LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 07/09
Canadian
soldier wounded in Afghanistan dies/Play Video
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Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint
Matthew 9:18-26.While
he was saying these things to them, an official came forward, knelt down before
him, and said, "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and
she will live."Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman
suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel
on his cloak.She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be
cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter! Your
faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived
at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making
a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they
ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and
the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Human Rights Watch
TO Syria: Disclose Fate of
Detainees 06/07/09
Regional consultations weigh
heavily on Lebanon’s cabinet formation. By: Nicholas Lowry, NOW Staff 06/07/09
Help
Lebanon, help Mideast democracy.By:
Ian Moss, Anthony Elghossain
06/07/09
Lebanon
may need storm windows to protect itself from Iran's tempest06/07/09
With
Al-Jazeera's American challenge comes responsibility.By:
Mohamed Elmenshawy 06/07/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July
06/09
Suleiman: Damascus Declaration
Will Not Be Used to Push Cabinet Formation; Lebanese-Syrian Ties Are Enjoying
'Mutual Trust'-Naharnet
Aoun:
We are Axis of Evil, Cabinet Should be Set Up In Lebanon-Naharnet
Hariri Slams Netanyahu's 'Negative Messages and Distortion of Facts'-Naharnet
Laurent: Hariri Has EU's Full Support in His Mission to Form 'Important' Cabinet-Naharnet
Phalange Party Calls for
'Strict' Security Plan in aftermath of Street Violence-Naharnet
Sfeir moves to summer
residence in Diman.Now Lebanon
Peres says Israel to prevent
Hezbollah armament, not to offer Golan on “golden platter”.
Now Lebanon
Nasrallah visited Damascus asking
for guarantees-Future News
Carlos
Edde: The opposition is
blackmailing HaririFuture News
Laurent says EU fully supports
Hariri, calls on Lebanese to trust him. Now Lebanon
Syrian-Saudi Contacts Freeze as
Egypt Reportedly has Reservations over Damascus' Negative Role -Naharnet
Nader Hariri from Bkirki: Continuous Contacts to Form Government
-Naharnet
Peres: Assad Should Choose between Golan and Hizbullah
-Naharnet
Survey: More anxiety in South than North
during rocket attacks-Jerusalem
Post
Israeli president urges Syria to negotiate for
peace-Xinhua
Hariri Embarks on New Round of Consultations
-Naharnet
Sfeir is Against a Hariri
Visit to Damascus, Believes Syria Doesn't View Lebanon Independent
-Naharnet
Hizbullah Delegation in
Shouf as Jumblat Puts May 7 Events in the Past
-Naharnet
Former MP al-Samad's
Brother Dead after Quarrel with his ex-Wife
-Naharnet
Nasrallah Demands
Guarantees Regarding International Tribunal
-Naharnet
Israel Holding Lebanese
Government Responsible for Any Hizbullah Attack
-Naharnet
Rivals Contest Elections
in Metn as Deadline Nears Expiry
-Naharnet
Germany's FM in Israel eyes 'fresh start'-AFP
Solution may be at hand for Israeli-Lebanese
conflict-Xinhua
3 things to think about-Ynetnews
Israeli PM: Lebanon responsible for Hizbullah-Jerusalem
Post
Ex-AP Hostage Terry Anderson Back in Beirut to
Teach US J-Students ...Huffington
Post
Hariri
insists cabinet formation 'strictly' Lebanese affair-Daily
Star
Nasrallah visits Damascus for talks
- media report-Daily
Star
Iran:
Israel 'main culprit' in abduction of diplomats-Daily
Star
Baroud
calls on security forces to 'tighten their grip'-Daily
Star
UN
Security Council to discuss Ban's report on Resolution 1701 - media-Daily
Star
Damascus promises Paris: government
formation in Lebanon without obstructing third-Future News
Lebanon-made’ government ahead…
Hizbullah mounts to Mount Lebanon-Future News
Hariri clarifies issues… Franjieh
changes his tone-Future News
The phase of courageous
decisions-Future News
Nasrallah
visited Damascus asking for guarantees
Date: July 6th, 2009 Source: Al Liwaa
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) came back as one of the major obstacles
that face the cabinet formation, the Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Monday.
“Contacts over the issue of the STL had blocked the way for the cabinet
formation,” informed sources that spoke on the condition of anonymity told the
paper. “Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had visited Damascus
secretly and asked for ‘guarantees’ in case the STL accusation decision adopted
the report published by the German magazine Der Spiegel which implicates
Hizbullah in the assassination of former Premier Rafic Hariri,” the source
added. Der Spiegel published last May a report allegedly leaked from STL files.
The report included details and names of Hizbullah members it claimed to be
involved in the assassination of former Premier Rafic Hariri who was killed in a
suicide car explosion on February 14, 2005.
Sfeir
moves to summer residence in Diman
July 6, 2009 /-NOW Staff
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir will be leaving Bkirki, the
patriarchy’s headquarters, to his summer residence in Diman within the next few
hours, a statement issued by the patriarchy read on Monday. Sfeir goes to Diman
every year for the summer season and assumes his patriarchal duties from there.
Peres says Israel to prevent Hezbollah armament, not to
offer Golan on “golden platter”
July 6, 2009 /NOW Staff
Israeli President Shimon Peres said that the Lebanese government should be fully
aware that his country will not allow Hezbollah to continue its armament with
Iranian rockets that would be launched at Israel.During a meeting with Germany's
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Peres said on Monday that Tel Aviv
will not offer the Golan Heights to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on “a
golden platter.”“It is not easy for Israel to make concessions regarding the
Golan Heights in order to achieve peace with Syria. Assad should make strategic
choices, because he cannot have strong relations with Iran and support
Hezbollah’s arsenal, and still expect concessions from Israel,” he said. Peres
also said that Assad should participate in the negotiations with Israel without
setting prior conditions and “should take the risk of transparently stating
Damascus’s relations with Tehran and Hezbollah.” Steinmeier in turn said that
the Middle East peace process cannot be achieved without a two-state solution
and ensuring Israel’s security. -NOW Staff
Regional consultations weigh heavily on Lebanon’s cabinet formation
Nicholas Lowry, NOW Staff , July 6, 2009
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) speaking with Saudi Prince Abdul Aziz bin
Abdullah during a meeting in Damascus on June 29. (AFP/HO/SANA)
It is a reminder of the limits of Lebanese sovereignty that, a month after the
parliamentary elections, all the talk in Beirut on the makeup of the next
government hinges so explicitly on the prospect of deals cut in foreign
capitals.
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri clearly had that unseemly reality in mind
on Saturday when he said, "Lebanon's government is formed in Lebanon. The
protocol for forming the next cabinet is to be issued from [the presidential
palace] Baabda, and any other talk is false.”
The main headline from the last week, to steal a phrase often used in Lebanese
political speak, has been talks between Saudi Arabia and Syria and a possible
rapprochement between the two long-opposed Arab nations, though a rumored
meeting between the Saudi king and Syrian president on Monday will not take
place.
Indeed, rumors have been swirling that Hariri is set to make a trip to Damascus,
which has raised fears among Christian leaders that Lebanon’s prime minister in
waiting would break a promise not to visit his country’s former occupiers before
a government is formed. Thus, it was probably no coincidence that on the same
day Hariri insisted Lebanon's government would be made in Lebanon, he met with
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a longtime foe of Syria and the only major
political figure to be imprisoned for his role in the civil war during the
period of Syrian tutelage, which extended from the cessation of hostilities in
the early 1990s to the assassination of Saad Hariri’s father, former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, in 2005.
Attention has been focused on the talks between Saudi Arabia and Syria since at
least last week, when Saudi Information Minister Abdul-Aziz Khoja and Prince
Abdullah Abdul-Aziz, the son of the current Saudi king, visited Damascus for
discussions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Lebanese daily al-Akhbar
reported that during those meetings, Assad told the two Saudis that Syria “did
not interfere in either the Lebanese parliamentary elections or the nomination
of the next prime minister, and Syria will not interfere in the consultations
held on the cabinet formation and will support whatever the Lebanese agree on.”
Whatever the accuracy of the al-Akhbar report, Assad’s silence during the
election campaign appeared to mark a break with his government’s past approach
to Lebanon’s democracy and contrasted sharply with the stance of Iranian
President Ahmadinejad, who, in the weeks before the vote, said that “opposition
victory will strengthen the Resistance and change the status of the region.”
That did not happen, and while some have argued that the Syrian regime has no
need to directly interfere given the number of proxies it continues to control
among Lebanon’s political establishment, much of the last week’s chatter has
centered on what price Syria exacted for maintaining such an
uncharacteristically uninvolved posture.
Among the possible concessions that have been listed are de facto immunity from
the Special Tribunal investigating the assassination of Hariri senior, and a
tweak to the much-reported possible formula for the future 30-member cabinet,
which would have the opposition taking 10 ministries and the president choosing
five, two of which would be close to the opposition (though this would
ostensibly contradict Assad’s assertion that he has refrained from meddling in
the formation of the cabinet).
The dialogue between Syria and Saudi Arabia took a number of unexpected turns
before it was stalled on Monday, according to As-Safir, such as when Saad Hariri
ran off to Riyadh in the middle of last week, which was taken by some as a sign
that the talks were not going well. On Friday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah made his own trip to a foreign capital, visiting Damascus, according
to al-Liwaa, where he was updated on the status of the negotiations.
The next day, Minister Khoja and Prince Abdul Aziz, the two Saudis who had
visited Damascus last Monday, returned, and al-Hayat reported that talks between
the two countries had expanded to include implementing 1991’s Taif Accord, which
ended the civil war, and making last year’s Doha Accord “obsolete.”
That last accord ended an extraordinary period of Lebanese history that began
with the car bomb that killed Hariri and 21 others, and included the massive
protests one month later, on March 14, 2005, that led to the withdrawal of
Syrian forces (and gave name to the current ruling coalition). The period also
included two bloody wars — one waged by Israel in 2006 and another by the
Lebanese army against militants in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp — a string of
assassinations, and an 18 month opposition sit-in that paralyzed the country’s
capital and culminated with the worst internal violence since the civil war,
when Hezbollah-led forces stormed West Beirut after March 14 threatened the
Party of God’s telecommunication network and rumored control of Beirut’s
airport.
The Doha Agreement brought Lebanon’s feuding leaders together, but was
essentially a capitulation to the opposition’s demands, namely that it be given
veto power over Lebanon’s government, which, according to the constitution,
requires holding more than a third of the seats in cabinet. The opposition’s
argument was that as the 2005 elections were decided by the quadripartite
alliance that joined Hariri’s Future Movement and Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive
Socialist Party with Hezbollah and Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, a March
14 government that did not include the latter two parties was illegitimate.
But the 2009 elections, which featured no such alliance, came within one seat of
exactly duplicating the 2005 results, weakening the opposition’s argument for
veto power.
Still, reading the Lebanese press, those elections often seem more like a
variable than a deciding verdict. And as the plot continues to thicken, any
number of scenarios remain plausible. For instance, hovering over the
Saudi-Syrian talks was a rumor reported in As-Safir that Saudi King Abdullah
might visit Damascus and that Saudi negotiators had proposed having Hariri and
all March 14’s leading figures greet King Abdullah at the airport upon his
arrival in Damascus. However, according to the newspaper, the Saudis also
apparently asked the Syrians for more time to reach consensus among their camp
and were surprised when March 14’s leaders — with the exception of Jumblatt, who
has for months now been striking a more conciliatory position toward the
opposition — said that Hariri would wait until the cabinet had been formed to
visit Damascus himself.
Be that as it may, An-Nahar reported over the weekend that negotiations over the
cabinet had produced “a preliminary framework, with consultations continuing on
all levels,” though the paper also stated, bewilderingly, that the parties
involved were avoiding discussing the issues of veto power and proportionality
for the opposition in the cabinet, making it unclear what, if anything, is being
discussed.
What is clear, however, is that a dizzying number of factors are at work.
Lebanon is sometimes viewed as the mirror of the Middle East, both because the
sectarian divisions of the larger region are so neatly replicated in this little
country and because every power it seems has a player here.
Edde: The opposition is blackmailing Hariri
Date: July 6th, 2009 Source: Al Liwaa
Amid of the Lebanese Bloc Party Carlos Edde said Monday that the March 8 camp is
blackmailing Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri in order to get the ministries
required by the opposition and to include its political views in the ministerial
statement. MP Saad Hariri, the leader of the majority, was designated prime
minister on June 27 to form the post-elections government in coordination with
President Michel Sleiman. In an interview to Al Liwaa daily, Edde, a leader in
the pro-government March 14 coalition, noted that the government formation will
be late, and noted that the Christian reconciliation is Impossible because MP
Michel Aoun is applying the Iranian policies considering that he is the
spokesperson of Hizbullah.
“If I was in charge,” noted Edde, “I would say that the majority should form the
government and the minority would oppose,” adding that the government that
includes all political sides would transmit the problems to the cabinet and
would paralyze it. Edde also said that the Christian community has concerns as
the majority did not use its electoral victory efficiently, noting that the
elections represent the Lebanese in a better way if a better electoral law was
implemented. He added that Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir did not take a
stance regarding these elections but what he pronounced at the time followed
Lebanese principles.
Jumbaltt: May 7 page closed once and for all
Date: July 6th, 2009 Source: Assafir
Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt, head of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary
bloc, said Monday the visits paid by the Hizbullah party delegation to Druze
spiritual leaders Sunday was the result of the meeting he held a couple of weeks
before with the Secretary-General of Hizbullah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. In
reference to his visit to Nasrallah, Jumblatt told the As-Safir newspaper: “The
encouraging steps towards openness must be resumed,” pointing to an agreement
with Nasrallah that arranged for the visits to Druze leaders.
Jumblatt, leader of the Progressive Socialist party, pointed to another meeting
to be held Tuesday between a Hizbullah delegation and the Druze Sheikh Akl
(religious leader).
The meetings fall in the framework of reinforcing calm, dialogue and openness
and to turn the page forever on the May 7, 2008 incidents. On May 7, 2008, the
March 8 coalition led by the Hizbullah party launched attacks on peaceful
neighborhoods in Beirut and Mount Lebanon regions leaving several dead and
wounded. A source close to Hizbullah said the meetings with Druze spiritual
leaders perk up the broken relations with Mount Lebanon, heartland of the Druze
community. The mutual openness between leadership of the Socialist Progressive
Party and Hizbullah would definitely be reflected on the common aspects of life
in Mount Lebanon.
Damascus promises Paris: government formation in Lebanon without obstructing
third
Date: July 5th, 2009 Source: An-Nahar
A diplomatic source pointed on Sunday that Syrian President Bachar al-Assad
assured Secretary General of the French Presidency Claude Gyan that Syria’s
allies in Lebanon will facilitate the government formation without the utility
of the blocking third. Last Tuesday, Secretary Gyan and diplomatic advisor Jean
David Levet visited al-Assad to discuss government formation in Lebanon among
other regional political developments. The source indicated that talks about
alleged US pressures on Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri not to visit
Damascus “are not in harmony with the fact that Washington prepares to delegate
a new ambassador to Damascus.” “Rumors on a probable visit made by Hariri to
Damascus are untrue,” stressed the source.
The phase of courageous decisions
Date: July 5th, 2009 Source: Future News
A Western source familiar with the Lebanese –Syrian western Arab relations on
one hand and the internal Syrian relations on the other, said that the next
phase could be approached through the slogan of dealing with issues in a
courageous manner.
The courage is primarily requested from Damascus, according to the source,
because France was the first international western country that embraced Bashar
el-Assad’s experience after his advent to power under the slogan that he might
be an opportunity for reform and development in Syria.
Indeed, Assad was eager to develop the regime and signed dozens of decrees that
were frozen during his father’s rule –Hafez el-Asaad- because of the latter’s
illness and the uncomfortable regional and international situation. The decrees
were related to the development of vital living and legal conditions in Syria.
In his attempt to present some kind of democracy in the country, President Asaad
approved publishing a couple of newspapers critical of the government’s
performance. From the Syrian point of view, the move towards an open system must
be made gradually.
Paris did not have any conditions for the approach used by the Syrian regime in
order to reach democracy, the source added. During discussions between Bashar
al-Asaad and President Jacques Chirac, the latter stressed the necessity to free
Syrian-Lebanese relations from historical stereotypes that have proven to be
ineffective. The mutual doubts should be replaced by what falls in the interest
of both countries.
The French-Syrian idea formulated by experts from both countries, believed that
enhancing the economic conditions between Syria and Lebanon in the sense of
enjoying independent relationship and having ties and economic interests, falls
in the favor of both.
The sources added that Asaad was eager to these ideas. In a courageous step, he
came to Lebanon, called for good relations, and recognized Lebanon as an
independent entity. However, the overall context was lost due to conditions
related to the situation in Syria, as well as to regional and international
situation.
Today, the interrupted connection must be restored with courage. Non-stereotype
relations between Syria and Lebanon must be initiated again, because focusing on
the economy is a Syrian and Lebanese necessity.
The source said that three weeks ago a prominent Syrian figure visited Paris.
During the meeting, France identified its vision from the latest developments
between Lebanon and Syria as follows:
The French told the figure that Syrian noninterference in Lebanon’s affairs
benefits Syria, paving way for international and regional interests more than,
if it did. An example was the triumph of the majority in Lebanon’s legislative
elections, which the west viewed as an evidence to Syria’s noninterference.
Syria can make use of its relation with Lebanon in a constructive manner if it
was able to view it as a converging link with the West and Arab countries
reaping large gains. Nevertheless, if viewed as a point of conflict, that would
make it reap nothing but trouble.
Syria needs Lebanese economic expertise, and it will attain such experience only
through the promotion of economic prosperity in Lebanon, not in holding them
back.
It has become clear that the world and Arabs will not sign any compromises at
the expense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence. Syria must involve itself
in the positive international and regional efforts towards Lebanon, which also
serve the path of opening the world to Syria and the path of restoring Lebanon’s
unity, independence and state.
Israel
Holding Lebanese Government Responsible for Any Hizbullah Attack
Naharnet/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Lebanon is
legitimizing Hizbullah and reiterated that Israel will hold the Lebanese
government responsible for any attack from its territory. "The government of
Lebanon is making preparations to legitimize Hizbullah," Netanyahu said Sunday
in reference to consultations to form a new unity government, "and that will not
happen without them facing the consequences.""The government in Beirut is a
sovereign entity, and any attack launched from Lebanese territory is by the
government and at its approval," Netanyahu warned at the weekly cabinet meeting,
according to Israeli Army Radio. The Jerusalem Post said Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak expressed support to Netanyahu's remarks. The Israeli
premier's stance came the same day Haaretz newspaper reported that Saudi Arabia
and the United States are pressing Syria to demarcate its border with Lebanon,
in order to allow for the beginning of an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied
Shebaa Farms area. Beirut, 06 Jul 09, 07:40
Peres: Assad Should Choose between Golan and Hizbullah
Naharnet/Israeli President Shimon Peres said Monday that Syria can't expect to
get the Golan Heights on a "silver platter" as long as it maintains ties with
Hizbullah and Iran. Peres told visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier that (Syrian President Bashar) "Assad should understand that he will
have to sit at the negotiation table if he wants real peace."
"He should stop being shy. If he wants to promote peace for his people he will
have to run negotiations without any preconditions," Israel's Ynet news quoted
Peres as saying.
"Assad must make a strategic choice. There is no way that Assad will get
territorial concessions from Israel while at the same time maintaining ties with
Hizbullah and Iran in a package deal.""If Hizbullah wants to be Iran's missile
carrier against Israel – we cannot allow that," the Israeli president added.
Beirut, 06 Jul 09, 13:15
Sfeir is Against a Hariri Visit to Damascus, Believes Syria Doesn't View Lebanon
Independent
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has reportedly told visiting MP
George Adwan that he was against a visit by PM-designate Saad Hariri to Syria
because he believes Damascus does not view Lebanon an independent state. As
Safir daily on Monday said Sfeir vehemently criticized "conditions and counter
conditions on cabinet formation." The newspaper also quoted the patriarch's
close circles as saying that Bkirki supports those who are against animosity to
Syria "but there are some unsolved problems between the two countries." The
major problem, according to the sources, is how Damascus views Beirut. Bkirki
believes that Syria still considers Lebanon a country where it could use its
influence. "The patriarch does not care if Hariri's visit was prior or after the
(cabinet) formation … The most important thing is how Syria views Lebanon and if
it looks at the two countries as two independent states," the circles told As
Safir. Adwan said after meeting with Sfeir the Lebanese people had the
impression that the cabinet was being formed outside Lebanon. A possible Hariri
visit to Damascus hasn't also encouraged the Lebanese, the Lebanese Forces MP
told reporters in Bkirki. "I believe that the prime minister-designate will not
make a visit to Syria before (cabinet) formation," Adwan added. Beirut, 06 Jul
09, 08:53
Syrian-Saudi Contacts Freeze as Egypt Reportedly has Reservations over Damascus'
Negative Role
Naharnet/Halt in contacts between Damascus and Riyadh over Lebanon has made it
almost impossible for a summit between Syrian President Bashar Assad and Saudi
King Abdullah to be held in Damascus on Monday. Syrian sources told As-Safir
newspaper that exchange of ideas between Riyadh and Damascus was ongoing, "but
so far did not reach a level where a (cabinet line-up) could be announced." The
sources denied that preparations were underway for a Saudi-Syrian summit to be
held in Damascus on Monday. They did not rule out, however, an Assad-Abdullah
summit at a later stage. Meanwhile, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat quoted well-informed
Egyptian sources as saying that Cairo "feels uncomfortable toward … attempts to
force PM-designate Saad Hariri to make concessions beforehand, least of which is
a visit to Damascus prior to cabinet formation." The Egyptian sources said Cairo
supports further Syrian-Saudi rapprochement. However, they said recent contacts
showed that Damascus was not keen on restoring Arab unity or even achieve
progress with regards to the Lebanese and Palestinians dossiers. They said
latest contacts, instead, showed a "Syrian attitude that barters every proposed
step with a list of demands and conditions that only serves the narrow interests
of Syria, particularly with regards to Lebanese affairs." The sources said
Syrian demands aim at strengthening the Lebanese Opposition stance. Beirut, 06
Jul 09, 08:38
Hariri Embarks on New Round of Consultations
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Monday will kick off a new
round of consultations on the makeup of a new cabinet amidst reports he is
working for a speedy formation of a unity government. The daily An Nahar gave no
specific time for the declaration of the new government, adding that there are
no "major or serious" obstacles facing formation of cabinet lineup. An Nahar,
citing well-informed sources, said Hariri has turned a page on talks about a
possible visit to Damascus prior to formation of a new government.
The sources, however, believed that such a visit will likely take place after
the new government takes office. Al-Mustaqbal Movement sources, meanwhile, told
the daily As-Safir that no one has officially approached Hariri on the issue of
his visit to Damascus. As-Safir said Hariri expressed readiness to visit
Damascus. It said the premier-designate, however, has asked in return a "kind of
moral compensation which allows him to justify such a step or promote it to his
people." The demand for compensation, according to As-Safir, calls for a
one-third guarantor within the government, a matter that is being discussed with
Hizbullah. Opposition sources told As-Safir that Syria does not "negotiate" with
Riyadh on behalf of the March 8 coalition. "Consequently, any talk about cabinet
shares should be discussed with the opposition," one source said. Hariri had
started consultations on a new cabinet lineup with his allies in the March 14
coalition and will meet in the coming hours with Phalange Party leader Amin
Gemayel and other independent March 14 figures after having met with Lebanese
Forces chief Samir Geagea and Democratic Gathering head Walid Jumblat. An-Nahar
said contacts were ongoing between Hariri and Hizbullah channels. Beirut, 06 Jul
09, 09:33
Nader Hariri from Bkirki: Continuous Contacts to Form Government
Naharnet/Premier-designate Saad Hariri's advisor Nader Hariri said from Bkirki
on Monday that there are continuous contacts with all sides to form a new
cabinet.
Hariri also said after holding talks with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir
that he informed the head of the church about contacts to form a government able
to "save the citizen."Hariri stressed on the strong ties between Qoreitem and
Bkirki and said Sfeir is Lebanon's conscience. Beirut, 06 Jul 09, 13:29
Rivals Contest Elections in Metn as Deadline Nears Expiry
Naharnet/The deadline to file election rigging complaints to the Constitutional
Council expires on Tuesday as several blocs get ready to contest the June 7
polls. Although by Monday morning not a single bloc had yet filed a complaint,
the Change and Reform bloc is expected to do so on the Metn district voting. MP
Michel Murr and other candidates who had lost the elections from the Metn
Salvation list will also contest the parliamentary polls and Minister Elias
Skaff is expected to do the same on the elections in Zahle district. Beirut, 06
Jul 09,
Hizbullah Delegation in Shouf as Jumblat Puts May 7 Events in the Past
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said he has turned a
page on the May 7, 2008 bloody events following a visit by a religious Hizbullah
delegation to the Shouf Mountains in an attempt to enhance reconciliation. The
delegation headed by Hizbullah Shura member Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek on Sunday
visited the head of the Druze spiritual body in Baakline Sheikh Abou Mohammed
Jawad, Sheikh Abou Youssef Amin al-Sayegh in Sharon and Sheikh Abou Saeed Amin
Abou Ghannam in Aramoun. Yazbek hailed Jumblat's stances "who spared Lebanon a
lot of difficulties."Jumblat, in remarks published by the daily As-Safir on
Monday, assured that the May 7 events were in the past.
He said he was committed to "calm and openness." Beirut, 06 Jul 09, 10:06
Former MP al-Samad's Brother Dead after Quarrel with his ex-Wife
Naharnet/The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces announced on
Monday that investigation was ongoing into the death of Dr. Jamal al-Samad in
the northern port city of Tripoli the day before. The directorate said in a
communiqué that the judiciary was investigating the death of former MP Jihad al-Samad's
brother and pleaded with media outlets not to jump into conclusions and respect
the secrecy of the probe. An Nahar daily on Monday said al-Samad shot and
wounded his divorcee Reem J. in her apartment in Tripoli's Nadim al-Jisr
neighborhood Sunday afternoon and then killed himself. As Safir newspaper,
however, quoted security sources as saying that al-Samad and his former wife
were arguing when the man shot her in the foot. When security forces arrived to
the scene, al-Samad took refuge in the building's entrance and exchanged fire
with them. The sources added that a minute later a gunfire was heard and
security forces entered the building only to see the man soaked in blood. As
Safir said al-Samad's family members accused police of killing the man. It added
that the medical examiner confirmed the doctor was killed from a single shot in
the head. Beirut, 06 Jul 09, 12:07
Gemayel: Hizbullah's Arms Distinctly Political, Hindering National March Forward
Naharnet/Phalange leader Amin Gemayel described Hizbullah's arms as a problem
saying it remains to be distinctly political in hindering the country's national
progress.
"The problem today is in Hizbullah's arms, which are distinctly political
because [they] are hindering the national march forward and are in control of
the internal political game, " Gemayel said on Sunday during an event in which
he placed the founding stone for a Phalange party center at Kfar Abida. Gemayel
added that the Phalange's stance is not that of a political, but a patriotic
"because we consider the existence of arms a threat to democracy." "Who is
paying money? And where are these arms coming from? This is a violation of
national sovereignty," he said. The Phalange leader added that his party went
through the last parliamentary election to defend the country's cause and
democracy. "The battle of forming the next cabinet is to safeguard democracy and
sovereignty," Gemayel said. Beirut, 05 Jul 09, 14:33
Hariri insists cabinet formation 'strictly' Lebanese affair
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Monday, July 06, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said on Saturday that the
formation of the upcoming national-unity cabinet was a "strictly" Lebanese
domestic affair, adding that the government "will have to stem from the
Presidential Palace in Baabda." Following talks with President Michel Sleiman,
Hariri stressed that the cabinet formation process was taking its "natural
course toward completion away from noise in the media."
"The Lebanese cabinet is being formed in Lebanon; its formation decree is to be
issued from the Baabda Palace and reports saying otherwise are false," Hariri
said.
Tackling his relations with Syria, Hariri said he hoped for the best ties, "when
the time is right." Hariri has accused Syria of plotting the assassination of
his father, Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Earlier this week,
news reports revealed the possibility of Hariri's participation in a tripartite
meeting in Damascus prior to the Cabinet formation with Syrian President Bashar
Assad, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz and President Sleiman.
On Friday, Saudi Prince Abdel-Aziz bin Abdullah, accompanied by the kingdom's
Information Minister Abdel-Aziz, held talks with Assad.
According to the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Saturday the talks stressed the need
to implement the Taif Accord and put an end to the recommendations of the Doha
agreement regarding granting the opposition a blocking third in the next
government. The Doha agreement in May 2008 led to the election of Sleiman as
president and the formation of a national-unity cabinet that granted the
opposition the blocking third. The accord ended a two-year political stalemate
that escalated on May 7, 2008 to armed clashes between opposition and
pro-government gunmen in Beirut and the Chouf mountains following the
government's decision to dismantle Hizbullah's telecommunication network.
Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea said Saturday that he doubted that
Hariri's meeting with Assad would take place before the formation of the next
government.
"Hariri's visit to Syria should be based on a political agenda to be planned
following the formation of the upcoming government," Geagea told Reuters.
The LF boss also refused to link the cabinet formation to inter-Arab
discussions, in reference to the possible Saudi-Syrian meetings. Geagea added
that Syria had attempted to establish such a link in the past, "but failed." In
other developments on Saturday, an inter-Christian dialogue kicked off between
Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh and Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel.
Both politicians vowed to move away from inter-Christian discord and "to restore
the Christians' natural role in Lebanon."
A statement issued by the Marada Movement press office on Saturday said the two
leaders agreed to initiate dialogue among Christian groups "in a bid to
establish security and stability in Lebanon."The statement added that Gemayel
and Franjieh stressed the need to renounce discord and to attain common ground
for a lasting and fruitful dialogue.
"[Saturday's] dialogue aimed to restore the Christians' natural role," the
statement said. Franjieh and Gemayel also agreed to reject attempts to
naturalize Palestinians in Lebanon, adding that this would "be a blow to the
Palestinian cause and would also have serious repercussions on Lebanon's
political and social structure."Separately, Sami Gemayel's father and head of
Phalange Party, Amin Gemayel, said on Sunday that Hizbullah's weapons obstructed
"Lebanon's national progress and controled the political situation."Following
the opening of a new Phalange Party office in the northern region of Batroun,
Gemayel stressed that Hizbullah's arms were "an obstacle to the country's
national and political advancement."He said his party's stance toward
Hizbullah's weapons was "patriotic rather than political," adding that "the
continued existence of arms threatened democracy and is a violation to national
sovereignty."
Regarding the parliamentary elections held in Lebanon on June 7, Gemayel accused
Hizbullah of influencing the results "by intimidating voters in several
districts."
Gemayel added that the battle to form the next cabinet aimed "to safeguard
democracy and sovereignty."
Nasrallah visits Damascus for talks - media report
Daily Star staff/Monday, July 06, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has allegedly visited Damascus
to be informed about the latest Saudi-Syrian talks on the situation in Lebanon,
Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Saturday. Hizbullah did not issue an official
statement about Nasrallah's alleged visit. Media reports said that Speaker Nabih
Berri and a Hizbullah delegation, which visited Damascus recently, were informed
about the latest results reached in discussions between Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat quoted well-informed sources that Syria was keeping the
Lebanese opposition informed about its contacts with Riyadh. - The Daily Star
Help Lebanon, help Mideast
democracy Stampede
By Ian Moss and Anthony Elghossain
Daily Star/Monday, July 06, 2009
Despite the political deadlock, uncertainty, and violence that have plagued
Lebanon since 2005, the governing March 14 coalition managed to preserve its
parliamentary majority in the June 7 elections. Though the coalition's slim
majority will not facilitate wholesale change, the elections nonetheless
breathed new life into the Cedar Revolution. Washington's efforts to stabilize
the Middle East and improve its relations with the region also stand to benefit
from the March 14 victory.
Irrespective of the ambiguities of politics in the Levant, the United States
should move to bolster the "precarious republic" that is Lebanon by increasing
economic, development and security assistance. This will allow the Lebanese
state to more swiftly consolidate the fragile gains it has made since the
withdrawal of Syrian troops four years ago.
Lebanon faces several challenges that have broader regional implications. For
example, the danger of a Sunni-Shiite confrontation lingers. Hizbullah will
continue to receive funds and weaponry from Iran (with Syria's logistical
support). This will keep the Arab states and Lebanon's Sunni community in a
perpetual state of anxiety, and it will continue to complicate regional efforts
to make peace.
In the long term, strengthening the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security
Forces (ISF) can eventually help pave the way for incorporating Lebanese Shiites
into the political system. One of the most significant divisions in Lebanese
society is over whether the army can, or should, be the sole guarantor of
security with respect to Israel. Increasing the operational capacity of the army
and the ISF will go a long way toward ameliorating that fissure in Lebanon's
political system.
As of yet, Lebanese Shiites remain supportive of - and often dependent on -
Hizbullah for security. The party has repeatedly stated that it will not
surrender its arms until the Lebanese military is capable of defending the
nation from external threats. Should the army demonstrate that it is capable of
providing security, part of Hizbullah's narrative would be undermined.
Additionally, strengthening Lebanese state institutions would help improve
security along the Israel-Lebanon border and provide a stronger negotiating
partner in Arab-Israeli peace talks.
Another reason to increase American assistance to Lebanon - particularly
security assistance - is to address the Sunni Islamist threat in the country.
Extremist activities have produced two bloody conflicts over the past decade,
the most recent being in 2007, when the army fought Fatah al-Islam. US security
assistance can help the security forces prevent militant organizations from
reconstituting or otherwise expanding their activities in the North, as it can
help them in other areas of the country where militant Islamists are present,
including the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp and a host of smaller camps
throughout the Bekaa Valley.
In the past, Syria has sown discord in Lebanon to maintain its sway over the
affairs of its smaller neighbor. Instability in Lebanon has provided Syria with
leverage over issues such as peace with Israel and domestic reform. While
eliminating the extremist threat is a legitimate goal requiring regional and
international cooperation, efforts to confront extremism would assist in
affirming Lebanon's sovereignty.
Ensuring that the Lebanese military is able to effectively deal with extremists
operating within its borders will deprive Syria of one justification for
interfering in internal Lebanese affairs. This, in turn, will remove an
important card that Damascus has long held at the negotiating table with the
United States and Israel. Moreover, security assistance would help Lebanon's
armed forces in their efforts to control the country's borders with Syria and
effectively police its ports, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions
1559 and 1701.
Greater American assistance to Lebanon would demonstrate Washington's commitment
to the Lebanese people and support for Lebanon's sovereignty and resilient
democracy. Yet, US assistance to Lebanon has averaged about $300 million per
year since 2006. While this is no small sum, this level of assistance is not
commensurate with Lebanon's regional role or influence. Congress should
increase, or at the least sustain, aid to Lebanon and enable the State
Department and Pentagon to improve cooperation with their Lebanese counterparts.
As evidenced by the tenuous post-election situation in Iran and by the March 14
coalition's renewed mandate in Lebanon, the winds of democracy are blowing
across the region. The United States must strengthen democratic governance
wherever it is likely to succeed. Lebanon is such a place: the elections proved
to be a stable democratic exercise; they also ushered again into power a
pro-American coalition. Building on this result and enhancing economic and
security assistance to Lebanon will reaffirm America's commitment to the
Lebanese people and to democratic principles throughout the Middle East. **Ian
Moss and Anthony Elghossain are currently J.D. candidates at the George
Washington University Law School. Moss is a US Marine Corps veteran and holds an
MA in comparative politics from Northeastern University. Elghossain is a former
journalist for this newspaper. They wrote this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.
UN Security Council to discuss Ban's report on Resolution 1701 - media
Netanyahu claims Beirut planning to 'legitimize Hizbullah'
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Monday, July 06, 2009
BEIRUT: The United Nations Security Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on the implementation of
Resolution 1701, a Lebanese newspaper claimed Saturday. According to An-Nahar,
Lebanese government officials were notified on Friday that the five permanent
and 10 elected members of the Security Council would hold a closed-session
meeting to discuss Ban's report, released on Tuesday. Speaking to The Daily Star
on Sunday, Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said he was not
yet aware of any meeting. "Perhaps the report reached us yesterday [Saturday]
but we have not been informed yet," he said.
An-Nahar's report cited sources who questioned the need for any Security Council
discussion over the report, suggesting that Lebanon's permanent ambassador to
the UN Nawwaf Salam should instead schedule a meeting with Ban.
But Salloukh said he would welcome a debate over Ban's report. "After issuing
the report, there should be a discussion," he said. "We have some reservations
concerning the content of the report, especially where it mentions Israel's
spying." In his tenth report on the implementation of Resolution 1701, Ban said
he was "concerned at the Lebanese government allegations" that several Israeli
spy cells had been recently discovered, saying Tel Aviv's covert operations
could pose a threat to the delicate peace between the enemy neighbors.
At least 30 people in Lebanon have been detained on suspicion of collaborating
with Israel since a high-profile campaign was launched earlier this year. At
least 15 people, including two Lebanese security officials, have been formally
charged. Hizbullah on Thursday criticized Ban over what it called "extreme bias"
toward Israel. "It would have been appropriate for [Ban] to condemn the Israeli
acts and hold the Zionist entity [Tel Aviv] fully responsible for these crimes
[espionage] and their consequences," a statement from the group read. The
Foreign Ministry released a similar statement a day earlier. With only two
paragraphs of the 17 page report pertaining to Israeli espionage, Ban did "not
fully highlight the danger of Israel's spy networks in Lebanon, despite the fact
that the Lebanese government has provided the UN with all the relevant
information about them, along with proof and confessions," the ministry said.
Ban's report urged the next Lebanese cabinet to renew its commitment to
implementing Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended Israel's 34-day war
on Lebanon in July-August 2006. As in previous reports, the UN chief repeated
his call for Lebanon and Israel to abide by the resolution's obligations and
cited a number of violations by both countries.
News of the meeting comes as Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
accused Beirut of working toward legitimizing Hizbullah. "The government of
Lebanon is making preparations to legitimize Hizbullah," Netanyahu said,
referring to political negotiations currently under way in Lebanon. "That will
not happen without them facing the consequences."
He warned the Lebanese government it would be held accountable for any attacks
launched on Israel from its territory. "The government in Beirut is a sovereign
entity, and any attack launched from Lebanese territory is by the government and
at its approval," Israel's Army Radio reported Netanyahu as telling Israel's
cabinet on Sunday. -
**Additional reporting by Carol Rizk
Iran: Israel 'main culprit' in abduction of diplomats
By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff
Monday, July 06, 2009
BEIRUT: Israel is responsible for the kidnapping of four Iranian diplomats
during Lebanon's 1975-1990 Civil War, Iran's Foreign Minister said on Saturday.
Speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the men's
disappearance, Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran was taking the follow up of their
cases seriously. "The Zionist regime [of Israel] is the main culprit in the
kidnapping of four Iranian diplomats in Lebanon," Iran's English language
television station, Press TV, quoted Mottaki as saying.
Then-charges d'affaires Sayyed Mohsen Mousavi, military attachŽ Ahmad Mote-vaselian,
driver Taghi Rastegar Moghadam and Islamic Republic News Agency journalist Kazem
Akhavan disappeared on July 4, 1982, while Lebanon was under occupation by
Israel.
Iran believes the men were kidnapped by Christian militia Lebanese Forces at a
checkpoint in Barbara, northern Lebanon. Iran and Hizbullah say the Lebanese
Forces, now headed by Samir Geagea, handed the men over to their war-time ally
Israel, where they remain in jail to this day. But an Israeli report given to
Hizbullah last year refutes allegations the men were ever taken into Israeli
custody, claiming the four Iranians were murdered by the Lebanese Forces.
Expressing Iran's commitment to uncovering the fate of "its sons," Mottaki urged
the "illegitimate" Israeli government to be put on trial. "Tel Aviv has and
continues to violate international regulations. Its history is full of threats,
terror, killing and occupation," he said. Mottaki also called on the
international community and human rights activists to support Iran's search for
the four missing diplomats, according to the Iranian Students News Agency.
Tehran's ambassador to Lebanon in February urged the formation of an
Iranian-Lebanese committee to investigate the men's disappearance. The committee
would "look into the details and circumstances of this incident," Ambassador Ali
Reza Shebani said at the time.
An official statement circulated by the Iranian Embassy in Beirut shortly
afterward reiterated Tehran's belief that Israel was behind the men's
disappearance. "We in Iran do not accept the Zionist point of view, and we are
not bothered by the Zionist entity's [Israel] denial of responsibility," Iranian
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said in the statement.
"We still consider the Zionist entity responsible for the fate of the four
Iranian diplomats currently inside Zionist prisons," he said.
Mottaki's comments came as Ambassador Shibani met with Prime Minister-designate
Saad Hariri on Saturday to discuss local and regional developments.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Development and Liberation bloc MP Ayoub Hmayed urged
closer ties between Iran and Lebanon. "Iranian-Lebanese relations should be
strengthened for the interest of our fair causes," Hmayed said at an event for
the Iranian Organization for the Reconstruction of Lebanon
Lebanon may need storm windows to protect itself from Iran's tempest
By The Daily Star /Monday, July 06, 2009
Editorial
Strong winds are blowing from the east as the battle between Iran's ruling
conservative establishment and a formerly disparate collection of reformists and
moderates has become increasingly intractable. In consecutive editorials over
the weekend, Iran's conservative Kayhan newspaper denounced Mir Hossein Mousavi,
the defeated presidential candidate, as a traitor, an American agent and a
murderer of innocents, whose followers don't accept the system of the Islamic
Republic.
The editorialist responsible for levying these dramatic charges is Hossein
Shariatmadari, an aide and confidant to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Shariatmadari's incriminations, which also targeted former reformist president
Mohammad Khatami, echo threats by commanders of both the Revolutionary Guards
and the paramilitary Basij militia.
But in the wake of the disputed Iranian elections, won by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
and certified by the Guardians' Council, the opposition remains defiant. On
Saturday, Mousavi released a 25-page report detailing election irregularities,
and on Sunday a second losing reformist candidate, Mehdi Karoubi, said
Ahmadinejad's new government would be illegitimate.
Criticism of the polls and the treatment of pro-Mousavi demonstrators has also
extended to the clerical elite. Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a
rival of Ahmadinejad and powerful cleric, has played down the conflict, but
described it as unsatisfying. And on Sunday a collection of clerics in Qom, the
Islamic Republic's spiritual nerve center, released a statement calling the vote
"invalid" and condemning the violent suppression of reformist protests.
Between calls of treason and illegitimacy there is a thinning strip of common
ground in the Islamic Republic. Whether the tension explodes or the government
is simply exposed to continuing domestic and international criticism, the
situation has become increasingly perilous. Nearing the end of its first month
and showing no sign of abating, the potential for the Iranian tempest to move
beyond the country's borders has grown. In Lebanon, it may be time to put up
storm windows.
The conflict in Iran poses significant risks to Lebanon and the new Lebanese
leadership should be doing its best to ensure that the deteriorating situation
there does not reflect negatively here. This may involve high-level
consultations, particularly with Lebanese parties that are closely allied with
the Islamic Republic, like Hizbullah.
Beyond Lebanon, an adaptive diplomatic approach should be pursued that appeals
or at least placates the two increasingly hostile sides. The burden of calming
tensions now rests with leading regional mediator Turkey, and possibly Russia
and China. Iran's Islamic Republic is said to rest on two pillars: one of
spiritual integrity and another of popular legitimacy. If one of those pillars
falls, the collapse will be felt across the region. Whether or not this happens,
Lebanon should be prepared.
For Immediate Release
Human Rights Watch TO Syria: Disclose Fate of Detainees
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/07/03/syria-disclose-fate-detainees
One Year After Prisoners Died During Unrest, No News of at Least 1,500
(New York, July 4, 2009) – Syrian authorities should immediately make public the
fate of all detainees at Sednaya prison, at least nine of whom are believed to
have been killed when military police used lethal force during unrest in the
prison last July, Human Rights Watch said today. Syria should also free those
who have finished serving their sentences, Human Rights Watch said.
The government has not provided the families of detainees or the public with any
information regarding the events at Sednaya or the names of those injured or
killed, and it has prevented any contact between the prisoners in Sednaya and
their families since that incident. Human Rights Watch urged foreign diplomats
visiting Damascus to ask President Bashar al-Asad about the inmates’ fate.
“A whole year has passed, and yet no one knows what has happened to these
people,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human
Rights Watch. “The Syrian government should end the anguish of the prisoners’
families, disclose the names of those injured or killed, and immediately grant
them access to their loved ones.”
Prison authorities and military police used firearms to quell a riot that began
on July 5, 2008 at Sednaya prison, about 30 kilometers north of Damascus. Human
Rights Watch obtained the names of nine inmates who are believed to have been
killed in a standoff between the prisoners and authorities that reportedly
lasted for many days. Syrian human rights organizations have reported that the
number of inmates who were killed may be as high as 25. One member of the
military police was also confirmed dead.
The government has not released any information about the action its forces took
against the prisoners or any investigation it may have begun about the violence
at the prison. However, the government has imposed a communication ban on the
prisoners, who have not been able to contact their family members since the
violent episode a year ago.
Since that time, the Syrian authorities also have refused to release prisoners
from Sednaya who have finished serving their sentences. Human Rights Watch has
obtained the names of at least 25 prisoners who have completed their sentences
since the deadly attack but who apparently remain imprisoned. They include Nizar
Rastanawi, a prominent human rights activist whom the State Security Court had
sentenced to a four-year term on charges of “spreading false news” and
“insulting the President of the Republic” after a member of the security
services testified that he overheard a conversation Rastanawi was having.
Rastanawi completed his sentence on April 18, 2009, but the government has not
released him. His family has been unable to obtain any information about him and
is extremely concerned for his safety.
Families of detainees in Sednaya have issued at least two appeals to President
Bashar al-Asad for information, but received no answer. On October 10, 2008, 17
mothers of Sednaya detainees from the town of Qatana publicly appealed to the
president to provide information about their sons and to allow them to visit,
after several failed attempts to obtain information from the Ministry of
Justice. In their appeal, they noted that they had “learned about the burial of
bodies in Qatana at night,” and that they were concerned that these may have
been the bodies of their children.
In May 2009, the families of seven young inmates whom the state security court
sentenced to prison terms in 2007 for developing an online youth discussion
group and publishing articles critical of the Syrian authorities also sent a
letter to the Syrian president but received no answer.
“Ignoring these pleas for basic information is cruel and inhumane,” said
Whitson. “Not only does President al-Asad fail to show respect for the rights of
Syrian citizens, he fails to show mercy to Syrian mothers and fathers trapped in
a nightmare of mystery about the fate of their children.”
A brother of a detainee held in Sednaya since January 2007, who asked that his
name be withheld for fear that it would cause harm to his brother, expressed his
pain and frustration to Human Rights Watch: “There is no information whatsoever.
My brother was on trial at the State Security Court, but we have not heard
anything since the events in Sednaya. We want to know what happened to him. Is
he still alive or dead? My father keeps asking me to go inquire about my
brother. But who do I turn to?”
Background
Sednaya prison is under the control of Syrian military forces. The government
holds pretrial detainees there, sometimes for years, under the jurisdiction of
three separate branches of Syria’s security apparatus – Military Intelligence,
Air Force Intelligence, and State Security. The prison is also used for people
sentenced by the State Security Court, a special court that does not meet
international fair trial standards. Human Rights Watch has documented
ill-treatment and torture of detainees upon arrival at Sednaya. Estimates of the
number of inmates in Sednaya vary. One inmate who finished his sentence in 2007
estimated it to be around 1,500. Syrian human rights groups believe that the
number has increased since then.
Since the riot in July 2008, there have been other reports of violence at the
prison. In December 2008, Human Rights Watch received reports that prison guards
had used deadly force there again. A resident of the town of Sednaya told Human
Rights Watch that on December 6, he heard gunshots from the prison for 30
minutes and later saw considerable smoke coming from the middle of the prison.
Two weeks later, on December 18, a Syrian human rights activist told Human
Rights Watch that he had received information about violence in the prison that
day, and that ambulances were sent there, but he did not have further details.
Another activist told Human Rights Watch that he received new reports of
incidents at Sednaya on December 27 and 31, and that a fire on December 31 had
destroyed part of a wall of an interior building. Human Rights Watch was unable
to confirm these reports independently.
International human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights ratified by Syria, prohibits arbitrary detention, which
includes holding persons beyond the expiration of their sentences and requires
all persons who have been arbitrarily detained to be compensated. The UN
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners require that prisoners be
able to communicate with the outside world at “regular intervals.” These UN
rules also require the use of force only when absolutely necessary and that
relatives must be informed immediately on the death of any prisoner.
For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Syria, please see:
•“Far From Justice: Syria’s Supreme State Security Court,” February 2009 report:
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/80952/
•“Syria: Investigate Sednaya Prison Deaths,” July 2008 news release: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/07/21/syria-investigate-sednaya-prison-deaths
• Syrian country page: http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/syria
For more information, please contact:
In Beirut, Nadim Houry (Arabic, English, French): +961-1-999-811; or
+961-3-639244 (mobile)
With Al-Jazeera's American challenge comes responsibility
By Mohamed Elmenshawy
Commentary by
Monday, July 06, 2009
On July 1, media relations between the Arab world and the United States took a
fascinating turn. For the first time, the Doha-based satellite television
station Al-Jazeera began bringing its English-language news service to a large
cable television audience in America, beginning in Washington DC and then moving
to other US cities.
As the company's director general, Wadah Khanfar, recently explained, the
station is now expected to reach 2.3 million American viewers through MHZ
Networks, a Washington area cable teelvision provider. This new situation will
give it the potential to effect significant change in US-Arab relations. Though
Al-Jazeera International launched English-language programming in November 2006,
it was not picked up by major US cable providers because of the widespread view
that its coverage went against American objectives. This new decision marks a
cultural shift.
During the administration of President George W. Bush, Al-Jazeera frequently
featured critical coverage of American foreign policy. Routinely, US government
and military officials have criticized the station for what they - and many
Americans - perceived to be biased coverage and an inflammatory tone adopted in
its programs.
While many Americans and Arabs hold widely divergent views of the television
station, President Barack Obama sent a clear message to Al-Jazeera by granting
his first interview upon entering the White House to Al-Jazeera's more nuanced
Saudi-owned competitor Al-Arabiya. What he effectively told the station is: You
should be objective when covering American stories. As the president said, he
seeks a fresh relationship, one "based upon mutual interest and mutual respect"
and "upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in
competition." The new Obama administration has taken the lead seeking to advance
cooperation and understanding. In order to promote constructive dialogue along
similar lines, Al-Jazeera must follow suit.
Al-Jazeera's coverage of the United States has yet to offer viewers a complete
picture of American society. Since September 11, 2001, interest in America has
risen noticeably in the Arab world. Few Arab media outlets, however, have
satisfied this growing demand. Everyone reports on America the "superpower," but
few report on America as the complex, diverse and democratic society that it is.
Al-Jazeera's coverage of the United States and its policies has tended to
reflect a limited understanding of the country's inner workings or its history.
This has created a skewed image of America in the Arab world - one which must be
adjusted.
Of course, Al-Jazeera's enormous success in the Middle East has come about in a
satellite news environment with little real competition. The United States, on
the other hand, has a plethora of diverse media outlets. For Al-Jazeera to keep
up with CNN or NBC or other American networks, the new cable station will have
to make serious improvements. This means providing real insight into domestic US
politics - not oversimplification.
Issues such as the role of religion within the United States and the
decision-making process behind foreign policy decisions are of real interest to
the Arab community. Al-Jazeera should extend its coverage beyond the immediate
concerns of Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict to provide more nuanced, quality
journalism to the viewership it will attract.
Biased or not, Al-Jazeera has secured a front-row seat in the international
media arena, right next to CNN and BBC. More importantly, Al-Jazeera has a huge
influence in shaping the opinions and perspectives of Arab audiences. In order
to compete in a larger new market like that in the United States, the station's
influence must be used to foster understanding and build bridges between the US
and the Arab world, not to further miscommunication.
Arabs are used to foreign media penetrating their living rooms: from BBC's
Arabic service, to Russia Today, to France 24, to the State Department funded
Al-Hurra and the Iranian Al-Alam. Yet today, Al-Jazeera controls much of the
news that the Arab community receives, capturing a large Arab audience.
Yet with such success comes responsibility. Cable access in America provides a
big opportunity for Al-Jazeera: let us hope that its leadership takes up the
challenge of providing more probing, more multifaceted analysis that provides a
more accurate and comprehensive picture of what is happening on both sides.
**Mohamed Elmenshawy (mensh70@gmail.com) is editor in chief of Taqrir
Washington, and editor of Arab Insight, both projects of the World Security
Institute in Washington. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in
collaboration with the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).
Khamenei
Warns West Over Meddling
Naharnet/Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Western leaders on
Monday of a "firm fist" in response to their "meddling" in Iran's domestic
affairs.
"The leaders of arrogant countries, the nosy meddlers in the affairs of the
Islamic republic, must know that no matter if the Iranian people have their own
differences, when you enemies get involved, the people... will become a firm
fist against you," he said in a televised speech in Tehran.
"The Iranian nation warns the leaders of those countries trying to take
advantage of the situation, beware! The Iranian nation will react."
Iranian leaders have accused the West, particularly Britain and the United
States, of seeking to destabilize the country in the aftermath of its disputed
presidential election.
"We will assess the meddlesome remarks and behavior of these governments...
which will definitely have a negative impact on the Islamic republic's relations
with them in the future," state television also quoted Khamenei as saying.
Khamenei made his remarks as Britain confirmed that Iran had released an eighth
local British embassy staff member in Tehran, leaving one still in detention.
Iran accused the embassy employees of instigating riots in the unrest that
erupted over the June re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which his
rivals said was fraudulent and marred by widespread irregularities. A powerful
Iranian cleric had said on Friday that some of the British staff would be put on
trial, but did not say how many.
Khamenei has described Britain, which has long had turbulent relations with Iran
and a long history of mistrust, as the "most evil" of its enemies.(AFP) Beirut,
06 Jul 09, 13:54
Dr Walid Phares discusses Obama's visit on Russia Today TV (Arabic)
"If..the US and Russia join forces against Terrorism, they would win that war.."
Russia Today, Moscow, July 5, 2009
In a comprehensive interview aired Sunday on Russia Today TV in Arabic, Dr Walid
Phares said this summit won't produce files ready to be implemented but attempts
to address these files. "In an ideal state of affairs," he argued "If the US and
Russia join forces against Terrorism, they would win that war. Vladivostok is at
hundreds miles from N Korea's nukes, Russia has interest in containing that
regime along with the US. It can offer central Asian passages to the US in
Afghanistan. Both powers can jointly stop Iran's nukes. Only if both realize
that the Beslan massacre and 9/11 were waged by the same Jihadi foes."
He told Russia Today that in his latest book, The Confrontation: Winning the War
against Future Jihad, he had called for a rapprochement of all countries and
forces targeted by the Jihadists, including the United States, Europe, Russia,
India, African states, moderate Arab and Muslim Governments and even China at
some point, to isolate the most dangerous web of Terror ever built in modern
times. "The al Qaeda, Taliban, Shabab, Jemaa, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Pasdaran
are the enemies of civil societies and international law. Jihadists won't spare
any foe now and in the future. Thus an international coalition against them is
logical."
But in a short analysis on his Facebook, Phares dismissed the possibility that
Washington and Moscow will form such an alliance now, in the speed needed. "As
long as Wahabi influence exist in the United States and post Soviet ambitions
are still prevalent in some quarters in Russia, it will be difficult to move
forward in that direction."
وليد فارس: لا اعتقد ان هذه القمة سوف تنتج ملفات جاهزة للتنفيذ
04.07.2009
On Russia Today TV in Arabic: "If the US and Russia join forces against
Terrorism, they would win that war. Vladivostok is at hundreds miles from N
Korea's nukes, Russia has interest in containing that regime along with the US.
It can offer central Asian passages to the US in Afghanistan. Both powers can
jointly stop Iran's nukes. Only if both realize that the Beslan massacre and
9/11 were waged by the same Terror foes."
http://www.rtarabic.com/prg_actual/31389/?video=1
http://www.rtarabic.com/prg_actual/31389
وليد فارس: لا اعتقد ان هذه
القمة سوف تنتج ملفات جاهزة للتنفيذ
وسط اجواء عالمية تنادي بالحد من الاسلحة النووية
ومخاوف وتحفظات دولية على الدرع الصاروخية التي تنوي واشنطن نشرها في كل من التشيك
وبولونيا تأتي قمة الرئيس الروسي دميتري مدفيديف مع نظيره الامريكي باراك اوباما،
وسط اهتمام دولي واعلامي، وذلك لما يترتب على هذه القمة من اعادة النظر في عدد من
القضايا.
للحديث حول هذه القضايا وغيرها يستضيف برنامج "حدث وتعليق" الدكتور وليد فارس،
البروفيسور في جامعة الدفاع الوطني وكبير الباحثين في مؤسسة الدفاع عن الديمقراطيات.
عن توقعاته بصدد ما سينتج عن القمة المرتقبة بين الرئيسين الروسي والامريكي يرى
الدكتور فارس ان الكثيرين في العالم يريدون لهذه القمة النجاح، سواء كان ذلك في
اسيا أو أفريقيا، أو العالم الثالث بشكل عام، أو حتى في اوربا، التي هي بحاجة كبرى
لتصحيح العلاقات مع روسيا لاسباب اقتصادية وغيرها، بالاضافة الى الشرق الاوسط.
ويؤكد ضيف "حدث وتعليق" ان الولايات المتحدة الامريكية حاولت وجربت ان تحل كل تلك
المشاكل على الكرة الارضية بمفردها في التسع سنوات الماضية، شعرت انها تريد شركاء،
واكبر الشركاء هو الاتحاد الروسي الذي يمتد على مجال حيوي كبير جدا ولها القدرات.
ويضيف الدكتور وليد فارس ان روسيا هي الاخرى شعرت ان الولايات المتحدة الامريكية،
وخاصة تحت هذه الادارة بحاجة لها.
ويعتقد البروفيسور وليد أن نداء القيادة الروسية لواشنطن لبدء صفحة جديدة من
العلاقات التعاونية لحل المسائل العالمية ، تأتي في اطار نية أمريكية موجودة
وحقيقية لدى الرئيس اوباما ولدى ادارته، ولدى الاجهزة الدبلوماسية. ويستدرك ضيف حدث
وتعليق قائلا "لكن هنالك قضايا عالقة، وكا يقال هنا في واشنطن اذا تم التفاهم على
مبدأ فالوقت امامنا لكي نحل المسائل.. لا اعتقد ان هذه القمة سوف تنتج ملفات جاهزة
للتنفيذ، ولكن سوف تنتج جوا جديدا على اساسه الكرملين والبيت الابيض بامكانهما ان
يقولا للعالم نحن الان في صفحة جديدة".