LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
13/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Psalm 56:8
Today's Inspiring Thought: Keeping Track of Your Tears
Do you ever feel like God has forgotten you? Does it seem that he is far off and
does not care about what you are going through? Not only does he know the number
of hairs on your head, God has counted those times you've tossed and turned all
night. He is intimately aware of your suffering and your tears. In verse 9, just
before these words, David declares, "God is for me." God has not forgotten you.
He can account for your every move. He's even keeping track of your tears. God
is for you!
The Good News According
to Luke 11/1-13
It happened, that when he finished praying in a certain place, one of his
disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his
disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, may
your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for
we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” He said to them, “Which of you,
if you go to a friend at midnight, and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves
of bread, 11:6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have
nothing to set before him,’ and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t
bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get
up and give it to you’? 11:8 I tell you, although he will not rise and give it
to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up
and give him as many as he needs. “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given
you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to
you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it
will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him
a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish,
will he? Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? If you
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Delusions and Truths in
South Lebanon/By:
Elias Harfoush/July
12/10
Bad for business 101/Now
Lebanon/July 12, 2010
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 12/10
Sfeir for Consolidation of Ties
Between Residents and Expats/Naharnet
Man who Creeped onto Saudi Plane
Identified/Naharnet
U.S. Vetoes Giving Airport
Security Post to Pro-Hizbullah Officer, Report/Naharnet
Israeli Military Sources: Netanyahu
Could Go on 'Military Adventure' against Hamas or Hizbullah/Naharnet
Hezbollah warns: We have list of
IDF targets inside Israel/Ha'aretz
Ahmadinejad to Head 70-Member
Delegation to Lebanon/Naharnet
Chamoun rejects March 14’s proposal
on Palestinians’ rights/Now Lebanon
Consensus nears over Palestinian social, work rights/Daily
Star
Op-Ed: The long arm of Iran
endangers Israel and the West/Jewish
Telegraphic Agency
British envoy apologizes for praising Hezbollah cleric/Jewish
Telegraphic Agency
Khalife: Lebanon is united in support of UNIFIL/Ya
Libnan
Israel vows to prevent Libya aid boat from landing in Gaza/AFP
World Bank: Red tape still hurts businesses in Lebanon/Daily Star
Four years on, Israel war far
from over: Lebanon press/AFP
Objectivity and Reporting on the
Mideast/CBS News
Hawker Hunters to Exercise in
Lebanese Airspace/Naharnet
MP Elie Aoun: Palestinians to Get
Most of their Rights Except Owning Property/Naharnet
Jumblat 'Okay' So Long As
Palestinian Rights Document is Similar to his Proposals/Naharnet
All but Kataeb Agree on New
Palestinian Rights Law/Naharnet
Qazzi: Phalange Demands
Modifications in Law on Palestinian Rights/Naharnet
Lebanese Joint Parliamentary
Committees Approve Several Oil Draft Law Clauses/Naharnet
Angry Druze Residents Trap Israeli
Police in Golan Heights Building/Naharnet
Gemayel-Aoun Hold Secret Talks
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel held secret talks with Free
Patriotic Movement chief Gen. Michel Aoun, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat reported
Monday.
It said the "away from the spotlight" meeting apparently came after recent
reports said Gemayel has launched a drive for political reconciliation with Aoun.
Al-Hayat said Gemayel aims at finding common ground with Aoun in order to create
a favorable climate for cooperation, at least in the 2013 parliamentary
elections. Beirut, 12 Jul 10, 07:32
Lebanon identifies body found in Saudi jet wheel bay
BEIRUT, Jul 12, 2010 (AFP) - Family members have identified a man who died at
the weekend after he tried to hitch a ride from Beirut to Riyadh by hiding in
the wheel bay of a passenger jet, Lebanon's justice minister said Monday.
"The man's family was able to identify him through a photograph of him provided
by Saudi Arabian authorities," Ibrahim Najjar told AFP.
"There are also reports that he was mentally unstable, but we have yet to
confirm them," the minister added.
The man's name was Firas Haidar, a Lebanese national from the area of Burj al-Barajneh
near Beirut airport, a source close to a probe into the accident told AFP,
requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media. The body was
found by a maintenance worker who inspected the right rear landing gear of the
Saudi-owned Nas AirNas AirNas Air
Airbus 320 after it touched down at Riyadh's King Khaled International
AirportKing Khaled International Airport early Saturday morning, the Saudi
General Authority of Civil Aviation said.
"When approaching the aircraft he discovered the body of a person who had tried
to hide in the wheel bay while the plane took off from Beirut International
Airport," the Jeddah-based authority said in a statement. A Lebanon airport
official said on Saturday that the man had somehow managed to grab hold of a
(wheel) of the jet in Beirut without the control tower noticing before the jet
took off. Flight XY 720 reported seeing a man in a cap with a backpack make a
dash for the plane as it prepared to taxi, according to the Lebanese media. He
stumbled once and then continued towards the aircraft. The state-run National
News Agency has reported passengers and flight attendants informed the pilot,
who did not take any action and continued to take off without informing the
control tower.© Copyright AFP 2010.
Man who Creeped onto Saudi Plane Identified
Naharnet/The body of a man discovered on the tires of a flight from Beirut to
Riyadh was identified as a 20-year-old Lebanese, An-Nahar newspaper said Monday.
It said the man, who apparently was mentally unbalanced, is a resident of south
Beirut's Borj al-Barajneh, a neighborhood very close to Beirut airport, which
made it easy for him to infiltrate the runway. Future News channel on Monday
identified the dead man as Firas Hussein Haidar.Airport workers in Riyadh on
Saturday found the man who apparently tried to hitch a ride on the Saudi-owned
Nas Air jet, aviation authorities said. An airport source in Beirut said a Saudi
passenger and a fellow Lebanese traveler on Nas Air flight had reported seeing a
man with a backpack running towards the jet shortly before it took off from
Beirut. According to the eyewitness account, the dead man wore a cap and a black
T-shirt.
The passengers/witnesses asked a flight attendant to report to the pilot what
they saw, only to come back with assurances from the pilot that any activity can
be seen on camera.
"The pilot took no action and continued takeoff," state-run National News Agency
quoted one witness as saying. Saudi and Lebanese officials were trying to
establish the identity of the dead person. Saudi authorities sent a photograph
of the dead man to Lebanese security authorities. The photo indicated the man
was in his 20s. Beirut, 12 Jul 10, 06:41
Four years on, Israel war far from over: Lebanon press
(AFP) – BEIRUT — Lebanon's conflict with Israel is still far from over,
Beirut-based dailies warned on Monday, four years to the day since the first
bombs fell in the last war between Hezbollah and the Jewish state."The July War
is not over," declared the front-page headline in the Arabic-language Al-Akhbar
newspaper.
"Four years after the end of the war... both parties look ready to leap back
into action and are prepared both in terms of capacities and incentives," read
the article in Al-Akhbar, which is close to the Shiite militant party. The
month-long war was triggered by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by the
Shiite militant group Hezbollah in a cross-border raid on July 12, 2006.
The fighting that ensued destroyed much of Lebanon's major infrastructure and
killed about 1,200 Lebanese, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, most of them
soldiers.
Security Council Resolution 1701 ended the conflict and beefed up the UNIFIL
peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978.
But tensions between the two foes has risen again after Israel accused Syria of
smuggling Scud missiles to its ally Hezbollah, a charge Damascus denies.
Israel's military says the Shiite group has a stock of some 40,000 rockets and
this month published aerial photographs showing what it says is evidence of
Hezbollah stockpiling weapons in towns and villages near the border. "Israel...
argues that Hezbollah took the state hostage, revamped and reinforced its
arsenal and now is attacking UN peacekeepers via the people of southern Lebanon,
who are at their beck and call," read the editorial in the French-language daily
L'Orient Le Jour.
After decades of smooth ties with southern Lebanese, UNIFIL this month became
the target of villagers who took to the streets to protest a maximum deployment
exercise by the blue-helmeted troops. In the most notable confrontation,
residents of the southern town of Tulin disarmed a French patrol and attacked
them with sticks, rocks and eggs before the Lebanese army intervened. One
prominent daily on Monday tied the war anniversary to Israel's raid on a
Gaza-bound aid flotilla on May 31, in which nine Turks were killed.
"It is July 12 yet again and here we are, entering the fifth year of Israel's
open war on Lebanon, but rather on all Arabs and on Muslims in Turkey," read a
column by Talal Salman, owner of the daily As-Safir which is also close to
Hezbollah. "There is one lesson to be learned: steadfastness is the shortest
route to victory, along with... unity and awareness of the nature of the enemy,"
Salman wrote.
Chamoun rejects March 14’s proposal on Palestinians’ rights
July 12, 2010
In an interview with LBCI television on Monday, National Liberal Party leader MP
Dori Chamoun said he rejects the March 14 alliance’s proposal for improving the
humanitarian conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. “There are also
duties [that the Palestinians must fulfill] in exchange for [those] rights,” he
said. Chamoun’s remarks come as Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra told As-Safir
newspaper on Monday that the bill prepared by the LF, the Future Movement and
the March 14 Secretariat General emphasizes their refugee status in Lebanon,
promises them a decent life and supports their right of return. The draft law,
however, rejects granting civil rights to the Palestinians, but deals positively
with their humanitarian and social rights. Chamoun expressed surprise over the
timing of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s proposal to
grant Palestinian refugees civil rights. “This does not mean that he [Jumblatt]
is right,” he said. The parliament was split last month over Jumblatt’s bill to
grant Palestinian refugees civil rights. MPs from the Loyalty to the Resistance
bloc and the Development and Liberation bloc supported Jumblatt’s bill, while
the Kataeb, Lebanese Forces and Change and Reform bloc MPs opposed it. -NOW
Lebanon
Ammar Moussawi
July 12, 2010
The National News Agency (NNA) reported on July 11 that during a political
meeting organized by the party in the town of Machghara, Hezbollah International
Relations Officer Ammar Moussawi advised against raising the topic of the civil
rights of Palestinians in Lebanon in the context of any kind of political
arm-wrestling. He stressed the necessity to handle the issue seriously and
responsibly, indicating that it was in the best interest of Palestinians and
Lebanese to see these rights ratified in the context of Lebanese and national
concord. Regarding the clashes which recently took place in some Southern
villages, he stated, “Some wanted to blow them out of proportion and to dispatch
a flow of letters over the heads of the people and Southerners, either by
linking what happened to international sanctions on Iran or by linking them to
other issues with a regional character.
There is a team of Lebanese who only know the method of instigation and
misleading because that is the only guarantee of continuity for them in the face
of the Resistance and the arms of the Resistance. The Lebanese are divided over
the arms of the resistance and the latter exploited these small skirmishes to
stir a storm and give the Lebanese the impression that the situation will
deteriorate. Whoever hears the statements of the March 14 team would think that
the country was heading toward total chaos and destruction. This has raised
concerns in the ranks of the Lebanese themselves as well as foreigners who may
have been planning on spending their vacation in the country.
The side responsible for this is the one which exercised instigation and
misleading and talked about the worst possible events. In fact, what happened
was a reaction by the population against acts which may have been considered by
the people as being provocative and frustrating. We believe that the problem
resided in the lack of coordination between UNIFIL troops and the Lebanese army,
knowing that Resolution 1701 clearly called for full coordination between the
two sides. Eventually, when these clashes occurred everybody went back to the
army to resolve the problem. This page was turned and I hope that this situation
has ended once and for all, i.e. that such clashes will not occur again. What is
required is full coordination with the army and the respect of the area and its
people.”
Moussawi responded to those who described the army as an Abu Melhem [a folkloric
Lebanese TV character which acted as a mediator between other characters] by
saying, “Some wanted to embarrass the army by saying it was not doing its job.
We say that it fulfilled its duties in the context of its doctrine and policy
and it is present in the South to protect Lebanon, Lebanese soil and Lebanons
sovereignty and dignity. If some want the army to be present in the South to
protect Israel’s border, the army will not assume such a mission. There are also
some who, under the pretext that the army is unable to perform its tasks in
full, are trying to change the rules of engagement and give wider prerogatives
to UNIFIL.
We are in the presence of UNIFIL forces operating under the banner of the United
Nations and in accordance with Chapter VI, not in the presence of NATO troops or
forces operating in accordance with Chapter VII. Therefore, to those who believe
it was unfortunate that Resolution 1701 was not issued under Chapter VII, we
say, ‘You must excuse us but neither you nor any other can impose by threats
what Israel failed to impose by the use of arms.’ This country is protected by
its Resistance, army and people and not by international resolutions. Based on
our calculations, Israel will not launch war, not because it respects the
international community and is committed to international resolutions, but
because it feels unable to engage in any battle in the future and win it.”
UNIFIL, Lebanese army and residents hold reconciliation
meeting
July 12, 2010 /A reconciliation meeting was held between Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
and UNIFIL officers and residents in the southern village of Toulin Sunday night
to defuse tension following last month’s protests against the UN peacekeeping
force, NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported on Monday. Sunday’s meeting comes
after a series of anti-UNIFIL protests began on June 29 in Toulin, where
villagers blocked roads and threw stones at French peacekeepers before disarming
them. During the sit-down, UNIFIL officers spoke of the “good relationship”
between them and the local population and called for boosting it under the
Lebanese army’s sponsorship. Head of the Toulin municipality Hussein Awali said
the meeting was not meant for reconciliation, “because there is no enmity
between us, but was aimed at strengthening trust that has existed since 1978
when the UN forces [were deployed in] the South.”-NOW Lebanon
Bad for business 101
July 12, 2010
Now Lebanon
It’s been a busy weekend. After the UN Security Council reaffirmed support on
Friday for its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and called on all parties in the
country to allow UNIFIL forces to move freely, without hindrance, there was a
so-called reconciliation meeting between the Lebanese army, UNIFIL and the
residents in the southern village of Tulin on Sunday night.
Elsewhere, and in keeping with the current climate of fear and suspicion, there
were once again calls for the death penalty to be handed down to Israeli spies,
this time from Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem. Then came
reports on Sunday that Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud had hinted that the UNIFIL
incidents had led to worrying hotel and flight cancellations ahead of what had
promised to be a record-breaking tourist season coming off the back of an
equally-lucrative month of World Cup hysteria.
Yes, Lebanon is not just a hotbed of espionage and intrigue. It also has an
economy. Then again, those who would use Lebanon as a pawn in a bigger regional
game, one that doesn’t give one jot about economic growth or the building of
strong state institutions, tend to ignore such trivial matters.
Abboud denied he said anything about cancellations. But he didn’t have to say
it. We all know that tension, instability and uncertainty keep holidaymakers
away. Lebanon’s hoteliers, restaurateurs, bar owners, retailers and car-rental
firms, while keeping one eye on the cash register, are also nervously following
the local news. Business suffers when politics loses its head, as anyone who
lived through the 2006 war or had a business in downtown Beirut between 2007 and
mid-2008 will tell you.
The whispers would not be hard to believe, especially if these cancellations
were made by the European tourists that Abboud’s ministry has been trying so
hard to woo in its bid to give Lebanon wider appeal. Why risk Lebanon when the
Dalmatian Coast is safer, cheaper and more beautiful?
The rumors are certainly more plausible than all the other conspiracy theories
that we are being offered up: that the United Nations, the Lebanese government,
the US, the Israelis, Alfa telecom and probably even the World Cup-winning
Spanish football team (well, Spain is in UNIFIL, isn’t it?) are part of an evil
network, hell-bent on undermining the state and seeking to destroy the dignity
of the Resistance. There are those who will dismiss the data as merely a
knee-jerk reaction from wimpy Europeans. But to do this is to ignore the
fundamentally-flawed nature of the Lebanese state, which seems to take pride in
operating by its own conceited logic. In this case the conventional wisdom says
Arab tourists, who make up the bulk of visitors, are inured to Lebanon’s
volatility, so we don’t need to worry. But worry we should. It has been a tense
year so far. Tourist-industry nerves have already jangled once when, in spring,
reports from the US stated that Syria had been supplying Hezbollah with Scud
missiles. That crisis appeared to go away, but today, with Hezbollah seemingly
tarring any institution it deems a threat with the brush of doubt, the
predictable martial posturing by the Israelis and talk of indictments being
handed down by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the autumn, the alert level
has risen once again. And once again, the private sector is alone. It has no
means of redress. It cannot plead its case to Hezbollah, and it cannot seek the
“protection” of the state. How can it, when one-third of the government is
either preparing for war or trying to discredit the other two-thirds? Let’s pray
for a peaceful summer at least. It’s all we can do.
Williams: No Crisis of
Confidence with Hizbullah, No Link between South Incidents and International
Tribunal
Naharnet/U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said there is no
crisis of confidence with Hizbullah, stressing that there is also no link
between recent UNIFIL-villagers skirmishes in south Lebanon and the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said
there is no crisis of confidence with Hizbullah, stressing that there is also no
link between recent UNIFIL-villagers skirmishes in south Lebanon and the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. "There is no crisis of confidence with Hizbullah, which
has played a positive role in recent days to reduce the tension," Williams said
in remarks published Monday by Al-Akhbar newspaper. He expressed satisfaction at
the reconciliation reached between UNIFIL and residents of southern Lebanon.
Williams said it was important to emphasize that the south incidents in which
U.N. peacekeepers were attacked by villagers "cannot be placed in the scope of
crisis." "We have not reached a stage that makes us describe what happened as a
crisis," Williams thought. Beirut, 12 Jul 10, 06:30
Joint Parliamentary Committees Approve Several Oil Draft Law Clauses
Naharnet/The joint parliamentary committees approved on Monday the first seven
clauses of the oil exploration draft law except for the third clause, head of
the Public Works and Transport Committee Mohammed Qabbani said. Speaker Nabih
Berri adjourned the session to July 26, Qabbani said. Beirut, 12 Jul 10,
Angry Druze Residents Trap Israeli Police in Golan Heights Building
Naharnet/Hundreds of angry Druze residents of the Golan Heights surrounded a
building in the main town of Majdel Shams, trapping inside policemen for several
hours, police said.
The 10 policemen were searching for "criminals" inside the building, police
spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding that reinforcements were called in who
negotiated with the crowd and community elders to end the standoff. Rosenfeld
said the operation was not political, adding there were no reports of injuries.
Israel captured the strategic Golan Heights plateau from Syria in the 1967
Six-Day War and unilaterally annexed it in 1981. Damascus has repeatedly
demanded its return as a non-negotiable condition for peace. More than 18,000
Syrians, mostly Druze, are left from the Golan's original population of 150,000.
The vast majority of the Druze in the Golan have refused to take Israeli
citizenship. Followers of a breakaway sect of Islam concentrated in Israel,
Syria, and Lebanon, the Druze are not considered Muslims by most of the Islamic
world.(AFP) Beirut, 11 Jul 10,
Objectivity and Reporting on the Mideast
Lee Smith: The Octavia Nasr Episode Speaks Volumes About Elastic Definitions of
Objectivity
CNN Fires Octavia Nasr Over Tweet
(Weekly Standard) Lee Smith is the author of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics,
and the Clash of Arab Civilizations.
Even after Octavia Nasr apologized for her ill-advised “tweet” over the July 4
holiday expressing her “respect” for the recently deceased Mohammad Hussein
Fadlallah, CNN fired its senior editor for Middle East affairs. And now bloggers
and journalists are up in arms.
Some are blaming the job action on “neoconservatives,” which presumably includes
THE WEEKLY STANDARD’s Daniel Halper who commented on Nasr’s “tweet” here. Israel
Lobby author Stephen Walt writes that CNN’s “spineless response” is “one more
reason why mainstream journalism is increasingly seen as morally bankrupt.”
Walt and some of the others have half a point--why is Nasr being singled out for
openly expressing the U.S. media’s default position on Hezbollah, Fadlallah’s
one-time colleagues? For instance, does anyone doubt that the New Yorker’s
Seymour Hersh “respects” the late cleric’s even more vicious rival, Hezbollah
General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah, whom he interviewed in the pages of the New
Yorker
The Western press delights in rattling the bourgeois sensibilities of its
audience by showing the multifaceted aspects of Hezbollah--it’s not just a
militia with an appetite for slaughtering Jews, it’s also a social welfare
outfit that provides educational opportunities!--and even collaborates with the
Party of God by publishing doctored photographs of Israeli “war crimes.” The
op-ed pages of America’s dailies are replete with articles promoting Hezbollah’s
“pragmatism” and “moderation” (which also happens to be the position of the
president’s counter-terrorism czar John Brennan, and a recent CENTCOM analytical
exercise), while reported pieces from Lebanon pass along Party of God press
releases as objective analysis. If every U.S. journalist who quoted Hezbollah
mouthpiece Amal Saad Ghorayeb as a respected “scholar” was fired, the bars of
East Beirut would lose 25 percent of their business.
In Beirut, it’s well understood that the U.S. press corps is at least deftly
managed by Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian lapdogs, if not actively in the party’s
corner. First stop for most is Michel Samaha, Lebanon’s former minister of
Information, an apparatchik of the Damascus regime, who arranges interviews with
Hezbollah higher-ups and other friends of the Islamic resistance. The only
people who don’t understand how the game is played in Lebanon are American media
consumers, because the foreign desk editors back in the U.S. surely know what’s
up.
After all, if these editors were truly interested in objective reporting, heads
would have rolled after last June’s Lebanese parliamentary elections, which the
U.S. press almost unanimously predicted were going to be won by the
Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition. Curious editors from coast to coast might well
have asked their Middle East correspondents and Beirut bureau chiefs how they
were unable to discern what would become a victory for the opposing March 14
forces. Why did they all get it so wrong, or why weren’t they at least getting
polling numbers from the other side of the ballot in what turned out to be a
relative drubbing for team Hezbollah’s allies?
This is why a group of Lebanese colleagues and I decided to bring over
delegations of American journalists during the last two years, so that there was
at least someone listening to the other side. This infatuation with Hezbollah
has been going on for years, and it’s not just because the party established a
formidable style of press criticism by kidnapping journalists back in the ’80s.
The U.S. media actually likes Hezbollah--it is an impressive thing, after all,
to be able to kill your enemies--whether they are Jews or fellow
Lebanese--whereas liberalism, non-violent resistance, rule of law, and
opposition to political murder lacks sex appeal. Let’s not forget that since the
February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri the U.S.
media had tended to dismiss the Cedar Revolution as insufficiently authentic.
The multi-sectarian coalition was not, in the eyes of most American journalists,
made up of “real” Arabs, like Hezbollah; rather, it was a “Gucci” revolution.
This is the political milieu in which Nasr worked--and there’s no upside to
being a Lebanese Christian, as she is. Where Hezbollah is treated with
equanimity, if not adulation, the Christian community is typically dismissed as
politically retrograde and racist toward Muslims. In her blog post elaborating
on why a Christian woman “respected” Fadlallah, Nasr explained how she had
interviewed the cleric when she worked at the Lebanese Broadcasting Company
(LBC), owned then by the Lebanese Forces, at the time the main Christian party.
Today in the American press it is hard to find a reference to the LF without it
being preceded by the modifier “right-wing”--the word the fashion-conscious U.S.
media uses to ostracize its opponents.
Who knows if Nasr was overcompensating for the way her American colleagues
perceive her confessional sect, or even what she meant by "respecting" Fadlallah.
In the Middle East the bar is famously low--a religious figure who thinks it’s
wrong to mutilate women’s genitalia is hailed as a progressive--and in Lebanon
it’s further skewed. Hassan Nasrallah is “respected” as a man of vision and
probity, even as he hides in a bunker four years after dragging his country to
war on behalf of Iran and Syria. On the other hand, Samir Geagea, the Christian
leader of the Lebanese Forces, is despised even after he spent more than a
decade in solitary confinement as the only militia leader to pay for his crimes
during the Lebanese civil war rather than make his amends with the regime in
Damascus. Who knows what Octavia Nasr really thinks about Fadlallah, but it’s
hard to escape the conclusion that she fell prey to minority politics, twice
over. As a Christian journalist working in a Muslim majority region, she
imagined her profession of respect for a theorist of terror would win her bona
fides as an “objective” reporter. And as an Arab she’s taking the fall for a
conviction held by virtually all of her Western professional peers.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Hezbollah warns: We have list of IDF targets inside Israel
12.07.10/Haaretz
Militant commander Nabil Kaouk responds to IDF's release of photographs
allegedly showing Hezbollah weapons depots in south Lebanon. By The Associated
Press A senior Hezbollah official warned yesterday that the organization has a
list of military targets inside Israel they could attack in any future war.
Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon, Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, made his comments in
response to the Israeli army's release this week of maps and previously
classified aerial photographs of what it described as a network of Hezbollah
weapons depots and command centers in south Lebanon. Young Hezbollah supporters
holding mock ups of Katyusha rockets in front of a portrait of group leader
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
In a press briefing last week, Israel Defense Forces Col. Ronen Marley presented
the detailed maps and 3-D simulations showing what he said was a unit of 90
militants from the Shi'ite Muslim organization operating in the village of Khiam,
where they were storing weapons close to hospitals and schools. Kaouk told the
state news agency yesterday that the Israeli leaders were trying to restore
confidence by presenting a list of targets in southern Lebanon after the Israeli
public lost faith in the army. He noted that the Israeli announcement was made
on the four-year anniversary of the Second Lebanon War, in which Hezbollah
battled Israel to a stalemate. Some 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed
during that conflict, which began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers
in a cross-border attack. Hezbollah declared Saturday that Israel was preparing
"something" in Lebanon and that the organization has been on high alert since
Israel released the images.
U.S. Vetoes Giving Airport Security Post to Pro-Hizbullah Officer, Report
Naharnet/Washington reportedly vetoes giving the post of head of the security at
Beirut airport to a Lebanese army officer with close links to Hizbullah, Ad-Diyar
newspaper said Monday.
It cited sources as saying that the United States objects to the appointment of
a successor to incumbent security head of Beirut airport Wafiq Shoqair whowill
retire from the post soon.
Ad-Diyar said the U.S. embassy in Beirut has informed the concerned sides that
they would participate in the selection of the name that will be appointed to
this sensitive post, which is seen as the nerve center of the battle against
terrorism.It said the embassy will allow itself to "veto" any name that does not
enjoy the support of the American Embassy. Beirut, 12 Jul 10, 08:09
Hawker Hunters to Exercise in Lebanese Airspace
Naharnet/Hawker Hunter warplanes will carry out drills over Beirut, the Bekaa
Valley, Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday, a
military communiqué said. Beirut, 12 Jul 10,
Ahmadinejad to Head 70-Member
Delegation to Lebanon
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Lebanon soon at the
head of a 70-member delegation, Iran's Fars news agency reported. It said the
visit was unveiled during a meeting in Beirut between Speaker Nabih Berri and
head of Iran's National Security Committee Alaa Boroujerdi. It quoted a member
of Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Seyed Ahmad
Avaei as saying that "all introductory steps and arrangements have been made for
Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit to Lebanon." Beirut, 12 Jul 10,
MP Elie Aoun: Palestinians to Get Most of their Rights Except Owning Property
Naharnet/Member of the Democratic Gathering MP Elie Aoun declared on Monday that
his parliamentary bloc agrees to give Palestinians living in Lebanon most of
their rights, except the right to own property. Aoun told the Lebanese
Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) that his coalition is open-minded towards any
discussion about this issue, provided that the Palestinians get "at least their
basic human rights."He added that as long as these rights are granted, "we will
discuss in depth the right to own property.""The drafted law needs some
adjustments," he explained. "This issue is not over yet," adding that there will
be a follow-up meeting before the law is presented to parliament. Beirut, 12 Jul
10,
Qazzi: Phalange Demands Modifications in Law on Palestinian Rights
Naharnet/Phalange Party politburo member Sejaan Qazzi said the group objects a
proposal suggesting giving Palestinian refugees the right to work. In remarks
published Monday by As-Safir newspaper, Qazzi said Kataeb demands modifications
in the law on Palestinians civil rights. Beirut, 12 Jul 10,
French Source: Paris Never Intends to Withdraw Troops from UNIFIL
Naharnet/France has no intention to withdraw its troops from the U.N.
peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, Kuwaiti Ad-Dar newspaper said on Monday.
It quoted a French diplomatic source as saying that France "will not allow
multiple messages to be delivered using its soldiers in the south."
While the source ruled out any Israeli war against Lebanon, he stressed that
recent incidents in southern Lebanon between UNIFIL and villagers "should not
happen again."
"It is not in the Lebanese best interest to lose international support," the
source continued. "If this happens, Lebanon would have exposed itself to
everyone; and then nothing can deter its enemies from attacking it in one way or
another."This came after a series of skirmishes last week between villagers and
the multinational forces, most notably the clashes that took place in the town
of Touline in which residents attacked the French patrol with sticks, rocks and
eggs. Beirut, 12 Jul 10,
Israeli Military Sources: Netanyahu Could Go on 'Military Adventure' against
Hamas or Hizbullah
Naharnet/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could go on a "military
adventure" against Hamas in Gaza or Hizbullah in Lebanon amid pressure over
captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit or alleged rearmament of the Lebanese
Shiite group. Israeli military sources told Israel army radio that Netanyahu's
choices to get rid of pressures have become limited, pushing him towards
carrying out an operation in Gaza or striking Hizbullah. The sources added that
the Jewish state already began preparing the Israeli public opinion about its
options regarding Hizbullah. Beirut, 12 Jul 10,
Consensus nears over Palestinian social, work rights
nationality and vote remain off limits
By The Daily Star
Monday, July 12, 2010
BEIRUT: The March 14 Alliance is likely to submit Monday a proposal to
Parliament to grant Palestinian refugees social and work rights as a compromise
solution to improve their living conditions, but continue to deny them the right
to property ownership.
Talks over the proposal, which is being coordinated with the country’s major
political parties, reached near consensus on Sunday, a Lebanese Forces (LF)
official told The Daily Star.
Earlier this month, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt’s bloc
submitted a draft law to Parliament proposing to grant refugees civil rights
equal to Lebanese but denying them the right to nationality and vote.
However, the strong opposition from Christian parties to Jumblatt’s proposal led
to a series of talks among March 14 parties that resulted in the formulation of
a joint proposal which Future Movement MP Nouhad Mashnouq was delegated to
coordinate with opposition parties and Jumblatt.
“The proposal will not be submitted unless it is the result national consensus,”
LF and Batroun MP Antoine Zahra said.
Asked whether the proposal would be submitted to parliamentary committees for
discussion on Monday, Zahra said “it was a nearly certain date,” as he stressed
that talks with FPM leader MP Michel Aoun and the remaining parties were
positive.
Following a meeting between the Future Movement, the LF and the March 14 Forces
General Secretariat, Mashnouq was delegated by Future Movement bloc leader Fouad
Siniora to reach an understanding with Speaker Nabih Berri, FPM leader Michel
Aoun and Jumblatt over the proposal.
“Ongoing contacts made a big progress that led to a new proposal that takes into
consideration all stances as well as that of the Labor ministry with regard to
granting refugees a work permit but exempt them from fees,” Labor Minister, MP
Butros Harb said Sunday.
In remarks published by the daily An-Nahar on Sunday, Mashnouq said Jumblatt
expressed his understanding to postpone discussions on granting Palestinian
refugees the right of property ownership and restrict talks to work and social
security rights.
According to Mashnouq, the proposal would protect the Palestinian refugees’
identity by granting them work permits, as the international community would
continue to provide the Palestinians health and educational services.
Meanwhile, the LF was relating to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir the latest
developments with regards to the ongoing talks over the issue.
Asked why the Phalange Party did not attend the meeting that joined the LF to
the Future Movement and the March 14 Secretariat General, Zahra said Phalange
Party leader Amin Gemayel’s travel schedule as well as that of his son, Sami,
the party’s central committee coordinator, was behind the party’s absence.
However, the LF lawmaker added that the Phalange Party had been informed of the
proposal’s details.
“We assured the patriarch that the party works on guaranteeing the best living
conditions for our Palestinian brothers but the responsibility remains that of
the international community through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency,”
Social Affairs Minister Selim Sayegh said following a meeting with Sfeir.
The Phalange Party official added that the Lebanese state could not afford the
financial burdens of improving the Palestinian refugees’ living conditions as
the state’s social security fund suffered a budget deficit and could not meet
the Lebanese people’s needs.
Similarly, Harb said Lebanon could not substitute for the international
community when it comes to providing medical and health services to Palestinian
refugees.
For his part, Sayegh stressed that his party rejected the social integration of
the Palestinian refugees into Lebanon since it would deal a blow to the
refugees’ right of return. – The Daily Star
Israel vows to prevent Libya aid boat from landing in Gaza
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Hazel Ward
Agence France Presse
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel on Sunday vowed to prevent a Libyan aid ship from
running the Gaza blockade after it appeared to be heading for the besieged
enclave despite a flurry of diplomatic efforts to divert it to Egypt.
“Israel will not let the boat reach Gaza,” minister without portfolio Yossi
Peled told Israel’s public radio a day after the 92-meter freighter Amalthea set
sail from the Greek port of Lavrio.
Allowing vessels to reach the Hamas-run Gaza Strip without being checked would
have “very serious consequences” for Israel’s security, he said.
There was confusion over the ship’s destination on Sunday – with organizers
saying it was staying the course for Gaza, despite diplomatic reassurances from
Greece that it was headed for the Egyptian port of El-Arish.
“We are heading for Gaza. We will not change direction,” Mashallah Zwei, a
representative of the Gadhafi Foundation, a Libyan charity, told AFP by
satellite phone from on board the Amalthea.
He insisted the foundation was not seeking “a confrontation or a provocation,”
when asked about the risks of a repeat of an Israeli naval raid on an aid
flotilla on May 31 that killed nine Turks.
Zwei said the ship was currently “close to Crete” and would likely reach Gaza in
about two days.
Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the attempt to reach the Gaza Strip,
which has been subjected to an Israeli naval blockade for the past four years,
was an “unnecessary provocation.”
“We will not allow the entry of arms, weapons or anything which will support
fighting into Gaza. We recommend that the organizers either let the ship be
escorted by navy vessels to Ashdod port [in southern Israel] or that is sails
directly to the port of El-Arish” in Egypt.
Meanwhile, Jordanian activists and trade unionists said Sunday they would seek
to break the Gaza blockade by land next week.
“More than 150 people and 30 vehicles with aid, medicines and clothes will leave
Amman for Gaza on Tuesday morning,” Wael Saqqa, head of the Jordan Engineers
Association, told AFP on Sunday, adding that his group planned to head to Gaza
through the Egyptian border town of El-Arish.
World Bank: Red tape still hurts businesses in Lebanon
Firms need lengthy 75 days just to get electricity connection
By The Daily Star
Monday, July 12, 2010
BEIRUT: The World Bank said Lebanon is still plagued with red tape and long
bureaucratic procedures in government circles that negatively affect the
business climate in the country.
The World Bank made these remarks a report on the of indicators for 140
economies that track all procedures, the time, and the cost required for a
business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building,
including an extension or expansion of the existing infrastructure. The report
was carried by Byblos Bank Lebanon This Week publication.
It said the Getting Electricity Indicators reflect the efficiency and cost of
the services provided to commercial customers by distribution utilities, the
complexity of procedures, and the resources expanded by businesses to obtain a
connection. It added that the new indicators provide insights into the
regulatory aspects surrounding electricity connections and might serve as a
proxy for some aspects of the quality of the electricity system.
The indicators show that a company in Lebanon requires five procedures to be
connected to electricity, higher than the MENA region’s average of 4.8
procedures and the Arab average of 4.6 procedures, but lower than the upper
middle income countries (UMICs) average of 5.6 procedures. Lebanon ranked in
49th place globally and in 7th place among 14 countries in the Arab world on the
number of procedures required to provide an electricity connection to a company.
It also ranked in 6th place among 28 UMICs included in the survey. On a global
basis, Lebanon tied with 47 other states, ranked ahead of 44 economies and came
behind 48 countries. It also tied with 10 UMICs, ranked ahead of 12 economies
and behind 5 nations.
Regionally, Lebanon tied with Oman, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain and Syria, came
ahead of Palestine and Egypt, and ranked behind Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia,
UAE, Yemen and Djibouti in this category.
Further, the World Bank figures show that it takes 75 days for a company in
Lebanon to obtain a new electricity connection, higher than the Arab average of
71.9 days, but lower than the MENA region’s average of 78.9 days and the UMICs
average of 110.7 days.
Lebanon ranked in 63rd place worldwide on the average time to obtain an
electricity connection, while it came in 12th place in the Arab world and 11th
among UMICs. Globally, Lebanon tied with Ethiopia, ranked ahead of Singapore and
behind Argentina and El Salvador. It also came ahead of Serbia and behind
Argentina among UMICs, and ranked ahead of Qatar and behind Bahrain in the Arab
world.
Further, the World Bank indicators show that the cost required for a business to
obtain an electricity connection in Lebanon is equivalent to 29.9 percent of
income per capita in the country, lower than the MENA average of 1,355 percent
of income per capita, as well as the UMICs average of 534.3 percent of income
per capita and the Arab average of 1,473 percent of income per capita. Lebanon
ranked in 17th place globally on the cost of obtaining an electricity
connection, while it came in third place in the Arab world and in third place
among UMICs.
On a global basis, Lebanon ranked ahead of Singapore and behind France. It also
came ahead of Malaysia and behind Argentina among UMJICs, and ranked ahead of
Bahrain and behind the UAE in the Arab world. The World Bank noted that the cost
of both the electricity connection and the electricity supply is very important
for businesses because electricity-related expenditures absorb a significant
share of their revenues. It estimated that companies spend on average the
equivalent of 4 percent of their annual sales on electricity alone, compared to
6.4 percent of their yearly sales on all other infrastructure services such as
fuel, telecommunications services and water. – The Daily Star
Op-Ed: The long arm of Iran endangers Israel and the
West
By Daniel S. Mariaschin · July 11, 2010
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Iran targeted Argentina’s Jews in a horrific car bomb attack
16 years ago. Now, as Tehran infiltrates Latin America, its aim is broader --
the Western Hemisphere.
Iran, the world’s largest and most successful state sponsor of terror, has
gotten away with one of its most brazen and deadly acts for too long. On July
18, 1994, a bomb blew apart the AMIA (Argentina-Israelite Mutual Association)
building in Buenos Aires. The blast killed 85 and wounded 300.
Symbolically, the damage was far greater as the building was home to the heart
of the largest Jewish community in Latin America.
It is commonly accepted knowledge that Tehran was behind the attack. And in
recent years, an Argentine prosecutor released a report detailing Iranian
involvement and issued international arrest warrants for various Iranian leaders
and a top Hezbollah official.
According to the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, the prosecutor’s
report concluded the primary reason that Argentina was the chosen target was the
“government’s unilateral decision to terminate the nuclear materials and
technology supply agreements that had been concluded some years previously
between Argentina and Iran.” Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons and its capacity
for vendettas goes back many years.
It is easy to dismiss this act of barbarism. After all, in the intervening
years, the world has seen far more dramatic acts of terror. But we forget, and
stand idle, at our peril.
Let us remember that prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the Iranian terrorist
arm, Hezbollah, had killed more Americans than any other terrorist group in the
world.
Iran is lurking at our doorstep. And without some serious attention to the
perils posed by Tehran, pretty soon it will come crashing through our door.
By forging new and successful alliances in Latin America, most notably with
Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, Tehran has gained an advantage it has never
before enjoyed -- proximity to the United States.
Iran exports a brand of hate that does not only target America or Jews. Iran has
declared war on women, homosexuals, political opponents, even fellow Muslims who
do not follow its extremist agenda and convoluted worldview. Its unrelenting
quest to develop nuclear weapons, its blatant and wanton disregard of U.N.
sanctions, and its constant threats against Israel make Iran potentially the
most destabilizing force in the world today.
So far, Tehran has only managed to charm the most unstable of nations; those
seeking to burnish their international bona fides by speaking out against the
United States. But in many ways, that is what makes these alliances even more
dangerous. Tehran can easily exploit regional grudges to import non-regional
conflicts to the hemisphere. Using its petro-dollars, Iran lavishes contracts
across Latin America to foster good will and generate revenue in nations badly
in need of a positive economic infusion.
At a U.S. Senate Armed Services hearing last year, the commander of U.S. forces
in Latin America, Adm. James Stavridis testified that "We have seen in
Colombia a direct connection between Hezbollah activity and the narco-trafficking
activity." Not only is Hezbollah active in the hemisphere, but it has learned
the drug trade and can now exploit those dangerous channels and connections at
will.
Iran opened six embassies across Latin America in a five-year period. It is
successfully infiltrating the hemisphere. Stavridis described Tehran’s efforts
in the region as "proselytizing and working with Islamic activities throughout
the region."
The greater the role Iran plays in Latin America, the more it undermines any
positive influence of such regional groups as the Organization of American
States and international groups such as the United Nations.
Law enforcement experts have determined that Hezbollah also was responsible for
the 1992 truck bomb attack on Israel’s embassy in Buenos Aires that killed 29
and wounded 242. As Iran has demonstrated since these two deadly attacks in
Argentina, it has a deep understanding of the complexities of Latin America and
can exploit regional differences to destabilize ties and build new and dangerous
alliances. It has done that in Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia. This
axis presents an unmistakable danger to democracies in the hemisphere.
The poorest and most disenfranchised people in many Latin American nations are
ripe for Hezbollah recruiting. It is not difficult to envision a Hezbollah
network made up of locals in many parts of the hemisphere. These recruits, with
their language and familiarity of local customs, could easily fly below the
radar of security watch dogs in plots against nearby democratic nations.
Argentina was Iran’s first target in the hemisphere. We cannot assume it will be
the last. Let us finally learn the dire lesson from the Hezbollah attacks on
Buenos Aires, gather like-minded democratic nations together, and demonstrate
the value of positive alliances on political, social and economic grounds.
(Daniel S. Mariaschin is the executive vice president of B’nai B’rith
International.)
UK envoy says sorry after causing outrage by
praising Hezbollah cleric who backed suicide bombers
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:17 PM on 10th July 2010
Comments (23) Add to My Stories A British envoy yesterday said sorry for lauding
an Ayatollah the White House had branded a terrorist.
Ambassador to Lebanon Frances Guy had called Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein
Fadlallah, who died last week, a 'true man of religion' and said the world
needed more like him.
But Fadlallah, Lebanon's leading Shia Muslim cleric, was linked to Hezbollah
militants and some in the US blamed him for the 1983 bombing of the US embassy
in Beirut.
Apology: British ambassador in Lebanon Frances Guy, pictured meeting with late
Lebanese Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, praised the late Shiite
cleric
Israel said he inspired 'suicide bombings, assassinations and all kinds of
wanton violence'.
The Foreign Office said yesterday that Ms Guy's internet posting praising
Fadlallah had been removed 'after mature consideration'.
In a new posting, Ms Guy, our ambassador for nearly four years, said: 'I
recognise that some of my words have upset people. This was certainly not my
intention.'
She added that she had only meant to acknowledge Fadlallah's 'spiritual
significance to many'
Hezbollah has regained control over southern Lebanon
09.07.10/Haaretz
Four years after the Second Lebanon War, the Shi'ite group has managed to
rebuild its military capabilities across from Israel's northern frontier. Still,
most sources say it's not interested in another round of fighting.
By Avi Issacharoff Four years after the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah can credit
itself with yet another achievement in its campaign against Israel: southern
Lebanon is once again in its hands. According to various assessments, the
Shi'ite organization has rebuilt its military capabilities north of the Litani
River, where it has established a network of missile launchers any army in the
world would be proud to possess. Furthermore, it has repaired the infrastructure
of the Shi'ite villages south of the Litani that were severely hit in the war.
Lebanese Shi’ite women marching in Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein
Fadlallah's
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which was deployed to southern
Lebanon in 2006 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 - passed
at the end of the war - was supposed to prevent such activity. In recent months,
however, UNIFIL has been harassed by Shi'ite villagers in the southern part of
the country who are apparently acting on Hezbollah's orders. The international
peacekeeping force, particularly its French battalion, has been repeatedly
humiliated by the local population. Villagers have hurled stones and eggs at
them, and have even seized soldiers' weapons. UNIFIL's commander, Maj. Gen.
Alberto Asarta Cuevas, this week asked the Lebanese government to protect his
troops.
The confrontation Hezbollah initiated with the French contingent has renewed the
internal debate in Lebanon - between the Shi'ite organization and the Al-Mustaqbal
camp headed by Lebanese Prime Minister Said Hariri (and thought to be under
French patronage ). While Hezbollah hinted that UNIFIL's French battalion is
serving "foreign" (namely, Israeli ) interests, Hariri flew to Paris to
conciliate President Nicolas Sarkozy and clarify that Lebanon is interested in
keeping French troops on its soil.
'Not a knockout blow'
Thus, one of Israel's chief accomplishments in the Second Lebanon War -
distancing Hezbollah from its northern frontier - is slowly vanishing. The
Shi'ite organization, which was dealt a severe blow in the summer of 2006, has
recovered at an impressive rate in the military, civilian and political spheres.
"It was not a knockout blow, but it was sufficiently painful to force Hezbollah
to grow up," says Prof. Eyal Zisser, an expert on Syria and Lebanon, the
director of Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and
African Studies, and the university's dean of humanities.
"Since the war, the organization has been presenting a more controlled, a more
restrained, stance," he says. "It's the kind of experience that makes you or
breaks you. On the other hand, its scars from the war will lead it to think many
times over before it tries to face off with Israel again."
In the last Lebanese parliamentary elections, in 2009, Hezbollah's political
standing changed very little. Initially its leaders admitted defeat, but the
organization actually lost only one seat when compared to the previous
elections, while its Christian partner in the anti-West camp, former army chief
Michel Aoun, increased his political strength and clarified that Lebanon's
Maronites support Hezbollah.
Nevertheless, the group is limited by Lebanon's electoral system as the Shi'ites
in that country are allocated a maximum of 27 parliamentary seats. Perhaps this
explains why Hezbollah is steadily tightening its military foothold in Lebanon.
The Lebanese army, which receives American assistance, avoids clashing with
Hezbollah, which is also interested in maintaining "industrial peace" with the
army.
For the moment, at least - despite the unprecedented rate at which it is arming
itself - Hezbollah apparently is not looking for another round of fighting with
Israel, preferring instead to focus on a gradual takeover of Lebanon. Still, it
should be recalled that in early July 2006, a few days before the war broke out,
the assessment in Lebanon was that Hezbollah was not interested in a
confrontation with Israel.
The death of Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah
Last Sunday, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah died in Beirut at
the age of 75. One of the most important Shi'ite religious figures in the Muslim
world, Fadlallah was regarded as one of Hezbollah's founders and as its
spiritual leader in the 1980s. He was also one of the most fascinating Shi'ite
religious leaders in the modern world. Although his religious rulings were a
model for emulation for hundreds of thousands of followers, they also led to
clashes with the Shi'ite religious institutions in Iran.
Born in 1935 in Najaf, Iraq, his father was a native of Lebanon. Fadlallah wrote
poetry until the age of 12, when he began attending one of the city's Shi'ite
madrassas (religious schools ). In 1966 he moved to Lebanon, where he engaged in
religious studies as well as social welfare work among the Shi'ite community.
Displaying a marked interest in the status of women in Muslim society, Fadlallah
argued that lack of equality between husband and wife ran counter to the Koran.
In addition, he held relatively progressive views on abortions, maintaining that
the procedure could be performed at any stage in the pregnancy if the fetus was
endangering the mother's health.
On the topic of men doing household chores, Fadlallah wrote that the "social
culture of ignorance, not Islam, is the source of the argument that a man
humiliates himself if he does household chores." He even explained that Ali,
regarded by Shi'ite Muslims as the first imam, used to help his wife Fatima (the
prophet Mohammed's daughter ) with housework and that, when the prophet asked
her to bake bread, Ali himself would clean the house and gather firewood.
Fadlallah also encouraged women to study Islamic religious law, to provide
commentary on religious texts and to discuss such matters even with men.
While Fadlallah expressed total support for the Islamic revolution in Iran in
1979, he challenged the authority of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his
entourage, and repeatedly warned the members of the Islamic movement to beware
of charismatic leaders (specifically mentioning Khomeini in that context ) whose
personalities overshadow the message they are supposed to be conveying to their
public. In 1982, he began setting up a network of social service agencies in
Lebanon, as an emissary of his spiritual mentor and role model, Grand Ayatollah
Sayyid Abul-Qassim al-Khoei, whom he regarded as the Marja al-Taqlid (a
religious authority to be followed and emulated ) - despite the fact that
Hezbollah and Iran considered Khomeini to be the Marja al-Taqlid.
Face-off with Iran and Hezbollah
Following Khomeini's death in 1989, the question of who would inherit the mantle
of the Marja al-Taqlid in the Shi'ite world took on ever-increasing urgency.
Fadlallah regarded Grand Ayatollah al-Khoei as his Marja al-Taqlid, as did many
other people in the Shi'ite world. With al-Khoei's death in 1993, Grand
Ayatollah Golpayegani of Iran became Fadlallah's Marja al-Taqlid. It was after
Golpayegani died that the crisis between Fadlallah, Hezbollah and Iran really
began to play out more openly.
Tehran proclaimed Ayatollah Sheikh Mohsen Araki, who was over 100 years old at
the time, as the Shi'ite Marja al-Taqlid - a move intended to pave the way for
the ascension of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (following Araki's
death ). Fadlallah, however, announced his own support for Ayatollah Sistani,
who at the time resided in Najaf.
At that point, Hezbollah declared its backing for Tehran's position and
announced that its members must support Araki and must not regard anyone else as
the Marja al-Taqlid. Araki died in December 1994; three months later, Iran
declared Khamenei's appointment to that senior post. Fadlallah argued that Iran
was simply trying to bolster its own political-religious position among the
Muslim Shi'ites; he continued to support Sistani, and as a result was severely
criticized by other Shi'ite religious leaders. His mosque was banned and, on one
occasion, shots were fired at his car. Although he later reconciled with
Hezbollah leaders, Fadlallah still kept his distance from them. Refusing to
recognize Iran's leadership in the Shi'ite world, he maintained his religious
autonomy and chose his own unique political path.
Lebanon Press: Israel war far
from over
Beitur-based al-Akhbar newspaper says both parties 'look ready to leap back into
action and are prepared both in terms of capacities and incentives'
AFP Published: 07.12.10, 14:49 / Israel News
Lebanon's conflict with Israel is still far from over, Beirut-based dailies
warned on Monday, four years to the day since the first bombs fell in the last
war between Hezbollah and the Jewish state. "The July War is not over," declared
the front-page headline in the Arabic-language al-Akhbar newspaper. "Four years
after the end of the war... both parties look ready to leap back into action and
are prepared both in terms of capacities and incentives," read the article in
al-Akhbar, which is close to the Shiite militant party.
Hezbollah says has list of targets in Israel
AP and Ali Waked
Sheikh Nabil Kaouk responds to IDF's release of maps and aerial photographs of
weapons depots and command centers in southern Lebanon, says Shiite group has
bank of military targets inside Israel to hit in any future war The month-long
war was triggered by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah in a
cross-border raid on July 12, 2006. The fighting that ensued destroyed much of
Lebanon's major infrastructure and killed about 1,200 Lebanese, mainly
civilians, and 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers. Security Council Resolution
1701 ended the conflict and beefed up the UNIFIL peacekeeping force deployed in
southern Lebanon since 1978. But tensions between the two foes have risen again
after Israel accused Syria of smuggling Scud missiles to its ally Hezbollah, a
charge Damascus denies. Israel's military says the Shiite group has a stock of
some 40,000 rockets and this month published aerial photographs showing what it
says is evidence of Hezbollah stockpiling weapons in towns and villages near the
border. "Israel... argues that Hezbollah took the state hostage, revamped and
reinforced its arsenal and now is attacking UN peacekeepers via the people of
southern Lebanon, who are at their beck and call," read the editorial in the
French-language daily L'Orient Le Jour. 'War on Muslims in Turkey' After decades
of smooth ties with southern Lebanese, UNIFIL this month became the target of
villagers who took to the streets to protest a maximum deployment exercise by
the blue-helmeted troops. In the most notable confrontation, residents of the
southern town of Tulin disarmed a French patrol and attacked them with sticks,
rocks and eggs before the Lebanese army intervened. One prominent daily on
Monday tied the war anniversary to Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on
May 31, in which nine Turks were killed. "It is July 12 yet again and here we
are, entering the fifth year of Israel's open war on Lebanon, but rather on all
Arabs and on Muslims in Turkey," read a column by Talal Salman, owner of the
daily as-Safir which is also close to Hezbollah. "There is one lesson to be
learned: steadfastness is the shortest route to victory, along with... unity and
awareness of the nature of the enemy," Salman wrote.
Delusions and Truths in South Lebanon
Sun, 11 July 2010
Elias Harfoush
http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/161874
Delusions often take place as a result of false inferences, and lead to
conclusions that have nothing to do with reality. Among these delusions are
those endorsed by some Lebanese (including officials, unfortunately), regarding
the function of the UNIFIL peacekeeping troops in the south, as stipulated by
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. After the recent clashes and
the dispute between the UNIFIL and the “people” in the south, it appeared there
were misconceptions regarding the work of these troops: That UNIFIL is obliged
to coordinate with the Lebanese Army in its work and movements on the ground.
However, after the attacks on UNIFIL, the Lebanese government was obliged to
issue a declaration affirming its concern for the safety of international
troops, and stressing the importance of their role, based on UNSC resolution
1701. The government quickly sent a document detailing this stance to Ambassador
Nawaf Salam, Beirut’s representative at the Security Council, which discussed
the situation in the south and issued a statement that was endorsed by all of
its members (including Lebanon), calling on all parties to “ensure that the
freedom of movement of UNIFIL remains respected in conformity with its mandate
and its rules of engagement” in the south. For whoever opted not to thoroughly
read the text of UNSC resolution 1701, or opted to understand it in his or her
own way, the French ambassador to the UN, Gérard Araud, said the margin of
maneuver for UN troops in the south should be absolute, and that while
coordination with the Lebanese Army is something that is welcomed, it is not
mandatory.
Among the delusions that have also prevailed in Lebanon in the wake of the
Israeli offensive of the summer of 2006 is that Lebanon had emerged “victorious”
as a result of this war. It is a delusion with no corroboration for it on the
ground, and is a delusion also given the human and material losses suffered by
the country, or at the level of the security arrangements south of the Litani
River, which is what we are talking about here. At the time, the government
tried, with all of its diplomatic capabilities, to halt the Israeli offensive by
boosting the number of UN troops to 13000, in addition to an increase in
Lebanese Army units and their deployment in this region, after decades of
absence. The government also agreed on the need to keep the areas where the army
and the UNIFIL operate free of any other armed presence, whether in terms of
personnel or ammunition. At the time, this enjoyed the endorsement of all
groups, including Hezbollah, which allowed the Security Council to increase the
number of troops and deploy them to the border area. In other words, the
practical implementation on the ground of the delusion of “victory” that has
prevailed in Lebanon in the last four years, involved removing forces that used
to fight Israel away from its borders, while Israeli forces remained in their
positions on the border, in addition to the establishment of a no-man’s land
north of the Israeli border, extending 40 kilometers into Lebanon. This is the
region that the Israelis feel constitutes a threat to their settlements, and
which the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL are tasked with ensuring is free of weapons,
based on the provisions of resolution 1701. This is what has happened, but the
“people” were later told that the UNIFIL troops came to the south to prevent an
Israeli offensive. This is true, but it is only half of the mission. The other
half involves preventing the use of the area of UNIFIL operations to ignite a
new war.
If it were not for these mistaken readings, and the media’s rush to play the
“patriotic” card, the political and military authorities in Lebanon (the
government and the Army command) would not have been obliged to fully backtrack,
over seven days. This does not enhance the credibility of a country that is
currently a member of the Security Council, and does not enhance its dignity
among the world’s nations.
A high-ranking state official said, immediately after the events in the south,
that even if the army itself did what UNIFIL troops did, the “people” would
confront it with protests! This official was talking about the army of his own
country! Meanwhile, the Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji was quoted by An-Nahar
newspaper as accusing UNIFIL troops of having Israeli lists with the names of
homeowners in the south, to search for hidden weapons, ignoring the fact that
statements like these do not help bolster the required trust in the UN troops.
He also ignored the fact that the mission of the troops requires that they
prevent any non-state weapons from being present in this region, and that they
can receive any similar complaints from the Lebanese about Israeli violations of
1701, and it is their duty to investigate them. However, the Army commander
himself later said, after the issue reached the Security Council, that “igniting
incidents in the south was a mistake,” and acknowledged the negative
consequences for Lebanon.