LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMarch
10/2011
Bible Of The
Day
Matthew 6/1-3: "Be careful that you don’t
do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no
reward from your Father who is in heaven. 6:2 Therefore when you do merciful
deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly
I tell you, they have received their reward. 6:3 But when you do merciful deeds,
don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 6:4 so that your
merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward
you openly".
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
What’s next for the March 14
General Secretariat?/By:
Dana Moukhallat/March
09/11
Nine Christians Killed, 150 Injured in Attack By 15,000
Muslims and Egyptian Army/AINA/March
09/11
Six shot dead' in Egyptian
religious clashes/By
Mona Salem/AFP News/March
09/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March
09/11
Egypt officials: 13 killed as
Muslims, Christians clash in Cairo/AP/Haaretz
Iran to cooperate with UN nuclear
watchdog./By News Agencies
Lebanon Battered by Storm/Naharnet
Maronite Bishops Go Behind Closed
Doors to Elect 77th Patriarch/Naharnet
Sfeir Describes as
Abnormal Presence of Arms Outside State Control/Naharnet
Williams Warns of Dangers
that Could Result from Political Vacuum in Lebanon/Naharnet
World powers call for Iranian
cooperation with IAEA/Now Lebanon
President Gemayel calls for mass
participation in Sunday’s rally/Now Lebanon
MP
Sami Gemayel Files Complaint
against Hezbollah's MP, Raad/Naharnet
March 14 is crying over lost power,
says Berri/Now Lebanon
Mneinmeh calls for dialogue to resolve disputes/iloubnan.info
12 rights groups in Syria demand end to emergency/AFP
Hezbollah's MP Mohammad Raad : No
delay in cabinet formation/Now Lebanon
March
14 Renews Call for Rally on Sunday: Bristol Meeting to Be Held on Thursday/Naharnet
Jumblat: No Ties Bind Me
with Rafik Hariri Except his Memory/Naharnet
Aoun:
We're Proud of Arms as They've Preserved our Dignity, Campaign against them
Attack on National Principles/Naharnet
Al-Mustaqbal Accuses Aoun
of Being a 'Political Adolescent'/Naharnet
Miqati's Circles Deny
PM-Designate Under International Pressure/Naharnet
Hariri Against
Army-People-Resistance Equation if Turned into 'Tool' in Hizbullah's Hands/Naharnet
Geagea Expects Cedar
Revolution II on Sunday: Syria Partner in Coup against Hariri Govt/Naharnet
Al-Mustaqbal Urges Massive
Turnout on Mar 13: We're Not Against Arms Pointed at Israel/Naharnet
Qaddafi hits rebels with
air power, tanks, tribal troops, opens way to Cyrenaica/DEBKAfile
Egypt officials: 13
killed as Muslims, Christians clash in Cairo
By The Associated Press /Haaretz
Thirteen people were killed in violence between Egyptian Christians and Muslims,
the health ministry said on Wednesday, as sectarian tensions that appeared to
evaporate in the country's revolution resurfaced.The health ministry said 140
people were wounded, state media reported.
The violence in Cairo on Tuesday night was the worst outbreak of sectarian
strife since President Hosni Mubarak was swept from power on Feb. 11 by a mass
uprising characterized by solidarity between Christians and Muslims. It was not
immediately clear how many of the dead were Christian or Muslim. The violence
erupted following a protest by Christians over an arson attack on a church in
Helwan south of Cairo. The strife represents another challenge to the
military rulers to whom Mubarak handed power, and who made restoring law and
order a top priority. Petrol bombs and rocks were thrown, witnesses said. At
least one of the dead was a Christian who had been struck in the back by a
bullet, but it was unclear who fired it. The army fired into the air at one
point to disperse protesters. The health ministry earlier put the death toll at
four.
Christians protesting over the attack on the church had blocked a main highway
south of Cairo and violence started after Muslims, who wanted to pass through,
clashed with the protesters, a security source said. Coptic Christians make up
about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 80 million. Islamists on Tuesday
protested outside the prime minister's office over the case of two women who
they believe are being held against their will in churches after converting to
Islam. People demonstrate in front of the Egyptian Television building to
protest the torching of a church in the village of Sol on March 7, 2011.
While tensions between Muslims and the Christian minority in Egypt have a
history of running high, they came to a head this past New Year's Eve after a
bombing near a church in Alexandria. The bomb, which killed at least 17 and
wounded 43, targeted worshippers who gathered to mark the New Year. The attack
led to an outbreak in violence with Christians taking to the street in protest.
9 Christians Killed, 150 Injured in Attack By 15,000
Muslims and Egyptian Army
3-9-2011
http://www.aina.org/news/20110308211907.htm
Assyrian International News Agency
(AINA) -- According to Father Abram Fahmy, pastor of St. Simon the Tanner
Monastery in Mokatam Hills, on the outskirts of Cairo, Copts were killed and
injured today in a fresh attack by Muslims. It was reported the Egyptian army
fired live ammunition on Copts. The attack has claimed until now the lives of 9
Copts and injured 150, 45 seriously.
Muslims threw fire balls at the Monastery from the top of the hills. Coptic
youth have arrested five of them, who are now being held within the Monastery
grounds, waiting to be handed over to the authorities.
Eight homes and 20 garbage recycling factories owned by Copts have been torched,
as well as 30 garbage collection vehicles.
The incident started when 500 Coptic demonstrators from Manshier Nasr, also
known as "Garbage City," which is near the Monastery, were on their way to join
the Coptic protest near the Egyptian TV Building, to show their solidarity with
the Copts of the village of Soul in Atfif, who were forcibly displaced from
their village and their church torched (AINA 3-5-2011). Nearly 15,000 Muslims
from the nearby area of Sayeda Aisha and Mokattam, who were armed with weapons
including automatic guns, confronted the Copts.
The clashes first started with hurling of stones at the Coptic demonstrators,
then Molotov Cocktails. According to eyewitnesses the Copts called the army
which arrived at the scene at 15:00 with 10 tanks . At first the military stood
by watching, then shot in the air, then at the Coptic side with live ammunition.
"We were at one side and the Muslim on the other, we have hundreds of injured at
the Coptic side," said an eyewitness. "The Muslims were also shooting from
behind the army tanks."
First-aid was given to the injured in the clinic attached to the Monastery, "But
there are only 3 doctors here, not enough to look after all the injured," said
the Church custodian. According to one of the doctors all injuries were caused
by gun shots. The injured were transported by private persons to various
hospitals around Cairo, as ambulances refused to respond to their calls.
It was reported that Muslims stood at the head of the road and any garbage
collecting vehicle belonging to Copts from "Garbage City" was confiscated and
the owners beaten.
Attorney Wagih Anwar Abou Saad, an eyewitness, told Free Coptic Voice the army
has been firing live ammunition on the Copts since 3 PM. "The army is protecting
the Muslims, who sought shelter behind the army tanks," he said.
There was a media blackout on the incident. There are no reports of any Muslim
casualties.
The Coptic sit-in in front of the Egyptian TV building (AINA 3-8-2011) in Cairo
has been ongoing since Saturday March 5, as the army has not yet fulfilled its
promise to the Copts of handing over the torched church in the village of Soul,
under the pretext that Muslim are demonstrating near the church.
By Mary Abdelmassih
Copyright (C) 2011, Assyrian International News Agency.
Six shot dead' in Egyptian religious clashes
By Mona Salem | AFP News
Wed, 9 Mar, 2011
At least six Coptic Christians were shot dead and 45 wounded by gunfire in
religious clashes with Muslims in the Egyptian capital, a Coptic priest told AFP
on Wednesday, updating an earlier toll. "We have at the clinic the bodies of six
Copts, all of them shot," local priest Samann Ibrahim told AFP, referring to a
medical centre attached to his church.
The clashes between Christians and Muslims erupted in the poor working class
district of Moqattam mid-afternoon Tuesday when at least 1,000 Christians
gathered there to protest against the burning of a church last week. A hospital
official had late Tuesday initially reported one person dead. "We also have 45
people who were injured, all of them, without exception, hit by gunshots. Others
who were injured have been taken to other hospitals," said Ibrahim. He said some
among the crowd of Muslims had opened fire on the demonstrators, adding that
they had also petrol-bombed local houses and workplaces. Several plastic
recycling shops and warehouses storing cardboard boxes had been torched.
Fighting broke out when dozens of Muslims showed up in Moqattam, inhabited by
Copts who work as garbage collectors and who had blocked a main north-south
artery in the capital. People threw rocks from both sides and witnesses said
soldiers at the scene fired shots into the air in a bid to disperse the crowds.
Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million population,
complain of systematic discrimination and have been the target of several
sectarian attacks. Ahead of the clashes in Moqattam, Copts had protested in
central Cairo against the burning of a church south of the capital after deadly
clashes between Christians and Muslims.The protest outside the radio and
television building came a day after at least 2,000 angry Christians demanded
that the torched church be re-built, and that those responsible be brought to
justice.
The Shahedain (Two Martyrs) church, in the Helwan provincial city of Sol, was
set ablaze on Friday after clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims that
left two people dead.
The violence was triggered by a feud between two families, which disapproved of
a romantic relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim woman in Sol.
"Problems escalated in the village when a group of Muslims headed to the burned
out church and conducted a mass Islamic prayer there," Maged Ibrahim, a
Christian resident told Egyptian state television. On Monday, Egypt's ruling
military council vowed to have the church rebuilt and to prosecute those behind
the arson attack. There is a long history of animosity between Copts and Muslims
in Egypt, though there have been recent signs of a rapprochement following a
deadly New Years's Day bombing of a church in Alexandria and during the recent
popular revolt that unseated long-time president Hosni Mubarak. Twenty-one
people died and dozens more were wounded when what was believed to be a suicide
bomber blew himself up just after midnight on New Year's Eve as worshippers left
a church in Alexandria. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack,
which came after an Al-Qaeda-linked group said it was behind a deadly October 31
Baghdad church hostage-taking and threatened Coptic Christians as well.
U.S. official: Iran near threshold of nuclear weapons capability
World powers tell Islamic Republic that the 'door remain open' for dialogue,
urges Iran to cooperate with UN nuclear watchdog.
By News Agencies /Iran is moving to a point where it will have the ability to
produce nuclear weapons, the U.S. State Department's senior adviser for
non-proliferation and arms control said on Wednesday. "We believe Iran is moving
to the threshold of a nuclear weapons capability," Robert Einhorn said in
response to a question at a Washington think-tank event.
Earlier Wednesday, world powers told Iran on Wednesday that "the door remains
open" for dialogue on its disputed nuclear program, urging the Islamic Republic
to cooperate with the United Nations atomic watchdog to resolve concerns it may
have military aims. The six powers issued a rare joint statement at a meeting of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a bid to show unity and to
step up pressure on Iran after their talks with the Islamic state in December
and January failed to make progress.
It was issued after IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano on Monday, the first day
of a meeting of the agency's board, said information his office recently
received added to concerns about possible military aspects to Iran's atomic
activities. Amano voiced growing frustration at what the Vienna-based body sees
as Iran's failure to address allegations it may be working to develop a
nuclear-armed missile. The statement from the United States, Russia, Britain,
France, Germany and China said: "We call on Iran to cooperate fully with the
Agency ... Outstanding issues need to be resolved in order to exclude the
existence of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program." It was the
first joint statement by the big powers at the IAEA since March 2009. Iran
denies Western accusations it is seeking nuclear weapons capability, saying its
atomic activities are aimed at generating electricity so it can export more of
its oil and gas. For several years, the IAEA has been investigating Western
intelligence reports indicating Iran has coordinated efforts to process uranium,
test explosives at high altitude and revamp a ballistic missile cone so that it
can take a nuclear warhead. Iran, one of the world's biggest oil producers, says
the allegations are based on forged documents.
The powers' statement said two rounds of talks with Iran in Geneva in December
and in Istanbul in January did not reach any substantive result, despite their
"constructive spirit" and practical ideas aimed at building confidence. "We
expect Iran to demonstrate a pragmatic attitude and to respond positively to our
proposals and to our openness toward dialogue and negotiations," the statement,
read out by Russian Ambassador Grigory Berdennikov at the closed-door meeting of
the IAEA's 35-nation governing board, said. "The door remains open," the
statement said. The U.S. envoy to the IAEA, Ambassador Glyn Davies, made a
separate statement to the board, about the "increasingly apparent military
dimensions to Iran's nuclear program, including efforts by Iran to develop a
nuclear warhead".
He urged Amano to report "promptly to the board his best assessment of whether
there have been military dimensions to nuclear activities in Iran and, if so,
whether he is in a position to verify they have stopped". The UN Security
Council has imposed four rounds of sanctions on Tehran since 2006 for refusing
to freeze its uranium enrichment program, which can have both civilian and
military purposes.
Hezbollah International Airport
Michael Rubin 03.07.2011 - 7:59 AM
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/03/07/hezbollah-international-airport/
After an airport worker opened fire on U.S. airmen at Frankfurt’s airport,
killing two, there is once again attention on the vulnerabilities of airlines
and their passengers to airport workers who embrace terrorism. While European
airports must get their acts in order, they are only the tip of the iceberg.
Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut may look more like its European
counterparts than other Middle Eastern airports, but since 2008 it has been
under the control of Hezbollah, a terrorist group.
Hezbollah has long justified its refusal to disarm because it defines itself as
a resistance movement. After the United Nations certified Israel’s withdrawal
from Lebanon complete, Hezbollah manufactured the Shebaa Farms controversy to
continue the fiction that its aim was “resistance” rather than power and terror.
In the aftermath of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, in which Hezbollah’s
unilateral actions saddled Lebanon with a huge cost in terms of infrastructure
and lives, the Lebanese government sought to extend its own control over major
infrastructure; the cost of letting Hezbollah run rampant was too high.
After the Lebanese government — then dominated by the March 14 movement — sought
to assert control over the airport, however, Hezbollah turned its guns on fellow
Lebanese, casting aside its fiction of resistance. Beirut’s airport was simply
too important for the crates of weaponry and supplies that rolled out of the
cargo bays of Iranian airliners.
It was against this backdrop that the Bush administration acquiesced to reward
Hezbollah for its bad behavior. By 2008, Bush had surrendered to State
Department insurgents and ceased to base policy on principle, instead returning
to the moral relativism of the Clinton years. Condoleezza Rice supported the
Doha Accords, in which Hezbollah received veto power over Lebanese government
policy in exchange for a promise of stability. Having won its battle with the
Lebanese government, if not militarily than diplomatically, Hezbollah returned
to the Rafik Hariri International Airport, albeit in the uniforms of the
Lebanese army.
Today any number of international airlines — British, French, German, and Middle
Eastern — fly into Beirut. Airport workers load the planes with bags and cargo
that get transferred across the world, including to the United States. They pass
through X-ray machines run by Hezbollah operatives or their sympathizers, and
they board planes loaded by Hezbollah airport workers. At any time it sees fit,
Hezbollah can place a bomb on a plane originating in Beirut rather than simply
remove them from the planes landing there. If there is quiet now, it is only
because Hezbollah does not want attention over its airport activities in the
limelight, for the airport is a key resupply hub.
Two American servicemen dead is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to their
families, and those of the wounded. But one day, the West will be facing another
Lockerbie-style incident, with a return address this time in Lebanon rather than
in Libya. American and European diplomats understand the vulnerabilities of the
Beirut airport but live under the fiction that it is secure. Doing nothing and
pretending everything is OK is always the path of least resistance. Fictions may
make for diplomatic niceties, but ultimately they lead to fatalities.
Lebanon
Battered by Storm
Now Lebanon/A snowstorm lashed Lebanon on Wednesday as high winds reached 85
kilometers per hour and heavy rains drenched the Lebanese coast causing
bumper-to-bumper traffic in several areas. The Meteorology Department said the
snowfall at 1000 meters could reach 800 meters above sea level on Thursday.
Temperatures reached 6 degrees on the coast and below zero on mountain tops. The
wind damaged the façade of a bank in Maameltein, north of Beirut, according to
Voice of Lebanon radio station. There were no reports of other material damages
or injuries, it said. The National News Agency said, however, that the rains
caused heavy damages to crops in areas near the southern port city of Tyre.
Waves reached four-meters high in the city's coast, NNA said. Rains snarled
traffic in Beirut and its entrances and heavy snow blocked several roads in the
mountains across Lebanon, media reports said. The storm is expected to last till
Friday. Beirut, 09 Mar 11, 12:45
Sfeir Describes as Abnormal Presence of Arms Outside State Control
Naharnet/Outgoing Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir reiterated that only
Lebanon's armed forces should carry weapons and described as abnormal the
presence of arms in the people's hands.In remarks to al-Joumhouriah newspaper
published Wednesday, Sfeir said: "We either have a state or we don't. Only the
state should own weapons." "This is the general rule" in the world, he said.
"Arms should not be in the hands of the people," Sfeir told the daily in
reference to Hizbullah. He made his remark as the Maronite Bishops Synod begins
meetings on Wednesday to elect a new patriarch. Sfeir warned that interference
in Lebanon's political affairs could sometimes serve and at other times harm the
country. "The Lebanese should accept each other through love and cooperation
because there is still meddling" in the country's affairs, the outgoing
patriarch said. Asked if he was remorseful for not visiting Syria, he said:
"Never. Why should I regret that?" Sfeir told al-Joumhouriah that he had nothing
to say to Syrian President Bashar Assad. During his tenure, Sfeir took positions
against Syria's years of interference in the country's affairs. A statement
issued by the council of bishops in September 2000 calling for Syria to withdraw
its 30,000 troops from the country marked a turning point in Lebanese opposition
to Damascus' hegemony. Syrian troops intervening in Lebanon's civil war first
entered the country in 1976. They withdrew in 2005 after ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri's assassination in February of that year. Beirut, 09 Mar 11, 09:25
Maronite Bishops Go Behind Closed Doors to Elect 77th Patriarch
Naharnet/The Synod of Maronite Bishops goes into retreat on Wednesday to elect
the 77th church leader after Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
Bkirki's doors will close at 6:00 pm. The bishops will pray and hear lectures
until Friday when the actual electoral process begins. Bishop Roland Abu Jawdeh
will preside over the electoral rounds. In the first session, a secretary will
be elected and starting Friday the bishops will hold two electoral rounds in the
morning and two in the afternoon until one of the bishops gets the two-thirds of
the votes.An Nahar daily said that 38 or 39 bishops will not attend the synod
after John Shedid and Hektor Istfan Dwaihi refused to come to Lebanon from the
U.S. over health reasons. The newspaper also quoted church sources as saying
that two other bishops, Georges Abu Saber and Youssef Massoud Massoud, could
also not participate in the electoral process. The sources said the election
process would take several days only. Another source at the Maronite church told
As Safir daily that "there is no political influence in the elections."
"The new patriarch will not deviate from Bkirki's national principles. Evidently
he would have a different approach than Patriarch Sfeir … but the gist on
national issues will remain the same," the source said. Voice of Lebanon said
Sfeir will address the Lebanese through the radio station a few hours before the
retreat. Beirut, 09 Mar 11, 08:20
Sami Gemayel Files Complaint against Raad: He Violated Parliament, Attributing
Positions to it that it Didn't Make
Naharnet/Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel filed a complaint against the head of
the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammad Raad over his latest press
conference from parliament during which a poster supporting the March 8 camp's
positions was displayed behind him. The complaint was filed to Speaker Nabih
Berri on the basis that the "poster tarnished parliament's image by attributing
positions to it that it did not make." The MP explained: "The complaint does not
address what Raad discussed at the press conference, but we are concerned with
preserving parliament's image.""Everyone has the right to wonder whether this
poster was at parliament before the conference or that it was hung for the
conference," he continued. The poster displayed slogans reflecting the March 8
camp's opposition to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Gemayel urged Berri to
take a position from such a development, saying that he should clarify if any MP
is allowed to hang whatever poster he wants at parliament. "Implying that
parliament opposes the STL is a violation of the constitution and its slogan is
a provocation to all MPs, especially those attached to the constitution," he
stressed. Gemayel demanded that Raad be warned over violating parliament's image
and that hanging posters and slogans in parliament should be prohibited. Beirut,
09 Mar 11, 14:17
President Gemayel calls for mass participation in Sunday’s rally
March 9, 2011 /Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel called in an interview published
on Wednesday for mass participation in the March 14 alliance’s Sunday rally.
“What we achieved in 2005 was a great victory, while the [on-the-ground] and
political situation did not in fact change. Much of the old reality stayed in
place, without change. Our victory in 2005 was more a moral victory than a real
one,” he told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper. March 14 has “achieved much, including the
Syrian withdrawal, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon [STL], the election of
President [Michel Sleiman], and victory in parliamentary elections,” he said.
“However, the Lebanese people wanted to achieve more victories – to achieve the
dream of the state.” “We made mistakes in some of the steps we took, and March
14 supporters have the right to ask questions,” he said. The former president
said that the time for March 14 to undertake “self-criticism” will come after
Sunday’s rally, since such evaluation should be done from a position of popular
power.
“The STL is the basic [issue] for the Lebanese people […] we have a chance to do
what is right,” the Kataeb leader also said. He added that March 14 wanted to
give Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati a chance, but “[March 8 parties] are
placing conditions on him.”The March 14 coalition is holding a rally on Sunday
“to reaffirm its commitment to the principles of the Cedar Revolution.” Mikati
was appointed in January with the March 8 coalition’s backing following the
collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due to a dispute over the STL’s
investigation of former PM Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination. March 14 figures
have repeatedly said that intimidation from Hezbollah’s weapons helped March 8
secure the parliamentary majority for his nomination.March 14 parties have said
that they will not take part in the cabinet Mikati is currently forming, and
Saad Hariri vowed last week to fight the use of non-state weapons “peacefully
and democratically.”-NOW Lebanon
Williams Warns of Dangers that Could Result from Political Vacuum
Naharnet/U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams stressed the
importance of forming the cabinet to confront several challenges including the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon's upcoming indictment. In an interview published in
As Safir newspaper Wednesday, Williams warned of the dangers of a power vacuum
if the formation of the cabinet takes more time.
Such dangers could be nonpolitical, he said. Asked if he thought the indictment
would lead to civil war in Lebanon, the diplomat said: "I don't think so."
Williams told the daily that he discussed with Hizbullah officials Mohammed
Fneish and Ammar Moussawi the Shiite party's accusations against the
international tribunal. He said he believed the officials have admitted that the
court is an international body and that Lebanon cannot confront it.
Williams, who will visit Israel in the next few weeks, said he will discuss with
Israeli officials the Jewish state's pullout from the northern part of the
border village of Ghajar. He also ruled out an Israeli offensive on Lebanon,
saying the country's leadership was busy with coping and assessing the situation
in Egypt after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak. Beirut, 09 Mar 11, 09:00
Hundreds in clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square
March 9, 2011 /Egyptians armed with knives and machetes on Wednesday attacked
hundreds of pro-democracy activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square, state TV said, as
insecurity raged in the post-revolutionary country. "Hundreds of men carrying
knives and swords entered Tahrir," the presenter said, as footage showed rocks
being thrown and hundreds being chased away from Tahrir Square, the epicenter of
protests that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak. The clashes took place as the
newly appointed cabinet met with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
to propose a law criminalizing incitement to hatred, which could lead to the
death penalty, state TV said. The military rulers were struggling to bring calm
on several fronts, as clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims in the
working class area of Moqattam left 10 dead and scores wounded, the health
ministry said. Insecurity has been rife after police disappeared from the
streets during protests that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak, who had
ruled Egypt for 30 years under emergency law. Earlier the Muslim Brotherhood,
the country's largest opposition group, blamed diehards of Mubarak's regime for
inciting violence- a view widely shared across the country. -AFP/NOW Lebanon
World powers call for Iranian cooperation with IAEA
March 9, 2011 /World powers urged Iran to cooperate with the UN atomic watchdog
at a meeting in Vienna on Wednesday, where Tehran once again found itself in the
hot seat over its controversial nuclear drive. "We call on Iran to cooperate
fully with the [International Atomic Energy] Agency," the so-called P5+1
grouping said in their first joint statement to the IAEA's board of governors in
two years. The P5+1 comprises the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States -- plus Germany.
The group is holding talks with the Islamic republic to allay fears over its
nuclear program, which Tehran insists is entirely peaceful but Western states
believe masks a covert weapons program. The last time the six powers issued a
joint statement to the IAEA's 35-member board of governors was in March 2009.
Since then, the group has held two rounds of talks with Tehran, in Geneva in
December and in Istanbul in January, but which produced no concrete breakthrough
in the long-running standoff.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Sleiman
meets with Spanish ambassador
March 9, 2011 /President Michel Sleiman on Wednesday met with the Spanish
Ambassador to Lebanon Juan Carlos Gafo at the Baabda Presidential Palace.Sleiman
and Gafo discussed bilateral relations, according a statement released by
Sleiman’s office.However, the statement did not elaborate any further.-NOW
Lebanon
March 14 is crying over lost power, says Berri
March 9, 2011 /“March 14 [parties] are crying for power and authority they lost,
not justice,” MPs who visited Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday quoted him as
saying.
“March 14’s campaign transgressed all national principles,” the MPs also quoted
Berri as saying, according to NOW Lebanon’s correspondent .“The cabinet should
be formed quickly in order to face the upcoming [deadlines] and deal with
people’s interests.”The March 14 coalition is holding a rally on Sunday to
reaffirm its commitment to the principles of the Cedar Revolution. Prime
Minister-designate Najib Mikati was appointed 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. Mikati is
currently holding talks to form his cabinet. March 14 parties have said that
they will not take part in his government, and Saad Hariri vowed last week to
fight the use of non-state weapons “peacefully and democratically.”-NOW Lebanon
What’s next for the March 14 General Secretariat?
Dana Moukhallati, March 9, 2011
The transfer of March 14 from a majority alliance to the opposition calls for
expanding the political framework of the General Secretariat, said Fares Soueid.
The March 14 General Secretariat is always in the news, but many people do not
actually know what kind of role it plays in Lebanon’s political arena. Its role
has changed over the years according to the different stages that the March 14
alliance has gone through. Naturally, since the Hezbollah-controlled March 8
coalition forced the collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government earlier this
year, and with the entrance of the March 14 coalition into the opposition, the
General Secretariat’s role should evolve. Some would like to see the body with
more powers, while others would like to witness the creation of more political
units within the secretariat. “This is exactly what [we] are looking into right
now,” head of the March 14 General Secretariat Fares Soueid told NOW Lebanon.
The General Secretariat was established in January 2008 to coordinate between
March 14 parties and to enhance the political work within the camp, he said.
Soueid explained that the secretariat underwent three phases: a political one,
an administrative one and a compensatory one.
It organized the first March 14 conference in BIEL in 2008, during which a
political statement was brought forward. “It was the first time March 14
presented a comprehensive political statement that all its parties agreed on,”
Soueid said.
The General Secretariat’s role then changed from a mechanism to enhance the
political work of March 14 to one that facilitates electoral coordination
between the parties within the coalition.Soueid said that “its job was more
administrative than political” in preparation for the 2009 parliamentary
elections, which March 14 won, leading to the nomination of Saad Hariri as the
new premier. But when Hariri went to Damascus in December 2010 for the first
time since the 2005 assassination of his father, former PM Rafik Hariri – which
the coalition blamed on Syria – March 14 entered what Soueid called “a
compensatory phase.” While Hariri said during a press conference at the Lebanese
Embassy in Damascus that he visited Syria as Lebanon’s premier and not as the
leader of March 14’s Future Movement, “There was [a need] for the March 14
General Secretariat to say that even though [Hariri] went to Damascus, March 14
is still committed to its positions [against Syrian tutelage in Lebanon],”
Soueid said. Now that March 14 has become the opposition in the government for
the first time since the coalition’s founding in 2005, the General Secretariat
needs to expand its political framework, Soueid said. “The secretariat
will remain, and its tasks are determined, but we have to create other political
projects other than the secretariat,” he said. Youssef Bazzi, a Lebanese
journalist at Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, concurred, saying that “the General
Secretariat is now more free to expand into a group of institutions affiliated
with it.” The General Secretariat’s new role, Bazzi said, is to work on bringing
back the spirit of March 14.
“Less politics, more honesty,” he said. Bazzi also said that the more difficult
mission of the secretariat is not the formation of a political opposition
coalition “but the task of crystallizing an opposition society” in which it must
“translate how it is impossible to live in a manner of absolute democracy and
absolute logic of illegitimate weapons.”
Hariri said during a February 14 ceremony in BIEL commemorating the murder of
his father that March 14 is committed to the Lebanese constitution, the
international tribunal investigating the death of Rafik Hariri and others, and
protecting the Lebanese from the use of non-state-controlled weapons, a direct
reference to Hezbollah’s arsenal, which the party has steadfastly refused to
give up.According to Walid Fakhreddine, an activist and professor at the
American University of Science and Technology in Lebanon, the General
Secretariat needs to become an institution that is not only political but
administrative and executive too.
“We want [the secretariat] to have more physical and executive abilities, which
is what we’re trying to achieve within a complex political situation,” he said.
“It’s not for one man to take a decision, it’s more of a democratic interaction
among the different factions,” he added. The March 14 alliance has yet to
release a political statement following its emergence as an opposition camp.
However, the coalition has made it clear that it will not take part in the next
cabinet, which will be headed by Najib Mikati, who was handpicked by the March 8
coalition.
“[March 8] simply wants us to engage in a cabinet that would cancel the
UN-backed probe in the Ministerial Statement and ask the Lebanese people to
become part of a foreign axis that is not linked to Lebanon or Arabism,” Hariri
told a local newspaper last month. According to Ayman Sharrouf, a journalist and
activist in March 14, “Today, the mission is much more difficult because we’re
facing an internal army, not a foreign one.”
MP Mohammad Raad : No delay in cabinet formation
March 9, 2011 /Loyalty to the Resistance bloc leader MP Mohammad Raad said on
Wednsday that the cabinet formation process is being carried out in its “normal
manner”, adding that there has not been a delay in forming a cabinet. Following
his meeting with former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, Raad called on the Lebanese
to commit to political ethics when addressing one another, the National News
Agency (NNA) reported. Hoss and Raad discussed latest regional and domestic
developments, the report added. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati was
appointed in January with the March 8 coalition’s backing following the collapse
of Saad Hariri’s unity government. March 14 figures have repeatedly said that
intimidation from Hezbollah’s weapons helped secure the parliamentary majority
for his nomination. March 14 parties have said that they will not take part in
the cabinet Mikati is currently forming, and Hariri vowed last week to fight the
use of non-state weapons “peacefully and democratically.”-NOW Lebanon
Jumblat: No Ties Bind Me with Rafik Hariri Except his Memory
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized the
March 14 camp's conduct, accusing it of increasing the dangerous internal divide
in Lebanon that "is targeting an entire sect." He said in an interview with al-Akhbar
published on Wednesday: "Failure to form a government is an escalatory measure
by the March 14 forces ahead of the March 13 rally without it actually having a
key to end the crisis." Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri is not like his
father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, he said. The senior Hariri "was a
unique and approachable individual. No ties bind me to him except his memory,"
the MP continued. "He never severed his ties with Hizbullah and Syria," he
noted. He also accused former ally MP Marwan Hamadeh of employing the same
sectarian incitement, describing his rift with him as "complete and final." He
added that the Mustaqbal movement is seeking to turn the Druze against him.
Jumblat also rejected allegations that Syria is behind the delay in the
government formation, accusing the United States of being behind the current
stalemate in Lebanon. "They obstructed the Saudi-Syrian initiative and they are
escalating their position through the March 14 forces' campaign of employing the
indictment against the Resistance's arms, while in the past we sought hard to
eliminate any of the indictment's possible negative repercussions," he noted.
"How can the issue of the arms possession be resolved without the least amount
of calm in the country? What does Hariri want? Break Prime Minister-designate
Najib Miqati and the economy and then what?" he asked. Jumblat stressed that
Hariri's contacts with Hizbullah and Syria are completely severed, noting that
this is the first time that contacts between the Lebanese are totally cut.
Furthermore, he revealed that during their visit to Lebanon on February 22, U.S.
Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman informed him that Hizbullah was behind
Rafik Hariri's assassination. The MP listed to them the number of reasons that
have cost the Special Tribunal for Lebanon its credibility, saying that the U.S.
encourages the equation of Hizbullah's arms against the indictment. Addressing
caretaker PM Hariri's latest visit to Saudi Arabia, Jumblat said: "The fact that
he returned with renewed drive in his campaign against the party's weapons
indicates that March 8 camp claims that the Kingdom is upset with Hariri are
inaccurate." "It's not true that Saudi King Abdullah was angry with him after
Hariri announced the end of the S-S initiative," he added. Jumblat said that his
ties with Saudi Arabia are "severed at the moment," saying that Hariri is
turning the Kingdom against him. Beirut, 09 Mar 11, 12:12
UNIFIL Worried about Security Incidents: Lebanon Requests 'Maritime Blue Line,'
Israel Mulling Answer
Naharnet/Lebanon has proposed the demarcation of its maritime border with Israel
during a tripartite meeting held at the UNIFIL headquarters in Ras al-Naqoura.
"Maintaining peace and stability was the goal of this tripartite meeting and I
am happy that we were able to address all the issues in a constructive
atmosphere," UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas said Monday after
chairing the meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli armies. However, As Safir
daily said Tuesday that the Lebanese army representative, Maj. Gen. Abdelrahman
Shehaitli, called for the demarcation of the maritime border similar to the
U.N.-drawn Blue Line that separates southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Shehaitli asked Asarta to carry the Lebanese request to the U.N. to establish a
"maritime Blue Line" that would help Lebanon control any violation of its
territorial waters.
As Safir said that the Israeli army representative promised to reply to the
Lebanese request during the next tripartite meeting. The Central News Agency
quoted a security source as saying that the conferees also discussed the
importance of Israel's pullout from the northern part of the border village of
Ghajar in compliance with U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. "The UNIFIL
representatives stressed during the meeting on the importance of demarcating the
Blue Line," the source said. Meanwhile, UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh confirmed
on Tuesday that the Lebanese army suggested establishing a maritime Blue Line
and that it requested the international forces' assistance in this matter. He
added that UNIFIL is worried about the number of security incidents that have
taken place at sea and which may increase the tensions between the concerned
sides. Furthermore, he revealed that this issue was brought up during the
Naqoura meeting, voicing UNIFIL's encouragement to all sides to address the
matters of maritime security in order to limit the possibilities of such
incidents taking place.
Beirut, 08 Mar 11, 08:31
Hariri Against Army-People-Resistance Equation if Turned into 'Tool' in
Hizbullah's Hands
Naharnet/Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed Tuesday that "there is no
alternative to the State and its institutions." "We shall struggle with all our
strength for the success of the project of the State whatever the challenges and
difficulties might be because there is no alternative to the State and its
institutions, and we will spare no effort in this regard," Hariri said during a
meeting at the Center House with Mustaqbal Movement delegations and Beiruti
families. Hariri hit back at Speaker Nabih Berri over the latter's accusation
that the outgoing premier had abandoned the "army-people-resistance equation."
"I listened to Speaker Nabih Berri saying that we have abandoned the
'army-people-resistance equation,' and the truth is that there are some who want
this equation to be above the will of the State," Hariri said. "We're with the
army-people-resistance equation if it remains under the State's authority, but
we will reject it when some assume that the army, the people and the State are
tools in their hands," he added. Addressing "those who are attacking the
political discourse of March 14," Hariri went on to say: "Isn't the campaign
against the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the insistence to disrupt the
international justice regarding the murder of Martyr PM Rafik Hariri a direct
call for provocation and a violation of the rules of national consensus?" He
stressed that any retreat from the "national consensus" on the STL "will not
annul it and will not manage to disrupt the course of justice." "Our right to
defend this cause is legitimate and will not be subject to intimidation from now
on," Hariri vowed. He stressed that his political camp's campaign against the
so-called "supremacy of arms" is not aimed at targeting a particular community.
"They want to reverse the truth and to portray the campaign as targeting the
Shiite community. And I sincerely and frankly say that this is a political lie
par excellence because our campaign doesn't target the Shiite community, its
role or status," Hariri noted. "It targets all the Lebanese and non-Lebanese
parties and organizations which are using weapons as a means for internal
blackmail and pressure on the national and political life," he added, noting
that "the Shiite community is the first victim of the supremacy of weapons."
Beirut, 08 Mar 11, 22:26
Aoun: We're Proud of Arms as They've Preserved our Dignity, Campaign against
them Attack on National Principles
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun criticized on Tuesday
attacks against the Resistance's weapons and the base political rhetoric in
Lebanon "that is harming the national principles and the mutual respect between
the sects." He said after the movement's weekly meeting: "We are proud of the
arms because they have preserved our dignity."
"We challenge anyone who says that the Resistance has attacked me" and the
government decisions of May 5, 2008 "will never be erased from the minds of the
Lebanese," he stated.
Addressing the developments in Lebanon over the past six years, he said: "As
Christians, we can deal with Sunnis and Shiites in the same way and our choice
was confronting Israel and not opposing Sunnis." "After six years, we have not
seen anything positive from the other camp," the MP noted. Aoun also demanded
that the media refrain from broadcasting speeches "aimed at weakening the
other." Regarding the government formation process, he said: "We are not in a
hurry to form the government because it will be established based on new bases
and we are not here to maintain the corruption.""We don't mind that Prime
Minister-designate Najib Miqati is taking his time … The FPM has not proposed
names that Miqati would be ashamed or proud of, but we have standards in
choosing our ministers," he continued. Aoun rejected claims that he is
obstructing the government formation process, demanding that proof of these
allegations be presented. Beirut, 08 Mar 11, 18:11
Al-Mustaqbal Urges Massive Turnout on Mar 13: We're Not
Against Arms Pointed at Israel
Naharnet/The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called for a massive
turnout on the "6th anniversary of the Independence Uprising," which will be
commemorated on Sunday.
In a statement issued after its weekly meeting in Qoreitem under ex-PM Fouad
Saniora, the bloc said that participation in the rally commemorating the March
14 anniversary is "the best democratic means to express opinion in the face of
the coup and attempts at imposing hegemony and a one-sided authority." "The
Mustaqbal Movement and the March 14 forces have not … called for an end to
resistance against Israel, they have rather criticized the weapons that are
directed against the domestic arena and the chests of the Lebanese – which are
deployed in the streets and alleys of Beirut and Lebanon's towns and villages,"
the bloc said in its statement. "Weapons directed against the Israeli enemy and
operating under the Lebanese State's authority are acceptable and required,
while arms pointed at the chests of the Lebanese are totally rejected," the bloc
added. Beirut, 08 Mar 11, 21:33
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
By: Khat Ahmar
on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at
Who killed Rafic Hariri? A pending question and its (so far) elusive answer. Yet
armed with common sense, basic knowledge of the security environment at the
time, and the modus operandi of any would-be assassins, conclusions can be
drawn. While this author lacks the official and legal prerogatives to make
direct accusations, the right to express opinions is a “divine” (pun) attribute,
protected by our constitution and the human rights charter. Note that I may also
argue against some the presumptions of the initial STL findings’ reports. Logic
rules.
The first question concerns the motive behind any such crime. With PM Hariri
being the victim, numerous reasons come to mind, although latest political
efforts and directions far supersede anything else in terms of criticality. His
heart, mind, spirit, and… entire mp group focusing on implementing UNSCR 1559,
which called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and the disbanding of all
armed militias from Lebanon. Worst of all, Hariri had gathered the national
momentum and cross-confessional platform, on top of foreign support, to back up
his national ambitions. That settles the motive question, but not (so tightly)
the motive answer. All three potential culprits, Israel, Syria, and Hezbollah,
may not want to see 1559 get into effect, and a strong Lebanon emerge.
The second question concerns the operational capacity to mount such an
operation. To fully grasp the magnitude of the effort required, and the
technical, human, financial, logistic, and intelligence requirements, let’s
scrutinize the entire operation as it must have happened, in its various stages.
Stage 1: decision making. For reasons highlighted above, the main
culprits-in-wait are not many. Whoever they are, one thing is sure, the decision
came from the very top in the situations of autocratic Syria (no one would dare
the president on such a critical issue) and Iran (for the necessary takleef
shar3ee, or religious mission order from supreme leader Khamenei) while in the
case of Israel, the top leadership would have to bear responsibility regardless
of whether or not (as often happens) it was aware of the plot.
Stage2: initial reconnaissance. Once the target has been selected, a careful
study of his habits and routine has to be documented, to include details about
all security aspects, to pinpoint breaches in his security bubble. This entails
round the clock surveillance of said target for a long duration, (many months as
a minimum) to establish with a degree of certainty where his daily routine makes
him the most vulnerable. As is often the case, transit almost always is. Yet one
thing is sure: said reconnaissance phase requires a minimum of 30-40 hard core
individuals who can be entrusted in knowing who the target is, (such operations
always employ the “need to know” principle– no one knows more than he should to
carry out their job) without risking a security leak. Photos are taken,
motorcade and security SOPs scrutinized, transit routes and driving habits
plotted, behavior noted (making phone calls, impromptu stops… any divergence
from routine) and most importantly: vulnerabilities exposed. The result of this
stage: recommending particular modes of attack, at specific location/time
coordinates, pending final selection.
Stage 3: mission planning. Once breaches have been found, specific methods of
attack have to be planned. A trusted team of professionals is assembled, in
order to control the terrain of the target area, secretly set-up the operation,
secure the logistics, set-up the hardware and software (technical assets,
technical plans) and wait for the Go! Order. In the Hariri assassination case,
we are talking about tens of operatives, many operating around the clock,
(electronic, optical, and event-logging duties in various “Hariri” dwelling
places and transit routes) dozens of unmarked phones, as many unmarked cars,
explosives by the tons, (we can assume multiple hit points at various route
options) solid computer integrated intelligence management, mission planning and
simulation solutions, (to map and plot routes, simulate scenarios…) study blast
effect under varying conditions and motorcade positions, and predict the
post-incident scene. Amendments are made and redundancies added as the
simulations show breaches to its dependability and workability, and various wild
cards are introduced.
Stage 4: optional mock trials. A professional terror hit squad may decide to
make a couple of dry runs. They can be done on the scene, or, in order not to
draw attention, in a remote location, where an exact replica of the attack/
device and the environment (electronic, physical, etc.) is recreated.
Stage 5: the Go! stage. The top of the command chain says the mission is a go,
and hands over command to the tactical team commander who has the final decision
on when/ if to press the button, based on the field parameters and conditions,
and last-second intel. Post-operational teams are also in place for stage 6.
Stage 6: extraction of hit team, crime scene management, media and investigation
control and “guidance.” Operators are withdrawn, the scene is cleansed of proof,
and ideally, wrong leads are left in place to deceive or distract, or at least
dilute the investigation process, and lastly, media instigators prepare for
information and psy-cognitive work, which may have started before hand.
The crime. On that dreadful day, and upon leaving the parliament area, Hariri’s
motorcade was engulfed in a huge explosion near the St. Georges hotel, in
Beirut’s Downtown area. The ex-PM and scores of his companions, as well as
innocent bystanders, were killed by the explosion. A visual inspection of the
crime scene would give a series of impressions. [1] the device was probably
placed underground, as the presence of mangled motorcade cars at the tip of the
crater testifies, as well as other significant details, from the pattern of
scattered asphalt to blown manholes and sewer pipes at extended distances. [2]
many of the victims, including the primary target, died of exposure to fire, and
not to blast effect, which is due to either the thermobaric effect of the
device, or to the presence of a secondary incendiary charge, (above ground?)
which engulfed the blown-up armored cars. [3] the crime scene resembles in every
aspect that of General Blanco’s assassination, (assumed successor of Franco,
killed by the ETA, in operation Ogro, with an explosive device planted through a
tunnel dug under the road, in 1973.) [4] the initiation of the explosion was not
clear, but it could have been any of various methods, including mechanical,
electronic, and opto-electronic means. [5] this author completely rejects the
notion of the suicide bomber in a VBIED. The reason is very simple: the mindset
and physiological situation of a suicide bomber may be fine for a soft target,
such as a public place, but hitting a one-chance-only and heavily guarded
personality of Hariri’s stand, in a fast-moving, armored motorcade of
inconsistent timing and path? Not a chance. A suicide operator has unpredictable
behavior, tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, no problem-solving or
decision-making capacity, no fine motor skills, and I will pass on the lesser
aspects… So no, not for a mission of such criticality, with no second-chance
options. Besides, the mentioned SVBIED operator, (abu-adsi) didn’t know how to
drive!
Now that we know in full what’s involved, let’s check the usual suspects…
Usual suspect #1: Israel. We would ALL want for Israel to be found guilty,
despite its incapacity to fill any of the above requirements, even in part. (Of
all the arrested Israeli “agents” none had anywhere near such an operational
capacity. As a matter of fact, and despite (false) claims of otherwise, none was
a “cell” and none had any operational capacity at all.) So why would I want it
to be Israel? Because if Israel could mount such an operation at the apex of the
Syrian-Hezbollah’s security apparatus’ efficiency, when Hezbollah and Syrian
street agents monitored every street dweller, then this is the only conclusion:
let’s completely dismantle the Hezbollah and Syrian (in Syria too while we’re at
it) security and defense apparatuses. They have absolutely no use.
Usual suspect # 2: Syria. It is common knowledge that Syrian intel services were
into every nook and cranny of the Lebanese society, and not just political life,
and controlled every event that happened. To pretend otherwise would be an
insult to our collective intelligence, and a blatant denial of the environment
back then. Yet there is one question: while no one ever made any move (even
holding a social event) without the order and consent coming from Syria itself,
it is doubtful that Syrian forces on the ground had the required intel integrity
to gather such a workforce without risking a leak, especially in light of the
fact that the victim had a full and working network of connections within the
Syrian structure in Lebanon. They also did not have (proven) technical
expertise, having relied on proxies for the last few decades. Although many
spontaneously stood to accuse Syria, including General Aoun who on French TV
said he was “100% sure it was Syria” we are forced to recognize this fact: Syria
must have provided all forms of support, and given the “final” order to...
Usual suspect # 3: Hezbollah. Hezbollah is the only entity capable of assembling
an executive kill team of 50 and more (for the various tasks) without risking an
intel leak. Hezbollah is the only entity with the capacity to guarantee the
proper and reliable conduct of the operation. Hezbollah is the only one with the
proven expertise with such high yield devices, their thermobaric effect, secured
initiation processes, complex operational requirements, and well-implemented
street presence. Hezbollah is the only one with the required presence in the
operational environment of the crime scene to unobtrusively perform the various
tasks listed above.
Syria has gone to great length into severing the link between its higher command
and the executive branch of Hezbollah’s assassination team. (Literally, although
I am not so sure about the Hezbo guy, you know, the one who started the Lebanese
war all over again in 1983, by blowing up – he likes that, the UN peace-keeping
force, forcing the country back into bloody mayhem.) Either way, the biggest
miscalculation on the Syrian-Iranian side? They never thought the entire
Lebanese nation would rise to the terror-assassination of what they saw as a
Sunni leader. Wrong. Dead wrong.
As a conclusion, I would quote my son, who just peaked over my shoulder. Pardon
his French. « Pourquoi tu te casses la tete? Tout le monde sait que c'est la
Syrie et le Hezbollah. Chou c’est la chine ? »
Has anyone thought of Nassrallah’s rhetorical oxymoron? “If you accuse us of
murder, we will kill you.” Well, that’s in their own words.
Qaddafi
hits rebels with air power, tanks, tribal troops, opens way to Cyrenaica
DEBKAfile Special Report March 8, 2011, Tuesday, March 8, Col. Muammar Qaddafi
reached the tipping point of his offensive against rebel forces and his troops
are advancing toward Ajdabiya, their first destination in the rebel-held eastern
region of Cyrenaica, debkafile's military sources report. Seriously outgunned,
the anti-Qaddafi militias appeared to have folded and are no longer able to post
a defense line to stop the government advance.
It took Qaddafi three weeks of savage warfare to reverse the tide against him.
More and more rebel voices were heard Tuesday appealing desperately for
international or Arab aid to rescue them from the oncoming Qaddafi war machine.
For now, no help is seen to be on the way. President Barack Obama has not yet
reached a decision about US military intervention in Libya and British Prime
Minister David Cameron has backed away from his high rhetoric about a British
military role in the war against Qaddafi and is now saying the British will go
in only if the Americans do. Not a single Arab ruler or government is willing to
dip a toe into the Libyan cauldron. In the last few hours, Egypt's military
rulers have notified Washington that they have no intention of helping the
Libyan opposition, even by sending arms.
Qaddafi's commanders turned the tide of battle in their favor by the following
tactic: At the start of the week, they concentrated around the key town of Sirte
(Sidra) two armored battalions of T-72 tanks, three battalions of special
forces, beefed up by an extra 3,000 tribal fighters flown in from the Sahara,
and a fleet of dozens of helicopter gunships.
Our sources report that Qaddafi paid out many millions of petrodollars to the
heads of the Saharan tribal federation to hire fighting manpower form the
various tribes.
This force was split in two: One column advanced south along the Sidra Gulf
coast towards the refinery town of Ras Lanuf and the second struck southeast
toward the big oil town of Brega and Ajdabia. Both rolled forward behind a wall
of fire of BM-21 Katyusha rockets and helicopters firing missiles and heavy
machine guns as T-72 tanks mowed down everything in their path. Against the only
rebel position west of Tripoli in the town of Zawiya, dozens of tanks crushed
building after building before pulling out and then returning.
At the same time, the reports of Libyan air force bombardments of rebels have
been exaggerated. Our military sources report that the fighter jets were used to
sow panic in rebel ranks.
The ferocity of the pro-Qaddafi onslaught in the east and the west caught the
Libyan opposition forces without the weapons to fight it off. By Tuesday night,
they had paid the price with scores of dead and hundreds of injured.