LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 15/10
Bible Of the
Day
John's Third Letter 1/9-12: "1:9 I
wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t
accept what we say. 1:10 Therefore if I come, I will call attention to his deeds
which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this,
neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids
and throws out of the assembly. 1:11 Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil,
but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen
God. 1:12 Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we
also testify, and you know that our testimony is true."
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
By
the way, the Hariri tribunal is dying/By:
Michael Young/January 14/10
Paying the price of
sectarianism/Daily Star/14 January/10
Obama
must fight terrorism, his Cairo speech in hand/By:David
Ignatius/January 14/10
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for January 14/10
Sfeir:
All Sects Should Take Part in Appointment Process/Naharnet
Reports of a new Israeli
war on Lebanon, As-Sharq al-Awsat says/Now Lebanon
Report: Hizbullah Deployed
Syrian-Made Missiles Capable of Destroying Israel/Naharnet
Turkey
Fears Possible Israeli Strike on Lebanon, France Rules Out Attack/Naharnet
Report: Turkey warned Lebanon to beware of Israeli
attack/Ha'aretz
Jones
to Hear Lebanese Criticism on Airport Screenings, Mitchell in Beirut Monday/Naharnet
Hizbullah's Qamati: No Guarantees Jumblat Won't Change his Policy/Naharnet
Analysts say resignations show
tribunal losing political support/Daily Star
Barak: We see everything in
Lebanon, things could deteriorate/Daily Star
Berri defends his call to
abolish sectarianism/Daily Star/Daily
Star
Berri:
Committee to Abolish Sectarianism Doesn't Mean Abolishing Sectarianism Itself/Naharnet
Rifi denies reports that Islamists
have
infiltrated country/Daily
Star
Lebanese
Cabinet vows to hold municipal
elections on time/Daily
Star
Safadi: Lebanon's public debt
reached $51 billion in 2009/Daily Star
Hariri:
Lebanon Will Pledge Emergency Aid to Haiti/Naharnet
Jones
to Hear Lebanese Criticism on Airport Screenings, Mitchell in Beirut Monday/Naharnet
Abdullah, Assad Relieved
at 'Positive Atmosphere' in Lebanon/Naharnet
Report: Paris Sees New
Chapter in Hariri's Visit/Naharnet
Cabinet Confirms: No
Postponing of Municipal Elections/Naharnet
Aoun:
State's Foundations Should Be Well-Established before Moving to Abolishing
Political Sectarianism/Naharnet
Gemayel: Washington Remains Committed to Defending Lebanon's Sovereignty/Naharnet
Jordan Jails Lebanese Man
for Cocaine Smuggling/Naharnet
March 14
General-Secretariat Calls for 'a Loyalty Posture' on Hariri Assassination
Anniversary/Naharnet
3 Schoolchildren Wounded
in Mysterious Explosion in southern Lebanon/Naharnet
Ahmadinejad says “Zionist” methods
used to kill Iran scientist/Now Lebanon
Reports
of a new Israeli war on Lebanon, As-Sharq al-Awsat says
January 14, 2010 /Now Lebanon
A well-informed Lebanese source, who spoke on condition of anynomity, told As-Sharq
al-Awsat newspaper that President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri
were reportedly informed during their trips abroad – referring to Sleiman’s
trips to France and the US, and Hariri’s visit to Turkey– that Israel is
planning to soon attack Lebanon.
The source said that France warned Hariri in 2006 before the July War that
Israel was preparing to carry out a massive operation along Lebanon’s border.
Hariri immediately conveyed the message to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah, added the source. Several Lebanese officials believe that
there is a US conviction that you need to wage war in the Middle East before
achieving peace, said the source. This could be a very dangerous indicator that
a new Israeli war is probable, added the source.
As-Sharq al-Awsat also cited other reports in the foreign media warning against
an Israeli war on Lebanon. The new attack would be similar to the Gaza offensive
when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a surprise attack and destroyed
Palestinian police stations in the strip last year, said the source.
He added that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) would be Israel’s first target,
especially since the LAF’s military bases’ locations are out in the open, unlike
Hezbollah’s secret hideouts.
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Moussawi, in turn, told the daily that
such reports of war on Lebanon do not worry Hezbollah, but, he added, the party
is not downplaying their importance. Meanwhile, Future bloc MP Ghazi Youssef
told the daily that the Israeli threats are serious, adding that Tel Aviv wants
to destabilize the region. “Israel’s goal is [to attack] Lebanon, not Hezbollah.
The proof is that every time Lebanon has a real chance to prosper, an [Israeli]
aggression [occurs].” Youssef also said that “Israel is exploiting the regional
conflict with Iran,” adding that neither Hezbollah nor any other party should
give Tel Aviv an excuse to launch a new war on Lebanon. -NOW Lebanon
Report:
Hizbullah Deployed Syrian-Made Missiles Capable of Destroying Israel
Naharnet/Hizbullah has reportedly recently deployed advanced Syrian-made
surface-to-surface missiles on Lebanese territory that are capable of hitting
almost any target in Israel.
The report carried by the British defense weekly magazine "Jane's" said the
projectiles are a clone of Iran's Fateh-110 missile which has a range of 250
kilometers and carries a 500-kg warhead capable of causing significant damage
and distinguishing the levels of precision of the objectives. Jane's military
correspondent Alon Ben-David quoted Israeli military sources as confirming that
the type M-600 missiles were deployed in Lebanon for the first time. "Syria puts
no limits on arms supplies to Hizbullah, and therefore, we must understand that
any kind of combat weapons in the possession of the Syrian army will ultimately
reach Hizbullah," Ben-David quoted an Israeli military source as saying.
Ben-David said Israel has expressed concern over Syrian weapons supplies to
Hizbullah, including Russia-made medium-range surface-to-sea missiles type
SS-N-26 Yakhont and defense system SA-2. He pointed out that Israel since 2006
continues to warn that it will consider the deployment of new air defense
systems in Lebanon "as a change in the balance of power in the region." Beirut,
14 Jan 10, 08:08
Hizbullah's Qamati: No Guarantees Jumblat Won't Change his Policy
Naharnet/Deputy head of Hizbullah's politburo Mahmoud Qamati said the Shiite
group does not rule out that Druze leader Walid Jumblat will not re-shift his
strategy. "There is no guarantee that Jumblat will not change his policy in the
future," Qamati said in an interview published Thursday by the Kuwaiti daily
Ad-Dar. He pointed out that Hizbullah deals with Jumblat on a "daily" basis. "We
don't deal with him at the strategic level," Qamati explained. He uncovered that
during his private meetings with Hizbullah, Jumblat would tend to be
self-criticizing, admitting that he has erred in betting on the United States.
Beirut, 14 Jan 10, 11:16
Sfeir: All Sects Should Take Part in Appointment Process
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said Thursday that the various sects
in Lebanon should be part of the appointment process. "Lebanon belongs to all
its citizens," Sfeir told a visiting delegation form the Editors Association.
"There are 18 sects in Lebanon which must participate in all duties, be it in
the administration or the army," Sfeir said, stressing that all communities have
to carry out their duties "otherwise there will be a gap somewhere." Beirut, 14
Jan 10, 13:09
Jones to Hear Lebanese Criticism on Airport Screenings, Mitchell in Beirut
Monday
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman and other top Lebanese officials will
reportedly express their frustration to U.S. National Security Advisor James
Jones at tight security screening recently introduced by the U.S. against
travelers from Lebanon. An Nahar daily on Thursday quoted diplomatic sources as
saying that Jones, who is expected to visit Beirut on Friday, will discuss with
Lebanese officials "issues of great importance." The sources said the Lebanese
officials will bring up the issues of the screenings and a measure calling on
U.S. President Barack Obama to monitor Arab news stations that were viewed as
inciting violence against the United States, including Hizbullah's al-Manar TV.
Furthermore, the Lebanese officials will discuss with Jones Israeli
procrastination on withdrawal from the border village of Ghajar, the sources
said. Jones' visit to Beirut will come ahead of U.S. Mideast envoy George
Mitchell's trip to Lebanon on Monday, An Nahar said. The envoy's tour, which
started in Europe, is aimed at relaunching stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Mitchell has visited Lebanon twice since he was tasked with reviving peace
negotiations in the region in January last year. Beirut, 14 Jan 10, 08:35
Turkey Fears Possible Israeli Strike on Lebanon, France Rules Out Attack
Naharnet/Israel possibly plans a strike on Lebanon next spring, pan-Arab Asharq
al-Awsat said, citing diplomatic reports. It said these concerns are heard by
many Lebanese political leaders amidst an increasing clamor over Israeli
preparations for war. The daily said President Michel Suleiman and Prime
Minister Saad Hariri have heard during their visits abroad "many foreign
warnings about an Israeli action" against Lebanon in the coming period. It said
the latest warning came from Turkey during Hariri's visit to Ankara earlier this
week.
Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, however, quoted French sources as ruling out an Israeli
attack on Lebanon. "There are no signs that Israel would make such a move," one
French source said. "It is not the interest of either side to destabilize the
existing stability." Beirut, 14 Jan 10, 09:03
Abdullah, Assad Relieved at 'Positive Atmosphere' in Lebanon
Naharnet/Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad have expressed
relief at the "positive atmosphere" in Lebanon and stressed the need for
consolidation of Arab ties.Syria's state-run news agency, SANA, said Wednesday
the two leaders "expressed relief at the positive atmosphere prevailing in
Lebanon and stressed support for everything that consolidates such an
atmosphere." The two leaders, who met in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, also
"expressed hope that the upcoming Iraqi elections would be the cornerstone for
the Iraqi people's unity," SANA said. The king greeted Assad at Riyadh airport
and the two headed to Abdullah's private desert farm Janadiriyah outside the
capital where the monarch was to host a dinner, the official SPA news agency
said. It added that Assad would stay in Saudi Arabia for "several days." Beirut,
14 Jan 10, 08:05
Report: Paris Sees New Chapter in Hariri's Visit
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Paris next week is the
culmination of a two-year effort to install stability in Lebanon, a high-ranking
French official told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. The source said achievements made
since Paris hosted dialogue among bickering Lebanese politicians to end
months-long political stalemate in 2007 were "remarkable."
Lebanon should now focus on reform, strengthening the state and the army and
consolidating stability through normalization of ties with neighboring
countries, meaning Syria and Israel, the source told al-Hayat. The official
added that French officials will reiterate to Hariri during his visit on January
21 Paris' determination to push the EU into backing Lebanon.
"A new chapter in bilateral French-Lebanese ties will open," he said. On U.N.
Security Council resolution 1559, the official told al-Hayat that the clause on
disarming militias remains unimplemented despite the implementation of other
articles, including Syria's pullout from Lebanon and the holding of fair
presidential elections. "There are two ways to disarm militias. First, there is
dialogue and second, there is resolution 1701. Consequently, this resolution
should be a priority for everyone," the official said. He stressed that the
Security Council cannot say that 1559 has become obsolete because it hasn't been
fully implemented yet. Beirut, 14 Jan 10, 10:20
Aoun: State's Foundations Should Be Well-Established before Moving to Abolishing
Political Sectarianism
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed
that the foundations of the Lebanese State should be well-established before
moving to abolishing political sectarianism. "The issue of abolishing political
sectarianism requires courage and pragmatism, I'm not pessimistic and I want the
demise of political sectarianism from all my heart, because I'm a human being
who wants to have a country first then a State," said Aoun at a press conference
after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc.
"If we abolish political sectarianism, can we free the individual from his sect?
If we can do that, let's do this thing immediately." Aoun called for "a work
plan for the Parliament and for setting timeframes for the work of parliamentary
committees and their resolutions." "The Speaker supervises the role (of
Parliament) and does not manipulate it," added Aoun. Aoun urged Interior
Minister Ziad Baroud to submit the municipal elections law amendments to the
parliament so that it can approve them. He stressed that the elections should
talk place on the specified date.
On the other hand, Aoun stressed that his party's alliance with Hizbullah is
"beyond undermining, but that does not stop (the FPM) from maintaining
friendship with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, Al-Mustaqbal
Movement, or any country in the world." "We recognize no borders but those of
our interest and the interest of our existence," added Aoun.
"It is shameful that we always accuse Syria of interfering in Lebanese affairs
because this thing undermines our self-confidence," answered Aoun to a question
on whether Syria asked him not to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with
Jumblat. "When the United States becomes our friend and stops threatening our
entity, then nothing will prevent us from becoming friends."
Aoun said that he was not able to pursue the details of Kfar Fila's explosion on
Wednesday and the he was waiting for investigations, but added that "comparing
to what is happening in Iran, there seems to be one source for crimes." Beirut,
13 Jan 10, 19:10
Gemayel: Washington Remains Committed to Defending Lebanon's Sovereignty
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Wednesday stressed that
"Washington remains committed to defending the higher interests of Lebanon, its
sovereignty, and its independence, evidenced by the nearby visits to Lebanon by
U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones and U.S. Middle East envoy George
Mitchell."
After a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison in Saifi, Gemayel
said that "the U.S. insists to support all Lebanese factions which are defending
the interest of Lebanon and struggling so that the State extends its authority
over all of its territories." On the other hand, Gemayel warned of "the blind
political violence that targeted today children in the South," adding that "the
perpetrators should be identified and this series has to stop." He also tackled
the Badaro kidnapping incident, urging the authorities to "put maximum emphasis
on the subject … because it may leave d angerous effects on tourism, economy,
security, and stability." "All security services should cooperate in order to
arrest the perpetrators as soon as possible," added Gemayel. Commenting on an
article published in the Syrian daily Al-Watan mentioning that "Phalange Party
and Lebanese Forces positioned themselves outside the (ongoing)
reconciliations," Gemayel said: "We are the basis of reconciliations and our
hands are stretched. We defend the rebuilding of the State which should be in
charge of reconciliations and of every Lebanese-Lebanese meeting happening
currently." "We are struggling for the sake of principles and constants which
should be the umbrella of all of these meetings and reconciliations." Beirut, 13
Jan 10, 21:31
Cabinet Confirms: No Postponing of Municipal Elections
Naharnet/The cabinet confirmed in its weekly session Wednesday that the
forthcoming municipal elections will be held on the set date. After the session,
Information Minister Tarek Mitri said that the cabinet discussed both issues of
administrational appointments and municipal elections. The cabinet will take a
decision in its next session about adopting a certain mechanism for appointments
after the ongoing consultations conducted by Administrational Development
Minister Mohammed Fneish who was assigned to suggest a mechanism. It also
confirmed that the forthcoming municipal elections will be held on the set date,
reminding that the grace period has not ended yet. "Interior Minister Ziad
Baroud will demonstrate during next session the procedures which will guarantee
the most advantageous municipal elections," said Mitri. The cabinet sanctioned
Mitri to represent Lebanon in the extraordinary meeting of Arab information
ministers next month in Cairo. It stressed Lebanon's attachment to the freedom
of the press and its commitment to defend it. The cabinet had started its weekly
session in the evening at the Baabda Palace under President Michel Suleiman.
Premier Saad Hariri and all of the ministers except for Defense Minister Elias
Murr attended the session.
The cabinet discussed an agenda of 29 regular items and some emergency items.
President Suleiman initiated the session by informing the ministers about the
results of his latest talks with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the
meetings he held with a number of foreign delegations. He also tackled the
general situations and the latest developments.
On his part, PM Hariri informed the ministers about the outcome of his visit to
Turkey and his talks with the top Turkish officials. He put the conferees in the
image of the political results as well as the agreements that have been signed.
The cabinet demonstrated various reports, especially about some security
incidents.
The session was preceded by a closed-door meeting between Suleiman and Hariri
which lasted for around forty five minutes and discussed the latest
developments.
Beirut, 13 Jan 10, 22:09
3 Schoolchildren Wounded in Mysterious Explosion in southern Lebanon
Naharnet/Three children waiting for their school bus were wounded in southern
Lebanon Wednesday when a mysterious explosion ripped through a building.
A security source told Naharnet that the 7:30am blast took place at the entrance
to a three-storey building in Kfar Fila near Nabatiyeh.
He said that while the nature of the explosion was not immediately known, it is
believed to be the result of a bomb. The source identified one of the tenants in
the building as Mohammed Zreiq, who is believed to be a Hizbullah official. He
said two of Zreiq's children -- Hassan, 7 and Diana, 11-- were among the
wounded. The third casualty was identified as Zainab Hazimeh, 15. Diana had her
left leg amputated and was seriously wounded. She underwent a surgery at
Nabatiyeh's government-run hospital as the doctors exerted major efforts to
preserve her right torn leg. Hassan was treated at the same hospital and is in a
stable condition as Zainab left Sheikh Ragheb Harb Hospital after receiving
treatment.
The state-run National News Agency reported that the explosion resulted from an
unidentified body which Diana had stepped on. Denying initial reports, Kfar Fila
residents expressed dismay at the circulated news that said a Hizbullah official
was targeted. They said Mohammed Zreiq is not affiliated with any organization
and that he works abroad in an African nation as an Arabic pastries maker. Kfar
Fila has long been a bastion of Hizbullah, which fought a devastating 2006 war
with Israel. Beirut, 13 Jan 10, 20:04
Najjar: Resignation of registrar of STL will not affect the tribunal
January 14, 2010 /Now Lebanon/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar told Future News
on Thursday that the resignation of the Registrar of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) David Tolbert on Tuesday will not affect the STL’s performance or
investigations. Najjar said that the only reason Tolbert resigned was because he
had a better job offer, which is to be the president of the International Center
for Transitional Justice – a leading global human rights organization based in
New York. He also commented on the cabinet’s upcoming administrative
appointments, saying that State Minister for Administrative Reform Mohammad
Fneish has not yet been appointed as the one responsible for setting a mechanism
for the appointments. He added that political deliberations need to be concluded
first. -NOW Lebanon
Paying the price of sectarianism
Daily Star/Thursday, January 14, 2010
Editorial
Nabih Berri got off to a good start in his address to the public from Nejmeh
Square on Wednesday when he stated that eliminating political sectarianism is a
national goal that we should work on, as stated in the introduction of the
Constitution.
But within minutes of making this remark, the speaker apparently backtracked on
his commitment to the Constitution when he asserted that the proposed committee
will discuss suggestions intended to reduce political sectarianism instead of
eliminating it.
Berri is of course the point man in this game of semantics because his ally
Hizbullah sees no reason to broach the topic of eliminating sectarianism, out of
a concern for the reaction of Maronite allies in the former opposition camp.
Irrespective of the maneuvering behind Berri’s news conference, the Taif Accord
is of course clear on the process of eliminating sectarianism. The problem is
that while the speaker is following constitutional procedure, the campaign is
nearly two decades late in coming.
If Berri and other politicians engage in some serious soul searching, we’ll
discover that people who are selected for public positions don’t turn in a bad
performance because of their sect. It’s the system that produces these
disappointing results, since we lack accountability mechanisms that could get
rid of the dead weight in these state posts. Like other politicians, Berri has
made a number of very poor choices and it would be a Herculean task to identify
all of the non-performers who have been endorsed by our executive branch of
government, only for the sake of ensuring sectarian balance.
Members of the Lebanese public are “consumers” of this sectarian system, and
they are in the end concerned with the quality of public services. Our sectarian
system produces parochialism, which in turn allows Berri and others to interfere
in the proceedings of the bureaucracy and apply selective standards. There’s
also the turf aspect – certain ministries and institutions become de facto
components of a certain sect’s share of influence, which doesn’t help things.
Officials might pledge to serve all citizens equally, but the reality is that
favoritism quickly comes into play. Even if politicians like Berri uphold the
Constitution by creating a committee to abolish sectarianism, they begin their
battle at a huge disadvantage. They’ve flouted the Constitution and the law so
many times that few will expect true reform from them.
At the end of the day, the Lebanese listen to the verbal maneuvering and
semantics about sectarianism and know that they’ll continue to suffer the
consequences, when they try to complete government formalities, get a job or
open a business. Abolishing sectarianism might seem like an exercise in
abstraction, but the people know better when they pay the price, because of the
real-world impact of this rigid old system.
Obama must fight terrorism, his Cairo speech in hand
By David Ignatius
Commentary by
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The presidency of Barack Obama is becoming tangled, inexorably, in the spider
web of terrorism. “We are at war against Al-Qaeda,” Obama said last week, “and
we will do whatever it takes to defeat them.”
Obama has no choice but to fight this battle aggressively – in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Yemen and other fronts that will emerge. But to be effective in war,
Obama needs to be faithful to his ambition to be a peacemaker and agent of
change. This was what got him elected – and raised hopes around the world that
he represented something new.
To remind myself of Obama’s core message, I have been re-reading the speech he
gave last June at Cairo University. “I’ve come here to Cairo to seek a new
beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on
mutual interest and mutual respect,” he said. That sentence encapsulated a clear
and correct strategic vision.
The Cairo message excited people in the Middle East because it treated the
Muslim world and its aspirations with dignity – and because, let us be frank, it
was delivered by an African-American whose middle name was “Hussein.” People
sensed that because of who he was, Obama offered a special opportunity to break
out of a looming “clash of civilizations.” That formula of inescapable conflict
is precisely the way Al-Qaeda wants the world to think, but Obama was offering
something different.
Specifically, Obama pledged in Cairo to work courageously for peace between
Israel and the Palestinians: “The situation for the Palestinian people is
intolerable,” he said. He even gave Hamas a nod, by stating the obvious but
usually unsayable: “Hamas does have support among some Palestinians.”
Many skeptics doubted the Cairo speech. Arabs predicted that if Israel balked at
the United States’ demands, Obama would fold his hand. Hawks in America and
Israel warned that Obama was being naive; America’s Muslin adversaries wouldn’t
be convinced by sweet talk about peace; they only understood the logic of force.
The doubters on both sides now think they have been proved right, given that
Obama’s peacemaking efforts appear dead in the water, even as he escalates his
war-making in Afghanistan and Yemen. The Cairo speech seems a reminder of a
brief golden moment: Nice words, but no follow-through.
But in truth, the strategy that Obama proposed in Cairo is more important now
than ever. Critics speak as if peacemaking and battling Muslim extremism should
be seen as an either-or proposition. What Obama understood a year ago is that
the two are linked. The best way to undercut extremists in Iran or Al-Qaeda is
to make progress on issues that matter to the Muslim world. Guns alone won’t do
it; if it were otherwise, the Israelis would have battled their way to peace
long ago.
Yemen will be a test of whether Obama can fight terrorism in a smarter way than
did his predecessor, President George W. Bush. The administration recognized
immediately that Yemen was a growing haven for Al-Qaeda. Since last January, the
National Security Council has discussed Yemen in 15 meetings of its “Deputies
Committee,” and Obama has steadily increased covert military and intelligence
activities there. American warplanes and bombs are thought to have been used,
for example, to attack Al-Qaeda training camps in Yemen on December 17.
But US efforts to counter Al-Qaeda in Yemen are hindered by the strong
anti-American sentiment there. It’s the same problem you see in Pakistan. You
can’t turn this anger around just by drinking tea, or showering development
money. The US must address issues that people care passionately about, such as
the Palestinian problem.
The administration is struggling to revive the stillborn Palestinian peace
process. George Mitchell, the president’s special envoy, is said to be drafting
terms of reference for negotiations and letters of assurance for the parties
that will offer more clarity about US positions on key issues. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton suggested the outlines last week when she called for “an
independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines with agreed swaps” of
territory.
Even as he fights Al-Qaeda and its allies, Obama needs to be Obama. He needs to
continue voicing the Cairo message of outreach to the Muslim world – not as an
alternative to battling extremism, but as a necessary component of that fight.
We are confronting an enemy that wants to draw us deeper into battle, so that
America is more isolated and unpopular. We avoid that spider’s trap by solving
problems that matter.
**Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR.
By the way, the Hariri tribunal is dying
By Michael Young
Commentary by
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Only days after it was announced that the chief investigator, Neguib “Nick”
Kaldas, would soon leave the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, we now hear that the
registrar, David Tolbert, is doing the same. The next tribunal statement about a
departure should perhaps come with a laughing track.
For four years between 2005 and 2009 the March 14 majority told the Lebanese
people that its priority was the “truth” about who had killed Rafik Hariri and
all those afterward. The opposition sought to block the Hariri tribunal, and
nearly carried Lebanon into a civil war as a consequence. And yet here we are,
near the fifth anniversary of the former prime minister’s assassination, with
myriad signs that the investigation and tribunal process is in crisis, and all
we are hearing is silence from those once the loudest champions of justice, not
least the victims’ families.
It’s obvious that the tribunal will not produce an accusation in the foreseeable
future. It is equally obvious that the prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, is not
someone who inspires much confidence, and that the alleged deterrence power of
the Hariri investigation has evaporated completely. This dismal evolution merits
recapitulation.
The first major sign that something was amiss was the decision of the second UN
commissioner, Serge Brammertz, to reopen the Hariri crime scene in 2006.
Although three reports had indicated that the former prime minister was killed
by an above-ground explosion, Brammertz wasted time and resources to ultimately
reach the same conclusion.
The episode indicated one of two things: either that the commissioner
consciously sought to delay progress, perhaps because he knew that UN
headquarters did not want a serious inquiry; or that Brammertz was
inexperienced. The second possibility is alarming in itself, but the first is
hardly far-fetched. Recall that the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, told the
first UN commissioner, Detlev Mehlis, that “he did not want another trouble
spot” because of the Hariri investigation, which Mehlis put on the record in an
interview with me. If Annan told Brammertz the same thing, and surely he did,
the Belgian may well have decided to comply. His appointment as prosecutor of a
leading UN tribunal, that for the former Yugoslavia, was perceived by many to be
a promotion, although Brammertz had done nothing in Lebanon to earn that
accolade.
Mehlis expanded on his doubts about Brammertz in that interview with me,
conducted in January 2007 for The Wall Street Journal. Brammertz was preparing
to move to the former Yugoslavia tribunal, and Mehlis saw this as an opportunity
to sound a warning shot about his successor. He criticized Brammertz’s imparting
of scant information in his reports to the Security Council, under the guise of
protecting the “secrecy of the investigation”, then declared: “From what I am
hearing, the investigation has lost all the momentum it had [when Brammertz took
over] in January 2006.” Mehlis went on to argue, “Unfortunately, I haven’t seen
a word in his reports during the past two years confirming that he has moved
forward. When I left we were ready to name suspects, but [the investigation]
seems not to have progressed from that stage.”
Subsequent developments proved Mehlis right, and last year Brammertz rebuffed my
efforts to obtain his reaction to the criticism. By all accounts, and both
Lebanese and non-Lebanese sources have confirmed this to me, Brammertz did not
advance much in his work, certainly not on the Syrian track anyway. A police
investigation requires suspects, not just analysis. It is only by arresting
suspects that an investigator can compare testimonies and unravel the chain of
command and the decision-making process in a crime to determine who ordered
what, and when. In many ways, an investigation without suspects in custody is a
contradiction in terms.
The Mehlis interview was received apathetically in Beirut, especially from those
who had a vested interest in ensuring that Brammertz had done his work well. The
fact that the Belgian was replaced by Bellemare, a man with no expertise in
conducting a complex political investigation, who was recommended and briefed by
Brammertz, was, similarly, unworthy of comment; and this despite the fact that
the high expectations of the years before were now being questioned by the
individual, Mehlis, who had the most advantage in seeing his initial findings
vindicated.
Bellemare’s two years in office have been even more disturbing than Brammertz’s.
The Canadian’s reports as investigator told us less than his predecessor’s, if
that was humanly possible. We quickly learned that the laconism hid no new
information. Just over a year later, sitting as prosecutor, Bellemare would be
compelled to release all those suspects in his case still in detention, because
he did not have enough to indict. Far from implying the suspects’ innocence,
however, the decision only affirmed that Brammertz, who had approved of the
continuing detentions (as had Bellemare himself), left the Canadian with a
deficient dossier.
And then came another incomprehensible development: Bellemare’s decision to
declare the suspect and witness Mohammad Zuhayr al-Saddiq “no longer of interest
to the case.” That Saddiq may have been a plant to discredit investigators is
quite possible. However, it was, therefore, up to the prosecutor to determine
who put him up to this, just as it was up to Bellemare to explain why Saddiq,
who presented testimony under oath, was not sanctioned for lying. One is not a
suspect and witness in a murder case at one moment and no longer of interest the
next. Yet Lebanon’s judicial authorities said nothing about Bellemare’s
astonishing measure.
But then the Lebanese government, officially a part of the prosecution, has said
nothing about anything else that has gone wrong with the tribunal either.
Bellemare’s decision to unfreeze the assets of the former Syrian intelligence
chief in Lebanon, Rustom Ghazaleh, only reinforced a conviction that he has
little of note on the Syrian angle in the Hariri assassination, for which he can
doubtless thank Brammertz. That might help explain why Bellemare dropped the
case against Saddiq.
Then there was Kaldas’ departure, and now Tolbert’s. Despite the official
explanation that Kaldas left because his one-year contract was up, his exit was
almost certainly the result of two far more significant factors: his personal
differences with Bellemare, and their mutual disagreement over the mechanics of
the investigation. It is true that Kaldas was offered a professional promotion
in Australia, in much the same way as Tolbert received an attractive offer from
the International Center for Transitional Justice. But the reality is that both
men felt that nothing particularly compelling retained them at the Lebanon
tribunal, therefore preferred to abandon what they once imagined might be an
interesting trial.
The Lebanon tribunal is not yet dead, but it seems very nearly there, amid
embarrassing indifference in Beirut. Those committed to the rights of the
victims must denounce more forcefully the charade now taking place in a suburb
of The Hague. The supreme insult is to be told that justice will come when
everything points to the contrary. Bellemare has to provide real answers soon,
or else its time to close his stumbling operation down.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Berri
defends his call to abolish sectarianism
By Elias Sakr/Daily Star staff
Thursday, January 14, 2010
BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday that the abolishment of
political sectarianism was not optional but rather mandatory in accordance with
the Taif Accord.
“The abolishment of political sectarianism is present in the Constitution’s
introduction and this new pact necessitates a step by step plan; thus my call to
form a committee tasked with the issue was not an option which the speaker can
take or reject,” Berri said during a news conference at the Parliament
headquarters in downtown Beirut’s Nijmeh Square.
Berri stressed that article 95 of the Constitution requires Parliament members
elected on the basis of parity between Christians and Muslims to form a national
committee tasked with abolishing political sectarianism. “When no one protects
the Constitution the foundations of the state would disintegrate and
consequently I find myself responsible with forming the committee,” the speaker
added. Tackling earlier statements by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir calling
to abolish sectarianism from souls before texts, Berri said the way to eliminate
sectarianism from souls is to eliminate it from texts first.
“The Taif Accord differentiated between eliminating political sectarianism and
sectarianism in absolute,” Berri said, adding that “the recommendations of the
committee would be a non-binding proposal to Parliament or the Cabinet.” Berri’s
call led to a heated debate between political parties and drew criticism from
March 14 Christian groups and several Future Movement officials. March 14
figures said on several occasions that the speaker had raised the issue under
unfavorable circumstances as they tied the formation of the committee to the
accomplishment of the state’s sovereignty and monopoly over weapons possessions,
a reference to Hizbullah and Palestinian armed factions.
“The Constitution since its establishment considered political sectarianism an
exception and this exception turned into a reality 83 years later; however, we
should not build a rule upon an exception,” Berri said. Separately, Berri’s
ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun also raised concerns about
the speaker’s call, saying Wednesday the issue required preparations before
being tackled and could lead to a problem if dealt with now. Aoun said many laws
needed to be amended prior to the abolishment of political sectarianism since
such a step would mean the end of the current system and the establishment of a
new one.
“We should evaluate our system first; until today we ignore what are the
president’s prerogatives,” Aoun said. Aoun voiced support for Berri’s statement
that political sectarianism was regarded an exception at the time the
Constitution was established. “However, sectarianism became deeply rooted in our
society given a wrong track of governance which cannot be abolished directly,”
Aoun added. He said the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution in
accordance with the Taif belongs to the Constitutional Council. “So why
manipulate laws and grant this right to Parliament?” Aoun asked. Defending
his stance, Berri underlined that the participation in the committee was open to
all religious sects who would choose their own representatives. “Thus claims by
some parties that the formation of the committee necessitated consensus are not
justified,” Berri said.
“The obstruction of the formation of the committee does not only reflect on
hindering one article of the Constitution but rather continuing to obstruct
other clauses which implementation is related to article 95.” The speaker added
that he had postponed the formation of the committee several times since 1992
given fears raised by certain groups and unfavorable circumstances including the
assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri and Israeli wars against Lebanon.
“Now that we formed a national unity cabinet and that calm has been
re-established, I would help pushing forward with the issue,” he said, adding:
“I informed the president of my intention.”
As for naming members of the committee, Berri said it would be Parliament’s
responsibility rather than the speaker’s decision to nominate candidates. “No
one could even think of eliminating religious sects since Lebanon without its
Muslims and Christians would not be Lebanon,” Berri said.
Tackling steps that would help lessen sectarianism, Berri called for organizing
the work of media outlets to prevent them from turning into sectarian bunkers as
well as the adoption of a unified history book, among other steps. “Citizenship
is a straight connection between the state and its citizens, which does not go
through sectarianism,” Berri said.
Attempting to eliminate concerns regarding the role of the committee, Berri said
it would act similarly to the national dialogue table while adding that he
feared for Lebanon’s future if the current situation remained unchanged.