LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِNovember
28/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Psalm 82/1-8:
"82:1 God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. 82:2 “How
long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?”
Selah. 82:3 “Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights
of the poor and oppressed. 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of
the hand of the wicked.” 82:5 They don’t know, neither do they understand. They
walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
82:6 I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High. 82:7
Nevertheless you shall die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.” 82:8
Arise, God, judge the earth,
for you inherit all of the nations.
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
CBC report is not the STL
indictment/By: Hanin Ghaddar/November
27/10
Interview with Hezbollah Deputy
Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem/An-Nahar/November 27/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November
27/10
Sfeir Makes Landmark Visit to
Jbeil, Calls on Maronites to Close Ranks/Naharnet
Hariri in Tehran: Reconciling
Viewpoints with Hizbullah, Supporting Iran Nuclear Program/Naharnet
Abadi: Iran's Policy is Aimed at
Thwarting Plans for Sectarian Strife in Lebanon/Naharnet
Sfeir:
STL Moving Forward, I Don't Believe Anything Can Affect Its Work/Naharnet
Iran
Criticizes Top Egypt Diplomat's Remarks on Arab Ties/Naharnet
Erdogan Contacts with
Assad Ongoing, No Plans for Turkish Agenda or Initiative in Lebanon/Naharnet
Security Forces Arrest
Escaped Prisoner Walid Lababidi/Naharnet
Nahhas: I Took Some
Measures to Control Situation in Telecommunications Sector/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Prefers that
Israeli Infiltration of Telecommunications be Referred to STL to Avoid
Influencing Public/Naharnet
Aoun: We Should Start with
the Technical Inquiry in Order to Guarantee Security of Telecommunications/Naharnet
Serious Signs that Assad
and Abdullah to Resume Contacts over Lebanon/Naharnet
Should Ankara Take Action
towards Lebanon, it Would Do So behind Closed Doors/Naharnet
Assiri: Syrian-Saudi
Efforts Still Ongoing, Major Breakthrough Soon/Naharnet
Berri Responding to Peres
over 1701: Israel Never Implemented the Resolution/Naharnet
Mouawad: We Will
Definitely Not Accept 'Doha 2, Taef 2'/Naharnet
Israel Penetrated
Hizbullah Phones, Using Austrian Numbers, Report/Naharnet
Diplomatic Sources Denies
that Foreign Ministry Received Date for Release of Indictment/Naharnet
Marouni: We Need a Drastic
Solution Whether through Chaos or Peaceful Settlement/Naharnet
Franjieh from Qatar: I
Fear We Will Enter Confusion if Indictment Accuses Hizbullah/Naharnet
Question: "What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?"
Answer: In Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God,
which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s admonition to the believers in Rome
was to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the
Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The
dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As
believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living
sacrifice?
Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of animals. But these were
just a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because
of His ultimate, once-for-all-time sacrifice on the cross, the Old Testament
sacrifices became obsolete and are no longer of any effect (Hebrews 9:11-12).
For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable
worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the
believer’s yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument
of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). In view of the ultimate sacrifice of
Jesus for us, this is only “reasonable.”
What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following
verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by
not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16
as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that
the world has to offer can be reduced to these three things. The lust of the
flesh includes everything that appeals to our appetites and involves excessive
desires for food, drink, sex, and anything else that satisfies physical needs.
Lust of the eyes mostly involves materialism, coveting whatever we see that we
don’t have and envying those who have what we want. The pride of life is defined
by any ambition for that which puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own
lives.
How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being “transformed by the
renewing of our minds.” We do this primarily through the power of God’s Word to
transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts
17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The
Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on
earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. In fact, it
is all we need to be made “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2
Timothy 3:16, NKJV). The result is that we will be “able to test and approve
what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2b). It is
the will of God for every believer to be a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ.
Recommended Resource: A Godward Life by John Piper.
Sfeir Makes Landmark Visit to Jbeil, Calls on Maronites to Close Ranks
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Saturday made a landmark trip to
the Jbeil District, visiting the historic Our Lady of Ilige Monastery in Maifouq,
which hosted the Maronite patriarchal seat for hundreds of years (1121 to
1440).The patriarch's visit comes on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of
the death of Saint Maroun.
The trip's first stop was in Amchit, President Michel Suleiman's hometown.
Speaking at a rally held in the town in the presence of Change and Reform
bloc MP Walid al-Khouri and Suleiman's political aide, ex-MP Nazem al-Khouri,
Sfeir noted that Lebanon was going through several dilemmas.
However, the patriarch stressed that the Lebanese have become used to
overcoming obstacles and emerging stronger than before. He said that Lebanese
leaders, topped by President Suleiman, "will know how to rise above obstacles
and overcome difficulties," describing the president as "Amchit's devoted son
who is steering the nation's ship in rough waters."As Sfeir also visited the
areas of Abadat and Lehfed, the fourth stop was in Maifouq, where he presided
over a celebratory mass at the Our Lady of Ilige Monastery.
In his sermon, the patriarch warned the Maronites against divergence and
divides, calling on them to "close ranks." Sfeir's
final stop was in the city of Jbeil, where its municipality held a mass rally in
honor of the patriarch.Head of Jbeil Municipality Ziad Hawat awarded the
patriarch the Key to the City. Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 18:46
Hariri in Tehran: Reconciling Viewpoints with Hizbullah, Supporting Iran Nuclear
Program
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in Iran on Saturday on a first
official visit amid a tense political standoff between his pro-Western camp and
rival Iran-backed Shiite group Hizbullah. During his three-day visit Hariri,
accompanied by several ministers, will meet Supreme leader of the Islamic
Republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, First
Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Chairman of the Shoura Council Ali Larijani,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki and a number of Iranian
officials.
Hariri's visit is "historic and very important," Iran's ambassador to Beirut,
Ghazanfar Roknabadi, told the official IRNA news agency. The trip comes a little
over a month after Ahmadinejad made a similar visit to Lebanon, where he was
given a hero's welcome by Hizbullah supporters in both Beirut's southern suburb
and in the south near the border with Israel, Iran's arch-foe.
Hariri's visit also comes amid a tense political standoff between his
pro-Western camp and Hizbullah over a U.N. tribunal probing the 2005
assassination of his father, former premier Rafik Hariri. The tribunal is
reportedly set to implicate high-ranking Hizbullah officials in the murder, but
the party has warned against this, prompting fears of a renewed sectarian
conflict in the country. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has a natural role in the
region, especially in resolving crisis and strengthening stability in Lebanon,"
Hariri was quoted as saying in an interview with IRNA on Friday ahead of the
visit. Hariri was welcomed at the airport by first Vice President Rahimi and he
is expected to meet Ahmadinejad on Sunday, Iranian media said.
Iranian state television's website reported that during their talks, Rahimi told
Hariri that Tehran saw no limit to developing its relations with Lebanon "in
every domain."
It reported the Lebanese premier as saying he hoped for "the development of
political and economic relations" with Iran.
"This visit is taking place while Lebanon is in a very sensitive and complicated
situation," Mohammad Reza Sheibani, Iran's deputy foreign minister for the
Middle East, told Khabar newspaper in an interview on Saturday. "The questions
linked with the Hariri tribunal have drastically affected Lebanon's groups and
its political situation," he added.
A Lebanese ministerial source told Agence France Presse that Hariri hoped Iran
would help to reconcile the March 14 camp and Hizbullah.
"This visit is important because of its timing, when Lebanon is in crisis
because of the expected indictment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," the
source said.
"The Iranians will try to reconcile points of view between Hizbullah and Saad
Hariri," the source said.
In return, Hariri would support Iran's "development of nuclear capabilities for
civilian and peaceful purposes," the source added.
The West and its Arab allies accuse Iran of seeking to destabilize the region
and extend its influence across the Arab world, and Tehran faces increasing
international pressure over its nuclear program. Government-run newspaper Iran
Daily insisted that the Saudi-backed premier's visit "should not be reduced to
the question of the Special Tribunal as it is an internal Lebanese affair."
"Hariri's visit can also be evaluated as a positive change in Tehran-Riyadh
relations," the paper wrote in a commentary.
The two countries, Lebanon and Iran, are also expected to focus on mutual
cooperation, following up on 17 agreements signed during Ahmadinejad's visit to
Lebanon.
Iran hopes warmer ties with Lebanon will deliver a blow to Israel. "Expansion of
ties between Iran and Lebanon will definitely strengthen the resistance movement
against the Zionist regime," Sheibani said. Hariri said Friday that Iran was
involved in efforts to ensure stability in Lebanon."Attempts to destabilize any
country in the region is a threat to both the interests of Arabs and Iran at the
same time," Hariri told IRNA.He described as "historic" ties between Iran and
Lebanon.On political ties, however, Hariri said Lebanon looks forward to a
"relationship between two countries that respect each other's sovereignty and
interests."In response to a question about his father's assassination, Hariri
said he never accused Hizbullah of involvement.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 27 Nov 10,
16:47
Abadi: Iran's Policy is Aimed at Thwarting Plans for Sectarian Strife in Lebanon
Naharnet/Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Rokn-Abadi stated that Prime
Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Iran on Saturday is aimed at "breaking all
psychological barriers, restoring matters to their right course, and bolstering
cooperation in all fields."He told the daily An Nahar Saturday: "Iran's policy
is aimed at thwarting the plan to create sectarian strife in Lebanon and at
displaying openness with all political forces." "We in Iran want to reach the
truth in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and it's
necessary to uncover the perpetrators as soon as possible because justice is
justice anywhere," he continued."We refuse to enter debates over the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon as it is an internal Lebanese affair … while Israel is
seeking to create strife through employing the tribunal and the indictment for
sectarian incitement," Abadi stressed. He said that Lebanon not only shares
matters of interest with Iran, but with the countries of the region, adding:
"There are Iranian-Arab contacts, especially between Saudi Arabia and Syria …
and soon you will receive some good news."
The ambassador also welcomed Turkey's positions towards Lebanon and the region,
refuting allegations that Iran was unhappy with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan's recent visit to Lebanon. Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 09:28
Egypt Court Jails 11 Islamists for Election Campaigning
Naharnet/An Egyptian court sentenced 11 Islamists to two years in prison for
election campaigning for the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a judicial official said
on Saturday, a day before a parliamentary poll.The Alexandria criminal court
reached its verdict in a hearing on Friday, the official said.The activists were
arrested as part of a crackdown against the Islamist opposition group that has
seen at least 1,000 of its supporters detained in the past two months and more
than a dozen candidates disqualified.The 11 were found guilty of taking part in
demonstrations and campaigning for the Brotherhood with leaflets that contained
religious slogans, the official said.Religious parties are prohibited in Egypt
and candidates for Sunday's election are not allowed to use religious slogans in
their campaigns.The ban on religious slogans is thought to have been aimed at
the Brotherhood's motto: "Islam is the solution."Others running in the election,
including some of the ruling National Democratic Party's roughly 800 candidates,
have used quotes from the Koran or Islamic phrases on their posters.
Analysts expect the NDP to tighten its grip on parliament in Sunday's vote,
further weakening the Brotherhood, which has 130 candidates for 508 seats left
in the race.
Rights groups say the election has already been compromised by the arrests of
opposition supporters and restrictions on their candidates. The government has
pledged that the vote will be fair.The Muslim Brotherhood controls a fifth of
Egypt's outgoing parliament.(AFP)
Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 14:06
Iran Criticizes Top Egypt Diplomat's Remarks on Arab Ties
Naharnet/Iran has criticized Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit for
reportedly saying Tehran should keep out of the internal affairs of Arab
countries and not meddle in Iraq and Lebanon."We recommend that Mr. Ahmed Abul
Gheit... pays more attention to the unity among the Islamic world instead of
pursuing the interest of the region's ill-wishers who seek to divide Islamic
nations," the official IRNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as
saying. The unnamed Iranian official added that Abul
Gheit should "think about guarding Egypt's rights and security which is often
violated by the Zionist regime." On Friday, the Qatari
newspaper Al-Sharq quoted Abul Gheit as saying that "Iranian interventions in
the internal affairs of the Gulf must not be allowed. We say to our brothers in
Iran... Iraq must be left alone and Lebanon must be left alone. And Iran should
not intrude in Bahrain in any way."
Tehran-Cairo ties have been severed since 1980 following the Islamic revolution
in Iran and Egypt's recognition of Israel. The two countries have since only
maintained interest sections in each other's capitals.Mainly Sunni Muslim
countries in the Arab world, such as Saudi Arabia, are also concerned about
Shiite Iran's support for Hizbullah in Lebanon and the Palestinian Islamist
movement Hamas.(AFP) Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 10:42
Erdogan Contacts with Assad Ongoing, No Plans for Turkish Agenda or Initiative
in Lebanon
Naharnet/Political sources close to Lebanese leaders that met with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan before he returned to Turkey from Lebanon revealed
that he will direct his efforts towards Damascus and Tehran to protect Lebanon
against any security setback. The daily Al-Hayat
reported on Saturday that Erdogan will contact Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
to inform him of the results of his talks in Beirut.
In light of these talks, it will be decided whether he will visit Damascus or
send an envoy.The sources added that Erdogan stated that Turkey has no agenda or
initiative to achieve in Lebanon, but he does believe that the security
situation should not be targeted. He said that no one
can gain any interests from weakening the Saudi-Syrian umbrella that is supposed
to provide security and political protection for Lebanon, stressing the need to
activate the government's function, according to the sources.
Erdogan added that Turkish-Syrian ties will not be bolstered at Lebanon's
expense. Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 09:46
Security Forces Arrest Escaped Prisoner Walid Lababidi
Naharnet/Internal Security Forces succeeded on Saturday in arresting escaped
prisoner Walid Lababidi after he had fled from the intensive care unit in a
Zghorta hospital on Friday. The inmate was apprehended in the northern city of
Tripoli. Lababidi, 30, who escaped from the hospital in handcuffs, is convicted
with car theft.
Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 14:22
Nahhas: I Took Some Measures to Control Situation in Telecommunications Sector
Naharnet/Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas confirmed on Saturday his
statements to As Safir newspaper, telling al-Manar television that "efforts are
ongoing in the sector to verify what has been planted and modified in it."He
revealed that he has taken some measures to control the situation in the sector.
Beirut, 27 Nov 10, 13:47
CBC report is not the STL indictment
Hanin Ghaddar, November 27, 2010
STL members and Lebanese policemen remove debris in Beirut during a final round
of inspection on 26 August 2005 at the site of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri’s assassination. (AFP/Joseph Barrak)
Hezbollah is on the defensive. It started when Hezbollah Secretary General
Hassan Nasrallah held a press conference in the summer to show “irrefutable”
evidence to prove that Israel was behind the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. After that, noticing that not many people, including many
of his own supporters, bought his theory, the party moved on to the false
witnesses issue.
Today, as it seems this file is also not gaining much momentum, Hezbollah has
started a new campaign, this time to convince their supporters that Israel has
infiltrated Lebanon’s telecom network. This is assuming that the recent CBC
report on the STL’s findings, which states that the court has nothing more than
phone records as evidence to indict, is accurate.
The question is, if and when the indictments are handed down, and they fit with
what the CBC report says about accusing Hezbollah, how would those within the
Shia community that support Hezbollah react and feel?
So far, Hezbollah’s reactions to any indictment have been directed at its own
constituency. Hezbollah and March 8 media has started a new campaign immediately
after the CBC report was published, saying one thing: Israel has for a long time
been able to penetrate Lebanon’s telecommunications sector. Indeed, the daily
As-Safir went further on Friday, saying in a report that Tel Aviv had
infiltrated the phone numbers of high-ranking Hezbollah officials.
According to the paper, Israel used Austrian phone numbers and the Lebanese
number 961-3-764313 to create lines parallel to certain Hezbollah officials’
cellular phones to eavesdrop on their activity.
This followed a press conference earlier this week, during which Free Patriotic
Movement Minister of Telecommunication, Charbel Nahhas, said that Israeli
penetration of Lebanon’s telecom sector is “clear and proven.” During the press
conference, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority head Dr. Imad Hoballah said
that Israel has set up electronic warfare towers along Lebanon’s border and can
crack encrypted data, jam communications, view phone subscribers’ information,
and tap lines.
Israel “controls information and data packets, and can enter a network, shut
down parts and transfer information or delete it,” he added. “They can fabricate
calls that originally did not exist.”
It is clear that there is a new campaign, to convince a March 8 and Hezbollah
audience that if indictments are issued against Hezbollah, they would have been
based on false evidence. They know that this will never convince March 14
supporters, or those who prefer to wait for the STL’s finding, but they also
know that using the Israeli card usually works among the Shia community.
But even though this media campaign is based on media leaks that the STL is
going to base its indictment on the phone records, the CBC report admits that
“the biggest problem, according its several sources, has been converting the
telecommunications analysis into evidence that will stand up in a court of law.
That means someone has to find financial records, or witnesses or other
evidence, that places the phones in the hands of the alleged perpetrators. As of
mid-2009, sources say, the commission had not done so.”
However, the phone records, according to Judge Daniel Bellemare who spoke to NOW
Lebanon earlier this year, are clearly considered by the court as circumstantial
evidence.
Answering a question whether he would definitely call a telephone call
circumstantial evidence, Bellemare said, “That would be part of the whole thing.
You have to look at the whole package...”
Moreover, Ekkehard Withopf, Senior Trial Council at the Office of the
Prosecutor, stated very clearly during the media forum organized by the STL last
month that the circumstantial evidence is very important but is not enough to
issue an indictment. He added that usually circumstantial evidence is used to
support the conclusive evidence.
What does this mean? The phone records, being considered as circumstantial
evidence by the prosecutor, are not the only kind of evidence the STL has, if an
indictment is genuinely imminent. All media reports have assumed that the STL
has nothing more than the phone records. Accordingly, all campaigns focusing on
Israeli penetration of the Lebanese network assume these reports are thorough.
Of course, no one really knows for sure whether there will be indictments or
not, but the possibility that they will be issued soon has been increasing as of
late. In this case, the STL must have more than the phone records as evidence.
Responding to the CBC report, Bellemare said that the Office of the Prosecutor
is working to ensure that a draft indictment is submitted to the pre-trial judge
for confirmation in the near future. If he issues an indictment that cannot be
approved by the pre-trial judge, the whole process would collapse.
If Bellemare did not have evidence that he is confident will lead to a
conviction, he would not say indictment is imminent. Hezbollah can focus on
telecom analysis all they want, but when an indictment comes out, it will have
to contain more than telecom analysis.
In this case, the Shia will have the chance to reconsider their blind loyalties.
The common understanding in Lebanon and in the West is that Hezbollah has
hijacked the Shia in Lebanon. This is not really accurate. The Shia willingly
support Hezbollah, but despite all the efforts to unite this community under
their umbrella, the Shia still seem to surprise the party of God and keep it on
edge. Maybe they will surprise them again this time.
*Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon
Interview with Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
November 26, 2010
An-Nahar newspaper conducted the following interview with Hezbollah Deputy
Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem published on November 26:
In the last few days, the Syrian-Saudi initiative to handle the crisis in
Lebanon seemed to have entered a coma, while some are about to proclaim its
death. What is the fate of this initiative? What has it produced so far?
There is a serious Syrian-Saudi initiative and it is being pursued, although the
details are not yet conclusively settled. It is proceeding while awaiting an
understanding over issues which will help reach a solution that would be
accepted by all the Lebanese sides.
Is there a deadline for this initiative to generate results, especially since it
has been ongoing for several weeks?
We hope that the desired results will come out imminently. The matter is now
related to the development of ideas and time is certainly not unlimited.
Some talked about alternative initiatives to reach a solution, especially
following the surprise visit of the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister
to Beirut on Independence Day and in light of the current visit of Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. How true is that?
I do not think there is [another] possible and adequate initiative in the
presence and continuation of the Syrian-Saudi initiative. All the statements we
have heard from the officials in Qatar, Turkey and Iran among others, revealed
they were all speaking the same language and talking about the necessity to give
the Syrian-Saudi initiative a chance to figure out the extent of its progress
and accomplishments.
But in parallel to this initiative, there is talk about acute American pressures
being deployed domestically and abroad, in order to prevent its progress. Some
even consider there is a heated race between the Arab efforts and the American
efforts wishing to secure the issuance of the indictment. What is your
information in this regard?
Washington’s decision is to ensure the issuance of the indictment which accuses
Hezbollah and they are indeed exerting announced and unannounced international,
regional and local pressures to hasten this process and complete this stage.
They think that the issuance of such an indictment will confuse Hezbollah and
place it in a difficult spot. Consequently, in light of this vision, there are
efforts to obstruct any solution which might emerge. In our opinion in
Hezbollah, a solution and an understanding would be the best option for all the
sides, and we will not surrender our neck to the American-Zionist project.
Back to a question you are constantly asked and which we now reiterate in light
of the current situation. What are your options in case the indictment is issued
before the desired settlement is reached?
We in Hezbollah have decided not to talk about what could happen or what we
could do in case the indictment is issued before a solution is reached. We thus
prefer to wait since there is no point in anticipating the events. Once the
results are out, we will act accordingly. Certainly however, the wager will be
on preventing America from tampering with Lebanon’s fate and not on surrendering
to the steps it is planning to implement.
But can we learn about your steps – even if in general – if the indictment is
issued before the settlement, especially since everyone in Lebanon and even
outside of it have major concerns?
If the indictment is issued before a settlement, we will be facing a new
situation and we will act accordingly.
“But you are now being accused by the other team of having recently resorted to
the obstruction of the cabinet through the boycotting of its sessions. How do
you respond?
The opposition is not boycotting the government. There is a major national and
sensitive file which concerns all of Lebanon, but also affects the truth. It is
the file of the false witnesses and the sides which fabricated them. As it is
known, this file led to confusion on the Lebanese arena, generated strife and
sabotaged the relations with Syria during the past stage. The time has come for
the government to seriously put its hand on it. All we are demanding is to
follow the legal course, uncover the secrets of this file and hold those
involved in it accountable. This would allow the correction of the path to find
out who the killers are. This can only be done through the transfer of this file
to the Judicial Council. Since it affects national security, it is only natural
for it to be transferred to the Judicial Council which previously handled
individual cases such as the one known as the case of the two Ziad(s). The
latter case was important at the level of the Lebanese situation, but this one
is affecting political, social and economic stability. Unfortunately, some in
the cabinet do not want to see the adoption of this judicial course. We have
shown patience throughout several sessions in an attempt to reach an
understanding, but we could not. So, we proposed voting and said we will accept
the results, but the other team refused to proceed with that proposal. We thus
hold the other side responsible for the non-staging of the governmental session
because our demand is clear: We want the settlement of this file and they do not
want a session that would settle this file. The situation is pending but we are
not the ones responsible for that.
But the other team is afraid that the transfer of the false witnesses file to
the Judicial Council is part of a plan to obstruct the work of the tribunal and
prevent it from issuing the indictment. How do you respond to that?
For this file to be put on the shelf under the headline of hastening the
issuance of the indictment which exclusively accuses Hezbollah – as has become
clear – is a political and not a judicial act. By doing so, we would not have
reached the truth, but would have rather grown far from it. We clearly say it:
We want the settlement of the false witnesses file before anything else.
What do you think about the report featured on the Canadian CBC channel and how
do you perceive the dimensions of its content and the timing of its airing?
We never comment on the different media reports and never discuss them in
public. However, the last report is yet another blunt proof for the
politicization of the tribunal and marks an attempt to detect the reactions
toward any information featured in the media. In any case, this report among
others prompts a debate over the credibility, integrity and politicization of
the tribunal.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri has been calling for dialogue to handle all issues.
Are the relations with him severed and what are your conditions for the
resumption of this dialogue?
The relations between us and Prime Minister Hariri are not severed and when a
meeting is needed, it is agreed on and held. Therefore, we do not need a
mediator. About three weeks ago, a meeting was held between the political aid of
the party’s secretary general, Hajj Hussein al-Khalil, and Prime Minister
Hariri, during which the different issues were discussed and each side expressed
its viewpoint. Nothing calls for a meeting for the time being.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri always reiterates he has no fears over the breaking
out of strife due to the tribunal or the indictment. Do you support him in that?
We in Hezbollah do not want strife, are not seeking it, and are willing to do
anything to deter it. When we talk – or someone else talks – about strife and
whether or not it could erupt, this does not mean that Hezbollah or Prime
Minister Hariri will provoke it. When strife emerges, it will be prompted by
hidden sides such as the Israeli intelligence or the intelligence apparatuses of
states and sides that are harmed [by the current situation]. When we call for
the resolution of the problem of the international tribunal, we want to close
the door before strife whose eruption is undesired by all the sides. Usually,
the rejection of strife is not done through statements, rather through practical
measures. This is our practical measure and we are awaiting the measure of the
other sides.
Yesterday, the head of the Democratic Gathering bloc, Deputy Walid Jumblatt,
issued a statement in which he called for a cabinet meeting to condemn the
tribunal and its indictment. Do you believe that this could be one of the
solutions which could be agreed on to handle the current crisis?
Mr. Jumblatt knows the details of the tribunal’s course from A to Z, as well as
secrets related to it and which are not known by many. Therefore, when he speaks
he does so based on his knowledge and his talk should be taken into
consideration for Lebanon’s interest.