LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
December 6/06Bible Reading For the Day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10,21-24.
At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."Free Opinions
The Lebanese need to find a way out before it's too late-Daily Star 06.12.06
The Government of National Paralysis and Its Purposes. By: Hazem Saghieh Al-Hayat - 06/12/06
The International Tribunal and Siniora.By: Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat 06.12.06
The myriad circles of Lebanon's crisis-By Rami G. Khouri 06.12.06Latest New from The Daily Star for December 6/06
Lebanese Army, police appeal for calm on streets of capital
Shiite mourners bury casualty of clashes
Opposition discusses 'next level' of protest
Paris, Berlin accuse Damascus of orchestrating crisis in Beirut
Bridge repairs accelerate as holidays draw near
Hizbullah rejects human-shield accusations
Nassib Lahoud urges leaders to resume talks
How Hizbullah keeps protesters in line
Siniora tells Nasrallah not to waste unity on the streets
Jumblatt urges patience, stresses dialogue as solution to deadlock
Azour insists Paris III is still on track despite crisis
Qasqas businesses take crippling hit in wake of weekend unrest
Schools try to keep crisis from disrupting studies
Summer war hobbles Lebanese sprinter's chances
Is thriving insect life just another side-effect of conflict with Israel?
Lebanon's Leaders Vow to Hold Out Against Hezbollah-Led Siege-Bloomberg - USA
Hurriyet: Five Members of Hezbollah Held in Turkey-Focus News
Hezbollah receiving missiles-United Press International
Lebanese to NY Times: 'Of Course Hezbollah is Responsible'-Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America - USA
Latest New from miscellaneous sources for December 6/06
Escalating Crisis in Lebanon-Voice of America
Angry Shiites Demand Saniora's Death at Funeral of Violence Victim-Naharnet
Jumblat Preaches Restraint, Advises Students to Boycott College-Naharnet
Gen. Suleiman Sounds Alarm-Naharnet
War of Screens' Escalate Between Pro-, Anti-Government Supporters-Naharnet
U.S.: Protests Target Hariri's Assassination Probe-Naharnet
Amnesty Chief Urges Leaders to Avoid Violence-Naharnet
Jordan Worried About Lebanon's Safety-Naharnet
Merkel, Chirac urge Syria not to meddle in Lebanon-Asharq Alawsat
Unrest in Lebanon / If Siniora falls, so will UNIFIL-Ha'aretz
What is the Price to Pay?Asharq Alawsat - London,UK
Sfeir warns: confrontation should not turn into clash-AsiaNews.it
Iranian and Syrian Hands In Beirut Coup Efforts-ThreatsWatch.Org
200,000 call for Lebanon's 'US puppet' to go-Telegraph.co.uk
Gridlock in Lebanon-Economist - UK
Beirut on the brink-The Australian
Lebanese Man killed by cluster bomb in southern Lebanon-International Middle East Media Center
A Syrian war disguised as a Hezbollah Coup d’Etat
By: Charles Jalk
For the last 5 nights, Hezbollah thugs have been roaming the streets of Beirut terrorizing its population, setting cars and shops on fire, attacking innocent Lebanese bystanders, even firing automatic weapons. These dangerous incidents in Beirut have left at least 1 person dead and dozens more wounded. Syria’s madman Bashar Assad is attacking Lebanon again! This time thru his thin Hezbollah mask. For us Lebanese to have any chance of survival, we must first realize that we are already in the midst of a war, we must then identify who is attacking us, and finally we must retaliate with all our strength and instruments.
It is time for the Seniora government to clearly identify the Syrian enemy and fire back. Why aren’t the Lebanese army bombs landing in Syria at this moment? Why aren’t car bombs exploding and assassinations occurring in Damascus? Why aren’t we sending arms and munitions to Syrian opposition groups and granting them training basis in Lebanon as springboards to attack Syria itself? It is time that we stop being on the defensive, end the charade, move to the attack, and deal the Syrian dictatorship the same cards it is dealing us.
Also all Syrian nationals should be immediately rounded and sent back to Syria and we must seal our borders. Hezbollah’s leadership along with pro-Syrian politicians should be arrested immediately and tried for treason, and their parties/media disbanded. All Hezbollah zones of control must be surrounded and its weapons confiscated. The longer we delay such drastic action, the stronger they become as they gradually slide the country towards their obvious objective; a Sunni-Shiite war. Now is the time to strike the Syrian regime swiftly, before the danger of a civil war mushrooms and while we have the support of the world.
However, it is preferable that we fight inside Syria and not on our own soil. We should focus our military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations against and inside Syria itself. With the goal being the toppling of the Assad dictatorship with all means and whatever the costs. We are not scared of the Assad dictatorship or its local trash. We have rebuilt Beirut 7 times before, and we can rebuild it again 100 times over. Our Freedoms, Sovereignty, and Independence are priceless!
Bashar the cub, has clearly started this war, and we shall end it for him. We have fought alone for Free Lebanon for 30 years. This time around, we have the support of the vast majority of multi-ethnic Lebanese, all the Arab world, the international community, UN resolutions, as well as international forces already on our soil. This is the final battle for Free Lebanon. It is either Free Lebanon or their Falsadoom!
The Syrian regime hour of reckoning has arrived! There will be no Saddam-hole for Bashar to hide in, anywhere on this planet. We shall pursue all the Assad ruling mafia relentlessly, for decades if we must, and bring them to justice for their crimes against humanity.Escalating Crisis in Lebanon
By Judith Latham -Washington
04 December 2006
Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies hold demonstrations against the government in Beirut, Lebanon Thousands of opposition protesters remain camped outside Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora’s office, demanding the resignation of his U.S.-backed government. Leaders of the militant Shi’a group Hezbollah have vowed that the demonstration, which began last Friday, will not end until he steps down. Street battles have already erupted between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims in Beirut. Political and sectarian tensions have reached their highest point since the end of Lebanon’s civil war more than 15 years ago, and some analysts are warning that the country might slide back into conflict. Six pro-Syrian ministers from the Hezbollah and Amal parties quit the government last month in a bid for more power and because they opposed the government’s decision to create an international tribunal to bring the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to justice. A U.N. investigation into his murder implicated Syrian officials, a charge which Damascus denies. Analysts say one cannot isolate the assassination of Lebanese cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel from developments in Iraq, Iran, and Palestine When Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in November, he became the sixth anti-Syrian politician in Lebanon to be killed in the past two years. If the cabinet loses one more minister, Lebanon’s pro-western government will collapse. Such a prospect raises suspicions that Syria and its Lebanese allies may be behind Gemayel’s murder. Despite the withdrawal of the Syrian military from Lebanon last spring, Syria has a vast network of influence within Lebanon Despite the escalating political crisis, Rami Khouri, editor of Beirut’s Daily Star, rates the chances of civil war in Lebanon as “slim.” Speaking with host Judith Latham of VOA News Now’s International Press Club, Mr. Khouri says that’s because the Lebanese people realize that the war of 1975-90 “didn’t solve anything” and was “tremendously destructive.”
However, Lebanon’s neighbors are nervous. Jordan’s King Abdullah II says the region may face the prospect of “three simultaneous civil wars” erupting – in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq. George Hawatmeh, a former editor of the Jordan Times, says most people in Jordan agree with their King’s sober assessment. But Rami Khouri describes the situation as not just a local power struggle but as a “regional and even global confrontation” played out by Lebanese actors. Rami Khouri says he thinks the United States can play a constructive role in this crisis if it does so in a “low-key” manner. Both he and Jordan’s King Abdullah believe that, if the Arab-Israeli conflict were to be resolved peacefully “to the satisfaction of all sides,” it would remove a major reason for the emergence of militant groups in the region that are “hostile to U.S. policies in the Middle East.” Both Rami Khouri and George Hawatmeh say that, because Lebanon’s problems are interwoven with unresolved conflicts in the “greater” Middle East, they cannot be addressed in isolation.
Gen. Suleiman Sounds Alarm
Naharnet: Lebanese army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman has warned that the daily protests and riots might get out of control, several newspapers reported Tuesday. Suleiman's comments showed that the military was concerned that the political crisis between Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government and the Hizbullah-led opposition was approaching dangerous levels. Thousands of troops are deployed across Beirut where, since Friday, the opposition has been convening daily demonstrations to topple Saniora's cabinet. Large crowds were expected later Tuesday at the funeral of a Shiite youth, Ali Ahmed Mahmoud, 20, who was shot dead in street clashes in the Beirut district of Qasqas on Sunday. Further clashes took place in the nearby neighborhood of Tarik Jedideh on Monday night, when two people were wounded, police said.
Angry protestors also blocked the Beirut airport highway after midnight, but the Lebanese army intervened and opened the road.
"The absence of political solutions, along with the recurrence of security incidents, particularly those with sectarian tinge, drains the army's resources and weakens its neutrality," Suleiman was quoted as saying. "This weakness will make the army unable to control the situation in all areas of Lebanon." Troops and armored cars have taken up positions in various parts of Beirut, particularly around the Grand Serail.
Suleiman toured the areas of unrest on Monday and met afterward with Premier Saniora and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
The general indicated that the army was not going to fracture along sectarian lines as it did during the 1975-90 civil war.
Suleiman said the army was now different to what it had been during the civil war, but he stressed that "finding political solutions is the best way to keep it neutral, strong and capable of protecting the country, citizens, institutions, private and public property."(AP-Naharnet) (AFP photo shows a Lebanese army commando watching anti-government protesters through barbed wire protecting the Grand Serail)Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 12:48
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Syria’s devious weapon for undermining Siniora – al Qaeda infiltrators cross into Lebanon to radicalize Palestinians
December 4, 2006, 3:33 PM (GMT+02:00)
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert informed the Knesset foreign affairs and security committee Monday, Dec. 4, that Israel does not intend attacking Syria. Like all its neighbors, Israel is bound to be affected by the turmoil in Lebanon, especially if Hizballah’s pro-Syrian coup-by-demonstration succeeds in overthrowing the anti-Syrian government of Fouad Siniora.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Olmert government should be doubly concerned by Bashar Asad’s latest gambit, filtering Al Qaeda operatives from their Syrian sanctuary into Lebanon, there to foment Palestinian support for Hizballah’s drive to topple the government in Beirut.
This ploy has surfaced in certain incidents of the past week: On Nov. 28, Omar Abdullah, leader of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Tawhid and Jihad, was shot dead by Syrian border guards on his way to Lebanon with nine forged identity papers in his pocket. Our intelligence sources report that Syrian intelligence staged the incident to signal relevant parties in the Middle East and abroad that al Qaeda is bent on a subversive operation in Lebanon akin to its Iraq venture - and it is in Syria’s power to regulate the threat. The Lebanese media reporting the incident found no other motive for Omar Abdullah’s death since he was a frequent traveler between the two countries and was wont to carry phony documents.
A day earlier, Nov. 27, at the Nahr al Bared camp in the northern Lebanese region of Tripoli, an armed Palestinian faction ceremonially changed its name from Fatah-Intifada to Fatah al-Islam. At the ceremony, its members showed off their new Taliban-style beards and said they had come to realize that the only way to achieve Palestinian goals was “by killing all the Jews and their crusader allies.”
DEBKAfile’s Lebanese sources report the Tripoli region is under the thumb of Syrian military intelligence and its Sunni and Maronite Catholic sympathizers, who could have - but did not - prevent the ceremony taking place.
Then, on Nov. 29, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, Ein al Hilwa near Sidon in the south, saw a conference of the heads of the camp’s Jund Al-Sham (picture) factions. Jund Al-Sham, like the Islamic Army of Gaza, is an operational and financial dependant of al Qaeda. They discussed whether to grant entry to Palestinian groups from Syria - and “other Arab factions,” such as “al Qaeda”, “the Islamic Army” and “Fatah al-Islam.”
The consensus they reached was that such groups could not be excluded from the Palestinian refugee camps of the south or from Burj al Barajne, Sabra and Chatila near Beirut, because they were already ensconced in the north.
In an article published in Dar Al Hayat on Nov. 30, the Lebanese journalist Hassan Haydar asked: “How is it possible for all these armed groups to cross the Syrian-Lebanese border without being spotted by the security apparatus of both sides?”
The question was rhetorical. He knows the answer, as do DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources: As we have reported, Syria is arming sympathetic Lebanese factions in readiness for a showdown with anti-Syrian elements in Beirut. Its next step now is to transplant al Qaeda offshoots and affiliates from Syria into Lebanon’s Palestinian camps for three objectives:
1. To remove this incriminating terrorist presence from Syria ahead of a possible thaw in relations with Washington.
2. To radicalize the Palestinians of Lebanon so that in a civil showdown they will fight alongside the pro-Syrian forces.
3. To radicalize the Palestinian people at large, and so disarm and isolate the moderates - not only in Lebanon, but also in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as well. Damascus will of course deny deploying these jihadists at strategic points for destabilizing pro-Western governments and defeating peace diplomacy. But Syria also denies a hand in promoting the violence in Iraq by similar infusions
Hizbullah-backed Christian general vies for power
By JACEY HERMAN JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT
BEIRUT
He's known as "The General," and his very public demands for Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora to resign have generated rapturous applause from the thousands of anti-government protesters camping outside government offices in downtown Beirut.
Michel Aoun, 71, is a former prime minister and commander of the Lebanese Army who was forced into exile for 15 years by Syrian and allied Lebanese forces. His return to Lebanon and subsequent alliances with a number of erstwhile opponents, including Hizbullah and some staunchly pro-Syrian politicians, has raised more than a few eyebrows.
Some in the Lebanese capital believe it shows that pro- and anti-Syrian positions are no longer relevant; others see it as a cynical move aimed at maximizing Aoun's chances of winning parliamentary seats - and ultimately the presidency.
Either way, with his popularity apparently increasing daily, some observers have dubbed Aoun as the man who possibly can tip the balance of power in what has become a very precarious political standoff.
SMS messages being circulated throughout the country are encouraging supporters to participate in the massive peaceful demonstration orchestrated by Hizbullah with Aoun's support. Numerous tents in downtown Beirut belong to Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). These Christian Maronite supporters are surprising partners with Hizbullah in their attempt to overthrow the government.
If Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's decision to have Aoun deliver the keynote address at the start of the demonstration last Friday was aimed at presenting the anti-government opposition as a pan-sectarian movement, then he failed. Demonstrators here are slow to criticize Hizbullah, but quick to point out they're backers of Aoun. "I am not Hizbullah," said one supporter. "I'm here because I believe if we want to build and reunite our country, we need a bridge and Aoun has proved he can play this role. He can unite us, not on a Saudi, Iranian or American program, but on shared Lebanese ideas that transform into a national program for Lebanon."
But Aoun is also blamed by many Christians for dividing the community between those who support the government and those calling for its resignation. Katia Debs, a student who has been at the protest from the start, said she used to support Aoun, but disagreed with his current direction.
"I want all of us Christians to be together," she said. "First of all, Christians must be strong. I'm concerned our community is splitting."
Aoun has rejected the "pro-Syrian" label, but like the blatantly pro-Syrian Lebanese president, he has slammed the Lebanese army "militia and gangs" for protecting Saniora and has ordered his supporters to disregard the government's orders. "He didn't change his policies, the others changed," said Ibrahim Kanaan, a parliament member from Aoun's party. "We were the heart of the revolution for almost 15 years. The others joined only in September 2005 following a dispute with Syrian President Bashar Assad over the presidency of Emile Lahoud.
"They left the 14th of March principles and made another alliance with Hizbullah to form a political system with them, and even formed a government, so where were their principles? They have hijacked the dream of the Lebanese people for true sovereignty."Sources from both sides confirmed that negotiations behind the scenes to end the stalemate had broken off with no sign of resumption. Saniora refuses to resign, and Hizbullah, Amal and Aoun's FPM remain insistent on a one-third veto vote.The Government of National Paralysis and Its Purposes
Hazem Saghieh Al-Hayat - 05/12/06//
How can there be a 'national unity government' in Lebanon in light of the deep differences over the very meaning of the word, 'national'?
Let us say, at the outset, that we stand before two major popular blocs, each carrying an opinion contrary to the opinion of the other bloc on almost everything. Let us also say that the attempts of some of those who speak on behalf of each respective bloc to reduce the size of their opponents or downplay their status, are trivial, at best, and authoritarian, at worst. And, in all cases, they are incapable of living up to the seriousness of the actual conflict and the risks that lie ahead.
It is a crisis in Lebanese nationalism, not in this nationalism's institutional and constitutional formulas, which are only a digression. It is a crisis where the only thing that both sides have in common, raising the Lebanese flag and waving it, became symbolically void of patriotic content and, ironically, deprived them all of the signs of a consensus.
But if we are facing a crisis in Lebanese nationalism, then the national unity government will just be a collection of contradictions that will only result in paralysis in national politics, as is the case with the economy. In the meantime, this growing tendency to resort to the street, and the growing animosity between the groups, and perhaps even a mutual arms race, is exactly what happened in the national unity government which accompanied the rift over the weapons of the Palestinian Resistance in Lebanon between 1969 and 1975.
It could be said, as a counter argument, that President Fuad Chehab had already grouped together Pierre Gemayel and Kamal Jumblatt in his governments. But that was an exceptional experience in modern Lebanese history, stemming from the exceptional arbitrational position Chehab enjoyed, enhanced moreover by his executive powers. Such exceptional circumstances were not enjoyed by Presidents Charles Helou and Suleiman Franjieh and, of course, Emile Lahoud.
And here we can not avoid voicing our great doubt: whoever proposes a national unity government as the cure for a crisis that is striking Lebanese nationalism itself, is dealing with the country as a mere arena and extension, whose decisions should be made in foreign power centers, which then reverberate upon us. According to this interpretation, it is enough for us to have a government of national paralysis as long as we are not the source of decisions or its makers. It is a return, in worse conditions, to the state of affairs that existed during the former period of Syrian guardianship, when the Rafik Hariri government 'amused' itself with economic matters; whereas politics, at the end of the day, was in the hands of the Syrians. And whenever the prime minister extended his hand to politics, it was slapped away, and when he reached his hand out at a time of emergency and crisis, he was killed.
But what the opposition is doing is decorating the national government paralysis as a vehicle for a shiny future, which is no more than a lie among the other lies that we can easily recall. Three of those latest lies are:
• That Fouad Siniora turned from the head of the government of 'political resistance' when he was needed by Hezbollah during the war into an 'agent' for American ambassador Feltman after the war.
• He who achieved a 'divine victory' was forced, after less than four months, to incur an open ended stay-in strike, calling for a change of government (if it had been a victory much less than divine, the government would have fallen before it like a yellow autumn leaf).
• The leader of this 'victory' was the one who pressed the most for an immediate ceasefire.
Far away from all these lies among others, the crisis goes beyond mere politics and even constitutional texts to affect nationalism itself. Today, there are an inexhaustible number of arguments to the effect that Emile Lahoud is illegitimate or that Fouad Siniora and his government are illegitimate. In the end, the issue is neither here nor there, but lies in the ability of the two contradictory viewpoints in the national arena to coexist. This would be unattainable without the help of the outside world either to compel them to coexist or to break Lebanon apart and terminate it in an orderly and peaceful wayThe International Tribunal and Siniora
Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat - 05/12/06//
The issue of the International Tribunal that will prosecute those accused of murder and attempted murder is the fundamental topic in Lebanon. But it is no good going into the details and ramifications. Campaigning against Siniora's government, disclosing its economic and social failures, and demanding its resignation does not conceal the desire to prevent this government from taking a final decision about the formation of the Tribunal. A critical stance regarding a government and demanding it to respond to popular claims, even when they are asking it to step down, does not justify the act of pushing this country to the verge of internal conflict. Any government, no matter how 'pure' it is, will be obliged for many years to adopt a program that will deal with the consequences of this conflict, and nothing else. And this is true if we suppose that all those who oppose a government's decision have the right to occupy the streets until a government is formed which suits them.
Gradualism should be readopted in Lebanon, for example, in demanding the missing 'broken third side of the triangle' of a government that is still headed by Siniora, where his ministerial statement is the government's program; or in conducting the personal campaign against this man, who is accused of being involved in all the evil of the world. Readopting such gradualism would be enough to deduce that Siniora's only problem, according to the opposition, is that he will not renounce his endorsement of the International Tribunal, and will not allow it to be thwarted as long as he has a majority in parliament.
In the meantime, internal attempts are being made to avoid the deadlock, but they are clashing with the opposition's non-compliance with the endorsement of the Tribunal in the Chamber of Deputies, regardless of the form that the next government could successfully give to this trial.
From the opposition's statements and clarifications, it may be inferred that the International Tribunal will be a reflection of tension, turmoil and threats to internal peace in Lebanon. Some members of the opposition said that the price the country will have to pay because of the International Tribunal will be much higher than the benefit it might obtain by finding out the truth about the assassinations. Others even consider one person's case - and here, we are referring to Rafik al-Hariri's - is not more important than the country and internal peace. Others have questioned the reasons why the majority is sticking to a single homicide, while overlooking the massacres committed by Israel in the July War. Finally, some have gone as far as to say that Lebanon cannot remain in a state the perennial sorrow it has been in since the murder of Rafik al-Hariri.
Such stances have been justified in different ways. On the one hand, there is the constitutional dispute between the Head of State and the Prime Minister. On the other, there is the fact that, after the resignation of the current opposition's ministers, the government lost the legitimacy that allowed it to endorse the draft resolution to establish the Tribunal. These ministers' membership had been suspended in the government in the first place, when the cabinet discussed the UN Secretary General's request to form the International Tribunal. Now, they have handed in their resignations after Siniora included this very step in the schedule. People wanted all these justifications to be constitutional and legal, while jurists and experts unanimously saw them as political. What is more, such justifications did not include any indication that could reassure Siniora that the formation of the Tribunal is supported. The Lebanese opposition is not accused of the killings that the Tribunal will deal with. Nevertheless, it is using its details as a pretext to refuse the trial itself, and this is especially true for the party that is afraid that such a court could turn into an instrument to hold Hezbollah and the resistance accountable.
The accusation of monopolization has betrayed those who have addressed it to the government. In fact, the government itself has monopolized nothing, except for the decision concerning the Tribunal, knowing that it is entitled to rule the country through constitutional instruments.
Why does the tribunal polarize all this attention, even though it will only deal with a few murder cases at best? For it will talk about the driving forces behind these killings, and the ways in which they were carried out. And if murders have targeted political personalities, the Tribunal will address political assassinations and will announce who was behind them. This, in turn, will reveal that physical terrorism is a political mechanism used to govern and to eliminate political adversaries and opponents.
Since the constitutional balance in Lebanon is still giving Siniora the right of being prime minister and of sticking to the Tribunal, disposing of Siniora specifically has become the basic demand. And all that Lebanon is witnessing hinges on this issue. Some options are to dispose of Siniora, to abandon the idea of the Tribunal, to create chaos and escalate unrest, and finally, to disrupt all constitutional mechanisms. In this way, the idea of the Tribunal will be abandoned. In other words, what Lebanon is witnessing is aiming to prevent Siniora from continuing to be the prime minister, and to keep any other government from endorsing the International Tribunal. And all means will be used in order to achieve these two goals
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Unrest in Lebanon / If Siniora falls, so will UNIFIL
By Amos Harel
It is no coincidence that in Jerusalem there is grave concern regarding recent developments in Beirut. Not only is the pressure by pro-Hezbollah and pro-Syrian demonstrators liable to cause the government of Fouad Siniora to collapse, but it may also spark a new civil war in Lebanon. If Siniora's government falls, the Sunni leader will be forced to make concessions in favor of Syria and its allies, and possibly undermine the sole major achievement of Israel in the second Lebanon war - namely, the arrangements made along the border.
In response to the criticism of Israel's political and military leadership for failures during the recent war, the answer of the Olmert government has been that the reality on the ground will be our judge. In spite of the many failings, the prime minister did have a convincing argument. At war's end, Hezbollah was removed from its positions along the border, and an international peacekeeping force was deployed in southern Lebanon. Israel's gains could have been made during the first week of fighting, which would have saved many lives. Nonetheless, the achievements were apparently real.
However, now the stability of Security Council Resolution 1701 is in question. If Hezbollah determines who will form the next government in Lebanon, and even if Siniora emerges from this standoff as a weaker prime minister, the extent of cooperation between the government in Beirut and the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, will be undermined.
Nearly four months after the cease-fire went into effect, the two abducted soldiers, for whom Israel went to war, are still not home - and ther e is not even a sign that they are alive. The smuggling of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah, according to Military Intelligence, has resumed and is proceeding at full steam. Southern Lebanon is being rebuilt with Iranian money and the Hezbollah guerrillas, who do not appear now in public wearing fatigues and carrying weapons, are moving about uninterrupted.
It is hard to imagine the European troops deployed in southern Lebanon staying there if Hassan Nasrallah signals that Hezbollah intends to target them, as it did French and American forces in 1983. All that is missing now is for Hezbollah to decide to resume holding its positions along the border, as a challenge to Olmert and Israel.
The recent developments are of less concern to the Winograd Commission, established by the government to investigate the decisions to go to war and the six years following the IDF's May 2000 pullout from southern Lebanon. Yesterday, the committee issued a puzzling announcement, thanking the High Court justices for their support last week in rejecting the petitions for the creation of a state commission of inquiry. The body's members expressed their satisfaction that neither the justices, nor the petitioners, questioned the honesty, qualifications or independence of the investigating body.However, the panel's members would have been less satisfied were they to know about some of the impressions formed by officers that already appeared before them. Some of the latter have said that it is clear that the committee has already determined that Chief of Staff Dan Halutz is its prime target. What emerges is the following: The army rushed to recommend war, without properly preparing itself or having an exit plan. The civilians fell under the spell of the confidence exhibited by the senior military command, and therefore the chief of staff will be the first to pay the price, in a renewed version of the Agranat Report, which followed the Yom Kippur War.
Lebanon’s Christians, War and Peace
Written by Geoffrey Smith
Published Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The shot that killed Pierre Gemayel, a leader of the Christian community in Lebanon, last month, set off a dangerous escalation in the Middle East. Hundreds of thousands came to his funeral in Beirut, blaming pro-Syria elements for the assassination. They called for the Lebanese government to press ahead with the UN-backed enquiry into the killing last year of former Lebanese Prime-Minister Rafiq Hariri – thought to have been killed by the same pro-Syria forces. The response has been a counter-demonstration in Beirut, orchestrated by Hasan Na’srallah, leader of Hizbullah, bringing hundreds of thousands on to the streets. They are camping in Central Beirut in an effort to bring down the pro-Western government of Fouad Siniora and replace it by a pro-Syrian coalition with stronger representation from Hizbullah.
Lebanon sits across Israel’s northern border. Under the League of Nations it was a mandated territory under French Administration till independence in 1943. Similarly Palestine was a mandated territory under British administration until the independence of Israel five years later in 1948. What happens in Lebanon has a direct effect on its neighbour Israel.
The Lebanese constitution requires a careful balancing of different religious groups that make up the population. Forty% of the people are Christian with the largest single group in that sector being Maronite Christians – a denomination which traces its origins to Antioch where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Among those believers in Antioch were the founders of the Assyrian Church in modern-day Iraq, and Maroun – a fourth century disciple who is claimed as the spiritual founder of the Maronite Christians - in modern Lebanon.
Under the present constitution the President of Lebanon must be a Maronite Christian. However 60% of Lebanese (the majority) are Muslims, so the Prime Minister has to be a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of the Legislature is a Shia. The Shi’ites include the main backers of Hizbullah. Any effective government requires co-operation between leaders of the major religious groups.
In the 1980s the Christians fought against the influence of Syria but more recently the Christian community has reduced as a percentage of the population overall and become divided within itself. Michel Aoun led the Maronite Christians against Syria in the 1980s. He went into exile in France during the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. When the Syrians left in 2005 Aoun returned, but then he reached an agreement with Hizbullah and alliance with the pro-Syrian parties. Pierre Gemayel, also a Maronite Christian until his death last month, was a cabinet member strongly opposed to the Syrian faction. The remaining Lebanese cabinet members led by Fouad Siniora are anti-Syria. The six Hizbullah MPs resigned last month in order to try and bring down the government. Their claim it no longer has legitimacy would be vindicated under the constitution if a further two cabinet members left. One did so involuntarily – Pierre Gemayel– assassinated last month and described by his father as a martyr. His former colleagues must be wondering which of them will be next. But the pro-Syrian camp has switched its strategy to the attempted strangulation of the government by demonstrations on the streets and may next try a campaign of civil disobedience.
If Hizbullah succeeds in bringing down the Lebanese government, the UN forces currently in Lebanon would seek new instructions from their governments and might withdraw. That would leave the way open for a resumption of the conflict between Hizbullah and Israel. The possible fall of Siniora’s government would be a blow to the Western powers, hence Margaret Becket (the UK Foreign Minister’s) visit to the besieged Siniora last weekend and President’s Bush’s expressions of support. It would also be a blow to Israel.
So what should Israel do now? The London Sunday Times reports that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met a leading representative of Saudi Arabia in Amman at the end of September and is considering a peace deal with seven Arab countries – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the Emirates, Morocco and Tunisia which would act as a strong counter-weight to any Iranian dominated partnership with Syria and Lebanon.
The basis of the deal would be the Arab League’s Beirut initiative of 2002 which still has backing from moderate Arab governments, long after the Quartet’s famous Roadmap seems dead and buried. For Israel, an agreement that normalised relations with moderate Arab opinion would have obvious advantages. It might induce the Saudis to reduce financial support for Hamas. It would also be a way of making diplomatic progress around the logjam caused by the failure of talks among the Palestinians to come up with a unity government to negotiate with Israel.
For the Arab governments it would provide a major counterweight to Iran’s growing influence in the region. Opposition on the Arab street might be overcome if they could demonstrate territorial concessions from Israel.
Would such an agreement be worth the concessions Israel would have to pay? Would Ehud Olmert be able to carry it through the Knesset with his wide coalition from Labour on the left to Lieberman on the right? And would it mean abandoning the West Bank and those in the Christian community of Lebanon who are sympathetic to Israel? Would it be a breakthrough for peace or mere appeasement? We need to pray for much wisdom for the leaders of Lebanon and Israel in these testing days.
Geoffrey Smith is the Deputy Director of Christian Friends of Israel in the United Kingdom.
Copyright © 2006 The Media Line. All Rights Reserved.
Have comments? Email editor@themedialine.org.
Army Steps In to Defuse Renewed Shiite-Sunni Fighting
Hundreds of army troops in armored vehicles stepped in, firing warning shots in the air to break up renewed clashes late Monday between government supporters and protestors vowing to topple Premier Fouad Saniora's cabinet.
About 300 angry protestors also blocked the Beirut airport highway after midnight, but the Lebanese army intervened and opened the road.
Fighting broke out in several predominantly Sunni neighborhoods after nightfall Monday as the body of Ahmed Mahmoud, who was killed in a similar street fight, was brought by ambulance to downtown Beirut, where thousands of Hizbullah-led protestors were camping for the fourth straight night demanding to overthrow Saniora's government. On Tuesday, angry mourners buried Mahmoud in the "Two Martyrs" cemetery in Beirut's Shiite southern suburb, two days after the tragic death by gunfire from a mysterious source.
Hizbullah accused three persons from the predominantly Sunni Mustaqbal movement of shooting Mahmoud, 20, in a clash on Sunday night.
The Mustaqbal movement, however, denied the charge and Saniora ordered a thorough police investigation in Mahmoud's killing which coincided with a series of street fights in predominantly Sunni neighborhoods of Beirut between supporters of the Hizbullah-led opposition and young men backing Saniora's government. Shiite leaders urged Mahmoud's family to avoid revenge, fearing sectarian violence that could detonate Lebanon's political crisis. Soldiers already deployed in Beirut went into action after riot police were overwhelmed by protestors who invaded one of the Sunni neighborhoods in vehicles, prompting residents to retaliate, witnesses and a reporter working for Agence France Presse said.
Calm was restored after an hour of unrest, which followed a day of tension after 20-year-old Mahmoud, a Shiite, was killed.
A police statement issued after midnight said a group of about 60 anti-government protestors made their way into Qasqas and Mazraa through a side road opposite to where the army vehicles were deployed, smashing the windows of three parked cars and several stores with stones and sticks.
It said two people were wounded when protestors broke into "the house of one of the citizens," before security forces intervened and dispersed them.
The police statement accused the protestors of penetrating Qasqas and Mazraa neighborhoods "not to express their views … but to harass the people and passer-bys, provoke them, damage their properties and stage riots."
It urged "those overseeing the protestors to guide them towards the right course so as to avoid being arrested and referred to the judiciary."
Monday's clashes appeared less severe than Sunday's when Mahmoud was killed and 22 others injured.
The army deployed reinforcements on full alert in Qasqas, where Sunday's shooting took place. Hundreds of army troops also manned armored vehicles to guard the entrances of other Sunni areas, fearing revenge attacks, while at the protest site, Hizbullah "discipline men" in civilian clothes were maintaining a tight grip on the crowds. Mahmoud's death was the first violent incident since the launch of the open-ended sit-in on Friday, threatening to take an already heated cauldron of political division to boiling point.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 08:33
France, Germany Urge Syria to 'Stop Supporting Forces' Seeking to Destabilize Lebanon
Naharnet: France and Germany on Tuesday called on Syria to "stop supporting forces" that seek to destabilize Lebanon and the Middle East.
In a joint statement, France and Germany, said Syria can hope for "normal relations with the international community, particularly the countries of the European Union" if it changes its stance. France and Germany "want Syria no longer to support forces that want to destabilize Lebanon and the region, and to build a relationship of equals with Lebanon, within whose framework the sovereignty of each side is respected," it said.
The statement was issued at a meeting between French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
It did not mention by name the Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hizbullah, which is spearheading an open-ended rally with thousands of protestors camping outside the Grand Serail in downtown Beirut, demanding to topple Premier Fouad Saniora's government.
But during a visit to Syria on Monday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pressed Damascus to use its influence to moderate the demands of Hizbullah. In Tuesday's statement, France and Germany reiterated their "determined support" for Saniora's government. They urged all sides in Lebanon to show responsibility and return to dialogue. "In the awareness that Syria too has legitimate interests, (France and Germany) call on it to contribute to creating the conditions for a just and comprehensive peace," they said. Paris and Berlin also underlined their support for an international tribunal to try suspects in last year's killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A U.N. investigation implicated top Syrian officials, but President Bashar Assad has denied Syrian involvement.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 15:04
Jumblat Preaches Restraint, Advises Students to Boycott College
Naharnet: Druze leader Walid Jumblat on Tuesday called on students to refrain from attending classes at the state-run Lebanese University pending their transformation from "centers of agitation to centers of education." Jumblat made the call during a news conference a day after riots broke out in the Lebanese University between supporters of the Shiite Hizbullah and Amal movement, on the one hand, and members of the Druze leader's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and their allies from the predominantly Sunni Mustaqbal movement, on the other.
The PSP and Mustaqbal are allied with the Christian Lebanese Forces and other groups in the March 14 coalition that controls the parliamentary majority and supports Premier Fouad Saniora's government which Hizbullah and other members of the March 8 alliance have vowed to topple.
One person was killed and 24 people were injured in scattered violence since the escalating confrontation broke out Sunday, two days after the Hizbullah-led opposition staged an open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut demanding to overthrow Saniora's government.
Jumblat called on Lebanese University students from his stronghold at the Chouf mountains southeast of the capital to boycott classes and "study at home, for the time being, pending transformation of the university into a center of education again."
He also accused the opposition of trying to shatter the Lebanese economy "and when the economy collapses the political steadfastness of the people collapses too and they become under the control of an authoritative regime, like that of Syria."
Jumblat accused the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad of "interfering in Lebanon's affairs with the aim of sabotaging the country."
The parliamentary majority accuses Syria and Iran of trying to topple the government to block the ratification by parliament of an international tribunal.
The Special International tribunal for Lebanon, once approved, would try suspects charged by the U.N. investigation committee in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other Lebanese leaders who were targeted by unidentified assailants in the past two years.
The March 14 coalition blames Syria for the assassination of Hariri and other Lebanese leaders opposing its desire to re-dominate Lebanon.
Jumblat renewed his call for a change of Syria's "attitude towards Lebanon, because it is not the attitude of a state towards a state, but rather that of a gang towards a state." He stressed that the sit-in staged by Hizbullah and its allies would lead to no where, stating that "only dialogue can settle Lebanon's problems."Jumblat urged supporters of the majority-backed government to "remain calm. A settlement can only be reached through dialogue and the logic of no conqueror no vanquished."He concluded by stressing that "the army is protecting us," in an effort to convince government supporters to refrain from confronting anti-government protestors. Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 12:54
Angry Shiites Demand Saniora's Death at Funeral of Violence Victim
Naharnet: Angry mourners chanting "death" to Premier Fouad Saniora buried Tuesday a young Shiite man killed in riots pitting supporters and opponents of the Beirut government. Waving clinched fists and flags of the Shiite Hizbullah and Amal movement, the mourners carried Ahmed Mahmoud's coffin to the "Two Martyrs" cemetery in Beirut's Shiite southern suburb where he was buried two days after his tragic death by gunfire from a mysterious source, according to police. Hizbullah accused three persons from the predominantly Sunni Mustaqbal movement of shooting Mahmoud, 20, in a clash on Sunday. The Mustaqbal movement, however, denied the charge and Saniora ordered a thorough police investigation in Mahmoud's killing which coincided with a series of street fights in predominantly Sunni neighborhoods of Beirut between supporters of the Hizbullah-led opposition and young men backing the Saniora government. The opposition staged an open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut Friday vowing to topple the Saniora government. The protest developed Sunday into mushrooming acts of violence that have also wounded 24 people, by police count. Mourners marching Behind Mahmoud's coffin, while beating their chests to express anger, chanted: "Shiites' blood is boiling."
Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, interim chairman of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council, appealed for calm and unity amid the deep political division in the country. "We present the martyr as a sacrifice for Lebanon's national unity," Qabalan told mourners at the cemetery.
"It is forbidden for Shiites to kill Sunnis, for Sunnis to kill Shiites, for Christians to kill Muslims and vice-versa," he added.(Naharnet-AFP) (AP photo shows Mahmoud's brothers mourning on his coffin) Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 14:58
War of Screens' Escalate Between Pro-, Anti-Government Supporters
Naharnet: The Mustaqbal movement has accused Hizbullah of plotting to plunge Lebanon into a "dangerous sectarian conflict" after Hizbullah's television held the "authority militia" of Sunni MP Saad Hariri responsible for the killing of a Shiite protestor in a recent street fight.
A statement, released Monday night by Hariri's Future movement, denied the charge by Al-Manar TV as "media distortion."
The movement accused Hizbullah and its television station of plotting to drive the country into a "dangerous sectarian conflict … through sectarian injection and agitation for sectarian unrest." The statement also accused armed Hizbullah members of "carrying out kidnapping activities" in the Bshamoun neighborhood, a mixed town of Druze and Sunnis. The statement did not say how many people have been kidnapped.
It assured that Hizbullah "is the only side which possesses an armed militia and 20,000 rockets and is financed and armed from abroad."
Al-Manar accused three persons from what it dubbed "Mustaqbal movement militia" of shooting Mahmoud, 20, in a clash on Sunday night.
Saniora ordered a thorough police investigation in Mahmoud's killing which coincided with a series of street fights in predominantly Sunni neighborhoods of Beirut between supporters of the Hizbullah-led opposition and young men backing Saniora's government.
The statement, announced by Hariri's Future television, and published in Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday, held Hizbullah and Al-Manar responsible for "any harm" inflicted on members of the Future Movement or pro-Hariri supporters. The "War of Screens" between Future TV and Al-Manar has gone sky-high after a Hizbullah-led protest to topple Premier Fouad Saniora was launched on Friday. Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 12:14
U.S.: Protests Target Hariri's Assassination Probe
The United States has accused anti-government demonstrators of trying to obstruct the investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "There are outside parties who are seeking to affect the Lebanese domestic political process. In this case, they don't want to see the tribunal who would bring to justice" Hariri's suspected assassins, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday when asked about a Hizbullah-led open ended sit-in in downtown Beirut aimed at toppling the government. "And clearly, you have groups like Hizbullah that have links, very clear links to outside groups, outside countries like Syria, like Iran," he said. McCormack also reaffirmed Washington's strong support for Premier Fouad Saniora's government."We continue to support the elected government of the Lebanese people and Prime Minister Saniora, in terms of his efforts at political and economic reform," he said. He said the Saniora government is facing challenges that are not "manufactured in Lebanon, but manufactured outside of Lebanon." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Saniora over the weekend to assure him of the United States' continued backing, he said.(AP photo shows Hizbullah supporters shouting slogans during the open ended sit-in in downtown Beirut) Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 07:34
Amnesty Chief Urges Leaders to Avoid Violence
Naharnet: Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan has urged Lebanese political leaders to take steps to ensure the anti-government sit-in does not spiral into violence. "All political leaders must use their influence to ensure that the demonstrations do not escalate into political violence leading to human rights abuses," Khan said in a statement Monday. Khan held talks with Premier Fouad Saniora, President Emile Lahoud and Speaker Nabih Berri, after touring the south to evaluate the effect on civilians of the July-August Israeli offensive on Lebanon.
She also toured the protest grounds near the Grand Serail in downtown Beirut, where the Hizbullah-led opposition is calling for the resignation of Saniora's government. "From a human rights perspective, this is a remarkable display of people exercising their freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in a largely peaceful manner," she said. However, Khan said the death of Ali Ahmed Mahmoud who was killed in a street fight late Sunday was a cause for concern. "Lebanon has an unfortunate history of political conflict along sectarian lines that led to massive human rights violations in the past," she said. "All political actors must act responsibly to avoid a repeat of the mistakes of the past."(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 10:14
PRESS RELEASE
The World Council of the Cedars Revolution
Representing the hopes and aspirations of many millions of Lebanese throughout the Diaspora
www.cedarsrevolution.org
cedarsrevolution@gmail.com
WASHINGTON , DC, December 5, 2006
The World Council of the Cedars Revolution is deeply saddened by the recent resignation of the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton. Ambassador Bolton was steadfast, committed and dedicated in his vision of a Middle East, free of terrorism and oppression. He was clear, concise, and unrelenting in his work and in his view on the tough issues he faced regarding North Korea, Iran and the Middle East, and was the best individual to bring about reform to the United Nations and to the Middle East Ambassador Bolton also worked towards ending human rights violations throughout the Middle East, more specifically in Lebanon, and for that he will be deeply missed. President Bush best summarized this loss when he stated that "he [Ambassador Bolton] served his country with extraordinary dedication and skill, assembling coalitions that addressed some of the most consequential issues facing the international community. During his tenure, he articulately advocated the positions and values of the United States and advanced the expansion of democracy and liberty." The World Council of the Cedars Revolution extends its gratitude to Ambassador Bolton for his work towards the restoration of democracy to Lebanon, wish him the best for the future, and hopes that his replacement will continue the great work the Ambassador has done.Was this the first casualty of Lebanon's new civil war?
By Sophie McNeill in Beirut
Published: 05 December 2006
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2040155.ece
A poster of Ahmed Ali Mahoud looked down on the wailing crowd who had gathered to mourn his death. Written underneath the photo of Ahmed, 21, were the words "a martyr for national unity". But many of the people who gathered outside the Husseiniyah, the traditional Shia building of mourning, were fearful of the implications of his death - that Ahmed Mahmoud might have been the first victim of the next Lebanese civil war.
Receiving condolences from the large crowd was Ahmed's brother-in-law Haitham. A tall, quietly spoken man, Haitham, 34, said he believed Ahmed was murdered by Sunni Muslims who were out to kill Shia. "They see we are many and very strong," he says. "And they are very few, those of Saad Hariri's [Sunni] movement.""We stood against Israel and we will stand against the ones in charge now," screamed an old veiled woman outside the mourning room. "If Saad Hariri wants to make it a sectarian issue, let him come here to Dahieh and we will show him our men".
Inside, the women were sobbing while the men sat quietly with their heads in their hands. "Where is Ahmed, where is Ahmed?" shouted Ahmed's girlfriend, Ishan, 20, as she threw herself to the ground. The young couple were to be engaged this week.
A supporter of the Hizbollah-allied Amal movement, Ahmed and his teenage brother Hassan were returning home late on Sunday night from the large anti-government rally when they walked into a confrontation between Sunni and Shia youths. "We saw people coming down towards us throwing stones," said Hassan. "So we started to run away - but while we were running, the shooting started and that's when my brother was shot in the back."
Hassan did not see who fired the shots, but he said he believed it was young men from the Sunni Future Movement, led by the murdered ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri's son Saad, who shot at them. "It was the Future Youth," said Hassan. "The shots came from their direction."
The second eldest of eight brothers and sisters, Ahmed had finished his compulsory military service and had spent the past two years working in the local mechanic's shop. "They killed a child, just look at his picture," said Ahmed's boss Mazen. "He never hurt anyone."
Ahmed's was one of the very few Shia families in the predominantly Sunni neighbourhood of Tareeq Aljadida. All over the neighbourhood are pictures of the murdered former Sunni prime minister Rafik Hariri and his son. "God be with you, Saad Hariri!" shouts a young man riding past on a motorbike. Amid the mourning scenes yesterday came the announcement that Ahmed's funeral had been postponed for 24 hours as rumours circulated that another Shia youth had been killed in sectarian violence. Security remains tight in downtown Beirut, where thousands of anti-government supporters are camped out for their fourth day of protests. But the man whose resignation they are demanding is refusing to make any compromises. Bolstered by Western and Arab support, the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has insisted that his government will not be affected by the protests. Following a meeting with the embattled Mr Siniora, the Arab League Secretary general Amr Moussa said that "national consensus is the basis for any Arab action, we are working for Lebanon and must work things out on the basis of national unity." Mr Moussa also held midnight talks with representatives of the Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In southern Lebanon, the Israelis agreed to withdraw their soldiers from the last part of the village of Ghagar, a Druze hamlet, and allow UN troops to take control. But their overflights continued above Lebanon, despite French protests, and Israel still claims Hizbollah is importing arms from Syria in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions.
The UN has stated that it is not mandated to search for guerrilla weapons in southern Lebanon.
A poster of Ahmed Ali Mahoud looked down on the wailing crowd who had gathered to mourn his death. Written underneath the photo of Ahmed, 21, were the words "a martyr for national unity". But many of the people who gathered outside the Husseiniyah, the traditional Shia building of mourning, were fearful of the implications of his death - that Ahmed Mahmoud might have been the first victim of the next Lebanese civil war.
Receiving condolences from the large crowd was Ahmed's brother-in-law Haitham. A tall, quietly spoken man, Haitham, 34, said he believed Ahmed was murdered by Sunni Muslims who were out to kill Shia. "They see we are many and very strong," he says. "And they are very few, those of Saad Hariri's [Sunni] movement."
"We stood against Israel and we will stand against the ones in charge now," screamed an old veiled woman outside the mourning room. "If Saad Hariri wants to make it a sectarian issue, let him come here to Dahieh and we will show him our men".
Inside, the women were sobbing while the men sat quietly with their heads in their hands. "Where is Ahmed, where is Ahmed?" shouted Ahmed's girlfriend, Ishan, 20, as she threw herself to the ground. The young couple were to be engaged this week.
A supporter of the Hizbollah-allied Amal movement, Ahmed and his teenage brother Hassan were returning home late on Sunday night from the large anti-government rally when they walked into a confrontation between Sunni and Shia youths. "We saw people coming down towards us throwing stones," said Hassan. "So we started to run away - but while we were running, the shooting started and that's when my brother was shot in the back."
Hassan did not see who fired the shots, but he said he believed it was young men from the Sunni Future Movement, led by the murdered ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri's son Saad, who shot at them. "It was the Future Youth," said Hassan. "The shots came from their direction."
The second eldest of eight brothers and sisters, Ahmed had finished his compulsory military service and had spent the past two years working in the local mechanic's shop. "They killed a child, just look at his picture," said Ahmed's boss Mazen. "He never hurt anyone."
Ahmed's was one of the very few Shia families in the predominantly Sunni neighbourhood of Tareeq Aljadida. All over the neighbourhood are pictures of the murdered former Sunni prime minister Rafik Hariri and his son. "God be with you, Saad Hariri!" shouts a young man riding past on a motorbike.Amid the mourning scenes yesterday came the announcement that Ahmed's funeral had been postponed for 24 hours as rumours circulated that another Shia youth had been killed in sectarian violence. Security remains tight in downtown Beirut, where thousands of anti-government supporters are camped out for their fourth day of protests. But the man whose resignation they are demanding is refusing to make any compromises. Bolstered by Western and Arab support, the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has insisted that his government will not be affected by the protests. Following a meeting with the embattled Mr Siniora, the Arab League Secretary general Amr Moussa said that "national consensus is the basis for any Arab action, we are working for Lebanon and must work things out on the basis of national unity." Mr Moussa also held midnight talks with representatives of the Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In southern Lebanon, the Israelis agreed to withdraw their soldiers from the last part of the village of Ghagar, a Druze hamlet, and allow UN troops to take control. But their overflights continued above Lebanon, despite French protests, and Israel still claims Hizbollah is importing arms from Syria in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions.The UN has stated that it is not mandated to search for guerrilla weapons in southern Lebanon.DEMOCRACY IN LEBANON" <citizen@democracyinlebanon.org> View Contact Details
To: citizen@democracyinlebanon.org
Subject: Press Release - December 4, 2006
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 13:09:37 +0200
For Release Immediately
The Center for Democracy in Lebanon has just released the following declaration for immediate distribution.
PDF and HTML copies may be obtained at: http://www.democracyinlebanon.org/Documents/CDL-Exclusives/Declarations/Declaration6.htm or by visitng www.democracyinlebanon.org
Freedom, Sovereignty and Democracy in Lebanon
December 4, 2006
A significant proportion of the Lebanese society took to the streets of Beirut on December 1, 2006. Demonstrators gathered in a solemn show of democracy and civility to express dissatisfaction with the Lebanese cabinet, demanding the creation of a unity government and an end to the political stalemate plaguing Lebanese politics for more than a year, more specifically since the assassination of ex-PM Rafiq Hariri on February 14, 2005. The veracity of a mixed blend of demonstrators under one flag is yet another affirmation of the tenacity of the Lebanese people in their firm belief in freedom of expression and democracy in Lebanon, a social order truly exemplary for the rest of the Middle East and Arab world.
We salute and honor all forms of free expression and support the demonstrators' demands in principle.
Concurrently, we express our surprise at the lack of leadership exhibited by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in this regard:
a) In response to the massive and peaceful demonstration in front of the Grand Seraille, PM Siniora peeked at the demonstrators twice off his balcony without taking the initiative to address them once, a gesture reminiscent of the leaders of totalitarian regimes.
b) Inviting his Excellency the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani to hold a Sunni Friday prayer in the Grand Seraille, and hosting a Maronite memorial for slain Minister Pierre Gemayel on Sunday are not official functions of the cabinet and violate the sanctity of the Lebanese government. The Grand Seraille is the headquarters of Lebanon 's cabinet, a public government office building and not the private grounds of the Prime Minister. These actions show sectarian favoritism, set a dangerous precedent that threatens the institutions of civil government in Lebanon , and lack any justification in faith and in customs; they only serve the purpose of further inflaming the demonstrators.
c) We express grave concern vis-à-vis reports of attacks against the political offices of members of the opposition and against the demonstrators in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley and North Lebanon and we present our condolences to the family of Mr. Ahmad El-Mahmoud, a demonstrator killed in related confrontations. These skirmishes are a daunting reminder of the oppressive campaigns of the Syrian intelligence regime that governed Lebanon for the past 15 years and its dictatorial tactics, which we vehemently denounced before and stood firmly against; today similar tactics appear to be aimed at silencing free, democratic and peaceful opposition to the Siniora cabinet in Lebanon.
Reaffirming our previous declarations (Declaration 1, 2/20/2005; Declaration 2, 3/2/2005; Declaration 3, 3/11/2005; Declaration 4, 6/22/2005; Declaration 5, 7/25/2006) we reiterate the following:
I - The need for an INDEPENDENT AND THOROUGH INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION to reveal the powers behind the assassinations and assassination attempts against a number of Lebanese officials and public figures since September 2004 through the assassination of Minister Pierre Gemayel on November 21, 2006; we offer our sincere condolences to the Lebanese people and the family of slain minister Gemayel. We support the FORMATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL COURT OR TRIBUNAL to try the suspects in these crimes.
II - We stand firmly in opposition to any form of foreign intervention, custody or tutelage in Lebanon ; hence our support of the demonstrators' call for a sovereign government in Lebanon . Having denounced all forms of Syrian intervention in Lebanon, we condemn today other foreign meddling in Lebanon's internal affairs, particularly recent declarations by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt (less-than-exemplary beacons of democracy in their own countries) in response to the December 1 demonstration, siding with one Lebanese group and the cabinet to the dismay of a significant proportion of the Lebanese population, in what amounts to an incitement for sectarian strife in Lebanon and a blatant intervention in the Lebanese internal affairs in contravention to the UN charter and international law. The legitimacy of the cabinet or lack thereof is an internal Lebanese matter of constitutional law and must be settled by the Lebanese people and their constitutional court alone; neutral good-will mediators remain welcome.
In addition,
1- regardless of the current public upheaval, we endorse the formation of a cabinet of national unity formed by ministers representing all political parties elected to Parliament in a proportionate number to their Parliamentary seats. The current government and its Prime Minister must therefore heed the call for reforming the cabinet into a truly representative one.
2- we trust the Lebanese people will remain united under the Lebanese flag and will continue to distinguish political disagreements from sectarian conflicts.
3- we reaffirm our vision for a peaceful, sovereign and prosperous Lebanon built on respect for diversity, neutrality in international affairs and a secular government.
Having outlined our concern regarding the current political stalemate, the dysfunctional government and the dangerous political divide accentuated by a recent savage Israeli invasion of Lebanese territory with thousands of civilians massacred, maimed or displaced, we hereby caution that Lebanon still has to face great challenges ahead, including the formation of an international tribunal (see 'I' above), the release of Lebanese citizens unlawfully held in Syrian and Israeli jails, the liberation of the Shebaa farms, the disarmament of all militias and armed groups on Lebanese soil and full implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701.
We could only seriously meet these challenges as a united people. Democracy remains our best hope for unity and attaining a peaceful and functional social order. Long live Lebanon and Democracy in Lebanon .Demonstration At White House Calls Attention to Iraq's Assyrians
GMT 12-5-2006 16:1:23
Assyrian International News Agency
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Faced with growing repression by Muslims, Christians from an ancient tradition in Iraq are calling on American political leaders for help before their entire community is extinguished. Christian Assyrians and some of their supporters demonstrated in front of the White House yesterday, highlighting an alarming trend reported by the U.N.: While representing just 5 percent of the Iraqi population, 40 percent of the refugees fleeing the country are Assyrians. One of the speakers at the rally, Nina Shea of Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom in D.C., told WND that because of the "ethnic cleansing," the Christians want an autonomous district in Iraq they can administrate.
The zone, called the Nineveh Plains Administrative Unit, would allow Assyrians and other Christians to practice their faith, speak and teach their language, and work their land without fear of persecution. Unlike the Sunnis and Shiites, the Christians have no militia and are completely defenseless, Shea said. "They need to administrate their own governmental unit to protect themselves," she said. "Otherwise, with the chaos and violence and persecution targeting Christians for religious reasons, which the U.N. has documented, they will disappear.
Shea insisted it's in the interest of the U.S. to take a stand. With the loss of the highly educated and skilled Christians, she argued, Iraq is "experiencing a brain drain as well as sane drain -- a force of moderation and a bridge to the West." "They have served the U.S. in Iraq nobly, and they will leave a real vacuum," said Shea. While the Christians in Iraq have been repressed for decades, Shea pointed out, they have suffered more since the war began, with kidnappings, crucifixions and dozen of churches bombed by jihadist terror.
Among the atrocities documented this year:
* Father Paulos Eskandar, of Mor Afrem Syriac Orthodox Church, was kidnapped Oct. 9 by Muslims and decapitated two days later. He was murdered despite Christians fulfilled a demand to post a text on the church doors condemning the pope's statement about Islam.
* On Oct. 4, a car bomb detonated in a Christian area and killed nine people, including Georges Zara, member of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac National Council.
* A 14-year-old boy was crucified and stabbed in the stomach, mimicking what was done to Jesus, in Albasra.
* On Oct. 21, in Baquba, a group of veiled Muslims attacked a workplace where a 14-year-old boy named Ayad Tariq worked. The men asked the boy for his identity card. After seeing he was Christian the men asked whether he was a "dirty Christian sinner." Ayad answered: "Yes, I am Christian, but I am not a sinner." The rebels yelled he was a dirty Christian sinner and continued to grab him and to scream, "Allahu, Akbar! Allahu, Akbar!" The boy then was decapitated.
* In August, 13 Assyrian Christian women in Baghdad were kidnapped and murdered.
* In January, churches were bombed in Basra and Baghdad.
Shea noted that the Kurds, who control the north, have been denying the Christian Assyrians many of the benefits that have come from U.S. largesse.
The electric grids created by the U.S., for example, are left to the discretion of local governments to distribute and manage, and the Christians say they aren't getting their fair share. They cite instances of Kurdish villages receiving electricity while neighboring Christian villages are denied service.
Shea said she has been raising the plight of the Iraqi Christians with the U.S. government for several years, including in a face-to-face meeting with President Bush in her role as a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
She has not received a positive response.
"One of the issues here is that the Christians don't create trouble, they are just victims," she said. "They don't blow up things, so they don't get attention.
Some have told her the U.S. government doesn't want to establish a precedent of favoritism, by responding to special pleadings.
But Shea argues, "It's not favoring one group to make sure they get their fair share of U.S. construction aid.
The White House did not respond to WND's request for comment.
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