LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 29/09
Bible Reading of the day
’Matthew/10:16-23/ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men:
for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will
scourge you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for
my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. But when they deliver
you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in
that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit
of your Father who speaks in you. “Brother will deliver up brother to
death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and
cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for my name’s
sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute
you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will
not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Lebanon under security threat/Hanin
Ghaddar/Now Lebanon/September
28/09
Iran after Qom/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq
Alawsat/September 28/09
A
coherent response from Iran is now required/The
Daily Star/September
28/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 28/09
Fillon: Lebanon's Problems Can't Be
Solved without Dialogue with Syria/Naharnet
Syria's Deputy FM invited for talks in
Washington-Ha'aretz
France
demands Iran cease “destabilizing activities”/Now Lebanon
Obama offers Iran dialogue
or greater isolation-CTV.ca
US invites Syrian official, rapproachement "slow"-Reuters
Beirut Francophone Games opens in extravaganza and
tight security-Xinhua
Army Intelligence Questions
Ezzedine Over Mysterious Investments, Possible Foreign 'Ambush'-Naharnet
Feltman
Summons Syrian Ambassador over Lebanese Cabinet Obstacles-Naharnet
Abul
Gheit Worried About Possible Iranian Influence on Lebanese Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Feltman:
U.S. Won't Interfere in Cabinet Formation-Naharnet
Hariri Meets with Aoun
Thursday at the Start of 2nd Round of Consultations-Naharnet
Suleiman at Francophone
Games: Entire Lebanese are Protected under Constitution-Naharnet
Opposition Accuses Geagea
of Trying to Catapult Hariri into a Frustration-Naharnet
Suleiman: Syria, Iran Not
Playing Negative role in Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanese opposition parties blast LF leader's call to form majority cabinet-Daily
Star
Israeli troops fire at Lebanese towns, fishing boat-Daily
Star
Geagea insists majority government would solve cabinet conundrum-Daily
Star
UNIFIL says 'terrorists' in Palestinian camps threat to national security-Daily
Star
Beirut ranks 175th globally for quality of living-Daily
Star
Spectacular ceremony kicks off Francophone games in Lebanon-Daily
Star
Hikers scale Mount Hermon, mark World Tourism Day-Daily
Star
Security forces apprehend family-feud killer-Daily
Star
Fugitives killed and captured in border shoot-out-Daily
Star
Lebanese citizenship not an option - PLO chief-Daily
Star
Christians tempted to emigrate as Lebanon grows increasingly 'Islamized'-Daily
Star
Sidon
police officers freed after arrest over scuffle-Daily
Star
Self-defense classes offer women real survival mechanism-Daily
Star
Assad
to take back Golan at any cost - Wahhab-Daily
Star
Fillon:
Lebanon's Problems Can't Be Solved without Dialogue with Syria
Naharnet/French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Monday that France is
committed to protecting Lebanon's sovereignty and will continue to support its
stability, but cautioned Lebanon that its problems cannot be solved without
dialogue with Syria. "It is illusionary to think that all regional problems,
including Lebanon, can be solved without dialogue with the Syrians or with
countries that have influence over the situation," Fillon said at the end of his
Lebanon visit. "Our dialogue with Damascus is honest and uncompromising," he
told reporters at a press conference. Fillon expressed his admiration over the
success of the opening ceremony of the Sixth Francophone Games at Beirut's
sports city stadium. He stressed that France remains keen on Lebanon's security
through its participation in UNIFIL and its support of the full implementation
of Resolution 1701. Fillon also expressed France's support for the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, adding that Paris is committed to providing economic
assistance to Lebanon. Regarding ongoing consultations to form a national unity
Cabinet, Fillon encouraged current efforts aimed at dialogue among the various
Lebanese political leaders and hoped that a new government will be soon
announced "so it could continue to work on reform."Fillon, who arrived in Beirut
on Sunday to take part in the opening ceremony of the Francophone Games, met
Monday with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM-designate Saad
Hariti who then hosted lunch for him. Beirut, 28 Sep 09, 17:32
Iran after Qom
27/09/2009
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq
Alawsat
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=18266
Following the announcement of the existence of a new [Iranian] nuclear facility
at a military base near the city of Qom there is concern about what will happen
now; this concern stems from the timing of the announcement revealing the
existence of this facility, what the international response to it will be, what
else Iran has to hide with regards to the nuclear file, and how Tehran plans to
respond to the West's position?
It is clear that the revelation of the existence of this facility near Qom means
that genuine negotiations between Iran and the West are now underway, although
these were [originally] scheduled to begin one week from now. This means that
the West had been aware of the new Iranian facility via their intelligence
agencies, but decided to postpone its announcement in order to learn more [about
it] and undermine Iran's credibility, thereby putting more pressure on Iran
during the negotiations. Meanwhile, after realizing that the facility had been
discovered, Iran attempted to preemptively reveal its existence, but this came
too late, and resulted in making Iran seem even more vulnerable, and not as
transparent as some claimed.
The Iranian regime is weak internally, and lacks legitimacy following the recent
presidential elections which resulted in a silent coup by Ahmadinejad and the
military at the expense of the reformists and the Supreme Leader [of Iran]. The
Supreme Leader [now] has no choice but to comply [with the wishes] of the
Revolutionary Guards, therefore negotiating with Tehran when it is in such a
weak position is a dangerous proposition because the regime may take risks in
order to escape to the front, as the regime is [now] genuinely under internal
and external pressures.
All of this justifies the current Arab anxiety towards Iran, and what it may do,
especially since Tehran has previously said that it is prepared to negotiate
with the West on the situation in the region, from Palestine to Lebanon to Iraq
and Afghanistan, rather than negotiating on the nuclear file. Iran may not
hesitate to use the region in an attempt to counter the internal and external
pressures that it is facing – and above all – to escape from the dilemma of
western pressure or to waylay Israel, which may launch a lightning military
strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
This means that we must monitor what Hezbollah might do, on the grounds that it
is the [Iranian] agent in the region which is the most affiliated and loyal to
Tehran, and so Hezbollah may seek to heat up the Lebanese front in order to ease
the western or Israeli pressure on Iran. It is important to monitor Hezbollah in
the upcoming days, particularly with regards to the process of forming a
Lebanese government, and especially since the coming days may witness a "shift"
in the Saudi – Syrian relations, coverage of which has received strange
reactions on Hezbollah affiliated websites.
As for Hamas, it is important to look at a pseudo-intellectual statement
attributed to the movement in which Hamas said that Egypt has become more
impartial and is close to achieving Palestinian reconciliation! This confirms
what I said last week in my article "Iran's Allies Have Reached the Tipping
Point" when I revealed that a high-ranking member of Hamas told an Arab official
whilst performing Umrah that he is more eager towards Saudi Arabia and Egypt
than any other country, and that he is ready to reconcile with Mahmoud Abbas.
Army Intelligence Questions Ezzedine Over Mysterious
Investments, Possible Foreign 'Ambush'
Naharnet/Shiite Businessman Salah Ezzedine was reportedly transferred from
Roumieh prison to the headquarters of the Lebanese army intelligence after
initial investigation showed that the financial losses from his investments were
less than the amount of cash given to the financier.Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on
Monday quoted judicial and security sources as saying the army intelligence will
now investigate the fate of the surplus money he had and money transfers and
investments in several countries, including Algeria, China, Brazil and Morocco.
According to the newspaper, Ezzedine is now making puzzling confessions about
the amount of savings given to him by people, including from Qatari, Kuwaiti and
Iraqi nationalities.
Al-Hayat added that the financier made limited financial transactions via two
Lebanese banks and the amount does not make up 2% of the savings entrusted with
him.
The sources said the army intelligence will investigate whether there was
embezzlement or Ezzedine had huge financial losses as a result of bad
investments in oil, gas and iron. A third possibility, according to the sources,
is a security and financial "ambush" by foreign parties, a clear reference to
Israel.
Ezzedine has been charged with fraud and is being called the "Lebanese Bernie
Madoff" in local newspapers. Bankers say it is the biggest fraud of its kind
this country has ever seen.
Hundreds of Lebanese sold land or drained their retirement savings and handed
over hundreds of millions of dollars to Ezzedine whose investment company
promised as much as 40 per cent in annual returns.Ezzedine and his partner,
Youssef Faour, have been arrested on suspicion of cheating investors out of
hundreds of millions of dollars - 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. 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 owns the Dar Al-Hadi Publishing House, one of Lebanon's most
prominent producers of Shiite religious books.
Among his charitable works was largely financing a giant mosque in the center of
his hometown of Maaroub. A nearby municipal stadium was also financed by
Ezzedine and was named "Stadium of the Resistance and Liberation Martyrs."
Beirut, 28 Sep 09, 09:14
Feltman Summons Syrian Ambassador over Lebanese Cabinet Obstacles
Naharnet/U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman has reportedly summoned Syrian ambassador Imad Mustafa to the State
Department over obstacles put by Damascus to Lebanese cabinet formation. An Nahar
daily said Monday Feltman told Mustafa two weeks ago that Washington will not
send any high ranking official to Damascus as long as Syria keeps hindering the
government formation process. In a clear proof to Feltman's threat, Middle East
envoy George Mitchell made a short visit to Beirut during his Mideast tour
earlier this month without traveling to Syria. An Nahar's report came as Syrian
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad will meet with Feltman and his aides on
Monday. According to the newspaper, the visit comes as part of bilateral
contacts that started last March between the two sides. The Obama administration
still believes that dialogue with Syria could change its behavior in Lebanon,
Iraq or Palestine, the daily said. U.S. officials are reportedly irritated by
Meqdad's latest remarks, particularly his claim that President Barack Obama is
mulling to visit Damascus.Beirut, 28 Sep 09, 12:10
Abul Gheit Worried About Possible Iranian Influence on Lebanese Cabinet
Formation
Naharnet/Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit has said he was worried
about foreign meddling that was obstructing government formation in Lebanon.
Abul Gheit told pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily that difficulties facing
PM-designate Saad Hariri are the result of "foreign influences that are
preventing cabinet formation." Asked if there was an Iranian influence, the
minister said: "Maybe." On Syria, Abul Gheit said: "We admit that Syria has a
historic and strategic interest in Lebanon … We are seeking for the formation of
a Lebanese government as soon as possible because some parties want to abort
Lebanon's attempt to get a Security Council seat." Those parties, according to
the Egyptian official, are claiming that "Lebanon's weak government does not
encourage Lebanon to get a seat in the Security Council." He also denied that
Egypt wasn't enthusiastic about Hariri taking the helm of the government. "This
is not true," he said, adding, however, that the PM-designate should work hard
to achieve his objective. Turning to the issue of Egyptian-Syrian ties, the
foreign minister told Asharq al-Awsat that there were differences over
viewpoints. "But such differences do not undermine" such relations. He finally
said that Lebanon was one of the issues over which the two countries had
differences. Beirut, 28 Sep 09, 10:03
Feltman: U.S. Won't Interfere in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman has stressed that Washington will not interfere in Lebanese cabinet
formation. "Lebanon has constitutional processes and certainly the United States
is not going to involve itself" in the cabinet formation process, he told Future
News. He said that the Lebanese are capable of solving their government crisis
and hoped the cabinet would be formed quickly based upon the constitution.
Feltman reiterated his country's support for Lebanon's sovereignty and
stability, adding that Washington hopes for positive relations between Beirut
and Damascus. "We're not talking to Syria about solving Lebanon's problems
together. We want the Lebanese to do that," he stressed. The Syrian regime knows
very well that U.S. support for Lebanon's sovereignty and independence is
irrevocable, Feltman told his interviewer. Beirut, 28 Sep 09, 10:47
Sidon Municipality Police Resumes Operation
Naharnet/Nine members of the Sidon municipal police were released from police
custody at noon Monday following a brawl with Internal Security Forces. Sidon
Municipality chief Abdul Rahman Bizri had said he was pulling out the entire
municipal law enforcement employees from Sidon to protest the arrests. Following
their release on Monday, Bizri said municipal police resumed normal operations.
Bizri explained that the nine municipal police were arrested after trying to end
a brawl between ISF members and a Sidon resident and his son who violated
traffic instructions and as a result were badly beaten up. Beirut, 28 Sep 09,
13:06
Hariri Meets with Aoun Thursday at the Start of 2nd Round of Consultations
Naharnet/The PM-designate is expected to resume his parliamentary consultations
at 6:00 pm Monday and Free Patriotic Movement sources said Saad Hariri will hold
a second round of talks with the FPM bloc on Thursday. MP Ibrahim Kenaan said
Thursday's talks will focus on financial policies, the authorities of some
funds, councils, ministries and plans to set up a planning ministry. He said the
FPM bloc is open for dialogue over the formulas that agreement should be reached
on for cabinet formation on condition that they are implemented equally on
everyone. Kenaan said the bloc's secretariat-general will hold a meeting headed
by Aoun on Tuesday and another larger meeting the next day in preparation for
the consultations with Hariri.
Al-Liwaa daily quoted sources as saying that Hariri's agenda includes a second
round of meetings with several blocs that had asked for more talks over cabinet
formation.
Beirut, 28 Sep 09, 11:36
Christians tempted to emigrate as Lebanon grows increasingly 'Islamized'
By Josie Ensor
-Daily Star staff
Monday, September 28, 2009
BEIRUT: Christians are tempted to flee Lebanon as the country becomes
increasingly “Islamized,” according to the founder of the Center for Arab
Christian Research and Documentation (CEDRAC). One-third of the nation’s
Christian population has left since the beginning of the 1975-90 Civil War, and
a recent surge in emigration means Christians now make up just 34 percent of
Lebanon’s population, Father Samir Khalil, a Jesuit teacher at Beirut’s St.
Joseph University’s CEDRAC department, told Vatican Radio last week.
“Christians used to make up 50 percent of the nation’s population; now experts
think the Christians are probably not exceeding 34 percent, which is worrying,”
Khalil said in the radio interview during a visit to The Holy See. The
Beirut-based researcher expressed concern that Christians in the Arab world are
moving abroad to places with higher Christian populations, such as America,
Europe and Australia, which is increasing the Muslim majority in countries like
Lebanon.
“The same is happening [all over] the Middle East, and this is certainly a very
tragic situation, and it will have great consequences in the future,” Father
Khalil warned last week on the Vatican Radio station, adding that Christians
must stay in the Middle East to keep numbers up. Large numbers of Lebanese
Christians are leaving as they feel their traditional influence in their country
is weakening, while an increasing number of crucial political positions are
going to Muslims.
In reference to Islamic extremism, Khalil claimed the power of the influential
Christian minority to counterbalance it was waning, saying: “Lebanon has always
been a bastion of religious tolerance, but now it is moving toward the model of
Islamization seen in Iraq and Egypt.”
Christians have taken a backseat in recent times to dominant Sunni-Shiite
relations, with key leaders Saad Hariri from the Future Movement representing
most Sunni Muslims and Hizbullah of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah leading the Shiites,
while the Christian community has less unified representation, split between the
country’s rival political camps – the Maronite Catholic supporters of Lebanese
Forces and Phalange parties with March 14 and those backing the Free Patriotic
Movement led by retired General Michel Aoun, who has formed an allegiance with
Hizbullah. Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI this week called a special Synod of
Bishops to discuss the challenges facing the church in the Middle East.
The Synod meeting, which has been scheduled for October 2010, will address the
problems that Catholic communities in the Middle East have in common, the pope
said during a meeting last week with the patriarchs of seven Eastern Catholic
churches, including Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir. The
patriarchs, coming from across the Middle East, requested the October meeting,
saying that they wished to have more frequent contact with the bishop of Rome in
order to “strengthen the communion of their churches with Peter’s successor.”
Benedict specifically mentioned their relations to other faiths – by implication
Islam – and the phenomenon of emigration. Catholic prelates have long warned
about that the pressures of living in a Muslim society, and the economic
uncertainties facing the region have prompted many thousands of young Christians
to leave their homes, imperiling the future of Christianity in the region. The
pope said the 2010 meeting is designed to help plan a pastoral strategy for
Christians living in a region that is ever more heavily influenced by militant
Islam.
The results of a poll released last year show that nearly half of all Maronites,
the largest Christian denomination in the country – making up about 22 percent
of the population – said they are considering emigrating. In the survey
conducted by Information International, an independent Beirut body, many
Christians cited the growing influence of March 8 faction Hizbullah in Lebanon
as a reason for their decision to leave.
Over 70,000 Christians have fled since the 2006 summer war between Israel and
Hizbullah, many fearing more conflict between their southern neighbor and the
Shiite group.
Christians, in particular Maronite Catholics, have historically played a major
role in the development of Lebanon’s political, social and cultural
institutions. Under the country’s sectarian power-sharing system, the post of
president is reserved for a Maronite Catholic, while the prime minister must be
a Sunni, and the parliamentary speaker a Shiite.
Currently, the president, the army commander and the head of the central bank
all are Maronites, and under the agreement that ended the Civil War, half of the
128 seats in Lebanon’s Parliament are reserved for Christians.
Geagea insists majority government would solve cabinet conundrum
lf leader turns up political heat at martyrs commemoration
By Carol Rizk /Daily Star staff
Monday, September 28, 2009
BEIRUT: Forming a purely March 14 majority government is completely
constitutional, said Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea after the Martyrs
Day ceremonial Mass held on Saturday at the Fouad Shehab Stadium in Jounieh to
commemorate all LF martyrs. Geagea raised the political temperature with his
speech, after almost four months of cabinet-negotiating deadlock following June
7 general elections that gave the March 14 coalition an unexpectedly large
legislative majority. Premier-designate Saad Hariri on Thursday kicked off a
second round of consultations to form a government, with March 14 leaders
expressing lukewarm commitment to the 15-10-5 cabinet-seat formula agreed to
during Hariri’s first stint as prime minister-designate.
Lebanese opposition parties blast LF leader's call to form majority cabinet
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Monday, September 28, 2009
BEIRUT: Opposition groups on Sunday slammed Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir
Geagea’s call to form a majority cabinet as Hizbullah officials accused him of
attempting to exploit Premier-designate Saad Hariri and the Sunni majority to
reap Christian representation in the cabinet at the expense of the opposition’s
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM).
Speaking following a Mass in Jounieh to commemorate LF martyrs, Geagea said
Hariri and President Michel Sleiman could form a majority cabinet if the
opposition did not relinquish its conditions. Hizbullah and Amal Movement
officials stressed Sunday that Lebanon could only be governed through consensus,
as they urged Hariri to resume deliberations with the previously agreed-upon
15-10-5 cabinet-seat formula from his first stint as premier-designate. Also in
response to Geagea, caretaker Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil said his
FPM-led Reform and Change bloc would not relinquish its right to key portfolios
given the party’s strong constituency in the Christian community.
“The Amal Movement and Hizbullah warn the premier-designate of a trap being set
for him [by Geagea],” said Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi, adding that “the
premier-designate should not set a precedent so as to take sides with one group
against other groups of the same religious community.”
Moussawi also slammed Geagea for hindering cabinet formation by overturning the
elections outcome through under-representing the FPM in the government despite
it winning the support of half the Christian community in the polls. Moussawi
called on Hariri to benefit from the opposition’s openness and willingness to
cooperate in order to resume cabinet deliberations based on the 15-10-5 formula.
Similarly, Amal Movement politburo member Khalil Hamdan accused Geagea of
attempting to revoke his approval of the Taif Accord when the LF leader
underscored the presence of a majority and minority in democracy.
“The Taif Accord was not fully implemented; there are matters that were
approved, but some regret their acceptance of several clauses and now attempt to
revoke the agreement without declaring their opposition to it publicly,” Hamdan
said, in reference to Geagea. Hamdan added that any cabinet which opposed the
national charter principles and coexistence had no legitimacy; he also rwsponded
to Geagea by saying the “Shiite community did not seek any assurances because
it is not in a weak position.”
Addressing Lebanon’s Shiites, Geagea said on Sunday that “there is no guarantee
for anyone in Lebanon without everyone; we are a guarantee for one another.”
Hizbullah and Amal Movement officials also warned against reconsidering the
15-10-5 structure. Hariri stepped down after the opposition rejected his cabinet
line-up proposal, but he was re-nominated by the majority as premier-designate.
The 15-10-5 structure grants the majority 15 ministers, the opposition 10 and
Sleiman five seats in the cabinet.
Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad stressed Sunday on the
need to form a partnership cabinet based on the 15-10-5 formula, saying it was
the most favorable structure to preserve the country’s stability under the
current circumstances. “Why waste efforts pursued during the first designation
[of Hariri] by resuming negotiations from scratch, when we already reached an
understanding on the 15-10-5 formula, which guarantees national unity,” Raad
said.
Also, Liberation and Development bloc MP Ali Khreiss said Lebanon was governed
by consensus democracy, adding that to abolish the 15-10-5 formula was not in
the country’s best interest. Khreiss urged parties to benefit from the
inter-Arab and regional positive atmosphere in order to discuss all issues
during the formation process and not just portfolio distribution.
Meanwhile, Bassil emphasized on Sunday that the Reform and Change bloc would
only accept to be granted portfolios that truly reflect its weight in the
government.
“Those who pretend to preserve the Christians’ rights and claim fake victories
should reject being granted trivial ministries,” Bassil said, a reference to
Geagea’s criticism to the FPM’s demands. “Based on this logic, no reason
disqualifies the Reform and Change bloc from being granted both the
Telecommunications and Education ministries,” he added.
On Sunday, Geagea slammed the FPM’s demand to reappoint Bassil as
telecommunications minister for a second term, adding that it hindered the
cabinet’s formation.
“What would better serve the Christians – forming a cabinet with or without some
individual, or keeping the country without a cabinet and open to all
possibilities?” Geagea asked.
The majority has rejected on several occasions giving cabinet seats to
candidates who lost in the June 7 elections; Bassil lost the elections in his
hometown of Batroun to independent MP Boutors Harb and LF MP Antoine Zahra.
Criticizing Hariri, Bassil also stressed that the Taif Accord did not grant the
premier-designate the right to nominate ministers on behalf of the parliamentary
blocs they represent. Separately, President Michel Sleiman said in remarks
published on Sunday in pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat that Syria was not interfering or
obstructing cabinet formation, adding that disagreements were restricted to the
distribution of portfolios. Sleiman stressed that US President Barak Obama
assured him that no regional solution would take place at the expense of
Lebanon, no matter the outcome of the dialogue between the US and Iran or Syria.
A
coherent response from Iran is now required
By The Daily Star
Monday, September 28, 2009
Editorial
When Iran meets with the US and five other world powers in Geneva next Thursday
to participate in a high-level meeting over its disquieting nuclear program, it
will be under an atmosphere of unprecedented isolation. This is not the first
meeting of the kind, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has previously
shown a remarkable capacity to conclude such meetings with commitments so
ambiguous as to leave the majority satisfied while the United States alone rants
and rave against the country’s nuclear ambitions. Ahmadinejad’s taste for
ambiguity in the face of charges that it has military nuclear ambitions has
served the purpose of securing much of his domestic political capital with the
more radical strata of Iran’s electorate. But what Ahmadinejad gains in
credibility domestically, he loses to foreign leaders who are increasingly
unnerved. Recent developments indicate that much of the international community,
even Iran’s closer ally Russia, have reached a point of no return in their
relationship with Iran. In that sense, the Geneva meeting should differ from
previous efforts by the international community. This time, the powers are
expected to ask that Iran collaborate within weeks to a set of “transparency
demands” about a recently revealed enrichment plant, or face “sanctions that
bite,” in the words of the leader of Iran’s top foe, US President Barack Obama.
The US leader has made clear that he does not intend to engage Iran in a
nonsensical game of “call my bluff,” but rather deal with the state with all the
weight of the international community behind him.
Since Obama has reached out to world leaders, they have increasingly made clear
their tolerance of Iran’s ambiguous stance regarding nuclear power has reached
its eleventh hour. British Premier Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s speeches at the recent G-20 summit marked the climax of this show of
unity. Iran appears cornered to an unprecedented extent, with its capital for
maneuvering exhausted. If Iran truly wishes to cooperate with the world – and
re-establish the credibility it is alarmingly lacking in the eyes of the six
powers it will meet in Geneva – it must now offer a coherent response. The
alternative is a new set of sanctions that will further damage an economy that
has already suffered overwhelmingly from such measures. This will further
agitate Iran’s unsteady domestic political class, and could further destabilize
the region. Ahmadinejad has claimed numerous times that the age-old nation he
heads is a great one. The hand world leaders will extend to Iran at the Geneva
meeting is a one-time opportunity for Ahmadinejad to prove Iran’s greatness
rests on its current, as well as historical capacity for good governance.
France
demands Iran cease “destabilizing activities”
September 28, 2009
Now Lebanon/France on Monday voiced sharp concern at news that Iran had
test-fired long-range missiles and demanded Tehran immediately stop its "deeply
destabilizing activities
Lebanon under security threat
Syria’s promoting the rise of Salafist groups is a way to divert attention from
the Special Tribunal
Hanin Ghaddar,
Now Lebanon/September 28, 2009
Lebanese Hezbollah politbureau chief Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed (L) and Hassan al-Chahhal
(R), the head of the Lebanese Sunni Muslim Salafist group 'Faith, Justice and
Charity Association', exchange the text of a Memorandum of Understanding signed
on August 18, 2008 (AFP /Joseph Barrak).
Every time there is a political crisis in Lebanon, security issues inevitably
follow. A perfect example is the infamous May 7 incidents of 2008, where March 8
militias led by Hezbollah launched attacks in Beirut and the Chouf Mountain to
end a political crisis, forcing March 14 to hand them veto power in the cabinet
during the Doha Conference, which was convened to end the fighting.
Today, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is trying, for the second time, to
form a cabinet under the pressure exerted by March 8 politicians. Despite the
positive atmosphere prevailing recently in light of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad’s unexpected visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Hariri’s attempts seem
to be hitting another brick wall. Ever since Hariri’s resignation and
re-designation earlier this month, March 8 politicians and media outlets have
been warning, even threatening, of security escalations due to the political
crisis.
According to Comtrax Solutions, Arab media experts, March 8’s media outlets have
been a reflection of Damascus’ direct intervention in Lebanese affairs.
They covered heavily Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem’s motion to get the
UN to try tribunal prosecutor Detlev Millis after he accused Syria of being
behind the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
They also highlighted Loyalty to the Resistance MP Hussein al-Moussawi’s
statement two weeks ago that the formation of a national-unity government is the
“right” choice and that any alternative, such as a majority-led cabinet, would
lead to instability in the country.
Opposition-aligned Al-Akhbar daily called Hariri’s hints that he may form a
majority-led government provocative, predicting street conflicts between Sunni
and Shia communities.
Comtrax analysis noted that the two main Lebanese opposition newspapers, Al-Akhbar
and As-Safir, have warned repeatedly of the possibility of a spread of Salafist
activities in Beirut, Tripoli, Saida and the Palestinian camps, reminding
readers that Sunni fundamentalists were involved in the assassination of Rafik
Hariri.
For example, opposition media used the rocket launching from South Lebanon onto
northern Israel this month to revive the notion of a “Salafist threat” in
Lebanon. In the same way, the Syrian media, namely the government-controlled al-Watan
newspaper, which has long accused Hariri of supporting Salafist movements in the
North, reported daily on a supposed increase of al-Qaeda-influenced cells in
North Lebanon. Al-Watan also predicted security disturbances in Lebanon by
focusing on the increasing role of fundamentalists in the Palestinian camps in
light of the current government crisis.
March 8-aligned media back in Lebanon also reported heavily on the role of the
Palestinian camps in the Lebanese political conflict, quoting Ahmad Gebril, head
of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC),
who is known for his close ties to the Syrian regime, warning the Lebanese
government against taking measures vis-à-vis the proliferation of weapons in the
camps.
In parallel, opposition media have been printing calls for constitutional
changes, often portraying such tweaks as the only way to keep Lebanon safe in
light of such threats.
What does all this tell us?
Primarily, March 8 is using its media outlets to prepare its followers to
disregard any decision taken by the Special Tribunal, and to blame Salafist
groups and al-Qaeda fundamentalists for the Hariri assassination. Any security
incidents that may be used to pressure Hariri and March 14 regarding the cabinet
formation can also be blamed on these groups.
It has already started as the situation in Lebanon is turning into a crisis. In
addition to the rocket launching earlier this month, several small clashes and
bombs erupted in Sunni-Shia neighborhood across Lebanon lately, and there have
been reports of a number of “al-Qaeda-affiliated” fighters infiltrating into
Lebanon from Syria. On top of all this, diplomatic and security officials have
been warning of another round of political assassinations.
In response to the discussion of Palestinian-camp security in the media, leading
Palestinian figures – especially Fatah leaders such as Khaled al-Aref and Sultan
Abu al-Aynayn – have made statements warning Lebanese authorities of nefarious
activity going on in the camps by the same people who plotted the Nahr al-Bared
conflict in 2007. They are also quick to say that the Palestinians have nothing
to do with it, and deny any al-Qaeda presence in the camps.
All of these warnings are no doubt creating a sense of unrest in mixed
neighborhoods. The wounds of May 7 have not healed yet, and despite some efforts
to turn Beirut into an arms-free city after the elections, there are still
plenty of guns in the capital, as opposition militias never handed in the
weapons they used to take over the city during the May events.
Throughout it all, the March 8 media has been setting the stage for Sunni-Shia
clashes since the Deir Spiegel report on the possibility of Hezbollah’s
involvement in the Hariri assassination came out in May. The opposition, through
its media outlets, is giving a preemptive look at what might happen if the
Special Tribunal were to come to the same conclusion.
Analysts consider promoting the possibility of security breaches and clashes to
be a way of putting pressure on Hariri and March 14 to submit to Syrian demands
on not only the cabinet formula, but also the Special Tribunal and its eventual
verdict.
By insinuating that the reports of the dangers threatening Lebanon would be
resolved by making changes to the constitution, Syria and Iran and their
Lebanese allies are betraying their wish to change the political formula in the
country. Ever since the downtown sit-in in 2007, the closure of the parliament
that same year and the May 7 events of 2008, it has become clear that Lebanon’s
opposition leaders are trying to bully the majority through a continuous battle
against the constitution and Taif Accord.
March 8 leaders and their regional allies want to weaken the Lebanese
premiership in order to strengthen the role of the Shia, namely Hezbollah,
within the Lebanese political structure. Paralyzing the cabinet formation now
will have the same effect as the 16 month sit-in, which ended in the May 7
incidents. This time, however, March 14 is the parliament majority, having won
the elections fair and square, and Hezbollah, Syria and Iran will not be able to
go as far.
Moreover, civil wars are fought between two relatively equal fronts, and
Hezbollah doubtlessly possess an arsenal far bigger and more threatening than
that of any other party in Lebanon, something the May 7 events made very clear.
But clashes can be started by those who own arms and are willing to use them,
and who can say this better than Hezbollah and the opposition-controlled
militias?
Mexican
website reports two Canadian men killed at Puerto Vaillarta condo
By The Canadian Press/TORONTO 28/09/09- A Mexican news website is reporting that
two Canadian men have been killed by gunmen at a Puerto Vallarta condominium.
The website (Noticias Puerto Vallarta) says both men, identified as Gordon
Douglas Kendall and Ivand Ronald Jeffrey, were shot to death at close range
early Sunday morning. The report says one of the men was shot in the pool area
of the condo while the second was shot near his room. Both were shot several
times, first by one gunmen and then by a second who fired at close range as they
lay wounded on the ground. The gunmen fled in two cars. Police later found three
vehicles registered to the victims, a pickup truck with Canadian plates, a
Hummer and a Mercedes Benz with Mexican plates.
Israel Analysis and Comments on the
UN GOLDSTONE GAZA FACT FINDING MISSION REPORT
September 2009
http://www.ungoldstonereport.com/
Israel is appalled and disappointed by the UN Goldstone Report published on 15
September 2009 by the UN Gaza Fact Finding Mission. The UN Goldstone Report
effectively ignores Israel right of self defense, makes unsubstantiated claims
about its intent and challenges Israel's democratic values and rule of law.
At the same time the UN Goldstone Report all but ignores the deliberate strategy
of the internationally recognized terror group Hamas of operating within and
behind the civilian population and turning densely populated areas into an arena
of battle. By turning a blind eye to such tactics it effectively rewards them.
The UN Goldstone Report barely disguises its goal of instigating a political
campaign against Israel, and in its recommendations seeks to involve the
Security Council, the UN General Assembly the International Criminal Court, the
Human Rights Council, and the entire international community in such a campaign.
Israel PM at the UN: "Have you no shame?"
Netanyahu reminds world that England when attacked by Nazi rockets leveled
cities in Europe, while Israel went house to house in Gaza.
Why was Israel, the defender, condemned?
Why did the UN not condemn the terror group Hamas for firing rockets at Israel
cities and towns?
The Mandate of the UN Mission
The one-sided mandate of the UN Gaza Fact Finding Mission, and the resolution
established it, gave serious reasons for concern both to Israel and to the many
states on the Council which refused to support it - including the member states
of the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, Korea and Japan.
It also troubled many distinguished individuals, including former High
Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who refused invitations to head the
Mission and admitted that it was "guided not by human rights but by politics".
The Conduct of the UN Mission
These concerns were exacerbated by the conduct of the UN Mission itself,
including reports in the Palestinian media that, throughout its visits to Gaza,
it was continuously accompanied by Hamas officials and its refusal to recuse
members of the mission with clear political views on the issues under
investigation. One mission member signed a letter to the Sunday Times saying
that Israel's actions against Hamas attacks were acts of "aggression not
self-defense", prejudging the investigation before it had even begun.
The unprecedented holding of telecast hearings also gave cause for concern. The
fact that all the witnesses were prescreened and selected, and none were asked
questions relating to any Palestinian terrorist activity or the location of
weaponry and terrorists in civilian areas only supports concerns that they were
part of an orchestrated political campaign.
A "non-judicial" document
Justice Goldstone as Head of the UN Mission repeatedly insisted that the Mission
was not a judicial inquiry and so "could not reach judicial conclusions". On
this basis that he justified the inclusion of partisan mission members,
admitting that their involvement "would not be appropriate for a judicial
inquiry'. The UN Goldstone Report however is highly judicial in nature, reaching
conclusive judicial determinations of guilt, and including 'detailed legal
findings' even in the absence of the sensitive intelligence information which
Israel did not feel able to provide. These determinations are made
notwithstanding the Report's admission that it does not "pretend to reach the
standard of proof applicable in criminal trials".
Elements Ignored by the UN Goldstone Report
The UN Goldstone Report all but ignores the deliberate terrorist strategy of
operating in the heart of densely populated civilian areas which dictated the
arena of battle. Even when the Hamas terrorists mixed among civilians, the
Report rejects the notion that there was an intention to put the civilian
population at risk.
Astonishingly, despite the many widely reported instances in the international
press of the abuse of civilian facilities by terrorist groups, and the
statements of Hamas own leaders praising women and children who acted as human
shields, the UN Goldstone Report repeatedly stated that it could find no
evidence of such activities. This, even despite its admission that those
interviewed were "reluctant to speak about the presence or conduct of
hostilities by the Palestinian armed groups".
The UN Goldstone Report also ignores Israel's extensive efforts, even in the
midst of fighting, to maintain humanitarian standards. While it does,
reluctantly, acknowledge Israel's "significant efforts" to issue warnings before
attacks, it does not find any of these efforts to be effective
While the UN Goldstone Report passes judgment against Israel in respect of
almost any allegation, it seeks to absolve the Hamas of almost any wrongdoing.
The word "terrorist" is almost entirely absent. IDF Soldier Gilad Shalit, now
held incommunicado in captivity for over three years, was "captured during an
enemy incursion" and the Hamas members that the Mission met with in Gaza are
thanked as the "Gaza authorities" for extending their full cooperation and
support to the Mission.
Even the thousands of terror rocket attacks against Israelis which necessitated
the Gaza Operation are given the most cursory treatment, and indeed the Report
indirectly blames Israel even for these by terming them "'reprisals".
Rejection of democratic values
In a Report which relies so heavily on Israel human rights organizations and
which also petitions on sensitive security issues to Israel's Supreme Court the
Report devotes considerable attention to "repression of dissent in Israel". It
bases this assertion in large part on the widespread support for the military
operation in the Israel public, assuming that Israel has "created a political
climate in which dissent is not tolerated. The notion that the majority of
Israelis genuinely supported action to bring years of continuous rocket and
missile attacks against Israeli civilians to an end does not appear to have
occurred to the members of the Mission.
The UN Goldstone Report is also critical of Israel internal investigations even
though these compare favorably to investigations of allegations in military
matters in most western countries, and have regularly resulted in criminal
investigations and convictions.
Recommendations
The UN Goldstone Report's recommendations are as one-sided as its findings. It
seeks to harness the Human Rights Council, the Security Council the General
Assembly, the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and the
International Criminal Court and the international community as parts of its
hostile political campaign.
Despite token recommendations in respect of the Palestinian side, all the
international pressure is directed solely against Israel.
The true test of such a Report can only be whether in future conflicts it will
have the effect of increasing or decreasing respect for the rule of law.
Regrettably a one-sided report of this nature, claiming to represent
international law, can only weaken the standing of law in future conflicts. At
the same time, it will broadcast a deeply troubling message to terrorist groups
wherever they are that the cynical tactics of seeking to exploit civilian
suffering for political ends actually pays dividends.
Israel President Shimon Peres has slammed the Goldstone Commission's report on
IDF Operation Cast Lead, saying it "makes a mockery of history and fails to
distinguish between aggressor and those acting in self-defense."
Peres claimed the commission members would not have written such a report, which
accuses Israel of war crimes, "had their children been living in Sderot, Israel
under the constant threat of Hamas rockets."
The Israel President blames Hamas for launching the war, stating the terror
group had committed numerous horrendous war crimes, and stressed that Israel had
to defend itself.
"Hamas carried out attacks against the children of Israel, detonating bombs in
city centers, hurting civilians, firing more than 12,000 rockets and mortar
shells at innocent civilians with one clear aim - to kill," he wrote in a
statement.
The UN Goldstone Report legitimizes terrorism, shooting and killing, while
ignoring every state's right and obligation to self-defense, which are clearly
anchored in the UN charter, Peres wrote.
The Israel president went on to recall Israel's disengagement from Gaza and
Hamas's bloody takeover of the Strip.
"Israel removed all of its troops and citizens from the Gaza Strip, opened the
border crossings and helped construction in the Strip - the Israeli occupation
in Gaza ended. But after Israel completed the disengagement from Gaza, a
murderous and illegitimate terror group took control over the Strip and threw
out the legitimate Fatah leadership.
"While Hamas continued to fire rockets, Israel used diplomatic efforts,
including many appeals to the UN, to bring about a cease fire. Instead of
building Gaza and caring for the welfare of its citizens, Hamas built tunnels to
attack Israel, cruelly using children and innocent Palestinians to hide
terrorists and ammunition," he wrote.
The state of Israel had to defend itself, as would any other country in the
world, Peres stressed, adding that "those who criticized Israel did not propose
any other way of stopping the rocket fire."
The Israel president recalled how "Israel has been criticized for its actions
against Hizbullah terror attacks from Lebanon and Hamas attacks from the Gaza
Strip, as well as for building the security barrier in the West Bank to prevent
suicide bombers from entering the country.
"This criticism did not stop the rockets from hitting the South and the North,
nor did it stop terrorists from blowing themselves up in our central cities,"
wrote Peres. "The IDF's actions are what have brought economical prosperity to
the West Bank and have enabled Gazans to have normal lives again," he concluded.
Also responding to the UN report, Israel Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev
said that it would hamper Middle East peace efforts.
Speaking to Israel Army Radio, Shalev added that "the international atmosphere
is very influential. We have already begun a public diplomacy campaign in world
capitals in order to explain the extent to which the report is biased, one-sided
and political."
Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Jerusalem made the right
decision not to cooperate with the inquiry.
The report only came out because of countries like Pakistan, Libya and Saudi
Arabia, who are members of the UN Human Rights Council," Ayalon told Army Radio.
"The results just prove the correctness and legitimacy of the decision not to
cooperate.... The report was compiled without any connection to investigations
on the ground."
"It completely ignores all Hamas terror activity that preceded the IDF
operation," he continued, stressing that the main reason for Israel's boycott of
the investigation "was the presence on the commission of those who insisted that
the operation was not one of self-defense, but an Israeli aggressive action."
Ayalon said that Israel would now focus its energy on "making the report
dissipate" and that Jerusalem was in contact with the US over the findings,
emphasizing that the report could have repercussions for American troops
fighting in Iran and Afghanistan.
"We must remember that all Western nations opposed the inquiry commission, and
our work with the Europeans and Americans can prevent the consequences," he
said, asserting that the report would have negative effects on efforts for
Israeli-Palestinian peace and normalization between Jerusalem and the Arab
world.
Ayalon concluded that there was "no one better" than Israel Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman to lead the campaign against the report and put Israel's side
across.
Israel former ambassador to the UN, Danny Gillerman, said that the UN Human
Rights Council report contained "blatant, one-sided, anti-Israel lies."
"Members of the UNHRC include countries like Zimbabwe and Libya that spend 90
percent of their time on Israel and don't deal, for example, with the Darfur
massacre," he told Army Radio.
Gillerman also said that the UNHRC should never have been set up in the first
place.
"We and the US were only ones who voted against the body being established. We
knew it would be very one-sided and anti-Israeli," he said, adding that former
UN secretary-general Kofi Annan had said that allowing the UNHRC's establishment
was one of his biggest mistakes.
Gillerman said Israel was right not to cooperate with the inquiry, saying, "The
findings would never have been objective."
He stressed that while soul searching was being done by Israel and would
continue, Operation Cast Lead was conducted to protect a million southerners
from rocket attacks.
"We went to lengths no other country would have gone to in order to avoid
civilian casualties," he went on, adding that the IDF embarked on an operation
any other country would have carried out under the circumstances, but that other
militaries would have caused greater collateral damage.
On a positive note, Gillerman said that the Israel media was getting "more
worked up" by the report than others. "I haven't seen other media outlets around
the world dedicating so much time to the issue."
"The Goldstone committee is a committee that was set up to find Israel guilty of
crimes that were determined in advanced, and the committee's members did not let
the facts confuse them," said Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, in his
comments in response to the harsh UN report investigation the events of Israel
Defense Forces Operation Cast Lead.
Lieberman said the committee's conclusions were predetermined, and he accused
its members of serving the purposes of utilitarian countries. "The whole purpose
of the report, from the moment the decision was made to write it, was to destroy
Israel's image, in service of countries where the terms 'human rights' and
'combat ethics' do not even appear in their dictionaries," the foreign minister
alleged. Lieberman went on to say, "I can say wholeheartedly, as can any man
that examines the matter in an objective manner, that the IDF is the most moral
army in the world, and it is forced to deal with the most vile terrorists, who
set for themselves the goal of killing women and children, and hide behind women
and children."
The Israel Foreign Minister further claimed that "the Goldstone Report wishes to
take the UN back to the dark ages, where it was also determined, through the
leadership of utilitarian countries, that Zionism is racism." He said, "The UN
Goldstone Report has no legal, factual or ethical value, and more than a
testament to the State of Israel, it is a testament to the writers of the report
and those that sent them." Lieberman's response is one in a long line of censure
and attacks against the report on the part of senior Israeli officials, which
has been continuous since the report was published on Tuesday.
The officials' defensive response is meant to minimize possible damage the
document could cause Israel, officials in office at the time of the operation,
and senior officers in the IDF. It should be noted that the UN Goldstone
committee ruled that some of the incidents of the Gaza war may carry with them
personal criminal liability. Israel experts on international law have said this
could lead to lawsuits against officials in various state in which the law
allows it.