LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِFebeuary 15/2011

Bible Of The Day
Daniel 2:20-21: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding"
about.com:Today's Inspiring Thought: He Removes Kings and Sets Up Kings
Daniel and his friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were facing certain death. In exile in Babylon, they were part of a large team of wise men who served King Nebuchadnezzar. So far, none of them had been able to interpret the king's troublesome dream, and Nebuchadnezzar was furious! Knowing he had everything to lose, Daniel decided to step up to the plate and attempt to interpret the dream. He went home and asked his buddies to pray for God's mercy on their behalf. During the night, God revealed to Daniel the meaning behind the king's dream. The words in this verse record Daniel's praises to the Lord! He knew he had just narrowly escaped death. He also recognized that his God—the God of heaven, revealer of mysteries—was sovereign over every king and kingdom

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Saad Hariri's Speech at the 14th February celebration/Now Lebanon/February 14/11
Gemayel: Majority Emerges from People's Freewill, Not Gun Muzzles/Naharnet/February 14/11
Geagea Says New Hegemony Would Lead to 'Countless Cedar Revolutions/Naharnet/February 14/11
Talking to Alain Grellet, chief of the STL Victims Participation Unit/By: Ana Maria Luca , Nadine Ela/February 14/11
The road from the St Georges/Now Lebanon/February 14, 2011
Citizenship, Not Religion, Must Be the Basis for Inclusion in the Middle East/By: Saliba Sarsar/February 14/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 14/11
Clinton calls on Iran to follow Egypt’s example/Now Lebanon
U.S. Honors Rafik Hariri's Memory by Backing International Tribunal/Naharnet
Sfeir chairs council of bishops/iloubnan.info
Sami Gemayel supports reconciliation convention in Beirut/Now Lebanon
Clinton calls on Iran to follow Egypt’s example/Now Lebanon
Hariri says March 14 will enter opposition, calls for rally/Now Lebanon
March 8 will face opposition if it miscalculates, Gemayel says/Now Lebanon
US Urges Lebanon To Honor Obligations To U.N.-backed Special Tribunal/RTT
New U.S. Legislation to Ensure That U.S. Funds Don't Go to Hezbollah/AINA
Six years after Rafik Hariri's death, Lebanon on verge of crisis/CNN
Nazik Hariri voices concern over Lebanon/iloubnan.info
Hezbollah official: Balance of power shifted in Lebanon/Ya Libnan
Najjar on future of Special tribunal for Lebanon/iloubnan.info
Nicholas fires back at Houri, accuses him of espionge/iloubnan.info
Miqati Extends his Hand but Refuses to Make Commitments to Any Side /Naharnet
New Cabinet Faces Obstacles of Distribution of Portfolios: Vetoes on Both Sides and Impossible Demands /Naharnet
Nasrallah to Miqati: STL Should Not be Mentioned in Policy Statement /Naharnet
Greek Police Arrest Suspected Fatah al-Islam Militant /Naharnet
Berri Slams March 14: We're with Tribunal that'd Unveil Truth, Not Fabricate It /Naharnet
Qaouq Refuses to Allow U.S. to Use STL as Weapon: Resistance Has Garnered Parliamentary Majority /Naharnet
Qabbani before Hariri's Grave: Developments in Lebanon are Result of the Assassination /Naharnet
Hizbullah Informed Miqati its Refusal to Make References to STL in Ministerial Statement /Naharnet
Arslan Praises Egyptian Revolt against Arab Zionism: I Repeat My Nomination of Jumblat to Interior Ministry /Naharnet

New U.S. Legislation to Ensure That U.S. Funds Don't Go to Hezbollah
Posted GMT 2-13-2011 1:49:39
Washington must do more to support democratic institutions in Lebanon because of the Beirut "takeover" by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, a U.S. lawmaker said.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a committee hearing on the political turmoil sweeping across the Middle East that trends in Beirut were troubling. "In Lebanon, we have witnessed the takeover of the country by the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis," she said in her statement.
"Even now, when the Lebanese government has been overthrown, the United States has still failed to indicate that it will cut off assistance to a proxy government for Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah," she complained. She called for the adoption of Berman's Hezbollah Anti-Terrorism Act which guarantees that organizations like Hezbollah do not benefit from American taxpayers funds. During the hearing House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Howard Berman announced that he would be introducing the new bill entitled the "Hezbollah anti-terrorism act of 2011." The bill would bar U.S. assistance to Lebanon unless President Barack Obama certifies to the Congress that no funds will go to Hezbollah or any of its entities under its control and that the Lebanese government is actively working to dismantle Hezbollah's military capability. The Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah brought down PM Saad Hariri's government on January 12 over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's ( STL) imminent indictment . The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is reportedly poised to indict Hezbollah members in the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri, father of outgoing PM.
www.yalibnan.com
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Statement by the President on the Anniversary of the Assassination of Rafiq
Hariri
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2011
Statement by the President on the Anniversary of the Assassination of Rafiq Hariri on February 14th
On this sixth anniversary of the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 other innocent victims, the United States reaffirms our strong support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and its mission to find the truth behind that outrageous act of terrorism. Ending the era of impunity for political assassinations is essential to realizing the justice and stability that the Lebanese people deserve, and any attempt to interfere with the Tribunal’s work or fuel tensions within Lebanon must not be tolerated.
The cause for which Prime Minister Hariri and so many Lebanese patriots gave their lives must remain our guide. To this end, the United States will never waver in our support for the sovereignty, integrity and independence of Lebanon, and we remain committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701. At this critical moment, we call on all friends of Lebanon to stand with the people of Lebanon, who must be free to determine their own destiny. And those Lebanese who forge their future in a spirit of peace and reconciliation will continue to have a strong partner in the United States.
###
The White House · 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW · Washington DC 20500 ·

Anniversary of Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri's Assassination
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWashington, DC
February 13, 2011
The February 14, 2005 assassinations of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others with a car bomb in downtown Beirut changed Lebanon forever. The assassination of "Mr. Lebanon" reminded all Lebanese of the fragility of their pluralistic system. Rafiq Hariri was not only a symbol for Lebanon; he was a husband, father, brother, and friend. He transcended sect and stood with the people of Lebanon, giving hope to his country after 15 years of ruinous civil war. For decades, the people of Lebanon have fought for their inherent right to live free from fear of murder for political reasons. We call on the next Lebanese government to provide stability and promote justice for the people of Lebanon by honoring its obligations to the Tribunal. This is a decisive moment for Lebanon. No more Lebanese families should ever have to mourn the deaths of loved ones at the hand of cowardly assassins. Those who would try to block Lebanon's cooperation should desist and show a measure of human decency. Ultimately, without justice, there can be no peace and stability for Lebanon. The United States continues its unwavering support for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1701, 1680 and 1559. These resolutions are testaments to Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence. The United States and the international community stand solidly behind the people of Lebanon as they observe this day of sorrow. We remain committed to working together for a peaceful, prosperous, and sovereign Lebanon
.http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/02/156519.htm

U.S. Honors Rafik Hariri's Memory by Backing International Tribunal
Naharnet/U.S. President Barack Obama marked the sixth anniversary of the assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri by reaffirming his support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
For the past two years, a bitter political battle has revolved around the STL which is expected to implicate Hizbullah members in the Hariri murder. Hariri and 22 others were killed in a car bombing February 14, 2005. "Any attempt to interfere with the tribunal's work or fuel tensions within Lebanon must not be tolerated," Obama said in a statement, adding that the court will "find the truth behind that outrageous act of terrorism." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the next Lebanese government to honor its obligations to the tribunal. "Those who would try to block Lebanon's cooperation should desist and show a measure of human decency," she said in a statement. "Ultimately, without justice, there can be no peace and stability for Lebanon." "At this critical moment, we call on all friends of Lebanon to stand with the people of Lebanon, who must be free to determine their own destiny," Obama said. "And those Lebanese who forge their future in a spirit of peace and reconciliation will continue to have a strong partner in the United States," he added.(AFP) Beirut, 14 Feb 11, 08:44

Clinton calls on Iran to follow Egypt’s example
February 14, 2011 /US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the "courage" and "aspirations" of anti-government protests in Iran on Monday and pressed Tehran to follow Egypt's example and "open up" its political system. "We wish the opposition and the brave people in the streets across cities in Iran the same opportunity that they saw their Egyptian counterparts seize in the last week," Clinton told reporters during a visit to the US Congress. "We support the universal rights of the Iranian people. They deserve to have the same rights" as those demanded by protesters to helped oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "and that are part of their own birthright," she said. She spoke after Iranian riot police fired tear gas and paintballs at protesters staging anti-government demonstrations in Tehran under the pretext of rallies supporting Arab uprisings, websites and witnesses said. Police moved in when crowds of opposition supporters gathered at Tehran's prominent Azadi (Freedom) Square began chanting "Death to Dictator!" -- a slogan hurled at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the disputed 2009 presidential election. "We are against violence and we would call to account the Iranian government that is once again using its security forces and resorting to violence to prevent the free expression of ideas from their own people," said Clinton.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Hariri says March 14 will enter opposition, calls for rally
February 14, 2011 /Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday at BIEL announces that March 14 will enter the opposition. (Dalati & Nohra)
Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday announced that the March 14 alliance would enter the opposition and called for a rally in a month at Beirut’s Martyrs Square to voice the alliance’s principles. “[March 14] is now in the opposition based on committing to the constitution, Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and protecting the Lebanese from the use of [non-state] weapons,” Hariri said during a ceremony at BIEL commemorating the 2005 assassination of his father, former PM Rafik Hariri. “I address those who [forced the collapse of my government], and thank them for letting me go back to my roots,” he added. The outgoing PM also said that March 14 erred in offering its hand in cooperation to March 8 because the latter only aimed to deceive. “The issue of [non-state weapons] is a fundamental matter of dispute related to the constant use of these arms [against other Lebanese parties],” he also said.
“We do not accept submitting to weapons that become a means of blackmail, or when they become an instrument of pressure on MPs,” Hariri said, adding that the arms serve Israel and should be open for discussion. The outgoing PM also said, “Do not listen to those who tell you that the STL is targeting the Shia. Instead, look at the motives behind these statements and where they are taking us.” He added that the Saudi-Syrian initiative to end Lebanon’s political impasse aimed to hold a reconciliation conference in Riyadh, but failed.
Hariri defended his past trips to Syria, saying that he only went to Damascus to serve Lebanon’s interests and not out of the desire to further personal ambitions.
Media outlets reported that Syria and Saudi Arabia held talks to address the political crisis over the STL’s indictment for the Rafik Hariri murder, while March 8 figures alleged that Saad Hariri offered a number of concessions on the matter. Najib Mikati was appointed to the premiership on January 25 with the backing of the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition. His appointment followed the January 12 collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due to a long-running controversy over the STL. The PM-designate called on all Lebanese parties to join his upcoming cabinet, but March 14 parties have said that they will not take part in a cabinet headed by a March 8 nominee and have also asked that Mikati first clarify his stance on non-state weapons and the UN-backed probe.-NOW Lebanon

Clinton calls on Iran to follow Egypt’s example
February 14, 2011 /US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the "courage" and "aspirations" of anti-government protests in Iran on Monday and pressed Tehran to follow Egypt's example and "open up" its political system. "We wish the opposition and the brave people in the streets across cities in Iran the same opportunity that they saw their Egyptian counterparts seize in the last week," Clinton told reporters during a visit to the US Congress. "We support the universal rights of the Iranian people. They deserve to have the same rights" as those demanded by protesters to helped oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak "and that are part of their own birthright," she said. She spoke after Iranian riot police fired tear gas and paintballs at protesters staging anti-government demonstrations in Tehran under the pretext of rallies supporting Arab uprisings, websites and witnesses said. Police moved in when crowds of opposition supporters gathered at Tehran's prominent Azadi (Freedom) Square began chanting "Death to Dictator!" -- a slogan hurled at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the disputed 2009 presidential election. "We are against violence and we would call to account the Iranian government that is once again using its security forces and resorting to violence to prevent the free expression of ideas from their own people," said Clinton.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Sami Gemayel supports reconciliation convention in Beirut
February 14, 2011 /Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel on Monday said that he agrees with holding a Lebanese convention over the country’s political crisis, but added that it should be held in Beirut and not Riyadh. “We should admit our mistakes and not [make] concessions anymore,” Gemayel told Future News. He also voiced his party’s support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), UN Security Council Resolution 1559 and friendship with the West. Speaker Nabih Berri’s repeated threats to cancel political sectarianism are funny, Gemayel said. On Monday, Hariri said that the Syrian-Saudi initiative to resolve the Lebanese impasse aimed to hold a convention in Riyadh to discuss the Lebanese crisis over the STL’s investigation of the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. Berri has in the past repeatedly called for abolishing political sectarianism and creating a committee to study his proposal. Najib Mikati was appointed to the premiership on January 25 with the backing of the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition. His appointment followed the January 12 collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due to a long-running controversy over the STL’s investigation of Rafik Hariri’s murder, which will reportedly indict members of Hezbollah. The PM-designate has called on all Lebanese parties to join his upcoming cabinet, but March 14 parties have said that they will not take part in a cabinet headed by a March 8 nominee and have also asked that Mikati first clarify his stance on non-state weapons and the UN-backed probe. -NOW Lebanon

The road from the St Georges
February 14, 2011 /Now Lebanon/
A Lebanese man lights a candle during a night vigil on February, 15 2005 near the site of a massive explosion in which former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri (pictures) was killed. (AFP photo/Patrick Baz) Exactly six years ago today at 12:55 p.m., a 1-ton bomb exploded on the Beirut seafront killing 22 innocent people, including the target of the attack, former prime minister and opposition MP Rafik Hariri. Families were destroyed forever and a nation would never be the same again.
Whoever carried out the attack had a simple calculation: With Hariri dead the opposition would be declawed. Lebanon, as it had done many times before, would mourn another assassinated leader, and the blame, as it always is, would be laid at Israel’s door. Life would return to normal. Job done.
Not exactly. The bomb awoke something in the Lebanese people. Hariri was a “civilian.” He was not a member of the civil war gang of militia leaders and feudal zuama who might have been considered “legitimate” targets. With his billions Hariri had rebuilt Beirut and had come to symbolize the post-war optimism. The way he rode into town and got things done may not have been pretty. He rewrote the rulebook to get his way, and he ruffled many feathers, but he had a vision for a country when others had none, and in this way he was able to reach out to Lebanon’s many sectarian groups where others had failed.
In the same car as Hariri was the MP and former economy minister Basil Fleihan, a youthful technocrat (Hariri preferred his protégés to be bankers rather than gunmen) who had helped cement Lebanon’s reputation in the international financial community. Fleihan would die of his injuries 64 days later, bringing the final death toll to 22. Their deaths resonated with those who, for 15 years, had been working to make Lebanon a country they could bequeath to their children. These were men of the new Lebanon killed by those who operated by the rules of the old. Enough was enough. The rest is history.
Today, as Lebanon remembers the victims of the bombing, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the court created to bring the perpetrators of this and subsequent political killings to justice, is preparing to hand over to the Lebanese government its first indictments naming those they suspect of carrying out the assassination.
To say that the court’s findings threaten to destabilize the country is to put it mildly. The ongoing investigation has been the cause of multiple national crises over the past six years, the latest being the overthrow of a government that supported the quest for truth and the rule of international law by those who want the court to disappear.
Now, as the new prime minister-elect Najib Mikati and his March 8 allies try to form a new government, Hezbollah, whose party members are understood to be named in the indictments, has already made it clear that it wants all references to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon struck from the new government’s ministerial statement. Such a move only serves to tarnish Lebanon’s reputation and standing within the international community, which took the unprecedented step of creating the tribunal in the first place.
March 8 says that witnesses mislead the investigation and that members of the Lebanese government got too close to the investigation process. We are told that the court is “politicized,” and that Israel and the West support it. All or part of these claims may or may not be true, but they have no bearing on a court that will determine the veracity of everything brought before it.
As long as those individuals who brought death and mayhem to a sunny Beirut seafront six years ago remain at large, thousands of Lebanese, and 22 families in particular, can no longer associate February 14 with love and romance. The Lebanese deserve much more. There is no doubt that mistakes have been made and opportunities missed in the last six years. But Lebanon will never take the path of genuine statehood if the tribunal, whatever its findings, is not allowed to do its job. The process must be allowed to run its course, and the Lebanese must place their trust in international justice.

March 8 will face opposition if it miscalculates, Gemayel says
February 14, 2011 /Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel speaks at BIEL on Monday during the commemoration of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination. (Dalati & Nohra) Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel on Monday said that if Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and the March 8 coalition fail to create a true partnership cabinet, then March 14 will go into opposition. “If [March 8] is stubborn and miscalculates, and carries out its coup, they will face an eager, open and resisting opposition,” he added during the March 14 alliance ceremony at BIEL commemorating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “We are in front of an attempt to bring Lebanon down, will you let that happen?” Gemayel added that the current political conflict in Lebanon is not over the formation of the cabinet, but over protecting the principles established in the past years by the Cedar Revolution.
“Any participation [in the rule] should not be made at the expense of martyrs, justice or the state,” he said, adding that defending Lebanon’s identity is more important than maintaining power. The Kataeb leader also said that March 8 only assumed power because of Hezbollah’s arms and rejected any party having the right to “impose its will, ideology, culture and weapons on the Lebanese people.”Gemayel reiterated that March 14’s goal is to “build a free sovereign state that is modern and believes in openness, peace and democracy.”
Najib Mikati was appointed to the premiership on January 25 with the backing of the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition. His appointment followed the January 12 collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due to a long-running controversy over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) investigation of Rafik Hariri’s murder. The PM-designate called on all Lebanese parties to join his upcoming cabinet, but March 14 parties have said that they will not take part in a cabinet headed by a March 8 nominee and have also asked that Mikati first clarify his stance on non-state weapons and the UN-backed probe.-NOW Lebanon

A voice for victims
Talking to Alain Grellet, chief of the STL Victims Participation Unit
Ana Maria Luca , Nadine Elali, February 14, 2011
Victim participation in criminal trials is not a new concept. Some countries with civil law systems allow victims of crimes to participate in the proceedings as a third party with a role subsidiary to the prosecutor. But in international law it is rather new. The phenomenon started in early 2006, when the International Criminal Court gave victims the right to participate in proceedings after the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda were heavily criticized for the lack of victim participation.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is the first hybrid international court to have a Victim Participation Unit. NOW Lebanon sat down with Alain Grellet, the head of the VPU, to talk about his job and how Lebanese victims have a say in the STL’s proceedings.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is the first international court to have a Victim Participation Unit. How does it function?
Grellet: Starting with the Rome Statute to create the International Criminal Court – victims have their place in front of the ICC – the victims have their role. For the STL the victims have their role too, and I am the head of a unit which has as its main function to facilitate and organize the legal representation and participation of the victims in the proceedings. This can’t be achieved without the confirmation of the indictments the Prosecutor’s Office submitted on January 17.
We don’t know today if the pre-trial judge who has to make a decision will confirm or not this indictment. If it is confirmed, that is the starting point as far as the victims’ rights are concerned.
We know a certain number of victims, mostly those deceased. The list of deceased people is known – it was included in the reports of the investigation unit – but we don’t know the exact number of victims because we are not talking about only deceased victims, but also victims who were wounded or suffered material damage – such as owners of cars, shops, etc – and also those close to the deceased victims, who suffered important physiological damages. It’s difficult to evaluate the number; it might be a large number. We’re ready to facilitate and organize their participation, as soon as the indictment is confirmed.
How do victims participate exactly?
Grellet: Definitely through an intermediary, a lawyer whom they can choose freely. That’s why we held meeting with the heads of the bar organizations of Beirut and Tripoli to encourage them to think about the representation of the victims in front of the STL. [The victims] will have interventions in the proceedings – it won’t be the victims themselves, but their Lebanese lawyers who will be able to intervene as legal representatives of the victims. Through their legal representative, with the authorization of the judge, they have a certain number of rights. They will be able to see the files, the items exchanged between the Defense and the Prosecutor. They will be able to call the witnesses, to interrogate witnesses and plead their cause, to express themselves and say what they have to say. I think this particular aspect is extremely important.
Many victims NOW Lebanon has interviewed are afraid to participate. Is there any protection the STL is offering them?
Grellet: First, this tribunal has been created outside Lebanon to provide quiet debates, and this way it will facilitate the security not only for the witnesses, but also for the victims. If the victims are threatened particularly, in conditions to be evaluated, there is a unit in the STL [the Support Unit for Witnesses and Victims] that deals with the physical security of the witnesses and victims. The victims who are in danger need to let the STL know, and they will be redirected to the right unit which will ensure their protection.
I have to say that I understand that they might be reluctant for security reasons but also financial reasons. The participation of the victims in the proceedings, paying a lawyer, is not cheap. The STL has also a budget for victims who have financial difficulties to cover their participation expenses.
The victims have to go through an application procedure in order to participate. How do they get in touch with the VPU?
Grellet: It’s difficult to answer before the indictment is confirmed. But if it is confirmed, the application forms for the victim participation will be available not only on the STL website, but they can also call us and we can send them by courier. They have to fill them out; if they need assistance to fill them out we can offer support. The lawyers in Beirut and Tripoli are ready to mobilize, to assist the victims in filling out the application forms.
What are the conditions for a victim to participate in the proceedings?
Grellet: You have to be a victim. As far as the attack on February 14, 2005 is concerned, you need a medical certificate, bills, other kinds of certificates; any document that proves that you are a victim. Other criteria might be suggested by the pre-trial judge, depending on the number of the victims allowed to participate in the proceedings. But these criteria will be easy to fulfill, and the victims shouldn’t hesitate to participate. If we have hundreds of participation requests, the pre-trial judge will have to organize their participation – there can’t be a lawyer for each of them. But the victims of the February 14 attack can participate, as long as they have proof that they are victims and the pre-judge approved it.
Some of the victims might seek compensation. What can they do to receive it?
Grellet: In the case that the STL will pronounce a sentence, only in this case, the court will send to each of the victims who request it – be they victims who participated in the procedures or not – a copy of the sentence. According to the STL statute, the victims can afterward file a lawsuit in their national justice systems to demand compensation for their damages from those who were sentenced by the STL.
But that will take a long time…
Grellet: Yes, it will take time. Justice is a long, complex road, and that is why we wish that victims participate in this road. It’s the best way for them to be informed, to know the perspectives, to use the opportunity to speak before the tribunal in all this time – which is quite long, it’s true – but which constitutes the justice process.
Does the Lebanese state or government have any role in the relationship between the VPU and the victims?
Grellet: I think about the role of Lebanon in general. It’s the reason I came to Lebanon. It’s the reason I met Lebanese lawyers and journalists. It’s the reason why I want to send this message to the victims for them to know that they can participate. What about the participation of the government in this process of contacting the victims?Grellet: The Lebanese government participates in financing the tribunal, and due to these finances we can get in touch with the victims. This seems enough for me to contact the victims. This tribunal is financed by Lebanon and other states, and that’s why we are able to come to Lebanon and address the victims. I think this is a strong act of cooperation from the Lebanese government.

Gemayel: Majority Emerges from People's Freewill, Not Gun Muzzles
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Monday noted that the Cedar Revolution has called for freedom, sovereignty, and independence, "but today it is also striving for justice and truth." "In the name of the martyrs of freedom and dignity, we refuse to make further concessions," Gemayel stressed during a ceremony organized by the March 14 forces to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. "We are the popular, parliamentary, democratic, legitimate and sovereign majority. A majority emerges from people's freewill … not from the muzzles of guns. Whoever embodies people's sentiments and enjoys people's support would not stage a coup," Gemayel added. Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive Beirut bombing on February 14, 2005, an event that sent shockwaves through Lebanon and eventually led to the pullout of Syrian troops after 29 years of domination over the country.  The commemoration of Hariri's murder comes amid a deep political rift between the March 14 camp and the Hizbullah-led coalition as the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon readies to issue its indictments. "No official or leader, whether he is religious, civil, or military, has the right to make concessions over the Lebanese resistance and its sacrifices, especially the achievements of the Cedar Revolution," he added. "Those who turn against the (parliamentary) majority should first stand before the people before forging a majority that does not enjoy the blessing of the voters," Gemayel went on to say.
"It's not the end of the world when one side loses power, but we will not accept that Lebanon lose its role and identity," the Kataeb leader vowed.
He described the toppling of Saad Hariri's government last month by Hizbullah and its allies as "an attempt to topple Lebanon."
Addressing Hizbullah, Gemayel said: "No party has the right to impose its will, culture, ideology, identity, arms, and jihad on all the Lebanese; not through numbers, not through force, and especially not through claiming to have the exclusive right to defend the nation." "Defending the country is a national duty," Gemayel emphasized. "We are not living in a consensual democracy, but under the rule of force … This is not how you build a state, this is how you divide and end it," he added. "Do you want the destruction of what we have built in the past 90 years? We should save the State, regime, and independence. The dispute does not lie in the participation in government, but it lies in the attempt to topple all national, constitutional, social, and humanitarian values that we have built over the years," he stated. Gemayel said the March 14 coalition is seeking "a free and independent state that believes in the culture of openness and peace," Gemayel said. On January 12, Hizbullah and its allies toppled Saad Hariri's cabinet in a long-running feud over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Hizbullah-backed Najib Miqati was then appointed to form a new government, which Hariri's alliance has refused to join and has labeled "Hizbullah's government".Hariri has refused to join Miqati's government unless he guarantees his cabinet will see the tribunal through. Hizbullah meanwhile is demanding Lebanon end all cooperation with the court, which it says is a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy.
While Hariri and his allies won Lebanon's last parliamentary election in 2009, shifting alliances today have positioned the Hizbullah-led camp as the majority after Druze leader Walid Jumblat moved closer to the Shiite party. Beirut, 14 Feb 11, 18:16

Geagea Says New Hegemony Would Lead to 'Countless Cedar Revolutions'
Naharnet/If the practices of the first tutelage authority had led to the Cedar Revolution, the mere signs of the emergence of another tutelage authority "will lead to countless Cedar Revolutions," Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea vowed Monday. "They are trying once again to restore hegemony and we will confront them once more, but this time, we have learned from our mistakes and we will not fall into their trap again," Geagea added. Speaking at a ceremony organized by the March 14 forces to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, Geagea added: "I say to all the martyrs … that we have had shortcomings." Hariri and 22 others were killed in a massive Beirut bombing on February 14, 2005, an event that sent shockwaves through Lebanon and eventually led to the pullout of Syrian troops after 29 years of domination over the country. The commemoration of Hariri's murder comes amid a deep political rift between the March 14 camp and the Hizbullah-led coalition as the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon readies to issue its indictments. "We have not been always up to the expectations of those who were with us," Geagea told a rally of several-thousand people at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center (BIEL). "If people are destined to learn from their experiences, then we are destined to learn from ours as well," he pledged. Recalling a quote by slain Druze leader Kamal Jumblat, Geagea went on to say that "life is the triumph of those who are powerful through their spirits," not through their weapons. "Now more than ever we should seek the rise of a real Lebanese State with one actual authority and one side in possession of arms through the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions 1559, 1680, 1701, and 1757," Geagea stressed. "We won't be able to live in peace and security without a state that has demarcated its borders, collected (illegal) weapons, and achieved justice," he added. Beirut, 14 Feb 11, 17:31

Saad Hariri's Speech at the 14th February celebration
Now Lebanon
February 14, 2011
On February 14, outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri delivered a speech during a ceremony to commemorate the 2005 murder of his father, Rafik Hariri:
“In my desk there are two pictures: one of my father, [former PM] Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated on Feb 14, 2005; and another of the crowds gathered on March 14, 2005.
Rafik Hariri became a martyr six years ago because he said no to granting the fate of Lebanon and changing its truth, because he said no to a security regime, because he said no to renouncing the Taif Accord, because he said no to changing the image of Lebanon, the free, sovereign and independent, and [this is why] they killed him on February 14, [2005].
The Lebanese people gathered in the thousands to say no. No to oppression, no to assassination, no to changing the image of Lebanon. They said no to mandate, no to fear and no to a terrorist crime, so they triumphed on March 14, 2005. This is why I keep these two pictures.
I meditate about the two pictures every day and before I take any decision. I entered political life after my father was murdered. Those are my roots, and I will not renounce my roots. When they came and told me take these photos down and renounce them so we let you [become] the country’s premier, my answer was, ‘These are my roots and I will not give up on my roots.’
My answer was that the premiership is an honest expression of the Lebanese people who voted in the elections. Go ahead and forge the will of the Lebanese, but I, Saad Rafik Hariri, stick to these roots, and I will not give up on them.
Now, with you, I go back to my roots and how wonderful it is to go back to these roots. All we want is the truth, not the rule. [All we want is] justice, not the rule. [All we want is] law, not the rule. [All we want is] freedom, not the rule. [All we want is] independence, not the rule.
The Lebanese who protested in Martyrs’ Square do not belong to anyone. No to the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party or the Future Movement; the blood of our martyrs does not belong to anyone.
The blood of [martyrs] is that of the people who gathered at Martyrs Square after February 14, 2005. Those Lebanese people still stick to justice, truth and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). This tribunal is not American, French or Israeli. It does not target any sect or party. This tribunal will punish, God-willing, the terrorist murderers, who [killed] our martyrs, [primarily] headed by Rafik Hariri.
This tribunal will accuse individuals and should be based on proof and evidence. Then, if anyone wants to place himself in the circle of the accused, it is his choice. As for us, we will support the STL and its rule and will never implicate a [particular] party or sect in the killing.
We were never and never will be in the seat of confrontation with any sect, Shia or other. This is the school of Rafik Hariri. The Shia Lebanese and Arab sect is fundamental in Lebanon, and all Lebanese people are its partners in building the state and facing the Israeli enemy.
Do not listen to those who tell you that the STL is targeting the Shia. Instead, look at the motives behind these statements and where they are taking us. Brothers and sisters, as you know, and before February 15, 2005, I was one of the Lebanese youth trying to succeed. I entered [politics] suddenly and without being [warned]. At times, I have made right [decisions] as well as wrong [ones].
But I believe I was right when I called for national unity. This country cannot be ruled by one person, one party or one sect. If any party or sect believes today that it can rule alone, let it try, but it is living in a great illusion. We offered our hand [in cooperation]… and our mistake was that we offered our hand honestly, because we thought that this country is an expression of partnership. But every time, we were met by deception [from the March 8 coalition].
We have endured the unbearable. Some can say that we made mistakes, but thank God, we have never used arms [to reach our goals]. We have not obstructed dialogue and we have not closed parliament. Our project is to abide by the constitution. We do not accept submitting to weapons that become a means of blackmail, or when they become an instrument of pressure on MPs.
The arms pointed against the Lebanese people are arms of strife and serve Israel. We will keep supporting the Palestinian cause and their right of return to their territory.
Friends, let me be honest in this issue: No one can say that the Lebanese are not allowed to talk about the use of arms. This issue is a fundamental matter of dispute. It is related to the constant use of these weapons [against other Lebanese parties].
I praise the March 14 alliance’s welcoming of the Dar al-Fatwa statement [of last week], especially regarding the use of weapons to make others submit. A lot was said regarding my relations with Syria. Yes, I went to Syria as the country’s PM and as Rafik Hariri’s son. All I wanted was to ensure Lebanon’s higher interests that intersect with Syria’s interests. I did not go to Syria for personal reasons or to ask to remain in power.
I went to Damascus every time with my head high. I traveled everywhere, from Washington to Tehran, why should I not visit Syria a few times for the sake of our country. Regarding the Saudi-Syrian initiative that was launched to preserve Lebanon’s stability, ever since and until today, I remained silent regarding the Saudi-Syrian efforts in order not to obstruct it. But today I will speak.
This initiative was based only on being ready to take part in a national conciliatory conference that will be based in Riyadh, sponsored by the Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and in the presence of President [Michel Sleiman] and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad… In this conference, all Lebanese parties would have been expected to reconcile, after which the repercussions of the STL indictment would be the responsibility of the Lebanese parties to contain.
Yes, this is the Saudi-Syrian initiative. We made a mistake, yes, because again we were met with calls to surrender. Our answer to them was that we come from a school that [teaches others] that no one is bigger than their country. I tell you, there will not be going back to Saudi-Syrian talks. Those who have doubts of severing Lebanon’s relations with the STL, I say that I have two pens: the pen of Samir Kassir and the pen of Gebran Tueni.
In front of me I have two contracts, one [former minister] Pierre Gemayel’s and one [former MP] Walid Eido’s. Which of the pens should I sign with and which of the contracts should I tear? They thought that we were afraid of giving up on the rule. We believe in the constitution, that is why we went to the premiership consultations.
We do not adhere the rule. We only adhere to our democratic system and constitution. Congratulations to [March 8] for winning the kidnapped rule. Having a central position is a decision, not the absence of it and giving in to it. But my friends, there is no centrality between justice and injustice, between sovereignty and mandate.
The most important thing is that there is no honesty and deception between loyalty and treason. I address those who [forced the collapse of my government], and thank them for letting me go back to my roots.
I thanked God on February 14, 2005, and how easier it is to say it today on February 14, 2011. We are now in the opposition based on committing to the constitution and STL, and protecting the Lebanese people from the use of [non-state] weapons. Yes, we are the ones who started the road of freedom. To this road, we will all come back. We will follow it with you, whose voices will be heard. [We will all gather on] March 14, 2011 to say no. No to the change our lifestyle, no to corruption, no to fear, no to oppression, and no to crime.
Long live Lebanon and the Cedar Revolution.”

Miqati Extends his Hand but Refuses to Make Commitments to Any Side
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati reiterated that his hand was extended to the March 14 forces to form a national unity cabinet that serves Lebanon and its citizens.
"If we want our country to be united and stable … we should join hands," Miqati told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday. "I am not after posts and I am aware of the responsibility given to me … that's why I renew my invitation to all sides to become part of the national unity government," he said. He reiterated that he won't become "the captive of dates" on the formation of the government. "I am with speed but not hastiness and I hope that the cabinet will see light at the appropriate time." Asked if he was maneuvering in the dialogue with March 14 over the alliance's participation in the cabinet, Miqati said: "I have been honest in my choices and proposals and I want to break alignments and transform the cabinet into a productive institution." "The same way I refused to make vows to the March 8 team, I refused to make commitments to the other side," the premier-designate added. Beirut, 14 Feb 11, 10:48

Berri Slams March 14: We're with Tribunal that'd Unveil Truth, Not Fabricate It
Naharnet/We are still with a tribunal that leads to unveiling the truth behind the murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri "instead of fabricating it," Speaker Nabih Berri said Sunday.
At a graduation ceremony for AMAL students, Berri added: "We had reached an agreement on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon at the national dialogue table."
"But the path taken by the unconstitutional (Saniora) government by signing the tribunal agreement with the United Nations was the problem, as the president was not informed of it; it was not referred to Parliament; and the investigation has relied on false witnesses," the house speaker noted. On a separate note, Berri called on the upcoming government to tackle the issue of the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr and to draft a "modern electoral law based on expanded electorates, proportional representation and the lowering of voting age." He stressed AMAL Movement's commitment to "the army-people-Resistance triangle in the face of any (Israeli) aggression." Addressing the issue of Hosni Mubarak's ouster, Berri slammed the March 14 forces for claiming that the popular revolt in Egypt was inspired by the March 14, 2005 uprising. "This is a revolution that has liberated itself from the myth of international sponsorship, through a high level of political awareness," Berri said. "You are still in the same place, (while) this is a (Egypt's) revolution that aims to change the economic and social structures … this is a revolution against the bequeathing of power through which you survive," Berri added, addressing the March 14 forces. Beirut, 13 Feb 11, 19:29

Citizenship, Not Religion, Must Be the Basis for Inclusion in the Middle East
GMT 2-14-2011 3:25:30
Assyrian International News Agency/By Saliba Sarsar
Common Ground News Service
With political change in Iraq and the ongoing transformations in Tunisia and Egypt, news of attacks on religious minorities in the Middle East, from only a month ago, has been forgotten. But with democratic processes taking hold in parts of the Middle East, there is a new opportunity for the kind of changes necessary to address the religious discrimination seen as recently as January.
The bomb attacks against Christian communities in Egypt and Iraq were severely condemned by most political and religious leaders, as well as by the public in the Arab world. However unfortunate, these attacks must serve as a wake-up call to change the culture of exclusion and fear that has become pervasive in the Middle East.
The Iraqi prime minister's condemnation of the 31 October 2010 siege on a Catholic church in Baghdad, which killed more than 50 parishioners, was the right thing to do, as was increasing security at Christian places of worship and creating an investigative committee to look into the incident.
In Egypt, where a suicide attack outside the Coptic al-Qiddisin church in Alexandria killed at least 25 people and injured 70 during a New Year's Eve service, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak's fervent call to Egypt's Muslims and Christians to stand united against terrorism was certainly constructive, whatever one might think of him as a leader.
It remains a fact in both countries that perpetrators are rarely brought to trial, a reality that often leads to a climate of impunity on one hand and continued religious discrimination and social tension on the other.
In Egypt, thousands of Muslims attended Coptic Christmas mass in early January alongside their Christian compatriots, showing their solidarity and acting as human shields. And Mubarak responded to the attack, saying, "This act of terrorism shook the country's conscience, shocked our feelings and hurt the hearts of Muslim and Coptic Egyptians." However, as in Iraq's case, no one has been charged.
It is no surprise that Christians from the central provinces of Iraq are fleeing to the semi-autonomous Kurdish enclaves and to neighboring countries. The number of Iraqi Christians declined sharply at the start of the American invasion in 2003 and is far less today. Similarly, it is no surprise that many Copts in Egypt feel marginalized and some wish to leave.
And sadly it is not only in Egypt and Iraq that such discrimination occurs. Saudi Arabia does not recognise or protect the freedom of religion for religious minorities. Lebanon's confessional system, which apportions political offices on the basis of religion, is also considered by some to be discriminatory.
Middle Eastern states trying to remedy this situation should pursue a pluralistic mode of existence where citizenship is the only basis for inclusion in the national community. Religious privilege and discrimination have no place in such a setting.
To counter religiously motivated extremism, Middle Eastern societies must create educational curricula for public schools that promote dialogue and social coexistence between people of different religious backgrounds. These teaching plans will equip teachers and students alike with an appreciation for existing laws and help them become advocates for new laws that would provide religious equality to all.
The curricula should also focus on non-violent methods for working through disagreements with others over ideological differences.
Moreover, students can be taught about shared beliefs, in order to highlight the commonalities between faiths. These values not only enable a culture of peace, but also contribute to a positive national image and identity.
While everyone has an important role to play, religious leaders must take an active role in promoting coexistence between different faith communities and coming down strongly against religiously motivated violence. Religious leaders in the Middle East must become more engaged in eradicating injustice and facilitate the healing process. A good example is the recent statement issued by Cairo's Al-Azhar University that denounced the violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt, stating: "This is a criminal act that can never be justified in any religion."
The vicious cycle of discrimination and violence must end. The way forward must be enshrined in laws and due process and anchored in civility, inclusivity, and respect for the other.
**Saliba Sarsar is Professor of Political Science and Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
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