LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
16/2010
Bible Of The
Day
John3/16-21: " For God so
loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:17 For God didn’t send his Son into
the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
3:18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been
judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son
of God. 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and
men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. 3:20
For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest
his works would be exposed. 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
Isaiah 51:11
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Today's Inspiring Thought: Joy of the Ransomed
Have you known the joy of the ransomed? If you've ever fallen away from the Lord
and then returned to his loving embrace, you know something similar to the flood
of relief and pure joy experienced by a child who has been ransomed and returned
to his parents by kidnappers. And, though the ransom might have cost the parents
dearly, absolutely nothing was too a high a price to pay to guarantee the return
of their beloved child. The joy of the parents matches the child's, and their
long awaited reunion erases all traces of anguish, sorrow, and sighing.
(about.com)
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Hezbollah Calls on Hariri to
Publicly Apologize to Syria/By Yousef Diab/September 15/10
Dialing up complaints/By: Paige
Kollock/September 15/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
September 15/10
March 14: Lebanon is being Subject
to a Fierce Coup Attempt Setting up the Lebanese's Future for Execution/Naharnet
Hezbollah Parliamentary block:
Properly Equipping Army Most Important Priority at the Moment/Naharnet
Aoun from Louaize University:
What's Taking Place in Lebanon is Not Politics but a Mafia Web/Naharnet/
Hamas steps up attacks as Netanyahu
agrees they are no bar to talks/Dabka
Report: Iran to give Erdogan $25m.
for re-election bid/J.Post
Clinton: 'This is the time, and
these are the leaders'/J.Post
Nadim Gemayel Holds Damascus
Responsible for All Murders/Naharnet
Wide-Scale Israeli Attack on
Lebanon Likely in Fall, Source/Naharnet
New US ambassador to Lebanon,
Connelly: Commitment to Independent
Lebanon Remains U.S. Priority/Naharnet
Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon meets
Sfeir: Through Unity Israel Cannot Shake Lebanon's Stability/Naharnet
Abul Gheit Calls for
Non-Interference in Lebanon's Affairs, Says Cairo Seeking Stability/Naharnet
Neighbors / Don't ask who assassinated Hariri/Haaretz
Syria arms 'institute' must be stopped, official says/J.Post
Ban: Progress Made in
Investigation, International Tribunal Not in Danger/Naharnet
Hizbullah: Lebanon's Stability
Depends on Prosecution of False Witnesses/Naharnet
Aoun Calling for 'Civil
Disobedience' against Government, Report/Naharnet
Sayyed Looking for Court to Sue
Lebanese State/Naharnet/Naharnet
Siddiq Claims He Has Documents
Proving Hizbullah Involvement in Hariri's Murder/Naharnet
Berri Slams Lebanese for Severing
Country's Limbs but Expresses Reassurance at Regional Equation/Naharnet
Oqab Saqr Accuses Sayyed of
'Intimidating People, Tempting Others'/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Urges Judiciary to Take
Measures against 'Those Threatening Civil Peace'/Naharnet
Suleiman Urges End to Skepticism
and Threats Against Constitutional Institutions/Naharnet
Hamas steps up attacks as Netanyahu agrees they are no bar
to talks
DEBKAfile Special Report September 15, 2010, 1:39 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Hamas
Israel-Palestinian talks Netanyahu Fresh supplies for Hamas from IranAs
Israeli-Palestinian talks resumed Wednesday, Sept. 15 in Jerusalem, Hamas
cranked up its attacks from Gaza Tuesday and Wednesday morning, shooting three
missiles, almost certainly Iranian-made Grades, overnight at the two Israeli
port cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod, and another missile and nine mortar rounds
by noon Wednesday - 7 against Eshkol region farms and two at Kibbutz Nirim.
debkafile's military sources report that at least three explosions were heard
across the port-towns of Ashkelon and Ashdod, sending people scurrying to the
nearest bomb shelters, although the "Red Color" alert was not switched on -
apparently to fit the official government line, which is not to rock the
diplomatic boat. In fact, the army spokesman tried to insist that only one
rocket had been fired and only hours later did teams arrive to investigate the
blasts. As the projectiles caused havoc, the IDF was held back from retaliating
against the sources of the attack in the Gaza Strip although this was the first
time since Israel's 2009 operation against Gaza that Hamas has staged missile
attacks by night. Israel responded tardily with an air force bombardment of
Rafah tunnels in southern Gaza.
Tuesday morning as Israeli, Palestinian and US leaders sat down to talk at Sharm
el-Sheikh, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades were fired from Gaza at an
Israeli unit patrolling the border fence running past Kibbutz Alumim's
farmlands. They missed. Israeli tank guns returned the fire, hitting the
assailants, one of whom was killed and four wounded.
According to Egyptian sources, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed
to continue talking to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas without pause even amid
Palestinian terrorist attacks. He reportedly made this pledge when he met
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at Sharm el-Sheikh during the opening round of
talks.
Hamas seems to have taken this as the go-ahead for more attacks without fear of
Israeli retaliation. However, a fresh menace - and a challenge to Netanyahu's
pledge - has raised its head. The same Tuesday, IDF Col. Nitzan Nuriel, head of
the counter-terror center, revealed that both Hizballah and Hamas have recently
acquired from Iran unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles with a range of 300
kilometers and an array of weapons more advanced than those found in most
European arsenals.
The Israeli officer warned that international terrorist organizations worldwide
had established strong ties with Palestinian terrorists based on the West Bank
and inside pre-1967 Israel. The military and intelligence assistance rendered
Hizballah and Hamas by Iran and Syria, he said, had raised their operational
capabilities to a level on a par with regular armies
March 14:
Lebanon is being Subject to a Fierce Coup Attempt Setting up the Lebanese's
Future for Execution
The March 14 General Secretariat stressed Wednesday that Lebanon is currently
being subject to a "fierce coup attempt" the aim of which is to restore the
situation in the country to what it was before March 14, 2005. It said in a
statement after its weekly meeting, read by its coordinator Fares Soaid: "Hizbullah
revealed this plan itself when it announced its refusal of the facts and
political, national, and popular equations.""It aims to change the situation
through a general who represents the previous security regime in the country,
who was followed by MP Michel Aoun and his call to citizens to civil
disobedience," it added. It highlighted the March 14 forces' efforts in bridging
the gap between it and Hizbullah, recounting its efforts in the July 2006 war
and its attempts to issue resolution 1701 under chapter six of the U.N. Charter
instead of chapter seven.
"Despite the occupation of downtown Beirut and obstructing the functioning of
parliament to thwart the formation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the
March 14 forces extended its hand to Hizbullah, a day after the approval of the
tribunal at the U.N. Security Council, in order to restore unity," it continued.
Soaid continued that the March 14 forces adopted openness towards Hizbullah
after the clashes of May 2008 and even after the forces won a majority in the
2009 parliamentary elections, forming a national unity government that included
party members. "Unfortunately, the Hizbullah leadership welcomed all this with
attempts to thwart matters of that enjoyed Lebanese consensus: the STL,
resolution 1701, Palestinian possession of arms outside refuges camps, Lebanese
desire to overcome the memories of the civil war," said Soaid. "Hizullah's
ongoing kidnapping of the Lebanese situation for external interests is rejected
and will lead to great chaos … No one had the right to violate the rights of a
million and a half Lebanese who were united and reconciled, Muslims and
Christians, to defend Lebanon," the statement stressed. "The March 14 forces vow
to move forward in order to maintain sovereignty and independence, reach a state
of law, and support the international tribunal," it concluded. Beirut, 15 Sep
10,
Wide-Scale Israeli Attack on Lebanon Likely in Fall, Source
Naharnet/A wide-scale Israeli attack on Lebanon is possible in autumn, Ad-Diyar
newspaper said Wednesday, citing a high-ranking source. "The Israelis are
putting the final touches on the (military) exercise plan to wage war on
Lebanon," the source said. "They (Israelis) will assess the readiness of their
forces immediately after the plan has been finalized," he added. The source said
Lebanon was "carefully monitoring" training undertaken by Israeli troops. He
said Lebanon, according to data and reports in its possession, believes Israel
was not yet ready to engage into war. Beirut, 15 Sep 10, 10:09
Connelly: Commitment to Independent Lebanon Remains U.S. Priority
Naharnet/The new U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Maura Connelly, presented her
diplomatic credentials to President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace on
Wednesday. Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami attended the ceremony. Connelly arrived
in Beirut on Monday following unanimous confirmation of her appointment by the
U.S. Senate on August 5.
"I was delighted today to meet President Suleiman and to present my diplomatic
credentials," Connelly said. "It is a great honor for me to serve as the U.S.
ambassador to Lebanon. Our commitment to a sovereign, independent Lebanon, with
strong and effective state institutions, remains the embassy's most important
priority," she said. "I look forward to strengthening the deep, historical
partnership between the United States and Lebanon," Connelly added. Beirut, 15
Sep 10, 12:43
Nadim Gemayel Holds Damascus Responsible for All Murders: Dispute to Go On with
Persistence of Syrian Scheme to Dominate Lebanon
Naharnet/MP Nadim Gemayel on Tuesday held Syria responsible for the
assassination of his father, former president Bashir Gemayel, Druze leader Kamal
Jumblat, former president Rene Mouawwad and former premier Rafik Hariri.
"The realization of Syria's dominance required the murder of Bashir Gemayel,
Kamal Jumblat, Rene Mouawwad and Rafik Hariri, and we hold it responsible for
all these murders," Gemayel said in a speech on the occasion of the 28th
anniversary of the assassination of former president Bashir Gemayel.
"Our dispute with Syria begins and it will remain with the persistence of the
Syrian scheme to dominate Lebanon."
"Bashir established a State even before he assumed power," the young MP told the
cheering crowd that gathered in the external yard of the Our Lady of the
Miraculous Medal Church in Ashrafieh after the annual mass commemorating slain
president Gemayel.
Maronite Archbishop of Beirut Boulos Matar, who was representing Maronite
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, presided over the mass which was attended by the
representatives of the three heads of state, Phalange Party cadres, a Lebanese
Forces delegation and several ministers and MPs.
"We believe that the rights of the Christians cannot be achieved outside the
framework of the State and the Christians are the pioneers of the renaissance,"
Gemayel added.
"Hizbullah must yield to the sole authority of the State, because it has chosen
the State of war while the Lebanese have chosen the State of peace."
Gemayel warned that "the Lebanese entity is facing the test of unity, although
the national decision is under foreign influence."
"We have always been with 'Lebanon First', and let no one try to give us lessons
in patriotism," he said.
Gemayel condemned the "campaign against the Phalange Party" over the latest
stances of its central committee coordinator, MP Sami Gemayel, on accepting
weapons from Israel during the civil war period. Gemayel stressed that when
Lebanon is in danger, "all criterions and standards become irrelevant."
"Is defending Iran with Israeli weapons during its war with Iraq in 1985 an
acceptable thing? Were the rulers of Iran traitors when they defended Iran with
Israeli weapons? And was (the late founder of the Islamic republic of Iran) Imam
(Ruhollah) Khomeini a collaborator?" "Phalange Party is proud of its heroic
history," Gemayel stressed. Beirut, 14 Sep 10, 19:31
Iran's Ambassador Meets Sfeir: Through Unity Israel Cannot Shake Lebanon's
Stability
Naharnet/Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Rokn-Abadi on Wednesday
discussed local and regional developments with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah
Sfeir. "We shared the same views. We agreed on the need for Christian-Muslim
unity in order to avoid discord or sectarian strife in any part of the world,"
Abadi told reporters in Bkirki.
Responding to a question on the campaign launched against the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon, Abadi said that through Christian-Muslim unity Israel cannot shake
Lebanon's stability "not even via the Tribunal." Beirut, 15 Sep 10,
Sayyed Looking for Court to Sue Lebanese State
Former head of Lebanon's General Security
Naharnet/Directorate Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed is looking for a human rights court
to sue the Lebanese State. Sayyed, who is currently in Paris, said in an
interview published Wednesday by Al-Akhbar newspaper that he and a team of
advisers were "rummaging around for a human rights court eligible to sue the
Lebanese State."
Al-Akhbar said the World Council for Human Rights of 2007 which finds that the
"arrest of officers was in breach of Article 9 of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights" was signed by Lebanon and demanded for the
"restoration of political and Judicial rights and an immediate solution to the
officers' status."Sayyed stressed that he does not want to "open any battle,"
stressing, on the other hand, that he cannot stand idle and not mention a
response made by former PM Fouad Saniora back then in which he distorted facts
and held the arrest to be justified according to witnesses. "This is what made
me press charges against Saniora and State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza." Beirut, 15
Sep 10,
Ban: Progress Made in Investigation, International Tribunal Not in Danger
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon called on political leaders in Lebanon not to
interfere in the work of the International Tribunal. Ban refused to discuss the
status of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon after Prime Minister Saad Hariri
acknowledged the presence of false witnesses. During a press conference in New
York, Ban stressed that the STL has made progress, pointing out that the
Tribunal is independent. The STL, Ban said, "should not be associated with any
political statements," adding that the Tribunal was "not in danger." Beirut, 14
Sep 10, 07:34
Siddiq Claims He Has Documents Proving Hizbullah Involvement in Hariri's Murder
Naharnet/Mohammed Zuheir Siddiq, a former witness in the inquiry into the
assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, said Ghazi Kanaan -- long-time head of
Syria's security apparatus in Lebanon -- handed him documents that prove
Hizbullah's involvement in Hariri's Murder. Kanaan was Syria's Interior Minister
from 2004 to 2005. His violent death during an investigation into Hariris'
murder drew international attention. Kanaan died in his office, by a gunshot
(some say three shots) through the mouth, in Damascus on October 12, 2005. After
a one-day examination, Syrian authorities closed the case, Prosecutor Mohammed
al-Luaji stating:
"Examination of the body and fingerprints as well as testimony from employees,
including senior aide General Walid Abaza, indicated that it was a suicide by
gunshot."
Siddiq said Kanaan "handed me documents written in his own hand that prove
Hizbullah's involvement in Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination."
"After the disclosure of their content 'in time' Hizbullah Secretary General
Hassan Nasrallah and all his allies in Lebanon will not be able to raise their
heads," Siddiq said in an interview published Wednesday by the Kuwaiti newspaper
Assyiassa.
He denied press reports that said Siddiq was subject to an assassination attempt
or that he had sought political asylum in France.
Siqqid accused the late Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh of crimes such as
Hariri's murder and Mufti Hasan Khaled as well as other Palestinian symbols
living in Lebanon, in addition to Ramzi Irani.
Siddiq said Mughniyeh was also behind the 1988 hijacking of a Kuwaiti jet and an
attempt to nail Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam during his time in
power.
He said Hariri's assassination was blessed by Hizbullah, adding that Syrian
officers were in Beirut's southern suburbs prior to the crime.
Siddiq pointed out that Hizbullah initially denied the officers' presence in the
southern suburbs, but then withdrew its denial when the officers testified
before the U.N.-backed investigation committee. He announced that he gave
Hizbullah names to the international committee.
Siddiq questioned about Hizbullah's knowledge of the presence of "Israeli spy"
Ghassan al-Jidd at the crime scene. "How did Hizbullah know that Jidd was at the
crime site if it did not have elements watching Hariri's movements?" Siddiq
asked. Siddiq confirmed that he is a suspect and not a witness. He admitted that
he "carried out orders before and after the crime," including the transport of
Maj. Gen. Bahjat Suleiman from the crime scene to Aley, adding that he did not
know that the target was Hariri. Beirut, 15 Sep 10,
Abul Gheit Calls for Non-Interference in Lebanon's Affairs, Says Cairo Seeking
Stability
Naharnet/Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit has said Cairo was seeking
to guarantee stability in Lebanon and called for non-interference in its
internal affairs. "The security and stability of Lebanon concern Egypt," he told
the Kuwaiti al-Dar newspaper in remarks published Wednesday. "Egypt knows that
Lebanon has its influence on Arab policies. That's why we stand by Lebanon and
we seek to guarantee stability" in it, he said. Abul Gheit called for keeping
hands off Lebanon and not meddling in its internal affairs.
He also said that Lebanon is an Arab country and "we always stand by it against
any attempt by Israel to attack it." Beirut, 15 Sep 10,
Oqab Saqr Accuses Sayyed of 'Intimidating People, Tempting Others'
Naharnet/MP Oqab Saqr said he will choose the "right moment" to uncover the name
of the mediator who was dispatched by former head of Lebanon's General Security
Directorate Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed to PM Saad Hariri to ask for $15 million in
return for giving up his case. Saqr, in remarks published Wednesday by An-Nahar
newspaper, accused Sayyed of "intimidating people and persuading others to get
out of this (blackmail) issue." Beirut, 15 Sep 10, 09:05
Berri Slams Lebanese for Severing Country's Limbs but Expresses Reassurance at
Regional Equation
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri accused the Lebanese of severing the limbs of their
country in a move that would threaten the much needed understanding to preserve
Lebanon.
However, Berri told An Nahar daily in remarks published Wednesday that he was
reassured about "the Syrian-Saudi equation which didn't
disintegrate.""Eventually things will straighten out," he said. Berri's circles
told the newspaper that controversial issues will be discussed at a cabinet
session upon Premier Saad Hariri's return to Beirut.
The speaker will make efforts to cool down the tense atmosphere and discuss the
issue with President Michel Suleiman, they said. Beirut, 15 Sep 10, 07:56
Mustaqbal Urges Judiciary to Take Measures against 'Those Threatening Civil
Peace'
Naharnet/The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday stressed that "the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon is responsible of issuing verdicts in the crime of
murdering (former) premier Rafik Hariri and his companions." "Therefore, every
tendentious act -- whether statements, accusations, media leaks or promotion (of
certain ideas) – is a condemned and unacceptable matter," the bloc went on to
say in a statement issued after its weekly meeting in Qoreitem. "After turning
the page on political accusation upon the start of STL's mission, only the
rulings and the resolutions of the tribunal must be considered," the statement
added. The Mustaqbal bloc called on judicial authorities "to practice their role
and take the necessary measures, without any hesitation or delay, to hold
accountable those threatening civil peace and national security.""The Mustaqbal
bloc stresses that what was and is being made by the greats of Lebanon and the
Arab world -- to protect Lebanon and its national unity, stability and civil
peace, which stems from the will of the Lebanese -- has not and will not be
affected by the desperate attempts of some who want to disrupt and undermine
this course," the statement added.
Suleiman Urges End to Skepticism and Threats Against Constitutional Institutions
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday called for an end to skepticism
and threats against legal and constitutional institutions and slammed attacks
against friendly countries.
Suleiman "calls for an end to skepticism and threats against constitutional,
legal and judicial institutions and stresses the importance of preserving them
and respecting them," the president's media office said in a clear reference to
former General Security Department chief Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed and Free
Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun. The two men have recently launched a
campaign against several institutions and officials.Suleiman called for
continuous attempts to reform these institutions rather than attacking them. He
also said verbal attacks against friendly countries contradict with coexistence.
On Tuesday, MP Nadim Gemayel held Syria responsible for the assassination of his
father, former president-elect Bashir Gemayel, Druze leader Kamal Jumblat,
ex-president Rene Moawad and former Premier Rafik Hariri."Bickering has proved
without any doubt that it does not build a nation," the media office statement
quoted Suleiman as saying. Beirut, 15 Sep 10, 14:40
Report Claims Scout Camps Cover-Up for Military Camps
Naharnet/Summer camps for young people have turned into encampments under the
cover-up of scout camps, the daily Ad-Diyar reported Wednesday. It said the real
objective of many summer scout camps in several regions of Lebanon was to
provide military training for members of some political parties and movements.
Ad-Diyar said local residents living close to the camps could hear the crackle
of machine gun fire during the nights. Beirut, 15 Sep 10, 10:47
Dialing up complaints
Paige Kollock, September 15, 2010
The Lebanese Ministry of Labor has set up a hotline for workers’ complaints.
Rights groups say the initiative is good, but does not do enough to help migrant
domestic workers.
Not getting your paycheck? Your employer abusing you? Need a work permit? These
problems used to require a trip to the Ministry of Labor, which meant a lot of
waiting and filling out paperwork. Now, there’s a new helpline to deal with
these and other issues. After years of urging from various NGOs and human-rights
organizations, in June, the ministry set up the phone line to deal with workers'
grievances.
The phone rang at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. It was a man named Tony who wanted to
check up on work papers for his foreign employees. In an effort to save himself
a bit of hassle, Tony hired a middleman to expedite the process, but after
paying him, the agent disappeared. Tony wanted to know if his case had been
registered. Fouad Juan, one of the two staffers at the complaints department,
ran through the standard list of questions: “What’s your name? Number? What date
and time did this happen?”
All calls are recorded and later transcribed, by hand, into a massive black
notebook, which so far contains 140 complaints. The exact same information –
which includes the caller’s name and number, the date the complaint was filed,
the nature of the problem, and what was done to follow up – is also entered into
a computer database, but they keep the book around, as this is Lebanon, and
computers often go down.
“One worker didn’t get his salary for three or four months…one didn’t get their
vacation,” said Aida Rizk, the other staffer, as she read off descriptions of
some of the complaints she’s filed.
Other complaints include missing NSSF (National Social Security Fund) checks and
“domestic workers who call saying they have been beaten, unpaid or sexually
abused,” said her colleague. “This hotline, or this bureau of complaints, will
re-launch the relation between the ministry and all the employees and employers
to try to find a direct, easy and daily solution for every problem,” said Ziad
el-Sayegh, advisor to Labor Minister Boutros Harb.
Sayegh said the bureau has two roles. “First is to solve any daily problem
coming from Lebanese and foreigners, employers and employees. Second is to
inform people how to go about their business processes.”
The helpline is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Staffers, who
undergo a week of training with the charity organization Caritas, speak Arabic,
French and English. After hours, there’s a voicemail service where callers can
leave a message that will then be followed up on the next day. Rizk and Juan are
not trained to respond directly to the complaints; rather, they act as conduits
between the caller and the appropriate person within the Ministry of Labor. But
sometimes, said Juan, they go off script. “We are trying to make some relation
with them. We listen, and we give advice.” While the prospect of someone
from a ministry responding to a complaint in “24 to 48 hours” (according to
Sayegh) is impressive, already the project has received some complaints of its
own, and rights groups are still feeling out the fledgling service. Some of them
– including Caritas, Human Rights Watch and Kafa – have advertised the hotline
to their clients or tried to test it themselves. “We’ve tried to forward
complaints, but we called and never heard back,” said Nadim Khoury, director of
Human Rights Watch in Lebanon, who nonetheless thinks opening the office was a
good start.
“It’s a good move, but we just have to wait and see if it has practical
results,” said Maya Ammar, outreach director at the women’s rights organization
Kafa.
Sayegh said the department is working in close collaboration with the
International Labor Organization (ILO) and other NGOs to work out kinks and
improve the helpline service.
“Some of our suggestions,” said ILO Senior Technical Specialist Simel Esim,
“include extending the hotline working hours [and] providing interpretation
beyond three languages according to the language needs of the major groups of
migrant workers.” Currently, she said, most of those workers are lodging
complaints through their embassies.
Rima Abi Nadr, a case worker at Kafa, said she’s still referring her cases to
the Kafa or Caritas hotlines, which are mobile telephone numbers that staffers
answer 24-7. Land lines, she said, are a limited resource if there is a worker
with a real emergency. The Ministry of Labor’s worker complaint hotline is
01.540.114
Michel Aoun
September 15, 2010
On September 14, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
The Change and Reform Bloc held its weekly meeting in Rabieh while headed by
General Michel Aoun, who spoke to the press and said:
During today’s weekly meeting, we tackled many subjects. Last Thursday, I made a
statement in which I assured there were two important issues on the table, and
that everything else was an attempt to “divert” the positions and elude a
confrontation of the state’s rotting situation. The first issue is related to
political choices and the building of the state’s institutions and whoever talks
about a state in Lebanon is lying to himself and to the people because the state
in Lebanon collapsed a long time ago. We gave many opportunities for this state
to improve its situation, but found out there were arduous efforts to secure
destruction, and every time we opened up a sector, we saw it was a putrid
“corpse.” I will not define which sectors I am talking about right now but I can
say that there is not one sector operating properly and that each of them has a
“very long [negative] record.” The situation has become intolerable and we must
turn the page.
I believe that the state has collapsed and cannot be saved, and had there been
any chance of salvation, we would have found some sort of cooperation. However,
the opposite is right since efforts are being deployed toward this collapse. The
example we pointed to many times before is related to the security situation and
the Information Branch. This apparatus was established through a service
memorandum which goes against the security forces law. It was created and has
evolved in a random way. It included at the beginning 72 elements and eight
officers while today it includes 2,100 elements and maybe twice as many civilian
informants. What are their tasks? They do everything and combine the CIA, the
FBI, the KGB and the Mossad. It is a pot in which everything is concocted but it
is not responsible for anything. Who is responsible? Who is responsible for the
Information Branch? Can anyone answer that? To whom does it send its reports?
Can anyone tell me? Does anyone watch or monitor its work? From where does it
get its budget? No one knows the answers to these questions, which reveals this
is a big game and not a coincidence.
In 2005, I proposed a bill to establish an intelligence committee, pointing out
that the committee would work in a confidential way, i.e. would only listen
without slandering and would detect the threats lurking in the country, the
adopted measures to face them and learn about the inclinations of these
apparatuses. However, the bill was blocked and I now accuse those who blocked
it. I do not know who they are but we will find them to see who is involved in
the establishment of an unmonitored and “uncontrolled” apparatus which is
dealing with regional and international bodies. We ask who is protecting it? The
executive authority represented by the premiership and the Prosecution is
protecting it, and working in an illegal way and outside the context of the
constitution and the laws. This goes in line with what was said by Brigadier
General Jamil as-Sayyed during the press conference he held upon his exit from
prison, when he talked about a prosecutor, false witnesses and an Information
Branch.
At the time, we waited a whole week and nothing was done by the different
apparatuses, and we expected Brigadier General Sayyed to be arrested again and
interrogated. However, nothing of the sort took place and we said that since all
the apparatuses remained silent vis-à-vis Brigadier General Jamil as-Sayyed’s
accusations, their missions should be suspended and their officials should
resign to be subjected to interrogation because they are accused. All the
accusations feature crimes not misdemeanors, i.e. crimes of falsification, false
witnesses, [wrongful] investigations and law violations… At this level, I am
still not talking about the budget, the budgetary cuts, the flying numbers, the
Treasury Directorate, the Budget Directorate, Sukleen and the dismissal of the
officials in the Audit Bureau so that they are unable to monitor. Everything has
exited the context of monitoring and has fallen within apparatuses that are
acting in parallel to the state’s apparatuses…
In today’s meeting, we quickly discussed all these problems but we must start
somewhere, and we will therefore begin with the judiciary which should not be
Caesar’s wife [i.e. above suspicion]. Today, the judiciary is accused whether
they like it or not. I am not attacking anyone. Brigadier General Jamil as-Sayyed
held numerous press conferences. He was an officer and the head of the General
Security Directorate and still enjoys all his mental capacities, but still, the
judiciary did not act based on his statements. We consequently call on the
parliament speaker to look into the formation of a parliamentary committee to
investigate with Brigadier General Jamil as-Sayyed and those whom he accused, or
else the situation will not be set straight and I will be forced to topple this
state which I perceive as being guilty. By remaining silent vis-à-vis all the
things that have happened, the state represented by its prime minister and its
judicial and security apparatuses is considered guilty.
We cannot remain silent and I thus ask the citizens not to cooperate with any
demand made by the Information Branch from now on and to quarrel with it because
it is illegitimate. For our part, we will be closely watching it and let the
citizens also abstain from implementing the orders of Said Mirza. It is a
condition for the presence of a state to have judges and laws respected by the
prime minister and the Lebanese judiciary. When London was burning under German
bombing, Churchill inquired about the status of the judiciary and they told him
that the courts were still holding their sessions.
So England is still fine. Our judiciary is now burning, so Lebanon is not fine.
Hezbollah Calls on Hariri to Publicly Apologize to Syria
14/09/2010
By Yousef Diab
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat –
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's comments to Asharq Al-Awsat remain an
ongoing issue of debate, particularly with regards to his comments about the
presence of individuals who misled the investigation into the assassination of
his father former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, damaging relations between Syria
and Lebanon. However Hezbollah has come out to say that "acknowledging a mistake
is not sufficient, because what is required is to re-correct what has happened
and issue a public apology to Syria."
Hezbollah's Foreign Relations chief, former MP Ammar al-Mousawi said that
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's comments to Asharq Al-Awsat represent "an
acknowledgement rather than an apology, and this is nothing more than the
beginning [of what needs to be done]." Al-Mousawi stressed that "acknowledging a
mistake is not sufficient, because what is required is to re-correct all that
has happened, otherwise I do not know how we can build a nation in the event of
an apology not being issued to Syria."
In response to this situation, a senior governmental source informed Asharq Al-Awsat
that "comments and statements are being issued by political parties or
politicians regarding the position of Prime Minister Hariri; [however] this does
not mean that they are speaking on behalf of Syria or the Syrian presidency."
The source added "we do not believe that there are conditions in place that will
allow us to understand whether the statements made by Prime Minister Hariri are
sufficient or insufficient to correct the relations between Lebanon and Syria.
The Prime Minister is convinced with regards to what he said in his interview to
Asharq Al-Awsat and he has reiterated this. All the operations to mislead and
deceive the investigation in the wrong direction had negative effects and were
costly, particularly with regards to how this damaged Lebanese –Syrian
relations, and this includes the [actions of the] false witnesses."
The governmental source also revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that "there have been
many attempts to mislead the investigation from the early hours following the
assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, as well as later attempts to try
and guide the investigation in different direction. These had negative effects
on the tribunal, the truth, the investigation, and Lebanese – Syrian relations,
however what is more important is the damage that this caused. Even if it is
confirmed that injustice took place, this does not mean that the work of the
tribunal will stop or be suspended until the issue of false witnesses is
judicially resolved."
The governmental source added that "Prime Minister Hariri is completely
convinced with regards to what he said about the presence of figures that misled
the investigation, and he is not defending these misleaders, he is also
convinced with regards to what he said about the political accusation being
directed towards Syria in order to damage relations between the two countries.
This is something that Prime Minister Hariri concluded a while ago when he
communicated directly with President Bashar al-Assad and this is not something
new, and what he said to Asharq Al-Awsat was agreed by him in terms of the way
he made this announcement and its timing, but this does not include conditions
being placed on what he said [with regards to whether this is sufficient to
repair Lebanese – Syrian relations] or for his words to be taken out of
context."
In response to a question as to whether Prime Minister Hariri's positive
attitude towards Syria stems from his newfound conviction that Syria was not
involved in his father's assassination or whether this is in response to Saudi–
Syrian rapprochement, the governmental source told Asharq Al-Awsat that "there
can be no doubt that 2005, and the following phase, incited the positions, not
just the positions of politicians, but the majority of Lebanese. However time –
on one hand – and the changes that have taken place in Lebanon and the Arab
world, the situation in 2008, and the Doha Summit, have established a new
situation in Lebanon, bringing in a national unity government, however without a
doubt the Saudi– Syrian rapprochement has had the greatest influence in the
rapprochement of Lebanese – Syrian viewpoints, as well as in shifting the Arab
scene and the changes in the Lebanese position over the past two years."
MP Ali Hassan Khalil of the Liberation and Development bloc, who is also the
political aide of Lebanese Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, praised the
"courageous position shown by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri" adding that " his
withdrawal from his previous position [towards Syria] is an expression of his
political experience, recognizing the need of restoring and developing Lebanese
– Syrian relations as this is in the interest of both countries."
A member of the Democratic Gathering bloc in Lebanon, MP Antoine Saad said that
"Syria was accused of killing former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri as part of
politics, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri rejecting Syria becoming embroiled in
this issue is also political." He added that "the international tribunal is
being used politically and for political aims."
For his part, MP Nehme Tohme, also of the Democratic Gathering bloc, praised
Prime Minister Hariri's initiative "that is characterized by courage and
patriotism, and will form safety and security for Lebanon and its relations with
Damascus, and strengthen the internal scene in Lebanon in the face of threats."
He also said that "the Saudi – Syrian umbrella protects Lebanon from threats and
establishes stability." He also confirmed that "the president of the Democratic
Gathering, MP Walid Jumblatt, is playing the role of strengthening the internal
front through his contacts and consultations with other relevant parties to
reduce risks and curb political escalation and initiate dialogue." Tohme also
called on "all parties without exception to be rational and calm because
incitement and escalation will not allow us to reach anywhere."