LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 26/2011
Bible Quotation for today/Praying and Helping
James 05/13-20: " Are any among you in trouble? They should
pray. Are any among you happy? They should sing praises. Are any among you sick?
They should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil
on them in the name of the Lord. This prayer made in faith will heal the sick;
the Lord will restore them to health, and the sins they have committed will be
forgiven. So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so
that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.
Elijah was the same kind of person as we are. He prayed earnestly that there
would be no rain, and no rain fell on the land for three and a half years. Once
again he prayed, and and the sky poured out its rain and the earth produced its
crops. My friends, if any of you wander away from the truth and another one
brings you back again, remember this: whoever turns a sinner back from the wrong
way will save that sinner's soul] from death and bring about the forgiveness of
many sins
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Four triggers for CIA spy scares in Iran, Hizballah/DEBKAfile Exclusive
Analysis/November 25/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November
25/11
Sahel Alma's Syrian army ex officer killer tried to ‘mislead’ investigators
STL Spokesman: International Sanctions on Lebanon Not Part of Our Mandate
Iran's
Khamenei presents war scenarios
Israel ready for war with Hezbollah as if it will happen in a week: Israeli
official
Mexico rejects allegations Hezbollah operating in country
U.N. deputy secretary-general: Attacks against peacekeepers will not intimidate
UNIFIL
Berri Seeks Withdrawing STL from Cabinet Agenda on November 30
Rebel Army Chief Accuses Hizbullah of Sending 'Mercenaries' to Syria
March 14 Preparing for Plan to Tackle Hizbullah after Demise of Syrian Regime
Lebanon PM threatens to resign over Hariri probe
Miqati Hints He May Quit: Mustaqbal Rally May Not Be Innocent
Report: March 8 Says Miqati’s Performance Serving Opposition
Mustaqbal Gears up for Tripoli Rally on ‘Fall of Arms and Spring of
Independence’
Change and Reform Bloc Ministers Criticize Cabinet Performance, Threaten to
Resign
Lebanese Forces bloc MP Joseph Maalouf : Mikati’s resignation talk “not
surprising,
Jumblat Slams Lebanese ‘Bazaar’ and ‘Absurdities’ of Politics
Sadr’s vision ‘can shed light’ on current events
Hezbollah, Amal urge govt. to counter espionage by CIA
Tashnaq’s position on STL funding “not final,” says minister
Change
and Reform bloc Minister Fadi Abboud says Change and Reform bloc ministers might
resign
State
Minister Marwan Kheireddine says STL funding agreement “probable”
Turkey Says New Arab Ultimatum is 'Last Chance' for Syria
Russia Sets Presidential Poll for March 4
White
House asks for speedy transfer of power in Egypt
Seven
military pilots killed in attack, says Syrian opposition
Rebel
army calls for air strikes on Syrian targets
Pressure grows on Syria but world powers divided
Turkey says ready to act with Arab League to stop Syria violence
Thousands of Egyptians flock to Tahrir Square for largest anti-military protest
Avi Issacharoff / Egypt's military council and Muslim Brotherhood hijacked the
revolution
Sarkozy: My remarks about Netanyahu 'taken out of context'
Sahel Alma killer tried to ‘mislead’ investigators
November 25, 2011/By Van Meguerditchian/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A Syrian man accused of killing 28-year-old Mariam al-Ashkar in a
monastery in the area of Kesrouan earlier this week initially refused to admit
to the crime and attempted to mislead investigators, a security source told The
Daily Star Thursday. The man is also suspected of having been a member in a
Syrian intelligence unit in Lebanon who had quit his post several years ago, the
source added.
The body of Ashkar was found covered in blood Tuesday on the outskirts of Our
Lady of the Annunciation monastery in Sahel Alma.
According to the source, the former Syrian intelligence officer, Fathi Jabr al-Salateen
was working as a janitor at the monastery. “When he was first brought in for
questioning, Salateen denied to the Internal Security Forces that he was
involved,” said the source. Ashkar was a frequent visitor to the monastery and
according to her parents and fiance, she was there to pray when she was brutally
attacked and murdered. When investigators found pants covered with blood stains
at the janitor’s apartment, the source said that Salateen refused to admit the
blood belonged to the victim.
“He first told investigators that the blood was the blood of a goat ... an
account that the investigators found difficult to believe,” the source
explained.
Following a DNA test of two blood samples collected at the crime scene, the
victim’s blood and the blood stains on the janitor’s pants matched. According to
the source, Salateen admitted to the police that he stalked Ashkar frequently at
the monastery. Ashkar, whose body was recovered after a day-long search and
rescue operation by the army and ISF, was stabbed at least eight times in her
chest and suffered other injuries “But the latest medical tests indicated that
Salateen did not rape Ashkar,” the source added. Salateen moved to Sahel Alma
and accepted a job at the monastery for a monthly salary of $600. He is
originally from Hama, Syria.In retelling the murder, Salateen told investigators
that he first grabbed Ashkar on the chapel’s old stone staircase and then forced
her into his room.
He described to the ISF how, after he brutally killed her, he attempted to get
rid of the body. “Salateen said he wrapped the victim in a burlap bag, carried
her on his donkey to the woods surrounding the monastery and tried to dump her
down a steep valley,” said the source. “Ashkar’s body failed to reach the valley
and got stuck in a tree ... and a Lebanese Army helicopter managed to find and
recover the body from the tree,” the source added. Though aware of informal
security reports, the victim’s brother, Tony Ashkar told The Daily Star that his
family is waiting for the official report.
“I call on the judiciary to speed up the investigations on the crime that took
my sister’s life because this is a homicide that could have targeted any
household anywhere in Lebanon,” said Tony.
According to Tony, all Lebanese will remain vulnerable to such criminal acts
unless the judiciary moves swiftly to punish all perpetrators. “The judiciary
should give the criminal a sentence that would make an example of him to
others,” he said. Tony also called on the media to play a positive role in
pressuring the judiciary to speed up investigations. The security source said
that the ISF might investigate the reasons behind the presence over several
years of Salateen, a former member of the Syrian intelligence, just 2 kilometers
from the headquarters of the Maronite Church in Bkirki.
Iran's Khamenei presents war scenarios
In an unusual step, Iran's spiritual leader publishes commentary on official
website outlining three scenarios for strike against Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth reports Israel has taken in shipment of Patriot
missiles Dudi Cohen Published: 11.25.11, 12:02 / Israel News
In an unusual step that comes on the heels of Iran's threats and warnings to the
US and Israel over the consequences of a possible strike on its nuclear
facilities, the official website of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei published an analysis written by Dr. Amir Mohebian, a senior political
commentator.
The article details three possible war scenarios Iran could be faced with if
Israel or the US proceed with a strike:
1. An all out war of attrition that would combine aerial and ground forces
attack.
2. Limited war as a preparatory action for political proceedings. This would
include hitting Iran’s control centers for the purpose of disrupting the
stability of the Islamic regime. The best case scenario here would be that war
leads to the regime's fall; the worst case would see Iran surrendering at the
negotiating table.
3. A war on specific targets with the aim of destroying the regime's assault
capabilities, especially against the "Zionist regime."The Iranian commentator
goes on to assess the possibility of likelihood of each scenario. He believes
the feasibility of the first option is due, among other things to the fact that
"the western countries' capabilities to carry out such a complex operation are
very limited and nearly nonexistent." Mohebian also mentioned the upcoming US
presidential elections and the fact that the west doesn't have sufficient
intelligence on Iran. In light of these problems Mohebian believes that the
chances of an all out war against Iran are close to nothing. He goes on to point
out the main problems of the second and third scenarios: The Iranian regime is
prepared for an attack on its centers of power, the Iranian response to such an
attack could be unexpected, the attack could turn the regime to an even more
extreme path and encourage it to set the Middle East on fire, which would
endanger the western world. Mohebian claims that even the third and most likely
scenario has a relatively small likelihood of happening. He notes that the
scenario's execution would be complicated. It would be impossible to attack all
of the country's nuclear facilities due to its size; a limited war could develop
into a regional war.
Patriot protection For example, an attack on Bushehr could lead to harsh
ecological consequences for the region. Attacking only certain nuclear sites
would not lead to a complete shutdown of Iran's technological nuclear
capabilities. Meanwhile, it would seem that Israel is also preparing for every
possible scenario. Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday revealed that "a friendly country"
has in the past few weeks secretly sent Israel anti-aircraft Patriot missile
batteries that also serve as a missile defense system. The new battery arrived
at the Ashdod Port, the first Patriot missile battery to arrive in Israel in
eight years. Nevertheless, the IDF claims there is no connection between the
current shipment and recent talk of the possibility of a strike against Iran's
nuclear sites.
Hezbollah, Amal urge govt. to counter espionage by CIA
November 25, 2011/The Daily Star
Hezbollah and Amal Movement officials meet in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, Friday
Nov. 25, 2011.
BEIRUT: Hezbollah and the Amal Movement slammed Washington Friday for allegedly
spying on the resistance group in Lebanon and urged authorities to counter
espionage by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A joint statement at the end
of a meeting between local Hezbollah and Amal officials in Nabatieh, south
Lebanon, condemned the “flagrant assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty by U.S.
intelligence.”It said spying by the CIA in Lebanon was no “less dangerous” than
Israeli intelligence work and that the two were “complementary.”The statement
called on the Lebanese government to take the “necessary legal and security
measures” and task Lebanese security services to counter the alleged CIA
network.Earlier this week, the Associated Press – citing current and former U.S.
officials – said the CIA’s operations in Lebanon had been badly damaged after
Hezbollah identified and captured a number of U.S. spies.In recent months, CIA
officials have secretly been scrambling to protect their remaining spies –
foreign assets or agents working for the agency – before Hezbollah can find
them, the AP said. The Cabinet discussed Wednesday reports that the CIA had
operatives working for the agency in Lebanon. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura
Connelly met with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour before Cabinet meeting amid
reports that she had been summoned in connection with the alleged CIA spying
network in Lebanon. Connelly did not speak to reporters after the meeting.
Information Minister Walid Daouk denied that Connelly had been summoned at the
Foreign Ministry over this issue. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told The Daily
Star Connelly’s meeting with Mansour had been prescheduled, adding that the CIA
issue was not addressed during the discussions. Earlier Wednesday, Hezbollah
claimed victory in what it described as its “intelligence war” with the CIA.
"Lebanese intelligence vanquished U.S. and Israeli intelligence in what is now
known as the intelligence war," Hezbollah MP Hasan Fadlallah. "The resistance
blinded American intelligence eyes," he added
Israel ready for war with Hezbollah as if it will happen in
a week: Israeli official
November 24, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Israel is elevating its state of readiness on its northern front in
light of reports that events in Syria will have major repercussions on the
Jewish State, Thursday’s Al-Hayat reported.
“The inactivity of Hezbollah at the military level at this time does not mean
the situation will remain like this. From our side, we will always be at the
utmost state of readiness as if war might break out next week,” Israel’s Home
Front Defense Minister Matan Vilnai was quoted as saying while inspecting the
northern Israeli district of Kiryat Shmona for its level of preparedness.
“Hezbollah realized that Israel is able to confront it in a strong way which
makes [the party] cautious against any move toward Israel,” Vilnai also said.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, in recent televised speech, warned that
any attack against allies Syria or Iran would engulf the entire region, hinting
at the possibility of opening Lebanon’s southern front against the Jewish state.
Nasrallah has repeatedly stated it is well equipped and ready for any possible
future war with Israel.
Syria has been under international and Arab pressure to implement reforms and
halt its violent crackdown against anti-government protesters. The U.N. has
estimated that around 3,500 people have died as a result of the crackdown.
Damascus blames the violence on "armed gangs" and has warned the international
community not to intervene in its internal affairs.
According to the pan-Arab newspaper, Vilnai, a former Israeli Army major
general, also said that defense and security services were equipping the
northern region against Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah has become a dangerous organization and should not be ignored and we
[should not] overlook the truth that it is strengthening its missile arsenal,”
the Israeli minister said, adding that the party was developing a military
system with modern missiles and enhancing its military capabilities. As part of
preparations, some northern towns in Israel will take part in drills aimed at
preparing residents the area for possible heavy missile shelling using both
conventional and non-conventional arsenals, the paper reported. Other mock
exercises, scheduled next Wednesday and Thursday, will test the readiness of
hospitals in the north in the event the population was exposed to a lethal
virus. In his speech on Nov. 11, Nasrallah ruled out the possibility of an
Israeli attack against Lebanon saying: “It is unlikely that Israel would wage
war against Lebanon ... Lebanon is in a position where it can turn the tables on
those who attack them.” Since the end of the July-August 2006 war between
Lebanon and Israel, the Jewish state has warned against underestimating
Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
Mexico rejects allegations Hezbollah operating in country
November 24, 2011 /Daily Star/MEXICO CITY: Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa on
Wednesday rejected accusations by several US Republican presidential hopefuls
that radical Islamic groups were operating in Mexico. Several candidates warned
of the threat to the United States of militants from Hezbollah and Hamas from
within Mexico, in a televised debate Tuesday.
"There's no foundation to support these kind of declarations. We're very
surprised to see this kind of debate where such statements are made without
anything to back them up," Espinosa told journalists in Mexico City. During the
debate, Texas Governor Rick Perry said: "We know that Hamas and Hezbollah are
working in Mexico, as well as Iran," while former Massachusetts governor Mitt
Romney said Hezbollah was working "throughout Latin America, in Venezuela, in
Mexico ... which poses a very significant and imminent threat.""With a lot of
respect and in a friendly manner we ask ... that there be more care with these
type of statements," Espinosa said Wednesday.Relations between Mexico and its
northern neighbor, particularly border security, have often emerged in the
Republican debate ahead of party primaries for the 2012 presidential elections,
beginning early next year.Romney and former House speaker Newt Gingrich are
currently leading opinion polls.
Four triggers for CIA spy scares in Iran, Hizballah
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis
November 25, 2011
First, Hizballah reported the unmasking of a CIA network in Lebanon. Then,
Wednesday, Nov. 23, an Iranian lawmaker Parviz Sorouri, a member of the Iranian
parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, claimed the capture of 12
CIA spies targeting Iran's military and its nuclear program with the Mossad and
regional agencies. Beirut and Tehran had clearly joined forces, debkafile's
intelligence sources report, to prove they were on top of their security and had
smashed dangerous US intelligence networks operating inside their armed forces.
Iran and Hizballah were driven into action by four pressing circumstances:
1. Tehran needed urgently to erase the bad impression left by the explosion
which wiped out Iran's entire missile command, including Maj. Gen. Hassan
Moghaddam, at the secret Revolutionary Guards base in Aghadir near Tehran on
Oct. 12.
Despite the supreme effort the authorities made to persuade the public that the
calamity was caused by a technical malfunction, it brought back memories of
former assassinations of top Iranian nuclear scientists, for which Tehran blamed
the CIA and the Mossad.
2. The growing inability of Iran's leading ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad,
to put down the uprising against his rule is in itself a sorry reflection on
Tehran's choice of allies, especially this week when the anti-regime Free Syrian
Army raised its head and struck strategic targets in Syria and outside the
country, singling out Lebanon.
Furthermore, debkafile's intelligence and military sources report, the
unexplained explosion at the illegal Hizballah arms dump in the southern
Lebanese town of Siddiqin Wednesday, Nov. 23 was the work of the Syrian rebels'
military arm, the FSA. It struck a target representing Assad's ally which is
moreover Tehran's Lebanese surrogate.
Graffiti left at the scene of the blast said it was revenge for Hizballah's aide
to the Assad regime's crackdown in Syrian cities and promised more.
The Siddiqin explosion was a shock to high authority in Tehran, Damascus and
Beirut.
The Iranian Supreme Ruler's military adviser, Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, had
earlier warned that if Iran were attacked, it would not need to launch ballistic
missiles at Israel "because all the Zionist cities are within the range of our
ally Hizballah's Katyushas."The weapons store explosion at Siddiqin has placed a
large question mark over that threat. Tehran will have to take into account that
the Syrian rebels can identify Hizballah's rocket hideouts and launching pads,
in which Iran has invested huge sums, and may sabotage them before they can go
into action.
Since the destroyed arms depot was lodged in a well-protected Hizballah
stronghold, officials in Beirut and Tehran must assume that the saboteurs, who
slipped in an out of the site undetected, had local aid.
3. Both Iran and Hizballah are gearing up for war. Under cover of a military
exercise, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their Basij militia units last
week began organizing in battle array in the various theaters assigned them in
the country.Hizballah's leader Hassan Nasrallah has been inspecting Hizballah
units. In his briefings to their commanders and men, he is warning them that war
with Israel, and perhaps other Western armed forces too, is very near and they
must be ready. The difference between victory and defeat, he is saying, may
hinge on their ability to detect double agents working in their midst for the
Americans and Israelis. Even willingness for sacrifice and superior weaponry are
no match for the peril posed from within by these spies.
This was Nasrallah's first implicit admission of the inability of his and Iran's
security arms to root out US and Israeli penetrations of their forces, and their
need to turn to ordinary soldiers for help.
4. The alleged spy affairs Iran and Lebanon exposed this week are part of their
response to US and Western pressure of the past fortnight to halt Iran's nuclear
progress. They are also payback for Washington's allegation of an Iranian-led
conspiracy to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US.
U.N. deputy secretary-general: Attacks against peacekeepers will not intimidate
UNIFIL
November 25, 2011/By Mohammed Zaatari/The Daily Star
NAQOURA, Lebanon: Visiting U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said
attacks against peacekeepers will not intimidate them or prevent them from
carrying out their mission.
“Attacks on U.N. peacekeepers will not prevent them from carrying the white
flag,” she said during a visit to south Lebanon. The Tanzania-born Migiro, who
inspected the work of peacekeepers in south Lebanon at the headquarters of the
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in the border coastal town of Naqoura,
said the role of U.N. troops in south Lebanon was to help broker a permanent
cease-fire and a long-term solution to the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.
“If we want to build a culture of peace we ought to bolster understanding and
mutual respect,” she said. Migiro hailed the partnership between the
peacekeeping troops and the Lebanese Army. “Our partnership with Lebanon is an
excellent one and let’s vow to exert all efforts to preserve peace and progress
in this country,” said Migiro, who visited the Tanzanian contingent operating as
part of UNIFIL. Migiro also paid a visit to a UNIFIL-funded school project in
the Naqoura region, where she listened to the feedback of teachers and
students.During a reception in the southern coastal city of Tyre in honor of the
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General, UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta Cuevas
saluted the Lebanese Army, saying it played a key role in marinating peace and
stability in south Lebanon.“Cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese role
played a pivotal role in the implementation of Resolution 1701,” said Asarta, in
reference to a Security Council resolution, which put an end to the 2006 summer
war with Israel.Migiro, who arrived in Lebanon Wednesday as part of a four-day
visit, is expected to meet Lebanese leaders including President Michel Sleiman,
Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. During her stay, Migiro
will also head the 16th meeting of the U.N.’s Regional Coordination Mechanism
and meet chiefs and staff of U.N. agencies in Lebanon.
STL Spokesman: International Sanctions on Lebanon Not Part of Our Mandate
Naharnet /Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on
Friday that STL president Judge Sir David Baragwanath didn’t tackle the
possibility of imposing international sanctions on Lebanon if the funding wasn’t
approved by the cabinet. “The aim behind the STL president’s visit is to inquire
about the stance of the Lebanese authorities and the cabinet towards the
tribunal,” Youssef told al-Joumhouria newspaper. He ruled out that the visit was
aimed at warning the Lebanese officials from the possibility of referring the
issue to the United Nations Security Council if Lebanon didn’t meet its dues.
“The international sanctions are not part of the STL functions… Only the
Security Council can decide on such issues,” Youssef stated.
He hailed the Lebanese authorities’ cooperation with the STL, criticizing the
deep rift between the cabinet members on the funding of the tribunal. The STL
has created controversy in Lebanon, as Hizbullah and its allies that dominate
the cabinet refuse to pay Lebanon’s share, while the March 14-led opposition
insists on the government to meet the country’s international obligations.
Baragwanath arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday and met with President Michel
Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Justice
Minister Shakib Qortbawi and other senior officials.Lebanon has to pay its share
of about $33 million for the tribunal which has charged four Hizbullah members
in the February 14, 2005 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21
others.
Rebel Army Chief Accuses Hizbullah of Sending 'Mercenaries' to Syria
Naharnet /Free Syrian Army chief Riad al-Asaad on Thursday claimed President
Bashar al-Assad’s regime was now counting on "mercenaries" sent by Lebanon's
Hizbullah and Iraq's anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr.In a telephone
interview with Agence France Presse, Asaad also called for foreign air strikes
on "strategic targets" in Syria to speed up the fall of the regime.
Hizbullah has repeatedly denied reports accusing the party of involvement in
Syria’s unrest. “Hizbullah has already released several statements denying the
accusations launched by some Syrian dissidents and some other parties about
Hizbullah’s involvement in the events taking place in Syria, and its statements
had always stressed its keenness on Syria and its leadership, people and
institutions and its wishes as to reaching solutions that meet the aspirations
of all Syrians regarding reform and stability,” the party said in a statement in
August. “Hizbullah’s response to the claims circulated by these dissidents stems
from its keenness on clarifying the picture and preventing the Arab and
international public opinion from being misled by some individuals who are
seeking to gain the support of the international conspiracy against the forces
of resistance and defiance in the region in order to achieve their own,
narrow-minded goals at the expense of the Syrian people’s blood,” the party
added.
Source Agence France Presse
Mustaqbal Gears up for Tripoli Rally on ‘Fall of Arms and Spring of
Independence’
Naharnet /The Mustaqbal movement is gearing up for a mass rally it is planning
to hold in the northern city of Tripoli on Sunday on the occasion of
Independence Day.An Nahar daily said that MPs Mohammed Kabbara, Samir al-Jisr,
Marwan Hamadeh and Butros Harb will address the crowds. Al-Mustaqbal
parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora will deliver the speech of former
Premier Saad Hariri, it added. But As Safir newspaper said that Hariri will make
a statement from the French capital via video link. According to the newspaper,
the Saudi leadership has asked him not to make escalatory stances against
Premier Najib Miqati and the Syrian regime. The rally that will be held under
the slogan of ‘The Fall of Arms and the Spring of Independence’ at Miqati’s
hometown is aimed at sending a message to the premier that the Mustaqbal
movement has mass supporters in Tripoli and the North. The movement is relying
on its members in the northern district of Akkar to attend the rally in huge
numbers at the Rashid Karami International Fair Complex. More supporters are
expected to gather outside the complex to watch the coverage of the event on
giant screens.
March 14 Preparing for Plan to Tackle Hizbullah after Demise of Syrian Regime
Naharnet /The March 14 forces are preparing a document to tackle Hizbullah’s
presence in Lebanon after the fall of the Syrian regime, reported Akhbar al-Yawm
news agency on Thursday.
March 14 sources told the news agency that the forces are preparing for a
Hizbullah that has laid down its arms, adding that their line of action will
become clearer after Sunday’s Mustaqbal movement rally in Tripoli.Among the
ideas being addressed is punishing the party for its transgressions, while
others have proposed that all sides let go of the past and start a new chapter
of relations with the group. The sources noted that some sides believe that
Hizbullah will transform into a terrorist organization, based on the
international law’s definition of such groups and not Lebanon’s views, in light
of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s accusation of four party members of being
involved in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Therefore, one of the upcoming dilemmas Lebanon may have to face is the
existence of a Lebanese government that includes members of a terrorist
organization among its ranks, continued the sources. The March 14 camp is
seeking to study these issues, among others, within a document in an effort to
reach answers to all pending issues, said the sources.
Berri Seeks Withdrawing STL from Cabinet Agenda on November
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri is seeking consensus on the funding of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon through contacts with President Michel Suleiman and Prime
Minister Najib Miqati in coordination with the March 8 leadership, As Safir
newspaper reported on Friday. The report said that Berri’s ongoing contacts with
Suleiman and Miqati is to convince them to withdraw the issue of the STL from
the cabinet discussions, for the time being. He is seeking information over the
necessity of paying Lebanon’s dues at this stage, knowing that the matter is
critical as it may politically disturb the cabinet and have repercussions on the
political scene amid the developments in the region.However, the newspaper said
that Miqati refused to withdraw the issue from the scheduled session on November
30.
For his part, Suleiman informed Berri that he also opposes withdrawing the issue
from the agenda. “Personally, I am with the funding of the Tribunal,” Suleiman
said. The international community has continuously hinted that it would impose
sanction on Lebanon if the cabinet failed to approve the funding of the
tribunal. Lebanon is responsible for meeting 49 percent of the costs of the STL,
around $33 million, which has charged four Hizbullah members in the February 14,
2005 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others.
Miqati Hints He May Quit: Mustaqbal Rally May Not Be Innocent
Naharnet /Prime Minister Najib Miqati hinted Thursday that he might step down if
his government failed to pay its 49 percent annual share of funds to the
U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is probing the 2005
assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. “I will take a (proper) stance
should the government fail to finance the STL but I hope things will not reach
the extent of submitting my resignation,” Miqati said in an interview on LBC
television. “STL President David Baragwanath told me that we should pay the STL
funds in December at the latest,” the PM said.
“Lebanon is committed to the international resolutions and I have committed
myself to secure the funding in a constitutional manner and I have informed the
parties concerned of that, including Speaker (Nabih) Berri,” Miqati noted.
Clarifying his stance on the U.N.-backed tribunal, Miqati added: “Is it
conceivable that a prime minister would disregard any process aimed at
fulfilling justice and unveiling the truth about the assassination of a former
premier? Of course not. I urged all the ministers yesterday to shoulder their
responsibilities.”Listing the possible benefits from paying Lebanon’s share of
funds to the STL, Miqati said: “Should Lebanon finance the STL, it would be
honoring its obligations and preserving its image before the international
community as well as its exclusive (maritime) economic zone.”
“We would be opening the doors for cooperation with the Western nations and we
would be committing to justice, which is the most important thing. We would have
stability and we would be protecting the Resistance, because the Resistance
would be strong if Lebanon is strong and vice versa,” the premier went on to
say. As to Hizbullah’s stance on the issue, Miqati said he was not expecting
Hizbullah to voice its support for the funding of the tribunal. “But I’m
expecting the ministers to show the required patriotism,” he added.
“I won’t accept, during my term of office, that Lebanon be a pariah in the
international community or that it disavow its obligations. When the issue
becomes to fund or not to fund, at that point Lebanon should be protected and I
advise the ministers and the political blocs to tackle the issue in a serious
manner,” Miqati urged his partners in the government. “Let them consider funding
as an insurance policy to protect Lebanon from the approaching winds,” he said.
Asked about the rally that will be held Sunday in the northern city of Tripoli
by the Mustaqbal Movement under the banner of Independence Day, Miqati, a
Tripoli native himself, said “everyone is welcome in Tripoli, which is for
everyone and tolerates everyone.” As the premier stressed that his political
rivals had the right to organize a popular rally in Tripoli, he warned that the
event might have malicious objectives, charging that the Mustaqbal Movement’s
“philosophy” was based on rejecting the other.
“I respect all opinions, but my position is clear and no one can question my
patriotism. I’m not betraying my country or sect and the Sunni sect is one of
Lebanon’s pillars and it is the only guarantee for this country,” Miqati
added.On whether the rally would become an occasion to demand his ouster, Miqati
said: “My conscience is clear and what I’m doing serves Lebanon’s interest and
I’m convinced with it. I would only resign if Lebanon’s interest required that.”
Asked about his future electoral alliances in Tripoli light of the current
rivalry with the Mustaqbal Movement, with which he had allied in the 2009
parliamentary elections, Miqati said: “It is too early to talk about that and
enough with using Tripoli as a mailbox and I don’t accept that Tripoli be an
arena for any conflict. I will fight for Tripoli till the end but I will not
fight in Tripoli, because it should remain neutral.” On the issue of Lebanon’s
recent vote at the Arab League concerning the Syrian crisis, which has stirred
controversy in the country after Lebanon voted against a resolution to suspend
Syria, Miqati said: “There are certain standards that must be taken into
consideration concerning our vote at the Arab League. We cannot engage in an
adventure.”
“Lebanon’s policy is based on disassociating itself from everything happening in
Syria. Lebanon is against isolating any Arab state and our vote was aimed at
rejecting the suspension of Syria’s membership in the Arab League, but we
support anything related to halting the bloodshed,” he explained.
Report: March 8 Says Miqati’s Performance Serving Opposition
Naharnet/The March 8-led cabinet criticized the performance of Prime Minister
Najib Miqati concerning certain issues saying it benefits the March 14
opposition movement, An Nahar newspaper reported on Friday. Sources in the March
8 leadership told the daily that the majority is holding onto Miqati and trying
to safeguard him from the opposition campaigns against him. However, the sources
said that the coalition rejects some policies adopted by the PM because at the
end they will only benefit the March 14-led opposition. “Miqati isn’t carrying
out the role that Lebanon should be playing at the Arab League meeting,” the
sources noted. They added that Miqati refuses to “tackle the issue of false
witnesses, the criticism by the cabinet members of a number of officers in the
Internal Security Forces, and the campaign against the army.” Former Free
Patriotic Movement minister Mario Aoun told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that
his party isn’t satisfied with the performance of the cabinet; however, he said
the FPM “will not agree on transforming it into a caretaking cabinet.”
Change and Reform Bloc Ministers Criticize Cabinet Performance, Threaten to
Resign
Naharnet /Change and Reform bloc ministers, loyal to Free Patriotic Movement
leader MP Michel Aoun, are threatening to resign from the cabinet over the
alleged bad performance of the government. “The FPM considers that the approach
of the cabinet regarding a number of issues is close to the performance of the
previous government led by (ex-PM Saad) Hariri,” sources close to MP Michel Aoun
told As Safir on Friday. The sources said that a number of critical issues
remain unsolved by the cabinet. “Nothing has changed, and this is unacceptable.”
The Change and Reform bloc sources told the daily that the ministers are
considering their resignation because Prime Minister Najib Miqati isn’t
responding to “ministerial demands” by the FPM on the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon.”However, MP Ziad al-Aswad, loyal to Aoun, said that the FPM ministers
haven’t yet decided on whether to withdraw from the cabinet or not. He
reiterated to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that the FPM is against the funding
of the STL. Lebanon has to pay its share of about $33 million for the tribunal
which has charged four Hizbullah members in the February 14, 2005 assassination
of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others.
Jumblat Slams Lebanese ‘Bazaar’ and ‘Absurdities’ of Politics
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has described the
situation in Lebanon and the crisis on the funding of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon as an “open bazaar over strange things.”
When asked by As Safir daily to comment about the situation, Jumblat, who is
currently in Brussels, said he prefers to stay away from Lebanese politics and
its “absurdities.”“I don’t want to disturb my visit (to Belgium) which I carried
out to participate in a ceremony” in honor of European socialist Poul Rasmussen,
“who has contributed to the support for the international tribunal and backed us
when we were in the March 14” forces, the PSP chief said. Jumblat did not make
any comment about reports that the ministers representing him in the cabinet
would resign if the government failed to fund the STL.
Asked by al-Liwaa newspaper about the issue, an informed political source said
that Jumblat along with Premier Najib Miqati have worked hard to make the
government function.
“But there are always people who put sticks in its wheels,” the source told al-Liwaa.
“If Lebanon doesn’t fund the international tribunal and rejects to abide by
international resolutions, it would be put in a confrontation with the
international community,” the source said. “That’s why Jumblat is seeking to
cooperate with the (Lebanese) officials to stir the country away from trouble.”
President Michel Suleiman, Miqati and Jumblat have backed the funding to prevent
Lebanon from clashing with the international community which has been pressuring
the government to meet 49 percent of the costs of the STL, around $33 million.
But Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement have rejected to pay Lebanon’s
shares to the tribunal which has charged four Hizbullah members in the February
14, 2005 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others.
Turkey Says New Arab Ultimatum is 'Last Chance' for Syria
Naharnet /A new Arab League ultimatum which gives Syria until later Friday to
agree to accept observers or face sanctions represents a last chance for the
regime in Damascus, Turkey's foreign minister said.
"It is a last chance, a new chance for Syria," Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in
Istanbul in the final hours before the 11:00 GMT deadline. "We think it is now
vital to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people," said Davutoglu at a
joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. Turkey's
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jordan's King Abdullah have both called
on their neighboring leader Assad to quit over a crackdown on protesters which
the United Nations says has left more than 3,500 people dead. The Arab ultimatum
was issued Thursday at the end of a crisis meeting of foreign ministers in
Cairo, during which the 22-member bloc also for the first time called on the
United Nations to help resolve the crisis. *Source Agence France Presse
State Minister Marwan Kheireddine says STL funding agreement “probable”
November 25, 2011 /State Minister Marwan Kheireddine on Friday said that there
is still a “big possibility” an agreement will be reached before Wednesday’s
cabinet session regarding the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
“There is still a likelihood of reaching an agreement before Wednesday,” the
minister—who represents MP Talal Arslan’s Lebanese Democratic Party—told New TV.
“Anything is possible, and we hope all parties would think of the country’s
interests and not just their [personal aims],” he added. Kheireddine also said
that he still hopes Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government would not collapse
over the STL funding dispute. “There should not be a [governmental] vacuum in
the country.”Mikati’s government is dominated by Hezbollah and its allies, which
are insisting that the country cease all cooperation with the Netherlands-based
court, set up in the wake of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s 2005 murder.
On Thursday, Mikati hinted that he will resign if the cabinet fails to provide
its funding share. The STL has charged four Hezbollah operatives in connection
with the assassination. Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual
funding.-NOW Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc Minister Fadi Abboud says Change and Reform bloc
ministers might resign
November 25, 2011 /Change and Reform bloc Minister Fadi Abboud said on Friday
that the resignation of his bloc’s ministers is “possible.”Abboud also told LBC
television that the bloc ministers are “more frustrated” in Najib Mikati’s
cabinet than they were in Saad Hariri’s.The Change and Reform bloc, which is
headed by MP Michel Aoun and allied to the Shia group Hezbollah, has repeatedly
rejected that the government provides Lebanon’s share of Special Tribunal for
Lebanon funding. Meanwhile, Mikati has voiced his support for the tribunal and
on Thursday hinted that he might resign if his government fails to fund it.
Mikati’s government is dominated by Hezbollah and its allies, which are
insisting that the country cease all cooperation with the Netherlands-based
court, set up in the wake of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s 2005 murder. The STL has
charged four Hezbollah operatives in connection with the assassination. Lebanon
contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual funding. -NOW Lebanon
Lebanese Forces bloc MP Joseph Maalouf : Mikati’s
resignation talk “not surprising,
November 25, 2011 /Lebanese Forces bloc MP Joseph Maalouf on Friday said that
Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s intimation that he will step down if his
government does not provide the annual share of funding to the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon “was not surprising.”“This was not a surprise [for us], because from
the beginning, we were expecting that [Mikati’s tenure] would end when [his
cabinet] has to deal with serious matters,” Maalouf told the Voice of Lebanon
(100.5) radio station.The MP also criticized Mikati’s government, and said that
it is “a void” cabinet. Mikati’s government is dominated by Hezbollah and its
allies, which are insisting that the country cease all cooperation with the
Netherlands-based court, set up in the wake of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s 2005
murder. The STL has charged four Hezbollah operatives in connection with the
assassination.Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual funding. -NOW
Lebanon
Tashnaq’s position on STL funding “not final,” says minister
November 25, 2011 /Minister of State Panos Manajian on Friday said that his
Tashnaq Party does not yet have a “final position” regarding the funding of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
“Our position [on whether to vote for or against the funding] is still not
final… and all options are possible,” Manajian told LBC television. He added
that “although our party is independent, it also takes part in the Change and
Reform bloc,” which is against providing Lebanon’s share of funding to the STL.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government is dominated by Hezbollah and its
allies, which are insisting that the country cease all cooperation with the
Netherlands-based court, set up in the wake of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s 2005
murder. The STL has charged four Hezbollah operatives in connection with the
assassination.Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual funding. -NOW
Lebanon
White House asks for speedy transfer of power in Egypt
November 25, 2011 /The transfer of power to a civilian government in Egypt must
be "just and inclusive" and take place "as soon as possible," the White House
said Friday."Most importantly, we believe that the full transfer of power to a
civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds
to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible,"
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. The remarks came as
a private Egyptian television channels reported that the ruling military council
had tasked former prime minister Kamal al-Ganzuri with forming a new cabinet.
Ganzuri headed the government from 1996 to 1999 under ousted Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak. Egypt's ruling military council Tuesday accepted the resignation
of caretaker premier Essam Sharaf's cabinet, amid spiraling unrest, and invited
the country's political forces for crisis talks on the formation of a "national
salvation" government.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
The marriage exception
Amtissal Aboulissan/Now Lebanon
November 25, 2011
This ad is part of KAFA’s campaign against marital rape, and it is working with
the government on a draft law to outlaw the practice. (Image courtesy of Media
Campaign for the Coalition for the Legislation of Protection of Women from
Family Violence)
Sawsan first met her husband in college. They dated for several months and
eventually went their separate ways. Five years later, however, he reentered her
life. Sawsan, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, decided to
give him a second chance. “He appeared different; he had a good job, he seemed
to be doing well.”
Sawsan, who is now 52 years old, explained that the abuse started before they
even got engaged. “It always starts out that way. At first it was verbal, then
eventually it led to physical [abuse].” Sawsan said that after they got married,
the rape started. “I could never say no to him… I’ve lived this way for 25
years, I have no other choice.”
Sawsan is not alone. For many Lebanese women whose husbands force sex upon them,
options are limited.
Women are not protected under Lebanese law because marital rape is not a
recognized crime in Lebanon, as is the case with many Arab countries. “If I had
rights under the law, maybe things would be different,” Sawsan said.
Many people also do not see marital rape as a crime, or indeed even possible, as
they consider it a woman’s duty to have sex with her husband whenever he wants.
Many women, thus, do not know that they are being victimized when forced to have
sex with their partners.
Lebanese NGO KAFA is working to change this. As part of a multi-national
campaign to combat domestic violence against women, it launched International
Day Against Violence Against Women, which is taking place on November 25. In
addition, KAFA is working with parliament on a draft bill that would criminalize
all types of domestic abuse, including marital rape. Cases of domestic violence
in Lebanon are currently under the jurisdiction of the religious courts.
The draft law was passed by cabinet in 2010 and is currently being debated by a
parliamentary sub-committee. KAFA has been working directly with the
sub-committee to make sure the law specifically outlaws marital rape. But some
staff members of KAFA who spoke to NOW Lebanon on condition of anonymity so as
not to compromise their work with the cabinet say the sub-committee was forced
by religious groups to make amendments to the law, including the removal of the
criminalization of marital rape.
Some religious authorities in the country say that criminalizing marital rape
will lead to a breakdown of families. Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad al-Hout, who
is a member of the sub-committee, stressed that his group’s main concern is
keeping families united. “This has nothing to do with whether you are Muslim or
a Christian. We acknowledge that there is such a thing as marital rape. Every
woman should have rights under the law,” he told NOW Lebanon. But Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya
thinks that women will flock to divorce court if marital rape is considered
illegal. “We would rather the family resort to counseling and other services
that we provide before leading to divorce,” Hout said. “Divorce is not an option
for me,” said Sawsan. “I have two daughters, and my husband is the only one who
provides for the family. I decided to speak with a sheikh about my situation,
hoping that perhaps he could intervene. But in the end he sided with my
husband.” Sub-committee member and Lebanese Forces-aligned MP Shant Chinchinian,
who is in favor of adding the martial rape clause to the law and expanding
women’s rights, said the law is essential to providing women and children with
protection, starting in the home. “Let me be clear: We are firmly against
domestic violence because a home should be a safe haven for women and children.
Where else will someone have a feeling of peace and comfort?” he told NOW
Lebanon.
Sawsan agrees. The abusive environment at home has left her two daughters
psychologically scarred, especially her eldest daughter, who witnessed her
mother’s abuse and knew about the rape. She has dropped out of college and is
clinically depressed, unable to maintain a job. But victims like Sawsan say the
even if the new law passes, it won’t be enough because many women are silent
about domestic violence. Even though Sawsan is pessimistic about her own future,
she encourages young women who may be in the same situation to speak out. “If
someone is compromising your dignity, then there’s something wrong. Don’t be
afraid to ask for help.”
Seven military pilots killed in attack, says Syrian opposition
November 24, 2011 /Seven military pilots were killed when gunmen attacked their
bus in central Syria on Thursday, opposition sources told AFP. The attack,
carried out by "armed Bedouins", took place near the city of Palmyra, said an
opposition member based in the flashpoint region of Homs, and was claimed by the
rebel Free Syrian Army. In a statement the FSA said "a brigade carried out the
attack on a bus transporting pilots on the road between Palmyra and Homs,
killing seven officers and the driver." The FSA, whose leadership is based in
neighboring Turkey, has claimed several attacks in recent weeks against the
Syrian military and pro-regime militias.According to FSA chief Riyadh al-Asaad,
the rebel force now has 20,000 men in its ranks, which it says are swelling each
day. The United Nations says more than 3,500 people, most of them civilians,
have been killed since the protests first broke out in mid-March, while
thousands of people have been detained.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Rebel army calls for air strikes on Syrian targets
November 24, 2011 /Free Syrian Army chief Riyadh al-Asaad on Thursday called for
foreign air strikes on "strategic targets" in Syria as part of a drive to topple
the regime, in a telephone interview with AFP."We are not in favor of the entry
of foreign troops as was the case in Iraq but we want the international
community to give us logistical support," said FSA chief Colonel Asaad, who is
based across the border in Turkey. "We also want international protection, the
establishment of a no-fly zone, a buffer zone and strikes on certain strategic
targets considered as crucial by the regime," he said. In contrast, the leader
of the main Syrian opposition group in exile said after talks in Paris on
Wednesday that his organization does not want to see rebels launch armed attacks
on President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Amid fears of the deadly anti-regime protests in Syria since mid-March turning
into civil war, Burhan Ghaliun of the Syrian National Council said the FSA
should try to avoid direct confrontation with regime troops. "We would like this
army to carry out defensive actions to protect those who have left the
[regime's] army and peaceful demonstrations, but not take on offensive actions
against the army," he said.
But Asaad said limited foreign intervention would "allow us to triumph in a
relatively short time" and singled out missile batteries in coastal areas as
prime targets for attack.
The FSA now has 20,000 men and its ranks, which are swelling each day, according
to the colonel. "We are determined to liberate our people and to make the regime
fall," he said, charging the regime was now counting on "mercenaries" sent by
Lebanon's Shia militia Hezbollah and by Iraq's radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against
almost five decades of Baath rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 3,500
people and triggering a torrent of international condemnation.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon