LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِFebeuary 18/2011

Bible Of The Day
Psalm 145/13-21/Yahweh is faithful in all his words, and loving in all his deeds. 145:14 Yahweh upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down. 145:15 The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season. 145:16 You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 145:17 Yahweh is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works. 145:18 Yahweh is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 145:19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them. 145:20 Yahweh preserves all those who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 145:21 My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh. Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Najib Mikati: What might have been/By: Michael Young/February 17/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 17/11
No Iranian Warships Scheduled to Cross Suez Canal, Egyptian Official Says/Bloomberg
New govt delayed as Lebanon talks drag on/AFP
Harb: March 14’s talks with Mikati are ongoing/Now Lebanon
STL committed to time frame required to study indictment/Now Lebanon
Harb Meets Gemayel: Lebanon Can't Remain a State within a State of Illegitimate Arms /Naharnet
ISF Arrests Lebanon's Most Wanted Individual at Baroud's Orders /Naharnet
Israel: Barak and Gantz's Visit to North Attempt to Calm Border Situation /Naharnet
Shammas Says Companies Won't Receive Fuel Tomorrow, Brax Warns of Black Market /Naharnet
Netanyahu Hits Back at Nasrallah, Says Hizbullah Can't Conquer Galilee /Naharnet
Aoun: I'm Against Giving Suleiman Portfolios as He's Not a Centrist Anymore /Naharnet
Ashton Wraps Up Lebanon Visit by Urging New Govt to Uphold STL /Naharnet
WikiLeaks: U.S. Suspects Hizbullah Presence in Chile /Naharnet
STL Defends Impartiality /Naharnet
March 14 Stresses it Would Confront Coup by Protecting People's Lives from Hizbullah's Arms /Naharnet
Israel's Deputy PM Hopes Camp of Radicals, Including Hizbullah, will be Defeated /Naharnet
U.S. Cable: King Hamad Said Bahrainis Trained by Hizbullah /Naharnet
UN-Backed Tribunal for Lebanon Sets Rules/Voice of America
Oil rises to $104 a barrel/Telegraph.co.uk
Netanyahu responds to Nasrallah threat: Hezbollah will not take control of the/Ha'aretz
Israel Defense Minister Warns of Going After Hezbollah in Lebanon Again/Fox News
EU says Lebanon must cooperate with Hariri court/Reuters
Escaped Hezbollah member turns up in Beirut/CNN International
Israel says Iranian warships near Suez/CNN
Oil Climbs as Israel Says Iranian Warships Heading for Syria/Bloomberg
As seen on video: Israel army footage hints at Syria, Iran attacks/Middle East Online
Pharoan says no cabinet before STL indictment/iloubnan.info
The Lunatic Left-Right Harmonic Rape Convergence Theory/The Atlantic
March 14 Secretariat General gets ready to March 14 rally/iloubnan.info
The Eleventh Annual Herzliya Conference: The Balance of Israel's National Security/Huffington Post
ABL supports Lebanese Canadian Bank/iloubnan.info
The Israel-Syria apple trade/Israel Today
Syria rejects atomic watchdog's inspection request/The National
Gang reportedly kidnaps a Saudi in Syria, gets SR400,000 ransom/Saudi Gazette
Vatican decision still unclear on Sfeir resignation/Daily Star
Aoun stands ground on cabinet share, accuses Sleiman of bias/Daily Star
Special Tribunal for Lebanon gives ruling on which definition of terrorism applies in Hariri case/Daily Star
Nasrallah threatens to liberate Galilee if Israel attacks/Daily Star
Brazil marks landmark participation in UNIFIL/Daily Star

Washington Monitoring Banks that Hizbullah 'is Hiding behind'
Naharnet/An American official stressed that slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri had "long protected Lebanon's bank sector from attempts to impose sanctions on it."
He told the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper in remarks published on Thursday that Hariri used to justify his position by informing the Americans that "Lebanon's stability depends on its bank sector that survived the long years of the Lebanese civil war." Meanwhile, the paper reported employees at the Major Foreign Holders of Treasury Securities office at the U.S. Treasury Department that its aim is to "dry out all sources of income to Iran and Hizbullah in Lebanon or in Syria." "The United States is intensifying its monitoring of Lebanese banks that Hizbullah and Iran are hiding behind … and it is also monitoring a number of Lebanese, Syrian, and Iranian individuals in order to impose global sanctions on them," they continued.
Al-Rai added: "Iran's Lebanese and Syrian allies have noticed, or maybe they haven't noticed, that the U.S. did not hesitate in implementing U.N. Security Council resolution 1929 that was issued on July 9, 2010," which calls for imposing economic sanctions on Iran. It was this resolution that recently helped impose sanctions on the Lebanese-Canadian Bank.
U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey, who helped devise sanctions against Iran, said that he believes that Hizbullah sought to use this bank to transfer money it had laundered to the world banking system. Beirut, 17 Feb 11, 13:44

STL Public Affairs Chief Says Indictment Release Date Unchanged
Naharnet/The release date of the indictment in the 2005 murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri has not changed, Special Tribunal for Lebanon Chief of Public Affairs Crispin Thorold has noted.
In an interview with Lebanese daily Sada al-Balad to be published Friday, Thorold said the U.N.-backed STL is still committed to the 6-10 weeks deadline it had announced before for the indictment to be examined by the pre-trial judge. He went on to say that the assessment of the indictment, the supporting material and the names of the accused was moving forward, noting that the release date was approaching. As to how the STL would deal with the possibility that the new Lebanese government might annul the memorandum of understanding with the tribunal, Thorold called on the upcoming cabinet to differentiate between its international obligations and domestic political calculations. He recalled that the previous governments had committed to financing the tribunal and to maintaining cooperation with the U.N.-backed court. Beirut, 17 Feb 11, 19:49

Suleiman Responds to Barak: Entering Lebanon No Longer Walk in the Park
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman condemned on Thursday Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's recent threat against Lebanon, saying that it was a violation of international law and U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. The president said that the threat was aimed at lifting the Israeli army and the new Israeli chief of staff's morale "because he knows full well that entering Lebanon is no loner a walk in the park as demonstrated by the July 2006 war." He added that Barak believes that the current Lebanese tensions over the formation of a new government would be a suitable time for an Israeli assault. Suleiman said that such an assault would backfire against the Jewish state because the Lebanese will retaliate with their army, people, and Resistance. He therefore stressed the importance of internal unity and the need to form a new government in order to fortify the country against foreign threats.
The president is scheduled to travel to the Vatican on February 22 in order to attend the unveiling ceremony of a statue of Saint Maroun in the Saint Peter's Square. He is also expected to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on February 24, then return to Lebanon, and later travel to Kuwait on the 26th to attend Kuwait's independence day celebrations. Beirut, 17 Feb 11, 14:28

ISF Arrests Lebanon's Most Wanted Individual at Baroud's Orders
Naharnet/Security forces succeeded on Thursday in arresting Abbas Abu Munthir Tleis, Lebanon's most wanted individual in a raid in the Brital region in the Bekaa. Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi stated that the raid took place at Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud's orders. Tleis is wanted for over 350 arrest warrants for various charges such as robbery, murder, and drug dealing. Rifi stated that the situation is now under control, adding: "The country is passing through a period of political confusion where criminals consider that they may take advantage of the security situation." "The security forces should always be prepared to set up plans to once again take control of the situation on the ground," he continued.
He reassured citizens that the ISF has succeeded after several days in decreasing the increased crime rate in the country. Beirut, 17 Feb 11, 15:38

Netanyahu Hits Back at Nasrallah, Says Hizbullah Can't Conquer Galilee
Naharnet/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hizbullah on Wednesday against any attack, after the group's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened to take over the Galilee in northern Israel. "Nasrallah declared today that he will conquer the Galilee," said Netanyahu. "I have news for him. He won't." His remarks came after Nasrallah urged his fighters to be prepared to take the Galilee in any future conflict and warned that Hizbullah operatives were ready to kill Israeli leaders "anytime, anywhere." "There is no doubt Israel has the ability to defend itself," Netanyahu told delegates at a conference of American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. "We have a strong army and a determined people. We seek peace but the army is ready to defend Israel against its enemies." Nasrallah's threats were made during a televised speech on the 19th anniversary of the assassination of former Hizbullah chief Abbas al-Moussawi who was killed in a 1992 Israeli airstrike. "I call on the mujahedin of the Islamic Resistance to stand ready to take over the Galilee should a war be imposed on Lebanon," said Nasrallah. He also vowed that the death of Imad Mughniyeh, a top party operative assassinated in a 2008 car bombing blamed on Israel, would not be forgotten or go unpunished. "To the Zionist generals, I say: Anywhere you go in the world, at any time, watch out, for the blood of Imad Mughniyeh will not go in vain," he said. The Hizbullah leader's fiery rhetoric followed remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that the Israeli military may have to invade Lebanon again to ensure the Shiite armed group remembered the "lessons" of the 2006 war.
"Even though it's quiet and deterrence exists -- Hizbullah remembers the heavy beating they suffered from us in 2006 -- it is not forever, and you may be called to go back again," Barak told Israeli troops on Tuesday during a tour of the Lebanon border with the new military Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. "We must be prepared for every test," he said. "The secret is reacting fast in the event that something happens, and within seconds, translating everything you learned in your training." The 2006 war killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Every year around the anniversary of the assassinations of Mughniyeh and Moussawi, Israel issues a travel warning and puts its overseas embassies on alert for fear of reprisal attacks. On Tuesday, Israel temporarily closed four of its diplomatic missions after receiving "threats" they could come under attack. And last week, Israel's anti-terrorism bureau warned against travel to Egypt and eight other countries, saying there was an increased threat of attacks against Israelis and Jewish targets in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Turkey and Venezuela.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Feb 11, 21:59

Israel's Deputy PM Hopes Camp of Radicals, Including Hizbullah, will be Defeated
Naharnet/Israel's deputy Prime Minister, Dan Meridor, has hoped that "the camp of the radicals" that includes Hizbullah would be defeated in the region.
Dan Meridor, who is also Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Prague that Egyptian protesters' demands for freedom and free election were positive. "What we saw in Egypt is a unique development," Meridor said. "The slogans in the square were mostly from the western dictionary, not from the Muslim dictionary. They were about freedom, about liberties, about free elections, so they were positive." Israel hopes that the current developments will weaken the radical forces in the region, he said. "We hope very much that the camp of moderates that Israel and Egypt are a central part of will be strong and strengthen and the camp of the radicals led by Iran and Syria and Hizbullah and Hamas will not gain. We wish that the moderates strengthen and the radicals weaken," he said. Meridor was in Prague to meet Czech leaders, including Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. The Czech Republic is one of the strongest EU allies of Israel.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 16 Feb 11, 08:50

STL committed to time frame required to study indictment
February 17, 2011 /Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) chief of Public Affairs Crispin Thorold said in an interview to be published on Friday that the tribunal is committed to the 6-10 week time frame required to study the draft indictment. On the possibility that the new cabinet may withdraw the Memorandum of Understanding between Lebanon and the STL, Thorold told Al-Balad newspaper that the new cabinet has to differentiate between its legal commitments to fund the tribunal and cooperate with it and its policies and domestic affairs.
STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare submitted the court’s draft indictment for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to STL Pre-trial Judge Daniel Fransen on January 17.Hezbollah has said that the UN-backed probe is part of a US-Israeli plot that will indict Hezbollah members.-NOW Lebanon

Harb: March 14’s talks with Mikati are ongoing
Now Lebanon/February 17, 2011 /Labor Minister Boutros Harb said in remarks published Thursday that talks with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on the cabinet formation are continuing and have not yet reached a final point. “Dialogue is continuing despite the stances that were issued at the BIEL celebration, and matters have not reached the breaking point,” he told As-Safir newspaper. “[Kataeb Party leader] Amin Gemayel and I told [Mikati] that neither of us will participate in the cabinet alone.” “Either all March 14 forces [participate] or none,” he said. “We are still awaiting [Mikati’s] stance on the issues that we raised to him in the parliamentary consultations.”At a ceremony at the BIEL center on Monday marking the anniversary of former PM Rafik Hariri’s 2005 murder, outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Gemayel and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea all said that March 14 would enter the opposition. The Future bloc issued a statement on Wednesday asking Mikati about his stance on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and the use of non-state weapons in the country – reiterating questions posed to him by March 14 parties during earlier parliamentary consultations on cabinet formation. Mikati, who was appointed to the premiership on January 25 with the March 8 coalition’s backing, is currently holding talks with political parties to form his cabinet.-NOW Lebanon

Oil rises to $104 a barrel
The price of oil flirted with two-and-a-half-year highs amid fresh concerns about tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude rose above $104 a barrel after Israel said two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez canal en route to Syria. By Ben Harrington 16 Feb 2011 3 Brent crude rose above $104 a barrel after Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, said two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez canal en route to Syria. Mr Lieberman called the move the latest "provocation" by Iran, which Israel sees a major threat due to the OPEC nation's nuclear arms programme. In January, unrest in Egypt helped push Brent over $100 a barrel. The latest move by Iran comes five days after Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down and Israeli leaders have expressed concerns that Iran may exploit the period of transition. Meanwhile, unrest in Libya added to fears that the kind of disturbances that toppled the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia could spread to other oil-producing Middle East nations. "Troubles in the Middle East are back on the agenda, protests in Bahrain and Saudi have drummed up political tension," said Rob Montefusco, an oil trader at Sucden Financial.

Sayeh Hassan: While Egyptians celebrated, Tehran’s mullahs lost face
National Post February 16, 2011
REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemns Israel while marking the 32nd anniversary of the revolution that put his regime in power.
.February 11 marked the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Due to the world’s focus on Egypt, the event went unnoticed by most, but it was not forgotten. Every February 11th sees anti-government demonstrations in Iran and worldwide, at which pro-democracy activists chant anti-government slogans against the entirety of the Islamic Regime, including not only the leadership, but the reformers. It’s not enough to reform the theocratic regime, say the protesters. It has to be torn down.
This year, mindful of the events sweeping the Middle East, the regime went to special pains to forestall any protest. In collaboration with the regime, and conceived as a ruse to deflect protest against their own government, reformists Mousavi and Karoubi called for a rally on February 14 to show “solidarity” with the people of Tunisia and Egypt. Advertisements for this demonstration began close to two weeks before the event. The assembly location and routes to get there were only disclosed days before, in order to make sure the security forces had enough time to organize and be present at exact locations during the protests.
The strategy was partially successful. There were no anti-government demonstrations on February 11 in Iran and very few protests worldwide (and those drew less attendance and media coverage than had been expected, likely due to the focus on Egypt). Still, the regime was only able to rally 20,000 people in its own celebratory event, many of whom, bribed with offers of food and drink, were bussed in from smaller cities. That the government could only muster a gathering of 20,000, from across the country, at the centre of a city of 12 million, is a shocking embarrassment to a regime clearly losing its grip on the people.
The anniversary of the Islamic Republic has passed, but anger over its continued existence has not. There have been reports of fatal clashes between protesters and security forces, as unsanctioned protests against the regime continue to sprout up across Tehran. Stay tuned for developments.
Sayeh Hassan is a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer and a blogger advocating for human rights and democracy in Iran.
.Posted in: Full Comment, World Politics Tags: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Egypt, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mousavi, Sayeh Hassan, Tehran, theocracy, Tunisia .

Special Tribunal for Lebanon gives ruling on which definition of terrorism applies in Hariri case
By The Daily Star /Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The U.N.-backed Lebanon tribunal handed down a key procedural ruling Wednesday to settle legal points as it considers whether to confirm a charge sheet over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The ruling took place with Lebanon still seeking to form a new government after Hezbollah and its allies toppled the government of Rafik’s son, Saad, over his refusal to cut links with the tribunal. In a unanimous ruling Wednesday, court judges clarified several legal issues that will allow pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen to decide whether to approve a draft indictment lodged by prosecutors at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon last month. If approved, the court could then issue summons or arrest warrants against the accused.
The court gave guidance on what definition of terrorism would apply, ruling that it would use Lebanon’s definition of terrorism as an act “intended to spread terror,” but also apply a broader international interpretation of the “means” used in an attack, given the transnational gravity of Hariri’s killing. Presiding Judge Antonio Cassese explained that the definition of “terrorism” upheld in the Lebanese Criminal Code tends to place a “narrow interpretation” on the means to create a “public danger” or an “act of terror.” He cited the assassinations in 1995 of Al-Ahbash leader Sheikh Nizar al-Halabi and of the head of the National Liberal Party Dany Chamoun in 1990 as acts considered terrorism under most national legislation and international treaties, but that were instead categorized by the Lebanese judiciary as simple murders.
“[STL’s] Appeals Chamber has noted that while fully respecting the Construction of the Lebanese Criminal Code propounded by Lebanese courts, the tribunal is authorized to construe Lebanese law with the assistance of international treaty and customary law that is binding in Lebanon,” he said. Cassese said the court judges hoped Wednesday’s ruling “may help the tribunal take a firm, steady and rapid course in its pursuit of justice.” “When trials commence proper and defendants face charges made by the prosecutor, the legal principles we have now set out … will guide the action of the trial chamber,” Cassese said. He added, however, that the “abstract answers” handed down might still need to be revisited at a later date.
The still-sealed draft indictment is expected to accuse Hezbollah members of involvement in Hariri’s assassination. Hezbollah denies any involvement and has warned anyone against taking action against its members.
It has also said the priority of Lebanon’s new government should be to cut ties with the tribunal, end Lebanon’s contributions to its funding, and withdraw Lebanese judges from the court. Cassese also said that Wednesday’s ruling should prove that the tribunal intends to be “absolutely impartial, independent of any political pressure or interference.”
The Lebanon tribunal, the world’s first international court with jurisdiction over the crime of terrorism, was set up to investigate the 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others.
Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare sent an indictment on Jan. 17 to pre-trial Judge Fransen, who then posed to court judges 15 questions covering definitions of terrorism, conspiracy and homicide, and other issues such as criminal responsibility.
In January, the court initially said it would take Fransen at least six to 10 weeks to confirm the draft indictment, but this could take longer given the complex nature of the material.
Commenting on the Appeals Chamber’s ruling Wednesday, the former head of General Security Jamil Sayyed said the presence of the STL Vice President, Lebanese Judge Ralph Riashi, at the meeting violated the principles and standards of international law because he contributed to the court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence and “shouldn’t therefore act as a judge on material he contributed to drafting.” Sayyed said the presence of the two Lebanese judges at the court, Riashi and Afif Shamseddine, violated principles of neutrality and integrity, since the two were appointed by a government that supported the so-called “false witnesses” in the STL investigation. Sayyed and three other security chiefs were arrested in 2005 on suspicion of involvement in the Hariri murder but released in 2009 due to lack of evidence. In March 2010, Sayyyed requested that the tribunal give him access to his investigation’s files so that he could take legal action against witnesses he says submitted false testimony against him and his colleagues. – The Daily Star, with Reuters

Vatican decision still unclear on Sfeir resignation
Thursday, February 17, 2011 ?Daily Star
BEIRUT: Conflicting reports continue to emerge over the Vatican’s decision regarding Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir’s resignation, as Lebanese religious and political leaders prepare to head for Rome next week to participate in the unveiling of the statue of Saint Maroun in Saint Peter’s square. Sfeir submitted his resignation to the Vatican late last year, but it remains unknown whether the election of a new patriarch, if Sfeir’s resignation is accepted, will take place before or after the election of a number of Maronite bishops to replace those who have reached the retirement age of 75. The bishops who have reached retirement age could still vote to elect a new patriarch as long as their successors have not been appointed, while the patriarch has no retirement age. Some media have speculated that a new patriarch will be elected on March 8, but sources close to Bkirki have described such reports as “rumors” since Sfeir’s resignation has yet to be accepted. The reports said the pope was expected to announce his acceptance of Sfeir’s resignation on Feb. 22, when he meets Sfeir on the sidelines of the unveiling of Saint Maroun’s statue. President Michel Sleiman and other top officials are scheduled to accompany Sfeir during the trip to the Vatican. The prefect of the Congregation of Oriental Churches at the Vatican, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, is due in Beirut on Mar. 14 to take part in ceremonies to be held in Bkirki to celebrate the silver jubilee of Sfeir’s election as patriarch and his golden jubilee as a bishop.

Aoun stands ground on cabinet share, accuses Sleiman of bias
By Mirella Hodeib and Hassan Lakiss /Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun expressed Wednesday his unwillingness to make concessions over his share of portfolios in the next cabinet, and lashed out at President Michel Sleiman, accusing him of losing his status as a neutral player. Speaking to OTV station in an exclusive interview, Aoun said Sleiman was “biased” and should therefore be granted minimal representation in the next government. A source close to the government formation process, meanwhile, said that while a formula that excludes the March 14 group is nearly finished, the main obstacle facing the prime minister-designate was how to “juggle the demands” of Sleiman and Aoun. The source told The Daily Star Najib Mikati was also giving covert talks with several members of the March 14 alliance a final chance to succeed. The source said Mikati has held separate undisclosed talks over the cabinet formation process with Sleiman, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, and the head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Asaad Hardan.
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced Monday his March 14 coalition would go into opposition, in remarks seen as marking an end to efforts to join the Mikati-led cabinet.
“Contrary to statements made by several figures from March 14, they are still in dialogue with the prime minister-designate about their possible participation in the next Cabinet,” said the source, adding that Mikati’s talks with the March 14 politicians “will not drag on forever.”
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah defended the prime minister-designate Wednesday against claims by the March 14 coalition that the Mikati government would be controlled by Hezbollah. “The government would have been formed in two days if were controlled [by the party],” Nasrallah told a rally to honor the party’s martyrs. “They [March 14] have been negotiating with [Mikati] and they know he makes his own decisions.” Nasrallah accused the March 14 coalition of lying in order to weaken Mikati and impede his mission.
Mikati was nominated to the prime minister’s post by a majority of 68 MPs, the bulk of whom were from the Hezbollah-led March 8 camp, after the Hariri Cabinet was brought down following a dispute over the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the 2005 assassination of his father, Rafik Hariri.
Hariri’s Future Movement bloc, which met Wednesday, said it continued to await answers from Mikati about his “concept” of the next cabinet’s policies, and whether he would agree to sever ties with the Netherlands-based STL. Nasrallah’s ally Aoun told OTV that if a 32-member government is formed he would ask for 13 ministers, while in a 30-member Cabinet he would demand 12 ministers. “Government portfolios ought to be distributed based on the size of parliamentary blocs,” he said. “My parliamentary bloc counts 19 Maronite MPs and I have the right to ask for a sovereign portfolio, including the Interior Ministry.” Defense, Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs are termed the key or “sovereign” portfolios. Aoun accused Sleiman of having “political ambitions,” adding that the president’s demands in the cabinet formation “went overboard,” and that the president lost his status as a neutral player by allying himself with the March 14 alliance. “It would be unacceptable to have cabinet ministers who work against us,” said Aoun.
But a source close to Mikati said Aoun’s demands “could not be implemented,” adding that if talks with Aoun reach a dead-end, the prime minster-designate would face two options. “Mikati will either announce the government formula he agreed on with the president or quit the process altogether, taking matters back to square one,” said the source.
For his part, Speaker Nabih Berri told lawmakers who visited him that Mikati’s mission ought to be facilitated in order to form a “national salvation Cabinet” capable of managing challenges facing the country. An FPM source told The Daily Star that based on the new balance of power in the country, the March 8 alliance ought to be assigned the majority of seats in the Cabinet. “The absolute majority should be in the hands of the group that brought Mikati to power,” said the source.
The source added that the FPM was bothered by Mikati’s most recent stances, which blatantly contradict the viewpoints of the lawmakers who voted in his favor during binding consultations to name a new prime minister. According to the source, Aoun told MPs in his Change and Reform bloc during their weekly meeting that Mikati has not made the FPM a “clear-cut proposal” to negotiate on. “Aoun is unwilling to make compromises or concessions,” said the source, “He even told his MPs that the government will not be formed this week, or in the near future.”

Nasrallah threatens to liberate Galilee if Israel attacks
By The Daily Star /Thursday, February 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called Wednesday on his fighters to stand ready to take over northern Israel in the event of a war with the Jewish state, a threat that earned a swift response by Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.
“I say to the fighters of the Islamic Resistance: Be ready. If a new war is imposed on Lebanon we may ask you to take Galilee, to free Galilee,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech in response to threats by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to march into Lebanon.
“Nasrallah declared today that he will conquer the Galilee. I have news for him. He won’t,” Netanyahu said.
“There is no doubt Israel has the ability to defend itself,” he told delegates at a conference of American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.
“We have a strong army and a determined people. We seek peace but the army is ready to defend Israel against its enemies,” Netanyahu added.
Barak told his troops on a tour Tuesday to the Israeli-Lebanese border that despite the reigning calm, they might be called on again to enter Lebanon.
Nasrallah made his comments during an address to mark the party’s martyrs’ day, and also threatened Israel’s high-ranking military officials with targeting them throughout the world to avenge the death of Hezbollah’s former top military commander, whose assassination in Damascus in February 2008 was blamed on Israel.
“To the Zionist generals, I say: Anywhere you go in the world, at any time, beware, for the blood of Imad Mughnieh will not be in vain,” he said.
Nasrallah added that Hezbollah would maintain its arsenal and its resistance against Israel, despite the domestic campaign carried out against the party’s weapons.
“There is a national conflict over the issue of weapons but weapons are a detail, the conflict is over the option of resistance, and this [conflict] is not a condemnation of the resistance, but rather a condemnation of those who backstabbed the resistance,” he said, in reference to March 14 groups.
The March 14 alliance, which is expected to boycott Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s March 8-led Cabinet, has endorsed the limitation of weapons to official authorities, and support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, as the coalition’s top priorities for the upcoming period.
The upcoming Cabinet is expected to halt cooperation with the U.N.-backed tribunal upon Hezbollah’s request, with the court widely believed to issue an indictment soon involving Hezbollah members in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Nasrallah said his party would take the appropriate measures to deal with the STL’s indictment, which he described as a fabricated one that would fail to uncover the truth.
“What we are heading toward in Lebanon is a U.S. political invasion,” the Hezbollah leader said.
“If you want to continue supporting the court, then you are free to do so. And if the indictment or trials in absentia is the truth, then act accordingly, and we will act based on what we deem appropriate with regard to manipulation [of the Hariri investigation], which will not lead to the truth,” Nasrallah said addressing March 14 parties.
Recalling the March 14 slogan that stability would not exist without justice, Nasrallah said peace would reign in the Middle East only after the Palestinian people secure justice, through the establishment of a Palestinian state, the return of refugees and the liberation of occupied territories. Touching on the popular uprising in Egypt, Nasrallah said the fall of Hosni Mubarak’s regime was an indication of decline in U.S. influence in the region and a major victory for resistance movements against Arab dictatorships that have long served Israeli interests. Mohammad Youssef Mansour, Hezbollah’s cell leader in Egypt who escaped or was aided to flee from prison during the recent popular uprising, appeared at the rally before Nasrallah spoke, greeting dignitaries and giving a victory salute. Mansour, who held a forged passport under the name of Sami Chehab was convicted in 2010 for spying for Hezbollah and plotting terrorist attacks in Egypt. – The Daily Star

Brazil marks landmark participation in UNIFIL
By The Daily Star /Thursday, February 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Brazil this week marked its first-ever participation in UNIFIL in south Lebanon, as it assumes command of the peacekeeping effort’s Maritime Task Force. A Brazilian Navy unit headed by Rear Admiral Luiz Henrique Caroli arrived in Beirut to begin the mission, which was previously headed by a joint naval command from Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. The Maritime Task Force was deployed by the United Nations in 2006 with the mandate to train and support the Lebanese Navy in monitoring its territorial waters and preventing the unauthorized entry of arms or related material by sea into Lebanon. Brazil’s contribution to the Maritime Task Force of the UNIFIL also marks the first time Brazil heads a naval component of a peacekeeping force. The Brazilian Armed Forces served in peacekeeping missions in Angola, Mozambique and the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and are currently participating in efforts in East Timor and Haiti. – The Daily Star

Najib Mikati: What might have been
By Michael Young
Daily Star/Thursday, February 17, 2011
While the March 14 coalition used the sixth anniversary of Rafik Hariri’s assassination to reiterate its refusal to join the government being formed by Najib Mikati, you have to wonder if the former majority approached the matter in an optimal way.
Hezbollah and the Aounists have refused to grant March 14 a blocking third in a new government, because this would permit Saad Hariri to defeat a cabinet vote to end the agreement signed with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. But the tensions generated by Hezbollah’s and Michel Aoun’s decision to deny March 14 veto power (when they received veto power in two March 14-led governments) could have been used more profitably by the former majority.
On the second day of presidential consultations to name a new prime minister, the former Minister Suleiman Franjieh announced that he would agree to concede a blocking third to March 14 in a Mikati government. Allegedly, Franjieh had not received Syrian approval for his proposal, and the statement was viewed as an effort to draw March 14 into negotiations that would have legitimized Mikati.
March 14 refused to be drawn in, on the grounds that Mikati was the façade of a Hezbollah coup. Yet the coalition seemed to contradict itself when the Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, and former President Amin Gemayel met with Mikati to expose their requirements for participation – namely the prime minister-elect’s stance on the special tribunal and Hezbollah’s weapons. Meanwhile, Hariri had left Beirut for Paris, indicating, intentionally or not, that he was noncommittal toward the feelers being put out to Mikati.
Another approach might have been more fruitful. When Taha Mikati visited Hariri before consultations to name a new prime minister, he asked that Hariri back his brother Najib. Hariri, angry with what he deemed to be the Mikatis’ treachery, refused. But by then it was a foregone conclusion that Najib Mikati would be asked to form a government. Hariri perhaps would have done better to host Najib, call in the media, and show himself to be the patron of a Mikati government because, he might have stated, he knew the future prime minister-elect would defend the special tribunal. Hariri could have gone further to declare that he would insist on veto power for March 14 in the government, because the breakdown of seats in Parliament and the precedent set by governments past, justified the demand.
This would have put Mikati in a difficult position. By picking a fight over veto power, and borrowing Franjieh’s statement as validation, Hariri would have imposed on the prime minister-elect a choice between forming a government of national unity or bowing to Hezbollah’s dictates and losing Hariri’s blessing. Conceivably, Mikati would have had no choice but to refuse to surrender veto power to March 14; or he might have explored an alternative distribution of cabinet shares, allowing March 14 to collaborate with President Michel Suleiman, who has no desire to fall under Hezbollah’s and Aoun’s sway. In that way March 14 could have created openings to prevent the new majority from taking over the system.
Either way, this scheme would have allowed March 14 to heighten the contradictions between Mikati and Hezbollah and Aoun, while buying time for the special tribunal to move ahead in confirming the draft indictments prepared by the prosecution. And had Mikati failed to make headway because of pressures from Hezbollah and Aoun, he would have burned himself politically from the outset. March 14 would have been able to then pull out of the cabinet formation process, but with more justification than today. Mikati’s negligible room to maneuver would have focused a brighter light on the fact that to undermine the tribunal, Hezbollah and Aoun were willing to scuttle an accord over a government of national consensus.
Sometimes even a tactical gain can have a strong repercussions. Last week Syria urged Mikati to try once again to put together a national-unity government. This came after an acrimonious meeting in Aleppo between the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Syria’s President Bashar Assad. The Turks are said to be unhappy with Hariri’s isolation and evidently, like the Qataris, are uneasy with the prospect that a Lebanese government backed by Syria will soon confront the international community over the special tribunal.
The Syrians may be thinking of other prospective challenges as well. Assad must be wary of how the ouster of two Arab autocrats might affect his own rule, amid protests throughout the Middle East. His vulnerability regionally and internationally may be exacerbated if Syrian officials are named in the special tribunal’s indictment. And the last thing Assad wants, with all that going on, is to be perceived in the Arab world as siding against Lebanon’s Sunni community.
Had Hariri and March 14 made a push for veto power, it is possible that Syria would have compromised somewhere and sought to bargain with the former majority. There was no certainty in this, but by addressing the government formation process differently, March 14 might have produced exploitable opportunities. After all, the essence of Saad Hariri’s strategy these past months has been to use the tribunal as leverage to negotiate with Syria and Hezbollah and win concessions that, he believes, might strengthen Lebanese sovereignty.
Today March 14 has taken on a double-or-nothing wager. It may yet succeed, but consenting to the transfer of state powers to Hezbollah and Aoun, without first having tried more seriously to prevent this outcome, is risky. Mikati’s government, when or if it is formed, will doubtless struggle. But for it to fall will require a tremendous amount of domestic strain, and the Lebanese will suffer as a consequence.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR and author of “The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle” (Simon & Schuster).

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
February 16, 2011
On February 16, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a televised speech during his party’s “Martyrs’ Day” ceremony:
“To begin, I commend the souls of our martyrs and we pray Al-Fatiha. Peace and mercy of God with you all, brothers and sisters.
On an occasion like this is also met by the [32nd] anniversary of the Iranian revolution and the triumph of the people of Egypt over the oppressor [Hosni Mubarak]. There is also the bloody incident of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination [that happened 6 years ago] in February. On a day like this… we learn from the leaders of the Martyrs, we sit in their presence to renew our pact and path. [Hezbollah’s martyrs] shared in common their establishment of the Resistance… they did not give up, they were not tired, they were the [fathers] of creative productivity.
These martyr leaders express the period of the past 30 years, the history of the country and the Resistance. We are a part and continuity of the resistant [leaders]. We do not look at our martyrs only as a part of the awareness movements in the regions, [but also] as part of the defiance movement.
We were and still are part of the resisting movement. [The movement] was the natural response of the people of this region to invasion. The resisting movements did not attack anyone… but was attacked.
Allow me to talk today on justice and stability as headlines. The movements of the Resistance are what achieve justice and stability in the region.
Peace and stability based on oppression and on exploiting the rights of others cannot [achieve justice]. Let us go back to the roots of the problem.
The main problem in the region [goes back] 60 years [and] has two complementary parts. The first part is the existence of Israel and the latter is what started the war. [Israel] is the one that killed and slaughtered, confiscated the lands and kicked people out, with sponsorship from the West. [Israel] is the one that expanded toward Lebanon and Syria.
The Resistance is an ethical response to [Israel’s act]. We would like to address US President Barack Obama and [US Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton.
Justice means that property should be returned to its owners. In light of such justice, there will be stability in the region. However, searching for justice through [peace] talks…this cannot achieve peace.
The second part of the problem in the region is the US system that is part of the dictatorships. The mission of this system is to protect its interests and those of Israel. The more a system in an Arab country is closer to Israel, the more is closer to the US.
The US aims to serve the Arab systems that are closer to Israel. [These systems] become supported, funded and a key ally to the US.
When there is an Arab or Islamic system that does not give in [to the US], it becomes isolated and subject to conspiracies. The [pre-revolution] system in Iran was an American regime. The US categorizes you in the ‘Axis of evil’ if you were against Israel. People felt in the 1970s that they entered the US-Israel era they could no longer escape. The Iranian revolution kicked the Americans out and severed relations with Israel.
This was a strategic transformation…it was met by isolation…but this confrontation was maintained for 30 years. Syria stood still, the Palestinian people kept resisting and [Hezbollah’s] Resistance was established. The most important event is the February 11 collapse of the Hosni Mubarak regime in Egypt. This was a historical event. We commend the people of Egypt.
We thank the revolution in Egypt, especially us in Hezbollah, because it led to the escape of [a Hezbollah cell leader who was detained in Egypt], Sami Chehab. There is no doubt that what happened in Egypt was historical. I can say that there will be significant transformations in Egypt post-Hosni Mubarak.
The most important impact is on Israel and on the overall US system in [the Middle East] and in Lebanon. [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu speaks about an ‘earthquake’ [post-Mubarak’s collapse]. Those who have linked their fate to the US are the ones who have lost.
[The Israeli] placed a bet that Egypt would restrain the situation in Gaza. The Palestinians were oppressed…We all know the role of Mubarak’s system in the 2006 July War [in Lebanon]. Hosni Mubarak was one of the Arab leaders who were [deceived] when the Resistance triumphed the 2006 July War.
Israeli Defense Minister [Ehud] Barak said that ‘the region is changing in front of our eyes...we have seen what happened in Lebanon, in which the cabinet was turned into a cabinet that is not reassuring…also the situation in Egypt and Tunisia…this reflects how unstable [the region] is.’
[Barak’s statement] shows that Israel, which was confident in the past, [is not the same now]. Israel is acknowledging that ‘there won’t be any messing up’ like what happened in the last two Lebanese wars.
Brothers and Sisters, there are serious talks happening now in Israel, regarding the capacity of the Resistance to take over [certain Israeli territories]. I would like to tell [the Israelis] that on the memory of [our martyrs], I tell the fighters of the Resistance that one day they might be asked to liberate the Galilee [region].
You might be asked to liberate the Galilee [region]. The [Israelis] are afraid. I want to assure you… and tell the Israelis that [they] should [be careful] because the blood of Imad Mugniyah will not go to waste.
The Lebanese Resistance managed to return the right to its people. The land was given back to its owners. This is part of justice; this was not achieved by the UN Security Council or the US, but by the Resistance [with the help] of Syria and Iran. This is justice.
We achieved part of justice through the return of the lands to its people and through the punishment [of Israeli soldiers] by the fighters of the Resistance. After the end of the July War [in 2006], the people, army and Resistance [in Lebanon] are making justice and stability.
This formula is what defends Lebanon today. Regarding the Lebanese situation, we have important issues happening.
There is the issue of the Resistance’s arms. What is left of the March 14 coalition is determined to re-address the issue of weapons. This issue has been a national dispute. The weapons are just a detail in the issue of the Resistance. We, in Lebanon, are disagreeing on the Resistance [concept].
The liberty we have been granted in South Lebanon was due to the blood of the martyrs and not [achieved] through agreements. We consider our participation in [past] national dialogue sessions as a concession. If the people are ready for dialogue, however, we are ready for dialogue and have no problem with it.
If you are estimating that the daily statements [against Hezbollah] might affect or weaken the Resistance, you are wrong. We move on to the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). We in Lebanon are the people of truth and justice and believe that Justice brings stability… but after all these years, the leaders of [March 14] should re-assess: [will] the track of the tribunal lead to the truth?
We, the Lebanese people, are concerned with re-discussing this issue. Is there another way to find out the truth? Yes, but you [March 14 parties] have lost this chance. All the Lebanese people know how the STL [was established]. There was a decision from day one, to politicize the tribunal’s work. If you think that this leads to the truth, then [you are] welcome [to] act upon this truth, and we will act upon what is forged.
Concerning the Lebanese cabinet, what happened with [March 14] was the result of the latter’s mistakes. But unfortunately, [March 14] recognizes that they made mistakes but do not know that [they are acknowledging the wrong mistakes]… [They are not aware] of their other mistakes.
Everyone knows the relations of [March 14] with the US and with the toppled regime of Hosni Mubarak. The US system [that March 14] took part in, will degenerate. I advice them to reassess their mistakes.
We must return to our roots to discover our mistakes. The biggest mistake is taking part in the US’ Middle East system. [March 14] is lying to itself and to its supporters. They are negotiating with Prime Minister-designate [Najib Mikati]; [he] is a man who can make his [own] decisions.
[March 14] is relying on dishonest instruments [to get its way]. The [Saad Hariri] cabinet was given the chance to rule for one year, but [March 14] is not giving Mikati’s cabinet a day to rule.
What did [Saad Hariri] do? Travelling from country to country [and that’s it]. Everyone is looking to see a serious cabinet [that fulfills] the needs of the people [instead] of listening [to the West]. Today, the current majority [that is March 8] is a real majority, not a fake one. The basic issue was to form a national partnership cabinet, but if this does not work out, the parties who nominated Mikati should work [quickly] to form a cabinet.
We have entered the era of triumphs and have closed the door on defeat.
Peace and mercy of God be with you.”