LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 24/09
Bible Reading of the day
9:39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid
him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able
quickly to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is on our side.
For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are
Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.
Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it
would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung
around his neck. 9:43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is
better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to
go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and
the fire is not quenched.’ If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet
to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched— ‘where
their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ If your eye causes
you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of
God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of
fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’*
For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with
salt. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you
season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Iranian Generals issue death
warrant (against Journalist Hamid Ghoriafi) according to letter. W. Thomas Smith
Jr./September
23/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 23/09
March 14 Forces Urge
Opposition to Respect Constitution, Election Results/Naharnet
UN envoy voices concerns over Lebanon cabinet
formation delay-Xinhua
Aoun Fears Hariri's Second
Step down, Waits for Cabinet Lineup New Criteria/Naharnet
Assad Rejects Erdogan's
Mediation to Hold Saudi-Syrian-Turkish-Lebanese Summit-Naharnet
Williams: I Relayed to Aoun U.N. Concerns Over Lack of Cabinet Deal-Naharnet
Efforts Underway between Berri, Jumblat to Solve Cabinet Crisis-Naharnet
UNIFIL Observes Peace Day, Graziano Reiterates Commitment to Stability in the
South-Naharnet
Aoun in Wait-and-See
Approach on Hariri's Cabinet Proposal-Naharnet
Sunni-Shiite Tension
Reaches Orange Threat Level-Naharnet
Toy Gunfight Turns Ugly in
Tripoli-Naharnet
International
Investigators Question Mahmoud Rafeh-Naharnet
Hariri Kicks Off 5-Day
Parliamentary Consultations on Thursday-Naharnet
Baroud: Security Remains a
'Red Line' Despite Political Turmoil-Naharnet
Judge Sawan Interrogates
Fatah al-Islam Detainees-Naharnet
Hariri to resume cabinet-formation deliberations-Daily
Star
Iran's internal problems curb regional ambitions:
analysts-AFP
Hezbollah at US doorstep, scholar claims-United
Press International
Sleiman wants proportional
representation for 2013 poll-Daily Star
Qabbani target of assassination plot during Eid prayer-Daily Star
Israeli warplanes fly over Tyre in
1701 breach-Daily Star
No war imminent with Hizbullah -
Israeli commander-Daily Star
Lebanese found strangled in New
York hotel-Daily Star
Bank deposits important to finance
Lebanon-Daily
Star
Escaped prisoners 'may have had
help-Daily Star
Judge Sawan interrogates Fatah
al-Islam detainees-Daily Star
Climate-change activists give wake
up call to Lebanon-Daily Star
UN General Assembly formally opens
annual debate
September 23, 2009
The UN General Assembly formally opened on Wednesday its annual debate, with all
eyes on US President Barack Obama, who is set to warn that America cannot solve
the world's problems alone. UN chief Ban Ki-moon opened the debate, appealing to
the more than 120 leaders present for "genuine" collective action to roll back
climate change as well as global poverty and push for nuclear
disarmament.-AFP\NOW Staff
Iranian Generals issue death warrant according to letter
Posted by W. Thomas Smith Jr. on 22 September 2009
http://www.worlddefensereview.com/dropzone/archives/135
In an article published Sept. 10, we provide minor details (based on a letter
received by the Beirut-based newspaper Almoharrer Alarabi) regarding a death
warrant issued by two Iranian generals to a junior Iranian military
“information” officer directing the junior officer to “eliminate” Hamid Ghoriafi,
the London-based senior correspondent for the Kuwaiti newspaper, Alseyassah (Al-Siyassa).
We initially withheld the names of the alleged perpetrators at the request of
Ghoriafi (and others), who is now speaking openly about who wants him targeted
and why.
As we reported, the letter stated the Iranian military issued the warrant
because, “Ghoriafi has a good relationship with Israeli intelligence through
Lebanon’s MP Marwan Hamadéh [a Lebanese Druze]. Hamadéh supplies Ghoriafi with
information regarding the International tribunal, so Ghoriafi can sell it to
Alseyassah.”
According to an English translation of the letter, “An order to eliminate
Ghoriafi was issued to Iranian ‘military information officer’ Lt. Samir Oubeid
by Iranian Generals Ahmad Frouzanda and Jafari Sahra Rodi.”We’ve since spoken with Ghoriafi, who says the letter was presented by a trusted
(though unnamed) source of “many years” to Almoharrer Alarabi – a newspaper
which Ghoriafi has written for – and the letter provides details about Oubeid,
specifically the Iranian lieutenant’s purportedly strong ties to both Hizballah
and the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad.
The letter states that Oubeid holds Iranian and European citizenship papers, and
that Oubeid has appeared on Al Jazeera TV and other pro-Jihad media, praising
Hizballah and denouncing the pro-democracy movement in Lebanon.
Ghoriafi, an outspoken critic of Hizballah and the terrorist group’s Iranian and
Syrian backers, was targeted several years ago by a letter-bomb. The
assassination attempt failed to kill Ghoriafi, but wounded a colleague. “No
newspaper in Lebanon can publish what I’m writing,” Ghoriafi says. An American
counterterrorism analyst confirms, “The letter has been obtained by Lebanese
security officials.”
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.
Hezbollah at US doorstep, scholar claims
United Press International
Published: Sept. 21, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Order reprintsWASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. indictment linking Hezbollah
to Colombian rebels means the threat from the Iranian proxy is at the doorstep
of the United States, a scholar claims. A 2008 investigation by U.S. and
Colombian officials uncovered a cocaine-smuggling ring that channeled funds from
the Colombian drug cartel to members of Hezbollah.
An indictment unsealed recently by a U.S. federal court in New York -- U.S. v.
Jamal Yousef -- points to alleged ties between Hezbollah militants and the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia. This indictment, claims Joan Neuhaus
Schaan in the Houston Chronicle, shows Hezbollah presents a "potent and rarely
discussed" threat to the United States.
Schaan, a homeland security fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for
Public Policy, says the indictment shows Hezbollah stored an Iraqi weapons cache
in Mexico and sold them to FARC rebels.She goes on to allege that Hezbollah is
active in the illegal weapons market in Mexico, placing the Lebanese guerrilla
movement in close proximity to potential outlets in the United States. Her
commentary in the Chronicle goes on to tacitly blame U.S. lawmakers for focusing
too much on Iranian nuclear proliferation rather than threats closer to home.
"The time has come to dedicate greater attention and resources to this very real
threat," concludes Schaan
Assad Rejects Erdogan's
Mediation to Hold Saudi-Syrian-Turkish-Lebanese Summit
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad has rejected mediation by Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to solve the Lebanese cabinet crisis, Arab
diplomatic sources told As Safir daily. The sources said Erdogan suggested to
Assad that he participates on Wednesday in the opening of King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology (KAUST) about 80 kilometers north of the
commercial center of Jeddah. The Turkish proposal included holding a
Saudi-Syrian-Turkish-Lebanese summit on the sidelines of the university's
launching. Other country representatives, particularly Lebanese PM-designate
Saad Hariri would join the meeting, according to Erdogan. However, the sources
told As Safir that the Turkish plan didn't succeed for several reasons,
including the Syrian leadership's persuasion that it has accepted several Saudi
invitations before and was waiting for a visit by Saudi King Abdullah to
Damascus. The sources added that Syria was keen on not regressing in its
relations with Riyadh, while at the same time Damascus stressed that its doors
were open to any Lebanese personality. Although Syrian and Lebanese sources
rejected to comment on the Turkish proposal, Hariri circles were highly
confident before the PM-designate's decision to bow out from forming the
government that a Lebanese-Saudi-Syrian summit would be held on the sidelines of
KAUST's launching. The circles believed that the meeting "would give new
dynamics to Saudi-Syrian relations which would reflect positively on the track
of cabinet formation."As Safir said that President Michel Suleiman had expressed
willingness to participate in the university's opening. However, he later
changed his mind and decided to skip the Riyadh stopover and headed to New York
where he will attend the U.N. General Assembly meeting. Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 08:54
Williams: I Relayed to Aoun U.N. Concerns Over Lack of Cabinet Deal
Naharnet/U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said he relayed
to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun the world organization's concern
over the cabinet crisis and hoped PM-designate Saad Hariri would succeed in
forming the government. Williams said Wednesday he discussed with Aoun in
Rabiyeh "the process of government formation in Lebanon and the difficulties
that this has encountered since the June 7 parliamentary elections." "I relayed
to Gen. Aoun the concerns of the United Nations over the lack of an agreement on
this matter. This in turn, we agreed, has delayed important steps that the new
Lebanese government must take to tackle the many social, economic and security
challenges facing the country," he added.
About Lebanon's nomination for a rotating seat at the U.N. Security Council for
the period 2010 to 2012, Williams said: "This is a very important role for
Lebanon, which requires a fully functioning government that can follow up on
many important international issues." He told reporters he agreed with Aoun that
it was vital to keep the channels of dialogue open between the different
political parties and to make attempts to reach a solution as soon as possible.
"I believe that this is possible if the Lebanese remain committed to a national
unity government and to working in that direction," Williams said, hoping
Hariri's five-day consultations with different parliamentary blocs on Thursday
would be successful.Williams also visited Caretaker Defense Minister Elias Murr.
The two men discussed latest developments and the implementation of Security
Council resolution 1701. Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 14:59
Efforts Underway between Berri, Jumblat to Solve Cabinet Crisis
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat and Speaker Nabih Berri have launched an
initiative to solve the government crisis and improve relations between their
two blocs.
Following the 5-day parliamentary consultations, "I will try with Speaker Berri
and the others to find a formula to come out of the current crisis," Jumblat
told As Safir daily after a meeting with an Amal movement delegation headed by
MP Ali Hassan Khalil in Clemenceau on Tuesday. The Druze leader stressed the
importance of forming a national unity government based on the 15-10-5 formula
adding he will make a few suggestions to PM-designate Saad Hariri when time is
ripe. "Whoever thinks that the government issue is internal is mistaken," the
PSP leader said in response to a question. He added that using internal excuses
to ask for some government posts is not logical. "I've heard encouraging remarks
from the Amal movement delegation. What is asked for is action," Jumblat told An
Nahar. "A quick cabinet formation falls in the interest of all political forces
including the resistance and Hizbullah," the PSP leader told reporters following
the talks. "We will work to interpret the consultations into action to achieve a
cabinet that protects the resistance and everybody else." After confirming the
strong alliance between the PSP and Amal, MP Khalil stressed "the importance of
safeguarding the Taef Agreement and the Constitution." While Khalil joined
Jumblat in his "worries of an internal turmoil between the Lebanese," he
confirmed Amal's "support to the PM-designate's mission" and concluded by saying
"we are going to facilitate it to our best as we are conscious of the dangers
ahead." The MP added that the conferees decided to form a joint working paper to
cooperate on economic, financial and social issues in an effort to improve
bilateral ties and serve the people. Another Amal delegation MP Hani Qobaissi
told An Nahar: "The meeting was more than positive as a result of the role that
the PSP leader is playing with the speaker to facilitate the formation of the
cabinet." Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 09:37
UNIFIL Observes Peace Day, Graziano Reiterates Commitment to Stability in the
South
Naharnet/The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Commander, Maj.-Gen.
Claudio Graziano, on Wednesday reiterated UNIFIL's determination to make every
effort to contribute to peace in southern Lebanon. "I think that this day is the
appropriate occasion for all of us to reiterate our determination to make every
effort to contribute to the achievement of sustainable peace in southern
Lebanon," Graziano said on the occasion of International Day of Peace. He
reviewed an honor guard from peacekeepers representing the 31 different national
contingents that make up UNIFIL. He, together with Lebanese Armed Forces South
Area Commander Brig.-Gen. Maroun Khreisch, laid wreaths at the UNIFIL cenotaph
in Naqoura.
The ceremony included a photo exhibition depicting the activities of UNIFIL
contingents, which also featured a selection on UNIFIL's female peacekeepers.
Addressing the gathering, Graziano said that UNIFIL, as part of the United
Nations family, works for peace by doing its utmost in ensuring the cessation of
hostilities as well as assisting in bringing security and stability to southern
Lebanon. The force commander stressed "the importance of our continued close
cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces," noting that southern Lebanon has
been largely peaceful since UNIFIL's expansion and deployment of the Lebanese
army in the area in 2006. "For us in UNIFIL and for the Lebanese people, this
day takes on a particular meaning as UNIFIL symbolizes 30 years of joint efforts
towards lasting peace, stability and prosperity in southern Lebanon," Graziano
said. He paid tribute to the 303 UNIFIL peacekeepers who lost their lives in the
line of duty since 1978, including 22 since the 2006 expansion of the
peacekeeping force. Also present at Wednesday's ceremony were local authorities,
religious leaders, representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the
international community. Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 15:22
Aoun in Wait-and-See Approach on Hariri's Cabinet Proposal
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has said he will have
an appropriate stance after PM-designate Saad Hariri shows "what he's got in his
pocket."
"He is the premier-designate not me," Aoun told As Safir newspaper in remarks
published Wednesday adding he will give his point of view after examining
Hariri's approach to cabinet formation. Hariri's first priority should be to
find a way out of the cabinet crisis, the MP said. He told As Safir that he
doesn't know what the intentions of Hariri are and how the Mustaqbal movement
leader will deal with government formation. Aoun added that he heard some
demands to drop the 15-10-5 formula or a national unity cabinet.
Aoun said he was cautious about the 15-10-5 formula. "I don't want to adopt a
stance or make certain assessments before time. We have to see first what Hariri
has in his pocket. Then we will have the appropriate stance."Asked if he
believed that regional and internal circumstances were ripe for Lebanese cabinet
formation, Aoun said there were problems in the region which require formation
of a national unity government to safeguard the interior. About a technocrat
cabinet, the FPM leader told As Safir such a government "doesn't have enough
elements to face internal and external challenges" while any decision would be
more effective if taken by a unity cabinet. Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 10:23
Sunni-Shiite Tension Reaches Orange Threat Level
Naharnet/High level security sources have expressed fear to An Nahar daily about
Sunni-Shiite tension that could spark a wave of violence between the two
communities.
The sources told the newspaper that disagreement hasn't yet reached red, which
is the highest level of alert, but has definitely reached the orange level and
above.
An Nahar said such a situation suggests that Beirut is still a sensitive area
particularly in its mixed neighborhoods. The sources said "rearmament imposed
itself on Lebanon since June 7 mainly in areas most prone to tension." About the
north and the Bekaa, the sources told An Nahar: "The two regions are no longer
areas of possible tension because pro-Mustaqbal Sunni forces regained authority
on the ground. Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 11:26
Toy Gunfight Turns Ugly in Tripoli
Naharnet/A war game between kids with toy guns turned into a real gunfight
between their parents in the northern port city of Tripoli's al-Bakkar area
Tuesday night, al-Akhbar newspaper reported.
The daily said that the children were playing with their toy guns on Tuesday
afternoon when they began fighting in the area that falls between Qobbeh and
Jabal Mohsen. The parents interfered and the "real gunfight" lasted into the
early hours of Tuesday night. No casualties or damage were reported. Al-Akhbar
said the army and security forces are investigating the incident. Meanwhile, a
hand grenade was tossed at dawn Wednesday near al-Nassiri mosque in Tripoli's
Syria street. Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 12:08
International Investigators Question Mahmoud Rafeh
Naharnet/The international commission investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's
assassination has reportedly interrogated Mahmoud Rafeh, who is accused of
killing senior Islamic Jihad official Mahmoud Majzoub and his brother in the
southern city of Sidon in 2006. An Nahar daily said Wednesday that Internal
Security Forces transported the prisoner from Roumieh jail to the commission's
headquarters in Monteverde where he was questioned during a lengthy session on
Sept. 3. Rafeh, a retired police officer working for the Israeli Mossad, was
arrested on June 7, 2006 for the car bombing that killed the Majzoub brothers.
Beirut, 23 Sep 09, 11:42
Iran's internal problems curb regional ambitions: analysts
By Taieb Mahjoub (AFP)
DUBAI — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flexes Iran's muscles at the UN General
Assembly this week, putting on a brave international face after domestic unrest
has put the brake on its ambitions to become a Shiite powerhouse in a
predominantly Sunni region, Gulf analysts say.
His disputed victory in the presidential election of June 12 triggered a wave of
popular and deadly protest unprecedented since the establishment of the Islamic
Republic in 1979.
It came as Iran faced continuing economic problems and three sets of
international sanctions imposed for refusing to suspend its controversial
programme of uranium enrichment, which the West fears could be a cover to
develop nuclear weapons. "Iran is now going through a serious internal crisis,
which demonstrates that its youth are tired" of their country's intervention in
the region, said Sami al-Faraj, head of the Kuwait Centre for Strategic Studies.
"This country faces so many problems that it would not be able in the short term
to foment civil war or clashes between Shiites and Sunnis in neighbouring
states," he said of Iran's Shiite-majority neighbour Iraq. Plagued by economic
difficulties, with unemployment running at 12.5 percent in 2008, according to
Western statistics, the central bank in Tehran reported inflation of 20.2
percent in August after peaking last September at 29 percent.
"Iran cannot offer the image of itself as a model state" for public opinion
among Arabs disillusioned by their own political systems, according to Faraj.
The sole exception may be Lebanon's Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah movement, three
years after Arab public opinion lent the militant group full support in its
short but bloody war against Israel in the summer of 2006, he added. Hezbollah's
rise, the emergence of a Shiite government in Iraq after the fall of Saddam
Hussein's Sunni regime, the Damascus-Tehran alliance and Iranian support for
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas have all fuelled Iranian regional ambitions,
sparking concern among Gulf Arab monarchies.
"Iran has used the religious element for political gain" and "it clearly wanted
to intervene in Arab affairs," said Abdel Aziz al-Sagr, chairman of the Gulf
Research Centre in Dubai.
But he said Iran could no longer continue its politics of "intervention" in
Iraq, Lebanon and more recently "in the war in Yemen between the government and
the Shiite rebels in Saada province bordering Saudi Arabia," the spiritual home
of Sunni Islam.
On the Palestinian issue Sagr said Tehran's "goal is not the liberation of
Jerusalem" as it claims. He said Iran had not hesitated to "cooperate with
Israel to purchase arms for its war with Iraq from 1980 to 88." Bahraini analyst
Ali Fakhrou believes that mistrust between Arabs and Iranians should not prevent
dialogue.
"Iranian-Arab relations are at their lowest since the Iran-Iraq war," the former
minister said, adding that "there are forces on both sides who are climbing."
"A rational dialogue is necessary for a consistent agreement on red lines that
are not to be crossed," he said, admitting however that such dialogue was
"impossible in the near future because of the situation on both sides." In
Tehran, Mohammad Saleh Sadeqian, director of the Arab Centre for Iranian
Studies, said the problems faced by the Iranian government will not change its
policy towards the Middle East. "The recent events have no impact on Iran's
strategy in the Middle East," he said, adding that "the imperatives of Iran's
national security justify its growing influence in some parts of the Arab world.
"Dialogue is necessary for an agreement on a roadmap that serves the interest of
both parties," using geography, history and religion as a basis for coexistence,
he said. But Ahmadinejad has more immediate pressing international concerns to
address, with Israel -- widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if
undeclared nuclear power -- saying its options remain open on how to respond to
Iran's nuclear ambitions. Tehran also faces high-profile international talks on
October 1 with the six world powers on its latest package of proposals over its
nuclear programme. "No power will ever dare to think of launching aggression
against Iran. Today, Iran is experienced and powerful," Ahmadinejad said as he
addressed the nation on the anniversary of the breakout of the Iran-Iraq war in
1980. He made the remarks on Tuesday, shortly before leaving for New York and
the UN General Assembly.Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
Shiite financier investments
embarrasses Hezbollah
By BASSEM MROUE (AP)
TOURA, Lebanon — A Mideast version of the Bernie Madoff scandal is threatening
to tarnish Hezbollah's reputation in Lebanon for being incorruptible, and the
powerful Shiite militant movement faces calls to bail out small investors to
keep its position from being undercut.
Hundreds of Lebanese sold land or drained their retirement savings and handed
over hundreds of millions of dollars to Salah Ezzedine, a Shiite businessman
with connections to Hezbollah.
The anti-Israeli Hezbollah is on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations and
maintains the strongest military force in Lebanon. For its Shiite followers,
however, it is seen as a trusted quasi-government that provides social services
and aid. The group gets substantial funding from Iran and paid out millions to
rebuild the Shiite heartland in south Lebanon after a devastating 2006 war with
Israel.
Hezbollah has said it had nothing to do with the alleged swindle and has so far
resisted pressure to rescue the investors.
Nevertheless, many investors put their trust in Ezzedine, principally because of
the financier's connections to Hezbollah and because of his reputation as a
pious, respectable Shiite. Ezzedine's investment company promised as much as 40
percent in annual returns, according to residents of this southern Lebanese
village.
Ezzedine and his partner, Youssef Faour, have been arrested on suspicion of
cheating investors out of perhaps up to $1 billion, prosecutors say. Earlier
this month, they were charged with fraudulent embezzlement, a crime punishable
by 15 years in prison. Alleged victims included well-off Shiites but also
smaller investors who sold land or pulled out savings to bundle the cash and
give it to Ezzedine.
Lebanese are comparing to the swindle by Madoff, now serving a 150-year prison
sentence for masterminding a multibillion-dollar scheme that burned thousands of
investors.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah earlier this month denied the group had
any connection with the financier. A parliament member from Hezbollah reportedly
lost money with Ezzedine and is suing him — a sign, the group's supporters say,
that it, too, was victimized.
Still, Hezbollah is trying to ward off any blow to its status among loyalists.
Nasrallah spoke recently by video link to a group of investors in the south to
hear their complaints and reassure them, although he made no promises of
compensation, according to an investor who lost money, speaking on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the meeting.
The losses among people of all economic levels have stunned Shiites, who hold an
abiding faith in Hezbollah's integrity and incorruptibility. While many still
vow loyalty to the movement, they feel it should support its followers and pay
compensation.
"That is what we hope," Wajih Shour, an investor from Toura, told The Associated
Press. He said he paid several installments — including one of $150,000 — into
the scheme. He refused to say the total amount he invested with Ezzedine but
showed two checks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that were given to him
by one of Ezzedine's companies as a guarantee on his investment. The checks
bounced because there was no money in the accounts, he said.
The 47-year-old Ezzedine was well-known for his religious works and charity in
the southern port city of Tyre and surrounding Shiite villages. He had personal
connections with Hezbollah figures — as any major businessman in the south
would. He owns the Dar Al-Hadi Publishing House, one of Lebanon's most prominent
producers of Shiite religious books that also prints books written by Hezbollah
officials, and the children's TV channel Al-Hadi.
Among his charitable works was largely financing a giant mosque in the center of
his hometown of Maaroub. A sign at its entrance says it was inaugurated in 2005
under the auspices of Nasrallah. A nearby municipal stadium was also financed by
Ezzedine and was named "Stadium of the Resistance and Liberation Martyrs."
Judicial officials said Ezzedine had major business interests, particularly in
oil and iron industries, in Eastern Europe and suffered substantial losses when
oil prices fell last year. They added that Ezzedine tried to make up for his
losses by taking money from Lebanese investors. They have not detailed what
Ezzedine did with the money or where the funds are now.
In Maaroub, a town of about 4,500 people, no one was home at the financier's
large villa surrounded by a garden. Residents refused to say anything bad about
Ezzedine, insisting he is a decent man.
Rida Dbouki, 75, has known Ezzedine since he was a little boy and describes him
as a "man who did all the good for this village." Asked about the losses, the
grocer said, "We don't know how all this happened."
Another Maaroub resident, Hussein Khalil Khamis, 78, recounted how Ezzedine paid
for his wife's diabetes and high blood pressure medications that he could not
afford — amounting to $200 a month.
Only one man in Maaroub, who identified himself only as Abu Ali because of the
sensitivity of discussing the scheme in Ezzedine's hometown, acknowledged he
invested a small amount of money, was promised 40 percent in annual return and
never got it back. He would not say how much he invested.
He said dozens of residents sold plots of land or took their retirement funds
and invested them.
Investors in Maaroub and the nearby town of Toura told the AP that those who
wanted to invest $100,000 and above could go directly to Ezzedine's office in
nearby Tyre. Those who had amounts less than that gathered their money and gave
them to a person they trusted to invest it for them.
Fadi Ajami, owner of a hardware shop in Toura, said he and a friend each
invested around $500,000, plus another $3 million bundled from dozens of his
neighbors. Now he's trying to pay them back from his own funds, returning
$390,000 so far after selling property and using his savings.
Ajami proudly proclaims himself a Hezbollah supporter — his office is decorated
with pictures of its leaders, including Nasrallah and its military commander,
Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed by a car bomb in Syria last year.
"What really hurts is that those people (Ezzedine and Faour) used their
connections with Hezbollah as a cover to gain people's trust. Hezbollah had
nothing to do with them," Ajami said.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Above Bejjani is posted on the following sites: American Chronicle Canada Free Press International Analyst Network