LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
01/2011
Bible Quotation for today
The Good News According to
John 10/22-32: "It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was
winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. The Jews
therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in
suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 1 Jesus answered them, “I
told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these
testify about me. But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I
told you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them
out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.
No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 10:30 I and the Father
are one.” Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus
answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of
those works do you stone me?”
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Enemies of justice/The
Daily Star/June 30/11
Morals come into question
as Syrian fallout drifts towards Lebanese border/By: Michael Karam/June
30/11
Washington Post: Editorial Board
Opinion/Rep. Kucinich takes the side of Syria’s murderous dictator/June
30/11
Sheikh Sayyed Hani Fahs: In
Lebanon, dialogue as a solution/By Sheikh Sayyed Hani Fahs/30 June/11
Aid on the chopping block/By: Matt
Nash/June 30/11
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for June 30/11
UN court indicts four Hezbollah
members over Hariri car bomb/guardian.co.uk,
Indictment will not cause
security problem: interior minister/The
Daily Star
Government will follow on STL
progress: Mikati. more/The Daily Star
STL delegation plans Syria visit to
submit list of suspects: source/The Daily Star
Hariri: STL indictment
a historic moment/The
Daily Star
Profiles of suspects in STL
indictment/The
Daily Star
Lebanese politicians react to
indictment announcement/The Daily Star
Key events in the assassination of
Lebanon's Rafik Hariri/The Daily Star
Gemayel calls for implementation of
indictment warrants/ Daily Star
Hariri assassination background/The
Daily Star
Frequently Asked Questions about
Special Tribunal for Lebanon/Naharnet
Ban congratulates
Mikati on new Cabinet/The Daily Star
Hizbullah Says it Succeeded in Absorbing
Indictment’s Impact/Naharnet
New Opinion: Man up,
Mikati/Now
Lebanon
Iran says U.S. exploits Syria
uprising to save Israel/Reuters
Syria troops storm villages killing seven/AFP
Syrian protesters discover new 'power of their voice'/Washington
Times
New Lebanese cabinet finalizes
policy statement/Xinhua
Aoun
is Hezbollah's spokesperson, says Majdalani/Now Lebanon
Lebanon's Arabic press digest -
June 30, 2011/Daily Star
Hezbollah's imposed Lebanese
Cabinet Approves Policy Statement, Refers it to Parliamen/Agencies/LCCC
Irish Gaza Flotilla Ship
'Sabotaged' in Turkey/Naharnet
Conspiracy of silence over four
Iranian nuclear-capable missile tests/DEBKAfile
UN court indicts four Hezbollah members
over Hariri car bomb
Fears of further civil strife in Lebanon as special tribunal for 2005 car bomb
names senior Hezbollah men
Beirut/ guardian.co.uk,
Thursday 30 June 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/30/lebanon-indicts-hezbollah-hariri-car-bomb
A Lebanese man shouts for help after the 2005 Beirut car bomb that killed
Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri and 21 others Photograph: Mohamed
Azakir/REUTERS
Lebanon's senior prosecutor has received criminal indictments for four members
of the Shia militant group Hezbollah, who are accused of assassinating the
country's former prime minister, Rafiq Hariri, in a car bomb attack six years
ago. The move is a significant step in an investigation into the attack that
killed Hariri and 21 others on the Beirut waterfront on 14 February 2005.
Security was immediately tightened in the city after investigators from the
Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon visited the offices of Prosecutor
General Sayyed Merza, who now has the discretion to name the suspects. Within
minutes of the meeting finishing, Lebanese media outlets named the men as Assad
Sabra, Hassan Issa, Salim Ayachhe and Moustaf Badredine, all senior members of
Hezbollah. Hariri's son, Saad, welcomed the indictments and called it a
"historic moment".Hezbollah did not respond immediately to the indictments,
which if the they lead to convictions, would pose a serious threat to the
group's claim as a nationalist resistance movement. One senior official said
this morning that Hezbollah felt it had done enough to prepare for the
indictments with a lengthy and vocal campaign to discredit the investigation.
Elsewhere, members of Hariri's political bloc called on the Lebanese parliament
to continue support for the tribunal, which Lebanon partly funds. Hezbollah and
its supporters, who comprise roughly half the country's Druze and Christians,
had been trying to force a government led by Saad Hariri, to withdraw support
for the tribunal and stop funding it. After realising Hariri would not agree,
Hezbollah and its allies quit the cabinet in January, causing the collapse of
the unity government. The bloc now has a slim majority in government, which it
will likely use to target the tribunal. Lebanon's cabinet will distribute a
policy statement on Friday on how to deal with the tribunal. Regardless of its
stance, the tribunal will hold hearings in the Hague later this year. The
legitimacy of its claims will likely first be contested in districts of Lebanon,
which remain deeply split and seemingly implacably aligned behind sectarian
banners.
Former
Lebanon PM Hariri: Hezbollah indictments a 'historic moment'
Saad Hariri lauds UN-backed tribunal for issuing indictments against Hezbollah
officials for the 2005 murder of his father, Rafik Hariri.
By DPA
Former Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of Rafik Hariri, lauded the
indictments handed to Hezbollah officials by the UN-backed tribunal probing
Hariri's 2005 assassination, calling it a "historic moment." The handover of the
indictments to Lebanese prosecutor general Saeed Mirza was made during a meeting
with three judges from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which has given Lebanon
30 days to respond. Saad Hariri issued a statement shortly after the indictment
was handed to Mirza warning the new Hezbollah-led cabinet that it must abide by
Lebanon's commitments toward the international tribunal. "The cabinet should
implement Lebanon's commitments toward the international tribunal and has no
excuse in escaping its responsibilities," Hariri, who is currently living in
Paris, said. Hariri also said that "after many years of patience, of struggle...
today, we witness a historic moment in Lebanese politics, justice and security.
"We are not seeking revenge, rather we put our faith in God," he added. Shortly
after the news came out that the indictments were released, many Lebanese
security forces were deployed in Beirut and carried out patrols in a
precautionary move to guard against any violence. On hearing reports of the
indictments, Hariri supporters fired shots into the air in the mainly Sunni
Muslim neighborhood of Tarek Jadideh. "We are happy the truth is finally coming
out," one neighborhood resident who asked not to be named, told DPA by phone.
"Since Hariri was martyred we have been asking for the truth behind the
assassination and I think we are now starting to see the first list of names,"
he added.
The tribunal has long been a point of contention between Lebanon's rival
political parties. On January 12, Hezbollah and its allies toppled the
Western-backed government of Saad Hariri over his refusal to stop the tribunal
in probing his father's murder.
Profiles
of suspects in STL indictment
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
Following are profiles of Lebanese reportedly mentioned in the indictment by the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon. An STL delegation met with Lebanon's state
prosecutor Thursday, reportedly handing him a copy of the Lebanon portion of the
indictment which includes four names.
Mustafa Badreddine
Mustafa Badreddine, the brother in-law of assassinated Hezbollah commander Imad
Mughniyah, is the prime suspect in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. Badreddine replaced Mugniyah as
Hezbollah’s chief operations officer after he was killed in a mysterious
explosion in Syria on Feb. 12, 2008. The 50-year old is a member of the
Hezbollah Shura Council. He was arrested in Kuwait in 1990, broke out of prison
and escaped to the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait, and Iran’s revolutionary guard
escorted him to Lebanon.Badreddine, also known as Elias Saab, who is a little
older then Mugniyah, was prior to the 1982 war with Israel in Lebanon an officer
in the Palestinian Fatah elite “Force 17” in Beirut. He was the trainer of
Mugniyah in “Force 17” in sabotage and bombs construction. After Fatah was
expelled from Beirut, in October of 1982, they joined together the newly formed
Shiite militia - the “Oppressed on Earth” supported by Iran, which became soon
the base for the Hezbollah.
Salim Ayyash
Salim Ayyash, 48, is accused of leading the cell which executed the
assassination of Hariri. He holds a U.S. passport and is a volunteer with the
Lebanon’s Civil Defense.
Asad Sabra
No information is available at this time
Hasan Ainessi
No information is available at this time
STL delegation plans Syria visit to submit list of
suspects: source
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The delegation from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) that handed
Lebanon Thursday an indictment in the case of the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri will head to Syria, a source told The Daily Star. The
source did not elaborate on the timing of the visit, but said "the delegation
would head to Syria on a similar mission," referring to a visit earlier this
morning when the team met with Lebanese State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza and handed
him the Lebanon portion of the indictment. "The delegation is expected to hand
over a list of suspects and the accusations against them," the source added.
Earlier U.N. investigations had suggested Syria played a pivotal role in the
planning and execution of Hariri's assassination.
Hariri: STL indictment a 'historic moment'
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri described the release of the
indictment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as a "historic moment" for
Lebanon.
"Today, we witness together a distinctive historic moment in the political,
judicial, security and moral life of Lebanon," Hariri said in a statement
Thursday. "I feel the beats in my heart embracing the hearts of all the Lebanese
who defended the cause of justice and refused to bargain on the blood of
martyrs," he added.
"We chose not to revenge or resent. We relied on God and started a costly and
long path towards justice and truth through a tribunal of international
character with Lebanese judges that would provide evidence and give the accused,
whoever they are, a chance to defend themselves.
"This progress in the course of justice and the Special Tribunal is for all the
Lebanese without any exception, and it should be a turning point in the history
of fighting organized political crime in Lebanon and the Arab world, just as we
want it to be a focal point for uniting the Lebanese in the face of the factors
of division and the attempts to disrupt the principles of national
conciliation," Hariri said."The Lebanese government is invited politically,
nationally, legally and morally, to implement Lebanon's obligations towards the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and nobody has an excuse to escape from this
responsibility. "Lebanon has triumphed for international justice, and justice
has triumphed for the souls of the martyrs. At this moment, I can only look
towards the spirit of my father, martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and the
spirits of the martyrs who fought for Lebanon, and tell them that your blood did
flow be in vain, and that the truth has began to see the light and justice is
coming," Harir concluded.
Indictment will not cause security problem: interior minister
June 30, 2011/ The Daily Star
In 2007, U.N. Resolution 1757 established the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to
investigate the assassination.
BEIRUT: The STL indictment widely believed to implicate Hezbollah members is not
a verdict and therefore not a big deal, said Interior Minister Marwan Charbel
Thursday.
Charbel reassured the public that the “security situation is good.”“Nothing will
happen after the indictment is issued,” he said. “Why the big deal? It’s just an
indictment and not a final verdict. So why all this hubbub?” he asked. “The
Special Tribunal for Lebanon is going to be mentioned in the government’s policy
statement because it is an international court,” Charbel told the Voice of
Lebanon radio station. “No one can overstep it.” He expressed hope that the STL
decision will “satisfy” the entire Lebanese population and have no
repercussions.
Gemayel
calls for implementation of indictment warrants
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
Gemayel also warned that the Kataeb party will face anyone standing the way of
implementing the indictment.
BEIRUT: Kataeb leader Amine Gemayel called on Lebanon’s judicial and security
bodies Thursday to implement the arrest warrants issued by the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“We call on the security and judicial forces to carry out all of its duties
starting with implementing the international decision. There is no excuse and we
won’t accept any negligence toward the issue,” Gemayel said after an emergency
meeting of the Kataeb Thursday afternoon.
Gemayel’s comments came hours after a three-member delegation from the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon handed over its indictment, which accused four Hezbollah
members in the assassination of Hariri, to state prosecutor Saeed Mirza.
Gemayel also warned that the Kataeb party will face anyone standing the way of
implementing the indictment.
“We will stand in the way and use all democratic means necessary [to prevent any
kind of negligence],” Gemayel said, adding that the Kataeb party would not
cooperate with the new Cabinet unless it upholds Lebanon’s international
commitments.
The United Nations-backed tribunal was established in 2007 by Security Council
Resolution 1757, which also made Lebanon responsible for 51 percent of the
funding.
Gemayel also touched upon the Cabinet’s policy statement which was finalized
Thursday, hours after the delegation ended its meeting with Mirza.
“The policy statement employed ambiguous terms when addressing the STL and we
ask for transparency and the execution of the [arrest warrants],” he added.
Hizbullah
Says it Succeeded in Absorbing Indictment’s Impact
Naharnet/Hizbullah sources said the Shiite party had succeeded in absorbing the
strife-prone impact of the indictment that is expected to be issued by the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon. In remarks to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on
Thursday, the sources said: “We expect the indictment to be issued any moment
but we consider ourselves that we succeeded in absorbing its strife prone
impact.” “We don’t think it (the indictment) would have any implications on the
ground,” they said. The indictment is expected to name Hizbullah members of
involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination. Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti
al-Rai newspaper quoted diplomatic sources as saying that “the indictment would
cause an earthquake” in Lebanon after reports said it could go beyond the
expectations of involved parties
March 14
position will be based on how the government deals with arrest warrants, Allouch
says
June 30, 2011 /Now Lebanon/
Future Movement official Mustafa Allouch said that “The ministerial statement is
very clear regarding the international resolutions, but actions speak louder
than words”, adding that the March 14 coalition will judge the government
depending on how the latter deals with the arrest warrants. Allouch also said
that “the STL clause in the ministerial statement came according to Prime
Minister Najib Mikati’s will, whereas Hezbollah was insisting on ignoring the
STL issue.” Asked about the possibility that the indicted people might not be
arrested, Allouch said that “the government will be questioned and held
accountable if it does not arrest them. If it tries to arrest them but that
causes clashes to break out, the international community will hold a trial in
absentia.”“Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah announced that accusing an
individual from Hezbollah of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination
is like accusing Hezbollah, and I consider that accusing a member of Hezbollah
is like accusing Iran and its supreme authority” he added. Allouch also said
that “Hezbollah is ready to use their weapons again inside Lebanon, but against
whom will it use it? If it used weapons it means it is targeting civilians only,
because the government is its government.”Following its June 13 formation, Prime
Minister Najib Mikati’s government tasked a committee comprised of 10 ministers
representing the cabinet’s factions to draft a ministerial statement. The
committee has been discussing how to tackle the issue of the STL’s indictment
into the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri, which Hezbollah has
repeatedly warned will target the party. -NOW Lebanon
Hariri
assassination background
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The following is a background on the assassination of Former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri:
•Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated on Feb. 14, 2005,
when a massive car bomb detonated his motorcade as he drove past the St. George
Hotel in Downtown Beirut.
•The incident was initially widely blamed on Syria, which had until that point
been responsible for Lebanon’s security with its three-decade-long military
presence. This led to further tensions in the already-strained relations between
the two neighbors.
•The following month, March 14, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese took to the
streets to demand the withdrawal of Syrian troops, which had been stationed in
Lebanon since 1976 as a result of the Civil War. In April, Syria withdrew it
troops, creating both a power vacuum as well as a chance for Lebanon to
establish a democratic sovereign state.
•After several years of investigations, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was set
up in The Hague to find and prosecute those responsible for the 2005 car bomb.
•While many people expecting that the tribunal would lead to the indictment of
Syrian officials, the investigation took an unusual turn in April 2009, when
four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals held since 2005 were freed after the U.N.
court in The Hague found that there was not enough evidence to convict them.
This was followed by a May report in the German publication Der Spiegel stating
that members of Hezbollah were likely involved in the assassination.
Lebanese
politicians react to indictment announcement
June 30, 2011/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Reactions began pouring in from Lebanon's various political factions
Thursday, after a Special Tribunal for Lebanon delegation handed over an
indictment over the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
reportedly accusing Hezbollah members.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea urged lawmakers to look at the suspects in
the STL indictment as individuals accused of a crime, rather than affiliating
them with their party, religion or country.
“We need to look at the accused as a person rather than link them with their
party, sect, or country that he belongs to,” Geagea said, shortly after a
Special Tribunal for Lebanon delegation delivered its indictment, said to
implicate two Hezbollah members, to the country’s state prosecutor Thursday.
The Lebanese Forces leader also asked March 14 coalition members to act wisely
regarding the tribunal,.
“I ask leaders within March 14 who are directly involved with [assassinated]
politicians … to act wisely, calmly and quietly away from any tensions and
overreactions and merely follow the developments of the tribunal,” Geagea said.
The indictment, delivered to Mirza before midday, included the names of four
individuals. Two were identified as Hezbollah military commander Mustafa
Badreddine and Salim Ayyash, a party official.
A third suspect was identified as Sami Issa and a warrant has been issued for
his arrest, according to local TV stations.
The Cabinet should carry out the arrest warrants and deal with the indictment
according to the protocol between Lebanon and international resolutions, Geagea
said, adding that the international court is of high standard.
“[Any other stance regarding the STL] will be a blow to the tribunal,” Geagea
said, adding that if the government does not specify its commitment to the
tribunal, it would have disavowed the court.
Meanwhile, Future Movement official Mustafa Alloush told The Daily Star that “it
would have been strange if an indictment was issued without containing Hezbollah
names.”
Future Movement MP Atef Majdalani welcomed the indictment and said that previous
media reports regarding the content of the accusation did not undermine the
credibility of the STL.
“The media leaks do not damage the credibility of the investigation,” Majdalani
told LBC Thursday, adding that the March 14 coalition would examine the content
of the indictment and whether it was based on definite evidence.
He also criticized the wording of the new Cabinet's policy statement for
offering only respect for international resolutions, rather than offering
“commitment” to them as did the previous Cabinet headed by former Prime Minister
Saad Hariri.
"The word commitment has a clear meaning while the word 'respect' which will be
in the new ministerial statement has a mysterious meaning,” he said.
State Minister for Administrative Affairs and Hezbollah member Mohammad Fneish,
speaking to a local radio station during a break from talks at Baabda Palace,
said: “When we see the [STL] indictment, we will comment on it.”
Earlier Thursday, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said “nothing will happen
after the indictment is issued.”
“Why the big deal? It’s just an indictment and not a final verdict. So why all
this hubbub?” he asked.
Key
events in the assassination of Lebanon's Rafik Hariri
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated by a huge bomb while being
driven in St. George, Beirut in 2005.
BEIRUT: With the Thursday report that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has
issued four warrants for Hezbollah members, here is a timeline of the major
events in the assassination of former statesman Rafik Hariri:
•Feb. 14, 2005 – Five-time Prime Minister Hariri is assassinated after a massive
car bomb hits his motorcade while making its way through the Ain al-Mreisseh
area of Downtown Beirut. Twenty-two others, mainly Hariri’s bodyguards, are
killed in the blast, which prompts widespread protests against Syria’s military
presence in Lebanon.
•April 7, 2005 – The U.N. establishes its International Independent
Investigation Committee (U.N.I.I.I.C.), headed by German Prosecutor Detlev
Mehlis.
•Aug. 30, 2005 – Four former pro-Syrian Lebanese generals – Ali al-Hajj, Raymond
Azar, Jamil al-Sayyed and Mustafa Hamdan – are detained by police for
questioning by U.N. investigators. The generals would be held for almost four
years in connection with Hariri’s assassination.
•Oct. 20, 2005 – Mehlis releases his first report, in which he writes that
investigators have failed to identify a reasonable motive for the crime. Among
witnesses cited in the report is Zuheir Mohammad al-Siddiq, who claims to have
witnessed Syria’s preparations for the crime. In a handwritten letter to the
U.N., Siddiq confesses to involvement in assassination planning, thereby
implicating Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services personnel. Mehlis’ report
also details 10 cellphone numbers used to “organize surveillance on Mr. Hariri
and to carry out the assassination.”
•Nov. 12, 2006 – Five Hezbollah and Amal movement ministers resign from Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora’s Cabinet as ongoing negotiations to form a government
stall. Then Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf, allied to President Emile Lahoud,
follows shortly afterward. The depleted Cabinet approves draft U.N. statutes for
the formation of a special tribunal to try Hariri’s killers.
•May 30, 2007 – The U.N. Security Council agrees to the formation of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. Russia, China, Qatar and South Africa abstain from the
vote, citing Lebanon’s current political divide. Siniora’s government offers the
tribunal its support but, without the consent of Lahoud, court critics say the
formation of the S.T.L. violates Lebanon’s Constitution.
•Nov. 13, 2007 – Canadian jurist Daniel Bellemare is appointed tribunal
prosecutor. Bellemare succeeds Belgian investigator Serge Brammertz, who claims
to have gathered names of individuals involved in the crime, as head of the
investigation into Hariri’s death.
•March 1, 2009 – The tribunal sits for the first time in The Hague. Eleven
judges – four of them Lebanese – are chosen for the court. Lebanon agrees to pay
49 percent of the tribunal’s budget, set at $51 million for its first year.
•April 29, 2009 – The tribunal orders the release of the four generals,
following the retraction and subsequent discrediting of Siddiq’s testimonies and
Bellemare’s submission to pre-trial Judge Daniel Fransen stating that they could
not be tried within legal timeframes. Their release from Roumieh Prison,
northeast of Beirut, prompts widespread scenes of adulation from supporters, who
release bursts of celebratory gunfire. Sayyed claims his detention was
politically motivated.
•July 16, 2010 – Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah labels the tribunal a
“U.S.-Israeli project” aimed at exploiting Israel’s penetration of Lebanon’s
telecommunications network and says it will seek to indict “rogue” Hezbollah
members.
•July 30 – Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad arrive in
Beirut for an unprecedented summit aimed at using Lebanon’s two power-brokers to
avert civil strife in the face of looming indictments.
•Sept. 6, 2010 – Calling the charge a “political allegation,” then Prime
Minister Saad Hariri, in a newspaper interview, retracts the accusation he made
in 2005 that Syria was behind his father’s death.
•Nov. 21, 2010 – Canadian broadcaster CBC reports that Hezbollah members will be
mentioned in forthcoming indictments, after obtaining information gathered by
former police captain Wissam Eid.
•Jan. 12, 2011 – March 8 ministers resign from Cabinet, followed by independent
M.P. Adnan Sayyed Hussein, causing the collapse of Saad Hariri’s national unity
government.
•Jan. 17, 2011 – Bellemare issues a dossier including tribunal indictments to
Fransen.
•March 11, 2011 – Bellmare issues a new indictment.
•May 6, 2011 – The STL announces that Bellmare has amended the indictment,
saying he did not plan on any further amendments.
•June 30, 2011 – The STL hands Lebanon's state prosecutor the Lebanon portion of
the indictment. Four Lebanese suspects are included in the indictment.
Lebanon
to act responsibly toward indictment: Mikati
June 30, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s prime minister called on all sides Thursday to act responsibly
with regards to an indictment in the case of the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri to thwart attempts to destabilize the country. Lebanon
needs to “act responsibly and think seriously [on the issue of the indictment]
so that no one can use this opportunity to create instability in the country,”
Najib Mikati said following a Cabinet session which had just approved its
ministerial statement, including an article on the controversial U.N.-backed
court. “Your government which is taking its first steps … will follow up on the
developments after the indictment and it will take the needed measures to ensure
that the truth about Rafik Hariri’s [assassination] is revealed,” Mikati told
reporters.Earlier Thursday, State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza was handed a copy of
the Lebanon portion of the indictment by a delegation from the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon, the international court tasked with bringing to justice those
involved in the 2005 assassination of Hariri. Meerza said he had received the
indictments but did not elaborate on its contents. Sources told The Daily Star
that the indictment included the names of four members belonging to Hezbollah.
The Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance, which holds a majority in Mikati’s Cabinet,
has repeatedly questioned the tribunal’s credibility and described it as an
“American-Israeli project” aimed at targeting the resistance. During the news
conference, Mikati stressed that Lebanon’s interests should supersede all
others. “Today’s reality requires us to study this issue in a wise manner by
placing the country’s interests, civil peace … above all other issues,” Mikati
told reporters hours after the STL delegation’s visit to Mirza. Mikati added
that the indictment needed to be based on irrefutable evidence.“Whoever bet on
the indictment dividing the country has been proven wrong,” Mikati said.
Cabinet
Approves Policy Statement, Refers it to Parliament
LCCC: Sadly the Hezbollah imposed Lebanese government has ignored the country's
legal and ethical obligations in its policy statement that was approved today in
Baabda Palace after 4 hours of futile and camouflaging discussions. In fact
Hezbollah ministers were the ones who dictated Hezbollah's orders and the rest
succumbed. In summary this government is not Lebanese and will never be while
its members are either Hezbollah members or subservient to Hezbollah, Syria and
Iran. This reality shows plainly that Lebanon is an occupied country.
Naharnet/Information Minister Walid al-Daouq announced on Thursday the
government’s approval of its policy statement, referring it to parliament for
the vote of confidence.
He said in a press conference after the ratification of the statement: “Prime
Minister Najib Miqati stressed during the session that calm and responsible
dialogue pervaded the sessions drafting the statement.”
“The policy statement is not too long and we stressed the principles stipulated
in the constitution, as well as the issues that have enjoyed Lebanese
consensus,” he added.
The meeting also emphasized Lebanon’s ties with Arab and international sides,
the minister continued.
In addition, the gatherers stressed the importance of respecting international
agreements in line with Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, al-Daouq said.
“We asserted the commitment to United Nations Security Council resolution 1701
and the equation of the army, people, and Resistance, as well as the importance
of uncovering the truth in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri,” he said.
“This includes following up on the functioning of the STL,” he stressed.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of the Palestinian people’s right to
return to their homeland.
Al-Daouq hoped that the government would soon receive the vote of confidence in
order for it to implement its agreements.
He quoted Miqati as saying: “We set a vision of what we want to achieve and we
didn’t go into details. The ministers will be charged with explaining their
goals.”
The policy statement that was adopted on Wednesday by a 12-member committee
tasked with drafting it.
Thursday’s cabinet meeting was preceded by closed-door talks between President
Michel Suleiman and Miqati.
After approving the policy statement, the government will send a copy of it to
Speaker Nabih Berri who should set a date for parliamentary sessions aimed at
giving a vote of confidence to the cabinet.
The controversial STL clause was causing the delay in drafting the ministerial
statement. But the committee clinched a deal on it on Wednesday night.
Ban
congratulates Mikati on new Cabinet
June 30, 2011/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati has received a phone call from U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to congratulate him on the formation of the new
government.
During the call, which took place late Wednesday, Ban wished Mikati and the new
government “luck, while highlighting the United Nations’ commitment to
supporting Lebanon’s stability.”
He also praised Mikati’s “commitment to Lebanon’s respect for international
resolutions” and looked forward to “further cooperation between the U.N. and the
Lebanese government in the coming period,” said a statement issued by the prime
minister’s office.
Ban also wished for success in the government’s efforts to tackle the many
challenges facing Lebanon.
The statement said Ban is looking forward to meeting soon with Mikati after his
government obtains its vote of confidence.
New Opinion: Man up, Mikati
June 30, 2011/Now Lebanon
The March 8-led government has finished drafting its ministerial statement in
which the clause relating to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the court
designed to bring to trial those involved in the assassinations of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri and others, has been called “booby-trapped” and
“ambiguous” by several March 14 figures.
After it collapsed the government of former PM Saad Hariri, March 8 took the
burden of high office. It was March 8 that, between 2005 and January 2011,
deployed its full arsenal of spoiling tactics to confront two
democratically-elected governments and the popular movement that was the driving
force of the 2005 pro-democracy Cedar Revolution.
While March 14 preached the idea of the state, territorial integrity and the
rule of law, March 8 gave us the 18-month downtown sit-in that sapped the
economic life out of Beirut in the aftermath of a war that had already sent
Lebanon back a decade. March 8 also gave us its “glorious” attempted coup of May
7, 2008, one that purported to defend the Resistance but only succeeded in
unleashing death, destruction and fear among the population.
Indeed, the hallmark of the March 8 opposition was to always operate outside the
state, giving as an excuse for its actions vague constitutional arguments about
invalid governments or its sacred obligation to protect the Resistance from evil
Zionist or US (take your pick) plots. There was always something to justify its
outrageous actions. Say what you want about March 8, but it always has an
answer.
In the end, it was the veiled threat of violence that did it for Saad Hariri and
his cabinet. Now, however, we can sit back and enjoy how the new government
intends to answer the responsibilities of power. During its tenure, Prime
Minister Najib Mikati’s administration must not avoid the issues of state—no
ifs, ands or buts. It must not only stress as paramount the roles of the
judiciary, the security services and the army, but it must commit to all of
Lebanon’s international obligations, especially UN Security Council resolutions,
and in particular resolutions 1701 and 1757.
To refresh our memories, 1701, among other things, called for the disarmament of
all armed groups in Lebanon, including Hezbollah; said no to foreign forces in
Lebanon without the consent of its government; and stressed the “importance of
full control of Lebanon by the government of Lebanon.” Finally it called for the
“territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within
its internationally recognized borders.”
UNSCR 1757, meanwhile, authorized the formation of the STL, which reportedly
handed its long-awaited indictments to State Prosecutor Said Mirza this morning.
Both will prove tricky for a government that is dominated by Hezbollah and
blessed by Damascus. Hezbollah will not give up its weapons without (literally)
a fight, while the STL’s expected indictments of Hezbollah members was the
reason Hariri’s government was toppled in the first place.
It is a pity that Mikati and his ministers did not present a ministerial
statement that the international community can take seriously. Anything other
than a clear and unambiguous commitment to the rule of law and initiatives that
bring peace and stability to Lebanon will stain the government, and Lebanon’s
international standing, from the outset.
The most pressing concern is the STL. Mikati did not “man up.” The aim of the
tribunal is not to pick on one political party or to expose one sect. Its
objective is to strengthen the idea that justice can and will prevail in a
country (and region) where killing—political or otherwise—has largely gone
unpunished for decades and where the rule of the gun has so often stopped
nations such as Lebanon from taking their place in the modern community of
nations, one in which the ideas of justice and individual rights are enshrined.
Lebanon does not want to be isolated at a time when the rest of the Arab world
is inching closer to the values taken for granted by the wider international
community. At the start of the year, Lebanon was ahead of the game in terms of
Arab democracy and individual freedoms. It would be sad, even if it were not
entirely unexpected, if it found itself limping in last in the race for Arab
dignity and empowerment.
Aoun is Hezbollah’s spokesperson, says Majdalani
June 29, 2011/Now Lebanon
Future bloc MP Atef Majdalani said on Wednesday that Change and Reform bloc
leader MP Michel Aoun is Hezbollah’s spokesperson. “Aoun did not intervene in
the cabinet formation, and his [speeches] are meaningless; he is saying what
Hezbollah wants,” he told Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio. “This is Hezbollah and
Syria’s cabinet… and we will wait for its Ministerial Statement.” Majdalani also
said that in the event parliamentary consultations are held to nominate a new
prime minister, then his bloc “will nominate former PM Saad Hariri.”Speaker
Nabih Berri told As-Safir newspaper that if the cabinet does not finish drafting
the Ministerial Statement before July 13, he will call for consultations to
appoint a new PM. The new Lebanese cabinet—headed by PM Najib Mikati—was formed
on June 13 after almost five months of deliberations between the March 8
parties.-NOW Lebanon
New Lebanese cabinet finalizes
policy statement
BEIRUT, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A ministerial committee tasked with outlining the
policy statement of Lebanon's new cabinet headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati
Wednesday finalized the drafting of the government's new platform. Following two
weeks of intensive meetings, the 12-member committee reached a final agreement
over the policy statement, including the clause related to the divisive Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which is tasked with investigating the 2005
assassination of Lebanese Sunni former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The committee was delayed approving the new platform of the country's new
Hezbollah-dominated government, due to thorny deliberations over the STL-related
clause.
While the Shi'ite armed group Hezbollah, which the STL is widely expected to
indict, has called for severing ties with the United Nations-backed court,
Mikati and his team inside the cabinet have repeatedly said Lebanon should
respect all international resolutions including 1757, which stipulated the
establishment of the STL, so as not to drag Lebanon to a confrontation with the
international community. Information Minister Walid Daouk said following the
ministerial committee's meeting that the new cabinet will meet at 9 a.m. (0600
GMT) on Thursday to go over the policy statement one last time before submitting
it to the parliament for a vote of confidence. Daouk said the clause related to
the STL was "unanimously" approved by the ministerial committee, adding that it
dealt with " respecting" international resolutions, but did not elaborate.
Lebanese media reports had said that the Netherlands-based court is expected to
issue its indictments around July 3 and added that the STL will point to at
least four members of the Hezbollah of plotting the deadly bombing that killed
Hariri and 22 other people. Many fear that a Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife will
erupt if the court implicates Israel's arch foe in the region the Hezbollah
group.
Washington Post: Editorial Board Opinion
Rep. Kucinich takes the side of Syria’s murderous dictator
Text Size Print E-mail Reprints
June 29,/11/DENNIS KUCINICH claims he was misquoted. And perhaps it’s true: May
be the Democratic representative didn’t exactly say, as the official Syrian news
agency reported, that “President Bashar al-Assad cares so much about what is
taking place in Syria . . . and everybody who meets him can be certain of this.”
It could be that another quotation attributed to him, that “President al-Assad
is highly loved and appreciated by the Syrians,” was a “mistranslation,” or a
reflection of “the degree of appreciation and affection [the] state-sponsored
media has” for the president, as a statement from Mr. Kucinich’s office
delicately put it.
This much, however, appears to be uncontested: Mr. Kucinich, who has fiercely
opposed the U.S. intervention against Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddafi, traveled
to Damascus over the weekend to huddle with Syria’s dictator, who is desperately
seeking to avoid being isolated and labeled illegitimate by the outside world.
Thanks to the slaughter by his security forces of at least 1,400 people — the
vast majority of them unarmed civilians — Mr. Assad has few friends these days:
The European Union and United States have sanctioned him personally, and even
his regime’s most faithful allies are close to abandoning him. On Tuesday, for
example, a senior Russian diplomat met with leaders of the Syrian opposition,
then declared that “Russia has only one friend — the Syrian people.”
But Mr. Assad still has a friend: Mr. Kucinich. The Cleveland lawmaker chose not
just to meet with the ruler but also to hold a “press conference. ” Though he
might not have heaped praise on Mr. Assad, Mr. Kucinich did endorse the regime’s
latest propaganda strategy, which is to claim that it intends to engage
opponents in a “dialogue” and then carry out reforms. “I have found a strong
desire to make a substantial change,” the Xinhua news agency quoted Mr. Kucinich
as saying. “People want President Bashar al-Assad to carry out reforms.” If the
Chinese agency is also misrepresenting the congressman, his office hasn’t said
so.
In fact, the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have risked their lives to
take to the streets since March are not seeking reforms from Mr. Assad — they
are demanding the end of his regime. The idea that, having slaughtered so many
of his people, Mr. Assad would agree to a political transition that would allow
Syrians to vote for or against his ruling party — which is dominated by a
minority ethnic group — is absurd. That’s why the only people who take the
regime’s rhetoric seriously are those who wish to defend it, who excuse its
horrendous crimes and who oppose genuine democracy in Syria. Mr. Kucinich has
just made himself one of the more conspicuous members of that camp
Iran says U.S. exploits Syria uprising to save Israel
By Parisa Hafezi/Wed Jun 29, 2011
TEHRAN (Reuters) - The United States and its allies are exploiting popular
protests in Syria to try to break an alliance between Damascus and Tehran
against Israel, a senior Iranian official said on Wednesday. Iran is watching
the unrest in neighboring Syria with alarm and rejects western allegations it is
helping its closest ally in the Middle East to crush a three-month popular
uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Ramin Mehmanparast, a special
advisor to Iran's Foreign Minister, said the alliance between Iran and Syria
constituted a threat not only to Israel, but also to the West's interests in the
Middle East. "The West could not stop regional uprisings ... America lost a
close ally in the region with the overthrow of (Egyptian President Hosni)
Mubarak," Mehmanparast said. "As interests of America and its allies are
endangered in the region ... they are trying to shift the crisis by creating
problems for independent countries (like Iran and Syria)."
Mehmanparast said the West planned to replace Assad with a leader less hostile
to itself and Israel.
"They are trying to harm Syria as it is playing a prime role in opposing Israel
in the region," said Mehmanparast, who is also Iran's Foreign Ministry
spokesman.
Iran, which has crushed its own opposition protests at home, supported popular
uprisings that toppled U.S.-backed leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, praising the
movements as an "Islamic awakening" inspired by its 1979 Islamic revolution.
Tehran sees Syria's unrest as a "Zionist plot" against its close ally Damascus.
The Islamic state is accused of equipping Syria to block the internet, drawing
on its own extensive experience of crushing anti-government protests that
followed the country's disputed 2009 presidential vote.
Syria has denied receiving any support from Iran to put down the popular unrest.
Iran also denies the accusation.
DISCORD AMONG MUSLIMS
"A part of the people in Syria, which are not the majority, have some demands.
Their demands should be expressed in a peaceful way as well," he said.
Rights groups say security forces and gunmen loyal to Assad have killed over
1,300 civilians since March when the uprising for political freedom erupted in
Syria, adding that scores of troops and police were also killed for refusing to
fire on civilians.
Syrian authorities say more than 250 soldiers and police died in clashes with
"armed terrorist groups," whom they also blame for most civilian deaths.
"The number of security forces killed in Syria shows (not all) protestors are
ordinary people," Mehmanparast said, accusing the U.S. and Israel of "provoking
terrorist groups in Syria."
Mehmanparast warned the West over repercussions that might go beyond Syria if
destabilized.
Syria, which borders Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Jordan, has regional
influence because of its alliance with Iran and its continued role in Lebanon,
despite ending a 29-year military presence there in 2005.
Analysts say Iran, that sees itself as a bastion of Shi'ite Islam, is concerned
about wider Sunni influence in the region.
"Iranians are trying to gain new allies to prevent expansion of Sunni's power in
the region," said political analyst Ali Fazeli.
Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia and the United States, which bases its Fifth
Fleet in Bahrain, both fear Iran's rising influence in the region since the 2003
U.S. invasion of Iraq, analysts say.
Mehmanparast said Iran had no intention to adopt "hostile foreign policy" toward
any regional country.
"Boosting regional ties has always been a priority for Iran ... any country ...
that blocks such convergence is moving in line with the Zionist regime's
interests," Mehmanparast said, accusing Washington of creating discord among
Muslims.
In March, tension increased between Iran and Saudi Arabia, both major oil
exporters, when about 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain as part of an effort
by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to help the island's Sunni
Muslim elite cope with protests by members of its Shi'ite majority.
(Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Morals come into question as Syrian fallout drifts
towards Lebanese border
Michael Karam
Jun 30, 2011
Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, offers the most curious
example of Levantine moral bankruptcy. AFP
I was speaking to a monumentally successful Syrian businessman in the lobby of a
Beirut hotel a month ago, who told me that for one of the few times in his life
he faced a "moral dilemma".
He recognised that the uprising in his country was legitimate but the
leadership, he had to admit, had created a stable environment for prosperity,
part of the so-called unwritten contract between the ruling Alawite-Baathist
party and the Sunni, and to a lesser extent Christian, mercantile class.
If that were to fall, he feared for his substantial investments. Would there be
a vacuum? Would there be instability or even retribution meted out on a private
sector that had been in benign league with the regime?
He had a point. As the world watched Syria lurch from bloody crackdown to bloody
crackdown, with no clear "winner", it was the so-called silent majority, the
name coined by the media for the business class, like the businessman in the
hotel lobby, that waited to see which way the battle swung before committing to
the fray.
More than 100 days into the uprising, the private sector is finally running out
of patience. It feels that if Bashar Al Assad, the president, can't sort out the
"problem" (if demanding democracy and human rights can be called a problem) then
he should, to quote one man who spoke to The New York Times, "leave it to
others". But it may all be too little too late.
Sorting out the problem is looking increasingly unlikely. The Assad regime would
have to do a massive U-turn and actually implement genuine democratic reform -
something it is loathe to do because it would spell its end.
In the meantime the economy, not to mention the Syrian pound, is in freefall.
The tourists have gone elsewhere and the anticipated billions of dollars worth
of foreign investments are quite naturally on hold. Turkey, once a potential
ally, has almost run out of patience and even Qatar has abandoned the regime.
Its only friend in the region is Iran.
But leaving it to "others" also throws up uncomfortable scenarios for the
business class. For should Syria, for the first time in nearly half a century,
find itself free of the Baathist jackboot, who would the "others" be, and would
they be predisposed to a business community that not only sat out the revolution
but would have been equally content had the other side prevailed?
Across an increasingly tense border in Lebanon there is no such moral dilemma
for those backing the Assad regime. Instead there is hypocrisy by the truckload.
Local support for Damascus falls into two groups. Hizbollah, Amal, the Syrian
Social Nationalist Party and the Marada Movement, quite naturally don't want
their sponsor to disappear. They are unashamedly pro-Syrian. (This support does
fly in the face of Amal and Hizbollah's stated commitment to champion the
oppressed, but why let ideology get in the way of business?)
But it is Michel Aoun, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, who offers the
most curious example of Levantine moral bankruptcy. The former army commander,
interim prime minister, political exile and now self-styled anti-corruption
czar, is behind a regime that has reportedly murdered 1,300 of its own people,
while at the same time championing a new Lebanon, one founded on justice and the
rule of law.
Mr Aoun, who justifies his support for Damascus because he fears apres Assad the
Salafist deluge, wants to set about the accounts of the finance ministry
stretching back to 1993, one year after the late Rafik Hariri became Lebanon's
third post-civil war prime minister and embarked upon his famous, and still
ongoing, reconstruction project.
It was an era, his enemies say, that almost bankrupted Lebanon and one that
contributed to the bulk of Lebanon's current US$55 billion (Dh202.01bn) public
debt.
His target: his former political enemies in the former majority March 14 bloc,
especially those close to Saad Hariri, the son of Rafik and a former premier
himself, who he blames for almost all the country's problems. Last week Mr Aoun
even cheekily suggested that a new wing in Lebanon's notorious Roumieh prison
would be ready just in time to welcome members of Mr Hariri's entourage. Next
page
Sheikh Sayyed Hani Fahs: In Lebanon, dialogue as a solution
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 /Al Arabiya
By Sheikh Sayyed Hani Fahs
The Taif Agreement, ratified in 1989, brought the Lebanese civil war to an end
and ushered in a new era for Lebanon. The Agreement emphasized coexistence, and
since then many of the religious leaders in the country have been striving to
achieve this ideal. In the past few decades we have worked tirelessly to promote
coexistence through our writings, sermons and community dialogues, as well as
within the framework of our main organizations: the Arab Dialogue Team, the
Permanent Lebanese Dialogue Conference and the Lebanese Congregation for
Dialogue.
Our goal is to promote the concept that dialogue can complete what was announced
in the Taif Agreement, and lead to a legal and practical declaration of the end
of war and a national peace based on coexistence.
Building and renewing any entity or state cannot be achieved by one political
party or by one religious group alone. There has to be a majority -- a national,
all-encompassing domain -- within which there are various individuals and groups
from diverse origins, experiences, expertise and sensitivities. These people
must meet over one project, be open to change and criticism, and help this
project gain vitality through diversity, preserve multiplicity by maintaining
the necessary level of unity and enhance unity through partnership with the
“other.”
Religious leaders from different confessions, as well as some academics and
political officials, have held many conferences since 1990 about dialogue and
its importance. We have produced a charter on coexistence, mutual respect and
the importance of a Christian presence in the region. Our belief is that
dialogue is the door to coexistence, and through dialogue we hope to convince
people that a secular state can guarantee freedom of religion and civil rights.
A real state looks to its citizens as equals who can develop a relationship with
the state and it various administrations without declaring their confession.
Meanwhile, it retains its respect for all confessions as social coalitions.
As participants in ongoing dialogue, each of us has individually achieved pride
and inner security. By meeting those from other religious backgrounds, we have
rid ourselves of all cysts that poison our view of the other and that cause
sectarian hatred, religious rifts and national disconnect emanating from the
civil war. We have placed our bets on the firm belief that the basis for a
stable democratic country lies in positive coexistence.
Our time is dedicated to promoting dialogue between the different religions in
Lebanon who were involved in the civil war. We discuss and debate, and hope to
impart the culture of dialogue to the next generation. We work with youth
through camps that we organized through the Arab Dialogue Team, and conduct
dialogues on interfaith relations in order to dismantle stereotypes about the
“other,” to circumvent any new civil wars and achieve reconciliation among
various religious groups that wage wars in the name of religion.
Our goal is to bring together young people, male and female, from various parts
of Lebanon and have them spend time together. Through recreational activities
and discussions about various topics, such as the relationship between different
religions, or the relationship between the state and religion, these youths get
to know each other rather than rely on stereotypes and misperceptions. They play
together, eat together and develop meaningful relationships.
There is no path to preserving ourselves, our people or our religions except
through dialogue. When differences deteriorate to the point of conflict, when
struggle and infighting are engendered, dialogue becomes crucial. Perhaps we
could live without coexisting in a positive, cooperative way, but such is a
miserable and barren life, because the “other” is essential in everyday life and
is also the condition for existence, knowledge, life and the afterlife.
The more this plague of division spreads, the more we need to give. My fellow
religious leaders and I remain in service to the nation and the citizens, as
doctors and nurses, looking after Lebanon and caring for it until its well-being
prevails.
(Sheikh Sayyed Hani Fahs is a member of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council in
Lebanon. This article first appeared in Common Ground News Service on June 28,
2011)
Aid on the chopping block?
Matt Nash, June 29, 2011
Prime Minister Najib Mikati reportedly wants to keep ties to the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, while Hezbollah is said to want the court out of the new
ministerial statement completely. (AFP photo/Joseph Eid)
Whether on paper or in practice, Lebanon will soon have to decide to what extent
it will cooperate with the international court bearing its name, and its choice
could put it at odds with the West, particularly the US. Rumors that the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will release a confirmed indictment—along with arrest
warrants or summonses to appear—in “a matter of a few days if not hours,” as
pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat put it Wednesday, are rampant.
Simultaneously, a ministerial committee is working on the new government’s
policy statement as a constitutionally-mandated July 13 deadline approaches.
Dealing with the STL is reportedly delaying a final policy statement—with
Hezbollah apparently against mentioning the court and Prime Minister Najib
Mikati and his allies in the cabinet in favor of including a commitment to work
with it.
Both the US and EU, in statements after Mikati announced his cabinet line-up
June 13, said they expect Lebanon to keep its commitments to UN Security Council
resolutions—in part a reference to the resolution that established the STL under
Chapter Seven of the UN charter.
Some in the US, however, have indicated that Lebanon could lose aid once a
“Hezbollah-inspired” government formally takes power, a position likely to
harden if the policy statement does not express Lebanon’s commitment to the
court.
In mid-June, Representative Howard Berman, ranking Democrat on the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, introduced a bill, with three other Congressmen of
Lebanese descent, that would cut some US aid to Lebanon. Called the “Hezbollah
Anti-Terrorism Act” (HATA), it is modeled on a law passed to cut off US funds to
Hamas following Palestinian elections in 2006.
Between 2006 and 2010, the US has given over $1.2 billion in aid to Lebanon,
according to a 2010 report by the Congressional Research Service. The Obama
administration requested $246.3 million more for 2011, but the US has not yet
passed a budget for this year.
In announcing the new bill—which would have to win approval in both chambers of
Congress and receive the president’s signature to become law—Rep. Nick Rahall, a
Democrat with Lebanese heritage, said funding cuts would be targeted to keep US
taxpayer dollars from Hezbollah but still help the country at large.
“This legislation,” Rahall said in a press release, would continue “allowing
humanitarian, IMET [training for the Lebanese army] and assistance to
educational and democratic institutions to continue. In addition, our president
is given waiver authority,” to allow aid that might otherwise be blocked by the
bill.
Since the January fall of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government,
members of Congress have been particularly harsh in criticizing Hezbollah—which
the US labels a terrorist organization. The administration, however, has taken a
more cautious approach, saying it supports Lebanon but will judge the country by
its actions and policy statement, not yet openly threatening any cuts in aid.
That said, with a new government in Beirut that Congress views as controlled by
Hezbollah, “It’s a difficult time in the relationship,” between the US and
Lebanon, Mara Karlin, a former Defense Department official who specialized on
the Levant, told NOW Lebanon.
Obama keeping close ties to Lebanon given the mood in Congress “will depend on
to what extent the administration wants to fight hard for Lebanon,” Karlin said.
As the US limps toward economic recovery—with fierce spending fights along the
way—Republicans in Congress are keen to cut foreign aid in general, which also
complicates Lebanon’s share, Karlin noted.
While EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said following the announcement
of Mikati’s cabinet line-up that the continent wants to see Lebanon maintain
ties to the STL, there are not the same aid cut threats coming from Europe. The
EU gave Lebanon some $268 million between 2007 and 2010.
Michael Mann, a spokesman for Ashton, told NOW Lebanon in an e-mail that the EU
“will judge the new Lebanese government by its actions. There is no intention to
limit EU funding to Lebanon at this time. We welcomed the formation of the new
government and expressed hope it would advance much-needed reforms.”
After reviewing HATA, Jihad Azour, a former finance minister close to March 14,
said he thought that financially and economically, it would have a limited
impact. Given the various exemptions and exceptions in the bill, “Not all the US
aid Lebanon is receiving would be subject to cancellation,” he noted.
HATA would be most problematic for Lebanon because of the “image impact” of an
ally being seen as sanctioning the country, Azour said.
“Lebanon has created in the last several years—since the end of the civil
war—very good relationships with international organizations and the
international community,” he said.
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - June 30, 2011
June 30, 2011 /The Daily Star
Following are summaries of the main stories in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqbal
as well as Pan-Arab dailies Al-Hayat and Asharq al-Awsat Thursday. Other
Lebanese newspapers were not published Thursday due to the Islamic holiday Isra
and Miraj. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Al-Mustaqbal: Hezbollah, Syrian regime seeking to disengage Lebanon from
tribunal
No new developments surfaced on the Lebanese scene as Lebanon braced for
Cabinet’s endorsing of the policy statement. This, however, does not appear soon
since the deadlock over how to bring the different viewpoints together regarding
the clause dealing with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon remains unchanged and
attempts by the new government to divert attention from their differences by
suggesting that there is a race between finalization of the policy statement and
the indictment which is expected to be issued in the 2005 assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
In this regard, the March 14 coalition has warned the government against the
consequences of adopting a stance contrary to the will of the Lebanese in terms
of achieving justice for the martyrs, commitment to civil peace and Lebanon’s
judicial future.”
March 14 has also warned the government against putting Lebanon in a
confrontation with the international legitimacy and U.N. resolutions,
particularly 1757 and 1701, pointing out that Hezbollah and the Syrian regime
were seeking to break Lebanon's commitment with the STL.
March 14, however, stressed it will “strongly ward off any attempt to evade all
of these commitments.
Al-Hayat: Lebanon: Policy statement approval likely within 24 hours after
agreement reached on tribunal clause
A committee tasked with drafting the government’s policy statement reached an
agreement Wednesday on a formula regarding the STL clause.
Ministerial sources said Cabinet was likely to convene within 24 hours to
approve the policy statement.
The STL clause affirmed Lebanon’s respect for international resolutions and
follow up the work of the STL, set up to find the truth and justice away from
politicization and revenge while not affecting Lebanon’s stability and unity.
The agreement was concluded during a meeting of the ministerial committee
Wednesday following behind-the-scene talks between Prime Minister Najib Mikati
and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
During the one-on-one meeting, Mikati offered Berri a three-point text to the
STL clause: 1- Affirms support for the STL to try suspects in the Hariri
assassination and achieve justice without politicization, 2- Lebanon’s respect
for international resolutions concerning the STL and protection of Lebanon’s
civil peace and stability, 3- the possibility of calling a "national dialogue"
meeting to discuss any emergency issue regarding the STL – an item that does not
call for putting the STL dispute at the dialogue table.
Sources told Al-Hayat that Berri has rejected the third item. Mikati, however,
asked the speaker to seek Hezbollah’s approval for the first two points of the
clause.
Asharq al-Awsat: Hezbollah sources: We expect indictments at any moment … with
no repercussions
Hezbollah parliamentary sources have uncovered that Mikati had been presented
with more than one formula regarding the STL-related policy statement and
pointed out that it is up to him to chose the most appropriate text.
They said the consensus text would end “going around” the STL issue instead of
going straight to the core. Otherwise, Hezbollah would have asked to include a
clause dealing with the controversial issue of the so-called false witnesses in
the Hariri assassination.
Ideological Misfire
By: Georges Melhem
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Ideological misfire… Don’t tread on me…. an Arab Gadsden?
The popular awakenings throughout the Middle-East present us with an overdue
perspective on the social and political grievances in the region. While an
in-depth assessment is necessary before we reach any conclusions, and “street
fever” has yet to clear, some aspects are undeniable.
The flowers of this Arab spring are each and every Arab individual. He rebels
against his marginalized existence, his stolen wealth, his raped identity, his
usurped rights, his enslaving to the ‘Great Leader’ and his ‘Greater Cause’
against a ‘Greater Satan’ and, dare he say…? It’s about his hopes and dreams…
The Arab Spring started in Beirut, triggered by the Hariri assassination, which
hit every Lebanese patriot, who felt compelled to act. There was no leadership,
structure, or directives. Just anger displacing the ingrained fear, fueled by
Hezbollah Secretary General’s infamous “thank you Syria” speech. The rest is…
unfinished history, having backtracked under the gun of Hezbollah’s terror
militia, an entity widely described by its closest allies as a “cancer.”
Yet that “cancer,” together with its regional sponsors and local underdogs, is
now facing an existential issue. The very reason for its existence and
sustenance, the greatest of all evils and the most pernicious of all threats,
Israel, has… disappeared. Not from the map, of course, but from the Arab mind,
collective and individual. The entire Arab population takes to the street, and
not a single slogan, insult, flag-burning, or even call-to-senses towards
Israel. From the Syrian regime to Al-Qaeda and its global copycats; from Iran’s
Islamic Revolution, (in need to divert from the Sunni-Shia and Arab-Persian
fault lines) to Israel’s own hardliners; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an
ideological center of gravity for all forms of extremism and dictatorships has
just vanished. Oops.
The Palestinian cause, gang-raped for over six decades by regional agendas, is a
just one that needs a fair solution, for everybody’s sake, including Israel’s.
The time has come for a solution-finding process away from all the merchants of
death, under the exclusive auspice of the UN, the latter perhaps diminished from
solution-stalling vetoes.
The Arab flowers have realized that the enemy is whoever steps on them, and
that’s the nearest boot. They also realized that a garden is a collection of
flowers with different colors, sharing sun, soil and water, that differences can
only be resolved once they are freely expressed, and that governance is decided
at the ballot. As to the barking about a greater or lesser Satan, we all say,
“we’re done here. Go out, have a drink, have fun. Make love, get a job, read a
book. See the sun, get a tan. Just one thing: “DON’T TREAD ON ME.” I will bite
you. And I will kill you.”
Enemies of justice
June 29, 2011/The Daily Star
Amid the speculation mounting over the timing and anatomy of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon’s indictment, a key sober reality is at risk of being
swamped beneath rumor and hearsay. It bears reminding, however: An indictment is
not a verdict.
Rather, it is the beginning of a long and arduous legal process, wherein anyone
named by prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has the right to defend themselves. In
addition – and this is possibly the most crucial of often-overlooked tribunal
truths – they are innocent until proven otherwise.
Now, with the indictment looming large, it is more important than ever to calmly
assess the situation. Court proceedings, when they finally commence, will run
for months and probably longer. The STL is not going away and Lebanon has signed
a legally binding agreement with the U.N. that it will do its utmost for the
court.
It is therefore to be lamented that the tribunal debate swirling around the
Cabinet’s policy statement misses these points. Those who maintain that the STL
is politicized and will foment civil strife have never claimed to be against
finding the culprits. They declare to support justice, yet warn that the STL’s
brand of legalese will sow instability.
This is a false juxtaposition. Justice supersedes all political, religious and
economic barriers. It has no caveats and no motivation other than itself. It
only affects stability in its absent or sullied forms, which are not fit to bear
its name. It is these forms that court decriers appear to advocate, as agreeing
with an investigation only until the wrong people are fingered is broken moral
path.
There is a further layer of hypocrisy at play, for those who seek to paint the
tribunal as politicized – and therefore invalid – are themselves seeking to
politicize its processes. They do so not by seeking to target a particular party
or group (as they claim the STL does), but by threatening fire and brimstone if
the court independently seeks an unpalatable indictment of certain individuals.
If strife follows the STL, the effect will not have been causal. A court seeking
justice cannot provoke violence; only those warning about it have the capability
to see it materialize. It will not be the tribunal that has endangered Lebanon;
it will be them.
The global community is pressuring the government to stick to its international
commitments. This must include the STL, particularly since the resolution that
gave birth to the court came under chapter seven of the U.N. Charter, a document
to which Lebanon was among the first signatories.
Failure to support the court would make this redundant. The choice between
stability and justice is a false one, but the decision now facing the government
is real. If the right one can’t be taken for justice’s sake, then it needs to be
made for Lebanon’s.
Conspiracy of silence over four Iranian nuclear-capable
missile tests
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report /June 30, 2011/Our Iranian and intelligence sources
offer details on the British Foreign Secretary William Hague's allegation
Wednesday, June 29, that Iran has carried out secret tests of missiles capable
of delivering a nuclear payload in breach of UN resolution 1929: Three of those
tests, four in all, were carried out between October 2010 and February 2011and
the fourth on Tuesday, June 28, in the course of the Prophet Mohammed war games
currently in progress.
Iran is clearly continuing to upgrade and improve the accuracy of the missiles
in its armory that are capable of delivering nuclear warheads.
It was the last test of the four that led Hague to break the Russian-imposed
US-Israeli blackout on the critical tests, thereby leaving Iran free to push
ahead at top speed with its program for attaining an operational nuclear weapon.
Click here for debkafile's June 29 report of Hague disclosures.
debkafile's military and Moscow sources now report exclusively: In early October
2010, Russian intelligence learned that Iran was about to begin test launches of
missiles for carrying nuclear warheads. They reported this to Russian Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin.
He then took three steps: He conveyed the information to US President Barack
Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bound them to secrecy.
With their pledges in hand, he used backdoor intelligence channels to persuade
Tehran to refrain from bragging about its dramatic progress and keep the tests
of the nuclear-capable missiles quiet in order to avert a world outcry against
the violation of all their international commitments. The Iranians bought the
deal.
In this way, the Russian leader raised a wall of silence around Iran's advances
towards ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and pre-empted
condemnations, Security Council action, and other forms of American, European
and Israeli action for keeping a nuclear bomb out of Iranian hands.
This was the last straw – at least for the British government. Hague in
consultation with Prime Minister David Cameron went public about what Iran was
really up to with a statement to parliament.
debkafile's military sources disclose that Iran has now tested two types of
missile for carrying nuclear warheads: the Shahab-3 Kadar and the Sejjil – both
powered with solid fuel and having a maximum range of 2,510 kilometers.
Two of the first three tests - one by Sejjil and one by Shahab-3 Kadar - were
successful. A third apparently failed. Tuesday of this week the Iranians
conducted another successful Shahab-3 test.