LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
05/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Genesis 18:14/Is anything too
hard for the Lord?
Today's Inspiring Thought: God is All-Powerful
Change is difficult. You may recognize a shortcoming in your character and want
to overcome it, but so far you've failed. We get discouraged trying to improve
on our own, but when we go to God for help, we have the greatest power in
existence on our side. God wants to mold you into the character of his Son,
Jesus Christ. You may see that as an impossible job, but God can transform you.
If you cooperate, he can make you kinder, wiser, more patient, and more loving.
Let God take over and see what happens.
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Lebanon: Face to Face with the
Lebanese Crisis/By Tariq Alhomayed/August
04/10
Saving Lebanon/By: Omayma
Abdel-Latif/August
04/10
Britain's New Export: Islamist
Carnage/by Daniel Pipes/August
04/10
Lebanon's tribunal in the
crossfireOmayma/By: Abdel-Latif in Beirut/August
04/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 04/10
UNIFIL: Tree in Deadly Border
Clash is Inside Israeli Territory/Naharnet
Retired Army Col. Fayez Karam
Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for Israel/Naharnet
Barak Hopes to Have Calm Summer:
Border Shooting Not Ordered by Beirut/Naharnet
Lebanese Army: We Will Hit Back
at Any New Israeli Aggression/Naharnet
Maronite Bishops Sorry for
Lebanese Army Victims/Naharnet
Canada Warns Against
Non-essential Travel to Lebanon/Naharnet
Was Tuesday's Border Clash Aimed
to Divert Attention from Hariri Probe?/Naharnet
IDF: Lebanon has much to lose/Ynetnews/Naharnet
Oghassabian in Damascus Thursday
to Follow up Decisions Reached During Hariri Visit/Naharnet
Security Council calls for ‘utmost
restraint’ at border/Daily Star
Lebanese, Israeli troops clash
along Blue Line/Daily Star
'IDF soldiers did not cross
border'/ JPOST.
Lethal clash: Senior IDF commander
killed in border skirmish/Ynetnews
UNIFIL says IDF activity did not
warrant Lebanese fire/Ynetnews
Beirut urges world community to
move against Israeli violations/Daily Star
Lebanese Journalist Abu Rahhal
slain while reporting on clashes/Daily Star
Nasrallah accuses Israel of killing
Hariri, vows to reveal proof next week/Daily Star
4 killed as Israel, Lebanon clash/Los Angeles
Times
Clash at Israeli-Lebanon Border Turns Lethal/New
York Times
Barak to Lebanon: We won't tolerate attacks on
soldiers/Ynetnews
Israel-Lebanon clash: Could it spark another
war?/Christian Science Monitor
Nabil Qaouq, Top Hizbullah Official in South
Lebanon: The Resistance Is Using/Middle East Media Research Institute
Sharp words from Lebanese leaders,
Syria/Jerusalem Post
US official: Nuclear inspection in Syria
possible/AP
IRAN: Media declare Hezbollah victory after
Abdullah, Assad visit Lebanon/Los Angeles Times (blog)
Assad vows to stand by Lebanon, provide support/Ynetnews
TIMELINE-Lebanese-Israeli violence since
2000/Reuters
U.S. Freezes
Iranian Assets/Wall Street Journal
Hezbollah accuses Israel of Hariri murder/AFP
News Analysis: Clashes bring
huge tense along Israel-Lebanon border/Xinhua
Pictures of the Day: Lebanon and
Elsewhere/New York Times (blog)
Lebanon denounces claim it provoked
deadly clash in north/Haaretz
Jordan has proof Aqaba
rocket was fired from Egypt – top official/AFP
White House rebuffs Iran leader’s
call for direct talks/AFP
March 14 Sources: Nasrallah Has
No Right to Open Private Probe into Hariri Murder/Naharnet
Israel Will Reportedly Urge
U.S., France to Stop Lebanon Military Assistance/Naharnet
Canada Warns Against Non-essential Travel to Lebanon
Naharnet/Canada has warned its nationals to avoid non-essential travel to
Lebanon following a deadly exchange of fire between Lebanese and Israeli troops
along the two countries' common border. Without mentioning the clash, which left
four dead, the foreign ministry warned Tuesday that the situation in Lebanon
"remains fragile.""Heightened tensions throughout the region, together with
increased threats globally from terrorism, put Canadians at greater risk," it
said. It advised Canadians not to travel south of the Litani River, particularly
to areas near the border with Israel, because "tensions remain high" despite a
cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah in August 2006. Canadians
also were urged to avoid certain areas of the northern port city of Tripoli
"prone to intercommunity violence" and Palestinian refugee camps "as the
security situation in these areas remains very tense." It told Canadians to
expect their government's aid in leaving the country only "as a last resort," if
commercial travel options have been exhausted. "Situations vary from one
location to another, and there may be constraints on government resources, which
can limit the ability of the government of Canada to provide assistance,
particularly in countries or regions where the potential for violent conflict or
political instability are high," it said. Ottawa had to evacuate 15,000
Canadians from Lebanon in 2006 when war broke out between Israel and Hizbullah.
More than 165,000 Canadians are of Lebanese origin, according to Canada's 2006
census.(AFP) Beirut, 04 Aug 10, 08:55
Maronite Bishops Sorry for Lebanese Army Victims
Naharnet/Maronite Bishops on Wednesday condemned the Israeli "aggression" along
the border and said they were sorry for Lebanese army victims who fell in deadly
clashes with Israeli troops along the border. Two Lebanese army soldiers and a
Lebanese journalist were killed in Tuesday's gunbattle between Israeli and
Lebanese troops along the border town of Adaisseh.
A senior Israeli army officer was also killed in the fierce exchange of machine
gun fire, RPGs and artillery. A statement following the Council of Maronite
Bishops' monthly meeting described as "heroic martyrs" the soldiers who died in
the battleground. The Bishops called on all Lebanese to put their differences
aside and "focus on what brings them closer together because the country's
stability is based on their closeness." Beirut, 04 Aug 10, 13:19
Lebanese Army: We Will Hit Back at Any New Israeli Aggression
Naharnet/Lebanon stands ready to retaliate in the event of any new "aggression,"
an army spokesman told AFP Wednesday following reports that Israeli troops are
redeploying along the border after deadly clashes. "The answer will be the same
in the event of any aggression along the border," the spokesman said. "Any
aggression against Lebanon will have serious consequences." He added that the
army was in contact with the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, after
Israel's army radio said that troops planned to try again to uproot a tree in a
disputed area on the border that sparked clashes on Tuesday that left four
people dead. "We have been told that they are going to try and uproot the tree
again today," he said.
Shortly after the Israeli announcement, an AFP correspondent witnessed Israeli
troops uprooting a tree along the border with Lebanon.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 04
Aug 10, 10:22
Barak Hopes to Have Calm Summer: Border Shooting Not Ordered by Beirut
Naharnet/Israeli Defense Minister on Wednesday called the deadly border skirmish
a Lebanese provocation but said it was a local incident not orchestrated by
Hizbullah or the top brass of the Lebanese army. "It was a very grave
provocation and we reacted in a measured, just and immediate manner," Ehud Barak
told Israeli public radio. But at the same time, he stressed that "Tuesday's
incident was not programmed by the chiefs of staff of the Lebanese army in
Beirut or by Hizbullah." The Israeli military establishment believes the
incident was orchestrated by a single, radical Lebanese army officer, who was
not acting on orders from higher-ups, according to defense correspondents. The
officer, upon hearing from U.N. forces that Israel planned to conduct
maintenance work along the border, invited media to the area to document the
incident, an unnamed Israeli military official told public radio. "One must act
in such a way that a local incident does not degenerate into a full-blown
crisis," Barak said. "I hope there will be no escalation, that we will have a
calm summer and that things will return to normal." On Tuesday, Barak warned
Lebanon against continued provocations. He called on the Lebanese government to
investigate who was responsible for the border clashes.Barak also urged UNIFIL
to "act with determination to prevent similar incidents," calling on the
international community to condemn the shooting.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 04 Aug
10, 12:30
UNIFIL: Tree in Deadly Border Clash is Inside Israeli Territory
Naharnet/UNIFIL military spokesperson Lt. Col. Naresh Bhatt said Wednesday that
the tree that was the core of a deadly gunbattle between the Israeli and
Lebanese armies is located inside Israeli territory. Bhatt said investigations
were still ongoing into Tuesday's border clashes. Lebanese and Israeli troops
exchanged fire Tuesday in a fierce battle that killed a senior Israeli officer,
two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist. A number of people on both sides also
was reported. The shooting started when Israel tried to cut down a tree that
both sides claimed was in their territory. "UNIFIL has established that the
trees being cut by the Israeli army are located south of the Blue Line on the
Israeli side." Bhatt said in a statement.
The Israeli army has said it is continuing to uproot trees in the area. "In this
area the Lebanese government had some reservations concerning the Blue Line as
did the Israeli government at some other locations at the time the Blue Line was
identified in the year 2000 as the line of withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Lebanon," Bhatt said. He said Israel confirmed to the U.N. Secretary-General
that notwithstanding their reservations identifying the line was solely the
responsibility of the U.N. and that both Lebanon and Israel will respect the
line as identified. "The U.N. position is that the Blue Line must be respected
in its entirety by all parties," Bhatt stressed. He added that UNIFIL is in
contact with both sides to "keep the situation under control and to ensure that
there is no violation of the Blue Line in this area." Beirut, 04 Aug 10, 11:10
Retired Army Col. Fayez Karam Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for Israel
Naharnet/The Police Intelligence Bureau arrested on Wednesday Retired Col. Fayez
Karam, a senior member of the Free Patriotic Movement, on suspicion of spying
for Israel.
Karam, 62, graduated from the military school in 1972 as lieutenant. He held
several leadership positions in the army, including head of the counter-terror
and spying bureau.
He remained in his post until the Israeli invasion of the defense ministry and
his imprisonment in Mazze for five months. Karam quit the military after FPM
leader Michel Aoun went into exile in France. He returned with Aoun to Lebanon
in 2005 when Syria withdrew its troops after a 29-year hegemony. More than 70
people have been arrested on suspicion of spying for the Israeli Mossad since
April 2009, when the government launched a nationwide crackdown on alleged
rings.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 04 Aug 10, 12:17
Ex-Minister
Elias Khazen Dies at the Age of 83
Naharnet/Former lawmaker and Minister Elias Khazen died on Wednesday. He was 83.
The National News Agency said Khazen passed away at 4:00 am at Saint George
Hospital in the town of Ajaltoun. The funeral procession will take place at 4:00
pm at Saint Zakhia church in Ajaltoun. Khazen will later be buried at the family
cemetery in Sayyidet Ajaltoun church. Beirut, 04 Aug 10, 13:04
Was Tuesday's Border Clash Aimed to Divert Attention from Hariri Probe?
Naharnet/Diplomatic officials in Israel said it was too early to determine
whether Tuesday's incident, which Israeli government officials said was a
"deliberate ambush," was aimed at diverting attention from the Hariri probe, or
was merely a local incident.The Jerusalem Post said Israel has contacted
countries that have representatives in UNIFIL, telling them that the exchange of
gun fire was a deliberate ambush on Israeli forces inside Israel's sovereign
territory. It said Israel, according to the diplomatic officials, was also
telling these countries that weaponry the international community provided the
Lebanese army in the hope it would be used against terrorists, was instead being
used against Israel. Israel army's Tuesday activity in the area of the attack
near Kibbutz Misgav Am – an area that Jerusalem stressed was between Israel's
border fence and the international border – had been coordinated with UNIFIL in
advance, The Jerusalem Post said. It said Israeli officials believe there were
three areas on the border where for topographical reasons, the fence could not
be built on the border, only west or south of it – but all in Israeli territory.
Beirut, 04 Aug 10, 07:32
Security Council calls
for ‘utmost restraint’ at border
Compiled by Daily Star staff /Wednesday, August 04, 2010
The UN Security Council has expressed “deep concern” and urged all parties to
show “the utmost restraint” in an emergency session held Tuesday to discuss the
clashes between Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israeli army. Council
members also called on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to
complete its investigation into the causes behind the incident which left two
Lebanese soldiers, a journalist, and an Israeli officer, dead. All parties
should “observe the cessation of hostilities and prevent any further
escalation,” Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said in a joint statement issued
on behalf of the council. Lebanon is currently serving as a temporary member on
the 15-nation body. The call for calm has been mirrored by the international
community which has come out in force to denounce any further escalation.
In a separate statement, US State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley, urged
Israel and Lebanon to exercise “maximum restraint to avoid an escalation and
maintain the ceasefire that is now in place.” “The US is extremely concerned
about the violence,” he told Reuters. The European Union foreign policy chief
Catherine Ashton expressed “serious concern” and called for immediate steps to
be taken to prevent further violence as well as a quick conclusion of the UNIFIL
probe into the incident which first erupted around midday local time. EU member
Germany has said it is “troubled” by the deadly flare-up, with Foreign Minister
Guido Westerwelle calling for an escalation of the situation to be “avoided at
all costs.”
Premier Saad Hariri, who is currently vacationing in Sardinia, is reported to
have placed a personal call to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier in
the day calling on him to denounce what he labeled a “Israeli aggressive
practices against Lebanon and its army.” France, which currently contributes
some 2,000 troops to the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, in turn asked both Israel
and Lebanon to show “responsibility” and respect for the UN-demarcated border
between the two countries.
“I invite the parties to show a sense of responsibility and full respect for the
Blue Line, in accordance with (UN) Security Council Resolution 1701,” Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a statement. France “is waiting for the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to shed light on this incident so that
responsibility can be determined and appropriate measures taken,” he said.
Hariri also spoke to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian Embassy
in Beirut later issued a statement calling for the international community to
put pressure on Israel to abstain from further military interventions in
southern Lebanon, the Lebanese National News Agency reported. Jordanian Prime
Minister Samir Rifai said that the kingdom was “deeply concerned” and “rejects
any aggression against Lebanon.” “[Prime Minister Samir] Rifai and Hariri
stressed the need to avert more conflicts in the region that would obstruct
peace efforts,” the state-run Petra news agency reported. “The kingdom supports
Lebanon in its efforts to defend its sovereignty against Israel’s aggression.”
In a phone call made to President Michael Sleiman, Syrian President Bashar Assad
pledged solidarity with the Lebanese people, stressing “Syria’s support for
Lebanon against the heinous aggression launched by Israel on Lebanon,” state
news agency SANA reported. “President Assad considers that this aggression
proves once more that Israel has always been seeking to destabilize security and
stability in Lebanon and the region,” SANA said. Iran denounced the “hysterical
assault” by Israel which has raised an existing concern of “a new adventure” by
the regime.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the Zionist regime’s incursion
in the southern regions of Lebanon which resulted in the martyrdom of a handful
of children of the Lebanese Army,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in a
statement carried by state news agency IRNA. – Agencies
'IDF
soldiers did not cross border'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
08/03/2010 19:42
Netanyahu, Barak issue strong reactions to events. The IDF released an aerial
photograph Tuesday night, showing that the IDF soldiers involved in deadly
clashes with Lebanese forces on Tuesday were standing in Israeli territory when
they were fired upon, and did not cross the Lebanese border. This information
was also reportedly confirmed by a UNIFIL representative.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded
Tuesday to news of the fatal northern border clashes in which an IDF soldier and
4 Lebanese were killed.
"I hold the Lebanese government directly responsible for this provocation,"
Netanyahu said. He added that Israel would continue to respond with force to any
further attempts to violate the ceasefire and disturb the lives of residents of
the north and the IDF troops who protect them. Defense Minister Ehud Barak
issued a warning to the Lebanese government, saying that Israel would not
tolerate any attacks on citizens or soldiers on its "sovereign territory", and
called on the international community to condemn the "criminal acts of the
Lebanese army.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman instructed Israel's UN representative to
submit a complaint to the UN Secretary General and Security Council, citing a
violation of UN Resolution 1701. The complaint was made on the basis that
Lebanese forces had opened fire despite the fact that the IDF had given prior
warning to UNIFIL of their intention to cross the fence in order to cut down a
tree, still within Israeli territory, since the fence does not always exactly
parallel the border. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, GOC
Northern Command Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot called the incident a "deliberate
ambush." Reactions to the day's events also emerged from Lebanese and Syrian
leaders, with Syrian President Bashar Assad saying that Syria would stand behind
Lebanon and provide any necessary support.
'Lebanon will respond to every agression'
AFP reported Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council Secretary General Saeed Eid as
saying:
"Following consultations, the council ordered the country to respond to every
aggression against our land, our military, or our civilians with all the means
at our disposal."
According to Reuters, a US State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that
the United States was in touch with both Israeli and Lebanese governments, and
is "extremely concerned" about violence on the border, urging both sides to
exercise "maximum restraint."Earlier in the day, Kiryat Shmona Mayor Nissim
Malcha told Channel 10 that there is no need for northern residents to enter
bomb shelters. "I have alerted all security forces to be ready for any
situation," he said. "I hope that this is an isolated incident."
Also speaking after the incident, Northern District Commander Maj. Gen. Shlomo
Koron confirmed that no Katushya rockets fell in the area. Upper Galilee
Regional Council Head Aharon Valenzia called on the large number of people
enjoying vacations and day trips in the north to continue what they are doing
without fear. Valenzia said that because of the exchange of fire on the northern
border his office was in contact with IDF officials in order to provide a
response to any possible scenario.
UNIFIL says IDF activity did not warrant Lebanese fire
Israeli army says UNIFIL forces touring site of Tuesday's deadly border skirmish
determined that Lebanese soldiers had no reason to open fire on troops
performing routine activity. 'Enemy following our every step,' officer says
Hanan Greenberg Latest Update: 08.04.10, 00:40 / Israel News
UNIFIL forces who toured the site of Tuesday's deadly exchanges of fire on the
northern border said the IDF's activity did not warrant the attack launched by
Lebanese Army soldiers, Israeli army officials who spoke to UNIFIL
representatives said.
According to the IDF, soldiers were performing routine operations in a
border-area enclave within Israeli territory when they were ambushed by Lebanese
troops.
Politicians React
Barak to Lebanon: We won't tolerate provocations / Roni Sofer
Defense minister warns Lebanese government following deadly border skirmish
During the incident, which took place mid-day Tuesday, Lebanese soldiers
ambushed an Israeli Engineering Corps force operating on the Israeli side of the
border. The Israeli soldiers were clearing bushes along the border fence.
According to the army, such activity has become routine since the conclusion of
the Second Lebanon War.
Lieutenant Colonel Dov Harari, 45, who commanded the IDF force, was killed in
the skirmish, and 30-year-old reservist Captain Ezra Lakia was seriously
injured. Two Lebanese soldiers and a local reporter were also killed. Israeli
army officials believe the Lebanese force was operating under a company
commander whose decision to open fire on the IDF troops was supported by
higher-ranking Lebanese officers. The Lebanese Army claimed it had opened fire
on Israeli soldiers who infiltrated Lebanese territory. The IDF retaliated with
artillery and tank fire, and the Air Force attacked Lebanese Army positions in
the village of al-Taibeh. A senior IDF officer called the border incident a
"painful and significant milestone in the fragile relations along the northern
border between the IDF, UNIFIL and the Lebanese army." The army estimates that
the Lebanese officer in charge of the attack was an extremist.
Another officer said, "We do not have the luxury of suspending our activity
(along the border). There is an enemy here who is following our every step. If
you don’t act – someone acts against you."First Published: 08.03.10, 22:05
Lethal clash: Senior IDF commander killed in border skirmish
IDF Lieutenant Colonel Dov Harari killed in border skirmish with Lebanese army
Tuesday; another commander seriously wounded. Troops stepped into planned
ambush, army says
Hanan Greenberg Latest Update: 08.03.10, 18:28 / Israel News
IDF Lieutenant Colonel Dov Harari, 45, was killed in the border skirmish with
the Lebanese army Tuesday.
Harari was an IDF reservist who served as a battalion commander in the sector
where the clash took place. Another Israeli commander sustained serious wounds
in the skirmish, the army said. According to earlier reports, two Lebanese
soldiers and a Lebanese journalist died in the border clash.
The incident took place midday Tuesday while IDF troops were operating in a
border-area enclave in Israeli territory. The Lebanese army charged that Israeli
soldiers crossed into Lebanon and said it opened fire at the troops. IDF forces
responded shortly thereafter with artillery and tank fire.
'Lebanese provocation'
'Speaking at a press briefing, Major General Gadi Eisenkot said Israeli troops
encountered a "planned ambush" by Lebanese forces.
"It was a planned ambush by a sniper unit…this was a provocation by the Lebanese
army," he said. "We view this fire was a highly grave incident. Our forces
responded at once, and immediately after that we resorted to artillery and
gunship fire."
The wounded Israeli soldier is 30-year-old reservist Captain Ezra Lakia, who was
evacuated by helicopter to Haifa's Rambam hospital. Emergency room director
Shlomi Israelit told Ynet that the soldier "suffered wounds to his chest area
and to his left arm."
"Apparently, he suffered shrapnel wounds from yet to be determined arms," he
said."
According to Dr. Israelit, the wounded soldier was conscious when he arrived at
the hospital and even spoke to his relatives on the phone. However, a CT scan
showed that the damage he suffered was worse than expected, as the shrapnel
damaged internal organs.
Hospital officials said the soldier was taken to the operation room in serious
condition.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ilan Dikstein, deputy commander of Brigade 769, supervised
over the IDF soldier's activity from Mitzpe Idan, near Kibbutz Misgav Am.
"Suddenly we heard a sound, and it was clear that it came from the Lebanese side
of the border – accurate fire. The company commander (Lakia) was the first one
hit; the battalion commander (Harari) leaned over to see what had happened and
was hit by a bullet," Dikstein said.
"(The attack) caught us by surprise," he added.
IDF gunships strike Lebanon targets
The exchange of fire on the northern border started as IDF forces were engaging
in routine operations in a border-area enclave in Israeli territory. The troops
were focusing on clearing bushes along the border fence. The IDF says the
operation was undertaken in coordination with the Lebanese army. However, al-Jazeera's
correspondent in Beirut Ghassan Bin Jido said the Lebanon army rejected the
IDF's request to operate in the area two days earlier.
Around 10:30 am Tuesday, an IDF force comprising 10-15 soldiers approached the
Lebanon border fence, where it encountered Lebanese soldiers who ordered the
Israeli troops to turn back. Several minutes later, Lebanese troops opened fire
at the IDF force, which immediately responded by firing back. Two Lebanese
soldiers and a local journalist were apparently killed at that point. The IDF
later directed artillery fire at Lebanon Army outposts and also dispatched
gunships to strike the posts, which hold a dominating position and could have
risked the Israeli troops on the ground. The Air Force also struck a Lebanese
army headquarters in a nearby village. Several Lebanese military vehicles were
destroyed in the strike. IDF soldiers also spotted an RPG rocket fired at an IDF
tank and missing its target. **Hagai Einav contributed to the story
Lebanon: Face to Face with the Lebanese Crisis
03/08/2010
By Tariq Alhomayed/Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat
Our airplane arrived at Beirut airport prior to the arrival of the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosque's private plane, and as soon as we landed we immediately
travelled to [Baabda] palace which is located far from the airport. As soon as
we entered the special hall in the palace which was allocated for receiving
guests, we found ourselves face to face with the faces of the Lebanese political
crisis. Everybody was present in the hall and awaiting the arrival of the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Syrian President, and their host the
Lebanese Prime Minister, with the exception of [Lebanese Forces leader] Samir
Geagea, [Hezbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah, and [Phalange party leader] Amine
Gemayel; as only Lebanese members of parliament and former prime ministers were
invited to attend, sparking a major controversy in Lebanon.
This is my first visit to Lebanon since the assassination of Rafik Hariri. This
is also the first time that I met with certain Lebanese political figures, even
if I had had some limited contact with some of these figures over the phone.
This was also an opportunity to meet with well-respected and appreciated
Lebanese political figures, and of course there was also meetings and handshakes
with parties that are considered to be hugely politically divergent, including
[meetings] with some members of Hezbollah.
I wish that there was a camera that could broadcast live on air the meetings
that took place on the sidelines and what was said there, and how many Lebanese
politicians meet and joke with one another, and then easily and generously hit
one another below the belt. For as you shake one Lebanese politician's hands, he
introduces you to another Lebanese politician; you then find these two
politicians arguing with one another, even if they are on the same side, or
members of the same political trend! You would also hear a well-known Lebanese
figure asking the Iranian ambassador [to Lebanon] – and this is something that I
heard with my own ears – "Have you seen so-and-so? What do you think about him?"
The Iranian ambassador looked at one of the Lebanese politicians and laughed,
saying "it seems that you haven't visited Lebanon for a while!" I wish that I
could say everything that I know and hear, however council has its privacy, and
a situation is governed by its provisions.
In the hall, I said to one of my friends, imagine how relieved Lebanon and the
Lebanese people would be if they locked all of these Lebanese politicians in
this hall, and then transferred them by airplane to a land faraway? He replied
without thinking or even meeting my eyes "similar politicians will emerge to
take their place within the month" whilst smiling and extending his hand to
shake the hand of one of his own [political] rivals, before hugging him.
In summary, what I heard and sensed from everybody in Lebanon, regardless of
their sect or political background, is that the country is under threat, and the
future might be even worse than the past. Even the most optimistic politicians
were concerned about what would happen in the coming days, and how could they
not when Hezbollah official for southern Lebanon, Nabil Farouk, issued a
statement saying "the resistance considers any accusation of its leadership or
cadres to represent a form of aggression against it, more serious than the 5 May
2008 decision [calling for Hezbollah to dismantle its communication network].
Hezbollah is committed to defending its achievements and the good name of its
fighters to the last and until the end." Farouk's statement, of course, means to
remind the Lebanese that they will be facing the same fate as the 7 May 2008
Hezbollah armed coup of Beirut. This is something that would be expected in the
event of the [Hariri tribunal] issuing the expected decision accusing Hezbollah
of being responsible for Rafik Hariri's assassination.
We said goodbye to Beirut, saying: God help Lebanon and its people, they are
facing a long night!
Lebanese, Israeli troops clash along Blue
Line
Two LAF soldiers, journalist killed in fiercest exchanges since 2006 summer war
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist were killed on Tuesday as the
Army and Israel exchanged fire in the fiercest clashes between the two countries
since the 2006 war.
Fighting broke out near the village of Adaysseh, close to the Blue Line, after
an Israeli Army patrol attempted to cut down a tree in Lebanese territory,
prompting fire from nearby Lebanese Army positions. Israel responded with rocket
salvos aimed at an armored patrol vehicle inside the village, killing two
Lebanese troops Abdullah Tufeili and Robert al-Ashi.
The Israeli Army confirmed that one officer – identified as Lieutenant Colonel
Dov Harari – was killed and two troops seriously wounded during in the clash.
Assaf Abu Rahhal, who wrote for Al-Akbar newspaper, was identified as the
reporter who was killed. Five other people were also wounded in the bombardment.
Witnesses said Israeli artillery also fired at the village. “It started when the
Israelis wanted to cut down a tree inside Lebanon. The Lebanese Army fired
warning shots at them and they responded by shelling,” said a Lebanese security
source.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which had patrols in the
vicinity, called on both sides to exercise “maximum restraint” in order to
contain the situation.
“UNIFIL has been focused on restoring calm in the area through intensive
contacts with both the parties,” spokesperson Neeraj Singh told The Daily Star.
He added that Acting Force Commander Brigadier General Santi Bonfanti flew
personally to the clash site in a bid to restore calm. Several hours after the
artillery battle, relative quiet had returned to Adaysseh. It was the first case
of casualties sustained by both sides since the end of the Israel’s 2006 war
against Lebanon which killed more than 1,200 Lebanese – mostly civilians – and
160 Israelis – mostly soldiers. Hizbullah was not involved in Tuesday’s
fighting.
President Michel Sleiman convened an emergency session at Baabda Palace of the
Higher Defense Council, which gave orders to the Lebanese Army to counter any
Israeli attack. Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji briefed council members on
the reasons behind the incident and concluded that Israel was responsible “for
all [resulting] damage.”
“After consultations, the council has … given instructions to face all
aggressions on our territory, army and people by all available means and no
matter the sacrifices,” General Said Eid said after the meeting. Prime Minister
Saad Hariri, who is on holiday in Sardinia, spoke by telephone with several
domestic and international officials regarding the clash, including French
President Nicholas Sarkozy, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arab League
Secretary General Amr Moussa. The “violation of Lebanese sovereignty demands
that the United Nations and the international community bear their
responsibilities and pressure Israel to stop its aggression,” a release from
Hariri’s office read.
In addition, Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami convened a meeting with the UN
Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams and ambassadors from the five
permanent Security Council members. The Security Council met in New York to
discuss the clash, stating it was “deeply concerned” about developments. Israeli
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tel Aviv would hold the Lebanese
government culpable for the death of its soldier. “Israel views the Lebanese
government as responsible for this serious incident and is warning of the
ramifications if the violations continue,” the ministry said in a statement. But
a spokesman for Israel’s army said Tuesday’s altercation was a one-off
occurrence.
“I believe this is a one-time event. We received requests and demands from the
highest ranks in the Lebanese Army to cease fire,” Major General Gadi Eisenkot,
head of the Israeli military’s northern command, told reporters at a base near
the Blue Line.
Damascus strongly rebuked Israel for what it termed “heinous aggression” in
Adaysseh.
Syrian President Bashar Assad telephoned Sleiman to express solidarity with
Lebanon in the face of Israeli threats. “Assad considered that this aggression
proves once more that Israel has always been seeking to destabilize security and
stability in Lebanon and the region,” the state-run SANA news agency reported.
Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech to
supporters in south Beirut and warned that the party was poised to assist the
army against Israel.
“The Resistance will cut the hand of anyone who dares attack the Lebanese Army,”
Nasrallah said.
The exact circumstances leading up to the outbreak of gun and artillery fire
were unknown Tuesday night. The Lebanese Army General Command issued a statement
which alleged Israeli troops had crossed into south Lebanon.
“An Israeli enemy patrol crossed on Tuesday the Blue Line at the
Lebanese-Palestinian borders surrounding Adaysseh town,” the statement said.
“The enemy’s patrol, however, went forward despite the UNIFIL’s intervention to
stop it.
“Hence, the Lebanese Army confronted the enemy’s forces with weapons and
rocket-propelled grenades.”
The press office of the Israeli Army said that its patrol “was in Israeli
territory, carrying out routine maintenance and was pre-coordinated with UNIFIL.”
“The [tree-cutting] incident occurred west of the internationally recognized
Blue Line and east of the security fence, thus lying in Israeli territory,” it
added.
Singh told The Daily Star that UNIFIL was unaware of any coordination between
Israel and its peacekeeping contingent, but stressed an investigation was
ongoing.
“This is something that of course needs to be investigated, and we have to have
all the facts. We can only talk about our position without additional details,”
he said.
The original altercation took place in a location where the Blue Line – the
UN-demarcated line of Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon – separates from
a specially constructed Israeli technical fence. The discrepancy has drawn
controversy in the past, with the Lebanese Army claiming Israel breached its
sovereignty while the UN and Israel claim only the fence had been crossed.
Potentially crucial is the fact that a Beirut correspondent for Al-Jazeera
reported that the Lebanese Army on Sunday rejected a request from Israel to
carry out the tree cutting.
Several NGOs operating in south Lebanon were evacuated from close to the Blue
Line and will not work tomorrow. A source at one international organization,
speaking anonymously, told The Daily Star that the situation in the south was
deteriorating.
“[Israeli soldiers] are targeting journalists. No one here knows what will
happen,” the source said during the bombardment. – With agencies
Beirut urges world community to move against Israeli violations
Lebanon ready to face aggression ‘by all available means’
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Top Lebanese officials urged the international community to take action
against Israeli violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
after a cross-border skirmish killed three Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli
officer Tuesday. In the fiercest clashes since the summer war of 2006, Lebanese
and Israeli troops exchanged fire after Israeli soldiers attempted to uproot a
tree on the Lebanese side of the fenced border, Lebanese officials reported.
President Michel Sleiman said that “the Israeli aggression should be addressed
by the United Nations and those keen on preserving Resolution 1701 and its
implementation.” Later Tuesday, the Security Council expressed “deep concern”
about the clashes and urged parties to show “utmost restraint … observe the
cessation of hostilities and prevent any further escalation.”
Prior to the Security Council meeting, Sleiman stressed during a meeting of the
Higher Defense Council at Baabda Palace the need to challenge any Israeli
attempts at aggression regardless of the cost and follow up on the issue with
concerned diplomatic and international parties. The Council stressed that
Lebanon was ready to face Israeli aggression by all available means.
For his part, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is on a family vacation in
Sardinia, undertook a series of diplomatic contacts aimed to restore calm on the
border and pressure Israel into complying with Resolution 1701. During phone
conversations with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak, Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit, Jordanian Prime Minister Samir
Rifai and UNIFIL officials, Hariri urged international players to pressure
Israel to halt its violations and condemn its violations of Lebanese
sovereignty.
“Prime Minister Saad Hariri demanded that the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations assume their responsibilities and
pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully implement Resolution 1701,”
said a statement from the premier’s press office. Hariri also contacted Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu and received a call from Arab League Secretary
General Amr Moussa while Syrian President Bashar Assad, during a phone
conversation with Sleiman, stressed Damascus’ support for Lebanon against
Israeli aggression. Assad said the aggression proved that “Israel always seeks
to destabilize security and stability in Lebanon and the region.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri saw in the “Israeli aggression a clear message
against Arab efforts by Syria and Saudi Arabia to guarantee stability in
Lebanon.”
The Syrian president and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz made an
unprecedented visit to Beirut on Friday in a bid to ease tensions after
Hizbullah’s condemnation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as an Israeli
project prompted fears of renewed sectarian tensions in the country.
Tuesday’s fighting followed the Israeli Security Cabinet meeting Monday during
which Israeli officials discussed the prospects of an upcoming war on the
Lebanese, Syrian and Gaza fronts in anticipation of tensions on the Lebanese
domestic scene to be provoked by Hizbullah, Israeli media reported.
Hizbullah was not involved in Tuesday’s clashes but party officials said as
fighting was ongoing that the resistance would engage alongside the army if
Israel did not cease fire.
Meanwhile, Lebanese political parties rallied in support of the Lebanese Army’s
role in defending Lebanese borders.
The Future Movement said Israel would fail to spread fear among the Lebanese
Army ranks in south Lebanon.
“The Lebanese Army will continue to be the protector as well as the first and
last defender of the state’s soil,” a statement by the Future Movement’s press
office said.
The statement also called on the Arab and international community to act
immediately to halt Israeli aggressions.
“The international community should be aware that if the Israeli attack on the
Lebanese Army is met with silence, [it would indicate] the approval of Israel’s
goal to abolish Resolution 1701,” the statement added. Similarly, the Lebanese
Forces (LF) called in a statement on all Lebanese factions to stand united in
support of the army.
Echoing the LF, Labor Minister Butros Harb praised the army’s resistance against
Israel and called on the Lebanese to stand united in their support of the army
“to enable it to assume its national duty in defending Lebanon’s sovereignty and
dignity.” Meanwhile, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Progressive
Socialist Party (PSP) seized the opportunity to stress the resistance’s role
along with the Lebanese Army and people to stand against Israeli aggression. FPM
leader MP Michel Aoun said that war and peace decisions were not made by any
Lebanese party but rather by Israel, while he stressed that diplomacy alone
would not help preserve the country. “Under the current circumstances, it is the
Lebanese Army’s role to guard the border and the resistance’s role starts when
the Israelis enter the country,” Aoun added. PSP leader MP Walid Jumblatt said
that all domestic stances in favor of neutrality were no longer valid since
Israel never awaited a pretext to attack Lebanon. “Theories of neutrality that
certain domestic voices called for are useless and the logic behind demands to
refrain from giving Israel any pretext to attack Lebanon fell after Israel’s
provocations,” Jumblatt added.
Journalist Abu Rahhal slain while reporting on clashes
By Mohammed Zaatari and Agence France Presse (AFP)
Daily Star staff/Wednesday, August 04, 2010
ADAYSSEH: Lebanese journalist Assaf Abu Rahhal was killed in clashes Tuesday
between the Lebanese and Israeli armies. Abu Rahhal died instantly after Israel
shelled the southern border village of Adaysseh. Abu Rahhal, 55, worked for the
Arabic-language Al-Akhbar daily and was reporting on the clashes from the
southern Lebanese town of Adaysseh.
The journalist hailed from the village of Kfeir in the southern province of
Hasbaya and had three children – Nisrine, Mazen and Geryes. “It is totally
unacceptable that a civilian, a dedicated journalist, husband and father, be
targeted and killed while the international community and UN troops [in south
Lebanon] stand by idly,” Omar Nashabe, Law page editor and columnist at Al-Akhbar
told AFP. Before joining Al-Akhbar, Abu Rahhal worked as the Hasbaya
correspondent for the Arabic-language daily Al-Mustaqbal. The slain journalist
also contributed articles to the Shu’un Janoubiah magazine. Ali Shaib, a
correspondent with the Hizbullah-run Al-Manar television, was also wounded in
the fighting and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Shaib is known to
be Al-Manar’s war correspondent; he covered the 2000 withdrawal of Israeli
troops from Lebanon and the 2006 summer war.
Clashes broke out at around noon between the Lebanese Israeli armies along the
tense border. The clashes were the worst since the 2006 summer war which killed
1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mainly soldiers. Speaker
Nabih Berri and Information Minister Tarek Mitri on Tuesday called the Abu
Rahhal family to pay their condolences.
“Lebanon lost an eminent media figure assassinated by Israel. Assaf Abu Rahal
was an active journalist, an eye witness of the Israeli incessant aggressions
and wars, a gifted and brave patriot,” Mitri said. Abu Rahhal will be laid to
rest Wednesday. Prayers will be held at the Saint George Roman Orthodox Church
in Kfeir at 3:00 pm.
Lebanon’s Syndicate of Photographers condemned the “savage” attack on
journalists carrying out their jobs. Media watchdog Maharat also condemned the
attacks on journalists and called for protecting journalists in accordance with
International Humanitarian Law and the 1949 Geneva Convention. – With AFP
Nasrallah accuses Israel of killing Hariri, vows to reveal proof next week
By The Daily Star /Wednesday, August 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday openly accused
Israel of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and said
he would unveil proof to that effect at a news conference next week. “I accuse
the Israeli enemy of the assassination of [Former] Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
and … I will prove this by unveiling sensitive information at a press conference
on Monday,” Nasrallah said in a speech transmitted via video link to thousands
of supporters massed in Hizbullah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Nasrallah’s pre-scheduled speech on Tuesday came hours after clashes between the
Lebanese Army and Israeli troops that killed two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese
journalist, and an Israeli commander.
The speech was initially intended to mark the four-year anniversary of the end
of Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon. The 34-day war ended on August 14 but Nasrallah
was speaking ahead of the anniversary date because of the start of the holy
fasting month of Ramadan next week. Commenting on the most serious clash on the
Lebanese-Israel border since the 2006 July war, Nasrallah said Hizbullah members
had been ordered not to react. But he warned that the resistance would not stand
neutral in any upcoming confrontation between the Lebanese Army and Israeli
troops. “We were ready to fight and defend … but the wisdom, interest and
loyalty meant that the resistance put itself at the disposal of the army which
was dealing with the confrontation,” Nasrallah said.
“We informed the [Lebanese] president that we will take no action and similarly
informed the prime minister and the speaker,” he added.
Nasrallah hailed the Lebanese Army’s courage despite its modest capabilities and
exposure to Israeli attacks. He also said Hizbullah was ready to engage in the
battle, adding that the party’s leadership was closely following up on the
ongoing clashes through contacts with its ground forces.
“I say honestly, that in any place where the Lebanese Army will be assaulted and
there is a presence for the resistance, the resistance will not stand silent, or
quiet or restrained,” Nasrallah said. “The Israeli hand that targets the
Lebanese Army will be cut off,” he added.
Tackling an issue that has become a subject of Lebanese domestic debate, he
stressed that the cooperation between Lebanon’s army, its resistance and people
protected the country against Israeli threats. “The army protects the resistance
and the resistance protects the army; this is the formula that protects
Lebanon,” Nasrallah said.
The Sayyed called on the Lebanese state to formulate a “liberation strategy” to
restore Lebanese sovereignty over occupied territories in Shebaa Farms and
Ghajar village.
“The experience of the army, the people and the resistance is the greatest
modern experience that led to historic victories,” he added.
Nasrallah also called on Lebanese security forces to continue cracking down on
spies for Israel as he stressed that Israel’s lack of intelligence would help
prevent an upcoming war on Lebanon. “Without information, Israel becomes a blind
elephant,” Nasrallah said. More than 70 suspects have been arrested since 2008
on charges of spying for Israel.
Nasrallah called on the Lebanese judiciary to hand down the death sentence
promptly to all spies. Nasrallah in July had revealed he was aware the UN-backed
tribunal probing the Hariri murder was likely to indict members of his party,
slamming the court an Israeli project. His statements sparked fears of an
outbreak of violence in already tense Lebanon and prompted a landmark summit in
Beirut last week between Syrian President Bashar Assad, Saudi King Abdullah and
Lebanese leaders in a bid to ease tensions. Nasrallah’s condemnation of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon were the subject of discussions by Israeli media
and Cabinet officials who claimed that Nasrallah’s stances could provoke
domestic strife in Lebanon and drive Israel to war on the Lebanese, Syrian and
Gaza fronts to protect its interests. Hariri and 22 others were killed in a
massive bombing on the Beirut seafront on February 14, 2005. The assassination
sparked an international outcry and was widely blamed on Damascus leading to the
withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence. Damascus has
consistently denied involvement. – Agencies, with The Daily Star
It’s time for unity, not war
By Jamil K. Mroue
Publisher and editor in chief
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
It does not lessen the gravity or grief of what happened on Tuesday on Lebanon’s
southern border to point out that Israeli aggression against south Lebanon is
hardly a novelty. The communities stretching from Kfar Kila through Naqoura have
borne the brunt of countless Israeli attacks since the 1950s. These villages
have been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times; of course, it was the
inhabitants who reconstructed their homes, because the Lebanese state was never
in evidence there.
On the other hand, it was a rare occasion for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to
stand up to the Israeli military. We do not mean this as any insult to the
troops, who have sacrificed greatly; the truth is that the central government
and political ruling class did not want the army to be a strong defender or even
play any significant role in the south. Their philosophy was that if Lebanon’s
military remained weak, Israel would not bother to wage war against it; in other
words, they believed that a weak Lebanon was a strong Lebanon.
This approach was proved wrong again and again. Aside from not deterring Israeli
assaults, it allowed for the strengthening of various Palestinian militias and
Hizbullah.
The situation today has changed. The LAF has deservedly earned the support of
all groups of Lebanese, even though we still lack the political and diplomatic
structures necessary for a truly strong army. Israel, meanwhile, has come to
take for granted that Lebanon is its whipping boy.
Israel should learn that, should it take on the LAF, it would be fighting an
entire nation, not Hizbullah. This reality should give pause to the large camp
in Israel itching for a battle in Lebanon; the Israeli military has a strategy
for Lebanon, but that is for now complicated by what it must do for its US
patron in the peace process with Palestine.
Many in Israel would love to wage a war against Lebanon, not just because of
Israel’s agenda here, but also to allow the last-ditch Palestinian hopes for
two-state solution to die out.
We do not know what Israel will do about Tuesday’s exchange of deadly fire;
Lebanon should react with an unmitigated display of political unity to dampen
the possibility for war.
At the same time, our leaders should move to spell out the dangers and potential
consequences of any confrontation. President Michel Sleiman, who has already
taken appropriate steps, would be wise to convene the National Dialogue, which
should express unanimous support for the LAF and for a diplomatic campaign
against a conflict.
**Jamil K. Mroue, Editor-in-Chief of THE DAILY STAR, can be reached at
jamil.mroue@dailystar.com.lb
Lebanese Christian Leader Takes on Hezbollah
By Erick Stakelbeck
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2010/August/Source-Hezbollah-Party-a-Threat-to-Lebanon/
CBN News Terrorism Analyst Tuesday, August 03, 2010
President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism advisor John Brennan created a
stir recently when he talked of building up the "more moderate elements" of the
terrorist group Hezbollah.
But in response to such an idea, one Christian member of Lebanon's Parliament
said, "Good luck with that.""Hezbollah is a very dangerous party because they
are trying to impose to Lebanon their policy and their vision of jihad and
martyrdom," said Nadim Gemayel, member of the Lebanon Parliament. "And this is
unacceptable."
Gemayel has called for Hezbollah to disarm. He told CBN News in an exclusive
interview that the Shiite terror militia has hijacked his country.
"It's abiding to the rules of the Iranian revolution," Gemayel said of the gorup.
"But moreover, I think that with the support, of course, of the Iranian arms and
the money and the financing of the Iranians and from the facilities that Syria
is providing to Hezbollah, we are having a party -- a military party -- growing
day after day and year after year -- especially after the war of 2006." In that
war, Israel heavily damaged Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Lebanon after the
group kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah has been able to regroup -- to the tune of some 60,000 rockets and
long range missiles. Israeli officials believe that those rockets and missiles
are aimed at their country from across the Lebanese border. Gemayel said
Hezbollah sponsors, Iran and Syria, are funneling the weapons into his country.
He told CBN News that most Lebanese are afraid of the terrorist group and its
Iranian influence in their country."Today, I think that most of the Lebanese, of
course, are afraid," Gemayel said. "And maybe some of them cannot say clearly
and openly what I am saying today: and that is Hezbollah is threatening them."
Speaking out like this can be deadly. Gemayel's father, former Lebanese
President Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated by Syrian operatives in 1982. His
cousin Pierre was also murdered in 2006. CBN News asked Gemayal that as a bold,
Christian voice in Lebanon, if he ever feared for his own safety.
"I think that this battle -- the battle of freedom, the battle of democracy, and
especially the battle of preserving the role and existence of the Christians in
Lebanon is very, very important." he responded. "And it's worth giving all that
I have in order to preserve the civilization and the culture and the role of
Christians in Lebanon."
TIMELINE-Lebanese-Israeli violence since 2000 03 Aug
2010
Source: Reuters
Aug 3 (Reuters) - Violence erupted along the Israel-Lebanon on Tuesday, ending
four years of tense calm.
Here is a timeline of violence between the two countries since Israel left
Lebanon in 2000.
May 24, 2000 - Israel ends 22-year occupation of south Lebanon. Israel had
controlled parts of south Lebanon with the help of militia proxies since its
1978 "Litani operation" invasion. Its occupation zone, about 15 km (nine miles)
deep, was carved out in 1985 after it pulled back from a line further north,
held since a 1982 invasion that reached Beirut. July 2006 - Israel strikes
Beirut airport and blockades Lebanese ports after Hezbollah fighters seized two
Israeli soldiers and killed eight.
-- Some 4,000 rockets fired by Hezbollah guerrillas strike Israeli targets as a
response.
-- At least 1,200 people in Lebanon and 158 Israelis are killed in the 34 days
of fighting that erupted after Hezbollah captured the two Israelis.
Aug. 14 - Fighting in south Lebanon stops after United Nations brokers
ceasefire.
Oct. 1 - Israel completes withdrawal from Lebanon, except for northern part of
divided village of Ghajar. Lebanese army and UNIFIL take control of south under
ceasefire deal.
Jan. 8, 2009 - At least three rockets fired from Lebanon explode in northern
Israel, wounding two people. The attack was seen as linked to Israel's offensive
in the Gaza Strip. The attack provokes a salvo of artillery shells into south
Lebanon from Israel in response.
Feb. 2009 - At least six artillery shells are fired from Israel and land in
southern Lebanon. They targeted an area where two rockets were fired towards
Israel, one of which struck northern Israel. Dec. 2009 - Lebanon's army says it
fired anti-aircraft rounds at four Israeli warplanes which flew at low altitude
over south Lebanon.
-- U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon say Israeli flights over the country violate
Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war between Israel and
Hezbollah guerrillas.
Aug. 2010 - Three Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and an Israeli
officer are killed after Israeli and Lebanese armies clash.
Lebanon Says Three Soldiers Killed in Clash with IDF
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu /Arutz Sheva
Lebanon said three of its soldiers and a journalist were killed in a rare clash
with IDF forces at the northern border around noon Tuesday. None of the Israeli
soldiers were injured.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it holds the Lebanese government responsible
for what it called a “grave incident” when the Lebanese army fired on the IDF
while its troops were patrolling within the Blue Line that the UN has marked out
as the international boundary. Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman has
instructed the Israeli diplomatic delegation to the United Nations to file a
protest with the UN Secretary General and the Security Council. In a statement
to media, he said that the IDF “was operating along the Lebanese border in
coordination with UNIFIL.” The Foreign Ministry added that and that the Lebanese
fire was a severe violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which
ended the 34-day-old Second Lebanon War four summers ago. Lebanon claimed that
the Israelis were operating in its territory and were trying to uproot a tree
that blocked a lookout on a Lebanese village. Lebanon also alleged its Lebanese
soldiers fired warning shots at the IDF, which allegedly responded with
rocket-propelled grenades and tank fire.\ Military spokesmen said that after the
Lebanese army fired on the soldiers, the IDF “immediately returned fire with
light arms and made use of artillery fire. Several minutes later an Israel Air
Force helicopter fired at the Lebanese army battalion command center, damaging
several LAF armored combat vehicles.”
Quiet has returned to the border, but Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri
condemned what he called “Israeli aggression.”
Britain's New Export: Islamist Carnage
by Daniel Pipes
National Review Online
August 3, 2010
http://www.meforum.org/pipes/8706/britain-export-islamist-terrorism
Britain's largest and longest-running terrorist investigation ended last month
with the conviction of three British Muslims. Their 2006 plot involved blowing
up trans-Atlantic airliners with the hope of killing up to 10,000 people. That
near-disaster offers a pungent reminder of the global danger poised by
U.K.-based radical Islam.
The Heritage Foundation calls British Islamism "a direct security threat" to the
United States and The New Republic dubs it "the biggest threat to U.S.
security." Officialdom agrees. The British home secretary compiled a dossier in
2003 that acknowledged his country offered a "significant base" for terrorism. A
CIA study in 2009 concluded that British-born nationals of Pakistani descent
(who can freely enter the United States under a visa waiver program) constitute
America's most likely source of terrorism.
Confirming, updating, and documenting these reports, London's Centre for Social
Cohesion, run by the formidable Douglas Murray, has just published a 535-page
opus, Islamist Terrorism: The British Connections, written by Robin Simcox,
Hannah Stuart, and Houriya Ahmed. It consists mainly of detailed biographical
information on two sorts of perpetrators of what it calls "Islamism related
offences" or IROs – that is to say, incidents where evidence points to Islamist
beliefs as the primary motivator.
One listing contains information on the 127 individuals convicted of IROs or
suicides in IROs within Britain; the other provides biographies on 88
individuals with connections to Britain who engaged in IROs elsewhere in the
world. The study covers eleven years 1999-2009.
Domestic British terrorists display a dismaying pattern of normality. They are
predominantly young (mean age: 26) and male (96 percent). Nearly half come from
a South Asian background. Of those whose educational backgrounds are known, most
attended university. Of those whose occupations are known, most have jobs or
study full time. Two-thirds of them are British nationals, two-thirds have no
links to proscribed terrorist organizations, and two-thirds never went abroad to
attend terrorist training camps.
Most IROs, in brief, are perpetrated by basically ordinary Muslims whose minds
have been seized by the coherent and powerful ideology of Islamism. One wishes
the terrorist's numbers were limited to psychopaths, for that would render the
problem less difficult to confront and eliminate.
Britain's Security Service estimates that over 2,000 individuals residing today
in Britain pose a terrorist threat, thereby implying not only that the "covenant
of security" that once partially protected the U.K. from attack by its own
Muslims is long defunct but that the United Kingdom may face the worst internal
terrorist menace of any Western country other than Israel.
As for the second group – Islamists with ties to Great Britain who engage in
attacks outside the country: the report's authors modestly state that because
their information constitutes a sampling, and not a comprehensive list, they do
not provide statistical analyses. But their sample indicates the phenomenon's
reach, so I compiled a list of countries (and the number of British-linked
perpetrators) in which British-linked IROs have occurred.
The centre's list includes Afghanistan (12), Algeria (3), Australia (1),
Azerbaijan (1), Belgium (2), Bosnia (4), Canada (1), France (7), Germany (3),
India (3), Iraq (3), Israel (2), Italy (4), Jordan (1), Lebanon (1), Morocco
(2), the Netherlands (1), Pakistan (5), Russia (4), Saudi Arabia (1), Somalia
(1), Spain (2), the United States (14), and Yemen (10). I add to the centre's
list Albania, where an attack took place before 1999, and Bangladesh and Kenya,
which seem to have been overlooked.
The two British suicide bombers who attacked a nightspot in Tel Aviv.
In all, 28 countries have come under assault from British-based Islamist
terrorists, giving some idea of their global menace. Other than India, the
target countries divide into two distinct types, Western and majority-Muslim. An
odd trio of the United States, Afghanistan, and Yemen have suffered the most
British-linked terrorists.
This documentation prompts several questions: One, how much longer will it take
for the British authorities to realize that their current policies – trying to
improve Muslims' material circumstances while appeasing Islamists – misses the
ideological imperative? Two, evidence thus far tends to point to IROs on balance
strengthening the Islamist cause in Great Britain; will this remain the pattern
even as violence persists or will IROs eventually incur a backlash?
Finally, what will it take in terms of destruction for non-U.K. governments to
focus their immigration procedures on that percentage or two of Britons from
whom the perpetrators exclusively derive – the Muslim population? Unpleasant as
this prospect is, it beats getting blown up.
**Mr. Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and Taube distinguished
visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University.
Jordan has proof Aqaba rocket was fired from Egypt – top
official
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
AMMAN: Jordan has proof a Grad-type rocket that struck its port city of Aqaba
killing a taxi driver and wounding five other people was fired from Egypt’s
Sinai Peninsula, a senior official told AFP on Tuesday.
“We can now say without hesitation that the Grad rocket was launched from
Sinai,” said the official close to the probe of Monday’s rocket attack, speaking
on condition of anonymity.
“We have strong suspicions about the identity of the group behind this attack,”
he added without elaborating.
The rocket that fell in a busy Aqaba street near a major hotel on Monday was one
of several apparently fired at the nearby Israeli tourist resort of Eilat, in an
attack condemned by Israel, Russia and the United States.
At least five blasts were heard, with one rocket exploding in open ground
outside Eilat, two crashing into the Red Sea and the rest hitting Jordan,
Israeli police said.
“The fact that Aqaba was not the target and that the rocket fell there by
mistake does not change the fact that it’s still a terrorist act, which killed
and wounded innocent people,” the senior Jordanian official said.
“This is the second such incident in three months and Jordan will not tolerate
that its territory becomes a target of rocket attacks,” he added.
An Egyptian intelligence official, however, has denied the attack was launched
from the Sinai Peninsula, a mountainous desert region that flanks the Gulf of
Aqaba. He said that police backed by 100 Bedouin trackers combed the area where
the rocket supposedly came from and said there was nothing.
He added that the region close to the border was also covered by surveillance
cameras which saw nothing.
“They [Jordanians and Israelis] said that the rocket was fired from the Pharaoh
hotel. We searched and we found nothing,” he said.
“If the rocket was fired from near the hotel, it is impossible to reach Eilat or
Aqaba because of the distance.
Rockets can’t fly 25 kilometers,” he said speaking on condition of anonymity.
Soviet-style Grad rockets of the type used by militants in Lebanon and Gaza,
however, are known to have ranges of at least 40 kilometers.
The official said he believed the rockets were fired from a mountain in Israel
by Palestinian militants.
Despite Egypt’s denials that the attack was launched from its territory, the
country launched a wide security sweep of the Sinai, an Egyptian security
official said on Tuesday.
“Following the Jordanian comments, Egypt has launched a wide security sweep of
the Sinai peninsula,” the Egyptian official said on condition of anonymity
because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
But he insisted “there are no organized groups operating in Sinai and security
on the peninsula is extremely tight. Any suspicious activity would have been
detected,” he said.
There has been no official reaction by the Egyptian government to the rocket
attacks.
Aqaba and Eilat are the neighboring Red Sea ports of Jordan and Israel, who
signed a peace agreement in October 1994 after decades of strained ties and
conflict.
The two ports are nestled in the Gulf of Aqaba, a narrow stretch of water
bordered on one side by Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the other by Saudi Arabia.
In August 2005, three Katyusha rockets were fired in Aqaba, missing two US
warships docked in the port.
One of the projectiles hit a warehouse, killing a Jordanian soldier, while
another landed across the border in Israel. – AFP, with AP
White House rebuffs Iran leader’s call for direct talks
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
WASHINGTON: The White House on Tuesday rebuffed a call from Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for face-to-face talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama,
saying Iran was not serious about discussing its nuclear program.
But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs held the door open to US-Iran talks as
the State Department saw signs that Tehran may now be seeking a dialogue with
Washington under the pain of new sanctions.
“We have always said that we’d be willing to sit down and discuss Iran’s illicit
nuclear program, if Iran is serious about doing that,” Gibbs told reporters. “To
date, that seriousness has not been there.”
On Monday, the Iranian leader criticized Obama for missing “historic
opportunities” to repair their broken relations and offered to meet him.
“We are hopefully coming for the UN assembly,” Ahmadinejad said in an address to
expatriate Iranians which was broadcast live on state television.
“We are ready to sit down with Mr Obama face-to-face and put the global issues
on the table, man-to-man, freely, and in front of the media and see whose
solutions are better. We think this is a better approach.”
Ahmadinejad is expected to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly next
month.
Washington and other nations say Iran’s uranium enrichment program masks a drive
for atomic weapons. Iran denies the charge, saying it is pursuing the peaceful
use of nuclear energy.
US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Iran may now be seeking a
dialogue with Washington because it is feeling the bite of sanctions imposed by
the UN Security Council, the US, EU and others.
“The cost of doing business for Iran is going up,” Crowley told reporters.
“We’re encouraged by what we’re seeing … We sense that there may well be a
willingness on the part of Iran to enter into the kind of dialogue that we have
long sought,” he added.
He said that the sanctions are “getting Iran’s attention.” – AFP
Lebanon's
tribunal in the crossfireOmayma
By: Abdel-Latif in Beirut
Al-Ahram Weekly
As controversy continues over the role of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),
set up to investigate the circumstances behind the assassination of former
Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri in 2005, Hizbullah Secretary-General
Hassan Nasrallah told a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut last
Thursday that the movement mistrusted the tribunal and might have difficulty
respecting its findings.
"Unless the tribunal's findings are based on solid evidence, we will not be able
to accept its decisions," Nasrallah said, adding that at the moment "it does not
seem to me that the tribunal is basing its decisions on solid evidence."
Rumours doing the rounds of the Lebanese capital had already indicated that
Nasrallah would be making an important announcement regarding the Resistance
Movement's views on the work of the STL, and in the event he did not disappoint.
The STL investigation was ignoring the hypothesis that Israel could have been
behind Al-Hariri's assassination, Nasrallah said, meaning that the investigation
was biased from the start.
"Israel had the motive, the capabilities, and the interest to kill Al-Hariri,
but the International Tribunal is not looking into this hypothesis. As long as
it does not take this hypothesis into consideration, the tribunal will not be
unprejudiced," he said.
Moreover, Nasrallah said, while Israel had been effectively ruled out as the
culprit from the start, fingers were now beginning to be pointed at the
Resistance Movement, or at least at some of its "undisciplined members".
Nasrallah said that during a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri
before the latter's recent trip to Washington, he had been informed that the STL
was expected to direct charges against what Al-Hariri had described as
"undisciplined members of Hizbullah," alleging their involvement in the
assassination.
Nasrallah accused the STL of having decided to indict Hizbullah for the killing
even before the investigation had been concluded.
"The indictment was written into the investigation's terms of reference from the
start, even before members of Hizbullah were called as witnesses," Nasrallah
said. "Before leaving for Washington, Al-Hariri told me that an indictment would
be issued implicating 'undisciplined members of Hizbullah.'"
The move was part of an attempt to target the Resistance Movement and to
discredit it in Lebanon and the region as a whole, he said. However, Hizbullah
had nothing to fear from the STL's actions, since previous "conspiracies" had
failed.
"Let them issue their indictments at once and be finished with it," he said.
"They ought to be concerned for themselves, because other such schemes to
discredit Hizbullah have failed. We are not afraid. We are not worried. We know
how to defend ourselves."
Rafik Al-Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive bomb blast in Beirut in
February 2005. While his assassination has been widely blamed on Syria, the
Syrians have denied any involvement. STL President Antonio Cassese said earlier
this year that he expects to be in a position to issue indictments in the case
later this year.
Despite Nasrallah's strong words at last week's press conference, he did leave
room for negotiation by calling on Saudi Arabia to mediate in order to stop "the
meddling in Lebanon".
Yet, he also specifically targeted Saad Al-Hariri by saying that the latter
could "take a position" on the investigation. "I have always told him to follow
the STL's activities and to be aware of the possible results. We are both in
tough positions," Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah reiterated his criticisms of the STL during an event in honour of
Hizbullah martyrs at the Shahed Institute in Beirut's southern suburbs at the
weekend, when he called for the establishment of a committee to investigate
allegations of false statements made to the STL in its investigations.
"They should set up a special committee, parliamentary, judicial, security, or
ministerial, to subpoena witnesses and ask them who provided their information,"
Nasrallah said.
"If they really want to be serious about investigating this assassination, this
is where things should start. However, from day one the investigation has worked
on a single assumption, and from here it has fabricated accusations, come out
with a ruling, and then gone ahead to seek evidence in support of its
assumptions."
A transparent investigation could still achieve results, he said. But "can an
investigating commission made up of Americans and the British government, with
investigating officers brought in from intelligence services closely linked to
the Israeli Mossad, be entrusted with an issue of this importance?"
"Isn't it our right to demand that false witnesses, who have misled the
investigation for years, be held accountable, or at least expelled rather than
protected?"
"We will not allow such allegations to be made at the expense of the resistance.
We shall preserve the Resistance and carry on the path of resistance," Nasrallah
said.
Hizbullah wanted to see justice done in the Al-Hariri case, but it had the right
to protect itself from false allegations. "If the truth is not found, there will
be no justice. We demand justice, justice to punish Al-Hariri's killers.
Anything else would be unjust. Yet we find ourselves being falsely accused."
In an indirect response to Nasrallah's remarks, Saad Al-Hariri presented his
view of the investigation during the opening of the conference of the Al-Mustaqbal
Movement, his own political bloc, held in Beirut last weekend.
Al-Hariri said there were groups that either feared or hoped that the results of
the investigation would spark a new civil war in Lebanon. "We have no room for
such fears, and we do not base our position on media leaks," Al-Hariri said.
"Achieving justice is not open to compromise."
Saad Al-Hariri said that Rafik Al-Hariri's assassination could not "be the
reason to restart strife in Lebanon. The intimidation has to stop. Israel will
not be able to overcome Lebanon as long as the Lebanese know how to maintain
national unity. The state is charged with meeting the challenges of an Israeli
assault, and Lebanese society is responsible for defending the nation,"
Al-Hariri said.
Al-Hariri's words were designed to reassure the country that any indictments of
members of Hizbullah by the STL would not lead to a return of sectarian violence
between Al-Hariri's Sunni supporters and the mostly Shiite supporters of
Hizbullah.
However, Al-Hariri's comments also came following a meeting with his
parliamentary bloc on Friday, in which he denied that he had informed Nasrallah
that the STL was likely to indict members of Hizbullah.
An army of Al-Hariri supporters denied any suggestion that Al-Hariri knew when
the indictments would be issued or what their content would be.
The STL's work "is an issue of a national and ethical commitment to protect the
work of justice, which we are tackling in a spirit of responsibility to prevent
strife from destabilising domestic unity," Al-Hariri concluded.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Saving Lebanon
By: Omayma Abdel-Latif
Ahram Weekly
As speculation mounts that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will indict
"rogue elements" of the Islamic resistance movement Hizbullah in the
assassination of former prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri there has been a flurry
of activity by key regional players, especially Saudi Arabia, to defuse the
likely fallout.
The Saudi King, who embarked yesterday on a four-day tour of the region
beginning with Egypt will be holding a number of meetings with Arab leaders
including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the emir of Qatar, Syrian President
Bashar Al-Assad and the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman. The Arab leaders are
expected to discuss damage limitation strategies should leaks of the STL's
finding prove true.
The bilateral summits are being convened amid warnings that Lebanon could slide
back into the political paralysis and occasional bouts of violence that crippled
the country between November 2006 and May 2008 and which ended with a national
reconciliation pact signed in Doha that paved the way for the election of a new
president, parliamentary elections and a national unity government.
If leaks of the indictment of elements within Hizbullah are correct, argued one
Lebanese analyst, it will serve only to confirm the suspicions of many Lebanese
that the tribunal is being used to settle political scores and advance the
agenda of the Western- backed 14 March alliance.
The tribunal has been dogged by leaks since beginning its investigation into
Al-Hariri's murder. Initially they implicated Syria in the assassination,
accusations that were echoed by the 14 March group and by the present Prime
Minister Saad Al-Hariri.
"Now that there has been a reconciliation between Al-Assad and Al-Hariri, the
STL is being used as a battering ram against the resistance movement," says
analyst Qasim Qassir.
The tribunal's statute does not allow for charges against states or
organisations, only individuals. In 18 April Hizbullah members were questioned
as witnesses by tribunal investigators.
Allegations that Hizbullah was implicated in Al-Hariri's assassination first
surfaced in an article in the German news magazine Der Spiegel which in May 2009
claimed Lebanese investigators had found a link between eight cell phones used
in the area and at the time of the attack and a network of 20 other phones
believed to belong to Hizbullah's "operative arm".
Hizbullah responded immediately. Its secretary- general, Hassan Nasrallah,
issued a public statement claiming the Der Spiegel report was "fabricated" in an
attempt to "create sedition and conflict between Sunnis and Shia".
Hizbullah says it was aware of the intention to implicate some of its members in
Al-Hariri's assassination long before Saad Al-Hariri told Hizbullah leaders last
May that the indictment was likely to name "rogue elements". It decided,
however, to go public with its views only recently.
A series of speeches by Nasrallah addressing the issue triggered a heated debate
regarding the fate of the tribunal and of Lebanon's fragile political stability.
Nasrallah revealed that during a meeting with Al-Hariri before his trip to the
US last May Al-Hariri offered to indict a few "rogue elements" rather than
Hizbullah itself. Nasrallah flatly rejected the offer, saying in a speech on
Sunday that it was unacceptable to seek a settlement with Hizbullah on the basis
that the resistance was already indicted.
The leaks have yet again raised questions over the tribunal's handling of the
investigation. The Lebanese opposition, commonly known as 8 March, have
repeatedly criticised what it says is the politicisation of the tribunal,
arguing that the inquiry has been weakened by the use of information based on
Israeli-compromised communications systems, and the testimony of false
witnesses. One often heard criticism of the investigation is that it ruled out
the possibility of any Israeli involvement in the assassination from the start.
Yet Israel, says Hizbullah, had the motive and the capability to kill Al-Hariri.
"In as much as it failed to take this hypothesis into consideration, then the
court cannot be considered unprejudiced," Nasrallah said in a speech last
Thursday. The Israeli factor has once again come to the fore, a result of two
developments. First, the Israeli press has been publishing much information
about the expected indictment, leaked by what are described as sources inside
the investigation. Then there is the recent exposure of Israeli spy rings
operating in Lebanon, masterminded by Charbel Qazy, a senior employee at Alpha,
one of Lebanon's two cellular phone operators. Qazy is said to have provided his
Israeli masters with a wealth of data on company clients and passwords for
Alpha's operations. The revelations throw doubts over the tribunal findings if,
as the Der Spiegel report says, they rely heavily on cell phone evidence.
One option the mini Arab summits is expected to discuss is to delay issuing the
indictment. Ankara has already urged the postponement of the indictment of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon until late this year, though any delay would put
off the crisis rather than resolve it.
Hizbullah argues that charges had been formulated long before its members were
interrogated. "The indictment is ready and it is only a matter of political
timing," says Nasrallah.
The onus now, argues Industry Minister Mohamed Al-Safadi, a close ally of
Al-Hariri, is on the prime minister. "Al-Hariri has the bigger role to play in
ending this crisis." (see p.5)
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved