LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
April 25/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint John 15,9-11. As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my
Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my
joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Is the opposition organically anti-state?
By Michael Young 24/04/08
Lebanon could gain by recognizing - and enlisting
- the new Turkey. The Daily Star 24/04/08
Buying time. NowLebanon.com 24/04/08
The Crises of Lebanon and Iraq in Kuwait-
By: Randa Takieddine. 24/04/08
Blow by
blow .The opposition loses its momentum. By: Hanin Ghaddar 24/04/08
Release
From: International Christian Concern/The Dismantling of the Eritrean Orthodox
Church. 24/04/08
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 24/08
Is the opposition organically anti-state?
By Michael Young 24/04/08
Lebanon could gain by recognizing - and enlisting
- the new Turkey. The Daily Star 24/04/08
Buying time. NowLebanon.com 24/04/08
UNIFIL confirms incident with gunmen-Daily
Star
Kfar Sama offers new take on life for orphans-Daily
Star
Civil groups rally against cluster bombs-Daily
Star
Rival Lebanese parties strike unofficial pact
on social policies-Daily
Star
Saudi-Syrian feud 'main obstacle' for Lebanon-Daily
Star
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya wants president before
talks-Daily
Star
Qanso repeats support for Berri's dialogue push-Daily
Star
UK: 'Lebanon's friends' see eye to eye on
crisis-Daily
Star
French minister: Siddiq no longer under
protection-Daily
Star
Rival camps continue to trade jabs over Zahle
killings-Daily
Star
The Tunnel War-Intelligence Online
UN taking Al Qaeda threats in Lebanon very seriously-Ya
Libnan
Lebanese consumers - and the tax man - suffer
from oil rally-Daily
Star
Hizbullah is the Problem, Not Syria-Naharnet
Jumblat Backs Berri's Call for Dialogue, Says Hizbullah Arms to be Eventually
Dealt With-Naharnet
Report: Israel Willing to Give Up Golan Heights for Peace With Syria-ABC
News
Army Command: Troops
are Loyal Only to The Establishment-Naharnet
Arslan Targets Army,
Government, Jumblat-Naharnet
Hizbullah Slams
U.S., U.N.-Naharnet
Mouawad Accuses Hizbullah of Sheltering
Zahle Criminal-Naharnet
U.N. Patrol Lately Challenged 'Armed Men'
in South-Naharnet
Fatfat: Zawahiri's Threat to Attack UNIFIL
is 'Bad Omen'-Naharnet
France: Kouchner-Muallem Meeting No Sign
of Thaw-Naharnet
Zahleh Victims Buried, Gemayel Vows
Punishment for Killers-Naharnet
Qassem Accuses Majority of Planning to
'Finish Off' Opposition-Naharnet
Muallem Attacks Kuwait Conference on
Lebanon-Naharnet
Ghosn Informs Sfeir, Audeh of GFLU Strike Plans-Naharnet
No Way Out of Lebanon's Deadlock-TIME
CIA to describe North Korea-Syria nuclear ties-Los
Angeles Times
Lebanon's Jumblatt still open to dialogue with opposition-AFP
CIA: Israel bombed nuclear site in Syria-Al-Bawaba
France still rejects Syria over Lebanon-Ya Libnan
Turkey reassures Syria on Israel peace feelers: report-AFP
Jordan's King Abdullah II meets with
Bush at White House. Ap
Optimistic MP. Abbas Hashem Says Majority would 'Beg' for a Settlement-Naharnet
]
Rival camps continue to trade jabs over Zahle killings
Pro-government figures accuse Hizbullah of hiding main suspects in shootings
By Anthony Elghossain -Daily Star staff
Thursday, April 24, 2008
BEIRUT: A political saga centered around the Sunday afternoon shooting of two
men at a Phalange party office inauguration in Zahle continued through
Wednesday, with various Lebanese political factions continuing to trade jabs
over the potential meaning of the killing.
The prime suspect named by the Internal Security Forces (ISF) for the murder of
Phalange party backers Nasri Maruni and Salim Assi is Joseph Zouki, a supporter
of Popular Bloc leader and Zahle chieftain MP Elie Skaff.
Judicial sources said Tuesday that initial investigations have indeed implicated
Zouki and his brother Thome, adding that the case is thus far based on
eye-witness accounts and the testimony of the Zouki brothers' cousin Walid Zouki.
The ISF are conducting a ballistics analysis on bullets and casings found
on-site while awaiting DNA tests that may determine whether some of the blood at
the crime scene belongs to either suspect, which would suggest that the suspect
was injured during the incident.
While pro-government parties argue that the shooting is politically motivated
and represents a premeditated attempt to destabilize Lebanon, opposition
factions counter that the shooting is an isolated incident brought about by an
altercation that spiraled out of control.
In response to remarks by Skaff downplaying the political aspect of the murder
and distancing himself from the situation, the Phalange party issued a statement
"reminding Skaff that Zahle had a Phalangist from the Skaff family" representing
the city in Parliament "before [Skaff] was born."
The statement comes within the March 14 ruling coalition's view of the shootings
as an attempt to stifle the Phalange's potential expansion into Zahle, which
voted for the opposition-aligned Popular Bloc and Free Patriotic Movement
candidates during the 2005 elections.
Other March 14 figures have gone so far as alleging that opposition parties
aided Zouki's escape from authorities in the Zahle region.
Phalange leader and former President Amin Gemayel, while stopping short of
directly linking Skaff to the shooting incident, said Tuesday that Skaff may
have been privy to information regarding what occurred in Zahle before the
incident took place.
Michel Mouawad, another pro-government figure, accused Hizbullah Wednesday of
hiding the murder suspect, adding that he expected Skaff, "from [his] position
as a Zahle leader and MP," to exhibit more responsibility in attempting to bring
the suspects out of hiding.
Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea also said that "it appears Hizbullah
transported Joseph Zouki to a location in Southern Lebanon ... If our
information is correct, this puts a question mark on claims that this event was
an isolated incident."
Hizbullah dismissed these claims in a statement Wednesday, saying they deserved
no response. Jabbing back at Mouawad, the statement said that "he must have read
what was written down for him without understanding it."
As the political melee surrounding the shooting in Zahle continues to develop,
with various factional views being put forth in addition to a litany of
interjections from Lebanese spiritual leaders, Skaff plans to hold a news
conference Thursday at Popular Bloc offices in Zahle to "clarify certain points
and respond to accusations" lobbed his way.
Meanwhile, Phalange party officials in Zahle have called for a sit-in at the
Skaff office to coincide with the conference
Is the opposition organically anti-state?
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Let's thank Michel Aoun for informing us that the shooting of two Phalangist
sympathizers in Zahleh on Sunday by a hanger-on of parliamentarian Elias Skaff
was an "individual act."
That explanation helps us better understand the killing in 2005 of two Lebanese
Forces partisans by one Youssef Franjieh, a follower of Suleiman Franjieh, who
fled and was never caught. It helps us understand the detention by Hizbullah
last week of an Internal Security Forces member registering building code
violations in Beirut's southern suburbs; or the freeing by Hizbullah of two
youths stopped by the security forces in Qomatieh, also last week; or the
attack, last week again, against two couples at Monnot street by youths arriving
on motorbikes from the Downtown "tent city" after a verbal altercation; or the
murder last year of the two Ziads, whose killers are believed to have sought
shelter in the southern suburbs; or the laying down by Hizbullah of kilometers
of private telephone lines, in parallel to those of the state.
If a politically motivated crime, like all those other abuses of the law, can be
dismissed as an "individual act," then there is really not much left for the
Lebanese to discuss. But Aoun's blitheness signaled a deeper dysfunction in that
his and the opposition's actions and statements in the past two years have,
almost by definition, pitted them against the state and its institutions. Murder
has been downplayed as isolated; the security forces have been routinely treated
as a threat; and even gunfire directed against the army has been viewed as a
tolerable form of protest.
March 14 sympathizers have also at times ignored the state, despite an argument
to the contrary from the leader of the Democratic Gathering, Walid Jumblatt, in
this week's editorial for the Al-Anbaa newspaper. There are worrisome reports
that young men from the Akkar have been brought in as muscle to Beirut in the
event of an outbreak of fighting in the capital. But the fact is that the
parliamentary majority, whatever its shortcomings, has never drifted into
organic hostility to the state - and more particularly to the idea of the state.
It has gained from this, in the face of an opposition that, in rejecting the
majority and government, has aggressively undercut those national institutions
buttressing both.
When Hizbullah's secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, last year told the
majority, "Establish a state and we will join it," he was engaging in sophistry.
Had there been no state, Hizbullah would not have taken Lebanon through an
ongoing 14-month political crisis to allegedly gain greater representation in
that state. Had there been no state, the opposition would not have had to close
down Parliament to thwart the election of a president not of its choosing. Had
there been no state, Michel Aoun, who once claimed to personify that state,
would not have lost most of his 2005 electorate by being widely regarded today
as someone who would destroy Lebanon to be elected at its head.
Writing in 1944, the banker and journalist Michel Chiha, in many ways the
preeminent theoretician of the Lebanese system, made an observation that remains
grimly relevant today: "The history of modern Lebanon has shown in the most
extreme way that every time that Parliament disappeared, every time the
principle of representation died a violent death, specifically confessional
authority substituted itself for Parliament and automatically one or several
Sanhedrins were born."
There have been three prongs in the opposition's strategy since December 2006,
when it escalated its actions against the Siniora government: First, resorting
to civil disorder, whether through the creation of the "tent city" and its
transformation into a closed-off security zone or the blocking of roads in
January 2007 and January 2008; second, leveling accusations of treason against
members of the parliamentary majority; and third, shutting down Parliament to
prevent a presidential election. Each of these steps speaks to the repudiation
of the state and of national solidarity.
Chiha was right that multiple Sanhedrins would result from the closing of the
legislature, but we can add a detail: Whether the legislature is open or not,
Hizbullah will only go along with the state by denying it primacy over the
party; and Aoun will do so solely if the state is his.
That's why we can groan at the affected evenhandedness that has sometimes come
to define the debate over the current political crisis. Those adopting this
approach usually have an argument that goes something like this: The
parliamentary majority and opposition are equally to blame for the ambient
deadlock; the political leadership on both sides is blameworthy for ruthlessly
pursuing its self-interest; what is needed is a third way to light up the path
out of our debilitating condition.
Self-righteousness is convenient, since it allows one to say "a pox on both
their houses." But that doesn't push matters forward. Many things can be said in
condemnation of the parliamentary majority, but it alone has a project that aims
at consolidating the state - not turning it into a Syrian protectorate, a
depleted subsidiary of an armed militia, or a consolation prize for a man who,
on his last stab at power, thrust Lebanon into a two-year nightmare.
We should pay attention to Chiha, who was healthily obsessed with the
limitations of the Lebanese system he defended. Lebanon will only be normal
again once the opposition is integrated into the political order. But that
presumes it actually wishes to be, and will truly accept the authority of the
state. For the moment, nothing suggests this is the case. So to equate the
parliamentary majority and the opposition, when one side is about the state and
the other about its negation, seems boldly tendentious.
***Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR
Buying time
NOW Staff , April 23, 2008
The 7th semi-annual report of the Secretary-General to the UN Security Council
on the implementation of the 2004 UNSCR 1559 has told us nothing we didn’t know.
We know that over the past six months, Lebanon has continued “to experience a
severe political crisis, currently centred on the failure to elect a President
of the Republic” and that “despite energetic and sustained efforts of Lebanese,
regional and international players, all attempts to elect a new President have
not yet yielded results.”
As this sombre but predictable report was filtering its way into the electronic
mailboxes of Lebanon watchers on Tuesday, parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri
invited both sides of Lebanon’s political divide to reconsider his much-tout
suggestion to hold another round of national dialogue, or hiwar. The call, which
came ahead of the umpteenth parliamentary session to elect a Lebanese president
– a position left vacant by Emile Lahoud since November 24, 2007 – shows that
Berri is not going to let this one drop in a hurry.
Earlier, Berri had arrived at the parliament, where he encountered the 66 MPs
that had dutifully shown up to vote (the session was not been officially
postponed until Berri made his speech). He was in a combative mood, stressing
that dialogue among the Lebanese was the only way to overcome the political
crisis, and to reach a consensus underpinned by what he called “good
intentions.”
Without elaborating on the agenda – there is no doubt that cabinet make-up and
electoral issues will be the major bones of contention – Berri promised that, if
there were an agreement, the opposition would end its ruinous 18-month downtown
sit-in and that parliament would elect army chief General Michel Sleiman as
president. Simple really.
By stressing dialogue, Berri is spinning the crisis as a wholly “Made in
Lebanon” affair and as such, only the Lebanese, by talking to each other, can
resolve it. It is a line he has furiously tried to peddle on his tour of major
Arab capitals earlier this month and one that serves to contradict Lebanese
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s message to Arab leaders that Lebanon’s problems
have been provoked and subsequently stage-managed by Damascus. It’s a clever
ploy, appearing to echo calls from the pro-government “Friends of Lebanon” who,
during Tuesday’s conference on Iraq in Kuwait City, asked that the Lebanese, be
allowed to sort out their own problems swiftly and without foreign interference.
Berri’s role as honest broker and opposition figure was always going to be
difficult to carry off and today, with Berri under pressure from Damascus to
conjure up a result in its favour, the mask is cracking. The bottom line is that
the constitutional process has once again been obstructed and that by asking for
external dialogue Berri is once again insulting the very forum over which he
presides.
So maybe, in this atmosphere of procrastination, it might be worth recapping
what is really happening to Lebanon amid the painfully tedious manoeuvrings on
the national chess board. It is summed up neatly in paragraph 1 of the UNSC
report: “The absence of an agreement on the presidential election threatens the
very foundations of the Lebanese State, and the sovereignty, independence and
stability of Lebanon. The country currently confronts challenges of a magnitude
unseen since the end of the civil war with possible regional repercussions.”
Have a nice day.
THE INTERNATIONAL LEBANESE COMMITTEE FOR UNSCR 1559
ILC UNSCR 1559, press release, Washington Dc 23rd april, 2008
The International lebanese committee for UNSCR 1559 issued an appreciation
letter to Ambassador Terje Roed-Larson for his report to the security council
and the focused on the implementation of Resolution 1559
Your Excellency,
It is with a great deal of satisfaction and gratitude that, The Lebanese
International Committee for the Full Implementation of UNSCR 1559, extends to
you our most sincere congratulations for your comprehensive and powerful report
which was presented by His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon Secretary general to the
United Nations Security Council as the seventh half yearly report.
After our delegations meeting with you in mid February, we felt confident that
the United Nations through your efforts was fully focused on the crucial issues
facing Lebanon at this time, particularly some of the areas of danger which you
have clearly identified, amongst them in no small way, the danger facing the
country at the forthcoming parliamentary elections, without first filling the
vacancy of President; and the constant threat hanging over the people of Lebanon
by the presence of armed terrorist organizations on Lebanese soil, at the head
of which list is Hezbollah with its powerful arsenal.
We applaud your efforts and we cannot impress sufficiently the urgency of
disarming all terrorists in Lebanon and the election of a President forthwith.
We still believe that the UNSC must activate chapter 7 in order to protect the
civil society and achieve the above.
For The Lebanese International Committee for the Full Implementation of UNSCR
1559.
Tom Harb/Secretary General
Hizbullah is the Problem, Not
Syria
Naharnet/A ranking U.S. official said the major problem in
Lebanon is "Hizbullah, not Syria," an-Nahar's Sarkis Naoum wrote on Wednesday.
"Hizbullah has a large sect (community), a very strong army, and probably
stronger than the Lebanese Army and even stronger than Syria's army," Naoum
quoted the unidentified U.S. official as saying. Hizbullah, the source added,
"has lots of money and has Iran. It has a joint ideology with Iran. Syria cannot
win a military confrontation with Hizbullah. The same applies to other Lebanese
(factions), and nothing encourages super powers and other states to send
military campaigns to finish off Hizbullah." The reason, the U.S. official said,
is that "Lebanon is of no strategic value (importance) for the world, especially
for the super powers.
"It is an important country for tourism, culture, education and health care. It
is more or less like Monaco. Monaco hosts a lot of money, but no one is willing
to designate a military campaign for it." The U.S. official concluded by the
question: "Why is Syria being blamed for everything that happens in Lebanon.
Hizbullah has an interest in eliminating tough foes in the (Lebanese) arena."
Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 12:45
Turkey reassures Syria on Israel peace feelers: report
DAMASCUS (AFP) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
assured Syria that Israel is ready to return all of the Golan Heights, reports
said on Wednesday amid renewed peace feelers between the bitter foes. "Mr
Erdogan telephoned President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday morning to tell him of
the readiness of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to withdraw completely from
the occupied Syrian Golan in return for peace," reported the Al-Watan daily,
which, like all the Syrian press, reflects the official line.
Damascus has consistently demanded as its price for peace the return of the
whole of the strategic territory right down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee
-- Israel's main water source.
Israel baulked at the demand in the last peace talks which broke off in 2000 but
Israeli media reported last year that the government was considering accepting
it in return for Syrian agreement to end its longstanding alliance with Iran and
its support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups.
Last June two Israeli ministers confirmed that peace feelers had been made to
Syria through third party governments, one of which was widely identified as
Turkey.
But the same month Syria's ruling coalition, the National Progressive Front,
rejected the reported Israeli proposals, dismissing them as an "effort to impose
conditions which have nothing to do with the principles of peace." In November
Turkish President Abdullah Gul told the Israeli daily Maariv that there had been
"many missed opportunities recently to begin peace negotiations" between Israel
and Syria.
But this month both sides have again spoken of their desire for peace.
On Sunday, the Syrian president told his Baath party which leads the ruling
coalition that "friendly parties were making efforts to organise contacts
between Syria and Israel." "Syria is in favour of a just and lasting peace.
Syria rejects any secret negotiatons or contacts with Israel. Any action taken
by Syria in this area will be revealed to the public," official media quoted
Assad as saying. Last Thursday Olmert told Israel's Channel 10 television: "Very
clearly we want peace with the Syrians and we are taking all manner of actions
to this end. "President Bashar al-Assad knows precisely what our expectations
are and we know his. I won't say more." Israeli government spokesman David Baker
reiterated the point on Wednesday. "Israel wants peace with Syria. Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has reaffirmed that in numerous recent interviews and he
hasn't changed his opinion since," Baker told AFP in Jerusalem. Despite a 1974
armistice, the two sides remain technically in a state of war. As recently as
last October Israel launched an air strike against a site in northeastern Syria.
Damascus reacted furiously to the raid, roundly rejecting Israeli charges that
the site was military. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Middle East war and
annexed it in 1981 in a move never recognised by the international community
Jumblat Backs Berri's Call for Dialogue, Says Hizbullah Arms to be Eventually
Dealt With
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat said he backed Speaker Nabih Berri's call
for dialogue and vowed to seek approval for all-party national talks from
leaders of the pro-government March 14 alliance. Jumblat described as
"excellent" his meeting with Berri at Parliament building on Tuesday. "The
(political) crisis can only be solved through dialogue and with both sides
making compromises," Jumblat said in an interview published by the daily As
Safir on Wednesday. Asked whether he believed Berri's call for dialogue was the
road to a political settlement, Jumblat said: "This is my personal stance as
head of the Democratic Gathering Bloc." The Druze leader said a "unified stand"
will be adopted after a meeting of the March 14 alliance. Jumblat said he
stressed to Berri the need to resume dialogue based on the various issues that
had already been unanimously agreed on. "If these issues were practically
translated through a clear-cut mechanism, then we would have completed our goals
regarding border demarcation, establishment of diplomatic ties with Syria and
Palestinian arms control," Jumblat said.
Jumblat, however, pointed to the ongoing issues of differences which "can only
be solved through dialogue and openness." He said on top of those controversial
issues were Hizbullah's arms which "should be dealt with in accordance with
local, regional and international conditions, knowing that the weaponry will
eventually be brought under the state control." "Hizbullah should come to a
conviction that the state, not Hizbullah weapons alone, protects everybody,
including the Shiites," Jumblat said. Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 08:15
Arslan Targets Army, Government, Jumblat
Naharnet/Ex-MP Talal Arslan on Wednesday made an outright
accusation to the army of "bias against us", indicating such an alleged stand
threatens chances of electing Gen. Suleiman President. Arslan, addressing a
press conference, spoke of "bias by the army against us and against our
partisans." He also said "We are being intentionally exposed by the … junta that
occupies the prime minister's offices, shatters the constitution and the
national charter and spreads corruption." Arslan also accused the ruling
majority of selling Lebanon "at the slave market to its foreign masters."He
claimed to have "serious" information on alleged developments related to "the
circuit" around the director of military intelligence. He did not elaborate on
the allegation. "I want to address the army commander, not in his military
capacity, but in his capacity as the front runner in the presidential elections,
to ask him: wouldn't this campaign burn your bridges in the presidential race?"
Arslan also launched a vehement attack on Progressive Socialist Party leader
Walid Jumblat, accusing him of "lacking principle and commitment." Beirut, 23
Apr 08, 16:01
Army Command: Troops are Loyal Only to The Establishment
Naharnet/The Army Command on Wednesday said it was not linked to
popular moves declaring support for the election of Gen. Michel Suleiman
president.
The command, in a statement, also stressed that military personnel are loyal to
the establishment and "receive orders and instructions only from the
establishment."
The army command, in its performance, follows the existing rules and
regulations, the statement stressed. It urged all to have a sense of national
responsibility and refrain from embroiling the military establishment in
political wrangling. Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 15:36
Hizbullah Slams U.S., U.N.
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Wednesday accused the United States and
United nations of jointly bullying the Lebanese People. A Hizbullah statement
directed the charge at U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch and Terje
–Rod Larsen, the U.N. Special Envoy for the Middle East. "In solidarity … and
coordination the two faces of the same coin," Welch and Larsen, bullied the
Lebanese, the statement said. Welch, Hizbullah claimed, "bans dialogue" among
the Lebanese factions while Larsen, through his report on progress of UNSCR
1559, has "appointed himself custodian controlling Lebanon's politics, economy,
popular activities, parliament sessions, the government, TV programs,
Lebanese-Palestinian and Lebanese-Syrian relations."It described the U.N.
official as a "suspicious employee."
Hizbullah asked the United Nations to appoint "objective and impartial envoys if
it wants to play a fair and just role." Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 15:27
Mouawad Accuses Hizbullah of Sheltering Zahle Criminal
Naharnet/March 14 official Michel Mouawad on Wednesday accused
Hizbullah of sheltering Zahle criminal Joseph Zouki in south Lebanon in
coordination with MP Elias Skaff. "Joseph Zouki is in south Lebanon within the
framework of coordination between Hizbullah and MP Elias Skaff," Mouawad said
from Bkirki. He also accused Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun of
"imitating" former President Emile Lahoud and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah.
Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 13:49
U.N. Patrol Lately Challenged 'Armed Men' in South
Naharnet/Israel's daily newspaper Haaretz has quoted the U.N.
Secretary-General's six-month report to the Security Council as saying that
Hizbullah members warded off UNIFIL peacekeepers last month when they discovered
a truck carrying weapons and ammunition belonging to the Shiite group. UNIFIL
spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane provided additional details, saying that a UNIFIL
patrol observed a suspicious pickup truck towing a trailer on the night of March
30. When the patrol started following the pickup truck, it was blocked by two
other vehicles carrying five armed passengers, she said. The patrol challenged
the armed men, who left the area shortly afterward before positive
identification could be made, Bouziane said. "Whereas the circumstances of the
incident are under investigation, the presence of armed elements in our area of
operations constitutes a flagrant violation of Security Council resolution 1701
and infringement of UNIFIL's freedom of movement," she said.(AP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 10:46
Fatfat: Zawahiri's Threat to Attack UNIFIL is 'Bad Omen'
Naharnet/The call by al-Qaida's Ayman al-Zawahiri for Sunni
militants in Lebanon to attack U.N. peacekeepers is a "bad omen" for the country
and a dangerous threat to its future, Sports and Youth Minister Ahmed Fatfat
said. Al-Zawahiri's comments were "very dangerous and a bad omen for the
Lebanese," Fatfat told Al Arabiya television channel. "In any country where al-Zawahiri
and al-Qaida settle, destruction prevails as we witnessed in a large number of
countries," he added.
Osama bin Laden's chief deputy al-Zawahri on Tuesday called on militants in an
audiotape "to expel the invading Crusaders who pretend to be peacekeeping forces
in Lebanon and not to accept resolution 1701." Al-Zawahiri was referring to the
U.N. resolution that ended the war between Israel and Hizbullah in the summer of
2006. A 13,500-strong U.N. force, known as UNIFIL, monitors the truce in
southern Lebanon. "The road is long but they have to break the siege imposed on
them and to shove their way to Palestine," al-Zawahiri said, referring to
militants in Lebanon. UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said extremists have
made similar threats in the past but indicated the peacekeeping force has
comprehensive security measures in place. "We take all such threats seriously
because the security and safety of U.N. personnel is paramount," she said. There
have been several attacks on U.N. troops in Lebanon in recent years. Six Spanish
peacekeepers were killed in a car bombing in south Lebanon last June. No group
has claimed responsibility for the attack or another one that followed in July.
But in a July videotape, al-Zawahiri blessed the attack against the Spanish
contingent. In January, a roadside bomb exploded near a U.N. vehicle traveling
along a coastal highway south of Beirut, lightly wounding two peacekeepers. The
U.S. has strongly urged Americans to avoid traveling to Lebanon.(AP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 10:04
France: Kouchner-Muallem Meeting No Sign of Thaw
Naharnet/French President Nicolas Sarkozy's top diplomatic adviser insisted that
a meeting between French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Syrian
counterpart Walid Muallem in Kuwait was no sign of thaw between the two
countries or a resumption of France-Syria dialogue. "Our position hasn't
changed," Jean-David Levitte told reporters in Paris. He said France is looking
for "actions that would cement the supposed willingness of Syria to play a
positive role" toward Lebanon, and "we're still waiting for these acts." Muallem
said Syria was not officially invited to talks about Lebanon in Kuwait and said
the meeting Tuesday orchestrated by France and held on the sidelines of a
conference on Iraq meant to "hijack" the Lebanese crisis to make it an
international problem. Beirut, 23 Apr 08, 09:37
Qassem Accuses Majority of Planning to 'Finish Off'
Opposition
Naharnet/Hizbullah's second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem on Tuesday saluted the
opposition for "protecting Lebanon against foreign hegemony."Qassem, in an
address on the 30th anniversary of the capture by Israel of Samir Qantar,
accused the majority of wanting "a president to be used as a launching pad to
finish off the opposition in Lebanon.""If we elect a consensus president without
agreement on other conditions, the majority would form a cabinet without our
participation," Qassem said. "After appointing a government they refer a hybrid
election law to parliament and ratify it," he added. "How would Syria be served
if we formed a national unity government and adopted a just election law?" he
asked. Beirut, 22 Apr 08, 19:00
Muallem Attacks Kuwait Conference on Lebanon
Naharnet/Western and Arab states called on Tuesday for the immediate election of
a president in Lebanon and the "redefining" of Beirut's relations with Damascus.
Western and Arab states on Tuesday called for the immediate election of a
president in Lebanon and the "redefining" of Beirut's relations with Damascus.
The call was made at a meeting in Kuwait that Syria did not attend, drawing
warnings from its foreign minister that the participants were creating the risk
of an "internationalization" of the crisis in Lebanon, which has been without a
president for five months. "We call for the immediate election of the consensual
candidate Gen. (Michel) Suleiman as president without prior conditions," a
statement said, referring to the Lebanese army chief. The participants called
for "establishment of a national unity government, and the holding of general
elections in conformity with an electoral law agreed by all parties," in line
with an Arab League plan to break the deadlock. They also voiced support for
"the legitimate Lebanese government." The meeting, which was orchestrated by
France, was held on the sidelines of a conference on Iraq.
It was attended by representatives of Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the
United States, as well as the United Nations, the Arab League and the European
Union. "Three years after Syria's military withdrawal from Lebanon, time has
come for Syria and Lebanon to redefine and normalize ties ... in mutual respect
for their sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence," the
statement said. The participants called for "the establishment of full
diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria" and "the delineation of their
shared border."
Foreign Minister Walid Muallem of Syria, which has been blamed by several Arab
and Western states for the deadlock in Beirut, said the meeting might result in
"internationalizing" the crisis in Lebanon. "We fear that given the way in which
the meeting is being held, it is aimed at taking the Lebanese crisis out of the
hands of the Arab League Secretary General (with the aim of)
internationalization," he told a news conference.
"This meeting complicates the crisis because the interests of major powers will
play a role in derailing the solution in Lebanon," Muallem said, claiming the
United States was "the only country which did not support the Arab initiative"
on Lebanon. Election of a president was postponed on Tuesday for the 18th time
amid an ongoing rift between the cabinet and the Hizbullah-led opposition.
Muallem met with French counterpart Bernard Kouchner earlier on Tuesday for the
first time since Paris suspended high-level contacts with Damascus in December,
accusing it of failing to match with deeds its words about wanting a settlement.
Kouchner told reporters that Syria chose to stay away from the international
meeting. "I invited Mr Muallem, but he did not want to come."
However, Muallem said Kouchner had only invited him on Tuesday, adding that
Syria "should have been consulted before the meeting was called, since it is
Lebanon's neighbor." Kouchner criticized Syria's stand on Lebanon, saying that
while he thought Damascus "wants a solution, it is not the kind of solution
sought by the majority of Lebanese."But he said relations with Damascus will
resume and become "normal and even more than that" once a president is elected.
The French foreign ministry said Kouchner's meeting with Muallem enabled them to
take stock of "a number of regional issues," including Lebanon, "in a spirit of
candor."Muallem described that meeting as "cordial."(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 22
Apr 08, 18:43
Zawahiri Criticizes Iran, Hizbullah, Urges Sunnis to Attack
UNIFIL
Al-Qaida's number two Ayman al-Zawahiri said on Tuesday that
Lebanon will play a pivotal role in the Islamists' fight against the "Crusaders
and Jews," in an audio message posted on the Internet. "Lebanon is a Muslim
frontline fort. It will have a pivotal role God willing in future battles with
the Crusaders and the Jews," he said.
Osama bin Laden's chief deputy called on militants "to expel the invading
Crusaders who pretend to be peacekeeping forces in Lebanon and not to accept
resolution 1701." Al-Zawahiri was referring to the U.N. resolution that ended
the war between Israel and Hizbullah in the summer of 2006. A 13,500-strong U.N.
force, known as UNIFIL, monitors the truce in southern Lebanon. "The road is
long but they have to break the siege imposed on them and to shove their way to
Palestine," al-Zawahiri said, referring to militants in Lebanon. Al-Zawahiri
accused Iran of spreading a conspiracy theory about who carried out the Sept. 11
attacks as a way to discredit the real power of the Sunni terror group.
Al-Zawahiri has stopped up his denunciations of Iran in recent messages in part
to depict the terror group as the Arabs' top defense against the Persian
nation's rising power in the Middle East.
The increasing enmity toward Iran is a notable change of rhetoric from al-Zawahiri,
who in the past rarely mentioned the country -- apparently in the hopes that he
would be able to forge some sort of understanding with Tehran based on their
common rivalry with the United States. But Iran has long sought to distance
itself from al-Qaida. "Al-Zawahiri wanted to work with Iran, but he's deeply
disappointed that Iran has not cooperated with al-Qaida," said Rohan Gunaratna,
a terror expert and author of "Inside al-Qaida: The Global Network of Terror."
So instead, al-Zawahiri "wants to appeal to the anti-Shiite, anti-Iran
sentiments in the Arab and Muslim world," said Gunaratna, head of the
International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore.
Al-Zawahiri appeared to aim in part to exploit widespread worry in the Arab
world over Iran's influence, particularly in Iraq, to garner support for
al-Qaida. At the same time, he sought to denigrate Iran's ally Hizbullah, which
has gained some popularity even among Sunnis in the region for its fight against
Israel.
Al-Zawahiri's comments came in a two-hour audiotape posted on an Islamic
militant Web site, the second message in weeks in which he answered hundreds of
questions sent to the site by al-Qaida sympathizers. The question-and-answer
campaign is a sign of the terror group's sophistication in its use of the Web --
showing that it is not only able to post increasingly frequent messages from its
leaders but also keep in touch with its popular base even as its leaders remain
in hiding in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Web is a key
tool of al-Qaida's central leadership to inspire and direct sympathizers at a
time when some terror experts question how much control they have over Islamic
militants. Al-Qaida branches in Iraq and Afghanistan are believed to have close
ties with the terror network's core, but its level of control elsewhere is
little known.
The authenticity of the audio could not be independently confirmed. But the
voice sounded like past audiotapes from the terror leader, and the posting where
it was found bore the logo of Al-Sahab. Al-Zawahiri spoke on a wide range of
topics in Tuesday's message as he addressed the questions. He told a female
questioner that there were no women in the ranks of al-Qaida, but praised the
wives of mujahedeen for their "heroic role in taking care of their homes and
children amid the trials of exile." Female suicide bombers have carried out
numerous attacks in Iraq, some of them believed to be by al-Qaida's branch in
the country, but al-Zawahiri appeared to mean that no women were among the
terror group's core leadership. Al-Zawahiri, who is Osama bin Laden's deputy,
even addressed global warming, saying it showed "how criminal, brutal and greedy
the Western Crusader world is, with America at the top."
He predicted that global warming "would make the world more sympathetic to and
understanding of the Muslims' jihad (holy war) against the aggressor America."
But in many of his answers, al-Zawahiri went out of his way to criticize Iran.
He said the Iraqi insurgent umbrella group led by al-Qaida, called the Islamic
State of Iraq, is "the primary force opposing the Crusaders (the United States)
and challenging Iranian ambitions" in Iraq.
One of the questioners asked about the theory that has circulated in the Middle
East and elsewhere that Israel was behind the 2001 suicide airplane hijackings
against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Al-Zawahiri accused Hizbullah's
Al-Manar television of starting the rumor. "The purpose of this lie is clear --
(to suggest) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as
no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it," he
said.
"Iran's aim here is also clear -- to cover up its involvement with America in
invading the homes of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq," he added. Iran
cooperated with the United States in the 2001 U.S. assault on Afghanistan that
toppled al-Qaida's allies, the Taliban.
Al-Qaida has previously claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. In an
audiotape last week, al-Zawahiri denounced what he called Iran's expansionist
plans, saying Tehran aims to annex southern Iraq and Shiite areas of the eastern
Arabian Peninsula as well as strengthen ties to its followers in southern
Lebanon. He warned that if Iran achieves its goals, it will "explode the
situation in an already exploding region."
The rhetoric is a stark change for al-Zawahiri, who in the past did not seek to
exploit Shiite-Sunni tensions. When the former head of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu
Musab al-Zarqawi, was waging a brutal campaign of suicide bombings against
Shiites in Iraq before his death in 2006, al-Zawahiri sent messages to him
telling him to stop, fearing it would hurt al-Qaida's image. Gunaratna said the
change in tone could be because of al-Qaida's failure to win the release of
al-Qaida figures detained by Iran since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan,
including al-Qaida security chief Saif al-Adel and two of bin Laden's sons.
Gunaratna said up to 200 al-Qaida figures and their families are under house
arrest in Iran and that Tehran has rejected al-Qaida attempts to negotiate their
release.
Al-Qaida currently doesn't have the strength to launch attacks in Iran, he said,
but it intends to do so "in the future, if al-Qaida becomes strong in Iraq ...
Iran believes al-Qaida in Iraq could become a major threat."(AP-AFP) Beirut, 22
Apr 08, 13:38
Optimistic Abbas Hashem Says Majority would 'Beg' for a
Settlement
By Dalia Nahme-Naharnet/
Hashem, in an interview with Naharnet, said national dialogue called for by
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri would be held following a change in the regional
situation "that allows this misguided faction to retain its reason."He said the
majority "would beg in the future for what they reject today. They still place
bets on dramatic developments." Hashem said "who depends on others would face a
major disappointment, that is why what is being rejected today would become a
wish tomorrow. I'm very optimistic."He said those who depict the crisis as a
mere difference on electing a president are "liars. The conflict is over
managing the political system, not over the presidency."Lebanon, according to
Hashem, "cannot be ruled by a clan or a faction … it can only be ruled by
consensus within the framework of plurality." Hashem insisted that MP Michel
Murr "remains an integral member of the Change and reform Bloc." He also
insisted that "mass graves do exist in Halat and other locations" and criticized
the government for carrying out a non-professional search operation.
Hashem said Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman would remain a consensus
presidential candidate after he retires from the Army Command. Beirut, 23 Apr
08, 14:33
Press Release: The Dismantling
of the Eritrean Orthodox Church
From: International Christian Concern (icc@persecution.org)
International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington DC 20006-1846
www.persecution.org / Email: icc@persecution.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Dismantling of the Eritrean Orthodox Church
(April 23, 2008) The Washington-DC based human rights group, International
Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org has learned that the Eritrean
officials are forcefully sending ministers of the Eritrean Orthodox Church to
military training camps. As a consequence, Eritrean Orthodox churches throughout
the country are losing their leaders.
At the end of 2006, the Eritrean government informed churches of its decision to
rescind a long-standing exemption of clerics from compulsory military service.
The Roman Catholic Church in Eritrea was the only church to express vehement and
public opposition to this unprecedented action. In contrast, the top leaders of
the Eritrean Orthodox Church, who have been hand-picked by the government,
embraced the new policy with open arms.
Eritrean officials are now forcibly recruiting church ministers into military
service on a wide scale. On March 24, 2008, Eritrean officials issued
replacement identity cards to a limited number of the church’s priests and
deacons, exempting them from military training. The vast majority of the
church’s leaders, however, who did not receive updated identity cards, are now
required to go to military training camps.
The largest Eritrean Orthodox Church in the country, St. Mary, in the capital
city, Asmara, had 96 ministers, but only 10 of them were issued IDs that
exempted them from military training. Similarly, in rural areas, where most
Orthodox churches are located, the maximum number of priests and deacons allowed
to serve in any church is 10. The rest are expected to report for military
service if they are under the age of 50.
In addition to churches, the new campaign also forces many in Orthodox
monasteries to be conscripted into the army.
In the past, The Eritrean government has usually directed its animosity for
Christians against the “unregistered churches,” which are mainly evangelical.
Over half a dozen denominations have been closed since May 2002. Many of their
pastors and 2,000 - 3,000 of their adherents are still locked up in prisons,
military barracks, and shockingly metal shipping containers. None of these
prisoners have been charged with a crime or even seen the inside of a court
room. Reports from prisoners who have been freed indicate that they are held
under deplorable conditions.
However, in the last two years, the government has also turned its attention on
the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the oldest and most established religious
institution in Eritrea. Almost 45% of the Eritrean population belongs to the
Eritrean Orthodox Church. Nearly four years ago, the government began a campaign
against the leaders of the Orthodox Church, especially those who were attracting
increasingly larger followings of young people.
The leaders of the church who have since been locked up in Eritrean jails
include: Dr. Fistum Ghebrenegus, Dr. Tecleab Menghisteab, Rev. Gebremedhin
Gebregiorgis, and Merigeta (“Mentor” in the Eritrean Orthodox Church) Ytbarek
Berhe. Two years ago, His Holiness Patriarch Antonios, then head of the Eritrean
Orthodox Church, became the best known religious figure to criticize the
government’s interference in church affairs. The government responded by
replacing him with a hand-picked pontiff. Patriarch Antonios has been under
strict house arrest since then.
According to some observers of the Eritrean government, the forced conscription
of Eritrean Orthodox clergy represents a systematic dismantling of the Eritrean
Orthodox Church, one of the most important pillars of Eritrean society.
ICC calls on Eritrean government officials to stop interfering with the affairs
of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, and to instead release all Christians who are
imprisoned for their religious beliefs.
# # #
ICC is a Washington-DC based human rights organization that exists to help
persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC delivers humanitarian aid, trains and
supports persecuted pastors, raises awareness in the US regarding the problem of
persecution, and is an advocate for the persecuted on Capitol Hill and the State
Department. For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at
800-422-5441.
Blow by blow
The opposition loses its momentum
Hanin Ghaddar, NOW Staff , April 21, 2008
Member of Parliament Michel Murr’s break with the Change and Reform bloc some
weeks ago certainly ruffled Christian feathers in the opposition. As for the
Shia in the opposition, there seem to be very tangible divisions emerging, too,
between Amal Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who recently returned from a
regional tour to renew calls for national dialogue, and Hezbollah chief Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah, who has recently been altogether more concerned with the
Israel-Lebanese border.
With the glue holding these disparate groups together clearly weakening, the
March 14 coalition has rather effectively been able to employ a divide and
conquer strategy, targeting one constituent element of this Change and Reform,
Amal, Hezbollah alliance after another.
Aoun’s blow
Murr’s split with the Change and Reform bloc was a major turning point. The MP
carries some significant political clout in his Metn home, and his influence is
sure to be sought by both sides of the political spectrum in future elections or
Christian power plays. Upon his departure from the bloc, he called for the
immediate election of Amy Commander General Michel Suleiman as president without
any preconditions. Doing so clearly distanced him from the rest of the
opposition, which has been adamant about electing Sleiman only after a cabinet
has been decided upon and an electoral law for 2009 chosen.
And while it might be too early to fully evaluate the consequences of Murr’s
movement, it is undeniable that this is one indication of a wider Christian
split. Opposition Christian leader General Michel Aoun has every reason to worry
that his power base is crumbling. The Metn by-elections of last year were just a
hint of splits – like this one – to come. Had Murr left Aoun at that point, as
many then-hoped, the victory surely would have gone to March 14, Kataeb
candidate Amin Gemayel rather than Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) candidate
Camille Khoury.
“I have failed to convince the bloc’s MPs of the need to elect a president. This
is why I have decided to create public pressure in this regard,” Murr told NBN
Television on Thursday. He also expressed his regret for former President Amin
Gemayel’s defeat in the 2007 Metn by-elections. “I voted for Camille Khoury, but
my conscience was telling me, ‘You don’t have the right to elect anyone in
Pierre Amin Gemayel’s place.’”
Aoun today is bogged down on a number of fronts. Another is the recent
postponement of FPM internal elections. Although official FPM statements cited
logistical and administrative reasons for the delay, many insiders have
privately confirmed to NOW Lebanon that the postponement is directly related to
the growing conflict between two increasingly divergent groups within the
movement: Aoun’s inner circle and the so-called “FPM opposition.”
Murr must have read that the tide is turning in the favor of March 14, or at
least against the opposition. Today, he is actively opening new communication
channels with the Kataeb. Party official Selim Sayegh confirmed on Thursday that
Gemayel and Murr discussed the latest developments in the presidential elections
by phone.
On the 8th level
Likewise, the other two key parties of the opposition – Hezbollah and Amal – are
suffering from their own setbacks. In the aftermath of Hezbollah operative Imad
Mughnieh’s February assassination, the armed party has promised the Lebanese and
the world that they plan to retaliate against Israel, the surmised perpetrator
of the hit. Despite the ongoing, internal presidential crisis, Hezbollah has put
resolving domestic affairs on hold once more.
Speaking to NOW Lebanon, March 14 General Secretary Fares Soueid said that
Mughnieh was Hezbollah’s spine, just as Hezbollah remains the opposition’s
spine. “In this sense, Hezbollah and eventually the opposition has taken a very
strong blow with his assassination,” he argued.
According to Soueid, Hezbollah has now taken upon itself the impossible task of
eliminating Israel through open war. “They are trying to compensate for this
impossibility with internal issues. Berri, meanwhile, is trying hard to distance
himself from Hezbollah’s hegemony, but he is incapable of changing anything,” he
added.
The Syrian effect
There have been reports on new political moves in Syria, too. In an interview
with As-Safir, former Prime Minister Salim Hoss said he had met with Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Wednesday. Hoss conveyed Assad’s
willingness to delineate official borders between Syria and Lebanon and to begin
diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Two days later, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported a possible visit by the
Syrian president to Riyadh, a move seen as an attempt to restore bruised
Saudi-Syrian relations. The paper also revealed that there have been a number of
visits by high ranking Saudi officials to Syria.
And, despite Assad’s statements denying any communication between Damascus and
Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that Damascus and Tel
Aviv have been secretly exchanging letters in an attempt to reach a
clarification on a peace agreement between the two countries.
Are things finally moving in the right direction for Lebanon? That remains
unclear. What is quite apparent, though, is that the opposition realizes that
it’s in a serious bind. To obscure their failure to make any positive
contributions to resolving the Lebanese crisis, the big three of the opposition
have therefore set their sights on distraction. And so, Aoun goes looking
unsuccessfully for mass graves and also revives the specter of Palestinian
settlement, and Nasrallah warns the Israelis that he is bringing war to their
own backyard. It’s time for these men’s followers to ask themselves if this is
really where their parties’ priorities should lie.
The Crises of Lebanon and Iraq
in Kuwait
Randa Takieddine
Al-Hayat - 23/04/08//
The woman playing the guitar in the hall reserved for foreign ministers at the
Sheraton Hotel in Kuwait yesterday lent an atmosphere of calm to the
proceedings, in contrast to the two main topics that dominated side discussions
among ministers on the sidelines of the conference of Iraq's neighbors and
Lebanon's friends. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal, was on one side
of the hall, holding discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr
Muttaki. On the other side, the UAE Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed,
was meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Tareq Mitri and Mohammed Shatah, an
adviser to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Then, the French Foreign
Minister, Bernard Kouchner, joined Saud al-Faisal during his meeting with the
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, while the Lebanese delegation took
part in the discussions.
Kouchner had met in the morning with the Syrian foreign minister, far away from
the soothing music of the hall. The atmosphere was surreal during the
ministerial meetings. Everyone was discussing the text of the statement that
would be issued by the friends of Lebanon. Everyone was aware that
unfortunately, it would only express solidarity and support for a sovereign and
independent Lebanon, and for the Siniora government. It would not involve a
profound discussion of how to exit the crisis that, according to more than one
observer, will not be solved any time soon. The United Nations was represented
by Terje Roed-Larsen, who is tasked with following up the implementation of UN
Security Resolution 1559. The Assistant US Secretary of State, David Welch, was
also holding discussions with all sides, while the Iranian minister held side
discussions with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Japan.
The upshot of discussions about the two items, Iraq and Lebanon, revolved around
the wish of the international community, especially the friends of both
countries, to see them defuse their respective crises. Both are dangerous for
the entire region, due to the regional policies of Iran and Syria.
The female guitarist was not close-by when the dangers of the situation in Iraq
and Lebanon were discussed. All of the discussions were aimed at finding
solutions to the crises. However, everyone knew that this was not possible.
Kouchner met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, knowing that there
would be no great benefit derived from the conversation. The French minister
held these meetings because he believes it is necessary to talk to all sides,
and because he was discussing and thinking deeply about how to find a solution
for Lebanon and help confront the prospect of a return of Syrian hegemony over
the country in the long term if the situation does not change.
In France, there are those who believe that time is on the side of the
parliamentary majority in Lebanon, and not Syria. However, others in France
believe that the allies of Iran and Syria in Lebanon will benefit from the
vacuum over the long term, and that the Lebanese state is gradually fading away,
in favor of the "state of Hizbullah," with political cover from Michel Aoun. All
of these analyses lead to a single conclusion: pessimism prevails with regard to
the solution, and the international court for Lebanon is the key date with
regard to this crisis. A sovereign and independent Lebanon suits some people,
while others prefer the formula of the past, when Syria would appoint the
Lebanese president, ministers and officials. Those concerned with the situation
in Lebanon are asking: Where is the civil society in all of this? Why don't we
hear its voice; why don't people demonstrate to demand sovereignty, independence
and progress in the way out of the crisis, as they did when former Prime
Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated? The Lebanese have the right to strive
for their independence and sovereignty. They have the right to have an embassy
in Syria, and not see their president appointed by a foreign power. But things
today are not headed in this direction. We are very far off from an imminent
solution. Today, everyone believes that the election of a president has become
practically impossible. The next important date on the calendar is the spring of
2009, namely a round of parliamentary elections. This is the prevailing
position, despite all of the international meetings. The solidarity with Lebanon
reflects the frustration of the international community, due to its failure in
confronting Syria's rejection of implementing the Arab League initiative and
dealing with French ideas about how to solve the crisis