LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
07/2010
Bible Of the Day
Luke 18/15-17: "They were also
bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples
saw it, they rebuked them. 18:16 Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little
children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to
such as these. 18:17 Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive the
Kingdom of God like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”
Ephesians 5:2/And walk in love, as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Today's Inspiring Thought: Walk in Love
The love described here is agape (astonishing) love. Christ demonstrated how to
walk in love by his supreme example. When he washed the disciples' feet, when he
fed the hungry, when he healed the hurting, when he offered himself up on the
cross, he taught us how to walk in love.
We love one another with gifts of sacrifice. As we love like Jesus, we become a
fragrant (perfumed) offering, pleasing to God (About.com)
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
The target: Jerusalem/By: Alex
Fishman/September 06/10
Transparent, credible and solid/Now
Lebanon/September 06/10
New Opinion: Balance? What
balance?/Now Lebanon/September 06/10
Michel Aoun out of joyously &
stupidity verbally attacks Michel Suleiman/agencies/September 06/10
So that we do not all end up
missing/By: Hazem Saghiyeh/September 06/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
September 06/10
Iran: Israeli Attack Would Mean Its
Own Demi/AP
Video: Blast at Hezbollah arms cache/Ynetnews
Only a regional approach can bring Middle East peace/Financial Times
New footage shows Hezbollah evacuating illegal arms from Lebanon blast
site/Haaretz
UNIFIL probes southern blast amid fresh arms claims/Daily Star
Gemayel raps first round of Middle East talks for failing to address right of
return/Daily Star
Several countries step up travel warnings for Lebanon
following recent border and Burj Abi Haidar clashes/Daily
Star
Lebanon
PM says he erred in blaming Syria/AFP
Church members tread carefully
after Syria closes church doors/Mission Network News (press release)
Ahmadinejad: Israel is decaying,
cannot attack Iran/Xinhua
Mitri: Aoun has chosen
provocation/Ya Libnan
Lebanon PM retracts Syria
charge/BBC
Aoun Attacks Suleiman as Murr Says
President 'Crying in Regret' Over Attempts to Destroy Presidency/Naharnet
Suleiman: Negativity and Crying on
Regret are Unbeneficial and Do Not Build a State/Naharnet
Najjar Announces End of First Stage
of Investigations in Borj Abi Haidar Clashes: 22 Arrested/Naharnet
Attempt to Smuggle Narcotic Pills
from Beirut to an Arab State Thwarted/Naharnet
Jumblat Visits Center House:
Hariri-Nasrallah Meeting Could Require Direct Meddling by Assad/Naharnet
Hariri Heads Border Control
Committee Meeting, Oghassabian Vows to Solve Security and Smuggling Problem/Naharnet
Wahab Hoped Hariri Won't Admit to
Mistakenly Accusing Hizbullah after 5 Years/Naharnet
Russia Boosts Military Cooperation
with Israel/Naharnet
Hezbollah is Caught on Tape
September 6, 2010 - The first rule of breaking the rules is don’t get
caught---the second don’t get caught on video tape. Video footage of the
aftermath of the explosion in Al-Shahabiya, a village in southern Lebanon on
Friday, shows smoke rising from a building Click on the Link below
http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk
حزب الله من خلال فيديو صوره الجيش الإسرائيلي خلال انفجار مخزن له في بلدة
الشهابية الجنوبية/الرابط بأسفل
http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk
Caught on Tape
September 6, 2010 - by: Leland Vittert /FoxNews
The first rule of breaking the rules is don’t get caught---the second don’t get
caught on video tape.
Courtesy :IDF. Video footage of the aftermath of the explosion today in Al-Shahabiya,
a village in southern Lebanon, shows smoke rising from a building
By UN resolution 1701 Hezbollah is not supposed to have weapons in Southern
Lebanon this was part of the agreement that ended the Lebanon war in 2006 and
was designed to give Israel more security. But by most accounts a wink-wink
relationship with the Lebanese army allows the para-military organization to do
virtually whatever they please along the country’s southern border. The United
Nations force which is supposed to control the area seems powerless to stop the
group. Friday a massive explosion rocked a home in the ‘arms free’ zone Southern
Lebanon. In an amazing ‘coincidence’ an Israeli military drone was able to
capture the explosion’s aftermath Shehabiyeh---it is unclear if the drone saw
the actually explosion because the entire tape has not been release. But the
tape, provided by the Army, clearly shows a number of people running around and
men carrying large crates out of the home. The Israelis say those crates are
Hezbollah missiles illegally stored in the town.
[ VcJU0WuW6D8 ]
Its impossible for the untrained eye to tell from the tape what exactly the men
are carrying out of the house but as the black blooms of smoke rise they don’t
appear too worried about putting out the fire. According the Israelis the tape
illustrates a far more disturbing point, Hezbollah militants begin taking up
positions around the house and block the Lebanese army from getting in. Who
knows if they actually stopped the soldiers or if the army didn’t really want to
see what was going on but for the Israelis its proof positive of what they have
been saying all along: Hezbollah is gearing up for another war. The Israelis
used that point to lobby hard against $100 million of military aid to the
Lebanese army. Supposedly the Lebanese ‘assured’ the US that they would control
the arms and most importantly the new weapons would not end up in Hezbollah's
hands. However, the video begs the question who exactly is exactly guarding the
hen house...or in this the case the missile storage depot.
Read more:
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/09/06/caught-on-tape/#ixzz0ylEzzt00
The
target: Jerusalem
By: Alex Fishman
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3950184,00.html
Op-ed: Accurate Hezbollah rocket arsenal makes symbolic Jerusalem sites a
potential target
Alex Fishman 09.06.10, Israel Opinion
Syria’s president and Hezbollah’s secretary general do not believe a word coming
out of Israel. Assad and Nasrallah perceive everything that happens here as a
scheme; in their view, the Israelis are always cooking up something. Even the
forged so-called “Galant document” is some kind of deception in their eyes. They
just haven’t figured it out yet.
We can reasonably assume that Major General Gadi Eisenkot’s decision to stay on
as Northern Command chief is also perceived as a trick that has to do with
Israeli preparations for confrontation. After Nasrallah Rants
all, it’s impossible for an officer to refuse a defense minister or army chief’s
request to become deputy chief of staff. For Assad and Nasrallah there’s no such
thing. There’s no other possibility: Everything is about schemes
Meanwhile, for the Iranian-Syrian coalition, Iraq’s weakening and Saudi Arabia’s
military buildup (the recent $60 billion arms deal,) along with the
Israeli-Palestinian talks, are processes that call for action. Moreover, the
Iranians are still preparing for an American-Israeli offensive which they’re
sure will come.
Yet the current threat on our north includes implications we haven’t seen in the
past. If, for example, Israelis were certain that Jerusalem and its holy sites
will always remain out of bounds for the missiles – because it’s unimaginable
that the Syrians or Iranians will hit the Temple Mount, Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, any other Muslim or Christian holy site, or the Arabs of east
Jerusalem - this assumption is invalid given the new realities. If Israelis
viewed Jerusalem as a refuge for a cloudy day where they can escape to once
missiles start landing in central Israel, this perception is over.
Iron Dome around Jerusalem?
Hezbollah’s dramatic armament process, where it equipped itself with long-range,
accurate rockets (such as the M-600 missiles,) turns west Jerusalem into an
attractive target. And if missile also constitute a terror weapon aimed at
undermining morale, Israel’s capital is a wonderful target given the many
symbolic sites there: The Knesset, government offices, the High Court of
Justice, and so on. On top of it, the accurate rockets and missiles minimize the
possibility of harming east Jerusalem residents.
The IDF Home Front command is already addressing this threat, and the above
statements are openly presented to the heads of Jerusalem-area municipalities.
Nasrallah talks about reciprocity, and we may end up discovering batteries of
the anti-missile Iron Dome system deployed around the capital.
Meanwhile, rockets from Gaza already have an 80-kilometer (roughly 50 miles)
range, reaching all the way to Kfar Saba, northeast of Tel Aviv. We won’t be
surprised to discover in a year or two that these rockets already have a
100-kilometer range. This is the pace of rocket development in the Strip.
The military conclusion from these changes is as follows: The next war may
require the IDF to start with deterring blows – in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza –
because taking over territory is a long process that exacts many casualties.
And then there’s the diplomatic conclusion: An agreement with the Palestinian
Authority is not the ultimate solution that will allay the tensions in the
region. At best, such deal may be an (important) step en route to a regional
agreement.
Lebanon PM
Hariri withdraws accusation against Syria
Mr Hariri had long blamed Syria for his father's death
6 September 2010/Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he was wrong to
accuse Syria of assassinating his father - former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. He
told the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the charge had been
politically motivated. Mr Hariri added that Lebanon and Syria had deep ties and
that an international inquiry into his father's killing had been misled by false
testimony. Rafik Hariri died in a massive truck bomb attack in Beirut in 2005.
In the interview with Asharq al-Awsat, Mr Hariri said: "At a certain stage we
made mistakes and accused Syria of assassinating the martyred premier. This was
a political accusation, and this political accusation has
finished."Correspondents say the statement represents a major switch for Saad
Hariri, who for years blamed Damascus for his father's death. Syria has always
denied involvement. A UN-backed tribunal investigating the killing initially
implicated Damascus, but has yet to indict any suspects. Syria dominated Lebanon
for nearly 30 years and kept tens of thousands of troops on its soil. Rafik
Hariri's death sparked anti-Syrian protests that led to Syria's withdrawal.
Hariri: We Have Made Mistakes, False Witnesses Misled the Probe and Harmed Ties
with Syria
Naharnet/rime Minister Saad Hariri has admitted that the March 14 forces had
unfairly rushed to accuse Syria of assassinating his father and that false
witnesses had misled the investigation into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's
assassination. In his first remarks to the press following the third meeting
between him and Syrian President Bashar Assad, Hariri told pan-Arab daily Asharq
al-Awsat in remarks published Monday that he feels he is going to a friendly
country when he travels to Damascus. He described ties between the two countries
as "historic" saying new pages were opened in the relations since the formation
of the Lebanese cabinet. "One has to assess (events) in previous years so that
past mistakes are not repeated," Hariri said.
"We assessed mistakes that we made and that harmed the Syrian people and ties
between the two countries," the premier told the newspaper. "At a certain stage
we made mistakes and accused Syria of assassinating the martyred premier. This
was a political accusation." About false witnesses, Hariri said: "Some people
have misled the probe and harmed Syria and Lebanon … They have harmed ties
between the two countries and politicized the assassination." During an iftar in
honor of families and figures from the regions of Minieh, Dinniyeh, Koura and
Zghorta on Sunday, Hariri called for coexistence under the authority of the
state. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was a guest of honor at the iftar. He
reiterated that he has been calling since the beginning of Ramadan for the
adoption of "calm rhetoric." "We want a moderate state where there is no
extremism. We want a state where every citizen has the right to express his
opinion freely without being coerced by anyone," he concluded.
Beirut, 06 Sep 10, 08:38
UNIFIL probes southern blast amid fresh arms claims
Israel accuses Hizbullah of placing 15,000 rockets near Blue Line
By Patrick Galey and Agence France Presse (AFP)
Daily Star staff/Monday, September 06, 2010
BEIRUT: The investigation into the blasts which hit a three-storey building in
southern Lebanon on Friday continued over the weekend amid Israeli claims that
Hizbullah had moved a substantial amount of rockets closer to the Blue Line in
anticipation of fresh hostilities. The explosions at a suspected arms depot
close to the village of Shehabiyeh are being looked at by a team of
investigators which includes members of the Lebanese Army and the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Israeli military spokeswoman Lieutenant
Colonel Avital Leibovich told the Associated Press on Saturday that footage
obtained by one of its intelligence drones proved the explosions emanated from a
residential building used as a Hizbullah arms cache. She alleged that the
Shehabiyeh incident was the third of its kind this year and that Hizbullah was
actively maintaining several weapons stores close to the Blue Line – in
contravention of international resolutions. Leibovich claimed the party had
ammunition silos dotted around 160 southern towns and villages. Following the
blasts, Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, accused Hizbullah of
placing 15,000 rockets along the Blue Line, some capable of reaching southern
Eilat. “The Syrian-Iranian backed Hizbullah poses a very serious threat to
Israel,” Oren said. “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.” Hizbullah has maintained its
policy of refusing to comment on the make-up of its arsenal, which some Israeli
analysts estimate to comprise 40,000 warheads. The party released a statement on
Friday dismissing the Shehabiyeh incident as “a fire.”
Oren accused Hizbullah of actively maintaining its weapons, which if true would
constitute a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 – drafted to end
the 2006 July War between Israel and Hizbullah and which stipulates no arms be
present in south Lebanon outside of state control.
“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,” the
ambassador said.
“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,” he claimed.
“We know Hizbullah has in violation of UN resolutions once again penetrated
southern Lebanon, transformed entire villages into armed camps and put in about
15,000 rockets along the Israeli border,” Oren added.
Reports from Shehabiyeh suggested that men resembling Hizbullah members had
blocked initial Army and UNIFIL investigation teams from entering the blast
site. Individuals with communications equipment were seen confiscating rolls of
film from journalists and noting reporters’ license plates at the scene.
UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh said that an investigation into the blasts was
under way and that members of the probe were given free access to the building
in question over the weekend.
“We have our investigations ongoing although we don’t have an investigation
report yet. UNIFIL has been on top of things from the time the incident
happened,” Singh told The Daily Star.
“The Sector West Commander [Brigadier General Giuseppe Nicola Tota] went to the
spot and went into the house in which the incident happened. We have had good
cooperation with the Lebanese Army on this and maintained a substantial presence
in the area,” Singh said.
“On [Saturday] morning an investigation team visited the spot. It all went
smoothly and there was no obstruction whatsoever,” he added.
A suspected Hizbullah arms cache exploded last summer close to the village of
Khirbet Silim. In October 2009, a rocket blew up in a garage at Tayr Felsay.
Hizbullah denied involvement in both blasts. – With AP, AFP
Video: Blast at Hezbollah arms cache
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3949769,00.html
Israeli military aircraft documents recent explosion at Shiite group's weapons
cache; shows Hezbollah operatives concealing rockets, transferring weapons
Hanan Greenberg Published: 09.05.10, 20:06 / Israel News
An Israeli military aircraft was able to capture on film the recent explosion
which took out a Hezbollah rocket storage warehouse in Lebanon.
The explosion took place last Friday at 12:45, on the outskirts of the Lebanese
village of Shihabiya, just south of the Litani River.
The footage shows how in the hours following the blast, Hezbollah operatives
were trying to conceal the warehouse' content by placing sheets of tarp around
it, to obscure the scene.
Video courtesy of IDF Spokesman's Office
It also shows how dozens of Hezbollah operatives shuttled the remaining rockets
to warehouses nearby and to a mosque adjacent to Nabatieh, north of the Litani
River.
Hezbollah blocked the Lebanese military and UNIFIL from arriving at the scene
until after the remaining weapons were relocated.
It is believed that various kinds of rockets were stored in the warehouse, from
short-range, 107mm rockets, to medium-range, 122mm rockets.
The warehouse in question was a significant Hezbollah site. The IDF is following
the event's aftermath closely, as the explosion was the third of its kind in the
past 14 months.
The incident's location – a Hezbollah facility south of the Litani River, brings
into question UN Resolution 1701, which states the area is to be demilitarized.
It also stresses the Lebanese army's acquiescence in regards to Hezbollah's
activity in the area, as well as the UNIFIL problematic policies, as it does
nothing to stop Hezbollah's armament.
Several countries step up
travel warnings for Lebanon following recent border and Burj Abi Haidar clashes
By Simona Sikimic
Daily Star staff
Monday, September 06, 2010
BEIRUT: Several Western countries have intensified their travel warnings for
Lebanon in light of the August border clashes with Israel and the Burj Abi
Haidar incident which have increased tension in the country.
“The armed clashes that took place on the evening of August 24, 2010, reflect an
increase in tension in several neighborhoods in west Beirut,” the French travel
warning for Lebanon now reads. “Travel to some areas of Lebanon requires
caution. We advise against all travel to Palestinian refugee camps and against
all but essential travel to south of the Litani.”
It also specifically warns nationals against visiting Beirut’s southern suburbs
and cites recent incidence of illegal detention of their citizens by
non-government sources.
The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) similarly urges against
all but essential travel to south Lebanon and revised its status to say that in
light of the August 3 clashes “tensions are currently high on the Lebanese and
Israeli border.”
“There is a general threat from terrorism in Lebanon. Attacks could be
indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign
travelers such as hotels and restaurants,” the FCO travel advice for Lebanon
reads. “You are advised to maintain a high level of vigilance in public places.”
The Australian government is also urging its citizens: “reconsider your need to
travel” and to “not travel” south of the Litani river or to northern Bekaa.
Two Polish tourists were briefly kidnapped in the Bekaa last week before being
freed by Lebanese Armed Forces.
Whether or not additional warnings will be issued in response to the abductions
is as yet unknown.
Canada was the first country to step up its travel warnings on August 6 this
year, advising against all but essential travel to Lebanon.
“Heightened tensions throughout the region, together with increased threats
globally from terrorism, put Canadians at greater risk,” the Canadian Foreign
Minister, Lawrence Cannon, said in a statement.
VIDEO / IDF film shows 'Hezbollah
evacuating illegal arms from Lebanon blast site'
Israeli drone video apparently shows militants removing missiles from south
Lebanon village after huge explosion on Friday.
By Anshel Pfeffer?Haaretz /The army on Sunday released video footage of an explosion that tore through a
building in southern Lebanon on Friday – with pictures apparently showing
rockets and weapons stored by Hezbollah militants in contravention of a United
Nations resolution.
The new Israel Defense Forces film, shot from an unmanned drone aircraft ,shows
the aftermath of the blast, which ripped through a three-story building on in
the Shi'ite Muslim village of Shehabiyeh Friday lunchtime, wounding at least
five.
Exchange of fire on the border between Israel and Lebanon .
August 3, 2010/Photo by: Reuters / Karamallah Daher
Israeli intelligence officers have long seen the village, which lies south of
the River Litani, as a nerve center for Hezbollah operations and the building
destroyed by the explosion is believed to belong to the armed group, which
fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006.
UN Security Council resolution 1701, signed in the aftermath of the 2006 war,
forbids Hezbollah from storing any arms south of the river.
The explosion blew away part of the roof of the building, without damaging most
of what appears to be a weapons cache stored there. Following the blast, dozens
of people can be seen apparently covering building's exposed contents with
canvas, before removing weapons from the building.
Some of the equipment was removed soon after the blast to two nearby villages,
with the remainder transfered under the cover of darkness to a mosque in the
Nabatiyeh area north of the Litani, which Israeli intelligence officers say also
functions as a "significant" military base, the IDF said.
According to Israeli intelligence officials, who say they were aware of the arms
cache before Friday's explosion, weapons stored at the building included 107mm
short-range rockets and longer-range 122mm rockets.
The blast was the third at Hezbollah storage facilities in 15 months. Lebanese
press reports blamed Israel for all three explosions.
Gemayel raps first round of Middle East talks for
failing to address right of return
By Simona Sikimic /Daily Star staff
Monday, September 06, 2010
BEIRUT: Silence on the right of return for some 4.6 million Palestinian refugees
which has pervaded the first round of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks won
strong condemnation from Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Sunday.
“Today negotiations are under way to naturalize the Palestinians wherever they
are,” Gemayel said in statement. He also rejected any “project of Lebanon as an
alternative for Palestinians” and called for “true resistance” against
naturalization.
The first round of peace talks kicked off Thursday amid a flutter of speculation
about the extension of a temporary settlement freeze, currently in place in the
West Bank, but scheduled to end on September 26.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to walk out of the talks
if Israel resumes settlement construction but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has thus far refused to commit to a further suspension and is instead
said to be seeking “acceptable” alternatives. The two are set to meet again in
Egypt on September 14 and are scheduled to meet roughly every two weeks after
that to hammer out the broad proposals for a final peace deal.
For now, however, the historic right of return, upheld by various UN rulings and
fully endorsed by all Lebanese political factions, has seemingly stayed off the
agenda.
Netanyahu’s firm insistence in the immediate run up to the talks that an
agreement must “first of all [include a] recognition of Israel as the national
state of the Jewish people” continues to be the elephant in the room.
Although relatively quiet on the issue of late, US President Barack Obama, seen
by many as the main driving force behind the resumption of direct talks, has
previously been adamant that there will be no right of return for Palestinian
refugees.
In exchange for abandoning the claims to property or compensation for lost land,
the US-proposed plan, which is reportedly going to be used to bridge the gap
between the two sides on the major issues, will see a sharing of Jerusalem, and
a return to 1967 borders with land swaps.
With a cessation of the right of return, the fate of the 400,000 plus registered
Palestinians in Lebanon will be placed further in doubt, with some advocating
naturalization in their current host country and others pushing for resettlement
to third countries, such Sweden.
“The Palestinians will return to Palestine, their homeland, in the framework of
the right of return,” Prime Minister Saad Hariri said last month in statement
issued after the parliamentary reform of Palestinian right to work in Lebanon.
On August 17 Parliament repealed the worst of the discriminatory legislation
against Palestinian workers, lifting some restriction but still effectively
barring them from professions including medicine and law.
“This [project to settle Palestinian refugees] is an issue that we reject, and
we will not be subject to any foreign policy planning to execute certain plans,”
Free Patriotic Movement Michel leader Aoun said in the run-up before the August
vote. “The US is not interested in ensuring the security, stability and
sovereignty of Lebanon, but only in solving Israel’s Palestinian problem at the
expense of the Lebanese.”
Church members tread carefully after Syria closes church doors
September, 2010
Syria (MNN) ― The spiritual climate in Syria is a changing one. While Syria's
Christian minority is generally respected, conversions to Christianity from
Islam are rare and sometimes met with opposition. Voice of the Martyrs reports
that evangelizing is legal, but visas are not granted for missionary work. And
while there is freedom to worship, any activity that could threaten communal
harmony is suspect, making it difficult to spread the Gospel. Despite the
challenges, Reach Global in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) began in
2008. The team working in the area is focused on holistic ministry: meeting
physical and emotional needs as well as the spiritual needs of an individual.
They have been working together with churches, national partners, and
collaborating with like-minded ministry organizations in order to reach the
Syrians with the hope of Christ, and there has been success. A church has been
planted. Enter: opposition. This June, the Syrian government closed the doors of
that evangelical church. The group is still hoping to meet for worship and Bible
study, but they are praying for wisdom and discernment on how to do that and
still remain within the law. Pray for the Syrian government to demonstrate more
tolerance for establishing evangelical churches. Pray that Christians will be
able to reach out to the Muslim population in Syria. Pray that Syrian converts
to Christianity will be a strong witness to their family, friends and neighbors.
Suleiman: Negativity and Crying on Regret are
Unbeneficial and Do Not Build a State
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman called on Monday all who are working in the
public and political sectors "to stay away from the blame game and be above
opportunism and instead adopt calm and balanced rhetoric."He added: "Negativity,
putting people down, and crying on regret are unbeneficial and do not build a
state." "The situation in Lebanon demands people to adopt a sense of
responsibility, keep away from verbal disputes, and work on tackling matters
with seriousness and calm," he continued. "The sensitivity of the situation in
Lebanon cannot support risks, but holding wrongdoers accountable for their
actions and maintaining polite rhetoric is necessary," stressed Suleiman. The
president held talks Monday with Minister of Transportation and Public Works
Ghazi Aridi on current affairs. Beirut, 06 Sep 10, 14:44
Aoun Attacks Suleiman as Murr Says President 'Crying in Regret' Over Attempts to
Destroy Presidency
Naharnet/As contacts intensified over the weekend in a bid to ease tense
relations between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement, Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun launched a verbal attack on the president and ministerial and
security officials. "We hear of demands to make Lebanon weapons-free. Yes
Lebanon is free from its politicians, its will, its media and everything else
except for arms," Aoun said Sunday after attending mass at St. Mikhayel church
in Nabey. The MP also attacked the ISF Intelligence Bureau, saying it was
"illegitimate." "I accuse the Intelligence Bureau of arresting people and
kidnapping them for months," Aoun said. Turning to cabinet ministers, Aoun said:
"Why is the interior minister still asleep and where is the justice minister?"
He accused the information minister of spreading rumors and the defense minister
of standing idle unless he was personally targeted.
"Why don't they resign?" Aoun wondered. Unleashing his rage on President Michel
Suleiman, the FPM leader said: "What is the president doing other than crying?
He has taken the oath on the constitution and has vowed to preserve it." "From
now on, we have to see dismissals or resignations," the MP added. Interior
Minister Ziad Baroud and Defense Minister Elias Murr were quick to snap back at
Aoun, expressing regret that the FPM leader was trying to "bring back political
bickering to the Lebanese scene at a time when efforts are made to adopt calm
and reject any possible strife." "All of the Lebanese led by the president are
crying in regret over the behavior of some people who are destroying" the
presidency, Murr said in a statement.
Baroud, in his turn, said he was "asleep" because there was no electricity. The
minister was referring to continued power rationing in the country. Electricity
Minister Jebran Bassil is Aoun's son-in-law. Beirut, 06 Sep 10,
Najjar Announces End of First Stage of Investigations in Borj Abi Haidar
Clashes: 22 Arrested
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar announced Monday that the first stage
of investigations in the Borj Abi Haidar clashes ended with the arrest of 22
individuals.Investigations were conducted with 52 people, with the 22
individuals being arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, stirring
sectarian strife, possession of arms and explosives, and other charges. Beirut,
06 Sep 10,
Jumblat Visits Center House: Hariri-Nasrallah Meeting Could Require Direct
Meddling by Assad
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has expressed relief
at the phone conversation held between Premier Saad Hariri and Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's political assistant Hussein Khalil on Saturday night.
"Thank God they agreed on calm. This is the minimum required," Jumblat told As
Safir newspaper in remarks published Monday. "The biggest need is to consolidate
the calm politically and prevent what happened." "Maybe that would lead to a
regression in the existing tension," he said.
An Nahar daily on Monday quoted Hizbullah sources as saying that Khalil
congratulated Hariri on the statement he made on Saturday during an iftar in
honor of Akkar families.
Hariri's sources did not comment on the content of the phone conversation but
said: "We are absolutely committed to calm."
Asked about what role he played to bring the views closer, Jumblat told As Safir:
"I don't care about any role. I care about the result … I still call for not
only calm rhetoric but also for viewpoints to meet."Jumblat met with Premier
Saad Hariri at Center House on Sunday night. He was accompanied by Public Works
and Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi.
The two sides discussed the necessity to arrange a meeting between the Hizbullah
leader and the prime minister. As Safir daily said Jumblat had hinted to some of
his parliamentary bloc members that Syrian President Bashar Assad's interference
might be required to hold such a meeting. Beirut, 06 Sep 10,
Hariri Heads Border Control Committee Meeting, Oghassabian Vows to Solve
Security and Smuggling Problem
Naharnet/State Minister Jean Oghassabian said Monday that preventing the
smuggling of goods across the Lebanese-Syrian border was facing internal and
external obstacles.
Oghassabian made his comment after attending a meeting of the technical
committee to control and monitor the border. The meeting was headed by Premier
Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail.
"Preserving border security and preventing the smuggling of illegal goods across
the Lebanese-Syrian border are a top priority for the Lebanese government," the
minister said.
"However, achieving the objective faces huge internal and foreign obstacles that
have so far prevented the implementation of an effective strategy to manage the
land borders," he said.
Oghassabian said political and security challenges are thwarting attempts to
carry out a real control of the border although he said the Lebanese government
was seeking to solve the problem through cooperation with Syria and was looking
forward to get development and logistic help from the international community.
Beirut, 06 Sep 10, 14:25
Lebanon will be Syria’s after a year, Wahhab predicts
September 6, 2010
“After a year, the Americans and Syrians will reach an understanding and Lebanon
will virtually be awarded to Syria,” Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab told LBC
on Monday.
Wahhab added that Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s interview with As-Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper published Monday was both unsurprising and courageous.
Hariri said that false witnesses misled the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)
and “we have evaluated mistakes that happened on our side with Syria, which
harmed the Syrian people and the relationship between the two countries,” Wahhab
said, “We hope that after another five years, Saad Hariri does not tell us that
he made mistakes against Hezbollah as he did with Syria,” adding that “the
battle against the STL [will] continue until it is overthrown.”The false
witnesses to the STL are “journalists and other people close to Saad Hariri, as
well as some judges,” Wahhab also said. Wahhab also expressed reservations about
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s remarks about President Sleiman,
since Sleiman “cannot do anything because he does not have the prerogatives” in
the current constitutional system. In a speech Sunday, Aoun questioned whether
Sleiman had done anything since his inauguration “besides weeping.”-NOW Lebanon
Wahab Hoped Hariri Won't Admit to Mistakenly Accusing Hizbullah after 5 Years
Naharnet/Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahab hoped on Monday that Prime Minister
Saad Hariri won't admit after five years that he was mistaken in accusing
Hizbullah of involvement in his father's murder. In remarks published Monday,
Hariri said the March 14 forces were mistaken in accusing Syria of involvement
in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination.
Wahab hoped that the prime minister "won't say after five years from now and
after igniting strife that we were mistaken in accusing Hizbullah of
involvement" in Hariri's killing, Wahab told LBC TV network. "Hariri was killed
because he was an obstacle to strife in Lebanon," the Tawhid leader said. About
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Wahab said: "Aoun is a guarantee for
national unity in Lebanon." He admitted, however, that he didn't support Aoun's
verbal attack on President Michel Suleiman although the FPM leader was right in
several points he made. Wahab agreed with Aoun that the government was not
carrying out its responsibilities properly, saying if the cabinet was not
toppled, it would put Lebanon in the trap of the international tribunal. Beirut,
06 Sep 10,
Russia Boosts Military Cooperation with Israel
Naharnet/The defense ministers of Russia and Israel on Monday signed an
agreement on military cooperation, hailing the unity between Moscow and the
Jewish state.
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and visiting Israeli counterpart Ehud
Barak did not give details on the nature of the deal, which came after disputes
over Russian arms contracts in the Middle East. "I am sure the agreement we are
signing today will give a new boost to our bilateral relations," said Serdyukov,
quoted by Russian news agencies.
"Our views on many challenges of today are close or identical," he said.
"Primarily this concerns issues of terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction."
Security ties "help prevent these threats," he said. The show of unity came
after strains between Russia and Israel over Russian arms sales to the Jewish
state's major regional foes, Syria and Iran. Russian officials said earlier this
year that Moscow was selling Syria MiG-29 fighter jets, Pantsir short-range air
defense systems and armored vehicles, provoking anxiety in Israel.
The Israeli press has also reported that Barak's two-day visit is part of an
ongoing dialogue to prevent Russia selling P-800 Yakhont cruise missiles to
Syria, which Israel fears will be transferred to Hizbullah. Israel is also
concerned about Russia's deal with Iran to supply S-300 surface-to-air missile
defense systems, a contract signed several years ago which would significantly
improve Iranian air defenses. However, Russia has yet to deliver the weapons
amid heavy pressure not only from Israel but also the United States. Barak noted
"improving relations" between Russia and Israel, and thanked Russia for its
fight against fascism during World War II. "We know the truth: the state of
Israel would not exist if the Red Army had not defeated fascist Germany," he
said.(AFP) Beirut, 06 Sep 10,
Transparent, credible and solid
September 2, 2010
Now Lebanon/Transparent, credible and solid: these were the three words used
again and again by Daniel Bellemare—the Canadian chief prosecutor for the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the court created to bring justice in the
case of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri—in his
interview with NOW Lebanon published on Tuesday.
The three words represented the true nature of a process, the essence and
objective of which have been bent, stretched and twisted by those threatened by
it or suspicious of it, but which for Lebanon represents a watershed in legal
accountability. In fact, these three words that Bellemare used to argue that he
was not a political puppet are precisely the qualities that are lacking in
modern Lebanese society. No wonder then that a court that has been assembled at
considerable cost and with the backing of the international community finds
itself at odds with many of the people it genuinely seeks to represent. In this
situation, Bellemare must be credited with setting the record straight, while
maintaining the judicial and investigative integrity of his mission. The
prospect of indictments being handed down to members of Hezbollah for any role
they may have had in the February 14, 2005 explosion that claimed the lives of
22 innocent victims has threatened to destabilize Lebanon’s fragile sectarian
relations. Such have been the rumors of civil instability should the warrants be
issued that many Lebanese have already decided that such a move would be more
than the country can cope with and, as such, be too high a price to pay.
But those who claim the court has been politicized need only listen to Bellemare,
who simply insists that the indictments will only be handed down when there is
sufficient and solid evidence. He has wisely ignored the rumors, the rabble
rousing and the fear mongering. In short he has held his nerve when many were
losing theirs.
For Bellemare, quite rightly, makes the distinction between being in a political
environment and allowing his decisions to be influenced by politics. He has said
that no one will tell him what to do. If we are to believe him, we must shed the
notion that in the Arab world anyone can be got to. We forget that we live an
opaque and sluggish world, while Bellemare and his team are part of a more
transparent and dynamic society.
Similarly he has not allowed the issue of the so-called false witnesses be
weighed down by political intrigue. They will simply not be called upon to
testify. That they have perjured themselves is presumably a matter for the
Lebanese authorities and should not in any way derail the legal process.
We must listen when he talks of his team, many of whom joined out of a sense of
professional pride and the fact that they wanted to be part of his thoughtfully
assembled group of experts – talent, as they say, attracts talent. We must
assume they are all keen to see a transparent judicial process lead to the
prevailing of justice, and they will not be satisfied with compromising or even
surrendering their principles.
He was also quick to point out that it is essential that his team get it right
the first time. Thus, delays do not mean his investigation has hit a wall; that
he and his team have run out of leads. Citing the Khobar, Oklahoma, and
Lockerbie bombings, he reminded us that investigations can take years,
especially ones, like the Hariri investigation, in which the crime scene was so
heavily compromised. Bellemare is right when he says that the STL is for all
Lebanese and not, as many people think, the private crusade of March 14. Its
creation was a landmark ruling designed to show that justice can prevail in a
society where political murder has become part of the landscape, and it set a
precedent to discourage the region’s rulers from settling scores with the bomb
and the bullet. If we are to believe in the sincerity, skill and professionalism
of the STL then, for the sake of Lebanon, we should support it to the hilt.
New Opinion: Balance? What balance?
September 6, 2010
Now Lebanon/There is no balance between the Resistance, army and people when
Hezbollah fighters use weapons against Lebanese, as in the Bourj Abi Haidar
clashes last month. Here locals look at an obituary of a man killed in the
clashes. () Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah is nothing if not a
gifted speaker. His silky oratory is coated with reason and leavened with words
that invoke emotion and fear – the Zionist entity, the American project,
sectarian division and so on. And so it came as no surprise when, on Friday, in
his speech to mark Jerusalem Day, he threw out a phrase that was pitched to
capture perfectly his by-now-familiar, evenhanded and level-headed ideal of how
Lebanon should operate. “We in Lebanon are committed to the balance of army,
people and Resistance,” he said.
No doubt it sounded like a great idea, a harmonious social contract that smacked
of positive populism, one that implied our security lay in the hands of two
credible bodies: Hezbollah, with its proven martial achievements, and the army,
an office of state with its own brand of non-partisan, patriotic purity. With
such a mouth-watering tripartite union, could anyone accuse Hezbollah of
abandoning the state?
Very easily, as it turns out. The phrase is nothing more than another serving of
hot air and falsehoods. The reality, not to mention the irony, is that whatever
Hezbollah does is always out of balance in a state that is supposedly founded on
consensual dealings.
Indeed, where is the balance between the Resistance and the army when a
Hezbollah fighter can fire on a Lebanese army helicopter, like it did on August
28, 2008, kill the pilot, Lieutenant Samer Hanna, and walk free less than one
year later.
Where is the balance between the Resistance and the army when it is patently
clear that the army, the military arm of the state, has no authority over
Hezbollah and can never intervene or impose its will on the heavily-armed
militia? The message from Hezbollah is thus: You can carry out your duty but on
our terms.
Moving on: Where was the balance between the Resistance and the people when
Hezbollah took over the downtown district for 18 months, as it did between
December 2006 and May 2008, forcing the closure of businesses and imposing the
ever-present, albeit veiled, threat of intimidation?
Where was the balance between the Resistance and the people when Hezbollah used
weapons it promised us were only for fighting Israeli aggression to invade West
Beirut, as it did on May 7, 2008, killing innocent civilians, including a mother
and her child, caught in the crossfire?
Where is the balance between the Resistance and the people when, two weeks ago,
its fighters once again turned their weapons internally and brazenly slugged it
out with members of Al-Ahbash in the Beirut neighborhood of Bourj Abi Haidar as
terrified residents cowered in their homes?
In fact, where was the balance between the Resistance and the people when, on
July 11, 2006, Nasrallah made the unilateral decision to enter Israel and kidnap
soldiers, an action that led to a month-long war and the deaths of over 1,000
people with whom there was meant to be a “balance”?
And finally, where is the balance between the Resistance and the people when
Hezbollah rejects the notion of an international court formed to bring to
justice those who would seek to achieve political ends by using the bomb and the
bullet and derail Lebanon’s democratic – a word, the root of which comes from
the Greek demos: of the people – aspirations?
Clearly Nasrallah means nothing of the sort. Hezbollah’s weapons exist first and
foremost to ensure the perpetuity of the party. They were used on fellow
Lebanese in 2008 because the government sought to curb a level of influence that
it felt way exceeded Hezbollah’s “job description” as the national Resistance.
Two weeks ago, despite Nasrallah’s denials, Hezbollah reacted to attempts by
Damascus to clip its wings with similar firepower and contemptuous disregard for
the people. Either way, the only balance the party wants to maintain is the
balance of power…one that is tilted in its favor.
Michel Aoun
September 6, 2010
On September 5, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
Deputy General Michel Aoun visited the towns of Bsalim and Nabey to participate
in the Mar Mikhael celebrations… After mass, General Aoun delivered the
following statement:
“Brothers and sisters, I would firstly like to congratulate you on this holiday
and wish prosperity and continuation upon your town Nabey… Today, there are many
misunderstandings on the Lebanese level and the situation is vague to many of
you. There are increasing concerns, especially when the people see the disputes
emerging at the level of the press, politics and the regional and international
level. This country is always the object of attention of the world. Why? Because
it is targeted and the worst part is that some of our politicians never learned
and history failed to teach them anything. If we go back in history to see what
happened to us and how we got here in the Levant region, we would see we are
repeating the same mistakes…
“Today, I read a statement by a deputy in Metn calling for an arms-free Lebanon.
‘He raised his hands’ and we are ashamed to say ‘raised his legs’ so that all
the decisions are imposed on him. What does it mean to have a weapons free
Lebanon while there is a state next to us calling for the naturalization of the
Palestinians in their current locations? This state also perceived the fact that
we gave the Palestinians some working rights as being the beginning of
naturalization. Can Lebanon host 500,000 people more? If we were to compare this
to the size of the American population, it would amount to 45 million. Would
America accept to naturalize 45 million people on its soil? Would France accept
to naturalize nine million people?... On the other hand, it is permissible to
evacuate the people from the holy places? If the Christians and Muslims are led
out of the holy places, does this not mean they want to end the status of the
two greatest cosmic religions?... Beware, the situation is more dangerous than
you can imagine.
“Today, we are hearing about a weapons-free Lebanon. Yes, Lebanon has no
politicians, administration or press. It is free of everything except the arms.
The arms are not the ones committing the killings. We all have weapons in our
homes and do not see a crime occurring every day and no one is brandishing these
weapons in the face of their neighbors, friends or even enemies if they have
any. The side committing the killings is the will to kill. But what is creating
this will? The fear of being betrayed and when people are oppressed, thieved and
slandered. Why do people rebel? Because the authority governing them is corrupt,
does not respect the law and is wasting their rights... We have illegitimate
security apparatuses that have no right to investigate, arresting people and
kidnap them for months. The least they should is cover over their illegitimacy
and respect the arrest and interrogation laws. Yet they do not.
“The side carrying out those practices is the Information Branch which was
established within the security forces. The Information Branch is illegitimate
and does not respect any laws, but based on whose orders? Who is this god
governing Lebanon so that we curse him and who brought him to the country and
gave him this prerogative. This Branch is ‘spraying’ rumors, but who is
responsible? If we were to consider it is affiliated with the security forces,
we must ask the interior minister. We already pointed this issue out to him but
why is he still asleep? He is a friend but friendship stops at the limits of
public interest which is being undermined. What about the justice minister,
where is he? He is responsible for the secrecy of the investigations and every
day we read about a new investigation which may be a mere rumor. This also goes
for the information minister who is watching the rumors as they are being
circulated and even facilitating them, and the defense minister who does not act
unless the issue targets him personally… They are only interested in titles and
figures and claim they hold the decision-making power. We want to know what they
are doing and why are they not resigning? They all talk about their impotence
and inability but who is giving them the orders? We supposedly regained our
sovereignty, freedom and independence, but they cannot live independently
because they are not their own masters…
“I also warn you against our media outlets because they are slandering people’s
reputations. Consequently, the ‘good guys’ have a bad reputation and the ‘bad
guys’ have power, money and can pay… Eleven billion dollars disappeared during
the last five years. Where are they and where were they spent? Do they not do
their calculations every year? What is the accountancy directorate at the
Finance Ministry doing? What is the finance minister doing? What is the prime
minister doing? Even the president who swore on the constitution and pledged to
protect it, what is he doing other than weeping? We must see resignations and
dismissals from now on, or else the situation will not be sound if we continue
that way…”
He then addressed the attendees by saying: “Your responsibility is major because
you are the ones supporting us and renewing the terms of the reformist
politicians. Hold those who governed for thirty years and are still making
trouble responsible because the country cannot handle it anymore. We must look
at the greater interest. Israel is posing a threat on our very existence and
when we warn them against naturalization, they say ‘this is the scarecrow of the
general.’ A scarecrow? I think not and what they are doing is collaboration
[with the enemy]…”
So that we do not all end up missing
Hazem Saghiyeh,
Now Lebanon/ September 6, 2010
Under the headline of “Lam Yaoudou” in Arabic, or “Missing” in English, Umam for
Documentation and Research issued a catalogue with pictures of hundreds of men
and women who went missing throughout the various Lebanese wars, along with the
birthdates of each of them and the dates on which they disappeared.
These photos, which were already displayed as part of an exhibit organized by
the same association, were compiled as a result of a major effort, which
extended from the exhibition to the fancy production and direction of the
catalogue. Thus, in the same place, we can meet men and women, young and old,
Muslims and Christians, poor and rich, from Akkar to the South; they all stand
side by side with no borders separating them under one headline, namely the
painful fate that was theirs.
Given the documentary and archiving nature of this work, it gives substance to
the broad word of “memory.” In my opinion, “memory” is actually composed of
several memories, which have been proven to constitute only one and have been
presented as such. The friends and families of those missing will remember their
faces and relive the distress they felt when they were kidnapped, whereas the
Lebanese people at large will relive the practice of abduction, which is the
result of all these faces.
Yet what drove Loqman Slim and his friends in Umam for Documentation and
Research to make those mammoth efforts?
I am inclined to say that this catalogue serves two interdependent objectives:
First, it aims to force the makers of Lebanese wars (who are, in a certain
sense, all of the Lebanese) to take on the responsibility for what they have
made. In this case, this is not about abstract ideas or ethical stances one can
always disavow or impute to “another.” Rather, those faces document the crime in
looks, faces and living flesh …
Second, it aims to prevent the reenactment of the events that previously
occurred in this wretched country so that we do not end up all kidnapped or
killed. Such an aim is reached, in this catalogue, by implicitly appealing to
people’s conscience and reason, before adopting a transformative – almost
clinical – therapy, which does not rule out a radical upheaval of people’s
conscience and reason. In the end, isn’t it a painful and desperate paradox when
so many pictures, which were originally intended for IDs, end up pointing to
people who were victims of those same IDs that were used as slaughtering
criteria? We will not say, of course, that this is like talking to the deaf,
even though many facts point to it. We would rather join in betting on hope, no
matter how lame it is. So thank you, Umam, for giving us the chance to do so.
**This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW
Arabic site on Monday September 6, 2010
Aoun’s remark about Sleiman “impermissible,” Najjar says
September 6, 2010 /What Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said about
President Michel Sleiman is “impermissible,” Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar
told the Voice of Lebanon (VOL) radio station on Monday. In a speech Sunday,
Aoun asked what Sleiman “is doing after his constitutional speech besides
weeping?”Aoun made the remark after questioning whether Interior Minister Ziad
Baroud, Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, Information Tarek Mitri and Defense
Minister Elias al-Murr are “sleeping” while rumors leak from the investigation
of retired Brigadier General Fayez Karam, adding that resignations are
needed.Karam – an FPM official – was arrested in early August on suspicion of
collaborating with Israel. Sleiman is doing everything he can in the current
political situation, Najjar added. Aoun knows well, as a former general, that
the Justice Ministry has nothing to do with leaks to the media, Najjar also
said.
-NOW Lebanon
Iran:
Israeli Attack Would Mean Its Own Demise
06/09/2010/DOHA, Qatar, (AP) – Iran's president said Sunday that any Israeli
attack against his nation would mean the destruction of the Jewish state. The
two nations have exchanged numerous threats and warnings in the confrontation
over Iran's nuclear program, which Israel, the United States and other countries
believe is aimed at developing weapons, despite Tehran's denials. "Any offensive
against Iran means the annihilation of the Zionist entity," Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a visit to the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar.
"Iran does not care much about this entity because it is on its way to decay."
He said he doubted Israel or the U.S. would dare to stage such an attack because
"they know that Iran is ready and has the potential for a decisive and
wide-scale response." At the same time, Ahmadinejad sought to ease concerns
among neighboring Arab nations that Tehran could target them if armed conflict
were to break out with the West over its nuclear work. Many of Iran's Sunni Arab
neighbors, some of which host U.S. bases, fear that Tehran could attack them if
such a conflict were to break out. Ahmadinejad, who met with Qatar's leader
during Sunday's visit, said there is a need for reconciliation and cooperation
between Shiite-dominated Iran and other Gulf nations.U.S. military chief Adm.
Mike Mullen said last month that America's military has a plan to attack Iran,
although he thinks a military strike is probably a bad idea. Still, he said the
risk of Iran developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable and he reiterated that
"the military option" remains on the table. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei warned Wednesday that Iran's response to an attack would not be limited
to the region, suggesting Iran would target U.S. interests beyond the Persian
Gulf.
Accusing Damascus of Assassination Was a Mistake- Hariri
Asharq Al-Awsat Exclusive/06/09/2010/By Tha'ir Abbas
Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat- Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, stressed that
relations between his country and Syria were ‘historic relations’. In an
interview with ‘Asharq al-Awsat’, his first with the media since the third
meeting between him and President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Hariri confessed
to conducting a self-review of the relationship [between the two countries],
declaring that when he goes to Syria, he feels himself “going to the country of
a brother or a friend”. Hariri also spoke for the first time about the issue
known as ‘false witnesses’, stating that these witnesses “misled the
investigation” into the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. Hariri said: “I have opened a new page in relations with Syria since the
formation of the government”. He continued: “One must be realistic in this
relationship and build it on solid foundations. One should also assess the past
years, so as not to repeat previous mistakes. Hence, we conducted an assessment
of errors committed on our behalf with Syria, and I felt for the Syrian people,
and the relationship between the two countries. We must always look to the
interests of both peoples, both countries and their relationship. At a certain
stage we made mistakes. We accused Syria of assassinating the martyred premier,
and this was a political accusation”.Regarding his stance on the issue of ‘false
witnesses’, Hariri said: “Much has been made of the subject of false witnesses.
There are people who misled the investigation, and they have caused harm to
Syria and Lebanon…these false witnesses ruined the relationship between the two
countries, and politicized the assassination”. Regarding the [Rafik] Hariri
Tribunal, he said: “I do not want to talk much about the tribunal, but what I
will say is that the tribunal is not linked to the political accusations, which
were hasty”. Furthermore, Hariri praised the role played by the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, in the stability of Lebanon and
the region. He said “the steps which he [King Abdullah] undertook contributed
significantly to the stability of the region. This wise policy which we refer to
constitutes a security network for the Lebanese and Arab world…not to mention
the kindness of the Kingdom in Lebanon, in contributing to reconstructing what
was damaged during the war”.
US has Big Plans: Peace Talks between Israel, Lebanon, Syria
by Maayana Miskin/Arutz Sheva
The United States hopes to move beyond talks between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority to negotiations that include Syria and Lebanon as well, according to
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffery Feltman. Feltman,
formerly the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, made his statements Friday in an
interview with Al-Arabiya TV that was picked up by Lebanese media. While
expressing a desire to include Lebanon and Syria in the talks, Feltman noted
that there are many issues standing in the way of broader Middle East
negotiations.
As if to illustrate the issues Feltman was referring to, a Hizbullah weapons
cache exploded in the city of Shehabiyeh on Friday. A three-story building went
up in flames. According to Hizbullah, there were no casualties. The terrorist
group kept media from the site. UNIFIL troops in Lebanon said Saturday that they
are waiting for the results of an investigation before drawing conclusions from
the occurrence. UNIFIL is tasked with enforcing the agreement that ended the
Second Lebanon War, which calls for Hizbullah to be disarmed south of the Litani
River -- an area which includes Shehabiyeh. The Syria-backed Shiite Muslim
terrorist group Hizbullah dominates southern Lebanon. The group is now a part of
Lebanon's ruling coalition, and opposes any attempt to negotiate with Israel,
which it refuses to recognize. Syrian leaders agreed to conduct indirect talks
with Israel's previous prime minister, Ehud Olmert (Kadima). During the indirect
talks, Syrian President Bashar Assad demanded that Israel turn over the entire
strategic Golan region in exchange for a peace deal. The Israeli public has
overwhelmingly rejected the idea of relinquishing sovereignty over the Golan,
which was annexed following the Six Day War. Talks between Israel and the PA
began just last week. The fledgling negotiations are at risk of ending shortly
after they began, due to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's insistence that Israel
permanently freeze all construction for Jews east of the 1949 armistice line,
where more than 300,000 Israelis make their homes.
US has Big Plans: Peace Talks between Israel, Lebanon, Syria
by Maayana Miskin/Arutz Sheva
The United States hopes to move beyond talks between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority to negotiations that include Syria and Lebanon as well, according to
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffery Feltman. Feltman,
formerly the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, made his statements Friday in an
interview with Al-Arabiya TV that was picked up by Lebanese media. While
expressing a desire to include Lebanon and Syria in the talks, Feltman noted
that there are many issues standing in the way of broader Middle East
negotiations.
As if to illustrate the issues Feltman was referring to, a Hizbullah weapons
cache exploded in the city of Shehabiyeh on Friday. A three-story building went
up in flames. According to Hizbullah, there were no casualties. The terrorist
group kept media from the site. UNIFIL troops in Lebanon said Saturday that they
are waiting for the results of an investigation before drawing conclusions from
the occurrence. UNIFIL is tasked with enforcing the agreement that ended the
Second Lebanon War, which calls for Hizbullah to be disarmed south of the Litani
River -- an area which includes Shehabiyeh. The Syria-backed Shiite Muslim
terrorist group Hizbullah dominates southern Lebanon. The group is now a part of
Lebanon's ruling coalition, and opposes any attempt to negotiate with Israel,
which it refuses to recognize. Syrian leaders agreed to conduct indirect talks
with Israel's previous prime minister, Ehud Olmert (Kadima). During the indirect
talks, Syrian President Bashar Assad demanded that Israel turn over the entire
strategic Golan region in exchange for a peace deal. The Israeli public has
overwhelmingly rejected the idea of relinquishing sovereignty over the Golan,
which was annexed following the Six Day War. Talks between Israel and the PA
began just last week. The fledgling negotiations are at risk of ending shortly
after they began, due to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's insistence that Israel
permanently freeze all construction for Jews east of the 1949 armistice line,
where more than 300,000 Israelis make their homes.
Ground Zero Mosque Investor Donated to Hamas “Charity”
by Elad Benari/Arutz Sheva
One of the investors in the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero
in New York was a donor to a charity that was later shut down due to its
connection to Hamas.
According to an AP report on Friday, Hisham Elzanaty, 51, is among the members
of a real estate partnership that paid $4.8 million for the vacant clothing
store that is planned to be torn down and replaced by the Islamic center and
mosque. This information was confirmed by the developer leading the project.
Critics of the Ground Zero project have pointed to a donation made by Elzanaty
to the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development in 1999. According to tax
records, Elzanaty gave $6,050 to the foundation, which was the largest Islamic
charity in the US at the time. The Holy Land Foundation raised millions of
dollars from Americans in the 1990s. The money was supposed to fund schools,
orphanages and social welfare programs.
However, in 2001, the US government froze the foundation's assets and accused it
of acting as a fundraiser for Hamas, which has been a recognized terrorist group
in the States since 1995. Furthermore, in 2004, the foundation and some of its
leaders were indicted on charges of supporting Hamas, and five were ultimately
convicted.
During a 2002 interview with Newsday, Elzanaty mentioned his philanthropic
activities involving PA Arabs: "When you see people surrounded by tanks and
F-16s, you ask how can we help? But you don't want years later to have a knock
on the door and someone asking why did you donate money?"
AP also reported that besides Elzanaty, others also donated to the Holy Land
Foundation in 1999, including NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon, the Microsoft Corp., and
a medical equipment company owned by General Electric. Newspaper stories
questioning whether the Holy Land Foundation had ties to Hamas began to appear
as early as 1993, AP added. Israel banned the foundation in 1997, but the US did
not crack down on it until after the September 11 attacks. Elzanaty's lawyer
told a reporter for WNYW on Thursday that his client had no knowledge of the
foundation’s involvement with Hamas when he donated the money, and had intended
the donation to go to an orphanage. Sharif El-Gamal, the developer in charge of
the ground zero mosque project said in a statement quoted in the Wall Street
Journal: "Hisham is a major investor in the Park51 project. He is one of eight
investors all whom agree with me that this project will not be funded in anyway
from any country, terrorist organization or entity hostile to America or its
values." While El-Gamal has so-far not revealed the names of his other financial
backers, he has said that the group is diverse and includes Jews and Christians,
Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans, and others. El-Gamal and Elzanaty are
reportedly the only Muslims in the group. Three months ago, it was also revealed
that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the cleric behind the proposed mosque, is a major
donor to the pro-Hamas Free Gaza movement, which has been behind several
attempts to break the Israeli sea embargo on Hamas, including sending the
“Rachel Corrie” ship.
The project itself has been a source for controversy in the US, as protests both
for and against it have taken place. While the project has been endorsed by
politicians such as President Barack Obama as well as New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg, others such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sarah
Palin have spoken out against the project.A CNN poll conducted on August 11
found that 68 per cent of Americans oppose the Muslim center project in Ground
Zero.
Hillary Clinton to Attend Round 2 of Talks at Sharm
El-Sheikh
by Gil Ronen/Arutz Sheva
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend the second round of direct
peace talks between Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas. The talks are
scheduled to be held next Tuesday, September 14, at the Sinai resort town of
Sharm El-Sheikh. After the talks between the Israeli prime minister and PA
chairman, Clinton will head to Jerusalem for further discussions the following
day, a State Department official said. Clinton will be joined in the
negotiations by U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki also announced that his country
would host the conference, in a statement carried by Egypt's official news
agency MENA.
Arab foreign ministers are expected to officially announce their endorsement of
the direct talks at the Arab League's annual meeting, scheduled to take place in
Cairo a week from today, on September 13. Negotiations are expected to be held
every two weeks, in the hope of achieving a peace deal within a year's time.
The talks are surrounded by much skepticism on both sides, after 17 years of
failed peace contacts between Israel and the PA since the Oslo Accords were
signed. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the Yisrael Beiteinu
(Israel Our Home) party, said Sunday that there is no chance for achieving peace
with the Arabs in our generation