STL/Tribunal appoints 4 lawyers to represent accused at hearing
October 26, 2011/By Patrick Galey The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The United Nations-backed investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has appointed four lawyers to represent at-large individuals accused of the crime at a forthcoming hearing, a court source said Tuesday. “The Defense Office has today issued a decision to appoint counsel to the accused,” a source at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon confirmed to The Daily Star.It is thought the court has appointed four lawyers – of Lebanese, French, Canadian and British – nationalities, to temporarily represent four Hezbollah members that allegedly perpetrated the car bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others in Beirut on Feb. 14, 2005. The source said that it was not known at this point whether the Defense Office’s decision to appoint the judges would prove permanent, and that their involvement with the court was designed to represent the interests of the accused during a forthcoming Trials Chamber session that will explore the possibility of in absentia proceedings. “It is a temporary appointment, regarding the hearing for in absentia proceedings,” the source said. “This doesn’t necessarily mean that the same individuals will represent the accused within a full trial, although that is possible.” STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare in June issued a sealed indictment against the four men, who were later named as Salim Jamil Ayyash, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra. All of the men have worked as Hezbollah operatives.Under the STL’s statute, in absentia trials can be organized if accused individuals fail to hand themselves over to authorities or prove elusive. None of the four have so far been apprehended by security forces.The tribunal has divided Lebanon’s political scene and the ongoing debate over Beirut’s 2011 funding to the court continues to drag. Lebanon could face U.N. sanctions if, as expected, the Cabinet fails to agree on financial assistance to the STL before a looming deadline. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said this week that Lebanon would not fund the court, which he has labeled “an Israeli conspiracy.”

Attorney General Judge Said Mirza: Judiciary is fulfilling its duty regarding abductions
October 25, 2011 /Attorney General Judge Said Mirza said in remarks published on Tuesday that “the judiciary is fulfilling its duty,” in reference to the ongoing cases of Syrian dissidents who have disappeared in Lebanon. “The time taken [to review] cases is a judicial matter and no other party has anything to do with it,” Mirza told Al-Jumhuriya newspaper.
He added that he did not attend the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee session on Monday to present any reports. Al-Jumhuriya newspaper reported October 11 that Internal Security Forces Director General Achraf Rifi told the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee that “Lebanese security forces assigned to protect the Syrian embassy in Lebanon kidnapped four [dissident] Syrians using embassy vehicles.” Mirza also said that the case of the two abducted Syrian dissidents is ongoing, while security forces are still collecting data concerning the disappearances of Joseph Sader and Syrian opposition figure Shibli al-Ayssami. The Syrian Council for Human Rights on May 26 reported that Ayssami went missing in Lebanon’s Aley, while in September an armed group kidnapped two Syrian dissidents on Ber Elias road in central Bekaa. Joseph Sader, an employee of Middle East Airlines, was kidnapped in February 2009 near Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport.-NOW Lebanon

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jake Walles voices importance of Lebanon funding STL
October 26, 2011 ظUS Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jake Walles during his recent trip to Lebanon voiced the need for Lebanon to provide its share of funding for the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, according to a statement Wednesday issued by the US Embassy in Lebanon. “In his meetings [with Lebanese officials], Mr. Walles underscored the need for Lebanon to meet all of its international obligations, including cooperating with and funding the STL,” the statement said.“He also reiterated the US view that it is important to ensure that the current instability in Syria does not create tension in Lebanon.”The embassy added that Walles met with President Michel Sleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Lebanese army commander Jean Kahwaji, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and former Finance Minister Mohammad Chatah. US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly warned on Monday that a failure by Beirut to meets its obligation to the STL could lead to “serious consequences.” Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday evening that his party is against paying Lebanon’s share of funding to the STL because of the international court’s “aims, gaps and behavior.” Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon, however, Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal. Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. -NOW Lebanon

Arab League mounts mediation as 15 killed in Syria
October 26, 2011ظAn Arab League team held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the start of a bid to mediate with the opposition, as activists said at least 15 people were killed in violence on Wednesday. Headed by Qatar, the League's current chair, the delegation comprises the foreign ministers of Algeria, Egypt, Oman and Sudan, in addition to Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi. Faced with a tough mission, Arabi has said he hopes "the Syrian regime will agree to this initiative, and begin with genuine reforms," in comments to pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat.
"It is my prerogative as secretary general of the Arab League to meet with any member of the peaceful opposition," said Arabi, referring to a "disagreement" with Damascus after he met members of the Syrian opposition. At an emergency session in Cairo on October 16, the 22-member League called for "national dialogue" between the government and opposition by the end of October to help end the violence and avoid "foreign intervention" in Syria. Syria's representative to the 22-member Arab League, Youssef Ahmad, slammed what he said was a "conspiracy" against Assad's regime at the Cairo meeting.But the initiative has also been opposed by the opposition. "We will not accept anything less than Bashar al-Assad's resignation and his trial," said the Syrian Revolution General Commission, a coalition representing some 40 opposition blocs. In a show of support for the embattled president, tens of thousands of Assad supporters rallied in Damascus on Wednesday. The demonstrators, waving Syrian flags and brandishing pictures of Assad, swarmed to Omayyad square, chanting, "The people want Bashar al-Assad." Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 15 people, including nine government soldiers, had been killed in the latest unrest between Assad loyalists and opponents. Clashes between security forces and soldiers who have deserted and joined the opposition calling for the ouster of Assad, have become more frequent in recent weeks, particularly in the center of the country. The Syrian opposition called a nationwide general strike in protest against the regime's crackdown on protest that has left at least 3,000 people dead since mid-March, according to UN figures.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

March 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh: Nasrallah tried to forestall Mikati
October 26, 2011 ظMarch 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh said on Wednesday that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah tried to forestall Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s “answers” concerning the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. “Nasrallah tried to [terrify] Mikati and [issue stances against funding the STL] that were not voiced by the PM,” Hamadeh told Free Lebanon radio. “I think that Mikati will not reject [Lebanon’s] funding [for the STL] because he knows that sanctions might be imposed on Lebanon.” The March 14 MP also said that Mikati should resign and topple the government to protect Lebanon from sanctions if the cabinet decides against funding the STL. US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly warned on Monday that a failure by Beirut to meets its obligation to the STL could lead to “serious consequences.”
Nasrallah said on Monday evening that his party is against paying Lebanon’s share of funding to the STL because of the international court’s “aims, gaps and behavior.”
Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon, however, Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal. Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the Hariri murder. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. -NOW Lebanon

The Kataeb party on Tuesday held a meeting in the Baabda town of Tarchich “to voice solidarity with the residents”
October 25, 2011 ظThe Kataeb party on Tuesday held a meeting in the Baabda town of Tarchich “to voice solidarity with the residents” after media outlets reported that Hezbollah was expanding its telecommunications network in the town. “This is our town, and what it has witnessed is unacceptable,” Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel said, according to a statement issued by his party. In a reference to Hezbollah, the MP said that he will not accept having “any army but the Lebanese army and any telecom network but one owned by the Lebanese state.”
He also called on Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehanoui to “abide by the laws and prevent any [non-state] party from installing their own telecommunications network” on Lebanese soil. MTV reported last Friday that Hezbollah “threatened” residents of Tarchich after they prevented party members from installing a telecommunications network in the town.
However, the Telecom Ministry said on Tuesday that “there are no private communications systems in Tarchich.” -NOW Lebanon

Future bloc slams Hezbollah’s “rude” practices
October 25, 2011 ظThe Future bloc on Tuesday slammed Hezbollah accusing the Shia group of expanding a network of telecommunications that belongs to its “statelet.”“Hezbollah, in a very rude manner, is expanding the communications networks of its statelet in the [Baabda] town of Tarchich… proving that the party is seeking to dominate Lebanon,” the bloc said in a statement. It also blasted Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who on Monday said he was against providing Lebanon’s annual share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). “This position, expressed by Nasrallah, confirms that he insists on obstructing the attempts to uncover the truth [behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s 2005 murder],” the bloc added. Future bloc called on the Lebanese government to commit to the tribunal’s funding. The bloc also criticized the cabinet’s way of dealing with the Syrian violations of Lebanese borders in the recent period. On October 4, Syrian army tanks crossed the Lebanese border near the town of Aarsal and fired several gunshots on Lebanese territory. On October 6, Syrian troops shot and killed a farmer near Aarsal.Meanwhile, MTV reported last Friday that Hezbollah “threatened” residents of Tarchich after they prevented party members from installing a telecommunications network in the town. -NOW Lebanon

Speaker Nabih Berri reportedly says path of reform “has begun” in Syria
October 26, 2011 ظSpeaker Nabih Berri was quoted on Wednesday as commenting on the Arab League delegation’s visit to Syria and saying that “the path of reform has begun in Syria.”
Berri also voiced the importance of dialogue in Syria, the National News Agency quoted MPs who met with the speaker as saying. According to the United Nations, the Syrian regime's crackdown on protests that erupted in mid-March has killed more than 3,000 people.  An Arab League delegation arrived in Damascus earlier on Wednesday in a bid to defuse the deadly violence there, according to a statement issued by the Arab League last week. According to the MPs, Berri warned of “schemes [targeting] the Palestinian cause and aiming to [create] a statelet… that does not match the aspirations and rights of the Palestinian people [who want] to build their own independent state with its capital at Jerusalem.” The NNA also quoted the MPs as saying that Berri voiced the importance of the “The Future of the Christians in the Middle East” conference that will be held on November 18 and 19 in Université Saint-Esprit De Kaslik (USEK), and commended the “historical role of the Christians, who are a major component in [Middle East] societies.”The report added that the speaker called on the parliament to convene next Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.-NOW Lebanon

Change and Reform bloc MP Nabil Nicolas: Lebanon is being forced to fund STL
October 26, 2011 ظChange and Reform bloc MP Nabil Nicolas said on Wednesday that “Lebanon is being forced to pay its share of funding to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),” probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “The Change and Reform bloc will maintain its battle against corruption, because it is not enough today to fight on the [Lebanese] borders as long as corruption is infiltrating the country,” Nicolas told MTV television. He also said that the Change and Reform bloc’s objective is not to overthrow Prime Minister Najib Mikati but to fight corruption. “We are not targeting Najib Mikati, but corruption” Nicolas said, adding that “there is corruption everywhere, [even] in the resistance,” in a reference to Hezbollah. The MP also said that “if the government falls, this means that Mikati fell alone.”Nicolas also accused the Cabinet Secretary General Suheil Bouji of “falsifying the cabinet meetings’ reports,” and PM Mikati “of [covering] for him.”The Shia group Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the UN-backed court and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon. However, Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal.
Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. Tuning to Syria, Nicolas said “I’m not worried about Syria but Lebanon, because dividing Syria involves dividing Lebanon.”
Lebanon's political scene is split between supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah, and a pro-Western camp headed by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. According to UN estimates, more than 3,000 people have been killed in the crackdown on Syrian protesters who have been demonstrating against the Baath regime since mid-March. -NOW Lebanon

Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with British envoy
October 26, 2011 ظPrime Minister Najib Mikati met on Wednesday with British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher and discussed with him bilateral relations, the National News Agency reported. “We discussed developments in the region, bilateral relations and the issue of the [UN-backed] Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” the National News Agency quoted Fletcher as saying after the meeting. “The opinion of wise people will prevail and the Lebanese leaders will take the right decision for the country’s national interest,” he added.
The British envoy also said that Mikati will visit the United Kingdom on November 7, according to the NNA. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday evening that his party is against paying Lebanon’s share of funding to the STL because of the international court’s “aims, gaps and behavior.” Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon, however, Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal.Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. -NOW Lebanon

Future Movement delegation visits PSP headquarters
October 26, 2011 ظA Future Movement delegation visited on Wednesday the headquarters of the Progressive Socialist Party in Beirut and met with the latter party’s officials, the National News Agency reported. The participants of meeting confirmed the importance of respecting Lebanon’s international commitments, in particular Beirut’s share of funding for the UN-backed special Tribunal for Lebanon. The participants addressed developments in the Arab world and voiced support for the “necessity of implementing reforms and respecting the will of the Arab people,” the report added.Members of both parties also agreed to continue “cooperation in all areas of Beirut.”Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday evening that his party is against paying Lebanon’s share of funding to the STL because of the international court’s “aims, gaps and behavior.” Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon, however, Prime Minister Najib Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal.Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. -NOW Lebanon

Future bloc MP Assem Aaraji: Mikati must resign if cabinet fails to fund STL
October 26, 2011 ظFuture bloc MP Assem Aaraji said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Najib Mikati must resign if he fails to gather cabinet consensus to fund the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon. “[Change and Reform bloc leader] MP Michel Aoun’s attacks against STL funding… show that there are deep divisions [within] the cabinet, which are creating big difficulties for Mikati,” Aaraji told Al-Fajr radio. Aoun said on Tuesday that the government is “not compelled” to provide its annual share of funding to the UN-backed court.
Aaraji also called on President Michel Sleiman and Mikati to transform their into action their support for Lebanon’s adherence to international resolutions and the STL.
Hezbollah and other March 8 parties and figures have spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the tribunal and called it a tool to incite sectarian strife in Lebanon, however, Mikati has repeatedly voiced Lebanon’s commitment to the tribunal.Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. -NOW Lebanon

Kataeb MP Elie Marouni responds to MP Michel Aoun’s Tuesday statements.
October 26, 2011 ظKataeb MP Elie Marouni responded on Wednesday to Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun’s Tuesday statements.“We are used to his [inflexible] language, which he inherited from the Syrian regime,” Marouni told As-Sharq radio.Aoun said on Tuesday that Hezbollah is not expanding private telecommunications networks in Mount Lebanon’s town of Tarchich and in a reference to March 14 coalition said, “Do they want to launch a new battle? Do they want a new [May 7, 2008]?”Asked about Speaker Nabih Berri’s call for a national dialogue, Marouni said that “his party supports all efforts for dialogue, which he hopes will be constructive and based on a definite schedule.”Berri said in an interview published on Wednesday that he will contact President Michel Sleiman to “call for a national dialogue” to resolve the issue of Lebanon’s funding for the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri MTV reported on Friday that Hezbollah “threatened” residents of Tarchich after they prevented party members from installing a telecommunications network in the town. On May 7, 2008 gunmen led by Hezbollah began a military operation and took over West Beirut following a government decision to shut down the party’s telecommunications network and replace the security chief at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport because of his alleged ties to Hezbollah.-NOW Lebanon

U.S. Condemns Syrian Incursions in Lebanon, Killing of Dissidents
Naharnet /The United States on Monday condemned the Syrian army's incursions into Lebanon and suggested that dissidents of the Damascus regime had either been killed or taken prisoner at the border. "Over the course of the last few weeks, it appears Syrian forces have entered Lebanese territory," a State Department spokesman told reporters, denouncing the move and calling on Syria to respect Lebanon's sovereignty. "We are also deeply concerned by indications that Syrian dissidents may have been captured and possibly killed during operations near the border." Lebanese officials estimate that 5,000 Syrians, including deserting soldiers and opposition members, have sought refuge in Lebanon since the uprising against President Bashar Assad erupted in March. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last week called on Syria to end incursions into Lebanon after Syrian troops shot three of its citizens dead near the border, warning that such raids could ignite tensions in the region. On Monday, a Syrian army unit entered the town of Hnaider in Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon and opened fire at alleged smugglers. Over the past few weeks, Syrian troops have entered, on separate occasions, the eastern Bekaa towns of Arsal and al-Qaa.
Source Agence France Presse

U.S. Envoy Urges Lebanese Leaders to Cooperate with STL
Naharnet /A visiting U.S. State Department official on Tuesday underscored “the need for Lebanon to meet all of its international obligations,” the U.S. embassy in Lebanon said.
“Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Jake Walles, visited Lebanon and met with senior officials to discuss the political, security, and economic situation in Lebanon, as well as the current situation in Syria,” the embassy said in a statement. Walles held talks with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, and former Minister of Finance Mohammed Shatah. “In his meetings, Mr. Walles underscored the need for Lebanon to meet all of its international obligations, including cooperating with and funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” the embassy announced.  “He also reiterated the U.S. view that it is important to ensure that the current instability in Syria does not create tension in Lebanon. He renewed the commitment of the United States to a stable, sovereign and independent Lebanon,” it added.

West Fears Syrian Crisis Might Spill into Lebanon
Naharnet /The West fears that the popular uprising that erupted in Syria might affect the Lebanese local situation, as the Lebanese officials are divided over their responses to the revolt against President Bashar Assad. “Any new European sanctions will target the financial sector in Syria,” western diplomatic sources told An Nahar newspaper on Tuesday.
Security sources warned from the Syrian infiltration into the Lebanese territories. “Damascus doesn’t need its army to track down the opposition members that fled to Lebanon since it has enough agents in Lebanon ready to implement the orders given by the (regime),” the sources told the daily. Over the past few weeks, Syrian units have entered, on separate occasions, the Bekaa towns of Arsal and al-Qaa, and northern Lebanon towns. The daily reported that a number of fundamentalist organization members are infiltrating into southern Lebanon and into the Palestinian refugee camps. As security sources admit that the situation inside those camps is unstable and threats the local situation.
The sources also fear an increase in the attacks on the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whereby Paris has informed Lebanese officials that it might withdraw its peacekeeping troops if it was under any new attack. A French U.N. patrol was attacked on July 26 and Italian peacekeepers were targeted on May 27. The UNIFIL, founded in 1978, currently counts some 12,000 troops from 35 countries and is tasked with overseeing a fragile peace along Lebanon's southern border with Israel.
Concerning the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the sources said that PM Najib Miqati is in a difficult situation that might lead to his resignation if Hizbullah and its allies insisted on their position. They added if Miqati resigned then appointing a new premier might face obstacles, which will lead to a government vacuum, however, the current cabinet will have to remain in power until the Syrian situation is resolved.

Fatfat Holds Hizbullah Responsible for Any harm Inflicted on Him
Naharnet /Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat on Tuesday held Hizbullah responsible for any harm inflicted on him after he accused the Shiite party lawmaker, Ali Ammar, of telling him to fight it out outside parliament. Fatfat told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that Ammar’s invitation was a direct public threat in front of scores of lawmakers during the meeting of the human rights parliamentary committee on Monday. Fatfat along with other March 14 opposition MPs argued with Hizbullah lawmakers over several issues, throwing accusations and cursing each other. He blamed Hizbullah MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi of initiating the debate after bringing up several political issues during the session that was aimed at discussion a report on the alleged Syrian embassy involvement in the disappearance of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon. Fatfat told reporters at the end of the committee meeting that Ammar threatened him “to sort out their problem on the street.”

Tea’ and ‘Black Suits’ Prevail in Heated Parliamentary Committee Meeting
Naharnet /Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal MPs wrangled on Monday at the human rights parliamentary committee meeting which witnessed curses, threats and counter accusations.
The committee was scheduled to discuss a report by Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi on the alleged involvement of the Syrian embassy in the disappearance of Syrian opposition activists in Lebanon. Lawmakers from the March 14 opposition, which al-Mustaqbal is part of, accused the parliamentary majority of seeking to turn the session into a “trial” over Rifi’s information while the Hizbullah-led forces said the opposition was angered by remarks by General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza that members of the Jassem family had dropped their case in the kidnapping. Around 60 MPs, Mirza and Minister Shakib Qortbawi and Marwan Charbel participated in the heated session which was also intended to discuss the fate of Syrian opposition member Shebli al-Aisamy and Middle East Airlines engineer Joseph Sader.
According to Rifi’s report, the four Jassem brothers were kidnapped in Lebanon by members of the Syrian embassy staff and an Internal Security Forces guard unit headed by Lt. Salah Hajj in February.But Mirza informed lawmakers that the Jassem family dropped its lawsuit claiming the four brothers were not kidnapped. He also said there are no judicial cases in the disappearances of al-Aisamy near Aley in May or Sader, who was kidnapped in 2009 near Beirut airport.
This drew the ire of March 14 MPs who began questioning him on how the prosecution could drop such a case when telecommunications data as mentioned in Rifi’s report proved that the embassy was involved in the disappearances.
At this point, Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi criticized the opposition lawmakers for laying doubts on the investigation of the judiciary and recounted how the issue of false witnesses in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination case was fabricated.
Moussawi’s comment angered al-Mustaqbal movement MP Ahmed Fatfat who said the Hizbullah-led forces had stirred the false witnesses case when they sought to topple ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s government and were now shying away from the subject after they became part of the new cabinet.
Hizbullah MP Ali Ammar snapped back in anger: “You are conspirators … you are the team of (Jeffrey) Feltman and Condoleezza (Rice) and the killers of children and women during the July war.” The two lawmakers also bickered on what became known as “black shirts” when groups of Hizbullah members wearing black shirts deployed in the streets of Beirut earlier this year after the collapse of ex-Premier Saad Hariri’s cabinet. Ammar also accused Fatfat of being the “tea server” in reference to the serving of tea to Israeli soldiers by members of the Internal Security Forces at their barracks in the southern town of Marjayoun during Israel’s 2006 aggression on Lebanon. Fatfat was acting interior minister at that time.
The Hizbullah MP was about to toss a water bottle at Fatfat when other lawmakers calmed him and took him out of the hall. He returned for about seven minutes and then left the parliament building. The head of the parliamentary committee tried to calm the situation and MP Ghassan Mkhaiber recommended that the judiciary follow up on the kidnappings in Lebanon.
The session was adjourned and the MPs of each party began making statements to reporters accusing the other side of seeking to stir trouble. MP Marwan Hamadeh said the committee hasn’t approved any measure while Fatfat unveiled that Ammar threatened him “to sort out their problem on the street.”“The session was full of curses and that’s because of Ammar’s attitude,” Fatfat told reporters. But MP Nawwar al-Sahili defended Ammar by saying that the Hizbullah lawmaker meant he wanted to discuss the issue outside and not during the meeting.

Telecom Ministry: No Private Cables Installed on Ministry Grid in Tarshish
Naharnet /The telecommunications ministry on Tuesday denied that Hizbullah had installed a private telecom network in the town of Tarshish using state infrastructure. “After the incident that happened in the town of Tarshish, Telecom Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui tasked a technical team with inspecting the works being executed as part of the national project for extending the fiber-optic network,” the ministry said in a statement. “After inspection, and according to the official report submitted by the mandated technical team, it was verified that no private cables were present inside the telecom pipelines installed by the telecom ministry in the town of Tarshish,” the ministry announced.
“The ministry reassures the town’s residents that no private cables will be installed using its telecom pipelines,” it added. The residents of Tarshish prevented on Friday members of Hizbullah from expanding the party’s telecommunications network in the area, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday. It explained that party members sought to expand the network as a team from the elecommunications ministry was installing fiber optic cables to improve internet services. “The municipal police noticed the party’s activity and prevented it from continuing its work,” it added. An Internal Security Forces patrol soon arrived at the scene to tackle the situation.
Soon after, Hizbullah official Hussein Janbey arrived at the scene and a meeting was held between the Tarshish municipal council, headed by Gaby Samaan, and Hizbullah delegation headed by Janbey, reported al-Liwaa daily on Saturday. The municipal delegation informed Hizbullah of the residents’ rejection of the installation of the party’s network in the town because they believe it to be illegal. For its part, Hizbullah insisted on completing its activity, while the residents maintained their position resulting in tensions between the two sides and the “stormy meeting” ended, added the daily. The party delegation informed the residents that they had experienced more difficult situations in the past, insisting on continuing its activity and stressing that no one would stop it, reported al-Liwaa. A source from Tarshish told the daily that the town was surprised when Hizbullah members arrive to expand their network.
In addition, it said that this issue had started three months ago and the government and concerned ministries had not taken any action over this matter “despite the fact the party is trying to expand its network in the town by force.” Minister Sehnaoui has said that “no side, whether it is official or unofficial, has the right to use the ministry’s network for its personal use without first receiving legal permission from the ministry to do so.” MTV reported on Saturday that armed individuals and cars with tinted windows were spotted in Tarshsih after Hizbullah was prevented from expanding its telecommunications network.

In Vatican, Al-Rahi Calls for Prayer for Lebanon, Mideast Peace
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi arrived Tuesday at the Vatican for a one-week visit, after wrapping up his pastoral trip to the United Stated. Upon his arrival, al-Rahi called at the St. Maroun Church for “a profound prayer for the sake of Lebanon and peace in the Middle East.” The patriarch started his official talks in the Vatican with meeting Dominique Mamberti, Vatican secretary for external relations. He then met with Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples with the Roman Curia.
Al-Rahi also telephoned the Saudi embassy in Rome to offer his condolences over the death of crown prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. Later on Tuesday, the patriarch met with a number of priests, monks and nuns, and a number of Lebanese expats. He was visited by Lebanon’s Sports and Youth Minister Faisal Karami and a Lebanese delegation taking part at a conference for youths and sports in Rome, as well as by Lebanese ambassador Gilbert Shaghouri. In the evening, al-Rahi held talks with Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia.

Geagea: Human Rights Committee Session Witnessed a Real Charade
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday said that “the session held Monday by the (parliamentary) human rights committee had witnessed a real charade, as the judiciary was used to cover up an operation whose chapters are still shrouded in mystery.”Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal MPs wrangled on Monday at the committee meeting which witnessed curses, threats and counter accusations. The committee was scheduled to discuss a report prepared by Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi on the alleged involvement of the Syrian embassy in the disappearance of Syrian opposition activists in Lebanon. Lawmakers from the opposition March 14 camp, which al-Mustaqbal is part of, accused the parliamentary majority of seeking to turn the session into a “trial” over Rifi’s information while the Hizbullah-led forces said the opposition was angered by remarks by State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza that members of the Jassem family had dropped their case in the kidnapping. According to Rifi’s report, the four Jassem brothers were kidnapped in Lebanon by members of the Syrian embassy staff and an Internal Security Forces guard unit headed by Lt. Salah Hajj in February. But Mirza informed lawmakers that the Jassem family dropped its lawsuit claiming the four brothers were not kidnapped. “This issue smears the reputation of the Lebanese judiciary and harms its image, which is supposed to be above all else. It also smears the Lebanese state’s reputation before the Lebanese citizens and the Arab and foreign peoples,” Geagea said Tuesday. Commenting on the issue of Hizbullah’s controversial attempt to install a private telecom network in the town of Tarshish, Geagea stressed: “This matter is unacceptable, neither in Tarshish nor in other Lebanese towns.”Geagea said the ministry of telecommunications must shoulder its responsibilities in this regard, “because Hizbullah is using the telecom ministry’s new networks to install its own illegal cables.”He also called on Telecom Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui to “instruct the contractors and the ministry technicians to refuse to install any illegal cables.”

Mustaqbal 'Strongly Condemns' Nasrallah's Stance on STL Funding
Naharnet /The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday “strongly condemned the stance voiced yesterday by Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in which he reiterated his rejection and opposition to funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.”“The Lebanese and the martyrs’ families were not surprised by Hizbullah’s position … especially as the party continues to protect its members,” who are wanted by the STL on charges of being involved in the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, the bloc said.In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc added that Nasrallah’s remarks on Monday have highlighted Hizbullah’s “insistence on confronting the Lebanese and preventing them from unveiling the truth, as well as on confronting the international community and engaging Lebanon in battles that would expose it to several dangerous consequences.”The bloc also warned that Hizbullah’s stance will prompt the international community to “question Lebanon’s credibility.”“Hizbullah’s stance highlights once again the major threats posed by the ‘party of weapons’ and its gunmen, who are relying on military clout to dictate the type of their relations with others and tighten their control over the Lebanese state and its institutions and authorities,” Mustaqbal added. “This negative stance reveals the truth about who is siding with the criminals and who is siding with the martyrs,” the bloc said, urging the government and Premier Najib Miqati to declare their stance on funding the tribunal “clearly, openly and without ambiguity” instead of launching “empty promises.”

Aoun: Miqati Believes He Can Only Get Stronger by Covering Up Violations
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Najib Miqati of “breaking the laws and covering up major violations.”OGERO chief “Abdul Monem Youssef is being treated as a saint because we do not want to upset the premier. It seems that the premier believes he can only get stronger through breaking the laws and covering up major violations,” Aoun said. “Covering up for major violations has become part of the Lebanese state’s routine,” he lamented.
“We have a feeling that the government does not want to finalize the (2012 draft) state budget … We reiterate that the draft state budget contains faults,” Aoun told reporters after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc. Commenting on a statement issued by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly after visiting him on Monday, Aoun said: “Yes, she told us that in a respectful manner and we replied in the same manner. We are with the tribunal and justice and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will continue its work even if we halted the funding.” “The U.N. secretary general would provide the funds,” Aoun noted. “We are against funding because it is unjustifiable and unconstitutional. I’m not against funding but there’s a constitution that we should respect. Parliament’s approval is mandatory to refer a case to an international court,” he explained.
Aoun added: “We’re not obstructing the judiciary’s work for them to accuse us of confronting the international community. The international community is rather confronting us. We don’t understand this arbitrary action, and this is what I told Ambassador Connelly.”Asked about the issue of Hizbullah’s controversial attempt to install a private telecom network in the town of Tarshish, the FPM leader said “Hizbullah’s telecom network has always been there and it had led to the May 7 incidents.”
“I believe there’s nothing new in Tarshish. It is illegal for anyone to install anything on the public network but do u know that Solidere has been using the state-owned network since 25 years.”“This is a resistance movement that cannot communicate via ‘whistling and carrier pigeons’ and it requires a freedom of movement and communication,” Aoun stressed.
On the other hand, he denied that the FPM’s relation with Hizbullah has “grown cold,” warning that “corruption will harm the Resistance should the country continue in this manner.”
Aoun also launched a tirade against Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat. “Since the formation of the first government comprising Jumblat, they have given us a ‘good example’ about the distribution of compensations to the displaced people and the running of the state’s affairs.” “We are using a calm rhetoric to preserve national unity, but it’s unacceptable that we be accused of their deeds,” Aoun added.


The Arab Spring and the economy
Talking to Economist Sami Nader
Nadine Elali, October 25, 2011
For the past 11 months, revolutions and uprisings have swept the Middle East, leading to a profound reshaping of the Arab World.
These uprisings have had a direct consequence on economic life in the region, as trade has stalled, tourism has slowed, and the economies of the affected countries are stagnating.
NOW Lebanon speaks with Economist Sami Nader about the economic situation in the Middle East ahead of the Arab Spring, the financial impact the uprisings have had on the affected countries, and the economic expectations of transitioning states.
What was the economic situation in the Arab world before the Arab Spring?
Sami Nader: As of 2010, countries in North Africa were witnessing growth; they were not hit by the economic crisis as was Europe or the United States. North Africa was a substantial driver for growth, and so oil prices went up again.
If the Arab world was not hit by the economic recession, how do you explain the uprisings?
Nader: The revolution could not happen had there been no growth. The first impact of growth is that you’re empowering a middle class, and only a middle class would revolt.
Emmanuel Todd, a French social scientist, predicted this. In his interview with Der Spiegel he explained that lowering birth rates per woman and the rising literacy rates meant that women have become empowered and more conscious of their rights, and so citizens become more demanding in terms of rights and participation.
The Arab unrest indicator, the shoe-thrower index, was also calculated to note factors that played a role in the Arab Spring. Overall, social indicators showed that people were moving more toward cultural and mental modernity and away from the archaic tribal system; they have become more aware of their individuality, and so more conscious of their rights. Technology was also empowering these people and putting at their disposal tools to revolt and express themselves. Thus, growth played a very important role in their uprising.
If growth was a factor, how come people in oil-producing countries do not revolt?
Nader: Oil is the enemy of democracy, especially in these Arab oil-producing countries. Countries can buy up angry people, and they can conceal public finances, so people are not really aware of what they are missing.
What was the cost of the Arab Spring on the countries that underwent unrest?
Nader: Recently an institution called Geopolicity, which is based in South Africa, published the cost of the Arab Spring. The highest cost according to this institute is Syria. The protests cost it up to $27 billion, whereas for Libya it was $12 billion.
Lebanon was expecting a seven percent growth for 2012, now it has been revised to three percent. Syria was expected to have seven to nine percent growth, now it also has been revised to have negative growth. Egypt was heading for substantial growth, but now it will barely make two percent, which is acceptable given the situation in Egypt.
What is the current economic status of the North African countries following the Arab Spring, and what are the prospects?
Nader: In Egypt the business community is not panicking as one would assume it is. The prospect that a more accountable regime might come played in favor of the private sector; this is to say that in the long-term, the Arab Spring will definitely benefit the Egyptian economy.
Libya today is booming. International companies are already present in Libya trying to make some basic contracts relating to oil. They feel that the country is supported by political powers, plus it is rich. The problem in Libya is that there are no institutions; the only institution is the Oil Ministry. This is a risk factor, but if you’re to compare it to the benefit and the windfalls of the oil, and the climate of recession everywhere else, you would see that the people accept the risk.
As for Tunis, elections are key, because they will send a good or bad signal for the markets, and namely for foreign investors. Domestically, it is not a rich country in terms of raw material or natural resources, and the social discrepancies are huge, so it depends highly on tourism and foreign investment.
What is Syria’s economic situation, and is it true that the regime is using its currency reserves?
Nader: Syria is an oil-producing country, but before the Arab Spring its oil production decreased substantially because its wells dried up. Therefore, it needed investments, and it opened up to the international community.
Before the revolution, Syria did benefit from some levels of growth. We could witness this from Lebanon—many major Lebanese trade and pharmaceutical companies along with other major banks expanded their operations into Syria.
But Syria relies mainly on tourism, on its export and import activity to and from Europe, and over the past 10 years, Syria has developed substantial trade with Turkey.
Today, this trade activity has decreased, especially as the international community imposed economic sanctions. Reserves are directly affected by this halt of trade activity.
However, Syria’s system is not an open one; the government does not publish its accounts, so one cannot know the real figures or the size of the impact, but one should note that any loss in foreign currency reserves means that the economy will collapse.
What was Lebanon’s economic situation up to the Arab Spring?
Nader: Before the 2008 financial crisis, Lebanon was benefiting from the increase in oil prices. Remittances from Lebanese people working in Gulf countries increased, and so did direct investments and direct transfers to our banking system. We were also exporting some food and agricultural products to Gulf countries, Egypt and Syria, but our main edge is services.
We were hurt less as compared to neighboring countries during the crisis thanks to regulations that the Central Bank imposed.
But given that we were undergoing our own political turmoil since 2005, Lebanon’s economy was not able to benefit as it should have. However, we did still witness continuous growth, and our debt-GDP ratio was maintained for the last five years.
What is in store for Lebanon’s economy after the Arab Spring?
Nader: The prospects for years to come are not that rosy for the Lebanese economy. Just up to the Arab Spring, Lebanon did not have similar drivers of growth as the neighboring countries, and as the Arabs revolted, transfer of capital to Lebanon decreased. Import and export activity lessened, and not till stability is reached can these activities resume.
There are also some other major concerns. Lebanon’s remittances began to decrease. Factors that led to this decrease were the repercussions of the financial crisis; the Lebanese Canadian back crisis, which shook the banking sector; and most important, the Sunni-Shia conflict. Some Arab countries expelled Lebanese due to this rift. Of course this is not disregarding Lebanon’s inefficient public management system.
All these factors were not good omens for the Lebanese economy, and the budget deficit increased in the past year.
*This interview has been condensed and edited


Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
October 25, 2011 /Now Lebanon
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addressed latest developments in an interview with Al-Manar television on October 25:
“The Arab revolts are not an American plan because all the regimes that have collapsed were allies of the United States. We need a Christian-Muslim alliance to face the US-Israeli threat; such a project is achievable. We do not need an alliance of minorities. We hope that the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) gives the case of Lebanese Shia Cleric Imam Moussa Sadr the attention it needs, because Sadr was the Imam of the nation and a supporter of the Palestinian cause.
The US [army’s] withdrawal from Iraq is a real victory for the Iraqi people and their resistance. Accusing Iran of plotting against Saudi Ambassador to the United States is a US fabrication and came after Iran rejected to establish a hotline with the US. This accusation will be used to further sanction Iran. The prisoners swap between Israel and Hamas is an achievement for the Palestinian resistance. Palestinian request for a full membership in the United Nations will be rejected because the US has veto right in the UN Security Council.
The Syrian people support President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but if the people start opposing the regime, we will support the people. The situation in Syria is normal. Hezbollah is not [involved] in the current Syrian events; we did not send any militants to Syria. [The latter] is confronting internal armed groups and foreign pressure, which is very dangerous. Concerning the Syrian incursions into Lebanon, an envoy must be sent by the Lebanese government to discuss the issue with the Syrians, not through media.
We nominated Najib Mikati for premiership and we do not regret our choice. Our relation with all our allies is excellent. I [also] ask the people to vote for Jeita Grotto to become one of the World’s Seven Wonders.
[Asked about his relation with President Michel Sleiman, he said:] There is continuous communication [with Sleiman] and his position regarding the Resistance is clear. He was clear regarding this issue during his last speech at the UN.
We [support Mikati] now…The premier and all the ministers are partners in the cabinet’s achievements. Our relations are strategic and based on a vision and agreements…Statements that there are tensions [between Hezbollah and certain parties] are not true. The relations between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement are not sour. When [FPM leader] MP Michel Aoun speaks about differences in priorities, it does not mean that the relation with the FPM is sour.
[Asked about ties with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt:] There are issues we agree upon, and issues we disagree upon. When we met, we agreed on [certain points] and disagreed on others. This does not mean there is a clash [between the two parties].
[Asked about criticism of Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai over his statements on Syria and Hezbollah’s arms:] The attack against Rai is unfair. The Patriarch described reality, and he did not [voice] support for the Syrian regime or the Resistance’s arms. Let us be fair and realistic and not exaggerate the issue… [Rai] expressed real fears regarding the Syrian situation. Christians have the right to worry if someone pushes the situation in Syria and Egypt [in order to transform it] into a sectarian war.
[Events and] conferences would not have been held in Lebanon if there was a feeling that [the country] or [its capital,] Beirut, are not safe. Sometimes there is a problem here or there, this happens in every country of the world but… there is a stable [situation] in [Lebanon] and no need to worry about it.
[Concerning Hezbollah’s delegation’s recent visit to Moscow:] Over a year ago, the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc has been invited [to visit Russia] and have been coordinating with the Russian Embassy [in Lebanon] to determine the exact time of the visit. The trip was postponed until recently. This visit is preliminary and… the most important thing is to preserve Lebanon’s security and stability, as well as those of Syria.
[We] must oppose any foreign interference in Syrian affairs and Russia can play a delicate role in this matter. [Asked about a Hezbollah delegation’s possible visit to China:] Such a visit will happen soon, God willing, and there are visits to other states that will also take place in the coming period.
We have been silent regarding the issue [of paying Lebanon’s share] of funding to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon [STL] because we have a vision [on the matter.] Ever since the cabinet has been formed, the other party has [brought up] the issue of funding the STL.
Mikati has the right to answer, and he said his opinion on the matter. It is his right.
Anyone convinced about the tribunal, has the right to express his conviction. We [did not make statements regarding the STL’s funding] on purpose because it was clear that the other party wants to drag the cabinet into a discussion which [is not scheduled for this moment in time.] It is their right [to do so], but we have to not let ourselves be dragged and not fall into the traps they are setting for us.
We said this file will be finalized when it should be addressed, [in] the cabinet. Hezbollah’s position does not need to be announced; [Hezbollah] is against [paying Lebanon’s share] of STL funding because of the tribunal’s [aims], gaps and behavior.
If someone wants to fund the [STL] from his own pocket, it is up to him. When it comes to funding the STL from the state’s treasury, the cabinet makes a decision on the matter. All political parties have their evidence regarding their positions on the STL. [Some ministers] would discuss the constitutionality and legality of the STL. Some would discuss the behavior of the STL.
We will attempt to [reach] a consensus, but if we do not, there is the option of casting a vote. Such a decision would be taken by he who heads the session, [either] Mikati or Sleiman. We hope an agreement would be achieved regarding the issue. [We will not] ‘embarrass’ Mikati [concerning the STL’s funding]. Mikati is the head of the executive government and the decision regarding the issue goes back to the entire cabinet.
From the beginning, [March 14 parties] called on Mikati to step down and demanded the international community boycott him… but all of this has failed.
We will resolve the issue of parliamentary elections through a national angle. We do not have a problem [with an electoral law] based on proportional representation. We are open to discussions.
[Regarding social demands:] We support the demands of all sectors… Some of our ministers tried to reach a consensual [solution] where the government is able to meet social demands. I call on the cabinet to hold a socio-economic [meeting]. The issue of wages was [hastily addressed,] and it did not take enough time to be discussed. [Although] the cabinet [did] make an achievement [and decided to raise wages,] but whatever can be corrected, should be corrected.
[Asked about a possibility of an Israeli war against Lebanon, he said:] Amid the regional change, the regional strategic environment and the power of the Resistance, it is unlikely that Israel will wage a war against Lebanon. [Asked about Hezbollah’s stance regarding UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s call on the Shia group to hand over its arms to the Lebanese state, he said:] We did not even issue a statement commenting on that because what happens in the region is something that [the UN chief is not aware of.] The Resistance and its arms are an element of power to us.
We, as Lebanese people, have enough elements of power to confront all challenges. There is no reason to be afraid, but all reasons to be hopeful.
 

Moammar and Muatassim Gadhafi Buried in Secret Location
Naharnet /A Misrata military council official said Moammar Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and a top aide were buried at dawn Tuesday in a secret location, with a few relatives and officials in attendance.
In a text message shown to The Associated Press, spokesman Ibrahim Beitalmal said Islamic prayers were read over the bodies. The information could not be independently verified.
The bodies of Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and former Defense Minister Abu Bakr Younis had been held in cold storage in the port city of Misrata since the dictator and members of his entourage were captured near his hometown of Sirte on Thursday. Gadhafi and Muatassim were captured alive, with some injuries, but died in unclear circumstances later that day.
Libya's interim leaders have promised an investigation, responding to mounting international pressure. On Monday, Beitalmal had said the three would be buried in unmarked graves in a secret location to prevent vandalism. Presumably, the graves would also be kept hidden to avoid turning them into shrines for Gadhafi loyalists. International organizations asking to see the burial site would be given access, Beitalmal said. Over the weekend, Libya's chief pathologist, Dr. Othman el-Zentani performed autopsies on the three bodies and also took DNA samples to confirm their identities. El-Zentani has said Gadhafi died from a shot to the head, and said the full report would be released later this week, after he presents his findings to the attorney general. It remains unclear when exactly Gadhafi suffered the fatal injury — before he was taken into custody or after he had been captured by revolutionary fighters.
*Source Associated PressAgence France Presse
.
Tunisian Islamist Party Takes Lead in Early Results
Naharnet /Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party prepared for coalition talks Tuesday as early results showed it dominating the Arab Spring's first free elections. Ennahda took 15 of the 39 seats from five domestic polling districts in the new constitution-writing assembly, the ISIE elections body announced, stressing the provisional nature of the tally.
And results announced Monday showed Ennahda winning half of the 18 seats reserved for expatriate assembly representatives in an early vote held abroad last week.
This meant Ennahda had taken 24 of the 57 seats accounted for so far in the 217-member assembly that will rewrite Tunisia's constitution and appoint a caretaker government.
There were 27 polling districts in total on Tunisian soil, and six abroad. "We will publish the results piecemeal. The mechanisms of counting demand time," ISIE secretary general Boubaker Bethabet said in Tunis. The provisional results for the eastern coastal cities of Sousse and Sfax, Tunisia's second city, as well as Jendouba in the northwest and Kebili, a desert town in the center, put the leftist Congress for the Republic (CPR) in second place with six seats.
It was followed by the Petition for Justice and Development, a list led by independent candidate Hachmi Haamdi, a rich London-based businessman, with five seats, and the leftist Ettakatol with four. The Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) followed with two seats, as did The Initiative, a party founded by a former minister in the cabinet of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali who was ousted in a popular uprising in January. Massive numbers of voters Sunday elected members of the new assembly that will have interim authority to write laws and pass budgets.
It will decide on the country's system of government and how to guarantee basic liberties, including women's rights, which many in Tunisia fear Ennahda would seek to diminish despite its assurances to the contrary. Ennahda has already claimed to have taken the biggest block of votes, between 30 and 40 percent -- hailing the start of what is expected to be complicated negotiations for a majority coalition. To form a majority, Ennahda will have to negotiate with the next biggest parties, all on the leftist, liberal side of the political spectrum.
CPR leader Moncef Marzouki has insisted that no firm agreement was made in pre-poll talks with Ennahda that saw other leftist parties accuse his party of seeking "a pact with the devil".
But he defended the need to form a broad alliance to strengthen the assembly and give the caretaker government "the means to govern".
For its part, Ettakatol had refused all pre-poll approaches while insisting on its intention to be part of a national unity government.
The center-left PDP party, tipped as Ennahda's main challenger before the vote, conceded defeat on Monday.
Analysts have told Agence France Presse that Ennahda, even in a majority alliance, would be unable to "dictate" its program to the assembly, having no choice but to appease its alliance partners, a moderate-minded society, and the international community on whose investment and tourism the country relies heavily.
Leftist parties may also seek to form a majority bloc against Ennahda.
The Modernist Democratic Pole, a grouping of five liberal parties, said Tuesday that no official coalition talks have started, but stressed it would seek an alliance of democratic parties.
"We need the biggest possible force to represent and protect modernist values," leader Ahmed Brahim told AFP.
Ennahda says it models itself on the ruling AKP party in Turkey, another Muslim-majority country which, like Tunisia to date, is a secular state.
But its critics accuse the party of preaching modernism in public and radicalism in the mosques.
Even before the official results, Ennahda has sought to reassure investors of stability, and women that it will respect their equality, and said it was open to a coalition with any party "without exception".
Ben Ali was toppled in an uprising that sparked region-wide revolts which claimed their latest Arab strongman last Thursday with the killing of Moammar Gadhafi of Libya.
Tunisia's electoral system was designed to include as many parties as possible in drafting the new constitution, expected to take a year, ahead of fresh national polls.
The current interim government will remain in power until the assembly appoints a new president, not expected before November 9.
About 100 Tunisians protested Tuesday outside the headquarters of the ISIE against "fraud" they claimed had marred the country's first-ever democratic vote.
"No, no to fraud," chanted the group of mainly young people, calling for a probe into the finances of parties like Ennahda, widely suspected of being propped up by Gulf countries despite a ban on foreign funding for parties contesting the election. But the European Union observer mission declared itself "satisfied" with the conduct of the polls, which it said were transparent with only "minor irregularities".Source Agence France Presse

Desperate Hunt for Survivors after Turkey Quake
Naharnet /Rescuers on Tuesday pulled a pregnant woman and her two children alive from the rubble 35 hours after a devastating earthquake killed at least 366 people in eastern Turkey, reviving fading hopes of finding more survivors. Derya Coskun, her daughter Elif and son Ozer were plucked from the debris in Ercis, the town worst hit by Sunday's 7.2 magnitude quake in Van province, media reports said. Search teams working round the clock also pulled police officer Serkan Uzun and his wife Havva from the wreckage of a public building early Tuesday, television footage showed. Another survivor, 22-year-old Abdullah Pinti, told how he was in a coffee house when the quake struck.
"I immediately hid myself under the table ... I curled myself up and pulled my head into my stomach," he told reporters, while lying on a stretcher with his face covered in black dust.
A medical worker at the local stadium, which has been transformed into a make-shift field hospital, said as he brought in one elderly survivor: "In one hour, it's the seventh miracle that we have saved, including a one-year-old baby."
But with each hour that passes the chances of further rescues fades. "Tomorrow, it will no doubt be the end of hope," he added.
In Van city, the desperately sad and pleading eyes of a 34-year-old man whose nine-month-old nephew was lying beneath piles of rubble spoke volumes.
"We recovered his baby bed," he said. "God willing we will find him alive too," he said, without diverting his eyes from the scene where the rescue operation continued.
The man said his brother, the baby's father, was also under the collapsed building. Residents meanwhile spent a second night outside in freezing temperatures.
"I am still trembling... As long as those aftershocks go on, we will stay in the street," Gulizar, a Kurdish woman in her 40s, told Agence France Presse as she tried to keep warm in front of a makeshift fire in Van city center. With night-time temperatures expected to dip to two degrees Celsius (36 Fahrenheit) and snow forecast for Wednesday, residents took shelter anywhere they could -- some in cars, tents and others under just a blanket. The confirmed death toll from the tremor, which struck around lunchtime on Sunday, stood at 366 with about 1,300 people injured, the government said Tuesday. A total of 2,200 buildings collapsed as a result of the quake and aftershocks, including a dormitory in Ercis under which many students were believed to be buried.
"Our house was badly damaged. We will live like this maybe for one or two weeks," said 34-year-old Zuleyha, who was staying in her car with her husband and five-year-old son.
Another resident, named only as Nebahat, said: "We have no heater; we received no blankets, not even pain killers.""We have been freezing all night; we only had three blankets which I managed to take from my home." The football pitch in Ercis has been transformed into a sea of tents set up by the Red Crescent as the stadium serves as a make-shift field hospital. About 1,500 units of blood have been sent to the region. The government said about 2,400 search and rescue teams from 45 cities and more than 200 ambulances were deployed across the disaster-struck area. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said 10 countries had offered to send emergency teams but the government had declined the offers for now. Though Iran, which felt the tremor as well in its northwestern cities, has sent rescuers and equipment. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Monday said his country "stands ready" to help and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, with whom relations have become frosty over the past year, telephoned Erdogan to tell him that Israel "is ready to help Turkey in this painful time," Anatolia reported.
The Turkish Red Crescent has sent some 7,500 tents, more than 22,000 blankets, almost 4,000 heaters and 1,000 body bags to the region. A mobile bakery and 21 mobile kitchens were also sent to Van. In 1999, two strong quakes in northwest Turkey's heavily populated and industrialized regions left some 20,000 dead. A powerful earthquake in the town of Caldiran in Van province killed 3,840 people in 1976.Source Agence France Presse

Sixty Israeli drones co-produced in Azerbaijan for Baku. Spy satellites next
DEBKAfile Special Report/ October 25, 2011/

 Azerbaijan's election to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council brings to the world body for the next two years a government which has cultivated lively military and economic ties with Israel.
Those ties are constantly challenged by Turkey's military industries, giving Ankara yet another reason to scowl at Jerusalem. Russia, Armenia and Iran also view this collaboration with distrust, especially the rapid arming of the Azerbaijan army with assorted types of Israeli drones co-produced in new factories established in Azerbaijan.
Both Moscow and Tehran are actively looking for ways to torpedo this expanding military partnership.
debkafile's military sources report that within the next two months, the Azerbaijan army will take delivery of 60 drones of two types, the Orbiter 2M, whose altitude ceiling is 4-6 kilometers and can stay in the air up to 5 hours; and Aerostar, which can go as high as 10 kilometers and stay aloft for 12 hours. Seventy percent of their components are manufactured in Israel, 30 percent in the new Azerbaijan factories.
This collaboration may be just the beginning. At the end of September, Yavar Jamalov, Azerbaijan's Minister of Defense Industry, talked about building missile-carrying drones. It was the first hint that the two governments had reached terms on joint production of this advanced unmanned aerial craft. Our sources report he was referring to the Hermes 450 produced by Elbit, having already absorbed the Hermes 450 in his armed forces. According to Western intelligence sources, Jerusalem and Baku are also deep in discussion on the sale of Israeli military spy satellites.Tehran is worried. debkafile's Iranian sources report that in addition to the radar stations Israel has installed on the Caspian shore with an open eye on Iran, it is about to acquire bases in Azerbaijan for long-range drones able to keep the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites under surveillance.
Turkey, for its part, made an unsuccessful effort to freeze Israel out of the Azerbaijan drone market.
On a recent visit to Baku, the Secretary of Military Industry at the Turkish defense ministry, Murat Bayar, tried to persuade the government to buy its long-range Anka drone instead of the Israeli tactical aerial vehicle. He promised Turkish financing for the construction of a special factory in Azerbaijan. However, the prototype of the Turkish drone is still under construction and won't be finished until next year. Only then will it starting gaining operational experience. The Azerbaijanis did not say no to the Turkish official but invited him to come back after the finished drone had been put through its paces.
On Sept. 12, an Israel-made and operated drone with Azerbaijan Air Force markings was downed over the Martuni district of Nagorno Karabach, with which Azerbaijan is at war.
The Nagorno Karabakh Ministry of Defense in the capital of Stepanakert said the Azerbaijani drone had been brought down "as a result of ‘special measures’ taken by its antiaircraft units.”
In its Sept. 22 issue 510, DEBKA-Net-Weekly's military sources reporting the incident interpreted those “special measures” as a combination of Russian antiaircraft officers who entered the tiny Caucasian republic from neighboring Armenia and advanced anti-drone equipment owned by Nagorno Karabakh's antiaircraft defense units.
Western sources believe Moscow had the Azerbaijani drone shot down as a one-off incident for four objectives:
1. A hands-off road sign to Israel to stay out of the Caspian Sea region and its conflicts.
Moscow has taken note of Israel's deepening economic and military footholds in four countries: Azerbaijan, which is the largest, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Georgia, and regards its supply of arms to these countries as unwanted interference in Russia's backyard.
2. Revenge for Israel reneging on its 2009 commitment to build a drone factory in Russia. Moscow decided to confront Israeli drone technicians with Russian antiaircraft crews with an unwinnable ambush.3. Moscow was also telling Tehran that it was serious about cooperating with the Iran to safeguard its rights in the Caspian Sea and willing to use diplomatic, military and intelligence means to halt the spread of Azerbaijani and Israeli influence in the region.
4. The Defense Ministry in Stepanakert published pictures of the downed drone deliberately exposing its camera as a warning to Jerusalem and Baku that if Azerbaijani drones continue to fly, Moscow may turn the drone's wreckage over to Iranian intelligence experts and let them unravel its secrets.