LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 13/09
Bible Reading of the day
John: 6:10-15/ Jesus said, “Have the
people sit down.” Now there was much grass in that place. So the men sat down,
in number about five thousand. Jesus took the loaves; and having given
thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were
sitting down; likewise also of the fish as much as they desired. When they were
filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left
over, that nothing be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets
with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those
who had eaten. When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they
said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” Jesus therefore,
perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king,
withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Lebanese-Syrian summit highlights
strengthening bilateral relations/Now Lebanon.November 12, 09
Interview with
to Sayyed Mohammad
Hussein Fadlallah/Now Lebanon/November 12.09
Time for Lebanon to be proactive/The
Daily Star/November 12/09
Lebanese ombudsman bridges divisions/By
Johanna Hawari-Bourgély/November 12/09
What Major
Hasan can teach us about sponsors of terrorism/By: Lee Smith/Now Lebanon/November 12/09
Michel Sleiman/Al-Mustaqbal/12
November 09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November 12/09
SANA: In a statement issued after their
meeting, Assad calls for strengthening consensus in Lebanon; Sleiman emphasizes
"special relations" with Syria
Damascus Summit-2: Maintaining
Coordination in Common Lebanese-Syrian Issues/Naharnet
Judge Sawwan
indicts four Lebanese, requests death penalty/Now
Lebanon
New
Elections: Same Old Parliamentary Committees with Few Exceptions/Naharnet
Dutch
Man Arrested at Beirut Airport for Smuggling Drugs/Naharnet
Arslan
Receives Separate Calls from Suleiman, Hariri/Naharnet
Russia Welcomes New
Cabinet, Says Only Dialogue Guarantees Independence/Naharnet
Syria to U.N.: We Have
Nothing to Do with 1559/Naharnet
Report: U.N. to Ask Israel
to Compensate for Jiyyeh Oil Spill/Naharnet
Canada: No Talks with Hizbullah
Cabinet Ministers/Naharnet
Jumblat: Maronites, Druze
Have Become Red Indians/Naharnet
NYT: Egyptian, Saudi
Influence Fading Amid Defiance by Iran, Hizbullah/Naharnet
Phalange Party Accedes to
be Part of the Government, Suggests a Reform Plan for March 14/Naharnet
Nasrallah: Government
Success Benefits Resistance, I Call for Patience in Raising Major Issues/Naharnet
Hariri: Lebanon Will Not
Remain a Playground for Regional Conflicts/Naharnet
Aoun: Government Under 3
Headlines; Privatization, Paris III, and Productivity/Naharnet
Netanyahu in Paris: Israel is ready for talks with Syria/Ha'aretz
Phalange puts end to withdrawal speculation,
accepts share/Daily Star
Hizbulah chief urges regional powers to enhance
cooperation/Daily Star
UN: Israeli spying, overflights violate 1701/Daily
Star
Israel claims evidence links
arms ship to Iran/Daily
Star
Fadlallah urges progress through cooperation/Daily
Star
World leaders welcome Beirut cabinet/Daily
Star
Underlying sectarian tensions pose threat/Daily
Star
Infighting
and meddling blight Lebanon's power/Daily Star
Lebanese economic shake-up to
focus on privatization/Daily Star
Women's-rights group calls for
equality legislation/Daily Star
Baroud lays basis for
transparent municipal
polls/Daily Star
Judge requests death sentence
for ISF general, family/Daily Star
Killer at large after Jal
al-Dib highway shooting/Daily Star
Syringes plague Sidon beach as
dump spills medical waste/Daily Star
Fallen soldiers honored at
British
cemetery in Sidon/Daily Star
Hizbulah chief urges regional powers to enhance
cooperation
Nasrallah stresses commitment to Cabinet
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called on
Wednesday for further cooperation among Arab and Islamic states urging them to
adopt a resistance strategy to counter Israeli threats while he did not fully
dismiss the possibility of an upcoming Israeli war against Lebanon. Meanwhile,
on the domestic front, Nasrallah underscored his party’s commitment to the
success of the new Cabinet, adding that all parties should cooperate to meet the
social and economic needs of the Lebanese people.
Speaking on the occasion of “Martyr’s Day,” which Hizbullah celebrates on
November 11 of each year, Nasrallah stressed Wednesday that the recent Israeli
threats and psychological warfare against Lebanon was subject to one of two
interpretations. Nasrallah said the threats were either a preparation for an
upcoming battle or a domestic message to Israeli leaders signaling the
difficulty of such conflict.
“I do not deny or confirm an upcoming war,” Nasrallah said, while he vowed to
defeat the Israeli Army in any challenges.
“[Israeli Army commander] Gabi Ashkenazi’s statements that Hizbullah possesses
thousands of missiles with a range that surpass 350 kilometers could be an
excuse to launch a new war or an indication of no future confrontation given the
readiness of the resistance,” Nasrallah said.
He emphasized that any Israeli ground invasion would be an opportunity for the
resistance to destroy the Israeli Army units and kill or capture his soldiers
given south Lebanon’s favorable geography to resistance operations.
The Sayyed also urged for further cooperation among regional powers in order to
face Israeli threats as he praised Turkey’s positive role in the region and its
establishment of strategic ties with Syria and Iran.
Nasrallah also called for a Saudi-Iranian rapprochement while praising Syrian
President Bashar Assad for his support to resistance movements in Lebanon and
Gaza.
“We thank President Bashar Assad for his stance at Turkey’s Economic summit
where he voiced support for the resistance movements and embraced the resistance
choice and we urge the entire Islamic world to adopt that choice,” Nasrallah
said.
Nasrallah called on Arab leaders to adopt the resistance’s choice rather than
awaiting American intervention, as he accused the US administration of bringing
unconditional support to Israel.
“Eighteen years of Israeli-Palestinian talks proved theire failure according to
confessions by leading Palestinian negotiators,” he said. “All illusions by some
Arabs following the election of US President Barak Obama fell apart as the
latter proved fully committed to preserve Israeli interests,” Nasrallah added.
Nasrallah added that the US claims of forcing Israel into halting its settlement
activities prior to the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations were no
more than a pre-planned diversion.
“The US did not impose on Israel to freeze construction of new settlements prior
to the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations but rather imposed
on the Palestinians to resume negotiations without pre-conditions,” Nasrallah
said.
Tackling Lebanese domestic affairs, Nasrallah stressed his party’s commitment to
the success of the new “governmental experience” as he called on all parties to
cooperate and work in harmony in order to serve Lebanon’s best interests.
“We call on the new Cabinet to work in harmony and cooperation rather than be
one formed of bunkers,” Nasrallah said.
He added that the Cabinet’s top priorities should be to address the social and
economic needs of the Lebanese people while major issues subject to debate
should be left to discussions during national dialogue sessions to avoid
hindering the Cabinet’s functions.
“We urge for patience before putting forward major topics for discussion in
order to allow time for the new Cabinet to settle in so as to facilitate its
work,” Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah also called on political parties to put forward objective and feasible
goals rather than unachievable expectations in order to earn the trust of the
Lebanese people.
As for the Cabinet’s policy statement, Nasrallah tackled the issue briefly
saying its formulation faced no complications.
Concluding his speech, Nasrallah accused the Israelis of attempts to corrupt the
Lebanese society by promoting drug sales and abuse among the young aged
population.
“I call on Lebanese official authorities to declare a full scale war against
drug promotion on media, cultural, security and judicial levels,” Nasrallah
said.
Nasrallah urged the Lebanese government to fight the newly emerging wide spread
of drug sales among university and schools students as he underscored that drug
dealers should face severe punishment. “We reject, based on a religious
principle, the promotion of drug sales even in the Israeli enemy society since
it contradicts our values,” Nasrallah said, adding that “Israeli claims
Hizbullah of such actions are no more than lies.”
UN: Israeli
spying, overflights violate 1701
Thursday, November 12, 2009
BEIRUT: The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said
Israeli overflights and listening devices in south Lebanon were a violation of
Security Council Resolution 1701. All Israeli military flights over Lebanon
break resolution 1701, Williams told the Security Council. “Every single Israeli
overflight of Lebanon is a violation, your question gives me a welcome
opportunity to repeat that,” Williams told reporters Tuesday. “To the best of my
knowledge … probably no other country in the world – probably, I may be wrong –
is subject to such an intrusive regime of aerial surveillance [as Lebanon],” he
said. “Now we also have other events, the discovery of listening devices which
almost certainly seem to have been left by the Israelis. Are these violations?
Yes, of course they’re violations of 1701.” Asked whether he would categorically
say that there was no arms smuggling into Lebanon, he replied: “No I would not
say that … it’s an established fact that Lebanon does not have an active border
control regime in the way that most countries have on their borders.”
He cited UN missions in 2007 and 2008 that called the borders “very, very
porous. Now that’s an objective and scientific assessment of what pertains on
the borders. What they were not in a position to say is what may or may not come
across the borders,” he added. Williams called for action to safeguard what has
been achieved in the past three years.
“While welcoming the parties’ stated commitment to Resolution 1701, which is
critical, we also stress the need for more tangible steps to facilitate forward
movement in the direction of a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution,” he
said. – Naharnet, with The Daily Star
Israel claims evidence links arms ship to Iran
Thursday, November 12, 2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The Israeli military Wednesday released a series of
documents and photos it said proved Iran was behind a massive shipment of
weapons Israel’s navy commandos intercepted last week. Israel has said the cargo
ship its troops seized off the coast of Cyprus was carrying 500 tons of
Iranian-made weapons for Lebanon’s Hizbullah. The ship had dozens of containers
with Iranian markings on it. On Wednesday, the military released what it said
was a manifest stating that the ship originated in Isfahan, Iran. Another
document showed contents that were allegedly handled by “Islamic Republic of
Iran’s Shipping Lines.” Israel also released what it said was a customs form
stamped by the Iranian armed forces.
Both Iran and Hizbullah have denied the Israeli claims. Officials at Iran’s
Foreign Ministry were not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the US accused Iran of violating a UN arms embargo by secretly
sending the weapons aboard the Francop – a merchant ship flying the flag of
Antigua and destined for the Syrian port of Latakia. Israel has showcased the
haul as proof of its long-standing contention that Iran is supplying large
quantities of arms to Hizbullah and Hamas militants in Gaza.
Israel says the confiscated arms cache – the largest it has ever seized – did
not include any new types of weapons for Hizbullah. Rather, the arms would have
given Hizbullah a month’s worth of firepower in time of war. Israel has urged
the world to focus on the threat from the Lebanese militants’ chief backer,
Iran.
Among the arms Israel says it found aboard the vessel were 9,000 mortar bombs,
3,000 Katyusha rockets, 3,000 gun shells, 20,000 grenades and over
half-a-million rounds of small-arms ammunition. Israel also says that a close
examination of the munitions themselves conclusively point to Iran as the
shipment’s source.
The containers were stuffed with sacks of polyethylene pellets used to conceal
the munitions, Israel said. According to the markings, the polyethylene was
produced by Iran’s National Petrochemical Co. It included a telephone number
that begins with 98, which is Iran’s international dialing code. Also discovered
were thousands of rounds of mortar bombs and artillery rockets manufactured by
the Iranian defense industry, such as 107 millimeter haseb artillery rockets
that are identical to those used by Iranian-armed Iraqi insurgents. – AP
Damascus
Summit-2: Maintaining Coordination in Common Lebanese-Syrian Issues
Naharnet/Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
expressed their satisfaction for the development of relations between Lebanon
and Syria. The two presidents stressed they will pursue coordination and
consultations in issues of common interest.
The state-run Syrian news agency SANA mentioned that the meeting Thursday
morning between al-Assad and Suleiman tackled bilateral ties between the two
countries and the means of enforcing them in all aspects. "The positive
developments that Lebanon has witnessed lately were demonstrated, especially the
formation of the Lebanese national unity government, as President al-Assad urged
to benefit from those atmospheres and to pursue dialogue in order to fortify
consensus among the Lebanese -- the thing that leads to fortifying national
unity which is the basis of Lebanon's stability and security," added SANA.
The Syrian agency added that Suleiman, on his part, stressed that the special
relations with Syria serve Lebanon's interest, and that he will continue working
on those relations to serve the interests of the two countries and the region.
The Suleiman-Assad summit also tackled the latest regional and international
developments.
The Lebanese-Syrian summit which had taken place on Thursday morning came only
three days after the formation of a new Cabinet as PM Saad Hariri received a
congratulation letter from his Syrian counterpart. In the letter, Syrian Prime
Minister Naji al-Otari extended congratulations and offered "best wishes of
success" to Hariri.
Sources close to Hariri did not rule out a visit to Damascus by the Lebanese
premier.
They told AFP, however, that the visit "was not imminent."
A spokesman for Suleiman said the Lebanese-Syrian summit dealt with bilateral
relations between the two countries.
According to information obtained by the daily As-Safir, the summit, which is
expected to give a much-needed impetus to Damascus' "open door" policy, will
produce Syrian support for the new Lebanon government.
As-Safir said the summit will also pave the way for the open door policy
Damascus has decided to follow in light of the new Lebanese political path after
the June parliamentary elections which was also complementary to the
Syrian-Saudi political scene.
The summit comes ahead of Assad's visit to Paris for talks with French President
Nicolas Sarkozy.
Meanwhile, Suleiman said that "there is no winner, no loser in the new
government." The President described as "good" his relationship with Prime
Minister Saad Hariri. "Hariri has good intentions," Suleiman told As-Safir in an
interview published Thursday.
"The experience as premier-designate was useful for him (Hariri) because it
enabled him to go into deep discussions with Opposition figures," he said. "This
would facilitate the work of the government and build bridges of trust,"
Suleiman believed. Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 07:41
New Elections: Same Old Parliamentary Committees with Few Exceptions
Naharnet/Parliament's General Assembly met Thursday and elected same old
chairpersons and members of parliamentary committees with the exception of the
Budget and Appropriations committees. The majority retained nine committees
while the Opposition seven. MP Bahia Hariri kept her position as head of the
Education Committee so did MP Robert Ghanem who maintained his post as head of
the Administration and Justice Committee. Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 09:08
Dutch Man Arrested at Beirut Airport for Smuggling Drugs
Naharnet/Security forces at Beirut airport arrested a Dutch man who was trying
to smuggle drugs to the Netherlands, the National News Agency reported Thursday.
NNA said that suspicion fell on Peter F., 68, when he was passing through a
detection machine at Rafik Hariri international airport before boarding a
Turkish airlines plane bound for Amsterdam.
ISF personnel searched his handbag, which turned out to have an addition layer
at the bottom and inside it 10 kilograms of hashish, NNA said.
The news agency added that security forces immediately arrested the man and
referred him to the central drug control bureau for further investigation.
Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 11:58
Arslan Receives Separate Calls from Suleiman, Hariri
Naharnet/MP Talal Arslan on Thursday discussed the Lebanon situation in two
separate telephone conversations with President Michel Suleiman and Prime
Minister Saad Hariri. A statement released by Arslan's office said the
"viewpoints were matching regarding the need to unite ranks as a condition for
the state to resume its activity and work toward finding solutions to social and
economic problems of the Lebanese society."It said viewpoints also were matching
as to the need to "exercise vigilance and caution" and prepare for a possible
Israeli attack on Lebanon. Arslan, the statement said, wished Hariri "success on
his mission" as Lebanon's new prime minister. He hailed Suleiman for
recent statements in which he stressed on the need to unite around the Lebanese
army and the resistance to thwart Israeli plots. Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 12:49
Russia Welcomes New Cabinet, Says Only Dialogue Guarantees Independence
Naharnet/Russia welcomed the new Lebanese national unity government on Thursday
saying cabinet formation confirms that the solution to internal problems comes
only through dialogue.
The formation of the government "confirms that overcoming internal obstacles and
solving lingering problems on the national agenda is only possible through
dialogue," Russia's foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said. "This
alone guarantees continuous consolidation of Lebanon's independence, unity and
sovereignty," he said.
"We are certain that the successful formation of the cabinet through the
appropriate constitutional procedures and consensual and active work later on
would be for the benefit of Lebanon and the Lebanese," Nesterenko added. Beirut,
12 Nov 09, 12:52
Syria to U.N.: We Have Nothing to Do with 1559
Naharnet/The Syrian government has asked U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon "not to
introduce Syria's name" in special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen's reports on the
implementation of Security Council resolution 1559, An Nahar daily reported
Thursday. In similar letters to Ban and the Security Council president for this
month Austrian ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, Syrian envoy Bashar al-Jaafari
said that Damascus has implemented all 1559 articles on Syria. "What is left of
the resolution's articles is a Lebanese issue that Syria has nothing to do
with," al-Jaafari stressed, according to An Nahar. The letters also urged Ban to
encourage Lebanese consensus "rather than creating problems that would give the
impression that Lebanon is subject to the guardianship of some
general-secretariat representatives," in reference to Roed-Larsen. Al-Jaafari
accused Israel of not implementing 1559, saying the Security Council should
pressure the Jewish State to withdraw from the Shebaa farms, Kfarshouba hills
and the northern part of Ghajar and end its violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
"Border demarcation between Syria and Lebanon is a bilateral issue and a
sovereign decision between the two countries and no one has the right to
interfere in it," the Syrian government said in the letters.
Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 08:14
Report: U.N. to Ask Israel to Compensate for Jiyyeh Oil Spill
Naharnet/The U.N. General-Assembly on Thursday is expected to adopt a resolution
urging Israel to take "responsibility for immediate compensation" to Lebanon for
the environmental damage that it caused when its fighter jets bombed the Jiyyeh
power plant in 2006. Al-Mustaqbal newspaper quoted diplomats as saying that the
draft resolution, which was prepared by Sudan, is expected to get the votes of
168 countries out of 192 similar to previous years. The United States, Israel,
Canada and Australia have since 2006 voted against the draft resolution. The
Lebanese coast was polluted by around 15,000 tons of fuel oil after Israel
bombed the Jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut in mid-July during its 34-day
offensive against Hizbullah.
At the time, Greenpeace described the spill, which polluted about 150 kilometers
of the coast, as an "underwater nightmare" and a "timebomb" because oil had sunk
to the seabed.
Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 08:46
Canada: No Talks with Hizbullah Cabinet Ministers
Naharnet/Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon has congratulated the
Lebanese on the formation of a national unity government, but said his country
will not hold talks with Hizbullah Cabinet ministers. Cannon said Canada
"congratulates" Prime Minister Saad Hariri and offers its "full support to him
and to the people of Lebanon."
"We look forward to working with the new government to support continued
reforms, expand and diversify our trade relationship, and strengthen cultural
and academic ties between our countries," he stressed. However, "we will
maintain our principled policy of having absolutely no contact with Hezbollah
officials," Cannon said, adding that Hizbullah is listed as a terrorist
organization in Canada. Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 10:14
Jumblat: Maronites, Druze Have Become Red Indians
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said the Maronites and
Druze have become "red Indians.""I am convinced of this, but who will convince
the Maronites?" Jumblat wondered in remarks published Thursday by the daily Al-Akhbar.
"In light of the Sunni-Shiite conflict in the region, there is a new Lebanon",
Jumblat pointed out, adding that a new "political geography a new agglomeration
will surface."He believed that "responsibility falls on mismanagement of the
country that goes back to the days of independence leaders."
Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 08:39
NYT: Egyptian, Saudi Influence Fading Amid Defiance by
Iran, Hizbullah
Naharnet/Saudi Arabia and Egypt are increasingly viewed in the region as
diminished actors whose influence is on the wane as a result of challenges by
Iran and Syria and the defiance of Hizbullah and Hamas, political experts told
the New York Times. "Even while Iran has been focused on its domestic political
crisis, and Syria has struggled with an economic and water crisis, their
continued support for Hamas and Hizbullah has preserved for them a strong hand
in matters like the formation of a new government in Lebanon and efforts to
reconcile Palestinian factions," NYT quoted officials and analysts as saying.
The newspaper said that Saudi and Egyptian officials acknowledge their influence
is waning.
"Saudi King Abdullah has decided that Arab unity is the only way to re-establish
the kingdom's role and to blunt Iran's growing influence," NYT said. That's why
the king has begun a diplomatic drive to smooth relations with Libya's Moammer
Gadhafi and Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"Egyptian officials say they wish the king well but have declined to participate
in his reconciliation initiative because they think it will fail as long as
Syria determines that the advantages of playing the spoiler outweigh the gains
of pushing for peace," according to the newspaper.
"If there is no peace, then all those who bet against peace are winning," said
an Egyptian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid increasing
tensions with the United States or Saudi Arabia. "And all those who act and bet
there will be peace are losing, like us. We are losing because we are putting
this bet."
"Egypt's role is receding regionally, and its cards are limited," said Emad Gad,
an expert in international relations at the government-financed Ahram Center for
Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "Their main card, which is
reconciliation and peace, is receding."
"Even as its vast reserves of oil money have expanded its global influence,
Saudi Arabia finds itself unable to exert its will even on its own border, where
it blames Iran for stoking an uprising against the government in Yemen; or in
Lebanon, where its chief source of influence, former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, was assassinated," NYT said.
"Saudi's role in the last 10 years has declined," said Abdulkarim H. al-Dekhayel,
a political science professor at King Saud University in Riyadh. "The leadership
now feels it has to try to reset the agenda." The newspaper said that Riyadh
believes the key to reestablishing a strong hand in the region rests broadly in
Arab unity and specifically in Syria.
Damascus "has close economic and political ties with Iran. It hosts the
political leadership of the militant group Hamas. It shares a border with Iraq
and has been accused of allowing militants and weapons to cross over. It has a
close alliance with Hizbullah. All of these are excellent tools for undermining
Saudi efforts to blunt Iran and push for peace with Israel," NYT added.
"The relations between the Arab countries, if they are solid, if the
understanding is there, if the cohesiveness of their policy exists, then there
is no worry," said Prince Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's longtime foreign
minister. "It is only when there is division, and looking for other alternatives
between the Arab countries, that creates problems."
But Saudi Arabia's challenge is also one of leverage, political analysts and
Saudi officials said. How does Saudi Arabia persuade Syria to switch from the
antipeace camp, to the pro-peace camp? One of the strategies, according to NYT,
involves Lebanon. "Syria has made it clear that it views events in Lebanon as
central to its national security, as well as its pride. Saudi Arabia has tried
in recent years to keep Lebanon in its orbit through proxies and cash infusions.
But lately it has suggested that it might not object to Syria reasserting
political control there."
"What is recognized is that Lebanon is more important to Syria than any other
Arab country," said a Saudi official who spoke on the condition of anonymity so
as not to antagonize officials in either country. "It's in its backyard. We
understand that. But what we are looking for is some kind of Arab unity to stop
foreign intervention in our Arab affairs." Beirut, 12 Nov 09, 09:15
Phalange Party Accedes to be Part of the Government,
Suggests a Reform Plan for March 14
Naharnet/Two days after the government formation and the Phalange Party's
negative stance over getting the Social Affairs portfolio, political bureau
member Sejaan Kazzi announced on Wednesday that their final decision is to be
part of the government offering an additional suggestion; a reform plan for
March 14. Kazzi congratulated PM Saad Hariri with the formation of the new
government and said that it had relieved the public opinion. However, the
Phalange party stated that "there has been a denial of the party's wide
representation on two levels, the national and the parliamentary one". "The
government belongs to the Lebanese nation and is not monopolized by one party or
the other. Thus, the current government does not represent the majority but the
parliament and since the Phalange party exists in it as an independent bloc then
it should be represented as well in the government," claimed Kazzi.
Sejaan Kazzi warned that "whoever things that with embarrassing the phalange
party he will break it down or throw it out then he must be disappointed".
Kazzi mentioned that the party's first intention was "to get the Education
ministry to serve the purpose of contributing to the improvement of the
education and trawl it from the sectarian conflict and its lowly level out to
modernization". Regarding March 14 coalition, Phalange Party criticized its
current structure and accused it of losing its weight amongst the Lebanese
public opinion. Frame working their accusation, they suggested a reform plan
consistent of the following points:
1. A reduced higher leadership for March 14
2. Restricting the political decisions to this leadership
3. Implementing a reform plan for the political system to work on the social
changes and the void in the Taef accord. Beirut, 11 Nov 09, 21:09
Nasrallah: Government Success Benefits Resistance, I Call for Patience in
Raising Major Issues
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that
"the success of the government benefits Lebanon and the resistance in Lebanon,"
and urged patience in raising major issues so that the country can rest.
Nasrallah was speaking during a mass rally commemorating Hizbullah's "Martyr
Day" in Beirut's Southern Suburbs.
"We want for the government to be a government of national cooperation and
national coherence instead of being a barricades government," said Nasrallah.
"Our goal since the first day was the cabinet formation and we have never
considered the size of our share," added Hizbullah's chief.
Nasrallah asked the Lebanese security apparatuses to reopen the file of
collaborators with Israel, "now that the elections are over and the government
is formed," added Hizbullah's number one.Nasrallah repeated his famous saying to
the Israelis and warned: "Send as many (Israeli) brigades as you want, send your
whole army, we will destroy them in our valleys and mountains.""The geographical
nature of the south, and Lebanon in general, was created by God to humiliate and
destroy the occupiers," added Nasrallah.
Hizbullah's chief said that next time the battle would start from "beyond and
beyond Haifa" instead of the renowned "Haifa and beyond Haifa" quotation.
On the other hand, Sayyed Nasrallah urged efforts to stop the war in Yemen that
"some are trying to give it a dangerous sectarian nature".
"We take positively the Syrian-Saudi summit, and we were the first to reap its
fruits. We call for a Saudi-Iranian rapprochement to establish communication
between the two countries," added Nasrallah."We call for more regional
cooperation and we take positively the major role played by Turkey, and we are
with Sunni Turkey if it defends Gaza and Lebanon," stressed the Hizbullah
leader. Beirut, 11 Nov 09, 21:03
Fadlallah urges progress through cooperation
Daily Star staff/Thursday, November 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Senior Shiite cleric Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah discussed domestic
issues and the role of the new government with Minister of State Adnan Sayyed
Hussein Wednesday. Fadlallah said the most important role of the new government
was to protect Lebanon’s peace and its social and economic security. He also
stressed that the ministers should cooperate with each other to solve the
problems that have been weighing heavy on the people. “The Cabinet represents a
unity, especially in vital and strategic affairs,” he said. Fadlallah then
referred to the matter of public debt and feared that Lebanon would go bankrupt
if the problem was not solved. Fadlallah also met with Chantal Shedid, the
program coordinator from the drug combating organization Skoun. He called on the
new government during the meeting to fight the growing phenomenon of drug abuse
by taking preventive measures. “Drug addicts belong in rehabilitation centers
with which the government and NGOs should collaborate,” he said. – The Daily
Star
World leaders welcome Beirut cabinet
Milliband: ‘Stability in Lebanon is vital to peace in the Middle east’
Compiled by Daily Star staff /Thursday, November 12, 2009
The United States has welcomed the formation of a new Lebanese unity government
and urged it to work to extend its authority over the entire country. “The
United States will stand by those partners who share our commitment to Lebanese
sovereignty,” the White House said in a statement Tuesday. “We look forward to
working with a new Lebanese government that is committed to extending its
authority over all of Lebanon, and to advancing political and economic reforms
that benefit the people of Lebanon,” it said. Those goals offered “a clear path
toward the advancement of peace and stability, and economic opportunity – both
in Lebanon and the region,” the statement said, adding that there could be “no
lasting solution in the region reached at Lebanon’s expense.” Prime Minister
Saad Hariri formed the new unity government late Monday after more than four
months of difficult negotiations with the Hizbullah -led opposition. “The
formation of a national unity government in Lebanon is a positive development
for both the people of Lebanon and the region. Stability in Lebanon is vital to
peace in the Mideast,” British Foreign Minister David Miliband said Wednesday.
“I wish the government well as it starts to carry out its program of political,
social and economic reforms. The United Kingdom will work with the new Lebanese
government to support reform inside Lebanon and peace in the wider region,” he
added. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also sent Hariri a message
congratulating him on forming the government and wishing him well in
implementing political, social and economic reform that they have set out and
are included within Paris III and the European Neighborhood Action plan.
On Tuesday, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon congratulated
Lebanon’s prime minister on forming a national unity government, but added
Ottawa would maintain its break with Hizbullah. Cannon said Canada
“congratulates” Hariri and offers its “full support to him and to the people of
Lebanon.” “We look forward to working with the new government to support
continued reforms, expand and diversify our trade relationship, and strengthen
cultural and academic ties between our countries,” he said. However, “we will
maintain our principled policy of having absolutely no contact with Hizbullah
officials,” he said. Hizbullah is listed as a terrorist organization in Canada.
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Wednesday called on the newly formed
Lebanese unity government to improve conditions for hundreds of thousands of
Palestinian refugees in the country. “Hamas wishes prosperity and development
for Lebanon and asks the new government to pay particular attention to the
situation of Palestinian refugees,” the Damascus-based political bureau of Hamas
said in a statement. The statement, addressed to Hariri and President Michel
Sleiman, urged the Lebanese government “to issue laws in favor of the civil and
social rights” of Palestinian refugees.
According to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, there are
between 350,000 and 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon – a country of just
over 4 million inhabitants – most of them living in 12 camps. Palestinian
refugees in Lebanon have no legal status and unlike Lebanese citizens, they do
not enjoy free medical care or social security benefits even if employed. They
are also barred from several professions and are not allowed to purchase real
estate or form associations.
Many in Lebanon fear that by granting the Palestinians more basic rights, this
would lead to their permanent settlement in the country and alter the
demographic map.
Hamas in its statement however described Palestinian refugees in Lebanon as
“guests” and said they “remain attached to the right of return [to Palestine].”
“The Palestinian people … affirm their determination to preserve the security
and stability of Lebanon,” the statement added. – Agencies
Underlying sectarian tensions pose threat
Report warns Lebanon at risk of renewed violence despite new cabinet
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon may have just announced a national unity government but the
country’s underlying sectarian problems threaten to re-submerge the country in
violence, a US organization said Tuesday. Five months after parliamentary
elections saw the March 14 coalition achieve a narrow victory over the Hizbullah-led
March 8 opposition, Lebanese politicians finally struck a deal on the shape of
the national unity government on Monday. Despite the breakthrough, a briefing by
the US Institute of Peace (USIP) said Lebanon resembled a tinderbox vulnerable
to a resurgence of violence. “While the tortured process [of forming a cabinet]
eventually concluded successfully, its difficulties signal deeper challenges
that have yet to be addressed.”
The country’s underlying political system, based on confessionalism, together
with tensions with Israel, could spark renewed violence, said author Mona
Yacoubian, special adviser for the Muslim World Initiative at USIP’s Center for
Conflict Analysis and Prevention. Yacoubian said with the new cabinet in place,
Lebanon had to make concerted efforts to facilitate peace and stability. She
suggested the Lebanese “create an institutionalized dialogue process that
builds confidence and keeps lines of communication open among Lebanon’s
confessional communities.” The National Dialogue was initiated in 2006 with a
view to ending tensions between the country’s rival political parties and
discussing the fate of Hizbullah’s military capabilities. The Dialogue was an
important opportunity to “institutionalize” a comprehensive forum with
representatives from all sects to discuss such issues as de-confessionalization
as administrative de-centralization, Yacoubian said, noting that any decisions
taken by delegates must then be implemented.
Inter-confessional dialogue will help forestall sectarian violence and help
build bridges between otherwise alienated communities. Even if delegates did not
initially agree on any significant action, the fact they were engaged with one
another and forming relationships would help reduce the length and severity of
future outbreaks of violence, Yacoubian said: “Violence is far more likely to
erupt when communication among key players is cut off. For Lebanon, a
significant period marked by little or communication among sectarian leaders is
often a prelude to serious strife.” In the absence of a neutral arbitrator, the
report proposed that the Constitutional Council step up, provided the body was
sufficiently strengthened.
Another way to achieve stability would be through advancing political and
economic reform, the report said. In particular, there must be electoral and
municipal reforms ahead of municipal elections slated for May 2010 and the
creation of elected Qada (regional) councils. “Ministerial reforms including
capacity building and reducing corruption to insure better service provision are
also essential,” as are socioeconomic reforms, the report said. Proportionality
and de-confessionalization through the creation of a senate and ending
confessional quotas in Parliament and the civil service should follow after all
other reforms are implemented.
Despite minor reforms of campaign finance and media regulations in the 2008
Electoral Law, the run-up to the June polls were characterized by highly
sectarian political discourse, “with many voters mobilized to vote based on fear
and sectarian prejudice,” the report noted. The persistence of embedded
patron-client networks further signified that Lebanon’s “feudal political system
remains fundamentally unchanged.”
“Lebanon’s particular circumstances need to be considered when deciding how to
promote democratic reform,” Yacoubian concluded. “The process should be
gradual and should take Lebanon’s peculiarities into account.”
Lebanese economic shake-up to focus on privatization
Telecom, electricity set for sale as Haffar takes control
By Osama Habib/Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Newly appointed Finance Minister Raya Haffar said on Wednesday that
achieving higher economic growth in Lebanon requires a political harmony and a
will to carry out necessary reforms. “Lebanon can attain even higher economic
growth if political synchronization and a strong will to work become available,”
Haffar said, after she took over her new responsibility from her predecessor
Mohammad Shatah.
Haffar was the first woman in Lebanon to assume the highest post in the Finance
Ministry .
She said that the ministry would proceed with the general directives of the
ministerial statement which will set a guideline on economic policies.
Haffar suggested control of government spending could be achieved through the
liberalization of some sectors.
“But as far as privatization, we will abide by what the ministerial statement
says at the end,” she said.
The government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri intends to implement the remaining
clauses of Paris III donor conference and most importantly the privatization of
the telecom and electricity sectors. The previous governments after 2005 failed
to carry out major reforms due to the sharp political differences, security
incidents, and the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.
The opposition in principle was not too eager to transfer state-owned assets to
the private sector, fearing that a monopoly by private companies could affect
the poor and hike prices of mobile and electricity bills.
However, sources said that the opposition had assured Hariri that it will not
block the privatization of the telecom sector, provided that the process is
transparent and that the money generated from the sale is substantial enough to
reduce the public debt.
Privatization is a key element in the program of the previous cabinets, and
officials assured that the entire proceeds will be used to reduce the public
debt which now stands at $49 billion.
The International Monetary Fund said last year that it was not advisable to
privatize the state-owned assets due to the severe global financial crisis.
Even outgoing Prime Minister Fouad Siniora preferred to wait for the proper time
to privatise the telecom sector.
Haffar said that she is committed to Paris II and Paris III reform papers.
For his part, outgoing Shatah said that 2010 draft budget would be sent to the
Cabinet for further discussion.
He added that Hariri wanted to avoid colorful ministerial statements of no
practical value.
Shatah said that Hariri prefers statements that convince people that the
government will embark on an all-out economic program.
He added that one of the key problems which the new government will face will be
the high deficit of Electricite du Liban, adding that this year alone, the
Finance Ministry will subsidize this sector with nearly $1.5 billion.
The Finance Ministry said that by the end September 2009, $5.7 billion of the
Paris II pledges were signed into agreement, representing 76 percent of total
pledges compared to 74 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2009.
The balance of pledges to be entered into agreement includes pledges by Saudi
Arabia, World Bank Group, European Investment Bank, Arab Fund for Economic and
Social Development and the European Commission.
Disbursement increased to 50 percent ($3.772 billion) of total pledges as of end
September 2009, compared to 42 percent of total pledges at the end of the first
quarter of 2009, representing an increase of $600 million. The increase in
disbursements is mainly attributed to private sector support.
The progressive marjaa
Talking to Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
Hanin Ghaddar , November 12, 2009
Now Lebanon/Shia religious cleric Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah at his home in
Haret Hreik. (Courtesy of Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah)
Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah is a Lebanese cleric who preaches to a dedicated
group of followers from across the Shia community in Lebanon. He is a marjaa,
which means he studied extensively to gain a place as a spiritual leader for his
community on social, religious, political, sexual and family matters, to name a
few.
He is in many ways best known for his departure from the conservative
interpretation of Islam espoused by other Shia spiritual leaders, especially
regarding women, and he has issued a number of fatwas, including one allowing
women to defend themselves against physical and social violence.
NOW Lebanon’s Hanin Ghaddar visited Sayyed Fadlallah at his home in Haret Hreik
and talked about his views on women, politics, religion, and the regional
situation, especially regarding the Sunni-Shia tensions simmering across the
Middle East.
You are concerned with women’s rights and issued several pro-women fatwas that
garnered positive and negative reactions. What is the reason behind the negative
reactions, and why are you concerned with women’s rights?
Fadlallah: Throughout my life, I have always supported the human being in his
humanism and [I have supported] the oppressed... I think it is the person’s
right to live his freedom… and [it is his right] to face the injustice imposed
on him by revolting against it, using his practical, realistic and available
means to end the oppressor’s injustice toward him, whether it is an individual,
a community, a nation, or a state; whether male or female. God created the
people free; thus no one has the right to enslave people and no one has the
right to enslave himself for others. Imam Ali said “do not be a slave of others,
as God created you free.”
In light of this, I realized that throughout history [people have considered]
women second-class citizens, in other words, the woman does not represent a
human but a margin of the man in his humanity, thought and work. That is why the
woman was deprived of developing her mind through education and thinking.
We even notice that in some situations, the woman as a wife, daughter or sister
has no right to think, but has to obey others’ thinking. Perhaps some people
have the idea that the woman does not have a full brain but has half or
one-third the brain [of a man]. This issue is neither true nor realistic nor
human. There is no difference between the man and the woman in terms of their
humanness. A woman can outperform the man when given the necessary knowledge and
[when in] a situation where she can innovate and carry out private and public
projects, and handle huge responsibilities.
I have noticed that the Koran did not undervalue women’s brain power in the
human sense, but there has been some legislation that stems from men and women’s
practical situation rather than their humanistic situation.
We read that God has set the woman as an example for men and women... The Koran
gives the example of Queen… as having a brain bigger than that of men… because
she has a free and independent mind that allows her to distinguish right from
wrong. Therefore, I feel that we should support the human’s humanism and give
him the right to live as an individual by developing all his capabilities, or to
live socially through handling public and private responsibilities in life. The
woman is able to be equal to a man or to outperform him in this regard.
We realize that in Islam… marriage is a matter of contracts. It is not a hidden
and mysterious secret but a human relation based on affection and mercy as well
as comfort. It focuses on the contract that the wife freely establishes with her
husband. No one can impose a husband on her. [Islam] did not dictate that the
woman be a housewife or a second-class citizen; she is rather committed, with
the man, to what is imposed by the contract on her, just as he should do.
Thus, I realized that I should change the unrealistic and uncultured concept of
people who think that religion undervalues the woman [and] prove to them that
religion made men and women equal.
Some legislation stems from realistic calculations of the relation between them.
But some legislation gives men more rights than women in issues of inheritance
and custody.
Fadlallah: This is not a general issue. If a man only has one daughter, she
inherits all the money. If he has two daughters only, they inherit all the
money. But, if he had sons and daughters, then the male’s inheritance is equal
to that of two females. The reason is that Islam gave the man all the
responsibilities in the marriage. He pays the Mahr and the expenses of the wife
and the children. The woman does not handle any financial responsibility. Some
humorous people say that men should demand equality with women and not the
opposite because the woman’s share is bigger than that of the man. If the father
of a daughter and a son has an amount of money equal to $30,000, the daughter
takes $10,000 while the son takes $20,000. However, when he gets married he will
eventually spend this $20,000 on his wife and children, even if the wife is
rich. Meanwhile, the woman keeps the whole $10,000. So there is a balance
between the man and the woman… God took half from the woman but gave her more.
[But] the society we live in has historically considered the woman a secondary
human being or less.
Things are getting more complicated between the Sunni and Shia. The Sunni-Shia
conflict started in Lebanon over the past few years and now it is raging between
Saudi Arabia and Yemeni rebels. What is the major reason for these problems and
how will we resolve them?
Fadlallah: Perhaps the problem is that this diversity stemmed from the Khilafa
complications between two Muslim communities [Sunni and Shia] and developed and
become part of human feelings, creating hatred among them.
This issue was, on and off, based on the mental retardation that deprives people
of freedom of thought and belief.
We feel that the conflict inside religious institutions is historical and has
survived among the Christians, between the Christians and the Jews, and between
the Christians and the Muslims. There have been political plots to control the
natural resources of the Muslims. They tried to instigate Sunni-Shia strife and
take advantage of the underdevelopment of the Sunni and Shia religious clerics
and people, and distract them from playing a basic role in major issues in a way
that complies with their numerical power. They total around 1.5 billion people,
which the West could politically control, along with their resources and their
markets.
The issue is a mixture of politics and confession. If we do a popular referendum
among the Sunni and the Shia, and ask about the common points between the Sunni
and Shia, we will find that the majority do not have an answer. The issue has
stemmed from a psychological and historical situation rather than from knowledge
and culture.
The political conflict is being looked at as a confessional or religious
conflict. We should carry out an awareness campaign to separate the religious
from the political perspective. The religious aspect is cultural… while the
political perspective has different aspects.
The religious issue is conflicting, so they are trying to exploit religious
intolerance in favor of political intolerance.
We call for Islamic unity. We have agreed on around 80% of matters, and we can
solve the rest through dialogue.
Can one solution to political-religious strife be separating religion from the
state?
Fadlallah: I do not think that the issue is related to separating religion from
the state.
But wars among states are religious.
Fadlallah: It is not about the relation between religion and the state. It is
rooted in a historical perspective that is still alive in humans through blind
fanaticism. There are disputes even within the same religion. For instance,
there are disputes among the Sunnis in their own regions, as is the case in the
Shia regions. It is a political issue whereby some intelligence services are
trying to exploit religion in favor of politics.
The Shia community is perceived as a closed society. At the same time, people
who don’t understand Shia society are afraid of it. Some say this fear is due to
the deprivation of the Shia throughout history while others say it is because of
Hezbollah’s weapons.
Fadlallah: I think the issue has no realistic basis. Politically speaking, the
Shia people are diverse in their [political] affiliations just like the Sunni
and the Christians. Some Shia are leftists while others are rightists. The two
major Shia parties, Amal and Hezbollah, are integrated in Lebanese issues on the
level of the Resistance and on the level of politics. The Shia entered the
national-unity cabinet as an important group although they did not request a
huge [ministerial] share like the other parties. I think the Shia are exercising
their civil rights and having disputes just like the others. I can assure that
the Shia in Lebanon are the least sectarian because they are open to all
religions.
What is the reason behind the negative reactions to your fatwas?
Fadlallah: I think our society is still underdeveloped, exploiting the backward
historical situation. Our societies have witnessed inequality between men and
women. Even in developed societies, we know that working women are paid less
than men although their duties and productivity might be more. Thus, the man
still feels more powerful than the woman and tries to persecute her. So, we
issued a fatwa that a woman has the right to self-defense if a man persecutes
her. The right to self-defense is a human right. This fatwa provoked many who
thought that I wanted to destroy families. But I said that the offender rather
than the offended destroys families.
The Islamic community in general, and in Lebanon, needs a social and
intellectual renaissance. You are capable of leading a social movement to create
radical change in the Islamic community. What is the means to this end?
Fadlallah: I think that the social reform movement’s priorities are creating
awareness and changing people’s mentality from a closed to an open one… As
humans, we act according to our ideas and feelings. So, we should work on
changing mentality to ensure that the woman is a human being just like the man
and that both have human rights within their relationship…The Koran considers a
couple’s life based on love and mercy…I think that the backward mentality [of
inequality] that survived for hundreds of years cannot be reformed in one or two
years. Even in the West, which is considered the nation of freedoms, the
prevailing mentality perceives women as a gender rather than a human being. This
is why the woman is harassed at work.
We think that sex is a personal and instinctual thing that represents women’s
and men’s needs. It is a mutual right for each, but within the contractual legal
system [of marriage].
Lebanon is distinguished for its education and culture, but I think it is still
living with the mind-set of Bedouins.
Lebanese-Syrian summit highlights strengthening bilateral relations
November 12, 2009 /Now Lebanon/In a statement issued after the Lebanese-Syrian
Summit in Damascus on Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called for
strengthening consensus in Lebanon, while his Lebanese counterpart, Michel
Sleiman, emphasized the “special” nature of relations with Syria.
Sleiman travelled to Damascus on Thursday, three days after the formation of the
cabinet, to meet with Assad. According to Syrian news agency SANA, both leaders
discussed methods to maintain coordination and further develop bilateral
relations.
The leaders reportedly discussed the recent developments in Lebanon and the
formation of the government. Assad called for benefiting from the current
positive atmosphere to maintain dialogue in Lebanon. He also highlighted the
need for Lebanese institutions to fulfill their national duty and the importance
of reinforcing the country’s national unity, which he said is the basis for
state stability. Assad also voiced hope the Ministerial Statement would soon be
drafted.
Sleiman in turn, emphasized building on the “special relations” with Syria, to
serve the interests of both countries, adding that Lebanon will be “the voice”
of the Arab states and “the defender of Arab causes” as a non permanent member
in the UN Security Council.
On another note, Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday received a telegram from
his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad Naji al-Ottari, to congratulate him on the new
cabinet formation. Ottari said he is confident Lebanese-Syrian relations will
improve in favor of both nations.-NOW Lebanon
Judge Sawwan indicts four Lebanese, requests death penalty
November 12, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Military Judge Fadi Sawwan issued an indictment on Thursday requesting the death
penalty for four Lebanese, one detained, one residing in England, and two
residing in Israel, who are charged with cooperating and communicating with
Israel and its spies. Sawwan issued arrest warrants to transfer the convicts to
the Military Court, adding that the security forces found weapons and explosives
in the house of the individual who had been detained in Lebanon. Sawwan also
issued an indictment requesting the death penalty of five Palestinians. Four of
them are detained and charged for crimes, “terrorist acts,” and attempts to
target the Lebanese state by monitoring the Lebanese army’s activities near the
Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp. -NOW Lebanon
What Major Hasan can teach us about sponsors of terrorism
Lee Smith , November 11, 2009
Now Lebanon/
A fallen soldiers memorial commemorates just one of the thirteen victims shot
and killed by US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan. (AFP/Jim Watson)
Last week at an army base in Fort Hood, Texas, Major Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13
people—12 soldiers and one civilian—and wounded 42. The 39-year-old army
psychiatrist and son of Palestinian immigrants, who expressed his displeasure
with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and called them wars against Islam,
reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. With reports now
surfacing that Hasan had tried to reach out to Al Qaeda, the argument here in
the US concerns whether Hasan’s rampage was an act of Islamist terror or just
the evil work of a man who lost his mind.
Most media coverage, at least initially, projected an opinion that focused on
the latter. A series of articles in the New York Times contended that even
though Major Hasan had not yet been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, his
treatment of soldiers with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder left him vulnerable to
PTSD by proxy.
Regarding the Muslim angle, the mainstream press tried to have it both ways. On
one hand, the press carefully avoided drawing any connections between Hasan’s
violent actions and his faith. On the other, it gave credence to the claim that
Hasan had suffered anti-Muslim harassment, despite an announcement made by a
Muslim veteran affairs organization stating that no Muslim soldiers filed any
reports of harassment. Nonetheless, Army Chief of Staff General George Casey Jr.
feared that Hasan’s murderous rampage could “cause a backlash against some of
our Muslim soldiers.”
And so, while the US media had adopted a theme that could have come straight out
of Al-Quds Al-Arabi when it posited that “humiliation” and “grievance” is what
turns decent folk into cold-blooded killers, General Casey, with twelve of his
troops murdered, articulated the Islamist view of the world that portrays
Muslims as a whole besieged by American aggressors. And yet despite the
internalization of regional narratives, the atmosphere surrounding the episode
was distinctly American, not only in the US Army’s politically-correct posture
that overlooked the explicitly Islamist rhetoric in Hasan’s rants, but even in
the backlash against the media.
Critics of the mainstream press charged it with whitewashing the nature and
inspiration of the attack. In this view, Hasan was the agent of an ideology
variously called radical Islam, Islamic extremism, Islamofascism, etc. that also
motivates Middle Eastern actors like the Iranian regime, Hezbollah, Hamas and Al
Qaeda. Therefore, in the American logic of things, the individuals and
institutions that embody this set of pathological ideas that lead to bloodshed
are collectively waging a campaign of Islamist terror.
So was Hasan’s spree an act of Islamist terror or not? Well, maybe that’s not
the right question. As bad as it is to rationalize Hasan’s murders with
psychological niceties, it is also mistaken to suggest that Islamist terror is
merely the function of an ideological continuum. The fact is that both sides in
the American debate are tangled in a web of symptoms – whether it is contact
PTSD or Islamofascism. Both sides will do almost anything to pretend that the
wars waged against the US are the accident of a way of thought, and not the
concerted efforts of states—the issue where the important questions are.
Because the predominant American view holds that Islamist terror is largely the
prerogative of non-state actors (remember how the Bush administration paid for
the axis of evil speech and asserting that Saddam was involved in terror),
Americans right and left have typically confused the war that would defeat state
sponsors of terror with the police work that captures or kills individual
terrorists. For example, while the American right derided John Kerry in 2004 and
Barack Obama in 2008 for wanting to treat terror as a police matter rather than
a war, one of the right’s heroes, General David Petraeus, has been lauded for
implementing a counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq that is essentially a policy
of heavy and aggressive policing.
Not only has the American military failed to go after the Iraq war’s center of
gravity – i.e., those states without which the various insurgencies could not
arm themselves – but it has even sent delegations to Damascus to see if after
six years of proxy warfare against the US the Syrians are now willing to make an
American exit from Iraq easier. Moreover, one of the reasons that Washington,
first Bush and now Obama, has been reluctant to use force to bring down the
Iranian nuclear program is for fear that the Iranians will retaliate in Iraq. In
other words, the US has not won the war in Iraq because it has not routed the
one party that American policymakers and officers think capable of ruining the
peace in Iraq.
Rather than campaign against the rulers, regimes and intelligence services that
are fighting against them, the Americans call war the pursuit of “insurgents”
and other non-state actors, who resemble Nidal Malik Hasan in everything but
nationality. Because the Americans have confused war with policing, they are
incompetent at both policing, which is why they did not apprehend Hasan before
he opened fire, and war, which is why they have not yet won in Iraq, and why
they continue to debate the merits of fighting in Afghanistan, where there can
be no coherent US strategy since there are no strategic interests at stake and
the only reason to be there is to shoot at an unending and irrelevant string of
Major Hasans.
Thus, the point is not so much that the Americans have failed to define their
enemy properly and have thus wasted lives, money, time and prestige by fighting
against an idea – Islamic extremism, radical Islam, Islamofascism, etc. – but
that they have failed to understand the basic definition of war and are
consequently incapable of distinguishing between friends and enemies and deadly
nuisances, both foreign and, in the case of Hasan, domestic. And this is why no
one identified Hasan as a problem before he struck, why some now seek to
exculpate him and why others confuse him with the deeper and abiding problem,
which, I repeat at the risk of redundancy, is the states that support terror.
And so the real question is what can the story of non-state actor Major Hasan
teach us about the role of states in terror?
Let us imagine that Hasan was a field-grade officer not in the US Army, but in
an Arab military, and that the domestic intelligence service that had discovered
his communications with a radical cleric was not the FBI, but an Arab mukhabarat.
Arab intelligence officers would either torture and kill him, or torture him and
use him to penetrate an Islamist group to their own benefit, perhaps by
subverting a regional rival, or the Americans. It is darkly comical to imagine
the Americans turning Major Hasan against, say, the Syrian regime, as Damascus
has directed its own Islamist problem against the Iraqis and Americans in Iraq,
and the Lebanese, suggesting that in the Middle East, “non-state” actors are
those whose actions are either shaped by the state or constrained by it. And so
the genuine danger is not the pathology of someone like Mr. Hasan, but rather
its manipulation by people who really know what they’re doing. And that is a
problem that belongs not only to the Americans.
Michel Sleiman
November 11, 2009
On November 11, Al-Mustaqbal daily carried the following report by Bassima Atwi:
Yesterday, the national concord government made the first step in its political
journey after the picture of its members was taken in the president's garden at
the presidential palace and after it held its first session headed by President
of the Republic Michel Sleiman in the presence of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri
and the ministers... At the beginning of the session, the president of the
republic congratulated the Lebanese and the ministers on the formation of the
new government, thanking the previous government and its Prime Minister Fouad
al-Siniora for the work they accomplished. He then praised the role of Prime
Minister Saad al-Hariri in the formation of the current government, and talked
about the change and renewal seen in it.
He said: “The most important characteristic about this government is that it
includes the representatives of all the components of the Lebanese society,
regardless of the names given to our democratic system.
“The time it took to form this government did not go to waste and it turned out
that the political crisis had no impact on the security and economic situations.
Moreover, the lengthy consultations allowed dialogue between the different
political powers, and the impact of this dialogue will be seen imminently with
God’s will… We will make up for the time we missed by doubling our efforts, and
the surrender of the responsibilities is an occasion for us to remember that the
authority is about continuity and that we should capitalize on what the others
have accomplished or tried to accomplish. It is our responsibility to build the
institutions one brick on top of the other.”
The president then hoped to see “a calm entrance into our ministries, without
preconceptions or prejudgment,” stressing on the other hand the importance of
ministerial solidarity by avoiding all sorts of media and slander campaigns.
“All issues should be discussed in the cabinet, but once we make a decision, we
should defend it. The media leaks related to the details of our consultations
are harmful. What is important is to announce the decisions and not to go into
the details of the debates. What brings us together is a commitment to the
constitution which calls on us to seek consensus in our decisions and to cast
our votes when necessary in accordance with the constitution.” The president of
the republic then stressed the importance of drawing up a ministerial statement
as soon as possible and that it be based on the ministerial statement of the
former government, on the oath of office speech and on other speeches he
delivered, as well as on the speech of the prime minister yesterday following
the issuance of the decrees to form a new government.
“Last year, faith in the Lebanese state was enhanced despite all the obstacles.
This was seen for example in the establishment of diplomatic relations between
Lebanon and Syria and Lebanon’s election as a Security Council member to defend
its causes and the causes of the Arabs from within this forum. Moreover, the
relations between [other] states and Lebanon have seen a noticeable improvement
in terms of a respect for Lebanon and an increased confidence in Lebanon’s
status as an important financial hub which stood fast in the face of all the
challenges… The time has come to build and reform institutions, and we need to
develop the systems and the laws to render Lebanon a modern civil state,”
indicating that the government will be tending to the different issues until it
gets a vote of confidence [end of statement]…”