LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJanuary
18/2010
Bible Of The
Day
The Good News According to
Matthew 9/8-13: "As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew
sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and
followed him. 9:10 It happened as he sat in the house, behold, many tax
collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When
the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat
with tax collectors and sinners?” 9:12 When Jesus heard it, he said to them,
“Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
9:13 But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’*
for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Hezbollah's War on International
Justice/By: Dr. Walid Phares/January
17/11
The Region: Revolutions, walk-outs
and fatwas/By BARRY RUBIN/ J.Post/January 17/11
Amid Lebanon unrest, UN tribunal
expected to blame Hezbollah for Hariri murder/By Avi Issacharoff/January
17/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 17/11
STL Registrar: Bellemare
Submitted Indictment to Fransen, Contents Remain Confidential/Naharnet
Bellemare Submitted Indictments
to Fransen, Report/Naharnet
Turkey-Qatar-Syria Summit Calls
for S-S Mediation to Resolve Lebanon Crisis/Naharnet
Turkish, Qatar Ministers in
Lebanon Tuesday to Try to Solve Lebanon Crisis/Naharnet
Turkey, Qatar, Syria to Hold Summit
in Damascus/Naharnet
Parliamentary Consultations
Postponed in Lebanon over PM Showdown/Naharnet
Lebanon,'s Justice Minister,Najjar
Expects Indictment to be Released
today/Naharnet
U.S.
Reiterates Support for Hariri, Says Cabinet Resignations Sign of Fear/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Names Hariri as Premiership Candidate/Naharnet
Nasrallah: Opposition Unanimously Agreed Not to Name Hariri as Lebanon's Next PM/Naharnet
Netanyahu: Crises in Tunisia, Lebanon Show Regional Instability/Naharnet
Hariri told UN investigator
Syria killed father/AFP
Talks on new Lebanon government
delayed/Reuters
Hezbollah leader defends
decision to bring down Lebanon's government/Washington Post
Foreign diplomats pledge support
for Lebanon's stability/Daily Star
Nasrallah rejects any cabinet that
protects 'false witnesses'/Daily Star
ISRAEL: Officials keep a
keen eye on Tunisia, also
Lebanon/Los Angeles Times
Despite Lebanon unrest, tribunal expected to blame Hezbollah for Hariri
murder/Haaretz
Against Netanyahu's orders, Lieberman offers own opinion on Lebanon
crisis/Haaretz
Warning time for Hamas, Hezbollah rockets to Tel Aviv now just 90
seconds/Haaretz
Hariri's majority in Parliament
uncertain as consultations loom/Daily Star
Hariri says explosive audio tapes
taken out of context/Daily Star
Democratic Gathering Stance Not Clear: Jumblat Has Upper Hand in Deciding Future
of Lebanese Politics/Naharnet
Report: Hariri-Siddiq
Conversation Leaked After Attack on Investigators in Beirut Southern Suburbs/Naharnet
Turkey, Qatar, Syria to
Hold Summit in Damascus/Naharnet
Aoun:
Renaming Hariri as PM Impossible as Lebanon Cannot Continue with his Policy/Naharnet
Franjieh Very Pessimistic: All Indications Point to Sectarian Strife/Naharnet
Russian, Spanish Officials
after Meeting Hariri Voice Support for Justice, STL/Naharnet
Suleiman to Clinton:
Lebanese Will be Able to Solve Crisis Through Dialogue/Naharnet
Harb:
Sfeir Tendered Resignation Months Ago but Vatican Hasn't Yet Accepted it/Naharnet
Berri: Connelly's Visit to Fattoush
is 'Scandal' and 'Proves Battle is with U.S/Naharnet
Hariri's Office Describes as
'Intelligence Work' Al-Jadid Audiotape/Naharnet
Barak Quits Labor Party, Forms New
Parliamentary Faction/Naharnet
4 Synagogues vandalized in
Montreal, Canada/J.Post
Bellemare
Submitted Indictments to Fransen, Report
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has submitted
his indictments in the murder case of ex-PM Rafik Hariri to pre-trial judge
Daniel Fransen, Al-Markaziya news agency reported Monday. "Prosecutor Daniel
Bellemare today handed his indictments to pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen after
completion of his investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri," Al-Markaziya
said. It said the "official announcement", however, will be made on Tuesday.
Al-Markaziya said Fransen will begin his review of the case to determine whether
to accept or reject Bellemare's findings. Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 17:12
STL Registrar: Bellemare Submitted Indictment to Fransen,
Contents Remain Confidential
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Registrar, Herman von Hebel, confirmed
that the tribunal prosecutor has submitted an indictment to and supporting
materials to pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen."The documents, which relate to the
assassination of Rafik Hariri and others, were handed to the Registry at 16:35PM
(local time) on Monday," said a statement issued by the STL. "They will now be
reviewed by Pre-Trial Judge, Daniel Fransen," it said. "Contents of the
indictment remain confidential at this stage," the STL added. Earlier Monday,
STL spokesman Crispin Thorold denied a report published by Lebanon's Al-Markaziya
news agency that said Bellemare had submitted his indictments to Fransen. Al-Markaziya
said Bellemare on Monday submitted his indictments to Fransen. "We deny the
report," Thorold told Al-Jadid TV, adding that when the indictment is filed the
STL will issue a statement. "Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare today handed his
indictments to pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen after completion of his
investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri," Al-Markaziya said. Al-Markaziya
said Fransen will begin his review of the case to determine whether to accept or
reject Bellemare's findings. In another statement issued later by the STL, it
said Bellemare will address the significance of the filing of his indictment to
Fransen in a videotaped statement to be issued on Tuesday. Beirut, 17 Jan 11,
19:24
Turkey-Qatar-Syria Summit Calls for S-S Mediation to Resolve Lebanon Crisis
Naharnet/The leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar on Monday called for Syria-Saudi
mediation to resolve the Lebanon political crisis.The official Syrian Arab News
Agency, SANA, said the three leaders "expressed their keenness that this
(Lebanon) crisis be resolved on the basis of the Syrian-Saudi efforts to achieve
consensus among the Lebanon and prevent a deterioration of the situation." The
announcement came during summit talks in Damascus on Monday. The three leaders
also "welcomed Lebanon's postponement of parliamentary consultations pending
political efforts to help the Lebanese find a solution that is in the best
interest of the Lebanese people and the stability of Lebanon," SANA said.
Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 17:31
Turkish, Qatar Ministers in Lebanon Tuesday to Try to Solve
Lebanon Crisis
Nahjarnet/Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu and Qatar's PM Sheikh Hamad will head to
Lebanon on Tuesday to try to find a solution to the latest political crisis in
Lebanon.
"Mr Davutoglu will have talks with various Lebanese political and governmental
circles," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Davutoglu will be
accompanied on the visit by Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Bin
Jabor Al-Thani, the source said. Both participated in a meeting on the Lebanon
crisis in Damascus on Monday, where the leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar
agreed to back mediation efforts by Damascus and Riyadh, the SANA news agency
reported. Lebanon's coalition government collapsed last Wednesday when Hizbullah
and its allies withdrew in anticipation of being indicted for the 2005
assassination of ex-Lebanon premier Rafik Hariri. The prosecutor of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon submitted a confidential indictment Monday against suspects
in the assassination. Lebanon was also expected to be on the agenda of talks in
Ankara late Monday between Davutoglu and his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar
Salehi, according to the diplomatic source.(AFP) Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 20:53
Parliamentary Consultations Postponed over PM Showdown
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman postponed parliamentary consultations that
were scheduled to start at noon Monday until January 24 to give local and
regional leaders the chance to agree on a solution to the Lebanese crisis.
"After assessing the positions of various parties in Lebanon ... President
Michel Suleiman has decided to postpone parliamentary consultations until
Monday, January 24 and Tuesday, January 25, 2011," read a statement released by
Baabda palace. An Nahar daily on Monday quoted political and parliamentary
sources as saying that efforts to postpone the binding consultations lasted way
after midnight after Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced that his
party and its allies would not nominate Caretaker PM Saad Hariri for the
premiership. Other political sources told Pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that
Suleiman would postpone his meetings with parliamentary blocs pending the
announcement of the Syrian-Turkish-Qatari summit's results. A March 14 official
told the newspaper that Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party
leader Walid Jumblat suggested to Suleiman on Sunday night to postpone the
consultations. "Their suggestion came after a request from the Syrian
leadership," the source said. Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 08:21
U.S. Reiterates Support for Hariri, Says Cabinet Resignations Sign of Fear
Naharnet/Washington reiterated support for Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri and its
call on all Lebanese parties to exercise restraint and coordinate in finding a
solution to the Lebanese crisis. "The United States reiterates its call to all
political factions to maintain calm and exercise restraint at this critical
time," U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly said in a statement following talks with
Hariri at Center House. "We urge all the parties in Lebanon to work together to
find a solution for the numerous issues that face the Lebanese people. It is now
more important than ever that all sides commit to constructive dialogue and
avoid escalating tensions in the country," said the statement. Connelly stressed
that the U.S. will continue to work with Hariri as head of Lebanon's caretaker
government. She said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an independent,
international judicial process whose work is not subject to political influence.
"The efforts by the Hizbullah-led coalition to collapse the Lebanese government
only demonstrate their own fear and determination to undermine Lebanon's
sovereignty and independence," the ambassador said. Last week, 11 ministers
withdrew from Hariri's unity government, forcing its collapse and plunging the
country back into crisis. Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 07:32
Parliamentary Consultations Postponed over PM Showdown
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman postponed parliamentary consultations that
were scheduled to start at noon Monday until January 24 to give local and
regional leaders the chance to agree on a solution to the Lebanese crisis.
"After assessing the positions of various parties in Lebanon ... President
Michel Suleiman has decided to postpone parliamentary consultations until
Monday, January 24 and Tuesday, January 25, 2011," read a statement released by
Baabda palace. An Nahar daily on Monday quoted political and parliamentary
sources as saying that efforts to postpone the binding consultations lasted way
after midnight after Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced that his
party and its allies would not nominate Caretaker PM Saad Hariri for the
premiership. Other political sources told Pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that
Suleiman would postpone his meetings with parliamentary blocs pending the
announcement of the Syrian-Turkish-Qatari summit's results. A March 14 official
told the newspaper that Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party
leader Walid Jumblat suggested to Suleiman on Sunday night to postpone the
consultations. "Their suggestion came after a request from the Syrian
leadership," the source said. Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 08:21
Report: Hariri-Siddiq Conversation Leaked After Attack on Investigators in
Beirut Southern Suburbs
Naharnet/Excerpts from a conversation between Caretaker Prime Minister Saad
Hariri and false witness Mohammad Zuheir Siddiq broadcast on al-Jadid TV were
reportedly leaked to the station after international investigators came under
attack at a gynecologist's clinic in Beirut's southern suburbs in October. An
informed source told An Nahar daily that the attackers were able to snatch from
the investigators a laptop that included Hariri's statements. Hariri stressed
Sunday that his recorded statements to international investigators in which he
criticized a number of personalities were made several years ago during
"well-known political circumstances." Hariri stresses that "this recorded
statement was given many years ago, in well-known political circumstances, and
addressed a number of personalities and prominent figures whom PM Hariri is
proud to count among his friends, as he is proud of the strong relationship he
has built with them in recent years," said a statement issued by his press
office about his remarks broadcast on al-Jadid TV in a second audiotape. The TV
station has so far broadcast two audiotapes. The press office reiterated that
the move was an intelligence work. "Hariri apologizes personally from all these
friends, who were attacked verbally during those years, and stresses that the
current attempts to drive a wedge between Hariri and those whom he considers to
be at the heart of the defense of the cause of truth and justice, will fail and
will not be able to achieve their objective," said the statement by his press
office. It said Hariri made phone conversations with Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin
Talal, former PM Najib Miqati, MP Nouhad Mashnouq and journalist Samir Mansour
in this regard. Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 10:08
Franjieh Very Pessimistic: All Indications Point to Sectarian Strife
Naharnet/Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh on Sunday expressed pessimism
over the political crisis in Lebanon, saying all indications point to sectarian
strife. He pointed out that collective international willpower, particularly the
"Americans and the Zionist lobby" seem to want to nail Syria and Hizbullah under
the international tribunal. "They will not give up on this treasure easily,"
Franjieh said in a late night show with Al-Jadid television channel. He believed
that naming a new prime minister would not solve the problem. "The crisis can
only be solved with consensus," Franjieh said, adding that given this reality a
postponement of parliamentary consultations set to kick off on Monday to name
the next premier is "considered necessary."He said his parliamentary bloc had
chosen Omar Karami as its candidate for the next premiership. Beirut, 16 Jan 11,
23:09
Berri: Connelly's Visit to Fattoush is 'Scandal' and
'Proves Battle is with U.S.'
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly's visit to MP Nicolas Fattoush in Zahle
stirred criticism and accusations by March 8 forces of U.S. meddling in
Lebanon's internal affairs on the eve of parliamentary consultations to name a
new premier. "They say there is no U.S. interference in the affairs of Lebanon
and the region. On the contrary, they are interfering in everything from
southern Sudan all the way to Zahle," Speaker Nabih Berri told An Nahar daily in
remarks published Monday. Berri described Connelly's visit to Fattoush on Sunday
as a "scandal" and said the ambassador is proving that "she is interfering in
the parliamentary consultations." The speaker stressed, however, that the
lawmaker will turn to his "political and national conscience" and "will not give
up his national convictions." "This visit proved that the battle is with
America," Berri told An Nahar. Following talks with Fattoush, Connelly said in a
statement that the U.S. continues to urge all parties in Lebanon to remain calm
and participate in constructive dialogue to solve Lebanon's crisis. The meeting
was a chance to follow up their December 2010 talks during the ambassador's last
trip to Zahle, the statement added. Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 07:55
Najjar Expects Indictment to be Released Monday
Naharnet/Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar expected the prosecutor of
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to refer the indictment in ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri's assassination case to the pre-trial judge on Monday. "Prosecutor
(Daniel) Bellemare could refer the indictment to Judge (Daniel) Fransen today,"
Najjar said following talks with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in Bkirki.
According to the tribunal's rules of procedure, Fransen will examine the
findings before confirming the indictment. Arrest warrants or summonses would be
issued later and the process could take six to 10 weeks. The caretaker minister
expected PM Saad Hariri to regain his post and ruled out the opposition's resort
to the street.
"Consultations are still in their primary stage and there are regional and
international efforts" to solve the Lebanese crisis, Najjar told reporters.
Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 12:10
Mustaqbal Names Hariri as Premiership Candidate
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Sunday renamed Saad Hariri as its
premiership candidate. "Al-Mustaqbal named Hariri as its candidate for the
premiership," MP Atef Majdalani announced following a meeting of Al-Mustaqbal
Movement at Center House. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of
caretaker PM Saad Hariri.
Beirut, 16 Jan 11, 18:38
Barak Quits Labor Party, Forms New Parliamentary Faction
Naharnet/Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak abruptly announced Monday that he
was leaving his Labor Party and forming a new parliamentary faction inside the
governing coalition, completing a split in the iconic party over the handling of
peace talks with the Palestinians. The dramatic and unexpected move did not
immediately threaten the stability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
parliamentary majority. Instead, it appeared to strengthen Netanyahu's hardline
coalition by leaving it with a smaller, yet largely like-minded majority.
But by strengthening hardline elements in the government, it left peace
prospects even more uncertain.
Barak, a former prime minister and one of the most powerful members of the
government, will stay in the ruling coalition with four followers. Labor's eight
remaining members, political doves pushing for Israel to get peace talks back on
track, are expected to quit a government they criticize as undermining peace
efforts.
The departures would leave Netanyahu with 66 seats in the 120-seat parliament, a
smaller majority but rid of dissenting voices unhappy with the state of peace
talks.
Announcing his decision, Barak said he was tired of the infighting within Labor.
He accused his former partners of moving too far to the dovish end of the
political spectrum.
"We are embarking on a new path," he told a news conference at Israel's
parliament. "We want to wake up without having to compromise, apologize and
explain."
"We are forming today a faction, a movement and in the future a party that will
be centrist, Zionist and democratic," he said. He did not take any questions.
The new party is called Independence. Labor has been the sole moderate party in
Netanyahu's coalition, which is otherwise dominated by religious and nationalist
parties that oppose major concessions to the Palestinians. Barak and Netanyahu
have had a mutually beneficial relationship. The men have known each other for
decades, back to the time that Barak was Netanyahu's commander in an elite
commando unit in the army. As a former prime minister, Barak has given Netanyahu
a well-known and relatively moderate face to deal with the international
community, particularly with the United States. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has given
Barak extra influence in decision making. But Labor members have grown
increasingly unhappy with Barak, accusing him of enabling Netanyahu to stall in
peace efforts. Although Barak is an outspoken advocate of peace with the
Palestinians, he also takes a tougher line on security matters than some of his
counterparts and has moved slower than they would like on favoring concessions
to the Palestinians.
Negotiations with the Palestinians broke down in late September after Netanyahu
allowed a freeze on settlement construction to expire.
The Palestinians refuse to negotiate without a total freeze in place, and
Netanyahu has refused to extend the moratorium, despite heavy U.S. pressure.(AP)
Beirut, 17 Jan 11, 11:09
Defense minister Ehud Barak splits Labor party in step with Netanyahu
DEBKAfile Special Report January 17, 2011, Four members of the 13-member Labor's
parliamentary faction have followed defense minister Ehud Barak in resigning and
setting up a new party called Atzmaut (Independence.) They are Shalom Simhon,
Einat Wilf, Matan Vilnai and Urit Noked. Yaacov Herzog, Social Affairs Minister,
was the first Labor member to resign from the cabinet, expected to be followed
by other cabinet ministers. Barak stays on as defense minister in the coalition
cabinet headed by Binyamin Netanyahu. Barak introduced the new party Monday,
Jan. 17, as "centrist, Zionist and democratic." The country faces hard
political, security and social tests, "with which we are ready to cope." Our
first priority will be the state, then the party and only finally, us. "We call
on those who believe in our cause to join us."
By splitting the party, Labor's chairman preempted threats by some of its
leading members to take the party out of the coalition on the grounds of lack of
progress in peacemaking. For many months, it has been fragmented by squabbles
and deep divisions between pro-government and pro-left factions. The defense
minister said the time had come to resolve the anomaly of two Labor parties at
war. debkafile's political sources report that Barak acted in lockstep with the
prime minister, the leader of Likud, which is Labor's traditional rival. The two
have run the government in close harness. His step recalls the action of Moshe
Dayan in 1979, who resigned from Labor to take up Likud Prime Minister Menahem
Begin's offer of the foreign ministry to promote peace with Egypt. Barak chose a
more recent analogy: former prime minster Ariel Sharon's 2005 breakaway from
Likud to found Kadima, which currently heads the opposition to the incumbent
government. However, the impact of his action is quite the reverse of Sharon's.
By splitting Labor, Barak has strengthened the Likud-led administration, which
can now hope to complete its term in two years' time after dropping Barak's
adversaries within the cabinet, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Yitzhak Herzog and
Yehoshua Braverman.
Most of all, it puts an end to barrage of demands for an early election
spearheaded in recent weeks by Kadima's Tzipi Livni and Haim Ramon along with
left-wing factions, including elements of Labor. While the government's
opponents poured their ire on the foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman as the
government's right-wing marker and the over-privileged ultra-religious groups,
Netanyahu and Barak planned the formation of a strong centrist bloc to stabilize
the government coalition.
Lieberman is likely to throw his support behind this bloc leaving the right-wing
fringes of his Israel Beteinu with the option of peeling off and joining
likeminded factions. The powerful religious and ultra-religious ministers are
expected by and large to stay put. Barak and Netanyahu hope that by reshuffling
the national political scene, they will eventually split Kadima by attracting
the centrist elements who are already unhappy about Livni's growing tendency to
slip towards the left.
Netanyahu: Crises in Tunisia, Lebanon Show Regional Instability
Naharnet/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that regional
political instability shows that Israel must seek ironclad security clauses in
any peace treaty with the Palestinians. While not referring to any state by
name, his comments at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting came in the wake
of a popular revolt against Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the
collapse of the Lebanese government. "The region in which we live is an unstable
region, everybody can see that today. We see it in several places in the broader
Middle East," Netanyahu said. "There can be changes in governments that we do
not foresee today but will take place tomorrow. "The lesson is that we have to
stick to the principles of peace and security in any agreement that we make," he
said. "We do not know if such an agreement will be honored but we shall increase
the chances of it being honored if there are solid and serious security
arrangements." Tunisian-born Vice Premier Silvan Shalom said recent events
disproved the perception that all the Middle East's problems stem from the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "What is happening in Tunisia is a domestic
affair, what is happening in Lebanon is a domestic affair and what is happening
in Sudan is a domestic affair, with no connection to the Israeli-Palestinian
dispute," he told reporters. "This explodes the myth that this dispute is the
root of all the instability in the Middle East," Shalom said.(AFP)
Beirut, 16 Jan 11, 13:54
Amid Lebanon unrest, UN tribunal expected to blame
Hezbollah for Hariri murder
By Avi Issacharoff /Haaretz/ 17.1.11
The international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is expected to file indictments on Monday against
those it believes are responsible for the murder. Lead prosecutor Daniel
Bellemare will bring the indictments before Judge Daniel Fransen for a
preliminary review. Fransen was appointed to the post by the International Court
of Justice at The Hague. The tribunal is expected to argue that Hezbollah
agents, including some of the more senior figures in the Shi'ite Muslim
organization, were involved in the 2005 assassination. Fransen will likely
review the documents over a period of six to 10 weeks and then decide on the
legal steps to be taken.
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah commented on the expected indictments
during a televised address on the group's TV station, Al-Manar. He asserted that
the accusations aim to undermine the "resistance" and that the United Nations
tribunal is working under the auspices of the United States and Israel.
Nasrallah dedicated most of his address to the current political situation in
Lebanon and the latest crisis following the Hezbollah ministers' resignation
from the government coalition. He avoided making use of very threatening
language and was careful not to hazard that Hezbollah will use force, but did
say that the group will not allow anyone to harm the "resistance."
The Hezbollah leader also blamed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the son of
the assassinated Hariri, for foiling the mediation efforts of Syria and Saudi
Arabia.
The indictments are considered to be a historic event for Lebanon, considering
the serious accusations expected to be directed against the country's most
powerful group and militia. The tribunal's conclusions are expected to deal a
severe blow to the group which, since 1992, has worked to present itself as a
patriotic Lebanese organization.
The story began on February 14, 2005, with the assassination of Rafik Hariri in
a car bombing in Beirut. The blast killed 22 others as well.
Initially the Lebanese suspected that Syria had been behind the attack, which
led hundreds of thousands to take to the streets and demonstrate against the
Syrian presence in the country. At the time, several senior security figures
with ties to the neighbor to the east were held under arrest.
The man responsible for Syrian intelligence activities in Lebanon for many
years, Ghazi Kanaan, was found dead in his office several months later; the
circumstances of his death remain obscure to this day.
An international tribunal was appointed to investigate Rafik Hariri's
assassination, and soon after rumors began that individuals affiliated with
Hezbollah would be indicted for the murder. Nasrallah gave a speech warning that
the evidence on which the tribunal was basing its accusations were forged and
blamed Israel for the killing.
Since then, the Hezbollah leader has been trying to prevent the publication of
the indictments in any way possible. The group pressured Saad Hariri in an
effort to gain his support to end the work of the tribunal - 51 percent of whose
budget is being contributed by the Lebanese government. The group threatened
that if the indictments were made public, Hezbollah would alter the status quo
in the country.
The threats led to Saudi-Syrian mediation efforts between the 14 March camp,
headed by the younger Hariri, and the 8 March camp, headed by Hezbollah. But
those efforts failed.
Hezbollah response unclear
The indictments will be presented at the same time that a new prime minister is
appointed in Lebanon. Hariri's supporters maintain that Lebanese President
Michel Suleiman will assign him the task of forming a new government, since he
has a majority in parliament.
However, the stance of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on the matter remains
unclear. Jumblatt said on Sunday that he will support Hariri if he accepts the
compromise proposal put forward by Syria and Saudi Arabia. If Jumblatt decides
not to support Hariri, the new government will be formed by one of the
pro-Syrian parties. At this time it is also unclear how Hezbollah will respond
to the indictments which are expected to point directly to Mustafa Badr al-Din,
son-in-law of the former Hezbollah strongman Imad Mughniyeh, who likely also had
a role in the Hariri assassination. Nasrallah said on Sunday that he does not
close the door to the possibility of dialogue and that only after two or three
days, once the indictments are evaluated, will he decide what to do. "We will
not allow our honor to be harmed. We will not agree to be stained with the blood
of the martyr Rafik Hariri," he said. Nasrallah reiterated that Israel was to
blame for the murder. He added that the Hezbollah candidate for the post of
prime minister will be presented on Tuesday, during discussions with Suleiman.
4 Synagogues vandalized in Montreal, Canada
By JPOST.COM STAFF /01/17/2011
In latest string of anti-Semitic attacks, 4 synagogues, Hebrew school, sustain
thousands of dollars of damage; no arrests have been made.
The Jewish community of Montreal was stunned Sunday after vandals attacked
synagogues and a Hebrew school in the early hours of the morning.
Local Rabbi Reuben Poupko said that Beth Rambam, Tifereth Beth David Jeruaelm,
and Beth Zion synagogues in Côte St. Luc and Dorshei Emet synagogue in Hampstead
had sustained thosands of dollars of damage when local vandals threw stones at
their windows, local Canadian news daily The Gazette reported Sunday. The Yavne
Academy in Côte St. Luc was also vandalized. Montreal police visited the five
sites Sunday and have taken local security-camera footage for their
investigation. The security cameras had been installed in the last few years due
to the rise in attacks on Jewish-community buildings, Rabbi Poupko explained.
“We felt this was a necessary investment,” he said Poupko went on to describe
the events as part of a chain of attacks that have occured in the last few
months, and complained that until now such events "haven't garned any
attention," adding that "it's increasing in intensity and frequency. These are
not just crimes against buildings. They’re crimes against a community.” Last
March, criminals broke into Ahavas Yisroel Viznitz Synagogue in the Outremont
neighborhood, stealing objects of worship and marking swastikas on the bima and
around the central platform of the shrine. Two months ago, a synagogue in Laval
was targeted when vandals led a garden hose connected to an oil line into a the
synagogue and flooded the building overnight, local news media outlet CTV
reported. Nearly 2,300 liters of oil spilled over onto the back lawn,
contaminating the site and causing damage to the Young Israel of Chomedy
synagogue. The cost of damage reached $100,000, and the local Jewish community
was able to raise $30,000 dollars to help with repairs
Hezbollah's War on International Justice Dr. Walid Phares
16 Jan 2011
http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=3713
On Wednesday , Hezbollah brought down Lebanon’s democratic government. The group
withdrew its ministers from the cabinet, crumbling the unity government in an
impeccably-timed constitutional coup only a few hours before prime minister Saad
Hariri was to meet President Obama in Washington.
The message came directly from Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Iran-backed
militia, to Hariri, son of slain prime minister Rafiq Hariri: We won’t allow you
to request international support for the United Nations tribunal investigating
your father’s assassination.
Hezbollah’s political preemptive strike stymies the UN Special Tribunal for
Lebanon’s ability to arrest the alleged perpetrators of the killing, who -- all
signs suggest -- are members of the organization.
But the play sends another more ominous message, as well: It’s Tehran’s way of
telling Washington that Lebanon is now a satellite of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, not an ally of the United States.
After 15 years of civil war between a camp backed by Syria and Hezbollah and its
moderate, pro-American opponents, most of Lebanon fell under Baathist occupation
in 1990. The Israelis maintained a security zone south of the Litani river, but
the rest of the country was beholden to Syria and Iran.
Ten years later, Israel withdrew, and dismantled its local proxy force on the
Lebanese side of the border after Beirut’s Syrian-controlled government pledged
to send in the regular Lebanese army and allow the U.N. monitoring forces to
protect the demarcation lines. But Syrian intelligence ruled the country with an
iron fist, and Hezbollah advanced south to Israel’s border anyway.
After a few years, the Lebanese rose up against Syrian occupation and the yoke
of Hezbollah. In September 2004, the United States and France introduced what
became U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, calling on Syria to withdraw from
Lebanon and all militias -- meaning principally Hezbollah -- to disarm. Syrian
president Bashar Assad responded by ordering a series of assassinations,
culminating in the killing of Sunni prime minister Rafiq Hariri and his aides on
February 14, 2005.
The Hariri assassination backfired in a way that Assad could only have imagined
in his nightmares, triggering demonstrations that drew an unprecedented 1.5
million (out of a population of just four million residents) into the streets of
downtown Beirut. The Cedar Revolution prompted the international community, led
by the U.S. and France, to ask Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon. Assad
complied with the request, but left behind its other army, Hezbollah.
The first legislative elections after the Syrian withdrawal gave the Cedar
Revolution, also known as the March 14 Coalition, a majority in parliament. The
government chose to include Hezbollah in the cabinet it formed in July 2005, in
hopes that the group would moderate its influence in Lebanon. The government’s
magnanimity was repaid with an ever-escalating terror campaign that killed
members of parliament, journalists, and Lebanese army officers who opposed
Hezbollah.
In the summer of 2006, Hezbollah triggered a devastating war with Israel, using
Lebanese opposition to the Israeli strikes to galvanize local support. In May
2008, Hezbollah invaded West Beirut and other districts, crumbling the
pro-Western cabinet of prime minister Fuad Siniora and enabling it to install
General Michel Suleiman, the commander appointed head of the armed forces during
the Syrian occupation in 1998, as president. Having strengthened its position --
and with Washington increasingly inattentive -- Hezbollah secured a third of the
Lebanese cabinet, and veto power over the government’s decisions.
But the Special Tribunal the U.N. had established to investigate and prosecute
the terrorists responsible for the Hariri assassination had reached findings
that implicated members of Hezbollah, and possibly Syrian intelligence. Tehran
and Damascus recognize that the incrimination of their primary force in Lebanon
constitutes a serious threat to their interests in the Levant.
Hezbollah has built a very powerful arsenal in Lebanon, and developed cells from
Iraq, to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, northern Africa and even Latin America. Some
believe Hezbollah already has terror operatives at work on U.S. soil. --
Indicting Hezbollah will jeopardize Iran’s ability to project force by
unconventional means around the world.
Hezbollah’s latest move makes perfect sense: it aims to protect itself from the
forthcoming judicial indictments, and deprive Lebanon of an independent
government. The United States, France, and their allies cannot allow Hezbollah
to deny justice to the Lebanese people.
**Dr. Walid Phares is a Professor of Global Strategies, advises members of the
US Congress and the European Congress on Counter Terrorism and is the author of
the newly released book, "The Coming Revolution: Struggle for Freedom in the
Middle East." www.walidphares.com
Nasrallah rejects any cabinet that protects 'false witnesses'
By Wassim Mroueh
Daily Star staff
Monday, January 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday his party would not
accept the formation of a new cabinet that protects “false witnesses” and
corruption, conspires against the resistance and does not address the living
needs of the Lebanese.
“We will not accept any cabinet that protects ‘false witnesses,’ the new cabinet
should reach a final decision regarding this matter and we will not accept any
cabinet that manages administrative and financial corruption,” he said.
“We will not accept any cabinet that does not seriously assume its
responsibilities and address the needs of people who are living under the worst
conditions,” he added in a televised speech.
President Michel Sleiman is expected to carry out parliamentary deliberations
Monday and Tuesday to nominate a new prime minister after the government was
toppled.
Hizbullah expects an impending indictment by the S.T.L. to implicate some of its
members in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but strongly
denies any involvement.
Nasrallah lashed out at the intervention of foreign officials in the
parliamentary deliberations, saying it aimed at ensuring the re-nomination of
caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
“Why does the entire world interfere in this internal constitutional event?
[U.S. Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton is pursuing ongoing contacts. What
does she has to do with the matter?” he asked.
Nasrallah said that the opposition
March 8 coalition would not nominate Hariri as a prime minister, saying that he
should not return to the post.
He said Hariri’s Cabinet was unable to protect Lebanon from the consequences of
the impending indictment, reach a final decision on the issue of “false
witnesses” and confront corruption.
“On the contrary, this Cabinet wants to fund a tribunal that is conspiring
against Lebanon and the resistance … this is an under-qualified cabinet,” he
said, adding that toppling the government opened the way to forming a “capable
and faithful cabinet that can hold responsibilities.”
Nasrallah said that the course of parliamentary deliberations was separate from
the party’s dealing with the S.T.L. indictment. “As for the parliamentary
consultations, parliamentary blocs should assume their historical
responsibilities, because the nature of the upcoming stage is related to who
will be the prime minister,” Nasrallah said. “We hope that the Lebanese will be
able to form an active and capable cabinet.”
Nasrallah reiterated his accusation that the S.T.L. is an “Israeli and American”
court, saying that Hizbullah would defend itself.
He said Hizbullah would not allow the tarnishing of its “reputation and dignity,
and we will not allow anyone to hold us responsible for the blood of Rafik
Hariri.”
He said that the party’s reaction to the impending indictment will be decided in
light of its content.
Nasrallah blamed the U.S. and Lebanese sides for foiling Saudi-Syrian efforts to
avert the consequences of the indictment in Lebanon.
“We demanded that the Cabinet withdraw Lebanese judges from the [S.T.L.], stop
funding the tribunal and abrogate the memorandum of understanding between
Lebanon and the tribunal,” said Nasrallah.
He noted that the Saudis had informed Hizbullah that Hariri agreed on the
demands, but had other demands in return. “We agreed on some and expressed our
reservations on others,” he said, adding that following Hariri’s visit to
Washington last week, Hizbullah was informed that the Syrian-Saudi talks had hit
dead ends.
Nasrallah said that S.T.L. General Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare decided to
accelerate issuing the indictment after the failure of the Saudi-Syrian
initiative, labeling the step as a “scandal.”
Hariri's majority in Parliament uncertain as consultations loom
Speculation mounts over whether Jumblatt’s M.P.s will back return of caretaker
prime minister
By The Daily Star
Monday, January 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Doubts lingered about whether caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri still
retains a majority in Parliament on the eve of two-day binding parliamentary
consultations expected to take place Monday.
The speculations over the outcome of binding consultations was further
emphasized after Tripoli M.P.s Najib Mikati, Mohammad Safadi, Ahmad Karami and
Qassem Abdel Aziz condemned claims that the nomination of someone other than
Hariri would fuel Sunni-Shiite strife.
Mikati and Safadi who met with Hariri Sunday refrained from announcing whether
they would name Hariri or not similar to the Democratic Gathering parliamentary
bloc of 11 ministers headed by M.P. Walid Jumblatt, who canceled a meeting of
his lawmakers scheduled for Sunday for further deliberations on the issue.
Jumblatt told Hizbullah affiliated television statation Al-Manar that all
members of his bloc would name the same candidate and added that he would reveal
his position from Baabda presidential palace after meeting with President Michel
Sleiman.
Free Patriotic Movement leader M.P. Michel Aoun said Jumblatt should assume an
unambiguous position since “he cannot be both in the wrong and right place,” in
reference to reports that M.P.s of the Democratic Gathering would split votes
between Hariri and the March 8 coalition’s candidate.
Tripoli lawmakers condemned in a statement the sectarian rhetoric over
discussions to re-appoint a new prime minister, describing it as threatening to
Lebanon’s future.
“As M.P.s of Tripoli and north Lebanon we understand concerns by all Lebanese
particularly the Sunni community which we are proud to be part of but we were
surprised with a number of statements unfamiliar to our culture and a rhetoric
that threatens the community and Lebanon’s future,” it said.
“The formation of the government is a national affair and the nomination of a
premier is a constitutional matter but even if sectarianism has exceptionally
stripped constitutional events from their democratic values, exceptions should
not become the rule,” it added.
But mufti of the Republic Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani warned against attempts
to undermine the position of the premiership, a post reserved for a Sunni Muslim
within Lebanon’s political regime. Based on the country’s unwritten convention,
the presidency is reserved for a Maronite while the speaker must be a Shiite.
“The prime minister’s post is not the weak arm to be twisted every time,”
Qabbani said.
Qabbani voiced support for Hariri’s re-appointment as prime minister in a bid to
overcome the sharp political crisis that Lebanon plunged into.
In a softer tone, Future Movement parliamentary bloc leader M.P. Fouad Siniora
said the withdrawal of Hizbullah and its allies from the Cabinet aimed to alter
long-established conventions in Lebanon’s political regime in a bid to alter the
balance of power.
However, dismissing Hariri as a candidate, Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan
said any new prime minister should commit to halt the government’s cooperation
with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, withdraw Lebanese judges from the court
and cut funding.
The opening of the binding consultations Monday would coincide with the
submission of the S.T.L indictment by Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare to pre-Trial
Judge Daniel Fransen for review before it is made public. The indictment is
widely expected to blame members of Hizbullah in the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Arslan warned against the implementation of the U.N.-backed court’s decisions as
sought by foreign powers, saying it would lead to “the abolition of the Lebanese
state.”
But Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea dismissed the possibility of a breakout
of violence among the Lebanese as Hizbullah and Syria see no interest in such a
scenario.
Geagea, however, did not rule out the probability of “riot and minor security
incidents” sparked by Hizbullah under the pretext of protesting against
worsening economic and social conditions.
“There will be no strife since Hizbullah is the only party capable of sparking
it or not,” he said.
Geagea said Hizbullah, which is “an integral component of the Iranian regime,”
served Tehran’s interests and acted in line with the latter’s demands.
Geagea also expressed confidence that Hariri still retained a parliamentary
majority, adding that he would be re-nominated as prime minister.
Geagea’s ally, Kataeb (Phalange) Party leader Amin Gemayel said Hizbullah’s
decision to bring down the Cabinet aimed to push Lebanon into the unknown.
Echoing Arslan, Tawheed Movement leader Wiam Wahhab said opposition groups
should “have the courage to assume power and end the coup plotted by [former
U.S. President] George W. Bush.” He added that Lebanon would plunge into a deep
political crisis as planned by the U.S. if the Lebanese fail to renounce the
S.T.L.
Wahhab said the U.S. should be aware that the international peacekeeping forces
in south Lebanon are “hostages in our hands rather than the other way around.” –
The Daily Star
Hariri says explosive audio tapes taken out of context
By Patrick Galey
Daily Star staff
Monday, January 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with a discredited witness at
the request of U.N. investigators probing the death of his father, Hariri’s
office said Sunday.
The statement came on the eve of tribunal indictments, after Al-Jadid television
broadcasted excerpts from a conversation between Hariri and Mohammad Zuheir al-Siddiq,
a former witness whose testimonies leading to the four-year detention of four
pro-Syrian generals suspected of assassinating former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri were discredited.
Hariri’s press office condemned what it termed Al-Jadid TV’s taking the recorded
conversation “out of its general context,” and warned that similar media leaks
could endanger the safety and secrecy of the U.N.-backed tribunal.
“The audio recordings attributed to some witnesses before the [U.N.
International Independent Investigation Committee (U.N.I.I.I.C.) in the
assassination of martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are part of an intelligence
process par excellence, and raise big question marks on the way in which they
were obtained,” his office said in a statement.
It said that Hariri’s conversation with Siddiq, police colonel Wissam Hassan and
U.N. investigator Gerhard Lehmann took place upon the U.N.I.I.I.C.’s request,
“with the aim of finding out the truth about the statements made by Siddiq,
especially after he provided the commission with a written statement stating his
presence at the crime scene on Feb. 14, 2005, contrary to previous information
he had provided.”
Hariri’s office criticized Al-Jadid TV’s report, which carried recordings of
Siddiq claiming he knew who was behind the 2005 assassination.
Al-Jadid TV broadcast Sunday night excerpts from a 2007 meeting between Hariri
and tribunal investigators. They appeared to show how Hariri told court
representatives that the Syrian intelligence services hated his father and
former U.N. envoy Terje Roed Larsen had called Hariri senior to warn him of
Syria’s assassination designs.
But Hariri’s media office issued a second statement saying the conversation
between Hariri and the investigators took place “several years ago during known
political circumstances.”
The statement said the caretaker prime minister “personally apologizes to all
the friends” that were mentioned in the conversation.
Foreign diplomats pledge
support for Lebanon's stability
By Patrick Galey
Daily Star staff
Monday, January 17, 2011
BEIRUT: Diplomats from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Spain and Russia
all pledged their countries’ support for Lebanon’s stability Sunday, as
caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri continued efforts to garner international
support ahead of Monday’s crucial governmental consultations.
Hariri met with Secretary General of the Spanish Presidency Bernardino Leon, in
the presence of Ambassador Juan Carlos Gafo, as well as Egyptian and Russian
ambassadors Ahmad Fouad al-Bidiawi and Alexander Zesypkin, who discussed
Lebanon’s latest developments following the collapse of Hariri’s coalition
Cabinet last week.
U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly, who met Sunday with Zahle M.P. Nicholas Fattouch,
reiterated her country’s support for the divisive U.N.-backed court probing the
death of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Connelly was quoted as calling the tribunal “the Lebanese people’s best hope for
putting its tragic and bloody history of political violence behind it.”
The tribunal is expected to name Hizbullah members in an indictment to be issued
Monday and antipathy surrounding the court – as well as the issue of “false
witnesses” – last week prompted the resignation of 10 March 8 ministers and
independent M.P. Adnan Sayyed Hussein, toppling Hariri’s national unity
government.
Fattouch, who successfully headed March 14’s Zahle list for 2009’s parliamentary
polls before splitting from the bloc, is considered a key target to vote with
March 8 following imminent consultations to find a new prime minister.
“Until now, we are communicating to reach a final decision which strengthens the
unity that Zahle and the Bekaa have always enjoyed,” Fattouch said after meeting
Connelly. “The most important thing [discussed] during our meeting was the major
challenge, which is not how to form a new government, but how to re-establish
the Lebanese nation.
“How do we take steps to build political platforms to reach national unity in an
environment of active constitutional institutions which can only save the
Lebanese?” Fattouch said.
An unidentified European diplomat told A.F.P. Friday France had requested the
formation of an emergency “contact group,” consisting of representatives from
Syria, Saudi Arabia, France, the U.S., Qatar, Turkey “and possibly other
countries with a stake in Lebanon,” in order to confront the country’s worst
political crisis since May 2008.
Following his meeting with Hariri, Zasypkin said that international efforts were
being taken to help maintain security in Lebanon. “Russia participates
traditionally in all the efforts exerted to maintain stability in Lebanon,” he
said. “We are examining all the information regarding the proposals to establish
a committee for assistance, and we will define a specific position on this
subject in light of the new information.”
He added Russia wanted to see the tribunal “complete its work in order to
achieve several goals, including to know the truth behind the assassinations
that took place in Lebanon … and to move toward a better future for Lebanon.”
Former Spanish Foreign Minister Leon, following his meeting with Hariri, voiced
Spain’s confidence Lebanon would overcome the latest impasse in its turbulent
political history. “We want a prosperous and democratic Lebanon and we are
convinced the Lebanese will be able to overcome this crisis just as they got
over similar crises on different occasions,” he said. “But Spain and the
international community will stay very close to Lebanon and want to cooperate
with this country to overcome this situation.”
Hariri met later with Bidiawi and Saudi Ambassador Ali Awaad Asiri, according to
a statement issued by the caretaker Prime Minister’s office. Both
representatives discussed the latest developments, the statement added.
The Region: Revolutions, walk-outs and fatwas
By BARRY RUBIN /01/16/2011 22:29
J. Post
Recent events in Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt spell a dangerous new trend in the
region. There have been major developments in Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt, each
of which is of tremendous importance.
In Tunisia, a popular uprising fueled by unemployment, economic suffering and
long-term discontent has overthrown the dictator, but not necessarily the
dictatorship. In 55 years of independence, the country has been governed by two
dictators, the current one being Zine al-Abedin Ben Ali, who has been president
for 23 years and was a key power in the regime even before that. Is this going
to spread? Does it mark some new phase in Arab politics? Probably not. Tunisia
is a very distinctive country. It has been the most Europeanized state in the
Arab world, due in part to the secular-oriented policies of the regimes. There
has been an Islamist movement, but the regime has kept it weak, perhaps making
Tunisia the Arabic-speaking state with the lowest proportional support for
Islamism among its population.
There have been economic riots in other countries over the years, especially in
Algeria or, for example, against reductions in bread subsidies in Egypt.
Notably, there was the Beirut Spring movement against Syrian control of the
country. But in Tunisia the opponents’ lack of leadership and organization is
likely to mean that the same elite and the army will remain in control of the
country. Statist and dictatorial policies have led to serious limits on freedom
throughout the Arabic-speaking world. Economic stagnation and lagging living
standards are prevalent, except in those countries that have large oil and
natural gas incomes and small populations.
How have regimes kept control? Through giving rewards to supporters and
punishing opponents, military and police power, redirecting hostility toward
other targets (America, Israel, the West) and other means. While revolutionary
Islamists have promoted rebellion, Arab nationalist regimes have opposed them
with a wide arsenal of tactics. And the very fear of an Islamist transformation
can also be a good tool in keeping the elite together and the masses in line.
That system got too far out of balance in Tunisia.
There is a chance of parallel developments elsewhere, but it is not likely. At
any rate, this issue will have to be watched closely.
IN LEBANON, Hizbullah ministers walked out of the government, bringing it down.
Why? They didn’t have to do it since they have veto power and would have
prevented the government from endorsing the international tribunal investigation
that would point to Syria (and perhaps Hizbullah) as the source of terrorism in
Lebanon, including the killing of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. Hizbullah
doesn’t just want the government just to be silent on the tribunal, but to
condemn the investigation explicitly. It wants to renegotiate the coalition
agreement to give itself more power. And it timed it for the moment when the
prime minister was meeting with US President Barack Obama to embarrass its
opponents. In Middle East talk, that timing signals: Our enemies are American
puppets. Finally, it is a message to America and the world: We – Iran, Syria and
Hizbullah – are in control of Lebanon now, not you. There is no question that
this assertion is true, yet US and Western policy is simply not adjusting to
meet this situation.
IN EGYPT, an extraordinarily important fatwa has been issued by Dr. Imad
Mustafa, of al-Azhar University, the world’s most important Islamic university.
He began by stating the well-known doctrine of “defensive jihad,” that is
Muslims must go to war against infidels who attack them. Of course, the word
“attack” is often spread rather thinly to justify aggression. But now Mustafa
has publicly and explicitly come up with a new concept, one that up until now
was supposedly restricted to groups like al-Qaida: “Then there is another type
of fighting against the non- Muslims known as offensive jihad... which is to
pursue the infidels into their own land without any aggression [on their
part]...
“Two schools [of Islamic jurisprudence] have ruled that offensive jihad is
permissible in order to secure Islam’s border, to extend God’s religion to
people in cases where the governments do not allow it, such as the Pharaoh did
with the children of Israel, and to remove every religion but Islam from the
Arabian peninsula.”
What does it mean about extending “God’s religion,” i.e., Islam? On the surface,
“where the governments do not allow it” and the reference to Pharaoh seem to
imply the complete prohibition of Islam. But in the current context, this means
that it is permissible to wage jihad against a country if anything “necessary”
to Islam according to (hard-line) clerics’ interpretations is blocked (polygamy,
child marriage, special privileges at work places, building mosques anywhere,
permitting the wearing of head scarves or burkas).
In practice, according to this doctrine, then, any non-Muslim can be attacked
anywhere. Thus, mainstream, powerful clerics are now calling for a seventh
century- style jihad against non-Muslim lands even if the victims cannot be
accused of attacking Muslim ruled lands. Merely to “extend God’s religion” to
others is a sufficient motive. Mustafa says that two of Islam’s main schools
have always endorsed offensive jihad, but I doubt if he would have made that
argument ten or 20 years ago.
Of course, that doesn’t mean most Muslims will accept this new stance. But it
does mean that radical groups now have mainstream support for their most
extreme, aggressive behavior. Even if nobody repeats Mustafa’s statement
publicly – if for no other reasons than it is bad public relations in the West –
this idea will be more and more taken for granted. Presumably, Mustafa won’t be
forced to retract this fatwa by his colleagues or Egypt’s government.
Moreover, we probably won’t see senior clerics denouncing and rejecting the
doctrine of offensive jihad.
This is a development of stupendous proportions that will probably not be
covered in the Western mass media. If this viewpoint continues to spread, along
with the growing al-Qaida type doctrine of the Muslim Brotherhood, it could be a
historical turning point that will greatly intensify revolutionary Islamist
terrorism and attacks on the West.
The writer is director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center
and editor of Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal and Turkish
Studies. He blogs at www.rubinreports.blogspot.com
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