LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 18/2010
Bible Of the
Day
6:1 “Be careful that you don’t do
your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no
reward from your Father who is in heaven. 6:2 Therefore when you do merciful
deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly
I tell you, they have received their reward. 6:3 But when you do merciful deeds,
don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 6:4 so that your
merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward
you openly.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Independent Shia politics/Talking
To Lokman Slim/By: Matt Nash/February
17/10
Arbitrating the US-Iran saga/Daily Star/February
17/10
We should consider applying the
‘Libya option’ to Iran/By
Bennett Ramberg/February
17/10
A ‘Green New Deal’ is good for
Lebanon/By Dalal
Mawad/ February
17/10
AINA: Three Christians
Killed in North Iraq/February
17/10
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for February 17/10
Clinton: Syrian Arms Supplies to Hizbullah Reflect Negatively on Damascus/Naharnet
Larcher Wants Paris to Support
Lebanese Army to Safeguard Lebanon/Naharnet
Arrest
Warrant against Lebanese Army Officer for Role of Israeli Spy/Naharnet
US senior official in Syria for
talks amid thaw in ties/Now Lebanon
Ain al-Hilweh official promises to
turn over clash perpetrators to Lebanese authorities/Now Lebanon
March
14 Calls for Holding Municipal Elections on Time/Naharnet
Williams: No Israeli War
on Lebanon in Near Future/Naharnet
Burns: No to
Naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon/Naharnet
Jumblat, Aoun Meet in Doha, Return
to Beirut on Separate Planesey/Naharnet
Court Ruling Expected
Wednesday on Majzoub Brothers' Killers/Naharnet
Cabinet Readies for
Another Fight over Municipal Election Reforms/Naharnet
Nasrallah Threatens
Israel: We Will Hit Tel Aviv Airport, Infrastructure if Attacked/Naharnet
Geagea Describes Election
Hullabaloo as Bizarre/Naharnet
$1,250,000 Embezzled at
Lebanese Embassy in Egypt/Naharnet
1st US Ambassador to Syria
after 5-year Boycott over Hariri's Assassination/Naharnet
Hizbullah Delegation Meets
Larcher, Urges France to 'Curb Israeli Hostility/Naharnet
85 Israeli victims from Lebanon war sue Iran in
US court/Ynetnews
One long summer in Lebanon/Los
Angeles Times
Are US sanctions against Syria working?/BBC
News
Senior US official in Syria as relations
improve/Washington Post
Israeli PM pushes for Iran sanctions/Washington
Post
Hezbollah warns of retaliation for any Israeli
hit/The
Associated Press
Israel-bashing anti-Semitic?/CNN
Hebzollah asks France to 'rein in Israeli aggressiveness/Ynetnews
Want peace? Support regime change in Iran/The
Free Lance-Star
yria has reportedly delivered Fateh 110 missiles to
Hezbollah/Voltaire
Network
Killing of Hamas gunrunner gets murkier/UPI.com
Hezbollah planned commemoration stirs inter
Christian tension/Ya
Libnan
Calm restored at Lebanon refugee camp after
clash/AFP
Berri urges France to take ‘firm
stand’ against Israeli aggression/AFP
AINA: Three Christians Killed in North Iraq
http://www.aina.org/news/20100216185803.htm
Sent: February 17, 2010
Three Christians Killed in North Iraq
Assyrian International News Agency
MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) -- A Christian was killed in the restive city of Mosul on
Tuesday, the third in as many days, as community leaders warned of rising
violence against the minority ahead of Iraq's March 7 general election.
Christian leaders in Mosul, north of Baghdad, have criticised the security
forces for "standing by and watching" as attacks against their community
increase in the run-up to the parliamentary poll. On Tuesday, a gunman emerged
from a car in the north of the city and fired at two Christian students with an
automatic weapon, according to a police officer who did not want to be named.
The shooter fled together with two other men in the car.
The officer said that Zia Toma, a 21-year-old engineering student, was killed
and Ramsin Shmael, a 22-year-old pharmacy student, wounded. Both young men were
Assyrian Christians.
"We don't want elections, we don't want representatives, we don't want our
rights, we just want to be alive," said Baasil Abdul Noor, a priest at Mar
Behnam church in Al-Arabi neighbourhood where the shooting occurred.
"It has become a nightmare. The security forces should not be standing by and
watching. We hold them responsible, because they are supposed to be protecting
us, and protecting all Iraqis."
Also in Mosul on Tuesday, two policemen were killed and nine other people
wounded as a car bomb hit a police forensics bureau, emergency services said.
Tuesday's murder of the student came after gunmen in Mosul killed two shop
owners from Iraq's Christian minority in separate attacks, prompting community
leaders to criticise the security forces.
Greengrocer Fatukhi Munir, an Assyrian Catholic, was gunned down inside his shop
in a drive-by shooting late on Monday, and armed assailants killed Rayan Salem
Elias, a Chaldean Christian, outside his home on Sunday.
"I condemn this organised campaign against Christians," said Yahya Abid Mahsoob,
human rights committee chair of the provincial council of Nineveh, of which
Mosul is the capital.
"We (the provincial council) call upon the local and central government to take
all precautions to protect Christians."
Others have expressed concerns that Christians could be targeted in violence
ahead of the elections seen as a key test of reconciliation in Iraq, which has
been wracked by sectarian hostilities since the 2003 US-led invasion.
"The Christian minority has become an issue in the elections, as it always is
before elections," said Hazem Girgis, a deacon at an Orthodox church in the town
centre.
"We are terrified... and the security forces are not able to offer us any
security," said Girgis.
Attacks occur on a regular basis in Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province,
which is among Iraq's most violent areas.
Human Rights Watch warned in November that minorities including Christians in
the north were the collateral victims of a conflict between Arabs and Kurds over
who controls Iraq's disputed northern provinces.
In late 2008, a systematic campaign of killings and targeted violence killed 40
Christians and saw more than 12,000 others flee Mosul.
By Mujahid Mohammed
Copyright (C) 2010, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
Terms
Most complaints filed at disciplinary councils ‘settled’
By The Daily Star ظTuesday, February 16, 2010
BEIRUT: Two-thirds of complaints filed at disciplinary councils have been
settled, said Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar Sunday during a closed judicial
meeting, which was the second of its kind and tackled practical measures to
speed up trials and the issuing of verdicts.
“A right given after years of legal procedures is a right not guaranteed by the
judiciary,” added Najjar.
Among the measures discussed was the formation of a joint committee combining
members of the Higher Judicial Council and the Judicial Investigation Committee.
Its aim would be to assess trials and judgments.
The meeting also called on all magistrates and courts to abide by legal
deadlines when delivering their verdicts and to speed up summons and trials,
even if it meant amending some laws. They stressed the need for haste in
settling urgent trials, especially those concerning health issues, environmental
issues and basic human rights.
Meeting participants then recalled the decisions of the first closed talks held
on December 29, 2009, and presented statistics portraying the reality of legal
procedures. Some of the optimistic numbers showed that 80.39 percent of penal
lawsuits and 87.72 percent of civil lawsuits had been settled last year.
Najjar held a news conference after the meeting during which he announced the
preparation for a third closed judicial meeting to discuss the independence of
the Judiciary.
He also commented on some reforms within the judiciary such as increasing the
number of magistrates and better equipping justice palaces. “We are ready to
improve the judicial sector not only in Beirut but also in Mount Lebanon,
Baalbek, Tripoli and the South,” he said.
Najjar added that two-thirds of complaints filed at disciplinary councils have
been settled but that attempts to purify the judiciary were still difficult
because the Judicial Investigation Committee responsible for the investigations
only comprised a caretaker president and an investigator. – The Daily Star
Clinton:
Syrian Arms Supplies to Hizbullah Reflect Negatively on Damascus
Naharnet/U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed regret Wednesday that
Syria is supplying Hizbullah with weapons, saying this would reflect negatively
on Damascus. "Syrian arms supplies to Hizbullah will reflect negatively on
Syria," Clinton told Al-Hurra TV. This issue of Syrians providing weapons to
Hizbullah is "not something positive for both Lebanon and Israel." "Syria needs
to focus on trying to resolve its differences with Israel, not aggravate them,"
Clinton believed. She stressed the importance of partnership between Washington
and the Islamic world, saying she saw "a lot of common ground" between the
United States and Islamic and Arab peoples." Beirut, 17 Feb 10, 12:04
Larcher Wants Paris to Support Lebanese Army to Safeguard Lebanon
Naharnet/French Senate President Gerard Larcher on Wednesday reiterated support
for a united and independent Lebanon and said Paris will back the Lebanese army
to protect Lebanon.
During a press conference at the end of his visit to Beirut, Larcher said: "We
want Lebanon independent and united. We don't interfere in Lebanese internal
affairs but we back Lebanon."
He said France was committed to its participation in the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon and announced support for Security Council Resolution 1701
without amendments. "We back Lebanon and the Lebanese army.""It is first the
responsibility of the state to protect Lebanon. I will discuss with the
president the type of support that we could provide to the army so that it plays
its role to the fullest," Larcher told reporters.He said a conference will be
held in France on March 17-21 to assist Lebanon."There is a window of hope and
opportunity for Lebanon. France will contribute to this," the French Senate
president said. "Lebanon is an independent state that does not cut its
neighborly ties. I mean by it Syria and I also mean Israel because we can't
continue to deny the presence of Israel."During his two-day visit to Beirut,
Larcher met with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier Saad
Hariri and several politicians and religious leaders. Beirut, 17 Feb 10, 12:46
Burns: No to Naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon
Naharnet/U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns has
said Washington won't back efforts aimed at naturalizing Palestinians in
Lebanon.
"Our efforts on the Palestinian-Israeli track will not come at Lebanon's expense
... The United States will not support the forced naturalization of Palestinians
in Lebanon," Burns told reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Saad
Hariri at the Grand Serail on Tuesday. "Nor will our
continuing efforts to engage Syria and explore improved relations come at the
expense of our deep commitment to Lebanon and to the Lebanese people," he added.
Burns conveyed U.S. President Barack Obama's "strong and continuing support for
Lebanon as the Lebanese government seeks to strengthen state institutions and
build peace and stability within Lebanon, and contribute to peace and stability
throughout the region." "Lebanon can count on continued American assistance," he
stressed. He said Washington "remains committed to the
pursuit of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Arabs and Israelis,
with progress on all tracks of the peace process."
Burns, who arrived in Beirut Tuesday for talks with Lebanese officials on
bilateral ties and regional issues, will head to Damascus on Wednesday.
Informed U.S. sources had told An-Nahar newspaper that Burns will discuss
with Lebanese and Syrian officials bilateral ties and a series of regional
issues, including tensions between Israel and Syria and between the Jewish state
and Lebanon, Iraqi elections and Iran's role in the region. Beirut, 17 Feb 10,
07:25
Arrest Warrant against Lebanese Army Officer for Role of Israeli Spy
Naharnet/Investigating judge of the Military Court Riad Abu Gheeda on Wednesday
issued an arrest warrant against a Lebanese army officer, accusing him of spying
for Israel.
The state-run National News Agency identified the officer only as Col. Gh. Sh.
Lebanese authorities have uncovered scores of Lebanese army officers allegedly
serving as agents for the Israeli spy network Mossad.Police chief Ashraf Rifi
had said the series of arrests were "the strongest strike against the Israeli
Mossad." Lebanese officials have suggested the spies were not operating
collectively inside Lebanon but had support from parties outside of the country.
The arrests in recent months included several mid-ranking Lebanese officials
suspected of working with the Israelis to monitor the activity of Hizbullah.
Beirut, 17 Feb 10, 14:36
Jumblat, Aoun Meet in Doha, Return to Beirut on Separate Planes
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat and Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel
Aoun returned to Beirut overnight on separate planes after meeting in Doha.
The state-run National News Agency said Wednesday Jumblat and Aoun each
travelled home on a private jet. The two leaders met at the Lebanese embassy in
Qatar on Tuesday. Local media said the meeting was attended by Transportation
Minister Ghazi Aridi, PSP MP Nehmeh Tomeh and Water and Energy Minister Jebran
Bassil, also Aoun's son-in-law. They said Aoun is likely to visit Mukhtara on
Saturday. March 8 sources have told the daily An-Nahar that these contacts would
at the end of the day push for a political-electoral alliance between Aoun and
Jumblat.On Jumblat's visit to Syria, PSP spokesman Rami Rayess told MTV network
late Tuesday that the Druze leader "will visit Damascus soon." "When the date is
set, it should no longer remain a secret," Rayess added. "The visit may take
place within days," he noted. Beirut, 17 Feb 10, 09:13
'Israel
planning war next spring'
BY JPOST.COM STAFF
16/02/2010 19:49
Ahmadinejad reportedly warns Jewish state will be "finished" if it starts a war.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed on Tuesday that Israel was mulling
starting a war "next spring or summer" but has yet to make a final decision, AFP
reported.
"According to information we have they (Israel) are seeking to start a war next
spring or summer, although their decision is not final yet," Ahmadinejad said,
without specifying who Israel allegedly planned to attack. "But the resistance
and regional states will finish them if this fake regime does anything again,"
the Iranian leader reportedly warned.
Ahmadinejad's remarks come several days after it was reported that he told
Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel "must be resisted" and "finished off
once and for all" if it launches a military operation in the Middle East. "We
have reliable information ... that the Zionist regime is after finding a way to
compensate for its ridiculous defeats by the people of Gaza and Lebanon's
Hizbullah," Ahmadinejad told his Syrian counterpart in a phone conversation last
Wednesday evening, according to IRIB, Iran's state broadcaster.
"If the Zionist regime repeats its mistakes and initiate a military operation,
then it must be resisted with full force to put an end to it once and for all,"
Ahmadinejad reportedly asserted, according to a Reuters translation
Hezbollah’s Rising Star
November 16, 2009 | 2140 GMT
RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP/
As Hezbollah’s concerns grow over a potential military conflict with Israel, the
group’s patrons in Tehran are reworking the internal organization of Hezbollah’s
leadership structure to keep a tight grip on their militant proxy.
Analysis
STRATFOR sources report that a meeting recently took place in Lebanon between
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qasim and a number of Hezbollah
fighters who have recently returned from Iran after completing training north of
Tehran. In the meeting, Qasim allegedly told his fighters to expect an Israeli
offensive no later than March or April 2010 and to prepare accordingly. He went
on to claim that Hezbollah’s long-range rockets would target Israeli harbors,
government buildings and military bases from the Galilee to the northern fringes
of the Negev Desert. The rocket barrage, according to Qasim, would provide cover
for Hezbollah fighters to cross the border and attack northern Israeli towns at
night.
The open manner in which this information was disseminated to STRATFOR suggests
that Hezbollah is looking to inflate its own military capabilities and warn
Israel against starting up a military conflict with Hezbollah. Though Hezbollah
is prone to issuing exaggerated claims of its rocket capabilities, there is no
hiding the fact that the Shiite militant organization has been building up its
arsenal and is growing increasingly concerned about a potential clash with the
Israelis.
Of particular concern to Hezbollah is the risk Syria could pose to the group.
With Syria quietly negotiating with the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia
behind the scenes, Hezbollah has to account for the possibility that the Syrian
regime will provide critical intelligence to Israel that would compromise the
group’s operations. Hezbollah is especially concerned about Israeli penetration
into the group’s communication network, which would effectively destroy
Hezbollah’s ability to maintain operational security in communications between
commanders and small units in the field, and provide the Israelis with targeting
guidance on the locations of arms caches and command centers.
While Hezbollah is preparing itself for a potential conflict with Israel, it
also has a few internal organizational issues to sort out that spring from the
group’s relations with Iran. STRATFOR has been closely tracking Iran’s efforts
to tighten its grip over Hezbollah in recent years as escalating tensions
between Iran and the United States have encouraged Tehran’s strategic need to
maintain a strong militant proxy in the Levant. Without such a militant proxy,
Tehran’s retaliatory options in the event of a military strike on Iran’s nuclear
facilities wouldn’t hold much weight.
Though Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah is the public leader of the organization as
secretary-general, he has largely fallen out of favor with Tehran and has been
sidelined from meetings between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
representatives and Hezbollah’s key commanders. Given Nasrallah’s charisma and
popularity among the Shiite population in Lebanon, Iran has thus far kept
Nasrallah as the public face of Hezbollah while enhancing the clout of those
members, like Qasim, who have been more loyal to Tehran.
Discussions are under way within Hezbollah and in Tehran over who will
eventually succeed Nasrallah as leader of the organization. It remains unclear
as to when such a transition would take place. In trying to hold onto his clout,
Nasrallah has been attempting to empower his maternal cousin, Hashim Safieddine,
to succeed him by assigning him the role of Hezbollah Chief Security Officer.
However, Safieddine does not have the support of the group’s patrons in Tehran,
nor a large enough base of support in Lebanon to allow him to take a more
prominent or public role in the organization.
Qasim is well-positioned in the party and has the trust of the IRGC, but there
is one problem with Qasim that disqualifies him from becoming the ideal
candidate for Iran’s chief agent in Hezbollah: he does not subscribe to the
Vilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurists) concept. This Shiite doctrine
stipulates that the state must be ruled by a jurist. Iran plays the role of the
jurist as the self-proclaimed global seat of the Vilayat al-Faqih, and uses this
concept to ensure Hezbollah’s leaders will, for the most part, unquestionably
implement the dictates of the supreme leader. However, not all Hezbollah members
approve of this concept and prefer to maintain a greater degree of independence
from their patrons in Tehran by refusing to accept Vilayat al-Faqih. Indeed,
several Hezbollah leaders are now questioning whether they should continue
sending fighters to Yemen to fight an Iran proxy war with Saudi Arabia when they
should be focused on preparing for a military conflict with Israel.
Qasim’s reluctance to accept Vilayat al-Faqih has apparently lowered his chances
of succeeding Nasrallah as secretary-general. Instead, the IRGC has focused
Qasim’s efforts on leading Hezbollah’s auxiliary forces, Saraya Daam al-Muqawama
(the resistance support battalions), which consist mainly of thousands of
non-Shiite militiamen that Hezbollah has recruited in Lebanon.
But there is a rising star in Hezbollah who is more comfortable with the Vilayat
al-Faqih concept and has a good chance of assuming leadership of the party.
Sheikh Nabil Qawuq has been described by members of Hezbollah as the de facto
governor and security chief of southern Lebanon. Qawuq has long been at odds
with Nasrallah, as evidenced by the mysterious assassination of Jamil al-Haj
Saleh in Aug. 2008. Saleh was appointed military commander by Nasrallah at the
time following the assassination of Hezbollah senior commander Imad Mughniyah in
Damascus earlier that year. STRATFOR sources reported then that Saleh’s
“accidental” fall from a building under construction onto the public highway was
in fact an assassination ordered by Qawuq, who felt Nasrallah was overreaching
his authority in appointing Saleh and more importantly, going against Iran’s
wishes.
Debates are still simmering within Hezbollah over how tightly the organization
should be attached to Iran. These internal fissures may provide an opportunity
for the United States, Israel or Saudi Arabia to recruit sources among
disgruntled factions, but Iran is likely accounting for such a threat. In the
meantime, Qawuq’s emergence from the shadows is likely to enable Tehran to
tighten its grip over the Shiite militant organization.
Independent Shia politics
Talking To Lokman Slim
Matt Nash, February 17, 2010
Caption: Lokman Slim is the director of the NGO Hayya Bina (Let’s Go), which
provides social services to Lebanon’s Shia community. He is an activist familiar
with the independent Shia political scene. (Photo courtesy of Lokman Slim)
A recent survey released by the US-based Pew Global Attitudes Project found
that, among other things, some 97 percent of Lebanese Shia have a favorable view
of Hezbollah. The survey focused on Muslim countries, and asked respondents
about their attitudes toward groups – such as Hamas and Hezbollah – and
individual leaders – like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Osama Bin
Laden – thought to be popular in majority-Muslim countries. In Lebanon, the
survey was conducted during late May and early June 2009, on the eve of divisive
parliamentary elections. The survey found 18 percent of Christians and 2 percent
of Sunni Muslims hold favorable opinions of the Party of God.
NOW spoke with Shia activist Lokman Slim, who has worked with independent Shia
political movements and currently runs an NGO called Hayya Bina (Let’s Go) that
provides social services to Shia communities throughout the country. NOW asked
Slim about the survey’s findings, attitudes among the Shia toward Hezbollah, and
the status and future of independent Shia political movements.
There are, to varying degrees, political divisions among every sect in the
country. Do you think the figure quoted in the Pew survey, that 97 percent of
Lebanon’s Shia hold favorable views of Hezbollah, is accurate?
Slim: It would not surprise me even if a survey found 99 percent of the Shia are
fascinated and in love with [Hezbollah Secretary General] Hassan Nasrallah. But,
and here the ‘but’ is important, it doesn’t mean 97 percent of the Shia are with
Hezbollah’s domestic politics or where Hezbollah is taking Lebanon…
[Two years ago, during the funeral for slain Hezbollah commander Imad Mugniyah],
Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech where he said [Hezbollah] would launch an
all-out, open war. What was the reaction of the Shia population? The General
Security in South Lebanon could not meet all the requests for passports [from
Shia who wanted to flee in the face of a pending war]. This is a very concrete
example of this discrepancy between being in admiration of Hassan Nasrallah [and
supporting Hezbollah’s ideology and actions]. One of the foundations of
Hezbollah as a fascist organization is to lift up the image of the leader, the
Fuhrer. There is a continuous effort to keep the image of the leader at a
certain height. But if you ask the population of South Lebanon, “Would you like
to see the 15,000 soldiers of UNIFIL boycotting your shops? Would you like to
see Israel bombing your villages again?” I don’t think the answer would be yes.
How much support is there for Hezbollah’s ideology and political platform?
Slim: …If you ask me if the Lebanese Shia are pro-Hezbollah when it’s
criticizing [Prime Minister] Saad Hariri? Of course. When it’s criticizing March
14? Of course. But are they with Hezbollah when Hezbollah is leading them into
regional adventures? I don’t think so….
What’s currently going on with independent Shia political movements?
Slim: They continue to exist. We continue our networking effort. There are a lot
of things happening, let’s say, under the radar. To a certain extent, at one
point we had the same cause as March 14, but where is March 14 today? Where are
the March 14 media outlets? Do you think they dare publish – let’s imagine today
something happens in Dahiyeh between Hezbollah and the guys from the ISF sent by
[Interior Minister] Ziad Baroud – do you think it will be reported on Future
Television? Do you think that if we organize a conference they will cover it?
No. There is a total blackout. But that doesn’t mean if it’s not reported, it’s
not continuing. It’s continuing according to new terms. Luckily, a lot of people
who were misled understood that they cannot count on the Hariri establishment.
That the Hariri establishment has its own agenda. They have to define themselves
as independent Shia but not necessarily the allies of March 14 or the bones of
the Hariri establishment. I’d say at this very moment we’re here… There are
those who got money and didn’t understand it’s not with money only that you can
make change. You need legitimacy and real grassroots work. And third, you need
the money to keep on moving forward. Those who were just seen as mercenaries for
Hariri are totally out of the game.
How can a group gain that legitimacy?
Slim: What I advocate personally is being to the right of Hezbollah in the
hearts of the Shia. Today, for example, regarding the Taif Agreement, I would
say, “Of course we want to change Taif to give the Shia more power.” This is how
you can really address the Shia and show them where Hezbollah is behind in
defending their rights.
Are there any groups doing that now?
Slim: I think there are some people doing good work, trying to continue
discreetly, but who are continuing to be in touch with people and building
something. It’s happening at more of a regional level [as opposed to
cross-country], but it’s not stopping.
What is the best approach for independent Shia groups to be successful?
Slim: What [independent Shia groups] need, and what we [as Hayya Bina] advocate
is that confrontation is not the best way. What we need to do is isolate sectors
of the Shia community. Working on regional levels, not dealing with the Shia of
the Bekaa the way you deal with the Shia of South Lebanon…
[This is how Hezbollah operates.] For example, when you go to the Bekaa, people
there are not enjoying the [economic effects of the] presence of UNIFIL. This
makes the living standard totally different [from that in the South]. In the
Bekaa, for example, there is a tradition of revenge [when a member of one family
kills a member of another]. How does Hezbollah deal with this? Hezbollah has a
line in its budget for the price of blood. Hezbollah comes to mediate and pays
the price of the blood, and the families are then obliged to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah poses itself as the mediator and peace keeper in the region. In South
Lebanon they do not have to do this… Hezbollah has a regional approach to the
different Shia communities. When it comes to Jbeil, Hezbollah there is
reconstructing and rehabilitating all mosques. Even if the community is very
small and there are not a lot of people going to pray, they are rebuilding,
refurnishing all mosques. Hezbollah is dealing in details. They assess what they
need to do in each region. They do not have a comprehensive approach…
But Hezbollah, throughout the country, is trying to take advantage of what
donors are giving. This is why Hezbollah was so keen to have a presence in all
municipalities. When a donor comes, Hezbollah takes advantage. [They say], “We
brought the money to do this….”
Hassan Nasrallah
February 17, 2010
On February 16, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the speech delivered
by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the yearly anniversary
of the martyred leaders in Dahiyeh:
To the souls of our honorable martyrs, especially the martyred commanders whose
dear memory we are reviving today, from the Sayyed of the martyrs of the Islamic
Resistance Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi, his martyred
wife Um Yasser al- Moussawi and their son Hussein, to the Sheikh of the martyrs
of the Islamic Resistance Sheikh Ragheb Harb to our dear brother, the Jihadist
leader and the leader of the Resistance martyred Hajj Imad Mugniyah, to their
pure souls... My brothers and sisters, I would firstly like to talk a little
about our martyred leaders before addressing the main issue and the great
responsibility for the Resistance, in terms of the threats and challenges we are
facing today and the way we in Lebanon should act - from our point of view - to
deal with them. That is what I would like to focus on based on the nature of the
occasion... By going back to these leaders, to Sayyed Abbas, Sheikh Ragheb and
Hajj Imad, and looking deep into their personalities and their behavior, we
would find they had many common if not identical points. They all enjoyed a
strong faith, piety, religiousness, loyalty, honesty, the love of the people,
modesty before the people and affection.
They made us see how a human being can be both strict and merciful, how he can
stand in the face of the enemies of his country and people and crush them and
how he can cry like a baby over the remains of the martyrs in the Qana massacre
and elsewhere. Yes, they had many things in common... Since they were children,
these men did not know the life of fun and luxury and never lived as they should
have at their age. They were men since they were young, they remained men as
they were growing up and they were martyred as men. Allah the Almighty chose a
path for each of them so that he can perform his role.
Sheikh Ragheb was the headline and symbol of the popular uprising and the
headline of defiance and civilian steadfastness. He was the headline of the
uprising of the women and children and of negative resistance, since he refused
to shake hands with the enemy or even smile in his face, let alone accept its
existence. Back then, his blood contributed to the victory of the Resistance. As
for Sayyed Abbas, he enjoyed his position in the establishment of the
Resistance, the organization and the Jihad, as well as his position in the
general secretariat as the leader of the party of the Resistance and the
operations of the Resistance, thus consecrating the path which was drawn up by
the martyrs who had preceded him.
Sheikh Imad was the arena leader and the field leader.
He upheld the words of the faithful leaders and was loyal to the blood of the
martyrs. He translated the hopes and dreams and suffering caused by the
occupation and aggression on this country with every bullet, bomb, tactic,
missile and combat plan. These brothers spent their youth in the Resistance in
its different positions and they were all martyred young... These martyred
leaders want us to preserve their accomplishments for which they have paid with
their lives, their pain and their efforts. Eventually, they left us the
Resistance, its spirit, ideology, choices, existence, strength and ability to
assume the responsibilities, which brings us to the present and the numerous
questions and choices we are facing.
Let us address the current situation in light of the multitude of threats which
were issued during the past months and revived the questions. Unfortunately, we
in Lebanon return to square one very quickly and ask the same questions again.
They were raised in 1982 and before 1982. I do not wish to open this debate but
recall these questions and raise new rhetorical ones...: Can the American
promises protect Lebanon? In other words, if Barack or Biden (now that we are
done with Bush and Cheney) were to promise Lebanon they would protect it, are
they truly doing it or will they truly do it? There is something affecting the
credibility of Obama’s administration and is related to the settlement process
after he was unable to stop the building of settlements!
Another question is: Are the international resolutions protecting Lebanon and
have they protected it throughout the last sixty years? Is the international
community protecting Lebanon and has it protected it throughout the last sixty
years? This international community which only cares about its interests and
only respects the powerful, will it protect Lebanon with neutrality? In other
words, will it be able to convince Israel not to have ambitions in our land and
water? Will it convince it for example to return the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar
Shouba hills and the Palestinian refugees? Will neutrality secure that?…
Today, as we are facing this flow of Israeli threats, I have two messages to
address, one to the Lebanese domestic arena and one to the Israeli arena. At the
level of the Lebanese domestic arena, I would firstly like to praise the
official position of the president of the republic, of the parliament speaker,
the prime minister, the army command and the majority of the political forces
and parties in Lebanon, because they all expressed their rejection of the
threats, their non-submission to them and the spirit of national solidarity in
the face of any Israeli action... Secondly, also in regard to the domestic
issue, there is talk about pretexts. We are saying we reject the Israeli
threats, while demanding that no pretexts be given to the Israeli.
We want to address this issue because it is not true and carries many negative
aspects. This is not how we face the Israeli threats because when Israel wants
to attack a country, it does not need excuses. From 1948 and until 1967, and in
all its wars on Lebanon until the July war, the two detainees were never an
excuse or a pretext. This war was prepared in advance and the Israeli admitted
it... However, allow me to say that what is more dangerous in this context is
this new talk we have started to hear a month ago, and this new rhetoric which
has emerged in Lebanon in a very limited context. A lot was written about it
with different words and expressions and many speeches, seminars and conferences
addressed it.
According to this idea, the very existence of the Resistance, even if it did not
do anything, neither on the border nor outside the border, is a sufficient
justification for the Israeli enemy to wage war on Lebanon. Therefore, in order
to prevent this war, we must annul the Resistance and the arms. This is
extremely dangerous on the national level, since it is justifying an Israeli
attack even if the Resistance did not provide the enemy with a pretext...
Unfortunately, the Israelis themselves are not saying what some Lebanese are
saying... I would like to ask the latter at this level: Is this a call for an
Israeli war on Lebanon? Are we in the presence of the renewed 1982
circumstances? Do some believe that their dreams, ambitions and plans dissipated
lately and can only be restored through a new Israeli war on Lebanon? That is
the question...
On the other hand, and on the Israeli level which is the most important part of
my speech in light of the threats, the readings and the possibilities, we say
that the strategic situation in Israel following the failure of the July attack
on Lebanon and the war on Gaza can be summarized by the fact that Israel is
unable to impose peace and unable to launch war. It cannot impose peace based on
its terms, such as the non-return of the Golan, the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar
Shouba Hills and the occupied Palestinian territories..., and cannot wage war.
Therefore, all the maneuvers and the training we have been seeing since the July
war and the Gaza war are only natural, and are the result of the crushing defeat
of the Israeli army...
That was firstly. Secondly, whether these threats are part of a psychological
war, have a preemptive purpose or are being issue in preparation for a serious
war - a possibility which we do not believe is imminent - how can we face them?
The Resistance at this level is a model to be followed in terms of
steadfastness, strength, courage and counter-threats and that is the only thing
that works with Israel because if they see that the people are scared, they will
not settle for threats and launch war. Countering threats with similar threats
can prevent war, if not postpone it, and can render the enemy reluctant. This is
especially true if the threat is serious and if the Israelis have information to
confirm it. We saw the proof of that a few days ago when (Ehud) Barak delivered
a speech threatening Syria with war, while its sentences were neither clear nor
strong.
It seemed at this level that the Syrian reaction was not only linked to Ehud
Barak’s statements, as much as they were linked to the possible delivery of
Israeli threat messages to Syria via foreign delegations. I believe that the
Syrian response was not a response to a media statement, but rather to messages
delivered to Syria... The person who responded to the Israeli threats was Syrian
Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem and not the command of the armed forces or
the president of the republic. Usually, the foreign ministry is the most
diplomatic side and the most concerned about alleviating the tensions. I believe
in this context that it was intentional for the response to come from the
Foreign Ministry which is the softest side, to say to the Israelis that if you
attack us, all your cities will face destruction. I am certain that the Israelis
were surprised by the Syrian response, as I am certain that the Arab governments
were as well. This response was not diplomatic and was completely transparent.
So, what was the result? Two hours later, everyone in Israel from Benjamin
Netanyahu to Barak to all the other figures, rejected what was said by Lieberman
as Ehud Barak tried to fix these statements. The general climate in Israel
shifted toward talk about the strategic goal being peace with Syria, just
because the Syrian foreign minister responded to them.
This is not a sixty-year old story whose veracity needs to be checked. It is a
story we all saw on television and only a few days ago. In Lebanon, you all
remember that Barak threatened with war and started talking about a decisive,
swift and clear victory... That day, we responded by saying: If you come to our
country, our villages, hills, valleys and mountains, the Resistance will destroy
your troops on our land with Allah’s will. The Israeli thus started recanting
its statements and all the conferences we have recently seen in Israel stopped
talking about a decisive, swift and clear victory. Moreover, the commander of
the northern region said a few days ago: Let us set modest goal in any war we
plan on waging, so that we can say that we have achieved the goals. In other
words, there is now talk about modesty at the level of the goals...
Now that this rhetoric retreated, what other rhetoric is there? They came up
with a theory called the “Southern Suburb” theory, and you should know and
especially the people of the Southern Suburb that the word “Dahiyeh” has become
part of the military dictionaries and military strategies. What is this theory
about? The destruction of everything in the suburbs...
During the August 14 celebration we responded to them by saying: We told you
that next time, if you hit the Suburb, we will hit Tel Aviv... Today, I tell
them the following and they can check the veracity of the information because it
means the presence of different capacities which I will not name for the time
being. I say to the Israelis, not only if you hit the Suburb will we hit Tel
Aviv, but also if you hit Martyr Rafik al-Hariri’s Airport in Beirut, we will
hit the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. If you hit our ports, we will hit yours.
If you hit our oil refineries, we will hit yours. If you bomb our factories, we
will bomb yours and if you bomb our power plants, we will bomb yours... What
remains to be addressed on the anniversary of the martyred leaders my brothers
and sisters, is the retaliation for [the assassination] of Hajj Imad Mugniyah. I
say it to you honestly, some Israelis were hoping that Hezbollah would do the
bare minimum, would seek a modest goal which I will not define to keep them
guessing, strike this goal, say that this was the retaliation for Hajj Imad
Mugniyah and that this would be the end of it. We do not act like that and I
would like to assure you that during the last couple of years, we had many
modest goals available and did not act because the person whose death we are
avenging is Imad Mugniyah...
Our options our open and we have all the time we need. No one can pressure us or
outbid us and let us leave the enemy concerned. Let it worry every day, in every
location, on every square. We will chose the time, the place and the target.
Today, on the yearly anniversary of Hajj Imad, I say to you, to his family,
companions and loved ones: What we want is a retaliation that is up to the level
of Imad Mughniyeh. That is what we are seeking. We do not want retaliation for
the sake of retaliation, rather to protect all the leaders, cadres and the
entire cause which was conveyed by Imad Mugniyah...