LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
April 15/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10,11-18. I am the
good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man,
who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and
leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is
because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I
know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep
that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my
voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves
me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it
from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to
take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
33 years after the Civil War started, Lebanon is
still wasting its time-The Daily Star 14/04/08
Major cracks threaten the future of Aoun's empire-By:
By Hanin Ghaddar.Ya Libnan 14/04/08
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 14/08
Both smiles and frowns greet Livni in Qatar-AFP
Carter kicks off Mideast trip, defends plans to meet
Hamas-AFP
Maronite patriarch laments 'disintegration of the
homeland-Daily
Star
Berri says foreign mediators can't replace
Lebanese in ending crisis-Daily
Star
Siniora urges Lebanese to avoid repeating past
mistakes-Daily
Star
Kanaan says Lebanon 'hostage' to US-Syria spat-Daily
Star
Wahhab claims Saudi suicide bomber killed Hariri-Daily
Star
March 14 Forces opens workshop to address Taif-Daily
Star
Mikati hosts conference to promote centrist
politics-Daily
Star
Did the UN's litany of euphemisms kill the 'Cedar
Revolution' martyrs?-Daily
Star
UNIFIL completes construction of Ghajar border
fence-Daily
Star
Israel fears Iran will start sending weapons to
Hizbullah by sea-Daily
Star
International lobby asks US to elevate Lebanon's
grade on intellectual property-Daily
Star
Red Cross outlines activities ranging from
visiting detainees to help on water projects-Daily
Star
Civil War march brings broad mix out to say, we
need peace-Daily
Star
'Muslims and Christians are not divided like
before-Daily
Star
Hundreds march through Beirut to recall start of
Civil War 33 years ago-AFP
Loyalist camp completes romp as architects,
engineers vote-Daily
Star
Traffic accident in Bekaa kills one, injures eight-Daily
Star
Lebanese delegation meets with major Paris III
donors-Daily
Star
McCain Reportedly Pledges to Drive Hizbullah Out of Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanon marks civil war amid new tensions-AFP
Mughnieyh's Death Mystery Deepens-The Media Line
Israeli leaders give Carter cold shoulder over plans to meet Hamas ...International
Herald Tribune
Carter comes to Israel on peace mission, but finds himself shunned-International
Herald Tribune,
'Iran knows it can't destroy Israel'-Jerusalem
Post, Israel
Livni heads for Qatar to promote normalized ties with Arab states-Ha'aretz, Israel
Israel urges former US president Carter not to meet Hamas chief-AFP
McCain Reportedly
Pledges to Drive Hizbullah Out of Lebanon-Naharnet
Berri: I'm Referee in
Dialogue and Opposition Member Otherwise-Naharnet
Nicola Claims Some Majority MPs to Join
Aoun-Naharnet
Officials from Iraq's neighbors begin 2-day security meeting in Syria-International
Herald Tribune
Egypt already understands-Ha'aretz
Israel fears Iran may ship Hezbollah arms via Beirut port-Ha'aretz
Al Qaeda to Iran-Khaleej Times
Hezbollah MP: UN partial to Israel-PRESS TV
Jordan's king sees regional perils for Lebanon's crisis - Summary-Earthtimes
Hizbullah militants regroup amid war jitters-Christian Science
Monitor
'Land inseparable part of Syria talks'-Jerusalem Post
Maronite patriarch laments
'disintegration of the homeland'
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Monday, April 14, 2008
BKIRKI: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir said on Sunday that some
Lebanese were willing to sell the interests of their country, adding that "money
evaporates while the nation survives." In his weekly Sunday mass at the Notre
Dame Church in Bkirki, Sfeir said Lebanon was witnessing "the disintegration of
the homeland." "The government is truncated and the lawmakers do not meet, and
this means that we will see them move down the road toward collapse," he added.
"This scene does not encourage us to do the impossible to save the country,
which is threatened by imminent dangers," the prelate said.
"We ask God to inspire us for the salvation of our nation and our own
salvation," Sfeir added. On Friday, Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad
Hussein Fadlallah said that the Lebanese political crisis remains at a
standstill despite widespread talk among both the opposition and pro-government
alliances of commitment to the Arab initiative, which he said was "a point of
contestation." "Even some of the larger countries now ... have no problem
freezing the presidential issue, to ensure the government remains in power,"
Fadlallah said during his weekly sermon at the Imam al-Hasanayn Mosque in Haret
Hreik.
Fadlallah said Arab nations are divided on the Lebanese issue and noted that the
proposal for an Arab foreign ministers meeting to discuss Lebanon had no effect
on Syrian-Lebanese relations. "The language of incriminatory enmity is not the
language of friendship and openness," he added. The Arab initiative to solve the
political deadlock calls for the immediate election of the head of the Lebanese
Armed Forces, General Michel Suleiman, as the new president, the formation of a
national unity government and the drafting of a new electoral law
Carter kicks off Mideast trip, defends plans to meet Hamas
By Agence France Presse (AFP) -Monday, April 14, 2008
Ron Bousso-Agence France Presse
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Former US President Jimmy Carter on Sunday defended his plan
to meet with Hamas leaders as he kicked off a trip to the Middle East, amid
criticism from Washington and Israel. Carter, who reportedly plans to meet
exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Syria, said he viewed Hamas' inclusion in
peace talks as "very important" and stressed he was not traveling as an official
US negotiator.
"It's very important that at least someone meet with the Hamas leaders to
express their views, to ascertain what flexibility they have, to try to induce
them to stop all attacks against innocent civilians in Israel and to cooperate
with e Fatah as a group that unites the Palestinians," Carter told ABC news.
"There's no doubt in anyone's mind that if Israel is ever going to find peace
with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, the
Palestinians, Hamas will have to be included in the process," he said in the
interview aired Sunday. Carter arrived in Israel Sunday and held talks with
President Shimon Peres in Occupied Jerusalem before meeting the parents of an
Israeli soldier captured in June 2006 by Gaza militants and still held by Hamas.
Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement have been holding secret, indirect
negotiations to secure the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit as part of a
prisoner exchange deal. "Mr. Carter promised me that he will travel to Damascus
to meet Meshaal and do all he can to secure my son's release in a prisoner
exchange," his father Noam Shalit told AFP. Carter's "study mission," which runs
until April 21, will also take him to the Occupied West Bank, Egypt, Syria,
Saudi Arabia and Jordan, his Atlanta-based Carter Center said.
Reports that Carter plans to hold talks with Meshaal in Damascus sparked a furor
in the US.
"I've not confirmed our itinerary yet for the Syrian visit, but it's likely that
I will be meeting with the Hamas leaders," Carter said in the interview.
Israel urged the US ex-president not to meet Meshaal. "Such a meeting would be
all the more shameful as Jimmy Carter symbolizes peace," senior Defense Ministry
official Amos Gilad told Army Radio. He was referring to Carter's role as the
architect of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty and his Nobel Peace Prize in
2002.
"Meeting with Hamas' leaders would show support for this [group] without the
minimal conditions set by the international community for such a dialogue,
namely a recognition of Israel's right to exist and the accords reached in the
past with the Palestinians," Gilad said. Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza
Strip last June after Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
refused to accept the results of democratic elections, is considered a terrorist
organization by Israel and much of the West. However, the 83-year-old Carter
stressed in the ABC interview that he was not traveling in any official
capacity. "I'm not going as a mediator or a negotiator," he said. "I've been
meeting with Hamas leaders for years."
Carter said his most recent talks came after Hamas' win in the 2006
parliamentary elections. At that time, he said Hamas expressed willingness to
declare a cease-fire in Gaza and the West Bank and allow Abbas to negotiate on
behalf of all Palestinians. "I intend to find out if these are their prevailing
thoughts now," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared to shun Carter, as the two were not
scheduled to meet during his four-day visit to the region.
"Carter is going to visit places we do not wish to associate ourselves with," a
senior official told AFP. "He also never made an official request to meet Olmert
March 14 Forces opens workshop to address Taif
By Hussein Abdallah -Daily Star staff
Monday, April 14, 2008
BEIRUT: The pro-government March 14 Forces launched a workshop on Sunday,
addressing the issue of "the Taif Accord and the conditions of building a modern
state in Lebanon." The workshop is the first among several that resulted from
the March 14 Forces' first convention last month.
March 14 Forces member and former MP Fares Soueid said the workshop discussed
the camp's political declaration, which was announced during last month's
convention. "The declaration was subject to some criticism from within the March
14 camp and this is only normal as we said from day one that the political
declaration was open to discussion," Soueid said. The former lawmaker added that
the criticism focused on two issues; the idea brought up by the declaration
about the existence of two different cultures in Lebanon, as well as the issue
of the alleged Israeli-Iranian hidden alliance, as stated in the declaration.
Soueid explained that the March 14 Forces were told that speaking of two
cultures in Lebanon implied that it was impossible for the feuding parties to
reach a settlement. He did not elaborate on the Israeli-Iranian issue. Soueid's
statement was followed by a closed meeting that focused on the workshop's main
subject of discussion. Other than Soueid, the workshop was also attended by
March 14 lawmakers Samir Franjieh and Mustafa Allouch.
Other workshops will touch on Lebanese-Syrian relations, Lebanese-Iranian
relations, Lebanese-Palestinian relations, Lebanon's international relations,
the international tribunal, the Lebanese economy, and other issues. The
pro-government coalition's first convention, which was aimed at bringing the
different March 14 parties together over a political platform, was held on March
14, 2008. The political declaration, released during the convention, outlined
the March 14 Forces' vision for inter-Lebanese relations as well as Lebanon's
relations with the Arab and international community
Berri says foreign mediators can't replace Lebanese in
ending crisis
Speaker reiterates call for dialogue ahead of april 22 vote
By Hussein Abdallah -Daily Star staff
Monday, April 14, 2008
BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said after meeting Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Sunday that rival Lebanese parties must play a leading
role in resolving their country's protracted political crisis. "Egypt, Syria and
Saudi Arabia can offer help, but they cannot replace or act on behalf of
Lebanese parties," Berri said. The speaker said that he briefed the Egyptian
president on his recent talks in Damascus, but denied delivering a message to
Mubarak from Syrian President Bashar Assad. Berri reiterated that his call for
national dialogue did not conflict with the three-point Arab initiative to end
the crisis. "The initiative has reached a dead end. My call for dialogue is
aimed at giving more momentum to the initiative," he said. Responding to
criticism from the ruling coalition about his "ineligibility" to call for
dialogue, Berri stressed that he is willing to act as a mediator during dialogue
sessions. "Despite being part of the opposition, I am more than willing to act
as a referee during dialogue sessions," he said. Many members of the ruling
coalition said earlier that Berri, as an opposition leader, was not capable of
sponsoring dialogue among the rival parties. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said
last week that dialogue should only be held under the auspices of a new
president.
Asked to comment on accusations about "shutting down" Parliament, Berri told
reporters that he had called Parliament to session on 17 occasions to elect a
president. "My duty is to call Parliament to session, but I cannot force the
lawmakers to attend," he said. "There is a political problem between the
opposition and the ruling coalition. All that I am trying to say is that we
should try our best to solve this problem through dialogue," he added.
"My plan is to call for holding dialogue session from April 18 to 21. If we
achieve a breakthrough, we can head to Parliament and elect a president on April
22."
Commenting on Siniora's efforts to hold an Arab foreign ministers' meeting to
discuss the strained relations between Beirut and Damascus, Berri said he
doubted that such meeting would succeed in achieving any serious results. "The
problem is that Siniora is insisting that such a meeting should take place
regardless of what can be achieved from this meeting," he said.
"Lebanon had a better chance at the recent Arab summit in Damascus, but the
Siniora government did not send a representative, not even an ambassador" he
added. Meanwhile, Siniora met Jordanian King Abdullah in Amman on Sunday. The
prime minister explained to the king that addressing the strained ties between
Beirut and Damascus is the key to solving the crisis in Lebanon, according to
the state-run National News Agency.
Siniora's visit to Jordan comes after a round of talks that he held in Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.
Siniora's Arab tour reportedly aimed at garnering support for holding an
extraordinary Arab foreign ministers meeting to discuss the strained relations
between Lebanon and Syria. Also on Sunday, Siniora addressed the Lebanese in a
letter commemorating the 33rd anniversary of Lebanon's 15-year Civil War
(1975-1990)Siniora assured the Lebanese people that Lebanon will not return to
the past years of war.
"Despite all the challenges, we will continue to protect our democracy and the
country will not diverge to war," he said. Meanwhile, French sources quoted by
the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat said that French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
was preparing to hold a ministerial meeting dedicated to showing solidarity with
the Lebanese government. The meeting, according to the sources, is expected to
include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, the United States, Russia,
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon, and Arab League chief Amr Moussa.
The sources said France believes time is not on Syria's side in Lebanon. "The
ongoing presidential vacuum is not necessarily to Syria's advantage. The Syrians
were better off when they had former President Emile Lahoud on top of the
Lebanese state," one of the sources said.
"Lahoud was playing a disruptive role, but now the presidential powers are in
hands of the Siniora government. This is good news for those who want top see a
sovereign, free and independent Lebanon," the source added, concluding that
there would be no breakthrough in Lebanon before spring 2009, when the country's
next parliamentary elections are due. Berri said earlier that the fate of the
2009 elections is at stake in the absence of an agreement among the feuding
parties on a new electoral law. Berri said last week that the opposition was
ready to drop its demand of forming a national unity government in return for
the ruling coalition's acceptance of the qada-based 1960 electoral law in the
next elections. Members of the ruling coalition said over the weekend that the
March 14 Forces were not against the 1960 law, but would prefer to amend it
Did the UN's litany of euphemisms kill the 'Cedar Revolution' martyrs?
By Talal Nizameddine -Monday, April 14, 2008
First person By Talal Nizameddin
Daniel Bellemare's first report into the Hariri assassination and the 10th by
the special United Nations Commission has in its absence of transparency and any
useful facts revealed the beastly face of hypocrisy within the world's foremost
international organization. The report continued the same pattern of calculated
vagueness established by the dubious Serge Brammertz, who was blamed for
deliberately stalling progress in the investigation and according to critics of
using the pretext of secrecy to allow time for politicians to suck the air out
of the justice balloon. All this occurred under the approving guidance of the UN
secretary general, yet surely it is a step too far to accuse the UN of not only
excessive political cynicism and expediency but of being an accessory to the
orgy of assassinations and political murders that followed Hariri's murder.
Accusations against the UN of corruption and mismanagement have become almost
typical in recent years. University textbooks typically teach undergraduate
students that its cumbersome bureaucracy, opaque administration and political
favoritism in selection of officials have for decades undermined the credibility
of the institution. Newspaper articles frequently highlight a list of scandals
such as the food for sex by aide workers in Africa reports or the oil-for-food
program that was effective during the embargo against Iraq under Saddam Hussein
that even reached the son of the then secretary general, Kofi Anan.
In Lebanon, the reputation of the UN is equally tarnished. The role of UNIFIL
until 2006, which was one of the most expensive long-term UN operations since
its inception in an unstable world, cost millions annually but was virtually
useless. The only effective peacekeeper in Lebanon's South was the fine
diplomatic and military balance between Israel and its foes in the region as
well as an international understanding to control the conflict as defined by the
1996 April Understanding following the Grapes of Wrath aggression waged by
then-Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
When the war in 2006 began UNIFIL forces were completely impotent. Moreover,
while the Lebanese side accused UNIFIL of failing to protect Lebanon adequately
and the UN in general of failing to take action in terms of resolving the Shebaa
Farms issue, the Israelis suspected some UNIFIL units of turning a blind eye to
Hizbullah activities and in some cases sympathizing with the Iranian-backed
militant group. During the 2006 war Israeli jets and artillery seemed to
deliberately target some UN outposts.
Following the war in 2006 UNIFIL was beefed up thanks to Security Council
Resolution 1701 in order to act as a buffer force between Lebanon's Litani River
and Israel's northern border. Since then, both Hizbullah and Israel both have
significantly increased their military capability under the noses of UNIFIL,
whose troop numbers currently falls below the target of 15,000 soldiers
originally set. Everyone agrees that if another war breaks out between Israel
and Hizbullah UNIFIL will be as helpless as it was before 2006. And the budget
for this futile mission? Over $713 million annually, which incidentally is seven
times the figure set aside for the Hariri tribunal in The Hague.
The comparison between an armed peacekeeping force and a legal tribunal to make
a point about funding costs may seem an odd one at first glance but while
overpaid senior UN employees ponder over the Mediterranean Sea from their
so-called offices in the ultra-luxurious Movenpick Hotel under the pretext of
working in a danger zone preparations for the Hariri tribunal have been
painfully slow and the fundraising has been agonizingly difficult. This
epitomizes the essential flaw of the UN in which its task is to keep the status
quo at any cost and shun any decisive action that might shake up the
international system, however positive that decisiveness turns out to be.
The maverick Detlev Mehlis and first investigator in the Hariri case, in his
latest public comments, proved even more why he was the antithesis of everything
UN officials represent. In his interviews with Michael Young and May Chidiac
there was an obvious tinge of bitterness and frustration at the way the
conclusions of the investigation are being so brutally manhandled by sullied
bureaucratic hands and opportunistic political masters. Mehlis presented a
number of doubts about the way the investigation was being presented such as the
use of irrelevant terminology - "person of interest," whatever that means - and
shady laboratory evidence.
But his most cutting yet lucid remarks were about the lack of democracy guiding
the philosophy of the investigation. In theory, this unique investigation is
owned by the international community as well as the Lebanese public yet in
practice it has been tucked into the inside pockets of a couple of drab and
unknown legal practitioners from Belgium and Canada. It is in fact bizarre that
in a case that could potentially change the face of the Middle East and
potentially the world in terms of democratization and international justice,
rarely has so much trust been given to so few people.
There is a still more devastating undertone to the approach by Brammertz and
Bellemare. A 10-year-old child can fathom that by refusing to name names, point
fingers and even provide a general direction of where the guilty party is
located, the suspects are allowed more time to relax, breath more easily and use
their means to change the facts and alter the circumstances. In political terms,
it is also a flashing bright orange signal that there is room for a bargain,
since no one has been named or shamed, to erase the past. In moral terms, as
Mehlis and others have implied, it is a license for the killers to kill again
and again because by naming a suspect their maneuverability becomes
automatically limited. The assumption is that Ban ki Moon, Brammertz and
Bellemare are intelligent men who understand the risks and consequences of their
strategy. In the huge bureaucratic bottomless pit that is the UN, no one but
their own private consciences can explain the motives driving their actions.
**Talal Nizameddine wrote this article for THE DAILY STAR.
'Muslims and Christians are not divided like before'
By Kenneth Changpertitum
Special to The Daily Star
Monday, April 14, 2008
BEIRUT: On the anniversary of the 1975-1990 Civil War, The Daily Star visited
Beirut's corniche to ask Lebanese citizens whether they thought a renewal of
conflict was likely. Even though the political situation in Lebanon is somewhat
tense, most of the people interviewed expressed doubts that a civil war would
reoccur. Almost everyone said they believed that ordinary Lebanese people had no
interest repeating another internal conflict.
"There wont' be a civil war, because the Lebanese took a lesson from the first
war and we know it did not have a good effect on our families," said Johnny
Asmar.
Khodor Iskandrani said he doubted a civil war would break out again because
relations among people of different religions are much different today than they
were before the Civil War. "Before there was a civil war between Muslims and
Christians, but now Muslims and Christians are friends and brothers. Muslims and
Christians are not divided like before," he added. One man, who asked not to be
identified, agreed. "Thirty years ago people did not know better, but they know
better now. If we fight now, we'll lose everything that we gained in the past
few years after the war," he said.
However, he said he doubted that Lebanon's political leaders had benefited from
the same history lessons. "Maybe if our leaders change there won't be a civil
war for sure," he added. But Jean Claude Khashan was less optimistic. "People
blindly follow their leaders, without questioning their background or that they
committed war crimes. The majority of our leaders have committed war crimes.
There will be a new civil war because our leaders commit violent acts and we
have become the victims of their acts. They put war thinking in Lebanese
minds."Hassan Salim said he believed the situation was in the hands of foreign
powers. "A civil war depends on the international situation. The way
international politics plays will determine what happens here in Lebanon."
Youssef Mahfouz agreed. "No one here wants war. All the war attitudes come from
the outside. Every day you hear how rockets and guns are imported into Lebanon.
We only need Leb-anese to control things. We need Lebanon to be independent."
Still, even with the prospects of civil war facing Lebanon, many said if
conflict happened, it would not happen for a while.
"A civil war might break out if a regional war between America, Syria, Israel
and Iran is to happen," said Sara Rahhal. "The US has enough problems in Iraq
and Afghanistan and the Lebanese are sick of war
McCain Reportedly Pledges to
Drive Hizbullah Out of Lebanon
Naharnet/Walid Maalouf, the former alternate U.S. Representative
to the United Nations, quoted democratic presidential candidate John McCain as
pledging to "drive Hizbullah out of Lebanon." The pan-Arab daily ashsharq al-Awsat
also quoted Maalouf, an American citizen of Lebanese descent, as saying
President George Bush has promised not to conclude any deals at the expense of
the international tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. The newspaper interviewed Maalouf in London on the
occasion of publishing his new book on memories in Lebanon prior to immigrating
to the United States. Maalouf said he met McCain during the latter's campaign
and he "told me in answering a question: I'll drive Hizbullah out of Lebanon."
Beirut, 13 Apr 08, 14:06
Berri: I'm Referee in Dialogue and Opposition Member
Otherwise
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Sunday Egypt, Saudi Arabia and
Syria "can help Lebanon settle its crisis, but that cannot replace the
Lebanese."
Berri made the remark to reporters after talks with Egyptian President Husni
Mubarak, during which he briefed the latter on talks he had held with Syrian
President Bashar Assad. In answering questions, Berri said he did not relay a
message from Assad to Mubarak. Mubarak, Berri said, "encourages persisting
efforts to work out a settlement to the Lebanese problem. He called for
intra-Lebanese dialogue " so that the Arab initiative could exit the blocked
tunnel in which it is trapped."
"If we elect a president we wouldn't be in need of dialogue," Berri said in
answering a question about prospects of the dialogue initiative that he plans to
launch.
"When I call for dialogue ill be a referee despite the fact that I am member of
the opposition," Berri told reporters. Beirut, 13 Apr 08, 13:39
Nicola Claims Some Majority MPs to Join Aoun
Naharnet/MP Nabil Nicola claimed Sunday that four legislators
from the majority would join the Change and Reform Bloc of Gen. Michel Aoun.
"I wouldn't embarrass the colleagues by disclosing their names," Nicola said,
adding "they belong to several areas and sects." He challenged French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner to "disclose the whereabouts of Mohammed Zuheir al-Siddiq,"
the Syrian witness into the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. The
Hariri assassination, according to Nicola, was "a prelude to something else.
Hariri was against the naturalization of Palestinians and his assassination was
a prelude to naturalizing them." Beirut, 13 Apr 08, 13:21
Livni heads for Qatar to promote normalized ties with Arab states
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was to leave for Qatar Sunday for a two-day visit
during which she is scheduled to speak at the opening of the Doha Forum on
Democracy, Development and Free Trade. In her speech, Livni is expected to call
on Arab nations to assist in the Israel-Palestinian peace process by promoting
"gradual" normalization of ties with Israel, among other things. The foreign
minister is scheduled to meet with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
al-Thani, as well as Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamed bin Jassem al-Thani.
During her meetings with senior Qatari officials, Livni is expected to discuss
the peace process, the issue of the nuclear threat posed by Iran and
Israel-Qatar diplomatic ties. Livni may also address the Qatari-based network Al
Jazeera, which Israel has accused of biased reporting on Israel's activity in
the Palestinian territories. Foreign ministers from Kuwait, the United Arab
Emirates, Oman and Bahrain are also expected to attend the Doha conference.
Israel does not maintain diplomatic relations with these countries, but it is
not yet clear whether Livni will meet with any of the foreign ministers in
attendance. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chairman of the
Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri are also expected to attend the conference.
Major cracks threaten the future of Aoun's empire
Thursday, 10 April, 2008
By Hanin Ghaddar
Elections for the Free Patriotic Movement's Central Committee have been
postponed yet again, this time from May 4 to October 26, amid a flurry of
reports in the local media that internal disputes are behind the holdup.
Although official FPM statements cited logistical and administrative reasons for
the delay, insiders, who understandably are reluctant to be named, have
privately confirmed to NOW Lebanon that the postponement is directly related to
the growing conflict between two increasingly divergent groups within the
movement: General Michel Aoun's inner circle, and others who describe themselves
as the FPM "opposition."
As a serious rift between these two sides appears ever more plausible, the
leader of the FPM, General Aoun, still seems to be in denial, refusing to see
that such clashes could be the FPM's undoing - and his own.
Splitting up
By all accounts, the lack of a coherent organizational structure is at the root
of the FPM's broader problems and not everyone is happy with the way Aoun would
like to rectify the issue. Sources close to the FPM opposition say that the
current dispute is centered on Aoun's plan to create a structure that would
allow his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil (pictured right), to become his deputy
president. Apparently, many fear that this coveted position would be given to
Bassil largely in order to keep the considerable political and financial power
it carries within Aoun's immediate family. Other leading FPM opposition figures
like Alain Aoun have voiced their objection to what they see as blatant
nepotism.
According to a formerly active FPM member who is now critical of the movement,
the FPM opposition today is not a united front, because its members have
differing agendas. "Some are seeking a better position [in the party hierarchy],
others are there to oppose the policies, and some joined to express their
resentment of Aoun's strategy of giving family members the best positions and
most power," said the source.
Retired major-general and FPM official Issam Abou Jamra, who had been mediating
between Aoun and the FPM opposition until efforts were recently called off, told
NOW Lebanon, "Bassil's name was not mentioned for the FPM deputy-president
position, nor was mine... Nothing prevents me from being a candidate for the
position."
Abou Jamra denied that Aoun has any intention of naming his son-in-law as deputy
FPM president. However, NOW Lebanon sources revealed that Abou Jamra's role as a
mediator was, in fact, largely focused on convincing Aoun to give Bassil less
power in order to assuage opposing FPM figures.
But despite the controversy provoked by FPM's chaotic, patronage-based political
structure, the source suggested that the recent flaring of tensions is more
directly related to the party's distribution of financial patronage. "The real
reason behind the explosion [of tensions] is the financial issue. The party was
assigned projects worth millions of dollars in the southern suburbs, but they
were given to Bassil and Hikmat Dib, because he is close to Hezbollah," he
added.
There are further allegations that Aoun's immediate family members are acting as
the party's bankers. "All of the party's own money, plus the recent donations
received during elections and the financial support they receive from Lebanese
expats, all of it was put in the personal accounts of Aoun and his family
members, and into institutions such as the OTV, which is also run by his other
son-in-law, Roy al-Hashem, something which had raised a lot of questions within
the party," said the source.
With so many internal grievances, many analysts believe that the FPM opposition
has a strong chance of winning the internal elections - and that is why the date
was pushed back to October. "I don't think the elections will even take place on
that date, as Aoun will use the approaching 2009 parliamentary elections as an
excuse," the source speculated.
One man show
While Aoun boasts a manifesto that fights corruption and promotes democracy,
sources explained that the General has never worked on building a party with
institutions, focusing instead on consolidating his own assets and power.
"He also has this strategy that aims at weakening those [in the party] who
become powerful, by strengthening their opponent within the party. For example,
when MP Ibrahim Kanaan's political star began to rise, Aoun worked on giving
more authority to his rival Nabil Nicolas, so that he [General Aoun] could
maintain his own control over the party," one FPM insider said.
Meanwhile, widespread dissatisfaction may suggest that Aoun's command over his
own party is waning. Sources confirmed that during the FPM meetings, opposing
voices have become more outspoken in expressing their points of view, in
contrast to the old days, when nobody dared to challenge the General.
In February 2008, Sofres Liban, a branch of the leading market research firm
Taylor Nelson Sofres, conducted a survey using a representative sample of 2,000
people in the Lebanese Christian community, aged 18 years and above. According
to the survey, 60% of the Christians now say that they never supported Aoun.
Also, 57% believe that the Change and Reform bloc is not united.
Furthermore, Aoun cannot ignore the weakening relationships between the FPM and
others in his Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, especially given that Aoun's
victories in the 2005 parliamentary elections were largely built on these
alliances. Wins in the Metn and Zahle were only possible because of the support
of Michel al-Murr and Elias Skaff, two of Aoun's most estranged allies today.
And in Kesrouan and Jbeil, Aoun won because his list was supported by George
Ifram, who conditioned his support on the addition of his son-in-law, Walid
Khoury, to that list.
The emperor has no clothes
OTV, the party's media arm, which is controlled by the Aoun family, has not
escaped the internal conflict. "OTV is a clear example of how Aoun disrespects
the institutions," an FPM source explained. "One, it belongs to family members
and allies, and not to the party itself; and two, it is run by his son-in-law.
And it's managed as Aoun's own political platform," he added. "For example, the
station cannot put Alain Aoun on air, because he is vetoed by the General."
The recent conflicts within the FPM, most visible in the repeated postponement
of party elections, have exposed Aoun's insincere views on democracy and
institution building. Instead, he seems far more concerned with keeping his
power and assets safe - and preventing a coup from within.
The FPM - long hailed by its supporters as one of Lebanon's only true political
parties - is today, quite possibly, the country's most fragile grouping. Without
a solid organizational structure, the party's ability to function is completely
dependent on Aoun, his family and few allies. Without him, many believe, the
party would fracture - or even collapse altogether - long before the 2009
parliamentary elections. This state of insecurity makes many supporters
understandably nervous.
Source: Now Lebanon
Both smiles and frowns greet Livni in Qatar
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, April 14, 2008
DOHA: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni attended the opening of a forum on
democracy in Qatar on Sunday on a rare visit to the Gulf that sparked boycotts
by other invited guests.
The leader of the gas-rich emirate which hosts US Central Command, Sheikh Hamad
bin Khalifa al-Thani, opened the three-day forum shortly after Livni was
welcomed by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr
al-Thani.
Livni did not speak to reporters but was heard chatting with the Qatari prime
minister after sitting at a dinner table at which Omani Foreign Minister Yussef
bin Alawi bin Abdullah was also seated.
"I have seven cancellations because of your arrival. Don't cause any more
problems," Hamad bin Jassem jokingly told Livni.
"We [Arabs] have to blame the Israelis, always," he added.
Livni was in Qatar to address the forum on democracy and meet leaders of the
emirate, which maintains relations not only with the Jewish state but also with
Iran.
Livni was due to address the Doha Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade
on Monday during a session on international dialogue and international peace,
but no Arab participant was listed among the speakers at the session, according
to the program released by the organizers.
Although Qatar has political contacts with Israel and hosts a commercial
interests office, Livni's presence at the forum is a rare occurrence in the Arab
world and comes amid an Israeli blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and
persistent violence between the two sides.
In October 2006, Livni shunned a conference in Doha because of the participation
of Hamas. It was not immediately clear if any figure close to the Islamist
movement which controls Gaza would participate in this year's forum. Members of
the Occupied West Bank-based government named by Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas after Hamas' seizure of Gaza last June are attending the forum.
Palestinian figures attending the forum include Jawad Naji, an adviser to Abbas'
prime minister, Salam Fayyad, and Mustafa Barghuti, secretary general of a group
called the Palestinian National Initiative. Israeli-Arab MK Ahmed al-Tibi was
also present.
"Our presence here has nothing to do with her [Livni] ... But we should not stay
away from any forum, especially in order [to lobby for] lifting the blockade
imposed on the Palestinian people," Barghuti said.
"We reject her presence in the Arab world before the [Israeli] occupation ends,"
Barghuti added.
An aide to Livni said her meetings in Doha would focus on Iran's nuclear drive.
Livni's aide said she will also discuss the situation in Syria, Lebanon and the
Gaza Strip.
The Israeli minister is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with the
Qatari leadership, "tour national sites and centers, and hold other meetings,"
her office said. - AFP