LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 23/09
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 16:20-23. Amen, amen, I say
to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but
your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because
her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer
remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will
rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not
question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the
Father in my name he will give you.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
The meaning of March 8’s
victory/Future
News 22/05/09
The soul of Taëf overrides Doha’s
veto power/Future News 22/05/09
In Lebanon's Election, a More Pragmatic Hizballah-By
Andrew Lee Butters/TIME/ 22.05.09
Egypt's verdict in the Tammim case offers hope - with several asterisks-The
Daily Star 22/05/09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for May
22/09
Biden: U.S. Aid to Lebanon
Hinges on Composition and Policies of New Cabinet-Naharnet
Biden trip to Lebanon draws criticism from
Hezbollah/Reuters
Fadlallah: Biden Visit is Meddling in Lebanon Elections-Naharnet
Nasrallah Calls For Capital Punishment For All Spies Beginning With Shiite
Agents-Naharnet
Hizbullah Measures in Dahiyeh Against 'Spy Cameras-Naharnet
The soul of Taëf overrides Doha’s
veto power/Future News
Mufti Kabbani: ‘Third Republic’ a
project of sedition/Future
News
Khodor Habib: Demanding tripartite
ruling incites civil war/Future
News
Gemayel:
our battle is to consolidate the Lebanese State/Future
News
Hizbullah: Israel plotting to kill
Nasrallah/Israeli News
Netanyahu: All of Jerusalem to
Remain Israeli/VOA
'1 in 4 Israelis would consider
leaving country if Iran gets nukes/Haaretz
Biden in Beirut amid U.S.
Caution over Election Results-Naharnet
Fadlallah: Biden Visit is Meddling in Lebanon Elections-Naharnet
Hizbullah Measures in Dahiyeh against 'Spy Cameras'-Naharnet
Sayyed Moving Forward in his Case Against Mehlis, Abdo in Paris-Naharnet
Moussawi: Opposition
Capable of Ruling Lebanon-Naharnet
Formation of Tickets Paves
Way for Massive Electoral Rallies-Naharnet
Berri: Jezzine Is a
Lebanese City Par Excellence and Does Not Belong to One Sect-Naharnet
Franjieh Says Alliance
with Syria Safeguards Christians-Naharnet
UNIFIL to Lebanon: Israeli
Maneuvers Have No Hostile Objectives-Naharnet
Murr Says Army Will Never
Become Biased-Naharnet
Lebanese Forces Withdraws
Its Candidate in Beirut 1-Naharnet
Israel wraps up drill to combat Iran strike-AFP
Hezbollah accuses US ambassador of meddling in majority electionlists-Xinhua
Hamas thwarting terror against Israel to please
Egypt-Ha'aretz
Bringing Iran In From the Cold-Washington
Post
UN continues to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese side of ...Xinhua
Biden to voice US determination 'to
assist Lebanon-Daily
Star
Hizbullah's growing regional role
piques Arab governments-Daily
Star
Israel lured spies with money, women - Rifi-
(AFP)
Colombian of Lebanese origin wanted
by Argentina-(AFP)
EU sees big 'difference' between Hizbullah, Hamas-Daily
Star
Newly released security chief Sayyed
travels to Paris-Daily
Star
Najjar: Restoring president's
powers needs consensus-Daily
Star
Hizbullah can't endanger Egypt - Abu al-Gheit-Daily
Star
UNIFIL doubts major Hizbullah rearming in south-Daily
Star
Lebanon may be set to welcome a
record number of tourists this summer-(RPN)
From bullets to paint brushes in Bab al-Tabbaneh-Daily
Star
Electoral events banned from places
of worship-Daily
Star
AUB announces winners of school
choir competition-Daily
Star
New website gives tourists guide to
Lebanon's alternative lodging-Daily
Star
Biden:
U.S. Aid to Lebanon Hinges on Composition and Policies of New Cabinet
Naharnet/Vice President Joe Biden, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit
Lebanon in more than 25 years, said Friday Washington will evaluate its future
assistance to Lebanon based on the policies of the government that will be
formed after the June 7 polls.
"The U.S. will evaluate the shape of its assistance program based on the
composition of the new government and the policies it is advocating," Biden told
a news conference after meeting President Michel Suleiman on his first visit to
the Middle East since taking office.
"The U.S. looks forward to the shape and composition of the Lebanese government
which is for the Lebanese to decide," he added.
He called for "fair, free and transparent elections," and warned that "Lebanese
sovereignty cannot and will not be traded away."
Biden said the Obama administration is committed to a comprehensive peace in the
region that benefits all people in the region, including the Lebanese.
"Washington is committed to ensuring the strength of the military institutions
in Lebanon," he said, adding that he "cannot imagine peace in the region without
Lebanon."
Biden said his visit to Lebanon, the first by a U.S. vice president in nearly
three decades, was not aimed at interfering in the country's internal politics.
"I did not come here to back any party," he stressed.
Biden urged "those who think about standing with the spoilers of peace not to
miss this opportunity to walk away," an apparent reference to Hizbullah
supporters.
"It's not an accident that the president (Barack Obama) asked me to come to
Lebanon to personally demonstrate to you (that) our commitment to Lebanon is
meaningful and it's real," he said.
Voice of Lebanon radio said Suleiman received a phone call from Obama during
Biden's talks with the Lebanese president.
Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah, shortly before Biden's arrival, accused the U.S.
vice president of coming to meddle in Lebanon's internal affairs ahead of the
elections.
"It appears that this visit is part of a U.S. bid to supervise the electoral
campaign of a Lebanese party which feels threatened politically ... in light of
the expected outcome of the legislative vote," Fadlallah told AFP.
Biden is the second from the Obama administration in about a month, following in
the footsteps of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The attention underscores
Washington's concerns about a possible win by Hizbullah, which the U.S.
considers a terrorist group.
The White House said Biden's visit was meant "to reinforce the United States'
support for an independent and sovereign Lebanon."
Biden, whose visit comes on the heels of a trip to Kosovo, also met with Prime
Minister Fouad Saniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hizbullah ally as
well as several members of the pro-Western faction in parliament.
He wrapped up his seven-hour visit at Beirut airport, standing before an array
of military equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers and
helicopters that he said are part of more than half a billion dollars in U.S.
military assistance to Lebanon since 2005.
"We believe it's crucial that you be able to do your mission to defend the state
and citizens of Lebanon," Biden said, standing next to Defence Minister Elias
Murr.
"One army, one armed group, one police power, one capability to control your own
country," he added, in an apparent swipe at Hizbullah, the only armed Lebanese
faction and arguably one of the most powerful non-state actors in the Middle
East.
Biden and Murr noted that the United States had committed to provide further
training and assistance to the Lebanese armed forces over the next five years.
The June 7 vote pits the parliamentary March 14 coalition against the Hizbullah-led
March 8 alliance.
Hizbullah and its allies stand a good chance of winning the majority of seats in
parliament.
Such a scenario would force the United States to rethink its strategy towards
Lebanon, a deeply divided nation which has endured decades of wars, political
crises and political assassinations.
Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman, who held talks with French officials in Paris on Wednesday, was
cautious about his expectations for the elections, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said.
Hizbullah officials say they have received assurances that the West does not
envisage imposing the same sort of boycott it slapped on the Palestinians when a
Hamas-led government took power in Gaza after an election in January 2006.
Obama's administration has also been making efforts to repair its relationship
with the Muslim world, including Syria and Iran.
But it has sought to reassure its allies in Beirut that any rapprochement with
Damascus, which dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades, would not be at
their expense.
Simon Karam, Lebanon's former ambassador to Washington, said the visits by
Clinton and Biden could signal a shift in U.S. policy in Lebanon.
"I think the United States is hedging its bets on the eve of this new term in
Lebanese political life and signaling strongly that they will be investing in
state institutions first and among these institutions, in the president," he
told AFP.
"There is a serious chance that the opposition will turn into the majority on
the eve of the election, and the U.S. will in this case have to re-orient its
engagement in Lebanon, and this visit could be one way for them to pave the way
toward such a development," he added.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 22 May 09, 07:51
Biden trip to Lebanon draws Hezbollah ire
By Tom Perry
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden, the most senior U.S. official to
visit Lebanon in 26 years, met President Michel Suleiman Friday, 16 days before
an election that may shift power away from a Western-backed coalition. Lebanese
vote on June 7 in a poll that pits an alliance including Hezbollah -- an
Iranian- and Syrian-backed Shi'ite group that Washington classifies as terrorist
-- against an anti-Syrian coalition now holding a majority in parliament.
Hezbollah criticized Biden's visit, which followed one by Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton in April, as meddling in Lebanon, and denounced U.S. support for
its arch-foe Israel. "The high American interest in Lebanon raises strong
suspicion as to the real reason behind it, especially since it has become a
clear and detailed intervention in Lebanese affairs," Hezbollah said in a
statement. Biden, who visited Serbia and Kosovo earlier this week, was also due
to meet Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri before
joining Defense Minister Elias al-Murr for an announcement on U.S. military aid
to Lebanon. Since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, the United States
has expanded military assistance to Lebanon to strengthen its armed forces as a
counterweight to Hezbollah, the only Lebanese faction to remain armed after the
1975-1990 civil war. U.S. military aid to Lebanon since 2006 has exceeded $400
million. Planned deliveries include artillery, tanks and aerial drones as well
as light weapons, ammunition and vehicles. Biden's visit was the first by an
American vice president to Lebanon since 1983, the year when Shi'ite suicide
bombers attacked the U.S. embassy and Marine headquarters, and the most senior
U.S. visit since that time, a U.S. embassy official said. Hezbollah, founded to
fight Israel's occupation of Lebanon after a 1982 invasion, has since entered
domestic politics to secure legitimacy as an armed resistance group. Many
analysts predict a small swing toward Hezbollah and its allies in the June 7
election. Opinion polls are not reliable. Saad al-Hariri led a U.S.- and
Saudi-backed coalition to victory in the 2005 election, held soon after an
outcry over the assassination of his statesman father, Rafik al-Hariri, forced
Syria to end its 29-year military presence in Lebanon.
Biden in Beirut amid U.S. Caution over Election
Results
Naharnet/U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Beirut on Friday in a show of
support for Lebanese independence as Washington expressed caution over election
results in the event the opposition scored victory only two weeks until voting
day.
He will meet President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during his lightning trip, U.S. and Lebanese
officials said.
His visit, which comes on the heels of a trip to Kosovo, is aiming to "reinforce
the United States' support for an independent and sovereign Lebanon," the White
House said.
The June 7 vote pits the parliamentary March 14 coalition against the Hizbullah-led
March 8 alliance.
Hizbullah and its allies stand a good chance of winning the majority of seats in
parliament.
Such a scenario would force the United States to rethink its strategy towards
Lebanon, a deeply divided nation which has endured decades of wars, political
crises and political assassinations. Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, who held talks with French officials
in Paris on Wednesday, was cautious about his expectations for the elections,
pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said. Biden will be the first sitting U.S. vice
president to visit the Mediterranean country since George Bush Senior came to
Beirut in 1983 in the aftermath of the bombing of the U.S. marine barracks that
killed 241 troops. Biden and Suleiman will both make a statement after their
meeting, and the top U.S. official will also make an announcement on military
assistance to Lebanon with Defense Minister Elias Murr, the White House said.
Last month U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also made a brief stop in
Beirut, where she expressed Washington's support for a "free, independent and
sovereign" Lebanon and called for the election to be held without any
intimidation or outside interference. A senior State Department official
traveling with her said at the time: "If Hizbullah wins (the June vote), we will
have to look at the composition of the government, and particularly at the
program, to evaluate ... what we are going to do in Lebanon."
Hizbullah officials say they have received assurances that the West does not
envisage imposing the same sort of boycott it slapped on the Palestinians when a
Hamas-led government took power in Gaza after an election in January 2006. U.S.
President Barack Obama's administration has also been making efforts to repair
its relationship with the Muslim world, including Syria and Iran. But it has
sought to reassure its allies in Beirut that any rapprochement with Damascus,
which dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades, would not be at their expense.
Simon Karam, Lebanon's former ambassador to Washington, said the visits by
Clinton and Biden could signal a shift in U.S. policy in Lebanon.
"I think the United States is hedging its bets on the eve of this new term in
Lebanese political life and signaling strongly that they will be investing in
state institutions first and among these institutions, in the president," he
told AFP. "There is a serious chance that the opposition will turn into the
majority on the eve of the election, and the U.S. will in this case have to
re-orient its engagement in Lebanon, and this visit could be one way for them to
pave the way toward such a development," he added.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 22 May
09, 07:51
Nasrallah
Calls For Capital Punishment For All Spies Beginning With Shiite Agents
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah urged Lebanese
prosecutors to seek the capital punishment against all recently captured
Israel-linked espionage ring members. In a televised address on Friday
commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from south
Lebanon, Nasrallah said: "I call for the capital punishment for all arrested
agents and beginning with the Shiite agents first." He cautioned that any
Lebanese working for Israeli intelligence is dangerous saying: "espionage rings
do not only work on gathering data, some carry out operations. A 20 Kg of TNT
were uncovered at the home of one agent this brings up a lot of questions."
The possibility of Israeli involvement in recent and past assassinations and
bombing episodes in Lebanon should be pursued by the Lebanese authorities
Nasrallah added that: "Those with a preconceived stance must know that the
Israeli possibility should be pursued and maybe through this we could arrive at
the causes of all explosions and events that occurred in Lebanon."
He called for the full cooperation by all citizens with security forces for
uncovering all [Israeli] agents. The secretary-general paid tribute to southern
Lebanese residents for standing up to many challenges that were not addressed by
the state. "From the very beginning the people of the south wanted the state to
play a role in their lives. From the early 1960's until his disappearance Imam
Moussa Sadr was calling on the state to send the army to the south to protect it
and no one answered him. This is the product of negligence and weakness,"
Nasrallah said.
Sadr was a pioneer in launching the Amal movement in the 1970's that addressed
the demands and needs of south Lebanon residents.
Nasrallah addressed supporters in saying that their guilt lies in fact that they
resisted the Israeli occupation and won a victory against Israel.
"We do not propose the resistance as an alternative to the Lebanese state. The
state that calls itself a state and abandons the south is not a state. We want a
strong, just and capable state and on May 7 we shall seek to build this state,"
Nasrallah said. He pointed to the parliamentary elections on June 7 saying the
opposition's aim behind the elections is not to rule but to save Lebanon from
conspiracies regardless of the opposition's share in government. Nasrallah said
he wanted to have a single electoral list for the opposition in Jezzine rather
than two "both parties are dear to the heart, and we in Hizbullah shall work in
Jezzine to please both parties." He was referring to the Free Patriotic Movement
headed by MP Michel Aoun and the Amal movement headed by Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri. Beirut, 22 May 09, 20:09
The meaning of March 8’s victory
Date: May 22nd, 2009
Future News
It is still hard to predict the Lebanese political situation if “Thank you
Syria” camp won the upcoming parliamentary elections. Let’s put aside the
economical steep which we will deteriorate as in Gaza, and jump into definite
international isolation. The international society refuses to hold relations
with militias, unless the latter decided to turn into an authority to appease
the West, then it is likely to say that tendering the security offers succeeded
in achieving its objectives.
March 8 camp’s victory in the elections means, among several other things:
- The return of the "fine citizen" to his tasks involved in the imprisonment of
those who refuse to comply with security services and uphold the independence of
institutions.
- The harassment of journalists and great minds, contrary to the unilateral and
oppressive minds of intelligence agents, similar to what journalist and analyst
Samir Kassir suffered.
- Creating false accusations, mistrust campaigns and questioning a particular
group excluding the other.
- The arrest of all political leaders and accusing them of false charges.
- Oppressing all political activists and force them to sign pledges of
non-engaging in political action.
- Restrict the movement of political leaders and prevent them from communicating
with their popular base and visiting regions, in attempt to avoid the
development of inclusive national political awareness.
- Organizing cleaver demonstrations and threatening of provoking civil wars.
- Inciting sectarian and religious strives and manipulating its consequences to
tighten control around the country.
This is the least that could be said if March 8 camp won the elections, and to
prevent it, we must remember that we could still determine the aftermath of the
parliamentary elections.
Gemayel: our battle is to consolidate the Lebanese State
Date: May 21st, 2009 Source: NNA
President Amin Gemayel leader of Alkateb party regretted the declarations about
the Third Republic, stressing that “our battle is to consolidate the Lebanese
State.”
Gemayel called while meeting members of western Bekaa and Rashayya “the Alkataeb
supporters and who want a sovereign Lebanon to be aware of the importance of
this battle”, stressing on the importance of supporting March 14 list in western
Bekaa and Rashayya “to be a front that persists its efforts after the 7th of
June in the service of the independent democratic Lebanese State.”Member of the
list Minister Wael Abu Faour condemned the campaign against President Sleiman,
considering that the biggest challenge is to protect the Lebanese institutions.
The soul of Taëf overrides Doha’s veto power
Date: May 22nd, 2009
Future News
Last year, the Lebanese leaders made a settlement in Doha ending the bloody
events that started in May 7 which was declared last Friday by Hizbullah’s
secretary general
“A glorious day for the resistance!”With 17 days ahead of the parliamentary
elections, and the end of the effects of the Doha settlement and the return of
those of the Taëf accord, the constitution of the country, the pro-Syrian March
8 camp sticks to the temporary settlement to preserve the veto power they were
granted then. This means they are disregarding the agreement for a calm
atmosphere, attacking continuously the consensual President is a proof.
The Presidential Palace will receive today US vice President Joseph Biden who
will hold talks with President Michel Sleiman and will inform him of the
American support to Lebanon, a visit considered by Hizbullah to be holding bad
signs.Sleiman, responding indirectly to March 8’s campaign against him, asserted
that the President must ensure the democratic atmosphere in the Cabinet, adding
that “the soul of the Taëf agreement will preserve diversity.”
Interests fell for the martyrs’ blood
Meanwhile, interests fell for the martyrs’ blood, as Lebanese Forces Party
leader Samir Geagea announced the retreat of the candidacy of the party’s
candidate for the Armenian Catholic seat of Beirut’s first district Richard
Kuyumjian for the unity of March 14, because “interests fall for the martyrs’
blood of the Cedar’s Revolution.”
On the other hand, Almustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri reassured the
Lebanese that “the Lebanese Army and the interior security forces will take the
necessary measures ensuring the security of the elections.” He urged the
inhabitants of the capital participate in the June 7 elections to respond to the
previous period.
This past period was tackled by MP Botros Harb who asserted that the Lebanese
public opinion is well aware of what happened and to what would happen if March
8 wins this competition. As for the announcement of Aoun who said he will win 35
seats, Harb explained that March 8’s tense speeches reflect the pro-Syrians
weakness.
These tense speeches that were also directed against the independent candidates
were criticized by former MP Nazem Khouri who called on the aggressors to stop
expressing their support to the President and instead to show it effectively.
The Syrian path guarantee
Then again, former MP Sleiman Franjieh, leader of the Marada Movement,
reasserted his loyalty to the Syrian regime, and said: “We are with Syria which
constitutes a guarantee to Lebanon and preserves its Christians and its
minorities, especially that the Christians cannot take additional adventures.”
A Lebanese complaint against Israel
Besides, Lebanon presented yesterday to the United Nations “a complaint against
Israel for violating the Lebanese sovereignty and the 1701 resolution with its
spying networks spread all over the country, and were unmasked by the Lebanese
Armed Forces.” Meanwhile, Lebanon called on the UNIFIL command to work on
bringing back two Lebanese citizens who escaped to Israel in the past two days
through the Blue Line. In this context, the Prime Ministry announced in a
statement that the UNIFIL command told Lebanon that “the Israeli maneuver at the
end of the month is constituted of defense exercises that do not have offensive
ends.”
Hizbullah: Israel plotting to kill Nasrallah
Hizbullah goes on high alert ahead of IDF drill, says Israel conspiring with
other states
Roee Nahmais Published: 05.22.09, 11:46 / Israel News
Hizbullah says a large-scale drill to be held in about two weeks constitutes
preparation for the implications that would stem from the assassination of group
head Hassan Nasrallah, al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Friday.
If such assassination would materialize it would "cause an all-out explosion,"
Senior Hizbullah member Nawaf al-Musawi told to the newspaper.
The exercise, code-named "Turning Point 3," will be held on the morning of June
2nd. The drill will include an air-raid siren that will be activated across the
country.
"The resistance is addressing this military maneuver responsibly and seriously,"
the Hizbullah man said, adding that the group is on high alert "because a
decision was taken in Israel to assassinate Nasrallah, and many states have
conspired with Israel on this front."
Earlier this week, Nasrallah himself said Hizbullah will go on high alert ahead
of the drill planned by the "Zionist enemy."
Meanwhile, Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reported that Hizbullah has been
adopting unusual preventative steps at its stronghold south of Beirut, the
Dahiya. Hizbullah members are searching for cameras allegedly planted by Israeli
agents at the entrances to buildings and shops in the area, the paper said.
Hizbullah is concerned that the cameras were providing Israel with footage of
vehicles belonging to senior group members.
Netanyahu: All of Jerusalem to Remain Israeli
By VOA News
21 May 2009/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says all of Jerusalem will
always remain under Israeli sovereignty. Mr. Netanyahu said united Jerusalem is
the Jewish state's capital, and will never again be partitioned or divided. The
prime minister spoke Thursday on Jerusalem Day at a ceremony marking 42 years
since Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem has not been internationally recognized,
and Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian
state.
Palestinian officials rejected Mr. Netanyahu's remarks. Aides to Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas said the declaration goes against a two-state solution
and threatens the peace process. In East Jerusalem Thursday, several hundred
people protested against Jerusalem Day celebrations. The demonstrators, many of
whom were Arabs, waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans condemning Israeli
occupation of Palestinian territory. In other news, Israeli soldiers and police
dismantled a small Jewish settlement in the West Bank Thursday, days after U.S.
President Barack Obama urged Mr. Netanyahu to halt settlement construction.
Israel has long promised to remove unauthorized settlements in the West Bank,
but says hundreds of thousands of other Jewish settlers live in settlements
"authorized" by the government. Israel has occupied the West Bank since it
seized the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War. Also Thursday, a Palestinian
police officer and two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shootout in the West
Bank town of Qalqilya. *Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP
and Reuters.
'1 in 4 Israelis would consider leaving country if Iran gets nukes'
By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Correspondent
Last update - 12:34 22/05/2009
Some 23 percent of Israelis would consider leaving the country if Iran obtains a
nuclear weapon, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the Center for
Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University. Some 85 percent of respondents said they
feared the Islamic Republic would obtain an atomic bomb, 57 percent believed the
new U.S. initiative to engage in dialogue with Tehran would fail and 41 percent
believed Israel should strike Iran's nuclear installations without waiting to
see whether or how the talks develop.
"The findings are worrying because they reflect an exaggerated and unnecessary
fear," Prof. David Menashri, the head of the Center, said. "Iran's leadership is
religiously extremist but calculated and it understands an unconventional attack
on Israel is an act of madness that will destroy Iran. Sadly, the survey shows
the Iranian threat works well even without a bomb and thousands of Israelis
[already] live in fear and contemplate leaving the country." Women are more
fearful than men that Iran will obtain nuclear weapons: 83 percent of female
respondents said they fear such a scenario in contrast to 78 percent of men; 39
percent of women said they would consider leaving the country in such an event
as opposed to 22 percent of men.
Age was also a factor for respondents: 89 percent of those aged 42 and above
said they were fearful of a nuclear Iran, in comparison to 61 percent of those
aged 18 to 41.
Some 80 percent of left-wing voters and 67 percent of right-wing voters
expressed deep concern over a nuclear Iran. Respondents describing themselves as
centrists were the most fretful, with 88 percent saying they feared Iran would
obtain the bomb. The poll was conducted among 509 people representative of
Israel's adult population.
Fadlallah: Biden Visit is Meddling in Lebanon Elections
Naharnet/U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Lebanon on Friday is a clear
bid by Washington to meddle in the country's internal affairs just two weeks
before crucial elections, Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah told AFP. "It appears
that this visit is part of a U.S. bid to supervise the electoral campaign of a
Lebanese party which feels threatened politically ... in light of the expected
outcome of the legislative vote," Fadlallah said. He was making a clear
reference to the majority March 14 coalition which stands to lose in the
upcoming June 7 vote to a Hizbullah-led alliance. "We call on all Lebanese,
regardless of their political views, to rise up against such meddling which
represents a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty," he added.
His comments came just before Biden arrived in Beirut in the second such
high-level visit by a U.S. official in a month. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton in April urged the Lebanese to hold free and fair elections. Hizbullah
at the time also criticized her visit. Fadlallah said Biden's trip will
"negatively affect those betting once again on U.S. support which, under the
arrogant Bush administration, was unable to break the will of the Lebanese". He
added that Biden's visit is part of U.S. efforts to impose its views on the
government that will be set up after the elections. "They are tracing red lines
for the future government," he said. "We will rise up to this."(AFP) Beirut, 22
May 09, 12:03
Hizbullah Measures in Dahiyeh against 'Spy Cameras'
Naharnet/Hizbullah has reportedly taken measures to cripple the so-called "spy
cameras" recently discovered in Beirut's southern suburbs, the daily Al Akhbar
said Friday.
It said the measures were aimed at crippling the function of the surveillance
cameras installed at entrances to buildings, businesses and other institutions
in Dahiyeh. The cameras are designed to take pictures of street activity and
transmit them to agents or directly to their employers via satellite, according
to the paper. Meanwhile, police arrested another suspect in Rashaya overnight in
connection with the Israel-linked espionage networks. The man was only
identified as Ziad.S., who hails from the southern town of Shebaa. He is in his
70s. Al-Bairaq newspaper, however, identified the suspect as Ziad Al-Saadi. It
an unrelated development, the paper said Lebanese army intelligence arrested two
fugitives from the Jaafar clan for involvement in the deadly attack on an army
patrol in east Lebanon on April 13. The fugitives were carrying forged
passports, the daily said. Beirut, 22 May 09, 08:49
Qassem: Resistance is Necessity
Naharnet/Hizbullah deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Friday that
the resistance is a necessity.
"The resistance is not only the solution for Lebanon, but it is a necessity,"
Qassen told a rally on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of Liberation Day
which falls on Monday, March 25.
He called on "everybody" to strengthen and support the resistance. Qassem
believed the imminent Israeli military exercise across its entire border meant
the Jewish state was getting readying for war. "When Israel carries out
maneuvers, this means that it is preparing for war to regain what it lost in the
July 2006 aggression," he stressed. Beirut, 22 May 09, 13:01
Sayyed Moving Forward in his Case Against Mehlis, Abdo in Paris
Naharnet/Former head of the General Security Department Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed
will appear before a French judge on Monday to provide her with more information
on his defamation case against ex-chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis and
Ambassador Johnny Abdo. Sayyed arrived in Paris Thursday afternoon. As Safir
daily said Friday that Sayyed will provide Judge Fabienne Pous with more info in
the complaint that he filed against the two men while he was in Roumieh prison
last July. The former security chief's lawyer in Paris, Antoine Kourkoumaz, told
As Safir that Sayyed's appearance before the French judge will allow her to
launch a faster investigation into his claim. He said that Sayyed's arrest had
postponed the opening of a probe and a decision on the case.
Sayyed was released from Roumieh prison along with three other former security
chiefs last month. They were arrested in August 2005 in connection with
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination. The lawyer said that the complaint is
against "anonymous people" and does not refer either to Mehlis or Abdo. But
Sayyed provided information to the French judiciary accusing Mehlis and Abdo of
defaming him through several newspaper and TV interviews in Lebanon. Kourkoumaz
told As Safir that Mehlis had claimed in the interviews that there was strong
evidence of the four generals' involvement in Hariri's murder. But the
international tribunal's General Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare admitted that there
is not enough evidence to keep the security chiefs in custody. The lawyer
refused, however, to reveal the content of an interview in which Abdo reportedly
defamed Sayyed "because of secrecy."
Kourkoumaz expressed hope that the French judiciary will interrogate Abdo and
Mehlis and decide whether to take judicial action against them or not although
the former investigator's immunity could become an obstacle. Beirut, 22 May 09,
08:46
Moussawi: Opposition Capable of Ruling Lebanon
Naharnet/Hizbullah official Nawaf Moussawi called for regime change, stressing
that the Shiite group is capable of ruling Lebanon.
Moussawi, who is running in parliamentary elections in Tyre district, said in an
interview with pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily published on Friday that the
"opposition is really capable of governing Lebanon." Hizbullah also has "no
problem if the other team refused to participate in the government," Moussawi
added. He accused the majority March 14 forces of "inciting sectarian passion"
and "making up lies sometimes regarding shortening the president's term and at
times regarding modification of the Taef Accord." Moussawi said the imminent
Israeli military exercise was a "rehearsal to confront the repercussions of the
assassination of Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, which will
lead, if achieved, to a total explosion." Beirut, 22 May 09, 08:58
Formation of Tickets Paves Way for Massive Electoral Rallies
Naharnet/Electoral lists will be complete by the weekend as the March 14 forces
are preparing to hold a general meeting early next week after the coalition's
all election-related problems were solved. Sources in the March 14 alliance's
general secretariat told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that there is a quick need to
hold the general conference. They said the meeting will deal with Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speeches. The sources told al-Hayat that there
is no longer a problem obstructing formation of lists in Beirut 1 and Kesrouan
after consultations among March 14 officials led to consensus. Al-Liwaa daily
expected a rise in electoral rallies that will kick off in the weekend after the
formation of Kesrouan, Zahle and Beirut 1 tickets. The first rally will be held
on Sunday by the Progressive Socialist Party in Katarmaya after MP Walid Jumblat
announces the Shouf list in the presence of al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad
Hariri in Mukhtara. Also Sunday the Free Patriotic Movement will hold a rally in
Hadath. MP Michel Aoun will address the crowds during the event. Speaker Nabih
Berri will also head to Baalbek on Saturday to lay the cornerstone for two
projects in the area. He will discuss the internal situation during a rally in
the city. Beirut, 22 May 09, 09:56
Berri: Jezzine Is a Lebanese City Par Excellence and Does
Not Belong to One Sect
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday criticized statements portraying
Jezzine as a district of one color saying it represented a model of Lebanese
coexistence.
"Jezzine is a Lebanese region. It is not Christian, Shiite, Sunni or Druze,"
Berri told visiting public delegations. "Through diversity and coexistence… it
represents a national image that should be adopted across Lebanon," he added.
"There are new statements from here and there about Jezzine that betray its
role, position, history, present and future," he said, describing it as one of
the south's capital cities. Berri expressed hope that such statements are merely
part of electoral campaigning and stressed the need for the race to be "amicable
and democratic."
On Israel, Berri said the Israeli espionage networks being uncovered are another
form of "war against all of Lebanon without exception." He urged supporters to
vote for "a Lebanon that is strong through its resistance, army and people."He
slammed Israel's refusal to withdraw from the northern part of al-Ghajar village
in compliance with Resolution 1701.
"Israel's attempt to link any withdrawal with a comprehensive solution to the
Arab-Israeli conflict is another proof that can be added to its record that is
loaded with violations and non-compliance with international resolutions, the
last of which is 1701," he said. "It also a clear proof that Israel is only
prepared at the political, security and military levels, to wage aggression not
to forge peace," Berri added. Beirut, 21 May 09, 17:18
Franjieh Says Alliance with Syria Safeguards Christians
Naharnet/Former minister Suleiman Franjieh on Thursday defended his alliance
with Syria saying it guarantees the protection of Lebanon and the Christians.
"We are with Syria and with this policy because it is insurance for Lebanon and
guarantees protection for the Christians and the minorities. The Christians
cannot afford to enter new adventures," the head of the Marada party told public
delegations in Zgharta. He recalled that more than 70 years ago his grandfather
the late President Suleiman Franjieh "committed himself to maintaining friendly
ties with Syria and Iran. "This is the Arab nationalist choice. It is a choice
to belong to the Arab surrounding and he never changed his policy. We inherited
this approach and we never diverted from it," he said. Franjieh said that
Muslims can afford to form and end alliances freely because they "are able to
defend themselves."
"But if we (the Christians) make the wrong bet, this will be at the expense of
our entity and existence," he added. On calls for him to change alliances,
Franjieh said those who are "today speaking of sovereignty and independence
shared our political views" during past elections. "Some of those running
in other lists (today) used to stand in line to be on our ticket. And when we
used to refuse, they sought the mediation of Syrian officials," he added. "He
who is sovereign, free and independent will remain sovereign, free and
independent regardless of the tutelages," Franjieh said. "The guardianship can
change from Syrian to Saudi or American or French. But at the end tutelage is
tutelage and he who used to go to Anjar now goes to Awkar or visits the Saudi
ambassador or the French consul," he added. Beirut, 21 May 09, 16:16
UNIFIL to Lebanon: Israeli Maneuvers Have No Hostile
Objectives
Naharnet/UNIFIL has informed Lebanon that the upcoming Israeli maneuvers are
defensive exercises with no hostile objectives after Beirut sent a protest to
the United Nations, the premier's office announced Thursday. Lebanon had
protested to the U.N. against the maneuvers and Israel's espionage networks
uncovered in the country. It had requested UNIFIL to help extradite fugitives
who fled to Israel. The official complaint, addressed to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon,
was sent via the Lebanese foreign ministry. "The UNIFIL command informed Lebanon
that the maneuvers that Israel will carry out end of this month are defensive
exercises that have no hostile objectives," the prime minister's office stressed
in a statement. Police chief Ashraf Rifi, meanwhile, said Lebanon has asked
UNIFIL to contact Israel in an effort to extradite three Lebanese citizens who
fled to the Jewish state across the border. Rifi said those arrested in
connection with the Israel-linked spy cells belong to "different Lebanese
sects," citing physiological and financial factors as reasons for treason. In
New York, U.N. spokesperson Marie Okabe said UNIFIL reported that it has been
informed by the Lebanese authorities of a number of Lebanese citizens who
crossed the Blue Line into Israel. She noted that UNIFIL is in the process of
ascertaining all the facts concerning this issue, adding that "any illegal
crossing would constitute a violation of the Blue Line and a violation of
Security Council resolution 1701," the resolution that ended the 2006 war.
Regarding Ghajar, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le
Roy, reiterated from New York that Israel is obligated under resolution 1701 to
withdraw from part of the occupied village and adjacent area north of the Blue
Line. "There is no question about that," Le Roy told a news conference. "UNIFIL
has been working intensively with the Israel Defense Forces and Lebanese Armed
Forces to facilitate the withdrawal. Last summer, UNIFIL submitted a proposal to
both parties." UNIFIL is still talking with the Israeli authorities on the
modalities, but no date for the withdrawal of Israeli forces has been given yet,
Le Roy said. He said that he will be traveling to Israel in the next few days
and "I intend to press on the Israeli government officials the importance of
finding an early resolution on this issue." "We are hopeful that we will soon
reach an understanding on the UNIFIL proposal that will facilitate Israel's
withdrawal from the area as required by resolution 1701" Le Roy added. Beirut,
21 May 09, 08:10
Murr Says Army Will Never Become Biased
Naharnet/Defense Minister Elias Murr on Thursday conveyed a message to the army
reassuring officers and soldiers that the military will remain a neutral
establishment as Lebanon prepares for the June 7 polls. Murr was speaking during
military maneuvers in Roumieh prison in the presence of top army officers. "I am
here today to convey a message to army officers and (soldiers) … the media has
been promoting campaigns and banners used by all sides. "But the military
establishment is unconcerned with this, because it is the only entity that has
maintained an equal distance from all (parties) throughout its history," he
said. He said the elections will last for one day and on June 8 the army will
continue to be the "solution for all the Lebanese" regardless of the results.
Murr said his decision not to run in the elections was prompted by a desire not
give way to claims that he might "drag the military toward a political choice,
whatever that choice may be." "I am honored to throw away a seat in Parliament
when I am faced with the army's sacrifices during all the stages that followed
the last Israeli aggression up until the Bekaa incident," he added. He was
referring to a deadly ambush on an army convoy in Bekaa that claimed the lives
of three soldiers. Beirut, 21 May 09, 19:11
In Lebanon's Election, a More Pragmatic Hizballah
By Andrew Lee Butters / Beirut Thursday, May. 21, 2009
TIME in line
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1900016,00.html
The young men in gold-collared gowns collecting their certificates as beaming
parents looked on could have been at any graduation ceremony in the U.S., except
perhaps for the fact that the commencement speaker appeared via a video link
from an undisclosed location, so as to avoid assassination. That, and the fact
that the graduates' job prospects are probably far better than those of their
Western peers right now, by virtue of the fact that most are trained guerrilla
fighters.
At a huge south Beirut auditorium built on the
rubble of apartment buildings destroyed by Israeli bombs in the 2006 war,
Hizballah on May 15 honored 2,883 men and women who had graduated from Lebanese
universities this year on scholarships provided by the movement. "Beloved
families, please don't rush the front to take pictures of your dear children,"
the master of ceremonies intoned from beneath a large screen showing a video
compilation of greatest hits from Hizballah's 18-year war to drive the Israelis
out of Lebanon. "Each one will be photographed and the pictures will be
delivered to you."
The highlight of the day was the appearance, albeit by video, of the movement's
leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, one of the most wanted and most charismatic men
in the Middle East. He had the audience on its feet and riveted the crowd as he
spoke for at least 45 minutes without notes on the importance of education,
which, along with asymmetrical warfare, has been among his top priorities since
taking the reins of the Shi'ite Islamist movement in 1992. "Sitting on a school
bench is a jihad in our Islamic understanding," he told the students and their
proud parents. (See pictures of the Mahdi Scouts, Hizballah's youth movement.)
Nasrallah and his organization, though, may be poised for a graduation of their
own. They lead an opposition political coalition that the polls show has a
commanding lead in Lebanon's parliamentary elections, to be held on June 7. And
if the polls are accurate, the election could put the self-styled Party of God —
considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and often described as a
state-within-a-state because of its shadow military infrastructure and vast
social-services network — in charge of the Lebanese state. That prospect has the
current U.S.-backed coalition running scared and warning that a victory by the
Iran- and Syria-backed Hizballah and its allies could end Lebanon's short-lived
independence from Syria, turning it into a second Gaza or a mini-Iran. (Read
"Inside the Hizballah Museum.")
The parliamentary election campaign, however, appears to be bringing out a more
mature and pragmatic side of Hizballah. The movement's electoral momentum is not
the product of some surge in militancy among the general public; instead, it's
the result of a carefully constructed alliance with a Christian faction that
grew disenchanted with the U.S.-backed Cedar Revolution that ousted the Syrians,
and with their sect's traditional pro-Western leadership. The Hizballah-allied
Christian faction, which carries the support of roughly half of the country's
Christians, is led by the populist former general Michael Aoun, who decided that
best way to protect Lebanon's Christians — and, perhaps, the best way to promote
his own career — was to join forces with the rising tide of Shi'a Islam.
To keep its new Christian bedfellows within the opposition tent, Hizballah is
running a low-key campaign aimed at reassuring non-Shi'a voters that Sheikh
Nasrallah's movement respects Lebanon's diverse, multi-ethnic and
multi-religious character. Hizballah has, in fact, given up some of its own safe
seats in parliament to its opposition allies in order to maintain a unified
front. The Party of God will, in all probability, actually lose seats on June 7,
in order to assume an even more powerful behind-the-scenes role in a new
government. All it asks in return, Nasrallah says, is for the new government to
formalize and protect the autonomy of the Resistance — Hizballah's military
infrastructure, which it claims is necessary to deter Israeli aggression.
Although Israeli and U.S. officials are naturally apprehensive, even with a new
government accepting its military role it remains unlikely that Hizballah would
be able to suddenly launch a war with Israel. Although it managed to spin the
disastrous stalemate of its 2006 war with Israel into a "Divine Victory" for all
Arabs, the group has yet to deliver on its promise to rebuild thousands of homes
destroyed by Israeli bombs. Even Hizballah's most ardent supporters are not
eager to lose their homes again in a new confrontation. And Hizballah's patrons
in Damascus and Tehran are waiting, at least for now, to see what new
possibilities emerge from an Obama administration determined to engage its
adversaries in diplomacy.
Even if the responsibilities of government limit Hizballah's options, it won't
change the organization's DNA — with its hundreds of schools teaching reading,
writing and resistance, its small arms training at scout camps, and thousands of
fighters and scholars, Hizballah has prepared a generation of Lebanese Shi'ites
for struggle against Israel. The movement's leaders say its military capacity
will only be used to defend Lebanon, but it defines the Shebaa Farms district
still under Israeli occupation as Lebanese territory (U.N. maps consider it to
be part of Syria), and that's just one factor that could spark a new round of
fighting. Another is that Hizballah blames last year's assassination of its
security chief, Imad Mughniyeh, on Israel. And it's an open secret that
Hizballah is acquiring anti-aircraft technology in the hopes of bringing down
one of the Israeli warplanes that constantly violate Lebanese airspace.
But the danger of confrontation is unrelated to the outcome of the election. As
long as the Arab-Israeli conflict continues and the U.S. and Iran vie for
supremacy in the Middle East, Lebanon will always be at risk of being turned
into a battlefield. The job prospects for Hizballah's Class of 2009 may be
bright, then, but they could yet involve martyrdom.