LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
MAY 23/2006
Below news bulletins from the Daily Star for 23/05/06
Politicians spar over impact of latest Security Council resolution
Lebanon to host facility aimed at funding environmental projects
Envoy explains what UN can do for Lebanese - and what it can't
Removal of Syrian sand berms in Lebanon delayed
Russia keen on resolving Lebanon-Syria conflict
Syria asks Interpol to help arrest Jumblatt
Senior judge: Law must be above other concerns
Israelis try novel approach in search for servicemen missing in Lebanon
Harb joins talks on role of International Criminal Court
Military judiciary to look into death of MP's guard
Rumors abound ahead of Brammertz's probe report
Siniora repeats call for Damascus to agree on border
Iran: Israel is holding abducted diplomats
Below news bulletins from miscellaneous
sources for 23/05/06
US Security Agents Fear Hezbollah Attacks-All Headline News
Syria Calls on Interpol to Detain Jumblat-Naharnet
Syria May Join Active 'Resistance' Against Israel-CNSNews.com
Chomsky: Hezbollah's insistence on keeping arms justified-Tehran Times
NY HEZBOLLAH HUNT-New York Post - New York,NY,USA
Mubarak Holds Separate Talks with Lahoud, Saniora on Lebanon-Syria -Naharnet
Lebanese leader Jumblatt calls Hamas threat to Lebanon, Egypt WorldNetDaily
Iran accuses Israel of holding kidnapped diplomats-Aljazeera.com
Karami to Launch New Pro-Syrian National Front-Naharnet
Syria lashes at EU-Kuwait Times
Arrested development-Guardian Unlimited
Sovereignty and Brotherhood-Dar Al-Hayat
Christians at least to agree on Lebanon's independence-AsiaNews.it
Universities honor Lebanese-born NASA official
'Studying planets ... helps us understand how life may have evolved on earth'
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff-Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BEIRUT: Throughout the coming week, the director of NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Charles al-Achi, will be making appearances at several universities
and UNESCO Palace, where he will be honored for his many achievements in the
field of space exploration, and is expected to give a lecture at the American
University of Beirut on "The Challenges and Excitement of Space Exploration."
An American of Lebanese origin, Achi is best known for his role in the
development of a series of imaging radar systems for spacecraft that allow
scientists to penetrate clouds and even the top layers of soil of planets,
offering scientifically critical hints of what lies underneath their surfaces.
During a presentation at Saint Joseph University (USJ) on Monday, Achi, who
received an honorary plaque from the university, cited "why explore space when
we have enough problems down here on earth?" as the question asked most often of
him and his staff "If our ancestors didn't explore, then we would still be
sitting in caves painting their walls," said Achi.
Born in Riyaq, Zahle, Achi left Lebanon in 1964 to study in France after
receiving a scholarship from President Charles Helou.
He returned to Lebanon on Saturday, hoping to "encourage youth to enter this
field of science" and to receive the Order of the Cedars presented by President
Emile Lahoud.
Hundreds of students attended Achi's lecture and impressive visual presentation
of photographs of the solar system, comets, dying stars, as well as craters,
rocks and drainage channels on the surface of Mars taken by the Mars Exploration
Rovers, one of the most recent technological innovations developed by NASA.
"Studying planets like Mars, which we were able to discover once had oceans,
helps us understand how life may have evolved on earth and its future," Achi
said.
Currently NASA has 18 spacecraft and five instruments across the solar system. A
new device called "Phoenix Polar Lander" is scheduled to be launched to Mars in
2007; it is designed to drill at the planet's poles to collect ice samples.
"We left our footprints on Mars," said Achi, showing a picture of the tracks
left by the rovers on Mars.
But NASA didn't just leave footprints on Mars, said Achi; it also left its
footprints on earth, in inventions such as the current codes in cell phones and
Global Positioning Systems (GPS), which were developed by NASA but became part
of everyday life. Asked by students whether it was possible for people to go to
Mars, Achi said: "Yes, but expensive, as it takes two years for a round trip to
Mars, where the person needs to be supplied properly and so on. "Explorations
have their challenges, and there are many failures," he added, "but we need to
remember that failure is equally important as success to our understanding of
how our world and the world beyond works and lives."
U.S. Security Agents Fear Hezbollah Attacks
May 22, 2006 -Shaveta Bansal - All Headline News Contributor
Washington, D.C. (AHN) – Amidst rising concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, the
investigations by FBI and the Justice Department reveal that Lebanon-based
fundamentalist Islamic group, Hezbollah, may be planning to activate sleeper
cells in New York or other big cities.
Quoting law-enforcement and intelligence officials The New York Post said,
though there is no imminent threat of any attacks, security has been stepped up
after the reports of a meeting between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
leaders of Hezbollah and other terror groups during his visit to Syria.
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations also is being watched, the paper said.
Politicians spar over impact of latest Security Council resolution on Syria
Stream of condemnation flows in wake of palestinian clash with army
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BEIRUT: A new UN resolution calling for Syria to establish diplomatic relations
with Lebanon drew sharply varied reactions from Lebanese leaders on Monday, with
Loyalty to the Resistance MP Mohammed Raad saying the resolution aimed at
"hampering the implementation of the national dialogue decisions."
Raad's remarks came amid a wider debate among political leaders on topics
ranging from Wednesday's clash between Palestinian gunmen and the Lebanese Army
to the country's economic situation.
Passed in New York last week, UN Resolution 1680 "strongly encourages" Syria to
establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon and demarcate a common border with
its neighbor.
The resolution "stressed the international support for Lebanon in achieving its
full independence and sovereignty" and "met the decisions made during the
national dialogue," the Future parliamentary bloc said in a statement Monday.
In a competing statement, Raad said that "the international interference in the
country's affairs will not resolve the issue of the resistance arms or the
relations with Syria."
Politicians also responded to the killing of Lebanese soldier Mustafa Medlej,
who died from injuries he sustained Wednesday during a gun battle between armed
men from the Damascus-based Fatah al-Intifada Palestinian faction and Lebanese
Army soldiers. The clash took place in Wadi al-Aswad, about 3 kilometers from
the Syrian border.
"Such clashes do not serve the Palestinian cause," the Future bloc said in a
statement.
The Reform and Change parliamentary bloc also released a statement denouncing
the attacks. "The government is responsible for stalling the organization of the
Palestinians' arms inside the refugee camps and eliminating the presence of
weapons outside the camps," the statement said in part.
The statement said the bloc "strongly denounced the attacks on the Lebanese Army
on the Syrian-Lebanese borders" and went on to criticize "some March 14 Forces
members for taking advantage of the clashes to meet political ambitions."
During the Phalange party's meeting Monday, Former President Amin Gemayel
repeated his appeal for the disarmament of Palestinians and the ousting of
President Emile Lahoud.
In an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station on Monday, State Minister
for Parliamentary Affairs Michel Pharaon also weighed in on the presence of
Palestinian weapons in Lebanon, saying: "There are attempts to hamper internal
stability and the implementation of the decisions made during the national
dialogue; that's why we call for disarmament."
Pharaon also addressed the premier's visit to Sharm al-Sheikh, saying Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora and Arab officials in Egypt discussed pending issues
between Lebanon and Syria, including the demarcation of the borders.
He said that Egypt would play a major role in solving problems between the two
countries.
Meanwhile, former Economy Minister Adnan Qassar said that the national dialogue
should tackle the economic crisis "in the presence of a representative of
economic committees."
Speaking after his meeting Monday with Speaker Nabih Berri, Qassar said the next
dialogue session should not be held in Downtown Beirut, on account of the
beginning of the summer tourist season.
Siniora received a delegation from the Lebanese Communist Party to discuss
economic reform at the Grand Serail on Monday.
The party's secretary-general, Khaled Hadadeh, said the government was
"responsible for the lack of a unified socioeconomic reform plan and serious
discussions about the economic crisis."
He also denounced the attack on Lebanese Army soldiers last week and called for
disarming the Palestinians outside the refugee camps. The March 14 Forces
will hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the means of transforming the
follow-up committee into an executive committee, sources said Monday. "We are
seeking to reorganize the March 14 Forces and to promote unity among all its
parties," MP Elias Atallah told The Daily Star. The next session of the national
dialogue is scheduled for June 9, with Hizbullah's arms first on the agenda.
Palestinian arms were the topic of previous dialogue agreements.
U.S. counter-terror official arrives for talks
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, May 23, 2006: The coordinator of the U.S. State
Department's anti-terrorism bureau arrived in Lebanon on Monday to discuss means
of cooperation between Lebanese and U.S. authorities to fight terrorism.
According to the National News Agency, Henry Crampton will meet with Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh and Justice Minister
Charles Rizk on Tuesday. It also said that the U.S. official's visit was "a
follow-up to the talks Siniora started during his visit to Washington last
month."
Rizk briefs Bar Association chief on appointments
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, May 23, 2006: Justice Minister Charles Rizk met Monday
with Beirut Bar Association president Boutros Doumit and discussed the delay in
appointing the five remaining members to the Higher Judicial Council. Speaking
after the meeting, Doumit said that resolving the matter had become an "urgent
mission on the professional and national levels," adding the postponement in
appointments was due to "political clashes and nothing more." He said members of
bar associations would boycott court sessions until the problem was solved,
adding that he hoped "the problem will be settled by next Thursday."
Proposed hospital in Sidon heads Cabinet agenda
Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 23, 2006: The Cabinet will convene at its
temporary location at the Social and Economic Council in Downtown Beirut on
Thursday to discuss 34 items on its agenda. Among the topics to be discussed are
the Health Ministry's request to build a government hospital in Sarafand, Sidon,
and an accord between Lebanon and South Korea to activate and protect mutual
investments.
Hoss: Beirut should sign UN corruption treaty
Daily Star staff Tuesday, May 23, 200 : 6Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss urged
Premier Fouad Siniora on Monday to sign the International Convention to Fight
Corruption. Hoss, who currently serves as president of the board of directors of
the Arab Organization to Fight Corruption, issued a statement noting that the
convention, which has been approved by the UN General Assembly, came into effect
in December 2005. "It was signed by more than 15 Arab countries and ratified by
44," he added. He also said he would write to Arab League Secretary General Amr
Moussa urging him to ask Arab countries "to sign the accord, or if signed, to
ratify it."
Envoy explains what UN can do for Lebanese - and what it
can't
By Daniella Matar -Special to The Daily Star
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BEIRUT: Having served as the Personal representative for Southern Lebanon of the
UN Secretary General for a little over a year, Geir Pedersen took the
opportunity Monday to hold a conference entitled "United Nations Good Offices in
Lebanon: Expectations and Limits."
Held at Saint Joseph University and attended by ministers, ambassadors and what
Pedersen called "presidential candidates," the conference aimed to highlight the
UN's precise role in the country and to suggest ways of moving forward together.
Pedersen praised Lebanon as "an intellectual leader of the Arab world and a
torch bearer of intellectual discourse."
However, he stressed the fact that this is a "crucial time in the struggle to
build a truly independent and liberal country" and appealed to the Lebanese
population as a whole to help the country achieve its objectives.
As a founding member of the UN, Lebanon is of high importance to the
organization. However, the UN faces much skepticism in Lebanon, and the Middle
East in general, as to the success of their attempts at impartiality and
fairness.
"Many refer to our limitations: the fact that we have achieved no sustainable
peace in the region. We have also been accused of double standards when
implementing policies," explained Pedersen.
"We are perfectly aware of the questions about independence and effectiveness.
However, people have to realize that most of the time we are caught between the
different interests of our member states."
Pedersen stressed the need to convince people, with high expectations of the UN,
of the limits and difficulties the organization faces daily. He compared the
organization to Lebanon, pointing out that the two have to be aware of the many
different interests that need taking into consideration, but that both are
ultimately craving stability and unity.
To that end the main focus of the UN is indeed on global security. "More wars
end in negotiation rather than outright victory," explained Pedersen.
"UN peacekeeping operations have increased greatly in scope and number, with the
emphasis on development policies; addressing the root causes of violence."
The UN places a strong emphasis on peace and security in Lebanon. To that end
UNIFIL was established in March 1978 and has been working hard to establish
"security, stability and prosperity."
Together with the United Arab Emirates and the Lebanese government, the UN
established a de-mining project which is now considered as a case study which
can be used to benefit other countries.
UN Security Council Resolution 1559, somewhat unpopular at the time, has also
proven to be a success, according to Pedersen. "The withdrawal of Syrian forces,
hardly to be expected two years ago, was truly a historic event," he added.
Pedersen admitted there is still much to be achieved in order to achieve true
stability and independence. Much of this needs to be dealt with at a national
level though, together with the continued aid and support of the UN.
"A system needs to be constructed which allows the will of the majority to
prevail whilst protecting the minority."
Senior judge: Law must be above other concerns
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BEIRUT: The president of the Higher Judicial Council said Monday that "justice
and the judiciary branch cannot survive without a state of law ... the concept
of a state of law in modern times is more important than the concept of a
democratic state."Magistrate Antoine Kheir made his remarks as he represented
Justice Minister Charles Rizk at the opening of a conference for judicial
inspection bodies in Arab countries at the Bar Association in Beirut. He urged
members of such bodies to address irregularities in the judiciaries of their
respective countries. Participants in the event included representatives from
Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Sudan, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya,
Egypt and Yemen.
Kheir argued that inspection courts constitute the first step toward a state of
law, and that the judiciary must carry out its full responsibilities in order to
win the trust of the people.
He added that an independent judiciary could not exist if judicial authorities
were not neutral and free from external political or sectarian influence and
that the assessment of judicial performance remained the the province of
judicial inspection committees.
The president of the Lebanese Judicial Inspection Committee, Magistrate Mohammed
Ali Awayda, said that the role of judicial inspection was no longer restricted
to monitoring the work of judges and inspecting courts.
"Today it [also] encompasses the upgrading of judicial performance and reforming
justice by detecting the obstacles hampering the work of judges and finding
proper solutions to them, and by monitoring judges constantly," he said.
Beirut Bar Association president Boutros Doumit said the judiciary "remains the
haven of the weak who seek to recover their violated rights." He added that
trust in the judiciary could be promoted by instituting more vigorous judicial
inspection and by detecting shortcomings in the system and making suggestions to
reform it.The president of the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research,
Abdel-Rahman Solh, argued that cooperation among Arab countries in the legal
field lacked sufficient effort.
The inauguration ceremony was followed by a closed workshop which participants
will wrap up on Wednesday with a list of recommendations.
Syria asks Interpol to help arrest Jumblatt
Lawyer says move follows 'lack of cooperation' from beirut
Compiled by Daily Star staff -Tuesday, May 23, 2006
BEIRUT: A Syrian military magistrate Monday issued an arrest warrant to detain
MP Walid Jumblatt and handed it into Interpol, according to Syrian lawyer
Hussam-Eddine al-Habash. "Interpol's office in Damascus has received an arrest
warrant to detain - by force - Walid Kamal Jumblatt," Habash, an attorney close
to the case told AFP. Habash said the warrant was "issued by the top military
examining magistrate in Damascus and signed by the director of military justice,
General Nabil Scouti.""The warrant will be sent today, Monday, by fax and
addressed to the Beirut office" of the Paris-based international police
organization, he said. "This measure was taken because of the lack of
cooperation of the relevant Lebanese authorities," he said. Habash said the move
came after the "failure to respond to the warrant issued on May 3, by Syrian
military justice, despite a seven-day delay [for Jumblatt] to appear in court
freely." On May 3, Jumblatt, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, was
summoned by a Syrian military court to appear within seven days on charges of
"inciting the U.S. administration to occupy Syria," Habash explained. Jumblatt
is a key member of the country's anti-Syrian Parliament majority, which has
accused Syria of involvement in a series of bombings, including the
assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
In December 2005, Jumblatt called for regime change in Syria. He has also
accused Syria of being responsible for the 1977 assassination of his father,
Kamal Jumblatt, of Lebanon's former President Rene Mouawad in 1989, and of
several other Lebanese leaders.
Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade said the arrest warrants issued by
Syria against Jumblatt were "worthless, since they are addressed against an MP,
who enjoys parliamentary immunity." In an interview with Voix de L'Orient radio
station Monday, Hamade, who is a member of Jumblatt's PSP, said: "I believe
Interpol would deal with these warrants as it deals with warrants issued by
countries of dictatorships such as North Korea or Baathist Syria." Damascus has
also issued warrants against Hamade and journalist Fares Khashan for inciting
hatred against Syria. Information Minister Ghazi Aridi, who is also a PSP
member, warned against "attempts to instigate strife by trying to attack or harm
Jumblatt."
Speaking Monday during a ceremony held to honor PSP veterans, Aridi stressed
that "such attempts will fail because the country's wise men will not allow
conflicts to occur between the Lebanese." - With agencies
FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
Iran using Palestinians to foment instability?
Lebanese leader Jumblatt calls Hamas threat to Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan
May 22, 2006
By Aaron Klein
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Hamas and other Palestinian groups are being used by Iran and Syria to threaten
the stability of moderate Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and
Egypt, Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said in an interview.
"The Iranians are trying to use some part of Hamas and other Palestinian groups
to threaten the Lebanese independence at same time [as threatening] Jordan and
Egypt. The Iranians, with their expansionist souls, are trying to use all kinds
of groups, including Hamas, to destabilize the area," said Jumblatt, speaking to
WND and ABC Radio's John Batchelor on Batchelor's national radio program.
Listen to the Jumblatt interview.
Jumblatt is the head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely
considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician. He said Iran has
been working with Syria to thwart efforts to bring independence to his country.
"We want to have an independent Lebanon away from Syrian interference," Jumblatt
said. "They don't acknowledge the simple fact of Lebanese independence, so they
are using all means at their disposal to intimidate us. We won't be
intimidated."
Last week, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1680, which
calls on Syria to recognize Lebanese independence, establish formal diplomatic
relations with Beirut and demarcate the common border.
Within hours of the resolution's passage, Palestinian groups allied with Syria
attacked a Lebanese army patrol unit, sparking violent clashes in eastern
Lebanon.
"It's a war to destabalize Lebanon," said Jumblatt of the clashes. "Resolution
1680 makes [the Syrians] furious and angry. They did their best to thwart it and
they failed. ... They are using some of the Palestinian groups to attack our
sovereignty and our army and it will continue. But we will answer back."
He said Iran has been using Hamas to threaten Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.
Earlier this month, Jordanian officials announced security officers caught a
large arms cache smuggled from Syria into the country by Hamas members.
Jordanian television broadcast confessions by three Hamas militants who said
they smuggled the arms into the country for possible attacks against Jordanian
officials and interests.
Hamas has a history of anti-Jordan activity. Officials there say they caught
several other arms caches in the past belonging to the terror group. Hamas chief
Khaled Meshaal, a Jordanian citizen, was expelled in 1999 along with other
leaders after a crackdown on the group following accusations of illegal
activities.
Egypt has a mixed relationship with Hamas, many analysts say. In its role as a
Middle East powerbroker, Egypt often hosts Hamas delegations for regional talks.
But there are rampant reports of tensions in the Hamas-Egypt relationship.
Last month, Egypt's foreign minister reportedly refused to meet Hamas foreign
minister Mahmoud al-Zahar while he was visiting the country.
Egyptian officials told WND last week Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak berated
Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, accusing
Hamas of smuggling weapons from the Sinai desert in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt occasionally has accused Hamas of involvement in attacks on its soil.
Egyptian security reports hinted at possible Hamas involvement in the suicide
bombings of tourist centers in Taba in October 2004, killing 34 people,
including 11 Israelis.
Last month, two suicide bombs exploded near a multinational peacekeeping force
in the Sinai adjacent to Gaza – attacks blamed on Sinai cells affiliated with
global jihad groups. The two attacks took place at the same time members of the
Popular Resistance Committees, a Palestinian terror organization closely
affiliated with Hamas, was set to carry out a large-scale car bombing at the
Karni Crossing, the main cargo passageway between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The
attack was foiled at the last minute.
Palestinian security officials said the Karni attack was coordinated with
anti-Egyptian militants responsible for the Sinai bombings.
Israel's Shin Bet Security Services announced the Karni attack was directed by
Hamas senior member Ahmed Randor. It said Hamas and the Committees work together
regularly. The overall Committees leader, Jamal Abu Samhadana, was recently
appointed by Hamas to the post of interior minister and general supervisor of
the Palestinian police.
Also, Egypt is said to be very closely monitoring the Hamas relationship with
the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which seeks to create an Islamic theocracy in
place of the current Mubarak regime, considered a regional ally to the U.S.
Hamas is an offshoot of the Brotherhood, which won an unprecedented 20 percent
of the Parliament in the latest Egyptian elections.
Palestinian security sources close to Hamas told WND Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
leader Mahdi Akif has been serving as a replacement Hamas spiritual leader ever
since Israel assassinated former spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin in March 2004.
Multiple Brotherhood leaders in Egypt have stated many times their group is
strengthened by the Hamas ascension to power. They have said they wish to stage
a similar takeover of Egypt.
Listen to the Jumblatt interview.
N.Y. HEZBOLLAH HUNT
FEDS FEAR STRIKE AMID NUKE SHOWDOWN
By NILES LATHEM Post Correspondent
May 22, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - The Hezbollah terror group - one of the most
dangerous in the world - may be planning to activate sleeper cells in New York
and other big cities to stage an attack as the nuclear showdown with Iran heats
up, sources told The Post.
The FBI and Justice Department have launched urgent new probes in New York and
other cities targeting members of the Lebanese terror group.
Law-enforcement and intelligence officials told The Post that about a dozen
hard-core supporters of Hezbollah have been identified in recent weeks as
operating in the New York area.
Sources said the activities of these New York-based operatives are being
monitored by FBI counterterrorism agents as part of a nationwide effort to
prevent a possible terror strike if the confrontation with Iran over its nuclear
program spins out of control.
Additional law-enforcement attention is being centered on the Iranian Mission to
the United Nations, where there have already been three episodes in the last
four years in which diplomats and security guards have been expelled for casing
and photographing New York City subways and other potential targets.
The nationwide effort to neutralize Hezbollah sleepers in the United States,
being spearheaded by the FBI and Justice Department's counterterrorism
divisions, was triggered in January in response to alarming reports that Iran's
fanatical president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, met with leaders of Hezbollah and
other terror groups during a visit to Syria.
Among those attending the meetings, according to reliable reports, was
Hezbollah's chief operational planner, Imad Mugniyah - considered one of the
most dangerous terrorists in the world - who is responsible for the bombings of
the 1983 U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and who, more recently, provided Iraqi
guerrillas with sophisticated explosive devices.
U.S. officials stressed there is no intelligence information pointing to an
imminent attack by Hezbollah.
But officials said they have detected increased activity by Hezbollah operatives
- including more heated rhetoric by its leaders and in Internet chat rooms as
the U.S.-Iran diplomatic showdown heats up.
"Hezbollah is a group that the U.S. has to be concerned about in the current
climate. Hezbollah is already coming under heavy pressure by the Cedar
Revolution in Lebanon, and Ahmadinejad is under pressure on the nuclear issue,"
said Walid Phares, an outside terror expert who has briefed law-enforcement
officials on Hezbollah in recent weeks.
"They are well funded, very well organized, and we assume that their penetration
of the U.S. is deeper than al Qaeda's. It is only rational for the U.S. to think
in pre-emptive ways. An attack here is clearly in the realm of the possible,"
Phares added.
A U.S. counterterrorism official called the latest effort a "major undertaking,"
with separate probes also under way in Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit.
Hezbollah has so far limited its activities in the United States to fund-raising
and criminal enterprises. The FBI has already taken down two major rings, one in
Charlotte, N.C., and one in Detroit, in which members were smuggling cigarettes,
Viagra and baby formula, and kicking profits back to Hezbollah. niles.lathem@nypost.com
Mubarak Holds Separate Talks with Lahoud, Saniora on
Lebanon-Syria Ties
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held separate talks with
President Emile Lahoud and Premier Fouad Saniora about the Syrian-Lebanese
crisis on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
Sources told An Nahar that during the Sunday meetings in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
used its influence in the region to prevent an escalation in the crisis between
Lebanon's parliamentary majority and Syria.
They said Mubarak is seeking to avoid the negative repercussions such a crisis
would have on the national dialogue in Beirut.
Fourteen rival leaders have been discussing since March 2 Lebanon's most
contentious issues. During the last round of talks they failed to agree on the
fate of Lahoud, whom the majority wants to remove from power. They now have a
single item on their agenda, Hizbullah's arms. Despite their differences of
opinion, Lahoud and Saniora made sure not to show the tension between them, the
sources told An Nahar.
Mubarak said he was closely following reconciliation talks between the Lebanese
leaders and expressed hope that they would reach positive results.
Sources close to Lahoud said Mubarak told the Lebanese president that he
believes dialogue and the easing of media campaigns in Lebanon and Syria are the
best ways to mend relations between the two countries.
Relations between Beirut and Damascus plummeted following the Feb. 2005
assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri that many Lebanese blame on Syria.
Under intense local and international pressure the Assad regime withdrew its
troops last April after almost 30-years of domination.
In June last year, anti-Syrian politicians grabbed the majority of seats in
parliament and since then ties between the two countries worsened. Beirut, 22
May 06, 10:51
Iran accuses Israel of holding kidnapped diplomats
5/22/2006
Iran insists that four Iranians, three of them diplomats, abducted by members of
former Christian warlord Samir Geagea's militia during the 1982 Israeli invasion
of Lebanon, are being held in Israel, AFP reported.
"We consider them all to be alive until the time we are presented with proof
that they have been martyred," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza
Asefi told reporters.
"They are alive and are held by the 'Zionist' regime, and we holding 'Zionist'
regime accountable," he added.
Iran and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah have repeatedly accused
Israel of holding the four Iranians after receiving them from Geagea's Lebanese
Forces (LF).
But LF leader Geagea claims that Iranian hostages died in captivity more than 20
years ago.
"LF members killed the Iranian diplomats shortly after they were kidnapped,"
Geagea said last week in an interview with As-Safir newspaper.
He added that the Lebanese Defense Ministry probed the incident in the early 90s
and claimed that the "Lebanese and Iranian governments have all the details of
the operation," including the burial place of the Iranians.
The LF blames the killing of the Iranian diplomats on former LF military
commander in Beirut, Elie Hobeika, who was killed in 2001.
Three Iranian diplomats - Mohsen Mousavi, Ahmad Motevaselian, Taqi
Rastegarmoghaddam, and a photographer for state news agency IRNA, Kazem Akhavan
- were kidnapped in Northern Lebanon during the 1982 Israeli invasion.
According to Lebanese officials, the Iranians were on their way from Damascus to
join the Iranian Embassy in Beirut on July 4, 1982.
When they reached the Lebanese-Syrian border point of Masnaa in the Bekaa
Valley, the four men were joined by a Lebanese security convoy. The Lebanese
Foreign Ministry recommended at the time that they use the Bekaa-Cedars-Koura-Barbara
road instead of the Beirut-Damascus highway, which was then under Israeli
control.
LF members controlling a military checkpoint in Barbara detained the Iranians,
and transferred them to the Karantina area in Beirut under the command of Raji
Abdo.
The Iranians were never seen afterwards.
The kidnapping has been frequently raised in back-door negotiations between
Lebanon, Iran and Israel, which is seeking information on Israeli Air Force
navigator Ron Arad, who was shot down over South Lebanon in 1986.
Israeli officials have accused Hezbollah of handing Arad over to Iran, but
Tehran and Hezbollah strongly deny such claims.
Karami to Launch New Pro-Syrian National Front
Naharnet: Former Prime Minister Omar Karami is expected to
announce Monday the formation of a new "National Front" allied with Syria, An
Nahar reported.
The daily said that Karami will make the announcement from his Beirut home at 5
p.m. It said the new alliance will be comprised of pro-Syrian figures including
former legislators and ministers.
An Nahar said Karami, former MP Suleiman Franjieh, former Vice Speaker Elie
Firzly, ex-Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Murad, Druze leader Walid Jumblat's
rival Talal Arslan and former Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud are among the
prominent members of the new front.
Last month, Karami and Franjieh announced at a joint news conference that they
were in the final stages of launching the new coalition. Karami then said the
main goals of the new coalition will be replacing Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's
cabinet with a national unity government, followed by holding early
parliamentary elections.The former premier accused the anti-Syria parliamentary
majority of bringing the country to a standstill because of ongoing bickering
with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and his allies. He told reporters that he
and Franjieh decided to unite to confront "the devastation that we're seeing on
all levels."Karami, a Sunni Muslim and Franjieh, a Maronite Christian, are
Syria's closest allies in northern Lebanon where they head powerful clans.
Franjieh was Interior Minister in a cabinet headed by Karami when ex-Premier
Rafik Hariri was killed in Feb. 2005.Franjieh has denied that his front would be
used as a tool by Syria to serve the neighboring country's interests in Lebanon.
Beirut, 22 May 06, 11:24
Syria lashes at EU
DAMASCUS: Syria lashed back at its international critics
yesterday, saying the European Union's denunciation of its arrests of human
rights activists was an intervention in Syria's internal affairs. The Syrian
Foreign Ministry summoned the top EU official in Syria to express displeasure
over a statement put out a day earlier expressing concern over the crackdown,
Syria's official news agency said. "The Syrian government is extremely
astonished at the contents of the EU statement and urges it to stop such overt
attempts to interfere in internal Syrian affairs," a Foreign Ministry statement
said.
About a dozen human rights activists were detained the past week in Syria, the
largest crackdown on democracy campaigners in years. On Friday, the EU expressed
its "deep concern about the recent widespread harassment of human rights
defenders, their families and peaceful political activists, in particular
arbitrary arrests and repeated incommunicado detention." It also urged Syrian
authorities to release all political prisoners in Syria. Human rights groups
said the detainees were arrested for signing a petition calling for improved
relations between Lebanon and Syria. Relations between Lebanon and Syria
plummeted after last year's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister
Rafiq Hariri a killing many Lebanese blame on Syria. The killing, in which Syria
denied any role, provoked massive international and Lebanese pressure on
Damascus, forcing it to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in April 2005, ending
29 years of military presence in the country.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution, co-sponsored by the
United States, France and Britain, pressing Syria to establish diplomatic
relations and set its border with neighbouring Lebanon. Syria reacted angrily,
criticising the measure as unprecedented interference in the affairs of two
countries and "a tool for unjustified pressure and a provocation." A Syrian
government newspaper, Tishrin, kept up criticism of the resolution yesterday,
calling it "a flagrant violation of the United Nations charter, because
diplomatic relations among countries are their own decision." "Who can guarantee
in the future that the Bush administration will not ask the UN Security Council
to force Arab countries to establish diplomatic and economic relations with
Israel?" the paper said in an editorial. -- AP