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Bible Of the Day
Isaiah 3/ 3:4 I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. 3:5 The people will be oppressed, everyone by another, and everyone by his neighbor. The child will behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable. 3:6 Indeed a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, �You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let this ruin be under your hand.� 3:7 In that day he will cry out, saying, �I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing. You shall not make me ruler of the people.� 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Yahweh, to provoke the eyes of his glory. 3:9 The look of their faces testify against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don�t hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought disaster upon themselves. 3:10 Tell the righteous �Good!� For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. 3:11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him. 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths. 3:13 Yahweh stands up to contend, and stands to judge the peoples.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan/The Canadian Press/22 June/10
Hezbollah acts local, thinks global/Tony Badran/June 22/10

Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan Module body
Mon Jun 21, /By The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Another Canadian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan. Sgt. James MacNeil, 28, of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, was killed by an improvised explosive device this morning near the village of Nakhonay after he had dismounted from his armoured vehicle.It's the second straight Canadian death in Nakhonay, 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city. On June 6, Sgt. Martin Goudreault, 35, was on a foot patrol investigating a suspected weapons cache near the village when he was killed by the blast from an IED. MacNeil is the 148th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since Canada's mission began in the country in 2002.

Hezbollah acts local, thinks global
Tony Badran, June 22, 2010
Now Lebanon
A couple of recent arrests have once again shined the spotlight on the subject of Hezbollah�s global networks, namely its financial networks and illicit sources of funding worldwide. Some of these are based not only at the United States� doorstep, but actually within its borders.
On June 3, it was reported that a Lebanese couple was arrested in Ohio for attempting to smuggle $500,000 to Hezbollah in the hollow sections of a vehicle. Then last week, Interpol announced that it had arrested Moussa Hamdan (a dual Lebanese-American national who was indicted in the US last year) on suspicion of funneling money to Hezbollah in Ciudad del Este, on the Paraguayan side of the notorious tri-border area where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. Hezbollah has allegedly set up a lucrative base in this region from which to finance its operations.
The Ohio couple was not the first to be held in the US this year on charges of Hezbollah-related smuggling. For instance, back in February, three Florida businessmen were arrested for smuggling game consoles and other electronics to a mall in Paraguay, which was identified by the US Treasury Department as a Hezbollah front establishment. The episode highlighted the potential danger posed by the party�s logistical bases in South America.
The question of Hezbollah�s finances remains somewhat obscure, and the militia�s budget continues to be the subject of speculation. Hezbollah watchers regularly note that the group receives anywhere from $100 to $200 million a year from its patrons in Iran (a sum that may have been increased substantially in 2006 to cover for the losses suffered in that year�s war and the compensation effort that followed).
Hezbollah is also said to depend on an array of illicit enterprises the world over. According to a 2004 report by the American Naval War College, Hezbollah raises $10 million annually in the tri-border region alone. This is not to mention its assets in Africa and the Persian Gulf, or, for that matter, in the US. These ventures are said to cover such activities as contraband (for example cigarette smuggling); CD, DVD and software pirating; fraud schemes; money laundering; counterfeit currency (with Iranian help); and, according to media reports and official testimonies, narcotics trafficking, and the trade in diamonds.
As in Lebanon, Hezbollah embeds itself in tightly-knit Shia communities of the diaspora. In this way it makes it difficult for law enforcement and other agencies to penetrate their networks.
In the course of discussing the group�s sources of funding with a reporter in 2004, Hezbollah parliamentarian Mohammad Raad noted that the party also counted on the support of �wealthy Shia.� Raad was being truthful. When Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashed off the Lebanese coast this year, one passenger, Hassan Tajeddin, received the Hezbollah equivalent of a state funeral. Tajeddin was identified as the owner of the Angola-based Arosfran Company, which he ran with his brothers. One of the firm�s board members, Kassim Tajeddin, was designated by the US Treasury Department in May of last year.
The Treasury declared that Kassim and his brothers ran several cover companies for Hezbollah in Africa. Kassim had also �contributed tens of millions of dollars to Hezbollah and has sent funds to Hezbollah through his brother, a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.� He was also previously imprisoned in Belgium on charges of large-scale tax fraud, money laundering and trade in conflict diamonds.
Another Tajeddin, this one named Ali, also said to be involved in the conflict-diamond trade, is better known in Lebanon for buying swaths of real estate in Druze and Christian areas. In this way, he has helped provide geographical continuity between Lebanon�s disparate Shia areas, in which Hezbollah has allegedly established �security zones.�
Much in the same way that Iran�s Revolutionary Guards Corps has set up multiple business ventures, Hezbollah is partnering with Shia businessmen in the diaspora, voluntarily or through coercion and intimidation. This is not without consequences for the Shia communities abroad. For instance, in October of last year, news broke that the Emirati authorities had deported dozens of Lebanese Shia, perhaps more, on suspicion of working with Hezbollah.
Aside from embedding themselves with local diaspora communities and taking advantage of lawless areas in weak or failed states, Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons have also allegedly collaborated with accomplice states such as Venezuela. There, the US Treasury has designated Ghazi Nasreddin as a Hezbollah facilitator and financier employed by the Venezuelan government.
The US authorities view these Latin American bases and transit routes (through Mexico) with much concern for the potential threat they pose for US national security. For example, it has been suggested that bombings in Buenos Aires during the early 1990s were planned in the tri-border area, and that the highest echelons of the Iranian regime were also implicated.
When Hezbollah�s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, declared, after the 2008 assassination of the group�s military commander, Imad Mugniyah, that he was ready for �open war� well beyond the Lebanese theater of operations, he wasn't exaggerating. As has been evident from the early 1990s, Hezbollah has by many accounts been setting up a global infrastructure to support such a capacity.
**Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Aoun Meets Assad in Damascus
Naharnet/ree Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Tuesday, Syria's state-run news agency, SANA, reported.
The FPM's media office had said in a statement that Aoun traveled to Syria on a private visit. It said the FPM leader headed to Damascus at 11:00 am.The statement added that the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc would still be held at 3:30 pm in Rabiyeh. Syria's al-Watan daily had reported that Aoun would meet Assad on Tuesday. Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 11:49

UN Refugee Chief in Lebanon Calls for Encouraging Return of Iraqis
Naharnet/The head of the U.N. refugee agency called for Iraq to form a new government on a non-sectarian basis to encourage the return of Iraqis who have fled the war-torn country.
"We hope the next government (of Iraq) will gather Iraqis around a real work program and on a basis that isn't confessional," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said during a visit to Lebanon. "The establishment of a non-denominational government in Iraq is the best way to help improve security and allow the refugees to return home with dignity," he told AFP. Speaking after meeting with Iraqi refugees in Beirut's Amel housing facility, he stressed the current state of security in Iraq "does not permit the return of refugees."
A political vacuum persists in Iraq more than three months after an inconclusive general election. Guterres expressed his "gratitude to Syria and Jordan for having authorized the exit and the return of some families to enable them to explore the situation in Iraq." Lebanon currently has about 50,000 Iraqi refugees, with around 10,000 of them receiving aid from non-governmental organizations, according to Kamel Mohanna, the head of Amel. During a visit to Damascus, Guterres warned on Sunday against forcing Iraqis to return to their country until the security situation there improves. On Friday, Guterres said the UNCHR has referred 100,000 Iraqi refugees in the Middle East for resettlement in third countries since 2007, with more than 52,000 of them having left the region up to last month.(AFP) Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 07:01

Heavy Security Deployment in Sidon Following Threatening Fliers
Naharnet/Lebanese security forces on Tuesday braced for the deployment in the southern port city of Sidon following threatening fliers calling on Christians to leave their homes in one week.
Internal Security Forces southern commander Brig. Gen. Munzir Ayoubi visited late Monday the Maronite Catholic pastors of both Sidon and Deir al-Qamar to update them on the investigation into the distribution of fliers the night of Friday-Saturday. Ayoubi also briefed the priests on the security deployment in and around Sidon that would include running night patrols and setting up random checkpoints. Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 07:31

Gemayel Calls for Neutrality, Says Keeping Lebanon Hostage of Axes is Weakness
Naharnet/Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel on Tuesday slammed what he called a veiled attempt to naturalize Palestinians in Lebanon and reiterated that only positive neutrality protects the country. Bias has dragged Lebanon to conflicts and wars while "positive neutrality" has led to stability and peace, the former president said during a press conference. "Neutrality allows us to strengthen the state, the army and national unity," he said in response to critics who claim that neutrality weakens the country. "Keeping Lebanon the hostage of axes is weakness in itself," Gemayel stressed. While expressing openness to discuss the issue of Palestinian rights, Gemayel told reporters that "there is a veiled attempt to naturalize Palestinians."
"When we give (them) all these privileges, (it means) we are helping in their naturalization," he said. "This is rejected. Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 13:52

Hizbullah Considering Suing 'Everyone' Who Collaborated with US to Distort Hizbullah Image
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Nawaf Mousawi said the Shiite party was considering suing "everyone" who collaborated with the U.S. to distort Hizbullah's image. Hizbullah "is mulling filing a lawsuit against anyone who received money from the U.S. Administration to distort Hizbullah's image," Mousawi told OTV. He said part of the money was paid through the U.S. Agency for Development and or via the Middle East Partnership Initiative. Musawi said several municipalities and political figures received "big cash.""Differences in views is normal in Lebanon. But what is abnormal is for authorities and political figures whose names have not been made public to receive payments that exceed $500 million," Musawi stressed. Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 07:06

3 Wounded in Shootout in Sabra
Naharnet/A quarrel between rival families in Beirut's Sabra neighborhood quickly developed into shootout leaving three people wounded, the daily al-Liwaa reported Tuesday. It said the overnight shooting pitted members of the Ezzeddine clan from the Bekaa town of Arsal against rivals from the Farhat family which hails from southern Lebanon. Security forces swiftly stepped in and contained the fight. Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 06:52

Controversy over Zahle Explosion
Naharnet/An explosion in Zahle on the eve of Maronite patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's visit to the eastern city shrouded in controversy. While some media reports pointed to sabotage behind the explosion, with the possibility that the blast may have been aimed at Sfeir, others ruled out a terrorist act. Al-Liwaa newspaper, citing a security official, said Tuesday Sfeir was not a target.
It said investigations did not find evidence to prove that the explosion was caused by a bomb blast given that the blast did not leave a crater and was not triggered by explosive material.
Shell fragments were also not found in the victim, the official told Al-Liwaa. As-Safir newspaper on Tuesday said investigation focused on one of two possibilities � that the blast was either aimed at Sfeir or the Lebanese army. Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat had said the explosion on the eve of Sfeir's visit, the first by a Maronite patriarch to the Bekaa in 72 years, has been described as a "sabotage act" until this hypothesis is proven invalid.It said Lebanese authorities have arrested three people in connection with the powerful explosion that ripped through a used car parts shop in the industrial city of Zahle shortly before midnight Saturday, leaving one person killed and two others wounded.The shop belongs to Khaled Dallah from the eastern town of Bar Elias. Al-Hayat said Ziad Hussein, from Majdal Anjar, died as a result of severe burns sustained in the fire caused by the explosion. It said the wounded -- Khaled Hamzeh Hammoud and Amer Ajami, who also hail from Majdal Anjar � were taken to the Lebanese-French hospital in the Bekaa where they are kept under heavy police guard. Primary investigation said that the explosion took place while preparing a bomb. Sources following up on the probe into the bombing had said that Hammoud, Ajami, and Dallah have been arrested. Al-Hayat, citing high-ranking security sources, said the explosion occurred when Hussein, along with his friends Ajami and Hamzeh, went into the shop after he had obtained a key from Dallah who asked them to meet him in the industrial city while he got dressed. It quoted Bekaa figures who visited Hamzeh in hospital as saying that the fire engulfed the shop when Hussein turned on the generator placed in his car.Beirut, 22 Jun 10, 08:26

Sfeir Safe: Lebanon Apparently Spared Major Strife on Eve of Patriarch's Zahle Visit
Naharnet/Local media on Monday said preliminary reports point to "sabotage" behind the explosion in east Lebanon's city of Zahle on the eve of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's visit.
Zahle explosion could be much more dangerous, given both the substance used in the blast that is being analyzed by forensic specialists and the "big names" involved, some of whom belong to the Salafis in the Bekaa, As-Safir newspaper reported Monday.
"Devine intervention or mere miracle may have spared Lebanon a major strife" on the eve of Sfeir's Zahle visit, said a bold headline in the daily Al-Liwa on Monday.
The explosion on the eve of Sfeir's visit, the first by a Maronite patriarch to the Bekaa in 72 years, has been described as a "sabotage act" until this hypothesis is proven invalid, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat said. Al-Hayat on Monday said Lebanese authorities have arrested three people in connection with the powerful explosion that ripped through a used car parts shop in the industrial city of Zahle shortly before midnight Saturday, leaving one person killed and two others wounded.
The shop belongs to Khaled Dallah from the eastern town of Bar Elias. Al-Hayat said Ziad Hussein, from Majdal Anjar, died as a result of severe burns sustained in the fire caused by the explosion. Al-Hayat said the wounded -- Khaled Hamzeh Hammoud and Amer Ajami, who also hail from Majdal Anjar � were taken to the Lebanese-French hospital in the Bekaa where they are kept under heavy police guard. Primary investigation said that the explosion took place while preparing a bomb. Sources following up on the probe into the bombing had said that Hammoud, Ajami, and Dallah have been arrested. Al-Hayat, citing high-ranking security sources, said the explosion occurred when Hussein, along with his friends Ajami and Hamzeh, went into the shop after he had obtained a key from Dallah who asked them to meet him in the industrial city while he got dressed. It quoted Bekaa figures who visited Hamzeh in hospital as saying that the fire engulfed the shop when Hussein turned on the generator placed in his car.Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 08:48

LF: Judicial Authorities Must Take Action against Wahhab and Others Who Harm Lebanon's Foreign Ties
Naharnet/The Lebanese Forces condemned on Monday former Minister Wiam Wahhab's recent statements in which "he made irresponsible stands that included insults to Arab and international officials." It said in a statement that it is unfortunate that "someone would stoop so low and not control his tongue, in a step that is not becoming to any citizen regardless of his political affiliation."It slammed the former minister's statements against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, saying that "Mubarak and Egypt are too honorable to be harmed by such cheap stands � knowing that Lebanese-Egyptian ties have not and will not be affected by biased campaigns."Furthermore, the LF criticized Wahhab's "personal insult" to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, saying that it targets the "dignity of France and its people.""It is shameful that a person would believe himself to be worthy of judging the president or authority of a country simply because they do not agree with their political views," the statement said. It therefore called on the concerned judicial authorities in Lebanon "to take action against Wahhab and the likes of him who do not hesitate to offend nations and high-standing officials, which would consequently harm Lebanon's ties with countries." Beirut, 21 Jun 10, 18:40

Zahle bomb part of plot to kill Sfeir - reports
By The Daily Star
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
BEIRUT: A bomb that exploded Saturday killing a local Zahle man was meant for Maronite Patriarch Sfeir who was in the Bekaa on an official visit, press reports said on Monday.
Ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Monday that a bomb was to be detonated in the Shiite area of Al-Karak near Zahleh as Sfeir�s convoy passed by in the area.
On Saturday night, an explosion ripped through Zahle�s industrial zone killing one person, Ziad Hussein, and injuring two others, Ammar Mohammad Othman Ajameh and Khaled Hamzeh.
As-Safir newspaper reported on Monday that Ajami and Othman were rushed to the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directory after receiving first aid in Zahle hospitals.
Hussein, who hails from the predominantly Sunni town of Majdel-Anjar, was a member in a Salafi organization, according to As-Safir. A few months ago, Hussein�s brother was killed in clashes with the Lebanese Army. Also, security forces arrested Khaled Dalli, the owner of the shop in which the explosion took place. The newspaper quoted official sources as saying that other suspects were arrested by security forces. While refusing to give the names of the detainees, the sources said a Salafi organization had plotted for the operation.
Sources said a possible motive of the attack plot might have been to frame Hizbullah in the patriarch�s assassination. Relations between Sfeir and Hizbullah have been tense in recent days after the patriarch criticized the party during his visit to Paris. Last week, Sfeir met French President Nicholas Sarkozy, with whom he discussed developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the conditions of Christians in the Middle East. Sfeir said that he urged Sarkozy to bolster Lebanese-French bilateral ties even more. During a news conference he held in France, Sfeir lashed out at the party saying the �so-called Party of God� possessed its own army and received weapon and cash supplies from neighboring states, in reference to Syria and Iran.
Hizbullah said on Friday it was offended by the manner in which Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir referred to the party during the news conference. �Patriarch Sfeir�s term �so-called Hizbullah� is an insult to the party,� said a statement from Hizbullah�s press office. �We want to believe Sfeir�s words were unintentionally used,� said the statement. �We might disagree [with the patriarch] in politics, but we insist on mutual respect.� After his return to Beirut, the patriarch explained that the term �so-called� was �just an expression.� � The Daily Star

Jumblatt: Sovereignty secured by safeguarding Resistance's arms
PSP chief holds Banquet at Mukhtara in honor of Syrian Ambassador
By Maher Zeineddine /Special to The Daily Star
Monday, June 21, 2010
MUKHTARA: Preserving the Resistance�s weapons guarantees Lebanese sovereignty and strengthens ties between Lebanon and Syria, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said Saturday. Jumblatt made his remarks during a luncheon banquet at his residence in Mukhtara, where the guest of honor of was Syria�s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim. �With trust, honesty as well as safeguarding the resistance�s weapons, we pave the way and preserve Lebanese sovereignty and Syria�s flank, as I believe that calls for Lebanon to adopt a neutral position aren�t beneficial,� Jumblatt said. On hand were representatives of Lebanon�s top three politicians and of Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud. Jumblatt�s rivals in the Druze community, Talal Arslan and Wiam Wahhab, were also in attendance, along with officials from Hizbullah, the Baath Party, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the Marada Movement, the Communist Party, the Tashnak Party and the Popular Nasserite Organization.
Following the June 2009 parliamentary elections, Jumblatt announced his withdrawal from the March 14 alliance, saying it was driven by necessity, and adopted a centrist position in Lebanese politics, moving closer to Syria�s allies in Lebanon. Since 2009 Jumblatt has performed a ritual of public apologies and reconciliations, paving the way for his return to Damascus, after expressing regret for his accusation of the Syrian regime of being involved in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. In March, Jumblatt met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, where he pledged support for Hizbullah�s arms and its resistance against Israel. At Mukhtara, Jumblatt repeated his criticism of the conditions that eventually resulted in the split between March 14 and March 8 camps, and tense relations between Lebanon and Syria. �In 2004, there was two pictures, a domestic one with the extension [of former President Emile Lahoud�s term], and an international one in the UN with the adoption of the doomed Security Council Resolution 1559 � this led to the complications and catastrophes that instigated tensions between Syria and Lebanon,� Jumblatt said.
The extension of the term of Lahoud, a close ally to Syria, in 2004 led to tensions in ties between Damascus and Jumblatt, which were completely severed in 2005 with the assassination of Hariri. Jumblatt had voiced support for Security Council Resolution 1559, which pressured Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending a nearly three-decades military presence.
�Thanks to wise men in Lebanon and Syria, along with the Qatari initiative that led to the Doha agreement that stressed the Taif Accord, clouds started fading slowly despite difficulties,� Jumblatt added. The Doha Accord ended bloody clashes between pro-government and opposition supporters in May 2008, after the Cabinet headed by former Premier Fouad Siniora decided to dismantle Hizbullah�s telecommunications network. The Doha agreement also led to the election of President Michel Sleiman and the formation of a national unity Cabinet that granted opposition groups veto power. Touching on the promotion of Lebanese-Syrian bilateral ties, Jumblatt said relations were developing through state institutions while preserving the interests of both countries. A delegation headed by Minister Jean Hogassapian recently conducted talks in Damascus with Syrian officials, before inking 15 new agreements between Lebanon and Syria, a process that Jumblatt praised. For his part, Abdel-Karim stressed that Syria considered Lebanon�s security, sovereignty and independence, an extension to its sovereignty, security and stability. �National consensus in Lebanon promotes happiness and relief in Syria and is blessed by President Bashar Assad and the Syrian leadership,� Abdel-Karim added. Jumblatt�s welcoming address also touched on Lebanon�s ability to defend itself, not only against Israel, but also to secure what he said were natural resources belonging to the country off the coast, in the form of petroleum and gas. �It seems that if we don�t [secure these resources], the Zionist enemy will plunder them, as they have with other resources,� he said. Jumblatt also slammed the notion that Lebanon could be neutral amid the conflicts raging in the Middle East, asking rhetorically: �By God, tell me a state in the world that is neutral?�

Berri, Jumblatt blast Israel's decision to expel Arab MPs
By The Daily Star /Tuesday, June 22, 2010
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt condemned in separate statements on Monday Israel�s decision to expel Palestinian lawmakers from occupied Jerusalem. Berri said Israel�s decision to draw four pro-Hamas Palestinian MPs out of occupied Jerusalem �is a blatant violation of basic human rights.�
Israel �continues its arbitrary measures aimed at emptying Jerusalem of every Arab,� the Speaker said in a statement. �The Israeli decision that has given the four MPs a deadline to leave Jerusalem by July 3 violates the Palestinians� right to reside in their own land and is in clear contradiction with basic human rights,� the speaker said. Earlier in June, Israel announced that four Hamas-aligned lawmakers were stripped of their residency rights and were given a grace period of one month to leave occupied Jerusalem. Last week, Palestinian media reported that Mohammad Abu Tir, Ahmad Othwan, Mohammad Tutah, and former Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Khalid Abu Arafa had all been given notice that their Jerusalem residency was being revoked. Meanwhile, MP Jumblatt said in his weekly editorial in PSP�s weekly magazine Al-Anbaa that Israel�s latest decision was �yet another attempt for the Judaization of occupied Jerusalem.� �It�s not enough that Israel is building tunnels under the Al- Aqsa Mosque, destroying houses, and expanding settlements in Jerusalem, but its decision to expel the four MPs confirms a plan to alter the city�s face politically, economically, socially, and demographically,� Jumblatt wrote. � The Daily Star

Walid Jumblatt
June 21, 2010 share
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On June 21, the website of the Progressive Socialist Party, PSP.org, carried the following report:
Head of the Democratic Gathering Deputy Walid Jumblatt corroborated the strength of the alliance and relations with Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. He also praised Al-Hariri�s position regarding the Palestinian cause, expressing relief toward relations with Syria which he indicated had started to acquire their institutional dimension. He assured that the arms of Hezbollah should be handled through dialogue, pointing out that these will be integrated in the army once local and regional circumstances are ripe. During a meeting with the cadres and committees of the Progressive Socialist Party in Iqlim al-Kharroub in Siblin, Jumblatt said that all hell broke loose when he issued a call in parliament to improve the living conditions of Palestinians blockaded in camps and grant them the right to work and the minimum level of social securities.
He indicated that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri will propose an initiative in this regard within a month, as they promised that they will put the issue on the discussion table once again. In this context, while Jumblatt stressed the importance of a unified Palestinian position, he hoped Hamas�s decision would be autonomous of Iran and Syria.
�The insistence of some that [Hezbollah�s] arms are outside the context of the state and are illegitimate will not have any results. An outcome can only be secured through dialogue and no one is in a hurry. We want these arms to serve Lebanon�s defense and liberation of the land� until Lebanese and regional circumstances are suitable for the integration of these weapons in the Lebanese army, one way or the other. Those raising this issue wish to fight the others and are having fun because they have nothing to lose. They are trying to plant some sort of sectarianism among Muslims and I know that for sure. We are trying to convince them not to talk about this subject in public and outside the context of dialogue but they have political calculations. Saad al-Hariri does not address it. He only raises the topic in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
�Someone around the dialogue table wondered why the Lebanese army was not given the same capabilities as Hezbollah in terms of rockets and equipment. I would not mind that, but let the French, Americans and Arab countries in the Gulf and outside the Gulf where weapons are being accumulated, support Lebanon and its army.
�I know that those concerned, at the head of whom is Sheikh Saad al-Hariri, are too wise and far-sighted to attack the perpetrator, if it is proven that he is the perpetrator, to spare the country a major tremor. I do not wish to talk about the tribunal any further because every time we raise this issue, we enter the labyrinth of Der Spiegel. We will give the situation the required amount of time, although others are talking about the tribunal and outbidding because they have nothing to lose.
�The budget will be ratified and we will stage a protest campaign. Debt is increasing� and has now reached $55 billion. Next year, it could reach sixty and we would become like Greece. What will happen to the poor and middle classes? In regard to the municipal issue, we were never in a competition with the Future Movement. When we feel that the Future Movement wishes to monopolize or rather accept the fact that the party has no place in the Iqlim, it is welcome to take it all. Parliamentary elections are underway. We were the only ones in Lebanon who lost in the name of plurality. We lost in Southern Metn and there is no problem with that, as we lost in the name of plurality in Mount Lebanon. I am not disconcerted by the loss and I do not want anyone, whether he is Sunni, Shia or Christian, to say there is monopolization... I say that in response to what was carried by As-Safir newspaper. I do not wish to hear talk of monopolization and those who wish to monopolize can come, �take what they can� and handle the burden. This is not a problem. I know there is a wish to fight Alaa Terro and later on, Alaa and I will see if the time is right to open the door to everyone...
�Reclusion is serving Israel which is exploiting minorities. There are Druze in occupied Palestine and parts of them are forced to collaborate with the authority. Others are dealing with the authority and oppressing Arabs and Palestinians. However, this is only temporary and I fear for the latter from a bleak fate if they do not join Arabs and Palestine as a whole. Therefore, we are continuing to communicate with Azmi Bishara and Said Naffah. Nonetheless, when I saw the bigotry toward the other in Mount Lebanon, I got scared. Yes, I got scared for the minimum level of coexistence and for the Arab identity of the Druze. Consequently my battle was not as easy as yours and ours today. Still, we have hope, especially since Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri�s speech in regard to the Arab identity of Palestine was excellent, although it has no meaning on the ground in the absence of a mechanism.�

Israeli defence chief says Lebanon to be held accountable for more blockade violence
By The Associated Press (CP) /Israel's defence minister says his government will hold Lebanon accountable if more violence results from a blockade-busting ship headed for Gaza.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak told reporters Monday "we see the government of Lebanon responsible" by granting permission for another ship with activists and aid on board to embark for Cyprus on a new attempt to reach the Palestinian territory. He said in a brief statement that as a result "there could be friction that could lead to violence, which is totally unnecessary." He declined to take questions after emerging from a meeting with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon. Israeli navy commandos raided a blockade-busting international flotilla bound for Gaza on May 31, killing nine pro-Palestinian activists. Copyright � 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Report: Hizbullah Called Off Plot to Kill Israeli Official
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Arutz Sheva
Hizbullah called off a plot to assassinate a senior Israeli official because it did not want to distract from the flotilla crisis, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai reported Tuesday morning.
The newspaper did not state where the assassination was to take place but reported that the official was told by Israel to return home immediately to deal with the international condemnation of Israel following the flotilla incident. The Hizbullah terrorist organization, headed by Hassan Nasrallah, reportedly called off the plot at the last minute to take advantage of the initial pro-Arab sentiment following the May 31 clash between Turkish terror activists and Navy commandos. However, Israel has been attractting more support after several videos taken on board the Mavi Marmara ship clearly revealed that the Turkish passengers organized a pre-mediated assault on the Navy commandos. Al Rai also reported that Hizbullah has prepared a war plan to be executed in the event that Israel tries to assassinate Nasrallah or his senior terrorist leaders. �Any such attempt [by Israel] will be considered a declaration of war and will result in hundreds of missiles falling on Gush Dan,� the Hebrew term for metropolitan Tel Aviv, according to a terrorist spokesman quoted by the newspaper. Nasrallah�s senior terrorist mastermind Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated more than two years in a Damascus parking lot. Israel has been accused of carrying out the operation but has not acknowledged responsibility.

Lebanon grants permission for blockade-busting ship to Gaza

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