LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 17/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 11:28-30. Come to me, all you who labor and are
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden light."
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
China stalls on the AfPak road.
By Walid Phares 16/07/09
Jumblatt, or the burden of reinvention-By
Michael Young 16/07/09
ISNA Evades Responsibility for
Anti-Semitic and Pro-Hezbollah Speakers. By: Steve Emerson 16/07/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July
16/09
Feltman: U.S. Ties with Syria
Promising...but Face Problems, Particularly over Hizbullah-Naharnet
Jumblat:
Lebanon's Political, Geographical Fate in Hands of Syria-Naharnet
Sultanov in Beirut to Discuss Mideast Peace with Lebanese Officials-Naharnet
Paris:
Opposition's Demand for Partnership Contravenes Poll Results-Naharnet
Atallah: There is a plan to split
up March 14-Now Lebanon
Ongoing meetings on cabinet
formation, Jumblatt sparks controversy-Now
Lebanon
Little Breakthrough in
Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Jumblat Clarifies Stance
on 'Solid' Gathering with Hariri, Berri, Hizbullah-Naharnet
Mizher Demands Life in
Prison for Car Dealer who Spied on Hizbullah-Naharnet
Suleiman in Sharm
el-Sheikh: Lebanon Has the Right to Defend Itself against Israel-Naharnet
UNIFIL: South Lebanon
Explosions 'Serious Violation' of Resolution 1701-Naharnet
Berri: Nothing Prevents
Cabinet Formation before Month's End-Naharnet
March 14 Reiterates
Backing for Coalition Government-Naharnet
Riot in Abidjan after
Armed Clash Between Lebanese and Locals-Naharnet
South Korea Extends
Mandate of its Peacekeepers in Lebanon-Naharnet
Aridi Slams Illegal Land
Reclamation Along Lebanese Coast-Naharnet
UN: Weapons at Hezbollah Stronghold in Lebanon Violate UN Resolution-Voice
of America
IDF: S. Lebanon would get heavier
pounding in new war-Ha'aretz
Israeli warships in Suez are latest signal to
Iran-Xinhua
Israel blames Lebanon blast on Hezbollah-CNN
International
Lebanese indicted for spying on Hezbollah-Boston
Herald
Israel tests anti-rocket system-AFP
Blasts
in south Lebanon constitute 'serious breach of UN Security Council resolution-Daily
Star
Sleiman
stresses Lebanon's right to defend itself-Daily
Star
Berri,
Future Movement optimistic on cabinet-Daily
Star
Chamoun
rules out veto-Daily
Star
Aoun
meets with Mansour-Daily
Star
Clash
files with Maamari-Daily
Star
As-Safir
fined for early release of election figures-Daily
Star
Lebanese
scuffles with locals in Ivory Coast-By
Agence France Presse (AFP)
French
ambassador hopes for 'swift' cabinet formation-Daily
Star
Magistrate wants life sentence for Lebanese spying for Israel-Daily
Star
Illegal
land reclamation along Lebanon’s coast still taking place – Aridi-Daily
Star
Forest
fires break out in northern Koura region due to strong winds-Daily
Star
Sidon’s
young shoeshiners play daily cat-and-mouse game with city’s police-Daily
Star
Randa
Berri opens ‘Jawaher’ jewelry exhibition-Daily
Star
Baddawi
camp inaugurates new hospital-Daily
Star
Lebanon
adds cosmetic surgery to country’s tourism draws-By
Agence France Presse (AFP)
Women
still facing unequal rights in Levant-Daily
Star
Consumers are entitled to protection by global standards on goods-Daily
Star
Blasts in south Lebanon constitute 'serious breach of UN Security Council
resolution'
By Nicholas Kimbrell
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 16, 2009
BEIRUT: A series of blasts in a building outside of the southern town of Tibnin
on Tuesday was likely triggered by a deposit of explosives and constitutes a
serious breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, UN peacekeepers said
Wednesday. The UN did not name any party in relation to the incident, but press
reports have linked Hizbullah to the blasts and suspected weapons cache. Among
other conditions, UN Resolution 1701, which ended the hostilities of the 2006
summer war with Israel, calls on Hizbullah to disarm and Israel to respect
Lebanon's sovereignty.
The explosions in Khirbat Silim, a village northeast of Tibnin and about 20
kilometers north of the tense Lebanon-Israel border, alarmed local citizens and
triggered an immediate response from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"Based on the information currently available, UNIFIL considers this incident a
serious violation of Security Council Resolution 1701, notably the provision
that there should be no presence of unauthorized assets or weapons in the area
of operation between the Litani River and the Blue Line," UNIFIL spokesperson
Yasmina Bouziane said in a press statement issued Wednesday night.
The statement noted that UNIFIL's Force Commander Claudio Graziano had met with
Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and LAF Commander Jean Kahwaji to
brief them on the situation, adding that a "deposit of ammunition" had been
discovered.
According to UNIFIL, the blast area has been cordoned off by the LAF and UNIFIL
who are jointly investigating the incident.
Andrea Tenenti, deputy spokesperson for UNIFIL, told The Daily Star that the
presence of ammunition in the building had likely triggered the blast. "From the
preliminary information we have - the sequence of explosions is likely to have
been triggered by the presence of explosives in the building," he said.
Tuesday's explosions fell on the third anniversary of the July War, a 34-day
conflict that left over a thousand Lebanese, mostly civilians, dead, hundreds of
thousands displaced and costs billions of dollars in damage. A security source
told The Daily Star Wednesday that the LAF and UNIFIL had completely closed the
area and that members of UNIFIL's Italian continent had taken aerial photos. The
source also corroborated press reports that the site of the explosion had been
an "arms assembly plant" and said that as many as 30 people may have been
wounded in the blasts. Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper reported Wednesday morning
that the explosions had taken place in a Hizbullah weapons factory, resulting in
fatalities, and that Hizbullah had attended to the scene before the LAF and
peacekeepers arrived. Hizbullah had no comment on the incident, but leader
HassanNasrallah is expected to deliver an address Thursday. Speaking with The
Daily Star, the movement had previously blamed the explosions on unexploded
cluster bombs dropped by Israel in 2006. For its part, Israel has blamed the
blasts on Hizbullah and endeavored to use the incident as an example of the
group's effort to rearm since 2006. - Additional reporting by Mohammed Zaatari
IDF: Hizbullah hiding rockets in homes
By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
A day after an explosion uncovered a hidden Hizbullah arms cache in southern
Lebanon, the IDF's Northern Command estimated that the group had turned hundreds
of homes in the area into warehouses to store short- and medium-range Katyusha
rockets.
UNIFIL said that storing the ammunition was a "serious violation" of the
UN-brokered ceasefire that ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
The peace keeping force said that it considered the incident a "serious
violation" of the UN resolution that ended the conflict, which specifies that
there should be no presence of unauthorized assets or weapons in the area of
operations. Israeli defense officials had also accused Lebanon of violating
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
"This is a major violation of resolution 1701," one Israeli official said. "The
weaponry was stored inside a village and is proof of our longstanding claim that
Hizbullah uses civilian infrastructure to hide its weaponry." Contrary to
Lebanese media reports which claimed that the cache was hidden in the village
before the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Israeli defense officials said that the
weaponry was recently placed inside the storehouse.
According to the officials, the cache was hidden in a storehouse inside the
village and contained dozens of 122mm Katyusha rockets as well as high-powered
machine guns. Some of the rockets reportedly flew into the sky. The blast took
place at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, and for the first few hours, Hizbullah sealed off
the area and refused to grant UNIFIL or the Lebanese army access. IDF sources
said that the clearing of the home and the unexploded ordinance had taken over
24 hours.
The sources said the IDF had been aware prior to the explosion that the home was
being used as a storehouse for weapons. Several months before the explosion, an
IDF aircraft captured footage of several senior Hizbullah operatives entering an
underground tunnel near the house and reappearing from an exit 700 m. away.
"This house was connected to an entire underground network that was built right
under the noses of UNIFIL and the Lebanese army," one IDF officer said. "This is
a major violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701." The
Katyusha rockets that went off in Hirbet Selm were being stored in a two-story
home. It was unclear on which floor they were being stored, but the home was
shown on Lebanese television in close proximity to other village buildings.
In addition to the 122-mm. rockets, IDF ballistic experts said it was likely
that the home also contained mortar shells and additional types of ammunition.
Sleiman stresses Lebanon's
right to defend itself
By Nafez Qawas
Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, July 16, 2009
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman stressed on Wednesday that Lebanon has the
right to defend itself against Israel's ongoing threats. Addressing the members
of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Sleiman said that
Israel's spy networks, persistent violations of Lebanese airspace and the
continued occupation of the Shebaa Farms were obvious violations of UN Security
Council Resolution 1701, which ended Lebanon's summer 2006 war with Israel.
He added that Israel was still refusing peace, the establishment of a
Palestinian state and the return of refugees.
"With Israel rejecting the basics of peace, there is a definite need for us to
work together on strengthening the chances of a comprehensive Middle East
solution," Sleiman said.
The president said he was keen on the "full implementation" of Resolution 1701,
adding that Lebanon "rejects the naturalization of Palestinians."
In his address, Sleiman detailed Lebanon's main achievements in the recent
years.
"The [June] parliamentary elections were a success and were praised by the
international community, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon," he said.
Sleiman said that one of Lebanon's "biggest achievements" was stopping the
Israeli assault in July-August 2006, "through the unity of the country's army
and the resistance."
Sleiman touched upon the global economic crisis and suggested ways to approach
the issue. He said that, in spite of core changes in the world, there were many
problems which continue to "prevent nations and people to lead a tranquil life."
The president further said that the world economy could be salvaged through a
"unified strategy," one mainly based on promoting sustainable economic
development."
He also stressed the importance of investments, saying that "the more they are
encouraged, the more employment opportunities will be made available for the
youth."
"Encouraging investment in our countries, reinforcing the private sector,
increasing the role of women, and moving from a non-productive economy to a
developmental one, are not possible without internal stability. Stability is not
possible without respecting the people's economic, political and social rights,"
he added.
Media reports said on Wednesday that that the recommendations of the NAM Summit
to be released on Thursday will voice support to Lebanon's security,
independence and sovereignty.
The recommendations will also express support to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, established to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The recommendations will also include a
message to the international community, urging them to pressure Israel to halt
settlement-building. First lady Wafaa Sleiman also tackled the global credit
crunch in an address she made during a conference for participating First Ladies
held on the sidelines on the NAM summit saying that social crises were expected
to surface as a consequence to the economic downturn. "Those social crises will
certainly reflect on women, that's why we should promote her role and strengthen
her skills," she added.
UNIFIL: South Lebanon Explosions 'Serious Violation' of Resolution 1701
Naharnet/The U.N. 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
Feltman: U.S. Ties with Syria Promising...but Face
Problems, Particularly over Hizbullah
Naharnet/U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman said relations with Syria are getting out of the "deep freeze" that has
prevailed since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in
a massive Beirut bombing. "The current relationship with Syria is promising, yet
it faces problems. It is promising on the one hand because there are a lot of
areas where the U.S. and Syria can work together in order to achieve objectives
of common interests," Feltman said in an interview with pan-Arab daily Asharq
al-Awsat, published on Thursday. "However, some of the key issues that have
contributed to the freezing of relations continue to pose problems," Feltman
explained. "We simply do not agree with Syria on the nature of Hizbullah, be it
(Hizbullah) a positive or a negative impact on the security of the region." He
said that while Syria defends Hizbullah, Washington still considers the Shiite
party a terrorist organization. "This is a very serious matter. We have
different views on this issue," Feltman added. "But I don't want to focus on the
negatives right now," he stressed. "I believe that there is a possibility of
real cooperation on issues of bilateral interest." Feltman refused to link
between the International Tribunal set to try suspects in the Hariri murder and
ties with Damascus, calling on everyone to support the work of the court. "Let
us consider the situation now: There is a Special Tribunal for Lebanon dealing
with the assassination case of Rafik Hariri. This is apart from U.S.-Syrian
bilateral relations," he clarified. "We must all work to support the STL, but
this is an issue separate from bilateral relations," Feltman stressed. Beirut,
16 Jul 09, 08:00
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
Suleiman in Sharm el-Sheikh: Lebanon Has the Right to Defend Itself against
Israel
Naharnet/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 … 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 Clarifies Stance on 'Solid' Gathering with Hariri, Berri, Hizbullah
Naharnet/MP Walid Jumblat clarified his stance on a call for the creation of a
"solid" gathering with Hizbullah, al-Mustaqbal Movement and Speaker Nabih Berri.
Jumblat said such a gathering was "most essential" for the Muslim political
arenas both in Beirut and its environs. The Druze leader asked the Christian
political arena not to "be displeased with his call and to understand that the
U.S. conservative policy and the Israeli policy aim to separate the Palestinian
track from that of the (Arab-Israeli) conflict in order to break up the Arab
world."
His remarks, which came in an interview with the Kuwaiti al-Awan newspaper, have
caused a flurry of confusion. "My comments about a solid gathering have nothing
to do with reviving the Quartet Alliance," Jumblat told As Safir in a statement
published on Thursday. He clarified that the purpose behind his call was to
"address the sectarian repercussions of the previous phase in Beirut and its
environs." Beirut, 16 Jul 09, 09:08
Jumblat: Lebanon's Political, Geographical Fate in Hands of Syria
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said Lebanon's
"political and geographical fate lies in the hands of Syria." In an interview
with Nahar Al-Shabab published Thursday, Jumblat called for opening a new page
with Syria, pointing to the possibility of making a visit to Damascus. He said
Syrian troops have evacuated Lebanon, ending nearly 30 years of military
presence. "So why do we always have to refer to the past?" he asked. The Druze
leader said he expects Prime Minister-designate to visit Damascus after
formation of a national unity government. A visit to Syria "before (Cabinet)
formation ascertains that the government can only be established in Damascus,"
he noted.
"We want normal relations with Syria. We want Hariri to visit Syria in his
capacity as prime minister," Jumblat said, adding that he would make a trip to
Damascus following Hariri's visit.
He denied what he called "rumors" about a switch in his political ideology,
saying: "The pressure of events and assassinations between 2005 and 2007,
followed by the (Opposition) sit-in and reciprocal accusations all the way
through May 7, 2008 … all this (political) tension has spilled out on the
streets."Jumblat warned anew against Shiite-Sunni discord "because I see the
U.S. scheme, which Obama inherited from (Bush), in Iraq, Afghanistan and perhaps
in Pakistan." "It is important that we avoid this in Lebanon," he insisted.
Asked whether he still has confidence in the U.S. administration, Jumblat
replied: "When Hariri was assassinated, the Cedar Revolution was launched, Bush
at that time failed miserably, especially in Iraq and Palestine. "He (Bush) saw
in the Cedar Revolution an outlet and we saw support from him for the
one-Lebanon principle, the (Hariri) tribunal. But that was not due his success.
We had imposed ourselves on him. We will wait to see what the new (U.S.)
administration will produce," Jumblat concluded. Beirut, 16 Jul 09, 12:15
Ongoing meetings on cabinet
formation, Jumblatt sparks controversy
July 16, 2009 /-NOW Staff
PSP leader Walid Jumblatt sparked controversy in the country on Wednesday by
calling for a gathering, which would include the PSP, Future Movement, Hezbollah
and Amal Movement. (NOW Lebanon) Almost three weeks in to his battle to
pull together a cabinet – with opposing demands from the opposition and
majority, rumors of foreign interference and a ticking clock to contend with –
things seem to be turning in Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s favor.
While Hariri has been holding consultations this week on the cabinet formation
with opposition and majority representatives, Speaker Nabih Berri resumed his
weekly meetings with MPs at Nejmeh Square on Wednesday, during which he said
that the “nothing will obstruct the formation of the new cabinet.”
Berri also held an hour-long closed meeting with the PM-designate, following
which the parliament speaker said that the new government will be formed within
the allotted time, which should be “before the end of July.”
Parliamentary sources who were present at the Hariri-Berri meeting on Wednesday
told An-Nahar daily that a “breakthrough has been achieved,” adding, “It is a
serious, albeit modest one.”A possible agreement that might lead to the
cabinet’s formation is, according to Al-Akhbar, one in which opposition “secures
the vote of 11 ministers.”
President Michel Sleiman, in turn, reportedly informed several parties in
Lebanon and abroad that he will have no fewer than six ministers and that he is
attached to the Defense, Interior and perhaps even Foreign Affairs portfolios.
Despite the reported optimism of some parties and talk of a formula being
reached, sources told As-Safir yesterday that the government will not be formed
any time soon and that the parties involved in the domestic negotiations “are
still attached to their positions, which they have made public and which vary
greatly from one another.”
The paper also reported that behind-the-scenes contacts are ongoing in order to
stage a meeting between Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt. Sources in the FPM told
As-Safir, however, that Aoun does not want the meeting with Jumblatt to be “food
for spectacle” or for “taking a souvenir picture only,” rather, he seeks to make
the sit-down productive. Meanwhile, Jumblatt sparked controversy by calling, in
an interview with Kuwaiti daily Al-Awan on Wednesday, for “establishing a strong
gathering,” which would include his party, the Future Movement, Hezbollah and
the Amal Movement, “because the Muslim element in Beirut and the suburbs is the
most essential one.”
A PSP source on Thursday tried to clarify Jumblatt’s statements by saying that
the PSP leader was simply “calling for a clear, comprehensive and honest debate
on the Muslim level,” reported An-Nahar. In an ongoing effort to establish
reconciliation between Hezbollah and the PSP, officials from both parties along
with Democratic Gathering bloc MP Akram Chehayyeb and Hezbollah Chief Liaison
and Coordination Office Wafiq Safa held a meeting on Wednesday.
Sultanov in Beirut to Discuss Mideast Peace with Lebanese Officials
Naharnet/Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov arrived in Beirut at
dawn Thursday for a two-day visit during which he will discuss the Middle East
peace process with Lebanese officials. Al-Mustaqbal newspaper said Sultanov's
visit is not liked to the formation of the Lebanese cabinet. However, he will
stress during his talks with Lebanese officials on government formation as part
of national dialogue and away from regional interference. The state-run National
News Agency said Sultanov will meet with a number of officials in Beirut and
will discuss with them Russia's role in supporting Lebanon. Lebanon is the first
stop in the Russian official's tour to the region, which includes Syria, Jordan,
the Palestinian territories and Israel. Al-Mustaqbal said that Moscow has sent
Sultanov to the region because he is the Russian envoy for the Middle East
Quartet -- comprising the EU, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.
The newspaper added that the envoy's mission is to encourage parties concerned
with resuming peace talks. Consequently, he will listen to the lebanese leaders'
viewpoints on efforts to achieve peace in the region. Beirut, 16 Jul 09, 11:09
Paris: Opposition's Demand for Partnership Contravenes Poll
Results
Naharnet/French diplomatic sources told An Nahar daily that the opposition's
demands and conditions for cabinet formation contravene the results of the June
7 parliamentary elections that the March 8 alliance accepted.
The newspaper on Thursday also quoted the sources as saying that the opposition
did not object to and at the same time did not accept the results of the
elections. But the partnership that the March 8 forces are calling for,
disregards the results of the polls. They said regional powers that back the
opposition continue to impose on Premier-designate Saad Hariri conditions that
obstruct the quick formation of a national unity cabinet. The sources told An
Nahar that Syria should change its stances and make efforts to help achieve
solutions to the three major problems in the Middle East: Iraq,
Israeli-Palestinian peace and the Lebanese issue. On Lebanon, Damascus should
not meddle in Lebanese affairs negatively. According to the sources, it should
urge all parties to cooperate and engage in dialogue in order to reach national
reconciliation and pave way for a second Doha accord to form a government.
Meanwhile, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted a Syrian official as telling a
French side that the Lebanese are demanding non-interference, but at the same
time "they ask us to put pressure on this or that, which means they allow us to
meddle." Well-informed French sources said that Syria is avoiding direct
interference in Lebanese cabinet formation and is not backing the veto power
that the opposition is calling for.The sources added that Damascus has engaged
in dialogue with Riyadh to achieve a stable political situation in Lebanon.
However, despite such Syrian stances, "points of contention" between Beirut and
Syria, such as border demarcation and arms smuggling, remain. Beirut, 16 Jul 09,
10:01
Magistrate wants life sentence for Lebanese spying for Israel
Highest profile target was Hizbullah leader Nasrallah
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 16, 2009
BEIRUT: A military prosecutor charged and formally indicted a Lebanese man on
Wednesday for spying for Israel. Military investigative magistrate Rashid Mezher
called for Marwan Faqih to serve a life sentence with forced labor after
claiming he provided Israel with secret information on Lebanese officials and
high-ranking members of Hizbullah.
He was also indicted for visiting Israel. His most high-profile target was
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the military court heard.
Media reports on Wednesday claimed that three individuals were sentenced in
absentia to 15 years hard labor. Judiciary sources were unable to corroborate
these reports.
Before his arrest, Faqih, 37, is alleged to have posed as a car-mechanic,
operating from a gas station he ran on the road between Zebdine and Nabatieh.
The court heard that Faqih had inherited the espionage activities of his father
following his death.
Faqih was indicted of plotting a series of assassinations, including the planned
killing of a high-ranking Hizbullah official, using explosives. Faqih denied
that he had sought to kill anyone during his operations. Nasrallah has
previously called for individuals found guilty of spying on Israel to receive
the toughest possible sentence. Addressing supporters at a rally earlier this
year, Nasrallah said: "In the name of the families of martyrs, of the wounded
and of those who lost their homes, I demand that the death penalty is handed
down to the agents who provided information that lead to all these
repercussions." Lebanon is still in a state of war with Israel and convicted
spies face a sentence of life imprisonment if it is proven the information they
leaked contributed to the loss of Lebanese lives.
Faqih is alleged to have traveled in 2005 to Belgium and then on to Israel where
he met with Israeli Mossad officers who praised the work of his father against
what they termed "the state of terrorist Hizbullah." Faqih pledged to pursue the
mission started by his father and was tasked with gathering information on
Hizbullah officers and their whereabouts, the court heard.
Between 2007 and 2009 Faqih is said to have visited Israel, landing in Tel-Aviv
airport, before meeting again with intelligence officers who interrogated him on
the location of Nasrallah, as well as the whereabouts of the two Israeli
soldiers captured by Hizbullah at the time. The Israeli soldiers' remains were
handed back to Jerusalem in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners - including
Samir Kontar, detained for nearly 30 years - and the bodies of 200 Lebanese and
Palestinian prisoners in July last year.
The court heard that Faqih consulted with Israeli reconnaissance experts on
locations damaged in the 2006 war, providing details on all Lebanese
infrastructure targets destroyed in Israeli bombardment. He was also allegedly
tasked with observing and locating arms and missile depots.
he court heard that Faqih received training from Israeli intelligence experts on
the use of wireless communication devices, the location of targets and the
dissemination of digitized, coded messages. He was also allegedly trained to
locate areas of deployment and checkpoints belonging to the Lebanese Armed
Forces, Internal Security Forces and Hizbullah.
Faqih was said to have operated largely out of his gas station in the south of
the county, using surveillance equipment installed in September 2007 to monitor
the movements of Hizbullah officials who often used the site to refuel their
vehicles. The court heard that between 2005 and 2007 Faqih received and sent a
series of digitally encrypted messages containing information about buildings
located in the southern villages and towns of Nabatieh, Harouf, Shoukit,
Kfar-Ruman and Kfar-Jawz. Contained in the communiquŽs were details of Hizbullah
officials' residences, it was alleged. After addressing the United Nation's
Security Council in New York last Wednesday, special coordinator for Lebanon
Michael Williams told reporters that allegations of Israeli espionage would be
treated as a "serious violation" of Security Council Resolution 1701. "If these
allegations are confirmed in court, this will constitute a very serious
violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and consequently undermine relevant Security
Council resolutions," said Williams. UN Resolution 1701 was drafted to end the
2006 summer war. It called for the recognition of "the territorial integrity,
sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally
recognized borders." There have been a series of alleged resolution violations
in recent months, including a reported 518 incidents of Israeli transgressions
of the Blue Line outlined in a document sent to the Security Council last month.
In June, Lebanon's military prosecutor charged 10 suspects with spying for
Israel. Lebanon has charged 68 people since January on suspicion of spying for
Israel's intelligence service, Mossad, in a high-profile campaign to dismantle
espionage cells operating in the country. Of those individuals, 37 Lebanese, two
Palestinians and one Egyptian, are currently in detention, according to AFP.
Chamoun rules out veto
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 16, 2009
BEIRUT: National Liberal Party leader MP Dori Chamoun Wednesday said the
government formation process was on the right track. Speaking following a
meeting with US Ambassador Michele Sison on Wednesday, Chamoun said the
opposition can no longer insist on veto power in the new government, or the
proportional representation of parliamentary blocs in the cabinet, since both
"are unconstitutional." - The Daily Star
ISNA Evades Responsibility for Anti-Semitic and Pro-Hezbollah Speakers
By: Steve Emerson
July 14, 2009
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has rebuked anti-Semitic comments by
a speaker at the group's national convention July 4th weekend.
As the Investigative Project on Terrorism reported last week, Warith Deen Umar's
remarks during a "meet the authors" panel included claims that Jews controlled
the world, used the Civil Rights movement for their own gain and suffered the
Holocaust as a punishment for being "serially disobedient to Allah."
In a statement, ISNA expressed "our complete rejection of all prejudicial views
and bigoted stances toward the Jewish community and any other community of
faith." ISNA President Ingrid Mattson also was quoted in the statement:
"We pride ourselves in the many good relations we build with our interfaith
partners for peace. There is no place for bigotry and intolerance in our
organization and community."
The statement was issued late Friday afternoon and is notable for what it
doesn't say as much as for what it does. It never identifies Umar as the
speaker. While ISNA "rejects" his message, it never apologizes for facilitating
them during a convention that featured a high-profile evangelical Christian
leader and leaders of national Jewish movements.
And it seems to pass the buck when it comes to ISNA's vetting process:
"These sessions are proposed by members of the community, and the proposal
described a completely different content than what reportedly transpired. The
title of the speaker's presentation was 'Jews for Salaam [Peace],' and the
presentation was described as a '… blue print for world peace. Christians, Jews
and Muslims have common roots; focuses on the unique position Jewish people are
in to move the world toward peace.'"
As our story pointed out, however, Umar's radicalism and anti-Semitism were
easily discoverable to anyone who bothered to look. A simple Google search for
Umar and his book titles turns up this 2003 article on Umar's opinion that the
9/11 hijackers were martyrs; this excerpt from his book Judaiology, which
describes "the inordinacy of Jewish power" and calls Jews "an amazing people who
can steal you blind as you watch; and this audio recording from a 2004 speech in
which Umar endorses violence:
"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."
The statement also ignores Umar's rambling theory at the ISNA conference that
Hurricane Katrina was a wrath of God punishment for homosexuality and his
conclusion that there should be more Jihad even if people are too afraid to
agree.
Umar sold copies of Judaiology and his newest book, Jews for Salaam at a booth
during the ISNA convention. ISNA's pre-convention vendor statement demanded that
all literature at its bazaar "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." [Emphasis added]
Whether that was an empty promise or someone signed off on Umar's anti-Semitic
books has not been explained.
Likewise, ISNA had nothing to say about a second speaker on the authors' panel,
who argued that Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group second only to Al
Qaeda in the number of Americans it has killed, serves as a protective force for
Lebanon. Cathy Sultan's remarks ignored Hezbollah's role as an Iranian proxy and
its campaign of violence that may have helped turn Lebanese voters against it
last month:
"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 speakers were not challenged on their assertions.
The disclosures come at a bad time for ISNA, which has been trying to build
bridges with other religious communities and with law enforcement. Those efforts
seem to be advancing despite the fact ISNA maintains ties to some of the same
people who were part of its 1981 creation by Muslim Brotherhood members in the
United States. The organization is included among unindicted co-conspirators in
the Hamas-support prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and
Development. ISNA board member Jamal Badawi also was named as an unindicted
co-conspirator, listed among people who raised money for the Holy Land
Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), which then funneled money to
charities controlled by Hamas. The IPT has chronicled ISNA's radical history and
the incendiary rhetoric offered at previous conferences. Those examples fall
well short of the hate speech Umar offered this year.
Yet ISNA's statement takes no responsibility for his presence or the totality of
his message. For another critique, see this from Daniel Pipes.
Listen to Umar's comments at the ISNA convention here, here, here and here.
**FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Steven Emerson is an
internationally recognized expert on terrorism and national security and heads
the Investigative Project on Terrorism. This article originally appeared on the
Hudson Institute website.
Jumblatt, or the burden of reinvention
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 16, 2009
When Walid Jumblatt visited Hassan Nasrallah recently in a catacomb
Chamber) of Beirut’s southern suburbs, he took with him two books, Tariq Ali’s
“The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power” and Ahmed Rashid’s
“Descent into Chaos,” about America’s failure at nation-building in Pakistan,
Afghanistan, and Central Asia.
Jumblatt’s message could be read in several ways. To fortify his improved
relations with Hizbullah, he might have been telling Nasrallah that both had a
common enemy in Sunni extremism, particularly that coming from South and Central
Asia. Or he could have been warning that if Hizbullah ever went too far, the
extremist counter-reaction would sweep everyone away. Whatever the Druze leader
was trying to say, it was symptomatic of the ambiguities (vagueness) he is
navigating through today.
Jumblatt’s realignment toward Syria has been the source of much speculation, and
irritation, among supporters of the March 14 coalition. In some respects this is
justified. Jumblatt is like a pendulum: When he swings in one direction, he
tends to go all the way before he can start swinging back again. His
reconciliation with Hizbullah and the Shiite community, understandable in
itself, somehow had to be accompanied by the less understandable criticism of
his Christian allies in the majority and his denigration (belittling) of the
“Lebanon first” slogan of Saad Hariri, so that in his interview last week with
the pro-opposition daily Al-Akhbar, he declared that “Lebanon first” meant “the
encirclement of Syria.”
Some believe that Jumblatt wagered (gambled) on an opposition victory during the June 7
elections. It was probably more subtle than that. Jumblatt hoped to hold, with
Nabih Berri, the balance in a new Parliament, through a “centrist” bloc friendly
to Syria in which he would have played a leading role. In this way, Jumblatt
could have situated himself at the nexus point of several relationships – that
between March 14 and the opposition, between Hizbullah and Syria, between Syria
and Iran, between the Saudis and the Syrians, between President Michel Sleiman
and Michel Aoun, and certainly more – in order to continue playing a vanguard
political role, thereby staying ahead of the curve and remaining relevant.
Jumblatt has been at the center of the political stage for so long that it’s
difficult to grasp how intense has been his struggle against irrelevance. By any
normal benchmark, Lebanon’s Druze would be an afterthought were it not for
Jumblatt’s political gymnastics during the past three decades. It has often been
said, quite correctly, that to understand the Druze leader’s behavior, we
should memorize a simple theorem: Jumblatt’s actions are defined by two
purposes, defense of the Druze and defense of Jumblatti control over the Druze.
However, implicit in both clauses is that Jumblatt must labor constantly to
persuade everyone that he and his community are major players, when everything
suggests otherwise
The elections were a setback for Jumblatt. His banking on a balancing role in
Parliament was dashed when Hizbullah voted massively in favor of Aoun, in the
process denying Berri, Jumblatt’s partner, any independent Shiite role. One of
the subtexts in the voting was that Syria proved unable to gain ground with
respect to its Iranian ally, so that the project of a “centrist bloc” closer to
Damascus, as a counterweight to Hizbullah’s “pro-Iranian bloc,” went nowhere.
Personally, Jumblatt also saw the size of his bloc shrink. He lost Ayman
Shouqair in Baabda after having ceded seats to his Christian partners in both
Aley and the Chouf, which is what has principally fed his rancor (resentment) against them.
Jumblatt has spent more than a year preparing his realignment. For some time he
sensed that the pillars of his post-2005 strategy were collapsing. The door to a
settlement with Syria, which Jumblatt probably would have welcomed as early as
late 2005, was closed early on. So the Druze leader came to depend on a
combination of American support for March 14 during the Bush years, the rivalry
between Saudi Arabia and Syria, the international probe of Rafik Hariri’s
assassination, and the belief Hizbullah would not act militarily against its
fellow Lebanese.
In May 2008 Hizbullah did precisely that, attacking Jumblatt in Aley and the
Chouf. Washington stood by, unable to do anything. Meanwhile, the Hariri
investigation remained in the doldrums and the release of the four generals in
April persuaded Jumblatt that no leverage could be sought there anymore. Barack
Obama’s decision to engage Syria, like the Saudi reconciliation with the Assad
regime, left the Druze leader with no regional or international crutch to lean
on against the Syrians. So Jumblatt decided he would reinvent himself as someone
friendly to Damascus, hence his electoral calculations. When Hizbullah dented
his ambition, the Druze leader had no choice but to stay the course.
Jumblatt began by declaring his opposition to any privatization plans for the
new government, his tried and tested bargaining method with a prime minister to
preserve his own share of the state patronage pie, the essence of political
power in Lebanon. He then became more active on the Syrian front. Having failed
to play the parliamentary balance, he could at least make it appear like he was
the one lighting Saad Hariri’s path to Damascus. This he did by taking a series
of steps to show the Syrians that he was back in their fold, of which mocking
the “Lebanon first” slogan was but one example. He met this week with the
Syrians’ Druze creation Wi’am Wahhab, after receiving in early July a delegation
from Ahmad Jibril’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General
Command, which is really little more than a branch of Syria’s intelligence
service.
This vanguard role has come with a price. Jumblatt is more isolated than ever
from his March 14 allies, and he is increasingly distrusted by the Sunni
community, which means that when he ascends to Damascus he will do so with few
cards in hand to preserve his political maneuverability, and very much
respectability. The Druze will doubtless follow him, but in their majority they
are convinced neither by the rapprochement with Hizbullah nor the turnaround on
Syria – particularly four years after Jumblatt declared that his antagonism
toward its regime made him comfortable with respect to the memory of his father,
whom the Syrians murdered.
Jumblatt’s shifts over the years have been dizzying, but his rationale has
usually been sound. A Sunni-Shiite war would indeed sweep the Druze away, which
is why he believes the community must be on good terms with both sides. Jumblatt
can’t stand alone against Syria, hence his looming visit to Damascus, or
Canossa. But once all is said and done, we should accept that Walid Jumblatt
remains a man at the shadow’s edge, his acrobatics an effort to avoid being
swallowed up by the darkness. If that were to happen, he realizes better than
most, no one would ask twice about him or his community.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
China stalls on the AfPak road
By Walid Phares
This report was presented as testimony for the US-China Economic and Security
Review Commission in Congress in Washington DC on May 20, 2009.
China's strategic interest in the "AfPak" region (Afghanistan and Pakistan) is
of great importance to United States interests, particularly since the fall of
the Taliban regime in December 2001 and even more importantly as Taliban forces
are escalating their offensive against Pakistan's government. At the same time,
the US administration is preparing a renewed campaign inside Afghanistan and is
devising a new plan to provide support to the government of Pakistan.
Chinese strategic options in Central and Southern Asia can complicate and
mitigate US, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) and allied efforts against terrorism, or they can bring additional
strength to the international campaign against dangerous radical forces in the
region. Chinese strategic behavior regarding the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan
and Pakistan can also have an impact on China's internal national security and
territorial integrity in the longer term.
In this testimony, I will draw the attention of the government to the point that
if China's leadership develops an accurate long-range perception of the jihadi
threat in the region, its behavior and strategic response could bring about a
significant effort against the Taliban and al-Qaeda and therefore tighten
cooperation in Asia and beyond against the terror forces.
Hence, in this testimony I will review quickly the impact of the AfPak conflict
on China's national security and argue that Beijing has a vital interest in
joining the US-led efforts in the sub-continent against the threat of jihadi
terrorism and should be engaged by Washington from that perspective. I will also
raise questions about China's understanding of the threat, its potential
policies regarding the latter and make recommendations regarding US initiatives
to influence that understanding and encourage a new Chinese participation in the
global confrontation with the common threat, al-Qaeda and the Taliban. [1]
China's global geopolitical interests
Traditionally, China's leadership has perceived its geopolitical and economic
interests in several concentric circles from the inside out. In the inner
circle, the regime's primordial interest has been to insure the territorial
integrity of the country.
Several regions of China, some acquired via past military campaigns, have
continued to witness separatist movements. Most active has been Tibet followed
by Xinjiang (Sinkiang) northwestern province. Other areas have been candidate to
potential separatist trends, including lower Mongolia and Manchuria.
The next wider circle of national-security concerns and geopolitical goals has
been the return of former territorial possessions. Reuniting with Hong Kong,
Macau and Taiwan has been on the list of goals to achieve, in one way or
another. The reintegration of Hong Kong and Macau at century's end was seen as a
tremendous success and as a indicator for future possibilities regarding Taiwan.
In addition to the highly publicized claims for reunification, other less
visible claims had developed during the Cold War, but never pursued: contiguous
territories belonging then to the Soviet Union and now to the Russian Federation
along the northern frontiers of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Beyond the
two territorial circles of national security interest, China's projection of
power expressed itself eastbound militarily during the Korean conflict drawing a
red line against the West in defense of North Korean's communist regime and
southbound during the Vietnam War.
But on its western and south western frontiers, China's regime developed also
transnational attitudes. With India, at times, Beijing experienced border
tensions generated over border delineation disagreements. However with Pakistan,
even as Islamabad and Washington entertained good relations, China built a
series of relationships, which can be defined as close to strategic in more than
one domain. Chinese-Pakistani partnership in more than one area has been
traditionally perceived in Beijing as a balance of power play with a growing
India. But beyond regional consideration, the Chinese "window" into Pakistan has
also served as a testing ground of influence into the wider Muslim world. [2]
In the past few years, China's government has increased its level of trade and
military transactions deeper in the Greater Middle East, particularly with
regimes hostile to the US and Western efforts against terrorism and under United
Nations sanctions, including Iran, Syria and Sudan. Hence, one major trend to be
noted is Chinese strategic cooperation with Pakistan against India on the one
hand and supplying the axis Iran-Syria-Sudan - themselves supporters of
terrorist organizations - with advanced weapons on the other.
In short, China's strategic policies regarding two parties in the Muslim world,
collides with US and Western interests. With Pakistan, Beijing's interest is
aimed at a strategic balance with India. With the axis Iran-Syria-Sudan,
Beijing's interest is to empower the latter against US-led efforts. [3]
China's strategic benefit to global jihadi forces
By engaging in backing Pakistan's military exclusively against India while
ignoring the Taliban threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Beijing indirectly -
and perhaps unwillingly - finds itself injecting strength into the sub-Indian
regional jihadi web. Indeed, by supplying Pakistan with missile technology and
weapons capable of escalating the military buildup with India, China would be
encouraging both nuclear countries to expand their strategic armament and reduce
their diplomatic attempts to reach solutions to their bilateral crises.
By supplying Pakistan with long-range missiles, Beijing would be forcing India
to improve its own. And by focusing on equipping Pakistan's military with
weapons aimed at India, China would be lessening Islamabad's focus on the
Taliban and the jihadi organizations operating on the Pakistani-Indian and the
Afghani-Pakistani borders. In short, Chinese support to Pakistan is aiming at
the wrong foe: India.
On the other hand, China's strategic arms support to the "confrontational axis"
(known as al-Muma'naa in Arabic) including the Iranian, Syrian and Sudanese
regimes, is also strengthening the two large trees of the global jihadi web,
directly and indirectly. Iran's regime is Khomeinist-jihadist. Tehran and
Damascus strategically support Hezbollah, a Khomeinist-jihadist organization.
Iran, Syria and Hezbollah openly support Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
(PIJ), both Salafi jihadis. Furthermore, Iran and Hezbollah cooperate with
Sudan's regime which is Salafist and has ties to international jihadi
organizations in Africa and beyond, themselves with ties to the Taliban and
al-Qaeda. In short, eventually, China's strategic arming of the "confrontational
axis" ends up backing international jihadism, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda
- even if Beijing is not directly supplying the latter with weapons, as far as
we know. This raises the question: is supporting jihadi forces in the interest
of China's national security? [4]
China's jihadi problem domestically
At the core of China's self-perceived priorities with respect to its national
security are two secessionist movements, one in Tibet and the other in Xinjiang.
Both movements are ethnically and historically grounded and have developed
international outreach. While Tibet's independence movement inspired and led by
the Dalai Lama is essentially non-violent and non-armed, some networks in the
Xinjiang's separatist movement have adopted terror methods and have conducted
operations against Chinese authorities as recently as last summer.
The latest security reports, including some by Chinese authorities, confirm that
a jihadi terrorist organization is now operational in Xinjiang province and its
latest actions have reached areas across China and its capital. What is the
nature of that jihadi threat inside China?
Xinjiang province inside China is inhabited by 45% Uyghurs, 40.6% Han Chinese,
6.7% Kazakhs and 7.5% from other ethnicities. The Uyghurs have been opposing
Chinese domination of the province for decades and in alliance with other
non-Han ethnicities form close to a 60% majority inside the province. Xinjiang
has a Muslim majority.
The separatist claim in the province is a classical ethnic conflict but in the
past few years a jihadi movement has made inroads inside the Muslim communities,
indoctrinating and recruiting a significant number of jihadi militants. Many
"Chinese jihadis" have been recruited by al-Qaeda and fought in Afghanistan.
Some are now fighting in the ranks of the Taliban in Pakistan. These Xinjiang
jihadis have been dispatched by the jihadi network to countries and areas remote
from Central Asia, such as Chechnya, the Caucuses, the Horn of Africa and South
Asia. Hence, the Chinese-based jihadi movement not only aims at separating
Xinjiang from China but is now embedded in the worldwide terror network
threatening several countries around the world.
The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM, Dogu Turkistan Islam Hareketi) is
declared as a terrorist organization by the governments of China, Kazakhstan,
Pakistan and the United States, as well as the United Nations. [5] The Chinese
government accused ETIM for car-bomb attacks in Xinjiang during the 1990s, as
well as the death of a Chinese diplomat in Kyrgyzstan in 2002.
ETIM is linked to al-Qaeda as well. In its 2005 report on terrorism, the US
State Department said that the group was "linked to al-Qaeda and the
international jihadi movement" and that al-Qaeda provided the group with
"training and financial assistance". In January 2002, the Chinese government
released a report in which it revealed that Hassan Mahsum, the head of ETIM, met
with Osama bin Laden in 1999 and received promises of money, and that Bin Laden
sent "scores of terrorists" into China.
During the summer of 2008, Chinese authorities arrested members of ETIM and
other jihadi terror groups such as the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) and stopped
others as they were planning or executing terror attacks against the Beijing
Summer Olympic Games. To this date, ETIM and TIP as well as other jihadi
factions are still operational inside China, in Central Asia and embedded in
international networks. [6]
Jihadi strategies towards China
What are the strategic goals of the "Chinese jihadis"? By exploring the
available literature produced by ETIM, TIP and other transnational Central Asian
jihadi groups as well as al-Qaeda, the Taliban and international Salafists, one
can understand the long-term goals of the movement as follows:
To indoctrinate a vast pool of ethnic Uyghurs and other non-Hans inside Xinjiang
province into jihadism before recruiting them into a local jihadi urban army.
Unleash a jihadi intifada inside Xinjiang by attacking Chinese military,
economic and urban targets.
Organizing terror strikes across China, focusing on major cities, financial and
economic centers, including foreign establishments with the aim of weakening the
political resolve in Beijing.
Establish large Taliban-like enclaves inside Xinjiang and implement tightly
interpreted sharia law.
When the time is ripe and amid severe internal crises in China, to declare a
Taliban-like emirate in parts or all of Xinjiang.
Launch jihadi operations from Xinjiang into the other Turkic-speaking republics
of Central Asia and link up with their local jihadi movements.
Separate Xinjiang from China and merge it with the other "emirates" of Central
Asia to form a regional Taliban-like power with ambitions to unite with all
other emirates already formed in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan and India.
In a sum, the ETIM-TIP terror campaign in China may overlap (or claim to
overlap) with the ethnic Uyghur struggle for liberation or separation, but in
fact exceeds that goal in order to create a totalitarian fundamentalist regime,
similar and parallel to the Taliban and al-Qaeda model. Note that the "Chinese
jihadi" movement is part of the international jihadi movement at the center of
which is al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
ETIM-TIP terrorists have been spotted, arrested or killed in "battlefields" as
far as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, the Caucuses and Africa, in addition
to China. Therefore, Beijing is facing off with a jihadi international threat,
as are the United States, Europe, Russia, India and the moderates in the Arab
and Muslim world. But is the Chinese government acting accordingly and what are
its real stakes in Afghanistan and Pakistan?
China's stakes in AfPak
Had the Taliban not been removed from power in Kabul, they would have pressed
forward north to defeat the Northern Alliance and eventually reached
international borders, including with China. The 76-kilometer frontier between a
Taliban/al-Qaeda state and