LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMarch
08/2011
Bible Of The
Day/ASH Monday
ASH Monday marks the start of a
40-day period which is a reference to the separation of Jesus in the desert to
fast and pray. During this time he was tempted. The 40-day period of repentance
is also analogous to the 40 days during which Moses repented and fasted in
response to the making of the Golden calf. Ash Monday is a day of repentance and
it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to
the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's
way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one
expressing one's penitence is found in Job 42:3-6. Job says to God: " You asked,
‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things
I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen
now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears
had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and
repent in dust and ashes.”
The prophet Jeremiah, calls for repentance this way: "O daughter of my people,
gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).
The prophet Daniel pleaded for God this way: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading
in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Daniel 9:3).
Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish
independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: "That day they
fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their
clothes" (1 Maccabees 3:47; see also 4:39).
Other examples are found in several other books of the Bible including, Numbers
19:9, 19:17, Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21, and Luke 10:13, and Hebrews 9:13. Ezekiel
9 also speaks of a linen-clad messenger marking the forehead of the city
inhabitants that have sorrow over the sins of the people. All those without the
mark are destroyed.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
New Opinion: Now is not the time/Now
Lebanon/March
07/11
Saudi Day of Rage put forward to
Monday, stirring market concerns/DEBKAfile/March
07/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March
07/11
We have to stand by those
persecuted, says Sfeir/Now Lebanon
Sfeir Urges Lebanese to Keep
Commandments in Brief Lent Message/Naharnet
Head of Association of Lebanese
Banks: Talk of 3 Banks on U.S. Treasury List Unwarranted/Naharnet
U.S. Lawmaker Urges Obama
Administration to Stop Aiding Lebanese Army/Naharnet
Connelly: World to Assess
Relationship with Miqati's Cabinet Based on its Make-up/Naharnet
Syria Must Change to Avoid
Regional Turmoil, Assad's Cousin Says/Bloomberg
Saudi minister tells
Mikati to postpone visit to Saudi
King/iloubnan.info
Sleiman prefers overcoming issues
without rushing, says source/Now Lebanon
Sayyed Hussein: March 14 must be a
“national, humanitarian” occasion/Now Lebanon
Salehi: Iran supports all Lebanese
parties if they achieve consensus/Now Lebanon
STL’s aim is to protect Israel’s
security, says Moussawi/Now Lebanon
Iran's
FM: Miqati's Cabinet is Not One-Sided/Naharnet
Lebanese in Libya Return
to Lebanon through Istanbul, Alexandria, Latakia/Naharnet
Head of Association of
Lebanese Banks: Talk of 3 Banks on U.S. Treasury List Unwarranted/Naharnet
Sfeir Urges Lebanese to
Keep Commandments in Brief Lent Message/Naharnet
Hariri Holds Talks in
Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince, Interior Minister/Naharnet
Thousands of Lebanese
Rally Against Confessional Regime/Naharnet
Hizbullah Accuses March 14
of Implementing Israeli Demands: Its Current Goals Seek to Thwart Miqati's
Mission/Naharnet
Fneish: Any Procedure
Linked to STL Should be Halted in Order for New Government to Look into it/Naharnet
Berri Says March 14 Campaign
Against Arms Has No Prospect/Naharnet
Sfeir Urges Lebanese to Keep Commandments in Brief Lent Message
Naharnet/In a brief lent message, Outgoing Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir
urged the Lebanese on Monday to fear God and keep his commandments. Sfeir also
thanked all those who stood by his side during his service. He made his remark
to Voice of Lebanon radio station. The lent is traditionally a time of penitence
for Christians in preparation for Easter. Sfeir stated on Sunday that the
Lebanese people, regardless of which sect they belong to, cannot say that they
are deeply divided as "they are all indebted to Lebanon." He stressed to MTV
that Lebanon is currently better off than some Arab countries, adding that it
will "always remain the safest and most peaceful nation in the region."Sfeir
called on the Lebanese to have faith and gratitude in God. Beirut, 07 Mar 11,
10:15
Head of Association of Lebanese Banks: Talk of 3 Banks on
U.S. Treasury List Unwarranted
Naharnet/Joseph Torbey, head of the Association of Lebanese Banks, criticized on
Monday statements that three Lebanese banks are on a U.S. Treasury list of banks
suspected of conducting illegal activity. He told LBC: "Such claims are a cheap
promotion of a non-existent cause." "The Lebanese bank system is equipped with
the best information and surveillance systems," he added. There is no
information that any other Lebanese bank is on this list, he continued. Torbey
stressed: "The Lebanese bank system is safe and there is international approval
of it." On February 10, the U.S. accused the Beirut-based Lebanese Canadian Bank
of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in drug profits for a cocaine
smuggling organization with ties to Hizbullah. The bank has denied the
accusations. An agreement has since been reached to merge the bank with Societe
Generale. Beirut, 07 Mar 11, 12:48
Connelly: World to Assess Relationship with Miqati's Cabinet Based on its
Make-up
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly reiterated on Monday that the
international community will assess its relationship with Premier-designate
Najib Miqati's government based on the make-up of the cabinet. Connelly made the
remark during talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, said a U.S.
embassy statement. The assessment will also be based on the government's policy
statement and the actions it takes in regard to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
and Lebanon's other international obligations, the statement said. Connelly
reiterated the continued U.S. "support for Lebanon's sovereignty, stability, and
prosperity, and called on the next Lebanese government to provide stability and
promote justice for the people of Lebanon by honoring its international
agreements." Beirut, 07 Mar 11, 14:42
We have to stand by those persecuted, says Sfeir
March 7, 2011 /“It is our duty to stand by those who are persecuted in Lebanon,”
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir said on Monday, following his meeting
with a delegation from the Foundation for Human and Humanitarian Rights.The
patriarch also voiced hope that the foundation is able to achieve good
deeds.Sfeir also met with Change Movement head Elie Mahfoud and a Lebanese
Forces delegation, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Monday.-NOW
Lebanon
Sleiman prefers overcoming issues without rushing, says source
March 7, 2011 /MTV quoted on Monday an unnamed presidential source as saying
that President Michel Sleiman prefers overcoming current issues without rushing,
and added that the current situation will last for a bit. Prime Minsiter-designate
Najib Mikati was appointed to the premiership in January with the March 8
coalition’s backing following the collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due
to a long-running dispute over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon- the UN-backed
court probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
-NOW Lebanon
Sayyed Hussein: March 14 must be a “national, humanitarian” occasion
March 7, 2011 /Minister of State Adnan as-Sayyed Hussein told OTV on Monday that
the March 14 occasion must be a national and humanitarian one, adding that it
must be an occasion to celebrate the memory of a man – a reference to the late
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri – who never wanted “the rhetoric of incitement” to
be used. “We will never give up arms before our Lebanese territories are
restored and the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and all UN resolutions are
implemented.” Hezbollah’s arms are legitimate arms according to the care-taking
cabinet’s Ministerial Statement, Sayyed Hussein said, adding that “he who has a
good intent to fight Israel does not incite sectarian strife.”“Hezbollah’s arms
forced [Israel] to retreat, and raised our heads up high. We want the truth, but
who said that the [Special] Tribunal [for Lebanon (STL)] will lead us to
it?”Lebanon's unity government collapsed on January 12 after Hezbollah and its
allies pulled their 10 ministers from the cabinet and Sayyed Hussein – who is
close to President Michel Sleiman – announced his withdrawal, providing the
necessary number of resignations for the government to collapse.Prime
Minister-designate Najib Mikati was appointed to the premiership on January 25
with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing and has called on all parties
to join his cabinet.Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri vowed last week to fight
the use of non-state weapons in Lebanon in a “peaceful and democratic way.”The
March 14 coalition is holding a rally on Sunday “to reaffirm commitment to the
principles of the Cedar Revolution.”-NOW Lebanon
Rahmeh against granting Sleiman ministerial seats
March 7, 2011 /Free and United Lebanon bloc MP Emile Rahmeh told LBC television
on Monday that he does not support granting President Michel Sleiman a
ministerial share in the next cabinet because this makes him lose his role,
adding, however, that he supports having ministers in the cabinet whom Sleiman
is comfortable with. Cabinet formation is reportedly being delayed by a dispute
between Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Sleiman over the
Interior Ministry portfolio. Aoun said in February that Sleiman has no right to
shares in the cabinet and should form his own political party if he wants to be
involved in politics. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has yet to form a
cabinet after the January collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government over a
dispute on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon – investigating the 2005 murder of
former PM Rafik Hariri – which will reportedly indict Hezbollah members.
-NOW Lebanon
New Opinion: Now is not the time
March 7, 2011
Lebanese soldiers wave as people line the street cheering and waving national
flags during a celebration to honor the army after its victory against Islamic
extremists in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in the summer of 2007. (AFP
photo/Jinan Nour Al-Dunia)
US Congressman Steve Chabot, the new chairman of the House Subcommittee on the
Middle East and South Asia, has, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post on
Sunday, criticized US President Barak Obama for being too soft on Iran; a stance
he argues has emboldened Tehran regionally and contributed to “the rise of
Hezbollah in Lebanon.” Crucially, Chabot called on the US administration to stop
its funding to the Lebanese army because of what he sees as a “Hezbollah-backed
Lebanese government… currently being formed in Beirut.”
To buy into this argument is to consider only one side of the Lebanon debate. It
is simplistic to assume that the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition toppled the
pro-democracy and West-leaning March 14 bloc in January and will now set about
restructuring the national institutions, including the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),
in its image. It is the truth but not the whole truth.
While there is a strong Shia presence in the LAF, the institution is still very
much a national entity that enjoys widespread support across all confessions.
Any funding and support from the international community that seeks to
strengthen the LAF will surely weaken, not strengthen, any partisan influence.
But most crucially, any tightening of the purse strings reinforces Hezbollah’s
raison d’être, which argues that in the absence of a strong army, one that can
defend Lebanon from foreign attack, the Resistance is morally obliged to take up
the slack. Consigning LAF funding to the trashcan because of a knee-jerk
reaction based on a one-dimensional reading of the local situation will only
tighten Hezbollah’s grip on its worrying arsenal and reinforce the idea that its
militia is the only force that can protect the nation.
One wonders how else Congressman Chabot thinks the Lebanese can solve the
Hezbollah problem. Countless sessions of a national dialogue that was dead in
the womb have produced nothing and only, as the Americans like to say, “kicked
the can further down the road.”
Congressman Chabot should listen to March 14, which has served notice that it
will not participate in any so-called national unity government. The bloc has
not only committed to fighting for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the
court established to bring to justice the killers of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, but it has now taken a bold step by saying that an armed Hezbollah –
which can, and has, deployed its weapons in pursuit of its partisan interests –
cannot co-exist with the state.
It was a bold and brave position to take. But in reality, March 14 had little
choice. As Michael Young wrote on this website on Friday, “it is an illusion to
imagine that the logic of a state and the logic of a political-military
organization whose very nature is that of an anti-state can be made compatible.”
With this commitment to democracy and the idea of state institutions, surely the
US should not only immediately rid itself of the warped idea that funding to the
LAF must stop, but indeed consider increasing the level of support. Iran has
already made several offers to fill the gap should the US turn off the money
tap. Does Congressman Chabot want to see a Lebanese army trained and equipped by
the Islamic Republic? If ever there were a nightmare scenario in which Iran’s
influence in Lebanon was to take on the mantel of legitimacy, this would be it.
Finally, the US should also recall the sacrifice made by the LAF in the summer
of 2007, when over 150 of its soldiers died fighting Al Qaeda-affiliated
insurgents in the north Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared.
During those tense months, Lebanese blood was spilled, but the country rallied
behind a national institution that it felt was purer and nobler than the daily
self interest and greed that defines Lebanese politics. Congressman Chabot, the
LAF needs nourishing. Now is not the time to abandon it.
Salehi: Iran supports all Lebanese parties if they achieve consensus
March 7, 2011 /“We support [all] different Lebanese [parties] if they achieve a
consensual agreement,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in an
interview published on Monday.
The next cabinet is not a one-sided cabinet, but only the March 14 alliance will
not participate in it, Salehi told Al-Akhbar newspaper, voicing hope that March
14 engages in the cabinet formation. “We are closer to Hezbollah on the
ideological level. This is well-known, and we do not deny it, but it does not
mean that we want one party like Hezbollah, for example, to govern Lebanon. This
is something that we do not want and do not accept because we know that
Lebanon’s structure is not like that.”On the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),
Salehi said Iran does not take anything related to the STL into consideration.
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has yet to form a cabinet after the
January collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government over a dispute on the STL –
the UN-backed court investigating the 2005 murder of former PM Rafik Hariri –
which will reportedly indict Hezbollah members. On February 27, March 14 parties
met at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut and issued a statement afterward announcing
that they reject participation in his government. -NOW Lebanon
STL’s aim is to protect Israel’s security, says Moussawi
March 7, 2011 /Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf Moussawi said that the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has one aim which is to protect Israel’s
security, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Monday. Commenting on STL
Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare’s requests from Lebanese authorities, Moussawi said
“[Bellemare’s] requests are insulting to both the Lebanese people and
government.” “We will not allow [anyone] to drag us into a sectarian dispute.
Divisions in Lebanon are not sectarian. [They] are between those who work for
protecting Lebanon and liberating [its occupied land] from Israel and those who
place Lebanese national decisions in the hands of the US.” A local newspaper
reported on Wednesday that four ministers have not complied with information
requests from Bellemare who submitted his draft indictment in the case of the
2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri to STL Pre-Trial Judge Daniel
Fransen in mid-January. Prime Minsiter-designate Najib Mikati was appointed to
the premiership in January with the March 8 coalition’s backing following the
collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due to a long-running dispute over
the UN-backed probe.-NOW Lebanon
Report: March 8 to Confront March 13 Rally with Stronger Efforts to Form the
Cabinet
Naharnet/No solution was in sight for the formation of the cabinet before March
14 although Premier-designate Najib Miqati was holding consultations away from
the spotlight in a bid to break the deadlock. Miqati held talks with Central
Bank governor Riad Salameh on Sunday after a meeting they held the day before on
the sidelines of the ceremony in honor of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir in
Bkirki.Informed political sources told An Nahar daily in remarks published
Monday that efforts by the March 14 forces to hold a mass rally on the sixth
anniversary of the Cedar Revolution aimed at stressing their principles would be
faced by strong attempts by the March 8 coalition to rush the formation of the
government after March 13.
March 8 would also seek to agree with Miqati on the major headlines of the
policy statement after the March 13 rally, the sources said. Although no
progress has yet been made on the formation of the cabinet, Miqati will launch a
new round of consultations in the next few days, an informed source told As
Safir newspaper. He would most probably meet with Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun or his envoy to solve the deadlock over the interior ministry
portfolio, the source said. Beirut, 07 Mar 11, 08:59
Berri Says March 14 Campaign Against Arms Has No Prospect
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that the cabinet formation process is not
facing problems that cannot be solved and denied that the March 8 forces were
rejecting to give President Michel Suleiman shares in the government. "No one,
including (FPM leader) Michel Aoun is rejecting to give President Suleiman a
share," Berri told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday. "However, there
are (different) point of views on the type" of shares. The cabinet "definitely"
won't see light before March 14, Berri said in other remarks published in al-Joumhouriah
newspaper that hit the newsstands last week. He stressed that a technocrat
cabinet is not useful. "It should be a technocrat-mixed politicians
government."The AMAL movement leader told both dailies that the March 14
campaign against Hizbullah's arms has no "political or national prospect.""A
non-sectarian state would sanctify the resistance. But in Lebanon, the ugly
sectarianism is controlling the stances and interests of some" parties, Berri
said in reference to the March 14 forces.Asked about the fate of national
dialogue sessions amid the ongoing campaign against Hizbullah's arms, Berri
said: "There is no new dialogue in the future.""The defense strategy is
summarized in the 'army-people-resistance' equation which was endorsed by the
policy statement of Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri," the speaker stressed.On
protests against Lebanon's sectarian system, Berri described the demands of
youth to topple confessionalism as a "lifesaving boat that could save us all and
save the country." Beirut, 07 Mar 11, 08:17
Iran's FM: Miqati's Cabinet is Not One-Sided
Naharnet/Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated that Tehran backed
an inter-Lebanese agreement to solve the country's political crisis and stressed
that Premier-designate Najib Miqati's cabinet would not be one-sided. "We
support any agreement that the Lebanese achieve" among themselves, Salehi told
al-Akhbar daily in an interview published Monday.
"Lebanon cannot be one-sided," he said in response to a question on the March 14
alliance's rejection to participate in the new government. "There is the
resistance, Mr. Miqati, Mr. (Walid) Jumblat and Michel Aoun. Do you consider
those from a single side?" the minister wondered. "Only March 14 got out" of the
cabinet, Salehi told the newspaper, but hoped that the alliance would have been
part of Miqati's government. Asked what step Tehran would take if the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon accused Iranian figures of involvement in ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri's assassination, the foreign minister said: "We don't give the
international tribunal any consideration." He told al-Akhbar that accusations
against Syria and then Hizbullah of involvement in the Feb. 2005 murder were all
lies. Beirut, 07 Mar 11, 09:31
Lebanese in Libya Return to Lebanon through Istanbul, Alexandria, Latakia
Naharnet/The foreign ministry is monitoring the evacuation process of Lebanese
from Libya, announcing that 21 citizens and five Palestinians have returned to
Lebanon onboard a Middle East Airlines plane arriving from Istanbul, reported
the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat Monday. It said in a statement on Sunday that the
Lebanese and other nationalities are being evacuated from Libya by ship and are
being sent to ports in Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. It added that the Lebanese
consulate in Alexandria in Egypt is expecting the arrival of a ship on Monday
with hundreds of nationalities onboard, including 19 Lebanese.Another ship with
some 25 Lebanese onboard is expected to dock at Syria's Latakia port on Tuesday.
The statement said that efforts are underway with Ghassan Bakri, the owner of
the ship Azzerra, who announced his readiness to transport Lebanese in Libya
onboard his ship back to Lebanon. Beirut, 07 Mar 11, 13:24
Saudi minister tells Mikati to postpone visit to Saudi King
BEIRUT | iloubnan.info - March 07, 2011'Al Jumhuriya' newspaper reported on
Monday that Saudi Arabia did not approve the way Premier Designate Najib Mikati
was appointed to Premiership.The paper said Mikati has called Saudi information
minister Abdel Aziz Khoja (former Saudi ambassador to Lebanon) and consulted
with him on scheduling a visit to Saudi King Abdallah ben Abdel Aziz in Saudi
Arabia to welcome him home. However, and according to the paper, Khoja told
Mikati he prefers the visit is postponed for the time being.
Prime Minister Designate Najib Mikati was appointed for premiership after
Hezbollah and its allies toppled Saad Hariri cabinet on January 12.
Mikati has tried to cooperate with all political parties to form a national
salvation cabinet; however, March 14 coalition has refused to take part in a
Hezbollah backed cabinet and legitimize the March 8 camp's coup.March 14
coalition has called for a massive rally to take place on March 13 to voice
support to the STL and reject non-state weapons.
Obama’s state of Islamic denial
Note to Barack: ‘Allahu akbar’ is a Muslim war cry
By THE WASHINGTON TIMES
-The Washington Times
5:39 p.m., Thursday, March 3, 2011
U.S. troops are gunned down by a shooter who screams “Allahu akbar!” before
opening fire. Official statements are rushed out: The perpetrator was a lone
wolf; his motive was unclear; there are no links to terrorism. Sound familiar?
It should, because when Islam is the cause of American tragedy, President Obama
hides his head in the sand.
On Wednesday, a young Kosovar named Arif Uka opened fire on a bus load of U.S.
Air Force personnel in Frankfurt, Germany, killing two and wounding two more.
Witnesses say he repeatedly shouted the jihadist battle cry, “Allahu akbar” as
he emptied his weapon and screamed “Jihad! Jihad!” when tackled by German
police. Uka’s victims had been heading to the fight in Afghanistan but because
the jihadists have a global battlespace, the war came to them instead.
Mr. Obama made a typical noncommittal statement shortly after the shooting,
saying it was a “stark reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our men and
women in uniform are making all around the world to keep us safe, and the
dangers that they face all around the globe.” He made no mention of the nature
of the threat or the reason for the sacrifices. In this respect, he was behaving
true to form.
The Frankfurt shooting is the latest in a troubling series of jihadist terror
attacks in which the Obama administration refuses to face reality. Among the
first was the June 1, 2009, shooting at a recruiting station in Little Rock.
Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, a Muslim convert who had recently travelled to
Yemen, killed one U.S. Army recruiter and wounded another. Muhammad told police
if other troops had been available, he would have shot them too. The White House
waited two days before making a statement that omitted any reference to the
attacker or his jihadist motives.
The Nov. 5, 2009, Fort Hood massacre, in which 14 were killed and 30 wounded,
was given a persistent coat of whitewash from the Obama administration. The
first coat was applied with initial statements that shooter Nidal Malik Hassan
was a “lone wolf” and continued through the comprehensive “force protection
review” that somehow omitted any reference to Hasan’s jihadist motives or
contacts with al Qaeda.
The Obama team had a similarly slippery reaction to the Dec. 25, 2009, attempted
“underwear bomb” attack on Northwest flight 253. Al Qaeda-linked bomber Umar
Farouk Abdulmutallab was initially not even charged with attempting to commit an
act of terrorism. Faisal Shahzad, who attempted the Times Square bombing in May
2010, was also called a lone wolf with no ties to terrorism and was even
described as more a victim of the economic downturn than a committed Islamic
extremist. In all these cases, the initial assessments turned out to be wrong,
yet the White House still obstinately refuses to discuss the jihadist motives of
the terrorists involved.
The Obama administration’s knee-jerk instinct to deny reality in hopes it will
go away is clearly not working. How many Americans have to die before Mr. Obama
at long last admits the nature of the Islamist threat that killed them?
Saudi Day of Rage put forward to Monday, stirring market concerns
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 7, 2011,As Libyan protests morphed into bloody
civil war, Saud Arabia grabbed attention as the next focus of Arab disaffection
after its opposition decided to bring forward its Day of Rage demos originally
scheduled for Friday, March 11 to Monday, March 7. debkafile's sources reported
exclusively that demonstrations against the Saudi throne are planned for Taif,
Medina and Jeddah in the west, the towns of Assir and Najran in the south, which
are traditional anti-monarchical centers and locales of the Ismaili communities
close to the Shia brand of Islam, and the capital Riyadh.
This was the anti-royal protest leaders' response to the ban on demonstrations
issued by the Saudi Interior Ministry this week. Sunday, the ban was backed by
the Council of Senior Clerics which declared demonstrations violated Islamic law
and signing reform petitions "violates what God ordered."
In rescheduling the protests, the organizers had two main goals:
1. To start a slow-burning fire on the western and southern fringes of the
desert kingdom, ready in four days to burst into flames in Riyadh and rouse the
masses exiting the mosques after Friday prayers into forming anti-government
street processions.
2. To make the coming Riyadh demonstration strong enough to pull in the rest of
the kingdom including the Shiites of the oil-producing Eastern Provinces,
thereby realizing the royal house's most feared bugbear, collaboration between
the mainstream opposition and the Shiites.
Last Tuesday, March 1, the BBC Arabic broadcast reported that the unrest in
Saudi Arabia was growing. debkafile's sources in the Gulf say that immediately
following the broadcast, Saudi security and intelligence forces raised their
alert to the highest level. The reason: The Saudis perceived the broadcast as a
coded call to Shiites and other opposition elements to launch riots for deposing
88-year-old King Abdullah. Panic selling up to 6.8 percent of stocks resulted on
the Saudi exchange. One major trader explained that the unrest in the Arab world
had led investors to shift from stocks to cash.
After the BBC broadcast, the authorities took the precaution of partially
shutting down the relevant Web sites to cut down participation in the
demonstrations.
Saudi Arabia has 2,300,000 registered Facebook users; Bahrain, about 220,000 and
Oman 160,000.
These are impressive numbers which encompass large youthful populations,
especially in Saudi Arabia, among whom unemployment runs at 30-40 percent.
Still, it's hard to treat these figures as a barometer for forecasting the
degree of willingness to rise up and challenge the government in Riyadh.
In Saudi Arabia, especially, family-clan-tribal ties are strong and may be
capable of restraining youngsters exposed to Facebook from responding actively
to calls to go out on the streets, although their demands and grievances are
already serving the politicians with fodder.
Saudi Arabia has three categories of politicians: liberal elements; Muslim
clerics in ideological opposition to the religious establishment and government;
and the Shiite minority.
Their common cause is a demand for an end to the royal family's monopoly over
policy-making – i.e., a limited process toward a constitutional monarchy and a
share in power for ordinary citizens.
The disturbances in Bahrain began igniting the two million Saudi Shiites of the
oil-rich Eastern provinces last month: On Feb. 17, Shiites staged their first
protest demonstration in the Atif region calling for the release of Shiites held
without trial since 2009. A number were released three days later.
Feb. 24, saw the second Shiite demonstration in Awwamiya, a small town near
Qatif; and on Feb 28, the third was held, in solidarity with the Shiites of
Bahrain in the main cities of the Qatif area, including the main city of Hasha.
The latter two rallies were restrained and small, in response to the
authorities' pressure on Shiite leaders to hold down the first outward
manifestations of a high level of ferment in the community.
Signs of ferment surfaced in other parts of Saudi Arabia too as liberal and
religious opposition figures composed their demands in readiness of the Day of
Anger.
On Feb. 26, a group calling itself Jeddah Youth for Change handed out flyers to
passersby in the Red Sea port city calling on them to participate in the Day of
Anger demonstrations.
Prominent Saudi expats in London also took a hand.
Articles supporting the dissidents' demand for political reforms were published
by two Saudi historians, Madawi al-Rasheed, a Kings College professor and scion
of the Rasheed family that ruled the Najd region of Saudi Arabia prior to the
Ibn Saud conquests; and May al-Yamani, daughter of the former oil minister,
Mohammed Zaki al-Yamani.
The unusual level of anti-monarchical activism in the West convinced the Saudi
royal family that an outside move against the throne in Riyadh is afoot, akin to
the maneuver that terminated the Hosni Mubarak's presidency in Egypt and which
is currently directed against Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi.