LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 12/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20,19-23.  On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 Resistance beyond time and space: Hizbullah’s media campaigns-Arab Media & Society 11/05/08
 The Solution Will Not Fall from the Sky.By: Jihad el Khazen -Al Hayat - 10/05/08/
Hezbollah gunmen defeat Sunnis for Beirut areas-AP 10/05/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 11/08
CHRONOLOGY: Hezbollah's showdown with Lebanese government-Reuters
 ANALYSIS: Hezbollah, Lebanese gov't are boxers waiting for next round-Ha'aretz
 Hezbollah fighters in Beirut melt away-The Associated Press
 Over two dozen killed in Lebanon clashes-Independent Online
 Army Takes Over Controversial Government Decisions Calls for Withdrawal of Gunmen-Naharnet
 Hassan Khalil: Opposition to Withdraw Gunmen, Maintain Disobedience-Naharnet
 Hizbullah Controls Beirut, March 14 Says 'Violence Will Not Terrorize Us'-Naharnet
 Syria Undecided About Attending Arab Meeting Over Lebanon-Naharnet
Hezbollah to Withdraw Gunmen in Lebanon-New York Times
 Death Toll from Sectarian Fighting in Lebanon Rises-Voice of America
 Lebanon prime minister: Hizbollah staged coup-Telegraph.co.uk
 Lebanon PM urges army to restore order as 11 more killed-AFP
New Beirut violence hits funeral-BBC News
 Hizbollah pushes Lebanon towards civil war-Telegraph.co.uk
 UN fiddles again as Lebanon burns-Boston Herald
 Lebanon's Siniora Urges Army to Restore Order-Voice of America
 Egypt, Saudi Arabia call for Arab FMs meet over Lebanon-Xinhua
 Lebanon: US Accuses Syria, Iran Of Fanning Violence-RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
 Shiite cleric urges Lebanon balance-United Press International
Deaths in Beirut funeral shooting-Aljazeera.net
Lebanon PM says state will not fall to Hezbollah-Reuters
Uneasy Calm After Hizbullah Seizes Control of West Beirut-Naharnet
 Hizbullah Controls Beirut, March 14 Says 'Violence Will Not Terrorize Us'-Naharnet
 Sfeir Appeals for Calm, Return to Dialogue-Naharnet
 A Change in Balance of Power?-Naharnet
 Phone Network War-Naharnet
 U.N. Chief Urges Restraint-Naharnet
 U.S. Says Syria, Iran behind Violence Amid Consultations About Measures to Hold Hizbullah Accountable-Naharnet
 France Plans for Possible Lebanon Evacuation, Kouchner Backs Saniora-Naharnet
 Hizbullah Silenced the 'Future'-Naharnet
 Arabs FMs to Meet Amid Fear over Iran Influence in Lebanon-Naharnet
 Hundreds Try to Flee Lebanon-Naharnet
 Britain Warns Against Travel to Lebanon-Naharnet
 Rome Mulling Evacuation of Italians Who Want to Leave Lebanon-Naharnet
 Iran Points Finger at U.S. and Israel, Assad Says Lebanon Unrest 'Internal Matter'-Naharnet
 EU Calls for End to Lebanon Fighting, Hizbullah's Disruptive Activities-Naharnet
 Italy Mulls Reviewing Rules of Engagement for U.N. Troops-Naharnet
 Lebanese Cabinet condemns Hezbollah 'coup'-BBC News
 Switzerland calls for end to Lebanon fighting-Swissinfo
 Lebanon tense after Hezbollah power grab-AFP
 Hezbollah phone system sparks new Lebanon unrest-AFP
Fighting in Beirut Threatens a Top Bush Administration Priority-Washington Post
 McCain tells SC crowd that Beirut situation demands action-Greenville News
 Tensions Spike in Lebanon: Showdown between Hizballah and the State-Washington Institute for Near East Policy

CHRONOLOGY: Hezbollah's showdown with Lebanese government
 Sat May 10, 2008
.(Reuters) - Hezbollah fighters began withdrawing from Beirut on Saturday after the Lebanese army overturned government measures against the group.
The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah had taken control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday, tightening its grip on the city in a major blow to the U.S.-backed government.Here is a chronology of events since its deadlock with the pro-Western government began 18 months ago:
November 11, 2006 - Five pro-Syrian Shi'ite Muslim ministers from Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, resign after the collapse of talks on giving their camp more say in government.
November 21 - Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel is killed by gunmen.
December 1 - Hezbollah, Amal and supporters of Christian leader Michel Aoun camp outside Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's office in Beirut in a campaign to topple the government.
June 13, 2007 - Anti-Syrian parliamentarian Walid Eido and five other people are killed by a car bomb near a Beirut beach club.
September 2 - Lebanese troops seize control of Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp after months of fighting with Fatah al-Islam militants in which more than 420 people are killed, including 168 soldiers.
September 19 - A car bomb in Beirut kills anti-Syrian Christian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem and six other people
November 23 - President Emile Lahoud leaves the presidential palace at end of his term; no successor has been elected. The next day, Siniora says his cabinet is assuming executive powers.
December 5 - Speaker Nabih Berri says rival Lebanese leaders have agreed on General Michel Suleiman as president, although parliament has yet to elect him.
December 12 - A car bomb kills Brigadier-General Francois al-Hajj, the army's head of operations, and a bodyguard in a Christian town east of Beirut.
January 15, 2008 - A car bomb in a Christian area of Beirut kills 3 people and wounds 16, damages a U.S. embassy car.
January 25 - Wisam Eid, a captain in a Lebanese police intelligence unit, is killed by a bomb in mainly Christian east Beirut. At least five other people are killed.
February 11 - Three army officers and 16 soldiers are charged over the killing of seven opposition protesters on January 27.
February 14 - Hezbollah holds a mass funeral for its assassinated commander Imad Moughniyah in Beirut. He was killed by a bomb in Syria a day earlier.
April 22 - Parliament fails to convene to elect a president, the 18th time it has been unable to hold a vote.
May 6 - Tension between the government and Hezbollah worsens after the cabinet says it will take legal action against the group's communications network, accusing it of violating the country's sovereignty
-- Hezbollah is angered by a cabinet decision to fire the head of airport security who is close to the opposition and by allegations the group was spying on Beirut airport.
May 7 - Ten people are wounded when government supporters clash with gunmen loyal to the Hezbollah-led opposition in Beirut after Hezbollah supporters stage protests that paralyze the capital.
May 8 - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says the government has declared war on the group after its decision to act against the group's communications network.
May 9 - Hezbollah takes control of the Muslim half of Beirut.
May 10 - Hezbollah fighters begin withdrawing from Beirut after the Lebanese army overturns government measures against the group.
(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; editing by Andrew Dobbie )

Army Takes Over Controversial Government Decisions Calls for Withdrawal of Gunmen
The Lebanese Army command decided to maintain Brig. Wafik Shoqeir commander of airport security pending completion of investigation and called for withdrawal of gunmen from the streets after violence renewed in Beirut and spread to north and east Lebanon.The Army command's move came shortly after Premier Fouad Saniora declared that the government would not be terrorized by Hizbullah's weapons and its occupation of Beirut and proposed a five-point settlement placing the disputed government decisions in the hands of the military establishment. The Army command said it would deal with Hizbullah's communications network issue along the lines of safeguarding "security of the resistance and the public interest."At least six people were killed and 12 wounded when a sole gunman opened fire at a funeral procession for one of the Mustaqbal Movement's supporters in Beirut's Tarik Jedideh district.Three people were killed and 13 wounded in several clashes throughout north Lebanon between supporters of the majority, on the one hand, and members of the Baath and Syrian Social National Party (SSNP), on the other. Majority supporters, angered by the opposition control of western Beirut, also attacked offices of opposition parties in the northern town of Tripoli and adjacent Minaa, setting them ablaze. In the Bekaa valley, also clashes were reported between majority supporters, mainly partisans of the Mustaqbal movement, and opposition members. Mustaqbal Movement sources said the sole assailant who opened fire on the Mourners at Tarik Jedideh is a member of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's AMAL Movement and identified him as Mohammed Hussein as-Sabbah. AMAL, however, issued a statement denying involvement in the crime. An official report announced that as-Sabah was rounded up by the army. Beirut, 10 May 08, 17:31

WCCR calls for resistance against Hezbollah terror
Written by WCCR
Saturday, 10 May 2008
WCCR calls for resistance against Hezbollah terror
Washington, Sydney, Brussels, New York
After the Terrorist attacks waged by Hezbollah in Beirut, and in view of the inaction of the Lebanese Army, allowing terrorists to aggress Lebanon's civil society, the WCCR declares the following:
1. General Michel Sleiman, the commander of the Lebanese Army seems more interested in his bid for the Presidency then in protecting the Lebanese People from Hezbollah. We therefore declare that General Sleiman is not fit for a candidacy for the Presidence of the Lebanese Republic. We call for an investigation of the Commander of the Lebanese Army and those officers who allowed Hezbollah to terrorize the Lebanese people.
2. We call on the brave and honorable Lebanese officers and soldiers to perform their duty in the defense of the homeland and its population in any area where citizens are assaulted by the Terrorists.
3. We consider Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, MPs Walid Jumblat and Saad Hariri as under house arrest under the mercy of the Terrorists and we call on friendly and allies country to free them
4. We call on the Lebanese people in all regions to resist the Hezbollah terror and occupation by all legitimate means possible.
5. We call on the Seniora Government to officially request the intervention of the Unted Nations to protect the peace and security of the Lebanese People under Chapter 7.
6. We call on the Lebanese Diaspora to mobilize all its resources to counter the Terror war waged by Hezbollah against Lebanon.
Joe Baini, President WCCR

Hassan Khalil: Opposition to Withdraw Gunmen, Maintain Disobedience
Naharnet/AMAL MP Ali Hassan Khalil said the Hizbullah-led opposition would withdraw its gunmen from Beirut and turn over responsibility for security to the army while maintaining its civil disobedience. Khalil also accused majority Premier Fouad Saniora of launching a coup against the "resistance" by seeking to control its communications network. Khalil, in a statement to reporters, said resistance weapons would always be directed "against the enemy and whoever tries to finish it off." The majority, according to Khalil, "carried out a real coup against the constitution."He said a declaration by Saniora on putting two government decisions rejected by the opposition in the hands of the army command is "a deceive operation."He called the premier to withdraw the two decisions against Beirut Airport Security chief Wafiq Shoqeir and the Hizbullah communications network. Khalil also blamed Saniora for sending copies of the government decisions to the U.N. chief. The problem, according to Khalil, is that the majority has rejected dialogue called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who also is AMAL chief.
Khalil accused Saniora of rejecting dialogue with Berri to kill time with the aim of blocking agreement on a new parliamentary elections law.
Beirut, 10 May 08, 19:51

Hizbullah Controls Beirut, March 14 Says 'Violence Will Not Terrorize Us'
Naharnet/Hizbullah gunmen seized control of key parts of Beirut from Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-backed government Friday, a dramatic show-of-force certain to strengthen the Iranian-allied group's hand as it fights for dominance in Lebanon's political deadlock. An ally of Hizbullah said the group intended to pull back, at least partially, from the areas its gunmen occupied overnight and Friday morning — signaling Hizbullah likely does not intend a full-scale, permanent takeover of Sunni Muslim parts of Beirut, similar to the Hamas takeover of Gaza a year ago. The clashes eased by Friday evening as Lebanon's army began peacefully moving into some areas where Hizbullah gunmen had a presence. But as Hizbullah gunmen celebrated in the capital's empty streets — including marching down Hamra Street, one of its glitziest shopping lanes — it was clear that the show-of-force would have wide implications for Lebanon and the entire Mideast.
Three days of street battles and gunfights capped by Hizbullah have killed at least 14 people and wounded 20 — the country's worst sectarian fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war. Three more people were killed in two separate incidents on Friday after the Hizbullah takeover. Two of them were Druze allies of Hizbullah who died in a shooting in a hilly suburb southeast of the capital late Friday, security officials said.
The leaders of Qatar and Syria held talks on Lebanon in Damascus, which wields influence with Hizbullah and has close relations with Iran. Syria's official news agency said the two sides agreed the conflict in Lebanon was an internal affair and expressed hope the feuding parties would find a solution through dialogue.
About 100 Shiite Hizbullah militants wearing matching camouflage uniforms and carrying assault rifles marched down Hamra Street, a normally vibrant commercial strip in a mainly Sunni area of Beirut. They took up positions in corners and sidewalks and stopped the few cars braving the empty streets to search their trunks.
On nearby streets, dozens of fighters from another Hizbullah -allied party appeared, some wearing masks and carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
The Hizbullah takeover was peaceful in some neighborhoods as the militants fanned out across the Muslim sector of the city.
Later in the day, Lebanese troops began taking up positions in some Sunni neighborhoods abandoned by the pro-government groups, but did not intervene in the clashes, which had largely tapered off into sporadic gunfire by early afternoon. Some of the gunfire was celebratory in the air by the militants.
A senior security official said the army began deploying on some streets with the end of the clashes and would soon take over the Sunnis' last stronghold of Tarik Jadideh. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
In some cases Hizbullah handed over newly won positions to Lebanese troops, presumably after having made clear to everyone its strength ahead of the next round of negotiations with opponents over the country's political future. Hezbollah's power was demonstrated dramatically Friday morning when it forced Future TV, the station affiliated to the party of Lebanon's top Sunni lawmaker, Saad Hariri, off the air. Gunmen also set chaos in the offices of the party's newspaper, Al-Mustaqbal, in the coastal neighborhood of Ramlet el-Bayda. Later in the afternoon, anti-government gunmen loyal to a pro-Syrian group attacked and set on fire a two-story building where Hariri's Future TV have their archives in the western neighborhood of Raouche.
With top leaders Hariri of the Sunnis and Druze leader Walid Jumblat besieged in their residences, officials of the pro-government majority held an emergency meeting in the mountain town of Maarab, northeast of Beirut . After the meeting, the March 14 forces called on the army to take control of the streets and urged Arab and international intervention to pressure the countries that support Hizbullah — meaning Iran and Syria. "The bloody coup d'etat aims at returning Syria to Lebanon and placing Iran on the Mediterranean," said the statement read by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. "Violence will not terrorize us, but it will increase our resolve," he said.
He said the Hizbullah takeover violated the constitution which governs Christian-Muslim coexistence in Lebanon. Late Friday, a group of gunmen fired about a dozen bullets at a statue of Rafik Hariri next to the seafront road where he was killed in a massive 2005 truck bombing. The statue was raised in February on the anniversary of the assassination. Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and several ministers were holed up in Saniora's downtown office surrounded by troops and police. An emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo to discuss the crisis will be held in two days, said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki. The unrest has virtually shut down Lebanon's international airport and barricades closed major highways. The seaport also was closed, leaving one land route to Syria as Lebanon's only link to the outside world.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 09 May 08, 13:20

Syria Undecided About Attending Arab Meeting Over Lebanon
Syria, which has been accused by the United States of fuelling violence in Lebanon, is undecided about attending an emergency Arab meeting on the crisis, Qatar's prime minister said on Saturday. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani told Al-Jazeera television there are "hesitations" on the part of the Syrian authorities "about attending the meeting of Arab foreign ministers" in Cairo on Sunday. "Syria's presence at the Arab meeting is important," Sheikh Hamad said a day after an official visit to Syria. The 22-member Arab League will hold emergency talks on the Lebanese crisis on Sunday, at the request of regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Both countries support the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, who faces tough opposition at home from a Hizbullah-led coalition which is backed by Syria and Iran. Hizbullah seized control of west Beirut on Friday after three days of deadly battles with pro-government forces, worsening a political crisis that has prevented the election of a president in Lebanon since September 2007. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Friday that the deadly fighting was an "internal matter." But a U.S. official said on Friday that Washington has proof Damascus fuelled the Hizbullah offensive and believes Tehran gave the "green light" for it. "We're seeing now some evidence of those groups that are linked to Syria that are in Lebanon right now are taking a much more active role in fanning the flames of violence," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.(AFP) Beirut, 10 May 08, 16:29

Hezbollah to Withdraw Gunmen in Lebanon
Bryan Denton for The New York Times
By ROBERT F. WORTH and NADA BAKRI
Published: May 11, 2008
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah and its allies announced Saturday evening that they would withdraw their gunmen, raising hopes for a political settlement after four days of street battles that have left at least 29 people dead across Lebanon.
Hezbollah Seizes Swath of Beirut From U.S.-Backed Lebanon Government (May 10, 2008) The statement came shortly after the Lebanese Army — widely seen as a neutral force here — proposed to resolve the dispute that provoked the latest round of bloody confrontations between the Hezbollah-led opposition and government supporters. Hezbollah supporters seized control of western Beirut on Friday, patrolling the streets and prompting angry accusations that the group had staged an armed coup. Government officials had previously called on the army to resolve the impasse — and retake control of the streets from Hezbollah supporters — by settling a dispute about Hezbollah’s private telephone network. But until now, Hezbollah had refused those offers, and the army had remained silent.
On Saturday evening, the army proposed to resolve the issue by investigating Hezbollah’s private telephone network without harming the group’s integrity, and to retain Gen. Wafiq Choucair, the current chief of airport security who is close to Hezbollah, in his post.
Earlier this week, the government challenged Hezbollah’s telephone network and tried to fire General Choucair after it said it found a spy camera set up by Hezbollah on the airport road. Earlier in the day in a televised address, Lebanon’s prime minister, Fouad Siniora, lashed out at Hezbollah for using its weapons against fellow Lebanese, and he called on the Lebanese Army to retake control of the streets from militia fighters.
“The core of the problem with Hezbollah is that they have decided to force their will on the Lebanese,” Mr. Siniora said, in his first public comments since the latest crisis began on Wednesday. At least two dozen people have been killed and scores wounded in gun battles since Wednesday, in the worst sectarian bloodshed since Lebanon’s 15-year civil war ended in 1990.
The violence poses a fresh challenge to the Bush administration, which has supported Mr. Siniora’s government in part to counter Hezbollah and its patrons, Iran and Syria. On Saturday, Hezbollah officials announced that three Hezbollah members had been kidnapped in the Chouf mountain town of Aley, and that two others had been killed by fighters loyal to Walid Jumblatt, the Druse leader. Hezbollah’s statement made it clear that the group held Mr. Jumblatt — who is allied with Mr. Siniora’s government — responsible for the kidnapping and murders of the men, who were found shot and stabbed in front of a hospital.
In northern Lebanon, 10 people were killed in scattered gun battles between supporters of the government and the Hezbollah-led opposition, Al Jazeera television reported. Although most of Beirut was somewhat calmer on Saturday, a funeral for a Sunni government supporter erupted into bloodshed when a Shiite storeowner opened fire on the mourners. As the pallbearers approached a store owned by a member of the Amal Party, which is allied with Hezbollah, mourners urged the owner to close his store. When he refused, they started smashing the windows. Furious, the store- owner opened fire at them, killing Ali Masri, 23, and Moussa Zouki, 24. Meanwhile, with violence continuing, the governments of Turkey and Kuwait began evacuating their citizens through Lebanon’s northern border with Syria, the only open route out of the country. The road to Lebanon’s airport has been blocked since Wednesday by Hezbollah supporters. Other land routes are cut off, and the Beirut port is also shut.
Some Lebanese took to the streets on Saturday to express their outrage over Hezbollah’s show of force, and over the armed attacks on a television station and newspaper allied with the government. A group of government supporters marched to the offices of Future Television, a satellite channel that was commandeered by the army after Hezbollah supporters threatened it on Friday. “Hezbollah are liars; they are despicable,” said Nawal al-Meouchi, 60, who had come to show her support along with her husband, her son and her daughter. “They said they would never turn their arms on the Lebanese, but they have.”

Hezbollah gunmen defeat Sunnis for Beirut areas
A Shiite gunmen looks confident while resting during clashes with Sunnis for key ground in Beirut.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEIRUT (AP) — Shi'ite Hezbollah gunmen easily seized control of key parts of Beirut from Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-backed government yesterday in a dramatic show of force certain to strengthen the Iranian-allied group's hand as it fights for dominance in Lebanon's political deadlock.
An ally of Hezbollah said the group intended to pull back, at least partially, from the areas its fighters occupied overnight and yesterday morning — signaling the militant group likely does not intend a full-scale, permanent takeover of Sunni Muslim parts of Beirut.
Eyewitnesses said the clashes had eased by last night as Lebanon's army began peacefully moving into areas where Hezbollah forces had a presence.
Three days of street battles and gunfights have killed at least 14 people and wounded 20 — the country's worst sectarian fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war.
But as Hezbollah gunmen celebrated in the capital's empty streets — including marching down Hamra Street, one of its most upscale shopping lanes — it was clear that the show of force would have far-reaching implications for Lebanon and the region.
"It's a very dangerous moment," said Mohamad Bazzi, a specialist on Shi'ite politics at the Council on Foreign Relations, in a telephone interview from Beirut.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stepped up U.S. criticism of Hezbollah's campaign, accusing the Shi'ite movement of trying to undermine the government of pro-Western Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.
"Backed by Syria and Iran, Hezbollah and its allies are killing and injuring innocent citizens and undermining the legitimate authority of the Lebanese government," she said.
White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said U.S. officials are conferring with allies in the region and with the U.N. Security Council on measures to "hold those responsible for the violence in Beirut accountable."
But analysts said the Siniora government seemed to provoke the clash when it voted earlier this week to take control of Hezbollah's private telecommunications network, one the militant group warned was vital to its security.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "had said numerous times this was a red line, so it is hard to tell what the government was thinking," Mr. Bassam said.
Lebanon's army largely stood aside as the Shi'ite militiamen scattered their opponents and occupied large swaths of the capital's Muslim sector early yesterday.
The army has pledged to keep the peace but not take sides in the long political deadlock — which pits Shi'ite Hezbollah and a handful of allies, including some Christian groups, against the U.S.-backed government, which includes other Christians and Sunni Muslims.
The street clashes have been a grim reminder of that troubled time when Beirut was carved into enclaves ruled by rival factions and car bombs and snipers devastated the capital.
The fighting also was certain to have implications for the entire Middle East at a time when sectarian tensions are high. The tensions are fueled in part by the rivalry between predominantly Shi'ite Iran, which sponsors Hezbollah, and Sunni Arab powers in the region such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Hezbollah's power was demonstrated dramatically yesterday morning when it forced the TV station affiliated to the party of Lebanon's top Sunni lawmaker, Saad Hariri, off the air. Gunmen also set the offices of the party's newspaper, Al-Mustaqbal, on fire in the coastal neighborhood of Ramlet el-Bayda.
• Staff writer David R. Sands contributed to this article.

Uneasy Calm After Hizbullah Seizes Control of West Beirut
Naharnet/An uneasy calm settled over west Beirut on Saturday, a day after Hizbullah gunmen seized control of large swaths of the predominantly Sunni sector of the Lebanese capital. Traffic and the sound of car horns resumed in neighborhoods that had been largely deserted since Thursday, and cleaning crews cleared the debris from streets, some littered with bullet casings. "This is the first time I leave my home since Thursday night," said Samia, as she walked to work at a bank in the Hamra district. "But I think this calm is only temporary."The army was still out in full force and some streets remained blocked. The airport road also remained closed. At least 15 people were reported killed around Lebanon since Wednesday — the worst sectarian bloodshed since the 1975-1990 civil war.
The unrest led to urgent international appeals for calm as Arab foreign ministers prepared to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Sunday amid regional Sunni Muslim fears about Shiite Iran's influence in Lebanon. An Nahar daily on Saturday quoted an official source as saying "Hizbullah has staged a coup in Beirut similar to Hamas' coup in Gaza." On Friday, the pro-government March 14 forces accused Hizbullah of attempting a coup so Syria and Iran can control Lebanon.
"Violence will not terrorize us, but it will increase our resolve," Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said after the meeting of the coalition's members at his residence in Maarab. He said the Shiite group launched "an armed coup... that is counter to the constitution... and democratic principles."
Hizbullah gunmen celebrated on Friday by firing into the air and flashing victory signs as they drove in convoys around west Beirut.
Violence also spread to Aramoun, Sidon, Aley and the Bekaa valley, according to An Nahar. It quoted security sources in Aley as saying that seven Hizbullah fighters were killed in clashes with members of the Progressive Socialist Party in Ras al Jabal.(AFP-AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 10 May 08, 08:49

Hizbullah Controls Beirut, March 14 Says 'Violence Will Not Terrorize Us'
Naharnet/Hizbullah gunmen seized control of key parts of Beirut from Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-backed government Friday, a dramatic show-of-force certain to strengthen the Iranian-allied group's hand as it fights for dominance in Lebanon's political deadlock.
An ally of Hizbullah said the group intended to pull back, at least partially, from the areas its gunmen occupied overnight and Friday morning — signaling Hizbullah likely does not intend a full-scale, permanent takeover of Sunni Muslim parts of Beirut, similar to the Hamas takeover of Gaza a year ago.
The clashes eased by Friday evening as Lebanon's army began peacefully moving into some areas where Hizbullah gunmen had a presence.
But as Hizbullah gunmen celebrated in the capital's empty streets — including marching down Hamra Street, one of its glitziest shopping lanes — it was clear that the show-of-force would have wide implications for Lebanon and the entire Mideast. Three days of street battles and gunfights capped by Hizbullah have killed at least 14 people and wounded 20 — the country's worst sectarian fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Three more people were killed in two separate incidents on Friday after the Hizbullah takeover. Two of them were Druze allies of Hizbullah who died in a shooting in a hilly suburb southeast of the capital late Friday, security officials said. The leaders of Qatar and Syria held talks on Lebanon in Damascus, which wields influence with Hizbullah and has close relations with Iran. Syria's official news agency said the two sides agreed the conflict in Lebanon was an internal affair and expressed hope the feuding parties would find a solution through dialogue. About 100 Shiite Hizbullah militants wearing matching camouflage uniforms and carrying assault rifles marched down Hamra Street, a normally vibrant commercial strip in a mainly Sunni area of Beirut. They took up positions in corners and sidewalks and stopped the few cars braving the empty streets to search their trunks.
On nearby streets, dozens of fighters from another Hizbullah -allied party appeared, some wearing masks and carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
The Hizbullah takeover was peaceful in some neighborhoods as the militants fanned out across the Muslim sector of the city. Later in the day, Lebanese troops began taking up positions in some Sunni neighborhoods abandoned by the pro-government groups, but did not intervene in the clashes, which had largely tapered off into sporadic gunfire by early afternoon. Some of the gunfire was celebratory in the air by the militants. A senior security official said the army began deploying on some streets with the end of the clashes and would soon take over the Sunnis' last stronghold of Tarik Jadideh. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
In some cases Hizbullah handed over newly won positions to Lebanese troops, presumably after having made clear to everyone its strength ahead of the next round of negotiations with opponents over the country's political future. Hezbollah's power was demonstrated dramatically Friday morning when it forced Future TV, the station affiliated to the party of Lebanon's top Sunni lawmaker, Saad Hariri, off the air. Gunmen also set chaos in the offices of the party's newspaper, Al-Mustaqbal, in the coastal neighborhood of Ramlet el-Bayda. Later in the afternoon, anti-government gunmen loyal to a pro-Syrian group attacked and set on fire a two-story building where Hariri's Future TV have their archives in the western neighborhood of Raouche.
With top leaders Hariri of the Sunnis and Druze leader Walid Jumblat besieged in their residences, officials of the pro-government majority held an emergency meeting in the mountain town of Maarab, northeast of Beirut  After the meeting, the March 14 forces called on the army to take control of the streets and urged Arab and international intervention to pressure the countries that support Hizbullah — meaning Iran and Syria.
"The bloody coup d'etat aims at returning Syria to Lebanon and placing Iran on the Mediterranean," said the statement read by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. "Violence will not terrorize us, but it will increase our resolve," he said. He said the Hizbullah takeover violated the constitution which governs Christian-Muslim coexistence in Lebanon. Late Friday, a group of gunmen fired about a dozen bullets at a statue of Rafik Hariri next to the seafront road where he was killed in a massive 2005 truck bombing. The statue was raised in February on the anniversary of the assassination.
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and several ministers were holed up in Saniora's downtown office surrounded by troops and police.
An emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo to discuss the crisis will be held in two days, said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki.
The unrest has virtually shut down Lebanon's international airport and barricades closed major highways. The seaport also was closed, leaving one land route to Syria as Lebanon's only link to the outside world.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 09 May 08, 13:20

Sfeir Appeals for Calm, Return to Dialogue
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, who is currently on a visit to South Africa, has urged the Lebanese to return to the dialogue table to bring the country out of the "dangerous situation," An Nahar daily reported Saturday. "The dangerous situation that Lebanon is going through…leads us to urge from South Africa our Lebanese brothers and sons…to stop harming citizens," the newspaper quoted Sfeir as saying in his appeal. We urge the Lebanese "to sit at the dialogue table to come out with a solution that pleases everyone," he said. Sfeir also stressed the need to bring Lebanon back to a situation of "security and peace."
Beirut, 10 May 08, 08:38

U.N. Chief Urges Restraint
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon called on rival forces to show restraint in Lebanon and peacefully resolve their political differences, his press office said Friday. "Everything should be done at this time to keep this situation from deteriorating," it said in a statement. "The parties should address their political differences through peaceful means and dialogue." Ban "calls on all parties to exercise restraint," it said."He is aware of the continuing mediation role of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and continues to offer his full support," the statement said.(AFP) Beirut, 10 May 08, 10:25

U.S. Says Syria, Iran behind Violence Amid Consultations About Measures to Hold Hizbullah Accountable
Naharnet/The Bush administration has accused Iran and Syria of fueling violence in Lebanon by inciting Hizbullah to take up arms against the country's pro-government forces. "The United States is consulting with other governments in the region and with the U.N. Security Council about measures that must be taken to hold those responsible for the violence in Beirut accountable," the White House said on Friday. A senior U.S. official declined to list any specific steps, and emphasized that there would not be a "one-size-fits-all" approach to Tehran, Damascus, and the Shiite group that Washington brands a terrorist organization.
"Backed by Syria and Iran, Hizbullah and its allies are killing and injuring innocent citizens and undermining the legitimate authority of the Lebanese government and the institutions of the Lebanese state," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement. "Seeking to protect their state within a state, Hizbullah has exploited its allies and demonstrated its contempt for its fellow Lebanese," she said. "We will stand by the Lebanese government and the peaceful citizens of Lebanon through the crisis and provide the support they need to weather this storm."
Rice spoke by phone with Premier Fouad Saniora, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and France about the situation.
"Hizbullah's relationship with Iran and Syria, as well as its history of international terrorism and provision of lethal support and training to Iraqi-based extremist groups, demonstrates the threat it poses to international peace and security," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
At the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States had evidence that Iran and Syria, in particular, were beginning to take an active role in encouraging the three-day violence.
"It is becoming more apparent now that the linkages that we know exist and are ongoing between Hizbullah and Syria and Iran are starting to manifest themselves in the current crisis," he said. "At the beginning we didn't see it, but we are now."
Specifically, McCormack said U.S. officials were seeing "groups and individuals that are known associates and proxies of Syria ... starting to engage. Groups that are linked to Syria and that are in Lebanon right now are taking a much more active roll in fanning the flames and violence and attacks that are destabilizing the political situation." A senior State Department official later identified three former pro-Syrian government ministers as "fully owned subsidiaries of Syria" who had taken to the airwaves Friday in support of Hizbullah. "These sorts of people don't get involved unless they have been told to do so," the official told reporters.
The official added that U.S. analysts did not believe Hizbullah would have started the fight without "some kind of green light from Iran."
"The army is acting in a professional manner," McCormack said. "We believe it is an effective professional force that is working on behalf on this government and on behalf of the Lebanese people. We think that the government is exercising sound judgment."
The State Department is considering how to protect an estimated 50,000 U.S. citizens in Beirut if conditions worsen, although it is assumed that many would not choose to leave because they hold dual nationality and have families in Lebanon. The senior State Department official said there was no decision on what advice to offer Americans, or about how to help any who choose to leave since the Beirut airport and main seaports are virtually shut down.
President George Bush, on his Texas ranch for the wedding of one of his daughters, still hopes to meet with Saniora in Egypt next week -- but would understand if the prime minister cancelled his visit, said Johndroe. "We certainly expect to see Prime Minister Saniora in Sharm el-Sheikh next week. The president would like to see him next Saturday or Sunday. But if he feels the situation on the ground doesn't permit him to do that, we understand that as well," said the spokesman.(AP-AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 10 May 08, 09:40

France Plans for Possible Lebanon Evacuation, Kouchner Backs Saniora
Naharnet/France is creating a plan to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon in case the country's sectarian violence spreads, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Friday. Kouchner, speaking on France-Info radio, also said that France, along with Spain and Italy, are working on an initiative to bring calm to Beirut. He did not provide details of the initiative. Kouchner said that France, Lebanon's former colonial ruler, has not yet decided to evacuate its citizens. But, he added, "that does not mean we shouldn't prepare something, just in case." Italy, too, "is preparing to envisage the worst, that is, an evacuation" of Italians, Kouchner said. Italy is current commander of UNIFIL, the U.N. force in southern Lebanon. Kouchner reiterated his support for the government of Premier Fouad Saniora, called on all parties in the conflict to lay down their arms and denounced Hizbullah's takeover of West Beirut. Security officials say at least 14 people have been killed in three days of street battles in the Lebanese capital between pro- and anti- government factions, the worst sectarian clashes since Lebanon's 15-year civil war.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 10 May 08, 08:20

Hizbullah Silenced the 'Future'
Naharnet/Militants of the Lebanese Shiite Hizbullah movement on Friday forced the shutdown of all media operations belonging to the family of majority leader and billionaire tycoon Saad Hariri. The closure -- which came as Shiite fighters routed Sunni loyalists of the Western-backed government -- concerned one satellite news channel, two regular television stations, a newspaper and a radio station. The media empire was launched by Hariri's father, Rafik Hariri, the billionaire former prime minister who was assassinated in February 2005 in a massive Beirut seafront car bombing. The slain ex-premier rose from humble beginnings to command an empire that included flagship construction company Saudi-Oger, real estate developer Solidere, banks and other companies -- turning everything he touched into gold. His business activities and his rise as an influential Middle East political leader often won the elder Hariri comparisons with Italy's billionaire politician Silvio Berlusconi who also sits atop a huge business and media empire. Future Television was launched in February 1993 at the height of Lebanon's post-war reconstruction frenzy, when Hariri was also busy in multi-billion-dollar ventures to rebuild Beirut's war-devastated city center.
The guns of the 1975-1990 civil war had gone silent only three years earlier and the new high-tech television offered a wide scope of family programs, variety shows as well as news. In 1994 Future Television launched a trial satellite broadcasting -- Future International -- that also proved very popular with Arab audiences.
In less than a year, Future International grew to become one of the leading Arab satellite stations gathering the highest audience ratings in the Gulf, Egypt and the Levant," according to Future Television website. "Like Future Television, Future International is a family TV that promotes Lebanon as a place for reconstruction, civilization, prosperity, coexistence, fun and good times."
Future Television restructured its ownership in 1996 and "now has around 90 new shareholders, all from the Lebanese business, social and media elite."
That same year it set up a website on the Internet, the first by a Lebanese television. The television expanded yet again in December 2007 when it launched Future News, a 24/hour, which broadcasts news in Turkish and Armenian as well as Arabic, English and French. The Hariri family also moved into radio in February 1995, setting up Radio Orient which began broadcasting from Beirut before moving onto a new base in Paris. Like the television, Radio Orient focuses on news from and about the Arab world, and Lebanon in particular, broadcasting in English and French as well as Arabic. Al-Mustaqbal newspaper was also founded in 1995 and serves as the mouthpiece of Hariri's Future movement.(AFP) Beirut, 09 May 08, 20:03

Arabs FMs to Meet Amid Fear over Iran Influence in Lebanon
Naharnet/Arab foreign ministers are to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday on the Lebanon crisis amid fears about Iran's influence over the Hizbullah movement which seized control of west Beirut on Friday. The move follows three days of street battles in Lebanon which have stoked fears a protracted political feud could descend into another full-blown civil war in the deeply divided nation. "It has been decided to hold an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Sunday in Cairo, at the request of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to put an end to the deadly battles in Lebanon," an Arab League official said.
The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse and key U.S. ally which backs the ruling majority in Lebanon, had led calls for the meeting in the wake of the fighting that has left 13 people dead and scores wounded. Arab League Chief Amr Moussa cut short a trip to the United States and returned to Cairo on Friday to prepare for it, his deputy told AFP. Saudi Arabia and the region's other heavyweight, Egypt, have been strong supporters of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and blamed Hizbullah, backed by Syria and Iran, for the latest confrontation.
"Egypt and other Arab countries are very concerned by the actions of Hizbullah in Lebanon," an Egyptian diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"A party backed by Iran cannot be allowed to take control of the running of Lebanon," the diplomat said.
"The situation today in Lebanon is 10 times worse than it was yesterday and we are very concerned at what is happening, because that means that Iran wants to control the country." Opposition Hizbullah gunmen seized control of predominantly Muslim west Beirut from pro-government forces on Friday, the third day of sectarian violence that threatened to tip the country into all-out civil war. The Iranian foreign ministry meanwhile blamed Israel and the United States "for the continuous chaotic situation in Lebanon" while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Lebanon's crisis was an "internal matter."
The crisis, the worst since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990, has left the country without a president since November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his mandate with no elected successor. The feud is widely seen as an extension of the confrontation pitting the United States and its Arab allies and Israel against Syria and Iran. Yemen meanwhile suggested that Lebanese army chief General Michel Suleiman, the consensual candidate to replace Lahoud, should chair a national dialogue to end the violence. Jordan and Kuwait, both key U.S. allies in the region, also gave their backing to the Cairo meeting.
Jordan's King Abdullah II discussed the crisis with Saudi King Abdullah and they "expressed their deep concern over the repercussion of these horrific events on the future of Lebanon and its people" the palace in Amman said.(AFP) Beirut, 09 May 08, 19:48

Hundreds Try to Flee Lebanon
Naharnet/Hundreds of people flooded Lebanon's border crossings with Syria on Friday to escape the deadly violence that has shaken the country over the last three days. rowds of men, women and children gathered at the Arida border crossing in the north and the Masnaa crossing in the east seeking to make their way out of Lebanon. Those fleeing the fighting -- which has threatened to plunge Lebanon into a fresh civil war -- included British, American, German and Cypriots as well as numerous Syrian laborers. Several Arab states have already begun evacuating their nationals from Lebanon, whose only international airport and the Beirut port have been shut down because of clashes between pro- and anti-government gunmen. "I have been here for more than two and a half hours and I lost two buttons on my shirt already because of the mayhem," said one traveler at the Arida crossing. Shelagh, a British woman in her 60s who would only give her first name, said she was on a 10-day visit to Lebanon when fierce clashes erupted Thursday. "I was supposed to leave Sunday and decided instead to leave today in case it got worse," she told AFP. "It seemed like the most sensible thing to do was to leave now."
Rafik Hariri international airport has been virtually shut down since Wednesday as anti-government protests escalated with gunmen blocking the main road with burning tires and earth mounds. An airport official said all flights had been cancelled on Friday and it was unclear when traffic would resume, adding: "As soon as they open the road, the flights will resume."(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 09 May 08, 17:02

Britain Warns Against Travel to Lebanon
Britain on Friday warned its citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon after Hizbullah gunmen seized control of west Beirut and the country teetered on the brink of civil war. "We advise against all travel to Lebanon. The violent exchanges on the streets of Beirut and elsewhere between opposition and pro-government groups, which began on May 7, continue to pose a danger to bystanders," a statement from the Foreign Office said. It advised Britons currently in Lebanon to "exercise particular vigilance at this time and wherever possible avoid areas where there has been fighting in recent days." The advice also warned that visitors to the country were likely to get stuck there, with roads to neighboring Syria subject to closure.(AFP) Beirut, 09 May 08, 16:37

Rome Mulling Evacuation of Italians Who Want to Leave Lebanon
Rome is drawing up an evacuation plan for Italian nationals who want to flee fighting in the Lebanese capital, the ANSA news agency reported, quoting new Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Those who want to leave "can do so, and they will have a national (air) bridge at their disposal," said Frattini on his first full day in office. Italy's 2,500 soldiers is the largest contingent in the 13,000-strong U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which was beefed up in 2006 following the war between Hizbullah fighters and Israel in southern Lebanon. Hours after taking the oath of office, Frattini said Italy may rethink the rules of engagement for its UNIFIL soldiers.(AFP) Beirut, 09 May 08, 15:40

Iran Points Finger at U.S. and Israel, Assad Says Lebanon Unrest 'Internal Matter'
Iran on Friday accused the United States and Israel of fueling the deadly fighting in Lebanon between pro- and anti- government fighters.
"Adventurous efforts and interventions by the United States and the Zionist regime are the main cause of the continuous chaotic situation in Lebanon," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said. "Unfortunately, part of the political plot which was predicted ... has been executed," said Hosseini, who was quoted by ISNA and Fars news agencies. "We hope that those who have been responsible for creating this situation exert the effort needed to restore stability and calm to Lebanon," he added, without elaborating. Hosseini said Iran will pursue "tireless efforts ... to help different political groups reach an understanding."
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- whose country is Iran's closest regional ally -- said the unrest was a purely "internal affair" but called for dialogue.
Assad spoke during a meeting with visiting Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, during which the two shared thoughts "on the regional situation, particularly in Lebanon," the Syrian state-run news agency, SANA, reported.
Israeli President Shimon Peres on Friday claimed the violence in Lebanon was fomented by Iran to further what he said was Tehran's goal to control all of the Middle East.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 09 May 08, 15:01

A Change in Balance of Power?
Hizbullah's power grab in west Beirut marks a turning point in Lebanon's long-running political crisis and could have serious implications for the wider Middle East, analysts say. "Hizbullah had said before it would never point its arms against its own country," said Nadim Shehadi, Lebanon specialist at the Chatham House think-tank in Lebanon. "But it has crossed a huge red line, and it means Iran has crossed this line. "The political consequences are immense, it could escalate regionally."
But while the Hizbullah-led opposition claimed victory, it remains unclear if the Shiite group will be able to secure the spoils, another analyst said.
"Hizbullah has won the first round but the situation will quickly turn against it," said Antoine Basbous of the Paris-based Observatory of Arab States.
"Beirut fell without resistance, but people regard Hizbullah, which is hanging up posters of Syrian and Iranian leaders, as an occupying force," he added.
Syria maintained a large military presence for nearly three decades until it was forced to withdraw after the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri in a Beirut bombing for which it was widely blamed. Hariri's son Saad is now one of the leading figures behind the governing coalition, while Syria and its regional ally Iran are the main backers of Hizbullah.
The areas taken over by Hizbullah and its Shiite allies were predominantly Sunni areas that support the anti-Syrian ruling coalition.According to Paul Salem, the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, "the power balances on the ground have changed now. "The opposition has not indicated how it wants to translate this victory other than rescinding the government decisions," he said. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused the government on Thursday of declaring war against his movement by ordering a crackdown on its communications network and sacking the head of security at Beirut airport who is considered close to it.
After the events of recent days, "the opposition has further strengthened its position and the majority has been weakened to a certain extent," Salem said.
For Karim Makdissi, a professor at the American University of Beirut, however, the deadly clashes of the past few days also create an opportunity to finally end the 18-month-old standoff between the government and the opposition that has crippled Lebanese political life.
"Whenever there is a stalemate where nothing is happening, sometimes you need a bit of a shock to create a new opportunity," he said.
"You have had your shock. The opportunity is there for people to create the sort of face-saving maneuvers that they want in order to come out feeling like everybody got something. That's what needs to be worked out now." In Salem's view, Hizbullah and the opposition will not seek to control the government on their own. "Israel and the United States target Hizbullah," he said. "It is for this reason that Hizbullah prefers to hold power behind the scenes."
He said Hizbullah was likely to call for the formation of a government of national unity in which the opposition has increased power and push for a new electoral law it deems favorable for parliamentary polls due next year. According to Shehadi, "the government strategy has always been to avoid Lebanon being the battlefield for the regional conflict. The equation has changed in that Hizbullah went on the attack, meaning Iran went on the attack in Beirut, like in Iraq and Gaza."
At the local level, Shehadi predicted that the events of the past few days would damage Hizbullah's popular support.
"Hizbullah has shown its ugly face to its allies, it has isolated itself," he said.(AFP) Beirut, 10 May 08, 11:03

Phone Network War
A private telephone network built by Hizbullah is at the center of a political storm that has brought Lebanon perilously close to a new civil war.
The landline network, which Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said was installed with the help of Hizbullah's backer Iran, was crucial to the Shiite group thwarting a massive Israeli assault in a ferocious war two years ago. The Israelis jammed cellphone networks to prevent Hizbullah commanders from communicating with units in the field, but the landline network continued to function. An attack on the network could severely curtail Hizbullah's ability to defend itself from Israel or from an attack by domestic opponents. Hamadeh recently told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that the network had been completed in southern Lebanon, along the Israeli border, as well in the eastern Bekaa Valley, in southern Beirut and several Christian areas in Mount Lebanon.
He said work was currently under way to complete infrastructure in the north. After a marathon cabinet session on Tuesday, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government declared the network illegal. In response, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a fiery speech on Thursday that this was a "declaration of war" against the group, which considers the phones system to be a "major weapon" in its arsenal.
Nasrallah threatened to "chop off the hand" of anyone who tried to meddle with the network. Deadly fighting between opposition supporters and backers of the government shook the country for three days before an uneasy calm descended late on Friday. Hamadeh had said the "issue of communications has been under discussion for a long time, but we were waiting for Hizbullah to respond to the security authorities who requested they stop all infringements.
"Unfortunately Hizbullah refused to stop its activity and continued with its illegal acts. Not only that but Hizbullah has been harboring criminals and fugitives from justice and has been refusing to cooperate with the Lebanese security forces in applying law and order in the areas under their control.
"All this leads us to believe they are establishing a state within the state of Lebanon."According to the newspaper, Iran has used an Iranian company that was rebuilding homes destroyed during the 2006 war to lay cables for the Hizbullah network.
Hamadeh claimed Hizbullah wants to link all the militias in Lebanon, Syria and Iran via a vast network. "Their goal is not security resistance. They want to connect between all the Iranian and Syrian militias and they want to eavesdrop on everyone," he said. According to a Lebanese government report, the network is capable of tracking 100,000 numbers using a digital format in which each number is five digits long. Other reports say the Hizbullah hardware can hook up to Lebanon's main telephone network. Hamadeh told An-Nahar newspaper that the issue of Hizbullah's communications network is "no longer an issue concerning the security of the resistance, but rather the security of Lebanon and toppling its regime."
On Wednesday, the day fighting broke out in Beirut, An-Nahar said officials had received direct threats warning them not to touch the telecommunications network.
At the same time they were warned to leave Brigadier General Wafiq Shqeir untouched in his job as airport security chief, even after surveillance cameras under Hizbullah control were reportedly found there. Nonetheless the cabinet announced a decision to transfer Shqeir to the army, removing him amid concerns over his relationship with Hizbullah.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 10 May 08, 08:17

Aramean Organisations ask United Nations for help to protect Aramean clergy and Aramean Indigenous people of Iraq.
A letter to Ban Ki-Moon by Aram-Naharaim Organisation and Aramaic Democratic OrganisationFollowing the letter of the Aram-Naharaim Organisation and the Aramaic Democratic Organisation sent to the Iraqi government on 22nd of April 2008 in which they ask for a special protection program in protecting the Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq, both organisations have sent a letter on 6th of May 2008 to the Secretary General of the United Nation requesting for the involvement of the UN with this protection programme. Please find below the letter sent to the UN.
http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/ArameansOrganisations_UN_Iraq_Help_10_5_2008.htm
Nr.: 2008-05-6/04
Netherlands, 6th of May 2008
Subject: Help to protect the Aramean Christian indigenous nation and clergy in Iraq.
Letter to the Iraqi Government (Enclosure 2)
The Most Honourable Secretary-General of the United Nations
His Excellency Ban Ki-moon
U.N. Headquarters, Room S-3800
New York, NY 10017
United States
Your Excellency;
We, the undersigned, the Arameans of Aram-Naharaim Organization and the Aramaic Democratic Organization are writing to ask for your help in protecting the Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq, for they are targeted and killed by those who do not want Iraq to became a tolerant, democratic and a moderate state with basic Human Rights standards and values.
Although the Aramean indigenous people (not to be confused with ‘Armenians’) of Mesopotamia [1], are peaceful minded, living according to the ten commandments, showing respect, dignity and love to their neighbours and always respecting the law of the countries in which they reside, they have a long and painful history of persecutions, discriminations, exclusion, extortion and genocides. [2]
They not only suffered severely from the hands of those who apply the path of fanaticism and intolerance but also from those who came from outside and presented themselves as the children of ‘light’, ‘peace’ and ‘brotherhood’ and fragmented our nation in the name of ‘education’, ‘faith’, ‘help’ and ‘assistance’. This colonial spiritual intervention by the Western missionaries [3] and diplomats has damaged our nation severely by planting doubts in their hearts regarding their origin and imposing fake names “Chaldeans” (since the 16th century by Roman Catholics) and “Assyrians” (since the 19th century by Anglicans) resulting in a severe form of fanaticism, nationalism, mutual hatred, division and hostility, thus a kind of spiritual genocide was committed against our nation. [4]
Nevertheless, the Aramean people, who were also made known as “Assyrians” and “Chaldeans”, made a significant contribution to world civilizations in particular through their Aramaic language, also spoken by Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. [5] This ancient Semitic people, now divided into several denominations and spread throughout the Middle East, amount to approximately 8 million people worldwide (Enclosure 1: Aramean denominations).
Your Excellency;
As it is known to you, the daily suffering of many innocent Iraqi people, including children and elderly people, is heartrending and unbearable. Flying parts of human bodies, mangled bodies in the streets covered with human blood, desperate and crying mothers; children crying for their parents, heartbreaking scenes, it is unbearable how the innocent people of Iraq are suffering. The cradle of civilization is burning and peace, love and brotherhood seems to be far away and unachievable.
However the situation for the Aramean indigenous Christian nation is even worse, for they have no means to defend themselves and in many cases they are at the mercy of those whose dictionary lacks words like “peace”, “solidarity” and “unity”. As a result, an important part of our nation has left Iraq for countries like Syria, Jordan and the West.
The Iraqi government is doing everything she can to provide her citizens with basic protection. Unfortunately, as we have painfully experienced, this is not enough to prevent the killing and abductions of numerous Aramean spiritual leaders and others by groups who we believe are promoted by outsiders with the goal of creating more chaos and instability within Iraq.
For this reason we sent a letter to the Iraqi government on 22 of April 2008 in which we shortly describe the suffering of the Aramean people, also known as “Assyrians” and “Chaldeans”, and strongly urge that a special protection program be considered, with the assistance of the United Nations, to protect the Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq (Enclosure 2: Letter to Iraqi Government).
Your Excellency,
Such a protection program may positively contribute to a general feeling of safety, hence preventing our nation leaving from the lands of their forefathers which they have inhabited for thousands of years.
Therefore, we believe that the United Nations can play a significant role in this protection program by offering the Iraqi government the necessary means and assistance.
The Aramean Christian nation of Iraq, have been present for thousands of years in this part of the world, also known as the Cradle of Civilization. It would be a great loss to mankind if the Cradle of Civilization would be cleaned of its original inhabitants by those who apply and enjoy the law of the jungle in stead of the law of respect, brotherhood and solidarity where all the Iraqi can live together irrespective of religion, ethnicity and political orientation. Today something can be done to prevent this happening, tomorrow may be too late!
Respectfully Yours,
Gabriel Sengo
Chairman
Arameans of Aram-Naharaim Organization
Gabi Gallo
Chairman
Aramaic Democratic Organsiation (ArDO)


Resistance beyond time and space: Hizbullah’s media campaigns
By Pete Ajemian
May, 2008. The February 2008 assassination of paramilitary mastermind Imad Mughniyeh and the July War of 2006 presented challenges to Hizbullah’s capacity as a military organization.[i] Yet the group has attempted to use its media capabilities to translate the two events into political capital in Lebanon and the wider Arab World. While the reach of Hizbullah’s media apparatus has grown with its integration into Internet-based platforms, the group has also become adept in the creation and presentation of its political media content. Hizbullah’s media responses to these specific incidents demonstrate how the group has become skilled at framing key episodes of political violence against the backdrop of historical themes that resonate with the group’s domestic and regional constituencies.

With a narrative that transcends and conflates time and space, the group’s media aim to cultivate Hizbullah’s image as being the vanguard of resistance against perceived Israeli and Western domination. In commemorative videos produced by Al Manar in response to Mughniyeh’s death, this narrative is largely derived from the group’s own unique political culture of militancy and Shiism, while aspects of the group’s prolific media response to the July War of 2006 also incorporate broader nostalgic themes of pan-Arabism. Thus, the group has sought to utilize these events to further reinforce its image of defiance by tapping into themes of revisionism that have timeless currency with its local Shia and greater Arab audiences.

The development of Hizbullah’s media apparatus

Hizbullah’s use of websites as a platform for streaming audio, videos, articles and RSS feeds means that the group is no exception to the wider wave of media format convergence that has accompanied the rise of the internet.[ii] This technological enhancement in media has corresponded with Hizbullah’s gradual expansion of its political reach from a Lebanese resistance organization to an Arab nationalist movement with a regional agenda.[iii]

Between its inception in the mid 1980’s and the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000, Hizbullah’s media apparatus grew from an unlicensed radio station and newspapers, into several websites and the satellite station Al Manar which had existed as a terrestrial broadcaster since 1991.[iv] Since the 2006 conflict, the group’s Internet presence has expanded to over fifteen affiliated websites.[v] Before its embrace of new media Hizbullah initially relied on journals to propagate its message. Its first journal, Al Ahd, was founded in the mid 1980s and was soon followed by other weekly journals.[vi] Print media was followed by three radio stations, which were eventually eclipsed by Al Manar.[vii] More recent advancements in internet technology and production capabilities have allowed for the integration of Nour Radio, Al Manar and its print media through many of the group’s websites,[viii] providing a convergent platform to what was already a robust media presence.

The political goals of Hizbullah’s media program have also evolved over the years. After Al Manar’s inception in 1991, the station enabled Hizbullah to mobilize its local Shia constituency and to erode Israeli support for the occupation of south Lebanon.[ix] Hizbullah also aimed to nationalize its efforts by using its media outlets to appeal to other Lebanese sectarian groups.[x] The airing of combat on the station and websites amplified the effects of Hizbullah’s attrition campaign against the IDF by broadcasting Israel’s battlefield losses on the Internet and television, thus tilting Israeli public opinion towards withdrawal from south Lebanon.[xi]

With the broadening of Hizbullah’s constituency in the Arab world, Al Manar’s broadcasts have evolved in reaction to trends within the local, regional and international contexts.[xii] The increase in Al Manar’s broadcast capability from a local TV station to an international satellite station in May of 2000 coincided with Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon.[xiii] During the second Palestinian Intifada in the fall of 2000, Hizbullah sought to capitalize on Al Manar for its newfound regional agenda by declaring that it would provide direct assistance to the Palestinian resistance.[xiv] The goals of Al Manar’s coverage of the Intifada were to bring live coverage of the conflict to Arab households around the world, mobilize widespread support for resistance efforts and, not least, to link Palestinian struggles against Israel with Hizbullah’s own success against the occupation of south Lebanon.[xv]

Subsequently, Al Manar’s popularity amongst the Palestinians of the Occupied Territories has come to rival that of Al Jazeera.[xvi] This enabled Hizbullah to co-opt the Palestinian struggle into its media campaign with Al Manar producing several dramatic documentaries depicting the daily suffering of Palestinians at the hand of the Israelis, including the torturing of Palestinian prisoners.[xvii] Beyond Palestinians, however, Al Manar has only managed to reach out to a niche audience compared to stations like Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya.[xviii]

Hizbullah’s integration of its media with internet technology in recent years has enhanced its ability to reach multiple constituencies.[xix] This is because the presentation of media through convergent platforms allows individuals to access a wide reservoir of content from anywhere at any time, thereby increasing the accessibility of the group’s media.[xx] Additionally, the gradual integration of Hizbullah’s media into platforms such as YouTube also suggest that structural factors inherent to new media convergence, namely the overlap of networks and media spheres, are also facilitating this process. [xxi]

Yet while internet technology has broadened the reach of an already robust media apparatus, scope alone is not sufficient to significantly boost the political utility of Hizbullah’s media. The true cornerstone of Hizbullah’s media strategy is content which frames political violence within a narrative that has currency with both domestic and regional audiences – that of resistance. I will argue that by integrating contemporary events with historical images, sounds and discourses of resistance derived from Shia Islam and pan-Arabism, Hizbullah has capitalized on political violence to advance its political and military goals.

‘Resistance’ as a timeless narrative

Hizbullah has developed politically in both domestic and regional terms since its formative years as an armed resistance to Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon in the 1980s and 90s. As the group has gradually been integrated into mainstream Lebanese politics since entering the parliamentary process in 1992, it has attained influence as a regional player by portraying itself as a pan-Arab resistance, and increasingly so after Israel’s withdrawal in 2000.[xxii] While Hizbullah’s early rhetoric emphasized its roots within Lebanon’s Shia constituency, much of the group’s discourse since the second Palestinian Intifada has contained both Arab nationalist overtones and Lebanese proto-nationalism.[xxiii] Subsequently, the group’s political platform has broadened, allowing it to adapt to the shifting landscape of regional politics.[xxiv]

Hizbullah has consistently positioned itself as a force resisting the actions of Israel and the superpowers, to which they attribute the subjugation and oppression of the Third World.[xxv] Accordingly, Hizbullah’s discourse remains constructed around the notion of resistance that largely stems from its fight against the Israeli invasion and occupation of Lebanese territory. This ideal of defiance against oppressive forces has remained central to Hizbullah’s self-proclaimed mission even after the Israeli withdrawal. [xxvi] The group has adopted Shebaa Farms and other territorial disputes along the Lebanese-Syrian border into its list of grievances to maintain the pretext for armed resistance since Israel’s military presence inside Lebanon has all but vanished.[xxvii] But beyond the territorial disputes, the foundations of Hizbullah’s revisionism can be traced to its Shia-influenced political culture where militancy and religiosity are closely interlinked.

Defiance of oppression in Shia doctrine is an ideal that transcends both time and space as embodied in the story of the death of Imam Hussein Ibn Ali in 680 AD at Karbala. According to Shia interpretations, when given the choice of either submitting to the demands of then Ummayad Caliph Yazid and his army at Karbala, or resisting and suffering imminent death, Hussein chose to fight, even after the loss of his companions and family to Yazid’s army.[xxviii] As a result of his sacrifice, a sense of righteousness is attributed to those who follow in the footsteps of those martyred at Karbala and partake in the symbolic struggle for justice against oppression.[xxix] Slogans derived from the story of Karbala that have become definitive of Shia political Islam such as, “every day is Ashoura and every land is Karbala” and “humiliation is far from us,” suggest that the political ideal of resistance is also an expression of faith that transcends both time and space.[xxx]

The martyrdom of Imam Hussein at Karbala is a reference point around which Hizbullah has framed contemporary issues and events. For example, in his elegy to former Secretary General ‘Abbas al-Mussawi in February of 1992, current Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah compared the assassination of Mussawi and members of his family to that of Hussein and his family at Karbala stating, “As if your bombed and destroyed cortege were Hussein’s tents burning in the desert, as if you were that same Hussein, the commander on the battlefield, Hussein the rebel in the face of oppression and despotism… you, my master, epitomize all that Karbala represented.”[xxxi] More recently, videos broadcast on Al Manar and websites in commemoration of Mughniyeh’s death use imagery from Karbala, where Mughniyeh is referred to as a “Knight of Hussein” arriving on his horse from Karbala to join previous high-profile Hizbullah martyrs in paradise.[xxxii]
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