LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
June 07/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Mark 12,35-37. As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, "How do
the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, inspired
by the holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until
I place your enemies under your feet."' David himself calls him 'lord'; so how
is he his son?" (The) great crowd heard this with delight.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
The new Nasrallah-By: Guy Bechor. Israel Opinion Ynetnews
06/06/08
An Iranian doctrine we can do without-By
Hussain Abdul-Hussain 06/06/08
An Israel-Syria deal is strategically vital for both-By
Shlomo Ben-Ami 06/06/08
Spring thaw.By: Lucy Fielder- Al-Ahram Weekly 06/06/08
Ending (or Deepening) the Crisis in Lebanon: The Role of Electoral. By:
Jean-Pierre Katrib 6/06/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June
06/08
Hariri Rejects AMAL-Hizbullah Security Committee … Opposition, Majority Trade
Accusations-Naharnet
Mustaqbal, AMAL,
Hizbullah Agree on Measures to Reduce Tension-Naharnet
Security Breaches
Continue: Shootings, Road Closures, Burning Tires-Naharnet
Qatar, Worried about
Increased Security Breaches, Steps In-Naharnet
Central Security Council Tries to Contain
Beirut Tensions-Naharnet
Bush: U.S. has Big Stake in Being Engaged
in Lebanon, Other Trouble Spots-Naharnet
Hizbullah, Amal Say They Back Beirut
Security-Naharnet
Makari Opposes a Meeting between Hariri
and Nasrallah-Naharnet
PSP, Mustaqbal Regain Offices in Aley,
Upper Metin-Naharnet
Assad Ready for Ties with 'Friendly'
Lebanon-Naharnet
Raad: Hizbullah Won Round in a War-Naharnet
Parliament Police Comment on Zaghloul's
Assassination Attempt-Naharnet
U.S. Police Vehicles to Lebanon-Naharnet
Embattled Israeli PM
Ends U.S. Trip with Iran Reassurances-Naharnet
US Investigates Suspect's Expulsion to Syria, NY Times Says-Bloomberg
Siniora juggles portfolios among Lebanese parties-GulfNews
Justice Dept. Investigating Deportation to Syria-New
York Times
Russian parliament ratifies write-off of most of Syria's debt-Jerusalem
Post
French, Greek ambassadors make postings official-Daily
Star
Bishara: Israel offered Golan to Syria during war-Ynetnews
Syria says Israel terms signal not serious on peace-Reuters
Iran fumes as Syria nods to Arab world-Asia
Times Online
Siniora delivers draft of unity cabinet lineup to
SleimanDaily Star
Assad hinges embassy on Lebanese unity government-AFP
Olmert plays down talk of imminent prisoner swap-Daily
Star
Communist leader to join Sarkozy for Beirut visit-Daily
Star
PLO envoy meets with Berri, relays letter from
Abbas-Daily Star
Trial of militant group gets under way in Beirut-Daily
Star
Hariri
Rejects AMAL-Hizbullah Security Committee … Opposition, Majority Trade
Accusations
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri has rejected the idea of holding
a coordination meeting along with Hizbullah and AMAL Movement at the
headquarters of the Lebanese army intelligence to deal with security breaches
and called for referring the matter to the Central Security Council. Hariri
believed the coordination committee was an attempt to portray Mustaqbal Movement
as a "militia."Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri promptly summoned army
intelligence chief Brig. Gen. George Khoury. He also contacted caretaker
Interior Minister Hasan Sabaa and urged him "to take any measure without
reservation," stressing that he was talking on behalf of himself as well as
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The Central Security Council on
Thursday decided to upgrade police deployment in Beirut and ordered the removal
of posters and party flags in an effort to contain the tense situation. The
council also called for halting agitation campaigns by the various feuding
factions and urged citizens, who had fled during recent clashes, to return to
their homes in contested areas of Beirut.
The council met after Hariri vowed to suspend cabinet line-up talks in protest
over an attempt by assailants wearing Parliament police uniforms to assassinate
Beirut citizen Imad Zaghloul. Sources close to Berri said investigation into the
security breaches "should take its course," adding that security authorities
will arrest those involved, particularly after description of the car had been
given. The sources confirmed there is "no political cover-up" for the criminals.
Parliament Police also issued a statement on Thursday denying any relation to
the shooting. The statement also said "the incident was being politically
manipulated by some parties." "We care to clarify that Parliament Police members
do not have special uniforms ... their uniforms are nothing but those of the
Internal Security Forces (ISF)," said the statement.
It urged media outlets not to publish any news about the force without verifying
it. Meanwhile, Hizbullah and AMAL leaderships accused some leaders from the
pro-government March 14 ruling majority of "trying to torpedo the positive
atmosphere that had prevailed following the Doha agreement."
They cited "personal as well as other reasons related to the new cabinet line-up
within this (majority) team and their desire to obstruct implementation of the
rest of the terms of the Doha agreement." They also accused some March 14
leaders of "continuing their campaign aimed at instigating sectarian strife as
the opposition is handling this matter with ultimate responsibility."A March 14
source, however, swiftly hit back, accusing the opposition of seeking to hinder
the Doha settlement by not respecting the security part of the agreement. The
source said that more than 300 pro-Mustaqbal families had fled their homes in
Beirut and the mountains during the May battles over fears for their lives.
Beirut, 06 Jun 08, 08:03
Mustaqbal, AMAL, Hizbullah Agree on Measures to Reduce
Tension
The Central Security Council has decided to upgrade police deployment in Beirut
and agreed to a list of measures to reduce tension in the wake of repeated
security breaches that have left a number of people killed.
The Council which met under caretaker Interior Minister Hasan Sabaa late
Thursday ordered the removal of posters and party flags in an effort to contain
the tense situation. The council also called for halting agitation campaigns by
the various feuding factions and urged citizens, who had fled during recent
clashes, to return to their homes in contested areas of Beirut.
The measures were announced at a late Thursday meeting at Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri's residence in Ain al-Tineh. The meeting comprised army intelligence
chief Brig. Gen. George Khoury as well as security officials from both Hizbullah
and AMAL Movement.
The conferees agreed to adhere to the spirit of an earlier agreement between
Mustaqbal, AMAL and Hizbullah under the auspices of the Lebanese army that ended
the May battles.
The agreement includes:
1- Halting media campaigns and provocation of sectarian strife; and the tearing
down of posters, signs and banners from the streets.
2- Security forces making sure that all citizens, who fled the May fighting,
return to their homes and businesses.
3- The turning over of political party offices and headquarters to their owners
by the Lebanese army.
The daily An Nahar on Friday said President Michel Suleiman voiced support for
the agreement.
It said Hariri, who was informed of the agreement, said he needs time to review
it, only to announce his acceptance shortly afterwards.
The Lebanese Army on Thursday withdrew from offices of the Progressive Socialist
Party and Mustaqbal Movement in the Aley and Upper Metn constituencies and
turned them over to the respective groups.
The offices have been kept in army custody since May 10 in an effort to contain
clashes between Hizbullah and its allies, on the one hand, and the PSP and
Mustaqbal, on the other.
The Central Security Council meeting came after Hariri vowed to suspend cabinet
line-up talks in protest over an attempt by assailants wearing Parliament police
uniforms to assassinate Beirut citizen Imad Zaghloul.
The council assigned the police department to work out a plan for the return of
families to homes from which they had been displaced by recent violence.
As the council was meeting, members of Hizbullah and allied AMAL movement
intercepted a crew from LBC Television in Ras al-Nabaa district and forced the
cameraman to erase footage he had shot on their practices in the district gained
during the May clashes.
Police commander Gen. Ashraf Rifi vowed to upgrade police deployment in Beirut
to protect citizens. Beirut, 06 Jun 08, 12:07
Security Breaches Continue: Shootings, Road Closures,
Burning Tires
Security breaches and tension continued between al-Mustaqbal
Movement supporters from the one hand and Hizbullah and AMAL Movement partisans
from the other. Residents from Beirut's predominantly-Sunni Tariq Jedideh
neighborhood and nearby Qasqas took to the streets late Thursday, burning rubber
tires and blocking roads against the backdrop of an attack targeting Beirut
citizen Imad Zaghloul who lay in critical condition in the hospital after being
shot and wounded earlier this week. Meanwhile, army troops contained a separate
incident between the warring sides that was triggered when young men roamed
Beirut streets on their motorbikes. Also on Thursday evening, unknown assailants
shot and wounded a florist shop owner in the mountainous town of Bshamoun,
southeast of Beirut.
Police identified the victim as Hussein al-Baghdadi, a resident of Tariq Jedideh.
Similar breaches were reported in west Beirut districts of Ras al-Nabaa and
Sabra. Assailants also tossed stones at civilian cars in Qasqas and nearby
Barbir. Beirut, 06 Jun 08, 08:41
Qatar, Worried about Increased Security Breaches, Steps In
Qatar dispatched the general manager of Qatar News Agency Sheik
Jabr bin Youssef Bin Jassem al-Thani to Beirut early Friday in an effort to
settle the safety issue in the wake of increased security breaches. Diplomatic
sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that the Qatari envoy was dispatched
upon request from MP Saad Hariri after he announced he was suspending his
participation in talks aimed at forming a new cabinet to protest slack security
in Beirut. Hariri said he would only return to talks on the new cabinet line-up
when the various political sides that signed the Doha deal commit themselves to
implementing all terms of the agreement, including its security part. Beirut, 06
Jun 08, 09:23
Central Security Council Tries to Contain Beirut Tensions
Naharnet/The Central Security Council on Thursday decided to upgrade police
deployment in Beirut and ordered the removal of posters and party flags in an
effort to contain the tense situation. The council also called for halting
agitation campaigns by the various feuding factions and urged citizens, who had
fled during recent clashes, to return to their homes in contested areas of
Beirut. The council met after Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri vowed to
suspend cabinet line-up talks in protest over an attempt by assailants wearing
police uniforms to assassinate Beirut citizen Imad Zaghloul. The council
assigned the police department to work out a plan for the return of families to
homes from which they had been displaced by recent violence. As the council was
meeting, members of Hizbullah and allied AMAL movement intercepted a crew from
LBC Television in Ras al-Nabaa district and forced the cameraman to erase
footage he had shot on their practices in the district gained during May
clashes. Police commander Gen. Ashraf Rifi vowed to upgrade police deployment in
Beirut to protect citizens.
Beirut, 05 Jun 08, 21:15
Bush: U.S. has Big Stake in Being Engaged in Lebanon, Other Trouble Spots
Naharnet/U.S. President George Bush expressed concern Thursday about the United
States turning "isolationist and nervous," saying America should never hesitate
to confront world problems. Bush said the U.S. has a big stake in being engaged
around the world in trouble spots like Africa, Colombia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Iraq
and Afghanistan. "There are nations like Colombia and Lebanon and Pakistan that
are facing transnational threats from drug cartels or terrorist networks that
seek safe haven on their territory and threaten to overwhelm their
institutions," Bush said at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new
headquarters of the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington.
"It's in America's vital interest to help all these nations combat ideologies of
hate," the U.S. president said. "It's in our security interest to eliminate safe
havens for terrorists and extremists. It's in our national interest to develop
institutions that allow them to govern their territories effectively and improve
their lives."
Bush said the U.S. Institute of Peace and other non-governmental agencies are
important partners in helping to promote democracy.
"The work of democratic development is the great cause of our time, and we
shouldn't shy away from it," Bush said. "And we must be confident in our ability
to help others realize the blessings of freedom. My big concern is that the
United States becomes isolationist and nervous; we don't support those values
that have stood the test of time. The Institute of Peace, I hope, will make sure
that never happens." The institute is an independent, nonpartisan institution
established by Congress in 1984 to help prevent and resolve violent
international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and increase peace
building capacity. Its new headquarters will face the Lincoln and Vietnam
Memorials on the National Mall.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 06 Jun 08, 05:35
Hizbullah, Amal Say They Back Beirut Security
Naharnet/Hizbullah and allied Amal movement said Thursday they back the security
forces and their role in maintaining law and order.
The two groups, in a joint statement, said they would not cover up any attempt
to break the law. The statement accused partisans of the Mustaqbal movement and
police of launching propaganda campaigns against Hizbullah and Amal. Beirut, 05
Jun 08, 21:30
Makari Opposes a Meeting between Hariri and Nasrallah
Naharnet/Deputy House Speaker Farid Makari said Mustaqbal
Movement leader Saad Hariri should not meet Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah at present. The base for any rapprochement between the two factions is
"the situation in the streets," Makari said. "The aggressors should withdraw
their militiamen from the streets and remove military manifestations first," he
added. Makari, however, cautioned that "there are no guarantees that what has
happened in Beirut would not be repeated." He did not elaborate on the remark.
Beirut, 05 Jun 08, 20:30
PSP, Mustaqbal Regain Offices in Aley, Upper Metin
Naharnet/The Lebanese Army on Thursday withdrew from offices of the Progressive
Socialist Party and Mustaqbal Movement in the Aley and Upper Metin
constituencies and turned them over to the respective groups. The offices have
been kept in Army custody since May 10 in an effort to contain clashes between
Hizbullah and its allies, on the one hand, and the PSP and Mustaqbal, on the
other. The Army had moved into the offices as a disengagement force upon the
request of both the PSP and Mustaqbal. The state-run National News Agency said
PSP and Mustaqbal officials took over their respective offices in over 40 towns
and villages to resume normal activities. Beirut, 05 Jun 08, 20:10
Assad Ready for Ties with 'Friendly' Lebanon
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in remarks
published on Thursday he was prepared to open an embassy in Lebanon once a unity
government that has good relations with Syria is formed in Beirut. Syria raised
the issue of establishing diplomatic ties in 2005 "in light of new
circumstances," but it was "not appropriate to open an embassy at a time when
relations with Lebanon were not good," he was quoted by Kuwaiti newspapers as
saying.
"Our condition was that there should be a government of national unity (in
Lebanon) and that we should have good relations with it," Assad told local
editors during a visit to Kuwait this week. "It is obvious that if there is a
unity government that represents all Lebanese factions, we will have good
relations with it," he said. "When these circumstances are in place, we will
hopefully soon exchange embassies with Lebanon." Syria, the former powerbroker
in Lebanon, withdrew its troops in 2005 in the aftermath of the assassination of
former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri, ending a military presence of nearly three
decades. Attempts are under way in Lebanon to form a national unity government
in keeping with an Arab-brokered deal that ended an 18-month political standoff
between the ruling majority backed by the West and several Arab countries and
the opposition supported by Syria and Iran.
The agreement reached in Qatar last month led to the election of former army
Chief Michel Suleiman as president and defused a crisis which brought Lebanon to
the brink of renewed civil war. The absence of formal diplomatic relations
between Lebanon and Syria is seen by some Lebanese as a sign of Syrian designs
on their country. But Assad scoffed at the suggestion that Damascus does not
recognize its neighbor's independence."How can we not recognize Lebanon when we
have formal agreements with it?" he asked.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Jun 08, 20:29
Parliament Police Comment on Zaghloul's Assassination
Attempt
Naharnet/Parliament Police on Thursday described the attempt to assassinate
Beirut citizen Imad Zaghloul as "a security accident that is being politically
manipulated."The force, in a statement, did not deny involvement in the attempt
on Zaghloul's life, but said: "It is not the first time that the force is being
targeted (by accusations)."However, it said parliament police "do not have a
special uniform, they use the standard Internal Security Force's uniform."
Beirut, 05 Jun 08, 17:00
The ‘new’ Nasrallah
Hizbullah’s weakening process makes prisoner swap increasingly likelier
Guy Bechor
Published: 06.05.08, - Israel Opinion
I’m not interested in taking over Lebanon. On the contrary: I will be the one
maintaining law and order in the country. We do not want to force our way of
thinking upon the Lebanese people. We indeed were granted veto power in the new
government, yet we have no intention of using it in favor of the opposition or
the Shiite sect, but rather, in favor of the whole of Lebanon. I am uninterested
in a new war with Israel, and such war is not expected, unless Israel chooses to
launch one. I will maintain the stability in southern Lebanon; I’m also
interested in a deal with Israel to finalize the issue of the captives.
These are the messages conveyed in recent days by “new” Hizbullah Secretary
General Hassan Nasrallah – messages that were received in
Israel with surprise and confusion. Indeed, in contradiction to the common
Israeli perception, Hizbullah has undergone a process of weakening in the past
two years, and this has only been reinforced in the past two weeks. What is the
real chance for a deal that would secure the release of our captives? In order
to understand this, we must peel away the archeological layers of the last two
years.
The first layer: The abduction. Because his raison d'etre is premised on the
struggle against Israel, Nasrallah orders the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. He
abducts Regev and Goldwasser not to provoke war with Israel, but rather, to
prevent war. If he is holding captives, he has a reason for the conflict to go
on, and therefore there is no need for war. The abductees were meant to be
exploited by him for many years to come.
The second layer: The war. With complete surprise and contrary to his
expectations, Israel embarks on war. Nasrallah is forced to utilize the arsenal
he possesses and is able to enforce a tie on Israel, which he leverages via the
claim of “divine victory.” This was of course a phony victory, which nobody in
the Middle East bought into, except for us. From that moment on, he is obligated
to escalate his rhetoric and his terms for releasing the abductees.
The third layer: Two difficult years. In the gap between the false rhetoric and
the bleeding reality, Hizbullah finds itself facing true distress: extensive
civilian destruction, the killing of hundreds of its fighters, and harsh
accusations leveled at the organization. As a result, Nasrallah has to keep the
issue of the captives alive.
The fourth layer: The pressure grows. Domestic pressure on the part of the
Kuntar family and other elements prompt Nasrallah to offer a deal that is meant
to keep the abductees in his hands yet give the sense of negotiations. The deal
for exchanging the body of Gabriel Dwait was not meant to advance the major
talks, but rather, to prevent them. In order words: Nasrallah’s raison d’etre
continued to be premised on Regev and Goldwasser. In order to avoid the gist,
Nasrallah attempted yet another trick: Trading body parts, which failed to
materialize.
The fifth layer: Imad Mugniyah’s assassination. This assassination changed the
picture. Nasrallah feared that in the wake of the assassination Israel, which
acted in contradiction to what was expected of it two years earlier, would do it
again. In order to prevent it, he adopted two moves: He calmed us down with a
series of speeches and renewed the negotiations with the German mediators. Yet
then, Nasrallah made a blunt error when he declared “open war” against Israel.
He also discovered a new reason for the conflict, a greater one than the
abducted soldiers: “Israel should be exterminated.” By whom? That is not his
job. And he does not mention Iran either. God shall do it. At this point, his
need for the abducted soldier declines.
The sixth layer: Mistake and decision. Nasrallah again makes a puzzling error,
when he attacks the Sunnis in western Beirut and the Druze in the Mountain
region. This is a blunt mistake that cannot be forgiven in the parameters of the
renewed Lebanon. As his fighters can no longer train in south Lebanon, in light
of the arrangements in the wake of the war, they do it in the Shouf region. In
other words, they enter the Druze areas. The tensions lead to the brief
bloodshed that took place about two weeks ago and to a Shiite withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the situation stabilized. And who can the Shiite leader bring as a
gift to his Druze rival? Another Druze. Samir Kuntar is Druze.
Spring thaw
By: Lucy Fielder- Al-Ahram Weekly
With the Doha deal bringing peace to Lebanon, for now, the country's politicians
have set their sights on the next battle -- the elections, Lucy Fielder reports
from Beirut
Lebanon's drawn-out political crisis appeared this week to have re-emerged on a
smaller scale, as the goodwill engendered by the Doha agreement gave way to
haggling over seats in a national unity cabinet. Despite the delay, signs of a
growing regional thaw kept many analysts hopeful a deal was possible by the
weekend, when French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to touch down in
Beirut.
The unity cabinet was agreed under the Doha deal, which ended a
year-and-a-half-long stalemate that saw the presidential election delayed 19
times and descended last month into violence. But ministers from the pro-Western
14 March faction and Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hizbullah and its allies will be
cheek-by-jowl, and the cabinet will last only until parliamentary elections
expected next May.
That raises the prospect that despite the heated competition for ministries, the
cabinet will be rather a lame duck, mainly appointed to oversee the passing of a
new electoral law, also agreed in Doha, and other preparations for the new
elections.
Those preparations may have little to do with democracy, and much to do with
exchanging services for votes, analysts say. Sami Baroudi, political analyst at
the Lebanese American University, said squabbling was intense over the
service-related ministries such as health, labour and public works. "Each
political grouping wants as many ministers as possible in the cabinet in the
hope that will help in the run-up to the election, with the provision of
services to followers."
Osama Safa, head of the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies, agreed. "From now
on, the headline will be electoral politics," he said. He expected a government
by either Saturday or early next week.
Popular Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun told reporters he wanted five
ministries this week, in line with his promises of boosting Christian
representation. Hizbullah has said it only wants one ministry and is happy for
its allies to take the other 10 awarded under Doha. Those 11 seats grant the
opposition their long-standing demand for a veto-wielding third of seats,
particularly important to Hizbullah given an international drive to disarm it.
Critics accused Aoun of blocking the formation of the cabinet with unrealistic
demands. There were also reports that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and
Phalangist leader and former president Amin Gemayel would hold ministries
themselves. "To some extent, this is now a squabble between Christians on both
sides who want to be able to tell the Christian street they've redressed the
balance," Baroudi said.
Many Christians felt underrepresented in the last cabinet of Prime Minister
Fouad Al-Siniora, mainly because Aoun had no ministers and some Christian
ministers were seen as Sunni appointees.
Al-Siniora's re-appointment last week caused friction with the Hizbullah-led
opposition, which associated him with the 18-month political crisis that began
shortly following the July 2006 war and was punctuated by calls for the
premier's resignation. President Michel Suleiman, who was elected after the Doha
deal as a consensus candidate who could bring both sides together, has urged Al-Siniora
to speed up the cabinet formation, citing security fears. Suleiman gets to
appoint three ministers and is widely expected to take the Interior Ministry.
Two security incidents raised those fears this week. The army shot a man leaving
Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp last weekend wearing a suicide belt,
Lebanese newspapers reported, while an explosion at the Al-Abdeh northern
crossing with Syria killed one soldier. As-Safir also reported that Sunni
militants could be preparing to attack the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in the
south.
France is a main contributor to the force and Sarkozy is expected to meet
officers on Saturday. His visit to Lebanon will be the first of a Western head
of state and Baroudi said it was symbolic of a change in the French attitude
after they vocally supported Al-Siniora's government against the opposition and
at first opposed a unity cabinet.
"I think the French want to make a major comeback in Lebanon and want to shake
this image that they support one side over another," he said. "They are
distancing themselves from the Americans and making a gesture to Syria."
That could herald a broader thaw, with many analysts suggesting the George W
Bush administration has given up on achieving a Lebanese "success story" for its
Middle Eastern policy before US elections in November. "I think it's very
important for the international community to stop portraying Lebanon as a stage
for the defeat of Syria and Iran", which both back Hizbullah, Baroudi said.
Safa said there were several regional diplomatic initiatives to try to heal the
Syrian-Saudi rift that opened after the July 2006 war, in which the Saudis
referred to Hizbullah's "adventures" and Assad called Arab leaders who did not
back Hizbullah's resistance "half-men". "But I don't think these initiatives
will clear away the essential misunderstandings," he said. Syria was trying to
capitalise on the goodwill and praise towards it following the Doha deal, he
said.
As-Safir reported this week that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad may use a stop
in Lebanon at the end of his Arab tour later this month to announce a decision
to exchange ambassadors with Lebanon for the first time. Syria has always said
the two neighbours were too close to need them, but Suleiman, who is on friendly
terms with Syria, called for formal diplomatic links during his inaugural
speech.
Hizbullah received one prisoner from Israel this week, in what appeared to
herald an imminent wider swap. Nassim Nisr was jailed for six years in 2002 for
spying for Hizbullah from Israel, to which he had emigrated by virtue of his
Lebanese Jewish mother. Nisr had finished his sentence earlier this year, but
Israel had not yet released him, perhaps hoping to use him as a bargaining chip.
Unannounced, Hizbullah returned the body parts of five Israeli soldiers killed
during the July 2006 war on the same day. About nine Lebanese prisoners remain
in Israeli jails, the most high-profile of whom is Samir Qantar, the
longest-serving Arab prisoner in Israel.
Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah told his followers last week Qantar
and the other prisoners "will be among you soon" and Qantar's family have said
they expect him home within the month. Hizbullah would give back two soldiers it
captured in the cross-border raid of 12 July 2006, whether alive or dead, in
return, but analysts say a full exchange would represent a major victory for the
Shia group. Israel bombarded Lebanon for 33 days after that raid to secure their
release, but Nasrallah stated repeatedly that the Jewish state would ultimately
have to resort to a negotiated swap.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Centre For Democracy and the rule of Law
Second Prosecution of Dr. Mugraby for his Human Rights Testimony
in the European Parliament in November 2003
Beirut, June 3, 2008: This morning, the case of Dr. Muhamad Mugraby, attorney at
law and human rights defender, was heard early at the Palace of Justice in
Beirut. Dr. Mugraby is charged for the second time under Article 383 Penal Code
with the crime of defamation (The Arabic term used, tahqeer, is officially
translated from the French term "l'outrage") for his testimony in November 2003
in the European Parliament on the conditions of human rights in Lebanon. The
case was heard by Penal Judge Ziad Mekanna. Dr. Mugraby did not appear but was
represented by four of his colleagues, attorneys Fouad Sfeir, Mohamad Faqeeh,
Jihad Bou Nader and Pierre Rahmeh. On his behalf, they filed with the court a
memorandum of procedural exceptions and a demand for an order requiring the
State to pay Dr. Mugraby damages of $5 million for the abusive use of its power
to prosecute against him. As detailed in the memo, the case was started on the
initiative of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Novemebr 2003 and the
demand, soon thereafter, of the Lebanese Minister of Defense. It was referred to
the military prosecutor by the Chief Public Prosecutor before the Court of
Cassation. The Military Court of Cassation, however, ruled on April 15, 2006,
that there no crime of defamation took place and that Dr. Mugraby’s statements
in Brussels were comprehensive, targeted no one special and in the exercise of
his freedom of speech. Despite this decision which, under Lebanese law,
constituted chose juge (res judicata), the file was promptly returned by the
military prosecutor to the Chief Public Prosecutor before the Court of Cassation
who sent it immediately to the Beirut Prosecutor's office to commence a second
prosecution. The Beirut prosecutor sent the file back without action but the
Chief public Prosecutor insisted and it took some time before the new
prosecution was commenced by a relatively junior assistant prosecutor almost one
year ago.
Dr. Mugraby’s lawyers pressed Judge Mekanna for a ruling as soon as possible.
The judge said that June 17th was the earliest he had and set that date for his
ruling.
This second prosecution of Dr. Mugraby for his testimony in the European
Parliament in 2003 tops a long list of other prosecutions against him by the
Lebanese Government over the last 15 years for his activities in the defense of
human rights. The Governemnt also recently attempted to revive five such
prosecutions dating back to May, 2000, but Dr. Mugraby appealed citing the
statutes of limitations and other defenses and his appeals remain pending before
the indictment chamber of the Beirut court of appeal.
It is noteworthy that Lebanon became party to an association agreement with the
European Union and its member nations which was finally ratified by both sides
on April 1, 2006. Article Two of this agreement contains a potent human rights
clause which reads:
“Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of this Agreement
itself, shall be based on the respect of democratic principles and fundamental
human rights as set out in the Universal declaration of Human Rights, which
guides their international policy and constitutes an essential element of this
Agreement”.
Dr. Mugraby has expressed the opinion that it is not only the Lebanese
Governemnt that definitely violated this clause in his case, but that the EU and
the European nations that ratified the Association Agreement are also in
violation of this clause to the extent that they tolerated, or continue to
tolerate, such violations by the Lebanese Government. He calls on all human
rights organizations and departments world wide to take all such measures as may
be appropriate to pressure all the parties to the Association Agreement to bring
about prompt and effective remedies to those violations.
Reflecting the sentiments of many of Dr. Mugraby’s friends and supporters, Mr.
Joseph Boohaker, an American judge of Lebanese descent, had this reaction:
“I find it continually amazing that with the Lebanese government as
dysfunctional as it is, that the only file it seems capable of vigorously
prosecuting is that of Muhamad Mugraby! Speak the truth, stand on the rule of
law, hold elected officials accountable and face endless prosecution by the
Lebanese Courts.
But frustrate the constitution, ignore the rule of law, close parliament, and
take political disputes into the streets and kill your fellow citizen, and you
can get a veto in the Council of Ministers.
Lebanon has such a far way to go in order to be considered a nation of laws, and
not of tribal leaders meting out arbitrary decisions that are guided more by
seeking to redress affronts to their personal reputations than to redress
affronts to the constitution of the country”.
For more information:
Telephone: +961-1-341060
Fax: +961-1-744069
Email: mugraby@cdrl.org
Ending (or Deepening) the Crisis in Lebanon: The Role of
Electoral Reform
By Jean-Pierre Katrib
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2896
June 5, 2008
The May 25 election of Gen. Michel Suleiman as Lebanon's twelfth president was a
central element of the Qatari-brokered compromise between the March 14 coalition
and the Hizballah-led opposition. The agreement was greeted with relief in
Washington and other international capitals, allaying fears that Lebanon was
once again heading toward civil war. Now that Fouad Siniora has been
re-designated as prime minister, the Doha agreement's remaining elements include
the difficult task of establishing a "national unity government" and holding
parliamentary elections in 2009. The new law governing those elections will
determine whether Lebanon will have a solid future foundation or if the day of
final reckoning has been merely postponed.
Lebanon's Electoral History and the Doha Agreement
According to Lebanon's constitution, citizens have the right to change their
government periodically in free and fair elections. However, in the course of
Lebanon's troubled political history, parliamentary elections have never been
entirely ''free'' or "fair." Past electoral reform efforts have been cosmetic
and limited to redrawing of districts.
Elections held between 1960 and the outbreak of civil war in the mid-1970s
produced four legislative assemblies that fairly represented most communities,
therefore contributing to political stability. At that time, Lebanon was
structured administratively into six large governorates (muhafazat) and
twenty-six smaller districts (qada). These smaller areas were then adopted as
electoral districts in 1960 under a law that governed the elections of 1964,
1968, and 1972.
Since the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990 and the ratification of the Taif
Agreement, four elections took place (1992, 1996, 2000, and 2005) under rigged
electoral laws engineered by Damascus to benefit its local allies. Through
systematic gerrymandering and political intimidation, the weight of the then
predominantly Christian and anti-Syrian opposition was diluted. The most
notorious of these laws was the 2000 electoral law, which Lebanese lawmakers
were compelled to readopt for the 2005 elections.
In Doha, the signatories agreed to replace the 2000 law with an amended 1960 law
based on districts -- notwithstanding the fact that both the Taif Agreement and
the ill-fated Boutros Commission (a government-appointed expert commission
tasked with crafting a new electoral law) envisioned proportional representation
using governorates, presumably to ensure effective representation. With the
exception of the Christian constituencies, the principal effect of the changes
was to consolidate the main players' power over their various constituencies.
Members of parliament are elected according to the "block vote" or slate system,
in which each voter can vote for as many candidates as there are seats in a
given district. However, distribution is subject to the number of seats reserved
for each confession in each district. For example, in a district with two
Maronite seats and one Shiite seat, the two highest-scoring Maronite candidates
and the highest scoring Shiite candidate enter parliament. Throughout Lebanon's
history, the formation of slates has not been guided by a common policy platform
but rather by unconcealed power calculations to secure key swing votes. Thus,
slates are loose alliances of individual candidates who agree to ask their
voters to also vote for other candidates with whom they form a bloc.
Winners and Losers
The determination to use small districts in the next election coupled with the
Doha decision to redistrict Beirut and maintain Marjeyoun-Hasbaya, Baalbek-Hermel,
and West Bekaa-Rachaya as single electoral constituencies guarantees that the
status quo will change little in the next elections. Only Christian voters will
have real alternatives to choose from: among the opposition, Gen. Michel Aoun's
Free Patriotic Movement and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh; on the March 14
side, Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces and Amin Gemayal's Kataeb (Phalange) Party;
and the soon to be announced candidates affiliated with the new president,
General Suleiman. Still, there are a number of districts where shifting
alliances could prove crucial.
In Jbeil, the home of president-elect Suleiman, a cluster of pro-Hizballah and
Amal Shiite voters will be central in determining the outcome of one of two
Maronite seats, potentially to the benefit of their Christian ally, General Aoun.
His lock, however, on the district of Keserwan, where he swept the Maronite
seats in 2005, appears to have weakened following his 2006 alliance with
Hizballah and subsequent developments.
The North Metn district of Mount Lebanon will also experience change in 2009. In
2005, Aoun won the majority of seats through his alliance with the affluent
Greek Orthodox former vice-premier, Michel Murr, and the Tachnaq -- Lebanon's
largest Armenian party. But the defection of Murr from Aoun's parliamentary bloc
and his likely new alliance with Amin Gemayel will undoubtedly redraw the 2009
electoral landscape of that locality, influencing the outcome of eight
parliamentary seats: four Maronite, two Greek Orthodox, one Catholic, and one
Armenian Orthodox.
Finally, Beirut's redistricting at Doha clearly gave Saad Hariri's Future
Movement the upper hand in determining the ten seats of the capital's third
district, since 64 percent of its registered voters are Sunni. Yet, the outcome
of Beirut's first and second district is not certain and will depend largely on
Armenian Orthodox voters. Finally, if Hariri guarantees Tachnaq seats on his
list, he could consolidate additional gains for March 14, reducing Hizballah's
representation in the capital still further.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
The electoral changes agreed to in Doha are not true reforms. And if they are
ratified by parliament, the changes will serve merely to solidify the current
parties' dominance and the ongoing political stalemate. If that occurs, the
Amal-Hizballah alliance will collect the majority of Shiite seats, especially in
the districts of the Bekaa and the south, again denying moderate Shiite figures
access to the legislature. Walid Jumblatt will remain the chief power broker of
the Druze community, and Saad Hariri of the Sunni constituency. Only within the
Christian constituency is there any chance of a shakeup.
The Doha agreement called for the adoption of some of the Boutros Commission
reforms, but did not go far enough. It is critical, for example, that an
independent electoral commission be established and resourced. Likewise, all
candidates should have access to the media and strict campaign financing and
monitoring should be enforced. The elections should also be conducted in one
day, and other procedures related to the elections should be observed. If
possible, international monitors and observers, including Arab delegations,
should be deployed in Lebanon well before the elections take place to ensure the
transparency and fairness of the electoral process.
In the long-term, however, even these reforms will not put Lebanon on a new
course. Only a wholesale reform of the electoral system as envisioned under the
Boutros Commission can ensure that genuine pluralism in Lebanon is guaranteed.
If the 1960 law is to provide the basis for the upcoming elections, efforts must
be made in the time between these elections and the next to revise the system
further. If Lebanon is to break out of its sectarian ghettos, ultimately some
form of proportional representation based on larger electoral districts will
need to be adopted.
In 2005, the 2000 law was readopted out of expediency. As a consequence, Lebanon
today is on the verge of civil war. If the mistake of 2000 is to be avoided in
the coming months, the international community, and particularly the United
States, must actively engage President Suleiman and the Lebanese government to
ensure the electoral process moves the country in a forward, not backward,
direction. As it stands today, it looks as if the false stability of the past is
being restored. For some this will be a comfort. If the past is any example,
however, avoidance of difficult issues in Lebanon is likely to be a recipe for
future conflict.
**Jean-Pierre Katrib is a visiting fellow in The Washington Institute's Project
Fikra.