitional period stretching until the parliamentary elections.
Tehran fears that the Arabs may succeed in breaking off its alliance with
Damascus, and is apprehensive of the US push towards implementing the
recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton report, however with Syria first. The fear
felt by some in Lebanon is only the other side of the mirror, which drives them
to ask for converting the price of alliances into seats in parliament, and in
fact even arouses panic in others regarding the apprehensions of regional
changes.
It is the kind of panic which befalls those who are troubled and have lost their
sense of direction, or those who fear that they will be made into scapegoats,
even if the clash does not reach the street. Thus long-term language arises yet
again among voices calling for appeasement. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir
also complains of vocal phenomena that express themselves in "tongues of obscene
language and shameful words of contempt."
It is also why some fears have arisen again over the fate of the parliamentary
elections in Lebanon, and over whether they will pay a regional price next
spring. Meanwhile, it is difficult to predict the nature of Iran's response if
Arab reconciliations were to mature on the eve of the Doha Summit at the end of
next March. Indeed, Lebanon is still a battlefield, within the walls of the
truce of the Doha Agreement, anticipating not just the launching of the Special
Tribunal in early March - which is a major turning point - or only the "fateful"
parliamentary elections, as long as the regional juncture is the fate of the
"assets" which Iran is trying to keep until the fate of its dialogue with
Washington becomes clear, and "it will not become clear prior to the Iranian
presidential elections."
Biting on fingers is at its worse regionally, and even if there is some hope of
more Arab détentes reinforced by anticipated Arab surprises, some of which are
embraced by Cairo, biting on fingers in Lebanon is accelerating each time the
voices of shouting and insults rise
US Senator to press Syria to 'help with disarmament of Hizbullah'
Kerry: regional deals will not come at Lebanon's expense
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
BEIRUT: United States Senator John Kerry said on Wednesday that the new US
administration will press Syria to help disarm Hizbullah as it forges ahead with
a fresh diplomatic approach in the region. "We want Syria to respect the
political independence of Lebanon, we want Syria to help in the process of
resolving issues with Hizbullah and with the Palestinians," Kerry said, after
meeting President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
"We want Syria to help ... with the disarmament of Hizbullah," added the former
US Democratic presidential candidate, who is also due to visit Damascus on his
regional tour.
Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new
administration of US President Barack Obama plans to adopt a fresh approach as
it addresses key issues in the Middle East.
"Unlike the Bush administration that believed you could simply tell people what
to do and walk away and wait for them to do it, we believe you have to engage in
a discussion," Kerry said.
"So we are going to renew diplomacy but without any illusion, without any
naivety, without any misplaced belief that, just by talking, things will
automatically happen.
"They will happen when things are met on both sides and you have to talk with
people in order to understand those expectations and reach agreements," he
added.
Kerry stressed that a growing rapprochement between the US and Syria would not
come at Lebanon's expense.
"Whatever discussions we have in Syria or in Egypt or in Saudi Arabia ...
nothing, I can assure you, will occur that will come at the expense of our
relationship with Lebanon," he said.
He said he hoped that parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7 would
vindicate the position of US allies in Lebanon in their demands for respect of
the rule of law.
"No country can survive ... with independent entities operating on their own,
outside of the law or creating their own law or operating by their own rules,"
the Senator said in an allusion to Hizbullah.
"So hopefully this election will be an opportunity, which we are very much
supportive of, for the Lebanese people to make the decision about their own
future."
The election will pit the current parliamentary majority against a Hizbullah-led
alliance.
Kerry arrived in Lebanon from Jordan on the latest leg of a regional tour that
will also take him to Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Syria.
The tour comes as the Obama administration works to convince the Arab world that
it will ramp up US involvement in the Middle East peace process. Kerry was
headed for Occupied Jerusalem after his Beirut visit.
Later on Wednesday, Kerry visited parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri at
his residence in Qoreitem.
Kerry told reporters after brief talks with the Future Movement leader that no
deals would be cut with Syria at the expense of the international tribunal to
try suspects in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"The tribunal is an independent issue that has nothing to do with our relations
with Syria. It is a matter related to justice, truth, and accountability," he
said. - AFP With The Daily Star
Tribunal set to open
THE HAGUE: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, due to try the suspected killers of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, said on Wednesday that it will open its
doors in a suburb of The Hague on March 1.
"To mark this historic event, a short public ceremony will be held at the STL
court building," the tribunal said in a statement.
Officials expected to attend the ceremony include Canadian prosecutor Daniel
Bellemare, registrar Robin Vincent, and Patricia O'Brien, the UN under secretary
general for legal affairs. - AFP
U.S. Senator Urges Syria to End Support for Hizbullah,
Hamas
Naharnet/U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin called on Syria on Wednesday to end its
three-decade alliance with Iran as Washington reviews its policies towards the
Middle East. After talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Cardin urged the
Damascus government to seize the opportunity of a new U.S. administration to end
the support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups that earned it
sanctions from President George Bush. "Syria has isolated itself by its
partnership of terrorism, by providing safe haven to terrorist organizations,
its relations with Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad, and a troubled relationship with
Iran," Cardin said. "The question we try to answer here is about whether Syria
is ready to make important and significant decisions that will bring us closer
together and move forward.
"It is an opportunity with the new president, Obama... Dialogue is important but
actions speak wider than words. We will be watching Syria's actions very
carefully over the next weeks and months." Syria held Turkish-brokered indirect
contacts with Israel last year on the possibility of reopening peace
negotiations broken off in 2000. Damascus suspended those contacts at the end of
December in the face of Israel's deadly three-week offensive against Gaza but
has since said that it is ready to resume them once a new Israeli government has
been formed after last week's tight general election.
Israel has long demanded that in any peace deal Syria end its ties with Iran and
Arab militant groups. But Damascus insists that peace talks should focus only on
the exchange of land for peace -- in Syria's case, the return of the Golan
Heights occupied by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981.
Syria's official SANA news agency said that the talks with the U.S. delegation
"focused on ties between Syria and the United States and the importance of
developing them through a serious and positive dialogue based on mutual
respect."
They came as a British newspaper quoted Assad as welcoming Obama's moves towards
dialogue and saying he would like to see full diplomatic ties resumed.
"We have the impression that this administration will be different and we have
seen the signals. But we have to wait for the reality and the results," Assad
told the Guardian newspaper. The Cardin-led delegation is the second
congressional team to visit Syria in less than a month and John Kerry, foreign
relations committee chairman, is expected to make the country one of his stops
on a current Middle East tour.
During a visit to neighboring Lebanon on Wednesday, Kerry said that the Obama
administration would press Syria to help disarm Hizbullah as it forges ahead
with a fresh diplomatic approach. "We want Syria to respect the political
independence of Lebanon, we want Syria to help in the process of resolving
issues with Hizbullah and with the Palestinians," he said after meeting Lebanese
leaders. "We want Syria to help... with the disarmament of Hizbullah."
Assad described the visits as "important" and a "good gesture," but said he
hoped Washington would send an ambassador to cement the rapprochement.
The United States pulled it ambassador from Syria after the February 2005
assassination in Beirut of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a car
bombing widely blamed on Syria. Damascus has denied any involvement. Syria's
relations with the United States struggled under the administration of President
George Bush amid accusations that Damascus was turning a blind eye to the arming
and funding of insurgents in neighboring Iraq. Assad returned to the
international fold in July with a visit to Paris, and since then, relations with
the international community have thawed.(AFP) Beirut, 18 Feb 09, 21:41
Kerry Says U.S. Will Press Syria on Hizbullah Disarmament
Naharnet/Visiting U.S. Senator John Kerry said on Wednesday that Washington
would press Syria to help disarm Hizbullah as it forges ahead with a new
diplomatic approach in the region. "We want Syria to respect the political
independence of Lebanon, we want Syria to help in the process of resolving
issues with Hizbullah and with the Palestinians," said Kerry after meeting with
President Michel Suleiman. "We want Syria to help... with the disarmament of
Hizbullah," said the former U.S. Democratic presidential candidate who is due to
visit Damascus as part of a regional tour. The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon said in a
statement that Kerry "reaffirmed Washington's support for Lebanon" during
separate talks with Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and parliamentary
majority leader Saad Hariri.
For his part, Suleiman said Washington must put pressure on Israel to "accept
the terms of the 2002 Arab peace initiative which is the only opportunity for
peace in the region." Suleiman also underlined Syria's "fundamental role in the
region."
Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new
administration of President Barack Obama planned to adopt a new approach as it
addresses key issues in the Middle East. "Unlike the Bush administration that
believed you could simply tell people what to do and walk away and wait for them
to do it, we believe you have to engage in a discussion," Kerry said. "So we are
going to renew diplomacy but without any illusion, without any naivety, without
any misplaced belief that just by talking things will automatically happen," he
added. "They will happen when things are met on both sides and you have to talk
with people in order to understand those expectations and reach agreements."
Kerry arrived to Lebanon from Jordan on the latest leg of a regional tour that
will also take him to Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Syria.
Kerry was to head to Jerusalem after his stop in Beirut.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut,
18 Feb 09, 16:25
Qassem: Hizbullah Wants to Get Everyone Involved in Governing Lebanon
Naharnet/Hizbullah's second-in-command Sheikh Naim Qassem said Wednesday that
the Shiite group wants to get various Lebanese political parties involved in
governing Lebanon. "The minority-majority logic is not applicable in Lebanon,"
Qassem said during the launch of Hizbullah's election campaign in Rweiss in
Beirut's southern suburbs. Hizbullah "wants to get everyone involved in
governing (Lebanon) via democratic consensus," he said. Qassem called for calm
prior to the June 7 general elections. "We prefer to win the upcoming elections
by people's votes and not through overseas money transfers," he said, adding
that "anyone not on our ticket is an opponent." Qassem stressed that Hizbullah
"wants a nation that protects itself and is not under any foreign
guardianship."He emphasized that Hizbullah has "no local enemies.""Our only
enemy is Israel," he stressed, adding that "Hizbullah would confront anyone who
chose to be an executive power tool in Israeli hands."
Beirut, 18 Feb 09, 22:09
Qahwaji in Washington Soon to Discuss Military Cooperation
Naharnet/Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji will visit Washington soon to discuss
with officials there ways to upgrade military ties with the United States, As
Safir daily reported Thursday. It said Qahwaji will head to Washington on an
official visit in the next few days. Defense Minister Elias Murr announced
Wednesday that Qahwaji will visit Cairo in the coming weeks to discuss
cooperation between the Lebanese and Egyptian defense ministries. As Safir also
said that a French delegation will arrive in Beirut next week to discuss with
Lebanese officials arrangements for President Michel Suleiman's official visit
to Paris in March. The delegation and officials in Beirut will set Suleiman's
agenda which will include the signing of several bilateral agreements, according
to As Safir.(Photo shows President Michel Suleiman and Army Chief Gen. Jean
Qahwaji) Beirut, 19 Feb 09, 08:11
Hizbullah Makes Security Changes Following Arrest of
Israeli Spy
Naharnet/Hizbullah has reportedly made swift security changes following the
arrest of a Lebanese man from the southern town of Nabatiyeh on suspicion that
he spied for Israel. The daily Al Balad on Thursday, quoted sources close to
Hizbullah as saying that the Shiite group adopted new security measures since
Feb. 16 when the Lebanese army announced it arrested Marwan Faqih. Local
newspapers had said that Faqih is believed to have collaborated with Israel's
Mossad intelligence agency after being recruited in France in the mid-1990s. Al-Akhbar
newspaper said he was tasked with gathering information about Hizbullah, which
fought a devastating 34-day war with Israel in 2006. No formal charges have been
filed against him and the case is still pending before the military prosecutor,
a security official had said about Faqih. Al Balad said Faqih, an automobile
dealer, owned a gas station in Nabatiyeh. It said he was highly respected by
Hizbullah cadres in the region and had good links with the party's leaders,
particularly since the man's generosity and donations for the Resistance
contributed to having additional confidence in him.
Faqih had placed the gas station to serve the Resistance on many occasions,
according to Al Balad. The sources said Faqih was also accredited as a Hizbullah
automobile agent. How was Faqih uncovered?
"It was by mere chance that the Faqih network was discovered," one source close
to Hizbullah told Al Balad.
He said as an auto electrician was busy repairing an electrical malfunction
inside one of a U.S.-made four-wheeler belonging to a Hizbullah cadre, he laid
eyes on an "unfamiliar device" attached to the vehicle's electric network.
At the beginning the electrician thought the device could have been placed by
the vehicle's owner. He thought it was necessary to draw the attention of the
car owner due to the connection between the malfunction and the device.
The car owner was surprised and a massive search for devices attached to
Hizbullah cars was launched, according to the source, particularly after finding
out that the device was a wiretap detector connected to satellite. Dozens of
Hizbullah vehicles were discovered to have been fitted with the same device and
it became known that one thing was common: The car dealer, Marwan Faqih.
Hizbullah has reportedly arrested Faqih in January 2009, Al Balad said, adding
that it had no independent confirmation of this report despite earlier official
military confirmation that Faqih is in army custody. Al Balad cited some reports
as saying that as many as 12 people have been arrested by Hizbullah in
connection with the Faqih network. The daily concluded its report by asking
whether top Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed while driving one of
Faqih's cars. Beirut, 19 Feb 09, 09:07
MEA Pilots Protest Miqdad's Murder
Naharnet/Middle East Airlines pilots on Thursday held a one-hour strike to
protest Captain Ghassan Miqdad's murder in Beirut's Ouzai neighborhood the day
before, the National News Agency reported. It said the pilots stopped working
10-11 am to protest the murder of Miqdad, who was buried Thursday morning.
Flight movement at Rafik Hariri international airport was not effected except
for the delay of one MEA flight to Cairo, according to NNA.
"The steps taken today by MEA pilots are aimed at strongly denouncing this
heinous crime," said head of Lebanese Pilots Syndicate Captain Mahmoud Houmani.
He said security and judicial sources were investigating Miqdad's murder. "For
the time being these are the measures that we took. We won't stop following up
the issue to find out the truth behind the crime," Houmani said in response to a
question. He refused to reveal whether the pilot's murder had personal or
political reasons.
"All that I can say is that Captain Miqdad was not a member of any political
party," Houmani said. Beirut, 19 Feb 09, 12:52
Berri: March 8 Victory Won't Exclude Hariri, Jumblat from
Government Participation
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that in the event March 8 won the upcoming
elections, the pro-Syrian alliance would not be allowed to exclude MPs Saad
Hariri or Walid Jumblat from participating in the government. "If the opposition
won the elections, it would not be allowed to exclude MP Saad Hariri or
Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblat and place them outside the Cabinet,"
Berri said in an interview published by the daily An Nahar on Thursday.He
believed the victory margin would be "very small." "The difference between March
8 and 14 Forces at the legislature is currently 8 or 9 seats," Berri explained.
"In the end, the various parties will have to sit together at the same table and
govern this unique country whose citizens deserve much more from us," Berri
said. The Speaker addressed those arguing about veto powers inside the
Cabinet, mainly Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, telling them: "Consensus is being
targeted."He accused Saniora of working on postponing many issues under the
current Cabinet until after the June 7 elections. "How could the Lebanese vote
and choose members of parliament without a Constitutional Council?" Berri asked,
adding "that's why my election platform focuses on a consensus system." Beirut,
19 Feb 09, 09:46
Egyptian Embassy in Beirut Still Under Tight Security
Naharnet/Lebanon continued to maintain tight security measures that have been
imposed around the Egyptian embassy in Beirut since the Israeli war on Gaza.
Even after the end of the aggression on Gaza, the roads leading to the building
were the embassy is located in Beirut's Jnah district have been blocked and the
area surrounded by cement blocks and barbed wire. Security sources had said that
the measures were "preventative" in view of repeated demonstrations outside the
Egyptian embassy in protest against the offensive on Gaza at the time.Beirut, 19
Feb 09, 13:36
March 14 Forces: Visible Changes in Military Performance
Following Appointments
Naharnet/The daily An-Nahar on Thursday quoted leading March 14 figures as
saying that there are visible changes in the performance of the military
following a chain of appointments. The paper added that security forces have
been weakened after they were barred from telephone data. This setback has
demonstrated the effective power of the military in obtaining data, and its
solid operational capability. However, the military is now operating away from
the political orientation of the parliamentary majority, sources told An-Nahar.
Beirut, 19 Feb 09, 09:59
Bomb Explodes under Car in
South
Naharnet/A bomb went off around midnight under the car of Ali Shartouni in the
town of Tair Dibba in south Lebanon, security sources said Thursday.
They said the 150-gram explosive, placed under Shartouni's car seat, caused
material damage only. Beirut, 19 Feb 09, 12:00
Man Wounded by MP Oussama Saad Bodyguard Gunfire
Naharnet/A bodyguard hired to protect the wife of Sidon MP Oussama Saad shot
citizen Husam al-Samra at both feet. News reports on Thursday said a verbal
quarrel developed between Samra's wife and the bodyguard over her insistence
that she parks the car at the main entrance to the Saad residence in the
southern port city of Sidon not far from the school where her daughter attends.
Samra's wife called her husband who came to deal with the situation. A heated
argument blew up between the two men and the bodyguard pulled out his rifle and
shot Samra in the feet. Samra, who was said to be close to Mustaqbal Movement
leader Saad Hariri, was taken to Hammoud hospital. The Popular Nasserite
Movement headed by Saad handed over the culprit to authorities. Beirut, 19 Feb
09, 10:26
Hizbullah Cannot Be Involved in Zeineddine Kidnapping,
Sources
Naharnet/The daily An-Nahar on Thursday quoted sources that said the Lebanese
military was not present in the vicinity close to the kidnapping of Middle East
Airlines Joseph Sader and at the killing of Lutfi Zeineddine following the
February 14 rally commemorating the assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri.
Sader was used to commute from Saida to Beirut in a small bus. He used to stop
at a specific point close to the airport, a point that is not physically visible
from a military checkpoint 1000 meters away. Allegations made against airport
security in not paying attention to events outside its vicinity are unfounded,
sources said, because airport security is only limited to the premises' internal
area only. According to sources, Hizbullah cannot be involved in the kidnapping
for mainly 3 reasons:
1. If Hizbullah is responsible for the kidnapping, it would have delivered Sader
to the Lebanese military immediately. Sader is a Christian, and the party fully
understands the ramifications of this sensitive issue internally.
2. Hizbullah would not behave this boldly in its own influential zone. Hizbullah
has enough experience not to carry out an act that could backfire at it.
3. Although the area where Sader was kidnapped is not to be a Hizbullah
stronghold, this zone was previously breached more than once during the July
2006 war; many Israeli operatives were arrested there at the time. Sources told
An-Nahar that criminal, rather than security, reasons could be behind Sader's
kidnapping.
Moreover, Sader did not have his cell phone on him at the time of his
disappearance; he left it with his wife and daughters on that day. His
whereabouts could not be traced. Regarding the killing of Lutfi Zeineddine,
sources said that no military elements were visibly present at the location.
This information was sent to MP Walid Jumblat affirming its authenticity.
Jumblat expressed his understanding of the situation and the work of the
military. He worked for hours on coordinating the situation with the army to
contain any bad ramifications that could result from the incident. Sources added
that the military command is in full coordination with Jumblat on this issue to
prevent any further deterioration of the situation. Military sources told An-Nahar
that the army has arrested a number of culprits in the incident, and that the
actual killer is in judicial custody. Beirut, 19 Feb 09, 11:00
Jumblat Lauds Nasrallah's Stance to Consolidate National
Partnership
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat hailed part of
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's latest speech and said he agreed with
head of the Lebanese Democratic Party Talal Arslan to join hands to enforce calm
ahead of the parliamentary elections. "We stressed during out meeting the
importance of working together to enforce calm," Jumblat told As Safir daily
after talks with Arslan. Arslan visited the PSP leader at his house in Beirut's
Clemenceau area on Wednesday.
Jumblat told the daily that the youth and sports minister extended his
condolences over the death of PSP member Lutfi Zeineddine in a knife attack upon
his return from a rally marking ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's fourth assassination
anniversary last Saturday. Jumblat said Nasrallah's speech on Monday had
positive messages.
The Hizbullah leader denounced Saturday's "violence" and paid tribute to all
efforts exerted to maintain calm, saying "we are headed to an important era and
let us resort to the judicial authority." Jumblat also lauded Nasrallah who had
said "we are doomed to partnership and consensus, whether the majority or the
minority wins the elections." Nasrallah's "stance consolidates the principle of
national partnership," the Druze leader told As Safir in remarks published
Thursday.
He said the army arrested the culprit in Zeineddine's murder and this reveals
that "we have made the right choice in betting on the army and the state."
For his part, Arslan told As Safir that he visited Jumblat to extend his
condolences over Zeineddine's death. The minister also stressed that the two
officials did not discuss the June 7 parliamentary elections. Beirut, 19 Feb 09,
09:49