LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
February 02/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Mark 4,26-34. He said,"This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as
if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land
yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And
when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."
He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we
use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is
the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up
and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the
birds of the sky can dwell in its shade."With many such parables he spoke the
word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained
everything in private.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
An initiative on the brink. By: Dina Ezzat.
Al-Ahram Weekly- 1/2/08
Beirut's 'Bloody Sunday'.By:
Lucy Fielder.Al-Ahram Weekly - 1/2/08
Moussa and the Eyes of the "Apparatuses". By: Zuheir Kseibati. Al
Hayat - 31/01/08
The General's (Aoun) Media and Messages. By: Hassan Haydar.
January 01/08
Winograd acknowledges one lost
opportunity but misses a larger one-The
Daily Star-January
01/08
Talking about Lebanon with Bobby
Fischer-By Julie Flint-January
01/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 01/08
Clashes Over Posters Erection Leave 3 Injured-Naharnet
Results of Riots Probe
Within 'Days'-Naharnet
Man Killed by Unknown
Assailants-Naharnet
Gemayel Says Aoun Lost Flexibility After
Consulting Allies-Naharnet
France Urges Shedding Light on Sunday's
Events-Naharnet
Amnesty: Lebanon War Report 'Deeply
Flawed'-Naharnet
Mitri: Arab FMs, Except for Muallem,
Stressed Need to Give Priority to Elections-Naharnet
Fatfat: Political Campaign against
Suleiman after Opposition's Terrorist Attacks-Naharnet
Suleiman: Winograd Report Strengthens Our
Self-Esteem-Naharnet
Arabs Urged to Confront Iran in Iraq,
Palestine and Lebanon-Naharnet
Syria's Conditions Exceed Demands by Its
Lebanese Allies-Naharnet
Obama would talk with Iran and Syria-Jerusalem
Post
Egypt, Iran to
Coordinate Over Iraq, Lebanon-Naharnet
French Defense
Minister: Iran still Seeking Nuclear Arms-Naharnet
Olmert hangs tough despite new calls
for resignation-Daily Star
March 14 accuses rivals of trying to block Suleiman-Daily Star
Fadlallah, Nasrallah call for 'transparent' probe into riots-Daily
Star
Analysts say riots dragged army into political battle-Daily Star
Suleiman touts Winograd conclusions as victory for both resistance and army-Daily
Star
Rights group: Panel failed to address war crimes-AFP
Winograd: a war which Israel 'failed to win-Daily Star
Residents of Ain al-Rummaneh, Shiyyah: 'One country, one people, one Lebanon-Daily
Star
AUB touts new Master's in ICT program-Daily Star
Head of NNA's Sidon bureau passes away at age 57-Daily Star
Siniora urges ministries to address storm fallout-Daily Star
Lebanon car sales surge after dismal 2006-Daily
Star
Snow Storm Isolates Villages, Leaving Thousands without Power or
Phone Lines-Naharnet
Fatfat: Political
Campaign against Suleiman after Opposition's Terrorist Attacks-Naharnet
Amnesty: Lebanon War
Report 'Deeply Flawed'-Naharnet
Mitri: Arab FMs, Except for Muallem,
Stressed Need to Give Priority to Elections-Naharnet
Suleiman: Winograd Report Strengthens Our
Self-Esteem-Naharnet
Grenade Attacks on Army Posts Since Monday-Naharnet
Al-Rahi: Christians Became Followers of
Muslims-Naharnet
Winograd Report on 2006 War Faults Israeli
Army, Spares Olmert-Naharnet
Facts and Figures from Inquiry Into 2006
Lebanon War-Naharnet
Hizbullah Reiterates Victory after Winograd
Report-Naharnet
Initial Testimony: Gunshots Came from
Shiyah-Naharnet
Austrian FM to Embark on Mideast Tour that
will Include Lebanon-Naharnet
Iran for a Solution that 'Safeguards
Rights of all Lebanese Parties'-Naharnet
Moussa Warns: Elect a President or Face
Instability-Naharnet
Kuwaiti Speaker: Hands Off Lebanon-Naharnet
Minister Murr: Riots Threaten Stability
and Security-Naharnet
Saniora Stresses Importance of Restraint-Naharnet
Lebanon's New Civil War
Recipe-Naharnet
Lebanese Army Dragged into Trouble-Naharnet
Syria Doubts Suleiman's Nomination as
Consensus Candidate-Naharnet
Assad Regime Escalates Dissident Crackdown-Naharnet
Bush Administration
Condemns Growing Repression in Syria-Naharnet
Al-Rahi: Christians Became Followers of Muslims
Maronite Bishop Beshara al-Rahi said the Christians are divided and have become
followers of Muslims and a pawn of foreign powers.
Rahi said that the Christians in Lebanon were split between the pro-government
March 14 alliance and the Hizbullah-led March 8 Forces.
"We cannot deny that March 14 is a pro-U.S., Saudi and Egyptian Sunni movement
led by (MP) Saad Hariri, while March 8 is a pro-Iranian and Syrian movement
headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri," Rahi told al Rawabet magazine.
"Between these two movements, the Christians are split and lost, and a Christian
citizen in one party has become to despise his Christian fellow national in the
other group," Rahi said. He said the Christians should play a "rapprochement
role" among the Muslims instead of "quarreling at the expense of the Sunni and
Shiite row."
Rahi pointed out that Lebanon's crises were "imported" and laid the blame on
Lebanese for entrusting management of their country to foreign powers.
He also held both March 8 and March 14 responsible for the presidential vacuum,
adding that the problem was not the presidency itself but "a result of how
things are being directed and a result of handing the president's jurisdiction
the prime minister (a post) headed by a Sunni." Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 08:08
Snow Storm Isolates Villages, Leaving Thousands without
Power or Phone Lines
A huge snowstorm continued to hit Lebanon Thursday, isolating villages and towns
and causing widespread havoc on roads with temperatures reaching below zero in
many areas, including the capital. Many villages and towns at an altitude of 600
meters were blanketed by snow that also left thousands of people without power
or telephone lines. Officials said service to most areas will be restored as
soon as possible.Strong winds inflicted severe damage to crops and other
property, while the rain turned many roads into rivers. Local weather forecasts
expected the stormy weather to subside later Thursday. But they predicted cloudy
and rainy weather to continue through Friday. The forecast said winds were
blowing at a speed varying between 10 and 35 kilometers per hour, with poor
visibility in the highlands.
Internal Security Forces declared emergency, warning motorists against driving
on mountainous roads due to thick fog, snow and ice. Coastal cities saw heavy
rain and the formation of a rare thin layer of hailstones on cars and roads as
temperatures reached record low levels. Heavy snow fall also forced the closure
of schools, stores and firms in mountainous regions.
Fatfat: Political Campaign against Suleiman after
Opposition's Terrorist Attacks
Sports and Youth Minister Ahmed Fatfat renewed his attacks against the Hizbullah-led
opposition, accusing it of launching a political campaign against army commander
Gen. Michel Suleiman following its "terrorist" attacks against the military.
"The opposition's campaign began with terrorist attacks against the Lebanese
army, then with a political campaign against the army commander and afterwards
they commenced their attacks against Internal Security Forces and the rest of
the spiritual leaders," Fatfat said in an interview with the Kuwaiti daily
Alseyassa. "This means that someone is trying to assassinate the government in
Lebanon," Fatfat said. He believed that Sunday's unrests were the result of the
political language that has dragged on for the past one and a half years.
"Lebanon is under a real war and a terrorist attack which started with (Syrian
President) Bashar al-Assad's Aug. 2006 speech when he ordered to use the
resistance's victory over Israel into local victory," Fatfat went on. "Since
then, they have created a crisis under the slogan of partnership," he added.
Fatfat also slammed Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun, accusing
him of seeking "one goal which is to reach the presidency. Nothing else concerns
him." Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 12:11
U.N. Concerned Over Lebanon
The United Nations political chief and several Security Council permanent
representatives have voiced concern over the presidential vacuum in Lebanon and
the recent incidents that have threatened the country's stability. "Lebanon's
leaders must act now to find a way to bridge their positions and return the
country to normal political activity" Under-Secretary-General for Political
Affairs Lynn Pascoe said during a briefing to the Council Wednesday.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since President Emile Lahoud's term
ended in November.
Pascoe also voiced U.N. concern over Sunday's protests in the Shiyah district of
Beirut's southern suburbs that left eight people dead and the assassination last
Friday of top intelligence officer Capt. Wissam Eid. He said the recent troubles
in the Middle East illustrate "the gap between the aspirations of the political
process and the grim realities of the situation on the ground." He said the
current crisis in the Gaza Strip is overshadowing efforts to find a long-term
peace settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.French Ambassador
Jean-Maurice Ripert, in comments after Pascoe's briefing on conditions in the
Middle East, said the security situation in Lebanon has recently deteriorated
and latest incidents show there is a campaign to "destabilize" the country. He
also said the culprits in the killing of Eid should be brought to justice and an
investigation into Sunday's incidents should reveal those involved in the
shootings on protestors. On Lebanon's presidential vacuum, Ripert reiterated his
country's support for the three-point Arab plan which called for the election of
Army Chief Gen. Michel Suleiman president, the formation of a national unity
cabinet in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of a new electoral
law.
In his statement, British ambassador John Sawers said his country was "alarmed"
by the deteriorating security situation in Lebanon.
"It remains essential that political divisions are reconciled and that an
election of a president is allowed to proceed without outside interference. We
welcome the recent efforts of the Arab League. We look to all those with
influence to use it responsibly and for the common good of all Lebanese," he
said.
Acting U.S. ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, in his turn, reiterated support for
Premier Fouad Saniora's "legitimate and democratically-elected" government and
urged the immediate election of a head of state "in accordance with Lebanon's
constitution."He also told members of the Council that the Bush administration
appreciated "the U.N.'s efforts to rapidly establish the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, which will hold accountable those responsible for the assassination" of
ex-Premier Hariri and related crimes. "We urge members of the Council and U.N.
member states to provide financial assistance to allow the Tribunal to proceed
with its important work," Wolff said. He urged "Syria, Iran, and their allies to
end their interference" in Lebanon's internal offers and stop obstructing the
country's "democratic process." Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 11:40
Grenade Attacks on Army Posts Since Monday
Press reports said Lebanese army positions in several areas of
Beirut have been subjected to a series of grenade and concussion bomb attacks
over the past few days. The reports said unknown assailants tossed four
concussion bombs on army posts in Ein el-Rummaneh, Tayyouneh, Shatilla and the
Mazda area overnight Monday. They said four hand grenades were also thrown
at dawn Tuesday on a military position in the Saint Therese-Hadath neighborhood,
one of which failed to explode. A military Land Rover was damaged in the attack,
but no soldiers were wounded, according to the reports. Another concussion bomb
was hurled on a military post in Beirut's Talet al-Khayat district before
daybreak Wednesday. The attacks came after bloody riots on Sunday left eight
people killed and at least 40 wounded. The protests against power cuts quickly
degenerated into street violence and the army deployed to prevent the unrest
from spreading into other areas.
Hizbullah blamed the government for the unrest and some Hizbullah deputies
accused the army of indiscriminately firing at the protestors. Hizbullah MP Ali
Ammar also said that the military was being used as a pawn by the ruling March
14 coalition. The army said it has opened an investigation into Sunday's
bloodshed and the government has promised that the culprits will be brought to
justice. Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 10:23
Amnesty: Lebanon War Report 'Deeply Flawed'
Amnesty International on Thursday criticized an Israeli report into the 2006
offensive on Lebanon, saying it had failed to address major issues, including
war crimes committed by its soldiers. The Winograd Commission report published
Wednesday was "deeply flawed" and did not probe government policies and military
strategies which did not distinguish between Hizbullah fighters and Lebanese
civilians, the London-based human rights group said.
Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa program director, Malcolm Smart, said the
study was "another missed opportunity to address the policies and decisions
behind the grave violations of international humanitarian law -- including war
crimes -- committed by Israeli forces." "The indiscriminate killings of many
Lebanese civilians not involved in the hostilities and the deliberate and wanton
destruction of civilian properties and infrastructure on a massive scale were
given no more than token consideration by the commission," he added. The
long-awaited report said the 34-day July-August 2006 war was a "serious missed
opportunity" for the Jewish state while there were "serious failings and flaws"
in military and political strategy. But it spared Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
from particular criticism, saying he acted in what he sincerely believed to be
the country's best interest. Amnesty said there was "no serious attempt" to
probe violations of humanitarian law or recommend prosecutions for perpetrators.
The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) recommended Israel set up an independent
inquiry into its soldiers' actions and a ban on cluster bombs, as well as
helping the clean-up operation by providing data about where they were fired.
Hizbullah should "renounce its unlawful policy" of reprisal rocket attacks
against Israeli civilians and ensure its fighters distinguish themselves from
civilians as much as possible, it added. The two Israeli soldiers whose
kidnapping on July 12 was a spark for the conflict should be treated humanely at
all times and have access to the Red Cross, it said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 31
Jan 08, 15:17
Suleiman: Winograd Report Strengthens Our Self-Esteem
Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman described the Winograd report as a "joint
victory" by both the Lebanese army and Hizbullah over Israel. He was commenting
on the Winograd Commission's final report which found "serious failings and
flaws" by Israel's political and military leaders in its 2006 war against
Lebanon. The report, however, concluded that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
acted in what he thought was Israel's best interests. "Israel's acknowledgement
that the military operation against Lebanon had failed strengthens our
self-esteem," Suleiman told the daily As Safir in remarks published Thursday. He
said it also "emphasizes on the joint victory of the army and the resistance" in
the July-August 2006 war that killed 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and 159
Israelis, mostly soldiers. Suleiman said Lebanon "has always and will always be
targeted," adding that "the army, the resistance and the people should be on
full alert in order to thwart the destructive dangers, prevent unrest and block
an attempt aimed at sowing discord between the army and the resistance." "No
force on earth will shake that trust," Suleiman warned. Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 11:18
Priority to Elections
Acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri uncovered that Arab Foreign Ministers who
met in Cairo last Sunday had all, but Syria's FM, stressed on the need to end
the long-running political crisis in Lebanon by electing a new president. He
said several Arab foreign ministers stressed the need to give priority to
electing a consensus president. "Yet Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's
words did not imply that he was honestly with the Lebanese and Arab consensus,"
Mitri said.
"The spirit of the Arab initiative gives priority to electing a consensus
president," he said. He said Muallem insisted that the Arab initiative was a
full package that "cannot be divided." Arab foreign ministers on Sunday urged
Lebanon's feuding factions to resolve their political crisis and elect a new
president to fill a post that has been empty for two months. The ministers urged
all sides in the dispute to vote for army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman in a
new parliamentary session set for February 11, the 13th attempt to choose a
president. Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 12:58 Beirut, 31 Jan 08, 08:34
Winograd Report on 2006 War Faults Israeli Army, Spares
Olmert
An official investigation into Israel's widely criticized war in
Lebanon found "serious failings and flaws" by the country's political and
military leaders, but concluded Prime Minister Ehud Olmert acted in what he
thought was Israel's best interests.The highly anticipated report, issued after
a 16-month investigation, stopped short of holding Olmert personally responsible
for the war's failures, giving him a small boost as he moves forward with peace
talks with the Palestinians.
A harsh indictment could have threatened his government and his stated goal of
reaching a peace agreement this year. Aides to the Israeli leader acknowledged
they were relieved. Eliyahu Winograd, the retired judge who led the
investigation, told a packed news conference in Jerusalem that Israel did not
win the war and the army did not provide an effective response to Hizbullah's
rocket fire on Israel. "The overall image of the war was a result of a mixture
of flawed conduct of the political and military leadership ... of flawed
performance by the military, especially the ground forces, and of deficient
Israeli preparedness," Winograd said. "We found serious failings and flaws in
the lack of strategic thinking and planning."
Winograd said the committee had decided not to assign personal blame for the
war's shortcomings, preferring instead to search for ways to prevent similar
mistakes in the future. "It should be stressed that the fact we refrained from
imposing personal responsibility does not imply that no such responsibility
exists," he said.
He also said a last-minute ground offensive in Lebanon "failed" in its mission,
did not improve Israel's position and that the army was not prepared for it.
More than 30 Israeli soldiers were killed in that offensive, launched shortly
before a U.N.-brokered truce went into effect.
Olmert had come under severe criticism for ordering the battle, despite his
contention that the offensive improved Israel's position before the cease-fire.
Winograd said the goals of the operation were legitimate. "There was no failure
in that decision in itself, despite its limited achievements and its painful
costs." He said both Olmert and his defense minister at the time, Amir Peretz,
acted in "what they thought at the time was Israel's interest."
Officials in Olmert's said they were optimistic after a preliminary glimpse of
the 629-page report. Olmert's spokesman, Jacob Galanty, was quoted by Israel TV
as saying the prime minister's office was "breathing a sigh of relief."
The war erupted on July 12, 2006, when Hizbullah fighters crossed into Israel,
killing three Israeli soldiers and capturing two others.
Olmert entered the war with wall-to-wall support from the Israeli public, but
his popularity plunged after the campaign failed to achieve his two declared
goals -- winning the soldiers' release and crushing Hizbullah.
Despite a heavy Israeli aerial campaign, Hizbullah rained nearly 4,000 rockets
on northern Israel. Israeli reservists returning from the battlefield complained
of poor training and a lack of ammunition and key supplies.The war killed 1,200
Lebanese, mainly civilians, and 150 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
Since most of the army's wartime commanders, including the chief of staff and
defense minister at the time, have already resigned, the bigger mystery was how
Olmert would fare. A harsh interim report released in April by the panel accused
Olmert of "severe failures" and hasty decisions at the beginning of the war.
Wednesday's report dealt with the war's final 28 days.(AP) Beirut, 30 Jan 08,
21:41
Facts and Figures from Inquiry Into 2006 Lebanon War
The government-appointed Winograd Commission on Wednesday issued a critical
report about Israel's conduct of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. Here are some
facts and figures about the war inquiry:
-- The commission was appointed on Sept. 17, 2006. On Apr. 30, 2007, it
submitted an interim report that harshly criticized Israel's political and
military leadership during the war.
-- Over the course of more than 16 months, the commission heard 74 witnesses
whose testimonies were transcribed onto more than 4,000 pages. Some
transcriptions were not published due to the sensitive nature of the contents.
The final report is more than 500 pages long.
-- The commission said it reviewed between 60,000 and 100,000 pages of
information, with varied degrees of confidentiality, on the 34-day war between
Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas.
-- The publication of the report comes exactly 33 years to the day after the
Agranat Commission report into the 1973 Mideast war published its findings. That
report brought to the downfall of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's
government.(AP) eirut, 30 Jan 08, 22:29
Hizbullah Reiterates Victory after Winograd Report
Hizbullah on Wednesday claimed victory over Israel, saying the Jewish State
suffered a blistering defeat at its hands during the 2006 war after a critical
Israeli report widely criticized the conflict. "The report confirms what
Hizbullah was saying all along: Israel failed completely in achieving its goals
and the Israeli army suffered a military defeat at the hands of Hizbullah,"
spokesman Hussein Rahal told AFP.
"Lebanon managed, despite all its losses, to come out victorious and defeat
Israel," he added. "Israel took the decision to launch this war, not Lebanon."
Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah echoed that, telling AFP the report "confirms that
the Israeli war did not achieve any of its political or military goals against
the resistance (Hizbullah)." Fadlallah also claimed that the Winograd report
"left out secret passages for reasons of national security."
"These secret passages probably hide a lot of political scandals concerning the
Arab region and the international community," he said without further
elaboration.
"The day will come when these secret passages will be published and the world
will then discover who was in league with the Israeli enemy," Fadlallah added.
The 34-day war was launched after Hizbullah captured two Israeli soldiers in a
deadly cross-border raid on July 12.(AFP) Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 22:07
Initial Testimony: Gunshots Came from Shiyah
Initial testimony about Sunday's deadly riots in Beirut showed that the Lebanese
army officer who was in charge of the Mar Mikhael post where protests originally
broke out was a Shiite Muslim and that the building where the shooting occurred
lies in the Shiyah district.
The report carried by the daily An Nahar on Wednesday said there was no need for
additional military back up at the beginning when the protest was still
restricted to a small activity by a group of young men who blocked the road
opposite the army post with burning tires.
It said troops manning the position informed the protestors that they were going
to remove the tires and reopen the road.
But the protestors responded by tossing stones and sticks at soldiers, wounding
one of them, according to the report. It said other rioters, meanwhile, tried to
unarm a trooper and attempted to climb on top of an armored vehicle. The army
then fired warning shots in the air to disperse the protestors, the report
added. It said it was at that point that shooting came from the neighboring
Shiyah district where army vehicles received several bullet riddles, prompting
troops to fire back.
Several people were wounded in the shooting, the report said. It said the
building where the shooting occurred is located in Shiyah and not at Ein el-Rummaneh
where it was originally thought. Meanwhile, the pro-opposition al-Akhbar
newspaper said Hizbullah and Amal movement were waiting for the results of the
investigation into Sunday's riots before announcing their stance regarding their
support for consensus presidential candidate army commander Gen. Michel
Suleiman.
The paper said Hizbullah and Amal would convey their stand to Arab League chief
Amr Moussa, who is expected to return to Beirut soon to resume efforts to
implement an Arab plan aimed at ending the prolonged political crisis. Moussa
has warned that "if blood spills over into the streets, chaos will prevail and
there will be different positions and many forces will interfere." The Arab
League chief put particular blame for the crisis on pro-Syrian groups in
Lebanon, saying they intentionally held up the elections with new demands.
Moussa also warned that an Arab leadership summit scheduled for March 28 in
Damascus might be put off if the Lebanese crisis remained unresolved. Military
police have begun investigations into Sunday's incidents that left eight people
killed in violent riots in Beirut's southern suburbs. The protests which began
in Mar Mikhael at 4 pm Sunday quickly spread to reach other areas of Beirut. A
security source said outcome of the investigation will be formally announced "so
that measures against the military institution as well as against those proven
to be involved in beyond-limit acts can be taken." Twenty-three suspects were
also being interrogated by the army in connection with Sunday's unrest. Beirut,
30 Jan 08, 09:14
Arabs Urged to Confront Iran in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon
Columnist Raghida Dargham on Friday urged Arabs to actively
counter Iran's mounting influence in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon.
Dargham's column was published by the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat under the
headline: "A chance for an Arab role to regain the missing balance in the
region."
"If the missing balance persisted, it would lead to Iraq's collapse," Dargham
wrote. "It is the Arabs' duty to have an immediate, direct and effective role
capable of … safeguarding Iraq's independence by achieving balance in Iraq's
politics," she wrote. "The Tehran and Maliki governments do not want an
effective Arab role in Iraq," she noted. She wrote that setting the Israeli-Arab
conflict is "not possible as long as Iran has such a strong regional power."
The problem in Iraq, according to Dargham, is "not only the future of the
American role, but also the future of the Iranian role. Safeguarding Iraq's
future requires a balanced regional environment and Arabs should remain a party
to it.""Iran trains, finances and supports militias in Iraq, Lebanon and
Palestine without admitting it … not with the aim of starting a thorough war.
"War requires a strategic decision, but battles resulting from backing Hizbullah
against the state of Lebanon, Hamas against the Palestinian Authority and the
Shiite militias in Iraq against balanced rule are tactical battles, the victims
of which are Arabs and not Iranians," she noted.
She concluded by urging the Arabs to adopt the "surprising decision of
immediately engaging all these issues with an active strategy. Beirut, 01 Feb
08, 14:28
Syria's Conditions Exceed Demands by Its Lebanese Allies
Syrian officials have informed Arab League Secretary General Amr
Moussa of conditions to facilitate a settlement to the Lebanese crisis that
exceed political demands expressed by their Lebanese allies, an-Nahar's Rosana
Boumounsef wrote Friday. In light of such conditions, according to Boumounsef, a
settlement to the ongoing crisis appears "impossible." She did not disclose the
nature of the reported Syrian conditions, however. The international community
has given the Arabs a chance to play a role aimed at putting an end to Lebanon's
crisis after its failure to impose "smart sanctions" on Syria for blocking a
settlement in Lebanon. Such smart sanctions, designed to target "specific
persons and their families," have been rejected by the Arabs who called for
postponing them pending success of their efforts to work out a settlement, the
article explained. However, Arab efforts have failed, so far, in working out a
settlement, which sheds light on Syria's ability to manipulate the Lebanese
situation, she concluded. Beirut, 01 Feb 08, 13:11
The General's Media and
Messages
Hassan Haydar
Al Hayat - 31/01/08//
Last Sunday's painful events in Southern Beirut may have plunged many political
parties into confusion, loss and embarrassment. But the Free Patriotic Movement
(FPM) led by former General Michel Aoun and its visual and print media stood as
a blatant example of political Machiavellism, which justifies the means no
matter how unjust and flagrant they are so long as they serve long-awaited
imperiled ends.
The citizens tuning in to the Orange Television or surfing the Movement's
website Sunday night could not miss the blatant provocation against the
residents of the very neighborhood the General claims to represent. The
General's site volunteered photographs of alleged 'snipers' on rooftops,
confirming in news flashes that the shots fired at protestors came from
positions behind the army's. i.e. from Ain Al Remmaneh and that the arrested
Lebanese Forces members were armed.
Even though these trumped-up facts did not withstand the truth that the army
divulged the following day and was totally overlooked by Hizbullah and Amal -
the very groups directly involved in the events - they provided moral cover for
a group of young men - some armed - who crossed the 'demarcation line' into Ain
Al Remmaneh, where they destroyed cars, attacked houses and injured residents.
Had the army not interfered to stop them, things would have escalated beyond
control.
A mere two days later, the same television described, in its news report, the
presidential candidate Commander Gen. Michel Sleiman as "a presidential casualty
in a critical situation." Herein lies the essence of the matter.
General Aoun, who - possibly influenced by his Khomeinist allies - swallowed the
bitter poison of General Sleiman for the presidency and reluctantly made
unconvincing statements claiming he was the first to nominate him before the
majority belatedly bowed to his desire, ascertains on every possible occasion
that he remains a 'ready' candidate and as such, will nominate himself again
should consensus on Sleiman's candidacy fade away. Last Sunday presented him
with a dubious opportunity he sought to take advantage of by all means and with
every possible "weapon" at hand. Although the sniping accusations leveled
against the Lebanese Forces could be seen as exculpating the army, they were
meant to imply that the army, in league with the Lebanese Forces and as thus
considered a biased party to the conflict, was not worthy of the 'dream post.'
Aoun did not shrink from using the troubles that befell the followers of his
Shiite ally to lash out against the candidate whom the Lebanese and Arabs have
unanimously endorsed - if only in appearance by some. Nor did he hesitate to
sacrifice the security of peaceful civilians who have no wish to be set back
thirty years to the days of the civil war if this would help push aside a
contender for the seat in Baabda. He did not even spare the army to whom he
constantly declares affiliation (or perhaps he meant the army's affiliation to
him).
As the army undertook to conduct a speedy and transparent investigation into
Sunday's events and to punish all the responsible parties, Aoun wasted no time
in issuing a statement urging citizens to "turn a blind eye to the rumors spread
by some media … and aimed at instigating strife." Would the retired General
start calling himself and his own media to account?
http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/01-2008/Article-20080131-d07363ee-c0a8-10ed-01dd-6f82953f51d3/story.html
An initiative on the brink
Dina Ezzat
Al-Ahram Weekly- 1/2/08
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/882/re33.htm
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa has made no announcement -- and maybe
no plans -- as to when he is going to Beirut for yet another round of mediation
to help conflicting Lebanese political factions select their president, form a
new government and draft a new legislative election law in a manner that will
accommodate the conflicting political views.
On Sunday, in the wake of a Lebanon focussed extraordinary meeting of Arab
foreign ministers at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League, Moussa seemed
unsure of his next step.
At this point it seems that it is all but useless for Moussa to return to Beirut
for another round of shuttle diplomacy. The ingredients for agreement among the
parties are still lacking, the secretary- general recognised in a press
conference following the ministerial meeting. However, Moussa, as he seemed to
acknowledge during the press conference, cannot afford to abandon the Lebanese
mediation at a time where violent confrontations are hitting Lebanon.
The Arab League secretary-general had just spent five days in Lebanon trying to
promote an agreement based on the text of an Arab initiative drafted in Cairo
earlier this month with the consent of the foreign ministers of Syria, Saudi
Arabia and Egypt the key Arab countries with direct involvement in the Lebanese
file. Moussa was unsuccessful.
A disagreement between the political majority camp, chaired by Lebanese Prime
Minister Fouad Al-Siniora, and the opposition, chaired by the widely popular and
influential Shia resistance group Hizbullah over the exact interpretation of the
text in relation to the share of the cabinet seats each camp is entitled to
blocked agreement.
In the eyes of the opposition, Moussa's reading of the text -- which seemed to
exclude equal shares for each camp -- was a clear sign of bias towards the
majority, supported not just by Egypt and Saudi Arabia but also by key Western
players, including the US and France in face of the opposition supported by
Syria and Iran.
According to the opposition press statements, neither Moussa nor the ministerial
meeting that convened on Sunday managed to offer a clear explanation of the text
that it finds "ambiguous". And according to the majority camp, it is out of the
question that it would agree to equal shares or that it would allow the
opposition one third plus one share of the cabinet seats on the basis that this
hijacks the ability of the government to administer state affairs.
Worse, the deliberations conducted on Sunday during and on the fringe of the
ministerial meeting show that text of the Arab initiative which was projected as
a breakthrough of Arab reconciliation does not mean one and the same thing for
those who drafted it.
Informed sources say that judging by the exchanges between Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid Al-Moallem and his Egyptian and Saudi counterparts Ahmed
Abul-Gheit and Saud Al-Faissal, the disagreement on government shares is bound
to block the overdue election of the Lebanese Army Chief Michel Suleiman as
president of Lebanon.
"The longer the vacancy at the seat of the president in Lebanon, the graver the
threats are for Lebanese security. This is something that [almost all] members
of the foreign ministers meeting agreed upon," said Al-Taiyb Louh, head of the
Algerian delegation to the ministerial meeting who co-chaired the session with
Moussa.
Sources say that firm Syrian opposition blocked a proposal jointly made by Egypt
and Saudi Arabia, with the consent of Moussa, to include a communiqué issued by
the Sunday ministerial meeting "demanding that the Lebanese parliament convene
on 11 February", the date suggested by Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih
Berri in the opposition camp to elect Suleiman and end a close to three-month
vacancy at the presidential seat.
"But there is a tentative agreement that Al-Moallem is taking back to Damascus
that this date is crucial," commented one Arab delegate who took part in the
meeting.
If this date is missed, Moussa all but warned at the Sunday press conference,
Arab countries will have to take a new and clear position.
Syrian officials in Cairo acknowledge the "firm interest" that the Saudis and
Egyptians showed in the selection of Suleiman by 11 February but they say that
"no dates are sacred". What is sacred, they argue, "is for Moussa to strike a
fair deal that accommodates the concerns of both parties on the basis of a
written set of guarantees."
The mere fact that Moussa is insisting on a deadline for the selection of the
Lebanese president and that he is sending direct and indirect messages to the
concerned political Lebanese players suggesting that he is "not going to be used
to prolong an endless tug of war" is already exerting some pressure.
The question, however, is whether or not such pressure is necessarily conducive
to a settlement or rather leading to the failure of the so-called Arab
initiative?
Syrian diplomats say that Damascus is not going to twist the arm of the Lebanese
opposition to agree on a deal that it finds unsatisfactory. They even insist
that Damascus is not in position to do this even if it wanted to. They add that
Cairo and Riyadh need to encourage the majority to show flexibility. But this
has already been pushed to the limit, according to sympathetic Arab sources.
"This is the main problem. The mood for a reconciliatory agreement is still
lacking in Lebanon," commented Moussa.
According to a report that Moussa presented to the Arab foreign ministers
regarding his five-day mission in Lebanon earlier in the month, the majority
camp was more open during the talks he held in Beirut. While Moussa made only an
implicit recognition of the flexibility of the Lebanese majority camp, he is now
viewed in a negative light by some of the leading opposition figures. As such,
it is useless for Moussa to go back to Lebanon unless a new political dynamism
is created.
Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Ben Jassim promised to use his good relations with
Damascus to encourage more Syrian support for flexibility by the Lebanese
opposition. For his part, the Omani Foreign Minister Youssef Ben Alawi has also
offered to intervene to start a serious effort to mediate a long rift between
the Saudi Monarch King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Many Arab diplomats say that for the Lebanese crisis to be resolved there has to
be an end to this Syrian-Saudi rift, blamed primarily on Assad's open criticism
of Abdullah and other Arab leaders and on the alleged involvement of Syria in
wrecking Lebanon's fragile inner peace with the assassination of Lebanese leader
Rafik Al-Hariri in February 2005.
The Saudi monarch and other top Arab leaders have indicated reluctance to attend
a regular annual Arab summit scheduled to be held and chaired by Syria in March
should the Lebanese crisis defy a resolution, especially in relation to the
election of a president.
Syria has indicated interest to avoid another wave of tension in its Arab
relations but has yet to show it will go the extra mile to rescue the Damascus
Summit either from cancellation or under- representation of Arab leaders.
"It is certainly in the interest of Lebanon to see a Syria-Saudi reconciliation
at least started. But this is not really the full answer," commented an informed
Arab diplomat. The answer, he argued, is in the ability of Moussa to bring about
not just a Syria-Saudi rapport but also to induce confidence between majority
and opposition leaders in Lebanon so that each side would not be skeptical that
the other is planning to hijack Lebanon either as a hostage of the US Middle
East plans or of Iran-Syria regional conflicts. So far, Moussa has given no
indication that this is a mission that he could deliver on.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Beirut's 'Bloody Sunday'
By: Lucy Fielder
Al-Ahram Weekly - 1/2/08
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/882/re32.htm
The killing of demonstrators in Beirut has thrown the army chief's presidential
candidacy into question. Lucy Fielder reports from Beirut
Two violent incidents jolted Lebanon from numbing political paralysis this week
and raised the ghosts of the past -- some from last year and others from the
more distant days of the civil war. Punctuating a two-month-old vacuum at the
presidential palace and an enduring standoff between the Western-backed
government and its Hizbullah-led opponents, the bombing and shooting of
protesters pushed Lebanon perilously close to the brink of chaos.
On Friday, a powerful car bomb beneath a flyover sent a wall of fire through
rush-hour traffic in eastern Beirut, killing top police investigator Wisam Eid
and at least three other people. Its timing showed a chilling disregard for
civilian life even compared to most of the other 30-odd attacks and
assassinations that have blighted Lebanon's past three years.
Just two days later, Beirut was shaken by events named "Bloody Sunday" by some
observers. It started with a string of protests against the capital's daily,
debilitating power cuts. Youths blocked roads with burning tyres in Chiah, an
area dominated by the Shia Amal opposition group at the start of the southern
suburbs. The army stepped in and chaos ensued. Then the shooting started and by
evening eight lay dead and at least 20 injured, mostly by bullet wounds. One of
the dead was hit by a car in the protests and a ninth man died of gunshot wounds
on Tuesday.
But who was firing? Television footage showed soldiers sheltering behind
military vans and pointing and firing at rooftops, apparently responding to
snipers obscured by the darkness. Others showed pictures of what appeared to be
gunmen in civilian clothes on overlooking roofs. Isolated rifle shots could be
heard, as opposed to the automatic rounds of the army.
But televised accounts of witnesses among the protesters and statements by the
opposition divide blame between the soldiers, who could be seen beating and
kicking some protesters live on air and snipers in nearby areas. Chiah and the
junction on which the Mar Mikhael Church stands border on the predominantly
Christian area of Ain Al-Roumaneh, where Christians attacked a busload of
Palestinians in 1975 in the incident that sparked the 15-year Civil War.
Lebanese media reported the arrest of several Lebanese Forces members in
connection with the sniper fire. Al-Akhbar quoted security sources as saying a
supporter of the right- wing Christian Lebanese Forces had been arrested with a
gun fitted with a scope and a magazine empty but for one bullet, and that he had
been in a location overlooking the confrontation. The police had not confirmed
these reports at the time of writing. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea denied
the reports, saying several LF members were rounded up along with scores of
protesters for possessing guns without a license.
Hizbullah officials have suggested they already know who is responsible for the
killings. "The army and judiciary are launching a joint investigation into the
fire," an army source said. Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora described the eight
protesters who died as "martyrs of all the nation" and declared an official day
of mourning.
Whatever the truth of Sunday's fateful events, analysts said it must be
uncovered promptly if disaster is to be averted. Exactly this time last year,
sectarian strife reared its head in two days of sectarian street-fighting. On
the second, at the Beirut Arab University, snipers were also reported, but the
culprits were never found and many felt the issue was dropped in the name of
civil peace. The pro-opposition daily Al-Akhbar said the opposition has made
clear this time it must be different. Army chief and official presidential
candidate General Michel Suleiman visited Amal leader and speaker of parliament
Nabih Berri and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the days after the
incident; both demanded a prompt and thorough investigation. Amnesty
International demanded an independent investigation, given the army's role as a
"possible source of lethal gunfire".
It is unclear where any of this leaves Suleiman's bid for the presidency, until
now in principle backed by both sides, unlike the distribution of seats in the
subsequent new government. Unless the Shia, the largest of Lebanon's many sects,
are satisfied that the army is holding a serious investigation, it seems the
long slog to find a head of state agreeable to both sides must start afresh.
Hizbullah has long viewed the army as an ally and it is generally praised as a
non-sectarian institution, with many Shia in its ranks. Sateh Noureddine wrote
in the leftist daily As-Safir that Suleiman was no longer acceptable to the
opposition, since the army no longer enjoyed its confidence. "This is the most
prominent signal that civil war is now inevitable," he wrote.
Omar Nashabe, a leading criminologist and justice editor for Al-Akhbar, said
there was pressure for genuine accountability from grassroots level as well. "I
don't know to what extent the Hizbullah and Amal leaders can control their own
streets when you have this many people shot at."
Nashabe said he had the impression the army had understood there could be no
whitewash. "They realise it and they're making a real effort. I think the
investigation will come up with results. If not then we're heading into a
deteriorating situation."
The government reaction to the unrest, which focused largely on criticism of the
method of protest, had criminalised the victims, Nashabe believed. A Hariri
statement, while expressing condolences, said citizens must not use protests
over living conditions as an excuse to "confront the army". Geagea said the
protests were not "impulsive and unplanned" and that the events that led to the
deaths were "not innocent", even if the protesters were.
Even if the demonstrators were violating the law, nothing justifies shooting at
them. Because of Lebanon's polarisation between the two camps any protest
against deteriorating living conditions in the country, including inflation and
the power cuts, has tended to be portrayed as against the ruling team.
"Prime Minister Siniora is acting as if half the population is his enemy, as if
the Shia community is his enemy," said Nashabe. Government money has poured into
policing and intelligence but not the antiquated judiciary, he added, hampering
the need for accountable, effective investigations.
The most high-profile victim of Friday's bombing, Eid, 31, headed the technical
department of a police intelligence unit close to Sunni parliamentary majority
leader Saad Al-Hariri, established after the latter's five-time premier father
was assassinated in 2005. Most analysts believed Eid knew too much for his
assassins' liking.
Eid's unit worked with a UN-led investigation into Rafik Al-Hariri's killing and
the chain of subsequent attacks, many of which have targeted anti- Syrian
politicians and journalists. Security analysts suggested an alternative possible
link between Eid's killing and an investigation into the Fatah Al-Islam militant
group that fought the army last summer in the northern Nahr Al-Bared refugee
camp. Army chief of operations François Al-Hajj, victim of the last
assassination in December, coordinated the Nahr Al-Bared battle.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Moussa and the Eyes of the "Apparatuses"
Zuheir Kseibati
Al Hayat - 31/01/08//
http://english.daralhayat.com/opinion/OPED/01-2008/Article-20080131-d07ab393-c0a8-10ed-01dd-6f82f3db8891/story.html
Before launching his second attempt in Beirut as part of his effort to convince
both parties to the conflict in Lebanon to start implementing the provisions of
the Arab initiative, the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa opted to send
a second message to whoever is interested in saving the country from collapse
and disintegration. This certainly is a message warning that the worse is yet to
come, especially after the bloody events of Sunday. As these events showed, it
was the Lebanese alone who paid the price in terms of more martyrs, more wounds
to the body of national unity, and intolerable pessimistic digging into the
memories of the past.
Obviously, the Secretary General, who is entrusted with Arabizing the solution
for the Lebanese and other parties, had no intention to stir panic, while the
outcomes of Sunday events still engulf the crisis in a manner that leaves no
room for building trust, defusing tension, reviving the disrupted dialogue, or
subduing the devils of details.
Moussa's first warning about a potential internationalization should the Arab
initiative fail was perceived to be no more than an attempt to impose pressure
on the majority and the opposition in Lebanon in the hope of pushing them to
implement the first provision of the initiative, that is, electing army
commander Michel Sleiman as president. However, his admission yesterday to being
helpless in "preventing international apparatuses from dealing with the Lebanese
situation if things fall apart" goes far beyond the exercise of semantic
pressures on domestic players. Although Moussa's words certainly do not
encourage foreign intervention under any pretext of internationalization, it is
now clear that none of the Lebanese players has the ability to anticipate the
nature of this internationalization, which will likely exceed the mere
possibility of just another Security Council resolution.
On the opposite end, if the Arab League initiative collapses, this will mean
neither Arabization nor internationalization. Consequently, Lebanon will turn
into an open field amidst the failure of the majority and the opposition to
agree on a homegrown Lebanese solution. This will ultimately mean that the
vacuum in Lebanon will have to be filled, leaving the Lebanese with nothing less
than the nightmare of war or more civil wars. At best, the country and its
entity will fall prey to despair and disintegration.
Meanwhile, Moussa's optimism about a "good" opportunity for the progress of the
Arab solution is limited by the crises of what he refers to as the Arab and
regional situation which may be replaced with some form of "normalization" in
Arab-Arab relations and the calming down of the regional conflict to a point
that may "neutralize" the Arab solution for Lebanon before the patterns of
collapse wipe out all of Lebanon's institutions. The Secretary General is aware
that literary meaning of "neutralization" is not absolute. For example, given
Iran's influence, its approval of Arabization requires the opposition's
acceptance of the Arab League's initiative as the last way out.
It is now clear that the prices paid in the bloody events of Sunday, especially
the lives lost regardless of their affiliation, have made the path of the
initiative even bumpier at a time when the outcomes of these events make
Arabization more pressing. They have also shaken the confidence in the army's
capacity to manage security until a solution emerges. Consequently, they make
the army appear helpless despite its victory in the battle of Nahr Al-Bared Camp
and its resilience in the face of all sorts of security tensions and pressures
since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
If the objective is to undermine the chances of General Michel Sleiman as a
consensus president which implies choking the Arab solution before its
implementation, even though Sleiman extends his hand to all in the hope of
saving the republic by reviving the dialogue, then whoever is sabotaging the
initiative and this consensus will not give in easily to Moussa's good
intentions or to the desire of the majority and the opposition to avoid the
abyss.
Just as the devil lies in the details, it may also lurk behind what could be
fifth and sixth columns which like everything else in Lebanon and as the
Sunday's painful events showed, cannot be unmasked or avoided as another cause
of division.
It is true that all sides in Lebanon were united in grieving the fallen martyrs
on Sunday, but the real lesson lies in having everyone convinced that utopian
solutions do not fit in the dictionary of real politics and that the "no victor,
no vanquished" equation is incompatible with the breeding of obsessions every
time the fire of crisis dies out.
It is not too late to listen to the warnings about the winds of
internationalization that may be no less costly than regional storms. The eyes
of "apparatuses" are open…and the wind gusts have not changed: cold as in Walid
Jumblat's call for a halfway solution along with an inevitable normalization
with Damascus; and hot as in Ahmedinejad's return to invoking the West's anger
at Iran every time he provokes Israel for a threatening response.
Where will the battlefield be if the Lebanese waste the opportunity of an
Arabized solution?