LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِNovember
10/2011
Bible Quotation
for today/The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13/44-50: "The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a
treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes
and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field. Also,
the Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls,46 and when
he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and
buys that pearl. Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Some fishermen
throw their net out in the lake and catch all kinds of fish. When the net is
full, they pull it to shore and sit down to divide the fish: the good ones go
into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. It will be like this at
the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up the evil people from
among the good and will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry
and gnash their teeth.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November 09/11
IAEA report: Iran has been working
toward nuclear bomb since 2003
The full IAEA report on Iran (PDF)
Experts: Nothing new in IAEA report
After IAEA report, Israel says
military option can wait for sanctions
U.S. likely to impose more
sanctions on Iran after IAEA report
Iran rejects IAEA report as
'politically motivated'
Russia rails against release of
IAEA report on Iran
UN Security Council panel fails to
reach consensus on Palestinian bid, says draft report
Syrian National Council (SNC): We
need international monitors to protect Syrian people
Mikati to put STL funding
to vote
Bellemare Demands Lebanese
Authorities to be Heard in the Trial Chamber
Bellemare says in absentia tribunal
trials premature
Speculation continues over
Hezbollah’s ability to disable Israeli drones
Activist says Hezbollah involved in
abduction of Syrian opposition in Lebanon
Hariri condemns ‘massacre’ in Syria
on Twitter
Hariri Refuses to Respond on Aoun:
We Need a Strong Army, Not a Strong Party to Protect Us
Sunni, Shiite religious leaders
deliver message of unity for Eid al-Adha
France Complains of Lebanese
Leaderships’ Lack of Vision on Iranian, Syrian Developments
Aoun: Syrian Crisis is Over,
Another One-Way Ticket Awaits Hariri when he Returns
Geagea: Lebanese Security Forces
Complicit with Abduction of Syrian Opposition Members
MP Michel Aoun blasts US policies
in Middle East
IAEA
report: Iran has been working toward nuclear bomb since 2003
Report by UN nuclear agency says Tehran continously worked toward a nuclear
weapon since 2003; diplomatic source in Vienna tells Haaretz: 'This is the most
damning report ever published by the IAEA.'
By Yossi Melman /Haaretz
Iran has been working toward building a nuclear weapon since 2003, according to
a report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency and obtained by
Haaretz on Tuesday.
What do you think about the IAEA report on Iran's nuclear program?
The report, which was handed over to the 35-member states of the IAEA Board of
Governors, details a series of tests, acquisition of materials, and technology
that suggests Iran has continuously worked to produce a nuclear weapon since
2003.
A diplomatic source in Vienna told Haaretz that this is "the most damning report
ever published by the IAEA and the conclusion arising from it is one: Iran is
working to acquire a nuclear weapon." "The agency has serious concerns regarding
possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," the IAEA said in the
report, which included a 13-page annex with key technical descriptions of
research. Citing "credible" information, the Vienna-based agency said the data
"indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a
nuclear explosive device." It added: "The information also indicates that prior
to the end of 2003, these activities took place under a structured program, and
that some activities may still be ongoing."
Click here to read the full IAEA report
U.S. spy services estimated in 2007 that Iran had halted outright "weaponization"
research four years previously, but also that the Islamic Republic was
continuing efforts to master technology usable in nuclear explosives.
The IAEA report included information from both before and after 2003.
It expressed "particular concern" about information provided by two member
states that Iran had carried out computer modeling studies linked to nuclear
weapons in 2008-09.
"The application of such studies to anything other than a nuclear explosive is
unclear to the agency," the IAEA said.
The information also indicated that Iran had built a large explosives vessel at
the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran in which to conduct
hydrodynamic experiments, which are "strong indicators of possible weapon
development."
For several years the IAEA has been investigating Western intelligence reports
indicating that Iran has coordinated efforts to process uranium, test high
explosives and revamp a ballistic missile cone to accommodate a nuclear warhead.
Iran, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, insists that its program to enrich uranium
is for a future network of nuclear power stations to provide electricity for a
rapidly growing population, so that it can export more of its oil and gas.
But Tehran's history of hiding sensitive nuclear activity from the IAEA,
continued restrictions on IAEA access and its refusal to suspend enrichment --
which can yield fuel for atom bombs -- have drawn four rounds of UN sanctions,
as well as separate punitive steps by the United States and European Union.
IAEA officials have often complained that Iran has refused, for at least three
years, to seriously answer the agency's questions about accusations of illicit
nuclear activity.
Experts:
Nothing new in IAEA report
Israeli experts claim UN nuclear watchdog's report only offers 'seal of
approval' to what international intelligence community already knew on Iranian
nuke program
Tomer Velmer Published: 11.09.11, 00:45 / Israel News
Old news? The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday published a
report stating that Iran is suspected of conducting secret experiments whose
sole purpose is the development of nuclear arms, however Israeli experts claim
the findings are not new.
"The findings published in the report were known to the intelligence communities
for a long time, but the significance of the report is that for the first time
an independent professional body gives it a seal of approval," explained Middle
East expert Dr. Motti Keidar of Bar Ilan University.
"For Israel, this means that it was right all along, and for the United States –
it means they have to act more intently against Iran and not impose more useless
sanctions," he said.
According to Dr. Keidar, the nuclear program is Iran's "insurance policy,"
guaranteeing that the world would not intervene in their internal affairs.
"This kind of report can definitely deter them, as they are now exposed to an
attack from the West," he said, adding that "on the other hand, when someone is
pushed into a corner, they often act irrationally and might fan the flames even
further."
Prof. Eyal Zisser, dean of the Entin Faculty of Humanities in Tel Aviv
University, also believes the report bears no new evidence, "but rather gives a
seal of approval that Iran is heading toward a nuclear bomb." Prof. Zisser noted
that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not been overlooked by the Iranian
leaders, and might convince them that Washington "is willing to go all the way.
"At the end of the day, these are rational leaders, but their rationality and
desire for security independence is what pushes them to develop nuclear weapons
in the first place," he added. Senior research associate at the Institute for
National Security Studies Dr. Emily Landau believes that the ball is in the
international community's court. "From the details leaked so far, there is
nothing new, and what was published was already mentioned in past reports.
Answering to those who doubt the report's credibility, Dr. Landau said: "This is
not an American intelligence report; it is compiled from the intelligence of at
least 10 countries; therefore it's hard to push it aside." Dr. Landau believes
the report's ramifications are more political in nature, adding that "what
remains to be seen is how the international community responds and what message
it gives Tehran."
Yoav Zitun contributed to this report
After IAEA report, Israel says military option can wait for
sanctions
DEBKAfile Special Report/November 8, 2011/The UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) began
circulating its much-awaited Iran report Tuesday night, Nov. 11 to Security
Council and IAEA board members. According to the first leaks, the agency has no
doubt that Iran is working on developing atomic weapons: Its clandestine
computer-simulated and practical tests on nuclear detonators, uranium enrichment
at a hidden underground site at Fordo and tests for adapting nuclear warheads to
missiles have no explanation other than work on components for a nuclear weapon.
Israel's initial response was to give sanctions a last chance and hold its
military option in abeyance for the weeks needed to put them in place, so long
as they are tough enough to disrupt Iran's central bank and its oil industry.
However, the Obama administration has already foresworn these penalties, as
debkafile reported earlier Tuesday.
US President Barack Obama is backing away from crippling sanctions on Iran's
central bank bank and an embargo on its oil trade. This was decided shortly
before the International Atomic Energy Agency was due to confirm Tuesday or
Wednesday, Nov. 8-9 that Iran's clandestine military nuclear program had reached
the point of no-return, and after Israel intelligence experts found that Iran
could build a weapon as soon as it so decided.
Four considerations persuaded the Obama administration to backtrack on new
sanctions, thereby letting Tehran prevail in this round of the nuclear
controversy:
1. Because it is too late. Even the harshest sanctions would not alter the fact
that Iran has arrived at a position wherbey it is capable of building a bomb or
warhead any time it chooses.
2. Severe penalties against Iran's central bank and its fuel exports would
exacerbate the turmoil on international financial markets.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, Nov. 8, "Though US officials had
declared they would hold 'Iran accountable' for a purported plot [to assassinate
the Saudi ambassador to Washington], they now have decided that a proposed move
against Iran's central bank could disrupt international oil markets and further
damage the reeling American and world economies."
Instead, say those officials, Washington will seek to persuade some of Tehran's
key trading partners, including the Persian Gulf states, South Korea and Japan,
to join existing sanctions.
3. For the first time in American history, Washington has admitted its military
capabilities are constrained by economic concerns.
This constraint was also reflected in the Washington Post of Tuesday: "The
possibility of a US strike is considered remote, however. That is partly because
there is no certainty it would successfully stop Iran and partly because of the
diplomatic and political repercussions for a cash-strapped nation emerging from
two wars."
4. Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday in a radio interview that
he was not optimistic about tough sanctions because there was no international
consensus to support them.
debkafile's intelligence sources report that Russia and China would not only
cast their votes against stiff penalties but disrupt them through marketing
mechanisms they have already put in place for bypassing international
restrictions on Iran's foreign banking and exports.
Those mechanisms have also been placed at the disposal of Syria.
Tehran has therefore been able to pre-empt the IAEA report, however damning it
may turn out to be, and can continue to develop its nuclear objectives without
fear of punishing sanctions.
The Israeli defense minister noted that while it would be preferable in matters
as grave as a potential attack on Iran's nuclear sites to work closely with the
United States, Israeli is a sovereign country and its government cannot shirk
responsibility for defending its security.
Israel's existence was not at stake, Barak stressed - either from Iran's
missiles or Hizballah's rockets. An attack would cause suffering on the home
front, he said, but nowhere near the 100,000 mentioned in the speculation of the
last two weeks – or even 5,000. He dismissed much of this speculation as wildly
irresponsible and unfounded.
If sanctions against Iran fall by the wayside, all other options stay on the
table, said the defense minister. Israeli is holding intelligence exchanges with
some friends but in the last resort must make its own decisions which he
promised would be made responsibly.
Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu no doubt intended to go through the motions of
demanding tougher sanctions against Iran after the publication of the IAEA
report. But that option has vanished from the Washington landscape, leaving
Israel with a choice between a military strike or bowing to the Obama
administration's acceptance of a nuclear-armed Iran and learning to live with
this ever-present menace.
The same stark choice confronts Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf.
Bellemare
says in absentia tribunal trials premature
November 09, 2011/By Patrick Galey/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon said Tuesday that it
was premature to begin the in absentia trial of four Hezbollah members he
accused of the 2005 assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri.
In a submission to the court ahead of a Trial Chamber hearing Friday, STL
Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare said that more time was needed for Lebanese
authorities to apprehend suspects.
“It is premature to initiate trial in absentia,” Bellemare wrote in the
document, published on the court’s website Tuesday. “Not enough time has been
allowed for the Lebanese authorities to affect the arrests of the four accused
and not enough has been done to affect the arrests because the Lebanese
authorities have either been unable or unwilling to do so.”
Last month, STL Registrar Herman von Hebel asked the Trial Chamber to determine
whether or not in absentia proceedings were appropriate against the accused.
Friday will see prosecuting and defense counsels present their cases to decide
upon the point of law and four lawyers have been appointed by the court to
represent the accused for the hearing.
Bellemare argued that in absentia trials were not currently appropriate because
the reasons behind the suspects’ absence were unknown.
“The Trial Chamber does not have sufficient information to determine whether the
accused have absconded or otherwise cannot be found … or whether the Lebanese
authorities’ inability to arrest and transfer them results from the failure or
refusal of Lebanon to hand them over,” the Canadian judge said. “Moreover, the
requirements for trial in absentia have not yet been met because all reasonable
or necessary steps, respectively, have not been exhausted.”
Bellemare suggested that Lebanese security officials could be called to give
evidence in front of the Chamber.
The STL is unique among international tribunals in that its statute contains
provisions for in absentia trials of the accused, as well the assignment of
legal representation for suspects.Authorities in Beirut have failed to arrest
suspects and Hezbollah members Salim Jamil Ayyash, Mustafa Amine Badreddine,
Hussein Hassan Onessi or Assad Hassan Sabra, in spite of what security
commanders have described as “daily” searches.
In what would turn out to be one of his last reports for the court, former STL
President Antonio Cassese slammed Lebanon’s attempts at detaining the suspects
in August as “not sufficient,” ordering State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza to file
monthly progress reports detailing the ongoing manhunt.
Bellemare hinted that Lebanese authorities were not conducting a fully
comprehensive search operation.
“If the Trial Chamber deems that the Lebanese authorities have taken reasonable
steps to inform the accused of the charges brought against them, then the steps
that have to be taken to secure the appearance of the accused – that is to say,
to arrest and transfer them – should be subject to a more rigorous standard,” he
said.
“The Tribunal has no police force and exclusively relies upon the Lebanese
authorities in effecting the arrest and transfer of the accused, if in Lebanon,”
Bellemare added.
The intention of the defense counsel has not yet been made public, but it is
likely it will support Bellemare’s suggestion that in absentia trials would be
untimely at this stage.
Although the court has set no official timeframe, it is thought that trials are
set to commence in mid-2012.
Speculation continues over Hezbollah’s ability to disable Israeli drones
November 09, 2011/By Nicholas Blanford/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The recent mysterious disappearance of a suspected Israeli pilotless
reconnaissance plane from the radar screen of the French UNIFIL battalion in
south Lebanon has raised speculation that Hezbollah has found a way of
electronically jamming and disabling drones.
Information has been circulating for over a year that Hezbollah has been
exploring – and may have discovered – a means of jamming the data link between a
drone and its ground control base or interfering with the guidance system of
drones on pre-programed flight missions in order to crash them.
There is no confirmation yet that Hezbollah has acquired the ability to jam and
destroy Israeli reconnaissance drones, but there is no question that its highly
secret electronic warfare and communications capabilities have advanced
tremendously over the past decade and will play a critical role in any future
war with Israel.
The French UNIFIL battalion detected an aerial object on the afternoon of Oct.
29 as it passed over the Bint Jbeil area. The object’s radar signature indicated
that it was a reconnaissance drone, one of dozens that fly over Lebanese
airspace on a weekly basis. The French tracked the drone until it reached the
area above Wadi Hujeir, a deep forested valley system east of the villages of
Ghandourieh and Froun, when it suddenly vanished from the screen.
UNIFIL alerted the Lebanese Army and a search was conducted in the Wadi Hujeir
area but nothing was found. There is unconfirmed information that a searchlight
was seen in the valley, presumably used by someone other than UNIFIL and the
army.
There is also unconfirmed information that another Israeli drone was deployed to
Wadi Hujeir shortly afterward, possibly to look for the missing aircraft. There
has been no mention in the Israeli media of a drone having been lost over
Lebanon.
It is possible that the drone simply malfunctioned and crashed into Wadi Hujeir,
although that would not explain the absence of wreckage. There are no known
previous incidents of drones malfunctioning and crashing over Lebanon, although
some have been shot down in the past. Also it is unclear how thoroughly UNIFIL
and the Lebanese Army conducted their search. As far as UNIFIL is concerned,
once the incident has been reported, it is the responsibility of the Lebanese
Army to take the lead on any investigation and further ground searches.
Drones comprise about 70 percent of all Israeli overflights in Lebanese airspace
and unlike jets, they are difficult to spot because of their size and the high
altitude at which they usually operate. But UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army have no
difficulty in tracking the drones on radar and sometimes identifying the model.
Israel has been using drones for reconnaissance in the Lebanon theater since the
1982 invasion. In the July 2006 war Israel deployed missile-firing drones for
the first time, some of which were responsible for targeting civilian vehicles
fleeing south Lebanon and attacking two parked ambulances in Qana during a
transfer of injured individuals.
Although drones cannot carry the same amount of firepower as Israel’s fleet of
Apache and Cobra helicopter gunships, they are stealthier, have the ability to
deliver pin-point strikes and, for casualty-conscious Israel, there are no
aircrews to lose.
In August 2010, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, revealed
that in the mid-1990s the party had found a way to intercept and download the
video feed from Israeli drones. The video footage was unencrypted at the time
which allowed Hezbollah’s technicians to watch on television screens whatever
the drones had been filming. According to Nasrallah, it was this
intelligence-gathering technique that allowed Hezbollah to mount an ambush
against a team of Israeli naval commandos beside the village of Ansariyah in
September 1997, killing 12 of them. Israel began encrypting its drone video data
following the Ansariyah debacle after suspecting that Hezbollah may have found a
way to intercept it.
In the mid-1990s, Hezbollah’s electronic warfare capabilities were limited,
mainly to scanners to record garrulous Israeli soldiers chatting on their
cellphones in their frontline outposts.
Hezbollah’s electronic warfare and communications revolution took off from 2000
when it began building a military infrastructure of bunkers, tunnels and
rocket-firing platforms in south Lebanon and connecting together its various
facilities with a newly installed fiber-optic communications network.
Not only does Hezbollah have access to commercially available technology, it
also benefits from Iran’s military-grade electronic warfare capabilities.
Although much attention is paid to Hezbollah’s acquisition of new weapons
systems such as rockets and anti-aircraft assets, it is the advances in its
electronic warfare capabilities – what one Hezbollah fighter termed the “war of
brains” with Israel – that really illustrates the qualitative military leap
Hezbollah has made in the past 15 years.
Given the importance to Israel of reconnaissance drones and given Hezbollah’s
ability more than a decade and a half ago to intercept video feeds, it is only
natural that Hezbollah’s technicians would be seeking ways of electronically
disabling drones or cracking the encrypted video data.
Furthermore, Hezbollah is not alone in exploring drone interception. In December
2009, it was revealed that Kata’eb Hezbollah, an Iran-supported group in Iraq to
which Lebanese Hezbollah has ties, had hacked into live video feeds of U.S.
Predator drones operating in Iraqi airspace. U.S. soldiers had discovered
“highly technical, highly sophisticated” equipment and recordings of downloaded
video data from drones in the hands of captured Kata’eb Hezbollah personnel.
Since the Oct. 29 incident, UNIFIL has been buzzing with speculation about the
possibility that Hezbollah may have brought down the drone electronically. It
would not be the first time that UNIFIL has stumbled upon curious radar tracks.
For a period in early 2010, UNIFIL radar stations picked up mysterious rocket
launchings from the border district. The radar located the launch site, tracked
the rocket’s trajectory and marked the impact location inside Israel. Yet, there
was no further evidence rocket launches apart from the radar. At first, UNIFIL
wondered whether Hezbollah had found a way of tricking radars by transmitting
false signals to disguise real rocket launches.
Then UNIFIL thought Israeli electronic interference might be responsible but the
peacekeepers were unable to come to any firm conclusion.
Mikati to put STL funding to vote
November 09, 2011/By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati said after talks in London with British
Prime Minister David Cameron that he will put the divisive issue of funding a
U.N.-backed court to a vote in the Cabinet, a move that is likely to result in
blocking the payment of Lebanon’s share to the court by Hezbollah and its March
8 allies.
Lebanon’s commitment to U.N. resolutions, including Resolution 1757 which
established the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and the current popular upheavals
in the Arab world, including the unrest in Syria, were among topics discussed by
Mikati during his meeting with Cameron Monday night.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mikati stressed the significance of
protecting the current stability in Lebanon and the country’s respect of U.N.
resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israeli war on
Lebanon. He said that funding the STL was one of three pillars of Lebanon’s
stability.
“The issue of funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will be raised in the
Cabinet in order to take the appropriate decision,” Mikati said, according to a
statement released by his media office Tuesday.
Mikati, on his first official visit to Britain as prime minister since he formed
his Cabinet in June, said all the parties in Lebanon recognized the dangers
facing the country should it fail to pay its more than $30 million share toward
the STL’s annual budget.
“Everyone knows the situation in Lebanon. The issue of funding will be put to
discussion at a specific time in constitutional institutions,” Mikati said. “I
don’t think that any party in Lebanon does not care about stability or does not
recognize the dangers that arise from non-compliance with international
resolutions,” he added.
Asked if the STL’s funding was discussed with Cameron, Mikati said, “We
discussed international resolutions in general. Lebanon is committed to
respecting international resolutions in line with the [government’s] policy
statement.”Mikati’s remarks came apparently in response to Hezbollah leader
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah who said last month that his party is against the STL’s
funding and called for a vote within the Cabinet if no agreement was reached
among the ministers on the contentious issue.
Since Hezbollah and its March 8 allies have a majority in Mikati’s 30-man
Cabinet and can block any decision, Nasrallah’s declaration effectively dashes
any hope for the government to approve the payment of Lebanon’s share to the
STL’s funding.
Cameron said the United Kingdom supported Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability and
independence, but stressed the significance of full implementation of Resolution
1701 and Lebanon’s compliance with its commitments toward the STL.
The STL’s funding is emerging as a major point of contention within the Cabinet
and also between the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the opposition March 14
coalition. The STL has indicted four Hezbollah members in the 2005 assassination
of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and demanded their arrests. However,
Nasrallah has rejected the indictment, vowing never to turn over the four
suspects.
Mikati is coming under heavy pressure from the March 14 parties and
international powers to honor Lebanon’s commitments to U.N. resolutions,
including the STL and its funding. The U.S has warned Lebanon it could face
“serious consequences” should it fail to pay its dues to the STL.
Mikati said he discussed with Cameron the basic factors of Lebanon’s stability.
“I stressed that stability is the government’s main goal and that we are trying
to consolidate it with all strength,” he said.
Mikati dismissed reports that Lebanon was heading to instability. “Anyone who is
betting on a deterioration of the situation will be wrong in his wager because
all the Lebanese care for the security situation and stability,” he said.
Earlier Monday, Mikati told Lebanese journalists accompanying him on his visit
that Lebanon’s stability was based on three pillars: Maintaining a cease-fire in
south Lebanon and adhering to Resolution 1701; full cooperation with
international resolutions, including the STL and its funding; and the situation
in Syria.
Mikati said once the issue of paying Lebanon’s share to the STL has been
settled, the government can move ahead with tackling the other financial,
economic and social problems.
During his meeting with Cameron, Mikati said he requested British assistance to
the Lebanese Army. “I have provided the British prime minister with a list of
some of the needs of the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces … I have
also provided him with a list of civilian needs,” Mikati said.
Explaining the nature of Lebanese-Syrian relations, Mikati reiterated Lebanon’s
position “to dissociate itself from the events in Syria.”
Asked whether his visit to Britain would help break Lebanon’s isolation, Mikati
said, “No one can isolate Lebanon. The issue does not have to do with me
personally but with Lebanon. Lebanon’s prime minister is welcome in all capitals
and countries.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Youth and Sports Faisal Karami predicted that the
government will eventually reach “a consensus” to pay Lebanon’s share to the STL.
Speaking to supporters at his residence in Tripoli Tuesday, Karami slammed the
STL as a “politicized” court. “The tribunal is targeting civil peace and
exposing Lebanon to danger,” he said.
Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said if the STL’s funding is put to a vote in
Parliament, the government will collapse. He accused Mikati of counting on
“procrastination” over the STL’s funding.
“The funding issue is a routine administrative procedure that does not need a
Cabinet decision,” Zahra told the Future News television. “The issue of the
STL’s funding should not be discussed in the Cabinet because the latter does not
discuss binding duties. The talk about putting the tribunal’s funding [to a
vote] in Parliament is meaningless. The government will collapse if it [funding]
is put [to a vote].”
Activist says Hezbollah involved in abduction of Syrian
opposition in Lebanon
November 08, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah and the PKK are involved in the disappearance of members of
the Syrian opposition in Lebanon, a human rights activist told local media
outlets, adding that 12 Syrians have disappeared in the country since Sept.20.
“Hezbollah and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party have surveyed several Lebanese areas
looking for Syrian opposition members, Hezbollah has surveyed Beirut’s southern
suburbs where many cases of disappearances have been reported,” Nabil Halabi,
head of the Lebanese Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, said earlier this
weekend.
He added that citizens loyal to Hezbollah have assisted the party in abductions.
When contacted by The Daily Star, Hezbollah press office said they had not
released a statement on the report.
Halabi also accused the Tashnaq party in Lebanon of asking the PKK to blackmail
and threaten Syrian Kurds in Bourj Hammoud and Nabaa and have provided the
Syrian Embassy with information about the Syrian Kurds in these areas.
Last week, Future Movement MP Khaled Daher accused the Tashnaq party of
expelling Syrian Kurds from Bourj Hammoud, especially those who had participated
in demonstrations in front of the Syrian Embassy in Hamra.
Tashnaq MP Hagop Pakradounian denied the allegations against his party to the
daily newspaper, saying: “We have never, for a day, been agents [working] for
the Syrians or anybody else, our loyalty is to Lebanon and our patriotism is not
up for bargain.”
Halabi also said that since Sept. 20, 12 Syrian opposition members have
disappeared in Lebanon and that the kidnapping and arrest cases that his group
was monitoring was based on testimonies of relatives and friends of opposition
members.
“We have been informed that during the last three weeks, the Lebanese
authorities have arrested four Syrian opposition members, two of them were
arrested at Rafik Hariri International airport when they were on their way to
Saudi Arabia on suspicion of arms smuggling into Syria,” Halabi said.
“One of them is called Mohammad Shaker Bshalah and the second is Ammar al-Adib
who was formerly arrested by Hezbollah but later released after [the party]
interrogated him for several days.”
Halabi also said that one Syrian opposition member, who is also Kurdish, was
arrested at the airport, but added that General Security had denied the arrest.
The fourth man, Mohammad Adwan, was arrested for not having legal identification
documents allowing permission into the country.
Hundreds of Syrians, including members of the opposition, have crossed into
Lebanon seeking refuge from the unrest in their home country. Most of the
refugees do not have IDs as many have used illegal crossings.
The U.N. said Tuesday that 3,500 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in a
crackdown launched by Damascus earlier in the year to quell protests calling for
the departure of President Bashar Assad.
Syrian authorities deny targeting civilians, blaming the deaths on “armed
gangs.”
Since the uprising began, the Lebanese and Syrian armies have strengthened their
presence along the countries’ border to thwart arms smuggling into Syria, which
has also resulted in the decline of refugees entering the country.
The activist, who has previously reported kidnappings of Syrians in Lebanon,
said that such arrests and kidnappings of Syrians violated laws governing the
presence of refugees in a host country. The laws he said stipulated that Syrian
refugees in host countries could only be arrested if they violated the laws of
the country.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed in an interview Friday that opposition
figures from Syria had been kidnapped in Lebanon, but described the cases as
isolated incidents.
In an interview with BBC's Arabic service, Mikati said that the kidnappings had
occurred before he formed his Cabinet on June 13.
Last month, head of the Internal Security Forces Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi released
reports implicating the Syrian Embassy and members of the ISF of involvement in
the kidnapping of Syrian opposition members.
Sunni, Shiite religious leaders deliver message of unity
for Eid al-Adha
November 09, 2011/By Mohammed Zaatari, Antoine Amrieh/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: As Lebanon celebrated Eid al-Adha over the weekend, religious leaders
called on top officials and politicians to focus their efforts on dialogue and
promote national unity in the country. Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani led
Adha prayers at Mohammad al-Amin Mosque in Downtown Beirut Sunday.
Education Minister Hassan Diab attended on behalf of Prime Minister Najib Mikati
and Beirut MP Imad Hout was also present.
While Future Movement lawmakers boycotted Qabbani’s Eid al-Fitr prayers in late
August, Future Movement MP Ammar Houri attended Sunday on behalf of former Prime
Minister Saad Hariri and Sidon MP Fouad Siniora was also in the audience.
During the Adha sermon, Qabbani said that Lebanese should avoid using the terms
of “minority and majority,” except when referring to Parliament and Cabinet.
“We have to drop these repulsive terms from public life because they are a
source of worry … and make the other feel that he’s inferior to people … we are
all Lebanese,” Qabbani said.
He also said that Lebanese groups do not need to turn to outside powers for
protection from each other, as each group in the country guarantees the safety
of the others.
“This can only take place by closing ranks and prioritizing national interest
away from partisan or outside interests, for outside powers care only for their
interests,” he said, adding that Israel was Lebanon’s only enemy.
“We will not accept that Lebanon hold only one group of the Lebanese. Lebanon is
for all its people,” he added.
Qabani said that the country is not in need of a “new spring,” as the Lebanese
people achieved their spring when they established Lebanon and agreed that it
would be a nation for all Lebanese.
“What we need is only to uphold Lebanon as a country – now more than ever – and
for a cool summer breeze … to bring us together and lead us to abandon
disputes,” he said.
For his part, Vice President of the Higher Shiite Council Sheikh Abdel-Amir
Qabalan said during an Eid sermon that Lebanon was witnessing “difficult and
dangerous days.”
“We have to meet, agree and close ranks; we have to preserve Lebanon through
dialogue, communication, cooperation and love,” he said.
Qabalan said that the Lebanese should engage in dialogue to protect the country
from conspiracies designed to spark strife.
Speaking at the council’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday,
Qabalan also called for forming a religious astrological committee to
determineone date for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. This year, Qabbani announced
that the Eid would begin on Nov. 6, while Qabalan declared its start to be Nov.
7.
In a similar vein, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hasan voiced hope that
Lebanese leaders and politicians would sense the “pressing necessity” of using
dialogue.
In his sermon after leading prayers, he called for resolving disputes through “a
spirit of understanding” and for acting in the interest of the country.
In parallel, Hasan called for bolstering the capabilities of the Lebanese Army
and spreading the culture of resistance against Israel.
In Sidon, Sheikh Salim Susan, the mufti of Sidon and the south, led prayers at
Hajj Bahaeddine Hariri Mosque, where MP Siniora and a host of local figures
gathered.
The sheikh called on officials to promote civil peace and stability and provide
job opportunities. He also said that Sidon was waiting for a clear position from
the Cabinet in support of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s funding.
In Tripoli, Sheikh Mohammad Tarek Imam led Adha prayers in the Grand Mansouri
Mosque.
Geagea: Lebanese Security Forces Complicit with Abduction
of Syrian Opposition Members
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned on Tuesday the
kidnapping of Syrian citizens in Lebanon, whether they oppose or support the
Syrian regime.
He accused after holding talks with the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander
Zasypkin: “The Lebanese security authorities are complicit with the abductions
and they seek to lure out the Syrian opposition members in order to deport them
to Syria.”He therefore called on President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister
Najib Miqati to “immediately” intervene and halt the kidnappings “that are
taking place on a daily basis.”Furthermore, the LF leader noted that the
“kidnappers will be summoned before international tribunals, sooner or later.”
Addressing French Foreign Minister Alian Juppe’s fears that the developments in
Syria may negatively affect the situation in Lebanon, Geagea said: “The state
should assume its responsibilities and control the Lebanese-Syrian border and
treat Syrian refugees according to international standards.” The Lebanese state
is obligated to harbor the refugees, set up camps for them, and cater to their
humanitarian needs, he added. “The state is required to act like one, especially
since it hasn’t so far,” he stressed. “The government does not have the
components of a government and its majority does not believe in the state and
therefore does not work for it,” Geagea remarked. “Its first and last goal is to
serve the resistance and it should therefore resign,” he continued. For his
part, Zasypkin confirmed Russia’s support for the Arab people’s struggle for
freedom and democracy. He also stressed the need to focus on Lebanon’s stability
and security to prevent the developments in Syria from affecting it. The
ambassador also voiced his country’s “constant support for the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon.”
Syrian National Council (SNC): We need international
monitors to protect Syrian people
November 8, 2011/Basmaa al-Kadamani , a member of the Syrian National Council (SNC),
told Future News television on Tuesday that “what is needed today is for
international, and not only Arab monitors, to be sent [to Syria] as soon as
possible to protect Syrian civilians.”She added that what is also required is
for Arab countries to “freeze Syria’s membership in the Arab League and withdraw
Arab ambassadors from Syria.” According to UN estimates, more than 3,500 people
have been killed in the crackdown on Syrian protesters who have been
demonstrating against the Baath regime since mid-March.-NOW Lebanon
MP Michel
Aoun blasts US policies in Middle East
November 8, 2011
Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday slammed the policies of
the United States in the Middle East, saying that the US army “loses whenever it
steps [foot] on the ground.”He told reporters that the Americans “want to incite
war in the region,” in a reference to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s
recent statement that Washington was prepared to work with rising Islamist
groups in the Middle East. “[The US] wants to surround Iran…and today they [are
eyeing] Syria…They also want peace with Israel,” Aoun said following his bloc’s
weekly meeting. He added that “Clinton wants to [teach] us Middle Eastern
affairs more than we already understand.”“I do not know how [the Americans] talk
about human rights [and disregard] the rights of those in Palestine.”The MP also
said that Russia and China stood in the way of Western countries “that want to
meddle in Syria’s [affairs] by escalating its crisis.”Asked about Future
Movement leader MP Saad Hariri’s recent statement that he will return to Beirut
soon, Aoun said that “anything that is not proven is worthless.”
“[Hariri] can say whatever he wants.” The former premier has been out of Lebanon
for almost seven months because, according to figures within the Western-backed
March 14 coalition, there are fears for his security. In 2006, Aoun formed an
alliance with the Shia group Hezbollah and became a fierce critic of the March
14 parties and US policies in the Middle East.
-NOW Lebanon