LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 10/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 10:7-15. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The
kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,
drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or
a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay
there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is
worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words--go outside that house or
town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more
tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for
that town.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Walid
Jumblatt/Now Lebanon 09/07/09
Should we worry about Sami Gemayel?
By
Michael Young 09/07/09
Major
reforms needed to reduce Lebanon’s unemployment.By
Regional Press Network (RPN) 09/07/09
Meet
Condi: Rice finds namesake in Lebanon snake.By
Agence France Presse (AFP) and Carol Fadda 09/07/09
It
would be dangerous for Obama to play with the fine print on settlements.
The Daily Star 09/07/09
Some
priorities for the Group of Eight meeting in Italy.By
Ban Ki-moon 09/07/09
Mainstream" Islamist Convention
Features Hate Speech and Hezbollah Defense/IPT News/July 9, 2009
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July
09/09
Kouchner in Beirut: I Will Meet All Leaders, Including Hizbullah Representative-Naharnet
Lebanon: 12 al-Qaida men given life for bombings
against UNIFIL-Jerusalem Post
Egypt arrests group it says plotted Suez attacks-The
Associated Press
Geagea:
Veto Power Will Not Help Government's Performance-Naharnet
Raad
Meets Visiting British Parliamentary Delegation-Naharnet
Geagea: We will not grant
obstructing–third vote to opposition, it has no unified stance/Now
Lebanon
Ten more
days?Now Lebanon
Lebanese who fled to Israel handed over to LAF/Now Lebanon
Bellemare in Canada for
Treatment-Naharnet
If proven, Israeli spies have violated Lebanese
sovereignty: UN envoy-Xinhua
2 Wounded in Tripoli
Shooting-Naharnet
Nasrallah Meets Bassil to
Coordinate Work with Opposition-Naharnet
19 Complaints of Election
Fraud-Naharnet
Geagea Defends Jumblat: We
Share Same Views, But have Different Approaches-Naharnet
Barak: Days of Conflict
Are Not Over-Naharnet
Aoun Says President Can
Have Share Based on Parliamentary Representation-Naharnet
March 14 Warns Against
Meddling Under 'Assistance' Slogan-Naharnet
March 8 thaws disruption
walls-Future News
Jumblatt: Saudi-Syrian approach
consolidates the Taef-Future News
National Bloc: government must
results of voters’ will-Future News
Opposition’s Hashem: Government’s
birth will delay-Future News
Sarkozy: Assad has 'kept commitments' on Lebanon-Daily
Star
US,
Israel strike settlement deal - report-By
Agence France Presse (AFP)
Israeli general hails 2006 war as 'just'-Daily
Star
Bellemare heads to Canada for medical treatment-Daily
Star
Baroud: All parties responsible for security-Daily
Star
Lebanese officer suspected of spying crosses to Israel-Daily
Star
Fresh
election challenges pour in as contestation deadline looms-Daily
Star
Justice Ministry is ‘no place for a rookie’ – Najjar-Daily
Star
June polls beset by many
‘violations’ – monitors.By
Sebastien Malo-Daily
Star
Sarkozy: Assad has 'kept
commitments' on Lebanon
Jumblatt calls for 'in depth' national dialogue
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Wednesday that Syrian president
Bashar Assad "kept the commitments" that he had promised France concerning
Lebanon. Sarkozy was speaking to reporters in L'Aquilla, Italy at the opening of
the G8 Summit. Following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri, French-Syrian ties deteriorated considerably. However, in 2008
ties were revived following a visit by Sarkozy, newly elected at the time, to
Syria.
In other developments, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt
stressed on Wednesday that national dialogue should kick off "in depth"
following the formation of the upcoming cabinet in order to tackle controversial
issues.
Following talks with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir in the northern
mountainous town of Diman, Jumblatt reiterated his support for Syrian-Saudi
rapprochement so as to bolster the Taif accord, "which was approved by all
Lebanese factions."
The Syrian-Saudi agreement is a guarantee to the Taif accord, which stressed
positive relations with Syria, endorsed Lebanon's independence, and shaped the
current governance structure," Jumblatt said.
The Taif agreement endorsed by both Sfeir and Jumblatt in 1989 ended Lebanon's
bloody 1975-90 Civil War.
Jumblatt also highlighted the importance of improvement in Lebanese-Syrian
bilateral relations following the withdrawal of Syrian troops in April 2005.
In 2005, Syria ended almost 30 years of military presence in Lebanon following
the assassination of Rafik Hariri. The March 14 coalition accused Syria of
plotting the murder. Syria denies any involvement.
Also on Wednesday, Speaker Nabih Berri announced that he shared Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri's intent to keep consultations over the
government make-up "confidential."
Following talks with President Michel Sleiman at the Baabda Palace, Berri
stressed that the formation of the next Cabinet could still be considered
"within the grace period," since Hariri started deliberations "not more than 10
days ago."
"We should not forget that the formation course of the previous Cabinet lasted
52 days; we shouldn't wait that long nevertheless 10 days is a short time [to
form a government]," he added.
The speaker also denied media reports that the government would not be formed
prior to the end of the summer season.
However, Berri's ally, Reform and Change bloc head MP Michel Aoun, was less
optimistic concerning the formation of the upcoming national-unity cabinet. Aoun
raised the stakes when he stressed that the opposition insisted on proportional
representation in the upcoming cabinet.
Following his bloc's weekly meeting, Aoun said proportional representation of
parliamentary blocs in the next government "reinforces national unity and
strengthens the Cabinet along with the prime minister's role."The Free Patriotic
Movement (FPM) leader denied "claims" in the media accusing the opposition of
obstructing the government formation. "I will only accept [to participate in the
cabinet based on] proportional representation," he said.
Tackling cabinet deliberations, Aoun stressed that Lebanon's sovereignty
necessitated that Lebanese political leaders "assume their responsibilities
concerning the formation of the government." Aoun also accused foreign powers of
hindering the cabinet's formation by tying it to a set of conditions. "Foreign
powers were responsible for delaying the formation process given statements by
the United States and Arab countries when it comes [to granting the opposition]
veto power," he said.
Concerning the distribution of ministerial portfolios, Aoun told reporters that
deliberations on the allotment of seats were ongoing; however, he rejected the
allocation of ministries to political parties prior to an agreement over
government shares.
"The shares of official figures in the next government should be based on the
number of seats they won in the June 7 parliamentary polls," Aoun said in an
indirect reference to Sleiman. Media reports have said Sleiman wants six seats
in the next government.
He added that Premier-designate Hariri should "resign" from his duty if he fails
to form a government.
Commenting on talks between Hariri and FPM caretaker Information Minister Jebran
Bassil on Tuesday, Aoun said the meeting was positive and discussions tackled
general topics.
Also on Wednesday, the March 14 general secretariat reiterated its support for
the formation of a national-unity cabinet that would preserve the interests of
the Lebanese people.
Should we worry about Sami Gemayel?
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 09, 2009
It’s the kind of person that Amine Gemayel is that he had two sons, one who
channeled his father, the other channeling his brother. In other words, one son,
the regretted Pierre, sensitive to the rules of coexistence with Muslims, as was
his namesake Pierre Gemayel; and the other son, Sami, who seems impatient with
those rules, like his uncle Bashir, his priority above all being the Christians,
their unity and power, who has allocated only an anteroom for Muslims in his
impetuous reflections.
Sami Gemayel often appears to prefer his Christian adversaries to his
non-Christian allies. No sooner had he won a seat in the Metn, than he
congratulated the Armenian supporters of the Tashnag Party for their exemplary
unity – a unity all Christians would do well to learn from, he added. Last week,
Gemayel drove north to meet with Sleiman Franjieh, the Marada leader, another
step in bringing the Christians, and the Maronites in particular, closer
together. All this, it seems, is a way of ensuring that “no one steps on the
Christians anymore,” as Gemayel fervently declared in a hometown rally after his
election victory.
I admit to having voted for Gemayel, but without conviction, primarily to
guarantee that Michel Aoun’s candidates would lose. However, the joke was on us.
In essence Gemayel is little different than Aoun and his followers. All embody
the return to a rural Maronite insularism very different than the composite
ideology that made modern Lebanon – an ideology of the mountain and of the city,
to paraphrase the late historian Albert Hourani. As Hourani explained, modern
Lebanon is the fruit of tough, independent rural insularism, mainly associated
with the mountain communities, softened by the openness of the urban
communities. These characteristics have endured, so that even during the civil
war this valuable amalgam was never really threatened.
Much has changed. An alarming number of Maronites today appear to have lost any
sense of the collective nature of the Lebanese state. The Aounists, Sami Gemayel,
Nadim Gemayel, even Sleiman Franjieh, have shown an inability to come to grips
with the sectarian contract of 1943, the National Pact, and its successor, the
Taif Accord. Taif is the real culprit to them, documentary proof of Christian
decline – a decline they have all received with bitterness, even if their
responses have differed.
For the Aounists, Taif handed Maronite power to the Sunnis, hence their effort
to reverse this by allying themselves with another rural community, the Shiites,
to regain what was lost. For people like Sami Gemayel, the solution lies in
greater Christian unanimity against the outside, which when you peel away the
layers is really just a strategy bound to enhance Christian isolation. For
Franjieh and not a few Aounists, the way out is through an alliance of
minorities, with the Alawites in Syria and the Shiites in Lebanon, against the
Sunni majority in the Middle East. Each of these notions is foolish in itself,
an avenue toward communal suicide, and all have one thing in common: antagonism
toward the Sunni community.
There is no small amount of historical irony, and hypocrisy, here. For decades
the Maronites took pride in saying that they were the true defenders of “Lebanon
first.” Now that the Sunnis have adopted the slogan as their own, too many
Maronites have reacted as if this were a threat to the Lebanese entity because
Sunnis are extensions of an Arab majority. Ultimately, the message this sends is
that the Maronites only defended a “Lebanon first” option when the Lebanon in
question was one they dominated. Now that the community feels it is losing
ground, the preference is for Christians to envelope themselves in a tight
defensive shell.
When Sami Gemayel speaks about the Christians “being stepped upon,” what does he
mean? This is the language of demagoguery, and in some respects of war. Who has
stepped on the Christians? Judging by Gemayel’s actions and statements, the
simple answer is “the Muslims” whoever that may be. Yet being stepped upon is a
very different concept than accepting the reality of Christian numerical
regression. It is very different than grasping that Taif, the hated Taif, hands
Christians representation well beyond their real numbers. When one feels stepped
upon, the world looks like the bottom of a shoe, and it becomes very difficult
to follow a sensible path away from one’s resentments.
Sami Gemayel may seem easy to dismiss, but one should be careful. He is a true
believer and has adopted the mindset of Bashir Gemayel, which may bring on
powerful approval if Christian frustrations rise further. There are differences:
Bashir saw the finality of his actions in the context of the Lebanese state;
Sami is alienated from the state. However, both see strength in unity, a concept
that some of us regard with trepidation. Unity can be shorthand for imposed
uniformity, and such an aspiration sidesteps that the wealth of the Christians
lies in their pluralism. True believers are infused with hubris; they dislike
variety, dissent, and feel they have a superior sense of what is best for their
followers. They are also hardnosed about things, believing that their higher
goals justify difficult compromises. That is why Sami Gemayel was able to meet
with Sleiman Franjieh, the ally of his own brother’s assassins.
Where are the Muslims in all this? The only antidote against Christian
irrelevance is to develop a new relationship with Muslims, all Muslims, to
define together a more consensual Lebanese polity. For that to happen,
Christians must indeed unite around a common reading of their role in Lebanon,
one that is positive, that advocates neither isolation nor perennial aversion
toward their non-Christian partners. Such negative reflexes may seem to be a
consequence of Christian reaffirmation; in fact, they only confirm Christian
marginalization. Resentment, bitterness, isolation, hostility, communal
self-absorption are qualities of a community mired in mediocrity, with no sense
of the constructive long-term impact it might have on its environment.
It would be unfair to blame all this on a young Sami Gemayel. But in many ways
he seems far more credible an embodiment of the Christians’ future than the
opportunistic politicians around Michel Aoun. He believes and the Christians
want to believe, which is why we should watch him closely. **Michael Young is
opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Walid Jumblatt
July 9, 2009 /Lebanon Now
On July 8, the pro-opposition Al-Akhbar daily carried the following report by
Thaer Ghandour:
What is currently the most alarming thing for Deputy Walid Jumblatt is the
direct clashing of the people with each other, considering that it was no longer
possible to contain the leaks and developments seen throughout years of
mobilization and political conflicts. He said: “These events have had sectarian
repercussions, which erupted many times in the shape of armed clashes. Today,
these disputes need to be ended so that the people are able to coexist.”
He believed that the truce on the ground between the Shia and the Druze, on the
economic, political and social levels, started with the visit of the delegation
of scholars to the Druze Sheikhs. He stated this will also be seen in Beirut and
the Bekaa to “restore confidence between the Socialist Party and Hezbollah…” He
added that the truce should be translated on the ground in Beirut, especially
after what happened in Aisha Bakkar, calling for the transfer of 10,000 police
officers from Internal Security “and not the information branch” of the Lebanese
army, so that they receive training on how to work the same way that the army
does. “We are all asking the army to play its role without supporting it. If
they do not want to absorb 10,000 officers [in the army], let them receive a
good training within the security corps…”
He said on the other hand that with Obama coming to power, the region might see
the beginning of the solution, adding: “There is talk about an international
peace conference so that the Arabs normalize their relations with Israel and
recognize its Jewish character. This will mean the displacement of more
Palestinians and the death of George Mitchell’s initiative and the Arab
initiative.” Walid Jumblatt called for the recanting of all the peace accords
with Israel and put forward his theory to salvage what the Arabs had left.
“It is necessary to resolve the Syrian-Egyptian dispute to reach Palestinian
unity. It is also necessary to achieve a Saudi-Syrian rapprochement to enhance
the Taif Accord, which corroborates the establishment of special relations with
Syria, settle the issue of Lebanon’s Arab identity and adopt a truce - or frozen
war - with Israel, in addition to the part-cancelling of political
sectarianism…” After his reading of the regional situation, Jumblatt went on to
talk about the domestic arena, hoping that the government will be formed within
a week and that the decrees will be issued.
Then, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri,
armed with his government, will meet President Bashar al-Assad. In his opinion,
such a meeting would give momentum once again to the Taif agreement “because the
Saudis and the Syrians were the ones who drew up the Taif...” Walid Jumblatt did
not go into the details of the government formation and was more interested in
the post-government stage.
“What remains of the March 14 team is a broad alliance. However, we must
corroborate the principles for this alliance to continue, the most important of
which being the Taif Accord, which put an end to the civil war and stressed
Lebanon’s Arab identity and special relations with Syria.” He thus rejected the
neutrality principle suggested by some Lebanese because “neutrality [toward
Israel] would mean the destruction of the Taif Accord. If we are neutral, we
will go back to the domestic conflict. I am against neutrality, which will lead
to domestic division and the besieging of Syria…”
At this point, Walid Jumblatt said that the March 14 movement was launched on
the basis of the rejection of the other and on the basis of a wide alliance to
reject Syrian hegemony and assassinations. He added: “The slogan Lebanon First
is emotional and not ideological. It is a slogan which reminded some on the
Lebanese street of an isolationist past. However, if someone says that this
slogan means that the peace and war decision is in the hands of the state, I
will support it...
“Every time we talk about the civil rights of the Palestinian people, they
accuse us of seeking naturalization. This has been ongoing since the term of
President Emile Lahoud. Everyone is with the return of the Palestinian people to
their land and they will return,” calling for granting the Palestinian refugees
their rights, for allowing them to work and for the opening of the camps. At the
same time, he called for the development of the poor areas such as Tripoli and
Akkar. “From behind the slogan of the rejection of naturalization, some among
our allies, whom I will not name, wish they could throw the Palestinians into
the sea.”This dossier opens the door before the talk about the prerogatives of
the president of the republic. Jumblatt said: “There is no going back. Some
prerogatives could be amended, if the other sects agree, at the level of the
signing of the decrees. However, things are proceeding forward and there is no
going back...”
Geagea Defends Jumblat: We
Share Same Views, But have Different Approaches
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the LF and Walid Jumblat's
Progressive Socialist Party "share the same concerns and views, but have
different approaches."
In remarks published by the daily An Nahar on Thursday, Geagea said Jumblat
"neither committed a mistake nor did he abandon core principles."The LF leader
uncovered that Saudi Arabia has conveyed Syrian proposals to PM-designate Saad
Hariri regarding the latter's visit to Damascus. Geagea said the "general trend"
following separate talks between Hariri and leaders from the majority March 14
coalition was against the PM-designate visit to Damascus. "The time is not
appropriate for such a visit which will not lead to any fruitful result," he
added. Geagea believed it was "normal" for Syria to obstruct formation of a new
national unity government. Beirut, 09 Jul 09, 10:07
Aoun Says President Can Have Share Based on Parliamentary Representation
Naharnet/MP Michel Aoun said Wednesday the president of the republic can have a
share in a new government based on the size of parliamentary representation and
renewed demands for proportional distribution. "A proportional government will
provide real representation, consolidate national unity and strengthen the
cabinet and its head," Aoun said after the weekly meeting of the Change and
Reform bloc. "There is no veto power, but proportional representation. No one
has the right to say the interior ministry belongs to this person or that so and
so want the ministry of defense or foreign affairs." Such an approach, he said,
was a "form of opportunism not of governance."
Naharnet/On the president's seats in a new government, Aoun said the
presidential authority "took part in the (June 7) elections and can have its
share based on the size of its representation" in Parliament. He dismissed
"claims" the minority was trying to "cripple" the process of forming a
government. "Those who impose conditions are the ones that hinder (the
shape-up). External (sides) are the ones being disruptive," Aoun said. "The
government's shape-up is 'Lebanonized' through our own behavior, because the
Arab leaders are not the ones in disagreement over formulas and they are not the
ones who will meet to allocate an extra seat," Aoun said. "We are the ones to
take full responsibility in the formation of a cabinet, not outside" powers, he
said. The head of the Free Patriotic Movement said a recent meeting between
Telecoms Minister Jebran Bassil and Premier-designate Saad Hariri "tackled
general matters in a positive atmosphere for both sides." He also said he has
challenged the victory of Michel Murr and Sami Gemayel in the polls. On foreign
affairs, Aoun said the "U.S. policy (under President Barack Obama) did not
differ from that of former president George W. Bush, but its approach is
different." He criticized the U.N. chief for describing Lebanon's complaints of
Israeli espionage cells as "claims." Aoun said the secretary general's remarks
were "insulting to the Lebanese government." "We reject this. It is not right
that our words are described as claims and theirs as certified facts," Aoun
added. Beirut, 08 Jul 09, 19:37
Soaid: U.S., Saudi Rapprochement with Syria Does Not Mean Return of Syrian
Tutelage
Naharnet/A U.S. and Saudi policy of openness toward Syria does "not mean a
return of Syrian influence to Lebanon," March 14's official Fares Soaid said
Wednesday.
"The Syrian-Saudi rapprochement is tied to a formula aimed at ending Syria's
isolation in the Arab world in return for Damascus' severing of its relation
with Tehran," the coordinator of March 14's general secretariat told AFP in an
interview. He accused "some Lebanese sides of trying to bring back the Syrian
control to Lebanon by acting as spokespersons for Syria."
"Syria is trying to take more, in its own way, and proposed hosting a
Lebanese-Lebanese conference to give the impression of looking after Lebanon's
best interest," he said.
He saw no need for an "inter-Lebanese reconciliation under Syria's auspices."
There was a need, however, for a "correction of Lebanese-Syrian ties based on a
clear rule: the maximum degree of cooperation and coordination in return for the
maximum degree of respect for sovereignty and independence." Beirut, 08 Jul 09,
18:12
Lebanese who fled to Israel handed over to LAF
July 9, 2009 -NOW Staff /The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced on Thursday
that the UN handed over Abdellatif Yassine, who fled Lebanon to Israel on
Wednesday by crossing the Israeli-Lebanese border at the al-Abbad area, to the
Lebanese Army Intelligence. Intelligence services have reportedly began
immediate interrogations with the suspect to discover the reasons behind his
departure.
Geagea: We will not grant obstructing–third vote to opposition, it has no
unified stance
July 9, 2009 NOW Staff
In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper published on Thursday, Lebanese Forces
leader Samir Geagea reiterated the March 14 alliance’s stance that will not
grant the opposition veto power, despite demands made by the opposition. “March
8 coalition members do not have a unified stance on the cabinet formation, while
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is still waiting for the coalition’s
position to make his final decision on the government formula,” he said. Geagea
told the daily that the March 14 alliance insists on implementing the 16-10-4
formula, in which the majority gets 16 ministerial seats, the opposition 10 and
the president four. “This would ensure the president receives his rightful share
within the government.”
The cabinet formation has been discussed by several Arab states, “which did not
pressure Hariri to accept the Syrian proposal” that wanted the PM-designate to
visit Damascus before the new cabinet’s formation, “however, the March 14 forces
believe it would be better for the visit to take place after the government is
formed,” Geagea said. “Hariri will not step down from his position as prime
minister,” the LF leader said, adding that he expected the new government to be
formed soon. On the security level, Geagea said that Washington remains
the main reason why Damascus has not attempted to instill any unrest in Lebanon,
“since any security breach would backfire on US-Syrian relations,” which would
harm Syria’s ambitions to play a key role in the Middle East.
March 8 thaws disruption walls
Date: July 9th, 2009 Future News
Amid a state of extreme alertness that overshadows the region, the Arab
intensified consultations on one hand and the implicit hazardous messages
conveyed by the Israeli leaders on the other, Prime minister-designate Saad
Hariri resumes his clandestine deliberations to realize a formula that would
meet the aspirations of the Lebanese on the threshold of a promising summer. A
season awaited by all the Lebanese to counterbalance previous losses that hit
the country due to the shaken situation that destabilized Lebanon in the last
four years.
Amid the ambiguous picture, only the signals interpreted from the politicians’
rhetorics reflect the reality of the consultations carried out by Hariri with
all parties. However, MP Michel Aoun’s determination to disrupt the cabinet
formation reflects his willpower to advance against the current alike his allies
who started to adopt “leniency” not “disruption.”
March 14: No to foreign interferences
At this time, the March 14 general secretariat raised several points that have
been of great concerns to the Lebanese starting with the government formation,
passing by many other issues the citizens fear, to improving the relationship
with Syria which was a touchy subject during this week. It declared that it
supports forming a national unity government which facilitates “crossing to
state”, pointing that its only condition in forming the government is committing
to the Taef agreement, the Arab agreements and the international resolutions.
March 14’ coalition stressed in a statement issued after its weekly meeting its
support to Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and his efforts in forming the
government.
The statement welcomed the inter-Arab reconciliations which pave the way for
Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty, however warning against all interference in
Lebanon’s affairs. The statement added that rectifying Lebanese-Syrian relations
should be from state to state through resolving issues of dispute.
Jumblatt declares end of hardships
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed on the importance
of a joint Syrian-Saudi agreement which will bolster Lebanon's stability, he
said “Some Arab and Western countries do not want this agreement to exist.” He
called for dialogue to resolve controversial, pending issues. PSP leader hailed
the Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir’s reconciliatory stances in
reproaching the rival factions. “Under the guidance of the Patriarch we
succeeded in overcoming the previous phase despite the tormenting situations and
setbacks,” Jumblatt said fervently.
Berry shores up Hariri
Among the possible consultations that have been taking place to form the cabinet
and efforts exerted to eliminate the obstacles that would hamper its formation,
Speaker Nabih Berry visited the President of the Republic Michel Sleiman during
which he told reporters that Hariri has not crossed the legitimate period to
makeup the cabinet, “We must not forget that the formation of the previous
cabinet took 52 days and we still have time to form this cabinet,” he said. He
affirmed that he supports Premier designate Saad Hariri in keeping his contacts
confidential and clandestine.
“We did cross the time limit, the cabinet will be formed within the next few
weeks,” Berry noted, calling to support the designated PM because his success is
for all. He said he is confident that the new cabinet will be formed soon.
FPM incongruity
Free Patriotic Movement envoy Telecommunication Minister Gibran Bassil said that
his Tuesday meeting with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was “very
positive.” He declared that the FPM supports Hariri in forming the cabinet and
pledged to facilitate his tasks. “During our joint meeting I announced our
determination to help Hariri succeed, while he declared serious intentions of
real partnership,” Bassil revealed.
Change and Reform bloc leader Michel Aoun said that he no longer sought veto
power, but told “all our political rivals, even our friends, that we will accept
only proportional distribution of cabinet portfolios.”
There is no veto power, but the cabinet portfolios should be distributed
according to proportional representation in the parliament,” he said, during his
weekly press conference following his bloc meeting in Rabieh. Aoun’s extremism
did not prevent him from foreseeing how the new seats would be allocated in the
new cabinet, saying “No one is allowed to distribute any ministry to a certain
party because it is a violation and not a way of governance.” Aoun called for
equality in the distribution of the ministries.
Positive vibes
In the same context, but with a positive approach alike Aoun, the Loyalty to the
Resistance bloc called to "form a consensus government that would realize
internal stability, achieve reconciliation, boost the economic-developmental
situation, strengthen the national capacity to defend the Lebanese land and
sovereignty and confront the Zionist threats and attacks.”
After its regular meeting, the bloc stressed on the importance of forming the
cabinet quickly to embark on a productive phase that would enable the Lebanese
confront the economic and daily life challenges as well as the national disputes
that are fueled up by the escalating, unending Israeli threats.
Ten more days?
July 9, 2009
NOW Staff
Filling these halls is proving more difficult than anticipated earlier. (NOW
Lebanon)
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is still working hard to pull together a
cabinet, meeting with officials from both the majority and opposition, which has
not shown unanimity over its demands for what it wants in the new government. A
source told An-Nahar that during a meeting on Wednesday, President Michel
Sleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri agreed to cooperate “as much as possible” in
dealing with the issues hampering PM-designate Hariri’s efforts to form the new
cabinet. Another source told Al-Akhbar that Speaker Nabih Berri assured that
there is no crisis, and the formation of the government is still “within the
grace period, which will expire after 10 days.” Many majority and opposition
members agree, telling the Lebanese press this week that the new government will
be formed within the next 10 days to a month. However, satisfying all parties
has proven to be more difficult than expected.
One of the issues impeding Hariri’s efforts to form the new cabinet is the
demand for the obstructive-third vote by some March 8 parties, including the
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, according to An-Nahar. The daily said that on
Wednesday Hezbollah “expressed its attachment to the demand” for veto power,
which the opposition gained during the 2008 Doha Conference. Marada Movement
head Sleiman Franjieh has also been calling for the obstructing-third vote since
the elections.
Other opposition leaders, however, are asking for “proportionality” in the
government, including Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun, who said
during his bloc’s weekly press conference in Rabieh on Wednesday, “We will only
accept proportional distribution of cabinet portfolios,” which he said bolsters
national unity.
However, according to As-Safir, opposition sources warned against “the dangers
of thwarting Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s first experience in forming
a government,” telling the paper that “it is in his interest to form the cabinet
as soon as possible.” The paper also reported that Hariri held a prolonged
meeting last night at his residence in downtown Beirut with Hajj Hussein Khalil,
the political advisor to Hezbollah’s secretary general. There have been rumors
that the PM-designate may meet with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah in person soon, though party sources told An-Nahar earlier this week
that preparations for such a meeting “are not yet complete.”In other news, the
deadline for submitting complaints over the outcome of the 2009 parliamentary
elections ended at midnight on Wednesday with a total of 18 formal appeals to
the Constitutional Council.
Some priorities for the Group of Eight meeting in Italy
By Ban Ki-moon
Thursday, July 09, 2009
All politics are local, goes the old aphorism. Today, we can say that all
problems are global. As world leaders meet at the G8 Summit in Italy today, they
will have to update their politics to grapple with problems that not one of them
can solve alone. The last few years have been a cascade of interconnected
crises: financial panic, rising food and oil prices, climate shocks, a flu
pandemic and more. Political cooperation to address these problems is not a
nicety. It is a global necessity.
The intensity of global interconnectedness is stunning. The H1N1 influenza was
identified in a Mexican village in April. It has now reached over 100 countries.
The collapse of Lehman Brothers last September was transmitted worldwide within
days. Soon, even the most remote villages in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
were feeling the shock of reduced remittance income, cancelled investment
projects, and falling export prices. In the same way, climate shocks in parts of
Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Americas contributed to soaring food prices
that hit the poor and created instability and hardships in dozens of countries.
No nation or world leader can solve these problems alone. Every country faces
worsening climate impacts that result from worldwide greenhouse gas emissions,
not just those within national borders. A recent United States government
report, for example, warns that business as usual in climate policy will result
in severe droughts in the American southwest, intense storms and flooding in the
Gulf of Mexico and torrential rains in the northeast. US politicians will be
answerable, but heading off these dire effects requires global agreement. This
is why I am calling on the G8 to act on a set of crucial
It would be dangerous for Obama to play with the fine print on settlements
By The Daily Star
Thursday, July 09, 2009/Editorial
Whether or not it’s true, or is confirmed or denied, or not, it’s a very
worrying indication that the Obama administration’s much-trumpeted “new” Middle
East policy is becoming a well-known case of the same old, same old. An
agreement is reportedly being fashioned by which Israel will complete work on
already-begun settlements and avoid the wrath of the White House, which had
promised a definitive end to the activity.
What was once a clear, blanket statement of policy by the American president is
headed toward becoming a caricature of the jokes about contracts and insurance
policies – as in, check the fine print before you sign on the dotted line.
It appears to be face-saving deal, to allow the president to have his way in the
end, while allowing the Israeli prime minister to wriggle out of the scenario of
taking office on the most extreme of pro-settlement agendas and then being
forced to end settlements by his most fervid supporters.
It doesn’t matter how this reported agreement was cooked up, who the deal-makers
were in the White House, or if it marks the absolute ascendancy of Ehud Barak
over Avigdor Lieberman on foreign policy issues.
Some reports have cited Western officials as acknowledging the deal is in the
works, while justifying the arrangement as a way to avoid “hardships” for people
and businesses involved in contractual obligations to finish the construction
activity.
But this isn’t a financial issue; it’s extremely political and has a
humanitarian dimension. Playing around with the fine print in this fashion means
playing around with Palestinians’ homes, land, livelihoods and communities.
Boosting the settlements in any way – allowing more land to be taken, more homes
to be built, more cementing of an illegal presence – hurts the cause of the
Palestinians, and only increases their dispossession. Negotiating over peace
when you have to less and less to negotiate over doesn’t serve the Palestinians’
interests, and they were promised something very different by the Obama
administration.
As for repercussions in the wider region, such a move plays into the hands of
extremists, and any other interpretation would be silly. Anyone in the Middle
East who supports a US-sponsored “peace process” under such conditions has to
explain why the supposedly fair mediator behaves this way.
The utter illegality of the Israeli settlements and their importance in the
peace process is not a side issue. Earlier this year, Haaretz leaked a secret
government document indicating that the scope of Israel’s settlements is much
greater than commonly assumed today.
Obama has insisted on solving the Palestine-Israel issue because he knows that
extremists benefit so much from its intractability.
Making exceptions on the settlement issue might seem like a case of playing with
the fine print, but it’s really just playing with fire.
Major reforms needed to reduce Lebanon’s unemployment
Economists say jobless rate could reach 50 percent
By Regional Press Network (RPN) /Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: As the nations of the world are being measured these days by the degree
in which they are suffering from the impact of the global economic crisis,
Lebanon has been described as a country that has weathered the global recession
rather well. Its GDP is expected to grow by up to 4 percent this year and the
tourism industry, a crucial growth sector for the national economy, is set to
break new records.
However, rising unemployment could add a darker tone to the picture with a rate
of expansion that some local economists say could reach 50 percent.
Unemployment, unofficially estimated at 10 percent, could increase by about 5
percentage points, with the young especially affected, economists told RPN.
“I believe the unemployment rate has increased from around 10 to 15 percent,”
said Elie Yachoui, dean of the business and economics faculty at the Notre Dame
University (NDU), one of Lebanon’s well-reputed universities. Yachoui attributed
the increase to the financial crisis.
Kamal Hamdan, head of an economic consultancy, added that the problem is more
severe for young people than for other age groups. “When it comes to the 20-25
age bracket the unemployment rate doubles,” he said.
Job creation in Lebanon has consistently been hampered by political instability
and fragile security since the country emerged from the Lebanese conflict almost
20 years ago. For much of this time, Lebanese graduates and job seekers had been
able to make up for the lack of attractive employment offers in the local
economy by venturing into regional and international markets. With the boom in
the Gulf region and the labor demand that comes with double-digit nominal GDP
expansion, Lebanese employees have been seen flooding especially to the GCC in
numbers that amounted to a brain drain.
This emigration of top talent was seen as a combination of a blessing, for it
provided economic opportunities not available locally and reduced the number of
job seekers at home, and a curse, because the lure of foreign employment worked
primarily for the best and the brightest. The domestic business community, which
could have used the smartest women and men for improving the national
performance in sectors such as Information and Communications Technology,
suffered from this bloodletting. The unemployment statistics, on the other hand,
benefited.
It has been reported from the UAE that job losses after the bust of the Dubai
boom have resulted in the return to Lebanon by many who lost their jobs there.
Assessing the size of this backward flow is being complicated by absence of
reliable data, which are neither available for the number of Lebanese who have
lost jobs abroad nor, on a more fundamental level, for the real employment
figures in Lebanon.
“The absence of an official survey regarding the unemployment rate reveals the
government’s lack of concern about this issue, as the survey is the basic step
in any plan process aiming to tackle the problem and implement resolutions,”
said Charbel Nahas, an economic engineer.
However, it is far from certain that the domestic unemployment problem will be
or has already been magnified a great deal by returnees who lost jobs abroad.
The number of total returnees from the GCC is less than 5,000 in the past 12
months, Yachoui estimated, in absence of survey data. “To be accurate, those
returning Lebanese didn’t necessarily lose their jobs,” he said.
Also on the domestic employment front, there are no signs of alarmingly large
layoffs or corporate bankruptcies like those that have dominated headlines in
the G7 economies. According to Yachoui, there are no indications of major
layoffs by employers in Lebanon.
Even if the pressure of the global recession is not as harsh in Lebanon,
concerns remain that the Lebanese economy will have to grapple with lower
foreign investments and also could face job market repercussions due to the
omissions and mistakes in economic policies of past years.
Arab investments in Lebanon suffered as individual Arab investors and Arab
governments incurred large financial losses since mid 2008, Yachoui said.
“The average amount of foreign investments decreased by a margin of 20 to 25
percent since mid 2008,” he added without stating a source.
Economists agree that reduction in Lebanese unemployment figures will require
substantial changes of economic policies on macro and micro levels and reforms
that encourage new investments. According to Yachoui, improved stability needs
to be coupled with economic policies that encourage new investments. In his
view, the reform of economic policies should aim to contain public spending and
reduce the budget deficit and public debt.
Hamdan said the government should pass and implement legislation that encourages
investments and should also give more support to the vital tourism sector. He
also pointed out that the Lebanese labor market segmentation must be re-examined
as to maximize employment. – RPN
US, Israel strike settlement deal - report
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, July 09, 2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: An Israeli newspaper said Wednesday Israel had won agreement
from the United States for the continued construction of 2,500 housing units in
Jewish settlements in the West Bank, despite US calls for a freeze. Israeli
government spokesman Mark Regev said the United States and Israel have been
trying to find common ground on the sensitive settlement issue, but he had no
comment on the unsourced front-page report of a deal in the Maariv daily.
The report followed a briefing by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on his talks in London on Monday with US envoy George
Mitchell on ending a rift with Washington over its demand for a settlement
freeze. Western officials said the United States was moving in the direction of
making allowances so Israel could finish off at least some existing projects
which are close to completion or bound by private contracts that cannot be
broken.
"This is a concession to avoid causing undue hardships on individuals" who have
signed contracts and have already paid for work that cannot be refunded, one of
the officials said, adding that discussions were still under way. "We're talking
about polishing off things that are basically done," the official said.
Israel estimates that 2,500 units are in the process of being built and cannot
be stopped under Israeli law.
Maariv reported the units are in 700 buildings in various settlements and that
Washington had agreed to their completion.
A report in the Yediot Ahronot daily, Israel's most popular newspaper, was more
cautious, saying Israel and the United States were "close to an agreement on
settlements." It also cited the same housing figures. Barak has been seeking a
deal with the United States that would include initial steps by Arab states to
normalize relations with Israel in return for limiting settlement activity.
Yediot Ahronot quoted unidentified cabinet ministers, who attended Barak's
briefing, as saying reports a US-Israeli agreement on settlement had been sealed
were wishful thinking on the part of the defense chief. Palestinian leaders have
said US-backed peace talks with Israel could not resume unless there was a
complete halt to settlement activity in the West Bank, where they hope to
establish a state. While in London, Barak told reporters that he presented to
the Americans "the scope of current construction work, which from a practical
point of view can't be stopped."
Netanyahu, under US pressure, has pledged not to build new settlements in the
West Bank or expropriate more land. Further talks are planned between Mitchell
and Netanyahu as early as next week. - Reuters
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel must tear down its Occupied West Bank separation
barrier, a senior UN official said Wednesday, marking five years since the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared the barrier illegal and a
violation of Palestinian rights.
The barrier separates Israel from the Occupied West Bank and in places cuts into
Palestinian territory. Israel started building it in 2002 with the stated aim of
stopping suicide bombing attacks by Palestinians, who infiltrated across the
cease-fire line.
Palestinians say the complex of walls, trenches, barbed wire and electronic
sensors is a land grab that cuts people off from their properties.
Israel did not recognize the 2004 ruling against the barrier by the ICJ, an
advisory opinion with no enforcement mechanism. - AP
Tel Aviv raps EU criticism of West Bank colonies
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel has protested to the European Union over a critical
report on Jewish settlements in the Occupied West Bank, summoning the bloc's
envoy to tell him the statement ignored security concerns.
The head of the EU delegation to Israel, Ramiro Cibrian Uzal, was summoned to
the foreign ministry after a report by the European Commission on Monday said
settlements were "strangling the Palestinian economy" and perpetuating
Palestinian dependence on donors, a ministry statement said.
The EU report "ignores the fact that the issue of settlements has been agreed by
the parties to be addressed in parallel with the fulfillment of other
obligations - including Palestinian security obligations," the ministry said.
"Even more troubling is the ... implication that Israeli security measures in
the Occupied West Bank are unnecessary and even illegal," it said. - AFP
Israeli general hails 2006 war as 'just'
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: Israel's war on Lebanon in July-August 2006 was "just," a senior Israeli
army commander said on Tuesday. At a memorial for Israeli soldiers killed in the
conflict, the head of the Israeli army's Northern Command Major-General Gadi
Eisenkot claimed the 34-day conflict was needed to halt Hizbullah's aggression
against northern Israel.
"The cause was just and disrupted an unbearable reality in the north whereby the
Hizbullah organization was deployed along the border, initiated terror attacks
once every few months and interpreted our desire for a peaceful existence as a
weakness which can be taken advantage of," the Israeli media reported Eisenkot
as saying.
"The image voiced then, which compared Israel to a spider's web, is no longer
heard," he said, making reference to a speech made by Hizbullah's secretary
general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, shortly after UN Security Council Resolution
1701 brought an end to hostilities between the two countries.
A total of 1,191 civilians in Lebanon were killed and 4,000 wounded during the
war, which also saw around one million Lebanese displaced from their homes and
much of the country's infrastructure destroyed. A total of 121 troops and 44
civilians were killed in Israel.
The Israeli army had learned from its experience in Lebanon and was ready for
any future operations, the general said.
Ever since the war, the enemy sees in front of it an army which can examine its
abilities in an incisive and critical manner and fundamentally repair the
military readiness, competence and ability to deter the enemy and keep acts of
terror away, defending the northern border in a professional and efficient
manner," Eisenkot said.
Israel's army was one "always prepared to carry out any mission it is tasked
with in a professional, determined and efficient way," he said. - The Daily Star
Bellemare heads to Canada for medical treatment
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Daniel Bellemare is to
head to Canada for medical treatment, according to a press release issued on
Wednesday by his office.
"Although away from the office, he will not be away from the issues," said the
statement. "He will maintain daily contacts with his office in The Hague and
will continue to monitor the work of his team and provide leadership and advice
to his staff on the ground both in The Hague and in Beirut," it added. Bellemare
will remain in Canada for a few weeks, but "intends to ensure that the pace of
the investigation is not only maintained, but is also increased during his
absence," the statement added. - The Daily Star
Baroud: All parties responsible for security
Daily Star staff/Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud urged all factions to "shoulder their
responsibilities" in preserving Lebanon's security. "Unlike politics in Lebanon,
security is not consensual and should not be influenced by the moods of
political parties," Baroud told MTV station during a lengthy interview on
Tuesday night.
Baroud also hailed the efforts of the Internal Security Forces in dealing with
recent security incidents.
In late June, clashes between the Amal and Future Movements in the Beirut
neighborhood of Aisha Bakkar killed one woman bystander and wounded 11 people.
The clashes were touched off by celebratory gunfire following the selection of
Saad Hariri as prime minister and Nabih Berri as speaker.
Lebanon's Central Interior Security Council held a meeting headed by Baroud on
Tuesday to agree on a comprehensive security plan to ensure stability during the
2009 tourist season.
The meeting addressed the security lapse in Aisha Bakkar. Celebratory gunfire
was heavily condemned by the Security Council, which vowed to prosecute
offenders.
If celebratory gunfire continued perpetrators would be arrested and dealt with
by the judiciary, the Council said. All those who instigated - or participated
in - the incident in Aisha Bakar would be brought to justice, the Council said
Tackling other security-related issues during his interview on Tuesday, Baroud
said the clause related to controlling border activities mentioned in UN
Security Council Resolution 1701 cannot be implemented if Syria does not
cooperate with Lebanon on the matter. The resolution put an end to the 34-day
summer 2006 war with Israel. "Protecting the common borders is crucial for
both states, and Damascus expressed willingness to cooperate, and we are waiting
for its promises to materialize," he said.
As for reports of Syria smuggling arms to Hizbullah across the border, he said
"it is up to the UN to comment on this in its reports, but until now, this issue
has not been clearly discussed."
Commenting on the recent debate over the formation of the next government, the
interior minister said the concept of "consensus democracy" did not "necessarily
mean unanimity."
He added that the interim Cabinet's overall performance has been "more of a
success than a failure."Baroud said Prime Minister-designate Hariri should take
into consideration the experience of the incumbent Cabinet during his
consultations to form a new one. "The worst thing is for the new cabinet to be
formed under international influence," he stressed. He said Lebanon could face a
crisis with the cabinet formation if one party decides not to take part in the
national unity government, "since that might lead to a domino effect and would
render the new cabinet weak." "However," Baroud added, "luckily no group has
voiced such stance yet."He said other obstacles might arise when talks on the
distribution of cabinet portfolios begin.
Concerning challenges to the June 7 parliamentary elections results, Baroud said
that while some appeals have "a legitimate grounds," most challenges are used to
send "political messages." - The Daily Star
Lebanese officer suspected of spying crosses to Israel
Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: A Lebanese army officer suspected of spying for Israel fled there and
another Lebanese national was also reported to have crossed the southern border,
security sources said Wednesday. They said the colonel, identified only as D.J.,
escaped to Israel last week.
The daily Al-Akhbar on Wednesday said the colonel left his parents' home in the
southern town of Qlayaa on July 1 and never returned.
He told his mother that he would stay overnight at his house in Baabda and come
back the following morning, according to Al-Akhbar.
When the colonel did not show up for a couple days and would not answer his
phone, his sister went to check on him, but his apartment was locked.
After informing the Lebanese army intelligence of her brother's disappearance,
armed forces learned that the officer had left his phone at his Baabda
apartment, while his car remained parked outside the building where he lived,
Al-Akhbar said.
A security source told AFP the officer acted as a military "liaison with the
Spanish battalion" operating as part of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Some residents said relatives who live in Israel have spotted the officer
there," the source added.
Two other Lebanese army colonels - Mansour Diab and Shahid Toumiyeh - have been
detained in a probe into spying for Israel that has led to more than 50 arrests.
At least 15 of those detained have been formally charged.
The wave of detentions began in April with the arrest of a former brigadier
general of the General Security directorate.
Lebanon has described the arrests as a major blow to Israel's
intelligence-gathering in a country where it has fought several wars in the past
31 years, most recently in July-August 2006.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has called for the execution of those
convicted. At least one of the suspects was involved in the 2004 assassination
of Hizbullah commander Ghalib Awali, security officials have said. Awali was
killed by a bomb in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Lebanon has formally complained to the United Nations about its findings, saying
the spying is a breach of Security Council Resolution 1701 that halted the 2006
conflict. There has been no official word from Israel.
In his tenth report on the implementation of resolution 1701 submitted to the UN
Security Council on Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was
concerned at the Lebanese allegations of spying.
The allegations, "if proved, could endanger the fragile cessation of hostilities
that exists between Israel and Lebanon," Ban wrote.
In a related development, a Lebanese national, identified by the army as
35-year-old Yassin Abdel-Latif, "entered the Occupied Palestinian Territories
via Al-Abbad [border crossing], located east of the town of Marjayoun, next to
the base of UNIFIL's Indonesian contingent," the Lebanese Army said in a
statement.
"Preliminary investigation showed Abdel-Latif was on sedatives due to family
quarrels," it said, adding that Lebanon was coordinating with UNIFIL to bring
him back.
A source at UNIFIL's Indonesian battalion told AFP that Abdel-Latif crossed the
border after he took permission to take photographs from Indonesian peacekeepers
at the location. - Agencies with The Daily Star
Fresh election challenges pour in as contestation deadline looms
Any changes 'unlikely' to radically alter composition of Parliament
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: Wednesday saw a fresh wave of challenges submitted by losing candidates
of the June 7 elections as the deadline for contestations loomed. The cutoff for
challenges to the Constitutional Council passed at midnight on Wednesday, with
six new requests having been submitted as The Daily Star went to print, in
addition to the 10 lodged Tuesday. Three more were expected to be brought before
the deadline.
On Tuesday, Zahle candidate for the Greek Orthodox seat, Camille Maalouf, said
he was contesting the victory of Josef Maalouf. Defeated Maalouf, along with
March 8 Armenian Orthodox candidate George Kassarji, had previously decided not
to submit a challenge. Whereas Maalouf changed his mind and lodged a challenge
late Tuesday night, Kassarji has refrained from contesting the election result.
Kassarji visited the Constitutional Council Wednesday morning and told the
Central News Agency (CNA): "I'm not putting my hope on this; otherwise I would
have submitted a contestation," before adding, "I trust the Constitutional
Council."
Well-informed sources told the CNA that Maronite candidate Sarkis Sarkis
submitted a challenge on Wednesday, contesting his defeat in the Metn.
In addition, candidates on March 14 independent list Eddy Abi Lamah (Maronite),
Emile Kanaan (Maronite), Eli Karameh (Catholic) and Elias Mukhaiber (Orthodox)
all submitted challenges at 6 p.m. on Wednesday for the Metn seats won by the
Michel Aoun-headed Change and Reform bloc.
The two losing candidates on Aoun's Metn list, Ghassam Ashkar (Maronite) and
Ghassan Rahbani (Greek Orthodox), are also to challenge the victories of
Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel and independent Michel Murr respectively.
It is also expected that the Change and Reform bloc will submit contestations
for three seats in the Beirut I district.
Well-placed sources informed the CNA that the attorney for candidate for the
district's Catholic seat, Nicholas Sehnaoui, visited the Constitutional Council
to submit a challenge against the victorious Michel Pharaon.
Losing candidate on the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) list, Massoud Ashkar, said
he would not contest the victory of Nadim Gemayel for the Maronite seat in
Achrafieh.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Council held a meeting on Wednesday in which
council head Issam Sleiman said he will commence looking into the challenges on
Thursday.
By Tuesday night, the Aoun-led FPM had already submitted five challenges to the
Constitutional Council.
The council, the supervisory mandate of which - under article 19 of the Lebanese
Constitution - was bolstered with the 1989 Taif Accord, was established to
"supervise the constitutionality of laws and to arbitrate conflicts that arise
from parliamentary and presidential polls."
On Monday, former Akkar MPs Mikhael Daher and Rashid Daher (Maronite) submitted
a challenge contesting MP Hadi Hobeich's seat, with defeated Jezzine independent
candidate Ajaj Haddad (Greek Catholic) submitting a similar contestation to Ziad
Aswad's place in Parliament.
The most contested district is Metn, in which candidates or allies affiliated
with Aoun won six seats, as independent candidate Murr and Phalange Party leader
Sami Gemayel became the only two nominees there to replicate the national March
14 victory.
Simon Haddad, professor of political studies at Notre Dame University, said the
challenges were unlikely to radically alter the composition of Parliament.
"I would say one or two seats at the most [could be changed], not more, as you
cannot expect a drastic change with the election results. The majority losing
due to the challenges would not be acceptable on a street level.
"In Lebanon there have always been problems with votes. You can't argue that
'Someone has paid someone to vote for me.' This will not be accepted," he said.
He called for a speedy solution to the process to continue to formation of
Lebanon's cabinet.
"Suppose that one or two [seats] are changed. The majority will still be the
majority and the opposition will still be the minority. It won't change much in
the Parliament's composition, but it should be done quickly."
Haddad added that Aoun may come under pressure to water down his political
requests, should the results of challenges go against him.
"If Aoun loses one or two more seats in the Metn, it could be significant. He
would have to reduce his demands from the government because his numbers would
have decreased," Haddad said.
The Constitutional Council will appoint a committee to look into the challenges
for a three-month period, after which they will report back to council head
Sleiman. The council then has one month to make its final decision.
Justice Ministry is ‘no place for a rookie’ – Najjar
By Nicholas Kimbrell and Carol Rizk
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 09, 2009
BEIRUT: Ibrahim Najjar offered a thoughtful meditation on his tenure as Justice
Minister Wednesday, describing the position’s many challenges and advocating a
process of modernization and reform. “When I first accepted this office I was
not aware of the difficulties I would face but I decided to be true to myself
and to stay committed to the job,” he said during an address at the Issam Fares
Center for Lebanon.
Najjar took over the ministry in 2008 following the Doha accord, and his speech,
titled “To be minister of justice in Lebanon,” was devoted primarily to the
obstacles he had faced since assuming his post.
“The ministry is no place for a rookie. A justice minister needs to be
ambitious, bold and free and he should always respect the country’s tradition as
not to differentiate between majority and minority,” he said. “A minister has to
be foremost himself.”
Najjar divided the position’s several challenges between the political,
security, judicial and bureaucratic levels. He noted specifically the fight
against bureaucratic inertia within the ministry, investigating Islamic
extremists and spies, immunizing the judiciary from political interference and
negotiating with the UN special tribunal probing the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
With respect to the tribunal, he said that he had tried his best not to
interfere, and to “let justice run its course.”
Despite the challenges, Najjar said that important gains had been made during
his time in office. He asserted that the ministry had moved toward greater
independence and applauded the Higher Judicial Council. “I am proud of the
Higher Judicial Council and its judges. It is honestly the most independent
council yet,” he said, noting that no one advanced in the ministry unless they
were competent.
In addition, he spoke of his effort to increase the number of judges from 300 to
502 as part of a broader mission to modernize and reform the ministry. “The
world is opening up and becoming more modern by the day. The Ministry still
needs time and work; even a pregnant woman needs nine months,” he said.
But Najjar also described where the judiciary had fallen short. He condemned the
disgraceful condition of Lebanon’s prisons and the country’s high rate of
administrative detentions. “It is not acceptable that trials be put on hold
because we do not have a place to hold them,” he said.
On the release of the four security chiefs held without charge since 2005 in
relation to the Hariri assassination, Najjar said: “I couldn’t believe that
people were detained on suspicion without a clear accusation.” He noted that he
had presented a draft amendment intended to limit detention based on suspicion.
Following the release of the generals, Najjar told a reporter, “To be released
does not mean to be innocent.” He called these remarks hasty, noting that a
minister can “run away from the press, embrace it or use it.”
He also lamented the fact that more competent judges hadn’t been appointed
because of political deadlock and objections from the opposition, adding that
there were more moderate ways forward on electoral reform than implementing
proportional representation
Mainstream" Islamist Convention Features Hate Speech
and Hezbollah Defense
IPT News
July 8, 2009
http://www.investigativeproject.org/1085/mainstream-islamist-convention-features-hate
A top aide to President Barack Obama provided a keynote address at last
weekend's 46th Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) national convention, a
gathering that attracted thousands of people and also featured anti-Semitic,
homophobic rhetoric and defense of the terrorist group Hezbollah.
In her remarks, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement and International Affairs
Valerie Jarrett noted she was the first White House official to address ISNA.
She spoke in general terms about interfaith dialogue and cooperation. She
praised her hosts for "the diversity of American organizations, and ideas that
are represented and will be debated" at the convention.
And she openly invited ISNA President Ingrid Mattson to work on the White House
Council on Women and Girls that Jarrett leads.
During her 15-minute remarks Friday, Jarrett briefly echoed the challenge her
boss issued in Cairo last month about the changes needed to bring peace between
Palestinians and Israelis. "Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and
it does not succeed," Obama said in his speech.
"Hamas," he added, "must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements,
recognize Israel's right to exist."
Jarrett was less specific, saying:
"Lasting peace will require a concerted effort on behalf of the Palestinians as
well to end incitement and increase security and by Israel's Arab neighbors to
take steps towards normalizing [relations with] Israel."
That's a significant shift since ISNA is an unindicted co-conspirator in a
Hamas-support conspiracy and maintains significant leadership ties to its
foundation 28 years ago by members of the Muslim Brotherhood in America. A more
pointed statement also would have stood as a powerful retort to extremist
sentiments offered in other segments of the conference.
While many panels featured criticism of U.S. policy and law enforcement, one
stood out for its hate-filled rhetoric, and ISNA officials should have seen it
coming a mile away. During a "meet the authors" session, Imam Warith Deen Umar,
former head of the New York state prison chaplain program managed to:
Argue that key Obama aides are "Israeli," proving Jews "have control of the
world."
Malign the motives of Jews active in the Civil Rights movement.
Portray the Holocaust as punishment of Jews for being "serially disobedient to
Allah."
Insinuate that Hurricane Katrina was a result of tolerance for homosexuality.
Umar's radicalism is no secret. He previously hailed the 9/11 hijackers as
martyrs who were secretly admired by Muslims. He has called for violent jihad.
In a January 2004 speech, he urged people:
"Rise up and fight. And fight them until turmoil is no more and strike terror
into their hearts." You think there is no terror in Quran? It's called [word
unclear] read it in the 56th Surah of the Quran. There's no lack of translation,
there's no mistranslation There's not one Sheikh says one thing, no, it's very
clear. 'When you fight, you strike terror into the heart of the disbeliever.'"
He has a website promoting a past book, Judaiology, which features an excerpt
describing "the inordinacy of Jewish power." Jews, he wrote, are "an amazing
people who can steal you blind as you watch. If you discover the theft, they can
put you to sleep. If you wake up to them, they can put you back to sleep with
mind games, tricks of fancy, smoke screens, and magic. Henry Ford almost
uncovered them."
Umar's ISNA appearance Sunday afternoon promoted his latest book, Jews for
Salaam: The Straight Path to Global Peace. In discussing it, Umar first thanked
ISNA for inviting him to speak.
He then described a distinction between "holy Jews," who are devout, apolitical
and poor, and "unholy Jews" who are greedy, conniving and all powerful. He
looked to the White House for an example (hear the clip here):
"You need to know that Obama, the first man that Obama picked when we were so
happy that he was the President, he picked an Israeli – Rahm Emanuel – his
number one man. His number two man – [David] Axelrod – another Israeli person.
Why do this small number of people have control of the world? You need to go
back into your history and find out about France and Germany and England and
America got together and offered the Israelites, who became the Israelites, they
offered them Ghana, the plains of Ghana. Why don't you take Ghana since we beat
you down so badly? That's what the Holocaust was all about. You need to read my
chapter on the Holocaust and the anti-Holocaust movement. There's some people in
the world says no Holocaust even happened. Some of their leaders say no
Holocaust even happened. Well it did happen. These people were punished. They
were punished for a reason because they were serially disobedient to Allah."
[Emphasis added]
ISNA described the author's panel as "an interactive session which provides a
wonderful platform to learn, share ideas, and provide literary contributions to
society." Remarkably, ISNA included Umar in that platform despite a very public
record of anti-Semitism, advocacy for jihad, and praise for the 9/11 hijackers.
Umar shared the microphone with another author who did not spew out bigotry, but
who did cast Hezbollah as an innocent player subject to incessant Israeli
onslaught. Cathy Sultan described her book, Tragedy in South Lebanon: The
Israeli/Hezbollah War of 2006, as a history of "the tragedy of the repeated
incursions and wars in South Lebanon, the complexities of the Lebanese
politics."
She made no mention of Iranian funding for Hezbollah or Syrian meddling in
Lebanese politics or its suspected involvement in the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Instead, she lumps Hariri among a list of "docile
Arab rulers willing to acquiesce to the West and to Israelis' demands ...
provided they eliminate or at least contain and disarm Hamas and Hezbollah."
Nor did Sultan describe indiscriminate Hezbollah rocket fire toward Israeli
civilian communities, or the cross-border attack on an Israeli army base by
Hezbollah that left three soldiers dead and two others kidnapped.
In response to a question, Sultan said "Hezbollah still serves a role. I think
that Lebanon is still under constant threat from its southern neighbor. And I
see nothing wrong, as long as Hezbollah abides by certain rules and regulations;
I see no reason why Hezbollah should not remained armed."
The United States considers Hezbollah to be a terrorist group, and some experts
consider it a bigger potential threat to the United States than Al-Qaeda.
The panel did not feature anyone with contrasting viewpoints to challenge Sultan
or Umar. The program drew about 50 people, who sat passively during most of the
remarks.
Umar's books were available for purchase at the convention. Government agencies
were represented with booths of their own, including the departments of Justice,
State, Homeland Security, Commerce, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID).
Before the convention started, ISNA posted a statement for vendors which said
"Any literature (fundraising or otherwise) is restricted to the assigned booth
and must be pre-approved in writing by ISNA, in ISNA's sole and absolute
discretion. Book selling vendors must complete enclosed form providing inventory
of the literature to be sold at ISNA."
Judaiology devotes a chapter to "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," allegedly
the minutes of a meeting of Jewish leaders at the first Zionist Congress in
Basel, Switzerland, in 1897, in which they plotted to take over the world.
Researchers have definitively proved that the Protocols were in fact forged in
Paris sometime between 1895 and 1899 by an agent of the Russian secret police.
This has not kept anti-Semitic groups from believing the validity of this
forgery. For example, the Charter of Hamas states:
"For Zionist scheming has no end, and after Palestine they will covet expansion
from the Nile to the Euphrates. Only when they have completed digesting the area
on which they will have laid their hand, they will look forward to more
expansion, etc. Their scheme has been laid out in the Protocols of the Elders of
Zion, and their present [conduct] is the best proof of what is said there."
To Umar, however, the Protocols "remain a mystery:"
"Jewish leaders have denied [the Protocols] and called them a forgery, a pact
[sic] of lies, absurd and counterintuitive. No Jew, they say, would ever resort
to writing down such self-defeating words and plans. However their denials
appear ineffective because the Protocols actually explain and reveal what others
observe about the real activities and results of Jewish diplomatic, industrial,
business, and political involvement among the peoples of the world... What is
revealed and clarified is so shocking and stunningly in accord with the behavior
and results of world events that involve Jews that it gives credence and
importance, relevance and standing to what otherwise would simply be a biased
and discredited documents."
A woman in the audience reminded Umar that Jews marched with Black people during
the Civil Rights movement. But, Umar said, that was not motivated by a genuine
desire for justice:
"The Jews in America used the black community to advance the Jewish community.
In many instances in history, they gained much of what they gained by putting
the African Americans out front to get things that were necessary to get through
the politics of this country and of the social setting of this country."
Umar also managed to stray into a reference about same-sex marriage, which he
said would prompt God's wrath:
"It's against the laws of Allah and against the laws of the Bible for
homosexuality. And if you think the Quran talks about harsh punishment from
Allah, you should read what the Bible says. I don't have the time to go into it,
but it's in my book. The Bible is very hard on, he says, Allah says that the
land itself is doomed. You wonder why things are happening in America are going
to happen? You think that Katrina was just a blow of wind?"
This is the man responsible for the Muslim chaplain program in New York prisons
for 20 years. He was forced out of that job after his praise for the 9/11
hijackers became known. This is who ISNA chose to showcase in a "meet the
authors" panel and provide an unchallenged platform.
"My conclusion is that there should be more jihad," he said. "But people don't
want to hear that. They're scared."
In Cairo, the President said:
"Threatening Israel with destruction -- or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews
-- is deeply wrong" and a hindrance to peace. [Emphasis added]
But somehow, partnering with a group that invites the same thing is okay?
Related Topics: The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)