LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
August 22/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Matthew 22,1-14. Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,
The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his
son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but
they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those
invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are
killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the
invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The
rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king
was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their
city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were
invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the
streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled
with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not
dressed in a wedding garment.He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came
in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king
said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness
outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Saint Macarius (?-405), monk in Egypt
Spiritual homilies, no.15, §30-31/«Come to
the wedding feast»
In the visible world, if a very small people rise up against the king to make
war on him, the latter doesn't bother to lead the operation himself but sends
his soldiers with their captains and it is they who engage combat. But if, on
the other hand, the people who rise up against him is very powerful and capable
of ravaging his kingdom, the king feels he must undertake the campaign himself,
together with his court and army, and lead the battle. See, then, what dignity
is yours! God himself set out on campaign together with his armies, that is to
say the angels and his blessed spirits, coming to defend you himself and deliver
you from death. Take heart, then, and behold the providence of which you are the
object. Let us take another example from our present life. Imagine a king who
meets a poor, sick man and does not turn away in disgust but heals his wounds
with health-giving remedies. He takes him into his palace, clothes him in
purple, puts a diadem on him and invites him to his table. This is the way in
which Christ, the heavenly king, comes to man in his sickness, heals him and
makes him sit down at his royal table, and all this without violating his
freedom but drawing him on by persuasion to accept so high an honor. Indeed, it
is written in the Gospel how the Lord sent his servants to invite those who
should have been delighted to come, and he sent them a summons: «My dinner is
ready!» But those who had been called excused themselves... Do you see what
happened? He who sent out the call was ready, but those who were called made
off. So it is they who are responsible for their fate. This, then, is the
Christian's great dignity. See how the Lord prepares the Kingdom for him and
invites him to come in; but as for those others, they refuse to come. From the
point of view of the gift they are about to receive we could say that, if
someone were to undergo trials from the creation of Adam to the end of the
world, they would have done nothing by comparison with the glory they will
receive as an inheritance, for they must reign with Christ through endless ages.
Glory be to him who has loved that soul so much and entrusted both himself and
his grace to it! Glory be to his majesty!
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
The
battle of the two Michels has begun-Michael
Young 21/08/08
John
McCain and why to avoid making idle threats-David
Ignatius 21/08/08
Bahia Hariri has defied all of our
expectations of the current Cabinet-Daily Star 21/08/08
Sent to the long grass-Al-Ahram
Weekly 21/08/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
21/08
Najjar:
745 Lebanese Citizens Missing in Syria-Naharnet
Syria-Russian talks focus on arms-BBC
News
Diplomatic ties, new army chief top Cabinet agenda-Daily
Star
Siniora visits Baghdad, calls on
all Arab countries to embrace Iraq-Daily
Star
Aridi calls for keeping political
bickering away from Beirut's airport-Daily
Star
Ras Beirut: model of coexistence
for all of Lebanon?Daily Star
Giuliani: Obama aide's trip to Syria shows lack
of political ...Ha'aretz
'We have brought Syria to where it is'-Jerusalem
Post
Assad: Georgia Similar to Lebanon,
Damascus Ready to Discuss Deploying Russian Missile Shield-Naharnet
Australia to Block Hizbullah's Manar TV-Naharnet
The
Making of an Army Commander by Politicians-Naharnet
Analysts: Syria's
Diplomatic Recognition of Lebanon Shows Willingness to Compromise-Naharnet
Venezuela to Extradite
Lebanese Drug Suspect to Belgium-Naharnet
Geagea for Overcoming the
May Wound-Naharnet
Israel Threatens to Hit
All of Lebanon if Hizbullah Takes Over-Naharnet
Belgian Naval Vessel to
Patrol Lebanese Territorial Waters-Naharnet
Israel Warns Citizens
Against Hizbullah Abduction Attacks-Naharnet
Saniora Agrees With Iraq
on Bolstering Trade Exchanges-Naharnet
Hariri Warns Against
Fabricating Sunni-Christian Differences-Naharnet
Army to Media: Do Not
Classify Officers-Naharnet
Hizbullah Tries to Absorb
Salafi Hit Back-Naharnet
The battle of the two Michels has begun
By Michael Young -Commentary by
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Weeks ago, Michel Aoun's political adversaries were already predicting that the
general's first act once the government was formed would be to demand that the
prerogatives of the deputy prime minister be clarified. The post is
traditionally "reserved" for the Greek Orthodox community and is currently held
by Aoun's comrade Issam Abu Jamra. They sensed that Aoun would use the dispute
to yet again try to rally support among Christians by claiming to be defending
their interests against Sunni dominance - since the deputy prime minister's job
description must necessarily be elucidated at the expense of the Sunni prime
minister.
On Tuesday, this discussion took on more rarefied airs when the minister Tammam
Salam and the parliamentarian Ghassan Mukheiber of the Aoun bloc exchanged
statements on the role of Mukheiber's uncle, Albert, when he was deputy prime
minister in the 1972 government headed by Tammam Salam's father, Saeb. Mukheiber
argued that his uncle had stood in for Salam when the prime minister was abroad,
while Salam insisted this was not true. Mukheiber went on to state that now was
a good time to define the duties of the deputy prime minister, which must have
pleased Aoun while also allowing Mukheiber to score some points within his own
Greek Orthodox community.
In the midst of a hot summer, this somehow qualifies as news. Aoun has long been
a master of institutional guerilla warfare, in which he scores points by
consistently applying sectarian pin pricks. However, something may be changing.
The small-mindedness of the deputy prime minister debate may actually play to
Aoun's disfavor because it comes as the president, Michel Sleiman, is seen by
many to be filling his political space with more momentous achievements - not
least his visit to Damascus last week. In the competition over Christian
representation, Aoun's weapons are now looking less effective than Sleiman's.
A lot of this is based on perceptions, of course. Sleiman came back triumphant
from Syria, but the results of his summit with President Bashar Assad were, to
be kind, very limited. On the fate of prisoners in Syria the Lebanese got a
committee with no deadlines set for its work. On border demarcation Lebanon got
another committee, again with no deadlines set, with many people apparently
unaware that the demarcation question has been drifting from one committee to
the next for decades. On the Shebaa Farms the Lebanese adopted the Syrian
position that there could be no delineation of borders before Israel's
occupation ended, thereby leaving the geographical identity of the territory in
limbo. And before traveling to Damascus, Sleiman, through a spokesman, declared
that the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council, the starkest memento of the years of
Syrian hegemony, would not be dismantled.
What did Lebanon get in exchange? The promise of an embassy and diplomatic
recognition. That's not negligible, but we might want to look at this from
Syria's perspective. A Syrian embassy in Beirut would not be like the Kuwaiti or
even the Egyptian embassy. It would be an axis point for Syria's allies in the
country, a very useful means of allowing the Assad regime to exert its political
influence in Beirut on a day-to-day basis in a way it cannot do so today. Many
remember the considerable sway that the United Arab Republic's ambassador in
Beirut, Abdel-Hamid Ghaleb, had at the start of President Fouad Shihab's
mandate. Diplomatic recognition on its own does not guarantee respect for
Lebanese sovereignty.
Despite all this, Sleiman benefited domestically from his summit with Assad, and
came back to take in hand the volatile situation in Tripoli. The public could
not but approve, whatever the results, and Aoun is beginning to realize that he
is losing ground among his coreligionists. Nor can the general gain much anymore
by persistently baiting Fouad Siniora, when the prime minister seems to be
working so well with president. This was evident in the preparation for
Siniora's trips to Egypt and Iraq, both partly designed to help overcome the
electricity crisis. Aoun's frustration was understandable. Siniora, with
Sleiman's tacit approval, circumvented the energy minister, Alain Tabourian,
whose Tashnag Party is allied with the Aounist bloc. The president and prime
minister, each for reasons of his own, are happy to collude against Aoun. Better
still, they are playing on the recent tension between the general and Tashnag
over the fact that Aoun gave them the Energy Ministry in his quota of
ministerial portfolios, when they had asked for the social affairs portfolio
that Aoun instead reserved for Mario Aoun, a member of the Free Patriotic
Movement.
It may be a reach to suggest that Sleiman is making a bid for the Armenians at
this early stage, by showing them that they have more to gain by allying
themselves with him than with Aoun. But ultimately that may be precisely what
the president does as Michel Murr begins preparing a candidate list in the Metn,
one facet of a broader strategy by Sleiman to nibble away at Aoun's base before
parliamentary elections next year. It is known that the president wants a bloc
of his own in Parliament, and he may be able to count on assistance from Aoun's
rivals in this regard. That explains why Aoun has so fervently defended
Hizbullah lately. He needs Shiite help to win compensatory seats in the Baabda
constituency, in Jezzine, and in Zahleh. Some are suggesting Aoun also has an
eye on the Maronite seat in Baalbek-Hermel.
The elections are still a long way off, but Aoun is already entering the period
he dreaded after he was forced in Doha to accept Sleiman's election. For better
or worse the president is now the person most Maronites and Christians in
general are looking toward to defend their communal wellbeing. This is forcing
Aoun to behave recklessly, as when he tied Hizbullah's disarmament to the return
of Palestinian refugees to their homes, a position that made many in his
electorate gag. Aoun also erred in appointing his son-in-law to head the cash
cow Ministry of Telecommunications, contradicting his earlier claims to be a
different type of politician who opposed nepotism in politics.
Aoun is a cat of many political lives, so it may be unwise to write him off just
yet. But even cats need branches to sit on, and the general is finding that
these are not as numerous as they once were. He is picking secondary fights and
is now beginning to sound like a lost voice in the desert.
*Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Najjar: 745 Lebanese Citizens Missing in Syria
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Lebanon is asking for revealing
the fate of 745 citizens missing in Syria. Najjar, in a television interview,
said these citizens are divided into two main categories, convicts and kidnap
victims. The justice ministry should handle the convicts' issue, he said. Najjar,
however, did not say which department should follow up the issue of kidnap
victims. Najjar's classification is the first by a Lebanese government official
of the issue related to the fate of Lebanese citizens held in Syrian jails.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Wednesday some Lebanese citizens were
kidnapped by the Syrian army and allied militias in Lebanon.The kidnapped
citizens were taken to the neighboring country during the 30 years of Syrian
military deployment in Lebanon, Geagea added. Beirut, 21 Aug 08, 12:59
Australia to Block Hizbullah's Manar TV
Naharnet/Australia is seeking to block reception of Hizbullah's
al-Manar television in its territories, the Free Lebanon radio reported on
Thursday.
A spokesman for the Australian Communications Authority said Canberra is
concerned by "terror-related" al-Manar programs.
Al-Manar, which is beamed from a relay station in Indonesia, is popular among
Australians of Arab descent. Beirut, 21 Aug 08, 12:28
Diplomatic ties, new army chief top Cabinet agenda
LAF rejects listing of officers by political affiliation
By Hussein Abdallah -Daily Star staff
Thursday, August 21, 2008
BEIRUT: Lebanon's government will meet Thursday with two issues high on its
agenda; appointing a new Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander and issuing an
executive decree to establish diplomatic ties between Beirut and Damascus.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who visited President Michel Sleiman at the
presidential palace on Wednesday, told reporters that a new army commander was
likely to be appointed in Thursday's session. Berri added that Sleiman had the
biggest role in appointing a new army commander."The president knows all LAF
officers and what would be in the army's best interests."
Berri said that the media has recently been exaggerating when speaking about
differences on appointing a new army commander.
News reports on Wednesday said the candidates with the highest chances were
Brigadier General George Khoury (head of army intelligence) and Brigadier
General Jean Qahwaji. Asked to comment on the upcoming national dialogue to be
chaired by Sleiman, Berri said Lebanon's defense strategy was the major issue to
be discussed during dialogue sessions. "Earlier dialogue sessions dealt with
most of the disputed issues. Back then, we were left with two issues; electing a
new president and agreeing on a defense strategy," Berri said.
"We already elected a president and the defense strategy is all that is left ...
when we start discussing the defense strategy, we will definitely touch on other
related issues," he added. Sleiman has not yet set a date for the upcoming
dialogue. Berri also asked Parliament Wednesday to convene for a legislative
session on August 26. The speaker said Parliament will look into 30 draft
proposals in Tuesday's session. "Among the proposals is drafting a new electoral
law for the next parliamentary elections ... this proposal was made by MP Amin
Sherri [Hizbullah]," Berri told reporters at Baabda.
The session will be the first of its kind in almost two years. Parliament met on
two occasions since the Lebanese parties signed a pact in Doha in May to end the
country's 18-month political crisis. The first meeting was aimed at electing a
new president, while the second was aimed at granting the national unity
government a vote of confidence. Meanwhile, the LAF Command on Wednesday called
on all media to avoid classifying army officers according to alleged political
affiliations.
"Officers were only brought up on loyalty to the nation as a whole ... we will
not accept unjustified intervention in the internal affairs of the military
establishment," an army statement said. "The military should be kept away from
all forms of political disputes ... listing the names of candidates for the post
of army commander according to alleged political allegiances is a direct offense
against the army and its next commander," the statement added.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc said
Wednesday all administrative and security appointments, including choosing a new
army chief, should be done in a spirit of consensus. "Consensus should be the
guide for all such decisions," the bloc said following its weekly meeting.
Addressing Lebanese-Syrian relations, the bloc said establishing diplomatic ties
between Beirut and Damascus will enhance cooperation and coordination between
"the two brotherly states." "Both states should be aware of the dangers that
threaten their stability and should therefore work together to achieve their
common goals," the bloc added. Also on Wednesday, Future Movement leader Saad
Hariri warned against attempts to create Sunni-Christian differences and said
granting more privileges for the deputy premier had no constitutional backing.
"It is the right of any faction to demand a constitutional amendment to provide
the deputy premier with powers, but this can only be achieved through a
constitutional mechanism," Hariri said in a statement released by his press
office. The parliamentary majority leader also denounced the "ongoing campaign"
against Premier Fouad Siniora as "an attempt to fabricate differences between
Sunnis and Christians.
"It is clear to everyone that this campaign aims at taking the country to
another sectarian clash ... we care to emphasize that we would never get
involved in such a clash," Hariri said. "The parties who are proposing giving
the deputy premier more privileges want to arrive at having two prime ministers
for the same Cabinet," he added, referring to Free Patriotic Movement [FPM]
leader MP Michel Aoun, who proposed earlier this week granting the deputy prime
minister more constitutional privileges. The current deputy prime minister is
retired general Issam Abu Jamra, a former military comrade of Aoun and a senior
FPM member.
In remarks published in Lebanese As-Safir newspaper on Wednesday, Abu Jamra said
the he wanted to get himself an office at the Grand Serial in order to "keep an
eye on Siniora.""I will not accept to play a marginal role in the government,"
he said.
Assad: Georgia Similar to Lebanon, Damascus
Naharnet/Ready to Discuss Deploying Russian Missile Shield
Syria is ready to discuss deploying Iskander missile-defense systems on its
territory to strengthen the security of Moscow, which is facing in Georgia
challenges similar to what Damascus had encountered in Lebanon, President Bashar
Assad told a Russian business daily.
Assad, who arrived in Russia on a two-day working visit on Wednesday, said in an
interview with Kommersant: "Our position is that we are ready to cooperate with
Russia in any project that can strengthen its security... I think Russia really
has to think of the response it will make when it finds itself closed in a
circle."
Israeli media reported on Monday that Russia was planning to place Iskander
surface missiles in Syria and its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, in response to
a U.S. missile shield in Central Europe and U.S.-Israeli military aid to
Georgia.
When asked if Syria, a major importer of Russian arms, would agree to consider
the Russian air defense offer, Assad said: "In principle, yes. We have not yet
thought about it." He said the issue of installing Iskander missile-defense
systems had been raised by Syria several years ago.
Speaking on the recent conflict between Georgia and Russia over Georgia's
breakaway republic of South Ossetia, Assad said: "On this issue we fully support
Russia. The war, which was unleashed by Georgia, is the culmination of attempts
to encircle and isolate Russia."
Georgia launched a major offensive to seize control of South Ossetia on August
8, prompting Russia to send several hundred tanks and thousands of troops into
the region. Moscow announced the end of its operation to "force Georgia to
peace" on August 12.
"We oppose all these attempts, as we think that this is a continuation of U.S.
Cold War-era policy. What Russia has done is to defend its legitimate
interests," Assad told the newspaper. The Syrian president said that Russia is
facing a situation similar to that once faced by Syria in Lebanon.
"Georgia started the crisis, but the West is blaming Russia. Everywhere there is
total disinformation, distortion of facts, and international attempts to isolate
Russia."
In answering a question on whether Russia could become a "rogue state," Assad
said: "The resolution of the important problems in Central Asia, the Caucasus
and Europe is impossible without Russia... I think that after the crisis with
Georgia, Russia has become only stronger." "It's important that Russia takes the
position of a superpower, and then all the attempts to isolate it will fail," he
said. Beirut, 21 Aug 08, 08:08
The Making of an Army Commander by Politicians
Naharnet/Despite a call by the army command to avoid classifying
generals along political allegiances, the newspaper al-Liwaa reported Thursday
that some officers have released an alleged statement rejecting the nomination
of military intelligence director Brig. Gen. George Khoury to the post of army
commander.
The report, which was not attributed to any source, claimed the group identified
itself as "comrades of Gen. Francois al Hajj," the former chief of military
operations who was assassinated by a powerful bomb blast targeting his car in
suburban Baabda east of Beirut last December.
Press reports agreed that a cabinet meeting scheduled for later in the day
Thursday would not result in appointing a new army commander to succeed
President Michel Suleiman who had held the post before his election to the
nation's top seat. Cabinet minister Wael Abu Faour said "consensus" among the
various leaders has not been achieved on the new army commander. Beirut, 21 Aug
08, 10:41
Analysts: Syria's Diplomatic Recognition of Lebanon Shows
Willingness to Compromise
Naharnet/Syria's diplomatic recognition of Lebanon shows
President Bashar Assad is willing to make concessions and help boost stability
in the region, once he gets at least part of what he wants, analysts say -- a
lesson that could raise hopes for peace with Israel.
The opening of diplomatic ties with Lebanon, long resisted by Damascus, formally
puts to an end the question of whether Syria recognizes the independence of its
neighbor, which it dominated for decades and which many accuse it of still
trying to control.
The move doesn't end Syria's influence in Lebanon. Damascus only agreed after a
political compromise between Lebanon's feuding factions created a unity
government where Syrian ally Hizbullah has considerable weight, and after a
figure seen as relatively friendly to Syria -- Michel Suleiman -- was installed
as president. Once that was secured, Syria was willing to drop the card it long
held over Lebanon. Assad and Suleiman agreed last week to establish diplomatic
relations and to negotiate the shared border between the two countries. "It is a
message that he (Assad) desires peace and that Syria is a factor of stability
and not a threat ... It is a country that knows what it wants and goes for it,"
said Edmond Saab, An-Nahar daily's executive editor.
Assad may have intended to send a signal to Israel at a time when the two
countries are in indirect peace negotiations, mediated by Turkey. Syria demands
that Israel return the Golan Heights, seized in 1967, in return for any peace,
while Israel insists Syria must end its support for Hizbullah.
Shlomo Brom, senior researcher at the Jaffee Center at Tel Aviv University in
Israel, said Syria won't stop meddling in Lebanon, but the recognition does show
Assad "is breaking away from the traditional Syrian position that Lebanon is
part of Syria."
That in itself could help peace with Israel, said Brom, former chief of
strategic planning in the Israeli army and former government adviser on
strategic and military affairs. "It indicates that Assad can be trusted more in
negotiations because he is willing to make positive and far reaching changes,"
he said.
Even if only symbolic, Syria's recognition of Lebanon is a significant change.
The two countries became independent from French rule in the 1940s, but many in
Syria considered their smaller neighbor part of their country, torn away by
colonial map-makers. Damascus refused formal diplomatic ties ever since and
insisted the countries were "too close" to need formal relations.
Syria controlled Lebanon for nearly 30 years, starting when its troops deployed
as peacekeepers in the 1970s during the country's 15 year civil war. After the
war ended in 1990, the military presence continued -- and Syria all but directly
steered Lebanon's politics, giving its approval to presidents, prime ministers
and governments.
Its direct hold ended in 2005, when Damascus was forced to pull out its troops
amid Lebanese and international outrage over the February 2005 assassination of
former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Many in Lebanon accuse Syria in the
killing, a claim Damascus denies.
Even after a government of anti-Syrian factions led by Prime Minister Fouad
Saniora was created, the United States and Syria's opponents accuse it of
seeking to control Lebanon. Hizbullah and Saniora's backers were caught in a
power struggle that paralyzed the government, fueled sectarian tensions and
nearly tore the country apart.
Lebanon's turmoil poisoned Syria's already troubled ties with the West,
particularly the United States, which demands it end attempts to influence
Lebanon, as well as its backing of Hizbullah and other militant groups
Washington considers terrorists.
Cooperating on Lebanon has already helped break Assad's international isolation.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to visit Damascus in September.
The move also suggests Assad feels strong enough at home to make concessions.
When he came to power in 2000, he was considered a weaker figure dependent on
hardliners from the regime of his powerful father, Hafez Assad. But he has since
moved to entrench himself in power -- enough now not to fear a backlash from
internal opponents of any concessions on Lebanon.
Still, Assad faces problems at home. Last month, his top military adviser, Brig.
Gen. Mohammed Suleiman, was assassinated in the northern port city of Tartous.
His killers are not known, but the slaying has raised talk of rivalries within
the leadership. Few expect Syria to end its influence in Lebanon. Sateh
Noureddine, managing editor of the Lebanese As-Safir daily, said Syrian
interference "may even grow stronger and more organized," and lingering
bitterness from both sides can keep tensions alive. "The Syrians have not gotten
over the 30 years' experience they had here," he said, "and the Lebanese bear
resentment about that period that will take a long time to deal with."(AP)
Beirut, 21 Aug 08, 10:00
Geagea for Overcoming the May Wound
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Lebanon should
overcome the "deep wound" sustained during Hizbullah's attacks in May,
emphasizing the need to organize parliamentary elections in 2009 even if the
Shiite party maintained its weapons. Geagea, in an interview with Future
Television on Wednesday, announced that he would not be a candidate in the
general elections and said the March 14 majority alliance would enter the
competition with "one united ticket."
He backed calls for amending powers of the deputy prime minister through a
constitutional mechanism along with amending powers of the deputy house speaker.
Geagea also warned against fabricating Christian-Sunni differences and recalled
that the March 14 alliance has achieved major victories for Lebanon since it was
launched in 2005. Such victories, according to Geagea, include withdrawal of the
Syrian army, creation of the international tribunal, regaining Lebanon's
freedoms and the setting up of diplomatic ties with Syria, which is the outcome
of patriotic Lebanese struggle that started in 1920. Beirut, 21 Aug 08, 08:31
Venezuela to Extradite Lebanese Drug Suspect to Belgium
Naharnet/Venezuela's Supreme Court said Wednesday it has
authorized the extradition of a Lebanese man to Belgium, where he has been
convicted in absentia for drug trafficking and organized crime. Joseph Gerges
el-Chabab was captured June 18 in Venezuela on an Interpol arrest warrant, after
he fled Belgium, where he was tried for trafficking with cocaine in Belgium and
throughout Europe. The Supreme Court statement did not provide any date for the
extradition.(AFP) Beirut, 21 Aug 08, 08:40
Israel Warns Citizens Against Hizbullah Abduction Attacks
Naharnet/ Israel on Wednesday issued a severe warning claiming
that Hizbullah is seeking to kidnap Israelis abroad.
Israel's counter-terror bureau issued the warning at a peak traveling season for
Israelis, calling on tourists and businessmen to take special precaution in
hotels, restaurants and recreational spots. "The Hizbullah organization is
unremitting in its efforts to attack Israelis throughout the world, with its
emphasis on kidnappings," a statement said. "Avoid allowing entrance to your
hotel room or apartment by unexpected or suspicious visitors," it added.
Israelis were also urged to turn down "unexpected and alluring proposals in both
business and recreation" and to alter routines and habits.
The anti-terror bureau earlier this year had warned that Hizbullah was seeking
to target or abduct Israelis abroad following the assassination of top Hizbullah
commander Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus in February. Hizbullah has accused the
Jewish state of responsibility for Mughniyeh's assassination, something Israel
has denied. In 2000, Hizbullah snatched Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum
after luring him to the United Arab Emirates. He was released in January 2004 as
part of a prisoner exchange deal with the group.(AFP) Beirut, 20 Aug 08, 19:47
Saniora Agrees With Iraq on Bolstering Trade Exchanges
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora discussed with Iraqi
officials in Baghdad on Wednesday upgrading bilateral relations. Saniora's visit
is the first by a Lebanese government official since the overthrow of the Saddam
Hussein regime in April 2003. Saniora's trip came on the heels of a visit on
August 11 by Jordan's King Abdullah II, the first by an Arab head of state since
the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Saniora held talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
covering "the progress of Iraq, including security and the successful policies
achieved by the Iraqi government for national unity" as well as the building of
bilateral trade. Baghdad, which used to have a strong trading partnership with
Lebanon before the invasion and has huge oil reserves to offer, is eager to
rebuild relations with its neighbors after five years of persistent bloodshed.
"We welcome all Lebanese and investors in a safe environment and we will provide
Lebanon with Iraqi oil according to our agreements," Maliki told a press
briefing after the talks. "We also agreed on forming a joint Iraqi-Lebanese
group, which will put the final touches on the joint cooperation," he added. No
stranger to conflict in his own country, Saniora stressed on the need for
pan-Arab unity and cooperation.
"The message that I want to send and work out is that Arab countries have passed
through many experiences and difficulties for a long time and now we should take
the lessons from them.
"We should move beyond the troubles that happened due to the roles played by the
occupiers and some parties or people and Israel, which played a role in the
troubles we have faced," he said. He added that Lebanon was eager for closer
energy ties. "I felt from Prime Minister Maliki that there is real readiness to
give Lebanon special treatment (in oil prices), and also study all the details
about how Lebanon could cooperate with Iraq in the field of oil."Washington has
been pushing its Sunni Arab allies, notably regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia,
to send ambassadors and high-level officials to Baghdad to help shore up support
for the country's mainly Shiite leadership.
The United States also hopes these countries will offer financial support to
Iraq and counterbalance the influence of Iran, which U.S. President George Bush
has accused of meddling in Iraqi affairs. Several Sunni-ruled Arab states have
announced that they are sending ambassadors to Baghdad including Bahrain, Kuwait
and the United Arab Emirates, but only Jordan's King Abdullah has visited
Baghdad. Following the trip, Jordan appointed an ambassador to Baghdad where its
embassy has been run by a charge d'affaires since it came under deadly attack in
2003. Iraq has an embassy in Beirut, but Jawad al-Haeri, who was appointed
Lebanon's first ambassador to post-Saddam Iraq in 2006, passed away in July and
has not been replaced. Saniora is in Baghdad at the head of a delegation, which
also includes Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh. Last month, Saad Hariri, the
leader of the parliamentary majority in Lebanon and a close ally of the prime
minister, also visited Iraq.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 20 Aug 08, 19:40
Hariri Warns Against Fabricating Sunni-Christian
Differences
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri warned on
Wednesday against attempts to topple the state and its democratic system by
fabricating Sunni-Christian differences. Demands for granting the deputy prime
minister certain powers "lack constitutional backing," Hariri said in a
statement released by his press office. "It is the right of any faction to
demand a constitutional amendment to provide the deputy premier with powers, but
this can only be achieved through a constitutional mechanism," Hariri noted.
"Any Lebanese citizen can notice that the ongoing campaign against the premier
(Saniora) aims at leading the nation into … a new factional clash, which is
shameful," he added. "We would not get involved in such a clash and we would not
fall into the trap of splitting the Lebanese people," Hariri stressed. He said
the ongoing campaign also aims at creating "two cabinets within the same
government." "We urge all the Lebanese People, especially our Christian
brethren, … to be aware of the ongoing fabrication," Hariri said. Beirut, 20 Aug
08, 19:23
Hizbullah Tries to Absorb Salafi Hit Back
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Wednesday tried to absorb a hit back by the
Salafi movement, saying the abrogated understanding between the two sides was
aimed at achieving inter-Muslim unity. A Hizbullah statement said "context of
the short-lived understanding was not doubted by any honest Muslim."
Hizbullah, the statement said, "highly values the courage of Sheikh Hassan
Shahhal," the Salafi cleric who had signed the understanding on Monday and
aborted it the next day. "Hizbullah understands the circumstances and huge
pressures exerted on the brethren who had signed the understanding," the
statement concluded.
Beirut, 20 Aug 08, 17:23
Bahia Hariri has defied all of
our expectations of the current Cabinet
By The Daily Star -Thursday, August 21, 2008
Editorial
Public expectations of the current Cabinet's ability to make significant
achievements were dismally low from the moment the ministers took office. Most
citizens understood from the onset that the government will only be in office
for about nine months until the next parliamentary elections usher in a new
cabinet, and it is therefore unreasonable to assume that ministers will be able
to make major accomplishments in such a short period of time. But in a welcome
surprise, the Cabinet's only female member is giving us reason to doubt this
hasty assumption.
Education Minister Bahia Hariri announced on Wednesday that reforming her
ministry with the aim of improving the quality of schooling in the country is
one of her primary objectives. The announcement itself was nothing remarkably
new, especially since most ministers who have come and gone over the years have
promised - but seldom delivered - bold and visionary changes. What was unique
about the remarks though was the forum in which she made them: Hariri was
speaking during a meeting to which she had invited 15 former education ministers
to share their ideas about how to improve education in Lebanon. The former
ministers, who represented the full spectrum Lebanon's political affiliations,
sects and regions, shared with Hariri their informed views on everything from
reducing the harmful effects of sectarianism to boosting university enrollment.
Hariri welcomed the ministers' views and humbly voiced hope that she would be
able to benefit from their collective experience
Hariri's was the first honest effort to date to create a forum for cooperation
that puts the national interests above those of the country's multiple divided
tribes. Her initiative is also in keeping with President Michel Sleiman's call
during his inaugural address to make improving the state of education in Lebanon
a national priority. And this makes Hariri the first minister to demonstrate
willingness to work to make Sleiman's vision for the country a reality.
Although the objective of improving education is one that was prioritized by
Sleiman and is shared by many leaders, the method of creating a diverse team of
experts was 100 percent Hariri's own. As education minister, she enjoys
considerable autonomy, and is not required to work closely with the Cabinet on
every issue, let alone cooperate with her political rivals outside the
government. The fact that she did so sets her apart from the vast majority of
her peers, and goes a long way toward boosting the public confidence in the
current government.
The real test will be whether Hariri follows up on her bold initiative and
continues her effort to form broad and inclusive political partnerships aimed at
improving education in the country. It would be to everyone's advantage to join
such an effort. After all, the policies of the Education Ministry touch upon the
lives of every child in the nation, regardless of their families' sectarian or
political backgrounds. There is no better way to invest in the future of Lebanon
than to cooperate at the national level for the sake of improving education
Sent to the
long grass
By: Bassel
Oudat
Al-Ahram Weekly 21/08/08
Despite a glowing visit, Lebanon's new president will find
progress delayed on the substantive issues presented to Syria, writes Bassel
Oudat in Damascus
When Michel Suleiman finally went to Damascus he was given every sign of
cordiality a visiting dignitary could expect. Three years of acrimony seems to
have dissipated as the Syrians fawned over Lebanon's new president, making sure
he felt at home. But sweet- talking aside, Damascus wasn't ready yet to give in
to the demands of Lebanon's parliamentary majority.
Damascus, the majority claimed, ruled Lebanon by proxy from 1976, when Syrian
forces were first deployed in the country, until 2005, when they pulled out
weeks after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri. The Lebanese
majority, also known as the 14 March forces (reference to a massive
demonstration they organised on 14 March 2005), didn't spare an occasion to
malign Damascus.
Sunnis loyal to Saad Al-Hariri, Druze loyal to Walid Jumblatt, and Christians
loyal to Amin Gemayel and Samir Geagea called for Syria to draw its borders with
Lebanon, exchange ambassadors, release Lebanese detainees, and review various
bilateral agreements.
Initially, the Syrian government refused to make any substantial adjustment in
relations between the two countries. In the first few months after the Syrian
withdrawal, Syrian officials and media repeated old mantras. All is well, they
said. Syria and Lebanon are "one nation in two countries", they insisted. And,
more pointedly, "fraternal bonds" between Damascus and Beirut obviate the need
for diplomatic representation.
Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Charles Kamlah, head of the research department at
the official newspaper Tishrin, said, "for all the occasional ups and downs, no
one can deny the historic nature of the ties between Syria and Lebanon... The
two countries share the same history and geography. The two nations are bound
together by mutual interests, marriage and economic needs."
Since Muslim conquests and up to 1920, Syria and Lebanon were one country. Then
French occupation authorities decided to form Greater Lebanon, annexing four
Syrian provinces in the process. After Lebanon gained its independence, Lebanese
politicians agreed on an unwritten pact in 1943. The Sunnis gave up their
demands for unity with Syria in return for the Christians giving up their demand
for a special relationship with France. A system of factional quotas was devised
for the parliament and top government posts.
Although Lebanon became independent, its relations with Syria remained embedded
in tradition. The two countries had one customs department serving both until
1951. Other vestiges of extraordinary bonds include: citizens of both countries
need only to show an ID to move across borders back and forth -- no passports or
visas required; the borders are not entirely defined and many families own
property straddling the borders; the two countries are joined by customs
agreements and preferential trade deals; there were no embassies.
Following Al-Hariri's assassination, Lebanon's parliamentary majority put its
feet down, calling for an end to all special ties with Syria. Syria ignored them
for three years, relenting only recently and after Arab and international
pressures reached an unbearable peak. During the Union for the Mediterranean
talks in Paris in July 2008, President Bashar Al-Assad finally announced his
intention to exchange ambassadors with Lebanon. Then he invited the Lebanese
president to visit Damascus.
Although Suleiman was received with utmost courtesy, most issues Suleiman
brought to the table have been sent to committees to examine them at their
leisure. No timetable has been set for the end of the committees' work. The
Committee for the Drawing of Borders has been given a partial task. The Syrians
say that the borders at Shebaa Farms, currently under Israeli occupation, need
not be discussed until Israel pulls out. So the committee will only be looking
into borders from the north down to Shebaa Farms.
The question of missing persons on both sides has been referred to the Joint
Judicial Committee. The Lebanese say that there are more than 600 Lebanese
prisoners in Syria. The Syrians countered that there are more than 1,000 missing
Syrians in Lebanon. The missing Syrians were either in buried mass graves, were
handed to Israel or thrown in the sea, Syria's foreign minister said, pointing
the finger -- many believe -- at Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
As for existing cooperation agreements, which many Lebanese claim to be tilted
in Syria's favour, all that appears achieved is that the two countries have
agreed to reconsider these agreements "in a manner commensurate with
developments and the interests of both nations".