LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
29/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Matthew 23/23&24: “Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have
left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you
ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 23:24 You blind
guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Iran’s Proxy Powder Keg/by Joseph
Puder/July
28/10
Hizbullah may be in a corner, but it will still fight/By: Paul Salem/July
28/10
Natural gas could lead to new Lebanon-Israel war/By: Bassem Mroue/July
28/10
Druze Emigrants Congress/By: Mona
Alami/July 28/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 28/10
Agriculture Minister Hussein
al-Hajj Hassan calls STL a US pawn/Now Lebanon
Arab Leaders in Baabda on Friday to
Avoid 'Explosion'/Naharnet
Possibility of Hariri-Assad-Nasrallah
Meeting Over Tribunal Crisis/Naharnet
Hariri Held Talks with Hussein
Khalil, to Meet Aoun Soon/Naharnet
U.S., Israel Plan to
Attack 2 Mideast Countries within 3 Months, Says Ahmadinejad/Naharnet
Geagea
to Reject STL Indictment if Not Based on 'Convincing Evidences/Naharnet
Dig unearths 5,000-year-old artefact in Sidon/Daily Star
March 14 rejects Hizbullah pitch to probe false STL witnesses/Daily Star
Israel: U.S. military aid to Lebanon could go to terrorists/Examiner.com
Saudi king eyes summit in Lebanon/Daily Star
Jordan's king meets Israeli PM in push for direct talks/(AFP) and The Daily Star
Hizbullah blocks Lebanon-France
security agreement/Examiner.com
Clueless about
Gaza/Intellectual conservative
Lebanese ruling party
wants Muslims to protect Christians/Jerusalem Post
Turkey Sees Hidden Hand in
Kurd
Riots/Wall street Journal
Aoun:
Abul Gheit's Statements an Interference in Our Internal Affairs and in Matters
He Has No Right to Tackle/Naharnet
Report: Syria opposes direct
talks between Israel, Palestinians/Ynetnews
Syrian
Worker Injured, 7 Vehicles Damaged in Engineers Syndicate Parking Blast/Naharnet
Nasrallah Discusses with
Karami Tribunal Crisis/Naharnet
Natural Gas: Financial
Boon for Lebanon and Israel or New War?/Naharnet
March 14 Leaders to Meet
for 1st Time in 5 Months/Naharnet
Report: Cabinet Ministers
to Take 15-Day Vacation/Naharnet
Ahmadinejad to Decide on
Wednesday Date of Beirut Visit/Naharnet
Hand Grenade Shakes
Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh/Naharnet
U.N. Welcomes Deployment
of Additional Brigade in the South/Naharnet
Hariri, Franjieh Discuss
Latest Developments and Bolstering Atmosphere for Dialogue/Naharnet
Suleiman Meets Murr,
Salam, Pakradounian in Efforts to Defuse Tension/Naharnet
Ahmed Shouman Arrested at
Airport on Charges of Defaming President on Facebook/Naharnet
Iran’s Proxy
Powder Keg
by Joseph Puder /Naharnet
Jul 28th, 2010
July 12, 2010 marked the fourth anniversary of Israel’s Second Lebanon War. In
the intervening years, Hezbollah has made significant political and military
gains in Lebanon. The rise in the paramilitary terrorist organization is likely
due to three key factors: to Israel’s failure in 2006 to completely destroy
Hezbollah’s infrastructure, the perceived weakness of the Obama administration
as a result of its appeasement of Iran and Syria, and the failure of the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to implement UN resolution 1701.
The war came about as a result of continuous provocations against Israel by
Hezbollah, which culminated on July 12, 2006 when a squad of Lebanese-Shiite
Hezbollah terrorists, funded and directed by Iran, crossed the Israeli border
and ambushed two Israeli Defense Force patrol jeeps. Amidst the fray, roadside
explosives were detonated and eight Israeli soldiers were killed. During that
same raid, Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli reservists: Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad
Regev, whom they either murdered or denied medical care. Simultaneously,
Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets at northern Israel communities.
Iran continues to use the Lebanese arena as a military lever against Israel, one
which threatens to explode in a third war — albeit, a more all-engulfing
regional conflict.
To divert attention from the Iranian Islamic Republic’s rejection of Western
demands that Iran negotiate an alternative to its uranium enrichment, Iran
ordered Hezbollah terrorists to attack Israeli soldiers. CNN reported on June 5,
2006 that, “In a move aimed at ending the diplomatic standoff (over Iran’s
nuclear program) the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council,
along with Germany, agreed to a ’set of far reaching proposals’ that will form
the foundation for resuming talks with Iran.” The war that began in earnest six
days later in Lebanon between Hezbollah – an Iranian proxy also supported by
Syria – and Israel did indeed shift attention away from Iran’s disregard of the
proposals made by the UN Security Council permanent members.
In the aftermath of the 2006 Second Lebanon War, UN Security Council Resolution
1701 was passed. It prohibited Hezbollah from rearming, and called for the
Lebanese army to deploy 15,000 troops in South Lebanon. It charged the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with the responsibility to implement
the resolution.
In the ensuing years, Iran has shipped thousands of advanced missiles to
Hezbollah – with the transfers being carried out by Syria. While UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon is on the record as having said that Hezbollah’s existing
stockpile of rockets was in violation of Security Council resolutions, Agence
France Presse reported on July 2, 2010 that the UN warned of renewed violence
between Hezbollah and Israel following accusations that the Shiite militant
party had received sophisticated missiles. “Amidst allegations of continued arms
transfers to Hezbollah… a perceptible increase in tension between the parties
was noticeable said the UN Secretary General in a report, a copy of which was
obtained by AFP in Beirut.” No course of action by the UN, however, was
announced.
In April 2010, Syria delivered truckloads of long-range Scud missiles to
Hezbollah in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701. These Scud missiles can
reach deep into Israel – as far south as Beersheba. While this delivery may not
have changed the strategic balance between Israel and Hezbollah, according to
some Israeli military experts, it has certainly raised the tension level. No
course of action was announced by Ban Ki-Moon at this time either.
Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan calls STL a US
pawn
July 28, 2010 /Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan told New TV on
Wednesday the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is a US pawn. He said that
Hezbollah does not accept the tribunal indicting any of the former’s members for
the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “[Indicting]
Hezbollah members will drag the country into problems,” Hajj Hassan added. “Some
Future Movement MPs’ statements sound as if they still suspect Syria is behind
Hariri’s assassination,” the MP added. Tension has increased after Hezbollah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah questioned the credibility of the STL
earlier in July, calling it an Israeli project designed to create sectarian
conflict in the country. Last Thursday, Nasrallah claimed Hezbollah members
would be named in the STL’s pending indictment. Hajj Hassan also said that some
public figures are miscalculating if they are gambling on relations to worsen
between Syria and Hezbollah. He did not verify reports that PM Saad Hariri would
meet with Nasrallah, saying only that “everything depends on the circumstances.”
-NOW Lebanon
Arab Leaders in Baabda on Friday to Avoid 'Explosion'
Naharnet/Baabda palace is gearing up to welcome Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian
President Bashar Assad on Friday for summit talks with President Michel Suleiman
aimed at warding off an "explosion" in Lebanon. Informed sources told An Nahar
daily in remarks published Wednesday that the importance of the visits of the
Arab leaders, including Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, lies in
their attempts to "ward off an explosion whose shrapnel could reach the entire
region because the Lebanese issue is the hottest during this stage."
The sources said Abdullah, Assad and Suleiman will discuss during their summit
talks all issues linked to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon although efforts are
mainly aimed at finding an atmosphere of calm and not to interfere in the
operations of the court. Political sources following up the king's visit to
Beirut said the importance of the trip lies in its timing particularly that
Lebanese politicians are rattling sabers over the indictment next fall. "Things
will be clearer on the course of the court and the indictment after the visit,"
the sources told An Nahar. Meanwhile, reports said that Bahrain's King Hamad bin
Issa al-Khalifa postponed his trip to Beirut on Friday to pave for a successful
visit for King Abdullah. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
Possibility of Hariri-Assad-Nasrallah Meeting Over Tribunal Crisis
Naharnet/Informed political sources said officials were studying the possibility
of holding a meeting between Premier Saad Hariri, Syrian President Bashar Assad
and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat
in remarks published Wednesday that the meeting was among other suggestions made
to solve differences among Lebanese politicians over the findings of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon that will be issued next fall. Others sources said that
bilateral talks between Hariri and Nasrallah could be held without the presence
of an Arab leader particularly that the premier stressed on calm and dialogue in
his latest statement. Several parties advised Nasrallah to intensify contacts
with Hariri because dialogue is the only way to avoid strife in the country, the
sources added. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
Hariri Held Talks with Hussein Khalil, to Meet Aoun Soon
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri discussed latest developments in Lebanon and
the region with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's political assistant
Hussein Khalil on Tuesday night. As Safir daily said Wednesday that Khalil held
two hours of talks with Hariri at his home in Beirut in the presence of the
premier's advisor Mustafa Nasser. Sources said the atmosphere was friendly and
channels of contact between the two sides will remain open to consolidate
political stability. As Safir also reported that Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun will visit Hariri in the next few days. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
Syrian Worker Injured, 7 Vehicles Damaged in Engineers Syndicate Parking Blast
Naharnet/A Syrian worker was lightly injured and at least seven vehicles were
damaged in a blast at a parking lot near the Engineers Syndicate building in
Beirut's Bir Hassan neighborhood on Wednesday. Media reports said the explosion
was caused by a percussion bomb. Security forces immediately cordoned off the
parking lot and launched an investigation into the incident.
Voice of Lebanon radio quoted sources as saying that personal reasons were
behind the blast. It said that while Nasser Moussa Mhanna was driving his
four-wheeler out of the parking, the vehicle's tire hit the bomb hidden in a
plastic bag. Head of the Engineers Syndicate Bilal al-Olaili condemned the blast
saying any security incident reflects negatively on the stability of the
country. He urged officials not to politicize the issue and leave the
investigation for security forces to find the culprits. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
Nasrallah Discusses with Karami Tribunal Crisis
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah discussed with former PM Omar
Karami latest developments, including the issue of the international tribunal.
Karami's son, Faisal, attended the talks, the National News Agency said
Wednesday. It did not say when the meeting took place. Nasrallah also met with
former Minister Abdel Rahim Mrad in the presence of Hizbullah official Mahmoud
Qmati. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
March 14 Leaders to Meet for 1st Time in 5 Months
Naharnet/For the first time in five months, high-ranking March 14 officials will
hold a meeting in the next 48 hours to discuss the latest political
developments, An Nahar daily reported Wednesday. The terse report did not say
where the conference will take place. An Nahar only said that the talks among
March 14 leaders are aimed at taking stances from several local and foreign
issues. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
Report: Cabinet Ministers to Take 15-Day Vacation
Naharnet/The council of ministers could take a 15-day off following a session at
under Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail on Wednesday, An Nahar
newspaper reported.
The daily said that the cabinet would discuss from outside its agenda the latest
political developments without taking a stance from them. "The session could be
followed by a 15-day vacation to pave way for ministers to make visits abroad,"
An Nahar added. Beirut, 28 Jul 10,
Ahmadinejad to Decide on Wednesday Date of Beirut Visit
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Beirut will take place
before the start of Ramadan in August, media reports said Wednesday. As Safir
daily quoted presidential sources as saying that contacts are underway between
the Iranian embassy and Baabda palace to make the final arrangements for
Ahmadinejad's visit. Sources from the Iranian president's office in Tehran told
al-Akhbar newspaper that Ahmadinejad will on Wednesday decide the date of his
trip to the Lebanese capital. Beirut, 28 Jul 10, 08:18
Hand Grenade Shakes Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh
Naharnet/Unknown assailants threw a hand grenade in the northern port of
Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh district on Tuesday night without causing casualties,
As Safir daily reported.
The newspaper said that the grenade shook the area of Talaat al-Omari near the
wheat market at 11:00 pm. The army cordoned off the neighborhood and carried out
patrols. It also launched an investigation to find the assailants. Beirut, 28
Jul 10, 07:55
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, has a new claim: The U.S. will
strike...twice!
BY Aliyah Shahid /DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, July 27th 2010, /The president of Iran has a message: Prepare for war.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expects the U.S. to initiate a military strike on
"at least two countries" in the region within the next three months.
In the interview, which played on state-run Press television on Tuesday, the
president did not go into detail about what the military action would entail.
Nor did he specify if Iran itself would be attacked or where he obtrained the
information. He simply said Iran had "very precise information that the
Americans have hatched a plot" to "wage a psychological war against Iran."
The latest claim comes after a number of out-there assertions by the Iranian
president including that there are no homosexuals in Iran, that Osama bin Laden
is hiding in Washington D.C., and that U.S. slavery was a hoax. The U.S. and
Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran, concerned about its
nuclear program and the prospect that the country could be making a bomb. Iran
has vehemently denied the claim. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
described a nuclear-armed Iran as "the ultimate terrorist threat." Israel has
not confirmed or denied having its own nuclear arsenal, but in the past it has
preemptively attacked potential nuclear targets. In 1981, Israel demolished
Iraq's nuclear rector, and in 2007 the country bombed a suspected site in Syria.
On the broadcast, Ahmadinejad slammed the U.S. for wanting to place
international sanctions on Iran over its suspected nuclear program.
"The logic that they can persuade us to negotiate through sanctions is just a
failure," Ahmadinejad said. The European Union placed new economic sanctions on
Iran on Monday, following a similar move by the U.S. and a fourth round of UN
sanctions. With News Wire Services
Druze Emigrants’ Congress
Mona Alami, July 28, 2010
Now Lebanon
Druze sheikhs and members of an Arab-Israeli Druze delegation attend a lunch in
Mukhtara, southeast of Beirut, on July 24, 2010. (AFP photo/Joseph Eid)
Last week’s Druze Emigrants’ Congress, organized by the Druze leadership in
Lebanon, was a first in the community’s history. The four-day event attracted
500 participants from 36 countries. Most notable was the participation of a
Druze delegation from Israel. “Arab-Israeli Druze, and more particularly those
opposing the Israeli regime, are part of the Druze community at large.
Therefore, they must be encouraged to affirm their Arab identity,” said Kamil
Sariedine, chairman of the Druze Emigrant Committee that organized the congress.
In the past week, the debate as to whether or not the attendance of the Israeli
delegation was legitimate or not was set off by pro-opposition daily al-Akhbar,
with columnist Brahim Al-Amin asking whether the presence of Arab-Israeli Druze
encouraged normalization of relations between Lebanon and Israel.
“The participation of Arab-Israeli Druze at the conference was approved by all
political factions,” Sariedine said.
Hezbollah, on the other hand, remained silent, though former Druze minister and
staunch Hezbollah ally Wiam Wahhab told the press that the conference only
served to create more divisions within the Druze community. “I refused receiving
the invitation to the conference,” he said. “We wish for the goals of such a
conference to be clarified.” Wahhab’s displeasure appears to have been motivated
by the fact that he was invited to the event at the last minute, a move that may
have been seen as a snub from the traditional Druze leadership, notably head of
the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Jumblatt – who had told the press
that the aim of the congress was to reaffirm the Druze’s Arab and Muslim
identity – and former minister Talal Arslan.
The politics, however, left Druze emigrants indifferent. They hoped that it
would not deflect from the original aims of the event, which sought to clarify
many long-standing issues within the community ranging from inheritance to
doctrinal concerns and who can claim to be Druze. “We hope that the congress
will be able to outline our primary concerns, which are the identification of
the Druze diaspora, the establishment of lines of communication between the
various Druze communities, and raising awareness among the youth,” said a
wealthy American Druze who didn’t want to be named.
According to Sariedine, there are a million or so Druze scattered around the
world: 400,000 residing in Lebanon, 600,000 in Syria, 100,000 in Israel and
75,000 in Jordan, not counting others living in the West, Africa, the Arab Gulf,
Australia, Canada and South America. “We tried during the congress to address as
many issues [as possible] relevant to the emigrant community,” he added.
Topics debated during the congress revolved mainly around the social and
economic challenges faced by Lebanese Druze, and possible solutions, as well as
reforms of the personal status law. “During our visits to emigrant communities
in Brazil, the United States, Canada, Nigeria and in the Arab countries, among
others, our main goal was to introduce the new Druze Religious Council [the
first official Druze institution launched in 2006] to Druze emigrant communities
and Druze associations in order to allow them to better network and coordinate
their efforts,” said Sariedine. The congress was another building block in the
centralization and institutionalization of the community’s affairs.
The Druze personal status law remains at the crux of the matter. With many Druze
emigrating or marrying out of their faith, the community may be on the verge of
extinction in a few years, as Druze only consider children born from two Druze
parents legitimate. “The community is facing a serious problem today with more
and more of its members marrying outside their faith and who are not registering
the birth of their children with Dar al-Tayfeh,” said Sariedine, referring to
the Druze’s official religious institution. “We have therefore decided to
officially recognize the birth of any child born to a Druze father,” he added.
The community is also very secretive when it comes to its faith, something that
has discouraged many from practicing their religion. A committee was put in
charge of religious reforms, and a simplified religious guidebook was created
during the congress. “We plan to train missionaries who will preach the Druze
faith to community members in the larger diaspora,” said Sariedine, adding that
while the older generation was enthused by the congress’ organization, it was
more difficult to reach out to the younger generation. Future congresses might
include events catering specifically to the youth, he said. “We need to build an
emotional link with them.”
Besides discussing the personal status law, congress participants also went over
the many economic and social challenges faced by the community in Lebanon. “We
started with a presentation of the Lebanese social and economic reality. We also
debated the idea of a consortium that would essentially have two main tasks: the
creation of an investment arm and the organization of professional training
seminars,” Sariedine said. The investment tool would work with either
agricultural projects or small-to-medium enterprises, while seminars would
target mostly residents of rural areas. Plans to build low-cost homes for the
Druze, and the establishment of a House of Emigrants in the Druze region of
Aabadiyeh were also part of the conference.
One topic in particular that was raised by some emigrants but was not, however,
addressed, was the controversial issue of Druze waqf, or religious properties.
“There is a lack of transparency in the management of the waqf properties. This
situation does not encourage the rich Druze to bequeath their wealth to their
community,” complained the wealthy emigrant. For decades, hundreds of waqf
properties were illegally registered in the name of one Druze political faction
or another, or leased with advantageous conditions to those same parties.
The accusations were brushed off by waqf lawyer Mazen Masri. “There was
certainly a lack of transparency in the waqf activities before the formation of
the Druze Religious Council in 2006. However, in recent years, new laws were
promulgated to prevent the sale and alienation of any property entrusted to the
community,” he said.
In spite of some criticisms of its politicization, the Druze Congress has been
applauded by most. “The congress was the first successful attempt of this kind
in over 25 years,” said one judge in attendance. For Sariedine, the congress’
main achievement was in the adoption of transparent and efficient procedures
systematizing Druze affairs. Discounting the political ranting he added: “Like
in any other minority, politics can either unite or divide a community. With the
recent positive evolution of the political scene, I would say the trend is
toward unity.”
Dig unearths 5,000-year-old artefact in Sidon
By Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
SIDON: The British Museum delegation announced on Tuesday that it has discovered
significant archeological remains in Sidon, during the 12th year of excavation
project.
The delegation has been working on the College excavation site in the southern
coastal city of Sidon for 12 years, with the cooperation of the Department of
Antiquities of Lebanon. It has recently uncovered new items that link various
historic eras together.
“In this small site we have a chronological succession of various eras … Each
year we discover new rooms,” said the head of the delegation Claude Serhal.
Work carried out since June 19 of this year has uncovered two new rooms in a
10-room building dating back to the third millennium BC. In one of these
chambers the team found a small figurine and a small container with a broken
handle.
The statuette of a human figure represented in prayer had special importance,
according to Serhal, because it was “the first time we found a complete statue
of a worshiper dating back to the third millennium BC.” The figure was wearing a
long dress, with hair indicated by incised lines. Its arms were bent in front of
the body suggesting a respectful pose.
“This is a major discovery because we’re learning more about the third
millennium BC,” Serhal said, adding that pictures of gods were also found.
Another significant discovery was that of a jar containing a child grave with a
horn of an ox placed above it, revealing another aspect of funeral feasting near
burials. The number of graves found so far has risen to 114. Serhal stressed the
need to continue working at the site in order to learn about the first and
second millennia BC. “We need to have a clearer image about people’s everyday
lives and their religious and burial rituals … This is essential to interpret
history in a way that is accessible to everyone,” she said.
The excavation also uncovered evidence of intense commercial activity during the
Late Iron Age, also known as the Persian Period.
A monumental L-shaped building constructed with very large blocks was found, and
will require further investigation, according to a statement issued by the
delegation.
Hundreds of jars dating from this period were also discovered inside and outside
of the building, suggesting a warehouse or a place where jars were kept ready to
be sent from Sidon’s harbor to the Mediterranean region. The College site is to
be turned into an open museum in the future, through a project of the Council
for Development and Reconstruction. The project will be carried out under the
supervision of the Culture Ministry with the cooperation of the Sidon
municipality and financed by the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development.
More discoveries were made at the Sandikli excavation site in Sidon this year,
including a gold Abbassid dinar, Mameluke pottery fragments and a new Iron Age
building, of which two rooms were excavated. The Sandikli site is a newly
excavated site and has “huge potential,” according to Serhal’s statement due to
“its continuity through time and exceptional finds.”
Barak Warns Israel Will Attack
Lebanon If Hizbullah Starts War
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Arutz Sheva
Israel will consider Lebanese government buildings and bases a target if
Hizbullah starts up another war against Israel, Defense Minister Ehud Barak
warned Monday.
The Defense Minister revealed that then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
called Ehud Olmert, when he was Prime Minister in 2006 and asked him not to
touch what Barak called the “precious government” of Beirut.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Washington Post, Defense Minister Barak
added, “We didn't [attack it]. I think that they're responsible for what
happens, and if it happens that Hizbullah will shoot into Tel Aviv, we will not
run after each Hizbullah terrorist or launcher of some rocket in all Lebanon.
We'll see the government of Lebanon responsible for what happens, and for what
happens within its government, its body politic, and its arsenal of munitions.
And we will see it as a legitimate to hit any target that belongs to the
Lebanese state, not just to the Hizbullah.” Barak also warned the United States
“that the walls between the Lebanese armed forces and Hizbullah—it's quite
porous. And whatever you give the Lebanese armed forces might end up in the
hands of Hizbullah, be it technology or weapons or whatever. “The Obama
administration recently announced it giving the Beirut government $100 million
in military aid. Barak also admitted—perhaps for the first time publicly—that
his order in 2000 for a sudden pullout of Israeli forces from enabled Hizbullah
to prepare for war against Israel.
“We pulled out and ended up with an area full of rockets and missile.” he
admitted. “We did it next in Gaza and ended up with an area full of rockets
covering Tel Aviv as well as other parts of the south and half of Israel. And
within the framework of considering an agreement with the Palestinians that will
establish a Palestinian state side by side with Israel ,we should make sure that
the three underlying principles of our security are fully assured, namely the
West Bank will not become like Gaza and southern Lebanon, another launching pad
for rockets against the coastal plain of Israel.”The Defense Minister is
currently in Washington, and he said that he will be talking with the U.S.
Defense Department and military officials about American arms sales to Arab
countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.“There are considerations in Washington
about moving forward with major deals with our neighbors and we want to make
sure that we are in an understanding with the [Obama] administration.
“We understand the American need, under the strategy of the administration, to
kind of strengthen the moderate Arab countries facing the same threat from
hegemonic Iran. But, at the same time, we have a tradition of understanding with
following administrations to keep Israel's superiority in weapons' systems and
munitions.”
The Defense Minister also will discuss the prospective purchase of the advanced
F-35 fighter jet. Reports last week indicated that the sale was imminent. Barak
said, “We will have to make the final decisions in relatively short time,” but
he pointed out that Israel needs “to be able to participate in production of
some parts in our industry as well as making sure that we can continue keeping
our real [military] edge.”Turning to Iran, the Defense Minister said that the
United States and Israel are closer than ever to sharing the same diagnosis
unlike the previous situation whereby the NIE [National Intelligence Estimate]
declared three years ago that Iran has suspended its quest for nuclear weapons.
"I think that basically it's still time for sanctions. Probably at a certain
point we should realize that sanctions cannot work," he said.
March 14 rejects Hizbullah
pitch to probe false STL witnesses
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
BEIRUT: March 14 parties on Tuesday rejected Hizbullah’s call to form a
committee tasked with probing false witnesses in the probe into former Premier
Rafik Hariri’s assassination.
Future Movement officials also insisted that the Cabinet was not entitled to
interfere in the work of the UN-backed tribunal that is investigating the crime.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has condemned the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) as an “Israeli project,” alleging that it has fabricated an
indictment against “rogue Hizbullah members” and is awaiting the right political
circumstances to make it public.
Nasrallah’s remarks have generated fierce debate among Lebanese politicians.
“The STL and the indictment are in their natural place in The Hague rather than
the Lebanese domestic scene,” Future Movement MP Ammar Houri said Tuesday,
referring to the STL’s headquarters.
“The Cabinet is the right place to discuss all national issues but cannot
interfere in judicial details, particularly those we agreed on,” said the Future
Movement MP. “Isn’t anyone who asks to discuss the issue in the government or
National Dialogue sessions calling for politicizing the STL?”
Minister of State Adnan al- Sayyed Hussein said political parties were in talks
ahead of the Cabinet’s session next Wednesday in a bid to form a ministerial
committee tasked with following-up on the STL.
He added that the issue of the STL would also be addressed by the National
Dialogue committee, if participants agreed to discuss the matter during its
upcoming meeting on August 19. “… The issue [of the STL] is important and
directly related to a national defense strategy because it relates to national
security, which is not restricted only to facing Israel but also security
threats, terrorism and preserving national unity,” he said.
He stressed that preserving security in Lebanon was not only the responsibility
of Hizbullah and Premier Saad Hariri but that of all parties.
“Thus the need for rational rhetoric away from tensions and accusations of
treason,” Sayyed Hussein said.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea rejected Nasrallah’s call to form a
committee to probe false witnesses, saying the Hizbullah leader’s assumption was
not supported by any judicial authority. “Who said there are any false
witnesses?” he asked, adding that Hizbullah “did not back its claims with any
judicial authorities or tribunal; thus they are assuming something that does not
exist.”
Geagea went further to voice support for political dialogue over disputed issues
or tensions but “not the STL.”
Following a meeting with Geagea, Future Movement MP Oqab Sakr denied that
upcoming visits to Lebanon by heads of Arab states were in preparation for a new
Doha Accord but rather to promote the existing accord and strengthen it.
The Doha Accord in 2008 ended bloody clashes between pro-government and
opposition gunmen that kicked off on May 7 following the Cabinet’s decision to
dismantle Hizbullah’s telecommunications network.
Ahead of scheduled talks on Wednesday between the Egyptian president and the
Saudi king in Egypt, the Egyptian Foreign Minister warned Monday that the use of
force on the Lebanese scene by any domestic party was unacceptable, adding that
the May 7 events should not be repeated.
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz and Qatari Prince Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani
are expected to arrive to Beirut on Friday while ambiguity still surrounds the
timing of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s visit to Lebanon.
Natural gas could lead to new Lebanon-Israel war
Two countries exchange threats after reserves found off coast
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Bassem Mroue/Associated Press
BEIRUT: The discovery of large natural-gas reserves under the eastern
Mediterranean could potentially mean a huge economic windfall for Israel and
Lebanon, both resource-poor nations – if it doesn’t spark new war between them.
Hizbullah has blared warnings that Israel plans to steal natural gas from
Lebanese territory and vows to defend the resources with its arsenal of rockets.
Israel says the fields it is developing do not extend into Lebanese waters, a
claim experts say appears to be correct, but the maritime boundary between the
two countries – still officially at war – has never been precisely set.
“Lebanon’s need for the resistance has doubled today in light of Israeli threats
to steal Lebanon’s oil wealth,” Hizbullah’s Executive Council chief Hashem
Safieddine said last month. The need to protect the offshore wealth “pushes us
in the future to strengthen the resistance’s capabilities.” The threats cast a
shadow over what could be a financial boon for both nations, with energy
companies finding what appear to be substantial natural gas deposits in their
waters.
Israel is far ahead in the race to develop the resources. Two fields, Tamar and
Dalit, discovered last year, are due to start producing in 2012, and experts say
their estimated combined reserves of 5.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas can
cover Israel’s energy needs for the next two decades. In June, the US energy
company Noble Energy, part of a consortium developing the fields, predicted that
Israel will also have enough gas to export to Europe and Asia from a third field
– Leviathan, thought to hold up to 16 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Israel relies entirely on imports to meet its energy needs, spending billions to
bring natural gas from Egypt and coal from a variety of countries. Energy
independence would have a major impact on the county. When Tamar begins
producing it could lower Israel’s energy costs by $1 billion a year and bring
$400 million a year in royalties into government coffers. That suggests a total
of about $40 billion in savings and $16 billion in government revenues over the
total yield of the field.
Those numbers would only rise as Leviathan comes on line. “Israel’s always
looked for oil,” said Paul Rivlin, a senior research fellow with Tel Aviv
University’s Dayan center. “But I don’t think it ever thought of itself as
becoming a producer. And now that you’ve got a high-tech economy that’s doing
quite well, this comes as an added bonus.” Hizbullah’s warnings, however,
quickly followed the announcement by Houston, Texas-based Noble Energy.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hizbullah ally, warned that Israel is
“turning into an oil emirate while ignoring the fact that the field extends,
according to the maps, into Lebanon’s territorial waters.”Israel’s Petroleum and
Mining commissioner at the National Infrastructure Ministry Yaakov Mimran,
called those claims “nonsense,” saying Leviathan and the other two fields are
all within Israel’s economic zone.
“Those noises occur when they smell gas. Until then, they sit quietly and let
the other side spend the money,” Mimran told the Israeli daily Haaretz.
Maps from Noble Energy show Leviathan within Israel’s waters. An official with
Norway’s Petroleum Geo-Services, which is surveying gas fields in Lebanese
waters, told the Associated Press that from Noble’s reports there is no reason
to think Leviathan extends into Lebanon. The official spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorized by his company to speak to the media on
the subject.
The rumblings are worrisome because Israel and Hizbullah each accuse the other
of intending to spark a new conflict following the devastating 2006 Summer War.
That fighting, in which Hizbullah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers in a
cross-border raid sparked a massive Israeli bombardment, killed about 1,200
Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
Hizbullah, a close ally of Syria and Iran, has not fired a rocket into Israel
since.
Israeli officials, however, say they believe Hizbullah has managed to triple its
prewar arms stockpile to more than 40,000 rockets. The warnings from Hizbullah
and Berri could be as much for domestic consumption as directed as Israel,
aiming to press for the passage of a long-delayed draft oil law, needed before
any Lebanese fields can be developed.
Oil and gas exploration has been a source of disagreement between Lebanese
politicians over the past decade. The change of several governments and disputes
over what company should do the surveying have caused delays.
In October, Petroleum Geo-Services said fields in Cypriot and Lebanese waters
“may prove to be an exciting new province for oil and gas in the next few
years,” noting signs of deposits in Lebanon, though their size is still not
known. “It is very encouraging for Lebanon,” the PGS official told AP.
Any finds could help Lebanon’s government pay off what is one of the highest
debt rates in the world, at about $52 billion, or 147 percent of its gross
domestic product.
Israel and Lebanon are among the few countries in the Middle East without
substantial natural resources. Israel has built a place for itself with a
powerful high-tech sector, while Lebanon has boomed in recent years with tourism
and real estate investment. While the gas may not transform them into Gulf-style
spigots of petro-cash, it would be a major boost.
Rivlin doubts Israel could become a significant exporter, saying nearby
countries don’t need or aren’t willing to buy from it, and the costs of
liquifying gas for transport to further markets like Europe may be prohibitive.
But Eytan Gilboa, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University, said
that with the world “so hungry for energy,” Israel wouldn’t have a problem
finding buyers. But the development raises security worries, as the offshore gas
infrastructure could become a target. During the 2006 fighting, Hizbullah
succeeded in hitting Israeli warships off Lebanon with its rockets. “Once those
rigs start producing gas, it’s going to be difficult to secure them,” Gilboa
said. “So on the one hand, you reduce dependency on imports in times of crisis,
but at the same time, you make yourself vulnerable because those sites are
exposed.”
Saudi king eyes summit in Lebanon
Meeting would group Abdullah, Assad, Sheikh Hamad, Lebanese leaders
By The Daily Star /Wednesday, July 28, 2010
BEIRUT: If last minute contacts bear fruit a Saudi-Syrian-Lebanese summit is
expected to be held in Beirut on Friday to tackle rising tensions in Lebanon and
other Arab issues, well-informed sources said. The Central News Agency reported
on Tuesday that if the tripartite summit takes place at the Baabda Presidential
Palace, it will be a chance to achieve a large-scale reconciliation among the
Lebanese. Saudi King Abdullah meets Syrian leader Bashar Assad on Thursday to
try to ease tensions in Lebanon, capitalizing on an apparent weakening in Iran’s
position after a round of tough new sanctions.
The monarch will hold talks with Assad in Damascus before heading to Beirut
where he will meet his ally Prime Minister Saad Hariri, President Michel Sleiman
and other political leaders, Saudi officials said. Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin
Khalifa al-Thani is also expected in Beirut on Friday. The monarch hopes to
convince Assad to accompany him to Beirut from Damascus, Lebanese officials say,
although Syria has not confirmed that Assad will oblige. Hizbullah-affiliated
television station Al-Manar reported on Tuesday that high ranking Syrian
officials said Assad will pay Beirut a visit on August 3. The king is expected
to press Assad to use his influence over Lebanon’s powerful Shiite group
Hizbullah to discourage it from heightening tensions, especially between
Hizbullah and Sunni political leaders like Hariri. Hizbullah leader Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah has condemned the UN investigation into the 2005 killing of
Saad’s father, former Premier Rafik Hariri, saying he expected it to indict many
Hizbullah members.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has been trying to persuade Syria to loosen its
alliance with Iran and adopt a more Arab-focused foreign policy, with Saudi
officials hinting at financial aid for Syria and a resumption of investment
there in return. Shiite Iran’s growing influence in the Arab region since the
US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and its links to Syria, Lebanon’s Hizbullah,
Hamas and various groups in Iraq, have alarmed US-allied powers such as Egypt
and Saudi Arabia.
“The king appears keen to deal with concerns that recent tensions could escalate
if the [UN] court takes some decisive action in the Hariri murder case,” said
Khalid al-Dakhil, a prominent Saudi political writer. “The visit also aims at
ascertaining the regional understandings Syria has with Saudis, Turks, the
French … to keep Lebanon stable and stay away from Lebanese internal political
wranglings.” Late on Tuesday, Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks with Saudi
Ambassador in Lebanon Ali Awad al-Assiri. Indictment of Hizbullah members for
Hariri’s killing would put severe strains on Lebanon’s unity government.
President Michel Sleiman held four days of talks with political leaders earlier
this month to try to calm tensions, which echo the deep divisions that
threatened to ignite a new civil war in 2008.
Before the Syrian leg, King Abdullah will on Wednesday meet Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak, also to discuss the situation in Lebanon. A Riyadh-based Western
diplomat said the visit by the Saudi monarch to Beirut would send a signal of
stability. “It’s brave of him to go there amid the tense political context. It
shows that the kingdom is leading the
pan-Arab regional diplomacy that takes the initiative,” the diplomat said.
Extended UN sanctions against Iran in June seem to have encouraged moderate Arab
states, including Saudi Arabia, to be bold in addressing the threat of
instability in Lebanon. “The tougher sanctions on Iran have a negative impact on
Hizbullah, and Hizbullah is not happy about them. But Syria has never abandoned
Hizbullah and will not abandon it. But its perspective and calculations have
changed,” Dakhil said. Saad Hariri, who initially blamed Syria for his father’s
death, has since tried to ease tensions with Damascus. Syria has denied any
involvement in Hariri’s killing. Damascus, whose allies such as Hizbullah have
effective veto power in the government, had re-set relations with Lebanon after
improving ties with Saudi Arabia. Rafik Hariri’s killing angered Riyadh but
Saudi Arabia and Syria appear to set aside their differences last year with the
aim of healing divisions between their allies in Lebanon. – Reuters, with The
Daily Star
Jordan's king meets Israeli PM in push for direct talks
By Agence France Presse (AFP) and The Daily Star
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
AMMAN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with King Abdullah II on a
surprise visit to Jordan on Tuesday as the premier tries to convince Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas to upgrade Middle East peace talks. The
Israeli-Jordanian summit came a day after Abbas also held talks in Amman and as
the Palestinian leader prepares for an Arab League meeting on whether to resume
direct peace negotiations which were halted in December 2008.
“The king and the prime minister discussed means to achieve progress in efforts
to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in line with a two-state solution,”
the royal palace said.
“They also discussed ways to create the right environment for launching direct
and serious peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.”
A senior official told AFP that “the meeting lasted for more than two hours
during which the two men discussed in a clear and straightforward way measures
that can be taken to achieve progress in the [Middle East] peace process.”
Netanyahu’s office said the two discussed “the need to ensure direct, serious
and effective negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians that would
address all final-status issues.”
The visit came three months after King Abdullah told The Wall Street Journal
Netanyahu’s actions over the past year had brought relations between their
countries to a new low.
On Monday, Abbas met with the king and denied that the Palestinians were
hindering the start of direct talks with Israel after Netanyahu said they were
dragging their feet.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Tuesday after Abbas met with
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos in Amman that Israel “holds the
key” to direct negotiations.
Netanyahu and King Abdullah, whose countries have a 1994 peace treaty, last met
on May 14, 2009, when the Israeli prime minister also made a surprise visit to
Amman, six weeks after taking office.“We call on the Israeli government that
holds the key … to open the gate for these direct negotiations by accepting the
terms of reference of two states, based on the 1967 borders,” Erekat told
reporters. Meanwhile, the Ramallah-based government led by Premier Salam Fayyad
will be disbanded and a new Palestinian Authority cabinet will be formed next
week, a high-ranking Fatah official said Tuesday according to Ma’an News Agency.
Fatah’s parliament speaker Azzam al-Ahmad told Ma’an radio that Abbas would
consult with Palestinian factions over the new structure of the PA. Fayyad or
another politician will be tasked with forming a government, he said. After
meeting with Fatah lawmakers in Ramallah, Al-Ahmad said the restructuring of the
PA cabinet would include all PLO factions and independent figures but would
remain affiliated to Fatah regardless of its prime minister and cabinet members’
political party. It will strictly follow Fatah party policies, he said. – AFP,
with The Daily Star
Hizbullah may be in a corner, but it will still fight
By Paul Salem /Commentary by
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The future of Hizbullah, Lebanon’s powerful Shiite political and paramilitary
organization, has never looked more uncertain. Indeed, given rising tension with
Israel and possible indictments of its operatives by the international tribunal
investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Hizbullah
appears to be hemmed in on all sides.
The most immediate question concerns the possibility of another Israel-Hizbullah
war, fears of which have mounted throughout this year, fueled by reports of new
missile transfers to Hizbullah and intermittent threats from Israel. Those who
foresee war argue that Israel is unwilling to tolerate a heavily armed Iranian
proxy on its border while tensions with Iran over the nuclear issue remain
unresolved. Although war is unlikely in the coming months, if sanctions on Iran
don’t bear fruit by early 2011, Israel might feel the need to act. If it
launched military strikes on Iran’s nuclear installations, Hizbullah would
likely join the fray and Israel would have to engage Hizbullah at the same time.
Alternatively, Israel might launch a pre-emptive war against Hizbullah in order
to rob Iran of a nearby retaliatory capacity.
Hizbullah is preparing intensively for such scenarios, building defenses,
digging tunnels, and assembling a powerful missile arsenal. But, although
Hizbullah’s preparations are likely to ensure its survival, it would be
hard-pressed to justify to the Lebanese public a strategy that led to two
ruinous wars in the span of five years.
In the end game of such a war, Syria might be asked by the Arab countries and
the international community to take greater responsibility in Lebanon, in order
to contain Hizbullah and its military profile.
Moreover, if peace prevents a slide into war, Hizbullah has another problem.
Although a real breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli peace process appears unlikely,
United States envoy George Mitchell is still talking of Arab-Israeli peace as a
distinct possibility in 2011. Sources within the US administration hint that
President Barack Obama might announce the outlines of an Arab-Israeli settlement
sometime later this year.
An accord between Syria and Israel is a key element of all proposed scenarios
for Arab-Israeli peace. In exchange for giving back the occupied Golan Heights,
Israel and the United States will insist on the disarmament of Hizbullah.
Indeed, within the context of the Arab Peace Initiative, announced in Beirut in
2002, the Arab states take it upon themselves to ensure the security of “all
states in the region” – code words for dealing with the threats from Hizbullah
and Hamas – since the region includes Israel.
Although both Hizbullah and Iran still argue, perhaps correctly, that Israel
will not give back the Golan Heights or allow the emergence of a Palestinian
state, the possibility of peace cannot be ruled out. If it does occur, Syria
will push Lebanon into a peace treaty with Israel and lean on Hizbullah heavily
to adjust to the new realities.
Given its popularity among Lebanese Shiites, Hizbullah could continue as an
influential political party, but it would have to abandon its role as a major
proxy force for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Nevertheless, Hizbullah faces
severe political trouble, too. Although no official announcement has been made,
there are reports that Daniel Bellemare, the prosecutor for the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon, might conclude his investigation and issue indictments in the fall.
In a speech on July 16, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged
rumors that the tribunal might indict members of his party, but charged that the
body was part of an Israeli plot to undermine the Islamic resistance in Lebanon
and had no credibility. He argued that the indictments would probably be based
on cell-phone records, and that Israeli agents had penetrated the Lebanese
cell-phone network. Indeed, Lebanese military intelligence recently arrested a
high-level official at one of the country’s two cell-phone companies, alleging
that he was an Israeli agent.
In describing the tribunal as part of an Israeli plot, Nasrallah warned the
government and other parties in Lebanon against cooperating with it, or
accepting its verdicts. He reminded his audience of the street fighting in
Beirut in May 2008, and made clear that Hizbullah would not shy away from
another fight if necessary.
While Hizbullah has tried to convince other Lebanese that its presence helps
maintain the country’s security and stability, regional and international
developments suggest that it faces mounting challenges. And, although the future
does not look bright for Hizbullah, it is not likely to relinquish its power
without a fight.
*Paul Salem is director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. THE DAILY
STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with Project Syndicate © (www.project-syndicate.org).
Aoun: Abul Gheit's Statements an Interference in Our Internal Affairs and in
Matters He Has No Right to Tackle
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun criticized on Tuesday
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit's statements on Lebanon, labeling
them as "interference in our internal affairs and in matters he has no right to
tackle."
The MP said after his movement's weekly meeting that the upcoming visits by Arab
leaders to Lebanon is not a sign that a new Doha Accord is being devised.
He also slammed Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's recent statements in which
he said that "those who speak of strife are the ones preparing for it" by
saying: "His statements are part of a conspiracy and if I were a general
prosecutor, I would have called upon those who make such statements."
Addressing his statements to As Safir in which he voiced his concern over the
possibility of internal strife in Lebanon, Aoun noted: "I only spoke of signs,
but strife is being prepared, although they won't find anyone who will
collaborate with them except some naïve people who advocate it."
The meeting also tackled Israel's threats to Lebanon, on which he commented: "We
have grown accustomed to Israeli threats. Israel always wants Hizbullah to be at
a confrontation on the international scene in order for the Jewish state to
appease its people."
"The Israeli government is helpless and its actions are not those of a balanced
state because Hizbullah's existence in the South has defensive aims," he added.
Beirut, 27 Jul 10, 18:11