LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 16/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:38-42. You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Interview with Former President Amin Gemayel/Rules out veto for Hezbollah and allies/Reuters 15.06.09
A Reformist Wave in Iran? You Can Thank Bush, One Spin Doctor Says/By Al Kamen.Washington Post 15/06/09
Any earthquakes in Iran have the potential to rattle Lebanon- The Daily Star 15/06/09
Lebanon's elections: reading the signs.By: Hazem Saghieh 15/06/09
WALILD PHARES: Iran’s Elections — A National Show Designed to Delay Democracy/FOX News Contributor 15/06/09
A new Lebanon/Future News 15/06/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 15/09
Nasrallah: Netanyahu's Speech Could Drive Region into Dangerous Period-Naharnet
Suleiman: Netanyahu's Rigid Stance Calls For More Arab Unity, Safeguarding the Resistance-Naharnet
Jumblat: Netanyahu Gave Us a War Speech; Lebanon Must Strengthen Its Defenses-Naharnet
Gemayel: Netanyahu's Speech Requires 'Work Plan' against Settlement Ambitions-Naharnet
Lebanon At Crossroads Following Parliamentary Election/Talk Radio News Service-Naharnet
Geagea: We Have Our Vision For Parliamentary Work-Naharnet
Protestor shot dead, others hurt at anti-Ahmadinejad rally. AP
Israel PM endorses Palestinian state with caveats. A/P
Syria slams Netanyahu for 'torpedoing peace'/Middle East On Line
Syria anti-seclusion efforts…Frangieh sorts out bishops-Future News
Hariri: I have opened a new chapter with the opposition-Future News
Hizbullah criticizes Qassem on grounds of election results-Future News
Berry supports Hariri for premiership-Future News
Fatfat: Aoun must participate in the cabinet as part of the minority-Future News
Khalil: Electing Berry for another term, not subject to preconditions-Future News
Harb: demanding veto powers drags the country to political crisis-Future News
Franjieh Attacks Sfeir, Says He is with 'Decent' Bishops-Naharnet
Positive Atmosphere ahead of Government Formation, Speaker Election-Naharnet
Lebanese-American Denies Terror Charges in UAE Court-Naharnet
Report: Amendment to Rules of Tribunal: Decline in Transparency-Naharnet
Berri for Nomination of Hariri by Consensus-Naharnet
Hariri: It is my Duty to Unite the Lebanese-Naharnet
Nasrallah Congratulates Ahmadinejad on his Victory-Naharnet
Raad Seeking Harmony between Resistance, State Institutions-Naharnet
IAEA meets to discuss Iran, Syria-AFP
Netanyahu accepts limited Palestinian state, rejects settlement freeze-Daily Star
No Hezbollah veto in new Lebanon govt: Siniora-AFP
Ex-MP Maurice Fadel dies just days before his son takes office-Daily Star
Siniora rules out veto power for opposition in next cabinet-Daily Star
Islamic Action Front announces death of its leader Fathi Yakan-Daily Star
Kanaan lashes out at TV journalist over corruption report-Daily Star
Hizbullah fighter who killed LAF pilot says he thought aircraft was Israeli-Daily Star
Israel 'perplexed' by Solana's talks with Hizbullah MP-By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Hariri seeks dialogue over Hizbullah's weapons-By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Lebanon's crawl to equality-Daily Star
Lebanese divided over Iran's presidential election-Daily Star

Nasrallah: Netanyahu's Speech Could Drive Region into Dangerous Period
Naharnet/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday warned that the latest speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the Middle East peace process could propel the region into a "dangerous period," and called on Arab leaders to reevaluate their positions. Netanyahu's speech "was a shock to all moderate Arab leaders," Nasrallah said in a speech on the occasion of the birth of Sayeda Fatima al-Zahraa. "It (speech) has also foiled some bets that relied on the U.S. administration's stand regarding peace in the region," Nasrallah added. He said Netanyahu's speech "remind us of what Sharon said during the adoption of the Arab peace initiative when he said 'the Arab initiative is not worth the ink it's written with.'"
"And today Netanyahu is following in the same footsteps of his predecessor," Nasrallah believed, adding that the Israeli PM's speech could push the region into the "danger of naturalization and further displacement from the 1948 territories because he (Netanyahu) called for a Jewish state." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 20:44

News Release 163 - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Cannon Expresses Concern over Situation in Iran Following Presidential Election
June 15, 2009 (4:10 p.m. EDT)
No. 163
Minister Cannon Expresses Concern over Situation in Iran Following Presidential Election
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the situation in Iran following the presidential election:
“Canada is deeply troubled by the current situation in Iran. The allegations of fraud in last week’s presidential election are serious and need to be answered. The Iranian people deserves to have its voice heard, and we call for a fully transparent investigation into electoral discrepancies.
“The banning of opposition protests and security forces’ heavy-handed treatment of demonstrators throughout the country are also matters of grave concern.
“We are further disturbed by reports of the unacceptable treatment of George McLeod, a Canadian journalist who was allegedly detained and beaten by Iranian authorities. We have called in Iran’s Chargé d’Affaires in Ottawa to answer questions about the mistreatment of Mr. McLeod and to raise our concerns about the situation in Iran.
“The Government of Canada calls for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iran, and urges the country to fully respect all of its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice. We also continue to call on Iran to comply immediately with its legal obligations concerning its nuclear program.
“We will continue to monitor events closely over the coming days.”

Suleiman: Netanyahu's Rigid Stance Calls For More Arab Unity, Safeguarding the Resistance
Naharnet/Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman described the latest expressed stance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speech concerning the Middle East peace process as rigid, calling on Arab leaders for further unity and for safeguarding the resistance. "The Israeli stance expressed by PM Netanyahu is characterized with rigidity, whether in dealing with the issue of peace, or on the level of settling the issue of Palestinian refugees. [This] calls on Arab leaders for more unity and to safeguard the spirit and willingness of the resistance," Suleiman said. The president added that the Arab Peace initiative provides a good opportunity in achieving a just and comprehensive peace.
"Lebanon has always warned against Israeli rigidity and has repeatedly cautioned against the negative effect this [rigidity] could have on the efforts of the international community in arriving at a just settlement for the region's crisis," said Suleiman. He called on world powers to "further press the Israeli government to accept just and peaceful initiatives."
Suleiman received Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and new members of the High Judicial Council that were sworn in. The president also received State Ministers Talal Arsalan, Yussef Takla, Wael Abu Faour MPs Nader Sukar, Robert Ghanem and Canadian MP from Ontario Khalil Ramal.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 13:56

Jumblat: Netanyahu Gave Us a War Speech; Lebanon Must Strengthen Its Defenses
Naharnet/MP Walid Jumblat stressed Monday that Lebanon must bolster its defenses against Israeli plans to drag the region into a "dangerous stage" especially after Israeli premier's policy speech "completely crippled" any possibility to reach a peace settlement. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave us a war speech that practically torpedoed and crippled all possibilities for a compromise," Jumblat told al-Anbaa weekly of the Progressive Socialist Party. He warned that Netanyahu's speech "makes the region susceptible to great dangers that might explode in different directions." Jumblat said the Israeli government's attitude toward the peace process "confirm that Israel does not have a genuine desire for compromise and is laying the foundation for a dangerous stage that will impact the entire Middle East."
He pointed to Israel's repetitive warnings of the threats posed by Iran as an indicator to "what Israel might be planning for, including wars and aggressions to which Lebanon will - once again - be a definite gateway."In light of such grim scenarios, Jumblat stressed the "urgent need for a serious and in-depth study of a defense strategy to protect Lebanon and enhance its defenses." Jumblat also called for efforts to "fortify" the domestic front by the formation of a national unity government that has "a wide and diverse political representation."
He expected Israel to give "a grace-period of maximum one year before carrying out its threats and schemes, using the Iranian president's reelection as a pretext."
Outlining his Middle East peace policy, Netanyahu endorsed Sunday for the first time the creation of a Palestinian state, provided it was demilitarized and that Palestinians recognize the Jewish character of Israel. "Any talk about Israel (being recognized) as a Jewish state means closing the file on the (right of) return and entering a new process of internal displacement of the Palestinians – essentially leading to more Judaization in the West Bank," Jumblat said. On Netanyahu's demand for a demilitarized Palestinian state, Jumblat said such a condition would lead to the establishment of a "state that lacks identity, sovereignty and is incapable of performing the minimum level of self-governing duties." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 19:46

Gemayel: Netanyahu's Speech Requires 'Work Plan' against Settlement Ambitions
Naharnet/Lebanon must take "practical" steps to address a policy speech by the Israeli prime minister in which he "abolished" the right of return for Palestinian refugees, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel said Monday. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday an eventual Palestinian state would have to recognize Israel as a homeland of the Jewish people — essentially saying some 4.6 million Palestinian refugees must give up the goal of returning to their homeland. "(We) must hold serious discussions into the subject during national dialogue (sessions). Lebanon must take a stand by forming a work plan and by holding meetings on the Arab and international levels before it is too late," Gemayel told a press conference.
Gemayel said Netanyahu's pre-conditions for a Palestinian state "completely abolish the right of return and contradict Security Council Resolution 194 and other Lebanese and Arab decrees."Gemayel criticized Netanyahu for singling out Lebanon's domestic situation in the speech and voiced concern over his attempts to create "chaos and kindle internal conflicts."
"This is why we must realize that only the enemy stands to benefit from internal conflicts which will also bolster," plans to settle Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, he said.
"We must prevent Israel from using any pretext to harm the national interest," the former Lebanese president added. On parliament presidency, Gemayel said that "rotation of power is an essential element" of Lebanon's system of governance. "Speaker Nabih Berri has occupied the post since the 1990's. I believe there are (many others) with capabilities in the assembly and they must be granted an opportunity to handle responsibilities," he said. "This is my point of view and that of the Phalange. I hope our allies would appreciate this position. A final stand will be reached through deliberations with them," he added. Gemayel considered MP Saad Hariri's nomination for prime minister as "only natural since he heads the largest parliamentary bloc."
Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 18:24

Geagea: We Have Our Vision For Parliamentary Work
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea said Monday that he does not share parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's vision on how the legislature should operate.
"We also have our own vision on how parliament should operate that is why we would support any MP that would respect this," Geagea told reporters following talks with National Bloc party leader Carlos Eddeh. The LF leader added that March 14 Forces fought the electoral battle based on the people's proposals and aspirations "people were not satisfied how parliament was run over the past period." He said that he would publicly present a few remarks on the issue this week. Geagea voiced his rejection to providing the parliamentary minority with veto powers in cabinet. "This experiment failed…providing them with veto power would paralyze the country and hinder [government] institutions," the LF leader told reporters.
He voiced his support that such power should be made available to the president "who proved to be on equal terms with all.This constitutes a guarantee for all by consensus."
Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 15:25

Protestor 'shot dead' at mass anti-Ahmadinejad rally
TEHRAN (AFP) - A protestor was reportedly shot dead during clashes in Tehran on Monday as massive crowds of people defied a ban to stage a rally against the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A local photographer said the protestor had been shot with a bullet to the head and that several more were wounded when violence erupted outside a local base of the Islamic Basji militia, which had been set ablaze.
People were seen fleeing the area as police fired tear gas on protestors, an AFP correspondent said, as huge clouds of smoke billowed into the sky.
The violence flared after Ahmadinejad's defeated rival Mir Hossein Mousavi appeared in public for the first time since an election that has sharply divided the nation and triggered a wave of protests and rioting.
Iran, battling one of its worst crises since the Islamic revolution three decades ago, faced a growing international backlash over the validity of the election and the subsequent crackdown on opposition protests.
"God willing, we will take back our rights," Mousavi shouted from the roof of a car amid a vast sea of Iranians, young and old, who packed into central Tehran despite the authorities ordering a ban on the rally.
The White House voiced its concern about the vote, while the State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the violence and UN chief Ban Ki-moon has called for the will of the Iranian people to be "fully respected."
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a probe into allegations of vote-rigging after Ahmadinejad was returned power in a landslide, an election that dented Western hopes of a change in domestic and foreign policy of the oil-rich nation.
State television said Khamenei -- the all-powerful spiritual leader of the Islamic republic -- had told Mousavi he had instructed the Guardians Council supervisory body "to precisely examine" his complaints.
Mousavi, 67, lodged a formal appeal on Sunday for the cancellation of the results of what he charges was a rigged "charade" that has stoked the worst unrest in Shiite Muslim Iran for a decade.
A spokesman for the 12-member Guardians Council said it would announce its decision in 10 days.
"The vote of the people is more important than Mousavi or any other person," Mousavi told the crowds on Monday.
Demonstrators, some wearing the green of Mousavi's campaign colour, swarmed into central Tehran as riot police looked on. One policeman said between 1.5 million and two million people had turned out.
If the death is confirmed, it would be the first since the election, although police have been seen beating protestors with batons during previous violence in Tehran.
European governments complained about the tactics used against protestors and added their voices to US doubt over the election outcome, with the EU calling on Tehran to launch a probe into the results.
"The regime must address the serious questions which have been asked about the conduct of the Iranian elections," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.
Monday's demonstration comes a day after the combative Ahmadinejad himself addressed a vast victory rally in Tehran to defend the results, saying the people of Iran had triumphed against the "world arrogance" (the West).
The authorities have warned that they would crush any "velvet revolution" in Iran and police said on Sunday they had rounded up 170 people over the protests, including a number of reformist leaders.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the action of the security forces as "completely unacceptable," while French President Nicolas Sarkozy he wanted "full light" to be shed on the vote.
US Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday there was "an awful lot of doubt" about the vote, but nevertheless reiterated Washington's willingness to engage in talks after three decades of severed ties.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, whose country Ahmadinejad has said should be wiped off the map, said during a visit to France that his return to power was "bad news."
The Iranian authorities have also cracked down on local and foreign media, with Mousavi's own newspaper reportedly suspended and international outlets reporting the arrest and harassment of their journalists.
Telephone and Internet services have also been disrupted.
On Saturday, Tehran witnessed widespread clashes between baton-wielding police and stone-throwing protestors who set bins and vehicles on fire in violence on a scale not seen since 1999 when student demonstrations led to a week of deadly nationwide unrest.
Ahmadinejad's first term in office had already set Iran on a collision course with the international community over its nuclear drive, his anti-Israeli tirades and restrictions on society.
Amid the turmoil, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei urged Tehran to take up the US offer of dialogue over its disputed nuclear programme, which the West fears could be a cover for ambitions to build atomic weapons.
Iranian analysts have warned that the disputed nature of Ahmadinejad's victory could weaken Iran from within and isolate it further from the outside world.
"The perception of many Iranians that their vote was not taken into consideration will weigh heavily on the legitimacy of future elections," said Tehran-based analyst Sayeed Laylaz.
TEHRAN (AFP) - Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi appeared in public on Monday for the first time since an election that has divided the nation, joining hundreds of thousands of supporters who defied a ban to stage a mass rally in Tehran.

Positive Atmosphere ahead of Government Formation, Speaker Election
Naharnet/Consultations within the majority March 14 forces continued over the weekend, mainly focusing on re-electing Nabih Berri as speaker of parliament and prospects for a new government.  The daily An Nahar said Monday that political leaders are expected to discuss details regarding these two major events in the coming few days.
It did not rule out that consultations will soon include Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun who had suggested proportional representation in the new Cabinet and Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh who said without veto power the opposition will not join the government. As Safir newspaper, for its part, said MP Saad Hariri and Hizbullah have agreed in an indirect way to avoid the press regarding issues related to the new government and Hizbullah arms.  It said various approaches to the formation of a new government were being developed. One of the formulas suggested, according to As Safir, is to give the President the shares allocated to the government "since he cannot remain without an effective role."
As Safir quoted a senior opposition leader as saying that in the event it was not possible for the March 8 coalition to obtain veto power, then among the formulas that could be acceptable to the opposition is to give the President the shares allocated to the Cabinet "since he cannot remain without an effective role." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 09:15  

Gemayel rules out veto for Hezbollah and allies

Mon Jun 15, 2009

* Gemayel offers "participation not obstruction"

* Supports "guarantor" role for Lebanese president

By Tom Perry

BIKFAYA, Lebanon, June 15 (Reuters) - A leading member of the winning alliance in Lebanon's parliamentary election this month has ruled out giving veto power to Hezbollah and its allies in the opposition.

Former President Amin Gemayel said he was opposed to extending an existing power-sharing arrangement giving Hezbollah and its allies just over a third of seats in the cabinet, amounting to an effective veto over government decisions.

"If the opposition prefers not to participate, that's its right. We offer participation, but not obstruction. Participation does not mean veto power," Gemayel, leader of the Christian Phalange Party, said in an interview late on Sunday.

Demands by Hezbollah and its allies for veto power had been at the heart of a political crisis that pushed Lebanon to the brink of civil war last year.

The Iranian- and Syrian-backed Shi'ite group has been concerned that its U.S.-backed rivals, if left alone to govern, would use the cabinet to take steps against its guerrilla army.

Suleiman Franjieh, one of Hezbollah's main Christian allies, told Reuters on Saturday his coalition would not take part in the government unless it kept the share of seats it had in the outgoing cabinet. The formulation was agreed as part of a deal that defused last year's political crisis.

Hezbollah, the most powerful faction in Lebanon, said last week it had yet to agree a common stance with its allies on the new government.

"We won with a big margin and it's natural that we take government without an obstructing veto," said Gemayel, part of the anti-Syrian "March 14" alliance headed by Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri.

CONSENSUS CANDIDATE

Gemayel, head of state from 1982 to 1988, said he supported a wider role in government for President Michel Suleiman, elected last year as a consensus candidate.

"The president can play the role of guarantor," Gemayel said.

Hariri, a billionaire businessman with U.S. and Saudi backing, is front-runner to lead the new government.

"He is our natural candidate," Gemayel said, speaking at his family home in the village of Bikfaya, northeast of Beirut.

Gemayel's Phalange party, one of an array of Christian factions, won five of parliament's 128 seats in the election. Gemayel's son Sami and his nephew Nadim were both elected.

Gemayel's eldest son, MP and government minister Pierre Gemayel, was one of six anti-Syrian figures assassinated in a period of political turbulence following the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, is widely acknowledged as having superior military capability to the weak Lebanese state.

Gemayel has been one of the most vocal critics of Hezbollah's arsenal, arguing that it undermines the state. He said there would be no quick solution to the issue.

"There is not one of us convinced that the issue of the weapons of the resistance will be resolved immediately, or that it will be resolved by force and without dialogue," he said. (Editing by Andrew Dobbie)© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Coalition allies embrace Netanyahu's endorsement of Palestinian state
By Amy Teibel, The Associated Press
JERUSALEM - Top figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hawkish government lined up behind him Monday in support of his endorsement of Palestinian independence.
The hard-liners appeared buoyed by the nationalistic tone of Netanyahu's speech and tough conditions he attached despite caving to U.S. pressure in the dramatic about-face.
Netanyahu announced on national TV late Sunday that he was prepared to begin negotiations on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But he insisted that a future Palestine be demiliitarized and rejected the aspirations of Palestinian refugees to return to homes in Israel.
Those conditions, along with demands that Israel retain sovereignty over a united Jerusalem and continue to expand West Bank settlements, enraged the Palestinians but won him support from hard-liners inside his government who historically have been cool to the idea of Palestinian independence.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the most powerful hard-liner in Netanyahu's government, said the prime minister's speech outlined "the balance between our aspirations for peace and the aspiration for security."
"Netanyahu opened the door to the Palestinians and the Arab nations to begin peace talks, and we hope the other side will take up the offer to renew negotiations," Lieberman said after the speech.
Eli Yishai, head of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas party, said Netanyahu "stressed his commitment to plausible peace and security."
Shas, Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu and the centrist Labor Party are Netanyahu's main coalition allies. Labor has long endorsed the concept of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu spoke after months of pressure from Washington to endorse Palestinian statehood, as successive Israeli governments before his have done.
The Palestinians want to establish a state that includes all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem - areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. Netanyahu ruled out sharing Jerusalem and made no mention of uprooting Jewish settlements built in the West Bank. Instead, he said existing settlements should be allowed to expand while negotiations proceed.
Palestinian officials denounced Netanyahu's proposal immediately after he finished his speech, saying the conditions in effect ruled out negotiations on all key issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Netanyahu's speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations," said negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, said Monday the Israeli leader had merely laid out an opening position that outlined his vision of a future peace agreement.
"These are not preconditions, but they're essential requirements for success in these talks," he told reporters.
Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief, said the speech was important because of the Palestinian reaction.
"I think what was presented yesterday reflects a broad Israeli consensus," Yaalon told Army Radio. "I think it was important to juxtapose the broad Israeli consensus with the Palestinian rejectionism, which we exposed yesterday."
Even Cabinet Minister Benny Begin, who left Netanyahu's first government more than a decade ago following territorial concessions to the Palestinians, did not openly clash with him.
"Even though I have reservations about certain elements of his speech, the prime minister said important things that touch on the roots of the conflict," said Begin, a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party.
*Associated Press Writer Joseph Marks contributed to this report

Franjieh Attacks Sfeir, Says He is with 'Decent' Bishops
Naharnet/Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh once again vehemently attacked Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, announcing he will stay under Bkirki's wing and some "decent" clergymen because a patriarch "comes and goes.""I am not with Bkirki in politics," Franjieh told a mass celebration commemorating the 31first anniversary of the Ehden massacre, when his father, Tony, a former cabinet minister, was assassinated along with other family members. Franjieh described the massacre as a "black page in the history of the Christians and the Maronites."He called on Bkirki, the Maronite seat, to deliver "unbiased" comments that would unify the Christians "instead of using its platform to convey insults."
While he stressed that he will "stay under the wing of Bkirki as well as some decent bishops and clergymen," Franjieh insisted that a patriarch "comes and goes, but Bkirki remains."
Addressing Sfeir, Franjieh asked: "Who misled him to make an announcement that we want to change the entity of Lebanon?"
The MP-elect said his Marada movement is an integral part of the Hizbullah-led opposition.
"We recognize the Arab character of Lebanon since a long time ago and not since Saturday as the patriarch said," Franjieh went on to say. Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 08:19

Lebanese-American Denies Terror Charges in UAE Court
Naharnet/A U.S. citizen of Lebanese origin denied terrorism-related charges against him in the United Arab Emirates Supreme Court on Sunday and said he confessed under pressure because he wanted the "beatings to stop." Naji Hamdan, 43, was charged with supporting terrorism, participating in the work of terrorist organizations, and being a member of a terrorist group. He denied all three charges during his first court appearance Sunday, 10 months after he was detained by UAE state security forces.
U.S. civil rights organizations allege that Hamdan has been interrogated, detained and tried in the UAE at the request of the U.S. government.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year, suggesting that the U.S. ordered Hamdan's arrest, detention and prosecution because there isn't evidence to convict him under U.S. laws. They asked a federal judge to order the United States to rescind its request that the UAE pursue the case.
The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi declined to comment on Hamdan's case.
On Sunday, Hamdan was brought into the Abu Dhabi court in a dark blue prison suit, shackled and chained to four other prisoners. The chains were removed before he walked in front of the four-judge panel. He told the presiding judge Khalifa al-Muhairi that he was not a terrorist and said he made a confession because he was being tortured.
"I had to sign it because I wanted the beatings to stop," Hamdan replied.
Hamdan moved to the United States as a college student and became a citizen. He ran a successful auto parts business in the Los Angeles area, where he was active in the Islamic community.
"My brother is a religious person, but that does not make him a terrorist," said Hamdan's 38-year-old brother, Hossam, who flew from the U.S. on Saturday to attend the hearing.
The FBI began questioning Naji Hamdan about whether he had terrorist ties in 1999. He decided to move his family back to the Middle East in 2006 after 20 years in the United States.
He was kept under constant surveillance by the U.S. government, with the FBI detaining him at the airport on a return visit to the U.S. and flying agents to Abu Dhabi last summer to question him at the U.S. Embassy in the UAE capital.
On August 27, 2008, three weeks after the embassy meeting, Hamdan was arrested at his home in the emirate of Ajman. He was kept in solitary confinement for three months, according a handwritten note from Hamdan obtained by The Associated Press.
He said he was repeatedly questioned, with daily beatings, whipping of his feet, kicks to his abdomen, threats to his family and verbal abuse. He wrote in the note an American was present for at least some of the questioning. He advised him to do what he was told to avoid further pain.
"We believe the UAE is acting on behest of the U.S. government," said Ahilan Arulanantham, an attorney with the ACLU, representing Hamdan in his proceedings in the U.S. Arulanantham said the only evidence against Hamdan consists of "his confession, obtained when he was tortured in the UAE."
Judge al-Muhairi scheduled the next hearing in the case for July 20. Hamdan's lawyer will present his defense and a verdict is expected soon after. Supreme court's rulings on state security crimes, such as terrorism, fraud and forgery, cannot be appealed.(AP) Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 08:00

Coalition allies embrace Netanyahu's endorsement of Palestinian state
Middle East On Line/15.06.09
JERUSALEM - Top figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hawkish government lined up behind him Monday in support of his endorsement of Palestinian independence.
The hard-liners appeared buoyed by the nationalistic tone of Netanyahu's speech and tough conditions he attached despite caving to U.S. pressure in the dramatic about-face.
Netanyahu announced on national TV late Sunday that he was prepared to begin negotiations on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But he insisted that a future Palestine be demiliitarized and rejected the aspirations of Palestinian refugees to return to homes in Israel.
Those conditions, along with demands that Israel retain sovereignty over a united Jerusalem and continue to expand West Bank settlements, enraged the Palestinians but won him support from hard-liners inside his government who historically have been cool to the idea of Palestinian independence.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the most powerful hard-liner in Netanyahu's government, said the prime minister's speech outlined "the balance between our aspirations for peace and the aspiration for security."
"Netanyahu opened the door to the Palestinians and the Arab nations to begin peace talks, and we hope the other side will take up the offer to renew negotiations," Lieberman said after the speech. Eli Yishai, head of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas party, said Netanyahu "stressed his commitment to plausible peace and security."
Shas, Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu and the centrist Labor Party are Netanyahu's main coalition allies. Labor has long endorsed the concept of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu spoke after months of pressure from Washington to endorse Palestinian statehood, as successive Israeli governments before his have done.
The Palestinians want to establish a state that includes all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem - areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. Netanyahu ruled out sharing Jerusalem and made no mention of uprooting Jewish settlements built in the West Bank. Instead, he said existing settlements should be allowed to expand while negotiations proceed.
Palestinian officials denounced Netanyahu's proposal immediately after he finished his speech, saying the conditions in effect ruled out negotiations on all key issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Netanyahu's speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations," said negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, said Monday the Israeli leader had merely laid out an opening position that outlined his vision of a future peace agreement.
"These are not preconditions, but they're essential requirements for success in these talks," he told reporters.
Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief, said the speech was important because of the Palestinian reaction.
"I think what was presented yesterday reflects a broad Israeli consensus," Yaalon told Army Radio. "I think it was important to juxtapose the broad Israeli consensus with the Palestinian rejectionism, which we exposed yesterday." Even Cabinet Minister Benny Begin, who left Netanyahu's first government more than a decade ago following territorial concessions to the Palestinians, did not openly clash with him. "Even though I have reservations about certain elements of his speech, the prime minister said important things that touch on the roots of the conflict," said Begin, a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party.
*Associated Press Writer Joseph Marks contributed to this report

Report: Amendment to Rules of Tribunal: Decline in Transparency
Naharnet/The daily Al Akhbar on Monday said that amendments to 14 rules in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (RPE) that were unanimously adopted by the judges of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indicated a decline in transparency. It said the most prominent amendment related to exposing the court to skepticism (rule 96) suggests that the STL could "hide information" related to measures that paved the way for the issuance of the indictment until after the final verdict and after the appeal or even to a non-specific date "if need be to protect any person." Rule 96:
A) Subject to sub-paragraph , pre-trial filings, proceedings and orders shall be public, unless otherwise provided by the Rules or decided by the Pre-Trial Judge at the request of a Party.
B) Any filing or order relating to coercive investigative measures, including requests for search warrants, arrest warrants or subpoenas; (ii) a request for confirmation of an indictment; or (iii) an application or notification under Rules 115-119 that is filed under seal by the Prosecutor shall remain under seal for as long as is necessary for the effective conduct of the investigation and/or the protection of any person. C) This Rule shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the Defense. The STL President proposed these amendments which are designed to further enhance and facilitate proceedings before the Tribunal. The amendments relate to the investigation stage of the proceedings (rules 16, 18, 77 and 96). Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 11:43

Harb: demanding veto powers drags the country to political crisis
Date: June 15th, 2009 /Source: As-safir
MP Boutros Harb has said if the opposition held to its demand of attaining veto powers in the next cabinet, the country would be on the verge of political crisis because the March 14 majority would not repeat the same mistake of giving the minority one third+1 of the cabinet ministries, As-Safir reported Monday. “The minority’s justification for demanding veto powers in the cabinet which was that we were an unreal majority, proved its futility because we showed again that we are a real majority,’ Harb, a key figure of the March 14 alliance, told the paper. He described Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s demand to adopt proportional representation in the next cabinet as “constitutional heresy” noting that “the elections results must be the only criterion followed in the formation of the cabinet.” “The parliamentary majority must form the next cabinet and if the minority wants to participate, it must be limited to monitoring without being capable of obstruction,” he added. “Giving the president of the republic the right to be a decision maker in the cabinet, if he wants to, complies with the constitution,” he maintained.

Fatfat: Aoun must participate in the cabinet as part of the minority
Date: June 15th, 2009 Source: Al Anbaa
Ahmad Fatfat, a parliamentarian and member of Almustaqbal bloc said the March 14 majority would not give the March 8 veto powers in the cabinet what so ever, and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun must know that his representation would not exceed that of the minority, Al- Anbaa newspaper reported Monday.
“Giving the minority veto powers in the cabinet is out of question and Aoun’s must be convinced that his representation will be limited to his share in the minority as our democratic system decrees,” Fatfat told the paper. Fafat who was reelected as MP for one of the three Sunni seats in Minieh- Donnieh district, considered Aoun’s demand to be given the share of seven out of the 30 cabinet ministries as “obstruction to the formation of the cabinet.”“The majority regards Hizbullah as the leader of the opposition and it would take the opinion of its Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah into consideration and not that of Aoun since there is a big difference between the rhetoric of the two men,” he added. MP Michel Aoun in his first appearance before the media after the elections claimed that he represents 50% of the Christians and should be given a ministerial representation accordingly. Fatfat commented on the FPM campaign against the March 14 alliance accusing it of aiming at the naturalization of displaced Palestinians as Lebanese “this is empty talk and there is no use of using it anymore.”

A new Lebanon
Date: June 15th, 2009 /Future News
It is no longer “too soon” to break up the results of the legislative elections and grasp its connotations. The indications, number of participants, political slogans upon which elections were conducted, leave no doubt that the Lebanese have decided to move forward to build a new Lebanon which was founded on the 14th of March, 2005. This new Lebanon is not that nation which forgets its history, but it is that which is founded on the concept of the strong, stable state that unites all the Lebanese without using foreign support against domestic counterparts and without affiliation to the outside upon ideological or political background.
The Lebanese want their nation to be as big as their aspirations and creative capabilities that can move towards the future with an enlightened mind free from distorted pre-judgments. Their votes were a direct and public challenge to all the policies which the Syrian tutelage regime and its men have tried to impose on them for the past three decades.
The Lebanese have voted for the motto of the state above that of the battle field and the sick sectary obsessions. They have voted for the program of unity against that of division. Their voted loudly say this people have decided that their nation cannot be traded over at negotiation tables. The elections’ results were bright as day light showing that the Lebanese are continuously demanding the civil state which rises above the sects, battlefield, unanimous rockets, and wiretapping. These results reveal an obvious tendency towards modernity and declining retardation and bigotry and towards building a new Lebanon which deserves us as much as we deserve it.

Chehayeb: cabinet obstruction is history
Date: June 15th, 2009 Source: Voice of Lebanon
Parliamentarian Akram Chehayeb, a member of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc explained Monday that the veto power share that was given to the minority in 2008 was a temporary solution and would never recur. Chehayeb, who was speaking to the Voice of Lebanon radio, said Lebanese leaders resorted to this temporary solution to restore calm in the country after eighteen months of political crisis. “Giving the minority veto powers in the cabinet is history, because the March 14 majority looks forward to revive the state’s institutions and not obstruct them” Chehayeb told Voice of Lebanon radio. “There is no division among the ranks of the March 14 coalition, and House Speaker Nabih Berry is our candidate for presiding over the parliament, for the moment.” Chehayeb declared that “the March 14 alliance leaders will hold a meeting soon to discuss the after-elections phase.”

Dennis Ross to be ousted as Obama's envoy to Iran
Date: June 15th, 2009 /Source: Haaretz
Dennis Ross, who most recently served as a special State Department envoy to Iran, will abruptly be relieved of his duties, sources in Washington told Haaretz. An official announcement is expected in the coming days. The Obama administration will announce that Ross has been reassigned to another position in the White House. In his new post, the former Mideast peace envoy under President Bill Clinton will deal primarily with regional issues related to the peace process.
Washington insiders speculate that a number of reasons moved the administration to reassign Ross. One possibility is Iran's persistent refusal to accept Ross as a U.S. emissary given the diplomat's Jewish background as well as his purported pro-Israel leanings. Ross is known to maintain contacts with numerous senior officials in Israel's defense establishment and the Israeli government. Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem surmised that another possibility for Ross' ouster is his just-released book, “Myths, Illusions, and Peace - Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East.”Ross, who co-wrote the book with David Makovsky, a former journalist who is a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, argued against a linkage between the Palestinian issue and the West's policy against Iran's nuclear ambitions. Ross and Mokovsky also raised the possibility of military action against Iran.
“Tougher policies - either militarily or meaningful containment - will be easier to sell internationally and domestically if we have diplomatically tried to resolve our differences with Iran in a serious and credible fashion,” they wrote. Another possible reason for the reshuffle could be Ross' dissatisfaction with his present standing in the State Department, particularly given the fact that Washington's two other envoys to the region - George Mitchell, who is overseeing the Mideast peace process; and Richard Holbrooke, who is dealing with Pakistan and Afghanistan - wield great influence and are featured prominently. A diplomatic source in Jerusalem speculated that perhaps Ross preferred to work for the National Security Agency, which answers directly to President Barack Obama, and would thus be considered a more enhanced role. Last year, Ross was an advisor to Obama's successful presidential campaign. Before Obama's inauguration, speculation was rampant as to which job Ross would assume in the new administration. On February 24, 2009, he was officially appointed as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's advisor on the Persian Gulf and special envoy to Iran.

Khalil: Electing Berry for another term, not subject to preconditions
Date: June 15th, 2009 Source: As-Safir
Deputy Ali Hassan Khalil, political assistant to House Speaker Nabih Berry said Monday that re-electing Berry for a new four-year-term is not subject to any conditions, As-Safir newspaper reported. “The re-election of House Speaker Nabih Berry cannot be subject in any way to the formation of the new cabinet. Anyways, unlike some leaders in the majority coalition, neither MP Saad Hariri nor MP Walid Jumblatt had suggested such precondition,” Khalil told the paper.
He disclosed “the opposition has not yet decided whether it would participate in the next cabinet and the issue awaits deliberation with the March 8 factions on one side and with the March 14 alliance on the other.”“The general atmosphere is positive and we tend to refrain from commenting on the fuss over the March 8 demand to be given veto powers in the next cabinet,” Khalil maintained. The March 8 alliance leaders had raised the issue of demanding veto powers ahead of parliamentary elections in the cabinet while the majority had shown total rejection of the matter. It seems that the March 8 minority is showing leniency in this concern and might concede its demand in return for taking guarantees to be given effective representation

Berri for Nomination of Hariri by Consensus
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri stressed in an interview that Lebanon has entered a new political stage thanks to the support of Syria, Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and the international community for consensus and partnership in the next cabinet. Berri lauded both Damascus and Riyadh for their "excellent" stance from the formation of a national unity government, urging the Lebanese to employ such support in the interest of national unity. Asked by pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on the upcoming premier, Berri said: "It is premature to deal with the issue of the government."He said the speaker, members of his office and parliamentary committees should be elected first and then the premier-designate should be chosen to form a new cabinet.
Berri said it is MP Saad Hariri's "natural right" to become prime minister, adding that he backed the Mustaqbal movement leader's nomination by consensus. On all-party talks, the speaker said the national dialogue should be held under President Michel Suleiman only after formation of the cabinet. Berri also said it was time to complete the implementation of the Taef accord in terms of adopting a new electoral law based on proportional representation and forming the national commission for abolishing sectarianism. Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 10:55

Hariri: It is my Duty to Unite the Lebanese
Naharnet/MP Saad Hariri has said it was his duty to unite the Lebanese, adding he would resort to dialogue on issues that the country's leaders disagree on.
"The elections led to a majority that should work to serve the Lebanese people," Hariri said in an interview with Egyptian TV on Sunday, adding it was "its duty to unite the Lebanese and provide security and safety which all Lebanese agree on."He said he will resort to the dialogue table to solve problems that the Lebanese disagree on.
Hariri told his interviewer that voting during the June 7 polls was neither against the opposition nor for al-Mustaqbal movement. "Voting was for the interest of Lebanon, coexistence, civil peace, reforming the economy and putting arms in the army's hands."Asked about a possible meeting between him and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hariri said: "We are talking with our allies first. And we hope there would be dialogue … With time there would be a meeting."He said Lebanon had good ties with all Arab countries, the U.S. and European countries, adding "we seek to have good ties with Syria and Iran but (on the basis of) state-to-state relations." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 09:29

Nasrallah Congratulates Ahmadinejad on his Victory
Naharnet/Hizubollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday congratulated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his victory in presidential elections.
"Bless you this precious public confidence and this great love expressed by the Iranian people through re-elcting you for a second term," Nasrallah told Ahmadinejad in a letter.
"I assure you that your re-election represents a great hope for all the oppressed people, the Mujahideen, the fighters, the resistance and those who reject superpowers and occupiers," the statement added. Ahmadinejad won a second four-year term in a landslide election victory on Friday. Beirut, 14 Jun 09, 19:38

Siniora rules out veto power for opposition in next cabinet
Daily Star staff
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Sunday that Hizbullah's right to veto legislation would not be reinstated by the new Lebanese government. The Shiite movement Hizbullah and its Christian allies last year obtained the right to veto thanks to a deal that allocated them 11 of 30 cabinet seats.
The deal was eked out to defuse a power struggle with the rival coalition of Saad Hariri, whose coalition defeated the Shiite group and its allies in a general election on June 7.
But Siniora said that the deal "has nothing to do with the Lebanese Constitution or its democratic system." Siniora was speaking after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit in Cairo. The premier also met with Arab League chief Amr Moussa before returning to Beirut Sunday evening.
This is why this formula was for a predetermined period which ends with the end of the mandate of the current government," Siniora told journalists."If a new government of national unity is formed, it will be based on partnership and not on the principle of veto."
Hizbullah and its opposition allies have demanded that their veto power over key decisions be maintained.
Hariri's camp has said it would not accept this request while Hariri himself has said it was too early to speculate on such demands.
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Sunday that the parties and leaders of the March 14 alliance began consultations over electing a speaker, nominating a prime minister and forming a cabinet.
Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri expressed wishes to head Lebanon's next Cabinet. President Michel Sleiman and Premier Siniora have nominated the young politician for the post. Hariri met with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Saturday in Qoreitem after meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt on Friday.
On Saturday, Hariri held talks with President Sleiman at the Baabda Palace.
Hariri told reporters he was open to dialogue with all Lebanese groups and with Syria.
"The most important thing for us is for the Lebanon to benefit from Lebanese-Syrian ties and dialogue between our two countries will be beneficial to all," he said.
On Sunday, Hariri traveled to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with top officials there.
Meanwhile, MP Sleiman Franjieh said over the weekend that the opposition would not join a new Lebanese government unless they have veto power over its decisions.
Franjieh said that without veto power it would be better to stay in the opposition than to join the new government.
"Let them [March 14 Forces] rule and take the whole government, but without us as bystanders in it," Franjieh told Reuters in an interview.
"We will not hold things up. But we will refuse to join the government," added Franjieh, whose Marada movement won three of Parliament's 128 seats in the June 7 elections.
"Any formulation not including the third-plus-one is rejected by the opposition. Without the third, the opposition will not participate in the government," Franjieh said, adding that his statement reflected the opposition's position.
Hizbullah's second-in-command Sheikh Naim Qassem had told Reuters last week that the Shiite group and its allies had yet to agree a common stance on the new government. He would not comment on whether veto power would be a condition for participation.
The demand for veto power was at the heart of the political conflict that paralyzed Lebanon for 18 months in 2007-2008 under the administration of outgoing Siniora.
Also commenting on the Cabinet formation, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir expressed hope that Lebanese political leaders would do well in forming a new Cabinet that would "bravely carry out its responsibilities in these difficult times."
Speaking at his Sunday sermon at the Notre Dame Church in Bkirki,Sfeir said he hoped the new government would be able to unite the Lebanese around their homeland "before running to other countries."
"It is in Lebanon's interest that the country strengthens its relations through cooperation and friendship with all states but not at the expense of Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and interests," he said.
Sfeir thanked God that the 2009 parliamentary elections took place "without any major security incident."
In other news, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt called on Sunday for adopting an electoral law that provides "adequate opportunities to those with considerable talents and competence, but who are unable to find favor within large electoral, political and financial dynasties."
Speaking at a gathering in the Upper Metn village of Arsoun, Jumblatt said that despite the democracy in Lebanon, tribal and sectarian tensions have re-
-emerged. "We lost in [the district of]Baabda but the March 14 won in Lebanon. It is true that we accepted the electoral results but sometimes it is good to recall that we should have some quality in parliament," Jumblatt said.
"We will see what happens in the next elections, but we lost many worthy candidates," Jumblatt said.
Also on Sunday, the head of Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad expressed hope that the post-election phase would be based on cooperation as well "harmony between the resistance and the state-building approach."
"Lebanese can build their nation if they open their hearts to each other and if each [political] party knows its limits," Raad stressed. - The Daily Star, with AFP, Reuters

Israel 'perplexed' by Solana's talks with Hizbullah MP
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Israel was left "perplexed" by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's unprecedented meeting with an official from Lebanon's Hizbullah, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday. "This meeting left us perplexed, and we dare hope that Mr. Solana took advantage of the occasion to press for a disarming of Hizbullah and for the end of the arms smuggling between Syria and Hizbullah," Yigal Palmor told Agence France Presse.
Israel, which considers Hizbullah a terror group, fought a 34-day war with the Shiite group in July-August of 2006.
Solana had held talks with a Hizbullah official on Saturday, during a Beirut visit to reaffirm Europe's support for Lebanon after last week's polls.
He met in Parliament with MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, whose Shiite movement is also considered a terrorist organization by the United States and which was defeated in the June 7 general elections.
"Lists of terrorist groups are not the same in every country," Solana told a news conference when asked about the US blacklist of the Shiite group.
"Hizbullah is a member of the Lebanese society and it is represented in the Lebanese Parliament and it will bear responsibilities," he said before leaving for Egypt at the end of a two-day visit. Hajj Hassan told AFP the meeting "means more EU overture toward Hizbullah, and one at a higher level."
"This also means better communication for the European Union with the region and its parties," the Hizbullah MP said after the talks, adding that the move will "move the EU toward more realism."Hajj Hassan is among 11 Hizbullah candidates who won seats in the 128-seat Parliament.
Solana said Lebanon's rival leaders "realize the responsibility they face" and he expected them to "find a way to push the country forward and form a cabinet" as soon as possible.
The Hizbullah-led opposition wants to have veto power on key issues in any new government, as they did in the outgoing Cabinet, but majority leaders are opposed to this.
Solana, who also met with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, officials and party leaders, said earlier that the EU "is pleased with the 2009 parliamentary election results.
"They reflected the maturity of the country," Solana said. Lebanon was at risk of civil war last year after political differences between the rival camps boiled over.
"This [election] will help very much open a new page for the future of the country, prosperity, democracy and peace," Solana said.
"The EU will continue to support Lebanon, and the EU will continue its efforts, in regard to pursuing peace in the Middle East, in cooperation with the international community and the United States." Solana's trip coincided with a visit by American envoy George Mitchell, who vowed on Friday that Washington would not sacrifice Lebanon as it seeks comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Before Mitchell headed on to Syria, the two diplomats met briefly to discuss cooperation between the European Union and the United States, whose President Barack Obama has vowed to help kick-start stalled Arab-Israeli peace negotiations. The European Union does not blacklist Hizbullah as a terrorist organization and Britain said earlier this year it plans to authorize low-level contact with the group. "The military wing of Hizbullah is proscribed in the UK," but the political wing is now represented in the government, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in March. - AFP

Hariri seeks dialogue over Hizbullah's weapons
Majority leader 'extremely hopeful' Lebanon can avoid crisis
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, June 15, 2009/Jocelyne Zablit
Agence France Presse
BEIRUT: Saad Hariri said on Friday that dialogue was the only way of tackling Hizbullah's weapons after his Western-backed coalition defeated the Iranian-backed Shiite group and its allies in a general election. "In Lebanon, we need to have a dialogue when it comes to the weapons of Hizbullah," Hariri, who is tapped as Lebanon's next prime minister, told AFP in an interview, striking a conciliatory tone.
Hizbullah's arsenal has been a thorn in the side of the outgoing national unity government and at the center of a three-year-old national dialogue to define a defense strategy for Lebanon.
But the Shiite group has steadfastly refused to abandon its weapons arguing that they are needed to defend the country against Israeli attacks.
Hariri insisted that all differences between his majority coalition and the Hizbullah camp must be resolved at the negotiating table.
"We need to sit down first of all and accept [the outcome] of the election ... and make sure that when we have a dialogue. It should be a calm dialogue," said Hariri, billionaire son and political heir of slain ex-premier Rafik Hariri.
"We need to see what are the common issues that we all agree on and then the differences will be resolved."
He said he would not "shy away" from becoming prime minister if his coalition nominates him to the post.
"I will discuss it with my allies, I will not shy away from it," he said. "If we decide, all of us together, that this is what we want, that this is what is good for Lebanon, then we will take it from there." He also cautioned against any faction setting conditions before the new government is formed. Negotiations will begin after the new parliament is sworn in on June 20.
"The most important thing ... is for everyone not to preempt positions," Hariri said. "For the sake of Lebanon, for the sake of stability, we should not preposition ourselves.
"Let's be a little wise for once and benefit from the vote that was cast on Sunday," Hariri added.
"It [the vote] affirmed out democracy and a majority came out and everybody needs to read into all of these messages from the Lebanese people."
Hizbullah and its allies have demanded that the veto power over key decisions that they enjoy in the outgoing government be maintained.
Hariri's camp has said it would not accept this request while Hariri said it was too early to speculate on such demands.
"I am not going to speak about this issue," he said. "We held elections, everyone must read into them and when we reach the time for negotiations and naming the head of government we'll see." He also stressed that he was confident the country would not plunge into another political crisis as the one that brought Lebanon close to civil war last year. "I am extremely confident and optimistic that we will be wise enough to avoid Lebanon any political instability," he said.
Hizbullah waged a resistance campaign during Israel's devastating war on Lebanon in 2006 that left much of south of the country in ruins and killed more than 1,200 people, mainly Lebanese civilians, as well as 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers. The group has since refused to disarm despite a post-war UN resolution that calls for all militias in Lebanon to turn in their weapons. It argues that its arsenal is needed to defend the country against Israel. Hariri said that while his camp was committed to implementing the UN resolution, Israel also needed to cooperate.
"The Israelis need to understand that Lebanese airspace is not theirs, that Lebanese waters is not theirs and having spy networks in Lebanon is not acceptable according to UN Resolution 1701," he said.

Lebanon's crawl to equality
By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff/Monday, June 15, 2009
First person by Dalila Mahdawi
It sees itself as one of the Middle East's most liberal countries, but Lebanon's lack of women politicians sticks out like a sore thumb. While Lebanese women today enjoy senior positions in the private sector, political appointments have all but eluded them. Lebanese women were granted suffrage in 1953, yet to this day they face considerable obstacles in entering politics in a country where political dynasties and patriarchy rule. Most women who do enter politics do so "wearing black," filling a position made available by a deceased male relative and for which there is no other male relative available. Two such examples are Myrna Boustani, who became the first Lebanese woman in Parliament upon her father's death, and Nayla Mouawad, who entered after becoming a widowed Lebanese first lady.
But even when a female politician arrives in Parliament without the help of tragedy, such as Bahia Hariri in 1992 - well before the assassination of her brother Rafik Hariri, five-time prime minister - it still seems to be a requirement that she hail from a rich and traditionally political family. It is virtually impossible for independent, self-made women to enter the political arena.
Unfortunately, the issue of women's political participation was only superficially addressed in the June 7 elections. The polls, which saw a Hizbullah-led opposition defeated by the Western-backed March 14 coalition, were widely hailed as the most competitive in years, but out of 587 candidates only 12 were women, a figure that translates into a mere 2 percent. Even more deplorable is the fact that out of those 12, only four - Nayla Tueni, Bahia Hariri, Strida Geagea and Gilberte Zwein - were elected to Lebanon's 128-member parliament, with all of them hailing from political dynasties.
Lebanon's instability has in the past helped drown out the voices calling for gender equality. Over the last, relatively problem-free 12 months, however, those voices have become louder and more persistent - most notably in a campaign to alter Lebanon's discriminatory nationality law, which prevents Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese men from transferring their nationality to their husbands and children. Pressure has also been brought to bear on Beirut to amend discriminatory personal status laws and greater efforts to combat gender-based violence have been urged.
But during the run-up to the polls, the closest the country came to a national debate on women's role in politics was a slogan war between the opposition's Free Patriotic Movement, who played on the well-known French saying, "Sois Belle et Tais-Toi" (Be Beautiful and Shut Up) with their "Sois Belle et Vote" (Be Beautiful and Vote) poster, and the March 14 coalition, who responded with "Sois Egale et Vote" (Be equal and Vote). Parties seemed keen to attract women voters, but none made clear how exactly they intended to promote women's rights.
Women will only be able to play a greater part in the governance of Lebanon if the country's political system abandons the traditional status quo of a sectarian system toward a more secular meritocracy. A national commission to draft a new electoral law in 2005 suggested introducing a 30 percent women's quota, but this was rejected. If parties are serious in calling for equality between the genders, they could impose voluntary quotas within their structures to ensure that a minimum number of women run in both intra-party and national elections.
Lebanon in fact has a duty to eliminate gender discrimination. Beirut amended its Constitution in 1990 to embrace the International Bill for Human Rights, thus paving the way for international human rights to be applied to national legislation. It might be too late for this year's elections, but with enough willingness, greater political participation by Lebanese women could materialize by the 2010 municipal elections.
So long as Lebanon continues to hinder women's rights and prevents women from entering the political process, the country cannot enjoy true democracy. Men and women alike must work to encourage women parliamentarians. If Lebanese women have had the right to die as part of their country's army for the last 18 years, they should also have the right to help formulate the laws that govern every Lebanese citizen, man or woman.
**Dalila Mahdawi is a staff reporter for The Daily Star. This article first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer and was written for the Common Ground News Service.

Lebanese divided over Iran's presidential election
Citizens disagree on whether vote was rigged
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEIRUT: On Friday, six days after the March 14 coalition won a parliamentary majority in Lebanon, Iran's voters went to the polls in another election with crucial ramifications for the Middle East. The Daily Star went to find out what people in Beirut thought about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's contentious re-election and discovered that the Lebanese haven't had enough of talking politics quite yet.  "We are with Ahmadinejad. We love him because he is against the United States," said Osama, 23. "Him being elected is a good thing for Arabs everywhere. Iran shares our religion. It is especially good for the Shiites in Lebanon." Firas, 22, meanwhile is disappointed with the electoral process in Iran. In contrast with the Lebanese elections, Iranian voters were being suppressed, he said. "It's all really shocking. Here you have a country which we in the Middle East look at as a semi-democracy but today we are seeing that being destroyed. People are being beaten into submission. That's not democracy." Gad, 24, also supports the victory of the incumbent president.

Any earthquakes in Iran have the potential to rattle Lebanon
By The Daily Star /Monday, June 15, 2009
Editorial
Iran may be plunging into a deep political crisis in the aftermath of the country's presidential election, the official results of which have been publicly contested by two of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's opponents. The tensions that have surged in the aftermath of the Iranian vote ought to prompt concern in Lebanon, particularly in view of the Islamic Republic's long-standing relations with Hizbullah.
The crisis that is potentially brewing in Iran goes beyond a mere dispute among rival candidates over the presidency. Frustrations are mounting among ordinary citizens who are growing increasingly rebellious toward the restrictions that have been imposed upon them in recent years. But more importantly, divisions are emerging among the country's leading clerics, pitting figures like Ahmadinejad against those such as Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the powerful Assembly of Experts, which in theory has the constitutional power to depose the supreme leader (though this power has never been put to practice). Any misstep by one of these clerical leaders risks setting off a chain of events that could lead to prolonged civil strife.
Any tremors in Iran have the potential to rattle Lebanon because of the historic ties that bind the Shiite communities of the two countries. The exact scenarios that could emerge are difficult to anticipate, though one can expect that internal pressure on the Iranian regime would certainly yield pressures on the Shiite community in Lebanon.
That pressure could manifest itself in a number of ways. For example, a divided polity in Iran could lead to divisions among the Shiite leadership in this country, or within and/or between local political parties and movements. Worse yet, Iran's internal melee could prompt leaders there to act out in other arenas by prodding Hizbullah into engaging in dangerous activities.
Times like these require wise and cautious leadership, both in Iran and in Lebanon. If a crisis emerges in Iran, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's best bet would be to keep his party at a safe distance from that country's internal brawl. Iranian leaders have often stated publicly that Lebanon's affairs are for the Lebanese. This might be a good time for the Lebanese to reciprocate that sentiment.

LIC Statement on the Lebanese Elections
June 10, 2009/The Lebanese Information Center in the US warmly congratulates the people of Lebanon for holding the crucial parliamentary elections on June 7th.
The LIC also recognizes the important role played by the Government of Lebanon, particularly the Ministry of Interior, by the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces and by the Lebanese and non-Lebanese election observers who helped in making sure the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner. The people have spoken. The majority of Lebanese voted for the principles of the Cedar Revolution, proving their solid commitment to a free, sovereign and democratic nation.

Lebanon busts key Qaeda cell: army commander
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — Lebanon has busted a key Al-Qaeda cell network that was plotting attacks in a number of Arab countries, its army commander said in comments published by Kuwaiti newspapers.
"We busted a huge network of Al-Qaeda," Lebanese Brigadier General Jean Kahwaji was quoted as saying by Assiyasah newspaper.
The network was plotting to "destabilise Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gulf countries including Kuwait," Kahwaji said at a function held at the Lebanese embassy in Kuwait City.
He provided no details about the date of the arrest, nor the number of those arrested or their nationality. There was no immediate confirmation from Beirut.
"We have fought against terror in Lebanon and I can affirm that we have broken its back and succeeded in uncovering people dealing with it," Kahwaji said.

Lebanon's elections: reading the signs
Written by Hazem Saghieh
http://www.australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11116:lebanons-elections-reading-the-signs-&catid=132:special-reports
Australia.TO News
A national election is usually an occasion for reviewing the performance of a governing party, endorsing it for another term or (in the event of a change) announcing an emergent movement endorsed by popular legitimacy. Hazem Saghieh is senior commentator for the London-based paper al-Hayat
Lebanon's parliamentary election of 7 June 2009 - whose result (against many expectations) confirmed the ruling "March 14" coalition in office, and left the militant Hizbollah group in opposition - was a successful case-study of this kind. The whole experience was even more remarkable given the flawed pre-election record of the March 14 forces and the fact that Hizbollah's guns overshadowed the electoral process. For elections to take place in the shadow of illegal weapons is rare enough; for the party fighting these weapons to win is an exceptional event that deserves an honoured place in the annals of democracy and electoral processes.
The falling myths
The election was a healthy exercise too in the way that the majority of the Lebanese were able to deconstruct and move beyond many of the political myths that had grown up around them since the astonishing year of 2005 - when (on 14 February) their former prime minister Rafiq Haririassassinated, the "cedar revolution" was born (with a huge demonstration on 14 March giving birth to the political movement of that name), Syrian troops (in March-April) withdrew from the country, and (in May-June) the general election awarded the new movement victory. was
Among the myths that arose then and can be now be discarded are these four:
* that the electoral result in 2005 was "an emotional reaction" to Rafiq Hariri's killing (allegedly by agents of Syria), without any other political and independence-related content
* that the 2005 outcome was the result of a Syria-imposed electoral law, producing a parliamentary majority "stolen" by March 14's "quadripartite alliance"
* that most Lebanese view their prime minister since July 2005, Fouad Siniora, as inadequate, stupid or through the lens of anger at his economic policies (Siniora's victory in the city of Saida is symbolic in this respect)
* that most Lebanese are content with Hizbollah and its suspension of the country's economic life.
Indeed, what the election reveals about Lebanese attitudes to Hizbollah is crucial. Most of the Lebanese do not feel comfortable with the weapons of the ‘‘resistance'', but rather fear them. They don't consider the war with Israel of July-August 2006 a "divine victory" nor Hizbollah's military advance on 7 May 2008 "a glorious day". This lazy discourse, and the alleged consensus around the ‘‘resistance", also fell with a deafening crash in the 7 June 2009 election.
The next chapter
The elections have also revealed about the Christians of Lebanon, whose core regions have in recent years witnessed the fiercest political battles. Two trends stand out. First, their disillusion with the emptiness of their elites had led many of them to transfer their support to General Michel Aoun as their primary leader. That this process is now in reverse is reflected in the failure of the main figures of the pro-Aoun Tayyar (Issam Abu Jamra, Jubran Bassil) and the Takattul political bloc (Elie Skaff) - as well as in the tight contests even in most of the districts where the "Aounists" eventually won. True, Michel Aoun won in areas such as Kesserwan, but his losses in Beirut I and Zahleh and the reduction of Zghorta to a northern redoubt are equally important. Since Michel Aoun played a dramatic role as a Christian who provided political "cover" for Hizbollah, the downward trend of his support reduces this current.
Second, there is more emphasis on a sort of "traditionalist" view of Lebanon. This traditionalism is hardly congenial to anyone aiming for a democratic, plural and secular society; but it is assuredly better than turning the country into a launch-pad for small rockets and a welcome-mat for bigger rockets.
But even a peaceful and myth-breaking election leaves ambiguity in its wake. The democratic announcement by the majority of Lebanese of their opinion and convictions is one thing - the ability to take power in their own hands is another. Now, more than ever, democracy and ‘‘resistance'' seem to be at opposite ends. Most Lebanese will continue to feel that no matter what they decide, the weapons will remain pointed at them. The next chapter in their life will be dominated by how they deal with this issue and its regional complexities.
**Hazem Saghieh is senior commentator for the London-based paper al-Hayat
**This article is published by Hazem Saghieh, and openDemocracy.net under a Creative Commons licence.

A Reformist Wave in Iran? You Can Thank Bush, One Spin Doctor Says
By Al Kamen
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402615.html
Monday, June 15, 2009
Some Republicans seemed to have been caught off guard last month when the liberal media credited President Obama with helping in the recent victory of a pro-Western coalition in Lebanon. So on Friday, the Iranians had barely finished voting -- and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hadn't yet stolen the election -- when the spinning began on who should get credit for the reformists' surge in the polls there.
Veteran spinmeister Ari Fleischer, a former Bush White House spokesman, appears to have been the first out the box, at 11:55 a.m., with an interesting analysis. No one yet knew the final outcome, he wrote in an e-mail to our colleague Glenn Kessler, but "one of the reasons there is a substantial reform movement in Iran -- particularly among its young people -- is because of George W. Bush's tough policies." He noted that Bush's policies in Lebanon also helped in the recent elections there.
"A big push for reform is because of the desire of Iranians to get out from sanctions, to put an end to the country's international ostracism," Fleischer wrote and, most interestingly, "because Shiites in particular see Shiites in Iraq having more freedoms than they do. Bush's tough policies have helped give rise to the reformists and I think we're witnessing that today."
Plus there was all this "outreach to the people of Iran," he wrote, at the State Department, with those "people-to-people exchange programs" involving artists and doctors and film folks and so forth. We especially recall the 14 artists then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met two years ago. All in all, they doubtless reached more people than Obama did with his Cairo speech on June 4.
So "I think it's fair to say the George Bush's Freedom Agenda planted seeds that have started to grow in the Middle East," Fleischer concluded.
Not to mention those seeds for the economy here.
NO MORE PHOTO OOPS
Louis Caldera, the former White House Military Office chief who quit last month after approving that bizarre Air Force One photo op over Manhattan that frightened countless New Yorkers, has landed a job. He'll be a senior fellow focusing on higher education and national security matters at the Center for American Progress, run by John Podesta, a co-chairman of Obama's transition team.
Obama aides said at the time that the president was furious about the April 27 flyover, which included an Air Force One understudy and two F-16 military fighter aircraft flying over the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan, not all that far from the site of the World Trade Center. The photo shoot, which cost up to $357,000, sent panicked New Yorkers into the streets thinking another attack was occurring.
NEW NTSB MEMBERS?
Speaking of air travel, there's talk that the administration is about to nominate a few members to the National Transportation Safety Board. We're hearing that Chris Hart, who had been on the NTSB a while back and was a top official at the Federal Aviation Administration, may be repeating his stint on the NTSB.
Mark Rosekind, a former NASA scientist and fatigue-management expert, also looks to be getting a seat on the five-member board.
FAMILIAR NIXON-ERA FACES
Mark your calendars! John Dean, he of Watergate fame, is going to be speaking at . . . ready? The Nixon Library! This will be Wednesday, the 37th anniversary of the break-in. (The library had been run with a decidedly conservative tilt, but the new management apparently prefers more political diversity.)
But Dean? The "cancer on the presidency" guy who was key to bringing down the whole administration? He's doing a book-signing at the library, according to a note we received early last week, of the paperback edition of his 1976 work, "Blind Ambition," which is being privately published by his PR firm, with a new afterword.
Another guest sure to warm the hearts of Nixon fans, Richard Ben-Veniste, who worked in the Watergate special prosecutor's office and on the 9/11 Commission, is appearing July 8 to talk about his new book on those events. July 8, 1974, Loop fans may recall, was the day the Supreme Court heard arguments in U.S. v. Nixon. Ben-Veniste participated in the arguments before the court.
TO BRUSSELS AND BEYOND
Obama officially made the long-awaited nominations of former Virginia lieutenant governor Don Beyer to be ambassador to Switzerland and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney to Ireland last week. (We heard that GOP Rep. Peter King of New York demurred when asked about Dublin.)
Speaking of turning down jobs, prominent Washington lawyer Howard Gutman, who apparently had his pick of some excellent top-level jobs in the administration, opted instead to be ambassador to Brussels. Gutman, a former special assistant for counterterrorism to ex-FBI director William Webster, longtime Democratic adviser and original member of Obama's national finance committee -- he bundled more than half a million bucks -- will be only an hour and a half from Paris.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis lawyer Sam Kaplan, a longtime Minnesota Democratic power broker and fundraiser -- he was another major bundler for Obama -- is in line for an embassy job in Rabat, Morocco, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
And Mark Gitenstein, former Senate Judiciary Committee aide to then-Chairman Joe Biden, picks up the Bucharest, Romania, embassy. Gitenstein had been considered a shoo-in for assistant attorney general for legal policy, but liberal opposition against him for some of his legal work for a number of business clients forced the administration to reconsider.

WALILD PHARES: Iran’s Elections — A National Show Designed to Delay Democracy
By Walid Phares/Terror Expert/FOX News Contributor
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/14/phares_walid_iran_election/
Iran’s presidential elections are over and — as predicted by the unapologetic regime’s experts and the real opposition groups in exile — Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the “pure son” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Pasdaran, wins, and wins big. For the connoisseurs in Khomeinist politics the win was a given from the beginning of the so-called Iranian presidential elections — there wouldn’t be any result that would contradict the principles upon which the “Islamic Republic” was founded. There was not a shred of doubt about the complete control the supreme ruler, Ali Khamenei, had on the process and the result.
Once again, the Khomeinists have demonstrated their skills in taming their people, fooling the international public and outmaneuvering many Western chanceries.
As detailed by many specialists on the regime’s tentacles, the selection process of a “new” president for the “Republic” has multiple security mechanisms which ensure that the “elected” leader is in line with the Khomeinist ideology, platform, and long term goals.
First, no candidate opposing the “Islamist ideology” can be granted the authorization to run. The institutions regulating the elections are solidly in the hands of the ayatollahs. Hence, there is no pluralist process to begin with. Voters must select from those candidates “chosen” for them by the regime. Democracy dies in the first stage of the process, since citizens can only choose from one basket and candidates can only discuss what is permissible by the authorities. In short, Iran’s presidential elections are a charade, a show of colors and sounds, nothing more, nothing less. But international public opinion, particularly in the West, has seen images of “different” candidates, some labeled more moderate than others, and have seen large numbers of voters rushing to the polls in Iran. Weren’t the candidates really clashing over real differences? In fact, they were engaged in a “real” clash but not over “real” differences.
Here is why: In a well-orchestrated process which unfolds the ruling Mullahs’ scrutiny, four candidates have been selected by the Guardian Council — the supreme Islamist politbureau which sanctions all critical decisions in the country — to run for this election: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohsen Rezai, and Mehdi Karoubi. The first is the current president, a previous member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). The second was Iran’s prime minister during the war years of the 1980’s, under Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the leader who advocated the nuclear weapons program. The third is a former chief of the Pasdaran, wanted by the Interpol for alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Argentina. The fourth, a former speaker of the Parliament, was one of Khomeini’s activists who supported the fatwa to execute British novelist Salman Rushdie.
Thus the four candidates were all part of the regime and were his faithful sons running against each other to snatch the top office of the executive branch. Khamenei’s top elite throw these bones to the public every presidential cycle to have them choose the “best CEO” for the “Islamic Republic” but would never allow a candidate to argue against this “Khomeinist Imamate.” Thus the question here is why would a solid regime, with a powerful repressive Pasdaran, endowed with millions of petrodollars even allow this charade? Why the show and for whom? Here are the two reasons for this spring’s production:
Playing to the Domestic Audience
With the rise of political pluralism in the country’s larger “neighborhood” in the Middle East, pressure is growing in Iran from young people, women, labor unions, intellectuals and many other citizens to move towards democracy. Watching women being freely elected in Afghanistan after the Taliban, witnessing the rise of more than a hundred political parties in a multi-ethnic Iraq after the fall of Saddam, and watching the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon defeat the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in elections has led to an epiphany among regular folk living under the oppressive rule of the Mullahs. The longing for debates, the simple freedom to carry signs, scream the names of candidates out loud, and watch televised debates cannot be so easily contained, and the ruling elite of Tehran have realized this. Even Kuwait and Pakistan are producing slowly mutating democracies. “If you don’t give some room to breathe they will explode,” advised the regime’s architects about their country’s citizens. In addition, the question of ethnic minorities is already exploding: Arabs in Khusistan, Baluch in the East, Azeris in the Northwest and Kurds in the West are all in ebullition over obtaining autonomy. The regime organized this sumptuous feast of a presidential “election” as way to divert national attention from the real ethnic uprising taking place in many regions of the “Republic.” How ironic it is to conclude that the Iranian presidential elections have been initially organized as a national show to delay democracy, not to hasten it. How can the real domestic opposition, whose leaders and cadres are assassinated, pursued, exiled, tortured and jailed claim a lack of freedom if millions of Iranians have been “part” of an election? To preempt a full democracy, the regime plays a few of its tunes to the public, before it closes the gates on real change.
Performing for an International Audience
But the “show” had an international audience as well. Iran’s regime has been accused by many in the West, including the former Bush administration, of being “oppressive.” Even though the current Obama administration has dropped the word from its lexicon and calls Tehran’s totalitarian Ayatollahs with the name they prefer, “The Islamic Republic of Iran,” still the regime feels it needs to embellish its tarnished image. And, as the current U.S. administration and some European governments are gearing up for a sit-down with the Iranian rulers to eventually cut a “realistic” deal with them, it would be very helpful for Western liberal democracies to show their own public that they are indeed dealing with an emerging democracy in Iran. Hence, covering Iran’s elections as real and free suffrage with people actually “electing” a president will allow certain leaders in the West to move more comfortably in the direction of Khamanei’s Islamist republic. Hence, not only the multi -candidates’ (controlled) cacophony is good to numb democratic feelings inside Iran, but it is also good to numb criticism abroad and facilitates deals between diplomats and eventually businessmen.
However, a more ominous goal is smartly embedded in the charade. As the international community presses Iran’s regime on the nuclear crisis, electing a “new” president, in fact “reelecting” the current president is an enormous boost delivered in the ideal international context. By the time countries all over the world prepare to strike back with bombs, missiles and counter missiles and more at the Tehran’s regime’s plan for installing a nuclear military systemm another powerful shield will have been added to the Khomeinist layers of defenses: the claim that Iran has a “democratically” elected president. Indeed, the power of just such an argument will resonate deeply in the West. With a global media astutely manipulated to cover a dynamic election in Iran, the political reality will be different: future Iranian propagandists and their operatives in the West will argue that democracies cannot disarm other democracies. One of the most dramatic consequences of framing this presidential election as “real” will be felt much later, when the time to deal with the nuclear armed regime in Iran comes.
An Unexpected Uprising
Unlike previous elections, this last one ended with violent demonstrations, rioting and civil unrest in Tehran and some other locations in the country. For the first time Western audiences were watching Iranian police and Pasdaran cracking down on demonstrators upset with the regime’s electoral fraud. Mousavi’s supporters rejected the results and filed an appeal against the election’s outcome. Observers wondered why thousands of his partisans took to the streets chanting against the “regime” as a whole. In fact, this was an optical illusion: The massive demonstrations against Ahmadinejad were (and are) conducted by real opposition masses. Students, young people, men and women have been emulating the Tiananmen Square uprising, as well as Eastern Europe’s awakening against the Soviets and going beyond the electoral dispute. In reality, the people clashing with the regime’s militia aren’t solely Mousavi’s supporters. Most of them are anti-Khomeinist protesters who are seizing the opportunity of the election fraud to show the world how disenfranchised they are. They are a “third” group, the real underdogs.
Thus the unexpected happened and the regime, which was hoping to produce an election and get away with its results, is now clamping down. As in other authoritarian regimes, the Khomeinists used the “counter-masses”, those members of the ruling party and its organizations to gather a super-demonstration “in support” of Ahmadinejad. By acting fast, the supreme rulers showed they are in control of their own people. Their propaganda machine and their allies worldwide rushed to prove that the Ahmadinejad supporters are greater in numbers, thus minimizing the uprisings by smaller groups of youth. Unless international solidarity builds quickly around the democracy movements on the streets, the Pasdarans will regain the streets again.
Once again, the Khomeinists have demonstrated their skills in taming their people, fooling the international public and outmaneuvering many Western chanceries. But this is only to delay an irreversible forthcoming real change. Time will tell when.
**Dr. Walid Phares is a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a visiting scholar with the European Foundation for Democracy. He is the author of “The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracv.”

 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 16/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:38-42. You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Interview with Former President Amin Gemayel/Rules out veto for Hezbollah and allies/Reuters 15.06.09
A Reformist Wave in Iran? You Can Thank Bush, One Spin Doctor Says/By Al Kamen.Washington Post 15/06/09
Any earthquakes in Iran have the potential to rattle Lebanon- The Daily Star 15/06/09
Lebanon's elections: reading the signs.By: Hazem Saghieh 15/06/09
WALILD PHARES: Iran’s Elections — A National Show Designed to Delay Democracy/FOX News Contributor 15/06/09
A new Lebanon/Future News 15/06/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 15/09
Nasrallah: Netanyahu's Speech Could Drive Region into Dangerous Period-Naharnet
Suleiman: Netanyahu's Rigid Stance Calls For More Arab Unity, Safeguarding the Resistance-Naharnet
Jumblat: Netanyahu Gave Us a War Speech; Lebanon Must Strengthen Its Defenses-Naharnet
Gemayel: Netanyahu's Speech Requires 'Work Plan' against Settlement Ambitions-Naharnet
Lebanon At Crossroads Following Parliamentary Election/Talk Radio News Service-Naharnet
Geagea: We Have Our Vision For Parliamentary Work-Naharnet
Protestor shot dead, others hurt at anti-Ahmadinejad rally. AP
Israel PM endorses Palestinian state with caveats. A/P
Syria slams Netanyahu for 'torpedoing peace'/Middle East On Line
Syria anti-seclusion efforts…Frangieh sorts out bishops-Future News
Hariri: I have opened a new chapter with the opposition-Future News
Hizbullah criticizes Qassem on grounds of election results-Future News
Berry supports Hariri for premiership-Future News
Fatfat: Aoun must participate in the cabinet as part of the minority-Future News
Khalil: Electing Berry for another term, not subject to preconditions-Future News
Harb: demanding veto powers drags the country to political crisis-Future News
Franjieh Attacks Sfeir, Says He is with 'Decent' Bishops-Naharnet
Positive Atmosphere ahead of Government Formation, Speaker Election-Naharnet
Lebanese-American Denies Terror Charges in UAE Court-Naharnet
Report: Amendment to Rules of Tribunal: Decline in Transparency-Naharnet
Berri for Nomination of Hariri by Consensus-Naharnet
Hariri: It is my Duty to Unite the Lebanese-Naharnet
Nasrallah Congratulates Ahmadinejad on his Victory-Naharnet
Raad Seeking Harmony between Resistance, State Institutions-Naharnet
IAEA meets to discuss Iran, Syria-AFP
Netanyahu accepts limited Palestinian state, rejects settlement freeze-Daily Star
No Hezbollah veto in new Lebanon govt: Siniora-AFP
Ex-MP Maurice Fadel dies just days before his son takes office-Daily Star
Siniora rules out veto power for opposition in next cabinet-Daily Star
Islamic Action Front announces death of its leader Fathi Yakan-Daily Star
Kanaan lashes out at TV journalist over corruption report-Daily Star
Hizbullah fighter who killed LAF pilot says he thought aircraft was Israeli-Daily Star
Israel 'perplexed' by Solana's talks with Hizbullah MP-By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Hariri seeks dialogue over Hizbullah's weapons-By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Lebanon's crawl to equality-Daily Star
Lebanese divided over Iran's presidential election-Daily Star

Nasrallah: Netanyahu's Speech Could Drive Region into Dangerous Period
Naharnet/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday warned that the latest speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the Middle East peace process could propel the region into a "dangerous period," and called on Arab leaders to reevaluate their positions. Netanyahu's speech "was a shock to all moderate Arab leaders," Nasrallah said in a speech on the occasion of the birth of Sayeda Fatima al-Zahraa. "It (speech) has also foiled some bets that relied on the U.S. administration's stand regarding peace in the region," Nasrallah added. He said Netanyahu's speech "remind us of what Sharon said during the adoption of the Arab peace initiative when he said 'the Arab initiative is not worth the ink it's written with.'"
"And today Netanyahu is following in the same footsteps of his predecessor," Nasrallah believed, adding that the Israeli PM's speech could push the region into the "danger of naturalization and further displacement from the 1948 territories because he (Netanyahu) called for a Jewish state." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 20:44

News Release 163 - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Cannon Expresses Concern over Situation in Iran Following Presidential Election
June 15, 2009 (4:10 p.m. EDT)
No. 163
Minister Cannon Expresses Concern over Situation in Iran Following Presidential Election
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the situation in Iran following the presidential election:
“Canada is deeply troubled by the current situation in Iran. The allegations of fraud in last week’s presidential election are serious and need to be answered. The Iranian people deserves to have its voice heard, and we call for a fully transparent investigation into electoral discrepancies.
“The banning of opposition protests and security forces’ heavy-handed treatment of demonstrators throughout the country are also matters of grave concern.
“We are further disturbed by reports of the unacceptable treatment of George McLeod, a Canadian journalist who was allegedly detained and beaten by Iranian authorities. We have called in Iran’s Chargé d’Affaires in Ottawa to answer questions about the mistreatment of Mr. McLeod and to raise our concerns about the situation in Iran.
“The Government of Canada calls for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iran, and urges the country to fully respect all of its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice. We also continue to call on Iran to comply immediately with its legal obligations concerning its nuclear program.
“We will continue to monitor events closely over the coming days.”

Suleiman: Netanyahu's Rigid Stance Calls For More Arab Unity, Safeguarding the Resistance
Naharnet/Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman described the latest expressed stance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speech concerning the Middle East peace process as rigid, calling on Arab leaders for further unity and for safeguarding the resistance. "The Israeli stance expressed by PM Netanyahu is characterized with rigidity, whether in dealing with the issue of peace, or on the level of settling the issue of Palestinian refugees. [This] calls on Arab leaders for more unity and to safeguard the spirit and willingness of the resistance," Suleiman said. The president added that the Arab Peace initiative provides a good opportunity in achieving a just and comprehensive peace.
"Lebanon has always warned against Israeli rigidity and has repeatedly cautioned against the negative effect this [rigidity] could have on the efforts of the international community in arriving at a just settlement for the region's crisis," said Suleiman. He called on world powers to "further press the Israeli government to accept just and peaceful initiatives."
Suleiman received Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and new members of the High Judicial Council that were sworn in. The president also received State Ministers Talal Arsalan, Yussef Takla, Wael Abu Faour MPs Nader Sukar, Robert Ghanem and Canadian MP from Ontario Khalil Ramal.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 13:56

Jumblat: Netanyahu Gave Us a War Speech; Lebanon Must Strengthen Its Defenses
Naharnet/MP Walid Jumblat stressed Monday that Lebanon must bolster its defenses against Israeli plans to drag the region into a "dangerous stage" especially after Israeli premier's policy speech "completely crippled" any possibility to reach a peace settlement. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave us a war speech that practically torpedoed and crippled all possibilities for a compromise," Jumblat told al-Anbaa weekly of the Progressive Socialist Party. He warned that Netanyahu's speech "makes the region susceptible to great dangers that might explode in different directions." Jumblat said the Israeli government's attitude toward the peace process "confirm that Israel does not have a genuine desire for compromise and is laying the foundation for a dangerous stage that will impact the entire Middle East."
He pointed to Israel's repetitive warnings of the threats posed by Iran as an indicator to "what Israel might be planning for, including wars and aggressions to which Lebanon will - once again - be a definite gateway."In light of such grim scenarios, Jumblat stressed the "urgent need for a serious and in-depth study of a defense strategy to protect Lebanon and enhance its defenses." Jumblat also called for efforts to "fortify" the domestic front by the formation of a national unity government that has "a wide and diverse political representation."
He expected Israel to give "a grace-period of maximum one year before carrying out its threats and schemes, using the Iranian president's reelection as a pretext."
Outlining his Middle East peace policy, Netanyahu endorsed Sunday for the first time the creation of a Palestinian state, provided it was demilitarized and that Palestinians recognize the Jewish character of Israel. "Any talk about Israel (being recognized) as a Jewish state means closing the file on the (right of) return and entering a new process of internal displacement of the Palestinians – essentially leading to more Judaization in the West Bank," Jumblat said. On Netanyahu's demand for a demilitarized Palestinian state, Jumblat said such a condition would lead to the establishment of a "state that lacks identity, sovereignty and is incapable of performing the minimum level of self-governing duties." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 19:46

Gemayel: Netanyahu's Speech Requires 'Work Plan' against Settlement Ambitions
Naharnet/Lebanon must take "practical" steps to address a policy speech by the Israeli prime minister in which he "abolished" the right of return for Palestinian refugees, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel said Monday. Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday an eventual Palestinian state would have to recognize Israel as a homeland of the Jewish people — essentially saying some 4.6 million Palestinian refugees must give up the goal of returning to their homeland. "(We) must hold serious discussions into the subject during national dialogue (sessions). Lebanon must take a stand by forming a work plan and by holding meetings on the Arab and international levels before it is too late," Gemayel told a press conference.
Gemayel said Netanyahu's pre-conditions for a Palestinian state "completely abolish the right of return and contradict Security Council Resolution 194 and other Lebanese and Arab decrees."Gemayel criticized Netanyahu for singling out Lebanon's domestic situation in the speech and voiced concern over his attempts to create "chaos and kindle internal conflicts."
"This is why we must realize that only the enemy stands to benefit from internal conflicts which will also bolster," plans to settle Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, he said.
"We must prevent Israel from using any pretext to harm the national interest," the former Lebanese president added. On parliament presidency, Gemayel said that "rotation of power is an essential element" of Lebanon's system of governance. "Speaker Nabih Berri has occupied the post since the 1990's. I believe there are (many others) with capabilities in the assembly and they must be granted an opportunity to handle responsibilities," he said. "This is my point of view and that of the Phalange. I hope our allies would appreciate this position. A final stand will be reached through deliberations with them," he added. Gemayel considered MP Saad Hariri's nomination for prime minister as "only natural since he heads the largest parliamentary bloc."
Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 18:24

Geagea: We Have Our Vision For Parliamentary Work
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea said Monday that he does not share parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's vision on how the legislature should operate.
"We also have our own vision on how parliament should operate that is why we would support any MP that would respect this," Geagea told reporters following talks with National Bloc party leader Carlos Eddeh. The LF leader added that March 14 Forces fought the electoral battle based on the people's proposals and aspirations "people were not satisfied how parliament was run over the past period." He said that he would publicly present a few remarks on the issue this week. Geagea voiced his rejection to providing the parliamentary minority with veto powers in cabinet. "This experiment failed…providing them with veto power would paralyze the country and hinder [government] institutions," the LF leader told reporters.
He voiced his support that such power should be made available to the president "who proved to be on equal terms with all.This constitutes a guarantee for all by consensus."
Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 15:25

Protestor 'shot dead' at mass anti-Ahmadinejad rally
TEHRAN (AFP) - A protestor was reportedly shot dead during clashes in Tehran on Monday as massive crowds of people defied a ban to stage a rally against the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A local photographer said the protestor had been shot with a bullet to the head and that several more were wounded when violence erupted outside a local base of the Islamic Basji militia, which had been set ablaze.
People were seen fleeing the area as police fired tear gas on protestors, an AFP correspondent said, as huge clouds of smoke billowed into the sky.
The violence flared after Ahmadinejad's defeated rival Mir Hossein Mousavi appeared in public for the first time since an election that has sharply divided the nation and triggered a wave of protests and rioting.
Iran, battling one of its worst crises since the Islamic revolution three decades ago, faced a growing international backlash over the validity of the election and the subsequent crackdown on opposition protests.
"God willing, we will take back our rights," Mousavi shouted from the roof of a car amid a vast sea of Iranians, young and old, who packed into central Tehran despite the authorities ordering a ban on the rally.
The White House voiced its concern about the vote, while the State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the violence and UN chief Ban Ki-moon has called for the will of the Iranian people to be "fully respected."
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a probe into allegations of vote-rigging after Ahmadinejad was returned power in a landslide, an election that dented Western hopes of a change in domestic and foreign policy of the oil-rich nation.
State television said Khamenei -- the all-powerful spiritual leader of the Islamic republic -- had told Mousavi he had instructed the Guardians Council supervisory body "to precisely examine" his complaints.
Mousavi, 67, lodged a formal appeal on Sunday for the cancellation of the results of what he charges was a rigged "charade" that has stoked the worst unrest in Shiite Muslim Iran for a decade.
A spokesman for the 12-member Guardians Council said it would announce its decision in 10 days.
"The vote of the people is more important than Mousavi or any other person," Mousavi told the crowds on Monday.
Demonstrators, some wearing the green of Mousavi's campaign colour, swarmed into central Tehran as riot police looked on. One policeman said between 1.5 million and two million people had turned out.
If the death is confirmed, it would be the first since the election, although police have been seen beating protestors with batons during previous violence in Tehran.
European governments complained about the tactics used against protestors and added their voices to US doubt over the election outcome, with the EU calling on Tehran to launch a probe into the results.
"The regime must address the serious questions which have been asked about the conduct of the Iranian elections," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.
Monday's demonstration comes a day after the combative Ahmadinejad himself addressed a vast victory rally in Tehran to defend the results, saying the people of Iran had triumphed against the "world arrogance" (the West).
The authorities have warned that they would crush any "velvet revolution" in Iran and police said on Sunday they had rounded up 170 people over the protests, including a number of reformist leaders.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described the action of the security forces as "completely unacceptable," while French President Nicolas Sarkozy he wanted "full light" to be shed on the vote.
US Vice President Joe Biden said on Sunday there was "an awful lot of doubt" about the vote, but nevertheless reiterated Washington's willingness to engage in talks after three decades of severed ties.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, whose country Ahmadinejad has said should be wiped off the map, said during a visit to France that his return to power was "bad news."
The Iranian authorities have also cracked down on local and foreign media, with Mousavi's own newspaper reportedly suspended and international outlets reporting the arrest and harassment of their journalists.
Telephone and Internet services have also been disrupted.
On Saturday, Tehran witnessed widespread clashes between baton-wielding police and stone-throwing protestors who set bins and vehicles on fire in violence on a scale not seen since 1999 when student demonstrations led to a week of deadly nationwide unrest.
Ahmadinejad's first term in office had already set Iran on a collision course with the international community over its nuclear drive, his anti-Israeli tirades and restrictions on society.
Amid the turmoil, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei urged Tehran to take up the US offer of dialogue over its disputed nuclear programme, which the West fears could be a cover for ambitions to build atomic weapons.
Iranian analysts have warned that the disputed nature of Ahmadinejad's victory could weaken Iran from within and isolate it further from the outside world.
"The perception of many Iranians that their vote was not taken into consideration will weigh heavily on the legitimacy of future elections," said Tehran-based analyst Sayeed Laylaz.
TEHRAN (AFP) - Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi appeared in public on Monday for the first time since an election that has divided the nation, joining hundreds of thousands of supporters who defied a ban to stage a mass rally in Tehran.

Positive Atmosphere ahead of Government Formation, Speaker Election
Naharnet/Consultations within the majority March 14 forces continued over the weekend, mainly focusing on re-electing Nabih Berri as speaker of parliament and prospects for a new government.  The daily An Nahar said Monday that political leaders are expected to discuss details regarding these two major events in the coming few days.
It did not rule out that consultations will soon include Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun who had suggested proportional representation in the new Cabinet and Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh who said without veto power the opposition will not join the government. As Safir newspaper, for its part, said MP Saad Hariri and Hizbullah have agreed in an indirect way to avoid the press regarding issues related to the new government and Hizbullah arms.  It said various approaches to the formation of a new government were being developed. One of the formulas suggested, according to As Safir, is to give the President the shares allocated to the government "since he cannot remain without an effective role."
As Safir quoted a senior opposition leader as saying that in the event it was not possible for the March 8 coalition to obtain veto power, then among the formulas that could be acceptable to the opposition is to give the President the shares allocated to the Cabinet "since he cannot remain without an effective role." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 09:15  

Gemayel rules out veto for Hezbollah and allies

Mon Jun 15, 2009

* Gemayel offers "participation not obstruction"

* Supports "guarantor" role for Lebanese president

By Tom Perry

BIKFAYA, Lebanon, June 15 (Reuters) - A leading member of the winning alliance in Lebanon's parliamentary election this month has ruled out giving veto power to Hezbollah and its allies in the opposition.

Former President Amin Gemayel said he was opposed to extending an existing power-sharing arrangement giving Hezbollah and its allies just over a third of seats in the cabinet, amounting to an effective veto over government decisions.

"If the opposition prefers not to participate, that's its right. We offer participation, but not obstruction. Participation does not mean veto power," Gemayel, leader of the Christian Phalange Party, said in an interview late on Sunday.

Demands by Hezbollah and its allies for veto power had been at the heart of a political crisis that pushed Lebanon to the brink of civil war last year.

The Iranian- and Syrian-backed Shi'ite group has been concerned that its U.S.-backed rivals, if left alone to govern, would use the cabinet to take steps against its guerrilla army.

Suleiman Franjieh, one of Hezbollah's main Christian allies, told Reuters on Saturday his coalition would not take part in the government unless it kept the share of seats it had in the outgoing cabinet. The formulation was agreed as part of a deal that defused last year's political crisis.

Hezbollah, the most powerful faction in Lebanon, said last week it had yet to agree a common stance with its allies on the new government.

"We won with a big margin and it's natural that we take government without an obstructing veto," said Gemayel, part of the anti-Syrian "March 14" alliance headed by Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri.

CONSENSUS CANDIDATE

Gemayel, head of state from 1982 to 1988, said he supported a wider role in government for President Michel Suleiman, elected last year as a consensus candidate.

"The president can play the role of guarantor," Gemayel said.

Hariri, a billionaire businessman with U.S. and Saudi backing, is front-runner to lead the new government.

"He is our natural candidate," Gemayel said, speaking at his family home in the village of Bikfaya, northeast of Beirut.

Gemayel's Phalange party, one of an array of Christian factions, won five of parliament's 128 seats in the election. Gemayel's son Sami and his nephew Nadim were both elected.

Gemayel's eldest son, MP and government minister Pierre Gemayel, was one of six anti-Syrian figures assassinated in a period of political turbulence following the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, is widely acknowledged as having superior military capability to the weak Lebanese state.

Gemayel has been one of the most vocal critics of Hezbollah's arsenal, arguing that it undermines the state. He said there would be no quick solution to the issue.

"There is not one of us convinced that the issue of the weapons of the resistance will be resolved immediately, or that it will be resolved by force and without dialogue," he said. (Editing by Andrew Dobbie)© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Coalition allies embrace Netanyahu's endorsement of Palestinian state
By Amy Teibel, The Associated Press
JERUSALEM - Top figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hawkish government lined up behind him Monday in support of his endorsement of Palestinian independence.
The hard-liners appeared buoyed by the nationalistic tone of Netanyahu's speech and tough conditions he attached despite caving to U.S. pressure in the dramatic about-face.
Netanyahu announced on national TV late Sunday that he was prepared to begin negotiations on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But he insisted that a future Palestine be demiliitarized and rejected the aspirations of Palestinian refugees to return to homes in Israel.
Those conditions, along with demands that Israel retain sovereignty over a united Jerusalem and continue to expand West Bank settlements, enraged the Palestinians but won him support from hard-liners inside his government who historically have been cool to the idea of Palestinian independence.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the most powerful hard-liner in Netanyahu's government, said the prime minister's speech outlined "the balance between our aspirations for peace and the aspiration for security."
"Netanyahu opened the door to the Palestinians and the Arab nations to begin peace talks, and we hope the other side will take up the offer to renew negotiations," Lieberman said after the speech.
Eli Yishai, head of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas party, said Netanyahu "stressed his commitment to plausible peace and security."
Shas, Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu and the centrist Labor Party are Netanyahu's main coalition allies. Labor has long endorsed the concept of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu spoke after months of pressure from Washington to endorse Palestinian statehood, as successive Israeli governments before his have done.
The Palestinians want to establish a state that includes all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem - areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. Netanyahu ruled out sharing Jerusalem and made no mention of uprooting Jewish settlements built in the West Bank. Instead, he said existing settlements should be allowed to expand while negotiations proceed.
Palestinian officials denounced Netanyahu's proposal immediately after he finished his speech, saying the conditions in effect ruled out negotiations on all key issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Netanyahu's speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations," said negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, said Monday the Israeli leader had merely laid out an opening position that outlined his vision of a future peace agreement.
"These are not preconditions, but they're essential requirements for success in these talks," he told reporters.
Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief, said the speech was important because of the Palestinian reaction.
"I think what was presented yesterday reflects a broad Israeli consensus," Yaalon told Army Radio. "I think it was important to juxtapose the broad Israeli consensus with the Palestinian rejectionism, which we exposed yesterday."
Even Cabinet Minister Benny Begin, who left Netanyahu's first government more than a decade ago following territorial concessions to the Palestinians, did not openly clash with him.
"Even though I have reservations about certain elements of his speech, the prime minister said important things that touch on the roots of the conflict," said Begin, a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party.
*Associated Press Writer Joseph Marks contributed to this report

Franjieh Attacks Sfeir, Says He is with 'Decent' Bishops
Naharnet/Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh once again vehemently attacked Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, announcing he will stay under Bkirki's wing and some "decent" clergymen because a patriarch "comes and goes.""I am not with Bkirki in politics," Franjieh told a mass celebration commemorating the 31first anniversary of the Ehden massacre, when his father, Tony, a former cabinet minister, was assassinated along with other family members. Franjieh described the massacre as a "black page in the history of the Christians and the Maronites."He called on Bkirki, the Maronite seat, to deliver "unbiased" comments that would unify the Christians "instead of using its platform to convey insults."
While he stressed that he will "stay under the wing of Bkirki as well as some decent bishops and clergymen," Franjieh insisted that a patriarch "comes and goes, but Bkirki remains."
Addressing Sfeir, Franjieh asked: "Who misled him to make an announcement that we want to change the entity of Lebanon?"
The MP-elect said his Marada movement is an integral part of the Hizbullah-led opposition.
"We recognize the Arab character of Lebanon since a long time ago and not since Saturday as the patriarch said," Franjieh went on to say. Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 08:19

Lebanese-American Denies Terror Charges in UAE Court
Naharnet/A U.S. citizen of Lebanese origin denied terrorism-related charges against him in the United Arab Emirates Supreme Court on Sunday and said he confessed under pressure because he wanted the "beatings to stop." Naji Hamdan, 43, was charged with supporting terrorism, participating in the work of terrorist organizations, and being a member of a terrorist group. He denied all three charges during his first court appearance Sunday, 10 months after he was detained by UAE state security forces.
U.S. civil rights organizations allege that Hamdan has been interrogated, detained and tried in the UAE at the request of the U.S. government.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year, suggesting that the U.S. ordered Hamdan's arrest, detention and prosecution because there isn't evidence to convict him under U.S. laws. They asked a federal judge to order the United States to rescind its request that the UAE pursue the case.
The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi declined to comment on Hamdan's case.
On Sunday, Hamdan was brought into the Abu Dhabi court in a dark blue prison suit, shackled and chained to four other prisoners. The chains were removed before he walked in front of the four-judge panel. He told the presiding judge Khalifa al-Muhairi that he was not a terrorist and said he made a confession because he was being tortured.
"I had to sign it because I wanted the beatings to stop," Hamdan replied.
Hamdan moved to the United States as a college student and became a citizen. He ran a successful auto parts business in the Los Angeles area, where he was active in the Islamic community.
"My brother is a religious person, but that does not make him a terrorist," said Hamdan's 38-year-old brother, Hossam, who flew from the U.S. on Saturday to attend the hearing.
The FBI began questioning Naji Hamdan about whether he had terrorist ties in 1999. He decided to move his family back to the Middle East in 2006 after 20 years in the United States.
He was kept under constant surveillance by the U.S. government, with the FBI detaining him at the airport on a return visit to the U.S. and flying agents to Abu Dhabi last summer to question him at the U.S. Embassy in the UAE capital.
On August 27, 2008, three weeks after the embassy meeting, Hamdan was arrested at his home in the emirate of Ajman. He was kept in solitary confinement for three months, according a handwritten note from Hamdan obtained by The Associated Press.
He said he was repeatedly questioned, with daily beatings, whipping of his feet, kicks to his abdomen, threats to his family and verbal abuse. He wrote in the note an American was present for at least some of the questioning. He advised him to do what he was told to avoid further pain.
"We believe the UAE is acting on behest of the U.S. government," said Ahilan Arulanantham, an attorney with the ACLU, representing Hamdan in his proceedings in the U.S. Arulanantham said the only evidence against Hamdan consists of "his confession, obtained when he was tortured in the UAE."
Judge al-Muhairi scheduled the next hearing in the case for July 20. Hamdan's lawyer will present his defense and a verdict is expected soon after. Supreme court's rulings on state security crimes, such as terrorism, fraud and forgery, cannot be appealed.(AP) Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 08:00

Coalition allies embrace Netanyahu's endorsement of Palestinian state
Middle East On Line/15.06.09
JERUSALEM - Top figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hawkish government lined up behind him Monday in support of his endorsement of Palestinian independence.
The hard-liners appeared buoyed by the nationalistic tone of Netanyahu's speech and tough conditions he attached despite caving to U.S. pressure in the dramatic about-face.
Netanyahu announced on national TV late Sunday that he was prepared to begin negotiations on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But he insisted that a future Palestine be demiliitarized and rejected the aspirations of Palestinian refugees to return to homes in Israel.
Those conditions, along with demands that Israel retain sovereignty over a united Jerusalem and continue to expand West Bank settlements, enraged the Palestinians but won him support from hard-liners inside his government who historically have been cool to the idea of Palestinian independence.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the most powerful hard-liner in Netanyahu's government, said the prime minister's speech outlined "the balance between our aspirations for peace and the aspiration for security."
"Netanyahu opened the door to the Palestinians and the Arab nations to begin peace talks, and we hope the other side will take up the offer to renew negotiations," Lieberman said after the speech. Eli Yishai, head of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas party, said Netanyahu "stressed his commitment to plausible peace and security."
Shas, Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu and the centrist Labor Party are Netanyahu's main coalition allies. Labor has long endorsed the concept of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu spoke after months of pressure from Washington to endorse Palestinian statehood, as successive Israeli governments before his have done.
The Palestinians want to establish a state that includes all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem - areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. Netanyahu ruled out sharing Jerusalem and made no mention of uprooting Jewish settlements built in the West Bank. Instead, he said existing settlements should be allowed to expand while negotiations proceed.
Palestinian officials denounced Netanyahu's proposal immediately after he finished his speech, saying the conditions in effect ruled out negotiations on all key issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Netanyahu's speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations," said negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, said Monday the Israeli leader had merely laid out an opening position that outlined his vision of a future peace agreement.
"These are not preconditions, but they're essential requirements for success in these talks," he told reporters.
Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon, a former military chief, said the speech was important because of the Palestinian reaction.
"I think what was presented yesterday reflects a broad Israeli consensus," Yaalon told Army Radio. "I think it was important to juxtapose the broad Israeli consensus with the Palestinian rejectionism, which we exposed yesterday." Even Cabinet Minister Benny Begin, who left Netanyahu's first government more than a decade ago following territorial concessions to the Palestinians, did not openly clash with him. "Even though I have reservations about certain elements of his speech, the prime minister said important things that touch on the roots of the conflict," said Begin, a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party.
*Associated Press Writer Joseph Marks contributed to this report

Report: Amendment to Rules of Tribunal: Decline in Transparency
Naharnet/The daily Al Akhbar on Monday said that amendments to 14 rules in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (RPE) that were unanimously adopted by the judges of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indicated a decline in transparency. It said the most prominent amendment related to exposing the court to skepticism (rule 96) suggests that the STL could "hide information" related to measures that paved the way for the issuance of the indictment until after the final verdict and after the appeal or even to a non-specific date "if need be to protect any person." Rule 96:
A) Subject to sub-paragraph , pre-trial filings, proceedings and orders shall be public, unless otherwise provided by the Rules or decided by the Pre-Trial Judge at the request of a Party.
B) Any filing or order relating to coercive investigative measures, including requests for search warrants, arrest warrants or subpoenas; (ii) a request for confirmation of an indictment; or (iii) an application or notification under Rules 115-119 that is filed under seal by the Prosecutor shall remain under seal for as long as is necessary for the effective conduct of the investigation and/or the protection of any person. C) This Rule shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the Defense. The STL President proposed these amendments which are designed to further enhance and facilitate proceedings before the Tribunal. The amendments relate to the investigation stage of the proceedings (rules 16, 18, 77 and 96). Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 11:43

Harb: demanding veto powers drags the country to political crisis
Date: June 15th, 2009 /Source: As-safir
MP Boutros Harb has said if the opposition held to its demand of attaining veto powers in the next cabinet, the country would be on the verge of political crisis because the March 14 majority would not repeat the same mistake of giving the minority one third+1 of the cabinet ministries, As-Safir reported Monday. “The minority’s justification for demanding veto powers in the cabinet which was that we were an unreal majority, proved its futility because we showed again that we are a real majority,’ Harb, a key figure of the March 14 alliance, told the paper. He described Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s demand to adopt proportional representation in the next cabinet as “constitutional heresy” noting that “the elections results must be the only criterion followed in the formation of the cabinet.” “The parliamentary majority must form the next cabinet and if the minority wants to participate, it must be limited to monitoring without being capable of obstruction,” he added. “Giving the president of the republic the right to be a decision maker in the cabinet, if he wants to, complies with the constitution,” he maintained.

Fatfat: Aoun must participate in the cabinet as part of the minority
Date: June 15th, 2009 Source: Al Anbaa
Ahmad Fatfat, a parliamentarian and member of Almustaqbal bloc said the March 14 majority would not give the March 8 veto powers in the cabinet what so ever, and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun must know that his representation would not exceed that of the minority, Al- Anbaa newspaper reported Monday.
“Giving the minority veto powers in the cabinet is out of question and Aoun’s must be convinced that his representation will be limited to his share in the minority as our democratic system decrees,” Fatfat told the paper. Fafat who was reelected as MP for one of the three Sunni seats in Minieh- Donnieh district, considered Aoun’s demand to be given the share of seven out of the 30 cabinet ministries as “obstruction to the formation of the cabinet.”“The majority regards Hizbullah as the leader of the opposition and it would take the opinion of its Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah into consideration and not that of Aoun since there is a big difference between the rhetoric of the two men,” he added. MP Michel Aoun in his first appearance before the media after the elections claimed that he represents 50% of the Christians and should be given a ministerial representation accordingly. Fatfat commented on the FPM campaign against the March 14 alliance accusing it of aiming at the naturalization of displaced Palestinians as Lebanese “this is empty talk and there is no use of using it anymore.”

A new Lebanon
Date: June 15th, 2009 /Future News
It is no longer “too soon” to break up the results of the legislative elections and grasp its connotations. The indications, number of participants, political slogans upon which elections were conducted, leave no doubt that the Lebanese have decided to move forward to build a new Lebanon which was founded on the 14th of March, 2005. This new Lebanon is not that nation which forgets its history, but it is that which is founded on the concept of the strong, stable state that unites all the Lebanese without using foreign support against domestic counterparts and without affiliation to the outside upon ideological or political background.
The Lebanese want their nation to be as big as their aspirations and creative capabilities that can move towards the future with an enlightened mind free from distorted pre-judgments. Their votes were a direct and public challenge to all the policies which the Syrian tutelage regime and its men have tried to impose on them for the past three decades.
The Lebanese have voted for the motto of the state above that of the battle field and the sick sectary obsessions. They have voted for the program of unity against that of division. Their voted loudly say this people have decided that their nation cannot be traded over at negotiation tables. The elections’ results were bright as day light showing that the Lebanese are continuously demanding the civil state which rises above the sects, battlefield, unanimous rockets, and wiretapping. These results reveal an obvious tendency towards modernity and declining retardation and bigotry and towards building a new Lebanon which deserves us as much as we deserve it.

Chehayeb: cabinet obstruction is history
Date: June 15th, 2009 Source: Voice of Lebanon
Parliamentarian Akram Chehayeb, a member of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc explained Monday that the veto power share that was given to the minority in 2008 was a temporary solution and would never recur. Chehayeb, who was speaking to the Voice of Lebanon radio, said Lebanese leaders resorted to this temporary solution to restore calm in the country after eighteen months of political crisis. “Giving the minority veto powers in the cabinet is history, because the March 14 majority looks forward to revive the state’s institutions and not obstruct them” Chehayeb told Voice of Lebanon radio. “There is no division among the ranks of the March 14 coalition, and House Speaker Nabih Berry is our candidate for presiding over the parliament, for the moment.” Chehayeb declared that “the March 14 alliance leaders will hold a meeting soon to discuss the after-elections phase.”

Dennis Ross to be ousted as Obama's envoy to Iran
Date: June 15th, 2009 /Source: Haaretz
Dennis Ross, who most recently served as a special State Department envoy to Iran, will abruptly be relieved of his duties, sources in Washington told Haaretz. An official announcement is expected in the coming days. The Obama administration will announce that Ross has been reassigned to another position in the White House. In his new post, the former Mideast peace envoy under President Bill Clinton will deal primarily with regional issues related to the peace process.
Washington insiders speculate that a number of reasons moved the administration to reassign Ross. One possibility is Iran's persistent refusal to accept Ross as a U.S. emissary given the diplomat's Jewish background as well as his purported pro-Israel leanings. Ross is known to maintain contacts with numerous senior officials in Israel's defense establishment and the Israeli government. Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem surmised that another possibility for Ross' ouster is his just-released book, “Myths, Illusions, and Peace - Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East.”Ross, who co-wrote the book with David Makovsky, a former journalist who is a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, argued against a linkage between the Palestinian issue and the West's policy against Iran's nuclear ambitions. Ross and Mokovsky also raised the possibility of military action against Iran.
“Tougher policies - either militarily or meaningful containment - will be easier to sell internationally and domestically if we have diplomatically tried to resolve our differences with Iran in a serious and credible fashion,” they wrote. Another possible reason for the reshuffle could be Ross' dissatisfaction with his present standing in the State Department, particularly given the fact that Washington's two other envoys to the region - George Mitchell, who is overseeing the Mideast peace process; and Richard Holbrooke, who is dealing with Pakistan and Afghanistan - wield great influence and are featured prominently. A diplomatic source in Jerusalem speculated that perhaps Ross preferred to work for the National Security Agency, which answers directly to President Barack Obama, and would thus be considered a more enhanced role. Last year, Ross was an advisor to Obama's successful presidential campaign. Before Obama's inauguration, speculation was rampant as to which job Ross would assume in the new administration. On February 24, 2009, he was officially appointed as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's advisor on the Persian Gulf and special envoy to Iran.

Khalil: Electing Berry for another term, not subject to preconditions
Date: June 15th, 2009 Source: As-Safir
Deputy Ali Hassan Khalil, political assistant to House Speaker Nabih Berry said Monday that re-electing Berry for a new four-year-term is not subject to any conditions, As-Safir newspaper reported. “The re-election of House Speaker Nabih Berry cannot be subject in any way to the formation of the new cabinet. Anyways, unlike some leaders in the majority coalition, neither MP Saad Hariri nor MP Walid Jumblatt had suggested such precondition,” Khalil told the paper.
He disclosed “the opposition has not yet decided whether it would participate in the next cabinet and the issue awaits deliberation with the March 8 factions on one side and with the March 14 alliance on the other.”“The general atmosphere is positive and we tend to refrain from commenting on the fuss over the March 8 demand to be given veto powers in the next cabinet,” Khalil maintained. The March 8 alliance leaders had raised the issue of demanding veto powers ahead of parliamentary elections in the cabinet while the majority had shown total rejection of the matter. It seems that the March 8 minority is showing leniency in this concern and might concede its demand in return for taking guarantees to be given effective representation

Berri for Nomination of Hariri by Consensus
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri stressed in an interview that Lebanon has entered a new political stage thanks to the support of Syria, Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and the international community for consensus and partnership in the next cabinet. Berri lauded both Damascus and Riyadh for their "excellent" stance from the formation of a national unity government, urging the Lebanese to employ such support in the interest of national unity. Asked by pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on the upcoming premier, Berri said: "It is premature to deal with the issue of the government."He said the speaker, members of his office and parliamentary committees should be elected first and then the premier-designate should be chosen to form a new cabinet.
Berri said it is MP Saad Hariri's "natural right" to become prime minister, adding that he backed the Mustaqbal movement leader's nomination by consensus. On all-party talks, the speaker said the national dialogue should be held under President Michel Suleiman only after formation of the cabinet. Berri also said it was time to complete the implementation of the Taef accord in terms of adopting a new electoral law based on proportional representation and forming the national commission for abolishing sectarianism. Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 10:55

Hariri: It is my Duty to Unite the Lebanese
Naharnet/MP Saad Hariri has said it was his duty to unite the Lebanese, adding he would resort to dialogue on issues that the country's leaders disagree on.
"The elections led to a majority that should work to serve the Lebanese people," Hariri said in an interview with Egyptian TV on Sunday, adding it was "its duty to unite the Lebanese and provide security and safety which all Lebanese agree on."He said he will resort to the dialogue table to solve problems that the Lebanese disagree on.
Hariri told his interviewer that voting during the June 7 polls was neither against the opposition nor for al-Mustaqbal movement. "Voting was for the interest of Lebanon, coexistence, civil peace, reforming the economy and putting arms in the army's hands."Asked about a possible meeting between him and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hariri said: "We are talking with our allies first. And we hope there would be dialogue … With time there would be a meeting."He said Lebanon had good ties with all Arab countries, the U.S. and European countries, adding "we seek to have good ties with Syria and Iran but (on the basis of) state-to-state relations." Beirut, 15 Jun 09, 09:29

Nasrallah Congratulates Ahmadinejad on his Victory
Naharnet/Hizubollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday congratulated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his victory in presidential elections.
"Bless you this precious public confidence and this great love expressed by the Iranian people through re-elcting you for a second term," Nasrallah told Ahmadinejad in a letter.
"I assure you that your re-election represents a great hope for all the oppressed people, the Mujahideen, the fighters, the resistance and those who reject superpowers and occupiers," the statement added. Ahmadinejad won a second four-year term in a landslide election victory on Friday. Beirut, 14 Jun 09, 19:38

Siniora rules out veto power for opposition in next cabinet
Daily Star staff
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Sunday that Hizbullah's right to veto legislation would not be reinstated by the new Lebanese government. The Shiite movement Hizbullah and its Christian allies last year obtained the right to veto thanks to a deal that allocated them 11 of 30 cabinet seats.
The deal was eked out to defuse a power struggle with the rival coalition of Saad Hariri, whose coalition defeated the Shiite group and its allies in a general election on June 7.
But Siniora said that the deal "has nothing to do with the Lebanese Constitution or its democratic system." Siniora was speaking after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit in Cairo. The premier also met with Arab League chief Amr Moussa before returning to Beirut Sunday evening.
This is why this formula was for a predetermined period which ends with the end of the mandate of the current government," Siniora told journalists."If a new government of national unity is formed, it will be based on partnership and not on the principle of veto."
Hizbullah and its opposition allies have demanded that their veto power over key decisions be maintained.
Hariri's camp has said it would not accept this request while Hariri himself has said it was too early to speculate on such demands.
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Sunday that the parties and leaders of the March 14 alliance began consultations over electing a speaker, nominating a prime minister and forming a cabinet.
Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri expressed wishes to head Lebanon's next Cabinet. President Michel Sleiman and Premier Siniora have nominated the young politician for the post. Hariri met with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Saturday in Qoreitem after meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt on Friday.
On Saturday, Hariri held talks with President Sleiman at the Baabda Palace.
Hariri told reporters he was open to dialogue with all Lebanese groups and with Syria.
"The most important thing for us is for the Lebanon to benefit from Lebanese-Syrian ties and dialogue between our two countries will be beneficial to all," he said.
On Sunday, Hariri traveled to Saudi Arabia to hold talks with top officials there.
Meanwhile, MP Sleiman Franjieh said over the weekend that the opposition would not join a new Lebanese government unless they have veto power over its decisions.
Franjieh said that without veto power it would be better to stay in the opposition than to join the new government.
"Let them [March 14 Forces] rule and take the whole government, but without us as bystanders in it," Franjieh told Reuters in an interview.
"We will not hold things up. But we will refuse to join the government," added Franjieh, whose Marada movement won three of Parliament's 128 seats in the June 7 elections.
"Any formulation not including the third-plus-one is rejected by the opposition. Without the third, the opposition will not participate in the government," Franjieh said, adding that his statement reflected the opposition's position.
Hizbullah's second-in-command Sheikh Naim Qassem had told Reuters last week that the Shiite group and its allies had yet to agree a common stance on the new government. He would not comment on whether veto power would be a condition for participation.
The demand for veto power was at the heart of the political conflict that paralyzed Lebanon for 18 months in 2007-2008 under the administration of outgoing Siniora.
Also commenting on the Cabinet formation, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir expressed hope that Lebanese political leaders would do well in forming a new Cabinet that would "bravely carry out its responsibilities in these difficult times."
Speaking at his Sunday sermon at the Notre Dame Church in Bkirki,Sfeir said he hoped the new government would be able to unite the Lebanese around their homeland "before running to other countries."
"It is in Lebanon's interest that the country strengthens its relations through cooperation and friendship with all states but not at the expense of Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and interests," he said.
Sfeir thanked God that the 2009 parliamentary elections took place "without any major security incident."
In other news, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt called on Sunday for adopting an electoral law that provides "adequate opportunities to those with considerable talents and competence, but who are unable to find favor within large electoral, political and financial dynasties."
Speaking at a gathering in the Upper Metn village of Arsoun, Jumblatt said that despite the democracy in Lebanon, tribal and sectarian tensions have re-
-emerged. "We lost in [the district of]Baabda but the March 14 won in Lebanon. It is true that we accepted the electoral results but sometimes it is good to recall that we should have some quality in parliament," Jumblatt said.
"We will see what happens in the next elections, but we lost many worthy candidates," Jumblatt said.
Also on Sunday, the head of Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad expressed hope that the post-election phase would be based on cooperation as well "harmony between the resistance and the state-building approach."
"Lebanese can build their nation if they open their hearts to each other and if each [political] party knows its limits," Raad stressed. - The Daily Star, with AFP, Reuters

Israel 'perplexed' by Solana's talks with Hizbullah MP
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEIRUT: Israel was left "perplexed" by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's unprecedented meeting with an official from Lebanon's Hizbullah, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday. "This meeting left us perplexed, and we dare hope that Mr. Solana took advantage of the occasion to press for a disarming of Hizbullah and for the end of the arms smuggling between Syria and Hizbullah," Yigal Palmor told Agence France Presse.
Israel, which considers Hizbullah a terror group, fought a 34-day war with the Shiite group in July-August of 2006.
Solana had held talks with a Hizbullah official on Saturday, during a Beirut visit to reaffirm Europe's support for Lebanon after last week's polls.
He met in Parliament with MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, whose Shiite movement is also considered a terrorist organization by the United States and which was defeated in the June 7 general elections.
"Lists of terrorist groups are not the same in every country," Solana told a news conference when asked about the US blacklist of the Shiite group.
"Hizbullah is a member of the Lebanese society and it is represented in the Lebanese Parliament and it will bear responsibilities," he said before leaving for Egypt at the end of a two-day visit. Hajj Hassan told AFP the meeting "means more EU overture toward Hizbullah, and one at a higher level."
"This also means better communication for the European Union with the region and its parties," the Hizbullah MP said after the talks, adding that the move will "move the EU toward more realism."Hajj Hassan is among 11 Hizbullah candidates who won seats in the 128-seat Parliament.
Solana said Lebanon's rival leaders "realize the responsibility they face" and he expected them to "find a way to push the country forward and form a cabinet" as soon as possible.
The Hizbullah-led opposition wants to have veto power on key issues in any new government, as they did in the outgoing Cabinet, but majority leaders are opposed to this.
Solana, who also met with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, officials and party leaders, said earlier that the EU "is pleased with the 2009 parliamentary election results.
"They reflected the maturity of the country," Solana said. Lebanon was at risk of civil war last year after political differences between the rival camps boiled over.
"This [election] will help very much open a new page for the future of the country, prosperity, democracy and peace," Solana said.
"The EU will continue to support Lebanon, and the EU will continue its efforts, in regard to pursuing peace in the Middle East, in cooperation with the international community and the United States." Solana's trip coincided with a visit by American envoy George Mitchell, who vowed on Friday that Washington would not sacrifice Lebanon as it seeks comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Before Mitchell headed on to Syria, the two diplomats met briefly to discuss cooperation between the European Union and the United States, whose President Barack Obama has vowed to help kick-start stalled Arab-Israeli peace negotiations. The European Union does not blacklist Hizbullah as a terrorist organization and Britain said earlier this year it plans to authorize low-level contact with the group. "The military wing of Hizbullah is proscribed in the UK," but the political wing is now represented in the government, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in March. - AFP

Hariri seeks dialogue over Hizbullah's weapons
Majority leader 'extremely hopeful' Lebanon can avoid crisis
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, June 15, 2009/Jocelyne Zablit
Agence France Presse
BEIRUT: Saad Hariri said on Friday that dialogue was the only way of tackling Hizbullah's weapons after his Western-backed coalition defeated the Iranian-backed Shiite group and its allies in a general election. "In Lebanon, we need to have a dialogue when it comes to the weapons of Hizbullah," Hariri, who is tapped as Lebanon's next prime minister, told AFP in an interview, striking a conciliatory tone.
Hizbullah's arsenal has been a thorn in the side of the outgoing national unity government and at the center of a three-year-old national dialogue to define a defense strategy for Lebanon.
But the Shiite group has steadfastly refused to abandon its weapons arguing that they are needed to defend the country against Israeli attacks.
Hariri insisted that all differences between his majority coalition and the Hizbullah camp must be resolved at the negotiating table.
"We need to sit down first of all and accept [the outcome] of the election ... and make sure that when we have a dialogue. It should be a calm dialogue," said Hariri, billionaire son and political heir of slain ex-premier Rafik Hariri.
"We need to see what are the common issues that we all agree on and then the differences will be resolved."
He said he would not "shy away" from becoming prime minister if his coalition nominates him to the post.
"I will discuss it with my allies, I will not shy away from it," he said. "If we decide, all of us together, that this is what we want, that this is what is good for Lebanon, then we will take it from there." He also cautioned against any faction setting conditions before the new government is formed. Negotiations will begin after the new parliament is sworn in on June 20.
"The most important thing ... is for everyone not to preempt positions," Hariri said. "For the sake of Lebanon, for the sake of stability, we should not preposition ourselves.
"Let's be a little wise for once and benefit from the vote that was cast on Sunday," Hariri added.
"It [the vote] affirmed out democracy and a majority came out and everybody needs to read into all of these messages from the Lebanese people."
Hizbullah and its allies have demanded that the veto power over key decisions that they enjoy in the outgoing government be maintained.
Hariri's camp has said it would not accept this request while Hariri said it was too early to speculate on such demands.
"I am not going to speak about this issue," he said. "We held elections, everyone must read into them and when we reach the time for negotiations and naming the head of government we'll see." He also stressed that he was confident the country would not plunge into another political crisis as the one that brought Lebanon close to civil war last year. "I am extremely confident and optimistic that we will be wise enough to avoid Lebanon any political instability," he said.
Hizbullah waged a resistance campaign during Israel's devastating war on Lebanon in 2006 that left much of south of the country in ruins and killed more than 1,200 people, mainly Lebanese civilians, as well as 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers. The group has since refused to disarm despite a post-war UN resolution that calls for all militias in Lebanon to turn in their weapons. It argues that its arsenal is needed to defend the country against Israel. Hariri said that while his camp was committed to implementing the UN resolution, Israel also needed to cooperate.
"The Israelis need to understand that Lebanese airspace is not theirs, that Lebanese waters is not theirs and having spy networks in Lebanon is not acceptable according to UN Resolution 1701," he said.

Lebanon's crawl to equality
By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff/Monday, June 15, 2009
First person by Dalila Mahdawi
It sees itself as one of the Middle East's most liberal countries, but Lebanon's lack of women politicians sticks out like a sore thumb. While Lebanese women today enjoy senior positions in the private sector, political appointments have all but eluded them. Lebanese women were granted suffrage in 1953, yet to this day they face considerable obstacles in entering politics in a country where political dynasties and patriarchy rule. Most women who do enter politics do so "wearing black," filling a position made available by a deceased male relative and for which there is no other male relative available. Two such examples are Myrna Boustani, who became the first Lebanese woman in Parliament upon her father's death, and Nayla Mouawad, who entered after becoming a widowed Lebanese first lady.
But even when a female politician arrives in Parliament without the help of tragedy, such as Bahia Hariri in 1992 - well before the assassination of her brother Rafik Hariri, five-time prime minister - it still seems to be a requirement that she hail from a rich and traditionally political family. It is virtually impossible for independent, self-made women to enter the political arena.
Unfortunately, the issue of women's political participation was only superficially addressed in the June 7 elections. The polls, which saw a Hizbullah-led opposition defeated by the Western-backed March 14 coalition, were widely hailed as the most competitive in years, but out of 587 candidates only 12 were women, a figure that translates into a mere 2 percent. Even more deplorable is the fact that out of those 12, only four - Nayla Tueni, Bahia Hariri, Strida Geagea and Gilberte Zwein - were elected to Lebanon's 128-member parliament, with all of them hailing from political dynasties.
Lebanon's instability has in the past helped drown out the voices calling for gender equality. Over the last, relatively problem-free 12 months, however, those voices have become louder and more persistent - most notably in a campaign to alter Lebanon's discriminatory nationality law, which prevents Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese men from transferring their nationality to their husbands and children. Pressure has also been brought to bear on Beirut to amend discriminatory personal status laws and greater efforts to combat gender-based violence have been urged.
But during the run-up to the polls, the closest the country came to a national debate on women's role in politics was a slogan war between the opposition's Free Patriotic Movement, who played on the well-known French saying, "Sois Belle et Tais-Toi" (Be Beautiful and Shut Up) with their "Sois Belle et Vote" (Be Beautiful and Vote) poster, and the March 14 coalition, who responded with "Sois Egale et Vote" (Be equal and Vote). Parties seemed keen to attract women voters, but none made clear how exactly they intended to promote women's rights.
Women will only be able to play a greater part in the governance of Lebanon if the country's political system abandons the traditional status quo of a sectarian system toward a more secular meritocracy. A national commission to draft a new electoral law in 2005 suggested introducing a 30 percent women's quota, but this was rejected. If parties are serious in calling for equality between the genders, they could impose voluntary quotas within their structures to ensure that a minimum number of women run in both intra-party and national elections.
Lebanon in fact has a duty to eliminate gender discrimination. Beirut amended its Constitution in 1990 to embrace the International Bill for Human Rights, thus paving the way for international human rights to be applied to national legislation. It might be too late for this year's elections, but with enough willingness, greater political participation by Lebanese women could materialize by the 2010 municipal elections.
So long as Lebanon continues to hinder women's rights and prevents women from entering the political process, the country cannot enjoy true democracy. Men and women alike must work to encourage women parliamentarians. If Lebanese women have had the right to die as part of their country's army for the last 18 years, they should also have the right to help formulate the laws that govern every Lebanese citizen, man or woman.
**Dalila Mahdawi is a staff reporter for The Daily Star. This article first appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer and was written for the Common Ground News Service.

Lebanese divided over Iran's presidential election
Citizens disagree on whether vote was rigged
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEIRUT: On Friday, six days after the March 14 coalition won a parliamentary majority in Lebanon, Iran's voters went to the polls in another election with crucial ramifications for the Middle East. The Daily Star went to find out what people in Beirut thought about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's contentious re-election and discovered that the Lebanese haven't had enough of talking politics quite yet.  "We are with Ahmadinejad. We love him because he is against the United States," said Osama, 23. "Him being elected is a good thing for Arabs everywhere. Iran shares our religion. It is especially good for the Shiites in Lebanon." Firas, 22, meanwhile is disappointed with the electoral process in Iran. In contrast with the Lebanese elections, Iranian voters were being suppressed, he said. "It's all really shocking. Here you have a country which we in the Middle East look at as a semi-democracy but today we are seeing that being destroyed. People are being beaten into submission. That's not democracy." Gad, 24, also supports the victory of the incumbent president.

Any earthquakes in Iran have the potential to rattle Lebanon
By The Daily Star /Monday, June 15, 2009
Editorial
Iran may be plunging into a deep political crisis in the aftermath of the country's presidential election, the official results of which have been publicly contested by two of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's opponents. The tensions that have surged in the aftermath of the Iranian vote ought to prompt concern in Lebanon, particularly in view of the Islamic Republic's long-standing relations with Hizbullah.
The crisis that is potentially brewing in Iran goes beyond a mere dispute among rival candidates over the presidency. Frustrations are mounting among ordinary citizens who are growing increasingly rebellious toward the restrictions that have been imposed upon them in recent years. But more importantly, divisions are emerging among the country's leading clerics, pitting figures like Ahmadinejad against those such as Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the powerful Assembly of Experts, which in theory has the constitutional power to depose the supreme leader (though this power has never been put to practice). Any misstep by one of these clerical leaders risks setting off a chain of events that could lead to prolonged civil strife.
Any tremors in Iran have the potential to rattle Lebanon because of the historic ties that bind the Shiite communities of the two countries. The exact scenarios that could emerge are difficult to anticipate, though one can expect that internal pressure on the Iranian regime would certainly yield pressures on the Shiite community in Lebanon.
That pressure could manifest itself in a number of ways. For example, a divided polity in Iran could lead to divisions among the Shiite leadership in this country, or within and/or between local political parties and movements. Worse yet, Iran's internal melee could prompt leaders there to act out in other arenas by prodding Hizbullah into engaging in dangerous activities.
Times like these require wise and cautious leadership, both in Iran and in Lebanon. If a crisis emerges in Iran, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's best bet would be to keep his party at a safe distance from that country's internal brawl. Iranian leaders have often stated publicly that Lebanon's affairs are for the Lebanese. This might be a good time for the Lebanese to reciprocate that sentiment.

LIC Statement on the Lebanese Elections
June 10, 2009/The Lebanese Information Center in the US warmly congratulates the people of Lebanon for holding the crucial parliamentary elections on June 7th.
The LIC also recognizes the important role played by the Government of Lebanon, particularly the Ministry of Interior, by the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces and by the Lebanese and non-Lebanese election observers who helped in making sure the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner. The people have spoken. The majority of Lebanese voted for the principles of the Cedar Revolution, proving their solid commitment to a free, sovereign and democratic nation.

Lebanon busts key Qaeda cell: army commander
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — Lebanon has busted a key Al-Qaeda cell network that was plotting attacks in a number of Arab countries, its army commander said in comments published by Kuwaiti newspapers.
"We busted a huge network of Al-Qaeda," Lebanese Brigadier General Jean Kahwaji was quoted as saying by Assiyasah newspaper.
The network was plotting to "destabilise Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gulf countries including Kuwait," Kahwaji said at a function held at the Lebanese embassy in Kuwait City.
He provided no details about the date of the arrest, nor the number of those arrested or their nationality. There was no immediate confirmation from Beirut.
"We have fought against terror in Lebanon and I can affirm that we have broken its back and succeeded in uncovering people dealing with it," Kahwaji said.

Lebanon's elections: reading the signs
Written by Hazem Saghieh
http://www.australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11116:lebanons-elections-reading-the-signs-&catid=132:special-reports
Australia.TO News
A national election is usually an occasion for reviewing the performance of a governing party, endorsing it for another term or (in the event of a change) announcing an emergent movement endorsed by popular legitimacy. Hazem Saghieh is senior commentator for the London-based paper al-Hayat
Lebanon's parliamentary election of 7 June 2009 - whose result (against many expectations) confirmed the ruling "March 14" coalition in office, and left the militant Hizbollah group in opposition - was a successful case-study of this kind. The whole experience was even more remarkable given the flawed pre-election record of the March 14 forces and the fact that Hizbollah's guns overshadowed the electoral process. For elections to take place in the shadow of illegal weapons is rare enough; for the party fighting these weapons to win is an exceptional event that deserves an honoured place in the annals of democracy and electoral processes.
The falling myths
The election was a healthy exercise too in the way that the majority of the Lebanese were able to deconstruct and move beyond many of the political myths that had grown up around them since the astonishing year of 2005 - when (on 14 February) their former prime minister Rafiq Haririassassinated, the "cedar revolution" was born (with a huge demonstration on 14 March giving birth to the political movement of that name), Syrian troops (in March-April) withdrew from the country, and (in May-June) the general election awarded the new movement victory. was
Among the myths that arose then and can be now be discarded are these four:
* that the electoral result in 2005 was "an emotional reaction" to Rafiq Hariri's killing (allegedly by agents of Syria), without any other political and independence-related content
* that the 2005 outcome was the result of a Syria-imposed electoral law, producing a parliamentary majority "stolen" by March 14's "quadripartite alliance"
* that most Lebanese view their prime minister since July 2005, Fouad Siniora, as inadequate, stupid or through the lens of anger at his economic policies (Siniora's victory in the city of Saida is symbolic in this respect)
* that most Lebanese are content with Hizbollah and its suspension of the country's economic life.
Indeed, what the election reveals about Lebanese attitudes to Hizbollah is crucial. Most of the Lebanese do not feel comfortable with the weapons of the ‘‘resistance'', but rather fear them. They don't consider the war with Israel of July-August 2006 a "divine victory" nor Hizbollah's military advance on 7 May 2008 "a glorious day". This lazy discourse, and the alleged consensus around the ‘‘resistance", also fell with a deafening crash in the 7 June 2009 election.
The next chapter
The elections have also revealed about the Christians of Lebanon, whose core regions have in recent years witnessed the fiercest political battles. Two trends stand out. First, their disillusion with the emptiness of their elites had led many of them to transfer their support to General Michel Aoun as their primary leader. That this process is now in reverse is reflected in the failure of the main figures of the pro-Aoun Tayyar (Issam Abu Jamra, Jubran Bassil) and the Takattul political bloc (Elie Skaff) - as well as in the tight contests even in most of the districts where the "Aounists" eventually won. True, Michel Aoun won in areas such as Kesserwan, but his losses in Beirut I and Zahleh and the reduction of Zghorta to a northern redoubt are equally important. Since Michel Aoun played a dramatic role as a Christian who provided political "cover" for Hizbollah, the downward trend of his support reduces this current.
Second, there is more emphasis on a sort of "traditionalist" view of Lebanon. This traditionalism is hardly congenial to anyone aiming for a democratic, plural and secular society; but it is assuredly better than turning the country into a launch-pad for small rockets and a welcome-mat for bigger rockets.
But even a peaceful and myth-breaking election leaves ambiguity in its wake. The democratic announcement by the majority of Lebanese of their opinion and convictions is one thing - the ability to take power in their own hands is another. Now, more than ever, democracy and ‘‘resistance'' seem to be at opposite ends. Most Lebanese will continue to feel that no matter what they decide, the weapons will remain pointed at them. The next chapter in their life will be dominated by how they deal with this issue and its regional complexities.
**Hazem Saghieh is senior commentator for the London-based paper al-Hayat
**This article is published by Hazem Saghieh, and openDemocracy.net under a Creative Commons licence.

A Reformist Wave in Iran? You Can Thank Bush, One Spin Doctor Says
By Al Kamen
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402615.html
Monday, June 15, 2009
Some Republicans seemed to have been caught off guard last month when the liberal media credited President Obama with helping in the recent victory of a pro-Western coalition in Lebanon. So on Friday, the Iranians had barely finished voting -- and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hadn't yet stolen the election -- when the spinning began on who should get credit for the reformists' surge in the polls there.
Veteran spinmeister Ari Fleischer, a former Bush White House spokesman, appears to have been the first out the box, at 11:55 a.m., with an interesting analysis. No one yet knew the final outcome, he wrote in an e-mail to our colleague Glenn Kessler, but "one of the reasons there is a substantial reform movement in Iran -- particularly among its young people -- is because of George W. Bush's tough policies." He noted that Bush's policies in Lebanon also helped in the recent elections there.
"A big push for reform is because of the desire of Iranians to get out from sanctions, to put an end to the country's international ostracism," Fleischer wrote and, most interestingly, "because Shiites in particular see Shiites in Iraq having more freedoms than they do. Bush's tough policies have helped give rise to the reformists and I think we're witnessing that today."
Plus there was all this "outreach to the people of Iran," he wrote, at the State Department, with those "people-to-people exchange programs" involving artists and doctors and film folks and so forth. We especially recall the 14 artists then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met two years ago. All in all, they doubtless reached more people than Obama did with his Cairo speech on June 4.
So "I think it's fair to say the George Bush's Freedom Agenda planted seeds that have started to grow in the Middle East," Fleischer concluded.
Not to mention those seeds for the economy here.
NO MORE PHOTO OOPS
Louis Caldera, the former White House Military Office chief who quit last month after approving that bizarre Air Force One photo op over Manhattan that frightened countless New Yorkers, has landed a job. He'll be a senior fellow focusing on higher education and national security matters at the Center for American Progress, run by John Podesta, a co-chairman of Obama's transition team.
Obama aides said at the time that the president was furious about the April 27 flyover, which included an Air Force One understudy and two F-16 military fighter aircraft flying over the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan, not all that far from the site of the World Trade Center. The photo shoot, which cost up to $357,000, sent panicked New Yorkers into the streets thinking another attack was occurring.
NEW NTSB MEMBERS?
Speaking of air travel, there's talk that the administration is about to nominate a few members to the National Transportation Safety Board. We're hearing that Chris Hart, who had been on the NTSB a while back and was a top official at the Federal Aviation Administration, may be repeating his stint on the NTSB.
Mark Rosekind, a former NASA scientist and fatigue-management expert, also looks to be getting a seat on the five-member board.
FAMILIAR NIXON-ERA FACES
Mark your calendars! John Dean, he of Watergate fame, is going to be speaking at . . . ready? The Nixon Library! This will be Wednesday, the 37th anniversary of the break-in. (The library had been run with a decidedly conservative tilt, but the new management apparently prefers more political diversity.)
But Dean? The "cancer on the presidency" guy who was key to bringing down the whole administration? He's doing a book-signing at the library, according to a note we received early last week, of the paperback edition of his 1976 work, "Blind Ambition," which is being privately published by his PR firm, with a new afterword.
Another guest sure to warm the hearts of Nixon fans, Richard Ben-Veniste, who worked in the Watergate special prosecutor's office and on the 9/11 Commission, is appearing July 8 to talk about his new book on those events. July 8, 1974, Loop fans may recall, was the day the Supreme Court heard arguments in U.S. v. Nixon. Ben-Veniste participated in the arguments before the court.
TO BRUSSELS AND BEYOND
Obama officially made the long-awaited nominations of former Virginia lieutenant governor Don Beyer to be ambassador to Switzerland and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney to Ireland last week. (We heard that GOP Rep. Peter King of New York demurred when asked about Dublin.)
Speaking of turning down jobs, prominent Washington lawyer Howard Gutman, who apparently had his pick of some excellent top-level jobs in the administration, opted instead to be ambassador to Brussels. Gutman, a former special assistant for counterterrorism to ex-FBI director William Webster, longtime Democratic adviser and original member of Obama's national finance committee -- he bundled more than half a million bucks -- will be only an hour and a half from Paris.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis lawyer Sam Kaplan, a longtime Minnesota Democratic power broker and fundraiser -- he was another major bundler for Obama -- is in line for an embassy job in Rabat, Morocco, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
And Mark Gitenstein, former Senate Judiciary Committee aide to then-Chairman Joe Biden, picks up the Bucharest, Romania, embassy. Gitenstein had been considered a shoo-in for assistant attorney general for legal policy, but liberal opposition against him for some of his legal work for a number of business clients forced the administration to reconsider.

WALILD PHARES: Iran’s Elections — A National Show Designed to Delay Democracy
By Walid Phares/Terror Expert/FOX News Contributor
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/14/phares_walid_iran_election/
Iran’s presidential elections are over and — as predicted by the unapologetic regime’s experts and the real opposition groups in exile — Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the “pure son” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Pasdaran, wins, and wins big. For the connoisseurs in Khomeinist politics the win was a given from the beginning of the so-called Iranian presidential elections — there wouldn’t be any result that would contradict the principles upon which the “Islamic Republic” was founded. There was not a shred of doubt about the complete control the supreme ruler, Ali Khamenei, had on the process and the result.
Once again, the Khomeinists have demonstrated their skills in taming their people, fooling the international public and outmaneuvering many Western chanceries.
As detailed by many specialists on the regime’s tentacles, the selection process of a “new” president for the “Republic” has multiple security mechanisms which ensure that the “elected” leader is in line with the Khomeinist ideology, platform, and long term goals.
First, no candidate opposing the “Islamist ideology” can be granted the authorization to run. The institutions regulating the elections are solidly in the hands of the ayatollahs. Hence, there is no pluralist process to begin with. Voters must select from those candidates “chosen” for them by the regime. Democracy dies in the first stage of the process, since citizens can only choose from one basket and candidates can only discuss what is permissible by the authorities. In short, Iran’s presidential elections are a charade, a show of colors and sounds, nothing more, nothing less. But international public opinion, particularly in the West, has seen images of “different” candidates, some labeled more moderate than others, and have seen large numbers of voters rushing to the polls in Iran. Weren’t the candidates really clashing over real differences? In fact, they were engaged in a “real” clash but not over “real” differences.
Here is why: In a well-orchestrated process which unfolds the ruling Mullahs’ scrutiny, four candidates have been selected by the Guardian Council — the supreme Islamist politbureau which sanctions all critical decisions in the country — to run for this election: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohsen Rezai, and Mehdi Karoubi. The first is the current president, a previous member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). The second was Iran’s prime minister during the war years of the 1980’s, under Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the leader who advocated the nuclear weapons program. The third is a former chief of the Pasdaran, wanted by the Interpol for alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Argentina. The fourth, a former speaker of the Parliament, was one of Khomeini’s activists who supported the fatwa to execute British novelist Salman Rushdie.
Thus the four candidates were all part of the regime and were his faithful sons running against each other to snatch the top office of the executive branch. Khamenei’s top elite throw these bones to the public every presidential cycle to have them choose the “best CEO” for the “Islamic Republic” but would never allow a candidate to argue against this “Khomeinist Imamate.” Thus the question here is why would a solid regime, with a powerful repressive Pasdaran, endowed with millions of petrodollars even allow this charade? Why the show and for whom? Here are the two reasons for this spring’s production:
Playing to the Domestic Audience
With the rise of political pluralism in the country’s larger “neighborhood” in the Middle East, pressure is growing in Iran from young people, women, labor unions, intellectuals and many other citizens to move towards democracy. Watching women being freely elected in Afghanistan after the Taliban, witnessing the rise of more than a hundred political parties in a multi-ethnic Iraq after the fall of Saddam, and watching the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon defeat the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in elections has led to an epiphany among regular folk living under the oppressive rule of the Mullahs. The longing for debates, the simple freedom to carry signs, scream the names of candidates out loud, and watch televised debates cannot be so easily contained, and the ruling elite of Tehran have realized this. Even Kuwait and Pakistan are producing slowly mutating democracies. “If you don’t give some room to breathe they will explode,” advised the regime’s architects about their country’s citizens. In addition, the question of ethnic minorities is already exploding: Arabs in Khusistan, Baluch in the East, Azeris in the Northwest and Kurds in the West are all in ebullition over obtaining autonomy. The regime organized this sumptuous feast of a presidential “election” as way to divert national attention from the real ethnic uprising taking place in many regions of the “Republic.” How ironic it is to conclude that the Iranian presidential elections have been initially organized as a national show to delay democracy, not to hasten it. How can the real domestic opposition, whose leaders and cadres are assassinated, pursued, exiled, tortured and jailed claim a lack of freedom if millions of Iranians have been “part” of an election? To preempt a full democracy, the regime plays a few of its tunes to the public, before it closes the gates on real change.
Performing for an International Audience
But the “show” had an international audience as well. Iran’s regime has been accused by many in the West, including the former Bush administration, of being “oppressive.” Even though the current Obama administration has dropped the word from its lexicon and calls Tehran’s totalitarian Ayatollahs with the name they prefer, “The Islamic Republic of Iran,” still the regime feels it needs to embellish its tarnished image. And, as the current U.S. administration and some European governments are gearing up for a sit-down with the Iranian rulers to eventually cut a “realistic” deal with them, it would be very helpful for Western liberal democracies to show their own public that they are indeed dealing with an emerging democracy in Iran. Hence, covering Iran’s elections as real and free suffrage with people actually “electing” a president will allow certain leaders in the West to move more comfortably in the direction of Khamanei’s Islamist republic. Hence, not only the multi -candidates’ (controlled) cacophony is good to numb democratic feelings inside Iran, but it is also good to numb criticism abroad and facilitates deals between diplomats and eventually businessmen.
However, a more ominous goal is smartly embedded in the charade. As the international community presses Iran’s regime on the nuclear crisis, electing a “new” president, in fact “reelecting” the current president is an enormous boost delivered in the ideal international context. By the time countries all over the world prepare to strike back with bombs, missiles and counter missiles and more at the Tehran’s regime’s plan for installing a nuclear military systemm another powerful shield will have been added to the Khomeinist layers of defenses: the claim that Iran has a “democratically” elected president. Indeed, the power of just such an argument will resonate deeply in the West. With a global media astutely manipulated to cover a dynamic election in Iran, the political reality will be different: future Iranian propagandists and their operatives in the West will argue that democracies cannot disarm other democracies. One of the most dramatic consequences of framing this presidential election as “real” will be felt much later, when the time to deal with the nuclear armed regime in Iran comes.
An Unexpected Uprising
Unlike previous elections, this last one ended with violent demonstrations, rioting and civil unrest in Tehran and some other locations in the country. For the first time Western audiences were watching Iranian police and Pasdaran cracking down on demonstrators upset with the regime’s electoral fraud. Mousavi’s supporters rejected the results and filed an appeal against the election’s outcome. Observers wondered why thousands of his partisans took to the streets chanting against the “regime” as a whole. In fact, this was an optical illusion: The massive demonstrations against Ahmadinejad were (and are) conducted by real opposition masses. Students, young people, men and women have been emulating the Tiananmen Square uprising, as well as Eastern Europe’s awakening against the Soviets and going beyond the electoral dispute. In reality, the people clashing with the regime’s militia aren’t solely Mousavi’s supporters. Most of them are anti-Khomeinist protesters who are seizing the opportunity of the election fraud to show the world how disenfranchised they are. They are a “third” group, the real underdogs.
Thus the unexpected happened and the regime, which was hoping to produce an election and get away with its results, is now clamping down. As in other authoritarian regimes, the Khomeinists used the “counter-masses”, those members of the ruling party and its organizations to gather a super-demonstration “in support” of Ahmadinejad. By acting fast, the supreme rulers showed they are in control of their own people. Their propaganda machine and their allies worldwide rushed to prove that the Ahmadinejad supporters are greater in numbers, thus minimizing the uprisings by smaller groups of youth. Unless international solidarity builds quickly around the democracy movements on the streets, the Pasdarans will regain the streets again.
Once again, the Khomeinists have demonstrated their skills in taming their people, fooling the international public and outmaneuvering many Western chanceries. But this is only to delay an irreversible forthcoming real change. Time will tell when.
**Dr. Walid Phares is a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a visiting scholar with the European Foundation for Democracy. He is the author of “The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracv.”