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 Dar
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 lawyers/Daily Star
Social Affairs Ministry bans
smoking on premises/Daily
Star
Police round up 14 people for
drug-related crimes/Daily
Star
Bomb targets Jund al-Sham
member in
Taamir/Daily Star
Former Minister Asaad Diab dies
at age 72/Daily Star
Sfeir urges upgrade in teaching
strategies/Daily Star
Harb to set up office to
address migrant-worker complaints/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...