LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِDecember
19/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Isaiah 14/03-14: "14:3 It will
happen in the day that Yahweh will give you rest from your sorrow, from your
trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve, 14:4 that
you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the
oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!” 14:5 Yahweh has broken the
staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, 14:6 who struck the peoples in
wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a
persecution that none restrained. 14:7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet.
They break out song. 14:8 Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars
of Lebanon, saying, “Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against
us.” 14:9 Sheol from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It
stirs up the dead for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up
from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 14:10 They all will answer and
ask you, “Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?”
14:11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, with the sound of your stringed
instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you."
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Hezbollah’s suicide
attempt/By: Hanin Ghadda/December
18/10
Hezbollah and the
"Sisterly" and "Friendly" Countries/By Tariq Alhomayed/December
18/10
Making Friends with the
Octopus: Jordan Bows to Iran/By Barry Rubin/December
18/10
Hafez Assad's biographer: Syria
won’t abandon Iran/Roee Nahmias/December
18/10
Sfeir does not rule out a Hezbollah
coup over STL indictment/yalibnan/December
18/10
Assyrians in Iraq Face a Stark
Choice: Convert, Die or Leave/AINA/December
18/10
Assyrian Umbrella Group Issues
Declaration/AINA/December
18/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December
18/10
Ban Condemns Tribunal Rhetoric,
Calls for Respecting Court's Integrity/Naharnet
Ashura sees many shunning slicing
ritual to donate blood instead/Daily Star
Qassem: No Need for Indictment ...
It Is Already Dead/Naharnet
A sound antimissile policy/Haaretz
UNIFIL: No gear seized in
standoff/Daily Star staff
Judicial Council sets trial start
date in Sadr disappearance case/Daily Star
Nasrallah rejects attempts to stir
sectarian strife/Daily Star
France Injects 1.5 Million Euro for
Hariri Tribunal/Naharnet
March 14 Sources: Nasrallah's
Decision to Exclusively Confront International Community will Harm
Lebanon/Naharnet
Lebanese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs responds to MP, Abi Nasr/Now Lebanon
LF slams FPM over media report/Now
Lebanon
Nadim Gemayel: We must wait until
February for STL indictment/Now Lebanon
Williams: UN is completely
independent/Now Lebanon
No one accepts accusing Resistance,
says Houri/Now Lebanon
Arslan to Hariri: Take Nasrallah’s
extended hand/Now Lebanon
Renewed
Efforts to Hold Cabinet Session Soon/Naharnet
Suleiman Appeases Fears,
Hopes Consensus Decision Would Be Reached Soon/Naharnet
Geagea: False Witnesses
Issue Resolved Through Indirect Voting/Naharnet
Report: Sultanov Informed
Hizbullah that Tribunal is Red Line/Naharnet
Report: Jumblat Said Cedar
Revolution Era was 'Stupid Joke'/Naharnet
Hariri Says Saudi-Syrian
Initiative Making Positive Steps/Naharnet
Date Set for Trial in
Disappearance of Imam Sadr...Gadhafi Prime Suspect/Naharnet
France Injects 1.5 Million
Euro for Hariri Tribunal/Naharnet
Hariri Meets Portuguese
Defense Minister, STL Defense Office Head/Naharnet
Sfeir does not rule out a Hezbollah coup over STL indictment /Naharnet
yalibnan/December 17, 2010 ⋅ 5:11 pm ⋅ Post a http://www.yalibnan.com/2010/12/17/sfeir-does-not-rule-out-a-hezbollah-coup-over-stl-indictment/#more-15989
During an in an interview with Al-Massira magazine that was published on Friday,
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir id not rule out a coup by Hezbollah:
“I do not rule out the possibility of a coup by Hezbollah, but carrying out a
coup is something while maintaining it is something else”, he said
Sfeir voiced hope that Lebanon overcomes the current crisis.
“The nation has faced a lot of dangers throughout its history but it has
survived,” he told al-Massira.
“Lebanon is not left alone and it is not a country that no one cares about, ” he
added
Tension escalated in Lebanon following reports that the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon will soon issue its indictment into the 2005 assassination of Lebanon’s
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Last July, the Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah said that the tribunal is “an Israeli project” that will indict
Hezbollah members. Nasrallah accused Israel of being behind Hariri’s
assassination but refused to provide the evidence to STL to support his claim.
Hezbollah and its March 8 allies have been calling for the abolition of STL.
Some leaders are concerned that should the court indict Hezbollah members, it
could lead to a repeat of the My 2008 incident when Hezbollah gunmen occupied
west Beirut and tried but failed to occupy Mt Lebanon, resulting in the killing
of over one hundred Lebanese. The Pro Syrian Al Akhbar newspaper reported
earlier in the month that Hezbollah has prepared a plan to take over Lebanon
when STL issues its indictment for the 2005 murder of the late Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri. Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun , (a close ally of
Hezbollah ) said on November 18 that Hezbollah might violently respond to an STL
indictment that accuses Hezbollah party’s members in Hariri’s assassination.
On December 7 a leading Israeli Military Intelligence official expressed
concerns that Hezbollah might seize control of Lebanese government institutions
.
“Dozens will be killed when Hezbollah uses force and takes over government
institutions,” senior Military Intelligence official Colonel Yossi Adler told
the Knesset in ‘a possible scenario if Hezbollah is indicted by STL.’ March 8
politicians have called for the cabinet to task the Justice Council with
investigating the issue of ( so called false ) witnesses who reportedly gave
unreliable testimonies to the international probe into the 2005 assassination of
former PM Rafik Hariri. However, March 14 politicians believe that the regular
judiciary should handle the matter. Chairman of the Judicial and Administration
Parliamentary Committee MP Robert Ghanem during an interview with “Arab week”
and “Magazine” on Thursday explained the issue of false witnesses : “ Article
408 and some other articles of the Lebanese Penal Code define the false witness
as the person who testifies to the judicial authorities and provides
contradictory testimony , but the testimony before the security forces or law
enforcement authorities ( not in front of a judge ) is considered a false
testimony”.
Qassem: No Need for Indictment ... It Is Already Dead
Naharnet/Hizbullah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday said there is no
need for an indictment in the murder case of ex-PM Rafik Hariri "as it is
already dead.""The indictment is dead. It has become colorless, tasteless and
useless," Qassem said during a memorial service at Berjawi hussainiya. "Suppose
the indictment is issued tomorrow, it will not change anything because we buried
it before it was issued," he added. "So the indictment to us, as Hizbullah, has
no more value." "What's Left of the indictment?" Qassem asked. "Nothing is
left." He reiterated that Hizbullah is not "worried" about the indictment.
Beirut, 17 Dec 10,
France
Injects 1.5 Million Euro for Hariri Tribunal
Naharnet/France on Friday condemned efforts to undermine the U.N. court
investigating the killing of Lebanon's former premier Rafik Hariri as it
announced a cash injection for the tribunal.
Tensions have escalated in Lebanon as the tribunal prepares to announce
indictments, which will reportedly include members of Hizbullah, a powerful
armed Shiite movement bitterly opposed to the U.N. inquiry. "This tribunal must,
in the interests of Lebanon as well as the entire region, be allowed to continue
working completely independently and in an atmosphere of calm," the French U.N.
mission said in a statement announcing the 1.5 million euro (two million dollar)
contribution. Western countries have sought to signal their support for the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon in recent weeks as it has come under increasing
attack from Hizbullah, which has denied any involvement in the 2005
assassination.
The United States last month made a 10 million dollar special contribution to
the tribunal. Britain has donated one million pounds (1.5 million dollars).
France said that the latest grant brings its total contribution to the tribunal
to 4.5 million euros since the inquiry began in 2007. "The international
community must continue to lend the tribunal its political and financial
support," the French statement said.(AFP) Beirut, 17 Dec 10,
Ban
Condemns Tribunal Rhetoric, Calls for Respecting Court's Integrity
Naharnet/UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the political rhetoric and
statements criticizing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and urged the world to
respect the court's integrity. "I have made my position loud and clear, that
this is an international independent judicial system. Nobody can interfere and
nobody can prejudge the outcome of judiciary proceedings," Ban told a press
conference in New York on Friday. "The international community must respect the
integrity" of the tribunal, he said.
About the rhetoric over the tribunal, Ban said: "It is not desirable, and I have
been discussing this matter with many leaders, not only in the region, but other
key leaders, including Quartet members." "They are all supporting the work of
the Special Tribunal on Lebanon," Ban told reporters, adding that the entire
world should back it, so that the judges and the prosecutor could carry out
their responsibilities as mandated by the Security Council resolutions. Beirut,
18 Dec 10, 07:43
Nadim Gemayel: We must wait until February for STL indictment
December 18, 2010 /“We have [to wait] until at least February to know the
content of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment,” Kataeb bloc MP
Nadim Gemayel told LBCI television on Saturday. Hezbollah believes that
everything is targeted against it, Gemayel said, adding that Hezbollah feels
strong because it weakened the Lebanese government.
“Hezbollah got used to being strong at the expense of Lebanon and its government
and army.” Tension is high in Lebanon amid reports that the STL will soon issue
its indictment in its investigation of 2005 assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. It is rumored that the indictment will name Hezbollah
members, a move the party has repeatedly warned against.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly said that the
UN-backed tribunal is an Israeli project that will indict members of his party.
-NOW Lebanon
No one accepts accusing Resistance, says Houri
December 18, 2010 /Lebanon First bloc MP Ammar Houri told OTV on Saturday that
no one accepts accusing the Resistance of the 2005 assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri.“Protecting stability in Lebanon is the major aim of
Syrian-Saudi efforts. [These] efforts [focus] on the stage after the issuance of
the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL)] indictment,” Houri said. Tension is
high in Lebanon amid reports that the UN-backed probe will soon issue its
indictment in its investigation of the Rafik Hariri murder. It is rumored that
the indictment will name Hezbollah members, a move the party has repeatedly
warned against. Saudi and Syrian officials have reportedly been communicating in
efforts to reach a compromise deal that would resolve such tensions.-NOW Lebanon
Arslan to
Hariri: Take Nasrallah’s extended hand
December 18, 2010/Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan said on
Saturday that Prime Minister Saad Hariri should take Hezbollah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s extended hand to “rescue” the current situation. “The
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will not reveal the truth. It will bury it,”
Arslan said in a press conference. “We have to [collaborate with] Syrian-Saudi
efforts, and stop the repercussions of the STL’s [pending] indictment. The
cabinet has to take a clear, courageous stance regarding the Israeli scheme
called the [tribunal’s] indictment.” Tension is high in Lebanon amid reports
that the UN-backed probe will soon issue its indictment in its investigation of
the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. It is rumored that
the indictment will name Hezbollah members, a move the party has warned against.
Nasrallah has repeatedly said that the tribunal is an Israeli project that will
indict members of his party. -NOW Lebanon
Williams: UN is completely independent
December 18, 2010 /UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams told
Voice of Lebanon (VOL) radio on Saturday that the UN is independent and does not
interfere in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) decisions - particularly
decisions pertaining to the STL’s pending indictment. Williams said that
problems between the STL and a Lebanese party are unlikely. Tension is high in
Lebanon amid reports that the tribunal will soon issue its indictment in its
investigation of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
It is rumored that the indictment will name Hezbollah members, a move the party
has repeatedly warned against.-NOW Lebanon
LF slams FPM over media report
December 18, 2010 /The Lebanese Forces issued a statement on Saturday slamming
the Free Patriotic Movement for running a story on the latter’s OTV station and
news website accusing an armed man in Achrafieh of being linked to the LF. The
LF added that the man, identified only by his initials of G.K., was arrested by
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Intelligence in Achrafieh, after which he turned out
to have a license to carry his firearm. The statement said that the FPM
fabricated its report by linking the man to armed factions it claimed belonged
to the LF. “It is shameful that the media of [the FPM] condemned a Christian man
just for carrying a licensed firearm.”The statement slammed the FPM for its
move, adding that the latter “is defending tens of thousands of rifles and
missiles carried by its allies [Hezbollah] and used every day to threaten
others.”-NOW Lebanon
Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to Abi Nasr
December 18, 2010 /Responding to Change and Reform bloc MP Nematallah Abi Nasr’s
Friday statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that its
final report on the issue regarding the ability of Lebanese nationals who reside
abroad to vote from their countries of residence has been finalized.According to
a statement issued by the ministry, the report will be submitted soon to the
related authorities, and it contains suggestions “away from the abhorrent
sectarianism that some [possess].” “Once again Abi Nasr addresses [us] through
media [platforms] instead of following the constitutional procedure to inquire
[about a certain issue],” the statement added. Abi Nasr said that Lebanese
nationals residing abroad will not be able to vote from their countries of
residence as long as Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Shami and Director General of
Emigrants Haitham Jamaa remain at their posts. The MP told the Voice of Lebanon
(VOL) radio station that Shami and Jamaa – who are Shia – are against
safeguarding the interests of the emigrants “and only care about emigration in
Africa,” a reference to the Shia faith of most Lebanese residing in Africa. -NOW
Lebanon
Hezbollah’s suicide attempt
Hanin Ghaddar , December 18, 2010
Hezbollah had more than one path, but they have obviously chosen the slippery
one. They chose to deal with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s indictment with
threats and ultimatums, leaving no option for dialogue or reason.
In his recent speech commemorating Ashura this week, Hezbollah leader Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah promised the Lebanese that Hezbollah rejects any unjust
accusation. “We will overthrow the goals of this accusation... I tell you that
the conspiracy of the international tribunal will blow away with the wind, just
like all the past conspiracies,” he stated.
Fine, but how? He did not say. Of course Hezbollah will have to do something to
confront the indictment. The question is what, not if. Scenarios range between
toppling of the government to civil unrest or even a war against Israel.
Everything is possible although none of these scenarios would actually stop the
STL from doing its job. Moreover, any option would damage Hezbollah’s image at
the popular level, both internally and regionally. But it seems they have no
choice.
Nasrallah reiterated his support of the Saudi-Syrian initiative, probably trying
to buy more time. Hezbollah has backed that initiative assuming that the
regional axis, fearing its threats of instability and strife, would offer the
Party of God a way out before the indictment comes out.
But Nasrallah is certainly aware that in a statement following President Bashar
al-Assad’s talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this month, the
Syrian president said that answering a question on Lebanon “There is no
initiative as being reported… and in the final analysis, the solution is a
Lebanese one, not Syrian, nor French or Saudi."
Additionally, in the last couple of weeks a number of messages were sent to and
from Lebanon stating that there will be no postponement of the indictment and
that any internal strife is rejected, including statements coming from Russian
Foreign Minister Deputy Alexander Sultanof and Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, who visited Lebanon recently.
If Hezbollah has eliminated all efforts to resolve the issue internally,
preferring instead to bargain on the regional powers, it could be too late for
them to switch back to the domestic level.
It seems there is something in the making. Last week, the National Union for
Labor Syndicate, which is affiliated with March 8 coalition, called for a strike
against the government’s price increases that they say is causing starvation. A
rally is supposed to take place on Tuesday in front of the seat of government.
According to the statements, this will be the first step to be followed by a
number of other demonstrations planned for January. The participants also hinted
at an escalation that would lead to a civil strife.
It is worth mentioning that the May 7 events of 2008 started with a similar
rally organized by the same group, but it involved tire burning and
disobedience, and since then, they haven’t called for another protest. At that
time, the union was considered politicized or at least taken advantage of by
Hezbollah for political purposes. Considering the timing and the context, such a
rally, which has no real or clear agenda, is worrying. This doesn’t mean that
Hezbollah is planning another May 7 attack, but it might be a way to prepare the
ground for that.
The question here is that if Hezbollah knows now that nothing will change the
indictment, why is it still going in the direction that will backfire on the
party, the Shia community and Lebanon as a country?
Hezbollah is cornered, and the indictment is not the only issue that is causing
the party’s confusion and indecision. The other, and probably the more
significant issue, is Israel’s thirst to launch another and stronger war on
Hezbollah and Lebanon and might use the indictment to do that. And this time,
Hezbollah will be alone in the face of Israel.
In 2006, Hezbollah was on the southern front fighting Israel, but the Lebanese
government and many Arab states fought on the diplomatic level. Moreover, the
Lebanese people were more than happy to receive and help the Shia refugees who
fled the South during the war.
However, Hezbollah decided since then to alienate everyone in Lebanon, and never
skipped an occasion to accuse its opponents of treason and corruption. The war
it carried internally against many in the Lebanese government and the March 14
camp has left little space for support for the resistance in any future war.
Logic says that if they’re worried Israel wants to launch another war, they need
to protect themselves by cooperating with everyone in Lebanon and drop the
aggressive rhetoric. But instead, Hezbollah has chosen a course of action that
will only expose it to Israeli attacks.
The only explanation to this suicidal approach is that they do not have the
means to take any initiative. If Iran wants them to go in this direction, they
have to do it, no matter how weak and fragile this might make them.
Nasrallah will not accept any solution unless it gives Hezbollah immunity
against the indictment and more political power.
This crazy logic will only lead to more escalation because no one is willing or
capable of providing that. The main concern is that if Hezbollah’s choice is to
commit suicide, the Lebanese should make an extra effort to protect themselves
from a move might drag the whole country into hell.
**Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon
Renewed Efforts to Hold Cabinet Session Soon
Naharnet/Premier Saad Hariri has reportedly informed members of his
parliamentary bloc that he would consult with President Michel Suleiman to call
for a new cabinet session next week.
Sources of al-Mustaqbal bloc told An Nahar newspaper that Hariri informed the
MPs that it was necessary to hold cabinet sessions to stop efforts aimed at
obstructing state institutions and take decisions on important social issues.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said Saturday that Hariri and Suleiman would make
efforts to set a cabinet session date on Wednesday or between Christmas and New
Year to end the standoff over the false witnesses issue and vote on important
financial and administrative issues. According to the newspaper, politicians are
hoping that the calmer rhetoric would help achieve some kind of a decision
inside cabinet. On Wednesday, the cabinet postponed a vote on false witnesses.
Beirut, 18 Dec 10, 08:19
Hezbollah and the "Sisterly" and "Friendly" Countries
16/12/2010
By Tariq Alhomayed/ Asharq Al-Awsat
My God…Hezbollah today believes that it has "sisterly" and "friendly" countries,
when previously these same countries were viewed as nothing more than traitors
and agents [of foreign powers]! In 2006, during an interview with the Al-Jazeera
channel, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah addressed the Arab leaders saying that
"I do not expect anything from certain Arab rulers…I am certain that some sons,
daughters, and wives of some Arab rulers are with us. But I tell the Arab
rulers, I do not want your swords and I do not even want your hearts. To say it
in Lebanese slang, the only thing I want from you is to leave us alone. Sit on
the fence and have nothing to do with us!" However Hezbollah MP Nawaf al-Musawi
has today come out to appeal to "all sisterly and friendly countries to work to
abolish the tribunal, because it will bring nothing to Lebanon except foreign
control, aggression and instability!"
The question is, why has Hezbollah remembered its "sisterly" and "friendly"
countries today? The answer is simple, and that is that Hezbollah is in real
trouble; this is due to the group's own actions and has nothing to do with a
conspiracy, as Hezbollah has continually asserted. This is a problem that arose
after Nasrallah came out last July and said that the international tribunal
would absolve Syria and accuse Hezbollah [of Hariri's assassination]. This
represented the official declaration that Hezbollah was in trouble, and rather
than resorting to wisdom, Hezbollah continued its policy of escalation, as the
group and others played the so-called "Saudi –Syrian initiative" card. This was
a gambit that Hezbollah continued to pursue day after day, even after informed
Saudi Arabian and Syrian officials were asked about this [initiative] and
answered that "there is no initiative."
However Hezbollah – whether it truly believes such an initiative exists or not –
continues to talk about this initiative, particularly since there are those [in
the group] that want to buy time. Even Nasrallah himself said that he "supports
for the Saudi – Syrian initiative" and invited others "whether they are
Iranians, Turks, Qataris, or others, to support it." This is not to mention what
has been published by some Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspapers about this
initiative, and the members of Hezbollah highlighting this [initiative] and
rejecting what was put forward by Saudi Arabia [about there not being any
initiative]. This fantasy even reached the Syrian President in Paris who [also]
said that there is no Syrian – Saudi initiative, and that the solution to this
problem would have to come from Lebanon. This is when Hezbollah woke up and
remembers the "friendly" and "sisterly" countries.
What is certain is that Hezbollah has not learned from its mistakes, or even
from its allies, for when Damascus was believed to be behind Hariri's
assassination, the Syrians did not shriek or shout, and they did not threaten
[anybody], rather they said that in the event of any Syrian national being
implicated in this crime, he would be prosecuted in Syria. This is how, in a
very simple manner, Damascus managed to leave the door open, whilst Hezbollah
has escalated the situation and threatened to "cut off the hands" of anyone who
tries to arrest any of its members, and today it is asking the aid of the
countries that it previously insulted, and their Arab leaders.
Hezbollah's greatest mistake was to ignore a very important fact, and that is
that it is a party [and not a country]; therefore it is asking the help of
counties, however countries are held to different standards and accountability
than [political] parties. Hezbollah, or indeed any party, has a narrow vision,
whilst countries have to take far more into account, meaning that they must be
flexible and prudent, however under pressure they are
Will Hezbollah realize this before it is too late, or will it continue its
policy of escalation? Here's some advice to Hezbollah, as the saying goes "when
you are in a hole, stop digging!"
Hafez Assad's biographer: Syria won’t abandon Iran
Roee Nahmias/
In special interview, British journalist Patrick Seale tells Ynet Israel
deluding itself if it believes Damascus will sever ties with Tehran. Peace
between Jerusalem and Damascus possible only in framework of comprehensive deal
that will include Palestinians, he says, adding that 'Netanyahu is doing the
exact opposite of what is needed'
Roee Nahmias/ 12.17.10, Israel News
MALTA - He spent numerous hours with the Syrian leader who was closest to
signing a peace agreement with Israel, and saw the hopes of Mideast peace fade
before his eyes. Now, 10 years later, British journalist Patrick Seale warns of
further deterioration: According to him, the Netanyahu government is not showing
a desire to achieve peace and Turkish PM Erdogan is strengthening the
Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis.
Seale, who penned two books on Syria and its deceased leader Hafez Assad - The
Struggle for Syria (1965) and Assad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East
(1988) – spoke to Ynet in Malta during the Valdai Discussion Club conference.
Since the death of Assad the father, Seale has distanced himself from the regime
in Damascus, but he still visits the country on occasion. Seale does not see a
concrete threat of a war between Israel and Syria, despite current Syrian
President Bashar Assad's belligerent rhetoric, but he does not rule it out
either. He says the Israeli government is a cause for concern not only in the
Middle East, but in the West as well. According to Seale, the settlement
enterprise poses a grave threat to western interests. He claims a resolution to
the Israel-Syria conflict is possible only if it coincides with a peace
agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Assad wants peace; he has said this a thousand times," Seale says. "Full
normalization (of Israel-Syria relations) can only transpire in the framework of
a comprehensive agreement that will include the Palestinians. Don't expect him
(Assad) to abandon the Palestinians, or Iran for that matter."
According to the British journalist, it does not appear as though the Syrians or
Netanyahu believe a peace agreement is possible.
"You saw Netanyahu planting a tree in the Golan Heights. Unfortunately, Israel
has adopted its old security doctrine. I recommend that Israel realize the
urgent need for the establishment of a Palestinian state, which will be the key
to its integration into the region and the normalization of its relations with
the Arab and Muslim world," Seale says. "The solution is so clear, but they are
doing the exact opposite."
Terror, he says, has become a global threat on the West, and the only way to
defeat it is by solving the Mideast conflict, "but he (Netanyahu) doesn’t want
to."
"The current Israeli government does not want an agreement. It wants 'greater
Israel'," he says, referring to the ongoing construction in the West Bank's
Jewish settlements.
Seale rejects the notion that Hafez Assad would not have approved of the
strengthened ties between Damascus and Tehran, saying "for Syria, the relations
with Iran are historic. They go back 30 years, and they are very tight." The
journalist says Syria feels even stronger now that it has Turkey on its side.
"This is very dangerous for Israel. I think there is a regional atmosphere of
deterioration," he says. Seale notes that Hafez Assad was the "architect" of
Syria's relations with the Islamic Republic.
"Even prior to the revolution in Iran, the Persian Shah's enemies were based in
Damascus," he says. "Syria and Iran need each other. They don't agree on
everything, this is clear. Israel and the United States don’t agree on
everything either."
Seale mentions that during his recent visit to Lebanon, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not sit still if Israel were to attack
Lebanon. "Therefore, Israel must reexamine its security doctrine, according to
which 'we must be stronger than any regional (group of countries).' This only
increases the hostility," he claims.
"I believe that if Israel attacks Lebanon or Iran, other countries may be
dragged (into the conflict)," Seale says. When asked about the Scud missiles
Syria has reportedly transferred to Lebanon, the journalist says, "Where are
they – the Scud missiles? There is no proof of this. But if Israel attacks
Lebanon there is a chance Syria will be dragged in. There is an alliance between
Iran, Syria and south Lebanon, and you cannot ask Syria to abandon this
alliance."
Ahead of the publication of the findings of a UN investigation into the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, western and
Mideast countries, particularly Israel, fear that a civil war may break out.
The UN tribunal is expected to indict high-ranking Hezbollah operatives in the
2005 Beirut bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others. The Shiite group said such
a development would cause tensions to boil over. "Everyone wants to avoid steps
that may destabilize Lebanon, which has suffered enough," Seal says. "Lebanon
and Syria have mutual interests. This must be respected. I think we'll see a
sort of compromise, but it's hard to predict."
Seale does not believe Hezbollah will resort to violence following the
publication of the investigation's findings. "Hezbollah has a smart leadership
which does not want to rule Lebanon; it wants to control Lebanon's Shiites, who
make up some 35-40% of the population," he claims.
According to the journalist, Syrian President Bashar Assad "wants to create a
modernized country; develop it economically, educationally and scientifically.
"(Assad) wants to open up to the West; this is why he recently visited Paris. He
has a lot more work to do in the fields of civil rights and freedom of
expression, but he's moving in the right direction in such a hostile region,"
Seale says.
Hariri Meets Portuguese Defense Minister, STL Defense Office Head
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Friday evening with visiting Portuguese
Minister of Defense Augusto Santos Silva.Silva is in Lebanon to inspect
Portuguese troops serving with UNIFIL in south Lebanon. Earlier Friday, Hariri
met head of the Defense Office at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Francois
Roux. Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 21:00
March 14 Sources: Nasrallah's Decision to Exclusively Confront International
Community will Harm Lebanon
Naharnet/Sources from the majority March 14 coalition on Friday said Hizbullah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasralla's decision to exclusively confront the
International Tribunal will harm Lebanon. "Such a big decision requires national
consensus," one source told the Central News Agency.Nasrallah on Wednesday
called on the rival March 14 camp to step aside and allow his party to
singlehandedly deal with a U.N. court on the murder of ex-premier Rafik Hariri.
Beirut, 17 Dec 10, 18:48
Nasrallah rejects attempts to stir sectarian strife
Hizbullah leader again labels Tribunal a ‘conspiracy,’ receives some March 14
praise
By Hussein Dakroub
Saturday, December 18, 2010
BEIRUT: A much-awaited Ashura speech by the leader of Hizbullah contained the
expected denunciation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), but earned
praise from rivals in the March 14 camp. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah dismissed the
UN-backed court investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri as “a conspiracy” that would “disappear with the wind.” He also
rejected any attempt to rekindle much-feared Sunni-Shiite strife as a result of
rising tensions over an impending indictment in Hariri’s assassination.
“The new conspiracy [disguised] in the so-called international tribunal and the
so-called indictment is targeting Lebanon and the resistance. We reject any
unjust accusation against us or against others. We will foil the goals of this
accusation. We have already foiled some goals of this accusation and we will,
God willing, foil the remaining goals,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech
Thursday, addressing a mass rally in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
His speech came on the Shiite holy day of Ashura, which marks the slaying of
Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, who was killed by armies of
the Caliph Yazid in 680 AD. “We will protect our resistance, dignity and country
from strife, aggressors and conspirators … On this day, I tell you that the
conspiracy of the [STL] will disappear with the wind, as all previous
conspiracies,” Nasrallah said.
His remarks came amid signs that the UN-appointed STL will very soon release its
indictment, which is widely expected to implicate some Hizbullah members in the
massive suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others in Beirut
February 14, 2005. The looming indictment, coupled with political tension
between the March 8 and March 14 camps over the controversial issue of “false
witnesses” linked to the UN probe, has raised fears of sectarian strife,
especially if some Hizbullah members are named in the indictment.
Nasrallah, who has labeled the STL an “American-Israeli” tool designed to incite
strife in Lebanon, has repeatedly denied Hizbullah’s involvement in the
assassination. He has vowed to reject any indictment that accuses any party
member of involvement. Nasrallah has also vowed to block any attempt to arrest
any Hizbullah member named in the indictment.
In Thursday’s speech, Nasrallah accused the US and Israel of plotting to stir up
Sunni-Shiite strife through the STL’s indictment.
“From this Islamic, faithful and jihad position, we declare our rejection of any
strife among Muslims, especially between Shiites and Sunnis,” he said, adding,
“We have always been keen to confront any form of strife which all of us must
confront because it is America and Israel’s plan for our Arab nation.”
Nasrallah called on Arab states to adopt the armed resistance option against
Israel, following Washington’s failure to revive Palestinian-Israeli peace
talks. He said the US-sponsored Middle East peace efforts are dead. In his
speech, he referred to Wednesday’s meeting in Cairo of Arab foreign ministers,
who said that the negotiations were a waste of time.
“I once again call on the entire nation to adopt the resistance option. The
negotiations are over and [a peace] settlement is dead and has reached the end
of the road. The only choice for this nation to recover the land, dignity and
holy places is the path of resistance,” he said. Declaring that Hizbullah will
never recognize Israel, Nasrallah scoffed at recent Israeli threats against
Lebanon because of tensions over the indictment. “These threats are no more than
a failed and impotent psychological war,” he said.
He added that Hizbullah, which fought a 34 day war with Israel in 2006, was
ready to repulse any new Israeli attack on Lebanon.
“I tell the Zionists: We are today better [prepared] than before. We are better
in morale, faith, spirit, determination, equipment, men and the capability to
confront,” he said. Nasrallah said that Hizbullah was committed to Lebanon’s
stability and national unity as well as “sound and humanitarian relations among
all its sects and communities.”
Nasrallah’s speech won praise from some MPs from Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s
parliamentary bloc, in sharp contrast with previous speeches which drew
criticism from March 14 politicians. In an interview with the Voice of Lebanon
radio station, Education Minister Hassan Mneimneh described Nasrallah’s speech
as “calm,” saying he did not issue threats or accusations against any domestic
parties, contrary to previous speeches. “The speech contained new positive
points. For the first time, Nasrallah said that the assassination crimes,
particularly the assassination of martyr Rafik Hariri, are national crimes,”
Minyeh MP Ahmad Fatfat said. For his part, Beirut MP Ammar Houri told Asharq
radio station that he saw positive elements in Nasrallah’s speech when the
Hizbullah leader spoke about preventing sectarian strife.
Ashura sees many shunning slicing ritual to donate blood instead
By Mohammed Zaatari /Daily Star staff
Saturday, December 18, 2010
NABATIEH: The town of Nabatieh commemorated Ashura Thursday, with many
southerners practicing the bloodletting ritual of slicing their foreheads, while
others preferred to donate blood to health committees. Crowds gathered at the
town’s central square, dubbed Ashura Square, where thousands of people heard a
local imam tell the story of the battle of Karbala, and watched a re-enactment
of the battle along with the suffering and death of Imam Hussein.
Ashura, one of the holiest occasions in Shiite Islam, is observed as a day of
mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet
Mohammad, who was killed along with members from his family by the army of the
Umayyad Caliph Yazid on the tenth day of Muharram, year 61 in the Islamic
calendar.
The ritual sees Shiites engage in self-flagellation and bloodletting to
commemorate Hussein’s martyrdom.
Mohammad Maatouq, a nine-month-old infant, was carried by his father to Khodr
Kamal, who sliced his forehead.
“This is a sacrifice for Hussein and his baby Abdullah, who was beheaded,” the
father told The Daily Star, as he patted the baby’s forehead to widen the wound.
“We are giving up very little compared to the sufferings of [Hussein and his
family].” Moments later, Mohammad’s elder brother Ahmad underwent the same
procedure, as ordered by his father.
While some admired the scene and took photographs using their mobile phones,
others expressed their irritation with the father, who smiled and took his baby
to a nearby tent, where his wound was treated. Kamal, who has carried out the
ritual slicing for several decades, labeled the practice an intensely spiritual
one. “It is a voluntary act to get closer to God,” he said, The same scene was
repeated as terrified children cried as the razor approached their foreheads.
“Haidar! Haidar! Haidar!” chanted dozens of men and teens as they hit their
bleeding foreheads when leaving the Hussayniya courtyard for the central square
– some of them fainting during their procession. Ali Qanso, 30, accused the
media of misrepresenting the occasion. “Since I was a child, I have sliced my
forehead. It’s a form of worship, obedience and a sacrifice to Hussein,” he
said. “You media outlets distort the occasion by focusing on children … Leave us
alone!” Some women encouraged their children to slice their foreheads. Fatima
Ayoub, who came with her child Hussein from the village of Salaa in the qada of
Tyre, labeled such rituals “sacred.” “We are mourning [the family of Hussein],
and the revolt of Hussein against oppressors,” she said.
Only a few meters away, the blood was still flowing, but from men lying down to
donate blood. The young men gathered near ambulances and tents affiliated with
Hizbullah’s Islamic Health Committee (IHC) and Lebanese Red Cross. Hizbullah and
the late Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Fadlallah both banned the slicing of
foreheads during Ashura, but some members from the Shiite sect still practice
the ritual. As he waited his turn in line, Hassan Farhat said “those liters of
blood which we donate please Imam Hussein in Heaven, while that blood is
useless,” he said, pointing in the direction of the more traditional Ashura
ritual. According to sources from the IHC, more than 300 blood units were
donated in Nabatieh and surrounding areas, all of which were distributed to
hospitals and health centers.
Judicial Council sets trial start date in Sadr disappearance case
By The Daily Star /Saturday, December 18, 2010
BEIRUT: A trial date for the case of the 1978 disappearance of Imam Musa Sadr
has been set for March, amid uncertainty about the judicial body that will look
into the matter. The National News Agency said Friday Ghaleb Ghanem, who heads
the Judicial Council, set March 4 as a date for the trial to kick off. In 2009,
the Judicial Council indicted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and 16 of his aides
in the disappearance of Sadr. The Iranian-born Sadr, together with his two
companions Abbas Badreddine and Mohammad Yaqoub, disappeared during an official
trip to Libya in 1978. Libya claims that Sadr left the country for Italy. In
2006, Italy wrapped up probes in the Sadr case and concluded that there was no
proof of Libyan involvement. Politicians from Lebanon’s Shiite community have
long demanded judicial action in the Sadr disappearance case and holds Gadhafi’s
regime responsible for revealing Sadr’s fate. Beirut boycotted the latest Arab
Summit, held in Libya, over the issue. However, Ghanem’s term as head of the
Judicial Council will officially end this month, as he reaches the official age
of retirement. His post will remain vacant until the government appoints a
successor, and the Cabinet has been in limbo since early November over political
disputes related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. – The Daily Star
UNIFIL: No gear seized in standoff
By Mohammed Zaatari /Daily Star staff
Saturday, December 18, 2010
SIDON: The latest confrontation between south Lebanon residents and personnel
from the United Interim Force for Lebanon (UNIFIL) resulted in no confiscated
equipment by angry civilians, according to a UNIFIL spokesman. UNIFIL spokesman
Andrea Tenenti told The Daily Star Friday a “misunderstanding” had led to a
stand-off the day before, when personnel from UNIFIL’s French Battalion
encountered villagers from the village of Tiri in Bint Jbeil. While news reports
Thursday maintained that locals in the village of Tiri had confiscated GPS
equipment belonging to the French troops, Tenenti said the reports were
inaccurate. Security sources in Bint Jbeil maintained that town residents
intercepted members of the UNIFIL patrol when the soldiers were transferring
photos taken in the area to a laptop computer. Tenenti said Lebanese Army
personnel intervened immediately to head off any further tension.
Hassan Zeitoun, mayor of Deir Kifa where the French battalion is based, said
relations between locals and UNIFIL were “good,” adding unprincipled media
reports would not affect the ties. –
Making Friends with the Octopus: Jordan Bows to Iran
By Barry Rubin
December 16, 2010
http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/12/making-friends-with-the-octopus-jordan-bows-to-iran
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Here's an old joke that applies to the contemporary Middle East. The Lone Ranger
was a Western lawman who chased bad guys with his friend, a Native American
named Tonto. One day, they were surrounded by dozens of Native American
warriors.
The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and said, "Don't worry! We can fight them off."
Tonto replied, "What do you mean 'we,' Paleface?"
Or, in other words, if your friend decides he can't rely on you to get him out
of a jam he can always change sides.
Which brings us to Jordan. Let me begin by telling a story I've never recounted
before. The year is 1990, after Iraq has invaded and seized Kuwait. I'm sitting
in a meeting with some high-ranking Jordanian military officers and officials
(don't ask, it's a long story).
Someone asks what they would do if Iraq's army appeared on Jordan's border and
Saddam Hussein asked safe passage to attack Israel. Before responding, the
highest-ranking Jordanian there leaned over to the man sitting next to him and
whispered in Arabic, "Of course, we'd fight them!"
At the time, of course, the Jordanians knew they could depend on their
superpower ally, indeed the only country of that type in the world, the United
States.
In 2003, of course, Saddam was overthrown. From Jordan's standpoint, though, he
was replaced by Iran as a threat. And just as the Jordanians had wanted and
needed American protection from Baghdad now it required that shield to save it
from Iran. We already knew this, of course, but the Wikileaks have documented
that fact.
Even in 2004, King Abdallah warned Americans about the Iranian threat. According
to the State Department cable, Jordanian officials called Iran an "octopus"
whose tentacles "reach out insidiously to manipulate, foment, and undermine the
best-laid plans of the West and regional moderates."
According to the Jordanian government, Iran's "tentacles," its allies in seizing
control of the region and putting into power revolutionary Islamism, are Qatar,
Syria, Hizballah, Hamas, and Shia Muslims in Iraq.
Now, however, the king is singing a different tune. In fact, he has just
accepted an invitation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to go to
Tehran. It is "imperative," says the king, "to undertake practical steps for
improving Jordanian-Iranian relations."
Why is it that suddenly the king finds this to be so imperative? Because Iran is
getting stronger-and may soon have nuclear weapons-and he can't depend on the
United States to protect him. This is one more signal about how "regional
moderates" feel about the current situation.
President Barack Obama thinks he's being nice to "Arabs" and "Muslims." In fact,
he's being mean to America's friends. And they will do whatever is necessary to
save themselves. If the United States cannot or will not protect them, they find
it "imperative" to get in good with its enemies.
Maurice
Vellacott, MP
Saskatoon-Wanuskewin
Government of Canada suspends
Old Age Security benefits for prisoners
For Immediate Release December 17, 2010
OTTAWA – Yesterday, Bill C-31, the federal legislation that stops the payment of
Old Age Security benefits to convicted criminals, became law.
The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development,
announced the passage of Bill C-31, An Act to Amend the Old Age Security Act,
which ends Old Age Security benefits to prisoners. “It is wrong that convicted
killers like Clifford Olson were receiving taxpayers’ entitlements such as Old
Age Security benefits,” said Minister Finley. “Our government made a commitment
to Canadians to end these entitlements for prisoners, and we have delivered on
our commitment.”
“It’s great to see that this government is putting victims and taxpayers first,
ahead of criminals. The suspension of Old Age Security benefit payments to
inmates does just that,” said Ms. Sharon Rosenfeldt, President of Victims of
Violence. “I commend Prime Minister Harper and Minister Finley for taking
leadership on this important issue and ending entitlements for convicted
criminals.”
“It is common sense that prisoners who are already receiving taxpayer-funded
room and board should not also receive Old Age Security. That is why Canadians
are upset and outraged. This bill is important for the principles of fairness,”
added Ms. Rosenfeldt.
In addition to suspending Old Age Security benefits for federal inmates who have
sentences of two years or more, the Government of Canada will begin negotiations
with the provinces and territories to implement these changes for provincial and
territorial inmates who have sentences exceeding 90 days.
Low-income spouses and common-law partners of prisoners will not lose their
entitlement to the income-tested Guaranteed Income Supplement and the
Allowances.
Old Age Security benefit payments will be suspended the month following an
inmate’s incarceration. Benefits will start or resume the month the individual
is released.
For further comment, call (613) 992-1966 or (613) 297-2249
Backgrounder
OLD AGE SECURITY
The Old Age Security (OAS) program is the cornerstone of Canada’s retirement
income system.
In order to be eligible to receive OAS benefits, applicants must have resided in
Canada for a minimum of 10 years, after age 18. A person applying for OAS
benefits who has fewer than 10 years’ of residence in Canada may nevertheless
qualify for a partial benefit if he or she has accumulated pension credits from
one of the countries with which Canada has an international social security
agreement. With 40 years of residence in Canada, a full pension can be received.
The OAS program offers three types of benefits:
1. The OAS basic pension: This pension is paid to individuals aged 65 or older
who meet the residence requirements. In 2009−2010, 4.7 million seniors received
$27.3 billion in OAS pension benefits.
2. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): The GIS is paid to individuals
receiving the OAS basic pension who have little or no other income. In
2009−2010, 1.6 million seniors received $7.7 billion in GIS benefits.
3. The Allowances: The Allowance is paid to individuals aged 60 to 64 whose
spouse or common-law partner receives the GIS. The Allowance for the Survivor is
paid to individuals between the ages of 60 and 64, who have little or no income,
and whose spouse or common-law partner has died, and who have not remarried or
entered into a common-law relationship. In 2009−2010, 94 000 people approaching
their senior years received $535 million in Allowances.
OAS benefits are adjusted quarterly in January, April, July and October to
reflect changes in the cost of living, as measured by the Consumer Price Index
(CPI). The Old Age Security Act contains a guarantee that ensures that OAS
benefits are not reduced, even when there is a decrease in the CPI. As such, if
the CPI goes down, OAS benefits will remain the same.
Individuals must apply for OAS benefits. They do not start automatically.
Assyrian
Umbrella Group Issues Declaration
GMT 12-18-2010 2:30:39
Assyrian International News Agency
The 27th World Congress of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) took place in
Erbil, Iraq from December 2 through December 4, 2010, with the participation of
Assyrian representatives from around the world. After extensive, elaborate and
open discussions on the condition of Assyrians on both the ancestral lands and
in the Diaspora or exile, the following resolutions were unanimously approved.
WHEREAS, the Assyrian Universal Alliance, a representative body of Assyrian
organizations worldwide,
considers Iraq, the birthplace and ancestral land of the Assyrian nation, a very
special and holy land in which God chose to establish His Garden of Eden where
he placed Adam and Eve, His first creations, the proud birthplace of the
Assyrian and Babylonian empires whose people gave the world its first
civilization and the Code of Law, a land whose people developed one of the first
written languages, a land whose awe-inspiring archaeological artefacts adorn the
museums of the western world, a land whose scientists, philosophers and learned
people have contributed so much to the human civilization and mankind; and
observes that Iraq is a land whose inhabitants, regardless of their religion,
ethnicity, or political affiliation, have endured many wars, injustices and
heart-breaking suffering; and
is deeply and acutely concerned with the situation of Assyrians in their
homeland, where Assyrians are not recognized as the indigenous people of the
Federal Republic of Iraq, but rather as a religious minority; and
strongly condemns the intolerable denial of equal rights of Assyrians in Iraq,
and deplores all acts of persecution, terrorism, beheadings, kidnappings,
extortion and killings committed against them, and particularly our religious
figures, causing massive and disproportionate internal displacements and forced
migration of our people from Iraq; and
RECALLING
that the Sayedat al-Nejat Church in Baghdad was terrorized on October 31, 2010
resulting in the deaths of numerous innocent and defenceless parishioners, their
children and holy fathers, the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) strongly
condemns this act of terrorism and all others directed at the Christians in
Iraq, and all other places of worship worldwide; and
that the school bus bombing of our innocent people near Mosul on May 2, 2010
claimed the lives of several students, maimed many others, and left a dark
psychological fear on the soul of the survivors; and
that Assyrians have a long history of persecution throughout the Middle East
including their persecution before and after WWI and the genocide committed
against them during WWI; and
the denial of our political and national rights at the Lausanne Conference and
by the League of Nations after WWI; and
the Simmel Massacre in 1933, the Soria Massacre in 1969, the subsequent
oppression and persecution of Assyrians by the former Iraqi regimes; and
the continued hostilities against indigenous Assyrians in Iraq since 2003
resulting in an exodus of one half of the 2.5 million of our people; and
REAFFIRMING
AUA's unwavering condemnation of all acts of terrorism and violence worldwide;
and
Assyrians' inherent identity as the most indigenous people of Iraq; and
that Assyrians are entitled to an autonomous region on our ancestral lands in
northern Iraq, as an integral part of the Federal Republic of Iraq; and
the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Iraq; and
NOW THEREFORE, the AUA:
Condemns the tragedies against the people of Iraq and demands worldwide support
for the federal government of Iraq to fight all kinds of terrorism in the
country.
Condemns the terrorist acts carried out against all Iraqis and including acts
against Iraq's indigenous and defenseless minorities.
Welcomes the recent agreement establishing a new government for Iraq, and
expresses gratitude to all the concerned parties who contributed to paving the
way for this successful act.
Pleads that the new government place a priority on the serious and dire
situation of the Assyrian people and to help them in a fundamental way.
Draws the attention of the world to the tragedies befallen the Assyrian people
and demands worldwide support to save this ancient and indigenous people of
Iraq.
Demands the immediate establishment of an Assyrian autonomous region, as part of
the Federal Republic of Iraq, on our ancestral lands in northern Iraq, which
region shall include an indigenous parliament, and a security force.
Demands the establishment and implementation of a repatriation program and
necessary appropriation and assistance to returnees, so that Assyrian people may
serve as the most faithful citizens of Iraq, contributing to the development of
our beloved homeland.
Demands the establishment and implementation of a special program by the federal
government of Iraq to take all necessary measures to save and protect the
Assyrian archaeological, sacred and historical sites.
Emphasizes the necessity of and thereby requests that in the forthcoming census
of Iraq there be an accurate count of all Assyrians, which census shall include
not only those Assyrians in Iraq but also all Assyrians in the Diaspora, and
requests that Iraq's federal government take all necessary measures to ensure
that all future census programs are undertaken under an appropriate and
effective level of supervision by recognised international and human rights
organizations.
Appeals to all countries neighbouring Iraq to extend their continued support to
all Iraqi refugees, of whom the Assyrian people comprise a large number of the
displaced population, and to advance incentives for their voluntary and safe
return to Iraq.
Appeals to all countries neighbouring Iraq to recognize the necessity of an
Assyrian autonomous region in Iraq, and accordingly to encourage its immediate
formation.
Appeals to the international community and the United Nations to recognise the
historical significance of the Assyrian rights, and to thereby encourage,
motivate and implement plans and policy for the federal government of Iraq to
secure an Assyrian autonomous region for Assyrians on our ancestral lands in
northern Iraq, as an integral part of the Federal Republic of Iraq.
Appeals to all Assyrian communities worldwide in the wake of the terrible
suffering of the Assyrian people to join and collaborate together regardless of
religious, ideological, national and cultural differences to establish an
Assyrian autonomous region on our ancestral lands.
Designates "1st of July" as "Assyria Day" and proclaims it a national day, and
therefore requesting all Assyrians throughout the world to observe this day as a
symbol of our national revival day, "Return to Assyria."
Assyrian Universal Alliance
Copyright (C) 2010, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use.
Assyrians in Iraq Face a Stark Choice: Convert, Die or Leave
12-18-2010 2:9:31
Assyrian International News Agency
November was a fairly quiet month in Iraq. An estimated 298 civilians were
killed in bomb explosions or shootings. The November lull followed one
particularly bloody day on Oct. 31, when gunmen wearing suicide vests jumped the
security wall at the Chaldean Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation in
Baghdad. Claiming they were members of
al-Qaida's Iraqi affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, the gunmen held more than
100 congregants hostage.
Iraq Security Forces attempted a rescue that evening. Blood and pieces of human
flesh sprayed onto the church altar when gunmen began to shoot and blow up the
hostages. They murdered 58 worshipers, including two priests.
After the massacre, the ISI issued a statement that defined churches as "The
dirty place belonging to the infidels that Iraqi Christians have long used as a
base to fight Islam." The group promised more attacks, declaring all Christians
as "legitimate targets."
The church attack was the first time that most Western media had covered any
news of the Assyro-Chaldean community in Iraq. In larger context, the Assyrians
are targets of persecution from Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis. Lacking the power or
influence to defend themselves, they are in danger of disappearing as a
community in Iraq.
"I will clearly say this: What is happening in Iraq is, at the minimum, ethnic
cleansing. Other people will say it is genocide, even if the numbers are not
there, because the Assyrians are being killed in a deliberate and strategic
way," said Dr. Elmer Abbo, assistant professor of medicine, University of
Chicago Medical Center, and executive director of the Assyrian American National
Coalition.
"We're being oppressed to the point where we're being pushed out of the country.
Sometimes, it is under direct force where people come to your door and say
'convert, be killed or leave.' Those are the options. Whenever there's a church
bombing, it says: You are not welcome here. Leave, or we will kill you."
Before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, approximately 1.5 million Assyrians lived
in Iraq. Today, around 600,000 remain. This minority community descended from
the Aramaic-speaking indigenous population of Mesopotamia. They adopted
Christianity in the first century C.E.
The current persecution represents a rapid acceleration in a long history of
oppression that dates back, to the Assyrian Genocide of 1917-'18.
As the Ottoman Empire began falling apart, the Young Turks (the late Ottoman
Empire leadership) instigated a series of violent mass-murder campaigns against
Christian minority communities that included Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.
"Three-quarters of the Assyrian population was killed at that time," said Dr.
Abbo. "That clearly was a genocide. Since then, there have been episodes of
persecution and systematic marginalization of Assyrians in Iraq. But, at least
we were left alone for the most part until the current war. That put us in the
crossfire."
The Assyrians were left alone largely because Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq
from 1979 to 2003, was a nationalist. In a land artificially created out of the
ruins of the Ottoman Empire, composed of multiple ethnicities and religious
sects, Saddam saw Arab nationalism as the key to uniting Iraqis. Nationalism --
and Saddam's use of political terror -- worked to unite Iraq until the U.S.
invasion of 2003.
In post-Saddam Iraq, both Arab and non-Arab communities (especially Kurds) made
bids for power. Vulnerable non-Arab minorities, like the Assyrians, have become
targets of discrimination in many aspects of social and political life in Iraq
and the Kurdish Autonomous Region. More worrisome, the Assyrian community has
turned into soft targets for al-Qaida and other fundamentalist Islamist
organizations.
"It's important not to frame this issue entirely as an attack against
Christians," insisted Dr. Abbo. "It's much more than that. We are Christian.
But, before we were Christian we were Assyrian.
"Framing it as a Christian problem only undermines our claim and our right to be
in Iraq. We belong in Iraq, because we're indigenous to Iraq. This is our
homeland. We shouldn't be in Iraq to preserve Christianity, but because Iraq is
our homeland.
"Iraqis are attacking us because we are Christian, and some of the persecution
is tied to identifying us to being proxies to the West. But, in a larger
political context, the leaders in Iraq are afraid if they give us rights or
grant us authority over land, some kind of semiautonomous control, that would
lead to a fracturing and destabilization of Iraq.
"In the north, the attacks by the Kurds against us are completely geopolitically
driven and have nothing to do with religion. The Kurds have aspirations to
expand the Kurdistan Regional Government into the lands that we claim. Our
claims to have authority over our own land challenge the Kurdish aspirations.
And, it gets more complicated than that, because much of the land within the
Kurdish region was originally Assyrian.
"Of course, there are elements in Iraq who are anti-Christian. But, that cannot
be the justification for American action. America can't be seen as going into
Iraq to save a bunch of Christians. That wouldn't be received positively in
Iraq. It would reinforce the element of foreigners being seen as crusaders. If
America is going to help Assyrians, it has to be as helping the indigenous
people of Iraq stay in their native land."
The often-stated reason for Operation Iraqi Freedom was to help create a
democracy in Iraq. In theory, that means all sorts of people -- including
minorities -- should be able to live freely in Iraq.
To operationalize freedom in Iraq, the U.S. could have leaned on the Iraqi
leadership to create structures that guaranteed the rights for all its citizens.
That might have meant the implementation of policies that would guarantee rights
for all minorities in Iraq. For example, the U.S. could have supported the
creation of a local police force in the Nineveh Plain, where the Assyrian
population is concentrated. At one time, factions of the Iraqi government passed
a law to support this idea. But, the Kurdish Regional Government blocked all
talk of a local police force in the Nineveh Plain. And, the U.S. chose not to
interfere.
"More important than local police forces, what we are trying to achieve is the
implementation of Article 125 in the Iraqi Constitution that allows for the
implementation of a local administrative unit," said Dr. Abbo. "This would allow
minorities to administer their local affairs. We'd like to see the development
of an administrative unit in the Nineveh Plain, the area where the greatest
number of Assyrians still lives.
"Even if things quiet down, the opportunities for the next generation of
Assyrian children may not be there. We're finished as a community in Baghdad, at
least for several generations. The only alternative I see is to create an
Assyrian center in the Nineveh Plain. We're not talking about autonomy or an
independent state, but a place that is sustainable with a growing economy. We
could sustain a community in such a place.
"Our population was relatively stable before 2003. But, the persecution we've
suffered since the war has been devastating. I do think the U.S. needs to
recognize that Assyrians are seriously in threat of suffering significant
cultural collateral damage. The U.S. has the moral obligation to see that this
cultural extinction will not happen."
Obviously, the Iraqi government should provide effective security measures in
Baghdad, Mosul and other areas where minority groups are targets of al-Qaida and
other terrorist groups. With the disappearance of its indigenous people, there
will be no democratic future for Iraq.
The church massacre in Baghdad did generate some reaction from the international
community, more so than in the past. But, the overall reaction has been weak.
The Assyrian community in the United States has charged that instead of a
serious global discussion of the ethnic and religious cleansing of the
Assyrians, the political reaction in the West has been to avoid the issue
altogether.
If this condition persists and no serious efforts are taken for the protection
of this people, they will flee Iraq. Is any Western country ready and willing to
receive thousands of refugees? Is any government willing to orchestrate a safe
mass exodus and relocate the community near already established Assyrian
communities, so that the integration into a new life will not be a complete
culture shock?
This is the historical precipice at which the Assyrian community finds itself,
said Dr. Abbo.
"For the first time in history, there are more Assyrian people living outside
our traditional homeland than inside. There are concerns that if our people
continue to leave the country, in 10 years, our culture will cease to exist in
our homeland. Then, how long will our culture continue to exist in foreign lands
that we emigrate to? If we become a culture fully in the diaspora, the
legitimate concern is that we will cease to exist as a distinct culture in a few
generations. So, when people say this is a genocide, this is the possible future
they are playing out in their minds."
By Aaron Howard
www.jhvonline.com
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