LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober 13/2010

Bible Of The Day
John 16/19-28: "Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ 16:20 Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 16:21 A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 16:23 “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 16:24 Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. 16:25 I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 16:26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you, 16:27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 16:28 I came out from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Iran, the Paper Tiger/By ROGER COHEN/October 12/10
Lebanon… No Consolation!/Dar Al-Hayat /Jameel Theyabi/October 12/10
Don't Worry…the Syrian-Iranian Axis is Alive and Well/By Adel Al Toraifi/October 12/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 12/10
Geagea: Hizbullah Weapons are Biggest Cause for Strife/Naharnet
Qahwaji Warns of Risks of Security Manipulation, Says Light Weapons in Nearly Every House/Naharnet
Opposition Committed to Judicial Council, Open to Consensus On False Witnesses/Naharnet
U.S. Ambassador Inaugurates Marksmanship Skills Simulator at Ablah Base/Naharnet
Politicians, Activists in Open Letter to Ahmadinejad: Don't Meddle in Lebanese Affairs/Naharnet
Lebanese Reactions Mixed Over Ahmadinejad Visit/VOA
The arming of Iraq should cease/The Guardian
The human face of Hezbollah/Boston Globe
Lebanese blogosphere weekly link roundup (2010/10/10)/GlobalPost (blog)
TURKEY, SYRIA: Former enemies find common ground on Kurdish rebels/Los Angeles Times (blog)
Congress stalls on appointment for Syria, Turkey/World Tribune /Naharnet
Siddiq: I'm in a European Country under U.N. Protection /Naharnet
Oqab Saqr: They Fabricated False Witnesses to Destroy Us /Naharnet
Sayyed: Legal Description of False Witnesses Crime Places it under Legal Council's Jurisdiction/Naharnet
Arslan: Discriminatory Justice Justifies and Encourages Civil Disobedience /Naharnet
Sayyed: Legal Description of False Witnesses Crime Places it under Legal Council's Jurisdiction/Naharnet
Qassem: Ahmadinejad's Visit Has Totally Succeeded even before It Starts/Naharnet
Assad Says Lebanese Divisions Negatively Affect Lebanese-Syrian Ties/Naharnet
Jumblat: STL Course Not Separate from International Developments, Najjar's Report Unbiased/Naharnet
Hariri Sponsors Reconciliation Ceremony for Aley Villages, Calls for Fortifying Civil Peace via Calm, Dialogue/Naharnet
False Witnesses Vote Signals Confrontation as Suleiman, Jumblat Seek Near-Impossible Consensus/Naharnet

Politicians, Activists in Open Letter to Ahmadinejad: Don't Meddle in Lebanese Affairs
Naharnet/Lebanese politicians and members of civil society issued an open letter to Iran's president on Tuesday, accusing him on the eve of his official visit to Lebanon of meddling in the country's affairs. The letter was signed by some 250 people, among them former MPs close to the Western-backed parliamentary majority, doctors, teachers and journalists. It lashed out at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over Iran's support of Lebanon's Shiite armed group Hizbullah. "One group in Lebanon draws its power from you ... and has wielded it over another group and the state," said the letter. "You are repeating what others have done before you by interfering in our internal affairs," the letter added, referring to Tehran's financial and military backing of Hizbullah, considered a proxy of Iran. Hizbullah, far the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon, has been locked in a standoff with Western- and Saudi-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri over a probe into the 2005 murder of his father, ex-premier Rafik Hariri. Tensions have been mounting between the two sides over unconfirmed reports that a U.N.-backed tribunal is set to indict Hizbullah members over the murder, a scenario the group has openly rejected. Hizbullah is the only party in Lebanon that refused to surrender its weapons after the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, arguing they were needed to defend the country against Israeli aggression. The letter, signed by former MPs Fares Soaid, Samir Franjieh and Elias Atallah, criticized Ahmadinejad for declaring support for the Lebanese state while simultaneously providing Hizbullah with financial and military backing. "Your support of the state is negated by your parallel financial and military support to one party in Lebanon," the letter said, referring to Hizbullah. "Your talk of 'changing the face of the region starting with Lebanon' ... and 'wiping Israel off the map through the force of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon' ... gives the impression that your visit is that of a high commander to his front line," it added. The letter also urged Ahmadinejad to convince Hizbullah during a two-day visit starting Wednesday to exist within the confines of the state. Ahmadinejad is set to meet with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman as well as Hariri and other politicians during his trip, which will be his first to Lebanon since his election in 2005. However, the highlight of the visit will be a tour of Lebanon's volatile border with Israel.(AFP) Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 17:34

Geagea: Hizbullah Weapons are Biggest Cause for Strife
Naharnet/ebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday said Hizbullah weapons are "the biggest cause for strife."
"They say that the issue of false witnesses will cause strife in Lebanon. No. You are a cause for unrest. Hizbullah weapons, to us, are the biggest cause for strife," Geagea said at a press conference from Maarab. "The events that took place May 7 and the events of Borj Abi Haidar. Let us refer these events to the Judicial Council before we refer a crime that did not occur," he said, stressing that false witnesses do no exist. Geagea believed that the "real purpose" of the Opposition and its allies in Lebanon and outside Lebanon is that they do not want the International Tribunal. "The aim at raising the false witnesses' issue is to destroy the International Tribunal," he said. Geagea insisted that "we cannot talk about false witnesses before the trial is concluded, "adding that "there are no false testimonies." He said the investigating judge is the only person entitled to describe fake witnesses as "false witnesses." "Isn't it normal to doubt those who promoted Abu Adas' tape," he asked. Geagea believed that demands to refer the false witnesses' report to the Judicial Council are "not innocent." Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 14:22

Iran, the Paper Tiger
By ROGER COHEN
Published: October 11, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/opinion/12iht-edcohen.html?_r=2&hp
New York Times
LONDON — I had breakfast last month in New York with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Other journalists had lunch or dinner. Ahmadinejad’s passion for the hidden Imam, whose imminent return he expects, is matched only by his passion for Western media.
At the time I chose not to write about the meeting. I was too disgusted — by the media merry-go-round, by more incendiary provocations from Ahmadinejad, and by the sterility of an Iran debate that turns in the tight circle formed by fear-mongering, ignorance and the ghastly stew of Western carrots and sticks.
Ahmadinejad is a one-trick pony. His thing is double standards. Ask about the Iranian nuclear program, he’ll retort with Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal. Ask about Iran’s economic difficulties, he’ll see you with September 2008. Ask about rampant capital punishment, he’ll raise you a Texas. Ask about Iranian lying, he’ll counter with human rights and Abu Ghraib.
Not surprisingly, in Fareed Zakaria’s “post-American world,” he has an audience. He’s adept enough, with a touch of Tony Curtis in “The Boston Strangler,” switching personalities with eerie ease. Throw in some headline-grabbing lunacy — 9/11 as self-inflicted, or the Holocaust as invention, or “Iran is the freest country in the world” — and you have a post-modern media star and villain. And what do all his words amount to? I’d say not a whole lot beyond unnecessary misery for 71 million isolated Iranians. This guy is all hat and no cattle.
Ahmadinejad is odious but I don’t think he’s dangerous. Some people do of course find him dangerous, especially in the Israel he gratuitously insults and threatens, and yet others — many more I’d say — find it convenient to find him dangerous.
The Iranian president is into his sixth year in office, the Islamic Republic is more divided than ever, Iranian youth have been brutalized, and there’s a nuclear program that, a bit like the Middle East “peace process,” goes on and on and on, defying definition even as it defies termination.
I read with interest in a recent piece by my colleagues John Markoff and David Sanger that “in the past year Israeli estimates of when Iran will have a nuclear weapon had been extended to 2014.” Given that various Israeli leaders have predicted that Iran would have a bomb in 1999 or 2004 or just about every year since 2005, that’s a decade and a half of the non-appearing wolf at the door. Sure, such predications are necessarily haphazard, the Natanz centrifuges may now be Stuxnetted by computer worms, and Iranian scientists have resembled Iranian pistachios: up for sale. Still there is a dangerous pattern here of Israeli and U.S. alarmism.
Cool heads are needed. Untenable Nazi allusions, rampant in the case of Iran, demean victims of the Holocaust and lead to disastrous wars. A bloody war has been fought in Iran’s western neighbor. So let’s recall that Saddam Hussein told his captors he had cultivated nuclear ambiguity as a deterrent even though his program was precisely zilch.
And what of Iran’s program? Iran remains a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are at Natanz; the number of centrifuges being used to make low-enriched uranium (far from weapons grade) has dropped 23 percent since May 2009 and production has stagnated; U.S. intelligence agencies hold that Iran has not made the decision to build a bomb; any “breakout” decision would be advertised because the I.A.E.A. would be thrown out; the time from “breakout” to deliverable weapon is significant.
I’m with Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, who this year told the Washington Post: “Iran will muddle along building its stockpile but never making a nuclear bomb because it knows that crossing that line would provoke an immediate military attack.” The Islamic Republic is a study in muddle but lucid over a single goal: self-preservation.
So there’s time. Yet the foreboding industry is in overdrive, with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic declaring that the Obama administration “knows it is a near-certainty that Israel will act against Iran soon if nothing or no one else stops the nuclear program” and setting “a better than 50 percent chance” Israel will strike by next July.
Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, used Yom Kippur to deliver a speech of ominous prophecy in synagogues, warning of the fateful choices presented Israel by “a radical, genocidal Iran.” (Oren had less to say — and most of that dismissive — about direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks inaugurated two weeks earlier with White House pomp and now already on hold.)
Yes, Ahmadinejad is the bogeyman from Central Casting. One of the things there’s time for, if you’re not playing games with the Iran specter, is a serious push for an Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough that would further undermine the Iranian president.
I don’t expect that, however. And here are two more predictions: Obama won’t attack Iran and nor will Israel, not by next July or ever. Iran is a paper tiger, a postmodern threat: It has many uses but a third Western war against a Muslim country is a bridge too far.

Don't Worry…the Syrian-Iranian Axis is Alive and Well!
12/10/2010
By Adel Al Toraifi
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=22648
This was the message of the Syrian-Iranian summit that took place in Tehran last Saturday between President Bashar al-Assad and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and in which the Supreme Leader of Iran Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also participated. President al-Assad's fifth visit to Iran since Ahmadinejad came to office took place at a time that the Lebanese and Iraqi arenas, as well as the Palestinian, are witnessing a number of complications. It was notable that only 20 days separated this visit and President Ahmadinejad's visit to Damascus, which itself came less than a week after the meetings that took place between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Syrian counterpart, and the Syrian President's meeting with the US Mideast Peace Envoy George Mitchell and the Iraqiya bloc leader Iyad Allawi. This shows that Syria remains active in playing the role of mediator between Iran and the outside world, and that it is the Arab country with the most influence on Iran.
President al-Assad described the relations between the two allies as being "close and continuing" adding that Syria and Iran "are in the same trench and have common aims." The Syrian President did not miss the opportunity to comment on the failure of the US-sponsored negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, saying that this is "nothing new." As for President Ahmadinejad, he confirmed the success of the "resistance" project, and called for the foreign occupation forces – the US, of course – to leave, welcoming any nation that wants to join the "resistance."
Perhaps someone observing what is happening in the region would ask; why do some believe that it is possible to separate Syria from Iran, or that Syria is willing to sacrifice its historic alliance with Iran? And in return for what?
In late 2003, the Americans accused Syria of allowing terrorists and arms to enter Iraq in order to undermine the US presence in Baghdad. As a result of this, the US issued sanctions against Syria and succeeded in convincing a number of Lebanese politicians to support UN Resolution 1559 in September 2004, which called for the withdrawal of foreign forces – Syrian troops – from Lebanon, and the disarming of Lebanese militias – Hezbollah. Only a few months later, Rafik Hariri was assassinated and Syria was publicly accused by a number of Lebanese parties of being responsible for this, complicating relations between Syria and a number of major Arab countries. Following pressure from the UN Security Council, Syria was forced to withdraw from Lebanon. At the time, the US, Britain, France and a number of major Arab countries decided to isolate Syria and Iran, especially in the aftermath of Iran's nuclear project and Ahmadinejad's election by the conservatives in Tehran.
In the following five years, Hezbollah started a war with Israel in 2006 that greatly affected Lebanese stability, and which was followed by protests and strikes in Beirut until this ended in 2008 with Hezbollah forces occupying Lebanon. As for Palestine, Hamas has been split apart by an internal war over government unity with the Fatah movement in 2007, and it also fought a war with Israel at the end of 2008.
During this phase, Iran and Syria committed to their alliance and were able to support their allies everywhere; from Lebanon to Iraq to the occupied territories. However the policy of isolating Syria and Iran by some Arab and European countries began to change since 2008; Syrian-Arab relations began to reconcile, and this included US and European rapprochement with Syria, under the pretext that it was possible to separate, or distance, Syria from Iran.
At the present time, it does not seem that this policy is bearing the desired fruit. It is true that rapprochement with Syria has succeed in restoring the (Syrian) channel of communication with Iran and the groups affiliated to it in the region, however nothing more than this. In other words, the region has returned to the state that it was in prior to late 2003, without any increase or decrease.
The American belief, for example, that it could distance Syria from Iran has been confirmed as being a delusion based upon pragmatic considerations that are not in line with the nature of the alliances in the region.
In his book, “Syria and Iran: the Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East” (2006) Jubin M. Goodarzi clarifies that many people are not aware of the extent of the deep ties that exist between the strategic interests of Syria and Iran, and that both regimes have begun to rely upon one another with regards to guaranteeing their stability. Goodarzi writes that despite their ideological differences, the two regimes have been allies for more than thirty years, and this despite the fact that Syria is "Arab Baathist" and Iran is a republic of religious clerics. Syria stood side by side with Iran during the Iraq-Iran war, and at the time Iran supported the Syrian presence in Lebanon, giving Syria the upper hand in policy-making there.
Therefore it is unlikely that Syria will accept the idea of concluding a peace agreement with Israel and abandoning Iran; this is because the Syrian regime – after the collapse of its alliance with Egypt following the 1973 war – relies upon Tehran for survival in the face of any potential foreign interference, not to mention the fact that Iran benefits from its alliance with Damascus, as Syria represents its primary transit route to the Levant and Lebanon with regards to supporting its allies there. Iran protected Syria from the threat of Iraqi aggression in the 1980s and 1990s, and were it not for Iran standing behind them; the US would have been able to compel Damascus to throw in its hand in the region. Hezbollah – which is affiliated to Iran – was able to maintain Syria's interests in Lebanon, defending Syria during the tensest of moments. In fact, we can say that without Hezbollah, Syria would never have been able to return to Lebanon and extract an apology from the Lebanese politicians. The same applies to the Hamas movements that succeeded in giving Syria the deciding vote with regards to the peace process and negotiations with America.
This does not mean that the Syrian-Iranian axis has succeeded, and that others have failed, but it does reveal that the "resistance" axis – as it is called – is still capable of overcoming the difficulties that it faces and undermining the opportunity for genuine peace and stability in the region. Many of those who bet on the emergence of a real axis to oppose the Syrian-Iranian axis are now facing disappointment.
Professor Daniel Bymen of the Brookings Institute in Washington said that despite their ideological differences, the Syrian-Iranian alliance is one that would make [Klemens Von] Metternich proud of the correctness of his theory that the balance of power – not ideology – is the secret to lasting relations between countries. In my opinion, the Syrian-Iranian alliance will continue so long as the diagram of regional alliances with America remains constant without change. We are not going to see a Syrian-Iranian divorce anytime soon so long as the internal situation in both countries remains the same. Until that time, don't worry, the Syrian-Iranian axis is alive and well!

Walid Jumblatt
October 11, 2010
On October 10, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed his rejection of strife and his insistence on dialogue and on good relations with Syria. This was said during a tour he conducted with Minister of Displaced Akram Chehayeb in the towns of Choueifat, Deir Qubil, Aramoun, Al-Basateen, Al-Benyeh, Qabr Shmoun, Remhala and Dfoun…
In Choueifat, Jumblatt stated, “In regard to the current political situation, some sides are negatively affected and do not wish to see the exposure of the false witnesses, in order to prevent the improvement of the relationship between Sheikh Saad Hariri and Syria. This is my personal opinion. Some do not want Sheikh Saad to improve the relationship and enter a wide alliance as I have done. President Bashar al-Assad has overcome many personal attacks which I waged along with others, but the question remains: Why did he do that? Is it not for the general good? Unfortunately, there are parties in the March 14 team, theoreticians, journalists and security men who do not want this because it is much easier to sit and watch. There are some sitting in Paris’ hotels at the expense of others and are watching Lebanon. They do not want good and positive relations between Sheikh Saad Hariri and Syria, knowing that these relations and the solution reside in the way the false witnesses file is handled.
In the end, what was the basis of my action. There was an accumulation of events and one day all will be revealed. There was also an accumulation of statements and speeches and all of this instigated the people. Nonetheless, once this is done, how can we contain the people? There is nothing more difficult than the position which tells people the truth, even if this truth is painful or goes against public will – if it can be described as such.” He continued: “Instigation is easy and we carried it out. Today however, the situation is more difficult because we must say the truth. The truth is that there are false witnesses who disfigured the truth and the relationship between Lebanon and Syria. This is what Sheikh Saad said in his famous speech. But when we undertake a step, we must proceed with it until the end. We took a step by establishing relations with Syria – with a theoretical framework – and we must complete it by handling the false witnesses file. This should be very easy.
I have not yet read the report of Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar. Still, I believe that it carries positive aspects. The Lebanese judiciary can open this file, through which we will be able to tackle the issue of the international tribunal, seeing how we believe that some of its facets, if not all of them, were based on false clues in regard to the series of assassinations.
Why do they not want to see the improvement of the relations? Because they want the climate to remain tense considering that the international tribunal will not cost them anything. They are sitting in The Hague and other Lebanese theoreticians are living in America. We are the ones who will be affected by the calamities. Therefore, I consider that Sheikh Saad Hariri is bold and will not listen to the voices calling on him to resign. Yesterday, a voice rose calling on him to resign, which would lead us toward vacuum. Now is not the time for that and Sheikh Saad Hariri is the leader of all of Lebanon and not just the Sunnis. Therefore, we must look at the future for the best interest of Lebanon. We will have sacrifices to make but each of us can go through difficult circumstances which would require sacrifices, whether on the personal level or the political level. I thus say to some: You have performed your role and now you should step aside. The decisions we will have to make will require courage because our future imposes it. These are my words for today.”
In Deir Qubil, he stated, “I will speak as a Lebanese citizen and not as a Druze or a Christian. Two days ago, I was sitting in a restaurant and a little girl came up to me and asked: ‘What is going to happen?’ I did not have an answer for her. The answer is that through the judiciary, we can handle the issue of the false witnesses on the judicial and political levels along with President Bashar al-Assad. I thus call for listening to the other clues. Why do you not listen to the other clues? Why would we accept a serious accusation made against Hezbollah? Why should we listen to Bellemare and the advice of the superpowers and the losers? At whose expense? I reject all this silly talk which is instigating strife.”

U.S. Ambassador Inaugurates Marksmanship Skills Simulator at Ablah Base
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly and representatives of the Lebanese Army Command Staff on Tuesday inaugurated one of the army's new marksmanship simulators donated by the U.S. government to the Lebanese army. The Engagement Skills Trainer, or EST 2000, provides LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) soldiers with realistic firearms training on pistols, rifles, and machine guns, offering them unlimited rounds of training on their weapons without the cost of training ammunition. The EST 2000 provides the LAF with the capability to train soldiers on virtually all aspects of firearms training – from calibrating weapons, to weapons qualification, to collective fire scenarios in numerous environments – all without the expense or potential danger of using live ammunition. The U.S. has provided Lebanon with five EST 2000 simulators, the same kind used by the U.S. military in training its own troops, worth $3.5 million in material, maintenance and operator training costs. This EST 2000 is the first operated and maintained completely by the LAF. Speaking at the Ablah military base, Ambassador Connelly said: "The EST 2000 is a top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art marksmanship simulator used by the U.S. military that represents a cutting edge use of technology that makes weapons training both cost-effective and safer. The United States is proud of the relationship it has built with the LAF and looks forward to deepening that relationship in the years to come." "The EST 2000 is part of the over $720 million in support the United States has provided to the LAF since 2006 for equipment, training, humanitarian assistance, and unexploded ordnance removal," said a communiqué released by the U.S. Embassy. "The United States is committed to helping the LAF develop its capabilities and will continue to support the government of Lebanon and the LAF as they continue their efforts to safeguard the stability, unity and sovereignty of Lebanon," the communiqué added. Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 18:13

Opposition Committed to Judicial Council, Open to Consensus On False Witnesses
Naharnet/The Opposition met overnight at Speaker Nabih Berri's mansion in Ain el-Tineh to discuss the issue of false witnesses. No statement was made following the late Monday meeting which was attended by all March 8 and Change and Reform bloc Cabinet ministers, except for Telecoms Minister Charbel Nahhas who is outside the country. An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday quoted sources who attended the meeting as saying that the Opposition insists that the Judicial Council, handles the false witnesses' case, in contrary to what is stated under the report by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar. Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to discuss Najjar's report. The Opposition was simultaneously keen not to cause a split up in Cabinet, instead seek consensus on this matter, the sources added.They said Berri told the Opposition that he is seeking consensus in Cabinet on the false witnesses' issue "away from the climate of divisions and disputes inside the Government."He called on the conferees to take responsibility. The pro-Opposition al-Akhbar newspaper, meanwhile, said Opposition ministers decided to discuss the false witnesses' issue at Cabinet meeting "in a positive and not confrontational manner in order to reach consensus."It quoted one of the attendees as saying that the conferees discussed positive aspects of Najjar's report, particularly acknowledgment of the existence of false witnesses and the need to pursue them. But they also saw contradictions in the report, especially in respect of Najjar's refusal of putting the case in the hands of the Judicial Council. Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 09:07

Hariri Sponsors Reconciliation Ceremony for Aley Villages, Calls for Fortifying Civil Peace via Calm, Dialogue
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri sponsored and attended Tuesday at the Grand Serail the signing ceremony of the reconciliation and return agreement for the towns of Abay, Bennieh and Ain Drafil in the district of Aley. The ceremony was attended by Minister of the Displaced Akram Shehayeb, MPs Chant Gengenian, Fadi al-Habr, Dori Chamoun, Henri Helou, Fouad al-Saad and Alain Aoun, President of the Central Fund of the Displaced Fadi Aramouni and the Director General of the Ministry of the Displaced Ahmed Mahmoud, Marwan Abu Fadel representing MP Talal Arslan and members of return committees in the three towns. At the onset of the ceremony, speeches were delivered by the Mayor of Abay-Ayn Drafil Nazih Hamzeh, the returnees' representative Antoine al-Bustani, Fadi Aramouni, and Minister Shehayeb. For his part, PM Hariri said during the ceremony: "The bitter experiences of the past taught us to emphasize, on every occasion, on the necessity of strengthening the civil peace process through calm and dialogue, which solely protect the nation, preserve its institutions and give the citizens reassurance and stability." "We congratulate the people of Abay, Bennieh and Ayn Drafil for this achievement and we hope to meet on similar occasions to close this file, so that our villages and towns would be prosperous once again, with the promise to launch a national development project in all areas that would help stimulate the economic cycle and reduce displacement and emigration," Hariri added. Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 17:11

False Witnesses Vote Signals Confrontation as Suleiman, Jumblat Seek Near-Impossible Consensus
Naharnet/Cabinet will hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday to discuss and act on the false witnesses issue amidst concerns and fears that a vote could spark a fresh political crisis. In an effort to salvage the country from a fresh crisis, however, Druze leader Walid Jumblat on Monday shuttled between President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri to ensure there would be no vote in Cabinet. The Council of Ministers is set to discuss a report by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar on false witnesses. The report has already stirred up controversy over a clause which gives the Lebanese judiciary, and not the Judicial Council, power over the false witnesses. The Opposition insists that the Justice Council handles false witnesses. Lebanese Forces deputy leader George Adwan believed that the Opposition is linking the issue of false witnesses to the Judicial Council to get rid of Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr, State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, Police chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and head of the police intelligence bureau Col. Wissam Hasan. Local media on Tuesday said Jumblat's shuttle was also aimed at "spreading a calm, rational atmosphere." Jumblat, too, urged dialogue and consensus on the false witnesses. An-Nahar newspaper quoted well-informed circles as saying that Jumblat took on the role of a "centrist firefighter" after a sharp split emerged in Lebanon between the majority March 14 coalition and the Opposition March 8 forces. They said Jumblat's meetings with Lebanon's top three leaders focused on three political issues: to ensure no vote for Tribunal funding in the event the issue was raised; adopt a pacific debate on Najjar's report and ensure no vote, too; and consider the possibility of coming out with a compromise or an appropriate exit to the report. Meanwhile, President Michel Suleiman has reportedly launched a series of internal consultations in order to bridge the gap of as much as possible because of the emerging "Report of the carpenter As-Safir newspaper said Suleiman sought a calm atmosphere in an effort to get away with a vote. It said that while Jumblat's Cabinet ministers apparently tend toward siding up with the majority ministers in voting against referral of the false witnesses issue to the Judicial Council, Jumblat insisted he supports "consensus." "The most important thing is to reach no vote and calm," Jumblat told As-Safir in remarks published Tuesday. As-Safir quoted Suleiman visitors as saying the President is seeking consensus in Cabinet. But Hariri seemed to be totally against referring the issue to the Judicial Council, As-Safir quoted the Premier's sources as saying, which constitutes a new point of contention with the Opposition. Future News channel, meanwhile, quoted head of the Higher Judicial Council Judge Ghaleb Ghanem as saying that the false witnesses issue does not fall under the Judicial Council jurisdiction. Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 08:03

Adwan: Opposition Insists on Justice Council to Get Rid of Saqr, Mirza, Rifi, Hasan
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces deputy leader George Adwan said the Opposition is linking the issue of false witnesses to the Justice Council to get rid of Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr, State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, Police chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and head of the police intelligence bureau Col. Wissam Hasan. "We can only talk about false statements in the course of a criminal investigation," Adwan told MTV. "Details of the criminal investigation into the assassination of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is only in the hands of the International Tribunal and we cannot do anything before issuance of the charge sheet because the probe is secret," he explained. This indicates that Lebanon cannot act on the false witnesses' issue before an indictment has been issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 06:52

Blast at Iranian Military Base Kills Several Soldiers
Naharnet/Several Iranian soldiers were killed in an explosion that rocked a military base in the western province of Lorestan on Tuesday, Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam TV reported.
The channel, quoting an unnamed military source, said that "some soldiers have been killed in the accidental blast" which took place in the Imam Ali military base, located outside the provincial capital of Khorramabad. State news agency IRNA had previously reported that several soldiers were wounded in the explosion.(AFP) Beirut, 12 Oct 10, 17:51
Siddiq: I'm in a European Country under U.N. Protection
Naharnet/A Syrian agent who allegedly misled a U.N. probe into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said Monday that he is living in a European country under the protection of the United Nations."I'm living in a European country to save my life," Siddiq said in an oversees telephone call he made to Al-Jadeed television. "I'm still subject to the U.N. witness protection program," Siddiq said when asked who was protecting him. He said he is being threatened by a "side" which is known by the U.N.-backed investigation committee. Siddiq said he met head of the police intelligence bureau Col. Wissam al-Hasan "only once," adding that he "never" met any of the Lebanese politicians. He stressed that what he said in his earlier testimony that Syrian officers were present in the southern suburbs is "real." "IF they don't believe my testimony I'm am ready to go to Lebanon and face trial," Siddiq insisted, He said he only gave one testimony about the car used in Hariri's murder and that Abu Adas was not in the vehicle. Siddiq said Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare said about him that he is not a credible witness and not a false witness, "meaning that I have to authenticate my testimony and not that I am a liar." Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 12:09/Naharnet

Oqab Saqr: They Fabricated False Witnesses to Destroy Us
Naharnet/Lebanon First MP Oqab Saqr on Monday accused the Opposition of fabricating false witnesses to "destroy us."
Saqr warned he has "more files that condemn others but we won't disclose them now." "We don't want to accuse anyone. We just want to elevate the charge against us," he told a lengthy news conference at March 14 forces headquarters in Ashrafiyeh.
"We don't want anybody fabricating charges against us," he added. Regarding false witnesses, Saqr asked: "Why weren't the fingerprints taken off of Abu Adas' tape by (Maj. Gen.) Jamil Sayyed?" He said that March 14 considers Ahmed Abu Adas as the prime counterfeiter until proven otherwise. Abu Adas is the militant who made a dubious taped confession about his involvement in the Hariri murder. "There was a paper along with Abu Adas' tape labeling him as a suicide bomber and Bulldozers were requested to remove all the vehicles from the crime scene had Minister Franjieh did not intervene. Why was this negligence? As for the six pilgrims, Saqr said that "we have two INTERPOL reports confirming that the Australian federal police no longer consider them suspects." The cell of 13 confessed to the crime, then backed down. He also touched on false witness Louai al-Saqqa who disappeared. Saqr said Saqqa accused Turkey. "March 8 websites spoke of him and then stopped." Husam Husam, another false witness, claimed that all the countries of the world were eager to host him, Saqr said. He said Saqqa claimed he talked to American men, but Husam Husam said he spoke with two men who spoke English. "It is weird that Husam Husam emerged after Saqqa's disappearance when both are fabricated. "How did Fares Khashan meet Zuheir Siddiq? Siddiq had asked to meet Khashan but his request was rejected. He asked to take a picture with Hariri but they rejected. His play was uncovered. Saqr said Husam Husam was said to have left Lebanon Nov. 27, 2005 but appeared on Al-Jadeed TV five days before leaving to say the Government gave him $1,200. "Is it possible for someone to testify and run away four days later? On false witness Jarjoura, Saqr said he was detained for three years although he gave his testimony and backed down. Saqr said an arrest warrant was issued against Jarjoura June 3, 2006 and was jailed for 3 years and released. "We have given a summary of why the (Syrian) arrest warrants are not legal, and our response proves why we call them the "so-called false witnesses" because we have enough evidence to acquit ourselves," Saqr stressed. Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 14:31

Qassem: Ahmadinejad's Visit Has Totally Succeeded even before It Starts
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem on Monday noted that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit to Lebanon "is an expression of friendship and support for Lebanon and its Resistance, army, people and institutions."At an educational ceremony, Qassem called for offering a warm welcome to "this exceptional president.""Anyway, I can declare today that President Ahmadinejad's visit has totally succeeded even before it starts, so just imagine how much more successful it'd be when it does," Qassem added.He noted that the "evidences" presented by Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "convict Israel.""Who would benefit from civil strife and chaos in Lebanon? Everyone will answer that Israel would benefit the most," Qassem said, calling on the judiciary to "find evidences that prove Israel guilty or not guilty."
"Should definite evidences point the finger at Israel as the murderer, the U.S. and its allies will work on finding many explanations in order to keep Israel outside the accusation circle, and I believe it's almost impossible that one Israeli witness or suspect be summoned to the court, so that they don't open this door and don't discover hidden facts and secrets that may lead" to the perpetrators, Qassem said.He addressed "those thinking that allegations would turn the table on the Resistance," telling them "these tactics won't affect us."
"We've been screaming nowadays to reject and warn against the mistake they will fall into and the damages Lebanon will suffer," Qassem announced.
He stressed that the so-called false witnesses "are behind all these troubles." Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 19:34

Jumblat: STL Course Not Separate from International Developments, Najjar's Report Unbiased
Naharnet/After talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh on Monday, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat described Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar''s report on the false witnesses issue as "unbiased."Jumblat stressed the importance of "cooperating in order to reach the truth." He then headed to the Center House for talks with Prime Minister Saad Hariri. After the meeting, which tackled the current political developments, Jumblat said: "I personally believe that all issues must be tackled through calm, dialogue and general consensus, especially the false witnesses issue, we must not disagree over technicalities, we must pull the country out of this occasional dilemma.""I believe that Sheikh Saad, Speaker Nabih Berri and President Michel Suleiman possess all the wisdom to take the country out of this state, which is marred by relative worrisome," Jumblat added. Asked about the stance to be taken by the Democratic Gathering ministers during Tuesday's cabinet session, Jumblat said: "We support general consensus." The Druze leader has stressed that it is essential to realize the relation between the "rapid" developments in Lebanon and "their regional and international intricacies."In his weekly column to be published Tuesday in his party's mouthpiece Al-Anbaa, Jumblat warned against "observing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon with one eye, as if it is not related to what is happening around us, and as if the developments are not connected or overlapping one way or another, and as if the whole course of the U.N.-backed tribunal is separate from the international developments scene." "All the previous experiences proved that the stages of any regional settlement had always turned Lebanon into a scene for tension and an arena that is receptive to all political and military conflicts. This is what had happened during the Camp David settlement (between Israel and Egypt) in the late seventies" of last century, Jumblat added. The Druze leader warned that such regional and international developments would have the same negative repercussions on Lebanon should the Lebanese refuse to join their ranks and tackle things "with a lot of patience, wisdom, calm and understanding." Jumblat stressed that "honest political will" is apt to protect the country from "falling into the trap of hideous civil strife."
Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 21:17

Arslan: Discriminatory Justice Justifies and Encourages Civil Disobedience
Naharnet/Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan on Monday noted that "the most worrying thing today is what's being written by the Israeli press about Prime Minister Saad Hariri, especially has been published by the Yediot Ahronot newspaper, which clearly shows how angry are the Israelis over his (Hariri's) policy of openness toward Syria and cooperation with Hizbullah – a policy that completely contradicts with Israel's objectives in Lebanon." Israeli Army "Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has promised us of a new round of destruction that will blow up cascades of tears and blood," Arslan warned. "The spark would be the so-called indictment (by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon) that carries Ashkenazi's fingerprints, that's why I call it: Ashkenazi's indictment," added Arslan. "Everyone knows that Ashkenazi's remarks confirm that the tribunal is political and that the trial will be political, and that Israel has the upper hand in directing the behavior of this tribunal, but they're pretending that they don't know that." Arslan noted that "some are insisting on covering up the false witnesses" to conceal the so-called Israeli fingerprints "despite the historical statement that was declared by the friend, PM Saad Hariri through the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper."The MP criticized Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar over "procrastination" his report on the false witnesses issue, describing the alleged delay as "not innocent." "It had been necessary, after PM Hariri's remarks to Asharq al-Awsat, that a prompt judicial workshop be launched in order to start trying false witnesses, but nothing had happened. This is how the State dies. Discriminatory and biased justice justifies civil disobedience and encourages it, because accepting it is tantamount to accepting slavery."
Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 18:05

Sayyed: Legal Description of False Witnesses Crime Places it under Legal Council's Jurisdiction
Naharnet/Major General Jamil al-Sayyed criticized on Monday Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar's report on the false witnesses file, saying that a number of major facts have been omitted.
He said in a statement that the justice minister affirmed that a number of false witnesses, Mohammed Zuhair al-Siddiq and Husam Husam in particular, were not summoned before the Lebanese judiciary, but only the international investigation took their testimony. Sayyed therefore asked: "How does the minister justify Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza and judges Saqr Saqr and Elias Eid's issuing of arrest warrants against the four generals without listening to the testimonies of those witnesses?" The statement also denied that Najjar had implied that the Lebanese judiciary had taken legal action against a number of false witnesses. It instead said that Siddiq was never summoned as a false witness, but the international investigation demanded that the Lebanese judiciary arrest him. He was released even after investigations with him during which he confessed to being involved in the crime, Sayyed's statement continued.
An arrest warrant was issued against him only after he reached refuge and protection in France, it said. The statement also questioned why Mirza did not investigate with false witnesses Husam Husam, Akram Shakib Murad, Ibrahim Jarjoura, and Ahmed Merhi, as he did with the 13 extremists linked with Ahmed Abu Adas. It also criticized how Husam was placed under the protection of the Intelligence Bureau at the Internal Security Forces without any legal action being taken against him. Moreover, the statement noted that Jarjoura was prevented from returning to Syria and forced to stay in Lebanon out of fears he would reveal information to those who drove him to make a false testimony. "The justice minister is aware that Jarjoura is still free in Lebanon, but he is forbidden from returning to Lebanon under an unjust personal decision by Mirza illegally prohibiting him from returning to his country," it added.
Beirut, 11 Oct 10, 16:49

Lebanese Reactions Mixed Over Ahmadinejad Visit
Edward Yeranian
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Lebanese-Reactions-Mixed-Over-Ahmadinejad-Visit-104718824.html
Cairo 11 October 2010
UN Chief Gives Strong Backing to Hariri Probe
Iran Awards Syrian Leader Highest Medal of Honor
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial visit Wednesday to Lebanon is stirring up political tensions, with posters springing up across the country both to welcome him and others to say that he is not welcome.
The visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Lebanon is stirring up a firestorm of debate on the airwaves of Lebanese and Arab satellite TV channels, in addition to arousing a frenzy of political wrangling.
The visit Wednesday comes at a time when Lebanon's pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia is engaged in a bitter feud with its adversaries over accusations that it may have been involved in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri. The group denies the charges, but some reports say a U.N. tribunal investigating the case could soon indict several members of the group.
Hezbollah's al-Manar TV showed images of Iranian flags floating from lampposts along parts of Lebanon's coastal highway. It also showed billboards with Mr. Ahmadinejad's picture, along with his claim that Israel is a "cancerous tumor."
Iranian TV showed workers repainting curbstones in the colors of the Iranian flag. It also spoke with a handful of Lebanese, who all appeared to applaud the Ahmadinejad visit. Other Arab satellite channels spoke with Lebanese who criticized the visit and showed posters in Beirut and the northern port city of Tripoli, condemning the Islamic Republic.
Lebanese leaders appear divided over the controversial visit, with Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun calling Mr. Ahmadinejad a modest man who is widely misunderstood. He urged Lebanese to welcome him, insisting that Iran "welcomes Lebanese leaders and Lebanon should do the same."
Top figures in the pro-Western March 14th coalition that supports Prime Minister Saad Hariri were mostly critical of Mr. Ahmadinejad's impending visit. Several complained that Iran treats Lebanon "like an Iranian base on the Mediterranean" and that the visit "could provoke strife."
The leader of the coalition partner National Liberal Party, Dory Chamoun, says the Iranian president is welcome, provided he makes no provocative statements:
"Anybody is welcome to visit Lebanon. I mean, we cannot say that we refuse his visit here," said Chamoun. "And, he is welcome to visit the country, to meet with our people and with the [officials] over here, and to respect our autonomy and our independence, and not to, hopefully, come out with any speeches that might put Lebanon in any sort of danger. But, we cannot judge him before he comes and let us see what he has to say."
set on the Jiyeh highway, south of Beirut, 11 Oct 2010
The atmosphere of Mr. Ahmadinejad's trip to Lebanon is far from the unanimous show of respect shown to then Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, when he visited in 2003. Mr. Khatami was a well-liked figure in much of the Arab world, arousing little controversy.
American University of Beirut Political Science Professor Hilal Khashan says the Ahmadinejad visit has provoked the ire of many Lebanese, who see his presence as a show of support for the militant Hezbollah, which they find domineering:
"The Lebanese are highly divided. They are divided on everything, so the division [over] the visit of Ahmadinejad is conspicuous, because Ahmadinejad brings along with him controversy at a very bad time in Lebanon's history," Khashan said. "The Lebanese Shi'ites and [their] few Maronite allies are enthusiastic to see Ahmadinejad come. The rest of the Lebanese, most Maronites and I would say almost all Sunnis are angry because they see [the visit] as boosting Hezbollah's standing in Lebanese politics. It is already preponderant in Lebanon."
Hezbollah's leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, recently told Lebanese that they should be "thankful to Iran" for helping to rebuild their country after a bitter and bloody war with Israel in 2006. He urged them to turn out en masse to welcome President Ahmadinejad

Lebanon… No Consolation!
Mon, 11 October 2010
Jameel Theyabi /Dar Al Hayat
http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/190673
In Lebanon, the voice of reason seldom emerges and is often absent. We can thus see disputes, clashes, threats, agreements, predictions and projections, but before all this, killings and assassinations. There is one team attacking with words and another threatening with weapons. This is what the previous scene looked like and this is probably the way the current scene will appear. At times the Lebanese picture is “exhilarating” and at others “saddening” in light of the escalation of the language of wrangling among religions, sects, movements and leaders, all of which are feeding off the back of people who love to live but who firstly support the sect and swing between loyalties and rejections, as there is no consolation for the “Land of the Cedars.”
There is no doubt that there are regional and external powers interfering in the country’s affairs to serve their own goals and interests, but the Lebanese know that just like there are patriotic and honest people, there are beneficiaries, disgruntled, sectarian and traitors – which is where Lebanon’s problem lies.
Hezbollah’s position is still a tense “putschist” arrogant one, boasting power to restore the memory of Beirut’s invasion in 2008 under any pretext, whether that of the false witnesses, the indictment or any other. As for Amal, it drowned in silence until its deputies issued a “partisan” rather than a “parliamentary” threat in support of the demands of Hezbollah. Walid Jumblatt remained unchanged and continued to “sell empty words” and fuel emotions with “illusions,” to the point where he lost the allies before the enemies. In the meantime, Michel Aoun is burning all of his sect’s cards in Hezbollah’s boats and may fall further. In this context, Samir Geagea said about him: “I never expected you to reach this level. I never expected you to amass this much falsification and be so distant from fact and reality.” As for Saad al-Hariri, he is bewildered rather than chosen, since the Future Movement is scared of the future in the presence of parties that are undermining it on all levels and allies who either left or have placed their hands on their hearts while fearing a bleak “future.” The only one who probably remained steadfast and never changed his positions ever since he exited jail is Samir Geagea. Indeed, the leader of the Lebanese Forces was not shaken by Hezbollah’s intentions and threats, thus continuing to call for the truth to salvage Lebanon and the blood of the martyrs – as he is saying. Therefore, the domestic situation looks “alarming” and very similar to the way it looked before the eruption of civil war in the nineteen seventies. This is especially true in light of the acuteness of the exchanged accusations between the sects and the political movements, against the backdrop of the “false witnesses” issue and the international tribunal looking into the assassination of Rafik al-Hariri.
The Lebanese conducted verbal outbidding by saying that their country looked like a war zone or a battlefield on which regional states and other distant ones competed to settle scores and agendas. This reached a point where their country’s domestic situation has reached the brink of detonation at the hands of the Lebanese people themselves, seeing how each sect and movement possesses a number of cards that can be used to serve the interests of the leadership and the sect, and not those of the homeland.
The Lebanese must realize that threats and coercion will not a country make, and that they will never be able to build a common state or a common identity. “Cheap” concessions or weakness at the level of revealing the killer and learning the details of the assassinations and invasions that affected the country, will not bring about a strong government, security or stability and will not prevent strife, mend the mistakes or deter the killers.
If Lebanon continues to be a state proceeding down a tightrope and in which Hezbollah can link the fate and stability of the people and the country to an indictment, the threats will be upheld and the party will destroy the country and paralyze the lives of the worshipers upon the orders of Wali e-Faqih if such a decision is issued.
It is thus necessary for each and every Lebanese to fully believe that his country’s stability will not be made abroad, but rather by the Lebanese people themselves. This should be done based on the wish to live together and enjoy a common nationality before being loyal to the sect, seeing how “religion belongs to Allah and the country belongs to all.”
The task in Lebanon is the same as the one in Iraq. Indeed, the latter country is now suffering a political, security and economic threat due to the failure of the political blocs to agree on the formation of the government, at a time when Iran is interfering and trying to include its loyal clerics in the political parties and blocs which participating in the elections to ratify the “Wali e-Faqih” regime.
For its part, Lebanon has become addicted to domestic tensions and has surrendered and succumbed to a frightening reality. It is thus filled with leaders and plagued with sectarianism and denominationalism, a situation which has grown worse and more complicated after each sect started to enjoy a political platform, an armed militia, a “partisan” media outlet and a foreign source of funding. This caused the failure of the permanent and ongoing efforts to ensure stability in it.
Therefore, the talk about dangerous repercussions and the scenarios of civil and sectarian war lurking the country, is the natural conclusion in light of the growing accusations, threats and heated statements and the conviction that reaching an agreement with certain regimes allied with the opposition is quasi-impossible. This became more obvious after what Hezbollah did when it received Jamil al-Sayyed at the Beirut airport - in a way that constituted a defiance of the law and an intimidation of the government – as opposed to what President Michel Suleiman assumed when he said: “There is an overly pessimistic media and political exaggeration.”

The human face of Hezbollah
By David M. Shribman
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/10/11/the_human_face_of_hezbollah/
October 11, 2010 We know Hezbollah from television news, from the headlines, from magazine stories. We know it is a substantial power in the Middle East. We know it is pledged to endless war against Israel. We know it is shrewdly organized and its warriors are brave and determined. But we do not know Hezbollah.
Now Thanassis Cambanis, himself shrewd, brave, and determined, has produced “A Privilege to Die,’’ which shows us a Hezbollah with a human face — a Hezbollah that nonetheless is a grave threat both to Israel and Western interests in the Middle East.
Cambanis is a former Middle East correspondent and Iraq bureau chief for the Globe — I worked for the Globe for a decade but do not believe I ever met him and surely would not recognize him in Starbucks or over the fish counter at the grocery store — who trained his eyes on this most elusive and yet perhaps the most unavoidable factor in the Middle East. What emerges is a personal portrait of a complex group — part army, part welfare agency, as entrepreneurial as it is violent — allied with America’s greatest rival in the region (Iran) and dedicated to the destruction of America’s greatest ally in the region (Israel).
“Hezbollah has broken the crusty traditions of Arab politics to craft a big-tent party platform that speaks to people’s mundane aspirations: economic reform, affordable health care, round-the-clock electricity, efficient courts, and community policing,’’ he writes. “Most importantly of all, however, Hezbollah has shifted the norms of Middle East politics with its fast-spreading ideology of perpetual war.’’
Where some writers talk about the Arab streets, Cambanis has walked them. Along the way he encountered warriors and hospital workers, polished intellectuals and women who sell nuts by the curb, ideologues and theologians, those who engage in small acts of resistance and those who prosecute total war of the most brutal sort.
Some of the people he met on these wanderings were unforgiving but unforgettable. He introduces us to a Hezbollah fighter who “humanized a worldview that until I met him felt robotic, monolithic, inhumane’’ and then, in one of his most poignant passages, to his widow. “She had loved her husband and she loved her children, but — incomprehensibly to me — she was willing to lose them to a cause that seemed to me hopeless, impersonal and at times fanatical.’’ And countless others, men and women, young and old, secular and religious.
What becomes clear is that the key to Hezbollah is its ability to spread virtue along with the violence. It promises, for example, to restore communities — homes and businesses — to their original conditions after each episode of conflict. “Hezbollah needed to keep [its] soft supporters happy,’’ Cambanis writes, “and to do so it needed to deliver bricks and mortar along with its ideology.’’
The money for these efforts — both the virtue and the violence — comes in large measure from Iran, which sometimes provides cash in the form of huge bricks of American dollars. Iran bankrolls the group’s attacks against Israel as well as its road construction efforts, with somewhere between $25 million and $200 million a year pouring through porous borders.
But Hezbollah is a Middle East group with a difference. It has a think tank, for example, producing reports on subjects such as water rights and telecommunications policy. It is capable of geopolitical campaigns and street campaigns. It marches to martial music (which Cambanis said reminded him of the “songs of the Communist partisans during the Greek civil war in the 1940s’’) and to the quiet murmuring of dissent and rebellion.
Cambanis concludes that Hezbollah is efficient — and effective. “More successfully than any Islamist movement, and more effectively than most Middle Eastern governments, it has provided for its community’s needs,’’ he writes. It is nation-building without a nation — proof that job counseling and trash collection can help fight a war.
**David M. Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was for a decade the Globe’s Washington bureau chief. He can be reached at dshribman@post-gazette.com.