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


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."