LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
03/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Luke 12/15-20:
"He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from
covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things
which he possesses.” He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a
certain rich man brought forth abundantly. He reasoned within himself, saying,
‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’ 12:18 He said,
‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and
there I will store all my grain and my goods. 1 will
tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease,
eat, drink, be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your
soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they
be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
EU
and Teheran: A Collision in Slow Motion/By Jonathan Spyer/August
02/10
A clockwork orange/Now
Lebanon/August 02/10
A sustained commitment/By Jamil K.
Mroue/Daily Star/August 02/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 02/10
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir
urges Maronites to cling to principles/Daily Star
War on Lebanon within 18 months, US
report says/Now Lebanon
Jordan's Aqaba Port Hit by Rocket,
1 Killed, 5 Wounded/Naharnet
Mullen: US has viable
Iran attack plan/Jerusalem Post
Muallem: Hariri Tribunal Doesn't
Intend to Uncover Truth/Naharnet
Assad: Chances of war
increasing/Ynetnews
Syria: Hariri assassination probe political/Ynetnews
Israeli Security Cabinet to Discuss
Repercussions of Possible Indictment of Hizbullah Members/Naharnet
Nasrallah, Berri Discuss
Anticipated Results of Baabda Summit, Hails Qatari Emir's Visit to
South/Naharnet
Cluster Bomb Ban Takes Effect Minus Support of Major Producers/Voice
of America
Lawmaker: Israel Lacks Courage to Attack Iran Due to Failure in
Lebanon/Fares News Agency
Aoun renews attack against STL/Ya Libnan
Obama's Cairo speech yields fruit in Damascus, a year later/Christian Science
Monitor
Abdullah and Assad support
Lebanon/National
Israeli army orders officers to protect civilians/AP
The Palestinians, Alone/New York Times
Patten ignores important steps taken by Israel/Financial Times
United Arab front may not
prevent violence/National
Rights group urges Syria to free
reform seekers/AFP
ISRAEL, LEBANON: Who is winning
the intelligence war with Hezbollah?/Los Angeles Times
Hizbullah Hang-Glider Lands in
Israel/Naharnet
Chatah says neither STL nor
Hezbollah are infallible/Now Lebanon
Sayyed: Johny Abdo to Be Tried in
Paris Court/Naharnet
Lebanese Paliamentary
Committees Approve Most Oil
Exploration Clauses, Next Meeting on August 12/Naharnet
Mysterious Fire at 'Israeli Spy'
House in Tariq Jedideh/Naharnet
NGO: Fear Preventing New
Israel-Hizbullah War/Naharnet
Ahmadinejad Ready for
'Face-to-Face' Talks with Obama/Naharnet
Senior Lebanese employee suspected
of spying for Israel/Israel News
Jumblat Stresses Saudi-Syrian
Consensus, Calls for Balancing between Justice, Truth/Naharnet
Jumblat to Attend Dinner Banquet
Hosted by Lahoud Today/Naharnet
Gemayel: Lebanon Cannot Afford
Security and Military Setbacks because it is Still in Fragile Condition/Naharnet
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir urges Maronites to cling to principles
By Antoine Amrieh /Daily Star correspondent
Monday, August 02, 2010
BSHARI: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir hailed the efforts of the Lebanese
Army and its role in preserving civil peace. Sfeir made his comments to visitors
on the occasion of the 65th Army Day at his summer residence in Diman. “We hail
the army on its anniversary and we congratulate its leadership and members in
assuming national responsibilities that played an essential and major role in
strengthening civil peace and promoting national unity,” Sfeir said. Sfeir also
voiced hope that the army “would inspire the Lebanese to unite over future
prospects of peace and justice.” “We hope that our army continues to emerge
victorious in all its assumed duties on the domestic scene as well as facing
challenges on the border and we wish that it remains an example of national
unity,” Sfeir added. Celebrating the 900th anniversary of Saint Daniel, the
patriarch later headed a mass at the Saint Daniel Church in the town of Hadath
Jibbeh in the northern province of Bsharri. The church was built in 1,110 AD and
is located in the district of Bsharri in Mount Lebanon. It still portrays
historic characteristics of its era even though it was restored several times.
According to the records of Patriarch Estephan al-Douaihi, who was the Patriarch
of the Maronite Church from 1670 to 1704, the order to construct the church was
given by Salome, the daughter of Father Bassil al-Bsherrawi. More recent
renovation projects date back to the 1930s and to 1994. The latter project was
finished in 2000, with added items to the church’s decoration and exterior. On
Saturday, the patriarch called on the Maronites to hold on to their principles
as their ancestors would have done, despite mounting difficulties.
“Circumstances of prosecution and the hard life that Maronites witnessed pushed
them to reside in Qannoubine Valley,” Sfeir said heading a pilgrimage to the
residence of the patriarchy from the 15th to the 18th century from the
Qannoubine monastery on foot. “The lesson to be learned from this holy valley is
to take an example of those who preceded us and remained satisfied despite
difficulties and fatigue,” he added. Gemayel: Lebanon Cannot Afford Security and
Military Setbacks because it is Still in Fragile Condition
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said Monday that Lebanon "cannot
afford more security and military setbacks because they may threaten the state
building process, which is already in a fragile condition."He added after
holding talks with outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison that
throughout the world, achieving justice establishes stability, "except in
Lebanon where justice threatens the peace and targets Lebanon's credibility
before the international community." "The Phalange Party stands firm on the
principles of the Cedar Revolution and the accomplishments of the passed five
years should not be squandered," Gemayel stressed. Beirut, 02 Aug 10, 16:59
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Stresses Need for Unity: Ahmadinejad Visit
Possible, but Date Not Set Yet
Naharnet/Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghadanfar Rukn Abadi emphasized Monday
the need for vigilance, wisdom, and unity to overcome the current phase in
Lebanon.
He said after holding talks with House Speaker Nabih Berri that Lebanon needs to
be wary of Israel's plans to create unrest in the Middle East, especially in
Lebanon.
Talks between Abadi and Berri tackled bilateral ties, as well as regional and
international issues.Addressing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to
Lebanon, the ambassador said that the trip is possible, but a date for it has
not been set yet. Beirut, 02 Aug 10, 16:28
Jumblat Stresses Saudi-Syrian Consensus, Calls for Balancing between Justice,
Truth
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed Monday
that Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's trip to Lebanon
is "an extraordinary accomplishment in supporting Lebanon's stability and
national unity." He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated Anbaa
magazine that the Saudi-Syrian consensus reaffirmed the Taif Accord, Lebanon's
Arabism, the truce with Israel, and special relations with Israel. "These are
the political factors that guarantee Lebanon's stability, which some sides
within the Lebanese right continue on rejecting by calling for keeping Lebanon
neutral in the region," he added. Furthermore, the MP noted that the Saudi and
Syrian efforts will help thwart the politicization of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, "especially in light of the Israeli threats that want the STL to create
strife in the country.""We want the tribunal to achieve justice because any
Israeli or non-Israeli attempts to use the tribunal for aims other than the ones
it was established for will primarily target former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri," Jumblat stressed. "It is necessary to maintain the current equation
that balances justice and the truth and refraining from politicizing the STL,"
he added. Beirut, 02 Aug 10, 16:07
Jumblat to Attend Dinner Banquet Hosted by Lahoud Today
Naharnet/The Central News Agency reported Monday that Progressive Socialist
Party leader MP Walid Jumblat is attending a dinner banquet Monday hosted by
former President Emile Lahoud, which will also be attended by a number of
political and social figures.The dinner will mark the first meeting between the
two in five years. In addition, the Kuwaiti paper al-Anbaa reported that Jumblat
is accepting a number of invitations by several western officials to visit their
countries in order to hold talks on current developments in Lebanon and the
region.
Sources close to the MP added that he refused an invitation to Washington,
saying he would rather not travel there at the moment. They also revealed that
Jumblat may postpone a visit to France in light of French Foreign Minister
Bernard Kouchner's recent criticism of Hizbullah. Beirut, 02 Aug 10, 17:17
War on Lebanon within 18 months, US report says
August 2, 2010 /Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas said on Monday that a report issued
by the US Foreign Affairs Council, written by Daniel Kurtzer, the former US
ambassador to Israel and Egypt, predicted a third war on Lebanon within the next
18 months and advised the US administration to be prepared. Kurtzer said there
were two indications for war: Israel’s growing fears of Hezbollah’s arms, which
the report said have become a great threat, and the tense rhetoric between the
Jewish State and the Resistance. This comes after Hezbollah officials repeatedly
said they are prepared for any future war with Israel in response to Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi’s statement last month that
the situation along the Lebanese-Israeli border would deteriorate following the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)’s indictment expected to be issued before the
end of the year. The report also said it was likely that Israel would drag
Hezbollah into a war or strike the party’s bases in Lebanon in an attempt to
weaken it. Kurtzer added he thought Israel would not succeed in destroying or
weakening Hezbollah, saying that US efforts would be limited in attempting to
prevent a new war on Lebanon.-NOW Lebanon
Jordan's Aqaba Port Hit by Rocket, 1 Killed, 5 Wounded
Naharnet/A Grad-type rocket smashed into a street in the Jordanian port of Aqaba
on Monday, killing a taxi driver and wounding five other Jordanians, a security
official said.
"Subhi Yousef al-Alawneh died in Aqaba as a result of wounds he sustained from
the rocket attack," the security official told AFP. The 51-year-old taxi driver
died at military-run Princess Haya hospital in the port city, he added. "The
injured are still at the hospital. They are in a stable condition," he said.
Officials identified those hurt as two taxi drivers, a member of the tourist
police, a security guard and an engineer who works in Aqaba. Interior Minister
Nayef Qadai and other officials told AFP that the rocket fell in a street near
to the Intercontinental hotel, destroying three cars besides causing casualties.
A source close to the investigation said the rocket was fired from a location
"southwest" of Aqaba -- indicating the Sinai desert. "Investigations proved that
the rocket was fired from southwest of Aqaba," he told AFP. Information Minister
Ali Ayed said the rocket fell at around 7:45 am (0445 GMT) and that a probe
showed that "the rocket was fired from outside Jordanian territory." Israel's
army radio earlier Monday said five rockets slammed into areas around the
Israeli port of Eilat, less than 10 kilometres (six miles) from Aqaba. An
Egyptian security official denied that the rockets had been fired from Egyptian
territory. "The rockets did not come from Sinai. To launch rockets from Sinai
would need a great deal of logistics and equipment and that is impossible
considering the heavy security presence in the Sinai peninsula," the official
said.(AFP)
Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
NGO: Fear Preventing New Israel-Hizbullah War
Naharnet/A Brussels-based non-governmental organization that provides analysis
and advice on preventing and resolving conflicts has reportedly said the main
obstacle to renewed Israel-Hizbullah warfare is fear on both sides that the next
war would be more violent than the 2006 conflict. Israel's Jerusalem Post said
that International Crisis Group is scheduled to release the report on the
current Israel-Hizbullah standoff on Monday. Israel had reportedly considered
bombing a convoy of trucks transferring advanced weaponry to Hizbullah from
Syria earlier this year. "Thus, Israel might target a weapons storage facility
in Lebanon or Syria; it might also attack a Hizbullah-bound weapons convoy it
viewed as being particularly dangerous," the report said. "By the same token,
Hizbullah might at some point decide to reassert itself – for example if it were
to feel that a strictly defensive posture was gradually eroding its legitimacy –
by, say, retaliating against violations of Lebanese airspace," it added. The
Jerusalem Post also quoted the report as saying that the only long-term solution
to avoid a new Israel-Hizbullah war is to resume peace talks between the Jewish
state and Syria and to start talks with Lebanon. "Deeper political involvement
by the international community is needed to enhance communications between the
parties, defuse tensions and avoid costly missteps," the report said. Beirut, 02
Aug 10,
Muallem: Hariri Tribunal
Doesn't Intend to Uncover Truth
Naharnet/Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said that the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon does not intend to uncover the truth about the 2005 assassination of
former Premier Rafik Hariri. "Five years have passed and Syria is still
suffering from an unfair and unjustifiable accusation as a result of false
witnesses brought forward to testify by the tribunal," Muallem told a seminar at
Damascus University. "This Court which leaks information about investigations to
the media and to Israel does not, in my opinion, intend to uncover the truth,"
Muallem thought. "Syria's position is clear, we will not deal with this Court,"
he stressed, reiterating that the STL was a Lebanese affair. "If this Court
continues to be a political tool in the hands of external powers, this means
that Lebanon's stability will be threatened," Muallem warned." "Those who want
stability in Lebanon should neutralize the Court," he said. Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Israel Denies Hand in Hariri Killing: Entire Lebanon will Pay Dearly if
Hizbullah Attacks Israel
Naharnet/Spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Ofir Gendelman
denied any Israeli involvement the 2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri.
"Talking about an Israeli hand in the assassination of Hariri is nonsense and
based on the principle of a conspiracy," Gendelman said in an interview to be
published Tuesday by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai. Excerpts of the interview
were published on Monday. "Everyone knows who was behind Hariri's assassination
of Hariri. And Israel was never involved in this and it does not and will not
interfere in Lebanese internal affairs," Netanyahu's spokesman stressed. "Of
course, circles who are spreading this word want to see Israel in the spotlight,
or that the side which is behind the assassination wants to evade
responsibility. On the assassination of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh,
Gendelman confirmed that Israel "will take into account the possibility of
Hizbullah assassinating a senior Israeli official, or an ambassador or an
Israeli citizen abroad or kidnap an Israeli businessman or officer or a senior
government employee abroad." "This would be considered as a declaration of war,
and we will take this threat very seriously." Gendelman pointed to Israeli
concerns over Hizbullah's military buildup, stressing that Israel is "not
interested in waging war on Lebanon." Regarding Hizbullah threats to bombard
Israeli towns and the Jewish state's infrastructure, the spokesman warned that
"all of Lebanon will pay dearly if Hizbullah attacks Israel." Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Chatah says neither STL nor Hezbollah is infallible
August 2, 2010 /Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s political advisor, Mohammad Chatah,
told MTV on Monday that neither the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) nor
Hezbollah is infallible.
“If the STL is making mistakes, although it is not likely, it will resolve
them,” Chatah said. He also said that the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement is a
primary and positive factor for Lebanon’s stability. Tension is high in the
country after reports said the STL will soon issue its indictment, in which
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah recently claimed Hezbollah
members would be named, in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. The announcement prompted fears that a sectarian conflict similar to the
May 7 events in 2008 could once again break out. Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel
Aziz and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Beirut last Friday in a bid to
calm the political situation. The two Arab leaders participated in a summit in
Baabda with President Michel Sleiman. -NOW Lebanon
Nasrallah, Berri Discuss Anticipated Results of Baabda Summit, Hails Qatari
Emir's Visit to South
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Speaker Nabih Berri lauded
the "historic" visit of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to
southern Lebanon over the weekend and accused Israel of seeking to target
Lebanon's national unity. Nasrallah and Berri held lengthy talks on Sunday night
in the presence of their political assistants Hussein Khalil and Ali Hassan
Khalil. The two sides discussed latest developments in Lebanon and the region,
particularly the Lebanese-Syrian-Saudi summit held at Baabda palace on Friday
and the results expected from the meeting at this sensitive stage. They hailed
the "historic" visit of Sheikh Hamad to southern villages as an honest
expression of support for the Lebanese army, people and the resistance. The
conferees condemned Israeli threats to Lebanon which they said target the unity
of the people and the state. They also slammed daily Israeli violations of
Lebanese airspace in contravention of Security Council resolution 1701. About
Israeli spy networks, Nasrallah and Berri lauded Lebanese security agencies for
the arrest of several spies and called for maximum punishment against the Mossad
agents. The two sides finally stressed the strategic ties between Hizbullah and
Amal in facing local and foreign problems.
Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Sayyed: Johny Abdo to Be Tried in Paris Court
Former Lebanese ambassador Johnny Abdo will be tried in a Paris court Criminal
Court on charges of libel and slander based on false witnesses' testimony
against Jamil Sayyed.
A statement issued by Sayyed's office on Monday said the former army general who
was jailed four years in connection with the assassination of ex-PM Rafik
Hariri, was informed about Abdo's trial via his attorney in Paris. Sayyed and
three other senior Lebanese officers were released in April 2009 after spending
nearly four years in a Lebanon prison on grounds there was insufficient evidence
to indict them for Hariri's 2005 murder. The statement said Paris Prosecutor has
okayed a proposal by investigating judge Fabian Bos to refer Abdo to a Pairs
Criminal Court for trial. Sayyed and three other senior Lebanese officers were
released in April 2009 after spending nearly four years in a Lebanon prison on
grounds there was insufficient evidence to indict them for Hariri's 2005 murder.
A trial date is to be set as soon as possible, the statement added. Beirut, 02
Aug 10,
Committees Approve Most Oil Exploration Clauses, Next Meeting on August 12
Naharnet/Joint parliamentary committees approved most of the clauses of the oil
exploration draft law and agreed to hold a final meeting on August 12. The
controversial clauses that need further discussion deal with the sovereign fund,
the authority that would manage the oil sector and the assessment of
environmental impact. The committees will on August 12 put the final touches on
the draft law before referring it to parliament's general authority on August
17. Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Israeli Security Cabinet to Discuss Repercussions of
Possible Indictment of Hizbullah Members
Naharnet/Israel's seven-member security cabinet will on Monday discuss the
latest developments in Lebanon and fears from a deterioration in the situation
following the reported indictment of Hizbullah members by the international
tribunal next fall. The meeting will be presided over by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. The conferees are also expected to discuss rocket attacks on
the southern Israeli beach resort of Eilat and the Jordanian port of Aqaba. The
seven-member cabinet will also discuss the issue of an international panel
proposed by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to investigate a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound
aid flotilla. Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Mysterious Fire at 'Israeli Spy' House in Tariq Jedideh
Naharnet/A mysterious fire engulfed the house of the parents of Israeli spy
Tareq Rabaa in Tariq Jedideh, As-Safir newspaper reported Monday. It said the
fire, which erupted Thursday evening, burned the office of Tareq's sister, Nada,
who is a lawyer. Rabaa, an employee at Alfa, was arrested last month and is
suspected of collaborating with Charbel Qazzi, another Alfa operator. Reports
have identified Rabaa as a transmission engineer for the company. Qazzi, an Alfa
engineer, was arrested earlier in July on charges of spying for Israel.
As-Safir, citing well-informed security sources, had described Rabaa "as more
dangerous" than Qazzi. Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Hizbullah Hang-Glider Lands in Israel
Naharnet/A hang-glider fell over the northern Israeli town of Metula with the
word "al-Manar" written on it, the Israeli army reported Monday. It said the
incident was seen as a "provocation" by Hizbullah, adding that the action likely
coincides with the fourth anniversary of the July 2006 war between Hizbullah and
Israel. The terse report said the hang-glider landed in Israel about two weeks
ago. Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Palestinian Official Denies Fatah-Mustaqbal Coordination
Naharnet/Palestinian Justice Minister Ali Khashan denied any coordination
between the mainstream Fatah faction and Mustaqbal Movement of Prime Minister
Saad Hariri.
"Talk about security coordination between Fatah officers and officials from
Mustaqbal Movement comes within the framework of rumors and suspicion aimed at
tarnishing the image of refugees and creating excuses and obstacles to attaining
their human right," Khashan said in an interview published Monday by al-Balad
newspaper. He said Druze leader Walid Jumblat has "intelligently" proposed a new
law on Palestinian civil rights. Khashan refused to link between this issue and
international intentions to pay the way for finding a lasting solution to the
Palestinian refugee problem. Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Ahmadinejad Ready for 'Face-to-Face' Talks with Obama
Naharnet/Hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday he was
ready for face-to-face talks with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on "global
issues." "We are hopefully coming for the U.N. assembly," Ahmadinejad said in an
address to expatriate Iranians which was broadcast live on state television. "We
are ready to sit down with Mr. Obama face-to-face and put the global issues on
the table, man-to-man, freely, and in front of the media and see whose solutions
are better. We think this is a better approach." Ahmadinejad is expected to
travel to New York for the U.N. General Assembly meeting next month. The Iranian
president has previously challenged Obama to hold a public debate with him on
issues concerning the international community. He has on various occasions
blamed the United States for "global disorders," particularly the financial
crisis in the world economy. His call on Monday comes after a series of punitive
sanctions imposed on Iran by the U.N. Security Council, the United States and
the European Union over Tehran's controversial nuclear program. Ahmadinejad
criticized Obama for missing what he said were "historic opportunities" to
repair relations with Iran, with whom the United States has had no direct
diplomatic ties for more than 30 years. "He (Obama) said he wants to make
changes and we welcomed (that). Unfortunately, he did not correctly exploit
historic opportunities," the hardliner said, adding that Obama "overly values
Zionists." Obama had in March 2009 extended a hand of diplomacy towards Iran in
an attempt to break the deadlock between the two countries, but since then the
animosity between the two nations has steadily worsened. Ahmadinejad said he was
informed that Obama "is under a lot of pressure." "Somebody should answer
questions whether the U.S. government is dominated by the Zionists or the
Zionist regime is controlled by the U.S. government." Israel, like the United
States, has not ruled out a military strike against Iran to halt its nuclear
program. Ahmadinejad, under whose presidency Iran has been slapped with four
sets of U.N. sanctions, has remained steadfast in pursuing a sensitive uranium
enrichment program, which Washington and other world powers want Tehran to
abandon. Iran says it is not enriching uranium for any military aims. Under
Ahmadinejad, animosity between Iran and Israel has also increased dramatically,
with the world powers lashing out at him for his regular anti-Israel tirades.
Israel is the sole if undeclared nuclear weapons power in the Middle East.(AFP)
Beirut, 02 Aug 10,
Saad against any armed resistance after liberation of occupied territories
August 2, 2010 /Democratic Gathering bloc MP Antoine Saad told ANB television on
Monday that he was against any armed resistance group in Lebanon after Israel
withdraws from occupied Lebanese territories. He also said that his bloc would
reject the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) expected indictment if it was
not backed by tangible evidence. Saad added that his bloc leader MP Walid
Jumblatt’s recent visit to former President Emile Lahoud comes as a continuity
to the reconciliation of Jumblatt with his former rivals. Jumblatt split from
the March 14 alliance in August 2009, after which he reconciled with former
political opponents, including Syria and Hezbollah.-NOW Lebanon
Abi Ramia: There’s a Syrian-Saudi will to prevent a crisis in Lebanon
August 2, 2010 /Change and Reform bloc MP Simon Abi Ramia told OTV on Monday
that there was a Saudi-Syrian will to prevent any crisis in Lebanon and to
preserve the country’s stability. This comes after Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel
Aziz and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Beirut last Friday in a bid to
calm the political situation. The two Arab leaders participated in a summit in
Baabda with President Michel Sleiman. “Speaker Nabih Berri is capable of playing
a role to defuse tension in Lebanon,” Abi Ramia said.He also said that there
were implications that Hezbollah members might be indicted by the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).“We will not accept [indicting] Hezbollah,” Abi Ramia
stated. He added that Hezbollah and Syria did not want to abolish the STL, but
that they wanted to prevent its politicization.-NOW Lebanon
Michel Aoun
August 2, 2010
On August 1, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
The head of the Change and Reform Bloc, Deputy General Michel Aoun, visited
villages in Ftouh Kesrouan… Aoun and the delegation accompanying him headed to
the town of Yahshouh where he attended mass at Saint Simon the Baptist Church…
After the ceremony, Deputy Aoun delivered the following speech: “Today, we have
joined you in a joyous gathering and I repeat that the army is the protector of
national unity and the one upholding sovereignty and stability in the country as
we are witnessing the signs of a serious crisis. I am also honored to represent
the people of Kesrouan al-Ftouh who presented a new policy and a new perception
of the country. This policy is one of understanding, openness and dialogue, not
one of clashes. Today, we are about to face a new conspiracy against which I
warned a few weeks ago. It is now progressing and if it explodes, we will not be
able to stop it.
“All those following international news know that Israel is preparing to cause
us problems so that Lebanon goes back to being an open arena and so that it
imposes solutions and international resolutions at the expense of our existence,
sovereignty and independence. We should listen to the voice of reason because
there is no crime without punishment and no innocent man should be accused of a
crime he did not commit. You all know our position in regard to the current
crisis. The investigation into the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik
al-Hariri went through different stages and everyone knows there were false
witnesses involved. Those who manipulated them and sent them to testify before
the court are the ones trying to shift the investigation toward the innocent. We
thus ask the Lebanese, Arabs and the world to implement justice if they want to
help us. We ask them to follow the false witnesses who will lead them to the
criminal who perpetrated the crime and wants to implicate someone else.
“The tribunal cannot issue an indictment before learning the truth about the
witnesses who tried to shift the investigation and how many crimes were
committed by Israel on our soil while those who commit such crimes are usually
sentenced to death. Why is there a veto on summoning spies so that they are
asked about their relations and contacts and why was the investigation limited
to the Lebanese circle and to Syrian witnesses? These facts do not convince the
Lebanese and we cannot accuse anyone, whether it is an institution, a resistance
[movement] or an individual before all the facts related to the investigations
and how they got to this point are revealed. We thus thank every Arab or
international effort to help us find the truth, but not the attempts to accuse
other innocent people of committing the crime. Why is Lebanon always the object
of security incidents?
“Whoever follows international and regional politics knows that there are
Palestinian people from whom land was taken and that there are efforts to
naturalize them in another land and at the expense of other people instead of
leading them back to their country and giving them their rights. We are helping
the Palestinians go back to their land, and are maintaining their rights until
this return. However, neither our population density, nor our natural resources
and our financial capabilities can absorb this many people, which is why they
must go back to their land.
“In the past, I told the Americans when they came to impose a certain solution
on us that Israel could crush me but could not impose the solution it wanted on
me. We will not allow anyone to teach us about democracy and human rights while
they themselves do not respect it. They must respect our human rights instead of
giving them to us through theories, limited financial aid and [military]
equipment that is not suitable for the Lebanese army to defend itself. For 62
years, Israel has been attacking us and we feel guilty as though we were the
ones attacking it. Why were the Kesrouan bridges destroyed? Were they military
targets because rockets were launched from underneath them? We no longer
understand the policies of our visitors who do not wish to speak the truth. We
are Christians and were raised to speak this truth and nothing but the truth…”
A clockwork orange
August 2, 2010
Now Lebanon/It has been a hectic weekend for Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun, one in which he wheeled himself center stage to once again try to
convince us that he is Lebanon’s only credible Christian leader. He ranted about
foreign interference, plots and injustice while at the same time choosing to
ignore his blatant support for those political forces to whom Lebanese
sovereignty and justice are meaningless notions to be trampled on.
On Sunday, as Aoun laid a wreath at the grave of former President Fouad Chehab,
he promptly declared that there was “no alternative to the Lebanese army, which
is the symbol of Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.”
The ease with which Aoun can deliver such hypocritical hot air never ceases to
amaze. How can he stand there and talk, not only of sovereignty, but of the army
as the embodiment of that sovereignty, when for the past four years he has
nailed his political fortunes to the mast of Hezbollah, a party to which – by
its actions, if not by its words – the notion of both the Lebanese Armed Forces
and the state is an anathema.
But spotting Aoun’s contradictions has become almost a national pastime. On
September 17, 2008, he made a statement to OTV, which was picked up by Naharnet,
in which he proposed a defense strategy based on merging the “various militias
and the Resistance.” The Resistance should “not be restricted to Hezbollah; let
them expand it to include all the Lebanese” factions, Aoun suggested, adding
that, “guerrilla warfare is necessary to defend Lebanon.”
So it would appear that two years ago, Aoun saw no role for the army (the
embodiment of Lebanese sovereignty) in the defense of the nation (and by
extension, the defense of Lebanese sovereignty). He was quite happy to leave it
to a sectarian coalition made up of, in part, gunmen who had overrun West Beirut
only months earlier in a brief blood bath that took the nation to the edge of
the abyss, killing innocent women and children in the process.
One could go on listing the contradictions in Aoun’s singled-minded pursuit of
power, contradictions that he has dressed up as patriotism and a rejection of
old-style Christian politics, but which are nothing more than a personal crusade
to secure the keys of Baabda Palace at the expense of the support of decent
people.
One could also pick holes in his calls for justice. This weekend, when Aoun
attended mass at the St. Semaan church in Yahshouh, he took the opportunity to
hold forth on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the court that is allegedly
poised to hand down indictments on his allies in Hezbollah for their involvement
in the February 14, 2005 killing of former prime minister and erstwhile symbol
of sovereignty, Rafik Hariri.
“A crime cannot go without punishment, and an innocent can’t be accused of a
crime,” he said. That is all very well, but if only Aoun were equitable in his
pursuit of justice; the first part of the statement will come as little comfort
to the family of Lieutenant Samer Hanna (by Aoun’s logic a representative of
Lebanese sovereignty), the army pilot who was killed on August 28, 2008, when
his helicopter came under fire from a lone Hezbollah fighter in South Lebanon, a
crime that Aoun did little to condemn despite his previous incarnation as head
of the army.
This weekend Aoun also voiced his displeasure at what he called foreign
interference, especially from Egypt, the US and of course Israel (which he
accused of “planning for trouble” in Lebanon). Can the general not take a look
around him and see that Iran and Syria, core supporters of his allies in
Hezbollah, are interfering in Lebanese affairs just as much as Aoun’s so-called
Sunni-US-Israeli axis. To caution against excessive international meddling is
noble, but Aoun is surely not the man for the job.
This, or any other job for that matter.
Senior Lebanese employee suspected of spying for Israel
Roee Nahmias/ 08.02.10/ Israel News
Authorities arrest manager responsible for outgoing international phone calls in
Lebanese telecom company Ogero. According to Lebanese reports, he confessed to
being in contact with Jewish state The investigation of telecom companies
operating in Lebanon is gaining speed. Lebanese intelligence services arrested a
senior employee of Lebanese telecommunications provider Ogero on suspicions that
he helped Israeli intelligence collect information. Lebanese newspaper as-Safir
reported on Monday that the suspect, 66, was arrested after communications
between him and Israel were intercepted. He reportedly confessed during his
investigation to being in contact with Israel for years. The man, who lives in
Lebanon's Chouf mountains, works in the technical department of the
international wing of the company. He was supposed to retire a year ago, but
extended his work contract by another year. A few days ago, an indictment was
filed by the Lebanese prosecutor's office against Tarek Rabaa, who works for
Lebanese cellular company Alfa, for spying for Israel. A legal official reported
that he could receive the death penalty should he be convicted.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who is scheduled to speak Tuesday
evening, is expected to address the recent espionage findings and to claim that
Israel, whom he claims has commandeered Lebanon's telecommunications sector,
planted allegedly fictitious testimonies in telephone conversations within
Lebanon. According to Nasrallah, such testimonies provided the basis for the
allegations made against members of his organization coming together in the
international tribunal into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister
Rafik al-Hariri. Lebanese reports of spying for Israel have increased in recent
years. A few months ago, the Lebanese military arrested another man suspected of
collaborating with Israel. Lebanese newspaper as-Safir reported that the
Lebanese military force arrested the man in the northern city of Tripoli on
suspicions of cooperating with the Mossad. The suspect, Jawdat Kh., was handed
over for investigation. Last year, Lebanon reported the arrest of 23 similar spy
rings, whose members are currently in the midst of the legal process.
A sustained commitment
By Jamil K. Mroue
Publisher and editor in chief
Monday, August 02, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
The presence of so many foreign dignitaries in Lebanon during the past few days
should lead us to ask what positive outcomes we can expect from this flurry of
diplomacy. Besides the obvious benefits of the right leaders sitting down
together to discuss issues that affect us all, there is one glaring lesson that
Lebanese politicians would benefit infinitely from. This lesson can be learned
simply by observing the policies of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
al-Thani toward Lebanon.
Perhaps the main characteristic of this policy has been commitment. Qatar has
been engaged in Lebanon for some years now, and most importantly, they have
maintained this engagement.
Since his initial involvement in the country when visiting the southern suburbs
of Beirut in 2006, the emir has been consistently active behind the scenes with
Lebanese concerns. After sending money to help rebuild the south of the country,
Qatar sent its own teams to oversee the reconstruction. In 2008, the emir played
an intrinsic role in bringing together rival Lebanese factions and forging the
Doha Accord between them. Similarly, in the days leading up to the trilateral
summit which has just taken place, the emir was working behind the scenes to
facilitate this.
It is this kind of sustained commitment that Lebanese politicians lack, and is
precisely the lesson that can be learned during the emir’s visit. Lebanon’s
problems cannot be solved by tit-for-tat statements made on the television or
over the airwaves. On the contrary, such steps have, in the past, proven to be
highly dangerous. Yet this remains the preferred method of solving a problem in
Lebanon, the most recent example being the war of words over who may or may not
be indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
We have, in Lebanon, an inflamed situation – problems ranging from unreliable
electricity, to the lack of an independent judiciary are as perpetual as they
are damaging. And just as a surgeon must wait for an inflammation to be reduced
before operating, our disagreements must be defused somewhat before they can be
properly addressed. This can happen only through a sustained effort from our
politicians, and by eschewing the favored course of taking to the airwaves to
tackle these issues. As long as this continues, it is the Lebanese who pay the
price – potential is thwarted, economically and culturally, and as a
consequence, politically.
The arrival of these three influential leaders in the country illustrates
Lebanon’s problems are not a local issue anymore. Our own leaders must surely
recognize the urgency of the situation, and as a result not only commit
themselves, but maintain that commitment, to finding a peaceful solution.
**Jamil K. Mroue, Editor-in-Chief of THE DAILY STAR, can be reached at
jamil.mroue@dailystar.com.lb
EU and Teheran: A Collision in Slow Motion
By Jonathan Spyer*
August 2, 2010
http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/08/eu-and-teheran-collision-in-slow-motion
This week, the European Union approved sanctions of unprecedented severity
against Iran, because of its refusal to desist from enriching uranium. The EU
decision follows the recent fourth UN Security Council sanctions resolution
against Iran, and the subsequent additional package of measures approved by
Congress and the White House.
Three things are worth noting regarding the new sanctions. They are substantive.
They are likely to have a serious effect on aspects of the Iranian economy. This
effect is almost certain not to cause a rethink on the part of the Iranian
regime regarding its nuclear ambitions.
Nevertheless, the European decision is significant for an additional, slightly
less tangible reason. It is the latest evidence of a hardening attitude on the
part of the Western democracies with regard to the Iranian nuclear program.
The new sanctions are focused on the Iranian financial sector and the country's
vital gas and oil industries. These are precisely the areas of the Iranian
economy most vulnerable to international measures.
From this week on, any further investment or technical assistance from EU
companies in these areas will be prohibited.
Iran is particularly vulnerable in this area because, despite its vast oil
reserves, the country lacks the ability to produce sufficient refined petroleum
to meet its population's needs.
In addition, the new sanctions will ban European companies from providing
insurance services to Iranian bodies, and will ban Iranian banks from opening
any additional branches in the European Union.
The former measure is significant because it will negatively affect the Iranian
transport and shipping sectors.
The EU decision was sufficient to coax from Iran a renewed expression of
willingness to reconsider the long-standing proposal for Teheran to export its
enriched uranium to another country, where it would be converted into fuel rods
for a medical research reactor.
Teheran has enjoyed toying with the West over this proposal since its emergence
last year, as an exercise to buy time.
But why will the new measures not be anywhere near sufficient to cause the
regime to reconsider its nuclear stance? They do not threaten to really strike
hard at vital parts of the Iranian economy. And there is reason to believe that
even in the face of genuinely "crippling" sanctions, the rising elite within the
Iranian regime might well calculate their interests according to a different
scale than that used in the West - and choose to brazen it out.
Despite the recent and ongoing revival of protests, the Islamist regime remains
firmly in the driver's seat. Incrementally, power in Iran is falling more and
more to a very radical group centered on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
This group, of whom President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a senior representative, is
a genuinely ideological body of men, with vast regional ambitions.
Undoubtedly the protests have hit hard at the regime's legitimacy at home and
its appeal abroad. For the foreseeable future, what this means is that the
regime will increasingly rule by terror alone, rather than by seeking the
consent of the Iranian people. This is perhaps unsustainable in the long term,
but it should not be assumed that the unrest will lead to the fall of the rulers
of Iran any time soon.
In the meantime, the very raison d'etre of the group currently amassing power
within the regime is the promotion and advancement of Iranian power and
influence across the Middle East. A nuclear capability is the infallible
insurance for the promotion of a policy of this kind. Even large economic
discomforts would probably not be enough to cause the ideologues, militants and
security operatives currently on the rise to abandon their nuclear ambitions.
Small discomforts have no chance of doing so.
So why is the EU decision this week still of significance? Because it represents
an additional small step toward the emergence of an international climate of
opinion wherein serious and direct measures to stop a nuclear Iran will become
feasible.
There is still a fair amount of time, according to leading experts, before the
Iranians reach the point of developing a useable nuclear warhead. In the time
that remains, what is taking place is a growing sense in key circles in the
Western democracies that the cost of a nuclear Iran is beyond what the West will
be able to pay in terms of the strategic balance in the region.
Ultimately, the plain choice is likely to be between accepting (and seeking to
contain) a nuclear Iran, and military action to prevent its emergence. The EU
vote this week is evidence of a slowly ripening international climate which may
in the end conclude that the latter is the preferable option.
So it is cost-benefit analysis vs. cost-benefit analysis. The Iranian regime,
according to its mode of calculation, is almost certain to conclude that the
current level of sanctions is no reason to reverse its nuclear ambitions. It is
probable that no level of feasible economic pressure will suffice to bring the
forces on the rise in the regime to heel. The West, meanwhile, appears to be
gradually moving toward a position which finds that a nuclear Iran is an outcome
it cannot permit. It is as though two ships at sea, now still quite distant, are
each plotting a course which will set them on the road to eventual collision.
*Dr. Jonathan Spyer is a senior research fellow at the Global Research in
International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, Herzliya, Israel