LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember 29/2010

Bible Of The Day
John's First Letter 1/5-10: "This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1:10 If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
 

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Negotiations to buy time and avoid the big fire?/George Semaan/September 28/10
Eight House Churches Shut Down in Northern Syria/ChristianNewsToday.com/ICCC/September 28/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 28/10 
Sfeir Denies He Said International Tribunal was Politicized/Naharnet
Feltman: US Seeks Comprehensive Peace which Requires Action on Lebanese, Syrian Tracks/Naharnet
Connelly: U.S. is Determined to Continue on Supporting Lebanese Army/Naharnet
U.S. Warns Syria against Destabilizing Lebanon, Iraq/Naharnet
Lieberman: Ahmadinejad's Visit to Southern Lebanon is 'Provocative Act'/Naharnet
No Contact between Hariri and Syria and No Visit to Damascus Soon/Naharnet
This Time, Hizbullah Will Reject Interrogation of 2nd Batch of its Members by UN Committee/Naharnet
Bellemare's Spokesperson Henrietta Aswad Reportedly Resigned/Naharnet
Turkey: Syria Does Not Object to Uncovering Hariri's Killers/Naharnet
Qabalan Calls for Opening New Page of Consultation, Dialogue/Naharnet
MP, Hbeish: Halting Article on Funding STL and Withdrawing its Judges will Not Stop its Work/Naharnet
Bellemare's Spokesperson Henrietta Aswad Resigns/Naharnet
Khalife Back in Beirut, Says Iran stands by Lebanon in Face of Any Attack/Naharnet
Jumblat: Mutual Understanding is Needed/Naharnet
Israeli FM, Ban Discuss Lebanon, Gaza/Naharnet
Lebanese Cabinet Postpones Debate on 2011 Budget amid Opposition Rejection of Tribunal Funding/Naharnet
Suleiman Warns from Mexico: Any Mideast Solution Must Take Lebanon's Interests into Account/Naharnet
Lebanese MP,s Fatfat and Ammar exchange insults/Now Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun speaks following bloc meeting in Rabieh /Now Lebanon
US Woos Syria in Mideast Peace Push/Wall Street Journal
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks come to de facto halt after Israel lets settlement moratorium expire/Reuters & Ynetnews
Syria says interested in peace talks with Israel/Isaeli News
2 Druze suspected of spying for Syria/Israeli News
Ahmadinejad to throw stone towards Israel//Ynetnews
El Al plane in Toronto nearly loaded with military cargo/Israeli News

Lieberman: Ahmadinejad's Visit to Southern Lebanon is 'Provocative Act'
Naharnet/Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said a visit to south Lebanon by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was considered a "provocative act."
He pointed out that "the Israelis are directly involved in the situation in Lebanon, and Ahmadinejad's visit and issuance of a political statement from southern Lebanon is nothing but a provocative act." Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 10:07

No Contact between Hariri and Syria and No Visit to Damascus Soon
Naharnet/Contacts between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Syria have stopped, As-Safir newspaper noticed. It quoted official Lebanese circles as saying that Hariri was not planning to visit Damascus. The circles said reports that Hariri will make a trip to Damascus were "mere media speculations."They described as "routine" a visit by Saudi ambassador Ali Assiri to the Grand Serail on Monday. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 12:02

Sfeir Denies He Said International Tribunal was Politicized
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Tuesday denied he said that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was politicized. "Quotes attributed to him that the Tribunal was politicized are inaccurate and not true," Dr. Toufiq al-Hindi quoted Sfeir as saying. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 14:50

Connelly: U.S. is Determined to Continue on Supporting Lebanese Army
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed on Monday the American administration's confidence in the role of the Lebanese army and its determination to continue on supporting it. She added that the U.S. is also keen on activating military cooperation with it in various fields. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 17:06

Bellemare's Spokesperson Henrietta Aswad Resigns
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare expressed regret over the resignation of Henrietta Aswad as his spokesperson."The Office of the Prosecutor regrets the departure of Ms. Henrietta Aswad as its Spokesperson due to unforeseen personal reasons, said a statement on the STL website. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 14:36

Turkey: Syria Does Not Object to Uncovering Hariri's Killers
Naharnet/Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Syria does not object to uncovering the killers behind the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"From the beginning, Syrian authorities told us that there is no link between Syria and the assassination whatsoever. And we believed every word the Syrian leadership said," Oglu said in remarks published Tuesday by the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper. "And I also don't think that the Syrians would object to the revealing of the identity of Rafik Hariri's killers," Oglu added. "I do not see any problem." He said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has been "established ... and it is impossible to ignore this reality." "Hariri's assassination was an act of sabotage against peace in Lebanon. So we have reacted to that. But at the same time we did not want relations among Lebanese and bilateral ties between Lebanon and Syria or other countries to deteriorate," Oglu stressed. He rejected the notion that says 'it is better to do without the Tribunal or the indictments under the pretext of Lebanon's security and interests.'
"Justice is always important," Oglu believed. "However, we should look at what is happening as an issue of justice, not political row.""This is a legal issue that is not supposed to be reflected on the domestic stability in Lebanon," he thought. "Responsibility should be individual. Otherwise, it would be considered as a State or sect responsibility." Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 08:14

This Time, Hizbullah Will Reject Interrogation of 2nd Batch of its Members by UN Committee
Naharnet/This time, Hizbullah will snub a request by a U.N.-backed investigation committee to interrogate a second batch of its members in the assassination case of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, sources close to Hizbullah said in remarks published Tuesday by As-Safir newspaper. The sources said Hizbullah has not yet informed Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare of its position. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 09:51

Hbeish: Halting Article on Funding STL and Withdrawing its Judges will Not Stop its Work
Naharnet/Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Hadi Hbeish noted on Tuesday that the intimidation and pressure surrounding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will not yield any results.
He stressed: "Halting the article on funding the STL and withdrawing the Lebanese judges from it will not stop its functioning.""The March 8 ministers, who admit each time that a decision has been approved without them paying attention to it, are not fit to represent us in government and they should leave their places to others," he stated. "They are informed on the 2010 state budget plan, which includes an article on funding the tribunal and they are bound by the ministerial statement of the national unity government," the MP noted. "They have frankly admitted that they have turned against the ministerial statement and they should therefore, withdraw from Cabinet because it's unacceptable that a minister vote for the statement and then announce that he opposes its implementation," Hbeish noted. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 17:41

Suleiman Warns from Mexico: Any Mideast Solution Must Take Lebanon's Interests into Account
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday warned that any Middle East peace settlement must take Lebanon's interests into account.
"Lebanon will not accept any solution to this Palestinian-Israeli conflict if it were in isolation of the supreme national interests, particularly its right to reject Palestinian naturalization on its territory," Suleiman said from Mexico. "We also won't accept a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in isolation from a just and comprehensive Middle East solution," he added.
Suleiman said that Lebanon, in order to be able to restore full security, stability and growth opportunities, was still in need for the support of the International Community and friendly countries, particularly Mexico, so that "we can compel Israel to implement Resolution 1701, withdraw from all our territories … and stop it from carrying out daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty." His remarks came during a dinner banquet hosted by Mexico's President in his honor. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 12:20

Eight House Churches Shut Down in Northern Syria
Washington, D.C. – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that at least eight evangelical churches in northern Syria have been closed by the Syrian government.
The Syrian government ordered the closure of numerous ‘house churches’ for meeting in places the government deems inappropriate for worship. Many congregations in Syria cannot afford to buy a plot of land and build a church, so instead they purchase an apartment and turn it into a place of worship. However, during the past few months, the government has enforced a law stating that congregations must only gather in buildings that resemble a church.
Many Syrian Christians, however, believe that the government’s ‘legal’ excuse for closing churches is merely a cover-up for a wider government crackdown against evangelical Christian activity in Syria. “Syrian Christians that are active in their faith know that they are watched very closely and the government is waiting for an excuse to crack down on them,” a Syrian Christian told ICC. “The government is targeting all religious activities which are considered ‘extreme’ – from Muslim extremists all the way to Christians… It is generally believed that the government is getting reports from Orthodox and certain denominations as well as secret police and certain Islamic congregations.”
In a letter posted on the website of political analyst and Christian novelist Joel Rosenberg, an Arab believer explained, “Our brethren and churches in Syria need urgent prayers. The government closed about eight evangelical churches in the last two weeks. All these churches are in North Syria, mainly in Lattakia, Tartous, Homs, and wadi Al-Nasara. Some of the churches in Damascus and Aleppo know that their turn will come soon. They are closing some of the Baptist and Alliance churches. It is apparently by the approval of the High Counsel representative in Syria.”
Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “Christians in Syria, unlike some of their neighbors, have enjoyed relative freedom to practice their faith. Yet, religious freedom in Syria is a delicate ideal, and Syrian evangelicals have walked a tightrope to not offend the government and lose their precious liberty to worship. Prejudices and false reports targeting the Syrian evangelical community by both Orthodox Christians and certain Muslim groups, if continued, will destroy that fragile balance of religious freedom so cherished by Syrian evangelicals. ICC appeals to the Syrian government to sustain that balance by preserving Syria’s religiously tolerant society and protecting its religious minorities.”
** For interviews, contact Aidan Clay, Regional Manager for the Middle East: clay@persecution.org

Direct negotiations suspended
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks come to de facto halt after Israel lets settlement moratorium expire. PA says will wait until Arab League convenes before making final decision on talks' fate
Attila Somfalvi Published: 09.28.10, 01:14 / Israel News
Are the peace talks on the verge of breakdown? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed – but the biweekly meetings the two leaders agreed upon seem to have gotten off to a bumpy start.
The expiration of the moratorium placed on West Bank settlement construction and ensuing tensions seem to have put the entire peace process on hold. US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell is expected to arrive in Israel, in an effort to somehow circumvent a deadlock in the talks, but the Palestinians said it is unlikely that negotiations will resume prior to the next Arab League conference, set for October 4.
Preconditions
Although the Americans are applying pressure in an effort to reach an agreement over the settlements before the Arab League convenes, direct negotiations seem to have been halted for the moment. Sources in Jerusalem estimate that Palestinians are interested to resume talks, and will certainly not declare them over officially prior to the US midterm elections in November, so not to harm US President Barack Obama. However, if a solution is not found before the Arab League convenes – Mitchell will once again become the key mediator between the two sides, as direct talks will be called off. Government officials told Ynet that Netanyahu will not agree to a complete construction freeze, and that he will not be able to garner the majority needed to pass such a decision. The sources noted that the prime minister will most likely agree to limit construction to permits granted before the moratorium began.
Sources in the Likud blamed the United Stated for the current situation. A Likud official noted that "Americans wanted the freeze, and Netanyahu asked for guarantees in exchange, but did not receive any. "The Americans thwarted the whole deal. They could have told the Palestinians that the 10-month construction freeze was over, but instead Obama complicated matters and demanded an extension." Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni cautioned Netanyahu against deadlocking the talks, but said Kadima will back any government decision that promotes negotiations with the Palestinians.
The 'settlements for peace' formula
Source in the Palestinian Authority said Monday night that while no real progress is expected in the peace process despite Mitchell's visit, and any decision will have to wait until after the Arab League conference, it is unlikely that the Arab League will try and torpedo the negotiations, should they resume.
The PA, added the sources, believes Washington will pressure Israel to restrict any settlement construction to the larger settlement blocs. Meanwhile, Egypt has urged European nations to pressure Israel against bringing about the end of the talks as a result of the end of the settlement freeze.
The PA was reportedly satisfied with the international call on Israel to reinstate the West Bank construction suspension.
The Palestinians said that in the last few days, the world has begun seeing that the main equation in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is "settlement movement for peace" and that the international community now understands that it is the Israeli government's inability to publicly declare that the majority of the settlements would be evacuated eventually, that is compromising the negotiation.
*Ali Waked contributed to this report

Syria says interested in peace talks with Israel
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meet in New York. State Department says Damascus 'very interested' in pursuing Israeli-Syrian peace
Yitzhak Benhorin Published: 09.28.10, 01:38 / Israel News
WASHINGTON – Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem is "very interested" in pursuing Israeli-Syrian peace, US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said on Monday.The Syrian foreign minister "was very interested in pursuing that and there was a pledge that we would develop some ideas going forward on developing that," Crowley told reporters as he briefed them on talks between Moualem and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New York.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks suspended after Israel lets settlement moratorium expire. PA says will weight until Arab League convenes before making final decision on talks' fate
It was the first scheduled meeting between the two since Clinton took office over 18 months ago.
Moualem, who in the past served as Damascus' ambassador to Washington, has been part the efforts to start viable peace talks between the two countries for years. The Americans are pursuing a Syrian avenue in the Mideast peace process. Washington would like to see such a negotiation channel become active, or – at the very least – make sure Syria does not hinder the Israeli-Palestinian track, by supporting terror groups operating in Lebanon and Gaza.
The Obama administration has been trying to establish a dialogue with Damascus, but the latter keeps sending it mixed signals.
Several high ranking American officials have already visited Syria since US President Barack Obama took office, including Special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, but still, the Administration's efforts to widen the gap between Syria and Iran have so far failed. Ahead of Clinton's meeting with Moualem, the US relayed a message to Syria saying that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would not come at the expense of an Israeli peace with the entire Arab world, of which Syria is a key part. **Reuters contributed to this report

2 Druze suspected of spying for Syria
Majdal Shmas residents Fares Shaer and Said Abu-Zayad accused of working for Syrian intelligence service. One of them tells investigators he was asked to kidnap IDF soldier in exchange for money
Sharon Roffe-Ofir Published: 09.28.10, 13:32 / Israel News
Cleared for publication: Fares Shaer and Said Abu-Zayad, residents of the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights, were indicted Tuesday at the Nazareth District Court for allegedly contacting Syrian intelligence officials.
According to the Shin Bet, the two were operated by a Syrian intelligence officer named Madhat Salah, who is responsible for the Golan Heights area in the Damascus government.
Salah himself was born in Majdal Shams and served a prison sentence in Israel after being convicted of committing security offenses. In 1998 he managed to cross the border to Syria, where he lives and works to this very day. He operated both the father and the son who were arrested in July. According to the indictment, Salah and Shaer met while serving a prison sentence together. Shaer told his investigators that he had been contacted by Salah, who offered to pay him for kidnapping an IDF soldier, but said he turned down the offer.
The prosecution also claimed that Shaer had been involved in the past three years in the funneling of funds from Syria to Druze security prisoners and to their family members in the Golan Heights. According to the Shin Bet, Shaer's sister served as a contact between him and Salah, as did Said Abu-Zayad, who met with Salah during a visit to Syria as part of a delegation of Druze clerics from the Golan Heights. The indictment claims that during one of the visits, Abu-Zayad transferred a secret letter form Salah to Shaer. The trial of another suspect in the affair which was revealed in July, a resident of Baqa al-Gharbiyye, is being held these days. **Hanan Greenberg contributed to this report

Ahmadinejad to throw stone towards Israel
London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reports Iranian president planning symbolic gesture during upcoming visit to Lebanon
Roee Nahmias Published: 09.28.10, 12:22 / Israel News
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to visit Lebanon on October 13 and meet with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman and other local officials. During his two-day visit, Ahmadinejad will take part in various events to be held near the Israeli border. In one of those events, an inauguration of a garden, the president is slated to make a symbolic gesture and throw a stone towards Israel, London-based Arabic-labguage al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reported. Ahmadinejad's busy schedule will also include a visit to south Lebanon where he will inaugurate an Iranian center in the Maroun al-Ras village where tough battles were fought during the Second Lebanon War. Later on, the president will give a public speech in Bint Jbeil in which he is slated to address the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Officials expected to accompany Ahmadinejad in his tour did not rule out the possibility that he would spend another night in southern Lebanon in a location which has not been revealed due to security reasons. Ahamdinejad is also slated to greet senior Shiite elements in the Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut. Three Iranian security teams have already been dispatched to Lebanon ahead of the visit. Hezbollah members are also expected to take part in the Iranian president's security arrangements throughout his visit

Iran unveils seaplane used for attacks, surveillance
Islamic Republiv's defense minister boasts its latest achievement - Bavar-2 flying boats
Dudi Cohen and AP Published: 09.28.10, 15:45 / Israel News
Iran's state TV says the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard has received its first three squadrons of radar-evading flying boats which were developed to collect intelligence and perform attack missions. The plane was unveiled on the last day of the Islamic Republic's Sacred Defense Week marking the Iran-Iraq War. Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Wahidi said the new development improves Iran's aerial and naval capabilities. "Arming the navy with advanced weapons boosts stability and security in the region and increases the Islamic Republic's deterrent power," Wahidi said. Bavar-2 seaplanes The development comes after Iran in 2009 said it had successfully tested the domestically made craft. A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull that allows it to land on water. It's part of Tehran's efforts to boost its arsenal and military capabilities despite international sanctions over the country's controversial nuclear program.
Iran's military achievements cannot be independently verified. The state TV broadcast footage of the craft in operation in the air and sea. Tuesday's report says the plane - dubbed Bavar-2 or Confidence-2 - can be used for surveillance. It can also carry guns and transmit data.

El Al plane nearly loaded with military cargo
Israeli airline's security guards prevent military equipment from being loaded into El Al aircraft scheduled to leave Toronto Aviel Magnezi Published: 09.28.10, 14:05 / Israel News
El Al security guards prevented military equipment from being loaded into an airline aircraft meant to depart from Toronto, Canada. El Al said in response, "Any cargo flown by El Al is subject to a security check in accordance with strict security rules." It appears the incident was not connected to a terrorist attack but in fact pertains to unreported baggage which was meant to serve foreign forces operating in the Middle East. "Cargo containing military components bound for Tel Aviv was detected yesterday," a Toronto police source told Ynet.
"The cargo was checked and it was revealed it contained military equipment which was meant to be transferred with no intent to hurt anyone." Toronto Police estimated that the element who wished to transfer the cargo was not aware of the sensitivity of the matter and meant no harm

Hbeish: Halting Article on Funding STL and Withdrawing its Judges will Not Stop its Work
Naharnet/Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Hadi Hbeish noted on Tuesday that the intimidation and pressure surrounding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will not yield any results.
He stressed: "Halting the article on funding the STL and withdrawing the Lebanese judges from it will not stop its functioning."
"The March 8 ministers, who admit each time that a decision has been approved without them paying attention to it, are not fit to represent us in government and they should leave their places to others," he stated. "They are informed on the 2010 state budget plan, which includes an article on funding the tribunal and they are bound by the ministerial statement of the national unity government," the MP noted. "They have frankly admitted that they have turned against the ministerial statement and they should therefore, withdraw from Cabinet because it's unacceptable that a minister vote for the statement and then announce that he opposes its implementation," Hbeish noted. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 17:41

Jumblat: Mutual Understanding is Needed
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat said a mutual understanding is needed among the various political leaders. "Reaching understandings is our main concern," Jumblat said in remarks published Tuesday by the daily As-Safir. Asked whether PM Saad Hariri has positively taken remarks made by Jumblat in Mukhtara on Sunday, the PSP leader said: "Hariri's main concern is maintaining calm and stability." "This is what we are calling for." Jumblat on Sunday said the best way to achieve justice is to uncover the truth behind the false witnesses to the murder of former PM-Rafik Hariri. He also said that he wished there was no approval for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon which was established to try Hariri's killers. Beirut, 28 Sep 10, 09:01

Fatfat and Ammar exchange insults
September 28, 2010 /NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported that during Tuesday’s session of the Parliamentary Budget and Finance Commission, Lebanon First bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat and Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Ammar exchanged insults over matters related Lebanon’s share of funding for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
According to the correspondent, Ammar said that “[the March 14 alliance] destroyed the country and established a US-Israeli court that was approved in an illegitimate way.”
March 14 MPs withdrew from the September 16 evening session of the Budget and Finance Commission to prevent reaching quorum when March 8 coalition MPs called for voting on a 2010 state budget clause pertaining to Lebanon’s funding of the STL.Tension ran high in Lebanon after reports said that the STL would soon issue its indictment in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.-NOW Lebanon

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun speaks following bloc meeting in Rabieh
September 28, 2010
- No one understands [the different points of view when it comes to the] current argument related to the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)], the false witnesses [who gave fake testimonies in the investigation of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri] and security [institutions].
- We now live in a chaotic [situation] and the civil society needs to tell us what it thinks of [it]. Why do we not punish the false witnesses? The authorities created these witnesses. Why do the false witnesses not go to the tribunal? We want a convincing answer.
- If they [have nothing to do with the issue] of the false witnesses, why are they hiding it? This should not happen after 18 crimes [struck] the country. The truth is not only [related to the Hariri family], it concerns everyone. If we do not [carry out] the investigation properly, the truth will not be [revealed].
- I was [previously] accused of murdering [former Industry Minister] Pierre Gemayel. We were all [affected]. When we worked to improve Syrian-Lebanese relations, we were affected. We were [attacked] every time we called for a wise [stance] when dealing with the problem with Syria. This was used against us in the parliamentary elections.
- The STL has lost its credibility.
- We hope Justice Minister [Ibrahim Najjar] declares the Lebanese judiciary’s jurisdiction and duty to try the false witnesses. The false witnesses must be tried.
- The balance sheet is the biggest scandal in history. They do not want to explain how the money [of the state budget] was spent. They are now caught red-handed.
- I am asking the [March 14] MPs how was the money spent?
- Employees are illegitimately employed at the Finance Ministry.
- This is the country we have lived in since 1992. [Lebanon’s] politics are still the same.
- Ad-Diyar newspaper has its own intelligence information. It covered the Jezzine visit its own way.
- The rumor-based press still exists and it is supported by [certain political figures].
- The [Internal Security Forces] Information Branch was established in 2005. We were not [a part of the government] then. In 2008, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud was assigned after it was agreed by President [Michel Sleiman] and myself. I told Baroud there are security issues that need to be resolved, but the problem has now got worse.
- New TV broadcast a documentary about the investigation with [retired Brigadier General] Fayez Karam. Who gave them this information? Who is [Information Branch head] Wissam al-Hassan’s superior? I have a [good life] history and no one has the right to [attack] me. [Those who want to investigate can do so as they please,] but they should not leak any [information].
- Neither Hassan nor his superior can talk about us. [Former Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri spent 15 years investigating [issues related to me] but he was not able to [accuse me] of anything. Let them return the money he confiscated. They are all thieves, particularly [former Prime Minister] Fouad Siniora.
- The Information Branch [cannot continue to work] as long as it has employees who have committed mistakes. If its existence is [a must], the issue of the branch should be [re-established] and studied by the parliament.
- We want to know who killed [former President] Rene Mouawad and [Sunni Grand] Mufti Sheikh Hassan Khaled. Many were killed during the 1970s. I do not know why international tribunals were not established [then]. I did not say the tribunal is Israeli.
- I am not against the Sunni sect. I want to know who stole the government’s money and who the false witnesses are.

Negotiations to buy time and avoid the big fire?
By/George Semaan
The fact that the issues of the Middle East, or rather the issues of the Arabs and their neighbors, occupied the majority of the United Nations General Assembly’s work during the current session, carried many meanings. Moreover, the same could be said about American President Barack Obama’s focus on these issues in his speech, namely at the level of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and about the fact that the summits and meetings held on the sidelines of the session mainly tackled the problems of the Arab world. Indeed, they started in Sudan, which is prone to become “two Sudans” and may pave the way before a third “Sudan” in Darfur. They then moved to Yemen, where the acts of violence against its legitimate and security institutions in particular are no longer limited to the different sides from the North to the South and have moved to the heart of the capital Sana’a. This is threatening with the collapse of the authority or its shift away from the confrontation of the separation and division on more than one front, thus turning Yemen back into two “Yemens” or more. These represent the most eloquent sign for the fact that the region is breeding crises threatening stability around the world, and the most eloquent sign for the fact that the Arab regime is unable to handle its crises and has surrendered their management which has become fully controlled by the others.
President Obama called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and resolve the Palestinian issue, although America is the only side managing the negotiations or playing the role of a mediator. Before that, his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not hesitate to warn that this was the last chance to achieve peace. Moreover, the American president did not forget to urge the Arabs to show some initiative toward Israel, as though what was keeping Tel Aviv from committing to the decisions of international legitimacy was the Arab stubbornness which refused to provide a “cover” for the Palestinian authority throughout the rounds… and the retreats, and was still calling for the elimination of the Hebrew state! In the meantime, all that is left of Palestine is on the brink of being swallowed up in its entirety by the ogre of the settlements!
Obama previously acknowledged that he was not aware of the complexities of the Palestinian cause. Therefore, by calling on the world to help Washington achieve a breakthrough, he recognized that he might not be able to impose a settlement alone, especially on the Israeli side, which he was forced to humor on the eve of the indirect negotiations and then on the eve of the direct ones. He is seeking Europe’s help, even though he knows that the latter will not be stopped by the attempts to “exclude it” along with the two other sides in the Quartet Committee, i.e. the United Nations and Russia, and has tried and is still trying to alleviate Tel Aviv’s position. Obama is also well aware of the fact that the Arabs have no other choice but to “bless” the Authority’s decision to proceed with the negotiations once a solution is reached for the settlements’ issue, and will definitely not ask him to transfer the entire issue to the Security Council to reach an international consensus, similar to the one achieved in the face of the Iranian nuclear program, to force Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories based on the resolutions of international legitimacy.
Everyone is concerned about the continuation of this round of negotiations regardless of the obstacles, in order to buy time or to avoid the worst before it is too late. What would the authority do if this round were to fail? Will it oppose a new uprising or continue building the institutions of a promised state in which the settlement expansion is proceeding? What would Netanyahu do to face the rise of the right wing led by his Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman? Can he offer Mahmud Abbas what his predecessor Ehud Olmert had offered Yasser Arafat in Camp David ten years ago? Even at the time, no settlement was reached, so does anyone around the world expect a similar agreement to be ratified that easily? Moreover, what would Obama say to the voters with the imminent Congressional midterm elections? Does anyone expect him to exert the required pressures on his strategic ally while he had retreated a few months ago before Netanyahu’s arrogance and defiance?
Even for those opposing the negotiations among the supporters of the “rejectionist camp,” what are the alternative options they are calling for knowing that they were all previously tested? The only alternative would be to go back to rounds of violence that will not achieve anything except enhance the positions of the hardliners on both ends, or lead to a comprehensive war which will rearrange the positions and the cards and force everyone back to the table to secure a comprehensive settlement. At the very best, the region will drown in further divisions and dismantlement.
The negotiations are thus proceeding over all the files. They will last a year, which is the period set by Obama to reach an agreement and secure the establishment of the Palestinian state. The fleeing from the predicaments consequently provided the players with a year and they could use this lost time to open all the files in preparation for this event. Indeed, in parallel to the attempts to find an exit for the settlements issue to resume the current round, the contacts were suddenly renewed between Fatah and Hamas on the track toward reconciliation, while each of the two sides is trying to turn it into a tool to enhance its own position in the new formula of the Palestine Liberation Organization and in the next parliamentary elections. This is happening at a time when the goal behind this reconciliation should be to seek ways to uphold what remains of Palestine, knowing that the absence of reconciliation is not helping “Abu Mazen” in the current negotiations and will prevent him from respecting the content of the agreement if it is ever reached.
In parallel to these negotiations, the Lebanese opened the file of the international tribunal looking into the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. Hezbollah and its local and regional allies perceive this tribunal as being a “political tool” to strike the resistance and consequently weaken the “rejectionist alliance” in the region, from Gaza to Tehran going through Damascus. Therefore, they are settling for no less than its annulment, considering that its indictment will point the finger toward elements in the party and that its repercussions will automatically lead to the renewal of the campaign against its arms. Furthermore, it will intensify the siege imposed on it on the international level in order to accomplish what resolution 1701 failed to do when it closed the South Lebanon front in its face and placed Israel’s northern border under international protection, and will deprive Iran of an ally positioned along the border of the Palestinian cause.
Syria is also present at the level of the Palestine and Lebanon files, after the understanding in Iraq was consolidated and after reconciliation was achieved with the State of Law Coalition and its leader Nouri al-Maliki. However, at a time when the United States believes that Syria has a “major role to play at the level of regional stability and comprehensive peace” as conveyed by Hillary Clinton, why is Damascus still not playing that role? It was clear from its hosting of the resumption of the talks between Fatah and Hamas, as well as its efforts to control the limits of the political game in Lebanon based on its own conditions, that it was ready to play its role outside of the geographic border in which the United States and Europe tried to contain it during the last few years. It may have taken all it could in Iraq in the hope of taking more in Lebanon and Palestine and extending its gains beyond normal relations with Beirut.
As for the Iranian nuclear file, which is the main file that imposed the opening of all these other ones in the region at once, it will return once again to the table very imminently. The American president rushed the Islamic Republic to return to the negotiations, while his Iranian counterpart Mahmud Ahmadinejad responded by calling on the European Union foreign minister, Catherine Ashton, to contact Tehran to define a date for the resumption of the talks with the five major states plus Germany.
In the meantime, nothing gives the impression that any of the sides will make the concessions it would not make in the previous rounds, since Iran did not grow weaker following the intensification of the sanctions which Obama believes there are no “guarantees” for their efficiency, while Russia’s relinquishing of the S-300 rockets deal did not force it to reconsider its nuclear policy. Indeed, it has realized following the ratification of the last package of sanctions that Moscow could not sacrifice its political, security and economic interests it shares with America and Europe to please its Southern neighbor. Moreover, it would be willing to use its “Iranian card” to enhance its interests with the others and might profit from the stalemate affecting the Iranian nuclear file for the longest period possible, in order to reap more benefits.
Consequently, it seems that no one wants the settlement of the region’s pending problems and files, although the negotiations train has already left with more than one wagon. It might not reach its final stop, but the train of wars and their daily repercussions on all the sides, from Afghanistan to Iraq and from Lebanon in 2006 to the Gaza Strip at the end of 2008 - beginning of 2009, is present and proceeding alongside the negotiations step by step. As for the rollers of war drums, they are not neglecting the exchange of scenarios, the least of which is catastrophic. They featured the occupation of parts of Lebanon as it was drawn up by an American expert, or the fall of thousands of victims as it was predicted by the military advisor of the Republic’s Guide Ali Khamenei. Nothing heralds the possible dodging of such a fate, except for the growing fear of the Republic in regard to the loss of its regime, and the fear of the Americans from a different war that might erupt on more than one arena and front, at a time when they are seeking ways to exit Iraq and Afghanistan.
*Published in the London-based AL-HAYAT on Sept. 27, 2010.