LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 17/09
Bible Reading of the day
Metthews7/15-20: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 7:16 By their fruits you
will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 7:17
Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil
fruit. 7:18 A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree
produce good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down,
and thrown into the fire. 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Imad Mustapha: the ambassador no
one wants/By: Tony Badran/Now Lebanon/December 15, 2009
Cracking down on
carjackers/Now Lebanon/December
16/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 16/09
Feltman says Hezbollah endangers
Lebanese people/Now Lebanon
Gemayel says cabinet decisions
obstructed “in advance”/Now Lebanon
Sayegh says NGOs in
Lebanon unprepared for emergencies/Now Lebanon
15
Charged with Plotting Attacks on Army, Having Ties with Fatah Al-Islam/Naharnet
Saudi
FM: Lebanon Denied Sovereignty Because of Hizbullah's Arms/Naharnet
Hariri
Meets Ban, Calls on World Powers to Take Action on Climate Change/Naharnet
Lebanon to Test Israeli
Intentions Regarding Withdrawal from Ghajar/Naharnet
Washington Links Heavy
Weaponry to Implementation of 1701/Naharnet
Syria to Build its Embassy
in Yarze/Naharnet
Druze-Shiite
Reconciliations on Front Burner, Inter-Christian Reunions Complicated/Naharnet
March 14 Postpones Weekly
Meeting/Naharnet
Hariri Reportedly to Visit
Damascus Sunday/Naharnet
Reports: Suleiman Didn't
Ask U.S. to Cross Out 1559, Murr to Discuss U.S. Military Aid during February
Visit/Naharnet
Suleiman in Damascus after
Trip to Washington/Naharnet
Hizbullah Denies Nasrallah
Visit to Saudi Arabia/Naharnet
Jumblat: I'm Moving
Step-by-Step toward Syria/Naharnet
Lebanon's Jamaa Islamiya
Gets New Secretary General/Naharnet
Lebanese Man Among Crew
Members of Sunken Togo Ship/Naharnet
Suleiman: U.S. Should
Support Lebanese Army to Enable It of Defending Lebanon/Naharnet
Israeli Military
Intelligence: Tel Aviv Area Endangered by Missiles of Hizbullah, Syria, Iran/Naharnet
Abul Aynein: We Won't
Allow Anyone to Undermine Security in Lebanon/Naharnet
LAU's PSP Representative
Hands Himself over to Police/Naharnet
Lebanese Man Among Crew Members of Sunken Togo Ship
Naharnet/Two sailors drowned and six others were missing Tuesday after their
ship sank at the entrance of a port in western Algeria, the country's civil
protection agency said.
One member of the crew of the Togolese-flagged cargo vessel, the Karim Junior,
survived after he managed to swim ashore, it said. The man, an Egyptian, is
being treated in hospital in the port of Tenes. The Karim Junior had been
anchored just outside the port for the past week.The crew comprised four
Syrians, two Indians, two Egyptians and one Lebanese national. Port director
Hamri Khaledi said the ship dragged its anchor in high winds before striking a
breakwater at the entrance to the port and sank around 5:00 am (0400 GMT). "With
the violence of the impact, the vessel's cabin became detached before sinking,
bringing with it eight sailors, two of whom were recovered dead while six are
missing," Khaledi said. A team of divers have been sent in to search the
wreckage at the port, some 200 kilometers west of the capital.(AFP) Beirut, 16
Dec 09, 09:19
Hizbullah Denies Nasrallah Visit to Saudi Arabia
Naharnet/Hizbullah sources denied a report by al-Markazia news agency that said
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will visit Riyadh soon. The Central News
Agency on Tuesday quoted visitors of former Lebanese President Emile Lahhoud as
saying media reports about Nasrallah visiting Saudi Arabia were confirmed. CAN
said Nasrallah's visit will take place soon after that of Prime Minister Saad
Hariri to Damascus. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 08:51
Jumblat: I'm Moving Step-by-Step toward Syria
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat said he did his duty by sending Syrian
President Bashar Assad a condolence telegram, adding that he was moving
"step-by-step" toward Syria. Regarding his anticipated reconciliation with Free
Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Jumblat said he takes a "serious look" at
the reunion. He told al-Manar TV that a date for the reconciliation has not yet
been set, but hoped it would take place anytime after the holidays. Beirut, 16
Dec 09, 08:04
Suleiman in Damascus after Trip to Washington
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman will reportedly visit Syrian President Bashar
Assad in Syria to offer him condolences over the death of his younger brother,
Majd. Ad-Diyar newspaper said Wednesday that Suleiman will bried Assad on his
visit to Washington. It said the visit is likely to take place on Thursday or
Friday. Suleiman returned Wednesday from Washington where he met U.S. President
Barack Obama and other U.S. officials. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 09:29
Washington Links Heavy Weaponry to Implementation of 1701
Naharnet/The Obama administration has reportedly told President Michel Suleiman
that the Lebanese army "should be stronger than all parties" but linked military
assistance to Lebanon with Security Council Resolution 1701. Sources informed
about Suleiman's visit to Washington told An Nahar newspaper that the U.S.
showed readiness to continue securing aid to the Lebanese army. The military
"should be stronger than all parties," administration officials told the
Lebanese delegation, according to the sources. But they hinted that it would be
difficult to provide "heavy weaponry" to Lebanon in a clear reference to the
need to implement 1701. U.S. President Barack Obama also reportedly told
Suleiman during their talks at the White House on Monday that any solution in
the Middle East will not come at Lebanon's expense. The sources said the U.S.
president reiterated that Washington "wants Lebanon free, sovereign, independent
and strong." The sources said in remarks published Wednesday that Suleiman and
his accompanying delegation spent three hours at the White House. The two
leaders held 30 minutes of closed door talks. Suleiman also met Vice President
Joe Biden for 30 minutes, according to the sources. They told An Nahar that the
Obama-Suleiman meeting was positive and there was openness on different issues
despite disagreements in points of view. Obama asked Suleiman on Monday to take
action against arms smuggling into Lebanon which he said threatened Israeli
security. "President Suleiman and I are not going to agree on every issue with
respect to... Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinians and Syria," the U.S. president
told reporters. "What we do agree on is we can resolve these issues through
dialogue and negotiations, rather than through violence," he added. An Nahar's
sources said that the major difference in both men's view was over Hizbullah's
arms and implementation of resolution 1701. They said Suleiman urged Obama to
pressure Israel into stopping violations of Lebanese sovereignty and withdrawing
from the Shebaa farms area and Kfarshouba hills. In his turn, the U.S. president
warned from the consequences of arms smuggling into Lebanon. The Lebanese
president returned to Beirut on Wednesday. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 08:22
Feltman Says Hizbullah Violating International Resolutions, Subjecting Lebanese
to Dangers
Naharnet/U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
Jeffrey Feltman on Wednesday said that Hizbullah is a strong institution, but
also a militia that is violating international resolutions and subjecting the
Lebanese people to dangers. In an interview with al-Jazeera satellite TV
network, Feltman added that the Lebanese Army has to extend its authority over
all Lebanese territories. Feltman said that the U.S. problem with Hizbullah goes
back to the eighties of last century, when hundreds of people were killed. The
U.S. accuses Hizbullah of a number of attacks on its soldiers in Beirut during
the civil war years. Feltman accused Hizbullah of not committing to
international resolutions, and added that there are Lebanese territories under
Hizbullah's authority instead of that of the Lebanese State. The U.S. top
diplomat stressed that Hizbullah is part of the Lebanese government, parliament,
and political spectrum. However, Feltman added that his administration does not
have relations with Hizbullah, and that it follows a policy based on respecting
the opinion of the Lebanese in choosing who represents them in parliament and
government. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 17:09
Feltman says Hezbollah endangers Lebanese people
December 16, 2009 /Now Lebanon/US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern
Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said in a Wednesday interview on Al-Jazeera television
that Hezbollah endangers the Lebanese people and does not comply with
international resolutions. He called on the Lebanese army to assert the
government’s authority over all the country’s territory, adding that Hezbollah
exerts its power in areas where the government has no control. Feltman also said
that his country respects the right of the Lebanese to freely elect their
representatives to the parliament, adding that Hezbollah participates in the
Lebanese government, but said the US does not maintain ties with the party.
Feltman added that his country’s animosity with Hezbollah dates back to the
1980s, when, according to him, Hezbollah killed a number of US citizens in
Lebanon. -NOW Lebanon
Saudi FM: Hezbollah’s arms undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty
December 16, 2009
Now Lebanon/In an interview with the International Herald Tribune published
Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that Lebanon would
be denied true sovereignty as long as Hezbollah "owns more arms than the
military forces of the country."He said that US backing for Israel gave the
Jewish state the option of not wanting to make peace.
"Absolute US backing... has made Israel see the option of living in the area
without the acceptance of the people of the area [possible]," Prince Faisal
said.
"This has led to many years of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians."The
prince also lamented the failure of his efforts to establish a Palestinian state
and regional peace during his tenure of almost 35 years as a foreign minister.
During this period, "we have seen only moments of crisis, we have seen only
moments of conflict," said Prince Faisal.
"And how can you have any pleasure in anything that happens when you have people
like the Palestinians living as they are?" he asked.
"Peace until now is like holding water or sand in your hand. You see the amount
of water, you think you can hold something, but it falls away.”
"So unless there is something to hold in your hand and to point to as a success
and as an achievement, you have done nothing," the prince added.
He also said he was "suspicious" of Iranian claims that its nuclear program is
peaceful, adding that Tehran should never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons,
the daily reported.
The Saudi prince said Israel should also give up its nuclear arsenal, the
existence of which it neither confirms nor denies.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Gemayel says cabinet decisions obstructed “in advance”
December 16, 2009 /Now Lebanon/Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel said in a
Wednesday interview in As-Sayyad magazine that the government’s decisions are
“obstructed in advance” by the need for consensus between the parties. He also
said that he is worried about the country’s future because there is no
understanding on how to strengthen the state. According to Gemayel, Lebanon
needs to adopt “positive neutrality,” which refers to a foreign policy of
maintaining a strong army in case of foreign aggression. He added that the
Ministerial Statement is contradictory, a possible reference to Article 6 of the
document, which pertains to Hezbollah’s arms. “There is no longer a reason to
keep Hezbollah armed after the Israeli forces withdrew from the South in 2000,”
Gemayel said. He also said that “all of Lebanon is in a war state with Israel
and the people overcame the concept of resistance.”-NOW Lebanon
Cracking down on carjackers
Now Lebanon/Matt
Nash, December 16, 2009
Now Lebanon/Shortly after sunrise one day in late March, Mark Khayyat and Zahi
Mitri were navigating the mountain road through the town of Uyoun al-Seeman in a
4x4 BMW. Armed men in a Jeep Cherokee stopped them, forced them out of their car
and sped off with both vehicles, leaving Khayyat and Mitri standing alone on the
street.
Khayyat, according to the National News Agency, immediately called the police,
and soon a chase was on. As police tailed the Cherokee through the town of
Yashouh al-Malak, its driver, Samir Sobhi Zeaiter, slammed into several parked
cars, slowing him down and ending the pursuit.
Security forces arrested Zeaiter, allegedly the ringleader of Lebanon’s most
dangerous car theft network. His capture came in the early days of an ongoing
crackdown on car thieves led by the Internal Security Forces with support from
the army.
Colonel Fouad Khoury, chief of the ISF’s International Anti-Theft Bureau, told
NOW that since the beginning of 2009, his unit has successfully slashed the
rising number of car thefts and armed carjackings. According to statistics from
the ISF, 36 drivers were forced from their vehicles at gunpoint in 2006. That
number skyrocketed to 134 in 2008. But by the end of November, the number of
armed carjackings in 2009 dropped to 72.
In total, 1,151 vehicles were reported stolen in the first 11 months of 2009,
and the ISF recovered 841. In all of 2008, thieves stole 1,701 vehicles while
the ISF recovered 795. Khoury noted that this year, November was a particularly
good month. Thefts dropped to 57 from 98 in October while the number of vehicles
recovered jumped to 89 from 46.
New, expensive cars like the BMW X5 are the most commonly stolen, Khoury said.
Around 10 “kingpins” orchestrate Lebanon’s car theft rings and often also engage
in drug running and smuggling, he explained. Most of them operate out of or near
the Bekaa town of Britel, some 10 kilometers south of Baalbek, where a majority
of Lebanon’s stolen cars are taken, Khoury said.
Retrieving the vehicles is tricky for the police as thieves often receive tips
about upcoming ISF raids or escape – frequently across Lebanon’s porous border
with Syria – he said.
Khoury told NOW that, in general, a stolen car is sold to a network of
middle-men who then sell it to people working directly under the “kingpins.” The
vehicles are then sold back to their original owners, stripped and sold for
parts, sent out of the country or sold in Lebanon as used cars with falsified
registration papers.
The Baalbek and Hermel districts of the north Bekaa are home to several
notorious clans – such as the Zeaiters and Jaffars – and are also reportedly
Hezbollah strongholds. In April, Abu Dhabi daily The National reported that
Hezbollah “withdrew protection” from the clans, allowing the army and police to
pursue drug dealers and car thieves.
The party’s decision came after armed carjackers stole a vehicle owned by the
son of Imad Mugniyah, a top Hezbollah military commander assassinated in a
February 2008 car bomb in Damascus, The National reported. When asked, the ISF’s
Khoury said he had not heard of the incident or of Hezbollah giving the ISF
“authorization” to act, as the paper put it.
“The police and the army can go wherever they want in this country,” Khoury
said.He did, however, praise a recent increase in coordination between the ISF
and Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh. So far the new
initiative resulted in two ISF raids in which four suspected car thieves were
arrested, Khoury said. “Hezbollah saw that criminality – especially car theft –
increased in the country and in places [where the party is dominant],” he said.
“[Hezbollah] felt the danger to society caused by these [criminals] hiding in
their areas, so they decided to help us clean the country of them.” Political
concerns, Khoury explained, do play a role in how the ISF operates. For example,
gunmen nabbed the car of MP Nohad Mashnouq’s daughter last month and Khoury’s
phone quickly rang. Interior Minister Baroud, he said, wanted the ISF to make
finding the car a priority, and within 48 hours the supercharged Range Rover was
recovered. Khoury is confident the ISF’s fight against car thieves will continue
to be a success.“They realize they are not safe,” he said.
Imad Mustapha: the ambassador no one wants
Tony Badran, December 15, 2009
Now Lebanon/
The Washington rumor mill is in high gear again amid reports that the State
Department, after a lengthy delay, has finally sent the White House its
recommendation for the new American ambassador to Syria. The previous ambassador
was withdrawn in 2005 in the wake of the assassination in Beirut of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
While this kind of speculation has been rife throughout the past year, another,
juicier, rumor is also making the rounds in the American capital: that once the
US envoy gets assigned, the much-disliked Syrian ambassador to Washington, Imad
Mustapha, will be sent home.
Many names have circulated as to who the Obama administration’s choice might be.
The latest, in a list that has included such candidates as Fredric Hof and
Daniel Kurtzer, are Jacob Walles, who just finished his service as consul
general in Jerusalem, and Nabeel Khoury, currently director of the Office of
Analysis for Near East and South Asia at the State Department’s Bureau of
Intelligence and Research. In fact, Walles’ name has been floating around for
several months, though he has privately denied the story. Sources in Washington
have also expressed skepticism about the accuracy of the Khoury pick. No one yet
knows for sure who the ambassador might be, or when exactly he or she will be
approved, confirmed and assigned. It will be done, but it’s simply not a high
priority.
Several sources in Washington who deal closely with Syria do agree, however,
that once that process is finalized, Mustapha will be replaced.
Syria’s ambassador was shunned by the Bush administration and the State
Department after 2005, and there was even a debate within the administration
over his expulsion. Mustapha felt reenergized, or thought he would be, after the
election of President Barack Obama, when he began predicting a sea change in US
policy toward Syria. Yet his swaggering, indecorous statements, as well as his
leaks of disinformation, created a toxic aversion to him in the hallways of the
State Department and Congress. Well-informed sources relate how officials at
Foggy Bottom declared openly that Mustapha had “zero credibility in this
building.”
A good example can be found in the way Mustapha spun an Obama administration
decision to loosen restrictions on certain exports to Syria, a process allowed
under the sanctions regime Washington has imposed on the country. Following US
Special Envoy George Mitchell’s trip to Syria last July, Mustapha leaked to
American and Syrian media that the US had “lifted” sanctions – at best a
dishonest exaggeration.
Just hours after Mitchell’s departure, Mustapha made a remarkable statement to
Syrian television: “We are focusing with President Obama’s administration on
using the president’s executive authority to suspend the execution of the
important articles in the sanctions law.” He added, “They told us that they’re
working gradually to freeze the articles of the sanctions [regime] one by one
until the law is emptied of its meaning.”
Mustapha’s claims were fantastical in suggesting that Obama would override
Congress and American legislation on behalf of the Assad regime. They were also
embarrassing to the administration. The ambassador even told Al-Watan, a
newspaper owned by President Bashar Assad’s cousin, Rami Makhlouf (a target of
the US Treasury Department), that “President Obama was personally overseeing
US-Syria relations.” Similarly, he persistently leaked the fiction about an
Obama visit to Damascus or a summit with Assad. Among other empty acts was his
assertion that a US ambassador would be in Syria by October.
This deeply unprofessional, indeed obnoxious, conduct did not amuse American
officials. Mustapha’s claims on sanctions caused several members of Congress to
demand an explanation from the State Department. Reportedly, Mitchell revealed
the minutes of his meeting with Assad to confirm that Mustapha was fabricating
stories.
There was a good reason for Mustapha’s focus on sanctions. He had so heightened
Syrian expectations of a drastic turnaround in US policy once Obama entered
office that he had to justify his optimism even as the rosy picture he drew
didn’t materialize. Indeed, sanctions have been tightened under Obama, and the
president even renewed Executive Order 13441 targeting another cousin of Bashar
Assad, Hafez Makhlouf.
So severe was Mustapha’s incompetence that he failed to properly explain the
sanctions regime to his own president. According to a report in the Kuwaiti
daily Al-Rai quoting Washington sources, Mitchell had to spend an hour and a
half of his meeting with Assad just explaining the sanctions.
Stories began surfacing that Mustapha’s standing in Damascus was shaky, with
Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem allegedly pushing for his replacement. The
exasperated State Department, according to sources with direct knowledge of the
matter, decided to conduct “all meaningful diplomatic communication [with Syria]
through Mouallem.” It was in that context that Mouallem’s deputy, Faysal Mekdad,
was invited for talks in Washington some months ago. He too had the sanctions
explained to him, which essentially became the only item on his agenda.
According to another report in Al-Rai, Mekdad was told by officials at the State
Department to “go to the Hill” if he wanted movement on sanctions. In other
words, he had to settle matters with Congress, which Mustapha had very clumsily
accused earlier of being under the thumb of the “Zionist lobby.”
If the allegations about Mustpaha’s departure are true, it would be quite an
irony that this should happen during Barack Obama’s term, not George W. Bush’s.
Who knew Mustapha would end up being the first casualty of US-Syrian
“engagement”? One thing is for sure: no one will miss him.
Tony Badran is a research fellow with the Center for Terrorism Research at the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Michel Sleiman Speech in the USA in a meeting with the Lebanese-US Community
December 16, 2009
On December 15, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following speech
delivered by President Michel Sleiman before the members of the Lebanese
diaspora, Americans of Lebanese origins and American officials, during a
reception staged in his honor at the Lebanese embassy in Washington:
“I am pleased to meet you again today, one year after our last meeting. I would
like to seize this opportunity to conduct a quick reviewing of what we were able
to accomplish in terms of the promises I made to you to improve the situation in
Lebanon. Before that however, I must inform you that I met with American
President Barack Obama and a large number of American officials today, upon an
invitation from the American president. During these meetings, we discussed many
issues that are important to Lebanon and that can maintain its interests, as
well as issues of importance for the Middle East and of course the
Lebanese-American relations.
"This aims at upholding the interests of Lebanon and the Arabs, and at finding a
solution to the central cause, i.e. the Palestinian cause. The meeting was also
an occasion for us to congratulate President Obama on his Nobel Peace Prize,
expressing the hopes we have put in him due his special characteristic by which
he marked a turning point in democratic life...
"I also corroborated [our] support for the Arab peace initiative which was
ratified in Beirut in 2002 and was ratified again during the Doha summit at the
beginning of 2009, pointing out to the American administration - which already
knows the Lebanese position in this regard - that Lebanon rejects the
naturalization of the Palestinians on its territories and was interested in
granting them the right to return to their homeland.
“On the other hand, we discussed the bilateral relations that are based on two
main factors, the first of which being the Americans of Lebanese origins, i.e.
you who are living in America, are playing a major and efficient role in the
United States and are loyal to it as much as [you] are loyal to the land of the
fathers and the grandfathers: Lebanon. As for the second factor on which
relations between Lebanon and America are based, they are the values in which
Lebanon, the Western populations and the Americans believe.
"These values include democracy, human rights, public freedoms, the rejection of
bigotry and sectarianism and the fighting of terrorism. Lebanon has offered
countless sacrifices to uphold these values and has paid the price out of the
blood of its youths and martyrs, the emigration of its sons, its economy and the
consecutive wars which struck Lebanon and destroyed its infrastructure.
Therefore, we called on the United States to support Lebanon and the Lebanese
army, so that the latter can defend the land against any enemy that could attack
it. The Lebanese army needs sophisticated means to conduct its mission and to
fight the terrorism which it already fought in 2007, by deterring the biggest
organized terror group in a perfect and military fashion.
“We also asked America for helping us get economic support, in order to
compensate for the destruction that Lebanon has endured to uphold these values.
This support will contribute to economic development and social justice, whose
loss could entail oppression and poverty, the main pretexts for terror and
terrorists to dupe the youths suffering from the repercussions of the latter two
negative factors.
We focused on the support of political relations through the backing of
Lebanon’s position which we previously put forward in international forums, the
defense of Lebanon’s interests and the rejection of any solution at its expense.
"President Obama reiterated the promises he made in this regard once again. We
also demanded that pressures be exerted on Israel to continue the implementation
of Resolution 1701, cease its threats and its ongoing espionage operations. On
the domestic level, we almost kept all the promises we made to you, since
Lebanon has regained many elements of strength and since stability is prevailing
on the security, political and economic levels despite the delayed formation of
the government for six months.
“Nonetheless, the situation remained stable, which shows that the exercising of
democracy was good. At the level of the diplomatic relations with Syria, we now
have a Lebanese ambassador in Damascus and a Syrian ambassador in Beirut. This
year, the Lebanese ambassador in Syria organized a reception on Independence
Day, during which he received Syrians and foreign diplomats in Damascus. This
marked an important event in Lebanon’s history. The second thing was the
election of Lebanon with the quasi majority of the votes as a member in the
Security Council for 2010 and 2011. This post is the most prominent in
international forums, and from this position, Lebanon was able to defend its
interests and prevent the passing of any solution that does not take its
interests into consideration.
"This role comes with great challenges but we accepted it, and we will secure
the interests of Lebanon firstly, secondly that of the Arab states’ group and
thirdly the interests of humanity by seeking solutions to the thorny issues
around the world... Beirut has gone back to playing the role of “the Paris of
the Arabs,” with the return of all sorts of cultural, technical, political and
literary conferences, and sports, touristic and artistic festivals...
“Moreover, I believe that two important things were achieved, the first being
the reassurances about the unity of the army and the elimination of the fears of
division in the event of developments in the country. The army can no longer be
divided, and this is extremely important. The experience was very difficult
since 2004 and until 2008. This year, and through the political experience we
had, we became certain that any political crisis in the future will have no
impact on democracy, which will remain as it is along with the daily lives of
the citizens. At the level of the international tribunal, it is continuing to
look into the crimes without politicization and this is reassuring in itself. We
now have a national unity government that earned the vote of confidence thanks
to its Cabinet statement, and reconciliations were seen between the rival
parties...
“Our main concern however remains the building of the institutions, after we
built trust in Lebanon. The government must now build the institutions that
constitute the only guarantee for independence and the interests of the
citizens. If this is achieved, political disputes will not longer be relevant.
In order to secure that, we must adopt the standards of competence, justice and
equal opportunities, to allow the citizens to get their rights and enter these
institutions, which if formed as we want them to, could lead us to the
implementation of the remaining articles of the Taif Accord and the introduction
of administrative, legal, political and economic reforms...
"I thus believe we have implemented a large portion of our promises, but there
is still a lot to do. I ask you to enhance your faith in the country and I
personally bet on you. Therefore, I toured the world because I bet on you and it
worked. Do not let me down. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Ask not what the US can do for Lebanon
Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Now Lebanon
December 12, 2009
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, formerly
his country’s ambassador to Lebanon, often tells the following story: “On March
13, 2005, I cabled Washington saying that given the political situation,
demanding a Syrian redeployment into the Bekaa Valley seems to be the choice.
Little did I know that more than 1 million Lebanese would take to the streets on
March 14 demanding full Syrian withdrawal. The Lebanese were apparently a step
ahead of politicians, who then followed.”
Sometime later, a Saudi-Syrian agreement was reached to form a Syrian-Lebanese
“Security Committee.” Such a committee, a defiant Walid Jumblatt said at the
time, would mean the return of Syrian dominance over Lebanon, and the March 14
leadership killed the suggestion.
For March 14 supporters, those were the days when their leaders, empowered by a
sweeping popular mandate, could – and did – practice sovereignty, enjoying their
hard-won freedom. America, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran had no choice but to
accept Lebanon’s strong independence movement.
Then it collapsed. Some say the turning point came with Hezbollah’s “invasion”
of West Beirut in May 2008, while others argue it happened because of a
wind-shift in US policy, including the replacement of the savvy Feltman. A third
group believes Qatar snatched Paris from March 14 and made out of it a
pro-Syrian capital, while a fourth group says the “Lebanese file” in Saudi
Arabia was moved from the hands of one group of officials to another, one more
sympathetic to Syria.
None of these theories considers what happened inside Lebanon and within March
14. Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun sold out on Lebanese
independence, thus weakening the coalition, while the remaining March 14 leaders
went into hiding fearing for their lives.
Even before May 2008, some March 14 leaders had lost the stomach for the fight.
In late 2007, Feltman addressed a Washington think tank, arguing that his
country had thrown its weight behind the election of a Lebanese president with a
simple majority. March 14 did not move, arguing this might invite violence from
Hezbollah. It came anyway.
One defection after another and one concession after another resulted in a March
14 meltdown.
What remained of March 14, however, was its leaders’ fascination with world
affairs. Americans are opening up to Syria, some argued – wrongly as it turned
out. Others decided never to go the extra mile without Saudi approval, while a
volte face by France was also blamed on the dip in March 14’s fortunes.
In reality, March 14’s leaders never considered it was their failure to act when
action was needed, whether through deposing former President Lahoud, appointing
Shia ministers after Hezbollah and Amal walked out of the cabinet, electing a
president with simple majority or behaving like winners after the June
elections. For some reason, the March 14 leaders went from heroes to spectators
obsessed with regional politics. Accordingly, Lebanon’s independence,
sovereignty and freedom were compromised.
Since then, Lebanon has become a country in March 14’s image: A failure.
It elected Michel Sleiman, an unknown politician, to the presidency. Keen to
live up to his description as a consensus leader, Sleiman has proven ineffective
in his first 18 months and before that stood by as Hezbollah burned down Future
TV and Al-Mustaqbal newspaper. What is worse, the Sleiman lethargy syndrome has
spread through various state institutions. The first to contract the virus were
pro-March 14 diplomats, who cannot match their March 8 counterparts when it
comes to spreading the political gospel. In Washington, where Syrian, Libyan and
Qatari diplomats and lobbyists show formidable effectiveness, the Lebanese
Ambassador, Antoine Chedid, can be found at social functions, but never
addressing think tanks or lobbying this senator or that congressperson. Now, in
the name of Lebanese consensus, Sleiman and Chedid are endorsing Hezbollah and
Syrian talking points, such as the “right of resistance,” whether or not it
achieves any Lebanese consensus, the “benefits of the US opening up to Syria”
and more arms for the Lebanese Armed Forces, “though not to implement 1559 or
1701 or any other relevant Security Council resolution,” to name a few. Lebanese
consensus politicians, and now some March 14 leaders, are asking, “What can
America do for Lebanon?” The same question is sure to be posed by Sleiman to US
President Barak Obama when the two meet in the White House on Monday. Surely
Obama should ask Sleiman, “What can you or the once pro-independence leaders do
for Lebanon?” America, like on March 14, 2005, will certainly follow.
Hariri Meets Ban, Calls on World Powers to Take Action on Climate Change
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Wednesday U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on the
sidelines of the 2009 U.N. summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen. Hariri has
urged world powers to take action on climate change, describing the Copenhagen
summit as "very important" for Lebanon and the region. In an interview with LBC
TV late Tuesday, Hariri said Lebanon "is ready to cooperate with them (world
leaders) in all areas." Hariri will address the summit later Wednesday. Beirut,
16 Dec 09, 10:11
15 Charged with Plotting Attacks on Army, Having Ties with Fatah Al-Islam
Naharnet/Lebanon's military prosecutor on Wednesday charged 15 people with
belonging to a terrorist organization and plotting attacks on the army, a
judicial source said.
"Judge Saqr Saqr has charged 15 people with belonging to an armed group to stage
terrorist attacks with the aim of killing soldiers," the source told AFP on
condition of anonymity.
"One of those in custody had planted a bomb which did not detonate in a military
convoy," the source added, without giving further details. The suspects, who
include Lebanese and two Palestinians, were also charged with "having ties" to
Al-Qaida-inspired group Fatah al-Islam, the source said. "We suspect they were
coordinating their acts with a Fatah al-Islam ring based in the Ain al-Helweh
Palestinian refugee camp," near the southern coastal town of Sidon, the source
added. Only five of the suspects are in custody. The rest were charged in
absentia. If convicted, they could face the death penalty. In 2007, Fatah
al-Islam fought fierce battles with the Lebanese army at Nahr al-Bared camp in
northern Lebanon. The fighting killed 400 people, including 168 soldiers, and
displaced some 30,000 refugees from the camp, which was leveled in the fighting.
There have been widespread fears that since the battles the militant group has
switched its base to Ain al-Helweh, the largest of Lebanon's 12 refugee
camps.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 16:14
PSP Delegation to Visit Suleiman, Geagea
Naharnet/A delegation from the Progressive Socialist Party is expected to visit
on Thursday each of President Michel Suleiman and Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea, according to the Central News Agency. The delegation would be completing
the tour that has started today to a number of Lebanese officials in order to
invite them to a conference about supporting the civil rights of Palestinian
refugees. On Wednesday, the delegation reportedly visited former prime minister
Salim al-Hoss. The conference is expected to highlight the importance of the
"right of return" for Palestinians without neglecting the issue of their civil
rights. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 18:16
Lebanon to Test Israeli Intentions Regarding Withdrawal from Ghajar
Naharnet/Representatives of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL will meet Wednesday to
discuss arrangements for withdrawal of Israeli troops from the border town of
Ghajar, particularly since U.N. peacekeepers will take charge of the area
following the pullout. Lebanese official sources told pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat
that Lebanon is expected to raise a number of questions about Israel's
intentions regarding Ghajar. The sources said Lebanon expects the answers to be
sent via UNIFIL. They said among the questions Lebanon raised were the
population problem concerning kinship between the residents in the northern part
of Ghajar and others in the southern area. Another problem is water and
electricity. While Ghajar obtains its water from Lebanon, it gets electricity by
power lines from Israel. The sources said Lebanon has not yet received word from
UNIFIL about an Israeli withdrawal from the Lebanese part of Ghajar, adding that
a pullout depended on Israel's desire. The Lebanese delegation would also raise
a question about the nature of the transition phase the northern part of Ghajar
will be going through following the Israeli withdrawal. Other questions deal
with the problem and the role of Lebanese authorities over the territory in the
wake of an understanding that U.N. troops would assume responsibility in Ghajar.
Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 08:33
Syria to Build its Embassy in Yarze
Naharnet/The Syrian foreign ministry has concluded a major purchase in Yarze
where it plans to build its embassy. The daily Al-Akhbar said Wednesday that the
ambassador house is to be located within the premises which overlook the defense
ministry. It said the embassy architecture gives the impression that the Syrians
are keen on the formalities of the new relationship with the Lebanese. Syria's
ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali, meanwhile, was reportedly still in
the process of getting acquainted with Lebanon. Al Akhbar, however, quoted a
friend of Ali as saying that the Syrian ambassador has "become familiar with the
details of Lebanon." It quoted the same friend as saying Ali has been avoiding
all forms of political and social appearances at the beginning and was committed
to boycott invitations by former Premier Fouad Saniora's government given it was
a caretaker cabinet. The source said Ali, however, shook hands with Prime
Minister Saad Hariri on three separate occasions. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 14:09
Hariri Reportedly to Visit Damascus Sunday
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri will reportedly visit Damascus after the
mourning period over the youngest brother of Syrian President Bashar Assad was
completed.
Pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, citing Lebanese sources following up Hariri's
Damascus visit, said Wednesday that the trip is likely to take place on Sunday.
Ad-Diyar newspaper, for its part, said Hariri-Assad meeting was scheduled for
last Sunday, 3 p.m. and was postponed due to the death of Assad's younger
brother, Majd.
It said details of the visit were being worked out by Saudi King's son and that
it has nothing to do with warrants issued by Syria against a number of Lebanese
officials over a lawsuit filed by former head of Lebanese General Security Jamil
Sayyed. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 08:20
Druze-Shiite Reconciliations on Front Burner, Inter-Christian Reunions
Complicated
Naharnet/Reconciliations between the Druze and Shiite communities were moving to
the front burner while inter-Christian reunions were said to be complicated.
The daily As-Safir said a meeting is expected to take place soon between
Hizbullah official Hajj Wafiq Safa and Minister for the Displaced Akram Shehayeb
to discuss measures to build unity among Shweifat's residents. It said Druze
leader Walid Jumblat and his one-time rival Talal Arslan as well as Hizbullah
officials will attend the reunion. In remarks published Wednesday by As-Safir,
Shehayeb, however, said the issue of the village of Breeh was "very sensitive
and it became necessary to close that file.""We are, therefore, in the process
of drawing up a work plan to reach a final solution, be it reconciliation or
compensation," Shehayeb said.On inter-Christian reconciliations, the Maronite
League has multiplied its efforts to reach unity, but no breakthrough has been
achieved, particularly between MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea.Ad-Diyar newspaper, in turn, said a reunion between Geagea and Marada
Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh was also unlikely in the near future. Beirut,
16 Dec 09, 11:24
Lebanon's Jamaa Islamiya Gets New Secretary General
Naharnet/The Jamaa Islamiya elected Ibrahim al-Masri as secretary general to
replace Sheikh Faisal al-Mawlawi who is suffering from a chronic disease, the
movement's media official Ibrahim Meselmani told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.
Meselmani told the newspaper that the Jamaa Islamiya hasn't yet officially
announced the results of the election because the process is ongoing including
the election of the General Bureau members and the Shura Council. Asharq al-Awsat
said the new secretary-general's term is most probably for three years rather
than four as in previous years. The new chief also does not have the right to
run for office more than twice. Al-Masri is the Jamaa Islamiya's third
secretary-general since the movement was officially established in 1964,
according to the daily. Beirut, 16 Dec 09, 08:50