LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
25/2010
Bible Of
the Day
1 Corinthians 13:1-12/13:1
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have
become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 13:2 If I have the gift of
prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so
as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. 13:3 If I dole out
all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t
have love, it profits me nothing.
13:4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not
proud, 13:5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is
not provoked, takes no account of evil; 13:6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth; 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things. 13:8 Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they
will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 13:9 For we
know in part, and we prophesy in part; 13:10 but when that which is complete has
come, then that which is partial will be done away with. 13:11 When I was a
child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I
have become a man, I have put away childish things. 13:12 For now we see in a
mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know
fully, even as I was also fully known. 13:13 But now faith, hope, and love
remain—these three. The greatest of these is love
Today's Inspiring Thought: Face to Face
Perhaps we shouldn't bother getting upset if someone suggests that our image of
God is a bit distorted. This passage of Scripture confirms it! As long as we
remain here on earth in these fleshly bodies, we will only be able to see the
Lord through a dimly lit mirror. Right now, our knowledge and understanding of
who he really is, remains partial—obscured. But one day, when we see him face to
face, we will know him and understand him fully, just as we are fully known. Oh,
what a day that will be!
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Why is Nasrallah distressed?/By:
Hanin Ghaddar/ July 24/10
Hizbullah shares the blame/By Jamil
K. Mroue/July 24/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 24/10
Hariri to His Bloc: Nasrallah's
Story is Not True, I Will Reject the Indictment if it isn't Based on Damning
Evidence/Naharnet
Rafik Hariri’s killers are dead,
says security source/Now Lebanon
Yedioth: Bellemare's Second
Accusation will Target 20 Hizbullah Officials and Members/Naharnet
Hariri: Achieving Justice Not
Open to Negotiation, We Do Not Base Our Stands on Media Leaks/Naharnet
Paris Denies having Information
on Indictment, Washington Stresses "Strong" Support to STL/Naharnet
March 14 politicians spurn
Nasrallah’s criticism/Daily Star
Harb: We will Take the
Appropriate Stand from Indictment after its Official Announcement/Naharnet
Is Hezbollah Really Bullying the
Special Tribunal?/Huffington
Post (blog)
Lebanon on edge after Hezbollah
revelation/AFP
Turkey won't turn its back on
Israel/GulfNews
Change we
must believe in/Jerusalem
Post
Syrian Daily: The Syria-Egypt Media
Ceasefire Is Over/Middle
East Media Research Institute
Israel warns of N. Korea missile
proliferation in Mideast/Ynetnews
Fadlallah: Hariri has Definite
Information over the Indictment/Naharnet
Maalouf: Aoun was the First to
Accuse Syria of Assassinating Hariri/Naharnet
Chamoun says Nasrallah should
apologize/Now Lebanon
Jumblatt severs ties with
Democratic Gathering bloc MP/Now Lebanon
Aoun from Zahle: STL Lost its
Credibility, Our National Unity is More Important/Naharnet
Arslan: We Want a Tribunal that
Would Uncover Who Killed Hariri and Not Achieve Israeli and U.S. Goals/Naharnet
Aridi on Two Gaza Trips: Lebanon
Supports the Palestinian Cause but it is Committed to International Law/Naharnet
Major Syrian Official: We are
Bargaining on the Role of the Prime Minister to Face What is in Store for
Lebanon/Naharnet
Saudi King Abdullah in Beirut
before August 15/Naharnet
Franjieh Says Syria Would
Intervene Only to Bridge Divides 'or Opposition Would Act the Way it Sees
Fit'/Naharnet
Williams Lauds Suleiman's
Initiative, Stresses to Hariri U.N. Support for Stability in Lebanon/Naharnet
Zahra: LF Will Not Accept
Any STL Ruling that is Unfair toward Some Parties/Naharnet
Yedioth: Bellemare's Second
Accusation will Target 20 Hizbullah Officials and Members
Naharnet/The Israeli Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper reported Saturday that the
General Prosecutor in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daniel Bellemare, will
issue his accusation in two stages, the first of which will indict three to five
Hizbullah members. The second phase, which will take place at the end of the
year, will include accusations against 20 of the party's officials and members
on charges of being involved in the assassination. An Israeli intelligence
source stated that the internal battle on the Lebanese scene between Prime
Minister Saad Hariri and the Hizbullah leadership is causing a rift in
Syrian-Iranian relations, adding that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard expects
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to abandon Hizbullah in order to restore Syrian
control over Lebanon. Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Fadlallah: Hariri has Definite Information over the Indictment
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Hasan Fadlallah rejected Saturday the Mustaqbal Movement
MPs assertions that Prime Minister Saad Hariri had not informed Hizbullah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's
indictment. The MP said: "This is completely untrue and their claims in their
confused tales will not do any good in diverting the public's attention from the
truth of the matter that Hariri knows very well" and that is that he has
"definite information over the indictment." Beirut, 24 Jul 10, 14:18
Hariri to His Bloc: Nasrallah's Story is Not True, I Will Reject the Indictment
if it isn't Based on Damning Evidence
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri denied that he had informed Hizullah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah that the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon's indictment will accuse some members of the party. Sources close to the
prime minister told the daily An Nahar Saturday that Hariri visited Nasrallah
after his U.S. trip, and not before it, as the Secretary General had said, and
that the meeting did not discuss the indictment. Mustaqbal Movement MP Ammar
Houri said after the movement's meeting on Friday headed by Hariri that the
prime minister's main concern is confronting any possible Sunni-Shiite tension,
quoting him as saying: "I will reject the indictment if it isn't based on
damning evidence."
The MP also said that the possibility of Israel's involvement in former PM Rafik
Hariri's 2005 assassination has not been ruled out, as was demonstrated in
former investigator in the case Serge Brammertz's investigation that studied the
possibility that a missile may have targeted Hariri's convoy. The theory
however, has not been proven.
Houri noted that Hariri does not know when the indictment will be issued. The
Mustaqbal Movement's Friday meeting also addressed Nasrallah's call for the
March 14 forces to conduct a real revision and acknowledge its mistakes over the
passed few years, to which the movement responded that it had conducted a
revision through improving Lebanese-Syrian ties.
It added that it is now necessary for the other camp to revise its own actions,
such as its sit-in in downtown Beirut and "other actions that threatened the
fate of the nation".
An agreement was reached at the end of the meeting for the Mustaqbal MPs to
simply "explain and deny" matters in order to avoid launching heated debates
that would only negatively affect Hariri's efforts to ease the tension in the
country. Hariri's speech Saturday at Mustaqbal's founding conference is also
expected to be calm, where he is set to stress his commitment towards the
tribunal and ties with Syria. Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Saudi King Abdullah in Beirut before August 15
Naharnet/Saudi King Abdullah is expected to visit Beirut before August 15 and
widely informed sources told As Safir Saturday that preparations for his trip
will begin soon. They highlighted the importance of the visit taking place after
the monarch's trip to Damascus, saying that it is a sign of the "positive
direction" in the Saudi-Syrian ties with Lebanon expected to reap the greatest
benefits from this development. Official sources however have not confirmed that
King Abdullah will arrive in Lebanon after visiting Syria. Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Paris Denies having Information on Indictment, Washington Stresses "Strong"
Support to STL
Naharnet/French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero stressed that France
does not possess any information on the indictment in the assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He refused in his weekly press conference on
Friday to comment on Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's
recent statements on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, adding that Paris
believes in the independence of the STL's work and that it wants to uncover all
factors in the assassination.
Meanwhile, the daily An Nahar Saturday reported that a U.S. State Department
official stressed that the U.S. "will remain a strong supporter of the STL and
its role in putting an end to the protection of political assassinations in
Lebanon." He noted: "A sign of our ongoing commitment in bolstering justice in
Lebanon is the U.S.' $20 million donation to the STL, which is a clear
indication that Lebanon's sovereignty is not negotiable." U.S officials have
voiced their pessimism over the eruption of a new war between Israel and
Hizbullah, especially given the possibility that some of its members may be
indicted in Hariri's murder, reported the daily. They said that the party may
resort to escalating the situation with Israel in order to divert attention from
the matter, with one of the officials saying that Nasrallah's threatening tone
"reflects an implicit acknowledgement of guilt, albeit in a defiant tone."
Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Hariri: Achieving Justice Not Open to Negotiation, We Do Not Base Our Stands on
Media Leaks
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed Saturday that there are attempts to
create uneasiness among the people, urging the need for calm and maintaining
national policies.
He said during the opening of the Mustaqbal movement founding conference that
the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has become a
national, Arab, and international cause, adding that achieving justice "is not
open to negotiation and is an integral part of Lebanese consensus, ministerial
statements, and Arab summit decisions."
He continued that there are some sides that are fearing or hoping that the
assassination will be the spark that causes a Lebanese war, saying: "We have no
room for these fears and we do not base our positions on media leaks.""Hariri's
soul will not be a reason to restart strife on Lebanese land, so enough
intimidation," the prime minister added.
"Israel won't be able to overcome Lebanon as long as the Lebanese know how to
maintain their national unity. The state is charged with being up to the
challenge of an Israeli assault and Lebanese society is responsible for
defending the nation," said Hariri. In addition, he stated: "They say that this
conference places the founding stone of a Sunni party in Lebanon but I, on
behalf of the Mustaqbal supporters, announce that our movement does not have a
sectarian or confessional identity." Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Fadlallah: Hariri has Definite Information over the
Indictment
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Hasan Fadlallah rejected Saturday the Mustaqbal Movement
MPs assertions that Prime Minister Saad Hariri had not informed Hizbullah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's
indictment. The MP said: "This is completely untrue and their claims in their
confused tales will not do any good in diverting the public's attention from the
truth of the matter that Hariri knows very well" and that is that he has
"definite information over the indictment." Beirut, 24 Jul 10, 14:18
Aoun from Zahle: STL Lost its Credibility, Our National Unity is More Important
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stressed Friday that the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon has lost its credibility "because it is being made
to support more than it can withstand on the internal and external levels." He
also voiced his support for Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah's statements that if the investigation did not take into consideration
the possibility of Israel's involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's
assassination, then it's indictment is politicized. The MP noted during his
three-day trip to Zahle that started Friday: "Crimes that have been committed in
Lebanon have disappeared because the investigator is the criminal." Aoun added:
"Our national unity is more important … and it is based on freedom of thought of
all Lebanese, respect of freedom of expression, and recognition of the right to
have opposing views." "The STL has been subject to a lot of politicization
starting with accusations against Syria, then the arrest of the four generals,
and today they are trying to point fingers towards Hizbullah. It is stupid not
to seriously deal with the campaign led by world media aimed at targeting
stability and Hizbullah," he continued. Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Harb: We will Take the Appropriate Stand from Indictment after its Official
Announcement
Naharnet/Labor Minister Butros Harb stressed Saturday that an appropriate stand
over the indictment in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will be taken when it is
officially announced.
The minister criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's
statements over the indictment even before it has been issued of which he said
that the nation is more important than the people. Harb said that it is as if
Aoun is saying that the assassins should be protected or Lebanon will be
destroyed. Addressing Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's
speech on Thursday, the minister noted that his tone may have been milder than
the one in his July 16 speech, "but the content didn't change." "It is natural
for Hizbullah to be in an uncomfortable position if the indictment will accuse
it, and it is entitled to create a harboring environment to reject it," he
stated. Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
Arslan: We Want a Tribunal that Would Uncover Who Killed Hariri and Not Achieve
Israeli and U.S. Goals
Naharnet/Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan said Saturday that Israel is
involved in every aspect of the indictment in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,
pointing out that there are differences in the English and French versions of
the texts detailing the duties of the tribunal. Such a discrepancy, he said
during a press conference, hides "hidden evil intentions" that will thwart
justice because the tribunal will be employed to achieve regional and
international interests. He added that Israel is being used as a main source of
information in the investigation "which is a horrible development." In addition,
the MP condemned the tribunal for not prosecuting false witnesses, saying: "This
joke affirms the court's political quality, and eliminates its legal aspects."
"A national stand is necessary in order to confront the plan to create strife in
Lebanon, where the Lebanese should demand a rephrasing of the tribunal's work
starting with carrying out investigations with Israelis," Arslan stressed.
Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
March 14 politicians spurn Nasrallah’s criticism
Alliance calls on Hizbullah to commit to Lebanese state
By Marlin Dick/Daily Star staff
Saturday, July 24, 2010
BEIRUT: Politicians from the March 14 rejected on Friday a call by the leader of
Hizbullah to review their past behavior, saying that the resistance should
instead commit itself to the Lebanese state.
Their comments came one day after Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared that the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon would likely indict rogue members of the party in
the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri made no public response to Nasrallah’s news
conference on Thursday, in which the resistance leader said Hariri had informed
him several months ago that such an indictment was on its way.
The general coordinator of March 14, former Jbeil MP Fares Soueid, said
Nasrallah was “asking for a surrender, and not a self-evaluation” of the
coalition’s previous stances, which involved strident accusations that Syria was
behind the assassination.
“Nasrallah’s remarks were inaccurate, and rejected by the majority of Lebanese;
he categorized them as ‘Israelis’ if they demand the truth, and justice, and
‘patriots’ if they do away with the logic of the truth and justice,” Soueid said
in a radio interview.
“There’s one thing that can save Lebanon from domestic problems and strife, and
that is for Hizbullah to return to the Lebanese state, according to the state’s
conditions,” Soueid said.
Batroun MP Antoine Zahra, a Lebanese Forces official, said Nasrallah had accused
March 14 of “dragging the country toward division and crisis, and [didn’t
recognize] the achievement of our second independence, democracy, or development
in national [political] life.”
Zahra said that “no one in Lebanon wants to target a Lebanese group, whoever it
is, but this is one thing, and making accusation against the STL, based on a
hypothetical situation, is another.”
Zahra said that there had “perhaps been exaggerations in certain political
positions taken, but not by all March 14 groups.”
“The list of conditions being placed on March 14 leaders doesn’t a
self-evaluation, but the abandonment of everything,” Zahra said, asking
sarcastically “was everything ideal” during the period of Syria’s presence here.
For his part, former Tripoli MP Mustafa Alloush said that Nasrallah’s tone was
“less harsh” compared to an earlier address, and stressed that any indictment by
the STL should be backed by strong evidence.
“If it is a weak indictment, the Future Movement will have another position,”
Alloush said.
Nasrallah blamed March 14 members for instigating sectarian tension in Lebanon
in recent years, a period that included the killing of dozens of Syrian workers
in Lebanon, along with the imprisonment of four senior security and military
officials who were later released without being charged in the Hariri
assassination.
National Liberal Party leader Dory Chamoun said he thought Nasrallah’s news
conference was “inspired by” a foreign party, blaming Syria for pushing the
Hizbullah leader to focus on the possibility that Damascus would be cleared in
the Hariri case.
“If anyone wants compensation from Syria,” Chamoun said, “it’s the Lebanese
people.”
Beirut MP Michel Pharaon, a March 14 member, said that Nasrallah’s criticism of
the movement’s actions over the last five years was undeserved.
He said his colleagues in March 14 had decided to take part in National Dialogue
sessions, re-establish formal ties with Syria, participate in the Doha Accord of
2008 to end civil strife, and share power in a National Unity Cabinet, as well
as discuss a national defense strategy.
In a statement, Pharaoun said the issue of the STL was supported by a national
consensus, and that the important thing was to remain committed to such
policies, which were a part of the government’s policy statement.
Akkar MP Hadi Hobeish said Nasrallah’s latest remarks didn’t serve the interest
of Hizbullah, accusing the party’s leader of “errors.” One of them, Hobeish
said, was the claim that Hariri informed Nasrallah of the STL indictment’s
content in May.
“This isn’t accurate at all,” Hobeish said, “because Hariri doesn’t know about
the [content] of the indictment,” describing meetings between the two as
tackling “ordinary matters.”
Hobeish said his rivals in the parliamentary minority were the ones who should
be re-evaluating their policies of the last five years, which he noted involved
a tent-city protest in downtown Beirut, and several weeks of civil strife in May
2008.
“No one is infallible,” Hobeish said, “but portraying the situation as if March
14 groups are wrong, while March 8 groups are saints,” is inaccurate, and covers
up the reality, and the flagrant errors” that were made.
As for the parliamentary minority camp, Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh,
an Amal Movement official, defended Nasrallah’s remarks and predicted that they
would be a “prelude to a period of stability,” and not tension.
Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh told a television interview on Hizbullah’s Manar
television that the STL was less an international tribunal than an expression of
international political “will,” and said that a campaign was afoot to corner
Hizbullah, after an earlier failure during the July 2006 war. Franjieh said it
was unreasonable to expect Hizbullah to stand by without defending itself.
Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, meanwhile, called on the STL to “re-evaluate”
its impending decision, if the current speculation about the upcoming indictment
turned out to be true.
Hizbullah shares the blame
By Jamil K. Mroue /Publisher and editor in chief
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
While Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced on Thursday that the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon would indict certain rogue members of Hizbullah, we find the most
noteworthy element of his speech elsewhere. As for the indictment, he seemed
rather confident about how the charge sheet will appear. We do not wish to add
on to his speculation and thus build up yet another layer of speculation about
the indictment. Let us wait until the tribunal actually indicts someone before
rushing to judgment on its indictment.
Nasrallah chose most stern rhetoric to admonish his rivals in the March 14
political camp for their misdeeds in the years since the assassination of Rafik
Hariri. While we unanimously concur that the leaders of the March 14 bloc failed
egregiously to use the opportunity presented to them to build the Lebanese
state, we wish to underline that Nasrallah was their accomplice in this failure.
His holier-than-thou finger-wagging simply does not fly. He, his group and his
allies participated in all of the defining events since 2005. For example, the
lifeless Cabinet afflicting this country is only the progeny of a deal between
Nasrallah and Saad Hariri – and their regional allies – that all the parties
found most useful to preserve their own political prerogatives. The interests of
the state and its citizens did not figure into the equation. What Lebanon needed
– and still desperately needs – is a functioning state. Nasrallah and his rivals
and partners atop the political leadership here have arrogated the public sphere
at the expense of the institutions of the state. In his speech, Nasrallah did
not refer to the days of emergency meetings that the president of this
theoretical republic has undertaken to contain the crisis; using the offices of
the state to address the country’s issues does not even lodge in the perception
of our political honchos, when we need the state to replace the political
parties as the central frame of reference for the public life. At this crucial
moment we see a Lebanese people bewildered and vulnerable, an Israeli threat
undiminished and relations evolving with Syria in a manner we hesitate to denote
as healthy. We have sunk to this point on the incompetence and aggression of
both March 14 and March 8. Nasrallah was right to thunder against our current
predicament; he just did not mention that he bears as much responsibility as
anyone for the crisis – and our only way out is for him and other politicians
not to repeat their mistakes of the past five years.
**Jamil K. Mroue, Editor-in-Chief of THE DAILY STAR, can be reached at
jamil.mroue@dailystar.com.lb
Why is Nasrallah distressed?
Hanin Ghaddar, July 24, 2010
On February 25, 2005, a photo was released showing Hezbollah Secretary General
Hassan Nasrallah, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad at an official dinner in Damascus.
Almost five months later, during which the sanctions on Iran have intensified,
another picture was released, this time on July 19. It showed Assad speaking
with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu following meetings in Damascus.
The two photos were loaded with messages. The first one stirred a number of
concerns in Beirut and world capitals, implying as it did a solid alliance among
these three leaders in the face of international pressure.
The second one seems to have caused concern among Hezbollah leadership, and the
two recent speeches by Nasrallah were obviously more tense and aggressive than
the ones he delivered after the formation of the national unity government in
2009. Everything since then seemed to Nasrallah to be under control and running
smoothly. So what has changed?
In his last speech, Nasrallah attacked the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the
alleged upcoming indictment of Hezbollah members and what he considered the
unreasonable attitude of March 14 politicians. The thrust of his speech was
built around a meeting in May during which Hariri allegedly told Nasrallah that
the tribunal would indict Hezbollah members. “We reject the idea that Hezbollah
members might be indicted,” Nasrallah concluded.
“Hezbollah is not afraid of anything. Those who conspire against the Resistance
and against Lebanon are the ones who should worry,” Nasrallah added. He also
stated he would not address the issue of a cabinet change before the STL issues
its indictment, adding, “We will see what happens after the [STL] indictment [is
issued].”
The issue of the STL indictment is obviously one of concern for Hezbollah, and
by calling the STL “an Israeli tool,” Nasrallah has taken the level of
confrontation to the point of no return. The STL has not yet set a date for the
indictment. All we have are assumptions based on hearsay coming from local and
international media. In light of such uncertainty - Nasrallah’s reaction, which
has preceded any official statement, must be seen as that of a man feeling the
heat.
It also comes hot on the heels of a number of incidents: the campaign against
the security agreements between Lebanon and the US and France, the Israeli
espionage scandal and the attacks against UNIFIL troops in the South. Analysts
have interpreted these campaigns as targeting the international community and
the West, with a special emphasis on both the STL and the sanctions against
Iran.
Hezbollah has reason to be worried that the STL would actually accuse its
members. Hence the reason why Nasrallah is trying to secure a statement - before
it is too late - from the Lebanese government, especially Hariri, that Lebanon
will not accept an indictment against Hezbollah. But so far this has not
happened.
The second issue that seems to be infuriating the leader of Hezbollah is the
“improved Syrian-Lebanese relations,” as highlighted in Damascus this past week.
Assad’s welcoming attitude and the warm tone of his statements following the
meetings, indicate a desire to enhance relations with Hariri and Lebanon. Of
course, concrete changes are still unimplemented, such as border demarcation and
closure on the fate of Lebanese detainees alleged to be in Syrian prisons, and
only time will tell whether the Syrian regime is genuine about “equal
relations.”
But these signs are enough for Nasrallah to smell the danger. With Iran facing
sanctions, Hezbollah’s position is not secure. Add to that the possible STL
indictment, the Israeli threats of another war and a Syrian rapprochement with
Turkey and Saudi Arabia, not to mention the official state of Lebanon; Nasrallah
might be on the back foot.
The photo released by Damascus last weekend does not mean that Syria will
distance itself from Iran, but Assad wants to protect himself. He is not a man
of ideology, so his support for Iran, although still solid, will not stop him
from making different ties and bonds with other forces in the region as a form
of insurance.
So what’s next for Nasrallah? One school of thought says that Hezbollah will
probably increase local tensions on all fronts and all levels until the Lebanese
government rejects the tribunal, meaning more fiery Nasrallah speeches,
controversial statements from its politicians and allies, media reports, direct
or indirect threats, and even, in extremis, the threat of, or actual, armed
intervention (A second “May 7” is already being spoken of in pro-Hezbollah media
such as Al-Akhbar newspaper).
The other school says these fiery speeches and campaigns are signs that
Hezbollah’s options are limited and Nasrallah is making these speeches to hide
his party’s shortcomings. It says that another May 7 events is impossible
because Syria will not back Hezbollah this time, because of the recent agreement
between Assad and Hariri and a similar, broader understanding between Riyadh and
Damascus.
While no one is talking of an official breakthrough between Hariri and Assad,
there are signs of divergence between Syria’s and Iran’s allies in Lebanon.
Compared with Nasrallah’s aggressive tone, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has
been relatively quiet. On the media level, Al-Akhbar, which is close to
Hezbollah, has adopted a tone similar to that of Nasrallah, while As-Safir,
which is closer to Berri, has not.
Nasrallah might be threatened. He might feel the Syrian cold shoulder and the
heat of the STL and may lash out to his ultimate detriment. But exploiting this
is risky. Syria is not in the clear and the Lebanese need to protect themselves
by abiding by the international resolutions and the core principles of
sovereignty and freedom, instead of opportunist alliances that might only prove
short-term solutions. **Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon
Rafik Hariri’s killers are dead, says security source
July 24, 2010 /The suspects behind the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri are dead, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai reported on Saturday,
quoting a security source from the West. According to the unnamed source,
Hariri’s alleged killers were wiped out to prevent investigators from gathering
any clues to the crime and also to protect the people who planned the
assassination. The source said that some people who were accused by
investigators of involvement in Hariri’s murder have vanished either by
assassination or bombing, while other unknown suspects were eliminated in a calm
manner. The source declined to speculate on the party that carried out Hariri’s
assassination, whether it was Syria, Hezbollah or the two together, or a Muslim
fundamentalist group. “What is certain, according to intelligence analysis, is
that it was one group that carried out the crime because a crime of this
magnitude cannot be carried out by two partners,” the paper quoted the source as
saying.-NOW Lebanon
Chamoun says Nasrallah should apologize
July 24, 2010 /National Liberal Party leader MP Dori Chamoun questioned how
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah could put conditions on
Lebanon without shouldering his own responsibilities and apologize for his
mistakes, in an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah published on
Saturday. He also questioned why Nasrallah has not yet admitted his mistake when
he led Lebanon into a war in July 2006. The Hezbollah chief sparked controversy
last week when he said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is an “Israeli
project” designed to target Hezbollah by inciting sectarian strife in the
country. -NOW Lebanon
Jumblatt severs ties with Democratic Gathering bloc MP
July 24, 2010 /Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah quoted a source close to Hezbollah
as saying that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt no longer
has anything to do with one of his Democratic Gathering bloc MPs, whose name
remains undisclosed. According to the source, Jumblatt told Hezbollah Secretary
General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during their meeting a few days ago that he no
longer has any relationship with the unnamed MP, adding the PSP leader does not
mind if the MP is legally prosecuted should any charges be levied against him.
The source linked the issue to lawyer May al-Khensa’s announcement last week
that she has documents and evidence that proves a deputy and former minister was
dealing with Israel.-Now Lebanon
Aridi on Two Gaza Trips:
Lebanon Supports the Palestinian Cause but it is Committed to International Law
Naharnet/Minister of Public Works Ghazi Aridi stressed that he has not received
any request from the trip organizers of the Junia and Julia aid ships planning
to head to the Gaza Strip, adding that once a request is submitted, he will take
the necessary measures based on the law. He added: "Lebanon supports the
Palestinian cause, but it is committed to international laws."
No new information has been revealed in the preparations of the two aid ships
despite recent Israeli warnings to Lebanon that it will intercept the two ships
should they sail from Lebanon to the Palestinian territory. Beirut, 24 Jul 10,
11:19
Major Syrian Official: We are Bargaining on the Role of the Prime Minister to
Face What is in Store for Lebanon
Naharnet/A major Syrian official warned the Lebanese of falling in the trap that
is being set up again for Lebanon, and the Resistance in particular, according
to As Safir on Saturday.
He stressed: "Damascus warns against any plan to drag Lebanon into strife, and
of efforts to achieve the Israeli enemy's goal of targeting the Resistance."
"Damascus is bargaining on the real and effective role of Prime Minister Saad
Hariri in confronting what is being prepared for Lebanon," he told As Safir.
He said that Syria is keen on maintaining Lebanon's security and stability, and
the safety of its Resistance. Beirut, 24 Jul 10, 10:24
Maalouf: Aoun was the First to Accuse Syria of Assassinating Hariri
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces MP Joseph Maalouf noted Saturday that Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun was the first Lebanese political figure to accuse
Syria of assassinating former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He told LBC that when
the international community has voiced such support to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, "then we should await the indictment," noting "an implicit admission of
the legitimacy of the tribunal." He called for building an independent country
aimed at restoring intellectual, economic, social, and political stability in
Lebanon, stressing the need to end intimidation tactics and treason accusations.
Beirut, 24 Jul 10, 13:11
Lebanese PM calms fears over naming Hizbollah in Harari inquiry
Mitchell Prothero, Foreign Correspondent
Last Updated: July 24. 2010
UAE / July 23. 2010
Hasan Nasrallah has refused to discuss Hizbollah’s response if some of its
members are indicted in the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. Wael Hamzeh / EPA
BEIRUT // The potential indictment of Hizbollah members by an international
tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri
will not cause widespread civil unrest in Lebanon, the current prime minister
and son of the slain leader has said.
Saad Hariri, in an interview published yesterday in the daily Al Hayat, also
said any named suspects that may be members of Hizbollah will be regarded as
rogue elements of the Shia militant group.
Mr Hariri made the statements in an effort to reassure the country that any
indictments of Hizbollah members by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would not
lead to a return of sectarian violence between Sunni supporters of the Hariri
family and the mostly Shiite supporters of Hizbollah.
The prime minister was said to have informed the Hizbollah leader, Hasan
Nasrallah, during a meeting in May that the indictments – expected later this
year – would include several members of the Shiite militant group.
Mr Nasrallah revealed in a closely watched speech and press conference on
Thursday evening that Mr Hariri had told him of the impending indictments. In
the speech, Mr Nasrallah denounced the tribunal process as biased and chided
Syria’s opponents in Lebanon for jumping to conclusions about the murder of
Hariri and destabilising the country from 2005 until 2008.
The 2005 blast in downtown Beirut killed Hariri and 21 others and set a near
civil war into motion, one that first saw Syria forced to end its
three-decade-long occupation of Lebanon and later turned into violent clashes
between the Sunni and Shiite communities of Beirut.
“I was personally informed by prime minister Saad Hariri before his visit to
Washington [in May] that the tribunal will accuse some undisciplined members [of
Hizbollah],” Mr Nasrallah said during the press conference. In keeping with his
often-draconian security measures, due to fears he could be targeted by Israel,
Mr Nasrallah spoke by video link to supporters and some journalists for
Arabic-language media.
“That’s where things seem to be heading,” Mr Nasrallah said, calling the
indictments “a dangerous plot that is targeting the resistance”.
“We are not at all afraid, nor are we worried. We know how to defend ourselves,”
he added.
Mr Nasrallah, who spoke for about an hour and answered several questions,
refused to discuss how Hizbollah will react should the indictments be issued.
He confirmed for the first time that tribunal investigators had come to Lebanon
this year to interview members of the group and said that, in his view, there
was bias in their questioning, leading him to believe that not only were
indictments a foregone conclusion but that the investigation had been held to
target Hizbollah.
His argument ran counter to years of speculation and leaks from the tribunal
that have led many Lebanese to think that the Syrian regime would be implicated
in the 2005 truck bombing of Hariri’s convoy.
“All the data we have indicate that the charge sheet was written up before even
the interrogation of our members,” Mr Nasrallah said. “The indictment is ready
[and] it is only a matter of political timing.
“As long as the probe does not look into the possibility that Israel is
implicated, we believe it is biased,” he said. “Never has the investigation
considered the hypothesis that Israel had the means and the motive” to
assassinate Hariri.
The assassination sparked a political movement, later dubbed “March 14”, led by
Saad Hariri, and supported by a coalition of Sunni, Druze and some Christian
parties opposed to Syria’s influence.
The group won parliamentary majorities in 2005 and 2009. But it has since
imploded with defections and in-fighting among its members in the wake of a 2008
cabinet decision to regulate Hizbollah’s internal communications network.
Hizbollah and its allies responded with an armed assault on Mr Hariri’s
supporters in West Beirut that killed scores of people and forced intervention
by Arab states to help form a unity government to end the fighting.
Mr Nasrallah used his press conference to imply that the March 14 movement has
been duped by the United States and Israel into an overreaction to Hariri’s
murder. He called on the movement to re-evaluate its positions now that it seems
certain, he said, that Syria will not be directly accused in Hariri’s murder.
But March 14 leaders, at least among the Christian community, threw blame back
at Mr Nasrallah, citing both the 2006 war with Israel, which was sparked by a
Hizbollah operation to kidnap Israeli soldiers, and the 2008 takeover of West
Beirut.
“We will not allow Sayyed Nasrallah to devastate the country like he did in July
2006 and in 2008,” MP Nadim Gemayel warned. “Moreover, we will not allow any
international ruling to cause internal strife.”
Mr Gemayel then described March 14 as a “Lebanese movement” and asked Mr
Nasrallah whether he would like the group to adopt “Syria First or Iran First”
as a new slogan, in a direct reference to the very close ties between those
countries and the militant group.
mprothero@thenational.ae
Is Hezbollah Really Bullying the Special Tribunal?
Patrick Galey
July 23, 2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-galey/is-hezbollah-really-bully_b_657211.html
Email Comments 1 Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's announcement last night was big, if
not entirely unexpected: The United Nations Special Tribunal for Lebanon will
indict Hezbollah members in the trial established to find the murderers of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The ramifications of this, it has since been
explained, would be huge.
The Hezbollah secretary general warned that Lebanon would enter a "sensitive"
period if expected arrests of party members materialized. If the killing, which
has been widely blamed on -- and denied by -- Syria, is found to have been
perpetrated by members of a Lebanese political entity, it is logical to foresee
potential civil strife.
But just because the man who sits atop a weapons stockpile larger than all other
Lebanese factions combined warns that something may happen, doesn't mean it's
inevitable.
Nasrallah, by prophesying anew in May of 2008, is sending a message to
prosecutor Daniel Bellemare to think very carefully before casting stones of
blame. The initial reaction to Hariri's murder laid culpability at Syria's door
and led to the withdrawal of Damascene troops from Lebanon after three decades
of presence.
This line of investigation was immediately truncated by the tribunal's
inception, when four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals, held without trial since the
assassination, were released in April 2009. Hezbollah has been implicated ever
since a Der Spiegel piece saw light along with testimonies from now discredited
witness-cum-suspect Mohammed Zaheer Al-Sadiq. Presumably some additional
evidence has now come to light that could nail Hezbollah protagonists.
Politicians and commentators from across the spectrum have accused Nasrallah of
either intimidating an international court or seeking to preserve domestic calm.
Israel, unsurprisingly, has guffawed at the prospect of renewed inter-sectarian
violence. It no doubt views Hezbollah's protestations at the tribunal's
implications as contiguous with a perceived slide in popularity for the Shiite
party. (In a similar fashion to how Nasrallah insists on linking the STL to the
telecommunications espionage arrests).
Its derision over the idea that maybe, just maybe, Saad Hariri would prefer to
see stability in his country than bring his father's killers to justice is
misplaced. Any indictment won't bring Rafik (or Syria) back to Lebanon, nor
would any judgment be as clear cut as people might like to expect. The crime was
a perfect act of terrorism, most likely executed by numerous persons and
parties. It is unlikely that everyone involved in the killing will see the
inside of a courtroom.
Justice at the STL, it seems, may only ever be relative, not absolute.
No one could reasonably argue that Hariri Jnr and family, as well as the
relatives of the 22 others slain when Rafik's motorcade was obliterated, don't
deserve at least some form of reparation.
But from the Lebanese generals' saga, it appears that the domestic judiciary is
out of its depth in this regard. So, however, is the STL. As the first court
attempting to indict on charges of international -- even, perhaps,
state-sanctioned -- terrorism, The Hague has at times resembled a revolving door
of resignations from lawyers protecting their reputations.
It has consistently struggled to get necessary support from concerned countries
and immediately backtracked after a senior official was quoted as saying
indictments were imminent.
Why therefore, should the idea that it is ready to indict Hezbollah members, be
taken as read? Could Nasrallah's announcement not be taken as a warning against
kneejerk prosecutions? The tribunal's supporters say that only the guilty would
not like to see justice delivered. But that's not necessarily the case. Even the
innocent might not wish to see a verdict delivered that could derail Lebanon's
coexistence.
Nasrallah has, by saying it was Hariri who broke the news, pulled off a PR
masterstroke. What was that other than a way of publicly distancing himself from
the infighting he went on to predict?
In the same way as Syria being blamed coincided with a massive rise in
anti-Syrian outbursts, Nasrallah may be trying to avoid a similar wave of
antipathy towards Hezbollah. Remember that the Syrian allegation, if not yet
categorically disproved, at least awaits corroboration.
The STL has a commitment to the people of Lebanon, to "prosecute persons
responsible" in its own parlance. But it also has a responsibility to protect
the country from slipping back into the period of turmoil and political
assassinations that regrettably led to its very formation.
'No Place for Fears: Hariri's Soul Not Reason for Strife'!
Hussein Assi /24/07/2010 Almanar
With tears, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri declared it… According to him,
the fears expressed these days of a strife that could take place in Lebanon due
to the "already written" verdict in the assassination of his father, former
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, are simply baseless.
The reason is very simple: Rafiq Hariri's pure soul can't be a reason to restart
strife in the country. So, "enough intimidation, enough interpretation, enough
mobilization of people's feelings," Hariri stressed.
The young Prime Minister, who entered politics following the assassination of
his father, was declaring on Saturday the beginning of the Future movement
founding conference, a conference believed by his lawmakers to be a transitional
stage in the movement's path.
Hariri said that there are attempts to create uneasiness among the people,
urging the need for calm and maintaining national policies. He noted that the
case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri has become a
national, Arab, and international cause, adding that achieving justice "is not
open to negotiation and is an integral part of Lebanese consensus, ministerial
statements, and Arab summit decisions."
He pointed out that there are some sides that are fearing or hoping that the
assassination will be the spark that causes a Lebanese war. "We have no room for
these fears and we do not base our positions on media leaks," he asserted.
During his speech, Hariri also said that the Israeli enemy won't be able to
overcome Lebanon as long as the Lebanese know how to maintain their national
unity. "The state is charged with being up to the challenge of an Israeli
assault and Lebanese society is responsible for defending the nation," he
highlighted.
HEZBOLLAH: HARIRI HAS DEFINITE INFORMATION ON INDICTMENT
Meanwhile, Hezbollah broke its silence on Saturday after the Future movement MPs
said that the Prime Minister denied telling Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed
Hasan Nasrallah anything about the content of the final verdict or its timing.
In a statement he released, the member of the Loyalty to the Resistance
parliamentary bloc MP Hasan Fadlallah rejected the Future MPs' claims as
completely untrue, saying that their claims in their confused tales will not do
any good in diverting the public's attention from the truth of the matter that
PM Saad Hariri knows very well.
Fadlallah, who called on all sides to assume their responsibilities and
accomplish their duties to prevent all dangers, reiterated that Hariri has
"definite information" over the verdict.