LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 02/2010

Bible Of the Day
Metthew 5/1-12: "Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 5:2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5:5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 5:11 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you".

Today in History
In 1958, the United Arab Republic, a union of Egypt and Syria, was established. (Syria withdrew from the union in 1961.)

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Hezbollah’s crisis/By:Nadim Koteich/Now Lebanon/February 1,10
The price of change/Now Lebanon/February 1,10
Terror Alert: Let us protect UNIFIL, and fast By Bilal Y. Saab and Magnus Ranstorp/February 01/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 01/10
Information Minister Mitri briefs the press on cabinet session/Now Lebanon
Efforts to Recover More Plane Victims Underway/Naharnet
Efforts to Recover More Plane Victims Underway /Naharnet
Foreign Ministry to Feltman: Address Your Questions on Violations of 1701 to Israel /Naharnet
Jumblat: Where's 'Transition to Statehood' in Presence of Sectarian Privileges? /Naharnet
Public Prosecutor Hands Over Sheikh Majzoub and Accomplice to Bekaa's Prosecutor /Naharnet
Gorbachev Meets Suleiman, Berri, Lauds Steps Taken to Stabilize Lebanon
/Naharnet

March 14 Calls for Massive Turnout to Mark Hariri's Murder, Stresses Commitment to Principles/Naharnet
Sayyed Urges Cassese to Restore Public Trust in Lebanese Court/Naharnet
Williams Discusses with Shami Implementation of 1701/Naharnet
FPM Denies Aoun Visiting Mukhtara This Week
/Naharnet
Kidnapped Lebanese Civilian Released
/Naharnet
Salma Sader Blames Government for Not Finding her Husband
/Naharnet
Israel: Lebanese Government Responsible in Case of Eruption of Violence
/Naharnet
Cassese in Beirut, Ashouri Says No Timetable Yet for Tribunal Hearings
/Naharnet
Hariri: I Won't Abandon Any March 14 Member
/Naharnet
Geagea Lauds Hariri and Saniora, Calls for Serious Work to Safeguard Lebanon
/Naharnet
Hamadeh Calls March 14 Statement 'Moderate and Clear'
/Naharnet
Washington: Iran May Lash Out at Israel Via Hizbullah, Hamas
/Naharnet
Berri Ready to Attend Feb. 14 Rally Based on March 11 Logic
/Naharnet
Report: Slain Hamas Commander Middleman for Smuggling Weapons to Gaza, Hizbullah
/Naharnet
Ship Rescued after Running Aground off Tripoli
/Naharnet
Mubarak Mediates Between Israel And Lebanon/Philadelphia Bulletin
Berri visits Hariri at downtown residence/Daily Star
US to name veteran diplomat as Syria envoy: report/Daily Star
Israeli soldiers abduct Lebanese teen shepherd from south/Daily Star
Private US ship to help hunt for crashed airline recorders/AFP
March 14 calls for massive rally/Daily Star
US sees little progress on Resolution 1701/Daily Star
Hizbullah 'ready' for another war with Israel/Daily Star
Electoral reforms still on Cabinet agenda/Daily Star
Still looking for Lebanon's knowledge economy/By Fadi Abboud/Daily Star
Lebanon's progress stunted by poor broadband/Daily Star
Lebanese seek compensation for Fatah al-Islam war/Daily Star
Army defuses bomb in Tripoli's Jabal Mohsen/Daily Star
Ethiopians in Sidon mourn loss of family and friends in airline crash/Daily Star
Judiciary calls for release of three refugees/Daily Star
Ski resorts in full swing after winter storms/Daily Star
Khalifeh: investigation into counterfeit drugs widened/Daily Star

Efforts to Recover More Plane Victims Underway
Naharnet/Recovering all the bodies from the deadly Ethiopian passenger plane crash with 90 people on board may take days.
Transport and Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi vowed, however, to continue search and rescue operations "at any price and no matter how long it takes."
The Iraqi embassy on Monday took delivery of an Iraqi body that had been retrieved from the Ethiopian plane crash site off the coast of Naameh. An embassy official said Akram Jassem Mohammed will be buried in Beirut's Rawdet al-Shahidain cemetery.
Mohammed was among 14 bodies recovered following the Jan. 25 plane crash.
Officials are especially keen on knowing why the plane veered off course after takeoff, but have ruled out sabotage
Ethiopian Airlines spokesperson Wogayehu Tefere said the pilot was experienced and had been with the company for 20 years.
The probe into the disaster includes French and U.S. experts, among them a technical advisor from Boeing.
Civilian vessel Ocean Alert on Sunday lowered to the seabed a device that locates the area from which it received signals from the Ethiopian plane's black boxes.
The device would film the ocean floor to find the plane's body and human remains.
Ocean Alert located a spot 10 kilometers off Manara at a depth of 1400 meters where geometrical items were detected. Beirut, 01 Feb 10, 11:34

Gorbachev Meets Suleiman, Berri, Lauds Steps Taken to Stabilize Lebanon

Naharnet/Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev met Monday with President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri, lauding the current state of stability prevailing in Lebanon which he described as a "complicated country."After meeting with Suleiman, Gorbachev praised the steps taken to stabilize Lebanon. Gorbachev stressed "the importance of the role played by Russia in the new world order," adding that small nations "can also play a role and participate majorly in international politics." He added that a press conference will be held Tuesday at Mzar Hotel to "discuss some suggestions related to the world's situations." Beirut, 01 Feb 10, 17:20

March 14 Calls for Massive Turnout to Mark Hariri's Murder, Stresses Commitment to Principles

Naharnet/The majority March 14 coalition on Sunday called on its supporters to take part in a mass rally on Feb. 14 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination. A statement at the end of its meeting at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut called on all Lebanese to gather outside Martyr's Square in downtown Beirut to "ensure continuance on the path of independence."The statement read by March 14 General Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soaid also stressed that "change in circumstances won't change our commitment to our principles.""We want to turn the black pages and open a new page of hope," March 14 said. "We want a state where we can combine both accomplishments -- liberation and second independence," the alliance added.Conferees agreed to form a committee to redraft the final communiqué that was previously prepared by the March 14 general secretariat.
The committee includes Samir al-Jisr, Antoine Zahra, Salim al-Sayegh and Nassir al-Asaad. Prime Minister Saad Hariri attended the Bristol meeting which dealt with preparations for the upcoming Hariri assassination anniversary. Druze leader Walid Jumblat, however, failed to attend. A statement issued Sunday after a meeting of the Democratic Gathering under Jumblat said the group will not take part in the Bristol meeting. The statement, though, stressed the Gathering's eagerness to take part in the Feb. 14 rally. Beirut, 31 Jan 10, 19:41

Foreign Ministry to Feltman: Address Your Questions on Violations of 1701 to Israel
Naharnet/Lebanese Foreign Ministry's Press Office on Monday snapped back at U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman over his latest comments regarding violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701."The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants stresses that the biggest threat against UNSCR 1701 comes from Israel itself whose violations of UNSCR 1701 have exceeded 6,000 since the year 2006, as the abduction of the citizen Mohammed Zahra from inside the Lebanese territory on Sunday, January 31, 2010 represents its most recent violation," said a communique issued by the press office of the foreign ministry. "Why doesn't Mr. Feltman address his questions to Israel to know why it hasn't implemented UNSCR 1701 and halted its unrelenting violations against it?" added the communique. The communique criticized "the statements made by Feltman and other officials which, on the one hand, expressed satisfaction over the formation of a national unity government with a ministerial Policy Statement reflecting its agenda and general policy, and on the other, voiced opinions that criticized that policy and contradicted it -- overlooking the fact that the ministerial Policy Statement dedicated its sixth article to the issue of Lebanon's right to defend itself against any aggression and its right to liberate its land through all legitimate means." Beirut, 01 Feb 10, 19:57

Public Prosecutor Hands Over Sheikh Majzoub and Accomplice to Bekaa's Prosecutor
Naharnet/Public Prosecutor Said Mirza on Monday transferred Majdel Anjar Imam Sheikh Mohammed Abdel Fatah al-Majzoub and his accomplice Kamal Ali Handouss to the Bekaa's Prosecutor's office.Both were taken into custody on charges of false abduction and the provocation of sectarian tension. Al-Majzoub's shaving machine and laptop computer in addition to other items were logged as evidence.  On the other hand, ex-Premier Fouad Saniora said that the afore-mentioned case is now in the hands of the Judiciary stressing "that what happened could have had severe repercussions on civil peace and we should deal with perpetrators justly no matter their identity." Beirut, 01 Feb 10, 18:55

Hizbullah 'ready' for another war with Israel

/Daily Star staff/Monday, February 01, 2010
BEIRUT: Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Iranian Revolution on Sunday, Hizbullah said it was “ready” for a war with Israel. Festivities in Baalbek were attended by several political figures and included a speech by Hizbullah’s Shura member in the Bekaa, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek. He asked the international community why it has ignored Israel’s violations of Lebanese sovereignty and threats of belligerence and only focused on Hizbullah’s weapons. “They want us to give up our [military] capacities but we will not,” Yazbek said. “If they want to declare war, we are ready to face the enemy.” Yazbek also condemned last week’s assassination of Hamas leader Mohammad al-Mabhouh in the United Arab Emirates, which has been blamed on Israel. – The Daily Star

March 14 calls for massive rally
Jumblatt skips alliance’s meeting, but will attend Hariri commemoration

By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff/Monday, February 01, 2010
BEIRUT: The March 14 alliance called Sunday on the Lebanese to participate in the fifth anniversary commemorating the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005 as March 14 parties highlighted the alliance’s achievements and commitment to its principles. “Your participation in the rally at the Martyrs Square will strengthen Lebanon, the March 14 alliance and Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s position,” a statement read by March 14 Secretariat General member Fares Souaid said.
Sunday’s meeting at Bristol hotel in Beirut was attended by the alliance’s major political leaders, including Prime Minister Saad Hariri, former Premier Fouad Siniora, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Phalange Party head Amin Gemayel while Progressive Socialist Party head MP Walid Jumblatt refrained from participating.
Jumblatt said he would participate in the rally commemorating the assassination of the former premier but not as a member of the March 14 alliance.
The statement issued following a three-hour meeting, the alliance stressed its commitment to the state’s sovereignty over all its territories and its exclusive responsibility in defending the country while avoiding any overt mention of Hizbullah’s arms.
“The Lebanese achieved true national reconciliation as they turned the page on the Civil War, abolished an authoritarian security regime, pushed for the withdrawal of Syrian forces, established diplomatic ties with Damascus and established the STL,” the statement said.
“National unity is not achieved based on conditions by one faction but rather through national consensus and based on the state’s sovereignty over all its territories and its exclusive responsibility to defend the country,” it added. Souaid said that a change in circumstances would not lead to a change in the alliance’s commitment to its principles.
The statement also underscored the alliance’s commitment to parity between Christians and Muslims, national coexistence and Lebanon’s Arabic identity, while stressing its rejection of the naturalization of Palestinians refugees. Hariri’s murder led to the formation of the March 14 alliance, which called for the withdrawal of Syrian military forces from Lebanon and the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon tasked with prosecuting the murder. Parliamentary majority officials have accused Syria of being involved in plotting the assassination and voiced support for UN Security Council Resolution 1559 which called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon.
Jumblatt, once a leading figure in the alliance, announced following the June, 2009 parliamentary elections his withdrawal from the coalition saying it was driven by necessity.
On Sunday, the Democratic Gathering Bloc, following a meeting headed by Jumblatt, stressed in a statement its leader’s centrist position away from previous political coalitions and divisions. “The bloc underscores its leader’s firm position against taking sides with previous political coalitions and divisions and it applies to whether he will participate or not in any meeting conveying such an image,” the statement said. But the statement underscored “Jumblatt’s keenness to participate in the occasion commemorating the former premier’s assassination.”
Commenting on Jumblatt’s absence, Geagea said that “the Democratic Gathering Bloc might have its reasons for not attending but it would not prevent its participation on February 14.”
Geagea added that the meeting conveyed a very important message after all the turmoil the March 14 alliance had experienced. “The most important point is that on February 14 we will express the same goals upon which the alliance was founded,” he added.

Judiciary calls for release of three refugees

Daily Star staff/Monday, February 01, 2010
BEIRUT: The Lebanese judiciary on Friday called for the immediate release of three arbitrarily detained refugees. The Jdeideh Metn Court of Urgent Matters, presided over by Judge Mirielle Haddad, issued three verdicts requesting the release of Wissam al-Youssef, Riyad Hashem and Maytham al-Rabih. The nationalities of the men, who have been in prison for over 11 months, were not released. The men had each received one month sentences and were ordered to pay fines for entering Lebanon illegally. One was also sentenced to be deported.
The court said the men had served more time than their sentences stipulated, adding that their continued imprisonment constituted “a dangerous violation of legal decisions” that had no legal justification. Haddad said she based her decision on Article 8 of the Lebanese Constitution, international treaties such as the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, and other international agreements that are supposed to have been incorporated into the Constitution. The decision follows a similar verdict issued by the Zahle Court for Urgent Matters in December 2009, when Judge Cynthia Qatherji ordered the immediate release of Iraqi refugee Yusra al-Amiri. The decision was questioned by General Security, sparking a public outcry which resulted in Amiri being transferred to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees earlier this month. On Friday, Frontiers Ruwad Association said the verdicts highlighted the important role of the judiciary in protecting personal freedoms and ensuring respect for the Constitution. – The Daily Star

Terror Alert: Let us protect UNIFIL, and fast

By Bilal Y. Saab and Magnus Ranstorp
Monday, February 01, 2010
Perspective By Bilal Y. Saab and Magnus Ranstorp
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is at serious risk of another terrorist attack by Al-Qaeda and it needs immediate protection. This time, the potential harm that Al-Qaeda in Lebanon could inflict on the multinational peacekeeping force could be significant as the terrorist organization has recently been able to adjust, reorganize, and plan for a deadly operation. If Al-Qaeda succeeds in bleeding UNIFIL, this will undoubtedly push some of its member states to withdraw their troops, which by default would undermine the mission of the Force altogether and ultimately cause its dissolution.
While the global counter-terrorism community seems understandably focused on the terror problems in Yemen and Somalia, it cannot afford to brush aside Al-Qaeda’s reach in another strategically vital part of the world: Israel-Lebanon. Make no mistake about it, if UNIFIL suffers another terrorist hit and starts crumbling as a result, the task of averting another devastating war between Israel and Hizbullah (which this time could be much more destructive and could involve other foreign powers) becomes nearly impossible. Middle East stability, not just calm on the Israeli-Lebanese borders, is at stake here.
The terrorist threat to UNIFIL (and Lebanon) has drastically changed since the events of Nahr al-Bared in 2007, and here is why we believe it has become much more dangerous and imminent. Since its deployment in southern Lebanon following the 34-day war between Israel and Hizbullah in summer 2006, the expanded multinational force (now has 12,133 uniformed personnel) has had to deal with an emerging threat posed by Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda’s second in command Ayman al-Zawahri has had his eyes on the multinational troops the day they set foot in the southern part of the country. His three messages (so far) have been clear, and his directions even clearer: wage armed jihad against the “crusader” troops in the South and force them to withdraw from “Muslim lands.”
Zawahri’s calls did not fall on deaf ears. One June 24, 2007, three Spanish and three Columbian UN soldiers were killed when a bomb destroyed their armored troop carrier. A month later, another bomb exploded near a UNIFIL position, luckily causing no casualties. Then on January 8, 2008, two members of the Irish contingent were wounded when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Rmaileh village, 35 kilometers south of Beirut. In addition to these direct hits (and many others that were not reported), Al-Qaeda’s fighters have regularly launched rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel (so far on seven separate occasions, the most recent of which attempt to ignite another war between Hezbollah and Israel with UNIFIL in between, killing in what Al-Qaeda’s calculations would be three birds with one stone: “the infidel Shiite party,” the “Zionist entity,” and the “crusader army.” Fortunately, Hizbullah and Israel did not fall into Al-Qaeda’s trap, exercising wise judgment and restraint at every incident.
However, with rumors of renewed conflict widely circulating in the media these days, cooler heads may no longer prevail next time another mysterious rocket lands in a northern Israeli town.
The numbers of foiled Al-Qaeda plots against UNIFIL and arrests of terrorist cells by the Lebanese military intelligence services have also been staggering. Ever since the Lebanese Army crushed Fatah al-Islam (the Al-Qaeda-inspired group) in summer 2007 and the Lebanese military intelligence services have been working day and night on combating the terror threat. Having conducted extensive field research on the subject of Al-Qaeda in Lebanon over the past six years, we found no evidence that Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership in Pakistan-Afghanistan has a franchise in the country like in Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and other places around the world. Also, we found no sizable support for the terrorist group’s militant agenda among the Sunni Islamist community (including the doctrinally rigid but nonviolent salafis). Al-Qaeda’s extremist ideology is also shunned by the majority of Lebanese Sunni Muslims. All these factors and others explain why Al-Qaeda’s attempts to create an overt insurgent group in the country on New Year’s Eve in 1999-2000 and in summer 2007 failed miserably. Realizing that Lebanon is not a fertile ground for establishing a solid insurgent base, Al-Qaeda adjusted and opted to go underground. Instead of helping form insurgent groups, Al-Qaeda in Pakistan-Afghanistan is now working, with the help of its franchises in Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula, on creating sleeper cells in Lebanon that would be in charge of recruiting, training, and planning operations against Western and Israeli targets, in addition to attacking UNIFIL. These terrorist cells, some of which are remnants of Fatah al-Islam while others continue to arrive from several regional battlefronts, are scattered across the country but with heavy concentration in its northern region, specifically in places like Tripoli, Akkar, Qaroun, Majdar Anjar, and al Koura (there are also some pockets in the Bekaa Valley and around the Palestinian camps in the southern suburbs of Beirut). Today, there exists a dangerous terrorist axis that links, by land and sea, these northern areas to the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein al-Hilweh in the southern city of Sidon, where arguably most major terrorist planning and coordination takes place.
Under-funded, poorly equipped, and largely inexperienced in the counter-terrorism business, the Lebanese military intelligence services have surprisingly done a superb job in making life difficult for Al-Qaeda in the country. However, despite their commendable effort, the threat is now too big for a tiny country like Lebanon to handle on its own. The Lebanese government has a legal responsibility to protect UNIFIL but it cannot do this crucial job alone. What is needed is a concerted effort by nations that are contributing troops to UNIFIL and by those countries that have a vested interest in preserving the fragile calm along the Lebanese-Israeli borders to provide immediate technical and financial assistance to the Lebanese security and counter-terrorism apparatus, specifically to the military intelligence services.
Washington has a strong interest in leading this effort for three important reasons: one, uphold Lebanese stability and help the country in its campaign against salafi jihadism; two, safeguard UNIFIL so that it can do its critical job of keeping the Israeli-Lebanese peace, and three, protect its close ally Israel from further attacks by Al-Qaeda elements in southern Lebanon.
There is no question that Al-Qaeda in Lebanon is a real danger to the country in general and to UNIFIL in particular. The safety of the Force is of utmost importance to the security of Lebanon and the entire region. While Israeli and Hizbullah officials often complain about UNIFIL, in private, they do appreciate its important deterrent role.
Indeed, the truth of the matter is that UNIFIL is the only thing standing in the way of another large-scale military conflict in the Middle East. Let us help Lebanon better protect it from Al-Qaeda before it is too late.
**Bilal Y. Saab is a PhD student and Teaching Assistant at the University of Maryland, College Park and Magnus Ranstorp is Research Director at the Swedish National Defence College.

Hezbollah’s crisis
Nadim Koteich,
February 1, 2010 /Now Lebanon/Hezbollah members parade on the streets of the southern suburbs of Beirut. (AFP/ Ramzi Haidar)
For a resistance movement, bravado is not a substitute for actually fighting.
Hezbollah is no exception to this rule, and this is at the heart of the crisis within the party.
More than three years after the 2006 war with Israel and two years after the assassination of its top commander, Imad Mugniyah, in a heavily secured zone in Damascus, Hezbollah hasn’t launched one resistance operation. On the contrary, South Lebanon is enjoying the calmest period it’s had since 1978, according to UNIFIL’s recent assessment.
Even on the five or so occasions when Katyusha rockets were fired into Israel from South Lebanon since the July War, Hezbollah was always among the first parties to deny any involvement and has sometimes gone as far as to condemn the attacks.
Hezbollah’s leadership can't miss the signs their community sends during such incidents. Images of southern villagers fleeing in packed cars with their possessions strapped on top flutter across Lebanese TV screens every time attacks are launched from the Hezbollah-dominated South into northern Israel.
It is a normal reaction, given that the memory of the 2006 war is still fresh in southerners’ minds, something Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has noted in his speeches.
Yet in a recent address he called upon his audience "to withstand and fight" as Shia Imam Hussein and his followers did in the battle of Karbala back in the 7th century, should Israel impose the fight "upon us."
It is hardly an appealing invitation. The "Husseinis", as Nasrallah may recall, perished in the battle of Karbala, and their school of fighting, which Nasrallah is promising to imitate, ended with a crushing military defeat in which humiliated prisoners of war were forced to walk from the battlefield in Iraq to Damascus. It is a fight that goes down in military history as an example of how not to go to war.
Imam Hussein himself desperately tried to avoid the confrontation to save his people from such a fate.
Hence, the Shia community, which annually commemorates the slain Imam, aspires for a different future, and when they flee their homes it is not because they are gutlessly trying to avoid battle but because they fear for their safety.
Deterrence or delusion?
The Party of God is under attack from Israeli – and possibly other – intelligence apparatuses, which have struck the party in its most secure areas. Its operatives have been uncovered in Azerbaijan and Egypt, and arms shipments to the organization, like the weapons found onboard the Francop last fall, have been intercepted. In mid-October wire tapping devices exploded on phone lines that were part of Hezbollah’s private telecommunications network. The explosion in Hezbollah-controlled Haret-Hreik in December is believed to be an Israeli attempt on the life of top Hamas official in Lebanon Oussama Hamdan.
So Hezbollah is being attacked, and it hasn’t retaliated to any of the abovementioned offenses. Yet the party is under the delusion that it is a deterrence force against Israel.
The party’s updated political manifesto, which Hassan Nasrallah debuted on November 30, stated that the Resistance has gone from playing the role of the liberator to playing a “confrontation and deterrence role, in addition to its political and internal role as an influence in building a just and capable state."
However, the party is not playing its self-assigned deterrence role very well, as Israel, with its constant aggressions on Lebanon, is far from being deterred.
The UN Security Council listed 388 Israeli airspace violations against Lebanon in its report last June. The figure has grown since then.
Israel admits that it is conducting surveillance on Hezbollah's military activities and has threatened to take action against Lebanon as a whole should Hezbollah acquire advanced anti-aircraft missiles or any other large-scale weaponry.
So let's get this right: Hezbollah's deterrence force is so powerful that it is, ironically, becoming a pretext for permanent Israeli violations against Lebanon and possibly an inducement for a devastating war.
Nevertheless, with characteristic condescension, Hezbollah contemptuously dismisses the looming catastrophic conflict. "Resistance forces will ultimately triumph," Nasrallah said, addressing a conference of Arab and international Resistance organizations in Beirut a couple of weeks ago. He added that his party will “change the face of the region.”
Since Hezbollah considers Israel an "absolute evil" and its very existence a permanent aggression against the imaginary "Muslim nation", the party believes it has the legitimacy to take up the mantle of liberating Palestine and wiping Israel off the map. So why the delay in accomplishing this "divine" mission?
Because it is undoable and Hezbollah knows it. This leaves the party with few options. Hezbollah could either seek shelter in bravado while simultaneously concentrating on its sweeping domestic plans, as outlined in its manifesto, or it could involved in a serious national dialogue over how to give up its arsenal in parallel with an internal dialogue over how to turn itself into more of a political party that could excel through a democratic political process. The Hezbollah leadership has never shown any interest in this second option.
Rather, Hezbollah has, against all odds, planted its long-range rockets deep into northern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, as Washington Post reported last month, and the party’s leader seems to have no problem luring Israel into a major war fought on Lebanese soil. While Imam Hussein tried to avoid conflict, Hezbollah isn’t, and it should think of its supporters in the ever-vulnerable Shia community before picking a fight.

The price of change

February 1, 2010
Now Lebanon
Last Thursday saw the hanging in Tehran of two men, Mohammadreza Alizamani, aged 37, and Arash Rahmanpour, aged 19. The pair were convicted of being involved in the 2009 post-election protests in Iran. The executions were the first related to the show of defiance against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s allegedly rigged victory. Eleven more have been condemned to death on similar charges.
Their crimes? Well, according to the state-run news agency ISNA, the pair were guilty of “disruption of order” and “Moharebeh” (literally “at war with God”) through their membership in the Monarchist Association, a pro-Shah grouping.
In the spring of 2005, in the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, pro-independence Lebanese also showed they could transform a country. They mobilized for what they wanted, not what they were told to want.
The outcome of the March 2005 protests set Lebanon on a path, albeit rocky and often bloody, to consolidating its sovereign aspirations and developing its democratic principles. The blast in front of the St. Georges Hotel had woken Lebanon from a 30-year state of lethargy. The people said an emphatic “no” to Syrian domination of their country. The world took up our cause and Damascus folded.
But without the world’s support it could have been very different. We forget that the order had allegedly been given for the Lebanese army, in extremis, to fire on Lebanese demonstrators (and it would not have been the first time such an order would have been carried out).
We would like to believe that the sheer force of people power during that four-week period would have dissuaded even the most loyal soldier from shouldering his weapon. But had the world not been on our side, had the regimes of the region not been twitchy at the fall of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist dictatorship two years earlier and the presence of over 100,000 American troops in Iraq, our bluff might have been called and the list of martyrs might be much longer.
With the fifth anniversary of the outrage over Hariri’s killing only two weeks away, it is within the memory of that spontaneous eruption of people power, not unlike that seen in Tehran last year, that we honor the memory of Mohammadreza Alizamani and Arash Rahmanpour and join the international community and human rights groups in strongly condemning these executions.
In the meantime, opposition to the ruling establishment in Iran will surely continue its struggle via the web and the mobile phone networks. This generation of Iranian “revolutionaries” wants to be part of the modern world, enjoy its benefits and be integrated into the global economic community.
They don’t just represent the bourgeoisie, an idea that many, not just western commentators, have latched onto. There is a developed Iran outside the milieu of Tehran urbanites. The world forgets just how socially progressive – in terms of education, women’s rights and marriage - Iran has been in the last 30 years. Iranians are proud. They want to be a nuclear power, but they want to be one that cooperates with the IAEA, and while they are opposed to the activities of the Israeli government, the chances that are that they don’t want to see funds that could be spent developing their country channeled to Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, last week, the Students Committee of Iran said that it intended to hold 1-million strong demonstrations on February 5 and 11, days that mark the end of Ashura and the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, respectively.
The hangings were not just a human rights violation and an offense to the decency of civilized societies; the shadow of the scaffold has fallen across all the nations across the region who have ties to the Islamic Republic and who remain silent.