LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
10/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Psalm 34:8: Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who
takes refuge in him!
Today's Inspiring Thought: Taste and See God's Goodness
David, the Psalmist, is sure that once we've tasted the Lord's goodness, we will
see and know just how abundantly blessed we are. I like the way Matthew
Henry puts it in his commentary: "Let God’s goodness be rolled under the tongue
as a sweet morsel." Once we've experienced the Lord—tasting and delighting in
his fullness—we realize nothing else can satisfy our soul's desires
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Enforce international law in Lebanon/By AVI BEKER/JPost/August
09/10
Lebanon: Predictions of
war and vain hopes/By: Ami Isseroff/August
09/10
Will the Agents' Confessions Solve
Lebanon's Mysteries?/By Muhammad Diyab/August
09/10
Israel and the clash of
Adaisseh/By: Abdullah Iskandar/August
09/10
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for August 09/10
Israel's US Ambassador: Israel Doesn't' Differentiate between Army, Hizbullah/Naharnet
Iran Rejects Kuwaiti 'Spy' Charges
Against 6 men, Woman/Naharnet
'Iran to execute 18-yr-old for
sodomy'/JPOST
Netanyahu: Flotilla Probe Will Show
Israel Acted Lawfully/Naharnet
Is Hezbollah pushing the army for
more fights?/Ya Libnan
Baroud
on Karam's Case: Intelligence Bureau Not Behind Leaks/Naharnet
Najjar
Announces Completion of 'Israel Spy' Dossier: Lebanon to Submit 150 Cases to UN/Naharnet
Karam
to Stand Before Court today/Naharnet
Kannan:
Leaks Made Us Doubt Investigation Credibility with Karam/Naharnet
Debkafile: Iranian Intelligence Officers Tour Lebanese Border to Study Israeli
Posts/Naharnet
Shami
Visits Tehran without Cabinet Approval/Naharnet
Shibani:
We Support Efforts to Uncover Truth behind Hariri Assassination/Naharnet
None of
Army Officers whose Names Appeared Recently Arrested/Naharnet
Army
Mulling to Reward Adeisseh Officers Without Unveiling Identities/Naharnet
Sfeir
Asks Journalists Not to Report March 14 Official's Accusations against Hizbullah/Naharnet
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir meets officials to discuss need to
avoid strife/Daily Star
Erdogan
to Visit Lebanon for Talks with Lebanese Leaders/Naharnet
Army
Command Warns Against Accusing Military Personnel of Spying for Israel/Naharnet
Lebanon-Israel Border Clash May 'Simply' have been a Misunderstanding, Report/Naharnet
Lebanese Army: Exercise caution in reporting spy cases/Daily Star
Sleiman earns praise for pledge to equip army/Daily Star
Iraq and the Israeli angle/Ynetnews/Naharnet
Sison
Leaves Lebanon at End of Mission/Naharnet
Jouzou: Hypocrites
Destroying Political Life/Naharnet
Gemayel
Asks Nasrallah to Submit Monday Revelations to STL 'So That His Words Don't Be
Media Bomb Only'/Naharnet
Alloush asks Nasrallah:
Did Data and Evidence Suddenly Surface?/Naharnet
Abboud: Border Clashes
Left Tourism Season Intact/Naharnet
US Officers Urge Israeli
Leaders to Stop Intimidating Lebanon, Army/Naharnet
Berri to Benefit from
'Iron Dome,' Seek Along with Hariri to Avoid Strife/Naharnet
Army Needs Medium-Size
Weapons Worth Not More Than $20 Million/Naharnet
Jumblat to Meet Hariri to Avert
Sunni-Shiite Strife over Hariri Tribunal/Naharnet
Is Hezbollah pushing the army for more fights?
August 8, 2010 Ya Libnan
Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad on Sunday noted that “what happened in Adaisseh last
Tuesday when the Lebanese Army faced up to the Israeli aggression ” reflects the
will of resistance and confrontation that has become a part of this army’s
creed.”
Raad was speaking during a celebration organized by the Hezbollah-affiliated
Mahdi Schools in the southern town of al-Sharqiyyeh. He stressed that “all
formulas from now on will be built upon the notion that the Lebanese Army is
ready to engage in confrontations, backed by the Lebanese people and the support
of the Resistance in Lebanon.”
“This is a practical verification of the integrative formula ‘the army, the
people and the Resistance’ in the face of Israeli aggression,” the head of
Hezbollah parliamentary bloc concluded.
Similarly Amal MP Hani Qubaisi echoed the same sentiment in a statement on
Sunday. Amal is a close ally of Hezbollah.
The majority of the Lebanese want to see the army as the sole defender of
Lebanon and would prefer to have Hezbollah arms handed over to the army, just
like all the militias did in 1990.
Last week following the border clash Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said :
“Lebanon’s defense strategy is the Lebanese army … and despite the imbalance of
power between the Lebanese and Israeli armies … yesterday’s clash demonstrated
how the Lebanese army wages battle while many over the years attempted to
portray the army as being weak and unable to defend itself.”According to
observers Hezbollah is trying to divert attention from the special Tribunal for
Lebanon, by trying to push the army for more fights against Israel, knowing that
the Lebanese people will always support the army .
'Iran to execute 18-yr-old
for sodomy'
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
08/09/2010 14:24
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=184169
Report says victim retracted accusations, but sentence stands.
Eighteen-year-old Ebrahim Hamidi is facing execution in Iran on charges of
homosexuality, even though he has no lawyer and is not gay, the Guardian
reported Monday. Hamidi was sentenced to death for sodomy based on "judge's
knowledge," whereby a judge can use his discretion to decide on a case in which
no conclusive evidence exists.
Hamidi allegedly confessed to the crime under torture. Last month, the purported
victim of the crime admitted he had been coerced into making false accusations
by his parents. Three alleged accomplices of Hamidi were aquitted after they
agreed to testify against Hamidi in court, the Guardian said
Israel and the clash of
Adaisseh
Sun, 08 August 2010
Abdullah Iskandar /Al Hayat
According to Tel Aviv’s account, the Adaisseh clash between the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) and the Israeli Forces (IDF) started with sniper fire that
originated from the Lebanese side. This account claims that fire was then
returned against the military post of the LAF, in order to evacuate the injured
Israeli soldiers.
Regardless of the facts, details and causes of the clash and the ensuing threats
against Lebanon, its government and the LAF, and regardless of the Israeli
complaint at the Security Council and the diplomatic campaign to undermine
Lebanese politics – despite the significance of all of this in general – it is
clear from the Israeli account that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has not
yet decided to get involved in a full-fledged confrontation. It seems then that
Israel will not exploit an armed skirmish with Lebanon to launch a full scale
aggression, for now at least. Even the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
despite threatening to respond decisively against such a clash, expressed his
hopes that the upcoming few months will pass quietly.
The issue here is not about intentions, but the political calculations of
confrontation across the region. In other words, Israel, which needs no proofs
of its aggressiveness and bids to impose certain facts on the ground, does not
deem it suitable at present to start a military confrontation with Lebanon, or
rather sink into one. This is especially valid when Israel is suspicious of the
‘neutrality’ that Hezbollah has shown during the Adaisseh clash, as stated by
its senior military and intelligence officials.
Israel believes that its involvement in a new military campaign against Lebanon
at present, might threaten its abilities in a possible confrontation with Iran,
a confrontation that Israel is procuring every possible mean for.
Just as there are those in Iran who believe that Lebanon is an Iranian front
line against Israel and the United States, Israel also believes that any battle
in Lebanon will be a front in the confrontation with Iran. In this sense, the
Adaisseh clash was possible to contain there and then, even if Israel managed to
exploit it to launch the broadest diplomatic campaign against Lebanon, its
government and its army.
In this sense as well, the Adaisseh clash cannot in itself be taken to be an
omen of the war looming in the region, especially when it was the Lebanese army,
not Hezbollah, that was the party directly involved in it, and also since the
Lebanese official calculations are different from those of Hezbollah.
On the other hand, leaks through the Israeli press indicate that
Hamas-affiliated groups that are directly influenced by the Iranian position are
being accused of launching the rockets, including those that were recently fired
at Aqaba and Eilat. This strengthens the Israeli hypothesis that Iran is seeking
to move the fight to the borders of Israel, if not to within it. This is while
the Israeli military doctrine considers that the success of its military
campaigns is linked to fighting the battle in enemy territories, which are the
Iranian territories here. This link in the nature of the battle was expressed by
Netanyahu when he threatened both Lebanon and Hamas simultaneously, as they are
both proxies of the confrontation with Iran.
In this portrait, Syria remains the ever present-absent party. It is thought
that the Israeli calculations, in all cases, are stressing the need to pacify
Syria when it comes to the conflict with Iran, because the Syrian front is very
costly in any major clash. However, this will be difficult to maintain in the
event of a wide-scale Israeli war in Lebanon or the Gaza Strip.
Politically, the card of the Syrian track remains a diplomatically useful
channel in light of the deadlock on the Palestinian track. This did not escape
President Nicolas Sarkozy. It was not a coincidence that the latter appointed a
special envoy to tackle this track, in these days of extreme tensions.
Will the Agents' Confessions Solve Lebanon's Mysteries?
09/08/2010
By Muhammad Diyab/Alsharq Al Awsat
If a leading figure of the Lebanese Free Patriotic Movement, Brigadier General
Fayez Karam, who was arrested in Lebanon a few days ago, is proven guilty of
being an Israeli agent; it could become the most complex and astonishing case
ever witnessed. Until he was detained, Fayez Karam was one of the most powerful
voices advocating the need to be resolute, and bring spies and traitors to
justice. He was notably outspoken on issues such as honour, patriotism, and
resisting enemies, not to mention his conduct whilst he served in the army, and
afterwards. In the army, Fayez Karam was promoted to the position of Chief of
the Counter-Terrorism and Espionage branch. In his political career, he rose to
become a leader of the Free Patriotic Movement. He was expected to become a
member of parliament, or to assume a ministerial post, had he continued his rise
to prominence, since his return from France.
Like the ‘domino effect’, agents are falling these days one after the other, as
everyone is aware how dangerous these people are for Lebanon's security and
sensitive condition. Therefore, it was everyone's duty to cooperate and cleanse
their country of these harmful bodies, regardless of their loyalties. However,
the question remains, and has become even more important after the discovery of
so many agents: Does Israel need all these spies on Lebanese soil? The answer is
yes, the game Israel plays with Lebanon is somewhat unique, with regards to the
number of ‘players’ on the Lebanese field. There is no prominent Arab or
non-Arab country without a secret presence in Lebanon, and in this respect;
Israel can target [through its large number of agents] more than one side.
Experience has shown that events in Lebanon, although only a small country, have
implications for the surrounding Arab environment, either conducive to unity or
discord. This is something that causes Israel and its agents to further target
the Lebanese arena.
The sheer crowd of agents who are falling these days in Lebanon could lead an
observer to imagine the roles that they might have undertaken, which cannot be
confined [only] to providing Israel with information. Their roles might have
extended to include numerous criminal activities, so will the agents'
confessions solve some of Lebanon's mysterious puzzles?
Israel dismisses Hizbullah
claims
By HERB KEINON AND JERUSALEM POST STAFF
08/08/2010 21:12
PM's Office responds to "ridiculous" Hariri assassination allegations.
Hizbullah's claim that Israel was behind the 2005 assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri shows just how worried the organization is
that the international tribunal investigating the murder will place the blame at
its doorstep, Israeli officials said Sunday. "This is completely ridiculous, and
–most importantly – everyone knows it," one senior official in the Prime
Minister's Office said of Hizbullah's claims. "When they start casting for
straws like this, it just shows the degree of pressure they are under."
Israel's
US Ambassador: Israel Doesn't' Differentiate between Army, Hizbullah
Naharnet/Israel does not differentiate between the Lebanese army and Hizbullah,
said a report published by the Christian Science Monitor. "Israel tends to view
the distinction between the Lebanese Army and Hizbullah as increasingly cloudy,"
said Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the US, in a conference call with two
Jewish lobby groups on Wednesday. "The Lebanese Army shares all its intelligence
with Hizbullah. There are high-ranking officers in the Lebanese Army who are
closely associated with Hizbullah," he added. Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 13:12
Iran Rejects Kuwaiti 'Spy' Charges Against 6 men, Woman
Naharnet/Iran rejected on Monday charges of spying for the Islamic republic
brought by a Kuwaiti court against six men and a woman, saying the defendants
have been falsely accused.
"What has been said is absolutely false and they have been unable to prove
anything," Iranian Intelligence Minister Haydar Moslehi was quoted as saying by
ISNA news agency.
A Kuwaiti court on August 3 charged the seven individuals, among them a Kuwaiti
soldier, with spying for Iran but the accused denied the charges alleging they
had confessed under pressure. The charges include passing on confidential
military information to a foreign nation, taking pictures of Kuwaiti military
installations and spying for Iran. Three of the defendants, including the woman,
are Iranian, two are stateless, one is Kuwaiti and the other is Syrian. Defence
lawyer Hassan al-Matruk has alleged that confessions from the men were extracted
by torture. The alleged cell was busted in May and local newspapers said the
defendants were spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Kuwait's media have said
the men had confessed to monitoring and photographing Kuwaiti and U.S. military
sites for the Revolutionary Guards. Iran has previously also denied the
charges.(AFP) Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 08:51
Najjar Announces Completion of 'Israel Spy' Dossier: Lebanon to Submit 150 Cases
to UN
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar announced the completion of the "Israel
spy" dossier which includes 150 detainees accused of espionage for Israel.
Najjar said he will submit the dossier to the Lebanese foreign ministry which in
turn will hand it over the U.N. Security Council. He said Cabinet will discuss
the 'Israel spy' issue following the return of PM Saad Hariri from a vacation in
Italy. Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 09:15
Report: Sfeir Asks Journalists Not to Report March 14 Official's Accusations
against Hizbullah
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has asked journalists not to inform
their employers about a recording of a March 14 official accusing Hizbullah of
involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder, al-Akhbar daily reported
Monday. The daily quoted an informed source as saying that Sfeir asked the
journalists at the summer seat of Diman not to send to their media outlets a
tape in which a March 14 official blamed Hizbullah for Hariri's Feb. 2005
assassination. Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 11:57
Jumblat to Meet Hariri to Avert Sunni-Shiite Strife over Hariri Tribunal
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat has reported warned against a Sunni-Shiite
strife over the possible indictment of by the international tribunal of
Hizbullah members for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Monday quoted sources close to Jumblat as
saying that the PSP leader has warned of a Sunni-Shiite strife.
"If it (strife) should take place it will lead to never-ending chaos," pan-Arab
daily Al-Hayat on Monday quoted sources close to Jumblat as saying. Jumblat
stressed that his party would "do all it can to prevent a sectarian conflict and
play a role between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Nasrallah."Ad-Diyar
newspaper, in turn, said Jumblat will wait for Hariri's return from Sardinia --
expected before the beginning of Ramadan Aug. 11 -- to discuss with him a crisis
that has developed over the possible indictment by the international tribunal of
Hizbullah members for the 2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri. "If an
indictment against Hizbullah is going to ignite strife, then I will not stand
with it," he said. Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 08:29
Berri: All Spies Should be Punished, They Don't Belong to Single Sect
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri called for punishing all Lebanese who have
collaborated with the Israeli Mossad and urged the judiciary to assume its
duties in this regard. "As long as the issue of spy networks has reached the
point of threatening Lebanon, all spies should be punished," Berri told An Nahar
daily in remarks published Monday. Saying that spies do not belong to a single
sect, the speaker urged judicial authorities to carry out their role. Berri also
welcomed President Michel Suleiman's visit to the south and inspection of troops
stationed in Adeisseh on Saturday. The speaker lauded the army commander, Gen.
Jean Qahwaji, who is "carrying out his obligations." Asked about reports that
members of the Congress are calling for an end to U.S. military assistance to
Lebanon, Berri said: "It seems that they want to turn the arms to the interior
and not against Israel so that the Lebanese fight each other." An Nahar said
that the speaker ordered ministers of his Development and Liberation bloc to
call in the next cabinet session for the implementation of all judicial rulings
against spies. Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 08:52
Jouzou: Hypocrites Destroying Political Life
Naharnet/Mount Lebanon Mufti Mohammed Ali Jouzou said Monday people in Lebanon
and some politicians "live on false statements and build their opinions on false
speeches."
"And they cheat and kill, assault and slander others," he said in a statement.
"People watch some (political) leaders who switch their positions and change
their stances …. and fake facts and tales to serve their own interests or for
the sake of their masters or those they support. "These are the real hypocrites
who are destroying the political life, all at the expense of the nation and its
future." Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 12:19
Shibani: We Support Efforts to Uncover Truth behind Hariri Assassination
Naharnet/Mohammad Reza Shibani, Iran's Assistant Foreign Minister for the Middle
East and Central Asia and Caucasus, said war is "always" likely with Israel.
"War is always possible with the existence of a State such as Israel," Shibani
said in an interview published Monday by As-Safir newspaper. He explained,
however, that it is no longer easy for Israel to take a quick decision,
especially after the war the July 2006 and the 2009 Gaza offensive. Israel "is
unable to launch a war of attrition, but the threat exists as long as Israel
exists," Shibani added. Turning to the issue of the Special Tribunal of Lebanon,
Shibani said Iran supports "every effort" to uncover the truth behind the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 11:14
Alloush asks Nasrallah: Did Data and Evidence Suddenly Surface?
Naharnet/Mustaqbal MP Mustafa Alloush on Monday said Hizbullah leader Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah is likely to provide evidence regarding the 2005 assassination
of former PM Rafik Hariri. But Alloush wondered: "Why didn't Nasrallah earlier
provide information about the international tribunal?" "Why didn't Nasrallah
provide information in the past, particularly since five years have passed since
the assassination and he had previously accused Israel?" Allouash asked during
an interview with the Voice of Free Lebanon radio station. "Did data and
evidence suddenly surface?" he asked Nasrallah. Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 23:52
Sison Leaves Lebanon at End of Mission
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison left Beirut Monday for the U.S. after her
diplomatic mission in Lebanon ended, a U.S. embassy spokesman told Naharnet.
Sison met President Michel Suleiman on Friday and said she had the "honor to pay
a farewell call on His Excellency … and express my pride in and gratitude for
the cooperation and partnership we have enjoyed with Lebanon and the Lebanese
people during my time here as U.S. Ambassador."
Sison conveyed to Suleiman Washington's strong support for Lebanon's
sovereignty, security and stability.
"During my time in Lebanon, the U.S. government has deepened our partnerships
with the Lebanese government to help build the strong state institutions that
must act as the guarantor of Lebanon's future," she said. "A strong, sovereign,
stable Lebanon at peace with its neighbors is in everyone's interest -- the
Lebanese, the region, and the international community," Sison stressed. Beirut,
09 Aug 10, 10:42
Netanyahu: Flotilla Probe Will Show Israel Acted Lawfully
Naharnet/Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Monday that Israel acted
lawfully in a commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which killed nine
activists, in testimony before an Israeli panel. "I am convinced that at the end
of your investigation, it will become clear that the state of Israel and the IDF
(Israeli Defense Forces) acted in accordance with international law," Netanyahu
told members of the Tirkel Commission as he began testifying about the raid.
"I am the first one to appear before this honorable commission. Many others will
appear after me, and I believe that all the details will become clear and you
will get to the root of the truth," he said. The Israeli leader looked at ease
as he entered the room shortly after 9:00 am (0600 GMT), smiling at the hoards
of journalists and members of the public waiting to hear his sworn testimony.
After he took his seat, facing the panel bench with his back to the audience,
the committee members made their way into the auditorium.
Opening the session, which was expected to last into the afternoon, committee
chairman Yaakov Tirkel said some of Netanyahu's testimony would be given
verbally and some would be delivered in written form. "As much as possible, the
committee will try to let the prime minister give his testimony verbally or in
written form," he said.
Some of the session was expected to take place behind closed doors. Netanyahu is
the first of three top officials to give sworn testimony about the May 31
incident in which naval commandos stormed six aid ships trying to run the
blockade on Gaza, killing nine activists and wounding scores of others.
The bloody raid caused a diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey and sparked
global calls for an inquiry -- prompting Netanyahu's government to set up the
Tirkel Commission to look into the legality of the operation. Israel says its
commandos resorted to force only after they were attacked when they rappelled
onto the deck of the Turkish passenger ferry Mavi Marmara. But the activists on
board say troops opened fire as soon as they landed. Netanyahu was not likely to
face any awkward questions on Monday as he testified before the five panel
members, two foreign observers and hundreds of members of the press and public.
When the committee was created in June, Netanyahu's office said its mandate was
to examine the international legality of Israel's naval blockade and of actions
taken to enforce it, as well as the actions of those who organized and took part
in the flotilla. Defense Minister Ehud Barak will take the stand on Tuesday,
followed by Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi on Wednesday, with both likely to be
quizzed over the operational aspects of boarding the ships.
The five-man panel, headed by Tirkel, a retired judge, began investigating the
raid at the end of June, and its deliberations are being monitored by two
international observers.(AFP) Beirut, 09 Aug 10, 10:32
Enforce international law in Lebanon
By AVI BEKER
08/08/2010 22:09
JPost.comOpinionOp-Ed Contributors
The latest developments show how lawfare has become a strategy overshadowing
political efforts to negotiate order.
Two recent developments in Lebanon show the extent to which international law
has become a double-edged sword in the regional quest for stability and in
international efforts to fight terrorism.
As more analysts around the world look closer at last week’s flare-up along the
border between Lebanon and Israel, it becomes evident that the incident is
related to the long-expected report by the Hague Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s
inquiry into the murder of former prime minister Rafik Hariri and 22 other
people in a car bomb in February 2005. The immediate concern must be seen as
part of the increasing internal tensions within Lebanon which is expecting the
indictment of Hizbullah members by the Tribunal.
The 2006 war with Israel was preceded by another investigation of the same
murder by the United Nations which implicated Syria in the killing. The
political balancing efforts in Lebanon, which brought together arch-enemies like
Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Saudi king, as well as Sunnis, Shi’ites
and Christians will fly in the face of any effort by an international legal
organ to pursue justice in Lebanon and in the region.
The second development was the IDF’s exposure last month of aerial photos,
videos and maps showing how Hizbullah is once again ruthlessly violating the Law
of Armed Conflict. Using Lebanese civilians in 160 villages as human shields and
embedding weapons caches, missile stockpiles and command-and-control centers
alongside hospitals, mosques and schools makes a mockery of international
humanitarian law.
These two ominous developments may trigger another round of violent hostilities
on the Israeli-Lebanese front. They also demonstrate how lawfare, the abuse of
the law as a weapon of war, has become a strategic feature which is
overshadowing political efforts to negotiate political order within Lebanon and
with its neighbors. It shows again the asymmetrical and double standard nature
of international humanitarian law which doesn’t allow Western military forces to
defend the lives of their citizens and cannot apply enforcement measures against
rogue regimes and terrorists.
FOR SEVERAL Islamist fighting groups and terrorist organizations in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, the humanitarian principles of the Law of
Armed Conflict had become the major source of inspiration and guidance. These
methods of legal maneuvers in the battlefield are viewed by Islamists as a
critical component in their strategic and tactical planning.
They are well aware that Israel and other Western countries are bound by
international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it, and they
exploit it in a very cynical and brutal fashion.
It is wrong to argue, as many legal experts claim, that existing international
law is ill-equipped in dealing with the so-called “non-state” entities. It is
true that traditional Law of Combat was built on the assumption of a conflict
between two states which are striving for international legitimacy and would,
therefore, abide by some measures of legal restraint. However, existing
instruments of international law contain ample references which can cover acts
of self defense and measures taken in the war against terrorism. The problem
lies only with the politicization and selective interpretation of covenants
which follow some more fashionable post-modern trends and are often inclined to
glorify acts of terrorism.
It becomes worse when a United Nations voting bloc comprised largely of
undemocratic member states continues to dictate international human rights norms
and can hijack, against the rules of the Charter, the debates and agenda
relating to international peace and security.
A fair reading of Hizbullah’s threats against the civilian population in Israel
coupled with its brutal abuse of humanitarian rules can be easily recorded as
systematic war crimes in their making. In addition the group continues to
violate resolution 1701 of the Security Council which forbids the arming of
groups outside the Lebanese Army. Thousands of missiles, rockets and huge
ammunition are being smuggled to South Lebanon with the full cooperation of Iran
and Syria and the blind eye of the government of Lebanon.
The fallacy and the serious omission by diplomats and legal experts lies in
their disregard of the explicit responsibility of each party in armed conflict,
including the defender, to protect its civilian population and remove it from
military targets. The duty of “distinction” goes both ways and article 51.7 of
the Geneva First Protocol emphasizes that while civilians are protected by the
principle of distinction, no party can use its civilians as shield for its
military objectives. It reads: “The presence or movements of the civilian
population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or
areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield
military objectives from attacks or to shield, favor or impede military
operations.”
Hizbullah, which is today a full-fledged member in the Lebanese government, can
no longer hide behind another distorted interpretation of humanitarian law and
claim “non state” status. It should be emphasized: there are no restrictions in
article 51 of the United Nations Charter regarding the exercise of the inherent
right of self defense against non-state entities.
Last week’s provocation by the Lebanese Army makes it even more responsible to
the Hizbullah violations of humanitarian law and will nullify future claims that
Israel violates the principle of proportionality in attacking targets inside
Lebanon. When the enemy makes it a clear strategy of using civilian shields in
its war effort it is permissible to use a large degree of force against
multiplied targets, including infrastructure, as long as the force is intended
to remove the continuing risk posed by its rockets.
Lawfare has become a major arena for the delegitimization campaign against
Israel. In the past Israel had to incorporate a doctrine of pre-emptive or
preventive strikes to compensate for its very narrow margins of defense against
variety of threats. While Israel should always maintain its high standards of
moral and humanitarian behavior in combat it must tell the world that no army
can endanger its soldiers in order to avoid hitting targets which are using
civilians as shields. Israel must develop a “lawfare” preemptive strategy which
will alert the world on the misuse and the moral collapse of international
humanitarian law.
*The writer is former secretary general of the World Jewish Congress. He teaches
in the MA program of diplomacy at Tel Aviv University and International law at
the Law Faculty of the Ono Academic Center.
Maronite
Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir meets officials to discuss need to avoid strife
By Antoine Amrieh /Daily Star correspondent
Monday, August 09, 2010
DIMAN: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir hosted a number of officials
and religious figures at his summer residence in Diman over the weekend. On
Sunday, Sfeir headed prayers and delivered a sermon, after which he hosted
participants in the mass. The patriarch received student Ghadi Sabaali who has
received a number of international distinctions.
On Saturday, Sfeir held talks with Labor Minister Butros Harb. After the
meeting, Harb told reporters he discussed with the patriarch means to deal with
upcoming political events, highlighting the necessity of cementing national
unity among the Lebanese because it “is the only mean to face challenges
successfully.”
He said any plan to destabilize Lebanon would be based on sparking disputes
among the Lebanese, “and thus [disputes] should be totally avoided because
Lebanese should benefit from previous lessons.” Also, Sfeir held talks with a
delegation of the priests from Jibbet Basharri. Later on, the prelate held talks
with former MP Qaissar Mouawwad, who lashed out at the “Israeli provocation”
that took place last week. Two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist along with a
senior Israeli officer were killed in the shootout that erupted along the Blue
Line after Israeli soldiers attempted to uproot a tree which Lebanese officials
said was on the Lebanese side of the fenced border.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Mouawwad urged Lebanese parties to avoid
tense political rhetoric in a bid to thwart Israeli attempts to instigate civil
strife in Lebanon.
The patriarch hosted a delegation from the Lebanese Maronite Order headed by the
Order’s Secretary General Father Claude Nadra and including the President of the
Holy Spirit University Father Hadi Mahfouz. On Saturday evening, the head of the
Maronite church attended a dinner banquet on the invitation of Former Minister
Ibrahim Daher at his residence in Bsharri after leading prayers to mark the
transfiguration of Jesus Christ in the forest of Arz al-Rab.
Lebanese Officials Expect Phony Evidence in UN Report on Hariri Assassination
Written by Wayne Madsen
Sunday, 08 August 2010 19:26
http://oilprice.com/Geo-Politics/Middle-East/Lebanese-Officials-Expect-Phony-Evidence-in-UN-Report-on-Hariri-Assassination.html
The Wayne Madsen Report (WMR) is reporting sources in Lebanon are expecting that
the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) report on who was responsible for the
2005 remotely-controlled bomb assassination in Beirut of former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri will contain a wealth of phony and contrived "evidence"
compiled with the assistance of the CIA, Mossad, and other western intelligence
agencies.
It is widely expected that the STL report will blame Lebanese Hezbollah, a
member of the current Lebanese government headed by Saad Hariri, the son of the
slain ex-Prime Minister, for the assassination.
Lebanese intelligence believes that the concocted "evidence" in the STL report
will contain "doctored" voice and video data collected by the CIA and Mossad
from intercepted Lebanese cell phone networks before, during, and shortly after
the assassination of Hariri, which took place on February 14, 2005.
Some 120 individuals have been arrested in Lebanon for spying for Israel and
some of these individuals were involved in Lebanese telecommunications systems.
WMR has learned that the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC)
and STL has been provided with tapes and transcripts of cell phone calls which
supposedly were made by a very closed ring of assassins (six to eight total) at
the scene of the explosion. Lebanese authorities are aware that the call data
was provided by a number of cell-phone companies and countries that are viewed
suspiciously in Lebanon.
Chief among the providers of the data are the CIA and Mossad, which have
extensive networks in Lebanon, but also the French DGSE and German BND
intelligence services, as well as Britain's Government Communications
Headquarters (GCHQ), which maintains a large communications intercept station in
nearby Cyprus that routinely intercepts cell phone calls in Lebanon.
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to Governments, Intelligence Agencies & selected Hedge Funds. Click here for
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The role of the Mossad in the doctoring of the cell phone data, expected to be
relied upon heavily in the report issued by UN chief investigator Daniel
Bellemare, is creating a vigorous debate in Lebanon. Hezbollah is expected to
reject the cell phone recordings as fakes and charge that they were engineered
by Mossad and the CIA.
Hezbollah's opponents have countered with the argument that if the Mossad agents
could doctor cell phone data after the fact, why did they not erase all traces
of their own communications with Mossad that eventually resulted in their own
arrests?
Meanwhile, Lebanon continues to round up top Mossad agents in the country with
the latest arrest being that of retired General Fayes Karam, a close aide and
friends of retired General Michel Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement. Aoun and
his party are partners of Lebanese Hezbollah.
From 1988 to 1989, Karam was the head of Lebanese military counter-intelligence
while under the command of Aoun. Karam was also in exile with Aoun in Paris for
15 years. Although the evidence compiled against Karam shows his link to Mossad
since 2005, the year Hariri was assassinated, as previously reported by WMR, by
Mossad and the CIA, Karam may have been working for Mossad much longer.
Karam was trained by the United States and France in military
counter-intelligence during the 1980s.
There is also suspicion about the fact that while 120 Lebanese spies for Mossad
have been rounded up in recent years, not one CIA agent has been arrested, even
though it is well known that Langley has penetrated every major institution in
Lebanon.
**By Wayne Madsen for Oilprice.com
LCP: Fighting Israel requires democracy
By The Daily Star /Monday, August 09, 2010
BEIRUT: Head of the Lebanese Communist Party (LCP) Khaled Hadadeh warned that
Lebanon will not be able to fight Israel with a sectarian system.
He spoke during a dinner held to celebrate the party’s 88 anniversary. “Fighting
Israel isn’t through gathering different sectarian factions and calling them a
national unity government; it’s through forming a truly democratic government,”
Hadadeh also blamed sectarian divides for the increasing number of Israeli
agents in the country, and warned that the Lebanese needed to embrace both the
Lebanese Army and the resistance. He emphasized the need to better equip the
Lebanese Army. The LCP’s head said the credibility of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL), charged with investigating the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, was at risk. “We all want to know the truth but has this
tribunal proven its capacity to be a tool for the truth?” he asked, calling for
reassessing Lebanon’s relation with the STL. In July, Hizbullah leader Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah said that the UN-backed tribunal was likely to indict members
of his party. While Hadadeh welcomed the visits of Arab leaders to Lebanon, he
said they indicated that the country was in trouble. “There is no solution for
Lebanon’s crises except from abroad.” – The Daily Star
Adeisseh clash
Arab News
http://arabnews.com/opinion/editorial/article97892.ece
IF both Lebanon and Israel appear to be recovering from their recent border
clash, the tense atmosphere is likely to remain. In an increasingly volatile
region, the timing and dynamic of the unexpected flare-up gave rise to the wider
implications of the sudden clash that left two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese
journalist and an Israeli officer dead. While a consensus appeared that this was
not a precursor to the war so many fear is inevitable, the incident was viewed
as a trial balloon on the road to that war, not least because only on this tense
border could an operation to uproot one tree lead to fighting which claimed four
lives.
Lebanon and Israel contest the circumstances of the border skirmish after an
Israeli unit approached this disputed area to cut a tree beyond the border fence
and install a surveillance camera. Israel said its troops were fired upon while
conducting maintenance work along the border, and that UN forces had been
notified in advance. The UN peacekeeping force says Israeli soldiers were
operating on their own side of the border when fighting broke out with Lebanese
troops. Lebanon said its troops opened fire after an Israeli soldier breached
the border fence. In response, the Lebanese Army asked the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to stop the operation because it was taking
place inside Lebanese territory. UNIFIL attempted to contain the situation but
Israel went ahead with camera installation anyway. The Lebanese side then fired
warning shots to which Israel responded by firing missiles from several tanks,
followed by an immediate air raid targeting Lebanese military posts in the
region. Israel filed a complaint against Lebanon with the UN accusing the
Lebanese Army of “ambushing” the Israeli unit.
Considered by Israel a disputed area, Adeisseh, where the conflict took place,
is one of several posts on what is dubbed the “technical border” because while
they are clearly inside Lebanon, Israel does not recognize them as such. Lebanon
insists it was confronting an incursion into its territory. That would explain
their swiftness in opening fire. For Lebanon, it was a test of the much talked
about formula of “the army, the people and the resistance” as the core of
Lebanon’s self-defense strategy against continued Israeli aggression.
However, a sense of pride that the army, which has never engaged in military
combat with Israel, finally engaged in the trenches with the resistance was
mixed with apprehension. The incident is particularly being viewed as a
provocation against Hezbollah whose conspicuous absence from the scene of
fighting during “those sensitive hours”, in the words of Hassan Nasrallah,
suggested that the group was exercising self-restraint. Is the Lebanese-Israeli
border clash the first shot in a new and much-anticipated regional war? Whatever
the answer it served as a grim reminder of the volatile situation in an area
described as “exceptionally quiet and uniquely dangerous” in a recent report by
the International Crisis Group. Tensions are often high along the heavily
fortified frontier where Israel fought a 34-day battle with Hezbollah in 2006.
The flare-up on the Lebanese-Israeli border cannot be divorced from mounting
regional tension. While neither side is ready to move to all-out war, the event
illustrated how tense the situation is and how violence can break out at any
time
Army:
Exercise caution in reporting spy cases
Military warns Media risks indictment over ‘rumor-mongering’ and ‘random
accusations’
By Patrick Galey and Carol Rizk
Daily Star staff
Monday, August 09, 2010
BEIRUT: The army issued a warning on Sunday to those reporting the ongoing
Israeli spy scandal, vowing to indict media outlets for misreporting ongoing
investigations. Telecoms firm Ogero also urged the public to avoid rash
judgment, after a senior employee was detained on espionage charges over the
weekend. The army’s note of caution came on the same day as local media reported
further information in the case against Omar Karam, a senior Free Patriotic
Movement (FPM) official and former army colonel.
“A lot of newspapers have been publishing information about arrests in the
Israeli agents file. Some media outlets and journalists have indicated that army
members are involved,” said a Lebanese Army statement. “The Army Command warns
of the risk of making such random accusations in a national case that is
delicate.
“It also warns rumor-mongers that it takes the reputation of its members very
seriously. It also preserves the right to file lawsuits against those spreading
rumors in order to investigate what they have obtained from documents and proofs
and to take the legal measures necessary,” the statement added.
As-Safir published an interview on Sunday with an anonymous security source,
purportedly close to Karam’s investigation. The source alleged that Karam had
confessed to dealing with Israel for several years, and as recently as last
year, when the FPM official is accused of providing Israel with information in
the run up to parliamentary elections, in which he ran as a candidate.
The paper reported that “important and conclusive evidence” had emerged damning
Karam, which had been passed on to President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Saad
Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as State Prosecutor Sayyed Mirza.
Karam is the latest in a long line of officials and engineers who have been
detained on suspicion of spying for Israel.
On Saturday prosecuting Judge Sakr Sakr accused Milad Eid, a former employee of
state telecommunications firm Ogero of “dealing with the Israeli enemy … giving
them technical information in his position as head of an international
communications at the Telecommunications Ministry.”
The firm issued a statement Sunday dismissing media speculation in the spy cases
saga as “part of a psychological war to make people doubt their national
institutions.”
“Some media outlets have been publishing lies based on information that is
incorrect and based on distorting facts,” Ogero said. “The committee is playing
a role in providing [security] forces with available information which can help
the tracking process and reveal the identity of agents and spy networks.”
The statement also urged “media outlets not to make accusations or to hint about
collaboration with Israel because such news can alert possible agents to take
their precautions and escape.”
Eid was the third telecoms worker to be detained on espionage charges and, if
convicted, could potentially be sentenced to death. Sleiman had previously gone
on record saying he would push for capital punishment in any spy case.
As-Safir quoted the security source as saying that Karam’s dealings with Israel
were long-standing and extensive.
“Communication between Karam and the Israelis was continuous until a period not
too long ago. Several calls were made between him and Israel in 2009, the year
of the parliamentary elections, for which he was a candidate,” the source said.
When asked about the timing of the arrest of Karam, who was apprehended by
security forces on Wednesday, the paper quoted the source: “From the start we
wouldn’t have approached the subject if we weren’t sure of all the information
we received, in the same way we track all agents,” it said.
“As for why we arrested him now, it is because the picture was complete at this
time. If it were complete six months ago, we would have arrested him then. It is
not true that there is a political aspect or political timing.”
Karam was arrested by Syria in 1990 and spent five months incarcerated at the
notorious Mazzeh prison. After his release, it is alleged that he went to
Israel, which was still occupying southern Lebanon, before being transported to
France. Karam returned to Lebanon with Aoun in 2005.
FPM MP Ibrahim Kanaan accused Karam’s case of being politically motivated.
“Karam is still a suspect but has not been charged yet,” he told Al-Mustaqbal
newspaper in an interview published Sunday. “The issue had been politicized. As
of next Monday, the FPM will file a lawsuit against media outlets that leak
information about the investigation.”
He added that FPM head Michel Aoun had no information about the case.
Hizbullah, who is the FPM’s principal ally in their opposition March 8
coalition, had suggested that Israel could use telecom agents to manipulate
evidence to implicate the party in the 2005 assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri.
Water and Energy Minister Jibran Bassil, speaking in Saturday’s Al-Mustaqbal
denied that Karam, even if convicted on espionage charges, was privy to
inter-party information.
“Karam was not aware of what was happening in the meetings between Hassan
Nasrallah and Michel Aoun,” Bassil said. “Karam’s arrest will not affect
relations between the FPM and Hizbullah. The relationship is fortified enough
and cannot be breached.”
Bassil added that Karam should be “transferred from security forces to judicial
authorities if the accusations of collaborating with Israel are true.”
“This is in order to clarify if the confessions are true, especially after the
many rumors passed around by the media,” he concluded.
Lebanon has rounded up more than 100 individuals, including security forces
members as well as telecoms sector workers, in its ongoing spy probe. – With
Agencies
Sleiman
earns praise for pledge to equip army
Baroud says plan to be discussed in Cabinet this week
By Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff
Monday, August 09, 2010
ADAYSSEH, Lebanon: Local officials on Sunday praised President Michel Sleiman’s
visit to the south over the weekend during which he called for equipping the
Lebanese Army, amid expectations that such a topic is to be addressed by the
Cabinet this week.
Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud told the press on Sunday that a plan to equip the
Lebanese Army would be discussed by the Cabinet in line with Sleiman’s “keenness
to preserve the military establishment, its role and in appreciation of its
sacrifices.”
Sleiman on Saturday toured army positions along border between Israel and
Lebanon that saw clashes between armies of the two countries last week after
Israeli soldiers attempted to uproot a tree which Lebanese officials said was on
the Lebanese side of the fenced border.
Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper reported on Sunday the Adaysseh incidents increase
the probability of a war, adding that a new conflict is likely to take place
within the next year.
The paper said that Israel was testing scenarios, and while it played old cards,
Lebanon and the Lebanese Army played new ones, prompting anxiety within the
ranks of the Israeli government. Israel did not expect the Lebanese Army to
defend itself, it added.
The altercation killed two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist as well as a
senior Israeli officer. The dead Lebanese soldiers were from the army’s 11th
brigade.
During his visit to the south, Sleiman urged the Lebanese investors along with
friendly states to help in securing arms and equipment for the LAF.
“I call upon friendly states to help the Lebanese Army if they
are really interested in the establishment of a state in Lebanon,” said Sleiman.
The president said that if friendly states refuse to sell arms to Lebanon “this
will represent a political stance [against Lebanon].”
“We are asking for defense weapons,” Sleiman added.
Sleiman said that equipping the army was part of the Cabinet’s policy statement,
and vowed to rush the Cabinet’s approval of such a move.
Addressing officers from the army’s 11th brigade at its headquarters in the
southern village of Tibneen, Sleiman pressed wealthy Lebanese to take part in
funding the arming and equipping of Lebanese troops.
“I call upon capable Lebanese who plan to invest in Lebanon to build the army
because when the army becomes strong and capable of easily carrying out its
missions, … then any investment in Lebanon becomes possible,” he said.
Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss praised the president’s call for the Lebanese
investors to help the army, as he urged them to heed Sleiman’s calls.
“We rely on the generousness of expatriates that have achieved considerable
success abroad,” said the statement.
After the clashes, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon voiced his fears
that Hizbullah was taking control of the army.
Concerns that the US might reassess its military support to the army have risen
as well, amid reports that Israel has launched a campaign to convince Western
states to refrain from providing it assistance.
Sleiman hailed the sacrifices of the 11th brigade members.
“I am proud of visiting the 11th brigade after the heroic act it carried out,”
he said.
“Your mission is hard, but your will is stronger, and I am confident of the role
you are playing,” added Sleiman.
Sleiman landed by a helicopter at the army headquarters in the village of
Kfardoneen, after which he boarded a car and toured a number of LAF positions
that were hit by Israelis during last week’s clash. Upon his arrival to the 11th
brigade headquarters, Sleiman was received by head of army brigades operating to
the south of the Litani River Brigadier Khalil Mosen, the commander of the 11th
brigade Brigadier Sadeq Tleis, and Commander of the United Nations Interim Force
in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Alberto Asarta Cuevas.
Asarta extended his condolences to Sleiman over the death of the Lebanese
soldiers, stressing that UNIFIL would continue to coordinate with the army.
Defense Minister Elias Murr, Lebanese army Chief of Staff Major General Shawqi
al-Masri and head of Army Intelligence Edmond Fadel, along with military and
media delegations accompanied Sleiman in his visit.
Sleiman emphasized Lebanon’s commitment to Resolution 1701 and cooperation with
UNIFIL, saying it was Israel that is violating the resolution.
The president labeled the LAF as “the safety valve of national unity,” adding
that the army that was able to carry out its mission on borders could perform
its duties inside Lebanon.
He lashed out at Israeli claims that Hizbullah has taken control of the army.
“The army is the army … but this does not prevent the people along with
Lebanon’s national capabilities from being on the disposal of the army,” said
Sleiman.
“The political decision covers you, and the military decision is clear,” he
added.
Sleiman said that Lebanon has launched a campaign to arm the army in the face of
all sides trying to prevent it from obtaining needed weapons. “The Cabinet will
lay down a 5 or 6-year plan to provide the army with all needed arms,” said
Sleiman.
The president toured the scene of last week’s clashes and was fully briefed on
the incident.
Lebanon: Predictions of war and vain hopes
Sunday, August 8, 2010
by Ami Isseroff
Elias Bejjani is a Lebanese Christian patriot and a good friend of Israel.
Bejjani thinks that war between Israel and the Hezbollah is inevitable. He may
be right.
However, what seems inevitable in the Middle East is often not so at all. I
remember when we all believed that Lebanon would be the second country to sign a
peace accord with Israel, and I remember when we all believed that King Hussein
of Jordan would not last another year on his throne because he would be wiped
out by assassins. We said it every year for a very long time, until King Hussein
died in his bed, after having concluded an amicable peace with Israel.
All of us can remember when Turkish-Israeli friendship was taken for granted,
and many of us can remember when Iran and Israel were active and close allies.
Even in the unchanging Middle East, things change all the time.
I also remember when the goal of Israeli policymakers regarding Lebanon was to
get the Lebanese army to deploy in South Lebanon in order to secure the border.
The goal was achieved. The Lebanese army deployed in South Lebanon. On August 3,
the army that was supposed to secure the southern border of Lebanon fired on our
soldiers for no reason, and then the Lebanese government accused Israel of
aggression. Instead of grasping at UN Security Council Resolution 1701 as a
means to rid themselves of the Hezbollah and bring peace to Lebanon, the
Lebanese government has made a mockery of that resolution.
Bejjani also hopes that Israel will oust the Hezbollah as it ousted the PLO in
1982. He is probably not alone. It seems to me that many Lebanese hope that
someone, anyone, will stand up for Lebanese freedom: Israel, France, the United
States - anyone but themselves.
If they hope for Israeli intervention, they hope in vain. Many things changed
since 1982. The first is that Israel learned the bitter lessons of two wars in
Lebanon. In the first, Israel did free Lebanon of the PLO. But what did the
Lebanese do with their freedom? They massacred some Palestinians, for which
Israel took the blame, and then they proceeded to tear their country apart.
After that, to stop the chaos of the civil war, they let "sister" Syria take
over Lebanon.
For a brief time after the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, it looked as though
Lebanese patriots of the March 14 movement just might unite and kick out Syria
and the Hezbollah. But the Lebanese are Lebanese. You never know when they will
stick to the plan, and when they will go back to being Lebanese. The hopes that
so many of us had for Lebanon were dashed.
Hezbollah flexed a few muscles and Lebanese patriots scuttled away to huddle
under the banners of "unity" and "national dialogue." They united, as usual,
behind the slogan of "edbach al yahood" - murder the Jews. Not only the
relatively reasonable Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, embraced the cause of
Hezbollah, but even the Christian Michel Aoun vowed his loyalty to "sister
Syria" and its Islamist ally, the Hezbollah. The Christians and the Druze joined
in the Islamist cries of "Murder the infidels," without stopping to think, "Hey
wait a minute, that's us." Lebanese politics are Levantine. The term "Levantine"
was coined because the term "Byzantine" was not sufficient to describe the
illogical, contradictory, convoluted and confounded nature of Lebanese politics.
In the second Lebanese war, Israel learned that the elected government of the
Lebanese stood foursquare behind the Hezbollah war criminals and supported both
the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldiers and the murderous rocket fire on
northern Israel. Israel also learned that the great powers, through the United
Nations, would never allow Israel to do what is needed in Lebanon, and that the
Lebanese people were happy to shield the Hezbollah with their lives. Almost
nobody in Lebanon protested. Hardly any politicians spoke out. Israel was
roundly condemned both in Lebanon and around the world for a war it did not
start and did not want - a war that began only because Lebanon shields the
terrorist and genocidal Hezbollah organization, and because no Lebanese of any
confession or political persuasion will lift a finger to stop them. Many may
want to remove the Hezbollah, but they seem to be waiting for some external deus
ex machina to float into the stage of history and save them.
The Lebanese government made it clear time and again that it supports the
Hezbollah, and so have leading Lebanese journals. When it still could have done
so, the Lebanese government did not lift a finger to disarm the Hezbollah, as
was required both by the Taif accords and UN Security Council resolution 1559
The Lebanese were unwilling or unable to raise an army, so they subcontracted
the defense of their country to the Hezbollah. Even their French allies gave up
on them.
The Second Lebanon war cost the lives of about 150 Israelis and many times more
Lebanese. A war to eliminate Hezbollah would exact perhaps ten times as many
casualties on both sides. How can any Lebanese expect Israel to make such a
sacrifice to free Lebanon, when they themselves were unwilling to do anything?
If the Hezbollah start a war, Israel will defend itself and no more. It is not
realistic to expect that we will try to eliminate the Hezbollah, to sacrifice
the lives of our soldiers and civilians if it is not necessary to do so for the
defense of Israel. As for the rest of the world, it may be too much to hope that
they will even allow us to even do what is necessary to defend ourselves.
Suppose there is a war with Iran, and suppose that as Bejjani thinks, Israel and
the U.S. and the rest of the Western countries will all be fighting on the same
side, an unlikely occurrence. Israel will have its hands full coping with Iran.
In any case, that coalition will need the support of the Arab states and of
Turkey. The latter will hardly be likely to support the war if Israel starts a
war with Lebanon as well.
And suppose Israel could do as the Lebanese dreamers ask, and remove the
Hezbollah. For how long will Lebanon remain free after that, if its people will
not agree among themselves even on the vital issue of defending their freedom?
How can Lebanon function as a nation, if there is an unending supply of Lebanese
politicians willing to sell themselves to Syria, to Iran or to the Devil himself
for the right price, while the Lebanese do nothing except try to enjoy the "good
life" and pretend there is no problem? Nobody can free Lebanon unless the
Lebanese people are willing to unite and free their own country.
Ami Isseroff
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
Lebanon: Predictions of war and vain hopes
http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2010/08/lebanon-predictions-of-war-and-vain.html
Sunday, August 8, 2010
by Ami Isseroff
Elias Bejjani is a Lebanese Christian patriot and a good friend of Israel.
Bejjani thinks that war between Israel and the Hezbollah is inevitable. He may
be right.
However, what seems inevitable in the Middle East is often not so at all. I
remember when we all believed that Lebanon would be the second country to sign a
peace accord with Israel, and I remember when we all believed that King Hussein
of Jordan would not last another year on his throne because he would be wiped
out by assassins. We said it every year for a very long time, until King Hussein
died in his bed, after having concluded an amicable peace with Israel.
All of us can remember when Turkish-Israeli friendship was taken for granted,
and many of us can remember when Iran and Israel were active and close allies.
Even in the unchanging Middle East, things change all the time.
I also remember when the goal of Israeli policymakers regarding Lebanon was to
get the Lebanese army to deploy in South Lebanon in order to secure the border.
The goal was achieved. The Lebanese army deployed in South Lebanon. On August 3,
the army that was supposed to secure the southern border of Lebanon fired on our
soldiers for no reason, and then the Lebanese government accused Israel of
aggression. Instead of grasping at UN Security Council Resolution 1701 as a
means to rid themselves of the Hezbollah and bring peace to Lebanon, the
Lebanese government has made a mockery of that resolution.
Bejjani also hopes that Israel will oust the Hezbollah as it ousted the PLO in
1982. He is probably not alone. It seems to me that many Lebanese hope that
someone, anyone, will stand up for Lebanese freedom: Israel, France, the United
States - anyone but themselves.
If they hope for Israeli intervention, they hope in vain. Many things changed
since 1982. The first is that Israel learned the bitter lessons of two wars in
Lebanon. In the first, Israel did free Lebanon of the PLO. But what did the
Lebanese do with their freedom? They massacred some Palestinians, for which
Israel took the blame, and then they proceeded to tear their country apart.
After that, to stop the chaos of the civil war, they let "sister" Syria take
over Lebanon.
For a brief time after the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, it looked as though
Lebanese patriots of the March 14 movement just might unite and kick out Syria
and the Hezbollah. But the Lebanese are Lebanese. You never know when they will
stick to the plan, and when they will go back to being Lebanese. The hopes that
so many of us had for Lebanon were dashed.
Hezbollah flexed a few muscles and Lebanese patriots scuttled away to huddle
under the banners of "unity" and "national dialogue." They united, as usual,
behind the slogan of "edbach al yahood" - murder the Jews. Not only the
relatively reasonable Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt, embraced the cause of
Hezbollah, but even the Christian Michel Aoun vowed his loyalty to "sister
Syria" and its Islamist ally, the Hezbollah. The Christians and the Druze joined
in the Islamist cries of "Murder the infidels," without stopping to think, "Hey
wait a minute, that's us." Lebanese politics are Levantine. The term "Levantine"
was coined because the term "Byzantine" was not sufficient to describe the
illogical, contradictory, convoluted and confounded nature of Lebanese politics.
In the second Lebanese war, Israel learned that the elected government of the
Lebanese stood foursquare behind the Hezbollah war criminals and supported both
the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldiers and the murderous rocket fire on
northern Israel. Israel also learned that the great powers, through the United
Nations, would never allow Israel to do what is needed in Lebanon, and that the
Lebanese people were happy to shield the Hezbollah with their lives. Almost
nobody in Lebanon protested. Hardly any politicians spoke out. Israel was
roundly condemned both in Lebanon and around the world for a war it did not
start and did not want - a war that began only because Lebanon shields the
terrorist and genocidal Hezbollah organization, and because no Lebanese of any
confession or political persuasion will lift a finger to stop them. Many may
want to remove the Hezbollah, but they seem to be waiting for some external deus
ex machina to float into the stage of history and save them.
The Lebanese government made it clear time and again that it supports the
Hezbollah, and so have leading Lebanese journals. When it still could have done
so, the Lebanese government did not lift a finger to disarm the Hezbollah, as
was required both by the Taif accords and UN Security Council resolution 1559
The Lebanese were unwilling or unable to raise an army, so they subcontracted
the defense of their country to the Hezbollah. Even their French allies gave up
on them.
The Second Lebanon war cost the lives of about 150 Israelis and many times more
Lebanese. A war to eliminate Hezbollah would exact perhaps ten times as many
casualties on both sides. How can any Lebanese expect Israel to make such a
sacrifice to free Lebanon, when they themselves were unwilling to do anything?
If the Hezbollah start a war, Israel will defend itself and no more. It is not
realistic to expect that we will try to eliminate the Hezbollah, to sacrifice
the lives of our soldiers and civilians if it is not necessary to do so for the
defense of Israel. As for the rest of the world, it may be too much to hope that
they will even allow us to even do what is necessary to defend ourselves.
Suppose there is a war with Iran, and suppose that as Bejjani thinks, Israel and
the U.S. and the rest of the Western countries will all be fighting on the same
side, an unlikely occurrence. Israel will have its hands full coping with Iran.
In any case, that coalition will need the support of the Arab states and of
Turkey. The latter will hardly be likely to support the war if Israel starts a
war with Lebanon as well.
And suppose Israel could do as the Lebanese dreamers ask, and remove the
Hezbollah. For how long will Lebanon remain free after that, if its people will
not agree among themselves even on the vital issue of defending their freedom?
How can Lebanon function as a nation, if there is an unending supply of Lebanese
politicians willing to sell themselves to Syria, to Iran or to the Devil himself
for the right price, while the Lebanese do nothing except try to enjoy the "good
life" and pretend there is no problem? Nobody can free Lebanon unless the
Lebanese people are willing to unite and free their own country.
Ami Isseroff
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.