LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
23/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Paul's First Letter to Timothy 6/3-10: "If anyone teaches a different doctrine,
and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to
the doctrine which is according to godliness, 6:4 he is conceited, knowing
nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which
come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, 6:5 constant friction of people
of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a
means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such. 6:6 But godliness with contentment
is great gain. 6:7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t
carry anything out. 6:8 But having food and clothing, we will be content with
that. 6:9 But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a
snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and
destruction. 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some
have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves
through with many sorrows."
Today's Inspiring Thought: Godliness With
Contentment
We are never as rich as when we happily realize we have everything we need in
Christ. For godliness with contentment means complete satisfaction, not in
things, wealth, or accomplishments, but in the Lord and his goodness alone.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Beware the ripe moment,How a new
war might start in South Lebanon/By: Ana Maria Luca/September 22/10
Is Koran Burning Protected
by Free Speech?/By: Daniel Huff/Fox News/September 22/10
Avoid this fateful conflict/By
Jamil K. Mroue/September 22/10
The Sunnis and the Shiites…the
Knife has Cut to the Bone/By Tariq Alhomayed/September 22/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
September 22/10
Pro-Israel think tank warns of
devastaing Lebanon-Israel war/Daily Star
Inflammatory rhetoric raising
concerns over stability, UN coordinator says/Daily Star
Nasrallah against STL investigating
Rafik Hariri murder, Al-Akhbar reports/Now Lebanon
Explosion rocks Iranian military
parade/Now Lebanon
Hezbollah delegation meets Saudi
ambassador/Now Lebanon
Kouchner Concerned About French
Troops in Southern Lebanon /Naharnet
Pentagon Official Visits Beirut
over Military Assistance to Lebanon /Naharnet
The Mideast`s most gripping murder mystery (News Feature)/Monsters and
Critics.com
The IAEA and Syria's Stonewalling/Voice of America
Hizbullah agents taking up positions in Lebanon's Christian areas/World Tribune
Sayyed: Hariri's Murder Doesn't
Justify Another Crime Based on Falsification of Facts /Naharnet
U.S. Embassy Denies Asking Citizens
to Leave Lebanon 'Within a Week' /Naharnet
Hizbullah's Alleged Raid on Airport
Prevails Over Cabinet Discussions /Naharnet
Syrian Leadership Disturbed by
Escalatory Statements by Lebanese Allies /Naharnet
False Witnesses Lost Credibility,
Says Najjar's Report /Naharnet
Aoun: We Did Not Target Sunnis in
Lebanon, No One Should Blackmail us through Sectarian Leaning /Naharnet
Mustaqbal Bloc: What's the Noble
Aim behind Resistance's Storming of Airport? /Naharnet
Hezbollah stops work of de-mining
team/Now Lebanon
Pentagon Official Visits Beirut over Military Assistance to Lebanon
Naharnet/U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy arrives in
Beirut on Wednesday for talks with Lebanese officials on military assistance to
Lebanon, informed U.S. sources told An Nahar daily. The visit of Flournoy at the
head of a delegation from the Pentagon is aimed at confirming the U.S.
government's commitment to continue with its assistance program to the Lebanese
army, the sources said. Meanwhile, involved U.S. agencies completed their review
of military assistance to Lebanon and referred it to the Congress. Lawmakers had
asked for the review after placing holds on $100 million in aid last month.
Several lawmakers placed holds on the money over concerns it could affect
Israel's security due to fears Hizbullah has influence in Lebanon's army. Among
those raising concerns were Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the ranking member
of that committee, and Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., who chairs the subcommittee that
oversees U.S. foreign assistance.
Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 08:01
Kouchner Concerned About French Troops in Southern Lebanon
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has expressed concern over the
situation in southern Lebanon and French troops deployed there as part of UNIFIL.
"At the present time, it seems that the situation is very calm. All confessions
and of course the government of Premier Saad Hariri are seeking to confirm to
the world their insistence on peace and stability," Kouchner told journalists at
the United Nations in New York on Tuesday. "The latest visit of Saudi King
Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad (to Beirut) was a very good sign of
(efforts) to preserve peace and work on guaranteeing continuous peace in
Lebanon," he said. "We are very worried about the situation in south Lebanon
because UNIFIL is made up of troops from several countries, including France,"
the minister said. "Consequently, we should be very careful." Beirut, 22 Sep 10,
08:42
Nasrallah
against STL investigating Rafik Hariri murder, Al-Akhbar reports
September 22, 2010 /Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday that Hezbollah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a closed-door meeting held
earlier in September that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is no longer
the appropriate body to investigate the 2005 assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. The tribunal must be canceled, and we should go back to
the Lebanese judiciary to resolve the matter, the daily quoted Nasrallah as
saying. He added that the evidence he provided in August on the assassination
was able to convince the public that the STL only aims to serve US-Israeli
goals. On August 9, the Hezbollah chief presented alleged evidence of Israeli
involvement in the Rafik Hariri murder, including footage he said came from
Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) monitoring Rafik Hariri and a confession
from a suspected Israeli spy. The indictment itself does not mean much, rather
the steps taken in the international arena after the indictment is issued are
what is important, Nasrallah said. -NOW Lebanon
Explosion rocks Iranian military parade
September 22, 2010 /A bomb tore through a military parade in the northwestern
Iranian town of Mahabad on Wednesday, killing nine people—mostly women and
children—as the country marked the 30th anniversary of the start of the bloody
Iran-Iraq war, reports said, Iranian Al-Alam television station reported. "The
explosion happened in the morning as people were watching the military parade
and it left nine dead and dozens wounded, mostly women and children. The
explosives were in a bag," Al-Alam said. Provincial governor Vahid Jalalzadeh
confirmed the casualties to the official IRNA news agency. AFP/NOW Lebanon
Hezbollah delegation meets Saudi ambassador
September 22, 2010 /NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported on Wednesday that a
high-ranking Hezbollah delegation met with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad
Assiri at his country’s embassy in Beirut earlier in the day, during which they
discussed the latest Lebanese developments. -NOW Lebanon
Hezbollah stops work of de-mining team
September 22, 2010 /NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported on Wednesday that
Hezbollah members stopped the de-mining work a Mine Advisory Group (MAG) team in
the Nabatiyeh village of Yohmor al-Shqeef and asked them to leave the area. The
Hezbollah members told the MAG workers that the area was not set for de-mining,
the correspondent added. He also reported that the MAG team contacted the
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which told the de-miners to leave the village so
that the LAF could handle the situation.
NOW Lebanon
Beware the ripe moment
How a new war might start in South Lebanon
Ana Maria Luca, September 22, 2010
Now Lebanon/
A group of Lebanese soldiers came under attack from Israel on Monday night while
they were fortifying their military posts near the village of Duheira, west of
Tyre. According to the Lebanese army, an Israeli patrol shot over the heads of
the Lebanese soldiers, and there were no casualties. Both the LAF and IDF went
on alert along the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel, while the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) tried to contain the situation.
The late-night incident was one of several small disputes that went down over
the Israeli-Lebanese border since three Lebanese soldiers, a journalist and a
high-ranking Israeli officer were killed on August 3 in an exchange of fire near
the southern village of Adaisseh over the Israeli army’s attempt to trim bushes
along the border fence. The so-called Adaisseh incident did not escalate, and
both the LAF and the IDF agreed to hold fire and gather for a tripartite meeting
with UNIFIL, where they decided to properly delineate the Blue Line.
But the situation along the border is far from calm. Since last month’s
skirmishes, the Lebanese army and the IDF went on alert several times, while
Israeli troops continued cutting trees along the border line. UNIFIL last week
stopped the work of an Israeli bulldozer that had entered Lebanese territory to
dig a water duct, prompting the LAF to go on alert. The Israeli Air Force also
intensified its mock raids over South Lebanon this week on the pretense of an
alleged arms depot explosion on the outskirts of Tyre and of political
instability in Beirut.
Analysts fear that such incidents can lead to tensions and possibly violence.
While both Hezbollah and Israel have good reasons not to start a new war, a
conflict might also emerge from these small but repeated border incidents.
“There is serious potential for escalation, even from small incidents or
accidents. Forces on both sides of the border seem to be at a high state of
readiness,” said Jeffrey White, defense fellow at the Washington Institute for
Near East Policy. “August 3, 2010 showed how such a process could begin and how
fast it could escalate, even though in that case the process was brought under
control,” he told NOW Lebanon.
White recently published a report analyzing what a new war between Israel and
Hezbollah would look like. In the report he said the conflict would not only
devastate Lebanon – as Israel would use all its military power to eliminate
Hezbollah’s weapons and ground forces in South Lebanon, and destroy its
infrastructure across the country – but that it would also involve Syria and
Iran, as Israel would strike the Party of God’s allies. White told NOW Lebanon
that he’s not offering a prediction of when the war will start, but that he
believes it’s just a matter of time. “My sense is that war is coming; although
when and under what starting conditions is uncertain,” he said. “To me it seems
like the path to World War I. Deterrence is under pressure from the buildup of
forces, and there is little that can be done to stop this.”
As Lebanese make more frequent references to the “upcoming big war,” everyone’s
eyes are on UNIFIL, which bears the responsibility of keeping the peace. UNIFIL
has been watching the Blue Line closely since the Adaisseh clashes and sent a
preliminary report to the UN secretary general at the end of August, after both
the LAF and IDF gave testimony. The content of the report is likely to remain
confidential, in accordance with UN protocol.
UNIFIL is not in a position to confirm the Israeli mock raids reported by the
Lebanese army or to speak on the cross-border incidents in line with its policy
on neutrality. UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh did tell NOW Lebanon, however,
that “if there is any air violation, UNIFIL protests them, and they should stop
because it is a violation of [UN Security Council Resolution 1701]. That is all
I can tell you.” According to White, both Israel and Hezbollah are ready for a
war. “Lebanon will be the battleground with all the consequences that entails. I
do not believe the IDF will attack targets in Lebanon willy-nilly, but Lebanese
government assets involved in supporting Hezbollah will likely be struck,” he
said. Despite repeated attempts to reach them, Hezbollah representatives were
not available for comment as of press time. However, Hezbollah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said in several of his recent speeches that the
Party of God is ready to fight back should Israel attack Lebanon.
Inflammatory rhetoric raising concerns over stability, UN coordinator says
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff/Wednesday, September 22, 2010
BEIRUT: The recent wave of rhetoric surrounding the United Nations probe into
the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has raised concerns over
Lebanon’s stability, the organization’s special coordinator for Lebanon said on
Tuesday. Michael Williams, who met with President Michel Sleiman and Foreign
Minister Ali al-Shami before afternoon talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,
stressed the need for calm discussion in a bid to dampen inflammatory comments
issued from both sides of the political divide.
“This has generated some concerns for Lebanon’s stability,” Williams told
reporters. “The United Nations continues to believe that any differences should
be resolved through calm and rational dialogue between all sides, and through
the work of Lebanon’s state institutions.” Williams is set to leave on Wednesday
with Sleiman and Shami, who head to New York for discussions with UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon. It is expected that the current tension, deepened by the
former Major General Jamil al-Sayyed’s weekend return to Beirut and surrounding
legal action, will be discussed during the visit. “Ban Ki-moon is looking
forward to his meeting with President Sleiman, to discuss the implementation of
[UN Security Council Resolution] 1701 and also to discuss regional issues,”
Williams said. President Sleiman is also scheduled for a state visit for talks
with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the first such trip by a Lebanese
President. Sayyed was one of four ex-generals detained without charge in the
aftermath of Hariri’s 2005 assassination. He has since accused Prime Minister
Saad Hariri of fabricating evidence and manufacturing false witnesses to the UN
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in order to secure his detention. Hariri has
accused Sayyed of attempting to extort money in the case. With Berri, Williams
discussed “the domestic situation here in Lebanon and the effect that may have
on [Resolution 1701].” He called on all those indulging in belligerent rhetoric
to seek “calm dialogue.” “All Lebanese must work to safeguard [state]
institutions, which are the pillars of the stability of any country, including
Lebanon,” Williams said. “Only calm dialogue can take the country forward,
rather than backwards into instability and that calm dialogue I believe is what
everybody should work for.”
Pro-Israel think tank warns of devastaing Lebanon-Israel war
WINEP: Next conflict could turn regional
By Patrick Galey /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
BEIRUT: A new war between Lebanon and Israel would be “a fateful event for the
region,” a key pro-Israel US think tank has warned. “In all probability, it
would be a major conflict, one fought over extensive areas of Lebanon, Israel,
and probably Syria, featuring large military forces executing complex operations
and resulting in substantial casualties (military and civilian) as well as major
infrastructure damage in all of the countries involved,” said a report from the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) released this week.
“If War Comes: Israel vs. Hizbullah and its Allies,” authored by US Defense
Intelligence Agency veteran Jeffrey White, studies the potential causes – and
outcomes – of a fresh round of fighting involving the two sides, last at war in
2006. White wrote that renewed confrontation between Israel and Hizbullah “will
not resemble their inconclusive 2006 encounter.” This time, the report advised
that an altercation between Hizbullah and Israel would lead to a devastating,
Middle-East wide conflict, involving Syria and Iran, Hizbullah’s regional
allies.
“The new war will likely be wider in geographic scope and more destructive, with
high-intensity operations from the beginning,” White wrote. “And for the losing
side, the consequences may well be fateful.” The report details actions
undertaken by both Israel and Hizbullah since 2006, using certain operations and
procurements as evidence a new clash is in the offing.
Israel, since its last bombardment of south Lebanon and Beirut’s southern
suburbs, has upgraded its fighter jets, replacing F-16s with newer versions, and
performed “extensive co operational exercises” between ground and air squadrons.
White warns of a “major ground operation in south Lebanon” by Israel and
includes maps of notional targets for strikes from both belligerents.
Hizbullah’s dual military objective would be to launch rockets and missiles “on
military and civilian targets with the intention of inflicting significant
casualties and damage” while opposing Israeli air, ground and sea incursions
into Lebanese territory, the report said. It also suggested that Syria’s
potential involvement would be aimed at “re-establishing a military presence in
Lebanon,” five years after the last Syrian troops left the country off the back
of three decades of army tutelage. “Hizbullah’s preparations for a future war
are intended to deter Israel, shift the military balance in the group’s favor,
and bolster its political objectives,” White wrote. Talk of war has never been
too far from the lips of Israeli and Hizbullah commanders. The last month alone
saw an explosion at a suspected Hizbullah arms cache in south Lebanon and
several Israeli military maneuvers close to the Blue Line. Israel President
Shimon Peres’ comments in April that Hizbullah had received long-range Scud
missiles from Syria prompted international concern over the prospect of a new
and bloodier battle.
The US was roundly criticized in 2006 for the decision by then Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to refuse suggestions of a ceasefire, even as Israeli
artillery was pounding heavy populated areas of Lebanon. White recommended that
the US should prepare for a new Israel-Lebanon war, but ought not get rashly
involved. “If war comes, the US should not necessarily take immediate steps
toward ending it quickly,” he wrote. Possibly of most concern is the advice that
any spark, such as the deadly fighting seen at Adaysseh last month, could lead
to a rapid deterioration in regional security. “The pressures to escalate would
likely outweigh the control mechanisms, resulting in a rapidly intensifying
war,” White wrote. “As the war deterrent appears to weaken, both Israel and
Hizbullah are preparing for a serious confrontation that neither can afford to
lose.”
Avoid this fateful conflict
By Jamil K. Mroue /Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Daily Star/It is often the case that think-tanks commenting on the Middle East
tell us what we already know. But even if this is true in some cases, their
findings deserve reflection.
In a report for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Levant expert
Jeffrey White discusses what a future conflict between Lebanon and Israel will
look like. If war were to erupt once more between Hizbullah and Israel, the
result would be a “transformational, even fateful event” for the region, White
asserts, involving Hizbullah, Syria and maybe even Iran.
There is good reason to listen to what White says. Before joining the institute,
he served a 34-year career in Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in a wide
variety of senior analytical and leadership positions, and has been awarded the
highest accolades his position allows.
White is clearly an expert, but we do not need an expert to tell us what we
already know. Our own experiences over the past year are enough to make us
realize that any future war would be vastly different to that which has gone
before. We know that Israel has been planning for, and threatening, another
conflict with Hizbullah ever since 2006. We are aware that Hizbullah has
dramatically increased its arsenal, as well as its rhetoric since then. Anyone
who has witnessed this ratcheting up of tension on both sides will be aware that
the stakes in any future Israel-Hizbullah conflict are higher than ever, and the
consequences for the losing side may well be as severe as White suggests.
Hillary Clinton has said in recent public statements that none of the challenges
America faces in the Middle East exist in isolation, an indication that she too
is aware of how events in Lebanon, or in Gaza, can reverberate across the region
and beyond.
With the gravity of the situation well-known, the question that begs to be asked
of Israel is whether the Shebaa Farms, Kfar Shuba Hills and northern Ghajar are
worth it? Is it really willing to destroy Lebanon for the sake of holding onto
these small pieces of Lebanese territory it continues to occupy? The report does
not make assertions on the likelihood of a conflict between Israel and Hizbullah,
but given the potential consequences it foresees, a period of soul searching on
behalf of all Lebanese parties is surely warranted. If Israel decides to
initiate a conflict unilaterally, there is little we can do. We can, however,
avoid falling prey to provocations. It is the duty of all parties in Lebanon –
and indeed those parties who have influence in Lebanon – to ensure they are
doing all they can to prevent this “fateful” conflict from taking place.
**Jamil K. Mroue, Editor-in-Chief of THE DAILY STAR, can be reached at
jamil.mroue@dailystar.com.lb
Syrian Leadership Disturbed by Escalatory Statements by Lebanese Allies
Naharnet/The Syrian leadership has reportedly expressed frustration to some of
its Lebanese allies over their harsh attacks on the March 14 team, advising them
to adopt calm political rhetoric. Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat quoted visitors to
Damascus as saying that the Syrian stance was made to several Lebanese allies
who visited the Syrian capital lately. The leadership advised them to resort to
the spirit of the Saudi-Syrian understanding and stressed support for President
Michel Suleiman's efforts to contain the crisis in the country. Damascus also
welcomed the role played by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat to
bring viewpoints closer, al-Hayat said. Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 08:59
False Witnesses Lost Credibility, Says Najjar's Report
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar has completed the report he was tasked
to write over false witnesses in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case,
As Safir daily reported Wednesday. Najjar handed over the report to a top
Lebanese official, the newspaper said. It added that the document describes
false witnesses as people who have lost credibility and explains the case of
each one of them and how to deal with them legally. Last month, the cabinet
tasked Najjar with studying the case of false witnesses after pressure from
March 8 ministers. Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 08:19
U.S. Embassy Denies Asking Citizens to Leave Lebanon 'Within a Week'
Naharnet/The U.S. embassy on Wednesday denied a newspaper report that it has
been contacting American citizens in Lebanon to warn them to leave the country
"within a week."
The report was published by al-Akhbar daily under the headline "American Embassy
to its Citizens: Leave Lebanon." The embassy statement said the report was
"fabricated" and asked the daily to issue a retraction. The embassy regularly
contacts American citizens in Lebanon to provide updates on the embassy. All of
these messages, including the latest dated August 30, 2010, can be found on the
embassy's website," the statement added. Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 09:58
Hizbullah's Alleged Raid on Airport Prevails Over Cabinet Discussions
Naharnet/The five-hour long cabinet session on Tuesday mainly dealt with
Hizbullah's "raid" on the Beirut airport during the arrival of former General
Security Department chief Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed from Paris last week, An Nahar
daily reported. Media reports have said that vehicles with Hizbullah gunmen
welcomed Sayyed at the airport tarmac on Saturday and party members ordered the
VIP lounge opened without prior permit from the foreign ministry. The convoy
then took the former general to his house in Jnah. The cabinet also discussed
the issue of the four generals who were jailed for four years without evidence
about their involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination. Ministerial
sources told An Nahar that March 14 cabinet members slammed their foes for
targeting state institutions by the "security violation at the airport."
Hizbullah ministers snapped back, the sources said, and Minister Hussein Hajj
Hassan went as far as saying that violations are taking place at the airport
daily and go unnoticed. The newspaper quoted ministers as saying that the
airport and four generals' issues "revived" the national unity government. Even
President Michel Suleiman at one point hoped that statements made outside the
cabinet would be similar to the cool atmosphere that prevailed during the
session at Baabda palace. "Civil peace is a political responsibility to allow
the security and military apparatuses to assume their responsibilities in
preserving security," said Suleiman after two tense weeks that threatened to
plunge the country into strife. During the session, Premier Saad Hariri warned
that political differences should not turn into attempts to destabilize public
order or undermine the authority of state institutions. An Nahar also said that
Hariri rejected "devastating the country under the slogan of the right of the
four generals." Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 09:41
Sayyed: Hariri's Murder Doesn't Justify Another Crime Based on Falsification of
Facts
Naharnet/Former General Security Department chief Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed on
Wednesday expressed dismay at Premier Saad Hariri's alleged statement that the
imprisonment of the four generals for four years could not be equivalent to the
blood shed by 20 martyrs.Hariri was quoted by Beirut media as telling Tuesday's
cabinet session that the four generals were imprisoned but returned home. "How
about the right of my martyred father and the others?" "The assassination of
Hariri and others is a big and heinous crime that should not go unpunished, the
same as the false witnesses plot, misleading the investigation, destroying ties
with Syria, putting Lebanon on the edge of civil war and the arrest of the four
generals are big and unjust crimes," Sayyed said in a statement. "For Saad
Hariri, these might be less important than the first crime … but your father's
assassination Mr. Prime Minister does not justify moves by your closest aides to
commit another crime by falsifying facts," the former general told the prime
minister. The former premier's killing also "doesn't justify that you become
unjust against your father twice," Sayyed said. Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 12:27
Aoun: We Did Not Target Sunnis in Lebanon, No One Should Blackmail us through
Sectarian Leaning
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun denied on Tuesday that
Sunnis in Lebanon were being targeted, saying that they are being bolstered to
rectify the flaws in the state.He said after the movement's weekly meeting: "No
one should try to blackmail us through sectarian or confessional leaning."
Addressing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, he said that from a legal
perspective, if false witnesses are uncovered during an investigation, the
indictment should be delayed until the witnesses are dealt with. "An indictment
should not be issued until the case of false witnesses is resolved," stressed
the MP. "We are acting calmly, but we are demanding a cultural and intellectual
revolution to control matters in the country," said Aoun. He urged all parties
to adhere to this step and report any violations, repeating his demand to
dissolve the Intelligence Bureau at the Internal Security Forces. Beirut, 21 Sep
10, 18:23
Mustaqbal Bloc: What's the Noble Aim behind Resistance's Storming of Airport?
Naharnet/The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday stressed the importance of
"coexistence; Lebanon's Arabism that is based on a democratic regime and a
peaceful rotation of power; and adhering to the Taef Accord and all its
stipulations in terms of renewing the social contract, resisting the Israeli
occupation, extending the State's authority over its territories, special
relations with Syria based on the two countries' independence and rejecting the
naturalization" of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. In a statement issued after
its weekly meeting held in Qureitem under former premier Fouad Saniora, the bloc
stressed its "adherence to the Lebanese consensus on the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon and its rejection of accusations and the misleading of the
investigation." The conferees noted that the "security-political-media show of
force -- that took place at the airport, its facilities and surroundings and
some of the capital's streets by Hizbullah – terrorized the citizens and gave a
distressing image about Lebanon's fragile stability." "What were the
Resistance's weapons and security personnel doing on the airport's runways and
inside the VIP hall and the other halls of the airport, and what was the noble
aim behind that storming?" The bloc urged all political factions to "take an
example from the bitter experiences the country has suffered," stressing the
need "to return to the endorsement of a national rhetoric that serves the
country, preserves its unity and guarantees its future." Beirut, 21 Sep 10,
21:55
Hassoun's Attorney: My Client Isn't the Traditional Bad Guy
Naharnet/As prosecutors take up the challenge of trying to convict a Lebanese
man arrested in an alleged bomb plot in Chicago, they may have to show the
suspect wasn't egged on by an informant or undercover FBI agents into a crime he
didn't initially intend to commit. Sami Samir Hassoun, 22, was arrested Sunday
after he placed a backpack authorities say he thought contained a bomb near
Chicago's Wrigley Field. The fake but ominous-looking device — a paint can
fitted with blasting caps and a timer — was given to him by an FBI undercover
agent. Hassoun's attorney, Myron Auerbach, said Tuesday he needed to study the
case further before deciding on a defense strategy. But he left open the
possibility of citing entrapment.
"My client didn't bring anything of his own making to the incident. Things were
given to him," he said. Former federal prosecutor Eric Sussman said the issue of
entrapment is often broached in such cases. "You have to show the suspect is
someone predisposed to committing the crime rather than the informant being the
instigator," Sussman said.
Hassoun, a Lebanese citizen who has lived in Chicago for about three years, was
charged Monday with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and of an
explosive device. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday afternoon for
a detention hearing. The complaint alleges Hassoun also spoke of poisoning Lake
Michigan or assassinating Mayor Richard M. Daley. It says Hassoun waffled on his
plans and motivations, talking about profiting monetarily from the attacks and
saying at one point he wanted no deaths. Hassoun also had no apparent
affiliation with extremists. The complaint alleges he raised the specter of
terrorist groups only by suggesting it would be helpful to blame them for any
attacks he staged. "This does not read like some of the other homeland security
cases I have read about," Hassoun's attorney said. "My client is not the
traditional bad guy." An informant tipped off authorities about Hassoun, and
befriended him over a year, conducting conversations in Arabic that were taped.
At least two FBI undercover agents got in touch with Hassoun, posing as
co-plotters — and eventually helping to deliver the bogus bomb. A spokesman for
the FBI's Chicago office, Ross Rice, declined comment Tuesday. Prosecutors also
aren't commenting beyond the federal complaint.
But the complaint itself seems to anticipate any claims that Hassoun may have
merely been suckered into the plot, describing how the undercover agents bent
over backward to give Hassoun a chance to back out. In a conversation cited in
the complaint, one agent several times asks Hassoun if he wants to abandon plans
to set off a bomb, telling him there was "no shame" in walking away. "Do you
still want to do it yourself?" the agent asks. When Hassoun says he does, the
agent asks him again, "Are you sure?" "Positive," Hassoun responds, according to
the complaint.(AP) Beirut, 22 Sep 10, 11:38
Is Koran Burning Protected by Free Speech?
by Daniel Huff/Fox News
September 20, 2010
http://www.meforum.org/2749/koran-burning-free-speech
The struggle for civil rights forged a national commitment to preserving free
speech in the face of hostile audiences. It is alarming how quickly the Koran
controversy has melted that resolve.
Initially, everyone from Mayor Bloomberg to the White House affirmed a right to
burn the book even as they condemned the act. Then Gen. David Petraeus got
involved, followed by the FBI, and now Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says
Koran burning may not be protected speech after all.
The key to this rapid reversal was General Petraeus' warning that Koran burning
"could endanger troops" and the war effort. Although styled as a request not a
demand, his comments laid the legal foundation for compelled government
censorship. The reason is that First Amendment rights are not absolute. The
Constitution permits the government to censor speech if necessary to achieve a
compelling government interest. This is a very high standard, but the fact that
the nation's top commander made a rare public appeal for restraint will be cited
as strong evidence that avoiding offense to Muslims is essential to the national
interest.
Once this dangerous premise is accepted, the door is open to court injunctions
against speech that inflames Muslim sentiment in strategically important
locations.
It has already started.
Last week, the New Jersey Transit Authority fired an 11-year veteran employee
for burning the Koran at a 9/11 rally. Ordinarily, a government employee cannot
be dismissed for expressing personal views on a matter of public concern unless
it interferes with the orderly functioning of the workplace. Should he sue, the
government may try the "Petraeus defense."
Hopefully it will fail.
In a series of cases arising out of civil rights demonstrations, the Supreme
Court explicitly held that free expression cannot be limited "simply because it
might offend a hostile mob."
An alternative rule, would reward bad behavior creating what First Amendment
experts call a "heckler's veto." Dunlap v. City of Chicago illustrates the
extent of this principle. Officials had denied demonstrators a permit to march
in a predominantly white area because every prior similar protest in the
vicinity had resulted in violence. When they sued, the district court not only
ordered the city to permit the parade, it also demanded officials provide
policemen "in such numbers as … are required to afford adequate protection" to
the marchers. When the violence officials feared materialized, the court allowed
a suit against the city for providing insufficient police protection.
The argument that speech should be censored to prevent violence was rejected in
the civil rights context and it should not be accepted now.
That is what made it so frustrating to hear the president, in the very same
appearance, denounce Koran burning for fear of offending Muslims, but insist the
First Amendment rights of the Ground Zero Mosque planners trump the
"extraordinary sensitivities around 9/11." In essence, opponents of the GZM
project are being punished for not being violent.
The perverseness of this approach is even starker considering there is no
genuine First Amendment issue in the Ground Zero context. That provision places
constraints on the government; not on the general public's right to pressure a
religious group. By contrast, the Administration's pressure on the Florida
pastor, which included dispatching the FBI to impress upon him that his life
would be in danger, carries the distinct flavor of prohibited government
interference.
Legal wrangling aside, the Administration has it backwards from a strategic
standpoint. Insisting Americans curb their First Amendment rights in deference
to Muslims, but not asking Muslims to do the same when Americans are offended
creates a privileged status for Islam which is exactly what the extremists want.
Their goal is to impose a radical brand of Islamic law on society at large.
Censoring speech that insults or critiques Islam is the first step in this
process and the US government should not be doing it for them.
Even at the tactical level it doesn't make sense. The Obama administration
argued Koran burnings could function as a "recruitment tool for Al Qaeda." But
anyone who could actually be driven to terrorism by a stunt from a handful of
individuals thousands of miles away is no moderate. He was going to be set off
eventually anyway. Better to flush him into the open now.
Senior military officials also worried it would hurt our efforts to "win hearts
and minds." Afghans "do not understand either the U.S. Constitution's First
Amendment or the fact that President Barack Obama can't simply issue a decree to
stop" Koran burning.
It would be one thing if Afghan operations were just beginning and America's
good faith needed to be established. But U.S. forces have been there 9 years. If
the billions spent and thousands lost are not proof enough of America's
commitment, nothing ever will be.
As such, curbing free speech rights buys only temporary appeasement and it comes
at a high cost. Not only do we compromise our principles, but it emboldens
extremists who will conclude the Administration is so fearful of retaliation it
jettisoned its inaugural promise to reject the "false …choice between our safety
and our ideals."
Daniel Huff is the Director of the Legal Project at the Middle East Forum. He
previously served as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and as an
associate at McKinsey & Company.
Related Topics: Daniel Huff
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Monsters and Critics.com
The Mideast`s most gripping murder mystery (News Feature)
By Anne-Beatrice Clasmann Sep 21, 2010,
Beirut - Five years after the assassination of Lebanese entrepreneur and
political kingpin Rafik Hariri rocked the Middle East, a United Nations (UN)
tribunal`s impending announcement in The Hague of charges in connection with the
case could send explosive new tremors through Lebanon.
The rumbling has already started.
For days now, the political parties in Lebanon have been wrangling over the
budget. In a normal democracy this would not be unusual. But in Lebanon the very
peace of the nation hinges on the budgetary debate.
'Egypt is very concerned about recent developments in Lebanon,' the Egyptian
foreign ministry said this week.
Understandably so, for the Lebanese government is arguing over whether the Arab
nation should keep up its share of the costs for the UN tribunal in The Hague.
The tribunal has been given the mandate to determine who was behind the massive
explosion in February 2005 that claimed the life of Lebanon`s one-time prime
minister.
The pro-Iranian Hezbollah Shiite movement, which is part of the government, is
seeking to hinder the investigation, because of speculation that, besides a
number of Syrian officials, Hezbollah members could also be indicted.
Observers in Beirut even think it possible that the ringleaders behind the
attack came from Tehran.
Things are consequently getting hot for Hezbollah in the build-up to the
tribunal`s announcement of the indictments. Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan
Nasrallah contends that the tribunal is 'an Israeli project' which has based its
information on Israeli agents and 'false witnesses.'
Nasrallah is even said to have attempted to force Prime Minister Saad Hariri,
son of the former leader, to call an end to cooperation with the tribunal.
But Hariri, a Sunni, has baulked at that, despite the fact that he and his team
secretly fear that the results of the investigation could lead to a military
confrontation between Sunnis and Shiites.
'The matter is very sensitive, but I cannot simply accept that it would be
better for Lebanon for the guilty parties not to be found,' declares one of
Hariri`s aides.
Yet the price of truth is high. Several alleged perpetrators and a number of
people who may have known too much have died under highly mysterious
circumstances in Lebanon and Syria, involving car crashes, snipers and bombs.
One of them is said to have been Hezbollah military commander Emad Mughnijah,
who died in an explosion in Damascus three years ago. His brother-in-law Mustafa
Badr al-Din is reportedly a suspect in the case. But there have been nothing
more than rumours because UN chief prosecutor Daniel Bellemare is playing his
cards close to his chest.
Antoine Zahra, a member of parliament for the Christian rightist Forces
Libanaises party, is nonetheless convinced.
'Hezbollah people were the organ which carried it out and the Syrians gave the
order (for Hariri`s assassination),' Zahra says.
But even Hezbollah`s opponents feel that Nasrallah himself likely knew nothing
of the plot against Hariri, that it was rather 'Hezbollah elements who do not
obey his commands' who killed Hariri.
'The Syrians have found a way for themselves to side-step the accusations,' says
Zahra. 'They simply won`t extradite the Syrian suspects, they`ll put them before
Syrian courts as traitors.
Hezbollah and supporters of its ally, Christian General Michel Aoun, are
meanwhile seeking to discredit the court in The Hague.
'The tribunal has lost its credibility,' states Aoun.
Yet just recently it had appeared that the regional powers had found a
diplomatic solution which would spare Lebanon, still traumatized by the
1975-1990 civil war, fresh bloodshed.
When the tribunal issue first flared up in July, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
flew to Beirut with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in tow to seek 'an oriental
means' of resolving the issue. In doing so, the aged king, who is favorably
inclined towards the Hariri family, placed his entire authority in the balance.
Yet scarcely had the king departed when everyone in Beirut was at each other`s
throats once more.
The Sunnis and the Shiites…the Knife has Cut to the Bone
21/09/2010
By Tariq Alhomayed/Al Sarq AlAwsat
Kuwait has announced a ban on public gatherings in order to reduce any
escalation in the sectarian tensions between the Sunnis and the Shiites; this is
in order to curb the "sectarian unrest." The issue has reached the point that
Acting Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah, warned
that "the knife has cut to the bone." This came against the backdrop of
extremist and shameful statements – by anybody's standards – being issued
against [the Prophet's wife] Sayyida Aisha, by an individual who can only be
described as an extremist. We have, of course, felt the reactions to these
extremist and shameful statements in the Gulf media, particularly the print
media.
Moving away from these statements, Bahrain has decided – for a number of reasons
– to withdraw its citizenship from a certain Shiite figure, while it has also
banned another Shiite figure from performing [religious] sermons. In Lebanon, we
can see an organized attack being carried out against the Sunnis, while the
Huthis in Yemen have wrapped themselves in the cloak of the Wali al-Faqih
[Guardianship of the Jurists], and we hear some in Iraq saying that power should
remain in the hands of the Shiites, even though Iraq is governed by a democratic
mechanism. Therefore, in light of all that has been mentioned above, the
question that must be asked now is; in what direction is our region heading? And
whose interests are being served by all of this sectarian incitement?
There are two sides to this issue; firstly, we cannot put our security, our
achievements, and most importantly of all, our stability, at risk for every
disgraceful or scandalous statement issued by an extremist or somebody who is
seeking fame. Every party has its extremists, and extremism and militancy only
breed further extremism and militancy. Therefore, we must be wise in the course
of action that we take, and we should [also] avoid over-reacting.
The other issue is that it is in our interests to strengthen the concept of
citizenship, the rights to co-existence, and respect of differences; this is the
responsibility of the rulers and statements of all levels [of government]. The
media must also beware of stoking the fires [of sectarianism], but this does not
mean ignoring the dangerous role that Iran is playing in our region, it must
reveal and expose this but without destroying our homes with our own hands, for
stability is a blessing that must be protected.
Strengthening citizenship does not mean offering concessions with regards to
offending religious beliefs or insulting the Prophets, the Rightly-Guided
Caliphs, the Prophet's Companions, or the Prophet's wives. Rather what is needed
is for a wise course of action to be followed, and for individual cases to be
dealt with as individual cases, rather than over-reacting to this, which is
something that serves only to further inflame the sectarian conflict.
The problem is that those playing with sectarian fire forget that – sooner or
later – they will be the ones who will be most affected by this, whether this is
Iran or those who are assisting it in our region. Iran is made up of a mosaic of
different ethnicities, which if incited, will represent a greater danger to Iran
itself than to any external enemy, and the same applies to others in the region.
Therefore, what is important here is to be wise and avoid dragging our
countries, especially the Gulf States, into danger for nothing more than an
individual act; for the Gulf is facing a greater threat than we first thought,
and we must not allow anything to lead to the incitement of sectarian tension
between the Sunnis and Shiites in our region. There is much that we must
protect, and we must now allow anybody to drag us into the quagmire of sectarian
conflict; the most important thing that we must protect is the blessings of
security and safety that have been bestowed upon us by God.