LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember 05/2010

Bible Of the Day
Luke18/1-8: He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, 18:2 saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man. 18:3 A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ 18:4 He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, 18:5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”
18:6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 18:7 Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Proverbs 17:22/A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Today's Inspiring Thought: Laughter Therapy
I like how the New Living Translation says it even better: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength."
Did you know that some health centers treat patients who suffer from depression, stress and diabetes with "laughter therapy?" I read a report that claims laughter therapy cuts health care costs, burns calories, helps arteries, and boosts blood flow. If you suspect you might be suffering from a lack of cheer, let me encourage you to look for ways to laugh more! It might be just what the Great Physician has prescribed to improve your health and bring joy back into your life. (About.com)

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Can the Lebanese challenge divine weapons?/By: Hanin Ghadda/September 04/10
The latest joke in Beirut/By: Hazem al-Amin/September 04/10
A farewell to arms… or disarmament? The latest rehash of an old debate/By: Farrah Zughni/September 04/10
The message of the Washington summit to Syria and Iran/By: Raghida Dergham/September 04/10
Syria's comeback game/Arab World: Syria’s comeback game/By JONATHAN SPYER/Jerusalem Post/September 04/10
Canada Welcomes Successful First Step Toward Middle East Peace Agreement/September 04/10
Empower judiciary to fortify rule of law/By Jamil K. Mroue/September 04/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 04/10
Nadim Gemayel: All militias should be disarmed/Now Lebanon
US envoy Oren warns: Hizbullah has 15000 rockets on border/Jerusalem Post
Israeli Minister: Iran-Hizbullah Axis Will Weaken the More We Advance in the Peace Process/Naharnet
UNIFIL investigation into Chehabiyya explosion ongoing, Singh says/Now Lebanon
Blast rips through south Lebanon village/By Patrick Galey and Mohammed Zaatari/Daily Star
Shehabiyeh Explosions Shrouded in Ambiguity, Hizbullah Denies Casualties in 'Fire'/Naharnet
'US to continue supplying military assistance to Lebanon'/JPOST.COM
Hamas spokesman: We will attack more settlers/J.Post
Explosions rumble at weapons warehouse in south Lebanon/CNN
Hezbollah politicians have lost their nerve, Chamoun says/Now Lebanon
LEBANON: Sunni-Shiite rift continues to claw at nation's fragile peace/Los Angeles Times (blog)
Saudi Columnist: Bring Nasrallah to Trial before an International Tribunal/Middle East Media Research Institute
Investigations into Burj Abi Haidar clashes have yet to produce results/Daily Star
Bellemare: STL no longer interested in ex-witness Siddiq/‘Basically, He is not somebody we will produce in court/Daily Star
Hariri confident STL will bring 'truth and justice'/Daily Star
Suleiman, Assad Discuss Developments in Region, Bilateral Ties/Naharnet
Berri Seeks to Bring Hariri-Nasrallah Views Closer after Counter Accusations/Naharnet
Abul Gheit: The Lebanese Themselves Should Settle the Matter of Hizbullah's Arms/Naharnet
Qassem Responding to Geagea: Basing Claims on a Non-Existent Text is Irresponsible and Shameful Behavior/Naharnet
Hariri to Nasrallah: I Only Know How to Carry a Pen, Not a Knife/Naharnet
Aoun: The Lebanese Willingly Lost All They Had Gained from Sovereignty, Freedom, and Independence/Naharnet
Batroun priest demands apology from Bassil’s church/Now Lebanon
Kanaan labels arms use commission as incapable/Now Lebanon

US envoy Oren: Hizbullah has 15,000 rockets on border
By JPOST.COM STAFF /09/04/2010 03:23
Ambassador says Islamist group amassing arsenal in southern Lebanon with long enough range to hit Eilat. Hizbullah has an arsenal of approximately 15,000 rockets amassed on Lebanon's border with Israel, including some with a long enough range to hit the southern city of Eilat, US envoy Michael Oren told AFP on Friday. "The Syrian-Iranian backed Hizbullah poses a very serious threat to Israel...Hizbullah today now has four times as many rockets as it had during the 2006 Lebanon war. These rockets are longer-range. Every city in Israel is within range right now, including Eilat," he said. Oren expressed Israeli concerns with Hizbullah's concealment of the weapons as well. "In 2006, many of their missiles were basically out in the open, in silos and the Israeli air force was able to neutralize a great number of them...Today those same missiles have been placed under hospitals, and homes and schools because Hizbullah knows full well if we try to defend ourselves against them, we will be branded once again as war criminals."This was not the first time that Oren has warned of the threat that Hizbullah poses to Israel. Following a clash on the northern border between the Lebanese Army and IDF soldiers last month, in which Lebanese soldiers opened fire on two IDF officers, killing one and seriously wounding the other, Oren warned that the distinction between Lebanon's Army and Hizbullah has become "cloudy." He expressed concerns that advanced weaponry given to the regular army could find its way into the hands of the Islamist group. Following the border clashes and Oren's warnings, the US Congress voted to suspend $100 million in aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces.Hilary Leila Krieger contributed to this report

'US to continue supplying military assistance to Lebanon'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
09/04/2010 14:46
Report says an estimated $100m. worth of equipment and weaponry has been approved, after funds were frozen by US in the wake of fatal border clashes with Israel.
Talkbacks (6) /The US will continue to supply the Lebanese Armed Forces with equipment and weapons estimated to be worth approximately $100 million, a Lebanese newspaper reported on Saturday. Al-Nahar quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Washington had urged both Israel and Lebanon to continue showing restraint towards each other and to refrain from threats and other provocative behavior. Last month, the US briefly halted the supply of military aid to the LAF following violent border clashes with the IDF, which left an Israeli soldier and four Lebanese dead . The US State Department has reportedly been working to allay the concerns of members of Congress who put a hold on the funding.
“This incident was tragic and entirely avoidable,” Rep. Nita Lowey (D-New York) said following the incident on August 3rd . “US assistance is intended to enhance our safety and that of our allies.” Lowey chairs the House appropriations subcommittee that authorizes such funds. Similarly, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman (D-California) also applied a hold, citing more general concerns about “reported Hizbullah influence on the Lebanese Armed Forces.” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has previously defended US military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces as something that’s “in [the US's] national interest and contributes to stability in the region.”
**Hilary Leila Krieger contributed to this report

Hezbollah politicians have lost their nerve, Chamoun says
September 4, 2010
Hezbollah politicians are “behaving as if they have lost their nerves” because they are afraid of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) indictment, National Liberal Party leader MP Dori Chamoun told Akhbar Al-Youm news agency on Saturday.
The issue of weapons proliferation, brought to the fore following clashes in Beirut on August 24 between supporters of Hezbollah and those of the Sunni group Al-Ahbash, is being exploited to continue a “war of annihilation” against the Resistance and render it defenseless against a potential indictment, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Moussawi said last Sunday.
In a speech on Friday, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that by exploiting the clashes, “a knife was put in [Hezbollah’s] wound and twisted.” He also said that the STL is part of a failed American neo-conservative project for a new Middle East. Chamoun said that such comments did not surprise him since Nasrallah has rejected the STL in principle and refuses to recognize it. In July, Nasrallah said that the STL is an Israeli project and would indict Hezbollah members. “No one knows what is in the tribunal’s files,” and “when the indictment comes out, we will see what Hezbollah does,” Chamoun said. Hezbollah seeks to establish a “small statelet” and control Lebanon in any way it can, he added.
-NOW Lebanon

Suleiman, Assad Discuss Developments in Region, Bilateral Ties
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman discussed with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad during a telephone conversation developments in the region and bilateral issues, a presidential statement said Saturday. The two leaders also discussed issues that consolidate bilateral relations, the statement said. Last Sunday, Assad met with Premier Saad Hariri in Damascus. A joint statement stressed on calm and support for the resistance to solve pending issues. Assad visited Beirut along with Saudi King Abdullah on July 30. The tripartite summit held at Baabda palace called for commitment not to resort to violence. Beirut, 04 Sep 10, 15:29

Abul Gheit: The Lebanese Themselves Should Settle the Matter of Hizbullah's Arms
Naharnet/Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit stated that the Lebanese people themselves should settle the issue of Hizbullah's arms through dialogue. "Non-Lebanese cannot address this issue," he told the Egyptian al-Ahram newspaper. Addressing the direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, the official said that there is a 50 percent chance that they will be a success, but added that a breakthrough in the talks entails halting Israeli settlements. Beirut, 04 Sep 10, 11:26

Israeli Minister: Iran-Hizbullah Axis Will Weaken the More We Advance in the Peace Process
Naharnet/Israeli Minister of Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman stated Saturday that the Iran-Hizbullah-Hamas axis will become limited in power the more advances are made in the peace process. "The hysterical responses from Tehran in light of the start of the direct negotiations prove that advancing in the peace process will bolster ties between Israel and moderate Arab states," he added. Beirut, 04 Sep 10, 14:53

Qassem Responding to Geagea: Basing Claims on a Non-Existent Text is Irresponsible and Shameful Behavior
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem criticized on Saturday Mustaqbal MP Ammar Houri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's responses to the party official's recent stands on the Borj Abi Haidar clashes. Qassem's press office issued a statement slamming the LF leader saying: "Basing claims on a non-existent text is shameful and misleading behavior." The statement refuted Geagea's claims that Qassem had described the clashes as "natural," adding: "We as Hizbullah have been harmed first and foremost from the unrest." Shifting to Houri's position, the press office condemned the MP's statements in which he said that Qassem's positions had "insulted Beirut's residents.""We hope that the MP does not take statements out of context and he should respect the city's residents. He should not undermine their intelligence and eagerness to unite against strife and aggression," it continued. Beirut, 04 Sep 10, 14:40

Hariri to Nasrallah: I Only Know How to Carry a Pen, Not a Knife
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri snapped back at Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday saying he only carries a pen and not a knife.
"I am not the one who is carrying the knife because I don't know how to carry one. I only know how to carry a pen, give a book and teach people," he said during an iftar in Qoreitem in honor of Akkar families. On Friday, Nasrallah accused Hariri of shoving his knife in Hizbullah's heart. "There are weapons in every house … This is an old file and dealing with it is complicated, takes time and requires wisdom," he said via video link to supporters gathered in southern Beirut to mark al-Quds Day. Hariri and the March 14 forces have demanded the capital be free of weapons in the wake of armed clashes in Borj Abi Haidar last week. "Half of Lebanon's citizens live in Beirut, and the capital embraced the citizens during all the Israeli wars on Lebanon. Is this how we reward the people of Beirut?," Hariri said during the iftar. "I reiterate that calm and good rhetoric are required," he said. Beirut, 04 Sep 10, 16:05

Aoun: The Lebanese Willingly Lost All They Had Gained from Sovereignty, Freedom, and Independence
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated Friday that the Lebanese "willingly lost all they have gained from sovereignty, freedom, and independence," stressing the need to motivate the people to hold their leaders accountable for their actions. Furthermore, he said that the leaders should be replaced with ones who actually want reform.
"The Lebanese administration is a mafia that seeks to exploit the people, maintain corruption, and drive the Lebanese to immigrate," he added. A comprehensive reform plan is needed, "but a whole class of Lebanese are benefiting from the corruption and are aiming to maintain the current situation that has led the country to the brink of collapse in the water, electricity, security, and justice sectors," the MP continued. Aoun criticized the lack of action taken to address reform and attacked the justice system itself for being corrupt. Beirut, 04 Sep 10, 12:09

Can the Lebanese challenge divine weapons?
Hanin Ghaddar , September 4, 2010
Now Lebanon/
Exactly six years ago, UN Security Council Resolution 1559 was passed, but the problem of Lebanon’s illegitimate arms remains – and has got worse – with the weapons that should be used to resist Israel being turned on fellow Lebanese. Last week’s fighting in Bourj Abi Haidar reminded people in no uncertain terms of the events of May 7, 2008, which, while alarming in and of themselves, everyone thought had been resolved by the subsequent Doha Accord and the imposition of a national-unity government.
However, it seems that any incident, individual or political, can ignite sectarian strife and threaten the peace – not to mention the people – of the country’s mixed Sunni-Shia neighborhoods. Upon the request of residents and civil-society groups, the campaign to disarm Beirut was initiated by concerned political and official figures.
Hopes for the success of such a campaign are scant, as the counter campaign, launched by Hezbollah and its allies, is aggressive and threatening to Prime Minister Saad Hariri personally, hinting at efforts to topple his government.
Previous attempts at disarming the militias in Beirut and across Lebanon, since the end of the civil war onward, have been unsuccessful, with the real decision-making resting with the various parties and their regional partners.
We all know that Hezbollah and pro-Syrian factions such as Al-Ahbash will not disarm. Hezbollah made it clear in 2008 that its priority is its arms and that resistance is an excuse to acquire arms. In fact, in May 2008, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had the nerve to tell Beirutis and the Druze of the Mountain that his offensive action was done to defend his party’s weapons, using the infamous phrase that still rings in the minds of many Lebanese: “The arms are there to defend the arms.”
Simply, the political will is not there, and the Lebanese state and its institutions are not strong enough to impose any disarmament of any group. It is a familiar story. Following the Taif Accord of 1990, Hezbollah – along with pro-Syrian factions such as Amal and the Syrian Socialist National Party (SSNP) – kept its weapons as it was deemed the national Resistance because a sizeable chunk of Lebanon was under Israeli occupation. Ten years after the liberation of the South, nothing has changed, even though, over the same period, Hezbollah’s arms have not only been part of the national debate, they are seen as an obstacle to full Lebanese statehood.
In 2005, following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, an anti-Syrian government was formed, and Hezbollah felt its arms were under threat. Hezbollah’s plan, which only became obvious to the Lebanese much later, was to work to control Lebanon’s state institutions in order to protect its arms.
The party presented itself as the legitimate successor of Syria in Lebanon, and, after the 2006 July War, its campaign against Lebanese institutions grew more aggressive. The parliament was closed for almost two years, the opposition sit-in closed off the business and shopping district of downtown Beirut, while the Grand Serail, the seat of government, was besieged by armed Hezbollah and Amal members.
When the government of former PM Fouad Siniora did not cave to the will of an armed opposition and even sought to dismantle its illegal phone network (a move that fell within its remit), Hezbollah attacked West Beirut and the Druze Mountain, killing and injuring many civilians.
It was a watershed moment. The Doha Accord stopped both the fighting and the sit-in and imposed a national-unity government, the precedent of which wiped out the victory of the March 14 coalition in the 2009 parliamentary elections, which saw the formation of another consensus cabinet.
Since then, Hezbollah has controlled all state institutions, the streets of Beirut, decisions of war and peace, and has shaped the daily lives of all Lebanese who have had to live with the ever-present veiled threat of intimidation that the party hangs over the nation. But after the May events also started an arms race, especially in Sunni-Shia neighborhoods, where the population knew it could not rely on the state and had to protect itself.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army has been wary in its dealings with all the different Lebanese factions, not only because of the traditional sensitivity of Lebanese politics, but also because the army could be, and has been, divided along sectarian lines. It is a situation it must monitor carefully.
The Doha Accord calmed the local situation, but this stability has been extremely precarious and subject to new political dynamics, such as when Syria decides to send Hezbollah a message, leading to a new round of bloody clashes that could start in a mixed area like Bourj Abi Haidar, but spiral out of control elsewhere in the country.
Then again, the Doha Accord also stipulated the banning of the “internal” use of illegal weapons. And yet what happened last week in Bourj Abi Haidar was a big blow to the Doha Accord. But can we also say it was also a blow to the national-unity government, which was part of the same equation?
Even if we do, who decides the meaning of it or how to implement that logic? Obviously, not the Lebanese.
So now what? This is the question that is most prominent among the Lebanese. The Future parliamentary bloc, led by PM Hariri, called for Beirut to be arms-free, but immediately afterward a campaign against him was set into motion, even though other March 14 figures went further than Hariri by calling for the disarmament of the whole of Lebanon.
The proposal, although hopeless from the start, caused concern on Hezbollah’s side, because the accumulation of such initiatives over a period of time could eventually lead somewhere, especially in a more mature or stronger political environment. Meanwhile, the question is not whether Beirut is going to be disarmed or not; it is more about who will control Beirut’s streets: Hezbollah or Syria. The Syrian regime wants to come back by creating security incidents and leveraging Hezbollah’s vulnerable situation due to the threat of indictments from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Hezbollah, for its part, is trying to resist. Immediately after the clashes, Hezbollah compensated those who suffered damages, hoping to buy people’s silence. It might be able to do so for a while, but something else will surely happen, such as an STL indictment, later to reignite the anger. The security incidents will no doubt continue, and the political debate regarding Beirut’s disarmament will stop once something else topples it off the national agenda. In the meantime, the Lebanese will carry on living with the “divine” weapons of the “divine” party that achieved the “divine” victory in 2006. Divinity: how can anyone challenge it?
**Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon

Batroun priest demands apology from Bassil’s church
September 4, 2010 /In a statement issued on Saturday, Batroun parish priest Father Pierre Saab asked Energy Minister Gebran Bassil to apologize to Saab’s church after electricity company officials reportedly visited his house and accused him of tampering with his electricity meter. Saab thanked Bassil for publicly saying that aggression against anyone is unacceptable, especially a man of religion. He added that an official apology was necessary since the accusations were false, although he did not need a personal apology because he has already forgiven those who insulted him. -NOW Lebanon

LAF withdraws from Dweir
September 4, 2010 /Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) units have withdrawn from the town of Dweir near Nabatiyeh after entering two days ago when Khalil Jamal Rammal shot and seriously wounded Ahmad Assaad Kanso, NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported on Saturday. NOW’s correspondent added that Kanso’s brother, Sheikh Mohammad Kanso, told reporters that Speaker Nabih Berri personally intervened to return Rammal to Lebanon after he fled to Syria and tried to travel to France. Rammal has since been turned over to army intelligence, Kanso added. -NOW Lebanon

The latest joke in Beirut
Hazem al-Amin, September 3, 2010
Over the past couple of days, a joke has been spreading in Beirut, and it goes as follows: The Higher Defense Council, which convened following the Bourj Abi Haidar incidents, decided to carry out a security plan in the capital. Lebanese security forces thus performed a military deployment in Achrafieh.
This joke, or exaggeration, reveals a prevailing feeling among those telling it regarding the discriminating standards ruling the army’s deployment among them, whereas the inhabitants of other neighborhoods, including where the latest clashes occurred, are left without the presence of the army and security forces.
In reality, this holds true if the absence of the state, which the inhabitants are enjoying, is to be measured by the minutes one spends waiting at one of the new roadblocks here and there in the capital. If not, then the inhabitants of those neighborhoods where the state is absent are the effective objects of discrimination. Indeed, the inhabitants of some neighborhoods in Beirut or outside the capital are deprived of the presence of state apparatuses, which brings hell a step closer to their doorsteps. What happened in Bourj Abi Haidar is merely a sample of the bloody reality these people live in. Yet the most potent expression of this equation is found elsewhere, in the oral transmission of Beirut stories.
Following the events of May 7, 2008, many people enjoying a certain level of income chose to move to another neighborhood based on the equation of neighborhood instability in Beirut. They thus chose other areas that are not likely to witness clashes, i.e. the kind where security forces can easily deploy. The rightfulness of their decision was put to the test with the events of Bourj Abi Haidar, during which they felt that they had made the right choices without any bitter feelings similar to the abovementioned joke.
Major discrimination is being committed against the areas from which the state and its apparatuses are absent. It is of common knowledge in the Lebanese sectarian conscience that the inhabitants of Dahiyeh live in a semi-autonomous realm due to the absence of the state and its security apparatuses from their regions and neighborhoods. In truth, however, they are suffering from this absence, and this is obvious to anyone who observes their daily lives. Those living in Achrafieh can, for instance, turn to the nearest police station for help at the slightest trouble or injustice brought upon them by anyone. The inhabitants of Dahiyeh, however, cannot necessarily do the same. Those living in Bourj Abi Haidar between the local headquarters of the Islamic Charitable Association Projects and Hezbollah, which are allies, will always be gripped by fear. In contrast, those living in Achrafieh between two local headquarters of the Kataeb and the Free Patriotic Movement, which are foes, do not feel any fear or wariness.
Then who are the citizens who suffer from discrimination against them? According to the abovementioned logic, the answer is simple.
Nevertheless, another harsher paradox emerges as a result of this map, for in Lebanon, chaos and weapons are linked to a political context that is stronger and more effective than that of security and order. The forces representing chaos and weapons seem to enjoy more perks and benefits compared to those representing security and order. This gives rise to a feeling of injustice, which was expressed in the joke above. Security and the law are signs of weakness in our political life, whereas the chaos caused by weapons is a mark of strength and standing. Its values quickly prevail, and they become apparent as a sign of superiority. Conviction that the chaos brought on by weapons is right seeps into the city’s consciousness and is expressed in the s
**This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Friday September 3, 2010

A farewell to arms… or disarmament? The latest rehash of an old debate
Farrah Zughni, September 3, 2010
Last Tuesday’s Bourj Abi Haidar clashes may have left three dead, but they also resurrected a national debate, probably only to bury it once more.
In a matter of days, an overture to remove “illegitimate” weapons from “Beirut to the airport road” – a campaign that has been refashioned and revisited time and again since the close of Lebanon’s civil war – grew more boisterous, radiating mainly from March 14 politicians and their supporters. Once the debate spread across Lebanon’s political spectrum, however, the original message diluted, as heated political attacks and conspiracy theories gained a foothold in the public forum.
“The first time we used [the disarm Beirut] slogan was after May 7,” Fares Soueid, coordinator of the March 14 General Secretariat, told NOW Lebanon. “After Doha, everybody thought that the agreement would trigger stability in Lebanon… so nobody took this initiative into [further] consideration.”
According to Soueid, the disarmament question bubbled to the surface again following the 2009 Aisha Bakar conflict. He argued that the movement’s numerous past failures suggest a weapons-free capital would more likely come at the helm of civil protest than government initiative.
Many other disarmament supporters share Soueid’s skepticism regarding change through government for one central reason. “Hezbollah will never do it,” Future Bloc MP Mustapha Allouch told NOW Lebanon. “They say that these arms are to defend the Resistance, and this is why they will not withdraw their arms.”
In a September 1 piece, An-Nahar’s Abdelwahab Baderkhan took this argument one step further. “Realistically,” he wrote, “you cannot disarm Beirut without the permission of those who planted the arms – Damascus.”
Though NOW Lebanon had no success speaking to Resistance-allied MPs despite repeated attempts, critics of the disarmament plan have made their views known. On August 30, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said he supported a measure to disarm with one noteworthy exception: “Any weapon that is not a Resistance weapon is not needed in Beirut or any other district.” Disarmament advocates, of course, have found the distinction unacceptable. As Hezbollah is by far the largest and most sophisticated armed group in the country – the Lebanese Armed Forces included – excluding the party would render a disarmament ban pointless, they contend.
For his part, Hezbollah MP Walid Succariyeh defended the Resistance omission in an interview with As-Sharq al-Awsat, because “War with Israel is not restricted to the South…. What would stop Israel from making a landing in Beirut or the Bekaa or any other region?” He also questioned the fairness of such rationale. “Is it acceptable that some areas be like Monaco, aimed at tourism, while others are aimed at waging war?”
Still, Bourj Abi Haidar, Aisha Bakkar and the countless other neighborhood conflicts that have plagued Lebanon over the years isolate the crux of the problem: Is a Resistance gun still a Resistance gun when it’s aimed at fellow Lebanese?
In what many feel like an impasse for a comprehensive weapons ban, the Future Bloc has since resigned itself to removing the Resistance weapons stipulation from the campaign. Meanwhile, the Progressive Socialist Party has suggested another compromise. In an interview with NOW Lebanon, PSP media officer Rami Rayyes, echoing the words of party leader Walid Jumblatt, said that “Committees inside the different neighborhoods, representative of the different factions, [should] be capable of dealing with the sensitive [weapons] issues under the supervision, of course, of the army.” Nonetheless, the lack of movement on the disarmament track has not alleviated rhetoric from opposing sides. All camps have accused the others of manipulating the Bourj Abi Haidar clashes and the subsequent arms debate. In addition to domestic parties, Syria, Iran, foreign intelligence, and even the United States, have been blamed as instigators of the neighborhood clashes in a sinister plot to bring down Lebanon.
Hezbollah and its supporters have charged that the weapons-ban debate is “a war of annihilation” targeting the Resistance. A number of Resistance supporters, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, have argued that the Bourj Abi Haidar clashes were a premeditated event staged to flame sectarian divisions and undermine the movement.
Further, the Hezbollah leadership insists that by taking a stand in support of the weapons ban, Prime Minister Saad Hariri himself has acted as a partisan rather than as a statesman. Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad even criticized visits to the site of the clashes by Hariri and Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Qabbani, because they “aim to deepen division.”
Disarmament supporters have leveled similar charges against the Resistance. According to the March 14 camp, it is Hezbollah that has politicized recent events in its ongoing effort to discredit Prime Minister Hariri and the weapons ban. Summing up the views of many, Sabine Aweys argued in an An-Nahar piece that the ultimate point of contention is not the disarmament movement itself, but leads back to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s final judgment: “These [Hezbollah] attacks are to corner Hariri and place him in a delicate position when the time comes.”  “[Hezbollah’s] weapons were first to defend Lebanon, then they were used to protect the presence of the arms themselves, and in the future, the arms will surely be used to protect Hezbollah’s military presence in Lebanon,” said Lebanese Forces consultant Fady Zarifeh in an interview with NOW Lebanon. “So Hezbollah officials cannot feel offended when the prime minister calls for taking away all illegitimate arms in Beirut. This is the least he could do as a PM.”
Either way, as often is the case in Lebanon, many are right to fear that the forest has been lost for the trees as political attacks have taken precedence over the core issue. Yet it is difficult to foresee a straightforward means to disarm any locale in a nation that relies on a mix of “the government, the people and the Resistance” for security.
“This formula, that no world regime has ever institutionalized, leaves it extremely vague as to who has the right to arms,” explained Lebanese American University professor Imad Salamey. “Until [it is revaluated]… the current ministerial statement leaves it open to anyone to carry arms and shoot at anyone with the pretext of resisting Israel and confronting conspiracies against Lebanon.”

Nadim Gemayel: All militias should be disarmed
September 4, 2010 /Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel told Future News on Saturday that “all militias should be disarmed in Lebanon, starting with Hezbollah.”“The Lebanese army is the only legitimate power that persists, we want it deployed on the ground and equipped,” Gemayel said. March 14 alliance figures called for a weapons-free Beirut 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 the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects. March 8 MPs have said that such slogans aim to incite sectarian tension and that the weapons proliferation issue is being used against the Resistance.-NOW Lebanon

Kanaan labels arms use commission as incapable
September 4, 2010 /Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan told LBCI television on Saturday that the ministerial commission formed by the cabinet last month to deal with the increased use of arms in Lebanon will not be able to resolve the issue of disarming parties in Beirut. On August 25, the cabinet agreed to form a commission to deal with arms proliferation. In a statement on August 27, Beirut MPs and municipality officials called for a “weapons-free Beirut.”“The issue must not be exploited because we all want Beirut to be an arms-free city,” Kanaan said. March 14 alliance figures called for a weapons-free Beirut 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 the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects. March 8 MPs have said that such slogans aim to incite sectarian tension and that the weapons proliferation issue is being used against the Resistance.-NOW Lebanon

Hamas spokesman: We will attack more settlers
By JPOST.COM STAFF /09/04/2010 13:25
Report: Spokesman calls settlers a "legitimate target" and an army with thousands of weapons at their disposal; says the direct talks are a "media circus."
A Hamas spokesman told Arab language newspaper Al-Hayat that the group intends to continue its attacks on settlers because they are "legitimate targets" on Saturday.
Azat al-Ghashek reportedly said that "Zionist settlers" made up an entire army living on occupied land, with a large cache of weapons at their disposal.
The spokesman made the comments in an interview with the newspaper, adding that the peace talks launched on Thursday in Washington were nothing but a "media circus."
On Thursday, Reuters reported that thirteen Gaza militant groups have joined forces to launch a wave of attacks against Israel.
When asked if the renewed attacks would include suicide bombings, the Hamas spokesman reportedly answered: "All options are open."
Also on Thursday, Hamas condemned the launch of direct talks, saying its goal is to "liquidate" the Palestinian cause, and accusing Abbas of allowing Israel to build settlements in the West Bank and denying refugees' "right of return." Earlier this week, Hamas claimed responsibility for two attacks on Israelis: one, which killed four, and another that injured two. Both were shootings that took place in the West Bank.*Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.

Shehabiyeh Explosions Shrouded in Ambiguity, Hizbullah Denies Casualties in 'Fire'
Naharnet/A series of explosions on Friday ripped through a house said to be serving as an arms depot in south Lebanon, an area considered a Hizbullah stronghold, state-run National News Agency said. It said the blasts were in a three-storey building that was being used as an arms warehouse on the outskirts of the town of Shehabiyeh, just south of the Litani River, an area under surveillance of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). But NNA later withdrew its report, saying only that a series of explosions had been heard in the area.
A Lebanese army spokesman confirmed that there had been three explosions in the house, but said the nature and cause of the blasts was still unclear.
UNIFIL said it had no information on the incident. A helicopter bearing the multi-national force's blue logo was seen hovering briefly over the area before leaving.
"At this time all I'm able to tell you is that we are coordinating with the Lebanese army and we have sent patrols to the location," UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh told AFP.
Hizbullah issued a statement saying there were no casualties in what it said was a "fire." It said the Lebanese army opened an investigation, but it did not say what the cause of the fire was.
"Hizbullah's media relations denies that there have been casualties in the fire in Shehabiyeh as has been reported by media organizations," the statement said.
"The army is currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire," it said. The fire was quickly put out as troops sealed off the area. Ambulances also arrived at the site. Journalists were kept away from the scene by Hizbullah members in their party's military garb and signature yellow berets. A nearby resident, who asked not to be identified, told AFP that the building had been rented out by Hizbullah. The Voice of Lebanon radio station said the building is owned by Mohammed Salloum. An arms cache believed to belong to Hizbullah exploded last summer in an abandoned house in the southern village of Khirbet Silem, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border. In October 2009, a rocket exploded in a garage in Tayr Felsay, a village some 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the southern coastal city of Tyre. Tensions have been high in south Lebanon as Israel, which fought a devastating war with Hizbullah in 2006, has repeatedly accused the Shiite militant group of stockpiling weapons in residential areas. U.N. reports on the implementation of Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 war, regularly express concern over the continued presence of arms in south Lebanon.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 03 Sep 10, 20:17

Blast rips through south Lebanon village
By Patrick Galey and Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff/Saturday, September 04, 2010
BEIRUT/SHEHABIYEH: A series of explosions ripped through an apartment block in south Lebanon on Friday, as blasts were heard coming from a suspected arms depot.
The incident occurred in the village of Shehabiyeh, situated in an area covered by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), just south of the Litani River.
Confusion reigned following the explosions; the National News Agency (NNA) initially reported they had occurred at a weapons cache before removing the report from its website.
A well-placed security force, speaking anonymously, told The Daily Star the explosions were caused by combusting munitions next to a building that had been rented out to members of Hizbullah by a Beirut resident. “At approximately 13:00 today explosions were heard and they lasted 16 minutes. They were heard in a three-story building belonging to Mohammad Salloum. It is know that Salloum rents this building to Hizbullah at very high prices,” the source said. “Next to the building there is an ammunition warehouse, but we don’t know why the ammunition exploded.” The fires were quickly put out by the Civil Defense and ambulances could be seen driving to and from the scorched building.
Hizbullah issued a statement after the blasts refuting initial media reports, suggesting casualties had been sustained in what it termed “a fire.” The party “dismissed news reported in media outlets about martyrs or wounded in the fire in Shehabiyeh,” it said. “The Lebanese Army is probing the fire to determine the cause.” UNIFIL said it had no information on the incident. “I am not able to confirm these reports but we are coordinating with the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL units are at the spot,” the force’s spokesperson Neeraj Singh told The Daily Star.
UNIFIL personnel carriers and helicopters could be seen close to the village on Friday afternoon.
Witnesses reported that their passage to the scene had been impeded by Hizbullah members, who formed a ring around the perimeter of the blast site. Several men who appeared to be Hizbullah supporters surrounded the building and confiscated journalists’ cameras before noting reporters’ license plates.
When asked if UNIFIL patrols had met resistance when trying to approach the building in question, Singh replied: “None that I know of, UNIFIL is at the spot, I can say that categorically.”
But the security source said Hizbullah elements were preventing access to the site. “Hizbullah didn’t let anyone enter the scene,” it said. “No one was allowed within 800 meters of the scene. Hizbullah formed an internal siege and the army was on the outside.” An arms storage facility believed to have belonged to Hizbullah exploded last year in an abandoned house near the village of Khirbet Silim, close to the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel. Also last year, a rocket stored in a garage in the southern village of Tayr Felsay exploded without warning.
Though Hizbullah denied that the incidents were linked to their arms stockpiles – claiming the ammunition at Khirbet Silim had predated the 2006 war – the UN and Israel held the incidents up as examples of the party violating Resolution 1701, which forbids the presence of arms not in state hands south of the Litani River. Residents were divided over the possible cause of the blasts, with some blaming gas canisters or a faulty generator igniting close-by diesel tanks. But the security source was unequivocal: “The type of explosions and the smoke they emitted means that they are explosives.” – Additional reporting by Carol Rizk

Explosions rumble at weapons warehouse in south Lebanon
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 3, 2010 -- Updated 2100
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The Lebanese Army is investigating the blasts
Hezbollah official denies weapons story, says generators exploded
Israel Defense Forces posts video of burning building
(CNN) -- A string of explosions in a weapons storage facility rattled the village of Shehabiyeh in southern Lebanon and started a fire, Lebanon's official news agency reported.
The state-run National News Agency said preliminary information indicated that the explosion took place in a three-story building "owned by the citizen W.S." and that the Lebanese Army had cordoned off the area and was investigating. The Israel Defense Forces posted a short video of a burning building on its YouTube channel, saying it was a Hezbollah weapons storage building in Shehabiyeh. The IDF did not say where it got the video, which was shot from high overhead, with text and other markings around the edges of the video blurred out.
A Hezbollah official, however, said that the fire was caused by the explosion of two generators near an area where fuel was stored. No one was hurt, the official said, and the only damage was in the room that held the generators. New TV Lebanon, a Shiite-owned station aligned with Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, reported that "dozens of fire trucks and ambulances" responded.

UNIFIL investigation into Chehabiyya explosion ongoing, Singh says
September 4, 2010 /Investigations are underway into the Friday explosion in the town of Chehabiyya near Tyre, and “so far all that has been confirmed is that a fire broke out at the site of the incident,” UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh told AFP on Saturday. The explosion occurred when a fire detonated rocket shells, hand grenades and gas containers, Reuters news agency reported on Friday. An anonymous UNIFIL source told NOW Lebanon’s correspondent on Saturday that he suspects the explosion happened during a training session that was being conducted by Hezbollah inside the building that blew up. Singh also denied media reports that UNIFIL had been prevented from reaching the location, saying that “[UNIFIL’s] western sector commander entered the building and there was good cooperation with the Lebanese army.”-NOW Lebanon

Blasts at Hezbollah arms cache; 5 injured
Lebanese security official says large fire in Shihabiya village may have been triggered by explosion at weapons depot belonging to Shiite group. Israeli security officials: This proves Hezbollah holding weapons in heart of civilian population
Roee Nahmias Latest Update: 09.03.10, 20:29 / Israel News
VIDEO - Lebanese security officials said Friday that several explosions caused a large fire in a southern village. Five people were injured in the incident, they said. Several hours later, the IDF Spokesperson's Office released footage taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle, showing smoke billowing over the area.
An army source said the blasts might have been triggered by an explosion at a weapons depot belonging to the Hezbollah terror group in the village of Shehabiyeh.
"There was more than one explosion at a house on the outskirts of Shihabiya," he said. "Usually (multiple explosions) mean it is ammunition (detonating)," he said.
The al-Jazeera news channel reported that the explosions occurred at a weapons depot located in the three-storey home of a Hezbollah operative.
Lebanese army forces arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area.
In a statement issued Friday night, Hezbollah claimed no one was killed or injured in the blasts and that the Lebanese army was looking into the "circumstances of the fire." According to a Lebanese report, the explosion may have been caused by a generator which caught fire along with a fuel oil tank.
Israeli security sources noted that the incident proves once again that Hezbollah holds weapons in the heart of a civilian population and endangers southern Lebanon's residents.
IDF officials stressed that the Lebanese army prevented UNIFIL troops from examining the area, pointing to suspicions that the Lebanese army was cooperating with Hezbollah.
Shihabiya is about 15 km (10 miles) east of the coastal town of Tyre, near Lebanon's southern border with Israel. South Lebanon is a stronghold of Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006.According to UN Resolution 1701, which ended the war, the area south of the Litani River is supposed to be free of weapons. Last summer an explosion rocked a Hezbollah arms depot in the village of Khirbet Silim, about 10 miles north of the border. Israel filed a complaint with the UN, saying storing arms south of the Litani River constituted a violation of Resolution 1701.
**Hanan Greenberg, AP and Reuters contributed to the report

Arab World: Syria’s comeback game
By JONATHAN SPYER /09/04/2010 10:20 /J.Post
Recent Sunni-Shi’ite clashes in Beirut may be Assad’s way of telling Hizbullah that its unquestioned primacy in Lebanon is now open to debate.
President Bashar Assad of Syria this week reiterated his country’s firm strategic alliance with Hizbullah. The occasion for the dictator’s remarks was the latest visit by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to the Syrian capital. Assad’s statement was particularly noteworthy because some in Lebanon and further afield have claimed to discern in recent weeks a growing distance between Syria and Hizbullah. The Syrian president’s latest verbal endorsement of the “resistance” was followed by reports in a Kuwaiti newspaper of a military alliance between Syria and Hizbullah which if correct would make Syrian involvement a certainty in a future conflict between the Shi’ite Islamist movement and Israel.
Hariri’s visit came against the backdrop of the latest mini-crisis to have swept through Lebanon. The clash between Hizbullah members and militants of the small Sunni al- Ahbash group in the neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar, which led to three deaths, has raised once again the issue of privately held weapons. Some observers identified in the fighting a coded message of the type through which Syria sometimes communicates.
The Ahbash group is Sunni Islamist by ideology, but it is also staunchly pro-Syrian. Some Lebanese analysts concluded that last week’s events were much more than simply a squalid brawl between two sets of local Islamist toughs. According to this view, Syria deliberately activated its Sunni Islamist friends against its Shi’ite Islamist ones to make clear to Hizbullah that its unquestioned domination of Lebanon at street level was now open to question.
This contention forms part of a larger view that has emerged in recent weeks, which sees Syria moving away from its close alliance with Iran, in order to reestablish its dominance of Lebanon with the blessing of the West and the Arab world. Whatever the precise reasons for the brawl at Bourj Abi Haidar, however, this larger view is mainly the product of wishful thinking.
Re-domination of Lebanon is certainly a goal of the Syrian regime.
Syria’s agenda by no means coincides with Hizbullah’s in every way, and the record shows past moments of disagreement and tension between them. But as Assad’s ringing endorsement of the “resistance” makes clear, the strategic link between Syria and Iran, and hence Syria and Hizbullah rests on foundations too firm to be disturbed by any momentary or tactical differences.
This is so for two main reasons: Firstly, Syria benefits directly and very significantly from its alliance with Hizbullah and Iran.
Secondly, Syria does not have the power to move back into Lebanon except in cooperation with Hizbullah.
THE 30-YEAR-OLD alliance between Syria and the Islamic Republic of Iran has served Syria well – particularly in the last half decade. There were many in its early days who saw the link as a marriage of convenience against the jointly-hated neighboring regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Yet the alliance survived the fall of Saddam and indeed has proved at its most useful to Syria in the post-2003 period.
Five years ago, following the US invasion of Iraq, and Syria’s subsequent expulsion from Lebanon, the Ba’athist regime in Damascus looked on the ropes. Its demise was being predicted by many Western and regional pro-Western commentators. Yet today, Syria is riding high. The alliance with Iran, and the cover it brings Syria to engage in subverting its neighbors and supporting proxies against them, is the instrument which has enabled the Syrians to engineer their return to strength. It has been said that Syria is a strategic tool, rather than a strategic ally, of Iran. If this is so, Syria is a rare kind of tool which knows how to make its masters work to its benefit.
The Syrian power of disruption in Iraq, in Lebanon and among the Palestinians meant the regime had either to be engaged with or pushed back. The alliance with Iran, with its region-wide ambitions and reach, has given the regime the strategic partner necessary to pursue the path of subversion and confrontation, and deterred those who might have objected to it from putting Syria back in its place.
If Syria is to return to dominate Lebanon, it will do so in partnership with the Iranian power on the ground represented by Hizbullah, not instead of it. This is not a matter of sentiment for Damascus. The Ba’athist regime simply lacks the power to enforce any decision in Lebanon to which Hizbullah is opposed.
Syrian agents have skillfully succeeded in undermining civil order and confidence in Lebanon over the last half decade. But it is Hizbullah which possesses the real power on the ground. The days when Syria could dictate terms to all the players in Lebanon are long gone.
Hizbullah, as a client and instrument of Iran, has effectively outgrown the Lebanese context. Assad’s declaration reflects his awareness of this reality.
It appears that other internal Lebanese elements are aware of it too.
As a result, the initial outcry over the possession of weapons by Hizbullah in Beirut predictably led nowhere.
Interior Minister Zaid Baroud and Defense Minister Michel Murr met with Hariri on Monday, following his return from Damascus. The subject they were scheduled to discuss was an agreement on the control of possession of arms in Beirut. The ministers were quick to state that of course Hizbullah’s arsenal would not be discussed. The weapons of the “resistance” are out of bounds for discussion whether they are being used to strike at Israel, or to defend parking spaces against Sunni Islamists in residential neighborhoods of Beirut. This stance reflects an acknowledgement of reality.
Syria too is unable to ignore this reality. Neither does it wish to.
The Saudi role in backing the government of Lebanon and the growing friendship between Syria and Turkey do not in any way contradict this.
The deep, long-standing alliance with Iran is the cornerstone of Syrian strategy. The latest indications suggest that Syria is with the Iranian alliance until the end.
The writer is a senior research fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center.

Bellemare: STL no longer interested in ex-witness Siddiq
‘Basically, He is not somebody we will produce in court’
By Elias Sakr /Daily Star staff
Saturday, September 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) prosecutor Daniel Bellemare reiterated that he was no longer interested in former witness Mohammad Zuheir Siddiq with regard to the ongoing investigation into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s murder. “The evaluation of potential witnesses as determined earlier by the prosecutor’s office is a big part of the efforts and ongoing investigations to help the tribunal reveal the truth,” Bellemare’s office said in remarks published by the daily As-Safir on Friday. Bellemare’s press office made his comments in response to As-Safir’s inquiry into whether Bellemare would address the issue of false witnesses. Hizbullah has doubted the credibility of both the UN probe and the STL, calling the latter an Israeli project while stressing that the UN-backed tribunal failure to investigate “fabricated” false witnesses who misled investigations was a proof of the court’s lack of credibility. Hizbullah earlier filed a lawsuit against Siddiq for misleading the investigation, after he recanted testimony before the UN probe in which he accused former Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Syrian President Bashar Assad of involvement in the murder.
The issue of false witnesses has been subject to debate among Lebanese parties while the STL prosecutor insists that Siddiq was neither classified as a false witness nor a suspect in the murder. “I will not comment on what Mr. Siddiq says. Basically, he is not somebody we will produce in court as a witness,” Bellemare said in remarks published by news website Now Lebanon on Monday referring to Siddiq’s accusations of Hizbullah protecting false witnesses. Siddiq accused Hizbullah and Syrian intelligence services Friday of sponsoring false witnesses, in particular Hussam Hussam, a Syrian national currently residing in Syria, in an attempt to discredit the UN-backed tribunal.
Hussam was considered one of the principal witnesses in the investigation of Hariri’s assassination in 2005 before withdrawing his testimony.
Siddiq was arrested in the UAE and imprisoned for six months in 2009 on charges of holding a forged passport before being deported.
Earlier in 2005, Siddiq was arrested in France under an international warrant as part of the probe into Hariri’s murder but French judicial authorities refused to hand him over to Lebanon given the “absence of a guarantee that he would not be subject to the death penalty.” He was freed in February 2006 and disappeared from his French home in 2008 before re- appearing in the UAE. Bellemare’s office added in remarks published by As-Safir that the UN investigation committee and the STL were two separate bodies as the committee concluded its work on March 1 – the date the STL opened its investigations. While the head of Hizbullah’s ally – the Amal Movement – Speaker Nabih Berri called for the distinction between the STL and the UN investigation committee, a stance also adopted by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, Hizbullah rejects the formula. But head of the STL’s defense office Francois Roux said in remarks on Friday that the STL’s defense attorney could call on previous witnesses to give their testimony before the UN-backed court. “Members of the defense attorney’s team will have their own strategy regarding false witnesses and we should distinguish between false witnesses during the work of the UN investigation committee and testimonies to be presented before the tribunal,” Roux said in remarks published by the daily An-Nahar. On Thursday, Roux signed a memorandum of understanding with Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar that “guarantees the mission of the defense’s office in line with paragraph 2 of article 13 of the STL’s by-laws,” the defense attorney told An-Nahar.

Investigations into Burj Abi Haidar clashes have yet to produce results
By The Daily Star /Saturday, September 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Investigations into the Burj Abi Haidar clashes have yet to reach conclusive results with regard to assailants who were behind the attacks on the neighborhood’s mosque, press reports said on Friday. A well-informed security source told the As-Safir newspaper in remarks published on Friday that investigations were ongoing on two fronts: the first regarding the Burj Abi Haidar clashes and the attack on its mosque and the second to uncover those responsible for the burning of the Basta Mosque. Last week clashes pitted supporters of Hizbullah against elements of the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, a Sunni pro-Syrian faction known as Al-Ahbash. The security source said Mohammad Fawaz, a Hizbullah official who was killed during the incident, had been shot from an upper floor of a nearby building within the perimeter of the Burj Abi Haidar Mosque. Regarding the arson of the Basta Mosque, the source said investigations revealed that a local drug gang had been responsible for the incident with its leader belonging to neither Hizbullah nor the Amal Movement. – The Daily Star

Canada Welcomes Successful First Step Toward Middle East Peace Agreement
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2010/283.aspx
(No. 283 - September 3, 2010 - 6:10 p.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement following yesterday’s direct peace talks between Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian Authority’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, in Washington, D.C.:
“Canada commends Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas on taking this important first step toward a peace agreement in Washington on September 2. We also welcome the parties’ commitment to meet at regular intervals over the course of the next year. We strongly encourage the parties to remain steadfast in their efforts to keep negotiations on track toward peace, despite the obstacles which opponents of this process may put in their way.”
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Melissa Lantsman
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874

Hariri confident STL will bring 'truth and justice'
By Nafez Kawas /Daily Star
Saturday, September 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed Friday that truth and justice behind his father’s murder would be revealed by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). “This truth and justice will come if God wills through the STL soon,” Hariri said during an iftar at his residence in Qoreitem, addressing families of the Akkar region.
Hariri said no party dictates the premier’s movements, alluding to Hizbullah. “Regarding what happened recently in Beirut, no one dictates to me where to go, and I go wherever I want,” Hariri said referring to criticism by Hizbullah officials of Hariri’s visit to the Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood.  In August, three individuals were killed during clashes between supporters of Hizbullah and the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, a pro-Syrian Sunni faction known as Al-Ahbash. Two mosques and several properties, which Hariri inspected, were burned during the clashes. Hizbullah condemned the tour as an attempt to promote sectarian tensions. “It is not me carrying a knife … Beirut is for all Lebanese but not open to weapons that violate people’s homes,” Hariri said. The premier also reiterated his commitment to calm dialogue but added that his party would not remain silent regarding such incidents.
“Are we asked to remain neutral without the right to express our opinions?” Hariri asked. – Nafez Qawas

Empower judiciary to fortify rule of law
By Jamil K. Mroue /Publisher and editor in chief/Daily Star
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Editorial
The true nature of the deadly Burj Abi Haidar clash on August 24 offers a prime opportunity for the nation’s highest constitutional office-holders to take meaningful steps toward establishing and fortifying the rule of law. As many astute politicians and observers noted after the violence, a critical mass of indicators prove that the regular security flare-ups in Lebanon spring from nonpolitical, spontaneous causes – in other words, haphazard eruptions of individual tempers spark most of the violent incidents here. What sometimes camouflages the cause is that some of these outbursts elicit political reverberations, even though most do not.
What the aftermath of Burj Abi Haidar did not require was more politically motivated sloganeering in the vein of the prime minister’s call to demilitarize Beirut. The call for disarmament in the capital was provocative and – as Saad Hariri surely knew it would – triggered an aggressive response from Hizbullah.
Beyond the political tit-for-tat, the street battle underscored that nonpolitical eruptions threaten the lives and livelihoods of the citizenry because the state lacks the aura which would deter an angry individual from resorting to armed violence. Of course, the state has never had the capability to physically stop its well-armed populace from using its arsenals, but the absence of respect for the state has subjected the Lebanese to the rule of the vicissitudes of temper.
Disarming Beirut merely amounts to a slogan; a catalogue of violent incidents occurs outside the capital, as well. A campaign to address the problem and its causes needs a process, not a catchphrase. In a more enlightened step, the president and the government also activated the Defense Council; sadly, they did not invite the justice minister to sit on the council.
On the contrary, the head of the state and the Cabinet need to activate the judiciary and make it a political priority in order to give any chance for lasting success to this campaign. Earlier this week, Nabih Berri rightly noted that Lebanon requires an independent and politically strong judiciary to deal with nonpolitical issues, which would in turn foster confidence among the public in the institutions of the state. The speaker’s comments also demonstrate that we now have all the ingredients needed to undertake this process. The nation’s three top officials have declared their desire to tackle this issue and initiate institutional mechanisms. What they should do is gather all the major political parties to pursue this discussion of the security situation and reach consensus. The consensus this country needs most would be one to empower the judiciary and make it the driver of this process, which would bestow legitimacy on the Defense Council and move past slogans and into a state-building campaign.
**Jamil K. Mroue, Editor-in-Chief of THE DAILY STAR, can be reached at jamil.mroue@dailystar.com.lb

Nasrallah: Disarming capital complicated
Hizbullah leader ‘not concerened’ with demands of Special Tribunal
By Wassim Mroueh
Daily Star staff
Saturday, September 04, 2010
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah lashed out at recent calls for a weapons-free Beirut on Friday, saying dealing with the issue was complicated and required “time and wisdom.” Nasrallah also said his group was not concerned with the demands of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
“There are weapons in every house [in Lebanon] … This is an old file and dealing with it is complicated, takes time and requires wisdom,” he said via video link to supporters gathered in the southern Beirut to mark Al-Quds Day.
Hizbullah celebrates Al-Quds (Arabic for Jerusalem) Day on the last Friday of every Ramadan, in compliance with a call by late Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and March 14 forces have demanded the capital be free of weapons in the wake of armed clashes in Beirut last week.
“There is a wrong methodology being adopted in the country whereby [some parties] make use of an incident to try to tackle a matter that cannot be addressed this way,” Nasrallah said.
Three people were killed in the Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood of Beirut during the shootout between elements of Hizbullah and the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, a pro-Syrian group better known as Al-Ahbash.
Nasrallah expressed his regret for the incident, labeling it as “pure loss,” while stressing it resulted from a personal dispute but was exaggerated by the media.
He criticized parties that exploited the clashes to stir sectarian tensions. “It is not in this way that sensitive matters are addressed in the country, leaders do not behave in this way,” he said.
The Hizbullah leader called for promoting calm regarding the incident.
“Investigations [by the Lebanese Army] are ongoing, we paid compensations for [residents with damaged property], and the issue is over,” he said.
“Let us sit together and lay down a clear strategy to address our problems.”
Nasrallah said he was not concerned with the demands of a UN-backed tribunal investigating the assassination of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
His call comes after the STL’s General Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare requested additional data for evidence that Nasrallah provided, which implicated Israel in the murder.
During a news conference in early August, Nasrallah screened video clips of alleged Israeli drone surveillance footage intercepted by Hizbullah that showed routes Hariri used to travel, including the area where he was killed on February 14, 2005. The data was handed to State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, who in turn submitted it to Bellemare’s office in Beirut.
In an interview with the Now Lebanon news website on Monday, Bellemare said that Nasrallah’s claims about an Israeli involvement in the murder were under “serious analysis,” but requested more information.
“We are concerned with neither the STL nor the international investigations, nor in answering the demands of the general prosecutor,” said Nasrallah.
He voiced his readiness to cooperate with the Lebanese judiciary if it intended to probe the false witnesses as was its “duty.”
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for probing false witnesses which it said have derailed investigations into Hariri’s murder, dismissing the STL as an Israeli project targeting the resistance.
“But if the Lebanese judiciary’s sole role is to be a mailbox between us and the STL and Bellemare, then we are not ready because we are not concerned with the STL or Bellemare,” he said.
Nasrallah said Al-Quds Day was a day to remind a few basic principles. “Those principles state that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and Israel is an illegal entity,” he stressed.
“We are concerned with extending all types of financial and moral support to the Palestinians,” he added.
Nasrallah praised the Palestinian attack on Israeli settlers in the West Bank on Tuesday, saying the entire world should commend it. Four Israeli settlers were killed when their car was ambushed.
He criticized direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that kicked off on Thursday in Washington, saying they were “born dead,” as they lacked the backing of the bulk of Palestinians.
Nasrallah reiterated his support for the formula of people, resistance and army defending Lebanon.
He also expressed his support for Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s demands regarding the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions.
On August 31, 1978, Sadr, Mohammad Yaqoub and Abbas Baddreddine disappeared when visiting Libya on an official invitation by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Lebanon holds Gadhafi responsible for the three men’s disappearance
During a rally on Tuesday, Berri urged the Lebanese judiciary to accelerate issuing an indictment against Gadhafi, and called for raising Sadr’s cause at the UN and for Lebanon to boycott any conferences held in Libya.

Saudi Columnist: Bring Nasrallah to Trial before an International Tribunal
September 3, 2010 Special Dispatch No.3213
In response to a series of belligerent statements and speeches by Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah about the international tribunal for the Al-Hariri assassination, Khaled Aal Humail, a columnist for the Saudi daily Al-Watan, wrote that Nasrallah himself should be brought to trial before an international court for taking over Beirut in May 2008. Conversely, Aal Humail praised the Syrian regime for its restraint and responsibility in its dealings with the international tribunal.
The following are translated excerpts from the article:[1]
"Nasrallah Threatened to Blow Up the Situation in Lebanon, Which Would Lead to a Military Takeover... by Hizbullah"
"Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese Hizbullah, has lately begun to stage [media] events in order to threaten Lebanon and warn the Lebanese people that trouble and disasters will befall them unless they stand by Hizbullah, along with their institutions and authorities, [and help it to] evade justice as embodied by the international tribunal for the Al-Hariri assassination. Nasrallah threatened to blow up the situation in Lebanon, which would lead to a military takeover of the country by Hizbullah. Whoever follows [Nasrallah's] statements in his weekly speeches finds that the man presents the Lebanese people, and the other Arab countries, with two options: either to dismantle the international tribunal or to have [Hizbullah] occupy Lebanon...
"If, after the publication of the tribunal's indictment, Hassan Nasrallah and his party act hastily and defend the Hizbullah members implicated [in the crime], that will be a dangerous move indeed. Hizbullah will not find an Arab or international umbrella to defend it after spilling Lebanese blood. If that happens, even the missiles it is stockpiling in south Lebanon for its resistance against Israel will not avail it.
"The secret is out. Nasrallah has exposed his shame with his own two hands. Instead of fighting Israel – [a goal] that does not really interest him – he is stockpiling [weapons] in order to attack the Lebanese people, and especially those who oppose [Hizbullah's] hegemony over the country. Hizbullah is apprehensive about the indictment [soon] to be published by the international tribunal's, which will be backed with information, evidence, testimonies, and documents... implicating its operatives.
"Nasrallah is trying to persuade the Lebanese that the international tribunal will lead Lebanon to ruin. But the truth is that [something else] – namely the murderers' evading international justice – is guaranteed to spell Lebanon's destruction.
"I hereby firmly announce that Nasrallah's effort to [discredit] the tribunal is doomed to failure. The attempt to discredit the tribunal is [actually an attempt] to discredit the legitimacy of the international [community] and the Security Council. Hizbullah's insolent [attempt] to bring chaos upon the Lebanese people and the international community is a war crime that is punishable under international law. It warrants establishing another international tribunal to try those who are assisting Hizbullah in this coup against the Lebanese state...
"Let Hizbullah do as it likes. [Let it] defy the Lebanese people and international justice, as well as the countries of the region and the world, and discover what happens to it in the Arab and international arena. One day later, Nasrallah will no longer know even an hour of rest... If he insists on challenging the tribunal and undermining Lebanon's security, it will not sabotage the tribunal but [rather] his own organization, causing it to go from one crisis to another, even worse [than the last]. It will certainly not help those who were involved in the assassination, and those who assisted them, to evade prosecution by the international [court]."
"Nasrallah and His Allies Should Be Prosecuted for the Crime of Taking over Beirut in May [2008]"
"Moreover, if Nasrallah works to blow up the situation in Lebanon and undermine its stability and security, I believe that the Security Council and the international community will establish a new tribunal and bring personal charges against him, because he has decided to stage a coup against the Lebanese legitimacy and deal a severe blow to Lebanese security. Instead of prosecuting Hizbullah members – should they be proved to be involved in the Al-Hariri murder – it is Nasrallah and his allies that should be prosecuted for the crime of taking over Beirut in May [2008], and for the crime he means to commit when the international tribunal publishes its indictment against members of his organization...
"Why doesn't Nasrallah follow the example of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who [promised] that any Syrians proved to be guilty [of involvement in the assassination] would be prosecuted for grand treason in a Syrian [court]? There seems to be a difference between the responsible head of the [Syrian] state – which cooperated fully with the international tribunal – and Hassan Nasrallah, who is behaving vis-à-vis the tribunal like a sectarian leader trying to impose his rule over his partners in the homeland.
"This is evident from the fact that, in his last speech, Nasrallah announced he had proof that Israel was behind the Al-Hariri assassination. The question is – why has he kept silent all these years? There is only one possible answer. When Syria was accused [of being behind the crime, Nasrallah] kept silent because he hoped for an all-out war between Syria and its leadership [on the one hand] and the Sunnis in Lebanon and in other Arab countries [on the other]. Nasrallah blatantly exploited the conflict between the Sunnis in Lebanon and the Syrian leadership and people. He also exploited the disagreement between Syria and Saudi Arabia on the Lebanese issue... in his attempt to take over [Lebanon].
"As for his evidence and proof of Israel's involvement in the assassination, [Nasrallah] should present them to the international tribunal, which is the body authorized to investigate these allegations... Presenting them to the Lebanese people does not help the tribunal, because Nasrallah is [only] a politician, who does not represent international justice or [preside over] a court that can rule on broad issues.
"In my opinion, his goal in accusing Israel of the murder is to push the Lebanese into a tight corner, [and then argue] that whoever supports the international tribunal and the U.N.'s legitimacy is necessarily on Israel's side..."
Endnote:
[1] Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia), August 13, 2010.

The message of the Washington summit to Syria and Iran
Raghida Dergham
The US Administration has crossed yet another stretch of road on its path towards reshuffling priorities over the past two weeks, by announcing the end of military combat operations in Iraq, and by hosting the Palestinian-Israeli peace process summit, in the presence of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian Monarch Abdullah II, to launch direct negotiations. Those absent from both discussions in a direct sense, yet present in both in any case, include Iran and Syria, as well as the great powers holding permanent membership in the Security Council, especially China and Russia. Of course, there is some risk in the policy adopted by US President Barack Obama, as he wagers on peace, dialogue and convincing others. Yet such risk is more acceptable at the US and global levels than wagering on military might and on wars to produce change in the Middle East. And of course, there are those who interpret “Obamism” as a banner for political weakness and naivety. Nevertheless, there are also those who point to what is happening in the places targeted by the embracing policy of “Obamism”, such as Iran, to say that it is too early to judge in advance what this unusual policy will produce. The entire world is observing “Obamism”, and perhaps one of its most prominent mistakes is that the circle surrounding it is sometimes formed of unusually usual people who have forgotten that “unusualness” requires explaining and perseverance, not bureaucratic condescension. This is why many in the world do not know what Barack Obama has in mind and fear for the US to slip, even if not because of Barack Obama. Many therefore draft their future policies to the tune of new formulas emerging in the two coming decades, where China would gain economic prominence while the standing of the US would recede at every level. Iran and Iraq, for example, are subject to global monitoring of how the relationship between the US and China will develop and how it will reflect on these two major countries at the oil level. Even in a country like Australia, with a relationship of strategic alliance with the United States, as well as an essential economic relationship with China, one which contributed to saving Australia from the clutches of the global financial crisis, thought is being put into the options available within the framework of the developing relationship between the United States and China.
During a meeting of around 250 people, from among the most prominent personalities in various fields, political, military, economic and social, from the Indian Ocean region and from the rest of the world, hosted by Australia’s ADC (Australian Davos Connection) forum, a branch of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the issue of perseverance in assessing leadership, the elements of positioning and long-term strategies became prominent. There at that meeting in Hayman Island, there was much talk of searching for the right place for a country like Australia within the framework of the relationship between the US and China. However, in general and social sessions, one could get to know Australia from a different perspective than the usual one, within the ADC meeting and outside of it.
Thus for example, regarding the Middle East, it became apparent that, in people’s relationship with the Arab region, the role played by major Gulf airline companies holds prominence. Indeed, these airlines compete prominently and in effect in the market, such that they have made it possible for individuals in Australia to think of connecting with the Arab region on their way to Europe, while they in the past had the option of resorting to the Southeast Asia route. Thus, airline companies such as Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, Dubai’s Emirates Airlines and Qatar’s Qatar Airways play highly significant roles in bridging the gap between the Indian Ocean region and the Arab region. Indeed, they offer the consumer quality services for reasons of competition, yet at the same time they open very important gateways in interaction between people and cultures.
Australia, far away from everywhere, is an important partner in the Group of Twenty (G20), which brings together major countries and has effectively replaced the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized countries. The G20 includes from the Arab World only the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There is thus some interest in shaping special bilateral relations between the leaders of the G20 for numerous reasons, including: politics and positioning oneself in the world of bilateral exchange, as well as global issues important for humanity as a whole such as “climate change” and combating poverty.
Noteworthy among Australia’s elite circles is the fact that the majority is not automatically biased in favor of Israel within the framework of the Palestinian-Israeli issue, but rather concerned with the aspect of justice for the Palestinians under occupation. This is but one of the aspects that can be enquired about, clarified, and worked on building upon in the Arab relationship with Australia, a country that carries some weight in the G20 and in other international forums. And Australia is just one example of how to gather spontaneous support for the basics of issues that concern the Arab region.
President Barack Obama has this week set forth a de facto schedule, whereby the process of direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis now has a timeframe limited to one year. Obama does not want the US to monopolize sponsorship of this process, but has made sure to assert the important role of the leaders of the Quartet on the Middle East, which includes Russia, the European Union and the United Nations alongside the United States. President Obama has not threatened to sanction Israel through UN resolutions if it fails at peace and continues to violate international laws. Yet Israel has understood perfectly that its “protection belt from accountability” could be withdrawn under Barack Obama, leaving it globally thunderstruck in a way it has never experienced before. And that is a new dynamic in the relationship between the US and Israel and for Israel’s situation in the world.
During the Washington summit this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made sure not to exploit the first terrorist operation aimed at undermining the negotiations to start backing out of these negotiations and to hold the Palestinians responsible. So far, Netanyahu has not rushed to declare – as others among successive Israeli leaderships have – that the main problem is that Israel lacks a Palestinian “partner” in peace negotiations.
That is so far. What does the Israeli leadership have in mind and does Netanyahu really want to reach the two-state solution in a fair way and on the basis of international consensus over the vision of the two states, whereby the state of Palestine would replace the occupation with limited land swaps of a limited percentage of territories? Perhaps Netanyahu brings a surprise, of the same sort as the surprises of extremists like him who have assumed Israeli leadership before him, such as Menachem Begin. And perhaps he will confirm his record and his reputation of being insincere and of avoiding peaceful solutions. Yet today, because of the lack of willingness or preparedness of the Arabs for war against Israel, there is no better offer than the strategy of President Barack Obama for bilateral negotiations, with the support and under the supervision of not just the US, but an international partnership.
What Arab countries should do during this period is to support the Palestinian Authority headed by President Mahmoud Abbas in the negotiations and in the concessions required by peace, and to support Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as he focuses on building and strengthening the institutions of the Palestinian state. Thus if the state is established, its institutions would be ready. And if the negotiations fail and the two-state solution collapses, Palestinian state institution would have grown in the face of the occupation, to be the instruments of its defeat at the end of the day.
The Washington summit also sent a message to Syria and Iran. To Syria, the message is clear, and it is that the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis now has priority, but that this does not mean excluding a Syrian-Israeli negotiation process in parallel. In other words, it is out of the question today to toy with the priorities in terms of tracks of negotiations, this because the Palestinian issue is according to US policies the one with the greatest and strongest relation to the requirements of the US’s national interest.
To Iran, the message is also of the utmost clarity, signifying that the Islamic Republic of Iran might be able to disturb the regional system, trouble it, upset it and perhaps obstruct it a little. However, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not be able to define the main features of the regional system, regardless of how much it imagines that being America’s enemy is a fruitful and useful ideology in the Middle East, and that it holds effective instruments in Hezbollah in Lebanon or Hamas in Palestine. Thus if it opposes the peace process, that is its concern and its opinion, but Iran is not in a situation that would allow it to participate in drawing the map of the regional system, especially with regard to the Arab-Israeli peace process.
Iran needs Israel as an enemy, exactly like Israel needs Iran as an enemy. Perhaps the nuclear issue would be useful for the two enemies who agree on being enemies each for their own ends and considerations. As for the Palestinian issue, it is today temporarily spared the tug of war of the two enemies, who have never fought each other before or entered into a direct war of any kind.
The message was also sent to Iran through the gateway of Iraq, and it is that Iraq will not fall into the clutches of the ethnic sectarianism which Tehran had sought, regardless of how much it is today struggling through a political crisis, one which is shameful to a certain extent. Indeed, Iraq is the wealth of tomorrow for all international players, including the US, China and Russia. It is also the backyard from which the regime in Tehran could suffer, if the security situation were to deteriorate in Iraq. The warning is therefore about the harmful aspects of taking risks in Iraq. This warning does not come from Washington alone, as its vibrations are also clear equally from Beijing and Moscow.
The coming two weeks are important within the framework of Barack Obama’s propositions on the international scene when the United Nations General Assembly holds its session, a short time after the two important events in Iraq and in Palestine and Israel. Indeed, Barack Obama has shuffled the cards in a calculated risk, and perhaps he should now remove some of the obscurity surrounding what he has in mind and what he holds in hand.
*Published in the London-based AL-HAYAT on Sept. 3, 2010.