LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
13/2011
Bible Quotation for today.
Psalm 127/1-5: "Unless Yahweh builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.
Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain. It is
vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil; for he
gives sleep to his loved ones. Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh.
The fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty
man, so are the children of youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver
full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in
the gate.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
The honor is taken out of the crime/By:
Shane Farrell/August
12/11
Our rotten state/Now
Lebanon/August 12/11
Canada's
Statement on Pakistan’s
First-Ever National Minorities Day/August
12/11
Without Saudi support, President
Bashar al-Assad's brutal dictatorship in Syria looks doomed/By: Con Coughlin/August
12/11
Beirut – Aleppo/By: Hazem al-Amin/August
12/11
Syria: What now?/By Tariq
Alhomayed/August
12/11
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 12/11
STL meets relatives of slain
ex-Communist Party head Hawi
Hamadeh Says Arms Not Targeted
against Enemy
Mass Protests Staged across Syria,
18 Killed
Syria army kills at least 27 in
overnight attacks on three main cities
European Security Council members
threaten Syria with tougher UN action
Clinton Says Call for Assad
Departure Must Come from 'Around the World'
Gul Warns Assad: Change or Be
Changed
Judiciary Contradicts Official
Account in Antelias Blast
Unidentified accomplices
charged in Lebanon bombing
Hizbullah: Linking Party’s Name to
Any Security Incident Aimed at Tarnishing its Image
Higher Defense Council Urges Strong
Measures to Prevent Arms Smuggling, Protect UNIFIL
U.S. threatens to halt humanitarian
aid to Gaza
Lebanon's Arabic press digest -
Aug. 12, 2011/Daily Star
March 14: Charges Filed against
Suspects in Antelias Blast Contradicts Govt. Account on Matter
Qassem: March 14 Camp’s Demands
Exactly Like Israel’s
Aoun ‘Not in Mood’ to Sit at
Same Table with Critics and Thieves
Pakistani Soldier Sentenced to
Death for Murder
Israel sets up "September Commands"
though no intel on Palestinian disorders
Clinton Says Call for Assad Departure Must Come from
'Around the World'
Naharnet /U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asked why Washington has not
yet explicitly called for the Syrian president’s departure, said Thursday her
country wanted such a call to come from “around the world,” not just from the
White House. “What we really need to do to put the pressure on Assad is to
sanction the oil and gas industry. And we want to see Europe take more steps in
that direction. And we want to see China take steps with us,” Clinton added in
an interview with CBS News. She also urged Russia to “cease selling arms to the
Assad regime." "The United States is looking to explicitly call for Assad to
step down. The timing of that is still in question," a U.S. official earlier
told Agence France Presse on the condition of anonymity, while another U.S.
official said the call could come as early as Thursday. Ignoring the
international outrage, Assad pledged this week a relentless battle against
"terrorist groups" Damascus says are fomenting a popular uprising across Syria.
Rights groups say more than 2,000 people have been killed in the crackdown on
the protest movement, which first erupted in mid-March with calls for reform
before demanding the fall of the regime over its bloody repression.**Source
Agence France Presse
Gul Warns Assad: Change or Be Changed
Naharnet/Turkish President Abdullah Gul has called on his Syrian counterpart to
implement overdue reforms before it is too late, in a letter handed over to
Bashar al-Assad by Turkey's foreign minister. "I would not want you to look back
some day and regret that you acted too little and too late," the Anatolia news
agency quoted Gul as saying in his letter.
"To be a leader who promotes change will put you in a historic position rather
than being swept away by the winds of change," he added. Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held talks with Assad for more than six hours on
Tuesday, pleading that he end bloodshed and open the path to political reforms.
His visit to Damascus was to pass on Ankara's message that it "has run out of
patience" with the ongoing violence, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
said. Ankara, whose ties with Damascus have flourished in recent years, has
repeatedly called on Assad to initiate reforms but has stopped short of calling
for his departure. The Syrian regime has sought to crush weeks of protests with
brutal force, killing more than 1,600 civilians and arresting at least 12,000 of
dissenters, rights activists say. On Friday Syrian security forces again opened
fire killing 10 people as thousands of anti-regime protesters poured onto
streets of flashpoint cities after the Ramadan weekly prayers, activists
said.*Source Agence France Presse
Mass Protests Staged across Syria, 18 Killed
Naharnet/Syrian security forces opened fire Friday killing 18 people as
thousands of anti-regime protesters poured onto streets of flashpoint cities
after the Ramadan weekly prayers, rights activists said. Friday's operations
come in defiance of warnings by the United States that Syria will face further
sanctions if it does not stop killing protesters.
A man was shot dead in an early morning assault on the Damascus suburb of Saqba
while a woman died when troops opened fire during a dawn raid in the town of
Khan Sheikhoun in northwestern Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said.
As thousands poured out of mosques after the noon prayers in the central city of
Hama, security forces opened fire, killing a civilian and wounding three others,
the Britain-based Observatory said. Hama has been the scene of some of the
bloodiest clashes since an uprising began mid-March against the authoritarian
rule of President Bashar al-Assad. At least 100 people died when troops backed
by tanks stormed the city on July 31, the eve of the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan.
State television streamed images showing Assi Square -- nerve center of protests
in Hama -- as completely empty, saying: "Life is back to normal in Assi Square,
there are no armed forces." Another man died in sniper fire Friday near a mosque
in Homs, another central city which has witnessed relentless bloodletting in
past weeks.
And a man was killed in Deir Ezzor, rights activists at the scene told Agence
France Presse.
Security forces also opened fired against demonstrators in two neighborhoods on
the outskirts of Damascus -- Harasta and Douma -- where they killed two people
and wounded five others, the Observatory reported. Meanwhile, Syrian television
said "two security agents were shot dead by armed men in Douma."
Security forces encircled the Damascus neighborhood of Qaboun in a bid to
prevent demonstrations after Friday prayers.
"They came in large numbers into Qaboun, shutting down the neighborhood and
encircling the mosques," the Observatory said.
Protests were also staged in the coastal city of Latakia while in the eastern
Mediterranean city of Banias troops circled mosques in a bid to prevent protests
taking place, the Observatory said. The protests are in response to a call by
Facebook group The Syrian Revolution 2011, a driving force behind the
anti-regime protests, for "no-kneeling" mass demonstrations after the weekly
prayers. "We only kneel before God," the group said on its Facebook page, also
urging Syrians to pursue anti-regime rallies throughout Ramadan, which started
August 1, saying "every day in Ramadan is a Friday."
At least 16 people were killed in a crackdown on dissent in other hubs of
protest across Syria on Thursday, according to rights activists.
The Observatory said a total of 2,150 people have been confirmed dead since the
protests began, including 1,744 civilians and 406 members of the security
forces.
As the West grapples with ways to pressure Damascus into ending the
bloodletting, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged China, Russia and
India on Thursday to weigh in against Assad's regime. In an interview with CBS
News, she suggested that China and India impose energy sanctions on Syria, and
urged Russia to stop selling arms to Damascus, which has bought weapons from
Moscow for decades. "What we really need to do to put the pressure on Assad is
to sanction the oil and gas industry. And we want to see Europe take more steps
in that direction," Clinton said. "And we want China to take steps with us. We
want to see India, because India and China have large energy investments inside
of Syria. We want to see Russia cease selling arms to the Assad regime."
Clinton's comments came as U.S. officials said Washington has decided to call
explicitly for Assad to step down.
Ignoring the growing international outrage, Assad pledged this week a relentless
battle against "terrorist groups" Damascus says are fomenting a popular uprising
across Syria.
Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said U.S. Ambassador
Robert Ford personally warned Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Thursday
that Syria will face further sanctions if it does not stop killing protesters.
Ford, who returned to Damascus last week after consultations in Washington, also
urged Syria's top diplomat to ensure journalists can cover the protests. As part
of the crackdown, Abdul Karim Rihawi, head of the Syrian League for the Defense
of Human Rights since 2004 and a key source of information for international
media, was arrested on Thursday, activists said. France condemned Rihawi's
arrest. "The arrest of Mr. Abdul Karim Rihawi ... constitutes another
unacceptable decision by the authorities in Damascus and goes directly against
the expectations of the international community," the foreign ministry said in
Paris on Friday. "Mr. Abdul Karim Rihawi must be released immediately," the
statement said.*Source Agence France Presse
STL meets relatives of slain
ex-Communist Party head Hawi
August 12, 2011/ By Yousef Diab/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon Friday informed the family
of slain former Communist Party leader George Hawi of a link between his case
and the killing of statesman Rafik Hariri.
The delegation met with Hawi’s wife, Suzy, and daughter, Nohra, at State
Prosecutor Saeed Mirza’s office at the Justice Palace in Beirut.
Nohra said following the meeting that the three-member STL delegation informed
her that Hawi’s case was now under the jurisdiction of the STL, and not with
Lebanese authorities after probes established a link to Hariri’s killing.
Hawi was assassinated in a car bombing June 21, 2005.
The STL delegation Thursday informed two Lebanese officials, who were targets of
assassination attempts, of a link between their cases and the Hariri killing,
judicial sources told The Daily Star. Former Defense Minister Elias Murr and MP
Marwan Hamadeh were informed of the connection to the 2005 Hariri assassination
by an STL delegation which met them separately at Mirza’s office.
In October 2004, Hamadeh was targeted by a car bomb which left him seriously
wounded, while Murr was targeted on July 12, 2005.
The delegation also met with journalist May Chidiac, the target of an
assassination attempt on Sept. 25, 2005.
Chidiac told reporters after the meeting at the Justice Palace that the
delegation had not informed her of a link between the assassination attempt
against her and Hariri’s killing.
“So far, there has been no link between the assassination attempt on my life
[and the Hariri assassination],” Chidiac told reporters, adding that the
delegation informed her that the tribunal’s investigation into the assassination
attempt on her life was ongoing.
She also said she had been told that there was a third case, along with that of
Murr and Hamadeh, that has been linked to Hariri’s assassination, but refused to
give details.
Judicial sources told The Daily Star that the STL delegation informed Lebanese
authorities through Mirza that the cases of Murr and Hamadeh, in addition to
Hawi, would now come under the jurisdiction of the STL and would be handled by
the tribunal rather than the Lebanese judiciary. – Additional reporting by Rima
S. Aboulmona.
STL meets relatives of slain
ex-Communist Party head Hawi
August 12, 2011/ By Yousef Diab/The Daily Star
Hawi was assassinated in a car bombing June 21, 2005. (Mohammad Azair/The Daily
Star)
BEIRUT: The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon Friday informed the family
of slain former Communist Party leader George Hawi of a link between his case
and the killing of statesman Rafik Hariri.
The delegation met with Hawi’s wife, Suzy, and daughter, Nohra, at State
Prosecutor Saeed Mirza’s office at the Justice Palace in Beirut.
Nohra said following the meeting that the three-member STL delegation informed
her that Hawi’s case was now under the jurisdiction of the STL, and not with
Lebanese authorities after probes established a link to Hariri’s killing.
Hawi was assassinated in a car bombing June 21, 2005.
The STL delegation Thursday informed two Lebanese officials, who were targets of
assassination attempts, of a link between their cases and the Hariri killing,
judicial sources told The Daily Star. Former Defense Minister Elias Murr and MP
Marwan Hamadeh were informed of the connection to the 2005 Hariri assassination
by an STL delegation which met them separately at Mirza’s office.
In October 2004, Hamadeh was targeted by a car bomb which left him seriously
wounded, while Murr was targeted on July 12, 2005.
The delegation also met with journalist May Chidiac, the target of an
assassination attempt on Sept. 25, 2005.
Chidiac told reporters after the meeting at the Justice Palace that the
delegation had not informed her of a link between the assassination attempt
against her and Hariri’s killing.
“So far, there has been no link between the assassination attempt on my life
[and the Hariri assassination],” Chidiac told reporters, adding that the
delegation informed her that the tribunal’s investigation into the assassination
attempt on her life was ongoing.
She also said she had been told that there was a third case, along with that of
Murr and Hamadeh, that has been linked to Hariri’s assassination, but refused to
give details.
Judicial sources told The Daily Star that the STL delegation informed Lebanese
authorities through Mirza that the cases of Murr and Hamadeh, in addition to
Hawi, would now come under the jurisdiction of the STL and would be handled by
the tribunal rather than the Lebanese judiciary. – Additional reporting by Rima
S. Aboulmona.
Hamadeh Says Arms Not Targeted against Enemy
Naharnet /MP and Former Minister Marwan Hamadeh expressed relief after his
meeting with a delegation from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Thursday.
Hamadeh, who escaped an assassination attempt in 2004, told al-Joumhouria
newspaper on Friday that “it was a day full of conflicting emotions.” “I am
relieved for the progress of investigations to unveil the conspiracy that
targeted the country as a whole, and we were modest targets in it,” the lawmaker
said. However, the daily quoted Hamadeh as saying: “I am revolted to find out
that the weapons of some (parties) aren’t headed towards the enemy.”Earlier on
Thursday, a delegation from the joint U.N. and international investigators
commission held talks with Ministers Elias Murr and Marwan Hamadeh and ex-LBCI
anchorwoman May Chidiac on the investigations and their findings. The commission
informed Murr, Hamadeh and Chidiac that two of the Hizbullah suspects accused in
the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are also involved in
their murder attempts, Central News Agency reported on Thursday. The commission
also informed them that the two suspects are also involved in the assassination
of former Lebanese Communist Party leader George Hawi, who was killed in a bomb
attack planted in his car in 2005.
Hariri to Suleiman: Dialogue Door Opens by Solving
Illegitimate Arms
Naharnet /Former Premier Saad Hariri snapped back at President Michel Suleiman
on Friday saying the only way to hold national dialogue is through finding a
solution to Hizbullah’s weapons. “The only door for dialogue opens by solving
the issue of illegitimate arms and not by making renewed overt attempts to lure
the issue of the international tribunal to the dialogue table,” Hariri said in
statement issued by his press office. At a presidential Iftar on Thursday,
Suleiman urged for dialogue to confront the repercussions of the events in the
Arab world and the state of anticipation over the STL, which are spreading
concern among citizens. Hariri has previously voiced skepticism about Suleiman’s
invitation for all-party talks, insisting that Hizbullah’s arms should be the
only topic for discussion, or else the March 14-led opposition would not attend
the dialogue session. Hariri said in his statement that developments in the Arab
world and the anticipation over the course of the international tribunal “should
not be a reason of concern among the Lebanese.”“Most Lebanese find the Arab
popular movement as an occasion to spread democracy in Arab political life,” the
former prime minister added.
Mystery Shrouds Antelias Explosion
Naharnet /An explosion that rocked the town of Antelias on Thursday was
apparently the result of a personal dispute between car dealers. The blast
killed two people who were in possession of an explosive device at the time of
its detonation. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told the cabinet that the
explosion was a result of a financial and personal dispute between several
people, including some car dealers. The two men, Hassan Nayef Nassar and Ihsan
Ali Diya, were killed while pulling out the grenade detonator at a parking lot,
he said.
Nassar hails from the village of Kfarhouna in Jezzine and resides there while
Diya is from Bafleh in Tyre. However, he resides in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Charbel stressed that the probe hasn’t revealed that a political or another
known figure was targeted. Security forces are searching for a third person who
is involved in the financial dispute, the minister said. "Our investigation so
far does not point to an act of sabotage," he told reporters.
In remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio station 100.5 on Friday, Charbel said that
the victims most probably tried to plant the explosives device in the vehicle of
a third person who owes them money. However, a security source doubted the
interior minister’s statement telling al-Liwaa daily that investigators were
seeking to find a link between the location of the blast and the residence of
Ralph Riachi, one of the Lebanese Judges at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
His home lies only 300 meters away.
Informed sources also told An Nahar newspaper that the discrepancy in the
explanations and statements made over the explosion before the end of the probe
raised doubts about the incident. Media reports had said that State Shura
Council Judge Albert Serhan was the likely target. His car was parked in the
parking lot where the bomb blast went off.
But the judge denied that he was being targeted. "My son is an engineer and he
parks his car in that lot, along with his colleagues, near their office," Serhan
said.
"I have never been threatened nor does anyone in my family dabble in politics,"
he added.
Aoun ‘Not in Mood’ to Sit at Same Table with Critics and
Thieves
Naharnet /Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun informed Baabda palace that
he rejected to attend the presidential Iftar on Thursday because he refuses to
sit at the same table with “some thieves and public money squanderers,” As Safir
daily reported. Aoun also told the FPM’s OTV station that he didn’t attend the
Iftar in Baabda because his “mood” does not allow him to sit with officials that
criticized his proposal of a draft-law that would allow the energy ministry to
raise a $1.2 billion fund to build plants to produce 700 megawatts of
electricity.
The draft law faced a strong rejection from March 14 MPs and also drew
skepticism from some of Aoun’s allies, including members of Walid Jumblat’s
National Struggle Front bloc, during a parliamentary session on Wednesday. Aoun
said that he was frustrated because the dispute that erupted at the session
didn’t come on the draft law itself but it exceeded to personal insults. “It
appeared as if we are going to put the $1.2 billion in our pockets,” the
lawmaker told OTV, saying he was even shocked by the negligence of some cabinet
ministers during the parliamentary session. “We were expecting the electricity
plan to receive consensus” in parliament, he said. “I was very much shocked by
some of our ministers who didn’t insist that the plan could not be postponed.”
European Diplomats Warn of Possible Israeli War on Lebanon Next Month
Naharnet /European diplomatic sources did not rule out an Israeli aggression on
Lebanon in September warning the Jewish state could target state institutions,
including Lebanese army barracks.The sources told An Nahar daily published
Friday that the new Israeli war would not only target Hizbullah arms depots and
officials but also hit the water and electricity sectors and army positions.
European countries that have contingents in UNIFIL have received such info, the
sources said. Tel Aviv has drawn an efficient military plan that would guarantee
a success in any new confrontation with Hizbullah, they told the newspaper. The
alleged war would be aimed at thwarting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas’ determination to go ahead with the U.N. membership bid. The Israeli
government strongly rejects such a move and is making attempts to lure the
Palestinians back into peace talks based on the 1967 borders if they abandon the
U.N. membership campaign.
Al-Jisr Unveils Meeting between Hariri and Jumblat, PSP Denies
Naharnet /Former Premier Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader
Walid Jumblat held talks in Turkey last weekend, al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Samir al-Jisr
said on Friday.
Al-Jisr told al-Joumhouria daily that he heard the meeting took place while
Jumblat was visiting Turkey along with Minister Ghazi Aridi, but he said he had
no details about the talks.
However, the deputy of the PSP chief, Doreid Yaghi, denied to Akhbar al-Yawm
news agency that Jumblat held a meeting with Hariri in Turkey. Al-Jisr wondered
why people would be surprised if two high ranking officials met. Al-Mustaqbal
movement has kept a thin thread with Jumblat, he said. Turning to the issue of
arms smuggling from Lebanon to Syria and the seizure of a truck at the
Dabousiyyeh border crossing, the lawmaker said: “Hizbullah has surely donated
the arms to its allies.”He advised Hizbullah to stop accusing al-Mustaqbal of
smuggling weapons to the neighboring country to help the uprising against the
Syrian regime.
Clash Erupts as Anti, Pro-Assad Protesters Stage Rival
Demos in Hamra
Naharnet /A clash erupted Thursday outside the Syrian embassy in Beirut’s Hamra
district between protesters belonging to the Jamaa Islamiya and supporters of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, state-run National News Agency reported. “A
number of citizens had called for a rally outside the embassy’s building at 6:30
pm in solidarity with the Syrian people,” NNA added, noting that security forces
immediately intervened to break up the brawl.
Following the fistfight, police commandos and army troops formed a human wall to
prevent further clashes between the two sides, as more demonstrators arrived on
the scene, NNA said.
Meanwhile, MTV said the pro-Assad demo was organized by members of the Baath
Party and the Syrian Social National Party, noting that some demonstrators were
carrying Hizbullah flags. “Some demonstrators are carrying hidden batons
on them in order to use them in possible rioting,” MTV added.
Qassem: March 14 Camp’s Demands Exactly Like Israel
Naharnet /Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated on
Thursday that the Resistance does not have any enemies on the internal scene in
Lebanon.
He said during a Ramadan iftar: “Our only enemy is Israel and we don’t have
enemies in Lebanon, except sides that we differ with politically.”
“It’s unfortunate that some of these sides adopt the political approach in
making demands that are exactly like those of Israel,” he noted.
“If this is a coincidence, then we warn them against falling for that trap,” he
continued. “The Resistance in Lebanon is not an armed group, but it encompasses
all walks of life in the country and it grants life, dignity, and a future,”
Qassem stressed. “That is why they want to topple the Resistance and we advise
them against becoming part of the Israeli agenda,” he stated.
Addressing the March 14 camp, the Hizbullah official said: “Whoever says that
the Resistance is not necessary should tell us how they expect to liberate
Israeli-occupied land and thwart Israeli attacks.”
March 14: Charges Filed against Suspects in Antelias Blast Contradicts
Govt. Account on Matter
Naharnet /March 14: Charges Filed against Suspects in Antelias Blast Contradicts
Govt. Statement on Matter
The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Friday the government’s handling
of various explosions that have taken place in Lebanon, most notably Thursday’s
Antelias bombing and the Rouweis blast that took place a few weeks ago, accusing
it of hiding the facts from the public.It said in a statement: “It is making
light of the developments and altering the facts in order to hide the truth.” It
explained that Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr pressed charges against
individuals suspected of being involved in the Antelias bombing, which
contradicts the government statement that the blast took place between two
people who were quarrelling over money, one of whom happened to have a hand
grenade.
The charges demonstrate that other sides, besides the victims, were linked to
the incident, said the statement. The General Secretariat demanded an end to the
political protection of the criminals who are targeting the Lebanese people,
calling on the government “to take the necessary constitutional measures to hold
the politicians who have altered the truth accountable for their actions.” It
also demanded that they put an end to the dominance of arms on the lives of the
people.
Furthermore, it criticized the Higher Defense Council’s meeting on Friday,
saying that it did not deal firmly with the security developments in Lebanon and
therefore failed to reassure the Lebanese people over the country’s safety and
stability. Two people were killed in Antelias on Thursday when a grenade in
their possession took off.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told cabinet that the explosion was a result of
a financial and personal dispute between several people, including some car
dealers.
He stressed that the probe hasn’t revealed that a political or another known
figure was targeted. Security forces are searching for a third person who is
involved in the financial dispute, the minister said."Our investigation so far
does not point to an act of sabotage," he told reporters. Charbel told Voice of
Lebanon radio station 100.5 on Friday that the victims most probably tried to
plant the explosives device in the vehicle of a third person who owes them
money. A few weeks ago, an explosion erupted in the Rouweis neighborhood of
Beirut’s southern suburbs.Mystery surrounds the circumstances of the explosion,
while Hizbullah stated that it was caused by a gas canister.
The honor is taken out of the crime
Shane Farrell, August 12, 2011
Now Lebanon/A Lebanese woman carries a placard that reads in Arabic "A man cares
about his mother, sister, daughter and wife" during a rally organized by KAFA,
an NGO that strongly supported the move to abolish an article permitting honor
crimes. (AFP photo/Joseph Eid)
Family honor. The concept is so hard to define, yet tarnishing it—by means of
sexual behavior, perceived or real—has cost many lives in Lebanon. Until
recently, a person convicted of killing or injuring a female family member “in a
crime of observed adultery, or in a situation of unlawful intercourse” could
legally benefit from a reduced jail sentence.
Such were the terms of Article 562 of the penal code, an article that was
revoked last week after four decades of advocacy by lawmakers, jurists and civil
society groups.
According to the 2007 study “Crimes of Honor: Between Reality and the Law,” the
existence of Article 562 sanctifies gender inequality within Lebanese law. For
one, it demonstrated that “sexual intercourse outside marriage impugns the honor
of the female involved [but] not the male partner.” Furthermore, it implied
“that a woman’s honor is the property of her male relatives, not her own.” As
such, it appears to be in violation of Article 7 of the Lebanese constitution,
which stipulates that “All Lebanese are equal before the law.”
However Samir al-Jisr, a Future Movement MP who voted against the annulment of
Article 562, disagrees. In a phone interview with NOW Lebanon, Jisr said he does
not believe the wording of Article 562 inherently discriminates against women;
specifically, he notes that the Arabic word zawjeh (spouse) applies to both men
and women.
Secondly, he said that with the annulment of Article 562, cases previously
relating to it will now be examined under Article 252, which allows for reduced
sentences for crimes committed in rage resulting from an “unrightful” and
dangerous act on the part of the victim. This, he feels, will result in greater
room for judges to use their own interpretations, which could lead to big
discrepancies in the results of cases.
For Batroun MP Boutros Harb—who confirmed that, contrary to some reports, he
supported the motion to abolish Article 562—“There is no difference between the
sin of a man and a sin of a woman. It’s not fair. Lebanon should abolish all the
distinction between the rights of men and the rights of women.”
Article 562 was revoked due to broad support by the Kataeb, which spearheaded
the initiative; the Lebanese Forces; the Change and Reform bloc; as well as the
majority of Future Movement MPs.
Curiously absent from the vote, however, were the four female MPs in Lebanon’s
parliament. According to their respective offices, Change and Reform bloc MP
Gilberte Zouein was on holiday in France, while Lebanese Forces MP Strida Geagea,
who had previously worked on the abolishment of Article 562, attended the
parliamentary session but had to leave before voting due to engagements in
Bcharre. The offices of Independent MP Nayla Tueni and Future Movement MP Bahia
Hariri had not responded to NOW Lebanon by the time of publishing.
For Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel, a strong advocate of abolishing laws relating to
honor crimes, annulling Article 562 will lower the likelihood of criminals
getting a reduced sentence unjustifiably. “The fact that this law exists gives
some people incentive to kill because they know that when they are in front of a
judge they will present it as an honor crime in order to get a reduced
sentence,” he told NOW Lebanon.
This is backed up by the 2007 study, which examined 25 cases that occurred
between 1998 and 2003. According to the study, “a number of crimes committed
under the title ‘crimes of honor’ or ‘washing away the shame’ were not in fact
such, although the perpetrator attempted to hide behind this pretext in order to
benefit from the excuse of mitigation in Article 562…” One example given was of
a husband who “used to beat his wife all the time for no reason” and killed her
after she complained about her treatment to her family, despite “acknowled[ging]
that his wife had been pure and chaste.” Zoya Rouhana, the director of KAFA, an
organization that works on women’s rights, also believes the annulling of
Article 562 will in the long-term disincentivize murder. However, she stressed
that the battle for women’s equality is far from over and that the next big step
is passing a law which, among other things, outlaws domestic violence and
marital rape. With staunch opposition from religious courts, the proposed Bill
for the Protection of Women against Family Violence is going to be much more
difficult to pass.
Our rotten state?
Now Lebanon/August 11, 2011
Lebanon’s new government has done little to burnish its credentials since it
assumed full power in June of this year after five months of shameful
deliberations. Indeed, the cabinet appears to have made protecting the interests
of its regional backers in Syria and Iran more of a priority than addressing the
core business of getting the country back on its feet.
To make matters worse, the new administration has apparently found itself on the
wrong side of the regional fence over the international condemnation of the
unspeakable brutality meted out upon anti-regime demonstrators in Syria. In
fact, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and Michel Aoun, the leader
of the Free Patriotic Movement, have actively supported the clampdown even as
the Arab nations have woken up and spoken as one against the regime in Damascus.
This is a government that is swimming against the tide and out of touch with
international, regional and local opinion.
Thursday’s bomb blast in Antelias is another serious development and a worrying
indicator that those who might want to see Lebanon plunged into chaos have
access to the highest echelons of power. Tensions are already running high over
the indictments handed down by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and Hezbollah’s
refusal to hand over those wanted for trial, while events in Syria can very
easily spill onto our streets. It is yet another example that the state is not
gripping its responsibilities.
Elsewhere, it doesn’t look like the administration will roll up its sleeves and
do much about pressing social concerns. Take the ongoing chaos on Lebanon’s
roads. Last year amid much fanfare then-Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, a man who
was perceived as a clean and honest technocrat, announced that his police force
had installed radar cameras on Lebanon’s main roads and that those caught
speeding would be fined and hauled before a judge if they failed to pay.
We were told that on the first day, hundreds of drivers had been fined and that
this was the beginning of a new culture of safe and responsible driving. The
public, we were informed, could dial a special hotline to see if the new radars
had captured them. It all seemed too good to be true.
One year on, the initiative appears to have all but died. The state of driving
on our roads has, if anything, gotten worse, and once again another initiative
has gone the way of neglect.
There is only one thing worse than no law, and that is the lack of enforcement
of any given law. Admittedly this government was not “on duty” when the radars
were introduced, but the cancer of non-enforcement has been with us for decades.
It is the sibling of the empty promise, of which we have had many over the
years.
Today, we are told that within three weeks we will have faster Internet, that
Lebanon will pursue an aggressive and transparent bid to exploit our natural gas
and oil assets, and that the state is working hard to deliver 24-hour
electricity and harness our water resources.
In reality, all have been rolled out to accrue political capital, but none carry
the institutional infrastructure to execute them, nor is there the sense of duty
to embark upon any initiative for the national good at the expense of the
opportunity for personal gain.
The tragedy of Lebanon is that the core has disappeared from the state. Either
there is no will to work for the common good, or we simply do not have the
talent and/or the inclination to see through even the most basic initiatives. It
would be hard enough to reverse this worrying situation with a cabinet of
single-minded, focused and able technocrats, let alone a government that was
hand-picked to serve Iran and Syria.It’s a worrying thought to grapple with.
Without Saudi support, President Bashar al-Assad's brutal
dictatorship in Syria looks doomed
Con Coughlin , telegraph.co.uk,
August 12, 2011
The fall of the House of Assad in Syria is not going to be pretty, but when it
happens it is going to have the most profound and lasting impact of all the
revolts that are currently challenging the established order of the Arab world.
At a time when troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are continuing to
terrorise protesters, it might seem premature to start compiling the regime’s
obituary. Yesterday, government forces were reported to have killed another 18
people in the central city of Homs, while dozens more are said to have died in
nearby Hama. In all, an estimated 1,700 anti-government activists have lost
their lives in the five months since the protests began, and thousands more have
been arrested and tortured.
The brutality of this response may have stymied the initial momentum for change
generated by the nationwide protests, but it has done little to improve the
Assad regime’s long-term survival prospects. On the contrary, the uninhibited
use of tanks and snipers against unarmed civilians has only succeeded in further
increasing the Syrian government’s international isolation to the point where,
for the first time since the unrest began in March, its ability to survive the
uprising is now being openly called into question.
Every political crisis has its game-changing moment – the point when the balance
tips irrevocably in favour of one particular outcome. In Egypt, the military’s
decision to withdraw its support for President Hosni Mubarak was the crucial
factor in his overthrow, while in Libya the Arab League’s unanimous backing for
military intervention against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi provided the political
cover for Nato’s military intervention.
So far as Syria is concerned, the Assad regime’s fate was sealed earlier this
week when a succession of key regional allies finally reached the end of their
tether and washed their hands of the dictator. Damascus will no doubt claim that
it will not be affected by the decision of Kuwait and Bahrain to withdraw their
ambassadors in protest at the government’s heavy-handed tactics. The Bahrainis,
in particular, are in no position to criticise the intolerance of other Arab
states after the way they suppressed their own uprising in the spring.
But the diplomatic break with Saudi Arabia, which has also withdrawn its
ambassador, is another matter entirely. With Egypt currently preoccupied with
its own political chaos, Saudi Arabia is generally held to be the pre-eminent
power in the Arab world. As such, it has the ability to make or break regimes:
the kingdom’s military intervention in Bahrain was the decisive factor in
silencing the Shia opposition, while its long-standing contempt for Gaddafi
proved to be the decisive factor in the Arab League’s vote in favour of military
action.
Con Coughlin is an expert on international terrorism and the Middle East.
Beirut – Aleppo
Hazem al-Amin, August 12, 2011
Now Lebanon/A gathering was held last Monday in downtown Beirut as an expression
of solidarity with the Syrian people’s plight under the Syrian regime. The
meeting was attended by hundreds of activists, writers, journalists and
individuals who were appalled by the events in our neighboring country.
Coincidentally, the meeting was held one day after several Arab states and
governments ended their silence regarding these events. The Arab League and the
GCC thus issued statements, and Gulf States withdrew their ambassadors from
Damascus.
Participation in this Beirut gathering was limited to civil activists who do not
belong to any particular political movements and are not part of social blocs.
The gathering was held in Beirut but was devoid of any local civil
representation. The political and cultural Beirut was there, but the civil
Beirut was not. Such an absence was a characteristic feature of the meeting.
Some said it was positive as it reflected civil unanimity over sympathy with the
Syrian people’s plight, whereas others deemed it reflective of the lack of any
civil status in the city. In fact, political forces representing it, namely the
Future Movement, were represented by symbolic figures rather than by urban and
daily faces, i.e. students, women and unions. This reveals the existence of a
genuine dilemma that should addressed immediately. Indeed, one cannot say that
the Future Movement has its hands tied politically on such an occasion as proven
by Future Movement leader Saad Hariri’s successive statements in which he stated
his support for victims in Syria, in addition to the fact that the movement was
represented in the gathering by MP Ahmad Fatfat and former Minister Hassan
Mneimneh. This goes without mentioning the Saudi stance, which coincided with a
rare demonstration in the Saudi capital Riyadh to protest against what the
Syrian people is subjected to.
Another shortcoming prevented civil participation in Beirut – and this reminds
us of another abstention in the Syrian uprising: The city of Aleppo has
abstained from joining the protest movement. We now have seemingly convincing
answers regarding the reasons underlying Aleppo’s abstention, which range from
the city’s trade status and tremendous regime investments in it in addition to
the tight security grasp and the help of neighboring tribes to control the city.
Accordingly, the questions asked regarding Beirut may lead to similar, if not
identical, answers. Political Beirut seems unable to be in sync with civil
Beirut. It is by no means a coincidence that political (the manner in which Saad
Hariri was deprived of the premiership being an example in this respect) and
security (the spread of weapons) decision-making were easily taken away from its
representative and civil committees. The most dangerous thing of all is that
civil Beirut’s abstention from taking part in an occasion similar to the one
held Monday evening is tantamount to an approval of what the city was subjected
to.
Syria: What now?
By Tariq Alhomayed
Asharq Al-Awsat
The Turkish Foreign Minister [Ahmet Davutoglu] left Damascus without announcing
any tangible results from his visit, indeed the al-Assad regime continued its
policy of killing innocent Syrian citizens [during this visit], so the question
that must be asked today is: what now? The Syrian regime’s position on the
Turkish visit does not require further clarification, for while Davutoglu was
meeting with al-Assad, Syrian troops killed at least 30 civilians and stormed a
town close to the Turkish border!
Therefore, this is a question must be answered today! We must be aware that we
have a number of options with regards dealing with the situation in Syria today,
and ensuring that the Baathist regime is held responsible for the crimes it has
committed against the people of Syria. Some might ask; how can we achieve this?
Firstly, we must establish an international committee or group – made up of Arab
states, Turkey, Europe, and the US – to manage the Syrian crisis. This is in
order to proceed with dealing with the Syrian crisis internationally, and in
order to guarantee the issuance of effective UN resolutions – via the UN
Security Council – which guarantee that the Syrian regime will not be able to
avoid responsibility for its actions, along the lines of the [international]
response against the Saddam Hussein regime following the Iraqi occupation of
Kuwait. A number of UN resolutions must quickly be issued against the al-Assad
regime, including a resolution imposing an international embargo on the Syrian
petroleum industry which is funding the government’s suppressive operations
against the Syrian people; in addition to this a number of the pillars of the
Syrian regime should be referred to the International Court of Justice.
Simply by beginning to implement these decisions today would send a clear and
unequivocal message to the Damascus regime, informing it that it will not get
away with what it is doing today against the people of Syria. The al-Assad
regime is feeling fairly secure today, particularly with regards to the lack of
any effective steps or decisions being taken against it and its figures. This is
something that allows the Damascus regime to understand that in the event of it
being able to quell the popular Syrian uprising that is taking place in the
country today through the force of arms and brutal suppression, then it will be
easy to normalize its international relations [following this], even if this is
through political extortion, which represents one of the most prominent foreign
policy tools of the al-Assad regime.
The formation of an international committee or group to deal with an
international crisis has therefore become a matter of urgency today, for a
number of reasons, particularly with regards to the strong Arab and
international position that has been taken following the statement issued by
King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz addressing Syria, and the subsequent recall of
ambassadors from Damascus, not to mention the shifting Russian position [on
Syria]. We must be aware of a very important issue here, namely that neither
Russia nor China has moved closer to the Baathist regime in Damascus, whilst
India, Brazil, and South Africa have also changed their position – seemingly for
the last time – towards Damascus. We are not facing a pivotal moment in which
everybody has discovered that the al-Assad regime is not just like the Gaddafi
regime, but more closely resembles the Milosevic regime. Therefore, this is
something that reveals the inherent absurdity of talking about Turkey’s two week
ultimatum to the al-Assad regime [to implement reform], for nothing must be
excluded today with regards to dealing with the Damascus regime, including even
using international forces against the Syrian regime that only speaks the
language of murdering its own people.
In conclusion there must be Arab, Turkish, European, and American joint
cooperation today to deal with the forthcoming stage in Syria, as it has become
clear that the al-Assad regime is heading into a dead end. We must therefore
rectify the situation, and look into the details of a post-al-Assad stage.
Israel sets up "September Commands" though no intel on Palestinian disorders
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report /August 12, 2011/
Israel's military, police and Shin Bet security service have been drilling
extreme scenarios of possible Palestinian disturbances, mass rallies or even
terrorist attacks in September – even through there is no specific intelligence
of a security threat in the offing. The authorities are taking care not to be
caught off guard again as they were on May 15, when a Palestinian mob suddenly
surged across the Syrian border.
According to debkafile's intelligence sources, no organized Palestinian body or
group is actively preparing disorders or acts of terror outside the West Bank
and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has never named any officer to
set up such troubles.
All that is happening is that low-ranking Fatah field activists have held
meetings during the last month at Fatah district cells to discuss holding
possibly rowdy demonstrations near the Israeli border and settlements. So far
the talk has not reached the point of action.
Those sources say Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was exaggerating when he
warned last Sunday, August 7, that the Palestinians were preparing for
"unprecedented bloodshed" after the UN vote in September.
"The more they (the Palestinians) talk about nonviolent activity, the more
intensive are their preparations for bloodshed," he said. "When you plan for a
march of tens of thousands of people to overrun the checkpoints and burst
through, it is not hard to imagine what will happen if 30,000-40,000 people mob
a checkpoint. The Palestinians are preparing this down to the last detail."This
prediction is not confirmed by security circles, who suggest that it may be
based on the worst-case scenarios for which the IDF, Police and Shin Bet are
obliged to be prepared – even in the absence of solid evidence.
Two months ago, the international flotilla for breaking Israel's Gaza blockade
presented another surprise, although this time it was a relief. Israel had
geared up to intercept dozens of ships and thousands of protesters, some of them
violent like last year. In the end the protest fizzled out and only a small
yacht with 16 activists turned up.
All the same, debkafile's military sources report the three security
organizations have established "September Command Centers" for coordination in
case of an extreme event, such as violent Palestinian demonstrations backed from
Syria, Lebanon (Hizballah) and the Gaza Strip with cross-border terrorist and
military attacks and incursions.
The Assad regime and Hamas each has an interest in such action – the former for
drawing attention away from his ferocious assaults on civilians and the latter
for stealing the thunder of Mahmoud Abbas's step to gain UN recognition of an
independent Palestinian state – if he goes through with it.
Those sources believe the three external parties will only go into action if the
Palestinians manage to stage massive and dramatic demonstrations on the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. They will then pose as championing the Palestinian cause.
Wednesday, Aug. 10, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz paid a surprise visit to
the Binyamin Brigade and ordered the soldiers on the spot to practice their
responses to a sudden emergency with no advance warning, as part of the military
preparations for the Palestinian declaration of independence.
The brigade went into instant action in an area stretching from Maccabim in the
west to Highway 443 in the center and Jerusalem in the east, tying up highway
traffic for hours.
Israelintelligence has also intensified its monitoring operations of Palestinian
activity, debkafile's military sources report, analyzing and relaying to the
September Command Centers word of every movement and cyber flicker.
Its superfine net caught an unexpected fish Wednesday when Salim Alawi, Al
Jazeera's senior correspondent in Afghanistan coming from Jordan was stopped for
inspection at the Allenby bridge border post on the Israeli side of the border.
Israel security had received advance notice of his arrival. Its officers are
still trying to puzzle out what brought him from Afghanistan to the West Bank
this August.
They are questioning the journalist, who is known for his ties with the Taliban,
to find out if he has information about impending events in the Palestinian
arena that Israeli security should have.
With so many "ifs" and "buts" every avenue is being explored.
Minister Baird Statement on Pakistan’s First-Ever National Minorities Day
(No. 227 - August 11, 2011 - 9:15 p.m. ET) John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Affairs
Minister, today issued the following statement marking the inaugural National
Minorities Day in Pakistan:
“On Pakistan’s inaugural National Minorities Day, Canada welcomes efforts by
Pakistan to protect human rights, including religious freedoms, and to advocate
interfaith tolerance and understanding.
“Freedom of speech and religious assembly are integral elements of democratic
societies and key ingredients for prosperity and security. In order for
societies to succeed, extremists cannot be allowed to intimidate minorities
through violence.
“We are reminded that, tragically, Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz
Bhatti and Governor of Punjab province Salman Taseer, both strong public
advocates for tolerance and moderation in Pakistan, were assassinated earlier
this year. Canada is hopeful that their legacies will continue to advance the
values they championed.
“Canada encourages Pakistan to continue promoting the rights of all minorities,
including for individuals belonging to Ahmadiyya and Christian communities.”
The Government of Canada has committed to creating an Office of Religious
Freedom to help protect and promote religious minorities around the world.
Canada will continue to pursue a principled foreign policy to advance freedom,
democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Follow us on Twitter: @DFAIT_MAECI