LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
30/2011
Bible Quotation for today.
What is the definition of sin? Sin is described in the Bible
as transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4) and rebellion against God
(Deuteronomy 9:7; Joshua 1:18). Sin had its beginning with Lucifer, the “morning
star, son of the dawn,” the most beautiful and powerful of the angels. Not
content to be all this, he desired to be the most high God and that was his
downfall and the beginning of sin (Isaiah 14:12-15). Renamed Satan, he brought
sin to the human race in the Garden of Eden, where he tempted Adam and Eve with
the same enticement, “you shall be like God.” Genesis 3 describes their
rebellion against God and against His commandments. Since that time, sin has
been passed down through all the generations of mankind and we, Adam’s
descendants, have inherited sin from him. Romans 5:12 tells us that through
Adam, sin entered the world and so death was passed on to all men because “the
wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Nasrallah puts Hezbollah in the
dock/By
Ahmed Othman/August
29/11
What about the Jihadists in Libya/By
Mshari Al-Zaydi/August
29/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources
for August 29/11
Terror attack in Tel Aviv leaves
seven wounded
Libyan rebels advance on last
Gadhafi bastion
Israel defense official: It would
take more than one strike to halt Iran's nuclear program
Iran hands death sentence to man
accused of killing nuclear scientist for Israel
Egypt reportedly mulling buffer
zone on Israel border in wake of recent bloodshed
Iran Warns NATO against Drowning in
Syrian 'Swamp'
Syria snubs friends’
advice
Erdogan Urges Syria to 'Silence
Arms Immediately'
Syria Rejects Arab League
Statement, Slams 'Biased Language'
Syria Forbids 3 Opposition Figures
from Traveling to Lebanon
Assad to implement media reform as
Syrian protesters vow to continue struggle
Suicide Attack at Baghdad Mosque
Kills 28, Including MP
Government wants to exclude
expatriate vote: Batroun MP Butros Harb
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai
urges unity among the Lebanese during Kesrouan tour
Future Movement MPs show support
for army and MP Khaled Daher
Mustaqbal MPs: Some Army
Intelligence Practices Resemble Syrian Practices
Suleiman Holds Talks with Jumblat
in Mukhtara
Hizbullah Will Not Allow Government
to Be Toppled
Energy Minister Gebran Bassil:
Resigning from cabinet is still an option
Future bloc MP Ziad al-Qadiri:
Future Movement has always supported the army
Development and Liberation bloc MP
Qassem Hashem : March 14 wants to regain control over the country
Mikati’s return met with
scathing attacks
Lebanon to vote in favor
of Palestine
Terror attack in Tel Aviv leaves seven wounded
Palestinian man from West Bank city of Nablus runs over two people with stolen
taxi and stabs five others.
By Yaniv Kubovich and Reuters
Haaretz/Seven people were wounded in south Tel Aviv early Monday when a
Palestinian man from the West Bank city of Nablus ran over two pedestrians with
a stolen taxi, exited the vehicle and stabbed five others. Tel Aviv District
Commander Aharon Eksol said the attack is 'definitely an act of terror'. The
attack took place shortly after 1:30 A.M. outside the Haoman 17 club on the
corner of Salame and Abarbanel streets in south Tel Aviv. The two people who
were run over appear to be police officers. One of the wounded people is in
critical condition, two are moderately wounded and one is lightly wounded. The
wounded were taken to Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital and Wolfson Medical Center,
Holon.
Police arrested the perpetrator at the scene and are currently conducting
interrogations. The suspect caught entered the taxi in Yaffo and requested of
the driver to take him to the old central bus station in Tel Aviv. Upon arrival,
he lightly wounded the taxi driver by stabbing him in the hand and forced him
out of the vehicle. He then drove to Salame Street near the Haoman 17 club,
where he carried out the attack. During the time of the attack more than 2,000
people were partying at a major event inside the club. The suspect purposely
drove into a barrier that was set up by police in the streets surrounding the
nightclub as part of routine security. Israel Border Police, who were securing
the nightclub's event, went to assist the suspect – who they thought was a drunk
driver – and were surprised when he drew a knife and stabbed a number of them.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the suspect, aged 20, shouted "Allahu Akbar"
(God is greatest), as he struggled with police when they arrested him. The
perpetrator was slightly injured by police and was taken to Wolfson Medical
Center, Holon.
Israel last sustained a terror attack earlier this month when nine people were
killed in a series of coordinated gun and missile strikes in the south.
Erdogan
Urges Syria to 'Silence Arms Immediately'
Naharnet /Turkey's prime minister called Sunday for an end to the bloody
crackdown on protestors in Syria, warning the regime could face the same fate as
recently ousted governments in the Arab world. "A regime cannot survive by
force, brutality, by shooting and killing unarmed people taking to the streets.
The only solution is to silence arms immediately and listen to the demands of
the people," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address to
the nation. "We saw the end of those who did not choose this way in Tunis and
Egypt, and now we observe with sorrow what is being lived in Libya," Erdogan
said. Erdogan made a similar call to authorities in Yemen. "We remind this truth
to the Syrian and Yemeni governments, as we did before with the administrations
in Egypt and Tunisia," he said. "It is necessary to know how to take lessons and
stop this merciless violence against civilians, who have no other intention but
to voice their demands," he said. Earlier Sunday Turkish President Abdullah Gul
said Turkey had lost confidence in the Syrian regime. "Actually (the situation
in Syria) has reached a level that everything is too little, too late. We lost
our confidence," Anatolia news agency quoted Gul as saying. "Everyone should
know that we are with the Syrian people ... What is fundamental is the people,"
he said. Ankara, whose ties with Damascus have flourished in recent years, has
repeatedly called on President Bashar al-Assad to initiate reforms but has
stopped short of calling for his departure. Meanwhile about 150 Syrian
dissidents based in Turkey gathered in downtown Istanbul on Sunday to protest
against Assad's regime, chanting slogans and brandishing banners in Arabic,
Kurdish and Turkish. The protestors, including women wearing black veils and
headscarves and many children, chanted "Murderer Bashar get out of Syria" and "Bashar
in his last days; we want the death penalty for him".The group included many who
had recently fled the bloodshed in their country. "I am here to side with my
people," said 21-year-old Kinddy Adday, who escaped the eastern Syrian city of
Deir al-Zour a month ago with his family. The United Nations says more than
2,200 people have been killed since anti-regime protests erupted in mid-March in
Syria.Yemen has been gripped by political turmoil since an uprising against the
33-year-old rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, now recovering from bomb blast
wounds, erupted in January. Hundreds have died in battles between security
forces and protesters, and between security forces and al-Qaida
fighters.**Source Agence France Presse
Iran Warns NATO against Drowning in Syrian 'Swamp'
Naharnet /Iran on Sunday cautioned NATO against any military intervention in its
main regional ally Syria, warning the transatlantic alliance that it “would
drown in a swamp from which it would never be able to escape.”“Syria is the
spearhead of resistance in the Middle East and the NATO alliance cannot
intimidate this country by waging an attack,” Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi
said in an interview with the official IRNA news agency. “Should the West decide
to follow the same course it took in Iraq and Afghanistan, it will not be able
to achieve the desired result,” Salehi added. On Saturday, Salehi urged Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad's government to listen to the people's demands. "The
government should answer to the demands of its people, be it Syria, Yemen or
other countries," the Iranian FM said. 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 dissenters, rights activists say.**Source Agence
France Presse
Syria Rejects Arab League Statement, Slams 'Biased
Language'
Naharnet/Syria on Sunday rejected an Arab League statement demanding an end to
the bloodshed in the country as the organization’s chief waited for a green
light to travel to Damascus.
In a diplomatic note to the organization’s secretariat seen by Agence France
Presse, Syria said the statement amounted to "a clear violation ... of the
principles of the Arab League charter and of the foundations of joint Arab
action." The Syrian delegation protested that the declaration was issued
"despite the meeting having closed with an agreement that no statement would be
published or statement made to the press." The statement contained "unacceptable
and biased language," the note said, adding Damascus would act as if it had
never been published.
The Arab League announced a peace initiative aimed at solving the crisis in
Syria where more than 2,000 people have been killed in anti-regime protests, to
be delivered in person by its secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi. The 22-member
organization’s foreign ministers at a meeting on Saturday night called in the
statement for an "end to the spilling of blood and (for Syria) to follow the way
of reason before it is too late." They expressed their "concern faced with the
grave developments on the Syrian scene which have claimed thousands of victims
and wounded."
The foreign ministers also called for respecting "the right of the Syrian people
to live in security and of their legitimate aspirations for political and social
reforms."Arabi said on Sunday that he was awaiting a Syrian invitation to travel
to Damascus. "I'm waiting for the response of Syria's government," he told
journalists in the Egyptian capital, adding he was ready to leave
immediately.**Source Agence France Presse
Syria Forbids 3 Opposition Figures from Traveling to
Lebanon
Naharnet /oSyrian authorities pursuing a crackdown against President Bashar
Assad's critics banned three prominent opposition figures from leaving the
country Sunday. Michel Kilo, Loay Hussein and Fayez Sara were on their way to
neighboring Lebanon to take part in a televised panel discussion when they were
told by Syrian immigration authorities at the border that they were prohibited
from leaving out of concern for their safety in Lebanon. Hussein denounced what
he called an attempt to keep them from speaking on television. The debate was to
be aired by the U.S.-funded Al-Hurra television. "This decision negates all talk
about transparency and reforms," said Sara. "It is unjustified and illegal," he
added.
*Source Associated Press
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai urges unity among the
Lebanese during Kesrouan tour
August 29, 2011 /The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai kicked
off a pastoral tour in Metn and Kesrouan regions over the weekend, urging the
Lebanese to preserve the country’s diverse cultural and religious makeup as well
as upholding unity among its factions. Addressing believers in Baskinta in
northern Metn, Rai called Sunday on the Lebanese to renew their trust in Lebanon
as a model state for coexistence. “We should renew trust in Lebanon as a state,
people, regime and message,” he said. The patriarch hailed the Lebanese model as
one which promotes diversity but maintains unity among its various communities.
“Both Muslims and Christians have agreed in the national pact to reject a
religious state of the East and a secular one that sets God aside, similar to
the West,” Rai said. During a tour Saturday in Kesrouan region, Rai stressed the
importance of promoting a culture which encourages the Lebanese to unite, as, he
said, the Lebanese society faces the threat of disintegration. Local delegations
had gathered to welcome the patriarch as he embarked upon his tour, as well as
Christian representatives of Lebanon’s rival March 14 and 8 coalitions. Since
his election earlier this year, Rai has sought to unite Christian parties over
the need to boost the role of Lebanon’s Maronite community in state
institutions. In line with such efforts, Rai has undertaken several pastoral
tours across the country, including one to Sidon earlier this month which made
him the first head of the Maronite Church to visit the southern coastal city in
275 years. The patriarch’s latest efforts aimed at uniting Christian parties
witnessed a meeting convened to discuss the adoption of a new parliamentary
electoral law ahead of the 2013 polls, seeking a united stance between major
Christian parties in Parliament.
Government wants to exclude expatriate vote: Batroun MP Butros Harb
August 29, 2011 / The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Batroun MP Butros Harb accused the
Foreign Ministry of attempting to exclude the expatriate vote from the next
parliamentary elections, adding that it was in the interests of the government
to do so. “The Foreign Ministry has not done anything substantial to this day as
they continue with their empty promises,” Harb said during a news conference in
Australia, the state-run National News Agency reported Sunday. “[They] continue
to exclude Lebanese living outside [the country] from elections and I fear that
nothing the government promises will happen in 2013.” Harb, a member of the
March 14 parliamentary bloc, said that the Foreign Ministry lacked the necessary
capabilities and statistics about expatriates to be able to produce the voting
procedures and regulations required by a law passed in 2008 designed to allow
Lebanese to vote from abroad.
“Frankly, I don’t see any willingness by those who are in power today to hear
your voices,” Harb said. “It is in their interests to silence the voices of [the
expats],” Harb said, without elaborating further. The former labor minister also
urged Lebanese to register at embassies so that they would be able to vote and
called on embassies and consulates to facilitate the process of registration,
describing it as a “national duty.” Other politicians have voiced similar
accusations against the ministry including Lebanese forces leader Samir Geagea
who earlier this month described the behavior of the ministry toward Lebanese
living abroad as “treason,” and urged Lebanese to register at embassies and
demand the right to vote.
Earlier this month, Change and Reform bloc MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr also raised
the issue of the expatriate vote saying that too few Lebanese have registered to
make the process viable, and blaming the low number on a failure in the Foreign
Ministry’s awareness campaign. Recent numbers from a survey conducted by the
Foreign Ministry show that out of the approximately 1.2 million Lebanese living
overseas who are eligible to vote, only around 3,000 have registered to do so at
their embassies.
Future Movement MPs show support for army and MP Khaled Daher
August 29, 2011 /Future lawmakers meet at Daher’s home. (Antoine Amrieh/The
Daily Star)
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: A group of Future Movement lawmakers in north Lebanon visited
Akkar MP Khaled Daher Sunday, in a show of support for his comments on the
independence of the national army last week, which provoked fierce debate, and
to reiterate their backing of the military institution.
During a news conference last week, Daher accused the army intelligence of being
a group of shabbiha (armed gangs) linked to the Syrian regime and operating
under Hezbollah’s orders, exchanging accusations with the Defense Minister Fayez
Ghosn and members of the March 8 coalition. Dinnieh MP Ahmad Fatfat said Sunday
that the Future Movement has supported and still supports the army but added
that there are officers in the army’s intelligence acting like the Syrian
intelligence forces during their presence in Lebanon.
“We have supported the army in all circumstances and we still do support it … we
have not revolted against the army with arms … we didn’t ban the army from
entering south Lebanon until 2006 … we didn’t place red lines on invading Nahr
al-Bared refugee camp … we are not the ones who killed army pilot Samer Hanna,”
said Fatfat during his meeting with Daher.
Fatfat also called on the army leadership to take important steps in protecting
the army institution from such malicious actions against supporters of the March
14 coalition in the country.
“We call on the army’s leadership to protect the army from such actions.” In a
speech last week, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah accused some
Parliament members of serving Israeli interests. “Whoever criticizes the army or
the resistance is serving Israeli interests,” Nasrallah said in a televised
speech on the occasion of Jerusalem Day.
“The one who served Israeli interests is the one who banned the army to be
deployed in south Lebanon … the one who created militias in the south is the one
who serves Israeli interests,” said Fatfat in response to Nasrallah. State
Minister Mohammad Fneish accused Daher and March 14 members for inciting strife
within army ranks. “Whoever tries to incite sectarian conflict in the army will
ultimately fail,” said Fneish in an iftar banquet in the southern city of Tyre
Saturday.
He added that any attempt to target the army is designed to attack the joint
accomplishments of both the army and the resistance movement in safeguarding
national stability against Israel.
“The army is the guarantee of stability in this country and also a partner of
the resistance against Israeli invasions,” Fneish said.
Also Sunday, Future Movement MP Jamal Jarrah said that some army officers’
attitudes in north Lebanon are unprecedented and display an illogical mentality
toward the Lebanese.
In an interview with Al-Mada radio, he described the army’s actions as
“offensive and strange” in dealing with Lebanese in several north Lebanon
towns.“Why is this area being treated differently than other areas in the
country?” asked Jarrah in reference to the wave of arrests following a shooting
in a village in Akkar.
Among the arrested was one of Daher’s bodyguards. Four people were wounded after
a shooting outside the residence of Muslim Scholars’ Committee coordinator
Sheikh Abdel-Salam al-Herash during an iftar he hosted in the Akkar village of
Ayyat earlier this month. One of the victims, a member of the Alawite Council,
Sheikh Bassam Mahmoud, died of his wounds at the Islamic Hospital in Tripoli.
Jarrah called on the army leadership to clamp down on such actions, warning that
further such incidences will have negative repercussions.“The rule of law should
be enforced on everyone … without tyrannical and malicious measures against the
people and their representatives,” said Jarrah. However, Jarrah also said that
the Future Movement wouldn’t fall into a confrontation with the Lebanese Army.
“Such … acts … show that there is a coordinated attempt to create a standoff …
But such a thing will not happen.”
Mustaqbal MPs: Some Army Intelligence Practices Resemble Syrian Practices
Naharnet /The practices of some army intelligence officers “clearly resemble
those performed in the past by Syrian intelligence agents, especially in the
North, and we have already clarified this point to the army commander,” MP Ahmed
Fatfat said Sunday, following a meeting in Tripoli for a number of Mustaqbal
bloc MPs. The meeting which was held in “solidarity” with bloc MP Khaled a-Daher
was attended by MPs Ahmed Fatfat, Mohammed Kabbara, Moein al-Meraabi and Kazem
al-Kheir -- who all hail from North Lebanon. “We are voicing our solidarity with
our colleague Khaled al-Daher and clarifying our position: We, in the Mustaqbal
Movement, had shown our commitment to state institutions before anyone else. We
are the ones who have backed the Lebanese army in all circumstances,” said
Fatfat after the meeting. “We’re not the ones who prevented the army from
deploying in the South, up until the year 2006, we’re not the ones who put ‘red
lines’ against the entry of the Lebanese army to the Nahr al-Bared camp, we’re
not the ones who assassinated martyr pilot Samer Hanna,” Fatfat said, in clear
reference to Hizbullah. “In support of the army and the army institution, we
urge the army command to take all measures necessary to immunize the military
institution against these practices,” Fatfat added. Criticizing recent remarks
by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah without naming him, Fatfat said: “We
have heard remarks that anyone who criticizes the army or the Resistance would
be serving Israel, and we reject this accusation. We clearly say that those who
had served Israel were the ones who prevented the army from deploying in the
South, particularly Hizbullah, which had served Israel by moving its militias
from the South in order to fight its fellow citizens.”Asked about recent calls
for lifting the parliamentary immunity of MP Daher, Fatfat said: “They will have
to lift the immunity of everyone present here, and maybe of more MPs as well.”
Suleiman Holds Talks with Jumblat in Mukhtara
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Sunday visited Progressive Socialist Party
leader MP Walid Jumblat at the Mukhtara palace, following talks on Saturday
between the two men at the Beiteddine Palace.Talks in Mukhtara tackled the
latest political developments in Lebanon and the region, state-run National News
Agency reported. Jumblat threw a dinner banquet in honor of the president, which
was attended by Jumblat’s wife Nora and ministers Ghazi Aridi, Alaeddine Terro
and Wael Abu Faour, in addition to PSP’s secretary Sharif Fayyad. Saturday’s
talks in Beiteddine tackled the governmental situation, reported the daily An
Nahar on Sunday. The president’s circles added that the talks also addressed
ways to resume the national dialogue among the Lebanese political powers. The
daily added that Jumblat’s visit was “a courtesy visit,” revealing that he had
invited the president to attend a family dinner later on Sunday. Asked about the
electricity file, the MP responded: “Ask the ministers about it. I don’t know
anything about it and I am not following up on it.” “The ministers can answer
questions about it,” he added. A dispute has erupted between Jumblat and Free
Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun over the electricity draft law that was
proposed by the latter. The law allows Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil
to receive $1.2 billion to implement a project on producing 700 Megawatts of
electricity. The March 14-led opposition says that the draft law gives the
minister the freedom to use the amount of money without referring to the cabinet
or without any monitoring by the Audit Bureau. The opposition and Jumblat’s
National Struggle Front MPs opposed the law when it was put to a vote at
parliament a few weeks ago.
Hizbullah Will Not Allow Government to Be Toppled
Naharnet /Contacts are being held away from the media spotlight in an attempt to
ease the government tensions over the electricity file, reported the Kuwaiti al-Rai
newspaper on Sunday.
Political sources warned that the dispute over the file may be the beginning of
division among the March 8 camp-led government. They stressed however that
Hizbullah “will not allow the government to be toppled seeing as it represents
its political base.” The party is therefore seeking to overcome the current
crisis over the electricity file in a manner that would appease Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblat. Meanwhile, informed sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper in
remarks published on Sunday that Jumblat’s rejection of the electricity file is
a political message to Aoun to halt his push for the adoption of proportional
representation in the parliamentary elections electoral law. They explained that
the FPM leader is seeking to weaken Jumblat in his Chouf stronghold, which will
alter the distribution of power in the Mount Lebanon region that has existed
since the days of the Druze leader’s father Kamal Jumblat. Jumblat “will never
abandon this historic equation that allowed for the representation of various
sects” in the MP’s parliamentary bloc, they added. Should Aoun succeed, then the
Druze leader will lose the Christian representation in the bloc, they noted.
Energy Minister Gebran Bassil: Resigning from cabinet is still an option
August 28, 2011 /Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said on Sunday that “leaving the
government is still an option for his bloc,” adding that “the cabinet must
approve the energy project [suggested by Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel
Aoun] because it is mentioned in its ministerial statement.”“I do not accept to
work without oversight, and the government has full power to supervise [the
funds],” he said in reference to the calls to establish oversight bodies to
oversee the spending earmarked in the proposed energy bill. Bassil also told MTV
television that “the experience of public funds has failed and is loaded with
thefts.”The parliament earlier in August adjourned the discussion of the draft
law proposed by the Change and Reform bloc to transfer $1.2 billion in funds to
the Energy Ministry, while cabinet ministers have yet to approve the proposal.
On August 16, Aoun warned that his ministers would withdraw from the cabinet if
it does not pursue developmental projects. -NOW Lebanon
Future bloc MP Ziad al-Qadiri: Future Movement has always
supported the army
August 28, 2011 /Future bloc MP Ziad al-Qadiri said on Sunday that the Future
Movement has always supported the Lebanese army. “While former Prime Minister
Saad Hariri was trying to provide weapons to the army from Russia and other
countries, Hezbollah was asking ‘what are these weapons for?’” Qadiri told
Future news. Qadiri also said that Saad Hariri’s government included in its
ministerial statement a clause stipulating support for the army, but Prime
Minister Najib Mikati’s government did not include such a clause. The MP also
questioned “what is the stance of Hezbollah regarding the March 8 attack on the
Internal Security Forces (ISF)?”Some March 8 figures, including Change and
Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and members of his bloc, have constantly
criticized ISF Information Branch chief Wissam al-Hassan and ISF Director
General Achraf Rifi, saying that their work has been driven by political aims.
On Monday, Future bloc MP Khaled Daher said in a press conference that some
security bodies are acting like “Shabeeha” (thugs) and assaulting citizens,
adding that at later date he will reveal intelligence figures who commited acts
of abuse and torture against certain people. On Saturday, the MP called on
Lebanese army commander General Jean Kahwaji and Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn to
purge the army of the “members that harm its virtues.” -NOW Lebanon
Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem : March 14
wants to regain control over the country
August 28, 2011 /Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem said on Sunday
that the March 14 alliance “waged a campaign” against the Lebanese army “because
the [alliance] is used to controlling the country and the institutions and is
trying to regain power and control.”Qassem called on March 14 alliance to stop
its “tense rhetoric that targets the army, stability and national institutions,”
the National News Agency (NNA) reported.On Monday, Future bloc MP Khaled Daher
said in a press conference that some security bodies are acting like “Shabeeha”
(thugs) and assaulting citizens, adding that at later date he will reveal
intelligence figures who commited acts of abuse and torture against certain
people.
On Saturday, the MP called on Lebanese army commander General Jean Kahwaji and
Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn to purge the army of the “members that harm its
virtues.”
-NOW Lebanon
Nasrallah puts Hezbollah in the dock
By Ahmed Othman//Asharq Alawsat
Hezbollah is preparing itself to face the greatest challenge in its history,
when the Special Tribunal for Lebanon [STL] reveals the truth behind the
assassination of [former Lebanese Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri live on air all
across the world. Following this, the image that Hezbollah has created for
itself – as a representative of the resistance which defends Lebanon against
Israeli aggression – will collapse. Rather than defending the people of Lebanon
from others, the STL evidence may reveal that Hezbollah collaborated with a
foreign state to kill the greatest Lebanese statesman, in order – ultimately –
to seize power and control the country.
After spending two and a half years investigating the case of the assassination
of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the STL issued its indictment,
which revealed a link between four Hezbollah defendants and the attack that
resulted in the death of Hariri. The prosecution presented circumstantial
evidence, obtained via telephone records, revealing that a network of five
mobile telephones had taken part in the assassination. It appeared that the
accused had monitored Hariri's movements for around three months before carrying
out the operation. The STL arrest warrants revealed that suspect number one is
Mustafa Amine Badreddine, who reportedly supervised the [al-Hariri]
assassination. He is an important member of Hezbollah and the brother-in-law of
Imad Mughniyeh, the Hezbollah commander who was assassinated by Israel in
Damascus. Salim Jamil Ayyash was responsible for coordinating the group that
actually carried out the assassination. After the assassination had been carried
out, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra attempted to mislead the
investigation by contacting media outlets and claiming that someone named Ahmed
Abu Adas, a member of the “Nasra and Jihad group”, was responsible for killing
al-Hariri. As the STL pre-trial judge had deemed evidence provided by General
Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare sufficient to proceed to trial, he ordered that his
decision confirming the indictment, as well as the indictment itself, be made
public on 17 August, 2011, in preparation for the commencement of the trial in
approximately 4 months.
At the same time as the STL issued its indictment, German magazine "Der Spiegel"
ran an article claiming that the STL was in possession of information indicating
that Iranian authorities had participated in the preparations for the Hariri
assassination. According to the article, the four Hezbollah suspects received
special training for the execution of this operation in the Khomeini camp near
the Iranian city of Qom, a year prior to the assassination. The German magazine
also claimed that three of the suspects had fled Lebanon and are now living in
Iran.
Hezbollah could have – so long as it proclaims the innocence of the four
suspects – allowed them to appear before court to defend themselves, whether in
The Hague or on television screens from Lebanon, to prove their innocence
regarding the crime of assassinating al-Hariri. However Nasrallah fell into the
very same trap that he was trying to avoid. For after Hezbollah's Secretary
General rejected the possibility of members of his organization standing trial,
the STL decided to make public part of the indictment against the Hezbollah
suspects, and to try them in absentia. In other words, the non-presence of the
suspects will not prevent the STL General Prosecutor from presenting his
evidence and airing [Hezbollah’s] dirty laundry in public. Therefore instead of
charges being brought against four suspects, the case has now been transformed
into the trial of Hezbollah. This is something that will prompt Hezbollah to
defend itself via [Hezbollah affiliated] al-Manar TV, which is indeed what
happened. On the very same day that the STL made its indictment public, Hassan
Nasrallah appeared on TV to refute this indictment, proclaim an assault on his
person, and a US attack on Hezbollah. Nasrallah also promised that Hezbollah
would examine the charges and refute them. By doing this, Nasrallah has placed
Hezbollah in the dock, rather than the four wanted suspects, even though the STL
has never issued a direct accusation at Hezbollah.
In Tehran, the Iranian authorities tried to defend themselves with the same
slogans that are continually being raised by Hezbollah, and by claiming that the
STL was politicized. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the STL was
“motivated by worthless political aims." However, such claims themselves will be
proven worthless when the STL publishes the evidence and facts it has
accumulated. When this happens, the trial will be transformed from a criminal
trial to a political one. If Hezbollah and Iran fail to refute the charges
leveled against the defendants, and prove that these charges are false, then
millions of people across the world will be convinced that they were behind
Hariri’s assassination.
In an attempt to win over the Lebanese public opinion, Nasrallah claimed that
this was all part of a ploy to drive a wedge between Hezbollah – which he still
considers a representative of the resistance – and the rest of Lebanon's sects.
Nasrallah spoke about the explosion which recently occurred in Beirut’s
Christian district of Antelias, causing the deaths of two young men – believed
to be Hezbollah members – who were reportedly carrying a bomb. How can Nasrallah
attempt to reassure the people of Lebanon when he continues to threaten them day
in and day out, and vows to give them hell if they do not acquiesce to the
desire of what he alone deems "resistance"? How could the Lebanese people ever
believe Nasrallah again if they found out that he welcomed and met with Rafik
Hariri in his bunker every week for six months, whilst four of his comrades were
training to assassinate him? How can the Lebanese people believe Nasrallah,
after he toppled the Saad Hariri government simply because the former Lebanese
Prime Minister refused to give up on the STL, and was committed to uncovering
his father’s killers? How can the Lebanese people believe anything Nasrallah has
to say before they find out who truly is responsible for the death of the
greatest statesman and politician in Lebanese history? How can they believe
Nasrallah when he continues to reject that those accused of Hariri’s
assassination be brought to trial, indeed when these suspects are being
sheltered from justice under Hezbollah’s wing? Hezbollah exploited the slogan of
“resistance” and succeeded in building a military organization that was able to
impose its will on the Lebanese government and people. If Nasrallah fails to
refute the evidence and indictment put forward by the STL, then Hezbollah’s mask
will finally have slipped, and the “resistance” myth will finally be put to bed
in Lebanon, just as it has in Syria.
What about the Jihadists in Libya?
By Mshari Al-Zaydi/Asharq Alawsat
It goes without saying that the fall of the Gaddafi regime is a wonderful piece
of news. This strange man offered nothing to his people, the Arabs, or the
entire world, except pure evil.
The dangers and eccentricities of Gaddafi are indisputable. The best thing for
Libya is to remove this "Green Man" from its present and future for good.
However, we must not ignore the fact that Gaddafi has not left the scene
entirely.
In my estimation, it is a risk to decisively assert that Gaddafi is totally out
of the picture. Indeed, he has tasted defeat and has been forced to flee Tripoli
like an outlaw. But the man is still dangerous with a lot of money and maybe
even hidden weapons in his possession, not to mention his remaining supporters
and fighters.
Nevertheless, Gaddafi's privileges will be rendered useless if Libya's
revolutionaries can expertly and proficiently handle the current phase, and
steer Libya's ship towards safer shores.
Here an issue ought to be raised, although I am aware that many of those who
have rejoiced over Gaddafi's defeat – myself included – will be somewhat
reluctant to approach this matter at the current moment.
The issue relates to the role of fundamentalist fighters, or "Jihadists", in
Libya's war of liberation. Abdelhakim Belhadj has recently been revealed to be
one of the "stars" of Libya's rebel forces – a former Mujahideen youth who made
his mark in Afghanistan, alongside other familiar Jihadist battlefields. Belhadj
is the commander of the Libyan rebel Tripoli Military Council, yet ironically,
this Jihadist "military" commander was in prison a few months ago. In fact, it
was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi who secured his release under an initiative launched
in 2007, to turn over a new leaf with Jihadist Islamists in Libya.
Indeed, it has been said that Abdelhakim Belhadj has now joined the "national"
Libyan revolutionary project, and that he is not a Jihadist in the same manner
as the "Libyan Islamic Fighting Group", a religious organization similar to the
Egyptian Islamic Jihad group. This could be true with regards to Abdelhakim, and
maybe tens or hundreds of fighters like him, but what about the rest of the
Libyan Jihadists?
This is a somewhat disturbing yet necessary question, especially after the
Chairman of the Libyan National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil,
acknowledged the presence of extremist religious groups among the ranks of
Libyan fighters, in the wake of Tripoli's fall. I don't think that "Sheikh"
Abdul Jalil meant to tarnish the image of the Libyan Revolution by saying that.
Actually, his courage in admitting such a fact is a great testament to him.
The problem in our Arab media and culture stems from partisan viewpoints. Either
you support a revolution faithfully and categorically, or attack it emphatically
and skeptically, without asking critical questions about the key details.
In my estimation, there is a dangerous fundamentalist presence in the depths of
the Libyan revolution, and this is something we should take heed of now. This
presence could turn into a source of danger for Libya's future, in the days to
come. These radicals could easily turn their guns from the Bab al-Aziziya
compound towards the Libyan National Transitional Council, targeting it for
being "secular" and an ally of the "Crusaders" (NATO). These radicals may seek
to establish a Shariaa law state in Libya, and unleash their Jihad across North
Africa. I do not believe I am exaggerating here. We have learnt from past years
that the dreams of fundamentalists have no limits, and that chaos is the best
environment for them to flourish.
Thus, from now on we say: The Libyan Jihadists may prove to be a source of
danger to the state in the near future, unless members of the National
Transitional Council manage to rescue Libya at this critical juncture. We all
hope the Council can succeed in leading Libya through this dark tunnel.
Finally, I am aware that Muammar Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam previously
drew attention to the potential danger of militant fundamentalists in Libya.
This was certainly a sound warning, even if it was declared at the time to
strengthen the Gaddafi grip on power, and now we are restating it out of fear
for Libya