LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِDecember
24/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Luke 13/18-21: "He said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what shall I
compare it? 13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put
in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky
lodged in its branches.” 13:20 Again he said, “To what shall I compare the
Kingdom of God? 13:21 It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three
measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Iranian Guards to upgrade
Hizballah fortifications in S.
Lebanon/DEBKA file/23 December/10
2010: A funny sort of year/Now
Lebanon/December
23/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December
23/10
Sfeir in Christmas Message Urges
Lebanese to 'Sacrifice' for Nation/Naharnet
Turkish, Iranian FMs discuss Iran's
upcoming nuclear talks/AP
Bellemare: Politicization
Allegations Made by People Who Fear Outcome of Tribunal Decision/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Responds to Raad: We
Don't Know if Indictments are Based on Telecoms Evidence/Naharnet
Germany to Grant STL 1.5 Million
Euros/Naharnet
U.S.: No Idea about Saudi-Syrian
Deal over Tribunal, Court to Continue Operations Despite Hizbullah Threats/Naharnet
Security Council extends mandate of UN observer force in Golan
Heights/UN News Centre
When will there be justice for Lebanon's war dead?/The Guardian
US rep. urges Sarkozy to halt weapon sale to Lebanon/J.Post
Lebanon's Hariri Denies Report on Ending UN Tribunal/VOA
Everyone scared of Syria/Ynetnews
Cables to be released on Israel,
2nd Lebanon War, Mabhouh/J.Post
STL Conspiracy, A Threat on
Lebanon's Justice, Truth,
Stability/ABNA.ir
Jumblat, Berri Discuss S-S: Working
to Ward Off Repercussions of Indictment/Naharnet
Russia's Ambassador from the Serail:
Tribunal Should Continue its Work/Naharnet
Iran's Ambassador: Khamenei's
Remarks Don't Contradict Arab Effort/Naharnet
Qabalan's Christmas Message Urges
Muslims, Christians to Walk in Jesus' Footsteps/Naharnet
Maqdah Reveals Departure of
Palestinian Groups from Ain el-Hiwleh to Europe/Naharnet
2 Lebanese, 1 Somali Guilty over
Jihadist Plot on Sydney Army Base/Naharnet
Ketermaya Lynching Suspects
Released/Naharnet
Iranian Guards
to upgrade Hizballah fortifications in Lebanon
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report December 23, 2010,
After studying Israel's last military exercise near the Syrian-Lebanese border
last week, Tehran transferred a team of Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Special
Engineers from Syria to Lebanon for recommendations on how its lessons should be
applied to Hizballah's war array, debkafile's exclusive military and
intelligence sources report.
The Iranian military command in Damascus, together with the Al Qods commander of
Hizballah forces, Gen. Hossein Mahadavi, last week approved the assignment of
20-30 IRGC engineering officers from Syria to Lebanon. A convoy of buses under
Hizballah guard transported the team through Ramat Zahrani to one of the larger
Hizballah bases. Road access to the base was closed to civilian traffic over the
weekend and security redoubled. A military movement on this scale must have been
approved by the highest regime level in Damascus.
Last week, Israel carried out a large military exercise near the confluence of
the Israeli, Syrian and Lebanese borders on the Golan simulating an IDF infantry
and armored forces drive into Lebanon in the event of the Lebanese Hizballah
going to war for the third time.
Western intelligence report that the Iranian military engineering team is now
examining Hizballah outposts and defense lines opposite Israel to determine
whether they are capable of withstanding IDF air, missile, armored and commando
attacks or need upgrading.
According to our military sources, a group of at least five Iranian officers was
sighted Monday, Dec. 20, entering Hizballah military installations in the Bint
Jbail and Maroun a-Ras areas of the South. They arrived in a vehicle closely
guarded by Hizballah militiamen and a Lebanese Army detail.
It was the first time that Lebanese troops had openly acted in association with
Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel.
Although the UNIFIL force's mission in South Lebanon is to block the entry of
foreign combatants and weapons, its commanders have bowed to Hizballah dictates
which deny them access to Hizballah facilities and Shiite villages under its
control and the authority to stop convoys escorted by the Lebanese army. Indeed,
every step taken by the international peacekeepers requires permission from the
Lebanese government and army which then defer to Hizballah.
Since their arrival, Iranian officers have been seen travelling every morning
from the Hizballah bases hosting them to its main line of fortifications. That
line runs from Ramat Zahrani near Qlaia and Khiyam and arcs northward past
Yahmor and south to Lake Qaroun.to enclose the Beqaa region in the east. It was
built at the end of 2008 as a barrier against IDF armored columns crossing the
Lebanese and Syrian borders and driving east toward Damascus.
In the light of the Israeli exercise, Iranian experts in groups of two or three
are testing the line sector by sector.
Israel only announced the exercise had taken place when it ended Thursday, Dec.
16, but it offered an unusual amount of detail: Taking part were the Nahal
(infantry) Brigade and the armored 401st Brigade – both part of the 162nd
Division. They practiced invading Lebanon in response to a large-scale Hizballah
terrorist incursion into Israel. Also released were details of battlefield
tactics, including operations against anti-tank missiles, responses to missile
attacks and warding off swarms of Hizballah commandos on motorbikes, a form of
assault favored by Revolutionary Guards Special Forces
Western intelligence sources expect the Iranian, Syrian and Hizballah tacticians
who monitored the Israeli war game to introduce adjustments and upgrades to
Hizballah's fortifications in the coming weeks, as per the recommendations of
the IRGC engineers.
It is safe to assume that the IDF will then study those alterations and make its
own adjustments.
Security Council extends mandate of UN observer
force in Golan Heights
UNDOF peacekeepers on patrol/22 December 2010 – The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United
Nations force observing the ceasefire between Israel and Syria on the Golan
Heights for a further six months, until 30 June 2011.
The 15-member body took that action unanimously, acting on the recommendation of
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who proposed the extension in his latest report
on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
The peacekeeping mission was established by the Council in May 1974 to supervise
the disengagement accord between Syrian and Israeli forces after their 1973 war.
Mr. Ban noted in his report that the situation has remained “generally quiet” in
the Israel-Syria sector in recent months.
“Nevertheless, the situation in the Middle East is tense and is likely to remain
so, unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the
Middle East problem can be reached. I hope that determined efforts will be made
by all concerned to tackle the problem in all its aspects, with a view to
arriving at a just and durable peace settlement,” he stated.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue
Ban calls for resumption of Israeli-Syrian talks, extension of UN force
Sfeir in
Christmas Message Urges Lebanese to 'Sacrifice' for Nation
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Thursday called in his Christmas
message on the various Lebanese sides to "sacrifice" for Lebanon. "The holidays,
as every year, arrived amidst a split among Lebanese and the faithful cannot
hide their concerns about their country .They are split," Sfeir said in the
message. "Nations can only survive with its citizens' sacrifices," he urged.
"Loyalty to Lebanon must be sacred even if there are interests in foreign
countries," Sfeir added. "God gave us a beautiful country rich in history … and
this should motivate us to sacrifice." Beirut, 23 Dec 10, 10:27
Bellemare: Politicization Allegations Made by People Who Fear Outcome of
Tribunal Decision
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Danielle Bellemare has
described allegations that the U.N.-backed court is politicized as
"groundless.""The fact that this institution was created by a political body or
the fact that we operate in a highly politicized environment does not mean that
we are politicized," Bellemare clarified in a video published on STL's website
as part of a series of clips titled "Frequently Asked Questions on the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon." He highlighted the importance of "independence and
professionalism" in the work of the Office of the Prosecutor, the judges and
other STL employees. "I stressed earlier what it meant to be independent – that
I don't take any instruction from anyone; however, if I allowed myself to be
influenced by politics or if I allowed myself to follow instructions given to me
by a government or by anybody else, then I would be politicized," the STL
prosecutor added. "But given the fact that I take my decisions in complete
independence, and that these decisions are based only on the evidence -- the
evidence is my only guide -- then I think that those allegations of
politicization are groundless."
Bellemare said that such claims are made by "people who may fear the outcome of
the tribunal's decision or of the tribunal's effort to uncover the truth."
"As Prosecutor, I have a very heavy responsibility, given my independence, to
make sure that whatever charges I bring to the Pre-Trial Judge (Daniel Fransen)
for confirmation is fully supported by the evidence ... The evidence that I need
to use (is) the 'prima facie' evidence -- that u have some evidence that the
person you charge has committed the crime."
"I will not bring an indictment to the Pre-Trial Judge unless I'm morally
convinced and unless I feel that there is at least a reasonable prospect for
conviction of the person, so that's the kind of the framework within which I
operate," Bellemare stressed in a video titled "What is the role of the
Prosecutor."
Tackling the controversial issue of the so-called "false witnesses," the
Prosecutor clarified that he has "never used the expression 'false witnesses',
because to use the expression 'false witnesses' involves a conclusion, in other
words you have already concluded that the person has lied." "I prefer to use the
expression unreliable witness, it is important to clarify that the indictment,
once it is sent to Pre-Trial Judge for confirmation, will be based on credible
evidence," he added. He stressed that if witnesses appear to be unreliable, the
Office of the Prosecutor "will not rely on their testimony."As to what kind of
evidence the prosecutor can use to prove his case, Bellemare said: "We're
looking at evidence that is admissible … we're looking at all types of evidence,
whether it is a documentary evidence, whether it is witness statements or
witness testimonies, or whether it is forensic evidence."
"So everything goes, as long as it is admissible, because I want to put together
a case that is as solid as possible, keeping in mind that at trial I have to
discharge a very high burden of proving the culpability of the accused beyond
reasonable doubt," Bellemare added. The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon
said on December 9 that the confidential contents of the indictments for the
2005 killing of ex-PM Rafik Hariri and 22 others in a Beirut blast would be
filed for confirmation "very, very soon."
The STL is reportedly set to indict high-ranking operatives of Shiite group
Hizbullah, Lebanon's most powerful military force, which accuses the court of
serving Israel and of having based its findings on false testimony. Hizbullah
has said it expects to be falsely accused of involvement and warned against any
attempt to arrest its members, raising fears of instability in the country.
Beirut, 22 Dec 10, 23:23
Germany to Grant STL 1.5 Million Euros
Naharnet/The German Government is transferring an additional 1.5 million euro to
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon for 2011, according to a press release
published on the website of the German mission to the United Nations. "By doing
this it – along with other donor states – is signalling its continued support
for the Special Tribunal's work," the press release added.
For his part, Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle stressed that it was
"in the interests of both the international community and the people of Lebanon
that light be shed on the circumstances surrounding the assassination of (ex-PM)
Rafik Hariri," according to the press release. He called on all political forces
in Lebanon to support the tribunal and went on to say that "threats aimed at
obstructing the Special Tribunal's work were unacceptable." "The aim of the
investigation is to find evidence of individual guilt and not to establish
political responsibility," said the press release. Germany has been providing
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon with both personnel and funding since its
establishment in 2007.
It is a member of the Management Committee set up by the U.N. Secretary-General,
which is composed of the tribunal's key donor countries.
"From 2008 to 2010, Germany made an annual contribution of one million U.S.
dollars," according to the press release. Beirut, 22 Dec 10, 21:21
U.S.: No Idea about Saudi-Syrian Deal over Tribunal, Court
to Continue Operations Despite Hizbullah Threats
Naharnet/A high-ranking U.S. official has denied that Washington was informed
about a Saudi-Syrian deal over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and stressed the
court will continue to operate despite Hizbullah's threats. "Saudi officials
have told us that they were absolutely committed to building a positive
relationship between Lebanon and Syria based on mutual respect and
non-interference of any side in the other party's internal affairs," the
official told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Thursday. "If media
reports about a deal were true, then this is blackmail," he said. "The court is
Lebanon's best hope to garner international support to put the tragic and bloody
history of political violence behind it," the official told al-Hayat.
He reiterated that the tribunal is "an international body that cannot be
cancelled and can't be subjected to political compromises." "It is absurd to
believe rumors over an alleged compromise over the court," the official said. He
accused Hizbullah of seeking to give Lebanon the choice of justice or stability.
"None of us wants to see destabilization in Lebanon." "Everyone is keen on
seeing the Lebanese people witness stability, security and justice too," he
stressed. The official expressed support for Premier Saad Hariri and said "the
court will continue to operate despite Hizbullah's threats." When asked about
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks on the tribunal, the
official said: "This stance is coming from Iran, the state that violates
international resolutions and does not behave like a responsible (U.N.) member."
"But Lebanon is a member of the Security Council and we expect from it to commit
to international" resolutions, he said. Beirut, 23 Dec 10, 07:53
Mustaqbal Responds to Raad: We Don't Know if Indictments
are Based on Telecoms Evidence
Naharnet/Mustaqbal MPs Samir Jisr and Hadi Hobeish on Thursday held a joint
press conference in response to remarks by head of Hizbullah's parliamentary
bloc Mohammed Raad on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. "We have no idea whether
the indictments are based on telecommunications evidence," Hobeish told Raad.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had said he is confident the indictments
will be based on telecommunications evidence linking Hizbullah to the 2005
murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
But he said Israel, whom he blames for Hariri's assassination, has infiltrated
Lebanon's mobile telecommunications network and can manipulate phone calls.
"You are heading toward indictments based on so-called telecommunications
evidence. This is not evidence. Such evidence has absolutely no value,"
Nasrallah had said, addressing STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare. Turning to
Nasrallah regarding leaks from Gerhard Lehmann, Hobeish said: "Yes, this is how
documents are leaked in the West. But isn't the leaker contacted?
"Who pays these huge amounts of cash in exchange for leaked documents and what
are the motives?" he asked.
Hobeish stressed that the STL is independent. "Such courts develop their own
rules since they are independent. The international tribunal is totally
independent of the U.N. Security Council.
On the false witnesses' issue, Hobeish believed that the "non-disclosure of a
witness is a temporary measure taken by the court."
Hobeish accused Raad of "trying to give the impression that Bellemare's office
sought to find a legal Fatwa to stop pursuing the false witnesses' issue."
Regarding media reports, including a May 2008 report by Germany's Der Spiegel
magazine that the STL will indict Hizbullah members, Hobeish asked: "Should we
hold the international investigation responsible for the media reports which we
are not sure how accurate they are? Jisr, for his part, defended the legitimacy
of the STL. "Hajj Raad had said the Tribunal was adopted by an illegitimate
Cabinet. It would have been useful at the time to seek a confidence vote in
Parliament to see whether the government was legitimate or not," Jisr said. "The
STL was unanimously adopted at the dialogue table and was not an issue of
discussion even after May 7 and Doha agreement," he recalled. Beirut, 23 Dec 10,
12:33
Russia's Ambassador from the Serail: Tribunal Should
Continue its Work
Naharnet/Russia's ambassador reiterated on Thursday that the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon is functioning under a U.N. Security Council resolution and should
continue its work. "Our stance is clear and does not change," Ambassador
Alexander Zasypkin said after meeting Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand
Serail."The international tribunal is working on the basis of a Security Council
resolution that's why it should continue its work," he told reporters. "We
support the sovereignty, unity and independence of Lebanon," Zasypkin said. The
ambassador also said that he discussed with Hariri issues of common interest.
"We will continue (to exert) efforts to improve cooperation between the two
countries in all fields by carrying out big projects in Lebanon." Beirut, 23 Dec
10, 14:12
Iran's Ambassador: Khamenei's Remarks Don't Contradict Arab Effort
Naharnet/Iran's ambassador to Lebanon Ghadanfar Rokn Abadi on Thursday said
Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks on the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon "do not contradict" the Syria-Saudi initiative. Abadi's remarks came
following a meeting with Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud. "Khamenei has highlighted
the wisdom of all the Lebanese in order not to fall into the traps and
conspiracies hatched against them," Abadi said. Beirut, 23 Dec 10, 15:17
Qabalan's Christmas Message Urges Muslims, Christians to Walk in Jesus'
Footsteps
Naharnet/Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir
Qabalan on Thursday called on Muslims and Christians to walk in Jesus'
footsteps. "Lovers of Christ -- Muslims and Christians in Lebanon – should walk
in his footsteps … and cooperate in righteousness and piety," Qabalan said in
his Christmas message. He also called on those who love the Christ to "learn
about justice from Jesus." Beirut, 23 Dec 10, 14:05
Jumblat, Berri Discuss S-S: Working to Ward Off Repercussions of Indictment
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat on Thursday discussed the Syria-Saudi
initiative with Speaker Nabih Berri. "We are working to ward off the
repercussions of the indictment," Jumblat told reporters following the meeting
in Ain el-Tineh. Beirut, 23 Dec 10, 15:07
Report: Palestinian Fighters Received Training in Lebanon
Naharnet/Hamas and Islamic Jihad members have received training in Lebanon,
Syria and Iran and returned to the Gaza strip to train other fighters, Israeli
daily Haaretz reported.
The newspaper said that Iranian and Syrian experts have also improved the
fighting capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants as part of an
operation to restructure the force of Palestinian factions that was destroyed
during Israel's last aggression on Gaza. Israeli army intelligence estimates
that Hamas is still in the process of improving its capabilities, which means
that it is not seeking to enter in a confrontation with Israel. Beirut, 23 Dec
10, 10:58
Maqdah Reveals Departure of Palestinian Groups from Ain el-Hiwleh to Europe
Naharnet/Fatah commander in Lebanon Munir Maqdah on Thursday uncovered the mass
departure of Palestinian groups from the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp to Europe.
He told the Voice of Lebanon radio station that some members of these groups,
however, were arrested and handed over to Lebanese authorities. Beirut, 23 Dec
10, 09:31
2 Lebanese, 1 Somali Guilty over Jihadist Plot on Sydney
Army Base
Naharnet/Three men, including two Lebanese, were found guilty Thursday of
plotting to attack a Sydney army base with high-powered weapons and kill as many
people as possible to further the cause of Islam. The Supreme Court in Melbourne
heard that the men, who have been linked with Islamic extremists in Somalia,
planned to continue their rampage at Sydney's Holsworthy army barracks until
they were killed or captured. Melbourne men Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, 34, Nayef El
Sayed, 26 -- both of Lebanese descent -- and Somali Saney Edow Aweys, 27 were
found guilty of conspiring to prepare for or plan a terrorist act between
February 1 and August 4, 2009. "Islam is truth religion. Thank you very much,"
Fattal told the jury. No date was set for sentencing, but the three were ordered
back to court on January 24 for an administrative hearing. Meanwhile Somalis
Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed, 26, and Yacqub Khayre, 23, were found not guilty after
the three-month trial. They hugged their co-defendants before leaving the dock.
"I think justice has been served," Ahmed said, adding that the three convictions
were "unfortunate but this is God's will. "I just want to tell them to be
patient. They'll get out one day," he said. Crown prosecutor Nick Robinson
earlier said the plot was hatched between February and August 4 last year, when
the five were arrested in a swoop involving hundreds of police in Melbourne. He
said one of the accused visited Somalia to seek a fatwa, or religious decree,
for the attack, adding they had condemned Australia's involvement in the war in
Afghanistan and believed the country was oppressing Muslims.(AFP) Beirut, 23 Dec
10, 07:18
Ketermaya Lynching Suspects Released
Naharnet/All eight people arrested over the lynching of a murder suspect by an
angry mob in the village of Ketermaya in April have been released, al-Akhbar
daily reported Thursday.
The newspaper said that seven suspects were released on different stages and the
last was set free several days ago. It said Abd. Aa was released after DNA tests
revealed that murder suspect Mohammed Muslem was already dead when Abd allegedly
held a knife at his neck. The angry mob hanged Muslim's body on a pole with a
butcher's hook in a shocking crime. The lynching took place in Ketermaya, 25
kilometers southeast of Beirut, as police escorted Muslem, the prime suspect in
the murder of an elderly couple and their two granddaughters, aged seven and
nine, to re-enact the crime. Beirut, 23 Dec 10, 09:56
STL Conspiracy, A Threat on Lebanon’s Justice, Truth, Stability
The Loyalty to the Resistance Parliamentary Bloc issued a statement after its
meeting on Wednesday, which was headed by MP Mohammad Raad, and in presence of
the bloc's members.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Loyalty to the Resistance Parliamentary Bloc
issued a statement after its meeting on Wednesday, which was headed by MP
Mohammad Raad, and in presence of the bloc's members. In the statement, the bloc
confirmed that the conspiracy of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is
representing a major threat on justice, truth, and stability in Lebanon. On the
political level, the LTRB statement read the following:
1- It is clear that the STL conspiracy is representing a serious threat on the
justice, truth, and stability of this country. It also represents a attempt to
impose conditions on the Lebanese, aiming at weakening their strength,
separating them from each other, in addition to giving the Zionist enemy control
on them.
What's needed is to confront the aims of this conspiracy, and prevent the
aggravation of the crisis between the people of the country, hoping the
Syrian-Saudi efforts will achieve their goals in what is concerned with the
Lebanese and Lebanon's interest.
2- The resistance and army's accomplishment in revealing espionage and tapping
"Israeli" devices in Sanin and Barouk, is a great national accomplishment within
our Lebanese army and noble resistance. This accomplishment is also additional
evidence on the Lebanese power equation that protects the country and its
sovereignty.
3- The current governmental situation should convince everyone that tackling the
dales witnesses issue through a constitutional mechanism, whether agreed upon or
voted for, is the only available key for the ministerial council to get out of
this crisis.
4- Concerning the developments witnessed in the African Ivory Coast, we urge all
involved officials in Lebanon to take care and tackle the status of the Lebanese
community there.
5- Lebanon is concerned with maintaining its rights to fuel or natural gas
resources in its waters. Lebanon is always on alert from the Zionist enemy's
attempts, where suitable measures should be adopted to protect our
2010: A funny sort of year
December 23, 2010
Now Lebanon
Whichever way you cut it, Lebanon in 2010 was dominated by the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon (STL), the international court created to bring to justice the
killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and dozens of other victims of
political terror between 2005 and 2008. The year also saw what appeared to be a
warming of relations between Damascus and Riyadh in attempt to isolate an
increasingly belligerent and bellicose Iran, but in the end, all roads led to
The Hague.
The STL defined and shaped everything. Was it genuinely seeking justice or was
it an Israeli construct designed to finish off the Resistance by framing the
Party of God for Hariri’s murder? True, it became clear very soon that the
international community did have Hezbollah in its cross hairs, and it was no
secret that indictments would be handed down to party members for what
investigators believed was the role certain party members played in the 2005
killing.
Not surprisingly, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the party’s secretary general, went
into overdrive, holding a series of summer press conferences to demonstrate how
it was not his boys that had “dunnit,” but in fact, (yes you guessed it), Israel
that murdered Hariri. He “proved” this by showing grainy photography, supposedly
downloaded from an Israeli drone that was meant to tell us that the Zionist
state had been filming the various routes taken by the late prime minister’s
convoy as a prelude to the kill. They say you can fool some of the people all of
the time and that is exactly what Nasrallah did. The rest of us switched
channels.
The debate then shifted to the issue of the false witnesses, individuals who had
allegedly misled the five-year investigation. No one has said that their
testimonies will be used to shape any upcoming indictments. So, the whole false
witness debate was something of a red herring. Still it was a great tool to
muddy the waters and allow the March 8 “opposition” to insist they be tried by a
Lebanese court, if the tribunal is to be taken seriously. As they say in
America, go figure.
As state visits go, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinajad’s trip to Lebanon,
which kicked off on October 13, was more a case of checking on his investment,
rather than strengthening bilateral ties. His keynote speech in the southern
suburbs the next day left no doubt as to where Lebanon sits in Iran’s regional
master plan and showed that Iran was also not keen on the idea of international
justice.
Other incidents to make the news included the Aadasieh incident on August 3,
when Lebanese troops opened fires on Israeli soldiers cutting down a tree on the
Lebanese side of the border. The resulting firefight left four Lebanese and one
Israeli dead and nearly sparked a war. Still, tourists came in their hundreds of
thousands. To show its appreciation, the Lebanese state gave them all the
electricity and water it could lay its hands on so they would not have to sit in
the dark and not shower, like the rest of the Lebanese.
Who were the “characters” in 2010? Wiam Wahhab, the former environment minister
and now “leader” of the largely irrelevant Tawhid Movement, was never shy about
giving his own take on Lebanon’s domestic affairs. He could be relied upon to
offer up a sound bite on most subjects, but his crowning moment came when he
hinted that anyone advocating sedition, and we can assume that he was referring
to those who are working for free, sovereign and independent Lebanon, would be
“found inside car trunks.” And they say, technocrats are a dying breed.
Other notable efforts were made by Hezbollah MP Walid Succariyeh who declared,
that even if Hezbollah did kill Prime Minister Hariri, there would be nothing to
gain by destroying Lebanon. Meanwhile, his party comrade and MP Nawwaf Moussawi
said that those who support the tribunal are in league with Israel and would
suffer the consequences. Lovely guys.
The world witnessed the darker side of the Lebanese, when the country’s law
enforcement shortcomings were painfully exposed on one day of madness in the
sleepy Chouf village of Ktermaya, where a lynch mob exacted its own brutal
justice on an alleged murderer while the state stood by and watched. For a few
hours at least, Lebanon was not the country of compassion and tolerance it
claimed to be.
Lighter moments included the arrest of the Facebook 3, a trio of young men who
decided to exercise their right to free speech and take their disappointment of
President Michel Sleiman onto the pages of the world’s most popular social
networking site, only to find that Sleiman didn’t have a sense of humor.
Elsewhere, a phalanx of women that stormed a women’s clinic in the southern
suburbs to take on STL investigators with nothing but handbags and their
dignity.
But the real joke was on Lebanon itself, a country with a $50 billion debt, a
country where the public institutions barely function and which is kept alive by
a shrewd central bank, a vigorous private sector and a generous diaspora.
This was highlighted by mother nature who chose to show us all how insignificant
we were with a blisteringly hot summer, a dry autumn with forest fires raging
the length and breadth of the country followed by a huge storm that caused
coastal havoc, uprooted trees and cut power.
The good news is that the Lebanese traffic police now have speed traps. Let’s
just hope they use them over the holiday period. Merry Christmas.
Michel
Aoun
December 22, 2010
The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) carried the following report on December
21, 2010:
The Change and Reform bloc held its weekly meeting, headed by MP Michel Aoun, in
Rabieh. Following the meeting, Aoun said, “Today, we discussed several issues.
First of all we support the exemption of exported industrial and agricultural
produce from taxes. This project was approved by the Finance Committee in
principle, and we will support it in parliament. Moreover, we would like to
congratulate the committee for its ongoing work for over five months, thus
securing the completion of the studying of the budget and its ratification,
although the budget of the High Relief Commission was not ratified, because no
one understood where it began and where it ended.
No one even explained to the Financial Committee why this budget was drawn up
that way, while 12 ministries did not provide the committee with the detailed
data regarding the required funds for certain items in their budgets.
Consequently, they were not ratified by the Budget Committee and will be sent to
the General Assembly for discussion.
Some parties who want strife are always promoting a fictitious threat. In this
context, I was surprised by the statement issued by the British foreign
minister, which was almost a plan for an explosive action next month, i.e. after
the holidays, and we thank them for allowing us to enjoy the holidays. I thus
ask the Lebanese foreign minister once again, to summon the British ambassador
and ask her to explain this calendar to which we have all become committed after
it was ratified. I think it is based on information and not analyses. This issue
is related to our security and was tackled by the British foreign minister,
knowing that the British are famous for their intelligence work. They must know
that Lebanon is not without control and that there are people who are entitled
to inquire about important and dangerous issues from the one talking about them
and commenting on them.
With regard to the false witnesses file, we heard that the voting inside the
cabinet was by 20 against 10, and that consequently, the proposal was dropped
along with the false witnesses’ case. In light of such interpretations, should
we give law lessons? The cabinet is a “gutter” that transfers, or not, a
decision. However, it does not drop or give away someone’s right. It transfers
it to the judiciary, and whether this is done immediately or takes a year or
even 10 years, no one can drop the personal right of the victims that fell
because of the false witnesses. Let no one think that this issue is over. There
are people who were gravely harmed and who are entitled to demand their rights,
whether in France, England, Lebanon or any state around the world.
The constitution was obstructed at the level of Article 52 with the court issue,
of Article 20 through the transfer of the judicial powers to a foreign court, at
the level of Article 76 with the amendment of the presidential elections’
deadline and the amendment of Article 49 for the presidency. It was obstructed
through the non-respect of paragraph “j” of its preamble, which calls for the
respect of the “pact of communal coexistence” by the government.
The constitution has been torn apart, and the last obstruction was that of
Article 65, which was unfortunately done by the person heading the state. He
firstly ended the session to reach accord, but no accord was reached. Afterward,
they also did not vote and the government’s work remained obstructed. I consider
that the president of the republic and the prime minister are responsible for
the obstruction of the government’s work and I call on them to summon a session
for next week, vote and implement Article 65, instead of using the livelihood
issues and the problems as a pretext.”
Is there a way of reaching an understanding over the false witnesses issue or
the next session?
I am outside this context. I support the rightful judiciary and the sound
investigations. On March 14, many slogans were raised and they were all
demanding the truth. We were demanding freedom, sovereignty and independence and
they were saying “sovereignty, freedom and truth.” Where is the truth? Where was
it buried? Those who want the truth must firstly pursue the first person who is
accused, i.e. the false witness. They must learn who implicated him in the
investigation. Whoever pursues the false witness will reach the side that
perpetrated the crime, or gave the order or the authorization for the
perpetration of the crime.
There are attempts to secure some sort of a political calm by the leaders.
That is good during the holidays.
Do you not believe there is Iranian interference at the level of the
international tribunal and Lebanese affairs?
It remains much less than the American, French, British and Dutch interference.
Who is not interfering? Does a state not enjoy the right to give its opinion,
knowing it is an influential state in the Middle East?
We read today that Minister Gebran Bassil informed Interior Minister Ziad Baroud
that the Information Branch was watching his house. What does that mean?
They are watching his house, his movements and his home in Batroun. They are
present everywhere and whenever his security convoy approaches them, they run
away.
What does this mean to you?
The Information Branch is the object of doubts and it was accused of having
fabricated the false witnesses. The name of its head, who gave false testimony
about the day on which Prime Minister [Rafik] Hariri was assassinated, was
featured in the CBC report. The next day, he also gave a false report about his
activities and said he did not make any phone calls, while it turned out he
conducted 24 phone calls. This is the information revealed by CBC.
The defense team of General Fayez Karam said he was demanding a public and
televised trial. What does this mean?
It means he is willing to face the people. I know that traditions do not allow a
televised trial, but the trial will be public and anyone can attend it. General
Karam is not afraid of facing the public or the tribunal because he feels he is
innocent.
Turkish, Iranian FMs discuss Iran's upcoming nuclear talks
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
12/23/2010 15:11
Davutoglu meets with new Iranian counterpart, says Ankara working toward
"reducing the environment of tension" over Iran's nuclear program.
ISTANBUL — Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday that he had
discussed the next round of nuclear talks between Teheran and six world powers
with Iran's new acting foreign minister.
The talks will held in Istanbul next month.
Davutoglu said he met Iran's Ali Akbar Salehi at a regional economic summit late
Wednesday. Salehi, who is accompanying Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is
making his first international appearance since replacing Iran's sacked foreign
minister last week.
Davutoglu said Thursday that Turkey was working toward "reducing the environment
of tension" over Iran's nuclear program.
Iran held a first round of talks with officials from the US, China, Russia,
France, Britain, Germany and the European Union in Geneva earlier this month.