LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 07/09
American Chronicle International Analysit Network
Elias Bejjani's English articles that are published on the American Chronicle site
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus
Christ according to Saint John 12,44-50. Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever
believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and
whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so
that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone
hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not
come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not
accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will
condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father
who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment
is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me."
Free Opinions, Releases, letters &
Special Reports
Aoun’s
long-awaited vision/Future
News 06/05/09
How fluent General Aoun is when he
lectures on chastity.
By: Elias El-Asmar 06/05/09
The World in Denial about Hizballah.By:
W. Thomas Smith
Jr.
06/05/09
Creating a GCC central bank is a welcome, but long overdue move.
The Daily Star 06/05/09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for May
06/09
Jumblat Calls for Calm
Political Rhetoric on MayNaharnet
March 14 Warns of Attempts to Sabotage Polls and Destroy STL-Naharnet
Kerry: Iran Must Freeze Nuclear Program, Pressure Hizbullah in Response to U.S.
Outreach-Naharnet
Albright Meets Lebanese
Officials as Part of Poll-monitoring Mission-Naharnet
Egypt: Hizbullah behind cell to
purchase and smuggle weapons-Future
News
Ban Ki-Moon: No excuses to the
attacks against the judiciary-Future
News
Syria Retracts Decision to Hand
Over Suspects in Deadly Army Attack to Lebanon-Naharnet
Feltman, Shapiro to Visit Syria Again this Week-Naharnet
Israeli Pullout from Ghajar Likely in Coming Days-Naharnet
The Judiciary renounces politicians-Future
News
March 8 targets the political
legacy by attacking Tueini-Future
News
Sfeir to Meet Pope in Jordan-Naharnet
Hariri Confident March 14
will Win Election-Naharnet
Sayyed Requested to Appear
Before French Court in Case against Mehlis-Naharnet
Announcement of Change and
Reform Electoral List Postponed-Naharnet
HJC Expresses Relief over
Generals' Release, Disappointment in Political Attack on Judiciary-Naharnet
Qantar on Britain's
Persona Non Grata Blacklist-Naharnet
Quake Hits Lebanon-Naharnet
Leaders of Iran and Syria Vow to Back 'Palestinian Resistance'-New
York Times
Lebanon: 4 Accused of Spying-New York
Times
Tension with Syria eases-Washington
Times
Report: US to propose Syria restart talks with Israel-Ynetnews
Arab Professor: Obama Will Fail, Like His
Predecessors-Arutz
Sheva
Ahmadinejad, Assad vow support for
resistance-(AFP)
Albright arrives in Beirut on poll-monitoring mission-Daily
Star
30,000 personnel to maintain security during Lebanon polls-Daily
Star
Top
judges voice relief over generals' release-Daily
Star
Egypt court rejects complaints by Hizbullah cell-Daily
Star
Gemayel recovering well from heart procedure-Daily
Star
ANERA
appoints John Viste as Lebanon director-Daily
Star
Sleiman meets with UN deputy chief for peacekeeping-Daily
Star
Siniora unveils new national strategy to combat forest fires-Daily
Star
Salameh expects increase in Lebanese denominated currency lending in 2009-Daily
Star
Security forces arrest two more suspected spies for Israel-Daily
Star
ISF arrests 51 with outstanding warrants, verdicts-Daily
Star
NGO accuses Lebanese media of inciting hatred, violence-Daily
Star
Quake Hits Lebanon
Naharnet/A 2.5-magnitude earthquake struck Lebanon around 10 am Wednesday, the Bhannes
Observatory reported. The quake was felt by residents in Beirut and coastal areas. Beirut, 06
May 09, 10:55
Sfeir to Meet Pope in Jordan
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir left for Jordan on Wednesday to meet
Pope Benedict XVI's. Sfeir stressed at Beirut airport that the winner in the
upcoming parliamentary elections "should be Lebanon." Beirut, 06 May 09, 12:01
Egypt: Hizbullah behind cell to purchase and smuggle
weapons
Date: May 6th, 2009 Source:
Al Masri el Yawm
An Egyptian newspaper said Wednesday that investigation with members of an
alleged cell plotting terrorist acts on Egyptian soil led to serious conclusions
implicating Hizbullah or Party of God, a militant group funded and backed by
Iran.
The Al-Masri el-Yawm daily said investigation of the Egyptian Supreme State
Security Prosecution with the defendants in the case of "Hizbullah" cell, showed
that this party funded its unit in Egypt in order to purchase and smuggle
weapons and explosives into the Gaza strip.
Anonymous sources informed the newspaper that “investigation with the key member
of the cell, led by Lebanese Sami Shehab, showed that huge funds from the party
were diverted into Egyptian banks for that purpose last year.
The sources noted that the cell was coordinating with a so-called “Abu Musaab”,
leader of the cell in Gaza, to receive the weapons, pointing to attempts to
smuggle large amounts of money (dollars) to the strip during the siege period.
Meanwhile, Jamal Mubarak the Assistant Secretary-General and the Secretary of
the party policies in the "National Democratic Party" in Egypt refused
incomplete solutions, in terms of Egypt’s national security, denying any deal
with Hizbullah.
He emphasized during a press conference following a meeting of the Policy
Committee on Tuesday, that Egyptian authorities have been monitoring the
terrorist cell since 2005, which means that its work preceded the Israeli
aggression on Gaza.
“The movement of the cell was monitored till it was uncovered, the case is in
the hands of security and judicial systems, we cannot hop into conclusions
before the decision of the Egyptian Judiciary, but this has political
consequences, and Egypt does not accept incomplete solutions or deals concerning
national security cases” Mubarak said.
He stressed that Egypt did not raise this case in an attempt to interfere with
the Lebanese Parliamentary election “as several Iranian figures said, because
Egypt does not interfere with the internal issues of any state, as some other
countries do.”
Ban Ki-Moon: No excuses to the attacks against the judiciary
Date: May 6th, 2009 Source: Almustaqbal
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Tuesday that the decision
taken by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon should be respected and not be used to
initiate verbal attacks at the Lebanese judiciary system.
Ban Ki-Moon said during a press conference in New York: “The release of the
generals was a decision taken by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon which is an
independent body and whose work, is a positive contribution to the people of
Lebanon. I would not comment on the decision of the Tribunal, which it takes
independently.
Upon the STL’s decision to free the four generals suspected of involvement in
the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, the March 8 opposition
alliance launched a vicious campaign at the Lebanese judicial system accusing it
of ‘politicization’.
“The generals were detained by the Lebanese authorities according to Lebanese
law. The Tribunal has now taken the decision after it was officially established
as of March 1. Therefore, I respect the decision that has been taken,” Ki-Moon
said.
He added that the “Special Tribunal was established in accordance with a
Security Council resolution for a specific purpose and case. Therefore, in terms
of legal precedence, the decision should be respected. It has nothing to do with
infringing upon the legal judicial system of Lebanon when the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon has requested and decided to release the detained generals. I hope
there should be no misunderstandings in that regard. »
On the Israeli withdrawal from the northern part of the southern village of
Ghajar Ban Ki-Moon said: “We have been working intensively and closely on this
issue. The United Nations Force in Lebanon or UNIFIL has made a proposal and
this has been accepted and agreed to by the Lebanese Government. We are still
awaiting for the response from the Israeli Government. I sincerely hope that the
Ghajar issue will be resolved as soon as possible. I am going to work very hard
on this matter with the new Administration of Israel.”
Aoun’s long-awaited vision
Date: May 6th, 2009
Future News
Michel Aoun, leader of the Change and Reform parliament’s bloc, does not have a
way to address his forgiving public, except through sectarian injection to
stimulate its instincts, in order to guarantee the persistence of his position
leading the Free Patriotic Movement, and to affirm his claims of containing the
public representation.
Aoun’s speech is always accompanied with hostile connotations and tension that
could be a result of a neurological health malfunction.
After using up his entire credit and after the anti-Syrian regime slogans he
raised fell, Aoun could not find an alternative other than instigating his
public against a particular sect, in an attempt to justify his political
existence. He is holding the grudge against everyone without discrimination, and
for reasons known only to God.
Aoun declared he “lost confidence” in the international tribunal and joined
Hizbullah’s Chief, as he always does, thus announcing he is not concerned in any
international resolution, including UN Security Council’s 1701 and 1559. Does
this put Aoun against the Lebanese and the rest of the world?
Aoun knows better than anyone else that his stature was undermined, for numerous
reasons, at least because he transformed all of the demands of the Lebanese
after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, and all of the
prices they paid into a commodity to please the Syrian Regime.
Aoun attacks the judiciary, one of the state’s most sensitive and significant
pillars, as its exceptionality is derived from the concurrence of all groups on
the concept of the state. Thus attacking judiciary means overthrowing the law
and the constitution.
All of this happened because the former army commander failed to attain his
long-wanted vision of being Lebanon’s President. He first tried to attain his
dream through violence, then through trading the votes of his followers, before
he finally surrendered to the Totalitarian and Mullah Regimes
How fluent the General is when he lectures on chastity
Elias El-Asmar/Future News
Date: May 6th, 2009 Source: Private
“Fighting corruption” is the slogan entitling General Michel Aoun’s electoral
campaign. However, the general has forgotten to review his own corrupt deeds or
even mention the money he embezzled and deposited in his or his wife’s accounts
in French and Swiss banks. Banking sources estimated the amount of money Aoun
either transferred or managed to funnel through aides and relatives at $400
million. His wealth in real estate and properties in Lebanon and abroad goes
beyond that. Jean Aziz a journalist close to Aoun nowadays but was at odds with
his him in the year 2000, wrote a detailed report on Aoun’s richness in al-Massira
weekly magazine in September of that year.
It is distributed as follows:
Lebanese Treasury funds from fees, taxes, donations (including donations from
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia submitted by martyr Premier Rafic Hariri to the
Lebanese Army Institution) which Aoun deposited in private bank accounts during
his military government mandate—he returned some of these sums to the government
Treasury after his fall.
In addition to stealing public funds, Aoun did not hesitate to steal private
money he was entrusted to by Lebanese citizens and emigrants. None of those
emigrants dared to enquire about the millions of dollars the renegade general
deposited in his own bank accounts.
In his article, Aziz said that Aoun took several precautionary measures prior to
his removal from office.
Aziz said Aoun had transferred $17 million from his account at the Lebanese
Commerce Bank to France according to a private letter he sent to the French
President Francois Mitterand. But Aoun had confided to Minister of Defense
Mohsen Dalloul on July 1, 1991 that he actually stole $31 million.
The Lebanese newspapers published on 5/4/1991 that the French Ambassador Rene
Ala assured then Foreign minister Fares Boueiz that Aoun gave assurances he
would return the money back to the Lebanese treasury once he gets security
assurances that he will be transferred to the French embassy unharmed. The
‘fugitive general’ had also pledged to spend the funds individually without
using them in illegitimately.
Today, it is surprisingly weird how Aoun talks about corruption, when it is
better for him to tell the people he addresses every day, the whereabouts of the
money he was entrusted, and how he spent it in cold blood?
This leads us to recall a famous saying “How fluent is the tramp when she
lectures on chastity”.
We have to ask him too about the sources of ‘clean money’ from Iran through
Qatar, and the ‘clean money’ he obtained from Africa which contributed to the
accumulation of his wealth.
We have to ask the general, his entourage and deputies who continuously preach
about fighting corruption, to tell the Lebanese of one single favor Aoun
provided to the Lebanese. He only offered them sudden death, random bombings,
sedition and divisions.
Is Aoun using these funds to serve his electoral campaign instead of serving the
Lebanese altogether?
HJC Expresses Relief over Generals' Release, Disappointment
in Political Attack on Judiciary
Naharnet/The Higher Judicial Council (HJC) expressed its relief over the recent
release by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) of the four generals, while
expressing its disappointment that the judiciary came under attack over the
case. The HJC said that it won't accept using the judiciary for personal
purposes. In a statement issued following an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday at
the Palais de Justice headed by Judge Ghaleb Ghanem, HJC expressed its
willingness to bear its responsibility in facing any deficiency committed during
judicial practices. Any judge exhibiting shortcomings in any case is to be held
accountable, the statement added. The Council hoped that international justice
would continue in its sound course in arriving at the truth behind the 2005
assassination case of ex-premier Rafik Hariri. It was responding to attacks
launched by the parliamentary opposition in the wake of the release of Lebanon's
top four generals from nearly four years without charge. Moreover, the council
called on all media outlets to stop adopting or launching any news item related
to the judiciary without proper evidence. It all called on the media to
ascertain all statements and stances made by the judicial administration without
first ensuring its truth and source. "The view of the judiciary should be far
removed from any preconceived political concept," the statement said. HJC
affirmed its commitment to forming a Judicial Inspection Authority and someone
to head it, adding that it would hold emergency meetings for discussing all
issues related to the judiciary. Beirut, 05 May 09, 21:08
Israeli Pullout from Ghajar Likely in Coming Days
Naharnet/Israeli troops are likely to withdraw from the Lebanese border village
of Ghajar in the coming days, the daily As Safir reported Wednesday. It said the
pullout could take place at the end of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington scheduled May 17. U.S. President Barack Obama,
who has made the Middle East one of the top priorities of his administration,
has invited Netanyahu, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak to Washington for talks in the coming weeks. As Safir said a
UNIFIL Italian contingent was getting ready to take over Ghajar after the
Israeli withdrawal. An Nahar newspaper said Washington has not been officially
informed about Israeli plans to withdraw from the northern part of Ghajar.
Israel's nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, however, said his
government will "make an initiative toward Ghajar ahead of the Lebanese
parliamentary elections."As Safir said Israel has come under pressure from the
new Obama administration to withdraw from Ghajar. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon,
meanwhile, told An Nahar in response to a question about a possible Israeli
withdrawal from Ghajar: "We are working intensively to resolve this issue."
Beirut, 06 May 09, 09:24
Syria Retracts Decision to Hand Over Suspects in Deadly
Army Attack to Lebanon
Naharnet/Syria -- purportedly responding to intervention of Lebanese political
parties -- has retracted its decision to hand over suspects in last month's
violent attack on an army patrol to Lebanon. The daily An Nahar on Wednesday
said Syrian authorities arrested overnight Saturday Hasan Abbas Jaafar, Mohammed
Ali Jaafar and Fayyad Ismail after they crossed the border from Turkey. The
paper said Syria has informed Lebanese intelligence of its decision to hand over
the three suspects to Lebanon.
It said "pressures" in Lebanon from the Jaafar clan led to the "political
intervention" toward Damascus in a bid to force it to refrain from handing the
suspects over to Lebanon.
Syria responded to these interventions, according to An Nahar. Meanwhile,
Lebanon did not yet receive Hussein Jaafar, the main suspect in the April 13
attack on a Lebanese army patrol in east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Jaafar was
arrested in Turkey after entering the neighboring country with forged papers.
Pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat on Tuesday said preparations were underway in Syria to
hand over Jaafar to Beirut authorities. It quoted a Lebanese security source as
saying that the Lebanese army intelligence will interrogate Jaafar upon his
extradition and refer him to the military court. On Monday, Jaafar was being
questioned by Syrian authorities who informed Lebanon that they will hand him
over once they are done with interrogating him.
A high-ranking Lebanese official told Agency France Presse that Damascus was
trying to determine how Jaafar managed to enter Turkey with a fake Syrian ID.
The suspect had been arrested in Turkey which sent him back to Syrian officials.
Jaafar is wanted in Lebanon in connection with the April 13 in which four
soldiers were killed when their vehicle was raked with bullets and blasted with
a grenade in an apparent drugs-related ambush. Jaafar is the brother of Ali
Abbas Jaafar, a drug baron killed by the army in March after refusing to stop at
a checkpoint. He was wanted on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking
and attempted murder. His killing prompted the ambush on the soldiers.
Lebanese authorities have issued arrest warrants for Hussein Jaafar and seven
other suspects in the case. Beirut, 06 May 09, 08:30
Qantar on Britain's Persona Non Grata Blacklist
Naharnet/Britain published a blacklist Tuesday of people recently banned from
the country including Samir Qantar, who was released by Israel last July in a
prisoner swap with Hizbullah.
Described as a monster in Israel where he was convicted for killing Danny Haran,
his four-year-old daughter Einat and an Israeli policeman in a notorious attack
nearly three decades ago, Qantar is considered a hero by many in Lebanon, where
he was given a red carpet welcome on his release.
He carried out the cross-border raid that landed him in jail in 1979 when he was
part of the Palestine Liberation Front. Since his release he has become the
popular with Hezbollah and speaks at many of their events. Home Secretary Jacqui
Smith said she decided to publish the "name and shame" list -- which identifies
16 people banned since last October -- for the first time to clarify what
behavior Britain will not tolerate. "I think it's important that people
understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the
fact that it's a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won't be
welcome in this country," she said.
"If you can't live by the rules that we live by ... we should exclude you from
this country and, what's more, now we will make public those people that we have
excluded," she told the GMTV broadcaster. Between October and April the Home
Office excluded 22 people for "fostering extremism or hatred" included preachers
Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal and Amir Siddique, said a Home Office statement. Hamas
lawmaker Yunis Al-Astal, Jewish extremist Mike Guzovsky, former Ku Klux Klan
leader Stephen Donald Black and neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe are also on the list, as
is controversial radio host Michael Alan Weiner, also known as Michael Savage.
Others blacklisted include homophobic U.S. pastor Fred Waldron Phelps, as well
as Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, former leaders of a violent Russian skinhead
gang which committed 20 racially motivated murders. Smith said: "The government
opposes extremism in all its forms and I am determined to stop those who want to
spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to
our country. "This is the driving force behind tighter rules on exclusions for
unacceptable behavior," she added.
Six of those excluded recently were not named because it would not be "in the
public interest," said the Home Office. In February Britain triggered a formal
protest from the Netherlands after refusing entry to far-right Dutch lawmaker
Geert Wilders, maker of a controversial film linking Islam to terrorist
attacks.(AFP) Beirut, 05 May 09, 21:54
Feltman, Shapiro to Visit Syria Again this Week
A senior U.S. envoy is to visit Syria this week for the second time this year as
President Barack Obama's administration pursues steps to engage with an Arab
country with which it has tense ties. Jeffrey Feltman, acting secretary of state
for Near Eastern affairs, is due to leave Washington on Tuesday for Damascus,
the State Department said in a statement.
Feltman, who will be accompanied by National Security Council Senior Director
Daniel Shapiro, will visit the country "to discuss issues of mutual and regional
concern," it said.
"This trip will further advance the U.S. commitment to direct diplomacy with
Syria and continue discussions from his previous trip," it added.
Feltman and Shapiro last visited the country at the beginning of March, in what
was the first high-level U.S. trip to Syria since 2005.
Feltman, a former ambassador to Lebanon who met with Syrian Foreign Minister
Walid Muallem on March 7, said after the talks that Syria could play a
constructive role in the Middle East.
Ties between Washington and Damascus strained after the US-led invasion of Iraq
in 2003, and the assassination of Lebanese leader Rafik Hariri in 2005 which was
blamed on Syria.
Washington recalled its ambassador in February 2005 following Hariri's murder
and no decision has yet been taken on his replacement. Damascus has denied any
involvement in Hariri's killing, but withdrew its troops from Lebanon two months
later, ending almost three decades of domination. The United States accuses
Syria and its non-Arab ally Iran of giving material support to Hamas and
Hizbullah in their conflicts with Israel. It also charges that Syria has turned
a blind eye to Islamist militants entering Iraq through its border, while
accusing Iran of actively supporting anti-U.S. militants in Iraq via its common
border further east.(AFP) Beirut, 06 May 09, 08:06
Iran's Ahmadinejad in New Tirade Against Israel
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed Zionism as "occupation"
and "aggression" Tuesday as he delivered his latest diatribe against the Jewish
state on a visit to key Middle East ally Syria. "The Zionist occupiers are
destructive microbes, because Zionism itself is occuption, aggression, the use
of assassination and annihilation," he told a joint news conference with
President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian capital. "Zionism was created to
threaten us. To support the Palestinian resistance is a humanitarian and popular
obligation," Ahmadinejad said in remarks in Farsi that were translated into
Arabic. "Syria and Iran are united in supporting the Palestinian resistance."
The Iranian president's comments came barely two weeks after he sparked a
European walkout from a U.N. anti-racism conference in Geneva by equating
Zionism with racism. He has gone further in the past, predicting that the Jewish
state is doomed to be wiped from the map and describing the Holocaust as a myth.
Ahmadinejad asked why it was the Islamist Hamas movement which controls Gaza
that is blacklisted by the European Union and the United States, and not Israel
after its devastating offensive against the territory at the turn of the year.
"They've attacked Gaza, killing people in their own land and massacring women
and children... and yet it's the Palestinians they accuse of terrorism," he
complained. Ahmadinejad, whose visit to Damascus came as Defence Secretary
Robert Gates toured US allies in the region to reassure them about overtures to
the Tehran regime by President Barack Obama, hit out at the continuing US
military presence on Iran's borders. "They weren't invited in. They're unwelcome
visitors who should leave Afghanistan and the borders of Pakistan," the Iranian
president said.
"We don't want honey from bees that sting us. Efforts must be made to rid the
region of the presence of foreigners... and to reform the unjust global
political and economic system."
Ahmadinejad said Iran and Syria were standing together to "resist foreign
intervention and the major powers trying to impose their hegemony over the
region."
The United States "has put pressure on Syria and Iran, but it needs us and wants
to develop relations," he said.
"Circumstances are changing rapidly in our favor. We are on the road to
victory." Assad in turn hailed what he called the "natural" strategic alliance
between Syria and Iran, which he said was "built on shared principles and
interests." "We agreed to support reconciliation in Iraq and look forward to the
departure of the last foreign soldier," he added. The United States and its key
regional ally Israel have long sought to sour the three-decade-old alliance
between Iran and Syria, which are the main foreign backers of the Lebanese group
Hizbullah as well as Hamas. The Obama administration has stepped up U.S.
contacts with Damascus and the acting assistant secretary of state for Near
Eastern affairs Jeffrey Feltman is due to leave for the Syrian capital on
Wednesday on his second visit this year. In March, he made the first high-level
U.S. trip to Syria since 2005. But on Monday, Washington baulked at calls by the
Syrian president for it to open talks with Hamas and Hezbollah, saying the two
militant groups had to renounce violence first. "We would like to see Syria
change the behavior of these two groups," State Department spokesman Robert Wood
said. Ahmadinejad was also due to meet exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal during
his Damascus visit.(AFP)
Hariri Confident March 14 will Win Election
Naharnet/A meeting was held overnight between Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad
Hariri and a delegation from Jamaa Islamiya to find a way to settle their
electoral alliance.
After consultations, the two sides agreed to include Imad Hout on Beirut's Third
Constituency list.
The list has become as follows:
-Sunnis: MP Saad Hariri, Cabinet Minister Tamam Salam, MPs Mohammed Qabani and
Ammar Houri, in addition to Hout.
-Druze: Cabinet Minister Ghazi Aridi.
-Greek Orthodox: Atef Majdalani.
-Minorities: MP Nicola de Freij.
-Shiites: MP Ghazi Youssef.
-Evangelicals: MP Bassem al-Shab.
Meanwhile, Hariri expressed confident that the majority March 14 coalition will
win the upcoming elections.
Asked what if Hizbullah won the elections, Hariri said: "It won't."
Beirut, 06 May 09, 11:33
Sayyed Requested to Appear Before French Court in Case
against Mehlis
Naharnet/Former detainee Brig. Gen. Jamil Sayyed has been requested to appear
before a French court in the case filed against ex-chief U.N. investigator
Detlev Mehlis.
The daily As Safir on Wednesday said Sayyed's lawyers have received a written
request from France asking him to appear before court June 4.
Meanwhile, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon told An Nahar newspaper that the release of
the four officers -- Sayyed one of them -- "is not an excuse to attack the
judiciary."
He said the decision by the international tribunal to release the generals was
independent of the Lebanese judiciary, stressing that it "should not be used as
a pretext to "expose the Lebanese judiciary to any risks." Sayyed, former
security services director as well as former head of the presidential guard,
Mustafa Hamdan, security chief Ali Hajj, and military intelligence chief Raymond
Azar were released April 29 from nearly four years in custody in Lebanon without
charge. Beirut, 06 May 09, 09:42
Announcement of Change and Reform Electoral List Postponed
Naharnet/The announcement of the Change and Reform electoral list for the
Kesrouan district has been postponed to a later date. Head of the Change and
Reform parliamentary bloc Gen. Michel Aoun was scheduled to announce the Kesroun
ticket Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, contacts were underway between March 14
leaders and independent candidates, particularly former MPs Mansour Ghanem Bon
and Farid Haykal with National Bloc party leader Carlos Edde to find ways to
form a joint list in Kesrouan. Beirut, 06 May 09, 11:33
The World in Denial about Hizballah
By: W. Thomas Smith
Jr.
03 May 2009
In a May 2 article (published in the New York Post and elsewhere), Kenneth
Bandler, communications director for the American Jewish Committee, writes, “The
case of ‘Hizballah's man in New York’ offers a compelling glimpse into the
expansive world of 21st-century terrorism, where democratic free-speech rights
are exploited by terror groups as part of their war against the West.”
Hizballah's “man in New York,” as Bandler is referring to, is convicted
terrorist-enabler Javed Iqbal, who is presently serving a six year prison
sentence after having pled “guilty to aiding terrorists through his activity in
America” in December 2008.
Iqbal, based in Brooklyn, was being paid to help facilitate the broadcasting of
Al Manar, Hizballah’s satellite-television network.
We know Al Manar has satellite-subscribers estimated in the tens-to-hundreds of
millions (numbers vary widely from one source to the next). Al Manar was at one
time being broadcast over much of Europe, Africa, and the Far East until the
U.S. government and others shut down much of its overseas operations. And the
U.S. government listed Al Manar a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity”
in March 2006.
The problem is Hizballah has deep pockets: The terrorist group is heavily funded
by Iran, and operationally supported by Iran and Syria. And for some reason –
which continues to confound and frustrate the pro-democracy World Council of the
Cedars Revolution – far too-many Western journalists are putting their heads in
the sand regarding several dark albeit glaringly obvious realities about
Hizballah beyond its satellite TV operations:
First – and though a no-brainer, sometimes we need to be reminded – Hizballah is
a bloody organization: As Bandler points out: “Hizballah’s raison d’etre is to
further Iran's radical Islamist agenda through violence.” Hizballah is
responsible for murdering more Americans than any other terrorist organization
prior to 9/11, including the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and the U.S.
Marine barracks in Beirut.
Former U.S. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff says, Hizballah “makes al
Qaeda look like a minor league team.” And retired British Army Col. Richard
Kemp, terrorism advisor to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, says,
“Hizballah is probably the world's most effective terrorist organization, and
that includes Al Qaeda.”
Second, powerful political concessions were granted Hizballah after the group
(and its allies like Amal, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, and others)
turned their weapons on the Lebanese government and innocent men, women, and children in May 2008.
For its bloody behavior, Hizballah was granted veto power over Lebanese
government decisions, additional cabinet seats, permission to keep its
previously covert telecommunications system operational, and so much more. Yet
for some bizarre reason, world leaders seemed to tip their hats at Hizballah’s
strategic gains (after Hizballah’s burning and killing spree to achieve those
gains) as some sort of just and equitable step in the right direction for
Lebanon.
Moreover, in Lebanon’s present corrupt political environment, Hizballah and its
cronies stand a good chance of winning the most parliamentary seats in next
month’s elections, slated for June 7. Keep in mind Hizballah is the only
so-called political party (that’s how the group likes to present itself) in
possession of huge stockpiles of military grade weapons staged all over the
country. The possession of those weapons is not being challenged, which violates
both United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
Hizballah sympathizers and apologists – as well as corrupt journalists and
others who pretend to be opposed to Hizballah (typical propaganda ploy), but who
deceptively downplay the group’s strength and activities – continue to soft-soap
Hizballah.
Hizballah has been directly involved – both financially and operationally – in
terrorist attacks or in support of terrorist operations on five continents.
Worse, for Americans: There are Hizballah cells and supporters currently
operating throughout the Western Hemisphere, and our sources are telling us
there are many more Javed Iqbals where he came from.
As Bandler concludes, “Iqbal's sentencing for aiding Hizballah sets a precedent,
but he is only one individual in a single locale. Vigilance will be essential to
prevent other satellite providers from willingly or naively aiding Hizballah in
America.”
But a deeper vigilance – beyond just who’s broadcasting what – as well as
proactive counterterrorism measures are essential to shutting down this heavily
funded and increasingly politically leveraged terrorist group. Hizballah is
operating asymmetrically, expanding globally, and will stop at nothing to
achieve its objectives. Meanwhile, the rest of the world (much of it in denial
or confused by Hizballah propaganda) is just watching, waiting, and hoping for
the best.
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.