LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
26/2011
Bible Quotation for today.
Exodus
20:2/Fifth Biblical commandment: "Honor your father and your mother that your
days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you"
Proverbs
23:22: "Listen
to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is
old".
Against any Party that does not recognize Lebanon
as a Final Nation
Parties such as Hezbollah, the PSNS, the
Baath party, hezb el tawhid, and other extremist factions, DO NOT recognize
Lebanon as a legitimate, legal and final nation. Their charter clearly pursues
other agendas, and their daily political proselytizing and actions on the ground
blatantly push towards such deviant projects as the welayet el fakeeh, a greater
Syria, a single-party dictatorship, or a shareeha
governed state. This situation contravenes in full our constitution, our
heritage, our social pact, and our political contract. It also tramples ALL
principles of democratic governance, trashes ALL our basic human rights, and
replaces ‘rule of law’ with ‘law of the ruler’ There
was a time when such parties were banned, and their leaders were arrested and
sentenced. Back then, Lebanon was a free, strong, prosperous, and sovereign
nation. Help us bring it back. Outlaw non-Lebanese parties. LOUBNAN FAKAT.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Hezbollah faces its trial with
errors/By
Michael Young/August
25/11
Power struggle/By:
Matt Nash/August 25/11
Saif al-Islam: Libya's Al-Sahaf/By
Tariq Alhomayed/August 25/11
Canada Welcomes Outcome of
Special Session of Human Rights Council on Syria/August
25/11
Gaddafi's lesson is one for the
media as well/By Ali Ibrahim/August
25/11
Gaddafi and the CIA/By Adel Al
Toraifi/August
25/11
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 25/11
IDF: Egyptian frontier on peak
alert, no longer a border of peace/DEBKAfile
Israel Warns Islamic Jihad over
Rockets, 6 Gazans Killed in 24 Hours
Sarkozy rules out French
intervention in Syria
Syrian forces raid tribal
east for 2nd day
Satirical Cartoonist Beaten Up in
Syria
World mulls new sanctions as Syrian
forces enter town near Iraq border
IDF strikes Gaza after more than 20
rockets hit southern Israel
Doubts emerge over identity of
terrorists who carried out attack in Israel's south
Cheney: I urged Bush to bomb
Syria's nuclear reactor, but he refused
Yossi Melman / Despite some
Israel-Libya contacts, warm ties are not on the horizon
'NATO giving Libya rebels
intelligence to help track Gadhafi'
Libya rebels set to root
out Gadhafi diehards
Future Movement steps up campaign
against Hezbollah
Fadlallah: We Cannot Depend on
Telecom. Data Alone in Hariri Case
March 14 Lawyers to Consider
Protection of 4 Hariri Murder Suspects a Crime
Aoun-Jumblat Power Struggle
Paralyzes Government
Suleiman Warns of Cabinet Division
over ‘Technical’ Electricity Dispute
Lebanese Cabinet meeting
fails to generate agreement over electricity
Lebanese
Cabinet signs off on
Internet upgrade
Britain Vows to Exert Efforts to
Support Stability in Lebanon
Fletcher officially recognized as
new British ambassador to Lebanon
Brothers wounded in Beirut grenade
blasts
Miqati in Mecca for Omra, Jumblat
Could Visit Saudi Arabia Over Electricity Dispute
Lebanon's Arabic press digest -
Aug. 25, 2011/The Daily Star
Future bloc MP Atef Majdalani hints
Aoun wants to “obstruct the government”
Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni: Our
goal is to bring down the cabinet
Syrian ambassador to Lebanon says
crisis “fabricated” by outsiders
Future bloc MP Nabil De Freige
slams March 8 MPs for “obstructing” parliament session
Minister of the Displaced Alaeddine
Terro says energy issue “not political”
Lebanon's
Arabic press digest - Aug. 25, 2011
The Daily Star /Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a
selection of Lebanese newspapers Thursday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the
accuracy of these reports.
Al-Liwaa: Mikati to Saudi Arabia … Jumblatt awaits appointment … Cabinet meeting
collapses
FPM ministers attack Aridi … Aoun surprised by Jumblatt’s stance
President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati have resorted to the
[buying] time game in an effort to contain the political-ministerial clash
within the government coalition, particularly the one between MPs Michel Aoun
and Walid Jumblatt who – each due to personal considerations – have chose
“dignity” over the government’s interests or even government’s survival.
According to information, Aoun woke up early [Wednesday] to the news of
Jumblatt’s stance: “I don’t care if the government stayed or not,” a quote
interpreted by Aoun as a direct response after the Free Patriotic Movement
leader threatened with an equation “either electricity or dignity” which
translates to quitting Cabinet if government fails to endorse a controversial
electricity bill submitted by Energy Minister Jibran Bassil.
Bassil will hold a news conference before midday Thursday to continue defending
his electricity plan and hinting at an electricity crisis.
FPM officials quoted Aoun as expressing resentment and said he was following up
on events minute by minute - sideline talks that took place Wednesday prior to
the 10-minute Cabinet meeting – to establish one point: the [electricity] plan
did not collapse but needs more time, prompting Cabinet to postpone the meeting
until Sept. 7.
Mikati was hopeful that the coming two weeks would guarantee understanding on
the sticking points, particularly with regards to managing spending which starts
with a $1.2 billion fund.
Information made available to Al-Liwaa said tension mounted between Aoun’s team
and that of Jumblatt with one side arguing over the issue of unchecked spending
(over LL500 billion) at the Public Works Ministry and the other about the
electricity plan which is required to go under the supervision of regulatory
bodies.
Al-Mustaqbal: March 14 calls on the government to go
“Son-in-law” [Bassil] plan: Aoun defeated and Hezbollah kept him in government
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun was politically defeated
Wednesday when Cabinet failed to endorse the electricity bill despite threats to
withdraw his ministers from the government if it did not approve the draft law.
This came as Progressive Socialist Party ministers held onto their stance,
rejecting Bassil’s terms, particularly following Aoun’s remarks Tuesday which
prompted the real head of the government, “Hezbollah,” to pressure Aoun to back
down on his intention to withdraw his ministers from the Cabinet after failing
to convince Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi to soften his stance and allow the
bill to pass at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Sources that have closely followed up on negotiations that took place in the
past few days summed up the political situation: the new majority [March 8
alliance] cannot take any decision without MP Walid Jumblatt’s approval.
Sleiman and Mikati met privately with Aridi prior to Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting
in an effort to make him soften his stance. When they failed, they held separate
talks with ministers Bassil and Mohammad Fneish urging them to accept
postponement of Cabinet to give more time to resolve the issue. The ministers
had to accept for fear that the dispute would move to Parliament and therefore
the bill would not pass should the PSP lawmakers decide to vote against it.
Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi, according to sources, informed Cabinet
ministers upon arrival at Baabda Palace Wednesday that he too does not approve
the electricity bill for a lack of money in the treasury.
The collapse of the Cabinet meeting coincided with the collapse of a legislative
session in the absence of March 8 ministers. Politicians told Al-Mustaqbal that
the government is surely headed toward paralysis as the electricity issue, which
is “Aoun’s wealth reservoir,” is important for Aoun to start his own fund to
provide money for the 2013 parliamentary elections.
The March 14 coalition, for its part, strongly rejected the way Hezbollah chose
to deal with the indictment issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the
2005 assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri.
It condemned Hezbollah’s insistence on sanctifying Hezbollah suspects as an
excuse for not handing them over.
Ad-Diyar: Aoun’s electricity bill collapsed
Aoun to hold news conference Monday, resignations Sept. 7 if bill not approved
Aoun’s electricity bill has collapsed and, far from rejoicing, we remind [the
public] that Aoun had said “either approval or dignity.” But approval did not
take place and, therefore, resignation is the only thing left.
Today, the country began the Eid al-Fitr holiday until Sept. 7, the date for a
Cabinet meeting, as Mikati left for Mecca to perform Umrah and Bassil will hold
a news conference Thursday. But no matter what the outcome of the news
conference, the electricity bill failed to give Bassil any power over spending
outside the framework of a regulatory body.
Bassil’s independent budget has collapsed, which was confirmed by Mikati who
will not approve any bill that allows ministers to spend money without
supervision.
A senior FPM official told Ad-Diyar that Mikati takes a compromise approach in
dealing with many vital issues. The official, however, feared such an approach
would undermine the FPM’s political standing.
He also said Jumblatt cannot go on “practicing a double standard.”
Meanwhile, well-informed PSP sources said what happened Wednesday was only a
“rehearsal” for the issues to come – public appointments and resignations of
members of the Internal Security Forces.
The sources said the PSP would not just approve on everything but will consider
each issue separately.
An-Nahar: Government faces split that threatens paralysis
The government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Wednesday seemed to be facing a
test for existence less than two and a half months after its formation on June
13.
Despite Mikati’s rush to lessen the severity of a sharp split which torpedoed
efforts to reach consensus over the electricity bill, the dispute between two
key sides in the government – Gen. Michel Aoun and PSP leader Walid Jumblatt –
quickly exceeded the technical, financial, legal and administrative framework of
the electricity, painting a scene of a conflict over power within the government
Ministerial sources told An-Nahar that Sleiman and Mikati faced a difficult
reality Wednesday when they realized that Aoun and Jumblatt each stood by his
stance and hinted at turning the table on the majority alliance [March 8].
Hezbollah
faces its trial with errors
By Michael Young The Daily Star
For a party that repeats how unconcerned it is with the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, Hezbollah spends much time showing how concerned it is with the
tribunal. The latest installment was a press conference Tuesday by Muhammad Raad,
the head of the party’s parliamentary bloc, in which he stated that the United
States and Israel had drafted the institution’s recently released indictment.
Hezbollah’s concern is understandable. The indictment appeared to confirm many
of the technical details (with some differences) of what emerged in a Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation documentary last year. Using the methodology of
“co-location,” investigators examined concentric rings of cellular telephone
usage, and in that way identified the four Hezbollah suspects. However, one
thing the indictment did not mention, but that the CBC program did, is that the
Lebanese police officer Wissam Eid, in analyzing telecommunications before,
during, and after the Hariri assassination, found that “[e]verything connected,
however elliptically, to land lines inside Hezbollah’s Great Prophet Hospital in
South Beirut, a sector of the city entirely controlled by the Party of God.”
It is unclear if the special tribunal intends to pursue that line of
investigation, or even if it has material to substantiate the CBC’s assertion.
However, Hezbollah is well aware that the published indictment does not tell the
whole story, therefore that it is best not to let its guard down. Hence Raad’s
press conference, only a few days after the party arranged an interview between
one of the suspects and an unidentified correspondent of Time magazine.
Hezbollah subsequently denied that any such meeting had taken place, alleging
that it was all part of the plot directed against the party. However, there have
been persistent reports in Beirut that the denial came at the urgent request of
Najib Mikati. It didn’t take much for the prime minister to realize that he and
his government’s credibility would disintegrate after the suspect claimed that
the “Lebanese authorities know where I live, and if they wanted to arrest me
they would have done it a long time ago. Simply, they cannot.”
Taking willful blindness to new heights, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, whose
every remark provokes dubiousness and consternation, avowed that the Time
interview was “dangerous and targets Hezbollah.” Charbel, like Mikati, knows
that the Time interview happened, was Hezbollah’s doing, and served to reiterate
how the party controls state policy when it comes to the tribunal.
Hezbollah’s discomfort aside, as Lebanese we are entitled to begin asking
whether there will be further indictments. There have been numerous unconfirmed
leaks to that effect, and even members of prosecutor Daniel Bellemare’s team
have said in private settings that the indictment process would come in stages.
It may be useless to speculate, but we can appreciate why Hezbollah is so
nervous. The party may conceivably find itself holding the gun alone in what
was, plainly, a much vaster conspiracy that also involved Syrians and other
Lebanese – to borrow from the reports of United Nations investigators Peter
Fitzgerald, Detlev Mehlis, and Serge Brammertz.
The Time interview only reaffirmed how rigidly Hezbollah has addressed the
special tribunal, highlighting implicit contradictions in its defense strategy.
The suspect in question said things that may potentially jar with the party’s
line on the institution. Of course, he echoed Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s view that
the tribunal had issued false accusations so as to discredit Hezbollah, when the
real culprits were in Israel. However, a sincere declaration of innocence, as
the suspect engaged in and which Hezbollah orchestrated, would appear to have
been unnecessary had the tribunal been an Israeli project. Does a victim of
political intrigue really need to prove his bona fides?
And second, the suspect revealed that he had an alibi proving that he was not at
the crime scene. He recalled, “I was even surprised when I heard the news that
Hariri was assassinated, and I stopped with a friend of mine in one of the
coffee shops to watch it on TV.” The most ardent Hezbollah partisan could
legitimately ask why the party doesn’t allow the suspect and his comrade to
speak to the special tribunal by satellite link-up. If they can establish that
the suspect was far from the hotel district, that would seriously undermine
Bellemare’s case.
Hezbollah will not authorize any such statements, because that would mean
recognizing the tribunal’s authority. And yet such a fear did not prevent the
party from permitting the Lebanese authorities to pass on to Bellemare its
evidence pointing to purported Israeli responsibility for the Hariri killing.
And why must Hezbollah engage in speech after speech and press conference after
press conference, and lately organize an encounter between a suspect and a
journalist, if it is so apparent that the party has been framed? Not only is
this a case of protesting too much, we now have a suspect saying that he has
ways of confirming that he, therefore Hezbollah, is blameless. This is never a
good argument when you want to convince the public that you gain by steering
clear of a judicial process. If Hezbollah can legally destroy a fraudulent
indictment, then surely the party gains by taking the tribunal up on its
challenge and providing information to that end.
Hezbollah may have boxed itself into a corner on the special tribunal. What
worries the party is that not everything was disclosed in the indictment. As
more data is gradually uncovered by the prosecution, the party will have to
respond publicly with a shifting defense that must remain convincing. If
telephone conversations lead to the Great Prophet Hospital, even Muhammad Raad
may be speechless.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR and author of “The Ghosts of
Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle” (Simon &
Schuster). He tweets @BeirutCalling.
Syrian ambassador to Lebanon says crisis “fabricated” by outsiders
August 25, 2011 /Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali on Thursday
reiterated that Syria’s events “are fabricated” by foreign parties to make the
country “pay the price.”
“Syria is stronger today,” Ali told Al-Manar television. He added that foreign
countries “are eyeing Syria’s economy to harm the country.”Asked about Lebanon’s
Future Movement’s condemnation of the violence in Syria, the envoy said, “This
position is not realistic or real.”“[These views] are filled with hatred and
confusion.” Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah, and a pro-Western camp
headed by ex-Premier Saad Hariri. Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests
against almost five decades of Baath rule which broke out mid-March, killing
nearly 2,000 people and triggering a torrent of international condemnation.
However, the Syrian government has repeatedly blamed “saboteurs” for the
unrest.-NOW Lebanon
Satirical Cartoonist
Beaten Up in Syria
Naharnet /Syria's best-known satirical cartoonist was grabbed Thursday by gunmen
in Damascus who beat him then threw him out of a car, activists said. Masked
Syrian security force members and masked pro-regime shabiha militiamen grabbed
Ali Ferzat at the capital's Ummayad square while he was returning home by car at
4:30 am (0130 GMT), said the Local Coordination Committees, which groups
activists on the ground. "The attackers stole the contents of his briefcase,
including his drawings and other personal belongings," the LCC's Omar Idlbi said
in a statement. "He was beaten hard, notably on his hands. Passersby found him
on the road to the airport and he was taken to hospital," he said. Since the
start of an anti-regime uprising in March, Ferzat, one of the Arab world's most
renowned cartoonists, has published cartoons critical of the brutal crackdown on
protesters. "The Syrian security forces are fully responsible for what happens
to Ali Ferzat, especially as he had recently undergone a spinal operation,"
Idlbi added. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, meanwhile,
said that "an armed gang kidnapped and assaulted Ali Ferzat. He has bruises on
the face and hands. They (the gunmen) then threw him out of a car on the road to
the airport, where he was spotted by a doorman at a building, and was taken to
hospital. "What is strange is that a patrol of the security forces said the
armed gang abducted and assaulted the artist, but that they could not be
caught," the Observatory said. **Source Agence France Presse
Sarkozy rules out French intervention in Syria August 25, 2011
Agencies /Daily Star
PARIS/BEIRUT/NICOSIA: France ruled out intervening in Syria without
international backing, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday, while
the European Union broadened sanctions to include the elite unit of Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard for providing equipment and other support to help Syrian
President Bashar Assad crush the five-month-old revolt against him.
Sarkozy made the comments during a news conference on Libya Wednesday, as Syrian
activists reported tanks stormed the eastern city of Deir al-Zour and at least
seven people killed in the continued crackdown by Syrian security forces
Wednesday.
“France will not intervene in Syria without an international mandate,” Sarkozy
said, adding that the Syrian people “have the right to democracy,” following a
meeting with Mahmoud Jibril, prime minister of the National Transitional
Council, the rebel movement that overthrew Gadhafi’s regime with the aid of NATO
airstrikes.
“Syrians have the right to democracy too, and they are not condemned to being
suppressed by a regime that does not understand we are living in a new century,”
Sarkozy said.
Assad is facing a similar pro-democracy revolt to Libya, but his opposition is
largely unarmed and he has so far been more successful than Gadhafi in his
brutal crackdown on the streets.
“Let’s be clear, France will not intervene without an international mandate,
that’s the baseline,” Sarkozy said.
“But that does not mean we should leave the Syrian people to be massacred by a
regime that loses legitimacy day-by-day,” he said. France Tuesday along with
other European nations and the U.S. circulated a draft U.N. Security Council
resolution seeking an arms embargo and other sanctions. The draft targets Assad
and his inner circle with economic measures, but has so far not won the approval
of veto-wielders China and Russia.
Prior to this year’s revolt and crackdown, France had been wooing Syria, and
Sarkozy braved criticism of Assad’s rights record to invite him to Paris in 2008
for the founding of the Mediterranean Union.
Now, he said: “The regime is condemned because in the 21st century, everyone
must understand that dictators can no longer count on international
indifference.”
Meanwhile, fresh European Union sanctions imposed Wednesday broadened the
international pressure against Syria by directly targeting its key ally Iran in
addition to other new targets that include several Syrian generals and close
associates of Assad’s younger brother, Maher, who is believed to be in command
of much of the crackdown. Hassan Turkmani, a former defense minister and special
envoy for Assad, also was named.
The EU’s official journal, which carried the statement, said the elite Quds
Force “has provided technical assistance, equipment and support to the Syrian
security services to repress civilian protest movements.”
The EU blacklist on Syria now contains 50 people and nine entities who face
asset freezes and travel bans as punishment for one of the deadliest government
crackdowns of the so-called Arab Spring. Human rights groups said Assad’s forces
have killed more than 2,000 people since the uprising erupted in mid-March,
touched off by the wave of revolutions sweeping the Arab world. Assad has
shrugged off international condemnation and calls for him to step down,
insisting that armed gangs and thugs are driving the violence, not true
reform-seekers. Economic sanctions could slowly chip away at the Syrian state,
however.
Tanks stormed the eastern city of Deir al-Zour Wednesday, making sweeping
arrests, according to Syrian activists. Deir al-Zour is an oil-rich but
impoverished region known for its well-armed clans and tribes. Syria has banned
foreign media and restricted local coverage, making it impossible to
independently confirm events on the ground. While widespread witness accounts
and amateur video footage describe a brutal crackdown by security forces,
Syria’s state-run news agency says security forces are the real victims of
gunmen and extremists.
The official news agency, SANA, Wednesday released gruesome pictures of 14
decomposing corpses, saying “armed terrorist groups” kidnapped and tortured them
in recent days and dumped their bodies around Homs, a city in central Syria that
has been a hotbed of protests.
Arab ministers will hold an urgent meeting Saturday to discuss Syria, an Arab
League official said, but a delegate to the regional body also played down the
chances of foreign intervention.
World mulls new sanctions as Syrian forces enter town near
Iraq border
By Reuters and DPA
Armored Syrian forces killed one person and arrested dozens in raids on a tribal
region near the border with Iraq on Wednesday, activists said, in their latest
effort to subdue dissent against President Bashar Assad.
A force of 20-30 tanks and other armored vehicles entered neighborhoods in the
town of Mayadeen and the nearby village of Alburhama in the eastern province of
Deir al-Zor, before withdrawing to the outskirts, they said.
"They are mainly hit-and-run raids. The military is trying to avoid reprisals
from the population, which is heavily armed. So they go in quickly to arrest
people, sabotaging houses of wanted activists they cannot find," a local
activist told Reuters by telephone.
The authorities have in the past allowed eastern Arab tribes to arm themselves,
as a counterweight to Syria's nearby Kurdish minority and partly to bolster
support for Assad and his father, the late President Bashar Assad, who are from
Syria's minority Alawite sect.
But the five-month uprising for political freedoms has disrupted old agreements
that have been key to 41-years of Assad family rule of Syria. Deir al-Zor, the
provincial capital, saw some of the largest protests, prompting Assad to send
tanks into the city earlier this month.
Residents say that assault on Deir al-Zor killed at least 40 civilians and that
hundreds of people have been arrested in the last three weeks in the province,
with one activist group putting the number as high as 3,000.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said this week more than 2,200
people have been killed in Assad's crackdown, with his forces continuing "to
employ excessive force, including heavy artillery" to quell peaceful
demonstrations. Assad says he is facing a foreign conspiracy to divide Syria,
with the authorities blaming "armed terrorist groups" for the bloodshed. They
say that 500 police and military personnel have been also killed. Eastern Syria,
including Kurdish northeast, produces all of Syria's 380,000 barrels of daily
crude oil output.
INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS
Meanwhile, Western diplomats were hoping Wednesday to push through United
Nations sanctions against the Syrian regime, a day after the UN Human Rights
Council strongly condemned Damascus for the violent repression of pro-democracy
protesters. A draft document proposing sanctions against the regime of President
Bashar Assad was being circulated among UN Security Council members, according
to diplomatic sources in New York. The paper, presented jointly by the United
States and European states, was to be discussed by the UN Security Council on
Thursday, diplomats said - adding that veto-wielding members Russia and China
had initially reacted with skepticism.
If approved, the Western proposal would lead to the freezing of foreign assets
of the Syrian president, his brother Maher and more than 20 members of
al-Assad's government.
On top of this, it would restrict international travel for several regime
supporters and impose an arms embargo, banning countries from selling or
exporting weapons and military equipment to Assad's regime.
The international community would also be called upon to inspect transport to
Syria and impound any weapons found.
The draft reportedly threatened to refer Syria to the International Criminal
Court, for the investigation of possible human rights abuses since the regime
began its brutal crackdown mid-March on pro-democracy protesters. On Tuesday,
the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council ordered an investigation into alleged
human rights violations in Syria, and strongly condemned the regime's violent
behavior towards its own people. Russia and China, who could both veto the
proposed sanctions in the UN Security Council, voted against Tuesday's Human
Rights Council resolution.
IDF: Egyptian frontier on peak alert, no longer a border of peace
DEBKAfile Special Report August 24, 2011, Israel-Egyptian frontier units went on
peak alert Wednesday night, Aug. 24, following specific intelligence that
Palestinian Jihad Islami was preparing to launch another cross-border terrorist
attack on Israel from Sinai.
Earlier Wednesday, Gen. Benny Gantz, Chief of Staff of Israel's Defense Forces
announced the IDF was no longer treating the Egyptian frontier as a border of
peace in view of new perils. The new situation was exemplified by the terrorist
attacks Palestinian gunmen launched from Egyptian Sinai on Aug. 8 killing eight
Israeli civilians and injuring forty.
The IDF is forced to elevate the army's Edom Division's mission, said the
general, from border defense to a more proactive offensive role, the warding off
of cross-border attacks for which it will receive infusions of extra combat
manpower, intelligence systems and weapons.
This is a radical change in military outlook. For three decades since concluding
a peace treaty with Egypt, Israel regarded their common 200-kilometer border as
safe and non-belligerent.
In recent months, the IDF has been obliged to start thinking in new terms.
debkafile's military sources report that the Edom Division's officers will be
provided with surveillance equipment for detecting threats taking shape inside
Sinai and armored units for combating them.
The Edom Division is currently composed of two brigades, the 76th Military
Engineering Battalion, two intelligence companies – for gathering field
intelligence and electronic surveillance, the mixed male and female 33rd
Infantry Brigade and the Special Forces Reserve unit.
Our sources report that this set p will be given "iron and intelligence teeth."
Tank units, armored infantry, airborne radar and early warning electronic
capabilities will be strung the length of the Egyptian border.
The Aug. 18 attack on the Eilat highway revealed that Palestinian terrorists
were playing hide and seek between the Gaza Strip and Egyptian Sinai, adding to
volatility on both sides of the Egyptian border and putting a heavy strain on
Israeli-Egyptian relations. Iran was pulling strings to aggravate the tension.
The expanded frontier force is designed to keep the situation under better
control by addressing the new issues:
1. The row over the killing of three Egyptian police officers in Sinai while
Israeli was grappling with some 15 Palestinian gunmen has not subsided. The
military rulers in Cairo were not appeased by Israel's apology. The initial IDF
probe released its first finding Wednesday, Aug. 24, confirming that the IDF had
suspected Egyptian security personnel might be hurt in the heat of the firefight
with the terrorists and tried as hard as possible to prevent this happening.
However, street protesters in Egypt continue to demand that Israel be punished
and no one rules out the possibility of Egyptian soldiers or police taking
matters in their own hands and staging freelance reprisals against Israel.
2. The new Israeli deployment carries a message to Cairo.
The military junta's demand to revise the military clauses of the peace treaty
so as to permit the stationing of Egyptian forces up to the Israeli border of
formerly demilitarized Sinai will be matched by extra military strength on the
Israeli side too. Cairo's reaction to the dying moments of the peace border
between them is awaited in Jerusalem.
3. The Palestinian terrorist organizations of the Gaza Strip were encouraged by
the success of their first raid from Sinai and eagerly prepared for more.
Early Wednesday morning, the IDF assassinated Islamic Jihad figure Ismail Zadi
Ismail Asmar, who organized the smuggling of Iranian Grad missiles into Gaza via
Sinai.
Asmar also provided the funding for the 15 or so terrorists who shot up the
Eilat highway in southern Israel.
As of now, no Israeli spokesman has confirmed the debkafile report on the day of
the attack that Iran, via Hizballah, was behind it, although Jihad Islami is
notoriously Iran's Palestinian surrogate and Tehran used Sinai smugglers to
transfer the necessary funds for the planning and execution of the attack.
Officially, Israel still pins the blame on the Popular Resistance Committees.
Wednesday night, Jihad Islami fired 7 Grad missiles at Beersheba, Ashkelon,
Ofakim and the Eshkol District, following which an Israeli air raid targeted and
killing the head of the Grad team. 4. Cairo was reported Wednesday to be mapping
the smuggling tunnels linking Sinai to the Gaza Strip in readiness for an
operation to demolish them.
debkafile’s counterterrorism sources report that Cairo decided to go ahead with
this plan after Hamas rejected its ultimatum to hand over all the Al Qaida
operatives and former Egyptian jailbirds, mostly Muslim extremists, who broke
out of prison in February at the start of the uprising against former Egyptian
president Hosni Mubarak.
The Egyptian military warned Hamas that its refusal to hand them over carried a
price: The destruction of the Gaza smuggling tunnel network.
IDF strategists fully expect Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist groups to
hit back for this operation at Israel. They will heat up the Egyptian-Israeli
border from Sinai and the Al Qaeda, Hamas and Islamic Jihad cells already
planted there will carry out more cross-border raids in southern Israel and
Eilat.
Lt. Gen. Gantz announcement of the revised status of the Israeli-Egyptian border
and the beefing up of the Edom Divisions was intended to have a deterrent
effect.
Kataeb bloc MP
Elie Marouni: Our goal is to bring down the cabinet
August 25, 2011 /Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni said on Thursday that the goal of
the western-backed March 14 coalition is to bring down the Hezbollah-led March 8
government.
“Bringing down the government is a political goal and it is not related to the
figures represented in the cabinet,” Marouni told the Free Lebanon radio
station. He also said that the quorum for Wednesday’s parliament session was not
reached “because the [March 8] parties obstructed it.” The parliament’s
Wednesday session was postponed after only 52 MPs (out of 128) were present. In
June, a new cabinet dominated by March 8 and headed by Prime Minister Najib
Mikati was formed and granted parliament’s vote of confidence on July 7.
-NOW Lebanon
Future bloc MP
Atef Majdalani hints Aoun wants to “obstruct the government”
August 25, 2011 /Future bloc MP Atef Majdalani on Thursday criticized some
figures “who want to obstruct the government,” a reference to the Change and
Reform bloc headed by MP Michel Aoun. “A certain party threatens to either
achieve its demands or else it will obstruct the state,” Majdalani said, after
Aoun warned to withdraw his cabinet ministers if his energy bill does not pass.
Majdalani told the Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio station that MP Walid
Jumblatt’s National Struggle Front bloc has adopted a “reasonable” position
vis-a-vis Aoun’s electricity bill. The MP also said that his Future bloc has
remarks about “the way the [energy] plan will be managed” and not its purpose.
The parliament earlier in August adjourned the discussion of the energy bill
proposed by the Change and Reform bloc to transfer $1.2 billion in funds to the
Energy Ministry, while ministers are still discussing the proposal in the
cabinet. Jumblatt, who is represented by three ministers in the cabinet,
proposed to form a committee to supervise the electricity project.-NOW Lebanon
Future bloc MP Nabil De Freige slams
March 8 MPs for “obstructing” parliament session
August 25, 2011 /Future bloc MP Nabil De Freige said on Thursday that the
Hezbollah-led March 8 MPs “obstructed” Wednesday’s parliament session that
“could have voted” on the energy bill proposed by the Change and Reform bloc.
“The bill could have been tackled if [the March 8] MPs were present,” De Freige
told the Voice of Lebanon (93.3) radio station.
He also questioned the reasons behind adjourning the cabinet’s meeting until
next week “without taking into account the MPs’ [opinion].” “As a deputy, I felt
insulted yesterday.” De Freige also said that the Change and Reform bloc
ministers will likely resign if their energy bill does not pass. The
parliament’s Wednesday session was postponed because the quorum was not reached.
The parliament earlier in August adjourned the discussion of the energy bill
proposed by the Change and Reform bloc to transfer $1.2 billion in funds to the
Energy Ministry, while ministers are still discussing the proposal in the
cabinet. Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun on August 16 warned that
his ministers would withdraw from the cabinet if it does not pursue
developmental projects.
-NOW Lebanon
Minister of the Displaced Alaeddine
Terro says energy issue “not political”
August 25, 2011 /Minister of the Displaced Alaeddine Terro said on Thursday that
Lebanon’s electricity debate “is not a political issue.” “The energy issue is
not political…and we [reject] the attempts of some parties to politicize it,”
Terro told the Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio station. The minister voiced hope
that “some figures would tone it down,” a reference to his National Struggle
Front bloc’s disagreements with parts of the Change and Reform bloc’s energy
proposal. “No one is considering resigning from the cabinet,” Terro added in a
reference to the debate over the energy bill. The parliament earlier in August
adjourned the discussion of the energy bill proposed by the Change and Reform
bloc to transfer $1.2 billion in funds to the Energy Ministry, while ministers
are still discussing the proposal in the cabinet. National Struggle Front
leader MP Walid Jumblatt warned that either his party’s remarks on the
electricity bill are taken into account or his ministers will not approve it.
Jumblatt, who is represented by three ministers in the cabinet, proposed to form
a committee to supervise the electricity project.
-NOW Lebanon
Canada Welcomes Outcome of Special Session of Human Rights Council on Syria
(No. 244 - August 24, 2011 - 5 p.m. ET) Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird
today issued a statement welcoming an independent, international investigation
into human rights violations in Syria:
“Canada welcomes this decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“Canada co-sponsored the request to convene a special session of the Council.
Canada continues to take a leadership role in pressuring the Assad regime to
stop the assault on its own people.
“This is an important step to end impunity for human rights violations by
Syria’s military and intelligence forces.
“Their campaign of terror must stop, and Canada again calls on President Assad
to step down immediately.
“Canada has taken decisive action by imposing sanctions that directly target
members of the current Syrian regime and those who provide it with support.
“The Syrian people have a right to decide for themselves the next steps for
Syria’s future. Canada stands with them in their efforts to secure freedom and
democracy. We look forward to a new Syria that respects the rights of all of its
people and lives in peace with its neighbours.”
Future Movement steps up campaign against Hezbollah
August 25, 2011/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Saad Hariri’s Future Movement has stepped up its campaign against
Hezbollah, this time accusing it of taking Lebanon to the abyss. Hezbollah “puts
itself and the government in confrontation with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
and international legitimacy. It is taking Lebanon to the abyss by turning it
into a rebellious state in opposition with international legitimacy,” Future
Movement secretary-general Ahmad Hariri said during an iftar in Beirut
Wednesday. “Lebanese are dazzled by a government that lacks harmony and
ministerial solidarity because it was established on the basis of a set of
contradictions,” Hariri said in the remarks released Thursday by his office,
adding that the government has “no common ground except the status quo imposed
by Hezbollah by means of arms and by a decision made by Syrian President Bashar
Assad to link Lebanon’s fate with that of the Syrian regime.”The Lebanese “are
also astounded by a government unable to uncover the truth behind the successive
security incidents,” Hariri said. As host of the iftar Ahmad Hariri appeared to
be filling a role left by Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, who last year
hosted a series of iftar dinners. Hariri has been absent from public life in
Lebanon since the toppling of his national unity government by the Hezbollah-led
March 8 coalition.
Aoun-Jumblat Power Struggle Paralyzes Government
Naharnet /Premier Najib Miqati’s cabinet was in tatters on Thursday after
differences between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Progressive
Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on a controversial electricity bill
spiraled out of control. There was little hope that the cabinet would endorse
the electricity plan on Sept. 7. On Wednesday, the government again failed to
reach an agreement on the bill. The disagreement between Aoun and Jumblat
revolves around the draft law that was proposed by the FPM chief to grant his
son-in-law Energy Minister Jebran Bassil $1.2 billion to build power plants to
generate 700 megawatts of electricity. Cabinet ministers loyal to Jumblat have
suggested the formation of a committee which, along with Bassil, would oversee
the allocation of the funds. But Aoun’s ministers strongly opposed it. In
remarks published Thursday, PSP officials accused the FPM of escalation, while
Aoun loyalists said that Jumblat was hindering the endorsement of the draft law
for political reasons. The cabinet is now in a deadlock particularly that Aoun
has threatened to withdraw his ministers if the government doesn’t approve the
draft law. The counter accusations are also a sign that the differences between
the two leaders went beyond the details of the allocation of the funds and
turned into a power struggle that could paralyze the government for months or
even lead to its collapse.
Miqati in Mecca for Omra, Jumblat Could Visit Saudi Arabia Over Electricity
Dispute
Naharnet /Premier Najib Miqati travelled to Mecca for Omra on Wednesday after a
10-minute cabinet session held at Baabda palace to discuss the controversial
electricity bill.
Following the session, Miqati held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri at the
parliament building. Both men agreed on postponing a parliamentary session that
was set to endorse the electricity bill had the cabinet approved it. Differences
between the Free Patriotic Movement and Progressive Socialist Party prevented a
government consensus on the bill proposed by FPM chief MP Michel Aoun to
allocate $1.2 billion to Energy Minister Jebran Bassil to provide 700 megawatts
of electricity to the country. Al-Liwaa daily said that even if the government
had approved the bill with reservations expressed by ministers loyal to Jumblat,
parliament would have failed to endorse the draft law given the role of balance
of power that the Druze leader plays in the legislature. He is approaching his
old position of alliance with the March 14 forces, PSP sources told the
newspaper, saying that the circumstances are ripe for him to visit Saudi Arabia.
Lebanese
man convicted of murder 11 years later
The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A Lebanese man was convicted of murder Wednesday in
London, 11 years after he killed his roommate, Moroccan-born Fatima Kama, in
London in 1999, The Daily Mail reported Wednesday. Yousef Wahid, 41, murdered
Kama in their London apartment a day before she was set to fly to her family in
Montreal, Canada. On the evening of the murder, airport footage caught Wahid
boarding the Heathrow Express at Paddington with a large suitcase carrying
Kama’s body that he dumped in a car park at a terminal. Wahid then shaved his
moustache and traveled to Lebanon. Shortly after, British detectives traveled to
Lebanon in an attempt to arrest Wahid. The law-enforcement officers could not
follow through with their mission as Lebanon and the United Kingdom have not
signed bilateral agreements that would allow the extradition of suspects. They
later tracked him down and found Wahid living in Bahrain. Living with a wife and
two children under a different name, Wahid was arrested and extradited to London
to face trial. Wahid, who pleaded not guilty and insists he did not murder Kama,
faces up to 30 years in prison. “I did not murder Fatima Kama, that’s all I can
say,” Wahid said after the jury found him guilty of the murder.
Fadlallah: We Cannot Depend on Telecom. Data Alone in
Hariri Case
Naharnet /Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah slammed on Thursday
the indictment in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that depending on
telecommunications data alone as evidence is not enough in a case as sensitive
as the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He said during a
press conference on the indictment’s telecommunications data: “The tribunal, its
decisions, and the investigation have created a dangerous divide in Lebanon.”
“We want the truth in the indictment’s scientific approach of the data and does
this approach really lead us to the same findings as the indictment?” he
wondered. Fadlallah also questioned the reliability of telecommunications data,
saying that they are based on a series of assumptions that can lead to hundreds
of possibilities. Furthermore, the MP stressed that the STL completely ignored
United Nations findings that Israel had infiltrated Lebanon’s telecommunications
sector, which could make it a suspect in the assassination. The head of the
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Imad Hoballah added at the conference:
“Israel’s infiltration of the sector has cost the data all of its credibility.”
He explained that the Jewish state would be capable of planting a phone line
inside another, making the data adopted in the indictment unreliable. The
indictment was published on August 17 and its findings were mostly dependent on
telecommunications data. It has accused four Hizbullah members of being involved
in the crime. The party has announced that it would not cooperate with the
tribunal, deeming it an American and Israeli product aimed at destroying it.
On Tuesday, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad held
a press conference to refute the indictment.
He said: “The Resistance will determine the way it will defend itself from the
indictment and tribunal.”He added: “We had stated in the past that this tribunal
does not respect the minimum amount of standards of justice, it does not want to
achieve the Lebanese people’s interests, and it has adopted circumstantial
evidence.” “Such a tribunal cannot be expected to achieve justice and we would
not be surprised if it was employed for the interests of imposing foreign
hegemony over Lebanon,” the MP continued.
March 14 Lawyers to Consider Protection of 4 Hariri Murder
Suspects a Crime
Naharnet /March 14-led opposition lawyers are expected to hold a press
conference next week to snap back at Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed
Raad, An Nahar daily reported Thursday. On Tuesday, Raad accused Israel and the
U.S. of drafting the indictment published by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
It accuses four Hizbullah members in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005
assassination case. He said during a press conference he held at parliament that
the indictment’s aim was to blackmail Hizbullah and topple the resistance.
Retired judge and legal expert Salim Jreissati presented a 20-page legal study
after Raad’s statement, saying the STL had several loopholes. The investigation
into Hariri’s murder should have reached conclusions and direct evidence and not
only circumstantial evidence, he said. The March 14 lawyers will stress in their
conference that the protection of the four suspects is a crime punishable by
law, An Nahar said.
Saif al-Islam: Libya's Al-Sahaf
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
For several years our region has been considered a source of entertainment for
the rest of world. Unfortunately, these dark comedies were not seen in the
theatre, or in cinemas, but in the bulk of failures emanating from our Arab
republics. The most recent comedy, and not the last of course, relates to the
failure of Muammar Gaddafi's rule.
In the last 24 hours the world has been watching dramatic events that can only
be described as a dark comedy, culminating with the emergence of Saif al-Islam
Gaddafi on western media channels mocking the Libyan rebels and NATO, promising
to break the backbone of the revolutionaries, and claiming that Tripoli was
under the full control of his father. He was filmed with a TV camera in his car,
travelling through what he described as the "hottest areas in Tripoli". Yet in
fact Saif al-Islam was driving within the compound of Bab al-Aziziyah, the
headquarters of his father's regime!
What Saif al-Islam did was a scene very similar to the actions of Mohammed Saeed
al-Sahaf, Saddam Hussein's Minister of Information, on the day that Baghdad
fell. He told reporters who had seen the U.S. military convoys [entering the
city] that they were surrounded by Iraqi forces, but only a few hours later
Saddam's regime fell. The same thing happened in Tripoli. Hours after Saif
al-Islam's recording, the world awoke to the sight of the rebel forces entering
Gaddafi's residence in Bab al-Aziziyah, in spite of everything that Saif
al-Islam said. He had repeated exactly what al-Sahaf had done in Baghdad!
What could be more ridiculous than this? What many in our region have not
realized is that in the span of just a few years, we now find the average
citizen[celebrating] inside the rooms of their leaders! This happened in Iraq,
where we witnessed the Iraqis, alongside the American soldiers, taking pictures
of Saddam's bedrooms, and then we saw the leader himself in a hole! Likewise, we
have seen the bedrooms of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia, and we have
witnessed the former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak lying on a bed. Today we
see the private buildings of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and soon we will see his
bedroom. Of course, there are matters more ridiculous than this. We saw Saddam
Hussein issuing audio tapes, and likewise Hosni Mubarak did the same. Indeed
Colonel Gaddafi overdid it somewhat when he issued three recordings in a single
day. Yet when heads of state move to approach the leaders of militias or
terrorist groups, this is an even greater source of ridicule.
The problem is that few of our Arab republics heed the warnings of what is
happening around them, and neither do the majority of our media figures, our
intellectuals or politicians. This is not pessimism on my behalf; rather it is a
realistic interpretation of what is rapidly happening around us, because we have
become a rich source of entertainment for the world. This is not to mention the
magnitude of tragedies committed against our nations and citizens, where Arab
countries are being destroyed, and every day ends with the same fact, namely
that the military regimes in our region only use their weapons against their own
citizens.
When we say that no one learns their lesson, it is sufficient to consider the
case of Syria, and the suffering of its citizens at the hands of a repressive
regime that is losing its mind more and more. It seems that the al-Assad regime
has entered a state of madness after the fall of Gaddafi, especially with the
Syrians chanting the slogan: "Gaddafi has fled, and now it is your turn Bashar".
Thus, it seems that our region will not have to wait long for another al-Sahaf,
along the lines of Saif al-Islam al-Sahaf!
Gaddafi's lesson is one for the media as well
By Ali Ibrahim/ Asharq Al-Awsat
On the day that revolutionaries entered Tripoli, the sight of Libya's state
television anchor, who appeared onscreen holding a gun and threatening
destruction and doom, whilst vowing to fight till the bitter end to protect the
headquarters of Libyan State TV, seemed humorous and worrisome at the same time.
It posed a number of questions: Was she really serious in her threats? Has the
brainwashing and ignorance reached that extent, or was she compelled to come out
on camera due to pressure exerted on her, or threats made against her from the
regime's cronies?
The tide of change across the Arab World has so far brought about the end of
three long-serving leaders, whose people rose up against them in Tunisia, Egypt
and Libya respectively. Two other leaders in Syria and Yemen are still clinging
on to power, despite the ongoing bloodshed. These leaders symbolize an
oppressive era in modern Arab history, and the doors have now been opened for a
new path, where the features are still taking shape. Following the dramatic
developments in Tripoli, all messages and signals issued yesterday by a number
of countries and politicians urge others – of course it is clear who is intended
here – to learn a lesson from these incidents, and not oppose the will of their
people. Otherwise they may meet the fate of Gaddafi who could still face a
tragic end, and whose whereabouts until this moment are still unknown, whilst
some of his sons have been captured.
This tide of change will also sweep away the breed of media and intellectuals
who have served as a choir promoting the actions of these authoritarian regimes,
either for personal benefits or out of ignorance. This media choir championed
the theories, wisdom and foresight of tyrannical leaders. It helped to mislead
and nullify public opinion, as well as circulate ludicrous theories about
conspiracies hatched against such "great leaders", who "deserve far better than
that".
Leaders as such, regardless of their image, orientation, and degree of
eccentricity, have left their imprint on Arab policies as they led the region
from one defeat to another over a stretch of several decades, whilst adopting
fiery revolutionary slogans about the liberation of the world and resistance to
colonialism, imperialism and foreign intervention. All these rallying cries were
nothing but empty rhetoric and a source of humor for the outside world. These
leaders used such empty rhetoric to justify the oppressive rule with which they
had governed their countries. Each of them had his own style and distinct
flavor. Perhaps Gaddafi stands out most prominently, with his eccentric,
bellicose rhetoric, and the titles he held such as "The King of Kings of
Africa".These leaders needed a journalistic, media and cultural elite to promote
their policies to the public, and they got what they wanted. If we take Gaddafi
as an example, numerous conferences and meetings have been held over the past
decades to discuss the great merits of his third theory in the Green Book, and
the Jamahiriya rule model. The whole farce was conducted for private gains more
than anything else, for it is impossible for any rational person to believe in
such theories. Moreover, the facts on the ground were crystal clear.
Gaddafi was not alone in following these practices. In fact, he may seem
relatively reserved among such leaders, in terms of employing self-promotion
strategies. Those strategies were just a link in a long chain of a media policy
pursed for decades. This policy is one of the primary reasons for the state of
affairs we have descended into today. Saddam Hussein also had his partisans in
the media, again either seeking private gains or acting out of ignorance. The
promotion strategy implemented by Iraq's former leader was extremely effective,
even though any genuine analysis or logical thinking would have led to the
conclusion that Saddam was driving his country into a bottomless abyss.
Furthermore, nothing he provided could justify dealing with his own people in
such a bloodthirsty manner. The same thing is happening in Syria now; the regime
is walking down a road littered with tell-tale signs. Nevertheless, the media
choir, responsible for the phenomenon of regime analysts which we now see, is
still attempting to hide the truth and mislead the public. It seems some will
never heed advice or learn their lesson.
Gaddafi and the CIA
By Adel Al Toraifi// Asharq Al-Awsat
In early 1970, the US Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] asked a number of
psychoanalysts to draw up a profile of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was
thirty years of age at the time. Mr. Gaddafi’s psychological profile was not an
exception, for the CIA had drawn up psychological profiles for most foreign
leaders since the 1940s, and these were made up of a combination of political
and psychological analysis. These profiles represent a major tool for US
decision-makers as they revealed the psychological nature of foreign leaders
that they are dealing with. Such reports usually contain information about the
leaders’ background, their personal relations, their family, as well as their
social, personal, and professional relations. These reports also contain a list
of subjects and issues that these leaders either react positively or negatively
towards, as well as occasionally some scandalous details (of a sexual nature)
regarding their private lives.
This scientific methodology (of producing a psychological profile) of foreign
leaders – developed within the CIA and the US Department of Defense – did not
utilize practical clinical methods [of psychology], as it is based – in most
cases – on studying the leader in question. These reports rely on multiple
sources; most prominently reports made by intelligence agents that generally
rely on incidents, rumors, and lies, alongside facts. Therefore those reading
such reports cannot exclusively rely on them; indeed reliance on such reports
reached its height during the 1980s. Despite the huge developments that have
taken place in the study of [psychological] methodology in a professional and
academic framework, specialist researchers continue to be divided over the
feasibility or effectiveness of such psychological studies of political figures,
particularly as they [the foreign leaders] are not subjected to a clinical
medical examination.
For over 40 years, the psychological profile of Mr. Gaddafi was filled with
information; some of which was correct while some of it was nothing more than
pure flights of fantasy. In addition to this, his profile was filled with
endless analysis and comments by senior specialists on Gaddafi’s personality,
and his development and experience over the past decades. One can consider the
“psychological profile” of Muammar Gaddafi as being between among the largest of
such files, alongside the profiles of figures like Fidel Castro and Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei. The “Los Angeles Times” was perhaps the first newspaper to publish
information leaked from Colonel Gaddafi’s “psychological profile” with sources
in 1981 describes Gaddafi as being “an exceptionally troubled personality,
suffering from a serious inferiority complex.” In the early 1990s, one insider
who viewed Gaddafi’s “psychological profile” told US “Foreign Policy” magazine
that “there was a tendency in the beginning to view Gaddafi as a superficial
(naïve) personality, but the profiles that were drawn up on him showed him to be
crazy like a fox.” (Psychology and the CIA: Leaders on the Couch. Thomas Omestad,
Foreign Policy Magazine, August 1994).
Nicholas Hagger has indicated that Gaddafi was in contact and communicated with
US intelligence since the beginning of the Libyan [Fateh] revolution, after US
intelligence agents noticed that he exhibited a tendency to criticizing Soviet
interference in the Arab world. Since 1971, it is clear that Gaddafi operated in
parallel to what the CIA wanted from him, namely for him to emerge as a
nationalist leader hostile to the Soviet Union. This may perhaps explain Gaddafi
sending airplanes and financial assistance to Pakistan during its war with India
– which was backed by the Soviet Union – as well as his objection to an airplane
carrying Sudanese citizens accused of being Shiites seeking to overthrow the [Gaafar]
Nimeiri regime in Sudan [from landing in Libya]. However Gaddafi soon changed
his position, with the US becoming his number one enemy, which led to him
supporting a broad spectrum of groups and revolutionary and terrorist elements
around the world. (The Libyan revolution: It’s Origins and Legacy by Nicholas
Hagger). The CIA helped Gaddafi in exposing attempts to overthrow him at the
beginning of the [Fateh] revolution; however since that time he has – as some
argue – been overcome by paranoia and has begun to mistrust everybody, believing
himself to be a CIA target. Colonel Gaddafi has exhibited contradictory – and
occasionally outrageous – behavior, and we have sometimes heard him ramble
incoherently. Even his personal appearance, wearing strange and brightly colored
clothing, failed to camouflage the mistakes of his regime, and his victims, who
include some of those closest to him. More than this, his behavior – which has
been the subject of criticism – as his desire to attract attention to himself,
manifested in the many titles that he has bestowed upon himself, the female
“Amazonian” bodyguards that he surrounded himself with, as well as his views
that were ripe for mockery. However under all the bright clothing, changing
views, and contradictory titles, there is a very resourceful and quick-witted
personality who has been able to remain in power despite all the sanctions
imposed on his regime and attempted assassinations. Gaddafi knows when to back
down, and how to avoid the storm, and he is capable – in an extremely dangerous
manner – of deception. Therefore, at times he would kill those close to him or
place them under guard, and at other times allow his opponents to escape into
exile, or forgive them and bestow them with gifts. This is what made many people
unable to trust him, or predict his actions.
There is one defining example of Gaddafi’s ability to surrender at a critical
moment, for in 2003 he signed a deal with the Americans following the collapse
of the Saddam Hussein regime. He sold the secrets of the trade in
internationally proscribed weapons, and paid billions of dollars in order to
resolve the issue of compensating victims of terrorist acts that his regime was
embroiled in. Therefore it was not surprising for former CIA Director Michael
Hayden to comment recently that Gaddafi was an important and reliable partner
over the last few years in the war on terror.
In his book “The Struggle for Survival” (1993), Geoffrey Simons writes that
Gaddafi continued to fluctuate between supporting militias and terrorist groups
and between turning on them and providing information about them to different
intelligence agencies. Therefore we can view Gaddafi – and his survival in power
– as if he were the leader of a gang that is involved in every illegal operation
but who cooperates with the security agencies in order to eliminate his
opponents or alleviate the pressure that he is facing. Therefore, dealing with
Gaddafi means dealing with a “liar” – as [former US President] Ronald Reagan
once said – but temporary deals can be made with him, so long as this is in his
interests.
Observers have divided over how this difficult to interpret leader – who is in
his seventies –will end, particularly following the outbreak of the armed
uprising against him. There are those who consider Gaddafi a narcissistic
personality who is living in a world of delusion, and who will therefore fight
until his last breath. Whilst others believe that Gaddafi is nothing more than
an attention-seeking dictator who has squandered Libya’s oil wealth and who will
flee the country as soon as he fills the noose tightening around him. However
most analysts have a bleak view of Gaddafi, viewing him as a psychopathic
personality who enjoys unusual intelligence despite his abnormal behavior, and
he therefore is capable of strategic planning in the manner of a cold-blooded
criminal.
Professor Jerrold M. Post, who founded and directed the CIA’s Center for the
Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior, put forward an important
analysis of Gaddafi’s personality following 20-years’ experience overseeing
leaders “psychological profiles.” He also recently wrote that Gaddafi took drugs
to treat severe depression. As for Gaddafi’s psychological state, Post said that
“Gaddafi can best be characterized as having a borderline personality. The
“borderline” often swings from intense anger to euphoria. Under his often
“normal” façade, he is quite insecure and sensitive to slight. His reality
testing is episodically faulty. While most of the time Gaddafi is ‘above the
border’ and in touch with reality, when under stress he can dip below it and his
perceptions can be distorted and his judgment faulty.” [Qaddafi under siege by
Jerrold M. Post, Foreign Policy Magazine, 15 March].
Whatever Gaddafi’s end, his mental illness has affected – directly or indirectly
– Libya’s modern history, and perhaps we must ask: to what extent has his
policies and his suppression altered the psyche of millions of his people who
have suffered under his rule?
In reality, we are facing a country that has suffered from mentally ill
governance, and it may take Libya a long time – as any victim – to emerge from
the nightmare of the past, and learn to live for the future.
Power struggle
Matt Nash,
A man checks a web of electrical wires in Lebanon in 2000. The country’s
electricity sector, particularly the infrastructure, has improved little since
then. (AFP Photo/Ramzi Haidar)
A debate over energy, simmering through most of August’s heat, led to a blackout
of Lebanon’s decision-making bodies Wednesday and fueled speculation of splits
within Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government. Parliament and cabinet called
off their sessions for the day over disagreements on a draft electricity law
submitted to the legislature by MP Michel Aoun on August 10.
The law, part of a plan approved by the last cabinet in August 2010, first
sparked controversy in parliament when March 14 MPs lined up against it. Allies
of Mikati and Druze MP Walid Jumblatt joined March 14 during that session,
standing in opposition to MPs representing their cabinet partners in the March 8
coalition.
Disagreement over the draft has evolved in the past two weeks, with the current
impasse apparently centered on creating a regulatory body to oversee the energy
sector (similar to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority established in
2007). Leading the charge for creating the regulator is Progressive Socialist
Party MP and Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour.
Abu Faour could not be reached for comment, and another PSP official declined to
comment, but press reports suggest he is insisting on creating the body in line
with Law 462 of 2002. That law was supposed to begin the privatization of the
largely state-owned electricity sector, and called for creating the regulator,
but was never implemented.
An aide to Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, whose 2010 plan to provide electricity
24 hours per day is the basis for the law, was not available for comment
Wednesday, but spoke to NOW Lebanon about the dispute on August 16. At the time
the aide, Cesar Abou Khalil, avoided slamming Jumblatt, Mikati or President
Sleiman, who have opposed the law in cabinet since August 11, but offered
particularly harsh words against March 14.
Abou Khalil accused March 14 of “despising” the Lebanese people and standing in
the way of the law for political reasons. He stressed that the law was written
like any other spending bills, requiring a tendering process that would be
overseen by the same audit authorities that monitor every other spending measure
the state enacts.
Serge Dagher, spokesman for the Kataeb party, told NOW Lebanon there was no
politics behind March 14’s opposition. He said Aoun did not submit a detailed
plan, and that MPs simply wanted to read more details before green-lighting the
project.
The draft law at issue is a necessary component to implement the first stages of
a 5-year plan Bassil wrote in 2010. As has been widely reported, the draft law
calls for $1.2 billion in state spending to repair existing power plants, repair
and add infrastructure used for electricity transmission and distribution, rent
high-powered generators to bolster power production in the short term and,
ultimately, build a new power plant with a 700 megawatt output capacity.
Lebanon’s electricity sector is in notorious disrepair. The country has daily
rolling blackouts (with some areas of the country without power 18 hours per
day), and produces around 700 megawatts fewer than it consumes, though
consumption is on the rise and higher in peak times like summer.
Cabinet approved Bassil’s plan in 2010 and also approved spending the first
chunk of the $1.2 billion Bassil is now asking for in the 2010 budget. For these
reasons, Abou Khalil was aghast at the opposition in parliament. Dagher
countered that parliament never received the plan last year, nor did it approve
the budget (in fact, parliament has not approved a budget since 2005). The most
heated debate about the bill, however, has lately shifted to cabinet. On Monday,
a pared-down government (with only 18 ministers attending) discussed Bassil’s
plan, and the full cabinet took up the issue in a meeting on Tuesday. Both were
stormy sessions, and when ministers met for a follow-up on Wednesday, they
quickly cancelled their session and decided to adjourn until September 7. With
reporters pressing, Abu Faour, Mikati and Sleiman have all denied there are any
political problems underlying the dispute over energy. However, the rhetoric
suggests otherwise. Speaking after a meeting of the Change and Reform bloc on
Tuesday, Aoun slammed unnamed adversaries for wanting to “turn Lebanon into a
dumpster” by hampering infrastructure investments, after several threats to quit
cabinet unless his draft law is approved unchanged.
The next day, Jumblatt shot back, saying his party “will not yield to blackmail
and threats.” Given the tenor of the discussion so far, September 7 is likely to
see more high-tension talks with little output.