LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
10/2011
Bible Quotation for today.
Isaiah 5/20-30/Woe to the oppressors
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and
light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to
those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe to
those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice for the innocent! Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the
stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as
rottenness,
and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of
Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore Yahweh’s anger burns against his people, and he has stretched out his
hand against them, and has struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead
bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not
turned away, but his hand is still stretched out. He will lift up a banner
to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth.
Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly. None shall be weary nor
stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of
their waist be untied, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: whose
arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses’ hoofs will be like
flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lioness.
They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and
carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver.
They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one
looks to the land behold, darkness and distress. The light is darkened in its
clouds.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
The partnerships we need/By
USA President Barack Obama/September
09/11
Samir Geagea is nothing if not
blunt these days/Now Lebanon/September
09/11
The new patriarch/By: Hazem
al-Amin/September
09/11
Patriarch Rai, you’re wrong/By:
Michael Young/September 9/11
Turkey’s foreign policy shift/By:
Tony Badran/September
09/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources
for September 09/11
Erdogan drives toward armed clash
with Israel. Oil and gas at stake
7 Dead as Syrian Protesters Flood
Streets, Urge Int'l Protection
Israel to ‘punish’ Turkey
U.N. Chief Says Palestinian
Statehood 'Long Overdue'
Iran Tells U.N. it Will Hit Back at
Any Attack
Interpol Issues Arrest Notice for
Gadhafi, Son Seif
Erdogan Lashes Out at Assad, Says
he ‘Lost his Legitimacy’
Syria Opposition Lobbies Russia for
Support
Al-Rahi Says Israeli Withdrawal
before Hizbullah Lays Down Arms
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros
al-Rai: We support the STL if it is not politicized
Jamaa Islamiya to al-Rahi, Aoun:
Inciting Sectarian Feelings Won't Benefit Anyone
Mikati describes Aoun as a “joke,”
US cable says
Aoun: The Syrian Regime Will Not
Fall
Mustaqbal, Berri Dispute Hinder
Agreement on Funding STL
Agreement to Fund STL to be Reached
ahead of Suleiman’s U.S. Visit
Jumblat Urges Parliament to Adopt
Electricity Project
Electricity Draft Law Set as
Priority at Parliament
Beirut Rally Backs Syrian Activists
Call for Int'l Protection
Marada Movement official Youssef
Saadeh condemns leaked US cable on MP Sleiman Franjieh
New TV sheds light on Lebanese
detainees in Syria
Kataeb Party students protest
against “Hezbollah’s practices”
Lebanese Forces bloc MP George
Adwan comments on patriarch’s stances
Development and Liberation bloc MP
Qassem Hashem hails “wise” views of patriarch
Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP
Talal Arslan commends patriarch’s views on Syria
Syrian Ambassador Ali to Lebanon
Abdel-Karim dismisses U.S. sanctions against him
Patriarch
Rai, you’re wrong
Michael Young, September 9, 2011
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=309727&MID=0&PID=0
Perhaps I’m alone, but in recent months almost no significant remark from
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai has failed to disappoint me.
Rai’s first priority always was to renew the Maronite Church, and no doubt he
deserves more time to carry forward such a thorny project. The patriarch has
certainly seemed more lively to his coreligionists than his predecessor, thanks
to his energy and ubiquity. But he has also tended to pronounce far too much,
especially on Lebanon’s public affairs, betraying a profound yearning to be a
political player.
Soon after taking office in March, Rai announced that he intended to travel to
Syria. In that way he hoped to signal a clean break with Patriarch Nasrallah
Sfeir. However, he didn’t have to take such a hasty step, one soon made
irrelevant by the outbreak of the Syrian intifada, when he had more urgent
priorities at home. It looked like the patriarch was currying favor with
Damascus, and nothing that Rai has done since then has shown this interpretation
to be false.
More disturbing, in May the patriarch made an ill-advised statement on the Taif
Accord. After meeting an Aounist parliamentarian, Neematallah Abi Nasr, Rai
observed that the Taif “has flaws and needs to be reformed.” He went on to
insist that the powers of the president should be expanded. “We are with the
equal division of shares between Christians and Muslims, but we do not support
it when the president has no power to make a decision,” he declared.
Evidently, it didn’t occur to the patriarch that before Taif can be reformed,
the accord needs to be implemented in full, otherwise its amendment will appear
selective. And for it to be implemented in full requires ending sectarian quotas
in parliament, therefore the 50-50 ratio of Christians to Muslims. In condemning
Taif, all Rai did was articulate Christian, particularly Maronite, resentment
toward the current state of confessional affairs in Lebanon. He would be much
more useful injecting self-confidence into his flock and finding ways for
Christians to reach a mutually advantageous modus vivendi with the Muslim
majority, in that way arresting their demographic decline.
This week Rai blundered again, with perfectly reckless comments on the uprising
in Syria, offered up in separate contexts. The cycle started when the patriarch,
deploying high ecclesiastical ambiguity while on a visit to Paris, wondered in a
France 24 interview, “Are we heading in Syria toward a Sunni-Alawite civil war?
This, then, is a genocide and not democracy and reform. Are we heading toward a
division of Syria into sectarian mini-states?” Rai then warned the French, “What
we are asking of the international community and France is not to rush into
resolutions that strive to change regimes.”
The essence of the message was relatively clear. Rai fears for Syria’s
Christians, who have been well treated under the Alawite-dominated regime of
Bashar al-Assad, therefore it is best for everyone to think twice before pushing
for the Syrian president’s removal. But what did Rai mean by “genocide”?
Genocide by whom? Of whom? If he was warning in absolute terms against the
consequence of civil war, then it’s true that such a catastrophe would lead to
horrifying bloodshed, which may well resemble a genocide of all Syrians.
However, that interpretation merits two responses. Until now it is principally
the Assad regime that has brought together all the ingredients that may plunge
Syria into civil war, not the opposition, which by and large has stuck to its
strategy of peaceful protest. It is also the regime that, if its authority
begins slipping, will consider reverting to a strategy of establishing an
Alawite mini-state to guarantee its survival. In other words, maintaining the
Assads in power is likely to trigger the very consequences that Rai fears most.
Secondly, when Rai mentions “genocide,” are we sure that deep down he actually
means a genocide of all Syrians—Alawites, Sunnis, Christians, Druze and what
have you? Genocide usually involves a specific ethnic group, and even if the
patriarch might defend himself by saying that he’s worried for everyone, the
tortuous structure of his phrasing, his resort to a sectarian argument, suggests
a more focused anxiety. What appears mainly to alarm Rai—quite understandably,
if narrowly—is that war in Syria may lead to a Christian genocide. After all,
who do patriarchs ever lose sleep over but their own?
According to a tweet by Antoine Haddad of the Democratic Renewal Movement, in
his meeting with Rai, French President Nicolas Sarkozy cautioned that Bashar
al-Assad was finished and that Christians had to prepare for such an outcome and
work toward the establishment of a civil state. If that exchange indeed took
place, it reveals French impatience with the patriarch, and it is also excellent
advice.
A Lebanese cleric has no business publicly telling the international community
how it must address the Syrian situation. It is even less Rai’s business to
implicitly take the side of a despot against his own people—a people that the
Assads and their security organs have been slaughtering for months. No need to
mention Christian doctrine here and the injunction against killing, because the
patriarch apparently operates on an elevated plane of strategic contemplation.
And it is not Rai’s business to send a message to those protesting in Syria that
Christians and their religious representatives sympathize with the tyrant—let
alone to commit all Maronites to such a controversial stance—because if anything
will harm the future Christian presence in Syria if the Assads fall, and in
Lebanon, it is such a perception.
For the Christians to survive in the Middle East, they must be on the side of
democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Only democracy and genuinely civil
orders, to borrow from Sarkozy, can truly protect them—not a sordid game of
alliances with other minorities, particularly repressive minorities. Bolstering
butchers will spell the end for the Christians, and Bechara Rai should know that
by now.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut and
author of The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life
Struggle. He tweets
Blunt words/Samir Geagea is nothing
if not blunt these days
Now Lebanon/September 8, 2011
Samir Geagea is nothing if not blunt these days. In an interview on Lebanon’s
MTV on Monday, the Lebanese Forces leader criticized Syrian and Lebanese
Christians who support the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
because they believe he guarantees their perpetuity and fear a civil war if he
were toppled. Geagea argued that for the Levant’s Christian community to rely on
dictators would be akin to polluting the very essence of that in which they
believed, and if that were the case, they really shouldn’t deserve a presence in
the region at all. Strong stuff, but someone has to say it, and Geagea, since
his release from jail in 2005 after 11 years of incarceration, is making up for
lost time. His rhetoric has been consistent in that he has never veered from his
core message of the supremacy of the state above all else and the democratic
principles upon which that state should be founded. It is no surprise,
therefore, that he rejects the idea that is (naturally) peddled by the March 8
bloc that the Syrian regime cannot be allowed to fall. And yet what does the
regime offer other than a predisposition to gunning down peaceful protesters?
And just what do Lebanon’s Christians—or all Lebanese for that matter—have to
thank Syria for? For nigh on 30 years of occupation during which time its
security services infected every nook and cranny of the state? For creating a
system of corruption and embezzlement? For detaining or even murdering Lebanese
citizens who were thought to oppose Syria’s presence in the country? Suddenly
this is the regime to guarantee stability? Stability maybe, but growth,
development and progress, hardly.
Geagea understands what the Arab nations do not: that a clean cut heals faster.
He understands that the current Arab League initiative for Syria that proposes a
joint reform process between the ruling Baath Party and the opposition will
never work and that every pledge of reform has always been underpinned with a
safety valve that will give the Baath an edge over the opposition. So should we
blindly support a regime that has no redeeming qualities, that has been ruled by
the same family for four decades and that has killed over 2,200 of its people
simply because we don’t know what will come next? There were similar fears when
the Communist era ended. Many doom mongers predicted that the former Eastern
Bloc countries would be perfect breeding grounds for the rise of a new Fascism,
but instead they have by and large flourished. Why not in the Middle East?
No one is saying that overnight Syria will become the Estonia of the region, a
Levantine tiger if you like. Or that Egypt will suddenly realize its vast
potential. But we cannot both acknowledge the gains made by the people of
Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen and support the ongoing struggle of Bahrain’s Shia
community if we at the same time cannot bring ourselves to recognize that it is
time for the Assad regime to step down and start the process of building genuine
democratic institutions in Syria.
Not rocking the boat, maintaining the status quo, is a particularly Arab
sentiment. And look where it has got us. Only this year has the Arab world
awoken to the fact that they have been conned for over a century by autocratic
dictators whose message has always been “Après moi, le deluge.”
And this is precisely the message that the Syrian regime is sending the
Christians, when the reality is that it is President Assad who is using the
minority as a cover for his own survival. The people of Syria need our support,
not our self-interest.
Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem hails
“wise” views of patriarch
September 9, 2011 /Development and Liberation bloc MP Qassem Hashem on Friday
praised Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai’s “wise” views regarding
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.“Adopting the position of the
patriarch is the key to preserving Lebanon,” Hashem said after Rai called for
granting Assad “another chance.”
The MP was quoted as saying by the National News Agency that Rai’s views
“represent an objective assessment of the events and a wise capacity to confront
challenges.”
Rai said that Syria’s Assad is “open-minded” and should be given more chances to
implement the reforms he already launched.
Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against almost five decades of
Baath rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 2,200 people and triggering a
torrent of international condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan commends patriarch’s views on
Syria
September 9, 2011 /Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan on Friday
commended Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai’s position vis-à-vis Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.“The patriarch’s position is extremely wise
and responsible,” Arslan said in a statement, after Rai called for granting
Assad “another chance.”“The patriarch knows that [the West] does not care about
freeing the people and only wants to control [Syria],” the MP added.He also said
that Rai’s stances are “historical” and called for “being responsive to his
reasonable views.”Rai said that Syria’s Assad is “open-minded” and should be
given more chances to implement the reforms he already launched in his country.”
Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against almost five decades of
Baath rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 2,200 people and triggering a
torrent of international condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan comments on patriarch’s stances
September 9, 2011 /Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan commented on Friday on
the statement of Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai regarding Syria and
Hezbollah’s weapons.“We will separate between our ties with [the patriarchate]
and its stances,” Adwan told LBC television, after Rai said on Thursday that
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be given “more chances.”Adwan also said
that the Maronite Patriarchate has “certain principles that it cannot abandon.”
He also reiterated the LF’s support for the Syrian pro-democracy protestors.The
MP commented on Rai’s remarks concerning Hezbollah’s use of non-state weapons,
saying, “We have sacrificed a lot to have a strong state; we want the state to
pursue liberating the land by means of legitimate powers and diplomatic ties. We
do not want to provide excuses for [having a] statelet.”On Thursday, Rai said
that “the international community must help liberate the land [occupied by
Israel] and [achieve] the Palestinians’ right of return. Then, we will tell
Hezbollah to hand over its weapons because they will no longer be needed.”He
also said that Syria’s Assad is “open-minded” and should be given more chances
to implement the reforms he already launched.Assad’s troops have cracked down on
protests against almost five decades of Baath rule which broke out mid-March,
killing over 2,200 people and triggering a torrent of international
condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
Kataeb Party students protest against “Hezbollah’s practices”
September 8, 2011 /tudents belonging to the Kataeb Party rallied on Thursday
evening in Beirut to protest against “Hezbollah’s practices” on Lebanese
territory.“Hundreds of youths marched from the Kataeb headquarters in Saifi
toward the Grand Serail [in Downtown Beirut] to protest against daily violations
committed by Hezbollah in Lebanon,” according to a statement issued by
Kataeb.The statement said that “the youths have had it with Hezbollah’s breaches
and use of arms.”“The demonstrators sent a letter to Prime Minister Najib Mikati,
in which they objected to the silence of the Lebanese state vis-a-vis
[Hezbollah’s] daily violations in areas like [the Jbeil town of] Lasa as well as
the Metn, Jezzine, Keserwan and other [areas].” The protesters called on the
Lebanese state to “prevent any [non-state] party from using arms” in the
country. Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel last week accused Hezbollah of being
responsible for creating “its own statelet” and “acting like the Zionists” in
Lebanon.Several incidents occurred in towns populated by Hezbollah supporters,
such as Lasa, where residents assaulted security forces and a Maronite
delegation on August 19. March 14 parties have been calling for ending
Hezbollah’s arms use.-NOW Lebanon
The new patriarch
Hazem al-Amin, /Now Lebanon/September 9, 2011
Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai’s visit to France has predictably
deepened the long-standing misunderstanding between Christians and their Western
mentor. It seems that Rai is not knowledgeable about Western political and
cultural sensitivities without which there can be no relation with the West.
Eastern Christians, particularly Lebanese Christians, who picked up the early
signs of this sensitivity long before everyone else, are these days afflicted by
a political, religious and social representation with little knowledge about the
relation with the West.
Any observer of Rai’s visit to Paris might think for a while that the man
visited the French capital in his capacity as an envoy of the Syrian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. His statements on most legs of the visit all emphasized one
issue, namely “granting the Syrian regime a chance to complete its reforms.”
There were other variations around this same theme, including the fear
pertaining to an extremist alternative Syrian regime.
On another occasion before the patriarch went to the Elysée to meet with French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, news agencies distributed a mysterious statement
imputed to Rai, who reportedly said that “the events in Syria are genocide
rather than reforms.” The statement, however, was withdrawn from circulation as
soon as Rai went into the meeting!
We will not discuss here the dangers incurred by the Christians in Syria and
Lebanon as a result of the Maronite Patriarchate’s support for the Syrian
regime, nor will we tackle the implications of the intimate picture that brought
Rai with the Syrian ambassador to Beirut on the very day when the Syrian
regime’s forces were pounding Hama. Rather, we will tackle the implications of
the disparity between the Lebanese Christian stance and the Western/European
one, especially with regard to Syria and other related issues.
The local culture, colorful and enlightened though it may be, will not protect
regional minorities. Such a culture is the antidote of diversity and difference,
and the only hope for these minorities – especially Christian ones – lies with
Western protection. This clear statement, which would better not be made in
public, represents the genuine conviction of Christians, not to mention others.
The partisans of the “majority” culture and those who joined them as of late
might ask: In what case did the West protect minorities in the Middle East? The
question emanates, in this case, from a culture that is parallel to the majority
culture and that is inclined to diabolize the West and brandish “conspiracy” as
its main creed. There is no harm, however, in a sterile enumeration of stages
during which the West was involved in protecting minorities:
In Lebanon specifically, and in various stages of the civil war, the demarcation
line between fighting parties represented an imaginary line, which Islamist (and
leftist) organizations and militias supported by the PLO – and later on by Syria
– were banned from crossing by this same diabolized West. Had it been crossed,
which could have been easily feasible, this would have dealt a sure blow not
only to Christian parties, but also to the Christian presence.
In Iraq, Kurds would not have had their autonomous province were it not for the
West’s partiality to this option back in 1991. This started with [then-French
President] François Mitterand’s friendship with the Kurds and their mountains,
and was extended by the US direct intervention to protect the Kurdish
experience. In Turkey, European pressure on successive governments in Ankara was
the mainstay of Kurdish grievances in that country.
In states such as Syria and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, governments were addressing a
Western mood with regard to their sponsorship of Christians. In other words, the
party to the discussion on the situation of minorities was not the Christian
conscience, but rather a wish to appear as an entity treating a minority with
fairness in order to express a majority grievance. The West emerges, in this
case too, as a protector of Christians one way or another.
Patriarch Rai’s stance on the Syrian uprising today is, once again, a far cry
from the conclusive Western and European stance on the Syrian regime. The
repercussions of this fact will affect, in turn, the Syrian presence since the
West’s growing feeling that Christians (or their representatives) are drawing
away from the values it cherishes is bound to eventually affect its relation
with them.
Still, Rai’s visit to Paris is characterized by other worrying implications.
Indeed, his discordant statements on more than one occasion revealed an
unprecedented confusion within the community he represents. For instance, let us
have a quick look at the Maronite patriarch’s statement on Hezbollah’s weapons.
It would be a losing bet for anyone endeavoring to define what the man meant
with these statements from Paris and whether the patriarch is in favor of having
Hezbollah retain its weapons or, on the contrary, of disarming it and
assimilating its weapons.
**This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW
Arabic site on Friday September 9, 2011
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai: We support the STL if it is not
politicized
September 8, 2011 /Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai on Thursday voiced
support for the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) “on the condition
that it is not politicized.”“We support the STL on the condition that it is not
politicized or forged,” Rai told Al-Arabiya television. He said in a reference
to Hezbollah that “those who oppose the tribunal must wait for the results of
[the probe].” “[Justice] is a need for all people… it must be free and not
politicized,” the patriarch added. Asked about Hezbollah’s arms, Rai said that
“the international community must help liberate the land [occupied by Israel]
and [achieve] the Palestinians’ right of return. Then, we will tell Hezbollah to
hand over its weapons because they will no longer be needed.”The STL last month
indicted four Hezbollah members for the 2005 assassination of former Premier
Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group ruled out the arrest of the four suspects.
The March 14 coalition has been calling for putting an end to non-state arms,
including Hezbollah’s weapons. -NOW Lebanon
Al-Rahi Says Israeli Withdrawal before Hizbullah Lays Down
Arms
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s statements to al-Arabiya
television will trigger wide responses locally, especially among the March
14-led opposition that had already criticized them, al-Liwaa newspaper reported
on Friday. Sources told the newspaper that al-Rahi’s statements will have an
impact on the Christians in Lebanon and they will confuse them.
Former Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir also expressed his dissatisfaction with al-Rahi’s
statements. The daily said that the ex-Patriarch might outspokenly object to
them in the next Maronite Bishops Council meeting. Al-Rahi told al-Arabiya on
Thursday that sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shiites may emerge if the
Syrian government is overthrown.
“If the regime changes in Syria, and the Sunnis take over, they will form an
alliance with the Sunnis in Lebanon, which will worsen the situation between the
Shiites and the Sunnis,” al-Rahi said. He warned that the Christians will pay
the price if the Muslim brotherhood succeeded Syrian President Bashar Assad. In
addition, the Patriarch voiced support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
probing the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri “on condition that it is
not politicized Asked about Hizbullah’s arms, he responded: “The international
community must pressure Israel to withdraw from the occupied Lebanese
territories … and fulfill the Palestinians’ right of return, and consequently
Hizbullah will have to lay down its arms.”Concerning the Syrian people uprising,
al-Rahi urged the international community to grant Assad more time to implement
reforms and resume dialogue with the opposition. “Assad cannot make miracles…
The Lebanese have suffered from the Syrian regime’s meddling, however, I want to
be objective,” he added. Al-Liwaa newspaper noted that LBC wondered if the
Patriarch will reiterate his stances during his visit to Washington, or if his
stances in France will affect it, “especially since his stances in Paris were
not welcomed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the French officials.”
Jamaa Islamiya to al-Rahi, Aoun: Inciting Sectarian
Feelings Won't Benefit Anyone
Naharnet /Lebanon’s branch of the Jamaa Islamiya on Friday criticized Maronite
Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s latest stances on the Syrian crisis.
“Any person has the right to express his stances and viewpoints, but we
were not expecting such a stance from His Eminence, especially that he deduced
that any change achieved by the Syrian people would have negative repercussions
on the ties among the Lebanese communities,” the Jamaa Islamiya said in a
statement. It also criticized “Change and Reform bloc
chief MP Michel Aoun’s remarks, in which he lauded Patriarch al-Rahi’s stances
and warned that Christians will be marginalized if the regime changes” in Syria.
Al-Rahi’s concerns are “refuted by a long history, which has proven that
the Lebanese communities have been coexisting for long decades without any fear
or apprehension, and that Muslims are totally keen on the best relation amongst
each other and with the other Lebanese components,” the Jamaa added.
Recalling the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Islamist group reminded al-Rahi
that “all the components of the Iraqi people, without exception, have suffered
the woes of occupation, killings and displacement, and most of the times the
Muslims paid the biggest price.”“Therefore, any comparison in this regard would
not be based on fair standards,” the Jamaa noted. It
warned that “inciting sectarian and non-sectarian sentiments in these very
circumstances will not benefit any of the region’s communities.”
The group called for “reactivating Islamic-Christian dialogue, which is apt to
reassure all communities, away from the approach of suspicion and
prejudgment.”“Let us leave peoples decide their own fate,” the Jamaa urged.
Al-Rahi told Al-Arabiya television on Thursday that sectarian tensions
between Sunnis and Shiites may emerge if the Syrian government is overthrown.
“If the regime changes in Syria, and the Sunnis take over, they will form
an alliance with the Sunnis in Lebanon, which will worsen the situation between
the Shiites and the Sunnis,” al-Rahi said. He warned
that the Christians will pay the price if the Muslim Brotherhood succeeded
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Al-Rahi also urged the international community
to grant Assad more time to implement reforms and resume dialogue with the
opposition.
The partnerships we need
09/09/2011
By Barack Obama
On this 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, we
remember that 9/11 was not only an attack on the United States, it was an attack
on the world and on the humanity and hopes that we share.
We remember that among the nearly 3,000 innocent people lost that day were
hundreds of citizens from more than 90 nations. They were men and women, young
and old, of many races and faiths. On this solemn anniversary we join with their
families and nations in honoring their memory.
We remember with gratitude how ten years ago the world came together as one.
Around the globe, entire cities came to a standstill for moments of silence.
People offered their prayers in churches, mosques, synagogues and other places
of worship. And those of us in the United States will never forget how people in
every corner of the world stood with us in solidarity in candlelight vigils and
among the seas of flowers placed at our embassies.
We remember that in the weeks after 9/11, we acted as an international
community. As part of a broad coalition, we drove al Qaeda from its training
camps in Afghanistan, toppled the Taliban, and gave the Afghan people a chance
to live free from terror. However, the years that followed were difficult and
the spirit of global partnership we felt after 9/11 frayed.
As President, I’ve worked to renew the global cooperation we need to meet the
full breadth of global challenges that we face. Through a new era of engagement,
we’ve forged partnerships with nations and peoples based on mutual interest and
mutual respect.
As an international community, we have shown that terrorists are no match for
the strength and resilience of our citizens. I’ve made it clear that the United
States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Rather, with allies and
partners we are united against al Qaeda, which has attacked dozens of countries
and killed tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children — the vast
majority of them Muslims. This week, we remember all the victims of al Qaeda and
the courage and resilience with which their families and fellow citizens have
persevered, from the Middle East to Europe, from Africa to Asia.
Working together, we have disrupted al Qaeda plots, eliminated Osama bin Laden
and much of his leadership, and put al Qaeda on the path to defeat. Meanwhile,
people across the Middle East and North Africa are showing that the surest path
to justice and dignity is the moral force of nonviolence, not mindless terrorism
and violence. It is clear that violent extremists are being left behind and that
the future belongs to those who want to build, not destroy.
To nations and people seeking a future of peace and prosperity — you have a
partner in the United States. For even as we confront economic challenges at
home, the United States will continue to play a unique leadership role in the
world. As we remove the rest of our troops from Iraq and transfer responsibility
in Afghanistan, we will support Iraqis and Afghans in their efforts to deliver
security and opportunity for their people. In the Arab world and beyond, we will
stand up for the dignity and universal rights of all human beings.
Around the world, we will continue the hard work of pursuing peace, promoting
the development that lifts people from poverty, and advancing the food security,
health and good governance that unleashes the potential of citizens and
societies.
At the same time, we have recommitted ourselves to living our values at home. As
a nation of immigrants, the United States welcomes people from every country and
culture. These newest Americans — like all the innocent victims we lost ten
years ago—remind us that despite any differences of race or ethnicity,
background or belief, we are all bound together by the common hope that we can
make the world a better place for this and future generations. That must be the
legacy of those we have lost.
Those who attacked us on 9/11 wanted to drive a wedge between the United States
and the world. They failed. On this 10th anniversary, we are united with our
friends and partners in remembering all those we have lost in this struggle. In
their memory, we reaffirm the spirit of partnership and mutual respect that we
need to realize a world where all people live in dignity, freedom and peace.
Beirut Rally Backs Syrian Activists Call for Int'l Protection
Naharnet /A number of Lebanese activists, journalists, intellectuals and
politicians on Thursday staged a sit-in at the Samir Qassir Square in downtown
Beirut in support for “the freedom and dignity of the Syrian
people.”Simultaneously, a group of supporters of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad, who belong to a number of Lebanese political parties, gathered outside
the Beirut Municipality in the center of the capital, carrying Syrian flags and
pictures of Assad and shouting slogans in support of the Syrian leader and his
regime, state-run National News Agency reported. Security forces deployed in the
area prevented any clash between the rival rallies. Speaking on behalf of the
organizers of the pro-Syrian uprising rally, activist Saleh al-Mashnouq said:
“We reject that Lebanon, the representative of Lebanese and Arabs at the U.N.,
be a real partner in the attack against the Syrian people.”“Lebanon should
rather be in its normal position, alongside the majority of Lebanese and Arab
people who are opposed to the crimes against humanity being committed. A camp
for Syrian refugees must also be set up in Lebanon, where they would feel secure
and be treated according to the standards of human dignity,” Mashnouq added. “We
declare our full support for the demands of the Syrians who are seeking
international protection for civilians by all means possible. We call on all the
Arab leaders to take a historic decision and achieve this Syrian demand, and we
also urge all human rights organizations concerned to stand by these refugees,”
he went on to say. Present at the rally were MPs Khaled al-Daher, Marwan Hamade,
Ahmed Fatfat and Khaled Zahraman; ex-education minister Hassan Mneimneh; ex-MPs
Fares Soaid and Elias Atallah; Democratic Renewal Movement secretary Antoine
Haddad; National Bloc chief Carlos Edde; and members of the March 14
general-secretariat
Erdogan Lashes Out at Assad, Says he ‘Lost his Legitimacy’
Naharnet /Turkish Prime Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a blistering attack on
the Syrian regime, saying President Bashar Assad had lost his legitimacy and
could lose power over his bloody crackdown on dissent. Syria's crackdown has
infuriated world powers, some of which imposed sanctions on the Damascus regime,
with fresh pressure piled on Assad from neighboring Turkey. "He who bases his
power on bloodshed will end up leaving in a trail of blood," the Turkish premier
told al-Jazeera television on Thursday. "Shadows loom over the legitimacy of
President Bashar Assad and his regime," Erdogan said. Turkey has been angered at
Syria's indifference to its repeated pleas to end months of bloodshed and has
been edging closer to calling on former ally Assad to quit, following appeals by
Western powers. **Source Agence France Presse
Marada Movement official Youssef Saadeh condemns leaked US cable on MP Sleiman
Franjieh
September 9, 2011 /Marada Movement official Youssef Saadeh on Friday condemned
the leaked US cable on his party leader, MP Sleiman Franjieh, and former US
Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison. According to a leaked US diplomatic cable
published by WikiLeaks, Franjieh told Sison on October 27, 2008 that “Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad had asked his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Sleiman, to
open direct negotiations with Israel during the latter’s August 13-14 visit to
Damascus.”Saadeh said in a statement that the Syrian president has announced his
country would engage in indirect negotiations with Israel through Turkish
mediation. He added that Assad told Sleiman that Lebanon should be part of the
indirect negotiations but denied that Lebanon was asked to be involved in direct
negotiations with the Jewish state. Also, according to Saadeh, Franjieh’s
comments to Sison did not come following a meeting between the Marada leader and
Assad.-NOW Lebanon
U.N. Chief Says Palestinian Statehood 'Long Overdue'
Naharnet /United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday said Palestinian
statehood was "long overdue", a day after its leadership launched a campaign to
become the world body's 194th member state. "The two state vision where Israel
and Palestinians can live... side by side in peace and security -- that is a
still a valid vision and I fully support it," he told reporters in Canberra.
"And I support also the statehood of Palestinians; an independent, sovereign
state of Palestine. It has been long overdue.""But... the recognition of a state
is something to be determined by the member states," he added. "It is not by the
Secretary General so I leave it to the member states to decide to recognize or
not to recognize."
Ban, who has been in Australia as part of a sweeping Pacific tour which has
taken him to New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and Kirabati, called for
"meaningful negotiations" to resolve the issue. The United Nations leader's
comments came after Palestinians Thursday launched their campaign to join the
U.N. Their "National Campaign for Palestine: State 194" is part of the build-up
to September 20, when President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to submit a formal
request that the U.N. accept Palestine as a member.
However, Washington has already confirmed it would veto any bid, a move also
opposed by Israel. The official Palestinian campaign of support for the bid got
under way with about 100 people marching to U.N. headquarters in the West Bank
Thursday to hand a letter to the U.N. representative asking that Ban support
them. If the bid is vetoed in the Security Council, the Palestinians plan to
turn to the General Assembly where they are expected to easily win the votes
needed to upgrade their representation from observer body to non-member state.
**Source Agence France Presse
Iran Tells U.N. it Will Hit Back at Any Attack
Naharnet/Iran Thursday warned it would "not hesitate" to hit back following a
foreign strike on its soil in a formal complaint to the United Nations over a
warning from French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy said last week that
Iran's "military, nuclear and ballistic ambitions constitute a growing threat
that may lead to a preventive attack against Iranian sites that would provoke a
major crisis that France wants to avoid at all costs." Iran's U.N. ambassador
said in a letter to U.N. leaders that his country would "not hesitate to act in
self-defense to respond to any attack against the Iranian nation." Iran would
"take appropriate defensive measures to protect itself," ambassador Mohammad
Khazaee told U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council, of
which France is one of the five permanent members. Sarkozy had made
"inflammatory remarks and baseless allegations," the envoy added.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its deep concern over, and strong
condemnation of such a provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible statement
against Iran," Khazaee said.
The French leader has been one of the most outspoken critics of Iran in the
western alliance, which has accused Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb.
In an August 31 speech to French ambassadors, Sarkozy did not say which country
might carry out the preventive attack.
But he said "Iran refuses to negotiate seriously" and declared that France would
work with its allies to build support for tougher international sanctions. The
UN Security Council has already passed four rounds of sanctions against Iran
over its enrichment program. The Iranian ambassador again denied the charge that
his country was seeking a nuclear weapon.
"Iran is a leading nation in rejecting and opposing all kinds of weapons of mass
destruction, including nuclear weapons," said Khazaee. "Moreover I wish to
reiterate my government's position that the Islamic Republic of Iran has no
intention to attack any other nations."The Security Council's Iran sanctions
committee has reported several violations of the arms embargo on Iran in recent
months. The United States and other western nations have called for a tighter
application of the sanctions. France, Britain, Germany and the United States
reported Iran's firing of a satellite in June to the U.N. sanctions committee as
a potential violation. They say the launcher could also be used to carry
missiles. The Western powers say Iran's move in August to transfer centrifuge
production to a secretive plant inside a mountain near Qom, south of Tehran, is
a new sign that its nuclear program is not peaceful. Arms flows have been
carried out through Syria, envoys say, and U.S. ambassador Susan Rice said this
week that more Security Council action could not be ruled out. Western diplomats
have highlighted however that, with the 15-nation Security Council already
battling over resolutions on Syria and Libya, more action on Iran could not be
envisaged in the next two or three months. Russia and China are in general both
strong opponents of sanctions measures. Both called this week for greater
diplomatic efforts to settle the nuclear standoff with Iran.
*Source Agence France Presse
Interpol Issues Arrest Notice for Gadhafi, Son Seif
Naharnet /World police body Interpol called Friday for the arrest of fugitive
former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for his alleged crimes against humanity,
following a request by the International Criminal Court. Interpol said it had
issued a "red notice" for the arrest of Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and his
intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, one day after ICC prosecutor Luis
Moreno-Ocampo asked for the agency's help. Interpol asked its 188 member
countries "to take all measures consistent with their national laws to help the
ICC locate and apprehend Gadhafi." The "request for Interpol Red Notices will
significantly restrict the ability of all three men to cross international
borders and is a powerful tool to help in their location and arrest," Interpol
chief Ronald Noble said. "Gadhafi is a fugitive whose country of nationality and
the International Criminal Court want arrested and held accountable for the
serious criminal charges that have been brought against him," the secretary
general said. A red notice by the international police co-operation agency,
which is based in the central French city of Lyon, seeks the arrest for an
extradition or surrender of a person to an international court based on an
arrest warrant. ICC judges on June 27 agreed to Moreno-Ocampo's request for
arrest warrants against Gadhafi, 69, Seif al-Islam, 39 and Senussi, 62, for
crimes against humanity committed by Libyan troops on their orders, using
"lethal force" to quell the uprising against his regime.
**Source Agence France Presse
Agreement to Fund STL to be Reached ahead of Suleiman’s
U.S. Visit
Naharnet /An agreement over overdue funds owed to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, totaling $32 million, is expected to be reached before President Michel
Suleiman travels to New York City on September 18 to take part in the United
Nations General Assembly, reported al-Liwaa daily on Friday. The funds could be
made through a budget surplus or treasury advance, revealed Prime Minister Najib
Miqati’s sources. They added: “Despite the fact that the government factions
have not yet revealed their cards over funding the STL, the current political
signals indicate that the funds will be provided even if the previous government
was responsible for the failure to make them.” The daily reported that Hizbullah
had informed Miqati that it prefers to discuss the STL funding at cabinet before
any step is taken in this matter, especially since a treasury advance only needs
the president, premier, and finance minister’s approval and not the
government’s. Al-Liwaa noted that the issue of Lebanon’s funding of the STL had
been brought up in the country since the head of the STL Defense Office Francois
Roux’s visit to the prime minister. Lebanon is obligated to pay a 49 percent
share of the STL’s funds. A debate has been sparked in Lebanon over the payment,
especially in light of Hizbullah’s repeated assertions that it will not
cooperate with the tribunal.
Mustaqbal, Berri Dispute Hinder Agreement on Funding STL
Naharnet /The political and verbal dispute between the Mustaqbal bloc and
Speaker Nabih Berri has forced the intervention of religious authorities in an
attempt ease the tensions between the two sides. Concerned sources told the
daily An Nahar in remarks published on Friday that the escalation could serve as
another obstacle in the impending debate over the funding of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. The Higher Islamic Shiite Council said in a statement on
Thursday: “The dispute has reached a new low verging on defamation against
national, political, and spiritual principles, especially those of such esteemed
figures as the parliament speaker.”The head of the Loyalty to the Resistance
bloc MP Mohammed Raad meanwhile launched a scathing attack against the Mustaqbal
bloc, accusing it, its MPs, and media outlets of adopting a “repulsive
rhetoric.”
“The depravity of this rhetoric has deliberately sought to destroy the last
remaining bridge of communication between the Lebanese,” he said.
“The Mustaqbal bloc’s conduct is threatening to destroy any possible agreement
between the Lebanese factions,” he added.
A prominent Mustaqbal sources meanwhile slammed the Higher Islamic Shiite
Council and Raad’s statements, describing the latter’s position as “the pinnacle
of political and intellectual terrorism.”It questioned the MP’s position, adding
that the majority of WikiLeaks cables that had been published so far only
targeted March 14 camp officials and the Mustaqbal daily’s publication of
WikiLeaks cables on March 8 camp officials mirrored March 8 media outlets’
publication of those cables.
“Why did that create such an uproar? Why are March 8 camp outlets allowed
release such cables while uproar is created when the Mustaqbal does the same?”
it wondered.
“Hizbullah and the Higher Islamic Shiite Council’s statements are attempts to
terrorize the media, cover up facts, and implement political terrorism,” it
stressed.
“This is a sign that the others don’t accept the idea of equality, but they want
to impose facts according to their views and this is the most dangerous threat
the country is facing,” it noted.
The source warned: “The violent rhetoric may justify the use of other methods
that Hizbullah had previously adopted.”Al-Mustaqbal published on Monday a leaked
U.S. Embassy cable saying that Berri had encouraged a military and a political
strike against Hizbullah during the July 2006 war so that the Israeli aggression
against Lebanon wouldn’t last long and so that the operation wouldn’t have any
repercussions.The Speaker later issued a statement denying the accusations.
New TV sheds light on Lebanese detainees in Syria
September 8, 2011 /New TV published on Thursday documents said to prove that
several Lebanese nationals are detained in Syria without having been
convicted.The station says that it has a list of Lebanese detainees in Syrian
prisons that details their conditions and calls for their extradition to
Lebanon. Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour told New TV that he does not
have information regarding the issue and added that the file should be in the
custody of Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi.Qortbawi, in turn, said that he
“needs more time” to gather information and promised to follow up on the matter,
the report also said.-NOW Lebanon
Aoun: The Syrian Regime Will Not Fall
Naharnet /Any official “who chooses to remain silent over the violations” of
Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, ISF Intelligence Bureau
chief Col. Wissam al-Hassan and State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza would be
“committing a crime,” Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said
Thursday.“Claims that we have surrendered to Miqati’s wish to keep Rifi,
al-Hassan and Mirza in their posts are untrue,” Aoun said in an interview with
LBC television. Asked about Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil’s
electricity plan, which was adopted by the government on Wednesday, Aoun said:
“When debate ends with unanimity, that means the result belongs to everyone.”
“The only amendment was dividing the funding into four annual installments and
everything else stayed the same as initially proposed,” he stressed. “There had
been efforts to fragment the plan and stretch the funding timetable to six
years, but the plan remained the same,” Aoun noted. Criticizing al-Mustaqbal
Movement’s stance on the plan, Aoun said “they’re claiming that their wished-for
amendments have been adopted, so let them vote in favor of the plan in
parliament.”
“The plan will help bring light to Lebanon after 20 years of darkness and the
fruitless spending of billions. This is the benefit that is motivating us and,
according to a poll by Information International, 67% of the Lebanese support
the plan, which means there is unanimity because the remaining 33% are stealing
power from the grid and not paying their bills,” the FPM leader added.He warned
that there will be no “independence, resistance or a country if we let
corruption aggravate.”“The finance minister (Mohammed Safadi) was allocated a
hefty amount of money without any portioning or supervision. Since 1995, there
has been no financial supervision over the Council for Development and
Reconstruction. Where is the financial supervision over the Central Fund for the
Displaced and the Council for South Lebanon.”
He stressed that the FPM is the only party in the government that has been
“abiding by the financial laws,” noting that his political movement will soon
suggest “the abolition of funds and the creation of a planning ministry.”Aoun
went on to say that former premier Saad Hariri’s “idleness in the face of
problems was the reason behind his ouster, while we are tackling them day after
day.” Lauding Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s latest stance on Syria, Aoun
described the patriarch’s position as “new, politically reasonable and falls
under a certain strategic perspective concerning the Middle East.”On Wednesday
al-Rahi said “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be given a chance because he
is implementing reforms in Syria.”
“I reassure that the Syrian regime will not fall and will carry on with the
reforms,” Aoun said.“I am with human rights, but would an alternative regime
support human rights? When some say they are against pluralistic rule, would
they be respecting human rights? There are no demonstrations at the moment, but
rather gunmen and security incidents only. When some try to topple the regime
through riots, the regime will defend itself and that is its right,” he
explained.Recalling the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Aoun said: “After the U.S.
army came to Iraq and Saddam Hussein was executed, what happened to the
post-dictatorship Iraq? Did it transit into democracy?”
“We are not calling for a dictatorial regime but rather for a democratic one” in
Syria, Aoun noted, but added that the West and some Arab countries “do not want
Syria to respect human rights but rather to sever ties with Hamas, Hizbullah and
Iran, even if the “Let those who are attacking the Syrian regime over human
rights throw their support behind the Palestinian people instead,” the FPM
leader suggested.“President Assad told me he will endorse political freedoms,”
Aoun revealed, stressing that “there can be no reform without security in Syria
and the regime won’t surrender in the face of the attempts to destabilize it, no
matter the pressures.”
'Terrorists' among Syrian Anti-Regime Protesters, Says
Medvedev
Naharnet /Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday that some Syrians
protesting against Bashar Al-Assad's regime are "terrorists" and that the world
should urge both sides to refrain from violence.In an interview with the
France-based news channel Euronews, Medvedev admitted the Syrian authorities had
been guilty of using "disproportionate force" against protesters, but called the
country a "friend" of Russia. "It's true that we recognize that there are
problems in Syria. We're aware of the disproportionate use of force, and of a
large number of victims, and it's something we disapprove of," he said,
according to a transcript provided by the network. "I have addressed myself
several times to President Assad on this, but I think that if we decided to
address a severe message to Syria, we should do the same thing to the
opposition," Medvedev continued, according to Euronews' translation.
"Those who are chanting anti-government slogans are very diverse people. Some
are clearly extremists, some could even be described as terrorists," he said,
distancing Moscow from the West's support for what it sees as a pro-democratic
revolt. "We are ready to back different approaches, but they should not be based
on a unilateral condemnation of the actions of the government and President
Assad. We should send a strong message to all the parties to the conflict," he
added. "Russia's interest in such a solution lies also in the fact that Syria is
a friendly country with which we have numerous economic and political ties."
While Washington and some European capitals are seeking tough economic sanctions
to pressure Assad to step down or at least to allow wholesale democratic reform,
Moscow has been an obstacle with veto power in the U.N. Security Council. France
has accused Assad's forces of committing "crimes against humanity" in its
crackdown, and Foreign Minister Alain Juppe met his Russian counterpart on
Wednesday to urge the Kremlin to join Western calls for change.
The United Nations says 2,200 people have been killed, most of them civilians,
since democracy protests flared in Syria in mid-March, another in the series of
anti-government uprisings to sweep the Arab world. Damascus blames the unrest on
"armed terrorist gangs" backed by Islamists and foreign agitators.**Source
Agence France Presse
Electricity Draft Law Set as Priority at Parliament
Naharnet/The electricity draft law on producing 700 megawatts of power will be
referred to parliament on Friday for it to be later referred to the joint
committees in order to avert any stalling in its adoption. Ministerial sources
told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Friday revealed that the
logistical preparations to refer the law to parliament have been complete.
Sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri added that the law will be set as a
priority at parliament in order to allow it to be adopted before the end of the
month.
Furthermore, they did not rule out the possibility of the joint parliamentary
committees holding more than one session on the law ahead of referring it to
parliament for approval.
Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s circles expressed their satisfaction with the
government’s adoption of the law, praising all sides for their productive drive
and hoping that this approach would be adopted by all other ministries.
Meanwhile, opposition parliamentary sources also voiced their satisfaction with
the cabinet’s work, hoping that the rules that have been placed on the draft law
would be respected.Mustaqbal bloc MP Mohammed Qabbani told al-Liwaa daily in
remarks published on Friday that these guidelines include the formation of the
electricity regulatory authority and negotiating with Arab funds to provide
Lebanon with the necessary low-interest loans.He added that the bloc has not yet
convened to take a final position on the law, saying that discussions on it will
be aimed at fortifying and not criticizing it.
Jumblat Urges Parliament to Adopt Electricity Project
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat hoped that the
electricity draft law would be adopted at parliament without any complications,
As Safir newspaper reported on Friday.“What happened during the cabinet meeting
is positive and approving the electricity project is an accomplishment,” he
said.He expressed optimism over the issue and hoped that the country “had
entered the phase of solving the chronic electricity crisis.”Jumblat urged the
cabinet to embark on achieving more accomplishments, “especially regarding the
administrative appointments, that will be eventually completed.”“There are
flagrant vacancies” that should be filled based on an individual’s competency
and efficiency, not his political affiliations, the MP stressed.On Wednesday,
the cabinet approved the electricity project proposed by FPM leader MP Michel
Aoun with several amendments, including the allocation of the $1.2 billion funds
in four installments, rather than in one payment.Even though it was adopted by
the cabinet, the parliament has yet to vote on it.
Syria Opposition Lobbies Russia for Support
Naharnet /Syria's opposition leaders said they expected more support from Russia
on Friday after President Dmitry Medvedev accused some of those protesting
against Bashar Assad of being "terrorists".The Russian upper house of
parliament's foreign affairs chief Mikhail Margelov met a visiting Syrian
delegation that included National Organization for Human Rights in Syria head
Ammar Qurabi.Russia has refused to back Western sanctions against its regional
ally and Medvedev told Euronews on the eve of the visit that some members of the
opposition "could even be described as terrorists".Qurabi did not address the
comments directly but said after his talks with Margelov that he expected Moscow
to play a more "positive" role.
"Russia should be playing a more active and positive role in regulating the
political situation in Syria," Qurabi told reporters.
Qurabi said his primary purpose in Moscow was "to tell the Russian media about
what is happening in Syria so they could help us and put pressure on the Russian
leadership."
Medvedev argues that the West takes a biased approach to Syria and refuses to
put pressure on the opposition to give up their street protests and engage in
direct talks.
Russia has also slammed this month's EU embargo on Syrian oil and vowed to
continue selling arms to Assad.Margelov said he will meet Assad's top adviser
Buthaina Shaaban in Moscow on Monday and seek authorization from Syria to send a
delegation of Russian senators to Tripoli to check on the situation on the
ground.Russia has expressed repeated worries that a U.N. sanctions resolution on
Syria could lead to a military offensive similar to the one in Libya -- a
campaign it opposed but did not block at the Security Council."Russia will do
everything possible to make sure that that the situation in Syria did not follow
the Syria scenario," Margelov said.
*Source Agence France Presse
Turkey’s foreign policy shift
Tony Badran/Now Lebanon
September 8, 2011
If there’s been an immutable rule in Middle Eastern power politics, it’s that
whenever the region’s populist leaders, nationalist or Islamist, wish to make a
bid for regional leadership, they reliably use Israel as a proxy theater. On a
certain level, this rule helps explain Turkey’s latest row with Israel. However,
in the Turkish case, there is another element at play: a series of failures in
Ankara’s foreign policy, especially in Syria, which has struck at the heart of
the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) doctrine of “zero problems with
neighbors.” The escalation with Israel, therefore, can be read as an attempt to
compensate for this failure. With continued US passivity and retrenchment,
Turkey’s game could quickly become a dangerous affair. From the outset, the
uprising in Syria presented Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a critical
challenge, as it risked unraveling the Turkish premier’s signature policy.
Until Washington’s recent shift toward a policy of regime change in Syria, the
US and Europe had both deferred to Turkey when dealing with Damascus. Behind
this decision to give Ankara the lead was the popular conviction that it
possessed strong influence over the Syrian regime as a result of the policy of
engagement that Erdogan had pursued with Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.
Early on in the Syrian crisis, however, it became apparent to Turkish analysts
that there was a fundamental flaw at the core of the AKP’s doctrine. The hype
behind Turkish influence was built around its vaunted “soft power” and the
appeal of the so-called “Turkish model.”
Turkish academic Soli Ozel took exception and told TIME in April that “It has
become apparent that [Turkey] has little influence… This is the point where
Turkish foreign policy hits the wall.” Undeterred, Erdogan’s foreign policy
adviser, Ibrahim Kalin, contested critics, arguing that, far from proving a
failure, the AKP’s policy “has… deepened Turkey’s soft power capacity in the
Arab world.” Other defenders of the policy similarly argued that it was
precisely this policy that now enabled Ankara to consult with Damascus and to
advise Assad to carry out reforms.
Six months into the uprising, and countless Turkish “ultimatums” later, it
became rather obvious that Turkey’s supposed “soft power capacity” had been an
abject flop. Not only were Erdogan and his Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu—the
architect of the “zero problems” policy—repeatedly snubbed and embarrassed, but
also, Syria and its Iranian ally had gone on the offensive—and for that they
found an opening in Turkey’s Kurdish problem.
As Ankara’s troubles with the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
escalated, especially following Erdogan’s reelection, a National Intelligence
Organization report was made available to the Turkish press noting that Syria
had begun to support the PKK, as it had done in the 1990s, even offering safe
haven to some of the group’s most important leaders. Similarly, the report
noted, Iran had suspended its intelligence cooperation with Turkey in the fight
against the Kurdish group.
Turkish commentators quickly understood that Iran was playing hardball with the
Turks through the PKK issue. As one columnist put it, Iran was sending Turkey a
message: “It is willing to take action against the PKK in return for concessions
by Turkey regarding the Syrian issue. … [O]therwise, we will become allies with
the PKK.”
An argument could be made that, for all intents and purposes, Iran’s strategy
has worked. Turkey has yet to take a single concrete, punitive measure against
Assad, even as he has humiliated Turkish leaders at every turn.
The failure of Turkey’s “zero problems with neighbors” policy is hardly confined
to Syria. For one, Ankara has been up in arms at Greek Cyprus’ decision to
proceed with exploring and developing its offshore oil and gas fields—in close
cooperation with Israel, no less. Moreover, Erdogan was certain the United
Nations report on the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident would vindicate Turkey’s
position and force Israel to make a humiliating public apology. Instead, the
report supported Israel’s claim to the legality of its blockade on
Hamas-controlled Gaza.
The cumulative result of these setbacks was seen in Erdogan’s public rant, as
well as in an announcement of an aggressive Turkish posture in the eastern
Mediterranean—including threatening to deploy the Turkish navy to prevent Cyprus
from proceeding with its maritime exploration.
Erdogan was seemingly deterred by the Iranians on Syria. But to adopt a hostile
posture toward Tehran (and Damascus) would signal the official end of Ankara’s
central doctrine of “zero problems” while also highlighting Turkey’s weakness.
Lashing out at Israel, therefore, hits two birds with one stone: covering up the
failure with Syria and Iran while still advancing the cause of Turkish regional
primacy by flexing its muscles at Israel. As such, we may now be witnessing a
shift in Turkey’s posture away from its earlier, failed “mediatory” act to one
of provocation. As one Turkish expert explained back in April, “One of the most
important tools of foreign policy in the Middle East… is an operational and
‘provocative’ strength.” He added that Turkey is “unable to move forward
sufficiently in this respect” as it “does not have powerful theo-political or
geopolitical tools.” In contrast, Iran’s reach has been based precisely on such
tools. Ankara’s current aggressive statements indicate that it will now be
forcefully seeking to accumulate these tools. Previous such attempts with Hamas
had not fared well, and Erdogan’s endeavor this time around to make a grand
entrance into Gaza also has seemingly been shot down by Egypt. Therefore,
whether this push plays out in the Cypriot arena remains to be seen.
The politics of the eastern Mediterranean are in the throes of a major flux. The
absence of clear and assertive US leadership means that all the middle-range
powers will feverishly vie for position—which bodes ill for regional stability.
**Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
He tweets @AcrossTheBay.
Syrian Ambassador Ali to Lebanon Abdel-Karim dismisses U.S. sanctions against
him
September 09, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Syrian Ambassador Ali Abdel-Karim Ali dismissed in an interview his
inclusion on a U.S. sanctions list last week. “This accusation should be counted
as a badge of honor … given that this was issued by a country that violates
human rights on daily basis,” Ali told Al-Liwaa newspaper, referring to the
United States.He said that the accusation was part of a campaign of
misinformation by the White House to “encroach on the sovereignty of states.” On
Aug. 30, the U.S. Treasury department imposed an assets freeze and ban on
business transactions on Ali and two other top Syrian officials – Foreign
Minister Walid Moallem and presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban – in an
attempt to add pressure on Damascus over its crackdown on pro-democracy
protests. “What is more astonishing and puzzling is that I should be accused for
having relations with my own government and its security apparatuses,” Ali told
the local newspaper. Ali described the United States as having a “black history”
in terms of human rights issues and said the White House “should not be giving
lessons in human rights or on [matters dealing] with sovereignty or the state.”
Israel to ‘punish’ Turkey
Shimon Shiffer/Ynetnews
Jerusalem to punish Erdogan: Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has decided to
adopt a series of harsh measures in response to Turkey’s latest anti-Israeli
moves, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.
Senior Foreign Ministry officials convened Thursday to prepare for a meeting to
be held Saturday with Lieberman on the matter. Saturday’s session will be
dedicated to discussing Israel’s response to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s recent threats and his decision to downgrade Ankara’s diplomatic ties
with Jerusalem.
Following Thursday’s meeting, officials assessed that Turkey is not interested
in an Israeli apology at this time and prefers to exploit the dispute with
Jerusalem in order to promote Ankara’s status in the Muslim world. Lieberman
therefore decided there was no point in seeking creative formulas for
apologizing, instead choosing to focus Israel’s efforts on punishing Turkey.
The Foreign Ministry has now decided to proceed with the formulation of a
diplomatic and security “toolbox” to be used against the Turks. The first move
would be to issue a travel warning urging all Israeli military veterans to
refrain from traveling to Turkey. The advisory will be especially harsh as it
will also urge Israelis to refrain from boarding connections in Turkey.
Another planned Israeli move is the facilitation of cooperation with Turkey’s
historic rivals, the Armenians. During Lieberman’s visit to the United States
this month, the foreign minister is expected to meet with leaders of the
Armenian lobby and propose anti-Turkish cooperation in Congress.
The implication of this move could be Israeli assistance in promoting
international recognition of the Armenian holocaust, a measure that would
gravely harm Turkey. Israel may also back Armenia in its dispute vis-à-vis
Turkey over control of Mount Ararat.
‘Turkey better show respect’
Lieberman is also planning to set meetings with the heads of Kurdish rebel group
PKK in Europe in order to “cooperate with them and boost them in every possible
area.” In these meetings, the Kurds may ask Israel for military aid in the form
of training and arms supplies, a move that would constitute a major anti-Turkish
position should it materialize.
However, the violent clashes between Turkey and the Kurds only constitute one
reason prompting accusations that Ankara is violating human rights. Hence,
another means in Lieberman’s “toolbox” vis-à-vis Erdogan is a diplomatic
campaign where Israeli missions worldwide will be instructed to join the fight
and report illegal Turkish moves against minorities.
The tough response formulated by Lieberman stems, among other things, from the
foreign minister’s desire to make it clear to Erdogan that his anti-Israeli
moves are not a “one-way street.”
Officials in Jerusalem also noted that Turkey’s global status at this time is
not promising as it is, adding that Ankara is embroiled in tensions vis-à-vis
NATO and Greece, while Erdogan’s relations with Syria and Iran are also not
favorable. “We’ll exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing
with Israel doesn’t pay off,” Lieberman said. “Turkey better treat us with
respect and common decency.”
Erdogan drives toward armed clash with Israel. Oil and gas
at stake
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report September 9, 2011,
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week coolly moved his country step by
provocative step towards an armed clash with Israel – not just over the
Palestinian issue, but because he covets the gas and oil resources of the
eastern Mediterranean opposite Israel's shores.
Thursday night, Sept. 8, he announced that Turkish warships will escort any
Turkish aid vessels for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In his remarks to Al
Jazeera television, the Turkish prime minister also said he had taken steps "to
stop Israel from unilaterally exploiting natural resources from the eastern
Mediterranean."
He did not say what steps he had taken. However, for some time now, he has moved
mountains to isolate Israel by drawing a double diplomatic noose around it.
If Turkish ships breach the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, which a UN report
last week pronounced legitimate under international law, Erdogan will become the
first Muslim leader to embark on military action in the Palestinian cause. The
Arab nations which fought Israel time after time in the past will be made to
look ineffectual and the Turkish leader the regional big shot. Even Iran would
be put in the shade for never daring to provoke Israel the way Turkey has.
The Turkish prime minister clings to the belief that the foremost Arab powers,
Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which have been watching his maneuvers with deep
suspicion, will have no choice but to play ball with him now that he has
confronted Israel. The first crack in the Arab ice came about Thursday, Sept. 8,
in the form of Egyptian consent to join the Turkish Navy in sea maneuvers in the
eastern Mediterranean.
Erdogan plans to send his warships into this water for two missions:
1. To split the Israel's small Navy into two heads – one for sustaining the
blockade against Gaza and one for safeguarding the gas and oil rigs opposite its
shores.
2. To scare Israel into the full or partial stoppage of its offshore oil and gas
operations, thereby robbing it of energy power status and substantial economic
gains. Erdogan is determined never to let Israel overshadow Turkey in the
regional stakes and will put a stop to the Jewish state's progress – even if
military aggression is called for.
debkafile's military sources report that the Turkish prime minister is resolved
to corner Israel into an inescapable military confrontation. It might not happen
at once or even within a week, but it will happen a lot sooner than many Israeli
politicians and military chiefs imagine because he is using Israel as his ticket
to regional prestige.
Erdogan is driven to assert Turkey's importance additionally by the way he was
shouldered aside in Libya. Ankara invested heavily in its support for the Libyan
rebels. But when British, French, Jordanian and Qatari special forces stormed
Tripoli on Aug. 21 and overthrew the Qaddafi regime, Turkey was left behind and
forgotten in the heat of the action.
From Ankara, the Turkish leader watches the sharing out of Libyan oil as the
spoils of war among the Western powers and Qatar as an outsider.
Since he can't pluck up courage to intervene in Syria, he has plumped for
seizing eastern Mediterranean natural resources to elevate Turkey's standing.
Not only will he snatch the treasure out of Israel's hands but no less
important, he will challenge his country's traditional rival Greece whose
military ties with Israel are growing stronger.
As for Washington, Erdogan is counting on President Barack Obama's backing in a
military clash with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Ehud Barak are less confident of US support. This gives Turkey
an edge in a conflict – the cost of the passive military policy pursued
consistently by Israeli leaders in the face of security threats.
The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will also suffer if Turkey and Israel come
to blows by being overshadowed.
Mikati describes Aoun as a “joke,” US cable says
September 9, 2011 /Now Lebanon
Prime Minister Najib Mikati told former US Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman
in 2007 that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun will not become
president, adding that “no one takes him seriously,” a leaked US diplomatic
cable said.
“Aoun is a joke, a laughingstock, and he is only around because of political
games,” Mikati told Feltman on July 30 2007, according to a cable that was
recently published by WikiLeaks.
Feltman reportedly said in his remarks that Mikati “feels that Aoun is
completely unable to generate the kind of consensus that would be needed to win
the next presidential election.”
“Mikati has a very clear profile in mind for Lebanon's next president. He wants
a candidate who can unify [the country] and who will be accepted by Syria and
the international community, including the US,” the cable added.
The Lebanese premier also said that President Michel Sleiman, then-Lebanese army
commander, is “respectful, honest and sensitive to the needs of Lebanese
society.”
“Mikati praised Sleiman’s attitude toward the Syrians, saying that he was
neutral, for the most part, and did not fuel tensions after the Syrian
withdrawal in 2005,” the cable added.
“Mikati ended the meeting with a proposal to fund study programs for moderate
Sunni religious leaders in his home district of Tripoli, but asked for [the US’]
advice before proceeding.”
WikiLeaks has unleashed a torrent of more than a quarter million confidential US
cables detailing a wide array of potentially explosive diplomatic episodes.
Viewing cable 07BEIRUT1149, LEBANON: FORMER PM MIKATI'S POLITICAL ASSESSMENT
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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07BEIRUT1149 2007-07-30 14:52 2011-08-30 01:44 SECRET Embassy Beirut
VZCZCXRO6048
OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1149/01 2111452
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 301452Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8934
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1426
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1396
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITYS E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT
001149
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MARCHESE/HARDING
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM SY IS LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: FORMER PM MIKATI'S POLITICAL ASSESSMENT
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman for Reasons: Section 1.4
(b) and (d).
¶1. (S) Summary: On July 30, the Ambassador and Special
Assistant met with former Prime Minister Najib Mikati to
discuss upcoming parliamentary by elections and the prospects
of various presidential candidates. Mikati, who has
traditionally been linked to President al-Assad of Syria,
made comments reflecting a desire for coordination with the
government of Syria (GOS) to ensure that candidates on the
final presidential ballot can be accepted by all interested
parties. Mikati repeatedly negated General Aoun's chances to
be elected as president, saying that no one takes him
seriously. Mikati ended the meeting with a proposal to fund
study programs for moderate Sunni religious leaders in his
home district of Tripoli, but asked for USG advice before he
proceeding. End summary.
Business and Leisure
--------------------
¶2. (C) Mikati provided a brief business update for the
Ambassador. His family-owned business, the M1 Group,
recently purchased the Facconable brand from Nordstom's for
$210 million dollars. He was pleased with this deal and
noted that this business venture, like other M1 Group
projects, will be headquartered in Monaco. Mikati is about to
depart for "much needed" summer holidays in Monaco, adding
that his private yacht will meet up with the family in
Sardinia for a week. The price of real estate in Monaco did
have Mikati at bit down, however. He was recently forced to
pay 7 million USD for an apartment when its twin only cost
3.5 million USD in 2005.
¶3. (C) Mikati then turned to politics He does not fear the
prospect of a political vacuum in Lebanon if the electoral
process should fail. He said that there are many issues to
be resolved, including important regional matters which
require international cooperation before a final settlement
can be reached. Mikati said that a vacuum would not, in
fact, create new problems for Lebanon and that it was a
mistake to think that a new president could or would heal all
of the country's divisions.
The Perfect Candidate and the Preferred Process
-----------------------------
¶4. (C) Mikati has a very clear idea of the profile for
Lebanon's next president. He wants a candidate who can unify
and one who will be accepted by Syria and the international
community, including the U.S. He said it is hard for him to
name one specific person right now as the nature of the
times, i.e war vs. peace and economic expansion vs.
depression, will determine which candidate and qualities will
be best suited for the office. When asked which presidential
candidate would bring about a respectful and mature
relationship with Syria based on mutual respect, Mikati had
no response. Mikati did make it very clear that a list of
multiple candidates should be vetted or approved by both
Syria and the U.S.
¶5. (C) The Ambassador asked Mikati whether this one close
relationship with the Asads gave him any insights as to
whether the rumors were true about the Syrians have signaled
that five candidates were acceptable: Central Bank Governor
Riad Salameh, former Foreign Minister Jean Obeid, former
Foreign Minister Fares Bouez, former Maronite League head
Michel Edde, and LAF Commander Michel Sleiman. Mikati said
that the Syrians definitely do not want Obeid; had they
accepted him, he would have been elected in 2004, saving the
country from the Lahoud extension. Salameh might be fine if
the presidential agenda was focused on economic growth.
Preferring Civilian over Military Leader
----------------------------------
¶6. (C) As for the LAF Commander, Mikati began by providing a
personal assessment of Suleiman, whom he characterized as
respectful, honest and sensitive to the needs of Lebanese
society. Mikati praised Suleiman's approach to the Syrians,
saying that he kept to the middle of the road, for the most
part, and did not inflame tensions after the Syrian
withdrawal in 2005. (Note: When pressed about Suleiman's
alleged role in defying the Syrian orders in spring 2005 to
BEIRUT 00001149 002 OF 003
prevent the March 14 "Cedar Revolution" demonstrations,
Mikati said he had no information. End Note.) Mikati
personally enjoyed working with Suleiman during his tenure as
PM and believes Suleiman has done an excellent job with the
LAF. However, when asked about Suleiman as a presidential
candidate, Mikati expressed a very strong preference for a
civilian to hold the office. Mikati said that if the entire
country is able to unite behind Suleiman, he has no problem
with this, as he likes the General personally. However, if
given a choice, Mikati said that he would always choose a
civilian over a military leader.
"Aoun is a Joke"
----------------
¶7. (C) Mikati was very negative about Aoun's chances of
becoming president. "At this point, it's better to just
eliminate his name and start to put others - any others -
forward." He feels that Aoun is completely unable to
generate the kind of consensus that would be needed to win
the next presidential election. Mikati stated that Aoun is
perceived to be against the Sunni, perceived to be buying and
selling votes and that he is too unpredictable. When pressed
to speculate on Aoun's chances as a compromise candidate,
Mikati shook his head and said, "No, it would be far too
difficult. He is a joke, a laughingstock, and he is only
around because of the political games that are being played."
Mikati does, however, think that Aoun's candidate has a very
good chance of winning the Metn by-election against Amine
Gemayel.
What the Future Could Bring
---------------------------
¶8. (C) Mikati disparaged Michel Murr's plan for a two-year
interim presidency, calling it a clear attempt to wait for a
change in administration in Washington. He also thinks that
it is a plan to eliminate the Maronite hold over the office.
Mikati thinks that an interim presidency will cause Christian
groups to fight amongst themselves for two years, causing a
rift which will make them unable to elect a presidential
consensus candidate in 2009.
¶9. (C) Mikati went further with his concerns. He said that
a two-year interim term could create additional confessional
conflict. With only two years to woo the voters, a Christian
president would play to his own political base, while a Sunni
prime minister would do the same. A stand-off could result,
with the president and prime minister vying for votes at the
expense of each other and at the expense of national unity.
Mikati believes that this would bring Lebanon back to square
one, with the government dissolved and the country at a
stand-still.
¶10. (C) Mikati also shared his views for the way forward in
the months to come:
-- The USG should speak to the Syrians about the Lebanese
elections. Regardless of anyone's wishes, the Syrians do
"hold the upper hand" in Lebanon and the future president
must be on good terms with them. Mikati acknowledges that
none of the existing candidates are "against" Syria, but
certain candidates will clearly be more acceptable than
others. He agreed that March 14 candidates such as Boutros
Harb and Nassib Lahoud are not inherently "anti-Syrian," but
that is the label that has stuck to them.
-- The USG should also speak with Iran about these elections.
Mikati said that while Iranians are "less greedy" when it
comes to Lebanon, they will not support a candidate who
opposes Syria.
-- As mentioned above, Mikati believes that Syria, the U.S.
and other international players should "vet" a number of
candidates and then let Lebanese MPs chose from that small
list.
Prospects for Nahr al-Barid - The Day After
-------------------------------------
¶11. (C) In talking of the LAF fight against Fatah al-Islam
in Nahr al-Barid, Mikati agreed that this is a precarious
situation for the country as a whole and that the time has
come for a permanent solution regarding the Palestinians. He
believes that the Palestinian Authority should grant
"citizenship" and passports to all Palestinians living in
BEIRUT 00001149 003 OF 003
Lebanon, who could then be treated as all other resident
foreigners. They would have the right to work and live
wherever they wanted to in the country, but the GOL would
also have the right to deport those who did not respect the
GOL's sovereignty or those who engaged in terrorist
activities. He also believes that, with passports, many
Palestinian refugees could be processed for resettlement in
Canada or Australia if they so desired. Mikati does not
think another camp should be rebuilt, and, were he PM today,
he would hold off on all reconstruction until these residency
issues have been resolved.
Mikati Money for Moderate Muslims
---------------------------------
¶12. (S) Mikati is a devout Sunni Muslim and a popular leader
from Tripoli who is greatly disturbed by the potential for
extremist expansionism in his home district. Drawing on his
considerable personal wealth, he wants to initiate a program
to educate 40 - 100 moderate Sunni religious leaders as
examples for the community, to draw people away from
extremist views. Mikati has been approached with requests
for educational grants, a television station and other
programs. He has been extremely cautious to date and has not
acted on most requests. "I am a businessman first. It would
be easy for me to help these people, but I don't want any of
their future actions to be held against me, my family or my
business interests. And I know people are watching these
things carefully." Mikati asked the Ambassador to advise him
on this matter. Is there a menu of programs approved of by
the USG? Is there a checklist to follow before providing
financial support? Ambassador promised to provide feedback
on this issue.
Comment
-------
¶13. (C) The extent of Najib Mikati's current links to the
Asad family is always fertile ground for political debate in
Lebanon. There was genuine scratchiness between the Asads
and Najib Mikati when Mikati came out publicly in favor of an
international tribunal in December 2005 after Gebran Tueni's
murder. But we suspect that, by now, Najib's brother Taha
has healed the wounds. In any case, Mikati does not flaunt
his relationship with Syria (whatever it is). Worldly and
sophisticated, he is a far different character than Syria's
other allies in Lebanon, who tend to be defensive provincial
bumpkins and thugs of the white-sock-wearing variety.
¶14. (C) We believe that Mikati will do nothing to endanger
his relationship with the west or put his considerable
business empire at risk. Indeed, his concern about financial
sanctions no doubt prompted him to ask our advice as to how
he can help support moderate Sunni clerics in his hometown of
Tripoli. But because of Mikati's understanding of Syria, his
views regarding Aoun were particularly interesting. Too
intelligent to be taken in by the General's vulgar populism,
Mikati probably despises Aoun for the latter's use of
anti-Sunni stands to attract Christian support. But we
suspect that, if Syria were truly backing Aoun, Mikati would
have chosen discretion rather than verbal attack in his
comments to us about Aoun.
FELTMAN