LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
MAY 16/2006

Below news bulletins from the Daily Star for 16/05/06
Joint Lebanese-Syrian crew begins removal of sand berms in Bekaa
Silverberg rules out deals with Syria on Hariri killing
Pope calls for respect of Christian rights in Muslim countries
PLO inaugurates opening of its diplomatic office
UN probe chief 'in Damascus'
Lawyers protest delay in Higher Judicial Council appointments
Premier insists rumors of dispute with Berri only in 'people's imagination'
Below news bulletins from miscellaneous sources for 16/05/06
Inter-Lebanese dialogue to resume-UPI
Syria detains prominent dissident writer Kilo-CTV.ca - Canada
Ahead of New Round of Dialogue -Naharnet
Gunmen Open Fire at Homes of Two Anti-Syrian MPs, No CasualtiesNaharnet
Lebanon's new resolve on Palestinian issue-Christian Science Monitor
Lebanon denies transporting Hizbullah members aboard Presidential-BNA
Lebanon, Syria begin dismantling sand barriers-Jerusalem Post
Forum: Two holy war stories-The Washington Times
Iraq between a Dignified and a Humiliating Withdrawal-Dar Al-Hayat
Leaders gearing up for the World Economic Forum on the Middle EastAME Info
Hamas, Jordan, and Lebanon-Dar Al-Hayat
On the Eve of Dialogue-Dar Al-Hayat
A necessary rebel-Ha'aretz
US committed to Lebanese independence-UPI

Pope calls for respect of Christian rights in Muslim countries
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
BEIRUT: Pope Benedict XVI said Monday that the rights and dignity of minority Christians in predominantly Muslim countries had to be respected if inter-religious dialogue was to be a real two-way street. Addressing participants at a Vatican conference on immigration to and from Islamic countries, the Pope also said that while Christians had to respect Muslims, they also had the right to offer what he called "the Christian proposal" to them.
The Pope wove his address around the theme of "reciprocity" - adding Christians in Western countries had to respect and welcome immigrants from all countries and all religions. But he said: "Obviously, one would hope that Christians who immigrate to predominantly Muslim countries should be welcomed and be respected for their religious identity."
Reciprocity, such as building houses of worship or practicing religion freely, has been at the heart of Vatican diplomacy toward Muslim states recently.
Vatican diplomats argue that limits on Christians in some Islamic countries are far harsher than restrictions in the West that some Muslims decry, such as bans on clothing such as headscarves.
He told the conference Christians had to "cultivate an open style of dialogue" with Muslims.
But while doing so they should not give up offering "the Christian proposal to their interlocutors, coherent with their very identity."
This was a reference to the Church's position that, even without aiming to convert, Christians have a duty to spread the gospel and proclaim the word of Jesus to all.
This is a sensitive issue in Muslim countries, many of which ban conversion from Islam to another faith, and the Vatican and the World Council of Churches have begun working on a code of conduct to ensure Christians do not offend other religions.
In several European countries, including Italy, immigrants have made Islam the second largest faith. But dialogue with Muslims can be complicated because Islam has no central authority.
In its search for better relations with the Islamic world, the Church has recently turned a spotlight on the role culture can play in fostering understanding between faiths.
Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch, who will head soon to the Vatican on an unofficial visit, met Monday with French President Jacques Chirac in Paris where he is participating in a religious ceremony.
Chirac reiterated his country's support for Lebanon and added that Paris is keen to see all United Nations Security Council resolutions in regard to Lebanon implemented.
Chirac also said he was very pleased to receive Sfeir "who symbolizes Lebanon's aspiration toward unity and harmony among its different religious communities, and toward peace, independence and democracy."
Sfeir also met with French Foreign Minister Philippe Minister Douste-Blazy who conveyed his country's support to extend the mandate of the international investigation team into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
Sfeir and Douste-Blazy also discussed the ongoing Lebanese national dialogue and the decisions it has reached so far in addition to Premier Fouad Siniora's blueprint for economic reforms, which will be implemented ahead of an international aid conference in which France is a major participant.
Sfeir was in France along with around a dozen leaders of Christian churches in the Middle East to mark the 150th anniversary of an aid association, Charity of the East.
Chirac said the association, which in 2005 distributed some $6 million in aid to 21 countries, helped link France to Eastern Christians, a link "important to reaffirm with force in these troubled times where the situation in the Middle East is more worrisome than ever."
"Christians of the East have always been a bridge to Europe and contributed ... to the dialogue of cultures," the French president told leaders gathered at the Elysee Palace.
- Additional reporting by Nada Bakri, Agencies

Joint Lebanese-Syrian crew begins removal of sand berms in Bekaa
By Morshed al-Ali -Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
BAALBEK: A total of five tractors from both the Lebanese and Syrian armies and the Ersal municipality began Monday to remove controversial Syrian sand berms in the Bekaa Valley under the close supervision of administrative and military officials from the two countries. "Works started this morning in the presence of officials from the two sides, and should take about a week," said Bassel Hujairi, Ersal's mayor. "The (joint Lebanese-Syrian) committee which supervises the work is not
entitled to define or draw the borders; the operation is only a solution for the farmers, to allow them to access their lands."
Syrian authorities claimed that the sand berms, which were erected by Syrian border guards inside Lebanese territory along a 40-kilometer area, were laid to curb smuggling, but Lebanese farmers complained the berms cut through their orchards and accused Syrian border guards of harassment.
Brigadier Ahmad Harba, the Syrian police commander's assistant and a member of the committee, denied any dispute between Lebanese farmers and Syrian border guards, saying that "the issue was given a dimension bigger than it is really worth" and that quarrels between farmers are not new.
Syria agreed to remove the sand berms after a May 9 meeting between Lebanese and Syrian officials in the Syrian resort town of Bludan, near Damascus.
The Higher Lebanese-Syrian Council's public relations official Ahmad Hajj Hassan praised the move, saying: "We hope that the artificial political berms are removed as well, and that relations between Lebanon and Syria are restored to their former status."
Bekaa governor Antoine Suleiman said that the territories would be monitored to avoid the erection of future sand berms, per an agreement with the Syrian party.
Speaking with Voice of Lebanon radio, Suleiman said the operation did not have wider political implications, and that "the demarcation of the border is an issue subject to a political decision by both the Lebanese and Syrian governments."
Suleiman said the Lebanese teams would permanently remove, and not relocate, the sand berms, and that every government would adopt proper measures to control smuggling.
The lack of demarcation between Lebanon and Syria has allowed smugglers of arms and people to pass easily between the two countries, with two smuggling operations already thwarted in the time since the team started removing the sand berms Monday.
The Qobeiyat-based Internal Security Forces arrested three suspected illegal immigrants entering Lebanon from Syria through the Wadi Khaled area, according to the National News Agency correspondent in Akkar.
The security sources said the suspects were Egyptian, Syrian and Rwandan, and that the latter said that he paid two Lebanese, "Ahmad Gh." and "Fadi Sh.," $2,300 to facilitate his entry into Lebanon.
The government also released a statement Monday saying it had arrested two Syrian members of an arms-smuggling ring suspected of hiding weapons in the bodies and motors of cars in order to cross the Lebanese-Syrian border.
The security forces reportedly seized four guns in the vehicle of suspects who confessed they were driving to Damascus under the auspices of driving a Lebanese family to Syria.
Meanwhile, last Thursday, a 55-year-old Lebanese was arrested in Beirut for allegedly taking part in a network that smuggles Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians from Lebanon to Europe and the U.S. by air and land. The suspect confessed to providing his clients with false Greek passports.- With AFP

LAU and English university confer joint degrees
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 16, 2006: The University of Leicester, an international research-based university in England, and the Lebanese American University (LAU) held a degree confirmation ceremony for the graduates of the Leicester's Doctor of Education part-time program who have been taught and tutored for the degree in Lebanon on LAU campus. Degrees were presented by Professor Paul Cooper, director of the School of Education at the University of Leicester, and Dr. Samia Aghacy, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at LAU, in the presence of faculty and former graduates. Professor Cooper spoke of the success of the continuing collaboration between LAU and the University of Leicester on this Doctoral Program. Dr. Aghacy expressed her pleasure in the fruitful partnership between LAU and the University of Leicester, which "offers the students a prestigious academic level and best scientific resources."

AUB honors longtime physiology professor
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 16, 2006: The Medical Chapter of the American University of Beirut Alumni Association honored Physiology Professor Suhayl Jabbur with a Gold Medal Award, an honor that is bestowed on a distinguished alumnus every year, a statement issued by AUB said on Monday. In a ceremony held on Saturday to wrap up the 40th Middle East Medical Assembly held at AUB, Jabbur was honored in the presence of a host of doctors and AUB professors, including Dr Khaled Younis, who heads the medical chapter of the alumni association, and Dr Nadim Cortas, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, who were leading the ceremony. Jabbur joined AUB as a faculty member in 1960 and has been teaching the course in basic neurophysiology ever since, with the exception of the year 1969, when he went on sabbatical leave.

Four Israeli planes violate Lebanese airspace
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 16, 2006: A statement issued by the Lebanese Army Command said that four Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese skies at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, flying in from the southern region of Kfar Shuba, over Hasbaya and Marjayoun areas and circling around Iqlim al-Tuffah, Western Bekaa, as well as the Shebaa farms. The jet left Lebanese airspace at 11:45 a.m. for the Occupied Territories. The statement added that "an army unit will blow up expired explosives in an explosion field in Turbol, Zahle, on May 16 between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m."

Youth union criticizes detention of three members
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 16, 2006: The Lebanese Democratic Youth Union issued a statement on Monday saying that three of its members were arrested in Taleet al-Sanaobra area while posting documents about the Beirut I conference. Security Forces personnel arrested Ayman and Khalil Fadel as well as Mohammed Aoude without clear charges, the statement added. "The union condemns this security mentality that practices its power over youth calling for decreasing taxes and changing economic policies while security is totally absent in many other Lebanese areas," it said. According to the statement, it was the second time members of the union were arrested because of their anti-Beirut I positions. The statement called Beirut I "a conference to increase taxes, poverty and hunger." The statement also said that the union would continue to express its positions and called on security forces to do their job in the "appropriate place."

Labor union: Reforms will be met with protests
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 16, 2006: The General Labor Confederation warned the government on Monday against liberalizing prices of fuel and bread and increasing the value-added tax. The confederation, presided over by Ghassan Ghosn, held an extraordinary session at its headquarters and issued a statement saying that the May 10 demonstration would be followed by similar popular moves if the government did not modify its economic and financial strategy. The statement added that the confederation "refuses any interference in its affairs" calling on "parties outside the unions to halt their attempt to divide them and subjugate them to their political interests." It also urged the government to hold a "serious socio-economic dialogue" in order to reach social justice.

Justice committee modifies law on bad checks
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 16, 2006: The administrative and justice parliamentary committee, presided over by MP Robert Ghanem, held a session on Monday to discuss modifications in law pertaining to writing bad checks. The committee decided that the crime would remain punishable but that writing a bad check would no longer affect the perpetrator's credit. The committee decided to drop the public's right to prosecution for the crime as soon as personal prosecution is dropped. The committee approved of a system in which a check remains a means of payment, not only a line of credit.

Lawyers protest delay in Higher Judicial Council appointments
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, May 16, 2006
LEBANON: Lawyers in Beirut and the North boycotted court sessions Monday in a decision to strike against the delay in appointing the five members of the Higher Judicial Council. Following a decision reached by the Bar Associations Friday, the judiciary was completely halted and court sessions were suspended, according to judicial sources.
Although the strike triggered a significant response, it seems that the dominant political dispute is still over the name of the Shiite judge, which "leaves the crisis open," sources said.
Whereas Speaker Nabih Berri insists on appointing Judge Shamseddine, the government's parliamentary majority proposes Judge Habib Mezher, the sources added.
Berri and Premier Fouad Siniora met Monday to discuss the issue of the Shiite seat, according to well-informed sources.
But Siniora's press office said that the premier "believes in the judiciary's independence and the separation between politics and the judiciary, so he did not interfere in the process."
The president of the Beirut Bar Association, Butros Doumit, praised Justice Minister Charles Rizk's success in reaching consensus on four out of five names, saying however, that his achievement "remains incomplete."
He said: "A justice minister has to propose the appropriate names before sending them to Siniora and President Emile Lahoud in the form of a decree to be signed."
"Whoever refuses to sign the decree will be held responsible for destroying the judiciary," he added.
Doumit said the bar's council would keep its sessions open and give the relevant political authority a short time to resolve the problem.
"If we do not witness any changes in the situation, we will resort to escalatory moves," he added.
In turn, president of the Tripoli Bar Association Fadi Ghantous said that the strike called for by the Bar Associations is a "moral move and not a challenge."
Ghantous was speaking during a news conference held at the Bar Association's headquarters.
Ghantous hailed the lawyers for showing commitment to their bar's decision to halt judicial work saying that the strike was not only aimed at urging the authorities to make the appointments but also to defend an "independent, neutral and competent judiciary."
"A judiciary that surpasses political clashes and interference," he added.
"A country cannot remain nine months without a Higher Judicial Council under the pretext of the necessity of political consensus," he said. In response, Rizk said in an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, that forming the council means reaching agreement. "It is easy for me to ink a draft decree but if it will be stopped whether by the premier or the president, that is not what we want," he said. He added: "I do not want to run away from my responsibilities I am just following the law." - The Daily Star

UN probe chief 'in Damascus'
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, May 16, 2006
BEIRUT: Diplomatic sources said Belgium Prosecutor Serge Brammertz has been in Damascus since Saturday, Hizbullah-led Al-Manar television channel reported on Monday. According to the sources, the chief of the UN team investigating the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri went directly to Syria following a visit to a European capital.
This would be the second visit made by Brammertz to Syria in less than a month, as he headed to Damascus on April 25 to meet with President Bashar Assad and Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa.
Brammertz is expected to present his second report on the ongoing investigations to the Security Council in mid-June.
According to Saudi-based news Web site Elaph, sources close to the chief investigator said he was "carefully studying the possibility the bomb in Hariri's case was placed underground."
"That's why he sent geological experts to inspect the crime scene and the building that were destroyed in the blast," it said.
Sources also said Brammertz visited the blast site three times and "personally inspected survey operations on the street and the buildings, in particular the Saint George Hotel." - The Daily Star

Gunmen Open Fire at Homes of Two Anti-Syrian MPs, No Casualties
Naharnet: Two days before the resumption of national dialogue talks in Beirut, gunmen shot at the house of an anti-Syrian legislator in Tripoli and at the guards of another deputy in Ashrafieh. No one was hurt.
Assailants opened fire at dawn Sunday at Sunni lawmaker Musbah al Ahdab's home, where he lives with his wife and three children, in the northern city of Tripoli.
The MP told An Nahar newspaper two bullets shattered a window in his kitchen where they lodged into the ceiling.
"There are guards and a police station in front of the house," Ahdab told Voice of Lebanon radio. "They (attackers) fired toward the kitchen from behind the building."
Ahdab and police did not explain how they knew more than one gunman was involved in the shooting.
The MP told An Nahar that he does not suspect anyone in particular of being behind the shooting. He said he hopes that the incident "is not an attempt to undermine the security situation or the beginning of undesirable attempts as the country cannot withstand a new crisis."
"The situation is complicated and things are heading in a worse direction," he added.
In another development, shooters fired at guards stationed at the home of Abdallah Farhat, another anti-Syrian legislator, in Beirut's Christian district of Ashrafieh.
Police said the security guards became suspicious of two men on a motorcycle near the MP's house. When they asked the men to stop, they fled after firing two pistol shots into the air.
Farhat belongs to Druze leader Walid Jumblat's Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc while Tripoli's Ahdab is a member of the Democratic Renewal Movement headed by former MP Nassib Lahoud. They are both part of the March 14 anti-Syrian coalition.
The shootings occurred two days before the resumption of national dialogue talks between the country's top rival political leaders. No major breakthroughs are expected at the roundtable discussions that have hit an impasse over the possible removal from power of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud.
The March 14 group condemned the shootings as designed to "shake the security and stability and take Lebanon back to the rule of intelligence," a reference to security agencies that were headed by pro-Syrian officials before Damascus withdrew from Lebanon last year. The pullout followed mass anti-Syrian demonstrations that blamed Damascus for the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The withdrawal was followed by a string of bombings targeting anti-Syrian politicians and journalists. The last major attack was the Dec. 12 car bomb that killed An Nahar General Manager and Beirut MP Gebran Tueni. Beirut, 15 May 06, 09:07

Ahead of New Round of Dialogue Talks, Politicians Express Diverging Views on Outcome
Naharnet: On the eve of the resumption of national dialogue talks between Lebanon's top rival leaders, politicians expressed opposing views about the focus of the next round of talks and expectations about its outcome.
Speaker Nabih Berri said that the seventh round of talks would still center on the fate of President Emile Lahoud whom the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority is seeking to remove from power.
As Safir newspaper on Monday quoted Berri as saying that discussions would only move onto the next topic, Hizbullah's arms, "after this issue is settled even if with a recognition of President Lahoud's legitimacy until the end of his term."
Damascus's opponents say that Lahoud's term, which was prolonged in 2004 for three years, is illegal as Syria imposed the extension on Lebanon and threatened MPs to endorse it. Based on this argument, they say the president should step down.
Lahoud's fate, that has dominated the dialogue talks for weeks now, has hit an impasse as the rivals of the anti-Syrian majority have blocked the drive to oust him. Walid Jumblat, one of the key leaders of the March 14 anti-Syrian coalition, said that the issue of the presidency has been postponed pending the implementation of issues being discussed at the talks. He said the participants would now move onto negotiations about Hizbullah's weapons.
"The new president should come based on a road map. We don't want a president at any price," said Jumblat speaking to reporters in Kuwait after meeting Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah.
The Druze chieftain said the next Lebanese leader will be elected after the dispute over the Shabaa border region is settled, Palestinians outside refugee camps are disarmed and the weapons of the resistance or Hizbullah are handed over to the Lebanese army.
He said he was pleased with the results of the talks since they opened on March 2. The leaders have agreed on the establishment of diplomatic relations with Syria, the delineation of the common border, the Lebanese identity of the Shabaa Farms and the disarmament of Palestinian groups outside the camps within six months.
"We will see on Tuesday what the results are with regards to the future of Hizbullah's weapons," he said.
Gen. Michel Aoun, a presidential aspirant, has expressed pessimism about the outcome of the talks that he described as "useless."
Speaking to the Hizbullah-run al Nour Radio station, Aoun said he would attend Tuesday's meeting as an "observer" only to avoid being held responsible for the "dialogue's failure."The Free Patriotic Movement leader, who predicted that this would be the last round of talks, accused Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government of "launching a war against Syria instead of starting negotiations with Damascus that would lead to a healthy relationship."
Saniora, who has been delegated by the meeting participants to visit Syria to get an agreement on diplomatic relations and defining the border, has been waiting for a green light from Damascus for weeks.
The premier told An Nahar newspaper he was optimistic about Tuesday's talks and that he believes "things will move to the better." He said he expected progress in the dialogue but did not specify how. Beirut, 15 May 06, 12:11

Syria detains prominent dissident writer Kilo
Updated Mon. May. 15 2006 6:09 AM ET
Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syria has detained the prominent writer and democracy campaigner Michel Kilo, his family and a local rights organization said Monday.
Kilo, 66, was detained Sunday, days after he signed a petition calling for steps to improve Lebanese-Syrian relations, said Ammar Qurabi, the head of the National Organization for Human Rights.
Kilo's daughter, Shaza, said her father was summoned by the security police at noon on Sunday and did not return home.
The government did not confirm his arrest, but the authorities almost never issue statements about detentions that are deemed a security matter. Kilo has long been an outspoken critic of the Syrian government, which tightly controls national politics and often arrests its critics. He has long called for reform in Syria and has criticized the government's involvement in the political affairs of its smaller neighbour, Lebanon. Well-known for his political analysis, Kilo's writings are frequently published by Lebanese newspapers, including the leading anti-Syrian paper An-Nahar.
He is a member of the Committees for Reviving Civil Society in Syria and a signatory to the Damascus Declaration, a 2005 document that represents the broadest call for pro-democratic reform in Syria.
The National Organization for Human Rights called for Kilo's immediate release saying in a statement that he represents "political moderation in Syria.''Qurabi said he had no information on the reason for Kilo's arrest, but he said it might be connected to Kilo's signing of the petition calling for better relations with Lebanon. Some 500 Syrian and Lebanese intellectuals signed the document last week. Relations between Lebanon and Syria plummeted following the assassination last year of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which many Lebanese blame on Syria. A UN-mandated probe has implicated officials of the Syrian intelligence service, but Damascus has denied any involvement.
Anwar al-Bunni, a lawyer and another prominent rights activist in Syria, condemned Kilo's arrest and called on the government to stop detaining its opponents. Syria has recently stepped up its arrest of human rights activists and critics. The London-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International criticized the government last month for the detentions, describing them as another "blot'' on the country's poor human rights record. "This campaign (of detentions) will not dissuade anybody from pressing on with their demands,'' Bunni said. "But it will increase our determination to continue with our mission.''

Lebanon's new resolve on Palestinian issue
The PLO opens a new office in Beirut Monday ahead of talks targeting armed groups, refugee conditions.
By Nicholas Blanford | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
AIN AL-HILWEH, LEBANON – After decades of uneasy relations, Lebanon and its Palestinian population are set to embark on a ground-breaking dialogue to improve conditions in the Palestinian refugee camps and curb uncontrolled armed groups.
For Ibrahim Khalil, that could mean an end to the knee-deep sewage that pours into his home during winter rains.
"Our homes are all damp and humid and not fit to live in. When it rains, my home is flooded with sewage because the drains can't take it. And this is the good part of the camp," says the Palestinian resident of this squalid refugee camp on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of Sidon.
By working with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which reopens its Beirut office Monday, to ameliorate the plight of refugees like Mr. Khalil, Lebanon hopes to offer Palestinians greater job opportunities and better living conditions to weaken the lure of the many armed Palestinian factions operating in the camps. Though Beirut has long been under international pressure to disarm the groups, the imminent negotiations - regarded as a key step in allaying that pressure - signal a change in how the government plans to tackle the problem.
"This is a major turning point," says Sultan Abul Aynayn, the head of the Fatah movement in Lebanon. "The Lebanese have moved from treating the Palestinians as a security concern to a humanitarian concern."
Last October, the government announced it intended to launch full negotiations with the Palestinian factions in Lebanon, a decision spurred in part by international pressure on Lebanon to fulfill United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559. The resolution calls for the dismantling of all "Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias," a reference to Lebanon's Shiite Hizbullah organization and armed Palestinian groups. Disarming Palestinian groups is considered an easier task than disarming the powerful Hizbullah.
The reopening Monday of the PLO's Beirut office, which was shut down during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, will lead to the formation of a Palestinian delegation comprising representatives of all the factions present in Lebanon - some of whom are at odds with one another - to begin talks with the Lebanese government.
A key issue will be addressing the humanitarian needs and civil rights of Palestinian refugees, who are banned from all but the most menial of jobs - making the frustrated, unemployed youths ripe for recruitment into armed factions.
"I can't understand why a Palestinian engineer has to work as a laborer," says Abul Aynayn. "It's miserable and shameful. God created us all the same, why can't we get the same services?"
In March, a Lebanese ministerial delegation paid an unprecedented visit to three Palestinian refugee camps to assess humanitarian needs. There are more than 350,000 refugees in the country, living in a dozen refugee camps scattered around the country, most of them surrounded by Lebanese troops and lying outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese government. The largest is Ain al-Hilweh, a mostly lawless square-mile slum of gloomy passageways crammed with 70,000 refugees.
"I was really shocked at what I saw," says Khalil Makkawi, the head of the Lebanese delegation and a former ambassador to the UN. "The conditions are impossible, subhuman."
Urgently required infrastructure work in the camps is estimated at $40 million to $50 million, funds that Lebanon's cash-strapped government insists come from the international community.
"We have raised the issue with donor countries and told them we have a window of opportunity here," says Mr. Makkawi. "In helping the Palestinians, we will be helping improve security and peace in Lebanon. If they are working and earning, they will have no time for militias. It is desperate people who do foolish things."
But not all Palestinian groups are willing to hand over their weapons. Some pro-Syrian factions, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) and Fatah Intifada, man several military outposts in the Bekaa Valley. The bases have been surrounded by Lebanese troops since October when a civilian employed by the Army was shot dead near a PFLP-GC position.
"We have to keep our weapons to keep our rights," says Anwar Raja, PFLP-GC chief in Lebanon. "Praying in a church or a mosque is not going to bring us back to Palestine."
An intermittent roundtable dialogue between Lebanon's top leaders, under way since March, has agreed that the Palestinian military outposts should be dismantled within six months. The Lebanese government hopes that the negotiations with the Palestinian delegation will resolve the issue peacefully, but there is concern that the talks could be complicated by current tensions between Beirut and Damascus. The PFLP-GC is a close ally of Syria which analysts say gives Damascus an influential role in the outcome of the Lebanese-Palestinian talks.
One thing seems certain though: neither Lebanon nor the Palestinians have any plans for the refugees to settle in Lebanon, where the refugees make up about 10 percent of the population. The one issue on which there is unanimity across Lebanon's sectarian divide is to reject permanently settling the mainly Sunni Palestinians in Lebanon, a move which could upset Lebanon's unique power-sharing system based on sectarian quotas.

Forum: Two holy war stories
May 14, 2006 _Washington Times
I am a September 11, 2001, survivor from the World Trade Center attack in New York City. Prior to that fatal day, I knew nothing about terrorism. As I ran for my life, I knew only that terrorists were trying to murder me and everyone around me, though I didn't know why.
Since then, I have spent countless hours trying to learn about the causes of terrorism and what we can do about it, so that others do not have to experience what I did -- or worse.
Recently, I attended a conference held by America's Truth Forum on "The Underlying Roots of Terrorism: Terrorism's Threat to World Peace and National Security." Numerous speakers included experts on the ideology, funding and spread of terrorism, as well as possible solutions. Two speakers stood out: Brigitte Gabrielle, a survivor of terrorism, and Whalid Shoebat, a former Palestine Liberation Organization activist.
Brigitte was born in Lebanon when it was still a predominantly Christian country. It was a republic, similar to America. The country was tolerant, permitted immigration, and promoted multiculturalism. Jews, Christians and Muslims coexisted peacefully until Muslims became the majority. They entered Lebanon and tried to make it theirs instead of assimilating.
In 1975, the Muslims declared Jihad on the Christians. Brigitte's home was bombed. She and her family lived in a bomb shelter underground for the next seven years. From age 10 to 17, she had no electricity, no bathroom and lived in total darkness. Only when she crawled out under sniper bullets to eat grass and get water, did she see the light of day. The barbaric acts of Muslims went largely unreported because they manipulated the press.
Finally, Israelis came to save those who lived near the border, including Brigitte's family. Brigitte's mother was taken to an Israeli hospital for bullet wounds, and the 22 days Brigitte spent there changed her life. She witnessed doctors and nurses caring for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, in the order of their need. No attention was paid to the religion or class of the patients. She realized the difference between the Arab world and the Western world was a difference in values and character. It was barbarism versus civilization; good versus evil. She saw the Truth -- not a world vetted through the lenses of Arab propaganda. She was lucky she survived. She now speaks on behalf of Israel, and educates audiences on the threat of Islamist terrorism.
Whalid Shoebat is an Arab and a former PLO member. His father was Muslim, and his mother was a Protestant American. She gave birth to Whalid during a trip to the Middle East, after which she was forbidden to return. She was deemed Muslim, as was Whalid, and she lived in fear ever-after, hiding her Christian roots even from her son. Whalid was taught in school at an early age to hate Jews. Everything about his education was anti-Semitic -- the poems, lessons, and prayers.
Later in life, both his father and others whose lives had been saved by Jews, maintained that Jews deserved no compassion. His father told him that the only prayer in Islam for Jews is that they should be cursed. While he was Muslim, if his daughter had married a non-Muslim, he would have killed her and thought nothing of it.
Whalid debunked the myth that the root cause of terrorism is poverty, land or money. It is untrue that terrorists recruit children. Children are taught hatred in the mosques and subsequently volunteer for martyrdom. The Islamist ideology taught to Whalid is rooted in a deep-seated hatred of Jews and Christians, and seeks Islamic rule and Sharia law. When Muslim leaders speak publicly to say otherwise, we should be wary.
After serving time in prison, Whalid emigrated to the United States. Through the freedoms this country affords, he educated himself, read the Bible, and realized he had previously acted on the side of evil.
Whalid saw the Light and converted to Christianity. He warned that America must not forget her Christian roots, for the difference in the two ideologies is one of values. One promotes democracy, freedom and human rights. The other promotes Islamic dictatorship, Sharia law and oppression. If we want to retain our freedom, we must retain our values.
Whalid is now an advocate of Western democracy, warning the public of the dangers of Islamist terrorism.
Our nation faces a grave threat. All speakers agreed we better wake up from our slumber before it's too late. We must heed the warnings of the Jihadists who say they want death to America, and commit acts to support their words. If, despite the facts, we believe the lie that Islam is always a religion of peace and tolerance, we put our democracy at risk.
Believing lies will hold us in bondage and perhaps kill us. It will destroy our freedoms and our way of life. The Truth is painful. Yet, we must face it -- for only the Truth shall make us free.
Our nation faces a grave threat. All speakers agreed we better wake up from our slumber before it's too late. We must heed the warnings of the Jihadists who say they want death to America, and commit acts to support their words. If, despite the facts, we believe the lie that Islam is always a religion of peace and tolerance, we put our democracy at risk.
Believing lies will hold us in bondage and perhaps kill us. It will destroy our freedoms and our way of life. The Truth is painful. Yet, we must face it -- for only the Truth shall make us free. DEBORAH WEISS Lawyer and consultant

A necessary rebel
By Zvi Bar'el -Haaretz
Just let him not suddenly start "understanding security." Let him keep turning over every stone and looking with wonder at what he finds underneath. Let him not be insulted by officers who wink behind his back or even make the sign of horns with their fingers behind the head. Because this is the only way Amir Peretz will be able to break the thick layer of ice that has long covered what should be a bonfire of original thought.
The first signs are positive. According to Amos Harel in an article in Haaretz (May 11), Peretz is to reexamine the closure of the border with Egypt and the wisdom in continued artillery responses to Qassam attacks; more Palestinians will be able to work in Israel; he does not rule out transferring money to the Palestinian Authority even if by indirect means. He might even give the order to arrest settlers suspected of harming Palestinian children in the southern Hebron Hills. Peretz, in short, intends to change not only tactics; the strategy is also unacceptable to him.
Hats may be taken off to him for a moment. This is the same Peretz who before the elections believed the Hamas government could be made to fall, that indirect negotiations could be carried out with Abu Mazen, causing great suffering to a population that would pay the price for this strategy. And then, all of a sudden, revealing a sharp learning curve, Peretz first of all notices the cataract that has covered the clear vision of the Israel Defense Forces. He also seems to remember lessons learned elsewhere, like Lebanon, when chiefs of staff, and not politicians, set policy. He may also have heard about generals, and even majors, who created facts on the ground during the years of the intifada. And he, the eternal rebel, the product of "civilian life," is not prepared to let go of that title.
The hope that the well-arranged IDF chest of drawers, which contains a "file" for every scenario and a "response" to every event, will at least be aired out if not sanitized, expresses an aspiration toward a revolution in understanding, a hope for a situation in which the scenario is planned instead of fallen into or responded to. Thus, for example, authorization to bring in Palestinian laborers might be the turning point not only in terms of their economic situation but also in obstructing further attacks. True, in the past terror organizations utilized this as a means to bring in terrorists, but even closing the gates did not thwart the attacks.
A similar matter are the economic sanctions against the Palestinian Authority. According to a hastily worked-out equation, severe sanctions would generate a civil uprising against the government. However it is Israel that is now responding to international pressure, since it fears that European countries, Russia and international organizations will take away the initiative and will decide for it when and how much to give the Palestinians. The "Hamas file," it turns out, is not working as expected.
Israel will soon face another particularly significant issue: that of Lebanon and Syria, including the Shaba Farms. In the Israeli consciousness the Shaba Farms has the standing of an essential military outpost for securing the north. However, just as Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon created a new reality there, and in relations between Lebanon and Syria, withdrawal from Shaba might weaken the standing of Hezbollah and perhaps even remove the excuse it has to continue bearing arms. Thus, the Lebanese army will be able to deploy along the border. However the word "withdrawal" does not exist in the IDF lexicon. There it is "disengagement," "convergence" or "redeployment." Peretz may find himself once again facing one of the stuck drawers in the chest. The question may also be asked, with all due respect to the United States of course, what about Syria? Must Assad's statements always be responded to instead of adopting a policy of willingness to conduct negotiations?
For all these reasons, that mysterious attribute called "statesmanship" is needed. Peretz is a good candidate to adopt it, on condition that he does not decide that he should be, first and foremost, an intern chief of staff.

On the Eve of Dialogue
Abdel Wahab Badrakhan Al-Hayat - 15/05/06//
The latest UN decision on Lebanon, based on a draft resolution which will be put to the vote in the Security Council, had a tone lower than expected. However it underscores the agenda that will be drawn up regarding Lebanese-Syrian relations, thus, Lebanese-Iranian relations.
However, Damascus has protested against what it considers is the 'internationalization' of a bilateral issue that is supposed to be resolved bilaterally. Certainly, neither the UN, nor any power in the world can force a country to establish diplomatic relations with a neighboring or remote state, even if the other is in need of these relations.
The only irony is that, coincidentally, this is the widely acknowledged type of relations among countries that recognize one another's sovereignty.
Lebanon and Syria will eventually exchange diplomatic missions, regardless of the protest against 'internationalization' and the complaint that the bilateral channel is being 'ignored'. Why, then is the flame of the ongoing dispute being fuelled with more intrigues, and more doubts that Syria's refusal to open embassies means non-recognition of Lebanon's sovereignty and independence?
As long as the dispute continues in this way, the Lebanese request - that was unanimously agreed to at the national dialogue - will continue to be regarded as an attempt to score a victory the other party wants to prevent, even if it has nothing to gain.
Syria insists that policies dealing with Lebanon must come from Lebanon. This goes against the norm, since it has failed to become a legitimate practice. This is exactly what the dialogue amounts to: a minimal degree of agreement, but, much less than what was hoped for.
If Damascus agreed to open the embassies, it would be unreasonable to wave aside the requests for border demarcation and support for controlling the Palestinian Resistance in Lebanon.
The Syrians would be dragged into an agenda that they had never supported or helped come to light. Therefore, this is a line that Syria does not want to take and which it wanted to put the lid on since the very beginning. Hence, the visit of the Lebanese Premier is not expected to be cancelled or delayed.
On the other hand, toppling the government of Fouad Siniora seems possible and easy. However, this is at least what the May 10 demonstration wanted to achieve, reviving the method that was tried twice and succeeded in toppling the government of Omar Karami.
But the situation is different at all levels: parliamentary, political and popular. Furthermore, the method of 'incitement' during peace is accepted as political competition. It is becoming systematically destructive at a time when Lebanon is wrecked by anxiety.
Strange to say, the allies who organized the latest protest adopt two different rationales: one adopted by the Aounists, who want to topple the government and take the risk of resorting to anarchy; and another adopted by Hezbollah, seeking only to weaken the government and paralyze it from within.
Therefore, the situation is expected to worsen to the point that there will be incitement against the government following Siniora's visit to the US, his speech at the Security Council and his campaign to win support for his economic plan.
This is the backdrop against which the participants in the dialogue will meet tomorrow. The dialogue has reached a cul-de-sac where changing the head of State and the Resistance movement are concerned. Furthermore, a group of dialogue participants think that the government has now reached a deadlock.
The new challenge the dialogue will face is that the dialogue itself will not be enough to ease the tension, because any dialogue is judged by its results, not by pictures of exchanged smiles and handshakes.
We hope tomorrow's session will be a test for the positive results which the parliamentary Speaker's visit to Damascus has supposedly achieved; especially since he is the godfather and architect of the dialogue.
Again, if the dialogue does not see to the country's requirements in the coming stage, like establishing a new system, it will remain a talking mill that yields nothing.
An agreement on choices for the future will make the presidential election a matter of procedure. The resistance movement will also become an option for the nation, instead of being the cause of internal rifts.

Hamas, Jordan, and Lebanon
Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat - 15/05/06//
It seems that the Palestinian presidency is convinced with the official story of a 'Hamas cell' in Jordan. This will make it more difficult for the presidency and the Hamas government to coexist. It will also carry the power struggle outside the Palestinian territories, bearing in mind that the presidency considers the question of the 'Hamas cell' as part of a regional plan in which the Islamic Resistance Movement is implicated.
Al-Tayyeb Abdel Raheem declared, on behalf of the presidency, that it is opposed to any attempt to use a Palestinian, or any Palestinian faction, in carrying out this regional plan. It is doubtful that Hamas will retract its claim that the story was a frame-up and that it has no connection with the accused. Going along with Hamas, Jordanian Islamic circles have also denied the accusations. This indicates that the relation between the Hashemite throne and the Jordanian Islamic movement, already experiencing difficulties, is becoming strained; especially since the movement has flouted the slogan, 'Jordan comes first', where its regional policy is concerned. Whether the official Jordanian story about the 'Hamas cell' and its objectives are true or not, the response of Hamas and the Jordanian Islamic movement to the story points to the rise of temperature in the relations between the Palestinian Authority and the Islamists. The response also reveals that the latter will risk their traditional ties with the Jordanian throne in the interest of their bond with their Palestinian counterparts. The Islamist attitude will upset the demographic structure of Jordan and affect the loyalty of its people to the Kingdom.
The tension will increase if and when the Jordanian authorities suspect that the alliance between the Islamists in Jordan and Hamas comes under a regional policy; namely, Syrian and, therefore Iranian policy, at a time when relations are tense between Amman on the one hand, and Damascus and Tehran on the other.
Simultaneously with, but separate from, the growing internal division among the Palestinians and the 'Hamas cell' crisis in Jordan, a representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (the presidency) arrived in Beirut to manage the affairs of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. But the main reason for the visit is that political action is currently focused on Lebanese-Syrian relations. Abu Mazen sent an experienced, top Fatah official to Beirut to restore the unity of Palestinian representation which witnessed schisms and the manipulation of representatives over the last two decades. Abu Mazen's decision is also the response to the Lebanese government's wish to carry out a dialogue with the Palestinians to discuss their living conditions in the refugee camps and the weapons they carry outside them, an act that is liable to be punished according to the International Resolution 1559.
It is well known that Abu Mazen doubts the effectiveness of Palestinian armed resistance against Israel and that he has strongly criticized the militant nature of the 'Intifada'. He is therefore likely to oppose the idea of Palestinians carrying weapons outside the refugee camps, and even inside them. Such an attitude will certainly help bolster the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue, especially where the Lebanese government's promise to improve the sordid conditions of the Palestinians is concerned.
But, like Jordan, while Fatah and the Palestinian Authority are inclined to deal with the government, Hamas and its allied factions tend towards Damascus. In this, they are motivated by their doubts in the intentions of the Lebanese government, doubts that are consolidated by Lebanese political powers, foremost of which is Hezbollah. Furthermore, the insistence that the Palestinians be allowed to carry weapons outside the refugee camps (which the new representative of the PLO has the task of putting an end to), will be one of the causes of internal division in Lebanon no less dangerous to national unity than the 'Hamas cell' crisis in Jordan. Also like Jordan, armed Palestinian resistance relates to Syria's regional policy, and that this resistance will possibly be directed against the Lebanese government.

Iraq between a Dignified and a Humiliating Withdrawal…
Adel Malek Al-Hayat - 15/05/06//
This week the world celebrates the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II. The victorious among the Allies, regardless of the price paid for victory, and people who witnessed the war, recall the victories that changed the face of history. Equally, those who were defeated learned their lessons, and should now be able to read signs and recognize the line between war and peace.
The world should now be aware of the need to avoid tragedies of the past and the consequences of starting a new worldwide war. However, the absurdity of today is that the wars and confrontations we witness are no less costly and dangerous than those of the past. If each age has its own characteristics and maxims, then we are in the age of self-destruction, escalating confrontations and opening more fronts. In war, each bloc utilizes different weapons to boost its position and uphold its security. Nothing is illicit, whether declared or concealed. This is an age where most of the region has fallen into a deadly trap: civil wars.
The list of conflicts is endless. In 'Al-Hayat' we previously tackled some of it when we warned against the consequences of major threats to the region. The overwhelming reactions to this were emotive responses and comments, far from abstract analysis and full of hope. Such reactions obscured a profound view of the situation. Here we are now, facing what we feared would happen to the region. It seems that it is now time to set off the long prepared civil wars in different directions, and on many levels, despite the failures of some in the past.
*In Palestine: when Palestinians began killing each other, regardless of their motives, this was a grand prize for the new Israeli Prime Minister Olmert upon his taking office in the Israeli government. This has been the Israeli objective for a long time: goading the different Palestinian factions in the West Bank to confront each other. There have been many attempts to sow dissention between the Palestinians. One such attempt was with the Late President Yasser Arafat, when international pressures, especially American, tried to force Arafat into disarming the supporters of Hamas as a means to 'combat terrorism', as Israel phrased it. When Arafat did not respond to this demand, he was ruthlessly punished by means of a siege and preventing him to leave his headquarters. He was only 'permitted' to go to Paris for medical treatment, only to come back to be buried in a courtyard.
The same concurrently happened with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, when he was appointed prime minister. Abbas insisted on the necessity of disarming the factions, in order for the Palestinian weapon to be unified. He even clashed with the opposing factions. However, the support of both the US and European countries was nothing but talk. The story ended in the famous resignation of 'Abu Mazen'. Now the situation is completely different; Hamas is in office and the crisis is escalating in many directions.
The first and profoundest disagreement is that of Hamas and the Authority of Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas does not recognize Israel, and demands the re-establishment of former Palestine. Meanwhile, Abbas supports the Oslo Accords. He even asked Ismail Haniya, the Prime Minister of the PA, to comply with the agreements made with Israel and resume the negotiation procedures. How can Hamas negotiate with Israel when it refuses to acknowledge its existence? This complicated and elusive situation will lead, or has already led, to many intricacies.
What has happened since this drastic change in the Palestinian ranks? A lot has happened, all of which revolves around the crisis of discontinuing financial aid, enough to even pay salaries. The Palestinians now have a critical problem, seeing as salaries have not been paid for the last three months. What added to this financial problem was the outbreak of conflict between some elements of Fatah and Hamas. Many have been killed and wounded. Instead of pursuing an agreement for ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis, the ceasefire sought was between the Palestinians and Palestinians. Nevertheless, for various reasons, the escalating situation in Gaza is threatened by more confrontations.
This struggle is self-destructive. Conversely, negotiations and interactions with Israel have been suspended. In this context, Israel's Deputy Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, says that Hamas must become a secular, not a religious, movement; otherwise the Palestinians may dream of negotiations in heaven.
Hence, a civil war is ready to break out at this critical time.
*In Iraq: it has become customary to read in newspapers, listen to on radios, or watch on television, that tens have been killed and injured in Iraq everyday, before the shift to another issue. The formation of the Iraqi government took five months, as attempts were made to reconcile the different sects, and distribute key and service portfolios. The government was formed after an uphill struggle. The parties concerned with mitigating the situation in Iraq are trying to follow this scenario: the US demanded, and still demands, a national government, army, and police force so that Iraq can take care of itself and the US can gradually pull out its troops from the country. Washington has made great efforts in this direction, including the recent visits to Baghdad of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in order to bring about a 'dignified withdrawal' from Iraq. Terrorist militias responded to this American plan by declaring that they would ensure a 'humiliating' evacuation of the country. In this context, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi stated that he would return the Islamic Emirate of Baghdad in a mere three months.
Amidst expectations, London and Washington await the escalation of terrorist attacks on American and British troops, while the first British battalions are preparing to withdraw from Basra (the last week was the worst for the British: they lost a helicopter and five of their best soldiers, among which was the first woman).
British sources have told 'Al-Hayat' that they expect a serious escalation of terrorist operations in different parts of Iraq. This makes the situation more difficult for the troops. Their withdrawal would be considered a defeat. If they remain in the country to control the situation, they may be exposed to more terrorist attacks.
All this has to do with the military aspect. As for the relations among Iraqis, would it be logical to say that what is happening everyday does not amount to a civil war? All the Iraqis have fallen into the abyss. Each party now is searching for a less costly and more enduring solution.
In this context, I believe that no one was more correct than Condoleezza Rice when she said that the US committed thousands of tactical mistakes in Iraq. Someone else added later that there were strategic mistakes as well.
*In Iran: a red-hot coal is thrown from one hand to another, and it is considered skilful to throw it to the other player (the US, Britain or France - in short, the international community!), or to simply throw it in the opposite direction.
Iranian President Ahmadinejad behaves as though his country were a superpower. He sent an 18-page letter to President Bush, full of what he thinks are pearls of wisdom about life. He concluded the letter with: "I have been told that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus (PBUH) and believes in the divine promise of the rule of the righteous on Earth." He further added: "…We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point - that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is: Do you not want to join them?" Up to now, we do not know who is preaching who: Ahmadinejad or George Bush? Who has the ability and power to convince the other?
The coming days and weeks will witness more proceedings in New York, one of which is the deliberations of the five permanent members of the UN delegates on Tehran. Iran is the sole member of the opposition front against the international community, and it now knows the rules of tug of war and wrangling; When to escalate and when to show flexibility.
However, President Bush has to admit that he does not have many alternatives for settling the Iranian nuclear crisis, because of the complications and intricacies involved.
Meanwhile, the Israeli factor should not be ignored, especially at this time and in this context. Ayalon Ganor wrote in the Israeli 'Ha'aretz' newspaper that the Israeli response should be based on the historical connection between the Jews and Israel. He added that Nejad is the new Hitler, and that the suffering of the 100-day war victims should not be overlooked, whether they were Jewish or Palestinian. He concluded that collecting all these messages together is the most convenient response to Negad's arrogant attacks.
Israel has repeatedly announced in its media that Iran's pursuit of uranium enrichment is a direct threat to Israel's national security. Moreover, Israeli leaders are attracted by Bush's strategy of a preemptive war, which means fighting terrorism wherever it exists, to keep it off US territory.
Amidst these developments, remember that the US is obliged to negotiate with Iran to contain an otherwise explosive security situation, and to prevent further American entanglement in the Iraqi quagmire. While Iran is obviously stretching its effective and logistic authority throughout the Iraqi territory.
At this point, a question, discussed by Middle East experts in the US administration, might be appended: will President Bush attempt to rectify the mistakes of his involvement in Iraq, by committing more fatal mistakes that would deepen his commitments there? Though Bush has reiterated that diplomacy is the best alternative, this is not likely to happen in the near future!
We cannot end this bleak tour of the region without referring to the Lebanese situation and Lebanese-Syrian relations. I would like to say that a new word has been added to the Lebanese-Syrian dictionary: 'nausea'. The copyright of this word belongs to PM Fouad Siniora, who first said it during his last visit to London. PM Siniora recalls that when he demanded from a Syrian official that Damascus 'demarcate the border' between the two countries, the reply was: 'the request is nauseous…" He added that when the Lebanese demanded demarcation to settle the dispute regarding the Shebaa Farms, the reply was that this could only be done after the occupation was over.
Aside from all sensitivities and accumulations that mark Lebanese-Syrian relations, and in order to improve them, the following has to be taken into consideration: the Beirut-Washington road is shorter and easier to take than the Beirut-Damascus road. This is a fundamental imbalance that must be rectified. Not only Beirut, but Damascus should rectify this.
The road to Syria must be made the shortest, despite all circumstances. This has to be boldly declared without hesitation or flattery. No heed should be given to blame and no accumulations of the past should control the present or future.
We live in an age of self-destruction, whether voluntarily or not. Confrontations will be fuelled, opening new fronts for warfare.
*Mr Adel Malek is a Lebanese writer

Some of the translation of Hezbolla open letter to lebanese published
February 16, 1985 in al-Safir (Beirut).
"Risala Maftuha allati wajahaha Hizballah ila-l-Mustad'afin fi Lubnan wa-l-Alam"
Our Identity
We are often asked: Who are we, the Hizballah, and what is our identity?
We are the sons of the umma (Muslim community) - the party of God (Hizb Allah) the vanguard of which was made victorious by God in Iran. There the vanguard succeeded to lay down the bases of a Muslim state which plays a central role in the world. We obey the orders of one leader, wise and just, that of our tutor and faqih (jurist) who fulfills all the necessary conditions: Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini. God save him!
By virtue of the above, we do not constitute an organized and closed party in Lebanon. nor are we a tight political cadre. We are an umma linked to the Muslims of the whole world by the solid doctrinal and religious connection of Islam, whose message God wanted to be fulfilled by the Seal of the Prophets, i.e., Muhammad. This is why whatever touches or strikes the Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and elsewhere reverberates throughout the whole Muslim umma of which we are an integral part. Our behavior is dictated to us by legal principles laid down by the light of an overall political conception defined by the leading jurist (wilayat al-faqih).
Our Objectives
Let us put it truthfully: the sons of Hizhallah know who are their major enemies in the Middle East - the Phalanges, Israel, France and the US. The sons of our umma are now in a state of growing confrontation with them, and will remain so until the realization of the following three objectives:
(a) to expel the Americans. the French and their allies definitely from Lebanon, putting an end to any colonialist entity on our land;
(b) to submit the Phalanges to a just power and bring them all to justice for the crimes they have perpetrated against Muslims and Christians;
(c) to permit all the sons of our people to determine their future and to choose in all the liberty the form of government they desire. We call upon all of them to pick the option of Islamic government which, alone, is capable of guaranteeing justice and liberty for all. Only an Islamic regime can stop any further tentative attempts of imperialistic infiltration into our country.

We consider that all opposition in Lebanon voiced in the name of reform can only profit, ultimately, the present system. All such opposition which operates within the framework of the conservation and safeguarding of the present constitution without demanding changes at the level of the very foundation of the regime is, hence, an opposition of pure formality which cannot satisfy the interests of the oppressed masses. Likewise, any opposition which confronts the present regime but within the limits fixed by it, is an illusory opposition which renders a great service to the Jumayyil system. Moreover, we cannot be concerned by any proposition of political reform which accepts the rotten system actually in effect. We could not care less about the creation of this or that governmental coalition or about the participation of this or that political personality in some ministerial post, which is but a part of this unjust regime.
To the Christians
Allah has also made it intolerable for Muslims to participate in an unjust regime, in a regime which is not predicated upon the prescriptions (ahkam) of religion and upon the basis of the Law (the Shari'a) as laid down by Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets. If you search for justice, who is more just than Allah? It is He who sent down from the sky the message of Islam through his successive prophets in order that they judge the people and give everyone his rights. If you were deceived and misled into believing that we anticipate vengeance against you - your fears are unjustified. For those of you who are peaceful, continue to live in our midst without anybody even thinking to trouble you.
We don't wish you evil. We call upon you to embrace Islam so that you can be happy in this world and the next. If you refuse to adhere to Islam, maintain your ties with the Muslims and don't take part in any activity against them. Free yourselves from the consequences of hateful confessionalism. Banish from your hearts all fanaticism and parochialism.
Open your hearts to our Call (da'wa) which we address to you. Open yourselves up to Islam where you'll find salvation and happiness upon earth and in the hereafter. We extend this invitation also to all the oppressed among the non-Muslims. As for those who belong to Islam only formally, we exhort them to adhere to Islam in religious practice and to renounce all fanaticisms which are rejected by our religion.
World Scene:
We reject both the USSR and the US, both Capitalism and Communism, for both are incapable of laying the foundations for a just society.
With special vehemence we reject UNIFIL as they were sent by world arrogance to occupy areas evacuated by Israel and serve for the latter as a buffer zone. They should be treated much like the Zionists. All should know that the goals of the Phalangists regime do not carry any weight with the Combatants of the Holy War, i.e., the Islamic resistance. This is the quagmire which awaits all foreign intervention.
There, then, are our conceptions and our objectives which serve as our basis and inspire our march. Those who accept them should know that all rights belong to Allah and He bestows them. Those who reject them, we'll be patient with them, till Allah decides between us and the people of injustice.