LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 12/09
Bible Reading of the day
Paul's Letter to the Galatians/1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of
God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I
wouldn’t be a servant of Christ
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Aoun
in Damascus: I am Syria’s favorite/Future News/December
11/09
Appointment in Damascus/By: Michael
Young/ December
11/09
The last chance saloon/By The Daily Star/December
11/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 11/09
NBP: Politicians placed Lebanon
under Hizbullah’s mandate/Future
News
Hariri Government Wins
Parliament Vote of Confidence/Naharnet
Hariri's Cabinet wins record
number of confidence votes/Daily
Star
Hariri makes statement following
three-day parliamentary session on Thursday/Now Lebanon
Sami Gemayel: 6th Clause is Illegal, Tells Hizbullah
it Can't Impose its Ideas on its Foes/Naharnet
Israeli Army Simulates
Combat Scenarios against Syria, Hizbullah/Naharnet
Ghajar Residents Protest Town's
Division, Referendum Law Hampers Pullout from Shabaa
Gemayel: Our Trust in
Hariri is Immense, But We Reject 'Arms Article'/Naharnet
Alain Aoun: the “General” didn’t
complain about Berry in Damascus/Future News
Four reasons make Syrian “summons”
illegal/Now Lebanon
Gemayel: utter confidence in
Premier Hariri/Now Lebanon
Fattoush Votes 'No
Confidence', Slams Hariri, March 14/Naharnet
Syrian Former Political
Prisoners Demand in Beirut to Halt Torture in Syrian Prisons/Naharnet
Suleiman Urges
International Community to Pressure Israel/Naharnet
Abu Jamra: Aoun Violated
FPM Rules of Procedure by Nominating Non-FPM Ministers/Naharnet
Sultan Yaqoub Explosion
Remains Mysterious, Military Source: Lebanese Army Has No Access to Area/Naharnet
Justice Ministry to Deal
with Syrian Warrants 'Legally'/Naharnet
Bellemare cites progress in
Hariri murder case/Daily
Star/Daily Star
Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia soon/Now
Lebanon
Fayyad says Gemayel’s speech in
parliament is positive/Now Lebanon
Israeli official says Turkey
thwarted Hizbullah attack - Haaretz
Hamade denounces Sayyed's
'theatrical' Syrian lawsuit/Daily
Star
Lieberman indicates imminent
withdrawal from north Ghajar/Daily
Star
Real economy shrinking in Lebanon,
Jordan/Daily
Star
Lebanese University launches
courses in forest-fire management/Daily
Star
Islamist sleeper cells 'operating' in Ain al-Hilweh/AFP
Bookstore draws on biblical
inspiration to preserve culture of Beirut/Daily
Star
Men brought on board in efforts to
fight gender violence/Daily
Star
Lebanon prevents science ship from
studying marine ecosystem/Daily
Star
Hariri Government Wins Parliament Vote of Confidence
/Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his 30-member Government won the
Parliament's vote of confidence with the majority of 122 votes out of possible
128.
The sixth and final session of debate on a vote of confidence kicked off at
6:00pm of Thursday evening. After consulting PM Saad Hariri in the morning
session, Speaker Nabih Berri said: "The night will extend till its end,"
signaling the session would remain open till MPs finish their debates and vote
on confidence in government.
The evening session kicked off with the statement of MP Assem Qanso who said:
"Israel cannot do anything against Lebanon in presence of the resistance.
International resolutions did not give any result and the resistance is what
liberated Lebanon.""I, the Maronite Christian Lebanese Arab, grandson of
Patriarch Estefan Doueihy, declare my pride to be a part of our people's
resistance in the South. Can one renounce what guarantees his rights?" said MP
Estefan Doueihy.
The session took an escalatory direction when MP Nicolas Fattoush denied the
government his vote of confidence and slammed its premier Saad Hariri and the
March 14 coalition he was a part of in Zahleh constituency as they won the June
7 parliamentary elections. Fattoush addressed Hariri by saying: "When I met with
you, you told me that those objecting on designating me as minister were the
president, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Phalange Party leader Amin
Gemayel. I asked you then whether you object on designating me and you answered
that you have allies whom you can't abandon. I then answered: You have abandoned
me.""My brothers in March 14 have tusks that are harsher than the tusks of
wolves," said Fattoush, slamming his previous allies. On other hand, Fattoush
was interrupted by his colleagues MPs Serge Toursarkissian and Ahmed Fatfat who
addressed Fattoush by saying "all of this for a (ministerial) seat."
After Fattoush's statement, MP Boutros Harb asked Speaker Nabih Berri to delete
"insults" against Hariri and March 14 from the parliamentary session minutes.
Berri answered by reassuring Harb that what was considered as insulting was
already deleted. Earlier, Change and Reform bloc's MP Ghassan Mokheiber was the
first to speak in morning's session, he said security should be a priority for
government's missions, and called for an agreement on "a defensive strategy that
protects the citizen."
Mokheiber called on each of President Suleiman and PM Hariri to establish a
state ministry for human rights affairs, tasked with one mission: implementing
the compliances of the national bill for human rights. He added that there will
be no reform in Lebanese-Syrian relations unless the case of "the missing in
Syrian jails" gets solved.
AMAL's MP Abdul Majid Saleh wished "if only the government had met Speaker Nabih
Berri midway, when he called for the formation of the National Commission for
the Abolition of Political Sectarianism."On his part, Lebanese Forces' MP George
Adwan said: "Christians consider that abolishing political sectarianism is an
abolishing of equal Christian-Muslim powersharing and for their very existence
in Lebanon, especially under circumstances where the State has not extended its
authority on all territories and where there is a party that is illegally
armed."MP Sami Gemayel told Hizbullah lawmakers that they can't impose their
ideas on him or his Phalange party and criticized the policy statement's 6th
clause for allegedly being adopted under the force of arms. In his statement to
parliament, Gemayel considered the sixth clause illegal "because it was adopted
under the pressure of May 7 and weapons." "No matter what your or our ideas are,
you can't impose your ideas on us," the MP said, addressing Hizbullah
legislators. The young lawmaker also said that Palestinian arms have no
justification in Lebanon. Furthermore, he called for improved ties with Syria
after solving several issues, including the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria
and demarcation of the border. Thursday's sessions also witnessed statements by
MPs Hussein al-Mussawi, Abbas Hashem, Simon Abi Ramia, Walid Khoury, Nayla
Tueiny, Michel Helou, Anwar al-Khalil, Mohammed Kabbara, Antoine Zahra, Mohammed
Raad, and Fouad Saniora. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 23:25
4000 Hizbullah and Hamas members training in Iran
Date: December 10th, 2009
Source: Nablus TV
An Israeli Intelligence report titled “Iran in Numbers” said that Iran’s danger
is not limited to the Zionist enemy or Middle East but the whole world.
The report assured that Hamas and Hizbullah are receiving Iranian support to
confront Israel, adding that 900 member of Hamas and 3000 Hizbullah cadets
received military training in Iran.
The Israeli report noted that Iran provided Hamas with missiles of sixty miles
range, and could reach Tel Aviv if launched from Gaza, adding that the funding
provided by Iran to Hamas each year amounts to about $30 million, as 50 other
million dollars were granted following the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian
elections year 2006, to strengthen its position and military capabilities at the
same time.
Iran also funds Hizbullah an amount of $ 200 million annually, in addition to $
300 million after the 2006 July war.
Aoun in Damascus: I am Syria’s favorite
Date: December 11th, 2009
Future News
“How do the March 8 rivals read MP Michel Aoun's visit to Syria?”
This question has been raised among many political March 8 closed round-tables,
while big questions marks are being drawn regarding the timing of the General’s
meeting with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as it’s being said this
meeting carries concealed and veiled signals.
Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil headed to Syria on the night before the
new government was formed, along with Bassil’s Godfather Michel Samaha.
What’s been circulating lately is that Bassil’s visit to Damascus paved way for
Aoun-Assad’s meeting.
Sources in the majority hinted that Bassil, on the sidelines of his visit, met
high-ranking Syrian officials, While New TV reported that former Cabinet
Minister Michel Samaha accompanied Bassil to Damascus where the two held a
number of meetings with Syrian officials in an effort to settle the dispute over
the ministerial portfolios allocated to Aoun.
Aoun’s decision to send his son in law to Damascus back then resulted of the
General’s anxiety emerging of his feeling that The Marada movement Leader MP
Sleiman Franjiyeh was assigned the role as Damascus mediator and godfather to
the Syrian role in the formation of the Lebanese government.
Aoun felt very angry as he sensed Franjiyeh was trying to take his role;
especially that he was commissioned by Syria and the parliamentary minority to
be the negotiator who will form the government in the minorities’ name.
It is no longer a secret that conflicts emerged within the opposition ranks out
of Aoun’s act while talks about alienation between Aoun and Franjieh spread and
led Franjiyeh to break his mediation role and his efforts to produce a national
unity government from his position as a close ally to Syria.
Furious Aoun decided to cut the road on Assad by sending Bassil to Syria under a
veiled title, as Bassil claimed his visit was to pay condolences to Syrian
Presidential Political and Media Advisor Buthaina Shaaban for the death of her
mother.
However, the real title for this visit was in fact nothing but the General
sending a message, “If President Assad wants to buy my approval over the cabinet
line-up, then I am the only one who sells it to him,” thus slamming Franjiyeh’s
mediation and demanding to stay Syria’s number one man.
Bassil and Samaha arranged a meeting for the General with the Syrian President,
so that Aoun can finally get relieved of his worries and anxieties not only
toward his Christian opponents, but also toward his Christian Allies, and Marada
Leader Sleiman Franjiyeh on top of the list.
In other Words, Aoun’s visit to Syria came to declare “I am still Syria’s
favorite and number one Man,” and this is what the Free Patriotic Movement
sources tried to slip to the media, by quoting Assad accrediting Aoun for
finalizing the cabinet formation and recounting the General’s actions as
national and wise.
Aoun’s wish came true as Syria responded to his claims and declared its message
to the public reassuring the General he is still its favorite puppet.
Returning to the FPM leader choice of Samaha to accompany Bassil, especially
that he sent after the former Minister from France to go along with his son in
law, First of all, it is to note Samaha is not a Maronite, thus there is no way
he would compete with the General or Bassil in the future for any political post
especially the presidency.
Second of all, Samaha has been reported to be working on the course of the
relationship between the Syrian leadership and Paris, thus in Aoun’s eyes,
Samaha could turn into an intersection point serving not only the General’s
interests inside Syria, but also within the bilateral French – Syrian
relationships.
Sources have been reporting another task is assigned to Samaha, and it is to
arrange the General a meeting with the French Leadership and President Nicolas
Sarkozi in particular.
Going back to Aoun’s visit to Damascus, Sources has also revealed Samaha advised
Aoun to follow the following terms in his visit:
First, the General shouldn’t accompany his Son in law with him so that the
conflict between Bassil and FPM MPs Alain Aoun and Ibrahim Kanaan doesn’t
expand, especially as the two deputies accuse Aoun of favoring his son in law
over them at the expense of their roles as activists in the Change and Reform
Bloc.
Second, Samaha alerted Aoun Syria doesn’t want to take part in the internal FPM
conflicts, as it prefers Aoun’s visit to be accepted of all the movement’s
rivals.
Third, Samaha advised Aoun to accompany with him a delegation of the FPM
regulatory cadre, to cut any Syrian talk asserting the General’s relationship
with Damascus is not getting the enthusiastic of the movement’s internal cadre.
On March 14, 1989, after a Syrian attack on the Baabda presidential palace and
on the Lebanese Ministry of Defense in Yarze, Aoun declared Liberation war
against the Syrian army which was better armed than the Lebanese forces (some
40,000 Syrian troops were in Lebanon at the time). Over the next few months
Aoun's army and the Syrians exchanged artillery fire in Beirut until only
100,000 people remained from the original 1 million, the rest fled the area.
Four reasons make Syrian “summons” illegal
Date: December 11th, 2009
Future News
Justice ministry received, on Tuesday via the foreign ministry, a letter from
the Syrian embassy in Beirut that carries the number 156\2009 dated December 8
with attached summons warrants against 25 Local officials.
The summons was issued by the Syrian prosecutor general on November 23 according
to a lawsuit filed by Jamil Sayed against Lebanese and Syrian officials.
Lebanese justice ministry issued a statement declaring that it is scrutinizing
this issue and will deal with it from a judiciary perspective and would take the
appropriate legal action accordingly.
The ministry asked the legislative and consultative commission for advice on the
Syrian letter and the demands and summons it included in order to make the
proper response.
A judicial source told the almustaqbal.org that the legislative and consultative
commission has finalized its primary deliberations on the first warrant sent
from Syrian prosecutor general to Lebanese Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza
directly.
The source confirmed the illegality of the Syrian warrant for several reasons:
* The warrant was not delivered through legal channels because of the lack of
coherence between the lawsuit filed against Syrian former Vice President
Abdulhalim Khaddam and Mohammad Zuhair el-Siddik Syrian nationals, and that
filed against Lebanese officials.
* Filing a criminal suit by a Lebanese against a fellow national regarding a
crime that was committed on the Lebanese territory is not a jurisdiction of the
Syrian judiciary.
* The warrant did not respect the political, judicial and functional immunity of
the people against who the lawsuits were filed. It also did not respect the
criterion that must be followed in informing them.
* The way the warrants were issued contradicts the provisions of Syrian-Lebanese
judicial cooperation provisions regardless of the titles or posts of the people
against whom the suits were files.
NBP: Politicians placed Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate
Date: December 11th, 2009/Source: NNA
The National Bloc Party (NBP) said Thursday that legitimizing the arms of the
resistance gives Israel the pretext to launch an aggression against Lebanon, the
State-run National News Agency reported. “The Lebanese politicians placed
Lebanon under Hizbullah’s mandate,” added the party in a statement issued after
the meeting of its executive committee headed by former MP Carlos Edde. The
party asserted that the sovereignty cannot be fragmented and the state has the
exclusive right of possessing arms as the violation of this rule would be
considered treason in a respectable state. The party alliance called for the
rapid formation of the national committee in charge of disarming militias
“instead of the national dialogue table that lost its principle role.” According
to the statement, the visit of Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun to
Syria contradicts his previous criticisms for these unofficial visits, “the
visit unveils the conduct of the Syrian regime vis-à-vis Lebanon in spite of the
diplomatic exchange.”
Covert alliances in the LAU elections
Date: December 10th, 2009
Future News
The students of the Lebanese American University are pursuing their preparations
in the campuses of Beirut and Byblos for the student council elections that will
occur on Friday.
These elections witnessed a sweeping victory for the students of the March 14
coalition, but this year a prominent part of the alliance, the students of
Progressive Youth Organization announced their withdrawal from the competition
in Byblos following the directives of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP
Walid Jumblatt, while they named two independent candidates for the Business
faculty of Beirut.
The candidates of other sides in the university are still undecided, as the
coordinators of each political organization refuse to unveil the number or names
of their nominees.
Student sources told almustaqbal.org that “the March 8 coalition named a
complete list of six students for the Arts and Sciences faculty and only four
for the Business faculty leaving two vacant seats for the “progressive”
students.”
The environment of the university points to a covert alliance between the
Socialists and Syria’s allies, as at the end of their meeting, the PYO students
came out to cheer MP Jumblatt and received instantaneously welcoming applaud
from the March 8 students sitting next to the upper gate of the university. The
circle or applauds expanded then to include Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah and Dr. Samir Geagea.
On the other hand, the students of the March 14 coalition decided not to name
any candidate, according to informed sources, and preferred to back “Voice of
the Silent Majority” list that includes independent candidates with academic aim
that serve the interests of the students and of the university in general.”
As for the campus of Byblos where the 12 seats are distributed on four
faculties: 3 for the Arts and Sciences, 3 for the Business, 3 for the
Engineering and 3 for the Pharmacy, the competition seems boiling especially
after the violent events between the students last month.
In this campus, the candidates of the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah, the
Amal Movement and the Marada Movement compete against the candidates of the
Lebanese Forces Party, the Kataeb Party and Almustaqbal Movement.
Dean of student Dr. Tarek Nawas said that “the cause behind the postponement of
these elections from November 13 to this Friday is the tense atmosphere of the
country in the previous period on the sidelines of the impediment of the
government formation.”
Nawas also noted that the violent events between the students in Byblos campus
forced the administration to forbid electoral campaigns in both campuses this
year.
But these events did not affect security measures on the day of the elections,
according to Nawas, “members of the interior security and the Lebanese Army will
ensure the security of the gates, while the security personnel of the university
will be in charge of ensuring a proper electoral operation inside.”
The Dean of students specified the location of ballots this year, as the male
students of the Arts and Sciences will vote in the LRC building, while this
faculty’s females cast the ballots at the Gulbenkian amphitheatre leaving the
Irwin auditorium to the students of the Business faculty.
Dr. Nawas stressed his confidence in the students, and hoped for “a democratic
environment in these elections, as the winning students will represent all the
students of the university not a specific side.”
Fouad Imad Chehab
Fattoush Votes 'No Confidence', Slams Hariri, March 14
Naharnet/MP Nicolas Fattoush on Thursday denied the government his vote of
confidence and slammed its premier Saad Hariri and the March 14 coalition he was
a part of in Zahleh constituency as they won the June 7 parliamentary elections.
Fattoush addressed Hariri by saying: "When I met with you, you told me that
those objecting on designating me as minister were the president, Lebanese
Forces leader Samir Geagea, and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel. I asked you
then whether you object on designating me and you answered that you have allies
whom you can't abandon. I then answered: You have abandoned me."Zahleh's MP
accused Hariri of not keeping up his promises and added: "That justifies denying
you my confidence, with my due love and respect to some ministers." Fattoush
described the government as being sponsored by foreign regional powers. "My
brothers in March 14 have tusks that are harsher than the tusks of wolves," said
Fattoush, slamming his previous allies. Fattoush added that Zahleh contributed
in achieving the goals of March 14 and was paid back by "the hijacking of its
dream by March 14 leaders." The inflamed MP described the ministerial Policy
Statement as "surrealistic," and slammed the concept of voicing reservations by
some ministers while asking the parliament for its confidence based on the same
statement. On other hand, Fattoush was interrupted by his colleagues MPs Serge
Toursarkissian and Ahmed Fatfat who addressed Fattoush by saying "all of this
for a (ministerial) seat."After Fattoush's statement, MP Boutros Harb asked
Speaker Nabih Berri to delete "insults" against Hariri and March 14 from the
parliamentary session minutes. Berri answered by reassuring Harb that what was
considered as insulting was already deleted. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 21:57
Abu Jamra: Aoun Violated FPM Rules of Procedure by Nominating Non-FPM Ministers
Naharnet/Former Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Issam Abu Jamra considered that
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun had violated FPM's rules of
procedure by nominating two ministers from outside the Free Patriotic Movement,
clarifying that the rules of procedure put by Aoun himself prohibit that.In an
interview with Al-Afkar weekly magazine, Abu Jamra said he conducted a
"frankness" meeting with Aoun, but stressed that "the ball now is in Rabiyeh's
court."He reiterated his demand to hold a meeting for the founding committee of
the FPM to discuss a vote of no confidence in appointing two ministers from
outside the party. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 17:16
Gemayel: Our Trust in Hariri is Immense, But We Reject 'Arms Article'
Naharnet/Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said that "the current
situations are critical and tough, and the challenges are huge," and asserted
"the party's solidarity with PM Saad Hariri and with Phalange's representative
in the cabinet Minister Salim al-Sayegh."However, Gemayel expressed "the party's
objection on article six of the ministerial Policy Statement related to
Hizbullah's arms."In a press conference he held Thursday in Phalange's Central
House in Saifi, Gemayel said: "On the eve of granting the vote of confidence in
the government, we reiterate for one last time the party's stance rejecting to
any principle that believes in two states on Lebanese soil; and in two armies
and two authorities. Regarding trust in government, our stance is clear and our
trust is immense in its premier, but we reiterate our rejection for the arms
article."On the other hand, Gemayel pointed at "the democracy found inside
Phalange Party through freely exchanging opinions in the meetings of the
political bureau which takes the final decision in all issues." Beirut, 10 Dec
09, 17:38
Syrian Former Political Prisoners Demand in Beirut to Halt Torture in Syrian
Prisons
Naharnet/Syrian former political prisoners called on the United Nations on
Thursday to uncover the fate of thousands of Arabs who have gone missing in
Syria and are believed to have been jailed without charge. "We call for the
formation of a committee to investigate the Syrian regime's persistent violation
of human rights and the enforced disappearance of thousands of Lebanese,
Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians at the hands of the regime," Syrian
dissident Mamoun Homsi told a Beirut news conference. A former member of
parliament, Homsi was sentenced to five years in prison in 2001 for "attempting
to overthrow the regime" and now lives in Lebanon with his family. He and other
members of the Beirut-based Committee of Torture Victims in the Prisons of the
Syrian Regime also displayed torture methods they said are used in Syrian
prisons, including a chair frame, whips and electric cables. "We are trying to
get the message out to the world, that the human rights situation in Syria is
deteriorating," Homsi told AFP. "There are 1,000 intelligence branches in Syria
that use methods of torture on people who did nothing but express their opinion
or demand basic rights," he said. New York-based Human Rights Watch released
what it said was a partial list on Thursday of detainees in one of Syria's
largest prisons, at Saydnaya just north of the capital Damascus, whose families
have been unable to obtain word of their whereabouts for 18 months. The watchdog
said it had documented the torture of inmates in the prison.(AFP) Beirut, 10 Dec
09, 19:20
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
Sami Gemayel: 6th Clause is Illegal, Tells Hizbullah it Can't Impose its Ideas
on its Foes
Naharnet/MP Sami Gemayel told Hizbullah lawmakers on Thursday that they can't
impose their ideas on him or his Phalange party and criticized the policy
statement's 6th clause for allegedly being adopted under the force of arms.In
his statement to parliament during a debate on the government's policy
statement, Gemayel considered the sixth clause illegal "because it was adopted
under the pressure of May 7 and weapons.""No matter what your or our ideas are,
you can't impose your ideas on us," the MP said, addressing Hizbullah
legislators.
The young lawmaker also said that Palestinian arms have no justification in
Lebanon. Furthermore, he called for improved ties with Syria after solving
several issues, including the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria and demarcation
of the border. Beirut, 10 Dec 09, 14:55
Israeli Army Simulates Combat Scenarios against Syria, Hizbullah
Naharnet/The Israeli army carried out two separate defense exercises this week,
including simulation of war with Syria and Hizbullah, Haaretz newspaper reported
on Friday.
During the drills dozens of reserve officers were mobilized and included
scenarios in which ballistic missiles with conventional and non-conventional
warheads landed in Israeli cities, Haaretz said. According to Haaretz, the first
drill was carried out by the Home Front Command and included the emergency rapid
distribution of gas masks, in the event of a threat. Israeli army officials
emphasized that the exercise did not involve the deployment of forces in the
field. The second drill was held by the Paratroops Brigade in northern Israel
and simulated various combat scenarios against Syria and Hizbullah. One drill
with live munitions took place on the Golan Heights and involved tank,
artillery, sappers and Israel Air Force combat aircraft and helicopters,
according to Haaretz. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 07:48
Ghajar Residents Protest Town's Division, Referendum Law Hampers Pullout from
Shabaa
Naharnet/Ghajar residents staged a demonstration on Friday to protest the
division of their border town in the wake of ongoing international efforts to
secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Lebanese part of the town.
The demo began at 10:30am after men roamed the streets of Ghajar broadcasting a
call to protest via loudspeakers.
About 500 residents gathered in the town's square, then marched up toward the
street where U.N. Spanish troops are stationed and handed them a letter calling
on U.N. chief Ban ki-Moon to reject Ghajar's division.
The letter also urged Ban to keep Ghajar committed to U.N. Security Council Res.
242. The protest coincided with Israeli military activity across both sides of
Ghajar, local press reported.
The Secretary for the town council Hussein Khatib also read a statement in which
he stressed Ghajar was Syrian.
"Ghajar is Syrian, it's people are Syrian and its land is Syrian," Khatib said.
The statement said Ghajar residents reject an Israeli decision to withdraw from
the northern part of the town, adding that the town's division was "just like
separating the son from his father or the daughter from her mother."
The demo came in the wake of an Israeli announcement that the withdrawal from
Ghajar depends on the new Lebanon government.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee earlier this week that he was discussing a withdrawal from the
northern half of Ghajar with UNIFIL.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, also said during talks with his
Italian counterpart late Wednesday that Israel could pullout from the northern
part of Ghajar "very soon."
"But this depends on the new Lebanese government," he added.
Meanwhile, a "Referendum Law" the Knesset voted to advance on Wednesday is
likely to hamper an Israeli pullout from Shabaa Farms.
The "Referendum Law" would restrict the Israeli government's freedom of action
in negotiations with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon by making it harder to
cede East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights or even Shabaa Farms, whether
unilaterally or by agreement. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 07:32
Hariri's Damascus Visit Not Yet Known, Delay Tied to Syrian Warrants
Naharnet/Preparations were underway for Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to
Syria, but the date of the trip is still unknown.
An-Nahar daily, however, said the visit is likely to take place on Monday
although several media sources believed that the issue of Syrian warrants
against Lebanese officials in Jamil Sayyed's case has created what they
described as a "sudden barrier" for Hariri's trip.
Among these sources was LBC TV which reported Thursday evening that Hariri has
sent an indirect message to Damascus via Marada Movement leader Suleiman
Franjieh associating his visit with revoking of all Syrian warrants.
It said Lebanese parties in touch with Damascus informed Hariri that the
warrants are likely to be withdrawn in conjunction with the visit.
Well- informed sources, however, ruled out the possibility that Hariri has
demanded that the warrants be canceled.
At the same time, they believed the measure was a "discouraging signal" for the
improvement of Syrian-Lebanese relations.
An-Nahar said Hariri, who will head the Lebanese delegation to the Copenhagen
Conference on Tuesday, is likely to visit Saudi Arabia over the weekend ahead of
his Damascus trip. Beirut, 11 Dec 09, 09:04
Appointment in Damascus
Michael Young, December 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/You have to hand it Michel Aoun; he knows how to provoke. Only days
after Jamil as-Sayyed, the former head of the General Security directorate,
asked Syria’s judiciary to bring in for questioning several Lebanese
politicians, judicial officials and journalists whom he accused of slandering
him, Aoun headed up to Damascus for a photo op with Bashar al-Assad. Better
still, he was delivered on Assad’s private airplane.
The photograph itself was interesting: Assad shaking Aoun’s hand, gripping his
elbow with overstated conviviality, on the esplanade outside the presidential
palace built for the Syrians by Rafik al-Hariri in the 1980s; and Aoun, staring
straight ahead with inexpressive mien, caught, mid-shutter, between stupefaction
and a tentative smile.
The rest of the Aoun visit was filler. Assad had gotten what he wanted. Proof
positive that he can divide the Lebanese by playing their politicians off
against each other; proof, too, that a major Christian representative will
readily ignore the Sayyed incident, a ploy designed to ensure that Prime
Minister Saad al-Hariri, when he ascends to Damascus, will do so with the added
humiliation of knowing that Syria’s judiciary is taking Sayyed’s side on the
matter of his father’s assassination. And proof, lastly, that the frequent visit
with Bashar al-Assad is again a necessary passage for Lebanese leaders, when
there were those who thought (how naively) that that sort of thing was over
after the Independence Intifada of 2005.
It would be unfair to blame Aoun alone for this. Saad al-Hariri, too, realizes
that his Damascus visit is inevitable, now that Saudi Arabia and Syria have
reconciled. He, apparently, informed Sleiman Franjieh Wednesday that he would
arrive with several of those individuals whom Sayyed named in his legal case,
his way of obliging the Syrian regime to clarify their status beforehand. But
Hariri will still have to shake the hand of the Syrian president, whose regime
is the only serious culprit in Rafik al-Hariri’s murder, and he may well do so
in the palace his father built.
Then there is Walid Jumblatt. Talk that Jumblatt would be the first to visit
Syria was idle. No doubt the Druze leader would have liked to be first, but he
also knew this was never likely. “Too much has passed between me and Syria,” he
often says. On many an occasion Syrian spokespersons, official and unofficial,
have indicated that the Assad regime would, henceforth, deal with Taymour
Jumblatt, who returned to Lebanon last summer. For Walid, the eventual handover
to his son requires, above all, reconciliation with Damascus, because Taymour
could not long last against Syria, and because Syria contains a significant
number of Druze whose support the Jumblatts must count upon.
Two Christian politicians, Amin Gemayel and Michel al-Murr, also revealed some
time ago that they would make their way to Damascus, padding this eventuality
with a bodyguard of explanations and provisos that they may or may not respect.
Both men have good reasons to plan a Damascus junket, not least the fact that
they have sons who are physically vulnerable and politically ambitious. Here we
have the two sides of Syrian leverage in Lebanon: intimidation and the ability
to promote or demote.
There was a time when Syria’s intelligence officers stationed in Lebanon used
the appointment as an instrument of power. If you were a politician, or just
someone meriting Syrian attentions, you might be urged by an intermediary to
make an informal call on Ghazi Kanaan or his successor, Ruston Ghazali, in
Aanjar. There you could be kept waiting, quite as informally, for several hours,
until all self-esteem evaporated. The more experienced would wait at Hannouch’s
on the Damascus road, asking to be summoned once Kanaan or Ghazali was ready to
receive them.
Then there was the appointment in Damascus. The late Hafez al-Assad ran Lebanon
like a baronial province, where selected subordinates, civilian and military,
would each run their Lebanese politicians as they saw fit, while parallel lines
of authority ran down from Damascus to Beirut, Assad the ultimate arbiter, using
everyone against everyone. To visit Damascus was fairly easy, but to be granted
an audience with the president was altogether different – an occasion for him to
send a strong message, advance a politician or issue a threat or reprimand. No
doubt we shall soon have to decipher more regularly the subtleties of the
unwritten code of Syrian appointments. Observers will watch to see whether
politicians drive or fly up to Damascus; whether they attend a lunch or earn no
more than coffee and a glass of water; whether they meet with Bashar in person
or are passed off to a high-level or mid-level nonentity, or, worse, are asked
to deal through the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, the invisible man whose
presence is detectable only by the displacement of air occurring when he slides
by.
The road to Damascus from Beirut is open; but the real story is that the road
from Damascus to Beirut is also open, and is being widened. It was the road
taken by tanks and car-bombs. Now it will be backed up with far more dangerous
contraptions: craven Lebanese politicians.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut.
Hariri makes statement following three-day parliamentary session on Thursday
December 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/
Prime Minister Saad Hariri made a statement on Thursday night before the vote of
confidence was held after a three-day parliamentary session convened to discuss
the Ministerial Statement. Hariri said that the MPs’ comments on the document
exhibited “our democratic parliamentary system.”
Hariri stressed that while the Ministerial Statement is used as a reference to
resolve disputed issues, dialogue remains the main means to deal with settling
controversial topics. The PM emphasized that “these issues should not become a
reason for division in the country.”
“We do not want to turn our Ministerial Statement into a list of promises… but a
clear and responsible vow to all that we will not repeat previous experiences of
having the ruling party and an opposition within one cabinet,” Hariri said.
Hariri also said that the cabinet is one of national agreement, adding that “the
moment the government turns into a cabinet of national disagreement and
sectarian fronts, I will be the first one to withdraw the vote of confidence
from my cabinet and myself.”
He stressed that the government should not only work on implementing balanced
development, but it should also seek having “balanced [national] belonging. We
are born into our sects [and] we are affiliated with our parties, but we belong
first and foremost to our state.”
He added that such an approach would turn the national-consensus government into
a “national conciliation cabinet.”
In his speech, Hariri stressed on the following points:
1- We all agree on the need to confront Israel’s threats and violations and to
defend our national rights. That is what we have stressed on in Article 6 – that
pertains to Hezbollah and its arms – and that does not annul the role of the
state and the military institution in defending Lebanon. The government is fully
committed to enhancing the army’s capabilities so it can shoulder its national
responsibilities.
2- We have stressed in the Ministerial Statement that we should adopt Arab
solidarity away from the politics of regional axes to better serve our national
interests. As such, we will enhance our relationship with other Arab states, and
we specifically look forward to establishing brotherly relations with Syria. 3-
I stress on our role to respect the constitution, democratic principles and
implement the Taif Accord.
4- The cabinet will focus on the people’s priorities. Some parties described our
program as ambitious, however, I can say that it remains feasible.
Hariri concluded his speech and said, “People want to have electricity, a clean
environment, clean water, equal access to education and health and a conclusion
to the issue of those displaced” by wars.
“People want a cabinet that can competently manage its public affairs and that
allows the participation of youth and women in state administrations,” he added.
-NOW Lebanon
Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia soon
December 11, 2009
An anonymous source told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida published on Friday that he
expects Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia
“very soon.”
Preparations for the trip have begun months ago, said the source, adding, “Ever
since Prime Minister Saad Hariri was appointed to form the cabinet.” However,
all Lebanese parties were waiting for the formation of a national-unity
government and for its vote of confidence, he explained. “Damascus played a
pivotal role in convincing Saudi Arabia to host Aoun,” he said, highlighting
that the FPM leader discussed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad the issue
during the former’s visit to Damascus on Wednesday.
-NOW Lebanon
Fayyad says Gemayel’s speech in parliament is “positive”
December 11, 2009
In an interview with Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday, Loyalty to the Resistance
bloc MP Ali Fayyad said Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel’s speech commenting on the
Ministerial Statement on Thursday was “positive.”Gemayel’s speech showed that
his party is ready for dialogue and that it recognizes other Lebanese parties,
said Fayyad.
However, he added that there were two points in Gemayel’s speech that he did not
agree with.
“First, Gemayel considered Syria’s presence in Lebanon as an occupation, which
will negatively affect the establishment of good relations between the two
countries. Second, Gemayel said that the Taif Accord was imposed by pro-Syrian
parties and that Christians were not free [to oppose the agreement at the
time],” Fayyad told the daily.
-NOW Lebanon
This is doable
Now Lebanon/December 10, 2009
A French traffic policeman trains his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut this year
as part of a traffic accident reduction program. (AFP/Joseph Barrak)
Ziad Baroud has made a name for himself as something of a popular reformer: the
people’s minister. In the previous government, the youthful Interior Minister
(he is not yet 40) went about setting an example of efficiency by making sure
parliamentary elections were held on one day, rather than spread over four
weekends. But what really caught the public imagination was the move that
allowed Lebanese to delete their religion from the national register and his
efforts to give Lebanese mothers married to foreigners the right to pass their
nationality to their children. Both were seen as the first shots in the battle
to chip away at Lebanon’s corrosive sectarian influence.
Now Baroud has pledged to turn his attention to our roads – typically scenes of
mayhem and carnage – starting with a promise to deploy over 1,000 new police
officers to deal with the motoring pandemonium expected over Christmas and New
Year’s.
But before our expectations get the better of us, let’s get a bit of
perspective. Baroud’s predecessors before 2005, with a few honorable exceptions,
were appointed by Syria and were mainly concerned with maintaining a draconian
security regime. Compared to them, Baroud shines as a thoroughly modern
technocrat, a lawyer with touchy-feely civil society credentials. But it is
important to not get carried away and confuse stellar achievement with doing
what is expected of a public servant.
If Baroud really is to go down in the history books as a man who seized the
ministerial nettle and radically changed life for the average Lebanese, then he
must tackle the state of Lebanon’s roads head on with his sleeves rolled, and
this means doing more than just dealing with frustrated Christmas shoppers
caught in gridlock.
It would be a Herculean, some might argue impossible, task. Since the outbreak
of the war, road safety has deteriorated to the point where we have one of the
worst safety records on the planet (800 people, out of a population of 4
million, died on our roads in 2008). Responsible driving is the preserve of the
terrified, while the number of cars on our roads, many not even fit for scrap,
has ballooned. Improving our roads, and the life expectancy of those who use
them, will almost certainly take longer than Baroud’s ministerial term, but what
he can do is lay down a blueprint for reform, and ensure that the foundations
are there for its gradual implementation, even if it takes decades.
Road culture does not happen overnight. People forget that the UK, a country
that has been spared the trauma that Lebanon has endured in its short history,
only made seatbelts mandatory in 1983, after more than ten years of campaigning
with its “Clunk Click Every Trip” ad campaign. In the US, a country where
libertarian values run strong, New York State was the first to enforce buckling
up in 1984.
So what needs to be done in the short term? Abiding by the basic road rules –
respecting the speed limit, staying in lane, obeying road signs, maintaining a
road-worthy vehicle and not getting behind the wheel after drinking a bottle of
whisky – while creating a culture that that sees good driving as responsible
driving would be a start.
There is also financial incentive. Every second of every day witnesses a traffic
violation. Children who are allowed to stand in the foot well of the front
passenger seat waiting to turned into a human airbag should be spared from their
parents’ ignorance, while those who don’t use seatbelts, who speed, whose brake
lights don’t work and who don’t respect traffic signals should be fined
mercilessly. This would not only raise awareness and reduce deaths, but also
bring in millions to the state coffers each year.
This is doable. Too many of our youth have perished needlessly on our roads that
there is an almost moral obligation to enforce these simple rules. Having an
accident-free Christmas would be the best present we have ever had.
As-Sharq Al-Awsat: Aoun didn’t complain to Assad about Berri
iloubnan.info - December 11, 2009
BEIRUT – Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun did not go to Syria to
complain about Speaker Nabih Berri’s proposal to abolish political sectarianism
as some sources said; the bloc MP Alain Aoun told as-Sharq al-Awsat daily.
“These information are untrue”, the paper reported on Friday. He stressed to the
paper that, “General Aoun never asked foreign support neither in his past, nor
in his present nor in the future, to defeat domestic rivals”.
He signaled that the parties rumoring so used to ask for foreign support to
defeat locals during the Syrian trusteeship. He added that Aoun discussed with
Syrian President Bachar al-Assad crucial regional issues and challenges, not
Lebanese issues.