LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay 20/2010

Bible Of the Day
The Good News According to John
12:30 Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. 12:32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 12:33 But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die. 12:34 The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever.* How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
12:35 Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them. 12:37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, 12:38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke,

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Statement by Canada'a Foreign Minister Mr. Cannon on UN Draft Resolution Regarding Sanctions on Iran/May 19/10
The Shi'ite stripper girl next door/Washington Times/May 19/10
Miss USA 2010: The Ugly Aftermath/Asharq Alawsat/May 19/10
Nearing the climax on Iran/Daily Star/May 19/10
Seizing the Lebanese state/By: Hanin Ghaddar/May 19/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 19/10
Kuwaiti Emir Meets Hariri, Berri Throws Lunch Banquet for Him/Naharnet
Souaid: Assad's Statements Imply that Syria is Restoring its Control over Lebanon/Naharnet
Hizbullah's 'jihadist tour' in south of Lebanon provides visitors with 'surreal' experience/AFP
Iran and nuclear: Part.3. Wall St. Journal ideas on proposal/Examiner.com
US wants to build up Hezbollah moderates: adviser/Reuters
Brazil, Turkey urge UN not to impose Iran sanctions/Now Lebanon
Iran frustrated as US nixes Brazil-Turkey nuclear deal/Now Lebanon
German FM to discuss regional peace on Mideast tour/Ha'aretz
Assad: US Must Expect More No Than Yes From Syria/MEMRI (blog)
Hezbollah holds 'Jihad tours' for students/Ynetnews
Landmark ruling granting citizenship to children of Lebanese mother overturned/Daily Star/Naharnet
Moussa: Arabs, World Oppose Adventures that Infringe on Lebanese Sovereignty
German FM to Visit Beirut Friday as Part of Mideast Tour/Naharnet
Berri: Had it Not Been for Commitment to 1701, Youth Would Have Liberated Shebaa/Naharnet
Brennan Says Hizbullah Not a Purely Terrorist Group, Studying Ways to Bolster its Moderate Elements/Naharnet
Israeli Journalist after Visiting Baalbek: Hizbullah is a Pragmatic Party that Takes into Account Lebanese Diversity/Naharnet
Hariri-Assad Hold 4-Hour Meeting Described as 'Very Good'/Naharnet
Kouchner in Damascus, Beirut over Weekend to Reduce Regional Tension/Naharnet
U.S. Seeking to Build Up 'Moderate Elements' within Hizbullah/Naharnet
Election Tension in Sidon/Naharnet
Municipal Consultations Stumble in Tibnin after Withdrawal of Christian Candidates, 4 from Hizbullah/Naharnet
17 of 60 Tyre Municipalities Win Uncontested, 3, including 2 Women, Run Independently/Naharnet
Aoun: We'll Target Finance Ministry and Budget Makers/Naharnet
Kuwaiti Emir in Beirut, Supports Lebanon against Israeli Threats/Naharnet
Court Rejects Widow's Bid to Grant Children Lebanese Citizenship/Naharnet
Pietton Meets Geagea, Echoes Morin's View: No War in Sight/Naharnet
Hizbullah Sources: Israel Will be Bombarded with 15 Tons of Explosives a Day in Case of a War/Naharnet
U.S. Delivers 20 Harley Davidson Motorcycles to ISF/Naharnet
Firzli: Relations with Syria are Part of National Accord, Hariri's Trip is a Positive Step/Naharnet

Souaid: Assad's Statements Imply that Syria is Restoring its Control over Lebanon
Naharnet/March 14 forces general-secretariat coordinator Fares Souaid considered on Wednesday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's recent statements to As Safir newspaper as "interesting and worrying" in regards to Lebanese-Syrian relations. He told the Central News Agency that it is interesting that Assad would make his statements to a Lebanese newspaper and then have them published on its front page. In addition, he noted that Assad chose to express his views to the Lebanese people through a newspaper and not through official channels that should be set up between the two countries. Souaid wondered: "Would it have been possible for Lebanese President Michel Suleiman or Prime Minister Saad Hariri to directly address the local Syrian situation through a Syrian newspaper? And if so, would Syria have considered that as meddling in its affairs?"
What's worrying, continued Souaid, was Assad's implication that Lebanon has once again been placed in Syria's care with Saudi Arabia's blessing and general Arab and international approval, therefore, sending a message to the Lebanese people that Syria is restoring its hegemony over Lebanon.
It is as if the country has returned to where it was before 2004, before the extension of former President Emile Lahoud's term, when Syria used to have a say in every development in Lebanon, added Souaid. He asked if Assad's statements "serve joint Lebanese-Syrian interests and pave the way for a new phase that we all wanted to be focused on establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and resolving pending issues between them." Addressing Hariri's Arab tour, Souaid said: "His visit is aimed at gathering Arab positions in ahead of his visit to the United States seeing as Lebanon is currently temporarily heading the U.N. Security Council and therefore, it is only logical that it represent the position of all Arabs."
Hariri's visit to Syria, therefore, is part of that mission to garner Arab stands, and it has no other agenda, he added. Returning to Assad's statements to As Safir, Souaid commented on the Syrian president's references to some Lebanese who consider themselves Phoenicians, and not Arabs. Souaid said: "The Syrian president was so kind as to give us a history lesson on the origins of the Phoenicians, which is an indirect accusation against the Lebanese Christians." The Christians have long played major cultural and national roles in the region and "his insistence on giving them history and geography lessons will not help in resolving the trust issues he has with them," concluded Souaid. Beirut, 19 May 10, 18:24

Mitchell in New Talks with Abbas
Naharnet/.S. envoy George Mitchell and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday held their first meeting since indirect peace negotiations with Israel were launched earlier this month. "We gave Americans letters about the situation on the ground, including the murders in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people," Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat told journalists after the meeting. In recent days, a Palestinian teenager was shot dead in the West Bank by an Israeli settler, and Israeli army gunfire killed an elderly farmer in the Gaza Strip, near the Israeli border. The letters also address "the numerous Israeli provocative statements of the last few days," Erakat said, in reference to statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials that Israeli settlement construction would continue in annexed Arab east Jerusalem.
Following the meeting with Abbas in the West Bank's political capital Ramallah, Mitchell headed to east Jerusalem with Erakat for further consultations. "Our discussions with Mitchell revolve around all the final status issues and we will focus on the questions of borders and security during the four months of proximity talks," Erakat said. Final status issues refer to the core disputes in the decades-old conflict such as the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. Mitchell plans to shuttle between Washington, Jerusalem and Ramallah as part of the so-called proximity talks launched on May 9. He met Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday and planned to hold talks with hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.
The indirect negotiations were first agreed in March but the initiative collapsed within days when Israel announced plans to build 1,600 settler homes in east Jerusalem.
The Palestinians eventually agreed to enter the talks after receiving U.S. assurances that the project would be frozen. Jerusalem and Jewish settlements are among the thorniest issues in efforts to achieve a peace deal. Israel, which captured east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community, considers the Holy City its "eternal and indivisible" capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state. The last round of direct negotiations between the two sides collapsed in December 2008 when Israel launched a devastating war on the Gaza Strip.(AFP) Beirut, 19 May 10, 18:09

Israeli Journalist after Visiting Baalbek: Hizbullah is a Pragmatic Party that Takes into Account Lebanese Diversity
Naharnet/Israeli journalist Eldad Beck has managed to visit the city of Baalbek for the second time in 14 years, describing the city as one of Hizbullah's strongholds, reported the daily Asharq al-Awsat Wednesday. The journalist recounted details of his journey in the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot on Tuesday, saying that he entered Lebanon through his European passport.
He lauded Hizbullah as a political party that differs from other extremist Islamic groups. Beck said: "It is a pragmatic party that takes into account the diversity of the Lebanese people and that there are sides that do not share its views." That way, it comes off as a national party and not one dedicated to one sect. He added, however, that he encountered several Lebanese who criticized Hizbullah and who said, among other things, that the party made a "strategic error in kidnapping the two Israeli soldiers", an action that triggered the 2006 July war.
Beck said that Baalbek has become modern and is witnessing improved economic conditions. The city has witnessed a cultural and artistic revival with its annual festival, he said, while images of late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah al-Khomeini have decreased, revealing that he had only seen one image of the late leader in the area. Beirut, 19 May 10, 16:12

Firzli: Relations with Syria are Part of National Accord, Hariri's Trip is a Positive Step
Naharnet/Former Deputy Speaker, Elie Firzli, said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Syria and his talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a "blessed and positive step that should be supported and embraced." He told the Central News Agency: "We have to accept that Lebanese-Syrian ties are part of national Lebanese accord."
He added that healthy Lebanese-Syrian ties will reflect positively and instantly on Lebanese accord and the functioning of constitutional institutions, especially cabinet.
"I believe that Hariri is fully aware of this and is working on developing these relations so they may positively affect governmental work," he said. Firzli noted that harmony between Lebanon and Syria would enable them to play a central role in the region in light of major developments that have taken place between Iran and Turkey. Addressing Israel's recent accusations against Lebanon and Syria, he said that they will not achieve their goals, whether they will materialize or not. He stressed that Lebanese and Syrian coordination is necessary to fortify the region, whether Israel chose to act on its threats or not. Beirut, 19 May 10, 18:50

Berri: Had it Not Been for Commitment to 1701, Youth Would Have Liberated Shebaa
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday that Lebanese youth would have easily liberated the Israeli-occupied Shebaa farms if there was no commitment to abide by U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. Lebanon's youth were behind the expulsion of Israeli troops from Lebanon and proved the incapacity of the Jewish state's army, Berri told the opening of the 26th ministerial round in ESCWA. "Had it not been for our commitment to resolution 1701, it would have been easy for our youth to liberate Shebaa," the speaker said.
He urged youth to be more active in Lebanese politics by "joining syndicates and political institutions." Berri also wished authorities had approved lowering voting age to 18 so that youth would be able to participate in the municipal elections. He lamented emigration of Lebanese youth as a result of joblessness, accusing the government of considering "emigration as a policy to escape from unemployment and improvement of conditions." Beirut, 19 May 10, 12:49

German FM to Visit Beirut Friday as Part of Mideast Tour
Naharnet/German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will tour Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan this week for talks on a relaunch of the Middle East peace process, his spokesman said Wednesday.  Westerwelle will embark on the trip Friday in Lebanon, holding political talks with top officials including Prime Minister Saad Hariri and visiting the German contingent of the U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL. In Cairo on Saturday, he will meet Arab League chief Amr Moussa and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his spokesman Andreas Peschke told a regular government news conference. Later in the day, he will see King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman before wrapping up the trip in Syria with a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad.
"The Middle East peace process will be the focus of the talks, in particular the regional dimension of the Middle East peace process, that is, how the neighboring states can seek constructive solutions to the conflict," Peschke said. The trip comes amid fresh indirect negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians launched on May 9. The so-called proximity talks were first agreed in March but the initiative collapsed within days when Israel announced plans to build 1,600 settler homes in east Jerusalem. The Palestinians eventually agreed to enter the talks after receiving U.S. assurances that the project would be frozen. The tour also coincides with renewed tensions between Syria and the United States and Israel, which accuse Damascus of supplying missiles to Hizbullah and undermining regional stability.(AFP) Beirut, 19 May 10, 16:57

Brennan Says Hizbullah Not a Purely Terrorist Group, Studying Ways to Bolster its Moderate Elements
Naharnet/John Brennan, U.S. President Barack Obama's assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, revealed on Wednesday that the U.S. administration is studying ways to bolster "moderate elements" within Hizbullah, and decrease its extremist influences, reported Reuters. He said at a Washington conference that Hizbullah is a "very interesting organization," saying that it had developed from a purely terrorist group to a militia to an organization that includes members in parliament and the government. Brennan, who was recently in Lebanon where he met with a number of officials, added that there are certain elements within Hizbullah that are a cause for concern for the U.S., and the key to confronting them lies in finding ways to reduce their influence in the organization and strengthen the moderate ones. Beirut, 19 May 10, 17:31

U.S. wants to build up Hezbollah moderates: adviser
WASHINGTON/Factbox: Factors to watch as Israel, Palestinians begin talks
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64I0UM20100519?type=politicsNews
Sun, May 9 2010WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is looking for ways to build up "moderate elements" within the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla movement and to diminish the influence of hard-liners, a top White House official said on Tuesday.
Barack Obama
John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, met with Lebanese leaders during a recent visit.
"Hezbollah is a very interesting organization," Brennan told a Washington conference, citing its evolution from "purely a terrorist organization" to a militia to an organization that now has members within the parliament and the cabinet.
"There is certainly the elements of Hezbollah that are truly a concern to us what they're doing. And what we need to do is to find ways to diminish their influence within the organization and to try to build up the more moderate elements," Brennan said.
He did not spell out how Washington hoped to promote "moderate elements" given that the organization is branded a "foreign terrorist organization" by the United States.
"We don't deal with them," he acknowledged.
Last month, the United States and Israel accused Syria of arming Hezbollah with increasingly powerful missiles and weapons technology. Brennan said he raised those concerns during his recent visit to the region.

Kouchner in Damascus, Beirut over Weekend to Reduce Regional Tension
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is scheduled to visit Damascus and Beirut over the weekend to deliver to Syrian and Lebanese authorities several messages that mainly deal with the need to reduce tension over Israeli accusations that Syria smuggled Scud missiles to Hizbullah. Official French sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Kouchner carries with him three interconnected messages: French concern over the Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli triangle, the need to reject all statements that could increase tension and adopt self-restraint and finally an urge from Paris to fix some alleged "distortions" in Lebanese-Syrian ties. The sources said, however, the messages do not mean that war is looming on the horizon. On the contrary, they are aimed at encouraging both sides to avoid a deteriorating situation. Kouchner kicks off his tour on Saturday with talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem. On Sunday, the French foreign minister will hold talks with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and FM Ali al-Shami.
The meetings with the top three Lebanese leaders are aimed at showing French respect for the country's institutions, Asharq al-Awsat's sources said.
An Nahar daily, in its turn, said Kouchner will stress to the Lebanese government the readiness of France to assist Lebanon in all fields and protect it against any possible aggression.
He will also urge all sides to respect U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, preserve stability in the region and Lebanon, and control the alleged smuggling of arms to Hizbullah through the Syrian-Lebanese border, the newspaper said. In Damascus, Kouchner will hear Assad's suggestions on the launching of the peace process after improvement of relations between Paris and Damascus came to a standstill following a meeting held between the Syrian president, his Iranian counterpart and the Hizbullah leader. An informed French source also told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that with Kouchner's visit, Paris wants to see where Syrian-French dialogue is heading. According to An Nahar, Kouchner will stress to Syrian authorities that the alleged smuggling of arms to Lebanon contravenes resolution 1701. The newspaper said that Elysee palace's secretary-general, Claude Gueant, and President Nicolas Sarkozy's diplomatic advisor Jean-David Levitte are also planning to make visits to Damascus and Beirut. Beirut, 19 May 10, 08:25

Pietton Meets Geagea, Echoes Morin's View: No War in Sight
Naharnet/French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton on Tuesday echoed the recent viewpoint of his country's Defense Minister Hervé Morin who recently said he was not worried about the eruption of a possible regional war due to the lack of indications in this regard. After meeting with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab, Pietton noted that the nature of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's mulled visit to the region "has not been specified yet." The French ambassador said that his visit to Maarab comes as part of a series of meetings with Lebanese political leaders "that was initiated by a meeting with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Monday which will be followed by a meeting with Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Wednesday." Beirut, 18 May 10, 17:40

Statement by Minister Cannon on UN Draft Resolution Regarding Sanctions on Iran
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/168.aspx
(No. 168 – May 19, 2010 - 8:55 a.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on a new UN draft resolution regarding sanctions on Iran, which permanent UN Security Council members have circulated to all members for discussion:
“Canada welcomes progress on the sanctions brought forward to the UN Security Council and encourages all members to work together to deliver a sanctions resolution that will take Iran to task for its continued disregard of obligations under International Atomic Energy Agency and UN Security Council resolutions.
“The Government of Iran must address the serious lack of confidence that members of the international community have in its nuclear program. We remain concerned about the potential military links to Iran’s nuclear program, and Iran has made no attempt to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
“Canada strongly supports further sanctions through the UN Security Council. We will work with our allies to encourage effective responses to the threat that Iran poses to international peace and security.”
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Loubier
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874


The Shi'ite stripper girl next door
Political correctness trips up the Miss USA Pageant again
By THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The new Miss USA is a pole-dancing Shi'ite Muslim who counts the Hezbollah terrorist group as part of her loyal fan base. Or, as the Los Angeles Times put it, Rima Fakih is "the poster girl for modern America."
Miss Fakih, who as Miss Michigan took the Miss USA crown last weekend, was born in southern Lebanon and, as commentator Debbie Schlussel has reported, has extensive family connections to Hezbollah. But that reportage has been overshadowed by the more politically correct "first Arab-American Miss USA" storyline, dovetailing as it does with President Obama's efforts to promote Islam at home and abroad.
The first Arab-American to win the Miss USA crown was really Julie Hayek in 1983. However, Miss Hayek was a Lebanese Christian, and the notion of Christian Arabs is probably too complicated for the liberal media to bother explaining.
Regardless of the issue of Miss Fakih's purported political leanings, this year's pageant sank to new lows. The contestants participated in lingerie photo shoots that were only slightly less explicit than the amateur soft-core porn that cost Miss Nevada 2007 Katie Rees her crown. It was simply bad timing for Miss Rees. Three years later, the controversial became the conventional.
The Miss Universe Organization is now reportedly looking into Miss Fakih's participation in a "Stripper 101" competition put on by a Detroit radio station in 2007. Miss Fakih won the contest, which did not involve actually stripping but just going through the motions. In fact, more of her body was covered "stripping" three years ago than in the swimsuit competition on Sunday.
Investigating Miss Fakih for her pole-dancing expertise is premature. The way things are going at the pageant, pole dancing may well be featured next year in the talent competition.
The pageant also has taken on a hint of left-leaning political correctness. In years gone by, it was a standing joke that contestants would blather something about world peace during the question period. Now, competitors can expect to be drilled on controversial matters of public policy. Last year, Miss California Carrie Prejean was criticized by homosexual activists for her response to a question about same-sex "marriage."
This year's victim was Miss Oklahoma Morgan Elizabeth Woolard, who was hit with a hot-button question regarding Arizona's new law against illegal immigrants. She said she was "a huge supporter of states' rights" and that the Arizona law was "perfectly fine." Miss Woolard had been leading Miss Fakih by a wide margin through the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the competition, but - like Miss Prejean last year - the Okie finished as first runner-up.
The judges passed up the opportunity to ask Miss Fakih about her views on radical Islamic terrorism or whether Israel has a right to exist.
Participating in this type of organized sleaze-fest is not what parents should want for their daughters. But as a newly crowned ambassador for modern American womanhood, Miss Fakih is demonstrating to the suffering women of the Middle East that there is life beyond the burkha.

Seizing the Lebanese state
Hanin Ghaddar, May 19, 2010
Now Lebanon/Hezbollah members carry coffins of their comrades. (AFP photo/ Joseph Barrak)
A new campaign against Lebanese state institutions is underway. This time the target is Finance Minister Raya al-Hassan’s proposed budget for 2010. The cabinet met last week to discuss the 2010 draft budget, but as expected, it was not adopted, with March 8 and opposition media calling it “unconstitutional,” “amputated” and “full of childish games.” There are now fears that the budget will be used as another stalling vehicle. The budget itself is not the issue; rather it is a peg upon which to hang a paralyzed cabinet that cannot make any real decisions while it still wears the mantle of “national-unity government.” This is all Hezbollah and its sponsors need.
It is a strategy that has prevailed since the Doha Accord was signed in the wake of the May 2008 violence that attempted to bring down the government of Fouad Siniora and brought about an interim “unity” cabinet. Under the same threat of arms, a similar government was railroaded through in 2009. The result is that, without a shot being fired or an ideology imposed, Hezbollah has de facto control of Lebanon. It hides behind the facade of state institutions, but in reality is a state-within-the-state.
There is, however, a fly in Hezbollah’s ointment: Trends in the recent municipal elections in South Lebanon have shown that, while Hezbollah may have achieved political control, its influence within inter-family dynamics is marginal.
But first, what does Hezbollah want from Lebanon? The Party of God does not want an Islamic state. That would make it an easy target. Instead, it is easier for Hezbollah to whip up the masses by pointing to the poor performance of the Hariri government while not having to offer solutions or alternatives to the country’s social and economic problems.
This is because its agenda is strictly political. After the Syrian army’s withdrawal in 2005, Hezbollah stepped in and rallied the pro-Syrian camp against a March 14 movement that threatened to revive state institutions and ensure genuine national sovereignty.
Now that this has been achieved, Hezbollah still needs to take care of a few other items of business. First, it must overturn UN Security Council resolutions 1701 and 1559, two decisions that were designed to safeguard Lebanon’s long-term sovereignty. Second, it must stamp out the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the court established to bring to justice the killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and dozens of other victims of political violence.
Has Hezbollah, in the meantime, seized control of national decision making?
The trouble with Hezbollah is that while it criticizes the budget and other governmental policies adopted between 2005 and 2008 that were designed to take Lebanon forward into something approaching full-fledged statedom, Hezbollah cannot really offer alternatives.
Economically, the party’s model follows that of distribution rather than production. The process is simple: Hezbollah spreads funds that come from Iran among its supporters or its charitable institutions. This creates a state of dependency rather than self sufficiency, a situation not helped by the specter of war. This is hardly a catalyst for real investment, be it commercial, educational or cultural, and arguably a motive for emigration.
On a security level, in 2006 Hezbollah effectively transformed the country into a stretch of the Israel-Iran frontline, where Lebanon no longer matters. In fact, in a televised speech broadcast during the 2006 war, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah stated, “Whether the Lebanese liked it or not, Lebanon and the Resistance are waging a fight on behalf of the Muslim Umma (Nation).”
All this is not good news for the Lebanese, including the Shia, who, despite being so closely associated with Hezbollah, are the first to pay for the party’s reckless policies. Hezbollah’s wars destroy their towns and villages. Investors will never put their money in the South, while Shia youth leave in droves in search of work and security abroad.
So back to the municipal elections: Hezbollah may have created a culture of resistance, but the Shia community has maintained its social dynamic. Look, for example, at the current municipal elections, when Hezbollah and the Amal Movement could not, as they had planned, impose consensus lists in all villages in South Lebanon. In short, family proved to be stronger than party and showed that the Shia’s social and cultural fabric has not been totally absorbed by Hezbollah or, to a lesser extent, Amal.
There is no doubt that Hezbollah enjoys the political support of the Shia community, mainly because it was the banner of the Resistance that liberated the occupied South in 2000 and achieved a dubious “victory” against Israel in 2006. However, those who support Hezbollah “ideologically” are much fewer than those who back the Resistance because they believe it has created a “balance of fear.”
A new war, however, would shake the belief in this idea, and the majority of the Shia will surely, once and for all, lose faith in a party that has delivered nothing except death, destruction, conflict and misery.
A friend from the South once told me: “I support Hezbollah because in 2000, they promised us peace of mind. In 2006, they delivered a ‘divine victory’ and dignity to the community. Now they should let us live.”
Hezbollah knows it cannot afford a war now, but paralyzing the state institutions makes it clear to the Lebanese, including the Shia, that it has little else to offer.
**Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon