LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
August 31/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25,14-30.
It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and
entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two;
to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and
made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the
man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his
master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and
settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward
bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I
have made five more.'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful
servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great
responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' (Then) the one who had
received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two
talents. See, I have made two more.'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good
and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you
great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had
received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a
demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did
not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.' His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So
you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not
scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have
got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and
give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he
will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will
be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Saint [Padre] Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968), Capuchin
friar
TN in Letters 4, 875,878
"After a long time the master of those servants came back"«Brothers, up till
now we have done nothing at all: so let us begin today.» It was to himself that
Saint Francis addressed this counsel; let us humbly make it our own. How true it
is that we have done nothing – or very little – as yet! One year follows another
without our asking ourselves what we could have made of them. Hasn't there been
anything to change, to add or take away from our way of behaving? How carelessly
we have lived, as though the day were never going to come when the eternal Judge
would call us to himself and we would have to give an account of our deeds and
of what we have done with our time. Don't let us waste our time. We ought not to
put off for tomorrow what we could do today. The grave overflows with good
intentions and, in any case, who can say whether tomorrow we shall still be
alive? Let us listen to the voice of our conscience; it is the voice of the
prophet: «Oh that today you would hear his voice: Harden not your heart,» (Ps
95[94], 7-8).All we have is the present moment: so let us keep a watch over it
and live it as though it were a treasure entrusted to us. Time doesn't belong to
us; don't let us waste it.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Conniving with Hezbollah-By Tariq Alhomayed-Asharq Alawsat
31/08/08
Bolstering the Lebanese state requires cool-headed thinking-
The Daily Star 30/08/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
30/08
Former Syrian VP sentenced to hard labour: lawyer-AFP
Cabinet Denounces Syria's
Trespassing Into Lebanese Territory-Naharnet
Lebanon: Suspect Handed Over-New
York Times
Bassil
Regrets Hanna's Martyrdom, Avoids Mentioning Hizbullah-Naharnet
Moussa
al-Sadr's Disappearance Roils Lebanon's Shiites Years Later-Naharnet
Baroud
Wants More Answers About the Sujud Attack-Naharnet
Mitri and the
Non-Sufficient Army-Hizbullah Coordination-Naharnet
Three People Wounded in
Ain el-Hilweh Clash-Naharnet
Gen. Qahwaji, A Field
Commander Preparing his Order of the Day-Naharnet
Cabinet Appoints Brig.
Gen. Jean Qahwaji Army Commander-Naharnet
Martyr Samer Hanna Laid to
Rest-Naharnet
Hizbullah Terms Helicopter
Incident 'Regretful', Pledges to Cooperate with Army-Naharnet
Hizbullah Turns Over
Culprit in Army Helicopter Case to Military Authorities-Naharnet
Murr: Surrendering
Culprits in Helicopter Incident is the Minimum Accepted-Naharnet
Geagea Condemns
'Dangerous' Attack on Army Helicopter-Naharnet
Iran
Warns Any U.S., Israeli Attack Would Start 'World War'-Naharnet
Cabinet Denounces Syria's Trespassing Into
Lebanese Territory-Naharnet
Lebanese Cabinet appoints John Kahwaji as army chief-Daily
Star
Suspicions flare as Hizbullah hands over assailant in fatal helicopter shooting-Daily
Star
Lebanon appoints new army chief -gov't source-Reuters
AlertNet
Abbas, Gemayel cite need to improve refugees'
conditions-Daily Star
Kuwait-based firm plans to expand interests in
Lebanon-Daily Star
Lebanese economy begins to recover after
devastating three-year slump-Daily
Star
UN mine-clearing agency to stop work in South as
funds dry up-Daily Star
Bolstering the Lebanese state requires cool-headed
thinking-Daily Star
Suspicions flare as Hizbullah hands over assailant in fatal helicopter shooting-Daily
Star
Forum
offers beekeepers tips on achieving sweet success-Daily
Star
UN
mine-clearing agency to stop work in South as funds dry up-Daily
Star
USAID
presents checks for student scholarships at LAU, ACS-Daily
Star
Authorities hand over terror suspects for Saudi interrogation-Daily
Star
Cabinet appoints Kahwaji as army chief
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star correspondent
Saturday, August 30, 2008
BEIRUT: General Jean Kahwaji was on Friday appointed chief of the Lebanese Armed
Forces to replace Michel Sleiman, who was elected president in May, Information
Minister Tareq Mitri announced.
"The Council of Ministers decided to appoint General Jean Kahwaji to the post of
chief of the Lebanese army," Mitri told reporters at the end of a cabinet
meeting at the presidential palace.
Kahwaji, 54, joined the army in 1973. He has undergone specialized military
training abroad, including in the United States and Italy, while in 2006 he went
to Germany for intensive anti-terrorism training.
Decorated on several occasions, he has occupied the post of commander of the
second infantry division since 2002. He is married with three children.
General Shawki al-Masri, the army's chief of staff, had been acting as head of
the army since Sleiman was elected president of Lebanon on May 25, ending an
18-month-old political stalemate in the country.
Well-informed sources told The Daily Star that five ministers voiced objections
to the naming of Kahwaji as the new chief of staff.
"Public Works and Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi, Justice Minister Ibrahim
Najjar, Environment Minister Antoine Karam and Ministers of State Wael Bou Faour
and Ibrahim Shamseddine expressed reservations over the appointment of Kahwaji
as the new army commander," one source said.
The five ministers all belong to the parliamentary majority, known as the March
14 alliance.
Media reports over the past couple of weeks said that president of the
Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid
Jumblatt was "not happy with appointing Kahwaji and preferred other candidates."In an interview with PSP's official Web site on Friday, Jumblatt said he has
"not changed his position," concerning the identity of the new army commander.
Jumblatt said he found the procedure used to name the army commander
"confusing."
Media reports also said that Kahwaji was not Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros
Sfeir's favorite candidate.
On Wednesday, Sfeir called for naming a "neutral" commander for the Lebanese
Army.
"The new army commander," Sfeir said, "should be at the same distance from all
the political parties."
However, speaking to reporters before Friday's Cabinet session, Defense Minister
Elias Murr said that as minister of defense, he was responsible for appointing a
new army commander, and that the appointment was based on military competence
and capacity to lead.
Murr said that Kahwaji met both requirements.
"While it is true that the army commander should maintain objectivity and remain
at an equal distance from all groups," he added, "the naming of the army
commander does not have to be subject to general consensus."
Meanwhile, Mitri announced that the Cabinet ministers condemned the fatal attack
on the Lebanese Army helicopter in South Lebanon on Thursday that killed First
Lieutenant Samer Hanna.
The Council of Ministers also observed a minute of silence to mourn Hanna's
death.
Mitri said President Michel Sleiman stressed the need to bring those who shot at
the army helicopter to justice, while Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said
targeting the army was "a painful and condemned act."
Mitri also told reporters that the Cabinet meeting did not touch upon the issue
of public-sector salary raises, and added that the issue would be discussed in
"future sessions."Speaking to reporters following the Friday prayers at the Grand Serail, Siniora
said the issue of pay raises "might not be necessarily discussed," in next
week's Cabinet session.
"Tuesday's Cabinet session will discuss the security situation in Tripoli in
light of sporadic clashes there," Siniora added. - With AFP
Suspicions flare as Hizbullah hands over assailant in fatal helicopter shooting
lebanese army holds funeral for young officer slain in incident
By The Daily Star -Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Hizbullah handed over to military police Friday the suspect who fired at a
military helicopter a day earlier, as the Lebanese army held a funeral for the
officer who was slain in the shooting.
"Hizbullah has handed over the person who fired at the helicopter to the
Military Investigative Magistrate in the case Jean Fahd," a judicial source told
The Daily Star, adding that Fahd gave orders to the military police to
interrogate him "and everyone related to the incident."
The source said that Hizbullah was "fully cooperating" with the judiciary.
First Lieutenant Samer Hanna, 25, was killed when his helicopter was hit by
gunfire on Thursday during a training mission in the Sejod Hills, a region known
as a Hizbullah stronghold in Southern Lebanon.
In a statement issued on Friday, Hizbullah described the incident as
"unfortunate and distressing," adding that the group will "fully cooperate with
the Lebanese Army and the judiciary to uncover the truth.""We call on all political parties to refrain from baseless speculation on the
incident whose circumstances remain unknown," the statement said.
Hizbullah also extended its "deepest" condolences to the family of Hanna and to
the Lebanese Army. "First Lieutenant Hanna is not only a martyr of the Lebanese
Army but also a martyr of the resistance," the Hizbullah statement added.
Meanwhile the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) bid farewell to Hanna during a solemn
funeral Friday in his hometown of Tannourine in the northern province of Batroun.
Black-clad women threw red flowers at the Lebanese-flag-draped coffin carried by
his Hanna's colleagues.
Representatives of Lebanon's three top officials attended the funeral at
Tannourine's Notre Dame Church.Talking to reporters on Friday before joining a Cabinet meeting, Defense
Minister Elias Murr said handing over culprits who opened fired on the LAF
Gazelle helicopter "is the minimum that we could accept."
"The Lebanese Army and the Resistance [Hizbullah] are not two separate camps. We
are in the same camp confronting Israel," he said.
On Friday, Hizbullah's second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem said "confusion"
still surrounds the incident, adding that the event had no political or security
implications.
Pro-opposition As-Safir newspaper reported on Friday that Hizbullah opened fire
on the Lebanese Army helicopter mistaking it for an Israeli craft.
As-Safir quoted anonymous sources as saying the gunmen mistook the helicopter
for an Israeli aircraft dropping off troops in the South and opened fire
Thursday, killing the navigator.
As-Safir said the shooting incident was caused by a "lack of coordination" on
the helicopter flight. The LAF and Hizbullah often inform each other of their
movements.
Another pro-opposition newspaper, Al-Akhbar, said a joint committee from the
army and Hizbullah opened an investigation into the incident shortly after it
happened.
The incident has raised political tensions in the country, with the ruling
coalition increasing their demands for Hizbullah to surrender its arms.
Head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt said Thursday's targeting of
a LAF helicopter, required "the immediate discussion" of Lebanon's defense
strategy during upcoming dialogue sessions chaired by President Michel Sleiman.
Jumblatt described the shooting as a "heinous act," and called for an immediate
investigation into the incident "in order to reveal culprits."
Jumblatt said discussing Lebanon's defense strategy would allow Lebanon to
"better fight the Israeli enemy."The head of the Progressive Socialist Party also called on all political parties
to "avoid any acts that would undermine military strength and unity and condemn
any attacks on the army."
Premier Fouad Siniora condemned the incident Friday, describing it as "painful
and sad.""But we should not get discouraged and we should double our efforts to
strengthen state institutions," he told reporters following the Friday prayers
at the Grand Serail. "We should operate under the umbrella of state and work for
a comprehensive and
conclusive investigation,"
he added.
Meanwhile Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, said that it was unlikely that the
incident had been premeditated.
The minister also urged the Lebanese "not to rush to conclusions and allow the
judiciary to perform its job."
Former Premier Salim al-Hoss, who is considered close to the Hizbullah-led
opposition, pointed the finger of blame at Hizbullah. "The area where this
distressing incident took place is, as everybody knows, under the control of the
Resistance," Hoss said.
"Hizbullah must explain and not justify what happened, because the death of a
brilliant officer cannot be justified whatever the circumstances of the
incident," the former premier added. - The Daily Star
Martyr Samer Hanna Laid to Rest
Naharnet/Army 1st Lieutenant Samer Hanna, who was killed when
gunmen opened fire on his helicopter over Sojod hills in south Lebanon, was laid
to rest on Friday in his hometown of Tannourine. Residents of the northern
province of Batroun thronged the streets to welcome the body of the slain
officer whose coffin, draped in the Lebanese flag, was carried by his comrades.
Representatives of President Michel Suleiman, Premier Fouad Saniora and
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in addition to MPs and officials attended the
funeral. Mariam Issa, Hanna's fiancee, mourned over his coffin during his
funeral and expressed sorrow over the killing of Samer by the hands of his
fellow citizens not the enemy. Beirut, 29 Aug 08, 21:44
Hizbullah Terms Helicopter Incident 'Regretful', Pledges to
Cooperate with Army
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Friday termed the helicopter incident
"regretful and painful" and pledged to cooperate with the Lebanese army, a day
after a military chopper came under attack by gunmen in south Lebanon. In a
statement issued by Hizbullah, the group said judicial authorities are dealing
with the issue.
Hizbullah stressed it would "fully cooperate with our dear brethren in the
Lebanese army and with judicial sides so that the truth is uncovered."
There was unanimity Friday that Hizbullah was behind the gunfire attack on the
helicopter that killed an officer over Sojod hills in south Lebanon.
There were conflicting reports about the incident which took place around noon
Thursday. Among the worst reports was that the helicopter was attacked while it
was still on ground and that the assailants, after killing 1st Lt. Samer Hanna,
assaulted another officer. The semi-official report, however, said that the
helicopter came under gunfire upon take off from a hilltop. A Lebanese army
communiqué, however, has said that a Lebanese army helicopter came under gunfire
from unidentified "armed members" killing Hanna. The daily As Safir gave another
version on Friday. It cited poor coordination between Hizbullah and the Lebanese
army regarding the helicopter overflight and the tension among Hizbullah ranks
as a result of Israeli threats and intensified Israeli overflights over the past
few days as reasons for the confusion that led to the helicopter shooting.
An Nahar newspaper, on the other hand, quoted well-informed sources as saying
that the helicopter was not shot down but was forced to make an emergency
landing after it was hit by gunfire from gunmen and that the co-pilot landed the
chopper at a rugged terrain between Sojod and Armati.
The Central News Agency (CNA), for its part, reported that the gunmen opened
fire at the helicopter only 10 meters away, causing an emergency landing.
It added that three army helicopters dispatched to the area to assist the
chopper that was hit were denied entry and that the crew was informed that no
one can approach the area without Hizbullah permission.
CNA quoted Hizbullah sources as saying the group knows nothing about the
shooting.
Another report said that the helicopter came under fire as it flew over Sojod
and that after making an emergency landing it came under gunfire, killing Hanna.
A different version of the story was put this way: After the helicopter landed
in Sojod as part of a routine mission and as it attempted to take off again it
came under gunfire, killing Hanna. Al Manar television, mouthpiece of Hizbullah,
reported that a helicopter came under gunfire from "unidentified" gunmen.
A joint committee from the Lebanese army and Hizbullah opened an investigation
into the incident. Beirut, 29 Aug 08, 09:16
Murr: Surrendering Culprits in Helicopter Incident is the
Minimum Accepted
Naharnet/Defense Minister Elias Murr said on Friday the minimum
that could be done is to surrender the gunmen who opened fire on an army
helicopter in south Lebanon. Murr made his remark prior to a cabinet session
held under President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace. Murr insisted that "the
army commander is appointed by a decision from the defense minister and not
elected and what happened in the previous days were just consultations
concerning this decision.""While it is true that the army commander should
maintain objectivity and remain at an equal distance from all groups," he added,
"the naming of the army commander does not have to be subject to general
consensus." Beirut, 29 Aug 08, 19:30
Hizbullah Turns Over Culprit in Army Helicopter Case to
Military Authorities
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Friday handed over to military police a man
suspected of firing on a Lebanese army helicopter a day earlier that killed a
navigator.
"Hizbullah has handed over the person who fired at the helicopter to military
police," a source told Agence France Presse. "The person behind the attack is in
the hands of military officials who are investigating the incident." The
identity of the person turned over has not been revealed. First Lieutenant Samer
Hanna was killed when his helicopter was hit by gunfire on Thursday during a
training mission in a region known as a Hizbullah stronghold in southern
Lebanon.
Hizbullah had earlier described the incident as "regrettable and distressing."
"We ask that all political parties refrain from baseless speculation on the
incident whose circumstances remain unknown," it said in a statement. Former
Prime Minister Salim Hoss, who is considered close to the Hizbullah-led
opposition, pointed the finger of blame at the Shiite group. "The area where
this distressing incident took place is, as everybody knows, under the control
of the Resistance (Hizbullah)," Hoss said. "Hizbullah must explain and not
justify what happened, because the death of a brilliant officer cannot be
justified whatever the circumstances of the incident," Hoss said in a statement.
Beirut, 29 Aug 08, 21:01
Cabinet Appoints Brig. Gen. Jean Qahwaji Army Commander
Naharnet/Premier Fouad Saniora's cabinet on Friday appointed
Brigadier General Jean Qahwaji Army Commander. The cabinet observed a minute of
silence to mourn the death of slain 1st Lieutenant Samer Hanna. Hanna was killed
when his chopper was downed over Sojod hills in the south. President Michel
Suleiman stressed the need to bring the culprits to justice and briefed the
ministers on his talks with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Information Minister Tareq Mitri said Saniora expressed during the meeting held
at Baabda Palace his denunciation of the army helicopter incident. "Targeting
the Lebanese Army is a painful and condemned act," Saniora stressed. Mitri
announced that the cabinet appointed Brigadier General Jean Qahwaji Army
Commander among other diplomatic and military appointments. Responding to a
question about pay raises, Mitri said the issue would be tackled in the next
cabinet session. Beirut, 29 Aug 08, 21:25
Gen. Qahwaji, A Field Commander Preparing his Order of the
Day
Naharnet/New army commander, Gen. Jean Qahwaji, stressing that he
has no political affiliations, is to receive well wishers and issue his first
order of the day that would outline his action plan. Premier Fouad
Saniora's cabinet announced Qahwaji's appointment amidst reservations by four
ministers.
Ministers Ghazi Aridi and Wael Abou Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party and
their colleagues representing the Lebanese Forces representatives Ibrahim Najjar
and Antoine Karam registered their reservations over the approach followed to
reach Qahwaji's nomination. Administrative Development Minister Ibrahim
Shamseddine has abstained. The five ministers said they did not oppose Qahwaji,
but wanted to register their rejection of backstage efforts followed to reach
agreement on the nomination. Qahwaji, in an interview with the daily As-Safir,
said he always followed orders of the military establishment "not orders by this
politician or that." The first assignment, according to Qahwaji, would be
issuing the order of the day to his troops that would outline his action plan.
The top priority as of Monday would be to finalize appointments in major
military directorates, he explained. Qahwaji, 55, is a native of the southern
town of Bint Jbeil. He joined the military academy in 1973 and graduated three
years later with the rank or lieutenant. Qahwaji has served as a field officer
for over 30 years and followed a training course on counter-terrorism in Germany
in the year 2006. Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 09:24
Cabinet Denounces Syria's Trespassing Into Lebanese
Territory
Naharnet/The Lebanese government, meeting under President Michel
Suleiman, has denounced the trespassing by Syria into Lebanese territory in the
eastern Bekaa Valley. The cabinet outlined the stand in its meeting Friday in
reference to the digging by Syrian teams of two wells in the Deir al-Ashayer
village which abuts Syrian territory. "The government denounced the trespassing
into Lebanese territory in Deir al-Ashayer by digging two wells in Lebanese
territory within property owned by Lebanese citizens," the government said.
Information Minister Tareq Mitri said President Suleiman "informed the cabinet
that he is following up his contacts in this regards and awaits a thorough
response." Cabinet minister Wael Abou Faour had raised the issue during the
cabinet meeting saying Syria has penetrated Lebanese territory to a distance of
100 meters from the border line to dig two wells.Diplomatic sources noted that
the cabinet's denunciation as well as Suleiman's comment on the reported
trespassing did not mention Syria explicitly.
However, adopting such a decision by Premier Fouad Saniora's cabinet reflects a
development in dealing with Syria at a time Suleiman and his Syrian counterpart
Bashar Assad agreed on setting up diplomatic ties between the two states, but
have so far failed in reaching agreement on demarcating the joint borders.
The dispute followed a report by a U.N. committee that Lebanon's eastern borders
remain "open" to the smuggling of weapons from Syria, in a major violation of
UNSCR 1701 that bans the illegal transport of weapons into Lebanon. An-Nahar
quoted diplomatic sources as saying denunciation of the Syrian trespassing by a
cabinet that includes ministers who have relations with Syria is "an important
development." Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 07:27
Baroud Wants More Answers About the Sujud Attack
Naharnet/Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said the attack by
Hizbullah fighters on a Lebanese Army helicopter requires "interpretations, not
justifications."
"We also want details," Baroud said in a radio interview, which indicates that
the judiciary has not been allowed to interrogate Hizbullah fighters who were in
the Sujud southern region where the chopper was attacked on Thursday. Hizbullah
turned over one suspect to the judiciary saying he was the person who opened
fire at the helicopter. The issue, Baroud said, is linked to the Army's
"morale."He said the judiciary would "follow up the case to the maximum." He did
not elaborate on the remark. Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 11:32
Mitri and the Non-Sufficient Army-Hizbullah
Coordination
Naharnet/Information Minister Tareq Mitri said the "attack" against a
military helicopter by Hizbullah fighters in the southern Sojod region raises
"questions regarding the extent of coordination between the Lebanese Army and
Hizbullah." Mitri, in a television interview, said "resisting an external attack
is a non-controversial issue. This is the duty of the Lebanese people." The
problem, according to Mitri, is in "blocking the re-creation of the state for
tens of years." "I represent the majority, but I am not member of any political
party," Mitri stressed. Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 10:24
Moussa al-Sadr's Disappearance Roils Lebanon's Shiites
Years Later
Naharnet/For the rest of the world, the disappearance of the imam
Moussa al-Sadr is probably at most a footnote in the checkered history of Libyan
leader Moammar Gadhafi. In 1978, the Lebanese Shiite religious leader flew to
Tripoli for a week of talks with Libyan officials. He was never seen or heard
from again.
But in Lebanon, the mystery of the missing imam remains a burning issue for
Shiites.
Al-Sadr is one of the pioneers of Shiite empowerment that has become a force
across the Middle East, spurred by the 1979 Islamic revolution in Shiite Iran
and more recently by the rise to leadership of Iraq's majority Shiites after
U.S. forces ousted Saddam Hussein and his Sunni Muslim-dominated regime.
Framed photos of al-Sadr adorn the shops and homes of Lebanese Shiites, and the
day he was last seen, on Aug. 31, 1978, is marked annually in Lebanon, with this
year's major ceremony planned in the southern town of Nabatiyeh.
On Wednesday, Lebanese judicial officials said prosecutors had just charged
Gadhafi and six other Libyan officials with "incitement to kidnap and withhold
the freedom" of al-Sadr. The charge could carry the death penalty, but the
officials conceded it was unlikely Gadhafi would ever be tried.
Most Lebanese presume al-Sadr is dead _ he would be 80 if alive _ but some cling
to the belief he remains in a Libyan jail. It's an appealing idea for Shiites; a
major tenet of the faith is that a revered 9th century imam has been hidden by
God and will return as mankind's savior.
In 1975, al-Sadr founded the Amal movement. He was an impressive figure.
Regarded as a moderate, he urged cooperation with other faiths. His biggest
success may have been that his preaching for Shiite dignity changed the way the
sect's members thought of themselves.
Amal and other organizations he founded became the model for a grass-roots
Shiite political movement.
"Imam Moussa al-Sadr was a major turning point for Shiites in Lebanon. He moved
them from isolation and marginalization to uprising," said well-known Shiite
lawyer Ali Qabalan. "All Shiite resistance groups and movements were triggered
by Imam al-Sadr's slogans."
A member of a clan known for its religious scholars, al-Sadr is a distant
relative of Iraq's radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army
militia has fought the U.S. military and its Iraqi allies.
Born in the Iranian holy city of Qom, al-Sadr came to Lebanon in 1959 to work
for the rights of Shiites in the southern city of Tyre. In 1974, a year before
Lebanon's 15-year civil war broke out, al-Sadr founded the Movement of the
Deprived, attracting thousands of followers.
"I will not rest until there is no deprived person or a deprived area in
Lebanon," al-Sadr told a massive rally in the eastern town of Baalbek.
The following year, he established the military wing Amal _ Arabic for "hope"
and an acronym for the group's Arabic name, the Lebanese Resistance Brigades _
which later fought in Lebanon's civil war. Amal's present leader is Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri.
Since al-Sadr's disappearance, Libya has always insisted the cleric and his two
traveling companions left Tripoli on a flight to Rome and suggested he was a
victim of a power struggle among Shiites.
At the time, Italian authorities found no evidence al-Sadr ever arrived in
Italy, and luggage belonging to him and his aides reportedly was found in a
Tripoli hotel. However, his passport surfaced in Rome during a forgery trial in
2004, with some suggesting it had been altered.
Most of al-Sadr's followers are convinced Gadhafi ordered al-Sadr killed in a
dispute over Libyan payments to Lebanese militias, but the imam's family argues
he could still be alive in a Libyan jail. "It is clear to the family and the
law. It is a case of kidnapping, and until there is proof otherwise this stance
remains the same," the al-Sadr family lawyer, Chibli Mallat, told The Associated
Press last week. While Lebanese Shiites are far more powerful than in al-Sadr's
day, political leaders still cite him as a symbol in the struggle for Shiite
rights. In a July speech celebrating a prisoner swap with Israel that was seen
as a victory in Lebanon, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed to never
forget "the imam of the resistance." "If the imam is alive bring him back to us
with our thanks. If the imam is a martyr, inform us and give us his sacred
body," Nasrallah declared.(AP) Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 12:36
Bassil Regrets Hanna's Martyrdom, Avoids Mentioning
Hizbullah
Naharnet/Minister of Telecommunications Jebran Bassil on Saturday
expressed regret over what he termed "political manipulation" of the martyrdom
of Lebanese Air Force 1st. Lt. Samer Hanna in a military helicopter attacked by
Hizbullah fighters in south Lebanon. Bassil, in a statement distributed by the
state-run National News Agency (NNA), praised the "serious investigation … and
the cooperation by the related sides, which led to turning in of the person who
opened fire" at the helicopter. What has happened should lead to an agreement on
a "national defense strategy," said Bassil, who is member of Gen. Michel Aoun's
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).Bassil's comment did not include any reference to
Hizbullah in connection with the attack on the army helicopter by its operatives
in the southern Sojod region. Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 11:47
Three People Wounded in Ain el-Hilweh Clash
Naharnet/Three people, including a Lebanese soldier, were wounded
in a clash overnight between rival Palestinian factions at the southern refugee
camp of Ain el-Hilweh. The clash pitted partisans of the mainstream faction
Fatah against militants of the Jund al-Sham group. The three men wounded were
not involved in the clash, security sources said. The Lebanese soldier was
wounded by a stray bullet while manning his outpost on the western edge of the
camp.
Beirut, 30 Aug 08, 10:05
Iran Warns Any U.S., Israeli Attack Would Start 'World War'
Naharnet/A senior Iranian military commander has warned that any
U.S. or Israeli attack on the Islamic republic would start a world war, the
state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. "Any aggression against Iran will
start a world war," deputy chief of staff for defense publicity, Brigadier
General Masoud Jazayeri, said in a statement carried by the agency. Iran is
under international pressure to halt uranium enrichment, a process which lies at
the core of fears about Iran's nuclear program as it can make nuclear fuel as
well as the fissile core of an atom bomb. "The unrestrained greed of the U.S.
leadership and global Zionism... is gradually leading the world to the edge of a
precipice," Jazayeri said, citing the unrest in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and
Georgia. "It is evident that if such a challenge occurs, the fake and artificial
regimes will be eliminated before anything," he said, without naming any
countries. The United States has never ruled out military action against Iran
over its defiance of international demands for an enrichment freeze, but so far
is pursuing the diplomatic route with calls for more sanctions.Iranian officials
have repeatedly vowed a crushing response to any attacks.(AFP) Beirut, 30 Aug
08, 12:13
Ahmadinejad Attacks NATO
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a scathing
attack on NATO Thursday, saying the Western alliance was failing to bring
security to Afghanistan and fanning tension with its expansion drive. "The
presence of NATO forces in Afghanistan has not only not helped ensure security
but has led to the deaths of innocent people on a regular basis," he said,
speaking alongside his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Dmitry Medvedev and Hu
Jintao.
Ahmadinejad referred to a "horrific attack" Friday in Afghanistan's western
province of Herat in which US-led airstrikes killed 90 civilians, including 60
children, according to a U.N. human rights team. He also made an apparent jab at
NATO expansion plans in the former Soviet Union, which have been blamed for
raising tensions between Russia and its ex-Soviet neighbours including
pro-Western Georgia. "Some Western powers, by encouraging certain political
forces and countries and calling on them to join military agreements, are
harming integration in the region and are creating tension in relations between
neighboring countries," the Iranian leader said. "This is how they pave the way
for political and military influence... and unfortunately their unilateral
actions are continuing," he added.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO), a regional grouping consisting of Russia, China, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran and Afghanistan have observer status
in SCO, which was founded in 2001 as a counterweight to NATO in the strategic
Central Asian region. The summit in the Tajik capital Dushanbe has been
overshadowed by Russia's armed conflict with Georgia, which has provoked a
standoff between Moscow and the West that is stoking fears of a new Cold
War.(AFP) Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 13:20
Geagea Condemns 'Dangerous' Attack on Army Helicopter
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday denounced
the attack on a Lebanese Army helicopter in south Lebanon as "dangerous" but
refused to rush to conclusions. Thursday's attack that resulted in the killing
of 1st Lt. Samer Hanna was "dangerous and regrettable as it happened on Lebanese
territory," Geagea said. The LF leader also urged an "immediate" investigation
into the incident and said the country has no hope if its security forces were
threatened.
He refused to rush to a conclusion about the incident even if "it was carried
out by unknown gunmen." Beirut, 29 Aug 08, 12:42
Conniving with Hezbollah
By Tariq Alhomayed
Asharq Alawsat 31/08/08
The crimes committed by Iranian-affiliated Hezbollah against
Lebanon and the Lebanese are endless. Yet, regrettably, there are MPs and
Lebanese politicians who shy away or fail to even comment on Hezbollah’s actions
either out of fear or because they are conniving. The clearest evidence in this
respect was the recent downing of a Lebanese army helicopter in south Lebanon.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s militia, which actually occupies Lebanon with the
power of arms, is not content with establishing security zones on Lebanese
terrain; in actual fact, it has begun to mark out its own airspace. So if
Iranian-affiliated Hezbollah has veto power in Lebanese government, its own
security zones on the ground and in the air, controls the airport, and has its
own communications network, then what is left for Lebanon?
Iranian-affiliated Hezbollah, which occupied Beirut with the power of weapons,
something that even Israel has never done, recently downed a Lebanese army
helicopter with its weapons, which is also something that Israel has never done
before. What other crimes are left for Hezbollah to commit against the Lebanese
state and its citizens?
Nasrallah’s party has come to pose more of a threat to the state, unity and
citizens of Lebanon than Israel and its weapons, yet in spite of this, Abdul
Amir Qabalan, the Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shia Council comes out to
say that “infiltrators working on behalf of Israel fired at the helicopter.”
Qabalan’s comments represent nothing but connivance with Iranian-affiliated
Hezbollah against the Lebanese state and army. Doesn’t Sheikh Qabalan know −
especially considering that there are no secrets whatsoever in Lebanon − that
not only did Hezbollah fire at the helicopter, which was hovering at a very low
altitude, killing one of its pilots who was shot in the head, in addition, there
is information that indicates that the Iranian-affiliated party insisted upon
interrogating the other injured pilot before allowing him medical attention.
The crimes of Nasrallah’s party are never-ending and are clearly visible.
However, what is regrettable is that some leaders are conniving with Hezbollah
against the state and army. We all remember when former Lebanese President Emile
Lahoud, in reference to the army’s capabilities during the July 2006
Lebanon-Israel war, and in defense of Hezbollah, said that the Lebanese army is
not qualified to confront Israel.
It is for a simple reason that we say there is connivance; Hezbollah is nothing
but Iran’s shadow that acts under the instructions of the Supreme Leader and not
in the interest of Lebanon. Suffice it to mention the recent comments made by
Iran that Iran’s Shia allies in the Arab world will respond to any military
action against Tehran, and in the past, Hassan Nasrallah has boasted about being
a member of Wilayat-e-Faqih.
After all that, there are still some Lebanese who, because of the power
struggle, give up Lebanon and the Lebanese as a sacrifice to Iran and its
ambitions in the region even though Hezbollah used all its weapons against
Lebanon and the Lebanese the day it occupied Beirut and the day it launched its
assault against the army, which Nasrallah referred to on numerous occasions as a
symbol of Lebanese unity.
But the Sayyed often turns his words upside-down just as he turned Beirut
upside-down on May 7!