LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 04/09
Late Syrian
president Hafez Assad admits in a speech delivered in Damascus in 1976 that he sent his Army
into Lebanon with any Lebanese's call or approval. Click on the below link to
listen to the speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=NL&hl=nl&v=MfpHvn_CH5I&feature=related
Bible Reading of the day
Isaiah/10:15 Should an axe brag against him
who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a
rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone
who is not wood. 10:16 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his
fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the
burning of fire. 10:17 The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One
for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.
10:18 He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both
soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints. 10:19 The remnant of
the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child could write their number.
Isaiah/10:33-34: "Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with
terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low. 10:34 He
will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the
Mighty One.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Hizbullah serves us a reheated meal/By
Michael Young/Daily Star/December
03/09
Washington Watch: Is Lebanon
becoming a terrorist state?Washington/
Jerusalem Post 3/12/09
Arms smuggling heightens Iran
fears/By Joby Warrick/Washington Post/December
03/09
Hezbollah, Iran May Get 'Arm'
Inside U.N. Security Council/By Ben Evansky/Fox News/December 03/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 03/09
Aoun,
Sfeir Disagree over Hizbullah Weapons/Naharnet
Obama to welcome Lebanon's president/AFP
Sayegh: Recognizing Resistance as a
legal personality is not an option/Now
Lebanon
Bomb Targets Iranian Pilgrims in
Damascus: 5 Killed, Dozens Wounded/Naharnet
Cabinet
Begins Confidence Vote Debate Tuesday/Naharnet
Renewed
Clashes with RPGs, Machine Guns in Abi Samra/Naharnet
U.S. Believes More
Openness to Syria Faces Hizbullah Problem, Report/Naharnet
Government Asserts
Hizbullah's Right to Arm/Naharnet
Military Delegation in
Lebanon to Review UNIFIL Situation/Naharnet
Salhab Acknowledges
Existence of Differences Between Aoun-Sfeir/Naharnet
Hariri to Meet Sarkozy
Soon/Naharnet
Report: Israeli Assurances
to Paris on Ghajar Pullout/Naharnet
Najjar: No New Info on
Convicted Lebanese Citizens in Syria/Naharnet
Obama to Discuss 'Issues
of Mutual Concern' with Suleiman/Naharnet
Khoja in Lebanon/Naharnet
Merhige Reportedly Waited
20 Years to Kill Family Members/Naharnet
Syria pilgrim bus blast causes 'dozens of
casualties'/BBC News
Soueid: Damascus bus explosion
means Syria’s security is vulnerable/Now
Lebanon
Lebanon & Hezbollah Up the Stakes/FOXNews
Ministers approve policy statement/Daily
Star/Daily Star
Inter-Christian ties move toward
thaw as patriarch
hosts Aoun/Daily
Star
Bellemare kicks of round of
courtesy calls
during Beirut visit/Daily
Star
Ban urges two-state solution for peace
in Palestine/Daily
Star
Government clamps down on medicine
commercials/Daily
Star
Mouawad's son slams efforts to
erase sectarianism/Daily
Star
Palestinian president heads to
Beirut/Daily
Star
Constitutional Council slams snub of appeal rejections/Daily
Star
UNIFIL
warehouse thieves get hard labor/Daily
Star
Extraordinary explorer holds book
launch/Daily Star
Photography exhibition sheds light on Lebanon's dark world of domestic violence/Daily
Star
Lebanon
secures record low rate for Eurobonds issue/Daily
Star
Bahia
Hariri: festivals, concerts a great boost for tourism/Daily
Star
Lebanon &
Hezbollah Up the Stakes
December 2, 2009 -
by: Michael Tobin/Fox News/ Lebanon ’s new government just took a game changing
step in the event of another military conflict with Israel . It involves
Hezbollah being folded into the Government of the new Prime Minister Saad
Hariri. The Prime Minister answered Hezbollah’s demand and backed the groups’
demand to keep all of its weapons. Hezbollah says the weapons are for the
purpose of deterring an Israeli invasion. This puts Lebanon in a conflict with
the U.S. and French sponsored U.N. resolution 1559 – which calls for the
disarmament of all groups in Lebanon other than the Army. From Israel ’s
perspective, it puts the Lebanese government in an alliance with the armed wing
of Hezbollah. Mark Regev, spokesman for Israel ’s Prime Minister says, “Any
attack from Hezbollah will be seen by Israel as an attack from the Lebanese
state.” In the 2nd Lebanon war more than 1000 Lebanese were killed, most of them
civilian. The damage to infrastructure was significant and more than 1 million
Lebanese were displaced form their homes. According to Israel , these painful
figures will only increase now if there is a 3rd Lebanon war because the entire
state becomes a target. “In the 2nd Lebanon war, a strategic decision was made
that Lebanon was not the target,” says Regev. “ Israel made the distinction
between Hezbollah and Lebanese.” Hezbollah is now said to possess 40,000 rockets
in Lebanon . The weapons stockpile is reported to be larger than it was at the
start of the 2nd Lebanon war in July of 2006.
Obama to welcome Lebanon's president
(AFP) – 03/12/09
WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama will welcome Lebanon's President Michel
Sleiman to Washington later this month, the White House has said.
Sleiman will visit the White House on Monday, December 14, as the Obama
administration tries to reignite its Middle East peace push and back Lebanon's
fragile democracy and territorial integrity. Obama wants to bring up "a broad
range of issues of mutual concern, including efforts to strengthen the bilateral
relationship between the United States and Lebanon, achieve a comprehensive
regional peace, and implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the
White House said on Wednesday. Washington has been a strong supporter of
western-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri who formed a new unity
government last month after more than four months of difficult negotiations with
the Hezbollah-led opposition.
Syria pilgrim bus blast causes 'dozens of casualties'
BBC 03/12/09
An explosion in the Syrian capital Damascus has hit a crowded bus carrying
Iranian pilgrims, with at least six deaths and dozens of injuries reported. The
cause of the blast is unclear. It took place at a petrol station near a shrine
popular with Shia Muslims. Such incidents are rare in Syria, but there was one
major attack last year. In September 2008 a car bomb killed 17 people on a road
leading to the same site, the al-Sayyida Zeinab shrine. The attack was blamed on
Sunni militants. After the latest explosion, a local correspondent for Iran News
Network (Irinn) said the bus had blown up while refuelling. He said two Iranian
nationals, the driver and his assistant, as well as four Syrian workers at the
petrol station were killed.
One eyewitness told Reuters news agency: "Body parts are still scattered around
the bus." One report suggested the blast could have been caused by a gas bottle
carried by the pilgrims in their luggage. The al-Sayyida Zeinab shrine, popular
with Iranian pilgrims, is dedicated to the granddaughter of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Mouawad's son slams efforts to erase sectarianism
Daily Star staff/Thursday, December 03, 2009
BEIRUT: A ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the assassination of former
Lebanese President Rene Mouawad was held at Beirut’s UNESCO Palace Wednesday and
was attended by Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The slain president’s son Michel
Mouawad said efforts to abolish political sectarianism aim to eliminate
coexistence, and added that he will work against this project. He said that the
only two issues that need to be discussed in the National Dialogue were
Hizbullah’s arms and a national defense strategy that grants the state the power
of decision making and authority over its territory. Mouawad added that
consensus was an integral part of the Taif Accord, “which is the product of
consensus between all the Lebanese.” Former President Mouawad was the first
president to be elected following Lebanon’s 1975-90 Civil War. He was
assassinated on November 22, 1989, only 17 days after his election. – The Daily
Star
Inter-Christian ties move toward thaw as patriarch hosts Aoun
By Maroun Khoury /Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, December 03, 2009
BKIRKI: Discussions between Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and
the Maronite Bishops Council jumped to the spotlight on Wednesday. The meeting
is believed to kick off a new period of rapprochement between the two sides
following a phase of tensions. The Maronite Bishops’ Council headed by Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir welcomed Aoun’s visit to Bkirki, the patriarch’s residency,
saying the latter explained his stances regarding the current developments and
discussed several national issues that would boost consensus among the Lebanese.
“Today’s visit is a very important one as we met the Maronite bishops’ council
and discussed the political situation in Lebanon and the last developments on
the Lebanese domestic scene,” Aoun said. “The Maronite Patriarchy is a historic
reference and [has] always had a special role in the history and life of
Lebanon,” Aoun added.
Aoun told reporters that the meeting was necessary in order to clarify several
stances and positions, adding that the visit’s outcome would positively impact
the relationship between both parties. “All stances were clearly explained along
with their motives and the clarity of discussions would benefit particularly the
Christians,” Aoun said.
Sources close to the patriarch told The Daily Star that the deliberations
tackled four issues including Hizbullah’s weapons, the abolishment of political
sectarianism, the naturalization of Palestinian refugees and inter-Christian
reconciliations. The issue of Hizbullah’s weapons has been the source of
tensions between the patriarchy and Aoun in the recent period.
During negotiations over the formation of the new Cabinet, Sfeir said on several
occasions that weapons and democracy cannot coexist, like the minority and
majority cannot meet in one government, a stance that was the cause of masked
political dispute with Aoun. When asked about Hizbullah’s weapons, Aoun said
several points were agreed on while others remained unresolved during
discussions with the bishops. “We agreed on certain points while others remain
subject to debate when it came to a comprehensive framework since the issue
cannot be compartmentalized,” Aoun said. The source added that the bishops
reiterated unanimously their stance concerning the need to restrict the
possession of weapons in Lebanon to only the Lebanese Army. Following his
reconciliatory meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt
under the sponsorship of President Michel Sleiman earlier this week, Aoun said
that there was no need for reconciliation with Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir
Geagea before a change in the LF stances, given a political disagreement between
both parties.
The bishops praised the recent reconciliations on the “political and national
levels,” while expressing hope that it would lead to better understanding on the
national level.
Meanwhile, the Maronite League praised Aoun’s visit to Bkirki saying it was a
“unique” step on the path to achieve inter-Christian reconciliation and should
be followed up with a series of initiatives to unite the Christians and
strengthen national partnership.
Ministers approve policy statement
March 14 Christians express reservations over the right to resistance
By Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 03, 2009
BEIRUT: Cabinet members approved on Wednesday the government’s new policy
statement with reservations over article six by March 14 Christian parties, an
expected stance after the earlier announcement of the Lebanese Forces and the
Phalange Party of their rejection to mention the right of the resistance, as an
independent entity, to liberate occupied Lebanese territories. Mitri added that
ministers who expressed their reservations on the statement have reiterated on
several occasions that their stance conveyed certain principles while denying
that they formed an independent bloc within the government.
“The objection and reservation on one article is normal, legitimate and
expected; thus it does not mean that there is an opposing ministerial bloc
within the Cabinet because the debate over the issue was concluded by the end of
this session,” Information Minister Tarek Mitri said. Justice Minister Ibrahim
Najjar, Culture Minister Salim Wardeh and Social Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh,
along with Minister of State Michel Pharaon noted their reservations on article
six while Labor Minister Butros Harb objected to the clause.
The Parliament is expected to convene early next week to discuss the statement
after which the Cabinet would receive the vote of confidence.
According to Parliament Deputy Speaker MP Farid Makari the three-day session
would take place starting next Tuesday.
Following the meeting, Mitri said President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister
Saad Hariri stressed during the Cabinet session the positive impact of the
consensus atmosphere.
Prior to the Cabinet session, Sleiman and Hariri had held closed-door talks.
“The president tackled the Israeli threats and informed the government on his
last visit to Syria as well as his upcoming visit to the US during which he
would be accompanied by the defense and foreign ministers,” Mitri said.
Commenting on the March 14 Christian ministers’ reservations, Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun accused ministers who expressing reservations of
seeking media propaganda to make political gains.
“Anyone opposed to the ministerial statement should not take part in the
Cabinet,” Aoun said following his bloc’s weekly meeting, adding that “those
[ministers] should comply with the resolution of the statement issued by the
Cabinet.” Aoun said the resistance’s role was to support the Lebanese Army in
case Lebanese territories fell under Israeli aggression, adding: “The resistance
and the army complete one another.”Meanwhile, the March 14 Secretariat General
said on Wednesday that the ministerial statement reflected the schism among the
Lebanese regarding the role of the resistance, a debate which was proved by
reservations on article six as well as the addition of a clause highlighting the
state’s authority and monopoly over all issues relating to the country’s
political policy. “The ministerial statement’s political aspects reflect many of
the compromises that led to the formation of the new compromise Cabinet,” it
added. The March 14 Secretariat also slammed Hizbullah’s political policy
statement, saying it contradicted the Taif Accord which granted the state the
right to liberate its territories TURN TO PAGE 2
‘FROM PAGE 1
while tying the role of the state and its institutions to a set of conditions, a
reference to Hizbullah’s stance that the resistance would continue to be a need
in the absence of a strong state.
Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday the issue of abolishing political
sectarianism should be subject to calm dialogue rather than dispute and
expressed surprise over the heated media campaigns that followed his proposal.
“I wonder why much noise was made against my proposal like I committed high
treason,” he added. Berri said that his call was part of his efforts to continue
the implementation of the Taif Accord, adding that issue should be tackled by a
national committee to be formed in accordance with constitutional norms. “There
is no possibility to add or remove any letter [from the Constitution] without
unanimous consensus,” Berri added. Similarly, Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance
also questioned the media campaign against Berri’s proposal and called on all
parties to resort to calm dialogue to preserve the country’s best interests and
its stability.
Hezbollah, Iran May Get 'Arm' Inside U.N. Security Council
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
By Ben Evansky /Fox News
On Jan. 1, 2010, Hezbollah and its de-facto ruler Iran could have a direct line
to the Security Council and gain access to all the confidential information to
which Security Council members are privy. In October the U.N. General Assembly
overwhelmingly voted for Lebanon to be the Asian bloc's new non-permanent member
of the United Nations Security Council for a 2-year term.Earlier today the
Lebanese Government endorsed Hezbollah's demand allowing it to keep its huge
weapons arsenal. In doing so the Lebanese government is able to maintain its
shaky unity government in which Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group by the
U.S. state department, holds two ministries.
Critics worry that the Lebanese will essentially be sitting on the Security
Council while ignoring Security Council resolutions that call for the disarming
of armed militias, in other words Hezbollah.
Analysts point to the influence wielded by the Iranian-funded Hezbollah in
Lebanon as a cause for concern over Lebanon's acceptance into the Security
Council. Walid Phares, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies and Fox News contributor on terrorism, was one of the architects of
U.N. Resolution 1559 which passed in 2004 and called for the immediate
disarmament of armed militias. Given the new structure of the Lebanese
government that now includes Hezbollah, he says the organization will have "an
arm and an eye inside the Security Council."Hezbollah's acceptance of joining
the national unity government came with a promise of not having to disarm as
well as receiving the power of veto following months of complicated
negotiations.
While repeated calls to the Lebanese foreign ministry in Beirut went unanswered,
Lebanon's ambassador to the U.N., Nawaf Salam, was recently quoted in reports as
saying that once on the Security Council, Lebanon would "work for a more just
and democratic international system."
Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim Moussawi told Fox News that he had no comment as to
what the organization wants from the Security Council and denied that his
organization was bound by U.N. resolutions that called for disarming militias,
telling Fox News that "the organization is not a militia" and to look at
Wednesday's announcement by the Lebanese government that leaves Hezbollah in
full control of its arms.
Phares says that one needs to look no further than the group that controls the
Lebanese foreign ministry: AMAL, the Lebanese Resistance Detachments. The small
Shiite party is strongly allied with Hezbollah. It holds influence over
Lebanon's foreign policy, which in turn gives Hezbollah enormous influence over
what goes on at places like Lebanon’s United Nations Mission.
The consequences of Lebanon's membership on the Security Council will be
far-reaching in two important areas says Phares: "It will be more difficult for
the council to disarm Hezbollah, and problematic in sanctioning Iran."
Aoun,
Sfeir Disagree over Hizbullah Weapons
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir have reportedly clashed over the issue of Hizbullah arms during
their first meeting in Bkirki in a long time. Media reports on Thursday said the
two men disagreed over Hizbullah weapons with each holding onto his position.
Aoun told reporters after his meeting Wednesday with Maronite bishops that "we
agreed on some points and differed on some others." While Church leaders voiced
their objection to the issue of arms, Aoun linked Hizbullah weapons to regional
developments which are "beyond Lebanon" and highlighted the need for such arms
"given the limited capacity of the (Lebanese) army," pan-Arab daily al-Hayat
quoted a well-informed source as saying. The issue of Hizbullah arms has been a
source of tension between Sfeir and Aoun. Sfeir said on several occasions that
weapons and democracy cannot coexist, just like minority and majority cannot
meet in one Cabinet, stances that fueled hot debate with Aoun.During a 30-minute
session on Wednesday, Aoun clarified his stance on the general situation since
he took leading roles in the army all the way to his return to Lebanon from 14
years' exile in France. Aoun also touched on the issue of the "Memorandum of
Understanding" with Hizbullah, stressing that it was "the best option which has
led to shun many problems." He also mentioned the political "campaigns" that
targeted him and admonished him for some stances taken by the patriarchate
against him, stressing at the same time, Bkirki's historic role. The two sides,
however, were in harmony over a proposal to abolish political sectarianism.
Beirut, 03 Dec 09, 08:01
Salhab Acknowledges Existence of Differences Between Aoun-Sfeir
Naharnet/Change and Reform bloc member MP Salim Salhab on Thursday described as
'useful" a meeting between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir."This meeting is the beginning of dialogue,"
Salhab told the Voice of Lebanon radio station. Salhab acknowledged the
existence of differences between Aoun and Sfeir, adding that he hoped the
reunion would be followed by similar meetings "because problems won't be solved
in a single session." "We cannot say that the meeting magically solved the
problems, but many obstacles have been removed," he stressed. Beirut, 03 Dec 09,
09:00
Military Delegation in Lebanon to Review UNIFIL Situation
Naharnet/Lebanon has complained to the United Nations about continued Israeli
violations of Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air during the period
between Nov. 1 and 15. At the request of U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, a military
delegation will visit Lebanon Dec. 7 to review the situation of UNIFIL ahead of
the release of the 12th report by the U.N. Secretary-General on the
implementation of Resolution 1701. The review, according to daily al-Akhbar, is
the first of its kind after UNIFIL expanded its mission in 2006 under Res. 1701.
It said the delegation will address fundamental issues – equipment, coordination
between the leaderships of both sides of the conflict, keeping in touch with the
local population and how to deal with emergency situations. Beirut, 03 Dec 09,
09:57
Government Asserts Hizbullah's Right to Arm
Naharnet/Cabinet on Wednesday adopted a policy statement granting Hizbullah the
right to use its arms against Israel, despite reservations of some Christian
ministers in the majority March 14 coalition. "Cabinet today adopted the
proposed policy statement," Information Minister Tareq Mitri told a news
conference after a Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace. Lebanon's
parliament begins a debate on a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Saad
Hariri's government on Tuesday, Speaker Nabih Berri announced. Five March 14
Christian Cabinet members, including those of the Phalange Party and Lebanese
Forces, expressed reservations on Article 6 of the policy statement relating to
Hizbullah arms, Mitri said. They argue the arsenal undermines state authority
and runs counter to U.N. resolutions. Article 6 of the final draft states the
right of "Lebanon, its government, its people, its army and its resistance" to
liberate all Lebanese territory. Hizbullah, which regularly states its weapons
are not open to discussion, argues its arms are necessary to protect Lebanon
against any future aggression by Israel.
Beirut, 03 Dec 09, 11:51
U.S. Believes More Openness to Syria Faces Hizbullah Problem, Report
Naharnet/U.S. openness to Syria is facing the obstacle of Hizbullah, which is an
ally of Damascus, sources informed about coordination between Paris and
Washington on the Middle East have told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. The sources
said in remarks published Thursday that there are question marks over the Obama
administration's willingness to open up more on Damascus given the problem of
the Lebanese Shiite party. However, the sources told al-Hayat that the U.S.
seems comfortable to the improved ties between France and Syria particularly
that the Lebanese cabinet was formed a few days before Syrian President Bashar
Assad's visit to Paris. The sources added Washington officials believe that U.S.
Mideast envoy George Mitchell should visit Syria and the new U.S. ambassador
should be appointed soon. Beirut, 03 Dec 09, 09:36
Merhige Reportedly Waited 20 Years to Kill Family Members
Naharnet/Paul Merhige sat through three hours of Thanksgiving Day dinner and
sing-a-longs around the piano, plotting the moment he would fatally shoot four
relatives, his cousin-in-law said. After opening fire, the Lebanese man was
heard saying he had waited 20 years to kill them. There were no arguments,
warnings or red flags before the rampage, said Merhige's cousin-in-law Jim
Sitton, who hosted the dinner and whose 6-year-old daughter was killed. Merhige
also shot his 79-year-old aunt to death and killed his twin sisters, one of whom
was pregnant, police said. "He had this whole thing preplanned. His goal was to
shoot his sisters and punish his parents," Sitton said. It's not clear exactly
who was shot when, but the bloodbath could have been worse with 16 family
members present. Sitton said Merhige, 35, also pointed the gun at Merhige's
uncle, but it twice wouldn't fire. At one point, according to Sitton, Merhige
"turned and started to walk away and said, 'I have been waiting 20 years to do
this.'" Authorities were still searching for Merhige, who has not been seen
since the shootings.
At Sitton's home in an upscale, gated community in Jupiter, a beach town some 55
miles north of Miami, crime scene tape still overshadows holiday decorations.
Sitton said the holiday meal was a happy one. His daughter, Makayla, wrote on
cards how thankful she was for her family, and strung them on a clothesline.
After dinner, she sang songs as part of an impromptu dress rehearsal for a
performance of "The Nutcracker" she was to be in the next day. Sitton, a
videographer for a local television station, said he doesn't know who invited
Merhige to his home, but he thought little of it when Merhige's father called to
say Merhige was on his way and needed directions. Sitton said his wife's cousin
was always on the fringe of family life and rarely attended gatherings. He had
only met Merhige twice and hadn't seen him in more than a decade. Sitton said
Merhige methodically picked off his victims, shooting his twin sisters, Carla
Merhige, a real estate agent, and Lisa Knight, who was pregnant. Like Makayla,
they loved to sing. Merhige also shot his aunt, Raymonde Joseph. Merhige's
brother-in-law Patrick Knight was in critical but stable condition at a hospital
Tuesday. Another man, Clifford Gebara, 52, was grazed by a bullet.
Sitton doesn't think Merhige planned to kill Makayla, but thinks he became
jealous when he saw the family delight in her singing.
"He tried to snuff out the light," Sitton said. "He came into a baby's room. He
saw her innocence and he walked in and purposefully killed her." Sitton said he
dreaded returning to his home, but was comforted when he walked into his
daughter's room Sunday. Beside her bed, he wept when he read for the first time
a novel she had been writing about a squirrel. Makayla was a voracious reader,
who loved to sing, dance and tell stories. She would have turned 7 in a few
days. Jupiter police were looking in bodies of water near the home, though the
search wasn't based on any specific tip, officer Sally Collins-Ortiz said.
Investigators also alerted Michigan authorities to be on the lookout for Merhige
because a doctor in the Detroit area treated him there three months ago.
Authorities have not said what the doctor treated him for. Sitton called Merhige
"a monster" but said he didn't know if Merhige suffered from mental illness.
Court documents showed Merhige and his siblings had a troubled history. Nearly a
decade ago, Merhige sought protection from law enforcement after he accused his
sister of trying to kill him, according to records obtained by The Miami Herald.
He dropped the request a few weeks later.
In 2006, Carla Merhige, requested a restraining order against her brother saying
he threatened to kill her and himself, the newspaper reported. She also withdrew
her request a few weeks later. Merhige was believed to be driving a royal blue
2007 Toyota Camry with a rear spoiler and a Florida license plate. Prosecutors
issued an arrest warrant Saturday for four counts of first-degree murder and two
counts of attempted first-degree murder. A $10,000 reward was offered for
information leading to his arrest.(AP) Beirut, 03 Dec 09, 08:25
Arms smuggling heightens Iran fears
U.N. BAN IS DEFIED
Tehran may be building arsenal, helping militias
By Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 3, 2009
SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120203923.html?hpid=topnews
EMIRATES -- The warning came almost too late. The freighter ANL Australia had
already fired its engines for a 70-mile dash to Iran when customs agents here
were alerted to a possible hidden cache of weapons on board.
Inspectors from the United Arab Emirates quickly swarmed the ship and uncovered
a truck-size container packed with small arms made in North Korea. Concealed
deeper in the ship was the real find: hundreds of crates containing military
hardware and a grayish, foul-smelling powder, explosive components for thousands
of short-range rockets.
The nature of the cargo, seized in July and described for the first time in
interviews with officials and analysts in the UAE and Washington, has raised
fears that Iran is ramping up efforts to arm itself and anti-Israel militias in
the Middle East. Israeli officials have warned that they may use force to
prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The freighter seized in this port enclave was one of five vessels caught this
year carrying large, secret caches of weapons apparently intended for the
Lebanese group Hezbollah, the Palestinian organization Hamas or the Quds Force,
a wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that supports insurgents in
Iraq, according to U.S. and U.N. officials and intelligence analysts. In three
cases, the contraband included North Korean- or Chinese-made components for
rockets such as the 122mm Grad, which has a range of up to 25 miles and which
Hamas and Hezbollah have fired into Israel.
Among the weapons components discovered aboard the ANL Australia were 2,030
detonators for 122mm rockets, as well as electric circuitry and a large quantity
of solid-fuel propellant, according to an account given by UAE and U.N. Security
Council officials. The materials were bought from North Korea and shipped
halfway around the globe in sealed containers, labeled as oil-drilling supplies,
that passed through a succession of freighters and ports.
An Israeli raid last month on a ship in the eastern Mediterranean reportedly
netted hundreds more 122mm rockets. Israeli officials said the freighter was
bound for Syria and was carrying 500 tons of armaments intended for Hezbollah.
Similar caches were discovered this year at a port in Cyprus and aboard Russian
and German cargo ships searched by U.S. Navy teams.
A U.S. intelligence official familiar with the UAE episode acknowledged that
U.S. spies "played a key role" in tracking the shipment, but he declined to
elaborate.
The surge in smuggling is a direct challenge to the Security Council, which is
convening a special panel this month to review Iranian violations of U.N.
resolutions banning such weapons shipments. U.N. and U.S. officials say
sanctions adopted by the world body against Iran appear to be having little
effect, and Iranian leaders continue to defend their right to aid groups they
call "fighters in the path of God."
"We are proud to defend Hamas and Hezbollah," Ali Larijani, Iran's parliament
speaker, said at a news conference in May. "We are not trying to hide it."
High-seas shell game
The route chosen by North Korea to deliver the rocket components eventually
seized by the UAE was hard to track. According to shipping records, the 10 large
cargo containers left the North Korean port of Nampo on May 30 on a North Korean
vessel, and two days later they were transferred to a Chinese ship in the port
city of Dalian, in northern China.
From there, the containers were ferried to Shanghai, where on June 13 they were
moved to a third ship, the ANL Australia, a Bahamian-flagged freighter owned by
a French consortium. Spokesmen for the freighter's owner and operator say they
received sealed cargo containers along with manifests that listed the contents
as oil-well equipment.
By mid-June, the cargo had left Shanghai on the ANL Australia, which followed a
meandering course through East and Southeast Asia, pausing in mid-July in Dubai,
one of the world's largest seaports. Then it left on the final leg of its
journey, to Shahid Rajai, on the shores of Iran's Strait of Hormuz.
Because of international sanctions, Iran and North Korea have been forced to buy
and sell military-related technology through clandestine means. Iran, in
particular, has favored a strategy of redundant purchases from multiple vendors,
assuming that some shipments will be discovered and stopped, said David
Albright, a former U.N. nuclear inspector who is president of the Institute for
Science and International Security, a nonprofit research group in Washington.
Using such schemes, and employing a network of front companies, Iran has managed
to obtain key technology and equipment for advanced missiles as well as a
sophisticated nuclear program
Washington Watch: Is Lebanon becoming a terrorist state?
Jerusalem Post 3/12/09
By DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD
When Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman comes to Washington next week, he plans
to ask for increased military aid for a government that just gave a terrorist
group responsible for killing hundreds of Americans free rein to wage war on
Israel.
His government last week granted Hizbullah, the Shi'ite group that the US and
most Western nations consider a terrorist organization, the right to "liberate
occupied territories" - read Israel - as it wishes.
The Lebanese Forces and the Phalange Party say this is tantamount to granting
the Iranian ally separate and independent status from the state in violation of
the Lebanese constitution and the Taif Accords which ended the Lebanese civil
war. Some Christian ministers expressed fear that giving such authority to
Hizbullah could reignite civil conflict.
The move effectively hands over to a terrorist organization what should be any
legitimate government's monopoly on deciding when and whether to wage war.
In actuality, Hizbullah's military forces are stronger than the Lebanese army
and reportedly claim the loyalty of many in the army itself.
Any hope that US help in arming the Lebanese army would enable it to stand up to
Hizbullah went out the window with this latest action, and virtually assures
Hizbullah access to any American weapons and training provided the army.
This summer, the US sold Lebanon eight rubber Zodiac boats. That may sound
insignificant, but that's the boat favored by Palestinian terrorists who have
made commando raids on Israeli shores, by the Mumbai attackers last year, by
Iranians to attack tankers in the Gulf and by Somali pirates. In today's
Lebanon, there would be no way to keep them out of Hizbullah's "navy." It not as
though Hizbullah needs American arms.
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced Monday that not only isn't his group
disarming but it intends to improve and expand its arsenal, which he boasted has
tens of thousands of rockets. The IDF estimates the group has more than 40,000,
triple its prewar inventory, many now capable of hitting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and
beyond. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that "dwarfs the inventory of
many nation-states." Most are coming from Iran, Syria and North Korea, in
violation of UN resolutions. Israel recently intercepted a ship, the Francop,
with some 500 tons of weapons and ammunition bound from Iran via Syria for
Hizbullah.
This surrender of power to Hizbullah brought renewed Israeli warnings that it
will hold the Lebanese government directly responsible for any attack by
Hizbullah from Lebanese soil. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said last week that if
Hizbullah attacks Israel, "our target will be the state of Lebanon." "We will
not hold back." warned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Western-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri, presiding over a weak coalition in
which the Hizbullah-led minority has a virtual veto, knew that if he didn't give
in to the militants' demands it probably could take over by force.
His government's surrender violates two UN Security Council resolutions, one
that led to the ouster of Syrian forces following Damascus' implication in the
2005 assassination of his father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri, and the
other ending the 2006 war with Israel.
Under those measures, all militias were to be disbanded and disarmed - a clearly
intended reference to Hizbullah. Hariri's surrender to Hizbullah could
potentially land Lebanon on the State Department's terrorism list, according to
an expert who had a hand in drafting that law.
Until now "Lebanon has gotten a pass" because various Palestinian groups
controlled areas beyond the government's reach, but since "Hizbullah became part
of the government" things have changed and "one could make a good argument for
the designation," said this source.
Criteria for being listed include providing terrorists and terror groups
sanctuary from extradition or prosecution, headquarters and diplomatic cover.
Lebanon appears to qualify.
It won't happen now, but President Barack
Obama and Congress should put the Lebanese leader on notice that the option is
open if his government fails to control Hizbullah, whose leader this week called
the US "the source of every terrorism in the world." Hizbullah has made no
secret of its goal to establish Islamic law in Lebanon, the most Western and
secular of Arab states, preferably through democratic means but by force if
necessary.
The threat of cutting off aid and winding up on the terror list may be just the
kind of pressure needed to strengthen those forces inside the country who want
to break away from the terrorists and their sponsors and return Lebanon to the
Lebanese people.
For now, Nasrallah, who has the power to take Lebanon to war, is the de facto
leader of Lebanon, not the elected government, and he is calling on all
countries to join with him to "liberate Jerusalem."
Hizbullah
serves us a reheated meal
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech last Monday, outlining Hizbullah’s latest
“political document,” was a compendium of positions and interpretations the
party had developed over the years. In that sense it offered few surprises. More
revealing was that Nasrallah felt he had to make the speech now, recognizing
that much has changed in Lebanon since 2005, when Syrian soldiers withdrew from
the country and the favorable political environment Hizbullah had benefited from
collapsed.
Nothing in the political document suggests that Hizbullah has altered its
outlook when it comes to its relationship with the Lebanese state. The party
continues to defend its military autonomy, and demands that we all come around
to doing the same; it strives to push Lebanon in directions hostile to the
United States and even Western Europe; at the center of its preoccupations are
the Palestinian cause and the rescue of Jerusalem, casting serious doubt on
Hizbullah’s willingness to limit its ambitions to liberating the Lebanese half
of Ghajar and the Shebaa farms; and Hizbullah remains especially loyal to Iran,
so that “the creation of contradictions with it represents a harming of the self
and of Arab issues.”
And yet something has changed when Nasrallah feels the need to issue a second
document on Hizbullah’s worldview to the Lebanese public (the first being the
party’s Open Letter of 1985, announcing its political program). The party’s
“Lebanonization” will never amount to much for as long as Hizbullah rejects the
premises of sovereign Lebanese statehood. However, there can be no doubt that
after 2005 Hizbullah was forced to contend much more with Lebanon, for whose
domestic political ways and byways Nasrallah had expressed such contempt before
that time, when Syrian cover gave him the luxury of focusing on his conflict
with Israel.
Hizbullah’s record when it comes to Lebanon has been much more mediocre than
Nasrallah cared to admit. It was amusing to hear the secretary general
mentioning the need to respect Lebanon’s consociational system, just after his
denunciation of sectarianism, perhaps because Hizbullah has systematically
violated the rules of consociationalism and remains among the most sectarian of
organizations. But that inconsistency helped better to explain why Hizbullah’s
“rediscovery” of Lebanon after 2005 proved such a failure.
Over the past year, there has been much hand-wringing, particularly in the March
14 camp, that the May 2008 military onslaught of Hizbullah represented some sort
of a victory. The view is simplistic. The offensive did substantiate that the
party would resort to arms when its interests were at risk, but the long-term
costs of that undertaking were prohibitive, and continue to rise. Hizbullah
gained a blocking third in the Cabinet, and it did get the election law it
wanted. However, neither brought the party very much. The impact of the blocking
third was significant symbolically, but otherwise its repercussions were
contained, while the election law did not produce an opposition victory last
June as Hizbullah had hoped.
On the negative side, Hizbullah’s takeover of western Beirut highlighted its
limitations. It showed the party could not afford to act against Christian
areas, and that its capacity to hold hostage predominantly Sunni neighborhoods
was limited in time. For its efforts, Hizbullah earned undying Sunni animosity,
confirming it could only really get its way by resorting to its guns,
undermining Nasrallah’s earlier claim that he would not turn his weapons on the
Lebanese. Worse, Sunni anger and rising Christian doubts, expressed in the
parliamentary elections, established that there no longer was a national
consensus behind the “resistance.” Nasrallah’s credibility remains only as good
as his threats.
Nasrallah’s need to submit his program to the Lebanese may have been
surreptitious recognition of the setbacks brought about by the May
confrontation. By communicating with his countrymen, the secretary general
perhaps sought to publicly acknowledge that, somewhere, he had to be more
transparent about his aims, more willing to address Lebanese society on equal
terms, transcending the violence of the past.
But if that was indeed Nasrallah’s objective, his message all but neutralized
it. Rather than being an instrument of interchange, Hizbullah’s document is a
hypocritical effort to conceal that the party has every intention of imposing
its priorities on Lebanon, regardless of what anyone else wants. The national
dialogue over Hizbullah’s weapons will remain a sham. Nasrallah’s vision of a
“state of resistance,” with Hizbullah as its vanguard, will continue to generate
great tension, since a sovereign state and a sovereign militia cannot coexist.
By reciting from his old song book, Nasrallah betrayed that for all his
purported willingness to communicate, his preferred communication method is the
monologue.
The secretary general will not persuade very many people to get over Hizbullah’s
actions in 2005 and afterward. Most Lebanese will not soon overcome their
suspicions of Hizbullah’s role in the assassination of Rafik Hariri and several
others, regardless of whether the party is guilty. Few will forget Nasrallah’s
speech on March 8, 2005, in defense of Syria, then and now the only serious
culprit in the former prime minister’s killing. Few will soon forget the 2006
war, with its devastating consequences amid vacant exclamations of a divine
victory; and even fewer can fail to grasp that the next war will be far worse,
because Nasrallah’s vision, as outlined in his party’s latest document, only
guarantees this.
In that light, the Nasrallah speech, like the document he read, has only
heightened the contradictions in Lebanese society. Hizbullah realizes that the
partial Syrian return to Lebanon, facilitated by Saudi Arabia, may restrict the
party’s ability to maneuver in the way that it had been able to do until
recently. Nasrallah’s effort to anchor himself better in the Lebanese political
reality may be, in part, an effort to widen its political latitude with regard
to Damascus, even as Hizbullah remains Syria’s main tool of intimidation in
Lebanon. However, that only confirms the inconsistencies at the heart of
Nasrallah’s reasoning.
We were waiting for something new on Monday; instead Nasrallah merely reheated
yesterday’s meal. This demonstrated that Hizbullah is in more of a bind than it
will disclose, devoid of fresh ideas. They’re here and we’re here, and for
Lebanon’s misfortune only one of us can come out on top.
*Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Sayegh:
Recognizing Resistance as a legal personality is not an option
December 3, 2009 /In an interview with Future News on Thursday, Minister of
Social Affairs Selim Sayegh said it is the Kataeb Party’s right to express
reservations on the Ministerial Statement, a reference to the party’s objection
to Article 6 pertaining to Hezbollah’s weapons. He stressed that “recognizing
the Resistance as a legal personality is not an option.”
Sayegh added that “there will be no surprises” in next week’s parliamentary
session to grant the cabinet the vote of confidence, saying that each MP will
explain why s/he voted for or against the government. -NOW Lebanon
Soueid: Damascus bus explosion means Syria’s security is vulnerable
December 3, 2009 /March 14 alliance General Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soueid
told LBCI television on Thursday that the Iranian bus that exploded in Saydeh
Zeinab near Imam Khomeini Hospital in Damascus proves that Syria’s security is
vulnerable. Soueid said he regretted the incident, adding that “the region,
including Syria, is passing through a transitional phase.”-NOW Lebanon
NOW We’re Talking: Lebanon stable or stumbling after Dubai crisis?
Sarah Lynch, December 3, 2009
Now Lebanon/Emirati men gesture as they follow the market's movement at the
Dubai Financial Market in the Gulf emirate on Tuesday. (AFP Photo/Karim Sahib)
Financial markets around the world shook last week when Dubai World – the
holding company that funded lavish development projects and played a large role
in the United Arab Emirate’s rapid growth – announced it is not able to pay back
$59 billion in loans.
While Lebanon avoided reverberations felt globally by the world financial crisis
that began in 2008, some are concerned the country’s economy will face the
affects of Dubai’s new money woes. Thousands of Lebanese work in Dubai and five
to ten percent of Lebanon’s property demand comes from Gulf residents.
NOW hits the street to find out what Lebanese think about the Gulf’s economic
crisis. Will Lebanon’s economy remain stable or stumble in the wake of Dubai’s
financial misfortune?
Saad Alkaabi, 25, Abu Dhabi
The economy in Lebanon will be affected. Too many companies work together
between Dubai and Lebanon. When business breaks down in Dubai, it will affect
the whole world because Dubai is important for building.
If Dubai doesn’t have a solution for this problem it will affect the whole
world, Lebanon and the Middle East.
Farag Alqubaisi, 27, Abu Dhabi
No, it will not be affected because tourists will continue to come to Lebanon. I
think more tourists will now come to Lebanon instead [of Dubai].
Tony Bitar, 48, Achrafieh
I don’t think it will affect Lebanon. We are protected from the world financial
crisis. We have a shield because of the Central Bank. We’re not related with the
Dubai economy, except for tourism. We will have more tourists now, a little bit.
Vicky Khoury, 40, Achrafieh
I think Lebanon will not be affected by any crisis in the world. We are fighters
and very optimistic. When you live the war, you have seen it all. We are
survivors. And we know how to handle crisis. We know how to enjoy life. And we
think that we make money, not money makes us. No limit for the Lebanese.
Pascal Srouji, 28 Bekaa Valley
No, it will not be affected. It’s a feeling. I have no reasons.
Maroun Boustany, 23, Achrafieh
I don’t think so. Look at the situation. It’s already stable. There is no
problem.
Najla Almoummer, 29, Saudi Arabia
I guess yeah it will be affected because most of the Lebanese businessmen have
businesses in Dubai. I’m not sure if the country will be affected but I think
the businessmen will.
Amanda Daou, 23, Baskinta
There is definitely a certain connection because a lot of business people in
Lebanon work in Dubai. If the economy goes down in Dubai, a lot of them will
have to come back to Lebanon to find jobs and there will be more unemployment.
Michel Sleiman
December 2, 2009
Now Lebanon/
On December 2, the Lebanese daily Ad-Diyar carried the following report:
In an interview with Ad-Diyar, President Michel Sleiman defined his position
vis-à-vis the current political dossiers and expressed relief over the way
things are proceeding in the country after the formation of the national unity
cabinet and the issuance of the ministerial statement based on which the
government will gain the parliament's vote of confidence and will proceed to
tackle the important problems. The president hopes that the feeling of
responsibility will overcome any potential differences that might come up
between the parties of the government of agreement. He believes that everyone in
Lebanon is relieved by the presence of an agreement, [and] an objective
president who only sides with the country's interests despite attempts made by
the opposition and pro-government teams to allude to them being the ones closest
to the president.
President Sleiman tells Ad-Diyar that he is convinced of the necessity to
eliminate political sectarianism. However he will not support any measure in
this regard unless it is in accordance with the formula that especially pertains
to ensuring equity in Muslim-Christian representation in the parliament. In
addition, there are major steps that must precede the elimination of political
sectarianism… The president does not object to one electoral district in Lebanon
provided that equity is installed. He believes that having optional civil
marriage will help to eliminate political sectarianism. As for the
Constitutional Council and the slander that was directed against it by some of
those who lost in the parliamentary elections, President Sleiman expressed his
disapproval and did not hide his desire to shift all the differences about some
of the constitutional interpretations to the Constitutional Council, which will
decide on them instead of having each party interpreting the Constitution
according to its own desires. As for the amendment of the Constitution, Suleiman
asserted that his demands to amend or interpret some of the Constitutional
clauses do not aim at shrinking the powers of persons or sects or to add powers
to presidents or sects. Concerning reconciliations, the president said that he
blesses and supports these reconciliations and this is what happened with the
reconciliation of MPs Jumblatt, Franjieh, and Aoun. And if some Christian
leaders want to finalize their reconciliations in the presidential palace, then
they are most welcome…