LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
July 11/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Matthew 10,7-15. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven
is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold
or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or
village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you
leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your
peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not
receive you or listen to your words--go outside that house or town and shake the
dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land
of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Interview with LF. MP, Antoine Zahra from
Nahernet 11/07/08
A Belt of Earthquakes from the South-By:Zuheir Kseibati 11/07/08
Interview with M. Walid Maalouf. iloubnan.info. 10/07/08
War on Iran!-By Huda al Husseini.Asharq Alawsat
10/07/08
Hizbullah rearming at dizzying pace.By HERB KEINON.
Jerusalem Post10/07/08
Irresponsible
Suleiman Frangieh's speeches. By:
Lawson Kass Hanna 10/07/08
WCCR Suspects Sinister Activities May Be Behind Recent
Earthquakes in Lebanon. By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. 10/07/08
Don't dismiss Aoun's 'big tent'
strategy-By Michael
Young 10/07/08
Lebanon's leaders make its
citizens ashamed to be Lebanese-
The Daily Star 10/07/08
Iranian ambiguity suggests
disagreement in Tehran-By
David Ignatius 10/07/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July
10/08
Army Deploys in Tripoli with Orders to 'Firmly Confront'
Troublemakers-Naharnet
Assad Doesn't Want to Make
a Military Comeback to Lebanon-Naharnet
Tripoli Mufti: The Army
Would Shoot at Sources of Fire-Naharnet
Berri's Mediation in the
Qanso Controversy-Naharnet
Zahra: Cabinet Would Be
Formed Thursday or Friday-Naharnet
Khalilzad: More Should be
Done to Disarm Militias in Lebanon-Naharnet
Saniora Discusses Lebanon,
Regional Issues with Saudi Ambassador-Naharnet
U.N. Sounds Alarm Over
Armed Presence, Use of Heavy Weapons in Lebanon-Naharnet
Muallem: Situation Could
Get Worse if Lebanon Remains Without Cabinet-Naharnet
Lebanese Man Uses Mom's
Funeral to Escape Jailers in Denmark-Naharnet
US Aid to Lebanon Continues in Wake of Power-Sharing Agreement-World
Politics Review
5 killed, 64 injured in sectarian clashes in N. Lebanon-Xinhua
Olmert wants US to sponsor Israel-Syria peace talks-Ha'aretz
Syria's foreign minister says US is not helping his country ...International
Herald Tribune
Two years after the Second Lebanon War, one soldier's recovery ...Ha'aretz
Jumblatt goes public with
intra-March 14 squabble-Daily
Star
Israel frets 'tripling' in
Hizbullah's rocket force-Daily
Star
Franjieh urges army to
fulfill duties in Tripoli-Daily
Star
Lebanese uses funeral to escape
Danish jailers-AFP
Iran asks UN to help free
nationals abducted here in 1982-Daily
Star
'Lebanon is in need of its
friends' - Sfeir in Australia-Daily
Star
Lebanon receives fewer
tourists up to May-Daily Star
Beirut posts dismal balance
of payments-Daily Star
Central Bank governor
defends Lebanese banks after Israeli citizens sue in US court-Daily
Star
Azour optimistic about GDP
growth prospects for 2008-Daily
Star
Syria calls off fees applied
to Arab travelers, Lebanese trucks-Daily
Star
Army steps in after Tripoli
clashes kill four-AFP
Italy, UNDP inaugurate olive
oil mill in Bakiffa-Daily Star
Regional magazine promotes
peace through poster design contest-Daily
Star
French scientist rules out
major earthquake-Daily Star
Activists descend on Ramlet
al-Baida to 'draw the line' against climate change-Daily
Star
Haigazian University, City
International School hold ceremonies for graduates-Daily
Star
Lebanon at forefront as
region shifts view on graphic design-Daily
Star
'Lebanon is in need of its friends' - Sfeir in Australia
Prelate urges expatriates to visit 'mother country'
Daily Star Arts & Culture editor
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said Lebanon was "in need of its
friends" during the third stop on his tour of Australia Wednesday. "Lebanon is
in need of its friends, and among them Australia, in order to promote democracy,
sovereignty, and respect for human rights," he told the congregation of the
Maronite Church of Brisbane and local Australian officials. The patriarch also
called on Lebanese in Australia to maintain their bonds to their "mother country
and to return always to Lebanon." During a news conference in Melbourne Tuesday,
Sfeir said foreign interference, "whether from neighboring states or states that
have interests in Lebanon," is preventing the speedy formation of a national
unity government.
"The situation in Lebanon has been abnormal for a quarter of a century due to
the interference of foreigners in the country's internal affairs," Sfeir said.
He said some Lebanese parties are seeking solutions to internal problems from
outside parties, adding that this "is a source of concern."
Sfeir expressed hope that the situation in Lebanon will improve and get back to
normal. Commenting on criticism of the Maronite Church, Sfeir said that people
were free to express their opinions. "Maybe they don't like our stances," he
said, but "we have always called for an independent, sovereign and free
Lebanon."
When asked about the Memorandum of Understanding between Hizbullah and the Free
Patriotic Movement signed in 2006, he declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the vice president of the Higher Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir
Qabalan, delivered a blistering message during his daily moral instruction at
the council's headquarters in Haret Hreik on Wednesday, describing Lebanon's
political elite as "corrupt" and "oppressive."
"It is up to the Lebanese people to stay rational, patient and wise and not to
be swept away by emotions or narrow interests," Qabalan said. "They must choose
qualified people of wisdom and reason that do not soil their hands with
wickedness and killing."
Qabalan also condemned the violence in Tripoli, calling the recent events
"inexcusable" and urging all Lebanese factions to respect the rule of law.
"We ask the prime minister to decide all matters and to be firm in the pursuit
of national affairs and hasten the formation of the government," he said.
"Tribalism is inadmissible to our hearts and religion," Qabalan added. Also on
Wednesday, Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah blamed the
political leadership for delaying the cabinet formation and said that in doing
so, they were ignoring the daily suffering of the people. His comments were made
during a meeting with a delegation from the Qatari Socialist Arab Baath Party.
In spite of the recent clashes, however, Fadlallah insisted that Lebanon "still
represents a sphere of stability in the region," because it had managed to stay
free from the "political polarization of many regional and international powers
that seek a place in which to pursue their own ambitions and interests." -
Agencies
Assad Doesn't Want to Make a Military Comeback to Lebanon
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country does not intend to make
a military comeback to Lebanon, pledging that an agreement on setting up
diplomatic ties could be discussed with the new cabinet in Beirut. Assad,
talking to correspondents of French-language newspapers, said Syria jails
"terrorists and those who had threatened national security." In answering a
question about Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails, Assad said: "Syrian law bans
collaboration with a side that is hostile to Syria." Some prisoners had
"collaborated with a Lebanese faction that had publicly urged the United States
to invade Syria."
Asked about the International Tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005
assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes, Assad said: "We
have no evidence about involvement by any Syrian citizen in this assassination
attempt." "If the tribunal is professional there should be no problem for Syria"
in cooperating with it, Assad said. However, he stressed that any cooperation
between Damascus and the tribunal should be based on a "treaty." Beirut, 10 Jul
08, 15:04
PSP: Alliance with Lebanese Forces a 'Pillar' of the Cedar
Revolution
Naharnet/The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) said Thursday its
alliance with the Lebanese Forces "would remain a pillar of the Cedar
revolution." The PSP's media department said in a release remarks made by party
leader Walid Jumblat at the Republican Palace on Wednesday aimed at facilitating
efforts to form the new cabinet. The statement said attempts to "manipulate"
Jumblat's remarks aim at "driving a wedge" in relations between majority forces.
Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 14:32
Tripoli Mufti: The Army Would Shoot at Sources of Fire
Naharnet/The Mufti of Tripoli and North Lebanon Sheikh Malek Shaar declared that
the army deployed Thursday "in all districts." He said the city, Lebanon's
second largest after the capital Beirut, is "calm and the population is
gradually retaining normal life." Talking to reporters in Tripoli after a series
of meetings with spiritual and political leaders, Sheikh Shaar blamed the recent
clashes on a "third party" that he did not identify. "There is no problem
between the two sides," the Mufti said in reference to the Sunni-populated Bab
Tabbaneh and the Alawite district of Baal Mohsen. Sheikh Shaar described the
army deployment as "serious this time." The decision to deploy the army with
orders to deal firmly and strongly with troublemakers was worked out by
President Michel Suleiman, Premier-designate Fouad Saniora and Mustaqbal
Movement leader Sheik Saad Hariri. "The army would open up at the sources of
fire," Sheikh Shaar said. Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 14:07
Army Deploys in Tripoli with Orders to 'Firmly Confront'
Troublemakers
Naharnet/The Lebanese Army on Thursday bolstered its troops in
Tripoli and deployed in the contested districts of Baal Mohsen and Bab Tabbaneh
with orders to "firmly confront" whoever sparks clashes. A communiqué released
by the army command also urged all factions to practice "self restraint and
refrain from responding to the sources of fire." It said tackling such
violations as opening fire would be handled by "the military forces." The
deployment plan, according to the communiqué, followed an agreement between
Tripoli's spiritual and political leaders to "immediately halt violations that
target security and safety of the population."
Armored personnel carriers with helmeted troops manning .50-caliber machine guns
rolled across the Syria street that separates the contested districts and
considered the main confrontation line. The force fanned across Bab Tabbaneh and
Baal Mohsen and soldiers were seen establishing control over rooftops in an
obvious effort to prevent snipers from returning to them. Gunmen disappeared
from the streets covered with a blanket of debris and glass shrapnel as
civilians emerged from basements and hideouts to inspect damage inflicted on
their property during the clashes that broke out Tuesday evening and persisted
until early Thursday. The confrontation has killed five people and wounded 64,
by police and hospital count.
Early in the day cautious lull prevailed over Tripoli as weary citizens waited
for the army and security forces to carry out a redeployment plan and halt
clashes.
The Mufti of Tripoli Sheikh Malek Shaar said a "decisive agreement" has been
reached with the approval of all factions for the army deployment in the Baal
Mohsen district. "The move is requested by representatives of Baal Mohsen,"
Shaar said. "When the army deploys in the area it would be responsible for
protecting it," Sheikh Shaar said. A ranking security official told Naharnet the
army deployment in Baal Mohsen would be a "major test."
Local reporters in Tripoli said the army maintained its deployment in Bab
Tabbaneh and some of its troops have been hit by sniper fire from Baal Mohsen.
Most of the wounded, according to police and local reporters, have been hit by
sniper fire from Baal Mohsen and were targeted in Tripoli districts far from the
confrontation line in Bab Tabbaneh. Tension was also reported overnight in
Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley. In Beirut's districts of Qasqas and Tariq
Jedideh residents set fire to rubber tires blocking traffic in protest against
the beating up of two Mustaqbal Movement partisans by AMAL members. In the Bekaa
town of Taalabaya, two people were wounded in a brief clash between Hizbullah
gunmen and Mustaqbal partisans. Army units contained acts of violence in the
Bekaa and Beirut, but tension remains high. Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 10:50
MP Zahra: The 'Resistance Problem' Awaits the Cabinet's
Policy Statement
By Dalia Nehme
Naharnet/
MP Antoine Zahra said any attempt by the Hizbullah-led minority to include the
"Resistance" in the new cabinet's policy statement would create a problem.
"We would obliged to demand the launching of national dialogue to tackle the
defense strategy and adopt what the Lebanese (factions) agree on (and include
it) in the policy statement," Zahra said in an interview with Naharnet.
Representation of the March 14 Christian factions in the cabinet, that Zahra
expects to be formed by no later than Friday, would be equal to the share of
Michel Aoun's Change and reform Bloc, he added.
"No one can claim achieving illusory victories," Zahra stressed.
The attempt by Hizbullah to nominate ministers from outside the party's
framework is a "maneuver that does not facilitate efforts to form the cabinet,"
he said.
"Cabinet seats are not awards" to be distributed to whoever took part "in the
invasion of Beirut," Zahra said in an apparent reference to Ali Qanso, former
chairman of the Syrian Social National Party (SSNP) who was nominated by
Hizbullah as minister of youth and sport.
Zahra said there is no problem between the Lebanese Forces, to which he belongs,
and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat "neither on cabinet
representation nor on political aspirations.""We understand Jumblat's stand. We
realize that he made the statement because he insists on being represented by a
Christian minister,"" Zahra added. "There would be no split within March
14 … the main and most important agenda is state building. We are all for this
agenda," Zahra added. Zahra concluded by saying the 2009 parliamentary elections
would "define Lebanon's political image." "That is why the March 14 forces have
no other option but to cooperate … with the aim of winning at least 70" of
parliament's 128 seats. "opinion polls indicate that March 14 forces would be
able to win the 70 seats," he added. "No one would take the risk of toppling
Lebanon … just to win an extra seat," Zahra concluded. Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 18:45
Berri's Mediation in the Qanso Controversy
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has promised President
Michel Suleiman to try settling the controversy over Hizbullah's nomination of
Ali Qanso, the former SSNP chief, to join the new cabinet as minister of youth
and sports. The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said Berri made the pledge during a
meeting with Suleiman at the Republican Palace on Wednesday. It quoted
opposition sources as saying Hizbullah could nominate its International
Relations official Nawaf Moussawi to replace Qanso, former leader of the Syrian
Social National Party. Saniora sources said Wednesday the premier-designate
vetoes Qanso in person for his role in the assault on Beirut last May and does
not mind participation by any other SSNP member in the cabinet. Beirut, 10 Jul
08, 13:09
Zahra: Cabinet Would Be Formed Thursday or Friday
MP Antoine Zahra said Thursday the cabinet would be formed "this
evening or tomorrow" and indicated that the Lebanese Forces would be partner to
the ruling authority. "We wouldn't say now which ministry we would hold," Zahra
said in a television interview. "We have no problems with the March 14 forces
and we would always be an integral component of this alliance," Zahra added. He
accused ex-MP Suleiman Franjieh of using his "family's blood in service of the
Syrian intelligence." Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 12:08
Khalilzad: More Should be Done to Disarm Militias in
Lebanon
Naharnet/U.S. representative to the United Nations Zalmay
Khalilzad has said more should be done in Lebanon to disarm militias, demarcate
borders with Syria and settle the Shebaa Farms issue. Khalilzad reiterated
Washington's support for efforts exerted by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
on the Shebaa Farms.
He also said Wednesday that the United States supports a memo sent to Ban by
Lebanese Premier Fouad Saniora requesting United Nations guardianship for the
Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms. Settling the controversy over demarcating the
Lebanese-Syrian borders is "important" for settling the Shebaa Farms issue,
Khalilzad noted. He also emphasized on the importance of creating the
international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier
Rafik Hariri and related crimes. The tribunal, Khalilzad said, would put an end
to political assassinations in Lebanon. Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 11:38
Saniora Discusses Lebanon, Regional Issues with Saudi
Ambassador
Premier-designate Fouad Saniora on Thursday discussed
developments in Lebanon and the Middle East with Saudi Ambassador Abdul Aziz
Khoja. The meeting was held upon Khoja's return from Saudi Arabia. A terse
statement released by Saniora's press office did not disclose further details.
Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 10:58
Lebanese Man Uses Mom's Funeral to Escape Jailers in
Denmark
Naharnet/A Lebanese man serving a long jail term in Denmark was
able to escape with the help of a crowd taking part in his mother's funeral,
which he had been given leave to attend, police said Wednesday. Hassan Mohammed
El-Souki, 30, who is serving 14 years behind bars for having helped smuggle 45.5
kilos of cocaine into Denmark, broke loose from the four police officers
accompanying him to his mother's funeral Tuesday in a Copenhagen suburb when
other participants created a commotion. Dozens of people had suddenly begun
running in the middle of the Muslim burial, creating so much confusion that
Souki managed to break free and dive into a waiting car with tinted windows and
no license plate before it roared off. "The escape seemed to be well-planned by
the prisoner's friends who squeezed in between him and the police officers and
threw stones at police as they tried to catch him," Copenhagen police officer
Jesper Simonsen told Agence France Presse. It "has not been ruled out that the
prisoner has managed to leave Denmark," despite the fact that border police were
quickly alerted to his escape and a nation-wide media campaign had been launched
to find him, he added. Souki, who was handed his sentence last December, was to
be permanently expelled from Denmark once he finished serving his term.(AFP)
U.N. Sounds Alarm Over Armed Presence, Use of Heavy Weapons in Lebanon
Naharnet/The United Nations political chief said Wednesday that the situation in
Lebanon remains "fairly fragile" despite the cessation of hostilities between
Israel and Hizbullah and warned about the presence of armed groups in the
country. "My main message today was that while the ceasefire has been holding,
there still is a lot of work there to do," Under-Secretary-General for Political
Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told reporters after he briefed the Security Council on
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's recent report on the implementation of
Resolution 1701 which ended the Israel-Hizbullah war in 2006.
Pascoe also noted that the deadly clashes in May between pro- and
anti-government gunmen, as well as fighting in the northern city of Tripoli on
Wednesday, were indications of the fragile nature of the situation in Lebanon.
"We would urge them to move as quickly as possible to fulfilling the
requirements of the Doha agreement," Pascoe said about the accord reached in
late May which helped break Lebanon's political deadlock by paving the way for
the election of a new president and the establishment of a national unity
cabinet. He said the use of heavy arms, which are banned by 1701, and the
closure of roads by armed elements undermine the implementation of the
resolution. The May clashes revealed the presence of heavy weapons in Lebanon
outside the control of the army, Pascoe said.
In his report, Ban expressed serious concern about the presence of "unidentified
armed elements" in the area of operations of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
along with restrictions on the Force's movement and the monitoring of its
operations.
In this regard, Pascoe welcomed President Michel Suleiman's efforts to move
forward with the disarmament of militias, a key element of 1701, and stressed
the need for neighboring countries and others to abide by the arms embargo
imposed by the resolution. On "the very important" Syrian-Lebanese relations,
Pascoe said he was encouraged by the indications that diplomatic ties could soon
be established. In addition, he lauded efforts by the Lebanese government to
increase security on the border. About a deal between Israel and Hizbullah to
swap prisoners, Pascoe said: "We are very pleased with the recent movement on
humanitarian aspects of 1701." "We call on all sides to faithfully carry out
those commitments," he added.
On Ban's indication in this report about his willingness to intensify efforts to
find a solution to the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area, Pascoe said: "The
question of ownership is one for the Security Council and the parties
concerned." "What we have said is that we will certainly intensify our efforts
on this but this is something that can't be imposed," he added. Meanwhile, U.S.
ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad reiterated the importance of the
international tribunal that would try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected
assassins. He said the court would "hold accountable" those who committed the
crime in Feb. 2005 and will help deter using assassinations as a way to promote
a political agenda.Khalilzad also said after the Security Council's closed-door
session that there were recently positive developments in Lebanon, including the
signing of the Doha accord, the election of President Michel Suleiman and the
nomination of Fouad Saniora as premier designate. But he stressed that more work
needed to be done to disarm militias, demarcate the border, stop arms smuggling
and find a solution to the Shebaa farms area and Ghajar.Khalilzad said it was
important to demarcate the border between Lebanon and Syria in order to solve
the Shebaa issue.
Beirut, 10 Jul 08, 06:46
Suleiman Rejects Hizbullah's Terror Label
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman rejected the United Kingdom's
decision to label Hizbullah's armed wing a terrorist organization and pledged to
work for "normal" relations with Syria. Suleiman, in an interview with France's
Magazine L'Express, said: "Whoever defends his land and liberates it from
occupation cannot be termed terrorist. I cannot accept this in any case."
Suleiman said he is "ready to work" for normal relations between Lebanon and
Syria within the "framework of joint respect for the sovereignty and borders of
each state."In answering a question about the indirect negotiations between
Syria and Israel, Suleiman said: "It is Syria's right to choose the type of
negotiations it wants.""If Syria achieved positive results in its indirect
negotiations with Israel that would reflect positively on the Arab-Israeli
conflict," he added. Beirut, 09 Jul 08, 09:19
Jumblatt goes public with intra-March 14 squabble
Democratic gathering chief warns Lebanese forces allies to rein in cabinet
demands
By Hussein Abdallah -Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 10, 2008
BEIRUT: Sharp differences emerged within the March 14 bloc over the distribution
of cabinet shares on Wednesday, as Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader MP
Walid Jumblatt insisted that his bloc had the right to more cabinet seats than
the Lebanese Forces (LF). Jumblatt was speaking after a meeting with President
Michel Sleiman at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.
"The Democratic Gathering bloc is made up of 17 lawmakers, while the Lebanese
Forces bloc is made up of four ... Proportional representation should be kept in
mind when distributing cabinet seats," he said. Jumblatt added that he wanted
his bloc to be represented by three ministers in the new cabinet - two Druze and
one Christian. Jumblatt said that one of his Druze ministers would be a
non-portfolio minister, thus allowing former MP Talal Arslan (Druze) to hold a
portfolio seat.
Arslan, the head of the opposition Lebanese Democratic Party, had been tipped by
Hizbullah to take part in the new cabinet.
Sources close to parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri told the Central
News Agency (CNA) on Wednesday that Hariri was in favor of giving Arslan a
portfolio. Hariri has repeatedly denied the existence of divisions within the
parliamentary majority camp over distributing portfolios in the new cabinet. But
Jumblatt's remarks on Wednesday seemed to confirm earlier reports about such
divisions. The reports first emerged earlier this week after Prime Minister
Fouad Siniora reached an agreement with the opposition regarding its shares in
the new cabinet. The differences in the parliamentary majority camp have
reportedly brought Hariri back to Beirut in an effort to mediate between the
different parties constituting the March 14 coalition.
Earlier news reports had said that Jumblatt, the LF, and caretaker Public Works
Minister Mohammad Safadi were at odds over who would get the public works
portfolio in the new cabinet. The reports said that Safadi wanted to stay in his
post while Jumblatt wanted to give the portfolio to caretaker Information
Minister Ghazi Aridi. The LF also reportedly wanted to get the ministry.News
reports on Wednesday said that Hariri had managed to sort out the differences
within the March 14 bloc. Hariri reportedly proposed giving the public works
portfolio to Aridi, the economy portfolio to Safadi, and the justice portfolio
to lawyer Ibrahim Najjar, who was reportedly tipped by LF leader Samir Geagea.
Future Movement MP Ammar Houri told The Daily Star on Wednesday that Hariri had
managed to sort out all differences in less than 48 hours. "There were no major
differences ... There were normal discussions and consultations within the March
14 bloc," he said. "It took Hariri no more than 30 hours to end the internal
discussions and come out with a final formula," he added. Houri stressed that
the main obstacle to the formation of the new cabinet was the opposition's
insistence on nominating former Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) chief Ali
Qanso to take part in the new cabinet. "Qanso was the head of the SSNP when his
party members invaded Beirut in early May ... His participation in the cabinet
is a clear provocation for many people," he said, referring to clashes between
opposition and pro-government gunmen that left at least 65 dead. A source close
to Siniora also told the CNA on Wednesday that the premier had already voiced
his reservations about nominating Qanso during his meeting with Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday.
"Siniora objected to Qanso's nomination and told Berri that he was open to
discuss any other name from the SSNP," the source said. Later on Wednesday, a
government source told The Daily Star that Siniora's main concern was to reach a
productive and harmonious government. "For this purpose, Siniora is ready to
deal positively with any nomination that contributes to reaching a harmonious
government," the source said. However, a source close to Berri who visited
Sleiman on Wednesday told The Daily Star that the Qanso issue was manufactured
by the parliamentary majority in a bid to deflect attention from the divisions
within the March 14 bloc. "There is no such thing as the Qanso obstacle ...
Berri and Hizbullah were very clear about nominating Qanso and there is no
reason for Siniora to have reservations about this issue," the source said.
"Qanso is Lebanese and so is his party ... We don't understand Siniora's
objection to his participation in the cabinet," the source added. "The truth is
that the March 14 Forces are still not done with working out their internal
differences and they want to blame someone for their failure to agree among each
other ... They want to make it seem as if the opposition is responsible for
delaying the formation of the government."
Meanwhile, Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc criticized on Wednesday
the delay in forming the new cabinet and said that it was putting pressure on
the Lebanese people. - Additional reporting by Nafez Qawas
Sleiman, Assad agree to meet in Paris
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman called his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad and
the two agreed to meet on the sidelines of the Union of the Mediterranean summit
that opens on Sunday in Paris, an official said on Wednesday. The two leaders
"have agreed to meet in Paris to continue discussions of issues of common
interest that had been the focus of ongoing consultations between them in recent
weeks," the official told AFP. "This includes developing a mechanism for the
return of brotherly relations between the two countries after statements from
both presidents expressing the willingness to establish diplomatic relations
between Lebanon and Syria," the official added. Sleiman, accompanied by Foreign
Minister Fawzi Salloukh, heads to Paris on Saturday where he will meet French
President Nicolas Sarkozy and also Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.In an
interview published on Tuesday on the website of the weekly l'Express, Sleiman
had expressed "willingness to work" toward the normalization of relations
between Beirut and Damascus and the establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two countries.
"I am willing to work for [positive relations] within the framework of mutual
respect for sovereignty and borders of each country," he said.
Relations between Syria and Lebanon have been tense since the forced withdrawal
of Syria's troops from the country in April 2005 after the assassination of
former Premier Rafik Hariri. Syria has been widely blamed for the killing but
denies any involvement. - AFP
Don't dismiss Aoun's 'big tent' strategy
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff-Thursday, July 10, 2008
It is easy to dismiss the National Christian Gathering established last week as
largely an assemblage of pro-Syrian politicians, has-beens, and never-beens. In
fact launching the group was a shrewd move by Michel Aoun, one the March 14
majority will regret not having done first. The gathering reflects a realistic
reading by Aoun of his political prospects in next year's elections. The general
knows that the days of bringing into Parliament a large bloc of yes-men are over
and that he must, therefore, ally himself with politicians having a power base
in those districts where he competes. The Christian gathering is Aoun's way of
compensating. By bringing those politicians into his "big tent," the general
turns himself into the godfather of a broad Christian coalition, one that is
likely to win a majority of seats in Baabda, Metn, Kisirwan and Jbeil, and
perhaps even in Zahleh and the mainly Christian voting district in Beirut.
For those Christian politicians who did not benefit from the post-2005 order,
Aoun's gathering is their ticket back into the system. They gain from riding
Aoun's coattails, and he gains from their willingness to defer to him as the
most potent of Christian leaders. Aoun may have lost the presidency through his
own blunders, but his fallback plan is to be the president of the Christians,
and there he might well succeed.
The Christian Gathering benefits from something else as well. It brings together
certifiable electoral favorites. The Tashnak Party will give Aoun substantial
weight in the Metn, which is why Michel Murr may have no alternative but to
reach some sort of an understanding with Aoun and the Armenians. In Zghorta,
Suleiman Franjieh is guaranteed of winning at least two of the constituency's
three seats, and the likelihood of a sweep is high. In Zahleh, Elie Skaff is
vulnerable, but the fact that he has been handed the Agriculture Ministry, which
will allow him to dispense patronage in his mostly agricultural constituency,
like the fact that there will be voters who will side with Skaff to avoid ceding
too much weight to the sizeable Sunni electorate around Zahleh, will play to his
advantage.
As for the Baabda constituency, like the one in Jbeil, there Aoun will benefit
from the unified Shiite vote controlled by Hizbullah. The general may decide to
back some candidates close to the president, Michel Suleiman, but they will owe
their election to Aoun.
Then there is the fact that Aoun's new gathering, while it contains prominent
pro-Syrians, also includes individuals who opposed Syria. For every Michel
Samaha you have a Shakib Qortbawi, for every Suleiman Franjieh and Elie Ferzli
you have a Farid al-Khazen and a Pierre Dakkash; and while Fares Boueiz may not
be what he was when his father-in-law, Elias Hrawi, was president, he was among
the few parliamentarians who voted against an extension of Emile Lahoud's
mandate, and he was on hand at the Hariri residence on February 14, 2005, when
the opposition at the time read its bill of indictment against Syria and the
Lebanese government following Rafik Hariri's assassination.
Those of us who prematurely wrote Aoun off as a Christian force are being forced
to backtrack. The general has been destructive; he has foolishly alienated the
Sunni community when doing the contrary would have almost certainly guaranteed
his election as president; he has built up a strategic relationship with a
party, Hizbullah, that is the greatest single threat to the sovereignty of the
state that the Lebanese have ever known; yet Aoun has endured because, while he
has lost ground within the Christian community, many of his coreligionists, even
when they don't care for the general, tend to think like him and have gone along
with him whenever he has vented their frustrations with the post-Taif order.
This is where March 14 comes in. The parliamentary majority lost the Christians
because of the quadripartite agreement of 2005, but has done nothing since then
to make up for that loss. When the Christians see Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt,
they see two men who have absolute control over constituencies in which the
Christian representatives are picked by them. The same applies to predominantly
Shiite areas, but for some reason today the Christians have a blind eye when it
comes to Hizbullah. This control by Hariri and Jumblatt bothers the Christians
to no end, because it only confirms their decline and speaks to a type of
leadership alien to Lebanese politics. Before 1975, even the most powerful
leaders rarely controlled blocs larger than a dozen odd parliamentarians.
Jumblatt, who knows his Lebanese history better than most, may already be
recalculating his options for 2009. He has written Baabda off to Aoun, though
Jumblatt will retain his control over the Chouf and Aley. But even in Aley
Jumblatt may have to give up a seat, perhaps even two, to his Druze rival Talal
Arslan. In the Chouf, Jumblatt will surely win, since Druze and Sunni voters
together make up two-thirds of the electorate. But in 2005 the Aounist candidate
Mario Aoun won almost all the Christian votes, an ominous warning sign for the
Druze leader.
As Jumblatt looks around him, as he surveys Christian attitudes in the Chouf, as
he sees the Christians of Baabda perhaps heading Aoun's way once again, and as
he sees Hizbullah pining to clip his wings, he may have no choice but to improve
his relations with the Christians. Jumblatt needs them as a counterbalance to
Hizbullah, but he also needs to prepare, as some observers have remarked, for
the possibility that electoral districts will be redrawn to his disadvantage by
a new Parliament. In that context, we shouldn't be surprised that Jumblatt, if
he reckons that Aoun is here to stay, takes a more conciliatory attitude toward
the general.
That leaves Saad Hariri. The way electoral districts are drawn under the 1960
law, the Sunni leader will not affect the fate of Christian candidates in the
way he did in 2005. By and large the election will be one where Aoun has less
latitude to rally Christians against Hariri and the Sunnis. However, that should
not be an excuse for the Future Movement, and for March 14 in general, to fail
to adopt a more creative strategy when it comes to the Christians. If the
majority wants its candidates to be elected next year, it must begin working now
on bolstering a credible coalition of Christian politicians, legitimate ones,
who can either stand their ground against Aoun or force him into concluding
electoral alliances with them.
These Christian politicians need to be viewed by their community as independent,
they need to talk about those issues that most concern Christians, they need to
begin coordinating on an election strategy now, and they need to spend money and
distribute patronage, which Aoun has been far more adept at doing. But being a
favorite brings with it liabilities: Aoun is bound to disappoint some of those
who see him as their path to an election victory. In that case, there is no
reason why the March 14 Christians could not turn the tables on Aoun and do what
he has done: pick up those people whom the general will have failed to satisfy.
Until such a scheme takes shape, Aoun holds the upper hand. March 14 has
fashioned no serious agenda to which Christians are attracted, and if it cannot
do so by election time, then some of its more pragmatic leaders might decide
that if Aoun is what you get, then just work with Michel Aoun.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Lebanon's leaders make its citizens ashamed to be Lebanese
By The Daily Star
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Only a few decades ago, Lebanese citizens were able to declare their nationality
with a sense of pride, knowing that their country had gained worldwide acclaim
as the "Switzerland of the Middle East" with a thriving capital hailed as the
"Paris" of this region. But the new generation of Lebanese are unfortunately not
as lucky. They have to contend with a different set of unflattering images that
have become closely associated with their homeland: war, conflict, crisis,
deadlock, power vacuums, anarchy, lawlessness, stagnation, brain drain and
economic decline, among others. Although millions of Lebanese have had to cope
with the inevitable embarrassment that these negative images cause in social
situations, the bulk of the blame for the prevailing state of affairs rests with
a very small group of individuals: Lebanon's reckless political class.
In recent weeks, the country's political leaders have demonstrated that there is
no limit to the extent to which they can mortify their fellow citizens. Take
their absurd power struggle over the portfolios in the new cabinet: Many of them
have gone on record demanding this or that post or insisting on a minimum number
of ministers, but none of them has given any indication whatsoever about what
they might do with those portfolios. Instead, our leading politicians, many of
whom inherited their power, seem to believe that everyone will agree that they
are fully justified in their own destructive sense of entitlement.
What's most frustrating about the most recent episode of careless governance is
that it comes at a time when Lebanon could be cashing in on unprecedented
opportunities. The Doha Accord served to restore the confidence of foreign
tourists, who would probably come in even greater numbers if they had reason to
believe that the agreement won't be sabotaged by its authors. The region is
awash with petrodollars and investors who would love to put their money in
Lebanon - if only they had some reassuring signs of stability and responsibility
in Beirut.
It is easy to imagine how Lebanon could be restored to its days of glory if it
had politicians who put the interests of the nation above those of their own.
Instead, we have a crop of leaders who make us ashamed to be Lebanese
Iranian ambiguity suggests disagreement in Tehran
By David Ignatius -Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Even in midsummer, Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, wears the
three-piece suit of a traditional diplomat. But faithful to the dress code of
the Iranian revolution, he doesn't wear a necktie. That mix of symbols is a good
snapshot of Iran's foreign policy these days.
The Iranians are signaling that they want talks with the West - and even hinting
that they are ready for a serious dialogue with the Great Satan in Washington.
But even as they talk of engagement, they remain wary of it. The Iranians are
almost coquettish: They like being wooed, and they enjoy being at the center of
attention, but they aren't quite ready to say yes.
This pattern of mixed messages deepened last weekend, as Mottaki refused to give
a yes or no answer to a new proposal for talks on the Iranian nuclear issue. The
foreign minister had raised hopes last week that Iran might respond positively
to a plan by the United States and the other permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council, whereby Iran would agree not to expand its nuclear
program and the US and its partners would agree not to impose additional
sanctions - as a prelude to negotiations.
But in a three-page letter to Javier Solana, the European Union's top diplomat,
Mottaki offered only a noncommittal "generic response" to the
"freeze-for-freeze" proposal, according to one person who read the letter. To
clarify the situation, a meeting between Solana and Iran's nuclear negotiator,
Saeed Jalili, is planned for later this month.
What course is Iran pursuing? The leaders themselves probably aren't sure. But
there is a lively debate in Tehran, with hard-liners arguing that the West is
weak and Iran should refuse any compromises, and a more pragmatic faction
contending that now is the time for Iran to come to the table and consolidate
its gains. This debate is surfacing in the Iranian press and in some statements
by senior officials, according to an analysis by the "Persia House" group at the
consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton: They note "a widening rift between camps
within the governing elite, as well as popular support for compromise."
Mottaki offered a glimpse of Iran's thinking during an interview in New York
last week and a subsequent meeting with a group of reporters. Running through
his remarks was a self-confidence that Iran is up in the Middle East while its
adversaries, the United States and Israel, are down.
"There was a day when the passage of a US warship offshore could change
governments - that's how much people feared the United States," he told me.
"Today, America has 150,000 troops in Iraq and it is unable to provide security
for Iraqis, or even for its own forces."
The Iranian diplomat discounted the threat of US or Israeli military action.
Talk of an American attack was just "psychological warfare," he said. As for
Israel, after its difficulties in the 2006 Lebanon war, "the chance that the
Israeli government will attack the region again is almost nil," he told the
journalists. Paradoxically, perhaps, the Iranians trust American rationality -
and are convinced it would be folly for the Bush administration to attack Iran
when so many US troops are vulnerable in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When I pressed Mottaki how Iran would respond if the next president proposed a
broad diplomatic dialogue, he was cautious. He said that as a former Iranian
ambassador to Japan, he had come to respect the Japanese approach of navigating
unknown waters carefully. There is enormous mistrust between Iran and America,
he said, so it is important to be realistic about what diplomacy can accomplish.
Some Iranian moderates have told me they would like to see a broad strategic
dialogue between the two countries, similar to Henry Kissinger's breakthrough
conversations with the Chinese in 1971. But Mottaki cautioned that, while it was
easy to say "let's sit down and talk about everything," that approach might
produce a diplomatic version of tarouf - an Iranian expression for the ritual
politeness in which people say things just to be nice. He seemed to prefer a
process in which the two sides would initially discuss one or two pressing
issues and, if they made progress, move on to a broader dialogue.
"The first word that diplomats are taught is compromise," Mottaki said at one
point.
But for a proud, prickly and supremely confident Iran, the first word right now
seems to be "maybe." Learning the language of "yes" will take a long while.
**Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR
WCCR Suspects “Sinister Activities” May Be Behind Recent
Earthquakes in Lebanon W. Thomas Smith Jr.
08 Jul 2008
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
The World Council of the Cedars Revolution (WCCR) has just issued a statement
calling on the United Nations to “ascertain the causes” of literally hundreds of
earthquakes which have occurred in southern Lebanon over the past few months.
According to the WCCR’s statement:
“The occurrences of the earthquakes which have rocked southern Lebanon and in
particular the region which is set between south of the Litani River and the
city of Tyre and which has suffered several hundreds of such earth movements
over the last three months with a Richter Scale rating of between two and three
degrees.”
A couple of quick calls to the U.S. Geological Survey and a search of the USGS’s
global earthquake tracking map reveal only one reported earthquake — one
registering 3.1 — which occurred in the Lebanon-Syria area on July 2. However,
quake-like rumblings have been recently and frequently reported by Lebanese
citizens in the region south of the Litani River: some of those quakes
reportedly damaging buildings and bridges — in some cases, “the destruction of
homes” — and forcing frightened residents to sleep outside of their homes at
night.
Leaders within the worldwide Lebanese diaspora are now questioning whether the
earthquakes are natural occurrences or man-made.
The area in question is under control of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) and as such, the WCCR has presented the following three
requests to the secretary general of the UN Security Council:
1) To determine as a matter of fact that these earth movements are a result of
geological activities and are not man made.
2) To determine as a matter of fact that Hezbollah or any other force active in
the area, are not carrying out any excavations for tunnels and or storage areas
which are taking place under the disguise of what might be perceived to be
earthquakes.
3) To determine as a matter of fact that this region is not being subject, as
rumours would indicate, that there could be the carrying out of nuclear testing
by Iran who might view this to be a safe haven for such developments.
The statement continues:
“The World Council of the Cedars Revolution wants to ensure that the civil
society throughout Lebanon whose primary concern is to call on the Secretary
General of the UNSC to take this matter seriously and employ whatever is
required to ascertain that the lives of the people of this region and their
homes and properties are not subjected to such dangers; and that this region
will not become a field of new and dangerous operations which will cause
devastation, displacement of residents and an increase in their sufferings.”
After receiving the statement, I spoke with Col. Charbel Barakat (Lebanese Army,
ret.), a former infantry brigade commander who today serves as senior security
advisor to the WCCR and directs the WCCR’s office of counterterrorism.
Barakat tells me:
“There was one measuring at least 3.5, last night [Monday, July 7]. It seems
more than strange that 850-plus earthquakes over a three-month period occurring
nearly every day in a specific area of the country.
“If you look at what Hezbollah did — in terms of preparation — before the 2006
war, it seems as if they might be preparing tunnels, perhaps underground
warehouses, even an entire city. Nobody knows. Or they could be testing
explosive devices.”
With the exception of brave news outlets like Lebanon’s Future News (which was
directly targeted by Hezbollah and its allies during the May terrorist attacks)
and a few others, there has been very little coverage of this story; almost none
in the Western media.
“They [Hezbollah] are buying everybody [in Lebanon],” says Barakat. “They have
enough money and enough power.”
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.
War on Iran!
By Huda al Husseini
10/07/2008 -Asharq Alawsat
Negotiations are taking place. Whether this is happening directly or indirectly
is unimportant; the fact that there are negotiations is what is important here
and that the process is being facilitated. Syria is holding talks with Israel
via Turkey and Hezbollah is negotiating with Israel via Germany. It is as though
the presence of a mediator cancels out the idea that these are negotiations.
A few years ago, a female friend of mine who owned an expensive clothes shop in
Beirut told me about the sister of a senior cleric. She said that this woman
would browse in her shop every week with a female associate who, when they
finished shopping, would pay the total amount for the items in cash. The reason
was that the cleric’s sister refused to touch money with her hands…even though
she wore expensive clothes.
The state of today’s negotiations is similar to the situation in which the July
war [in Lebanon] took place. The first war was launched to divert attention away
from the Iranian nuclear issue and today a deal is being reached in light of
increasing talk about a potential war on Iran. The question however is: How can
Israel, which is negotiating with Iran’s allies, namely Syria, Hezbollah and
Hamas, launch a war against Iran? In addition, Israel abandoned a position that
it has always maintained as a pretext so as not to release Palestinian prisoners
such as Marwan Barghouti by stating that the prisoners’ hands are stained with
the blood of Israeli civilians. In the latest deal, Israel decided to release
Samir Kuntar who is deemed a hero by Hezbollah. In 1979, Kuntar shot dead an
Israeli man in front of his four-year-old daughter and then smashed her head on
a rock killing her. In their hideout, the mother tried to prevent the younger
daughter from crying [so as not to reveal their whereabouts] but accidentally
suffocated her to death.
As the deal was announced, Hezbollah stated that its terms had remained the same
as when it captured the two Israeli soldiers and killed eight. Therefore, the
party’s supporters considered the deal a second victory. However, in reality,
the price of this deal to release Samir Kuntar was a destructive war for Lebanon
that resulted in 1200 casualties and caused the destruction and paralysis of the
Lebanese state. Due to the fact that the party failed to translate its military
victory into a political one, its war was launched against the Lebanese state
and all its institutions.
This war led Syria to resume its negotiations with Israel, which was previously
accused of assassinating Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s military leader in
Damascus. Although Syria promised to conduct an investigation into the
assassination and reveal the identity of the perpetrators within one week of the
killing, silence still reigns and Hezbollah has not insisted upon pursuing the
assassins and seeking its revenge upon those who are responsible in the way that
it did when the Lebanese army was gradually lured in to confront demonstrators
who protested the power cut in Chiyah - Ain al Rumanneh where nine people were
killed. The investigation failed to reveal who was first to open fire; however,
it was later announced that four officers had been detained as part of an
investigation. Since then, military activity has been somewhat crippled.
At the time when the terms of the exchange deal were concluded, confrontation
escalated between Israel and Iran. The Americans leaked information about 100
Israeli warplanes that took part in a military exercise in cooperation with
Greece over the Mediterranean Sea as part of training for an attack against
Iranian nuclear installations knowing that to carry out the attack Israel needs
American cruise missiles, strategic bombs and coordination with Washington.
In response to this, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC), General Mohammad Ali Jafari warned Israel against attacking Iran because
the Hebrew state “is located within the reach of Iranian missiles.” He also
indicated opening up Lebanon’s southern frontier.
Yet these statements did not prevent Israel from striking a deal with Hezbollah.
The mutual threats also did not prevent Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Muallem
from heading to Paris in preparation for President Bashar al Assad’s upcoming
visit or from allowing an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team to
carry out an inspection at the location of the Israeli raid that took place July
6, 2007. Syria did not seem to be too eager about its sovereignty on this
matter. Walid al Muallem said Syria would not have allowed inspectors into the
country if Syria had a nuclear program. However, a lot of information is being
divulged about this installation ranging between a VX nerve gas plant and an
arsenal for Iranian nuclear weapons. However, even more dangerous is the rumour
that the Syrians leaked information to the Israelis through a Turkish mediator
about the presence of this installation, which explains the lack of reaction to
it or the silence that surrounds it just as it explains the continuation of
Israeli-Syrian negotiations.
Since a settlement was reached in Israel between the Labor and Kadima parties, a
major obstacle that threatened these negotiations had been removed. The French
then asserted to Damascus that the Likud party was in support of a peace
agreement with Syria. The objective of the negotiations is to come to an
agreement and the outcome of the agreement will be the distancing of Syria from
Iran.
Everybody expects that Iranian opposition to these negotiations would be the
main obstacle. However, if Damascus was given the necessary guarantees for the
possibility of achieving peace and the ensuing financial and economical
obligations, it would begin to take measures in Lebanon regarding Hezbollah's
activities.
The prisoner deal exchange with Israel will not give Hezbollah the security that
it hopes for. In an interview by the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar television
station about the absence of a resistance in the Golan Heights region conducted
on June 25, Syrian Vice President Farouk al Shara said, “There is a military
agreement between us and Israel to separate the forces in the Golan Heights. If
Hezbollah did say that Syria that does not engage in resistance and does not
open the door to resistance in the Golan Heights, we would take this seriously.
As for those who criticize Syria on this subject, they do not want resistance in
the first place.”
It was noticeable that the pro-Hezbollah Al Akhbar and As-Safir newspapers
dropped these comments made by al Shara [in their reports]. Hezbollah would not
dare present these words as it knows how sensitive its relations with Syria are
and knows which of the two sides is stronger. Therefore, in the last speech he
delivered, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah did not hesitate
to announce his explicit affiliation to Waliyat-e-Faqih (Guardianship of the
Islamic Jurists) in Iran.
The continuation of Israeli-Syrian negotiations and the deal that was reached
between Hezbollah and Israel increase pressure on Iran regarding its nuclear
file and it will seek to alleviate these pressures in Lebanon. There are two
matters that should be considered in this regard:
In an article published in The New Yorker, Seymour Hersh wrote that American
President George W. Bush secretly signed a document to carry out operations
inside Iran to destroy its nuclear program and government so as to facilitate
regime change. Since this was a covert decision, it could not have been leaked
if the administration did not intend so in order to increase pressure on Iran.
Unless no major security violation is committed by Iran, psychological warfare
against it will escalate.
The second issue is that former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel revealed
recently that there are military surveillance posts belonging to the
“resistance” in the mountainous region of Sannine [Lebanon]. It took Hezbollah
over three days to deny this but those who know the party well in Lebanon assert
that Hezbollah is extending outside the Shia regions and trying to control
Keserwan and Bekaa Valley, which overlook the Druze, Sunni and Christian
regions. What further confirmed this was Hezbollah’s attempt during the last 7
July conflicts to have control over the 888 Hill in Aley overlooking all
crossings that lead to the southern suburbs. It also tried to take over Niha and
Al Barouk which would force Al Mukhtara, a stronghold of the Druze leader Walid
Jumblatt, to be at the mercy of Hezbollah’s weapons. In addition, Hezbollah’s
refusal to discuss the issue of its arms, even if Israel and Syria restored the
Shebaa Farms to Lebanon, will force the remaining parties to arm themselves.
Lebanon will not be able to disarm Hezbollah and Hezbollah will not be able to
defeat Lebanon completely. By surpassing its regions, Hezbollah might push
towards igniting a civil war.
The problem, which may result from recent developments, lies in the possibility
of Lebanon falling into the Syrian trap, that is, for rescuing it from Iranian
control. To prevent the eruption of a civil war, the world is handing back the
reins of power in Lebanon to Syria.
'Hizbullah rearming at dizzying pace'
By HERB KEINON
There are some 2,500 non-uniformed Hizbullah fighters in southern Lebanon, and
the organization has trebled its pre-war missile arsenal, government sources
said Wednesday following a security cabinet meeting on Hizbullah's current
strength and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Hizbullah operatives carry their weapons as they walk in Halta village in
southern Lebanon [file].
Photo: AP
Slideshow: Pictures of the week According to the sources, Hizbullah today has
some 40,000 short and medium-range missiles inside Lebanon, and UN Security
Council Resolution 1701 - the resolution that put an end to the Second Lebanon
War and provided an expanded mandate for UNIFIL - has been completely
ineffective in stopping arms from pouring in to Hizbullah from Syria.
The vast majority of the missiles are north of the Litani river, but can still
"blanket" the northern part of Israel, the sources said.
The security cabinet meeting came as the government is apparently trying to
place the implementation of 1701 back on the international agenda.
The ministers heard three hours of briefings from Military Intelligence, Mossad
and General Security Services representatives, before the meeting was cut short
to enable the ministers to attend debates in the Knesset. The security cabinet
discussion, which had been planned for a number of weeks, is scheduled to
continue in the coming weeks.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni raised the failure to implement 1701 on Tuesday
with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, whose country currently
commands the UNIFIL forces.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak also joined the fray, and called French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner Tuesday night to discuss the issue. He said he plans
to bring the matter up with other European foreign ministers before the upcoming
Mediterranean Union meeting in Paris on Sunday, which Syrian President Bashar
Assad, as well as the new Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, are scheduled to
attend.
Barak, according to a statement put out by his office, told Kouchner that
"Israel will not be able to accept the ongoing and growing undercutting of UN
Security Council Resolution 1701, which is not being implemented, and the
continued smuggling of all types of weapons into Lebanon, upsetting the delicate
balance along Israel's northern border."
Barak told Kouchner that Israel expected him to act to halt the transfer of arms
from Syria to Hizbullah, adding that the UNIFIL force operating in Lebanon must
increase its efforts against Hizbullah's growing armament and fortification.
Israeli diplomatic sources, however, said they doubted French President Nicolas
Sarkozy would place much pressure on Assad over this matter at their scheduled
meeting in Paris on Saturday, because Europe is presently "hugging Assad, not
scolding him."
The sources denied, however, that the Israeli government's sudden public surge
of attention on 1701 had to do with Saturday's second anniversary of the Second
Lebanon War, and an interest in showing activity on the issue amid what is
expected to be a wave of media reports over the weekend looking at the situation
in Lebanon two years after the war.
"There is a serious objective problem," one official said. "The problem is
real." Meanwhile, CIA Director Michael Hayden said in an interview with
Bloomberg that Hizbullah may not be willing to attack American interests and
provoke a global fight in retaliation for a US or Israeli strike aimed at
disabling Iranian nuclear facilities.
If Iran were attacked and pressured Hizbullah to retaliate, the group may be
especially reluctant to disrupt international oil supplies for fear of
triggering a backlash, Hayden said.
A strike at oil would be "the terrorists' equivalent of the nuclear weapon" and
also would impact many other nations besides the US, said Hayden, 63, a retired
Air Force General.
Hayden said Hizbullah would need to weigh whether any action it took against the
US would involve it in a war. "Is it in Hizbullah's interest to become involved
in a global war against the United States of America? That's a question to be
answered."
However, Hayden said, Hizbullah may be less reluctant to strike at Israeli
targets. The costs of an attack on US interests, he said, "are different than
Hizbullah operating against Israel."
*Bloomberg contributed to this report.
Olmert wants U.S. to sponsor Israel-Syria talks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wants to get the United States involved in the
negotiations between Israel and Syria, to persuade President Bashar Assad to
advance to direct talks. The U.S. has not been willing until now to become
involved, but Olmert said during a Tuesday morning meeting with Italian Foreign
minister Franco Frattini that he can persuade President George W. Bush to
sponsor the talks.
Frattini recounted conversations with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Moallem, and
shared his impression that the Syrians are pleased with the negotiations with
Israel. However, Frattini told Olmert he is skeptical that progress is possible
in view of Assad's statements in an interview this week with a French newspaper.
Assad told Le Figaro that he does not think Syria will enter direct talks with
Israel before the end of Bush's term in the White House. "The most important
thing in direct negotiations is who sponsors them," Assad said. "Frankly, we do
not think that the current American administration is capable of making peace.
It doesn't have either the will or the vision, and only has a few months left."
Assad added that the next U.S. president will play an important role in peace
talks with Israel.
Olmert told Frattini that he thinks Assad is underestimating Bush, and that he
can get the current administration on board as a partner and sponsor for the
talks. The prime minister emphasized that his own intensions are serious. "The
Syrians need to know that now is the time to move forward. There is no reason to
wait for anything," he said.
Next Sunday, Olmert and Assad will sit at the same table at the Mediterranean
Union summit in Paris, an initiative of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
However, at this stage they are not expected to meet, or even to shake hands
Two years after the Second Lebanon War, one soldier's recovery continues
By Haaretz Staff and Channel 10
Haaretz.com/Channel 10 daily feature for July 8, 2008.
July 12 marks the two-year anniversary of the start of the Second Lebanon War.
About 670 Israel Defense Forces soldiers were wounded and 119 killed in the
conflict that erupted after Hezbollah militants fired rockets on Israeli border
towns and anti-tank missiles at humvees patrolling the border.
Time has helped to heal some of the wounds suffered by troops on the front
lines. But a number of them are still reeling from their injuries and are
working to regain their strength, both physically and mentally.
One of those soldiers is Liran Chazan, who suffered serious head trauma after a
Hezbollah rocket struck the building where his unit was stationed.
Walid Maalouf the godfather of the 1559 resolution in an
exclusive interview to iloubnan.info
July 08, 2008, By George Eid
Some call him the Godfather of the Resolution 1559, many remember him as the man
who stood in the Face of the Syrian Delegate in the United Nations and was the
advocate of Lebanon. Many Americans recognize him as the Lebanese native who was
appointed by President Bush in the U.N., but the dearest Title to him is Walid
Maalouf: “A Lebanese”. During a discreet visit to Lebanon, iloubnan.info had an
exclusive meeting with Walid Maalouf (Director of the Public diplomacy for
middle eastern & MEPI affairs) who talked about the labor period post-resolution
1559 and revealed a new book to be launched in 2009.
iloubnan.info: Where was the Beginning?
Walid Maalouf : The beginning was a scholarship that I received from catholic
school in North Carolina and I was very much hesitant but I took the scholarship
after so many trials because the embassy did not give me the Visa and I remember
that the last time I went to the American Embassy I told my father that it’s the
last time, and either I get it or I don’t. Because the first time the consular
asked me: why did they give you a scholarship? Many Americans wanted a
scholarship but they didn’t get it. I answered you should contact the nun who
sent me and find out why, I do not know.
What were your challenges in the USA as a Lebanese?
Well actually, I assimilated very nicely. Many people who have migrated to the
States have assimilated very comfortably. I will tell you a few: number one is
that the Lebanese emigration to the United States started in the very early
1800’s , which means we are as old as the Irish and we are as old as the
Italians. So we have a very long-standing community in the country, and when a
Lebanese is asked to go, he is received by relative or friends there. So this is
one of the reasons that facilitate the emigration of the Lebanese to the USA.
Secondly, when you are a Christian and you travel to the United States, which is
a free society you benefit from the freedom of belief. In fact, many of the
Lebanese have become Mormon, or protestant and even many Druze became
protestant. The point I want to make is that we, Muslim, Christians, and Druze,
are very easy communities as long as no one intervenes in our affairs, because
when they do, we become unbearable.
What do you consider as your greatest achievement?
In a nutshell, the most beautiful thing I have done, and that satisfies me, is
when I stood for Lebanon in the United Nations. I felt that I am doing it for
every Lebanese not for myself.
Some say that you are the Godfather of the resolution 1559 that initiated the
cedars revolution. Can you talk to us about this stage?
The only thing I can tell you now and it is not really fair to say it at this
time because I want to let history figure it out later is that 1559 was
submitted and developed by the USA government under President Bush and the
French government leadership. And it was submitted in a resolution to the
Security Council by the French, the Americans, and the British and was voted on
with a majority of 9 votes. This was a great achievement for Lebanon and not for
anybody else, for every single Lebanese who wants freedom, democracy, and
independence because this is a document, a deed to keep Lebanon a free nation;
and on the top of that came 1680 and 1701, and the Lebanese should be proud of
this achievement.
In your opinion, where did the Cedar Revolution fail and where did it succeed?
I don’t believe that the Cedar revolution failed; the cedar revolution has not
failed and will never fail as long as there is a Lebanese with a pump of blood
saying I want a free and a Democratic Lebanon.
There are ongoing talks about Syria’s possible future Role in Lebanon?
Syria will no more play any major role in the internal politics in Lebanon. I
think the support of the international community for Lebanon, for the government
of Lebanon, and for the independence and freedom of the Lebanese was a big
message to all the regional powers that Lebanon should be an independent state.
The proof is that the election of President Sleiman whom the whole world voted
for him before the Lebanese parliament did. That will give you a big indication
that the International Community wants to see Lebanon a free and stable state.
Maybe the road is not easy ahead of us, it’s a long road, but we are reaching
this goal Because of the international community’s commitment, and because of
President Bush’s personal commitment to Lebanon, to the freedom and to the
liberty in the region.
Can we look at the Doha agreement as an Iranian withdrawal?
As long as you have stability and the Lebanese institutions are working
correctly and the Lebanese striving economically and there is peace, and no
conflict. This circle is winning and the terrorists will not have a chance,
because this is against the beliefs of terrorists. The terrorists want Lebanon
to be unstable, they want regional interference.
Today there is obstruction in forming the government. What is the reason of this
obstruction according to you?
I have no idea who is behind this obstruction. But I hope that the delay in the
Lebanese presidential elections and now the delay in forming a government for
Lebanon, a government that every Lebanese is expecting, generate A situation
where the people look ahead and forget about the past. But the Lebanese people
need to know who is jeopardizing this? And they need to realize that they should
have a new slate of new deputies, a new government with new ideas to be elected
in 2009. Because the Lebanese politicians have failed; they failed in the past,
and they are failing now in guaranteeing the hope and the future of the Lebanese
people. It’s up to the Lebanese people to see how they want to shape there
politicians in the years to come.
What can you tell me about your book “ How Many Times… I Told you – Reflections,
Memories and Hope for Lebanon…”?
This book is an assembly of thoughts that I wrote between 1980 and 1993-1994. I
wrote them as an emigrant who left Lebanon hesitantly. And I wrote them with a
lot of Nostalgia. I kept the articles that I wrote in many newspapers abroad,
and I promised myself to publish them in a book. On the other hand, destiny
helped me and I was appointed by President Bush in the United Nations, where I
faced the Syrian delegate in the U.N, and I felt then that I stood for Lebanon.
So I wanted to write about this period. In this book, I transmitted what
newspapers said about me, and in the last few articles, I laid down my thoughts
as a Lebanese within the American Government.
Some people accuse Walid Maalouf to be more biased to America then to Lebanon
what do you think about that?
I lived in the USA for 29 years, and America has given me a lot, it is not like
they have given everything to me on a silver platter. I have worked hard, and
George Bush found out about me from his contacts and chose to appoint me in the
U.N, I am the second Lebanese born in Lebanon that was appointed by the American
president. What is wrong with that? Does that mean I am no longer a Lebanese if
the U.S president appointed me and I have worked for the well-being of Lebanon?
Why does the Jew-American have the right to help Israel? While I am a Lebanese
who lived in America just like he did and I am helping Lebanon. Don’t I have the
right to do it? If Syria does not like this, then I invite Syria to produce men
from Syrian origins living in the USA to help Syria. But as long as they are
critizingWalid Maalouf like they are doing right now, this can only mean that
Walid Maalouf is powerful. But I really ask the Lebanese to read this
interview,get the book, discover who Walid Maalouf really is, and find out what
he did for Lebanon.
We know that you are preparing a new book to be released in 2009. What is the
title of this book and what can you tell us about it?
This book is not entirely mine; I am collaborating with many writers. I do not
know when exactly in 2009 it will be released. It is going to tackle the issue
of the U.S policies toward Lebanon. We are trying to figure out why this policy
has changed after 30 years of the United States selling off the Democracy and
freedom of Lebanon to the Syrians. We are trying to figure out what happened,
how it happened, and why it changed?
What is your message to the Lebanese people and the Lebanese Diaspora?
They are carrying a big responsibility on their shoulders. They have to work in
a total change in 2009, bring a new leadership to the Lebanese parliament, and
stop the long hands of Syria, Iran, and any other government with a long hand.
Because the long hand is not by having a presence in Lebanon, the Syrians are
not here today, yet they still have a hand in the internal affairs of Lebanon.
They have to remove all those pro-Syrian, pro-Iranian, and pro-anything else.
Everyone who is not pro-Lebanese should be removed in the coming elections of
2009.
A Belt of Earthquakes from the
South
Zuheir Kseibati
Al-Hayat - 10/07/08//
Suddenly, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak seemed terrified of Hezbollah's
missiles, as sources in his ministry leaked news that Hezbollah's arsenal has
reached 40,000 missiles two years after the July 2006 Israeli war which sent
shockwaves through the military establishment of the Hebrew State.
Barak's "fear" is another reason to scare the residents of South Lebanon who are
already terrified of the hundreds of underground eruptions. The coming
"earthquake" is a reason that takes by surprise all those Lebanese who have not
yet believed that the promises of a calm summer will not evaporate under the
heat of the domestic brothers-enemies struggle and the potential grand war with
Iran in the Gulf, whose probability has quickly risen to the worst possible
scenario.
Barak's "fear" may be only comparable to the sudden concern at the White House
over the Iranian missile arsenal…This makes it difficult to exclude the scenario
of an imminent war as a completion of Act One: an American-Israeli war in July
2006 was delegated to the Hebrew State, and in July 2008, Washington makes
preparations while Olmert-Barak prepare to avenge the humiliation of the Israeli
army and its lost victory against Hezbollah and Lebanon.
Is this what compels the Israeli defense minister to find a way to "neutralize"
Hezbollah from the battle to eliminate the Iranian nuclear "arsenal"?
The belt of earthquakes is one and the same irrespective of the ups and downs in
the market of settlements and the seemingly belated confrontation with Iran, and
regardless of the occasional rise of the theory of intersecting Iranian-American
interests. All this is attributed to the fact that the battlefield starts in the
region and the consequences of war will be at its expense.
"Suddenly," things fell apart in Baghdad with the Americans and their security
agreement; the fears of the Revolutionary Guard increased by enriching Western
obsessions; the security situation in Lebanon deteriorated with the failure of
the Doha Agreement to "neutralize" the arms in the domestic conflict…The weak
nation is back in the eye of the storm, and with this returned the impossible
bets to reveal the reality of the race on the Iranian and Syrian tracks.
In Baghdad too, the race on the Iranian and American tracks had not come to an
easy end following the neutralization of Sadr Movement and with the realization
that Tehran's insistence on scheduling the American withdrawal from Iraq is
identical to the position of Nouri Al-Maliki's government which demands a
timeframe in any treaty between Baghdad and Washington. Just like that, and all
of a sudden, this demand was made after an Iraqi wave of optimism.
The belt of earthquakes and crises is one. In fact, Tehran has not realized that
its furious threats to respond with double blows to the Bush administration and
Olmert's government were actually borrowed from Saddam Hussein's rhetoric on the
eve of the Second Gulf War, only five years after it got rid of him and his rule
by American arms; and yet, here it is threatening to burn down Tel Aviv and the
vital interests of the US all over the world.
Although no time is left to consider the wisdom of confining aftershocks if the
big earthquake strikes the region by Iranian, American and Israeli missiles, a
few Arabs may be hoping that the newly elected Russian President Dmitri Medvedev
will not go back on the threats to flex his muscles in the face of American
greed (the missile shield crisis) draped under the pretext of Iranian nuclear
ambitions and missiles. They hope to see an end to the slippery slope leading to
the war of missiles, not out of sympathy for Iran's aspirations, but for fear of
the massive bill that Ahmedinejad will skillfully deliver to them.
It is no secret that there are a few in the region who still wonder over which
price is more painful: confrontation at the moment of truth, one that redraws
the map of powers and their influences to reveal the true position of the Arab
decision, or sheer confusion and chaos that leads to paralysis in front of
Iran's aspirations and its current calculations starting in Baghdad and the
Gulf, and all the way to Palestine and Lebanon?
Is it too late for confusion? The bitterness over earthquakes is one and the
same. Who will last longer in the war of bullying and threats between
Khamenei-Ahmedinejad and Bush? Exercising the Kremlin muscles on the eve of the
American invasion of Iraq does not assure Tehran, but what unites Ahmedinejad
and Medvedev is a struggle for survival - for the former in the hope of
defending imperial dreams, and for the latter to keep the remainder of Russia's
backyard safe from the Pentagon's arm.
Suddenly, Barak is terrified of Hezbollah's missiles; Bush is scared of Iran's
missiles. Suddenly on the eve of the prisoners and corpses exchange with
Hezbollah, Israel finds a golden opportunity to disarm Hezbollah. Is this
another attempt to neutralize Hezbollah's arms in the confrontation with Iran