LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 16/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:25-27. At that time
Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have
revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except
the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the
Son wishes to reveal him
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Murderers' Makeover.By:
Michael Young,
forbes.com 15/07/09
The right credentials.
Now Lebanon web site 15/07/09
Jumblatt’s Hezbollah
turnaround. By:
Mona Alami, Now Lebanon 15/07/09
Walid Jumblatt/Now
Lebanon/
15.07.09
Lebanon needs a cabinet whose members agree on key policy issues.The
Daily Star 15/07/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July
15/09
UNIFIL: South Lebanon Blasts
'Serious Violation' of Resolution 1701-Naharnet
Suleiman Asks NAM to Support
Lebanon's Right for Self-Defense-Naharnet
March 14 Reiterates Backing for
Coalition Government-Naharnet
Israel tells US envoy firm on terms for Syria
talks-Reuters
Israel Blames Hezbollah in Explosion-New
York Times
Mubarak: Terrorism,
weapons of mass destruction threaten peace process-Now Lebanon
Jumblatt: New cabinet should
provide guarantees to all parties-Now Lebanon
Chatah: Lebanon will
witness a prosperous summer on the economic level-Now Lebanon
Non-Aligned summit opens in
Egypt-Future News
Jumblat for Reunion with Aoun,
Seeks to Convene Hariri-Berri Meeting to Facilitate Cabinet Deal -Naharnet
Berri:
Nothing Prevents Cabinet Formation before Month's End
-Naharnet
Riot in
Abidjan after Armed Clash Between Lebanese and Locals
-Naharnet
Gemayel Wants to Reconnect
with Syria
-Naharnet
Geagea: No Way to Accept
Veto Power
-Naharnet
South Korea Extends
Mandate of its Peacekeepers in Lebanon
-Naharnet
Aridi Slams Illegal Land
Reclamation Along Lebanese Coast
-Naharnet
Lebanese Army Demands
Removal of Israeli Observation Post
-Naharnet
Jumblat Visits Berri:
Government Formation Opens Door for Saudi-Syrian Reconciliation
-Naharnet
Graziano During Maritime
Drill: Lebanese Navy's Participation is of Paramount Importance
-Naharnet
Israel: Hizbullah rockets behind
the explosion in the South-Future News
Lebanon’s fate, focus of the Sharm
el-Sheikh summit concern-Future News
Geagea: Hizbullah wants guarantees
for STL-Future News
Maneuvers put cabinet formation
back on track-Future News
Jumblatt: Saudi-Syrian convergence
positively reflects on Lebanon-Future News
Wahhab: Jumblatt is most welcome in
Syria-Future News
Saadeh: Hizbullah exploits
Aoun-Future News
Lebanese, Israeli troops narrowly avoid battle-Daily
Star
Suspected arms depot explodes in south Lebanon-Daily
Star
Gemayel: Opposition imposing 'radical changes' on regime-Daily
Star
Iran,
Lebanon, UN to probe case of missing diplomats-Daily
Star
Lahoud: Sleiman should hold decisive cabinet vote-Daily
Star
Court
fines magazine for slandering Bassil-Daily
Star
Israeli spy rings threaten fragile peace between Lebanon, Israel-Daily
Star
Many
Lebanese doubt Hariri can form unity government-Daily
Star
Solidere distributes 86 percent of profits as dividends to shareholders-Daily
Star
Illegal land reclamation along Lebanon’s coast still taking place – Aridi-Daily
Star
Former premier Hafez laid to rest in Tripoli-Daily
Star
French peacekeepers hold drills for Bastille Day-Daily
Star
Catholic Center condemns Baghdad church attacks-Daily
Star
Man
who murdered his two children still in hospita-Daily
Star
Murderers' Makeover
Michael Young, 07.13.09,
The Assad regime's deceptive appearance.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/13/damascus-bashar-al-assad-opinions-contributors-michael-young.html
In the annals of Western cretinism on Syria, I reserve a special place for one
Olivia Sterns. The country has gotten a bad rap, she wrote in an article last
May, and President Obama should recognize it has a softer side. "One look at the
country's first lady Asma al-Assad should help prove so to disbelievers. The
British-born, jeans-wearing wife of the current President Bashar represents a
radically more modern regime."
But what about the killing of Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri,
certainly the work of Syria's radically more modern regime? This was not the
doing of "President Bashar," Sterns implied in a passage soggy with obfuscation:
"Presently, the dark days of the reign of Bashar's father, President Hafez
al-Assad, appear long gone. A United Nations tribunal of [sic] the 2005
assassination of … Hariri is now underway. That investigation should go a long
way to exposing the remaining loyalist elements and corruption in the current
regime."
Had Sterns been less besotted with the Assads, she might have learned something
about the system they preside over. Those who have done so know the president
could not possibly have avoided being involved in Hariri's elimination, even if
his men implicated others to spread the blame and impose silence. The Assad
regime is a centralized, hierarchical, family-led affair. It allows no room but
for those at the very top to take so perilous a decision as removing someone of
Hariri's stature. None but Assad's authority could have mobilized the vast
resources used in the Hariri conspiracy--or triggered the (botched) cover-up
afterward.
However, Sterns was right in one regard: Bashar Assad is becoming respectable
again, and it's not just because his wife wears jeans. Several factors are
contributing to make the Syrian leader palatable.
The first is that the United Nations-led investigation of the Hariri murder
appears to be going nowhere. After four years, not a single suspect remains in
custody and the investigation process, now transformed into a trial process
being held in a suburb of The Hague, has yet to come out with formal
indictments. We may have something within the next six months, but don't hold
your breath.
That wasn't always the case. There were palpable signs of progress during the
early months of the U.N. investigation in late 2005, when it was headed by the
German judge Detlev Mehlis. In his first report (and in my own subsequent
conversations with him), Mehlis had no doubt that Syria was behind Hariri's
killing. I would later learn, though not from Mehlis himself, that he was
preparing to arrest Syrian intelligence officers. However, because of time
constraints before his departure from Lebanon, Mehlis had left that step to his
Belgian successor, Serge Brammertz.
In January 2008 I flew to Berlin to interview Mehlis, his first major statement
on the Hariri case since returning home. Brammertz had ended his term without
arresting anyone, despite Mehlis' intentions, and the German felt he could
legitimately express doubts about his successor's work. "I haven't seen a word
in his reports during the past two years confirming that he has moved forward,"
Mehlis told me.
This was a devastating indictment, one I confirmed through several other
sources. I would later hear that Brammertz had told Lebanese colleagues that he
had not added much to his file, but expected that within a year the
investigation would be concluded. The Lebanese were confused. If there was not
much new, how could the Belgian set so precise a deadline?
It has been 18 months since Brammertz's departure, and still no accusations have
come down. His successor, Daniel Bellemare, continues his inquiry as prosecutor
of the Hariri tribunal, which began operating last March. He may find something,
but it's hard to believe that the years of relative idleness under Brammertz
have not exacted a serious toll. The Belgian needed to conduct a police
investigation when he arrived in Beirut, but instead he reportedly replaced many
of his investigators with analysts. Bellemare reversed course, but with so
little visibly in hand, it's politics that may ultimately determine the trial's
success or failure.
The regional and international political situation has changed since 2005.
Officially, everyone supports the Hariri tribunal, but it is a low priority.
Syria's Arab adversaries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have mended their
ties with Damascus of late, largely to bolster Arab unity against a resurgent
Iran. Europe and the U.S. are also in the midst of engaging Assad's regime, and
Barack Obama even made this one of his Mideastern priorities. Recently, the U.S.
decided to resend an ambassador to Syria, the previous one having been withdrawn
after Hariri's assassination. Petitioners are lining up urging Syria to play
ball on Iran or Arab-Israeli peace. Nobody wants the Hariri tribunal to ruin
things. International tribunals, like most international institutions, easily
atrophy when governments allow them to die.
Even in Lebanon, the situation is different. Saad Hariri, Rafiq's son, is prime
minister-designate following elections in June. He will doubtless visit Syria
after forming a government. His Saudi sponsors are pushing him in that
direction, but they don't need to: No Lebanese head of government can readily
bypass the Syrians. Understanding these dynamics, other Lebanese opponents of
Syria are also preparing to take the road to Damascus, or Canossa. Most
prominent among these is the Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who once called Assad
a "monkey".
Detlev Mehlis told me that upon taking over the Hariri investigation, he met
with then-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. He "made it clear to me that he did
not want another trouble spot," the German recalled. The truth about who killed
Rafiq Hariri is indeed troublesome to many states. Don't be surprised, then, if
Syria's leaders get away with murder.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon, and a
contributing editor at Reason in the U.S.
UNIFIL: South Lebanon Explosions 'Serious Violation' of Resolution 1701
Naharnet/The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon on Wednesday said that a
series of blasts in south Lebanon was probably caused by stockpiled ammunition
and marked a "serious violation" of a U.N. Security Council resolution. The
ammunition was likely stored in an abandoned house, UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmine
Bouziane told AFP.
No one was hurt in the explosions on Tuesday in the village of Khirbet Selm, 20
kilometers (12 miles) from the border with Israel. "Preliminary info
available... indicates that the sequence of explosions is likely to have been
triggered by the deflagration of the ammunition present in the building," said
Bouziane. "UNIFIL considers this incident a serious violation of U.N. Security
Council Resolution 1701, notably the provision that there should be no presence
of unauthorized assets or weapons in the area of operations between the Litani
River and the Blue Line," she added, referring to demarcations in south Lebanon.
"UNIFIL has informed U.N. headquarters of the incident and is keeping the
parties informed." Bouziane said the area had on Wednesday been "deemed secure
and safe for specialized units." An army spokesman said on Tuesday that the
weapons cache dated from the Second Lebanon War in July and August, 2006. "There
was no one but Hizbullah in this area," he told AFP on condition of
anonymity.(AFP) Beirut, 15 Jul 09, 19:31
Suleiman Asks NAM to Support Lebanon's Right for
Self-Defense
President Michel Suleiman asked the Non-Aligned Movement summit Wednesday to
ensure that Lebanon maintains its right to defend itself against Israeli threats
and liberate its land using "all legitimate and available means." More than 50
heads of state from the developing world met Wednesday in Sham el-Sheikh to
tackle the fallout from the global economic meltdown.
Suleiman in a speech at the opening session - attended by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon
- slammed Israel's daily violations of Lebanese territorial sovereignty and "its
aggressive espionage acts in breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701."
He condemned Israel's "rejection" of the Palestinian refugees' right to return
to their homeland and attempts for their naturalization.
"Lebanon presented this summit with specific demands for the full and
unconditional implementation of Resolution 1701, for the rejection of any form
of Palestinian naturalization and for the preservation of (Lebanon's) right to
defend itself and liberate its land by all legitimate and available means," he
said.
The Lebanese leader renewed his country's
commitment to "NAM's founding principles
Naharnet/… and to its decisions in the service of the cause of a just and
comprehensive peace."
Suleiman stressed the need for more investments in NAM states, measures to boost
small and medium-size businesses and to consolidate cooperation between the
private and public sectors. He said that "investments cannot be attracted
without actual internal and external stability. "Internal stability is
impossible without enabling the people to express their choices and aspiration
in a democratic and free manner," he stressed. Suleiman said Lebanon has carried
out measures to ensure stability and security across its territories by
"consolidating the principle of dialogue and consensus as a means to settle
disputes and by holding successful parliamentary polls." "Lebanon was also able
to avoid the repercussions on its economy of the global financial crisis by
implementing a wise and pre-emptive policy in its banking sector," he added. On
the external front, he said Lebanon remains under "repeated Israeli threats
against its land, people, establishments and infrastructures." He issued an
urgent call for a conference to address the Arab-Israeli conflict in light of
Israel's continued rejection of "peace requirements and of the Palestinian
people's right to establish their independent state." Such a conference will
seek to "boost the chances for a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle
East." On the summit's sidelines, Suleiman met Egyptian counterpart Hosni
Mubarak, Ban, Arab League head Amr Moussa and several other leaders. Beirut, 15
Jul 09, 21:08
Jumblat for Reunion with Aoun, Seeks to Convene Hariri-Berri
Meeting to Facilitate Cabinet Deal
Naharnet/With government formation entering its third week amid no signs of a
deal on Cabinet, contacts intensified, particularly between Progressive
Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and PM-designate Saad Hariri in an effort
to facilitate a speedy Cabinet lineup. Al-Liwaa newspaper said a meeting between
Jumblat and Hariri late Tuesday was "the beginning of a joint move,"
particularly toward the Opposition seeking clarification of its stance on veto
power, and also toward the March 14 coalition seeking explanation of its
position that the majority should govern according to the results of the
parliamentary elections. Political sources said this move came upon the request
of President Michel Suleiman who met on Monday with Berri and asked him to
facilitate Cabinet formation. The daily As Safir, however, said Jumblat has been
exerting efforts to hold a meeting between Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri, "benefiting from a Saudi climate that is encouraging the
Premier-designate to move in this direction."Jumblat's bids, according to As
Safir, are likely to produce a meeting between Hariri and Berri "in order to
launch serious talks" that would lead to a speedy formation of a national unity
government. Jumblat told As Safir that Berri has informed him of his willingness
to meet Hariri, stressing that he "does not mind" meeting Free Patriotic
Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun. While Jumblat expressed "extreme
satisfaction," he did not conceal his fear of a "Sunni-Shiite discord." Beirut,
15 Jul 09, 08:23
March 14 Reiterates Backing for Coalition Government
Naharnet/The March 14 general-secretariat reiterated on Wednesday that it backs
formation of a coalition cabinet with March 8 and said U.N. Security Council
resolution 1701 is not being fully implemented."The March 14 forces urge the
prime minister and president to work together on the basis of no going back to
the obstruction experience (in cabinet) and to put the state's interest before
any other interest," the general-secretariat said in a statement following its
weekly meeting. Resolution 1701 is not being fully implemented and "is being
severely violated by all parties concerned, including regional and internal"
sides, the statement said.The alliance also "considered the protection of
Resolution 1701 a national and international mission."
Beirut, 15 Jul 09, 14:58
Lebanese, Israeli troops narrowly avoid battle
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
IRUT: The Lebanese Army narrowly avoided an armed exchange with Israel,
according to media reports on Tuesday. The confrontation was allegedly sparked
when the LAF demanded the removal of an Israeli observation post set up near a
watering-hole in Kfar Shuba, close to the disputed Blue Line in the south of the
country. The National News Agency reported that the LAF "became fully equipped
to start battle" before the situation was defused. A Lebanese Army spokesman
told reporters that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had
been requested to intervene. "The military asked the UN peacekeeping force
deployed in south Lebanon [UNIFIL] to remove the Israeli post set up near Kafr
Shuba," a village just outside the divided border village of Ghajar, he said.
UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Daily Star that the
altercation had occurred in an area outside the peacekeeping force's
jurisdiction. "We have no presence there [near the Kfar Shuba pond]," she said.
"It's an issue that has been going on for several weeks and we've been working
with both parties to solve the problem." The Blue Line - a UN demarcated line of
Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon - has seen a spate of alleged
violations in recent months. UN Security Council Resolution 1701, drafted to end
Israel's 2006 war on Lebanon, provided that both countries respect the de facto
boundary. UNIFIL has a peacekeeping mandate in the areas surrounding the Blue
Line. Although its powers are restricted to the region south of the Litani River
to the Blue Line, it does not have access to some areas, including positions on
the Israeli side of the boundary. Last month, Lebanon's UN ambassador sent a
list of Israeli Blue Line violations to the Security Council, including Israel
aircraft entering Lebanese airspace and munitions fired from Israeli military
positions onto Lebanese soil. In recent weeks, a series of incidents have
occurred close to the Blue Line, including Israeli cows crossing into Lebanon to
drink from a watering hole in Kfar Shuba. Residents and officials say this
represents a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.
Suspected arms depot explodes in south Lebanon
By Nicholas Kimbrell /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BEIRUT: A series of explosions tore through a suspected arms cache Tuesday
outside the southern town of Tibnin, a security source told The Daily Star. The
security source said that periodic explosions could be heard from early morning
until around 3 p.m. and that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) had cordoned off
the area and launched a joint investigation with UN peacekeepers. No casualties
were reported. The blasts, falling on the third anniversary of the 2006 war with
Israel, took place in the village of Khirbat Silim, northeast of Tibnin and
about 20 kilometers north of the Lebanon-Israel border. The village is below the
Litani River, which marks the beginning of mandate of the United Nation's
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as established by UN Security Council
Resolution 1701 that ended the hostilities of the July War.
UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Daily Star that the blasts
were heard early Tuesday morning and that investigations were under way.
"This morning at around 8 a.m. several explosions were heard from the general
area of Khirbat Silim, 3 kilometers northeast of Tibnin," he said. "There were
no reports of fatalities or injuries."Tenenti added that the area had been
cordoned off by the LAF to protect the local population and that the army, in
coordination with UNIFIL, was investigating the incident.
Local media reports said that the explosions were triggered by a massive fire in
an arms depot and that citizens in the area responded with alarm, fearing the
blasts were a result of an Israeli air strike. Quoting an unidentified army
official, the Agence France Presse said the alleged weapons cache, housed in an
abandoned building, belonged to Hizbullah and dated back to the July War. The
Daily Star could not corroborate these reports and Hizbullah officials were
unable to comment.
Khirbat Silim is a seen as being in the Lebanese HIzbullah movement's southern
stronghold, an area patrolled by UNIFIL and the LAF since the July War, which
lasted 34 days and left more than a thousand Lebanese, mostly civilians, dead,
hundreds of thousands displaced, and cost billions of dollars in damages.
On Sunday, the third anniversary of the beginning of the war, Israeli officials
issued a number of statements threatening Lebanon with another conflict if
Hizbullah were invited to join the next cabinet. With the presence of UN
peacekeepers, the border between Lebanon and Israel has been relatively quiet
since 2006. But the border remains tense and violations of Resolution 1701,
which calls for Hizbullah to disarm and Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty,
abound. While political and security analysts have said a renewal of violence is
unlikely in the short-term, many fear that a resumption of hostilities would
upset US President Barack Obama's new push for a comprehensive Middle East
peace.
Israel: Hizbullah rockets
behind the explosion in the South
Date: July 15th, 2009 Future News
Israeli security sources pointed that the reason of the explosion which took
place Tuesday night in a building at Kherbet-Selem area South Lebanon, is due to
Hizbullah’s Katyusha rockets.
Yediot Ahrunut website quoted several Israeli security sources that the
explosion was due to a “disorder or another reason”, pointing that “this shows
that Hizbullah is using the countries of the South which are inhabited by
citizens to hide its rockets, and this endangers people who represent a human
shield.”Annahar newspaper quoted the citizens of Kherbet Selem that “the
explosion took place in a building which was previously a plastic factory, and
turned into a restricted area.”The Lebanese daily newspaper pointed that
partisans “controlled the situation at the scene of explosion, and Hizbullah
members were seen on motorcycles wandering the area amid tough alert, and banned
anyone from getting near the location.” It was also said that members of
Hizbullah were injured. Journalistic reports said that the information provided
by the International Forces point that several underground explosions happened
at 8 am before the bog explosion which leads to the possibility that the
building is a weapon factory. Annahar added that the International forces could
not enter the location which means that the concerned part was “cleaning” the
effects and clues of the incident.
Saadeh: Hizbullah exploits Aoun
Date: July 14th, 2009 Source: Free Lebanon
Kataeb MP Samer Saadeh criticized on Tuesday Hizbullah for using MP Michel Aoun
to demand a proportional representation in the cabinet while the party is
adopting a less intensive tone in its rhetoric. In an interview with the Voice
of Lebanon Radio, Saadeh asked “what would President Michel Sleiman obtain if
the proportional representation was adopted in the new cabinet.” He pointed to
the presence of huge obstacles facing the formation in light of setting opposing
conditions. “If Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri approved granting the
obstructing third vote to the opposition, the ministerial statement will have to
clarify in its contents its stances towards Hizbullah’s weapon,” he argued.
Saadeh expected that government formation will not take place soon, stressing
that Hariri will not apologize on the formation of the cabinet. A source close
to Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri confirmed that is unlikely to apologize
if the cabinet formation has serious problems. He has won the trust of all rival
political camps regionally and domestically and will resume his tasks.
Walid Jumblatt
July 15, 2009 /Now Lebanon
On July 15, the pro-government An-Nahar daily carried the following report:
The head of the Democratic Gathering, Deputy Walid Jumblatt, believed that
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri conveyed a positive climate regarding the issue
of the government's formation. Jumblatt visited Berri in Ain al-Tineh yesterday
while accompanied by Minister Ghazi al-Aridi. Before leaving, he issued the
following statement: “Speaker Nabih Berri conveyed his cooperation to facilitate
the formation of the government. Certainly, there are still certain details
which need to be discussed between him and Prime Minister-designate Saad
al-Hariri, but we found a positive climate surrounding the issue of the
governmental formation. On this occasion, I would like to reiterate what was
also said by Speaker Berri, regarding the fact that the governmental formation
will open the door before solidarity, Arab reconciliation or a Saudi-Syrian
meeting whose repercussions will be quite positive for Lebanon. This axis which
built the Taif Accord must be restored to guarantee Lebanon’s stability. This is
my theory, as well as that of Speaker Berri, and those thoroughly looking into
the Lebanese situation must take it into consideration.
“We must remind those who are currently having doubts, that the Syrian army has
exited Lebanon but that there is still a strategic equation that was instated by
the Taif Accord. This Accord means truce with Israel, i.e. neither normalization
nor reconciliation with Israel, as well as the establishment of exceptional
relations whose bases have started to be drawn between Lebanon and Syria through
diplomatic relations.” He was then asked about the existence of obstacles
delaying the formation of the government, to which he said: “I will not engage
in the details. I will only give headlines. Let us only focus on the headlines,
in order to secure Lebanon’s stability and enjoy a promising summer. We must
also handle issues which have nothing to do with the axes [of dispute] among
other things, such as the electricity issue among other problems. Moreover, we
must not forget we are $50 billion in debt and this issue should be distanced
from the political predicaments.” When asked whether or not the road to Syria
had become paved before him, he said: “I will handle the issue my own way, after
Prime Minister Al-Hariri goes [to Syria] and after reconciliation falls under
the umbrella of the Taif.”
On the other hand, and in a first meeting in years, Deputy Jumblatt received the
day before last the head of the Lebanese Tawhid Movement, former Minister Wiam
Wahhab. Following the meeting, a statement issued by the Democratic Gathering
said that it was held “in the context of the climate of openness and dialogue to
corroborate the fact that the pages of the past were turned along with their
negative effects on all levels, in order to enhance coexistence and national
unity.” The statement added: “The discussions addressed the current developments
and the necessity to intensify the political efforts to achieve the goals, far
from narrow disputes and clashes...”
Jumblatt’s Hezbollah turnaround
Mona Alami, NOW Contributor , July 15, 2009
In February of last year, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt
warned that the entire country would turn into "security zones", a reference to
the southern suburbs of Beirut, which are controlled by Hezbollah’s private
security apparatus. “We tell those who want to return the [era of] Syrian
tutelage to Lebanon that we will not succumb," he announced. One year later, the
discourse adopted by the Druze leader, one advocating reconciliation with
Hezbollah and Syria, has shifted dramatically, a state of affairs that, on the
face of it, must raise questions among his supporters, many of whom bore the
brunt of the fighting with Hezbollah that ravaged Mount Lebanon in early May
2008.
Hezbollah’s penetration into the infamous Mountain 888 in Aley on May 8, 2008
was perceived by the Druze residents as a direct attack by the Party of God, and
three of its fighters were killed that day. On May 9, four Druze members of the
Aley municipal police were kidnapped by Hezbollah in retaliation, setting off a
chain of violence in the Druze villages of Aley – Baysour, Aytat and Choueifat –
and in the nearby Shia villages of Keyfoun and Qmatieyh. In the Chouf areas of
Barouk and Niha, Hezbollah operations were snuffed out by Druze fighters. To
this day, the death toll from the fighting is still unclear and disputed by both
sides. The PSP says that 19 Druze and 40 Hezbollah fighters were killed during
the conflict, while Hezbollah claims only 11 of its militants died.
Maliha Souki lives in a rundown house in the area of the old souk in Choueifat,
which witnessed fighting between Hezbollah and Druze residents. “My son came to
visit me every Sunday for lunch. I waited for him all day on the 11th of May and
was told he had gone to present his condolences to the Shaaban and Nasser
families, whose sons had been killed during the conflict,” she said. Her son,
Amine Souki, 42, a father of two and one of three men from the same family
killed that day, never made it to his mother’s house. He was gunned down in
front of the municipality building.
A few meters away from the wide arch leading into the Soukis’ house lives the
Neem family. They had a close encounter with death on the same day Souki was
killed. As they were walking out of their small house, a rocket fired by
Hezbollah members tore through the walls of the building, falling on the floor
without exploding. Their old Renault is parked outside the house, its broken
windows still waiting to be replaced.
And yet, nearly 14 months since the fighting, Jumblatt has decided to let
bygones be bygones. “Following the elections, we have launched a new stage in
which we must adopt the process of dialogue, rapprochement and reconciliation
that is currently ongoing between Hezbollah and the Progressive Socialist
Party,” he told the Druze weekly Al-Anbaa of Shia sheikhs who have been paying
visits to the mountain. “The reconciliations should not only reflect on the top
of the hierarchy but should also stream down to the bases. This initiative will
help close the painful chapter of May 7 once and for all, and turn a new page
governed by cooperation, trust and integrity.”
Before making his statement and hosting the sheikhs, Jumblatt met with Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah, following which the two stressed the need to move from
a “situation of crisis to a situation of cooperation” and called for more
comprehensive reconciliations among various Lebanese groups. In an interview to
As-Safir Jumblatt also emphasized his willingness to turn a new page with Syria,
whose regime he previously accused of orchestrating the 2005 assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and of manipulating Hezbollah to gain
leverage in Lebanon.
Today Jumblatt’s Druze supporters are divided over their leader’s dramatic
turnaround. Many appear to have kept faith. “Jumblatt has antennas,” said
Raghida Alameh, a young resident of Aley. “He senses the change in regional
politics. He is currently taking active measures to protect the interests of the
Druze; he knows what is best for us.” Mrs. Neem (she refused to give her first
name) agrees, telling NOW that the Druze leader is extremely smart and that his
policy switch must be based on information he cannot reveal to his supporters.
“It makes sense to me,” she said. “I do not see why we should still be at odds
with Hezbollah while the Sunni and the Christians also take significant steps
for a rapprochement with the party. Last May, [the Druze] were the only ones to
put up a fight against Hezbollah while [the Sunni and Christian parties] sat
back and watched us.”
Their enmity with Hezbollah, however, has not faded away in spite of their
support of Jumblatt’s new positions. Maliha Souki, who underscored her constant
support for Jumblatt and does not blame him for the death of her son, said that
she is not ready to accept a visit from the Shia sheikhs who, according to
village rumors, might meet with the families of victims of the May conflict. “I
hope they face the same fate as my son,” she said. “Jumblatt did not want the
war; Hezbollah entered our home, and my son was killed protecting his religion
and honor.” Elsewhere, others were not as understanding of Jumblatt’s policy
shift. “The Druze blood that was shed during the May conflict has not dried.
While we can understand a possible reconciliation attempted by Hezbollah cadres
whose sons actually partook and died during the conflict,” said Talal, a
Lebanese army captain, in a reference to the rumor of the death of Naim Qassem’s
son in Choueifat. “We can’t say the same for Jumblatt, who stayed home and whose
family was safely tucked away in France.”
“Jumblatt is a community leader; he should not have stirred the May 7 events in
the first place if he wanted to retract later,” said Ziad Radwan, a bank
manager, referring to Jumblatt’s demand for the dismantlement of Hezbollah’s
private telephone network and the resignation of the head of airport security,
who was perceived as too close to the Party of God.
“A general, a community leader like Jumblatt needs to have a clear view of which
battles to fight,” said Tarek Basha, a young Druze living in Saudi Arabia. “He
can’t constantly change his enemies and expect the Druze to follow him blindly
in his new feuds.”
The right credentials
Now Lebanon web site
July 14, 2009
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, according to one Lebanese
daily, recently discussed the 2006 July War with Hezbollah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. As-Safir reported Jumblatt as saying that Nasrallah had
“admonished” him for his stand against the conflict. “He has the right to do
so,” the enigmatic Druze leader said, “but the most important thing is that we
decided to turn a new page, build trust, and foster dialogue and
reconciliation.”
Fair enough, but the PSP boss should have added that, even though he conceded
Nasrallah’s right to “admonish” him, it should neither be seen as vindication of
Hezbollah’s actions that summer, nor should Jumblatt’s stance be interpreted as
in any way morally wrong.
The 2006 July War has become a benchmark for measuring one’s Arab credentials.
For there is a corrosive school of thought that posits that if you are not with
Hezbollah you are against it; that if you were angered by the party’s role in
the war, you were, somehow, “with” Israel and harbored treasonous thoughts.
It doesn’t stop there. If you, like many Lebanese, wish to see Hezbollah disarm
because you believe, not unreasonably, that instruments of death should by and
large be kept under state control, you are at best ignorant, heartless and out
of touch with the struggle of the people of South Lebanon; at worst you want to
bend to Israeli demands and have no objection to Lebanon being dominated by a
demonic troika of the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel. And finally, if you object to
the whole concept of the Resistance and its right to “resist” because you might
believe the time for such an entity has passed, then you are falling short in
your duty as an Arab in the eternal fight against the Zionist entity.
These assumptions have been used to both define March 8 and tar March 14. The
March 8 coalition hides the fact it really has nothing to offer except
obstruction and conflict behind a nebulous aura that is a quirky alliance of
Arab and Lebanese nationalism and religious zealotry. On one level, it sells
itself as the bastion of wholesome Arab solidarity, while March 14, the bloc of
choice for the uncaring bourgeoisie, is a tool of modern imperialist
expansionism with a healthy dollop of corruption and greed thrown into the mix.
The reality is different. Jumblatt nailed it when he railed against the war back
in July 2006, before Hezbollah’s spin doctors stepped in and gave us the Divine
Victory. The war was a reckless act of adventurism, the blame for which lies
fairly and squarely on Hezbollah’s doorstep. That the party by all accounts
acquitted itself admirably on the battlefield does not in any way excuse its
lack of judgment, nor for that matter its belief in its right to take Lebanon to
war with an enemy it claims to know so well, an enemy whose ruthlessness was
demonstrated in no uncertain terms over 30 bloody days. Lebanon didn’t need to
lose 1,000 sons and daughters just for Hezbollah to prove it wouldn’t roll over.
So where does all the tub-thumping leave us today? March 8 says it wants to work
with March 14 in a government of national unity, so there clearly cannot be that
huge an ideological chasm. Therefore the time has come for March 8 to stop
ramming its Arab credentials down our throats, stop playing Spot the Zionist
Imperialist and start working toward burnishing the Lebanese credentials it
claims to have. Lebanon not only needs a government, it needs a government that
will respect Lebanon’s constitution and reflect its democratic process.
As Khairallah Khairallah said in his most recent column on this site “March 14
does not need a certificate of patriotism or decency… [it] won the latest
elections [because it represented] independence, freedom and sovereignty.”Surely
those are good enough credentials to be going with for now?
Jumblatt: New cabinet should provide
guarantees to all parties
July 15, 2009 /NOW Staff
In an interview with As-Safir newspaper on Wednesday, Progressive Socialist
Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt voiced support for forming the new cabinet
according to a formula that provides guarantees to all parties. “A possible
Syrian-Saudi meeting remains the most important guarantee for the new cabinet
and will pave the way for an Arab-Iranian dialogue,” Jumblatt said. As-Safir
also reported that Jumblatt agreed to a possible meeting with Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, however, “it needs time, since some details
should be studied. Dialogue remains the proper channel to defuse the current
tension between the PSP and the FPM.”Jumblatt met with Tawhid Movement leader
Wiam Wahhab on Monday night and told the daily that the meeting was the result
of his decision to open up to all parties after the May 7 events. The PSP leader
quoted Speaker Nabih Berri as saying following the two men’s meeting on Tuesday
that he is ready to meet with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to facilitate
the formation of the new government. The daily also reported that Jumblatt is
currently working on bringing Hariri and Berri closer to ensure successful
government consultations, adding that the PM-designate is expected to visit
Berri soon to make serious joint efforts on the cabinet formation. Al-Akhbar
newspaper quoted Jumblatt as saying that the government cannot be formed
internally, rather “it is strongly linked to Syrian-Saudi negotiations.”
Jumblatt told the paper said he was pleased with Prime Minister-designate Saad
Hariri’s decision to visit Damascus after the cabinet formation, adding that
such a trip depends on Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz’s visit to Syria.
Jumblatt also voiced hope that the government would be formed soon, since any
delay would negatively affect Lebanon. Such concerns, al-Akhbar reported, are
exacerbated by the possibility of an Iranian-Israeli military conflict occurring
soon.
“An Israeli attack on Iran would render Lebanon one of the major victims,
especially if our internal situation at the time is fragile,” he told the paper.
Jumblatt also said he was worried about possible Shia-Sunni strife in Lebanon
especially considering sectarian mobilization, which started in 2005 following
the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. “The Special Tribunal for
Lebanon’s (STL) indictment can spark Shia-Sunni strife,” he said, adding that
“because of the numerous assassinations [of its members], the March 14 alliance
strongly called for the establishment of the STL, however, the majority was
unaware taking such a step would bring about sectarian strife.”
Gemayel: Opposition imposing 'radical changes' on regime
Jumblatt praises Berri's 'cooperative' stance on cabinet
Daily Star staff/Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Phalange Party head Amin Gemayel accused the opposition on Tuesday of
plotting to push "radical changes" to Lebanon's political regime. After talks
with visiting Colombian Vice President Francesco Santos Gemayel lashed out at
the opposition accusing it of attempting to divide Lebanon into sectarian
cantons, following his meeting.
"Demands for a blocking-third or proportional representation in the next Cabinet
go against Lebanese democracy and push for sectarian federalism in Lebanon," he
said
Gemayel had told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyassah in comments published on
Tuesday that the opposition's insistence on being granted the obstructing-third
vote in the new cabinet was "suspicious."He added that he suspected that the
veto power would be used in all decisions related to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri.
Meanwhile, meetings on Tuesday between figures from the parliamentary majority
and the opposition revived hopes for swift formation of the cabinet.
Following talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP)
leader MP Walid Jumblatt said the formation of Lebanon's government "heralded
Arab solidarity and reconciliation, namely Saudi-Syrian reconciliation."
He added that Arab rapprochement had "positive repercussions" on the situation
in Lebanon.
Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi accompanied Jumblatt to
Berri's residence in Ain al-Tineh.
"We have to keep in mind that the Syrian army has left Lebanon and that there is
a strategic formula that was put in place called the Taif Accord and the truce
with Israel," he said.
Jumblatt said Berri very "positive and cooperative" concerning the government
formation process "aside from specific details that should be discussed between
Parliament speaker and the prime minister-designate."
When asked by reporters whether he was welcome in Damascus, Jumblatt said: "I
will handle the matter my way."
"I will make up my mind following [Prime Minister-designate Saad] Hariri's visit
and following a reconciliation under the framework of the Taif Accord," Jumblatt
said.
Jumblatt had met his rival pro-Syrian former minister Wiam Wahhab for the first
time in almost four years. Media reports on Tuesday said the meeting, which took
place at Jumblatt's residence in the Beirut district of Clemenceau was held at 7
p.m. on Monday.
A PSP statement on Tuesday said the meeting was part of Jumblatt's attempts to
hold dialogue with various groups.
The statement added that the meeting of the two Druze figures was aimed at
"turning the page on the past."
Also on Tuesday, Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil met with
Premier-designate Hariri on Tuesday to discuss the cabinet formation.
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun's envoy described the
meeting as a "positive one."
He stressed that proportional representation within the next government, "does
not run contrary to the Constitution, but rather prevents monopoly over
decision-making in the cabinet."
Aoun demanded that each group be proportionally represented in the next Cabinet
according to its size in Parliament.
Bassil said that the cabinet formation consultations were "on the right track."
He added that he provided Hariri with a "detailed explanation" on the concept of
proportional representation the FPM was seeking.
Meanwhile, political adviser of Hizbullah's secretary general Hussein Khalil and
the party's politburo member Wafiq Safa held talks on Tuesday with FPM leader
Aoun in Rabieh
Following the meeting, Khalil said that the opposition has only two options to
choose from, either to have "real and effective participation" in the government
or to refrain from joining it altogether if the proposed cabinet formula does
not grant the opposition coalition "a significant number of seats in the new
cabinet."
"Those two options determine the path of our deliberations with Prime
Minister-designate Hariri." Khalil also thanked all regional states willing to
facilitate the cabinet formation, but stressed that the biggest effort must be
made by the Lebanese.
In other news, President Michel Sleiman, accompanied by First Lady Wafaa Sleiman,
arrived Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday to lead a Lebanese delegation, including
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, which
begins on Wednesday and lasts for two days.
Salloukh, in turn, participated for the second day in the preparatory meetings
in NAM's conference for Foreign Ministers, in which the summit's agenda was
drafted.
The agenda included many clauses related to Lebanon, "which condemn, and support
confronting, Israeli violations and threats against Lebanon," according to
astatement held by the state-run National News Agency.
Salloukh also held meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki,
and head of the Syrian delegation Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad, to discuss
recent developments on the regional scene. - The Daily Star
Court fines magazine for slandering Bassil
Daily Star staff/Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon's Court of Publications found Al-Shiraa magazine guilty of
slander, defamation, and libel, following a lawsuit filed by Telecommunications
Minister Gebran Bassil. Al-Shiraa magazine falsely reported, according to the
court ruling, that Bassil bought land, property and firms during the 2009
parliamentary elections period. The court ruling found Al-Shiraa magazine owner
Hassan Sabra and managing editor Ghazi Maqhour guilty, and ordered them to pay
LL 50 million in fines and compensation. - The Daily Star
Iran, Lebanon, UN to probe case of missing diplomats
Daily Star staff/Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Iran, Lebanon, and the United Nations will soon begin joint efforts to
determine the fate of four Iranian nationals who have been held by Israel for 27
years, the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon announced in a statement on Monday. Four
Iranian nationals, charge d'affaires Mohsen Mousavi, military attache of the
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ahmad Motevasellian, Taqi Rastegar
Moqaddam, a diplomat from the embassy, and Kazem Akhavan, a reporter and
photographer from the Islamic Republic News Agency, were allegedly captured by
the Lebanese Forces while traveling to southern Lebanon in 1982, then handed
over to the Zionist regime and transferred to a prison in occupied Palestine.
The statement also criticized the "defendants of human rights and the
international community for totally ignoring the issue," Hizbullah's Al-Manar
television reported on Tuesday. The Iranian Embassy statement thanked Hizbullah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for his efforts to obtain the release of the
abducted men. At a ceremony held in Tehran on July 3 to mark the 27th
anniversary of the kidnapping, Iranian National Prosecutor General Qorban-Ali
Dorri Najafabadi called on UN chief Ban Ki-moon to take measures to determine
the fate of the four Iranian nationals, The Tehran Times reported on Tuesday. -
The Daily Star
Israeli spy rings threaten fragile peace between Lebanon, Israel
Advanced surveillance equipment helped break up networks
By Inter Press Service /Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Mel Frykberg
Inter Press Service
BEIRUT: The UN Security Council has warned that the existence of a large
Israeli-run espionage network in Lebanon could threaten a fragile peace
established between the two countries following the end of the 2006
Israel-Lebanon war. Lebanon's citizens and its security establishment have been
rocked by the arrest of over 30 Lebanese military and police officials, some of
them top-ranking officers, who are allegedly part of an Israeli spy ring which
has been operating in the country since the early 1990s.
At least 20 people have so far been charged, some in absentia, while another ten
are under investigation.
Despite the ceasefire between Lebanon and its southern neighbor, the former
considers itself still technically at war with Israel. Treason in Lebanon is
punishable by death.
A growing list of double agents has been exposed over the last few years as part
of a continuing operation, code-named "Surprise at Dawn," which began in June
2006 before the outbreak of the war.
On Wednesday last week the UN Security Council released a report after convening
behind closed doors to discuss the precarious truce, which was established after
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was passed in August 2006. UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon asserted in the report that peace between Israel and Lebanon
was threatened not only by the Israeli spy cells but also by Hizbullah operating
outside of state control.
Since the August 2006 resolution, tensions along the volatile Blue Line, which
separates Lebanese forces in southern Lebanon from Israeli soldiers in northern
Israel, have been stoked by a series of assassinations, bombings, Israeli
flights over Lebanese territory, and allegations of Hizbullah weapons smuggling.
Ban further called for Lebanon to secure its border with Syria to prevent arms
smuggling between the two countries, and for Israel to withdraw its forces from
areas north of the Blue Line.
The UN secretary general acknowledged, however, that Israel had eventually
complied with repeated requests to hand over data on cluster bombs which the
Israeli military planted in southern Lebanon during the 2006 war. "Almost three
years after Resolution 1701 was adopted, it remains the best available blueprint
for the parties to move from the current state of cessation of hostilities
towards a permanent cease-fire and a long-term solution," Ban wrote.
The same day the UN's special coordinator for the secretary general for Lebanon,
Michael Williams, added that progress between the two new governments in Israel
and Lebanon was still possible, but warned that Israeli over-flights were
problematic.
Israel's deputy permanent representative to the UN, Danny Carmon, said that full
implementation of Resolution 1701 remained problematic as Hizbullah has refused
to disarm, and continues to exercise a presence in the south, contrary to the
resolution. Israel has also accused the Lebanese resistance group of smuggling
in weapons from Syria through its porous border with Lebanon. The UN has
acknowledged that weapons smuggling is still a problem.
However, the continued presence of Israel's spy network remains the major point
of friction and a possible destabilizing factor for both a permanent peace
between Lebanon and Israel as well as Lebanon's fragile government. "If these
[spy] allegations are confirmed in court, this would constitute a very serious
violation of Lebanese sovereignty and undermine security," said Williams.
"Operation Surprise at Dawn" was launched following the assassination of the
Islamic Jihad secretary general in Lebanon Mahmoud al-Majzoub and his brother
Nidal in a car bombing.
Ali Jarrah, a member of the Palestinian Fatah al-Intifada movement, a group
patronized by Syria which split form the mainstream Fatah movement during the
1980s, was one of the first operatives to be captured for spying for Israel.
Following a surveillance operation Jarrah was arrested by Hizbullah before he
was handed over to the Lebanese authorities. Jarrah is reported to have worked
for Israel's Mossad intelligence movement since the 1980s.
As the network unravels further, two Lebanese colonels are among those who are
reported to have been arrested. Another high-ranking Lebanese military official
has allegedly fled to Israel, according to his family. Israel has refused to
comment on the spy allegations. But it has been reported in the Israeli media
that without the intelligence provided by the Lebanese network, the Israeli Air
Force would not have been able to knock out Hizbullah's medium-range missile
launchers with such a high degree of accuracy during the 2006 war.
Many of Hizbullah's men were also assassinated on the basis of information
provided by the spies.
The campaign of assassinations culminated in the killing, supposedly by Mossad
agents, of top Hizbullah military commander Imad Mughniyeh who was killed in a
car bombing in Damascus last year. The operatives were allegedly given orders to
spy on a number of Palestinian resistance organizations as well as Hizbullah.
The success of Lebanese intelligence officials in uncovering the network is
attributed in part to advanced surveillance equipment provided by the US, which
supports the governing March 14 coalition. Since the 2006 war the US has
provided Lebanon with about $1 billion in training and technology assistance,
including $410 million to strengthen its police and intelligence services. In a
further twist, General Jose Maria Prieto Martinez, the head of Spain's United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) contingent, stated that his UN
peacekeepers also helped uncover the spy network, a claim quickly denied by
Spain's Defense Ministry. Lebanese lieutenant Daher Jarjoui, who has reportedly
fled to Israel following Lebanese intelligence closing in on him, was the
Lebanese Armed Forces' liaison officer with the Spanish UNIFIL contingent.
Khazen says Aoun-Joumblatt
meeting to deliver positive consequences
iloubnan.info - July 15, 2009,
BEIRUT – Change and Reform bloc MP Farid Khazen stated on Wednesday that a
meeting between his bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and Democratic Gathering bloc
leader MP Walid Joumblatt was possible and would have positive consequences on
national reconciliation. He told Voice of Lebanon radio station that Cabinet
formation process was taking place in normal deadlines. He added that a
Lebanese-Lebanese consensus was the nearest path towards achieving the process.
However, he said he was surprised of the ongoing debate regarding the
ministerial proportionality issue.
Many Lebanese doubt Hariri can form unity government
Citizens fear premier-designate won’t be able to bridge divide
By Ali Beydoun and Thierry Nammour
Special to The Daily Star
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BEIRUT: As Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was holding closed-door meetings
on the formation of a new cabinet on Tuesday, The Daily Star went to the Beirut
corniche, to get a citizens’ perspective on the issue. As is the case with most
issues in Lebanese politics, the people were divided. Some Beirutis were
hopeful, while most were pessimistic.
Even those who have a strong affinity for Harri worry that he will not be able
to bridge the many gaps between the opposing parties.
“Mr. Saad Hariri is working for all the Lebanese but if he wants to achieve his
goals he has to be able to humor everyone,” said Hassan Omairat, 45.
Riyadh Deek, 27 added “he’s a good leader as he was both a member of Parliament
for several years and has Rafik Hariri as a father and role model.”
However, Roumia, 59, who asked that her last name not be used, responded that
“he’s not like his father. His father new how to deal with people better. I feel
like Saad Hariri is not relaxed in his work.”
While Hariri’s dialogue skills worry people, another issue is the perceived
threat of foreign interference in the cabinet formation.
Sarkis Ardroumian, 22, believes that regional powers have a say in Lebanese
politics, and that the formation of a new cabinet will be completed “after
Hariri visits Syria,” adding that Hariri is “obligated to go there [Syria] to
complete this cabinet.”
On this same topic, Omairat also added quite enthusiastically that “there will
always be resistance against him [Hariri] from Iran, Syria, Israel, Hizbullah
and all the political parties.”
On the corniche on Tuesday, there was a general feeling of mistrust of
politicians and their dedication to serving the Lebanese people beyond their
personal agendas.
“They only talk and talk and talk, and they didn’t do anything,” said Adnan
Omran, 18, “Since they work for their pockets, a cabinet will be very hard to
form.”
“They’re all liars,” laughed Mohamed Shahrour, 77. “They’re all just looking for
their minister chair. They think about themselves, not the people.”
“Whether the opposition was a threat or not they would never be able to form a
cabinet,” Shahrour added.
Many people said that it is not Hariri as a person that they have issues with,
but rather with the obstacles posed by domestic division, because political
parties having close ties to various foreign powers.
Hussein Kassi, 47, is convinced that the formation of the cabinet is not a
strictly Lebanese affair, but due to the political parties’ relations with
foreign entities, “the decision to form the new cabinet is not coming from
Lebanon, but from foreign powers.”
It comes as no surprise that Lebanese people would be so pessimistic toward
their government’s competence given recent problems in the country.
A political stalemate between the ruling March 14 coalition and the opposition
left the government crippled for over a year-and-a half. The crisis, which began
with the resignation of opposition ministers from the Cabinet in November 2006,
escalated into street battles between opposition and pro-government gunmen in
Beirut and the Chouf mountains in May 2008.
Those interviewed on the corniche seem to have given up on the ability of
politicians to agree in the government and have become accustomed to stalemate
among politicians rather than specific results.
At least one young man however, voiced complete confidence in the government.
“The cabinet will be formed by the end of the summer, of course,” said Salim
Khalil, 17. “After the summer 2006 war [with Israel], people don’t want conflict
anymore so no one will go against Hariri, they will want to form a government,”
he explained when asked to elaborate.
But Khalil’s sentiment of high hopes was rare on the corniche. The majority of
those interviewed expressed the opposite, though even the most negative comments
made were given with a laugh or a smile.
And even those who were skeptical voiced hope that Hariri would succeed in his
task.
“I hope, like all Lebanese, that Hariri will be able to bridge the differences
between the various political parties and set up the new cabinet swiftly,” said
Deek.
Catholic Center condemns Baghdad church attacks
By Carol Rizk
Special to The Daily Star
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Catholic Media Center sounded the alarm on Tuesday saying
Iraq’s Christians were facing increasing injustice and were being pushed to flea
their home country.
The center issued a statement “strongly” condemning acts of violence against
Iraqi Christians, especially the latest attack over the weekend on six churches
in Baghdad.
The statement described the ongoing brutal acts as “crimes against humanity”
saying that the battered country’s Christians “are Iraqi citizens who fulfill
all their national duties but their rights are still being violated.
“Iraqi Christians have no protection and no guarantee of living a decent and
peaceful life,” it added.
Sectarian wars have been ripping Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003, forcing
more than 2 million Iraqis to flee their homeland, mostly to Lebanon, Syria and
Jordan.
However clashes, according to the Catholic Center, have affected the country’s
Christian minorities who are now afraid to hold religious services “or practice
their faith for fear of being threatened, kidnapped or killed.”
According to the Catholic Media Center’s statement, these attacks targeted all
the Christians of the Middle East.
Christians are not immigrants or foreigners in the Arab world, they are
natives,” it said.
The statement stressed that the Christian community have shaped Iraq’s culture
“since the time of the apostles going to the Arab golden age and the Arab
renaissance,” adding that Christians have “greatly contributed to the fields of
arts, commerce, medicine, human rights and freedom of expression.”
More than one million Christians live in Iraq, predominantly in the north and
most of them belonging to the Chaldean or the Assyrian ethnicity.
The Chaldean community has lived in Iraq since the time of Christ. Settling
mostly in the northern districts, particularly around Mosul, their population is
estimated to number around 1,300,000, but almost half of the minority Christian
community has already fled Iraq in several waves over the last 50 years, leaving
whole villages almost deserted. The exodus reached its peak in 2007.
The latter are the original inhabitants of the land and are considered to be the
first Christian nation in history. However, it has dramatically changed over the
years and many Christians fear that their current situation has become worse
since the removal of Saddam Hussein with more Islamic extremists threatening
their existence.
The Catholic Media Center urged Christians to hang on to their faith, to
forgiveness and compassion and not to fear martyrdom. Christians will continue
to be contributing members of the Iraqi society and they will keep on promoting
peace, justice and stability and we hope that their fellow citizens will realize
that,” the statement added.
While the top UN envoy to Iraq, Ad Melkert, called on Monday for more efforts to
protect Christians and minorities, the Catholic Media Center’s statement urged
the Arab league and the United Nations through its Security Council to take “all
necessary measures to protect the people of Iraq and to compensate their
losses.”
Hundred of thousand of Chaldean Christians have fled Iraq because of violent
threats against their community, and many of those refugees have arrived in
Lebanon during the last few years, searching for a better life or resettlement
in other countries.
The Chaldean Church in Beirut coordinates the work of various non-governmental
organizations that are trying to help the displaced Chaldean community in
Lebanon.
Most refugees arrive in Lebanon with only a few belongings packed in a suitcase,
leaving almost everything else behind. The Lebanese government offers them a
one-month visa, but most of them overstay the duration and their status becomes
illegal, meaning that they face the threat of detention.
Lebanon needs a cabinet whose members agree on key policy
issues
By The Daily Star
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Listen to the Article - Powered by
Editorial
Mid-way through the third week of negotiations over the formation of a Cabinet
in Lebanon, the question that permeates the local political scene is one of the
dividing-line, or dividing-lines, in this new creature. How many for each side?
Who gets what? It’s easy to expect that this time around, we’ll see the same
old, cobbled-together Frankenstein monster. But as this newspaper has stated
before, this time around, the same old clichés and ways of doing business are
simply untenable.
Last time around, President Michel Sleiman could deal with the Cabinet as the
child of the Doha Accord. But not this time – it will be the first,
fully-fledged government of his tenure.
Last time around, the March 14 coalition had Fouad Siniora out in front. But not
this time, as Saad Hariri is fully in control.
Last time around, the election law was suspect – a modified version of an
arrangement orchestrated by the Syrians in 2000. But not this time, after
Lebanon endorsed its own districting scheme, whatever our feelings about going
back to 1960 for inspiration. This cabinet will be different, and faces
different political and economic conditions than its predecessor did. The new
government’s task is, simply put, to build the Lebanese state, whether this
involves the day-to-day functioning of the system, or mapping out visions for
the future and policies to get us there.
A new cabinet will sink fast if it lacks unanimity over the core issues – forget
about the seat-by-seat allotment of “shares,” or the ominous veto power.
We need unanimity over a new electoral law. We need unanimity over a diplomatic
initiative that can defend the country against military adventurism.
We need the general contours of a national defense policy, whether we’re talking
about Hizbullah, or the country’s police and intelligence organizations.
We need an economic directive that actively energizes our potentially huge
resources, in the form of both Lebanon and its diaspora, and not passively
manages a budget crisis and indebtedness.Even with sound planning and
implementation, it could take more than a year before we even begin to feel the
impact of a successful course, so daunting are the challenges we face today.
Bring everyone into the cabinet, by all means. But if they’re not agreed on
these points – leaving aside the “sexier” issues of Hizbullah’s weapons, or the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon – then the whole effort will fail.
If you’re a political party, movement, or za’im, you have a right to demand your
share in the new government. But if you’re accepted for membership, and
unprepared to get behind a united policy on these less sexier, but equally as
important policy areas, then you have no right to represent the people in this
political system.