LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
02/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Luke7/1-9: "After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the
people, he entered into Capernaum. 7:2 A certain centurion’s servant, who was
dear to him, was sick and at the point of death. 7:3 When he heard about Jesus,
he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and save his servant. 7:4
When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for
you to do this for him, 7:5 for he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue
for us.” 7:6 Jesus went with them. When he was now not far from the house, the
centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for
I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. 7:7 Therefore I didn’t even think
myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed.
7:8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers. I
tell this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to
my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he
marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, “I tell
you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.” 7:10 Those who were
sent, returning to the house, found that the servant who had been sick was well."
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Facebook group gets three
arrested/By: Matt Nash/July 01/10
Hizbullah's troublesome Turkish embrace/By:
Michael Young/July
01/10
Hesitation has no place in
reform/Daily Star/01 July/10
Long-awaited light/Al-Ahram
Weekly/July
01/10
Spy war continues/Al-Ahram
Weekly/ July
01/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 01/10
U.N., U.S.: We Are Not Aware of
Israeli Decision to Pull Out of Ghajar/Naharnet
Golan UN peacekeeping force mandate
extended/AFP
Iran Defends Nuclear Drive in
Letter to the UN/AFP
Iran Arms Syria With Radar/Wall
Street Journal
Brazil, Syria slam Israel over Gaza
flotilla, blockade/Ha'aretz
UNIFIL Ends Patrols following
Skirmishes, Denies Intention to Change Rules of Engagement/Naharnet
U.N., U.S.: We Are Not Aware of
Israeli Decision to Pull Out of Ghajar/Naharnet
Report: Iran Armed Syria With Radar
that Could Increase Accuracy of Hizbullah Missiles/Naharnet
Haaretz Doubts Hizbullah's
Involvement in Spy Network Seized in Israel/Naharnet
Israel Arrests 6 Palestinians on
Charges of Spying for Hizbullah/Naharnet
Murr: All Details About Qazzi are
Analyses and Predictions/Naharnet
Alfa Stresses Full Cooperation with
Army Intelligence: Held Employee Works as Technician/Naharnet
Geagea: Lebanese Government Should
be in Control of Hizbullah Arms without Handing them to Army/Naharnet
Suleiman Says Judiciary Won't Be
Lenient, Vows to Sign Death Verdicts against Israeli Spies/Naharnet
Geagea: Protests against 1701 are
Aimed at Providing Cover to Political Sides Wanting to Thwart its
Implementation/Naharnet
Turkey Says Syria Detains 400
Kurdish Separatists/New
York Times
Abdullah joins Obama in pressing
for Syria talks/Jewish
Telegraphic Agency
Iran
Defends Nuclear Drive in Letter to the UN
01/07/2010
TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran has written to the 15 members of the UN Security Council
insisting that new sanctions slapped on the Islamic republic will not affect its
nuclear programme, the state news agency said on Thursday. Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki said in the letters Iran "considers that the adoption of such
(UN) resolutions will not affect its utterly peaceful nuclear programme," the
IRNA news agency reported. Instead, Mottaki added in his letters to the foreign
ministers of the Security Council member states, Iran is now "more determined"
than ever to develop its atomic programme. He criticized "the hasty adoption, at
the insistence of America and its allies, of an unjust and illegal resolution
against the great nation of Iran."
On June 9, 12 members of the Security Council, including all five permanent
members, voted in favor on imposing a fourth set of sanctions against Tehran
over its uranium enrichment programme, the most controversial aspect of the
nuclear drive. Brazil and Turkey voted against and Lebanon abstained. Mottaki
thanked the Turkish and Brazilian foreign ministers for "resisting the pressure
of some specific nations and voting against the resolution," IRNA said. He also
reiterated Tehran's position that, "nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's
defense and security policies." World powers led by Washington accuse the
Islamic republic of seeking to build nuclear weapons and are demanding that it
freeze its uranium enrichment activity, which can be a key step towards
developing an atomic arsenal. Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful
purposes only.
The new UN measures authorize states to conduct high-seas inspections of vessels
believed to be ferrying banned items to Iran and add 40 entities to a list of
people and groups subject to travel restrictions and financial sanctions. US
President Barack Obama was meanwhile expected Thursday to sign a separate US
package of tough new energy and financial sanctions on Iran, over and above
those approved by the UN Security Council. The US Senate and the House of
Representatives approved the legislation last week by crushing 99-0 and 408-8
margins respectively. The new congressional measures aim to choke off Iran's
access to imports of refined petroleum products like gasoline and jet fuel and
curb its access to the international banking system.
Geagea:
Lebanese Government Should be in Control of Hizbullah Arms without Handing them
to Army
/Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea declared on Thursday the LF has a
clear and positive stance from Hizbullah's weapons: "Let them stay where they
are, yet the decisions regarding these weapons should be made by the
government." In an interview with pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, Geagea refuted the
claim that Hizbullah's arms are essential for protecting Lebanon and its oil and
gas resources by asking "who appointed Hizbullah as the sole protector" for
Lebanon's resources? "We are all responsible for the oil in Lebanon," he
continued.
Consequently, Geagea claimed that there should be no problem in transferring the
decisions concerning Hizbullah's arms to the Lebanese government without handing
the weapons to the military. "This step alone is capable of protecting Lebanon;
anything else will only expose Lebanon to more danger," he said. "If the
decision was up to the government, it would use these weapons for the sole
reason of defending Lebanon; that is why they do not want to transfer this right
to the government," he said about Hizbullah. On the Syrian issue, Geagea said:
"We are striving to achieve serious and normal relations with Syria, but these
relations should take place through official institutions." Therefore, he denied
claims that officials from the LF had visited Damascus or met any Syrian
officials. The LF leader also reassured that his party is not in isolation,
insisting that the March 14 alliance still stands in spite some differences.
Moreover, he promised a unified front about the Palestinian civil rights.
Beirut, 01 Jul 10, 12:10
Haaretz Doubts Hizbullah's Involvement in Spy Network Seized in Israel
Naharnet/The Shin Bet security service did not launch its own probe into the
arrest of a spy network and left it to the regular police and the military
police which implies that Hizbullah's involvement is minor, if it exists at all,
the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday. "Had the Shin Bet suspected it was
dealing with a sophisticated spy ring operated by Hizbullah with the goal of
gaining access to sensitive Israeli military sites, it would have insisted on
taking part in the investigation," the newspaper said. On Wednesday, the Israeli
army said a soldier and several civilians have been arrested for allegedly
passing information to Hizbullah and smuggling drugs across the border. "It is
suspected that an IDF warrant officer and a number of Israeli civilians were in
contact with Lebanese drug dealers so as to smuggle drugs over the border," a
statement said. "According to the investigation, it is alleged that the warrant
officer passed on military-security information to Lebanese drug dealers,
connected to Hizbullah," it said. Beirut, 01 Jul 10, 12:34
UNIFIL Ends Patrols following Skirmishes, Denies Intention to Change Rules of
Engagement
Naharnet/UNIFIL ended patrols that had drawn protests from residents of several
southern towns and villages as the U.N. stressed that the Lebanese army was
"fully informed" about them and said the activities were conducted to ensure the
readiness of peacekeepers on the ground. Angry residents on Tuesday blocked
Adeisseh-Kfar Kila road in southern Lebanon and hurled stones at a UNIFIL
vehicle in Khirbit Selim to protest passing of patrols which they claimed to be
in violation of Security Council resolution 1701. Media reports said Thursday
that the activities came to a halt upon orders from UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen.
Alberto Asarta. Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq,
said in New York on Wednesday that UNIFIL's activities were only "aimed at
checking its own internal capacity for deploying maximum troops on the ground on
a regular day of operations."
"That exercise is to enable the commander to have a clear picture of the
military assets that can be available to him at any given time. And in that
case, particular care has been taken to minimize disturbance or inconvenience to
the local population during the operation," he said. "In cooperation with the
Lebanese army, UNIFIL is making every effort to talk to the communities and
explain to them the nature and purpose of the activity in order to clear any
misunderstandings they may have in this regard," he added.
Haq stressed that the Lebanese army "was fully informed about this activity, its
nature and its purpose." UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh also said that rumors
about efforts to change the peacekeepers' rules of engagement were not true. He
stressed the patrols were only aimed at checking the peacekeepers' capacity for
troop deployment.
France, meanwhile, expressed regret at the "violent reactions" that injured
several French peacekeepers. A foreign ministry spokesperson stressed that "such
incidents create a misunderstanding but they don't influence our commitment to
UNIFIL." Beirut, 01 Jul 10, 08:34
U.N., U.S.: We Are Not Aware of Israeli Decision to Pull Out of Ghajar
Naharnet/The United Nations and Washington have denied they had received
information about an Israeli decision to withdraw from the Lebanese part of the
border village of Ghajar.
"Obviously we are aware of the latest media reports, but as far as the situation
in Ghajar is concerned, as you know, our Force Commander General (Alberto Asarta
Cuevas) has been working with the respective Lebanese and Israeli authorities to
deal with the issue of Ghajar, and we need to find out from UNIFIL whether there
is actually any move for a pullout," said Farhan Haq, Associate Spokesperson for
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "Obviously this is something we've been working
on for several years now. We would welcome any progress on this. But we'll wait
to see from UNIFIL what is actually happening on the ground," he told reporters
in New York on Wednesday. On Thursday, UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh said a
possible Israeli pullout from Ghajar would not only limit tension but would also
contribute to building trust in the area. "Everyone has admitted that this area
falls in Lebanese territory," he said. A U.S. official also refused to confirm
to An Nahar daily the news of the Israeli pullout from the northern part of
Ghajar. The newspaper quoted a U.N. official as saying that the Israeli security
cabinet will convene on Thursday to discuss the issue of Ghajar. Diplomatic
sources also said a Lebanese military delegation that visited New York lately
and held talks with several officials from the world body rejected Israeli
suggestions on a solution to the village's residents. The sources added that
Israeli accusations to the Lebanese government that it had backed off from
agreements on Ghajar emanate from the rejection of the suggestions. Beirut, 01
Jul 10, 07:44
Report: Iran Armed Syria With Radar that Could Increase Accuracy of Hizbullah
Missiles
Naharnet/Iran has sent Syria a sophisticated radar system that could benefit
Hizbullah and threaten Israel's ability to launch a surprise attack against
Iran's nuclear facilities, Israeli and U.S. officials told The Wall Street
Journal. "The radar could bolster Syria's defenses by providing early warning of
Israeli air-force sorties. It could also benefit Hizbullah," the daily said.
"Any sharing of radar information by Syria could increase the accuracy of
Hizbullah's own missiles and bolster its air defenses," it added.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the mid-2009 transfer was described in
recent months by two Israeli officials, two U.S. officials and a Western
intelligence source, and confirmed Wednesday by the Israeli military. Though
they didn't name the system's final recipient in Syria, these and other
officials described it as part as a dramatic increase in weapons transfers and
military coordination among Iran, Syria and Hizbullah. It said that a White
House spokesman declined to comment on the transfer. However, Israeli officials
confirmed in private the transfer of the advanced radar without releasing
specifics in response to queries by The Wall Street Journal. "Iran is engaged in
developing Syrian intelligence and aerial detection capabilities, and Iranian
representatives are present in Syria for that express purpose," the Israeli
military said in a statement. "Radar assistance is only one expression of that
cooperation."
The Wall Street Journal quoted the spokesman for the Syrian Embassy in
Washington, Ahmed Salkini, as saying the report of the radar shipment was a
"classic Israeli PR stunts aimed at diverting the world's attention from the
atrocities they are committing in Gaza and other occupied territories."
Iran denied that it had sent sophisticated radars to Syria. "It is absolutely
not true," said Mohammed Bak Sahraee, spokesman for Iran's mission to the United
Nations. Hizbullah officials in Beirut declined to comment. More advanced radar
technologies would likely increase the accuracy and lethality of Hizbullah
missiles aimed at Israeli cities and incoming Israeli aircraft, the newspaper
said. "An effective long-range radar is the kind of thing you'd need to make
longer-range missiles accurate," said David Fulghum, an electronic warfare and
radar expert. "Up till now, (Hizbullah) was just sort of lighting the fuse and
shooting them to land wherever." Beirut, 01 Jul 10, 10:55
Alfa Stresses Full Cooperation with Army
Naharnet/Intelligence: Held Employee Works as Technician
Lebanese state-owned mobile phone firm Alfa on Wednesday stressed its "full
cooperation" with the Intelligence Directorate of the Lebanese Army "in order to
unveil all the threads in the case of the employee who enabled Israel of
manipulating the network's data. "The firm "puts all its technical and manpower
capabilities at the disposition of the Intelligence Directorate of the Lebanese
Army," said a communiqué released by Alfa. "The concerned employee works as a
technician at the technical department tasked with the maintenance of equipment
that connect cellular network stations, known as the microwave technology," Alfa
announced, adding that it does not underestimate "the importance of the
information he (the employee) has access to."
Alfa called for keeping its name away from "this sensitive case to preserve the
reputation and dignity of its employees and subscribers." The mobile phone
network operator stressed that "it reserves the right to take all legal measures
against any employee investigations may show that he/she is involved in this
case, out of its keenness on the safety of the subscribers' database and the
undertaking of its full responsibilities." Beirut, 30 Jun 10, 21:28
Murr: All Details About Qazzi are Analyses and Predictions
Naharnet/Defense Minister Elias Murr expressed regret at the spread by media
outlets of alleged false information about Charbel Qazzi, an employee at mobile
phone operator Alfa, who has been arrested for collaborating with the Israeli
Mossad. Murr did not blame the news organizations for writing or broadcasting
stories about the suspect. "I can't hold any medium responsible given that
official authorities did not provide it with (accurate) information." The
minister made his remark on Wednesday after he presided over a meeting of the
ministerial committee tasked with studying a judicial agreement between Lebanon
and France. "All what has been written in newspapers and broadcasted on radios
and TVs except that he (Qazzi) is an Israeli agent working for a mobile company
are analyses and predictions," Murr told reporters. He vowed to keep the suspect
at the general directorate of the army intelligence until all information and
details of his spying and any possible other networks are available. Beirut, 01
Jul 10, 09:31
Suleiman Says Judiciary Won't Be Lenient, Vows to Sign
Death Verdicts against Israeli Spies
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday vowed to sign "any death
sentence issued against individuals convicted of spying for Israel," only days
after the arrest of Charbel Qazzi -- a technician working for the state-owned
mobile phone firm Alfa – on suspicion of collaborating with Israel's Mossad
intelligence agency.
"The Judiciary won't be lenient at all in its indictments, because spying is a
hostile act and a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701," Suleiman
said during a meeting with the Baabda Palace permanent correspondents. The
president noted that "Israeli threats against Lebanon are persistent and aim at
dividing the Lebanese between those who back fighting Israel and those who
don't," adding that "the occurrence of an Israeli war is possible, but I don't
want to generate an atmosphere of fear." Commenting on Monday's arrest of three
people on charges of defaming the president on Facebook, Suleiman said: "We know
how freedom should be enjoyed – it should not clash with public morals." He
added that the detainees launched "a website to swear at the president of the
republic, which is not a political topic, but rather cussing and cursing that is
punishable under the law because it targets the president." "It is an indecent
website which misuses freedom, and shameful things were said on that website,"
Suleiman added. Beirut, 30 Jun 10, 22:37
Jumblat for 'Defusing Human Grenades,' Warns of Severe
Repercussions from STL Ruling
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat believes that the
arrest of networks spying for the Israeli Mossad puts "everyone" in the danger
of assassinations, As Safir daily reported. Jumblat told the newspaper that
officials should confront the Israeli danger through cooperation between all
parties and security forces "to defuse the human grenades."
He said such grenades target sovereignty, stability and security. Asked about
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Jumblat warned about "severe repercussions" if
the ruling comes in the form of the Der Spiegel reports which have said
Hizbullah was behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination. The Druze leader
called for benefiting from the resistance rather than coming up with "theories
of neutrality that some are seeking to market." He also criticized the theories
of politicians at the national dialogue saying Deputy Speaker Farid Makari's
conclusions on the country's defense strategy cannot be implemented in Lebanon.
Jumblat said he knew who was behind Makari's so-called theory. Beirut, 01 Jul
10, 10:20
Hesitation has no place in reform
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
There are those who doubt the motives of foreign countries and international
organizations when they issue their famous “reports” on the situation in a given
country in our region. There are those who talk of hidden objectives, and double
standards, irrespective of whether or not this criticism is justified. In the
past, this newspaper, for example, has questioned the value of certain reports,
when the hypocrisy level was too high.
And then there are the times when a given report hits the nail on the head.
This week, the United Nations has diagnosed a key problem in Egypt. It’s not a
novel idea, but should be highlighted nevertheless: a “culture of fear” impedes
young people’s political development in the land of the Nile, where repression
is a practiced art, and deprives people of the chance to participate, and
influence their futures.
The report cites various cases of repression: corruption, nepotism and electoral
fraud, and naturally the lack of key freedoms.
There are the obvious causes, such as political intimidation, in the form of
police raids, and the overarching “State of Emergency” laws. There are other
factors, such as an economy that forces newlyweds to live with their parents, if
they’re able to get married in the first place.
It’s easy to criticize the governments and regimes of our region on such
matters. However, it’s far more disturbing when we hear that those who seek to
change the situation put forward the same kind of lackluster and defensive
performances as our official political systems.
In an interview this week with BBC, Egypt’s Mohamed ElBaradei appeared to be
suffering from his own culture of fear, even though he’s no spring chicken.
Perhaps he’s running for president of Egypt; perhaps not. Perhaps he’s the head
of the movement that has sprung up in support of him; perhaps he’s an unofficial
“guide.” Perhaps he’s been misunderstood: he didn’t mean to compare himself to
Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, and rather he meant to say that the
change he supports is just as important as the causes they championed. Did he
say that he was the most popular Egyptian? No, he was the most well-known
internationally.
This hesitancy to state what one stands for is worrying, at a time in which
Egypt and the rest of the Arab world are mired in decay and neglect. The
problems are fairly obvious; the Arab world is sinking, and non-Arab countries
like Turkey and Iran are on the rise. Those who promise change, even at the
domestic level in Egypt, must exhibit leadership: there’s no room for
hesitation, but only deciding, showcasing, and leading. Unless ElBaradei and
other would-be reformers make their mark, by charting the way forward, they’re
contributing to the very uncertainty and hesitation addressed in the UN report.
Tehran warns EU of 'dire consequences' over sanctions decision
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS: Iran has warned European Union states of “dire consequences”
because of their decision to impose tighter sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear
program.
“Undoubtedly, such a confrontational approach may leave dire consequences in the
ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the EU,” Iranian Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki said in a letter to EU foreign ministers obtained by Reuters
Wednesday.
The EU’s decision “will definitely cause far greater losses for the European
Union itself rather than for the Islamic Republic of Iran as this is amply
demonstrated in all previous statistics,” said the letter, which was received on
Tuesday.
Mottaki’s letter also said the 27-nation bloc “will practically deny itself of
the potentially strategic cooperation of a powerful and influential partner in
the sensitive region of the Middle East and Persian Gulf.”
EU leaders last week agreed on tighter sanctions against Iran, including
measures to block oil and gas investment and curtail its refining and natural
gas capability.
The measures, which go well beyond those approved by the Security Council on
June 9, are designed to pressure Tehran to return to talks on its enrichment
program which Western powers believe is designed to produce nuclear weapons but
Iran says is peaceful.
“Let us hope that the European Union will not succumb to US pressures to march
on a wrong path that will only produce everlasting shame before the free-minded
nations of the world,” Mottaki said.
The Iranian foreign minister also sent letters this week to some of the 12
members of the 15-nation UN Security Council who earlier this month voted in
favor of a fourth round of UN sanctions against Tehran.
The letter to one council member said the sanctions only made Iran more
determined to pursue its “absolutely peaceful nuclear program.”
“Your government’s illogical and ill-intended measure in [supporting] the
illegal and unfair resolution … is a matter of deep regret and embarrassment,”
Mottaki wrote to the foreign minister of a council member. An official who
disclosed the letter asked that the country not be identified.
“There is no doubt this measure against the Iranian nation will be recorded as a
dark spot in the history of the bilateral relations,” said the letter.
Though the council approved the sanctions resolution, Brazil and Turkey voted
against it, saying a nuclear fuel swap deal they sealed in Tehran made new
sanctions unnecessary. Lebanon was unable to reach a decision as its government
was deadlocked on whether to abstain or vote against the resolution.
Hizbullah's troublesome Turkish embrace
By Michael Young
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=116586
Daily Star
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Hizbullah has been terribly excitable in recent weeks. It has threatened,
condemned, demanded, and warned, all suggesting the party is not quite relaxed
about the prevailing political situation.
First it was the party’s ambiguities about the ships to be sent from Beirut to
Gaza; then its tough position on the offshore oil dispute with Israel. Then it
was Hizbullah MP Kamel al-Rifai promising that the party would soon “confront
American defamation campaigns” and prepare a list of individuals, parties and
clubs collaborating with the US. And this week villagers in the south, in
actions very likely orchestrated by Hizbullah, blocked roads and attacked UNIFIL
vehicles. This came after an Alfa employee was arrested allegedly for being a
Mossad spy, allowing Hizbullah to caution that Israel controls the Lebanese
telecoms sector.
Hizbullah’s message is clear: the enemy is everywhere. For a party that needs
enemies to survive, this is understandable. However, there is something deeper
at play, a malaise with the fact that the situation in Lebanon and the Middle
East is not to the party’s liking.
Hizbullah appears to have been put out by the Turkish reaction to the Gaza
flotilla incident a few weeks ago. While many in the West saw only Ankara’s
hostility against Israel, the perspective from the region was different, and
played itself out against a backdrop of Arab fears of Iran’s rising power; or
less subtly, Sunni Arab fears of Shiite Iran.
The Palestinian issue is at the heart of the so-called “resistance agenda,”
which Hizbullah claims to embody best. Since 2005, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
has used the Palestinians as a battering ram to enhance Iran’s legitimacy among
the Arabs, while delegitimizing the Arab’s own passive regimes. But now Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped in and the Arabs, their
sectarian impulses kicking in, have elected Turkey as their foremost champion.
Turkey’s push on the Palestinian front may lead in several directions that
Hizbullah finds worrisome. For starters, Erdogan has arrogated the right to
speak in the name of Hamas, recently declaring that the movement is not a
terrorist organization. Given Turkish influence over Syria, which hosts Hamas’
leader Khaled Meshaal, this throws a new variable into Hizbullah’s relation with
the Palestinian Islamist movement.
Nor could Hizbullah’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, have failed to notice
the sudden outpouring of enthusiasm in Beirut for Turkey after the Gaza
incident, especially from the likes of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Walid
Jumblatt. Their endorsements were implicitly and even explicitly directed
against Iran’s way of doing things in the Middle East. Saying yes to Turkey has
become shorthand in Lebanon and the region for saying no to Iran and its allies.
More generally, what does it mean for Hizbullah if Turkey displaces Iran and the
party itself as the main spokesmen for the Palestinian cause – all the time
remaining friendly with Tehran and even defending it internationally? What it
means, in tangible terms, is that the Turks have a greater say in matters of war
and peace in the region when it comes to Israel. It also means they will examine
more closely how actions by Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah might affect Turkey’s
interests. That complicates matters for Hizbullah, because suddenly the party’s
freedom to use Lebanon on Iran’s behalf as an instrument of deterrence against
Israel is lessened.
Even internally the situation has shifted. Hizbullah has growled in recent weeks
that any domestic attempt to use possible indictments by the Hariri tribunal
against the party might provoke a new onslaught against the Sunnis, similar to
that of May 2008. But how realistic is that today? Not very. Hariri has played
the Turkish card to the hilt, and the sudden consolidation of Sunni local and
regional solidarity in favor of Palestine and against Iran, in many ways default
positions for the community, greatly constrains Hizbullah.
And so, Hizbullah watches with trepidation as new actors are hijacking its
symbols. If Turkey emerges as a new power, what will it mean for Syria’s
dependency on Iran? The thought of an emerging alignment of Sunni-dominated
states in which an unabashedly Muslim Turkey, led by moderate Islamists, seizes
the choice role, is not something reassuring for Tehran, which still considers
the weak states of the Gulf as an open field for Iranian hegemony.
This is what explains Hizbullah’s sudden burst of paranoid energy. By
artificially playing up dangers left and right, the party is trying to
reposition itself, both within the Shiite community and in Lebanese society, as
the vanguard force defending against Israel and the United States. Hizbullah
thrives on conflict, but Erdogan threatens to take the conflict card out of the
party’s hands and play it at a table where Hizbullah cannot compete, and where
Iran might lose out.
Above all, Hizbullah is concerned about its latitude to retaliate against an
Israeli or American attack against Iran. Turkey may be critical of Israel, but
it hasn’t severed diplomatic ties. It could come to play a crucial role as
mediator to head off a Lebanese-Israeli confrontation, while also using its sway
over Damascus to hold Syria in check.
Turkey has a contingent in UNIFIL, whose term was extended only last week. That
southern villagers should be raising the heat on the international force now
does not appear to be a coincidence in light of the decision. The party cannot
afford to attack the Turks head on, but by discrediting the UN mission,
Hizbullah may be out to undermine any eventual Turkish role, especially in
conjunction with the UN, as the go-between with Israel over Lebanon.
Fear those closest to you, the saying goes. Hizbullah has never seemed so
destabilized as when facing the troublesome Turkish embrace.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. His “The Ghosts of Martyrs
Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle” (Simon & Schuster) has
just been published.
Long-awaited light
By: Lucy Fielder
Al-Ahram Weekly/01/07/10
Last Sunday, thousands of Lebanese and Palestinian demonstrators descended on
Beirut demanding civil rights for Lebanon's Palestinian refugees. Holding
banners saying "We just want to live in dignity", refugees from all of Lebanon's
12 squalid camps protested against the institutionalised discrimination they
face and in support of a draft law that proposes sweeping -- and long overdue --
changes.
"We absolutely refuse to forget our right to return and we don't want Lebanese
citizenship," said Haifa Jammal, one of the organisers. "We just want the right
to work, to own property; these are basic human rights."
In Lebanon, the idea of granting such rights to the Palestinians is explosive.
Many Lebanese fear that any improvement of the refugees' conditions is a first
step towards tawteen, the granting of Lebanese nationality. Typically, this has
been the view held by many Christians, particularly those on the political
right. But a broad spectrum of Lebanese have also in the past stood against
improving the Palestinians' lot, whether because of fears of tipping Lebanon's
fragile sectarian balance -- the Palestinians in Lebanon are overwhelmingly
Sunni Muslim -- or on the pretext that this would somehow negate their right of
return to historic Palestine.
"Our camps are so dirty and overcrowded, there is no room for the new
generation, even though they were born here. It's unimaginable," Jammal said.
Lebanon's Palestinian refugees are estimated to number around 270,000; more than
400,000 are registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA), but many of those are believed to have left Lebanon. They are
the descendants of those who fled or were driven across the northern border
following the Nakba in 1948.
In Lebanon, Palestinians are denied the right to work in all but the most menial
professions outside the camps, to own property or claim social security. Syria
and Jordan allow their Palestinian inhabitants many more rights, without
granting them nationality.
"I studied business and accounting, but I can't practise it," said Ahmed
Hazzouri, another protester. "There's a kind of racial discrimination against
the Palestinians."
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt submitted the draft bill to parliament on 22 June.
It would grant the Palestinian refugees the right to work, to social security
and medical aid in state hospitals, and to own property, without granting the
vote or citizenship. After a heated debate, the bill was sent to a review
committee and a vote was scheduled for 15 July. A similar proposal was submitted
a few days later by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, with the difference
that it would scrap the need for costly work permits. Sunday's demonstrators
praised both initiatives, but also want the permits ditched.
Lebanon's Palestinians are forbidden from working in more than 70 professions,
particularly white-collar jobs, through a reciprocity clause that is applied to
many other states. In theory, because Palestine doesn't allow the Lebanese to
work there, the Palestinians are banned from working in Lebanon. That no
Palestinian state exists has not prevented the application of the rule.
Jumblatt's proposal suggests that the Palestinians be exempt from the
reciprocity clause.
A 2006 decree was supposed to broaden the number of jobs open to the
Palestinians, but it contained no mechanisms to ensure it was implemented and
remained ink on paper.
An old fault-line opened up in parliament during the draft law debate, with
Christian MPs temporarily united against the law, including Hizbullah ally
Michel Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement, as well as Samir Geagea's rightwing
Lebanese Forces and other smaller groups. Many blame the Palestinian presence in
Lebanon, particularly after the influx of fighters from Jordan in 1970, for
sparking civil war. Shia Hizbullah and Amal, Saad Al-Hariri's Sunni Future
Movement, and Jumblatt's mainly Druze Progressive Socialist Party have said they
will vote in favour.
In 2008, Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) representative in Lebanon Abbas
Zaki apologised in vague terms for any Palestinian wrongs during the civil war
period in Lebanon. In 2005, a Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee was
founded. Sari Hanafi, a professor of sociology at the American University of
Beirut and one of the march's organisers, believes such shifts have created the
impetus for change. "There have been many Palestinian gestures," he told Al-Ahram
Weekly. "There's also an awareness that the Palestinian camps' insecurity has
increased because of growing poverty and crowdedness, which is a serious threat
to Lebanese stability."
As well as the old "naturalisation by stealth" arguments, many economic
arguments against the bill have been aired over the past week, along with
arguments that since Lebanon was not responsible for the dispossession of the
Palestinians in 1948, the international community should shoulder the costs (as
it largely does).
Along with the humanitarian and human rights grounds for passing the law, Hanafi
said campaigners needed to debunk these and other myths, for example
highlighting that the Palestinians are entitled to education and healthcare from
UNRWA and therefore are unlikely to be a drain on Lebanon's resources.
"Palestinians also consume 10 per cent of Lebanon's GDP and they don't send
remittances home," he said.
Hazzouri, at the protest, made a different but complementary point. "We could
invest in Lebanon if we were allowed to. The Palestinians want to work and many
are educated. Now if someone does manage to get some money together, they
daren't keep it in Lebanon."
Rosana Bou Monsef, an analyst for the pro- parliamentary majority An-Nahar
newspaper, said she doubted the law would be passed as it is, criticising its
sweeping nature. The sectarian political system relies on consensus, so the
Christians, who form about 35 per cent of the population, cannot be ignored.
"It's going to be very hard to push this through without the go-ahead from at
least the main Christian sides, Aoun, the Lebanese Forces and the [Maronite]
patriarch," she said. "This needs to be studied and discussed. I believe the
government will give the Palestinians some of these rights, but not all. And not
under pressure."
Bou Monsef said the Christians would need guarantees that this was not a first
step towards absorbing the Palestinian population, and reassurances on the
economic viability of the measures. "For example, how are we to grant the
Palestinians the right to a pension when we cannot afford it, and many Lebanese
do not get one?"
UNRWA head Filippo Grandi warned last week of a growing funding shortfall as a
result of the global financial crisis, with UN services at the camps already
stripped down to the bare minimum.
Bou Monsef said instability was not likely if the bill was passed, with no party
currently interested in destroying the fragile calm enjoyed since the Doha
Agreement ended clashes in May 2008.
Hanafi, too, believed a compromise might emerge from the predicted parliamentary
tussle over the refugees' rights. "We'll see soon enough whether the rightwing
succeeds in buying time," he said. "They don't have any alternative proposals,
apart from establishing work quotas, which go against the principle of granting
universal rights."
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
Spy war continues
Omayma Abdel-Latif
Al-Ahram Weekly.
Sharbel Qazi, known in the media as the "communication informant", has the
profile of a typical Israeli spy. He has relatives in Israel who previously
served in Israel's proxy militia, the South Lebanon Army, during the Israeli
occupation of Southern Lebanon, was well travelled, and accumulated wealth that
did not match his modest abilities. He was recruited by one of his relatives in
Israel.
When caught, Qazi was a senior technician responsible for transmission and
broadcasting with the Alfa telecommunications firm, one of the two cellular
phone networks in Lebanon. This entitled him access to a treasure trove of data
that allowed the Israelis to easily penetrate the network and run its operations
when and how they wanted. Qazi was charged with "supplying Israel with sensitive
information that harmed Lebanese national security."
Under initial investigation, Qazi told authorities he had been an Israeli agent
since 1996. Army sources said "the investigation will take its time, since the
agent is extremely dangerous," and that the investigation was seeking to
determine whether he was part of a wider network. Qazi was the latest capture in
an 18- month crackdown aimed at dismantling an extensive Israeli espionage ring
in Lebanon.
The wave of arrests began in April 2009 with the detention of a former brigadier
general of the General Security directorate. More than 70 people, including
policemen and security officials, have been detained since the start of the
crackdown. The latest was in February, when the Lebanese army arrested six
people, including retired security officials, on suspicion of spying as part of
two separate Israeli-linked espionage networks operating in the north and south
of the country.
In March, a Lebanese military judge filed a case against four people on charges
of collaborating with Israel. The suspects had reportedly been giving
information on military sites, civilians and Hizbullah officials. More than 20
people since have been indicted and could face the death penalty for treason.
The extended hunt for Israeli agents in Lebanon has been described as one of
Israel's worst ever intelligence setbacks. Lebanese security officials believe
the arrests have seriously disrupted Israeli intelligence operations in the
country. The hunt also revealed how the network was spreading wider, including a
Lebanese army colonel from the Christian area of Akkar in northern Lebanon who
commanded the military's Special Forces School, a deputy mayor of Saadnayel, a
Sunni town in the eastern Beqaa Valley, and even a retired general from Internal
Security Forces in South Lebanon.
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, commenting on the latest arrests, said it they gave
evidence of how deep Israeli intelligence infiltration of Lebanese society was
at different levels. Jumblatt called for the death penalty for those charged
with treason.
While questions have been raised about what role Hizbullah took in exposing and
dismantling Israel's informant networks, the resistance movement had been keen
to keep a low profile on the arrests, treating them as the work of the Lebanese
army. Loyalty to the Resistance MP Mohamed Raad was ambiguous: "the resistance (Hizbullah)
is not ignoring Israeli espionage networks; the gamble is on the neglect or
inattention of the Lebanese security apparatuses."
Hizbullah and its leadership has been the primary target of most of the Israeli
espionage rings. Investigations show how the majority of informants admitted to
having played key roles in identifying Hizbullah targets bombed during Israel's
2006 war against Lebanon. The arrests so far have surely dealt a serious blow to
Israeli espionage activities in Lebanon at a time when Israel is making frequent
threats of waging another war.
Yet despite all efforts by the Lebanese security services to dismantle the
Israeli spy networks in their entirety, the uncovering of further networks also
suggests that what has been discovered so far could be but the tip of an
iceberg.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
A Syria in minor key
Tony Badran, June 29, 2010
Lebanon Now
The strategic vacuum the United States is leaving in the Middle East is creating
a dangerously unstable situation, arguably similar to the one immediately
preceding the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. This is characterized by a void in regional
leadership and a disengaged Washington incapable of dictating regional dynamics.
While Iran has been seen to be challenging the US order for a while now, it is
currently common knowledge that Turkey is also pushing to fill the vacuum and
carve out for itself a dominant position in the Ottomans’ former Middle Eastern
domains. But where does the rise of these middle powers leave second-tier Arab
countries like Syria, which has long claimed to be a vital regional player?
Some have suggested that a Turkish-Iranian balance of power would stabilize the
region by containing Iranian influence. The test case they offer is Syria. A
popular argument is that an ascendant Turkey that pulls Syria toward it would
lead to better Syrian-Turkish economic integration and greater political
moderation in Damascus.
This is a faulty reading. In reality, as Turkey and Iran assert themselves,
Syria is again falling back into its historical role as the land between greater
powers to its east, north and south. With that, its claim of a key regional role
loses its credibility, both in political and economic terms. Yet for the regime
of President Bashar al-Assad, projecting an over-inflated image of itself is
essential. That is why Assad has been painting a grandiose picture of his
regime’s central place in the so-called new regional order, built around the
supposed alignment of Turkey, Iran, Syria and perhaps Iraq.
At a joint conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in May 2009, Assad
laid out what became known in Syria as his “four seas” strategy: “Once the
economic space between Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran becomes integrated, we
would link the Mediterranean, Caspian, Black Sea, and the [Persian] Gulf… We
aren’t just important in the Middle East … Once we link these four seas, we
become the compulsory intersection for the whole world, in investment, transport
and more.”
Not satisfied with just four seas, Assad recently added a fifth, the Red Sea, to
his extravagant mix, describing Syria as the nexus of “a single, large perimeter
[with Turkey, Iran and Russia] … We’re talking about the center of the world.”
This was heady stuff, rather too heady for a country mired in endemic
corruption, under American sanctions, parched by years of drought, with no
economy to speak of, dwindling resources, and a decrepit, in some cases
non-existent, infrastructure. We expect Assad to repeat the ubiquitous Syrian
conceit that influence in the Middle East must necessarily pass through
Damascus, but the “new regional map” the Syrian president speaks of in fact only
affirms Syria’s marginality.
Perhaps it is lost on Assad, and on his partisans, but the world for decades has
managed to secure its energy resources without passing through Syria. It is
Turkey that is the real candidate for being the transitory energy corridor to
Europe. Syria is completely irrelevant in this picture. Assad is trying to claim
for himself Turkey’s advantage.
Turkish assertiveness and the emerging potential for Turkish-Iranian competition
sidelines Syria’s political aspirations as well. Damascus has historically
sought to magnify its weight by attempting to sell to the West the notion that
it alone controls the decision of going to war or of making peace with Israel
through its partnership with such militant groups as Hamas and Hezbollah. That,
in essence, was the heart of the Syrian position during the peace process of the
1990s.
But the reemergence of Turkey and Iran, historical centers of influence in the
region, eliminates any credibility from the Syrian claim. Hezbollah has always
been an Iranian creation whose loyalty and allegiance is to the Wilayat
al-Faqih, the ruling jurisprudent, in Iran. And, as we have seen in the last
couple of years, culminating in the recent flotilla incident off the Gaza coast,
Turkey is now making a bid to become the primary state interlocutor on behalf of
Hamas. With that, Syria’s designs to assume that role have been all but
shattered.
In other words, despite the hyperventilation of the Assad regime’s courtiers,
the Turkish and Iranian power drive leaves Assad with ever-shrinking room for
movement, as he becomes the junior partner not just of Teheran, but also of
Ankara. This is quite apt in historical terms, as it was always the natural
status of Syria, when it was subdivided into statelets, to act as a buffer
between the traditional imperial centers in Anatolia, Persia and Mesopotamia,
and Egypt.
Still, policy mavens in the United States have argued that Damascus’ improving
relations with Turkey might serve to moderate the Assad regime, or serve as a
constructive alternative to its enduring strategic alliance with Iran.
In reality, far from moderating Syria, the Turkish-Iranian interplay may in fact
exacerbate Syrian behavior, because it would shrink Damascus’ latitude to act,
therefore undermining its claim to political centrality. Faced with this
situation Assad could strive to hold on to any semblance of relevance the only
way he knows how: through violence. It is in that context that we should read
Syria’s recent attempts to arm Hezbollah with Syrian-made weapons, as if to
shout out that Damascus remains a factor to be dealt with alongside the big boys
in Teheran and Ankara.
However, as Assad’s options narrow and his declining importance is highlighted,
American policymakers will continue to be treated to the reality of Syria's
structural contradiction: the vast gap between its self-image and conception of
its role on the one hand, and its actual, secondary strategic importance on the
other.
*Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
UN concerned over protests against peacekeepers in Lebanon
July 1, 2010 /UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams on Thursday
expressed concern over protests by villagers against UN peacekeeping troops
deployed in the South.
"I'm very concerned about the incidents that took place and I know that the
Security Council members are also concerned," he said at a news conference.
Williams, who is scheduled to brief the Security Council on Lebanon this month,
said villagers staged 20 separate protests this week against UNIFIL. The
protests came during a maximum deployment exercise on Tuesday by UNIFIL, charged
with overseeing a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese militant group
Hezbollah. Protestors pelted stones at UNIFIL vehicles, wounding a soldier in
Kherbet Selem, some 18 kilometers from the border. "Some of these [protests] may
have been something spontaneous in the street, but some were clearly organized,"
Williams said, singling out one incident that he said involved around 100
people. UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh told AFP the exercise was a "regular
activity" with no special operations and the Lebanese army is fully aware of the
nature and purpose of the exercise. The cabinet on Wednesday night stressed the
need to strengthen coordination between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),
according to Information Minister Tarek Mitri. -AFP/NOW Lebanon
Nahhas and Fadlallah assess Alfa spy fallout
July 1, 2010/Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah – who heads the
Media and Telecommunications Commission - met with Telecom Minister Charbel
Nahhas to discuss the investigation of Alfa cell phone company employee Charbel
Kazzi for espionage, NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported. Kazzi was arrested
last week on suspicion of transferring information to Israeli intelligence. The
two discussed steps the Telecommunications Ministry is taking to assess how much
damage Kazzi may have done and how to deal with it.
-NOW Lebanon
Facebook group gets three arrested
Matt Nash, July 1, 2010
Now Lebanon/A Facebook group critical of
President Michel Sleiman’s Facebook page hit back Tuesday at critics who were
arrested on Monday for allegedly defaming him. Under the “President Michel
Sleiman’s Notes” section of what seems to be the president’s official page, an
unidentified author defends Sleiman’s respect for free speech and argues that a
now-defunct Facebook group called “We don’t want a traitor as president” offered
insults and disrespect, not constructive criticism.
Defamation is a crime according to Lebanon’s penal code, and both the public
prosecutor’s office and military intelligence monitor news outlets and the
internet, launching investigations against alleged defamers.
Publically, Sleiman has not yet addressed the issue, though the office of
Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar issued a press release explaining the legal
rational behind the move, Al-Arabiya reported. The release said the suspects –
known on the web as the Facebook 3 – violated articles outlawing defamation,
slander and libel in both the Penal Code and the 1962 Press Law.
The Penal Code, according to a lawyer who spoke to NOW Lebanon on condition of
anonymity because he is not allowed to talk to the press, bans people from
defaming, slandering or libeling someone else “in public,” a vague definition
that arguably includes Facebook. The code also includes special provisions
related to Lebanon’s president and the president of any “sisterly state.”
When these heads of state are defamed, slandered or libeled, the public
prosecutor can launch investigations, issue warrants and make arrests
unilaterally upon finding evidence of the crime without anyone first filing a
lawsuit, the lawyer said. In all other cases, the courts cannot act until
someone first files suit.
The press law, however, is quite different. First, it applies only to physically
printed newspapers and magazines, not the internet, the lawyer said. It also
bans pre-trial detention of anyone accused of defamation, slander or libel – a
ban not respected in this case, as the Facebook 3 – identified by AFP as Naim
George Hanna, 27, Antoine Youssef Ramia, 29, and Shebel Rajeh Qasab, 27 – are in
custody but have not been to trial, the lawyer added.
The “traitor” group included a long essay that leveled several criticisms at
Sleiman both as president and as commander of the army, a post he held up until
his May 2008 election to the nation’s highest office. Some of the criticism of
Sleiman’s job as president in the essay was similar to comments made by MP Wiam
Wahhab in March, who faced no defamation charges.
Hanna, Ramia and Qasab were interrogated and arrested Monday on the orders of
State Prosecutor Said Mirza.
A fourth suspect, Ahmed Ali Shuman, remains on the loose, AFP reported.
The president’s post both targets the essay itself as insulting and points to
comments left by other Facebook users that, for example, call Sleiman a “snake.”
In its defense of the president’s respect for freedom of expression, the post
seems aimed at the shocked and sometimes angry internet response to Monday’s
arrests. A petition is being circulated and many are accusing Lebanon of
silencing free speech.
Sleiman did not know about the arrests before they happened, a source familiar
with this case – who is not authorized to talk to the media and so spoke
anonymously – told NOW Lebanon. The source said there is a department in the
public prosecutor’s office dedicated to monitoring the media and internet for
insults against the president.
This department is not unique. A few months ago, a Facebook user not living in
Lebanon insulted a retired member of the army, a source familiar with the
incident told NOW Lebanon on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Two
people agreed with that assessment, posted follow-up comments and were soon
being investigated by military intelligence, the source said.
Retired General Elias Hanna told NOW Lebanon that, similar to the public
prosecutor’s office, there is a department within military intelligence that
monitors news outlets and the internet for defamation, libel and slander against
members of the army.
The two who agreed with insults against the retired army member were questioned
by military intelligence, the military police and the public prosecutor’s office
in an ongoing defamation case, the source said. Because they did not initiate
the alleged defamation, no further action was taken against them, but the file
is still open and should the person who originally posted the insult come to
Lebanon, he will be arrested, the source said.
Those accused of defaming the president, meanwhile, could face two months to two
years in prison, a fine or both if convicted, the lawyer said. Hanna, who now
teaches Political Science at several local universities, said he thinks Sleiman
will soon call for an end to the investigation as the arrests look terrible for
Lebanon and are opening it up to criticism.
Michel Aoun
June 30, 2010
On June 29, the website of the Free Patriotic Movement Tayyar.org carried the
following report:
The Change and Reform Bloc held its weekly meeting at the house of General
Michel Aoun in Rabieh. Following the meeting, General Aoun spoke to journalists
about the issues addressed by the bloc. He said: “Today, the bloc discussed
numerous issues which all require the adoption of measures. We firstly discussed
the funds of the municipalities and the ways to allocate them. We then tackled
the issue of the Palestinians and their acquisition [of homes], as well as the
issue of the occupied Lebanese lands despite the presence of judicial orders to
vacate them. The security forces and the administrative authorities are not
doing their job and are not implementing court orders to vacate the land. People
are putting their hands on properties which are not theirs, especially in the
Miyeh w-Miyeh town…
“I would like to go back to the issue of Palestinians’ right to buy homes and
reiterate what I said because my statements were misinterpreted: We support the
human rights of the Palestinians but those who wish to improve their status must
know that there is a financial cost for this process and that we do not have it.
Regarding the housing issue, we cannot allow Palestinians to acquire homes on
our soil for several reasons. Firstly, because we are trying to lead the
Lebanese soil whose identity we carry outside of the circle of trade-offs so
that it is no longer a product. There is not one Lebanese young man who can buy
an apartment and he certainly cannot buy a piece of land to build a house on
it... The international community and the Arab community are responsible for the
Palestinians. Lebanon alone cannot assume this responsibility. If they want to
improve housing conditions, the Palestinians have the right to demand that since
it is a humanitarian issue and we will do our best to secure it.
“We have land on which the camps were built, as in the Nahr al-Bared camp… Let
them establish a housing fund for Palestinians and build houses for them,
provided that the property rights remain in the hands of the Lebanese state. In
regard to Nahr al-Bared, I filed a lawsuit before the Shura Council to expand
the camp and save the ruins in the city of Ortosia. All hell broke loose and
objections emerged saying: How will you save the ruins and how can you expand
the camp at a time when the Palestinians are grouped and living side by side
inside their neighborhoods? They wanted to maintain their status and keep them
grouped in their neighborhoods. Now, with this new project, they want to spread
them throughout Lebanese territories. We do not understand how one can wish one
thing and its opposite. We want to maintain the Palestinian identity and we want
the Palestinians to remain grouped. They should be able to keep their cause,
gather and exchange ideas.
“When people are separated, they do not continue to have one cause. They start
having causes preventing them from agreeing over one idea. Therefore, in order
to serve the interests of Palestinian identity, the Palestinians and the
Lebanese, let them establish a Palestinian fund for the housing of the
Palestinians in their current locations, but only temporarily and without them
having the right to possess their homes. In regard to jobs, they are welcomed to
work. Foreigners working in Lebanon are not dearer to us and we believe they
have the priority at this level...”
A development surfaced during the last two days as young men were arrested and
interrogated against the backdrop of positions they posted on Facebook regarding
the president of the republic. How do you perceive this issue?
It came as a surprise to me and I am following it like you are through the
media. This issue is now under investigation and I do not know how it happened.
I do not acknowledge what happens on Facebook and if something offensive to the
president or the presidency is posted on it, this is something I will not
tolerate…
What is your political and security reading into the arrest of an employee in
Alfa on charges of collaborating with Israel, and also the arrest of the man
suspected of distributing the flyers in Saida?
We must know the connections. The connections of the telecom employee are known
and are said to be with Israel. As for the information which was taken from the
phones, it suggested tapping into the network. This is very serious… Regarding
the distributor of the Saida flyer, we must also learn about his political
connections. Did he do this act on his own or does he have other connections? We
cannot help but wonder: Why were all these actions which fuel the sensitivities
between the flyers case, the accusations of racism and the naturalization raised
at the same time?...
How do you comment on the fears voiced by Deputy Walid Jumblatt regarding the
return of assassinations on the Lebanese arena?
Assassinations are a permanent project of strife because after fifteen
assassinations and assassination attempts, no leads were uncovered. The
international community which has all its spying equipment on our soil through
UNIFIL troops that are accompanied by intelligence apparatuses, failed to
uncover the strings of the crimes. The crimes whose perpetrators are not exposed
are usually committed by the judge. And I am responsible for my words…