LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِDecember
31/2010
Bible Of The
Day
The Letter from James 5/7-19: "Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming
of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being
patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. 5:8 You also be
patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 5:9 Don’t
grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged. Behold, the
judge stands at the door. 5:10 Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and
of patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 5:11 Behold, we
call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
5:12 But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear, neither by heaven, nor by
the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes,” and your “no,”
“no”; so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy. 5:13 Is any among you suffering?
Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. 5:14 Is any among you sick?
Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 5:15 and the prayer of faith
will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed
sins, he will be forgiven. 5:16 Confess your offenses to one another, and pray
for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous
person is powerfully effective. 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours,
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth
for three years and six months. 5:18 He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and
the earth brought forth its fruit. 5:19 Brothers, if any among you wanders from
the truth, and someone turns him back, 5:20 let him know that he who turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and will cover a
multitude of sins.
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Ahead, a Syrian-Saudi obstacle
course/By Michael Young/December
30/10
No word on the Saudi-Syrian
compromise/Now Lebanon
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December
30/10
Sfeir Worried about Mass Emigration
of Christians
/Naharnet
Ros-Lehtinen Accuses Obama of
Offering Concessions to Syria which 'Destabilizes' Lebanon/Naharnet
Army Sources Accuse U.N., UNIFIL of
Neglect in Maritime Border Delineation/Naharnet
Jumblat for Filing Complaint with
U.N. if Israel Explores Gas in Lebanese Waters/Naharnet
Berri Urges Government to Take
Action after Discovery of Leviathon Natural Gas Reserve/Naharnet
Raad: Officials Should Mobilize
Efforts to Explore Oil/Naharnet
Roknabadi: No One Knows Details of
Syrian-Saudi Initiative which Iran Welcomes/Naharnet
Sources: Hariri Accepted
Saudi-Syrian Initiative but Other Party Retracted Vows
/Naharnet
MP calls Assad’s remarks sign of
confusion/Daily Star
March 14 MPs: No deal to end
impasse yet/Daily Star
Obama makes recess appointments, taps Robert Cole as ambassador to
Syria/Washington Post
ADL slams conspiracy theories
linking Israel to WikiLeak/J.Post
The Transforming Fire/FrontPage Magazine
Obama, Muslims
and Israel/Arab Times
Obama announces 6 recess appointments/Los Angeles Times
Informed Sources Deny King Abdullah
to Dispatch Son to Beirut, Damascus/Naharnet
Israeli Army Warns Reserve Officers
on Overseas Travel, Cites Possible Hizbullah, Iran Attacks/Naharnet
Guy to Shami: Hague's Statements on
Violence in Lebanon Not Based on Official Info/Naharnet
Suleiman, Hariri Spend New Year
Abroad/Naharnet
Qabbani calls on Bassil to submit
decrees on oil sector/Now Lebanon
Zahra rejects foreign
settlements/Now Lebanon
MP calls Assad’s remarks sign of confusion
By The Daily Star /Thursday, December 30, 2010
BEIRUT: Tripoli MP Mohammad Kabbara said Wednesday that reports on Syrian
President Bashar Assad’s reported remarks over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
were a sign of Damascus and Hizbullah’s “confusion.” Kabbara said no party under
any circumstances could put pressure on Hariri to renounce his support for the
STL or trade justice for “fake stability.” According to the daily Al-Akhbar,
Assad told the formerly longest-serving prisoner in Israeli prisons, Samir
Qantar, during a meeting in Damascus, that he regarded the STL impending
indictment as a new May 17 Accord, referring to the May 17, 1983 aborted peace
treaty between Lebanon and Israel. Assad also reportedly urged Hariri to abolish
the tribunal before the indictment is released. “These statements ridicule
President Assad and the Lebanese,” Kabbara said. “If the Syrian president wanted
to announce such a position, he would have done it officially or through Syrian
official media outlets.” – The Daily Star
March 14 MPs: No deal to end impasse yet
Saudi Arabia and Syria are working on safety net for post-indictment stage, says
Houri
By Hussein Dakroub
Daily Star staff
Thursday, December 30, 2010
BEIRUT: March 14 politicians denied Wednesday media reports that Saudi Arabia
and Syria were close to clinching a package deal to resolve Lebanon’s
months-long political crisis, but said the two Arab powerhouses were working to
contain any negative repercussions from an impending indictment into former
Premier Rafik Hariri’s killing.
In the meantime, Lebanon’s top leaders held contacts amid signs that Saudi
Arabia and Syria were engaged in intense talks aimed at resolving the Lebanese
crisis that has thrown the Cabinet into paralysis. Beirut MP Ammar Houri said
Riyadh and Damascus were working to establish “a safety net” to confront the
possible repercussions of the indictment to be issued by the UN-backed Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which is probing Hariri’s assassination.
“The Saudi-Syrian efforts are making a steady progress. Matters are heading in
the right direction,” Houri told The Daily Star in a telephone interview.
Given the “good atmosphere” in the Saudi-Syrian contacts, Houri said he expected
a solution for the Lebanese crisis to be reached “soon.”
But he dismissed as “baseless” media reports citing details of an alleged
settlement reached by the Arab mediators. According to some of these reports,
Syrian President Bashar Assad was quoted as telling the Saudi side that in order
for Lebanon to remain strong, Prime Minister Saad Hariri must reject the STL’s
upcoming indictment.
“The agreement being worked out by Saudi Arabia and Syria revolves around one
major point: Setting up a safety net to cope with the post-indictment stage,”
Houri said. So far, he said, this agreement has not been concluded. Houri spoke
to The Daily Star shortly after he and other members of Hariri’s parliamentary
Future bloc met with the premier on his return from the US. While in New York,
Hariri met with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz. He flew to the US Sunday to
check on the health of Abdullah, who is recuperating following back surgeries.
Hariri was believed to have discussed with Abdullah details of the Saudi-Syrian
cooperation to find a solution – acceptable to the March 8 and March 14 factions
– for the crisis over the looming indictment, which is widely expected to accuse
some Hizbullah members of involvement in the massive bombing that killed
Hariri’s father and 22 others in Beirut on February 14, 2005. There are fears of
sectarian strife if some Hizbullah members are indicted in Hariri’s
assassination. Houri declined to answer a question on whether Hariri was
satisfied with his meeting with the Saudi king, saying that “the atmosphere is
good.” Asked whether the Saudi and Syrian mediators would be able to hammer out
a settlement to defuse the current political tension before the indictment is
issued so that the country could be spared the threat of instability, Houri
said: “There is no link whatsoever between the two matters.”
Upon his return to Beirut, Hariri spoke by telephone with President Michel
Sleiman to discuss the current developments, a statement released by Hariri’s
office said. It gave no further details. Hariri later left for Riyadh on a
private visit.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri met with the Lebanese president to discuss the
ongoing political contacts to resolve the current crisis over the indictment.
Berri did not speak to reporters following the 30-minute meeting at the
Presidential Palace in Baabda.
Saudi Arabia and Syria, main powerbrokers in Lebanon backing rival factions,
were stepping up their efforts to defuse political tensions over the indictment.
The Saudi-Syrian bid gained momentum following the Saudi king’s recovery and a
lengthy telephone conversation Sunday between Assad and Abdullah.
Beirut MP Serge Torsarkissian, from the March 14 camp, said Saudi-Syrian efforts
to reach a settlement in Lebanon were proceeding in “a positive atmosphere.”
“We hope the New Year will be good for Lebanon, bringing with it positive
results for all the Lebanese,” Torsarkissian told reporters after meeting with
Berri.
Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi said he hoped that Lebanon would be able to
overcome the current crisis “as a result of the [Saudi-Syrian] efforts being
made.”
“We hope to enter a new stage and that 2011 will be the year of peace for the
country because we have suffered enough,” Aridi said at a ceremony for his
ministry’s staff on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.
However, Labor Minister Butros Harb, from the March 14 coalition, begged to
differ, saying the Saudi-Syrian mediators were still searching for a solution
for the Lebanese crisis.
In an interview with the Voice of Lebanon radio station, Harb said: “No
agreement has yet been reached on a comprehensive formula for a settlement.”
He stressed the need for Lebanon to have a say in any agreement that might be
reached by the Saudi and Syrian mediators. He expressed his regrets “because we
ended up waiting for solutions from abroad.”
Responding to demands by Hizbullah and its allies to renounce the STL, Harb
said: “Lebanon cannot back off from the international tribunal because it was
established with a Security Council resolution under Chapter Seven.”
But Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun criticized the STL, saying
it was being used to strike Hizbullah.
“We are in a state of confrontation. The countries that supported Israel in 2006
to strike the resistance are the same ones today supporting the international
tribunal, with its unsound circumstances, to target the resistance. We are still
living the same conspiracy, though in a different form,” Aoun said in a speech,
addressing the FPM’s Lebanese expatriates who came to spend the holidays in
Lebanon.
He reiterated the March 8 camp’s demand that prosecuting the “false witnesses”
linked to the UN probe would lead to revealing the truth behind Hariri’s
assassination.
Aoun said Hariri’s killers were those who tried to mislead the UN investigation
with witnesses giving false testimonies. “Hariri’s assassins are known. Yes,
they are known. They are those who tried to mislead and misguide the
investigation through false witnesses,” he said.
Former President Amin Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb (Phalange) Party, said that
Lebanese, Arab and international initiatives being undertaken to resolve the
Lebanese crisis would be useless if they failed to reveal the full truth behind
the assassination of some Lebanese leaders.
Sources in the Christian factions in the March 14 coalition denied media reports
that Saudi Arabia and Syria have reached a settlement to resolve the Lebanese
crisis.
“If any settlement is to be reached, it should be in the context [of
confronting] the repercussion of the indictment,” one source said.
The sources said that no Lebanese faction would accept demands by Hizbullah and
its allies in the March 8 camp that the resistance group be absolved of
responsibility for Hariri’s killing before or after the indictment is issued.
Ros-Lehtinen Accuses Obama of Offering Concessions to Syria which 'Destabilizes'
Lebanon
Naharnet/Republican Florida lawmaker Ileana Ros-Lehtinen criticized U.S.
President Barack Obama's move to appoint an ambassador to Damascus, accusing him
of offering concessions to a country that is "destabilizing" Lebanon. "During
the past two years, Syria has continued to sponsor violent extremism and pursue
dangerous weapons programs, and has also supplied long-range missiles to
Hizbullah and reasserted its destabilizing influence in Lebanon at the expense
of that nation's sovereignty," Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement after Obama
bypassed Congress to name Robert Ford as ambassador. "Making underserved
concessions to Syria tells the regime in Damascus that it can continue to pursue
its dangerous agenda and not face any consequences from the U.S.," the Florida
lawmaker said. "That is the wrong message to be sending to a regime which
continues to harm and threaten U.S. interests and those of such critical allies
as Israel," said Ros-Lehtinen, who will head the House Foreign Affairs Committee
next month after her party swept mid-term elections.
But Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies, said Ford can make clear to Syria "that
there are consequences for their actions, good and bad." "I think we're better
off with many difficult countries when we're in their face, not when we ignore
them," he said.
Mohamad Bazzi, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations,
said: "If the United States only sent its envoys to friendly or compliant
countries, there would be far fewer U.S. embassies in the world."(Naharnet-AFP)
Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 07:38
Sfeir Worried about Mass Emigration of Christians
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Thursday expressed concern over
the mass emigration of Christians in search for security and hoped the New Year
would bring peace to Lebanon and the Middle East. In a statement to a delegation
from the Maronite League Council headed by Dr. Joseph Tarabay, Sfeir said: "The
emigration of Christians from the region has increased." "More than one million
Christians left the region in search for security, stability and calm," he said.
"Despite that, Lebanon is still enjoying relative calm."
The patriarch told another delegation visiting him in Bkirki that he hoped "the
New Year would bring harmony and peace to Lebanon and the region.""Lebanon will
no longer exist if each sect from Lebanon's 18 confessions" acts on its own,
Sfeir said. Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 11:27
No word
on the Saudi-Syrian compromise
December 30, 2010
PM Saad Hariri heads to Saudi Arabia yesterday amid reports that Saudi and Syria
have reached a compromise to end Lebanon’s political impasse. (NOW Lebanon) As
the New Year nears, there has been a lot of speculation on whether or not Saudi
Arabia and Syria have reached a compromise to end Lebanon’s political impasse.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri returned to Beirut on Wednesday after a visit to New
York, where Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz is being treated for a herniated
disc.Hariri called President Michel Sleiman as soon as he arrived in Lebanon,
said a statement released by the prime minister’s office. According to a March 8
source, Hariri traveled to the US to talk about the situation in Lebanon with
the Saudi king.
The source told Al-Liwaa newspaper in an interview published yesterday that the
prime minister headed to New York due to “recent positive developments.”
However, according to various members of the Future Movement, Hariri’s US visit
was to solely check on the Saudi king’s health.The prime minister did not stick
around for long.
He left Beirut for Riyadh, said a said a statement released by his office. It
added that Hariri was on a private visit to Saudi Arabia. But there was no
further information.
According to State Minister Jean Ogassapian, any “leaked” information pertaining
to the Syrian-Saudi initiative is not true. Ogassapian – a member of Hariri’s
Future Movement – said that such reports are nonsense and people should wait for
an official statement from either Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or Saudi King
Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz.
However, according to Al-Liwaa’s March 8 source, the “upcoming Saudi-Syrian
compromise will require the Lebanese government reject the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) and its indictment.”In more new, Israeli newspaper Haaretz
reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia is pressuring Hariri to reject the
STL.“In return for Saad Hariri’s cooperation, Hezbollah would guarantee that it
would not harm the prime minister,” said the daily. Tensions are high in Lebanon
amid reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah members in its investigation
of the 2005 murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, a move the party repeatedly
warned against. Saudi and Syrian officials have reportedly been communicating in
efforts to reach a compromise that would resolve tensions.-NOW Lebanon
Qabbani calls on Bassil to submit decrees on oil sector
December 30, 2010 /Parliamentary Public Works, Transportation, Energy and Water
Commission chief Mohammad Qabbani on Thursday requested Energy Minister Gebran
Bassil to speed up the submittal of decrees pertaining to the oil sector.
Qabbani—who is a Lebanon First bloc MP—told LBCI television that a commission to
manage the oil sector must be established quickly. The Lebanese parliament
ratified on August 17 the draft bill on offshore oil exploration. Israeli
Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said last week that Israel will defend its
claims to offshore oil “with all necessary force in the face of all these
[Lebanese] threats,” while Lebanese politicians have called for more speedy
efforts to exploit offshore resources.
-NOW Lebanon
Zahra rejects foreign settlements
December 30, 2010 /Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra rejected on Thursday
any foreign settlements for the Lebanese political situation. “It is out of the
question for March 14 to [give up on] the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)…
Any agreement must be an all-Lebanese agreement supported by Lebanon’s friends,”
he told Future News television.
Zahra voiced his disappointment over the distributing of arms in the Batroun
district. “What is the [aim] of arming in Batroun?... Arms are being gathered in
[Energy] Minister Gebran Bassil’s house in Batroun and then distributed to his
supporters.” Al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported earlier on Thursday that Simon Abi
Harb—an individual close to Bassil—is distributing arms to Free Patriotic
Movement members in the Batroun district. Tensions are high in Lebanon amid
reports that the STL may soon indict Hezbollah members in its investigation of
the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a move the party
has repeatedly warned against. Saudi and Syrian officials have reportedly been
communicating in efforts to reach a compromise that would resolve tensions.-NOW
Lebanon
Sources: Hariri Accepted Saudi-Syrian Initiative but Other Party Retracted Vows
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri has reportedly accepted the settlement
proposed by Saudi Arabia and Syria but the March 8 forces did not take any step
forward.
Sources close to Hariri told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published
Thursday that the premier "accepted the Saudi-Syrian deal but unfortunately, the
other side has until now made no positive step." The March 8 forces also didn't
take the steps that they had vowed to Saudi King Abdullah to make, they said.
There is an attempt to bypass the Syrian-Saudi initiative and "engage in
dialogue with other parties," the sources told al-Hayat. Last week, al-Hayat
said that Hariri and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had accepted the
Arab settlement and agreed to keep its details secret. Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 08:07
Suleiman, Hariri Spend New Year Abroad
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri traveled to Riyadh on Wednesday, the same
day he returned from New York where he met with Saudi King Abdullah. Hariri went
to Saudi Arabia to spend the New Year with his family. A statement released by
his press office said upon his arrival from the United States, the prime
minister contacted President Michel Suleiman and discussed with him the current
developments. Suleiman in his turn will travel to Spain to spend the New Year
there. An Nahar daily said the president is expected to return to Beirut on
Sunday. Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 08:23
Berri Urges Government to Take Action after Discovery of
Leviathon Natural Gas Reserve
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Lebanon should immediately issue decrees for
the implementation of the oil law adopted by parliament and pressure the U.N. to
delineate the country's sea borders with Israel. Berri made his remark to As
Safir newspaper on Thursday after the largest reserve of natural gas, over 16
trillion cubic feet, was discovered off the coast of Israel.
U.S. company Noble Energy Inc. announced on Wednesday that the Leviathon reserve
is estimated to be worth more than $95 billion. It is the largest amount of
natural gas discovered in the world in the last decade and is located in
approximately 1,645 meters of water, about 130 kilometers offshore of Haifa and
47 kilometers southwest of the Tamar discovery.
Berri urged the Lebanese government to study the Israel-Cyprus agreement that
defines their sea border and allows the neighbors to forge ahead in the search
for energy sources in the eastern Mediterranean. The speaker made his advice for
fears that the deal could violate Lebanon's rights. He also told As Safir
newspaper that a specialized company should immediately start operations to
explore oil in Lebanese waters.He unveiled that the CEO of the Italian Enny
company has informed him that an oil field in Lebanese territorial waters valued
76 billion dollars."This number is enough to solve the economic problem and even
contribute to building the defense strategy," Berri told As Safir. He also
criticized some Lebanese officials for doubting such information during a
National Dialogue session at Baabda palace. Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 08:49
Jumblat for Filing Complaint with U.N. if Israel Explores Gas in Lebanese Waters
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat urged the Lebanese
government to file a complaint with the U.N. if Israel seizes natural gas from
Lebanese territorial waters.
Jumblat told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Thursday that any Israeli
attempt to explore oil from disputed sea areas is a clear violation of all
agreements and international resolutions. If violation occurs, Lebanon should
file an official complaint with the U.N. Security Council against Israel, the
Druze leader said.
Israel still does not have officially delineated maritime borders with Lebanon.
Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 09:19
Army Sources Accuse U.N., UNIFIL of Neglect in Maritime Border Delineation
Naharnat/High-ranking Lebanese army officials accused the United Nations and
UNIFIL of dereliction in delineating Lebanon's maritime borders with Israel.
The sources told As Safir daily that the Lebanese government handed over maps
and documents on the delineation of the border to the U.N., which hasn't made a
single move.
The U.N. "should have asked Israel to hand it over its maps and documents so
that it launches a scientific study and play the role of the arbitrator," they
said in remarks published Thursday.
They said the U.N. and UNIFIL are throwing the ball in each others courts. "If
the failure (to find a solution) was the result of neglect, then this is a
disaster and if it stemmed from conspiracy with the Israeli enemy then this is
bigger disaster.""How are UNIFIL naval forces carrying out their mission without
a clear borderline that separates Lebanese and occupied Palestinian territorial
waters?" the officials asked. Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 10:28
Raad: Officials Should Mobilize Efforts to Explore Oil
Naharnet/Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad said
Lebanese officials should mobilize all efforts to start exploration of gas
fields in Lebanese territorial waters.
"History will not have mercy on those procrastinating to explore national
wealth," Raad told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Thursday. "Future
generations will judge this procrastination." The officials should cross the
bureaucratic barriers and immediately start gas exploration "because this is a
national challenge that we should succeed in" confronting, he said.
Beirut, 30 Dec 10, 09:47
Guy to Shami: Hague's Statements on Violence in Lebanon Not Based on Official
Info
Naharnet/Foreign Minister Ali Shami revealed on Wednesday that he summoned
British Ambassador to Lebanon Frances Mary Guy over statements by his British
counterpart William Hague on the possibility of the eruption of violence in
Lebanon. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Guy insisted to Shami
that "the statement was not based on official information."
Hague had recently told Britain's Sky News television that he was worried about
the situation in Lebanon and that he feared violence may break out in January.
Beirut, 29 Dec 10, 18:25
Ahead, a Syrian-Saudi obstacle course
By Michael Young /Daily Star
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Syrian-Saudi initiative is like the abominable snowman. Some people claim to
have seen it; some can even describe it. But proceed to the frozen wastelands
where the creature was supposedly spotted last, and you only find snow, nothing
more substantial.
There is no doubt that the Syrians and the Saudis are exchanging ideas on a new
modus vivendi in Lebanon. We know this from the fact that an unidentified
American official took the trouble last week, through the Saudi-owned daily Al-Hayat,
to warn against any steps the two countries might take to undermine the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. But what are the particulars of their discussions?
Here and there we will get useful sound-bites. An Arabic diplomatic source told
The Daily Star, in remarks published Wednesday, that Damascus and Riyadh were
discussing a package deal. The pact would encompass the special tribunal, Syrian
arrest warrants against Lebanese considered close to Prime Minister Saad Hariri,
as well as a possible change in government with Hariri remaining in office, and
an overhaul of Lebanon’s security and judicial hierarchies.
This seems awfully close to a Syrian interpretation of the talks to be entirely
convincing. Here is why. Most revealing is the last thought, namely
transformation of the security services and the judiciary. Even with a glass eye
one can easily discern which party controls the major security posts. It is
equally useful to recall that the Syrians have played a crucial role in blocking
administrative and diplomatic appointments during the past year. The reality is
that any changes in the military and in the major security agencies – the top
leadership posts of the army and military intelligence, as well as of the
General Security directorate, airport security, and so on – would principally
affect individuals close to Hizbullah. And for Syria and Saudi Arabia to take
from Hizbullah, Iran would first have to approve.
In public, pro-Syrian Lebanese spokesmen offer a slightly different reading.
They will agree that a change in government is in the air, but will not admit to
any divergences with Hizbullah. They will suggest that the political momentum is
in Syria’s and Hizbullah’s favor, and that the government and the security
services and other parts of the public administration must reflect this balance.
Some will go so far as to hint that a complete revamping of the Lebanese
political system is needed, one which grants the Shiite community more power.
Such ideas do not a Syrian-Saudi agreement make. In fact quite the contrary.
Whatever Damascus and Riyadh consent to will not only have to pass Iranian
muster, but also gain American approval. And if there are any doubts about the
impediments, the deputy secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security
Council, Ali Bagheri, remarked Monday in Damascus that it was Hizbullah that
would decide how to react to indictments issued by the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon. This seemed a careful way of stating that the Syrians and Saudis would
be given latitude to cripple the tribunal, but that Tehran’s patience had
limits.
Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, is engaged in a delicate balancing act. He is
happy to gain from Saudi-Iranian tensions, but he also needs to ensure that he
will not alienate either side. Assad is impatient to damage the special
tribunal’s legitimacy, since he doesn’t want the institution to weaken Hizbullah
or point the finger at Syrian officials. But he cannot allow Hizbullah to
humiliate Hariri, as it did in May 2008, as this would harm Assad’s relationship
with the Saudis, deny Syria the valuable Lebanese Sunni card it has spent years
reclaiming, and only reinforce Iran’s role as the dominant actor in Beirut.
Assad probably believes that the Saudis will push Hariri some of the way, which
is why he has reportedly urged them to approve measures to scuttle Lebanese
cooperation with the tribunal. However, many of the recent leaks indicating that
Hariri would soon agree to renounce the tribunal were really no more than
disinformation, efforts to pressure the prime minister into bending in Syria’s
direction. Yet for all these pressures, the rickety Hariri government remains
standing and Syria’s allies have not yet seriously threatened to withdraw.
Then there is the United States. The Syrians and Saudis must not only consider
how Iran views their deliberations, but also the way Washington will respond.
Assad’s expectations for a breakthrough on the Syrian-Israeli front may be low,
but that doesn’t mean the Syrian president can be reckless with regard to the
Obama administration or Israel. For Assad, repairing Syria’s ties with
Washington is necessary to provide him with options beyond his profitable, but
also frequently demeaning and constraining, alliance with Iran. And Damascus
needs to protect itself against the Israelis if they come to view Hizbullah as a
strategic menace, leading to a Lebanon war that draws in Syria.
If Assad pushes too hard against the tribunal, to Hizbullah’s advantage, both
the United States and Israel will begin fretting. Washington will not readily
give up on an institution that might soon accuse Hizbullah (which is different
than saying that the Americans are manipulating the indictments). Israel, in
turn, will not look kindly on Lebanese measures shielding the party from a
trial, thereby implicitly strengthening its military capacity, therefore Iran’s.
Here is the dizzyingly complicated context for the Syrian-Saudi talks, and such
complexity seems a good reason to lower expectations about a breakthrough
anytime soon. For what we have now are negotiations between two parties that
have significant sway over Lebanese affairs, but not necessarily the final say.
Whatever decisions they reach must still clear several hurdles, not one of which
will be easy.
*Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR and author of “The Ghosts of
Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle” (Simon &
Schuster).
Obama announces 6 recess appointments
The appointees include the U.S. ambassador to Syria. Obstruction by Senate
Republicans on confirmations meant the six have been waiting a total of 888 days
to start their jobs, the White House says.
By Michael A. Memoli and Peter Nicholas, Washington Bureau
December 30, 2010
Reporting from Honolulu and Washington —
President Obama used his executive power Wednesday to overcome what the White
House called obstruction by Senate Republicans, announcing six recess
appointments, including the first American ambassador to Syria in five years.
The appointments came amid deep White House frustration over the slow pace of
Senate confirmations. A memo issued by the White House on Wednesday said that 79
of Obama's nominations were pending in the Senate when the lame-duck session
ended.
The six nominees appointed have been waiting a total of 888 days to start their
respective jobs, the White House said.
"All administrations face delays in getting some of their nominees confirmed,
but the extent of Republican obstruction of Obama nominees is unprecedented," a
White House official said in a statement.
The appointments fill a total of four ambassadorships, including Robert Stephen
Ford as the envoy to Syria. Obama also appointed James Cole as deputy attorney
general and William J. Boarman to the more obscure post of public printer of the
United States, who heads the Government Printing Office.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) has objected to the appointment of Cole. In a
statement Wednesday, Chambliss said, "It is always better for controversial
nominees such as this one to go through the proper channels."
Chambliss is concerned about public comments Cole has made about prosecuting
suspected terrorists in criminal courts, his office said.
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) welcomed Cole's appointment.
"The delays in considering his nomination were unnecessary and wrong. I am glad
that he will now finally begin this important work to protect the American
people," Leahy said in a statement.
In making the recess appointments, Obama seems to be acknowledging that winning
Senate confirmation will only get tougher.
When Congress reconvenes next week, Democrats will continue to hold a majority
in the Senate. But the party will control 53 seats instead of the 59 they
controlled for much of the last year. Two independents caucus with the
Democrats.
Presidents can circumvent the requirement to get Senate approval of nominations
if Congress is in recess. The tactic has been used by presidents of both parties
to appoint more controversial nominees.
Obama named Ford as ambassador to Syria in February, seeking to fill the post
for the first time since President George W. Bush pulled his appointee after the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. At the time Obama
announced his choice, the White House said the decision represented the
president's "commitment to use engagement to advance U.S. interests by improving
communication with the Syrian government and people."
Obama has long complained about what he describes as Republican attempts to
derail the confirmation process.
In February, he made a rare appearance in the White House press room to voice
his frustration with the slow pace of Senate confirmations. He warned that he
would use his power to make recess appointments unless he received more
cooperation.
The following month, Obama made good on the threat. He infuriated pro-business
groups and many Senate Republicans with a batch of 15 recess appointments, one
of whom was labor lawyer Craig Becker.
Becker, who was general counsel to the Service Employees International Union,
was named to the National Labor Relations Board, which settles disputes between
labor and management. SEIU is a close political ally of Obama.
Becker's appointment had been held up by a Senate filibuster. Some lawmakers
contended that his ties to organized labor made him a poor choice for the board.
As a recess appointee, Becker may serve until the end of the Senate session,
which runs through 2011.
In July, Obama again bypassed the Senate to install a controversial nominee,
using a recess appointment to install Dr. Donald Berwick to run the Medicare and
Medicaid system. Republicans had objected to statements from Berwick praising
the British national healthcare system.
None of Wednesday's appointments were used to help clear a backlog in judicial
picks. When the 111th Congress adjourned last week, 19 judicial nominees that
had been reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee were left pending and
returned to the president.
A committee spokesman says that in the first Congress of Bush's first term,
every nominee faced an up-or-down vote, and 100 District and Circuit Court
judicial nominations were confirmed. Only 60 were confirmed with a Democratic
majority for Obama.
Senate Democrats have tried to beat back filibusters and force a confirmation
vote 21 times during Obama's presidency. At a comparable point under Bush,
Republicans had tried to force a confirmation vote just four times, the White
House said.
Officials also announced that Obama, who has been in Hawaii for a week with his
family, will extend his trip by one day and return to Washington on Jan. 4.
michael.memoli@tribune.com
peter.nicholas@latimes.com
Memoli reported from Honolulu and Times staff writer Nicholas from Washington.
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