LCCC ENGLISH
DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 12/08
Bible Reading
of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11,11-15. Amen, I say to
you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the
Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the
days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and
the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up
to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one
who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
3rd sermon for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, 1-2; PL185, 169 (SC 202,
p.339; trans. copyright Cistercian Fathers series)
"He was a burning and shining light" (Jn 5,35)
Truly those words of Supreme Justice to Noah are no mean commendation of
justice: "I have seen that you are just in my presence" (Gen 7,1). It is a mark
of great merit that God declares to Abraham that on his account the promises
that were made to him are to be fulfi1led... What a favor it was also that on
Moses' account he strove with and confounded his rivals (Num 12,6)... And who
among them all is like David, of whom the Lord rejoices that he has found a man
according to his own heart (1Sam 13,14). Yet however great these or any others
may have been, neither among these nor among other men born of women, as he
declares who was born of a virgin, has there arisen one greater than John the
Baptist. For although star differs from star in brightness,(1Cor 15,41) and in
the choir of the holy constellations which enlightened the night of this world
before the rising of the true Sun some shone forth with a wonderful brightness,
none was greater or more splendid than this Morning Star, the burning and
shining Lamp which the Father prepared for his Christ (Ps 132[131],17). He is
the Morning Star that anticipates the light, the Forerunner of the Sun,
proclaiming to mortals that the day is at hand, crying out «to those who sleep
in darkness and the shadow of death» (Lk 1,79): "Do penance; for the kingdom of
heaven is near" (Mt 3,2). As if to say: "The night has passed away, day is at
hand; cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light» (Rom
13,12). «Rise up, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will
enlighten you» (Eph 5,14).
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters & Special Reports
Giving
peace in Palestine no chance-Michael
Young 11/12/08
India
faces the dilemma of terror from next door-Shashi
Tharoor 11/12/08
In boycotting Carter, Hizbullah
finds itself in shameful company-Daily Star 11/12/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for December
11/08
Carter offers to monitor Lebanese election-USA
Today
Sfeir Has No Problem with Lebanese
Leaders Visiting Syria on Condition They Don't Choose to Be Submissive-Naharnet
UNIFIL
Warns Patrols against Passing by Ain el-Hilweh-Naharnet
Suleiman in Bkirki Soon to Sponsor Maronite-Maronite Reconciliation-Naharnet
U.S.:
Syrian Coordination on Counter-Terrorism with its Neighbors is 'Not Good'-Naharnet
Syrian Embassy in Ramlet
Baida, Lebanese Embassy in Abu Rummaneh-Naharnet
Jumblat Voices Concern
over Western Openness to Damascus-Naharnet
1st Batch of 66 U.S. Tanks
to Arrive in Lebanon before May-Naharnet
Britain Lifts Travel Ban
on Lebanon-Naharnet
UN peacekeepers in S Lebanon take precautionary
measures against ...Xinhua
Carter urges Lebanon, Israel to 'seize opportunity to work toward Peace
...Daily Star
Lebanese Army expands patrols around Sidon after explosive device found-Daily
Star
Salloukh denies reports that Beirut picked Syria envoy-Daily
Star
Beirut gauges impact of wage hikes on Treasury-Daily
Star
Army expands patrols around Sidon
after explosive device found-Daily Star
UN rights declaration turns 60 as
abuses persist-Daily Star
Promoting and defending human
rights in Lebanon-Daily Star
Aoun: I Get Excited about
Impossible Battles that I Usually Win-Naharnet
Najjar Wounded, Bodyguard Killed in
Car Crash-Naharnet
UN
peacekeepers in S Lebanon take precautionary measures against threats
www.chinaview.cn 2008-12-11
BEIRUT, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
have taken precautionary measures after receiving threats against the UN
peacekeepers, Al-Mustaqbal daily reported here Thursday. Extraordinary security
measures have been carried out in southern Lebanon after a bomb was discovered
in southern Wastani area on Dec. 7, according to the report. Lebanese security
sources were quoted as saying that UNIFIL has warned its patrols against passing
near the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Helwe when crossing the
costal highway from Siden to Beirut.
The Lebanese army has also deployed more troops and carried out foot patrols
along the two sides of the coastal road, said the report.
UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon have been targeted with road bombs in the past
year and have received threats from extremist Islamists.
The forces was deployed after the 2006 war between the Israel and Lebanon's
militant Hezbollah group, which killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, many
of them civilians. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday
visited the headquarters of the UNIFIL in the Lebanese border town of Naqoura,
saying the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers in the volatile border between
Lebanon and Israel helped enhancing security in the region.
Sfeir Has No Problem with Lebanese Leaders Visiting Syria on Condition They
Don't Choose to Be Submissive
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Thursday said he welcomed a visit
by any Lebanese leader to Syria on condition they do not choose to be
submissive.
In response to a question about what he thought about Free Patriotic Movement
leader Gen. Michel Aoun's visit to Damascus, Sfeir said: "I welcome a visit to
Syria by any official as long as it is within the framework of friendliness and
not to go there to be obedient so that Syria remains in Lebanon.""This is not
acceptable," Sfeir told reporters in Bkirki. He expressed hope that
parliamentary elections would take place on time and in a quiet atmosphere.
Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 12:45
UNIFIL Warns Patrols against Passing by Ain el-Hilweh
Naharnet/The U.N. peacekeeping force has warned its patrols against passing by
the southern refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh when they travel along the coastal
highway between Sidon and Beirut. The daily al Mustaqbal on Thursday quoted
Lebanese security sources as saying the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
has also set a specific time at which the convoys should travel – every morning
between 3am and 5am. When asked for a clarification, U.N. sources told al-Mustaqbal
that UNIFIL command has no knowledge of this measure. They said, however, that
UNIFIL has adopted a series of precautionary measures since its deployment in
southern Lebanon, adding that the U.N. command is aware of threats against the
peacekeepers.
On the eve of Adha holiday, residents of the village of Bafleh were said to have
harassed U.N. peacekeepers for taking pictures. But UNIFIL Spokesperson Yasmina
Bouzianne denied the reports, saying residents "neared a UNIFIL patrol to
express concern regarding behavior of the patrol in the region. The officer in
charge explained to the residents the nature of the patrol's mission … and the
patrol proceeded with its assignment." "In this particular incident no pictures
were taken," the UNIFIL spokesperson said. UNIFIL operates in line with U.N.
instructions that permit the use of cameras and audiovisual equipment to
facilitate its mission, the statement noted. Security sources in Sidon told al-Mustaqbal
that Lebanese troops on Wednesday carried out foot patrols along Sidon's
maritime road.
They said extraordinary security measures, which began earlier this week, have
intensified following the discovery of a bomb in Sidon on the eve of Eid al-Adha.
Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 08:49
Suleiman in Bkirki Soon to Sponsor Maronite-Maronite
Reconciliation
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman is expected to visit Bkirki soon to sponsor
reconciliation between Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Marada Movement
leader Suleiman Franjieh. This visit is likely to serve as a prelude for a
future meeting between Franjieh and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
The daily al Bairaq said Thursday that a delegation representing Franjieh will
visit Bkirki in the coming few days to set the stage for the Marada Movement
leader's visit.
Marada official Youssef Saadeh confirmed to Ad Diyar newspaper that Franjieh
will visit Bkirki in the next few days and ahead of the Christmas and New Year
holidays. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to pave the way for a similar visit to
Bkirki by Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun to brief Sfeir on his
trip to Syria. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 10:15
U.S.:
Syrian Coordination on Counter-Terrorism with its Neighbors is 'Not Good'
Naharnet/Washington has voiced concern about regional bickering over the
northern port city of Tripoli and expressed skepticism over Syria's coordination
with neighboring countries in counter-terrorism measures. Syria's "coordination
with its neighbors in counter-terrorism issues is most probably not good," said
counterterrorism official at the U.S. Department of State Dill Daly in an
interview published Thursday by the daily As Safir. "Syria coordinates on
terrorist-related matters based on what is best for her," he added. His remarks,
which were published in Arabic, were translated into English by Naharnet. Daly
said U.S. coordination with Syria is restricted to Syria's ambassador to
Washington and the U.S. charge d'affaires in Damascus. On the presence of
al-Qaida in Lebanon, Daly said the terrorist group has a limited number. "I
don't see big numbers of al-Qaida in Lebanon. Just a few," Daly said, adding
that the group could have recently moved some of its members to Afghanistan or
Lebanon after being closely watched and monitored in Iraq. He criticized foreign
meddling in Tripoli and voiced concern over Syria's influence inside the
Lebanese government. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 10:00
Syrian Embassy in Ramlet Baida, Lebanese Embassy in Abu Rummaneh
Naharnet/Syria on Thursday was said to have rented a temporary headquarters in
Beirut's seaside Ramlet al-Baida district to be used as its embassy in Lebanon.
The Lebanese embassy will reportedly be located in Abu Rummaneh in Damascus.
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh expected an exchange of embassies and
appointments to the diplomatic missions to be completed before the end of the
year. Salloukh had denied reports that Michel al-Khoury, Lebanon's current
ambassador to Cyprus, was chosen to become first ever ambassador to Syria. "All
that talk about the name of the candidate to the ambassadorial post to Damascus
is baseless," Salloukh told the daily As Safir in remarks published Thursday.
Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 11:02
Jumblat Voices Concern over Western Openness to Damascus
Naharnet/Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblat voiced concern over the
West's openness to Damascus at the expense of Lebanon. Jumblat, however,
reiterated that he was committed to "internal calm." "My stance toward the
Syrian regime is fixed," Jumblat said in remarks published by the daily As Safir
on Thursday.
"I raised my voice to warn against Western openness to Damascus at the expense
of Lebanese ambitions," Jumblat said. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 12:27
1st Batch of 66 U.S. Tanks to Arrive in Lebanon before May
Naharnet/The U.S. Department of Defense is preparing to ship 66 M60 tanks to the
Lebanese army.
A source at the U.S. administration told the daily As Safir on Thursday that the
first batch consisting of 10 tanks will arrive in Beirut before May 2009.
The M60 main battle tanks are capable of defeating enemy forces. They are
suitable as an assault weapon in offensive operations and can also be employed
at night and under conditions of limited visibility. Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 11:09
Britain Lifts Travel Ban on Lebanon
Naharnet/Britain relaxed its travel advice for Lebanon on Wednesday, lifting a
blanket warning against travel to the Middle East country which is recovering
after three years of unrest. "Due to the improved security situation, we no
longer advise against all but essential travel to the country," the Foreign
Office said, in updated advice for travelers on its website. The ministry added
however that it advised "against all travel to the Palestinian camps, and
against all but essential travel to Tripoli as well as south of the Litani
river." Lebanon is recovering after three years of turmoil, including a string
of assassinations, a devastating war with Israel, a 15-week battle with
Islamists, civil strife and a debilitating political crisis. While easing its
travel advice, the Foreign Office warned: "Although the situation overall in
Lebanon is calm, it is fragile. "On several occasions in recent years, the
security situation has deteriorated rapidly to the point where we have had to
advise against all travel.
"Anyone traveling to Lebanon should keep themselves well informed and closely
monitor political and security developments."(AFP) Beirut, 10 Dec 08, 21:34
Aoun: I Get Excited about Impossible Battles that I Usually
Win
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun stressed that he did
not discuss parliamentary elections with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad .
"Others believe that my visit to Syria was risky," Aoun said in remarks
published by the daily As Safir on Thursday. "But in my view, I was applying my
convictions."
"I sought to experiment with this and I do not fear it like some (people)
believe," he added. Aoun said he "gets excited about impossible battles and
impossible issues which I usually win." Beirut, 11 Dec 08, 13:03
Najjar Wounded, Bodyguard Killed in Car Crash
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar suffered multiple injuries in a car
crash late Wednesday on Nahr el-Kalb highway. His driver/bodyguard was killed,
the state-run National News Agency said. It identified the bodyguard as Saeed
Melhim Tawk. NNA said a man and a woman were also wounded when their Chevrolet
collided head-on with Najjar's Mercedes-Benz. News reports said rescue teams had
to cut the doors away in order to get Najjar and his bodyguard out.
Beirut, 10 Dec 08, 22:51
Carter urges Lebanon, Israel to 'seize opportunity
to work toward peace'
Hizbullah 'refuses' to meet with visiting former US president
By Nicholas Kimbrell /Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 11, 2008
BEIRUT: Former US President Jimmy Carter met with President Michel Sleiman
Wednesday, before being flown to Naqoura in South Lebanon for a meeting with
United Nations peacekeepers. The presidential visit and trip to the South came
as Hizbullah reportedly declined an invitation to meet with the former head of
state.
Carter, on a five-day visit to Lebanon, told reporters after speaking with
Sleiman that he was pleased to back in Lebanon. "I am happy to come back to this
great country - a country that has dedicated itself to peace, stability,
progress, freedom and human rights."
The renowned peace activist and Nobel laureate, said he was honored to have met
with Sleiman, who, Carter said, has earned the trust of the Lebanese people and
the rest of the world. Carter also expressed the hope that Lebanon's springtime
elections would be "successful and safe," adding that he might return with a
team of election observers to monitor the fairness and transparency of the
polls.
Early in his distinguished post-presidency, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn,
founded the Carter Center, a not-for-profit organization partnered with Emory
University that is devoted to a variety of human rights causes across the world.
The center based in Atlanta, Georgia has a long history of monitoring developing
world elections, from Venezuela to Nepal. On Tuesday, the day Carter arrived in
Beirut, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, charged with preparing Lebanon for the
elections, said he had not been contacted by Carter about election monitoring.
But he did not dismiss the prospect. "I believe it is in the interest of Lebanon
to open the door to any observation," he said, adding that any decision on
electoral oversight would have to be approved by the Cabinet.
After meeting with Sleiman, Carter took an aerial tour of the Blue Line in South
Lebanon and spoke with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
officials. "I strongly urge all parties to seize this opportunity to work toward
peace," Carter told the troops. UNIFIL commander, Claudio Graziano, said that
Carter's visit "testifies to the international community's support for our
mission and underlines the importance of the continued commitment of the parties
to their respective obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1701." In
an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Washington Post, commemorating the
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Carter voiced the
hope that President-elect Barack Obama's new administration could usher in a new
era of effective American diplomatic leadership in the region and across the
world.
"Throughout the Middle East, there is hope that the United States will move more
aggressively and persistently to help orchestrate a solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the prism through which the region measures the US
commitment to human rights," Carter wrote. "Our next president has an
unprecedented opportunity to lead through example by inspiring and supporting
those who would reach for freedom and by being tough and effective with those
who would impede freedom's march," he added. In a statement released before
Carter's arrival in Lebanon, the director of the Carter Center's Conflict
Resolution Program, Hrair Balian said that "during his visit, President Carter
will discuss recent developments in Lebanon and the Middle East with officials
and representatives of major political blocs in Parliament and civil society
leaders."And on Tuesday, Carter said that he was hoping to meet with Hizbullah
officials. "I am going to meet with all of the political parties as possible,"
Carter said after arriving in Beirut.
But Wednesday, Rick Jasculca, a spokesman for Carter, told AFP that although
Carter had sought meetings with all major political players, "Hizbullah had
declined the request." Hizbullah foreign relations chief Nawaf Moussawi told The
Daily Star Wednesday that he was not following up on the issue. But the leader
of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, told AFP that the group
"does not meet with anyone from a US administration which supports Zionist
terrorism."
Regarding the Carter Center's potential monitoring role in the springtime polls,
Raad said the party "will accept whatever decision the Cabinet makes."
In the past, there has been some tension between Carter and the US State
Department over his unofficial diplomatic missions. Carter, long active in the
Middle East peace process, published a hotly-debated book, "Palestine Peace not
Apartheid," in 2006, and in April he visited Israel, the Occupied West Bank,
Jordan and Syria. The trip was not coordinated through the US Sate Department.
Cherie Lenzen, the public affairs officer for the US Embassy in Lebanon, said of
Carter's current trip, that "President Carter is on a private visit."According
to Carter's comments Wednesday and the Carter Center press release, after his
visit to Lebanon, he will travel to Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad.
The two are expected to discuss the prospects for Middle East peace. News
reports have suggested that Carter may also meet with Hamas representatives in
Damascus. During his controversial visit to Damascus earlier this year, Carter
met with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
Carter, the 39th American president and a chief architect of the first Camp
David Accord, will be speaking Friday to an audience of students, faculty and
invited guests at American University of Beirut
Army expands patrols around Sidon after explosive device found
By Mohammed Zaatari /Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 11, 2008
SIDON: The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on Wednesday implemented a number of
security measures along the sea front of the southern port city of Sidon, a
security source told The Daily Star. According to the sources, who wished to
remain anonymous, a number of LAF soldiers were deployed and conducted road
patrols along Sidon's coastal road. LAF soldiers could be seen from the Saynique
Bridge south of Sidon to the Awalli River near the city's port.
The measures, which came into force a few days ago, were strengthened after an
explosive device was found off the Marine Boulevard on Sunday, the sources said.
The LAF is currently conducting dog patrols and scanning operations along
Sidon's piers and on all roads that branch off of the city's coastal highway.
The measures came into force as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
warned its personnel and patrols to avoid traveling on the road next to the Ain
al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp outside of Sidon. According to the sources,
UNIFIL instructed its personnel to instead travel along the coastal road next to
Sidon Port. Information about the possible targeting of UNIFIL had been passed
onto the LAF and the Internal Security Forces, the sources added.
Meanwhile, UNIFIL Political Affairs Officer Milos Strugar told reporters that
the peacekeeping force had not changed its assessments of potential threats, but
said UNIFIL was taking comprehensive security measures.
UNIFIL was focusing on its operations and the implementation of UN Resolution
1701, Strugar said. The official added that the LAF was responsible for
maintaining law and order in UNIFIL's areas of operations, south of the Litani
River. In a related development, UNIFIL spokesperson Yasmina Bouziane said on
Wednesday that media reports suggesting a standoff between the peacekeeping
troops and Lebanese villagers had occurred were "baseless," "wrong" and
"regrettable." Reports that UNIFIL troops had been harassed by residents of
Bafleh village near Tyre for taking "souvenir photographs" were published on
Tuesday by Lebanon's National News Agency and Voice of Lebanon Radio.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Bouziane clarified Tuesday's events. "Local
inhabitants of Bafleh approached a night patrol and expressed some apprehension
concerning the conduct of the patrol in the area," she said. "UNIFIL's
commanding officer clarified to the local inhabitants the nature of the patrol's
mission, after which they dispersed and the patrol proceeded" with its mission.
"Absolutely no standoff" had taken place, she said, and no photographs had been
taken. "In any case, UNIFIL follows clear UN guidelines on the use of
photographs," said Bouziane, adding that these allow the use of photography,
video and audio "in support" of its operations. "We have good relations with
local populations, mayors and muhktars," she added, citing the Civil Military
Coordination (CIMIC) activities that UNIFIL undertook in South Lebanon. Among
other things, CIMIC projects have helped to develop local infrastructure and
build playgrounds, she said. UNIFIL was established by the UN Security Council
in 1978 to ensure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and maintain peace and
security. Its mandate was extended and expanded after the 2006 war with Israel
In boycotting Carter, Hizbullah
finds itself in shameful company
By The Daily Star
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Editorial
Jimmy Carter is no stranger to the craven prejudices that have long obstructed a
peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict. It probably therefore comes as
no surprise to him that just like many American Zionist students, pro-Israel
groups and the government of premier Ehud Olmert, Hizbullah thinks the best
thing to do is to simply boycott the former US president.
After publishing his 2006 book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," Carter came
under vicious verbal attacks from Zionist supporters, who accused the
Nobel-prize winning former US president of everything from poor scholarship to
overt anti-Semitism. Carter's critics were enraged that he had so courageously
condemned "Israel's continued control and colonization of Palestinian land" -
and had done so openly in the most honest and unequivocal of terms. Some of his
detractors launched an all-out smear campaign calling for protests against the
former president and boycotts against stores that dared to sell or advertise his
book. Carter's subsequent decision earlier this year to meet with leaders of
Hamas provoked similar ire, and prompted Olmert to claim to snub an offer for a
visit with the US president.
Now Hizbullah ironically finds itself in the company of those who say that as a
matter of principle, Carter should not be heard. The head of the resistance
party's parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, told the media on Wednesday that
his group "does not meet with anyone from a US administration which supports
Zionist terrorism." That stance is fine in principle, but it smacks of hypocrisy
in practice. After all, the leader of the resistance, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
has met with former UN chief Kofi Annan, as well as other representatives of
institutions and states that generally turn a blind eye to Israel's
monstrosities. Why then, would the group refuse to meet with Carter, who is no
longer acting in an official government capacity and represents only himself and
his charity in what appears to be an honest effort to facilitate dialogue? If
Carter is to be criticized for anything at all it is that his consistent
commitment to peacemaking has not yet yielded enough results. But perhaps that
is through no fault of his own. What can one man do when so many of those who
participate in the Middle East conflict refuse to even hear the words of a man
whose sole mission is peace?
Promoting and defending human rights in Lebanon
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Statement/Daily Star
Yesterday the world commemorated the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly of the United
Nations. Lebanon's own great son Charles Malek was a key driving force behind
the Declaration, which put human rights and fundamental freedoms at the heart of
the UN and at the heart of international relations.
The European Union was itself founded shortly thereafter on the principles of
liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the
rule of law. Within the EU and on the territory of the 27 EU Member States,
these rights are protected and guaranteed by a number of mechanisms, including
laws at the EU level and Europe-wide conventions. But the EU has also placed
human rights at the core of its relations with other countries and regions: EU
agreements with third countries contain clauses stipulating that respect for
fundamental human rights and democratic principles are 'essential elements' in
the relations between the parties.
In addition to the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement, the EU-Lebanon Action Plan
under the European Neighbourhood Policy commits the Lebanese authorities and the
EU to work together to improve the human rights situation in Lebanon across a
wide range of issues, including the adoption of a comprehensive human rights
strategy as well as the strengthening of institutions guaranteeing the
protection and defence of human rights.
In Lebanon, there are three principal axes of EU intervention and support in the
field of human rights:
The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights - with a global budget of
over 1.1 billion euros (LL 2,109 billion) - has been used to finance human
rights activity in Lebanon since 2004. Around 600,000 euros (LL 1.15 billion)
per year is made available, and currently there are eight projects ongoing,
ranging from electoral and prison reform to protecting the rights of migrant
workers and deprived Lebanese young people.
The AFKAR program - with a total budget of 4 million euros (LL 7.7 billion)
since 2004 - which is now in its second phase, helps the government support
civil society organizations, in particular those assisting the most vulnerable
parts of the population: women, youth, mentally and physically handicapped
persons, prisoners, refugees or migrant workers (who are among those who suffer
most from human rights abuses).
For 2009, a further 10 million euros (LL 19.2 billion) program addressing human
rights is under preparation, with the aim inter alia of working with the
Lebanese authorities to help support Lebanese civil society and protect the
rights of migrant workers.
Beyond, there are also several bilateral programmes aimed at fostering and
promoting human rights in Lebanon funded by individual Member States.
Since December 10, 1948, we can say that significant efforts have been made to
promote and defend human rights and fundamental freedoms in many countries. In
overall terms, there has been considerable improvement, yet there are each and
every day new challenges to face, in the EU as elsewhere in the world. In
Lebanon, too, there has been improvement, yet the challenges remain many,
whether we are looking at the transfer of prison management to the Ministry of
Justice, the efforts required to join or implement key international conventions
against torture, discrimination or corruption or the rights of non-Lebanese
working or residing in the country.
Political will is necessary to make progress on many of these points. For its
part, the EU is ready to work with both the national authorities and civil
society on each and all of these issues: to help develop and consolidate
democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms, all of which
are - in large part thanks to the Declaration adopted 60 years ago -
incontestably essential elements underpinning our relations.
*Patrick Laurent, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission Andre Parant,
Ambassador of France, Presidency of the European Union Jan C’zek, ambassador of
the Czech Republic, Presidency of the European Union in the first semester of
2009
UN rights declaration turns 60 as abuses persist
Ban emphasizes need to uphold document
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 11, 2008
BEIRUT: The UN and human rights organizations celebrated on Wednesday the 60th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which coincided with
Human Rights Day, celebrated annually on December 10. The Universal Declaration,
a short document of 30 articles, was signed on December 10, 1948, and is
recognized as the most translated document in the world. It stipulates that all
civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights were the right of every
individual "without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion."
Lebanon had a prominent role in the promotion of the Universal Declaration
through the involvement of Dr. Charles Malik, who helped formulate the document
and chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1951-1952. The Declaration
was "an international document of the first order of importance," according to
Malik.
But while the Declaration has been signed by every country in the world and
influenced the course of human rights activism and law, it's tenents have yet to
be fully subscribed to.
In a speech to mark the two dates, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon emphasized
the importance of upholding the rights stipulated in the Universal Declaration.
"Drafted amid utter destruction and destitution following the Second World War,
the Declaration reflects humanity's aspirations for a future of prosperity,
dignity and peaceful coexistence," he said.
"The challenges we face today are as daunting as those that confronted the
Declaration's drafters," said the UN chief, citing the world food and financial
crises, climate change and political repression as prominent examples.
"The luckiest among us, those who are spared the most negative effects of
disaster, poverty or instability, cannot turn a blind eye," the secretary
general warned. "The cascading effects of abuse and indifference can eventually
engulf the entire planet."
"Rights, and especially their violation, must hold the whole world in
solidarity," Ban said. "We can only honor the towering vision of that inspiring
document when its principles are fully applied everywhere, for everyone."
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, also marked the
Declaration's anniversary, commending the work of journalists and civil society
organizations to promote human rights awareness.
While the constitutions and laws of more than 90 countries echoed the principles
of the Declaration, said Pillay, "We are still, 60 years on, a very long way
from acheiving the goals laid down in the Universal Declaration."
"For many people, the Universal Declaration remains an unfulfilled promise, as
states' political will to fulfil their obligations lags lamentably behind their
pledges ... Tens of millions of people around the world are still unaware that
they have rights that they can demand, and that their governments are
accountable to them, and to a wide-ranging body of rights-based national and
international law."
Pillay welcomed the designation of 2009 as the "International Year of Human
Rights Learning," hoping that those "in a position of responsibility" would work
to ensure the next generation were fully informed of the rights the Declaration
entitled them to.
Giving peace in Palestine no chance
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Rarely a day goes by without someone offering new advice to the incoming Obama
administration on how to deal with the Middle East. This advice is usually based
on a simple principle: If George W. Bush pursued a specific policy, Barack Obama
must do the opposite.
Much of the counseling has focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The
lines of argument are familiar. The conflict lies at the heart of the Arab
world's traumas, therefore resolving it is the key to unlocking many of the
region's other problems. Peace is achievable because the outlines of an
agreement were almost agreed to during the 1990s, after the Oslo Accords were
signed. And Bush didn't do enough for Palestinian-Israeli peace, while Obama can
succeed by compensating for that failing.
The difficulty with the three premises is that each is questionable. The problem
of Palestine doubtless requires an urgent settlement, but all the signs are that
we may be beyond that stage - past midnight on the kind of peace with which we
would have been familiar in 2000, when talks collapsed and new leaders took over
in the United States and Israel.
Is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict the Gordian knot that needs to be cut in
order for other regional crises to be resolved? The bitter fate of the
Palestinians is a significant factor in how Arab populations view themselves and
their relationship with the West. However, when one looks more closely, the
centrality of the Palestinians' humiliation is also, perhaps even mainly, the
result of the Arabs' humiliation at the hands of their own leaders and their
alienation from politics in general. In supporting the Palestinians, Arabs also
denounce the illegitimacy of those governing them. That is why Palestine, as
much as it is about Israeli behavior, is also about the abject failure of the
Arab state.
Arab citizens are the victims of despots who neither respect them nor afford
them the bare essentials of a political life. Citizens are permitted only
indifference, only to express themselves in favor of the tyrannical fathers
ruling over them. What is the role of Palestine in such a context? Arab regimes
have used the conflict with Israel to maintain suffocating security
establishments and to deflect popular anger away from their own shortcomings.
However, that could mean that if Arab societies become more open, Palestine will
recede as a prime shaper of Arab attitudes.
Taking this a step further, if the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved but
Arab despotisms are left in place, it is doubtful that we would see deep changes
in the nature of Arab societies. Peace with Israel will not mean that fewer
young men join militant Islamist groups (probably the contrary would happen),
nor that Arab citizens will be able to voice their opinions more liberally. No
one doubts the importance of Palestine, but as the Lebanese showed at the end of
their 15-year civil conflict, just as the Kuwaitis showed after the 1991 Gulf
war and the Iraqis did at the end of the 2003 war, Arab societies will turn
against the Palestinians, often in very unreasonable ways, when they feel that
they themselves have paid an onerous domestic price for having backed the
Palestinians.
The second assumption about a Palestinian-Israeli settlement, namely that the
outlines of a final agreement are known and were defined during negotiations in
the 1990s, is equally problematic. All the evidence today suggests that
Palestinian-Israeli dynamics are changing so rapidly that the Oslo framework may
have become a distant anachronism.
The reason is that on both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli divide those
unwilling to make the required concessions for peace are in a position to veto a
final settlement. On the Israeli side we are likely heading after the February
2009 parliamentary elections toward a center-right government, one either led by
the Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu or in which he will have a decisive say. Given
that the present center-left Kadima-led government has been incapable, when not
unwilling, to take steps bolstering the credibility of President Mahmoud Abbas
and the Palestinian Authority, it seems illusory to expect better next spring.
Similarly, Hamas has no interest in a peace settlement, believing the armed
struggle can deliver the Palestinians much more. The Islamist movement may soon
have as its main Israeli adversary Netanyahu, who, like Hamas, welcomes an
open-ended truce that ultimately resolves nothing. Meanwhile, the Palestinians'
condition will only consolidate the divisions between the West Bank and Gaza.
However, not before very long this stalemate might only further undermine the
credibility and negotiating strategy of Fatah and the Palestine Liberation
Organization, creating openings for Hamas in future elections. This coming
January, Hamas and Fatah are likely to clash over whether Abbas should remain in
office as president, and this week's fighting in the Mieh Mieh camp in southern
Lebanon was a worrying omen that Palestinian refugees may soon be caught up in
their political animosities.
So, did George W. Bush err in not doing enough to resolve the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict? His administration blundered in isolating the late
Yasser Arafat, pushing for Palestinian elections, and doing nothing to persuade
Israel to suspend settlement-building - all steps that strengthened Hamas and
discredited Fatah. But Bush's lethargy in the past year, despite the Annapolis
conference, was only a symptom of the dynamics at play: Washington is basically
unable to impose peace on the Israelis and Palestinians, and nothing suggests
this will soon change.
Few in the US want to admit that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict may be
irresolvable for now. That's understandable, since doing nothing to address the
conflict may be worse than doing something, even if that something is futile.
The danger is that Palestine has become a diplomatic quandary where it is better
for the Americans to oversee negotiations that merely delay the inevitable
descent into violence between Palestinians and Israelis. Such negotiations
present no prospect of peace, but keep alive an empty process that is better
than no process at all. If so, Barack Obama may soon find himself as ineffective
as George W. Bush was.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.