LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober
12/2010
Bible Of The
Day
John 12/20-27: "Now there were
certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. 12:21 These,
therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him,
saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in
turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus answered them,
“The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 12:24 Most certainly I
tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by
itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 12:25 He who loves his life
will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
12:26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant
also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 12:27 “Now my soul is
troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But for this cause
I came to this time. 12:28 Father, glorify your name!” Then there came a voice
out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
New Opinion: We need
reassurances/Now Lebanon/October 11/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
October 11/10
Hariri Meets Mubarak in
Cairo/Naharnet
Ahmadinejad
in Controversial Visit to Lebanon/Naharnet
Ahmadinejad-Nasrallah talks
venue secret/Daily St
Aoun: Ahmadinejad's Lebanon
visit to yield positive
results/Jerusalem Post
US tells citizens to 'accept risks'
of remaining in Lebanon/Daily Star
Lebanon arrests spy 'looking for
info on Ron Arad/Ynetnews
US Renews Lebanon Travel Warning
to Citizens, Citing Political Tensions/Bloomberg
An Iranian in Lebanon/Sky News
(blog)
Cedar unrest / Fearing slide toward
civil war, Lebanese citizens arm themselves/Ha'aretz
Nasrallah: STL protecting
perjurers/Daily Star
Baroud's ministry has 'no say' on
refugees/Daily Star
LF website suffers from 'organized'
hacking attack/Daily Star
Lebanese Judiciary 'has authority'
to try false witnesses/Star staff
Berri supports Hariri’s
premiership/Now Lebanon
Geagea
Calls on FM Ali Shami to Resign/Naharnet
Najjar's Report: Lebanese
Judiciary has Power over False Witnesses Issue ... Decision Awaits Indictment/Naharnet
Shami Asked to Postpone
Tuesday's Debate on Absentee Vote/Naharnet
Opposition Ministers Meet
ahead of Tuesday's Cabinet Session/Naharnet
Houri: False Witnesses
Could Only be Put on Trial after STL Indictment/Naharnet
Makari: Interior Ministry
Ready to Lower Voting Age to 18/Naharnet
Jumblat Rejects 'Silly'
Calls for Hariri's Resignation/Naharnet
HRW Urges Lebanon to
Resist Calls to Resume Executions/Naharnet
Bellemare in Response to
Najjar: False Witnesses are Witnesses with Questionable Credibility/Naharnet
Nasrallah: If We Wanted to
Stage a Coup, We Would've Done So in 2005 or on Aug. 15, 2006/Naharnet
Lebanon Split over False
Witnesses/Naharnet
France: Option of UN Creating
Palestinian State Cannot be Ruled Out/Naharnet
MP Khaled Zahraman: Political
blackmail aimed at overthrowing the government/Ya Libnan
Geagea Calls on FM Ali Shami to Resign
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea called on Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami
to resign if he failed to ensure absentee voting. March 14 forces are "very much
surprised" by Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami's stance, Geagea said in remarks
published Monday by the daily Al-Liwaa. "This prompted him to pull out the issue
from debate in Tuesday's session," he added. Geagea explained, however, that
March 14 Cabinet ministers would still discuss the "necessary mechanisms to
accomplish this reform." "The person who finds himself not able to complete the
report, let him resign despite my deep respect to Minister al-Shami. Beirut, 11
Oct 10, 10:30
Hariri
Meets Mubarak in Cairo
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in Cairo for Monday for talks with
Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak on the latest developments on the Arab and
international arenas. Hariri is accompanied by former Cabinet Minister Bassem
Sabah, his office manager Nader Hariri and advisors Mohammed Shatah and Hani
Hammoud
Ahmadinejad Visit to Lebanon a Boost for Hezbollah
11/10/2010/BEIRUT, (AP) — A visit to Lebanon this week by Iran's president will
give a welcome boost to powerful Shiite ally Hezbollah, one of his country's
most crucial sources of foreign influence, and will include a provocative jaunt
to the border with archenemy Israel.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's trip is a bold
demonstration by Iran that it is undeterred by U.S. attempts to isolate it and
roll back the clout Tehran has built up around the Middle East through its
alliances with militant groups like Hezbollah and its accelerating nuclear
program.
The Iranian president is also wading into Lebanon's worst political crisis in
years by putting Tehran's weight behind Hezbollah as the group feuds with its
rivals in Lebanon's Western-backed political coalition. That tension threatens
to bring down the fragile unity government in which both serve and, in a worst
case scenario, push the well-armed Hezbollah to violently seize control of
Beirut as it did in a similar showdown two years ago. In a sign of how sensitive
the visit is, Hezbollah's rivals in government released a statement saying
Ahmadinejad is seeking to transform Lebanon into "an Iranian base on the
Mediterranean." Iran is pouring cash into Lebanon. Most of it goes to Hezbollah,
but in a sign that Tehran is seeking to extend its support base in the country,
some of the cash is helping rebuild homes in southern Lebanon's Shiite heartland
that were damaged in the 2006 war with Israel.
"I urge the Lebanese people and the Palestinians to welcome the president of
Iran," Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a weekend speech, as
Iranian flags and Ahmadinejad posters popped up along Beirut's airport road.
Iran is seeking to prove its influence in the region is strong despite
Washington's threats that Tehran's nuclear program will lead to more sanctions
and more isolation. Iran has pursued an aggressive foreign policy in recent
weeks: visiting Lebanon at a time of national tumult, stopping by Syria just
after a U.S. delegation on his way to the United Nations last month and
ridiculing U.S. efforts to forge a Mideast peace deal.
Iran has maintained a strong hand in Lebanon through Hezbollah, which the U.S.
designates as a terrorist organization and which boasts a heavy arsenal of
rockets capable of reaching deep inside Israel.Hezbollah is part of Lebanon's
government, sharing power with Western-backed parties led by Prime Minister Saad
Hariri. But the militant group, whose arsenal is separate from that of the
national army, is Lebanon's strongest armed force — a fact that has drawn new
concerns in recent weeks as the political crisis here deepens.
A U.N. tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri is expected to indict members of Hezbollah as soon as this month,
which many fear could lead to violence between the Shiite force and Hariri's
mainly Sunni allies. The slain leader is the father of the current prime
minister.
Washington, too, has come out against the trip. Last week, U.S. State Department
spokesman P.J. Crowley said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton raised
concerns about the visit with the Lebanese president, Michel Suleiman.
"We expressed our concern about it given that Iran, through its association with
groups like Hezbollah, is actively undermining Lebanon's sovereignty," Crowley
said in Washington.
Washington is at odds with Iran over its nuclear program, which it fears is
aimed at making weapons, and with a military buildup by Tehran that it believes
threatens the United States' Arab allies in the region as well as Israel. Iran
says its nuclear activity is only for producing energy. During Ahmadinejad's
Oct. 13-14 visit, he plans to stop at sites including Bint Jbeil, a border
village that was bombed during the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war. It is barely two
and a half miles (four kilometers) from the Israeli border.
In his speech Saturday, Nasrallah denied Lebanese media reports that Ahmadinejad
planned to hurl stones at the border.
Hezbollah's military strength has long worried the U.S. and its close ally
Israel. In August, U.S. lawmakers in Congress said they were concerned about
weapons falling into the wrong hands and put a hold on $100 million of the $720
million in military aid that U.S. administrations have provided to Lebanon's
ill-equipped army since 2006.
Iran promptly offered to step in and fill the gap and slammed the U.S. for
offering help with strings attached. Nasrallah suggested that Iran's cash
infusions help all Lebanese, including through the rebuilding of war-damaged
homes in the south. "Hezbollah does not trust the Lebanese government's
bureaucracy," Nasrallah said, "and the Iranians paid in cash."
The message got through to many Lebanese. "Ahmadinejad's visit is meant to
extend a helping hand, without anything in return," said Zeinab Mrad, a
50-year-old Shiite woman from Khiam village, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern
Lebanon.
Berri supports Hariri’s premiership
October 11, 2010 /As-Safir newspaper quoted on Monday Speaker Nabih Berri – head
of the Amal Movement – as saying that he “strongly supports” Prime Minister Saad
Hariri’s premiership, adding Hariri’s post “is one of the conditions” preventing
sectarian strife. Also, according to the daily, Berri concluded after reading
Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar’s report on the issue of “false witnesses” that
the file should be transferred to the Justice Council. On August 18, the cabinet
tasked Najjar with providing a report on the issue of false testimonies to the
international investigation into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005
assassination. Ministers have reportedly received copies of the report, which
Najjar is expected to present during the cabinet’s Tuesday session. Ministers of
the Amal Movement will on Tuesday back Berri’s position to transfer the file,
As-Safir said, quoting the speaker as saying that the cabinet must tackle the
issue of “false witnesses” as soon as possible. Last Wednesday, Berri said that
the Amal Movement ministers will not attend a future cabinet session unless it
is devoted to discussing and finalizing the issue. -NOW Lebanon
New Opinion: We need reassurances
October 11, 2010
Now Lebanon/Officials should provide details on the newly formed Lebanese-Syrian
Information Commission to quell fears that yet another chunk of our freedoms has
not been chipped away. (AFP/ Joseph Eid)
It was just like old times. Following Thursday’s meeting of the Lebanese-Syrian
Information Commission, Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri described the
newly-created body was a reflection of the Lebanese cabinet’s stated policy of
developing Lebanese-Syrian relations.
In true bilateral fashion, his Syrian counterpart, Information Minister Mohsen
Bilal, stressed the importance of cooperation. Nothing new there you might say,
but what was worrying was the announcement that those attending at the meeting
had signed memoranda of understanding and bilateral agreements on issues related
to the media. Furthermore, they had agreed to form what Mitri called “a
Lebanese-Syrian commission” to convene every three months to follow up on the
implementation of “joint media programs” between the two countries.
The Arab media is used to such vague and empty utterances, such as those
announcing the strengthening of “bilateral relations” and the “formation of
committees.” They are largely ignored by all except national news agencies,
which slavishly report the minutiae of the activities of the members of
government and lawmakers.
However, in this instance, we have cause for concern. The Lebanese have a right
to know the exact details of these so-called memoranda of understanding and the
bilateral agreements on issues related to the media. They also have a right to
know what would be the activities of the proposed Lebanese-Syrian commission and
its “joint media programs.” They have a right to know because, under the
umbrella of these vague terms, many precious liberties can be snatched away.
It may be a cliché, but it is nonetheless true that Lebanon is a beacon for
press freedoms in the region. This is largely because Lebanon’s pluralistic
society – so often its curse when it comes to the advancement of sovereign
issues and other national initiatives – has ensured that the consensus it
demands in national affairs is translated into freedom of expression in the
media. Idiotic blips aside, such as the President Sleiman Facebook incident, the
freedom of the Lebanese press is an example to the majority of the Arab media
that too often tugs its collective forelock to its rulers.
This proud tradition was muffled for long periods of the Syria’s 29-year
“presence” in Lebanon, a period during which reporters and columnists, most
notably Samir Kassir, were hounded and harassed because of what they wrote. One
of the bright spots of the post-Syrian era has been the greater freedom enjoyed
by the Lebanese media. It would be a depressingly predictable development if
renewed ties with Damascus came with certain conditions relating to how the
press reported, either Lebanon’s new relationship with its neighbor, or the
activities of those allied to the regime in Damascus.
Alarm bells are ringing, because such arrangements between two supposedly
sovereign nations are unorthodox. However, if ministers Mitri and Bilal meant
that, in light of the strengthening of bilateral ties, Lebanese journalists
visiting Syria would receive less scrutiny, that they would have greater freedom
of access to where they went and who they talked to and that there would be an
overall commitment to greater transparency, then we applaud the initiative.
It may also be that, like many initiatives, this one will come to nothing, that
it will evaporate the moment Minister Mitri and his delegation returned to
Beirut. But given the strained mood in the country and the apparent backtracking
on many of the ideals solemnly pledged on March 14, 2005, Minister Mitri should
waste no time in giving us the details of this new accord to allay any fears
that yet another chunk of our hard won freedoms has not been chipped away.
Najjar's Report: Lebanese Judiciary has Power over False Witnesses Issue ...
Decision Awaits Indictment
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said in his report on false witnesses
in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri that the issue falls
within the jurisdiction of the Lebanese judiciary but that the decision awaits a
review of of the International Tribunal indictment. The report, a copy of which
was handed over to Cabinet ministers on Saturday, included answers to many
questions which coincided with a speech by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah on Saturday in which he accused the Special Tribunal for Lebanon of
protecting false witnesses. The Report, carried by An-Nahar and Mustaqbal
newspapers on Sunday, sets out principles that have been taken into account,
namely:
- Separation of powers, particularly between the executive and the judiciary
powers. - The principle of independence of the judiciary as stated in the
Constitution.
- Respect for international agreements (especially the agreement between Lebanon
and the United Nations on the formation of a special tribunal for Lebanon).
- The principle of confidentiality of the investigation. Najjar said that the
measures, until preparation of the report, included charges against Husam Ali
Mohsen, Osama Kanafani, Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, Maj. Gen. Ali Hajj, Brig. Gen.
Raymond Azar, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hamdan, Mustafa Mesto, Ayman Tarabay, Majed
Hasan al-Akhras, Ra'ed Mohammed Fakhreddine, Fadi Elias al-Nammar, Majed Ghassan
al-Khatib, Zuheir Mohammed Siddiq, Mahmoud Amin Abdel Aal, Ahmed Amin Abdel Aal,
Ibrahim Michel Jarjoura, Firas Hatoum, Abdel Azim Khayat, Mohammed Barbar,
Nassim al-Masri and Khalil al-Abdullah. In preliminary observations, the report
said, Siddiq was not questioned by Lebanese judicial authorities or by the
judicial police, but as a witness by the International Committee outside
Lebanese territory after leaving in April 2005. Regarding Husam Husam, the
report said he was not questioned by an investigating judge, but moved to Syria
to announce at a press conference that what he said before the International
Committee was "not true." Beirut, 10 Oct 10, 10:30
Lebanon Split over False Witnesses
Naharnet/Government appeared split over whether false witnesses should be tried
prior to or following the release of the indictment by the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon.
The disagreement emerged over the weekend following a report by Justice Minister
Ibrahim Najjar in which he said the Justice Council lacks authority to look into
the false witnesses' issue since its role "is restricted to crimes committed
against state security, spying activities, murders that relate to international
law and undermining the state's authority."
But Opposition Ministers as well as Speaker Nabih Berri insist that the Justice
Council puts its hand on the issue, considering this measure as a corridor to a
settlement inside Cabinet that could be built upon. Opposition ministers will
hold a coordination meeting on Monday under Speaker Nabih Berri, al-Manar
television channel said.
Local media on Monday said the meeting aimed at unifying the Opposition stance
ahead of Tuesday's Cabinet session. Meanwhile, the majority March 14 coalition
insisted on following up on the false witnesses' issue after issuance of the
indictment. Mustaqbal MP Ammar Houri said that false witnesses could only be put
on trial after the indictment is released by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
He said the reason for that is to "protect the identity of witnesses who are to
testify before the International Tribunal." Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 08:33
Berri Insists Justice Council Handles False Witnesses, Against Hariri's
Resignation
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri, like Opposition leaders, insists that the Justice
Council take action regarding false witnesses since the Council has jurisdiction
to look into issues that stir tensions and agitate national divisions. He was
responding to a report by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar in which he said the
Council lacks authority to look into the issue since its role "is restricted to
crimes committed against state security, spying activities, murders that relate
to international law and undermining the state's authority."Najjar did not rule
out the likelihood that judicial authorities, besides the Justice Council, could
investigate the case of false witnesses. When asked whether he was coordinating
with Opposition Cabinet ministers regarding referring the case to the Justice
Council, Berri told An-Nahar newspaper in remarks published Monday: "This issue
is left for Cabinet. I said what I had to say." On his opinion about a
Government change and calls for Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation, Berri
said: "It is possible to change a hundred governments, but for my part, I can
only Premier Hariri as prime minister for several considerations." Beirut, 11
Oct 10, 07:24
Houri: False Witnesses Could Only be Put on Trial after STL Indictment
Naharnet/Mustaqbal MP Ammar Houri on Sunday said that false witnesses could only
be put on trial after the indictment is released by the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon.
He said the reason for that is to "protect the identity of witnesses who are to
testify before the International Tribunal." Hizbullah officials discredit any
accusation that is not preceded by interrogation of false witnesses. Cabinet on
Tuesday will discuss a report by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar on false
witnesses. The session is likely to witness heated debate over the issue.
Houri insisted that it would be unfeasible to cross-examine false witnesses
prior to the indictment "because this will prevent any witness who knows
anything from testifying out of fear that his testimony is published or his
identity is revealed before those who committed the crime." He said that the
testimonies and documents are held by the STL, insisting that a case cannot be
opened without these documents. Houri said the Lebanese judiciary will have to
request these documents from the STL and wait for a reply. He said the debate in
Cabinet will "focus on preventing taking measures against false witnesses prior
to the indictment. The debate, according to Houri, will also tackle the
illegitimacy of the Justice Council to look into the false witnesses' issue. He
believed that referral of the case to the Justice Council is "illegal because
the terms set in the law do not apply on false witnesses." Beirut, 10 Oct 10,
07:06
Ahmadinejad in Controversial Visit to Lebanon
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in Beirut on Wednesday
for a controversial visit, the highlight of which will be a tour of Lebanon's
volatile border with his arch-enemy Israel. The hardline leader during his
two-day official trip -- his first to Lebanon since he became president in 2005
-- will meet with his counterpart Michel Suleiman as well as Prime Minister Saad
Hariri and parliament speaker Nabih Berri. He will also attend a rally in the
Lebanese capital organized on his behalf by the Shiite militant group Hizbullah,
considered a proxy of Iran. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose
party fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006 and is blacklisted as a
terrorist organization by Washington, is expected to attend the rally, though it
is not known whether he will do so in person or via video link. He has not
appeared in public for more than two years.
But the most anticipated and controversial part of the visit will be on
Thursday, when Ahmadinejad is scheduled to tour several villages along Lebanon's
southern border with Israel.
The region was largely destroyed during the 2006 war between Hizbullah and the
Jewish state and was rebuilt with the help of Iranian money.
Members of the pro-Western parliamentary majority in Lebanon have described the
border visit as a provocation and a defiant message to Israel that Iran's
borders extend to Lebanon.
The United States and Israel have also reacted negatively with the Israeli
government saying it could undermine regional stability.
But beyond that, the visit comes at a pivotal moment in Lebanese politics.
Hizbullah and Hariri's camp are locked in a standoff over unconfirmed reports
that a U.N.-backed tribunal is set to indict members of the militant party for
the 2005 murder of Hariri's father, ex-premier Rafik Hariri. Tensions over the
tribunal have grown steadily in recent weeks, raising fears of sectarian
violence and the collapse of the national unity government, in which Hezbollah
has two ministers. Ahmadinejad's visit also comes at a time of high tension
between Tehran and Tel Aviv over Iran's controversial nuclear program. "At stake
is whether Ahmadinejad is coming to show support for Lebanon or whether he plans
to use Lebanese territory as a springboard for his own interests," said Fadia
Kiwan, head of the political science department at Beirut's Saint Joseph
University. "The Lebanese, and Hezbollah in particular, must fully take
advantage of Iran's support but must also realize the limits of this support,
that it's a double edged-sword," she added.
Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a senior aide to Ahmadinejad, told AFP that the Iranian
president's visit was of "historical importance and would influence regional
equations."
"The trip aims to consolidate the bilateral relations in several areas and it is
within the framework of our strategic foreign policy with the regime in Lebanon
that this visit has been planned," he said. "There are also emotional ties
between the two countries, apart from a long historical relation based on common
religion and culture." Ahmadinejad will be accompanied on his trip by Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and a delegation of businessmen from the private
sector. A number of agreements covering the energy and water sectors will be
signed during the visit. The Lebanese president will be hosting Ahmadinejad for
lunch while the speaker of parliament is hosting him for dinner. Prime Minister
Hariri will also be hosting him for lunch on Thursday. In a speech at the
weekend, Nasrallah called for a massive turnout to greet the Iranian leader and
denied rumors that Ahmadinejad planned to throw a symbolic stone across the
border at Israel. "If President Ahmadinejad asks my opinion, I would tell him:
'A stone? You are capable of throwing more than a stone'," Nasrallah said.(AFP)
Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 06:46
Aoun Expects Positive Outcome of Ahmadinejad's Visit
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said Sunday that he expects
a "positive outcome" of an upcoming visit by Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad to Lebanon. "I expect a positive outcome of the visit given the
positive atmosphere between the two countries," Aoun told the Iranian News
Agency, IRNA. He expressed hope that the visit would "strengthen relations and
develop common interests between Lebanon and Iran, particularly since Iran
supports Lebanon politically in various sectors." "Despite diverse views
regarding this visit, I think that everyone in Lebanon will welcome the Iranian
President," Aoun stressed. "We must forget that Iran is a regional power with
influence and on all parts of the region," he added. Beirut, 10 Oct 10, 16:53
France: Option of UN Creating Palestinian State Cannot be Ruled Out
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the option of the UN
Security Council creating a Palestinian state cannot be ruled out, in an
interview published Sunday.
Kouchner told the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam that France preferred a
two-state solution to be negotiated with Israel, but said appealing to the
Security Council to resolve the conflict remained a possibility. "We want
to be able to soon welcome the state of Palestine to the United Nations. This is
the hope and the desire of the international community, and the sooner that can
happen the better," he said. "The international community cannot be satisfied
with a prolonged deadlock. I therefore believe that one cannot rule out in
principle the Security Council option," he said. "But the establishment of the
Palestinian state must come as a result of the peace process and be the fruit of
bilateral negotiations." Kouchner, who met with Israeli officials, including
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday at the start of a two-day visit to
the region with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, said the
European Union, the largest donor to the Palestinian Authority, should play a
more prominent role in the peace process. Later, Kouchner stressed the "urgency"
that the EU felt for the creation of a Palestinian state through the current
peace talks. "This is a moment that we do not want to miss," he said ahead of a
meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Palestinian president Mahmud
Abbas told Arab foreign ministers over the weekend that he would consider
alternative options, including appealing to the Security Council, if peace talks
remained stalled over Israeli settlements. Israel has refused Palestinian and
international demands to extend a 10-month moratorium on new settler homes that
expired last month despite Abbas vowing that there will be no further talks
until settlement activity halts. As a permanent member of the Security Council,
France, like the United States, Britain, Russia and China, would be able to veto
any measure calling for recognition of a Palestinian state in territories
occupied in 1967.(AFP) Beirut, 10 Oct 10, 22:24
US tells
citizens to 'accept risks' of remaining in Lebanon
By The Daily Star
Monday, October 11, 2010 /Naharnet
BEIRUT: The United States’ Department of State urged the country’s citizens on
Friday to avoid all travel to Lebanon “due to current safety and security
concerns.”
“US citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept
risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks,” said a travel
warning posted on the Department of State website. The October 8 travel warning
superseded the one issued on March 29, 2010, and updates information on security
threats in Lebanon. The warning said that while Lebanon enjoys periods of
relative calm, “the potential for a spontaneous upsurge in violence is real.”
“Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for
citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly,” the travel
warning said, adding that access to borders, airports, and seaports can be
interrupted with little or no warning.
The warning said public demonstrations occur frequently with little warning and
have the potential to turn violent. “Under such circumstances,” the state
department said, “the ability of US government personnel to reach travelers or
provide emergency services may at times be severely limited.” According to the
travel warning, US citizens traveling or residing in Lebanon should keep a low
profile, varying times and routes for all required travel. Also the travel
warning urged US citizens residing in Lebanon to pay close attention to their
personal security at locations where Westerners are generally known to
congregate, and should avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. “The Embassy
cannot guarantee that Embassy employees will be able to render assistance to US
citizens in all areas of the country,” the warning added. Further information on
the Department’s role during emergencies is provided at the Department of State
website: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1212.html
– The Daily Star
Ahmadinejad-Nasrallah talks venue secret
Iranian president will visit South but will not throw stones
By The Daily Star
Monday, October 11, 2010
BEIRUT: The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will meet the Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an unknown place during his visit to Lebanon this
week, reported pan-Arab newspaper Ash-Sharq al-Awsat.
In its Saturday issue, the paper noted that Ahmadinejad would abandon Lebanese
official guards tasked with accompanying him during his two-day trip to be
transported by Hizbullah members to an unknown place where he would hold talks
with the party’s secretary general.
These security measures are regarded as necessary as visiting Nasrallah publicly
was not possible in light of Israeli threats to assassinate the Hizbullah leader
at any opportunity.
According to Ash-Sharq al-Awsat, Ahmadinejad expressed “special admiration” for
Nasrallah in the rare encounters between them. During one of the meetings,
Ahmadinejad violated protocol and greeted Nasrallah when the latter was stepping
out from the car that transported him to the Iranian presidential headquarters
in Tehran, reported Ash-Sharq al-Awsat.
The Iranian president is expected to kick off his visit on Wednesday. Iran is
the major backer of Hizbullah.
In a speech delivered on Saturday, Nasrallah unveiled part of the schedule
Hizbullah was preparing for Ahmadinejad.
He said that Hizbullah had called on supporters to organize a public welcome for
the Iranian guest along the Rafik Hariri International Airport highway.
“Amal, Hizbullah and all national factions want to appreciate and thank [Iran]
and reflect Lebanese morals,” he said, as he paid tribute to Iran for its
financial support to families displaced by the Israeli 2006 war against Lebanon,
along with its contribution to the post-war reconstruction. Nasrallah said that
his party would organize a rally in honor of Ahmadinejad in cooperation with
Amal at Al-Raya stadium in the southern Beirut suburbs on Thursday. Media
reports said that Nasrallah would appear and give a speech during the rally. It
is still unknown whether the Hizbullah leader would show up personally or via
video link as he has been doing since Israel’s war in 2006, with very few
exceptions. Nasrallah also said Ahmadinejad would visit the southern town of
Bint Jbeil and the village of Qana where he would lay a wreath on the mass
graves of those massacred by Israeli forces who twice shelled the village – in
1996 and 2006. The Hizbullah leader ruled out that Ahmadinejad would hurl stones
on the Israeli side when touring the border. Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon, and
especially to the south, was criticized by some Lebanese factions. Some March 14
figures slammed the visit, saying it enhanced Iranian influence in Lebanon. Head
of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, voiced hope on Saturday that Ahmadinejad’s
trip would reflect a state visit, urging the Iranian president not to pursue
political action in Lebanon. Nasrallah said Ahmadinejad was Lebanon’s official
guest, and would not visit the country on the invitation of any specific sect or
faction. “The invitation was forwarded to him from official Lebanon and we have
all to respect this invitation and to behave in line with Lebanese morals and
good accommodation,” he said. – The Daily Star
Nasrallah: STL protecting perjurers
By Mirella Hodeib
Daily Star staff
Monday, October 11, 2010
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday accused the
UN-backed court to try the assassins of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri of protecting the so-called “false witnesses” into the case. Nasrallah
questioned the reasons behind the UN and the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon (STL) Daniel Bellemare’s refusal to grant former head of the
country’s General Security apparatus, Jamil al-Sayyed access his legal file.
“Why this insistence from the tribunal and Bellemare to protect false
witnesses?” he asked in a speech transmitted via video link during a ceremony to
mark the conclusion of the first phase of a nationwide reforestation project
launched by Hizbullah. Sayyed, who was detained in 2005 for alleged involvement
in the Hariri murder but released in 2009 for lack of evidence, had submitted a
request to the STL in September to access his legal file. Sayyed, considered
close to Hizbullah, has launched a campaign against false witnesses, whom he
accuses of misleading the probe in order to implicate him in the murder. Last
week, the UN’s Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs Patricia Brian
requested that STL refrain from disclosing or giving access to any UN documents
without prior authorization of the UN. Nasrallah said the STL was operating on a
“political rather than a judicial” basis, adding that it based its probe on the
testimonies of false witnesses.
He said Hizbullah sought the truth in the Hariri murder, “but not a truth based
on the testimonies of false witnesses.”
In July, Nasrallah revealed that Hariri’s son, Prime Minister Saad Hariri,
informed him of the tribunal’s intention to indict “rogue” members of his party.
In his speech on Saturday, Nasrallah slammed, what he dubbed the government’s
“procrastination” concerning the issue of false witnesses, whom the opposition
says should be tried for misleading the Rafik Hariri probe. He said opposition
groups in the Cabinet supported a decision by ministers affiliated with the Amal
movement to boycott any Cabinet sessions that do not tackle the issue of false
witnesses.
But Nasrallah did not rule out the possibility of a breakthrough, saying
Saudi-Syrian mediation efforts had not reached a dead end.
Nasrallah revealed that the tribunal’s indictment would be based on the analysis
of telephone call data. He also announced that he would hold another news
conference on the issue soon.
“We all know that anyone could tamper with such data … the Mossad, the US, or
even the staff at the mobile phone operators,” he said. At least three employees
from mobile phone operator company Alfa have been arrested in the past year on
suspicions of espionage for Israel.
The Hizbullah chief also mocked claims that his party was attempting a coup in
Lebanon, describing such accusations as “empty remarks.” “If we wanted to launch
a coup, we could have done so long time ago,” said Nasrallah. He added that
Hizbullah could have staged a coup in 2005 following the Hariri assassination or
on August 15, 2006, one day after the end of hostilities with Israel. Commenting
on the upcoming visit to Lebanon of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on
October 13-14, Nasrallah said it was Lebanese President Michel Sleiman who
invited his Iranian counterpart and not Hizbullah. The visit has been the
subject of criticism by the United States, Israel, as well as Lebanese groups
from the March 14 alliance.
“President Ahmadinejad is a guest of all the Lebanese,” said Nasrallah. He also
enumerated Iran’s contributions on the levels of relief and reconstruction in
the aftermath of the 2006 summer war with Israel. On Friday, Hizbullah’s media
office distributed rare images of Nasrallah planting a tree outside his home in
Beirut’s southern suburbs. This was the first time the Hizbullah leader made a
public appearance since 2008. He was shown planting and watering a tree as part
of a Hizbullah reforestation campaign. Nasrallah said during his speech on
Saturday that reforestation was part of Lebanon’s national security, adding that
Lebanon’s trees constituted an advantage on the level of defense. “Lebanon needs
its trees … We should protect those three, so that, in turn, they protect us,”
he said.
Lebanon
arrests spy 'looking for info on Ron Arad'
Beirut's media reports Lebanese intelligence has uncovered new espionage ring
for Israel. Ring's members allegedly tasked with finding new information on
missing Israeli aviator
Roee Nahmias Published: 10.11.10, 11:57 / Israel News
Lebanon announced Monday that its military has uncovered a new espionage ring
working for Israel. According to Lebanese media reports, a prominent member of
the spy ring was asked to look for information of missing Israeli aviator Ron
Arad. Wife of missing aviator Ron Arad slams Knesset speaker's failure to
mention her husband by name at Independence Day ceremony. In response, Rivlin
vows to bring matter to public agenda The Reports, coming just two days ahead of
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Beirut, said Lebanese
intelligence described the uncovered cell as "extremely dangerous." According to
released details, Lebanese intelligence services began uncovering espionage
activity in mid August, after the arrest of a suspected spy. The man reportedly
admitted to cooperating with Israeli intelligence agents since 1996. Another
arrest followed two weeks later, and this time, Lebanese authorities discovered
that Israel tasked the man with finding new information about Arad, who has been
missing in action since 1987. Lebanon has arrested more than 150 people on
suspicion of spying for Israel since April 2009, when security forces instigated
a nationwide crackdown on agents. Many of those arrested have been accused of
relaying information on Hezbollah bases during the Second Lebanon War. So far in
2010, military tribunals have sentenced at least three of those detained to
death, with more maximum sentences expected in future.
MP Khaled Zahraman: Political blackmail aimed at overthrowing the government
October 11, 2010/Ya Libnan/Lebanon First bloc MP Khaled Zahraman told Voice of
Lebanon (VOL) on Monday that he fears the political blackmail that Prime
Minister Saad Hariri is being subjected to is aimed at overthrowing the current
government. Zahraman said that there are signs that the March 8 coalition is not
satisfied with Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar’s report on the issue of “false
witnesses, ” adding that he is surprised by the alliance’s constant criticism of
the Lebanese and international judiciaries.
Najjar said in his report on false witnesses that the issue falls within the
jurisdiction of the Lebanese judiciary but that the decision awaits a review of
of the International Tribunal indictment.
On August 18, the cabinet delegated Najjar to prepare a report on false
testimonies in the international investigation into the 2005 murder of former PM
Hariri. Najjar is expected to present the report to the cabinet during its
Tuesday session. All the Ministers have reportedly received copies of the
report. Najjar said that the measures, until preparation of the report, included
charges against Husam Ali Mohsen, Osama Kanafani, Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, Maj.
Gen. Ali Hajj, Brig. Gen. Raymond Azar, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hamdan, Mustafa Mesto,
Ayman Tarabay, Majed Hasan al-Akhras, Ra’ed Mohammed Fakhreddine, Fadi Elias al-Nammar,
Majed Ghassan al-Khatib, Zuheir Mohammed Siddiq, Mahmoud Amin Abdel Aal, Ahmed
Amin Abdel Aal, Ibrahim Michel Jarjoura, Firas Hatoum, Abdel Azim Khayat,
Mohammed Barbar, Nassim al-Masri and Khalil al-Abdullah. Legal, thoughtful and
detailed In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper published on Monday, Labor
Minister Boutros Harb said that Najjar’s report on the issue of false witnesses
“is legal, thoughtful and detailed.” He added that the report has shed a light
on all aspects of the issue “to the extent allowed by the information available
to Najjar.” Harb commented on some March 8 politicians’ call to transfer the
case of false witnesses to the Justice Council, saying that it is too soon to
call for a transfer of the file when nothing is yet being investigated.
Baroud's ministry has 'no say' on refugees
By The Daily Star
Saturday, October 09, 2010
BEIRUT: Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud told activists protesting outside the
Interior Ministry on Thursday over what they called the arbitrary detention of
refugees in Lebanon that he had no say in the issue. The nongovernmental
organization IndyAct called for the protest and raised banners accusing the
ministry and General Security of deporting refugees and detaining them in
Lebanese prisons, even after their judicial sentences were completed. They
called for the resignation of Baroud, who came out of the building to confront
the crowd. He explained that the Interior Ministry was not the authority
responsible for the matter, since it was the role of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to grant illegal immigrants the status of
refugees. “Although Lebanon is not a country of refuge, the matter resides in
the hands of the UNHCR, which allows the immigrants a three-month stay,” Baroud
said.
He explained that the alleged arbitrary incarcerations fell under the
jurisdiction of judicial authorities and not the Interior Ministry, General
Security or the Internal Security Forces.
“I am not dealing with the refugee case with discrimination,” he added.
Activists also accused the ministry and security forces of mistreating refugees,
citing the allged abuse and violence against a number of Sudanese nationals
arrested in September for entering Lebanon illegally. One activist spoke of
Sudanese refugee Abdel Monem Ibrahim, who went on a hunger strike a week ago.
Ibrahim is demanding the release of 17 Sudanese nationals in Lebanese jails who
he says have completed their sentences but are still being detained illegally.
Ibrahim was granted refugee status by the UNHCR in 2007. Baroud said he has sent
a representative to check up on Ibrahim. However, his remark was rejected by the
activists, who claimed that Ibrahim had been mistreated and threatened by
security forces. The UNHCR estimates the number of Sudanese refugees in Lebanon
to exceed 6,000 and says they escaped from Darfur following the end of their
country’s civil war in 2005. According to the commissioner, the number of Iraqi
refugees was the second highest after Palestinians in Lebanon – with 10,295
Iraqis – followed by Sudan and then Syria.
Baroud also commented on the refugee issue in an article published in the Arabic
daily As-Safir on Friday. He said the Cabinet has presented LL200,000 to deport
clandestine immigrants but the problem resided in immigrants refusing to leave.
He then noted that deportation measures still depended on the concerned
embassies and regretted that the latter did not play a sufficient role due to a
lack of financial resources. As for the detention of refugees, he said it wasn’t
possible to release those who did not have legal papers because they would get
arrested again “by the first patrol they encounter.” “The Lebanese law demands
the arrest of foreigners who enter the country illegally. However, this is not
related to the refugees registered at the UNHCR,” he said. “We are following up
on the matter with the commissioner because the latter is the authority in
charge of granting refugees permission to stay in Lebanon.”
Baroud then regretted holding a previous news conference explaining the details
of the issue, saying the conference confused the public. – The Daily Star
LF website suffers from 'organized' hacking attack
By The Daily Star /Monday, October 11, 2010
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Forces (LF) website was hacked into at 1:30 am on Saturday,
a statement by the LF media office announced. The statement said the hacking
type was a DDOS attack (distributed denial-of-service attack). According to the
statement, the hacking was similar to that which the website experienced
following May 7, 2008, civil strife but with a double magnitude. The LF noted
that maintaining the “piracy” process for long hours required a “high-level
technique, professionalism, and cost tens of thousand dollars,” indicating that
the process was not conducted by an individual but was organized. The LF assured
it would continue to resist all attempts to silence its website, which it said
would remain a “democratic and civilized stage that will argue based on logic
and proof.” – The Daily Star
Judiciary 'has authority' to try false witnesses
Houri: trials should follow indictment
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff/Monday, October 11, 2010
BEIRUT: The Lebanese judiciary has jurisdiction to rule on the issue of false
witnesses and decide whether they should be put on trial prior to or following
the release of the UN-backed tribunal’s upcoming indictment, a report by the
Justice Ministry said. The report, drafted by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar,
is to be discussed during the Cabinet’s session on Tuesday as ministers loyal to
Speaker Nabih Berri continue to threaten to suspend their participation in the
government if the issue of false witnesses is not tackled. In anticipation of
deliberations over Najjar’s report, Future Movement MP Ammar Houri said Sunday
that false witnesses could only be put on trial after the indictment is released
so as to protect the identity of witnesses who are to testify before the court.
Hizbullah officials continue to discredit any indictment that is not preceded by
the investigation of false witnesses. Tuesday’s session is expected to witness
heated debate over the issue.
Berri was quoted by the Saudi daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat on Sunday as saying that
his decision to suspend the participation of Amal Movement ministers in the
Cabinet was not a maneuver but a serious decision if the issue of false
witnesses is not “seriously discussed” by the government. The speaker added that
his move was a preemptive step in anticipation of “irreversible damage that
could not be corrected” if the issue of false witnesses continues to stir
conflict on the Lebanese scene. Berri said he expected that the logical next
step would be for the country’s Justice Council to take action concerning false
witnesses since the council has the authority to look into issues that raise
tensions and national divisions.
But Najjar’s report said the council lacks jurisdiction to look into the issue
since its role “is restricted to crimes committed against state security, spying
activities, murders that relates to international law and undermining the
state’s authority.”Najjar did not rule out the possibility that judicial
authorities other than the Justice Council could investigate the matter.
But Houri insisted that it would be impossible to investigate false witnesses
prior to the STL’s indictment, “because this will prevent any witness who knows
anything from testifying out of fear that his testimony is published or his
identity is revealed before those who committed the crime.” “Also, the
testimonies and documents are held by the STL and a case cannot be opened
without these documents, which will force the Lebanese judiciary to request
these documents from the STL for and await a reply,” Houri said.
Last week, the UN’s Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs Patricia Brian
requested that STL refrain from disclosing or giving access to any UN documents
without prior authorization of the UN. “The debate in the Cabinet session will
focus on preventing taking measures against false witnesses prior to the
indictment and the illegitimacy of the Justice Council to look into the issue,”
Houri added. “The transfer of the case to the Justice Council is illegal because
the terms stipulated in the law do not apply on false witnesses.” “Any decision
issued by any party that fails to take into consideration the issue of false
witnesses who misled investigations [into the Hariri murder] is far from seeking
justice and truth but rather is aimed against Lebanon and the Lebanese,”
Liberation and Development bloc MP Qassem Hashem said.