LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
08/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Philippians 4:6–7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
Inspiring Thought: Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
George Mueller said, "The beginning of anxiety is the end of
faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." Someone else
said, "Worry is unbelief in disguise." So, see your anxiety today for what it
really is ... just a symptom. Turning to God in prayer and trusting completely
in Him is the cure
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
UNIFIL are Peacekeepers, not a
Cat’s-Paw among States/Randa
Takieddine/July
06/10
The Hezbollah-al-Qaeda
connection/By: Mona Alami, J/July
06/10
Hezbollah logistics network rounded
up in Mexico/Ha'aretz/July
06/10
Canada Urges Iran to Halt Imminent
Executions/July
06/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 06/10
IDF declassifies evidence of
Hizbullah presence in Lebanon/Jerusalem
Post
Military official: Iran did not
send radar to Syria/Ynetnews
Kouchner Meets Hariri in Paris:
Problem is Absence of Solution to Palestinian Conflict/Naharnet
Lebanese Army's 4th Brigade
Preparing for South Deployment/Naharnet
Maronite Bishops: Palestinian
Rights Require Control of Arms Inside and Outside Camps/Naharnet
Phalange against Giving
Palestinians their Rights for Fear for their Existence/Naharnet
March 14: State Shouldn't be
Neutral Observer, UNIFIL Enjoys Freedom of Movement/Naharnet
Williams Rules Out Link between
South Skirmishes and Internal Tribunal/Naharnet
LF fires back at Moussawi, denies
cover-up of Alfa spy investigation/Now Lebanon
March 14 Nearly Completed Draft on
Palestinian Rights/Naharnet
Lebanese Shiite Authorities
Rejected Moussa's Mediation in Sadr Disappearance Case, Report/Naharnet
Obama calls for direct Middle East
peace talks by September/AFP
Parties argue over
UNIFIL's prerogatives under 1701/Daily Star
Assad, Ahmadinejad, Erdogan
planning visits to Beirut/Daily Star
Sison voices 'great
confidence in Lebanon's future/Daily Star
Lebanese MP Fadi Habr: Hezbollah’s
agenda seeks power/Now Lebanon
UNIFIL,
Lebanon, and Israel/Examiner.com
Hand grenade kills woman, injures
four in
south Lebanon/Ya
Libnan
Syria's Assad warns that war is
near/UPI.com
Geagea says
South Lebanon clashes not
spontaneous/iloubnan.info
Succariyeh: UNIFIL wants army cover
while it becomes a repressive force/Now Lebanon
Kouchner Meets Hariri in Paris:
Problem is Absence of Solution to Palestinian Conflict
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met late Tuesday with French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner at his residence in Paris. They discussed latest
developments in Lebanon and the region, particularly the situation in south
Lebanon in light of the skirmishes between U.N. peacekeepers and local
residents. A statement issued by Hariri's office said the two leaders also
discussed the importance of implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
It said Kouchner informed Hariri of the outcome of the International Donors'
Conference for the Palestinian State that was recently organized in Paris.
Kouchner and Hariri stressed the need to lift the Israeli blockade of the Gaza
Strip. The French FM said tension was due to the absence of a solution to the
Palestinian cause. The statement said Kouchner stressed the need to move the
peace process forward, and create a Palestinian state. "The most important thing
today is to reach peace, and we have to do everything possible to fulfill this
aim," he said. Beirut, 07 Jul 10, 06:40
Fatfat: Southern Skirmishes Could be Hizbullah Messages in Support of Tehran
/Naharnet/MP Ahmed Fatfat said Wednesday the latest skirmishes in the south
could be messages from Hizbullah to support its ally Iran, echoing similar
remarks by his March 14 allies.
Fatfat told LBC TV network that the attacks by locals on UNIFIL troops could be
also aimed at putting pressure on the international tribunal that would try
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins. The lawmaker believed that
Hizbullah was still ready to use its weapons to make political gains, pledging
the Shiite party to direct the arms towards Israel only.
Beirut, 07 Jul 10, 12:14
Williams Rules Out Link between
South Skirmishes and Internal Tribunal
Naharnet/U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said there was no
link between recent skirmishes in southern Lebanon and the International
Tribunal. "The Tribunal has become an independent body of the United Nations,"
Williams said in an interview published Wednesday by pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat. He
pointed to "local reasons" behind the south Lebanon clashes and suggested that
some of the incidents were "organized." Williams refused to go into details of
differences in the interpretation of Resolution 1701. He denied there was an
intention to modify the rules of engagement in the work of UNIFIL. Beirut, 07
Jul 10, 07:24
Maronite Bishops: Palestinian Rights Require Control of
Arms Inside and Outside Camps
Naharnet/The Council of Maronite Bishops said Wednesday that demands for civil
rights for Palestinians should be met by obligations to control arms inside and
outside refugee camps.
"Demands for Palestinian rights … require a (positive) reaction by involved
international agencies and the Lebanese government," the bishops said in a
statement following their monthly meeting under Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in
Bkirki. The statement, read by Monsignor Youssef Tawq, added that such demands
"should be met by obligations, in particular, to control arms inside and outside
the camps and impose state authority over them."Tawq said the Lebanese have
concerns that the Palestinians would be made permanent residents in Lebanon and
prevented from returning to their homeland. The Lebanese, he said, are afraid
that the Palestinians would be naturalized at a time when the country's people
are emigrating to find better job opportunities abroad. The bishops described
the security situation as "generally calm," saying such an atmosphere "will pave
way for a successful summer season."
Beirut, 07 Jul 10, 12:48
March 14 Nearly Completed Draft on Palestinian Rights
Naharnet/Mustaqbal bloc MP Samir Jisr said Wednesday that the majority March 14
forces have nearly finalized a rough draft on Palestinian civil rights. "March
14 is preparing texts on Palestinian civil rights and is carefully studying the
issue so as not to provoke any concerns," Jisr told Future News television
channel. He said the coalition was studying the issue "very meticulously,"
adding that March 14 hopes "tomorrow's session would be the last." During its
second meeting chaired by Future bloc head Fouad Saniora, in the absence of the
Phalange Party, March 14 discussed ways to define the labor market for
Palestinians to include employment in the private sector without the liberal
professions. March 14 pointed to the importance of distinguishing work permits
that may be granted to Palestinians from the rest of the workers.
Report: Mexico Thwarted Hizbullah Plan to Set Up Base in S. America
Naharnet/Mexican authorities have thwarted a Hizbullah plan to set up a base in
South America to launch attacks against Israel and other targets, Russian news
agency Novosti reported.
It said the base was planned to be managed by Mexicans of Lebanese origin and to
be used for operations against Israeli and western targets.
The agency quoted informed sources from the Lebanese community in Mexico as
saying that authorities were able to detect activities by the foreign operations
unit of the Shiite party after closely monitoring a Hizbullah member residing in
the state of Tijuana. The man carries the Mexican nationality and works as a
graphic designer, Novosti said. It said he was routinely traveling to Lebanon to
receive instructions on how to operate his unit. Beirut, 07 Jul 10, 10:28
Phalange against Giving Palestinians their Rights for Fear for their Existence
Naharnet/Political Adviser to Phalange Party leader Sejaan Qzzi said the group
is against giving Palestinians their rights for fear for their existence and
fate. "We are against giving Palestinians the right to work or own property,"
Qazzi said in an interview with LBC satellite network. "We do not have
sensitivities towards the Palestinians, but we fear for our existence and our
fate," he added. Qazzi reiterated Kataeb's stance which rejects the
naturalization of Palestinians. He ruled out that Kataeb was "purposely
excluded" by Mustaqbal bloc head Fouad Saniora or the Future Movement from
meetings to discuss Palestinian civil rights. Qazzi uncovered that Saniora had
contacted Gemayel to discuss this issue with him. However, he said, that "the
(Phalange) party's stance from this issue is known. We won't accept
naturalization," Qazzi warned. Qazzi slammed as "unsatisfactory" outcome of the
meetings held under Saniora."The document that has been prepared and reviewed by
the Kataeb party also is not acceptable," he complained. Qazzi said Phalangists
were not against increasing the number of Sunnis, Shiites, Druze or Christians,
"but what is the value of parity and stopping the count in the presence of
500,000 Palestinian refugees, 95 percent of whom belong to a particular sect."He
said the U.S., Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Arab states were seeking to
naturalize Palestinians. "Using the right of return to justify giving
Palestinians all their rights is unacceptable," Qazzi warned. Beirut, 07 Jul 10,
13:03
Canada Urges Iran to Halt Imminent Executions
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/214.aspx
(No. 214 - July 6, 2010 - 8:40 p.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister
of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement urging the Iranian
regime to halt the planned execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi and the possible
execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani by stoning:
“Canada is deeply concerned by reports that the Iranian regime has scheduled the
execution of Mohammad Reza Haddadi for Wednesday, July 7, 2010, in Adelabad
prison in the province of Fars. We strongly urge Iran to respect its
international obligations and not to proceed with this execution.
“Canada is also gravely concerned by reports that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a
mother of two children, was convicted of adultery in a judicial process that
lacked transparency and was sentenced to death by stoning. She could face
execution at any time. Canada calls upon Iran to end this inhumane practice.
“These pending executions are part of an overall deteriorating human rights
situation in Iran. Canada remains gravely concerned by the human rights
situation in Iran and calls on the Iranian regime to live up to its commitments
and obligations under domestic and international law.”
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Melissa Lantsman
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Obama calls for direct Middle East peace talks by September
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Stephen Collinson
Agence France Presse
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said Tuesday he hoped for direct Middle
East peace talks to start before the end of September, as he and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied reports of a rift.
The two leaders sat close together in the Oval Office and staged a prolonged and
tight handshake for the cameras, seeking to move on from a tense encounter in
March when Netanyahu was denied the trappings of a visiting foreign leader.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants peace. I think he’s willing to
take risks for peace,” Obama said, and strongly disputed a question which
suggested the strong bond between Israel and the United States had frayed.
“The fact of the matter is, is that I’ve trusted Prime Minister Netanyahu since
I met him before I was elected president and have said so both publicly and
privately.”
Netanyahu warned during the talks that the prime threat facing Israel was Iran’s
nuclear program, and praised new US sanctions against Tehran as having “teeth”
while calling for “much tougher” action from other nations.
Significantly, Obama also reassured Netanyahu that his administration had made
“no change” to its policy regarding Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal, amid
concern among Israelis over his campaign for a nuclear free world.
The talks went ahead with intense interest surrounding a partial Israeli freeze
on settlement building which is due to expire in September.
Obama finessed the issue by saying he hoped progress toward direct talks from
indirect US-brokered proximity talks between Israelis and Palestinians would
render that deadline irrelevent.
“My hope is that once direct talks have begun, well before the moratorium has
expired, that that will create a climate in which everybody feels a greater
investment in success,” he said.
Netanyahu says he is ready to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at any
time, but the Palestinians accuse Israel of undermining the push for talks with
mere public relations moves while continuing settlement building activity.
Netanyahu is under extreme pressure from his right-wing coalition not to cave in
to US demands to extend the moratorium, announced in November after the Obama
administration pushed for concessions to the Palestinians.
The Palestinians, who argue the partial freeze does not go far enough, would
likely react furiously if it is not extended, souring the mood for new direct
talks.
The Palestinians froze direct negotiations in December 2008 when Israel launched
a deadly 22-day war on the Gaza Strip.
Obama’s aides insist the proximity talks have “narrowed gaps” and are making
progress – despite Palestinian claims they have yielded little progress.
A diplomatic flurry in the run-up to this visit, including talks on Monday
between Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad, suggested movement in the stagnant peace process.
Obama also recently met Abbas and Saudi King Abdullah at the White House.
Obama and Netanyahu were meeting for the first time since Israel’s raid on an
aid flotilla headed for Gaza in May, which killed nine Turks, and triggered a
regional diplomatic crisis.
On the eve of Netanyahu’s visit, Israel gave the go-ahead for the international
community to import construction materials into Gaza for projects under
international supervision.
Because of the blockade, little reconstruction has taken place in the
Palestinian territory since Israel’s war on Gaza.
The United States welcomed the move.
Washington is also concerned about the escalating diplomatic showdown between
Israel and its key NATO ally Turkey. Ankara has demanded a full Israeli apology
for the Gaza flotilla raid and has even threatened to sever ties with Israel
over the incident. Obama has been facing political heat – even from some
Democratic allies – over his stance toward Netanyahu, with orchestrated
campaigns in Congress from the Israel lobby to let up on the Israeli premier.
Obama won 78 percent of the Jewish vote, which can be crucial in areas like
Florida, in the 2008 White House election. The country is now preparing for
midterm congressional elections in November.
Parties argue over UNIFIL's prerogatives under 1701
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
BEIRUT: Domestic debate over recent incidents between peacekeeping forces and
residents of south Lebanon heated up on Tuesday, when the Future Movement and
Hizbullah argued over the prerogatives granted to the UNIFIL under UN Security
Council Resolution 1701. While Hizbullah accused “certain” contingents of the UN
Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of surpassing their prerogatives and
assisting Israel, the Future Movement bloc stressed that the peacekeeping forces
should “not be used as a mailbox to deliver messages to their countries of
origin or to serve certain regional interests.” The incidents, which prompted
top Lebanese officials and the Lebanese Army Command to intervene to contain the
situation, precede UN Security Council discussions in August on the
implementation of Resolution 1701, as well as the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate.
On Saturday, a UNIFIL patrol belonging to the French contingent was attacked by
southern residents in the village of Qabrikha, with residents commandeering a
soldier’s weapons and wounding the company leader. The attack was the second of
its kind in less than a week, after villagers from Khirbet Silim threw stones at
a UNIFIL patrol, injuring two French peacekeepers last week, following large
scale capacity-testing exercises by the force.
The incidents were followed by diplomatic contacts by President Michel Sleiman
and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who both expressed Lebanon’s commitment to
Resolution 1701.
On Tuesday, Sleiman highlighted during talks with French Ambassador Dennis
Pietton the “importance of UNIFIL’s presence in south Lebanon for the
implementation of Resolution 1701.”
On Monday, the Lebanese prime minister briefed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
on the issue during a visit to Paris, stressing that the only reason for the
presence of
UNIFIL was “protecting Lebanon and nothing more.” Hariri is scheduled to meet on
Wednesday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
“UN Resolution 1701 determined UNIFIL’s role as an assisting one to the Lebanese
state in spreading its authority over its territories rather than assisting the
Israeli side,” Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi said. Echoing Moussawi, Hizbullah’s
Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Ali Miqdad said “the practices of UNIFIL during
the past period imply certain masked intentions to provoke some issue with the
residents in order to change the current pattern or situation or reality.”
Miqdad also questioned the actions of certain members of the French legion.
In remarks published Monday, the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat quoted
Hizbullah sources as accusing France of seeking to alter the UNIFIL’s rules of
engagement and surpassing the prerogatives granted to peacekeeping forces. But
Miqdad added that “no party wants to change the rules of engagement in south
Lebanon” as “matters were settled on the basis that every party commits to the
mission assigned to him.” Under Resolution 1701, UNIFIL is tasked with securing
a weapons-free zone south of Litani River, coordinating its activities with
Lebanon and Israel and assisting the Lebanese Army and state at its request.
Miqdad also emphasized that “the actions by residents were not coordinated but
rather spontaneous.”
Commenting on the incidents, the Future Movement bloc said in a statement issued
following its weekly meeting on Tuesday that Resolution 1701 was issued to
protect Lebanon and guarantee the withdrawal of Israeli forces following the
July 2006 aggression by Israel against Lebanon. “Thus, it is Lebanon’s
responsibility to commit to the implementation of the international resolution
including the protocol mentioned above,” the statement said in reference to
protocol 12 of Resolution 1701. Article 12 states that upon the request of the
Lebanese government to deploy an international force to assist it in exercising
its authority throughout its territory, “authorizes UNIFIL to take all necessary
action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its
capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile
activities of any kind.”
The Future Movement also stressed that the relation between UNIFIL and Lebanon
should be restricted to state institutions, which are the defense and interior
ministries under the supervision of the government. “The bloc believes it is
normal that all parties represented in the Cabinet commit to dealing with the
Lebanese official authorities with regard to the implementation of Resolution
1701 and the organization of relations with UNIFIL,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said either domestic political
motives tied to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon or regional ones tied to
sanctions against Iran were behind the recent incidents in South Lebanon. “Since
the impact on the Lebanese state’s authority will be negative, the government
should act fast,” Geagea said following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir. “There are only few friendly states to Lebanon, particularly
European states and especially France, so why make enemies for no price to serve
interests that do not relate to Lebanon’s interests?” Geagea asked. The LF
leader added that the Lebanese state should be the one to intervene if UNIFIL
surpassed its prerogatives under Resolution 1701. Otherwise, Lebanon and its
people would face dangers, he added. Meanwhile, the Central News Agency quoted
diplomatic sources as saying that European states warned against any attempts to
restrict the freedom of movement of international forces in south Lebanon or
pressure them into overlooking any violations with regard to weapons’
warehouses.
“The diplomatic sources rejected the consideration of certain areas with
restricted access to international forces and the Lebanese Army regardless of
any circumstances,” the CNA quoted the sources as saying. However, sources from
the Spanish Embassy denied on Tuesday news carried by the CNA one day earlier
that Italy, France and Spain would issue a joint statement on July 14 to express
discontent over the recent skirmishes with UNIFIL. The sources said the
information was “baseless.”
According to the CNA on Tuesday, a security meeting is expected to take place on
Wednesday between representatives of the Lebanese Army, UNIFIL and Hizbullah to
agree upon a memo of understanding that would organize and promote cooperation
between all parties.
Assad, Ahmadinejad, Erdogan planning visits to Beirut
By The Daily Star /Wednesday, July 07, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanon is to witness a flurry of diplomatic visits in the upcoming
period, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Tuesday.
The CNA on Tuesday quoted ministerial sources saying a number of top Arab and
regional officials have expressed to Lebanon their desire to schedule visits to
Beirut. Among the visits, sources said Syrian President Bashar Assad would visit
Lebanon this month but that no final date has been scheduled yet. The CNA said
Assad’s visit was aimed at strengthening Lebanese-Syrian bilateral ties. Last
month, President Michel Sleiman discussed with his Syrian counterpart in
Damascus the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border. Assad’s visit will be
the second of a Syrian head of state to the Lebanese capital since Lebanon’s
independence in 1943 and his second since March 2002. Assad’s first visit to
Baabda came almost a year and a half after he took over Syria’s presidency
following the death of his father, President Hafez Assad. Syria and Lebanon only
established formal diplomatic relations in October 2008, more than 60 years
after they both were granted independence from a French mandate by the League of
Nations. Syrian troops entered Lebanon during its 1975-90 Civil War and pulled
out in 2005 after the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri.
Syria was widely blamed for that still-unsolved killing, but Damascus has
vehemently denied any involvement. Also, Iranian President Ahmadinejad is
expected to meet an invitation by Sleiman in August to discuss the latest
regional developments. Similarly, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyep Erdogan is to
land in Beirut in August as part of a regional tour to discuss progress in the
Mideast peace process. Also, Qatari Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Tani, UAE
President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed and Bahrain King Hamad bin Issa are also to
visit Beirut. – The Daily Star
Sison voices 'great confidence in Lebanon's future'
US envoy pays tribute to her country’s resistance against occupation
By The Daily Star /Wednesday, July 07, 2010
BEIRUT: “You have already accomplished so much. During the Cedar Revolution, you
had the courage to demand change,” US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Sison said
Monday as part of her Independence Day speech. “We Americans have great faith
and confidence in Lebanon’s future.”
Sison spoke to over 1,000 delegates including Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami, who
represented President Michel Sleiman, Information Minister Tarek Mitri, who was
representing Prime Minister Saad Hariri and MP Antoine Zahra, who attended on
behalf of Speaker Nabih Berri. The event was held to mark the 234th anniversary
of the American Proclamation of Independence which saw the US colonies
officially assert their independence from British Imperial rule on July 4.
“With great respect and friendship, the United States is committed to
contributing to the security and the development of Lebanon,” said Sison. “So
[that the] Lebanese can take on the hard work of building this country for the
next generation.”
Praising the work of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which
had a $67.5 million operating budget in 2009, and the Middle East Partnership
Initiative, a US State Department Program that runs around 20 education and
gender empowerment initiatives, Sison went on to stress the importance of
cultural collaboration between the countries.
“President [Barack] Obama made clear during President [Michel] Sleiman’s visit
that he wanted to make sure that US assistance to Lebanon was not just seen
through a security lens, but also in terms of economic opportunity and justice
in civil society,” she said.
She said Obama has also pledged his commitment also to Lebanon’s stability and
sovereignty and personally reassured Prime Minister Hariri – who visited the US
in May – that Washington would continue to support the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) and the strengthening of Lebanese institutions, such as the
Lebanese Army.
“No nation is perfect,” she said. “What matters is that a people commit
themselves to a vision – even an idealistic vision – for which they stand, and
then work tirelessly, year after year, to make that idealistic vision a
reality.”
As part of last year’s famous Cairo Speech, intended to guide US foreign policy
toward the region, Obama vowed to not impose external systems of government on
any sovereign states, claiming that “each nation gives life to the principles of
democracy in its own way …”
His pledge to unquestionably support universal human rights, such as the right
to free speech and equal treatment under the law, and to make these a
cornerstone of foreign policy, however, left Obama and his administration open
to criticisms of naivety.
“We Americans, I believe, are certainly idealists, both at home and abroad, but
not ‘innocents abroad’” said Sidon. “In fact, our country is founded on
idealism. President Obama has told all of us that we were called “to remember
the indomitable spirit of the first American citizens who made July 4th,
possible.”
It has taken America well over two centuries, a bloody civil and decades of
civil rights activism for all of its citizens to be granted equal rights, Sison
said. – The Daily Star
March 14: State Shouldn't be Neutral Observer, UNIFIL
Enjoys Freedom of Movement
Naharnet/The March 14 general-secretariat on Wednesday urged the Lebanese state,
government and army to "fully respect" Security Council resolution 1701, saying
"the state should not be a neutral observer" in the skirmishes between
southerners and peacekeepers. In a statement issued following its weekly
meeting, the general-secretariat said a political and media campaign launched by
a group of Lebanese against the operations of U.N. peacekeepers in the south
"highly endangers Lebanon's interest." The conferees stressed the "ultimate
importance of respect for resolution 1701 in all its clauses by the Lebanese
state, government and army."The state, they said, "is tasked with implementing
this resolution on its territories uniquely through its army and with the
assistance of international troops which enjoy freedom of movement."The
statement added that the state should not be a "neutral observer of the flagrant
violations that could lead to the elimination of resolution 1701."
Lebanese Army's 4th Brigade Preparing for South Deployment
Naharnet/Lebanese army's Fourth Brigade is preparing for deployment in southern
Lebanon, a security source said Wednesday.
The Voice of Lebanon radio station, which carried the report, did not give other
details. Beirut, 07 Jul 10, 07:42
Lebanese Shiite Authorities Rejected Moussa's Mediation in
Sadr Disappearance Case, Report
Naharnet/Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi has reportedly handed over to Arab League
chief Amr Moussa an investigation file on the disappearance of Imam Moussa al-Sadr.
A high-level Libyan source told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks
published Wednesday that Gadhafi asked Moussa to convince Shiite authorities in
Lebanon to cooperate with Tripoli's efforts to unveil the fate of al-Sadr. The
source said Libyan investigation revealed that al-Sadr left Tripoli to Rome in
1978. The Lebanese Shiite religious leader flew to Tripoli for a week of talks
with Libyan officials. He was never seen or heard from again. The source said
that some Shiite parties in Lebanon reject reaching a political settlement with
Libya over the issue. He told Asharq al-Awsat that Gadhafi, who is holding the
rotating presidency of the Arab Summit, wants to benefit from his post to settle
lingering disputes with Lebanon's Shiites.
However, Arab sources close to the Shiites said most leaderships have rejected
Moussa's mediation.
Beirut, 07 Jul 10, 09:33
Succariyeh: UNIFIL wants army cover while it becomes a repressive force
July 7, 2010 /Speaking to New TV on Wednesday, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc
Walid Succariyeh said that UNIFIL is pressuring the army to protect it while it
becomes a repressive force that seeks to search houses and confiscate weapons as
stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Succariyeh said UNIFIL ought
to be helping the army, and that the mission of the army is to protect our
borders and not to guard the Zionist enemy. Last week confrontations occurred
between UNIFIL units and residents of the South following maneuvers in which
UNIFIL reportedly studied ways to prevent rocket launches from Lebanon into
Israel. Succariyeh also criticized the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL)
investigation of former Rafik al-Hariri’s assassination, saying that the
tribunal falsely accused Syria for five years, and once the administration
changed, the accused became the resistance in Lebanon and Hezbollah rather than
Syria. Regarding Israeli Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi’s prediction that
upcoming STL indictments could create tension in Lebanon, Succariyeh said, “I
don’t know if he is a prophet or if the tribunal is cooperating with the Zionist
enemy.”-NOW Lebanon
LF fires back at Moussawi, denies cover-up of Alfa spy investigation
July 7, 2010 /In a statement issued Wednesday, the Lebanese Forces responded to
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Moussawi’s warning of a cover-up of the
investigation of Alfa telecom employee Charbel Kazzi for espionage, that the LF
had merely asked that the investigation not be used to discredit the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
The STL is currently investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
On Sunday Moussawi said that critics who are upset that information from the
Alfa spy case investigation has been leaked to the press are trying to obscure
the probe and cover it up, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. This came
after a press conference last Wednesday in which Zahle bloc MP Okab Sakr
criticized how information from ongoing investigations, including the Kazzi
case, was being leaked to the media. The LF’s statement said that Moussawi had
distorted the facts and that the LF strongly supported the security agencies’
work against Israeli spies. “All we request is that the investigation into the
Alfa detainee not be used to attack the international tribunal,” the statement
said, adding that such an attack had already been made clearly through media
leaks from the beginnings of the investigation, and aimed at eroding the STL’s
credibility.
Kazzi is suspected of using his position in the telecom sector to leak sensitive
information to Israeli intelligence, and phone records form part of the evidence
that the STL is using in its investigation. The statement challenged Moussawi to
explain how the LF had tried to cover up the Kazzi case, asking how a request to
avoid leaks and allow the authorities to describe the course of the
investigation officially in due time could be construed as a cover-up.-NOW
Lebanon
Habr: Hezbollah’s agenda seeks power
July 7, 2010 /Kataeb bloc MP Fadi al-Habr said that Hezbollah’s agenda is
seeking power in Lebanon, As-Seyassah newspaper reported on Wednesday.
This comes after protests took place on June 29 during a UNIFIL deployment
exercise in the South. Tension renewed on Saturday as residents of the area
blocked the road to a UNIFIL French patrol and disarmed the soldiers. Habr also
said that the Kataeb bloc was against granting Palestinians in Lebanon their
civil rights because this might lead to naturalization which will affect
Lebanon’s demography, adding that naturalization will allow Israel to fulfill
its goals. This comes after Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt
proposed a draft bill to the parliament last month to give Palestinian refugees
in Lebanon civil rights. The majority of Christian MPs voted against the bill.
The MP added that Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel’s suggestion that Lebanon
remains neutral regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict is a wise one, as their only
disagreement with Jumblatt is related to the Palestinians’ civil rights.-NOW
Lebanon
The Hezbollah-al-Qaeda connection
Mona Alami, July 7, 2010
In the northern region of Waziristan last month a US drone attacked killed 11
militants, among whom an alleged former Hezbollah member. (AFP photo)
Late last month, a US drone attack on an al-Qaeda hideout in North Waziristan
killed 11 militants, among whom a Hezbollah operative. The event, which was
reported by newspapers around the world, raised the attention of Middle East
analysts, as Hezbollah and al-Qaeda have long been known to be staunch enemies.
In the high mountains of Waziristan on June 29, a US drone fired two missiles
into a compound located in the village of Inzarabad, AFP reported. The area
neighbored Miranshah, a main town in North Waziristan, known for being a theater
for al-Qaeda militants. German news agency DPA singled out Hezbollah member
Mohammad Ali Hamadeh as one of the victims.
According to DPA, Hamadeh had moved from his native Lebanon to North Waziristan,
where he joined the Islamic Jihad, a group with ties to al-Qaeda. The news
agency added that Hamadeh had fought with Hezbollah previously and had been
jailed in Germany for possession of explosives before being released in 2005.
This was not the first time that DPA had mentioned Hamadeh. In February of 2006,
the news agency reported that Lebanon had refused to extradite four suspected
Hezbollah members to the United States. The suspects, who were believed to have
carried out attacks against Americans in Beirut in the 1980s, were named as Imad
Mughniyah, Hassan Ezzeddine, Ali Atwe and Mohammed Ali Hamadeh.
While Mughniyah, Ezzeddine and Atwe were accused of participating in the 1983
attack on the US Marines barracks in Beirut, Hamadeh was named by the United
States in the 1985 highjacking of a TWA airliner, which ended with the death US
Navy diver.
Analysts in Lebanon were puzzled by the news of Hamadeh’s death in the drone
strike. “Such information is commonly circulated by Israeli and international
sources in an attempt to link Hezbollah – a national party fighting a resistance
war against occupying Israel – to international terrorist movements such as
al-Qaeda, waging a global war against the USA,” said Lebanese University
professor Talal Atrissi, a long-time commentator on Hezbollah.
“The information can’t be verified and has not been released by secured
sources,” added journalist and NOW Lebanon contributor Hazem al-Amin, who has
studied al-Qaeda. Amin underlined the fact that Hezbollah did not comment on the
killing – though only Hamadeh’s family has denied his death ever happened.
However, Sheikh Omar Bakri, a Lebanese Salafist leader, believes Hamadeh was in
fact killed. “The assassination of Hamadeh has been confirmed to me by
international Islamic sources. I was told that Hamadeh was killed in the attack
while staying with a Sunni local movement, which did not belong to al-Qaeda.”
Al-Qaeda, Bakri said, is an extremely secretive organization that follows very
strict protocol in terms of recruiting, and would never admit a Shia militant
among its ranks. “Any new member adhering to the organization has to be a
follower of the Sunni Salaf,” he said.
Amin also excludes the possibility of a Shia Hezbollah member joining al-Qaeda,
due to obvious ideological differences. He believes, nonetheless, that
collaboration between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda is theoretically possible as long
as its scope remains limited. “Iran is known to have collaborated with al-Qaeda
factions over the years,” he said, noting that family members of Osama Bin Laden
have taken refuge in Iran. Dozens of Bin Laden's kin, including 11 of his
grandchildren, have been held under house arrest in Iran since fleeing
Afghanistan in the wake of the US invasion in 2001.
“Some al-Qaeda leaders who also fled Afghanistan between 2001 and 2003 crossed
through Iran on their way to Iraq. This could not have taken place without the
prior knowledge of the Iranians,” Amin said. He also said that in the course of
his reporting, he discovered that the Islamic Republic collaborated with a local
branch of al-Qaeda that had created an Islamic principality in the mountains of
Bayada, close to the city of Suleimaniya in Kurdish Iraq under the leadership of
Raed Khreissat. Amin also noted that in Felujah, the Iranians supported the
Sunni Islamic group Ansar Allah through their proxy, Shia leader Moqtada Sadr.
Amin emphasizes, however, that no collaboration between al-Qaeda and a Shia
group such as Hezbollah can ever take place in Lebanon. “Hezbollah is aware of
the threat that al-Qaeda presents and would never allow it to roam the South,
which has to remain under the party’s full control,” he said.
Professor Atrissi, however, denies the possibility of any cooperation at all
between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda. “The ideological rift between both organizations
is too wide. Al-Qaeda has declared Hezbollah over and over again an apostate
organization. The group has also called publicly for the killing of Shia,” he
said. The two movements also differ on the political level, Atrissi noted. While
al-Qaeda shuns democratically-elected governments, Hezbollah has chosen to
integrate into the Lebanese state system.
Atrissi nonetheless reckons that Iran might have collaborated on some occasions
with the Taliban. “Iran considers the Taliban’s war against Western occupying
forces as a legitimate struggle, which might account for the support they might
have provided the Afghan fighters,” he said.
For Bakri, however, the idea of any collaboration at all between Hezbollah and
al-Qaeda is inconceivable. “They have been historically and will remain in the
future, arch enemies.”
IDF declassifies evidence of Hizbullah presence in Lebanon
By YAAKOV KATZ /07/07/2010
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=180733
Ahead of the anniversary of the 2nd Lebanon War, army reveals footage, videos,
maps, says group has about 20,000 guerrilla fighters throughout southern Lebanon
preventing Israeli incursion. Ahead of the anniversary of the Second Lebanon
War, IDF Northern Command on Wednesday declassified for the last time evidence
of Hizbullah's growing presence inside close to 200 villages in southern
Lebanon. Using the village of el-Hiyyam which is located about 20km north of
Kiryat Shmona, the IDF revealed in extensive footage, videos and maps the homes
that Hizbullah has taken over and used to establish weapons storage centers,
command and control centers as well as the location of the Improvised Explosive
Devices (IEDs), some of them weighing up to half a ton, which are located
throughout the village. The IDF recently dispatched a delegation to United
Nations headquarters in New York to present the evidence to the international
community. The evidence was also presented recently to the new commander of
UNIFIL, Maj-Gen Alberto Asarta Cuevas.
The IDF said that Hizbullah today maintains a force of about 20,000 guerrilla
fighters throughout southern Lebanon, who are responsible for preventing an IDF
ground incursion, as well as activating Hizbullah's extensive missile capability
which allows them to strike any point within Israel today.
Hizbullah is estimated to have 40,000 short-, medium- and long-range missiles.
Hizbullah has split up its forces in southern Lebanon to three different
divisions: The Southern Division, the IDF said, consists of 5,000 guerrilla
fighters, 30,000 missiles and rockets as well as a number of subdivisions. Each
subdivision is responsible for approximately 15 villages. Each village has
between 20 and 200 fighters, hundreds of mortar shells, hundreds of short-and
medium- range rockets, as well as a number of command centers.
In the maps unveiled by the IDF, Hizbullah weapons caches are shown
approximately 50 meters from schools and hospitals. Storage and command centers
are located in most cases inside or adjacent to the homes of Lebanese civilians.
'It is important to show the world that Hizbullah has built up its military
infrastructure inside villages with the objective that we will kill the maximum
amount of civilians in a future conflict" a senior IDF officer said Wednesday.
"We want to warn that if we are attacked by Hizbullah - this may happen."
While four years after the Lebanon War, the prevalent IDF assessment is that war
with Hizbullah is currently of low probability, the military still fears that
Hizbullah will try to attack Israel to avenge the 2008 assassination of the
group's military commander, Imad Mugniyeh in Damascus. The scenarios the IDF
prepares for includes a possible kidnapping along the border, and to infiltrate
an Israeli borderline community. "We see Hizbullah's grip inside villages and we
view an infiltration into Israel as the primary threat," Colonel Ronen Moreli,
commander of the 300 brigade, told reporters wednesdsay. Military official: Iran
did not send radar to Syria.Ynetnews
Military official: Iran did not send radar to Syria
Published: 07.07.10, 17:24 / Israel News
A high-ranking military official denied reports that Iran installed a
sophisticated radar system in Syria that could jeopardize Israel's ability to
strike the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities. The official said such a radar
never reached Damascus. "Israel does not recognize any desire or signs of
Hezbollah or Syria initiating an attack," the official said, but stressed that
cooperation between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah is growing stronger. (Hanan
Greenberg)
The Dance of the Peace Process
by Jacob Heilbrunn
National Interest on Line
http://www.nationalinterest.org/Article.aspx?id=23666
07.07.2010
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prevailed over one of his most
determined adversaries yesterday. No, it wasn’t Syria or Iran that capitulated.
Instead, it was President Barack Obama.
At least that’s the way the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank depicts it in his
column today. While the Wall Street Journal editorial page breathed a sigh of
relief that Obama is “finally treating a key American ally as something other
than a pariah,” Milbank suggested that Netanyahu got everything he wanted,
including a photo with the president, while Obama furiously backpedaled on
pressuring Israel to accommodate Palestinian concerns. According to Milbank:
Obama came to office with an admirable hope of reviving Middle East peace
efforts by appealing to the Arab world and positioning himself as more of an
honest broker. But he has now learned the painful lesson that domestic politics
won’t allow such a stand.
But has he? There can be no doubting that Obama was eager to offer a
choreographed display of unity with elections looming in the fall. For his part,
Netanyahu wants to show that he hasn’t completely trashed relations with
Israel’s most important ally. Already Israel has done two things to address
American concerns: it has begun to revise the Gaza blockade and it has
disciplined troops for their actions during the attack on the Gaza strip. The
idea that Israel is simply impervious to American, or international, pressure is
mistaken. That’s why Netanyahu said that direct talks with the Palestinians
could take place in a few weeks.
The big news is that Obama backed him up. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat
says that “The minute he [Netanyahu] announces a [total] settlement freeze, the
minute he announces the resumption of final status [talks] where we left them in
December 2008, we will have direct talks.” In theory, the whole
Israeli-Palestinian problem could be wrapped up this August. It isn’t as though
there’s much mystery about the terms of a final settlement. It’s more that the
parties keep trying to avoid one. They’re like an overweight person who keeps
pledging to go on a diet—tomorrow.
So the big bang of a peace settlement redrawing the borders probably won’t
happen. Instead, bite-size morsels will likely remain the order of the day. The
real test of the American-Israeli relationship will thus come in September when
the ten-month-long moratorium that Netanyahu established for settlement activity
is set to expire. Nothing is more central to the Israeli-Palestinian
relationship than the settlements, which is why both sides keep worrying the
issue. But simply by imposing the suspension of settlement activity Netanyahu
already showed some flexibility. The fact remains that Netanyahu is the only
person who can deliver some kind of agreement with the Palestinians. Actions
like attacking the Gaza flotilla serve to reaffirm his hard-line bona fides. It
would be no small irony if the attack, which triggered an international outcry,
serves to advance the cause of peace by prompting a relaxation in tensions
between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Of course, the professional peace processers will wring their hands about the
failure to reach a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian standoff. But the truth
is that it’s hard not to wonder if they themselves have their own vested
interest in the confrontation. Absent hostilities between the Israelis and
Palestinians, the whole affair would become a rather boring topic.
Still, the Middle East offers plenty of cause for concern. Iran continues to
move toward the construction of a nuclear bomb. Syria is upping its weaponry.
And Lebanon may be good for a fresh war within a few years. So perhaps the odd
couple of Obama and Netanyahu may find themselves pushed closer together in
coming years than they anticipate.
**Jacob Heilbrunn is a senior editor at The National Interest.
UNIFIL are Peacekeepers, not a Cat’s-Paw among States
Wed, 07 July 2010
Randa Takieddine
http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/160583
Are the clashes between international troops (UNIFIL) and people in south Lebanese villages useful? As British writer David Hirst described it in his wonderful book on Lebanon’s modern history, Beware of Small States, the Lebanese arena is open to all conflicts, and allows us to ask the question, as in crime dramas, “who benefits?”
The manipulation of incidents between the people of South Lebanon against international peacekeepers serves the interest of Iran, Syria, Israel and Hezbollah, and is not in the interest of Lebanon, or the people of the south.
Iran benefits from such incidents because they stand for a political message to the great powers, especially France, which imposed harsh sanctions on Tehran. Iran begins by acting on this front, by seeing Hezbollah encourage the people of the south to clash with peacekeepers. Syria benefits because France, Spain and other countries contributing to UNIFIL will send it messages about the need to calm this front; in other words, Damascus returns to playing its regional role as with prior to 2005, when it entered to extinguish the fires started by its allies. Israel benefits, because it needs to show that it is threatened and requires wars to defend its existence, while it does not want peace and is determined to keep the state of war in the region open, as it does not want a Palestinian state on its borders. Hezbollah benefits, because it is the dominant force in Lebanon, and governs war and peace.
The UN peacekeepers in South Lebanon are not an occupying force, or one that serves a certain type of political propaganda. Since 1978, they have been there to serve stability and peace in a region that was, before the civil war, a garbage can for the Lebanese state. This led to the disasters that befell Lebanon, during war and Israeli occupation, and Palestinian mistakes. After Israel’s brutal war on Lebanon in 2006, the United Nations decided to boost the capabilities and the mission of UNIFIL, with a push from then-French President Jacques Chirac. He decided to send more French troops, to give the peacekeepers better conditions to carry out its mission, with a modification of the margin of their movement. This was so that they could protect the region, enabling it to protect itself from the enemies of peacekeeping and stability.
On this basis, UNIFIL’s mission has always been peacekeeping in South Lebanon. The events of 29 June showed that countries contributing to UNIFIL, such as France, Spain and Italy, that the incidents were organized clearly, even at the level of violence, which was under control, and well-thought-out. It involved stone-throwing and the commander of UNIFIL shouldered his responsibilities by carrying out his mission, exiting the barracks, and confronting the clashes, which were prompted by Hezbollah, according to confirmation by the countries participating in UNIFIL. The statements by Hezbollah, about how UNIFIL should behave cautiously, in fact, show that Lebanon and the Lebanese should show caution. There is a danger that these states will tell their troops in UNIFIL, “go back to your barracks and stay there, and just monitor things from a distance, because you did not go to South Lebanon to fight.” UNIFIL’s mission is to prevent confrontation, and to deter, through a strong presence. It also has a social and educational role for the people of the region, and in the interest of the Shiites of the south. Do these social and educational activities anger people in the south, or do they compete with Hezbollah activities on the ground? The Lebanese Army, meanwhile, performed well following the brutal 2006 war, and was deployed in the south for the first time, which was welcomed by people there. To the countries contributing to UNIFIL, it now appears to be weak and afraid of Hezbollah.
The best thing would be to see that South Lebanon is not used once again as an arena for the interests of Iran, Israel or Syria, or whoever wants to stir up problems before international indictments in the Rafiq Hariri assassination case. The peoples of the states that make up UNIFIL will not accept seeing their soldiers humiliated, and attacked, to serve these interests.