LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
17/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Psalm 32:8/I will
instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my
eye upon you.
Today's Inspiring Thought: Listen to God
Are you afraid of making mistakes? We can be our own worst enemy if we ignore
God, but if we follow his ways, we'll live a life of fruitfulness and blessing.
God makes his desires for us clear in his instruction manual, the Bible. The
more you acquaint yourself with God and the better you know his thoughts, the
easier it will be for you to choose wisely. As you surrender yourself to God's
leading, the Holy Spirit will direct your steps.
Envision God watching out for you. Keep up a silent conversation with him.
Consult him on important decisions and he will show you the right way to go.
/Naharnet
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Hizbullah’s next target may be
Lebanon/By: MEIR JAVEDANFAR/August
16/10
New Opinion: Holding our
nerve/By:Michael Karam/August
16/10
Hassan Nasrallah/A man with a
matchbox/By: Smadar Peri/August
16/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 16/10
Hezbollah launches another attack against STL/Ya
Libnan
Asarta Holds
Talks with Berri, Hariri on Adeisseh Clash Probe, Implementation of 1701/Naharnet
Kataeb Urges
Government to Reiterate Previous Stances on STL/Naharnet
Sidon-Tyre Road
Reopened after Power Cuts Protest/Naharnet
Jumblat Calls for Austerity
Measures to Equip Lebanese Army/Naharnet
Obama warns Turkish PM over Israel/Ynetnews
Hariri: We Should Not Use Foul
Language/Naharnet
Hizbullah: Ignoring Nasrallah's
Evidence Means Support for Israel's Strife Project/Naharnet
Report: Osama al-Shahabi Chosen as
Abdel Rahman Awadh's Successor/Naharnet
Turkey Denies Arms Transfer to
Hizbullah/Naharnet
Houri:
Hariri Won't be Dragged to Quarrel Over Tribunal
/Naharnet
Marouni: Lebanon Under
Syrian Hegemony Except for Direct Military Presence
/Naharnet
Judge charges Jedd for
collaborating with Israel/Now Lebanon
Only LAF authorized to defend
Lebanon, Majdalani says /Now Lebanon
MP Riad Rahhal slams Wahhab over
STL statement/Now Lebanon
Al-Lino: Ain el-Hilweh
Calm After Awadh's Death
/Naharnet
Suleiman Tours Beiteddine
Surroundings on Foot
/Naharnet
Residents Block Road to
South with Burning Tires to Protest Power Cuts
/Naharnet
Berri, Hariri Discuss
Lebanon Situation in Ain el-Tineh
/Naharnet
U.S.-French Agreement to
Renew UNIFIL's Mandate 6 Months
/Naharnet
Nasrallah's Problem with
Hariri Investigation
/Naharnet
UNIFIL: Lebanon, Israel
Don't Want War
/Naharnet
Gemayel: Merging Hizbullah
with Army 'Major Threat' to Soldiers
/Naharnet
Qassem: Hizbullah Solved
Tribunal Negligence Problem
/Naharnet
Asarta Stresses on
Cooperation with Lebanese Army, Says Situation Normal Along Blue Line
/Naharnet
Wahab: March 14 Ministers
Should Quit after Withdrawing Tribunal Funding
/Naharnet
The Battle of Political
Confessionalism in Lebanon
/Naharnet
Hizbullah’s next target may be Lebanon
By MEIR JAVEDANFAR
08/15/2010 23:07
What should worry the Israeli government is that the recent border skirmish has
actually made Hizbullah more popular inside Lebanon.
I try not to get worked up about reports of imminent war in the Middle East. For
years, I have looked suspiciously at estimates that Iran will get bombed in
three months, six months or on Saturday afternoon after Ali Khamenei has
finished his lunch. Why? Because the Middle East is always full of surprises.
Just when we believe war to be imminent, nothing happens, and vice versa.
However, this time I really can’t shake the feeling that something ominous is in
the air, involving Hizbullah. It will either be a massive confrontation with
Israel, or armed conflict inside Lebanon.
After the recent attack by the Lebanese Army against the Israeli Defense Forces
soldiers, who were fixing a tree on the border, many have predicted that it’s
only a question of time before the outbreak of the next round of fighting
between Israel and Hizbullah begins.
But there is another development that showed the seriousness of the impending
conflict, and that is the warning given by Hizbullah that the deal brokered two
years ago in Doha is about to collapse – a deal made after Hizbullah’s military
attack against Sunni forces left 90 dead. In 2008, after an 18-month political
crisis surrounding the group’s power in the country and fearing that another
civil war could break out, Sunni, Christian and Shi’ite factions traveled to the
Qatari capital to try and work out a deal in order to return calm to Lebanon.
They finally succeeded in reaching a compromise, which included veto power for
Hizbullah in the Lebanese cabinet.
The recent warning was made soon after the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin
Khalifa al-Thani visited Lebanon. He was there soon after the Saudi king and the
Syrian president made a joint visit to the country.
Mohammad Ra’ad, a Hizbullah member of the Lebanese parliament, while addressing
a group of supporters, stated that the Lebanese government is facing a new
threat, and that the Rafik Hariri murder trial has been politicized to serve
Israel’s interests. In other words, any accusation against Hizbullah will be
interpreted as an act of treason in Israel’s favor.
The question that must be asked then in this: If Hizbullah is interested in
attacking Israel, why is it warning that the Doha agreement is about to
collapse? Attacking Israel has nothing to do with that. Hizbullah could get
involved in a military confrontation with Israel without warning about the Doha
agreement. In fact, even if Israel were its only target, Hizbullah would do
everything to strengthen the Doha deal so that it could reap the benefits of
domestic support while waging war on Israel.
THERE IS, however, one other possibility: the Shi’ite organization could be
about to launch a domestic power grab. This could be bloody, involving massive
armed confrontation, or it could be bloodless; perhaps, for instance, involving
some sort of agreement made with opposing factions. Hizbullah has the military
capability to do this, as it’s the only militia in Lebanon. In fact, if it does
turn out that it was behind the Hariri assassination, then it would be a clear
sign to any Lebanese politician that Hizbullah is not an organization to be
messed with.
Israel has every reason to view developments on its northern border with much
concern. The recent attack by Lebanon’s army against the Israeli forces, perhaps
with Hizbullah’s blessing, could have been a test. This would not be the first
time that Hizbullah underwrote a small attack to test Israeli and international
will prior to making a major move. Back in 2005, Hizbullah forces attempted to
kidnap IDF soldiers near the village of Rajar, but failed and lost four gunmen.
That failure did not deter it from trying again, this time in 2006, which led to
the start of the second Lebanon war.
But what should worry the Israeli government is that the recent border skirmish
has actually made Hizbullah more popular inside Lebanon. The good news for the
Lebanese population is that this could encourage Hizbullah to focus on Israel,
and prevent it from taking on domestic elements. Otherwise, the possibility that
Hizbullah may go for a power grab still exists.
The bad news for Israel is that it is very ill equipped to defend itself
diplomatically. Its tarnished image after falling out with the Obama
administration, Turkey and the international community over the Gaza flotilla
affair means that it will find an increasingly smaller audience that’s willing
to listen to its concerns, as legitimate as they are. The good news for
Hizbullah is that if Israel ends the settlement freeze, then Israel’s pool of
friends in the international community is going to shrink even more, and fast.
The question then becomes: Is Hizbullah willing to wait until September 25, the
date of the end of the current freeze, to find out?
**The writer is an Iranian-Israeli Middle East analyst and a regular contributor
to RealClearWorld, where this was originally published. He is co-author of The
Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the State of Iran.
A man with a matchbox
Smadar Peri /
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3937303,00.html
Op-ed: Nasrallah trying to buy time while persevering image of crazy regional
thug
Smadar Peri Published: 08.16.10, 12:09 / Israel Opinion
Nobody, even in Lebanon (with the exceptions of his cronies,) buys into the
“proof” and “new evidence” presented by Nasrallah in his unconvincing conference
last week in Beirut. We can bet that Nasrallah himself does not believe that
Israel killed Lebanon’s prime minister. Why in the world would Israel
assassinate al-Hariri?
But what stops Nasrallah from having a little fun? As far as he’s concerned,
Israel can loudly declare that he showed himself to be an even greater liar,
prattler, schemer, and swindler; he may have also looked anxious. However, he is
not a fool. While moving from one hiding spot to another in the past four years,
what’s most important for Nasrallah now is to stay in the game and preserve the
image of the crazy, threatening, and dangerous neighborhood thug.
Accusations
Nasrallah describes 1997 ambush / Roee Nahmias
Hezbollah chief claims group intercepted Israeli drone transmissions, used
footage to set up ambush for commando troops which killed 12. In same speech
Nasrallah also accuses Israel of involvement in Hariri murder plot
If nobody wants to see a civil war in Lebanon, And Saudi Arabia’s king bothered
to travel all the way to Beirut in order to secure a lull between the frightened
and the threatening – Nasrallah was not frightened. There, the Lebanese are
shaking in their boots, fearing a military confrontation with Israel, but he
threatens to fire missiles (which he indeed possesses) on Tel Aviv.
The most important thing for him is not to be blamed for the Hariri
assassination. Such charge may shake up Nasrallah and his organization. First of
all, the government would collapse, the wave of assassination will make a grand
comeback, and Hezbollah fighters would have to take over Beirut.
Nasrallah’s nightmare scenario also includes the worst option: Commandoes (guess
where they would come from) embarking on a manhunt for the group’s leadership
(and thanks to all the agents and spies) and kicking it out of Lebanon. Nobody
would shed a tear should such operation succeed.
Playing a slow game
For the time being, Nasrallah is managing to get what he wants. In the wake of
his grand media show, regardless of what people say about Nasrallah, Hariri
probe Commissioner Daniel Bellemare has no choice but to issue an invitation:
Anyone in possession of documents that had not been reviewed is invited to hand
them over.
Nasrallah, who currently works in line with a plan aimed at buying time and
scaring all parties involved with a ticking bomb, intends to slowly proceed with
his game, making the lives of the people who are seeking his downfall miserable.
He will of course hand over his videos and clips, and he also possesses a pile
of documents that would put off the publication of the full report for long
months.
Nasrallah intends to do everything that needs to be done in order to keep the
investigators busy. In the next phase, honorable judge Bellemare will attempt to
get Nasrallah to leave his hiding spot and testify. Yet the Hezbollah chief is
in no rush. He will announce that as long as Israel’s prime minister, defense
minister, Mossad chief, and army chief are not summoned, he intends to stay in
his hole. And if anyone wishes to force him out, they should turn to Lebanese
President Michel Suleiman, who already announced he has no plans to touch top
Hezbollah men and certainly no intention to detain Nasrallah.
So here we are, back at square one. The international prosecutor is hereby
invited to try his luck. Even if he rules that Hezbollah and Syria assassinated
Hariri, who will adopt the conclusions? Even Saad al-Hariri, who swore to pursue
his father’s killers, escaped to the family resort in Sardinia. Before leaving,
he ordered his ministers and party members not to respond to Nasrallah’s tricks.
So who keeps Lebanon intact these days? Maybe the president, maybe the security
services, but certainly not the government, which may collapse if Nasrallah just
says the word. As far as he’s concerned, they can try to come and get him. He
may be a liar and a prattler, but he’s the one holding the matchbox.
Obama warns Turkish PM over Israel
Financial Times reports US president tells Erdogan Ankara's position on Israel,
Iran could lessen Turkey's chances of obtaining American weapons to fight
Kurdish rebels
AFP Published: 08.16.10, 07:50 / Israel News /US President Barack Obama has
warned the Turkish prime minister that Ankara's position on Israel and Iran
could lessen its chances of obtaining US weapons, a report said on Monday. The
Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wants to buy American drone aircraft to
attack separatist Kurdish rebels after the US military withdraws from Iraq at
the end of 2011, Britain's Financial Times newspaper reported. The rebel group,
the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has bases in the mountains in the north of
Iraq, near the Turkish border. "The president has said to Erdogan that some of
the actions that Turkey has taken have caused questions to be raised on the Hill
(Congress)," a senior administration official was quoted as saying in the daily
paper. These questions centred on "whether we can have confidence in Turkey as
an ally," said the official. "That means that some of the requests Turkey has
made of us, for example in providing some of the weaponry that it would like to
fight the PKK, will be harder for us to move through Congress." The United
States voiced disappointment after Turkey voted against fresh UN sanctions on
Iran, which the United Nations Security Council adopted in June. Ankara argued
that Teheran should be given a chance to carry out a nuclear fuel swap deal,
brokered by Turkey and Brazil. Relations between Turkey and Israel were thrown
into crisis after an Israeli raid targeting Gaza-bound aid ships on May 31 that
left nine Turks dead. Obama called on Turkey to cool its rhetoric about the raid
when he met Mr Erdogan at the G-20 summit in Toronto in June, said the FT.
New
Opinion: Holding our nerve
Michael Karam, August 16, 2010
Now Lebanon/
One week ago, Hezbollah once again tried to derail the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL), the court formed to bring to justice the killers of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others on February 14, 2005, as well as the later
victims of political killings over the subsequent three years.
This time, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah presented “evidence” to
back up his party’s theory that Israel was the perpetrator of the crime. The
“proof” was wafer thin but it was the most serious attempt yet to undermine a
process that, while seeking to set a precedent in bringing to justice those who
believe that local hindrances can be resolved by wholesale political murder, has
the potential to nonetheless send shockwaves through Arab society if, as has
been widely speculated, Hezbollah members are to be indicted for their suspected
involvement in the crime.
But those who think that Lebanon has the option to abandon the tribunal by way
of some kind of internal arrangement should consider the consequences. If that
were to happen, especially given Lebanon’s fragile reputation in the
international community – its renewed ties with Damascus and the doubts
surrounding the primary allegiance of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) – then we
would truly be the laughing stock of the world and a fully paid-up member of the
pariah state club.
Therefore, there are several points we must remember amid the hysteria – for
hysteria it is – resulting from Monday’s press conference.
Point one: there is no set timetable for the STL, which follows investigative
protocols set by international law and not by external factors. We must remember
it was Nasrallah who announced the indictments would soon be handed down. The
Lebanese should take their lead from the STL, which has made no definitive
statement on any arraignments, and no one else.
Point two: STL Prosecutor General Daniel Bellemare is the only authority able to
investigate and issue an indictment. While he will surely consider Hezbollah’s
PowerPoint presentation with the greatest seriousness, he will not be swayed by
Nasrallah - or anyone else’s - theatrics.
Belle mare’s authority is crucial to the credibility of the tribunal, especially
as the STL’s opponents are seeking to muddy legal waters and shift the debate on
who killed Hariri by calling for an independent national committee to
investigate claims of Israeli involvement.
Point three: arguably the most important of all is that the STL was established,
not only to bring to justice the killers of Rafik Hariri and MP Basil Fleihan
and the 20 other innocent Lebanese who died on that fateful day in February
2005, but also those of subsequent victims of political murder: the writer Samir
Kassir, politicians George Hawi, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Walid Eido and
Antoine Ghanem, and security officials General Francois Hajj and Captain Wissam
Eid. Not only were they all committed to Lebanon’s sovereign aspirations in the
wake of the 2005 Independence Intifada, their killings were intended to
destabilize a Lebanon seeking to assert its regional autonomy.
This is why the Lebanese – its government and its people – must hold its nerve.
They must shake off the decades-old default setting that all evil automatically
emanates from Israel. They must accept international judicial process and place
their trust in those for whom delivering justice according to the rule of law is
an exact, disciplined and transparent process and ignore those who would seek to
influence by sleight of hand and intimidation.
That said, the STL should be more vocal in its denouncement of recent efforts to
undermine due legal process. Fatima al-Issawi, the spokesperson for the
tribunal, has reacted to Nasrallah’s Monday press conference, but a statement
from the office of the prosecutor general himself would have been more
appropriate given the sudden high stakes.
We must not forget that Lebanon is co-sponsoring and co-financing the tribunal
and therefore deserves some kind of transparency. If one were to pick holes in
the process to date, there has been an unhealthy culture of secrecy, one that
has succeeded in creating a “them and us” between itself and the Lebanese where
none need have existed.
The court is for all of Lebanon and all Lebanese. Greater efforts to involve –
maybe even educate the Lebanese in its aims and activities - would go a long way
to hit back at critics who have exploited the court’s bouts of silence to their
advantage. The Lebanese people, who have been pulled from pillar to post in
recent weeks, deserve to hear the voice of justice and reason.
Hariri: We Should Not Use Foul Language
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated during an Iftar Sunday that he
will choose when to speak. "Many people expect me to come out with a stance, but
I said yesterday, I will choose when to speak," Hariri told a dinner banquet
attended by the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Oman, Romania and a number of
children of the Islamic Orphanage.
"But I would like to say that political rhetoric should not remain at this
level. Whatever the differences between political parties, we should not be
using foul language and all kinds of insults," Hariri stressed. "Good word is my
message to the Lebanese during this holy month (of Ramadan) and with a good word
anything becomes possible," he added. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 22:09
Hizbullah: Ignoring Nasrallah's Evidence Means Support for Israel's Strife
Project
Naharnet/Hizbullah official in the south Sheikh Nabil Qaouq has said ignoring
the evidence presented by Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah means
insistence on implementing Israel's strife projects in Lebanon. The evidence
that allegedly implicates Israel in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination is
enough to allow the investigation to take a new course, Qaouq said during an
Iftar. "Ignoring or neglecting this evidence means insistence on adopting the
wrong path and insistence on Israeli strife projects," he said. Qaouq also said
that four years after its victory, the resistance has become more efficient.
"The resistance was able to make a 20-year-progress politically, militarily and
on the popular level," he said, rebuffing Israeli claims that it would take
Hizbullah 20 years backwards. Another Hizbullah official, Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek
said the party won't allow anyone "to tarnish the image and reputation of the
resistance." He believes it is Hizbullah's "duty to defend itself when attacked
through the international tribunal." He said Hizbullah does not trust the
international tribunal because it has ruled out Israel's involvement in Hariri's
murder. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,
Hariri: We Should Not Use Foul Language
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated during an Iftar Sunday that he
will choose when to speak. "Many people expect me to come out with a stance, but
I said yesterday, I will choose when to speak," Hariri told a dinner banquet
attended by the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Oman, Romania and a number of
children of the Islamic Orphanage. "But I would like to say that political
rhetoric should not remain at this level. Whatever the differences between
political parties, we should not be using foul language and all kinds of
insults," Hariri stressed. "Good word is my message to the Lebanese during this
holy month (of Ramadan) and with a good word anything becomes possible," he
added. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 22:09
Price Reduction of Up to 40% on Mobile Phone Calls, SMS
Naharnet/Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas on Monday announced a price
reduction of up to 40% at nights on calls and sms for pre-paid mobile phone
cards starting the first of September. A statement released by Nahhas' office
said there will be a 20% reduction from 10:00 pm till 12:00 pm. A further 40%
reduction would be made on mobile phone calls and sms between 12:00 am and 8:00
am, the statement added. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,
Report: Osama al-Shahabi Chosen as Abdel Rahman Awadh's Successor
Naharnet/Osama al-Shahabi has been chosen as the successor of slain Fatah
al-Islam leader Abdel Rahman Awadh, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Monday.
Awadh and his associate Abu Bakr Mubarak were killed on Saturday by the Lebanese
army intelligence in the Bekaa town of Chtaura. Toufiq Tah was chosen as al-Shahabi's
assistant, according to Palestinian security sources. A man known as Khardaq was
now the terrorist groups' military and security official, the sources said.
Brothers Haitham and Mohammed al-Shaabi were also part of the new leadership.
They are the brothers of Abu Huraira's wife. Abu Huraira was a Fatah al-Islam
military commander during the Nahr al-Bared fighting between militants and the
Lebanese army. He was killed in the summer of 2007 when he refused to stop at a
police checkpoint in Tripoli. High-level security sources told al-Hayat that
Awadh's brother Mohammed Hassan, who is known as Sunbol and belongs to the Fatah
movement, identified Abdel Rahman's body. While the sources told the daily that
the bodies of Awadh and Mubarak haven't been handed over to their families,
Future News reported that both families were informed that the militants would
be buried outside Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp to avoid any security disturbance
during their burial. The date of the funeral hasn't been set yet, Future News
said. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,
Houri: Hariri Won't be Dragged to Quarrel Over Tribunal
Naharnet/MP Ammar Houri stressed Prime Minister Saad Hariri will not be part of
the bickering on the international tribunal saying the court was taking its
right course.In remarks to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Monday, the
lawmaker said the Mustaqbal bloc won't be dragged to arguments over the probe
into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination.
"The issue of the court is not solved through the media," Houri stressed. He
said that if Hizbullah did not hand over to the tribunal prosecutor the
videotape that alleges Israel's involvement in Hariri's murder, then the issue
would "lose its seriousness." Houri stressed that a Lebanese investigation
committee does not have the capacity to assess Hizbullah's information because
the Lebanese judiciary has no role in the probe into the assassination. "Any
statement about that lacks seriousness and the real intention to achieve the
truth," the MP added. Beirut, 16 Aug 10,
Suleiman Tours Beiteddine Surroundings on Foot
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman toured on foot the bushes near his summer
residence at Beiteddine palace on Sunday and went to Deir al-Qamar valley all
the way to the town's entrance. On his way back to the palace, the president
took the main road where residents welcomed him in the region. Beiteddine didn't
witness any official political activity on Sunday. Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 08:37
Marouni: Lebanon Under Syrian Hegemony Except for Direct Military Presence
Naharnet/MP Elie Marouni said Lebanon was still living under Syrian hegemony
because Damascus' allies are "arresting the free Lebanese decision-making."
"Except for direct military presence, Lebanon is living today under Syrian
hegemony," Marouni told the Kuwaiti Annahar newspaper in remarks published
Monday. "What's the difference between today and the era before 2005 except for
the security checkpoint that used to arrest us?" the lawmaker wondered. "The
only difference is that today they are arresting the free Lebanese
decision-making." Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah should have unveiled
his latest information on Israel's alleged involvement in ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri's murder long time ago, according to Marouni. The information provided by
Nasrallah needs evidence in order to become "legally logical," he told the
daily. Asked about Hizbullah's warnings against any indictment that would name
party members, the MP said: "We have been asking for the establishment of a
strong state and strong army and security forces." "Only the state should
protect the Lebanese citizen," he said. Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 10:42
Berri, Hariri Discuss Lebanon Situation in Ain el-Tineh
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday discussed Lebanon's situation
with Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Ain el-Tineh.
State-run National News Agency said the two leaders also touched on agenda items
to be discussed during Tuesday's Parliamentary session. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 17:34
Residents Block Road to South with Burning Tires to Protest Power Cuts
Naharnet/Angry residents of the coastal town of Zahrani on Sunday blocked the
highway to south Lebanon with burning tires and huge barricades to protest power
cuts, state-run National News Agency said. NNA gave no other details. The
protest resulted in a huge traffic jam at the Zahrani junction."Power outages
increased with the beginning of Ramadan," said a man stuck in the jam. "We
went out to breathe fresh air, and here we are breathing smoke from burning
tires," another man shouted from his car window. Security forces were able to
reopen the highway several hours later. LBC television channel reported a mishap
between police and protestors before the road opened to traffic shortly before
Iftar. Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 17:14
The Battle of Political Confessionalism in Lebanon
Naharnet/A Shiite Muslim in Lebanon's diplomatic corps can forget about being
appointed ambassador to Washington. The same goes for a posting in London for a
Maronite Christian.
And there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it. "I was told there were
no vacancies for Maronites, so I spent eight years waiting for one to open up,"
one former envoy told Agence France Presse, requesting anonymity. She has since
been posted overseas. Her plight reflects the omnipresence of political
confessionalism in Lebanon that is home to no less than 18 sects and where
religion may well outweigh merit in the workplace. Two thirds of the Lebanese
population is Muslim, split almost equally between Sunnis and Shiites. Maronites,
loyal to the Vatican, form the vast majority of the Christian population,
estimated altogether at some 30 percent. "It's like bartering," researcher
Mohammed Shamseddine of the independent consulting firm Information
International said of the diplomatic job market. "These patterns reveal that
even the aftermath of the civil war is not yet over," Shamseddine told AFP.
The war ended with a "no victor, no vanquished" settlement and saw a
constitutional amendment that formalized the division of power along religious
lines, granting Muslims and Christians equal shares in the 128-seat parliament.
And while the amendment also eradicated the division by religion of posts in the
state administration, two decades later the sect to which a Lebanese belongs
remains a primary factor in getting a government job. By long-standing
tradition, the country's top posts are divided among the country's three largest
confessions: the president is a Maronite, the prime minister a Sunni and the
speaker of parliament a Shiite. Many Lebanese argue that their system of
"democracy by consensus" has helped preserve a fragile peace in the country.
"Embassies and sovereign ministries have become the property of certain
confessions and no one can change this reality," one retired diplomat, who also
requested anonymity, told AFP. Lebanon's coveted "sovereign" ministries are key
cabinet portfolios that include interior, defense, foreign affairs and finance
and are divided among the country's Christian and Muslim sects. The country's 68
embassies and eight consulates are also roughly split between Christian and
Muslim ambassadors, another move aimed at preserving the balance of power
locally and abroad.
"Why is Lebanon, such a small country, in need of so many embassies? For
confessional reasons, as every group demands its share," Shamseddine said.
Bickering among top politicians in Lebanon has hindered the appointment of a
number of ambassadors of both faiths, and a handful of envoy posts around the
world have been vacant for months, some even for years.
For nearly three years, for example, Lebanon has had no ambassador to Brazil --
a country where the Lebanese expatriate community numbers millions. The post is
reserved for a Maronite.
In April, Prime Minister Saad Hariri's unity government, which includes
ministers from across the broad political spectrum, approved a confession-blind
procedure for appointing candidates to posts in state administration. But the
new system has yet to be implemented, and some 40 percent of state posts remain
vacant. They include the position of manager of the state petrol department,
which has been vacant since 1999. Rights groups have been pushing for a secular
state since the end of the civil war, which saw many people killed at roadblocks
based on the religion stated on their ID cards. And in an unprecedented move
last year, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, known as a champion of secularism and
civil rights, allowed citizens to remove their religion from official records
and replace it with a slash sign. But despite growing grass roots attempts at
secularization, including a campaign to legalize civil marriage, the
confessional system still has its advocates. "As long as the criteria of
competence and transparency stipulated by the constitution are not implemented,
I am in favor of the confessional system to preserve balance and diversity,"
said Father Tony Khadra, the Lebanon director of the International Catholic
Union of the Press.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 08:02
Turkey Denies Arms Transfer to Hizbullah
Naharnet/The Turkish Foreign Ministry has denied a report that said Tehran and
Ankara singed an agreement to transfer weapons to Hizbullah. The Italian daily
Corriere Della Sera has said Turkey and Iran were trying to help Hizbullah
obtain new weapons. "These claims are baseless and should not be taken
seriously," a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official told the Turkish
newspaper Hurriyet. Della Sera has said that Turkish intelligence chief Hakan
Fidan met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Taeb to discuss relations between
the two countries.
Sources told Corriere Della Sera that Turkey will "send sophisticated weapons,
rockets and guns to Syria, that will end up in Lebanon," where the Iranian Army
will ensure the weapons are transferred to Hizbullah. The Iranian Revolutionary
Guards "will facilitate the transition, ensure safety, watch loads on the
routes, and provide support to the border," the sources said.
They said Iranians reportedly want to build a weapons network similar to that in
Sudan, and hope to help Hamas, as well. Della Sera said Western intelligence
sources "view the Turkish-Iranian plot with concern, as they are obvious risks
to safety." "The (intelligence) services in Ankara are among the best in the
region," one source said. "They have great knowledge of the Middle East, and
know how to move on the routes of illegal trafficking." Beirut, 15 Aug 10, 16:47
MP Riad Rahhal slams Wahhab over STL statement
August 16, 2010 /Lebanon First bloc MP Riad Rahhal issued a statement on Monday
slamming Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab, over the latter’s Sunday statement
about the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Wahhab said on Sunday that STL
Prosecutor General Daniel Bellemare is a “liar and a crook,” and called on March
8 alliance ministers to resign from the cabinet if the tribunal’s funding is not
withdrawn. Rahhal said he wondered “why [figures like Wahhab] are lashing out at
the judiciary, the state and the army through threats.”
He also called on the relevant Lebanese authorities to pursue the scaremongers
and legally punish them. -NOW Lebanon
Judge charges Jedd for collaborating with Israel
August 16, 2010 /Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr
charged fugitive Ghassan al-Jedd of collaborating with Israel, the National News
Agency (NNA) reported on Monday. Jedd is said to be sentenced to temporary hard
labor, the NNA said. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said
during his press conference last week that he has information Jedd was
collaborating with Israel and was present at the murder scene of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, the day Hariri was assassinated in 2005.
Reports said Jedd escaped Lebanon in 2009.-NOW Lebanon
Only LAF authorized to defend Lebanon, Majdalani says /Now Lebanon
August 16, 2010 /Lebanon First bloc MP Atef Majdalani told As-Sharq radio
station on Monday that only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is authorized to
defend Lebanon.
Majdalani hailed every effort to equip the LAF with military weapons, praising
the army’s patriotism. President Michel Sleiman called last week for empowering
the Lebanese army following the latter’s deadly clashes with Israeli troops
along the borderline of Aadaiseh village which led to the death of two Lebanese
soldiers, one journalist and a senior Israeli officer earlier this month. The MP
also voiced his hope that Hezbollah would donate its weapons to the LAF.
Majdalani also called on all those possessing information regarding the 2005
murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to present it to the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) through the legal authorities, in a possible
reference to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The Hezbollah
chief held a press conference last week where he presented alleged evidence
including video footage and the confession of an alleged spy which he said
implicates Israel in Hariri’s murder
Jumblat Calls for Austerity Measures to Equip Lebanese Army
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has called for some
austerity measures to provide the military institution with funds that would
allow it to buy the necessary equipment to consolidate itself.Jumblat said in
his editorial to al-Anbaa weekly that several countries are ready to sell
weapons to the Lebanese army without preconditions.
Some countries are specifying "the type of guns that they want Lebanon to use in
the interior and those that it should place at the southern border that is if it
was allowed to use arms against Israel," he said. Jumblat said that arming the
military should be a top government priority and should take place "at the
expense of other unnecessary expenditures."
The Druze leader also urged the government to give incentives for veteran
officers to retire early from the force to rebuild a youthful army. Such a step
could be accompanied by a decision to bring back compulsory military service, he
wrote. Jumblat advised the deployment of young soldiers in the south to learn
how to defend Lebanon against Israel. Beirut, 16 Aug 10, 14:26