LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust 26/2010

Bible Of the Day
Ecclesiastes 03/16-22: "3:16 Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there. 3:17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” 3:18 I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals. 3:19 For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity. 3:20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. 3:21 Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?” 3:22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him? "

Psalm 119:11/I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Today's Inspiring Thought: Store Up God's Word
How can we best arm ourselves to battle against pressures and temptations? By soaking up the Word of God and storing it in our hearts. Although the problems come from the outside, they are resolved by treating the inside. The pressure might be outward, but the solution is inward. When we meditate on God's Word—reading it, memorizing it, and storing it daily in our hearts—our struggle against sin is greatly diminished. Instead of fretting over sin, spend your energy absorbing Scripture. (about.com)

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's Speech/Now Lebanon/August 25/10
Hamas' large-scale terror plot sets off high Israel, Palestinian alerts/DEBKAfile/August 25/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 25/10
U.N. Officials: 1701 Doesn't Authorize Us to Outline Lebanon-Israel Maritime Border/Naharnet
U.S. to Use All Options to Stop Nuclear Iran, Israel in Favor of Strikes to Weaken Hizbullah, Hamas/Naharnet
Clashes rage as Nasrallah speaks/Now Lebanon
Fares Soueid proposes ridding Beirut of weapons/Now Lebanon
Calm Returns to Beirut following Hizbullah-Ahbash Street Battles/Naharnet
Lebanese Defense Minister: Iran Ready to Equip Lebanese Army/Naharnet
Grand Mufti Qabbani: State Faces Biggest Test to Impose Security/Naharnet
Lebanon Rejects U.S. Proposal for Stronger Language in UNIFIL Renewal Draft Resolution/Naharnet
Iran says test-fired new missile/Ynetnews
Barak to Clinton: Prevent flotilla from leaving Lebanon/Ynetnews
3 killed in clashes between Hizbullah, Ahbash elements/Daily Star
Fire on Beirut's streets: Hezbollah, Sunnis clash/Ynetnews
Lebanon: 'Personal Dispute' Leads to Armed Clash/New York Times
Paris Denies Sarkozy Comments on STL Decision/Naharnet
STL asks for missing Hizbullah evidence 'without delay'/AF/Daily Star
Bellemare's Office Requests 'Additional Information and Evidence Held' by Nasrallah, Says Recent Response 'Incomplete/Naharnet
Jumblat: STL Decision in U.S. Hands/Naharnet
Two British MPs in Lebanon to bolster dialogue/Daily Star
Hamas urges Jordan, Egypt to boycott Mideast peace talks/Daily Star
Ahmadinejad to visit Lebanon on September 11-12 - reports/Daily Star
Woman Injured in Grenade Blast in Tripoli/Naharnet
Aoun: If They Increase the Pressure on Us, Then We Will Start Revealing of Scandals/Naharnet
Nasrallah Wants Government to Ask Iran to Equip Army, Build Nuclear Plant to End Electricity Crisis/Naharnet

Barak to Clinton: Prevent flotilla from leaving Lebanon
Published: 08.21.10, 17:41 / Israel News
Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke by telephone to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US National Security Advisor Jim Jones, and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and requested that they make efforts to prevent the Gaza aid flotilla from leaving Lebanon. Barak called the flotilla an "unnecessary provocation" and clarified that Israel would allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip after checks at Ashdod Port. The flotilla organizers announced Saturday they are postponing their departure from Lebanon because of difficulties finding a port to anchor in on the way. (Roni Sofer)

Lebanon Rejects U.S. Proposal for Stronger Language in UNIFIL Renewal Draft Resolution
Naharnet/Lebanon backed by France has rejected U.S. suggestions to introduce changes to a draft resolution on the renewal of the mandate of U.N. peacekeepers in the south.
During closed-door consultations at the Security Council to discuss the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate on Tuesday, the U.S. suggested some amendments to the draft resolution prepared by France. The suggestions include a stronger language to guarantee the freedom of peacekeepers' movement and the respect of their mission.
However, Lebanon's ambassador Nawaf Salam said he asked for the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate for another year without a change in its mission.
He told An Nahar that U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's proposal to the Council to renew UNIFIL's mandate did not include a reference to any changes in the peacekeepers' operations.
The French-drafted resolution on the renewal will "without any doubt take into consideration the developments in the past year same as previous renewal resolutions had done," Salam said.
The draft resolution is expected to be adopted next Monday, media reports said. Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 08:49

U.S. to Use All Options to Stop Nuclear Iran, Israel in Favor of Strikes to Weaken Hizbullah, Hamas
Naharnet/Pentagon and U.S. government officials have uncovered an understanding between Washington and Tel Aviv that commits Israel not to undertake any unilateral military action against Iran in return for a U.S. pledge to abandon the policy of accepting a nuclear Iran and deal with Tehran as a nuclear military power, pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper said in a report published Tuesday. It quoted a senior Pentagon official as saying that Washington "finds it very difficult to live with a regime such as that in Iran, equipped with the capacity to produce nuclear weapons." The official's remarks came during a closed-door security conference recently held in Washington. It was attended by military officials as well as U.S. and world experts.
This reflects a radical change in the course of U.S. policy which has shown willingness to accept a nuclear Iran as part of a deal to prevent Tehran from using its nuclear capability to threaten or blackmail the West or its neighbors, wrote Riad Qahwaji, a researcher on strategic affairs.
He said Israel had adamantly opposed this policy and stressed that Iran must not have any capacity to enrich or produce uranium "so as not to have the ability to transform its nuclear program for military purposes whenever it wants." Therefore, the report said, Washington's and the West's fundamental conditions today to negotiate with Iran focus on stripping Tehran of the ability to produce or enrich uranium, a move strongly rejected by Iran.
In the corridors of Washington and other European capitals and Israel, war scenarios are being discussed "as if war is inevitable," Qahwaji noted, "despite opposition by quite a few military officials and politicians in the U.S. and the West due to the uncertainties of war, which could be catastrophic for the region and U.S. interests."
Despite disagreement on several points in the scenarios of war, the report goes on to say, many experts and officials still agree on other points, including the idea of provoking war by attempting to inspect a ship in the Gulf waters or provoke Hizbullah into a gunbattle in Lebanon.
The main point of disagreement between U.S. and Israeli officials and experts in the scenarios of war relates to how to deal with Iran's allies -- namely Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas.
While Israeli leaders are in favor of preemptive strikes to weaken Hizbullah and Hamas and perhaps Syria before attacking Iran, U.S. officials and experts prefer crushing the top of the pyramid – Iran -- and deal a heavy military blow to the Persian Gulf nation in the hope of shaking its ability to move and to sow fear among its allies who will recognize the fact that war is real and that the future of their presence is at stake if they choose to support Tehran. Many U.S. officials believe that the current policy of openness toward Syria will bear fruit through weakening the strategic alliance with Iran. Israel, however, considers such a policy is doomed to fail and continues to prepare for a possible future confrontation in the Golan Heights, the report said.. The rapid pace for arms program reflects fear in Arab Gulf states that an imminent war is on the doors, it concluded. Beirut, 24 Aug 10, 12:15

.N. Officials: 1701 Doesn't Authorize Us to Outline Lebanon-Israel Maritime Border
Naharnet/The United Nations does not have the authority under Security Council resolution 1701 to outline Lebanon's maritime border with Israel, diplomats quoted Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Atul Khare as saying. Although 1701 does not include provisions on the maritime border, Lebanon has made several suggestions to U.N. agencies to assist it in the process, Khare reportedly told closed-door consultations at the Security Council to discuss the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate. An Austrian source told An Nahar daily that Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy confirmed that there are consultations about options available for UNIFIL to define the maritime border although peacekeepers have no authority to outline it. Lebanon's ambassador Nawaf Salam told An Nahar that he handed over to the U.N. maps that define the border with Israel. "We look forward for UNIFIL to play a role in this regard." Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 08:17

Jumblat: STL Decision in U.S. Hands
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat said Washington is behind a decision to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon convicting people in the murder of ex-PM Rafik Hari.
"This phase requires a wait-and-see strategy," Jumblat said in remarks published by several Beirut dailies on Wednesday. "The decision of the International Tribunal, however, is in the hands of the Americans as French President Nicolas Sarkozy was quoted as telling a senior Arab official," Jumblat added.
Jumblat warned against dragging the country into civil strife. France was said to have informed Saudi Arabia that a solution to the STL indictment lies in Washington's hands.
As Safir daily said Tuesday that Saudi King Abdullah sent Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin to Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
It said Muqrin carried with him a royal message asking Paris to use its influence to find a settlement to the indictment issue. French authorities, according to As-Safir, informed the envoy that the court decision lies in the hands of the U.S. It said Saudi envoys have visited the U.S. for the same purpose. Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 09:13

STL asks for missing Hizbullah evidence 'without delay'
By The Daily Star and Agence France Presse (AFP)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BEIRUT: The UN court probing the murder of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri said on Tuesday evidence Hizbullah provided allegedly implicating Israel was incomplete and called for the remaining material to be submitted “without delay.”
Earlier this month, the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) requested Lebanese authorities submit all material related to the murder in the possession of Hizbullah’s leader after Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah unveiled “evidence” that his arch-foe Israel had played a role in the assassination. “The preliminary assessment of the DVDs has determined that the response is incomplete since the material that was handed over is limited to the material shown during the August 9, 2010, press conference and does not contain ‘the rest of the evidence’ that Mr. Hassan Nasrallah referred to in his press conference,” a statement released by STL prosecutor’s office said, without saying what evidence was missing. “The information received will be thoroughly assessed. This can properly be done only if it is based on a complete record,” it added. “This is why the office of the prosecutor has requested the Lebanese authorities to provide the remaining material … without delay.” The statement said STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare’s Beirut office received six DVDs from Hizbullah through the Lebanese prosecutor general’s office on August 17. On August 9, Nasrallah produced several undated clips of aerial views of various areas in Lebanon that he alleged were intercepted from unmanned Israeli surveillance drones. The clips included footage of the site of the Hariri assassination, shot several years before the murder. Hizbullah is facing increasing pressure as rumors abound that the tribunal is set to accuse several of its members. Nasrallah has warned against implicating Hizbullah in the assassination, labeling the STL an “Israeli project.” The Hariri murder triggered an international outcry and led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005 after a deployment of almost three decades. – The Daily Star, with AFP

Paris Denies Sarkozy Comments on STL Decision
Naharnet/France has denied comments attributed to President Nicolas Sarkozy that the decision of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon lies in the hands of the U.S. Media sources in Paris quoted French officials as saying that Sarkozy stressed that the STL is "independent" and that "no one can pressure it (court) toward postponing the issuance of the charge sheet because all the elements associated with this resolution are not in the hands of France nor America nor the States funding the tribunal." France on Tuesday was said to have informed Saudi Arabia that a solution to the STL indictment lies in Washington's hands. As Safir daily said Tuesday that Saudi King Abdullah sent Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin to Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It said Muqrin carried with him a royal message asking Paris to use its influence to find a settlement to the indictment issue. French authorities, according to As-Safir, informed the envoy that the court decision lies in the hands of the U.S. It said Saudi envoys have visited the U.S. for the same purpose. Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 09:33

Ahmadinejad to visit Lebanon on September 11-12 - reports
By The Daily Star /Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BEIRUT: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will pay a two-day visit to Lebanon on September 11-12, As-Safir newspaper said on Tuesday. As-Safir said Ahmadinejad is expected to meet Lebanon’s top officials and an array of Lebanese political figures. In an interview with Qatar’s Ash-Sharq newspaper on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad denied that Hizbullah or any Palestinian faction “take orders from Iran.”Iran, he said, “protects and defends” all Palestinian factions and groups that fight Israel. IRNA news agency reported Tuesday that Lebanese President Michel Sleiman asked Iranian officials to consider selling advanced military equipment to the Lebanese Army. Sleiman “has reiterated that the modernization should take place, while keeping in mind Beirut’s strategic needs as well as its budget limitations,” IRNA said. This follows recent deadly clashes between the Lebanese and Israeli armies in the village of Adaysseh in the south in which two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and one Israeli officer were killed. After the clashes, a number of US congressmen said they wanted US funding to the Lebanese Army to cease entirely.The State Department has said that continuing to provide aid to the Lebanese Army was in the interests of the US. State Department officials say they do not plan to re-evaluate their position on the aid. “We have an extensive military cooperation program with Lebanon, because it’s in our interest to have that program,” department spokesman Philip Crowley said after the border clashes. – The Daily Star

Iran's Defense Minister: Iran Ready to Equip Lebanese Army
Naharnet/Defense Minister Ahmed Vahidi said on Wednesday that Iran is ready to offer military aid to Lebanon, after a call for Tehran's help from Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "Lebanon is a friend and its army is our friend," General Vahidi told reporters after an Iranian cabinet meeting, state television reported on its website. "We are prepared to help them ... should there be a request." On Tuesday, Nasrallah proposed the Lebanese government seek military aid from Iran. "I vow that Hizbullah will work fervently and capitalize on its friendship with Iran to ensure it helps arm the Lebanese military in any way it can," Nasrallah said in a televised speech. He insisted that if Lebanon made an official request, "Iran will not hold back in supporting the Lebanese army in any way it can." Nasrallah made the call following a U.S. freeze in its military aid to Beirut in the wake of deadly border clashes between Lebanese and Israeli troops. On August 10, U.S. Congressman Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced he had placed on hold 100 million dollars in aid to Lebanon's military. Berman said he could not be sure the Lebanese armed forces were not working with Hizbullah.(AFP) Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 12:26

Iran says test-fired new missile
Islamic Republic continues to boast about military development, says it has successfully tested upgraded version of home-built surface-to-surface Fateh 110 missile. Iranian defense minister says willing to supply Lebanese army with weapons
Dudi Cohen and agencies Published: 08.25.10, 12:07 / Israel News
Iran has test fired its home-built surface-to-surface Fateh 110 missile, state television reported on Wednesday, less than a week after a similar test was carried out on another missile.
State television showed a sand-colored missile being launched from a vehicle and blasting into the sky from a desert terrain, leaving behind a thick plume of smoke. It did not say when the missile was fired. Iran's English-language Press TV said the Fateh 110 (Conqueror) missile is nine meters (29 feet) long and weighs 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds).
The channel's website quoted Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying that the third generation Fateh 110 was a "single stage solid propellant" missile with a longer range. He said it is equipped with a high accuracy guidance control system and was developed by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization and tested Wednesday.
Ask by an Iranian television reporter whether Iran would be willing to supply weapons to the Lebanese army, Vahidi said it would be possible "if we receive a request".
According to reports, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit Beirut soon and discuss the matter at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Clashes rage as Nasrallah speaks
August 25, 2010
The LAF deploys to Bourj Abi Haidar, where clashes broke out Tuesday between Hezbollah supporters and members of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects. (AFP/Joseph Eid)
Four people, including Hezbollah official Mohammad Fawwaz, were killed and three were injured in the Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar during clashes between supporters of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects – also known as Al-Ahbash – and Hezbollah.
Al-Ahbash is pro-Syrian and describes itself as a charitable organization promoting Islamic culture.
A personal fight between a supporter of Hezbollah and another of Al-Ahbash erupted just after 7 p.m. in Beirut's Bourj Abi Haidar neighborhood, an army spokesperson told AFP.
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) soldiers cordoned off the area and fired warning shots into the air as several Red Cross ambulances arrived at the site of the clashes.
NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported on Tuesday that the Lebanese army intelligence hosted a meeting between an Al-Ahbash official and Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa.
Both groups issued a joint statement in which they said Tuesday's "regrettable incident was isolated and did not have any political or confessional bases."
Association of Islamic Charitable Projects press officer Abdel Qader Fakhani told New TV on Tuesday that the clashes that broke out in the Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar “are now behind us,” adding that the incident will be investigated by the LAF.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday night in a televised Iftar speech that Hezbollah is not using the power-cut protests as a rehearsal to overthrow the government, adding that the March 8 coalition can overthrow the cabinet through the parliament, and not the streets.
Residents in the North, South and Beirut have cut roads in the last two weeks to protest against power cuts as temperatures in Lebanon have increased.
Nasrallah voiced the importance of the electricity and water crisis in Lebanon, saying that neither Energy Minister Gebran Bassil nor his predecessors can be blamed for the sector’s problems. Hezbollah fears foreign intelligence services will use the street protests to trigger clashes to drag the country into “a situation it cannot handle,” he said, calling on the Lebanese people to remain calm and not be dragged into fights. Nasrallah proposed for the cabinet to hold an exceptional session and work on creating an emergency fund to temporarily resolve the power issue as well as discuss a “plan to build a peaceful nuclear plant to generate electricity in Lebanon” or form a commission to tackle the crisis.
The cabinet should go beyond merely deciding to implement Bassil’s energy sector reform plan, he said, adding, “The cost of exceptional measures is less than the economic, psychological and socials costs the country is tolerating.”-NOW Lebanon/AFP

Fares Soueid proposes ridding Beirut of weapons
August 25, 2010
March 14 General Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soueid told Voice of Lebanon (VOL) radio station on Wednesday that Beirut should be an arms-free city, adding that violators of the weapons sanction should be seriously punished. Hezbollah and the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects—also known as Al-Ahbash—clashed on Tuesday night in the Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar, which led to the death of four people, including Hezbollah official Mohammad Fawwaz. Al-Ahbash is a Sunni pro-Syrian group and describes itself as a charitable organization promoting Islamic culture. Soueid said that the prestige of Lebanon should be restored, adding that there must not be chaotic situations. Matters can be resolved in the cabinet and national-dialogue sessions, he also said, voicing the importance of abiding by the Doha Agreement, which was signed following 2008 May Events.
-NOW Lebanon

Calm Returns to Beirut following Hizbullah-Ahbash Street Battles
Naharnet/Calm returned to Beirut Wednesday following overnight street battles between Hizbullah and the radical pro-Syrian Sunni group Al-Ahbash which has left three people killed and several others wounded. News reports on Wednesday said at least 10 people were injured. An-Nahar newspaper on Wednesday also reported kidnapping.
It quoted Ahbash sources as saying that unknown gunmen kidnapped a man from Kalash family and his son from their house in Sawwan building in Borj Abi Haidar where fighting was concentrated. But the Voice of Lebanon radio station on Wednesday said the abducted men were soon released. State-run National News Agency said four people were killed. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties, however. Local media said the fatalities were Mohammed Fawaz, Hizbullah official in the area, his bodyguard Ali Jawad and Ahbash partisan Fawaz Omeirat. Gunmen stood on the corners and peering down alleyways in Borj Abi Haidar while families ran for cover and ambulances rushed to the scene.
NNA said fighting renewed shortly after midnight, spreading to the nearby neighborhoods of Basta and Nweiri just blocks from downtown Beirut -- normally packed with tourists at this time of year. Al-Ahbash-affiliated Al-Diwan supermarket in Nweiri was set ablaze.
Lebanese troops cordoned off the area. And despite a ceasefire agreement reached during a midnight meeting between army officers, Hizbullah security chief Haj Wafiq Safa and an Ahbash official, the crackle of sniper fire and exploding rocket-propelled grenades could be heard well into the night.
Soldiers manning armored-personnel carriers were seen Wednesday morning positioned on key road intersections along the main Hamra thoroughfare and Corniche Mazraa in apparent effort to prevent clashes from spilling out to other parts of the city. An army spokesman said a "personal fight" between a supporter of Hizbullah and another of Al-Ahbash erupted just after 7:00 pm in Borj Abi Haidar and escalated into a gunbattle. Some reports on Wednesday said fighting erupted over a parking space between Fawaz, the Hizbullah official, and supporters Al-Ahbash near a mosque frequented by the Sunni group. The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, better known as Al-Ahbash, has a history of feuding with Hizbullah. The fighting took place as Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addressed supporters, calling for increased military assistance for the Lebanese army from Iran and its Arab neighbors.
It was the worst clash since May 2008, when Hizbullah gunmen swept through Sunni neighborhoods of Beirut after a government crack down on the group's telecommunications network.
The fighting at the time brought the country to the brink of a new civil war. Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 06:33

3 killed in clashes between Hizbullah, Ahbash elements
Resistance demands surrender of Fawaz’s killers
By The Daily Star
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BEIRUT: Three men were killed in Beirut on Tuesday in clashes between supporters of Shiite group Hizbullah and a Sunni faction, Al-Ahbash, security sources said.
Mohammad Fawaz, a Hizbullah official, his aide Munzer Hadi and Fawez Omeirat from Al-Ahbash were killed in clashes sparked by a fight between a supporter of Hizbullah and another from Al-Ahbash in the mixed Sunni-Shiite Beirut neighborhood of Burj Abi Haidar in Beirut.
But late on Tuesday Hizbullah and Al-Ahbash issued a joint statement following a meeting at the offices of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Unit in Beirut saying the clash was “an isolated one and does not carry any political and sectarian undertones.” However, Hizbullah later demanded the surrender of four persons involved in the killing of Fawaz, warning that it would interfere militarily if its demand was not met, according to reports.The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, better known as Al-Ahbash, is a pro-Syrian conservative Sunni Muslim group, rival to many other Sunni groups in the country, including Premier Saad Hariri’s Future Movement and the hard-line Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya.
Hizbullah and Al-Ahbash also agreed to “contain the incident and end it immediately, as well as banning all armed presence in the area so as to deal with all the repercussions of the incident,” the statement added. Also, the statement said the Lebanese Army has started an investigation into the incident, with both Hizbullah and Al-Ahbash vowing not to protect anyone who endangers security and stability. As The Daily Star went to press, calm was restored in Burj Abi Haidar and the neighborhoods of Zkak al-Blat, Basta, Hay al-Leja and Mazraa, where the fighting spread. However, new clashes were heard in the Beirut neighborhood of Ras al-Nabaa. A well-informed security source told The Daily Star that a personal fight between a supporter of Hizbullah and another of Al-Ahbash erupted just after 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) in Burj Abi Haidar and escalated into a firefight. The source said the fight started when the Hizbullah supporter tried to park his car near the Al-Ahbash Mosque in the area but the Al-Ahbash supporter would not let him, which led supporters of both parties to intervene in the clash. Afterward, the Al-Ahbash supporter fired shots from a machine gun, injuring four Hizbullah supporters. Hizbullah then cordoned off the area surrounding the Al-Ahbash Center and Mosque. Other reports said Hizbullah supporters fired at Al-Ahbash-owned shops and an AP photographer said angry crowds set fire to an Al-Ahbash mosque in Basta. The clashes escalated and machine guns and rocket propelled grenades were used, the sources and witnesses said.
The army intervened to restore calm, with troops cordoning off the area and firing warning shots into the air. – The Daily Star, with agencies

Grand Mufti Qabbani: State Faces Biggest Test to Impose Security
Naharnet/Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani condemned on Wednesday the deadly clashes between Hizbullah and al-Ahbash saying the state should impose security in the Lebanese interior."We reject the phenomenon of armed rioting that reached Beirut's safe neighborhoods," Qabbani said in a statement. "The Lebanese are fed up from sacrificing innocent civilians in Beirut streets, the price they are paying for the rivalry of persons" who hide behind the armed parties they belong to, he said. Qabbani called for "an end to the use of arms" and said the Lebanese state "is now facing the biggest test to impose security in the Lebanese interior." Beirut, 25 Aug 10, 10:17

Fire on Beirut's streets: Hezbollah, Sunnis clash
Violence erupts between Hezbollah, Sunni militia; at least three fatalities reported, including senior Hezbollah man. Lebanese army restores calm to capital; groups issue joint statement saying clash was an 'isolated event'
Roee Nahmias Latest Update: 08.24.10, 23:56 / Israel News
Clashes broke out in Beirut Tuesday evening between the Shiite organizations Hezbollah and the Sunni militia al-Ahbash. Lebanese media reported that at least three people were killed, one of them a senior Hezbollah official. It was later reported that order was restored in the city.
Hezbollah and al-Ahbash issued a joint statement late Tuesday night, saying that "the unfortunate event which took place tonight at Burj Abu Haidar, was an isolated event with no political or religious motive. The Lebanese army will conduct in investigation and will unveil those trying to hurt stability and security."
Fighting started Tuesday night in the Burj Abu Haidar neighborhood in downtown Beirut, and included RPGs and automatic weapons. According to the report, a Chevrolet containing four Hezbollah operatives entered the mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhood in the Lebanese capital, and the passengers opened fire. The situation quickly escalated, and the Sunnis fired back at the vehicle.The senior Hezbollah man killed in the fighting was Muhammad Fawaz, the organization's leading man in the neighborhood where the clashes took place. His assistant, Ali Jawaz, was also killed in the incident.
Lebanese authorities said Ahmad Omeirat, of the radical Sunni al-Ahbash group was also killed.
According to initial reports, the bodies of the two Hezbollah men were being held by the Sunni operatives. Hezbollah gave their Sunni rivals an ultimate of three hours to hand the bodies over. Lebanese media reported that a mosque affiliated with the Sunni al-Ahbash movement was torched hours after the clashes broke. The Lebanese military was deployed to the neighborhood, and Lebanese Defense Minister Elias al-Murr issued a decree against carrying weapons in the streets.
Following the clashes, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who also heads the Shiite Amal movement, discussed the situation and agreed the fighting must end immediately. Mosques in the area also urged the gunmen to hold their fire.
Hours after fighting broke, al-Jazeera reported that order was restored in Beirut. Hezbollah's al-Manar television station belittled the incident, and called it "security disorder".
According to reports Hezbollah and al-Ahbash representatives met in the Lebanese military's headquarters in an attempt to quell the violence. It remained unclear what Hezbollah's Wafiq Safa and al-Ahbash's Badr at-Tabash decided on, but reports said one possibility was that the person behind the shooting at Hezbollah be handed over to the organization.
Contrary to earlier reports, operatives of the Shiite Amal organization were not involved in the fighting.
Hezbollah Spokesman Ibrahim Mousawi denied that his organization have al-Ahbash an ultimatum of three hours to return the bodies. Al-Manar was slow in reporting on the incident, and did not give full details of events. Lebanon has a history of deadly sectarian strife, which has even escalated to civil war. The most recent clash in the city's northern neighborhood broke after Hezbollah was implicated in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The international tribunal probing the assassination said Hezbollah has yet to submit the evidence it says it has tying Israel to the act. Last week Hezbollah handed Lebanese authorities its "evidence" implicating Israel in the killing, but according to the UN prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, Hezbollah only gave his office six DVDs that have already been made public, but did not hand over any of the additional evidence the organization said it had. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech two weeks ago that Israel was behind the assassination, and presented aerial photographs showing that Israel was tracking Hariri days prior to his death.

Lebanese Army Deploys in Beirut after Clashes
25/08/2010
A Lebanon's Hezbollah gunman fires during clashes at Burj Abi Haidar Street in Beirut. (R)
Lebanese soldiers patrol the area after clashes erupted between supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah and a Sunni conservative group in the mixed residential area of Bourj Abu Haidar near the centre of Beirut Lebanon. (AP)
A hand grenade lies unexploded on the ground, a day after street gunbattles in Beirut's residential area of Burj Aiu Haidar. (AP)
BEIRUT, (AP) – Lebanese soldiers patrolled a Beirut neighborhood and residents stepped over spent bullet casings and broken glass Wednesday after deadly street battles between the Shiite Hezbollah group and a small Sunni faction killed at least four people. Both sides said Tuesday night's fighting — the worst Beirut has seen since 2008 — was a personal dispute that escalated into running battles with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in the residential Bourj Abu Haider district, just outside the city's bustling downtown. Security officials said four people were killed — three Hezbollah members and a member of the conservative Sunni al-Ahbash group.
It was not clear why the fighting intensified so dramatically, but tensions among the Sunni and Shiite communities have been running high recently amid reports that Hezbollah members will be indicted in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, once the country's top Sunni politician.
Abdul Qadir al-Fakhani, a spokesman for al-Ahbash, said his group was meeting with Hezbollah and the Lebanese army on Wednesday to ensure the situation does not flare up again.
Al-Fakhani and another witness said there was a commotion outside the Bourj Abu Haidar mosque about 20 minutes before the gunbattles began, with men fighting over a car.
"They were shouting and yelling insults at each other," al-Fakhani told The Associated Press. "Then a group from Hezbollah approached the mosque, and they just kept coming. We were astonished," he said. Within some 20 minutes, both sides apparently gathered reinforcements and the street battles began.
Hezbollah did not comment beyond a joint statement issued by the two groups late Tuesday saying the incident resulted from a "personal dispute and has no political or sectarian background." The mosque was pierced by bullets and RPG fire, and cleaning crews were sweeping up the rubble Wednesday morning. At least one gunman holding an AK-47 was seen in a building across from the mosque. Tuesday's fighting was the worst clash here since May 2008, when Hezbollah gunmen swept through Sunni neighborhoods after the pro-Western government tried to dismantle the group's telecommunications network.
The 2008 fighting brought the country to the brink of a new civil war, but officials insisted Tuesday's clash was not the same sectarian strife that has bedeviled Lebanon for decades.
Lebanon's government is an uneasy coalition of a Western-backed bloc and Hezbollah, which in just a few years has gained so much political power it now has a virtual veto over government decisions. Al-Ahbash, or the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, is a deeply conservative Muslim group and a rival to many other Sunni groups in the country, including the prime minister's Future movement. The group's name rose to prominence in the wake of the Hariri assassination. Two senior officials from the group were detained for about four years on suspicion of involvement in the killing, but were later released. Like Hezbollah, al-Ahbash is pro-Syrian. They have feuded in the past over theological differences but were political allies whose candidates ran on the same lists during the 2009 parliamentary elections.

Hamas urges Jordan, Egypt to boycott Mideast peace talks
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal urged the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders Tuesday to boycott the resumption next month of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks to be hosted by the US.
“I appeal to President Hosni Mubarak [of Egypt] and [Jordan’s] King Abdullah II not to back these negotiations which are rejected by the Palestinians,” Meshaal said in Damascus where he lives in exile.
Mubarak and the Jordanian monarch have been invited by the US to join a summit in Washington on September 2 during which Israel and the Palestinians are due to resume direct peace talks after a 20-month hiatus.
The Palestinians insist talks should lead to the creation of an independent state, and sought an Israeli freeze on settlement activity for the talks to resume.
Netanyahu has made it clear there should be no preconditions for the talks.
“The results of these negotiations will be catastrophic for the interests and the security of Jordan and Egypt,” and are aimed at “liquidating” the Palestinian cause, Meshaal said in a speech.
Hamas formally rejected the US call for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume next month, immediately after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last Friday announced the September 2 summit.
The Saudi government welcomed the re-launch of direct talks, the official SPA news agency reported on Tuesday.
In a late-night session Monday, the Cabinet gave its backing to the plan for direct negotiations on a two-state peace settlement starting in Washington on September 2, SPA said.
The statement came a day after King Abdullah discussed the peace plans with visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday Israel’s direct peace talks with the Palestinians due to resume in the US on September 2 will require concessions from both sides.
“We understand brave decisions will be required of both sides,” a ministry statement quoted Barak as telling Mideast peace “Quartet” envoy Tony Blair at a meeting in Tel Aviv.
“Israel will [act] while safeguarding its essential interests – security and otherwise,” he said. “We hope the other side also will find within itself the strength to move forward in the talks.”
In a speech later in the day, at a private university near Tel Aviv, Blair said the planned US summit showed Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu was “an advocate for peace.”
“With a one-year timeframe being indicated, it shows that there is a sincere yearning on the part of the people of Israel to live in an enduring and honorable peace with their Palestinian neighbors,” he said. “I know some are cynical. I know some say it’s all for show.
The Quartet – made up of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN – on Friday called on Israel and the Palestinians “to resolve all final-status issues and fulfill the aspirations of both sides.”
The goal of the talks must be the establishment of “an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state.”
Urging both sides to avoid “provocative actions” and reaffirming previous Quartet statements, it also implied that Israel should halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.
But announcing the US invitation for the two sides to come to Washington for the relaunch, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday the talks should be held “without preconditions.”
Netanyahu immediately welcomed Clinton’s comments without mentioning the Quartet’s statement, while the Palestine Liberation Organization accepted, with reservations, both the US and Quartet calls.
Yossi Beilin, a former minister and key mover behind a 1993 interim peace accord, accused the US of being “reckless” in pushing the two sides to the negotiating table while they were apparently pursuing different agendas.
“The brilliant idea to commit Netanyahu to Clinton’s invitation and to commit [Abbas) to the Quartet resolution is a precedent,” he said, with sarcasm, at a briefing in Jerusalem Tuesday.
“We had different ideas in the past but to bring both sides on actually a false basis; to begin negotiations where each of them is committed to something else, this is really a diplomatic innovation!”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday the talks would fail as long as the “root” of the problem remained. “We cannot see a solution to the Palestinian issue when the Palestinians have been driven out to other countries,” Mehmanparast said. – Agencies, with The Daily Star

Two British MPs in Lebanon to bolster dialogue
By Simona Sikimic and Wassim Mroueh
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BEIRUT: Two British politicians from the country’s ruling Conservative Party met with Lebanese representatives Tuesday as part of a two-day visit aimed at bolstering international dialogue and understanding.
Following discussions, MP Andrew Rosindell, who sits on the UK’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and MP Daniel Kawczynski, who is the parliamentary chairman of the Conservative Arab Network, called on Lebanon to form a unified national strategy and to repel all attempts at external interference, leader of the March 14-allied Free Shiite Movement Sheikh Mohammad Hajj Hassan, who accompanied the representatives during their visit, told The Daily Star.
The visiting dignitaries also expressed support for the Lebanese Army and for the continuation of international arms sales to the military, while urging for a halt of all weapons transfers to armed groups not directly affiliated with the army, Hassan said.
The continuation of US military aid to Lebanon, worth some $100 million, was put in doubt recently after clashes broke out on August 3 along the Lebanese-Israeli border which led to the deaths of two Lebanese Army soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and an Israeli officer.
During their visit the two British MPs held joint talks with Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud, who briefed them on the local and regional political situation and its impact on the tourism sector.
Abboud is thought to have stressed the stability of the sector, which grew by 12 percent year-on-year in July despite an escalation of political tensions in the region, and explored plans to make the tourism season more sustainable outside of the summer months.
The pair also met with Labor Minister Boutros Harb and representatives from the March 14 secretariat to discuss the state of local and regional affairs.
“[All] the discussions centered around the current condition of the Lebanese state in general, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the impending STL indictment and its consequences, the situation in south Lebanon and Israel’s occupation of the village of Ghajar and the Shebaa farms,” the leader of the Free Shiite Movement told The Daily Star.
The movement organized the two-day tour to allow the British politicians a chance to “closely examine the situation in Lebanon.”
The Free Shiite Movement is also planning a similar visit for a group of Belgian parliamentarians, which is expected to take place on Thursday.
The trip was coordinated in collaboration with IMAN, a non-partisan international organization that organizes frequent trips to the Middle East for European politicians and aims to strengthen international understanding by promoting cross-cultural dialogue. As part of the visit, Kawczynski and Rosindell also met with Phalange party official Tripoli MP Samer Saade, Beirut MP Nadim Gemayel, former Zghorta-Tripoli MP Nayla Mouawwad and Chouf MP Dori Chamoun. Separate meetings also took place with British Ambassador Francis Guy, Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Osseiri and director general of the Justice Ministry Omar Natour.

Aoun: If They Increase the Pressure on Us, Then We Will Start Revealing of Scandals
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun criticized on Tuesday the government's handling of the energy crisis in the country warning, "If they increase pressure on us, then we will start revealing scandals." He said after the movement's weekly meeting that Lebanon's energy crisis started in 1992, noting: "I am not the one who bought four gas power plants, while Lebanon does not produce gas."Furthermore, he pointed out that a misunderstanding took place over the campaign against the electricity, adding that the Hizbullah delegation's visit to Energy Minister Jebran Bassil on Monday clarified this matter. Addressing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Aoun stated: "We feel as if the judiciary or the government want to cover up the issue of the false witnesses. What's wrong with starting an investigation that will determine their innocence?" "We hope the matter of false witnesses may be resolved quickly. It's not the Justice Minister's job to handle it because a lawsuit has been filed against them," the MP continued. Regarding the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, he said: "In light of the conditions imposed on the negotiations, the Palestinian state will be more of a reserve rather than a country." "There are attempts to halt the Palestinians' right to return to their homeland," he noted.
"We reject any decision regarding Palestinian refugees except that of the right of return. I demand the government to clarify its position on this issue," Aoun said. Beirut, 24 Aug 10, 18:34

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
August 24, 2010
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah spoke during a Tuesday Iftar, saying, “We can face dangers [no matter what they are] through moral support for the Resistance. We all have to face challenges, and this can only be achieved through: loyalty, education, knowledge, unity, cooperation, organizing priorities and benefiting from material and human resources in our country. Israeli [threats], the Zionist project and Tel Aviv’s ambitions on our land, gas, oil and water are the external dangers.
It is our fate that there is an entity founded on [invading others’ lands]. We now have a rich experience, after all these years, in how a small country with limited capabilities can defend its sovereignty and restore its land when facing the strongest army in the Middle East.
We, in Lebanon, have the richest military and political experience. This made-in-Lebanon experience, which has [created] a balance of fear and deterrence with the enemy, is being taught in the world’s [most important universities].
Following the 2006 July War in Lebanon, the world studied the Resistance’s victory because the experience was [based] on a formula that was not clear during the [past few years], which is the formula of [the unity] of the Resistance, army and people. This new, unique and special formula has succeeded in Lebanon… and we are concerned about maintaining it, improving its elements, and improving [these elements’] relations with each other.
In Lebanon, [what we say does not reflect our convictions]. We say that we all agree on empowering the [Lebanese] army. The issue of arming the army was brought up again after the Aadaiseh clashes, which have many connotations. The [Aadaiseh incident] revealed a very important thing, which is that the arms that the [US] gives to the army and the security forces come with a clear condition on their use. The [US] supposes that these arms are not given to the army to fight Israel or to defend itself, but to settle internal [issues] that the [US] calls facing terrorism. The [Aadaiseh clashes] revealed this. The controversy over whether to arm [the Lebanese army] started between the US Congress, [Department of Defense and State Department]. The Congress requested an investigation to know whether the arms used in the [clashes] were given by the US.
I think that they [will continue] to arm the army. The [excuse being used] in the Congress is that if Washington want Lebanon [to be under control], the [Lebanese] army must be empowered and armed, because [not arming it] would place Lebanon in Hezbollah’s hands.
I [held] many meetings with [former] Prime Minister Rafik Hariri a few years before his [assassination], and he told me [then] that there are no fears that Lebanon’s economy might collapse because the world will not allow this. [Hariri also told me] that international evaluations state that if the economy collapses, Lebanon will be thrown in the hands of Hezbollah, which is why [the world] will arm the [Lebanese] army.
The Lebanese territory of Ghajar is [recognized as an area that belongs] to Lebanon and all international attempts to convince Israel to withdraw from Ghajar claim that returning the land to [Lebanon] will weaken the Resistance and Hezbollah. Only the Resistance led Israel out of Lebanon.
Donations [no matter how many there are] cannot arm the Resistance. The same applies to the Lebanese army, but these donations have a moral [significance], and it is a good step.
I requested to talk [to the cabinet during one of its sessions as soon as possible] to say that we have friendly Arab countries and [other] friendly countries. I suggest that [Lebanese] delegations go to Arab countries to [request arms] after the army’s [needs are specified]. Let Iran stay out of this so no one freaks out.
Arming the army cannot wait for the approval of the 2010 state budget. This a tense and exceptional situation that [cannot] wait for studies.
The Aadaiseh clashes are more serious than the kidnapping of two soldiers on the borders.
I addressed the issue [of arms to the LAF] during the 2009 parliamentary elections. If the opposition had won the elections and formed the cabinet, then the countries arming the Lebanese army would have stopped doing so. And when I suggested to resort to our friends in Syria and Iran [for armaments], all hell broke loose.
Now, all the political forces are saying that they will accept the army to be armed without conditions, and they have no conditions for Iran. I hope that our brotherly ministers will give an official [request] and Hezbollah will work its hardest to benefit from its friendship with Iran to help arm the Lebanese army. And I am talking about aid, and not buying [weapons]. I think Iran, which [has helped] Lebanon for 28 years, [ever since the 1982 Israeli invasion] will not skimp when it comes to any possible help to the Lebanese army. This is something we can do together.
We currently assume that Lebanon is waging a daily security war on Israeli spies. In my last [speech], I said that there are more than 100 spies, and the official ministries said that there more than 150. It is correct to assume that we are waging a serious security war with Israel. Judicial follow up is necessary, and rulings must be issued and implemented. Implementing [these rulings] will stop or [greatly] affect many Israeli collaborators’ [actions]. Many started spying after 2005 or 2006. There are many who have been collaborating for years, while many were recently [recruited] and many have yet to be recruited. What will deter people is not revenge, but punishments.
I call for immediate justice. An [Israeli collaborator] will do harm to himself and it is not his family’s fault. It is the collaborator’s fault only, and his family and political party or institution should not be looked at in a negative way. If spies and collaborators are found in the army, does that mean the whole army is a spy?
I am not trying to brag about Hezbollah, but the party has an internal structure and a popular base. We do not have files on those who are in our popular base – our supporters and followers – and there might be infiltrators among them. But in the internal structure of Hezbollah, we have files on each of our members. [We fought] daily with the Israelis, who wanted to know where we had storages and camps, what our intentions were, what our tactics were. And for that reason, Hezbollah, for 28 years had a branch called ‘fighting espionage’ to combat infiltration in the party. This is the strongest apparatus. When I saw that [Hezbollah] has not been infiltrated up until now, I am not showing off. I base [my statement on facts. We are preparing for a future press conference to discuss the issue]. The Resistance is secure, and if it were not, then it would not have been victorious in the 2006 July War.
We addressed the issue of the STL’s false witnesses in the cabinet, and the government appointed Justice Minister [Ibrahim Najjar] to study the issue. That was a good step.
Does the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)] have any jurisdiction over the Lebanese judiciary to tell it what [to do]? We must know. I want to ask the government how the [issue of the STL’s] false witnesses should be resolved. I do not want to engage in an argument on the [issue] of the false witnesses, because no matter what is said, [the fact] that the investigation was misled will not change. Someone did mislead the investigation and someone is behind the [false witnesses].
Who is behind the false witnesses? Why do some [people] in Lebanon want to hide them? If you do not want to punish them, do not. But [I ask] for the sake of truth and justice. Who fabricated them and misled the investigation for four years? The cabinet agreed to study the file. Let us see what [Najjar] will [achieve].
-About the evidence that was submitted to the STL. I held a press conference presenting evidence [which implicates Israel in the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri] and all hell broke loose. People were saying that [what I presented] was not irrefutable evidence [proving Israel was behind the assassination]. I said beforehand that what I was presenting was not irrefutable evidence, but should change the course of the investigation.
Some [March 14] politicians have said that Hezbollah’s evidence submittal recognizes the STL. No. I will not be dragged into saying what [information I have] and what [data I have] that is related to the STL and the international investigation. The current [situation] implies that I am not concerned about the investigation and the tribunal. I will [speak on the issue] at the right time.
If the Lebanese judiciary wants to cooperate and [work] with us, then hopefully we will [work with it].
In 2006, some [Israeli] agents confessed that they allowed into Lebanon a team of Israeli commandos, who stayed here for a few days and then left. Today I ask, why haven’t these agents been interrogated again to uncover whether the commandos were present in the country [when any explosions or assassinations occurred].
The Lebanese authorities can get such facts. [The agents] are in their custody, not mine.
As for the electricity and water issues, there is a [serious] problem in Lebanon. [At first the country had electricity issues] and we are now [informed] that the country may also suffer water problems. This is a real problem, and it is not new. Neither the current minister can be held responsible for it nor the former… We do not want to challenge [anyone’s] responsibilities.
There is an electricity problem in the country, which worsened due to the [serious] climate [issue]. This is a problem for stable countries that [dedicate] huge budgets for energy [sources]. I read some statements that [some power-cut] protests are political. According to what I know, no March 8 or March 14 political parties stand behind these protests.
It was also said that some protests are a rehearsal by some political parties to overthrow the government. These statements are a reference to us, and they are nonsense. All of us in the cabinet have taken a decision to cooperate in order to face people’s crises.
There was a time when [March 8] wanted to [overthrow] the cabinet. It can now [overthrow] it in the parliament. It does not need the street.
We do not hide behind [people’s sufferings]. We have the courage to express our political [stances]. If anyone in the cabinet feels that they can no longer be a part of this cabinet, we will inform Prime Minister [Saad Hariri] of that.
No one is targeting the cabinet or Energy Minister [Gebran Bassil]. The issue now is that there is a problem in the country that we need to resolve. The cabinet approved of a plan that needs four years to be implemented. Taking a decision is not enough. The cost of exceptional measures is less than the economic, psychological and socials costs the country is tolerating. I join those calling on the cabinet to form a commission or hold an exceptional session to discuss with [Bassil new means] to [resolve the issue].
[We are worried] about what is going on in the street because we are afraid of intelligence [services] that might [trigger] clashes between the people, security forces and the Lebanese army. This will harm us all, especially the Resistance.
The first request to the cabinet is for it to meet and discuss suggestions. We all [should work] to [create an] emergency fund and an [advanced payment] to temporarily resolve the issue. I call on people to be patient and calm and to not be dragged into [fights] in the street because it is useless. I fear that someone [will use] these spontaneous protest to drag the country into what it cannot handle.
I call on the cabinet to study and discuss a plan to build a peaceful nuclear plant to generate electricity in Lebanon. The water issue does not need a strategy, and we can resolve this issue in two sessions because we are heading toward a serious problem. Power is needed to protect Lebanon. The golden formula to protects Lebanon is the one of the [unity] of the Resistance, army and people.”

Hamas' large-scale terror plot sets off high Israel, Palestinian alerts
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report August 25, 2010, 11:34 AM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Hamas Israel-Palestinian talks Terror Khaled Meshaal plots terror from DamascusThe belligerent speech delivered by Hamas' Damascus-based political leader Khaled Meshaal Tuesday, Aug. 24 only confirmed the information reaching Israel and the Palestinian Authority intelligence services that the extremist Palestinian group is set for large-scale terror attacks against Israeli and Palestinian West Bank targets. debkafile's intelligence and counter-terror sources report Hamas is setting its sights on torpedoing the direct Israel-Palestinian negotiations Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas are to launch in Washington on Sept. 2.
Hamas is said by our sources to be preparing to activate its West Bank networks for coordinated strikes against a major target inside Israel and another associated with Abbas' power base or the US- and British-trained Palestinian security forces. However, if those networks are thwarted by the preventive measures set in motion meanwhile, Hamas will resort to attacks from the Gaza Strip which it controls or further South from Sinai, across the leaky Egyptian-Israeli border.
Hamas last attacked Israel on Aug. 2, sending a cell from its military wing, the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, to infiltrate Sinai through the arms tunnels running under the Gaza-Sinai border for a rocket attack on the twin Red Sea towns of Israeli Eilat and Jordanian Aqaba. This attack was more extensive than admitted at the time. Our military sources report that seven Iranian-made Grade missiles were fired, hitting the two towns. Two also knocked over two Egyptian military observation towers on the Israeli border and left casualties.
Israeli and Palestinian security officials do not rule out a Hamas strike from Lebanon or even from the Mediterranean Sea.
Meshaal's speech Tuesday, shortly before the iftar meal breaking the Ramadan fast, was exceptionally vicious. Never before, had he dared vent his fury on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah. For the first time, Khaled Meshal not only openly criticized Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah but threatened them: Should they refuse to boycott the US-sponsored Israel-Palestinian negotiations, he said, "The results… will be catastrophic for the interests and the security of Jordan and Egypt."
The Hamas leader showed he was even prepared to jeopardize the lifelines given his organization by both Arab governments: Egypt provides Hamas officials and military leaders with their only exit route from Gaza, while Jordan tolerates Hamas' extensive political organization, which has always been careful not to upset its delicate ties with the royal family and risk its freedom of action there.
Meshaal had only venom to pour on Mahmoud Abbas, who he predicted would end up like Yasser Arafat (a reference to Hamas' allegations that foreign parties including Israel poisoned him in 2004). He depicted the PA Chairman as an enemy of Islam, accusing him of setting loose Palestinian security forces on mosques, Islamic charitable associations, cultural centers and Koran study groups.
Allowing the Shin Bet director Yuval Diskin to visit Jenin -"the city of martyrs - was unconscionable, Meshaal said, and so was permitting Israeli officers to be present at training courses for Palestinian security officers.
The direct talks with Israel, he said, aimed at "liquidating" the Palestinian cause.
Meshaal's speech was the last straw, Palestinian and other Arab intelligence officials said Wednesday: The breach between him and Mahmoud Abbas must be seen as final and irrevocable.