LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 2/07

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13,44-46. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

Opinions
French Diplomacy in Lebanon-Dar Al-Hayat. August 2/07
Does Nahr al-Bared mean Palestinian bases are safer? By Nicholas Blanford. August 2/07

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for  August 2/07
Maronite Bishops for Elections According to Democratic Competition and Traditions-Naharnet
Italy Worried About Its UNIFIL Contingent-Naharnet
Lebanese Soldier Killed in Nahr al-Bared on Army Day-Naharnet
Maronite Bishops for Elections According to Democratic Competition and Traditions-Naharnet
State Court Rejects Appeal Contesting By-Elections Call-Naharnet
Sniper kills Lebanese soldier at camp-NEWS.com.au
Rice comes under criticism in Syria over proposed US arms package-Monsters and Critics.com
Lebanon's Army: The Last Symbol of Unity-Naharnet
Lebanon Braced for Electoral Showdown after Bid to Postpone By-Elections Failed-Naharnet
Kouchner: Lebanon Crisis Should End Even if Pressure from Iran, Syria 'Remains Significant'-Naharnet
Rice Accuses Iran of Sponsoring Terrorism in Lebanon-Naharnet
Kouchner: Lebanon Crisis Should End Even if Pressure from Iran ...Naharnet
Suleiman at Nahr al-Bared as Army Day Celebrations Proved a Rallying Point-Naharnet
Moratinos: Syria's Position on Lebanon 'Constructive"-Naharnet
Syria to attend ME peace conference-Jerusalem Post
Syria criticizes US plan to boost military aid to Israel-International Herald Tribune
Olmert: War with Syria not Expected Soon-Infolive.tv
'Our men would surrender if the war lasted 10 more days'-Jerusalem Post
Parents blast report of soldier dead in Hezbollah captivity-Ha'aretz
Hezbollah Rejects US Vision of Mideast-ABC News
Sfeir steps up efforts to reach compromise on Metn by-election-Daily Star
Civil society organization poised to ensure transparency of by-elections-Daily Star
Spain lauds Syrian support of efforts to end deadlock-Daily Star
Magistrate concludes probe into Ain Alaq twin bus bombings-Daily Star
Lebanese looks to rally behind military, honor the fallen of Nahr al-Bared during ceremonies of Army Day-Daily Star
Ban appoints Bader al-Dafa to ESCWA post-Daily Star
Suleiman visits troops at Nahr al-Bared-Daily Star
New report documents past quarter century of Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians-Daily Star
Suleiman praises Lebanese troops on eve of Army Day-Daily Star
Conference denounces 'unacceptable' punishment of child lawbreakers under age of 12-Daily Star

Rice Accuses Iran of Sponsoring Terrorism in Lebanon
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran of fuelling terrorism in Lebanon and destabilizing the whole region.
"I think if there is a destabilization of the region, that can be laid at the feet of an Iranian regime," she said.
On her way to Egypt, she accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism in Lebanon, backing Shiite militias in Iraq, aiding Hamas in the Palestinian territories and harboring ambitions of acquiring nuclear weapons. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini earlier accused U.S. of having always had "a special policy of spreading fear in the region and tarnishing existing good relations" between countries in the Middle East."
"The U.S. is looking to assure our allies that we are going to be reliable for meeting their security needs," Rice said of the new military pacts worth 20 billion dollars for Saudi Arabia, 13 billion dollars for Egypt and 30 billion for Israel. The arms package for other Gulf states is reportedly worth at least 20 billion dollars, although the United States says the precise figure is still undecided.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 09:15

Maronite Bishops for Elections According to Democratic Competition and Traditions
Maronite Bishops stressed Wednesday that Parliamentary by-elections in Beirut and the Metn province "should be carried out with a spirit of consensus, according to constitutional rules and regulations and in line with customary traditions."
The bishops, in a statement after their monthly meeting presided over by Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, noted that "what we hear and see appears to be drifting the elections away from what they should be."General elections, the statement stressed, should be based on "refined democratic competition … unblemished by the observed rhetoric which does not suit sedate people."The statement warned that "such a feverish atmosphere could reflect negatively on citizens."
The statement was issued following a visit to patriarch Sfeir at his summer seat in the northern resort of Diman by ex-President Amin Gemayel, a main candidate for the Metn seat that went vacant when his son, Pierre, was gunned down Nov. 21. Gemayel, in a statement after a meeting with Sfeir, said he is "keen on Harmony" with the Patriarch's advises."I made several proposals that could bolster entente among Christians."He said preparations for the Aug. five elections are "actively underway."
Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 16:11

Lebanese Soldier Killed in Nahr al-Bared on Army Day
A Lebanese soldier was killed Wednesday in battles with die-hard Islamists besieged in a seaside Palestinian refugee camp as the military marked Army Day.
An army spokesman told Agece France Presse the soldier died in combat with Fatah al-Islam militants entrenched in a small patch of Nahr al-Bared camp in northern Lebanon. His death brought to 124 the number of soldiers killed since the conflict broke out on May 20. Black smoke billowed from the camp Wednesday as a fire raged inside and two army helicopters flew over the area, according to witnesses. The Islamists, who are in a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acre) area within the ruins of the camp, were "firing automatic weapons at positions of the army, which responded targeting the sources of fire," the spokesman said. The ongoing battle comes as the Lebanese military celebrates Army Day in an event turned into a rallying point in a country with deep political and religious divisions. Local television networks screened programs paying homage to the "sacrifices of the army to preserve national unity and law and order." Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 18:56

Lebanese Soldier Killed in Nahr al-Bared on Army Day
A Lebanese soldier was killed Wednesday in battles with die-hard Islamists besieged in a seaside Palestinian refugee camp as the military marked Army Day.
An army spokesman told Agece France Presse the soldier died in combat with Fatah al-Islam militants entrenched in a small patch of Nahr al-Bared camp in northern Lebanon. His death brought to 124 the number of soldiers killed since the conflict broke out on May 20. Black smoke billowed from the camp Wednesday as a fire raged inside and two army helicopters flew over the area, according to witnesses. The Islamists, who are in a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acre) area within the ruins of the camp, were "firing automatic weapons at positions of the army, which responded targeting the sources of fire," the spokesman said.
The ongoing battle comes as the Lebanese military celebrates Army Day in an event turned into a rallying point in a country with deep political and religious divisions.
Local television networks screened programs paying homage to the "sacrifices of the army to preserve national unity and law and order." Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 18:56

State Court Rejects Appeal Contesting By-Elections Call
Lebanon's state court on Wednesday rejected an appeal contesting a government decree calling for by-elections in Beirut and the Metn on Aug. five.
The court, headed by senior justice Ghaleb Ghanem, ruled that it is not within its jurisdiction to examine government activities. The appeal had been presented by Camil Khory, a candidate representing Gen. Michael Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement in the elections scheduled for next Sunday to fill in the Maronite seat in the Metn that went vacant when MP-Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was gunned down on Nov. 21. According to Lebanon's constitution, only Parliament has the authority to hold the government accountable for its acts. The call for by-elections has been issued by Premier Fouad Saniora's government to fill in Gemayel's seat in the Metn and that of Slain Beirut MP Walid Eido who was killed by a booby trapped car explosion in June. Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 16:45

Maronite Bishops for Elections According to Democratic Competition and Traditions
Maronite Bishops stressed Wednesday that Parliamentary by-elections in Beirut and the Metn province "should be carried out with a spirit of consensus, according to constitutional rules and regulations and in line with customary traditions."
The bishops, in a statement after their monthly meeting presided over by Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, noted that "what we hear and see appears to be drifting the elections away from what they should be." General elections, the statement stressed, should be based on "refined democratic competition … unblemished by the observed rhetoric which does not suit sedate people." The statement warned that "such a feverish atmosphere could reflect negatively on citizens."
The statement was issued following a visit to patriarch Sfeir at his summer seat in the northern resort of Diman by ex-President Amin Gemayel, a main candidate for the Metn seat that went vacant when his son, Pierre, was gunned down Nov. 21. Gemayel, in a statement after a meeting with Sfeir, said he is "keen on Harmony" with the Patriarch's advises. "I made several proposals that could bolster entente among Christians."He said preparations for the Aug. five elections are "actively underway."
Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 16:11

Sniper kills Lebanese soldier at campFrom correspondents in Nahr al-Bared, Lebanon
August 01, 2007 09:58pm
Reuters
A SNIPER shot dead a Lebanese soldier at a Palestinian refugee camp today as the Lebanese army celebrated its 62nd anniversary embroiled in a bloody battle against al-Qaeda-inspired militants there. The Lebanese had hoped their Army Day would be marked by the military's victory in its 10-week-old battle with Fatah al-Islam at Nahr al-Bared camp in north Lebanon that has so far killed at least 251 people.
But security sources said the army's advance into the camp has been held up by fierce resistance from the fighters who had laid down sophisticated mines and booby traps around their last positions at the devastated camp, once home to 40,000 refugees. One soldier was shot dead during fresh skirmishes, taking the military's death toll to 125 since the fighting, Lebanon's worst internal conflict since the 1975-1990 civil war, erupted on May 20. More than 85 Fatah al-Islam fighters and at least 41 civilians have also been killed, while 65 militants have been detained and charged with terrorism - a charge carrying the death penalty.
Political and security sources said last week that the Lebanese army was in the final phase of its campaign to defeat Fatah al-Islam and exert its control over the camp.
Fatah al-Islam, which split from a Syrian-backed Palestinian faction last year, has Lebanese, Palestinians and other Arabs in its ranks, including some who have fought in Iraq. It says it supports al-Qaeda's ideas, but has no direct links with it. The conflict has further undermined stability in Lebanon, already crippled by a prolonged political crisis and shaken by bombings that have killed six UN peacekeepers and two anti-Syrian lawmakers in the past nine months.

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French Diplomacy in Lebanon
Randa Takieddine Al-Hayat - 01/08/07//
"We will not leave having lost hope": With these words, the French minister Bernard Kouchner told the Lebanese people that there is still hope, in spite of the difficulties, of avoiding a catastrophe in Lebanon.
The Lebanese people no longer believe anyone and yet are thirsty for optimism and for hope, even if they are merely promises. They are dissatisfied with politics and politicians and all what they want is to live a good, peaceful life in their beautiful country. Kouchner is making moves and attempts, and why not? It is true that the mission is formidable and the challenge is tough, but France is in a special position in the region and in Lebanon. It is important for Kouchner to maintain this position and not allow the situation to affect France's credibility.
The ongoing efforts exerted by Kouchner are likely to produce results. These significant ministerial efforts now coincide with the departure of the distinguished and active French ambassador Bernard Emié after three years on an extremely harsh and difficult mission in this country. Emié, who is 49 years old, started at the French embassy at the end of December 2004. The previous French president Jacques Chirac wanted to assign him to Beirut after his success in several other missions, such as when he was a diplomatic advisor on Jean David Levitte's (the current advisor to President Nicholas Sarkozy) team, then an ambassador to Jordan where he reinforced the French economic and political presence in the country, then as the head of the Middle East and North Africa in the French foreign ministry. Chirac knew that Emié was one of the most active and energetic diplomats in the foreign ministry and that he deserved to be ambassador to Lebanon.
Emié left Paris for Lebanon at the end of 2004 with Chirac's directives, but quickly came back to Paris to confer with the President in February 2005. During his presence in the French capital the former prime minister and martyr Rafik Hariri was assassinated, so Emié returned less than two months after arriving on a private French government airplane to prepare for his president's visit to Lebanon, where he would offer his condolences to the Lebanese people and to the martyr's family for the death of his friend Hariri. Afterwards, the complexity and harshness of Emié's mission began. The hardships did not let up, and he faced them in a difficult security situation. Many times he was far away from his wife Isabel and his three children because the French foreign ministry insisted on it for security reasons. In spite of all this, he never stopped his work.
No one should forget the French ambassador's tears as he offered his condolences to Mr. Ghassan Tueni after the assassination of his son Gibran. No one should forget his tears as he stood by Giselle, the wife of the martyr Samir Kassir, when criminal hands assassinated him. Bernard Emié is a skillful diplomat, and yet he also perceptive and has strong feelings. He was greatly affected when Israel bombed Lebanon last summer, and was extremely active in working to reach resolution 1701. He was in contact with all the Lebanese sides and was always carrying out his president's directives regarding Lebanon. Emie was able to protect and maintain France's standing and voice in Lebanon with all the different sides, even those who criticized him, in spite of the skillfulness and activity of the American ambassador to Lebanon, Jeffrey Feltman.
Emié will now move on to become his country's ambassador to Turkey and he will be succeeded by his friend and colleague Ambassador Andre Parent who was ambassador to Senegal and who also worked after Emié as a diplomatic advisor to President Chirac. However, Emie is sorry to leave without Lebanon having recovered, and he was keen on carrying out the new French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner's diplomacy up until the last moment. Everyone remembers how the French ambassador worked last summer to evacuate the French and Lebanese communities from the Israeli bombing, and everyone remembers his humanitarian efforts and his perseverance for the sake of the Lebanese people. Emié is a proponent of dialogue with all sides, and the French embassy in Lebanon did not cease for one day to speak with Hezbollah because it knew that they were an important part of the country and that the issue of Hezbollah's weapons had to be addressed in the framework of a dialogue between all sides.
However, unfortunately for Lebanon there are regional powers that want to turn it into an arena of war and disruption and poverty and misery through its allies on the ground. How promising the summer season would be in this beautiful country if the political situation was calm and far removed from regional interference. Can anyone imagine that a high Arab official's son who loves Lebanon became depressed with his father told him that would not be spending this summer in Lebanon? Citizens of every Arab nation were used to spending their short or long holidays in Lebanon because it is the country of services and restaurants and fun and tourism and hospitality. The sea is close to the mountains and options are abundant and attractive to visitors, to say nothing of the kindness of the Lebanese people.
Unfortunately, none of these advantages mean anything in the absence of security and extensiveness of weapons. How vigorous the whole area would be if Lebanon was at peace. That is what Hariri tried to accomplish, but he was killed for trying

Does Nahr al-Bared mean Palestinian bases are safer?
By Nicholas Blanford
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
The bloody two-month confrontation with Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp has presented the under-equipped and overstretched Lebanese Army with its sternest challenge since the end of the 1975-1990 Civil War.
The struggle has been protracted, messy and up to date has come at the cost of over 120 soldiers killed, yet the Lebanese Army's imminent triumph over Fatah al-Islam carries great symbolic weight and has lifted the morale of a force that since 1990 has played second fiddle in martial affairs to Hizbullah. At the same time, however, it underlines the cost of the Lebanese government's inability or reluctance to nip in the bud threats to national security, such as Fatah al-Islam, or to deal decisively with existing security problems such as the small pro-Syrian Palestinian bases located mainly in the eastern Bekaa valley.
The Lebanese security authorities were slow in comprehending the potential threat posed by Fatah al-Islam after the group established itself in November last year. Foreign jihadist fighters swelled its ranks from December, many of them entering Lebanon through traditional smuggling routes along the northern border with Syria and slipping inside Nahr al-Bared despite the Lebanese Army cordon around the camp. Fatah al-Islam was blamed for several bombings, including one in February that killed three people, as well as the assassination last November of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. But the Lebanese authorities only acted forcefully against the group after militants reportedly robbed a bank in North Lebanon in May, even if the exact circumstances of the incident still remain somewhat sketchy.
Fatah al-Islam was also linked to pro-Syrian factions such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah al-Intifada. Both factions operate small military bases scattered along Lebanon's mountainous eastern border with Syria. Fatah al-Islam's leader Shaker Abssi and some of his comrades received training in some of these outposts after entering Lebanon from Syria and prior to deploying in Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut. PFLP-GC militants have also fought alongside Fatah al-Islam in Nahr al-Bared.
In March 2006, during the opening stages of the ill-fated national dialogue sessions to resolve Lebanon's pressing political issues, the country's top leaders unanimously agreed that the bases, which have existed for over three decades, should be dismantled and the militants disarmed. They set a six-month deadline for its implementation. Initial steps in this direction were taken with the return to Beirut for the first time in two decades of a formal Palestine Liberation Organization representative and the beginning of a foreign-funded program to improve the poor living conditions in the Palestinian refugee camps. But nothing more happened. The reason in large part was last summer's war with Israel followed by political crisis and gridlock. Against this more serious concern, the fate of the Palestinian outposts seemed mundane.
In early May - before fighting broke out in Nahr al-Bared - a senior government official reduced the Palestinian bases to a "nuisance." But in the days after the fighting broke out in Nahr al-Bared, Lebanese military intelligence reported that the PFLP-GC and Fatah al-Intifada bases were reinforced from Syria with fresh fighters and weapons, including Katyusha rocket launchers, one of which was aimed at a Lebanese Army base in the Bekaa.
When I visited two PFLP-GC bases in early June the reception was less than cordial. The fighters were edgy and heavily-armed, clearly concerned that the Lebanese Army may come for them after dealing with Fatah al-Islam. Some analysts believe that it is a mistake to delay dealing with the Palestinian bases, arguing that they are not only breeding grounds for instability - such as conduits for smuggled arms and centers for training militants - but are also glaring examples of the central government's failure to exert its authority over the entire country.
Yet a military campaign to close these bases is fraught with political risk. Militarily, the bases, generally consisting a of a few huts and tunnels located in remote wadis, offer a more favorable battlefield environment for the army compared to the densely-populated and cramped interior of Nahr al-Bared. But the Lebanese Army is already dangerously overstretched with security commitments in southern Lebanon, along the Syrian border, in Beirut and at Nahr al-Bared. Its ammunition stocks are so low that it had to be re-supplied with US military airlifts in early June to allow it to continue fighting Fatah al-Islam.
More importantly, perhaps, most of the Palestinian bases are connected to Syria by numerous dirt trails that snake across the mountains un-patrolled by the Lebanese. A military operation so close to Syrian soil would not be welcomed by Damascus, particularly as the PFLP-GC and Fatah al-Intifada are Syrian allies. And it is the risk of incurring further animosity from Damascus - and the unwanted potential consequences - that may well persuade the Lebanese government to reason that tackling the Palestinian bases is, for now, one headache too many.
**Nicholas Blanford is a Beirut-based journalist and author of "Killing Mr. Lebanon: The Assassination of Rafiq Hariri and its Impact on the Middle East." This commentary first appeared at bitterlemons-international.org, an online newsletter.

Rice comes under criticism in Syria over proposed US arms package
Aug 1, 2007, 9:15 GMT
Damascus - A state-run newspaper in Syria on Wednesday criticized US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over her comments that the proposed US arms sales to some Arab states were directed against Syria and Iran. 'Rice is simply trying to put Israel and a number of Arab countries in one basket to face other Arab states ... Rice is breaking into the Arab home holding a poisonous dagger in an overt plot to play Arab countries (off) against each other,' Tishrin newspaper said in an editorial.
Rice and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates are on a tour of the Middle East following the announcement of a new package of military assistance and arms sales for Israel, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries to counter the influence of Iran and Syria in the region.

Lebanon Braced for Electoral Showdown after Bid to Postpone By-Elections Failed
Lebanon will face an electoral showdown on August 5 after intense efforts failed to postpone parliamentary by-elections in Metn and Beirut for the two seats vacated by the murders of Pierre Gemayal and Walid Eido failed. Former President Amin Gemayel, who announced he will run in the disputed by-elections to replace his slain son, met for two hours on Wednesday with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.Gemayel confirmed that the electoral battle in Metn was underway.
Sfeir on Tuesday intensified his efforts in a bid to forge a compromise between Gemayel and Gen. Michel Aoun, who announced that he and his allies the Tashnag Party and MP Michel Murr would jointly contest the Metn seat. MP Ibrahim Kanaan from Aoun's parliamentary bloc met Sfeir on Tuesday at the patriarch's summer mansion in north Lebanon.Sfeir also met March 14 Forces MP Samir Franjieh and former legislators Mansour Ghanem al-Bon and Fares Soueid.
"If they want a battle, let it be a battle," Aoun told supporters at Dbayeh. "We are ready."Gemayel, however, told supporters in Bikfaya that the election showdown in Metn was a "battle aimed at preventing Syrian influence from returning to Lebanon." The daily An Nahar said Wednesday that an initiative launched from Rabieh calling for the withdrawal of the electoral contestants was turned down by Gemayel. Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 09:58

Lebanon Braced for Electoral Showdown after Bid to Postpone By-Elections Failed
Lebanon will face an electoral showdown on August 5 after intense efforts failed to postpone parliamentary by-elections in Metn and Beirut for the two seats vacated by the murders of Pierre Gemayal and Walid Eido failed. Former President Amin Gemayel, who announced he will run in the disputed by-elections to replace his slain son, met for two hours on Wednesday with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.Gemayel confirmed that the electoral battle in Metn was underway.
Sfeir on Tuesday intensified his efforts in a bid to forge a compromise between Gemayel and Gen. Michel Aoun, who announced that he and his allies the Tashnag Party and MP Michel Murr would jointly contest the Metn seat. MP Ibrahim Kanaan from Aoun's parliamentary bloc met Sfeir on Tuesday at the patriarch's summer mansion in north Lebanon. Sfeir also met March 14 Forces MP Samir Franjieh and former legislators Mansour Ghanem al-Bon and Fares Soueid.
"If they want a battle, let it be a battle," Aoun told supporters at Dbayeh. "We are ready." Gemayel, however, told supporters in Bikfaya that the election showdown in Metn was a "battle aimed at preventing Syrian influence from returning to Lebanon." The daily An Nahar said Wednesday that an initiative launched from Rabieh calling for the withdrawal of the electoral contestants was turned down by Gemayel.Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 09:58

Kouchner: Lebanon Crisis Should End Even if Pressure from Iran, Syria 'Remains Significant'
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he would pursue efforts to "facilitate" an end to the political standoff in Lebanon even if the pressure from Iran and Syria "remains significant." "We have to remain persistent as inside Lebanon itself there is some sort of understanding between the various factions" on the need to end the crisis even if the pressure from external powers, "I'm without doubt referring to Syria and Iran, remains significant," Koucher said.
"We will continue to push forward even though there are no guaranties that we are going to succeed," Koucher said in Paris on Tuesday. Kouchner, who held talks with rival Lebanese leaders in Beirut last week in a bid to revive dialogue among the feuding camps, arrived in France on Sunday. He pointed out that there was little time left before the Sept. 25 presidential elections to elect a new head of state for Lebanon. "The schedule is terribly busy, we have to hurry up things if we are to make any impact," Kouchner said, adding that Lebanon was likely to slip back to war if a swift solution was not found to end the impasse. Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 08:48

Suleiman at Nahr al-Bared as Army Day Celebrations Proved a Rallying Point
Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman made a morale-boosting visit to Lebanese soldiers locked in fierce battles with Fatah al-Islam militants at the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in an event that proved a rallying point. On the eve of Army Day, youngsters on roadsides across the capital distributed red-and-white Lebanese flags bearing a cedar tree. Suleiman surveyed the troops amid heavy security and paid tribute to the 123 soldiers who have died in the fighting at Nahr al-Bared camp, located near the northern city of Tripoli. Across the country, banners saluting the army float along main avenues as soldiers stand tall on giant billboards with extracts from the national anthem. Various cities and towns are also holding celebrations this week to honor the soldiers.
The leading An-Nahar daily has distributed a poster of a soldier raising the Lebanese flag amid the ruins of Nahr al-Bared.
Since May 20, the army has been leading deadly battles in Nahr al-Bared against Fatah al-Islam, a group of Sunni Arab extremists accused of attacks against the military. But despite the heavy death toll of 123 soldiers and the slow progress in crushing Fatah al-Islam, the army has remained the only symbol of national unity in a country shaken by eight months of political paralysis. Prime Minister Fouad Saniora said "this anniversary witnesses heroic acts and sacrifices ... to confront the plots of the terrorist gangs which were seeking to destroy Lebanon, strike its national unity and shake its stability."
"We are determined to make the rifle of the army the protection and deterrent force that would also confront all threats against the nation and its unity," he said in a statement to mark Army Day. Retired army general Elias Hanna told AFP that, "despite the lack of political consensus, the army has managed to fight against a terrorist organization for two months and a half. "It is a new situation; it is the first battle since the civil war, against a new enemy. This is a factor that unites people around the army.
"This is linked to the fact that the army lost 120 martyrs, from all confessions, and this reflects the Lebanese social mosaic," the retired general said.
The army's ranks split during the 1975-90 civil war, leaving Lebanon under the control of warring militias. After the end of the conflict, the army was reunited and now includes soldiers from all Christian and Muslim communities.
Until the battle of Nahr al-Bared, the army's role had been mainly limited to maintaining order in a country faced with a series of political crises.
The army's profile was also boosted when it deployed for the first time in decades in south Lebanon on the border with Israel last year after a 34-day war between the Jewish state and Hizbullah. The army remains weak, as it suffers from lack of proper arms, equipment and training. "It is a young army, it is not experienced. It lacks many means, particularly an air force," said Hanna. To raise the morale of the troops, the army will organize ceremonies on Wednesday to honor the fallen of Nahr al-Bared. "The salvation of the country will come from you," Suleiman said during his Tuesday tour of the battered camp. "All the people stand by you. They know that you are the cement that unites the country." The army chief has threatened to resign if the opposition carries out its threat to form a second government.
"As long as there is an army commander, there are no risks," warned Ghassan al-Azzi, political sciences professor at state-run Lebanese University.
"But if the country breaks apart, with two parallel governments, and if the army chief resigns, if the army is divided, then there will be a catastrophe, civil war," he said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 01 Aug 07, 07:52