LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 29/09
Bible Reading of the day
Isaiah 20/20 -25: "Woe to
those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light
for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 5:21 Woe to those
who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 5:22 Woe to
those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink; 5:23
who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent! 5:24
Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks
down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall
go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and
despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 5:25 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burns
against his people, and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has
struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the
midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand
is still stretched out.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Resistance in focus/By:
Omayma Abdel-Latif /Al-Ahram Weekly/November 28/09
Abolishing Sectarianism… in
Sectarian Fashion/By: Elias Harfoush/Al Hayat/November 28/09
Will the state sell/By:
Matt Nash/Now Lebanon/November 28/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November 28/09
LF
Bloc: Mentioning Resistance in Ministerial Policy Statement Contradicts with
Constitution,Taef/Naharnet
Biggest Israeli Army Budget to Face
Threats by Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas/Naharnet
New Hizbullah Policy to be
Announced Monday/Naharnet
Aoun
Visits Arslan, Says No 'Hard Feelings' Between Them, But 'Clear/Naharnet
16
Soldiers Injured in Bus Accident/Naharnet
New
Hizbullah Policy to be Announced Monday/Naharnet
Sami
Gemayel Rejects Abolition of Political Sectarianism/Naharnet
UAE Not to Deport Siddiq/Naharnet
Khalife: 4 Deaths from
Swine Flu in Lebanon/Naharnet
Eddeh Congratulates
Hizbullah on Policy Statement Victory/Naharnet
Qabbani Warns from Leap
into Unknown, Qabalan for Abolishing Confessionalism in Politics/Naharnet
UNIFIL: No Official
Notification from Israel on Withdrawal from Ghajar/Naharnet
Issam Suleiman:
Constitutional Council Not Affected by Political Scene/Naharnet
Rifi: Qaida Not Real
Threat to Lebanon, Terror Groups Get Local or Gulf Funding/Naharnet
Aoun: Constitutional
Council Political Voting Reason of Its Downfall/Naharnet
Houri praises Ministerial Statement/Now
Lebanon
Khreiss says political sectarianism
will not end any time soon/Now
Lebanon
Mokheiber: Concerns over ending
political sectarianism are legitimate/Now
Lebanon
Terrorism likely cause of Russia
train crash/Now
Lebanon
Harb:
resistance is not an independent body/Future
News
Azzi:
Hizbullah plans for its statehood/Future
News
Soueid: regional changes promoted the state of investments not resistance/Future
News
Zahra: National dialogue’s exclusive mission, defense strategy/Future
News
Issam
Sleiman: Constitutional Council not a ‘scapegoat’/Future
News
Eddeh Congratulates Hizbullah on Policy Statement Victory
Naharnet/National Bloc leader Carlos Eddeh on Saturday regretted that the March
14 coalition has reached this point and congratulated Hizbullah on its victory
in the policy statement.
"March 14 leadership should have been aware of this -- from the moment it saw a
shift in political alliances -- that it no longer enjoys a genuine majority in
Parliament," Eddeh said.
"It would have been better for March 14 Forces to give up their right to form a
government imposed on them than adopting political proposals they have always
encountered during the Cedar Revolution," he added. Eddeh praised Hizbullah on
its policy statement victory. "Congratulations to Hizbullah on the policy
statement which earned them victory and, thus, legitimized their political and
military role," he said. Beirut, 28 Nov 09, 10:35
Biggest Israeli Army Budget to Face Threats by Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas
Naharnet/The Israeli army raised three challenges that require intense
preparations to face up to the threat of Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas. On those
bases, Israel army made its demand for a military budget increase which amounted
to $15 billion, the largest since the creation of the state of Israel. Pan-Arab
daily Al-Hayat, which carried the report, said Saturday that this budget "comes
one year after training and preparations for new military drills, focused on the
possibility of the firing of unusual projectiles." It said the Israeli army
placed the northern region, close to Lebanon, and the central region near the
Gaza Strip and West Bank on top of the areas threatened by rocket attacks.
Israel army has announced the need for "35 F" aircrafts, considered as the most
important and most vital armament should Israel decide to launch a military
strike on Iran. Al-Hayat said the Israeli army has continued to draw lessons
from the July 2006 war and continues to carry out testing and preparations,
adding that these measures were no longer confined to air-sea-land military
drills. It said the Israeli army has allocated a big budget for the training on
electronic devices. Beirut, 28 Nov 09, 07:47
LF Bloc:
Mentioning Resistance in Ministerial Policy Statement Contradicts with
Constitution, Taef Accord
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces parliamentary bloc on Saturday stressed that "the
mentioning of the resistance in the sixth article of the ministerial Policy
Statement contradicts with the statement itself in the first place, and with the
Constitution and Taef Accord, as well as with Resolution 1701 and other
international resolutions."
After its meeting in Maarab under LF leader Samir Geagea, the bloc asked the
government to "amend that article or terminate it in preservation of its
credibility, solemnity, and constitutionality.""It contradicts the charter of
coexistence in addition to being unconstitutional and illegal, therefore it is
invalid," added the bloc's statement.
LF bloc said that the Taef Accord did not include any hint about the resistance,
but rather "it urged respecting international resolutions, extending authority
of the State on all territories, and disarming Lebanese and non-Lebanese
militias without exceptions.""The mentioning of the word 'Resistance' in the
sixth article is a bypassing of the national dialogue table and predetermination
of its resolutions," added the LF bloc statement. The bloc also condemned "the
attacks on constitutional institutions in general, and the Constitutional
Council in particular." It added that "the party that demanded all over the past
four years for the existence of a Constitutional Council to look in
parliamentary election challenges -- and upon the council's fulfilling of its
duties and issuing verdicts regarding the filed challenges unanimously -- that
very party started bombarding the council with all kinds of accusations."
New Hizbullah Policy to be Announced Monday
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will announce the party's new
manifesto during a press conference to be held at 3:30pm on Monday. The new
political document was approved by Hizbullah at a party congress held Thursday
during which Nasrallah was re-elected head of Hizbullah. Nasrallah, 49, has
headed Hizbullah since 1992 when his predecessor, Abbas Mousswi, was killed in
an Israeli helicopter raid. A statement by the party, created in 1982, had said
Nasrallah would explain the contents of the manifesto at a press conference to
be announced soon. Nasrallah had lived in hiding since the 2006 war between his
group and Israel and rarely appears in public. Hizbullah's first manifesto in
1985 called for the establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon, but the party
leadership has toned down its rhetoric in recent years as it gained political
clout. The new political document endorsed modifications in line with changes
that have taken place within Hizbullah in recent years. Hizbullah is the only
party that has refused to surrender its weapons following Lebanon's 1975-1990
civil war on grounds that its arsenal is needed to defend the country against
Israeli aggression. Beirut, 28 Nov 09, 08:28
16 Soldiers Injured in Bus Accident
Naharnet/Sixteen Lebanese army soldiers were wounded Saturday when a bus taking
them from Tripoli to Beirut toppled.The injuries ranged from fractures and
bruises to burns as a result of the accident.Local media said the civilian bus,
driven by Amer Hanna, tipped and gutted in fire as it transported troops to
Beirut to work. They said one of the tires of the bus exploded, causing the
vehicle to skid and overturn before it gutted on the Shekka-Batroun highway.
Beirut, 28 Nov 09, 10:31
Sami Gemayel Rejects Abolition of Political Sectarianism
Naharnet/MP Sami Gemayel on Saturday rejected the "existence of any rule outside
the framework of the state and any abnormal status that would prevent true
democracy or stop people from living a decent life." "I reject abolition of
political sectarianism in light of religious parties," Gemayel said. Lebanese,
he said, want to live "comfortably."Gemayel, however, added that this cannot
happen "if Lebanon was held hostage by any group that imposes its view on
others." Beirut, 28 Nov 09, 08:21
UAE Not to Deport Siddiq
Naharnet/The UAE will not extradite a former Syrian spy accused of misleading a
UN probe into the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri, Gulf News
reported, citing an official source. There is no case for extraditing Mohammed
Zuheir al-Siddiq as he is not wanted by the court in Syria, the source said.
Siddiq was initially seen as a leading witness in the U.N. probe but was
discredited later for giving false testimony. In October, a state security court
in Abu Dhabi sentenced him to six months in jail and deportation for entering
the United Arab Emirates on a forged Czech passport. A defense lawyer said the
sentence would end in mid-October because of time Siddiq had already spent in
custody but it was uncertain whether he would be deported. However, the official
source said Siddiq remains in prison pending the decision on his possible
deportation. In initial reports of the U.N. inquiry commission into Hariri's
February 2005 assassination in a huge bomb blast in Beirut, Siddiq was described
as a key witness. He claimed that Lebanon's former pro-Syrian president Emile
Lahoud and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave the order to kill the wealthy
businessman, who opposed Damascus's grip over its tiny neighbor. However, Siddiq,
a one-time member of Syria's intelligence services, later recanted, and Lebanese
and Syrian judicial authorities accused him of lying. In May, the prosecutor at
the tribunal charged with bringing Hariri's killers to justice said Siddiq was
no longer a credible witness and was of no interest to the inquiry.(AFP) Beirut,
28 Nov 09, 11:19
Qabbani Warns from Leap into Unknown, Qabalan for Abolishing Confessionalism in
Politics
Naharnet/The Lebanese celebrated Eid al-Adha on Friday as speeches of Sunni and
Shiite clerics focused on the need to launch the work of the new national unity
government on the basis of coexistence. Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani warned
from a leap into the unknown and called for a government for all Lebanese. He
said during prayers at al-Amine mosque that the government should work as a
single and harmonious team that reflects the slogan of national unity. Following
prayers, Qabbani, PM Saad Hariri and other senior officials and religious
figures prayed at the grave of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. Saad Hariri is traveling
to Saudi Arabia on Friday to spend the Eid with his family. Speaker Nabih Berri,
in his turn, has traveled to Greece on a private visit that will last several
days. Also Friday, Deputy Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul
Amir Qabalan expressed his support for the setting up of the national committee
for the abolishment of confessionalism in politics "so that all Lebanese enjoy
the same rights."As for Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan, he said in
his Eid message that he looks forward for the next stage which should be free of
tension and based on national consensus and willingness to coexist. On Thursday,
senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah called for peace and
warned against conflicts. He urged the Lebanese to unite and form a united
government that will work for the country's economic and political stability.
Fadlallah also voiced a call to all Arabs to let go of sectarian differences and
work together to fight Zionist threats. Beirut, 27 Nov 09, 09:53
UNIFIL: No Official Notification from Israel on
Withdrawal from Ghajar
Naharnet/UNIFIL Senior Military Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Diego Fulco stressed
that UNIFIL did not receive any official notification from Israel about a
possible withdrawal from the northern part of al-Ghajar village. Fulco told an
Italian news agency that according to Resolution 1701, Israel is obliged to
withdraw from all territories it occupied north of the blue line. Beirut, 27 Nov
09, 18:47
Lebanese ministerial statement allows Hezbollah to keep arms
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-27
BEIRUT, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Ministerial Policy Statement was adopted on
Thursday, which allowed Hezbollah to keep its arms, the country's official
National News Agency reported.
The 12 members committee tasked of drafting the statement agreed to adopt the
same clause approved by the previous cabinet over the arms of the resistance,
referring to Hezbollah, which allowed the group to maintain their arms in hand
to resist Israel, said the report.
Meanwhile, the statement insisted on Lebanon's right to free Israel-occupied
Shebaa Farms, Kfarshuba Hills and the occupied part of the Ghajar village. Prime
Minister Saad Hariri would contact President Michel Suleiman to fix a date to
hold the cabinet session to ratify the statement, according to the report. The
policy statement, which served as the political agenda of the Lebanese cabinet,
had been delayed by the issue of Hezbollah's arms, added the report. The UN
Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, demanded that Hezbollah be disarmed.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated in the latest report on the
implementation of Resolution 1701 that all militants in Lebanon, especially
Hezbollah, should be disarmed immediately. However, Hezbollah, a group holding
well-equipped and trained military, has made it clear its arms are not up for
debate. The armed group now holds two portfolios in the new cabinet.
Zahra:
National dialogue’s exclusive mission, defense strategy
Date: November 27th, 2009/Source: Future News
Majority MP Antoine Zahra said Friday that the exclusive mission of the national
dialogue table is to establish the defense strategy. “We won’t accept a solution
to the possession of arms outside the framework of the state as a substitute to
the legitimate constitutional institutions,” Zahra noted in an interview to
Future News television. Zahra, member of the Lebanese Forces Party, asserted
that “in case of war with Israel, we must defend our country with any mean,”
noting that the party objected including the word resistance in the ministerial
statement so that Hizbullah does not use it as a pretext to proceed independent
from the state decisions.
Azzi: Hizbullah plans for its statehood
Date: November 27th, 2009/Future News
In an interview with New TV on Friday, Kataeb Party advisor Sejaan Azzi called
on the Lebanese to adhere to the international resolutions namely the 1701,
urging all parties not to give Israel a pretext to invade the country. Azzi
asserted that Hizbullah is using its arsenal to build its own state not to
Liberate the occupied territories. “By legitimizing the resistance’s arms we
have given Israel the pretext to launch war on all of Lebanon: its army, its
land, its people and its institutions,” he said fervently. Azzi also emphasized
that he doesn’t believe in the possession of arms in order to protect Shebaa
Farms, accusing Hizbullah of maintaining its arms as a pretext.”Kataeb advisor
pointed out that “for many years the Party had its reservations regarding
Hizbullah’s arms and no changes has been made. “So why should we change our
stance today?” he asked. He added “we had our reservations regarding clauses in
the ministerial statement that affect the Lebanese state unity and its
legitimacy and authority,” however confirmed that Kataeb will not be a stumbling
block that would hamper governmental work.” Regarding the position of the Kataeb
Party in giving the confidence to the Government, Azzi stated that Kataeb Party
tends to grant the new cabinet the vote of confidence but will note its
reservation regarding Hizbullah’s armaments in the government’s policy
statement. Azzi noted that forming the National dialogue’s committee to discuss
the defense strategy will be pointless since the ministerial statement settled
the defense strategy. He affirmed that Kataeb Party is determined to make all
efforts to help Prime Minister Saad Hariri succeed in his mission, stressing
that Kataeb is fully confident that Premier Hariri will resurrect Lebanon from
the internal crisis toward a new era of political détente and prosperity.
Harb: resistance is not an independent body
Date: November 27th, 2009/Source: LBC
Labor Minister Boutros Harb refused considering resistance an independent body,
stressing that it is part of the Lebanese people and State, in an interview with
LBC on Friday.
Minister Harb assured that “the resistance is not a body independent from the
Lebanese people and State,” noting that the cabinet “is a team working for
harmony and solidarity.”
Harb, along with Social Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh, reject including the
resistance in the Ministerial Statement and limiting it to Hizbullah, assuring
that the entire Lebanese people is considered resistance too. He, nonetheless,
hoped that his objection does not interfere in efforts to unite political
forces. “The Lebanese have a right to fight off Israel by all means and it is
the duty of the Lebanese State to have a conclusive stance in the matter,” added
Harb, asserting that “the resistance issue is debatable and not controversial.”
Harb affirmed that Lebanon must be capable of running differences in legitimate
and democratic ways, assuring that “the resistance was not mentioned in Taëf
Agreement, unlike the State’s right to take all procedures to liberate occupied
lands.”He hailed political forces “having the will to join their efforts to the
State’s on condition that the State alone is entitled of guiding resistance as
part of a comprehensive defense strategy.”
Issam Sleiman: Constitutional Council not a ‘scapegoat’
Date: November 27th, 2009/Future News
Constitutional Council president Issam Sleiman confirmed on Friday that most of
the electoral contestations were untrue, saying the Council had made its
decision thereto unanimously, calling on all political factions in the country
not to make the Council a scapegoat to settle internal-foreign political scores.
Sleiman told MTV channel that the Council would continue its duties far from
political divisions and coalitions, denouncing the "despicable and unjust
campaigns targeting it.” He stressed that "the Constitutional Council has not
fallen and the resolutions adopted unanimously reflect on justice and fairness
is a key step in the advancement of the council."He signaled that investigations
showed that the voters who changed their civil register from Zahleh, proceeded
legally thereto, saying the 2009 elections were among the most successful of
Lebanon’s history. Sleiman, however, described press reports as nothing but
“crap,” raising questions about the credibility of the sources. “Everything said
about the expectations of the Council’s decisions regarding election challenges
is nothing but crap,” Sleiman was quoted as saying. Nineteen complaints had been
filed against election results including Former Agriculture Minister Elias Skaff
against MP Nicholas Fattouch. Sleiman criticized Skaff for disrespecting the
Council and for dubbing it “legal scandal,” asserting that the latter had not
read the complaints filed to the Council. He also called on Skaff to review the
legal basis upon which the decisions were made. “It became evident that Skaff
blame his political allies for not pressuring on Council members - who were
behind the appointment of the Council – to force them take a decision in his
favor regarding the Zahleh electoral contestations,” Sleiman argued.
Soueid: regional changes promoted the state of investments not resistance
Date: November 28th, 2009
Source: Voice of Lebanon
Coordinator of the General Secretariat of the ‘March 14’ coalition Fares Soueid
said the regional aspects have promoted the state of investments over that of
resistance. “As Syria left its alliance with Iran returning to the Arab line…it
has now became closer to the Arab ‘March 14’ alliance than to the Islamic March
8 coalition,” Soueid said in an interview to the Voice of Lebanon on Saturday.
Soueid said the Syrian alteration “has wedged Hizbullah putting it in the zone
of distress,” noting that the concept of the state has prevailed over that of
the revolution. He slammed Hizbullah resistance party saying “Since 2006,
Hizbullah was trying to depict itself as a divine party that is above money,
desires, and accounts, but in the end it turned out to be a party that uses its
weapon locally, plays ‘Bingo’ in Ein el Remmeneh, drinks alcohol in Maameltein,
and lends money for credit with Salah Izzedine.”Referring to the proposal of
Speaker Nabih Berri, who called for eliminating political sectarianism, former
MP Soueid reiterated his rejection to the proposal noting that the rejection to
this issue is national and from both Muslims and Christians groups. He added
that eliminating political sectarianism was stated in the Taef accord and that
the rejection “is not targeted against the proposal itself but against the
timing and form.” “Is that main issue today eliminating political sectarianism
or disarming the resistance weapons,” Soueid wondered.
Khayat: ‘Patriotism gone awry’
Date: November 26th, 2009 /Future News
Coordinator of the education sector in Almustaqbal Movement Nazih Khayat said
Thursday the Lebanese are stripped of patriotism as result of the internal
political sectarian strife that engulfed the country in the past three years.
Khayat asserted that the dire consequences of sectarianism declared the end of
the Lebanese entity.
During a seminar hosted by the youth sector in Almustaqbal Movement on the
occasion of Independence Day at the Lebanese University Faculty of Arts, he
stressed that there are two types of independence, the national independence
associated with the national struggle, and independence from achieving the
aspirations and interests of young people and citizens."
Khayat called on the Lebanese not to talk about the future in light of a fragile
state. “Lebanon as an Arab state should be immune against all the old-new
challenges and implications of the Israeli threats,” he said, asserting that
Lebanon must be a pioneer country due to the efforts of an honorable leader like
Rafic Hariri who launched a major reconstruction campaign to revive the country
after it was burnt to ashes. “Saad Hariri is resuming the path of his father
Rafic Hariri in his struggle to achieve Arab unity, coexistence and integration
regardless of any other considerations, prioritizing the countries interests
above all others,” Khayat said fervently. In his remarks on the Taef agreement,
the coordinator stressed the necessity of fully implementing each clause of the
agreement before making any amendment. Khayat concluded by affirming that
Almustaqbal Movement is open to all groups in the country to be able to develop
the politic work, and execute the appropriate projects to cross to the state
successfully.
UN
expresses interest in Lebanon in its monthly report
November 26, 2009
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Thursday that the UN Security Council’s monthly
briefing report on the situation in the Middle East included a section on
Lebanon which exhibited the international organization’s interest in the
country’s domestic policies. The report was submitted to the Security Council by
Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios. An-Nahar
quoted several Lebanese Foreign Ministry officials as saying that the section
expressed satisfaction with “the formation of the new government, which is now
waiting [for the Ministerial Statement Committee members] to reach an agreement
on a Ministerial Statement, after which the parliament would give its vote of
confidence to the new government.” The report also included that the “United
Nations looks forward to working with the new cabient on implementing Security
Council resolutions.” A Lebanese official, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
told the daily that he disagrees with Menkerios’ call on the new Lebanese
government to implement international resolutions, saying that if Menkerios is
alluding to disarming Hezbollah, then he knows in advance that it is not
possible.“This issue is already agreed on with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
and will be discussed during the National Dialogue sessions after the cabinet
receives the vote of confidence," the source said. The source also criticized
Menkerios for only referring to Israel’s air violations of Lebanese sovereignty,
saying that the latter did not invite Tel Aviv to halt all breaches of UN
Security Council Resolution 1701. -NOW Lebanon
Khreiss says political sectarianism will not end any time soon
November 28, 2009
Development and Liberation bloc MP Ali Khreiss told OTV on Saturday that Speaker
Nabih Berri called for the formation of a national council to eliminate
political sectarianism, not for the elimination of political sectarianism
itself. He stressed that his bloc is raising the “serious” issue up for
discussion, not for immediate implementation. “Some leaders do not want to
implement the Taif Accord,” he said, in a possible reference to Lebanese Forces
Leader Samir Geagea who accused Berri on Thursday of wanting to direct attention
away from Hezbollah’s arms with his proposal to abolish political sectarianism
in Lebanon. Khreiss questioned whether these leaders want Lebanon to
“progress.”-NOW Lebanon
Mokheiber: Concerns over ending political sectarianism are legitimate
November 28, 2009
Change and Reform bloc MP Ghassan Mokheiber told OTV on Saturday that concerns
over the effort to eliminate political sectarianism are legitimate, saying these
“fears” should be addressed. Mokheiber also confirmed that Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun will meet with Lebanese Democratic Party leader
MP Talal Arslan on Saturday.
He added that Aoun’s meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblatt broke the “psychological barrier” between the two leaders, and the MP
said he hopes for future reconciliations between Christian leaders. He also said
March 14 alliance members expressing reservations with the Ministerial Statement
is not something new, adding that the issue of the Resistance has been
transferred to the National Dialogue.-NOW Lebanon
Mokheiber: Concerns over ending political sectarianism are legitimate
November 28, 2009
Change and Reform bloc MP Ghassan Mokheiber told OTV on Saturday that concerns
over the effort to eliminate political sectarianism are legitimate, saying these
“fears” should be addressed. Mokheiber also confirmed that Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun will meet with Lebanese Democratic Party leader
MP Talal Arslan on Saturday.
He added that Aoun’s meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblatt broke the “psychological barrier” between the two leaders, and the MP
said he hopes for future reconciliations between Christian leaders. He also said
March 14 alliance members expressing reservations with the Ministerial Statement
is not something new, adding that the issue of the Resistance has been
transferred to the National Dialogue.-NOW Lebanon
Houri praises Ministerial Statement
November 28, 2009
In an interview with Future News television on Saturday, Lebanon First bloc MP
Ammar Houri praised the Ministerial Statement, which was reportedly finalized on
Thursday, saying it has the “best possible formula” and that it is different
from the 2008 statement. He added that anyone has the right to express
reservations with the statement. Houri also said the newly-formed government is
a “cabinet of compromise,” explaining that even though the March 14 alliance won
parliamentary elections, it still had to compromise in order to rule - possibly
referring to the inclusion of the Resistance clause in the new Ministerial
Statement - which March 14 previously had said it would not accept. -NOW Lebanon
Abolishing Sectarianism… in Sectarian Fashion
Fri, 27 November 2009
By: Elias Harfoush/Al Hayat
http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/80820
The reactions to the call by Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, to
form a National Committee to Abolish Sectarianism in Politics have revealed how
much the country is up to its ears in sectarianism. It might be asked, was there
a need for a new test to reach this conclusion? The answer, naturally, is no.
However, this call, at a time when reconciliation among politicians is moving
horizontally, but not reaching the base, or the vertical columns around which
Lebanese are divided, once again raises questions about the seriousness of such
calls and how connected they are to the division that separates citizens from
one another, as well as from their ability to treat the situation.
This is not the first time, since the Taif Accord was reached 20 years ago, in
which the issue of abolishing political sectarianism has been used to treat a
domestic impasse. Each time, the same type of sectarian mobilization emerges to
confront these calls, and with it the divisions become strengthened rather than
disappearing. The reason is not an internal “immunity” against the idea of
abolishing sectarianism on the part of the public. Rather, it is that those who
advocate this majestic project, which should be a daily concern for Lebanese
leaders, were always the ones who have sponsored and fed sectarian division, or
at the least, they were seen as supporting this division and arriving at their
positions of power because of it. In other simpler terms, the sectarian
politicians are the ones who call for abolishing sectarianism. There is no need
to demonstrate that all of these initiatives lack the minimum criteria of
seriousness, not to mention the fact that they generate considerable suspicion
about the motives and ends behind them.
In this, the recent call by Speaker Berri is no different than its predecessors.
Consequently, as soon as the Speaker emerged from Baabda Palace to announce it,
the sects that were destined to line up in response, did so. The Christians of
the 14 March coalition had positions that varied between opposed to the timing
of the initiative and having reservations about the role played by the speaker
during the previous political struggle. General Michel Aoun, meanwhile, returned
to his “Maronite” position, asking that discussion of the project be delayed,
since the sects organize people’s daily lives, and their religious thought as
well. This was understood to mean that the champion of change and reform, who
has an “understanding” with Hizbullah, is taking a secular path that goes beyond
merely abolishing sectarianism, and involves something deeper and more general.
We know that the calls for secularism, as one of the leading options to abolish
sectarianism, has traditionally sparked the reservations of Muslims in Lebanon,
since it involves personal status affairs, among other things. It is unlikely
that the Mar Mikhael agreement covered this aspect of Aoun’s relationship with
Hizbullah, or that the Free Patriotic Movement had gained the party’s support on
this issue.
Meanwhile, the country’s consensus president, Michel Suleiman, the leading
guarantee for the implementation of the Constitution, and someone who is charged
by the Constitution with forming the National Committee to Abolish Sectarianism
in Politics, has distanced himself from Berri’s initiative, since such a step
would require domestic consensus and complete participation, without
contradicting Taif and the spirit of the Constitution.
There were reservations about the timing of the initiative, and also from the
Future bloc, headed by Saad Hariri, who considered the abolishing of
sectarianism is a part of a whole, and requires the right timing. Berri answered
angrily, asking: If, sixty-six years after independence and twenty years after
Taif it is still unsuitable to think about this, can they fix a suitable date
for us?
The reservations by Future, which is the biggest Sunni bloc, have a special
meaning. They are even more important because they come at a time in which a
debate is raging about the issue of the weapons of the resistance, and the
so-called defense strategy. Naturally, this debate does not serve any call to
abolish sectarianism, irrespective of the motives behind such a call. And this
is especially the case because these arms represent a specific sect, and when
the debate about their role domestically and on the borders reaches the Cabinet.
Moreover, the repeated calls to implement “numerical democracy,” in a
“numerical” challenge to all opposition or doubters about the status of the arms
of the resistance, increases the doubts about what is behind the call to abolish
sectarianism in politics, and deepens the sectarian mobilization for and against
the resistance.
Abolishing political sectarianism…yes. Provided that it is preceded by, as a
condition, a reduction of the role of sectarian players.
Canada Calls for Resumption of
Middle East Negotiations
(No. 361 – November 27, 2009 – 11:00 p.m. EST) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement welcoming
Israel’s announcement of a 10-month suspension on construction in settlements in
the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, and calling for the resumption of
negotiations in the Middle East:
“Canada believes the announcement made yesterday by the Government of Israel
regarding settlements in the West Bank is an important step. We hope this
announcement will be accepted by the Palestinians and lead to the resumption of
negotiations.
“We recognize that this 10‑month suspension of private settlement construction
falls short of what Canada and the international community have called for and
will continue to call for. However, we believe that Israel’s announcement
demonstrates a constructive approach.
“Canada remains committed to the goal of a two-state solution in which Israel
and a future Palestinian state will live side by side in peace and security.
Canada continues to urge both sides to resume direct bilateral negotiations.”
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Resistance in focus
Al-Ahram Weekly.
27/11/09
The arms of the Lebanese resistance remains in focus amid reports of a possible
shift in the US approach to Hizbullah,
By: Omayma Abdel-Latif
Lebanese political forces continue to haggle over the details of a ministerial
statement that will define the mandate of the new coalition government for the
next three and half years. Although there are several contentious issues,
particularly those pertaining to the economic situation and the privatisation of
some state-owned sectors, the most contentious issue remains Hizbullah's arms.
There is consensus among key political actors, including the president and Druze
leader Walid Jumblatt, on relegating the issue to national dialogue sessions.
Christian 14 March forces, armed and backed by Maronite Patriarch Sfeir, insist,
however, that a distinction be made between Hizbullah's arms and the notion of
resistance. According to one Lebanese observer, this will prove futile since the
heavyweights in government are sticking to the formula mentioned in previous
ministerial statements that "the Lebanese resistance is the honest and true
expression of the Lebanese people's right to liberate their land and defend
their dignity." Anything less will not be ratified by the Lebanese opposition.
The utmost that ministers belonging to the Lebanese Forces and Al-Kataib (the
Phalange Party) can achieve is to register their reservations.
This debate comes amid two important developments relating to Hizbullah this
week. The resistance movement held its general conference for the first time
since 2004. The proceedings were not material for media coverage as they have
been shrouded in secrecy. Conference resolutions, however, indicated that there
is hardly any change within leadership level of the movement. All major
positions remain held by current occupants. Hassan Nasrallah was re-elected
secretary- general, a position he has held since 1992. Sheikh Naim Qasim was
re-elected deputy secretary-general. Mohamed Raad, head of the Hizbullah
parliamentary bloc re- joined the resistance's Shura council ( Majlis Shura Al-Qarar
). The most significant outcome of the conference, according to commentator
Ibrahim Al-Amin, is that resistance will remain "the first and foremost priority
on Hizbullah's agenda". "The ultimate priority will be to reinforce the
resistance militarily and in terms of personnel and security. All party efforts
will be directed to serve this goal," Al-Amin wrote in the daily Al-Akhbar.
Interestingly, Hizbullah's general conference came at a time when several press
reports pointed out what appears to be a shift in US policy towards the
resistance movement. Citing recent statements by US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton earlier this month on Hizbullah, many commentators jumped to the
conclusion that the US was on the verge of breaking with a decade-long policy
that deemed Hizbullah a "terrorist organisation". Clinton was talking on BBS
with Charlie Rose when she referred to Hizbullah's "military wing". "The
Iranians not only worry us because of their nuclear programme; they worry us
because of their support for terrorism, their support for the military wing of
Hizbullah, their support for Hamas, their interference in the internal affairs
of their neighbours, trying to destabilise Gulf countries and other countries
throughout the greater region." While this might sound like business as usual,
the reference to "military wing" had some analysts wondering if the US
administration was now willing to see Hizbullah also as a legitimate political
party.
Indeed, it was the first time ever that an American official employed such
terminology in describing Hizbullah. But the Americans are not the first to do
so. This distinction came to the attention of the media and policymakers last
summer when the British government initiated a dialogue through its mission in
Beirut with what it described as "the political wing of Hizbullah". Although
State Department officials were quick to dismiss that Clinton's statement
indicated any change of policy towards the Lebanese resistance movement, US
commentators begged to differ suggesting that the paraphrasing was not just a
mere slip of a tongue. Some Lebanese informed observers viewed what appeared as
a softening of US policy towards Hizbullah as part of pursuing the track that
could eventually lead to dialogue with Iran.
Despite what might appear as a change of tone among some key figures in the
administration regarding Hizbullah, a policy reversal is not likely anytime soon
for a number of reasons. For dialogue to take place concessions would have to be
made. It is unlikely that Hizbullah would compromise the principles it upholds
to initiate a dialogue with the US. Addressing the issue in a speech on 13
March, Nasrallah was asked to comment on the conditions set by the US for
dialogue with Hizbullah. He said: "Before the Americans set their conditions on
us they have to ask whether or not Hizbullah wants to have dialogue with the
Americans in the first place, and if yes what are the conditions Hizbullah will
set to accept having the dialogue." Another reason is that the Obama
administration has been critical of the British move. Obama's own views
regarding the resistance movement can be understood from testimony he gave
during a congressional hearing in September 2006, one month after UN Security
Council Resolution 1701 was issued. Obama advocated political and economic
reform in Lebanon, not as a means of mollifying Hizbullah but as a means of
defeating it.
Creating "a mechanism whereby the disaffected have an effective outlet for their
grievances," that "assures them they are getting social services," he explained
in a subsequent interview with New York Times columnist David Brooks, will
encourage Lebanon's impoverished Shia underclass "to peel support away" from
Hizbullah militants and "view them as an oppressive force".
Obama had previously raised the issue of Lebanon's "disaffected" Shia in
congressional subcommittee hearings, but it was the first time he explicitly
said that addressing Lebanon's domestic problems was critical to facilitating
Hizbullah's disarmament. Obama's assistant for homeland security and
counterterrorism, John Brennan, reiterated the same views in a lecture last
August at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. There are, he
said, disenfranchised Shia within Lebanon that Hizbullah is trying to represent.
"They're doing it in a corrupted and twisted manner. They're not going to help
to realise those aspirations of the Shia people if they continue to embrace that
violence," he said.
Such views within the administration dash hopes for a real change of policy
towards Hizbullah and Lebanon.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Will the state sell?
New cabinet apparently endorses privatization
By: Matt Nash
Now Lebanon
November 28, 2009
MEA is one of the state assets scheduled for sale under the Paris III reform
plan. AFP
Lebanon’s new national unity government might actually have some economic teeth.
The cabinet appears close to an agreement on privatization, the controversial
selling of state assets that would reduce both the national debt and the
financial burden on mobile phone and internet users.
The new government’s policy statement is written, according to Information
Minister Tarek Mitri, with the clause on privatization by all accounts
conforming to the January 2007 Paris III reform program, which promised over $7
billion in international aid to Lebanon in return for a series of economic
reforms, including state divestment from some of its holdings.
Repeatedly, however, political bickering and cronyism have derailed
privatization, and talk of consensus now could prove to be little more than just
talk.
Under Paris III guidelines, privatization aims to reduce the national debt,
accumulated during a post-war borrowing spree mostly during the 1990s. Today
Lebanon owes around $50 billion – around 180% of its GDP. In 2009, $4 billion,
or 43% of budget expenditures, was put aside to service the debt, $1.5 billion
more than was set aside for social services like education and heath care. Hence
the need to bring down the debt.
Most of what the state has to sell is potentially profitable. Lebanon’s two
mobile networks are its golden egg. In 2009, they brought in an estimated $4.2
billion. However, the rates set by the government, which pays Egypt’s Orascom
and Kuwait’s Zain an annual fee to manage the networks, are artificially high.
The networks are simultaneously perhaps both the easiest and hardest asset to
sell. Even in the wake of the global financial crisis, investors would likely
jump at the chance to buy; mobile penetration in Lebanon hovers between 30 and
40 percent, well below many other regional countries, particularly in the Gulf,
where costs are lower and penetration rates over 100% are common.
The networks have been the source of tension for over a decade. In 1994, the
government awarded 10-year, Build-Operate-Transfer contracts to LibanCell and
Cellis (both closely tied to Lebanese politicians) to establish the networks.
However, in 2001, the state cancelled the contracts early and seized the mobile
networks. The companies cried foul, and the state ultimately paid them nearly
$180 billion in compensation.
Repeated attempts since then to sell the mobile networks have been torpedoed by
political feuds.
Most recently, in early 2008, as the financial meltdown kicked in, several
multi-national telecom companies were willing to bid for the networks, though
the February auction was canceled as Lebanon lacked a president and was mired in
political deadlock.
Inextricably linked to privatizing the mobile networks is further liberalizing
the internet market. A 2002 law stipulates that selling the mobile networks
includes replacing Ogero, the state-owned company that ultimately controls all
of Lebanon’s internet access, with a private company called Liban Telecom.
The state, through Ogero, now controls all legal access to the two cables
connecting Lebanon to the internet. It sells bandwidth from these cables to
private internet service providers at exorbitant prices. The Telecommunications
Regulatory Authority, which regulates the telecom privatization process,
envisions allowing Liban Telecom and two other companies to sell the internet
access now in state hands.
Competition in both markets is expected to dramatically drive down costs for the
consumer, with some industry insiders saying by as much as 70%.
Elsewhere, the state also owns 99.3% of Middle East Airlines, which has bucked
the regional aviation industry trend by consistently turning a profit in recent
years, and 38% of the Intra Investment Company, which owns 48% of the cash
generating Casino Du Liban. Both MEA and Intra are slated for sale under the
terms of Paris III.
Lebanon’s big loser is the Electricité Du Liban, which drained the state of an
estimated $1.2 billion in 2009. According to the Ministry of Finance’s most
recent report on implementing the Paris III reforms, the road to putting EDL on
the auction block is long. The company still needs serious restructuring and an
approved plan detailing how to do it. The state’s other assets for sale in line
with Paris III, on the other hand, require little more than the political
decision to sell them