LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 24/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 10,1-12. He set out from there and went into the district of Judea (and) across the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he again taught them. The Pharisees approached and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied, "Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her." But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife),
and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." In the house the disciples again questioned him about this. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports

Lessons unlearned. By: Galal Nassar 23/05/08

Syria's wager-By: Bassel Oudat  23/05/08
The Victors in Lebanon-By: Zuheir Kseibati 23/5/08

Now is the time to move quickly to promote law-based governance- The Daily Star 23/05/08

 

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 23/08-Naharnet

Sunday's Presidential Election Session Likely to Turn Into Festival-Naharnet

Suleiman: Muscles Don't Make Security, Collective Willpower Makes Nation-Naharnet

Security Council Supports Lebanon Deal, Drops Reference to 1559-Naharnet

Harb: I will Cast a Blank Vote-Naharnet
Hariri is Likely to Become Lebanon's New PM
-Naharnet
Road Collapses in Beirut
-Naharnet
Rice: Hizbullah Hurt in the Long Term
-Naharnet
Obama Reassures Jewish Voters, Says Hizbullah Grew More Powerful Under Bush
-Naharnet
European Parliament Urges Lebanese Factions to Disarm
-Naharnet
Jamaa Islamiya Hammers Hizbullah's Resistance
-Naharnet
Baabda Palace: General Out, General In
-Naharnet
Sheikh Hassan for Immediate Implementation of the Doha Accord
-Naharnet
Amsheet Celebrates Local Hero Who will be President
-Naharnet
Lebanon: A Race between Optimism and Pessimism
-Naharnet

Doha Accord Saves Lebanon from Brink but Key Issues Remain-Naharnet
Israel sets new demands for Syria peace deal-Daily Star

A turning point in the Mideast conflict?Middle East Times

Berri summons MPs to presidential election on Sunday-Daily Star
Fadlallah calls for 'deep' Arab, Islamic dialogue-Daily Star
Graziano: UNIFIL's role even 'more important' after clashes-Daily Star
Lebanese predicament: Where peace is but a truce-Daily Star

Canada urges Lebanon to implement Doha deal-Daily Star
British FM welcomes agreement to end standoff-AFP

US tells Sfeir LAF should take charge of security-Daily Star
Five inmates escape Baabda Women's Prison-Daily Star
Employees at Baabda Palace prepare to welcome new president-AFP
Qatar scores diplomatic coup with Lebanon deal-AFP
New electoral law sets stage for competitive vote in 2009-Daily Star
Beirut restaurants face new challenges as sit-in ends-Daily Star
Britain gives boost to cluster-bomb ban as US warns against it-Daily Star
Suleiman's hometown prepares for election, retains fears over politicians-AFP
Downtown abuzz as businesses start reopening-AFP

 

Sunday's Presidential Election Session Likely to Turn Into Festival
Naharnet/Sunday's presidential election session is likely to turn into a festival as huge numbers of Arab and international personalities are expected to attend the event. It had been confirmed that Qatar's Emir Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani will attend Sunday's session set to start at 5 pm. He will be delivering a speech after the President-elect is sworn in. Among those who will take part in Sunday's session are the foreign ministers of France, Spain and Italy.
Well-informed sources said Turkey's prime minister is also likely to attend the session scheduled to elect army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman president.
Press reports also said French President Nicolas Sarkozy is considering visiting Beirut next week to congratulate Suleiman on his presidential victory as well as to meet Lebanese leaders. In an unprecedented move, the session will be divided into three parts, meaning it could last several hours.
The first part will be devoted to Suleiman's election. The second part will witness the President-elect taking his oath of office followed by Suleiman's speech and that of Qatar's Emir. While the third part will settle the issue of amending one clause in the electoral law that deals with division of constituencies.
Press reports said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will not allow Saniora's cabinet to take part in Sunday's session as a "cohesive government" since he deems it unconstitutional.
They said cabinet ministers from the Saniora government will be sitting in the seats allocated for MPs. Media reports also said that Suleiman has agreed with Berri to declare Monday a holiday on the occasion of Liberation Day on one hand, and to welcome Arab and international guests on the other. Following his election on Sunday, Suleiman is expected to start consultations with the different parliamentary blocs in a bid to name Lebanon's new prime minister, who in turn will hold his own consultations with the same blocs in order to form the next cabinet. Among the candidates for the premiership post are Saad Hariri and Saniora. Saniora, however, has reportedly insisted on quitting. Former President Amin Gemayel has said the ruling March 14 coalition backs Hariri as new prime minister.
According to the deal brokered by Arab mediators in Qatar, the new cabinet will be set up such as the majority gets 16 ministers, the opposition 11 and three to be chosen by the President. The opposition's ministers will likely be distributed between Hizbullah, the Amal Movement and Gen. Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement. Beirut, 23 May 08, 10:00

Suleiman: Muscles Don't Make Security, Collective Willpower Makes Nation
Naharnet/Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman said Friday he will protect Lebanon and look after the implementation of the constitution in order to put the nation on the path to safety. "I will look over security and implementation of the constitution so as to put the nation on the path to safety in light of the changes going on around us," Suleiman said in a newspaper interview. Suleiman told As Safir daily that he will "try to play the role I had always carried out since I became army commander."
"I cannot salvage the country single-handedly," Suleiman stressed. "This is everybody's task. The task is that of civilians before politicians. "
He said he hoped political leaders will be convinced that "political willpower can achieve real national partnership … to build a nation and state for all."
"Muscles don't make security," Suleiman said. "Collective willpower and political power sharing make nations." Beirut, 23 May 08, 08:43

Security Council Supports Lebanon Deal, Drops Reference to 1559
Naharnet/The U.N. Security Council has welcomed the breakthrough deal reached in Qatar by Lebanon's bickering politicians to end an 18-month political standoff and elect a new president. The council said Thursday it "welcomes and strongly supports the agreement reached by Lebanese leaders in Doha on May 21 ..., which constitutes an essential step towards the resolution of the current crisis... and the complete restoration of Lebanon's unity, stability and independence."
In a non-binding statement adopted by all its 15 members, the council also "welcomes the agreement to ban the use of weapons and violence as a means to settle disputes, irrespective of their nature and under any circumstances."It hailed the agreement between the majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition to elect a new president, establish a national unity cabinet and to address Lebanon's electoral law. The council reaffirmed "its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, unity, and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders and under the sole and exclusive authority of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory." The statement also referred to previous "relevant" Security Council resolutions calling for the disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. It did not name Hizbullah.
While the U.S. insisted that the relevant measures include Resolution 1559 which was adopted in 2004 and demands the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, other council members disagreed. Britain's U.N. Ambassador John Sawers, the council chair this month, expressed hope that the Doha deal "will bring to an end a dispute that has being going on for far too long." He also hoped that "in the coming days we will see implementation of this agreement and that the painstaking process of rebuilding Lebanese unity can begin."His French counterpart, Jean-Maurice Ripert, for his part saw the deal as "a foundation upon which Lebanon and its national unity can be rebuilt and its sovereignty as well as territorial integrity reinforced."Under Arab League auspices, rival Lebanese leaders clinched a deal in Doha to end the political feud between the government and the opposition that exploded into deadly sectarian fighting earlier this month. The Doha agreement calls for the election of army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as Lebanon's new president on Sunday after months of stalemate and the creation of a unity government. Parliamentary elections are due in 2009.(AFP-AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 23 May 08, 04:51

Harb: I will Cast a Blank Vote
MP Butros Harb said he was against a constitutional amendment and announced that he will cast a blank vote in Sunday's presidential elections.
"I will cast a blank vote," Harb told Al Arabiya TV. "But I will not obstruct the election process." Harb said the Doha agreement will "help us restructure state authority and institutions as well as return to a democratic life." Beirut, 23 May 08, 12:48

Hariri is Likely to Become Lebanon's New PM
Naharnet/Al Mustaqbal leader and MP Saad Hariri is likely to become Lebanon's new prime minister. Former President Amin Gemayel rushed to nominate Hariri as Lebanon's next PM "since he's head of the largest parliamentary bloc." "So it's only normal that he (Hariri) becomes the prime minister," Gemayel stressed.
Sources from the ruling majority, however, were cautious. The daily An Nahar on Friday said consultations among opposition blocs, particularly with Hizbullah and Amal movement of Speaker Nabih Berri, were inclinced toward nominating Hariri to the post in a bid to defuse sectarian tensions.
Hariri circles refused to comment on this issue. Sources close to Saniora, however, said the naming of the new PM is left for the majority, stressing that there was no "veto" on anybody. They said Saniora does not wish to become a prime minister again and prefers to rest. Beirut, 23 May 08, 11:53

Road Collapses in Beirut
Naharnet/A road collapsed between the Metropolitan and Habtour hotels in Sin el-Fil at dawn Friday, causing no casualties, the state-run National News Agency said. It said security forces closed the road after the sudden collapse around 3 am and tenants of a nearby building were evacuated for safety reasons.
NNA said the collapsed section of the road measured 10 meters long and 3 meters wide. Beirut, 23 May 08, 10:58

Rice: Hizbullah Hurt in the Long Term
Naharnet/Hizbullah has been left weakened by the recent turmoil in Lebanon and could pay the price in next year's elections, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart David Miliband have said. "Hizbullah has lost something very important which is any argument that it is somehow a resistance movement on behalf of the Lebanese people," Rice told journalists aboard her plane on Thursday as she and British Foreign Secretary Miliband headed to Palo Alto, California. "What it is, is a militia that, given an opportunity, decided to turn its guns on its own people. It is never going to live that down," she said.
"Yes, I think they have been hurt in the long term," she stressed. The two top diplomats spoke a day after Hizbullah won concessions in a deal with the Western-backed government in Lebanon. Under the agreement signed in Doha, the Hizbullah-led opposition secured veto power in the new government.
"The context was set by an unacceptable show of force on the streets and that did create an illusion, I think, in the first few days, of Hizbullah's strength," Miliband said. "I think what struck us in the subsequent days is that the reaction of the Lebanese has been very negative about that, because, as Condi said, the guns of Hizbullah were turned on their own people," he said. "And I think the long term consequences of that are actually potentially going to strengthen the forces of moderation and democracy in Lebanon," he added. The Doha agreement set the election of a president for Lebanon on Sunday after months of stalemate. Parliamentary elections are due in 2009. Rice said the Bush administration was supportive of the Arab League's role in brokering the inter-Lebanese deal and dismissed any suggestion that the U.S. was losing its influence in the Middle East. "This is not the first time that the Arab states have taken on Lebanon without the participation of Europe and the United States," she said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 23 May 08, 05:27

Obama Reassures Jewish Voters, Says Hizbullah Grew More Powerful Under Bush
Naharnet/Barack Obama has promised "an unshakable commitment to Israel's security" and said Iran, Hamas and Hizbullah have only grown more powerful under U.S. President George Bush's approach to the region. In a passionate appearance at a synagogue north of Miami on Thursday, Obama courted Jewish voters by reaffirming his opposition to talking with the leaders of Hamas and Hizbullah and said direct diplomacy with the Iranian leadership could help strengthen Israeli security. Obama said the three entities have become more powerful under Bush's watch. "Nothing Bush has done has helped Israel. As president I would do everything in my power to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and insist that they stop threatening Israel," he told the audience of several hundred at B'nai Torah. "How is it that the Bush-Cheney-McCain policy has been good for Israel?" he asked.
On the verge of clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama is now introducing himself to Florida, where Democrats agreed not to campaign during the primary because the state violated the party rules by holding a primary in January. Some Jews fear Obama's willingness to speak with Middle Eastern nations that oppose Israel, while others wonder whether he is a closet Muslim. bama asked his audience to hear him out.
"Judge me by what I say and what I've done. Don't judge me because I've got a funny name. Don't judge me because I'm African-American and people are concerned about memories of the past," he said. "When I am in the White House, I will bring with me an unshakable commitment to maintaining that bond between the United States and Israel and an unshakable commitment to Israel's security," he said. Obama said he had "always been pro-Israel" and insisted his offer to talk with the leaders of Iran did not mean he did not recognize the threat that country posed to the Jewish state. "Just because I am open to talks with Iran does not mean I am not pro-Israel," he said.(AP-AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 23 May 08, 06:54

European Parliament Urges Lebanese Factions to Disarm
Naharnet/The European Parliament has welcomed the Doha Accord and urged all Lebanese factions to disarm. The Parliament's resolution, adopted by 520 votes in favor, 6 against and 13 abstentions, "welcomes the Doha agreement reached by the parties on the election of General Suleiman as President of the Republic in the coming days, the creation of a new national unity government and the adoption of the electoral law." The House "invites all the parties involved to support the Lebanese army so that it can guarantee fully the functioning, security, law and order, sovereignty and stability of Lebanon," noting that "the security of the country and of all Lebanese people is dependent on the disarmament of all armed groups, especially Hizbullah."
The House reiterates its support for the U.N. forces in the country (UNIFIL), the international tribunal to try those who assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and Commission and Council efforts to support reconstruction in Lebanon. The resolution also calls on Syria to "refrain from all interference that can have a negative impact on Lebanese internal affairs and to play a constructive role in seeking to establish stability in the country."
EP President Hans-Gert ِPottering made a declaration at the beginning of the voting session, saying: "It is with great relief as well as hopeful and sustained encouragements that we very warmly welcome, as the European Parliament is about to adopt a resolution on the matter, the solid and comprehensive agreement reached by the Lebanese political leaders in Doha. Stressing the positive reactions expressed by neighboring states and other countries concerned, the European Parliament calls on all the parties to fully implement the agreement. We reiterate our unfading support to the legitimate and constitutional Lebanese political institutions and to the Lebanese army, as well as to their efforts in ensuring Lebanon's stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity." Beirut, 22 May 08, 21:29

Jamaa Islamiya Hammers Hizbullah's Resistance
Naharnet/The Jamaa Islamiya, Lebanon's chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, has said Hizbullah's resistance is the main loser from recent violence.
"The nation's trust in it has been shaken," said Secretary General of the Jamaa Sheikh Faisal Mawlawi in a statement Thursday.
"Hizbullah is a Lebanese party that has political aims, interests and aspirations. It has the right to get involved in domestic confrontations that could result in winning or losing," Sheikh Mawlawi said. However, he noted that "the resistance used to be a symbol of the nation's pride against Zionist-American aggression, around which hearts of the Lebanese, Arabs and Muslims rallied." "But it (resistance) was lured into an internal political battle … so unity of the Lebanese around it was shaken and the nation's trust in it was shaken," Sheikh Mawlawi noted. The Doha accord, which Sheikh Mawlawi welcomed, is a "political compromise, but the categorical settlement can only be achieved through agreement on a concept that organizes the relationship with the resistance under the shield of the state."
"Such a concept has been difficult, and now it is much more difficult after the resistance...was involved in internal battles contradicting its declared strategy and in contrast to what has been expected from it," Sheikh Mawlawi concluded. Beirut, 22 May 08, 20:21

The Victors in Lebanon
Zuheir Kseibati
Al-Hayat - 22/05/08//
On the dawn of May 21, 2008, the Lebanese entity and republic were saved from a seemingly inevitable death, as the images of the civil war and its fires were revived in every house and street, but this time draped in a dreadful sectarian cloak.
The "miracle" was realized as the instigation and accusations of treachery will come to an end. Both the majority and the opposition can claim victory. But the real victory belongs to the Lebanon of pluralism that will need long years to get rid of its "immunity deficit." To this end, every loyalist and oppositionist will have to learn that the most decent forms of politics and patriotism lie in the commitment to one and only one standard: the sanctity of coexistence with the other and his opinions, and defending his freedoms as if they were theirs.
In Doha where the Qatari sponsor of the Lebanese national convention had to be involved in the language of the majority and opposition and to get busy with the details about electoral districts in a manner unprecedented as far as the history of mediating conflicts is concerned, a new Lebanese dawn broke. It is a new dawn with which the host country can celebrate for having driven the convening parties towards the language of peace and for having cornered them at the moment of decision and choice: either a Lebanon for all or a complete collapse that leaves victory to none and forgets the sacrifice of both sides as well as the identity of arms as devastation prevails.
The Doha Accord is far more than a truce if both sides to the conflict and agreement remained committed to what they cosigned, and they will certainly show such commitment if they are truly aware of regional and international variations and if they abstain from chasing the fingers that set Lebanon on fire in May, almost burning everyone along.
Yet, is it not natural to wonder about rapidly occurring regional incidents that herald a new historic phase in the region, starting with Iraq, passing through Lebanon and all the way to Syria and Iran, especially after the bitter suspicions in the repeated verbal assurances uttered by President Bush during his trip in support of Prime Minister Siniora's cabinet and his hopes to save Lebanon's democracy?
In Iraq, Washington successfully helped the national army enter al-Sadr city after shrinking Iran's influence in this country. It is also preparing for a new stage that replaces sectarian-ethnic sharing, while the Bush administration ignores Iran's need to resume dialogue over Mesopotamia's security.
In Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh preempts the outcomes of the Doha convention, hoping the Arab ministerial committee would help achieve reconciliation between Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbbas, just as it has done with the Lebanese leaders.
On May 21st, just before those leaders packed their bags to leave Doha after five bitter days of battling for reconciliation, an official Syrian statement concurs with a statement issued by Ehud Olmert's office in reference to resuming indirect Syrian-Israeli talks sponsored by Turkey. Since it is common knowledge that this sponsorship dates back to almost a year, one can only pay attention to the expressions of "good intentions" and "seriously continuing the dialogue" mentioned in the statement.
In other words, this is a serious attempt to move the peace efforts on the Syrian-Israeli front forward, with the possibility of commissions meeting in Turkey soon. In practice, this would catalyze the regional split between the Syrian and Iranian tracks, unless the events of Bushehr, the extinguished Lebanese fire, and Damascus's opened windows for a new phase of "serious" negotiations with Israel, constitute a prelude to regional-international understandings that will refashion roles in the region.
The fact that Tehran did not conceal its fears when it expressed its disappointment hours prior to the birth of the accord among the conveners in Doha because "Lebanon's problems should be resolved by Lebanese parties," and voiced its refusal to "disarm the resistance of its defense capabilities," may once again be attributed to the so-called emerging suspicions between the two wings of the Syrian-Iranian alliance…all this at a time when Damascus rushed to welcome the May 21st accord.
Not least among the changes that will be brought by this accord is the attempt to end the efforts once made under the banner of foiling the American-Zionist project in Lebanon at a time when Tehran insists on direct dialogue with the Bush administration.
What changed early morning yesterday was the signal to stop the complete collapse of all constitutional institutions in Lebanon and to revive the parliament to put an end to the street "dialogues."
It is a new beginning before the death of a republic at the hands of a final sectarian blow

Millions in Criminal Proceeds + Iran's Oil Millions = Hearts, Minds, Votes for Hezbollah

By Andrew Cochran
Our future national counterinsurgency or asymmetric threat strategy must take into consideration the success which Hamas, Hezbollah, and other segments of the jihadist community have had in building and operating a social services network which influences the local populace. Matthew Levitt has written extensively on that success; see his post here on November 21, 2007, "Zakat-Jihad Activism," in which he discusses an excellent "Military Review" article, "S.W.E.T. and Blood: Essential Services in the Battle Between Insurgents and Counterinsurgents." Matt noted, "(t)his tactic (sometimes also described as dawa activities) not only produces significant grassroots support, it also creates an ideal means to launder and transfer funds as well as a means of providing activists day jobs and a veneer of legitimacy. It many cases, it also serves as a logistical support network for less altruistic activities."
Hezbollah already has such a network in Lebanon, as Matt pointed out in a Washington Institute article. Nothing the U.S. has done has prevented Hezbollah from providing such services outside of Lebanese government channels. For instance, despite the Treasury Department's designation in 2007 of Jihad al-Bina, Hezbollah's construction company in Lebanon, that company is operating with little hindrance; David Schenker tells me that the company's subsidiary is rebuilding much of Dahyia. Hezbollah's diplomatic victory this week will enable further development of that network.
Hezbollah has two sources for hundreds of millions of dollars. First, it has a long history of using criminal activities around the world, including inside the U.S., to raise funds, as Matt wrote
on November 8, 2007 and as Dennis Lormel wrote on
July 16, 2006. I was told this week by two experts that recent estimates of the funds raised through such activity run from $100 to 300 million. Second, of course, it is the ward of the Iranian regime; Walid Phares recently put that support level at upwards of $1 billion, thanks to the extraordinary price of oil. And we should have no doubt that Hezbollah will use a considerable portion of those funds to buy popular support inside Lebanon. No other group there has that type of financial muscle, and in my opinion, it will enable Hezbollah to maintain and expand its power through the 2009 parliamentary elections and beyond.

UN Security Council welcomes Lebanon deal
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The UN Security Council on Thursday welcomed the breakthrough deal reached by Lebanon's rival factions to end an 18-month political standoff and elect a new president.
It "welcomes and strongly supports the agreement reached by Lebanese leaders in Doha on May 21 ..., which constitutes an essential step towards the resolution of the current crisis... and the complete restoration of Lebanon's unity, stability and independence."
In a non-binding statement adopted by all its 15 members, the council also "welcomes the agreement to ban the use of weapons and violence as a means to settle disputes, irrespective of their nature and under any circumstances." It hailed the agreement by Lebanon's Western-backed majority and the Hezbollah-led opposition backed by Syria and Iran to elect a new president, establish a national unity cabinet and to address Lebanon's electoral law.
The council reaffirmed "its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, unity, and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders and under the sole and exclusive authority of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory."
The statement also recalled previous Security Council resolutions calling for the dismantling and the disarming of all Lebanese and foreign militias.
Britain's UN Ambassador John Sawers, the council chair this month, expressed hope that the Doha deal "will bring to an end a dispute that has being going on for far too long."He also hoped that "in the coming days we will see implementation of this agreement and that the painstaking process of rebuilding Lebanese unity can begin."His French counterpart, Jean-Maurice Ripert, for his part saw the deal as "a foundation upon which Lebanon and its national unity can be rebuilt and its sovereignty as well as territorial integrity reinforced."Under Arab League auspices, rival Lebanese leaders clinched a deal in the Qatari capital Doha Wednesday to end the political feud between government and opposition that exploded into deadly sectarian fighting earlier this month.
The Doha agreement calls for the election of army chief Michel Sleiman as Lebanon's new president on Sunday after months of stalemate and the creation of a unity government. Parliamentary elections are due in 2009. Under the accord, the Hezbollah-led opposition secured veto power in the new government after having seized large swathes of west Beirut from their Sunni rivals in sectarian fighting.
 

West backs Lebanon government capitulation to Hezbollah
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Last update - 00:11 23/05/2008
The United Nations Security Council is expected to issue a statement on Friday in support of a Qatari-mediated deal signed earlier this week between rival Lebanese factions, according to which Beirut has essentially capitulated to the demands of the Hezbollah-led opposition.
Britain, which currently occupies the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, is expected to issue the statement. The statement was originally a French diplomatic initiative and enjoys backing from the United States.
The declaration thus represents a Western stamp of approval to an agreement that is in practice a capitulation to Hezbollah demands, including a greater share of the political decision-making power in Lebanon. The agreement was the culmination of weeks of turmoil, during which violent incidents initiated by Hezbollah, including the group's takeover of parts of Beirut, gripped the country. According to the terms of the Doha agreement, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora will resign in the coming days; the commander of the army, Michel Suleiman, will be installed as president, and the government will comprise 30 ministers.
Most significantly, however, the agreement meets a key Hezbollah demand to reshape the structure of government representation. Members of the Shi'ite organization will account for one-third of the government ministers, plus an additional portfolio, thus enabling the group to veto any government decision. Hezbollah will now wield more political clout than it ever has in the past.
Despite enhancing Hezbollah's position within the Lebanese power structure, the U.S. will support the Security Council statement praising the agreement, which is viewed as a vehicle to promote the internal stability of the country.
The representatives of all Security Council member states are currently holding consultations over the precise language of the statement in hopes that the wording will be approved by consensus. One of the drafts being considered by the body includes an expression of gratitude to the Arab parties who worked in mediating the deal, among them the Arab League and Qatar.
One potential stumbling block over the final wording of the statement centers around the issue of whether to include references to prior Security Council resolutions passed in relation to Lebanon in recent years, including Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the Second Lebanon War.
Another Security Council resolution that is to be mulled is 1559, which includes a clause stipulating the decommissioning of weapons belonging to the various militia forces in the country. The U.S. and France insist on including mention of the resolution in the statement. Libya has stated its opposition, while Russia has also expressed reservations.
U.S. and U.K. say Hezbollah weaker after Beirut fighting
The United States and Britain said on Thursday they believed Hezbollah had been weakened by this month's fighting in Beirut despite the greater
influence the militant group gained in Lebanon's Cabinet.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband rejected the view that the show of force by Hezbollah had increased its power. "Hezbollah lost something very important, which is any argument that it is somehow a resistance movement on behalf of the Lebanese people," Rice told reporters traveling with her and Miliband on a trip to her California hometown.
"What it is, is a militia that, given an opportunity, decided to turn its guns on its own people. It is never going to live that down," she said.
Miliband said Hezbollah had shown an "unacceptable" show of force in the streets which created an "illusion" of its power. More than 80 people were killed in the military campaign by Hezbollah amid fears of a return to full-scale civil war.
"What struck us in subsequent days is that the reaction of the people of Lebanon has been very negative about that. The guns of Hezbollah were trained on their own people. The long term consequences of that are potentially going to strengthen the forces of democracy in Lebanon," said Miliband.
Zvi Barel contributed to this story.
 

CCD urges immediate action on eligibility of Qazi Hussain Ahmad to enter Canada
For Immediate Release
May 22, 2008
Ottawa, Canada - The Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD) is calling on the federal government to review the application for a Canadian visa by Mr. Qazi Hussain Ahmad, who has been invited to speak in Canada this weekend.
"Our research suggests that Qazi Hussain Ahmad is the name of a notorious Pakistani Islamist banned in 2007 from entering Egypt, and in 2004 from entering over 25 European countries for reasons of National Security," said Alastair Gordon, President, CCD. "We have confirmed that a man by this name has been invited to speak at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) 34th annual convention endorsed by the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA Canada), and the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), and sponsored by Human Concern International (HCI)."
Qazi Hussain Ahmad is the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, a radical Islamist movement based in Pakistan. Should the invitee to the ISNA conference be the same Qazi Hussain Ahmad, it is troubling that he has been invited to visit Canada and address Muslim youth at a conference whose theme is “Our Youth, Our Future: Path to Paradise.""If the government should confirm that this invitee is the same person who is denied entry to over 25 countries, then Mr. Ahmad must likewise be barred from entering Canada," said Naresh Raghubeer, Executive Director, CCD. "Moreover, if Mr. Qazi Hussain Ahmad is the same person as the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, those organizations sponsoring his visit must explain to Canadians why they sought to expose Canadian Muslim youth to such a radical influence.”
In 2006, the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN), the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), the Islamic Society of North America-Canada (ISNA), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) pledged "to move forward to protect and safeguard Canada, to take a leadership role in challenging extremism.”"If these same groups have, in fact, invited the extremist leader of Jamaat-e-Islami to address Muslim youth in Canada, then Canadians will need to understand how this action aligns with a pledge to challenge extremism," added Raghubeer.In 2006, the Harper Government took steps to bar another Islamist, Sheikh Riyadh Ul Haq, from Canada after CCD made public audio recordings of his promotion of hatred against homosexuals, Hindus, Jews, and others.
"The RCMP, CSIS and the Government of Canada have an opportunity and a duty to protect Canadians from the horrors that such incitement has caused around the world”, added Gordon.
-30-
For more information, please contact
Naresh Raghubeer, Executive Director, CCD +1-613-216-2095
If you would like to comment on this statement or other topics relating to foreign policy, please visit our public message forum and post your comments:
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Backgrounder
1. Press release noting Qazi Hussain Ahmad was banned from Europe.
2. Press release noting Qazi Hussain Ahmad was banned from Egypt.
3. Report on meeting with NY Muslims and Jamaat-e-Islami.
4. ISNA 34th Annual Convention invitation
http://jipakistan.blogspot.com/
http://www.isnacanada.com/Convention/Toronto/34/doc/Flyer.pdf

U.N. Security Council backs Lebanon peace deal
Thu 22 May 2008, 21:08 GMT
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Thursday welcomed a Lebanese peace deal brokered by Qatar, an agreement that may have averted a new civil war in the Middle East.
The council said it "welcomes and strongly supports the agreement reached in Doha ... which constitutes an essential step towards the resolution of the current crisis, the return to normal functioning of Lebanese democratic institutions, the complete restoration of Lebanon's unity and stability."
In the nonbinding statement, the council also urged the parties to implement all aspects of the agreement. Lebanon has generally been a divisive issue for the Security Council, but the statement was agreed unanimously by the 15-member body.
Rival Lebanese leaders signed the deal on Wednesday to end 18 months of political conflict that had threatened to push the country into a new civil war.
The agreement, which was reached after six days of Arab-mediated talks, also paved the way for the election of a new president.
British Ambassador to the United Nations John Sawers, the current council president, told reporters the Security Council hoped the deal will "bring an end to a dispute that's been going on on the streets of Beirut for far too long."
French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said the Doha agreement was a "foundation upon which Lebanon and its national unity can be rebuilt and its sovereignty, as well as territorial integrity, reinforced."
The deal comes after a Hezbollah military campaign this month against Lebanon's ruling coalition which bolstered the opposition's political strength. Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran and Syria, routed its rivals in six days of conflict that killed 81 and prompted the Qatari-led mediation.
The Security Council statement also referred to previous "relevant" Security Council resolutions, which call for the disbanding and disarming of all militias in Lebanon. It did not name Hezbollah. (Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Lessons unlearned
By: Galal Nassar

Al-Ahram Weekly 23/05/08
The outbreak of fighting in Lebanon, however dramatic it may have seemed, could have come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Lebanese politics since the assassination of prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri. The Lebanese have long been split over how that crime should be dealt with, the divisions less a response to the assassination itself than an indication of international and regional affiliations. The war of July 2006, triggered by the abduction by some members of Hizbullah of several Zionist soldiers, divided the Lebanese even further.
The pro-government majority accuses the opposition of acting to further Syrian and Iranian agendas while the opposition says the majority has bowed to US and Zionist pressure. Neither side is wholly right or wrong.
The alliances we see in Lebanon are often less ideological than they are expedient. The enemies of today become the allies of tomorrow and vice versa. It has happened before and will happen again, not least because of Lebanon's susceptibility to international and regional influences. Lebanon has been prey to two civil wars, in the late 1950s and again in the mid- 1970s through to the early 1990s. Both wars were driven, superficially, by domestic rivalry, though the underlining causes were a reflection of regional and international divisions.
The first civil war was born of Arab resistance to foreign-dominated alliances, such as the Baghdad Pact, also known as the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO). Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan took the lead in opposing the formation of such alliances in the region. Lebanon, though, was undecided. Camille Chamoun, Lebanese president at the time, wanted his country to join the Baghdad Pact.
Chamoun was seeking to renew his presidency for another term in order to have time to prepare Lebanon for joining the pact. The opposition objected and a civil war erupted. Chamoun accused Gamal Abdel-Nasser, then leader of the United Arab Republic (Egypt and Syria), of arming and funding the opposition. The US navy sailed to Lebanon and made threats. The crisis ended with Chamoun's resignation. He was replaced as president by army commander Fouad Chehab.
Both civil wars were intertwined with developments in the Cold War. The Baghdad Pact was generally seen as a Western attempt to contain the Soviet Union and dampen anti-Western zeal in the Arab region. In one sense the first Lebanese civil war was merely a footnote to the Cold War, and the second Lebanese civil war was not very different. The war was triggered by the presence of the Lebanese resistance in some parts of south Lebanon. Thousands of Palestinians had fled to Lebanon during the presidency of Charles Helou and Lebanon's traditional Christian leaders feared the influx of Palestinians would distort the social fabric of the country.
When the Lebanese army asked the Palestinians to stop bearing weapons things quickly got ugly. Trying to defuse the conflict, Egypt sponsored a deal, known as the Cairo Agreement, allowing the Palestinians to carry arms within the boundaries of their camps. Security within the camps became the responsibility of the Palestinian resistance, not the Lebanese army. But the agreement failed to defuse the crisis and Christian militias started to stockpile weapons. In 1975, the second Lebanese civil war broke out, pitting the Palestinians against right-wing Lebanese groups. The opposition, led by Kamal Jumblatt, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), took sides with the resistance. The Syrian army then went into Lebanon to support President Suleiman Franjieh.
The war came to a close with the signing of the Saudi-brokered Al-Taif Agreement. Throughout the war alliances had continued to shift, with the Syrian army supporting right-wing Christians at times and the Palestinians and the PSP at others. Interestingly, the PSP under Kamal Jumblatt was part of the opposition whereas under his son, Walid Jumblatt, it is allied to the majority.
Regional tensions once again shaped events in Lebanon, with the Arab-Israeli conflict dictating the course of the country's second civil war. But why are the Lebanese so susceptible to foreign factors?
Lebanon's politics are based on factional quotas. Every faction in Lebanon, however fragile it may seem, has a domain within which it acts with virtual independence. In order to maintain its political status each faction needs a backer. The stronger the backer, the larger the share of the national cake, or so many Lebanese believe.
The system of factional quotas was formulated by the French who, instead of giving the country a proper system of citizenry left behind a legacy of factional rivalries that is as divisive as it is volatile. In Lebanon's wars there are no victors and no vanquished. Until the entire political dispensation is reviewed it will be hard for the Lebanese to move ahead.
Lebanon needs a constitutional system in which sectarian quotas are abandoned and all citizens become equal in the eyes of their government. In the meantime, we can only appeal to those who took part in the recent fighting to listen to reason and end the bloodshed. When fighting erupts among the sons of the same country every bullet strikes the very heart of the nation. Let us hope that reason will prevail and the Lebanese once again find it in their hearts to get along.
* Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved

 

Syria's wager
By: Bassel Oudat
Al-Ahram Weekly
23/05/08
Damascus says that outside mediation is not needed in Lebanon. What it means is that it is relying on its Lebanese allies to prevail, reports Bassel Oudat from Damascus
The Syrian government watched closely as Lebanese parties convened with Arab League negotiators in Doha last Friday. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moallem made several phone calls to Arab foreign ministers present in the meetings, especially Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jabr. But Damascus doesn't want to be seen as party to the talks. When President Bashar Al-Assad met Qatar's Prince Hamad bin Khalifa a few days before the gathering in Doha, he said that the Lebanese conflict was a purely domestic affair. What he meant, however, was that Arab or international mediation was undesirable.
A similar position was voiced by Syria's envoy to the Arab League. Youssef Al-Ahmed opposed the formation of an Arab committee to mediate among the Lebanese and shot down the idea of an Arab deterrence force deploying in Lebanon. Such proposed measures are seen by Damascus as an attempt to reduce further Syria's role in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Syria's official media reported minimally on the Doha conference, offering little analysis or commentary while maintaining aloofness tinged with pessimism. Syrian columnists and editors provided no views of their own and, uncharacteristically, no indication of the official line. The official Tishrin newspaper nonetheless persistently referred to the Lebanese government as being "illegitimate" and susceptible to "foreign dictates". Arguing that the first priority in Lebanon is the formation of a national unity government, Al-Thawrah, another official publication, called on Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora to step down.
Due to a host of geographic and historical factors, Damascus wants its ties with Lebanon to remain close. Any attempt to scale down those ties can greatly harm both countries, Syrian officials maintain. But Syria is not having its way. With the Syrian army out of Lebanon, Damascus has already lost a bargaining chip in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Syrians believe that current events in Lebanon are part of an attempt to keep Damascus out of Lebanon's politics and promote US plans for a new Middle East. The Syrians also believe that the Americans are determined to implicate Damascus in the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri. Once the Syrian regime is under pressure or -- better -- out of the way, the Americans would do as they please in Iraq and the region, goes the Syrian argument.
Abdul-Nabi Hejazi, former director of Syrian television, says that Syria is the "only remaining country in the region that opposes the US plan for the Middle East", and that this is why the Americans are out to get it. In a statement to Al-Ahram Weekly, Hejazi maintains that Lebanese majority politicians are hostile to Syria because "they are part of the American scheme." And the mistakes Syria made in Lebanon over 17 years? "It was the current [Lebanese] government that encouraged us to make these mistakes," Hejazi adds.
The fact that moderate Arab countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan generally back the Lebanese majority is not lost on the Syrians. And the less Damascus feels at home with Arab countries, the more it drifts towards Tehran.
Iran is a "strategic component of Arab struggle," a key figure in the Syrian ruling Baath Party, Fayez Ezzeddin, told the Weekly. "The Arab and Islamic military alliance in the Middle East is now as strong as the military alliance of Israel and America." War is no longer an easy decision for the United States, and this is why Washington is trying to exercise all other forms of pressure on Damascus and Tehran, Ezzeddin says.
For now, Damascus believes that its allies in Lebanon won't accept an agreement that is not suitable to the Syrians. But Damascus is worried that Arab and international pressure on Iran may push things in the wrong direction. Still, Syrian officials hope that no agreement settling the current conflict in Lebanon would be signed without their approval. They are also confident that their friends in Lebanon will stand their ground.
It would be risky to ignore such Syrian views, for it is hard to imagine a trouble-free Lebanon with a disgruntled Syria next door. Syria and Lebanon still have much to talk about, and not just about the delineation of borders in the Shebaa Farms. So regardless of what happens in Doha or the opinions of moderate Arabs, Europe and the US, an inter- Lebanese agreement would have to have Syria's stamp of approval.
Political analyst Abdallah Torkomani says that events that took place in Lebanon lately were "a pre-emptive message from Syria and Iran". The message was directed to the future president of Lebanon, and its gist was that "he mustn't cross the line." In a statement to the Weekly, Torkomani said that the Arabs shouldn't wait for international solutions that "may never come". Although Torkomani opposes Iranian "infiltration" in the region, he wishes for the Arabs to get together with the Iranians under one political "umbrella". Perhaps Arab moderates would talk more to the Syrians. Perhaps the Arab League would organise a regional conference about Lebanon and invite Iran, he suggests.
Can Syria bring down any agreement concluded in Doha, regardless of the level of international and Arab support to that agreement? Some analysts believe yes, it can -- so long as Iran and Hizbullah are on its side.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved