LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
MARH 21/2006

News from the Daily Star for 21/03/06
UN sees 'very crucial weeks in the history' of the Middle East
Nasrallah: We will be asking in talks 'how do we protect Lebanon?'
Siniora seeks EU support for Lebanon's 'ambitious' reform plans
Refugees welcome decision to round up weapons
Michel Murr tackles task of unifying Christian ranks on presidency
Fatfat to reconsider ruleson license applications for demonstrations
Blast-damage fund distributes $37,000
No major breakthrough expected in Wednesday's round of talks
Bush vows to use 'military might' to protect Israel
News from miscellaneous sources for 21/03/06
Israel bracing for Hezbollah attacks-CBC News
Hizbollah vows to free detainees, land from Israel-Reuters
Top Hizbullah Official Says no Exchange Between Presidency and Party's Weapons-Naharnet
Geagea Warns that March 14 Camp May Return to Street Protests to Oust Lahoud-Naharnet
U.N. Envoy Says Blue Line Still Defines Lebanon's Border-Naharnet
Hizbullah Rejects Western Guarantees, Israel Warns of Harsh Retaliation if Attacked
Fatah Plans to Collect
Jumblat Says Syria Must Arm Palestinians in Damascus, Supports Syrian Opposition-Naharnet
A Release from the Center for Democracy & the Rule of Law:  Lebanon's Military Tibunal declares itself competent to try Dr. Mugraby for his testimony before the European Parliament, defying treaty obligations and Article 19 human rights-21.3.06

No major breakthrough expected in Wednesday's round of talks
Forthcoming Arab Summit expected to help resolve outstanding issues
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff-Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's political elite will resume the third round of their national dialogue Wednesday and then adjourn for two weeks to allow time for Arab and international efforts to help end the continued political deadlock. The Arab Summit to be held in Khartoum on March 28 and 29 is expected to bring some solutions to the Lebanese crisis as it will witness several sideline meetings between Lebanese and Arab officials that participants in Lebanon's dialogue are betting will resolve the battle for the presidency and Hizbullah's arms.
The end of President Emile Lahoud's term in office and the disarming of Hizbullah's military wing are the remaining topics on the dialogue's original agenda, both of which are stipulations of UN Security Council Resolution 1559.
Almost one week ahead of the expected Arab-Lebanese meetings, Premier Fouad Siniora - who has yet to confirm his participation in the Summit, along with Lahoud and Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzi Salloukh - updated the EU's Foreign Ministers Councils on the national dialogue's progress and appealed for economic assistance.
While Siniora was meeting with European officials in Brussels, UN special envoy to the Middle East Terje Roed-Larsen was holding face-to-face meetings with Arab leaders on the overall situation in Lebanon and the implementation of Resolution 1559.
The third round of the dialogue will only last one day due to a scheduling complication. A question and answer session is to be held in Parliament Thursday morning and the Cabinet will meet later in the day to discuss the speech Lahoud is to deliver before the Arab Summit. Sources close to the participants said "Wednesday's session will not end the presidential debate unless a major breakthrough is reached through side meetings, although the current political atmosphere does not imply so."
The sources also expressed fears the dialogue would reach a dead-end if leaders fail to reach a solution on the presidency.
However, Speaker Nabih Berri, the dialogue's sponsor and spokesperson said that the dialogue will continue and will reach its objectives even if it takes up to three months. Berri also reiterated his support for the final decision on the presidency being put in the hands of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. He added, though, that the solution to the issue did not lie in further demonstrations. The presidency issue is an extremely delicate one, and to solve it we need to adopt a special strategy or to hold extensive internal and international meetings behind the scenes," the speaker said.
Sources close to the March 14 Forces told The Daily Star that a deal might be reached allowing Hizbullah to keep its arms for a period of time to be determined at a later date in return for ousting Lahoud.
But Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea dismissed such allegations, stressing that "the presidential crisis requires an urgent solution." "The weapons of Hizbullah will be discussed separately, and we will see what is best for Lebanon and the Lebanese and make that decision. As for the presidency, there is a national consensus that the president needs to be changed," Geagea said. Meanwhile, in a statement released after its weekly meeting, the Free Patriotic Movement warned of attempts by the March 14 Forces to replace Lahoud with someone who does not represent all the Lebanese.
"The March 14 Forces' attempts to force on the Lebanese a president who does not represent all the parties will reinstate a situation of political chaos that prevailed during the [Civil] War," it said.
The FPM also slammed the government, and accused it of failing to solve the national crisis. It called for early parliamentary elections and a new representative government to implement the decisions made in the national dialogue's first two rounds.
In other developments, UN representative to South Lebanon Geir Pedersen said after a meeting with Berri that the dialogue's successes to date have been "very encouraging." "There is a strong national commitment to continue the dialogue and we believe that all the leaders are exerting every necessary effort to make these talks successful," Pedersen said.
Commenting on the pronounced Lebanese identity of the Shebaa Farms, Pedersen said: "The UN has repeatedly said Lebanon and Syria need to reach an agreement on this matter and it has announced in 2000 that it will accept whatever decision they reach." U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman also praised the outcomes of the national talks, following a meeting with Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade. "I expressed the strong support of the United States for the national dialogue. What has been accomplished so far is very encouraging, but there are issues that remain to be discussed," he said.
Commenting on Shebaa Farms, Feltman said: "There are international resolutions concerning them. We need to examine how the decisions reached last week in the dialogue are compatible with international resolutions. We are looking forward to supporting Lebanon in this historic attempt to resolve some key political issues."

UN sees 'very crucial weeks in the history' of the Middle East
Compiled by Daily Star staff -Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: A top UN diplomat warned Monday that the Middle East is going through one of its most critical periods, citing the crises in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian territories and the U.S.-Iranian standoff over Tehran's nuclear program. "We are facing very crucial weeks in the history of the region because of several issues," Terje Roed-Larsen, U.N.envoy for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559, told reporters after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Roed-Larsen described the Lebanese national dialogue as a "highly positive and commendable initiative."
Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General, Roed-Larsen thanked Mubarak for his "wise advice" and praised Egypt's relentless efforts in the quest for peace, security and stability in the Middle East.
"We discussed the situation in the broader Middle East, which is now reaching a critical juncture in its history. The present circumstances in the region naturally affect the situation in Lebanon, where the ongoing national dialogue is a highly positive and commendable initiative," Roed-Larsen said. The Special Envoy also met with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Ghait on Sunday.
Roed-Larsen arrived in Qatar on Monday to meet with top Qatari officials. Qatar currently represents the Arab group in the UN Security Council. Roed-Larsen said all the hot issues are interlinked and would have implications on Lebanon.
He praised the ongoing talks between the Lebanese political and religious factions, which hesaid should continue without foreign intervention. Earlier, he visited Saudi Arabia, a regional heavyweight and major power broker in Lebanon.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Amin Hoteit, the Brigadier General responsible for demarcating the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, said that Larsen's recent statement included "abominable terms uttered for the first time by the official."
"This is a source of concern about what some international circles are preparing for Lebanon, its borders and territories," he added. "Larsen said the Blue Line is the international border according to the United Nations, which is a dangerous turn against the function of the Blue Line agreed upon. "Israel supported the statement at the time while we fully objected to it, since the border is only drawn by the concerned countries," Hoteit said. "Larsen also said that Syria must respect the Blue Line, forgetting that Syria has nothing to do with the Blue Line," he added. Hoteit urged the Lebanese authorities to file an official complaint before the UN about Larsen's statement, which relates to matters not within his jurisdiction, before the "heresy becomes a truth." - With Agencies

Nasrallah: We will be asking in talks 'how do we protect Lebanon?'
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff-Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah will be heading to the third round of the national dialogue with one major question for all participants on the round table: "How can we protect Lebanon?" Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah posed the question in a speech during a Shiite religious event Monday. Lebanon "is a small country with a very strong and well-armored enemy state as a neighbor," Nasrallah said. "Israel also has very strong support from the international community headed by the U.S."
Participants in the national dialogue, which will kick off Wednesday, will be discussing the resistance's weapons and the presidential issue. Nasrallah said: "We will not head to the round table with the notion that we shall never disarm, because that wouldn't be a dialogue. Nor will we accept that others come to the dialogue with the notion that they will be disarming the resistance, because it wouldn't be a dialogue. We will go there and discuss evidence and events and hopefully will try to reach a solution that accomplishes the best for Lebanon." He added: "There never was any talk of a deal being made to keep the resistance's weapons in exchange for ousting [President Emile] Lahoud."
Nasrallah also said: "I think that the table of discussion should also include socio-economic matters, and not only political ones. I believe that it is important that we try to find a solution to the unemployment problem in the country ... to ask questions such as why the most profitable economic sector, the telecommunications sector, is being privatized."
The Hizbullah chief added that as the dialogue kicks off Wednesday, UN Special Envoy for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1559 Terje Roed-Larsen will be arriving in Lebanon on Thursday "to check the results."
Nasrallah also spoke of a state of alarm and emergency in Israel where the Israeli army is deployed along the Lebanese borders "because in 15 days the Israeli parliamentary elections will take place and the Israelis have expressed fear that Hizbullah might take offensive action against them."
"We received extensive international calls to see if we were preparing for anything ... we didn't give anyone assurances that we weren't going to do anything, and we didn't tell them that we were going to do something either," Nasrallah said.
"Let them live in fear ... it is a privilege that this strong state which every country in the region fears, is afraid of us ... we will carry our promise to our detainees in Israel, to Samir Kantar and his friends, that we will never abandon them," he said.
Kantar is the longest-serving Lebanese detainee in Israeli prisons. "The main question is how to protect Lebanon? If you consider Israel as an enemy no more then there is no threat to Lebanon's sovereignty, security and well being ... But I tell you this: The next war in the region will be over water ... who can give us guarantees that Israel wouldn't be greedy for our water?
"Shebaa farms, which are Lebanese, are rich in water ... we will never abandon our land," he said.
Nasrallah added: "Our region is witnessing increasing tension, even if we isolate ourselves from what is going on around us, the Israelis will never leave us alone.
"Israel is an army for which a country was built. It is one large army base with all kinds of weapons that you can and can't imagine from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to the simplest arms ... That is why we ask how can we protect our country? What are the assurances that we can get that Israel wouldn't breach our water, land, and people?
"If the U.S. and British assurances to the Palestinian authority didn't stand when Israel invaded Jericho prison last Tuesday, what will? This invasion happened with a U.S. and British consent," said Nasrallah. He added: "We are going to the national dialogue table on Wednesday to discuss a national defense strategy on how to protect our country. Disarming the resistance should happen by giving evidence, assurances and results."

Siniora seeks EU support for Lebanon's 'ambitious' reform plans
By Raed El Rafei and Nafez Qawas -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Premier Fouad Siniora asked for "commensurate" support from the European Union during a speech covering Lebanon's "ambitious" economic reform plan and national dialogue before the Council of EU Foreign Ministers in Belgium on Monday. "We hope the support from the EU will be commensurate with our ambitious reform plan," Siniora said. The premier had earlier met with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. Siniora announced that the call for the Beirut I Donors' Conference "is expected in the coming months." Douste-Blazy said economic reforms are the gateway to the international conference, which will aim to gather foreign aid for Lebanon's economy, voicing France's support for the implementation of Lebanon's sovereignty over all of its territories.
In his speech, Siniora emphasized the progress made during the first two rounds of the national dialogue, detailing the points of accord reached and voicing hope for achieving consensus over "difficult issues" to be discussed when the talks reconvene on Wednesday. "A national consensus is being rebuilt on major national policy issues," he said, adding: "The fact that this process of national dialogue has been initiated from within and is being undertaken without any external involvement is unprecedented in Lebanese history." But Siniora said two key issues still needed to be discussed: the imposed extension of President Emile Lahoud's term and Hizbullah's military wing.
"Clearly these are difficult issues, but the constructive manner in which the various parties are approaching the dialogue gives us hope that we will find, ultimately, sensible and workable solutions," Siniora said. He said an accord had been reached on the formation of an international court to try those accused of the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, the rebuilding of Syrian-Lebanese relations, the demarcation of borders with Syria, and the need to resolve the issue of Palestinian arms in the country. Last week, participants in the national dialogue decided to adjourn the talks until Wednesday. Concerning his economic reform plan, Siniora said its objectives were, first, to liberalize and develop the Lebanese economy, promote its growth and create jobs to guarantee social stability; and second, to ease the debt servicing burden.
A five-year economic reform plan, which includes privatization projects and an increase of the value added tax, has yet to be approved by the government.
Observers said the economic reform agenda may be discussed during the national dialogue's next round.
Siniora also emphasized the importance of Lebanon-EU relations. The premier's visit to Brussels comes just ahead of an April 1 entry into an association agreement with the EU that will improve Lebanon's trade prospects with Europe.
Siniora linked the success of Lebanon's march toward prosperity to the stability of the region. Stressing the importance of a "genuine and constructive dialogue" between the Arab world and the EU, he spoke of the protests against the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad and the Israeli attack on the Jericho prison. "We believe that the opportunities are greater than the challenges ahead," he said. Before returning to Lebanon, Siniora, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Fawzi Saloukh and Economy Minister Sami Haddad, also met with British Foreign Minister Jack Straw and the High Representative of the EU for the Common, Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana. - With agencies

Refugees welcome decision to round up weapons
'This is something that concerns us'
By Majdoline Hatoum -Daily Star staff-Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: A decision by Fatah to round up "unnecessary" weapons inside refugee camps was welcomed by both Lebanese officials and camp residents Monday, according to Fatah chief in Lebanon Sultan Abu al-Aynayn. Abu al-Aynayn had announced late Sunday night that his faction would start rounding up weapons inside the camps in accordance with a decision made at the national dialogue last week. Talking to The Daily Star, Abu al-Aynayn said his decision also was motivated by a desire to regulate the use of weapons inside camps, because it was "about time to do so." But he added that the step was going to need time. "It is not something we can do overnight," he said. "But it is completely our intention to end the presence of all unnecessary weapons," he said. He refused to describe the step as "disarmament," however."We will leave weapons with factions authorized to maintain the security of the camps," he said. Lebanon's top leaders had agreed last week to disarm all Palestinian factions outside Lebanese camps within six month. They also agreed to start discussing ways to regulate the presence of arms inside camps. But Abou al-Aynayn said he was taking the step without any coordination with Lebanese authorities. "This is something that only concerns us; we don't need to inform the Lebanese authorities with every move we make," he said, adding that Fatah maintains "several channels of communication with Lebanese authorities" anyway.
In a conversation with The Daily Star, acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat welcomed Abu al-Aynayn's decision, but noted that the step needs to be coordinated "with the concerned Lebanese Committee formed to negotiate with Palestinian factions the issue of disarmament inside and outside refugee camps."
The committee, formed last year, consists of representatives from all ministries dealing with issues concerning Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and is headed by former Lebanese Ambassador to the UN Khalil Makkawi.
Contacted by The Daily Star, Makkawi said that the committee had not been formally informed by Fatah on its decision to round up weapons inside camps.
"I read about it in the news just like everyone else," Makkawi said. But echoing Fatfat, he described the step as "a positive unilateral step by Fatah," adding it should be coordinated with the committee.
"We need to sit down with them and see what exactly is going to happen, what kind of weapons will they round up, where are they going to place it? All these issues need to be discussed with them first," he said.
According to Makkawi, the committee has been following up this issue with Palestinian factions in Lebanon since it was formed, but its work has been slowed by indecision among Palestinian factions on forming one delegation representing all of them. "There are other factions present in Lebanon. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have a presence in the camps too, so any move by Fatah has to be coordinated with them too in order to obtain efficient results," he said.
A spokesman for Hizbullah declined to comment on the issue, saying that following the national dialogue's decisions last week, the issue of disarming Palestinians - whether inside or outside the camps - was up to the Lebanese government to resolve.
Some residents of refugee camps welcomed the step, while others were indifferent.
Talking to The Daily Star, Rabih Akkash, a shop owner in Sabra refugee camp in Beirut, said that the step had been "long awaited" by residents of the camps. "Most of the camp's young men carry weapons, and most of them are unemployed; every night when I go to sleep I'm worried that a fight might erupt and shooting will break out," he said.
"Taking away these young men's arms would be a great thing if they can do it," he said.
Akkash added that the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon "know very well that the individual arms inside refugee camps will not free Palestine, and will not be able to protect us if we are under attack," he said. "It is about time these arms are taken out of the hands of those young people."But other people in refugee camps were too consumed with dire living conditions to even think of "the dirty game of politics" as one man described it. "Why the hell should we care if they round up weapons inside camps or not? It is not going to make my life easier and it is not going to put food on my table or provide medication for my family," he shouted as he walked away without giving his name.

Michel Murr tackles task of unifying Christian ranks on presidency
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BKIRKI: MP Michel Murr has taken on the formidable task of attempting to unify the Christian political community on the issue of the presidency. In comments made after a meeting Monday with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, Murr said Christian leaders supported unifying the Christian ranks. "All the officials I have met with to date, including (former President) Amin Gemayel, (Lebanese Forces leader) Samir Geagea and (Kesrouan MP) Michel Aoun, did not have any problem with unifying the Christian position," Murr said. However, Murr dismissed any suggestion an agreement would be reached regarding the presidency during the ongoing national dialogue set to reconvene Wednesday, noting that such consensus required "conversations backstage." Asked about Aoun's presidential aspirations, the former deputy speaker said: "Aoun has a vast majority in the Christian arena, and I am sure that he would get more than two thirds of the people's vote if we held a referendum."Concerning the level of agreement among politicians on the former general's candidacy, he said: "First there was no consensus at all, but over the past week consensus reached 25 percent, and we hope it will reach 51 percent in the coming weeks." As for comments made by President Emile Lahoud during an interview Saturday with Al-Jazeera, Murr said the president "has the right to defend himself and respond to the campaign of accusations" leveled against him. He added that "those who accused Lahoud of being the symbol of the Syrian security regime were part of that regime. "We all lived through that period together and we should not throw accusations at each other," Murr said. Asked about the prelate's position on the presidency, Murr said: "His eminence blesses all steps that aim to achieve agreement among the Christian ranks."
Sfeir also met with former MP Fares Boueiz, who stressed the importance of dialogue as "the basis for the country's new political period."Boueiz said the next president should be "independent and not influenced by any regional or international forces." The prelate was also visited by a delegation from the Baath Party in Lebanon, former ministers Nadim Salem and Joseph Hashem, and former MP Wajih Baarini.

Fatfat to reconsider ruleson license applications for demonstrations
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: The Lebanese authorities will be "reconsidering" a decision that requires the organizers of any protest to apply for a license seven days before the demonstration takes place, according to Mohammad Safa, the head of the Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons Committee. Safa told The Daily Star Monday that Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat informed him that the ministry "will be reconsidering the decision." Some 30 members and supporters of the committee staged a sit-in outside the
Interior Ministry Monday to protest the banning of a previous demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy in Awkar last Thursday. That demonstration was against a recent Israeli attack on a Palestinian prison and arresting of its inmates.
The minister said at the time that the protesters hadn't applied for a proper license for their demonstration and implemented strict security measures to prevent the sit-in occurring, which included closing Palestinian refugee camps and the detention of Safa and three other protesters. The protesters counter that they have staged over 700 sit-ins in the past and have never needed to apply for a license to do so. They accuse the American Embassy of making a "political decision to oppress the sit-in," which the embassy has denied. Monday's sit-in outside the Information Ministry was held without a license.
Safa and the other protesters refused to meet Fatfat in his office Monday, demanding the minister come down and speak to them.A heated argument quickly ensued with Fatfat accusing the former detainees of being politicized and of having been "pushed" into action against the government.
Safa told The Daily Star that he told the minister: "We don't belong to any political group, neither March 8 nor March 14. We are former detainees of Israeli prisons and our cause is what matters. There is no one behind our actions."
After the argument calmed down, a handful of the protesters, including Safa, joined Fatfat in his office for a discussion about Thursday's events. Safa said Fatfat was "understanding," and told the protesters that the authorities would be "re-considering the demand for licensing seven days before the actual protest." The decree may even be cancelled altogether, Safa said.
He added that Fatfat said the government had been trying to avoid a repeat of the so-called Black Sunday riots that took place on February 5. The Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons Committee issued a statement later in the day saying that Monday's protest was to denounce the "oppression and moral offense" against Safa and his co-demonstrators.
The statement added that Fatfat "transcended all national red lines when he took the decision to ban Thursday's protest ... this ban was a political decision. We understand the security fears; we condemn any act of rioting, but will not allow these fears to be an excuse to oppress public freedoms."The committee further urged the authorities not to persecute human rights activists.

Blast-damage fund distributes $37,000
By Raed El Rafei -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
BEIRUT: The Fund to Support and Compensate the Victims of the Blasts in Lebanon on Monday distributed $37,000 to nine businesses damaged by last year's bombings in Ain al-Mreisseh, Kaslik and Jounieh. The fund, a non-profit organization established in April of last year, had already compensated several businesses affected by the 14 explosions that occurred following the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri in early 2005. The Fund has been provided by donations and aid from several local as well as international parties. According to Fadi Abboud, a fund member and head of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, the fund's largest providers are the Audi Bank and BLOM Bank. Habib Rahme, the owner of a furniture showroom in Clemenceau, said he received compensation equal to 10 percent of the damages his shop sustained in the Hariri blast. Rahme said the total damage to his showroom, which included a demolished faux ceiling and shattered glass, was $12,000. Another businessman, Antoine Roumanos, received $20,000 in compensation for damages to building materials at his shop in the Alta Vista Center in Kaslik, which was targeted by an explosion in March of last year.

Hizbollah vows to free detainees, land from Israel
BEIRUT, March 20 (Reuters) - Hizbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Monday that the guerrilla group would in time free all Lebanese people held in Israeli jails and liberate Lebanese land it says is still occupied by the Jewish state. "This enemy must understand that in Lebanon there is a resistance that cannot leave its detainees in jails, forget its occupied land and be patient with assaults and violations," Nasrallah told thousands of followers marking Arbain, a key Shi'ite Muslim religious ritual. "However ready and alert it is, the day or night will come when we will fulfil our promise to ... the detainees to return them to freedom."Hizbollah and Israel carried out a German-mediated prisoner swap in 2004 that freed hundreds of Arab detainees in exchange for a kidnapped Israeli businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers.
Hizbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria, had snatched the soldiers from a disputed border area in 2000 to pressure Israel into releasing Lebanese detainees held in its jails. At least one Lebanese detainee remains in Israel and Hizbollah, whose guerrilla attacks were crucial in ending the 22-year Israeli occupation of south Lebanon in 2000, has vowed to free him and any others and push Israeli troops out of the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
The United Nations considers the Shebaa Farms, on the border between Lebanon, Israel and Syria's Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syrian soil seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war but Lebanon considers it still-occupied Lebanese land. Nasrallah said the Jewish state had been on alert against a Hizbollah attack for the past two weeks but did not say whether one was planned so as to keep it in "constant fear".
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged Israel, Syria and Lebanon last week to take steps to ease tension along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel put its armed forces there on high alert following intelligence reports that Hizbollah planned cross-border attacks to kidnap Israelis in the area.
Lebanese leaders holding a "national dialogue" to try to end a political crisis are set to discuss this week a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding Hizbollah disarm. The issue divides Lebanese, some saying it is time Hizbollah laid down its arms and stuck to politics, while others believe it should keep them as a deterrent to Israel. Nasrallah suggested the talks focus on how to defend Lebanon against Israel rather than solely on Hizbollah's weapons. "The only entrance to discussing the arms of the resistance is a national defence strategy that answers the question; how do we defend Lebanon? ... Anything else means saying thank you, give us your weapons and go home," he said.

Press Release by the Office of Dr. Muhamad Mugraby
Dr. Muhamad Mugraby
mugraby@cdrl.org- law@mugraby.com
Subject: Press release: Hearing before the Military Court, Beirut
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:48:13 +0200
The Military Tribunal of Lebanon held a hearing this morning, Monday, March 20, 2006, in Beirut, in the charges brought by the military prosecutor against lawyer Dr. Muhamad Mugraby for having allegedly "defamed the military establishment and its officers" in a testimony given by Dr. Mugraby in the European Parliament, Brussels, on November 4, 2003, by special invitation of its Mashrek Delegation. The testimony and the questions and answers centered on the conditions of human rights in Lebanon and the region.
The tribunal, headed by Army Brigadier General Nizar Khalil pronounced its ruling on the procedural defenses presented ten days earlier by the defendant and decided to reject them all. Those defenses were:
1. Lack of territorial jurisdiction as the alleged offence did not take place on Lebanese territory or on territory occupied by the Lebanese Army.
2. Action may not be received under Article 79 of the Code Organizing the Legal Profession because it was brought against a practicing attorney and the council of the bar association did not provide permission to prosecute as requested by the military prosecutor.
3. Prosecution violates Lebanon's treaty obligations with the EU and international law.
4. Lack of a prosecutable offense.
5. Investigation and charging proceedings gravely flawed..
Dr. Mugraby was not present at the hearing but represented by attorneys from his law firm. The defense lawyers indicated their wish to appeal the decision and the case was adjourned to April 17, 2006.
Dr. Mugraby announced that he will hold a press conference on March 23, 2006, at 11:00 AM at Liberty House, Ras Nabaa, Beirut.
Several international human rights organizations had strongly protested the prosecution had announced their support for Dr. Mugraby, and demanding that his trial be cancelled. Those organizations included Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists, Human Rights Watch, and Article 19 Organization. On February 9, 2006, parliamentary leaders from the European Parliament, including the head of the subcommittee on human rights, addressed a letter to the Lebanese government demanding that all charges against Dr. Mugraby be dropped. Mr. Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch said in a statement that Dr. Mugraby's prosecution casts doubt on Lebanon's commitment to human rights reform. Ironically, Mr. Fouad Siniora, prime minister,of Lebanon, is due in Brussels today for talks on European economic aid for the country.

Ferrero-Waldner meets Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora
Brussels, 20 March 2006: Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, meets today Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, in Brussels in the margins of the External Relations Council. The European Commission is committed to support Lebanon’s own reform programme and to lay the foundations for a closer relationship between the EU and Lebanon, through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). This relationship will deepen in the next weeks by the entering into force of the Association Agreement on 1 April, the start of consultations for the Lebanon ENP Action Plan the first week of April, and the holding of the first EU-Lebanon Association Council on 11 April.
Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: “It is very important for Lebanon to actively pursue an agenda of necessary political and economic reforms to ensure a more stable, prosperous and democratic future. We are ready to support Lebanon’s own reform programme through the Association Agreement, soon to enter into force, and the European Neighbourhood Policy.” She added: “I welcome the national dialogue recently initiated by Lebanon. I hope that this broad dialogue will make yet another important contribution to the political stability of the country.”
The Association Agreement, which will enter into force on 1 April 2006, provides a comprehensive framework for the economic, political and social dimensions to the EU-Lebanon partnership. The main aim of the Association Agreement is to create a free trade area between the EU and Lebanon over a period of 12 years, and help to increase economic growth. An Interim Agreement allowed the trade and trade-related provisions to enter into force already in March 2003. The first meeting of the EU-Lebanon Association Council will take place on 11 April in Luxembourg and will become the main feature for the EU–Lebanon political dialogue in the future.
Building on existing Association Agreements and complementing the Barcelona Process, the European Neighbourhood Policy is a unique agreement between the EU and its neighbours. The ENP offers additional economic and social benefits for Lebanon, through co-operation in a range of areas from strengthening democracy, rule of law, and human rights, to trade liberalisation, energy, and transport. The Commission and Lebanon will hold a first round of consultations on an ENP Action Plan on 6 and 7 of April in Brussels. In the ENP Action Plan, the EU and Lebanon will agree together on common objectives for the next few years. The Action Plan will be tailored to Lebanon’s specific interests and needs.
A VIP corner will take place in the Berlaymont building after the meeting between Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner and Prime Minister Siniora, on Monday 20 March at 17:30.
For more information on the EU-Lebanon relations at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/lebanon/intro/index.htm

EU-LEBANON: EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMISSIONER HOLDS TALKS WITH SINIORA
Brussels, 20 March (AKI) EU external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora, were due to discuss on Monday ways to achieve greater political, security, economic and cultural cooperation between Lebanon and the 25-member bloc. They are meeting on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers summit, which is focusing on the situation in the Middle East, especially after Israel's controversial raid on a Palestinian prison in the West Bank town of Jericho last week. An action plan for Lebanon (and also for Egypt) is under development within the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Action Plans have already been developed with seven countries – Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Israel and Ukraine. The decision to develop such joint agendas is conditional on political, economic and institutional reforms being carried out in the countries concerned.
"It is very important for Lebanon to actively pursue an agenda of necessary political and economic reforms to ensure a more stable, prosperous and democratic future. We are ready to support Lebanon’s own reform programme through the Association Agreement, soon to enter into force, and the European Neighbourhood Policy," Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement. In a reference to a recent attempt to find a solution to longstanding issues in Lebanon such as the disputed Sheba Farms area and the disarming of Hezbollah - one Lebanon's two main Shiite parties - she added: "I welcome the national dialogue recently initiated by Lebanon. I hope that this broad dialogue will make yet another important contribution to the political stability of the country." Lebanon's ENP Association Agreement - the forerunner of an Action Plan - will enter into force on 1 April. Its main aim is to create a free trade area between the EU and Lebanon over a period of 12 years, and boost economic growth. The ENP also aims to help Lebananon strengthen democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as well as develop its energy and transport sectors. The ENP is designed to complement the so-called Barcelona Process, begun in 1995, when the governments of 27 countries, the EU Council and European Commission, established the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) in Barcelona. The EMP's overall objective is to turn the Mediterranean Basin into an area of dialogue, exchange and cooperation to guarantee peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The best known aspect of the so-called 'Barcelona Declaration' is the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean free-trade zone by 2010. Mar-20-06 15:58

Jumblat Says Syria Must Arm Palestinians in Damascus, Supports Syrian Opposition
Druze leader Walid Jumblat has said that Syria should provide arms to Palestinian refugees in the Yarmouk camp, which is eight kilometers from the center of Damascus, to continue an armed struggle with Israel.
"Let the Syrians open training camps there and launch a resistance movement along their border (with Israel) to liberate the Golan Heights," Jumblat said Sunday at a press conference in his hometown of Mukhtara.
Yarmouk is an unofficial camp and home to the largest Palestine refugee community in Syria.
The anti-Syrian politician said he wished all the best for Syrian opposition groups and figures that launched a "National Salvation Front" in Brussels last week aimed to oust President Bashar Assad's regime.
Jumblat said a democratic regime that respects freedoms and human rights in Syria would serve the Lebanese people's interests. "Lebanon cannot enjoy stability as long as its neighboring state is run by a dictatorial regime," he said.
Last week, the united front of Syrian opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, liberals, communists and Kurds, set forward a program for a transitional government that would help bring about democracy following the possible fall of Assad.
Jumblat described President Emile Lahoud as a "collaborator to the Syrian intelligence services and to Bashar Assad" and criticized comments made by the pro-Syrian president over the weekend during which he linked Hizbullah's arms to a final peace settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Progressive Socialist Party leader said Lahoud's comments meant that weapons would continue to be in the hands of militias in Lebanon, and therefore, there would be no real state with the presence of such armed groups.
In an interview with the Doha-based Al Jazeera Channel, the pro-Syrian president said Hizbullah should not lay down its arms, even if Israel pulls out its troops from the disputed Shabaa Farms area, where the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Israel meet.
Hizbullah should keep its weapons, he stressed, "until the (Arab) conflict with Israel is settled and until Palestinians return to their homeland," referring to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been seeking refuge in Lebanon since their expulsion from their land after the Jewish state was created in 1948.
Beirut, Updated 20 Mar 06, 11:05


Top Hizbullah Official Says no Exchange Between Presidency and Party's Weapons
Hizbullah's second-in-command has said that there will be no trade-off between the anti-Syria coalition's demand to remove President Emile Lahoud from power and the party's determination to hold on to its arms.
An Nahar newspaper quoted Naim Kassem, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's deputy, as saying that national dialogue talks set to resume Wednesday were not reduced to these two issues only.
"We will not accept any trade-off between the presidency and the arms of the resistance," the official said.
Speaking in the Hizbullah stronghold of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, Kassem said his party refused to back the March 14 camp's drive to oust Lahoud as it does not consider him the main obstacle to stability in Lebanon.
"There is a force in Lebanon that does not consider that the problem lies with the president and it represents a large portion of the population," Kassem said.
"The issue cannot be discussed in the following manner: remove the president and then we will agree," he added.
Kassem's remarks came on the heels of an announcement by the pro-Syrian Lahoud that he is determined to stay in power until the end of his extended term in 2007. He said he would only leave if parliament was dissolved and legislative elections were held.
Hizbullah, a major participant at the roundtable discussions, has so far resisted joining the efforts to remove the beleaguered president unless it knows who the alternative is.
The anti-Syria coalition needs to win over the Shiite party's support to secure the necessary two third votes in parliament to remove the head of state.
Last week the top leaders agreed on a numbers of issues related to Syrian-Lebanese relations and on the identity of the Shabaa Farms that they said belonged to Lebanon.
However discussion of the presidency and Hizbullah's weapons, the two more difficult issues, was postponed until this week. According to newspaper reports, the parties at the talks were already circulating names of potential candidates to replace Lahoud.
Beirut, 20 Mar 06, 13:04



Geagea Warns that March 14 Camp May Return to Street Protests to Oust Lahoud
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has said that the anti-Syria coalition may have to return to its original plan to oust President Emile Lahoud through street protests if national dialogue talks fail to resolve the issue.
The Christian leader, speaking in an interview with Future Television, said he hoped that the progress made at the talks with regards to the presidency would yield results. However, he added that recent developments did not bode well for the discussions.
"What has been happening the past couple of days means that the doors for a solution are closing and we will have to go back to our original plan," he said.
He then clarified that he was referring to street protests. The anti-Syria coalition had threatened to remove Lahoud through mass demonstrations but came under internal and international pressure to refrain from doing so and attend a national dialogue meeting instead.
Speaker Nabih Berri, who is organizing the meeting, announced last week that the participants agreed that Lebanon was suffering from a "government crisis."
While the March 14 camp says this is a clear reference to the presidency, other political groups such as Hizbullah and Gen. Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement say this phrase refers to a crisis at all levels of government.
"In Lebanon it is well known that government means the president. Therefore the crisis in question is the one related to the presidency," Geagea said.
Geagea's interview came a day after Lahoud defiantly reiterated his determination to stay in power in an apparent attempt to preempt serious discussions about his potential replacement when the talks resume Wednesday.
He said he would only step down if early parliamentary elections were held. If not, he said he would serve until the end of his extended term in 2007.
The dialogue meeting, that opened March 2, has been dealing with the intractable issues currently facing Lebanon. They are the beleaguered presidency, Hizbullah's arms, weapons held by Palestinian groups inside and outside the camps and relations with Syria.
While progress was announced with regards to the last two issues, the first ones are still under heated discussion. Beirut, Updated 20 Mar 06, 11:43


Fatah Plans to Collect Arms in Lebanon's Refugee Camps
Sultan Abul Ainein, leader of the mainstream Fatah group of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon, has said his faction would round up weapons in the hands of armed groups in refugee camps amid growing calls for militias in the country to disarm.
"We have decided to collect all the weapons we possess, including those belonging to individuals, and put them in secure places (inside the camps), to meet the wishes expressed at the Lebanese national dialogue meeting," said Abul Ainein.
Top rival leaders have been meeting in Beirut to resolve the country's most contentious issues, including the deployment of armed Palestinians outside Lebanon's 12 refugee camps.
Abul Ainein reasserted the PLO's authority -- of which Fatah is the largest faction -- as the only legitimate representative of Palestinians in Lebanon.
The PLO does not include Palestinian Islamist groups such as Hamas, which trounced Fatah in January's parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It also excludes pro-Syrian groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command which has been involved in a number of shooting incidents outside refugee camps in Lebanon.
There are over 390,000 Palestinians living in Lebanon, according to figures provided in December 2003 by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Speaker Nabih Berri said Tuesday that participants in the large-scale conference supported disarming Palestinians outside the camps within six months to enable the state to reestablish its authority on all Lebanese territory. The dialogue is scheduled to resume its sessions on March 22.
A U.N. resolution, adopted by the Security Council in September 2004, also calls on Lebanon to restore sovereignty on all its territory and to disarm Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, including Hizbullah's military wing and armed Palestinian groups.(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, Updated 20 Mar 06, 10:34

THE COUNCIL OF LEBANESE AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS
Founded in 1989 to serve the USA and Lebanon.
4401-A Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 273, Washington, DC 20008
Eastern USA: P.O. Box 181116 Cleveland, OH 44118 *** Western USA: P. O. Box 661823, Los Angeles, CA 90066
CLAO ContactCLAO@ClaoUSA.net 919-427-8869 ** 888-4 CLAO 89 Web site: www.clao.com
March 15, 2006 PR060315
CLAO: Seizing the opportunity to establish a more cohesive Lebanon
The resumption of dialogue among the various representatives of the major Lebanese communities marks a positive step towards addressing the current political stalemate that has paralyzed the country. CLAO strongly urges the participants to exercise the utmost flexibility and good will in the course of these negotiations considering the high stakes for Lebanon and its people. It is imperative for this process to yield a national consensus on viable solutions to the complex and divisive issues that plagued the Lebanese Nation for decades marked by political instability, conflict and foreign occupation.
CLAO remains concerned with the exploitative attitude and posturing of the so called “majority” that transpired from the 2005 parliamentary elections, the adverse effects of which are currently undermining the integrity of the negotiations undertaken in the national dialogue. This “majority” came into being as a result of the flawed 2000 electoral law, coined as the “Ghazi Kanaan” law in reference to the gerrymandering by the late head of Syrian Secret Service in Lebanon, and as such raises serious questions about the motivation of this majority insistence on this law in a clear self serving measure. Furthermore, it has become clear that the biased policies and domination practices on the country’s institutions by the ensuing “majority” Government are further evidence for indicting this group and exposing their true intent of total hegemony not unlike that imposed by Syrian Forces during the years of occupation.
CLAO’s position may be summarized as follows:
1) An all inclusive dialogue is the only way to address the issues. Any attempts to exclude or isolate any of the parties will only stall the process from reaching the ultimate goal of national consensus on the fundamental issues, the pillars of the Republic for the future.
2) New electoral law that guarantees true representation is the most important element of foundation and needs to precede any major political move such as forming a new Cabinet or electing a new President. The new law must include provisions that would make it possible for the Lebanese expatriates worldwide to participate.
3) Organizing early parliamentary elections based on the new electoral law as a precursor to an election of a new President for a full term.
4) Formation of a national unity government charged with implementing the recommendations of the national dialogue along with a program of comprehensive reform of the administration as prerequisite to economic reform that address the bloating national debt.
With a questionable “majority” that is highly suspect on intent as best, the above described process represents a proper course out of the current stalemate. Early elections based on a new electoral law are the only viable way to establish a proper foundation for propelling Lebanon forward towards political stability, reform and economic growth. Only then, would the election of a new President of the Republic serve as a way to establish a cohesive executive branch that draws its legitimacy from the true will of the people, enjoys the trust of the people and is therefore capable of leading Lebanon through the arduous process of reconstruction.

Lebanese Acting Interior Minister on Lebanon's National Dialogue
19/03/2006-By Jihane al Hussaini
Cairo Asharq Al-Awsat- With rival Lebanese leaders from across the political and religious spectrum expected to resume the National Dialogue conference in Beirut, to discuss a number of thorny issues that have split the country in the last few months, Asharq al Awsat spoke to Ahmad Fatfat, Lebanon ’s Youth and Sports Minister and acting Interior Minister, earlier this week, and asked him about the dialogue's progress.
In an interview with Asharq al Awsat, Fatfat said, “I will be very frank. The Lebanese people are proud that for the first time in Lebanon’s history, an inter-Lebanese dialogue is taking place without any mediators. I believe this explains why the dialogue is difficult. The Lebanese got used to in the past to the presence of a sponsor or arbitrator but today, Lebanon’s interests are the sponsors and moderators.” This is why, the Lebanese “prefer that the dialogue continues without any intervention from any Arab party. We are confident the Arab role, especially from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, has always been positive, in interest of inter-Lebanese relations and Lebanese-Arab relations.”
After 29 years, Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April 2005, after mass protests erupted following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on 14 February 2005. Regarding Damascus’ role, the acting Interior Minister said, “There is near unanimity across Lebanon not to disavow history or geography. We insist on the best relations with Syria. What joins us with Syria is mote than history and geography. Families are divided between Lebanon and Syria and economic relations are very close. There is, above all else, the [common] Israeli enemy. But this does not mean Lebanon should abandon its freedom, sovereignty or independence. The Lebanese people are ready to establish excellent relations with Syria but there are simple conditions [that ought to be fulfilled first]. The first in the ongoing international investigation into Hariri’s murder. Responsibilities should be determined and those involved must be punished, no matter who they are. The second condition, which is very important, is the respect of Lebanon ’s independence, freedom, sovereignty and free decisions. Apart from this, the Lebanese are fully ready to reach an understanding with Syria on anything that serves Arab interests, particularly with regard to our strategic option, because the main enemy in the region is Israel.”
Earlier this month, days before the Dialogue for National Reconciliation was set to begin in downtown Beirut , Beirut MP Saad Hariri and Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah met for marathon talks on national issues and regional developments. Commenting on the significance of this historic get-together, Fatfat said, “There have been many meetings recently among participants in the national dialogue. They indicate that consultations are taking place and confidence is gradually being built… I am optimistic. These latest meetings will pave the way for the success of the national dialogue, although this will take some time.” Asked about Druze MP Walid Jumblatt’s recent U.S visit where he called for regime change in Syria , the acting Interior Minister and member of the 14 March coalition said, “I do not want to defend Walid Jumblatt. But, for the sake of clarification, his visit was scheduled in advance. It was decided before the date of the national dialogue was set. Jumblatt insisted on attending the first and second sessions, in which he said what he later repeated in Washington. Let me say that his statements were not made without reason. About 24 hours earlier, Syrian President Bashar Assad delivered a speech in Damascus in which he directly interfered in the dialogue. We felt President Assad was sitting with us on the dialogue table… his interference is not acceptable. We hope everyone in the Arab world will talk with President Assad to make him realize things have chanced and history cannot move backwards. Interfering in domestic Lebanese affairs is not the ideal way to restore good relations between Lebanon and Syria.”
Participants in the National Dialogue reached an agreement earlier this week over the disputed Shebaa Farms, unanimously saying they are Lebanese. However, the thorny issue of whether to disarm Hezbollah remains to be decided when the Dialogue reconvenes later this month. “I believe all the Lebanese people support the resistance as long as Lebanese land remains under occupation. The problem lies in the term. The Shebaa Frams consist of a number of small farms whose inhabitants left in various stages, especially after the 1967 war. The last farm to be deserted was Bastarah in 1989. The problem is that most of the farms where included in an agreement between Syria and the United Nations in 1974 to disengage [military] forces in the Golan Heights. This means that Syria , when it presented maps to the U.N in 1974, considered the farms to be Syrian territory. The U.N approved these maps. Herein lies the problem,” Ftafat said.
The Interior Minister acknowledged the farms were part of Lebanon. “Real estate records are available in Sidon . The farms are Lebanese in the legal sense but fall under Syrian sovereignty, according to U.N records. We are now preparing a file of two parts. The first part proves the Lebanese identity of the Shebaa Farms. But the U.N needs Syria to acknowledge this. So far, regrettably, Syria has not cooperated in this regard.”
Asked whether Beirut was in need of a serious Arab initiative to repair bilateral relations with Syria, Fatfat told Asharq al Awsat, “We are ready for an Arab initiative in this respect. But we have Lebanese laws. First of all, everyone must acknowledge Lebanon’s independence, freedom and sovereignty and recognize it’s free political, economic, educational system. Based on this, everything is possible. If there is an Arab initiative to correct relations, we are not against it in any way, but it must be based on the facts I just mentioned.”