LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 26/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:21-29. Not everyone who
says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who
does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your
name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them
solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' Everyone who
listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who
built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and
buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be
like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the
winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for
he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
-Naharnet
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
No one
will weaken this turbulent priest-By
Michael Young 25/06/09
What
will the rapid thaw between Syria and the US mean for Lebanon?
The
-Daily Star 25/06/09
Analysis: Toothless watchdogs of democracy-Jerusalem
Post 25/06/09
Even in
death, expect Neda to come out victorious-By
David Ignatius 25/06/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June
25/09
Lebanon assembly re-elects Hezbollah ally speaker-Washington
Post
Report: Israel Proposes Bilateral Political Talks with Lebanon-Naharnet
Berri Re-Elected Speaker by a
Majority of Votes-Naharnet
U.N.
Lebanon Tribunal Sets Up Secure Website For Tip-Offs-Naharnet
Suleiman Begins Talks Friday to Select a Prime Minister
-Naharnet
Israeli Tanks Amass along Border, Over Flights Intensify
-Naharnet
Qassem: New Premier's Identity Still Unclear; Hizbullah Open to Talks with West
Except U.S.
-Naharnet
Egypt Confirms Tycoon, ex-Police Officer to Hang for Suzanne Tamim's Murder-Naharnet
'Zahle in the Heart' Bloc
Stresses Commitment to Electoral Platform-Naharnet
Aoun Insists Opposition
Wants Proportional Representation 'Not' Veto Power-Naharnet
Lebanon's 2009 Parliament:
13 Blocs, 11 Independent MPs-Naharnet
Obama Toughens Iranian Stance-Wall
Street Journal
Arab States Aligned With US Savor Turmoil in Iran-New
York Times
US sees Syria as key player for Mideast peace-Ha'aretz
US to
send ambassador to Syria after four-year hiatus-Daily
Star
Hariri:
Future Movement bloc will back Berri's re-election as speaker-Daily
Star
Beirut,
STL work to set up witness protection program-Daily
Star
Saudi
envoy denies allegations of funding polls-Daily
Star
Lebanon
charges 5 over plot to kill Libya PM-By
Agence France Presse (AFP)
US man
gets 17 months in jail for aiding Hizbullah-Daily
Star
UNIFIL
hands Israel proposal for withdrawal from Ghajar-Daily
Star
Lebanon
mission launchpad for Turkey's foreign-policy agenda-Daily
Star
Lebanese
consumers hit by sharp rise in global energy costs-Daily
Star
PSP
Women Chapter holds reception at Monroe Hotel-Daily
Star
Number
of swine flu infections rises to 30 after 5 new cases-Daily
Star
Hariri
approves new measures to eliminate sexism in school books-Daily
Star
AUB
professor, agriculture expert dies-Daily
Star
Czech
Embassy details rules on Schengen visas-Daily
Star
LAU
exhibition features work of 100 graphic design students-Daily
Star
Chouf
students win stamp design contest for Games of Francophonie-Daily
Star
Lebanon assembly re-elects Hezbollah ally speaker
By Tom Perry/Reuters
Thursday, June 25,
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament Thursday elected Nabih Berri as speaker
for the coming four years, extending his 17-year leadership of the chamber in a
vote that underlined improved ties between rival politicians. Berri, an ally of
the military and political movement Hezbollah, stood uncontested for the post,
reserved for a Shi'ite Muslim according to a sectarian power-sharing system.
Ninety of parliament's 128 members voted for the 71-year old, including the
Future Movement of Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri, one of Berri's main
opponents during a crisis that pushed Lebanon to the brink of civil war last
year. Hariri's "March 14" coalition won a parliamentary majority in a June 7
election, defeating a rival alliance including Berri's Amal movement and
Hezbollah, which between them dominate Shi'ite representation in Lebanon.
Hariri, 39, is a frontrunner to head the new government. His decision to back
Berri is seen as supportive of Lebanon's stability and a further sign of
improved ties between Syria and Saudi Arabia, whose rivalry was viewed as a
major cause of the country's crises in recent years. Saudi Arabia and western
countries including the United States have been major supporters of Hariri and
his allies in their power struggle with rivals backed by Syria and Iran.
Addressing parliament after his election, Berri called on Lebanon's politicians
to seize "the regional and international moment ... to strengthen Lebanon's
peace and stability." "This requires us to facilitate the establishment of a
national government," said Berri, viewed as one of Syria's closest allies in
Lebanon. Speaking after a meeting with Berri Wednesday, Hariri said voting for
the Amal leader was a decision that would "strengthen national unity and
preserve civil peace." President Michel Suleiman is expected to hold
consultations with parliamentarians in the coming days over their choice for
prime minister. He is obliged to designate the most popular choice, widely
expected to be Hariri. Hezbollah had called for the formation of a national
unity government with veto power for the minority alliance after the
parliamentary election, though the group has not repeated the demand since the
vote.
Berri Re-Elected Speaker by a Majority of Votes
Naharnet/Parliament on Thursday re-installed Nabih Berri for a fifth 4-year-term
as Parliament Speaker and Farid Makari as Deputy Speaker for a second term.
Berri received 90 votes and 28 white ballots, while Makari got 74 votes and 25
white ballots.
The Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces have openly objected to Berri's
re-election for failure to provide guarantees beforehand that he would not shut
doors of Parliament as he did during an 18-month political crisis that gripped
Lebanon before a deal was cut in Doha on electing a new President. They have
threatened to cast white votes.
127 of the 128-seat Parliament -- 13 political blocs and 11 independent MPs --
took part in the vote on a Speaker. Absence was MP Riad Rahhal.
Marwan Hamadeh and Antoine Zahra were elected Parliament Secretaries.
MPs Serge Tor Sarkissian, Michel Moussa and Ahmed Fatfat also got posts in new
Lebanon Parliament.
"Those who cast blank votes today I am sure will re-elect me in four years,"
Berri said in his acceptance speech.
Celebratory gunfire could be heard across Beirut after Berri's re-election.
"I am responsible towards, and not for, Parliament and the Lebanese citizens and
I am committed to the legislature's inner-rules," Berri said.
He pledged that parliament would continue efforts to "liberate Lebanese
territories, work on removing mines and guarantee the implementation of Security
Council resolution 1701."
Berri called for the consolidation of the army as well as supporting the
resistance which he considered "a necessity as long as Israel continues to eye
Lebanese land."
Berri's re-election was settled after intensive political contacts, particularly
within March 14 Forces and Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc.
These contacts included detailed debate on the importance of voting for or
against Berri.
The daily As Safir said Mustaqbal bloc leader MP Saad Hariri heard objections on
Berri during the launch meeting Wednesday of "Lebanon First" parliamentary bloc
in Qoreitem.
It said Hariri, however, warned the protesters that he had "paid a dear price"
for the May 7, 2007 bloody events, adding that "if we are keen on coexistence,
then we must extend our hand to Berri." Pan-Arab al-Hayat, for its part, said
Hariri even heard quite a bit of objections from his own bloc.
It said many MPs reminded Hariri of the previous era when Berri shut down
Parliament during the 18-month crisis, refusing to open up the doors not even as
a tribute to the memory of lawmakers who were assassinated during that period.
They also complained that Berri was known for his individual decision-making
regarding dealing with the work of Parliament in addition to ignoring the powers
of Parliament office, freezing around 72 draft laws related to economic and
administrative reforms, and boycotting Prime Minister Fouad Saniora. The meeting
ended with an agreement that Hariri would put forth before Berri observations on
behalf of "Lebanon First" under three headlines, including guarantees the
Speaker would not shut Parliament doors, pledge for amending the law on
Parliament's inner-system and speed up the presentation of the 72 frozen draft
laws. Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 07:53
Qassem: New Premier's Identity Still Unclear; Hizbullah Open to Talks with West
Except U.S.
Naharnet/Hizbullah's second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem said Thursday the
nomination of the new prime minister must be "an inseparable part" of an
agreement on a new government and added it remained unclear who the next premier
will be.
In an interview with AFP, Qassem said: "So far, the identity of the
premier-designate is unclear in anticipation of the outcome of (parliamentary)
deliberations."
He said the opposition will decide on "how to approach the new government based
on the designated premier's proposition."
Asked if Hizbullah favored a certain nominee for premier, he replied: "Right
now, we do not have a specific candidate as we wait for the outcome of the
deliberations.
"What is required is for (the candidate) to be an inseparable part of an
agreement on the government's structure and the distribution of ministries in
cabinet," Qassem added.
"A government of national unity must have a formula that convinces all
participants," said Hizbullah's deputy secretary general.
"The opposition has a prior idea on the form its participation will take in a
national unity government. It has agreed not to disclose its definitive and
final point of view before point of view definitively as it waits what will be
proposed," Qassem added.
He saw in the reelection Thursday of Speaker Nabih Berri a "natural outcome to a
desire for the next phase to be one of accord and understanding." Qassem said a
speedy formation of a government was "in the best interest of the country."
Qassem also said it was only normal for the new prime minister to be a member of
the majority in general and "al-Mustaqbal movement in specific" adding the
opposition did not have reservations on proposed candidates. "The ongoing debate
is over how to form the government and according to what criteria," he said.
Speaking about his party's relations with foreign countries, he said Hizbullah
was open to talks with representatives of all Western governments except the
United States.
"Several U.S. officials at different levels and more or less close to the
administration have asked to speak with but we have refused," he said.
"It is useless to have any dialogue with the Americans since they regard us as
terrorists," Qassem added. "The Europeans for their part have a role to play,
especially as they are taking a different approach from the Americans."
On the regional level, Qassem accused the West of fomenting protests in Iran
over this month's presidential election but added that Hizbullah had no worries
about the stability of its main foreign backer.
"The extent of Western and American involvement in Iran's internal affairs is
now clear," the group's deputy leader said in the interview.
"What is going on in Iran is not a simple protest against the results of the
presidential election," he said. "There are riots and attacks in the streets
that are orchestrated from the outside in a bid to destabilize the country's
Islamic regime."
Tensions have been rising between Iran and the West over the Islamic regime's
suppression of mass street protests sparked by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's
contested re-election on June 12.
Qassem insisted that his party would not be affected by the events Tehran.
"Hizbullah has nothing to do with Iran's internal affairs," he said. "We don't
side with anyone. This is an internal Iranian issue.
"What is happening there has nothing to do with our situation," he added. "We
have our own Lebanese identity and popularity, and these events don't concern
us."
He said he felt certain the situation in Iran would soon return to normal.
"The Islamic republic has succeeded in overcoming this plot from overseas aimed
at destabilizing the internal situation," Qassem said, singling out Britain for
criticism of its role.(AFP) Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 17:06
Israeli Tanks Amass along Border, Over Flights Intensify
Naharnet/The Israeli army has stepped up its presence along the border with
Lebanon deploying armored tanks and setting up fortifications as it intensified
airspace violations in the area, the National News Agency reported Thursday. In
"unusual military activity," the Israeli army deployed Merkava tanks and soldier
carriers, among other armored vehicles, along the barb-wired fence separating
Shebaa Farms from liberated Lebanese territories, the NNA said. Israeli tanks
were also amassing along a five-kilometer area, stretching from Tallat Sobaih
army post to Jabal al-Sheikh observatory. Sporadic gunfire was also heard
throughout the day, the NNA reported. Meanwhile, the Israeli air force carried
out several flights over Shebaa Farms, al-Arqoub villages, Hasbaya, Marjayoun,
western Bekaa and Iqleem al-Tuffah. Israeli choppers were also spotted over the
Farms from 6:00 am till 8:30 am. On the outskirts of al-Abassiyeh, the Israeli
army set up fortifications and barricades as part of a military workshop around
al-Dohaira post, off the town of al-Ghajar. Heavy machinery was being used
including bulldozers, drills and large cranes. A similar workshop was taking
place at Jabal al-Sheikh's observatory with soldiers setting up military
equipment. Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 18:04
U.N. Lebanon Tribunal Sets Up
Secure Website For Tip-Offs
Naharnet/A U.N. court investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri,
former prime minister of Lebanon, launched a secure website Thursday for people
to supply information on the case.
The page was specifically for people "who have valuable information for the
investigation but have no secure and confidential means to pass it on," said a
statement from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's prosecutors office.
"It is a fairly common practice at the level of international justice,
particularly with the international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former
Yugoslavia, the prosecutor's spokesman Radhia Achouri told Agence France Presse
(AFP).
The Internet page, available in English, French and Arabic -- the tribunal's
three official languages -- "has nothing to do with the investigation, which is
making progress," said Achouri.
"We want to give everyone who would like to supply information a chance to do
so," she added.
"It is for us to check if this information is worth following up or not. If we
can find some useful information in everything that gets sent, so much the
better."
The English version is at https://www.stl-tsl.org/action/submissionform.
Hariri's murder in a bomb blast on the Beirut seafront that killed 22 other
people in February 2005 was widely blamed on Syria but Damascus has denied
involvement.
The U.N. Security Council created the tribunal in 2007 -- at the request of
Lebanon -- to find and prosecute those responsible for the attack.
The tribunal has no suspects in custody since ordering the release in April of
four pro-Syrian generals held by Lebanon for nearly four years without
charge.(AFP)
Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 13:41
Report: Israel Proposes Bilateral Political Talks with Lebanon
Naharnet/An Israeli army delegation has proposed to the Lebanese side to take
Lebanese-Israeli military talks under the auspices of the U.N. peacekeepers'
command to the next stage, As Safir daily reported Thursday.
The newspaper said that the proposal came during a meeting held between the two
sides on the implementation of resolution 1701 in the presence of UNIFIL
commander Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano in Naqoura on Wednesday.
Lebanese government sources told As Safir that the Israeli side proposed to
Lebanese army representatives to move the talks which solely focus on the
implementation of the resolution "to the bilateral political level between the
governments of Lebanon and Israel."
"If you accept our invitation, all (problems) would be subject to a solution at
one time," the Israeli delegation head reportedly told the Lebanese side.
But the Lebanese army representatives bluntly replied that government
instructions limit the tripartite meeting's agenda to issues related to the
implementation of resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war between the Jewish
state and Hizbullah.
"We can't hold bilateral talks with you. There are clear international
resolutions and internationally recognized borders," the Lebanese delegation
told the Israelis. It later informed Premier Fouad Saniora about the results of
the tripartite meeting that lasted three hours.
Meanwhile, As Safir said the UNIFIL command informed the Lebanese side that the
Israeli violation of the Blue Line was removed after the Israeli army had taken
down its flag at an observation post that it erected last Wednesday in a
restricted area on the outskirts of Kfarshouba hills.
However, An Nahar daily said that the outpost was intact and all that Israel did
was to take down the flag.
Kfarshouba's mayor Izzat al-Qadri who inspected the area on Wednesday, told the
newspaper that the Israeli violation was ongoing.
"I urge the Lebanese prime minister, the army command and the UNIFIL leadership
to do all efforts to end this violation," he said. Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 08:31
Egypt Confirms Tycoon, ex-Police Officer to Hang for Suzanne Tamim's Murder
Naharnet/Egypt's criminal court confirmed the death sentence against tycoon
Hisham Talaat Mustafa and ex-police officer Mohsen al-Sukkari for the killing of
Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim after the verdict was approved by the country's
top cleric.
Judge Al-Mohammedi Qunsua confirmed sentences of death by hanging for Mustafa
and al-Sukkari for respectively ordering and carrying out Tamim's murder in a
luxury Dubai apartment in July last year.
The court initially issued its verdict in May, but in line with Islamic law, the
death sentence had to be approved by the country's mufti.
The defendants were escorted out of the courtroom after the judge's proclamation
which was greeted calmly by their friends and relatives, in sharp contrast to
scenes of screaming and fainting during the May court session.
Since his appointment as mufti in 2003, Sheikh Ali Gomaa has received 480
requests to review death sentences and only refused two of them.
Defendants can still appeal the decision, a justice official said.
Mustafa was arrested last September and charged with ordering and paying 2
million dollars in cash for the murder of Tamim at her upmarket flat in Dubai on
July 28, 2008 Egyptian prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud said at the time.
Mustafa, a stalwart of the ruling National Democratic Party and member of the
Shura Council, Egypt's upper house, runs the Talaat Mustafa Group real estate
company worth several billion dollars.
Tamim, who rose to fame after winning a Lebanese talent show in 1996, was
stabbed several times and reportedly decapitated in her flat.
Her life had been marred by domestic disputes, including a rocky marriage with
her second husband and agent who had accused her in 2004 of being behind an
attempt on his life.
Media reports have said the tycoon offered Tamim 50 million dollars to marry
him. Egyptian media said the singer had a relationship with Mustafa over a
three-year period that ended several months before her death.
The case captivated Egyptians as it involved a member of elite often viewed as
above the law.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 10:24
Lebanon's 2009 Parliament: 13 Blocs, 11 Independent MPs
Lebanon First Bloc- 30 MPs
Saad Hariri- Leader
Ahmed Fatfat, Bassem al-Shab,Badr Wannous, Bahia Hariri, Jean Oghassabian, Jamal
al-Jarrah, Amin Wehbe, Khaled Zahraman, Khaled Daher, Riyad Rahal, Ziad al-Qadiri,
Sebouh Qalbaqian, Samir al-Jisr, Serge Tor-Sarkissian, Atef Majdalani, Ammar
Houry, Imad al-Hout, Nuhad al-Mashnouq, Hadi Hobeish, Farid Makari, Fouad
Saniora, Mohammed Qabbani, Moeen al-Merehbeh, Nabil de Freij, Nicola Ghosn,
Nidal Touhmeh, Ghazi Youssef, Hashem Alameddine, Khodr Habib.
Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc- 12 MPs
Mohammed Raad- Leader
Hassan Fadlallah, Hussein Hajj Hassan, Hussein al-Moussawi, Ali Ammar, Ali
Fayyad, Ali al-Miqdad, Kamel al-Rifai, Mohammed Fneish, Nawwar al-Sahili, Nawwaf
al-Moussawi, Walid Sukkariyeh.
Development & Liberation Bloc- 13 MPs
Nabih Berri- Leader
Anwar al-Khalil, Ayyoub Humayyed, Abdel Latif el-Zein, Abdel Majid Saleh, Ali
Bazzi, Ali Hussein Khalil, Ali Khreis, Ali Ossairan, Ghazi Zoaiter, Michel
Moussa, Hani Qobaissi, Yassine Jaber.
Reform & Change Bloc- 18 MPs
Michel Aoun- Leader
Ibrahim Kanaan, Edgard Maalouf, Alain Aoun, Gilberte Zouain, Hikmat Dib, Ziad
Aswad, Salim Salhab, Simon Abi Ramia, Abbas Hashem, Issam Sawaya, Ghassan
Mukhaiber, Farid Elias al-Khazen, Michel Helou, Nabil Nicola, Nehmatallah Abi
Nasr, Walid Khoury, Youssef Khalil.
Democratic Gathering Bloc- 12 MPs
Walid Jumblat- Leader
Akram Shehayyeb, Antoine Saad, Elie Aoun, Alaaeddine Terro, Ghazi al-Aridi,
Fouad al-Saad, Mohammed al-Hajjar, Marwan Hamadeh, Nehme Tohmeh, Henry Helou,
Wael Abou Faour.
Phalanges Bloc- 5 MPs
Samer Saade, Sami Gemayel, Fadi al-Habr, Nadim Gemayel, Elie Marouni.
Lebanese Forces Bloc- 8 MPs
Antoine Zahra, Elie Keyrouz, George Adwan, Strida Geagea, Farid Habib, Chant
Janjanian, Joseph Maalouf, Tony Abou Khater.
Zgharta Bloc- 4 MPs
Suleiman Franjieh- Leader
Estefan Doueihy, Salim Karam, Emile Rahme.
Armenian Bloc- 2MPs
Arthur Nazarian, Hagop Pakradounian.
Nationalist and Patriotic Bloc- 4 MPs
Assem Qansou, Qassem Hashem, Assaad Hardan, Marwan Fares.
Zahle in the Heart Bloc- 3 MPs
Nicola Fattoush, Assem Araji, Oqab Saqr.
Unity of the Mountain Bloc- 4 MPs
Talal Arslan, Fadi al-Aawar, Naji Gharious, Bilal Farhat.
Tripoli Bloc- 2 MPs
Mohammed al-Safadi, Qassem Abdel Aziz.
Independents- 11 MPs
Ahmed Karami, Butros Harb, Tammam Salam, Robert Fadel, Mohammed Kabbara, Michel
Murr, Nayla Tueni, Najib Miqati, Dori Chamoun, Robert Ghanem, Michel Pharaon.
Beirut, 25 Jun 09, 10:25
No one will weaken this turbulent priest
By Michael Young /Daily Star staff
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The barrage of verbal attacks organized by the opposition against Maronite
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir is worrisome. Sfeir's partisans are unlikely to close
the airport road or assail opposition neighborhoods, but they should at least be
aware that this concerted campaign, whatever the intentions behind it, mainly
serves to discredit the one individual who has most consistently defended the
Lebanese state and its sovereignty.
The opposition has been incensed with Sfeir for some time. His endorsement of a
"centrist" bloc for Parliament was viewed by Michel Aoun as a way of
strengthening both President Michel Sleiman and March 14 at his expense.
Hizbullah agreed, and during the recent elections the party voted massively in
Aoun's favor in the Jbeil and Baabda districts, where centrist candidates had
the best chance of making a breakthrough.
It is the patriarch's statement on the eve of the elections that riled the
opposition most, however, provoking a riposte from Hizbullah's secretary
general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Sfeir said on June 6, "Today we are facing a
threat to the Lebanese entity and its Arab identity, requiring alertness." This
reference was seen by the opposition as a warning to Christian voters that
Iranian influence in Lebanon would rise if the opposition won. Since then, a
bevy of opposition politicians, many of them Maronites, have echoed Nasrallah in
criticizing the patriarch. The latest reaction came on Monday from the vice
president of the Higher Shiite Council, Abd al-Amir Qabalan, who asked for
"clarifications" on the comment.
This request for clarification was amusing. Sfeir could not have been clearer.
However, there remains some question as to whether the patriarch's words were as
decisive as many believe. We don't do opinion polls on these things (a relief
after the shoddy surveys of the pre-election period), but at best Sfeir only
hardened doubts that Nasrallah and his Iranian sponsors had already created in
Christian minds. Perhaps Qabalan should ask for clarification from Nasrallah
about what he meant when he described May 7 as a "glorious day;" or from
Nasrallah's deputy, Naim Qassem, when he said that Hizbullah would "arm, arm,
and arm," regardless of what the United Nations said; or from Iran's president,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pointed out that an opposition victory "would change
the situation in the region and would create new fronts for strengthening the
resistance." Sfeir would not have had the impact that he did on voters had not
these startling declarations been issued first.
The Aounists in particular have been hypocritical above and beyond their usual
norm on Sfeir. For example, an Aounist candidate, at a private dinner before the
elections, roundly complained that Nasrallah's "glorious day" speech would lose
him and his colleagues the elections. But this week he was on television
complaining about Sfeir's behavior, adding that he was shocked to see the way
voters during his campaign stops were expressing their fears of an opposition
victory. But if he was disturbed by what Nasrallah said, surely his voters could
be as well.
Then you have to wonder about those Aounist parliamentarians who once made
Bkirki their second home, particularly in the days of the Qornet Shehwan
gathering. Today, not one of them can work up enough nerve to make a public
statement in defense of Sfeir, for fear of annoying Michel Aoun. They say
cowardice has no color, but in this case it's bright orange.
The patriarch merely confirmed the deep misgivings that an increasing number of
Lebanese have about the opposition's project, which they see as a lot of empty
wrapping around a very firm goal: defense of Hizbullah's weapons. Aoun has lost
much ground in convincing Christians that he can stand up to Hizbullah, that his
so-called change and reform program should be taken seriously, and that he can
yet unite the Christians. A virus has entered the Aounist movement and it is
slowly but surely making its way through the system, closing down the circuits.
Hizbullah is aware of this, which why Nasrallah, in his first post-election
speech, suggested that the opposition still represented a numerical majority in
Lebanon. The party had relied on Aoun to provide it with a Christian fig leaf
for its weapons. Realizing that the general was losing ground among his
coreligionists, Nasrallah shifted to a new game board, that of numbers. Even
there, however, you could sincerely doubt his math, when there were no elections
to speak of in Baalbek-Hermel and much of the South, and when the possibility of
emigrants voting makes categorical arguments on majoritarianism dubious.
The premeditated effort to isolate the patriarch seems to be part of a broader
scheme by the opposition to offset its mediocre election results. If the
Christians are moving away from Aoun, then Bkirki becomes one of the poles
around which they gather - the other being the presidency. And just as the
opposition went after Michel Sleiman before the elections, they are doing the
same with Sfeir today. Their goal is evidently to intimidate the holders of
independent Christian power, so that Aoun, who is in urgent need of salvaging,
can control more political space.
If that's the plan, it won't work. A
declining Aoun is not about to regain popularity through the efforts of the one
party, Hizbullah, that most scares Christians, and by assaulting traditional
bastions of Christian authority. The Lebanese in general and Christians in
particular are, by most accounts, tired of the polarized politics of recent
years. On that terrain, Sfeir remains significantly more potent than Michel Aoun,
for the patriarch best incarnates the longing for a temperate middle.
*Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
UNIFIL hands Israel proposal
for withdrawal from Ghajar
'We are hopeful there will be an understanding'
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Thursday, June 25, 2009
BEIRUT: Senior officials from the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Israeli army and UN
peacekeeping force UNIFIL met Wednesday for a "working meeting," UNIFIL
Spokesperson Yasmina Bouziane confirmed. The early morning talks at UNIFIL's
headquarters in Naqqoura centered on the implementation of UN Security Council
Resolution 1701, especially regarding the demarcation of the UN-designated Blue
Line and an Israeli withdrawal from the border village of Ghajar, Bouziane told
The Daily Star.
The resolution, among other things, brought an end to a devastating 34-day war
between Israel and Hizbullah in July-August 2006, and calls for total respect
for Lebanon's territorial sovereignty. UNIFIL have been working on a
withdrawal from Ghajar since 2006. "UNIFIL presented a proposal to facilitate
the withdrawal of the [Israeli army] from the northern side of Ghajar," Bouziane
said.
"We are hopeful there will be an understanding on the proposal," she added,
saying the Lebanese authorities had indicated their approval of it.
Israel occupied Ghajar in 1967 when it captured the Syrian Golan Heights. It
withdrew from the Lebanese side of the village, which straddles the border with
Syria, when it pulled out of South Lebanon in 2000, but re-occupied it in July
2006. Israel has continued to occupy the Lebanese side of the village despite a
December 2006 cabinet decision to surrender it to UNIFIL. Tel Aviv violated the
Lebanese border earlier last week when it erected an observation post and a
military post on the outskirts of the Kfar Shouba Hills, prompting the Lebanese
army to deploy patrol units in the area."In clear violation of a restricted area
of Lebanese territory, and in an attempt to impose a new reality on the ground,
the Israeli enemy on Wednesday set up an observation post at the edge of Kfar
Shouba and a military position overlooking Baathaeel pond," said Lebanon's Army
Command-Directorate of Orientation last Friday, calling it a violation of the
Blue Line border designated in 2000.
UNIFIL Spokesperson Yasmina Bouziane said the Kfar Shouba Hills fell outside of
the peacekeeping force's geographical mandate. "UNIFIL's mandate and the
authority given to it by the Security Council are strictly limited to its area
of operations, which is defined as the area between the Litani River and the
line of withdrawal," Bouziane said, reiterating comments made on Friday. "The
area where the ... [Israeli military] activities are taking place is located
South of the line of withdrawal and outside UNIFIL's area of operations." UNIFIL
has nevertheless been in contact with both Israel and Lebanon since the incident
to prevent an escalation, said Bouziane. "The parties responded with the utmost
restraint and took steps in accordance with their obligation to ensure full
respect of the line of withdrawal as identified by the UN in 2000," she added.
The meeting came as United Press International reported Israeli Air Force
Commander Major General Ido Nehushtan as saying on Tuesday that the Israeli army
was keeping a close watch on Syria and Hizbullah in light of reports Damascus
had purchased anti-aircraft missiles from Russia and Hizbullah's continuing
armament. Israel's air force "is working on a wide range of missions, both short
and long distance, and will remain prepared," Nehushtan said in occupied
Jerusalem. Tensions between Lebanon and neighboring Israel have heightened after
Lebanon's intelligence services uncovered several spy cells working for Tel
Aviv. At least 32 people have been detained in Lebanon on suspicion of
espionage, and around half of them have been formally charged, including two
army officers. Israel has so far kept silent over the arrests.
What will the rapid thaw between Syria and the US mean for Lebanon?
By The Daily Star
Thursday, June 25, 2009/Editorial
US President Barack Obama's decision to return an ambassador to Syria after a
four-year diplomatic absence was a wise one. Although some observers in Lebanon
may be astonished by the rapid pace of rapprochement between Washington and
Damascus, the Lebanese need not be alarmed at this development. Nothing good
came out of the policy of Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, of boycotting the
regime in Damascus. The move to isolate the Syrian regime only succeeded in
cutting off channels of communication through which the Baathist government
might have been coaxed into behaving in a more constructive manner.
The Obama administration thankfully understands that agreeing to communicate
does not necessarily mean that you need to agree on everything, but rather that
you are open to exploring constructive ways of resolving differences. If both
the US and Syria are adopting this attitude, it can only be beneficial for
Lebanon, which has in the past gotten bruised in the tug of war between the two
countries.
One of the main concerns in Lebanon is that a mending of ties between Syria and
the US could come at Lebanon's expense. Many are already asking whether this
country will be sold out for the benefit of the wider regional objectives of
bigger international players. The answer to that question is simple: Lebanon
will only be sold if the Lebanese put their country up for sale. If we abandon
all of our principles for the sake of pleasing outside powers, the country will
be the price that we will be required to pay for our own neglect.
The alternative is to rise to the challenge of governing Lebanon on our own.
This requires investing efforts with a view toward bolstering the state and its
institutions in order to preserve this country's long-term independence and
sovereignty. It also means enlisting the help of natural allies in our efforts,
such as Lebanese who live abroad or countries like Turkey, which has remained a
neutral party in various Middle East conflicts.
The task of running a country is a tall order, especially for those among us who
have grown accustomed to the web of sub-state systems that has sprung up over
the last two decades. These mini-state systems were designed to fill the void
created by the absence of responsible authority. The challenge now is to replace
these with constitutional institutions that meet the needs of the people.
If President Michel Sleiman can recruit enough of his fellow countrymen to join
the mission of creating a strong Lebanese state, we will have no reason to fear
the machinations of either of our neighbors. If he fails, it will only be
because too many Lebanese opted to sell their country to the highest bidder.
Even in death, expect Neda to come out victorious
By David Ignatius
Daily Star staff/Thursday, June 25, 2009
On one side you have all the instruments of repression in Iran, gathering their
forces for a crackdown. On the other you have unarmed protesters symbolized by
the image of Neda Agha Soltan, a martyred woman dying helplessly on the street,
whose last words reportedly were: "It burned me."
Who's going to win? In the short run, the victors may be the thugs who claim to
rule in the name of God: the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Basij militia and
the other tools of an Islamic revolution that has decayed and hardened into mere
authoritarianism. They have shown they are willing to kill enough of their
countrymen to contain this first wave of change.
But over the coming months and years, my money is on the followers of the
martyred Neda. They have exposed the weakness of the clerical regime in a way
that Iran's foreign adversaries - America, Israel, Saudi Arabia - never could.
They have opened a fundamental split in the regime. The rulers will try to bind
this wound with force, and salve it with concessions, but neither approach will
make the wound heal.
We are watching the first innings of what will be a long game in Iran. President
Barack Obama has recognized that with his gradually escalating rhetoric. By
Tuesday, he was using powerful language to describe the "timeless dignity" of
the protesters and the "heartbreaking" images of Neda. He suggested that the
mullahs cannot win a war of repression against their own people. "In 2009, no
iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to
peaceful protests," he said.
Behind Obama's cool but confident talk is a judgment that, as one senior White
House official puts it, the mullahs "can't put the genie back in the bottle."
The official explained: "Iran will never be the same again. You don't have to
know how this will end to know that. The regime has been challenged. They are
now back on their heels."
A weakened Iran may seek the validation and legitimacy that would come from
negotiations with the United States, presenting a diplomatic dilemma for Obama.
Several American officials have told me that before its June 12 election, Tehran
signaled to Washington that it was ready for talks. Obama has tried to keep this
door open, stressing at his news conference Tuesday: "We have provided a path
whereby Iran can reach out to the international community, engage and become
part of international norms." But as long as the Basij are clubbing and shooting
protesters in the streets, negotiation will be a nonstarter.
As the mullahs' grip on power weakens, there are new opportunities to peel away
some of their allies. The US is moving quickly to normalize relations with
Syria, and there's talk of working with the Saudis to draw elements of the
radical Palestinian group Hamas away from its Iranian patrons, toward a
coalition government that would be prepared to negotiate with Israel. Observes a
White House official: "Iran's allies in the region have to be wondering, 'Why
should we hitch our wagon to their starship?'"
The White House views the internal situation in Iran now as "a power play," in
the words of one official. The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and
president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have staged what amounts to a pro-regime coup.
The Revolutionary Guard Corps is in the vanguard. There's talk that Ahmadinejad
may appoint a fierce hard-liner, Ruhollah Hosseinian, as his new minister of
intelligence. This hard-line group reminds me of Saddam Hussein's henchmen in
Iraq.
But the opposition has tough leaders, too, with deep roots in the 1979
revolution. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the defeated presidential candidate, is no
starry-eyed Democrat. As prime minister, he supervised the Department of
Investigations and Studies, which ran some Iranian operations in Lebanon in the
early 1980s. Mousavi followers may move in coming weeks from street
demonstrations to strikes and other economic protests. And behind the scenes is
former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has been dickering over the
past week to build a coalition of mullahs for a collective leadership to replace
Khamenei.
How will the conflict proceed? Jack Goldstone, a professor at George Mason
University who studies revolutions, sees a three-stage process that leads to
regime change. First, members of the elite defect and form an opposition; then
the nation polarizes and coalitions are formed; and then the mass mobilization.
These three elements of the revolutionary process are already present. The
ferment will ripen, as the regime tries to avert step four - its demise.
**Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR.