LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJuly
27/2011
Bible Quotation for today
Matthew
Chapter 5/1-12: "Seeing the multitudes, he
went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.* Isaiah 57:15; 66:2 Blessed are those who
mourn, for they shall be comforted.† Isaiah 61:2; 66:10,13 Blessed are the
gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.‡ or, land. Psalm 37:11 Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called children of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you
when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your
reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before
you.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Hezbollah is bleeding alone/By:
Hanin Ghaddar/July
26/11
Absent thinking/By:
Hazem Saghiyeh/July 26/11
Is Lebanon greedy over sea borders?/By
Nicholas Blanford/July 26/11
Bashar Al-Assad: Ten years
later/By: Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/July
26/11
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for July 26/11
STL
l financially sound/The
Daily Star
Amnesty International says website
blocked in Saudi Arabia/Now Lebanon
Mubarak, Ex-Interior Minister to
be Tried Together/Naharnet
Norway Massacre Suspect Tells
Court of 'Two More Cells/Naharnet
At least 100,000 join
Norway march in grief and unity/The Daily
Star
Prosecutor: Norway Killer Could Get
30 Years/Naharnet
Hamas Executes Two Palestinians
for Collaborating with Israel/Naharnet
Fistfight in Houla over Attempt
to Shut Down Liquor Shop/Naharnet
Lebanese Actor ‘Fehman’ Dies
After Falling on Stage/Naharnet
Report: Hariri to Make Series of
Stances during Iftars in BIEL/Naharnet
Geagea Says He’d Think Twice
before Meeting with Rival Maronite Leaders Again/Naharnet
Phalange Party Rejects Arms Sway
over National Dialogue/Naharnet
U.S. General Visits Qahwaji,
Stresses U.S. and Lebanese Army Cooperation to Implement Resolution 1701/Naharnet
Pietton Hopes Truth in Estonian
Kidnapping Will Be Revealed/Naharnet
Jumblat: Norway Attack Must Act
as Lesson to Regimes that Don’t Understand Need for Reform/Naharnet
Allouch: Iran wants to ‘weaken’
Syrian influence in Lebanon/Now Lebanon
MP Alain Aoun: STL issues should be
brought to U.N/The Daily Star
Hezbollah on edge in face of
Syria revolt/AFP
Lebanon's
Arabic press digest - July 26, 2011/The Daily Star
Jumblat: Media, Political Battle on
Arms Leads to Sectarian Tension/Naharnet
Israeli Official: Hizbullah
Exploiting Maritime Border Issue to Wage War against Israel/Naharnet
MP Elie Marouni says Hezbollah’s
Moussawi has crossed the line/Now Lebanon
Gaza's Hamas rulers two “Israeli
collaborators” in Gaza/Now Lebanon
US, Saudi Arabia smuggle satellite
phones to Syrian rebels/DEBKAfile
Future Movement bloc MP Atef
Majdalani: Hezbollah shielding Hariri murder suspects/The Daily Star
Report: Hizbullah, Amal Refusing to Give Airport Security Chief Post to a
Christian/Naharnet
Naharnet /The cabinet has frozen a decision to appoint a new airport
security chief for unknown reasons, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said Monday, hinting
that foreign parties prevented the nomination of a Christian Brig. Gen. from
Koura to the post. The newspaper said that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel
handed Premier Najib Miqati a decree signed by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn
nominating the unidentified Brig. Gen. to the post of Rafik Hariri international
airport security chief to replace Brig. Gen. Wafiq Shoqeir.
But several ministers held phone conversations with parties outside Lebanon and
later held side talks which delayed a cabinet decision on the issue last week,
al-Hayat hinted.
The decree now needs the signature of the president and the cabinet to become
formal, it said, adding that Hizbullah and Amal ministers seem to insist on not
changing the sect of the airport security chief. Al-Hayat said the Lebanese
should now adopt a wait-and-see approach to uncover whether the post would
remain with the Shiite sect or be from the share of a Christian officer and
mainly Orthodox after reports said that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel
Aoun had received a promise on the issue.
The assurances given to Aoun to offer the post to the Orthodox Brig. Gen. seem
to be a compensation for dropping Aoun’s demand to return the leadership post of
the General Security Department to Maronites. Shiite Brig. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim
was appointed to the post last week.
Allouch:
Iran wants to ‘weaken’ Syrian influence in Lebanon
July 25, 2011 /Now Lebanon
Future Movement official Mustafa Allouch told Future News television on Monday
evening that Iran wants to “weaken” the Syrian influence in Lebanon in order to
“strengthen its [own] project.”He added, however, that Iran is “afraid” of the
“weakness” of the Syrian regime because it would endanger communication between
Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“There is cooperation between the Iranian and Syrian projects, but sometimes
there is competition that reaches the level of rivalry.”Allouch also said that
the nature of the “Syrian sectarian regime” does not concern him, adding that
the Syrian people are the ones making the decisions. “What is important is that
the [Syrian] regime [becomes] more democratic.”He also said that President
Michel Sleiman’s “existence has become marginalized,” and that some Lebanese
parties that own arms, in a possible reference to Hezbollah, help Israel “create
[certain] opportunities.”Anti-regime protests erupted in Syria in mid-March.
According to activists, the Syrian government’s crackdown on protests has left
more than 1,400 civilians dead and thousands jailed. -NOW Lebanon
Amnesty International says website blocked in Saudi Arabia
July 25, 2011 /Rights group Amnesty International said on Monday that its
website has been blocked in Saudi Arabia after the group criticized a draft
Saudi anti-terrorism law.
"Access to Amnesty International's website has been blocked in Saudi
Arabia...following the organization's criticism of a draft anti-terror law that
would stifle peaceful protest in the kingdom," it said in a statement. Amnesty
had on Friday called on Saudi King Abdullah to make changes to the law,
criticizing provisions of a leaked copy of the law it said it had obtained.
Amnesty said that under the Draft Penal Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing
Terrorism, the authorities could detain people "potentially indefinitely"
without charge or trial.
The legislation would also give the authorities power to imprison for at least
10 years anybody who questions the integrity of King Abdullah or Crown Prince
Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, it said.
"Instead of attacking those raising concerns and attempting to block debate, the
Saudi Arabian government should amend the draft law to ensure that it does not
muzzle dissent and deny basic rights," Malcolm Smart, Amnesty's Middle East and
North Africa director, said in Monday's statement. While Saudi Arabia has not
seen protests on the same scale as some other countries in the Middle East,
activists have held demonstrations calling for reforms and the release of
prisoners, especially in the kingdom's East, where most of its minority Shia
population lives. -AFP/NOW Lebanon
Report: Hariri to Make Series of Stances during Iftars in BIEL
Naharnet/Former Premier Saad Hariri is expected to return to Beirut from France
next week to attend Iftar banquets, sources close to the Mustaqbal movement
leader told An Nahar daily Monday. Hariri “will return to Lebanon in the first
days of the month of Ramadan early August to be present in a series of Iftars
held at the BIEL exhibition center rather than Qoreitem where Iftars were held
in previous years,” the sources said. The ex-prime minister “will make
successive stances at these Iftars,” they told An Nahar. Hariri’s return comes
as part of the March 14-led opposition’s campaign against Premier Najib Miqati’s
government. But al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat told Voice of Lebanon (100.5)
that he has no information about Hariri’s return to Beirut during the holy month
of Ramadan. The sources said that the large-scale meeting that March 14 held at
the Bristol hotel, Hariri’s interview with MTV and a conference that it would
hold on Tuesday again at the Bristol are all part of the opposition’s approach
in toppling the cabinet. Meetings between the coalition’s top leaders will
resume upon former Premier Fouad Saniora’s return from his vacation in Turkey at
the end of this week, they added.
Fistfight in Houla over Attempt to Shut Down Liquor Shop
Naharnet /A fistfight erupted in the southern town of Houla in Marjeyoun when
members of a party ordered the owner of a liquor store to close the shop,
reported the Central News Agency. The owner was saved when members of another
party intervened to end the dispute. Two people were hurt in the quarrel and the
store incurred some material damage. Tensions between the two March 8 camp
parties pervaded the town soon after the dispute, prompting the Lebanese army
and Internal Security Forces to intervene, ease the tensions, and launch an
investigation in the affair. Meanwhile, a source from Houla told the news agency
that the town is known for the diversity of its residents, rejecting the
violation of this freedom by any side and attempts to transform it into a closed
security zone.
Lebanon's
Arabic press digest - July 26, 2011
The Daily Star /Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a
selection of Lebanese newspapers Tuesday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the
accuracy of these reports.
Al-Liwaa: Tuesday appointments limited to oil … Israel for direct negotiations
on maritime border
Jumblatt: Rhetoric on weapons result of sectarian tension
Bellemare in New York and indictments in connected crimes before year end
If the ceremony hosted by Hezbollah to commemorate the victory of the [2006]
July war and the stances by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
will be monitored and rejected by the March 14 [coalition], a conference in
support of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) would be a milestone in the
work of the court in light of funding or financial obligations to the STL or the
arrest of suspects in line with the arrest warrants [thought to have been issued
against four Hezbollah members] prompting Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare to be in
New York close to U.N. officials.
In this regard, STL official spokesman Martin Youssef said the 30-day deadline
given by the court for the arrest of the four suspects ends on Aug. 11, given
that the STL considers the ultimatum as 30 working days.
Youssef said after Aug. 11 and if the Lebanese government failed to arrest the
suspects, it is up to Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen to announce the indictment
in full and publish it in the Lebanese media, or keep some parts or sections of
it secret, saying that the tribunal's work is “purely judicial” and that the
court expects the full cooperation of the Lebanese government.
As for Nasrallah’s televised speech to be delivered at 8:30 p.m. local time
Tuesday, it is expected that he will reiterate the party’s position on the STL
and stress the resistance’s role in liberation and the need to hold on to
weapons to deter Israeli attacks and liberate the remaining occupied
territories.
Apart from the maritime border and the Israeli position in this regard,
Hezbollah's weapons remained a hot controversial issue, particularly between the
Future Movement and Hezbollah with Nasrallah affirming his obligations to
dialogue without discussing arms while the Future Movement, along with its
allies in the March 14 alliance, insists that the issue of weapons should be the
sole topic up for discussion in the framework of a defense strategy for Lebanon
as well as conditioning the implementation of decisions made during previous
rounds of national dialogue in 2006.
In this respect, the head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt told
Al-Liwaa that pressing ahead with a battle for arms through the media and
political bickering was a “battle with no horizon and will not lead to any
results desired by campaigners.”
“The only certain outcome of this battle is more Sunni-Shiite tension and the
more likely each side will hang on to its positions,” Jumblatt added.
Al-Akhbar: Israeli general: No hope in victory but to destroy Lebanon
Pending what Nasrallah is going to say this evening at the dignity and victory
ceremony, stances Monday varied between concerns in Israel over the outcome of
any future war in the wake of Hezbollah’s growing capabilities and the ongoing
focus on weapons in the interior.
While citing the calm in Lebanon regarding developments in Syria and Lebanon and
not to the July war, the head of Israel’s former National Security Council head
Gen. Giora Eiland said the Jewish state followed a “real strategic policy” in
terms of the option to initiate war, adding that Israel would only engage in war
or attack if faced with a strategic threat to existence such as attacking the
nuclear reactor in Iraq.
In a July 2011 interview with the Israeli newspaper Haartez, Eiland said he did
not change his view that the July 2006 war was a failure in terms of setting
goals.
He said threats and war should be against the Lebanese state because no one
wants the destruction of Lebanon or Syria or Iran. Eiland said that the core
issue was the ability of deterrence before war erupts, in addition to the need
to achieve victory quickly by saying that the Lebanese state bears
responsibility for friring from its territory. He believed this saying was more
true today “after Hezbollah’s hold over the Lebanese government became stronger.
"
He concluded by saying that he believes Israel will only defeat Hezbollah in the
next war if it targeted Lebanon’s infrastructure as well as the Lebanese Army.
Al-Mustaqbal: Indictments to be publilshed on Aug. 11 if government failed to
arrest suspects
Bristol meet in support of STL and justice
In a move that would constitute one of the opposition steps in its open battle
with the government and the March 8 coalition, March 14 will hold a conference
at the Bristol hotel Tuesday under the slogan "justice for stability."
The conference will send out messages to the U.N. Secretary-General as well as
Justice Minister Shakik Qortbawi and State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza.
Al-Mustaqbal has learned that among the participants at the Bristol conference
are legal, judicial, human rights and academic figures who are not affiliated to
the March 14 coalition and that their attendance is a message that the STL does
not only concern March 14 and that justice itself is not for one group.
Among the speakers are former bar association heads - one from Beirut and the
other from Tripoli.
Deputy Lebanese Forces chief MP George Adwan told Al-Musatqbal that the
conference was designed to keep up with the work of the STL.
“It is unreasonable for the whole world to be interested in truth and justice,
and jurists [in Lebanon] do not move,” Adwan said, adding that the conference
would “focus on that truth and justice are the way to stability, in the sense
that there is no impunity anymore because once the criminal knows that no crime
will go unpunished, this will lead to stability and non-recurrence of
assassinations."
In parallel, high-ranking March 14 sources told Al-Mustaqbal that "the objective
of the conference is to underline to those who are targeting the court, namely
Hezbollah, that the STL will not succumb to blackmail.”
As-Safir: Sleiman tests pulse of dialogue participants
U.S. military delegation in Beirut: strong partnership with Lebanese Army
A Standstill prevailed over political activity while a visit by Lt. Gen. Vincent
Brooks, commanding general of U.S. Army Central Command, and his meeting with
Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji “to discuss ongoing cooperation between the
armies of Lebanon and the U.S. and bilateral security cooperation” according to
U.S. Embassy in Beirut, drew attention less than a week after a U.S. House panel
unveiled a bill that would block U.S. aid to Lebanon [unless Washington
reassures Congress that they are cooperating in the battling of terrorism.]
Meanwhile, sources close to the president said President Michel Sleiman began
consultations to test the pulse of the main political parties about the best
formula for the resumption of dialogue. In this regard, Sleiman met with the
head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad as well as a
delegation from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
Future
Movement bloc MP Atef Majdalani: shielding Hariri murder suspects: Future MP
July 26, 2011 /The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Future Movement bloc MP Atef Majdalani
accused Tuesday Hezbollah of protecting suspects wanted in the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “Hezbollah is shielding
those people under its care,” Majdalani told a local radio station, a reference
to the four Lebanese suspects , believed to be members of Hezbollah, who were
indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on June 30 in the assassination of
Hariri. Majdalani said the Future Movement would wait and see whether Prime
Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet would commit to U.N. Security Council resolution
1757 - the resolution that established the U.N.-backed court in 2007 - and the
protocol agreement signed between the tribunal and the Lebanese government. “We
will see whether the government will run away from its obligations toward the
international tribunal,” said Majdalani.
He said the Future Movement as well as the March 14 coalition would “accept
nothing less than the truth and justice.”Majdalani also said the March 14 was
not against a trial by absentia.
MP Elie Marouni says Hezbollah’s Moussawi has crossed the line
July 26, 2011 /Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni said that Hezbollah MP Nawwaf
Moussawi has crossed the line by comparing human beings to saints and icons and
should be summoned for investigation. “MP Nawwaf Moussawi has exceeded norms and
values when he compared human beings to saints and icons; as he if took
responsibility for the crimes committed. That is why it is important to summon
him for investigation considering he adopted the criminals that were indicted by
the international tribunal for the murder of the Cedar Revolution martyrs,” he
said according to the National News Agency. Moussawi on Monday said that all
those indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) investigating the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are “holy and iconic.”
Marouni said that he does not believe the people indicted will be turned in or
arrested, adding that the laws of the international tribunal will then determine
the next step. “Lebanon will pay the price.” The Kataeb bloc MP commented on
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah upcoming speech later on Tuesday, saying
that Nasrallah “will play the same record.” The Hezbollah chief will reject the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon and will refuse to disarm his party, he said.
“[Nasrallah] will use the oil and maritime border file as a new excuse to keep
[his] weapons,” said Marouni. The STL indicted four members of the Syrian-
Iranian-backed Hezbollah, but the Shia group ruled out their arrest. Meanwhile,
Israel's cabinet approved in July a map of the Jewish State's proposed maritime
borders with Lebanon, which is to be submitted to the UN. Following Israel’s
approval of the map, Energy Minister Gebran Bassil countered that Lebanon will
not give up its maritime rights. The Lebanese Parliament in August 2010 passed
an oil exploration bill, which calls for the establishment of a treasury and a
committee to oversee exploration and drilling off Lebanon. -NOW Lebanon
Gaza's Hamas rulers two “Israeli collaborators” in Gaza
July 26, 2011 /Gaza's Hamas rulers on Tuesday executed two Palestinians
convicted of collaboration with Israel, the Interior Ministry said in a
statement. It was the second time this year that the Islamist movement had
carried out an execution of someone accused of “collaborating” with the
Israelis. The statement did not say how the death sentence was carried out, and
it was not immediately clear when the two men were convicted. In May, a man
referred to as A.S. was executed by firing squad after being convicted of
collaboration a month earlier.
Under Palestinian law, collaboration with Israel, murder and drug trafficking
are all punishable by death. By law, all execution orders must be approved by
the Palestinian president before they can be carried out, but Hamas no longer
recognizes the legitimacy of Mahmoud Abbas, whose four-year term ended in 2009.
In recent months, Hamas has arrested several alleged collaborators, and warned
it would prosecute any "traitor" working for the Jewish state. In March, a Gaza
military court condemned a man to death and sentenced another to 15 years of
forced labor for collaborating with Israel. Both judgments are subject to
appeal. In April 2010, Gaza's Hamas rulers carried out a death sentence against
two Palestinians accused of collaboration in the first such execution since the
Islamists seized power in 2007. A month later, three more people were executed
on charges unrelated to collaboration, human rights groups say. Israeli security
forces routinely use Palestinian informers to thwart militant attacks and assist
in the assassination of top militants.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
US, Saudi Arabia smuggle satellite phones to Syrian rebels
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 26, 2011, Iranian intelligence experts in
Damascus have been disrupting the Syrian opposition movement's telephone and
Internet links with the outside world and among fellow-protesters in the
country. To bridge the communications gap, the US and Saudi Arabia have in the
last two weeks smuggled thousands of satellite phones into Syria and put them in
the hands of opposition leaders, debkafile reports. The new phones will also
overcome the latest Syrian steps, also on the advice of their Iranian advisers,
to slow down the speed of the Internet to impede the transmission of images –
most of all live video - of brutal attacks by Syrian security and military
forces on protesters.
US and Saudi intelligence services are picking up the tab for the satellite
phones and have given the providers a free hand to place no limits on their use.
This is the first time the Obama administration has stepped in with direct
assistance for the Syrian opposition in its drive to unseat Syrian President
Bashar Assad - in way, moreover, that challenges Iran's contribution to the
regime's survival. Monday, July 25, Washington also ramped up its criticism of
the Assad regime: "The behavior of security forces, including such other
barbaric shootings, wide scale arrests of young men and boys, brutal torture and
other abuses of basic human rights, is reprehensible," said a State Department
spokesman.
The Saudis have gone still further: On July 19, a new television station "Shabab
Syria" (Syrian Youth), financed by Riyadh, went on the air and began
broadcasting anti-Assad opposition's messages to all parts of the country. In a
statement to Iranian news media, the Syrian ambassador to Tehran Hamed Hassan
denied that Saudi Arabia was supplying the Syrian opposition with arms. He
insisted that relations between the two countries were good, but then added:
"Certain people and groups in Saudi Arabia are providing the Syrian opposition
financial and media assistance, or issuing fatwas which fan the flames of
sedition in the country."
Jumblat:
Media, Political Battle on Arms Leads to Sectarian Tension
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said that the media
and political scuffle between the March 8 and 14 forces is “a battle without any
horizon and won’t lead to any result.”In remarks to al-Liwaa daily published
Tuesday, Jumblat said: “The only result of this battle is more Sunni-Shiite
tension.” The tension between the two sects and the insistence of each party to
hold onto its stance would pave way for a “fertile ground to quickly welcome the
repercussions of what’s happening and what could go on around us,” the Druze
leader said about the turmoil in the Arab world and mainly Syria. He told the
newspaper that he supports President Michel Suleiman’s call for national
dialogue “because I believe that we would practically end up with discussing the
(issue of) arms or the defense strategy.”“Dialogue absorbs this sectarian
tension and consolidates the opportunity of our success in (overcoming) the
repercussions of the political storms in the region,” Jumblat said. Jumblat
stressed on Monday the importance of the equation of the army, people, and
resistance, demanding that the recent terrorist attacks in Norway serve as a
lesson to some regime leaders “who don’t understand the importance of reform.”
Phalange Party Rejects Arms Sway over National Dialogue
Naharnet /Phalange Party on Monday said it wants a “constructive” national
dialogue and accused “some parties” of relying on the influence of “illegal
weapons” in order to impose their own vision on the country. In a statement
issued after its weekly meeting, the party’s political bureau noted that holding
national dialogue under the clout of arms “would be counterproductive and would
deepen the current crisis, especially in the absence of a clear agenda that
would tackle topics away from intransigent ideological stances.”
The politburo called on “the parties concerned to seek solutions that can lead
to tangible and practical results whose implementation would be guaranteed,
contrary to the results of the previous dialogue sessions.”Addressing the issue
of the Jbeil District town of Lassa, the party described the latest developments
as “extremely dangerous,” noting that they expose “the violation of the rights
of citizens and institutions as well as the State’s authority through the
influence of weapons.”The party also voiced solidarity with Maronite Patriarch
Beshara al-Rahi “concerning his efforts to resolve the crisis together with the
relevant security agencies,” warning against “any settlements” over the
“non-negotiable” rights of the citizens
Geagea Says He’d Think Twice before Meeting with Rival Maronite Leaders Again
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said he would think twice before
attending another meeting of the country’s Maronite leaders at the seat of the
patriarchate in Bkirki.
In an interview with al-Joumhouria daily published Monday, Geagea said: “The
first experience wasn’t encouraging.”He said personal attacks against him
confirm that the leaders are not serious in Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s
attempt to start a reconciliation process. “When the conferees do not respect
their pledges and cross the limit of political differences to attacks on the
personal level, I would think twice about the possibility of participating” in
another meeting, Geagea said. He was referring to a meeting held in Bkirki in
April between him, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement
chief Michel Aoun and Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh. Another
conference between the rival Maronite leaders and lawmakers was held last month
with a call to safeguard Lebanese land and achieve an equal division of posts
between Christians and Muslims in state institutions. Geagea denied that he
would host a meeting of March 14 leaders at his residence in Maarab, and
stressed that his absence from the last Bristol conference and the dinner thrown
by the president in Amsheet wasn’t deliberate. He said he didn’t attend both
events for being abroad. On President Michel Suleiman’s invitation for national
dialogue at Baabda palace, Geagea said: “We support dialogue on condition that
it becomes serious.”Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is defending the
status quo while the March 14 forces are demanding quite the opposite, the LF
chief told al-Joumhouria. “Things couldn’t be straightened up in Lebanon with
the presence of a defense strategy outside the Lebanese state,” he said,
stressing on the need to put Hizbullah’s arms under the control of the state.
“When we agree on this, we go to the dialogue to see how to reach a deal on this
process,” Geagea added.
Pietton Hopes Truth in Estonian Kidnapping Will Be Revealed
Naharnet /French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton denied on Monday that
France had taken a decision to halt military aid to the Lebanese army, noting a
contradiction between this matter and Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji’s
recent visit to the European country. French sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat
that French military support for Lebanon would continue and that the decision to
suspend a missile agreement with Lebanon was due to the regional situation.
Pietton said after holding talks with Environment Minister Nazem al-Khouri: “Our
backing for the army is crucial and we will maintain this support.” On the
kidnapping of the seven Estonian cyclists in Lebanon who were released nearly
two weeks ago, he said: “We hope that the truth behind the matter would be
revealed and that the investigation would uncover the perpetrators.” He added
that France provided logistical and diplomatic support in the affair. The seven
Estonians were kidnapped in Lebanon in March. They were later released in July,
some four months after their abduction. Mystery surrounds the circumstances that
led to their release. Regarding the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon,
Pietton said: “We have no fears over it.” “It has been playing a major role in
maintaining stability in the region since 2006 and this cooperation has
developed with the Lebanese army’s deployment in the South,” the ambassador
said.
U.S. General Visits Qahwaji, Stresses U.S. and Lebanese
Army Cooperation to Implement Resolution 1701
Naharnet /Lieutenant General Vincent Brooks, Commanding General of the U.S. Army
Central Command, visited Lebanon on Monday to discuss the continuing cooperation
between the Lebanese army and the United States military. During the visit, he
met with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji to discuss bilateral security
cooperation initiatives. Brooks expressed the United States’ appreciation of the
strong partnership between the Lebanese army and the United States, praising the
Lebanese army’s professional performance in fulfilling its national duties.
He called on the Lebanese army to continue its efforts to fulfill its mission in
support of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 and stressed the
importance of a strong U.S.-Lebanese army partnership to further bolster its
operational capacity to implement resolution 1701.
Jumblat: Norway Attack Must Act as Lesson to Regimes that
Don’t Understand Need for Reform
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed on Monday
the importance of the equation of the army, people, and Resistance, demanding
that the recent terrorist attacks in Norway serve as a lesson to some regime
leaders “who don’t understand the importance of reform.” He said in his weekly
editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “Until the weapons are
gradually incorporated in the official armed forces, they cannot be used on some
adventure on the internal scene.”“Such an action would fail regardless of the
circumstances that accompany them,” he continued. On the Norway attacks, the MP
noted that the intolerance of some parties and individuals can lead to
catastrophes, saying that the developments that preceded the attacks needed to
be studied.On Friday, a Christian extremist attacked a youth camp in Norway,
killing 93 people in a shooting that has shocked the country.
“This bigotry can lead some people to act in a violent, terrorist, and crazy
manner,” continued Jumblat. He hoped that the Norway tragedy serve as a lesson
to some regime leaders who don’t understand the importance of reform, “and who
continue on violently confronting the people’s rightful demands.”
Lebanese Actor ‘Fehman’ Dies After Falling on Stage
Naharnet /Lebanese actor Mahmoud Mabsout, best known as “Fehman” died Monday
morning at one of the hospitals in Nabatiyeh. “Fehman” who spent his life making
people laugh suffered a heart attack while performing on stage with “Abou
Salim’s Group” at a local festival in Kfarssir, South Lebanon.
Absent thinking
Hazem Saghiyeh, July 25, 2011
Now Lebanon/The continuous Lebanese dilemma brings us back, time and again, to
the issue of nationalism.
This issue is important as it stems from the issue of nationalism in “Third
World” countries, the lack of unanimity on it and its conflicting
interpretations. No sooner were these countries, which were merely areas of
land, exposed to the West and to its “nation-state” concept following WWI, than
it retaliated with a variety of responses ranging from loyalty to small groups
to loyalty to transnational ideologies. These countries were also attached to an
inclination for struggle, which grew stronger and increasingly tense with the
forceful foundation of the state of Israel. In any case, Lebanese history
remained confined to these inclinations, which translated into various kinds of
civil wars and are still preventing the Lebanese people and society from
experiencing stability. Instability in our country was made even worse by the
fact that the situation in Syria as of 1958, and especially since 1963, has come
to require and call for chaos in Lebanon. This led to sending weapon shipments,
allowing armed men across the border between the two countries, using the
Palestinian cause as a false pretext and taking sides with one community and
group to the detriment of others. Military regimes thus succeeded in further
deepening Lebanese contradictions and driving them to a flashpoint state. At the
same time, blind Israeli violence since the late 1960s added even more fuel to
the fire of these contradictions.
Lebanon’s peculiarity in this respect lies in the fact that it is more
vulnerable than others to what happens outside its borders in accordance with
its size and status. This goes without mentioning the fragile structure of
unanimity in it. This drove a group of a few intellectuals, who were regarded as
the founders of the Lebanese entity, to care for “Lebanon’s position within its
surrounding environment” (Michel Chiha) regardless of the means they addressed
this relation.
Nevertheless, another factor contributed to pulling us towards the abyss, namely
the futility of the Lebanese political class, which was too busy with its
various clientelistic concerns that prevented it from seeing Lebanon’s position
within its surrounding environment and the impact they had on one another. Such
a perception would probably not have been enough to avoid the many woes that
befell this country, but it would certainly have alleviated and limited the
impact of such woes.
The political class did not think twice about this issue or about adopting
social policies and solutions that would promote Lebanonization and provide the
country and its citizens with stability. These words do not belong to the past,
for the Syrian uprising makes them a pressing issue. Indeed, can a change this
huge be met with silence and waiting? This goes without mentioning the fact that
this same political class is abiding by evasion to counter the geological
invasion storming through the Arab world.
Experience has repeatedly taught us that thinking about Lebanon is impossible
without thinking about the region. Is this class thinking about either of them?
*This article is a translation of the original, which was published on the NOW
Arabic site on Monday July 25, 2011
Hezbollah is bleeding alone
Hanin Ghaddar , July 25, 2011 s
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is a dead man walking. The protests
against him have been raging for four months, and it is only a matter of time
until he is forced to step down. The only concern is how many more people
Assad’s regime is going to kill before he goes.
It seems Assad is working in line with the following formula: “I will either
kill them all or die.” But the thing is, each time he kills, more demonstrators
pour into the streets. Assad, in this sense, is his own worst enemy. He is
shooting himself in the foot and at the same time hurting his allies.
His old friends, Qatar and Turkey, abandoned him as soon as they realized that
he is no good for reform. Even his recent, forced, friend, Lebanese Druze leader
MP Walid Jumblatt, said on Sunday that “Syria is a wounded country and will only
be healed when the people responsible for the crimes against the Syrian people
are punished.”
Jumblatt called for “releasing all the former and current detainees in Syrian
jails, ceasing fire on protesters and refusing every armed activity against
institutions, establishments and the Syrian army.” He also called for “drafting
a new constitution that allows [political pluralism] in Syria and opens new
horizons for the enormous potential of the Syrian people.”
Although Jumblatt noted that the Syrian president himself promised these
reforms, and that it seems “some people in the regime do not want to apply
them,” he immediately added that “only free people can liberate the persecuted
and oppressed people,” and that the “regime-of-resistance theory is
meaningless.”
Jumblatt’s radar is functioning again, and he realized that he has been siding
with a loser. Jumblatt knows that, as the leader of a minority group, he needs
to protect himself again.
Jumblatt thinks that if he makes the shift away from the Assad-allied,
Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition, people might respect him again; they would
understand his fear of Hezbollah and his choice to shift from being a national
leader to a petty sectarian za’im.
Whether people understand or not is another question. But Hezbollah, which has
been wounded by the brutal and inhumane actions of the Assad regime, which is
supposedly pro-resistance, cannot use Jumblatt’s flip-flopping for its own
purposes. Hezbollah, which is wounded and bleeding, will lash out, no matter how
much it hurts itself in the process.
Signs of Hezbollah’s weakening have already started to emerge. This past week,
in an unprecedented challenge to the Party of God by residents of the South,
shops in the city of Nabatiyeh, which Hezbollah prohibited from selling alcohol
four months ago, have started selling liquor again.
People in the South expect Hezbollah to react forcefully to things like this.
But this time it did not, and now one can find alcohol in Nabatiyeh, a major
Hezbollah hub in the South.
Instead, Hezbollah forces attacked a store in the southern town of Houla for
selling alcohol and tried to force the owner to close shop in an attempt to
compensate for its defeat and humiliation in Nabatiyeh. However, members of the
Communist Party, normally an ally of Hezbollah, intervened to protect the owner
of the shop, also an unprecedented incident in the South, at least since the
early 1980s.
Hezbollah has been hurt by the stupidity of its ally, Bashar al-Assad, whom the
party’s local allies are beginning to question. With Assad’s actions, and with
the sword of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon at its neck, the party is standing
alone, bleeding. Not a pleasant situation for a party that is still more or less
in control of Lebanon and its state institutions.
As Lebanese who are aware of the potential dangers of this situation, shall we
just sit back and watch the Syrian revolution bring the toppling of their regime
and ours, or should we act?
And if we do decide to act, how should we?
Those who forced the Syrian army to leave Lebanon in 2005 are feeling helpless.
The main leaders of the 2005 Independence Intifada are either dead or away in
Paris. The rest have so far been incapable of steering the street in the same
manner.
The Lebanese street is ready to move again, but is used to the fact that it
cannot act without the green light of its leadership, which is still suffering
from a political coma.
Their leaders say that the situation is different and that Najib Mikati’s new
government is not like that of former PM Omar Karami. Taking to the street is
not a good idea for the opposition for the time being. They no longer know how
to act. They’ve gotten used to reacting and have lost the mindset for taking
initiatives.
But the circumstances are ripe: The Syrian regime is facing collapse, Hezbollah
is suffering the consequences, and the current government is more helpless than
it seems. Even Jumblatt is offering them an opening that they could use.
If the opposition is incapable of, or uninterested in, acting like a real
opposition, is that it for the Lebanese? Can’t we take the initiative with
whatever is left of our civil society, as the Syrian people did, even though
their civil organizations were crushed for over 40 years? Can we be better than
our so-called leaders? Can we at least publically support the Syrian people, who
are our only hope for freedom and dignity in Lebanon?
It is a pity that pro-Syrian regime demonstrations in Beirut are growing more
frequent and vigorous. It is a pity that we do not believe we can seize this
opportunity to realize dignity on our own; that it will be given to us by
someone else, be it the March 14 leadership or the Syrian people, who are facing
death with bare chests.
Bashar al-Assad is a dead man walking. The Syrian people know it, the world
knows it. Maybe it is time for the Lebanese to finally come to terms with the
true meaning of freedom.
*Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon
Muslims, Arabs should work together to liberate Palestine:
Qabbani
July 25, 2011 06:08 PM) The Daily Star /
BEIRUT: Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani urged the Arab and Muslim
communities Monday to work together to confront Israel and liberate occupied
Palestine.
“We can no longer accept the status quo regardless of how capable the enemy has
become. The confrontation with this enemy can only be realized through true and
complete cooperation among the Arab and Muslim world to force the allies of the
Israeli enemy to recognize the Arab perspective and not to be ignored,” Qabbani
said during an international conference to discuss Palestine. He also added that
the liberation of Jerusalem and all of Palestine should be a strategic plan for
all Muslim and Arabs globally, saying: “There would be no peace with the Israeli
enemy as long as it occupies Palestine … because peace should take place between
two sovereign countries.”He also added that the existence of the “Zionist
entity” over Palestinian territories has always been a problem in the Arab and
Muslim world, which has suffered tremendously from the occupation
MP Alain Aoun: STL issues should be brought to U.N.
July 26, 2011 /By Hassan Lakkis The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Lebanese government should discuss with the U.N. and the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon any challenges Lebanese groups have to the
constitutionality of the court, said Baabda MP Alain Aoun, warning that
rejecting the STL outright would lead to a confrontation with the international
community.“ I believe the Lebanese government should tackle the issue of the STL
by engaging in a discussion with the U.N. and the tribunal, touching on the
objections of the [parliamentary] majority on its [the court’s]
constitutionality, legality, attitude and opinions,” Aoun told The Daily Star in
an interview Monday. Aoun, of Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, cautioned
“rejecting this issue [the tribunal] in an absolute sense will lead to a
confrontation.” The STL, established to try the assassins of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri, released its first indictment on June 30, which is
thought to have named four Hezbollah members. The Lebanese government has to
detain the indicted individuals within 30 working days, a period that expires on
Aug. 11.
But Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah has rejected the indictment, and
said that the four members could not be reached “even in 300 years.”
Aoun voiced pessimism that national dialogue sessions would resume in line with
a call made by President Michel Sleiman earlier this month, placing the blame on
the March 14 coalition.
“Nothing would prevent dialogue if there was a will for it, but it would be
useless if there was no such will.”
“I expect that the opposition [March 14] is heading toward boycotting the
majority and this was obvious in parliamentary sessions to discuss the Cabinet
policy statement,” Aoun said.
He explained that the March 14 coalition did not want to acknowledge that a
rotation of power had taken place, and still called it “a coup.”
“Given this atmosphere, they do not have the will to engage in a dialogue with
the majority as much as the will to get rid of it,” Aoun said. “That’s why it’s
impossible to make any breakthroughs regarding the resumption of dialogue.”
Aoun said that the memorandum of understanding that Michel Aoun had inked with
Hezbollah in February 2006 had “restored the balance in power.”
As for the Maronite sect’s share in the upcoming round of administrative
appointments in the public sector, which the Cabinet will pursue in the near
future, Aoun said that key appointments required political consensus.
“We are preparing ourselves for these appointments and we are concerned with all
of them,” he said. “We are aware that appointments will be made in the
judiciary, the Interior Ministry and other ministries. Some are prepared by the
relevant ministries but others, like key ones, require political consensus which
allows them to be approved by Cabinet,” he continued, adding that efforts were
being accelerated to wrap up the appointments.
Aoun also called on the judiciary to investigate the divisive issue of “false
witnesses,” individuals who originally gave misleading information to
international investigators.
“In principal, the issue of the false witnesses is a judicial issue … the
judiciary has to assume its responsibilities, and if it does not, then the
government should take the initiative and put it on the right track for the sake
of the court’s and majority’s credibility,” he said.
The issue of “false witnesses” was at the center of a dispute which paralyzed
the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri after it refused to refer the
issue to the Judicial Council, the highest judicial authority in Lebanon, as
demanded by Hezbollah. The dispute led to the fall of Hariri’s Cabinet in
January.
Bashar Al-Assad: Ten years later
25/07/2011
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/AsharqAlawsat
Five days before President Hafez al-Assad passed away, I visited his son, Dr.
Bashar al-Assad, in his house in the Syrian capital Damascus. This was the first
time I had met Bashar, although I was well aware that he constituted a major
part of the Syrian ruling system during the final two years of his father's
reign. He used to attend some of his father's meetings with leaders, especially
in the last months of his [father's] illness preceding his death. However, there
wasn't a single portrait of Bashar [in government offices], nor was his name
mentioned by anyone, but later on it became clear he was ruling all of Syria
from behind the curtain. He initially came across as a disciplined and
mysterious character. Even during that first meeting, Bashar was keen to
reiterate that all his statements were merely personal opinions, and that he
played no official role. Yet in my estimation, because the president's son was
arranging meetings and conducting public relations, it seemed he was being
groomed for the presidency, especially at a time when rumors were spreading
about his father's deplorable health, and the possibility that he may bequeath
power to his son. The future of Syria's role seemed vague to everyone, perhaps
with the exception of Bashar himself.
Following my return to London, and before I completed my assignment, Hafez
al-Assad passed away. The interview was published the following day. This
concerned the Syrian embassy in London, for they feared that the interview could
be misunderstood, and that people would think that the president's son had been
giving interviews before his father's corpse was even buried. I requested that
they read the introduction, in which I was honest and indicated that the
interview was conducted before the president's death.
I met with Bashar al-Assad several times later, before and after he became
president, together with my friend and colleague Ibrahim Awadh. However, when
[Lebanese Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri was assassinated, my contact with Bashar
was broken off, as he regarded me as an aggressive element participating in a
hostile campaign against him. For my part, I had a feeling that my dealings with
him had become an extremely sensitive issue, and the way in which the Syrian
regime was dealing with us had become extremely dangerous. This estrangement
continued until the beginning of this year, when I met President al-Assad once
more. Yet it was clear that confidence between us was lacking, despite the
exchanged pleasantries during the one-off meeting.
Although our meetings were long, often lasting for at least three hours, there
is little I can say about the reality of the Syrian President; in terms of what
he thinks and does. Despite his personal warmth and politeness, he remained, and
continues to be, somewhat ambiguous to this day. He has maintained the same old
image which first struck me before he became president. I believe that, to this
day, he still receives his guests in a small sitting room in his house, located
atop a hill. The house is practically deserted, except for one servant and an
aide, whilst everyone would expect the president's residence to be swarming with
workers and visitors. Throughout the years in which I paid visits to that house
I saw only one solider, passing in front of our car carrying a teapot. I
imagined that a full battalion must be hiding in the bushes nearby. This
deserted and mysterious house, which Bashar al-Assad has continued to use even
after he assumed the presidency, serves as an accurate metaphor for his
character.
Ten years have elapsed since I first met Bashar, and more importantly, a decade
has passed since he came to power in Syria. However, I will admit that I'm still
perplexed and cannot fully understand him, despite the relatively long time and
despite what I know and hear about him.
I wonder why he has failed to manage the country, although he had previously
outlined a clear political and developmental program in what was known as his
inauguration speech. Why did he say all that he said to us, whether he intended
it to be published or in private, yet fail to put this into practice? Throughout
many years, there has been an overwhelming impression that although Bashar is
inside the circle of power, he does not have complete authority and there are
others within the family and inner circle who actually make the decisions. Such
a conviction was strengthened because of the clear gap between what he used to
say and what is happening now. This discrepancy prompted me to ask him as to why
he has failed on several occasions to fulfill what he previously said. Indeed,
the answers I often heard gave the impression that he was the sole decision
maker. Sometimes he would explain his actions by claiming to have discovered
something different, and sometimes he would claim that he now wanted to imitate
the Chinese model, not the Russian one. I was eventually convinced that if he
was not the sole decision maker, then he is certainly the man who makes the
final decision.
Hezbollah on edge in face of Syria revolt
(AFP)/26 July 2011BEIRUT — The unprecedented revolt threatening the regime in
Syria has placed key ally Hezbollah in a tight spot and prompted the Lebanese
militant group to adopt a more measured attitude, analysts say.
‘Hezbollah’s margin of manoeuvre is currently very limited because the strategic
Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis is threatened by the revolt and this forces the group
to act prudently,’ said Paris-based Middle East expert Agnes Levallois.
The Shia party, also backed by Iran, is the most powerful military and political
group in Lebanon and is a key player in the new government formed last month.
But the upheaval in neighbouring Syria caught Hezbollah off guard and threatens
its position, analysts say.
When the revolt erupted in mid-March, ‘Hezbollah initially thought the Syrian
regime would be able to quickly put down the revolt and that it would not be
affected,’ Levallois told AFP.
‘But with the revolt showing no signs of dying down, Hezbollah is realising that
it needs to protect itself by commenting little on the situation in Syria so as
not to be at odds with what is happening on the ground and not to alienate
itself,’ she added.
The party, blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Washington, has adopted
the Syrian regime’s official line in blaming the unrest on armed extremist gangs
and outside agitators.
This has prompted anger among protesters in Syria who, in what would have been
unthinkable a few months ago, have torn down and burned pictures of Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to images posted on YouTube.
Nasrallah has also been criticised for acting like a ‘Syrian television
presenter,’ prompting his party to adopt a more low-key approach.
‘The Syrian regime became aware that Nasrallah’s popularity was not serving its
interest in this case, but quite the contrary,’ said Paul Salem, head of the
Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre.
The deep crisis threatening the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad could
also impact on Hezbollah’s weapons supply through Iran and Syria, analysts
believe.
Intelligence officials estimate that Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of more
than 40,000 short- and medium-range missiles which the party has said could
reach deep into Israel.
‘There is no question that they are worried, because if the regime (in Syria)
collapses, that would affect them strategically speaking, especially if the new
regime that takes over is keen on exacting revenge on Iran and Hezbollah,’ Salem
said.
‘If there is chaos, a new regime or a continuation of the current regime, which
has been weakened, all of these scenarios don’t bode well for Hezbollah,’ he
added.
The party’s image has also been dented given its support for the other
revolutions shaking the Arab world, including Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, but not
Syria.
‘Nasrallah is torn between his support for Assad’s regime and his image as a
resistance leader keen on defending the people’s rights,’ Levallois said.
The Arabic-language daily An-Nahar, which is close to Lebanon’s opposition,
summarised the dilemma facing the party in a editorial at the weekend.
‘Tomorrow, when the Syrian regime falls — and it will fall — what will
Hezbollah, which supported those who assassinated women, children and the
elderly, say?’ it asked.
Nadim Shehadeh, a fellow at the London-based Chatham House, said Hezbollah was
in a bind given the platform on which it has built support.
‘Their power is based on such big words as freedom and liberation and their
constituency follows them blindly on this,’ he told AFP.
‘But they supported the Arab spring in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Libya,
everywhere except Syria, and that is contradictory,’ Shehadeh said.
For now, analysts say, Hezbollah will probably continue to adopt a low-key
approach and avoid any confrontation.
‘We thought that Damascus would ask Hezbollah to launch an attack against Israel
to divert attention,’ Levallois said.
‘But the Syrian regime understood that it could loose on all fronts if it did so
because it is too weak.’