LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 11/09
Bible Reading of the day
Isaiah 55/6-13: "Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on
him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. “For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh.
“For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the
snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there,
but waters the earth, and makes it bring
forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower
and bread to the eater;
so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return to me void, but it shall
accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing I sent it to do. For
you shall go out with joy, and be led forth
with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into
singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead of the
thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the
myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that
shall not be cut off.”
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Can
the Maronites reinvent themselves?/By
Michael Young/December
10/09
The state of human rights in
Lebanon/Jean-Pierre Katrib/Now Lebanon/ December
10/09
Syria challenges the tribunal/By:
Hanin Ghaddar/Now Lebanon/December
10/09
US surge plays into Taliban
hands/By Walid Phares/December
10/09
Beware of a brittle Iran/The
Daily Star/December
10/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 10/09
Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel speaks
during parliamentary session/Now Lebanon
LF MP Adwan speaks during
parliamentary session/Now Lebanon
Hamadeh says there is no guarantee
on who has final war-decision authority/Now Lebanon
Justice Ministry to take
appropriate steps on Syrian extradition notices/Now Lebanon
Sultan Yaqoub Explosion Remains
Mysterious, Military Source: Lebanese Army Has No Access to Area/Naharnet
Justice
Ministry to Deal with Syrian Warrants 'Legally/Naharnet
Sharaa:
Accusations against Syria of Hariri Crime Backfired on Them/Naharnet
U.N.:
No Modification of UNIFIL's Mandate Despite Presence of Arms/Naharnet
Assad to Aoun: You Deserve
Credit for Presidential Election, Cabinet Formation/Naharnet
U.S. Guidelines:
Individuals with Lebanese Passports Should be Given Additional Screening/Naharnet
Madrid: Spanish General to
Replace Graziano in January/Naharnet
Italian Court Upholds Sea
Tragedy Sentence against Lebanese Captain/Naharnet
Parliament Resumes Vote of
Confidence Sessions, Hizbullah Arms Top Debate Issue/Naharnet
Aoun: My Visit to Damascus
Not Related to Visit of Any Other Official/Naharnet
Qabalan to Sfeir: We Are
the Main Shield of Preserving Maronites in Lebanon/Naharnet
Sami Gemayel after
Visiting Franjieh: Steady in Our Stances, Open toward All Parties/Naharnet
Shaaban: No Specific Date
Yet for Hariri's Visit to Syria/Naharnet
Suleiman: 'Right of
Return' for Palestinians Gateway to Any Peace Settlement/Naharnet
Bellemare Visits Victims'
Families, Says Probe Making Progress/Naharnet
Sectarianism, Hizbullah's arms top debate at Parliament/Daily
Star
Celebrating diversity on Human Rights Day/Daily
Star
Aoun
pays visit to Assad, urges greater bilateral cooperation/Daily
Star
Turkish
foreign affairs adviser talks on ties with Arab world/Daily
Star
Israel,
Lebanon spring war unlikely/Daily
Star
ASA, Aley power company collaborate
on road safety/Daily
Star
Customs department presents donation
to Red Cross/Daily
Star
Women's group asks Berri to
back nationality law/Daily
Star
School drop-out study offers
student-centric
answers/Daily
Star
Palestinians revive embroidery
in refugee camps/Daily
Star
Islamic, secular NGOs
share goals/Daily
Star
LF MP Adwan speaks during parliamentary
session
December 10, 2009 /Now Lebanon
-Before I begin my speech I ask for [the] hanging [of] the pictures of all the
parliament’s martyrs because those MP died because of their positions in the
parliament.
- I want to apologize for the people because when I stood behind this podium
before the elections, I said: Let the elections take place and let the winner
rule the country. However, if the brothers had not interfered, the cabinet would
not have been formed. Thus, we moved backward instead of moving forward.
- We all know that nobody properly implemented the constitution throughout the
past few years. We all agree that there are major differences in explaining the
constitution, for example the presidential elections.
- We need a reference to rely on in explaining our disputed issues. The
constitution is this reference. I hope the Constitutional Council re-explains
the constitution.
- The Ministerial Statement is one of settlement and the article pertaining to
Hezbollah’s weapons was not agreed upon. The Ministerial Statement is a project
of governance. Expressing reservations is the voicing of each of our opinions.
- The principles we base our argument on are: first, the Resistance is a general
concept and does not concern a particular party. It is the people’s will to
confront occupation, but only when the state collapses or in areas where there
is no state.
- Our vision stems from our concept of the state building. There is a
contradiction between the existence of weapons outside the state control and the
existence of the state.
- Does Lebanon need Hezbollah’s weapons today? We need this state to be in the
hands of the Lebanese state.
- The international resolutions preserve Lebanon and facilitate its
confrontation with Israel. We should commit to the international resolutions,
especially UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
- Let us support the army and UNIFIL in the South because this serves the
[interests] of all Lebanese.
- The Christians consider the elimination of political sectarianism an
abolishment of equal shares between the Christians and the Muslims. Suggesting
the issue at this time creates annoyance and tension.
- It is the constitutional duty that the state imposes its authority on all
Lebanese territory.
- I urge you Mr. Speaker [Nabih Berri] to withdraw now your proposal on the
establishment of a committee to eliminate political sectarianism from current
discussions.
- Balanced Lebanese-Syrian relations serve both countries’ [interests]. There
should not be relations between individuals and Syria, and there should not be
an ally to Syria and an opponent to it.
- We call for an electoral law according to which the Christians can elect MPs
to the parliament.
- The pattern of visits [to Syria] and the [Syrian] extradition notices is not
relieving. We do not want to repeat what happened in the past.
- The Ministerial Statement addressed matters seriously, and the state should be
a model in its commitment to the laws.
- The Justice Minister should activate the internal inspection in the judicial
system.
- We hope the issue of the displaced will be resolved during this cabinet’s
term.
Hamadeh says there is no guarantee on who has final war-decision authority
December 10, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Democratic Gathering bloc MP Marwan Hamadeh spoke Thursday during the
parliamentary session on the Ministerial Statement and said that “there is no
guarantee on who will have the final authority to decide war-and-peace
decisions,” adding that there is also no one to “handle” the Lebanese army and
the Resistance’s weapons existing in parallel to each other.
“State building has neither been embodied in the cabinet formation nor in the
Ministerial Statement,” he said.
Hamadeh also said he is concerned “that Lebanon would once again be turned into
a battlefield for regional conflicts,” but added that during any aggression, “we
will be united to defend Lebanon and its independence.”“I call on our partners,
MPs and ministers, to distance Lebanon from any clashes, especially with regard
to the use of weapons domestically, which [if it occurred], would create
sedition in the country,” he also said. Hamadeh voiced hope that the Justice and
Interior ministries would comment on the extradition notices issued by the
Syrian judiciary against Lebanese public figures for perjury against former
General Security Director Jamil as-Sayyed – one of the four generals that were
held in connection to the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri and released in 2009. Hamadeh also voiced his concerns over the cabinet’s
decision-making ability, asking whether it would be able “to take unified,
legitimate decisions.” He spoke about the displaced, saying that “residents of
the Mountain and the Chouf are calling for the finalizing of their case” and
compensations.
Hamadeh added that he “hopes the cabinet will continue to support the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
“We refuse to make concessions over the Palestinians’ rights,” he also said.
-NOW Lebanon
Justice Ministry to take appropriate steps on Syrian extradition notices
December 10, 2009 //Now Lebanon
The Justice Ministry issued a statement on Thursday saying it received 25
extradition notices from the Syrian embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday. The
extradition notices were issued by the Syrian judiciary against Lebanese public
figures for perjury against former General Security Director Jamil as-Sayyed,
who was one of the four generals that were held in connection to the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and released in 2009. The
ministry said it will discuss the warrants before taking the appropriate steps.
-NOW Lebanon
The state of human rights in Lebanon
Jean-Pierre Katrib ,
Special to NOW, December 10, 2009
Every year on December 10, human rights defenders across the globe celebrate
International Human Rights Day, which commemorates the release of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. While Lebanon made a notable contribution
to drafting the declaration, a general appraisal of the current state of human
rights in Lebanon outlines the shortcomings to be addressed if the country is to
meet the internationally-proclaimed standards to which it signed on.
Prison conditions, torture and capital punishment
Prison conditions in Lebanon are below internationally-accepted standards.
Prisons are not only crowded — with all the moral and health issues that entails
— but they lack the necessary facilities to turn them into rehabilitation
centers rather than places of detention and punishment. This reality has led
some inmates to riot against their wardens in a couple of prisons this year.
According to reports collected by various local and international NGOs, torture
is still applied in Lebanese detention centers, especially on migrant workers
and asylum seekers. Torture is administered widely, especially in the pre-trial
period, and in 2008, reports of death under duress were registered and even
submitted to the Ministry of Interior. As a state party to the 1984 UN
Convention against Torture (CAT) since 2000, Lebanon should “take effective
legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of
torture in any territory under its jurisdiction.”
Notwithstanding the almost six-year moratorium on the death penalty, Lebanon has
yet to abolish this “cruel and inhuman” punishment and substitute it with life
imprisonment and manual labor. Seen from a human-rights perspective, capital
punishment is an inappropriate, unacceptable and irresponsible response to
crime. Minister of Justice Ibrahim Najjar has taken the lead on this front, but
his efforts have not produced any results thus far.
Special courts
In a democratic system normal courts are sufficient settings for all
litigations, whether among citizens or between citizens and the state. In
Lebanon, however, special courts, which are used by repressive regimes, operate.
The three types used are military courts, The Judicial Council (Al-Majlis Al-Adli)
and the Publication Court.
In 1967, the military courts were established at a time when authorities were
attempting to contain Palestinian agitation. In the decades that followed the
jurisdiction of military courts was extended to cover all litigation that
involved a military group and the elastic category of “attempts against national
security.” The framework of military courts should be strictly limited to
military trials and discipline. They should not be involved in proceedings
against citizens outside the military.
The Judicial Council, for its part, is a flagrant violation of international
standards of justice, as there can be no appeals to its rulings. No justice can
be done within a one-stage court. Moreover, the council violates the principle
of separation of powers between the executive and judiciary, as it does not act
independently, but operates based on referrals from the Council of Ministers.
As for the Publication Court, there is mounting concern as of late in human
rights and press circles about the draconian and intimidating measures this
special court uses. Not only do its rulings levy overwhelming fines on
journalists in cases of libel and slander, but in several cases, it has
sentenced journalists to months of incarceration.
Discrimination against women
Discrimination against women is applied across the board in the family laws of
the various religious communities, the labor law and in the nationality law,
whereby a Lebanese woman married to a foreigner cannot grant her children
Lebanese citizenship but under exceptional circumstances. Even the Lebanese
penal code discriminates against women; evidence-gathering techniques and
penalties issued for some crimes are harsher on women than on their male
counterparts.
Evidently, as state party to the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) since 1997, Lebanon has yet to
“take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish
existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute
discrimination against women” in accordance with Article 2(f) of the Convention.
Electoral reforms
The parliamentary elections of June 2009 witnessed significant reforms compared
to previous ballots. Notably, the June polls were successfully conducted over
one day, indelible ink was used, and the easily-forged electoral ID was
substituted by the regular identification card.
Yet if Lebanon is to move closer to international standards of free and fair
elections, pending reforms should be introduced to the current electoral law.
These include instituting universal suffrage by granting military personnel of
various ranks the right to vote; lowering the voting age to 18 and enabling
absentee voting; adopting “temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de
facto equality between men and women” such as a women’s parliamentary quota in
line with Article 4(1) of CEDAW; adopting certified and standardized preprinted
ballots; allowing voting in place of residence and not only in place of birth;
and establishing and resourcing an independent electoral commission, among
others.
Refugees and domestic helpers
Many groups residing on Lebanese territory are discriminated against.
Palestinian refugees in particular are subject to this violation of rights. They
are banned from holding more than 40 occupations. They are also barred from
benefiting from public medical services as well as studying in public schools on
the pre-secondary level. In addition, the 2001 Law of Ownership of Real Estate
by Foreigners singles out Palestinians and prohibits them from owning property.
It is imperative not to confuse the political with the humanitarian in this
regard. While all Lebanese politically reject Palestinian naturalization, this
should not prohibit Palestinian refugees from benefitting from proper
infrastructure and basic human rights, pending the solution of their
predicament. Essentially, with the advancement of a two-state solution,
Palestinian refugees residing anywhere would ipso facto become citizens of the
newly-established Palestinian state in accordance with international law.
Manual workers and domestic helpers, mainly from African and Asian countries,
are subject to all forms of exploitation and have many of their rights denied,
placing them in an untenable position in which they do not benefit from any
legal protection. Of particular concern are the almost weekly suicides of mainly
African domestic helpers during the last quarter of 2009.
Lebanese detained in Syria and exiled to Israel
The status of hundreds of Lebanese citizens detained in Syrian prisons, in many
cases without any real trial, remains uncertain to date. These citizens were,
between 1976 and 2000, transferred outside their national borders in violation
of the 1949 Geneva Accord. While this matter has unfortunately been subject to
much political bickering and exploitation, one important issue needs to be
pointed out. The status of these “political” detainees should not be confused
with those Lebanese convicted of criminal offenses in Syria. It should also be
noted that while the authorities looked after the prisoners who had been held in
the Israeli occupied zone until 2000, those released from Syrian prisons were
completely ignored and remain marginalized to this date.
The status of thousands of Lebanese exiled to Israel since May of 2000 remains
equally unaddressed. The Lebanese penal code addresses cases of collaboration
with the enemy. However, its provisions do not apply in times of occupation.
Citizens in times of protracted occupations are lured, in way or another, to
work with the enemy in order to sustain themselves. Lebanese who lived in the
formerly-occupied southern zone and are currently exiled to Israel paid a heavy
price over three decades and are eager to rejoin their families and relatives in
Lebanon. Yet absent a political decision with legal ramifications that prevent
them from unfair trials, those exiled Lebanese will not return, especially as
several of their peers underwent unfair trials in the “special” military court.
In conclusion
One may plausibly argue that the chronic political crises with which Lebanon is
constantly grappling are standing in the way of addressing the abovementioned
shortcomings. Nevertheless, if equal human rights in their civil, political,
social and economic dimensions have been part of the problem in Lebanon’s
various crises, then they should also be part of the solution in any work toward
reform.
Jean-Pierre Katrib is a human rights activist and political analyst based in
Beirut.
Syria challenges the tribunal
Hanin Ghaddar, December 9, 2009
Now Lebanon/
Jamil as-Sayyed, the disgraced former head of Lebanon’s General Security,
announced on Monday that he had filed a lawsuit against 24 Lebanese individuals,
including government officials, accusing them of slander, falsifying testimonies
and depriving him of his freedom. An-Nahar daily reported that a Syrian court
issued summons against several Lebanese politicians, judges and journalists,
demanding that they stand trial in Syria.
Local media on Tuesday said the issue was being dealt with at the "highest
level" as Syria was considering revoking the warrants, which included those for
officials like former ministers Marwan Hamadeh, Charles Rizk and Hassan al-Sabaa;
former MP Elias Atallah; State Prosecutor Said Mirza and magistrates Saqr Saqr
and Elias Eid; in addition to former head of Lebanon's military intelligence
Johnny Abdu. However, An-Nahar reported Wednesday that Syria will not withdraw
the summons, insisting on separating the judiciary from politics.
The timing and the potential fallout of the incident cannot be ignored. Sayyed
made his announcement one day before the beginning of the three-day
parliamentary sessions prior to the vote of confidence for PM Saad Hariri’s
cabinet, and the latter’s scheduled trip to Damascus after the vote. It is a
visit that will be politically fraught despite the apparent thawing of relations
between the two countries following the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement and the
subsequent formation of the cabinet. Finally, the lawsuit was filed at the same
time as Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare’s visit to
Beirut and must be seen as an attempt to undermine the court by casting doubt on
the senior Lebanese officials. The message is very clear: there is another
judiciary ready to challenge not just international justice but the entire
Lebanese judicial, political and security systems.
It was reported that the warrants were issued to the Lebanese judiciary through
the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council, a humiliating tactic given that the council,
which was formed in the early 1990s under Syrian occupation and serves a wholly
Syrian agenda, is one of the few remnants of Damascus’ influence left in
Lebanon. According to the judiciary protocol agreed upon by the two countries in
1951, the warrants should have come via the Ministry of Justice. That they came
from the LSHC is a snub to the authority and independence of Lebanon’s state
institutions and a throwback to the days when Syria could arrest, detain and try
without the slightest regard for Lebanese legal process.
Damascus appears to be treating the Lebanese institutions as if they were still
under its control. In doing so it is also rehabilitating the standing of the
increasingly irrelevant Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council.
However, after a number of reports questioning the legality of the way these
warrants were delivered, the Syrian judiciary re-sent the summons through the
Syrian Embassy in Beirut.
Reactions were low key, but a number of March 14 politicians expressed their
displeasure over the summons, arguing that, given the fact that they target
advisors and officials close to PM Hariri, they are out of step with the current
supposed spirit of understanding between the two nations and undermine the
premier’s upcoming visit to Damascus, the itinerary of which has incensed the
regime. Essentially Hariri is positioning the visit as one stop among many – he
will also visit Riyadh and Copenhagen – and in doing so diluting its historical
significance. In addition, Hariri will be flying, rather than driving, to
Damascus, playing down the geographical proximity and all the political nuances
that go with it.
The legal slap in the face is most likely an indication that Damascus feels it
is owed more respect and perhaps was intended to put pressure on Hariri to
reconsider the topics slated for discussion and the members of his delegation,
or perhaps as leverage to influence future security, militarily and judiciary
appointments.
Hariri’s visit was always going to be a huge hurdle given the litany of
unresolved issues between the two states: border demarcation; the fate of the
Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons; the Shebaa Farms dispute; outdated, but
still valid bilateral agreements; and the presence of armed Palestinian groups
outside the refugee camps, to name but a few. But as far as Damascus is
concerned all these arguably pale – if not in their insignificance, then pretty
close to it – when set alongside the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is
investigating the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri and other politicians
since 2005. Hariri is probably going to stress his government’s support for the
tribunal during the visit.
Syrian and Lebanese opposition media have been working hard to discredit the
tribunal, namely because of fears that it will indict parties close to the
regime or the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Such a scenario would derail
Syrian efforts to end its isolation from the international community and sour
relations with Saudi Arabia, France and the US.
So far, it has been clear that no one can alter the course of the tribunal.
Therefore, no matter how many reconciliatory meetings take place or how much
influence Syria regains in Lebanon, the regime knows that an indictment would
turn everything upside down. Clearly the Syrians want to use Hariri’s visit to
influence the tribunal. They want the world to see it as a tacit admission by
Hariri that the Syrian regime had nothing to do with his father’s murder. The
events of earlier this week were a gentle reminder from the regime of what it
expects.
Can the Maronites reinvent themselves?
By Michael Young
/Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 10, 2009
In the shambles that is the Maronite leadership, Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has
over the years been a beacon on the matter of Lebanon’s sovereignty. His
inflexibility has served the country well, and this was demonstrated again in
the blunt remarks he made this week on Hizbullah’s weapons. However, Sfeir made
two other statements that showed that his inflexibility can be a double-edged
sword, and that Maronites may suffer in consequence. On Tuesday, both in Bkirki
and later on after visiting with President Michel Suleiman in Baabda, Sfeir
repeated that he did not see any possible coexistence between the state and
Hizbullah, or more precisely between a sovereign national army and Hizbullah’s
militia. Only a national army, he insisted, was entitled to defend the country.
“Is it possible that there be a regular army and another army outside the
legality [of the state] which one day points its weapons at the enemy, and the
other points them toward the interior?” Sfeir asked. The patriarch was only
stating the obvious, which political Lebanon, in its inimitable capacity to
sustain mirages, has been carefully ignoring as the government prepares a
Cabinet statement legitimizing the existence of Hizbullah’s arms. So loud are
the voices supporting counterfeit concord, that Sfeir is shouting in a desert.
Faced with the impossibility of disarming Hizbullah, the politicians are
justifying the party’s retaining its weapons, as if rationalizing an absurdity
could make it more reasonable. The patriarch abruptly tore the veneer away.
One could argue that Sfeir enjoys the luxury of criticism because he doesn’t
take the hard decisions. Yet there was much more to the patriarch during the
latter two decades of the Syrian interregnum than talk. Under considerable
threat during that time, isolated amid a craven political class at Syria’s beck
and call, Sfeir was the Maronites’ only real leader, a debt that his critics,
above all Michel Aoun, never acknowledged, so absorbed were they in their own
authority. The patriarch understood that omission could be as powerful as
action, and rejected Syrian invitations to Damascus, even as the
Syrian-dominated security services found ways to intimidate the church by
blackmailing its more corrupt and sensual clergymen.
But right after shattering the jar of complacency on Hizbullah, Sfeir was asked
about the abolition of political confessionalism. And here the patriarch fell
back into a disposition that showed why, for all his qualities, he is no
innovator. He, quite correctly, stated, “What is the advantage of abolishing
political confessionalism in [national] texts before doing so in [people’s]
minds, if everyone says ‘I’m a Maronite, or a Druze?’” And when asked about
Walid Jumblatt’s proposal for a communal rotation of the three presidencies,
Sfeir responded that he did not understand it.
Jumblatt’s proposal was intentionally ambiguous. Did the Druze leader mean that
all communities would benefit from being rotated into the three top posts in the
state, or that the rotation would occur between the Maronites, Sunnis, and
Shiites, who already hold those posts? The Taif Accord outlines the abolition of
confessionalism, but it does so in parallel with the establishment of a Senate
which would retain a sectarian breakdown, and which Jumblatt would like to see
led by a Druze.
Sfeir is not a politician, so his evasiveness was defensible. However, his
uneasy response showed he was still thinking, in a most conventional way, that
the Maronites’ final protection remains the presidency. It’s true,
confessionalism cannot be abolished in law before the outlook of the Lebanese is
transformed. However, that line of reasoning is self-reinforcing. Unless you
abolish confessionalism institutionally somewhere, unless you change laws
somewhere, nothing will ever alter the confessional mindset. But what is needed
is a gradual, self-sustaining process of change, where you modify texts to help
modify minds, in a way that those who feel most threatened by such change find
simultaneous compensations, institutional or otherwise, elsewhere.
Take the Senate. Regardless of whether it is headed by a Druze or not, such a
body would be a valuable corresponding institution to a deconfessionalized
Parliament, and according to Article 22 of the Constitution should address
“major national issues.” The aim of a Senate would be to reassure those expected
to lose most from deconfessionalization, namely the Christians, who continue to
benefit from a 50-50 ratio in the legislature even though they make up less than
that in the population. Sooner or later Christians will face challenges to the
ratio. Better for them to negotiate a new formula from a position of strength
than to obstinately defend a system that, if Sunnis and Shiites ever reach
agreement, may be forcibly overturned in their disfavor. What of Jumblatt’s
rotation plan? Sfeir’s mistake, and that of many Christians, is to read too much
into a Maronite presidency, whose powers have been depleted. In fact, the
presidency has brought only woe to the community. Competition for the post has
divided Maronites in a way the prime ministership and speakership of Parliament
have not Sunnis and Shiites. The powers of the president are by and large less
proactive than those of his Muslim partners. Therefore, why remain so unyielding
toward a plan that would give Maronites a taste of political positions often
more effective than the presidency, thereby offering them a chance to transcend
their sense of communal decline; a plan, also, that might rejuvenate the
political order by creating more frequent openings for fresh leaders? The
symbolism of being head of state is important to Maronites, but it is also an
illusion. The presidency has power, but on a day-to-day basis, in the
formulation of long-term policy, its latitude is more limited. Instead of
resisting this, the patriarch, like all Christians, should consider new ways his
community can reinvent itself in a Lebanon that is changing rapidly, where
Christian irrelevance is, alas, becoming ever more flagrant.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Sectarianism, Hizbullah's arms top debate at Parliament
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 10, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanese MPs held a second day of debate on Wednesday on the cabinet’s
policy statement, with opposition lawmakers underlining the need to adopt
consensual democracy as the basis of Lebanon’s political regime. Meanwhile,
majority MPs criticized article six of the statement, stressing that clauses
relating to security issues in the Taif Accord were more pressing than the
abolishment of political sectarianism. Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi said the new
national unity cabinet was in accordance with constitutional norms and the Taif
Accord given its embracement of all Lebanese factions based on the national
coexistence pact. “This cabinet is the rule rather than an exception since it is
in accordance with the Taif resolutions,” Moussawi said in response to
statements by several majority figures, who had argued that a cabinet embracing
the majority and opposition contradicted democratic principles.
Moussawi called on Prime Minister Saad Hariri to discuss during his visit to
Syria military cooperation between both countries among other issues. He also
stressed that such collaboration would promote bilateral ties in face of
continued Israeli aggressions. Similarly, FPM MP Hikmat Dib stressed that
consensual democracy was the basis of the national coexistence pact, while
highlighting his party’s success at securing a better Christian representation
in the Cabinet.
However, Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz said opposition groups had forced their
conditions upon the majority, thereby abolishing the outcome of the June 7
elections and contravening the principles of consensual democracy. Meanwhile,
Future Movement MP Nuhad Mashnouq stressed that the Doha agreement had resulted
in an exceptional political compromise that led to the adoption of consensual
democracy but did not constitute a constitutional convention. Keyrouz added that
Hizbullah’s weapons were a source of dispute among the Lebanese as the party’s
possession of arms was no longer justified after the liberation of most occupied
Lebanese territories in 2000. Echoing March 14 Christian MPs, Future Movement MP
Ahmad Fatfat said article six of the ministerial statement established a duality
within the state’s security institutions and was rejected by a large number of
the Lebanese since the clause weakens the state’s authority. Article six of the
policy statement stresses Lebanon’s right by means of its people, army and
resistance to liberate its occupied territories and defend the country against
all aggressions in all available and legitimate means. Mashnouq also emphasized
the need to reach an agreement over a national defense strategy that
incorporates the resistance into the framework of the state in order to
strengthen it. “The incorporation of a resistance within the framework of the
state would strengthen the latter since a major cause of the state’s weakness is
not caused only by corruption or divisions in its administration but rather
because it adopts a political decision to confront Israel even if only in the
case of self defense without the necessary equipment or army number,” Mashnouq
said. Tackling the issue of aboloshing political sectarianism, Kayrouz said that
it was necessary to first implement pressing articles in the Taif Accord which
related to security issues such as disarming all Lebanese and non-Lebanese
militias, a reference to Hizbullah and armed Palestinian groups.
In related news, Phalange MP Sami Gemayel said after a meeting with Maronite
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir that his party has not yet decided whether to grant
the cabinet the vote of confidence. However, Gemayel added that the government
would definitely receive a number of votes exceeding the number of the
majority’s MPs.
Israel, Lebanon spring war unlikely
Analysts say conditions for conflict hinge on iran, foreign support
By Michael Bluhm/Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Analysis
BEIRUT: Israel will probably not launch any attack on Lebanon next spring,
despite the latest incendiary rhetoric from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and widespread speculation in Lebanon about a looming conflict, a
number of analysts told The Daily Star on Wednesday. Netanyahu Monday said
Hizbullah had become Lebanon’s “real army,” as well as so interwoven with the
Lebanese state that the whole country would suffer the consequences of any
Hizbullah aggression against Israel.
Rumors have also been circulating that Israel would strike the Iranian-backed
Hizbullah preemptively next spring, ahead of an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites,
as negotiations faltered between Tehran and the West over Iran’s disputed
nuclear program, the analysts said.
In the US, meanwhile, 31 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter
to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushing for greater efforts to disarm
Hizbullah, in order to “clear southern Lebanon of Iranian weapons.”
The analysts said, however, that such a preemptive onslaught was unlikely,
because Israel could not pounce upon Hizbullah or Lebanon without due cause,
thanks to the presence of some 13,000 international peacekeepers in south
Lebanon.
Hizbullah, at this point, does not want to do anything to provoke Israel, after
the destruction Israel wrought on Lebanon in the summer 2006 war, said Habib
Malik, who teaches history at the Lebanese American University and is the son of
Charles Malik, one of modern Lebanon’s founders and the co-author of the UN
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“I don’t see Hizbullah wanting a conflict – I see them doing their best to avoid
one,” he said.
Netanyahu’s comments did not presage a confrontation, but amounted merely to
“saber-rattling and bluster,” another variation on Israel’s oft-repeated message
to Hizbullah to keep the situation calm in South Lebanon, he added.
“The Israelis are pretty happy to have a quiet northern border,” Malik said.
Netanyahu’s remarks also represent the prime minister’s attempts to shape the
regional environment for all of the potential scenarios that could unspool from
the US-Iran showdown over Tehran’s nuclear program, said retired General Elias
Hanna, who teaches political science at Notre Dame University.
With the numerous variables involved in the regional dynamic – including the US
engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan – Lebanon’s future security situation
depends largely on how all of these strands evolve in the coming months, he
added.
Above all, Israel is not readying another conflict with Iran’s proxies in
Hizbullah because negotiations between the West and Tehran have not yet
collapsed, despite Iran’s apparent refusal of a proposal to ship some of its
uranium abroad for further enrichment, Hanna said. “Diplomacy didn’t die yet,”
he added.
Even if the talks should fail, a number of intermediate steps would have to
precede any Israeli military option, whether against Iran or Lebanon, Malik
said. Such steps could include another round of international sanctions against
Tehran or a blockade on imports of refined fuel to the Islamic republic, he
added. “All of this is not going to be done or completed by next spring,” Malik
said. In addition, three of the world’s most powerful nations – the US, Russia
and China – have not given indications that they favor military action against
Iran soon, Malik said.
Furthermore, even the United States’ closest allies in Europe have shown little
willingness to increase their military commitments in Afghanistan, much less
support a new conflict in the Middle East, said Raghid al-Solh, adviser to the
Issam Fares Center, a non-partisan think tank.
“It’s very obvious that the Europeans are not in the mood for expanding their
military interference,” Solh said, adding that the regional and local “motors”
were lacking for conflict in Lebanon. “There’s a limited possibility of such
conflict,” he said. The US would not likely attack Iran or approve any Israeli
ambush because of the certain retaliation against US troops in neighboring Iraq
and Afghanistan, as well as the probable worsening of the situation in wobbly
Pakistan, Solh said.
“I doubt very much that there will be any kind of attack on Iran,” he said. The
US “is very much entangled in Afghanistan and even in Iraq. Their main priority
is to get out from Iraq and then stabilize Afghanistan.” Drawing down troops in
Iraq and improving security in Afghanistan would give the US a freer hand for
the long term vis a vis Iran, so the coordinated car bombings in Baghdad on
Tuesday can be read as part of campaign to prevent Washington from extricating
its soldiers from Iraq, Hanna said.
For the situation to ripen for an attack on Iran – whether undertaken by the US
or Israel – and a possible concomitant offensive against Lebanon, many of these
variables would have to fall into line, such as the withdrawal from Iraq,
stabilization in Afghanistan and the collapse of diplomatic efforts with Iran,
Hanna added. Other than provocation from Hizbullah, the only scenario allowing
for war in Lebanon would require some sort of attack on Iran, followed by
retribution taken against Israel by Hizbullah – and then Israel could unleash a
full-fledged conflict with Lebanon, certain to outstrip the scope of the summer
2006 war, Hanna said. “Hizbullah cannot not retaliate if Iran is attacked,” he
said. “If [the Israelis] go to Iran and Hizbullah attacks, at this time they
will have the casus belli.”
Sultan
Yaqoub Explosion Remains Mysterious, Military Source: Lebanese Army Has No
Access to Area
Naharnet/An explosion overnight Tuesday in the Bekaa Valley town of Sultan
Yaqoub which embraces a military base belonging to Ahmed Jibril's PFLP-GC
remains mysterious due to the inability of Lebanese authorities to carry our
necessary investigations. A Lebanese military source said the army has no access
to Sultan Yaqoub since it falls within what he called the "Qossaya site" in the
Bekaa which is controlled by armed Palestinian factions. He acknowledged,
however, that the Lebanese army has checkpoints and positions on roads leading
to the area "and we carefully check the identity of people entering Sultan
Yaqoub." "But we cannot prevent the presence of Palestinian arms outside the
camps in that region," the military source said in remarks published Thursday by
pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat. "The reason for that is that the group has direct link
with Syria to the east," he explained. "Therefore, we have no control over arms
transfer into the area." He said Lebanese soldiers "often hear explosions and
the bust of machine gun fire, but we can do nothing about it." Commenting on the
blast that echoed late Tuesday across Sultan Yaqoub, the source said the
explosion was believed to be a landmine explosion in the vicinity of Jibril's
training camp "where the group is thought to plant landmines every night."
Commander of the PFLP-GC in Lebanon Imad Ramez told Al-Sharq al-Awsat he was
"surprised" by the talk of an explosion at the group's headquarters in Sultan
Yaqoub. In response to a question, Ramez said: "These bases are known to belong
to the PFLP-GC. The Lebanese army has outposts on the outskirts." He said there
was "constant coordination and cooperation" between his group and the Lebanese
army on issues of Palestinian concern. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 07:59
Justice Ministry to Deal with Syrian Warrants 'Legally'
Naharnet/A judicial source said Syrian warrants demanding that a number of
Lebanese officials as well as journalists appear in a Damascus court to be
questioned over a lawsuit filed by Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed were carried out in
"clear violation" of the law and norms. "In this case, the warrants should be
returned," the source told al-Mustaqbal daily in remarks published Thursday. The
Justice Ministry, meanwhile, issued a statement announcing that it will deal
with the warrants "legally." The ministry "will consider this judicial issue and
deal with it legally," said the statement, released Thursday. It said the
justice ministry will take an "appropriate, legal stance on the matter." An-Nahar
daily said the Justice Ministry's Legislation and Consultation Committee also
was examining the warrants and was likely to give an opinion later Thursday
Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 09:00
Sharaa: Accusations against Syria of Hariri Crime Backfired on Them
Naharnet/Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said accusations by many against
Syria saying it stands behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Assassination have
"backfired on them." He told a Progressive National Front meeting in Damascus on
Wednesday that Syria has succeeded in overcoming "all the crises that hit it
since 2003." He expressed hope that formation of a Lebanese national unity
government would "open the way to build a positive Syrian-Lebanese
relationship." Sharaa pointed out that Syria has worked to fill the "strategic
vacuum" after the war on Iraq by strengthening ties with Iran and establishing a
strategic relationship with Turkey. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 08:35
U.N.: No Modification of UNIFIL's Mandate Despite Presence of Arms
Naharnet/Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy said
Wednesday that he did not expect any modification of UNIFIL's mandate despite
the presence of weapons in its area of operations. During a press conference
held in New York along with Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Susana
Malcorra, Le Roy said that he was not requesting any modification of the U.N.
peacekeepers' mission in south Lebanon. He told reporters that UNIFIL's main
challenges remained maintaining security and pressing ahead with the search for
weapons, with the cooperation of the Lebanese army. While there had been
sporadic incidents in southern Lebanon, he said that, since 2006, there had not
been a single casualty along the U.N.-drawn Blue Line. In addition, the Lebanese
army was now fully established south of the Litani River, Le Roy told reporters.
He also noted that UNIFIL's withdrawal plan for the border village of Ghajar had
been accepted by the Lebanese government and he believed that Israel was
seriously debating the plan. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 09:03
Assad to Aoun: You Deserve Credit for Presidential Election, Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly told visiting Free
Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun that he deserves credit for two major
accomplishments – Lebanese presidential election and formation of a national
unity government. The daily As-Safir on Thursday said Assad told Aoun during a
meeting between the two men in Damascus on Wednesday that he appreciates the
"big national role" the FPM leader played in achieving national Lebanese unity
and getting Lebanon out of both the Presidential and Cabinet conflicts.
Ad-Diyar newspaper, for its part, said Aoun briefed Assad on his recent visit to
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and the bishops and the assurances he gave
them regarding resistance weapons. It said Aoun asked Assad to invite him the
Patriarch and the Maronite bishops to Syria so that they could "personally hear
"assurances from the Syrian president regarding the region. Ad-Diyar said Aoun
was trying to prepare for a meeting between Sfeir and Syrian officials to hear
assurances from them concerning Hizbullah arms. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 12:15
Aoun: My Visit to Damascus Not Related to Visit of Any Other Official
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed
that in contrary to "some who were persistent in visiting Damascus for long
years", he did not visit Damascus to target anyone or to discuss tight
interests, but "to discuss what is in the interest of the two countries." Aoun
was being interviewed over the phone by Al Manar TV network. In another phone
call with his party's OTV network, he expressed his deep relief over the
conducted visit. FPM leader told OTV that he had been already planning to make
his visit, but the "generous invitation" of President Bashar Assad preceded his
plans. He added that Wednesday's visit coincided with the anniversary of his
first "historic" visit to Damascus. Aoun added that he went to Damascus in order
to demonstrate the events of one full year, and to discuss the external
challenges facing both Lebanon and Syria "especially after the latest Israeli
threats." He also said that his visit aimed to express welcoming and relief over
the track of inter-Arab reconciliations, "a track parallel to that initiated in
Beirut." Answering a question on whether his visit was related to any other
visits, Aoun denied the relation between his visit to Damascus and the timing of
the visit of any other Lebanese or non-Lebanese official. "PM Saad Hariri's
visit to Syria has become a declared thing, and is being prepared by those
directly concerned with the subject," added Aoun. Earlier, Syrian
President Bashar Assad saluted "the national role played by Free Patriotic
Movement leader Michel Aoun in the Lebanese political scene" after a summit that
gathered them at the People's palace on Wednesday, Syria's state-run news
agency, SANA, reported.
SANA added that Assad "expressed admiration during the meeting for the national
role played by General Aoun in the Lebanese political scene which favors the
interest of Lebanon before anything else."According to the Syrian agency, Assad
also hailed Aoun's "struggle to fortify national unity and his continuous
support for establishing good and firm relations between the two brotherly
countries." On his part, Aoun expressed his "deep admiration for the stances of
the Syrian president toward Lebanon and his support for all of what the Lebanese
agree on, as well as for the Syrian leadership's keenness on anything that
preserves the unity, independence, and sovereignty of Lebanon."
The summit discussed the positive atmospheres currently dominating in Lebanon,
especially the formation of the national unity government and the developing
Syrian-Lebanese relations, according to SANA. The two leaders also discussed the
latest regional and international developments and the importance of
coordination among the neighboring countries of the region in order to safeguard
the Arab rights. After the meeting, the Syrian president hosted lunch in honor
of Aoun, the Syrian news agency said. LBC TV network reported that the Syrian
president had sent a private jet to take Aoun to Damascus, accompanied by former
minister Michel Samaha and a delegation from FPM. Aoun returned to Beirut
shortly after his trip to Damascus that lasted only a few hours. Aoun traveled
to Syria in December last year. During his visit to Damascus exactly a year ago,
the MP predicted a bright future for ties between Lebanon and Syria. Beirut, 09
Dec 09, 21:54
U.S. Guidelines: Individuals with Lebanese Passports Should be Given Additional
Screening
Naharnet/Five U.S. Transportation Security Administration employees have been
placed on administrative leave since it was discovered that sensitive guidelines
about airport passenger screening were posted on the Internet. Along with other
information, the document says individuals from several countries, inducing
Lebanon, should be given additional screening.
Assistant Homeland Security secretary David Heyman told senators Wednesday that
a full investigation into the Internet security lapse is under way and the TSA
employees have been taken off duty pending the results of that probe. The
Homeland Security Department has also stopped posting documents with security
information either in full or in part on the Internet until the TSA review is
complete, Heyman said. "Even what appeared to be an innocent posting to help
federal contractors can have serious consequences for our security," Sen. Susan
Collins, a Republican, said Wednesday. Heyman said he did not know who at TSA
approved the document going on the Web. The TSA removed the document from the
Internet on Sunday after the lapse was reported on a blog. Among many sensitive
sections, the document outlines who is exempt from certain additional screening
measures, including members of the U.S. armed forces, governors and lieutenant
governors, the mayor of Washington and their immediate families.
It also offers examples of identification documents that screeners accept,
including congressional, federal air marshal and CIA ID cards; and it explains
that diplomatic pouches and certain foreign dignitaries with law enforcement
escorts are not subjected to any screening at all. It said certain methods of
verifying identification documents aren't used on all travelers during peak
travel crushes. TSA said the document is now outdated. It was posted in March by
TSA on the Federal Business Opportunity site. The posting was improper because
sensitive information was not properly protected, TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee
said. Noting that the transportation agency uses multiple layers of security,
Lee said, "TSA is confident that screening procedures currently in place remain
strong." The document also describes these screening protocols: Individuals with
a passport from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan,
Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, or Algeria, should be given additional screening
unless there are specific instructions not to. Former TSA Administrator Kip
Hawley said the document is not something a security agency would want to
inadvertently post online, but he said it's not a road map for terrorists.
"Hyperventilating that this is a breach of security that's going to endanger the
public is flat wrong," Hawley said.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 10:00
Madrid: Spanish General to Replace Graziano in January
Naharnet/A Spanish general will next month take charge of the 12,000-strong
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the defense ministry in Madrid
said Wednesday.
General Alberto Asarta Cuevas was nominated by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
it said in a statement. He will replace Italy's Claudio Graziano who has held
the post for the past three years. "It is expected that General Asarta will
assume his post on January 28," the statement said. UNIFIL now has 12,341
soldiers from 29 nations. It was set up in 1978 to monitor the border between
Israel and southern Lebanon and was considerably beefed up in the wake of the
2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah. Spain has 1,100 soldiers in the force,
making it the fourth largest UNIFIL troop contingent. France is the largest
single contributor. Spain will hold the rotating presidency of the European
Union during the first half of 2010, and political analysts say Madrid is keen
to take control of UNIFIL in order to raise its Middle East profile.(AFP)
Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 07:41
Italian Court Upholds Sea Tragedy Sentence against Lebanese Captain
Naharnet/Italy's highest appeals court on Wednesday upheld a 30-year jail
sentence against a Lebanese sea captain over his role in the deaths of 283
migrants in a Mediterranean tragedy 13 years ago.Italy's domestic ANSA news
agency said the Court of Cassation confirmed the jail sentence given to Youssef
el-Hallal, captain of the boat Yohan, thus upholding an appeal court ruling from
April 9 last year. The captain, who is currently at large outside Italy, was
involved in an attempt to smuggle some 400 migrants from Pakistan, India and Sri
Lanka between Malta and Sicily on December 26, 1996. The migrants were
transferred at sea from the Yohan to a second vessel, the Natale. But when that
ship began to take on water, it called the Yohan to come to its aid. Only some
migrants were saved, as no call for help was sent to other ships in the
vicinity. Besides statements from the survivors, Italian investigators used
parts of the shipwreck, which was discovered some years later, to pursue the
owners of the vessels and their captains.(AFP) Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 07:50
Parliament Resumes Vote of Confidence Sessions, Hizbullah Arms Top Debate Issue
Naharnet/The Parliament resumed at 6:00pm of Wednesday's evening the sessions
dedicated to a debate on a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Saad Hariri and
his 30-member Cabinet.
The first to speak in the evening session was Development and Liberation bloc's
MP Ali Bazzi who hailed "the role of the resistance and its sacrifices". He
stressed that those who objected on abolishing political sectarianism will not
find refuge except in renouncing "their sectarianism." On his part, Mustaqbal
bloc's MP Qassem Abdul Aziz said: "The grace period is over and the government
has to start work." Wednesday morning's session had witnessed a high tone
debating Hizbullah's arms and the sixth article of the ministerial Policy
Statement, better known now as "resistance article." MP Nawwaf al-Mussawi
answered Hizbullah's criticizers by saying: "How can the government face Israeli
air space violations? By asking it not to legitimize the resistance and by
fiercely objecting on article six?" Al-Mussawi counted "the resistance
achievements" against Israel since 1983, and added: "All the forces of evil on
earth could not eradicate the resistance from the battlefield, and no one will
be able to eradicate it neither from history nor from the statement."
MP Nadim Gemayel considered that Hizbullah's arms undermine internal balance,
democracy, and coexistence. As for MP Nohad al-Mashnouq from Lebanon First bloc
headed by Hariri, he raised questions about "the role of arms in civil and
political life", demanding to have the resistance role under the authority of
the State.
Lebanese Forces bloc's MP Elie Kayrouz said that Hizbullah's arms issue became a
"controversial issue among the Lebanese with no basis in the Constitution."
MP Ali Ammar interrupted his colleague, Elie Kayrouz, as he spoke, demanding to
delete any mention of Hizbullah from parliamentary session minutes.
He called on Speaker Nabih Berri to "delete any mention of Hizbullah …in
accordance with Article 76 of the inner system." Ammar criticized lawmakers from
the majority March 14 coalition, saying their speeches were "similar to those
delivered by leaders of the Israeli enemy." Wednesday sessions also witnessed
speeches made by MPs Ibrahim Kanaan, Samer Saade, Khaled Zahraman, Mohammed al-Hajjar,
Hekmat Deeb, Tony Abu Khater, Qassem Hashem, Hadi Hbeish, Khaled al-Daher, Amin
Wehbi, Ghazi Zoaiter, Youssef Khalil, Fadi al-Awar, Joseph Maalouf, and Naji
Gharious. Beirut, 09 Dec 09, 19:19
Qabalan to Sfeir: We Are the Main Shield of Preserving Maronites in Lebanon
Naharnet/Deputy Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir
Qabalan commented on the latest stances of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir
regarding Hizbullah and the Lebanese army. Qabalan on Wednesday addressed Sfeir
by saying: "The army and the resistance were born from the womb of the nation,
and we do not differentiate between the resistance and the army because the army
aims to protect Lebanon and the resistance aims to protect Lebanon, and they are
two work teams that complete each other and work to safeguard the country and
its people." "We are in the service of Lebanon and we are the main shield of
preserving Maronites in Lebanon. Therefore, fears from the resistance are of
non-Lebanese manufacturing, and we, as Lebanese, have to combine our hands
together in order to protect the country, especially that our only enemy is
Israel," added Qabalan.
The Shiite leader continued by saying: "We want the master of Bkirki to embrace
all of the Lebanese and not to be against the resistance, but to preserve it --
because the resistance is a brigade of the army's brigades and it was found to
protect Lebanon and it is a shield that protects the country, the resistance
defends all of Lebanon." Qabalan asked opinion leaders to submit their
suggestions about "another mean of defending Lebanon other than the resistance
and the army", especially that Lebanon "has suffered Israel's aggressions for
more than 60 years without being protected by anyone." The Shiite religious
leader addressed Patriarch Sfeir by saying: "We are Lebanese since the ancient
times and have stood in defiance of Israeli aggressions since 1948. We have
endured in our land and have not hesitated to defend our country, the resistance
was found for that. We love Lebanon honestly and we are among Bkirki's
defenders." "Our hands will remain stretched for all the Lebanese to defend
Lebanon and the resistance is the long arm and the drawn sword to defend
Lebanon. The young men of the resistance do not fear Israel because they have
put death behind their backs to defend Lebanon," added Qabalan. Beirut, 09 Dec
09, 20:47
Sami
Gemayel after Visiting Franjieh: Steady in Our Stances, Open toward All Parties
Naharnet/MP Sami Gemayel said that the inter-Christian dialogue is the basis for
the comprehensive Lebanese reconciliation and the pillar for building the
Lebanese State.
After his visit to MP Suleiman Franjieh in Rabiyeh, Gemayel said: "One has to be
honest with himself, and the political stance has to be honest and stemming from
one's belief. However, that does not prevent personal relations, mutual respect,
and permanent dialogue because no one wants to boycott the other." "Phalange
Party is steady in its stances and open toward all political forces," added
Gemayel. Answering a question on MP Michel Aoun's visit to Syria on Wednesday,
Gemayel said: "May God watch over harmony on all levels." Beirut, 09 Dec 09,
21:17
Shaaban: No Specific Date Yet for Hariri's Visit to Syria
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad's political and media advisor Buthaina
Shaaban said that "the date for the visit of Lebanese PM Saad Hariri to Syria
has not been set yet."In a chat with reporters Wednesday, Shaaban said that "the
meeting that gathered Assad to the Head of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun
in Damascus had discussed regional situations and how to activate the roles of
Lebanon and Syria in the region." "Aoun worked in favor of forming the Lebanese
government," added Shaaban. Shaaban stressed that "the security of Syria and its
stability stem from Lebanon's security and stability", and added that "the
judicial warrants issued from Damascus against Lebanese officials were due to a
personal lawsuit filed by Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, and the Syrian authorities
have nothing to do with that." Beirut, 09 Dec 09, 17:46
Suleiman: 'Right of Return' for Palestinians Gateway to Any Peace Settlement
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman reiterated the Lebanese stance opposing to
the settling of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and stressed that giving the
Palestinian refugees their rights, topped by the "right of return", was the
correct gateway toward any comprehensive, just, and permanent peaceful solution
in the region. Suleiman told his visitors on Wednesday that the refugees topic
constitutes a main issue of the issues to be discussed with U.S. President
Barrack Obama during visit to Washington this weekend. "The threats uttered by
Israel's PM against Lebanon, in addition to sea and land breaches, and spy
networks are what consist a clear violation to Resolution 1701, the thing that
clearly contradicts with related international resolutions," said Suleiman to
his visitors. The president stressed that the south of Litani area is enjoying
security and stability through the deployment of Lebanese Army and UNIFIL and
their ongoing cooperation. Beirut, 09 Dec 09, 17:25
Bellemare Visits Victims' Families, Says Probe Making Progress
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has visited
the families of four victims who lost their lives in terrorist attacks in
Lebanon, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. The prosecutor paid
separate visits to Samir Antoine Chikhani and Noha Emile Azar, the parents of
Charles Chikhani who was killed in the bombing that targeted MP Antoine Ghanem
on September 19, 2009. Bellemare also visited Aida Eido, the widow of MP Walid
Eido, and his sons, Zaher and Mazen Eido. Eido was killed with his son Khaled in
a targeted attack on June 13, 2007. The prosecutor paid a visit to Abdelhakim
al-Ghalayini, the brother of Abdul Hamid Mohamed al-Ghalayini, who was one of
the victims of the bombing on February 14, 2005 that targeted former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. Furthermore, Bellemare visited Laudy al-Hajj, the widow
of Maj. Gen. François al-Hajj and his son and daughter, Elie and Rasha al-Hajj.
Al-Hajj was killed in a targeted attack on December 12, 2007. "The visit of the
prosecutor is part of a standing outreach program he established during his
tenure as Head of the United Nations International Independent Investigation
Commission that involves regular visits by investigators to surviving victims
and the families of the victims," the statement, which was released on Tuesday,
said. "I apologize to the aggrieved families of the victims whom I could not
meet during my short visit. I would have loved to meet personally with all the
victims' families and the victims who survived and I intend to meet as many of
them as possible during my next visits because all victims matter equally
regardless of status, position, rank or any other consideration," the prosecutor
told the families he met. He further stated: "The victims and their families are
the reason why the Tribunal was established and for my team and I, you are not
'cases' or 'files'." "I can assure you that we are making progress and that I am
very optimistic. I sincerely wish I could tell you more about the reasons for my
optimism but unfortunately I cannot because I do not want to give away any
information, or even a hint, that could tip off those we are after," the
prosecutor told the families.
Furthermore, he urged the families of the victims to uphold their faith in
justice and their confidence in the independence, integrity and professionalism
of the tribunal and the ongoing investigation. Beirut, 09 Dec 09, 13:24
US surge
plays into Taliban hands
By Walid Phares
Asia times
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KL11Df03.html
Now that we know the Barack Obama administration's new
strategy for Afghanistan, what will be the Taliban's strategy against the United
States? How will the Taliban and al-Qaeda war room counter the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Afghan government forces based on Obama's
battle plan, which includes a surge in 30,000 troops?
In order to predict how the two strategies will clash, and assess the accuracy
of present US policies in that part of the world, such a question is warranted.
Strategic perceptions
The jihadi war room is now aware that the administration has narrowed its scope
to defeat the so-called al-Qaeda organization, limiting its goal to depriving
the Taliban from achieving full victory - ie depriving them of "the momentum".
In strategic wording, this
means that the administration won't give the time and the means, let alone the
necessary long-term commitment, to fully defeat the Taliban as a militia and
militant network.
The jihadi strategists now understand that Washington's advisers still recommend
talking to the Taliban, the entire Taliban, but only after the latter feels weak
and pushed back enough to seek such talks. Underneath this perception, the
Salafi Islamists' analysts realize that present American analysis concludes that
al-Qaeda and the Taliban are two different things, and that it is possible to
defeat the first and eventually engage the second.
Such a jihadi understanding of the US's defective perceptions will give the
Taliban and al-Qaeda a first advantage: knowing that your enemy, the United
States, isn't seeing you as you really are.
Strategic engagement
The US has reconfirmed that the goal of the mission in Afghanistan is to destroy
al-Qaeda and train the Afghan armed forces, but not to engage in
nation-building. Unlike previous American commitments, which weren't very
successful anyway, the current strategy officially ignores the ideological
battle.
Hence the Taliban understand that their lifeline to further recruitment based on
madrassa (seminary) graduates is wide open. Washington's efforts and dollars
won't touch the ideological factory of jihadism, which is the strategic depth of
the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Hence, the jihadi network in Afghanistan will continue and further develop its
indoctrination structures, untouched and unbothered by American military
escalation. US Marines and other NATO allies will be fighting today's Taliban,
while tomorrow's jihadis will be receiving their instruction in full
tranquility.
By the time the US deadline to withdraw is reached, in 2011, 2012 or even
beyond, the future forces of the enemy will be ready to be deployed. One wave of
terrorists will be weakened by the action of the US and NATO armed forces, while
the next wave will be prepared to take over later.
Deadly deadline
The administration's plan included a timeline for withdrawal from Afghanistan
(although reinterpreted as the beginning of withdrawal). Basing their assessment
on the notion of "no open-ended engagement", the shapers of the new Afghanistan
strategy have told the enemy's war room on camera that America's time in
Afghanistan is until 2013 maximum, after which it will be Taliban time again.
As many analysts have concluded, all the jihadis war planners have to do is to
wait out the hurricane of escalation. The deadly deadline proposed in the
strategy has no precedent in the history of confrontation with totalitarian
forces. The Taliban have already waited out eight years; what are two, three or
eight more years, if the US-led coalition's action is not qualitatively (not
just quantitatively) different?
A surge to the exit
As presented to the Afghan people, the administration's new plan for the
battlefield is seen as a last surge before the general exit of the country. The
Taliban's war room has understood the equation. Thirty thousand more US troops
will deploy with their heavy equipment, backed by another 5,000 to 10,000 allied
forces. Offensives will take place in southern Helmand province and other areas.
Special forces will move to multiple places and shelling will harass the
Islamist militias for as long as two years or more.
The Taliban will incur losses and al-Qaeda's operatives will be put under
heavier pressure: all that is noted in Taliban leader Mullah Omar's book and
saved on the laptop of al-Qaeda's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Then what?
Then the time for exit arrives, and US and NATO forces begin their withdrawal.
When that happens, the surviving Taliban, plus the new wave just graduating from
madrassas, or the jihadi volunteers sent from the four corners of the virtual
"caliphate", will have a choice to make: either they will accept the US
negotiators' offer to join the Afghan government or - depending on their
assessment then - reject the offer and shell the "infidel troops" as they pull
out.
In a nutshell, the new strategy is convenient to the Taliban war room: they now
can figure it all out until the Mayan year of 2012 - and way beyond.
All that it takes for democracies to offer the totalitarians victories is to not
understand the latter's long-term goals. And the US has just done that, so far.
**Dr Walid Phares is director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies and author of The Confrontation: Winning the War
against Future Jihad.
(Copyright 2009 Walid Phares.)