LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 06/2010

Bible Of the Day
Matthew 5/33-37: “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ 5:34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 5:36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one".

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Enough, already, with the Jumblatt obsession/By: Michael Young/Now Lebanon/February 05/10
The Lure of Jihadism, or "Boys Will Be Boys"/By: Raymond Ibrahim/February 05/10
What's behind renewed war jitters in Israel, Lebanon?/By: Nicholas Blanford/Christian Science Monitor/February 05/10
Iran in one year: doom, gloom, and a faint ray of hope/By: Sadegh Zibakalam/February 05/10
Peace with Syria still in Israel's sights/The Guardian/By: Ian Black/February 05/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 05/10
NOW exclusive: Hamadeh says Druze are loyal to Rafik Hariri/Now Lebanon
Allouch responds to Assad: Lebanon’s system only concerns the Lebanese/Now Lebanon
Ocean Alert resumes search operations/Now Lebanon
Sfeir: Possibilities of War Exist as Long as Hizbullah Wants to Play State Role/Naharnet
Cassese: Hariri Case Highly Complex/Naharnet
Search for Crashed Ethiopian Plane Resumes as Funeral Underway for Lebanese Victim/Naharnet
Wahab Accuses Arslan of Murder Attempt, Tells Him Gone is Era of Dinosaurs/Naharnet
Geagea: March 14 will Carry On until Cedar Revolution Goals are Achieved/Naharnet
Army, Lebanese Forces at Loggerheads Over Alleged Torture of Minor/Naharnet
Libya Expects Suleiman to Participate in Arab Summit Despite Shiite Ire/Naharnet
Moussa: Fragile Mideast Situation Could Reflect on Lebanon/Naharnet
Agreement to Stop News Leaks on Dar al-Fatwa/Naharnet
Murr Heads to Washington with Plan to Equip Lebanese Army/Naharnet
Berri-Aoun Relations Warm/Naharnet
Hariri in Vatican this Month Amid Busy Presidential Schedule/Naharnet
Australia to Investigate Manar TV/Naharnet
Assad: Civil War in Lebanon Could Start in Days unless They Change the Whole System/Naharnet
Interior Minister Withdraws Security from Justice Palaces/Naharnet
U.S. Gives $40 Million to UNRWA for Palestinians/Naharnet
South Lebanon Villagers Brace for New Israel War/Naharnet
Nasrallah Says Sheikh Majzoub Kidnapping Scenario Aimed at Stirring Strife in Lebanon/Naharnet
Sierra Leone Dumps over 7,000 Bags of Rotten Rice Imported by Lebanese/Naharnet
Senior minister: Finkelstein advised Lieberman to make Syria remarks/Ynetnews
Israeli Minister Adds Heat to Exchange With Syria/New York Times
Storm hampers plane crash search effort/Daily Star
Ex-premiers to follow up on D ar al-Fatwa reforms/Daily Star
SJU convenes first university dialogue on Civil War missing/Daily Star
Spa hopes to make Beirut's men feel like pampered kings/Daily Star
Three people face charges over Tripoli bomb scare/Daily Star
ISF members charged with assaulting l awyers/Daily Star
Social Affairs Ministry bans smoking on pre mises/Daily Star
Police round up 14 people for drug-re lated crimes/Daily Star
Bomb targets Jund al-Sham member in Taamir/Daily Star
Former Minister Asaad Diab dies a t age 72/Daily Star
Sfeir urges upgrade in teaching strateg ies/Daily Star
Harb to set up office to address migrant-worker com plaints/Daily Star
srael's threat of war tops Beirut agendas/Daily Star
Southern residents brace for new conflict with Israel/AFP
Interior Ministry readies proposal for expat vote/Daily Star

Sfeir: Possibilities of War Exist as Long as Hizbullah Wants to Play State Role
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir lamented what he called continued Syrian influence in Lebanon and said that the possibilities of war exist as long as Hizbullah wants to play the role of the state. "The side that has arms is forcing itself on others," Sfeir told al-Massira magazine in an interview. "The possibilities of war exist as long as Hizbullah wants to play the role of the state." The patriarch also rejected the presence of two armies in the country, calling "for the continuation of the struggle until the rise of the state." On relations with Damascus, Sfeir said: "The Syrians kept their influence despite their withdrawal from Lebanon as a result of the compliance of some (Lebanese) with their tutelage." He said he visited Damascus when he was still a bishop. "What has changed so that I visit Damascus today?" he wondered. "We won't visit Damascus unless we have the support of our sect," the head of the Maronite church stressed.
He told al-Massira that the situation of the country's Christians wasn't better in previous decades. "Lebanon's Christians weren't better during Turkish rule. The Turkish state was against us but we preserved our presence." "At a later stage, they (Christians) weren't in a better situation than today," the patriarch added. Asked about ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and the Feb. 14 mass rally to mark his 5th assassination anniversary, Sfeir said Hariri's death was a big loss for Lebanon. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat should "demonstrate his presence during the Feb. 14 occasion to the March 14 team and not me," he said. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 13:57

Australia to Investigate Manar TV
Naharnet/The Australian Communications and Media Authority will further investigate Hizbullah's al-Manar TV program content to ascertain its compliance with regulatory obligations relating to terrorist-related content, as well as racial vilification and hate speech, ACMA said on its website. It said ACMA is "conscious of some public concern about the content of al-Manar TV." In response to these concerns, it said, a "broad-ranging investigation" will be undertaken which would incorporate consideration of any specific complaints about content that are referred to the ACMA. Al-Manar TV is currently re-transmitted into Australia via satellite. ACMA said the investigation will examine extensive program content drawn from selected off-air recordings of al-Manar TV since December 2008 as well as certain specific content to determine compliance with applicable regulatory obligations and the provisions in the Broadcasting Services. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 09:01

Search for Crashed Ethiopian Plane Resumes as Funeral Underway for Lebanese Victim
Naharnet/Search at the site of the deadly Ethiopian plane crash resumed Friday after improvement in weather conditions as funeral plans were underway for Albert Assal after his body was handed over to his parents. The Lebanese army said the civilian vessel, Ocean Alert, which has been stranded in Beirut port due to the storm, resumed search early Friday for victims and wreckage of the Ethiopian plane crash. Stormy weather has suspended search for victims or the remains of the Boeing 737 which crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 25 just minutes after takeoff from Beirut in a fierce thunderstorm. All 90 people on board were presumed dead. Search operations were set to resume at 6 am on Friday with a new integrated Lebanese-international action plan under a "Central Operations Room" (COR) supervised by the Lebanese army, the daily As-Safir has said. It said "significant progress" has been made in terms of locating the wreckage of the plane, adding that the next step would be pulling the victims out of the water. Lebanese troops and civil defense workers were deployed along the seashore extending from Ouzai to Naameh south of Beirut in hopes of finding debris washed ashore by waves. Wednesday's storm, which is expected to last for three days, brought to a standstill diving operations. Last week, a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Ramage, detected signals from the black box at a depth of 1,500 meters. But officials described the operation as "difficult and complicated." The Lebanese government has formally asked the U.S.-based Odyssey Marine Explorations to send a submarine to help in retrieving the victims, more parts of the plane and the black box. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 11:03

Jumblat Snaps Back at Lieberman: We Are with Syrian People, Leadership Above All Else
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Friday snapped back at Israel's firebrand ultra-nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman over his recent threats to Syria and its leadership on Thursday. "In 1982, during the siege of Beirut, and amid the peak of nationwide defeat of the Lebanese, Syrians, and Palestinians, I told (late Syrian President) Hafez Assad: We are with you and with Syria, and we will resist. And today, amid the Israeli madness and rabid threats, I tell the Syrian people and leadership: We are with you above all else," Jumblat said in a statement issued by the PSP. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 15:53

Cassese: Hariri Case Highly Complex
Naharnet/The head of a U.N. probe into the murder five years ago of Lebanon's former premier Rafik Hariri said on Friday there were "no deadlines" in issuing indictments in the case, calling it highly complex. "All acts of terrorism are much more complicated than war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide," Antonio Cassese of the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon told AFP during his first visit to Beirut. "We cannot set deadlines," he added. Cassese, who arrived in Lebanon on Monday on a week-long visit, said that unlike other crimes, political assassinations were harder to crack given the layers of secrecy involved. "Terrorist acts involve secret cells. There's no clear chain of command or hierarchy," he said. "Most of the time those involved will not confess because they risk being killed by their accomplices." Cassese and his deputy, Ralph Riachy, briefed senior officials, including President Michel Suleiman, on the tribunal's progress during their visit. They did not meet Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the murdered premier, or Defense Minister Elias Murr "because of the personal link they have with cases that may fall under the tribunal's jurisdiction," Cassese's office said in a statement before his visit. Murr was also a minister in Rafik Hariri's cabinet. The Hague-based tribunal was set up by a U.N. Security Council resolution in 2007 to try suspects in the murder of Hariri, killed in a massive bomb blast on Beirut seafront in February 2005. The bombing was widely blamed on Syria although Damascus has denied any involvement. A U.N. commission of inquiry said it had found evidence to implicate Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services but there are no suspects in custody.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 13:49

Wahab Accuses Arslan of Murder Attempt, Tells Him Gone is Era of Dinosaurs
Naharnet/Former Cabinet Minister Wiam Wahab on Friday pointed a finger at Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan for the assassination attempt of one of his officials. In an interview with al-Jadid TV, Wahab said Tawheed Movement official in Shweifat survived a murder attempt on Thursday by one of Arslan's men. Describing Arslan as a "small leader," Wahab accused the Democratic Party leader in person as standing Thursday's murder attempt of Tawheed Movement official in Shweifat Munzir Jurdi. "If you please, stop provoking me," Wahab told Arslan on television. "Gone is the era of dinosaurs," he added, pointing that the murder attempt is an issue that cannot be overcome. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 12:11

Geagea: March 14 will Carry On until Cedar Revolution Goals are Achieved
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed Friday on the significance of a massive turnout to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri.
"It is essential to exert every effort toward the success of the Feb. 14 anniversary and to stress that March 14 will carry on until it achieves the last goal of the Martyrs of the Cedar Revolution,"Geagea said during a meeting of the LF in Maarab. "March 14 is not made of particular individuals or parties. It is the vision of Lebanon and a set of goals, " Geagea stressed. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 12:08

Army, Lebanese Forces at Loggerheads Over Alleged Torture of Minor
Naharnet/The Lebanese Army and Lebanese Forces are at loggerheads over accusations that soldiers tortured a minor during investigation at the defense ministry. The Army Command said in a communiqué sent to the daily An Nahar that Tony Shaaya, 14, and three others were summoned to an army base after beating students "from another confession" in December. However, they were all discharged due to their young age, the communiqué said. An Nahar daily had said in a report published Thursday that Shaaya was accompanied by his uncle to the military intelligence base in Baabda on Dec. 4 a day after soldiers informed the boy's mom of a summons against him. The uncle told An Nahar that soldiers shackled the boy and covered his head with a black bag, escorting him to the defense ministry in Yarze where he was "subjected to a humiliating treatment."The Army communiqué hinted that the Lebanese Forces was using minors to ignite security incidents. It also denied that Shaaya was taken to the defense ministry in shackles. "He wasn't even arrested. He was set free after being warned," the army told An Nahar. It said the judiciary has the final say on the issue after the LF filed a lawsuit against some army intelligence members. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 08:06

Libya Expects Suleiman to Participate in Arab Summit Despite Shiite Ire
Naharnet/The Libyan government has announced that it hasn't been officially notified about a lower level of Lebanese representation at the Arab League summit in Libya next month. Government spokesman Mohammed Baayo told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Libya was keen on making the summit a success. He added that Tripoli supported any positive Arab effort to achieve unity. "Until now, we haven't received any information if President Michel Suleiman will participate in the summit or not," Baayo told Asharq al-Awsat. Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday said that only Suleiman can decide on Lebanon's participation in the Arab summit, but stressed that he "personally" favors that Lebanon lowers its level of participation. His stance came as a result of the burning issue of imam Moussa al-Sadr's disappearance. In 1978, the Lebanese Shiite religious leader flew to Tripoli for a week of talks with Libyan officials. He was never seen or heard from again. Libyan diplomatic sources told Asharq al-Awsat that they expected Suleiman to participate in the summit "despite a campaign launched by Shiite parties in Lebanon against Libya.""Libya is keen on improving its ties with Lebanon despite some Shiite stances that oppose such relations," the sources said. Akhbar al-Yom news agency also quoted a source close to Baabda as saying that if Lebanon decided to participate in the summit, Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami would boycott the conference because he is a Shiite and is close to Berri's Amal movement. The source said that a delegation headed by the prime minister would travel to Libya if Suleiman decided not to participate in the summit.
Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 09:49

Moussa: Fragile Mideast Situation Could Reflect on Lebanon
Naharnet/Arab League chief Amr Moussa said political and security conditions in Lebanon are much better but the fragile situation in the Middle East could reflect negatively on the country.
"There is now a president, a government and parliament. The situation in this country is much better than it was two years ago even if there are still sources of concern," Moussa told An Nahar daily on the sidelines of the Global Zero conference on the elimination of nuclear weapons in Paris. The Arab League secretary-general denied he had any information about a possible Israeli aggression on Lebanon. "What's important is for the Lebanese president and prime minister to make contacts and take measures to take precautions" against any attack, Moussa said. "This doesn't mean they have confirmed news about an Israeli strike." He also warned that any aggression on Iran would burn the entire region. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 10:33

Agreement to Stop News Leaks on Dar al-Fatwa
Naharnet/In an attempt to defuse mounting tension sparked followed accusations that Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani was involved in financial mismanagement at Dar al-Fatwa, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Lebanon's former PMs agreed to stop leaks to the media on the country's highest Sunni religious authority. Hariri on Thursday brought ex-premiers Salim Hoss, Omar Karami, Najib Miqati and Fouad Saniora together in a meeting to address the row over Dar al-Fatwa. Hariri has reportedly invited the Sunni leaders to discuss the work of the committees tasked by the higher Islamic Council to look into all the projects and issues relating to Dar al-Fatwa and affiliated institutions. The Sunni leaders stressed in a statement following the meeting the importance of the committee's ongoing efforts to carry out reforms at Dar al-Fatwa. The statement, issued by Hariri's press office, said intensive efforts were underway to "follow-up on the plan that was initiated two months ago for carrying out reforms on financial, administrative, architectural, legal and religious levels, including the issues being dealt with by the media."It said a "comprehensive report" would come out soon and should reveal all the facts to the public, adding that measures will be taken to safeguard the best interests of Muslims. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 09:32

Murr Heads to Washington with Plan to Equip Lebanese Army
Naharnet/Defense Minister Elias Murr travels to Washington on Friday on the head of a military delegation for talks with Obama administration officials on military assistance to Lebanon. Murr told LBC's Kalam al-Nass talk show on Thursday that he has a plan to equip the brigades and special forces with modern weaponry based on a $400 million program.
He said Lebanon has received $740 million military assistance since 2005, with the U.S. providing $532 million of the total. Murr ruled out any possible Israeli attack on Lebanon, saying he "wasn't concerned about any (strike) during 2010" although he described Israeli threats to Lebanon as "serious." Asked about his ties with the U.S. and Hizbullah, Murr said: "Hizbullah knows that we are not allies. I am not a Washington ally either. I am a defense minister and I am concerned with the interest of Lebanon and the army." The minister also told LBC that he was against uniting Hizbullah's fighters with the army "because one will dissipate in the other." Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 11:18

Berri-Aoun Relations Warm
Naharnet/Tension between Speaker Nabih Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has eased after several weeks of verbal attacks, As Safir newspaper reported Friday. Berri and Aoun have been at loggerheads since the FPM leader criticized the speaker's suggestion to form a national committee on the abolishment of confessionalism from politics and proposal to adopt a mechanism on the appointment of state employees. Sources following up contacts between the two sides told As Safir that relations between the two men have improved after three meetings were held last week between Hizbullah leader's political adviser Hussein Khalil, Energy and Water Minister Jubran Bassil and Berri's political assistant Ali Hassan Khalil. Bassil also held a "positive meeting" with Berri in the presence of Khalil, the sources said, paving way for a visit by Khalil to Rabiyeh on Friday for talks with Aoun.
Following the meeting, Khalil said Berri's Amal movement and the FPM are in agreement over objectives and major headlines. Disagreement is only on points of view, he told reporters. As Safir's sources said Berri-Aoun relations have "warmed" and both sides have expressed readiness to enter into an open dialogue on all controversial issues. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 08:55

Hariri in Vatican this Month Amid Busy Presidential Schedule
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri traveled to Paris on a private visit Thursday as Baabda palace officials are preparing for President Michel Suleiman's visit to Cyprus next Friday.
Suleiman will also visit Moscow on Feb. 24. His trip will be preceded by a visit by a Russian economic delegation to Lebanon for talks on joint investments. Lebanese officials are also busy preparing for the visit of Spain's King Juan Carlos to Beirut next Monday. Meanwhile, informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that Hariri will travel to the Vatican on Feb. 22. The March 14 forces are holding a mass rally in Martyrs Square on Feb. 14 on the occasion of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's 5th assassination anniversary. Beirut, 05 Feb 10, 08:39

Assad: Civil War in Lebanon Could Start in Days unless They Change the Whole System
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad said that "the civil war in Lebanon could start in days," adding that "one cannot feel assured about anything in Lebanon unless they change the whole system." "It does not take weeks or months; (civil war) could start just like this," Assad said in interview with The New Yorker weekly. Assad described the current Israeli officials as "children fighting each other, messing with the country," adding "you need a special dictionary for their terms … They do not have any of the old generation who used to know what politics means, like Rabin and the others." "I have half a million Palestinians and they have been living here for three generations now. So, if you do not find a solution for them, then what peace you are talking about?" As to the stalled negotiations with Israel, Assad said: "If they say you can have the entire Golan back, we will have a peace treaty. But they cannot expect me to give them the peace they expect… You start with the land; you do not start with peace." Assad described the U.S. role as "biased" and siding "with the Israelis." "The vision does not seem to be clear on the U.S. side as to what they really want to happen in the Middle East." Assad's interviewer, Seymour Hersh, said that a Syrian official had told him last year that Syria agreed last year to renew sharing of intelligence on terrorism with the C.I.A. and with Britain's MI6, after a request from U.S. President Barack Obama that was relayed by his Middle East envoy George Mitchell. He added that the Syrian president confirmed he had agreed to do so. According to Hersh, Assad also warned Mitchell "that if nothing happens from the other side -- in terms of political progress -- we will stop." However, Hersh added that the transcript of his interview with Assad, provided by Syrian president's office, was "generally accurate" but it did not include an exchange they had about intelligence. Beirut, 04 Feb 10, 21:57

Nasrallah Says Sheikh Majzoub Kidnapping
Scenario Aimed at Stirring Strife in Lebanon
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday said that the fake kidnapping scenario of Majdel Anjar Imam Sheikh Mohammed Abdel Fatah al-Majzoub, reportedly masterminded by Majzoub himself last week, could have caused a catastrophe in Lebanon. In a televised speech on the occasion of memorial of Imam Hussein's death, Nasrallah added: "When the Sheikh was kidnapped, uproar started. Some sides were instantly accused … and very dangerous expressions were used. Then voices started to elevate, calling for responses and pushing for similar kidnapping operations until, in the end, it appeared that the Sheikh had kidnapped himself."The scheme "aimed to take agitation to its maximum, they shave Sheikh Majzoub's hair and throw him in the street to accuse certain people.""The country could have gone (to an abyss)," added Nasrallah. Hizbullah number one inquired why such a scenario would be fabricated "as we head toward a state of (internal) calm and as Israel threatens Lebanon." "Who benefits from this matter? The country had entered a state of calm after the (parliamentary) elections, and we went to dialogue and a coalition government." On the other hand, Nasrallah hailed Mustaqbal Movement's stance and its central Bekaa's area leadership and officials for "acting calmly and responsibly." He also thanked the Internal Security Forces for pursuing the case and revealing the truth. Beirut, 04 Feb 10, 22:38

What's behind renewed war jitters in Israel, Lebanon?
By Nicholas Blanford Correspondent /Daily Star
Christian Science Monitor/February 05/10
February 4, 2010/Beirut, Lebanon
A renewed flurry (outbreak) of threats and warnings between Israeli officials and the leaders of Lebanon’s militant Shiite organization Hezbollah have sparked a serious bout of war jitters on both sides of the border which are also threatening to draw in other regional players. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman publicly warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today that getting involved in a Lebanon-Israel conflict would result in the disintegration of his regime.
Israel, Hezbollah: Has deterrence worked?
.Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then sought to smooth Syria's feathers, reiterating his country's desire for restarting peace talks, tensions are running high over a possible conflict with its neighbors. Israeli leaders grumble (complain) about Hezbollah’s military build-up since their month-long war in July 2006 and warn of a massive blow against Lebanon in the event of another clash. Hezbollah’s leadership remains defiant, saying they’re ready for another confrontation and confident of victory against the Jewish state.
The saber-rattling from both sides is part of the relentless psychological war between the two bitter foes, and shows that tensions continue to exist despite the fact that the border between them has experienced its longest period of calm in more than four decades. The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, says there is no indication that another war is imminent.
“The most important part is the continued political will and commitment of the parties to maintain the cessation of hostilities,” says Milos Strugar, a senior advisor to UNIFIL. “In all our contacts with all sides this will and commitment is continually reinforced and strongly emphasized by everyone.”
Lebanon wants to preserve newfound stability
But the worries in Lebanon are heartfelt, particularly as the country is enjoying its first period of relative political stability in five years. In 2009 Lebanon received a record 1.9 million tourists, whose spending contributed about 20 percent of gross domestic product. Another calm summer could witness yet even greater numbers of tourists visiting this tiny Mediterranean country.
Ghazi Aridi, the transport minister, said recently that the atmosphere in Lebanon is similar to the period prior to Israel’s invasion in 1982 which was widely expected for months beforehand.
“Everyone has to work for enhancing national unity and preparing the ground to face any Israeli aggression,” he said in an interview with Lebanon’s Future Television.
Despite the jitters and the rhetoric from both sides of the border, neither Hezbollah nor Israel appear anxious to embark upon a new round of fighting. Analysts suggest that the spark for a new conflict could come from an incident along the border that flares out of control, such as a rocket attack into Israel. There have been seven isolated firings of short-range rockets into Israel since 2006, all of them suspected of being the work of either Al-Qaeda-affiliated factions or rogue Palestinian groups.
Another trigger factor: Iran
The other potential trigger factor is related to developments in Iran. A move by Israel or the West to attack Iranian nuclear facilities could result in a backlash along the Lebanon-Israel border, or a preemptive strike by Israel against Hezbollah. Some analysts suggest that Iranian leaders may seek to ignite a confrontation with Israel as a means of deflating mounting internal pressure against the regime in Tehran. While Hezbollah is ideologically and financially committed to Iran, the group’s leaders also are sensitive to the interests of their Lebanese Shiite support base, which is still recovering from the 2006 war and would not relish (enjoy) more destruction being visited on their families, homes and livelihoods.
Expectations of another war between Hezbollah and Israel began the moment the last one ended inconclusively in August 2006. During that month-long conflict, Hezbollah’s militants proved tougher than the ill-prepared Israeli army anticipated. Hezbollah proclaimed a “divine victory” but lost its military autonomy over the southern Lebanon border district. Israel was widely seen as having lost the war, but has benefited from a peaceful border since.
Israel, Hezbollah: Has deterrence worked?
.Since then Israel has retrained its army, developed and introduced new technology to cope with Hezbollah’s rockets and anti-tank missiles and drawn up a new strategy for dealing with its Lebanese foe.
Israeli officials have warned that in the event of another war they will treat Lebanon as their enemy rather than just Hezbollah, particularly since Hezbollah joined Lebanon’s coalition government in November, a move that has blurred the distinction between the state and the Shiite group.
“For practical reasons we cannot beat Hezbollah. We have to define Lebanon as our enemy,” says Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security advisor during the premiership of Ariel Sharon. “The Lebanese government must know that it has only two possibilities: One, to let the relative calm continue, and, two, that a war will devastate Lebanon.”
Dubbed (called) the “Dahiyah doctrine” after Hezbollah’s southern Beirut stronghold, which was heavily bombed in 2006, it calls for attacking roads, bridges and power stations as well as Lebanese army bases and population centers that support Hezbollah.
“The strategic objective in the next war is to understand that you cannot solve the problem in one step,” says Shlomo Brom, a former director of the Israeli army’s Strategic Planning Branch. “The only way of solving the problem is occupying Lebanon and kicking Hezbollah out. It is not easy and Israel is not willing to pay that price.”
The doctrine amounts to using collective punishment to discourage Lebanon’s continued tolerance of Hezbollah’s armed status.
Hezbollah's fresh battle plans
Hezbollah has prepared fresh battle plans of its own amid an unprecedented rearming, recruiting and training drive since 2006. It reportedly has 40,000 rockets now, more than double the figure prior to 2006.
Among Hezbollah’s new rocket systems is the Syrian M-600, with a longer range and more accuracy than past models, according to US and European intelligence sources. Hezbollah militants have hinted at staging cross-border raids to attack military and civilian targets. That would be unprecedented in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
“You will see next time that maybe the UN will ask us to withdraw from northern Israel rather than asking Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon,” says Abu Khalil, a 22-year Hezbollah veteran. Many Hezbollah fighters say the next conflict with Israel will lead to the destruction of the Jewish state. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, recently predicted that in the next war his group “will defeat the enemy and change the face of the region.” Still, analysts say that the stakes (bets) are so high and the level of mutual destruction so great that neither Hezbollah nor Israel are looking for another confrontation. “I don’t think Israel is willing to have a war right now and I don’t think Hezbollah is itching for a fight either,” says Timur Goksel, a former senior UNIFIL official. “Yes, Israel can trash Lebanon, but it will be very expensive for Israel too. Hezbollah will fire all over the place and there will be many more [Israeli] casualties than in 2006.”

NOW exclusive: Hamadeh says Druze are loyal to Rafik Hariri
February 5, 2010
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party MP Marwan Hamadeh said in an exclusive interview with NOW on Friday that Druze are loyal by nature, and therefore loyalty to assassinated Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is a duty in response to whether or not PSP members – who are predominantly Druze – take part in the February 14 commemoration of Rafik Hariri’s killing. He noted that Lebanese Druze were part of the Cedar Revolution’s launching. He also said that participation in the ceremony reinforces the 2009 election results and people’s commitment to constitutional institutions, freedom, democracy and Arab commitments. The commemoration is also an opportunity to show the public’s rejection to putting Lebanon’s safety and security on the line. Hamadeh touched on Syrian-Lebanese relations, saying, “If we want a balanced relationship with Damascus, we must express it on February 14.”
He also said that participating in the event is to voice support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), state-building, army control of all weapons, and restricting war and peace decisions to the state. “Everybody is welcome, but the occasion’s purpose in known,” added Hamadeh. Calm rhetoric is not synonymous with accepting the return of Syrian tutelage nor with abandoning democracy values, he said, adding the STL will issue the final verdict on the assassinations of politicians over the years.
- NOW Lebanon

Allouch responds to Assad: Lebanon’s system only concerns the Lebanese
February 5, 2010 ظIn an interview with Akhbar al-Yawm news agency on Friday, Future Movement Official Mustapha Allouch criticized Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s statement to the New Yorker magazine that Lebanon’s system needs to be changed. Lebanon’s system only concerns its citizens, Allouch said. He added that “the Lebanese have chosen the republican democratic parliamentary system, which suits their longing for freedom.” According to Allouch, it is important that the citizens of a state choose its political system. Allouch called for granting Assad a chance to explain his comments, adding that Syria’s old methods of interfering in Lebanese affairs should be completely suspended. -NOW Lebanon

Cassese calls Hariri’s case highly complex
February 5, 2010 ظNow Lebanon
President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Antonio Cassese told AFP on Friday there were no deadlines in issuing indictments in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, calling it highly complex. "All acts of terrorism are much more complicated than war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide," Cassese said.
Cassese said that the difficulty in investigating terrorist acts is due to the secret cells they involve and the absence of a clear chain of command or hierarchy.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Enough, already, with the Jumblatt obsession
By:Michael Young,/Now Lebanon
February 5, 2010
Jumblatt’s current waltz with Syria should not distract from the more important issues the country is facing. (NOW Lebanon)
Syria’s ongoing humiliation of Walid Jumblatt continues, even as the Druze leader insists that he has completed three-quarters of his road to Damascus. But as a friend of mine recently remarked, with cheerful derision, it’s the final quarter that is the longest. Last week, while on a trip to London, Jumblatt told the daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat that he would not apologize publicly if the Syrian regime demanded that of him. He made the statement to the paper’s columnist, and his Druze coreligionist, Walid Abi Mershed, amid signs that the Druze community is deeply uneasy with Jumblatt’s recent political retreats, especially his visit to the home of Wiam Wahhab in Al-Jahiliyeh.
What is it the Syrian regime is asking of Jumblatt? Apparently two things. It wants him to apologize for a comment he made to David Ignatius of the Washington Post, which Ignatius published in a column in January 2006. Replying to a question about what he wanted from the United States, the Druze leader had observed: “You came to Iraq in the name of majority rule. You can do the same thing in Syria.” Bashar al-Assad, ever sensitive to the charge that he sits atop a system of minority rule, has demanded that Jumblatt’s act of contrition be addressed to “the Syrian people”.
Jumblatt is willing to do that. More complicated is another step the Syrians want him to take, namely issuing a personal apology to Assad for a speech Jumblatt made in February 2006, in which he referred to the Syrian president as a “monkey”, a “snake” and a “crocodile”. Jumblatt had hoped that this would be resolved through a visit to Damascus by one of his representatives, and the Syrians initially agreed to such a formula. However, they later changed their mind and are now said to be insisting that the apology precede the arrival of any Jumblatt envoy.
Worse, they apparently want the apology to come out in an interview with an Al-Jazeera television interviewer whose sympathies for Hezbollah and Syria are well-known. Jumblatt is reluctant to go along with this because he may be put on the spot, but mainly because he has no desire to see his apology beamed out to the Arab world as an Al-Jazeera exclusive, on a station belonging to the leading Gulf rivals of Saudi Arabia. Jumblatt cannot afford to alienate the Saudis, which explains why he rejected a public apology to Syria via the Saudi-owned Al-Sharq al-Awsat.
How sincere is his rejection? Jumblatt acknowledges that his recent actions are unpopular among the Druze, but he will forge ahead anyway. His primary aim is to slowly prepare for the leadership accession of his son, and this he cannot do against Assad, who rules over some 100,000 Druze. Jumblatt is not about to step down – his proclamations of retiring to Normandy to write his memoirs notwithstanding – but nor can he miss the train of reconciliations between Lebanese politicians and Syria.
Jumblatt doubtless hopes that by raising the ante with Assad, he might force better terms for an eventual visit to Damascus. The Druze leader’s advisors are suggesting that Hezbollah has been tasked with bridging the gap between him and Syria. That’s doubtless true, but Jumblatt’s case is said to be in the hands of a senior Syrian official who has traditionally dealt with Shia affairs, which means that Damascus is closely monitoring, and manipulating, whatever happens. And at some stage the mortification of Walid Jumblatt may become counterproductive.
Why is that? For three reasons primarily. First, because a Jumblatt discredited among the Druze is ultimately less useful to Syria than a Jumblatt more squarely on Syria’s side. Second, because Jumblatt has the swing votes allowing him to turn March 14 from a majority in parliament and the government into a minority (even if there are those in his parliamentary bloc disinclined to follow him). And third, because every Syrian rebuttal of Jumblatt pushes him a bit closer to his partners in March 14 who insist that his groveling toward Syria has been disastrous.
Jumblatt’s desire to settle with Syria is bad news for Lebanese eroding sovereignty, and we should perhaps welcome Syrian small-mindedness toward the Druze leader. However, we have to be honest: It’s not a Jumblatt visit to Damascus that will break the back of March 14. Among those who had once opposed Syria, Saad al-Hariri remains more powerful than the Druze leader; and Hariri met with Bashar al-Assad in December to far less opprobrium than that being directed against Walid Jumblatt.
Through his visit Hariri sought to reinforce Lebanese independence, but the price we can expect to pay in exchange for his nonetheless major climb-down – particularly when it comes to abandoning the search for the assassins of Rafik al-Hariri, Samir Kassir, George Hawi, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Walid Eido, Antoine Ghanem, Wissam Eid, and all the others killed with them or in wayward bomb attacks – is far more onerous than what Jumblatt will ever have the capacity to make Lebanon pay.
Sooner or later the Syrians will reach a modus vivendi with Jumblatt, and he will have to go along. But we would be silly to imagine that this will represent an earth-shattering moment. That moment already happened at the presidential palace in Damascus two months ago when Hariri shook Assad’s hand, and somehow the Lebanese failed to notice, or pretended not to notice. If the Syrians are in no hurry to welcome Jumblatt, that should tell us something about the Druze leader’s true influence.
We should not let the Jumblatt saga detract from the real story in Lebanon today: The Syrians are back, and we seem helpless to stop them.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut.

Peace with Syria still in Israel's sights
It might be wishful thinking, but some in Israel believe the time is ripe to push for a deal with Damascus
By: Ian Black, Middle East editor guardian.co.uk,
Friday 5 February 2010 10.00
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/05/syria-israel-peace
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, was slapped down for suggesting Syria would never get back the Golan Heights.
It is hardly news that Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's rightwing foreign minister, is a bruiser who does not mince his words. But he still managed to provoke anger and dismay at home when he warned Syria's President Bashar al-Assad this week that he would see his regime collapse if he dared to attack the Jewish state.
Lieberman was accused of "playing with fire" and "fanning the flames" after Assad – no slouch either when it comes to raising the regional temperature – claimed Israel was pushing the Middle East to a new war. "Assad should know that if he attacks, he will not only lose the war," the Moldovan-born former nightclub bouncer told businessmen. "Neither he nor his family will remain in power."
Verbal spats between Damascus and Jerusalem are part of the landscape of the Middle East. Syria and Israel are at odds over Lebanon and Iran but they have not fought a fully fledged conflict since 1973 when Assad's father, Hafez, joined Egypt's Anwar Sadat in launching that year's October war. The Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967, is still a heavily fortified frontline. But it has been a quiet one for 36 years.
Lieberman's most damaging remark was not the suggestion of forced regime change but the idea that Syria had better forget about ever getting back the Golan – contradicting the official Israeli government position that it will trade territory for peace. Even Binyamin Netanyahu, the country's most rightwing prime minster ever, was moved to clarify that he remains willing to talk to Damascus "without preconditions". Motormouth Lieberman was slapped down and forced to agree.
It shouldn't really be so difficult to reach agreement: these bitter enemies negotiated on and off for nine years, starting at the Madrid conference in 1991 and ending in Shepherdstown, Virginia, in 2000, just before Hafez al-Assad died. Syria's canny foreign minister, Walid al-Muallim, has said that 85% of the problems, including crucial security arrangements, were solved in negotiations with four Israeli leaders from Yitzhak Rabin to Ehud Barak. Turkey mediated four more rounds of inconclusive talks in 2008.
This latest row has erupted at a time when there is speculation – no more than wishful thinking, say some – that in the absence of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians (US-run "proximity" talks, with state department diplomats shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah, would be a poor substitute) – the time has come for a serious effort to revive the Syrian "track".
This is a familiar pattern in the endless quest for an Arab-Israeli breakthrough: if peace with the Palestinians is stuck, or simply too difficult, then why not try to strike a deal with Damascus? Barak, now the Labour party leader and defence minister, thinks this is the right approach. So does Israel's defence and intelligence establishment, which believes peace with Syria could drive a wedge between Damascus and Tehran – seen as a far more dangerous enemy – and would justify surrendering the Golan and its 20,000 Israeli settlers.
Another part of Israel's calculation/aspiration is that Assad would shed, or at least weaken, his support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and for Hamas, the Palestinian Islamists who control Gaza and challenge Mahmoud Abbas's western-backed Palestinian Authority – Israel's putative partner for peace. "The mere fact of Israel-Syria negotiations would hurt Hamas, thereby strengthening Abbas," argues the Israeli analyst Yossi Alpher.
The snag with that theory is that it is hard to imagine Assad signing a peace treaty with Israel as long as is there is no overall settlement of the Palestinian question.
Another part of the problem is different expectations. Israel has always hoped that peace with Syria would mean full "normalisation" of their bilateral relations, as it did – on paper at least – with Egypt back in 1979. But Assad is not Sadat, desperate to find favour with the Americans at almost any price.
"You start with a peace treaty in order to achieve peace," the Syrian leader told the American journalist Seymour Hersh recently. "If they say you can have the entire Golan back, we will have a peace treaty. But they cannot expect me to give them the peace they expect … You start with the land; you do not start with peace."
Still, Israeli opinion-formers are urging a new attempt to woo Assad – and hope Barack Obama will try harder. The imminent arrival of a new US ambassador in Damascus after a five-year absence could certainly help.
"It may be that at the end of the day, the Syrians, too, will turn their backs on us, but every day that goes by without an effort to reach peace with Syria is a day marked by criminal negligence," commented the Ha'aretz writer Arie Shavit. "There is no certainty at all that peace is in the offing. But if it is, it is to be found not in Ramallah but in Damascus."

The Lure of Jihadism, or "Boys Will Be Boys"
by Raymond Ibrahim
Pajamas Media
February 3, 2010
http://www.meforum.org/2585/lure-of-jihadism
According to a recent ABC report, "As many as three dozen criminals who converted to Islam in American prisons have moved to Yemen where they could pose a 'significant threat' to attack the U.S., according to a report on al-Qaeda from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. … Also of concern to U.S. officials, the Senate staff found, is a group of 'nearly 10 non-Yemeni Americans who traveled to Yemen, converted to Islam, became fundamentalists, and married Yemeni women so they could remain in the country.' … An American official described them as 'blond-haired, blue-eyed types' who fit the profile of Americans who al-Qaeda has sought to recruit for terror missions."
These, of course, are not the first Americans — "blond-haired, blue-eyed types" or otherwise — to convert to Islam and join the jihad: John Walker Lindh wound up fighting fellow Americans alongside Taliban forces in Afghanistan; Adam Gadahn became a major character in al-Qaeda's propaganda machine; Gregory Patterson, Levar Washington, and Kevin James plotted terror strikes against the U.S.; Christopher Paul and Jose Padilla conspired to use weapons of mass destruction.
Then there are the countless European converts, such as the British "shoe-bomber," Richard Reid, who attempted to achieve "martyrdom" by detonating explosives in his shoes while aboard a passenger aircraft; the late Germaine Lindsay, who did achieve "martyrdom" by killing himself and 56 of his fellow citizens and injuring over 700, in the London bombings of 2005; and Abu Abdullah, the native Briton-turned-fiery-Islamist-preacher who makes no secret of his vitriolic hatred of the West (all, of course, while enjoying that unique Western liberty, freedom of speech).
What causes such men, born and raised in the West, often from Christian backgrounds, to abandon their heritage, embrace Islam, and become radicalized to the point that they conspire to kill their fellow countrymen?
As for Islam's intrinsic appeal, it has long been argued that, unlike Christianity, which can be "heavy" on theology, Islam is relatively simple and straightforward. Thus while Christianity may revolve around the metaphysical — the Trinity, Christology, even the notion of grace — Islam, in black-and-white terms, commands its adherents to do this and not do that. In fact, the Arabic word "Sharia," that comprehensive body of laws Muslims are to obey, is etymologically related to the word for "pathway" — as in, "the pathway to paradise."
Yet there is another, more subtle, factor that may entice men to Islam: traditional male roles are highlighted in the religion. This may appeal to non-Muslim men who want to assert their "masculinity" in what they perceive to be gender-free Western societies. Harvey Mansfield's book, Manliness, defines that term as "a quality both bad and good, mostly male, often intolerant, irrational, and ambitious. Our gender-neutral society does not like it but cannot get rid of it."
Indeed, with an ethical code that coalesced in the seventh century — when the Muslim prophet and "perfect example" walked the earth, enforced his will, and conquered his "infidel" neighbors — Islamic culture can hardly be deemed "gender-neutral." Even philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who despised Christianity as "effeminate" and preached the need for man to be transformed into an amoral "hyper-man," professed admiration for Islam, describing it as "noble and manly" (The Antichrist).
Of course, traditional masculine roles are not the sole domain of Islam; most civilizations have lived in accordance to such norms; so-called "gender-neutral societies" are, from a historical perspective, aberrant. James Bowman, author of Honor: A History, points out that, when it comes to the West's disregard for notions of honor and masculinity, "we are, in global terms, the odd ones out"; he further asserts that, up until the Victorian era, in the West, "honor was rather closer to the Arab and Muslim idea of it today."
It is in this context, then, that disaffected young men — who, like Nietzsche, despise what they perceive to be a "gender-neutral" society — may find a religion which emphasizes "masculinity" appealing.
John Walker Lindh especially seems to fit this paradigm. Precipitating his conversion to Islam was his teenage discovery that his father was homosexual — an event that appears to have traumatized and alienated Lindh. Islam's masculine ideals and unequivocal condemnation of homosexuality may have lured young Lindh, who, soon after his father left his mother and moved in with another man, converted to Islam at age 16. Shortly thereafter, he went a-jihading.
This is all further exasperated by Muslims mocking Western masculinity — such as Osama bin Laden, who has ridiculed Western acceptance of homosexuality and characterized the American soldier as "a paper tiger" who is "too cowardly and too fearful to meet the young people of Islam face-to-face" (The Al Qaeda Reader).
Whatever position one may hold regarding these issues, one thing is clear: If traditional masculine virtues are upheld in Islamic culture, so too do traditional masculine vices abound — for it is often a very fine line that separates hyper-virtue from hyper-vice. Honor, courage, and patriarchic ethics can — and, in Islamic culture, regularly do — morph into destructive pride (e.g., "honor killings"), disdain for life (e.g., suicide bombings), and brutal misogyny.
Nonetheless, for those more "adventurous" young men looking to add a bit of "excitement" to their lives, Islam offers avenues. Based on the Koran and Muhammad's biography, raiding, killing, and plundering infidels (i.e., the "other"), abducting their women, and enslaving their children are all permissible, so long as they are done in a jihadist context, that is, in the "service" of Islam. In fact, that is how the Islamic prophet and first Muslims spread Islam — a historical fact, not a slander — as attested to by Islam's sacred texts and histories, written and compiled by pious, authoritative Muslims.
Of course, such behavior was "normal" in the seventh century. Then, wherever one looked, men of all races, creeds, and religions were raiding, pillaging, plundering, and enslaving their neighbors. For Islamists, however, the actions of seventh-century Muhammad, no matter how at odds with modernity, must be emulated today no less than yesterday. Moreover, any moral scruples a potential jihadist may experience over such "antiquated" practices — that is, should his conscience momentarily get the best of him — immediately dissipate in light of Allah's explicit approval. For instance: "Married women are prohibited to you [Muslims] — except for those taken captive in war" (Koran 4:24; see also 23:6 and 33:50-52).
Little wonder, then, that Islam appeals to certain Western men over Christianity: Aspects of it better comport with man's baser proclivities — for war, possessions, and women — than, say, the passive and inhibiting teachings of Jesus: "turn the other cheek," "pray for those who persecute you," and "he who lusts after a woman in his heart has already committed adultery." Even Islam's version of paradise is far more alluring. There, a river of wine and dozens of "voluptuous women" await the jihadist who dies battling infidels (see Koran 78:33).
And so, like mischievous little boys who find the pirate lifestyle fascinating — raiding, killing, plundering, abducting, hiding in caves — so do some Western men find the lifestyle of the jihadist captivating. So they convert. Nor is it any small irony that the physical appearance of today's Islamist heroes is reminiscent of those wily pirates of old — from the furtive Taliban leader, "One-Eyed" Mullah Muhammad Omar, to London's radical ideologue Abu Hamza, who not only boasts one eye, but has a metal hook for a hand which he used to shake menacingly when referring to infidels. (Like Walt Disney's Captain Hook, he was affectionately referred to by his followers simply as "The Hook.")
It goes without saying, of course, that none of this is to imply that Muslims are piratical by nature. It is to say, however, that persons naturally inclined to such activities — including would-be converts — can and do find exoneration under the rubric of "sunna" and jihad legal theory: if it was okay for Muhammad and the first Muslims to wage war on, plunder, and enslave infidels — so the logic goes — surely it is okay today.
This phenomenon is further highlighted by the obvious intersection between prison incarceration and conversion to radical Islam. Indeed, most of the aforementioned proselytes had criminal records previous to their Islamic conversion, evincing a proclivity for violence and lawlessness: Reid and Abdullah had convictions for muggings; Padilla for gangster activity; and Lindsay for drug dealing. Patterson, Washington, and James began their terrorist cell while incarcerated in a very real cell for committing over a dozen armed robberies. And, most recently, the three dozen converts-turned-potential-terrorists who just fled to Yemen were all, as the ABC report puts it, "criminals."
Traditionally, one of the reasons ex-cons turn to religion is to change their evil ways. Not so these Western men-turned-Islamic-terrorists. Consciously or unconsciously, it would seem they embraced Islamism — and subsequently jihadism — merely to receive divine sanctioning for their otherwise violent and anarchic behavior, being transformed in the process from petty criminals to major criminals — terrorists and traitors.

Originally published at: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-lure-of-radical-islam-or-boys-will-be-boys/
**Raymond Ibrahim is the associate director of the Middle East Forum, the author of The Al Qaeda Reader, and a visiting lecturer at the National Defense Intelligence College

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
February 5, 2010
On February 4, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the fortieth day since the commemoration of the death of Imam Hussein:
We will stand in the face of all the catastrophes facing us, the most important of which in this region being the presence of this cancerous cell called Israel and the hegemony of the great satan over our countries, people, wealth and over many of our governments, regimes, media outlets, schools and institutions. This is the greatest catastrophe which is generating all the others and entailing wars, blockades, killings, imprisonment, detention, injuries, the destruction of homes and psychological and health repercussions affecting many populations in the region. There are also social, economic and natural disasters which we are facing while armed with knowledge, culture and science and while following in the footsteps of our prophets, imams, rulers and Sayyed Zainab May Peace Be Upon Her... I say this is our duty and thanks to Allah, the same applies to our people. Following the July war, many polling institutions and studies centers tending to psychological, educational and social facets, came whether based on their own initiative or were dispatched by their administrations, states or intelligence apparatuses.
We do not know and everything is possible. In any case, they came to study the psychological impact of the July war on the population, namely the faction which was strongly targeted and especially the people who lost loved and dear ones, whose houses and livelihood were destroyed and those who were displaced and stayed outside their homes for 34 days. In the end, the war was harsh and painful and these people were only human. Therefore it was only natural for them to be affected by the war. I looked at the outcome of a few among these studies, and some of them said they were astonished by the results, since wars usually carry an impact on the psychological, emotional and human levels, while a wide portion of people usually suffer from depression, frustration, despair, nervous breakdowns and health problems. They said they were surprised by the results since the vast majority of those targeted and were mostly affected by the war did not show the psychological affects expected following a war.
They thus conducted their analyses and collected answers from the fathers, mothers, wives and children of martyrs, from the injured and from people whose homes were destroyed and found common answers. Among these answers was the following: “The Prophet and the Family of the Prophet set a good example. The servant of Allah [Imam] Hussein set a good example. Zainab the daughter of Ali set a good example. The companions, women and orphans in Karbala set a good example.” So, this is the culture of Karbala, the culture of Al-Hussein and Zainab which is still strongly present and is giving us strength to stand up, stand fast, confront and deter the impact of the aggression, the war and the catastrophe. Therefore, the results of the surveys astonished them. On the other hand, the custom is that on the forty-day commemoration [of the death of Imam Hussein] in particular, people walk to the Shrine of Al-Hussein, Peace Be Upon Him, as we are currently seeing on satellite channels.
Millions in Iraq come from all over the country to Karbala on foot, and this year, the statistics said there were hundreds of thousands of non-Iraqis who came by plane, train or car to Baghdad or Najaf and walked to Karbala from there. Every year, the convoys of pilgrims from Karbala used to be attacked by criminal suicide bombers, claiming the lives of hundreds of martyrs and entailing an hundreds of injured. This year also, despite the tight security measures and the dispatch of tens of thousands of security troops to protect the visitors, the convoys were targeted by several suicide operations... What does this reveal? It reveals there are Takfiri sides - when we say suicide operations, we are not referring to the Americans or the Israelis and everyone knows who carries out such operations - insisting on proceeding down that path and insisting on adopting this method... We are not saying that the Americans and the Israelis are not behind this type of operations, seeing as how these Takfiri sides were strongly infiltrated by American and Israeli intelligence and security apparatuses among others, and are being used - whether they know it or not - to serve the project of the enemies of this nation.
In any case, whether or not they are being used by intelligence apparatuses, through their operations the Takfiri sides are offering the greatest possible service to the enemies of the nation and are placing the nation before the greatest threat it could face during the current stage. There are sides which have not yet lost hope in the project of strife and are using these operations to trigger such strife between the Muslims... Moreover, they are not only targeting the Shia or trying to create disputes between the Shia and the Sunnis, since many killings and suicide operations carried out in Afghanistan and Pakistan, previously in Algeria and Morocco, and even in Iraq in Al-Anbar province, Kurdistan, Diyala and Mosul, targeted Sunni mosques, scholars and figures just because they disagreed with them over certain ideological concepts or political methods... We must thus be aware of the fact that there are sides still insisting on carrying out that project and have not yet despaired. Based on that, I would like to address a Lebanese issue which was a partial incident but still an extremely dangerous one.
The Lebanese people in general and the Muslims in Lebanon in particular should know that Allah the Almighty pushed away a serious threat that was being concocted for them... Something major was going to happen in the country and is related to the Majdel Anjar incident. I do not want to address the details because everyone knows the story by now. The story of the Sheikh who was said to have been kidnapped wreaked havoc, generated an extremely dangerous sectarian and instigative rhetoric, fueled limitless and unrestrained instincts, entailed calls for reactions and accusations against certain sides of being behind the kidnapping, as well as calls for kidnappings and killings... It later turned out that the Sheikh kidnapped himself and that the situation was supposed to escalate within a few days with protests in the mosques and on the streets fueled by the media outlets.
Then the instigation should have reached its peak with the shaving of the Sheikh’s hair, his torturing and his throwing on the street, at which point he would hold a press conference and accuse specific people of having kidnapped him so that the country is set on fire and is lost. Why was such a thing being concocted? To serve which side? For what purpose? After the parliamentary elections, the country entered a stage of total calm and coexistence. This even exceeded calm after people started sitting with each other, talking to each other, reaching understandings and coordination. Afterwards, we headed toward a national unity government to address the concerns of the people. Why, at such a positive point in time, did such a thing happen? To serve whom? As Israel is threatening Lebanon every day and has now started to threaten Syria, the Gaza Strip and Iran, why is Lebanon being led toward sectarianism and denominationalism? … I firstly wanted to talk about this issue so that the people know the nature of the catastrophe from which they were distanced, secondly to thank all those who helped burst the bubble of strife and thirdly to say the following: Our brothers in Lebanon, our people in Lebanon, both Christians and Muslims, Sunnis and Shia.
We must be aware of the fact that as it is the case in the countries of the Arab and Islamic world, some are insisting on strife and working day and night to generate such strife in Lebanon... Therefore, we are all required to beware and to immune ourselves. Tomorrow, Allah forbids, a Shia Sheikh, a Christian priest, a Druze cleric or anyone else could be kidnapped or killed. This will make some people create a climate of strife in the country and call for reactions and counter-reactions before the emergence of evidence or the staging of investigations. I say to you all: Whoever did this is an Israeli, whether he knows it or not... On the other hand, I will not talk about the Israeli matter and the Israeli threats tonight, especially in regard to the important development which occurred during the last couple of days at the level of the Israeli-Syrian issue. I will address it on the upcoming occasion in a few days when we revive the memory of our martyred leaders, Martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, Martyr Sheikh Ragheb Harb and Martyr Hajj Imad Mugniyah. On that day, with Allah’s will, we shall talk about the threats, the developments in the region and the position of the Resistance...