LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril
01/2010
Bible Of the
Day
John11/45-54:"Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus
did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and
told them the things which Jesus had done. 11:47 The chief priests therefore and
the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man
does many signs. 11:48 If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in
him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
11:49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to
them, “You know nothing at all, 11:50 nor do you consider that it is
advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole
nation not perish.” 11:51 Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high
priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 11:52 and
not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the
children of God who are scattered abroad. 11:53 So from that day forward they
took counsel that they might put him to death. 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no
more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the
wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples
Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special
Reports
G8
ministers step up pressure on Iran over nuclear work/AFP/March
31/10
Are
Lebanon's disappeared unequal?/By
Nadim Houry/March
31/10
Does
ElBaradei have a coherent plan?/Daily Star/March
31/10
A Free and Democratic
Syria is the Best Way to Undermine Iran/By:
Ribal Al-Assad/March
31/10
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for March 31/10
Cabinet
to form committee to deal with trash crisis/Daily
Star
Committee to submit plan for vacant state posts/Daily
Star
Sleiman:
President is a unifying force as well as decision-maker/Daily
Star
STL
interrogations of Hizbullah spurs fears of clashes/Daily
Star
Baroud
calls on voters to participate in elections/Daily
Star
EIU
forecasts 5.8 percent Lebanon GDP growth in 2010/Daily
Star
Syrian
economy escaped global recession in 2009 - Bank Audi report/Daily
Star
US warns
nationals against traveling to 'volatile' Lebanon/Daily
Star
Information society still weak in Arab states outside Gulf/Daily
Star
Adaa
announces decisions on Achrafieh development/Daily
Star
Lebanon
shows solidarity with Palestinians on Land Day/Daily
Star
LALAC
graft hotline campaign takes root/Daily
Star
Alleged
Lebanese-German CIA victim sentenced over mayor attack/Daily
Star
Jumblat Meets Assad in
Damascus/Naharnet
Bassil says he is surprised cabinet
approved annex to ISF-US cooperation agreement/Now Lebanon
Spain says it supports
presidency and Taif Accord/Now Lebanon
Kataeb
Calls on International Community to Confront Israeli Intimidation/Naharnet
Hizbullah: Media Leaks Part of Israeli War on Resistance/Naharnet
Will
Municipal Elections Be Delayed?/Naharnet
Qassem: Syrian-Palestinian
Agents Tipped Mossad to Murder Mughniyeh/Naharnet
Druze Outrage after TV
Announces it Will Air Film 'The Kite'/Naharnet
After U.S. and French
Support, Suleiman Receives Spain's Backing/Naharnet
Sfeir Meets Sison, Calls
for Release of Abbas Zaki/Naharnet
Government Loyalists,
Opposition Involved in 'Security Agreement'/Naharnet
Hariri in Rabiyeh as Aoun
Asks Why Should He Fear Municipal Elections/Naharnet
New Lebanon Travel Warning
for American Citizens/Naharnet
Alleged Lebanese-German
CIA Victim Sentenced over Mayor Attack/Naharnet
Aoun: Geagea Wasn't
Acquitted but Released on Special Pardon, Municipal Elections on May 2/Naharnet
Prisoners Stitch their Way
Out of Prison/Naharnet
Berri: Parliament Won't
Abide by Municipal Bill's Urgent Nature after Cabinet Took its Time in Debating
It/Naharnet
Baroud Officially Calls on
Voters to Participate in Municipal Elections/Naharnet
U.S. Senator Kerry to
Visit Lebanon, Syria/Naharnet
Sfeir Meets Sison, Calls for Release of Abbas Zaki
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Wednesday met with U.S.
Ambassador Michele Sison and called for the release of Fatah official Abbas Zaki,
who was arrested by Israel during a peaceful march on Palm Sunday. Zaki "is a
man of peace and love," Sfeir told his visitors in Bkirki. "That's why we hope
he would be released."
The march was organized by a Christian non-governmental organization to protest
against the restrictions of access to Jerusalem imposed on Palestinian
Christians during Palm Sunday.
Also Wednesday, Sfeir discussed latest developments with Sison. Beirut, 31 Mar
10, 11:05
Qassem: Syrian-Palestinian Agents Tipped Mossad to Murder Mughniyeh
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem unveiled that
Syrian and Palestinian nationals had provided Israel with information on
Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh before his assassination. "Investigation is
not over yet. All information confirm that Israel was behind the killing,"
Qassem told the Saudi al-Watan daily in an interview published Wednesday.
"People from different nationalities participated" in the murder in a Damascus
car bombing on Feb. 12, 2008. "There is information about Syrian and Palestinian
penetration through which Imad Mughniyeh's personality was uncovered," he said.
When asked about Israeli spy networks arrested in Lebanon in the past year,
Qassem told his interviewer that the Mossad suffered a severe blow. He denied,
however, that the cells had penetrated Hizbullah with the assassination of
Mughniyeh. "The assassination wasn't liked to the penetration of the resistance
from within its ranks. It was the result of monitoring by some groups working
for Israel," the Hizbullah deputy leader stressed. Turning to the issue of a
possible war with the Jewish state, Qassem told al-Watan that the Shiite party
was always in full readiness to confront any Israeli attack. Asked if by
readiness he meant continued rearming by Hizbullah, Qassem said: "Israel is the
one arming unimaginably. As for us, we consider that (Security Council)
resolution 1701 forbids deployment of arms in the area south of the Litani river
… We consider ourselves that we implemented the resolution."He reiterated that
Israel violates Lebanese airspace daily in contravention of 1701. Beirut, 31 Mar
10, 09:46
Hizbullah: Media Leaks Part of Israeli War on Resistance
Naharnet/Hizbullah sources stressed in remarks published Wednesday by pan-Arab
daily Asharq al-Awsat that leaks to the media were part of a new Israeli war on
the resistance.
The sources said Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, who will make a
statement in this regard later Wednesday, will not go far in criticizing the
work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Other sources, however, indicated that
Hizbullah will adopt the Syrian method in dealing with the STL in terms of
conditional cooperation and rejection to accept hearings of Hizbullah members in
the Hariri murder case if the place was not chosen by the Shiite group. Beirut,
31 Mar 10, 12:33
Will Municipal Elections Be Delayed?
Speaker Nabih Berri will separately meet Wednesday with the Parliament Bureau
and with heads of committees which are said to be crucial in terms of
determining the course of the municipal elections draft law. Conflicting
reports, however, surfaced Wednesday on whether municipal polls will be held on
time or postponed for one year. While the daily An-Nahar, citing well-informed
sources, said that municipal elections are likely to be held in a timely manner
under the current law, Al-Akhbar newspaper said that contacts over the last
hours between Hart Hreik, Rabiyeh and downtown Beirut focused on reaching an
agreement to postpone the polls for about one year. Meanwhile, Berri said in
remarks to An-Nahar that he will "listen" to the heads of the committees'
positions "in a positive spirit to find out where the debate has reached." "I
will examine all proposals and ultimately I will take the appropriate decision,"
Berri added. Beirut, 31 Mar 10, 09:09
Kataeb Calls on International Community to Confront Israeli Intimidation
Naharnet/The Phalange Party on Wednesday denounced Israeli acts of intimidation
against Christians and Muslims. In a statement issued by the party, Kataeb also
condemned Israel for preventing Christians and Muslims from practicing their
religious rites in holy places. The Phalange party urged the international
community "Arab and Western states without exception to stand united in the face
of these practices. The statement also called on the United Nations and its
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to "personally intervene to stop this assault on
freedom of expression and religious practice." It appealed to the Vatican to
urgently address this issue "in order to preserve the Christian presence in the
cradle of Christianity."
Beirut, 31 Mar 10, 13:00
Jumblat Meets Assad in Damascus
Naharnet/rogressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat met with Syrian
President Bashar Assad during a visit to Damascus on Wednesday morning, the
state-run Syrian news agency, SANA, reported. No other details were given about
the meeting at the People's Palace. Earlier this month, Jumblat called on Assad
to turn the page on the past, admitting that he had in a moment of anger said
inappropriate things. The former virulent critic of the Damascus regime admitted
to Al-Jazeera satellite TV channel in an interview that he had made
"inappropriate and unreasonable remarks about President Assad at a time of
internal tensions and extreme division within Lebanon." In a 2007 speech,
Jumblat branded Assad "the dictator of Damascus... a savage... an Israeli
product, a liar... and a criminal." During his interview with Al-Jazeera, he
said his remarks were "unworthy and unusual, unsuited to the ethics of politics
even during a quarrel." Sources close to Jumblat had told al-Akhbar daily that
the Druze leader "has confidence in the channel that is following up the issue
(the visit) in all its details," in reference to the mediation of Hizbullah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The sources denied that the PSP leader was
"annoyed by the delay in his visit to Damascus," saying there was daily contact
between Jumblat and Hizbullah officials over the issue. Sources close to the
Syrian leadership, in their turn, had confirmed that Assad's agenda for this
week does not include meetings with Arab or international officials, "which
could pave the way for setting a date for (a meeting with) Jumblat." Beirut, 31
Mar 10, 08:17
After U.S. and French Support, Suleiman Receives Spain's Backing
Spanish ambassador Juan Carlos Gavo delivered to President Michel Suleiman a
message of support from Spain and the European Union during a visit to Baabda
palace on Wednesday.
Gavo lauded the president's role in supporting security and stability in
Lebanon. Asked about Israeli threats to Lebanon, Gavo told reporters: "We always
have to take Israeli threats into consideration. However, the situation in the
south remains calm and there are no signs of another war or conflict." About the
Shebaa farms area, the ambassador said: "The issue of Shebaa farms can't be
detached from a comprehensive peace in the region." The Spanish ambassador told
An Nahar in remarks published Tuesday that he would inform Suleiman about his
country's support for his role in guaranteeing security in Lebanon and
encouraging dialogue among the Lebanese. Suleiman has already received messages
of support from U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison and French Ambassador Denis
Pietton amid a campaign targeting the Lebanese president. Beirut, 31 Mar 10,
12:31
Druze Outrage after TV Announces it Will Air Film "The Kite"
Naharnet/Soon after al-Jadid television channel announced it will air the movie
"tayyara min wara' or "The Kite" Tuesday evening, religious and political Druze
figures stepped in seeking to prevent the film from being screened, given that
it "distorts" the image of the Druze sect. Interventions reached their peak on
Monday when al-Jadid insisted to go ahead with showing the movie after the
television station was surprised by the Druze position which rejected airing of
a film that had already been screened in Lebanese cinemas as well as on Arab and
Western TV channels. Verbal warnings soon turned into action when a group of
young men, backed by clerics, surrounded the house al-Jadid Director Tahseen
Khayat in Dawhit el-Hoss, threatening to set it ablaze unless he quits airing
the movie. Meanwhile, al-Jadid TV also received threats that similar crowds
stand ready to attack the television headquarters in Beirut's Wata Musseitbeh
neighborhood in the event the film was aired. The 80-minute film, starring Ziad
Rahbani, Flavia Bechara, Julia Qassar and Alia Nimri, is written and produced by
Randa Shahal.
It tells the story of a girl named "Lamia" living in a border Druze village
separated by Israeli forces. Lamia was forced to marry a young man from a nearby
village while being in love with an Israeli solider. Progressive Socialist Party
chief MP Walid Jumblat and Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan had
urged Khayat during lengthy talks to postpone airing of the film a few days
until they are able to communicate with their bases and absorb the outburst of
anger. In a joint statement, Jumblat and Arslan said: "As a result of (video)
clips from one of the movies the (TV) station intended to broadcast that night,
we call on the station's management to understand these sensitivities and
postpone the film." Beirut, 31 Mar 10, 11:03
Hariri in Rabiyeh as Aoun Asks Why Should He Fear Municipal Elections
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met overnight with Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun where the two men reportedly discussed a "package deal" to
resolve pending issues.
Local media on Wednesday said Hariri, accompanied by his advisor Nader Hariri,
met Aoun in Rabiyeh in the presence of Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil.
Hariri had earlier Tuesday discussed municipal elections and state budget with
Speaker Nabih Berri's political aide MP Ali Hasan Khalil. The daily As-Safir
said Hariri and Aoun discussed the possibility of reaching an agreement on a
package deal to resolve pending issues as a follow-up to Hariri's meetings with
political aide to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday evening
and a second held Tuesday with Khalil, Berri's assistant. Aoun rejected
accusations by opponents on his desire to postpone municipal elections for fear
of repercussions in the Christian street. "I do not intend to boycott the
elections," Aoun said in remarks published Wednesday by As-Safir. He called on
his supporters to prepare for municipal polls and declare a state of high alert
in their ranks. Aoun ridiculed those who accuse him of wanting to delay
elections for fear of polls, saying he faced the world, so why should he fear
elections.
"I encountered during my struggle countries such as Syria and the United States
and I faced during recent parliamentary elections a broad coalition of domestic
and external forces … so why fear municipal elections? Aoun uncovered a study by
university students that showed the FPM took a lead in municipal elections where
as the Lebanese Forces fell way behind.
Beirut, 31 Mar 10, 08:17
Aoun: Geagea Wasn't Acquitted but Released on Special Pardon, Municipal
Elections on May 2
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday criticized the
government for sending representatives to the rally commemorating Lebanese
Forces' banning anniversary, saying that contradicts with the issued verdicts
"given that (LF leader Samir) Geagea was not acquitted but released on a special
pardon." After the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in
Rabiyeh, Aoun noted that the probability of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
issue turning into "a new political May 7" is related to how much the tribunal
is politicized. A well-informed source told al-Akhbar Lebanese daily in remarks
published Tuesday that the real message Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
intends to send to everyone in Lebanon and the world – in his televised
interview Wednesday -- is that "involvement in the issue of accusation against
the party will ultimately lead to a political May 7." On the other hand, Aoun
stressed that the municipal elections will be held on May 2 according to the
date defined by Interior Minister Ziad Baroud in the official Gazette, adding
that "the previous procrastination aimed at misleading people." The FPM leader
reiterated that he opposes "holding elections without reforms."
"But if the majority decided that, I won't boycott, because we have a month to
adopt the reforms and I believe that is sufficient," he added.
"Proportional representation is a reformist principle, and during municipal
elections, proportional representation provides auto-supervision and prevents
one group's acquisition of all seats in the municipal council."
Aoun added that some parties are trying to avoid the unified preprinted ballot
paper because it prevents manipulation attempts. "The procrastination that
happened and the waste of time teach us not to place our confidence in anyone
and I demand to put the draft law to the vote of parliament's general assembly
for approval," he said. Beirut, 30 Mar 10, 20:43
Government Loyalists, Opposition Involved in 'Security Agreement'
Naharnet/Mustaqbal MP Hadi Hobeish presented during a meeting of the
parliamentary Media and Communications Committee documents stating that the
current government, which includes both majority and opposition figures, agreed
to the terms of the U.S. grant to Internal Security Forces during a Cabinet
session held Jan. 13, 2010. The Media and Communications Committee has been
holding meetings to discuss the controversial issue of the so-called U.S.
"Security Agreement" to see whether the deal was concluded in conformity with
the Lebanese Constitution. According to An-Nahar newspaper, committee members
were surprised by the emergence of the documents. It said head of the Committee,
Hizbullah MP Hasan Fadlallah, asked Hobeish to photocopy the documents and
distribute them among the conferees. This was done. "Hobeish is 100 percent
right," MP Emile Rahmeh shouted. MPs Nabil Nicola and Ali Hasan Khalil
agreed. Fadlallah, however, said the government, whether headed by Prime
Minister Fouad Saniora or PM Saad Hariri, is not targeted. The issue focuses on
the right the current government, but falls under the right of the House of
Representatives. Parliamentary sources told As-Safir newspaper in remarks
published Wednesday that the Committee is likely to issue recommendations at the
end of an upcoming meeting based on the conclusions of the debate to be
forwarded to the Speaker Nabih Berri with the possibility of referring it to
Cabinet for final approval. Beirut, 31 Mar 10, 10:11
G8 ministers step up pressure on Iran over nuclear work
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Michel Comte/Agence France Presse
GATINEAU, Canada: Group of Eight foreign ministers stepped up pressure on Iran
Tuesday to abandon its suspect nuclear enrichment program or face new sanctions
as they held key talks here. “We urge a heightened focus and a stronger
coordinated action including sanctions if necessary on the Iranian regime,”
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said to the G8 ministers. “Tehran must
halt its nuclear enrichment activities and engage in peaceful dialogue,” he told
the second day of talks focused on global security.
Ministers from the Group of Eight of most developed nations – Britain, Canada,
Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States – agreed on the need
for further punitive measures against the Islamic Republic. But they remained
divided over the sort and force of sanctions, according to a US official. Iran
has already had three sets of UN measures imposed on it for its continued
refusal to rein in its nuclear program.
“There is much at stake,” Harper warned, amid Western fears that Tehran is
trying to develop a nuclear bomb – charges which Iran hotly denies.
“If nuclear proliferation leads to the use of nuclear weapons, whether by states
or non-state the actors, then no matter where the bombs are set off, the
catastrophe will be felt around the world.” US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton affirmed late Monday that China would participate in Iranian sanctions
talks.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said after a G8 working dinner on
Monday that he still held out hope for negotiations with Iran, but echoed
Japanese Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya’s fears that “time was running out.”On
the second day of talks just outside the Canadian capital Ottawa, G8 ministers
were also to discuss an upcoming review of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT) at a New York conference in May and a nuclear security summit in
Washington next month. Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said last week
that the NPT treaty was under pressure because of the actions of countries like
Iran and North Korea. But Friday’s agreement between Moscow and Washington to
further reduce their nuclear arsenals “should give us all hope that the future
need not be an inevitable descent toward darkness,” Harper commented on Tuesday.
The G8 ministers conference sets the stage for G8 and G20 leaders’ summits in
Muskoka, Ontario and Toronto in June. Foreign ministers also touched on
strategies for attacking the roots of unrest, cracking down on militant bases in
Yemen and elsewhere, aid for quake-hit Haiti, and tensions in Bosnia and South
America. Late Monday, Cannon announced an initiative to bolster economic
activity in depressed regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, building
infrastructure, creating jobs and boosting trade between the two countries.The
plan was developed in consultation with the governments of Afghanistan and
Pakistan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
“All of us have invested heavily, and at considerable cost in lives, in helping
Afghanistan to build a peaceful and stable state that will never again be a
haven for terrorists,” Harper noted.
He and G8 foreign ministers called on Kabul to “assume greater responsibility
for its own security,” as well as live up to its promises to provide “good
governance” and “basic services” to its population.
Alleged Lebanese-German CIA victim sentenced over mayor attack
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
MEMMINGEN: A Lebanese-German man whose claims he was kidnapped and tortured by
CIA agents reached top political levels was sentenced to two years in prison on
Tuesday for attacking the mayor of his home town. A state court in the Bavarian
city of Memmingen convicted Khaled Masri, 46, of bodily harm for the attack last
September on Neu-Ulm Mayor Gerold Noerenberg, who suffered a broken finger and
an eye injury. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Washington admitted
making a mistake with Masri, who asserts that he was wrongly identified as an
associate of the September 11, 2001, hijackers and was kidnapped while trying to
enter Macedonia on New Year’s Eve 2003.
A German of Lebanese descent, he says he was flown to a CIA-run prison known as
the “salt pit” in Afghanistan, where he was beaten and sexually abused with an
object during five months in captivity before being released in Albania in May
2004. Masri’s lawyer has argued that his client is suffering from the
aftereffects of his ordeal.
Judge Brigitte Grenzstein argued on Tuesday that his sentence couldn’t be
suspended because Masri already was on probation for a previous offense at the
time of the incident, according to the German news agency DAPD. Grenzstein said
Masri had brutally attacked someone who had done nothing to him. However, the
court also found that the attack wouldn’t have happened if not for the traumatic
effects of his alleged kidnapping. It was not clear why Masri attacked the
mayor, though Gnjidic said he viewed him as a representative of the state and
was seeking his help. In 2007, Masri was sentenced to two years’ probation for
setting a fire outside a store in Neu-Ulm after a heated argument and for
punching an official at a drivers’ testing center.
The judge rejected defense lawyer Manfred Gnjidic’s argument that the German
state had no right to convict Masri because it hadn’t helped him after his
kidnapping.
“That doesn’t give the defendant the right to commit crimes,” Grenzstein said.
Gnjidic said he would recommend to Masri that he appeal.
The Bush administration invoked the state secrets privilege in Masri’s case,
shutting him out of the US court system. The Supreme Court refused to hear his
case in 2007. – AP
Does ElBaradei have a coherent plan?
/Daily Star/Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Editorial/Mohamed ElBaradei has embarked in recent days on a campaign to press
the flesh in Egypt, trying to transpose the amorphous goodwill toward his
esteemed person into active political support for his nascent foray into the
public sphere. The manner of the Nobel laureate’s campaign – melding Friday
prayers with powwows with Coptic leaders and photo-ops with celebrities –
carries the inherent promise of an entirely new phase in Egyptian politics; we,
however, need to see more substance. To be sure, President Hosni Mubarak has
occupied his office for far too long. Even had his presidency been a beacon of
progress, his almost 30 years atop the nation is enough. The state has
calcified, and the country has lost much of its momentum. Egypt’s problems stem
partly from Mubarak’s presidential longevity, but the nation also suffers from a
host of other difficulties. Egypt continues to witness a population explosion
and a raft of economic crises – some tied to the dramatic rise in the
population. To his credit, Mubarak’s son Gamal has given an admirable and
commendable effort to demonstrate his fitness to succeed his father.
Unfortunately, his results are not enough; they do not herald reform, but rather
merely an extension of the old-school “reform” without rocking the boat of the
somnambulant state. On the other hand, ElBaradei is quite clearly presenting
himself as the harbinger of a new era. Egypt, however, is not so simple that it
can now be transformed by an outsider such as the 67-year-old former head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, however charismatic he may be. First, any
leader in Egypt requires the assent and cooperation of the military’s generals.
The military remains the country’s largest employer and the cornerstone of its
stability; its luster has also been somewhat dimmed, it should be noted, by the
limitations of the president’s inactivity.
General polls are also slated for later this year, which could alter the
political landscape modestly. ElBaradei, for his part, is also demanding changes
to the Constitution to loosen the grip of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party on
the levers of power and change restrictions on candidates for the presidency. It
remains an open question whether his proposals will be realized.
To this point we have seen ElBaradei’s courage in challenging the entrenched
structure. What we need to see next is his plan. We need to see whether he can
offer realistic prescriptions and achievable goals. Or does the shine of his new
arrival simply mask the tired party line which the world has heard from Egypt
for the last three decades? ElBaradei, having made a nice first impression, must
now reveal his platform – is he bringing only cosmetic and empty rhetoric, or
can he offer a coherent plan of feasible reform?
Are Lebanon's disappeared unequal?
By Nadim Houry
Daily Star/Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Lebanon was right to flex its (limited) diplomatic muscle last week to express
displeasure with Libya over the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr, the leading
Lebanese Shiite cleric who was last seen on a trip to Libya in 1978. In a rare
move, Lebanon’s famously divided Cabinet unanimously agreed not to send any of
its top leaders to attend the Arab League summit in Libya that took place last
weekend, and limited its representation to its Arab League ambassador.
In diplomatic speak, and particularly in a region used to kings and presidents
attending such gatherings, the low-level representation amounted to a snub.
Don’t expect Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi to forget this slight any time soon. But
whatever the possible cost of Lebanon’s actions, the government took the right
course of action by putting principle ahead of “business as usual.” The speaker
of Parliament, Nabih Berri, who succeeded Musa al-Sadr at the helm of the Amal
movement, was quick to laud the united stance of the government. “This stance,
which comes decades late, puts Lebanon on the unity road,” he declared last
Thursday.
But is Berri, or for that matter any of the other top Lebanese leaders, willing
to show unity and commit to concrete actions for Lebanon’s other disappeared –
the 17,000 estimated to have disappeared during the years of the Lebanese Civil
War and the hundreds of others who went missing in Syrian jails? The short
answer is no, and as long as that is the case, actions like last week’s decision
to give the Libya summit a pass will be interpreted through a narrow sectarian
and political lens, not as a unifying national act. A taxi driver – always a
good weather vane of public sentiment – put it bluntly last week when I asked
him about his thoughts on the decision: “[T]he Shiites succeeded in convincing
the government because they have the power these days.”
Wadad Halawani, the head of the Committee of the Kidnapped and Missing in
Lebanon, expressed her doubts about the decision when she spoke on March 21 at a
gathering of the families of the disappeared: “Isn’t it strange that Lebanon
boycotts the planned Arab League Summit in Libya because of [Libya’s]
responsibility in the disappearance of Musa al-Sadr, but Lebanon does not bother
to shed light on those who disappeared in Lebanon? Is it possible to
differentiate between one disappeared and another because of their position,
affiliation or gender?”
The sad truth is that in Lebanon not all the disappeared are equal. During the
1990s, it was popular for government officials to complain about the disappeared
in Israel, while harassing those who spoke about the disappeared in Syria. After
the Syrian Army withdrew from Lebanon in 2005, Lebanon’s new ruling coalition
embraced the cause of the disappeared in Syria, but refused to tackle the
disappeared found in Lebanon’s mass graves. Under the current national-unity
government, things look better on paper but not in practice. In its policy
statement, the government pledged to follow up on all of the disappeared, but
still discriminates in its actions.
So while Lebanon mustered the courage to stand-up to Libya symbolically over
Sadr, it is forging ahead in building better relations with Syria without
conditioning this new rapprochement on reliable information about the hundreds
who disappeared in Syrian prisons. One need not look further than the official
apathy surrounding the joint Syrian-Lebanese committee established to address
the matter – which has not produced any specific result in almost five years of
work – to see that Lebanon’s leaders are not willing to stand up to Syria on the
disappeared.
As long as Lebanon continues to play favorites with those missing, the question
of the disappeared will always be prone to politicization. The only way to build
“unity” around this issue – to use Berri’s term – is for the government to form
an independent national commission with the authority to require all official
sources, including intelligence and security agencies, to provide information
about missing individuals. The commission must also be granted the
responsibility to outline elements of a cohesive and principled foreign policy
to shed light on those who disappeared beyond Lebanon’s borders. Only then will
we know if Lebanon’s absence in Libya was a one-off decision or the harbinger of
a more principled approach.
**Nadim Houry is director of the Beirut office of Human Rights Watch. He wrote
this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.
A Free and Democratic Syria is the Best Way to Undermine Iran
By:
Ribal Al-Assad
Middle East On Line
31/03/10
Engaging with Syria is a worthwhile ambition, but it will be fruitless for as
long as the Syrian regime sees Iran as his benefactor and friend, says Ribal
Al-Assad.
Syria qualifies as an afterthought when discussing the threat of Iran. But to
dismiss this country as a minor player in the region is dangerously to
underestimate the significance of its links with Iran. At the end of February
the leaders of the Syrian and Iranian regimes met in Damascus. This display of
unity among the ‘resistance’ of the region came just as international community
was beginning to believe that the Syrian government had seen sense and was
moving away from Iran. However Syria and Iran reaffirmed their close links and
announced a new policy to waive visa requirements between their nations. Iran is
a major influencer in the Middle East. Its tentacles stretch deep into Syria,
the West Bank, Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Iran’s aim is to manipulate and
use proxy groups to exert greater influence and control in the region.
The Iranian regime, which is the leader of the ‘resistance’ has expansionist and
destabilizing tendencies. In its southwest, Iran occupies the populous, oil and
gas rich, Arab land of Al-Ahwaz. Also of its southern coast, Iran occupies three
small islands, the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which are claimed by
the United Arab Emirates. The UAE's claim is backed by the Gulf Cooperation
Council and other Arab states. Iran plays the sectarian card in creating an
impression that it is there to help Shia Arabs in the region yet it oppresses
and persecutes Shia Arabs at home in Al-Ahwaz. Furthermore it supports and arms
Al-Qaeda groups in Iraq to kill Shia Arabs. The aim of this policy is to make
Shia Arabs feel that they need Iran to protect them from Al-Qaeda.
In the last few years when Lebanon, Syria and Gaza were attacked on separate
occasions, where was Iran the leader of the ‘resistance.’ Therefore Syria should
have no illusions about the intentions of its senior partner in the‘resistance’.
It is my belief that Syria will never be in a position to distance itself from
Iran unless and until it has national unity, a democratically elected government
through free and fair elections where all political parties who believe in
democracy participate; where all citizens have full rights under the rule of
law; and where the rights of individuals, groups and minorities regardless of
religion, ethnic group or sex are protected by a new constitution.
Syria is currently an authoritarian dictatorship. Make no mistake; that is what
it is. Opposition is not tolerated, the media are censured and controlled,
political prisoners fill the jails and the internet is heavily regulated. The
Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria (ODFS) aims to campaign for
several fundamental developments; human rights guaranteed by law, a free media,
economic liberalisation, and zero tolerance of extremism.
Syria will never be free from the grip of Iran unless it embraces these
democratic principles and gives its people a voice and a stake in the future of
their country.
The people of Syria want a free economy, not one propped up by corruption and
Iranian influence. They want a democratic government, not a dictatorship. They
want to be free to express themselves and their opinions, without fear of
oppression. They want to be able to forward an email that features a cartoon of
a public official, without being thrown into prison for such actions. Engaging
with Syria is a worthwhile ambition, but it will be fruitless for as long as the
Syrian regime sees Iran as his benefactor and friend. Having set up the ODFS
here in London, my aim is to talk to politicians, policy makers and journalists
about the stark state of affairs in my home country, and to promote the basic
idea that a free and democratic Syria is not just good for my countrymen, but
good for the Middle East and vital for global security.
**Ribal Al-Assad is the Director of the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom
in Syria. He is a graduate of Boston University, USA, international campaigner
for democracy, freedom and human rights. Ribal, 34, was born in Syria and has
lived in the West since being exiled from his country as a child.
Abbas
Urged Israel to Topple Hamas in Cast Lead, Says Lieberman
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Arutz Sheva/Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas urged Israel to topple
the Hamas government in Gaza during the Operation Cast Lead campaign last year,
according to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. A former close aide to former
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confirmed Lieberman’s claim, which was rejected by
Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdainah, who told Reuters, “This is not true. It is a
continuation of the campaign of defamation ... to create an atmosphere that
would destroy any chance of salvaging the peace process.”
Although Lieberman was not a member of the Olmert government during Cast Lead,
the former Olmert official confirmed to Reuters that his account was
"essentially accurate."
Lieberman accused Abbas of duping Israel by asking the government to topple
Hamas and then alleging that Israel was guilty of ”war crimes” in the three-week
counterterrorist campaign. "A month after the operation ended, he filed a
complaint against us with the International Court of Justice at The Hague for
war crimes. Is that a partner?" Lieberman asked in an interview with a
Hebrew-language newspaper. Hamas previously has criticized Abbas for not being
more vocal against Cast Lead and for not initially backing the Goldstone Report
alleging Israel with committing war crimes. Lieberman’s comments “reaffirm the
fact that Mahmoud Abbas is no longer fit to represent our people,” said Hamas
spokesman Sami abu Zuhri. He charged that Abbas “conspired against his people
during a war.”
Congress Pressures Obama to Retreat on Jerusalem
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Arutz Sheva/Approximately 75 percent of U.S. Congress members are prepared to
sign a letter calling for an end to public criticism of Israel by the Obama
administration and to "reinforce its ties with the country," according to the
British Guardian. An open letter states, “Our view is that such differences are
best resolved quietly, in trust and confidence." The wording was suggested by
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) lobby, which is asking
Congress members to help improve relations between U.S. President Barack Obama
and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The one-year-old American government has
in effect discarded the Roadmap plan, which already had been detoured by then-U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, by mediating indirect talks between Israel
and the Palestinian Authority and gaining concessions from the Netanyahu
government without parallel steps by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, its
demands concerning Jerusalem apparently have crossed the red line for Diaspora
Jews as well as for many liberal leaders in Israel, causing a rift among the
president’s advisers. The White House on Tuesday tried to smooth over relations,
with spokesman Robert Gibbs saying he was ”puzzled" by reports that President
Obama snubbed Prime Minister Netanyahu by not holding a press conference or
providing an opportunity for a public photograph. “I’m puzzled by the notion
that somehow it’s a bad deal to get two hours with the president almost entirely
alone,” he told reporters. “That doesn’t seem like a lot of punishment to me.”
He also denied a rumor in the media that the United States was prepared to
refrain from vetoing a possible United Nations resolution against Israel’s
building for Jews in areas of Jerusalem that were restored to the Jewish State
in 1967 but are not recognized by United States as being under Israeli
sovereignty. Approximately 300,000 Jews live in the neighborhoods, which include
Ramot, French Hill and Gilo. If the report was a trial balloon, the response
appears to have let all the air out as Cabinet ministers line up behind Prime
Minister Netanyahu to refuse to agree to a temporary building freeze.
Most of President Obama’s advisers have taken a pro-Palestinian Authority stand,
backing its claims to sovereignty over part of the city. Foreign media have
reported that President Obama’s public stand against Israel, beginning with his
speech in Cairo last June that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are
“illegitimate,” has placed him out on a limb.
“The administration's credibility is at stake,”one source reportedly said