LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 20/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Luke 8:4-15.
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying
to him, he spoke in a parable. A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he
sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate
it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of
moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked
it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a
hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought
to hear." Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might
be. He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been
granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that
'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.' This is the meaning of
the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who
have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that
they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when
they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only
for a time and fall away in time of trial. As for the seed that fell among
thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked
by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce
mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who,
when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and
bear fruit through perseverance.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Berri under the influence/By: Hanin
Ghaddar/Now
Lebanon/September 19/09
MP Ghazi Youssef says Berri joined
“obstruction game”/Now Lebanon/September 19, 2009
Iran's day of international solidarity was marred by
internal divisions/By The Daily Star/September
19/09
Ahmadinejad the revolutionary simply may not want to talk/By:
By David Ignatius/September
19/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 19/09
Izedine’s Bouncing Checks, Hundred
Million dollars/Future News
Johnny
Abdo: for poles government that
protects Lebanon-Future
News
Sakr: The Resistance to Get Off
People’s Back-Future News
Allouch: The Cabinet Might Never Be
Formed
-Future News
Souaid: Hizbullah Wants a Weak
State-Future
News
Suleiman Extends Greetings to Lebanese, Prepares for New York Trip-Naharnet
Security Measures During Eid, Rifi Says No One has an Interest in Tension-Naharnet
Discrepancy between Majority, Opposition on Cabinet Formula Widens-Naharnet
Syria Rejects Ban's Reply
on Mehlis and Says Law is in its Favor-Naharnet
Raad: A national unity government
is the way out/Future News
Lebanese Planning to
Protest Gadhafi's Visit to U.S.-Naharnet
Nasrallah: Leave the
Resistance Alone-Naharnet
Jumblat: I Don't Want to Commit
Suicide like Geagea and Gemayel, Neoconservatives Reject Cabinet
Formation-Naharnet
Iranian hardliners attack
opposition leaders as thousands march in protests-Daily
Star
Nasrallah urges caution on cabinet formation-Daily
Star
Kahwaji urges 'alertness' on southern border-Daily
Star
UN chief voices 'full confidence' in Tribunal-Daily
Star
Foreign Ministry talks to Syria, UK
-Daily Star
Message of UN chief Ban Ki-Moon on International
Day of Peace-Daily Star
Hariri calls for cabinet progress after Eid al-Fitr-Daily
Star
Shatah meets IMF representatives-Daily Star
Italian ambassador visits USEK-Daily Star
Francophone arts program announced-Daily Star
UNIFIL plotters arrested near Tyre-Daily Star
Campaign presses Palestinians'
right to return-Daily
Star
Hasbaya volunteers overcome age-old divides to help those in need-Daily
Star
NGO looks to train teachers on ways to promote tolerance-Daily
Star
Father of US 'neoconservatism'
Irving Kristol dies/Now Lebanon
Jumblat:
I Don't Want to Commit Suicide like Geagea and Gemayel, Neoconservatives Reject
Cabinet Formation -Future News
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has said some Maronite
leaders in Lebanon have suicidal plans and accused neoconservatives in the
United States of preventing cabinet formation in Lebanon. "When some Maronite
leaders in Lebanon adopt a political project," they make sure that it is fully
implemented "even if that leads them to suicide," al-Akhbar daily quoted Jumblat
as telling his visitors, including a Palestinian delegation. Lebanese Forces
leader Samir Geagea and Phalange party chief Amin Gemayel "represent such a
case," Jumblat reportedly said, adding "I don't want to commit suicide like
them." He also expressed worries about attempts by Geagea and Gemayel to push
PM-designate Saad Hariri "to adopt their political project," a move that would
lead to a Sunni "isolationism" that would have bad repercussions on Lebanon. "My
presence near Hariri is necessary so that they don't push him in that
direction," the Druze leader told his guests. Turning to the United States,
Jumblat said neoconservatives, who are holding onto major decision-making in the
Obama administration, are planning to draw a new Middle East map and create new
countries based on ethnic and religious affiliations. Such plans aim at
facilitating the establishment of a Jewish state and keeping Palestinians who
became refugees in 1948 away from their land, al-Akhbar quoted Jumblat as
saying. He said he was worried about what was "being prepared for the country
and the region" because Lebanon is the neoconservatives' "laboratory." On
formation of the Lebanese cabinet, Jumblat said that he contacted Cairo and
inquired Egyptian officials about reports that they wanted caretaker PM Fouad
Saniora as PM-designate. "They told me on the contrary that they back Hariri.
And in Saudi Arabia, they said they want a national unity cabinet and support
Hariri" in forming a government, Jumblat told his guests. The Druze leader also
accused the neoconservatives of rejecting formation of the unity cabinet in
Lebanon.
"The American team is cooperating with Arab and Lebanese sides to prevent
cabinet formation by rejecting Syrian-Saudi agreement that Lebanon needs at this
stage," Jumblat stressed.
Abdo: for
poles government that protects Lebanon
Date: September 19th, 2009/Source: Radio Orient
Ambassador Johnny Abdo described the technocrat government as “a wrong direction
that leads to several divisions,” adding that the situation in Lebanon can only
be protected through a government of Poles. He asked Saturday in an interview to
Al-Sharq radio station: “Is it right that the Shiite sect refrain from naming
the prime minister simply because they have control by force of arms or money?”,
adding that the policy of Hariri family will remain an obstacle in front of
Hizbullah monopoly. He said that Speaker Nabih Berri received orders not to
designate Premier Saad Hariri, calling the majority to cooperate with President
Michel Sleiman. He stressed over the importance of armed resistance in South
Lebanon, but Hizbullah must not be armed in the domestic arena, adding that
“security events inside camps are very possible.” He reassured that “the
International Tribunal is performing its mission, warning the there are
terrorist climates over members of the Tribunal, and the Syrian complaint is an
attempt to frighten the rest that it will file a lawsuit to Detlev Mehlis,” but
Abdo continued that the answer from the United Nations was harsh and made the
Syrians reconsider this issue.
Discrepancy between Majority, Opposition on Cabinet Formula Widens
Naharnet/Heavy contacts are currently underway between majority parties from one
side and the opposition on the other ahead of the consultations that
PM-designate Saad Hariri will launch with parliamentary blocs upon his return
from Saudi Arabia. Discrepancy between the majority and the opposition's points
of view on the next cabinet was clear on Saturday, with pro-Hariri forces
calling for a change and deflection from the 15-10-5 formula while minority
figures insisting on keeping the same formula that the Lebanese had agreed on
during Hariri's first appointment. Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad told As Safir that
during the consultations on Thursday his party would express its point of view
that only a national unity cabinet would help end the current crisis. Speaker
Nabih Berri's political assistant, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, also stressed to the
newspaper that the opposition is clinging onto the 15-10-5 formula. He said a
"serious and responsible dialogue leads to the formation of a government."
Another opposition member, Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun said: "Our
demands are by now clear and we insist on them. But we will go (to the
consultations) to hear (what Hariri has to say).""The ball is now in Hariri's
court," Aoun told As Safir. Furthermore, a source from MP Suleiman Franjieh's
bloc stressed on the need to form a unity cabinet based on the 15-10-5 formula
and urged Hariri not to play the "procrastination game." On the other hand, a
source close to Hariri said the Mustaqbal movement bloc will head to the
consultations "with the same spirit of the previous consultations.""It is now
necessary to discuss new cabinet formulas," the source said, accusing the
opposition of thwarting the formation of the government during Hariri's first
nomination and of toppling the 15-10-5 formula. He reiterated the majority's
stance that officials who had lost the parliamentary elections should not be
given cabinet portfolios.
As Safir also carried a remark by Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, who said the
LF will suggest to Hariri the formation of a technocrat government or a cabinet
of top officials with the priority of previously agreeing on essential issues,
such as the policy statement. He said the LF should get two cabinet seats and
that Hariri's first lineup wasn't satisfactory.
A top Phalange official, meanwhile, said the party will hold a meeting in the
next few hours to decide on its suggestion to Hariri during Thursday's
consultations. He also stressed that the Phalange should get two portfolios.
Beirut, 19 Sep 09, 10:29
Izedine’s Bouncing Checks, Hundred Million dollars
Future News/Date: September 19th, 2009
The reported bounced checks of the businessman Salah Izedine, who was arrested
and charged with his partners for fraudulence and issuing worthless checks, hit
last Tuesday about one hundred million American dollars, news reports said. A
banking source that spoke on condition of anonymity told the Almustaqbal.org
that they expect more bounced checks to emerge next week at the Central Risk in
the Central Bank of Lebanon. The source added that coordination in this regard
is ongoing with the relevant judicial authority which is kept informed of the
latest developments to complete the investigations. The case of Salah Izedine, a
renowned businessman who went bankrupt and is now in police custody, shook the
financial and political milieu and spread panic among the investors who
entrusted him with their money after he tempted them with 75% interest per year.
Izedine, a Shiite Muslim whose business empire was mainly based in South Africa,
has been borrowing money from thousands of Shiites, mainly southerners, since
2006 relying on his good reputation as a charity man and a successful
businessman as well as on his good relations with Hizbullah. The source added
that most of the bouncing checks’ owners were small customers who entrusted
Izedine with large sums of money. Until now, the number of these customers has
not been accurately estimated; moreover there is a possibility not to be able to
compensate for these customers in case Izedine’s bankruptcy was legally proven.
Furthermore, Izedine’s fixed assets are negligible compared to the size of
obligations on one side, and the lack of large credit accounts that have been
seized on the other. Efforts are being made to see if Izedine has any accounts
abroad, or whether he sought to smuggle some outside before his arrest, the
source added. It has been said that a political group prepared applications to
be filled by victims and rights holders in addition to those who had business in
financial companies of Izedine and his partners, at a time terms of compensation
were not set by official and legal authorities. It is worth mentioning that
financial companies are under the authority of Central Bank of Lebanon, and the
Banking control commission.
However, in case of bankruptcy, clients cannot benefit from the National
Institution to Guarantee Deposits because financial institutions are legally
prohibited to accept deposits from customers like banks do. Noting that the
ceiling of compensation by the Deposit Insurance Corporation is five million
Lebanese pounds in all cases, unless the deposit was under the amount of
compensation mentioned.
Sakr: The Resistance to ‘Get Off People’s Back’
Date: September 19th, 2009/Source: Voice of Lebanon
Deputy Okab Sakr, of the Zahle in the Heart bloc, replied to Hizbullah leader
Hasan Nasrallah’s Friday’s speech affirming that the resistance must get off the
people’s back in political matters. Sakr’s comments came in an interview with
the Voice of Lebanon radio. Nasrallah issued a televised statement Friday in the
southern Beirut suburb during ceremonies marking the al-Quds Day where he urged
his local and Arab foes “to get off the resistance’s back.”“We all support
Nasrallah’s words, but the resistance must also take into consideration and
understand the people’s concerns, just like the people are required to
understand the resistance’s,” Sakr said. “The resistance is not the country’s
major problem, which is actually linked to large foreign projects squeezing
Lebanon tight. I believe that most of the Lebanese political factions are
participating in this mill. “Anyone who criticizes the resistance means to
criticize its political path. Furthermore criticizing Hizbullah is not aimed at
the resistance but at its internal political administration,” Sakr said. On
Hariri’s renunciation from forming the new government, he said: “Hariri’s
renunciation was a positive shock mainly that the formation of the new cabinet
reached a deadlock,” adding that Hariri’s second designation cannot be linked to
any internal regional variables. Sakr stressed that the minority refused the
15-10-5 government formula and thwarted the formation of a national unity
government by rejecting Hariri’s formation that included varied ministries of
services. He said: “If the minority held on to the 15-10-5 cabinet formula, they
would have named Hariri in the second designation thus compelling him morally
and politically to apply that formula. Sakr also said that Hariri will return
after the Fitr holiday with a large initiative aimed to form a national unity
government. He called upon the opposition to grasp this initiative otherwise
refusing to do so would indicate “There is veto on having Saad Hariri as
Premier, which will not happen.”
Allouch: The Cabinet Might Never Be Formed
Date: September 19th, 2009/Source: ANB
Former deputy Mustafa Allouch said Saturday the cabinet might never be formed in
light of the minority’s continuous policy of obstruction, the anb reported.
“Although the rhetoric of Hizbullah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the
occasion of the Qods Day (Jerusalim Day) was relatively calm with respect to
cabinet formation, but it does not reflect the obstructive policy adopted by the
party when Premier Saad Hariri was trying to accomplish the government
entitlement,” he told the radio. “Nasrallah seemed to be satisfied with the fact
that the cabinet was not formed when he said ‘better late than never’ which
gives the impression that it might never be formed,” he said. “I do not believe
that there is a real external initiative to facilitate cabinet formation since
the inter-Arab reconciliations returned to point zero,” he added. “President
Michel Sleiman does not want the country to enter a maze because he is convinced
that the minority is capable of and willing to resort to violence to fulfill its
political demands,” he maintained.
Souaid: Hizbullah Wants a Weak State
Date: September 19th, 2009/Source: free Lebanon
Fares Souaid, the March 14 general secretariat coordinator said Saturday that
several factors such as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Hizbullah arms,
the Taëf Agreement and Aoun’s aspiration to the presidency, obstructed the
cabinet formation, Free Lebanon radio reported. “Aoun is trying his best to
topple the situation because he aspires at presidency,” Souaid told the radio
station. “The other faction acknowledges the parliamentary elections results
only verbally while it aims at invalidating them in practice,” he said.
“The Christian wing of the opposition represented by Michel Aoun and the Muslim
one represented by Hizbullah wants to amend the Taëf Agreement. Aoun thinks that
such a step can enhance the Christians’ status within the state while Hizbullah
believes that amending the agreement is necessary to enhance that of the
Shiites,” he maintained.
The Taëf Agreement reached under Saudi auspices in 1989 ended the Lebanese
15-year civil war and divided power evenly between Muslims and Christians.
Aoun believes that the agreement minimized the role of Christians and
particularly the Maronite president of the republic while Hizbullah believes
that it gave the Sunnis powers at the expense of Shiites. Hizbullah and its
affiliates regard amending Taëf to adopt tripartite ruling which divides power
between Christians, Sunnis and Shiites as a satisfactory solution for lifting
the status of the Shiites. “Hizbullah does not want to annul the state because
it provides him with cover before the international community. It wants to
weaken the state to maintain its presence and influence,” Souaid added.
“Hizbullah’s obstruction of the state establishment is manifested in having
security, military, media and social institutions autonomous from these of the
state,” he said. “Hizbullah is connected to a regional country. It serves the
country’s interests and fulfils its demands in order to improve its position
during negotiations,” he added.
He hoped that President Sleiman “restores his consensual role.”“A government of
technocrats cannot resolve the crisis and a cabinet of poles can be a solution,”
he concluded.
MP Ghazi
Youssef says Berri joined “obstruction game”
September 19, 2009 /Now Lebanon
In an interview with NOW on Saturday, Lebanon First bloc MP Ghazi Youssef said
that Speaker Nabih Berri has joined the “obstruction game” of the cabinet
formation.
He also said that Hezbollah and the Amal Movement view any cabinet formed
without their participation as unconstitutional and would block its formation,
which would be a de-facto application of the obstructing-third vote they are
demanding. Youssef called the obstructing vote a breach of co-existence. Youssef
said that if Syria and Iran allow the opposition to accept the cabinet line-up,
the cabinet would be formed in one day. He added that Prime Minister-designate
Saad Hariri will not fail or resign from his post. He said he was surprised by
President Michel Sleiman’s decision not to sign any government decree other than
a national-unity one, “which means that Sleiman has given the opposition the
veto power to form a cabinet.”He also held the president responsible if the
cabinet is not formed following Hariri’s deliberations and submission of a
cabinet line-up. “The majority would have formed the cabinet if it was not for
Hezbollah’s arms,” Youssef said. He added that “even Progressive Socialist Party
leader MP Walid Jumblatt would have approved the cabinet formation if it was not
for the threat of arms.”He said that he regrets that the Lebanese Armed Forces
are incapable of protecting the Lebanese, referring to the Mar Mikhael events,
“during which the LAF was punished for fulfilling its duties”. Youssef also
accused Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil of using his post to provide
Hezbollah with security information.
Father of US 'neoconservatism' Irving Kristol dies
September 19, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Irving Kristol, the former Trotskyite who turned sharply anti-Communist and
shaped modern US politics and foreign policy as the "godfather" of
neoconservatism, died Friday at the age of 89. The Weekly Standard magazine
edited by his son, William Kristol, announced his death on its Internet site.
"His wisdom, wit, good humor, and generosity of spirit made him a friend and
mentor to several generations of thinkers and public servants," the editors of
the Weekly Standard said in an unsigned message on the magazine's Web site.
Former President George W. Bush awarded Kristol the presidential medal of
freedom, the top US civilian honor, in July 2002. The late writer did not
comment much in public on the war in Iraq, while prominent neoconservatives
inside and outside the Bush Administration played a major role in pushing for
the March 2003 invasion. In an August 2003 article, Irving Kristol said he
preferred to describe neoconservatism as a "persuasion" and underlined that it
had its roots among "disillusioned liberal intellectuals in the 1970s." Kristol
also once memorably said that neoconservatives - a group identified and named by
socialist writer Michael Harrington in the early 1970s - were "liberals mugged
by reality." Kristol was born in New York's Brooklyn neighborhood, the son of
Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. During World War II, he served as a combat
infantryman.
Syria Rejects Ban's Reply on Mehlis and Says Law is in its Favor
Naharnet/Syria's permanent representative to the U.N., Bashar al-Jaafari,
snapped back at Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over his rejection of a request to
interrogate former chief investigator Detlev Mehlis and his aide Gerhard Lehmann
for allegedly trying to frame Damascus in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's killing. "We
weren't officially notified of the secretary-general's reply. But the law is in
our favor and logic supports us," Jaafari told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks
published Saturday. "This is not within my domain," Ban told reporters on
Thursday when asked to clarify Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's request
to question Mehlis and Lehmann. "We are saying that the international
investigation commission is functioning under the secretary-general's
supervision and it has become a U.N. agency. As long as Ban heads the
international organization, he is involved in the work and performance of any
U.N. agency," Jaafari said. He stressed that Syria has the right to hold
accountable those who allegedly tried to frame it politically in the Hariri
assassination case. Beirut, 19 Sep 09, 11:11
Suleiman Extends Greetings to Lebanese, Prepares for New York Trip
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman discussed with his top aides on Saturday
preparations for his visit to New York and his address to the U.N. General
Assembly next week.
Suleiman was scheduled to travel on Sunday but postponed his trip to Tuesday, An
Nahar daily said. The assembly's general debate, which brings together world
leaders or their foreign ministers, is scheduled for September 23 to 28.
Suleiman will make a speech on Friday. The newspaper added that U.S. and
Lebanese sides were making attempts to arrange a meeting with President Barack
Obama and Suleiman on the sidelines of the assembly debate. Meanwhile, Suleiman
extended greetings to the Lebanese on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. He hoped for
prosperity and expressed relief at calm political speeches by officials which
paves way for formation of a national unity cabinet.
Security Measures During Eid, Rifi Says No One has an Interest in Tension
Naharnet/Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi has reassured the
Lebanese that the situation in the country remains calm and reports about
security incidents are "baseless."
The security situation is "good and calm" and all rumors about the possibility
of having security tensions "are baseless." They "aim at creating fear similar
to what happens every time there is a political crisis," Rifi told As Safir
daily in remarks published Saturday. He said neither the parliamentary majority
nor the opposition "has an interest in any security tension because any
deterioration in the security situation would have repercussions on everyone."
Rifi also stressed that the ISF is fully ready for any security-related problem
and is playing its role in preserving security during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in
all Lebanese regions. The ISF and the Lebanese army, meanwhile, are adopting a
series of measures, including extra deployment of officers and soldiers,
conducting patrols and erecting checkpoints, to keep security in the capital and
other regions. A military source told As Safir that the army command has issued
instructions not to be reluctant in dealing with those who disturb peace.
Beirut, 19 Sep 09, 09:37
Security Measures During Eid, Rifi Says No One has an Interest in Tension
Naharnet/Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi has reassured the
Lebanese that the situation in the country remains calm and reports about
security incidents are "baseless."
The security situation is "good and calm" and all rumors about the possibility
of having security tensions "are baseless." They "aim at creating fear similar
to what happens every time there is a political crisis," Rifi told As Safir
daily in remarks published Saturday. He said neither the parliamentary majority
nor the opposition "has an interest in any security tension because any
deterioration in the security situation would have repercussions on everyone."
Rifi also stressed that the ISF is fully ready for any security-related problem
and is playing its role in preserving security during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in
all Lebanese regions. The ISF and the Lebanese army, meanwhile, are adopting a
series of measures, including extra deployment of officers and soldiers,
conducting patrols and erecting checkpoints, to keep security in the capital and
other regions. A military source told As Safir that the army command has issued
instructions not to be reluctant in dealing with those who disturb peace.
Beirut, 19 Sep 09, 09:37
Lebanese Planning to Protest Gadhafi's Visit to U.S.
Naharnet/Lebanese expatriates in the U.S. are reportedly planning a march next
week to protest the disappearance of Shiite cleric Imam Moussa Sadr during
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's visit. An Nahar newspaper said Saturday that the
protest on Tuesday would coincide with Gadhafi's participation in the U.N.
General Assembly meeting next week.
The demonstrators will raise portraits of Sadr and Lebanese flags only, An Nahar
said. Lebanese Shiite political and religious leaders have blamed Gadhafi for
Sadr's disappearance in 1978. Libya insists Sadr and his two aides left its
territory on a flight to Rome at the end of their visit, and suggests he was a
victim of an inter-Shiite power struggle.
Beirut, 19 Sep 09, 11:30
Berri under the influence
The speaker re-positions himself away from the center and back under Hezbollah’s
ruling
Hanin Ghaddar,
Now Lebanon , September 19, 2009
Nabih Berri is not just the Speaker of the House in Lebanon. He is the leader of
the Amal Movement and a Shia ally of Hezbollah and the rest of the March 8
coalition. The result is that Berri has long seesawed between his role as a
sectarian and partisan political boss, and his occasional aspirations to be a
conciliatory national leader. In the wake of the June elections, Berri at first
seemed to be leaning toward the latter, voicing support for PM-designate Saad
Hariri.
But it was not to last.
Indeed, the cabinet-formation crisis has demonstrated that Berri, despite the
majority having supported, without preconditions or restrictions, his reelection
as speaker, simply cannot be trusted to protect the institutions of the state,
even though he himself represents one of them. The crisis has also conclusively
revealed that the speaker is the weakest link in the opposition; when they
decide to obstruct, he must submit.
Before the elections Berri had tried to distance himself for a time from his
allies, notably when he had to give up the seats he controlled in Jezzine for
the sake of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, a humiliating move
that must have forced him to realize he was no longer Hezbollah’s principal
partner – a title that now belongs to Aoun.
Most likely upset and feeling taken for granted, Berri moved to position himself
as a centrist force after the vote, one that could meet Progressive Socialist
Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt half way. For a while there was optimism that
Berri might actually be capable of distancing himself from Hezbollah and its
backer, the Syrian regime. But that hope was apparently misplaced.
Berri did not – or could not – re-nominate Hariri as PM-designate during the
second round of consultations with President Michel Sleiman last week. He
justified his new stance by accusing Hariri of threatening to exact political
revenge on those who would not support him. But the Hariri statement that Berri
took issue with came after Issam Abu Jamra of the FPM said that if Berri
supported Hariri for premier, it meant that the speaker had accepted the
majority’s resolve to deny ministries to defeated parliamentary candidates (most
notably Michel Aoun’s son-in-law and current Telecom Minister Gebran Bassil).
Abu Jamra’s comments implied a clear threat to Berri: either he joins the
opposition in obstructing the cabinet formation, or he will be considered a
traitor. But the threat itself did not come from Abu Jamra or his party leader
Aoun; it came from their superiors, the opposition’s regional allies, who want
to see a unified opposition against the PM-designate.
Aoun is perhaps the biggest thorn in Berri’s side. The speaker lost his
parliamentary seats in Jezzine to the former general, his supposed ally. Now he
will likely lose more; when Aoun demands a sovereign ministry, it will probably
be taken from Berri’s share. Indeed, adding further insult to injury, Aoun did
not back Berri for speaker after the elections.
Even so, Berri was obliged to follow Aoun, who is leading the March 8 line
against the majority and the PM-designate, despite the fact that Hezbollah is
the real arbiter of that front.
Berri, no doubt, believes that he cannot distance himself from Hezbollah; and
there is much evidence of the impossibility of being able to do so. Jumblatt was
able to distance himself from March 14 because the coalition is not a one-man
show run by one military force. Berri does not enjoy that democratic luxury with
the opposition.
Berri towed the line for Hezbollah during the opposition’s 16-month sit-in in
downtown Beirut that only ended with the 2008 May events – a bloodletting that
Berri’s own militia participated in – and the subsequent Doha Agreement. When
March 14 and March 8 could not agree on whom the next president should be, Berri
backed his allies and shut down parliament. When push came to shove, Berri
showed that his position as speaker was secondary to his role as militia leader
and Hezbollah sidekick.
Berri knows he has little room to do otherwise; to actually act as the national
leader of the country’s electoral body would not be looked upon kindly by his
allies. They would likely make him pay a price. It is a power that the
institutions of the state can hardly compete with; they will never be able to
reward, protect or punish him the way Hezbollah’s guns can.
So far, Berri did not have to make any compromises or lose anything since the
vote. His share remains intact, he is still speaker and no one can wipe away
that fact. Also, both the sovereign Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the service
Ministry of Health, in addition to others, will likely remain his. His
retraction of support for Hariri has not cost him.
If only Lebanon were so lucky.
Berri’s realignment once again veers the Shia community into opposition with
Hariri and his predominantly Sunni support base, a division that will have
potentially perilous ramifications for the country. Berri’s switch also shows
that both Syria and Iran need a unified opposition to ensure that the cabinet
remains unformed until further notice, their hope being that the coming months
will change regional dynamics. In that scenario they could use Lebanon as a
bargaining chip in any future negotiations with the West. It’s a card Iran needs
for the upcoming talks on its nuclear program, and that Syria needs in order to
stave off pressure from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Nevertheless,
Berri is pushing the Shia community into further isolation from the rest of
Lebanon. For the first time, a PM-designate has been named without the support
of an entire community. Berri has also undermined his position as head of the
parliament, a post reserved for a Shia. Hezbollah or Aoun have no qualms about
boycotting Hariri, because after all, they are heads of parliamentary blocs. But
Berri is the speaker of the house, a position he’s held for essentially the
entire post-civil war period. One wishes he had the fortitude to take on the
burden of that position to build bridges, rather than burn them down when his
powerful allies issue the command.
UN chief voices 'full confidence' in Tribunal
Ban refutes Syrian claims that STL chief investigator ‘framed’ damascus
By Patrick Galey
Daily Star staff
Saturday, September 19, 2009
BEIRUT: The UN will not investigate claims made by Syria alleging that a former
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) chief investigator sought to frame Damascus
in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In his daily
press briefing at the Security Council in New York, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
confirmed that no action would be taken against Detlev Mehlis and his former
assistant Gerhard Lehmann after Syria’s official complaint over their conduct
while with the STL.
A letter from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, made available to
reporters on Thursday, had alleged that Mehlis and Lehmann aimed “right from the
start, to implicate the Syrian Arab Republic at any cost in the assassination.”
Syria has been widely implicated in the assassination of five-time Premier
Hariri, who was killed along with 22 others when a massive car bomb hit Ain al-Mreisseh
on February 14, 2005. Damascus has repeatedly denied involvement in the killing.
Answering a question on the STL Ban confirmed that investigating Syrian claims
“is not within my domain.”
“I think the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was established by the decision of the
Security Council, and I have spent years and months discussing with the Member
States of the United Nations and finally we have fully instituted this Special
Tribunal,” Ban continued.
He added that he had full confidence in chief prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, who
has recently returned to The Hague after time off in his native Canada for
health reasons.
“He has been doing a great job, with a strong sense of integrity. This is what I
believe he will continue to do,” said Ban.
Mehlis defended himself and the STL on Friday in an interview published in the
pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat. He too expressed his “full confidence in the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” adding that his decision to suggest Syrian
involvement in the case was “based on evidence, and is mentioned in reports to
the Security Council.
“I understand [Syria’s] increased anxiety which coincides with the ongoing
investigation and the establishment of the International Tribunal,” he said.
Moallem made clear in his letter to the UN that Syria could pursue alternative
judicial action should the UN choose not to act upon its request.
“Syria reserves its right to take legal proceedings with regard to the injury [Mehlis
and Lehmann] did to Syria by using perjured evidence and departing from the
rules and principles of investigation,” he said.
Four pro-Syrian former Lebanese generals were held for four years, without
charge, on suspicion of carrying out Hariri’s killing before their release in
April this year. Recent comments by two of the men, criticizing the Lebanese
judiciary in its coordination with the STL, have prompted a series of
allegations levied against some of Lebanon’s most senior political and military
figures. The tribunal itself has been dogged by accusations of politicization
and mishandling false witnesses. Little obvious progress has been made in
bringing Hariri’s killers to justice since the court’s inception more than two
years ago.
During his press conference, Ban also called for better coordination between all
political parties within Lebanon to ensure the quick formation of a national
unity cabinet.
Ban spoke of “encouraging developments of the situation in Lebanon,” adding: “I
sincerely hope that all the political party leaders fully cooperate and should
exercise their flexibility for the future of Lebanon and for the overall peace
and security in the region.”
Ban said he was “relieved” that Lebanon’s President Michel Sleiman had backed
the re-nomination of Premier-designate Saad Hariri but acknowledged that the two
men would continue to face obstacles in forming a cabinet palatable to all
sides. “The national unity government was formed with great political
difficulty,” he said. “Now that Hariri was designated as the next Prime
Minister, he should be able to form a national unity government. That is very
important.” Responding to a question on how far the UN is engaging with other
countries in the Middle East, Ban said that in his opinion, prominent Lebanese
politicians had “normalized their relationship [with] Syria,” a development he
described as “very significantly important.” Ban said he would discuss regional
ties and the cabinet formation with President Sleiman at the General Assembly
meeting in New York on Wednesday.
Nasrallah urges caution on cabinet formation
Normalizing ties with israel would be ‘a sin’
Daily Star staff/Saturday, September 19, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that taking time in
forming a cabinet was better than dragging Lebanon into chaos. “Reaching a deal
over a cabinet, even if it takes some time, is better than dragging the country
into chaos,” he told supporters at the Sayyed al-Shuhada complex in the Beirut
southern suburbs. Nasrallah was speaking in a televised address during
ceremonies marking Quds Day. Quds is Arabic for Jerusalem. Quds Day, the
brainchild of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, is held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan as a display of solidarity with Palestine.
“It is not worth dragging the country into political, sectarian and security
tensions,” he said, stressing: “Let us stay calm in order to reach a solution.”
Also on Friday, thousands of people – including women and children – formed a
human chain for five kilometers along south Lebanon’s border with Israel, waving
Hizbullah and Palestinian flags to denounce the creation of Israel in 1948.
Nasrallah vowed that his party would never recognize Israel and that no Arab
state has the right to do so either. “No one has the right to recognize [Israel]
or approve its legitimacy,” the cleric said.
“No one has the right, no matter who they are, to give up on the land and water
or to recognize Israel’s right to exist,” he said in a clear criticism of Arab
regimes. “Normalization of ties [with Israel is a sin,” he added. Nasrallah’s
comments came hours after US President Barack Obama’s special Mideast envoy was
unable to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians on the terms of
renewing peace talks. Mitchell had urged the Arab world to take steps toward
normalizing relations with Israel as he pressed Israel to halt construction of
settlements in the West Bank. The Sayyed called Israel an “illegitimate
cancerous entity” that should be “eliminated.” He added that “we will not
recognize, deal or normalize with Israel even if the whole world recognizes it.”
Nasrallah repeated his warning to Israel not to launch a war against his group
saying the Israeli military will be “crushed” by Hizbullah.
Israel and Hizbullah’s war in the summer of 2006 left much of south Lebanon
devastated. “I admit that Israel might launch a war on Lebanon and I declare
that we do not want war,” he said, adding:“I do not know what excuse they might
use for this war, but if Israel attacks us, we must turn the threat into an
opportunity.” Nasrallah said Israel was a state that centered on its military,
adding: “If we destroy their army here in Lebanon, what future does the state
have? The next war will change the face of the region.” Nasrallah said Israel
was arming and conducting military exercises “day and night because it is
afraid.” Nasrallah urged his local and Arab foes “to get off the resistance’s
back.” He also thanked Iran for supporting resistance movements in Lebanon and
occupied Palestine. “You are totally free not to endorse resistance in Lebanon
and Palestine, but get off the resistance’s back,” he said, adding: “I am not
addressing the Lebanese because the majority of them back the resistance. But by
this I mean some people in Lebanon and some Arab countries.” He urged Arab
states to either support the Palestinian people or leave them alone. “It’s not
true that we have two choices of either launching large-scale wars or
surrendering. There is a third option of remaining steadfast and resisting,” he
told his supporters, who waved the party’s yellow flags and carried their
leader’s pictures. “Experience and facts prove that only the choice of
resistance would recover the land,” Nasrallah said. – The Daily Star, with AFP
and AP
Hariri calls for cabinet progress after Eid al-Fitr
Daily Star staff/Saturday, September 19, 2009
BEIRUT: The flurry of talk and debates over the formation of a new cabinet will
ease over the Eid al-Fitr weekend, after politicians from various groups agreed
to tone down political rhetoric and postpone deliberations until after the
break. On Friday, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri travelled to Saudi Arabia
to spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday with his family. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day
celebration that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Hariri is set to
start a second round of binding consultations in Parliament on Thursday.
Before leaving Beirut, the Premier urged political groups to abandon their
preconditions and embrace dialogue. Hariri stepped down as premier-designate
last week accusing the opposition of hampering his efforts to form a cabinet
during his first-time designation. By the end of two days of consultations on
Wednesday, 73 MPs had nominated Hariri to head the cabinet, including 71
lawmakers of the parliamentary majority and two from the opposition’s Armenian
Tashnag party. Meanwhile, the presidency’s media office issued a statement on
Friday saying President Michel Sleiman would leave to New York on September 22
to represent Lebanon in the UN General Assembly. According to the statement,
Sleiman will address the assembly on September 25 in a speech that will tackle
issues related to Lebanese, regional and international issues. The Progressive
Socialist Party (PSP) called on all parliamentary blocs Thursday to facilitate
the cabinet formation by not setting preconditions and “to act in line with the
constitution regardless of regional influences.” Following its weekly meeting,
the party added that no further delay could be tolerated, especially considering
the political, security and economic situation in the country. The PSP said
speeding up the government formation will secure Lebanon’s stability, adding
that the Lebanese have “a load of socio-economic problems to deal with.” – The
Daily Star
Kahwaji urges 'alertness' on southern border
Daily Star staff/Saturday, September 19, 2009
BEIRUT: Commander of the Lebanese Army General Jean Kahwaji stressed on Thursday
that the military refuses to allow south Lebanon be turned into an arena to
exchange messages. Speaking during an iftar banquet, Kahwaji urged alertness on
Lebanon’s border with occupied Palestine. “The delicate situation that the
country is going through should absolutely not weaken our determination and
commitment,” he said. A group linked to Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for
rocket attacks from Lebanon into Israel last week.
The attacks were claimed by the Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, Battalions of Ziad
Jarrah, in a statement Sunday by the al-Fajr Media Center on jihadist forums. At
least two rockets fired from the village of Qlaileh in southern Lebanon slammed
into Israel last Friday, triggering retaliatory artillery fire. No casualties
were reported on either side in the attack, the third this year. Israel has
lodged a complaint with the United Nations over the attack and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel held the Lebanese government
responsible for rocket fire from its territory. Kahwaji said that the army and
other security apparatuses “should increase joint efforts to monitor the
movements of terrorists and continue tracking them.”
He added that the army should confront Israel’s “schemes,” while calling on
troops to be “firm with all those tampering with civil peace.” The army
commander called for “more alertness on the southern border and close
cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] as part of
the implementation of Resolution 1701,” which put an end to the summer 2006 war
with neighboring Israel. He described the latest rocket attack on Israel as part
of attempts to keep southern Lebanon “an arena for the exchange of messages.”
“We won’t allow this,” he said, adding that such attacks “weaken the nation and
are in favor of Israel.” Kahwaji also urged soldiers to stay united in order to
achieve victory of the nation. – The Daily Star
UNIFIL plotters arrested near Tyre
Saturday, September 19, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanese troops have arrested five members of Al-Qaeda inspired Fatah
al-Islam militant group in the Palestinian refugee camp of Burj al-Shamali, near
the southern port city of Tyre. According to well-informed security sources, the
five men were tasked with monitoring activity of the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) “in order to plot attacks against its peacekeepers.”
The sources said the arrests were based on information gathered by Lebanese
authorities from Fatah al-Islam inmates who revealed that there are sleeper
cells in certain areas, including refugee camps in southern Lebanon. They said
among those cells are ones seeking to target UNIFIL. – The Daily Star
Iran's day of international solidarity was marred by internal divisions
By The Daily Star
Saturday, September 19, 2009
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Editorial
The call of Iran’s late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini for Muslims to
take to the streets on the last Friday of Ramadan to show their solidarity with
the Palestinians is still heeded every year in countries around the world. But
this year’s commemoration of Quds Day in Iran was marred by what is evidently an
unfinished battle between supporters of the hardline president and backers of
the reformist opposition.
Clashes erupted on Friday between the two rival camps, while three reformist
leaders, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad Khatami and Mehdi Karoubi, were assaulted
by hardliners at the demonstration. Traditional chants like “death to Israel”
were substituted this year with slogans aimed at rivals closer to home, such as
“death to the dictator” and “death to those who oppose the supreme leader.” The
same Iran that inspired an annual show of camaraderie among Muslims around the
world now seems to be struggling to maintain its own internal unity.
That’s a shame, because Quds Day could have been an opportunity for officials of
the regime and leaders of the opposition to foster reconciliation in Iran.
Instead, the event ended up highlighting the country’s divisions, which appear
to be just as deep as they were in the immediate aftermath of the disputed June
12 presidential election. The obvious lesson to be drawn by observers of Iran is
that the political crisis touched off by the vote is far from resolved, and the
situation in the country may continue to generate headlines for weeks or even
months to come.
As for Iranian leaders, they are faced with two options at this stage: They can
either continue intensifying their crackdown on dissent and become a
full-fledged, unabashed dictatorship or they can try to find a way to begin
addressing the legitimate grievances of the opposition. Choosing the first
option could prove costly for Iran, because it would mean sacrificing many of
the principles upon which Khomeini founded the Islamic Republic. It would also
in no way ensure an end to the three-month-long wave of unrest, and could in
fact stoke further instability.
The Lebanese need to remain alert to whatever decision the Iranian leadership
makes. As we have seen from the global commemorations of Quds Day, events in
Iran tend to have a far-reaching impact, and Lebanon is one of the first places
that the country’s influence can be felt. Any instability in Iran has the
potential to upset delicate balances in this country. Worse yet, turmoil in Iran
could rattle the war-mongers in Israel, in which case Lebanon would be in
Israel’s direct line of fire.
Whatever happens, it would be wise for Lebanese leaders to remain at an equal
distance from the various Iranian factions as they continue to try to sort out
their own internal dispute. Lebanon has enough internal feuds of its own to
address. We’ll only get bruised if we allow ourselves to be caught in the middle
of someone else’s fight.