LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
September 25/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint
Luke 9,1-6. He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all
demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and
to heal (the sick). He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a
second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as
for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from
your feet in testimony against them." Then they set out and went from village to
village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), Bishop of
Antioch then of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
4th Homily on 1 Corinthians; PG 61, 34-36 (trans. Mary Hallies)
«Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you
have fashioned praise» (Ps 8,3) It was through unlearned men that the Cross
brought conviction, and drew the world to itself. It spoke to men, not of chance
things, but of God, and of piety in the truth, of the Gospel polity, of future
judgment, and it made uncouth and illiterate men philosophers. This is how «the
foolishness of God is wiser than man, and His weakness stronger,» (1Cor. 1,25).
How is it stronger? It is stronger in that it spread over the whole earth and
seized all men by force, and whereas thousands and thousands did their utmost to
stamp out the name of the Crucified One, just the contrary came to pass. For
this name took root and was propagated all the more, whereas its enemies were
destroyed and consumed, and living men fighting a dead One, gained not a
stroke... For publicans and fishermen set up those very things by the goodness
of God which philosophers, and orators, and despots, and the whole world vainly
striving with all its might could not even devise... This was in Paul's mind
when he said: «the weakness of God is stronger than all men put together.» How,
otherwise, was it that twelve unlettered men attempted things of this
importance?
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters & Special Reports
Reconciliations, the Lebanese Way.
By: Elias Harfoush 24/09/08
Lecturers debate real meaning of Lebanese democracy-Daily
Star.By
Elias Sakr
24/09/08
Corruption lies at the heart of many evils affecting the Arab world-
The Daily Star 24/09/08
Oslo was
a breakthrough, despite stalled peace talks-By
Uri Savir 24/09/08
Lebanon warily watches its Salafis-
By:
By Nicholas Blanford/
Christian Science Monitor
24/09/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for September 24/08
Rival Lebanese factions meet to defuse tensions-International
Herald Tribune
Olmert: Israelis must take foreign terror threats seriously-Ha'aretz
Transparency International: Lebanon 102nd on Corruption Scale-Naharnet
Suleiman Urges Backing for
Lebanon's Bid for a Non-permanent Security Council Seat-Naharnet
3
Distinguished Handshakes on Day 3 of Suleiman's U.S. Trip-Naharnet
Special
Report from New York: Syrian Military Maneuvers to Last Maximum 10 Days-Naharnet
Maronite League Reconciliation Roadmap-Naharnet
Assad:
Lebanon's Stability Dependent on Inter-Lebanese Agreement-Naharnet
Parliament to Ratify Elections Law before Month End-Naharnet
Future, Hizbullah pave way toward
Nasrallah-Hariri meeting-Daily Star
Lebanon ranks 102nd out of 180 countries on
annual corruptian scale-Daily Star
Israel could be holding peace talks with Lebanon
within a year ...Jewish
Telegraphic Agency
Top adviser says McCain would not get in way of
Israel-Syria talks-Ha'aretz
One
dead, four wounded as bomb goes off near mosque in Ain al-Hilweh-(AFP)
'Reconciliation' becomes buzzword as elections near-Daily
Star
Assad
stresses Lebanese sovereignty - Akkar MP-Daily
Star
'Same
gun' killed both victims in Bsarma clash-Daily
Star
New
electoral law approaches final hurdles-Daily
Star
British
imam implores Lebanese to talk to one another-Daily
Star
LAU
president touts bonds as route to better funding-Daily
Star
Italy,
CDR ink $7.2 million deal to help rebuild Nahr al-Bared-Daily
Star
Small
workshop in refugee camp produces fun and games for all-Daily
Star
Suleiman Urges Backing for Lebanon's Bid for a
Non-permanent Security Council Seat
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman said that Lebanon was fully committed to the
implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and added that the
international community should urge Israel to stop its threats against Lebanon.
"Lebanon reiterates its full commitment to Resolution 1701," Suleiman said in a
speech Tuesday before the 63rd U.N. General Assembly session in New York.
"Lebanon is facing a series of dangers and challenges which require the
international community to compel Israel to implement Resolution 1701…and stop
its dangerous threats to launch a new war on Lebanon," the president said.
He said the international community should help Lebanon recover its occupied
land and ask Israel to stop its violations of Lebanese airspace and provide
detailed maps of mines and cluster bombs it dropped on Lebanon. Suleiman vowed
that the Lebanese government will obligate Israel to pay compensations for all
the damages that resulted from its "repeated offensives on Lebanon."
He told world leaders in his speech at around 11:40 pm Beirut time that another
challenge for Lebanon was "to confront terror in all its forms and maintain
civil peace."Coming up with a national strategy "to protect Lebanon and defend
it," is another challenge, according to Suleiman. Suleiman reminded world
leaders of Lebanon's bid for a two-year non-permanent Security Council seat.
Lebanon "had presented its candidacy to a non-permanent Security Council seat
earmarked for Asia during 2010-2011," he said. We hope that we get the backing
of all "friendly countries" for this candidacy, Suleiman added.
He said Lebanon is committed to the international tribunal that will try
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins and is ready to cooperate with the
U.N. to seek the truth behind the Feb. 2005 bombing and related crimes. Suleiman
expressed Lebanon's rejection to naturalize Palestinians and stressed their
right of return to their homeland. The Lebanese president also brought up during
his speech the issue of Lebanese-Syrian relations.
He said he visited Damascus on August 13 and agreed with Syrian President Bashar
Assad to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries, demarcate the
border and find a solution to the issue of Lebanese missing during the civil
war. Beirut newspapers said Wednesday that Suleiman had met on the sidelines of
the General Assembly session with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who
informed him that a joint statement will be issued after the Fitr holiday on the
establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Beirut, 24 Sep 08,
06:17
3 Distinguished Handshakes on Day 3 of Suleiman's U.S. Trip
Naharnet/The third day of President Michel Suleiman's visit to
New York started in the morning at the U.N. General Assembly hall and ended at
night in a meeting to assess and prepare for the last day which is distinguished
in appointments with heads of state. Naharnet, which is covering Suleiman's
visit, recorded the following on Day 3:
- Around 10:00 am Suleiman, accompanied by Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh
headed for the U.N. General Assembly session.
- Around 2:00 pm, Suleiman left the U.N. headquarters following three
distinguished handshakes:
- The first with U.S. President George Bush, which was the second quick meeting
between the two leaders in 24 hours after the small talk on the sidelines of the
welcoming ceremony hosted by Bush on Monday. The two presidents pledged to
plunge into details during their meeting at the White House on Thursday.
- The second with French President Nicolas Sarkozy where the two leaders agreed
to hold in-depth talks on the sidelines of a Francophone meeting scheduled in
Canada next month.
- The third with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and his aide Faisal al-Miqdad.
Following the handshakes, Suleiman moved on to meet with the Qatari delegation
which is staying at the building facing the U.N. headquarters where the Lebanese
president held talks with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani
before returning to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where he dedicated himself to
putting the final touches on the speech he delivered before the U.N. General
Assembly at midday.
About 1:30 pm, Suleiman and his wife had lunch at the Waldorf Astoria hotel when
head of the Presidential Guards Brig. Gen. Wadih Ghafri as well as a number of
officers and aides dined at the same restaurant.
At 2:15 pm, Suleiman headed a preparatory meeting of the president's advisors in
the presence of Nawaf Salam, the permanent representative of Lebanon to the
United Nations, before moving to the U.N. headquarters.
At 5:00 pm, Suleiman returned to the hotel where he met a small group of
journalists and thanked them for covering his U.S. trip.
Suleiman, afterwards, met with Lebanon's ambassadors to New York and Washington,
Nawaf Salam and Antoine Shedid, in addition to the president's advisor
ambassador Naji Abi Assi to assess progress of the visit. Beirut, 24 Sep 08,
08:39
Special Report from New York: Syrian Military Maneuvers to
Last Maximum 10 Days
Naharnet/Syria had informed President Michel Suleiman about its
decision to boost its military presence along the northern border with Lebanon
four days before the move, according to information revealed to Naharnet. The
Syrian deployment is part of a program that includes military maneuvers and that
the leadership in Damascus had taken the decision and had begun implementing on
Syrian territories, a source from the Lebanese delegation accompanying Suleiman
to New York said. He expected things to return to normal in one week or ten
days. Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who is representing his
country at the U.N. General Assembly session, told a member of the Lebanese
delegation in one of the Assembly hallways that Syria's expectations about
misinterpreting the maneuvers materialized. Muallem said that the maneuvers were
"given interpretations that had nothing to do with reality." "We informed you
officially about them (troop build-up) days before" the move. "But still they
accuse us of putting pressure on you while the president (Suleiman) is in the
United States," Muallem told the Lebanese delegation member. Beirut, 24 Sep 08,
04:38
Maronite League Reconciliation Roadmap
Naharnet/A source in the Maronite League told An Nahar daily that
the League was working on a "roadmap" that would intensify efforts starting
Wednesday to reach inter-Christian reconciliation. The source said that a
delegation from the League will visit Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on
Wednesday and will meet with Phalange Party chief Amin Gemayel and Free
Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun the next day. On Friday, the delegation
will hold talks with MP Naila Mouawad. The source told An Nahar that President
Michel Suleiman, before heading to New York, contacted Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir, urging him to help achieve reconciliation among the country's
Christians, which is why Sfeir blessed the efforts exerted by the Maronite
League in his Sunday sermon.
"I did the best I could to help in the success of the reconciliation and I hope
that the attempt would lead" to good results, An Nahar quoted Sfeir as saying.
The source said the League will inform Suleiman upon his return to Lebanon about
its contacts over the weekend with Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh who
said that reconciliation should be achieved at the Baabda Palace and then get
Sfeir's "blessing" in Bkirki. Reconciliation efforts intensified after two
people were killed and three wounded in clashes last week between the Lebanese
Forces and Marada in the town of Bsarma in the northern Lebanese province of
Koura. Beirut, 24 Sep 08, 05:16
Assad: Lebanon's Stability Dependent on Inter-Lebanese
Agreement
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad has said that agreement
among the Lebanese at the dialogue table is the only way to preserve the
country's stability and unity. He reiterated "Damascus' desire to preserve
Lebanon's unity and stability," saying that reaching agreement among the
Lebanese achieves such a goal.
He also hoped during a meeting of the ruling National Progressive Front
coalition on Tuesday that the national dialogue launched at the Baabda Palace
reaches expected results. He said that more time is needed for preparatory
feelers through Turkey before the relaunch of direct peace talks with Israel.
The indirect discussions that have been brokered by Turkey since May "require
more time and effort," Assad told the meeting.
"The indirect discussions are aimed at defining the principles that will govern
the direct negotiations. They are preliminary contacts that, if there is
agreement, may lead to direct negotiations," he said. The two sides have so far
held four rounds of Turkish-brokered discussions. A fifth round had been due to
be held last Thursday but was postponed at Israel's request. No new date has yet
been set.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 24 Sep 08, 03:51
Transparency International: Lebanon 102nd on Corruption
Scale
Naharnet/Lebanon was ranked 102 of 180 countries on the leading
international watchdog's annual survey of the most transparent countries.
Although Lebanon dropped three slots from 2007, the country kept last year's
index score of 3.0 on a 10-point scale, in Transparency International's new
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published Tuesday at the organization's
headquarters in Berlin. According to the scale, which surveys perceptions of the
degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts, zero
signifies a high level of corruption, and 10 represents very clean. Denmark was
ranked the least corrupt country, with a score of 9.3, while Somalia was ranked
180th, with a corruption score of 1.0, according to the survey. While Lebanon
was outperformed globally, it ranked 11th out of 20 countries in the region,
ahead of states like Syria, Iran, Yemen and Egypt. Israel, Jordan, Turkey,
Cyprus and most of the Gulf states were awarded better rankings than Lebanon.
"The continuing high levels of corruption and poverty plaguing many of the
world's societies amount to an ongoing humanitarian disaster and cannot be
tolerated," the non-governmental organization's head Huguette Labelle said.
Rampant corruption in low-income countries also jeopardizes the global fight
against poverty and threatens to derail the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
the report said.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 24 Sep 08, 07:35
Parliament to Ratify Elections Law before Month End
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Parliament will convene before
the end of September to ratify the elections law. "This is what I had promised
the Lebanese, and I will keep my promise," Berri said in remarks published by
the daily As Safir Wednesday. Beirut, 24 Sep 08, 11:34
'Same gun' killed both victims in
Bsarma clash
Wednesday, September 24, 2008/Daily Star/BEIRUT: Investigations into
the recent political clashes in Bsarma have established that the two victims,
Pierre Ishaq and Youssef Franjieh, were killed by the same weapon pan-Arab daily
Al-Hayat said Tuesday. Al-Hayat reported that Franjieh was hit by one round,
which was fatal, while Ishaq sustained a total of five bullet wounds. Three
others were wounded in clashes between the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Marada
Movement in the Northern Province of Koura last week.
Lecturers debate real meaning of 'Lebanese democracy'
Arguments recall issues that paralyzed government
By Elias Sakr
Special to The Daily Star
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
BEIRUT: The dynamics of Lebanese democracy were the focus of a series of
lectures organized by the Issam Fares Institute for Lebanon on Tuesday. Several
legislators, law professors, ministers and political analysts participated in
the lecture,which was held at the Monroe Hotel in Ain al-Mraisseh.
g the event, titled "Lebanese Democracy: Consensus or Competition," lecturers
argued that Lebanon has successfully combined consensus and parliamentary
democracy since the Taif Accords, which ended the 1975-1990 Civil War.
Minister of State Khaled Qabbani argued that the Lebanese parliamentary system
ensures the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers, and
preserves citizens' freedom of speech, guaranteeing equality.
Qabbani emphasized that the Constitution established the rule that all
legislation was subject to approval by a parliamentary or governmental majority.
He also pointed out that articles 9, 10, and 95 granted recognized religious
sects privileges and assurances in the political and administrative systems. In
Lebanon religious sects rule over their own internal affairs, possessing powers
which are used to resolve conflicts in civil status courts.
All religious sects are allocated a quota in the Parliament and representation
in the government, taking into consideration that "essential decisions" required
a consensus or a two-thirds majority vote in order to be passed.
"The Constitution's introduction stated that no power was legitimate if it
contested the Lebanese coexistence accord," Qabbani added.
The coexistence accord guarantees the right of all religious factions to share
power and live peacefully in Lebanon.
He argued that the consociational spirit of the Lebanese Constitution doesn't
grant the right of veto to any minority, as this would allow them to bring the
political process to a standstill. "The right of veto means a minority
dictatorship," he said.
The resignation of Shiite ministers from Amal and Hizbullah Shiite (along with
one Christian) from the Cabinet in November 2006 raised issues regarding its
legitimacy and paralyzed the government's decision-making power. After their
withdrawal, the ministers and their parties accused the rump Cabinet of breaking
the rules of the coexistence accord by continuing to make decisions without
Shiites in government.
The standoff ended after 18 months following the Doha agreement that lead to the
formation of a national unity government and the election of President Michel
Sueiman.
Former MP Fares Souaid stressed that "radical movements" seeking to impose their
will on other Lebanese factions threatened Lebanon's consensus democracy.
Souaid argued that creating harmony between citizenship, identity and religious
communities would preserve unity and democracy. "Principles of citizenship and
diversity are the pillars of a democratic Lebanese state," he said.
MP Hagop Pakradounian said that his Armenian community had managed to integrate
into Lebanese society, and supported the state's institutions without giving up
on their traditions, language and religion.
He stressed that the Armenian community was granted its political rights and
argued that it never participated in armed conflict. This, he said, sets an
example of a consensus democracy that preserves the right of minorities within a
parliamentary Lebanese state. "The Armenian community always supported
reconciliation efforts among fighting factions," he added.
MP Hassan Yaacoub urged the Lebanese to preserve the country's religious
diversity as a unique model in the Middle East that proves that Lebanon's
consensus democracy can promote peace and dialogue between civilizations and
religions around the globe.
"The conflict in interests between the people and leaders prevents consensus,"
he added.
Participants also highlighted the role of civil society in political, economic
and social reforms in order to help develop state institutions
Lebanon warily watches its
Salafis
By Nicholas Blanford | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
from the September 24, 2008 edition
Tripoli, Lebanon - In the hilltop Abi Samra neighborhood of this northern city,
black banners inscribed with Koranic verses adorn crowded streets. Young men
advertise their religious devotion by wearing white dishdashas, long beards, and
short hair.
This is where many of the country's small Salafi community, the adherents to
strict Islam who aim to emulate the 7th-century practices and ideals of the
prophet Muhammad and his followers, can be found and where they now find
themselves under close scrutiny in politically divided Lebanon. Ideologically,
Salafis shun man-made laws and politics, choosing instead to embrace only sharia
(Islamic law) and believe in some of the same rigid ideals that Al Qaeda
espouses.
Militant Shiite Hezbollah has been reaching out to them, believing that striking
a deal with a Sunni sect, which does not even recognize Shiites as Muslims,
might ease flaring intra-Muslim tensions.
The Future Movement, which represents most Lebanese Sunnis and opposes
Hezbollah, also has been eyeing the Salafis. They allegedly bankroll the group's
leading clerics, who are also said to be receiving funding from Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, and Kuwait.
But concerns linger that Salafi extremists could provide a future bridgehead for
Al Qaeda into Lebanon.
"There is no organized Al Qaeda here but there are people who support and love
Al Qaeda and justify its actions. And if the conflict in Lebanon continues and
sectarian fighting continues, then it could be an ideal opportunity for Al Qaeda
to organize themselves and form cells," says Sheikh Omar Bakri, a Salafi cleric
living in this northern city.
Salafis suffered in the 1980s and '90s when Syria, ruled by a secular Arab
nationalist regime, controlled Lebanon and launched periodic crackdowns on
Islamists. But the group began to gain prominence in Lebanon at the onset of the
US-led war on terror in 2001. Their heightened profile is mainly due to the
growing Sunni-Shiite schism that has engulfed Lebanon since the assassination in
2005 of Rafik Hariri, a former prime minister.
Salafis' new clout
Rival factions have been courting the Salafis since 2005, placing pressure on a
sect that is supposed to remain aloof from secular politics.
"The Salafi movement in Lebanon is broken. We are not united," says Sheikh Bilal
Baroudi, imam of As Salam mosque in Tripoli.
Last month, Hezbollah signed a memorandum of understanding with the Salafi
Belief and Justice Movement, a group represented by Hassan Shahhal. Hezbollah is
allied with some Sunni Islamists as well as secular Sunni leaders, but
penetrating the Salafi community was a remarkable coup. Other Salafis, however,
reacted with fury, forcing Mr. Shahhal to publicly freeze the memorandum just
two days later.
The Future Movement, headed by Saad Hariri, Rafik Hariri's son, also has been
seeking to win over the Salafis, securing their support during the 2005
parliamentary elections. The anti-Shiite rhetoric of Salafi leaders has served
to rally Sunnis to the Future Movement in opposition to Hezbollah. The Future
Movement is accused of providing funds and arms to some Salafi groups, a charge
that is rejected by a source close to Mr. Hariri.
Money and guns
No one doubts that Tripoli is awash with weapons after months of clashes pitting
Sunnis against the city's Alawite community, which is close to Syria.
Sheikh Dai al-Islam Shahhal, a cousin of Hassan Shahhal and the leading Salafi
figure in Lebanon with close links to the Future Movement, was surrounded by
well-armed bodyguards in his office in the Abi Samra quarter of Tripoli. One of
them cradled an American M-4 carbine, worth up to $10,000 on Lebanon's black
market.
"Syria's supporters here have many weapons, but as far as the Sunni community in
Tripoli is concerned, yes, it is true that we are arming, but only with light
weapons," says Sheikh Shahhal.
Although the feuding factions in Tripoli formally reconciled two weeks ago,
Rifaat Eid, son of the leading Alawite politician in Lebanon, says that, as a
member of a pro-Syrian minority in Lebanon, he fears the potential of the
Salafis.
"The Salafis are like kittens when they are weak, but when they are strong they
become like tigers," he says.
Hostility between Sunnis and Shiites worsened after Hezbollah and its allies
stormed the mainly Sunni-populated western half of Beirut in May. A potential
meeting between Hariri and Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, is being
discussed to try and ease tensions. But for many Sunnis, the legacy of the
fighting in May continues to feed a sense of humiliation, fear, and anger.
"There is no way there can be a reconciliation with Hezbollah," says Sheikh
Baroudi.
Al Qaeda in waiting?
Two weeks ago, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's No. 2, launched an attack on
Hezbollah and Iran, scorning Sheikh Nasrallah's claim of a "divine victory" over
Israel in the 2006 war. He accused Hezbollah of paving the way for "the
acceptance of 15,000 crusader soldiers that separate the mujahideen from
Israel," a reference to the 13,000-strong UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon.
"Condemning Hezbollah and Iran brings Lebanese supporters closer to Al Qaeda's
agenda," says Sheikh Bakri.
Although there is support for Al Qaeda and some Al Qaeda-style groups exist,
mainly in Lebanon's teeming Palestinian refugee camps, analysts generally doubt
there is a formal presence of the group in Lebanon.
The challenges facing Al Qaeda in building a base here are formidable. Lebanon
is small and religiously mixed. And Hezbollah would represent a daunting enemy.
Salafi leaders insist that speculation of an Al Qaeda presence in Lebanon is
overplayed. "Hezbollah is more dangerous to Lebanon than Al Qaeda," says Baroudi.
"I hope there won't be a confrontation with Hezbollah, but I do see one coming."
Reconciliations, the Lebanese Way
Elias Harfoush
Al-Hayat - 23/09/08//
While progress was noted in the efforts for reconciliation between Hezbollah and
the Future Movement, which if realized would at least help heal the bleeding
Sunni-Shiite wound open since the May 7 events in Beirut, the massive ceremony
organized by the Lebanese Forces made it even more unlikely for the
Christian-Christian, especially the Maronite-Maronite wound to heal. This wound
has been bleeding before the presidential elections and has now deepened
following the last incident between supporters of the Lebanese Forces and those
of former Minister Suleiman Franjieh in Koura, and also after the hardened and
clear positions taken by Dr. Samir Geagea in return for reconciliation calls
under the pressure of political conflict in various Christian-dominated
electoral constituencies during the pre-elections phase.
Progress in the reconciliation between MP Saad Hariri and Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah is attributed to the mutual recognition of sizes and weights, and also
to the mutual acknowledgement of failure to create an alternative Shiite
leadership away from Hezbollah or an alternative Sunni leadership independent of
the Hariri family. On the Christian level, however, the situation is completely
different where no one recognizes the other and where the two leaderships
capable of bringing various parties together, namely the president of the
republic and the Maronite patriarch, refrain from doing so for their own
reasons.
President Suleiman considers it his role to gather all Lebanese leaderships from
various directions and sectarian backgrounds rather than reconciling Christian
leaderships alone. Patriarch Sfeir, in the meantime, makes it no secret that he
has learned from his previous "experiences" and does not want to have anything
to do with this fire again, especially since he is already accused of taking
sides in the Maronite split. The fact that he sponsored the ceremony organized
by the Lebanese Forces for "its martyrs" was used by his critics as evidence to
these charges, even despite the fact that as a religious reference, he is in no
position to decline sponsoring a religious event of this kind.
The reconciliations, however, be they among the Maronites or others, remain
circumstantial at best, governed by the conditions for temporary coexistence and
the realities on the ground, especially if these reconciliations are not
associated with a real agreement over national principles. This is what Geagea
referred to when he listed the obstacles to reconciliation among the Christians,
specifically the dispute over Hezbollah's arms and the so-called defensive
strategy, and also with the perception of Syria as the new compassionate mother
for a few. The message was aimed at Michel Aoun and Suleiman Franjieh, Geagea's
archrivals on the Christian scene.
Given the deep divisions over these two perceptions, the chances of Christian
reconciliations will remain slim, whether Nasrallah and Hariri meet or not. The
disputes among Christians go far beyond the current phase. This explains why the
incident in Koura reminded everyone of the events of Ehden thirty years earlier;
it also revived memories of the civil war with the late, but nonetheless brave
and sole "apology" by one of the warlords, as Geagea apologized to the victims
of his "Forces" for every unjustified wound, loss or harm.
There is a new war of "elimination" within the Christian ranks. This time,
however, the attempt for elimination does not only target a militia organization
or political movement. For one side, it is an attempt to eliminate the other who
allowed Hezbollah to penetrate the Christian scene, and for the other side, it
is an attempt to eliminate the party which wants to return the Christian
position to its state before the famous understanding, that is, returning Michel
Aoun to his position before his return to Lebanon. The dispute and mutual
elimination efforts between these two sides is doomed to fail, perhaps ending
with a military confrontation, especially after the Lebanese Forces' exercise of
power in its last ceremony