Orders for bombing came from Syr

LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
APRIL 23/2006

Below news from miscellaneous sources for 23/04/06
Aoun Accuses Anti-Syrian Coalition of Using him as Scapegoat -Naharnet
Lebanon Challenges Syria on Relations-ABC News
Lebanese premier says UN to help settle Shebaa farms disputeLebanese Lobby
Orders for bombing came from Syria-Jerusalem Post
Lebanon in historic transition: Lebanese PM-People's Daily Online
Saudi Ambassador visits local Arab/Muslim community-Arab American News
Geagea: Lahoud Is a 'Mine' Planted by Syria that Should be Defused-Naharnet
Australian Fugitive Tony Mokbel's Relatives Deny he is Hiding Out in their Village-Naharnet
Syria raising funds to pay for defense of Hariri murder suspects-Ya Libnan
The Iranian Rhythm.By: Raghida Dergham-AlAhyat

Aoun Accuses Anti-Syrian Coalition of Using him as Scapegoat After Failing to Oust Lahoud
Naharnet: Gen. Michel Aoun, in his latest outburst in the roaring war of word with Saad Hariri's Future Movement, has accused anti-Syrian politicians of using him as a scapegoat after failing to oust President Emile Lahoud. "As everyone knows, the majority that has been asking for the president's resignation has backed down from its demand because they failed to agree," Aoun told reporters Friday after meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in Bkirki. He said there was no dispute with Hariri's party, but accused it of launching a campaign against him after he held it and its allies in the ruling majority responsible for the country's spiraling debt and lack of democracy. "There is no quarrel between us. They commented on a TV interview that I gave…and I was surprised by the low-level language that was totally inappropriate," Aoun said.
Over the past week, Aoun and Hariri's party have been trading fierce accusations though the press. After Aoun called the young legislator "immature" and "dictatorial," the Future Movement said the former military commander was driven by his "instinctive lust for power." These tit-for-tat statements have been a daily occurrence since Wednesday.
Aoun accused the Future Movement's allies in the anti-Syrian coalition of trying to turn public opinion against him after they failed in their campaign to remove President Emile Lahoud from office. "These people failed in their attempt to oust the president and now they are trying to distract the people with something else," the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement said. The anti-Syrian alliance, which has a majority in parliament, does not command the necessary two thirds vote to end the head of state's extended term. It sought to win over the support of other parties, including Aoun's FPM to achieve its goal.
Aoun, who has announced his candidacy for the top executive post, refused to join the majority's campaign, saying Lahoud's successor should be named first. He has said he would not back any other contender than himself for the presidency.
Aoun said the Future Movement and its allies should bear responsibility of the country's staggering $38 billion debt and the corruption plaguing the country. He called for an investigation of all missing funds. Asked if the FPM would seek the government's resignation, Aoun said such an issue will be discussed with his allies in due course. "What is needed is a complete transformation of policy or else we will reach a very bad situation," he added. Aoun was a key member of the March 14 anti-Syrian coalition that along with international pressure drove Syria out of Lebanon after former premier Rafik Hariri's assassination. However, he later fell out with his allies and signed a cooperation agreement with Hizbullah.
Beirut, 22 Apr 06, 10:45

Lebanon Challenges Syria to Establish Diplomatic Relations and Mark Disputed Border
UNITED NATIONS Apr 22, 2006 (AP)— Lebanon's prime minister challenged Syria on Friday to show it accepts true independence in its smaller neighbor by establishing diplomatic relations and marking the two countries' disputed border.
Syria's deputy U.N. ambassador responded that his country respected Lebanon's sovereignty and independence and is willing to demarcate the border. But Syria is not yet willing address the most contentious issue, control of the disputed Chebaa Farms area, deputy U.N. ambassador Milad Atieh said.
He also said Damascus will consider exchanging ambassadors "if there is a mutual desire."
Israel captured the Chebaa Farms area when its forces seized Syria's Golan Heights in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Lebanon claims the area but the United Nations determined that it is Syrian, and that Syria and Israel should negotiate its fate.
The Syrian president has publicly backed the Lebanese claim but Atieh said Damascus would only address the issue after an Israeli withdrawal. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora called Syria's response unacceptable, saying Lebanon wants to quickly demarcate the entire border, including Chebaa Farms, on maps. The boundary in the Chebaa Farms area can physically be marked after an Israeli withdrawal, he said.
Saniora also said he wants to establish the same formal diplomatic ties that Syria has with other Arab nations.
The assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005 led to Syria's withdrawal of troops from Lebanon after 29 years. Anti-Syrian legislators gained the majority in parliamentary elections that followed.
Saniora told the Security Council that "it is a major challenge to put the Lebanese-Syrian relations on the right footing."
"The scars left by the dramatic developments of the past 19 months, and the heavy-handed interference in Lebanese domestic affairs by the Syrian security establishment for many years, are not easy to heal," he said.
The 14 major Lebanese political parties agreed unanimously that relations between Lebanon and Syria "should be strong and positive based on mutual respect, parity and noninterference," Saniora said.
He said a Syrian "positive response" to requests to establish diplomatic relations and delineate the border would be "an indication that the Syrian government is beginning to accept the idea that good relations are possible between Syria and an independent Lebanon." Saniora said he had asked U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to clarify what specific actions would be required to declare the Chebaa Farms Lebanese territory, and Annan promised to respond after studying the request with U.N. legal advisers. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Lebanese premier says UN to help settle Shebaa farms dispute (Roundup)
By DPA-Apr 22, 2006 -New York - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora voiced hope Friday for the possible return of the Shebaa farms to Lebanon, currently occupied by Israel, saying the UN would set the conditions for their return.
Appearing before the UN Security Council earlier in the day, Siniora also urged Syria to accept an independent Lebanon, normalize diplomatic relations and accept the delineation of borders between the two neighbours.
Siniora said that relations with Syria are a \'major challenge\' for Beirut because of \'heavy-handed interference in Lebanese domestic affairs by the Syrian security,\' and other events in the last 19 months. He asked Syria to show \'a genuine recognition that a free and sovereign Lebanon can have good relations with Syria and can serve the Syrian and Arab interests better.\'
On the disputed Shebaa farms, Siniora said Secretary General Kofi Annan would make specific recommendations in order to reach a solution. Shebaa is a 42-square-kilometre area bordering Syria\'s Golan Heights and has remained under Israeli control despite Israel\'s pullout from southern Lebanon in 2000.
\'The UN is the very place for settling the issue,\' Siniora told reporters after meeting with Annan. He said the conditions will be set by the UN because the Shebaa farms are an issue for Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Arab nations.
Siniora also told the council that Syria supports the Lebanese claim to the Shebaa farms but had made no efforts to help return them to Lebanon. But Damascus said it could not act because the farms are under Israeli control.
The Lebanese prime minister said Beirut has submitted all documents and maps claiming the farms as Lebanese territory to the UN, which would study them in an attempt to settle the issue once for all.
\'We look forward for an active role by the UN in helping us achieve those rightful demands,\' Siniora said, adding that the \'liberation\' of the farms would restore Lebanon\'s sovereignty to all of its territory.
Siniora appeared before the council in New York following talks with US officials in Washington. The UN is assisting Beirut in an investigation to find those responsible for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February, 2005.
UN investigators said last year that the murder was plotted by both Lebanese and Syrian security forces and 19 suspects had been identified. Beirut and the UN were putting together an agreement to establish a tribunal to prosecute criminals in the Hariri murder. Hariri\'s death, by a car bomb in Beirut, led to a local and international outcry and the end of Syria\'s 30-year military presence in its tiny neigbour. But a UN report this week claimed that Syrian intelligence has told Lebanese legislators to extend the term of President Emile Lahoud, a pro-Syrian politician, warning that failure to heed the demand would \'put their personal security at risk.\' Lahoud\'s 6-year-term expired in 2004 and was renewed for three years under Syrian insistence.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

'Orders for bombing came from Syria'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Apr. 21, 2006-Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asserted on Friday that Syrian and Iran were behind Monday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv that killed nine Israelis and wounded dozens.
"The order for the Tel Aviv suicide bombing came from Damascus and when the operation was complete the report went back to Damascus," Olmert told a visiting group of US senators, according to his office.
He noted that the Iranians, using Syria as a mediator, were funding and guiding terrorism against Israel. He also mentioned the strengthening ties between the two states and Hamas. "There is a channel of communication between Iran, Syria and the Palestinian Authority," claimed Olmert. Addressing the Palestinian front, the interim prime minister said that Israel preferred to deal with them diplomatically, but if the terrorist attacks continued, then Israel would have no choice but to see to its own security using unilateral measures. Olmert warned that it would be the Palestinians who suffered if Israel unilaterally declared its own borders. On the other hand, Hamas Member of Parliament Mushir al-Masri, in an interview to al-Arabiya, warned that Israel defining the final borders on its own would exacerbate the situation in the whole region.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni also met with the US representatives on Thursday.

Lebanon in historic transition: Lebanese PM
Xinhua 21/4/06: Lebanon is moving forward in its transition towards the achievement of its territorial integrity, full independence and sovereignty, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Friday. Addressing the 15 members of the UN Security Council, Siniora commended the positive role of the United Nations, saying the Organization is effective in protecting the legitimate rights of small countries, enabling them to achieve those rights through peaceful means.
He also talked about the recent developments in Lebanon, and shared his thoughts on a number of issues of common interest and concern. After many years of civil strife, Israeli occupation and Syrian presence, the Lebanese had started to engage in real and serious debate over all policy matters, Siniora observed. "Initiated last March, the Conference of National Dialogue was a clear expression of the readiness of the Lebanese to address difficult national issues in a serious and peaceful manner," he added. Although putting the Lebanese-Syrian relations on the right footing would be a major challenge, the Conference on National Dialogue had unanimously agreed that the relations between the two sister countries should be strong and positive, based on mutual respect, parity and non-interference, Siniora noted. He also urged Israel to withdraw from the occupied area Shaba'a Farms bordering Syria's Golan Heights, submit the maps of landmines it had left in the south, and stop its infringements of Lebanese sovereignty. The prime minister looked forward to an active role of the United Nations in helping his country to achieve those rightful demands.

Saudi Ambassador visits local Arab/Muslim community
By Tarek Baydoun -- The Arab American News:
DEARBORN - The Dearborn-based American Arab Chamber of Commerce this week hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., during the Prince’s latest tour across America to boost his country's image.
Al-Faisal is the son of the late King Faisal, and he was in charge of Saudi intelligence for more than 20 years until August 2001.
During his visit Tuesday, Prince Al-Faisal met with community leaders at a luncheon at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and then hosted a smaller reception at Dearborn’s Islamic Center of America and at the Arab American National Museum.
The visit to Dearborn and to the largest Shi’a mosque in North America was a controversial one for many who believe Saudi Arabia is a repressive regime, has a poor human rights record and shows little respect or tolerance of ethnic and religious minorities.Thus it was an exceptionally brave and welcome move for the Saudi prince to take.
During Al-Faisal’s visit to the Islamic Center of America, Imam Hassan Qazwini welcomed the Prince stating; “ Your highness, as you may have noticed, we do not discriminate against other Muslims. You are surrounded today by Muslims of all backgrounds, ethnicities and schools of thought.” Al-Faisal heard questions and complaints from the crowd of religious and community leaders on a wide variety of topics including Islamic unity. Al-Faisal stated that Shi’as and Sunnis are all equal in faith, and followed the same prophet.
At the luncheon, Al-Faisal was asked about the most pressing issues of the day, and insisted his government was doing a great deal to promote peace and progress in the Middle East. In responding to a question regarding Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s recent statement that Shi’a Arabs are more loyal to Iran than to their own countries, Al-Faisal defended President Mubarak and said Mubarak’s subsequent remarks had sufficiently mitigated the original statement, Al-Faisal said his government was urging Iran to “join us in the cause (of non-proliferation) instead of moving toward development.”
On the election of Hamas to lead the Palestinian Authority, Al-Faisal said his government urges the Hamas Government to respect previous agreements it has made including the Oslo Accords. The ambassador seemed generally disappointed with the election of Hamas, but said that the world should recognize the legitimacy of the choice of the Palestinians, and that Saudi Arabia would continue to aid the Palestinian people.
Al-Faisal also opined about the Lebanese political crisis, saying that in his Tuesday meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Siniora assured him that “Lebanon seeks to have the best relations with its neighbor.” Al-Faisal said “Syria is a sister country that must be kept within the Arab fold.”
Al-Faisal did not go into details about the solution to the Lebanese crisis other than saying that U.N. Resolutions including 1559 must be implemented. Disagreement exists as to whether 1559, which calls for the disarmament of Lebanese militias, applies to the Islamic resistance movement Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government considers the resistance movement or “muqawama” a natural act of popular resistance. Al-Faisal noted that Saudi Arabia was instrumental in the past helping broker the 1989 Taif Accords which ended civil war in Lebanon, and upon which Lebanon’s current political balance rests. He said his government would not hesitate, if needed, to enter into another set of equations to help the Lebanese get out of conflict.
"Prince Al-Faisal was very eloquent and he represented the future of Saudia Arabia extremely well," said Osama Siblani, Publisher of The Arab American News. "He said the growth of democracy in Saudi Arabia is slow but steady, and he compared it to that of the United States. He said the the U.S. has only recently given full rights to women and minorities."
The prince was studying in the United States in the 1960s and witnessed the birth of the civil rights movement and its attendant riots."Al Faisal reaffirmed his country's longstanding relationship with the U.S. and emphasized that this relationship remains solid."

Australian Fugitive Tony Mokbel's Relatives Deny he is Hiding Out in their Village
Naharnet: Relatives of Tony Mokbel, an Australian drug dealer and crime boss of Lebanese origin, deny he is hiding out in his ancestral village in northern Lebanon where police are searching for him. A reporter for Australia's web based "The Age" visited Achache and interviewed residents and family members about their missing relative.
"He came around 12 or 13 years ago to the village," said George Mokbel, the mayor of the village where at least a quarter of the residents are from the Mokbel family. "He came to see his grandfather's house and visit his uncles and that was the last we saw of him," he added. The villagers say that since Tony Mokbel vanished from Australia last month after a Melbourne court convicted him of cocaine smuggling, their hamlet has been inundated with journalists, members of Lebanese security services and what they suspect is Australian police agents. "It wouldn't be so bad if everybody just came here to his grandfather's house with their questions," said Wajih Mokbel, 33, Tony's first cousin, who lives in the house in which Tony's late father, Sajih, grew up. "But the Interpol document has gone to all the security services -- anti-drugs unit, general security, all of them -- and they all come around separately asking questions," he added.
The villagers say because there are so many Mokbels in Achache, many of whom are also called Antonios like the fugitive, they suddenly have all become suspects. "They come to everybody who's got the same name," complained Nazir Mokbel, 56, Tony's uncle. "I've got a 12-year-old son who is also called Antonios Mokbel and they knocked on my door to ask about him." Tony's cousin Wajih pleaded with those hunting for his relative to leave the rest of the village in peace. "We say that our house is open 24 hours a day, but please stop going around the village," he said.
Wajih said Tony was born in Kuwait when his father worked there for 15 years. The family then immigrated to Australia where Tony, who is now 40, proceeded to make a fortune though real estate and other businesses including clothing boutiques.
However, "Fat Tony" also became involved in criminal activities in his new homeland. Last month he was given 12 years for drug trafficking. He is also being investigated for his suspected involvement in Melbourne's underworld murders, a series of tit-for-tat killings that have left 29 criminal figures dead over the past 8 years. The villagers insist that they have had no contact with Tony except during his one visit to Achache. They say that unlike others who have left for Australia, he never sought to maintain his ties with the village. "There were other people who went to Australia and came back a lot. Tony didn't do that. Other people built big houses here and had investments, but Tony has nothing," Wajih said. "We are being badgered because of a guy we don't know…If he has a problem it's his problem, not his relatives' problem," he added. Wajih Mokbel had himself recently returned from a three-month visit to Australia, where he says he only saw his cousin Tony a few times. "His mother and older brother are closer to this village. I was staying at our uncle's house and you feel that the uncles and brothers had this Lebanese way of life, but Tony didn't." Beirut, 22 Apr 06, 11:28

Geagea: Lahoud Is a 'Mine' Planted by Syria that Should be Defused
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, speaking Saturday on the occasion of his arrest 12 years ago, called President Emile Lahoud a "mine" that was planted by Syria. Geagea, in a ceremony marking his capture that led to an 11-year incarceration, said Lahoud "is not the biggest and most threatening mine, but he is the passage to defuse other mines."
He said those who are trying to keep the president in power must bear responsibility before God and history for the continuation of the political crisis that has been gripping the country since Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon last April.
The LF leader, speaking to hundreds of supporters gathered at BIEL exhibition center in downtown Beirut, said a "weak president" who does not represent the Lebanese people should not be allowed to remain in power.
Geagea told the crowd that although the Lebanese forces and its allies in the March 14 coalition have achieved independence and sovereignty, a lot more work remained to be done and warned that "the road ahead is long."
However, he said there would be no return to the bygone era of Syrian domination over its small neighbor.
"There is no fear for the future… we will continue despite the obstacles in our way."In a veiled reference to Hizbullah, Geagea called for the full implementation of the 1989 Taif agreement that ended the 1975-1990 civil war and stipulates the disbanding and disarmament of all militias. The Syrian-backed Party of God is the only remaining group that holds weapons. All other parties, including Geagea's LF, have surrendered their arms in accordance with the peace treaty. Beirut, 22 Apr 06, 12:41

Regional Politics: The Iranian Rhythm
Raghida Dergham Al-Hayat - 21/04/06//
There is an increasing Arab awareness of the dangerous impact of the Iranian stances and roles on the Arab region, Syria and Lebanon. But such awareness has not yet turned into a strategy to protect the Arab region from Iranian ambitions. The only beneficial point in this turn is that some major Arab states have reconsidered their policies and started extending their traditional view of power balances and prevalent formulas.
However, the disadvantage is that many countries are reluctant to develop their thinking into a coherent policy that could be conveyed to the whole world along with a public awareness campaign. The Arab public opinion needs to separate its displeasure with the US stances towards Palestine and Iraq from the illusions that Iran is the power that will avenge Arabs on the US just to do them a favor, while it seeks to be a regional giant. This is not meant to incite the Arab public against Tehran. It is not a blessing for the proposed military option against its escalations and provocations either. It is only an invitation for frank talk that is necessary for Arabs about who serves Tehran's interests at their expense. It is meant as an invitation to take as many measures as possible to convey to Tehran that it cannot go unpunished for exploiting Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
Iran's nuclear standoff with the international community is not a random consequence of the provocative character of President Ahmadinejad. It is a well sewn situation plotted by the ruling religious establishment in Tehran. Expediency Council President Hashemi Rafsanjani's declaration that Iran will not abandon its right in uranium enrichment sends a clear message that the country's nuclear policy is backed by a united and coherent regime.
Rafsanjani had paid visits to some Arab states that could be described as two-faced visits. He showed a mild and attractive face by asserting that his country is "well assured that the Gulf States will not assist the US launching an attack on it (Iran)". But he also showed another face, threatening and warning those states against offering any facilitations or blessings to potential military actions against his country. Dubai, which is seen as a part of the West within the Arab Gulf region, could see the same fate as the New York Twin Towers that were destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. Kuwait, meanwhile, is a tiny emirate that totally depends on the US for security. These are only small examples of what the Iranian leadership could think of as first steps for revenge. There are prospects for wider-scale revenge however.
An official in the Revolutionary Guards was quoted as assuring that Tehran had trained 55,000 suicide bombers, who are ready to hit British and US targets in Iraq, in case its nuclear facilities were attacked. It is logically justified that Iran avenges a US attack on its territory; but the advance training of suicide bombers to operate in Iraq as part of the Iranian nuclear policy shows how ready Tehran is to exploit any Arab territory, cause or suffering to serve its own interests.
Lebanon is seen as another field where Iran's deep ties with Shiite Hezbollah gave way for Tehran to exploit the situation there at the expense of Beirut, rather than serving its cause. Had Tehran been keen on the Shiites of Lebanon, it would have supported Beirut's drive towards actual independence, sovereignty and prosperity. But it sticks to mere provocation providing arms to the militias in order to keep Lebanon a battlefield, not caring for the Shiites who are victimized by instability and war.
The Palestinians are another victim of the race between the Arabs and Iran to lead the way. In fact, like the US, Iran has retained a peaceful relation with Israel. Tehran backs Palestinian factions, and never respected Palestinian decisions except when they were in its interest. It now implies willingness to recognize and adopt the Hamas government that suffers US and European boycotts. But Tehran will not go as far as to harm its interests by this support. It will use the Hamas government even against the favor for the Palestinians and their cause.
Meanwhile, Iran has strategic relations with Syria when necessary. Tehran had previously objected to describing the relation with Damascus as 'strategic' when it was against its interests. It is a relation much similar to the relation between the Axis Nations. Tehran is now keen to revive the axis with Damascus to serve its aims. This revival of relations is also most welcomed by Syria, though temporarily, where Tehran is seen the savior. The current regime in Syria is seeking to use Iran's weight in its relations with the Arab Gulf states just as it had used it back in the 1980s.
But regional heavyweights have realized the danger of resorting to the Iranian regional policy and remaining tightlipped about it. They have started reconsidering the options available in light of the consequent dilemma of isolating Hamas and leaving it to Iran, the repercussions of Tehran's interference with the Lebanese affair, and its using Iraq as a battlefield for its war against the US.
The talk of rejecting the punishment of the Palestinian people because they have used their democratic right electing Hamas for power is only for local consumption. Hamas' support for suicide operations claimed by other Palestinian factions practically contradicts the authority of the elected Palestinian Authority. Hamas is still acting as a movement not as a government. The Arab countries are unable to protect it from international obligations under the pretext of respecting the democratic election process. The Quartet - made up of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN - has clear demands from the Hamas government. This committee has taken some Arab countries such as Saudi, Egypt and Jordan as partners in promoting the Middle East peace process. Iran does not care about the peace process. It rather prefers to foil it. The concerned Arab parties are unable to replace Iran as sponsors of Hamas because the latter is trying to avoid the international obligations pledged by the former Palestinian government and at the same time asks for international funding.
The need is persistent for an Arab action in order to provide aid to the Palestinians so that they are not punished for choosing Hamas, and in order not to give Iran the chance to benefit from any Arab reluctance in helping the Palestinians. Hamas should by no means turn into an Arab militia that pledges loyalty to Tehran.
As far as Lebanon is concerned, the Arab countries and the Arab League (AL) have to acknowledge their responsibility there, not only by offering financial aid, but also by trying not to lose it on account of Arabism, resistance and virtual brotherhood. There are international resolutions that must be honored regarding Lebanon's sovereignty and the international investigation into the terrorist act that claimed the life of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The recent visit of MP Walid Jumblatt, president of the Democratic Gathering, to Saudi was very important for several essential reasons. Not only did it mend fences between Riyadh and Jumblatt over the Saudi initiative offered two months ago, but it also conveyed an important message to Damascus that had issued an arrest warranty for Jumblatt and Marwan Hamade, who accompanied him to Riyadh. The Syrian authorities had intentionally underscored the Saudi role in its statements to the director of Al-Hayat Damascus office. They considered it an amendment to MP Saad Hariri's stance. They also considered Jumblatt an 'isolated' loner in criticizing its policy. The statements were published in Monday's issue of the newspaper, and on the next day Jumblatt flew into Riyadh aboard a private aircraft and held successful talks there.
The success of these talks was the result, above all, of the warm reception King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz offered. General indicators are that there are efforts exerted to re-propose the Saudi initiative which prescribed the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border, the restoration of official diplomatic relations and the exchange of ambassadors. The Saudi initiative might develop to be adopted by the AL.
Saad Hariri has agreed to demands that the Lebanese-Syrian relations must be separated from the investigation into the killing of Rafik Hariri. Jumblatt, who also agreed to the demand after his Saudi visit, considered it a 'sacrifice' on his part, which seemingly aims at containing the unrest and escalation in Lebanese-Syrian relations. What is most important, however, is to normalize the relations between the two neighbors until the international investigation is completed.
There is a clear common factor among the AL-backed Saudi stance, the Lebanese consensus, and the international position that was announced by the latest report of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the enforcement of Security Council resolution 1559. It is that the central government in Syria agrees to demark borders with Lebanon and establish reciprocal diplomatic relations in which ambassadors will be channels of communication rather than officers.
Annan's report to the Security Council, which is written by his envoy assigned to observe the enforcement of resolution 1559, is very important. For the first time in such a report, the secretary general of the international organization has linked the government of Iran to the enforcement of the international resolution. He frankly tackled the influential relation between Iran and Hezbollah. Annan, also for the first time, hinged the success or failure of the factors of the Lebanese national consensus on Syria and Iran.
The most outstanding measures Damascus is demanding are establishing embassies and demarking the border. It considers them two major steps towards achieving sovereignty and territorial safety and political independence for any country. They are also crucial for the prevention of illegal arms trade across the border and the empowerment of the Lebanese government to practice its territorial sovereignty.
The key to normalizing relations is in the hands of the Syrian leadership. The Arab parties, however, must not allow Syria to continue avoiding the demarcation. If Damascus sticks to the condition that the demarcation must be started from the north so that the Shebaa Farms remain unresolved as long as possible, the Arab parties should have their word.
It is not only the border with Lebanon that matters; there is also the Syrian crossing that is located between Lebanon and Iran on one side and Iran and the Arab Gulf states on the other. As the matter is really grave, it is high time for a well-defined Arab strategy towards Syria, Iran and their reciprocal relation.
If Syria maintains good faith and if it really puts the Arab interests on the top of its priorities, it must be given the chance to prove it in Lebanon and throughout its relation with Iran. But should Damascus refuse to demark the border with Lebanon and install diplomatic relations against the Lebanese, regional, and international consensus, the Arab countries must not allow it to consume time for its interest in order to plague Lebanon with militia wars. A lenient Arab stance towards this issue will mean the intentional destruction of Lebanon.
Likewise, if the Arab states that still give Damascus support and recognize its status, find out that Syria wants to employ its relations with Iran to harm the Arabs; they must act according to their own interests.
It is now time to get rid of all fear, because submitting to it will have a more expensive price than mere initiatives and declarations that this is a different time.