LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
03/2011
Bible Quotation for today
James 5/19–20: "My brothers,
if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him
know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul
from death and will cover a multitude of sins" James is speaking to Christians
when he says "my brothers." This verse makes it plain that sometimes believers
stumble and get off track. The Bible says in Hebrews 3:12-13 that we ought to
encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ daily so that no one turns away
from the living God. If you see a fellow Christian backsliding, or drifting away
from the Lord, make every effort to reach out a hand of fellowship. And stay on
the alert yourself. Each and every one of us is capable of wandering from the
truth. /Naharnet
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
Speech of Saturday/July
2, 2011 /Now Lebanon
Too busy for a
war/By:
Ana Maria Luca and Nadine Elali/July 02/11
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for July 02/11
Israeli Reports: Maher Assad,
Assef Shawkat Suspects in Hariri Assassination/Naharnet
Hizbullah Rules Out Arrests in
'Void' U.N. Hariri Case/Naharnet
Iran Speaker Rejects Hariri
Tribunal as 'Political'/Naharnet
Raad: Indictment Did Not Cause
Explosion Other Camp Had Hoped for/ Naharnet
Hariri Thanks Ban for Supporting
STL/Naharnt
Kuwait Ends Bahrain Naval
Mission/Naharnet
Israel, Greece, Turkey join hands
to stall Gaza flotilla. Palestinian UN move next/DEBKAfile
Justice and stability not mutually
exclusive: Clinton/The
Daily Star
Clinton demands urgent reforms as
Syrian forces kill protesters/The Guardian
Syria
Sends Tanks to Border Area Near Turkey, Holds Hundreds/SFC
Clinton slams Syria, Belarus at
democracy meet/AFP
In Syria, Two Different Flavors
Of Street Protests/NPR
In Syria, Protests and Disorder
Grow/WSJ
Analysis: Hezbollah poised to
ride out indictments/San Francisco Chronicle
Syria
rulers 'almost out of time'/BBC
For Lebanon, the truth is a
poisoned chalice/The National
Hundreds march in Tripoli to
support Syria rallies/The Daily Star
Future bloc rules out confidence
vote for Cabinet/The Daily Star
Excerpts from the Mikati
government's policy statement/The Daily Star
Patriarch Rai:
Don't call Christians minorities/The Daily Star
UN, US pressure Lebanon to make
arrest over Hariri assassination/The National
Lebanon's
Arabic press digest - July 2, 2011/ /The Daily Star
Abboud hopes tourism stays
immune to tension /The Daily Star
Arslan Hands Written Resignation,
Suleiman and Miqati to Discuss it Monday/Naharnet
Miqati: Maintaining Lebanon’s
Stability and Unity Will Be Govt.’s Priority/Naharnet
March 14 to Announce Road Map for
Indictment Aftermath on Sunday/Naharnet
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Speech of Saturday
July 2, 2011 /Now Lebanon
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech on July 2
to address the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indictment and the four arrest
warrants presented to Attorney General Judge Said Mirza in the case of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005 murder.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah:
“In the name of God, the holy, the merciful. Peace and mercy be upon all of you.
The nature of the latest events compelled us to hold a press conference,
however, my [speech] will replace the press conference. We will be displaying
videos throughout the address. I will not be repeating what I have already
stated, yet we need to talk about new issues. Of course, the reason for the
address is the occasion of what it is said to be the release of the indictment
[of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)] that has named brothers in the
Resistance.
This is the result of a process, which is becoming clearer and clearer after
Israel’s defeat in the 2006 July War and also after the French newspaper Le
Figaro reported in August, 2006 that the STL is moving toward indicting
Hezbollah members. We assumed at the time that the tribunal was being used as a
[retaliation] tool after the Resistance triumphed against Israel. We were clear
in the past that we cannot disregard the STL because it is the result of a UN
Security Council resolution and it has a purpose that it wants to accomplish.
You remember, we spoke about [the attempts] to distort the image of the
Resistance and to incite a strife between the Sunnis and Shia in Lebanon. The
timing of the STL indictment release has also a goal of its own that we will
tackle it throughout the address.
The first thing we will talk about is the international commission investigating
[of the 2005 murder of Rafik Hariri]. The second point will be the tribunal,
which is headed by [Judge Antonio] Cassese, and who we are being told to deal
with. The third issue [I] will be talking about is our position vis-a-vis the
indictment of the court.
Firstly, concerning the investigation: The investigation is supposed to find the
truth and uncover it. At first, [the investigation] intended [to target] Syria
and its officials, then it moved toward [involving] Hezbollah in the murder. We
mentioned the possibility of having Israel involved in the murder and the fact
that [Israeli] agents were present at the murder scene one day before the
murder. Question: Did [STL Prosecutor Daniel] Bellemare take into account the
evidence we had spoken about? No one in the STL even asked the Israelis
anything. This is normal, why? Because the tribunal, since its formation, had a
precise goal and no one was allowed to talk to the Israelis. It is not
Hezbollah’s job to conduct a full investigation and submit its results to the
STL. Nonetheless, this [is pointless] because the probe is politicized. Instead
of investigating the Israelis, [the STL] gathered information from them. Imagine
that Israel, instead of being under investigation, it has become a source of
information and [the tribunal] is cooperating with.
The people know that when Daniel Bellemare was appointed as the tribunal’s
prosecutor and after the cancelling of the internal commission investigating the
probe, employees were transported and taken out of Beirut. There are 97
computers that belonged to the internal commission investigating the probe which
were transported through the Naqoura border crossing and taken [to Israel]. The
question is: why does Bellemare want to take these computers from Lebanon
through Israel? Why didn’t they ship them out of the Beirut port? Can Mr.
Bellemare answer this question? We will show you a document that proves the
computers were transported from South Lebanon to Israel.
Fourth, if this was a just probe, the investigators and experts would not be
against the Resistance and they would not have ties with US Intelligence. One of
Bellemare’s assistants is a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative. All of
Bellemare’s officers are not neutral and are not seeking the truth.
[A video footage shows information about STL investigators: Najib Nick Keldas,
of Australian descent, is shown as having ties to the CIA.
Second, Michael Taylor, third Darell Mandeze, a former Marines officer - from
the US – is also presented as having tight relations with the CIA and the FBI.
Also, Doureid Bcherawi, a Lebanese - French citizen, is the first one who
accused Syria of murdering Hariri without possessing any piece of evidence.
Additionally, Robert Bear, American, former CIA officer who still has ties to
the agency and who worked in Lebanon for years to track down [slain Hezbollah
officer] Imad Mughniyeh.]
In addition to the probe’s lack of credibility, the investigators were corrupt,
and justice cannot be served. We would like to talk about an example:
Commissioner Gerhard Lehmann, [Former Commissioner of the United Nations
International Independent Investigation Commission into the assassination of
former PM Rafik Hariri] Detlev Mehlis’s assistant, sold information related to
the investigation and was corrupt.
[VIDEO FOOTAGE: Lehmann has ties to the Israelis and got paid in return for
selling certain reports pertaining to the murder probe.]
Also, the investigation commission was linked to the witnesses who gave
unreliable testimonies to the commission. Moreover, Bellemare personally worked
and followed up on the mission to lift the international warrant against [the
Syrian agent who allegedly misled a UN probe into the 2005 assassination of
Rafik Hariri] Mohammad Zouhair al-Siddiq, because [the investigators] were
involved in it.
This investigation was not secret, everything was leaked in newspapers. Is there
any credibility left? There are leaks made by the STL’s investigative committee
[to the international community] in order to distort the image of the
Resistance. Where is the secrecy of the investigation? The worst thing happened
a few days ago, when the STL delegation of investigators met with [Attorney
General Judge] Said Mirza to deliver the indictment and at the same time, the
names of the indicted people were being broadcast through media outlets. Did
Bellemare investigate the way the names were leaked? I would assume not.
The second main point I would like to talk about is how the indictment is being
politically employed. I think the STL indictment was released at this point in
time in an attempt to obstruct the parliament in granting its vote of confidence
to the newly-formed Lebanese cabinet. There is an aim to bring down the new
cabinet. Furthermore [the March 14 parties] want to use the indictment as a
weapon in their campaign against the cabinet of Najib Mikati.
A lot of rules and procedures used in the STL’s [investigative process] are very
suspicious. There is no justice in the prosecutor’s office. Were the four
Lebanese generals - who were detained for four years on suspicion of involvement
with the [Rafik Hariri] murder – ever compensated for being detained?
Let us now see who [STL President Judge] Antonio Cassese really is. He is a
friend of the Israelis.
[VIDEO FOOTAGE: Antonio Cassese, the current STL president, a close friend of
Israel. During the 2010 Herzliya Conference [Israel’s primary global policy
annual gathering], Cassese was described as a “friend of Israel who was not able
to attend the meeting.”]
To the Lebanese people, who are hearing reports that there might be strife or
war in Lebanon, I would like to say that there will not be conflict between the
Lebanese, especially between the Sunnis and the Shia. Rest assured, nothing has
happened or will happen, unless a third party will interfere seeking to spark a
conflict. We are supposed to preserve [peace in] the country and prevent the STL
and its indictment from reaching its goals [i.e. to spark a conflict].
Therefore, no need to worry.
I would like to tell the March 14 parties that you have the right to form an
opposition…. but I have two pieces of advice for you. The first is to not hold
the cabinet of Prime Minister Najib Mikati responsible for not being able to
carry out the arrest warrants [of the STL’s prosecutor’s office]. Even if the
cabinet was backed by March 14, it will not be able to carry out the warrants
and arrest the indicted people. I don’t think that they will be able to arrest;
not in 30 days… not in 300 years.
Second piece of advice for March 14: Do not ask PM Mikati to give up his goals
in order to remain in power, just like [ former PM] Saad Hariri did.
Finally, I want to tell the supporters of the Resistance to not be worried; this
is part of a war we are fighting since the establishment of the Zionist entity.
For us, this war is not surprising and it does not affect us. We have been ready
since the 1980s. We have to handle it as if it were something normal, they will
not get to us. There will not be any problem, we will fight this bravely and
firmly.
I also want to tell our supporters that there are some, including certain
Lebanese figures, who want to provoke you. Some people are dreaming of it,
especially some March 14 Christians. [Our supporters] might be provoked, but do
not give course to these provocations, we must be patient and disregard
incitements.
To sum up, this investigation and this tribunal were established to serve a
political goal, the STL. Its rules and its president were selected to serve the
same goal. This tribunal is American and Israeli, we reject it and everything
issued by it. We consider it an act of aggression against us and we will not let
it get to us and we will not allow it to incite strife in Lebanon.
If we act reasonably and wisely, I think we can overcome this incident. The
expectations of the Israelis will not be met, the Resistance is firm and strong.
Do not worry about [the Resistance]. Peace and mercy be upon you all.”
Hizbullah Rules Out Arrests in 'Void' U.N. Hariri Case
Naharnet /Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday ruled
out the arrest of four members of his party indicted by the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon for the 2005 assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafik Hariri.In
his first reaction to the charges by the STL, Nasrallah also rejected "each and
every void accusation" made by the Netherlands-based court, which he said was
heading for a trial in absentia. "We reject the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
along with each and every void accusation it issues, which to us is equivalent
to an attack on Hizbullah," Nasrallah said in an hour-long televised speech. "No
Lebanese government will be able to carry out any arrests whether in 30 days, 30
years or even 300 years," said the Shiite leader whose group dominates the
current government. "What will happen is a trial in absentia, a trial in which
the verdict has already been reached,” he declared.
The STL on Thursday handed Lebanon's Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza arrest
warrants for four members of the Iranian- and Syrian-backed group in connection
with the February 14, 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others in
Beirut.The whereabouts of the four remain unknown.
Israeli Reports: Maher Assad, Assef Shawkat Suspects in Hariri Assassination
Naharnet /Yediot Ahronot Israeli newspaper reported on Saturday that the
international investigation committee in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premiere
Rafik Hariri will “introduce a new list of accusations against Syrian security
officials.”The reports said that handing the names of the accused to Damascus
has been “postponed due to the Syrian unrest.”
“According to estimations, two members from President Bashar Assad’s family will
be on the list, his brother Maher Assad and his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat,”
they said.
The newspaper added that the “Lebanese suspects, Mustafa Badreddine and Salim
Ayyash, left Lebanon and are currently hiding in Iran.”
Arrest warrants against four Lebanese suspects accompanied the release of the in
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was released on Thursday.
The four individuals are likely Hizbullah members. Meanwhile, Der Spiegel German
magazine leaked that “new indictments in the STL will include Lebanese, Syrian,
and Palestinian suspects.” On a related note, security sources told the Israeli
newspaper Haaretz that the Israeli army ruled out any military escalation along
the Lebanese border after the release of the indictment. “The military is
monitoring the situation in Lebanon and it is on full alert, but it doesn’t
expect that it (the indictment) would have a direct affect on the situation
along the border,” the sources said. Yediot Ahronot noted that “Hizbullah has no
interest in heating up the situation in Lebanon or at the border with Israel. It
is currently worried about the situation in Syria and the president (Assad) who
is becoming weaker.”
Raad: Indictment Did Not Cause Explosion Other Camp Had Hoped for
Naharnet /The head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad linked
on Saturday the release of the indictment in the investigation into the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to the formation of the new
government. “They were surprised with the cabinet lineup and they consequently
had not choice but to release the indictment,” he said during an academic
gathering. “The indictment however failed to cause the explosion they wanted and
no one paid it any attention,” he declared. Raad stated: “The upcoming phase
requires us to turn a deaf ear to the statements that will be issued from some
Lebanese simpletons from the other camp and ignore their provocations.”
“We are concerned with prolonging the life of the Miqati government until the
2013 parliamentary elections,” he announced.“The other camp will be helpless to
stop our mission as no one will be able to thwart it,” he stressed.
March 14 to Announce Road Map for Indictment Aftermath on Sunday
Naharnet /The March 14-led opposition is preparing for a broad meeting at the
Bristol Hotel on Sunday that is expected to issue a “major announcement,” An
Nahar newspaper reported on Saturday. The Bristol gathering will include around
300 officials affiliated with the March 14 forces, while the opposition will set
on Saturday the broad lines for the meeting.
Meanwhile, March 14 bloc MPs will convene on Monday to issue a statement
announcing their stance from the new cabinet.
Informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper in remarks published on Saturday that
the Bristol meeting will hold an escalatory tone although it aims to draft the
road map for the stage after the release of the indictment. Sources noted that a
strong campaign against Prime Minister Najib Miqati will be launched in order to
force him to resign similar to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s
campaign to thwart the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The Mustaqbal parliamentary
bloc meanwhile said on Friday that the accusations issued by the STL indictment
in the 2005 murder of ex-premier Rafik Hariri will target the accused
individuals and not their sects or parties. “The policy statement is a trap for
Lebanon to put it in a confrontation with the international community,” it
said.The bloc announced that it will therefore withhold its vote of confidence
from the cabinet.
Too busy for a war
Ana Maria Luca and Nadine Elali,
July 2, 2011/Now Lebanon
“Syria and Iran support Hezbollah with weapons and money. The people here fear
the Resistance’s fate if the Syrian regime falls,” Hassan, a 20-year-old
engineering student, told NOW Lebanon. “The Syrian opposition said ‘no’ to
Hezbollah, but Hezbollah is not responsible for the Syrian regime’s mistakes,”
he added.
For the people in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh, if the Syrian regime
falls, Hezbollah also falls. But they say they are not alarmed by the recent
reports in the local and Western media about the Party of God being pressured
into waging a war against Israel in order to divert international attention from
the embattled regime in Damascus.
“There has been a little tension, due to the Israeli national drills last week,
the planes flying over Lebanon. But I don’t think Hezbollah wants a war with
Israel right now,” a local journalist told NOW Lebanon on the condition of
anonymity. She said that with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indictment issued
and the revelation of CIA spies within the party, Hezbollah is not thinking of
getting involved in a war against the Jewish State.
“The Syrians might want this to happen, but Iran doesn’t seem interested in a
war with Israel right now. The Syrians might be pulling the strings on
[Hezbollah’s] internal political moves in Lebanon, but when it comes to a
decision of war with Israel, they can’t overpass the Iranians,” she said,
pointing out that the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon recently visited Fatima
Gate, the former border passage between Lebanon and Israel. “That was a clear
message that without their consent, nothing can happen on this front.”
However, support for Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is visible on the streets
of southern Lebanese villages. Kafar Tibnit, a few kilometers from Nabatieh, has
two pro-Assad monuments. “This is the old one,” said Ali, a 20-year-old business
student. “The new one is what you want to see. They just inaugurated it on
Sunday.”
The new monument further up the hill was erected in commemoration of former
Syrian President Hafez al-Assad’s death in 2000 and is made up of a plaque
telling visitors they’re on the new “Hafez al-Assad Avenue” in Kafar Tibnit;
portraits of the late Syrian president and his son, Bashar; as well as a banner
reading “The Baath Party will always rule Syria, and the Resistance, Palestine
and Iraq will always support it.” According to the local press, Hezbollah MP
Mohammad Raad, as well as former Baath Party MP Fayez Choukour and Amal MP Hani
Kobeissy, were present at Sunday’s event.
But there are some signs that the uprising in Syria is shifting things for
Hezbollah. French newspaper Le Figaro reported last week that Hezbollah was
transferring the weapons it has stored in Syria over fears the Assad regime
would fall. The Israeli army announced that it deployed an Iron Dome rocket
interceptor near the major northern city of Haifa on Tuesday highlighting its
possible use in any future hostilities with Lebanese guerillas.
Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, did not refer to any war in his
latest speech. He only spoke about three CIA agents infiltrating Hezbollah’s
ranks. “None of those accused is a high-ranking official or a religious figure,
as some rumors said. None of them is part of my entourage. None of them has
information that may harm the Resistance because they were not in positions that
would help them obtain such information,” Nasrallah said in his speech.
But the local journalist in Nabatieh says that the presence of the CIA spies has
made it very risky for the Resistance to engage in a war with Israel. “Their
positions, their bases are at risk now. It will cost them a lot to cancel their
plans, to move their weapons. Not just the ones from Syria, but also the ones
within Lebanon. No matter what they say, some of these spies might have acquired
sensitive information.”
However, people in town do talk about war, Ali said. “We fear that if Assad
falls, the new regime is going to be against Hezbollah, maybe even against the
Shia community. There are rumors that some Hezbollah fighters died in Syria and
were brought to Lebanon at the beginning of June and buried in secret.”
His friend, Hassan, shook his head in disagreement and said that most Hezbollah
supporters are confused, just like him. “To be frank, I think Lebanon is afraid
of Syria no matter who is in charge in Damascus. People here see what happens in
Syria as a conspiracy against the Resistance, and the Assad regime was smart
enough to play on that and made Hezbollah its shield in Lebanon. Assad is
playing his cards here,” he said. “But why would Hezbollah, who right now
controls the Lebanese government, risk a war? It would make them fail
politically.”
Israel, Greece, Turkey join hands to stall Gaza flotilla. Palestinian UN move
next
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report /July 2, 2011,
The 350 activists left of the 1,500 activists originally planning to sail nine
boats against Israel's naval blockade on Gaza – among them Hamas leader Khaled
Meshaal's son-in-law Hamoud Tareq - never imagined their expedition would be
stopped in Greece and Turkey even before they set sail.They certainly did not
mean to have their Freedom Flotilla II served up as the founding step of the
nascent pro-US Israel-Greek-Turkish alliance. Indeed, one of its organizers'
objectives had been to sabotage the tight strategic ties between Israel and
Greece.
The organizers discovered their mistake Friday, July 1, when fast Greek
coastguard commando boats
escorted the American "Audacity of Hope" back to port and Athens said it will
stop all other vessels departing for Gaza – even if they are Greek-owned.
So how come that Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and his security
agencies found time to deal with the flotilla at a time that his government is
fighting for its life against hundreds of thousands of furious protesters
lashing out against the harsh austerity measures he has imposed in his battle
for an economic lifeline?
The Papandreou government did not act alone. The Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan quietly held back the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish vessel which led the
first pro-Palestinian flotilla last year, from taking part in Flotilla II. His
security agency, the MIT, also warned the Turkish Islamic IHH not to take part
in the expedition -even aboard vessels sailing from ports outside the country.
Flotilla vessels were mysteriously sabotaged in Greek and Turkish ports.
This well-coordinated plan of action arose out of two major regional
developments reported here by debkafile:
1. The bond of understanding gaining strength since May between two men, US
President Barack Obama and the Turkish prime minister Erdogan. It has begun to
be translated into joint strategic action here and there in the Arab world and
Middle East, from Libya to Syria and up to the Persian Gulf oil kingdom of
Bahrain. Obama has awarded Erdogan the prize he has long coveted as broker of
the Israel-Palestinian dispute, by means of which the US president has tried to
maneuver Ankara into patching up its quarrel with Jerusalem and restoring the
decades-long military ties which broke down over the nine Mavi Marmara deaths
last year.
This gambit is still nascent. Major outstanding issues still cloud the
relationship, debkafile's sources stress, such as Turkey's close economic and
intelligence collaboration with Iran, Erdogan's ambition to lead the Arab and
Muslim worlds and the degree to which Israel can join Turkish policies that are
inimical to its own.
Urged by Obama, Erdogan has already taken a major step towards Israel by drawing
the fire of the second pro-Hamas flotilla this year.
2. Ankara's anti-Israeli steps in the past year and the Erdogan government's
entente with the Iranian government and President Ahmad Ahmadinejad – and
consequent paring down of the US-Israel military presence in Turkey – led Israel
to strengthen its political and military ties with Greece and former Soviet
nations on the shores of the Black Sea. Today, the Israeli Air Force is
permitted to operate out of bases in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania; Israel is
quietly helping Athens ease its economic ills through connections in the world
of international finance.
The Obama administration aims to co-opt Greece to the framework of strategic
understandings evolving between Washington, Ankara and Jerusalem. The Papandreou
government's clampdown on Freedom Flotilla II was the first overt action by
Athens in support of the alliance taking shape in the eastern Mediterranean.
Unlike Hamas and its left-leaning Western organizers of the second flotilla,
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas quickly caught on to the new world
bloc coming together and its potential for influencing his plans. He accordingly
paid a visit to the Turkish prime minister on June 24 for a preliminary testing
of the water to see where the Palestinians could fit in and for what profit.
The Palestinian leader came away with a tough dilemma: If he pushes ahead with
his plan for UN recognition of a Palestinian state in September, he will have to
contend with a powerful bloc led by the US, Turkey, Greece and Israel plus 40
other nations determined to drown his initiative like the "freedom flotilla."
His other option is to abandon his UN plan and see if he can't cadge a ride on
the US-Turkish alliance along with Israel and Greece.
A decision by Abbas to give up his unilateral application to the UN would not
only underline the effectiveness of the new alliance's pre-emptive freeze on the
flotilla but also dash the hopes of the Netanyahu government's ill-wishers – at
home and abroad – who counted on the UN ploy for raising a storm of instability
to drown the Israeli prime minister for good.
Justice and stability not mutually exclusive: Clinton
July 01, 2011 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Those who oppose the Special Tribunal for Lebanon are creating a false
choice between achieving stability and justice, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said, calling on Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government to uphold
Lebanon’s international obligations.
“Those who oppose the Special Tribunal seek to create a false choice between
justice and stability. Lebanon, like any country, needs and deserves both,”
Clinton said in a statement published by the U.S. State Department Friday.
A three-member STL delegation Thursday handed over the indictment in the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 indicting four
Lebanese, at least two of whom are believed to be Hezbollah members.
Clinton also called on Mikati’s Cabinet to uphold Lebanon’s international
commitments, saying: “We call on the government of Lebanon to continue to meet
its obligations under international law to support the Special Tribunal.”
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1757 established the STL in 2007,
with Lebanon financing 51 percent of the expenses. The STL includes Lebanese and
international judges.
Clinton described the delivery of the indictment as an important milestone
toward justice and an end to a period of impunity for political violence in
Lebanon.
“The Special Tribunal is an independent judicial entity … it represents a chance
for Lebanon to move beyond its long history of political violence and to achieve
the future of peace and stability that the Lebanese people deserve,” Clinton
said.
“We understand that this is an emotional and significant period for all
involved, and we call on all parties to promote calm and continue to respect the
Special Tribunal as it carries out its duties in a professional and apolitical
manner,” she added.
The Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance, which holds the majority in Mikati’s
Cabinet, has called on the Lebanese government to withdraw its judges and cut
off funding of the court which it has described as an American-Israel tool.
Analysis: Hezbollah poised to ride out indictments
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY, Associated Press
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) --
In a country with a history of scores left unsettled, Hezbollah is in a strong
position to ride out an indictment accusing a high-ranking member of one of the
most dramatic political assassinations in the Middle East.
The Shiite militant group has spent the past year laying the groundwork for
thwarting any move to implement the all-but-inevitable indictment in the 2005
murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. It has warned to "cut off the
hand" of anyone who tries to arrest its members and repeated cast doubt on
tribunal's investigation.
The work appears to have paid off.
Since the Netherlands-based court released the indictments Thursday, there has
been no real sign that Lebanese authorities are willing to arrest the four
suspects, including Hezbollah militant Mustafa Badreddine. To do so, they would
have to directly confront the Iran- and Syria-backed militant group that is
firmly in control of the Lebanese state.
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah planned a speech Saturday to address the
indictment.
The most prominent of the four people named in the indictment is Badreddine, who
appears to have a storied history of militancy. He is suspected of building the
powerful bomb that blew up the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, killing
241 Americans, mostly Marines, according to a federal law enforcement official
and a book "Jawbreaker," by Gary Berntsen, a former official who ran the
Hezbollah task force at the CIA.
He also is the brother-in-law of the late Hezbollah military commander Imad
Mughniyeh and is suspected of involvement in the 1983 bombings of the U.S. and
French embassies in Kuwait that killed five people.
Hezbollah has always had serious muscle, boasting a guerrilla force that is
better armed and stronger than the national army.
But the group has amassed unprecedented political clout in the government,
having toppled the previous administration in January when then-Prime Minister
Saad Hariri — the slain man's son — refused to renounce the tribunal
investigating his father's death.
The new premier, Najib Mikati, was Hezbollah's pick for the post. He issued a
vague promise Thursday that Lebanon would respect international resolutions as
long as they did not threaten the civil peace.
The ambiguous wording leaves ample room to brush aside the arrest warrants if
street battles are looming. The Cabinet is packed with Hezbollah allies, so
there is little enthusiasm within the current leadership to press forward with
the case.
And the indictments do indeed threaten to ignite fresh violence in Lebanon. In
the six years since Hariri's death, the investigation has sharpened the
country's sectarian divisions — Rafik Hariri was one of Lebanon's most powerful
Sunni leaders, while Hezbollah is a Shiite group. It has also heightened other
intractable debates, including the question of the role of Hezbollah — and its
vast arsenal, which opponents want dismantled.
Walid Jumblatt, a Hezbollah ally and leader of the tiny Druse sect, warned
Friday that the indictments could lead to new civil strife in Lebanon and
painted the case as a matter of justice versus stability.
"As much as justice is important for the martyrs and the wounded, so too civil
peace and stability is the hoped-for future," said Jumblatt, whose own father
was a victim of a political assassination in Lebanon and who was once an ardent
supporter of the tribunal before switching alliances. "Civil peace is more
important than anything else."
He pointed to widespread fears that the case could further divide the country,
which has been recovering from decades of bloodshed, including a 15-year civil
war that ended in 1990 and more recent sectarian battles.
The younger Hariri and his allies, now relegated to the opposition, and the
international court will likely push for action against the four. But there is
little they can do to force the government to do so.
Lebanese authorities have until the end of July to serve the indictments on
suspects or execute arrest warrants. If they fail, the court's recourse is to
publish the indictment. Details in the indictment about the investigation into
the killing — so far kept under wraps — might in theory prove embarrassing to
Hezbollah, but the group is unlikely to be severely hurt by them.
While Jumblatt appeared to be offering a stark choice — either turn a blind eye
to a dastardly crime, or run the risk of chaos — Hezbollah's leader has taken
another tack.
Nasrallah has worked tirelessly to convince the Lebanese that the tribunal is
not fit to deliver justice. For more than a year, he has gone on a media
offensive against the tribunal, taking nearly every opportunity to call it
biased, politicized and a tool of archenemy Israel.
He also said early on that he knew Hezbollah would be accused of the crime, a
pre-emptive strike that dampened the impact of Thursday's indictment and
bolstered his credentials as the man in charge in Lebanon.
*-Kennedy is the Associated Press chief of bureau for Syria and Lebanon
Syria Sends Tanks to Border Area Near Turkey, Holds Hundreds
Bloomberg June 30, 2011/ Bloomberg
Thursday, June 30, 2011
July 1 (Bloomberg) -- Syria's army carried out attacks on anti-government
demonstrators near the border with Turkey and detained hundreds at rallies
across the country today, a human- rights activist said.
At least 60 tanks were sent north to the border province of Idlib, part of a
deployment that includes helicopters, Mahmoud Merhi, head of the Arab
Organization for Human Rights, said by phone from Syria's capital, Damascus. At
least 10 people were killed and as many as 50 wounded in Idlib in the past day
in raids on the village of Rameh, with more deaths reported today in Halab, he
said. The Associated Press put the total at 12.
Three people died during rallies in the central province of Homs today, Ammar
Qurabi, head of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, said by
phone from Cairo.
Security forces have killed more than 1,500 people since the start of the
unrest, according Qurabi. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today
that President Bashar al-Assad is "running out of time" to meet protesters'
demands. A U.S.- led effort to get the United Nations Security Council to
condemn the violence was blocked by China and Russia.
Arrests have been carried out in the Damascus suburbs of Barzeh, Douma, Harasta
and Kaswa, and in the governorate of Raqa, Merhi said, while demonstrators
including female students were detained in the northern city of Aleppo, where
protests continued today. In Daraa, the southern city where the rallies against
Assad's rule began in mid-March, at least 200 people were held, Merhi said.
Protests numbered about 400,000 people in Hama and about 100,000 in Homs, with
major protests also in other cities, he said.
National Dialogue
Critics of Assad's leadership met at a conference in Damascus this week, and his
government set up a national dialogue committee. Most activists say such
measures won't work without policy changes. Assad blamed the protests on a
foreign conspiracy last week, while also saying that the demands of
demonstrators "have merit" and that reforms are needed.
At least 20,000 people have been arrested since the start of the unrest, and
half of them remain in detention, according to Qurabi.
Thousands of Syrians have fled across the border to Turkey to escape violence in
northern towns, straining relations between the countries. About 10,500 refugees
are currently staying in Turkish camps, Turkey's government said today. Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Syria during a tour of the Middle
East beginning this weekend, Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said.
More 'Resistance' Possible
Clinton said the Syrian government's actions so far aren't enough to begin a
transition to democracy.
Assad's government can "allow a serious political process that will include
peaceful protests to take place throughout Syria and engage in a productive
dialogue with members of the opposition and civil society" or the government is
"going to continue to see increasingly organized resistance," Clinton told
reporters in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The U.S. and its European allies accepted defeat yesterday in their latest
effort at the UN to pressure Assad to halt his crackdown.
Russia led opposition that stripped U.S.-drafted language critical of the Assad
regime from a Security Council resolution renewing the mandate of the UN
peacekeeping mission on the Golan Heights. Russia, China, Brazil, India and
South Africa have blocked adoption of a draft resolution that would condemn the
attacks and demand an immediate end to the Syrian violence.
--With assistance from Bill Varner at the United Nations, Vivian Salama in
Dubai, Emre Peker in Ankara and Nicole Gaouette in Vilnius, Lithuania. Editors:
Ben Holland, Heather Langan, Karl Maier, Andrew Atkinson
Patriarch Rai: Don’t call Christians minorities
July 02, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Maronite patriarch said Friday that he rejected references to
Christians in Lebanon as “minorities.” “Minorities do not exist. We are cells in
the Lebanese body from which this [Lebanese social] fabric is formed,” Patriarch
Beshara Rai said.
He noted that a synod convened at the Vatican last year to study the situation
of Christians in the Levant “reminds us of our nationality and role and how we
should live with our brothers in the Arab nations.” “Once we recognize the
meaning of our identity and go back to our roots, we will find a role for our
message,” Rai added.
UN, US pressure Lebanon to make arrest over Hariri assassination
Ferry Biedermann /The National
July 2, 2011
The United Nations, the United States and an international court yesterday all
urged Lebanon's government to act on arrest warrants in the murder of former
prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
The UN-sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) issued the warrants on
Thursday against four Lebanese men - two of them confirmed Hizbollah members -
implicated in the 2005 assassination. Lebanon's prosecutor said yesterday that
he is taking steps to comply.
"The legal measures to execute the arrest warrants handed over by the
international tribunal delegation took their course towards implementation,"
prosecutor Saeed Mirza was quoted as telling Lebanon's National New Agency.
But it seemed unlikely the men would be handed over soon, if ever. Their
whereabouts is unknown and Hizbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has previously
vowed not to hand over any of the group's members. Mr Nasrallah will address the
indictments in a speech today. The Shiite group denies any role in the killing.
The Lebanese government is caught between Hizbollah, a powerful political and
military force, and western powers, which could impose economic sanctions if the
warrants are ignored.
Lebanese analyst Michael Young, who also contributes to The National, thinks
there is little chance that the suspects will be handed over.
"I believe that Hizbollah is not going to react in a positive way to the STL's
request." And he doubts the international community will get tough with Lebanon.
"The Security Council cannot even agree on a resolution on Syria, where people
are being killed by the regime. So, what are the chances they'll act against
Lebanon?" he said.
Nonetheless, the international pressure has been applied swiftly.
"We call on the government of Lebanon to continue to meet its obligations under
international law to support the Special Tribunal," the US secretary of state,
Hillary Clinton, said in a statement yesterday.
Mrs Clinton called the indictments "an important milestone" that offered "a
chance for Lebanon to move beyond its long history of political violence and to
achieve the future of peace and stability that the Lebanese people deserve".
A spokesperson for the UN's secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon said yesterday: "The
secretary general calls on all states to support the independent judicial
process, in particular by co-operating with the Special Tribunal in the
execution of the indictment and arrest warrants."
The STL's prosecutor, Daniel Bellemare, issued a similar statement. "Bringing
the accused to justice will require adherence to the rule of law, the continued
co-operation of the Lebanese authorities, and support of the international
community."
This puts Najib Mikati, Lebanon's new prime minister, in a difficult position as
his coalition is dominated by Hizbollah and its allies. They brought down a
unity government led by Mr Hariri's son Saad in January over the issue of
co-operation with the UN-backed tribunal.
In an apparent attempt to deflect the pressure, Mr Mikati said in an interview
published in the As-Safir daily newspaper that primary responsibility for the
indictments rests with the country's judiciary. He said that the follow-up
"falls on Prosecutor General Said Mirza, not the cabinet".
He also indicated that national unity and stability are his priority. "We don't
want to create a state of panic and tension in the country over an international
resolution."
He said that he did not believe the STL indictments would lead to renewed
strife. In 2008, Hizbollah attacked its political opponents and took over parts
of Beirut in violent clashes.
The Future Movement, led by Saad Hariri, has said that it will press for the
suspects to be handed over. "If Hizbollah does not co-operate over the
indictment, then we will refer to domestic and international options," one of
the party's officials told the Al-Akhbar newspaper.
The tribunal has taken into account that the government may not serve the
warrants or make arrests.
The tribunal noted that if no arrests have been made within 30 days, it can
advertise the warrants itself in the media. And, if the men are not in custody
within a further 30 days, the court can consider initiating in absentia
proceedings. "The Trial Chamber will then determine whether the accused is
trying to avoid trial or if the accused is unable to attend," according to a STL
statement.
If a trial in absentia proceeds, the accused will be represented by court
appointed lawyers. Their absence will not stop evidence that is potentially
embarrassing to Hizbollah from emerging during the trial.
The consequences for Lebanon if it fails to co-operate are unclear. It may be
that the country can avoid a conflict with the international community if the
suspects simply cannot be found or appear to have left the country. But even
that may be unacceptable to Hizbollah.
A key Hezbollah ally yesterday warned that the indictments could lead to new
civil strife. The Druse leader Walid Jumblatt called for stability over justice.
He pointed to widespread fears that the case could further divide the country,
which has been recovering from decades of bloodshed, including a 15-year civil
war that ended in 1990 and recent sectarian battles.
"As much as justice is important for the martyrs and the wounded, so too civil
peace and stability is the hoped-for future," he said at a news conference
yesterday. "Civil peace is more important than anything else."
The STL made clear in a statement yesterday that its investigation was not
complete. "The prosecutor can submit additional indictments to the Pre-Trial
Judge at any stage."
foreign.desk@thenatioal.ae
* With additional reporting by the Associated Press and Agence France-Press
Abboud hopes tourism stays immune to tension
July 02, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s tourism minister Friday urged politicians to refrain from
spreading political rumors in Gulf media, saying this could harm the influx of
tourism from the region.
Fadi Abboud also expressed his hope that the tourism sector, one of the
country’s most lucrative, will be cushioned from political tension.
“I hope that tourism remains immune to any political tensions because it
represents 20 percent of the national income,” Abboud told Voice of Lebanon
radio station. “I call on politicians not to spread false rumors, especially in
the Gulf media, which describe the situation in Lebanon as critical.”
The majority of Lebanon’s tourists come from countries in the Gulf, including
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. According to figures released by Global Blue,
the VAT refund operator for international shoppers, Saudis were the biggest
spending visitors to the country in the first five months of 2011.
Abboud’s comments came a day after a three-member Special Tribunal for Lebanon
delegation handed over its indictment to state prosecutor Saeed Mirza.
Political tension is expected to mount following the leak that four Hezbollah
members are suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, but Abboud said the delivery of the indictment would not affect
Lebanon’s security.
“The security situation is stable … no one should drag the Lebanese into any
tension, especially as the indictment was issued by the international court,”
Abboud said. “It is better that the indictment was released during this time
rather than in the middle of the [summer] season or end.”
Regional turmoil and the domestic political paralysis that gripped the country
for the first six months of the year have taken their toll on the tourism
sector. Figures showed that spending in the sector regressed in the first five
months of 2011 and the hotel sector has the second lowest occupancy rate among
16 Arab cities, according to a report released by Byblos Bank.
On the same day, Abboud took a tour in Mlita, south Lebanon, and emphasized the
need to build hotels in that area in order to allow tourists from all over the
world to come and visit it. “The security situation in Lebanon is stable now and
we are waiting for tourists to come and visit Mlita, not just Beirut, Aley and
Bhamdoun,” he said.
Abboud also paid a visit to Jezzine.
In Syria, Two Different Flavors
Of Street Protests
by Deborah Amos/NPR
July 1, 2011
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Friday that Syria is running out of
time to reform. Her remarks, on a visit to Lithuania, came as hundreds of
thousands of Syrians took to the streets in competing demonstrations — many on
the pro-government side. But opposition protests were the largest yet, as army
and security forces appear to have withdrawn from some provincial cities.
Pro-Government Rallies in Damascus
Downtown Damascus was a sea of flags and high school bands and families Friday
night — all to show support for President Bashar al-Assad. The day was
officially called National Unity Day, but despite this mass rally in the
capital, the country is far from united.
After 15 straight weeks of protests, the opposition also claimed the largest
demonstration yet. The biggest turnout was in Hama, north of Damascus. The
security police and the army withdrew from Hama three weeks ago. Even the
traffic police are gone, said Omar Habab, who spoke to NPR by phone.
"As soon as the protest ended our youth cleaned the streets," Habab says. "Even
removing the cigarette butts. The residents have been running the city since
government security pulled out."
There were reports of clashes and deaths in demonstrations elsewhere in the
country. But in Damascus, one particular hot spot had a peaceful day.
Government escorts took a group of western journalist to the neighborhood of
Barzeh. They warned that it might be dangerous here after Friday prayers — they
said protesters were often armed with knives and guns.
But these young men were only armed with banners and a determination to oust the
regime, says a man named Samir. His face was wrapped in a scarf and he wouldn't
give his last name.
"Syrian television says that all the people of Syria love Bashar al-Assad, but
we don't love him at all," he says.
Just a week ago, Barzeh was a violent place; there are fresh bullet holes along
the walls. At least four protesters died here, according to an eyewitness. He
whispered an account of live fire from the security police. All this week, he
says, police have come to Barzeh late at night to arrest protesters. Hossam
Rajab was on the street.
"We need our freedom," Rajab says. "We have some arrested — why they kill us —
only we need freedom."
He says he's been on the streets for 15 weeks.
"Yes, yes, every night if you come here, we are here," he says. He adds that the
protest was peaceful because Western journalists were present.
Protests Mostly Peaceful
The security police stayed out of sight Friday, their vans and buses parked a
few blocks away. It appears to be a new policy for the Syrian government in some
places. Officials said peaceful protests would be permitted as long as no
property was damaged.
Hamid and Reem Abdullah, a Syrian-American couple visiting Barzeh this summer,
say the protests have been peaceful all along.
"We've seen a bunch of demonstrations, mostly peaceful, if not all. This is not
a little number — it is very peaceful," Reem says.
The protests continued peacefully for a few more hours Friday. About 300 young
men held up their banners, chanted for the downfall of the regime — and sang —
"nothing lasts forever," and went back home.
Excerpts from the Mikati
government’s policy statement
July 02, 2011 / The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The following are excerpts from the policy statement of Prime Minister
Najib Mikati’ s government.
On the state’s authority and civil peace:The government emphasizes its adherence
to the principle of the state’s unity and its authority in all matters
concerning the country’s public policy so as to preserve Lebanon and its
national sovereignty.
These pillars, along with the constitution, are the guidelines that will inspire
our government to consolidate civil peace and prevent any form of manipulation
of civil peace and security.
This mission … is the responsibility of legitimate national army and Internal
Security Forces alone, and no other weapons will share this responsibility with
the legitimate (national army and internal security) arms.
Therefore, the Cabinet commits to maintaining its support for the national army
and security forces as well as to providing them with equipment to be able to
fulfill their tasks … On Israeli occupation:The government is committed to
working on ending Israeli occupation in remaining Lebanese occupied territories
… [and] Israeli aggressive practices and spying operations that violate
Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
The government adheres to the right of Lebanon through its people, army and
resistance to liberate and recover the Shebaa Farms, Kfar Shuba Hills and the
Lebanese portion of the village of Ghajar, as well as to defend Lebanon in
confronting any aggression through all legitimate and accessible means and to
retain its right to use its water and oil resources and to consolidate its
maritime borders.
On United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701:The government also confirms
its commitment to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 in all its articles and
appeals to the United Nations to halt permanent Israeli violations and threats
to Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in order to fulfill the
implementation of the resolution and move from stopping aggressive actions to
reaching a permanent cease-fire.
On ties with Syria:The government notes the development that has been achieved
in Syrian-Lebanese ties through reciprocal diplomatic missions and stressed its
adherence to implementing the Taif Accord, which stated the establishment of
special relations between Lebanon and Syria, and the government will work so
that relations between the two reach the level that reflects the depth of
historical ties and the mutual interests between the two peoples in a framework
of trust, equality and mutual respect …
On the Palestinians:The government reiterates the demands for implementation of
international resolutions that protect Palestinians’ rights, including the right
to return and to build an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The government affirms the right of return and fully rejects the permanent
settlement of Palestinians. The government will provide Palestinians in Lebanon
their humanitarian and social rights, and implement laws in this regard and care
for refugee camps especially Nahr al-Bared, to rebuild it and provide them with
the necessary funding from regional and international contributions.
The government will seek a strengthening of the budget within UNRWA to help the
organization play its humanitarian role regarding the Palestinians.On the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon:Our government respects international resolutions,
thus it is keen to reveal and expose the truth regarding the crime of the
assassination of martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his companions.
The government will follow the path of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which
was initially established to achieve righteousness and justice, without
politicization or revenge, and without any negative impact on Lebanon’s
stability, unity and civil peace.
On parliamentary elections:It will be one of the priorities of this government
to launch a national workshop to prepare a new parliamentary election law that
is appropriate and that meets the aspirations of Lebanese to achieve true and
fair political representation.
The reform programs that were put forward in the past and which covered …
proportional representation shall undergo thorough study and the government will
work to speed up the necessary steps … in order for the law to be implemented
within a timeframe of no more than one year prior to the date of the 2013
parliamentary polls.
On the judiciary:Our government considers an independent judiciary as the
[institution] that protects all citizens. Therefore, the Cabinet is keen to
revive trust in this legal body, as well as the trust of the people in it. The
government will coordinate with Parliament in order to boost the financial
situation of judges. The government will also prevent interference in judicial
work and allow judges to carry out their duties in order to apprehend corrupt
individuals. The Cabinet will increase the number of judges and speed up legal
procedures …
For Lebanon, the truth is a
poisoned chalice
Charles Glass /The National
Jul 2, 2011
When the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri was assassinated on
February 14, 2005, at least one million citizens massed in the centre of Beirut
to demand al haqiqa, the truth. For the previous 20 years, Lebanese of all
backgrounds had been killed with impunity. They included the Druze chieftain
Kamal Jumblatt, the Maronite president-elect Bashir Gemayel and the Hizbollah
secretary general Abbas Musawi. But most of the victims of warfare,
assassination, massacre and random violence were ordinary Lebanese and
Palestinians. No one was brought to justice for their deaths, and the criminals
behind the crimes were either unknown or known but untouchable. The killing in
2005 of a popular prime minister who embodied the country's demand for
independence pushed most Lebanese to the breaking point. Hence, their demand to
know the Truth.
That was six years ago. The lust for truth has since cooled. The Truth, and more
importantly acting on the Truth, will have consequences. One of these may be to
tear the country apart. When the Special Tribunal for Lebanon presented its
indictment of four Lebanese, two of whom are senior officials of the Hizbollah
movement, to the country's state prosecutor on Thursday, it handed Lebanon a
chalice that may poison the country whether it drinks or not.
The Special Tribunal accused Mustafa Badreddine, who inherited his
brother-in-law Imad Mughnieh's post as Hizbollah operational chief after
Mughnieh's assassination in 2008, and Salim Ayyash, also a Hizbollah official. (Ayyash
has the added distinction, alongside many other Lebanese, of holding a United
States passport.) The two other indictees, Asad Sabra and Hasan Ainessi, may or
may not belong to Hizbollah. Although the Special Tribunal's representatives
delivered the 130-page indictment to the state prosecutor Saeed Mirza, the
decision to serve or not to serve them on the accused rests not with Mr Mirza,
but with the Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Nasrallah's Hizbollah ministers were part of the government that initially
demanded the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon at The Hague. At
first, the only Lebanese who came under suspicion were four army generals who
had been under the direct control of the Syrian military and security apparatus.
(Syria had occupied Lebanon since 1976, but it withdrew reluctantly in April
2005 as a result of Lebanese demands and international pressure.) In the past
year, however, tribunal leaks pointed more and more towards Hizbollah as part of
the plot to kill Hariri. Mr Nasrallah last year threatened to "cut off the hand"
of anyone who arrested his party's members for Hariri's death. At the time, he
insisted: "We will not accept any indictment to anyone in Hizbollah."
His increasing opposition to the tribunal led to a crisis in the Lebanese
cabinet led by Hariri's son, Saad, in January this year. Hizbollah, part of the
coalition that kept Hariri in power, withdrew its support. It eventually formed
a government under another Sunni, Najib Mikati, that has yet to receive a vote
of confidence from parliament. Mr Mikati himself attempted to downplay the
indictments, saying that "these are accusations and not verdicts. All suspects
are innocent until proven guilty."
Of course, the only forum to determine innocence or guilt is a court of law. To
bring the accused to The Hague, they would have to turn themselves in or the
Lebanese state must arrest them. Hizbollah, however, is stronger in terms of
military force than the state. The choice confronting Hizbollah is whether to
deploy that force in defence of its accused members or to support the state's
legitimacy by allowing the four to stand trial. If it chooses the first, it will
delegitimise not only the state but also Hizbollah's participation in it. If the
latter, Hizbollah risks appearing weak in the face of what it regards as a
conspiracy by Israel and the United States to discredit it with false charges of
conspiracy to assassinate Hariri.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1757 of April 2005 allows the UN to
propose economic sanctions against Lebanon if it does not comply. When Libya's
Colonel Muammar Qaddafi similarly refused to arrest two intelligence agents for
their alleged involvement in the bombing of Pan Am flight 101 over Lockerbie,
Scotland, sanctions punished Libya so severely that he ultimately surrendered
them to a Scottish court. Lebanon, which lacks Libya's oil resources and
then-dictatorial hold over the population, is if anything more vulnerable to
financial pressure than Qaddafi was. Next page
Syria: 'Hundreds of thousands' join anti-Assad protests
The BBC's Lina Sinjab in Damascus
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in anti-government protests
across Syria, despite the ongoing crackdown on dissent, reports say.
hts activists said at least 14 people were killed by security forces.
People took the streets in the capital, Damascus, and in several cities and
towns, in what the opposition described as the biggest demonstrations yet.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that time is running out for
Syria's government to usher in reforms.
Speaking during a visit to Lithuania, she said President Bashar al-Assad would
face more organised resistance to his 10-year rule unless the country saw "a
genuine transition to democracy".
Human rights groups say more than 1,350 civilians and 350 security personnel
have been killed since protests began in mid-March.
The government has blamed the protests on armed gangs.
Mr Assad has promised a national dialogue on political reforms, but many
protesters are demanding that he stand down immediately.
'God, Syria, Bashar'
Hundreds of thousands of people attended demonstrations across Syria after
Friday prayers. Some activists put the number of protesters at three million.
Hundreds of thousands are chanting 'Leave, leave, the people want the fall of
the regime.' All of Hama is celebrating”
End Quote
Hama resident
About half a million were said to have joined the largest protest, in the
central city of Hama, though that figure could not be confirmed.
One Hama resident told the BBC Arabic: "Hundreds of thousands are chanting
'Leave, leave, the people want the fall of the regime.'"
"All of Hama is celebrating. There are people chanting from their windows and
from the fronts of their homes. All of Hama is on the streets today."
Hama was the scene of a brutal crackdown in 1982 ordered by Hafez al-Assad, the
president's late father, which left at least 10,000 dead.
In Homs, to the south of Hama, six people were reportedly shot dead and several
injured as government troops fired on protesters - armoured vehicles were
deployed in the Bab Amr district of the city, activists said.
Two people were reportedly killed during a protest in the Damascus suburb of al-Qadam.
Six others were killed in the north-western Idlib province, Darayya, outside
Damascus, and also in the coastal town of Latakia, the activists added.
Mrs Clinton said she was "hurt" by reports of violence in Aleppo
At least 20 people were said to have been wounded in clashes with security
forces after marching through the Midan district of Damascus and chanting: "Bashar
out, Syria is free." Dozens were reportedly arrested across the country.
State television gave a different death toll, saying gunmen had killed one
person in Damascus and two people in Homs, including a policeman.
The figures could not be independently verified as the Syrian authorities have
banned most foreign media from the country.
Protests were also staged in Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, where police
fired tear gas, in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, the north-eastern town of
Amouda, and the southern town of Suweida.
State TV aired images of pro-government rallies in Aleppo It showed people
waving national flags and chanting "God, Syria, Bashar, only."
'Genuine transition'
The Syrian Revolution 2011 group on Facebook had called on protesters to turn
out after Friday prayers, with the message to Mr Assad: "We don't love you... Go
away, you and your party."
Pro-government demonstrations were also held in Damascus and several other towns
on Friday, with marchers saying they backed Mr Assad's pledges to reform.
Protests have spread to Aleppo, Syria's second city, activists say The latest
anti-Assad protests follow the death of three more people overnight in the
north-western region of Jabal al-Zawiyah, activists said - two in the town of
al-Bara and one in the nearby village of Brim.
AFP also quoted activists as saying there had been explosions on Friday in the
coastal city of Latakia.
Speaking earlier on Friday, Mrs Clinton said the Syrian authorities "know what
they have to do".
"They must begin a genuine transition to democracy and allowing one meeting of
the opposition in Damascus is not sufficient action toward achieving that goal,"
she said.
''It is absolutely clear that the Syrian government is running out of time.
"They are either going to allow a serious political process that will include
peaceful protests to take place throughout Syria and engage in a productive
dialogue with members of the opposition and civil society, or they're going to
continue to see increasingly organised resistance."