LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
20/2010
Bible Of
the Day
2 Corinthians 3:2-3
You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be
known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered
by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on
tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Today's Inspiring Thought: A Letter from Christ
You are a letter from Christ, written with the ink of the living Spirit. Indeed,
God is the author, but he gives us a pen as well. As believers, each of us joins
together with the Lord in writing our letter—telling the story of Christ's
redemptive power. Think of all the lives who are reading your letter
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
New Opinion: Yet another
plot/Now Lebanon/July 19/10
Hizballah Prepares for War Based
on Using Civilians as Shields/By Barry Rubin/ July
19/10
Does the Palestinian leadership
still desire to eliminate Israel?/By Barry Rubin/July
19/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 19/10
Najjar: Syria Does Not Recognize
Existence of Missing Lebanese/Now Lebanon
Syria Admits Holding 800
Lebanese/Naharnet
Hizbullah Deployed 5,000
Fighters in Villages near Israel/Naharnet
Hariri Overnights in Damascus,
Meets Assad for 2nd Time in as Many Hours after Signing 17 Agreements/Naharnet
Najjar: Syria Does Not Recognize
Existence of Missing Lebanese/Naharnet
Muallem: STL a Lebanese Matter,
Border Demarcation Not Facing Difficulties/Naharnet
35-Member Druze Delegation
Visits Lebanon, Defying Israeli Ban/Naharnet
Haaretz: Tribunal Findings Could
End Hizbullah-Hariri Coalition, Put Lebanon in Crisis/Naharnet
Fneish: Impossible to Separate
Between Hizbullah Members and the Party/Naharnet
Berri Rules Out War this Year,
Calls for 'Pragmatic' Lebanese-Syrian Projects/Naharnet
Police Deny Prior Knowledge that
Qazzi Spied for Israel/Naharnet
Wahhab: Druze conference prompts
internal divisions/Now Lebanon/Naharnet
Dib denies As-Safir’s recent
statements on Aoun/Now Lebanon/Naharnet
MESS Report / Political tensions
growing in Lebanon over Hariri tribunal/Ha'aretz
(blog)
Sfeir praises coexistence in
Ftouh-Kesrouan/Daily Star
Hariri inks 17 new bilateral
accords during Syria visit/Daily Star
March 14 politicians lash out over
Nasrallah's comments on Tribunal/Daily Star
Syria
Bans Face-Covering Veils in Universities/CBS
News
Lebanon's
Hariri urges closer ties with Syria/AFP
Lebanon-Israel
gas dispute
reaches UN/Globes
Saudi family robbed at gunpoint
in Syria/Arab
News
World Bank: Lebanon's public
finances still lack transparency/Daily Star
Lebanon is booming but still
plagued by power outages/Daily Star
Property sales up 105 percent in
first five months of 2010/Daily Star
Mubarak meets Israeli, Palestinian
leaders/Daily Star
Hizb ut-Tahrir goes ahead with
planned summit/Daily Star
Israeli Spy Escapes from Lebanon, Beirut Daily
Reports
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Arutz Sheva
One of the four alleged "Telecom” spies has escaped to Israel from Lebanon,
according to the Beirut An Nahar newspaper. The man, whose identity was not
revealed, reportedly fled though the “Kilo 9” crossing gate in southern Lebanon
two days ago. Israel has not commented on the alleged spy ring.
Sources told An Nahar that the Lebanese interior minister, security forces and
intelligent agents are providing information on the incident, which will be
forwarded to Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri.
The reported escape also disclosed the political power of Hizbullah leader
Hassan Nasrallah, whose terrorist organization has been an increasingly dominant
force in the government.
Shortly after Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on Friday, Interior
Minister Ziad Baroud received information from the intelligence agents
concerning alleged spy Charbel Qazzi, considered by Lebanon to be the most
important suspect in the alleged ring.
“Did the Information Branch have data about spy Charbel Qazzi before he was
arrested by the Intelligence Directorate? Nasrallah asked. He answered his own
question by stating, "I don't want answers because I already have them.”
Nasrallah called for sentencing the ring to death, as allowed under Lebanese law
if their actions contributed to deaths during the Second Lebanon War. Nasrallah
charged, “It has become clear without a shadow of a doubt that Israel completely
controls all telecommunication networks in Lebanon.
"When the Israelis waged the war in 2006, they believed that everything related
to the Telecoms was under their control. Israel did not attack the mobile phone
operating companies because it controls them and it was shocked at the strength
of Hizbullah’s leadership correlation.
"The agents and spies working for the Israeli enemy played a major role before
the war because they provided the enemy with a list of targets. Following the
war, the spies had to refill the target bank of the Israeli enemy after it
became empty."
Hizbullah Deployed 5,000
Fighters in Villages near Israel
Naharnet/Hizbullah has reportedly deployed up to 5,000 fighters along the
Lebanese border with Israel, the World Tribune reported. It said the Israeli
military has collected evidence of a massive Hizbullah operational presence in
villages along the Lebanon-Israel border. Hizbullah operatives, engaged mostly
in reconnaissance, were said to be based in homes, schools and hospitals, the
report added. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Syria Admits Holding 800 Lebanese
Naharnet/Syria has admitted holding 800 out of 28,000 Lebanese missing during
and after the Civil War. The daily al-Liwaa on Monday quoted sources from the
Lebanese delegation to Syria as saying that the issue of missing Lebanese was
discussed "transparently."The sources said the Syrian side declared that 1,000
Syrian nationals – between soldiers and workers – were missing in Lebanon. They
said Syria also admitted holding 800 Lebanese. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Najjar: Syria Does Not Recognize Existence of Missing Lebanese
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Monday that Syria does not
recognize the existence of missing Lebanese in Syrian jails.He was commenting on
a report published Monday by the daily Al-Liwaa in which it said Syria has
admitted it was holding 800 missing Lebanese. Najjar said the issue has been
tackled during talks on Sunday between Syria a Lebanese delegation headed by PM
Saad Hariri. "Reports that the Syrian side admitted the existence of a number of
Lebanese detainees are not true," Najjar told Future News television channel. He
acknowledged, however, that the Syrian side raised the issue of 1,000 missing
Syrians in Lebanon. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Hariri Overnights in Damascus, Meets Assad for 2nd Time in as Many Hours after
Signing 17 Agreements
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad held a second meeting with Prime Minster
Saad Hariri in as many hours Sunday after Lebanon and Syria inked 17 cooperation
agreements covering security and economic issues. An-Nahar newspaper on Monday
said the visit "bore a significant meaning," given that Hariri extended his stay
and was received for a second time by Assad "in a meeting that likely tackled
hot political issues." The daily As-Safir said the Hariri-Assad evening meeting
addressed political issues in depth, particularly those related to Hizbullah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah regarding the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon. Agreements signed included a drugs control cooperation accord, the
transfer of sentenced persons and a consumer protection accord. Hariri also met
Sunday with Syrian counterpart Mohammed Naji Otri.
During Hariri's third visit as premier to a country he once blamed for his
father's murder in 2005, Syrian and Lebanese ministers signed a total of 17
accords covering justice, tourism, education and agriculture. "We will continue
to take action to control the borders so as to combat trafficking and all
illegal acts," Hariri told a joint press conference after talks with Assad and
Otri. Hariri said his relations with Assad were "in the interest of both
countries... which face a common enemy." "During the course of our meetings, a
friendly relationship has been built up between the Syrian president and myself,
something which strengthens the interest of Lebanese and Syrian citizens," he
said. Beirut, 19 Jul 10, 07:49
Najjar: Syria Does Not Recognize Existence of Missing
Lebanese
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Monday that Syria does not
recognize the existence of missing Lebanese in Syrian jails.He was commenting on
a report published Monday by the daily Al-Liwaa in which it said Syria has
admitted it was holding 800 missing Lebanese. Najjar said the issue has been
tackled during talks on Sunday between Syria a Lebanese delegation headed by PM
Saad Hariri. "Reports that the Syrian side admitted the existence of a number of
Lebanese detainees are not true," Najjar told Future News television channel.
He acknowledged, however, that the Syrian side raised the issue of 1,000 missing
Syrians in Lebanon. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Muallem: STL a Lebanese Matter, Border Demarcation Not Facing Difficulties
Naharnet/Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem voiced his hopes Sunday that
visits between Lebanese and Syrian officials would increase in the future,
adding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's trip to Lebanon "will take place
at the appropriate time". He denied on the sidelines of the meeting between the
Lebanese and Syrian delegations as part of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to
Syria that there are difficulties in reaching an agreement between the two
states over matters of defense and foreign affairs. He said that he and his
Lebanese counterpart Ali al-Shami constantly coordinate matters, adding that
Lebanese Minister Elias Murr's absence from the trip has thwarted them from
discussing defense issues. Addressing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Muallem
stressed: "We seek the whole truth and if it targets one political party in
Lebanon or Syria or anywhere, then that means that it has been politicized.""If
any Syrian citizen was proven to be involved in the assassination, then he will
be tried in Syria on charges of grand treason," the foreign minister added.
Furthermore, Muallem denied that the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border
is facing difficulties, saying that committees have been formed in Lebanon and
Syria over this matter. Beirut, 18 Jul 10,
35-Member Druze Delegation Visits Lebanon, Defying Israeli Ban
Naharnet/A 35-member delegation of Arab Druze has arrived in Beirut, defying an
Israeli ban. The daily Ad-Diyar said the delegation, which will participate in a
Druze Emigrant Conference to be held in Biel before midday Monday, arrived late
Sunday. State Minister Wael Abu Faour met the delegation at Masnaa border
crossing. Abu Faour has said that the delegation will defy the Israeli ban and
visit Lebanon on Sunday. "Their exit means a growing influence of national
powers among our people inside (Palestine) if Israel allowed them to leave," Abu
Faour said Saturday. "But if the delegation, which plans to visit Lebanon
tomorrow, was denied departure, this underscores the views of national figures
that reports about democracy among Israelis and Arab Druze were a big lie," he
added. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Haaretz: Tribunal Findings Could End Hizbullah-Hariri Coalition, Put Lebanon in
Crisis
Naharnet/The findings of the international tribunal's prosecutor could mark the
end of the coalition between Premier Saad Hariri and Hizbullah and would make it
difficult for the Shiite party to maintain its close alliance with Michel Aoun's
Free Patriotic Movement, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday. The findings
which would reportedly be released in September would threaten Lebanon with a
grave political crisis, the newspaper said. "But these are not Hizbullah's only
troubles. Recently, there has been increasing internal Lebanese criticism of the
Shiite organization's growing influence in the country and its military
activities south of the Litani River, which not only violate U.N. Resolution
1701 but also threaten to embroil Lebanon in another war with Israel," the
report said. Haaretz added that calls to disarm Hizbullah would increase in
Lebanon if the prosecutor's information includes evidence of the party's
involvement in the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Fneish: Impossible to Separate Between Hizbullah Members and the Party
Naharnet/Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammed Fneish said Monday
that reactions to Nasrallah's speech were similar to a scenario whereby a thief
was caught while carrying out his crime. "If the resistance was stripped from
its telephone network and the May 5 plot had succeeded then the resistance would
have used the mobile network," Fneish told al-Nour radio. "Wouldn't have this
tempted Israel to launch an aggression amid spying on the mobile network?" the
minister asked. Fneish said "the resistance was free from violations and was
impossible to separate between Hizbullah members and the party." His remark came
amid reports that the international tribunal would indict "uncontrolled" members
of Hizbullah in September. He also stressed that Hizbullah does not make
compromises on its right to resist although he acknowledged that the party is
giving diplomacy a chance to regain the Israeli occupied Shebaa farms area. On
reports about the Shiite group's attempt to change the government, Fneish said
the current cabinet is a government of balance among different parties and
Hizbullah is not discussing a reshuffle. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Berri Rules Out War this Year, Calls for 'Pragmatic' Lebanese-Syrian Projects
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri has ruled out war this year and said he was against
a review of Lebanese-Syrian agreements because most of them were already in
favor of Lebanon.
War "will not take place at least this year," Berri told An Nahar daily aboard a
plane taking him to Geneva to participate in the World Parliamentary Conference
on Sunday morning.
The speaker also said he did not favor a review of agreements signed between
Lebanon and Syria, adding that the "Lebanese will realize after studying them
that they are mostly in their interest." His stance came as a ministerial
delegation headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri was visiting Damascus to sign a
total of 17 accords covering justice, tourism, education and agriculture. While
insisting he was not criticizing the visits of Lebanese ministers to Syria,
Berri told An Nahar that such trips "won't be fruitful if the two sides sought
to add or delete a sentence" from the agreements. He said he was with the
implementation of "pragmatic" projects such as benefiting from the Assi River
water project. On the issue of spy rings, Berri stressed the need to dismantle
them so that "spies would get the necessary punishment that would save the lives
of our children and the future of this country." When asked that the son of a
well-known personality was suspected of spying for Israel, the speaker said:
"Neither his father nor his family is guilty.""The suspect is the one who should
be prosecuted," he added.
Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Police Deny Prior Knowledge that Qazzi Spied for Israel
Naharnet/The Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces has reportedly
denied previous knowledge that Alfa mobile network operator technician Charbel
Qazzi was an Israeli spy.
Al-Akhbar daily on Monday said the denial came in an ISF report responding to an
inquiry by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on whether the intelligence
bureau had previous data on Qazzi's involvement with Israel. The report, which
was handed over to Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, spelled out details of a
police attempt to obtain data on Qazzi two months ahead of his arrest. Baroud
was reportedly waiting for a formal inquiry from Hizbullah's Loyalty to the
Resistance parliamentary bloc on this issue before giving a reply regarding
Nasrallah's claims.
According to the report obtained by Al-Akhbar, ISF has since 2008 been tracing a
European mobile number that was constantly making unidentified international
calls from Lebanese territory. Following an 18-month rest, the user once again
surfaced on the mobile network operator, specifically in May 2010, the report
said. "At that time, this unknown person used a prepaid cellular card on the
same European number," said the report. The report concludes that the police
intelligence bureau had no information about Qazzi's involvement in dealing with
the Israeli intelligence, and that it was only able to identify him after his
arrest. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Assailants Attack Hospital in Zahle
Naharnet/Six members of al-Hujairi family smashed the windows of Khoury Hospital
in east Lebanon's city of Zahle overnight because the doctor failed to attend
immediately, the Voice of Lebanon radio reported Monday.It gave no other
details. VDL said a mishap also pitted Nassar and Kfouri families against a male
nurse at Bhannes hospital at daybreak Monday over delay in treating a wounded
relative in a car accident. A similar attack was carried out against Makassed
Hospital in Beirut earlier this month when assailants broke into the hospital
spraying gunfire in the emergency ward, as they demanded that a physician attend
at once to care for a wounded relative. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Nawaf Moussawi: Those Laying Traps for Hizbullah Would be the 1st Victims
Naharnet/MP Nawaf Moussawi has threatened that parties trying to lay traps for
Hizbullah would be the first victims of such plots. "Those who are laying traps
for Hizbullah should know that they would be the first victims of such traps and
should remember that all those who sought to besiege us were the first to be
besieged," Moussawi told Kuwait's al-Anbaa daily in an interview published
Monday. He said Paris was more tilting to U.S. stances since President Nicolas
Sarkozy came to power. The Hizbullah lawmaker stressed, however, that Lebanon
should hold onto its national interests because the priority of Western
governments is to protect Israel. Moussawi insisted that Hizbullah rejected the
text of the Lebanese-French agreement on the definition of terrorism in order to
protect the Palestinian people in resisting occupation and consider its
resistance as legal in accordance with the definition adopted by the Arab
agreement signed in Cairo in April 1998. Beirut, 19 Jul 10,
Alloush: Nasrallah Speech Puts Lebanon on Edge of Division
Naharnet/Former MP Mustafa Alloush has described Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah's latest remarks on the international tribunal and Mossad agents as
"very dangerous."
Alloush told Egypt's al-Gomhoriah newspaper Nasrallah's hint that all those who
support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon are Israeli agents puts Lebanon on the
edge of division.
Such words "would put Lebanon on the edge of division as it happened before and
maybe in a more dangerous situation," the former lawmaker said. Beirut, 19 Jul
10,
Wahhab: Druze conference prompts internal divisions
July 19, 2010 /Naharnet/Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab told NBN television
on Monday that the conference organized by the Druze leadership in Lebanon at
BIEL prompts more divisions in the Druze community. “I refused receiving the
invitation letter to the conference… We wish for the goal of such a conference
to be clarified,” Wahhab said.
Media reports said that a delegation of Palestinian Druze arrived in Beirut to
participate in the conference. -NOW Lebanon
Dib denies As-Safir’s recent statements on Aoun
July 19, 2010 /Change and Reform bloc MP Hikmat Dib told the Voice of Lebanon (VOL)
radio station that his bloc leader, MP Michel Aoun, did not address any matter
related to a reported cabinet change as was published in As-Safir newspaper last
week. According to the daily, Aoun said that there is a Lebanese faction that is
still betting on a new Israeli war and that there are military groups in
Lebanon, especially among the Christians—a possible reference to the Kataeb
Party and Lebanese Forces—that want to change the status quo in Christian
areas.“Most of the comments [published in the daily] were just analysis,” Dib
said.-NOW Lebanon
Ogassapian: We informed Syria of our readiness to demarcate
borders
July 19, 2010 /Naharnet/Minister of State Jean Ogassapian told LBCI television
on Monday that the Lebanese delegation that visited Damascus on Sunday to
discuss and sign bilateral agreements informed Syrian officials of Lebanon’s
readiness to demarcate its borders with Syria. Ogassapian said that the Lebanese
delegation has a vision as to how to regulate border crossings with Syria.“We
are waiting to discuss the matter with the Syrians so as to establish a
comprehensive plan,” Ogassapian added.-NOW Lebanon
New Opinion: Yet another plot
July 19, 2010
Now Lebanon/Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has tarred the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon with a Zionist brush. (AFP photo)
On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah declared that the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) – the court formed to bring to justice the
killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others, as well as
subsequent victims of political killings – had been discredited and that any
indictments handed down by the court, presumably on Hezbollah officials, were
unsound and part of an Israeli plot to undermine the party.
His reasoning was that Lebanon’s mobile phone network, the source from which
much of the so-called incriminating evidence in the case has so far been
gleamed, is so shot through with Zionist spies that such evidence cannot be
taken seriously.
Was this an admission of guilt? No indictments have been made, and Hezbollah is
already claiming it will be fingered. In doing so, Nasrallah, like he has done
every year since 2005, is dividing the country – the Shia will go along with
everything he says while the Sunnis will stick by the son of their slain leader.
This is nothing new, but Nasrallah has upped the ante in an already-tense
standoff by suggesting that those who still seek justice for dozens of political
killings are by default supporting Israel. The accusation by itself is worrying,
but it also insults the memory of those who died for Lebanese freedom.
Through such shameful cynicism, Nasrallah clearly wants to secure his party’s
own perpetuity – and ensure it is able to do Iran and Syria’s regional bidding.
We can also infer that he is willing to do almost anything, including jeopardize
Lebanese stability, to ensure it happens. We know this because he has been the
model of transparency in his latest smear campaign.
His three targets have been, in no particular order, the US, the UN and Israel.
The US, he tells us, has been paying out hundreds of millions of anti-Hezbollah
propaganda dollars to ply Lebanese media outlets, while the UN, via its
peacekeepers in the UNIFIL detachment in South Lebanon, is in cahoots with
Israel in steering UN Security Council Resolution 1710 to its own advantage.
Now, we are told that there were not one but at least three Israeli spies
working in the Alfa mobile network.
So that’s it then? We just have to accept that the STL is an Israeli construct
and dismiss its findings. That would be bad enough if it weren’t for the
implicit threat that came with Nasrallah’s analysis. For, if the STL is now
within the crosshairs of the Resistance (which it surely must be given that it
is an Israeli creation) then should the court hand down indictments on Hezbollah
officials, and, should the state seek to arrest these individuals, we can expect
Hezbollah to resist.
The party did this in May 2008, when the government tried to shut down its
private phone network and sack Brigadier General Wafiq Choucair, the then-head
of security at Beirut Airport. Hezbollah showed us its displeasure by taking
opposition gunmen onto the streets of Beirut. It said it was a necessary measure
to protect the Resistance, but it was nothing less than a murderous and
mayhem-wreaking attempt to bring down the government.
The sad reality is that Lebanon lives in fear of Hezbollah’s displeasure. UNSCR
1701 was passed to strengthen Lebanese sovereignty. Hezbollah would rather see
it fail. The STL was formed to finally deliver justice to a region where
political killings were commonplace and went unchallenged. Its findings could be
a landmark, setting a legal precedent throughout the Middle East and beyond, and
issuing a warning to dictators and despots that such outrages will no longer be
tolerated. Hezbollah wants it to go away.
Hezbollah is doing what it does best. It is being threatening and divisive,
denying the Lebanese the justice they deserve, and, once again, leading us to
the edge of the abyss.
IHH Linked to Turkish President Erdogan
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Arutz Sheva
The IHH “charity," which attacked Israeli Navy commandos and which has been
termed a terrorist group by Germany, is in cahoots with the governing Turkish
party led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according a report in The New
York Times.
The IHH has been exposed as a charity front for terror since the May 31 clash on
the high seas when it supposedly was bringing humanitarian aid on a peace
mission as a guise to break Israel’s sovereignty over the coastal waters of
Hamas-controlled Gaza.
The latest disclosure by the Times proves that the IHH not only was sponsored by
the government, but its officials also are inherently linked with Erdogan’s
Justice and Development party, also known as the AK. As many as 10 AK
legislators canceled plans at the last minute to join the IHH’s Mavi Marmara
ship after being warned by Turkish government officials that their presence may
be too dangerous diplomatically, Times’ reporter Tyler Hicks wrote.
(Pictured at left: Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan) Nine IHH members, thoroughly
trained by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups, were killed after clubbing Israeli
Navy soldiers who had boarded the ship nearly defenseless in an effort to
prevent it from continuing on its course to Gaza. The incident resulted in a
worsening relationship between Turkey and Israel, but if the Turkish legislators
had been on board, the situation would have been far more grave.
Turkish government officials warmly received the terror activists on their
return, after the ship docked at Ashdod and was found to be carrying no
humanitarian aid at all.
"The mission to Gaza served both the IHH and the government by making both
heroes at home and in the Arab world,” according to Ercan Citlioglu, a terrorism
expert at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul and quoted by the Times.
Despite IHH claims that it is not connected with Erdogan’s party, Tyler’s
research found that 21 people on the IHH board of directors have or had close
links with the AK party, including Murat Mercan, who also is chairman of the
Parliament’s foreign affairs committee. He was in the overland convoy that
delivered aid to Gaza via Egypt last January.
Sfeir praises coexistence in
Ftouh-Kesrouan
By The Daily Star /Monday, July 19, 2010
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir paid a pastoral visit to a
number of villages in the Ftouh-Kesrouan district on Sunday, and was received by
the region’s MPs and an array of political figures. Sfeir, a native of Kesrouan,
kicked off his tour by making his first visit to the village of Oqaybeh, and
then headed to Zeitoun, a mixed Christian-Muslim Shiite. He blessed the locals
and expressed his hope that they preserve their coexistence and good relations.
“We learned Christians and Shiite Muslims were living together [here] … We
encourage you for this,” he said, noting that it was his first visit to the
village. Sfeir also visited the village of Ghbele, where he presided over mass
at the Saint Sarkis and Bakhos Church.
He was assisted by Archbishop Antoine Andari and the church’s priest for the
ceremony, which was attended by an array of political figures, including Social
Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh and the Qaimaqam of Kesrouan, Joseph Mansour,
representing Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud. Four of the region’s MPs were also
present at the ceremony, namely Farid Elias Khazen, Neamtallah Abi Nasr, Youssef
Khalil and Gilberte Zouein, but not Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.
Former MP Camille Ziade, Farid Haykal Khazen and Fares Boueiz were also on hand.
After the mass, the patriarch was received by former MP Mansour Bone at his home
in Jouret Badran. Sfeir blessed the Saint Charbel chapel at Bone’s home and
planted a tree in the garden, before sitting down for lunch, in the presence of
former President Amin Gemayel, Mona Hrawi, US Ambassador Michele Sisson, former
minister Leila Solh Hamadeh and other diplomatic figures. Nonetheless, the
region’s MPs did not attend, despite receiving invitations. Bone gave a speech
during the gathering and said, “Let July 18 be a day to remember the patriarch’s
visit to Ftouh-Kesrouan.” “Lebanon the message will remain, no matter the
hardships, because you believe in the State,” he added, addressing Sfeir. The
patriarch also visited the village of Al-Adra, where he was presented a gift,
consisting of bottles of wine and a collection of books translated at the
convent of Saints Peter and Paul. He then visited the village of Mradieh, which
has not received a Maronite patriarch for 75 years, and the village of Yahshoush,
in which he inaugurated a memorial at the Saint Semaan al-Aamudi Church. It was
not the patriarch’s first visit to Yahshoush, but it was the first paid to the
new church. After Yahshoush, the patriarch went to Jouret al-Termos, where he
was welcomed by a cheering crowd and the village’s officials, before being
escorted to the Saydet al-Najat Church. The parish priest welcomed the patriarch
and praised him, saying, “You have fought for human dignity and for the
country’s sovereignty and independence … Welcome you who gave Lebanon its
glory.” Sfeir thanked the locals for their warm reception and asked them to stay
strong and “build your village on brotherhood and love.” The patriarch continued
his tour in the village of Al-Ghineh, where he was also welcomed with cheers and
raised banners. – The Daily Star
March 14 politicians lash out over Nasrallah's comments on
Tribunal
‘Attempts to pre-empt STL indictment are generating doubts’
By Marlin Dick /Daily Star staff
Monday, July 19, 2010
BEIRUT: Friday’s address by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Israeli
espionage and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has ignited a storm of criticism
from March 14 figures.
Akkar MP Riad Rahhal, a member of the Lebanon First bloc, said recent statements
by Hizbullah officials, crowned by Nasrallah’s address, along with recent
incidents of tension in the south, indicated “anxiety” on the part of the
resistance. “Hizbullah is the only group in Lebanon that talks, raises doubts,
and accuses the STL of being an Israeli project,” Rahhal said in a statement on
Sunday. “All of these statements have begun to sow doubts on the part of all
Lebanese about the role of the party and its involvement in assassinations since
2004,” Rahhal said. Nasrallah made a strongly-worded statement accusing the STL
of being an “Israeli project” and focused on the recent discovery of Israeli
agents and espionage networks, allegedly operating out of mobile telephone firm
Alfa. In a statement issued on Sunday, Tripoli MP Mohammad Kabbara praised the
authorities for capturing a number of suspected agents for Israel, but said the
arrests were being used to destroy the STL’s credibility. “Some people want to
use this security achievement by the Lebanese state, by linking the
collaborators to international investigations into the assassination of former
Premier Rafik Hariri,” Kabbara said.
“The attempts by some to pre-empt the [STL] indictment are generating doubts
that these people have information that leads them to fear the issuing of an
indictment … the agitation was clear in Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech,” he
said. Addressing Nasrallah directly, the MP said: “Threats do not produce
evidence of innocence, but on the contrary, raise doubts and suspicions … Sayyed
Hassan, [Hariri] was your partner in the victory of April [1996] against Israeli
aggression. We now wait for you to be loyal to this man, who took part in this
victory and protected the resistance.” Koura MP Farid Habib, a Lebanese Forces
official, criticized Nasrallah for “evaluating security organizations and
classifying them as either delinquent or doing their job.” “The rhetoric of
treason accusations,” he said, “is more destructive than Israel’s efforts.”
Tripoli MP and Future Movement Ahmad Fatfat said questioning the integrity of
the STL prior to the issuing any indictment was harmed national unity and stoked
domestic tension. He added that if Israel was capable of infiltrating the
telecoms infrastructure as claimed, it would have prevented the discovery of its
agents. “I wonder why Israel didn’t wipe the data that led to the uncovering of
all its agents; if Israel is truly capable of what is claimed, it would have
protected its agents,” Faftat said. Regarding who was behind the Cabinet’s
decision to dismantle Hizbullah’s telecommunication network, Fatfat urged
Nasrallah to demand answers from Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. “I believe those
decisions were patriotic decisions, though they could be inappropriate to some
parties,” he added. Meanwhile, Metn MP Nabil Nicola, a member of the
parliamentary minority, called Naasrallah’s remarks “logical and a political
analysis par excellence.” He added that the espionage discoveries meant that
Israel was capable of fabricating evidence of telephone calls. For his part,
Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh said Hizbullah had exhibited cooperation
and flexibility with the STL, “after it opened a new page in its work.”
“Nasrallah’s recent comments about [Lebanon] being targeted by Israel via the
STL indictment remains better than his statement that the resistance is being
targeted by “domestic” parties,” Khalifeh told a news website.
Hariri inks 17 new bilateral accords during Syria visit
Border demarcation tops agenda
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Monday, July 19, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanon and Syria agreed Sunday to promote bilateral ties and develop a
comprehensive coordination strategy on the regional and international levels as
Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri inked 17 new bilateral agreements in Damascus. On
his fourth visit to Syria since taking office in 2009, Hariri urged closer
bilateral ties, joined in the call by his Syrian counterpart Naji Otari, a
statement by the Syrian state-run News Agency (SANA) said. Hariri, who arrived
Sunday morning at Damascus International Airport, was received by Otari and
together co-chaired a meeting of a Lebanese-Syrian ministerial delegation that
ratified the agreements. Agreements signed included a drugs control cooperation
accord and an agreement on the transfer of sentenced individuals, as well as
accords on consumer and investment protection, pharmaceutical products,
shipping, tourism and preventing double taxation. Both Otari and Hariri were
later received by President Bashar Assad, who also stressed the need to put
these agreements into action. Of the pending issues with Damascus that remain
the subject of Lebanese domestic debate and international talks, the issue of
the border demarcation tops the agenda. During a joint news conference with
Otari, Hariri said that a committee set up by the two countries to demarcate the
border “has to begin its work and finish it as soon as possible.” Otari said
cooperation between Syria and its neighbor had to extend to security. Syria
agreed with Lebanon in 2008 to demarcate the border, two years after UN Security
Council Resolution 1701 recommended that Syria address the issue. But Damascus
has stalled the process since then, saying its technical teams were busy
finishing border demarcation with Jordan and that a small Lebanese region
occupied by Israel and bordering Syria complicated any demarcation.
Both the US and France demand that Damascus begin the demarcation to prevent
arms smuggling to Hizbullah. “Assad and Hariri underlined the need to adopt an
action plan to implement inked agreements, eliminate obstacles facing them and
more importantly seek new horizons of cooperation to follow up on a joint action
plan in the framework of a comprehensive strategy to achieve complementarity
between Lebanon and Syria,” a statement by SANA said. On the sidelines of the
meeting, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told reporters that the border
demarcation process required “a social vision” on the popular level between
Lebanese and Syrian families. The Lebanese and Syrian committees also delegated
the joint committee for border demarcation to kick off the process swiftly.
Addressing the issue of missing Lebanese in Syria, Hariri and Otari said the
joint committee appointed to investigate the case was asked to submit its
recommendations on the issue. Asked whether Lebanese domestic conflicts would
impact the progress in Syrian-Lebanese ties, Hariri stressed that he was the
“son of Premier Rafik Hariri, a man of his word and committed to his promises,”
a reference to improving ties with Damascus. Hariri’s visit highlights positive
developments in the relationship with Syria, after a five-year rupture in
relations with the Lebanese parliamentary majority following the assassination
of his father, former Premier Rafik Hariri. Hariri has previously blamed Syria
for the assassination but Damascus has denied any involvement. Moallem told
reporters that the United Nation’s Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is
investigating the assassination, “is a Lebanese affair.” “If irrefutable
evidence demonstrates that a Syrian citizen is implicated, that person will then
be tried in Syria for high treason,” Moallem said. The killing prompted the
withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence in line with
UN Security Council Resolution 1559.
During his first visit in December, Hariri said that he wanted to open a new
page in ties with Damascus based on positive matters, following talks with
Assad. A joint statement that followed the delegations’ meeting also stressed
the “importance of coordination of stances between both countries when it comes
to key political issues, particularly the Arab-Israeli conflict.” Both premiers
also stressed the need to coordinate foreign, defense and security policies
through the framework of joint committees as well as to promote the role of the
Higher Lebanese-Syrian Council. “Syrian Premier Naji Otari stressed the
importance of the higher Lebanese-Syrian Council in setting the general policies
for cooperation between both countries on political, economic, security and
military levels,” the statement said. However, the joint committees didn’t
ratify a security agreement as Syrian officials attributed the issue to the
absence of Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr. On the economic level, Hariri
stressed that Syrian-Lebanese ties should form a model for an Arab common
market. In a recent visit to Turkey, Hariri discussed the establishment of a
free trade zone between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Turkey. – with agencies
World Bank: Lebanon's public finances still lack transparency
Pledges not implemented, reporting to parliament insufficient
By The Daily Star /Monday, July 19, 2010
BEIRUT: A World Bank assessment of public financial management (PFM) in Lebanon
indicated that progress on reforms has been slow and challenging, and that
reform programs have been repeatedly interrupted by political unrest, as
reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank
Group.
The assessment covered the credibility of the budget; comprehensiveness and
transparency; policy-based budgeting; predictability and control in budget
execution; accounting, recording and reporting; and external scrutiny and audit.
It said that the most successful PFM reforms have been in tax administration,
especially the introduction of the value added tax. But progress on the
expenditures side has been more limited, although some reforms were introduced
in the 2005-2007 period despite the impact of the protracted political stalemate
that also paralyzed legislative activity. It noted that reforms were at the
center of proposals, draft laws, or pilot projects in the key areas of budget
coverage, credibility, preparation and debt management, but were not approved or
fully implemented.
It added that The Paris III reforms program incorporated reforms to elements of
the PFM system, mainly targeted towards consolidating the budget. But it noted
that, even though the Paris III reforms were endorsed by the government, most of
them have not been implemented due to the difficult political environment.
In terms of budget credibility, the World Bank indicated that macroeconomic
assumptions are not used when writing the budget, and the Ministry of Finance
does not have a formal unit dedicated to the development of a macroeconomic
framework. As a result, the budget process does not set budget envelopes for
line ministries based on macroeconomic perspectives or sectoral objectives. In
addition, budgets are prepared from the bottom up, with no consideration of
multi-year planning and sustainability. The assessment noted that this approach
results in a high degree of uncertainty in the budget process and is at odds
with much-needed fiscal efficiency and discipline.
In terms of comprehensiveness and transparency, the World Bank noted that a
fundamental weakness in Lebanon’s PFM is the insufficient budget coverage and
transparency. It said the budget excludes foreign financed projects, and a
number of activities are included as an annex to the budget document but fall
outside the reported budget and are not fully disclosed to Parliament when
disbursed.
It noted that the Finance Ministry has recently started to expand the coverage
of the budget to include foreign financed investment, as it drafted a budget law
in 2007 allowing for the integration of the largest extra-budgetary entities
such as the Council for Development & Reconstruction and the Higher Relief
Council.
However, it did not include the extra-budgetary expenditures of other large
entities such as the National Social Security Fund or the Independent Municipal
Fund. In addition, the draft law does not address the issue of incomplete
reporting to Parliament on the 55 state-owned enterprises, especially that their
financial situation has major implications for the country‘s fiscal position.
Regarding policy-based budgeting, the assessment noted that the budget does not
realistically represent policy priorities, as a full medium-term expenditures
framework (MTEF) is still lacking. It added that what the government refers to
as an MTEF is only an aggregate fiscal framework communicated in the budget
circular, while an MTEF usually provides the link between the budget and
government policy by translating the cost of sectoral strategies into budget
allocations with spending limits, revenue forecasts and fiscal targets. It
noted, however, that a pilot MTEF is being implemented at the Ministry of
Education and is introducing performance and results-oriented budgeting. It
added that weak flow of information between the Finance Ministry and the various
implementing bodies, along with an inadequate level of consistency of data on
the budget, undermine efforts to make the budget a useful and credible tool for
policy implementation.
In terms of predictability and control in controlling the budget, the World Bank
declared that spending by extra-budgetary entities and state-owned enterprises
further undermines budget control, as these bodies operate outside the regular
budget process and their spending is therefore not overseen by the the Finance
Ministry. It said that any overspending by these entities negatively impacts the
rest of budget spending both directly and indirectly by crowding out resources
for projects already outlined in the budget. It added that the practice of
off-budget Treasury advances increases the high degree of unpredictability,
leading to large differences between actual expenditure and budgeted amounts. In
addition, the ministry continues to rely heavily on money carried over from
previous budget, against the principle of annual budgeting and undermining
budget execution.
More positively, the World Bank said reporting on the budget has improved, as
the Finance Ministry provides annual and quarterly financial data, monthly
statistical reports, and annual economic and fiscal reports. The revenue
agencies also post relevant tax and customs information on policies, practices
and statistics on their websites. Additionally, the annual budget report
includes a section on aggregate debt levels. But budget execution reports are
not timely as they are submitted to Parliament two years after the fiscal year,
falling short of international best practices of six to nine months from the end
of the year. – The Daily Star
Lebanon is booming but still plagued by power outages
Ailing infrastructure keeps country from moving forward
Saturday, July 17, 2010
BEIRUT: On a typical night out in Beirut, glitzy nightclubs thrum with revelers,
tourists pack seaside restaurants and the lights from brand-new, million-dollar
skyscrapers dot the horizon.
But beneath Lebanon’s gleaming exterior lies a creaky, third-world
infrastructure that is preventing the country from fully emerging from its
war-torn past. With the summer heat bearing down, some areas are facing power
cuts of up to 12 hours every day for anyone without access to a generator to
pick up the slack.
Strolling down some of Beirut’s most elegant streets, where posh shops sell
evening gowns and $500 sunglasses, diesel generators rumble to life every day to
keep the lights and air conditioning running.
Lebanon’s electricity problems date back to the 1975-90 Civil War, which left
the country in ruins and set back infrastructure development. The country has
not built a new power station in more than a decade. Poor management and
corruption have contributed to the problems since then, as has Mideast conflict.
Israel bombed several power stations before its troops withdrew from Lebanon in
May 2000, ending an 18-year occupation, and in its 2006 war it bombed fuel tanks
at the Jiyyeh power station south of Beirut. The damage was since repaired.
The problem is becoming especially pronounced as some 2 million tourists – a
record that exceeds even the glamorous years before the Civil War – pour into
Lebanon for the summer. Business owners say the extra work is welcome, but their
resources are groaning under the weight of so many customers.
“My two generators cost me about $2,000 a month between diesel and maintenance,”
said Samir Ballouz, owner of Mina House beach resort south of Beirut. Ballouz
added that even if he has few clients, he has to keep the generator on, reducing
his profit.
“Electricity is very bad and we are paying money every hour,” said Ballouz, who
also pays about $1,000 a month for state electricity. “There is no person in
Lebanon who is not suffering because of electricity.” But while tourists rarely
see the country’s rusty underbelly, many Lebanese rely on expensive, privately
owned generators in their neighborhoods. That means they, like Ballouz, pay two
electricity bills: one for the generator and another for the state-owned
Electricite du Liban, EDL.
EDL is considered to be one of the biggest drains on the state budget, costing
between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion a year, or 4 percent of the GDP, depending
on international oil prices. EDL tariffs have not gone up since 1996, although
many people say they would happily pay more if they could get 24-hour power.
Nabil Barakat, a 60-year-old who runs a photo studio, says he pays about $230 a
month for a generator and $300 to EDL.
When asked if he believes the government will soon provide full-time power, he
burst into laughter. “If you come after 50 years from now and ask my
grandchildren the question they will tell you there are electricity cuts in
Lebanon.”
The government acknowledges the problem. Energy Minister Jibran Bassil says
demand at peak time is about 2,500 megawatts, but EDL’s maximum capacity is
1,500 megawatts.
On June 21, the Cabinet unanimously approved a plan to produce 5,000 megawatts a
year in 2015 with the aim of providing 24-hour electricity through building new
plants and encouraging solar and wind energy. Bassil said the plan would cost
about $4.8 billion, including $1.5 billion from the government, $2.3 billion
from the private sector and $1 billion from donors over the next four years. But
many say no more money should be spent on EDL, and instead funds should go
toward fighting corruption, improving collection of bills and giving the private
sector a bigger role. The frequency of power cuts differ across the country.
Beirut has the best deal, getting 21 hours of electricity a day. In the southern
port-city of Sidon, there are 12-hour cuts.
“The cost of doing business in Lebanon is enormous from state of electricity
sector and the image of the country is negatively affected by this problem,”
said Nassib Ghobril, head of economic research and analysis at Byblos Bank
Group. “It is unacceptable that an economy that is based on the free market,
that is integrated into the region and within the global economy continues to
have this kind of poor electricity sector.” A June 2009 World Bank report said
no new power generation capacity has been added since two combined cycle plants
were installed in the 1990s. The rest date back to the 1970s and 1980s. The
report adds that one-third of all electricity generated in Lebanon comes from
private generators while 58 percent of households use some form of self
generation, such as generators and large batteries. – AP
Property sales up 105 percent in first five months of 2010
By The Daily Star /Tuesday, July 13, 2010
BEIRUT: Sales of properties in Lebanon over the first five months of 2010 rose
by 105.4 percent to LL5.785 trillion ($3.8 billion) compared to the same period
of 2009, according to data which was released by the Directorate of Real Estate,
in a report published by Bank Audi’s Weekly Monitor on Monday. Audi said that
real estate sales in early 2010 had benefitted from increased remittances from
Lebanese non-residents, population growth, and vigorous tourism. According to
data the first five months of 2010 saw continued growth in the number of
property sales transactions, along with an increase in the value of such
transactions. The number of property sales transactions were at a record high
for recent years, increasing 39.5 percent in the first five months of 2010 to
reach 37,663 transactions. In addition, there was a 10.7 percent increase in the
number of sales transactions to foreigners, which is lower than the 16.8 percent
surge witnessed in the same period of last year, but proof of a continued
interest from foreigners in buying Lebanese property. As to the value of the
property sales, it reached a record high of LL5.758.6 trillion in the first five
months of 2010, up by 105.4 percent compared to the same period of last year,
indicating a significant upsurge in property prices in Lebanon, within the
context of rising demand for realty. The significant increase in the value of
property sales transactions, relative to a lower rise in the number of such
transactions has resulted in a rise of 47.2 percent in the average value per
property sale, which reached LL152.9 million in the first five months of this
year. Real estate is still the primary target for investors and average Lebanese
citizen alike as experts assure that the prices of properties will surely not
fall any time soon, despite the global recession. Experts stress that the demand
for small and medium size apartments in Beirut and other regions is still
picking up, noting that Lebanese banks, with the blessing of the Central Bank,
are offering low interest rate housing loans over a period of 20 to 30 years.
There is also consensus that Lebanon will not witness a real estate bubble, as
has occurred in Dubai, because the price of property remains lower than many of
the other countries in the region. – The Daily Star
Mubarak meets Israeli, Palestinian leaders
Monday, July 19, 2010 /Listen to the Article - Powered by
Yasmine Saleh /Reuters
CAIRO: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met Palestinian and Israeli leaders and
the US peace envoy on Sunday with a return to direct talks on the agenda, but a
breakthrough still seemed distant. Egypt has long played a mediating role in
Middle Eastern politics, but it is unusual for Cairo to host different leaders
on the same day. Shuttle diplomacy has been the preferred way of operating. None
of the visitors saw the others, instead having back-to-back talks with Mubarak,
who was flanked by his foreign minister and top intelligence officer.
US envoy George Mitchell – who has shuttled between the main players since a
four-month window for indirect talks was agreed in May – held an hour-long
meeting, then hurriedly left the presidency without briefing reporters. Minutes
after Mitchell’s convoy of tinted-window white cars rolled out, a convoy of
black cars rolled in, escorting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whom
Mitchell met on Saturday in Ramallah. Half an hour later Abbas was gone, again
without speaking to reporters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived
soon after the Palestinian president’s departure. The Egyptian state news agency
MENA reported that Mubarak’s talks with all three men focused on “efforts to
create the conditions necessary to advance the peace process and achieve a
two-state solution.” It did not elaborate further.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abou al-Gheit told reporters after the meetings
that direct talks were not possible yet, but there was still time. “We are still
hopeful that we can bridge this gap – the gap between the needs for security for
Israel and the borders for the Palestinians,” he said. “They [the Israelis]
claim that they are determined to offer the Palestinians a good deal,” he said,
adding that Egypt was encouraging the United States to keep pushing for
face-to-face talks. In a statement after the talks, Netanyahu said: “President
Mubarak represents the aspiration for widening the cycle of peace and preserving
the stability and security of the peoples of the region. I again found in him a
key partner in achieving those important goals.” Abbas told a Jordanian
newspaper on Saturday that Israel must agree to the idea of a third party,
possibly NATO, which would secure the borders of a future Palestinian state, and
set other conditions for a return to direct talks. Netanyahu has not publicly
responded. Israel and the United States are both pushing for a speedy return to
direct talks. The Palestinians say they have yet to receive a clear response
from Israel on issues such as the size and shape of a future Palestinian state,
security and Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank. In
November Netanyahu ordered a partial freeze on Jewish settlements, however this
will lapse in September. The long-stalled indirect talks are about halfway
through their agreed four-month duration.
Peace progress is an illusion
Monday, July 19, 2010 /Editorial/Daily Star
With the leaders of both Israel and the Palestinians meeting separately with
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Sunday, and with both US envoy
George Mitchell and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton
also in the region, it might appear to a casual observer that progress is being
made. The reality is in fact quite different.
While it is true that the right people are talking – indirectly as the case may
be – the negotiations represent a repetitive game of musical chairs, a series of
photo opportunities rather than a concerted effort to actually negotiate for
peace. As the so-called peace process continues at a snail’s pace, other
conflicts and disputes in the region deteriorate as a result. The crisis between
Iran and the West regarding its nuclear program gains momentum every day. For so
much effort to be put into containing Iran without the same gumption being
brought to the Israel-Palestine conflict, ignores the interconnected nature of
the region, and goes some way to explaining why Iran has thus far not been
deterred from abandoning nuclear enrichment. Elsewhere in the region, other
threats to peace linger in the background, all suffering from lack of progress
in the peace process. Iraq’s political leaders have hitherto been unable to
agree upon a coalition government to begin addressing the myriad problems it
faces, not least the impending withdrawal of US forces. Tensions on our own
border in the south of Lebanon, a war of words between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a
resurgence in clashes between Hamas and Israel – all contribute to the threat of
conflict in the region. And yet while these problems move closer toward
conflict, the peace process paces along listlessly. By all indications, the
Iranian problem, along with many others in the region, cannot be solved until a
serious effort is made on finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Despite the pessimism most of us have gained through experience, it would not be
entirely mad to suggest that these meetings have the potential to surprise. The
leaders who met in Cairo on Sunday do not need to look far for the answers to
solving the conflict, all are aware of the conditions needed for peace and the
parameters have been discussed many times. The only thing missing is the will of
the various political groups involved. The question that then arises is whether
Barack Obama is tough enough to pressure Israel into accepting the conditions
that form the international consensus on solving the conflict – a return to the
1967 borders with a just resolution for Palestinian refugees. Without this kind
of achievement, or at least some progress toward it, the US may find itself
facing an uphill battle in trying to contain Iran, and in turn the two will
continue to move further toward conflict with each other.
Hizb ut-Tahrir goes ahead with planned summit
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Monday, July 19, 2010
BEIRUT: More than 500 members of a controversial Islamist movement gathered in
Beirut on Sunday, amid concerns that the summit constituted a security threat.
The Hizb ut-Tahrir movement, which advocates the resumption of a global
caliphate, went ahead with the event despite reports that a foreign embassy had
sought to bar the group from operating in Beirut. The conference, held to mark
the 89th anniversary since the fall of the Sunnite caliphate under the Ottoman
Empire, will address 21st century challenges to the Muslim world. The two-day
event “will also call upon Muslims to continue their resistance against the
aggression of the imperialist crusaders” and “remind Muslims of their duty to
remove the current traitor rulers such as … [Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip]
Erdogan and [Afghan President Hamid] Karzai,” according to the group’s website.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported that additional security measures were
undertaken by Internal Security Forces to accommodate Hizb ut-Tahrir’s
partisans.
“Clear instructions were given to security forces to stop the party’s public
activities such as raising political banners or holding gatherings in the
street,” the NNA said.
The party issued a statement slamming Lebanese officials as “puppet rulers” for
the restrictions placed on their summit. Beirut refused to issue visas for
several Afghan members of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s delegation, for reasons yet to be
clarified. Osman Bakhach, director of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s central media office, was
critical of what he said were attempts to prevent the party from meeting. “There
are no problems in holding the conference but there were some attempts to
undermine the event,” he told The Daily Star. “Advertisements went fine, but
there were some contradictory statements that tried to claim that the Hizb
ut-Tahrir was a security threat, which is quite disingenuous.”
He described reported intervention by outside powers as an attempt to deride the
movement’s legitimacy in Lebanon. “It’s obvious that these were failed
attempts,” he said.
“The party was established in 1953 and we have never agreed to using violent
attacks whatsoever. We strategically and as a matter of principle refuse to
resort to violence,” Bakhach added. A spokesperson for the Le Bristol Hotel,
where the summit is being held, said the party’s reservation request was for 500
people. “We knew only recently that it was Hizb ut-Tahrir as the reservation was
booked under a different name.”
Hizballah Prepares for War
Based on Using Civilians as Shields
By Barry Rubin
The Israeli army has released for the first time sensitive intelligence data on
how Hizballah is digging into southern Lebanon. The deliberate strategy is to
store weapons and put defense positions right next to civilian houses. In the
event of a war, Israel will have to choose between giving Hizballah a tremendous
advantage or killing civilians.
Or as a Lebanese person remarked privately, "Hizballah is painting a big fat
target on all the Shi'a down there."
This strategy is the fruit of the world reaction to the 2008-2009 war in the
Gaza Strip when Hamas was rewarded for using civilians as human shields. Despite
the care Israel took to avoid damaging civilian property or endangering civilian
lives, there was a strong anti-Israel response. Given that behavior, others will
no doubt follow this approach in future, thus leading to more suffering for
civilians and stronger radical totalitarian movements, which will also oppress
people where they hold power.
Remember this material when Hizballah sets off the next war and the inevitable
media and other complaints against Israel begin: These condemnations will be
based on--and will, in turn---reinforce a cynical and vicious deliberate effort
by terrorist groups.
By the way, remember how the UN promised Israel in 2006 to keep Hizballah out of
southern Lebanon with a reinforced UNIFIL force? What a joke. Hizballah does
whatever it wants and no one interferes.
In the Strategic World Cup that's Hizballah 1, World 0. It's also a big zero for
international guarantees to Israel. Remember that as well when you next hear
that Israel "defies" the "international community" and refuses to put its
survival into the hands of others who make big promises and then break them.
By making these points I am not suggesting there will be a war between Israel
and Hizballah in the near future, certainly not this year. It is quite possible
that Iran wants to hold Hizballah in reserve to use only if Israel attacks
Iranian nuclear facilities. At any rate, Hizballah is too busy taking over
Lebanon to want a war for the next year or possibly two.
You can read about the intelligence data on southern Lebanon here and here. Iran
has also named a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officer named Hossein
Mahadavi to be a liaison and perhaps in part commander of Hizballah.
Does the Palestinian leadership still desire to eliminate Israel?
By Barry Rubin
An Arab reader asks: Does the Palestinian leadership still desire to eliminate
Israel?
Answer: If we are talking about Hamas, of course yes, there is no doubt about
that and shouldn't be. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is a more complex case.
Many PA leaders know that they cannot destroy Israel and that the cost of trying
would be very high for them. A number of them, in their private thoughts or
personal preferences, would like a lasting two-state solution. Prime Minister
Fayyad is one of the few who has apparently abandoned this idea in his behavior
as well.
But in another part of their minds many PA leaders think that destroying Israel
is the right goal and can be done in the long term. What is especially important
is that they still teach their people this idea and do not break publicly with
it. How much effort has been done in Arabic by the PA to promote the idea of a
permanent solution in which two states live side by side in peace since the 1993
Oslo agreement?
Remarkably little. Media, textbooks, mosque sermons, leaders' speeches rarely
speak in these terms when made in Arabic. Thus, the continued domination by this
doctrine provokes violence, conflict, radicalism, and legitimacy for Hamas.
Why do they behave this way? Some hold radical ideological views and see
themselves and Fatah as a revolutionary organization. This is a doctrine that
all of its internal documents confirm. Others simply understand that if they
were to become genuinely and explicitly moderate in their long-term goals, their
enemies and rivals would use this against them. They would be seen, or treated,
as traitors. Their careers would be over, and there would be some danger to
their personal survival as well, though this last point shouldn't be overstated.
In this regard, several clear categories can be seen among Fatah leaders. The
largest single group is former Arafat loyalists who very much believe that they
can have the fruits of moderation and of radicalism simultaneously, they can
maintain the PA and even cooperate a bit with Israel at present while retaining
the option of violence and not giving up their hope of future total victory.
That is why the PA is a partner at present for maintaining the status quo but
not for making a comprehensive peace
Another grouping is led by PLO radicals who also speak of wanting to wipe Israel
off the map but are patient about doing so. To make a generalization, the older
generation among them hate Hamas; the younger are willing to cooperate with it
in a third intifadah.
The number of real moderates genuinely ready for a permanent two-state solution
that would be peaceful and stable is very small.
What is especially pernicious is the doctrine that even if the PA leaders
themselves don't struggle to destroy Israel, they will make no concession that
will close the door to a future total victory by another generation. This makes
it impossible to have a peace agreement.
A critical element here is the demand for a "right of return" in which all
refugees and their descendants who wish to do so must be allowed to live in
Israel as part of any peace agreement. This doctrine, accepted by 82 percent of
Palestinians according to a recent poll, serves as a bridge between a two-state
solution and a future total victory. It is a lie to argue that Palestinians only
advocate a one-state solution because the two-state solution is blocked by
Israel. On the contrary, the one-state (Arab, Muslim) solution is a critical
element in Palestinian ideology that blocks any two-state solution.
Again, this is not to claim that all PA leaders are hardliners who want violent
conflict. Many do enjoy economic wealth and power in the PA that they don't want
to risk by returning to all-out conflict. But this analysis shows why the status
quo is easier to maintain and a peace agreement is harder to reach than many
Western observers think.
One of the worst of many bad ideas promoted in the West is a merger between the
PA and Hamas. This would guarantee a majority of leaders who wanted a violent
confrontation and a struggle until final victory no matter what the cost.
It is argued that the creation of an independent Palestinian state would
automatically make the PA moderate. Eager to keep their own state they would not
risk it through continuing the conflict with Israel. They would become
preoccupied by accumulating wealth.
This might be true--well, no, not really, I'm just being polite--yet there is
ample reason to doubt it. After all, this was the argument made in the 1990s for
the PA under Arafat and it clearly didn't work. Having a state might in fact
further inflame the determination to gain total victory. Hamas would be a factor
as would Syrian and Iranian subversion. Competing factions would probably strive
against each other by outbidding each other in militancy, a common feature in
Arab states.
Again, while one could argue these points it is a very high-level risk not only
for Israel but for Western interests. A two-state solution could work under
proper conditions but these should be proven, not assumed.
We will truly know that a two-state solution is possible, desirable, and
workable when there is a clear change in the stance of the PA leaders.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA)
Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA)
Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long
War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and
The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). The website of the GLORIA Center is
at http://www.gloria-center.org and of his blog, Rubin Reports, at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com.