LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
May 16/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Mark 8,27-33. Now Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of
Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that
I am?"They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of
the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to
him in reply, "You are the Messiah." Then he warned them not to tell anyone
about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be
rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and
rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began
to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does,
but as human beings do."
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
U.S House Resolution against Hezbollah/US House Resolution H. RES. 1194
Written by US House of Congress. 15/05/08
http://www.democracyinlebanon.org/Documents/CDL-Exclusives/Declarations/CDL20080515.htm
World
Council For The Cedars Revolution (WCCR)/Lebanese in Lebanon and in the Diaspora
Applaud US House Foreign Affairs Committee/ 15/05/08
My Lebanon needs support for a free and strong Arab
democracy.What's at stake is the very vision of Lebanon.
By:Paula Arab, Calgary Herald 15/05/08
You can bring a politician to the table, but you
can't make him talk sense. The Daily Star 15/05/08
An assault on all Lebanese-NowLebanon.com 15/05/08
The
New Cold War-New York Times 15/05/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for May 15/08
U.S House Resolution against Hezbollah/US House Resolution H. RES. 1194
Written by US House of Congress. 15/05/08
http://www.democracyinlebanon.org/Documents/CDL-Exclusives/Declarations/CDL20080515.htm
World
Council For The Cedars Revolution (WCCR)/Lebanese in Lebanon and in the Diaspora
Applaud US House Foreign Affairs Committee/ 15/05/08
My Lebanon needs support for a free and strong Arab
democracy.What's at stake is the very vision of Lebanon.
By:Paula Arab, Calgary Herald 15/05/08
Qassem Said Hizbullah Wants Settlement Based on No Victor, No Vanquished-Naharnet
Cardinal Pleas for Lebanese Peace-Zenit News Agency
Israel: Hizbullah
Proved it Was Strongest Power-Naharnet
Fatah Islam Will Stand by Beirut's Sunnis
if Threatened-Naharnet
Former Lebanese Federal Agent Fined but
Not Deported-Naharnet
Arab League Mediates to Resolve Lebanon
Crisis-Naharnet
Masnaa Crossing Reopens-Naharnet
Syrian Press: Hizbullah Action in Lebanon
'Legitimate'-Naharnet
U.S. to Speed up Military Aid to Lebanese
Army-Naharnet
Army Criticized-Naharnet
U.N. to Tackle Lebanon Violence-Naharnet
Bush Supports Lebanon's Government Against
Hizbullah-Naharnet
Hariri Warns Hizbullah Against Targeting
Akkar Mufti-Naharnet
Lebanon at the Edge-New York Times
Hariri Wouldn't Arm
Sunnis to Avoid War with Shiites
Government Revokes Anti-Hizbullah Measures
... Will Opposition Open Airport Road?
Lebanon's government backs down in stand-off with Hizbollah militants-Telegraph.co.uk
Bush Says Iran Behind Lebanese Fighting-Voice of America
Arab mediators expected to seal Beirut deal-Reuters
Olmert's travails pose a threat to Lebanon-Daily
Star
Bush accuses Iran of attempting to destabilize
Lebanon's democracy- AFP
Siniora government reverses steps aimed at
pressuring Hizbullah-Daily
Star
NGO calls for law to ban 'confessional feuds-Daily
Star
Harb voices shock over recent events-Daily
Star
Qabalan urges Cabinet to revoke 'black
decisions-Daily
Star
Lebanon's latest crisis deals another painful
blow to tourism sector-Daily
Star
Tensions ease as Lebanese Army troops tighten
grip-Daily
Star
Hariri paper makes it back to newsstands-Daily
Star
Yachts, planes, taxis profit from flood of
evacuees-AFP
Palestinians march to Israeli border to denounce
60 years of dispossession-AFP
Opposition protesters bide time at new Beirut
barriers-AFP
Army 'has done a good job' with limited options at
its disposal-By IRIN News.org
Italy sees no need for 'drastic changes' in
UNIFIL-Daily
Star
Lebanon set to cancel anti-Hezbollah measures-Reuters
Syrian dailies back Hizbullah's legitimate
defense-Daily
Star
Lebanon revokes measures against Hezbollah
Lebanon's Government has cancelled two measures it took against Hezbollah that
provoked heavy fighting. One was a probe into a telecommunication network set up
by the militant group, and the other was the reassignment of the head of
security at Beirut airport on suspicions he was close to Hezbollah. Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora says he is revoking the measures to facilitate an end to
Lebanon's political crisis. The Arab League has failed to mediate a peaceful
resolution to the long-running stand-off.- AFP/Reuters
Qassem Said Hizbullah Wants Settlement Based on No Victor,
No Vanquished
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
said Thursday the group favors a settlement in Lebanon on the basis of no
victor, no vanquished and announced that the party wants to "return things" to
normal after the government revoked key measures that triggered six days of
bloodshed.
Qassem's comments came after meeting an Arab delegation. "Arab countries will
sponsor inter-Lebanese dialogue" that would tackle formation of a new government
and the elections law, Qassem told a press conference. "As for us, we will
only discuss issues that had been discussed before the latest events" broke out
May 7, he said. "We want to reach a settlement on the basis of no victor, no
vanquished," he added. Qassem said that Hizbullah recognizes "the other" party
and demanded that the other side recognizes the Shiite group. "Revoking the two
government decisions was the key to return things to the previous status quo,"
Qassem said. "We want to work hand in hand in order to build Lebanon. Neither
American intervention nor external meddling is in the interest of Lebanon," he
stressed. Beirut, 15 May 08, 13:26
Government Revokes Anti-Hizbullah Measures ... Will
Opposition Open Airport Road?
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's cabinet has approved a key Hizbullah
demand for ending a week of sectarian violence and halting its campaign of civil
disobedience which has virtually closed Beirut's airport and port and sent
expatriates fleeing by road or sea.
The decision announced late Wednesday by the country's rump Western-backed
cabinet prompted celebratory gunfire across the Hizbullah-controlled southern
suburbs of Beirut. The daily As Safir on Thursday, citing anti-government
sources, said the opposition has decided to end its civil disobedience and
reopen Rafik Hariri International airport in Beirut. But by midday both
directions of the airport highway were still closed to traffic.
As Safir said the government was not in a hurry to make the announcement on
Wednesday, but that Druze leader Walid Jumblat insisted that the cabinet revokes
its decisions at once or else he would ask his ministers to resign. It said not
only that, but Jumblat has also informed a delegation of Arab foreign ministers
that he was willing to resume talks in Beirut or Doha based on a three-point
agenda presented by Speaker Nabih Berri -- election of army chief Gen. Michel
Suleiman president, formation of a national unity government and the 1960
electoral law.
As Safir said Jumblat's stance did not represent that of the majority March 14
coalition, adding that the Druze leader insisted on discussing Hizbullah arms
"calmly" after presidential elections and formation of a new government. The
move by the Lebanese cabinet, which formalized a decision already taken by the
army, came as the Arab delegation shuttled between the rival sides in a bid to
end sectarian gunbattles that have killed at least 65 people and driven the
country close to renewed civil war. "In order to facilitate the negotiations of
the Arab League delegation and to preserve national unity and the security of
citizens, the government has decided to accept the decisions of the army"
concerning Hizbullah, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said after a lengthy
cabinet meeting which ended shortly before midnight.
Last week, the Lebanese government decided it would investigate into a
telecommunications network set up by Hizbullah and reassign the chief of
security at Beirut airport on suspicions he was close to Hizbullah. Hizbullah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he regarded the moves as a declaration of
war and sent his Shiite militants into Sunni areas of west Beirut prompting the
sectarian fighting in which 200 people were also wounded.
Although the opposition withdrew at the weekend after the army moved in, it had
refused to lift its blockade on Beirut airport unless the government revoked its
measures against Hizbullah and returned to the negotiating table. After the
cabinet meeting, an opposition official said the airport road was likely to
reopen on Thursday morning. He said the Arab foreign ministers would continue
their negotiations on Thursday in search of a package deal that would include an
agreement by the government side to return to the negotiating table. An
18-month-old deadlock between the two sides since six pro-Syrian ministers quit
the Saniora cabinet has left the government unable to implement its legislative
program and the country without a president for the past six months.
The government had been insisting that it would not negotiate under the gun, an
act of defiance for which it received strong support from Western governments.
But Hizbullah countered that it was the government that had provoked the
fighting with its controversial measures against facilities that the Shiite
group regards as essential to its defenses against Israel with which it fought a
devastating war less in the summer of 2006.
The Lebanese parliament is scheduled to convene on June 10 for what will be its
20th attempt to elect a president to replace Damascus protégé Emile Lahoud who
stepped down at the end of his term of office in November. The government and
the opposition have agreed on army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as a compromise
candidate for the presidency but remain at odds over the details of a proposed
government of national unity and a new electoral law for parliamentary polls due
next year. The Arab League has repeatedly failed in recent months to mediate an
end to the long running standoff.(AFP-Naharnet) (AP photo shows Lebanese
children playing soccer in front of a road-block on the highway leading to
Beirut airport) Beirut, 15 May 08, 06:44
Berri Hints at Calling Off Civil Disobedience
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly informed the Arab
delegation that there were no changes to the dialogue agenda regarding formation
of a national unity government and the Qada-based electoral law. "This is enough
to elect (army commander) Gen. Michel Suleiman."Sources following up the
delegation's meeting quoted Berri as saying "there is nothing new in our
position.""What has happened (in Lebanon) was a response to the (anti-Hizbullah)
government decisions," Berri has reportedly told the delegation. "The
government's announcement that it was revoking its decisions and was willing to
resume dialogue will be exchanged for calling off the civil disobedience from
our side," Berri said. He stressed that there was "no winner, no
vanquished" in the latest sectarian conflict between pro- and anti-government
supporters "because brothers cannot defeat each other." Beirut, 15 May 08, 10:16
Israel: Hizbullah Proved it Was Strongest Power
Naharnet/Hizbullah proved last week that it is the strongest
force in Lebanon and could have seized power if it had wanted to, Israel's
military intelligence chief said in remarks published on Thursday. "Hizbullah
did not intend to take control... If it had wanted to, it could have done it,"
Major General Amos Yadlin said in an interview with the Haaretz newspaper. But
Yadlin said the Shiite group did not want to follow the example of the
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which seized power in the Gaza Strip in
June by ousting the forces of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Hizbullah "understands that if it took power it would have to assume
responsibility and expose its numerous weak points," he said.Yadlin said the
party "proved that it was the strongest power in Lebanon... stronger than the
Lebanese army."He said Hizbullah continued to pose a "significant" threat to
Israel as its rockets could reach a large part of Israeli
territory.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 15 May 08, 13:37
Fatah Islam Will Stand by Beirut's Sunnis if Threatened
Naharnet/The terrorist Fatah al-Islam group has said it will stand by the Sunnis
if Beirut was threatened.
In a statement published by the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday under the
headline: "Lies and Excuses to Slaughter Sunnis in Lebanon," Fatah al-Islam
warned to confront "anybody who wants to bow the heads of our people in Beirut,"
an indirect reference to the Hizbullah-led opposition. The opposition fought
fierce gunbattles with pro-government supporters last week after anti-Hizbullah
cabinet measures angered the Shiite group triggering the worst sectarian strife
since the 1975-90 civil war. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he
regarded the government moves as a declaration of war and sent his Shiite
militants into Sunni areas of west Beirut prompting the fighting. Violence
across the country left at least 65 people killed and 200 wounded in six days.
"What has happened in Beirut – the invasion, the killing, the incineration, the
humiliation against the Sunnis -- is not acceptable," Fatah al-Islam said. It
said repeated excuses by Hizbullah and the opposition, justifying their action
was a response to the government's measures, "were only a lie," the statement
said. Beirut, 15 May 08, 09:34
Former Lebanese Federal Agent Fined but Not Deported
Naharnet/A former FBI and CIA agent has been fined but will not
be sent to prison or her native Lebanon for faking a marriage to gain U.S.
citizenship and improperly searching an FBI database. Nada Nadim Prouty, 38,
"erred in judgment" when she lied to enter the United States in 1989 but has
provided "exemplary service to the country" as a federal agent, U.S. District
Judge Avern Cohn said. The judge ordered Prouty to pay $975 in fines and fees
and signed an order revoking her citizenship, but Prouty's attorney Thomas
Cranmer said later she will not be deported. Government officials have said they
would not deport her because of her knowledge about matters of national
security; the judge noted there was no evidence she was a spy. Prouty began
working for the FBI five years after emigrating and joined the CIA in 2003; she
resigned as part of her guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the U.S.,
unauthorized computer access and naturalization fraud.
"I accept full responsibility for my error in my judgment," Prouty told the
judge Tuesday. "I admit I made a mistake. ... But I'm not or have never been
disloyal to the United States in any way, shape or form." As an FBI special
agent, Prouty made unauthorized searches on a computer database for possible
links between her relatives and Hizbullah, authorities say. The searches
involved her sister, Elfat El Aouar, and brother-in-law, Talal Chahine.
Chahine is believed to have fled to Lebanon in 2005 to avoid federal tax
charges. He is accused of skimming more than $20 million in cash and sending it
to Lebanon. Elfat El Aouar was sentenced a year ago to 18 months in prison for
tax evasion and sentenced to 90 days in prison and stripped of her citizenship
in February for citizenship fraud.(AP) Beirut, 15 May 08, 08:59
Arab League Mediates to Resolve Lebanon Crisis
Naharnet/An Arab League delegation was meeting with rival leaders
in Beirut to mediate a settlement to deadly sectarian gunbattles that have
driven Lebanon close to civil war. The meetings came as U.S. President George
Bush accused Iran of trying to undermine Lebanese democracy through its support
of the Shiite movement Hizbullah, which he said had turned on its own people.
The Arab team, headed by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani,
was holding talks with members of the government and the Hizbullah-led
opposition, who have been locked in a bitter political feud for 18 months.
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's office would only say after he met with the
delegation that the talks were "positive and candid."
Topping the agenda were efforts to end an anti-government campaign by Hizbullah
militants and their allies that has led to the shutdown of a number of major
roads in Lebanon, including the highway to the airport. No commercial flights
have been scheduled from the country's only international airport for the
seventh straight day, an airport official said. "The Arab delegation is focusing
its efforts on saving Lebanon from its deep political crisis, especially as
concerns the latest events," said Ali Hamdan, spokesman for parliament speaker
and opposition stalwart Nabih Berri.
"It is seeking to stabilize the security situation ... and for the government to
go back on its decisions with all parties returning to the negotiating table."
The Arab League has failed repeatedly in recent months to mediate an end to the
long-running standoff between the ruling majority and opposition that exploded
into deadly gunbattles last week. Christian Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea,
allied with the ruling bloc, said earlier that he was not optimistic about the
latest mission. "The biggest problem that we need to tackle is Hizbullah's
relations with the state of Lebanon contrary to what Speaker Berri says," Geagea
said, describing efforts by the Arab Committee as "objective."The delegation met
Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel at his residence at Sin el-Fil.
Gemayel said he welcomes a proposal by Sheik Hamad to continue the talks in Doha
in search of a settlement He expressed "hopes in the Arab Initiative, but the
priority is for reassuring the worried Lebanese after the recent incidents." The
delegation then met Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun.
Aoun, in a statement following the meeting, called for a "reconsideration to the
concept of partnership", however he would "save no effort to bring the Arab
Committee's efforts to success." Beirut, 14 May 08, 22:06
Masnaa Crossing Reopens
Naharnet/The main road in Lebanon leading to the eastern border
crossing with Syria, which had been blocked for a week during deadly sectarian
fighting, reopened on Wednesday. Bulldozers removed mounds of dirt and rocks
dumped on the road by supporters of the Western-backed government in reaction to
the shutdown by Hizbullah of the main road leading to Beirut's airport. The
roadblocks effectively shut down the airport and forced travelers to Syria to
find alternate routes to escape the country during the worst sectarian fighting
since the end of the civil war in 1990.(AFP) Beirut, 15 May 08, 07:09
Syrian Press: Hizbullah Action in Lebanon 'Legitimate'
Naharnet/Hizbullah's action in Lebanon during deadly sectarian
fighting with pro-government supporters was a "legitimate defense" to a coup
attempt, the official Syrian press has said. "The actions of the national
resistance (Hizbullah) were a legitimate defense when faced with an attempted
coup by the ruling power," the Al-Baath newspaper said. Hizbullah, the Shiite
group which spearheads the Lebanese opposition supported by Iran and Syria,
seized control of west Beirut last week in a wave of deadly clashes with
pro-government rivals. The government aimed "to besiege the nationalist forces
and deprive them of their weapons, in line with Israel's objectives and on the
orders of the United States," the paper added. The sectarian fighting was the
worst since the 1975-1990 civil war and has left at least 65 people dead and
around 200 wounded in six bloody days. An Arab League delegation is in Beirut to
hold talks with rival factions in a fresh bid to find a solution to the
long-running political feud which has left Lebanon without a president since
November 2007.
"Syria supports the efforts of the Arab ministerial League chaired by Qatar to
guarantee the implementation of the Arab initiative, which allows for a global
strategy in three phases," a Syrian foreign ministry statement said. The Arab
League initiative calls for the election of consensus candidate army chief Gen.
Michel Suleiman, formation of a national unity government and amendments to
electoral law. Al-Baath said the Bush administration "poured oil on the fire by
backing the majority and the illegitimate government and working to
internationalize the crisis in order to find solutions which serve the interests
of Israel."
"The solution to Lebanon lies in finding a national agreement between all the
Lebanese people," the paper added.(AFP) Beirut, 15 May 08, 06:59
U.S. to Speed up Military Aid to Lebanese Army
Naharnet/The United States said Wednesday it planned to speed up
deliveries of previously agreed military aid to the army in Lebanon as sectarian
clashes threaten the government in Beirut. "We have an ongoing military
assistance program for Lebanon," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey
told reporters.
"That is something that has been active over the last couple of years and is
designed to be able to help the Lebanese military carry out its mandate to
provide security for the entirety of the country," he said. "I know that there
are a number of things in the pipeline for them. And my understanding is we'll
be trying to move some of those things through the pipeline in an expedited
fashion," Casey said. "But in terms of overall levels of assistance, they remain
the same," he added.
"We have a very robust package of support for the Lebanese military and we
intend to carry that out and give them the kind of help that they need to be
able to, again, carry out their mission and support the Lebanese people," he
said. For the past week, Lebanon has been rocked by sectarian fighting in which
at least 65 people have died after a move by the Western-backed government
against Hizbullah prompted the Shiite group to seize Sunni areas of west Beirut.
The sectarian violence put the spotlight on the army as the police force is
perceived as being pro-government and would have run the risk of being sucked
into the fighting if it has tried to intervene. Hizbullah militants withdrew
from west Beirut at the weekend and on Tuesday the army announced it would use
force if necessary to disarm any remaining gunmen on the streets. But many in
Lebanon believe the army only finally took action -- at a time when the fighting
had largely subsided -- after first securing the blessing of Hizbullah and its
opposition allies.(AFP) Beirut, 14 May 08, 21:35
Army Criticized
Naharnet/The Lebanese army has come under heavy criticism for
standing idly by during the sectarian clashes that have shaken the country but
analysts say its own divisions and lack of resources mean it would have
struggled to make a difference. "The army is essentially Lebanese society
dressed in military uniform," said Oussama Safa, head of the Lebanese Centre for
Policy Studies, referring to the cleavages that pervade Lebanon as a result of
the protracted deadlock between the government and the opposition that reached a
new climax last week. The army split along sectarian lines during the 1975-1990
civil war. Since then, it has worked hard to forge unity in its ranks and a
reputation for neutrality capable of winning the trust of the whole population.
Its limitations as a fighting force were starkly illustrated by the summer 2006
war between Israel and Hizbullah when it was forced to remain on the sidelines.
Last summer, when Islamist militants launched a deadly uprising in a Palestinian
refugee camp in the north, the army found itself ill-equipped for the ensuing
months-long siege in which it was to lose nearly 200 of its men.
"They started Nahr al-Bared with only 300 artillery rounds in their warehouses.
That's less than any militia has," Safa said. "They don't even have any
communication equipment. "We are talking about simple equipment, tires for their
trucks, fast mobility to be able to deploy people quickly, and telecommunication
equipment.
"Several people ran the Nahr al-Bared campaign on their cell phones. You don't
do this in an army."
Retired Brigadier General Wehbe Qatisha, who spent 40 years in the army, played
down fears that the army would have split if it had intervened in the latest
unrest, saying that the issue was being used as a pretext for inaction. "Being
neutral does not mean not protecting public safety," Qatisha told AFP.
"Who protects ordinary citizens not allied with either side?" he asked. "That is
the duty of the army. "It is sometimes preferable to have half an army that is
capable rather than an entire army that is paralyzed." For the past week,
Lebanon has been rocked by sectarian fighting in which at least 65 people have
died after a move by the Western-backed government against Hizbullah prompted
the group to seize Sunni areas of west Beirut.
The sectarian violence put the spotlight on the army as the police force is
perceived as being pro-government and would have run the risk of being sucked
into the fighting if it has tried to intervene. Hizbullah militants withdrew
from west Beirut at the weekend and on Tuesday the army announced it would use
force if necessary to disarm any remaining gunmen on the streets. But many in
Lebanon believe the army only finally took action -- at a time when the fighting
had largely subsided -- after first securing the blessing of Hizbullah and its
opposition allies. "The army's decision means it had got a green light from the
opposition to take action against armed militants in the streets," retired
Brigadier General Elias Hanna told AFP.
The suspicion that the army waited for the opposition's green light has drawn
criticism from pro-government politicians. "The army faced a core problem of
unity," the head of the pro-government faction in parliament, Saad Hariri, said
on Tuesday. "Unfortunately it couldn't defend citizens who paid with their blood
for the unity of the army," Hariri said. One official who did not wish to be
named told AFP that a number of pro-government army officers had resigned in
protest at "the way the situation in Beirut and other areas was managed."
Opposition politicians, however, praised the army's role. On Friday, Christian
opposition figure Suleiman Franjieh said that if the government of Prime
Minister Fouad Saniora resigned and entrusted power to the army, the opposition
would be satisfied. (AFP)
U.N. to Tackle Lebanon Violence
Naharnet/The U.N. Security Council is expected Wednesday to
tackle the issue of unrest in Lebanon, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman
Tom Casey said.
"I know there have been some consultations and are going to be some additional
consultations in the Security Council, I believe this afternoon, probably
continuing over the next couple of days," Casey told reporters. He did not say
whether the United States planned to propose a draft Security Council
resolution.
"At this point I think it is not entirely clear what kind of action might come
out of these discussions," he said. "Certainly we think it is important for the
council to be able to speak strongly on this issue. This is something that is of
great concern to many council members." National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley
spoke Tuesday of U.S. efforts to put the violence in Lebanon before the Security
Council to pressure Hizbullah and its presumed backers Syria and Iran to stop
the violence.
An Arab League delegation was meanwhile meeting with rival leaders in Beirut on
Wednesday in a bid to mediate a settlement to deadly sectarian clashes that have
driven Lebanon close to civil war.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 14 May 08, 21:02
Bush Supports Lebanon's Government Against Hizbullah
Naharnet/U.S. President George Bush on Wednesday reaffirmed his
support for Lebanon's elected government against the Iranian-backed Hizbullah
and for Israel against the Hamas movement. "Hizbullah, the so-called protector
of the Lebanese against Israel has now turned on its own people," Bush said in
Jerusalem after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "Hizbullah is
supported by Iran, and it is an Iranian effort to destabilize Lebanon's
democracy, and the United States stands strongly with the Saniora government,"
he said, referring to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora. Bush also
reaffirmed his support for Israel in its conflict with the Islamist Hamas
movement that seized power in the Gaza Strip in June, casting both conflicts as
pitting democracies against "terrorists".
Noting that Hamas was pledged to the destruction of the Jewish state, Bush told
Olmert "we'll stand strongly with Israel as well as stand strongly with the
Palestinians who don't share their vision." Shortly after the two leaders met a
rocket slammed into an Israeli shopping mall in the seaside town of Ashkelon
north of Gaza, wounding at least 14 people, three of them seriously, including a
little girl. In the nearly one year since Hamas took over, Palestinian militants
have fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli communities near the border, as
Israeli leaders have mulled a wider operation against the isolated territory.
Since November, Olmert has been holding peace talks with Palestinian president
Mahmoud Abbas, with the two sides having committed themselves to trying to
strike a deal by the time Bush leaves office in January 2009. Bush arrived in
Israel on Wednesday at the start of a five-day tour of the region anchored on
Israel's 60th anniversary that will also take him to Saudi Arabia and
Egypt.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 14 May 08, 20:50
Hariri Warns Hizbullah Against Targeting Akkar Mufti
Naharnet/Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri on Wednesday
accused Hizbullah of agitating against the Mufti of Akkar Province Sheikh Usama
Rifai.
Hariri, in a statement, accused Hizbullah's television mouthpiece, al-Manar, of
"twisting facts" regarding clashes that took place in the northern Akkar
province in an attempt to depict the Syrian Social National Party (SSNP) as a
"victim" and the Mustaqbal movement as the executioner. Al-Manar, according to
Hariri, also agitated sectarian hatred against Sheikh Rifai. "I warn Hizbullah
against repercussions of targeting Mufti Rifai," Hariri said in his statement.
Beirut, 14 May 08, 19:51
Hariri Wouldn't Arm Sunnis to Avoid War with Shiites
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri has rejected
distress calls by the Sunni community for arms, refusing to get lured into
sparking a Sunni-Shiite conflict, wrote Hani Hammoud, editor-in-chief of the
daily al-Mustaqbal. The invasion of Beirut was launched and the army "did not
manage to protect the unarmed civilian population … distress calls started
reaching Saad Hariri from the districts of Martyred Beirut and from the regions:
Arm us, provide us with ammunition … instruct us to resist with whatever
available means, with pistols, sticks and kitchen knives," Hammoud added. The
decision to invade Beirut was a "regional decision taken far, far away" from
Lebanon, he noted. Hariri refused to arm his supporters and his "decisive
response was: I would not be anybody's partner in a Sunni-Shiite war … I would
not be anybody's partner in a civil war that would destroy Lebanon … most
important, I would not expose Beirut to a massacre," according to Hammoud. He
quoted Hariri as saying: "They want me. Open the road for them. Let their
problem be with me in person, not with you, let them reach my residence so that
Beirut wouldn't be butchered."Beirut was invaded, Hariri was besieged and the
target of the invasion was exposed "they wanted to silence the media," Hammoud
concluded. Beirut, 14 May 08, 18:11
The political storm sweeping Lebanon serves as a wake-up
call
May 15, 2008
Oakland Ross -Middle East Bureau
BEIRUT–For five days last week, this tottering, would-be democracy stumbled to
the brink of its own demise, leaving more than 80 people dead and a litany of
questions still unanswered. Now comes the hard part – the task of reassembling
the pieces of a fractious land in a way that won't lead inevitably to a renewal
of war.
"We are living inside the cyclone," said a Beirut lawyer who did not want to be
identified. A political storm in Lebanon poses a threat, not only to 4.2 million
Lebanese – but to people throughout the Middle East and beyond. With its
cauldron of ethnic and religious tensions, this paradoxical land – at once the
region's most sophisticated country and, at times, its most savage – serves as a
sort of testing ground for all the many conflicts of a notoriously unstable part
of the world.
Right now, Lebanon is dangling between peace and war. "There's a greater urgency
than ever to come to grips with Lebanon's problems," said Rami Khouri,
journalist, academic and commentator on Lebanese affairs. "It's very serious,
and it's very urgent."It's also very clear that the balance of power here has
shifted dramatically following the street battles that broke out in Beirut last
week, soon spreading to other parts of the land.
Already, there are winners and losers – and the winners do not include the White
House. Whatever happens next in Lebanon, it seems certain to cause further
frustration in Washington, which has parted with upwards of $1.3 billion in the
past two years to counter Iranian influence by bolstering the pro-Western
government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, with little – and now less
– to show. Siniora and his allies have been seriously weakened by the bloody
clashes that erupted here last week, when Hezbollah gunmen hit the streets of
Beirut, unleashing a lightning offensive that some are calling a suspended coup,
others are describing as a civil war, and just about everyone agrees was the
mother of Middle Eastern wake-up calls.
When the smoke had cleared, the winner in almost every respect was Hezbollah
itself, an Iranian-backed, Shiite organization – part private army, part
religious movement, part political party – that the U.S., Canada and other
Western governments list as a terrorist outfit.
In only a few days, Hezbollah fighters took over most of western Beirut, putting
a range of government militias to flight, before ceding their positions to the
Lebanese military. Formed in the mid-1980s to combat Israeli forces that had
invaded Lebanon, Hezbollah has continued to grow both militarily and politically
and is now deeply embedded in Lebanon's combustible patchwork of religious and
ethnic groupings. For the past 18 months, Hezbollah and its allies have been
demanding they be granted a veto over government decisions – a demand flatly
rejected by the ruling coalition. But it seems Hezbollah already has a veto, one
that comes smoking out of the barrels of its guns. Infuriated by a pair of
recent government measures it saw as curbing its military clout, Hezbollah
responded by demonstrating just how much military clout it has. The government
was forced to back down.
"If you are a ruler," said the lawyer, "and you take a decision you cannot
execute, you are not ruling." One way or another, it now seems the Siniora
government will have little choice but to sit down with Hezbollah and work out
new arrangements for sharing power, something it has long been reluctant to do.
Lebanon's arcane political system, in which power is exquisitely allocated among
some 17 religious groups, has been paralyzed by internal wrangling for months.
The country has gone without a president since October because the government
cannot muster a quorum of parliamentarians to conduct a vote.
If it had wanted to, Hezbollah could have continued last week's fight until it
toppled the government completely. But it stopped well short of that, likely
because leader Hassan Nasrallah recognizes his Shiite organization cannot rule
Lebanon alone. "Hezbollah understands very well the rules of the game," said the
Beirut lawyer. "They know the Shiites alone cannot govern Lebanon. They have to
make deals. This is a truth the United States doesn't want to recognize."
Meanwhile, the Lebanese military stood apart from last week's battles, which has
become something of a tradition for the armed forces here.
In this case, there was likely no choice. First, Shiite officers in the army
almost certainly would have refused to obey an order to turn their weapons
against Hezbollah. Secondly, Hezbollah would almost certainly have made quick
work of the armed forces."I don't think Hezbollah would have a problem defeating
the Lebanese army," said Khouri.Yet another cause for dismay in Washington.
Lebanon at the Edge
Published: May 15, 2008
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/opinion/15thu2.html?hp
President Bush claims Lebanon’s 2005 “Cedar Revolution” — which ended 30 years
of Syrian military occupation — as a triumph of his policy of democracy
promotion. Given Lebanon’s history, that was always naïve. Lebanon is now in
deep trouble, and Mr. Bush, who will be meeting Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in
Egypt on Sunday, has no real plan to help overcome the crisis. LebanonSome calm
has returned to Beirut in recent days, but the country remains frighteningly
close to another civil war. One hundred thousand Lebanese (out of fewer than
four million), died in the last civil war. Responsible Lebanese leaders —
Maronite, Sunni, Shiite and Druse — must do everything they can to find a
peaceful exit, and the United States must do a lot more to help. The current
crisis began last week when Mr. Siniora’s government — which unites large
sections of the Sunni, Druse and Maronite communities — tried to shut down a
telecommunications and surveillance network run by the militant group Hezbollah.
That would have been a welcome reassertion of governmental authority, except
that the government does not have the political and military clout to pull it
off. Hezbollah — which enjoys broad backing from the Shiites, Lebanon’s largest
and poorest community, as well as Iran and Syria — fought back. With the
Lebanese Army standing aside, Hezbollah pushed pro-government militias out of
most areas of Muslim west Beirut and other parts of the country. The government,
unfortunately, had little choice but to yield on the telecommunications issue.
Flush with its military gains, Hezbollah may demand more than Mr. Siniora can
grant without forfeiting all legitimacy. What is needed now is a compromise,
which only the Lebanese Army — the one institution that represents all of
Lebanon’s factions — seems in a position to broker.
A settlement needs to address a host of divisive issues, including the stalemate
over Lebanon’s vacant presidency. It must restore a measure of the government’s
lost authority. And to keep Hezbollah in line, the deal should be guaranteed by
Iran and Syria. Mr. Bush’s idea for helping Lebanon is to give more aid to the
Lebanese Army. The army needs more firepower, but that alone will not make it
any more eager to take on Hezbollah. The army has finally said that it will do
whatever is necessary to restore and maintain order. If Mr. Bush really wants to
help Mr. Siniora he will need to talk with Hezbollah’s masters in Syria and
Iran: about the risks they court by promoting instability in Lebanon and the
rewards they might reap in return for a more constructive approach. Mr. Bush’s
stubborn refusal to negotiate with either Syria or Iran has weakened American
influence throughout the region. Lebanon’s situation is dire. Mr. Bush will need
to do a lot more if he wants to help salvage the Cedar Revolution
US House Resolution H. RES. 1194
Written by US House of Congress
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
U.S House Resolution against Hezbollah
Reaffirming the support of the House of Representatives for the legitimate,
democratically-elected Government of Lebanon under Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Reaffirming the support of the House of Representatives for the legitimate,
democratically-elected Government of Lebanon under Prime Minister Pouad Siniora.
Whereas, on May 7, 2008, the terrorist group Hizballah, in response to the
justifiable exercise of authority by the sovereign, democratically-elected
Government of Lebanon, initiated an unjustifiable insurrection by fomenting
riots, blocking roads, seizing buildings, and organizing maraud¬ing groups of
gunmen who took control of much of Beirut, including the sites of key government
institutions, and provoked sectarian fighting elsewhere in Lebanon;
Whereas, in the course of this ongoing insurrection initiated by Hizballah, more
than 80 Lebanese citizens have been murdered and more than 250 have been
wounded;
Whereas, in the course of this fighting, Hizballah and allied fighters attacked
the residences of Future Party leader Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist
Party leader Walid Jumblatt, both of whose parties are members of the
le¬gitimate governing coalition under Prime Minister Fouad Siniora;
Whereas, in the course of their insurrection, Hizballah and allied fighters
forced the Future Party's television station off the air and burned the building
housing the Future Party's newspaper;
Whereas Hizballah and its allies have turned over some of the they conquered in
Beirut to the Lebanese Armed Forces;
Whereas key government institutions, including the prime ministry, remain- under
siege, as do the residences of Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt;
Whereas the purpose of Hizballah's insurrection is to intimi¬date the
legitimate, democratically-elected Government of Lebanon, the Lebanese Armed
Forces, and other legitimate Lebanese authorities, so that Hizballah will have
maximum freedom of military action, can deepen its con¬trol over its "state
within a state" in Shiite-dominated areas of Lebanon, and can enhance its
influence on Leba¬nese Government decision-making in order to render Leb¬anon
subservient to Iranian foreign policy;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701 affirm
the sovereignty, territorial integ¬rity, unity, and political independence of
Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701 call
for the disbanding and disarming of all militias in Lebanon;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 insists that no country
transfer arms into Lebanon other than with the consent of the Government of
Lebanon;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 explicitly forbids Iran
from transferring arms to any entity
Whereas Hizballah has contemptuously dismissed the require¬ments of the United
Nations Security Council by refusing to disarm;
Whereas Hizballah and its allies have repeatedly sought to undermine the
legitimate Government of Lebanon under Prime Minister Siniora by preventing
parliament from meeting and blocking the election of a new President, leaving
that office vacant for the past half-year;
Whereas, contrary to the explicit and binding mandates of the United Nations
Security Council, Iran continues to provide training, arms, and funding to
Hizballah;
Whereas, contrary to the explicit and binding mandates of the United Nations
Security Council, Syria continues to facilitate the transfer of arms to
Hizballah via its territory;
Whereas Syria, through, inter alia, its support of Hizballah's efforts to
undermine Prime Minister Siniora, its sus¬pected campaign of assassinations of
Lebanese leaders, its minimal cooperation with the international investigation
of these assassinations, and its refusal to delineate its border with Lebanon,
shows every sign of wanting to control Lebanon as it did prior to its April 2005
withdrawal;
Whereas it is highly likely that Hizballah provoked the recent fighting in
Lebanon with the blessing of Syria and Iran; and
Whereas Hizballah and its Lebanese political allies continue to pursue an agenda
favoring foreign interests over the will of the majority of Lebanese as
expressed in a legiti¬mate and democratic election: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives-·
(1) reaffirms its strong support for the legiti-mate, democratically-elected
Government of Lebanon under Prime Minister Fouad Siniora;
(2) expresses its profound sympathy to the peo-pie of Lebanon, who have again
been thrust un-justly, and against their will, into a conflict initiated
by Hizballah;
(3) offers its condolences to all those in Lebanon who have suffered
displacement, injury, or death in their family, or among their loved ones, as a
consequence of Hizballah's unjustifiable insurrection against the Government of
Lebanon;
(4) condemns-
(A) Hizballah's illegitimate assault on the sovereign Government of Lebanon,
which has led to the worst sectarian warfare in that coun-try since the civil
war from 1975 to 1990;
(B) Hizballah for its unprovoked attacks against Lebanese leaders, citizens, and
against Lebanese public and private institutions and for its illegal occupation
of territory under the sov-ereignty of the Government of Lebanon; and
(C) Syria and Iran for illegally transfer-ring arms and providing other forms of
military support to Hizballah, in clear violation of United Nations Security
Council Resolutions 1559, 1680, 1701, and 1747;
(5) demands that Hizballah immediately cease its attacks and withdraw from all
areas in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon that it has occupied since May 7, 2008,
as a first step towards its total disarmament; and
(6) urges-
(A) the United States Government and the international community to immediately
take all appropriate actions to support and strengthen
the legitimate Government of Lebanon under Prime Minister Fouad Siniora;
(B) the United Nations Security Council to-(i) condemn Syria and Iran for their
blatant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680, and
1701;
(ii) condemn Iran for its violation of Chapter-VII-based United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1747; and
(iii) as part of sanctions on Iran for violating Chapter-VII-based United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1747, prohibit all air traffic between Iran
and
Lebanon and between Iran and Syria;
(C) every country controlling possible transit routes from Iran to Lebanon to
impose the strictest possible controls on the movement of Iranian vehicles,
airplanes, and goods to ensure that Iran is not exploiting its land and airspace
for the purpose of illegally transferring arms to Hizballah and other terrorist
groups; and
(D) the European Union, in light of recent and earlier Hizballah actions, to
designate Hizballah as a terrorist group and to treat it accordingly.
Say NO to War in Lebanon
The Center for Democracy in Lebanon
http://www.democracyinlebanon.org/Documents/CDL-Exclusives/Declarations/CDL20080515.htm
May 15, 2008
The armed confrontations that took place in Lebanon starting on May 6, 2008
presented a grave situation reminiscent of the 1975 civil war, and thwarted
peaceful efforts to reach a breakthrough in the political stalemate that plagues
the country since December of 2006.
As we express our deepest grief and sympathy for the families of the deceased
and the wounded of all sides and our dismay at the wanton destruction of
civilian property and organizations, we strongly condemn the use of arms to
resolve any political conflict in Lebanon. The Lebanese people have suffered
enough wars, mayhem and oppression over the last 30 years and it is time they
have peace.
In previous declarations, we have consistently affirmed the need for democratic
and civil reform in our government. Many of our recommendations have already
been implemented. However, several deadlocks remain in the face of progress
towards a neutral, secular and democratic Lebanon, in peaceful coexistence with
its neighbors.
Whereas throughout the political debate over the last 3 years, the focus has
been mostly on the international tribunal and the rights of the opposition to
have its share of political power in the government, be it a say in electing the
president or the policy of the future cabinet;
Whereas the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006, provoked by Hezbollah, has generated
a lot of sympathy and support for the latter among the Lebanese population and
pushed to the back burner discussions over the necessity of Hezbollah’s arms;
Whereas the political gridlock has generated tension on the grounds and the
Council of Ministers under PM Siniora has made little to appease these tensions
and instead adopted unilateral decisions that prompted retaliatory measures from
the opposition;
Whereas Hezbollah under the banner of the opposition has taken its arms to the
streets of Beirut and Mount Lebanon in May 2008 and in contravention to the
national consensus on the role of these arms and in an attempt to force a
solution to the political stalemate – under the rubric of defending the security
of the militia;
Whereas Hezbollah’s use of force in Beirut and Mount Lebanon has substantiated
fears that other militias have illegally retained medium and heavy weaponry, and
has accentuated a simmering sectarian strife that threatens to plunge the
country in a new civil war;
Whereas the citizens of Lebanon have suffered enough poverty and wars in their
recent past only to become hostages of leadership failure at all levels of
government, embargoed from a peaceful and normal life;
We stand in shock by recent events and hold those involved in the public affairs
of Lebanon accountable, namely all the armed groups responsible for the lives
lost, the blood spilled and the properties destroyed over the last week in
Lebanon, and the political parties and religious leaders responsible for the
collapse of the national dialogue and for dragging the country into a civil war.
Specifically, we hold Parliament under the leadership of Speaker Berri
accountable for its failure to fulfill its legislative duties, including:
1) Failure to elect a President of the Republic within the constitutional time
limits and until now.
2) Failure to provide any legislative oversight for the Cabinet of PM Fouad
Siniora, using the excuse of illegitimacy.
3) Failure to provide a democratic and peaceful forum to debate policies and
much needed reforms.
We also hold the Council of Ministers under the leadership of PM Siniora
accountable for its failures to fulfill its constitutional, political and
executive duties within the framework promulgated in the constitution,
including:
1) Failure to live up to the constitutional guarantee of fair and balanced
communal representation in any governmental body.
2) Failure to reach out and work with the opposition to build consensus for
implementation of its agenda.
3) Failure to respond constructively to the basic economic and social needs of
the people.
4) Failure to secure the country and the population in the aftermath of the July
2006 war and in May 2008.
5) Failure to maintain the appearance of fairness in its handling of executive
matters.
To diffuse tension on the ground, we propose the following immediate steps:
All leaders must support the Army’s effort to disarm all illegal militias and
groups that engaged in the confrontations of last week.
The opposition must remove all roadblocks, end the civil disobedience and remove
the camp from Downtown Beirut as these actions have not yielded any positive
outcome for the opposition let alone for the populace at large.
Although we welcome well-intended foreign mediations, we reject all calls for
foreign intervention in the Lebanese internal affairs be they diplomatic or in
the form of an Arab deterrent force, which in the recent past intensified the
conflict and prolonged it for 30 years under Syrian tutelage.
All involved parties must resume dialogue. The agenda of any reconciliatory
dialogue must include a serious and open discussion of the role, the necessity
and legitimacy of Hezbollah’s arms in light of recent developments. Hezbollah’s
military wing has now been engaged against other Lebanese to leverage the
party’s political agenda in what resembled a military coup. This has put new
emphasis on an anomaly that must be resolved. The role and the political control
of Hezbollah’s arms must be a priority of any future dialogue.
It is absolutely necessary that Hezbollah agree to disarm in principle and in a
peaceful manner. Hezbollah’s main argument for armament has been deterrence and
defense against Israeli assault that otherwise cannot be handled by the Army.
Israel’s constant threat, provocation and military incursions along with its
continuous detention of Lebanese prisoners and occupation of the Lebanese Shebaa
farms are specific examples often cited in justification of Hezbollah’s arms. To
address these concerns, a viable national defense strategy must top the
priorities of any dialogue. This strategy must rebuild confidence between the
Resistance Movement and the state, concentrate the war decision in the hands of
the central government, restore coordination between legitimate armed forces,
maintain readiness for self defense and assimilate Lebanese resistance fighters
under an exclusive national banner.
Any serious dialogue over Hezbollah’s arms must consider the status of the
armistice with Israel and engage in an open and free debate on the best strategy
to resume peace negotiations between an independent Lebanon and the state of
Israel. Unless and until the state of war with Israel has ended, and the
Lebanese citizens feel secure from any Israeli threats to their safety, there
will always be claims of legitimate resistance and the need for arms. The
traditional government line and the rhetoric adopted by the current cabinet that
Lebanon will be the last Arab state to negotiate peace with Israel is
strategically amiss and does not serve our national interest.
Finally, we call upon all Lebanese to join our call to:
1) Pledge not to resort to violence to leverage political position.
2) Avoid sectarian and confessional overtones in political rhetoric.
3) Abide by the constitution and stand for the constitutional institutions even
in the quest for change.
4) Work together on defining a list of national priorities that ensure for the
citizens of Lebanon peace, security and prosperity.
My Lebanon needs support for a
free and strong Arab democracy
What's at stake is the very vision of Lebanon
Paula Arab, Calgary Herald
Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008
As the great Lebanese poet and prophet Khalil Gibran once wrote, everybody has
their Lebanon. My Lebanon, the one I discovered when I finally visited in 1992
after the 17-year civil war, was about a connection with the land and my blood
ties to it. Those ancestral ties run as deep as the roots of the famous cedar
trees, still standing from the days of biblical times.
I fell in love with Lebanon the country, its mountain beauty and proximity to
the Mediterranean Sea. The politics? Not so much. I left Lebanon kissing the
ground that I knew I may never see again, but also on my knees thanking God that
I was born on this side of the Atlantic. I'm still grateful, every time I hear
Lebanon in the news and am reminded of the political instability of this tiny
Mediterranean country.
The latest trouble erupted with Hezbollah's takeover of part of Beirut last
week, verifying Iran's growing influence in the region. The so-called Party of
God, which emerged in Lebanon in the early '80s, is backed by Iran, and is the
region's leading Islamic fundamentalist group, with a political and paramilitary
presence.
But Hezbollah, whose enemy is supposedly Israel, and who refuses to disarm
despite a UN resolution calling for it to do so, has now turned its weapons on
the Lebanese people. By taking over the Muslim part of Beirut and pushing the
country into civil war, it's lost all legitimacy as a resistance movement.
"The armed and bloody coup which is being implemented aims to return Syria to
Lebanon and extend Iran's reach to the Mediterranean," says a government
statement.
Tensions have eased somewhat, but still, I feel a sadness this time that's never
quite taken hold before. It's a fear for the future of Lebanon, for the
remaining minority Christians trying to coexist peacefully, and for what vision
of Lebanon will reign supreme. I fear my Lebanon, and that of my father, could
in my lifetime, and his, become unrecognizable.
And the West should care because Lebanon is the only Arab country that shares
and upholds its values of freedom, human rights and democracy -- values now
under siege by Iran and Syria, which back the opposition parties. Yet again,
it's the agendas of other countries playing out on Lebanese soil -- Israel, the
U.S., Syria and Iran, to name a few. While the outside world drives instability
in Lebanon, innocent Lebanese pay the price. So far, 81 people have died in the
latest violence, and 250 have been wounded.
Neither Syria's return to Lebanon nor Iran's extension into the Middle East
would bode well for the notion of a free and independent Lebanon.
Hezbollah's manifesto makes it perfectly clear its main goals are to fight
against "western imperialism," achieve the destruction of Israel and turn
Lebanon into an Islamic state similar to Iran.
This time Lebanon is divided not along religious lines, but by those who support
the western-backed government and those who don't. What's at stake, writes my
former colleague Mark MacKinnon, now the Beirut correspondent for the Globe and
Mail, is the very vision of Lebanon.
The government sees the country as a pro-western, tourist-friendly travel hub
that could conceivably make peace with all its neighbours, including Israel. The
opposition sees Lebanon standing with Syria and Iran to battle both Israel and
U.S. meddling in the region," writes MacKinnon.
What's clear is the Lebanese government can't solve this on its own. It's lost
all effectualness, as have the country's leaders, who are asking citizens to
choose sides. But until the broader regional issues are settled, and there is
peace in the Middle East and a resolution between Iran and the U.S., there will
be no solution for Lebanon.
For such a small country that has no oil, everyone sure wants a piece of
Lebanon. It stands out in the Arab world because of its relative freedom. Its
vibrant tourism is nurtured with outstanding restaurants, scenery, beautiful
beaches and breathtaking mountains. When there's no fighting -- and the
cosmopolitan cities are free to thrive -- they bustle with gorgeous men and
women dressed to the nines in the latest trendy fashions, lounging at the
bistros or dancing all night in the discos, and then heading out for breakfast.
They live life to the fullest.
*How can there be any doubt that this open and free culture is being targeted,
when, as has become the case with frequent regularity, no sooner is tourist
season upon us than political strife begins anew?
"You have your Lebanon and its dilemma. I have my Lebanon and its beauty," wrote
the poet Gibran, whose message was to love the country, not the corrupt
political leaders of the Ottoman Empire.
Lebanon survived the occupation of the Turks, and in total at least 17 regimes,
including the Syrians. Their troops only departed three short years ago, after
the Lebanese people came together peacefully -- Muslims and Christians -- in an
uprising that became known as the Cedar Revolution.
I hope the people of Lebanon, victims again of events beyond their control, show
the world their resilience. I hope they unite together in solidarity. And that
it's Gibran's Lebanon, and my Lebanon, that triumphs in the end.
parab@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2008
N.B: The below
AIJAZ ZAKA SYED analysis is a kind of delusional
thinking. We in the LCCC does not agree at all with its wrong understanding to
the Lebanese crisis in any way, but for the sake of information diversity we
posted it in our bulletin
Elias Bejjani/LCCC Chairman
This ain't about Hezbollah
BY AIJAZ ZAKA SYED -.Khaleej Times.
15 May 2008
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2008/May/opinion_May59.xml§ion=opinion&col=
CONTRARY to what some of my friends suspect, I hate to go on and on about the
Middle East and the games big powers play in this part of the world. But given
the constant nature of favours showered on the region by Western players, one is
not left with much choice.
Just look at the mess they have unleashed on Lebanon. A country that was
beginning to recover from the decades of civil war and overwhelming destruction
having built itself from a scratch once again finds itself in a situation that
is not much different from the civil war of 1970s and '80s, all thanks to our
friends in the West.
At least then the people of Lebanon knew their enemy. Then it was the people of
Lebanon versus the external players like Israel. Today's Lebanon is divided from
within — in a myriad camps and identities. Yesterday it was a united country
that faced external threats. Today, it's an open-for-all war with everyone
fighting everyone else. Lebanon is no stranger to conflict. But it has perhaps
never faced so many divisions and internal strife of such overwhelming nature in
its eventful history.
Who is responsible for this mess? Who has turned the Mediterranean paradise into
a veritable hell? No prizes for guessing. Because, as Bob Dylan sang, the
answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
Pundits are working themselves into a lather over how Hezbollah with its
battle-hardened army of fighters has become a state within a state. And Western
experts warn the ignorant amongst us how Shia Iran and Syria are arming the Shia
militia to take on the Sunni Arab ruling coalition of Lebanon and how the Shia
spectre has become a grave threat to Sunni Arab states from the Red Sea to the
Mediterranean.
Washington has accused Hezbollah, Syria and Iran of fuelling the unrest in
Lebanon. And Condi Rice has paid rich tributes to the Arab leaders for their
'unity' on the issue of Lebanon.
Unity against what Ms Rice? Who are the Arabs supposed to be fighting? Who is
their enemy? Hezbollah? Syria? Iran? If one's memory serves one right, none of
these players has invaded or currently occupies any territory or land that
doesn't belong to them.
In fact, this whole circus in Lebanon is not about Hezbollah or its much-hyped
weapons. This is not even about its communication and media network or growing
military and political clout. This is not a Sunni-Shia conflict either, as many
farsighted editorial pundits and friends in the West are bending over backwards
to paint it. In deed, this is not even about Lebanon.
This is about Israel and its quest for total supremacy in the Middle East. The
Jewish state, backed by its powerful friends in high places, wouldn't rest until
all potential and imagined threats in the region are eliminated or neutralised.
Yesterday it was Saddam's Iraq. Today, Iran and Syria are in its sights.
Tomorrow it could be Saudi Arabia.
Since the humiliating defeat of the powerful Israeli army with its fearsome
armoury of high-tech weapons at the hands of a ragtag militia called Hezbollah
two years ago, the Israelis have been dying to teach a lesson to Nasrallah and
his mentors.
The Hezbollah fighters managed to accomplish what the combined forces of big
Arab states have so far failed to: beat Israel at its own game.
And before that in May 2000, it was the years of resistance by Hezbollah that
eventually drove a red-faced Israel out of Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.
Forcing Israel, that tiny state with a population of seven million people, out
is something no Arab and Muslim country has managed so far. And let's not
forget, in addition to the Palestinian land that it stole, Israel continues to
occupy Arab territory — from Egypt to Jordan to Syria.
No wonder Hezbollah has earned itself the admiration and support of the Arabs,
Muslims and others around the world. After all, it has done what many others
couldn't: stand up to the neighbourhood bully.
This was the most embarrassing setback for Israel in its short history of using
brute force against a helpless, homeless people. This is why the Israelis
attacked Lebanon once again in 2006, essentially to avenge that historic
humiliation at the hands of Hezbollah.
And once again, Israel was beaten back and was forced to call off the disastrous
campaign after suffering unprecedented losses and total debacle. The Israelis
still haven't — and perhaps never will — forgiven Olmert and his generals for
that disaster.
No wonder the Israelis are so desperate to settle scores with Hezbollah and its
backers, Syria and Iran. And no wonder the US, France and others are pushing for
the disarming of Hezbollah. You don't need divine powers to see who stands to
benefit from the isolation and neutralisation of the movement.
So the Israelis and the neocons have joined hands once again to play the tried
and tested, imperial game of 'divide-and-rule' all over again. And Lebanon is
the new theatre for this proxy war. This rather cleverly pits the Sunnis against
Shias and the Arabs against Iranians across the Middle East and elsewhere even
as it neutralises all potential threats to the state of Israel.
The process of dividing the Muslim world along sectarian lines began with Iraq.
And Lebanon takes it to a new, more advanced level.
I am not a Shia and do not exactly subscribe to Hezbollah's worldview. But my
sympathies and the support of everyone who believes in freedom and justice are
with those who stand up to Israel and hold it to account for what it has been
doing to the Palestinians and Arabs all these years.
Okay, Hezbollah may not exactly be a party of God. Maybe all this power has gone
to its head and it is flexing muscles according to the dictates of its friends
in Teheran and Damascus. And Syria and Iran could indeed be playing the great
game in Lebanon by proxy.
But can you blame them for doing so, given the long history of interventions by
Israel, the US and other Western players in the Mediterranean country? Who
started this dangerous game in the first place?
Let's face it. This is not a tussle between Hezbollah and the government of
Fouad Siniora. This is a proxy war between Israel and the US on one side and
Iran and Syria on the other. This is not a Sunni-Shia or Arab-Iran conflict. For
today more Arabs and Sunnis support Hezbollah than the Shias.
The issue at the heart of this conflict is not Hezbollah or its military clout
but the Israeli occupation and subjugation of Palestinian people with the
connivance of the West.
The Arab leaders as well as Iran and Syria must not lose sight of this
fundamental reality. More importantly, they must stop playing into the hands of
the big powers. The disunity in their ranks is responsible for the current woes
of the Arab and Muslim world. They must not allow themselves to be divided and
used yet again. Else mutual destruction will be the fate of the Muslim world.
***Aijaz Zaka Syed is a senior editor and columnist of Khaleej Times. The views
expressed here are his own. Write to him at aijazsyed@khaleejtimes.com