LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober
24/2010
Bible Of The
Day
James 2/14-26: " What good
is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save
him? 2:15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, 2:16
and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you
didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? 2:17 Even so faith,
if it has no works, is dead in itself. 2:18 Yes, a man will say, “You have
faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works
will show you my faith. 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The
demons also believe, and shudder. 2:20 But do you want to know, vain man, that
faith apart from works is dead? 2:21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by
works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that faith
worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; 2:23 and the Scripture
was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as
righteousness”;* and he was called the friend of God. 2:24 You see then that by
works, a man is justified, and not only by faith. 2:25 In the same way, wasn’t
Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the
messengers, and sent them out another way? 2:26 For as the body apart from the
spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
I remember Dany, Ingrid, Tarek and
Julian/By: zalfa Chamoun/October 23/10
U.S.-Lebanese military cooperation
at a crossroads/By Eli Clifton/October 23/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
October 23/10
WikiLeaks shows US did not stop
Iran using Iraq to spread its power/DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis
'Vatican calls for end to
occupation of Arab territories/.J.Post
'Hizbullah trained Iraqis
how to kidnap soldiers/J.Post
Syrian PM Slams March 14
Forces as 'Carton Structures'/Naharnet
Suleiman's
Representative at Francophone Summit: Suleiman Elected as its Vice President/Naharnet
Saudi Informs Syria
that Indictment Postponed Until March/Naharnet
Geagea Responding
to Otari: The Carton Structure Toppled Syria's Hegemony over Lebanon/Naharnet
Mustaqbal
Describes Otari's Remarks as 'Meddling in Lebanon's Affairs'/Naharnet
Sarkozy
Hosts Berri: Should Thwart Attempts to Transform Lebanon into an Iranian Base/Naharnet
International Condemnation
of Israel's Violation of Lebanon's Telecommunications Sector/Naharnet
Sarkozy
Hosts Berri: Should Thwart Attempts to Transform Lebanon into an Iranian Base/Naharnet
Hizbullah:
We will Confront Indictment through All Means Except Escalation on the Ground/Naharnet
Rival camps maintain truce on STL
rhetoric/Daily Star
LF to sue Daher over
Geagea 'trial' on LBC/Daily Star
WikiLeaks
shows US did not stop Iran using Iraq to spread its power
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis October 23, 2010, While condemned for placing US
troops in Iraq in danger, the 400,000 classified documents WikiLeaks exposed
Saturday, Oct. 23 on the 2004-2009 years of the Iraq War bared a catalogue of
extreme abuse by Iraqi forces against fellow Iraqis and Iran's deep involvement
in terrorist operations against Americans and Iraqis alike - to both of which
the US turned a blind eye.
debkafile's analysts point to three more striking facts emerging from these
revelations, over and above the US Department of Defense spokesman's dismissal
of the documents as "raw observations by tactical units, which were only
snapshots of tragic, mundane events."
These three facts are important because they relate to the present:
First: US troops "were instructed not to investigate any breach of the laws of
armed conflict, such as the abuse of detainees, unless it directly involves
members of the coalition" This instruction could only have come from the IS
defense Secretary, the Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff down to the
overall Iraqi war commander codenamed "Frago 242."
It has been said that international law did not require the US to investigate
allegations of Iraqi-on-Iraqi detainee abuse, because all of them were reported
after June 30, 2004 – when Iraq once again became a “sovereign country”,
according to the United Nations resolution 1546. The United States no longer
directly controlled Iraq's security services, and thus, it was no longer legally
obligated to police them.
Also brought out is the case of the US helicopter accused of shooting dead Iraqi
insurgents after they offered to surrender.
Second: The incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who gained the
support of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, was recorded as having in
the past headed Iran-backed Shiite terror networks responsible for political
assassinations on his orders.
Three: Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps' Al Qods Brigades, under the command
of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, orchestrated and led many of the attacks that
terrorized American force and Iraqis over the years. Even when not directly
involved, the documents recount how Tehran provided Iraqi militias with rockets,
magnetic bombs attacked to cars, the lethal shaped EFP bombs, side arms and
missiles, one of which downed a US helicopter in Baghdad in July 2007.
Al Qods fighters collaborated with Iraqi extremists to encourage the
assassination of Iraqi officials.
According to one document, its commanders prepared a chemical weapons attack
against the Green Zone in Baghdad for wiping out the entire American diplomatic
and military command in Iraq along with Iraqi government heads. In this way,
Tehran sought to diminish US authority and expand its own lead role in shaping
the country.
Washington's inadequate response to Iranian aggression in Iraq continues up the
present.
The reports make it clear that the lethal contest between Iranian-backed
militias and U.S. forces continued into 2010 after President Barack Obama tried
to open a dialogue with Iran and reaffirmed the agreement between the U.S. and
Iraq to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011.
The WikiLeaks documents include a secret US military tally which reveals the
staggering figure of 109,000 Iraqi dead in the first six years of the war - many
more than previously estimated. It is also estimated that 63 percent were
civilians.
The documents do not refer to the 4,287 American troops who died and 30,000
wounded in the conflict.
These figures and the three points referred to above raise a big question mark
over whether the Iraq War was worth starting and fighting for seven years. The
brutal Saddam Hussein regime (which also happened to be a barrier to the spread
of Iranian influence) is about to be replaced by a no less brutal regime headed
by a pro-Iranian terrorist who Tehran holds on a string. The United States is
shown to have opened the door for Iran's rise as the dominant Middle East power.
The spread of its influence of late was not a spontaneous natural phenomenon,
but grew exponentially out of the strategic and logistic infrastructure Iran was
allowed to lay down in Iraq in conjunction with its past and present allies,
Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian extremists of the Gaza Strip.
The WikiLeaks Iraqi War papers do not describe the Lebanese Hizballah's key role
in creating and training the Shiite militias for their role in helping Tehran
subjugate Iraq or the backup provided by Syria, such as the intimate
collaboration between the al Qods Brigades, Syrian Intelligence and Hizballah
networks, or the sanctuary Iraqi insurgent commands enjoyed in Damascus and
Hizballah-control towns in Lebanon.
This three-way collaboration in Iraq was the engine that powered Iran's present
impetus for a strategic leap not only on Baghdad but on areas west up to the
shores of the Mediterranean.
America's failure to stand up to Iranian-engineered terror in Iraq may also be
seen as the backdrop for Israel's inertia in the face of the same adversary,
Tehran, its constant threats of destruction and massive buildup of missile and
rocket arsenals for arming Hizballah and Hamas against Israel.
Just as US inaction in Iraq substantially undermined America's standing and
influence in the Middle East East, so too the failure to reduce its enemies has
strategically weakened Israel.
I
remember Dany, Ingrid, Tarek and Julian
By: zalfa Chamoun
Daily Star
Saturday, October 23, 2010
I’d like to take a moment of your Saturday morning to remember my Uncle Dany, my
Aunt Ingrid and my cousins Tarek and Julian. This is by no means a political
tribute but a celebration of their lives – lives that were taken too soon,
almost 20 years ago to the day. I was only 6 years old when they died, on
October 21, 1990, and yet I feel as if I knew them well; my cousins, especially,
touched my young life in more ways than one – let me tell you about them.
Tarek – or Tey – was the leader of the pack. He never walked alone. We’d prowl
the poolside at Yarze Country Club, trailing behind him, clad in army-print
children’s clothes and always ready to show off our well-practiced Michael
Jackson moves. He was kind yet strict and towered over Julian and I (the younger
and shorter ones) with his thick mop of golden hair and innate self-assurance.
From the height of his 7 years, he was your “go-to-man” if ever there was a
problem. And I, the only girl of the pack, was always getting into scrapes in my
attempts to impress and gain the respect of the boys. Once, I even went so far
as attempt to kill a snake which threatened the safety of the clan.
As it turns out, my extermination skills weren’t quite up to par, and Tey had to
step in to save me from the reptile I’d only succeeded in angering.
Julian – or Jul – was inherently irresistible. Not just for those bleach blond
curls and that cheeky grin, but because he was always, and I mean always, in
trouble. He was the renegade of the clique, confrontational at best, but also
supremely charming. In fact, I had my mind set on him as my future husband – it
was that bad! But the most defining trait of his character was his wisdom. How
can a 5-year-old be wise you ask? Here’s an example that stays with me:
I’d come back from church one Sunday and as Jul and I were playing in the
bedroom, I said to him: “Can you believe it? This morning in church the priest
spoke of love … Ukhhh, love, how disgusting!”
In my 6-year-old lexicon, love could mean only one thing – the decidedly icky
boyfriend/girlfriend kind. But, unphased, Julian answered: “No silly, it’s not
that kind of love, but the love of God.”
I haven’t forgotten that moment.
I can’t but evoke the solemnity with which Tarek read out loud a letter Ingrid
had sent her boys at the time when she was held in the house in Ashrafieh. In
it, she urged them to stop playing war games, to put down their toy guns. The
seriousness with which my cousins took heed and packed away their toy grenades,
swords, knives and guns was remarkable, and had us all – including Dany –
speechless.
Another belligerent member of the family was Skippy, Dany’s Brittany spaniel.
Skippy had a soft spot for chicken and would inevitably steal live hens from the
neighbor’s pen. This would infuriate Dany, who severely condemned dishonesty,
even of the canine kind. But my cousins would always come to the mutt’s defense
and rescue him from Dany’s reprimands. They always had a soft spot for the
“underdog.”
Needless to say, I miss them. I missed growing up with them. Tarek would have
been 28 today and Julian 26, and I can’t help but wonder and muse and rewrite
different destinies for these boys I loved so. And yet one thought keeps
recurring, something I’ve always known and which stems from their days on this
earth. They’re spoken of, by one and all, as national or even international
martyrs – a sentiment I most certainly don’t dispute. But I prefer to think of
them as heroes – the kind of heroes you read about in epics, where good always
triumphs, in the end, in its long and arduous battles with evil. And for
weapons, they had none other than their kindness and wisdom. Theirs is a story
our country can learn from.
Please join us this afternoon, in presence or in thought, as we celebrate the
lives and legacy of Dany, Ingrid, Tarek and Julian Chamoun.
LF to sue Daher over Geagea 'trial' on LBC
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Lebanese Forces (LF) said Friday that it would file suit against the
chairman of the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) Pierre Daher and a
number of figures who took part in a televised talk show Thursday night.
During the program, Daher, along with his attorney and several other guests,
defended his ownership of LBC after an indictment issued last Thursday by a
Beirut investigating magistrate charged Daher with embezzlement, fraud and abuse
of trust in assuming control over the station.
An LF statement said Daher, who claims to be keen on preserving freedom of
expression, invited to the talk show only guests of “one color and [the LF’s]
political enemies known to be [loyal] to Syria,” which refuted his claims of
impartiality.
“The talk show was a televised judicial court to put LF leader Samir Geagea on
trial, contrary to all conventions, while the LF has resorted to legal means and
presented its case before the appropriate judicial authorities to settle the
dispute.”
For his part, Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said he refused to get “dragged
into” the commotion over a case by Daher, who related his surprise upon
discovering that Najjar, while minister, acted as legal counsel for the late
Antoine Choueiry involving a dispute between Daher and Choueiry.
Najjar said he was acting in the capacity of a friend, and not a lawyer, denying
that he had violated any law governing the legal profession.
The legal dispute between the LF and LBC started in November 2007 over the
ownership of LBC, which was established by the then-militia in 1985.
Daher said during the interview Geagea “forgot” he had sold him LBC in 1992 for
$5 million after the LF’s relationship with state authorities had begun to
deteriorate, ruling out the possibility of the LF obtaining a license to operate
a television station.
Daher’s lawyer, Naoum Farah, also argued that the court, which issued the
indictment against Daher, had no jurisdiction to look into the case, which fell
under the jurisdiction of the Shura Council, since it was covered by the 1994
Audiovisual Media Law.
Other guests during the program argued that the LF, as a political party, had no
right to own a media outlet.
Rival camps maintain truce on STL rhetoric
Syrian Premier describes March 14 coalition as ‘house of cards’
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Saturday, October 23, 2010
BEIRUT: Rival Lebanese parties largely upheld an agreement to halt the war of
words over the disputed issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Friday
in a bid to ease tensions pending further regional and internal talks.
In line with Lebanese efforts to put an end to the standoff between Prime
Minister Saad Hariri’s coalition and Hizbullah, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP)
leader MP Walid Jumblatt is scheduled to hold talks Sunday with Syrian President
Bashar Assad in Damascus.
Jumblatt’s visit follows discussions this week between Speaker Nabih Berri and
Assad, during which the latter encouraged Berri to broker a compromise between
Hariri and Hizbullah, Berri’s spokesman said.
PSP official and Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi told The Daily Star Friday that
despite the positive climate between Syria and Saudi Arabia, a “profound crisis
of trust” existed between Hizbullah and Hariri.
However, in surprise statements that followed Sunday’s Syrian-Saudi summit that
reportedly led to an agreement to preserve stability in Lebanon, Syrian Prime
Minister Mohammad Naji al-Otari said that the March 14 coalition was a house of
cards.
“We do not take into consideration 14, 15 or 16 since those are a house of cards
but we look at the Lebanese people, the security of Syria and Lebanon as well as
strategic ties between both countries,” Otari said in remarks to be published by
the daily Kuwaiti al-Rai.
Asked whether threats by Syria’s ally in Lebanon to turn the tables to counter
the STL indictment embarrassed Damascus amid a Syrian-Saudi agreement to
preserve stability in Lebanon, Otari said Syria deals with the Lebanese state
rather than with political parties.
Otari added that Syria has agreed with President Michel Sleiman on guidelines
for bilateral relations, which are being followed. “Whereas disputes between
Lebanese parties fade away since the case between Lebanese parties is that they
disagree and fight in the morning and get together at night to smoke narguileh,”
Otari said.
But the US assistant secretary of state for Middle Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey
Feltman, said Hizbullah, an ally of Syria, sought to impose on the Lebanese a
choice between stability and justice.
Feltman said statements by Hizbullah, and not the STL, were behind the rise in
instability in Lebanon.
Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel told The Daily Star that neither the Lebanese
nor Arab states could influence the course of the STL while the country could
fall into an abyss due to Hizbullah’s negative position.
Hizbullah has condemned the STL as an “Israeli project,” saying the UN-backed
tribunal has fabricated an indictment falsely accusing its members of
involvement in the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri in attempt to target
the resistance.
Tyre MP Nawaf Musawi, a Hizbullah official, said his party would regard those
who support the STL indictment as “Zionist aggressors” and would face the same
fate as Israeli occupiers.
In remarks published by the daily pan-Arab Al-Hayat Friday, Feltman said that an
absence of justice would lead to instability, arguing against the idea that
instability and justice were mutually exclusive. Feltman said Hizbullah and
other groups were seeking to impose such a choice on the Lebanese.
Saudi Informs Syria
that Indictment Postponed Until March
Naharnet/Semi-official Saudi Arabian sources recently informed Syria that
Prosecutor in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daniel Bellemare, is expected to
postpone issuing the indictment in the investigation into the assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri until March, reported Al-Akhbar Saturday from
informed sources. They added that prominent Lebanese sides have also been
informed of this in recent days. They attributed the delay to further research
needed by the international investigation. The paper added that the possible
postponement came amid new reports from prominent Arab and western intelligence
that extremists similar to Al-Qaida may have been behind Hariri's assassination
and not Hizbullah.Other intelligence still maintain that undisciplined Hizbullah
members were behind the crime, it noted. Beirut, 23 Oct 10, 09:14
International Condemnation of Israel's Violation of Lebanon's Telecommunications
Sector
Naharnet/The International Telecommunication Union conference in Mexico
condemned on Friday Israel's violation of Lebanon's telecommunications sector,
saying that the sector has and is still being subject to Israeli interference,
reported As Safir on Saturday. It said that Lebanon's "mobile phone and land
lines are being subject to Israeli piracy, interference, and obstruction."
Furthermore, the conference stressed Lebanon's "complete right" to be
compensated for the harms that have been inflicted on the telecommunications
network.
The condemnation came after extensive efforts by Telecommunications Minister
Charbel Nahhas to convince the 124 participants to condemn Israel and the
outcome was 43 voting in favor, 23 against, and 57 abstentions. Meanwhile, MP
Hasan Fadlallah told As Safir that the condemnation is a "major Lebanese
accomplishment and the document is damning evidence that proves the extent of
Israel's assault on the telecommunications sector."The paper also reported that
Hizbullah will soon hold a press conference during which it will present "very
important" facts in the matter and confirm that Israel totally controls the
telecommunications sector.
Hariri: Hizbullah will Reject Any Indictment Accusing it of Crime, Campaign
Responding to Aoun Begins Monday
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri noted on Friday that Hizbullah will reject
any indictment that accuses it of being behind the assassination of former
Premier Rafik Hariri, reported As Safir on Saturday. MP Ammar Houri revealed
Hariri's position to the paper after the Mustaqbal bloc meeting Friday. He said
that Hariri informed the gatherers of tone of the meeting between Saudi King
Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who both agreed to maintain
Lebanon's stability and decrease tensions in the country. Hariri also discussed
his meeting with Hizbullah official Hussein Khalil, whom he informed of his
refusal to transfer the false witnesses file to the justice council. A Mustqabal
MP was reported as saying that Khalil was very responsive with Hariri's
proposals, adding that a meeting with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
would come as a culmination of a certain efforts. Furthermore, Hariri would meet
with Assad when necessary, but contacts with the Syrian president are still
ongoing. In addition, the meeting addressed Free Patriotic Movement leader MP
Michel Aoun's campaign against the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that
responses to it will be issued next week. Finance Minister Rayya al-Hasan is
also expected to hold a press conference next week to respond to the MP. Beirut,
23 Oct 10, 13:59
Geagea Responding to Otari: The Carton Structure Toppled Syria's Hegemony over
Lebanon
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Saturday Syrian Prime
Minister Mohammed Naji Otari's recent statements against the March 14 forces,
saying that this "carton structure" overthrew Syria's hegemony over Lebanon in
2005 and forcing it to withdraw from the country. On Friday, Otari had described
the March 14 coalition as a carton structure. Geagea asked if the March 14
forces are a carton structure, then what does that say about the regime that it
toppled? He criticized the Syrian premier's statements on Lebanese-Syrian
bilateral ties saying that the developments over the past eight months do not
take into consideration President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Saad
Hariri's efforts in improving these relations. In addition, Geagea slammed Syria
for failing to address the matter of Lebanese jailed in Syrian prisons and
Palestinian training camps outside the refugee camps, therefore refuting Otari's
statement that Syria is concerned with Lebanon's security. Beirut, 23 Oct 10,
15:04
Mustaqbal Describes Otari's Remarks as 'Meddling in
Lebanon's Affairs'
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement on Saturday snapped back at Syrian Premier Mohammed
Naji Otari over his remarks in Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai in which he slammed the
March 14 forces as "carton structures.""Mustaqbal Movement regrets that the
premier of a brotherly nation has voiced such inappropriate remarks against a
political, popular movement (March 14)," Mustaqbal said in a statement,
describing Otari's remarks as "meddling in Lebanon's domestic affairs." Beirut,
23 Oct 10, 16:29
Sarkozy Hosts Berri: Should Thwart Attempts to Transform Lebanon into an Iranian
Base
Naharnet/House Speaker Nabih Berri is expected to head to Paris on Tuesday to
hold talks with a number of French officials on the situation in Lebanon,
bilateral ties, and regional matters, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.
Spokesperson for the French Foreign Minister, Bernard Valero, said in a
statement that the visit "is a new opportunity for France to voice its support
for the Lebanese government and Lebanon's unity and independence."He added that
the situation in Lebanon "has become a cause for concern and contacts are being
made at all levels in order to avert the impending dangers.""Speaker Berri has
maintained a moderate stance away from the internal and regional escalatory
tones and his position as head of parliament will lead him to reach consensus
through a settlement," the statement said. Paris is expected to reiterate its
support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and call on Berri to contribute to
holding "constructive dialogue that will lead to agreement and understanding"
and thwart attempts to transform Lebanon into an Iranian base on the
Mediterranean, reported An Nahar.
Furthermore, it said that France will try to uncover through Berri Syria's true
position regarding the situation in Lebanon "because Lebanese developments may
lead to change in French diplomatic ties with Damascus." Berri is scheduled to
hold talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister Francois Fillon,
and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner during his trip that lasts until Otober
28. Beirut, 23 Oct 10, 08:41
Hizbullah: We will Confront Indictment through All Means Except Escalation on
the Ground
Naharnet/A political source from Hizbullah revealed that the party will prevent
the implementation of indictment in the assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri through "refusing to hand over any of its accused members or any
accused from the opposition."
It told the daily Asharq al-Awsat Saturday: "Hizbullah and the opposition have
several means to confront the indictment with political and constitutional
methods through the institutions."
One of these options includes refraining from funding the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, which would confirm Lebanon's official backing down from its
commitments.
The source stressed: "All options are possible expect escalation on the ground
as we seek to avoid tensions because it is not in our favor." Beirut, 23 Oct 10,
11:19
'Hizbullah trained Iraqis how to kidnap soldiers'
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PRESS
10/23/2010 11:34
WikiLeaks docs describe Iranian border shootouts, Revolutionary Guard weapons
transfers to Iraq; Will release 15,000 new Afghan war files.
Talkbacks (3)
Inside the some 400,000 US military documents documents released by WikiLeaks on
Friday, were stories of tense and deadly border incidents on the Iraqi-Iranian
frontier, Hizbullah training Iraqi operatives, and unmanned US surveillance
aircraft lost deep in Iranian territory.
One such document made available to The New York Times by WikiLeaks, was a
military report describing a 2006 encounter between a joint American-Iraqi
patrol on the Iranian border that ended with one Iranian soldier dead and a
handful of Iraqi soldiers detained in Iran.
The US Army report said that the joint patrol was approached and subsequently
surrounded by several Iranian military vehicles. When the Americans noticed
additional Iranian troops tactically positioning themselves and encircling the
patrol, they decided to leave.
As the American half of the patrol began to leave the area, the Iranian troops
began firing upon them. When the US army unit saw an Iranian soldier with a
rocket-propelled grenade pointed at them, they shot and killed him with a
50-caliber weapon. The cross-border exchange of fire continued for several
minutes until the Americans were out of range.
The Iraqi unit involved, who had apparently dismounted their vehicles without
their weapons, were captured by the Iranians and later released.
Hizbullah trained Iraqis in "precision military style kidnappings"
Another document released described Iraqi operatives being trained in conducting
"precision military style kidnappings" by Hizbullah near Qum in Iran.
One operative, chosen because of his Hizbullah training, was alleged to have
meticulously planned an attack in which American troops would be kidnapped
inside a Baghdad tunnel. The attack was to have utilized improvised explosive
devices (IEDs) and small arms to disable the American vehicles, reminiscent of
Hizbullah tactics seen in Lebanon.
The attack never took place, but the operative was thought to be responsible for
the kidnapping of an Iraqi government minister in late 2006.
Also included in the huge cache of documents was a military report describing
intercepted weapons shipments from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The report
said that one seized shipment coming from the Revolutionary Guards into Iraq
contained high explosives, ammunition, and surface-to-air missile heads.
Other stories included in the released documents described a suspected
Iranian-funded assassination program in Iraq, and unmanned surveillance aircraft
drifting into Iranian territory, some of which were never recovered.
Detained American hikers were on Iraqi side of the border
The three Americans detained by Iran in July 2009 for alleged illegal entry were
on the Iraqi side of the border at the time, according to a US military report
written on the day of their arrest, found among the cache of WikiLeaks documents
posted Friday.
"The leadership in Iran benefits as it focuses the Iranian population on a
perceived external threat rather than internal dissension," the report said.
The document, a field report not meant as a definitive account or a conclusive
assessment, was reported first by The New York Times on its website Friday. It
was among nearly 400,000 secret US military documents revealed by WikiLeaks.
The US military report described "a kidnapping of 3 Americans who were being
taken to the Iranian border. The Americans were hiking near the Iranian border
when taken." An update later in the day said an Iraqi colonel reported that the
three had been detained "for being too close to the border."
The US State Department has repeatedly urged Iran to release the three — Sarah
Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, saying they did nothing wrong. Iran claims
they illegally crossed the border to spy. Shourd was released in September after
complaining of health problems; the two others remain in prison in Iran.
Wikileaks on Saturday said that it will soon publish 15,000 more secret Afghan
war documents.
WikiLeaks has said the 15,000 additional Afghan files were held back because of
their sensitive content. Kristinn Hrafnsson of WikiLeaks told reporters Saturday
in London that the documents had now been fully vetted for release and will be
published shortly.
He said the Iraq documents have been edited to conceal people's names and
"contain no information that could be harmful to individuals."
'Vatican calls for end to occupation of Arab territories'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
10/23/2010 14:43
Conference of Catholic bishops for Mideast reportedly call for UN, int'l
community to create Palestinian state through legal means; statement says "Holy
City of J'lem will be able to acquire its proper status."
Catholic bishops for the Middle East on Saturday called upon the United Nations
and the international community to "put an end to the occupation of the
different Arab territories," AFP reported.
The bishops urged the international community and the UN to take necessary legal
steps and to apply the applicable Security Council resolutions toward that end,
the report stated.
The statement, which came at the end of a meeting chaired by Pope Benedict XVI,
went on to say that "The Palestinian people will this have an independent and
sovereign homeland where they can live with dignity and security," according to
the report.
The bishops' statement continued, "The Holy City of Jerusalem will be able to
acquire its proper status, which respects its particular character, its holiness
and the religious patrimony of the three religions: Jewish, Christian and
Muslim. We hope that the two-state solution might become a reality and not only
a dream," AFP reported.
The statement came at the end of a two-week conference of the Roman Catholic
bishops for the Middle East.
U.S.-Lebanese military cooperation at a crossroads
By Eli Clifton
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/10/21/withdrawal_of_military_aid_could_strengthen_hezbollah_and_expand_irans_influence_in
Thursday, October 21, 2010 -
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon last week, where he
spent two days making highly scripted appearances, brought condemnation from
Congress and the State Department. The visit was part of the Islamic Republic's
ongoing campaign of attempting to strengthen ties not just with Shi'a militants
in Hezbollah, but with the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah, which has received assistance from Iran for the past two-decades, has
gained in strength since the 2006 Lebanon war and has tightened its control over
large portions of Southern Lebanon along Israel's border. But with condemnations
of Ahmadinejad's trip to Lebanon, and the near daily warnings about a third
Lebanon war, the issue of U.S. military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),
which has been held up in Congress since August, is becoming a topic of growing
importance. And withholding the aid could even be counterproductive to U.S.
attempts to contain Iranian influence.
Those who have held up the aid--House Foreign Affairs committee chairman Howard
Berman (D-CA) and Nita Lowey (D-NY)--have expressed concern over how U.S.
military equipment might be used after an August 3rd border incident that left
two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and one Israeli officer dead.
Congressional opponents of U.S. military aid to Lebanon are backed up by various
groups with a strong interest in Israel's security.
"Congresswoman Lowey placed a hold on disbursement of military aid to the
Lebanese Armed Forces in the wake of the tragic and avoidable incident on the
Israeli border," said Matthew Dennis, Communications Director for Rep. Lowey.
"She continues to work with the Administration to determine how U.S. assistance
can most effectively contribute to stabilizing Lebanon, enhancing our security
and that of our allies."
An American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) memo from August 4th read:
"The United States should press the Lebanese government to enforce U.N. Security
Council Resolution 1701 and take meaningful steps to disarm Hezbollah. If the
army continues to cooperate with Hezbollah, Washington must reevaluate its
relationship with the Beirut government and the Lebanese Armed Forces -- the
recipient of significant American military aid."
Israeli government officials were even more dismissive of the idea that the
Lebanese government was independent from Hezbollah. "Iran's domination of
Lebanon through its proxy Hezbollah has destroyed any chance for peace, has
turned Lebanon into an Iranian satellite and made Lebanon a hub for regional
terror and instability," said Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev. "Lebanon
is rapidly becoming a new satellite of Iran. It's a tragedy for Lebanon,"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli army radio.
And an October 18th report from the hawkish Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs (JINSA) ominously concludes, "The battle for Lebanon is over
and the good guys didn't win. Now the regional battle against Iran and its
allies takes center stage. The question is whether the United States is ready to
recognize the enemy."
But the Obama administration and various Middle East experts have expressed
concern that the cutoff of military aid represents a serious blow to the LAF's
ability to function as a regional stabilizing force, inadvertently strengthens
Hezbollah, and pushes Lebanon further into Iran's sphere of influence.
"As we have said, U.S. support to Lebanon is part of an international commitment
to help strengthen the institution of the Lebanese state and the ability of the
Lebanese government to exercise sovereignty and authority over all its
territory," said a State Department press officer.
Indeed, strengthening the LAF's capabilities is a foreign policy objective aimed
at securing the Syrian border, stemming the flow of weapons to Hezbollah and,
potentially in the long term, exerting increasing authority over Lebanon's
Hezbollah-controlled south. But these objectives appear to have clashed with
those in Congress, such as Reps. Lowey and Berman, who take issue with Iranian
overtures to Beirut.
After the announcement of the aid freeze in August, Iran reportedly offered its
own military assistance to Lebanon's army. Meanwhile, Berman and Lowey have
maintained their blockage of aid to Lebanon after Ahmadinejad's visit last week.
Iran and Lebanon signed 16 agreements for cooperation on energy and finance
during the visit -- but none for military aid, as earlier reports had predicted
"Iran fills a political vacuum but there's no sign that the Iranians need a
second proxy in Lebanon," said Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
Resident Scholar Aram Nerguizian. "[Iran] will share the political space with
Syria and Saudi Arabia, but as to the idea that they'll pump the LAF full of
billions of dollars of military assistance: you only need one proxy."
Nerguizian, whose report on U.S. military aid to Lebanon is coming out later
this month, asserts, "The LAF is driving ahead with their own plan of becoming
an important security actor in the country. They want to be able to present a
strong national defense posture, since that is the cache of Hezbollah. In the
absence of an effective regional peace process, there is going to continue to be
a drive to have the LAF be a more active security actor, especially south of
Beirut."
But the point of tension, as highlighted since August, lies in the fact that
Washington is impatient to see meaningful results from the five years--at $100
million per year--of military assistance and is frustrated by the LAF's
inability or unwillingness to actively confront Hezbollah forces who have
received decades of military assistance from Iran.
The speed with which Iran offered military aid -- although Tehran ultimately did
not deliver it or Beirut chose not to accept -- to Lebanon after the
congressional hold only served to emphasize the dangers of a U.S. withdrawal
from its support of the LAF.
Ultimately, ongoing U.S. military support for the LAF will require an
understanding of the deeply embedded Hezbollah position in southern Lebanon and
a realistic understanding of what stability the LAF is capable of delivering in
both the short and long term, as peace initiatives -- either Israel-Syria or
broader Arab peace agreements -- take root. The LAF is unlikely to engage in
direct confrontation with Hezbollah, if for no other reason than Hezbollah has
succeeded to a considerable extent in depicting itself as Lebanon's primary
defense against Israel. But an LAF which takes on greater security and
infrastructure building responsibilities, with a membership which includes
Sunnis, Shias and Christians, could serve as an increasingly important
stabilizing force in years to come.
"If the U.S. stays involved with building up the LAF, the LAF can keep a lid on
Lebanon and on spillovers into Israel and other friendly countries. It keeps
Lebanon from escalating beyond the range of the real," says Nerguizian.
"Hezbollah will continue to be a major security actor in Lebanon. [...] we're
only at the beginning of a U.S.-LAF security relationship."
Eli Clifton blogs on U.S.-Iran relations at LobeLog.com.