LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
November 28/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 21,20-28. When you see
Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape
from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity
will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will
fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and
Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the
Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and
the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming
upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will
see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when
these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your
redemption is at hand."
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo
(North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Discourse on Psalm 95/"Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption
is at hand"
«Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the Lord, for he comes; he
comes to rule the earth» (Ps 95[96], 12b-13). The Lord has already come once and
he will come again. The first time he came «on the clouds» (Mt 26,64) in his
Church. What are the clouds that bore him? Apostles, preachers... The first time
he came borne by his preachers and he filled all the earth. Let us not resist
his first coming if we would not dread the second...
So what should the Christian do? Profit by this world but not serve this world.
And in what does that consist? «Own as though not owning». That is what Saint
Paul said: «Brothers, the time is running out... From now on... let those
weeping act as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as
not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its
present form is passing away. I should like you to be free of anxieties» (1Cor
7,29-32). Anyone free from anxiety confidently awaits his Lord's coming. For if
we dread his coming do we love the Lord? My brethren, aren't we blushing about
it? We love him and yet we dread his coming? Do we truly love him or do we not
rather love our sins? Then let us hate our sins and love the One who is to
come...«Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the Lord» for he has
come a first time... He has come a first time and he will return to judge the
earth. At that time he will find all those who believed in his first coming full
of joy.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Hizballah Increasing Missile
Capability; Military Exercises Reported.By:Maj.
W. Thomas Smith Jr. 27/11/08
Lebanon: End harassment of human rights defender
Muhamad Mugraby-Amnesty
International USA 27/11/08
Is the
UN leading the Lebanese on?-By
Michael Young 27/11/08
Condoleezza Rice ponders a 'detour' that is ending-By
David Ignatius 27/11/08
Syria
seeks changed relations with America - on its own terms-By
Bilal Y. Saab 27/11/08
Lebanon’s Sleiman schmoozing with
Ahmadinejad.By:
Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
27/11/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for November
27/08
Bellemare's Team Leaves
for the Hague-Naharnet
Iran, Lebanon sign 5-year security pact-Jerusalem
Post
Hariri: Elections on Time
Even if I was Attacked-Naharnet
It
is Official! International Tribunal Starts Operating on March 1-Naharnet
Iran
Links Military Assistance to Defensive Strategy-Naharnet
Aoun in Damascus: A Walk in the Footsteps of Apostle Peter-Naharnet
Hariri in Cairo to Meet Mubarak-Naharnet
Maossawi: Israel's
campaign Aims to Shackle Europe in Lebanon-Naharnet
Williams in Tel Aviv Soon
to Discuss Israeli Pullout from Ghajar-Naharnet
Miqdad Demands Hariri be
Questioned over Alleged Ties to Fatah Islam-Naharnet
MP Kabbara Wants
Investigation in Tripoli Shooting by Troops-Naharnet
Blast Kills Lebanese Man
at Apartment-Naharnet
Geagea: Franjieh Relays
Syrian Threats-Naharnet
Berri Postpones
Parliamentary Session for Eight Days-Naharnet
Qahwaji Urges Army to
Confront Probable Israeli Attack-Naharnet
UN tribunal in Lebanon's Hariri case can start March 1-AFP
Kahwaji stresses LAF role, while politicians bicker some more-Daily
Star
MPs
press Siniora to implement overdue civil-service wage hikes-Daily
Star
Syria
seeks changed relations with America - on its own terms-Daily
Star
Israel-Hizbullah saber rattling raises UN concerns-Daily
Star
No
trouble at Ain al-Hilweh - PNA foreign minister-Daily
Star
LOG
head lashes out at Berri, Hizbullah-Daily
Star
Riyadh
rejects idea of Gulf bailing out West-(AFP)
March
14 seems to have narrow lead in AUB elections - for now-Daily
Star
Arab
MPs attend workshop on discrimination, abuse of women-Daily
Star
Campaign aims to raise awareness about hemophilia-Daily
Star
Rights groups trash Cabinet's failure to tackle prisoner abuse-Daily
Star
March 14 seems to have narrow lead in AUB elections - for now
Five of 109 seats will be contested again on Friday
By Hussein Abdallah /Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 27, 2008
BEIRUT: None of the competing parties at the American University of Beirut (AUB)
was able to claim an overwhelming victory in the 2009 Student Representative
Committees (SRC) elections held Wednesday. However, as The Daily Star went to
press late in the evening, unconfirmed reports indicated that 44 SRC seats had
gone to students affiliated with the March 14 Forces students, 39 to opposition
students, and 21 to independent candidates, while the races for five seats were
tied.
Re-elections to break the ties will take place on Friday.
March 14 students, who emerged as overwhelming victors in last year's polls,
were facing much stiffer competition this time around.
The March 14 students managed to achieve a clean sweep in the Olayan School of
Business, winning all of the faculty's 15 seats, thus securing three
representatives in the 24-member University Student Faculty Committee (USFC).
Seventeen USFC members are students, while seven are faculty members.
USFC members will be elected by SRC members in each faculty early next month.
The March 14 coalition also managed to maintain an edge in the Faculty of Health
Sciences, thus securing another two USFC seats.
Opposition March 8 students prevailed in the Faculty of Engineering and
Architecture (FEA), winning the majority of the faculty's seats and therefore
the three USFC spots designated for the FEA.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), AUB's biggest faculty with 33 SRC seats
and five USFC seats, went to March 14 students, who won 14 seats, leaving 11 to
the opposition, five to the independent leftist group No Frontiers, and three
for Jordanian candidates.
However, the faculty's USFC representatives are yet to be determined since March
14 students would not be able to elect all five on their own without having to
cut some deals with independent groups.
March 8 students will also look up to flip the table in FAS by engaging
independent.
Results in the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences were too close, to call
with conflicting reports from rival parties claiming victory in the faculty,
which is worth two USFC seats.
A coalition of independent students won most seats in the Faculty of Medicine,
taking away two USFC posts from the March 14 and March 8 camps.
The USFC elections will be held in December, closing the second and most
important phase of the AUB student elections. - Additional reporting by Sara
Mourad
Aoun in Damascus: A Walk in the Footsteps of Apostle Paul
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun's visit to Syria is
likely to be similar to a trip made by Pope John Paul II to Damascus in 2001.
The daily Al-Akhbar on Thursday said Aoun's visit, which is expected to take
place sometime in the first week of December, will last nearly a week and is
likely to end on the eve of the Adha holiday. During the course of his trip,
Aoun will meet Syrian officials. He is to visit Syrian regions, particularly
predominantly Christian areas, Jean Aziz wrote for Al-Akhbar. In this regard,
Aziz went on to say that Aoun's visit will very much resemble that of Pope John
Paul II, thus, Aoun would walk in the footsteps of Apostle Paul from the Great
Ummayad Mosque, previously John the Baptist Church, all the way to Mar Maroun
Shrine.
Aoun is to be give a warm reception at Bab Touma in the Christian quarter of Old
Damascus. Huge ceremonies that Syria had not witnessed in decades are going to
be held for Aoun, Al-Akhbar reported. It said Aoun is also expected to hold more
than one meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 09:05
It is Official! International Tribunal Starts Operating on
March 1
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has said the international tribunal that will
try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins is on track to start
operations in March.
"On the basis of the progress so far reported ... it is envisaged that the
Special Tribunal will commence functioning on 1 March 2009," Ban wrote in a
report issued to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. "Practical arrangements
for the prosecutor to arrive in The Hague on 1 March 2009 and to continue the
investigation with the minimum of disruption to the investigation will soon be
finalized," the third report on the court said.
The last report on the international tribunal was issued March 12. The tribunal,
in charge of trying the Hariri murder suspects, was authorized by Security
Council Resolution 1757 dated June 2, 2007. But the court has not begun to meet,
mainly because the probe into the case continues.
The tribunal will have 11 judges, including four from Lebanon, and will be based
in The Hague. "I will be taking a decision regarding the commencement of the
Special Tribunal on 1 March 2009, after a transition period starting on 1
January 2009," Ban wrote. Canadian Daniel Bellemare, who heads the U.N. panel
probing the Feb. 2005 Hariri assassination, will become the tribunal's
prosecutor once the probe into the Hariri and related cases is completed. He
will have a Lebanese deputy.
The investigation commission's mandate expires in December. Ban said that
Bellemare will ask for a two-month extension of the panel's mandate.
"It is my belief that the impending start of the Special Tribunal will send a
strong signal that the government of Lebanon and the United Nations remain
committed to ending impunity in Lebanon. The Special Tribunal "sets out to
deliver the highest standards of international justice and, in this regard, I
trust that all member states will cooperate to achieve its mandate," Ban said.
The U.N. chief's report said the proposed budget for establishing the court and
for its first year of operations was $51.1 million, and there was sufficient
money in hand to go ahead with it. An Nahar daily on Thursday quoted U.N.
sources as saying that Bellemare will hand over his report on progress made into
the Hariri crime to Security Council members next Monday. The Council will
discuss the report on Dec. 16, it said.
The Security Council also discussed on Wednesday Ban's eighth report on the
implementation of resolution 1701. Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 04:47
Iran Links Military Assistance to Defensive Strategy
Naharnet/Sources accompanying President Michel Suleiman on his recent visit to
Iran affirmed that," Iran has announced its readiness to providing Lebanon with
defensive weapons. This is to be agreed on according to the strategic defensive
system as agreed to by the Lebanese." A source close to the Presidential Palace
informed the daily pan-Arab al-Hayat on Wednesday. He added," Iranian assistance
would be carried out soon via exchanged visits of officials from both
countries."
Regarding Iranian assistance to the Lebanese Armed and Security Forces for
confronting terrorism, "an agreement was reached during bilateral talks and
following the president's tour of the Iranian Military Industries Exhibition, to
provide Lebanese Armed Forces with arms allowing the army to rapidly and
flexibly move in confronting and preventing any criminal and terrorist action
including difficult missions." President Suleiman visited Iran early in the
week, he met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Supreme Guide to
the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iranian Defense Minister. Suleiman also toured
the Iranian Military Industries Exhibition.
Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 10:35
Hariri in Cairo to Meet Mubarak
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal movement leader MP Saad Hariri is scheduled to meet with
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday. Hariri arrived in Cairo Wednesday
night. He is accompanied by MPs Bassem Sabaa, Mosbah Ahdab, Mohammed Hajjar and
former legislator Ghattas Khoury. Hariri and his accompanying delegation will
also meet with other Egyptian officials to discuss the situation in Lebanon and
the region. Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 05:25
Maossawi: Israel's campaign Aims to Shackle Europe in
Lebanon
Naharnet/Hizbullah's Foreign Relations Representative Sayed Nawaf al –Maossawi
accused Israel of launching," a political and diplomatic campaign to press
Hizbullah in Europe." Following his visit to the Italian embassy Tuesday,
Maossawi told reporters," This campaign aims to shackle the European role in
Lebanon and the region, to impose the Israeli logic. To cover up continued
Israeli crimes and aggression and deform the image of the resistance." Maossawi
said. He went on to call on European states to," break the inhumane (Israeli)
siege against Gaza." Maossawi described the siege as," collective punishment
against a political choice." The Hizbullah official questioned why the
process of keeping Palestinians hungry is," met with silence and complicity." He
went on to add," this fosters the belief among the Lebanese, that what protects
them from Israeli aggression is their own capability of resistance. We are and
will remain to be proud of being in resistance." Maossawi met with Italian
Ambassador Gabreiele Chicchia and discussed recent local, regional and
international developments. Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 12:10
Kouchner: International Tribunal is Final
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon that will try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik
Hariri was final and "not to be bargained with.""The international tribunal is
now in U.N. hands," Kouchner told al-Watan al-Arabi magazine.
In response to a question on whether Syria would suggest canceling the tribunal
as a condition to "cooperation," Kouchner said: "This is impossible since the
tribunal is now in the hands of the United Nations." "We had spoken to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad and he told us that he was not interested in the
international tribunal," Kouchner added. "Let the U.N. system do its job,"
Kouchner quoted Assad as telling him during a visit to Damascus in August.
Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 11:06
Williams in Tel Aviv Soon to Discuss Israeli Pullout from
Ghajar
Naharnet/Michael Williams, the newly appointed U.N. Special Coordinator for
Lebanon, will soon visit Tel Aviv in an effort to speed up the Israeli
withdrawal from the Lebanese part of the southern village of Ghajar. The daily
Al Akhbar on Thursday quoted U.N. sources as denying reports that the Ghajar
dossier is subject to delay.
The sources expressed hope that the issue would be settled before year's end.
Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 10:34
Miqdad Demands Hariri be Questioned over Alleged Ties to
Fatah Islam
Naharnet/Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Miqdad wants Lebanese
authorities to question Mustaqbal Movement leader and MP Saad Hariri about
alleged links to the Fatah al-Islam terrorist group. Miqdad, in an interview
with the Qatari daily al-Watanly, accused "regional forces" of supporting and
financing terrorist organizations and networks to destabilize both Syria and
Lebanon. He described accusations by Mustaqbal Movement against Syria as "silly
and not worthy of a reply." Beirut, 27 Nov 08, 09:32
MP Kabbara Wants Investigation in Tripoli Shooting by
Troops
Naharnet/MP Mohammed Kabbara on Wednesday accused soldiers of opening fire "at
random" in the northern city of Tripoli, killing one person and wounding others.
Kabbara, in an address at Parliament, said the shooting in Tripoli's Bab
Tabbaneh district was "not justified." "We call for serious and rapid
investigation into this incident … so that all those responsible for it are held
accountable," he added. He urged Premier Fouad Saniora and Defense Minister
Elias Murr to "follow up this matter so that arrangements and procedures are
taken to guarantee speedy and transparent investigation." Beirut, 26 Nov 08,
22:54
Blast Kills Lebanese Man at Apartment
Naharnet/Lebanese citizen Fouad Ghanem was killed by a mysterious blast that
ripped through his apartment in the northern suburb of Zouk Mikael late
Wednesday.
Police said the death of Ghanem, 23, was instantaneous. The nature of the blast
could not be immediately established. Police sappers were rushed to the blast
scene to launch an investigation. Initial reports by privately-owned radio
stations said Ghanem committed suicide by detonating a bomb due to a failed love
affair. Police withheld comment. Beirut, 26 Nov 08, 22:32
Is the UN leading the Lebanese on?
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 27, 2008
According to press reports, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will
set March as the deadline for work to begin at the Hariri tribunal. The latest
extension will be referred to as "technical" by the Security Council, an
insincere notion concealing the fact that in the past three years, from one
extension to the next, the UN investigation has moved forward with remarkable,
even suspicious, lethargy.
It's long past the time to begin wondering what really happened in the two years
when Serge Brammertz was UN commissioner. What investigation file did he leave
in the hands of his successor, Daniel Bellemare, who, if that is at all
possible, has been even more silent than the mute Belgian? It's a matter of
record that Brammertz wasted valuable time by reopening the Hariri crime scene
and repeating the work of the first commissioner, Detlev Mehlis, and others,
only to reconfirm their findings. It's also virtually a matter of record that
Brammertz shied away from using the authority granted by the Security Council to
its fullest in his interrogations in Syria - most prominently in his interview
of the Syrian president, Bashar Assad. That's why this latest extension,
technical or not, leads us to believe that Bellemare was left with so incomplete
a dossier, that by March he will have needed more than a year to fill in the
blanks.
On top of that comes disturbing information that the investigation has stalled.
The information may be correct or it may not be, but for such doubts to
dissipate, both Bellemare and the UN will have to tell us more than they have
until now. If the Canadian commissioner soon offers up an update report as
devoid of content as the last one, indeed as insulting as the last one, then
it's the UN's credibility that will be at stake. Bellemare has already indicated
he will not name names. Fine; but if the Security Council is taking the trouble
to use the term "technical extension," that means that come January we will be
entering into a new phase of the investigation. A new phase requires a more
substantial UN update.
What should the next report contain? First of all a reassurance that Bellemare
actually has something in his briefcase to make a persuasive case in court. The
commissioner has been more open in private with officials than he has been in
public, and that poses problems. The implementation of justice, if that is where
we are headed, is not a private matter to be discussed between UN and Lebanese
officials and foreign ambassadors; the Hariri murder was a national affair, and
not since Detlev Mehlis has a commissioner actually considered that relevant.
Bellemare must also take a clearer position on several issues left hanging
thanks to his and to Brammertz's wishy-washiness. Now that we will soon be
entering a pre-trial phase, Bellemare must bolster the Lebanese judiciary when
it comes to the detention of the four generals, not just throw the burden onto
Lebanese shoulders. More is also needed indicating that Bellemare knows who
ordered the Hariri assassination and those taking place afterward. Both Mehlis
and the first official tasked by the UN to throw light on to the crime, Peter
Fitzgerald, were much more affirmative on this issue, so why has Bellemare opted
for the bewildering opaqueness of Brammertz? He needs to explain how the public
interest is served by such an attitude, particularly when a public trial looms.
If Bellemare's files are not airtight by March, what happens? What kind of
charge can he put together, bearing in mind that the Syrians have a highly
competent legal team waiting in the wings to do battle? Some pessimistic legal
minds point out that any court can be established, but that it need not
necessarily implement its mandate - notably the special tribunal for Sierra
Leone, which today lies dormant. That seems less likely with the Hariri
tribunal, given the potential backlash in Lebanon, but a vital question is who
Bellemare decides to accuse given what he has in hand. If he has hard evidence
against some suspects, but not others, might that force him to reduce the scope
of the accusation the court will then submit? Or might the court decide that
there is simply not enough material to go on, before sending Bellemare back to
work to strengthen his case?
Then there are the politics. There is no center of gravity anymore at the
Security Council to inject new life into efforts to unmask Hariri's killers. In
2005 and 2006, the French president, Jacques Chirac, and the American president,
George W. Bush, provided that center of gravity. China, Russia, and the United
Kingdom were in no position to oppose muscular resolutions bolstering the UN
investigation. Today, we have Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, and soon Barack Obama in
Washington, neither deeply committed to the Hariri tribunal. Indeed, Sarkozy has
invested too much into his relationship with Syria to allow the tribunal to
disrupt that. The same holds for Russia, which was never enthusiastic about the
tribunal in the first place, while the UK is now publicly vaunting its
intelligence cooperation with Damascus. As for China, it is indifferent.
International bodies are only as effective as the actors backing them up. Under
the best of scenarios, the five permanent members of the Security Council will
simply leave the Hariri tribunal alone, to advance or hang depending on its
evidence. But even that can lead to its atrophying. During the Brammertz years,
the wide latitude afforded the commissioner, much like his lack of
accountability for the slow pace of work, arguably deadened the investigation
process. As the tribunal picks up speed, limited interest from the permanent
five, not to say the active hostility of some of them, may actually render the
body ineffective.
To avoid that outcome, Bellemare will have to prepare a compelling case. It
makes no sense yet to doubt the commissioner's intentions. But we must be
realistic: Bellemare, like his predecessors, isn't operating in a vacuum. If he
has evidence that some powerful states do not want released; if there are fears
that such evidence might generate instability or worse in Lebanon, then we might
have to start preparing ourselves for an unsatisfying, even a failed, trial
ahead. Then again this reading may be too dark. However, at this late hour we're
entitled to insist that Ban Ki-moon and Daniel Bellemare at last prove it wrong.
Condoleezza Rice ponders a 'detour' that is ending
By David Ignatius
Daily Star staff/Thursday, November 27, 2008
She is immaculately dressed, as always, wearing a gold necklace and a tailored
suit in the fashionable color known as "aubergine." And she is relaxed, which is
a change from her usual demeanor, as the week bends toward Thanksgiving and her
thoughts turn to life after January 20.
Condoleezza Rice may be the most disciplined person in Washington, a town of
workaholics. She has always been the perfect young woman, pleasing and
impressing others. Her mother Angelena advised her, "Always remember, if you're
overdressed, it reflects badly on (other people); if you're underdressed, it
reflects badly on you," according to a 2001 interview conducted by Dale
Russakoff of The Washington Post. And she has lived by that rule - operating
with the steely control that she learned as an ice skater and pianist.
But in a few weeks, Rice will have only herself to please, and that has had a
liberating effect. She talks about her past and future as a person with nothing
left to prove. She's leaving Washington for real after Inauguration Day, and
will return to Stanford University. If "Meet the Press" calls, she won't be in.
"I have no desire to be shadow secretary of state," she told me.
In her desire for a real leave-taking, Rice reminds me of Dean Rusk, another
secretary of state who served during a painful and divisive war. Rusk once
described to me the immense relief he felt on the day he left office in January
1969: The burdens of the world had come off his shoulders at last, and he could
go home to Georgia.
Rice seems to take genuine pleasure in the arrival of Barack Obama as the first
African-American president. She was asleep at 11:00 p.m. on election night when
his victory was declared - yes, she is that disciplined. But she says of his
election: "It is the strongest affirmation to date that America is what it says
it is. And it's a reminder that America had to overcome a lot to get there."
Rice has been thinking a lot lately about what her parents had to overcome to
create the world in which she could dream such big dreams. They will be the
subject of one of the two books she plans to write after she leaves, describing
their role as "education evangelists" in the racially charged world of
Birmingham, Alabama. "They believed in the transforming power of education," she
says. And on this subject, of education and the American dream, the sometimes
maddeningly optimistic Rice voices concern. "If we aren't capable of equipping
students for the 21st century, we will turn inward," she says, describing a
future America that has lost its unifying myth of mobility and success, and its
self-confidence.
Talking about Obama, and what she calls "the continuum of the African-American
experience," a smile comes over her face. She remembers how her father
befriended the radical activist Stokely Carmichael and invited him to their home
- and how people might have attacked her, as they did Obama, for her casual
acquaintance with a communist agitator.
She knows that she's a superstar now, someone who will never be able to stroll
into a grocery store unnoticed. She plans to apply this star power to education.
"I'm an educator who took a detour," she says.
Rice's other book will be about foreign policy. This one may take a bit more
time. "It's the kind of period that needs a little distance," she says.
Update on Iran: The Bush administration had once planned to announce the opening
of an interest section in Tehran this month. That won't happen now, and the
story illustrates the broken connection that is the US-Iranian relationship.
An announcement set for September was delayed because of the Russian invasion of
Georgia. But the proposal was back on track until a few weeks ago, when the
administration became concerned about Iranian interference in negotiations with
Iraq over a status of forces agreement. It seemed the wrong time for an opening
to Tehran that Sunni Arab allies warned would be seen as a concession.
So now the issue of US-Iranian relations will be handed over to the Obama
administration. "We ran out of time," says one administration official. It's the
most frustrating and dangerous bit of unfinished business the new administration
will inherit. **Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by
THE DAILY STAR.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Rights groups trash Cabinet's failure to tackle prisoner abuse
Government has failed to submit reports of Torture to UN
By Matthew Mosley
Special to The Daily Star/Thursday, November 27, 2008
BEIRUT: The Lebanese government is catastrophically failing in its obligation to
tackle the use of torture in detention facilities, a group of eight human rights
organizations says.Under the terms of the United Nations Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which
Lebanon signed in 2000, officials agreed to submit an initial report on torture
in detention facilities by November 4, 2001. This report is now seven years
overdue.
In addition, the convention requires that Lebanon submit an additional report
every four years so that progress may be assessed. The UN has yet to receive a
single one of these reports.Now a group of eight Leban-ese and international
human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the Lebanese Center
for Human Rights, have banded together to demand that the Lebanese government
fulfill its obligations.
In addition, MP Ghassan Mokheiber, head of the Parliament's Human Rights
Committee, has written a question to government on this matter. The government
has so far declined to respond to these requests.
Nadim Houry of Human Rights Watch explained the importance of these reports to
The Daily Star: "Reporting back not only allows us to assess progress, but it
also forces the government to collect information, which demonstrates the scale
of the problem," he said. "They are then able to formulate a plan on how to deal
with it."
Some positive steps against torture have been made by the government, including
training police officers and prison guards in human rights issues.
However, according to Houry this has little impact. "Training on its own is not
enough and there is evidence from other countries that training is not
sufficient by itself to prevent torture," he explained.
"What needs to happen is twofold: The judiciary needs to take allegations
seriously and prosecute where the evidence exists. The security services and the
ministries responsible for them need to issue clear guidelines as to what
constitutes acceptable behavior."
Torture is illegal in Lebanon: Under Article 401 of the penal code, anyone
beating someone with the aim of obtaining a confession is liable to be
imprisoned for up to three years.Despite much evidence of torture, both in the
media and on testimony from human rights groups, there has been only one case in
the past two years in which a detention officer has been held to account for
beating a suspect during interrogation.
The maximum sentence of three years means that torture is not considered a
particularly serious crime. Many object that this is inadequate for such a
serious offense.
"Torture is not currently a political priority," said Houry.
"There is an unwillingness to confront people who torture. This has to do with a
broader issue of accountability in Lebanese institutions. There is protectionism
and a lack of transparency," he added.
Many alleged instances of torture have occurred during politically motivated
interrogations, such as the allegations of mistreatment at Nahr al-Bared refugee
camp in June 2007. On this occasion, officers were apparently trying to extract
information about militant Islamist group Fatah al-Islam.
Many authorities still view torture as the quickest and most effective way to
gather evidence.
"The response to this is: Look at those countries which do not use torture in
their investigations," said Houry, adding that "they use forensic science and
thorough investigations."
"If other countries can carry out clean investigations, then Lebanon can too."
Mokheiber's committee is currently working on a National Human Rights Action
Plan, under which tackling torture is a top priority.
"We have a working group looking specifically at torture and as a result this
issue has been debated in Parliament for the first time ever," he said.
The group expects to have completed a draft action plan by March 2009.
The draft will include provisions to allow proper implementation of the United
Nations Convention.
This plan will then have to be passed through the Human Rights Committee,
Parliament, and finally the government.
"There is positive movement in the direction of tackling torture," said
Mokheiber, "but a lot of work remains to be done."
But Houry remains pessimistic. "Unfortunately there are few signs of hope on
this issue," he said. "There are some promising signs of awareness and
willingness to talk about the issue, both in civil society and government, which
should be acknowledged.
"However the problem is translating this into concrete steps. It is all very
well to sign a treaty, but the hard stuff has yet to be tackled."
Syria seeks changed relations with America - on its own terms
By Bilal Y. Saab
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Syria fell out of favor with the West following the assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, a murder which Syria is
suspected by the UN of helping commit. Syria's implication in the assassination,
its continued interference in Lebanese domestic politics, its aiding of
insurgents in Iraq and support for Hizbullah and Hamas put its regime on a
collision course with Washington and Paris.
Notwithstanding the US raid into Syria in later October, that reality is no
longer germane. Syria appears to have broken out of its isolation by improving
relations with France, strengthening its domestic position, and indirectly
negotiating with Israel the details of a future peace deal. The Syrian regime no
longer feels vulnerable and, as its prospects of survival improve, its self
confidence is increasingly apparent.
What broke the logjam between Paris and Damascus was the facilitating role Syria
played in the Qatari-mediated talks between the Lebanese anti-Syrian coalition,
led by Saad Hariri, and the Hizbullah-led opposition at Doha in May 2008. The
successful conclusion of the Doha agreement removed French President Nicolas
Sarkozy's condition for the resumption of Syrian-French relations. Moreover,
Assad formally established diplomatic relations with Lebanon and proposed
interceding between Western countries and Iran over the Iranian nuclear issue.
In return, Sarkozy promised to push for the long-stalled Association Agreement
between the EU and Syria.
Syria's pragmatic statecraft during this episode did not emerge in a vacuum but
is part of a larger tactical reorientation in foreign policy. That reorientation
began with the 34-day war between Hizbullah and Israel in southern Lebanon in
summer 2006. The duration of that conflict and the extent of the damage Israel's
punitive air strikes inflicted on Lebanon impressed upon Syrian leaders just how
far the US-led international community would go to destroy Hizbullah.
As a result of this threat perception, Syria began sending signals to Israel via
Turkish diplomats that Damascus was willing to resume peace talks. To date, four
rounds of indirect talks between the two countries have taken place. Syria also
leaned on the Damascus-based political leadership of Hamas to accept a truce
with Israel that Egypt was negotiating. In another sign that it was willing to
change its ways, Damascus allowed a team of IAEA inspectors to visit,
unhindered, the site of the alleged nuclear facility bombed by Israel in
September 2007. Confirmation of widespread reports that the inspectors have
found weapons-grade uranium at the site is expected to come when IAEA chief
Mohammed ElBaradei reports back to the UN at the end of November.
Damascus' foreign policy reorientation has not yet translated into tangible
improvements in its relations with the US and Saudi Arabia, two key countries in
Syria's strategic orbit. Also, this pragmatic shift should not be seen as a
radical new approach or a strategic realignment.
On Lebanon, Syria has made it very clear to the US and other Western powers that
its smaller neighbor's nominal freedom is tolerated as long as that it does not
undermine or jeopardize Syrian strategic and national security interests. With
regard to Iran, Syria has repeatedly stated that its strategic relations with
the Islamic Republic are firm and as a result will not be drastically affected
by any potential peace deal with Israel. This fixed position also applies to
relations with Hizbullah and Hamas, as it is difficult to see how Syria would
voluntarily break with these actors in the absence of a comprehensive
Arab-Israeli peace deal.
Meanwhile, relations with Saudi Arabia have never fully recovered after the
assassination of Hariri. Hariri was a staunch ally of Riyadh and his murder was
a big blow to Saudi interests in Lebanon. Syria's endorsement of the Doha
agreement may have slightly eased the tensions between the two countries, but
fell well short of putting relations on track. Mistrust between the two
countries remains high as Saudi Arabia is still wary of Syria's intentions in
Lebanon and Syria is constantly worried about the kingdom's alleged attempts to
destabilize the Assad regime through Syrian Sunni tribes loyal to Riyadh.
Damascus also remains a relevant player in Iraq. Syria re-established diplomatic
relations with Baghdad in 2006 and has maintained ties with senior Iraqi figures
(including Jalal Talabani and Muqtada al-Sadr). More importantly, it enjoys
solid relations with Iran, the major regional powerbroker in Iraq. While the
Bush administration remained suspicious of engaging Syria, President-elect Obama
has given clear signs that he is more willing to resort to conventional
diplomacy, rather than aggressive unilateralism. However this is not to suggest
that future US-Syria relations will be straightforward or unconditional.
The US wants a clear commitment from Syria to cooperate on Washington's exit
strategy from Iraq, a reassurance not to destabilize Lebanon, and a promise to
break with Iran, Hizbullah, and Hamas. Syria, on the other hand, wants the US to
end the international tribunal into the killing of Hariri, recognize its
influence in Lebanon, and mediate a peace deal with Israel.
The notion that the Syrian regime merely seeks better relations with Washington
is incorrect as Syrian officials often privately cite the example of Libya's
transformation in a derogatory manner, therefore, Syrian "capitulation" to
become a "moderate" ally is unthinkable at this stage. Damascus seeks
recognition before popularity and it is waiting for a comprehensive business
arrangement. In this respect, Damascus is likely to find the incoming US
administration more receptive than the outgoing one.
**Bilal Y. Saab is a research analyst on foreign policy at the Saban Center for
Middle East Policy. This article first appeared in the November 17, 2008, issue
of Jane's Foreign Report
Hizballah Increasing Missile Capability; Military Exercises
Reported
By: Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
International Analyst Network
26 Nov 2008
Hizballah – the Lebanon-based Shia terrorist army – has increased its missile
capability “three-fold” since the summer 2006 war with Israel according to
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak (as reported today in Naharnet and al-Hayat).
“Hizballah owns 42,000 missiles vs. 14,000 prior to the conflict,” Barak
reportedly said, adding, “conformity between the Lebanese state and Hizballah,
will subject Lebanon and its infrastructure to a much heavier strike than the
past, in case confrontation erupts.”
An unfortunate reality for the Lebanese people, particularly the pro-democracy
majority in that country which has struggled almost to no avail against the
increasing power and influence of Hizballah (the Iranian-Syrian supported group
continues to gain strategic power and political leverage through physical force
– real and threatened – corrupt politicians, and the infiltration and coercion
of some Lebanese and foreign media.).
Naharnet adds: “al-Arabiya stated earlier that Hizballah trained its elements on
rapid deployment north and south of the Litani River without arms at mountain
regions.”
Though not yet verified beyond open sources, Hizballah military exercises north
and south of the Litani would not surprise me in the least.
We’ve been reporting this kind of activity for well-over a year (despite
vigorous attempts to stop us), and our reports have time-and-again been verified
by independent non-media sources, international counterterrorism experts, and –
in the worst cases – when the exact predictions stemming from our reports were
realized through the bloody offensive operations of Hizballah (as we saw in the
attacks of May 2008).
Unfortunately, America and the West continues to put its head in the sand
regarding our crucial Lebanese front in the broader war on terror.
Meanwhile, America continues to send $ millions in military aid to the Lebanese
army and national police. We know where that money originates – the American
taxpayer. Where it ends up is not quite as clear.
What we do know is that illegitimate Hizballah has become an inextricable
component – a “resistance” corps if you will – of the legitimate Lebanese army.
An estimated one-billion dollars annually from Iran continues to enrich
Hizballah’s coffers. Lebanese Pres. Michel Sleiman – the pro-Syrian, pro-Hizballah
former commander-in-chief of Lebanon’s armed forces – continues cozying up to
Iranian Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The terrorist group which our own Homeland
Security chief says “makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team” continues to
strengthen its defenses and expand its reach.
And we’re just sitting on our hands, kind of half-heartedly monitoring the whole
thing … hoping things will get better.
Lebanon’s Sleiman schmoozing with Ahmadinejad
By:Maj. W. Thomas
Smith Jr.
International Analyst Network
25 Nov 2008
Following a recent lecture I gave to a group of extremely bright, young U.S.
Navy and Marine Corps officer candidates, I was asked why the Shia terrorist
group Hizballah—being the global threat it is—rarely headlines any major daily
newspaper in the mainstream media.
It was an excellent question, one I am often asked, and one which I am unable to
adequately answer: After all, Hizballah is perhaps the most dangerous terrorist
army in the world. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff once said, Hizballah
“makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team.”
So why isn’t wartime America being adequately informed and educated in this
regard?
I won’t begin to guess beyond the insanity of political correctness or who knows
what. But I will say that this lack of information has served as an enabler of
Hizballah and its Iranian-Syrian overlords. It has bought time for the
Iranian-Syrian-Hizballah axis. It has seriously undermined the majority
pro-democracy movement in Lebanon (including the brave resistance against
Hizballah), and it has utterly failed the American taxpayer.
Case in point, the recent granting of tens-of-millions of dollars (on top of
hundreds-of-millions over several years) worth of U.S. military aid to Lebanese
Pres. Michel Sleiman’s army: an army that Sleiman has refused to commit to
action against Iranian-Syrian-supported Hizballah, even when Hizballah was
killing Lebanese civilians during a series of axis-engineered attacks against
the Lebanese government in May 2008.
Sleiman, then-commander of the armed forces (and with some strong personal
connections to terrorist-sponsoring Syria), was quickly dubbed president when a
deal was cut by the Arab League to persuade Hizballah to stop killing albeit
temporarily.
The most bizarre thing of it all was that Sleiman’s ascension to the
presidential palace was praised by our own State Department, and the U.S.
government even upped the money.
Then lo’ and behold, we learned that the money was going to an army (already
Hizballah-infiltrated) that now officially considered Hizballah a legitimate arm
of the Lebanese Defense apparatus.
Was the American taxpayer aware of this? Nope. But he continued to pay for it.
Now comes the latest looniness: Weeks after Sleiman – still accepting our money
and during a grand American tour in which he was graciously entertained by the
White House – began criticizing our defensive raid from Iraq into Syria, this
man has again slapped us in the face.
This week, Sleiman is in Iran embracing and generally palling around with
Mahmoud Wipe-Israel-off-the-face-of-the-Earth Ahmadinejad, the president of
Hizballah’s primary benefactor.
According to Naharnet: “‘We are grateful that the Islamic Republic of Iran has
always stood by the Lebanese people and government,’ IRNA [the Iranian News
Agency] quoted Sleiman as saying.”
The Gulf Times reports: “A Lebanese government official said on Sunday that
talks with Iranian officials will include efforts to forge a ‘national defense
strategy’ for Lebanon, where Hizbullah’s arsenal remains a thorny issue.“
And the Lebanon Daily Star reports: “The London-based Arab daily Al-Hayat said
in its Sunday edition that Tehran was planning on providing the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) with heavy weapons, including missiles.”
Yet we’re still sending Sleiman’s army millions of dollars.
The American people are still clueless.
The future military leaders of America are still asking “why?”
And frankly I still don’t have an answer.