LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِDecember
18/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Isaiah 11/5-10: "11:5 Righteousness will
be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his waist. 11:6 The wolf
will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; The
calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will
lead them. 11:7 The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down
together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. 11:8 The nursing child will play
near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
11:9 They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will
be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea. 11:10 It will
happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a
banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious. 11:11 It will
happen in that day that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to
recover the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Egypt, from
Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of
the sea. 11:12 He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the
outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four
corners of the earth. 11:13 The envy also of Ephraim will depart, and those who
persecute Judah will be cut off. Ephraim won’t envy Judah, and Judah won’t
persecute Ephraim. 11:14 They will fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines
on the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east. They will
extend their power over Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon will obey them.
11:15 Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his
scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will split it into
seven streams, and cause men to march over in sandals. 11:16 There will be a
highway for the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, like there was
for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Hizballah shops for
defense council in London, caves in on UN tribunal/DEBKAfile/December
17/10
The only threats are
Nasrallah's/Now Lebanon/December 17/10
Statement by Canada'a
Minister of Foreign Affairs on Iran’s Continued Imprisonment of Bahá’í and Other
Prisoners/December 17/10
Report: Lebanon suspects citizens
aided Israel in planting espionage cameras/Haaretz/December
17/10
Is the Middle East on the threshold
of collapse?/By Amos Harel/Haaretz?10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December
17/10
Israeli
Army Holds Drill in Preparation for New War with Hizbullah/Naharnet
President Amin
Gemayel Hits Back at
Nasrallah: Not True Christians Like to See Other Sects Fighting/Naharnet
M.P, Nadim Gemayel: Some parties
desire chaos/Now Lebanon
NLP: Hezbollah should follow
Syria’s lead concerning STL/Now Lebanon
Report:
Spying Devices Not New, Used by Nasrallah to Divert Attention from Indictment/Naharnet
Iraqi
FM: Tribunal's Indictment Could be Postponed/Naharnet
HRW calls for release of Syrian activist/Washington Post
US appeals to India over Syria ties/Ynetnews
Lebanon probing collaborators on Israeli
spy device'/J.Post
Lebanon:
‘Israeli markings’ on uncovered spy device/J.Post
Eiland: Israel does not know how
to defeat Hizbullah/Jerusalem Post
Lebanon: Israeli tags on 'spy gear'/Ynetnews
Lebanon braced for bloodshed over report into Rafik Hariri killing/The
Guardian
IDF holds drill in preparation for Lebanon confrontation/Ynetnews
Hezbollah Leader Predicts UN Hariri Court Will 'Disappear'/Voice of
America
Nasrallah: Forbidden to give up any part of Palestine – from sea to Jordan/Ynetnews
'Israeli spying devices' found in Lebanon/BBC
Syrian Mufti: West Is To Blame For Slaughter Of Christians/MEMRI
After
Lebanon, Cyprus Defines Sea Border with Israel for Energy Search/Naharnet
Hashem: Stalling in
Approving False Witnesses File Places Lebanon in Eye of the Storm/Naharnet
Williams to Franjieh:
Solution to Any Crisis Should be Through Dialogue/Naharnet
The Guardian: Lebanon
Bracing for Bloodshed Over Tribunal Indictments/Naharnet
Report: Spying Devices
Most Probably Planted in 2006 to Monitor Arms Smuggling and Designate Targets/Naharnet
Houri Accuses March 8 of
Committing 'Massacre' by Obstructing Cabinet Work/Naharnet
Conflicting Reports on
Clash between French UNIFIL Patrol, Deir Kifa Villagers/Naharnet
STL Signs MoU with
Netherlands Forensic Institute/Naharnet
Hizbullah Will Beat Israel
in Next War, Says Ex-National Security Advisor/Naharnet
Suleiman Lauds Army-Hizbullah
Cooperation against Israeli Espionage, Urges U.N. Complaint/Naharnet
Harb: It's Unfortunate
that False Witnesses File is Being Addressed from Political Angle Instead of a
Legal One/Naharnet
Sayegh after Meeting
Williams: Resolution 1701 Must be Implemented, False Witnesses File Shouldn't be
Politicized/Naharnet
Report: Iran Has Cut
Annual Funding to Hizbullah by More Than 40%/Naharnet
Date Set for Trial in Disappearance
of Imam Sadr...Gadhafi Prime Suspect/Naharnet
Bassil: Transferring False
Witnesses File to Regular Judiciary is Legal Heresy/Naharnet
Sfeir
Does Not Rule Out a Hizbullah Coup
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir did not rule out a coup that would
be carried out by Hizbullah but hoped Lebanon's crisis would be solved. Although
Sfeir didn't rule out a coup, he told al-Massira magazine that it was difficult
to preserve the status quo after the coup. The patriarch expressed optimism
despite concern among Lebanese about a deterioration in the security and
political situation. "The nation has faced a lot of dangers throughout its
history but it has survived," he told al-Massira. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 14:05
Hizballah
shops for defense council in London, caves in on UN tribunal
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report December 17, 2010,
Thursday, Dec. 16, Hassan Nasrallah, Hizballah's fiery leader, sounded like his
usual pugnacious self, damning America and forecasting an Israeli defeat in the
next war. He even staged a dramatic backdrop of "Israeli spy equipment" on two
Lebanese peaks, which the Lebanese army supposedly dismantled that very day.
But, according to debkafile's Middle East sources, he was putting on a show to
avoid revealing to his followers that he had thrown in the towel in his battle
against the UN Tribunal-STL probing the Hariri assassination of 2005. His top
security and intelligence operatives were now instructed to turn themselves in
when summoned by the STL some time soon.
For the first time, Nasrallah will be exposing his militia heads to charges of
assassination and terror. And, unless he changes his mind again, he will have
removed his threat to topple the Saad Hariri's government in Beirut and plunge
the country in civil war if his men are arrested. His other threat of a military
showdown with Israel may have receded but is still present, because it has more
to do with Iran's designs for regional expansion than assassination charges
against Hizballah.
Clandestine watchers were able to confirm Nasrallah's surrender – in London.
There, debkafile's exclusive intelligence sources reveal, they picked up
smartly-suited, brawny Hizballah terror operatives making the rounds in posh
cars of luxurious legal offices for top talent to defend colleagues when they
are called to face charges in The Hague. The Hizballah never stopped pouring out
a stream of vituperation while at the same time keeping track of interviews his
messengers held with high-priced British legal counsel and negotiating terms for
their hire.
Nasrallah's decision to submit to the UN court was one of the hardest he has
made since going to war with Israel in 2006. Instead of following through on his
threats to seize power in Beirut and proclaim the STL illegitimate, he must now
eat crow and surrender to international justice a handful, or more, leading
operatives, the mainstays of his power base in Hizballah. Their absence from
Beirut may be protracted if the court issues international warrants for their
arrest.
Nasrallah capitulated, debkafile's sources disclose, because he was left in the
lurch by Syrian President Bashar who withdrew his support from the battle
against the international tribunal to make a point in Tehran.
Iran and Syria do not disagree on the need to strengthen Hizballah, but Damascus
wants the Lebanese Shiite militia to be equally dependent on them both and
demands to be treated as an equal partner in policy-making for Lebanon and
Hizballah.
The result is a crack in the Iranian-Syrian alliance on Lebanon on this issue.
Finding himself falling through that crack, Nasrallah decided he had better
hurry up and find top-quality legal counsel to defend his henchmen.
Is the
Middle East on the threshold of collapse?
Published 08:46 17.12.10
Iran is at the brink of nuclear capability, Lebanon could be heading toward
civil war, and the Palestinians may declare statehood. Where should we go from
here?
By Amos Harel
New York Times columnist Roger Cohen visited Beirut last week. Hezbollah, he
insists, is stronger than ever. It is a mixture of a political party, a social
movement and a militia, and it is "completely inappropriate" to call it a terror
organization. Therefore, Cohen claims, the time has come for Washington to find
a way to talk with Hezbollah.
Cohen writes that he was impressed with Dahiya, the lively Shi'ite district in
southern Beirut that was rebuilt after Israel bombed it during the 2006 war.
Lebanon will avoid another civil war, he believes. Opponents of Syria and
Hezbollah have paid reconciliation visits to Damascus. Prime Minister Saad
Hariri's hands are tied; he presides over a government whose members include his
father's killers, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Stability in Lebanon seems
to take precedence over redress for that crime, or other matters.
On the day Cohen's column was published, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth released an
entirely different report on the situation in Lebanon. A senior officer in the
Israel Defense Forces' Northern Command (the newspaper ran a photo with the item
of Northern Command head Gadi Eizenkot ) told Yedioth that Hezbollah is mired in
the worst crisis since it was founded, pending the special international
tribunal's indictment of senior members on charges relating to the assassination
of the elder Hariri.
The report claimed that Iran has cut about half of its financial assistance to
the group, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is still in hiding. Should
another conflict erupt with Israel, Hezbollah will discover that the Second
Lebanon War "was a picnic."
Some Lebanese commentators say that Hezbollah is getting stronger and that all
parties in the country fear the Hariri murder investigation could provoke chaos.
They agree with Eizenkot about one thing: Hezbollah will think twice before
launching an attack on Israel. The organization was badly burned by the 2006
war. It will take something external - Israeli missile convoys in Syria, or an
explicit Iranian order - to reignite the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israel and the United States no longer view events in the region in the
black-and-white terms of the "Axis of Evil," but rather as a sequence of local
disputes, some of whose participants are also involved in the greater struggle
between radicals and moderates in the Islamic world. It appears that the
radicals have the upper hand in that struggle. There has been no defining
victory here, according to observers; instead, we are witnessing a gradual
process. "The shift of tectonic plates" is how IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi
described it during consultations with colleagues in the West.
Iran largely dictates the region's agenda, not only due to its growing nuclear
weapons capability, but also via palpable efforts to make inroads into other
countries, from Morocco by way of Lebanon and Iraq, and into Afghanistan.
In contrast with Iran's muscle-flexing, the moderate Arab states, led by Egypt
and Saudi Arabia, appear weak while preparing the ground for new leadership as
their rulers age. Concurrently, America's influence, as demonstrated in
WikiLeaks documents, is on the wane, due to its withdrawal from Iraq, the
deepening morass in Afghanistan and its domestic economic woes.
When a pro-Western leader such as Hariri (the son ) looks to the East, he sees
the Syrians and Iranians. When he glances to the West, he does not find American
aircraft carriers. The fact that Hariri recently visited Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is thus not surprising.
Changing balance
Israel Defense Forces intelligence officers are wont nowadays to use the term
"the threshold era": Iran is on the threshold of attaining nuclear capability,
Lebanon could be heading toward civil war, and the Palestinians are on the brink
of a decision about a unilateral statehood declaration in the West Bank.
Simultaneously, the most worrisome development from Israel's point of view
(along with the delegitimization campaigns abroad ) is the change in the balance
of arms between the sides. Israel used to have a monopoly regarding its ability
to get arms to any point in the region (particularly via the air force ) at any
time. But now the enemy is developing unprecedented weapons-delivery
capabilities, and improving and expanding its missile and rocket arsenal.
The Obama government's declaration that it is withdrawing its proposal for a
renewed settlement construction freeze in exchange for incentives and
negotiations did not cause much of a stir here. But the breakup of the talks
with the Palestinians - at a time when the Americans have yet to propose any
substantive alternative - is likely to have long-term implications.
The U.S. focused unproductively on the freeze issue, even though some American
experts warned all along that the peace talks would yield little of substance.
Those who said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has undergone an ideological
transformation and is now prepared to accept dramatic concessions were proven
wrong: And at no stage did the Palestinian Authority demonstrate the level of
seriousness required to close a peace deal.
When Hillary Clinton paid her first visit to Israel as secretary of state, soon
after Obama's inauguration in 2009, then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert showed her
what he had offered the Palestinians. He argued that the proposals were more
generous than anything the Palestinian leadership had ever been offered by
Israel. Clinton, whose last briefing on the peace process had related to her
husband's proposal at the end of 2000, was skeptical.
"If you don't believe me, ask Abbas," Olmert said. Clinton did - and admitted
her Israeli hosts were telling the truth.
Netanyahu's views are far from Olmert's and the scenarios now facing Israel, in
the absence of negotiations, are not encouraging: They range from a unilateral
Palestinian declaration of statehood to a potential third intifada.
In the absence of progress on any track, lack of stability is fraught with
regional danger. It could mean a war under particularly difficult circumstances.
Given the lack of progress on the Palestinian track, this could be the right
time to renew substantive negotiations with Syria, as top officers in the IDF
have been recommending for months. The chief of staff and intelligence officers
do not guarantee that such a process could bear fruit, but do recommend that the
country's leaders consider the option.
As the IDF sees it, Syria is the weak link in Iran's radical axis. If Damascus
could get better access to the West and the Golan Heights in exchange for peace
with Israel, President Bashar Assad would be receptive. He is not naive when it
comes to the balance of forces between his country's army and the IDF. That is
why he showed restraint in responding to perceived Israeli encroachments (the
bombing of the reported nuclear reactor, and the assassinations of Imad
Mughniyeh and Syrian Gen. Muhammad Suleiman in 2007 and 2008 ). Nonetheless,
Assad could interpret some future Israeli operation against Hezbollah as one
provocation too many, and order some limited anti-Israeli offensive of his own.
How, for instance, would Israel respond if Syria's army were to attempt some
operation in Druze villages in the Golan Heights, or to launch a short, lethal
shelling of IDF bases accompanied by a demand for negotiations supported by
international groups?
Israel is currently deeply involved with efforts to block Iran's nuclear
project, and foreign sources say these involve preparations for a possible
military attack. However, its list of security concerns and preparations does
not end with Iran, and these Syrian scenarios are food for thought.
Ashkenazi's questions
IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi, whose four-year term will end in mid-February,
still must explain his part in the Harpaz document affair, a topic that has cast
a shadow over Israel's security leadership for the past several months. His
brief account in an Army Radio interview this week failed to draw a sufficiently
persuasive picture. The State Comptroller's Office report on this matter, which
is currently being prepared, is liable to present a troubling analysis of his
actions in this affair.
What can't be taken away from Ashkenazi - along with the processes he
implemented in the IDF following the Second Lebanon War - is his moderate, sober
line on strategic issues, including Syria and Iran. In this respect, Ashkenazi
had support from partners such as Mossad head Meir Dagan and Shin Bet chief
Yuval Diskin, both of whom will also complete their terms of service soon. Is
Ashkenazi's dispute with Defense Minister Ehud Barak related solely to these
strategic questions, or is it based on personal acrimony? The sides are divided
even about this. Some answers may lie in the state comptroller's report.
Report: Lebanon suspects citizens aided Israel in planting espionage cameras
Lebanon president prepares complaint to submit to UN over the cameras; Lebanon
radio attributes explosion Wednesday to IAF covering up espionage.
By Haaretz Service /17.12.10
Lebanon is investigating the possibility that Lebanese collaborators aided
Israel in planting the espionage cameras discovered by the Lebanese army, the
Lebanese newspaper A-Nahar reported on Friday. The Lebanese Army said on
Wednesday that it had uncovered two Israeli spy installations in mountainous
areas near Beirut and the Bekaa Valley – one on Sannine mountain and another on
Barouk Mountain. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman during a press conference on
Oct. 13, 2010.
Later that same day, an explosion in the country was attributed to the Israel
Air Force trying to destroy the discovered spy equipment, the Voice of Lebanon
radio station reported on Thursday. It is still unclear whether there is a
connection between the device that was allegedly bombed near Sidon and the spy
installations that the Lebanese Army said it had uncovered in the mountains. The
report in A-Nahar said the cameras were camouflaged in an extremely
sophisticated manner, which was causing difficulty for investigators to
determine when and how exactly they were planted. This is not the first time
that Lebanon has suspected its citizens of spying for Israel. Earlier this year,
Lebanese security authorities arrested two employees at a state-owned mobile
telecom firm on suspicion of spying for Israel. Lebanon's president is preparing
to submit an official complaint to the United Nations Security Council over the
spy instillations, Army Radio reported on Friday. While announcing his intention
to submit the official complaint, President Michel Sleiman praised on Thursday
the "importance of cooperation between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Hezbollah,
which helped uncover Israeli spy violations." Though details surrounding the
espionage cameras remain unconfirmed, Lebanon released pictures on Thursday
which show a device bearing the words "mini cloud" in Hebrew, along with the
name of the manufacturer - "Beam Systems Israel Ltd." - in English.
According to reports, the installations included photographic equipment as well
as laser and broadcast equipment. The system found on Sannine Mountain included
a camera, a device to send images and a third to receive signals, the Lebanese
army said. The device found in Barouk was "much more complicated." The Lebanese
army said it plans to remove the cameras and urged citizens to inform
authorities about any suspicious objects they find. The military was tipped off
about the systems by the militant Hezbollah group, the Lebanese army said in a
statement. Hezbollah fought a 34-day war against Israel in 2006 that left 1,200
Lebanese and 160 Israelis dead.
Report: Spying Devices Not New, Used by Nasrallah to Divert Attention from
Indictment
Naharnet/Israeli spying devices dismantled by the Lebanese army in the Sannine
and Barouk mountains date most probably to the 1980s, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth
daily reported Friday. Beam Systems, the company whose name appears on the
spying equipment, was active in the 1980s – strengthening estimates that the
uncovered equipment is not new, it said. The newspaper quoted Israeli
intelligence sources as saying that Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
used the discovery to turn attention away from the indictment that will be
issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 12:27
Israeli Army Holds Drill in Preparation for New War with Hizbullah
Naharnet/The Israeli army has completed one of the most extensive drills it has
held in recent years in preparation for a possible war with Lebanon, Ynet news
reported Friday.
Two combat units were involved in the drill that ended on Thursday. The
collaborative training event took place in the Golan Heights, it said. Thousands
of soldiers and hundreds of armored vehicles dealt with simulated antitank
missiles, rockets and mortar shells – as well as motorcycle-riding Hizbullah
operatives. "The training facilitated a simulation of an operational
environment, which requires the commanders to talk among themselves, for example
to coordinate fire… These are the things that we expect to happen during
combat," a senior officer told Ynet. The senior officer said the intensive
exercise and the Israeli army's new technology will boost troops' capabilities
on the battlefield. "It is now possible to shoot a larger number of targets over
a shorter period of time," he said. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 11:14
Lebanon: ‘Israeli markings’ on uncovered spy device
By YAAKOV KATZ /12/17/2010 00:42
LAF website publishes pictures of alleged Israeli espionage equipment found near
Beirut; Suleiman announces cooperation with Hizbullah. The Lebanese Armed Forces
on Thursday released pictures of what it said were Hebrew markings on espionage
equipment it claimed to have uncovered on mountaintops earlier this week. A
photograph released by the LAF shows a sign saying “Mini Cloud” in Hebrew and
“Beam Systems Israel LTD” in English. Also on Thursday, Lebanese President
Michel Suleiman lauded the cooperation between the Lebanese Armed Forces and
Hizbullah that led to the discovery of the alleged Israeli spy equipment.
Israeli officials have made no comment on the claims, whose authenticity is
unclear.
One of the long-range spy systems was reportedly discovered on Mount Sannine,
which overlooks Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the second was found on
Mount Barouk, southeast of the capital, the army said in a statement, which
credited Hizbullah with providing information that enabled the discoveries.
Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported that an explosion that rocked the city of
Sidon on Wednesday night was caused by an Israeli bombing of one of its
sea-based intelligence- gathering units. The IDF had issued a rare statement
Wednesday night denying that it was involved in an operation near Sidon.
If reconnaissance equipment was discovered on the mountains, which have a clear
view of the Beirut-Damascus Highway and the Bekaa Valley – a Hizbullah
stronghold – it could mean that it was placed there to follow the smuggling of
weaponry from Syria into Lebanon and possibly even designate potential targets.
If the equipment, which included cameras and laser designators, was planted by
Israel, then one key question is when this was done. One possibility is that it
was placed there during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when thousands of IDF
soldiers were operating inside Lebanon. Another possibility is that the
equipment was placed there recently in covert operations.
The discovery of alleged Israeli spy equipment hidden in boulders deep inside
Lebanon could constitute a significant blow to intelligence. Tellingly, however,
the much-hyped claims about the finds are timed to bolster Hizbullah’s efforts
to draw attention away from its troubles and to a common enemy – Israel. For
Hizbullah, the ostensible discovery of the equipment is significant since it
helps divert attention from the imminent expected indictment of top Hizbullah
operatives by the United Nations tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination
of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. Hizbullah is extremely concerned that
some of its top operatives will be accused of responsibility for the Hariri
assassination. If this happens, it would contradict the image Hizbullah has
tried to create of being the defender of Lebanon against the Israeli threat. The
“discovery” of the alleged Israeli spy equipment shows that the Israeli threat
still exists.
In other developments in Lebanon on Thursday, clashes erupted between residents
in the south of the country and officers from the UNIFIL peacekeeping force.
According to a report in the Lebanese press, residents of Tayri, a Hizbullah
stronghold, clashed with French soldiers who were trying to demarcate a location
near the village.
UNIFIL’s mandate is supposed to allow the peacekeepers access throughout
southern Lebanon, but over the past year, locals – who Israel believes are being
egged on by Hizbullah – have increased their active opposition to the UN force’s
daily patrols. Israeli defense officials have said that the increase in clashes
was likely a sign that Hizbullah was pressured by the UNIFIL presence, which was
slightly impairing the guerrilla force’s ability to operate out in the open.
Eiland: Israel does not know how to defeat Hizbullah
By JPOST.COM STAFF /12/16/2010 19:38
Former national security adviser says Israel must make clear that a war with
Hizbullah would "wreak destruction on Lebanon." Israel does not know how to
defeat Hizbullah and would suffer heavy damage to its homefront in a
head-to-head confrontation with the Shi'ite organization, a national security
adviser to former prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert was quoted as
saying by Reuters on Thursday. Maj.-Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, who chaired
Israel’s National Security Council from 2004 to 2006 and prior to that served as
head of the IDF’s Operations Branch and its Planning Directorate, said that "a
war waged only as Israel-versus-Hizbullah might yield better damage on Hizbullah,
but Hizbullah would inflict far worse damage on the Israeli homefront than it
did 4-1/2 years ago." Eiland referred to the 2006 Second Lebanon War. "Our only
way of preventing the next war, and of winning if it happens anyway, is for it
to be clear to everyone ... that another war between us and Hizbullah will be a
war between Israel and the state of Lebanon and will wreak destruction on the
state of Lebanon," Eiland stated. "And as no one -- including Hizbullah, the
Syrians or the Iranians -- is interested in this, this is the best way of
creating effective deterrence," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that recent warnings
made by Israeli officials that Lebanon would be dealt a heavy blow if Hizbullah
attacks Israel do not scare the Shi'ite organization and will not cause it to
change its goals, reported Israel Radio. During a speech to mark the Shi'ite
Muslim Ashoura festival, Nasrallah said that gone are days in which Israel
threatened or intimidated his organization. He added that Israel has been waging
a psychological war that has failed, and that Hizbullah is better today than it
was in the past.
Commenting on the international tribunal investigating the assassination of
former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, Nasrallah again blamed Israel and
the US for conspiring to divide, and stir tensions between, Shi'ites and Sunnis.
He stressed that Hizbullah rejects any attempt to blame it for Hariri's murder
and promised that the organization would defend its honor.
Date Set for Trial in Disappearance of Imam Sadr...Gadhafi
Prime Suspect
Naharnet/President of Lebanon's Judicial Council Magistrate Ghaleb Ghanem on
Friday set March 4 as the start of the trial in the disappearance of Imam Moussa
Sadr and his two companions. The hearing is set for those accused of Sadr's
disappearance, on top of them Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi.Sadr, who is still
regarded by Lebanon's Shiites as a key spiritual guide, vanished on August 31,
1978, amid mysterious circumstances and was last seen in Libya. In 2008 Lebanon
issued an arrest warrant for Gadhafi over Sadr's disappearance while he was in
Tripoli with two companions, who also went missing. Libya has denied involvement
in Sadr's disappearance. It says the man left the country for Italy, but the
Italian government has always denied he arrived there. However, in 2004 Italian
authorities returned a passport found in Italy belonging to the imam. Beirut, 17
Dec 10, 16:47
Lebanese Army Will Soon Take Delivery of French HOT Missiles
Naharnet/France will give Lebanon 100 anti-tank missiles, a government official
said on Friday, confirming a deal that raised concerns in Israel and the United
States earlier this year. "Prime Minister Saad Hariri was informed on Wednesday
of the French decision to supply the army with 100 ... HOT missiles that will be
used by the military's Gazelle helicopters," the official told AFP. "The
missiles will be delivered before the end of February and are being given with
no conditions attached," the official added. In August, a U.S. lawmaker objected
to the transfer saying the missiles could end up being used against Israel given
the influence of Hizbullah in Lebanon. "The influence of Hizbullah militants and
their Iranian and Syrian backers in the Lebanese government is rising,"
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, had said. "Therefore, to sell weapons to Lebanon at this time
would be very irresponsible and could jeopardize security and stability in the
region," she said. Local press reports had said Israel, which fought a
devastating war with Hizbullah in 2006, also expressed concerns. In November,
Washington lifted a hold it had placed on 100 million dollars in military aid to
Lebanon after receiving assurances that the army would closely monitor the
border with Israel and that the assistance would not be diverted to Hizbullah.
Hizbullah is considered the most powerful military and political force in
Lebanon.
Intelligence officials estimate Hizbullah has amassed an arsenal of more than
40,000 short and long-range rockets as well as other sophisticated weapons,
including anti-aircraft guns, that the party claims can reach deep inside
Israel.(AFP) Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 15:25
After Lebanon, Cyprus Defines Sea Border with Israel for Energy Search
Naharnet/Cyprus and Israel signed a deal that defines their sea border and
allows them to forge ahead in the search for energy sources in the eastern
Mediterranean
The agreement, which delineates an exclusive economic zone between the two
countries, was signed in Nicosia by Cypriot Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou
and Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure Uzi Landau. This is seen as
another step in Cyprus' search for undersea oil and gas deposits. The island has
already signed similar agreements with Egypt and Lebanon. The Israeli embassy in
Nicosia said the signing reflected the close relationship between the two
countries. "In light of the recent discovery of a wealth of natural resources in
the Mediterranean Sea, the delimitation of Israel's borders will play an
important role in securing Israel's vital economic interests," said an embassy
statement. It said such an agreement would offer "clarity to Israel's neighbors
as to the precise location of Israel's maritime borders and its right to natural
resources at sea."
Cyprus has signed delineation agreements with Egypt and Lebanon, which have
agreed to mutually exploit hydrocarbon deposits that criss-cross their
boundaries. But the deal with Beirut has yet to be ratified by the Lebanese
Parliament. Despite delays, Cyprus says it will soon launch a second licensing
round after the exploration procedure was launched three years ago. The Nicosia
government says it is committed to continuing consultations with its neighbors
in the search for hydrocarbon reserves within Cyprus's exclusive economic zone.
Turkey has voiced its disapproval of Cyprus's oil and gas search. In 2008,
Nicosia protested to the United Nations and European Union over what it called
Turkish harassment of ships conducting exploration surveys in Cyprus's EEZ.
Cyprus, an EU member state, has been divided since 1974 when Turkey seized and
occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered coup in Nicosia
seeking to unite the island with Greece. Texas-based U.S. firm Noble Energy has
been granted a license to search for oil in one of 11 designated blocks inside
Cyprus's exclusive economic zone off the south coast. In 2007, Cyprus launched
an initial licensing round for designated blocks covering 51,000 square
kilometers (20,400 square miles) below the Mediterranean.(AFP) Beirut, 17 Dec
10, 17:21
Hashem: Stalling in Approving False Witnesses File Places Lebanon in Eye of the
Storm
Naharnet/Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem stated on Friday that
those refusing House Speaker Nabih Berri's proposals on tackling the false
witnesses file should be held accountable for obstructing state functioning and
addressing the people's concerns. He called on the other camp to "stop hiding
behind illusory slogans", stressing that the country's main concern is
establishing a national security network. He noted that Lebanon is counting on
the success of the Saudi-Syrian initiative to end the ongoing political crisis,
saying that stalling in approving the false witnesses file threatens Lebanon and
places it in the eye of the storm. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 16:52
Bassil: Transferring False Witnesses File to Regular Judiciary is Legal Heresy
Naharnet/Energy Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Friday that the false
witnesses file is a political issue that should not be addressed through legal
measures. It should instead be tackled at Cabinet where it should be subjected
to a vote, he stated during a press conference. "It is a constitutional right to
demand a vote over an issue that has repeatedly not been finalized at Cabinet,"
he said citing article 65 of the constitution that says that matters that
Cabinet fails to reach an agreement on through consensus should be subject to a
vote. Bassil stated however that the "great obstruction" lies in "preventing us
in exercising this constitutional right." "Is it acceptable that we don't do
anything and just await the result of the Saudi-Syrian initiative?" he asked.
Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 18:38
Williams to Franjieh: Solution to Any Crisis Should be Through Dialogue
Naharnet/U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said Friday he
stressed to Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh that the solution to any
crisis should be achieved through dialogue. "We had an extensive discussion
about the current problems in Lebanon and in the region," Williams said about
his meeting with Franjieh in Bnachii.
"I underlined the position of the United Nations that the solution to any
crisis, no matter how sensitive, should be achieved through dialogue and through
working through the country's state institutions," he said. Williams said he
told Franjieh that assertions by different political parties that they wanted to
avoid conflict were reassuring. "These must be coupled with concrete steps and
actions towards a solution and away from tension and distrust."He told reporters
that he also discussed with Franjieh about the Saudi-Syrian initiative aimed at
resolving the prolonged stalemate in Lebanon. "I believe that the progress of
the regional side also needs to be coupled with progress internally and I
believe that that is possible and I hope will be forthcoming in the coming
weeks," Williams said. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 14:56
The Guardian: Lebanon Bracing for Bloodshed Over Tribunal Indictments
Naharnet/More than six months of menacing political rhetoric is likely to reach
a potent day of reckoning in Lebanon soon when indictments are handed down in
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case, a British daily said. "Tensions
are palpable on the streets of Beirut, which has cast itself as a city that rose
from the ashes of the 15-year conflict as a cosmopolitan and tolerant capital.
Now, a generation on, residents of the city and enclaves around the country are
demonstrably falling in behind sectarian positions. Many fear that bloodshed
cannot be avoided," The Guardian newspaper reported. The indictments are almost
certain to implicate at least three Hizbullah members in Hariri's murder, it
said. "I think the best scenario is to cancel the (tribunal) and continue to
live together," Paula al-Jouni, a Christian office worker in the southern city
of Tyre, told The Guardian. "We all want the truth but we don't want another war
in Lebanon." Another Tyre resident, Bassam Haddad, said: "Of course accusing
Hizbullah is the worst scenario. They must cancel this (tribunal) because the
life of one person is not worth destroying the country." "They are accusing
themselves by doing all of this," said jeweler Bakr Medekka of Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's threats.
"The civil war ended its battles," Medekka added. "But what is happening here
now is evidence that it is not finished. All of this is being caused by outside
forces. The parties here are not loyal to this place." Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 09:05
Iraqi FM: Tribunal's Indictment Could be Postponed
Naharnet/Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon would most probably postpone the release of the indictment in ex-Premier
Rafik Hariri's assassination case. "There is a tendency to postpone the release
of the indictment because of (several) demands and probably Lebanese" demands,
Zebari told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in an interview published Friday. However,
the postponement would not be for long, he said. "For example, rather than being
released this month, it (the indictment) would be released next month." Zebari
spoke to al-Hayat in New York following a Security Council meeting on Iraq.
Asked about U.S. policy towards Iran, the Iraqi foreign minister said: "Things
are heading towards calm and not towards escalation." "We sense this over the
nuclear program and the tribunal," Zebari added. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 08:13
NLP: Hezbollah should follow Syria’s lead concerning STL
December 17, 2010 /“Hezbollah should follow the Syrian leadership’s lead in
dealing with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) rather than targeting it,”
the National Liberal Party (NLP) said in a statement issued Friday. “Hezbollah’s
control over seaports and airports is highly rejected knowing that it increases
fears,” the statement added.
Tensions are high in Lebanon amid reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah
members in its investigation of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri.Nasrallah has repeatedly said that the tribunal is an
American-Israeli conspiracy against the Resistance and threatened to "cut off
the hand” of anyone who tries to arrest any Hezbollah members in the case. -NOW
Lebanon
MP,Nadim Gemayel: Some parties desire chaos
December 17, 2010 /“Some parties inside the government desire chaos, which we
are standing against,” Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel said in a statement issued
by his press office on Friday. “Our only hope is the state, which we will defend
no matter what,” he added after meeting with Beirut Maronite Archbishop Boulos
Matar. “We hope the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will find the truth and
that the holidays will bring what’s better for Lebanon.”Tensions are high in
Lebanon amid reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah members in its
investigation of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Nasrallah has repeatedly said that the tribunal is an American-Israeli
conspiracy against the Resistance and threatened to "cut off the hand” of anyone
who tries to arrest any Hezbollah members in the case. -NOW Lebanon
The only threats are his
December 16, 2010 /Now Lebanon/
“We will remain in the positions of jihad, working for the dignity of our
community and our nation in order to protect this people from all the threats
that surround us,” declared Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
on the eve of Ashura.
Seconds earlier, Nasrallah had declared that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,
the court created to find the killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
would “blow away with the wind.” The tribunal as well as the issue of the
witnesses, who are understood to have misled the court’s investigation, are now
the new obstacle being used to undermine the government and cause its ultimate
collapse, putting the final touches on a triumphant return to Lebanon by
Damascus.
But back to Nasrallah: He didn’t tell us how the court would be “overthrown,”
(He certainly has had plenty of opportunities to demonstrate that the court is,
as he claims, a plot by the international community to bring down the
Resistance) nor did he elaborate on what exactly were the “threats that surround
us.” Then again, Nasrallah doesn’t have to. As the Americans like to say, you
can take his word to the bank.
And all the empirical evidence suggests that there is only one threat
surrounding us, and that is the permanent threat that Nasrallah himself has made
on behalf of his party. If anyone dares to go up against the Resistance, it will
cut off hands. In fact, the litany of promises is as long as it is colorful. The
country has been put on hold more time than we care to mention either by
Hezbollah’s tantrums, misadventures and intransigence.
And yet Nasrallah has clearly forgotten that he doesn’t live in a vacuum. It is
all very well for him to talk of dignity of his community, but his community is
part of a greater nation, a nation that might be cursed by its reliance on
consensus, but one that is also blessed by the coexistence that this consensus
imposes.
There is no doubting his dangerous charisma. Nasrallah’s legitimacy is dependent
on maintaining the balance of fear and playing on the paranoia within his
community. Only with Hezbollah can it exist with dignity. Only with Hezbollah
can it be safe from Israeli aggression. Hezbollah exists to liberate Jerusalem
and to resist occupation.
The reality is slightly less glamorous. As there are American, European and
Israeli projects, so there are also Iranian projects. Tehran has its foot in
Lebanon and in Gaza and will soon have its foot firmly in Iraq if everything
goes according to plan. Meanwhile, its relationship with Damascus is solid
despite the best efforts of the Saudis, the Americans and the French to bring
about a defection.
Hezbollah is the jewel in the Iranian crown, a highly disciplined military unit
(arguably the most effective fighting force in the Middle East) that has managed
to sell itself to its constituents by appearing to deliver dignity, security and
welfare services, but in reality it exists to exert Iranian leverage in the
region.
It has become a poisoned chalice. The Shia have sadly been tarred by the brush
of a man who says he speaks for Lebanon but who, in fact, is on collision course
with the international community while risking plunging the nation into civil
conflict by sowing the seeds of division.
In Lebanon’s very short history, it has seen at various times, attempts by the
larger sects to impose their will on the rest of the country. They all failed.
Nasrallah must understand that he does not speak for Lebanon. He cannot oppose
the will of at least half the country, who in this case would like to see
Lebanon represented by the full force of international justice. These people
reject war; they reject sectarian violence; they reject civil obstruction and
they reject the use of fear and intimidation to achieve political ends. Above
all, they reject sedition and sabotage dressed as patriotism.
Statement by Canada'a Minister of Foreign Affairs on Iran’s Continued
Imprisonment of Bahá’í and Other Prisoners
(No. 401 - December 17, 2010 - 10:45 a.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the
Government of Iran’s continuing imprisonment of seven Bahá’í community leaders
and the ongoing denial of legal rights to other Iranians:
“I note with regret the reports that Iranian authorities are continuing the
imprisonment of the seven Bahá’í community leaders whose 10-year sentence was
announced in September 2010.
“These individuals have been held without cause for 28 months in harsh
conditions at Gohardasht Prison. The accusations against them reflect a
deliberate distortion of their religion and their service to the community.
Canada maintains that any imprisonment on such charges is too long and that
these individuals should be released unconditionally and reunited with their
families as soon as possible.
“Canada remains deeply concerned by the ongoing failure of the Iranian
authorities to meet their domestic and international legal obligations. The
Government of Canada stands firmly with the people of Iran against human rights
abuses and discrimination, as well as ill treatment of women and minorities.
“We once again urge the Government of Iran to reverse the deterioration of its
human rights situation and to meet its legal obligations, which include ensuring
due process for all those who remain in detention.”
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Melissa Lantsman
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874