LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust 17/2010

Bible Of the Day
Psalm 32:8/I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Today's Inspiring Thought: Listen to God
Are you afraid of making mistakes? We can be our own worst enemy if we ignore God, but if we follow his ways, we'll live a life of fruitfulness and blessing. God makes his desires for us clear in his instruction manual, the Bible. The more you acquaint yourself with God and the better you know his thoughts, the easier it will be for you to choose wisely. As you surrender yourself to God's leading, the Holy Spirit will direct your steps.
Envision God watching out for you. Keep up a silent conversation with him. Consult him on important decisions and he will show you the right way to go. /Naharnet


Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Hizbullah’s next target may be Lebanon/By: MEIR JAVEDANFAR/August 16/10

New Opinion: Holding our nerve/By:Michael Karam/
August 16/10
Hassan Nasrallah/A man with a matchbox/By: Smadar Peri/
August 16/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 16/10
Hezbollah launches another attack against STL/Ya Libnan
Asarta Holds Talks with Berri, Hariri on Adeisseh Clash Probe, Implementation of 1701/Naharnet
Kataeb Urges Government to Reiterate Previous Stances on STL/Naharnet
Sidon-Tyre Road Reopened after Power Cuts Protest/Naharnet
Jumblat Calls for Austerity Measures to Equip Lebanese Army/Naharnet
Obama warns Turkish PM over Israel/Ynetnews
Hariri: We Should Not Use Foul Language/Naharnet
Hizbullah: Ignoring Nasrallah's Evidence Means Support for Israel's Strife Project/Naharnet
Report: Osama al-Shahabi Chosen as Abdel Rahman Awadh's Successor/Naharnet
Turkey Denies Arms Transfer to Hizbullah/Naharnet
Houri: Hariri Won't be Dragged to Quarrel Over Tribunal /Naharnet
Marouni: Lebanon Under Syrian Hegemony Except for Direct Military Presence
/Naharnet
Judge charges Jedd for collaborating with Israel/Now Lebanon
Only LAF authorized to defend Lebanon, Majdalani says /Now Lebanon
MP Riad Rahhal slams Wahhab over STL statement/Now Lebanon

Al-Lino: Ain el-Hilweh Calm After Awadh's Death
/Naharnet
Suleiman Tours Beiteddine Surroundings on Foot
/Naharnet
Residents Block Road to South with Burning Tires to Protest Power Cuts
/Naharnet
Berri, Hariri Discuss Lebanon Situation in Ain el-Tineh
/Naharnet
U.S.-French Agreement to Renew UNIFIL's Mandate 6 Months
/Naharnet
Nasrallah's Problem with Hariri Investigation
/Naharnet
UNIFIL: Lebanon, Israel Don't Want War
/Naharnet
Gemayel: Merging Hizbullah with Army 'Major Threat' to Soldiers
/Naharnet
Qassem: Hizbullah Solved Tribunal Negligence Problem
/Naharnet
Asarta Stresses on Cooperation with Lebanese Army, Says Situation Normal Along Blue Line
/Naharnet
Wahab: March 14 Ministers Should Quit after Withdrawing Tribunal Funding
/Naharnet
The Battle of Political Confessionalism in Lebanon
/Naharnet

Hizbullah’s next target may be Lebanon 
By MEIR JAVEDANFAR
08/15/2010 23:07
What should worry the Israeli government is that the recent border skirmish has actually made Hizbullah more popular inside Lebanon. I try not to get worked up about reports of imminent war in the Middle East. For years, I have looked suspiciously at estimates that Iran will get bombed in three months, six months or on Saturday afternoon after Ali Khamenei has finished his lunch. Why? Because the Middle East is always full of surprises. Just when we believe war to be imminent, nothing happens, and vice versa. However, this time I really can’t shake the feeling that something ominous is in the air, involving Hizbullah. It will either be a massive confrontation with Israel, or armed conflict inside Lebanon. After the recent attack by the Lebanese Army against the Israeli Defense Forces soldiers, who were fixing a tree on the border, many have predicted that it’s only a question of time before the outbreak of the next round of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah begins.
But there is another development that showed the seriousness of the impending conflict, and that is the warning given by Hizbullah that the deal brokered two years ago in Doha is about to collapse – a deal made after Hizbullah’s military attack against Sunni forces left 90 dead. In 2008, after an 18-month political crisis surrounding the group’s power in the country and fearing that another civil war could break out, Sunni, Christian and Shi’ite factions traveled to the Qatari capital to try and work out a deal in order to return calm to Lebanon.
They finally succeeded in reaching a compromise, which included veto power for Hizbullah in the Lebanese cabinet. The recent warning was made soon after the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani visited Lebanon. He was there soon after the Saudi king and the Syrian president made a joint visit to the country.
Mohammad Ra’ad, a Hizbullah member of the Lebanese parliament, while addressing a group of supporters, stated that the Lebanese government is facing a new threat, and that the Rafik Hariri murder trial has been politicized to serve Israel’s interests. In other words, any accusation against Hizbullah will be interpreted as an act of treason in Israel’s favor.
The question that must be asked then in this: If Hizbullah is interested in attacking Israel, why is it warning that the Doha agreement is about to collapse? Attacking Israel has nothing to do with that. Hizbullah could get involved in a military confrontation with Israel without warning about the Doha agreement. In fact, even if Israel were its only target, Hizbullah would do everything to strengthen the Doha deal so that it could reap the benefits of domestic support while waging war on Israel.
THERE IS, however, one other possibility: the Shi’ite organization could be about to launch a domestic power grab. This could be bloody, involving massive armed confrontation, or it could be bloodless; perhaps, for instance, involving some sort of agreement made with opposing factions. Hizbullah has the military capability to do this, as it’s the only militia in Lebanon. In fact, if it does turn out that it was behind the Hariri assassination, then it would be a clear sign to any Lebanese politician that Hizbullah is not an organization to be messed with.
Israel has every reason to view developments on its northern border with much concern. The recent attack by Lebanon’s army against the Israeli forces, perhaps with Hizbullah’s blessing, could have been a test. This would not be the first time that Hizbullah underwrote a small attack to test Israeli and international will prior to making a major move. Back in 2005, Hizbullah forces attempted to kidnap IDF soldiers near the village of Rajar, but failed and lost four gunmen. That failure did not deter it from trying again, this time in 2006, which led to the start of the second Lebanon war.
But what should worry the Israeli government is that the recent border skirmish has actually made Hizbullah more popular inside Lebanon. The good news for the Lebanese population is that this could encourage Hizbullah to focus on Israel, and prevent it from taking on domestic elements. Otherwise, the possibility that Hizbullah may go for a power grab still exists.
The bad news for Israel is that it is very ill equipped to defend itself diplomatically. Its tarnished image after falling out with the Obama administration, Turkey and the international community over the Gaza flotilla affair means that it will find an increasingly smaller audience that’s willing to listen to its concerns, as legitimate as they are. The good news for Hizbullah is that if Israel ends the settlement freeze, then Israel’s pool of friends in the international community is going to shrink even more, and fast. The question then becomes: Is Hizbullah willing to wait until September 25, the date of the end of the current freeze, to find out? **The writer is an Iranian-Israeli Middle East analyst and a regular contributor to RealClearWorld, where this was originally published. He is co-author of The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the State of Iran.

A man with a matchbox

Smadar Peri /
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3937303,00.html
Op-ed: Nasrallah trying to buy time while persevering image of crazy regional thug
Smadar Peri Published: 08.16.10, 12:09 / Israel Opinion
Nobody, even in Lebanon (with the exceptions of his cronies,) buys into the “proof” and “new evidence” presented by Nasrallah in his unconvincing conference last week in Beirut. We can bet that Nasrallah himself does not believe that Israel killed Lebanon’s prime minister. Why in the world would Israel assassinate al-Hariri?
But what stops Nasrallah from having a little fun? As far as he’s concerned, Israel can loudly declare that he showed himself to be an even greater liar, prattler, schemer, and swindler; he may have also looked anxious. However, he is not a fool. While moving from one hiding spot to another in the past four years, what’s most important for Nasrallah now is to stay in the game and preserve the image of the crazy, threatening, and dangerous neighborhood thug.
Accusations
Nasrallah describes 1997 ambush / Roee Nahmias
Hezbollah chief claims group intercepted Israeli drone transmissions, used footage to set up ambush for commando troops which killed 12. In same speech Nasrallah also accuses Israel of involvement in Hariri murder plot
If nobody wants to see a civil war in Lebanon, And Saudi Arabia’s king bothered to travel all the way to Beirut in order to secure a lull between the frightened and the threatening – Nasrallah was not frightened. There, the Lebanese are shaking in their boots, fearing a military confrontation with Israel, but he threatens to fire missiles (which he indeed possesses) on Tel Aviv.
The most important thing for him is not to be blamed for the Hariri assassination. Such charge may shake up Nasrallah and his organization. First of all, the government would collapse, the wave of assassination will make a grand comeback, and Hezbollah fighters would have to take over Beirut.
Nasrallah’s nightmare scenario also includes the worst option: Commandoes (guess where they would come from) embarking on a manhunt for the group’s leadership (and thanks to all the agents and spies) and kicking it out of Lebanon. Nobody would shed a tear should such operation succeed.
Playing a slow game
For the time being, Nasrallah is managing to get what he wants. In the wake of his grand media show, regardless of what people say about Nasrallah, Hariri probe Commissioner Daniel Bellemare has no choice but to issue an invitation: Anyone in possession of documents that had not been reviewed is invited to hand them over.
Nasrallah, who currently works in line with a plan aimed at buying time and scaring all parties involved with a ticking bomb, intends to slowly proceed with his game, making the lives of the people who are seeking his downfall miserable. He will of course hand over his videos and clips, and he also possesses a pile of documents that would put off the publication of the full report for long months.
Nasrallah intends to do everything that needs to be done in order to keep the investigators busy. In the next phase, honorable judge Bellemare will attempt to get Nasrallah to leave his hiding spot and testify. Yet the Hezbollah chief is in no rush. He will announce that as long as Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, Mossad chief, and army chief are not summoned, he intends to stay in his hole. And if anyone wishes to force him out, they should turn to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, who already announced he has no plans to touch top Hezbollah men and certainly no intention to detain Nasrallah.
So here we are, back at square one. The international prosecutor is hereby invited to try his luck. Even if he rules that Hezbollah and Syria assassinated Hariri, who will adopt the conclusions? Even Saad al-Hariri, who swore to pursue his father’s killers, escaped to the family resort in Sardinia. Before leaving, he ordered his ministers and party members not to respond to Nasrallah’s tricks.
So who keeps Lebanon intact these days? Maybe the president, maybe the security services, but certainly not the government, which may collapse if Nasrallah just says the word. As far as he’s concerned, they can try to come and get him. He may be a liar and a prattler, but he’s the one holding the matchbox.

Obama warns Turkish PM over Israel

Financial Times reports US president tells Erdogan Ankara's position on Israel, Iran could lessen Turkey's chances of obtaining American weapons to fight Kurdish rebels
AFP Published: 08.16.10, 07:50 / Israel News /US President Barack Obama has warned the Turkish prime minister that Ankara's position on Israel and Iran could lessen its chances of obtaining US weapons, a report said on Monday. The Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wants to buy American drone aircraft to attack separatist Kurdish rebels after the US military withdraws from Iraq at the end of 2011, Britain's Financial Times newspaper reported. The rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has bases in the mountains in the north of Iraq, near the Turkish border. "The president has said to Erdogan that some of the actions that Turkey has taken have caused questions to be raised on the Hill (Congress)," a senior administration official was quoted as saying in the daily paper. These questions centred on "whether we can have confidence in Turkey as an ally," said the official. "That means that some of the requests Turkey has made of us, for example in providing some of the weaponry that it would like to fight the PKK, will be harder for us to move through Congress." The United States voiced disappointment after Turkey voted against fresh UN sanctions on Iran, which the United Nations Security Council adopted in June. Ankara argued that Teheran should be given a chance to carry out a nuclear fuel swap deal, brokered by Turkey and Brazil. Relations between Turkey and Israel were thrown into crisis after an Israeli raid targeting Gaza-bound aid ships on May 31 that left nine Turks dead. Obama called on Turkey to cool its rhetoric about the raid when he met Mr Erdogan at the G-20 summit in Toronto in June, said the FT.

New Opinion: Holding our nerve
Michael Karam, August 16, 2010
Now Lebanon/
One week ago, Hezbollah once again tried to derail the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the court formed to bring to justice the killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others on February 14, 2005, as well as the later victims of political killings over the subsequent three years.
This time, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah presented “evidence” to back up his party’s theory that Israel was the perpetrator of the crime. The “proof” was wafer thin but it was the most serious attempt yet to undermine a process that, while seeking to set a precedent in bringing to justice those who believe that local hindrances can be resolved by wholesale political murder, has the potential to nonetheless send shockwaves through Arab society if, as has been widely speculated, Hezbollah members are to be indicted for their suspected involvement in the crime.
But those who think that Lebanon has the option to abandon the tribunal by way of some kind of internal arrangement should consider the consequences. If that were to happen, especially given Lebanon’s fragile reputation in the international community – its renewed ties with Damascus and the doubts surrounding the primary allegiance of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) – then we would truly be the laughing stock of the world and a fully paid-up member of the pariah state club.
Therefore, there are several points we must remember amid the hysteria – for hysteria it is – resulting from Monday’s press conference.
Point one: there is no set timetable for the STL, which follows investigative protocols set by international law and not by external factors. We must remember it was Nasrallah who announced the indictments would soon be handed down. The Lebanese should take their lead from the STL, which has made no definitive statement on any arraignments, and no one else.
Point two: STL Prosecutor General Daniel Bellemare is the only authority able to investigate and issue an indictment. While he will surely consider Hezbollah’s PowerPoint presentation with the greatest seriousness, he will not be swayed by Nasrallah - or anyone else’s - theatrics.
Belle mare’s authority is crucial to the credibility of the tribunal, especially as the STL’s opponents are seeking to muddy legal waters and shift the debate on who killed Hariri by calling for an independent national committee to investigate claims of Israeli involvement.
Point three: arguably the most important of all is that the STL was established, not only to bring to justice the killers of Rafik Hariri and MP Basil Fleihan and the 20 other innocent Lebanese who died on that fateful day in February 2005, but also those of subsequent victims of political murder: the writer Samir Kassir, politicians George Hawi, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Walid Eido and Antoine Ghanem, and security officials General Francois Hajj and Captain Wissam Eid. Not only were they all committed to Lebanon’s sovereign aspirations in the wake of the 2005 Independence Intifada, their killings were intended to destabilize a Lebanon seeking to assert its regional autonomy.
This is why the Lebanese – its government and its people – must hold its nerve. They must shake off the decades-old default setting that all evil automatically emanates from Israel. They must accept international judicial process and place their trust in those for whom delivering justice according to the rule of law is an exact, disciplined and transparent process and ignore those who would seek to influence by sleight of hand and intimidation.
That said, the STL should be more vocal in its denouncement of recent efforts to undermine due legal process. Fatima al-Issawi, the spokesperson for the tribunal, has reacted to Nasrallah’s Monday press conference, but a statement from the office of the prosecutor general himself would have been more appropriate given the sudden high stakes.
We must not forget that Lebanon is co-sponsoring and co-financing the tribunal and therefore deserves some kind of transparency. If one were to pick holes in the process to date, there has been an unhealthy culture of secrecy, one that has succeeded in creating a “them and us” between itself and the Lebanese where none need have existed.
The court is for all of Lebanon and all Lebanese. Greater efforts to involve – maybe even educate the Lebanese in its aims and activities - would go a long way to hit back at critics who have exploited the court’s bouts of silence to their advantage. The Lebanese people, who have been pulled from pillar to post in recent weeks, deserve to hear the voice of justice and reason.

Hariri: We Should Not Use Foul Language
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated during an Iftar Sunday that he will choose when to speak. "Many people expect me to come out with a stance, but I said yesterday, I will choose when to speak," Hariri told a dinner banquet attended by the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Oman, Romania and a number of children of the Islamic Orphanage.
"But I would like to say that political rhetoric should not remain at this level. Whatever the differences between political parties, we should not be using foul language and all kinds of insults," Hariri stressed. "Good word is my message to the Lebanese during this holy month (of Ramadan) and with a good word anything becomes possible," he added. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 22:09

Hizbullah: Ignoring Nasrallah's Evidence Means Support for Israel's Strife Project

Naharnet/Hizbullah official in the south Sheikh Nabil Qaouq has said ignoring the evidence presented by Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah means insistence on implementing Israel's strife projects in Lebanon. The evidence that allegedly implicates Israel in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination is enough to allow the investigation to take a new course, Qaouq said during an Iftar. "Ignoring or neglecting this evidence means insistence on adopting the wrong path and insistence on Israeli strife projects," he said. Qaouq also said that four years after its victory, the resistance has become more efficient. "The resistance was able to make a 20-year-progress politically, militarily and on the popular level," he said, rebuffing Israeli claims that it would take Hizbullah 20 years backwards. Another Hizbullah official, Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek said the party won't allow anyone "to tarnish the image and reputation of the resistance." He believes it is Hizbullah's "duty to defend itself when attacked through the international tribunal." He said Hizbullah does not trust the international tribunal because it has ruled out Israel's involvement in Hariri's murder. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,

Hariri: We Should Not Use Foul Language

Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated during an Iftar Sunday that he will choose when to speak. "Many people expect me to come out with a stance, but I said yesterday, I will choose when to speak," Hariri told a dinner banquet attended by the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Oman, Romania and a number of children of the Islamic Orphanage. "But I would like to say that political rhetoric should not remain at this level. Whatever the differences between political parties, we should not be using foul language and all kinds of insults," Hariri stressed. "Good word is my message to the Lebanese during this holy month (of Ramadan) and with a good word anything becomes possible," he added. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 22:09

Price Reduction of Up to 40% on Mobile Phone Calls, SMS

Naharnet/Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas on Monday announced a price reduction of up to 40% at nights on calls and sms for pre-paid mobile phone cards starting the first of September. A statement released by Nahhas' office said there will be a 20% reduction from 10:00 pm till 12:00 pm. A further 40% reduction would be made on mobile phone calls and sms between 12:00 am and 8:00 am, the statement added. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,

Report: Osama al-Shahabi Chosen as Abdel Rahman Awadh's Successor

Naharnet/Osama al-Shahabi has been chosen as the successor of slain Fatah al-Islam leader Abdel Rahman Awadh, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Monday. Awadh and his associate Abu Bakr Mubarak were killed on Saturday by the Lebanese army intelligence in the Bekaa town of Chtaura. Toufiq Tah was chosen as al-Shahabi's assistant, according to Palestinian security sources. A man known as Khardaq was now the terrorist groups' military and security official, the sources said. Brothers Haitham and Mohammed al-Shaabi were also part of the new leadership. They are the brothers of Abu Huraira's wife. Abu Huraira was a Fatah al-Islam military commander during the Nahr al-Bared fighting between militants and the Lebanese army. He was killed in the summer of 2007 when he refused to stop at a police checkpoint in Tripoli. High-level security sources told al-Hayat that Awadh's brother Mohammed Hassan, who is known as Sunbol and belongs to the Fatah movement, identified Abdel Rahman's body. While the sources told the daily that the bodies of Awadh and Mubarak haven't been handed over to their families, Future News reported that both families were informed that the militants would be buried outside Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp to avoid any security disturbance during their burial. The date of the funeral hasn't been set yet, Future News said. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,

Houri: Hariri Won't be Dragged to Quarrel Over Tribunal
Naharnet/MP Ammar Houri stressed Prime Minister Saad Hariri will not be part of the bickering on the international tribunal saying the court was taking its right course.In remarks to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Monday, the lawmaker said the Mustaqbal bloc won't be dragged to arguments over the probe into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination.
"The issue of the court is not solved through the media," Houri stressed. He said that if Hizbullah did not hand over to the tribunal prosecutor the videotape that alleges Israel's involvement in Hariri's murder, then the issue would "lose its seriousness." Houri stressed that a Lebanese investigation committee does not have the capacity to assess Hizbullah's information because the Lebanese judiciary has no role in the probe into the assassination. "Any statement about that lacks seriousness and the real intention to achieve the truth," the MP added. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,

Suleiman Tours Beiteddine Surroundings on Foot

Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman toured on foot the bushes near his summer residence at Beiteddine palace on Sunday and went to Deir al-Qamar valley all the way to the town's entrance. On his way back to the palace, the president took the main road where residents welcomed him in the region. Beiteddine didn't witness any official political activity on Sunday. Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 08:37

Marouni: Lebanon Under Syrian Hegemony Except for Direct Military Presence

Naharnet/MP Elie Marouni said Lebanon was still living under Syrian hegemony because Damascus' allies are "arresting the free Lebanese decision-making." "Except for direct military presence, Lebanon is living today under Syrian hegemony," Marouni told the Kuwaiti Annahar newspaper in remarks published Monday. "What's the difference between today and the era before 2005 except for the security checkpoint that used to arrest us?" the lawmaker wondered. "The only difference is that today they are arresting the free Lebanese decision-making." Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah should have unveiled his latest information on Israel's alleged involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder long time ago, according to Marouni. The information provided by Nasrallah needs evidence in order to become "legally logical," he told the daily. Asked about Hizbullah's warnings against any indictment that would name party members, the MP said: "We have been asking for the establishment of a strong state and strong army and security forces." "Only the state should protect the Lebanese citizen," he said. Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 10:42

Berri, Hariri Discuss Lebanon Situation in Ain el-Tineh

Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday discussed Lebanon's situation with Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Ain el-Tineh.
State-run National News Agency said the two leaders also touched on agenda items to be discussed during Tuesday's Parliamentary session. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 17:34

Residents Block Road to South with Burning Tires to Protest Power Cuts

Naharnet/Angry residents of the coastal town of Zahrani on Sunday blocked the highway to south Lebanon with burning tires and huge barricades to protest power cuts, state-run National News Agency said. NNA gave no other details. The protest resulted in a huge traffic jam at the Zahrani junction."Power outages increased with the beginning of Ramadan," said a man stuck in the jam.  "We went out to breathe fresh air, and here we are breathing smoke from burning tires," another man shouted from his car window. Security forces were able to reopen the highway several hours later. LBC television channel reported a mishap between police and protestors before the road opened to traffic shortly before Iftar. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 17:14

The Battle of Political Confessionalism in Lebanon

Naharnet/A Shiite Muslim in Lebanon's diplomatic corps can forget about being appointed ambassador to Washington. The same goes for a posting in London for a Maronite Christian.
And there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it. "I was told there were no vacancies for Maronites, so I spent eight years waiting for one to open up," one former envoy told Agence France Presse, requesting anonymity. She has since been posted overseas. Her plight reflects the omnipresence of political confessionalism in Lebanon that is home to no less than 18 sects and where religion may well outweigh merit in the workplace. Two thirds of the Lebanese population is Muslim, split almost equally between Sunnis and Shiites. Maronites, loyal to the Vatican, form the vast majority of the Christian population, estimated altogether at some 30 percent. "It's like bartering," researcher Mohammed Shamseddine of the independent consulting firm Information International said of the diplomatic job market. "These patterns reveal that even the aftermath of the civil war is not yet over," Shamseddine told AFP.
The war ended with a "no victor, no vanquished" settlement and saw a constitutional amendment that formalized the division of power along religious lines, granting Muslims and Christians equal shares in the 128-seat parliament. And while the amendment also eradicated the division by religion of posts in the state administration, two decades later the sect to which a Lebanese belongs remains a primary factor in getting a government job. By long-standing tradition, the country's top posts are divided among the country's three largest confessions: the president is a Maronite, the prime minister a Sunni and the speaker of parliament a Shiite. Many Lebanese argue that their system of "democracy by consensus" has helped preserve a fragile peace in the country. "Embassies and sovereign ministries have become the property of certain confessions and no one can change this reality," one retired diplomat, who also requested anonymity, told AFP. Lebanon's coveted "sovereign" ministries are key cabinet portfolios that include interior, defense, foreign affairs and finance and are divided among the country's Christian and Muslim sects. The country's 68 embassies and eight consulates are also roughly split between Christian and Muslim ambassadors, another move aimed at preserving the balance of power locally and abroad.
"Why is Lebanon, such a small country, in need of so many embassies? For confessional reasons, as every group demands its share," Shamseddine said.
Bickering among top politicians in Lebanon has hindered the appointment of a number of ambassadors of both faiths, and a handful of envoy posts around the world have been vacant for months, some even for years.
For nearly three years, for example, Lebanon has had no ambassador to Brazil -- a country where the Lebanese expatriate community numbers millions. The post is reserved for a Maronite.
In April, Prime Minister Saad Hariri's unity government, which includes ministers from across the broad political spectrum, approved a confession-blind procedure for appointing candidates to posts in state administration. But the new system has yet to be implemented, and some 40 percent of state posts remain vacant. They include the position of manager of the state petrol department, which has been vacant since 1999. Rights groups have been pushing for a secular state since the end of the civil war, which saw many people killed at roadblocks based on the religion stated on their ID cards. And in an unprecedented move last year, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, known as a champion of secularism and civil rights, allowed citizens to remove their religion from official records and replace it with a slash sign. But despite growing grass roots attempts at secularization, including a campaign to legalize civil marriage, the confessional system still has its advocates. "As long as the criteria of competence and transparency stipulated by the constitution are not implemented, I am in favor of the confessional system to preserve balance and diversity," said Father Tony Khadra, the Lebanon director of the International Catholic Union of the Press.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 08:02

Turkey Denies Arms Transfer to Hizbullah

Naharnet/The Turkish Foreign Ministry has denied a report that said Tehran and Ankara singed an agreement to transfer weapons to Hizbullah. The Italian daily Corriere Della Sera has said Turkey and Iran were trying to help Hizbullah obtain new weapons. "These claims are baseless and should not be taken seriously," a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. Della Sera has said that Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Taeb to discuss relations between the two countries.
Sources told Corriere Della Sera that Turkey will "send sophisticated weapons, rockets and guns to Syria, that will end up in Lebanon," where the Iranian Army will ensure the weapons are transferred to Hizbullah. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards "will facilitate the transition, ensure safety, watch loads on the routes, and provide support to the border," the sources said.
They said Iranians reportedly want to build a weapons network similar to that in Sudan, and hope to help Hamas, as well. Della Sera said Western intelligence sources "view the Turkish-Iranian plot with concern, as they are obvious risks to safety." "The (intelligence) services in Ankara are among the best in the region," one source said. "They have great knowledge of the Middle East, and know how to move on the routes of illegal trafficking." Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 16:47

MP Riad Rahhal slams Wahhab over STL statement

August 16, 2010 /Lebanon First bloc MP Riad Rahhal issued a statement on Monday slamming Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab, over the latter’s Sunday statement about the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Wahhab said on Sunday that STL Prosecutor General Daniel Bellemare is a “liar and a crook,” and called on March 8 alliance ministers to resign from the cabinet if the tribunal’s funding is not withdrawn. Rahhal said he wondered “why [figures like Wahhab] are lashing out at the judiciary, the state and the army through threats.”
He also called on the relevant Lebanese authorities to pursue the scaremongers and legally punish them. -NOW Lebanon

Judge charges Jedd for collaborating with Israel

August 16, 2010 /Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged fugitive Ghassan al-Jedd of collaborating with Israel, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Monday. Jedd is said to be sentenced to temporary hard labor, the NNA said. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said during his press conference last week that he has information Jedd was collaborating with Israel and was present at the murder scene of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the day Hariri was assassinated in 2005.
Reports said Jedd escaped Lebanon in 2009.-NOW Lebanon

Only LAF authorized to defend Lebanon, Majdalani says /Now Lebanon

August 16, 2010 /Lebanon First bloc MP Atef Majdalani told As-Sharq radio station on Monday that only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is authorized to defend Lebanon.
Majdalani hailed every effort to equip the LAF with military weapons, praising the army’s patriotism. President Michel Sleiman called last week for empowering the Lebanese army following the latter’s deadly clashes with Israeli troops along the borderline of Aadaiseh village which led to the death of two Lebanese soldiers, one journalist and a senior Israeli officer earlier this month. The MP also voiced his hope that Hezbollah would donate its weapons to the LAF. Majdalani also called on all those possessing information regarding the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to present it to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) through the legal authorities, in a possible reference to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The Hezbollah chief held a press conference last week where he presented alleged evidence including video footage and the confession of an alleged spy which he said implicates Israel in Hariri’s murder

Jumblat Calls for Austerity Measures to Equip Lebanese Army

Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has called for some austerity measures to provide the military institution with funds that would allow it to buy the necessary equipment to consolidate itself.Jumblat said in his editorial to al-Anbaa weekly that several countries are ready to sell weapons to the Lebanese army without preconditions.
Some countries are specifying "the type of guns that they want Lebanon to use in the interior and those that it should place at the southern border that is if it was allowed to use arms against Israel," he said. Jumblat said that arming the military should be a top government priority and should take place "at the expense of other unnecessary expenditures."
The Druze leader also urged the government to give incentives for veteran officers to retire early from the force to rebuild a youthful army. Such a step could be accompanied by a decision to bring back compulsory military service, he wrote. Jumblat advised the deployment of young soldiers in the south to learn how to defend Lebanon against Israel. Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 14:26