LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
01/2010
Bible Of the Day
Paul's Second Letter to
the Corinthians 4/1-15
4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t
faint. 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation
of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
4:3 Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish; 4:4 in
whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the
light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should
not dawn on them. 4:5 For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord,
and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake; 4:6 seeing it is God who said,
“Light will shine out of darkness,”* who has shone in our hearts, to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
4:7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of
the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. 4:8 We are pressed on every
side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; 4:9 pursued, yet not
forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; 4:10 always carrying in the body the
putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed
in our body. 4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake,
that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. 4:12 So then
death works in us, but life in you. 4:13 But having the same spirit of faith,
according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”* We
also believe, and therefore also we speak; 4:14 knowing that he who raised the
Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you. 4:15 For
all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the
many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 4:16 Therefore
we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is
renewed day by day. 4:17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment,
works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; 4:18 while we
don’t look at the things which are seen, but
In this verse we read about a
treasure kept in jars of clay. That seems like an odd place for a treasure.
Usually we would keep our valuable treasures in a strong, protected place. An
earthen vessel is fragile, easily broken. Upon further inspection, these jars of
clay reveal flaws, chips, and cracks. These are not vessels of great worth or
monetary value, but rather common, ordinary vessels. The treasure is God
himself, living within us, bringing his abundant life. In our own humanity we
have no sense of wealth or worth. We are simply an empty clay jar. But when this
humanity is filled with diety, we receive what we were created to hold, the very
life of God. He is our treasure! (about.com)
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
The price of brotherly
love/Now Lebanon/August 31/10
Analysis: Reassessing US
military assistance to Lebanon /By DAVID SCHENKER/August 31/10
Hezbollah terrorists in
America/By Chuck Morse/WorldNetDaily/August
31/10
INTERVIEW with
Michael Williams-U.N. Lebanon envoy/ Reuters/August
31/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
31/10
Netanyahu, negotiating team take
off for peace talks in US/J.Post
Security Council Extends UNIFIL
Mandate, Condemns Tensions, Urges Israel to Pull Out of Ghajar/Naharnet
Hariri: Arms control targets no one
in particular/Now Lebanon
Report: Adib al-Alam Gathered
Info on Alleged Syrian Nuclear Reactor Site/Naharnet
UN votes to keep peacekeepers on
Israel-Lebanon border until 2011/Haaretz
Hezbollah, Syria to join forces in
future clash with Israel/Haaretz
Report: Israel planning to
attack Hezbollah arms depots
in Syria/Haaretz
Ahmadinejad: Iran, Lebanon militants can stand up to 'enemies of humanity/Haaretz
Israel
working to thwart Russia arms deal with Syria/Haaretz
Armed militias: a quandary for
Lebanon, US/AP
Barak to head to Moscow to prevent
missile sale to Syria/J.Post
Plan to absorb Hizbullah into
Lebanese military fails to please anyone/World Tribune/Naharnet
Jumblat
at Iranian Embassy to Open New Page in Ties with Tehran/Naharnet
Report:
Army Arrests 2 People in Bekaa over Suspicious Phone Calls/Naharnet
Minister of Social Affairs
Selim Sayegh says criticisms of Hariri directed at cabinet/Now Lebanon
Nasrallah: Borj Abi Haidar
Clashes Revealed Premeditated Intentions/Naharnet
Hariri: Beirut Must Not
Turn into Chaos Overnight/Naharnet
Kataeb Denounces Armed
Presence in Beirut, Calls for Giving Army Green Light/Naharnet
Jumblat: Thwarting Strife
Will Fail as Long as Escalatory Speeches and Tensions on Ground Persist/Naharnet
Suleiman to Head Meeting
to Discuss Control of Widespread Arms/Naharnet
Sadr Still Alive, Held
Captive by Gadhafi: Sadr's Son/Naharnet
Asarta Almost 'Absolutely
Sure' There is No War/Naharnet
Hizbullah, Syria to
Cooperate in Any Israeli Attack on Lebanon/Naharnet
Maariv: Israel Army Pulls
Brigade from West Bank to Northern Border with Lebanon/Naharnet
10 People Arrested over
Borj Abi Haidar Gunbattles/Naharnet
Houri: Making Beirut an
Arms-Free City Cannot Take Place without Hizbullah's Approval/Naharnet
Fadlallah: The Government
is the One Firing at National Unity and Civil Peace/Naharnet
Israel Announces Leviathan
Gas Field in Mediterranean Contains 3 Billion Barrels of Oil/Naharnet
2 Killed, 2 Injured in
Traffic Accident on Barbara-Monsef Highway/Naharnet
Wounded Canadian soldier dies in hospital
By The Canadian Press
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100830/national/afghan_cda_soldier_1
30/08/10/KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian soldier who was injured in an IED blast last week while on patrol in Afghanistan died Monday at a hospital in Germany, military officials say. Cpl. Brian Pinksen, a member of 2nd Battalion with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, was wounded on a patrol in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar on Aug. 22.
The soldier, based in Corner Brook, N.L., was wounded along with another soldier, whose name was not released, the Department of National Defence said in a statement.
Pinksen was treated by medics at the scene, and then evacuated to the military hospital at Kandahar Airfield, the main NATO base in southern Afghanistan. He was then flown to a military hospital at Ramstein military base in Landstuhl, Germany, where he died early Monday from his wounds. No other details were released. Military officials offered condolences to Pinksen's family. "We will not forget Cpl. Pinksen's sacrifice as we continue to bring security and hope to the people of Kandahar province," said the Defence Department statement. It's the first Canadian death in Afghanistan since July 20, when Sapper Brian Collier was killed by an IED while on a foot patrol near Nakhonay, about 15 kilometres west of Kandahar city.
It brings to 152 the total number of Canadian soldiers who have died as part of the Afghan mission since it began in 2002. In total, 471 international troops have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, according to the independent website icasualties.org.
UN votes to keep peacekeepers on Israel-Lebanon border until 2011
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the presence of UNIFIL remains critical following the incident on August 3, during which Lebanese and Israeli forces exchanged fire.
By DPA
The UN Security Council decided unanimously Monday to keep its peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon another year because of the unstable situation along the border with Israel. The council voted 15-0 to keep the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until August 31, 2011, saying that force and the Lebanese army have established a "new strategic environment" in southern Lebanon since 2006, following the brief Israeli-Hezbollah war in the region.
Lebanese Army soldiers and UNIFIL soldiers surveying the border with Israel.
UNIFIL has been deployed for decades in southern Lebanon. But its mandate was strengthened with the addition of more troops after 2006 to monitor the ceasefire that ended the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. It currently has 11,492 military personnel on land 794 personnel serving in the maritime task force patrolling Lebanon's coastlines.
The council said in the resolution that "all parties" must implement the 2006 ceasefire, prevent violations and respect the blue line in its entirety, and to cooperate with UNIFIL.
Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of violating the blue line and the ceasefire. The resolution "strongly deplores" the August 3 incident, stressing the importance for all the parties not to impair the ability of UNIFIL to operate in the region under its mandate. It called for the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the blue line and the Litani River, except for the presence of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the presence of UNIFIL remains critical following the incident on August 3, during which Lebanese and Israeli forces fiercely fired at each other over an artificial border known as the blue line. The exchange of fire killed two Lebanese soldiers, one Israeli commander and one Lebanese journalist. Ban said in a report to the council about the August 3 incident that the Lebanese and Israeli forces fired at each other for three hours with heavy machine guns and rockets. Lebanese forces said they fired on the Israelis, claiming that the Israelis had crossed the blue line while cutting trees at that border.
"Although the investigation by UNIFIL is ongoing," Ban said. "UNIFIL established that the trees being cut by the Israel Defense Forces are located south of the blue line, and that the Lebanese Armed Forces fired the first shot, although UNIFIL has not determined who initiated direct fire." Ban said "many achievements" have been accomplished to implement the agreement that ended the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict since 2006, but tensions between Israel and Lebanon as demonstrated on August 3 could quickly change the situation. "I remain concerned with the fragile state of the cessation of hostilities, and call on all parties to ensure full respect of resolution 1701 (2006) and to redouble their efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire," Ban said.
Hezbollah terrorists in America
August 30, 2010
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=197073
By Chuck Morse
WorldNetDaily/© 2010
The Interagency Intelligence Committee on Terrorism assessment, which was issued by the Department of Homeland Security in December of 2008, reported that Hezbollah terrorists were operating with a free hand inside the U.S.
The report describes terrorist involvement in fundraising for so-called "charity projects" and engaging in criminal activities such as money laundering, smuggling, drug trafficking, fraud and extortion. The report estimates that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah would likely increase in strength in the coming years inside the U.S. to the degree that it would pose as a national security threat by the year 2014. There is no record to be found of any arrests or deportations of any of these non-citizen terrorists who are quietly going about their business in our communities undetected.
The terrorism report said, "The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah does not have a known history of fomenting attacks inside the U.S., but that could change if there is some kind of 'triggering' event." Might such a triggering event involve a strong stance, perhaps military in nature, on the part of the U.S. if Iran obtains a nuclear bomb?
General estimates indicate that the Iranian bomb is within reach of the fundamentalist Islamic mullahs within a year or two. If and when the Mullahs get the bomb, it is reasonable to assume that they will hit Tel Aviv and destroy Israel. Might the Hezbollah terror sleeper cells inside the U.S., viewing the destruction of Israel as a triggering event, respond by attacking the U.S. from within? If Israel is destroyed, and it probably will be destroyed if nothing is done very soon, the destruction of Israel would only whet the appetite of the fundamentalist Islamic jihad who would no doubt respond by going after the big prize, the Great Satan U.S.
The 38-page terrorism report further indicates that "Hezbollah was being directed by the leadership in Lebanon as well as by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)."
The Washington Institute and several other reliable sources have written about the increasing ties between Iran and the radical Muslim Brotherhood, which indicates that when it comes to jihad against the Dar el-Harb, or the portion of the planet that has not yet submitted to Islamic control, the Sunnis and the Shiites stand together. The Muslim Brotherhood, which served as a spy network for the Nazis during World War II and has spawned Hamas and al-Qaida, is Sunni while the Iranians, which spawned Hezbollah, are Shiites. Sunni Hamas leader Khaled Mashal visited Iran in February 2009 where he stated that the Hamas-controlled "people of Gaza … have always appreciated the political and spiritual support of the Iranian leaders and nation." Iranian state television reported that Mashal said, "Iran has definitely played a big role in the victory of the people of Gaza and is a partner in that victory."
Compounding the problem is the generally acknowledged notion that the Muslim Brotherhood, the secretive Saudi-backed and Egyptian-based terrorist society with tentacles reaching into more than 70 countries, has extensive contacts inside most major American Islamic organizations.
In America, the Muslim Brotherhood displays a peaceful and tolerant face, one that appeals to American liberals, and self-hating Jews like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who are hypnotized by the combination of flowery sounding talk of peace and tolerance as well as by the authoritarian undertones inherent in the Islamic ideology. This same toxic mix appealed to the same liberals in previous generations who thought that communism was idealistic.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, funneling Saudi money into major American investments and endowments and into the mega mosques that are springing up across the country, are laughing up their sleeves in the same contemptuous manner as did their communist counterparts in past generations. And all of this in the backdrop of Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas and their associates preparing for the final Islamic assault and victory and their goal of ushering in their utopian Dar al-Islam, a world completely submitted to Islamic control and law.
Media interested in interviewing Chuck Morse, please e-mail WND.
Hezbollah, Syria to join forces in future clash with Israel
30.08.10/Haaretz
Kuwait's al-Rai daily says Lebanon-based group, Syrian army have created a joint military command, dividing potential war fronts.
By Jack Khoury and The Associated Press
Tags: Israel news Lebanon Hezbollah Syria Bashar Assad Saad Hariri
The Lebanon-based Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah and the Syrian army have initiated a significant military cooperation in joint preparation for the possibility of a future armed conflict with Israel, the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai reported on Monday. The report came as Syrian president Bashar Assad urged Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri earlier Monday to support Hezbollah and maintain calm in the divided country. Speaking with al-Rai Monday, sources have indicated that Hezbollah and Syria have formed a joint headquarters meant to orchestrate the cooperation between the two forces, which is to be commanded by two officers – one from the Syrian military and one from Hezbollah. The joint command, the report said, would ensure full cooperation in land, sea, and air warfare, as well as take care of the positioning of anti-aircraft missiles in both Lebanon and Syria in order to confront the possibility of an Israeli nuclear assault. Recent exchanges between the two organizations reportedly included trading information regarding strategic sites within Israel, including airports and other facilities, as well as dividing up the prospective war fronts between themselves. The report also stated that Damascus and Hezbollah also worked together on the possibility of joint artillery strike against Israel, as well as drawing up a collective plan for the defense of vital Lebanon, Syria sites in case of an Israeli attack. The two organizations also reportedly shared information gather by Hezbollah following the Second Lebanon War in 2006, including military conclusions and tactics.
The al-Rai report also stated Syria's contentment with Turkey's recent announcement that it would ban Israeli warplanes from entering its airspace, since it prevents the possibility of an Israeli airstrike from that direction. Earlier Monday, Syria's Assad urged Lebanon's leader to support Hezbollah and maintain calm in the country.
The two leaders met in Damascus for a pre-dawn meal called suhour, the last meal before the daytime fast resumes for the holy month of Ramadan, the Syrian state-run news agency reported. Hariri has visited Damascus repeatedly this year in a sign of Syria's renewed influence over Lebanon in the years since Damascus withdrew its military in 2005, ending a nearly three-decade hold on Lebanon. Hariri's visits indicate that he needs Syrian support as his Western-backed coalition struggles at home. Syria backs the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has a large role in Lebanon's fragile national unity government. Last week, street battles in Beirut between the Shiite militant Hezbollah and a small Sunni group killed three people, exacerbating sectarian tensions in Lebanon. Later Monday, Hariri was expected to head the first meeting of a new committee formed to discuss ways of ridding the Lebanese capital of weapons. Also Monday, Iranian ISNA news agency quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying that Lebanon's resistance groups, along with Iran must stand together to thwart what he called foreign aggressors, adding that such an alliance would work against the "enemies of humanity." "Enemies are endeavoring to damage Lebanon's solidarity and unity, but Lebanese' resistance groups will thwart their plots and conspiracies with their tact and promotion of solidarity," the Iranian president added
INTERVIEW with Michael Williams-U.N. Lebanon envoy who wants border demarcation
Mon Aug 30, 2010
* Only one fifth of border demarcated
* Border clash alarmed countries with UNIFIL troops
* U.N. due to extend UNIFIL mandate
By Dominic Evans BEIRUT, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Lebanon and Israel need to make progress demarcating their border to avoid a repeat of a cross border clash in which four people were killed this month, the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon said on Monday.
Michael Williams, speaking before the Security Council was expected to approve extending the mandate for U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon, said an Israeli withdrawal from the border village of Ghajar would also help reduce tension.
Williams told Reuters the Aug. 3 clash had alarmed countries which contribute forces to the 12,000-strong UNIFIL peacekeeping mission, and there was a need to build up trust between Lebanon and Israel "which has obviously taken quite a knock".
A senior Israeli officer, two Lebanese soldiers and a Lebanese journalist were killed in the shooting, the bloodiest border confrontation since Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah.
After the incident the two sides disputed whether Israeli troops had crossed the border into Lebanon, but UNIFIL said they were operating on the Israeli side of the "blue line", or U.N.-mapped border, when the shooting erupted. Williams called for progress "on questions like the marking of the blue line. At the moment there's only about a fifth, about 30 km (20 miles), which has been marked." An Israeli withdrawal from the northern part of the divided border village of Ghajar "would do a lot to help restore trust as well," he added in a telephone interview.
'DISQUIET' OVER CLASH
Williams said countries which contribute forces to UNIFIL were strongly committed to the peacekeeping operation in Lebanon, but added that the border clash "will have caused a lot of disquiet in capitals". Governments also had to balance competing demands to support other military operations, including in Afghanistan, and faced domestic pressures to cut back spending during an economic recession, he said. "But my own reading of the member states, particularly the Europeans -- France, Italy and Spain, (is that the commitment) is still strong," he said, referring to three of the main troop contributors to UNIFIL. UNIFIL was set up in 1978 and expanded in 2006 to monitor the end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel has criticised the U.N. peacekeeping operation for not stopping weapons it says are still flowing to Hezbollah guerrillas. The United Nations say that is the responsibility of Lebanese authorities. Williams said he would travel to France, Spain and Britain later this week and would discuss regional diplomatic efforts which could reduce the danger of renewed conflict between Israel and Lebanon. "Lebanon is not an island and the regional picture is important," he said. "I hope the talks that begin in Washington between the Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday will have a positive impact." He said any move towards a resumption of Israeli-Syrian peace talks, however remote a prospect that might appear, would also help reduce tension. (Editing by Jon Hemming)
Armed militias: a quandary for Lebanon, US
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY (AP) –BEIRUT — It started with a dispute over a parking
space and erupted into a four-hour street war between Hezbollah and a rival
militia, with masked snipers running through alleyways and rocket-propelled
grenades exploding in the middle of a Beirut neighborhood.
Last week's bloodshed, which killed three people, was nothing close to the worst
this city has seen. But it has refocused attention on the bane of Lebanon's
existence: the dozens of private armies that grew out of the country's 15-year
civil war and still flourish 20 years after the conflict ended.
"People still in this country have RPGs in their homes," Nadim Houry, the Beirut
director at Human Rights Watch, told The Associated Press after the Aug. 24
clashes. "And they're still in good shape, as you can see."
The fighting led the Western-backed prime minister, Saad Hariri, to call yet
again for the militias to disarm. But the biggest militia of all, Iranian-backed
Hezbollah, is part of his government, wielding virtual veto power, and
long-running talks on disarmament have gone nowhere.
The power balance worries the U.S. and its close ally Israel, Hezbollah's sworn
enemy. This month, U.S. lawmakers in Congress put a hold on $100 million of the
$720 million in military aid that U.S. administrations have provided to
Lebanon's ill-equipped army since 2006.
It's not clear how long the suspension might last. U.S. administration officials
say the aid should continue, and will prepare responses to the lawmakers'
concerns that the weapons may be falling into the wrong hands.
Israel says it spotted an ominous change on Aug. 3 when the Lebanese army,
recipient of the U.S. weapons, traded fire with Israeli forces who were pruning
a tree on their border with Lebanon. An Israeli officer, two Lebanese soldiers
and a Lebanese journalist died.
Hezbollah was not involved in that fighting, but Israeli Defense Minister Ehud
Barak said his country always had concerns the army's weapons could end up in
Hezbollah's hands.
Now, he said, Lebanon's weapons are being used directly against Israel.
The move in Congress has provoked defiant responses in Lebanon. Hezbollah and
its chief backer, Iran, both said they were willing to make up the arms
shortfall, and Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr vowed Lebanon would reject
any military assistance if the condition was that the weapons not be used
against Israel.
He opened a bank account for Lebanese to donate money to buy arms from
alternative sources.
Since Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating 34-day war in 2006, Western
governments have worked to strengthen the central government, now led by Saad
Hariri. The danger of another Israel-Hezbollah war is ever-present, and would be
especially disruptive now, when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are about to get
a fresh start initiated by the Obama administration.
Hariri's call to disarm the militias has broad public backing, motivated by
fears that local clashes could erupt into another civil war. But when it comes
to Hezbollah, opinion is ambivalent. Hezbollah confronting Israel is applauded,
but after the militia was seen by some as igniting the 2006 war and Israel
bombed Lebanese infrastructure, it came under criticism.
Now that it's part of the government and focused on building its political
credentials, Hezbollah must tread carefully; it knows its standing would suffer
if it were blamed for another outbreak of violence.
The criticism that followed the war with Israel was repeated two years later
when 80 people died in clashes as Hezbollah resisted government attempts to
dismantle its private phone network, and after the latest violence, both Shiite
Hezbollah and its smaller Sunni rival, al-Ahbash, were at pains to portray the
matter as stemming from a "personal dispute," not a sectarian one.
But the fact that gunmen last week had the weapons to sustain a four-hour
gunbattle is testament to the power of these armed groups.
Lebanon is not entirely dependent on U.S. military assistance, and has turned to
Russia and Arab governments for assistance in the past. But Iran's profile is
growing steadily.
"Iran and Lebanon are members of one body," Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said in Tehran on Sunday. "These two nations have joint assignments
and responsibilities against arrogant powers."
Hariri has stressed that his calls for a "weapons-free" Beirut do not extend to
Hezbollah, and he would have a hard time including it in a ban.
For one thing, Hezbollah draws legitimacy from being the only militia that was
allowed to keep its weapons under the agreement that ended the 1975-1990 civil
war. For another, it is respected by Lebanese as the force most willing to stand
up to Israel.
"We are with the resistance against Israel, and there is an ongoing dialogue
about these arms," Hariri said recently.
But, he added in a later speech, Lebanon cannot stand by in the face of
firefights like last week's, saying: "We will not allow anyone to burn our
homes, kill our children and destroy our belongings only because someone didn't
find a suitable parking for his car."
AP Writers Aisha Mohammed in Jerusalem and Matthew Lee in Washington, D.C.,
contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Analysis: Reassessing US military assistance to Lebanon
By DAVID SCHENKER
08/31/2010 06:47
Without action by the US that recognizes changes, any lingering benefits to
Washington will disappear.
Given competing interests at stake with Washington’s $100 million annual
military assistance to Beirut, clear benchmarks should be established to track
the relationship between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Hizbullah and limit the
potential for nostalgia or sentimentality to cloud American policy-making.
Since 2005, the US has obligated itself to provide more than $700m. in military
assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces. In the aftermath of the LAF’s August 3
cross-border shooting of two Israeli officers, one fatal, this funding has come
under increasing scrutiny.
Not coincidentally, the shooting followed a series of setbacks for Washington’s
allies in Beirut, which in turn fundamentally altered the conditions that had
spurred the 2005 spike in US funding.
It is unclear how this new dynamic is affecting the military, but many infer
from the shooting that the LAF is shifting away from neutrality and toward
Hizbullah. More broadly, the incident has resurrected questions as to whether
Washington’s main policy objective for the LAF – establishing state sovereignty
throughout Lebanese territory – is achievable.
Despite these profound changes on the ground, US policy toward Lebanon – with
LAF funding as its cornerstone – remains unchanged. On August 12, State
Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner went so far as to describe the funding as
part of America’s “vital... national interests.”
During the heyday of the Cedar Revolution, this level of prioritization may have
been warranted, but does it remain so today?
Background
In 2005, the Bush administration boosted previously minute levels of US
assistance to the LAF in response to the Cedar Revolution, which ended Syria’s
30-year occupation of Lebanon. Although Hizbullah still dominated the south and
much of Beirut, Washington saw Syria’s departure as an unprecedented opportunity
to foster full Lebanese government control over the entire country.
Currently, however, Damascus has reestablished itself as a force in Beirut, and
Hizbullah is again ascendant.
Recognizing these changes, Rep. Howard Berman (D-California), chairman of the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs, placed a hold on the 2011 assistance package
on August 2, requesting that the administration clarify the provision.
The move turned out to be prescient, with LAF troops opening fire on Israeli
troops the next day.
Mixed record
Washington’s revitalized Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program for Lebanon
had two goals. In the long term, the objective was to build sufficient capacity
in the LAF in order to counteract militias and enhance state sovereignty.
(The Bush administration did not believe the LAF would be able to supplant
Hizbullah anytime soon). In the near term, US funding would enhance the LAF’s
counterterrorism capabilities against al-Qaida affiliates, a critical need given
the lack of state control throughout much of the country.
The program hit a high note early on when, following the 2006 Hizbullah-Israel
war, the LAF made an unprecedented deployment to the south. Not only was it the
first time in decades that the military had based troops near the border with
Israel, it also constituted the first significant government presence in that
Hizbullah- controlled territory. Counterterror cooperation has been a positive
as well – according to Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
Jeffrey Feltman, US assistance has led to “significant” improvements in LAF
operations along those lines.
But there have also been disappointments. During the 2006 war, for example, LAF
elements colluded with Hizbullah, allowing the group to use Lebanese navy radar
to track and nearly sink the Israel Navy Corvette Hanit.
Likewise, in 2008, the LAF coordinated with Hizbullah during the militia’s foray
into Beirut, offering no challenge to the offensive and later relieving the
militiamen and taking up the group’s positions following withdrawal.
The deployment to the south has been problematic as well. At the time, few
expected the LAF to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by
interdicting Hizbullah weapons. Yet aside from LAF troops being present in the
area, the operation has proven mostly cosmetic.
Worse, if Israeli claims are true, the LAF has been tipping Hizbullah off about
UN Interim Force in Lebanon site visits, protecting the militia’s assets and
undermining UNIFIL’s mission.
Purpose of FMF programs In general, Foreign Military Financing programs are
designed to accomplish three goals: build the military capabilities of friendly
states; help Washington understand and gain influence with these militaries; and
deter meddling by unfriendly states.
Notwithstanding Hizbullah’s growing political role, Washington continues to
count Lebanon among the friendly states, and US military officers have gained
important insight into the LAF’s thinking via the assistance program. Yet
progress on the other objectives has been slow to come.
First, it is difficult to determine how much influence Washington has cultivated
with the LAF since 2005.
Beirut’s response to the August 3 incident was not reassuring.
For example, President Michel Suleiman, former LAF chief of staff, applauded the
shooting as a “heroic” act and pledged that Lebanon would seek “more advanced
equipment” from “friendly” countries. A statement by Defense Minister Elias Murr
after the US congressional freeze was equally hostile: “Let them keep their
money or give it to Israel.”
LAF chief of staff Gen. Jean Kahwaji likewise dismissed reports of the freeze as
“only ideas suggested by some US Congress members who are [influenced by the]
pro-Israeli lobby.”
Moreover, the $100m. in US FMF slated for 2010 may not prevent Lebanon from
accepting Iranian or Russian military assistance. Iran has long offered to
provide such support, and in 2008, Murr accepted a (yet-to-be-delivered)
donation of 10 MiG-29 fighter planes from Moscow.
Although refusing such gifts would no doubt cause grave embarrassment for
Beirut, the LAF is not particularly enthusiastic about them. Its personnel have
long been working to standardize on American equipment, and materiel from
elsewhere tends to interfere with those efforts. Moreover, the military is well
aware that Iranian assistance typically comes with long strings attached.
Keeping Score
Five years after the Cedar Revolution, the last main vestige of Washington’s
commitment to its Lebanese allies is the FMF program. When Vice President Joe
Biden visited Beirut in May 2009, on the eve of Lebanese general elections, he
announced that Washington would “evaluate the shape of our assistance program
based on the composition of the new government and the policies it advocates.”
Today, the March 14 movement sits in a coalition government with Hizbullah, and
its guiding “ministerial statement” now legitimizes the “resistance” and its
weapons.
In the past, these developments may have meant an end to US assistance, but with
few other avenues of meaningful engagement, the program has persisted.
To be sure, there is merit in Washington’s desire to avoid abandoning its
allies, which some might view as a repeat of the 1983 US “redeployment” out of
Lebanon.
But it is also clear that the bar defined by the American vice president has
been lowered considerably over the past 15 months. Without some action by the
United States that recognizes the profoundly changed circumstances since Biden
announced that aid would effectively be conditioned on the composition and the
policies of the Lebanese government, any lingering benefits Washington reaps
from maintaining the FMF program will disappear.
One way to remedy the situation is for the State Department and congressional
appropriators to work out clear, transparent, measurable and verifiable
benchmarks by which all sides – including the Lebanese – can evaluate the merit
of maintaining assistance to the LAF. The key metric is the relationship between
the LAF and Hizbullah.
While some connection between elements of the two institutions is to be
expected, especially given the Shi’ite plurality within the LAF, several
indicators would provide useful insight into the depth of the relationship.
Specifically, going forward, the FMF program should be contingent on a close
assessment that measures, among other things: • LAF response to officers who
share intelligence with Hizbullah, “go rogue,” or demonstrate other problematic
conduct with regard to the group (e.g., are they disciplined or congratulated?)
• LAF’s role in harboring or otherwise protecting Hizbullah weaponry (e.g., does
the LAF play a role in preventing the import of weapons from Syria or their flow
south of the Litani or in facilitating it?) • Flow of personnel between
Hizbullah and the LAF (e.g., do officials of Hizbullah’s militia transfer
directly into the LAF?) • Flow of weapons and other material between the LAF and
Hizbullah (e.g., does LAF weaponry end up under Hizbullah control?) • Quality of
LAF cooperation with UNIFIL (e.g., do LAF units seem to follow Hizbullah
guidance in obstructing the operations of UNIFIL?) • LAF response to the
anticipated indictment of Hizbullah members by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,
currently probing the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri (e.g.,
will the LAF arrest and transfer indicted Hizbullah officials or refuse to
implement the tribunal’s request?).
Conclusion Although $100m. per year is minimal by US FMF standards, it
constitutes a significant portion of the LAF budget and carries great symbolism.
In August 2007, Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman – then ambassador
to Lebanon – gave a speech at LAF headquarters, marking the delivery of 100
Humvees: “Through our military assistance, the people and government of the
United States, including members of Congress, show our confidence in Lebanon’s
government, Lebanon’s Ministry of Defense, and in the leadership and soldiers of
the LAF,” he stated.
Absent that kind of confidence, which clear and transparent measurements can
provide, Washington’s military assistance program with Lebanon has a bleak
future.
David Schenker is the Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab
Politics at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
(www.washingtoninstitute.org)
Barak to head to Moscow to prevent missile sale to Syria
By YAAKOV KATZ
08/31/2010 03:25
Defense Minister will head to Russia amid Israeli concerns regarding sale of
advanced military technology to Syria and Iran.
Talkbacks (1)
Defense Minister Ehud Barak will travel to Russia next week amid Israeli
concerns regarding the sale of advanced military technology to Syria and Iran.
Israel is particularly concerned over a deal to supply Syria with advanced
supersonic P-800 Yakhont cruise missiles that would pose a serious threat to
Israel Navy ships if transferred to Hizbullah. During the 2006 Second Lebanon
War, Hizbullah succeeded in striking an Israeli navy missile ship with an
Iranian-supplied surface-to-sea missile.
Barak will discuss the proposed sale of the missiles to Syria as well as a
Russian request to collaborate with Israeli defense industries in the
development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
In 2009, Russia purchased 12 drones from Israel Aerospace Industries as part of
a new requirement it had issued for UAVs following its war with Georgia during
which Georgian military forces operated Israeli Elbit Systems Hermes 450 UAVs.
Israel recently put plans to establish a joint venture with Russia to
manufacture UAVs on hold amid concerns regarding the transfer of sensitive
technology to Moscow.
While elements in the Defense Ministry are concerned over the possible transfer
of technology, other Israeli government officials – particularly from the
Foreign Ministry – have recommended going through with the project as a way of
tightening ties with Moscow and creating leverage to prevent future sales to
Iran and Syria.
Israel is also concerned over the possibility that Russia will follow through
with the delivery of the S-300 surfaceto- air defense system to Iran.
Russia has issued mixed messages regarding the future of the 2005 deal in recent
months, first saying that the new round of sanctions on Iran passed by the
United Nations in June would not impede the deal and later saying that it would.
Despite the Israeli objections, a top Russian official issued a statement on
Sunday saying that Moscow would honor its deal with Syria.
“I would like to emphasize that the Russian Federation is fully honoring its
earlier agreements with Syria,” Russian presidential aide Sergey Prikhodko told
the Interfax news agency.
A senior Israeli defense official said Monday that Israel believed Moscow would
be flexible on the issue of the Syrian arms deal.
“Moscow is a very important power to us in terms of defense and diplomacy and we
see room for accommodation regarding what we want from them and what they want
from us,” the official said.
Plan to absorb Hizbullah into Lebanese military fails to please
anyone
NICOSIA — Lebanon has been considering a plan to absorb Hizbullah into the
military. Under the plan relayed to Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Hizbullah would
establish a separate command force in the Lebanese Army. Hizbullah has already
dismissed the plan as an attempt to marginalize the Iranian-sponsored movement.
"The plan seeks to address Hizbullah's separate military force, which is more
powerful than the Lebanese Army itself," a Lebanese source said.
The plan was drafted by Lebanese Forces party chief Samir Geagea, regarded as
close to Hariri as well as Syria. Geagea, a participant in a dialogue over
Hizbullah's role in Lebanon, has proposed that Hizbullah contribute up to 4,000
special operations troops to the Army. Hizbullah was estimated to have a force
of up to 20,000.
The SOF brigade would conduct both border patrols as well as missions in urban
areas to quell unrest and insurgency plots. Geagea envisioned that many of the
Hizbullah troops would operate in civilian clothes, particularly in southern
Lebanon near the border with Israel. "My proposal came in light of the unstable
situation, which the region is witnessing and that could lead to a potential
escalation in south Lebanon and based on the delicate situation that could turn
the smallest incident into a devastating war," Geagea said.
The plan was submitted in wake of a bloody clash between the militaries of
Israel and Lebanon in August 2010. Israel has accused Hizbullah of taking
control over Lebanese Army units throughout the south. Geagea said Hizbullah
would also contribute its missile and rocket arsenal for use by the Lebanese
military. He stressed that the military would have responsibility for using
these weapons. "But given the current circumstances and since we did not find a
solution for the issue of weapons, I presented this paper to benefit from [Hizbullah's]
weapons under the stated conditions,” Geagea said. Hizbullah has dismissed
Geagea's plan, presented at a defense strategy session on Aug. 19. Officials
said the proposal was meant to limit Hizbullah's forces and eventually
confiscate its huge weapons arsenal. "The goal behind the proposal is not to
defend Lebanon but to eliminate Hizbullah and its weapons," Mohammed Raad, the
Hizbullah whip in parliament, said.
Netanyahu, negotiating team take off for peace talks in US
By YAAKOV KATZ AND HERB KEINON
08/31/2010 12:14 /J.Post
PM to meet with Obama, Abbas, Mubarak, Abdullah and Blair ahead of official
relaunch of peace talks in Washington, tells Likud activists: "I'm not naïve."
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his negotiating team took off for
Washington on Tuesday morning, ahead of the relaunch of peace talks with the
Palestinians. The prime minister will meet with US President Barack Obama on
Wednesday, before attending a dinner hosted by Obama with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King
Abdullah and Quartet envoy Tony Blair. He is expected to hold separate talks
with each of the other leaders as well. On Thursday morning, Netanyahu and Abbas
will launch the talks in the presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
at the State Department. This ceremony will be followed by the first working
meeting between Netanyahu and Abbas, and their respective teams. The head of
Israel’s negotiating team, attorney Yitzhak Molcho, flew to Washington on Monday
for preparatory discussions. Netanyahu’s office said on Monday, in response to
demands by women’s groups, that it would appoint at least one woman to the
negotiating team. While speaking to a meeting of the World Zionist Congress on
Tuesday, President Shimon Peres expressed his faith in the prime minister to "be
aware of the importance of the task that stands before him and the opportunity
that exists."
On Monday, Netanyahu told Likud activists at a pre-Rosh Hashana toast in Tel
Aviv that he would be cautious during the talks and insist on security
guarantees, so an Israeli withdrawal would not be met by the firing of hundreds
of rockets, as was the case when Israel left the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. “I am
not naïve,” Netanyahu said.
Then, referring to the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt brokered by Likud prime
minister Menachem Begin, he said, “I know that there are two sides. I want to
give this time and resources. I hope to find a courageous partner as Begin found
in [Egyptian president Anwar] Sadat.” Netanyahu pointedly did not mention the
settlement housing-start moratorium that ends on September 26. Meanwhile, the
Prime Minister’s Office said it would update the public on developments from
Washington using the new social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. The
office recently launched a YouTube channel, including video clips in Hebrew and
English on Netanyahu’s activities.
Hariri: Arms control targets no one in particular
August 31, 2010 /Now Lebanon/The call to apply the law to resolve the issue of
weapons proliferation is not directed at any particular side, Prime Minister
Saad Hariri said during a Monday Iftar. The cabinet on Wednesday agreed to form
a commission to deal with arms proliferation in the country following last
Tuesday’s clashes between supporters of the Association of Islamic Charitable
Projects—also known as Al-Ahbash—and those of Hezbollah in the Bourj Abi Haidar
district of Beirut The PM released a statement following the sundown meal that
no part of Lebanon can be “immune to the application of the law.” He reiterated
that the cabinet must act swiftly to prevent the Bourj Abi Haidar clashes from
happening again. In another statement, Hariri stated that he asked President
Michel Sleiman to convene a meeting of the Higher Defense Council to discuss the
issue of arms proliferation in Lebanon. Hariri’s request comes after chairing a
meeting of the ministerial commission tasked with addressing weapons
proliferation. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Commission
approved on Monday the Energy Ministry’s budget. Change and Reform bloc MP
Ibrahim Kanaan—who heads the commission—said afterward that the decision
demonstrated concern for the people’s needs. According to Energy Minister Gebran
Bassil, the move would help Lebanon overcome its electricity difficulties.
Residents in the South, North and Beirut have blocked roads to protest power
cuts as temperatures have risen in the last three weeks. Bassil said on Tuesday
that some major electricity issues require the approval of the 2010 state
budget, while others can be resolved independently. -NOW Lebanon
Minister of Social Affairs Selim Sayegh says criticisms of Hariri directed at
cabinet
August 31, 2010 /Future News television reported on Tuesday that Minister of
Social Affairs Selim Sayegh rejects criticisms of Prime Minister Saad Hariri
because they are directed at the entire cabinet. A deadly street battle shook
the Bourj Abi Haidar district in the Lebanese capital on August 24, pitting
supporters of Hezbollah against those of Sunni outfit Al-Ahbash – also known as
Association of Islamic Charitable Projects – two parties with warm ties to
Damascus. Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad said on Sunday that "tours of the Bourj Abi
Haidar area where the clashes took place only aim to further deepen divisions,"
referring to Hariri's visit to the scene last week. Sayegh also said that no one
should feel targeted when the cabinet takes certain decisions.A commission
tasked with addressing weapons proliferation in Lebanon was formed on Wednesday
following the Beirut clashes.-NOW Lebanon
Sleiman returns to Baabda
August 31, 2010 /President Michel Sleiman returned to the Presidential Palace in
Baabda after spending time at his summer residence in Beiteddine, according to a
statement issued by the president’s press office on Tuesday.Sleiman also
discussed latest domestic developments with General Security Director Wafiq
Jezzini.-NOW Lebanon
Two arrested for allegedly working with Israel
August 31, 2010 /An unnamed security source confirmed to NOW Lebanon on Tuesday
that an Army Intelligence unit arrested two young men in the Brital town in the
Bekaa valley on Monday on suspicion of collaborating with Israel. Security
forces have detained several people in recent weeks for allegedly working with
Israel.-NOW Lebanon
Sayyed Hussein wants arms proliferation to be dealt with
August 31, 2010 /State Minister Adnan as-Sayyed Hussein said that the issue of
arms proliferation should be dealt with, adding that there are uncontrolled arms
in many Lebanese cities other than Beirut, New TV reported on Tuesday. The
cabinet agreed to form a commission tasked with addressing weapons proliferation
in Lebanon on Wednesday. The commission was set up following a deadly street
battle that shook the Bourj Abi Haidar district in the Lebanese capital on
August 24, pitting supporters of Hezbollah against those of Sunni outfit Al-Ahbash
– also known as Association of Islamic Charitable Projects – two parties with
warm ties to Damascus. Sayyed Hussein added that the arms of the Resistance are
a matter of national unity dialogue.-NOW Lebanon
The price of brotherly love
August 30, 2010
The Lebanese army deployed during the Bourj Abi Haidar clashes between members
of Hezbollah and Al-Ahbash. The Party of God wants to keep its weapons deployed
across Lebanon. (AFP photo)
Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Moqdad told OTV on Friday that Hezbollah’s
arms are “legitimate and necessary to prevent treason in Lebanon.” While we
should all applaud any initiative that seeks to curb activities that undermine
the state, no one told us that Hezbollah had extended its remit to include
fighting subversion. The last time we looked, Hezbollah’s weapons existed to
protect Lebanon from the ever-present Israeli threat, a 24/7 deterrent to thwart
the stated expansionist ambitions of the Zionist state. This it has done with a
degree of success, despite the misery and destruction Lebanon has suffered in
the process.
That said, it is no secret that since 2005 the party’s already dubious raison
d’être has worked itself loose from its moorings. Hezbollah’s ability to deploy
an unopposed armed presence, or the threat of such a deployment, has given it
carte blanche to impose its own agenda on a helpless nation. At the end of 2006,
we endured what would be an 18-month sit-in bang in the middle of Beirut (who
was going to seriously move on Hezbollah?). Then, in May 2008, it tried to bring
down the government of Fouad Siniora and took its fighters into the mountains.
Most recently, we witnessed its role in last Tuesday’s deadly nighttime skirmish
in the Beirut district of Bourj Abi Haidar with members of the pro-Syrian Al-Ahbash.
The incident was in all probability the first shots fired in the power struggle
between Hezbollah and the Syrian military intelligence to determine who runs
Lebanon, but on the street level it was straightforward Shia-Sunni rivalry, a
situation that rests on a permanent and potentially explosive hair trigger.
But then again, Moqdad represents a Hezbollah on the offensive. When asked about
calls made by several political figures to make Beirut an arms-free city,
Moqdad’s response was as worrying as it was insulting to the notion of statehood
and self-determination: “Hezbollah’s arms are only directed at Israel,” he said,
adding, “but they must be maintained across the Lebanese territory.”
Surely we are entering into uncharted (let alone Lebanese) territory with such a
declaration. It is clearly not enough for Hezbollah’s secretary general, Hassan
Nasrallah, to suggest that Lebanon consider embarking upon a nuclear power
program, an unfeasible proposal that only served to plant the idea that Iran is
Lebanon’s natural ally in the minds of those who still believe, despite its
track record, that Hezbollah is a force for good. Now it appears the country
should accept the party as a paramilitary force similar to the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard. What is the use of Hezbollah’s weapons in Tripoli or
Chtoura or even in Bourj Abi Haidar? Will they be deployed along all Lebanon’s
borders, including the highly porous sections of the Syrian frontier? It is
highly unlikely.
The truth of the matter is that Hezbollah is seeking to reshuffle the deck. It
wants to alter perceptions and plant seeds of doubt in a nation where doubt
grows like weeds, and where paranoia is the default setting. Hezbollah has,
after all, had a busy summer trying to convince the Lebanese public that Lebanon
is awash with Israeli spies and has been for years (and this despite its
supposed unparalleled monitoring of Israeli intelligence activities) in a bid to
discredit the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the court formed to find those
behind the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and subsequent
assassinations. It then upped the ante by telling us all that it had evidence
that would convince us of Israel’s involvement in the Hariri assassination. It
had none, but did enough to permanently shift the popular debate.
As long as our leaders dismiss the Bourj Abi Haidar fighting as a mere dispute
with no political or sectarian implications (or, as Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri recently called it, “a clash among brothers”) the problem of non-state
arms will mushroom as the street becomes more polarized than it already is.
Until a national defense policy is agreed upon (and we are not holding our
breath) Hezbollah’s martial ambitions must be restricted to defending Lebanon’s
southern border. It must also, along with all those present at the Doha
Conference, re-commit to the notion of a weapons-free capital. Finally, it must
recognize that, despite the illusions under which Moqdad appears to be laboring,
Hezbollah should not have a role in our internal security. We can only afford so
many brotherly clashes.
Security Council Extends UNIFIL Mandate, Condemns Tensions,
Urges Israel to Pull Out of Ghajar
Naharnet/The Security Council on Monday issued a new condemnation of tensions
along the Lebanon-Israel border as it renewed the mandate of the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon without changes to its rules of engagement. In a
unanimous resolution, the Council said it had determined that "the situation in
Lebanon continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security"
and had therefore decided to extend UNIFIL's mandate until 31 August 2011. The
Council strongly urged all parties concerned to respect the cessation of
hostilities, to prevent any violation of the U.N.-drawn Blue Line separating
Lebanon and Israel, and to cooperate fully with the world body and UNIFIL. It
also urged the Israeli government to speed up the withdrawal of its troops from
the northern part of the border village of Ghajar in coordination with U.N.
peacekeepers. Lebanon's U.N. envoy Nawaf Salam complained of "brazen" Israeli
infringements of U.N. resolutions covering the border, including flights in
Lebanese airspace. While Israel's deputy U.N. representative Haim Waxman told
the Council that the August 3 clash in Adeisseh "must not happen again." He
called on the Lebanese army to strictly respect the Blue Line. The Security
Council showed its anger by saying it "deplores strongly the recent incidents
involving UNIFIL peacekeepers." It also warned both sides to keep to an agreed
cessation of hostilities on the frontier. UNIFIL was set up in 1978 to monitor
the border between Israel and southern Lebanon. It was beefed up and given a
wider role after the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah. There are currently
about 12,700 soldiers, police, experts and observers in the force.(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 07:39
Report: Adib al-Alam Gathered Info on Alleged Syrian Nuclear Reactor Site
Naharnet/Lebanese Mossad agent Adib al-Alam has gathered information on an
alleged Syrian nuclear reactor site in Deir al-Zour that Israel bombed in
September 2007, a security source told al-Liwaa newspaper. The daily quoted
sources as saying that former security services officer Brig. Gen. al-Alam
transferred the info to Israel without specifying the nature of the data.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in May that Syria "provided the
Agency with information concerning previously unreported uranium conversion and
irradiation activities" at a small research reactor in Damascus. However,
Damascus is still refusing to cooperate over allegations that it was building a
secret nuclear reactor with North Korea's help in Deir al-Zour, the IAEA said in
a four-page report. The IAEA has been investigating the allegations since 2008
and has already said that the building bore some of the characteristics of a
nuclear facility. Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 08:05
Cabinet to Discuss Borj Abi Haidar, False Witnesses and Make Appointments on
Wednesday
Naharnet/The cabinet is expected to make a series of administrative, judicial
and military appointments during a session at Baabda palace on Wednesday amid
reports that the Borj Abi Haidar clashes would be discussed in detail by
ministers. Ministerial sources told An Nahar daily that President Michel
Suleiman would open the session with a statement on the street battles between
Hizbullah and al-Ahbash gunmen, the meeting of the ministerial committee that
was held Monday at the Grand Serail and the meeting of the Higher Defense
Council on Tuesday.
An official source also told As Safir that Suleiman would stress the necessity
to overcome the crisis that erupted after the Borj Abi Haidar clashes and call
for consolidating unity.
The ministerial sources said Suleiman would stress the importance of the
reconciliation protocol signed among Breeh town residents, one of the most
significant steps to achieve full reconciliation in the Mountains. As Safir
quoted a ministerial source as saying that the issue of false witnesses in
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case would cover a major part of
discussions during the session. However, State Minister Jean Oghassabian told
Voice of Lebanon radio station on Wednesday, it would be better to await the
outcome of Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar's findings on the issue before
discussing the issue again inside the cabinet. During the session, Prime
Minister Saad Hariri is expected to inform ministers about the results of his
talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus. Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 08:40
Jumblat at Iranian Embassy to Open New Page in Ties with Tehran
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat visited the Iranian
embassy in Beirut on Monday night to pave way for a trip to Iran, media reports
said. Jumblat held talks with Iranian ambassador Ghazanfar Roknabadi. The Druze
leader said his visit to the embassy was part of attempts to open a new page in
relations with Tehran.
The PSP chief said, however, that it was too early to talk about the date of his
visit to Iran. Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 10:19
Report: Army Arrests 2 People in Bekaa over Suspicious Phone Calls
Naharnet/The army intelligence reportedly arrested two young men in the Bekaa
valley to question them on phone calls they had received from numbers used by
Israeli intelligence to contact Mossad agents in Lebanon. Al-Akhbar daily said
Tuesday that the army began questioning them to determine whether they were
spying for Israel or not. Meanwhile, the military court postponed to October 11
the trial of several people arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel after one
of the defendants and witnesses failed to show up to Monday's hearing. The
tribunal also postponed to September 20 the trial of Mossad agent Mahmoud Qassem
Rafeh who is accused of assassinating Hizbullah official Ali Hussein Saleh in
2003. Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 09:06
Hariri: Beirut Must Not Turn into Chaos Overnight
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday said Beirut must not turn into
chaos overnight and rejected self-protection in the capital or elsewhere in
Lebanon. During an iftar held by the Makassed Philanthropic Association at BIEL,
Hariri said security has no "sectarian identity."
"I don't think that anyone wants self-protection inside Beirut or elsewhere (in
Lebanon)," he said, adding that he will exert every effort to achieve national
security. "We do not consider that the call for law enforcement and addressing
security breaches resulting from the spread of arms is a call addressed to one
party or political side. Hariri believed it was only "natural" for the Borj Abu
Haidar bloody street battles to draw reactions from politicians, citizens and
civil society organizations. "But it was also the duty of the concerned
authorities to play their role and contain the repercussions and calm down the
people," he stressed. Beirut, 30 Aug 10, 21:44
Kataeb Denounces Armed Presence in Beirut, Calls for Giving Army Green Light
Naharnet/The Phalange party on Monday condemned last week's street battles in
Beirut and called for giving the Lebanese army the green light to intervene. It
also called for disarming rogues and "those living on Lebanese territory." In a
statement released after its weekly meeting, Kataeb said security should be in
the hands of police and the Lebanese army.
Beirut, 30
Aug 10, 20:06
Nasrallah: Borj Abi Haidar Clashes Revealed Premeditated Intentions
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah reportedly described the
clashes between the party and al-Ahbash gunmen as "unfortunate" but said they
showed there were "premeditated intentions."Nasrallah's stance came during an
iftar banquet to families of martyrs on Monday, al-Akhbar daily said Tuesday.
The Hizbullah secretary-general said that some parties seem to be waiting for an
opportunity to attack the resistance and its arms, the newspaper reported.
Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 09:42
Suleiman to Head Meeting to Discuss Control of Widespread Arms
Naharnet/A ministerial committee tasked with discussing the control of
widespread arms in and around Beirut met Monday under Prime Minister Saad
Hariri. A statement at the end of the meeting with Defense Minister Elias Murr
and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said the conferees agreed that the Supreme
Defense Council take up discussion of this issue. Hariri said the Council will
hold a meeting under President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday. Monday's meeting came
following last weeks' street battles between Hizbullah supporters and Al-Ahbash
partisans – both backed by Syria. Three people were killed and a dozen others
wounded in the clashes with were concentrated in Beirut's Borj Abi Haidar
district. The fighting has again put widespread armament in and around Beirut in
the limelight and raised fears of a repeat of May 2008, when Hizbullah took over
most of west Beirut. About 100 people were killed in the week-long battle, which
also involved Druze and Sunnis and was sparked by a government crackdown on
Hizbullah's private communications network. "Certain measures should be taken,
at the very least to find a means to control armament within the capital,"
Baroud told As-Safir newspaper in remarks published Monday. "But disarming the
Resistance (Hizbullah) is not on the table, even in Beirut, as we are fully
aware of the sensitivity of the situation and we can agree on a unique formula
for the Resistance's arms in Beirut," Baroud added. Tuesday's fighting sparked a
harsh exchange of words between Hariri's parliamentary bloc and Hizbullah, the
only party that did not disarm after the 1975-1990 civil war. Hizbullah argues
its arsenal is necessary to defend Lebanon against Israel. "No one is above the
law and the state alone is responsible for managing public affairs," Hariri told
an iftar on Sunday. "Tours of the area in Borj Abi Haidar where fighting took
place only aim to further deepen division," Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad said,
referring to Hariri's visit to the scene last week. Hariri hit back following
Monday's meeting, saying: "The tour I made in Borj Abi Haidar, Nweiri and Mazraa
was aimed to inspect what happened. Everybody knows that I'm personally against
discord."
Beirut, 30 Aug 10, 17:16
Sadr Still Alive, Held Captive by Gadhafi: Sadr's Son
Naharnet/Imam Moussa Sadr, who disappeared during a visit to Libya 32 years ago,
was still alive and being held captive by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his son
Sadreddine Sadr said Monday. "Imam Sadr, Sheikh Mohammed Yaaqoub and jounalist
Abbas Badreddine are still alive and are being held captive in the hands of
Gadhafi," Sadreddine said in an interview published Monday by state-run National
News Agency. He said Gadhafi had claimed that the three men traveled to Rome
"but Italian judicial authorities and Lebanese investigations and a lot of other
information have proved that they did not leave Libya." Sadreddine said Gadhafi
had during the past 24 years insisted that Sadr and his two companions left for
Italy.
But on Aug. 31, 2002, Sadreddine recalled, Gadhafi admitted that Sadr and his
companions "entered Libya at the invitation of government officials and
disappeared there." Sadreddine put the blame on Lebanese judicial authorities
for negligence in his father's case. "I am far from politics, but our duty is to
liberate them first so that we can carry on the march," Sadreddine told NNA.
"Secondly, we have to walk in the footsteps of the Imam." Beirut, 30 Aug 10,
18:03
Hizbullah, Syria to Cooperate in Any Israeli Attack on Lebanon
Naharnet/Hizbullah and the Syrian military have agreed to cooperate on any
future confrontation with Israel, the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai said Monday. It
quoted sources as saying that Hizbullah and Syria now have joint headquarters
from which they can coordinate any operations combining resources and
information, to be jointly commanded by officers from the two sides. These
operations, the sources said, would include air, land and sea. Plans also
reportedly include strategies for attacks on Israel as well as defense of
Lebanon in the event of an Israeli aggression. Prime Minister Saad Hariri
discussed Lebanese-Syrian ties with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on
Monday.
They also discussed ways to enhance "coordination between the two countries in
all fields," the Syrian Arab News Agency said. Al-Rai said Assad called for
"calm and dialogue to solve impending problems." He also reiterated his support
for the "Resistance against foreign threats," and urged Hariri to support
Hizbullah. Beirut, 30 Aug 10, 15:43
Report: Adib al-Alam Gathered Info on Alleged Syrian Nuclear Reactor Site
Naharnet/Lebanese Mossad agent Adib al-Alam has gathered information on an
alleged Syrian nuclear reactor site in Deir al-Zour that Israel bombed in
September 2007, a security source told al-Liwaa newspaper. The daily quoted
sources as saying that former security services officer Brig. Gen. al-Alam
transferred the info to Israel without specifying the nature of the data.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in May that Syria "provided the
Agency with information concerning previously unreported uranium conversion and
irradiation activities" at a small research reactor in Damascus. However,
Damascus is still refusing to cooperate over allegations that it was building a
secret nuclear reactor with North Korea's help in Deir al-Zour, the IAEA said in
a four-page report. The IAEA has been investigating the allegations since 2008
and has already said that the building bore some of the characteristics of a
nuclear facility. Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 08:05
Media: Abbas, Barak Held Secret Meeting in Jordan
Naharnet/Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud
Barak have met secretly in Amman ahead of Middle East peace talks that start in
Washington this week, Israeli media reported on Tuesday. The two met on Sunday
in a private home in the Jordanian capital, where Barak also held talks with
King Abdullah II. The Israeli defense ministry did not immediately confirm the
reports. Abdullah and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak will join an inaugural
meeting in Washington on Wednesday between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Abbas, who are to launch direct talks the following day.
Thursday's talks will launch the first direct negotiations between the two sides
since the Palestinians broke off talks in December 2008, after Israel launched a
devastating offensive against the Gaza Strip.(AFP) Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 10:31
4 U.S. Troops Killed by Roadside Bomb in Afghanistan
Naharnet/A roadside bomb attack killed four U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan
on Tuesday, the latest deaths in a particularly bloody spell that has left 18
service members dead since Saturday. No other details were given about the
incident and the service members were not identified by name as is standard
procedure.
The deaths bring this month's total to 53, still below the figure of 66 for
July, the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the 2001
invasion. Another member of the international coalition whose nationality has
not been released was killed Monday. Almost all of the recent coalition deaths
have come in southern and eastern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgency is
most deeply entrenched and where fighting has been heaviest. Those areas are
also closest to the mountainous border with Pakistan, where insurgents maintain
safe havens and training bases to instruct recruits, including foreign fighters,
who are later infiltrated into Afghanistan. NATO commanders have warned
casualties will mount as coalition and Afghan forces enter areas under longtime
Taliban control, particularly in the hard-line Islamic movement's spiritual
heartland of Kandahar province. The NATO force swelled this month to more than
140,000 — including 100,000 Americans — with the arrival of the last of the
reinforcements that President Barack Obama ordered to Afghanistan in a bid to
turn the tide of the nearly 9-year war.
Also Tuesday, the coalition said it killed two insurgents and wounded a third in
an airstrike Monday on a Taliban commander in charge of logistics in Kandahar,
including the coordination of homemade bomb attacks. A number of Taliban and
allied Haqqani Network commanders were also detained in operations Monday,
including one recently returned from teaching bomb-making techniques in
Pakistan, NATO said. In Zabul province bordering Kandahar, insurgents on Monday
night ambushed a convoy carrying food and other supplies, killing two private
security guards and wounding five others, provincial government spokesman
Mohammad Jan Rasoolyar said.(AP) Beirut, 31 Aug 10, 12:31