LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
23/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Peter's First Letter 1:1-12L Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen
ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be
sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 1:3 Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy
became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, 1:4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that
doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 1:5 who by the power of God are
guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1:6
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have
been put to grief in various trials, 1:7 that the proof of your faith, which is
more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be
found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
1:8 whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see him, yet
believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory— 1:9
receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1:10 Concerning
this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of
the grace that would come to you, 1:11 searching for who or what kind of time
the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the
sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them. 1:12 To them it
was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, they ministered these things,
which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to
you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look
into.
The Thought
Just as a hammer and high heat are used to forge instruments of iron, God uses
trials to develop genuine faith and strength of character in us.
"Times of great calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest
minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest
thunderbolt comes from the darkest storm." --Charles Caleb Colton
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Syria's Playing Cards/By:
Ali Ibrahim /Asharq Alawsat/July
22/10
Has Hassan
Nasrallah been too hasty?/By Michael Young/July 22/10
Bittersweet justice/Could
indictments for Hariri’s murder destroy internal stability/By:Paige Kollock/July
22/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 22/10
Missile shield: Is Israel safe?/Ynetnews
Lebanese Cabinet to
complain to UN over Israel's espionage/Daily Star
Hizbullah
keen to expand influence - new US envoy/Daily Star
Israel launches campaign to halt
Lebanon Gaza-bound flotilla/Haaretz
Syria's old habit of dominion over Lebanon dies hard/National
IDF expects Hizbullah to
target roads/Jerusalem
Post
Lebanon to file UN complaint over
alleged Israel espionage'/Ha'aretz
Israeli Rocket Defense System
Completed/FOXNews
(blog)
Lebanese Military Court Sentences
Citizen to Death for Spying for Israel/Bloomberg
The spotlight falls on Hezbollah/Asia
Times Online
Aoun’s Lebanese MP,
Helou predicts security threat if Hezbollah is accused of Hariri’s
assassination/Now Lebanon
Samir Franjieh: Hezbollah is a threat to the
Lebanese/Now Lebanon
Baroud:Nasrallah will get a response through the propoer channels/Ya
Libnan
Lebanon sentenced to death as
Israel 'spy'/AFP
Syria backs probe into flotilla
raid/UPI.com
Environmentalists urge closure of
Jordan River baptism site over poor water/Haaretz
UN peacekeepers may be outstaying their welcome in southern Lebanon/Hurriyet
Daily News
Lebanon Bank Audi posts 21.4 pct
rise in H1 net/Reuters
Lebanon MP calls Aoun's statement to
As Safir shameful/Ya
Libnan
CNN: Nasr showed poor judgment, not
fatal flaw/Boston
Globe
Tribunal sparks damage control in
Beirut/UPI.com
Report:
Inspection of Plane at Naples Airport After Receiving Gunshots in Beirut/Naharnet
Israeli Army to Simulate
Moving Vehicles under Hizbullah Rocket Barrage/Naharnet
Report: Ex-Officer,
Telecom Engineer, 4 Technicians Disappear/Naharnet
Report: Israel Launches
Diplomatic Campaign to Halt Lebanon Flotilla/Naharnet
Nasrallah Afraid of Strife
as Jumblat Reassures him 'I am with You'/Naharnet
Letter on Sensitive
Security Case Found with Slain Lawyer/Naharnet
Jumblat Accuses Geagea of
'Pouring Oil on Fire'/Naharnet
Report: Damascus Removes
Names of Lebanese from Lists Banning them Entry into Syria/Naharnet
Larijani: Israeli Threats
to Lebanon Similar to Cries of Elderly/Naharnet
Bassil: Hizb ut-Tahrir
Slogans Endanger Lebanese Social Fabric/Naharnet
Gemayel Says Holding Onto
Institutions, STL 'Best Response' to Nasrallah's Rhetoric/Naharnet
Cabinet Unanimously
Approves Filing U.N. Complaint against Israel over Spies, Suleiman Urges 'Unity
to Face Looming Dangers'/Naharnet
March 14: Nasrallah's
Threats Endanger Civil Peace, Violence Does Not Terrorize the People/Naharnet
Former School Principal
Turned Israeli Spy Sentenced to Death/Naharnet
Loyalty to Resistance Bloc
Calls for Execution of Spies and Cleansing Telecommunications Sector/Naharnet
National Bloc: Hizbullah
has Abandoned National Dialogue Consensus and Government's Policy Statement/Naharnet
Has Hassan Nasrallah been too hasty?
By Michael Young /Daily Star
Thursday, July 22, 2010
If there were doubts about whether Hizbullah participated in the assassination
of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, for many people the party’s
secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, seemed to dispel them last week by
describing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as an “Israeli project” because it
might indict Hizbullah members.
Nasrallah is caught in two sets of binds. The first has to do with how Saad
Hariri and his government will react if party members are accused. The secretary
general’s linking the tribunal to Israel shows that he expects Hariri to end all
cooperation between the Lebanese state and the institution, a position echoed by
Wi’am Wahhab, relaying Syrian preferences. Yet Hariri is unlikely to yield,
because he can see that Nasrallah has limited options if he refuses to do so.
Hizbullah spokespersons have warned in recent weeks that Hariri should be
careful: Any effort to use indictments against Hizbullah may result in a repeat
of May 2008, when the group overran western Beirut and tried to take over parts
of the Aley district. What worries Hizbullah is that, if indictments come,
Hariri will declare that he does not believe the party’s leadership was involved
in his father’s assassination, implying that those accused were rogue elements.
This would undermine Hizbullah’s credibility, show that Nasrallah doesn’t
control his own organization (let him then try to sell Hizbullah as the vanguard
of an effective national resistance), and make the party beholden to Hariri, but
also, more generally, to Syria.
In that context, a new attack against western Beirut seems absurd. Nor can
Hizbullah attack the mountains, because Walid Jumblatt is now more or less on
the party’s side. Destabilizing the government would also be difficult, unless
Syria sees an interest in doing so to gain greater leverage over Hariri. But for
Hizbullah to bring down the government is much trickier. The Hariri government
is, above all, the fruit of a Syrian-Saudi compromise. Hizbullah doesn’t have
the latitude to damage relations between Riyadh and Damascus.
So there is not much Nasrallah can do, except rely on Syria to ensure that the
party isn’t greatly weakened by the ensuing backlash that would follow eventual
indictments. The Syrians are as unenthusiastic about the tribunal as Nasrallah
is, but being pragmatic they would use any legal accusation to enhance their
power on the Lebanese scene, even at the expense of their Iranian and Hizbullah
partners. Ultimately, President Bashar Assad seeks to return Lebanon entirely to
the Syrian fold, and indictments would open doors allowing him to play on
Lebanese divisions to Syria’s advantage.
Nasrallah is caught in another bind as well. His foremost task, as defined by
his relationship with Iran, is to prepare Lebanon for the possibility of a
conflict with Israel in the event of an attack against Iranian nuclear
facilities. He has largely succeeded on that front. Hizbullah has rearmed, has
managed to neutralize serious opposition to its weapons from within the
government, and largely controls the activities of the Lebanese Army in southern
Lebanon, not to say the major decisions taken by the army’s intelligence
service. Indictments would throw Hizbullah’s strategy into disarray. For a
start, the party cannot maintain Lebanon’s readiness for war if it chooses to go
on the offensive domestically in order to pressure Hariri and the government
into denouncing the special tribunal. Nasrallah would either have to opt for
domestic instability, which would only divide the country, or avoid that path,
so as to preserve some sort of united front against Israel. The secretary
general could not do both.
That is why Nasrallah is now focused on rallying the Shiite community behind
Hizbullah, by saying the tribunal is an Israeli weapon. No one else will buy
that argument. But even the Shiites are not keen to see their villages turned
into parking lots, especially on Iran’s behalf. Nasrallah would have his work
cut out for him in holding the ground psychologically and politically for a war
with Israel if indictments are issued. Shiites would still be wary of war,
understandably, while Sunnis would be looking for revenge against the party they
believe murdered their late leader.
When all is said and done, are indictments coming? Reports this week that
investigators will carry out a test explosion next fall in Bordeaux replicating
the one that killed Rafik Hariri suggest we should be careful about predicting
indictments this year. When the president of the special tribunal, Antonio
Cassese, told this newspaper last May that he expected indictments to be issued
between October and the end of the year, he retracted the statement a day later,
plainly at the request of prosecutor Daniel Bellemare. Cassese must realize that
unless indictments are issued before 2011, securing financing for the tribunal
next year will become complicated. That may explain why he is pushing the
prosecutor on a short deadline.
But what does Bellemare have in hand that is new? If he had enough to indict, he
would have done so already rather than engage in technological experiments –
whether three-dimensional photography of the crime scene in Beirut or the
Bordeaux explosion. When investigators were last in Lebanon, they failed to
interview most of the Hizbullah members they asked to see. If you are unable to
interview individuals, it becomes hard to indict. Telephone analyses or
phone-taps can bring to light revealing patterns or conversations, but it’s not
certain that, absent corroborating information based on testimony, they are
enough to prepare airtight accusations.
A new assessment of the Hariri explosion is a telltale sign that things are not
going well. If there are lingering doubts, for example, about whether the blast
was above ground or below ground, then we are perhaps further from indictments
than many imagine. But ultimately we should not miss the forest for the trees. A
crime was committed, regardless of how, and Bellemare has not managed to arrest
anybody who might shed light on what actually happened.
Maybe Nasrallah is being too hasty in incriminating his own party.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. His “The Ghosts of Martyrs
Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle” (Simon & Schuster) has
recently been published.
Geagea: Aoun to blame for violence in Christian areas
By The Daily Star /Thursday, July 22, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces boss Samir Geagea said Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)
leader MP Michel Aoun was “responsible for any acts of violence that may be
waged against any Christian area,” on Tuesday. In an interview with MTV, Geagea
said that “during the last five days, the other camp has given the impression
that it has taken a decision to overthrow the democratic game in order to reach
its objectives.” “The other camp wants to corner Prime Minister [Saad] Hariri
and force him to renounce the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” Geagea said, in
reference to Hizbullah, the FPM and their allies. “If Hizbullah is confident of
its innocence, then why is it afraid and so nervous about the indictment of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon?” the LF leader asked. Geagea said he would reject
the indictment of the STL if it turned out to be “fabricated,” and called on
Hizbullah not to “anticipate things.”
He also warned that he was under “the impression that the country may witness
political assassinations again.” “I’m aware that I’m under the threat of
assassination, but I’m not scared and I’m taking the necessary precautionary
measures,” he said. – The Daily Star
Hizbullah keen to expand influence - new US envoy
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Thursday, July 22, 2010
BEIRUT: The new US Ambassador to Lebanon has warned that Hizbullah is seeking to
expand its influence in the country.
The party’s agenda differed from American prerogatives in Lebanon and the Middle
East, Maura Connelly told a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee late on
Wednesday.
Were Hizbullah to procure extra support and jurisdiction, Connelly said, Lebanon
would witness “a future defined by violence, a vision that is both fueled and
funded by an outside power with its own negative agenda.”
Connelly, whose nomination for ambassadorship in Lebanon still needs ratifying
by President Barack Obama, outlined her aims for when she is embedded in Beirut.
She will replace Ambassador Michelle Sison, who is expected to leave her post in
the coming weeks.
“My experiences lead me to believe that despite the numerous sources of conflict
in the Middle East, many in the region yearn for a brighter future and a
realization of a just, lasting and comprehensive Middle East peace,” Connelly
said. “I will support the Lebanese in their efforts to achieve this goal.”
Connelly has served with US diplomatic missions in occupied Jerusalem, Amman and
Damascus, but a post in Lebanon would easily be the most significant of her
career. Her appointment comes at a time of increased tensions between Hizbullah
and Israel, as well as amid stalled domestic discussions on the issue of
Hizbullah’s arms.
“The cleavages of the post-2005 period may be starting to blur in the eyes of
many in Lebanon and in the region but the options for Lebanon remain stark
nonetheless: Should the future of Lebanon be in the hands of leaders who … want
to put their energies into restoring the state institutions that can provide for
and protect the Lebanese?” Connelly asked. “Or, should Lebanon’s future be in
the hands of those who preach eternal resistance?
“US assistance to Lebanon over the past five years has been unapologetically
directed at transparently supporting those Lebanese leaders who want to build a
strong Lebanon.”
Connelly also envisaged further reform of public administrations and
institutions, following parliamentary elections in June last year which were
hailed internationally as a success.
“Under President [Barack] Obama, US commitment to Lebanon remains strong.
Economic and political reform are crucial to strengthening Lebanon, to building
the institutions of the state, and restoring the role of the central government
in the lives of all Lebanese,” she said.
Connelly also called for increased electoral reform “to overcome the skepticism
of the Lebanese people about the democratic process.”
She reiterated that US support for the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,
created to try the killers of five-time Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the
cause of much political bickering in recent weeks.She also stayed true to US
Middle East envoy George Mitchell’s comments earlier this year regarding
Lebanon’s 400,000 registered Palestinian refugees, over whom debate has raged
this month.
“The United States will not support the forced naturalization of Palestinian
refugees in Lebanon,” Connelly said.
Gemayel Says Holding Onto
Institutions, STL 'Best Response' to Nasrallah's Rhetoric
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Wednesday called for avoiding any
arguments with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over his latest speech.
He warned that verbal clashes "would increase the rift.""The best response in
this case is to hold onto state institutions and the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon," Gemayel said in an interview with Future News TV. "I doubt that the
international community would accept torpedoing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
and impeding its course, and I ask Hizbullah: What is the alternative?" Gemayel
wondered if Lebanese courts would represent an alternative to the STL "in light
of what Sayyed Nasrallah's allies say about those courts.""There's no choice but
steadfastness and the Lebanese people will not yield to what Hizbullah wants,"
he stressed, noting that "Nasrallah's rhetoric doesn't scare us, but it makes us
fearful about the country."On the other hand, Gemayel said that he would not
"hesitate" to visit Damascus when such a trip "becomes beneficial.""But as long
as the relation is at the level of the two governments, let us grant our trust
to this communication," he added. Beirut, 21 Jul 10,
March 14: Nasrallah's Threats Endanger Civil Peace, Violence Does Not Terrorize
the People
Naharnet/The general-secretariat of the March 14 forces condemned on Wednesday
the latest speech of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and what it said
were threats to use force again against the Lebanese. Nasrallah's speech, it
said, "puts civil peace in danger" and contradicts with consensus deals starting
with the Taef Accord all the way to the international tribunal. Recounting a
report in As Safir daily in which Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun
allegedly told Nasrallah to "change the rules of the game," the statement of the
general-secretariat urged the state, including its security forces, to be
responsible in safeguarding civil peace. Following their weekly meeting, the
conferees urged spiritual authorities that believe in Lebanon's existence as a
single entity to confront threats to the Islamic-Christian coexistence in the
country. The statement said the Arab League, which sponsored the Doha accord,
should guarantee "joint Arab support for the Lebanese state, its sovereignty,
freedoms and democracy." "All sides, including Hizbullah, have no choice but to
abide by the authority of the state under the conditions of the state," it said.
"Projects of hegemony, control and elimination are impossible to achieve."
"Violence does not terrorize people who are resolved to preserve their
freedoms," the statement added. Beirut, 21 Jul 10, 14:47
Report: Damascus Removes Names of Lebanese from Lists Banning them Entry into
Syria
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly asked the interior
ministry to remove the names of Lebanese from lists banning them entry into the
country. Well-informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that Syrian authorities
had been informed either to ban the entry of some Lebanese or arrest them inside
Syrian territories. The orders were given in the aftermath of ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri's assassination in February 2005 and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from
Lebanon in April the same year. However, the sources said that Assad gave orders
to the interior ministry and security agencies to remove the names of Lebanese
from the lists. Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 11:08
Israeli Army to Simulate Moving Vehicles under Hizbullah Rocket Barrage
Naharnet/Fearing massive missile fire on main roads and bases in a future war
with Hizbullah and Syria, the Israeli army will test its ability to move assets
and platforms throughout the country and into enemy territory during a conflict,
The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday. "The exercise, under the supervision of
the army's Technological and Logistics Directorate, will include hundreds of
vehicles and officers. Most of the drill will be conducted in computerized
simulations," the Israeli newspaper said. The Israeli army is operating under
the assumption that most of the ground battle will be fought in an urban
setting, inside the 160 or so villages throughout southern Lebanon where
Hizbullah is believed to have hidden most of its military infrastructure, The
Jerusalem Post said. It quoted a senior Israeli army officer as saying the
military assumes that Hizbullah would target supply lines in a future war. "Hizbullah
will likely allow the military force to reach its target point and then begin
striking at the supply lines which the forces in the field will need to secure,"
the officer said. The Israeli army will likely create combined brigades – as it
did during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip last year – that include
infantry, engineering and armored forces in order to demine roads leading into
southern Lebanese villages, the daily said. It added that the army has
reestablished the Transport Unit, which was dismantled following the First
Lebanon War in 1982 and is responsible for directing military convoys throughout
Israel over concerns that Hizbullah and potentially Syrian missile fire would
target main roads inside the country, in an effort to impair the transfer of
military platforms. Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 12:51
Report: Israel Launches Diplomatic Campaign to Halt Lebanon Flotilla
Naharnet/Israel has launched a diplomatic effort to prevent a planned aid
flotilla from sailing from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip, Israeli daily Haaretz
reported Thursday. "The foreign ministry instructed Israeli ambassadors to ask
senior officials in the United States, United Nations, European Union and Egypt
to pressure Syria and Lebanon to stop the flotilla, which Israel deems a
'provocation' in light of its recent decision to end its civilian blockade of
Gaza," Haaretz said. The daily said that the foreign ministry included Syria in
its list because senior officials believe it is helping organize the flotilla.
Hizbullah is also involved, they charged. "This is a clear and organized
provocation," the newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying. Beirut, 22 Jul
10,
Nasrallah Discusses Developments with Arslan,
Naharnet/Stresses Solid Alliance with Islamic Action Front
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday discussed political
developments with Lebanese Democratic Party chief Talal Arslan and the
leadership council of the Islamic Action Front. Nasrallah discussed with Arslan
recent issues and the political developments in Lebanon, the National News
Agency said. The agency also said that the Hizbullah secretary-general discussed
with the IAF delegation the political situation in Lebanon, the Palestinian
territories and the region and plans targeting Lebanon, the resistance and
national and Islamic unities. Hizbullah said in a statement that the two parties
stressed the solid alliance between them and said the Shiite group and the IAF
were united against all dangers and challenges.
Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 12:19
Report: Inspection of Plane at Naples Airport After Receiving Gunshots in Beirut
Naharnet/International investigators are inspecting the plane of a Kuwaiti
businessman at an airport in Italy after it was allegedly shot at during take
off from Rafik Hariri international airport, the Kuwaiti al-Rai daily reported
Thursday. The newspaper quoted European security sources as saying that the
investigators at the Naples airport were inspecting the Challenger 604 aircraft
which received gunshots upon take off from Beirut almost three weeks ago. The
sources said the plane's crew were questioned and were later released. They said
the gunshot source was most probably from an area near the airport and aimed at
sending a certain message. The incident could also have been the result of
celebratory gunfire during World Cup matches. The probe will take several weeks,
the sources said, adding that investigators were seeking to find out the type of
bullets used and the distance from which the plane was shot at. Beirut, 22 Jul
10, 10:02
Suleiman Meets Jumblat as Part of Efforts to Pacify Politicians
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman met on Thursday with Democratic Gathering
leader Walid Jumblat as part of consultations with heads of parliamentary blocs.
On Wednesday, Suleiman met with Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh, Phalange party
chief Amin Gemayel and Labor Minister Butros Harb. Suleiman is urging the
officials to adopt calm political rhetoric to keep stability during the tourism
season. Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 13:05
Nasrallah Afraid of Strife as Jumblat Reassures him 'I am with You'
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has reportedly expressed fears
to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat about a big strife in the
country, saying the Shiite party "was making extraordinary efforts to ward off
its dangers."As Safir daily said Thursday that Jumblat asked for an appointment
with Nasrallah almost two weeks ago after he felt that anti-Hizbullah campaigns
were rising. During their meeting on Tuesday night, Jumblat reportedly told
Nasrallah: "I am with you Sayyed … I am staying in my nationalist position and I
practice my convictions and role." As Safir said the two leaders discussed the
repercussions of the dangers on the expected indictment of the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon.
"Honestly I am afraid of a very big strife … We in Hizbullah are making
extraordinary efforts to ward off its dangers," the newspaper quoted Nasrallah
as telling the PSP chief.
According to As Safir, the Hizbullah secretary-general told Jumblat that a top
official informed him about fears from a violent reaction from Sunni
fundamentalism in case the STL indicts Hizbullah members. The Druze leader also
told the daily that he discussed with Nasrallah the dangers of spy networks, the
last skirmishes between southerners and UNIFIL, the threats of Israeli army
chief Gabi Ashkenazi and the STL. "We have agreed on the need not to politicize
it (the court)," Jumblat said, adding Nasrallah was keen on knowing the truth
and achieving justice in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case.
Meanwhile, As Safir said that Jumblat told a top security official during a
phone conversation to stop support for Lebanese Forces leaders Samir Geagea who
is inciting Sunni-Shiite strife. Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 07:58
Report: Ex-Officer, Telecom Engineer, 4 Technicians Disappear
Naharnet/Six suspected spies, including a former senior army officer, fled
Lebanon following the arrest of Mossad agents Charbel Qazzi and Tareq al-Rabaa,
Ad-Diyar newspaper reported Thursday. Suspect Ghassan al-Jud is thought to have
escaped to Germany, according to Ad-Diyar. He was a top officer with experience
in the army's engineering unit, it said. Another man from the Khreish family
also traveled to London. He was a telecom engineer, Ad-Diyar reported. A friend
who drove him to the airport told investigators that he did not know the purpose
of the trip. The newspaper added that around four technicians at Lebanese mobile
operators have disappeared as well. Security forces are looking for them.
Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 13:55
Bassil: Hizb ut-Tahrir Slogans Endanger Lebanese Social Fabric
Naharnet/Energy Minister Jebran Bassil has stressed that he was not at
loggerheads with Interior Minister Ziad Baroud over the Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir
party. Bassil told An Nahar daily in remarks published Thursday: "The problem is
not with the interior minister instead it is with Hizb ut-Tahrir party." "The
party's fliers are against the Christians and Muslims who don't believe in the
Islamic Caliphate. This endangers our (social) fabric particularly at a time
when we need to consolidate our unity," Bassil said. The energy minister said
Baroud informed a cabinet session on Wednesday about the information on the
party and its fliers. However, the council of ministers did not have a say on
the issue because it was not on its agenda. Bassil has been urging the interior
ministry to cancel a permit granted to the Islamist party to operate in Lebanon.
However, Baroud told cabinet that it was up to the government and not his
ministry to withdraw the permit. Beirut, 22 Jul 10, 09:27
Cabinet Unanimously Approves Filing U.N. Complaint against Israel over Spies,
Suleiman Urges 'Unity to Face Looming Dangers'
Naharnet/The Cabinet on Wednesday unanimously approved filing a complaint with
the U.N. Security Council against Israel over the issue of the spy rings.
The Cabinet convened for its weekly session Wednesday afternoon at the
presidential palace in Baabda under President Michel Suleiman, in attendance of
Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The Cabinet is discussed an agenda of 43 regular items in addition to some
urgent items, topped by the issue of the recent controversy over the uncovering
of Israeli spy rings.
President Suleiman commenced the session by demonstrating the latest
developments, stressing "the importance of national solidarity and unity in
facing the looming dangers threatening Lebanon, especially those coming from
Israel."The president informed the Cabinet of "the motives that prompted him to
hold a series of meetings with Lebanese officials and political leaders." For
his part, PM Hariri informed the Cabinet of the outcome of his visit, along with
a broad ministerial delegation, to Syria and his talks with its president Bashar
al-Assad as well as the agreements and protocols that were signed. Hariri noted
"the importance of the agreements reached as to the boosting of relations
between the two countries in all fields and according to a mutual will to
develop those ties."Cabinet's session was preceded by a closed-door meeting
between Suleiman and Hariri. Beirut, 21 Jul 10, 19:51
Loyalty to Resistance Bloc Calls for Execution of Spies and Cleansing
Telecommunications Sector
Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance
Naharnet/parliamentary bloc urged on Wednesday the need to uncover and execute
individuals charged with collaborating with Israel.
It also called for "thoroughly cleansing the telecommunications sector and
restructuring it in a way that would guarantee the security of the citizens and
prevent Israelis from infiltrating it."
It warned in a statement after its weekly meeting of attempts to "falsely accuse
the Resistance and its fighters in favor of cheap political interests that only
serve the Zionist enemy."
It noted: "Special fraternal ties with Syria are translated through strategic
cooperation that would encompass security, military, and diplomatic fields to
confront Israel."
The recent agreements that were signed between Lebanon and Syria need further
follow up that would serve both countries' great national interests, the bloc
added. Beirut, 21 Jul 10, 17:54
Aoun Confirms 'Imagined Scenario,' Geagea Insists on Holding Him Responsible
Naharnet/A new verbal clash has erupted between Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea. While Aoun continued to show
his commitment to the "scenario" of sectarian strife, Geagea was adamant to hold
the former army general responsible for any acts of violence against Christian
areas.
During a press conference on Tuesday following his weekly FPM meeting, Aoun
confirmed quotes attributed to him in which he said that the "next phase will
witness a Christian side involved in sectarian strife." "Absolutely not. I don't
deny this scenario at all. This is how I imagined it," Aoun told reporters. "I
am a military man and a specialist in revolutionary wars. It absolutely don't it
(scenario), " he stressed. Asked whether the "side" meant was the Lebanese
Forces, Aoun said: "Don't call them a 'side' but rather Christian spies because
spies are found in all (political) parties." He warned that "some Christian
parties" would seek to impose a new status quo in their regions while
fundamentalist groups in Palestinian camps would act the same way. Geagea hit
back at Aoun, warning that he will hold the FPM leader "responsible for any acts
of violence that may be waged against any Christian area." He was responding to
a report by As-Safir newspaper in which Aoun advised Hizbullah chief Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah "to change the rules of the game." "Why weren't the rules of
the game changed in the 2009 parliamentary elections? This means that Aoun is
asking Nasrallah to use force to change the rules of the game," Geagea added. In
an interview with MTV, Geagea said that "during the last five days, the other
camp has given the impression that it has taken a decision to overthrow the
democratic game in order to reach its objectives." "The other camp wants to
corner PM (Saad) Hariri and force him to renounce the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon," Geagea noted. Beirut, 21 Jul 10, 09:08
Bittersweet justice
Could indictments for Hariri’s murder destroy internal stability?
Paige Kollock, July 22, 2010
Now Lebanon/Head of Defense Office Francois Roux and associate Legal Officer
Anne-Marie Burns sit during a public hearing in the courtroom of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague. (AFP photo / Pool/Valerie Kuypers)
The credibility of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the court tasked with
investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, is under
attack by Hezbollah. On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah
declared the court bogus and said that any indictments handed down by Prosecutor
Daniel Bellemare would be unsound and part of an Israeli plot to undermine the
party. The STL has not made any indication that it would implicate members of
Hezbollah, nor has it even set a date for the indictments (though Western media
reports point to the month of September), so why is Hezbollah getting so hot
under the collar?
Some say the party is forecasting the worst, trying to create a scenario
whereby, if its members are indicted, it has already soundly discredited the
court. Others say it is leaping on a chance to gain control by creating discord
among the Lebanese leadership.
Regardless of Hezbollah’s motives, if its fears are realized and the court does
accuse party members, the affect will be felt by all Lebanese, and the current
period of stability Lebanon is enjoying will be jeopardized. Hezbollah’s fears
are not unfounded. Media reports in the newspapers Der Spiegel and Le Figaro
have suggested Hezbollah members would be indicted, and recently, Israeli Army
Chief of Staff Gaby Ashkenazi discussed the involvement of Hezbollah in the
assassination.
“Moreover, some elements of Hezbollah were called in for questioning. All of
these factors explain the suspicions that members of Hezbollah would be
indicted,” said journalist and analyst Kassem Kassir.
It is important for Hezbollah to remember that the court was established in 2006
by an agreement between the United Nations and the Lebanese Republic, said Fares
Soueid, Coordinator of the March 14th General Secretariat, which signed off on
the tribunal. “It was a Lebanese call for international justice; it was not an
American intervention.”
Since its establishment, the court has faced several setbacks, including
resignations and the release of four Lebanese generals originally implicated in
the Hariri murder for lack of sufficient evidence. Now Prosecutor Bellemare is
poised to make formal accusations, but Hezbollah seems to be forecasting them
prematurely, a move some officials say is dangerous for the country.
“We thought we had entered a national-unity government, and that internal
conditions had become reconciled. But suddenly we discover that Hezbollah has
returned to the previous political tone, that of threats,” Future Bloc MP Ahmed
Fatfat told NOW Lebanon.
“It is as though they are saying that those who do not follow their political
line of thinking are traitors, and this is something very dangerous because… it
destroys the national reconciliation that was built around the talks in 2006 in
which Hezbollah agreed to comply with the tribunal.”
With tension rising over Bellemare’s pending decisions, President Michel Sleiman
held a series of talks on Tuesday with Lebanon’s top officials aimed at
diffusing Hezbollah’s condemnation of the STL. But now that Hezbollah has laid
down the gauntlet, Prime Minister Saad Hariri is in a tough position.
“Hezbollah is afraid, and they are trying to put the Lebanese society in a
blackmail between justice and civil peace. They are trying to say to Prime
Minister Hariri, ‘if you want to keep the civil peace in Lebanon, you have to
fight against the tribunal,’” said Soueid.
Denouncing the tribunal could make Hariri look as though he is cowing to
Hezbollah’s interests for the sake of maintaining stability, even though he has
a personal interest in seeing justice carried out against his father’s
assassins.
“He is caught between two decisions: the decision to commit to the issuing of an
indictment by the tribunal, and the decision to preserve internal stability,”
said Kassim.
One way out of this Catch-22, Kassim says, “would be for Hariri to consider the
indicted [if they are indeed Hezbollah members] unaffiliated with the party.”
Another question on the minds of Lebanese leaders is, if key Hezbollah members
are indicted, how can the party remain a trustworthy member of the government.
Would simply dismissing the findings convince the Lebanese population, or might
Hezbollah resort to violence?
“The situation here is tense. Most everyone is expecting some kind of clash at
some time possibly coming up,” said Judith Harik, a professor of Political
Science at AUB and the author of a book about Hezbollah. The party’s fiery
rhetoric over the recently-discovered spies inside the Alfa phone network shows
they are tense, she said. “Even if the Hezbollah leadership does nothing,”
choosing not to repeat a May 7 scenario, “the party’s supporters may get
violent.”
As for Syria, it has said it will accept the findings if any of its nationals
are indicted, but will carry out justice domestically, a markedly different
approach from Hezbollah. Journalist Emad Marmar, who works for Hezbollah-run Al-Manar
TV, recently wrote that Syria cannot abandon Hezbollah in light of how the party
stood beside Damascus in 2006, but others say Syria is intent on maintaining its
political survival at any cost. Still, all of these outcomes could prove moot.
The tribunal opened in 2009 with an initial three-year budgetary mandate. Since
Lebanon is funding a large chunk (49 percent) of the court, if the indictments
are delayed until next year, there could be a situation in which the Lebanese
parliament must vote on whether or not to renew that funding, a decision March 8
would likely vote against.
Helou predicts security threat if Hezbollah is accused of
Hariri’s assassination
July 22, 2010 /Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Helou told OTV on Thursday that
the security situation in Lebanon will deteriorate if Hezbollah is accused of
being behind the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Media
outlets have reported that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will indict
members of the Resistance, while Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah, in turn, has accused the tribunal of being an Israeli project. Helou
called on Lebanese leaders to defuse the tension prevailing in the country. The
political situation in Lebanon has grown anxious as March 14 and March 8
alliance figures have exchanged heated words over the STL and the issue of
Israeli espionage in the telecom sector. The MP also rejected the naturalization
of Palestinians, saying that it is an Israeli plot. He added that granting the
right of ownership to Palestinians would be very dangerous.
This comes after political forces have drafted proposals for granting civil
rights to Palestinians following the parliament’s rejection in June of
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s proposal on the issue.
-NOW Lebanon
Samir Franjieh: Hezbollah is a threat to the Lebanese
July 22, 2010 /Former MP Samir Franjieh told LBCI TV on Thursday that Hezbollah
is threatening the Lebanese, and not the United Nations. He said that no one can
deny that Hezbollah is the biggest military force in Lebanon, calling on the
party to abide by governmental institutions. This comes after Hezbollah General
Secretary Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on last Friday accusing the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon (STL) of being an Israeli project aiming to incite sectarian strife.
Media outlets have reported that Hezbollah members will be named in the
indictment for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Franjieh also added that it is impossible for the Lebanese Forces to deviate
from the March 14 alliance.
-NOW Lebanon
Rahmeh: Syria continues to support Hezbollah
July 22, 2010 /Free and United bloc MP Emile Rahmeh told Al-Manar television on
Thursday that Syria continues to support Hezbollah, adding that there is a
campaign to distort Hezbollah’s image. This comes after Hezbollah Secretary
General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stirred up controversy during his Friday speech
after saying that an indictment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is an
Israeli project designed to target Hezbollah by stirring up sectarian strife in
Lebanon. Media outlets have reported that the tribunal might indict Hezbollah
members for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.Rahmeh
said that those betting on internal conflicts or aiming to distort Hezbollah’s
image will not succeed, a possible reference to Israel.-NOW Lebanon
Jumblatt: Some political statements add fuel to fire
July 22, 2010 /Following his Wednesday meeting with Hezbollah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt
said that some political statements predicting conflict and assassinations only
add fuel to the fire amid the threats that Lebanon is currently facing, Al-Hayat
newspaper reported on Thursday.
This comes in a possible reference to Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who
voiced his fear during a Tuesday interview with MTV that political
assassinations might strike Lebanon again. Jumblatt called for adopting
political dialogue to avoid any conflict, adding that the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) must not be politicized.
“Is it a mere coincidence that someone warns of political assassinations right
after Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi warned that the
STL’s indictment in September may lead to the deterioration of the situation in
Lebanon?” he asked. This comes after media outlets have reported that the
tribunal will indict Hezbollah members for being involved in the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Nasrallah warned on Friday
that the STL is an Israeli project aiming to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon.
According to As-Safir newspaper, Nasrallah told Jumblatt during their Wednesday
meeting that he fears a violent reaction by Sunni fundamentalists in case the
STL accuses Hezbollah. However, the daily did not elaborate further. Jumblatt
said that he tackled local, regional and international developments with
Nasrallah, adding that they also discussed the means to face their possible
impact on Lebanon.-NOW Lebanon
Cabinet to complain to UN over Israel's espionage
By Nafez Qawas /Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, July 22, 2010
BEIRUT: The Cabinet decided Wednesday to submit a report to the United Nations
Security Council with regard to spying networks operating for Israel, seeing
that it constitutes a violation to Resolution 1701. Two employees of the Alfa
state-run telecommunication network and a former employee were arrested recently
on charges of spying for Israel.
Charbel Qazzi, a technician at Alfa and engineer Tarek Rabaa along with an
unidentified former employee are believed to have been collaborating with Israel
since 1996.
Information Minister Tarek Mitri told reporters following the Cabinet meeting at
the Baabda Presidential Palace that the government agreed to form a supervisory
committee for telecommunications along with another to monitor the
Telecommunications Control Centers. The issue of spy networks raised a heated
domestic debate after Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said spies at
Alfa network discredited investigations by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
which were based upon the analysis of call patterns that could have been
manipulated by Israel. Commenting on the ongoing debate, Prime Minister Saad
Hariri called on Lebanese parties to commit to dialogue as he condemned the
recent atmosphere of tensions that “will lead to even more tensions.” Hariri
also emphasized the importance of preserving domestic stability and defending
Lebanon against Israeli attempts to divide it.
For his part, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud stressed that the Internal Security
Forces (ISF) have assumed their full responsibilities in uncovering espionage
networks.
Sayyed Nasrallah questioned Friday whether the ISF’s Information Branch had
knowledge of the role of Qazzi prior to his arrest by Lebanese Army
intelligence.
On another note, Hariri told ministers that his weekend visit to Damascus was a
step to build upon to strengthen ties with Syria. The premier also urged
ministers that ratified bilateral agreements with their Syrian counterparts to
follow up on accords. A total of 17 agreements were inked during Hariri’s visit
to Damascus, where he agreed with Syrian President Bashar Assad to promote
bilateral ties and develop a comprehensive coordination strategy with Syria on
regional and international levels.
Syria's Playing Cards
21/07/2010
By Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Al-Awsat
Political observers can only admire the way in which Damascus is bringing
together its regional political cards, and its proficiency in dealing with the
contradictions and conflicting forces [in the region], as well as its ability to
overcome crises that seem grave and capable of toppling any regime. The best
example of this can be seen in what happened over the past few days. At the same
time that dozens of cooperation agreements were being signed during Lebanese
Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit [to Damascus] following years of tense
relations with Lebanon and the March 14 Alliance, Syria was also holding
meetings between Iraqi rivals Iyad Allawi and Muqtada al-Sadr, in what appeared
to be western-backed Syrian mediation to help solve the deadlock with regards to
the formation of the new government of Iraq, which is a process that has been
stalled for months.
Syria's relations with Lebanon grew increasingly tense following the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Harirri, and accusations
that Syrian individuals or parties were involved in this. Similarly, relations
with Iraq following the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime were increasingly
strained and tense, with Baghdad and the US forces in Iraq accusing Damascus of
facilitating the entry of insurgents and suicide bombers [into Iraq].
Regionally, Damascus developed good political and economic relations with
Turkey, which had previously deployed its troops along the Syrian border during
the presidency of Hafez al-Assad, due to the leader of the Kurdistan Workers'
Party [PKK] presence in Syria. Syria also has good relations – at least on the
surface – with Iran, despite the strong ideological differences between the
Iranian and Syrian regimes.
Internationally, and despite the sanctions that have been imposed upon the
country, and it being placed upon the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism; it
seems that Washington is keen to open channels with Damascus as part of a policy
that aims to exert influence on Syria's [political] inclination through dialogue
and pressure, drawing it away from Iran. This is also a policy that is being
pursued by Europe. However there is still Israel and the issue of the occupation
of the Golan Heights, and there seems to be an unwritten agreement - or perhaps
a mutual desire on the part of both sides - for the situation along the borders
to remain calm. However if the situation requires intensification, the impetus
would come by way of Lebanon and its southern border.
How is Damascus able to bring together all of these contradictions and play its
cards in this manner? Is this skill, or a special kind of shrewdness, or
cunning, as some like to suggest?
Certainly there is a certain pragmatic shrewdness. However [Syria's] policy is
not governed by shrewdness alone, but rather the countries geographic location,
which is at the heart of a region that is beset by crises and explosive factors,
particularly with regards the overlapping issues of Israel, Iran, and Iraq, or
their clashes with international interests, especially with regards to the
recent issue of Iran's nuclear program.
Damascus has benefited from this strategic position and its importance with
regards to the security of this region, whether internationally or regionally,
in playing its political cards and overcoming crises. However it has yet to
sufficiently benefit from its most strategically important card.
The most important card in Syria's possession since the days of the Silk Road is
its geographical position. Syria was a cross-roads in 20th century geography,
sharing land boundaries with two larger countries; Turkey and Iraq, and two
smaller countries; Lebanon and Jordan. This represents a promising market for
trade and investment that could create – given the correct tools and ideas – an
economically ripe area that would see incomes increasing, jobs being created,
and technology developed, so long as market forces are given the opportunity to
act freely away from the bureaucrats and those who follow outdated ideas. If
this were to happen the [political] sensitivity between the countries in the
region would dissolve in the face of mutual interests, and everybody would be
happy; both the regimes, and the people. There would then be no need to deal
with factions or groups that have grown to the extent that they have deluded
themselves into believing that they are akin to States; whereas under ordinary
conditions the most that the leaders of such groups could dream about was a seat
in a municipality.