LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
December 16/06Bible Reading For the Day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11,16-19.
To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by her works."Free Opinions, Studies & Reports
Armament and National Unity-Dar Al-Hayat
Hezbollah still operating in Canada-Jewish Telegraphic Agency - New York,NY,USA
In Lebanon, Hizbullah's rise provokes Shiite dissent-Christian Science Monitor
Of Hummus and Hezbollah-OC Weekly - Santa Ana,CA,USA
What Is Lebanon?Spiegel OnlineLatest News miscellaneous sources for December 16/06
Putin Tells Saniora Moscow Deeply Concerned About Lebanon-Naharnet
Rice Says U.S. Will Beef Up the Lebanese Army-Naharnet
Welch: Syria's Role in Lebanon is 'Not Constructive'-Naharnet
Saniora: Protests 'Won't Lead to Anything'-Naharnet
Lebanon's Nasrallah Gate to Government Seat in Beirut-Naharnet
Rival Camps Agree on National Unity Government, Deal to be Concluded in Two Weeks-Naharnet
EU to Iran, Syria: Adopt 'Responsible' Stance in Lebanon-Naharnet
Bush Concerned Over Iranian, Syrian Influence in Lebanon-Naharnet
Annan 'Sad' Over Mideast Crisis-Naharnet
Hamas Accuses Abbas Loyalist Over Attack on Haniya-Naharnet
Israel Court Refuses to Ban Targeted Killings-Naharnet
Lebanon: displaced return amidst growing political tension-ReliefWeb (press release)
Lebanese prime minister urges not to link unrest in Lebanon with ...Interfax-Religion
Pope asks Syria to help secure peace-Gulf News
Rice Says US Won't Engage Iran And Syria-Washington Post
White House blames Senator's visit to Syria-Xinhua
US official warns UAE on trade with Iran, Syria-Reuters
EU summit urges Syria to play constructive peace role-International Herald Tribune
War for the streets-Al-Ahram Weekly
What Syria Would Say-Washington Post
Bush slams Senator's visit to Syria-Ynetnews
Canadian police under fire in Syria torture probe-Monsters and Critics.com
At protest in Beirut, new alliances: Muslims and Christians-International Herald Tribune
Hezbollah's focus more regional-Southeast Missourian
Montreal groups on popular uprising in Lebanon-Blogger News Network - USA
Charges and counter-charges in Lebanon's no-so-civil war of words-Sydney Morning Herald
Robert Fisk: Who's running Lebanon?Independent -
Peace deal in works-Joliet Herald News
Cases of Detained Muslims Tarnish Canadian Mounties' Noble Image-Washington Post
Lebanese government still standing-Los Angeles Times
Charges and counter-charges in Lebanon's no-so-civil war of words-Sydney Morning Herald
Phares to Radio Free Iraq:Dictatorships stabilizing democracies is irrational
Mideast expert Dr Walid Phares told Radio Free Iraq that what is important in any document dealing with Iraq's national security is the protection of its international borders. Phares, a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington said "a redeployment in this sense is useful and would protect Iraq from aggressors and infiltrators." But on the other hand, and referring to the Baker Hamilton recommendations for talks with Iran and Syria, Phares said that "having dictatorships participating in the stabilization of a democracy is irrational. It would be a slap in the face of the Iraqi people and its sovereignty."
Letter To the UN General Secretary from the The World Council of the Cedars Revolution
Representing the hopes and aspirations of many millions of Lebanese throughout the Diaspora
Thursday 14th December 2006
Washington Bureau
H.E. Kofi Annan
Secretary General
United Nations Assembly
New York, NY 10017
USA
RE:
- The World Council for the Cedars Revolution (WCCR) has warned repeatedly that
UNIFIL without a Chapter 7 mandate is merely a mild mannered observer.
- WCCR rejects completely the interference of the Sudanese Mustafa Ismail in
Lebanese affairs
Dear Dr. Annan,
It must have become obvious to any responsible officer who is observing or attempting to contribute positively to negotiations which might help to bring some kind of a peaceful existence to the people of Lebanon. The UNSCR 1701 has stipulated a military personnel presence of thirty thousand, comprising of fifteen thousand from the Lebanese army and fifteen thousand from the international community. All disbursed along the Israeli/Lebanese border and the Syrian/Lebanese border.
The dilemma for Prime Minister Siniora is that his Commander of the Lebanese army General Michel Sleiman being a Lahoud appointee, is a close ally of the unconstitutional President and he too is pro Syria.
Prime Minister Siniora’s acknowledgement of Syrian arms being smuggled into Lebanon to Hezbollah and their terrorist allies was a cry for help. He is caught in an incredible predicament.
The Lebanese army has tens of thousands of Syrian and Iranian insurgents who have found their way to policing the Syrian/Lebanese border, thus allowing the free flow of arms from Syria to Hezbollah, the armed Palestinians, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Islamic fundamentalists.
Prime Minister Siniora seems to be calling out quite clearly for the UNSC to effectively mandate chapter 7 to Resolution 1701 and allow the international forces to effect a total ban on the flow of arms and identify Syrian and Iranian insurgents and drive them out of Lebanon once and for all. After considerable consideration and from the onset of our recommended draft of what has now become UNSCR 1701, we advise that chapter 7 is absolutely essential if Lebanon is to have any chance of stability and redevelopment. It might even be necessary for a period of three to five years to allow the dust to settle and give people a chance to become accustomed to normal life once again in this beautiful land.
The WCCR is also extremely concerned at the involvement of the Sudanese Mustafa Ismail in the negotiations between the conflicting parties in Lebanon. Our reliable advice about Mr Ismail is that he has been the root cause of much of the conflict in the Sudan, which has seen loss of life in huge proportions. We the Lebanese do not need any further advice or solutions from other well wishing Arab diplomats who look to build a reputation at the expense of the honorable people of Lebanon. We have experienced their best with the Taif agreement which gave Syria control over Lebanon for fifteen years. All Arab nations watched from the comfort of their homes as the people of Lebanon suffered the tyranny of the Syrians and the reprisals of the Israelis because of terrorist activities against them from Lebanese soil.
The people of Lebanon have entered into a democratic phase. The opposition, whilst perfectly entitled to protest, must be civilized. By all means protest, it’s their constitutional right to do so, but a protest should end on the day it is held. The business and normal rate paying residents of the heart of the city of Beirut are equally entitled under the constitution to a normal life in business and at work.
If the opposition wishes to become a part of government, they must wait until the next democratically held parliamentary elections and hope they succeed to form or share in government.
There is absolutely no reason why the majority Siniora government should share power with a terrorist militia which is better equipped militarily than the Lebanese army. Let Hezbollah and other terrorists surrender their arsenal to the Lebanese government and then we shall all call for a unity government.
We call on the United Nations Security Council to be at the ready to protect Lebanon’s civil society in the event that Iran, Syria and their terrorist allies in Lebanon decide to attack and bring down the democratically elected Siniora government.
Sincerely yours,
Joseph P Baini
President
Australia
CC. UNSC Members
For the World Council of the Cedars Revolution
Dr Rachid Rahme Secretary General Lebanon
Eng. Tom Harb International Committee UNSCR 1559 USA
Col. Charbel Barakat Intelligence and Security Director Canada
Eng. Toni Nissi UNSCR 1559 Coordinator Lebanon
Dr Anis Karam President World Lebanese Cultural Union WLCU USA
Eng. Fadi Bark Secretary General World Lebanese Cultural Union USA
Attorney John Hajjar Chairman International Relations WLCU USA
Attorney Claudia Chater Legal Advisor UNSCR 1559 Brazil
Attorney Joanne Fakhre President North American Continent WLCU USA
Lahez Haddad WCCR Council Executive Officer New Zealand
Kamal El Batal WCCR Human Rights Officer Lebanon
Roni Doumit WCCR Coordinator Europe
Elias Saouk WCCR Coordinator Sweden
Joseph Sokhen UNSCR 1559 Officer Lebanon
George Chaya Media Coordinator, UNSCR 1559 Officer Argentina
Snr Eng. Eblan Farris WCCR Communications Director USA
Sami Khoury Former Consul General of Lebanon Equador
White House blames Senator's visit to Syria
www.chinaview.cn 2006-12-15 05:32:48
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The White House criticized on Thursday Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson's trip to Syria, saying it was not only inappropriate, but that it also gave undue legitimacy to a government that is thwarting democratic reform in the Middle East.
The trip by Nelson, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, and future visits to Syria expected by Senators John Kerry and Christopher Dodd, both Democrats, and Arlen Specter, a Republican, send an unhelpful, mixed message to the Syrians, White House spokesman Tony Snow said at a news briefing. "We want to make sure that they understand that just because they have visitors does not mean that the position of the United States government has changed," Snow said. Nelson, who traveled to Syria on Wednesday, defended his trip. He told National Public Radio on Thursday that despite White House objections to his meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he believed his outreach to Damascus was in keeping with recommendations of Iraq Study Group on forging the way forward in Iraq. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended in its report last week that the Bush administration engage in direct talks with Syria, but President George W. Bush has reacted coolly to that suggestion. The United States accuses Syria of undermining Lebanese sovereignty and allowing weapons and fighters to cross its border into Iraq in support of the anti-U.S. insurgency there, but the Syrian government denies the allegations.US official warns UAE on trade with Iran, Syria
Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:01pm ET
WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The United States warned the United Arab Emirates on Thursday it may take action against the Gulf state if it fails to halt the flow of technology to Iran and Syria that can be used to make improvised bombs. "We continue to discuss this issue with UAE authorities but time for action is running short," Chris Padilla, assistant secretary of commerce for export administration, said in a speech to an industry group. Washington has accused both Syria and Iraq of allowing military equipment into their mutual neighbor Iraq, where so-called Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are one of the deadliest weapons used in the insurgency against U.S. troops. Padilla cited the activities of Mayrow General Trading, a UAE-based company, as "just one example of an alarming lack of export oversight by the government of UAE." "Basically, we found that these guys and some related entities were involved in transshipping components that are particularly used in building IEDs," he said. "The United States is increasingly disturbed by the diversion of goods to Iran and Syria through various ports in the UAE."The United States has been working with the UAE for several years to help it develop an export control law, through efforts such as technical assistance and training, Padilla said. "They really must take action and do so in the near term," he said. "If there continues to be these problems, we may have to consider steps beyond just doing technical assistance and I won't elaborate and speculate on what those might be."The UAE is home to Dubai Ports World (DPW), the world's third-largest port container operator, which found itself in a political firestorm this year when U.S. lawmakers objected to the state-run firm buying facilities at six major U.S. ports. DPW agreed to sell those operations and announced on Monday it had found a buyer, a global investment unit of the U.S. insurance company American International Group (AIG.N: Quote, Profile , Research). The ports furor also complicated talks on a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and UAE.
EU summit urges Syria to play constructive peace role, warns Iran on sanctions
The Associated Press
Published: 2006-12-14 17:30:14
BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union on Thursday embraced a Middle East peace initiative that urges Syria to play a constructive role in the region and hints to Iran of impending international sanctions over its nuclear program. It also condemned a move by the Palestinian militant group Hamas to seize a key EU-monitored border crossing Thursday between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
"We deplore the events that have taken place in Rafah," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters at an EU summit. He said the EU was relieved Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh failed to smuggle in tens of millions of dollars of aid from Egypt and that EU monitors were able to escape unharmed. Haniyeh made his way back to Gaza after a gunbattle between Hamas and rival Fatah left more than two dozen people wounded. Officials said Haniyeh was unharmed. Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers discussed a five-point plan first put forward by Spain, France and Italy in mid-November. The plan breaks no new ground but underscores a European wish to maintain the momentum for peace even as a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians hangs in the balance, and an insurgency rages on in Iraq.
The plan has five components: an immediate cease-fire; formation of a Palestinian unity government acceptable to the international community; an exchange of prisoners — including the Israeli soldiers whose kidnapping sparked a 34-day war between Israel and the militant Hezbollah earlier this year; talks between Israel's prime minister and the Palestinian president, and an international mission in Gaza to monitor a cease-fire.
The 25 foreign ministers reaffirmed the initiative Thursday and leaders from the 25 EU nations will formally endorse it Friday. Diplomats said the leaders' statement nudges Syria into doing more for peace and urges Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to keep up his efforts to form a government of national unity. "We continue, of course, to support him and also his efforts to form a government of national unity," said Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency. Tuomioja said once such a government is formed, "then we will immediately engage with it."The peace plan that Spain, France and Italy proposed does not explicitly demand that Hamas recognize Israel's right to exist — a key sticking point blocking the resumption of Western aid to the impoverished Palestinians.
Abbas has been trying to persuade Hamas to join his more moderate Fatah party in a coalition government in hopes of lifting the sanctions. But talks broke down late last month. Tensions further heightened after Abbas threatened to call new elections, drawing charges from Hamas he is plotting a coup.
On Iran, the U.N. Security Council currently is discussing a resolution that would impose sanctions on Tehran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment.
"What has been consistently the picture, pretty well all year, is that the international community has shown a great unity of purpose and a great unity of concern and anxiety over this issue," British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett told reporters. "That remains the case, and one of the best ways of demonstrating that would be by having a further unified Security Council resolution."British Prime Minister Tony Blair is to visit the Middle East in the weeks ahead. "We as the EU ... are substantial funders of aid and support to the Palestinian people, but in the end aid from outside is not the answer, the answer is to move to a more peaceful settlement in the Middle East so natural and normal economic development can take place," Beckett said.
*Associated Press writer David Stringer contributed to this report.Christian leader says Lebanese opposition ready for power
15 December 2006 Guardian - Clancy Chassay
The leader of the biggest Christian faction in Lebanon, General Michel Aoun, who has formed an alliance with the militant Shia group Hizbullah, said their opposition movement was prepared to set up their own national unity administration if the western-backed government of Fouad Siniora did not bow to their demands. Speaking to the Guardian, Gen Aoun said the largely Shia and Christian coalition, which is headed by Hizbullah, was preparing to ratchet up the pressure with unspecified acts of civil disobedience."This is not a game, we have had enough of political manoeuvring ... we have the people, we are the real leaders of the Lebanese people, we can double the numbers on the streets any time."
Gen Aoun addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters who had gathered near the government buildings in central Beirut last weekend in what the army described as the largest demonstration in Lebanon's history. The former prime minister has accused the Siniora government of being corrupt and unrepresentative. He is calling on ministers to agree to a financial audit and face prosecution if found guilty of misappropriating state funds.
"I don't consider these as requests. Fighting corruption is the demand of the people ... but it might be a problem for some in government as they may see themselves targeted by this," he said. Mr Siniora's embattled government is urging negotiations, but Gen Aoun has given the government days to accept the inclusion of opposition ministers in the cabinet or face undisclosed measures that could include strikes, disruptions of public office and mass parliamentary resignations. The Arab League secretary general, Amr Mussa, arrived in Beirut yesterday to meet leaders from both sides in the hope of negotiating a way out of the deadlock. Talks are expected to focus on a UN-proposed international tribunal to try Lebanese and Syrian security personnel accused of murdering the former prime minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, and government demands for early presidential elections to depose the country's president, Emile Lahoud - a close ally of Damascus.
Independent polls suggest that Gen Aoun, who waged a 15-year campaign to drive Syrian forces out of Lebanon, is the favourite candidate for president with around 45% of the national vote, but he is unpopular with some pro-government forces who are loath to see him back in power.
His detractors accuse him of seeking to block the formation of the international tribunal to try to protect Damascus and secure Syrian backing for his presidency. "We are not with Syria, and we are not with Iran," Gen Aoun said. "I am for the tribunal. I was the first one who demanded it, but we, as MPs, have not been shown a draft. We need to make sure it doesn't violate Lebanese law before signing off on it."
As the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, warned of a Syrian attempt "to bring down the Siniora government using or supporting extremist forces", Gen Aoun cautioned that the west's unwavering support for the Siniora government was alienating large swathes of the Lebanese public.
"They should not take sides. They should support the entire Lebanese people, not some of them ... it is turning more of the public against them."
The former general dismissed speculation - prompted by violent skirmishes between Sunnis and Shias in recent days - of a return to civil war, but expressed fears of violence from government supporters, accusing the current leadership of protecting "mercenaries" and instigating the clashes.
He said pro-government forces linked to a largely Sunni controlled division within the internal security services played a part in the recent killing of a 20-year-old Shia protester who was shot in the back on Monday night as he passed through a Sunni neighbourhood.
Gen Aoun came under fire from both friends and critics for his decision to side with Hizbullah, an ally of Damascus, earlier this year.
But he insists he remains a steadfast opponent of Syrian interference and fears the recent thaw in relations between Damascus and Washington may allow Syria, which controlled Lebanon for 15 years before withdrawing under popular and international pressure last year, to again play a hand in Lebanese affairs."We fear that if America concludes a deal, they will allow Syria back into Lebanon, which we oppose." Gen Aoun said his partnership with Hizbullah was born out of a shared commitment to fighting corruption, and to political reforms aimed at strengthening the state. "Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don't, but our agreement is our guarantee that Syria will not return."He said he supported UN resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of Hizbullah, but proposes a strategy of government-controlled civilian mobilisation to compensate for the weakness of the army in the event of an attack on Lebanon.
Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah Naim Qassem Speaking to a Massive Opposition Demonstration in Beirut: Death to America
http://switch5.castup.net/frames/20041020_MemriTV_Popup/video_480x360.asp?ai=214&ar=1337wmv&ak=null
Following are excerpts from an interview with Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah, which aired on Al-Manar TV on December 10, 2006. Naim Qassem: I say to those who languish in their palaces: Open your eyes! Hear the cries of the male and female mujahideen, and of the honourable people in this homeland. Stop adhering to the international support. By Allah, it will not help you – not the support of the America, not the support of the Western countries, nor the support of some Arab countries. This people wants its homeland. Leave it, you are homeland robbers! They tried to scare you, and said: “Beware not take to the streets.” They tried to scare you, and said: “Beware not take to the streets.” They began to spread rumours. Yet you did take to the streets. Does Bush want [to hear] the popular voice in Lebanon? Do the West and the Arabs want to hear the voice of the people in Lebanon? Say to them: Death to America!
Crowd: Death to America!
Death to America!
Death to America!
Death to America!
Naim Qassem: Say to them: Death to Israel!
Crowd: Death to Israel!
Death to Israel!
Death to Israel!
Naim Qassem: Say to them: Glory to a free Lebanon.
Crowd: Glory to a free Lebanon!
Glory to a free Lebanon!
Naim Qassem: Oh you, who hole yourself up in your palaces: You can no longer control and influence. You tried to send your militias to harm the demonstrators, but you were put to shame in front of the whole world.Hariri: Foreign actors steering opposition
'Hizbullah is not the decision-maker'
By Mira Borji -Daily Star staff
Friday, December 15, 2006
BEIRUT: Parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri on Thursday accused Hizbullah of laying siege to the Grand Serail at the request of Iran, while once more calling for an international tribunal to try those accused of his father's assassination. The parliamentary majority leader told Algerian television that he has sent Iranian officials a letter criticizing what he said were attempts by Tehran to "sow divisions" among Muslims in Lebanon.
"Lebanon is based on several sects and political parties ... However, none of the Lebanese political parties can defeat the other because Lebanon is the country of coexistence," the Future Movement leader said. Taking aim at the anti-government coalition, which he said "is in fact led by Hizbullah, which has regional targets rather than internal ones," Hariri charged that "the opposition made up a problem and resorted to the streets."
The opposition began an open-ended demonstration outside the Grand Serail on December 1 to demand a larger say in the decision-making process of the government. "What is the opposition's project for Lebanon?" Hariri asked. "They only care about the creation of a national unity government and getting the blocking third. "Hizbullah is only calling for maintaining good relations with Iran and Syria, while claiming that all other relations do not serve Lebanon."Hariri dismissed as "unfounded accusations" opposition reports that a deal had been reached between all parties to end the political deadlock, but that the deal was abandoned after pressure from the United States.
"Saad Hariri does not get money from the US ... they are the ones who receive money from Iran," Hariri said. "Hizbullah is not the decision-maker ... they accuse us of having a militia; they are the militia."
Hariri said the two-week-old demonstration would not topple the government."Are they going to stage strikes? Let them do so, but they will be paralyzing the country," he said.The MP said he has always supported the resistance. "We were more than open with Hizbullah ... I told leaders all over the world that the issue of Hizbullah's weapons should be solved internally ... I said so in the White House, Elysee Palace and in all Arab countries," he said.
"We made a decision not to be part of any [international] alliance. We know what America and Europe are ... We do not even want to be part of the Iranian-Syrian alliance ... We just want to be Lebanese."The Future Movement leader said he was committed to the establishment of an international court to try his father's killers. "The international tribunal is meant to protect the Lebanese people and political leaders ... we do not intend to seek revenge because none of the assassinated will come back to life," he said. "They [Hizbullah] say that they support such a tribunal, but whenever the issue is discussed in Cabinet their ministers withdraw from session."
Hariri and Premier Fouad Siniora had both given Hizbullah ministers guarantees that the Cabinet would discuss the matter for a few days, the MP said, and promised to negotiate all of the main points concerning the court."Their real problem is that the Syrian regime does not want the international tribunal," Hariri said. He once more called for the resumption of national talks, saying "this way we will find out each party's demands."
The Future of Lebanon
Paul Salem
From Foreign Affairs, November/December 2006
Summary: This summer, Hezbollah and Israel blundered into a war that neither anticipated, and the costs for Lebanon have been high. But if Beirut and the international community handle the crisis well, the end result might still be surprisingly positive: a more stable Lebanon that could help secure a true regional peace.
Paul Salem is Director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, in Beirut.
Blind Into Beirut
Hezbollah's July 12 raid into Israel, backed by Iran, was intended to entangle Israel in a limited skirmish on its northern border and a drawn-out prisoner exchange at a time when Iran was facing mounting pressure over its nuclear program. Israel, backed by the United States, responded with a large-scale war meant to deliver a knockout blow to Hezbollah and thereby remove the missile threat to northern Israel, weaken Iran in any upcoming showdown, and eliminate what the United States considers a major opponent in the war on terrorism. Washington also hoped to give a boost to the Lebanese government, which it considered a potential democratic success story.
But wars rarely proceed as expected, and no participant in this war got what it had bargained for. Hezbollah ended up in a full-scale war, in which it won some battlefield victories and popularity in the Arab and Muslim world but which devastated its Lebanese Shiite constituency and narrowed its tactical and political options. Israel, despite unleashing massive airpower on Hezbollah strongholds, failed to knock out the organization or even to stop its missile attacks, while the setbacks suffered by Israel's ground invasion had the effect of puncturing the aura of invincibility long projected by the Israel Defense Forces. Tehran reaped some benefit from Hezbollah's increased popularity and perhaps can point to the organization's robust performance as a warning to those considering military action against Iran, but this war wasted much of the deterrent power that it had vested in Hezbollah for its own hour of need. Meanwhile, the United States looked on helplessly as the crisis drove Arab and Muslim public opinion further against it and weakened an already fragile Lebanon. As is the case with most proxy wars, the highest price was paid by the host country, Lebanon, which found itself the arena of regional and international war. The terrible toll on civilian life, housing, and infrastructure made this one of the most devastating wars in Lebanon's recent history.
Significantly, the crisis was resolved diplomatically rather than militarily, with the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 -- a transformative resolution that provides a meaningful basis for moving forward and a framework for new political and security realities in Lebanon and the region. The deployment of the Lebanese army to southern Lebanon with UN troop support has put an end to four decades of control by nonstate actors. Resolution 1701 is an important step toward a stable and sovereign Lebanon. It deserves sustained support and beckons the international community to make renewed efforts to find multilateral diplomatic solutions to other conflicts in the area.
A PRECARIOUS STALEMATE
Lebanon's decade-and-a-half civil war ended in 1990 after the signing of the Document of National Understanding, known as the Taif agreement, which recalibrated political power among the country's various "confessional" communities. Members of Parliament are elected to seats that must be split evenly between Christians and Muslims. Parliament must elect a Maronite Christian as president and a Shiite Muslim as Speaker, and the president . . .
Armament and National Unity
Hassan Haydar Al-Hayat - 14/12/06//
The Lebanese are sharply divided on the validity and legitimacy of the opposition demands led by Hezbollah, and on the intentions behind them. Also divided are the Arabs and the whole world, even with a clear inclination toward the legitimate government. But whether the Arab efforts succeeded or failed in defusing the political and sectarian tension and bridging the gap between the different parties, the slogan 'National Unity', under which the protesters demand a new government to be formed, needs to be checked. Those who are now demanding national unity are those who breached it and made it liable to considerations that have nothing to do with national unity.
Since Lebanon's independence in 1943, the First Republic, its institutions and organs have been established on compromise and consensus among the major sects, without considering whether the shares were fair or unfair. This consensus was soon exposed to the consecutive crises that were every time the result of external influence that tempted one of the parties in the equation of the possibility of turning against its partners and seeking external support to impose a new reality. It may be argued that all of these attempts have failed, until the Second Republic was established after a long civil war that ended in the Taif negotiations and Agreement that was unanimously approved by all parties. But the conclusion of the agreement coincided with the rise of Hezbollah in the ranks of the Shiite sect, and a steady rise in its mobilization, armament, financial capabilities, role and external connections.
Since southern Lebanon was still under the Israeli occupation, the Hezbollah Party was exempted from a fundamental article in the Taif Constitution that stipulated the disarmament of all the Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, which were compelled to hand over their arms to the State. The latter would be empowered by the Constitution to lay down a security plan allowing it, when implemented, to put into effect its authority throughout the entire Lebanese territory. This exception was upheld by a consensus, but also under a crucial Syrian influence, which led to another exemption, this time including the Palestinian refugee camps, on the grounds that these camps are under an Israeli threat and their disarmament required regional and international consensus that was not available at the time.
It must be stressed that the support - whether popular encompassing all sects, or governmental, including the security apparatus, the armed forces, in addition to diplomacy - enjoyed by Hezbollah in its resistance to Israel was a successful test for the principal of national unity.
It must be also stressed that this support was given to Hezbollah, even as it monopolized the military action in the South, through a deliberate and a coordinated Syrian decision, that excluded the rest of the resistance, including sides with close contacts to Damascus itself, such as the Syrian Nationalists, the Communists, or even the Shiite 'Amal' faction.
Following the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation in 2000, however, the reason that prevented the dispatching of the Lebanese army to the border and the handing over of Hezbollah's arms, ceased to exist.
This is when the Shebaa Farms 'pretext' emerged and, with it, the unsettled question of the actual identity of these farms, which until now has not been determined to be either Syrian or Lebanese.
It was then that Hezbollah, against the will of the rest of the Lebanese sides, decided to maintain sole control over the South, since the 'liberation battle, has not come to an end yet'. Since Syrian hegemony ruled Lebanon, the entire country was forced to yield to Hezbollah's decision, which constituted a flagrant violation of the principals of national unity and the articles of the Taif Accords.
This is when the Lebanese unity and the unity of the internal ranks were abolished. This is when Hezbollah also upheld its stance, and even spent six years amassing arms and transforming the Lebanese South into an arsenal and combat zone. And because of this, all of Lebanon paid the price each time this border front was inflamed. The withdrawal of the Syrian troops from Lebanon, following the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri, came as a fresh test for Lebanese national unity. In the same vein, Hezbollah did not miss the opportunity to consolidate its opposition to the national consensus, through organizing massive pro-Syrian rallies, suggesting Syria will be forgiven for whatever past actions it instigated.
Then came the major rejection of consensus and national unity through the war, last July. It was then that Hezbollah, once again, took a unilateral decision, the price and consequences of which were paid for, and will continue to be paid for, by all of Lebanon.
The same Party is demonstrating in the heart of Beirut today, demanding a national unity government, and was the first to shun this government and the first to undermine and ridicule it by the force or arms and external support
Hezbollah still operating in Canada
Hezbollah is still engaged in fundraising and other activities in Canada.
Secret reports from Canada’s intelligence establishment make the assertions several years after the government outlawed the Lebanese group as a terrorist entity.The Toronto-based National Post newspaper, which used the Access to Information Act to attain copies of several secret intelligence assessments, reported that they were generated in response to last summer’s war between Israel and Hezbollah.
One of the heavily edited reports indicated that Hezbollah still has a presence in Canada and its “activities in Canada include fundraising, censored collection and the procurement of equipment.”Using freedom-of-information legislation, Post reporter Stewart Bell has amassed what is probably the largest collection of terrorism-related Canadian intelligence documents in private hands.
In Lebanon, Hizbullah's rise provokes Shiite dissent
They worry that its quest to topple the Western-backed government will hurt their long-term interests.
By Nicholas Blanford | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
BEIRUT, LEBANON – Hizbullah's ability to draw hundreds of thousands of Shiites to central Beirut to rally against the Lebanese government is the most visible evidence that the militants are now the undisputed representative of the country's Shiite community.
Yet some of the party's coreligionists have started to publicly question Hizbullah's political monopoly. They worry that its ambitious gambit to topple the Western-backed government is intended to benefit backers in Iran and Syria and will be detrimental to the long-term interests of Shiites.
SETTLING IN: On the 14th day of demonstration in Beirut Thursday calling for Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's resignation, workers covered massive tents for protesters.
"Hizbullah's actions definitely are not in the interests of Shiites nor of Lebanon," says Sheikh Ali al-Amine, the Shiite mufti of the Jabal Amel district of south Lebanon.
Shiite voices of dissent are few, but are gaining more attention at a time when Lebanon is serving as a battleground in the emerging struggle between Iran and its regional allies - dubbed by some as a "Shiite crescent" - and the Sunni-dominated Arab world led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Hizbullah is caught in the vortex of this regional contest, torn between satisfying the demands of its foreign patrons while serving the needs of its domestic Shiite constituency.
Demonstrations calling for the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora have been ongoing since Dec. 1. Since then, the numbers of Hizbullah and opposition supporters filling downtown Beirut seem to ebb and flow at the call of Hizbullah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
Thursday, in a bid to ease the political crisis, the Lebanese government and opposition groups agreed on a national unity cabinet in which major decisions could be taken only by consensus, said Arab League chief Amr Moussa. He told reporters, however, that more talks were required to conclude the deal.
Mr. Moussa called on all the parties to defuse the tension and expressed hope that the remaining issues could be resolved in the next two weeks. "Progress is clear and consensus is rising. Please be patient a bit longer," he said. "We hope to finish in the next two weeks or at the end of the month."
The anti-Hizbullah voices
Sheikh Amine has become Hizbullah's most visible critic after sparking controversy four months ago by publicly refuting Hizbullah's claim of a "divine victory" in its summer war against Israel. Still, he appears an unlikely critic of Hizbullah.
Wearing a black turban that marks him as a descendent of the prophet Muhammad, he was once close to Hizbullah and in 1981 taught the youthful Hassan Nasrallah at a Shiite seminary in the Iranian city of Qom. The sheikh remembers the future Hizbullah leader as "clever and a quick learner."
"I never wanted to turn myself into a figure of opposition to Hizbullah. But during the war I saw mistakes," he says. "The aim of Hizbullah is to capture all the Shiite sect and push it into the unknown."
During the war, Mona Fayyad, a professor at the Lebanese University in Beirut, penned an acerbic opinion piece titled "To be a Shiite now," railing against the sect's subservience to Hizbullah.
"To be a Shiite is to keep silent and not to ask what is the purpose of liberating a country. Is it to destroy it all over again and to make it possible for it to be occupied once more?" she wrote.
A year ago, Mohammed Mattar, a Shiite lawyer, filed a lawsuit against a prominent Hizbullah cleric who had issued a fatwa, or religious edict, forbidding any Shiite from accepting a ministerial post after the pro-Hizbullah ministers walked out of the government.
"The edict crossed the red line between democracy and a parliamentary system run by the clergy," Mr. Mattar says, describing the fatwa as the "politics of intimidation."
The lawsuit, which was signed by five Shiites and three Christians, was, he says, "bold, but ultimately you have to defend the principles of the republic. If you want to live in a society ruled by clerics, go to Iran."
Those that have spoken out against Hizbullah say they have been subjected to subtle intimidation. Amine had to cancel his e-mail address after receiving anonymous hate mail, while others have been told they are not welcome at social events.
Lokman Slim, a vocal Hizbullah critic who heads Hayya Bina, a political reform group, says his name was included on two "lists of dishonor" circulated on the Web during the war.
"The Hayya Bina website was shut down during the war due to kindly advice, slash, threats," he says with a wry smile.
Hizbullah's dominance of Shiite politics in Lebanon has its roots in the Lebanese state's historical neglect of the Shiite community. Traditionally marginalized by Lebanon's Christian and Sunni elite and ruled by a handful of feudal clans, the Shiites were mainly confined to the impoverished rural south and east.
Hizbullah was established with Iranian support in the wake of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon and soon began to challenge the already existing Amal Movement for dominance of Shiite politics.
Both groups secured loyalty through offering services to their constituents. Nabih Berri, the leader of Amal and Lebanon's parliamentary speaker, adopted a typically Lebanese system of patronage, using his influence within the state to provide his supporters with employment in government institutions.
From shadow militia to Shiite institution
Hizbullah, which initially operated outside the state, used Iranian funds to build a shadow social welfare network for poor Shiites that included schools and hospitals. The battlefield successes of Hizbullah's military wing against Israeli occupation forces further sustained its popularity and earned it a regional standing.
Today, Hizbullah is a formidable multifaceted organization, arguably the second-largest employer after the Lebanese state, with some 35,000 Shiite families directly or indirectly dependent on the party.
Last year, it formed a strategic alliance with rival Amal, effectively absorbing the movement into its own apparatus. That leaves Hizbullah as the only real representative of Shiites, making it all but impossible for an alternative Shiite political entity to emerge.
"According to opinion polls, Hizbullah commands the support of over 90 percent of the community and it's very difficult for any new group to compete against that," says Amal Saad-Ghorayeb of the Carnegie Endowment's Middle East Center in Beirut.
Hizbullah's Shiite opponents argue that the party's popularity is lower than the polls suggest. But they agree that the state's historical disregard for Shiites is to blame as it created a social and political vacuum that was subsequently filled by Hizbullah. Although they say there is a need for a political alternative, swaying Shiite public opinion away from Hizbullah is a near hopeless task.
"We are unable to compete against Hizbullah as secular republican Shiites," says Mr. Slim. "They have God on their side, and it's impossible to compete."