LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
15/2011
Bible Quotation for todayBible
Quotation for today
Peter's Second Letter 1/1-11: " Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus
Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the
righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 1:2 Grace to you and peace be
multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 1:3 seeing that his
divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue; 1:4 by
which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that
through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from
the corruption that is in the world by lust. 1:5 Yes, and for this very cause
adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in
moral excellence, knowledge; 1:6 and in knowledge, self-control; and in
self-control patience; and in patience godliness; 1:7 and in godliness brotherly
affection; and in brotherly affection, love. 1:8 For if these things are yours
and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 1:9 For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what
is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 1:10 Therefore,
brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do
these things, you will never stumble. 1:11 For thus you will be richly supplied
with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
For the sake of the Lebanese-Syrian
future/Now
Lebanon/September 14/11
Lebanese Christians react to
Patriarch Rai’s Syria statement/By: Aline Sara/September 14/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources
for September 14/11
Syria behind Bashir Gemayel
assassination: Kataeb MP
Nadim Gemayel calls for strong
state
French ambassador Denis Pietton to Visit al-Rahi Amid French Disappointment with his Remarks
Geagea: Cloud of Uncertainty on al-Rahi’s Statements Has Passed
Debate over Rai remarks lingers
Jumblatt to meet Rai following row
Rai seeks to calm storm over Syria, arms stance
Al-Rahi Says his Paris Statements Don’t Reflect his Personal Stances
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad Hout criticizes Rai’s stances
Progressive Socialist Party leader
MP Walid Jumblatt tackles defense strategy, Patriarch’s comments
March 14 General Secretariat
coordinator Fares Soueid commends Jumblatt, slams Aoun
Miqati to Snap Back at Aoun through
Acts of Good Deeds
Tripartite meeting held in South
STL: Cassese trying to reach
accused with call to take part in trials
STL: Victims Seeking to Take Part in Trial Must File Applications before Oct. 31
March 14 Urges Govt. to Determine Position on STL Funding
Hezbollah tight-lipped about Jumblatt’s remarks on arms
Aoun: Prime minister protecting unlawful state employees
Report: Syria Freezes Ties with Jumblat as Hizbullah Accuses him of Shattering Cabinet
Jumblat Says Recent Stances Not a New 'Realignment'
Mustaqbal: Democratic System Arabs Aspire for Respects Religious Freedoms
Franjieh: Al-Rahi’s Statements Reflect Christians’ Concerns
Lebanon: Hotels devastated by poor tourist season
Ethiopian Airlines denies report on plane crash finalized
Berri Says Parliament Will Meet
‘Soon’ to Discuss Electricity Project
Michel Aoun's Press Conference of
September 13/11
Deputy Speaker Farid Makari
commends Jumblatt’s “unchanged” principles
Antelias bombing not terrorism
related, judge says
Arab League says Syrian bloodshed must end
Erdogan receives hero’s welcome
Netanyahu Says 'Direct Talks' Only Way to Peace
Netanyahu to convene senior ministers to discuss Israel-Turkey crisis
In Syria, U.S. ambassador drops diplomatic niceties
Qatar PM Says Syria Must Pull Army Out of Cities before Dialogue
U.S., French Envoys Join Condolence Ceremony for Slain Syrian Activist
Syrians rally against Russian support for Assad’s ‘killing machine’
U.S. envoys to visit region in last-ditch effort to avert Palestinian statehood bid
Natasha Mozgovaya / U.S. Congresswoman to Haaretz: We need to stop Palestinian ‘dangerous scheme’
Zvi Bar'el / Erdogan is no Turkish
Obama
Taliban Attack NATO HQ, Mount
Assault on Kabul
Republican Wins Race in NY Democrat Stronghold
Rai seeks to calm storm over Syria, arms stance
September 14, 2011
By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, currently at the center of a nationwide
controversy over his statements on Syria and Hezbollah’s arms, sought Tuesday to
calm a brewing political storm that has threatened to deepen divisions in the
Christian heartland. Rai said his statements that linked the fate of Hezbollah’s
arms to an overall Middle East peace settlement and called for giving embattled
Syrian President Bashar Assad a chance to carry out political reforms were taken
out of context. He said he regretted the uproar caused in Lebanon by his
statements during his one-week visit to France last week. “Forget my statements
in France which were taken out of context probably deliberately which have
nothing to do with my personal basic positions,” Rai told a crowd of people,
including Baabda lawmakers, mayors and heads of municipalities, who came from
nearby villages to welcome the patriarch during his tour of the town of
Arbaniyeh in the district of Baabda.
“Don’t be influenced by what is transmitted by the media and headlines taken out
of context. Go to the core, not to the fountain. I am one of those who believe
that 99 percent of the people’s differences are caused by misunderstanding and
lack of frankness,” Rai said. “My style is based on frankness and objectivity
and telling the truth without siding with anyone. We are brought together only
by the truth and clarity which make us live in confidence,” the patriarch said,
adding: “Be confident that I will not back off from partnership and love for all
the people, groups, parties, movements and sects. Our faith is in Lebanon, a
Lebanon with one people and diversity.” Rai said the Maronite patriarchate
cannot relinquish any party and does not want to eliminate or marginalize any
party. “Lebanon is in need of its entire people, its parties, movements and
sects to build a national partnership,” Rai said, adding: “I want to tell you
something that I regret as a result of what happened after the visit to France.
But I want to reassure you that partnership and love remain.”Despite his
controversial statements, Rai said he will not abandon the church’s historical
principles.
“I want to reassure all who are listening to me that I would never give up,
along with our bishops, people and church, partnership and love,” he said. “We
do not enter into any individual disputes neither in Lebanon, nor outside
Lebanon. We are for peace and joy for everyone.”Rai also lamented the state of
“paralyzed state institutions” in Lebanon, questioning how the country can be
run with such paralysis. Speaking to reporters in Paris and in an interview with
the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite channel last week, Rai linked the fate of
Hezbollah’s arms to the termination of Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory
and the return of an estimated 350,000 Palestinian refugees to their homes in
Palestine.
Rai also said that Assad should be given a chance to carry out political reforms
in the face of protesters demanding his ouster. He also warned that the rise of
the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria would threaten the presence of Christians there.
Rai’s remarks drew harsh criticisms from some March 14 politicians who said that
the patriarch’s comments on the divisive issue of Hezbollah ran contrary to the
concept of state building and contradicted with the Maronite Church’s
long-standing position in support of state authority. However, Rai’s statements
won praise from Hezbollah and its March 8 allies.
In an attempt to clarify his statements, Rai has begun a series of consultations
with Christian politicians from the March 8 and March 14 parties. He met Monday
with Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun who has praised the
patriarch’s remarks on Syria and Hezbollah’s arms. Aoun said Tuesday he agreed
with Rai’s political assessment of the Middle East conflict. “Our vision is
identical with his vision. This conformity comes from a comprehensive analysis
of the facts, history, the present and the future. It is a firm position that
carries a foresight,” Aoun told reporters after chairing a meeting of his
parliamentary Reform and Change bloc.
Commenting on Rai’s statements on the unrest in Syria, the parliamentary Future
bloc of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated its support for the Syrian
people’s demands for “freedom, dignity, reform, progress and expansion of
political participation.”
“Fulfillment of these demands is inevitable,” said a statement issued after the
bloc’s meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
“Lebanon, with its Muslims and Christians, has a real interest in promoting and
spreading the culture of moderation and forgiveness based on the principles of
the democratic system,” it said. “The democratic system, which the Arab peoples
are trying to achieve, stresses the respect of religious, individual and
political freedoms and human rights without [taking into account] the
sensitivities of the number, minorities or majorities. This system contains and
affirms the recognition of all the social and spiritual components in our Arab
region and ensures the freedom of an effective political participation without
any obstacles facing any party.”It added that the democratic system also
confirms the principle of the rotation of power in a peaceful way, ensures
freedom of expression and at the same time enhances commitment to the rules of
accountability and transparency.
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh said Rai’s “deep and serious”
stances reflected the Christians’ concerns and fears, especially amid the
current developments in the region.
“The patriarch’s fears are not based on presumption but on facts. The best
example is what happened [to Christians] in Iraq,” Franjieh said. He added that
extremist regimes put the Christians before two choices: Emigration or becoming
second-class citizens.
Kataeb (Phalange) bloc MP Sami Gemayel lashed out at those who criticized Rai
through the media outlets.
“Whoever has reservations over the attitudes of Maronite Patriarch Beshara
Butros Rai must convey them to the patriarch’s seat instead of attacking him via
the media outlets and TV screens,” he said during a Kataeb ceremony Tuesday.
“The Maronite Patriarchate is an institution that has protected the Christians
in Lebanon for more than 2,000 years. It is the backbone of our community. We
must preserve its dignity and holiness,” he added.
French ambassador Denis Pietton to
Visit al-Rahi Amid French Disappointment with his Remarks
Naharnet /French ambassador Denis Pietton unveiled on Wednesday that Paris was
disappointed with the statements made by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi
following talks with top French officials.In remarks to AlKalima Online website,
Pietton said that the officials were “surprised and disappointed” with the
remarks of al-Rahi who linked the fate of Hizbullah’s arms to the liberation of
the remaining Israeli-occupied Lebanese territories.The patriarch also expressed
fear on the fate of Christians in Syria if the Muslim Brotherhood rose to power.
He called for giving Syrian President Bashar Assad the chance to introduce
reform. Al-Rahi’s “statement did not reflect the stance of French authorities
regardless of the patriarch’s personal point of view and his way of thinking,”
Pietton said.He also unveiled that he would visit the patriarch soon upon the
request of French authorities to inquire him about his statements.
The dispute that erupted among Lebanese parties over his remarks, led to
“unsatisfactory expectations among the Lebanese, particularly that they see the
patriarchate as a moral authority in addition to being a political and
religious” authority, the ambassador added.Pietton stressed to the website that
following talks with Premier Najib Miqati he didn’t describe al-Rahi’s visit to
Paris as “successful.” He said the trip was “important.”
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad Hout criticizes Rai’s stances
September 14, 2011 /Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad Hout said on Wednesday that
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai made a mistake by supporting the
Syrian regime.“Rai put the Christians in a weak position,” he told As-Sharq
radio. “[The Patriarch’s] speech incited sectarian feelings that oppose his
slogan of ‘partnership and love’,” Hout added.
However, the MP added that the Patriarch knew he committed an error and is
trying to retreat from his position. The patriarch has faced criticism by some
figures of the March 14 coalition after his recent statements in France
supporting the Syrian regime and Hezbollah’s arms. He also condemned Change and
Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun’s latest comments about Prime Minister Najib
Mikati. “Aoun has a complication with the Sunnis, he is attacking the PM and
every Sunni in an important post,” Hout added. Aoun on Tuesday accused Mikati of
“protecting” government officials who are “violating” regulations. Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against almost
five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 2,600
people according to the UN Human Rights Committee, and triggering a torrent of
international condemnation.
-NOW Lebanon
Nadim Gemayel calls for strong state
September 14, 2011 /Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel on Wednesday called for the
formation of a strong state that is able to protect its citizens.“It is time to
implement the slogan of [former President] Bashir Gemayel to build a strong
state that is able to protect its citizens’ security and stability,” he told
Voice of Lebanon (93.3) radio.“We can’t remain silent amid the injustice that
the Lebanese people are facing while Hezbollah’s illegal arms are still
present.” Gemayel also ruled out that the role and presence of Christians in the
Middle East is diminishing. Bashir Gemayel, Nadim’s late father, was
assassinated on September 14, 1982 only 22 days after being elected president.
-NOW Lebanon
Syria behind Bashir Gemayel assassination: Kataeb MP
September 14, 2011 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Kataeb Party MP Elie Marouni on Wednesday accused Syria of involvement
in the 1982 assassination of President-elect Bashir Gemayel. “Syria stands
behind the assassination of late Bashir Gemayel and we have known this from the
beginning,” Marouni said in remarks marking the 29th anniversary of the
assassination of Bashir Gemayel, who was a senior member of Kataeb (or Phalange)
party during the 1975-90 Lebanese Civil War.Gemayel was elected head of state on
Aug. 23, 1982 while Lebanon was under Israeli occupation and Syrian hegemony. He
was assassinated Sept. 14, 1982, along with 26 others, when a bomb exploded in
the Beirut headquarters of Kataeb. Marouni said that the bomb was planted by
Habib Shartouni, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP).“Syria
is protecting Habib Shartouni who carried out the crime,” Marouni said, adding
that the killer is wandering around in Syrian areas and in some parts of
Lebanon.Marouni pointed out the case in to the assassination was never
appropriately handled by judicial authorities and it has not been closed.
He said that justice will only be served when those behind the attack are
captured and tried for their crimes.
Geagea: Cloud of Uncertainty on al-Rahi’s Statements Has
Passed
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday expressed relief at
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s confirmation that his statements on Syria
and Hizbullah’s arms were taken out of context. In remarks to Free Lebanon
radio, Geagea said that he faced “uncertainty” when he heard al-Rahi’s remarks
during his visit to Paris. “I know well the church’s stance and al-Rahi’s stand
from humanitarian principles, core values, human rights, humanitarian dignity,
the freedom of people, democracy and the right of self-determination.”
Geagea also said that the church believes a society cannot rise if it doesn’t
have control on the defense strategy and the weapons. The controversy that
erupted over al-Rahi’s statements is “a cloud of uncertainty that has passed,”
he said. The patriarch is “the guardian of Bkirki’s heritage and this is
comforting.” Asked about the situation in Syria, Geagea said that the rejection
of the Syrian regime of the Arab League initiative proves that Damascus doesn’t
want to introduce reform. He expressed regret at the Lebanese state’s official
stance, wondering whether Lebanon supports the violent crackdown in Syria.
Geagea advised President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati to review the
foreign ministry’s policy because Lebanon shouldn’t appear as a state that
supports violence against the Syrian people.
Jumblatt to meet Rai following row
September 14, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said he would soon
meet Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai following a row over the patriarch’s remarks
about Syria and Hezbollah's weapons. “I will visit Rai in the next couple of
days,” Jumblatt said in remarks published Wednesday by Al-Joumhouria newspaper.
The PSP leader was quoted by the newspaper as saying his response to Rai’s
comments were merely a reminder of what had been agreed upon during previous
national dialogue sessions, and should not be interpreted as a form of political
realignment with the March 14 coalition. Some officials in the Hezbollah-led
March 8 coalition have compared the PSP leader’s recent statements to those made
by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. Jumblatt Monday criticized Rai’s linking
of Hezbollah’s arms to the defense of Lebanon from Israel and wider Middle East
conflict and referred to agreements made in the 2006 National Dialogue
conference which sought to integrate the party's arsenal into a wider national
defense strategy. He also disputed Rai’s warning that a regime change in Syria
and the possible emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood would pose a threat to the
Christians there. Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Wednesday that Damascus has
decided to freeze ties with Jumblatt over his recent remarks regarding the
unrest in the neighboring country. The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan has reported
that Jumblatt’s positions have annoyed March 8, and that Jumblatt is reportedly
upset with his new allies in the alliance and no longer on the same wavelength.
In response to a question from the newspaper about reports saying that Damascus
has refused to receive him, the PSP leader said he had not sought a visit to
Syria. Jumblatt also dismissed comparisons to comments made by Geagea, saying:
“What have [my comments] to do with [his]?” When asked if he would be meeting
with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, the PSP leader said he had not
requested a meeting with the Hezbollah chief. Rai’s remarks last week drew harsh
criticism from the March 14 parties, while gaining praise from Hezbollah and its
March 8 allies and the patriarch Tuesday sought to calm a brewing political
storm that has threatened to deepen divisions in the Christian heartland, saying
his statements had been taken out of context.
Debate over Rai remarks lingers
September 14, 2011/By Thomas El-Basha/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The debate over Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai’s controversial
statements on Syria and Hezbollah lingered Wednesday, a day after the religious
leader stressed his remarks had been taken out of context. In what appeared to
be the first negative consequence of Rai’s remarks on attempts to reconcile
Christian political parties, the Lebanese Forces hinted that it might reconsider
taking part in a top-level meeting of Christian political leaders at Bkirki. A
LF source told Al-Liwaa newspaper that “all options are on the table,”
concerning the gathering at Bkirki, “especially given that what Patriarch
Beshara Rai said constitutes a dangerous turning point, one that contradicts
Bkirki’s national stances.” Speaking to reporters in the French capital and in
an interview with the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite channel last week, Rai
warned that the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria would threaten the
presence of Christians there. He said that President Bashar Assad - once the
arch-enemy of Lebanon's Maronites - should be given a chance to carry out
political reforms in the face of protesters demanding his ouster. Commenting on
Rai’s remarks that a Sunni regime in Syria would escalate Sunni-Shiite tension
in Lebanon, al-Jamaa al-Islamiya MP Imad Hout said the Maronite patriarch had
realized he had made a mistake. Rai “has realized his mistake with the remarks
he made in France and is now gradually backing down on his statements,” Hout
told Asharq radio station Wednesday.
Hout said Rai’s statements had “fueled sectarian sentiments that contradict the
patriarch’s motto: ‘partnership and love.’” On Tuesday, the Maronite patriarch
said his statements in the French capital had been taken out of context and
stressed that he would not abandon his church’s historical principles."It was a
big mistake for the patriarch to go to France, which has a history of hundreds
of years of support for Maronites, and say the Assad regime must be protected at
a time when the Assad regime is breaking down," said political commentator and
author Elias al-Zoghbi. In an interview to be published Thursday in As-Sayyad
magazine, Deputy Parliament Speaker Farid Makari, another member of the March 14
coalition, voiced his hope that the patriarch would repair the impression left
by the statements he made in Paris. Rai’s statements last week sparked an almost
immediate debate between the country’s rival March 14 and March 8 coalitions,
the former voicing surprise, concern and regret, the latter solidarity. However,
the most prominent criticism of Rai’s statement came from Progressive Socialist
Party Walid Jumblatt, who said he seeks to remain a centrist in a wide alliance
with March 8. Jumblatt Monday assailed Rai’s controversial statements on linking
the fate of Hezbollah’s arms to a Middle East peace settlement, saying Lebanon
could not remain hostage to regional conflicts. The PSP leader also disputed
Rai’s warning that regime change in Syria and the possible emergence of the
Muslim Brotherhood would pose a threat to the Christians there. In remarks to
Al-Joumhouria published Wednesday, Jumblatt said he would meet Rai in “in the
coming few days.”
Report: Syria Freezes Ties with Jumblat as Hizbullah
Accuses him of Shattering Cabinet
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat denied that he has
asked to meet with Syria President Bashar Assad although informed sources said
that Damascus froze its ties with the PSP chief. In remarks to reporters on
Tuesday, Jumblat said he hasn’t asked for a meeting with Assad or Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Informed sources told al-Liwaa daily however that “Damascus has decided to
freeze its relations with Jumblat over his latest stances from the developments
in Syria.”
A high-ranking Syrian official has also informed a former PSP official, who
continues to have ties with Jumblat, that he should cut his relations with the
Druze leader.
The Syrian official also confirmed that Damascus has shot its doors at Jumblat,
al-Liwaa said. Meanwhile, ministerial sources told the newspaper that Nasrallah
delegated Minister Mohammed Fneish and MP Ali Ammar to meet with Premier Najib
Miqati on Tuesday night. The two envoys told Miqati that Hizbullah is frustrated
at Jumblat’s latest stances, mainly his statements on the Shiite party’s
weapons. The PSP chief’s remarks are in violation of his commitments and the
cabinet policy statement, they allegedly said.
Fneish and Ammar added that Jumblat was seeking to shatter the government.
Miqati informed Minister Wael Abou Faour, who is loyal to Jumblat, about
Hizbullah’s frustration. But the minister, in his turn, visited Speaker Nabih
Berri, who is Hizbullah’s ally, to express Jumblat’s regret at remarks made by
former Minister Michel Samaha.
Samaha said that Jumblat and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern
Affairs Jeffrey Feltman have resumed contacts. When the Druze leader was asked
to comment, he quipped, saying: “I haven’t heard Samaha’s remarks and I think he
knows about the issues of China better.”Hizbullah has so far remained mum about
Jumblat’s remarks on its arms and his rejection to link their fate to the
liberation of remaining Israeli-occupied Lebanese territories.As Safir daily
said that Hizbullah is not seeking to engage in a media dispute with Jumblat.
Tripartite meeting held in South
September 14, 2011/A tripartite meeting was held on Wednesday at the southern
Naqoura border crossing between UNIFIL, Lebanese and Israeli army
officials.According to the National News Agency, “The meeting aims to discuss
the Jewish State’s ongoing violations of the Blue Line” along the
Lebanese-Israeli border.The officials in the meeting will also address and the
Israeli decision to withdraw from the northern part of Ghajar village, the NNA
added.Israel's security cabinet in November 2010 backed plans to withdraw
Israeli troops from the northern part of Ghajar and hand over control to
UNIFIL.-NOW Lebanon
March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soueid commends Jumblatt, slams
Aoun
September 14, 2011 /March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soueid said
on Wednesday that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s latest
stances reflect the agreements reached in previous national dialogues.Jumblatt,
in his weekly article in Al-Anbaa newspaper, refused to “link Lebanon’s fate
with the liberation of Shebaa farms or with regional conflicts.” “We are passing
through a political situation that exceeds the political [division] between
March 8 and March 14 [positions],” Soueid told Free Lebanon radio.
The March 14 figure added that “Jumblatt is saying that the Syrian regime is not
protecting minorities, but protecting itself behind minorities.”The former MP
also slammed Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun’s recent statements.
“Aoun’s accusations against Prime Minister [Najib] Mikati and the Sunnis are an
attempt to attract the Christian community,” he added.Aoun on Tuesday accused
Mikati of “protecting” government officials who are “violating” regulations.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests against
almost five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out mid-March, killing over
2,600 people according to the UN Human Rights Committee, and triggering a
torrent of international condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
Antelias bombing not terrorism
related, judge says
September 14, 2011/Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr
on Wednesday said that last month’s blast in the Metn suburb of Antelias was not
linked to “any terrorist activity.”The explosion “was caused by a hand grenade,
and not a [rigged] explosive device,” the National News Agency quoted him as
saying. Two men were killed in Antelias in a parking lot when explosives
they were previously said to be handling detonated, causing a huge blast. March
14 figures speculated that the circumstances of the blast differed from Interior
Minister Marwan Charbel’s statement that the incident was caused by a “personal
scuffle.”-NOW Lebanon
Deputy Speaker Farid Makari commends Jumblatt’s “unchanged” principles
September 14, 2011/Deputy Speaker Farid Makari said in an interview to be
published on Thursday that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblatt’s recent comments on Hezbollah’s arms’ use “prove that his principles
have not changed.”“Jumblatt’s comments prove that his principles and convictions
have not changed, despite the political circumstances that led to his
repositioning [with March 8 parties in 2009],” Makari told As-Sayyad
magazine.Asked about Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai’s statements on
the Syrian crisis, Makari voiced hope that the latter would “correct [the
patriarchate’s] image and follow its principles.”“It is inappropriate to link
the fate of the Middle East’s Christians to that of dictatorships,” he added,
after Rai called for granting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “a chance” to
implement reforms in his country.Lebanon's political scene is split between
supporters of Assad regime, led by Hezbollah, and a pro-Western camp headed by
former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.Assad’s troops have cracked down on protests
against almost five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out mid-March,
killing over 2,600 people, according to UN Human Rights committee, and
triggering a torrent of international condemnation.Meanwhile, Jumblatt refused
“linking Lebanon’s fate with the liberation of Shebaa Farms or with regional
conflicts,” a move which triggered criticism from the Hezbollah-backed March 8
parties.
-NOW Lebanon
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt tackles defense strategy,
Patriarch’s comments
September 14, 2011 /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said in
an interview published on Wednesday called for the “calm” discussion of a
defense strategy and warned against the theory of “alliances between
minorities.” The minorities’ alliance theory has destroyed our country and the
Christians,” Jumblatt said in reference to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros
al-Rai’s recent statements on Syria.“The Christians can play an important role
and constitute a separation force between Sunnis and Shias, whereas the Druze
cannot play such a role for demographic reasons,” he told Al-Akhbar
newspaper.The PSP leader also confirmed that he asked his supporters to
participate in the reception of the Patriarch during the latter’s visit to Aley
and Chouf. Jumblatt also addressed the issue of a defense formula, saying, “It
is true that we agreed in the ministerial statement on the formula of the unity
of the ‘Resistance, people and army’, but it is necessary to discuss the defense
strategy and this is what we agreed upon in the Doha agreement in 2008.”
The patriarch has faced criticism by some figures of the Western-backed March 14
coalition after his recent statements in France supporting the Syrian regime and
Hezbollah’s arms.
-NOW Lebanon
For the sake of the Lebanese-Syrian future
September 14, 2011
Following inter-Lebanese and Lebanese-Syrian dialogues, a number of Lebanese
intellectuals and activists issued this document on the future they hope to see
in Lebanon and Syria in light of the Syrian uprising and its goals. The document
was also endorsed and signed by Syrian intellectuals and activists.
Hereunder is the document and the names of the signatories:
While it portends of a new future, the Syrian uprising is linked to questions
and concerns pertaining to Syrian-Lebanese relations and to a vision we all
yearn for and seek to achieve. The uprising commends our respect for the
sacrifices offered by its sons and deserves all the support with which we can
provide it. It promises to inaugurate an era in which human freedom and dignity
replace violence and tyranny, one which we can reconsider all our relations and
the issues pertaining to them with the spirit of free individuals and groups. It
goes without saying that the intertwined affairs of the two countries and their
imbricate histories and interests make this an even more pressing issue, knowing
that it has already been addressed under different circumstances by the
“Beirut-Damascus announcement – the Damascus-Beirut announcement.” Yet the
complications characterizing these relations urgently call for renewing these
efforts, especially since we are on the threshold of an era of transition, the
early signs of which have been heralded by the uprising.
After all, the matter is about far more than solidarity between the Syrian and
Lebanese peoples. The aim, naturally, is not to have one Lebanese point of view
achieve victory over another. As far as Lebanon is concerned, this is about the
long-term and thorough vision brought about by the Syrian uprising to those
Lebanese who wish to have a better and more free future. With regard to Syria,
this is about Syria’s vision of its own self and its future. Suffice it to say
that the two countries have been ruled by the same regime for three decades. In
Syria, this regime was direct; whereas it was indirect in Lebanon, where it
commissioned the sectarian regime and exploited its poisoned returns.
Our aim drives us to propose what we perceive as general headlines for positive
and peaceful relations between our two countries:
The Syrian uprising is a national uprising that is based, in great part, on the
Syrian entity and the Syrian social and political environment following a long
period of neglect and exploitation in order to secure the ruling regime’s
stability on the domestic and foreign levels. This does not inevitably mean that
Syria should isolate itself from its Arab and Levant environment (something that
cannot be done), but rather that a new era in Syrian patriotism may well start
soon and have repercussions in and on Lebanon. Syria will be busy for years to
come with rebuilding what the current regime has ruined or what it may
intentionally ruin when it falls apart. This means that we will have a different
landscape in the Levant, and especially a certain dose of negative pressure or
void in Lebanon, which had been filled by a more or less blatant Syrian
presence. This goes without mentioning an even more painful and dangerous
possibility, namely that the events in Syria may explode into domestic conflicts
and regional/international interferences that cannot but exert a strong effect
on Lebanon.
Accordingly, we anticipate all of this by showing an interest in Syrian affairs
and standing by the Syrian people’s side in its struggle for a democratic and
independent Syria. In short, our support for the Syrians’ liberation struggle is
proportional to our support for an independent and unified Lebanon.
- The Syria of the future, which is expressed by the Syrian people’s uprising,
does not perceive Lebanon as “torn part”, “weak sided” or a “bartering chip”
used in regional and international struggles, or as an object of “tutelage” or
subservience. The Lebanon of the future to which we all look forward does not
look at Syria with superiority or racism, or with any kind of aggressiveness and
fear.
- Genuinely “special” relations between Lebanon and Syria are, in reality, what
normal, equal and balanced relations should be like between two states living in
a common cultural space and sharing an intertwined economic life and
deep-ranging social ties. These ties were harmed only by the same “tutelage”
regime that imposed a dictatorship on Syria and hegemony over Lebanon.
- Syria’s definitive acknowledgement of Lebanon’s independence and the
establishment of diplomatic relations may have been “forcibly obtained” against
the Baath regime’s will. However, we believe that the consecration of this
acknowledgement will be based on the Syrian people’s total conviction. In order
to dissipate any illusion or misunderstanding, the two states will have to
undertake a joint mission, i.e. the final demarcation of the border based on a
joint will so as to remove all ambiguities. Unambiguous borders actually allow
for the reassuring practice of mutual openness between the two sides and put an
end to the policy of suspicion and caution.
Political and economic relations between a democratic Syria and Lebanon will not
be easy given the various disparities in the two countries’ development.
However, they will abide by a reasonable framework, as is the case with the
problems we see between other democratic states. In contrast, the permanent
tension between Syria and Lebanon stemmed from their contradictory systems of
power and the major discrepancies in their view of the world.
- We believe that the establishment of a national state ruled by a democratic
regime and the prevalence of the law is a Syrian-Lebanese ambition. The question
in Syria is how to get rid of despotism without sinking into sectarianism;
whereas in Lebanon, the question is the exact opposite. In both cases, the real
question is how to build a developed democratic state. Of course, democracy is
hardly fathomable without freedom of expression and of the media, which we are
keen to promote in both countries away from intimidation or blackmail.
- Achieving the Syrian people’s ambitions to change and establish the state of
freedom and justice and achieving the Lebanese people’s ambitions to establish a
sovereign and independent state fuel the hope in the emergence of an Arab Levant
where citizenship prospers, a place where no community dominates and no minority
is wronged, where there is no persecution and discrimination by one national
group against another … Such a pluralistic, culture-laden and resources-rich
Levant would be capable of meeting the world on its own and rising up to the
challenges of globalization, of joining in modernism and achieving development,
prosperity and peace.
- We perceive a democratic Syria and a free Lebanon as a natural support for the
Palestinian people’s ambitions to establish their own independent state with
Jerusalem as its capital. This would also provide support for the causes of
justice all over the world. If the Syrians and the Lebanese enjoy the freedom of
self-determination, this would be a strong blow to Israel’s expansionist and
arrogant policies, regarding which the world has remained silent partly because
of the rotten state of the Arab world and the absence of a positive political
model around Israel.
- In a display of solidarity, the two countries support their respective demands
to recover their occupied territories the way their respective peoples deem fit.
- Taking relations between the two countries to the maximum based on democracy
and joint interests and characteristics does not contravene with their
respective acknowledgement to follow the economic system approved by their
respective peoples. Nevertheless, we believe that neither the policy of open
doors without any constraints nor that of closed doors with no way in are
appropriate for sustainable economic development and for the special care that
should be given to the most deprived classes and the poorest regions in the two
countries.
- We believe that every act of racism against a Syrian worker in Lebanon is a
crime against Lebanon and the Lebanese people before even being a crime against
Syria and the Syrian people. Such a crime should be denounced and its
perpetrators held legally accountable. In addition, it is necessary to draft
modern laws regulating the movement and work and guarantees inherent to this
aspect of relations. We are confident that a democratic Syria will be more
mindful of its citizens’ dignity and of providing them with social and legal
protection both in Syria and abroad.
- In our opinion, bilateral relations will not be restored to their former
warmth as we want them to be without liberating the remaining Lebanese detainees
in Syrian prisons.
On this occasion, it is necessary to warn against extremely harmful Lebanese
positions that have recently been expressed and that ignore the Syrian uprising,
labeling it as a passing or distant event. By handing over displaced Syrians to
the Syrian regime’s security services, some of those who expressed such stances
committed a blatant crime and clearly challenged human laws, customs and rights.
What was said and done by these people is far more than shortsightedness
regarding the uprising; rather, it denotes that they view the future of our two
countries as an extension of a vicious past shaped by the whims of hegemony and
the emotions resulting from helpless fear. This goes without mentioning the
unethical voices, which supported the Syrian regime one way or another by
claiming that it is part of the “rejectionism” and “resistance” line or by
citing fears regarding minorities. In reality, the issue of minorities and their
future in the Levant is far greater than the frivolous manner with which some
parties are addressing it. This holds true knowing that those calling for “an
alliance of minorities” in the two countries offer nothing but enmity toward the
religious majority in the region and may bring about a “majority alliance,”
which may then carry the seeds of sectarian tyranny.
The Syrian uprising is writing the history of our two countries and peoples
today. There is no justification for being absent, noncommittal or biased at
this junction of our lives and the lives of those of future generations.
The Syrians’ freedom does not resolve the Lebanese people’s problems, but their
enslavement is an additional source of complication and rottenness for Lebanon’s
problems.
Lebanese signatories
Ahmad Ali al-Zein, Edmond Rabbat, Antoine Haddad, Imane Hmeidan, Bernard Khoury,
Bashar Haidar, Bashir Hilal, Paul Shawul, Tamam Mroue, Jad Gharib, Jad Yatim,
Jabbour Doueihy, Hazem al-Amin, Hazem Saghiyeh, Hussam Itani, Hassane al-Zein,
Hassan Daoud, Hassan Mneimneh (Washington), Hanin Ghaddar, Dalal al-Bizri, Diana
Moqalled, Rouba Kabbara, Rana Eid, Rayan Majed, Rim al-Jundi, Ziad Majed, Saad
Kiwan, Saoud al-Mawla, Sanaa al-Jak, Souheil al-Qash, Shadha Charafeddine, Sabah
Zouein, Talal Khoury, Tony Shakar, Abdo Wazen, Akl al-Awit, Ali al-Amin, Omar
Harqous, Fadi Toufeily, Karim Mroue, Loqman Slim, Malek Mroue, Marlene Nasr,
Moahmmad Abu Samra, Mohammad Soueid, Marwan Abi Samra, Mona Fayyad, Mirvat Abu
Khalil, May Abi Samra, Michel Hajji-Georgiou, Nadia al-Sheikh, Najwa Barakat,
Nadim Shehadeh, Nadim Machlawi, Hani Fahas, Hoda Barakat, Wissam Saade, Yahya
Jaber, Youssef Bazzi, Samir Frangieh, Minah Al-Solh, Hareth Sleiman, Ayman
Mhanna.
Syrian signatories
Osama Mohammad, Akram Katrib, Amira Abu al-Hesen, Imane Chaker, Badrkhan Ali,
Borhan Ghalioun, Basma Qadmani, Bakr Sadqi, Hazem Nahar, Hussam al-Qatlabi,
Hussein al-Sheikh, Khaled Hajj Bakri, Khalaf Ali al-Khalaf, Razan Zeitouna,
Rustom Mahmoud, Samar Yazbeck, Sadek Jala al-Adhem, Saleh Diab, Sobhi Hadidi,
Aref Jabo, Abdel Baset Sida, Ali Jazo, Ali Kanaan, Ammar Qorbi, Omar Koush,
Ghalia Qabbani, Farouk Mardam Bey, Faraj Birqdar, Fahed al-Masri, Louai Hussein,
Mohammad al-Hajj Saleh, Mohammad al-Abdullah, Mohammad Darious, Mohammad Ma’moun
al-Homsi, Najib Georges Awad, Wahib Merhi, Yassin al-Hajj Saleh.
-NOW Lebanon
Michel Aoun's Press Conference of September 13/11
September 13, 2011
On September 13, Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun spoke to the press
following his bloc’s weekly meeting:
“A war is being launched on the [public] administrations in order to obstruct
[their work] and prevent the people’s needs from being realized.
From April until today, there has been a loss in the electricity field that
amounts to $ 2.6 billion, while [our political rivals] are happy and [wasting
time].
We have heard the [verbal] attacks against Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros
al-Rai [over his position vis-à-vis the Syrian crisis]. His views come [in
harmony] with our perception of the events. These positions are not personal,
but they are being issued after analyzing past and future events.
Political and economic pressure on Syria will amount, and we can live in
poverty.
Concerning Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s [Sunday] interview with New TV: Every
time [the PM issues a statement] he uses a sectarian rhetoric. He says that the
Sunnis are targeted. No Mister Premier, the Sunnis are not targeted, you are
protecting people [in the government] and you insist on violating [the law]. You
will assume responsibility. You, [Mikati], are the one violating [the
regulations] because you are the one who has the solution.
[Asked about funding the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL):] I have
told [UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon] in 2007 that they are overly supporting
[the case of slain ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri]. The ‘request’ to establish
the STL was ‘smuggled’ [to the UN by the 2006 Lebanese government]. I do not
know how it was established and violations have been committed.
I do not approve of the tribunal. Even if Hezbollah approves [of the court,] I
do not. Why [should we allow] the UN to violate our constitution?
[Asked about the leaked US cables which said Speaker Nabih Berri encouraged a
military strike against Hezbollah during the 2006 July War]: Conclusions are
being drawn [against some figures] and some [statements] have been twisted
around… We are [handling the] rumors.
How can [anyone] speak about human rights while the Palestinians have been
homeless for 63 years and Israel is a racist state, living in disharmony with
the international community?”
Arab League says Syrian bloodshed must end
September 14, 2011 /Now Lebanon
The Arab League on Tuesday demanded an end to the bloodshed in Syria, as
activists there staged anti-Russia protests and a Western-led drive for UN
sanctions over the regime's deadly crackdown ran into new opposition from Moscow
and Beijing.
The US and French ambassadors travelled to the Damascus district of Daraya on
Tuesday to attend a condolence ceremony for slain Syrian activist Ghiyath Matar,
who reportedly died under torture, activists said.
The activists also posted a brief clip on YouTube, showing the US envoy Robert
Ford and his French counterpart Eric Chevallier sitting on chairs at a large
ceremony.
Matar, a key player in organizing protests against President Bashar al-Assad's
regime, died in detention after being tortured, according to the international
watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Activists said that the Japanese and Danish ambassadors also attended the
ceremony, and that immediately after diplomats departed, security forces
attacked the ceremony, launching tear gas and firing in the air to disperse the
gathering.
Meanwhile, demonstrators burned Russian flags in the flashpoint protest hubs of
Homs in the center and Daraa in the south in protest at Moscow's support for
President Bashar al-Assad, activists said.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Syria could plunge into
"civil war," as he began in Egypt a tour of Arab countries where uprisings have
ousted autocratic leaders.
He expressed frustration with Assad's regime, with which he had built up close
ties, for failing to "listen to the voice of the people."
Syrian Protesters have been demanding democracy in almost daily demonstrations
for six months, with the United Nations saying 2,600 people have been killed in
the regime's crackdown.
In Cairo, the Arab League called for "immediate change" in Syria.
"There must be an immediate change that leads to an end to the bloodshed and
protection of the Syrian people from more violence and killings," said a
statement read out by Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani,
the chair of the meeting.
"We cannot accept this killing machine. We cannot allow people to be killed this
way," Sheikh Hamad said at a press conference after the meeting.
"Do not support the killers," activists urged Russia in a message announcing
Tuesday's action posted on The Syrian Revolution 2011, a Facebook page that has
been a driving force behind the protest movement.
"We express our anger toward Russia and the Russian government. The regime will
disappear but the people will live," the activists added.
Moscow has blocked Western-led efforts at the UN Security Council to impose
sanctions against the Syrian regime and is promoting a rival draft resolution
that simply calls on the government and the opposition to open direct talks.
President Dmitry Medvedev defended the Russian position on Monday, saying "this
resolution must be strict, but it must not lead to the automatic application of
sanctions."
On Tuesday, police and troops again deployed in force, carrying out search and
arrest operations in a string of towns, activists said.
"Those arrested were severely beaten and abused. Their houses were ransacked,"
one activist said.
At least four people were killed Tuesday in Deir az-Zour province in the
northeast and in Hama, while five were wounded when troops went house-to-house
in Houla in Homs province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP in
Cyprus.
Also in Homs, two people were reported dead, one of whom was kidnapped four days
ago and whose corpse was handed to the family and a second succumbing to
injuries suffered during security operations Saturday, the Observatory said.
In addition, security forces arrested at least 34 people in the town of Zabadani
west of Damascus, more than 160 in Edleb province near the Turkish border, and
dozens more in Daraa, in towns around the capital, and in the Mediterranean
coastal towns of Latakia and Banias, activist groups said.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that, as of Monday, a
total of 2,600 people had been killed in the Syrian government's crackdown.
But senior Assad aide Bouthaina Shaaban said on a visit to Moscow that 1,400
people had died since the demonstrations erupted in mid-March half of them
security force personnel and half of them "rebels.
Damascus has consistently maintained that the protests are the work of armed
groups, rejecting the reports of Western embassies and human rights groups that
the great majority of those killed have been unarmed civilians.
In Brussels, diplomats told AFP Tuesday that the EU is set to adopt fresh
sanctions against Syria that may include a ban on oil investment and on
delivering cash notes printed in Europe to its central bank.
After talks in Beijing on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe expressed
disappointment that he had made little headway in persuading his Chinese
counterpart Yang Jiechi to abandon its opposition to a sanctions resolution.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Erdogan receives hero’s welcome
September 14, 2011
By Tulay Karadeniz, Yasmine Saleh/Daily Star
CAIRO: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday it was time to run the
Palestinian flag up over the United Nations in a rallying call to Arab states
ahead of a Palestinian U.N. membership bid, which is opposed by Washington.
Speaking to Arab foreign ministers, he said Israel had undermined its legitimacy
by irresponsible behavior. He made no specific accusations but has in the past
criticized Israel for building settlements on occupied land envisaged as part of
a Palestinian state.
He has also protested over Israel’s offensive against Gaza in 2008, which
largely spelt the end of a close alliance between Turkey and Israel, and its
attack on a Turkish ship heading for Gaza that killed nine people last year.
Erdogan’s recent criticism of Israel has drawn strong support in the Arab world,
buttressing his campaign to promote Ankara’s blend of Islam and democracy as a
model for movements that have toppled several Arab autocrats, including Egyptian
president Hosni Mubarak.
“While Israel is trying to secure its legitimacy in our region on one hand, it
is taking irresponsible steps which unsettle its legitimacy on the other,”
Erdogan said.
With the souring of relations between Turkey and Israel, military cooperation
has been frozen and diplomatic ties downgraded.
Erdogan’s tour will include Tunisia and Libya, which have all witnessed the fall
of entrenched leaders to grassroots revolts this year, challenging the old order
across the region.
“Erdogan, Erdogan!” cheered a group of demonstrators as the Turkish prime
minister left the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo where he had been
speaking. They were calling for change in Syria, whose military is trying to
stamp out popular unrest.
Displaying a populist touch, Erdogan stopped and shook the demonstrators’ hands.
He told an Arab League ministers meeting that international recognition of a
Palestinian state was “not an option but an obligation.”
“It’s time to raise the Palestinian flag at the United Nations. Let’s raise the
Palestinian flag and let that flag be the symbol of peace and justice in the
Middle East. Let’s contribute to securing well deserved peace and stability in
the Middle East,” he said.
Palestinians will bid for full membership of the United Nations later this
month, a move opposed by the United States, which has a veto. Arab states
endorsed it at the Cairo meeting.
Erdogan said Turkey offered its help to Arab nations facing turmoil but, in an
apparent reference to Syria, he said some had turned down the offer.
“However, we continue to insist they meet their people’s demands.”
Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Araby introduced the Turkish prime
minister saying: “All the Arab peoples appreciate what you are doing. We
consider that there is a strong friendly state who is always standing on the
side of justice.”
Outside the League, Syrian protester Samer Zaher, 30, said: “Erdogan has turned
into an Arab hero … We have not found a leader as powerful as him addressing
[Syrian President Bashar Assad] and asking him to quit.” Turkey expelled the
Israeli ambassador last week in a row over an Israeli raid last year that killed
nine Turks on a flotilla bound for Gaza, the Palestinian enclave controlled by
the Islamist group Hamas and under blockade by Israel. While winning over
ordinary Arabs, particularly because of non-Arab Turkey’s tough line toward
Israel, Erdogan’s growing popularity and clout could be a headache for more
cautious Arab leaders who could see their own influence overshadowed. “Turkey
wants to play a regional role, especially when Egypt is busy with the
revolution. Turkey thinks it’s best placed to play this leadership role,” said
Adel Soliman, head of Cairo’s International Center for Future and Strategic
Studies.Egypt has traditionally seen itself as the leading diplomatic player in
the Arab region. But its position has been eroded by wealthy Gulf countries,
such as Qatar, and lately overshadowed by Turkey, with its fast expanding
economy.
Erdogan met Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tantawi, who heads the military
council that took over after Hosni Mubarak was ousted by mass street
demonstrations in February.
Egypt has also been embroiled in a dispute with Israel after Israel shot dead
five Egyptian border guards in repelling cross-border raiders it said were
Palestinian militants.
But Egypt’s generals have faced popular criticism for not taking a firmer line.
Cairo said it would expel Israel’s ambassador but did not follow through with
threat.
Protesters attacked Israel’s embassy in Cairo last week, which prompted the
ambassador to fly home and an embarrassed Egyptian government to affirm to
Washington, its major aid donor, that it remained committed to a 1979 peace
treaty with the Jewish state. Egypt has received billions of dollars in U.S.
military and other aid since making peace with Israel, so the military council
faces a difficult balancing act responding to public calls for an assertive
policy toward Israel. Erdogan was cheered by a crowd when he arrived in Cairo.
Many appeared to be from Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, who
approve of Erdogan’s bringing Islamists into mainstream Turkish politics.
STL: Cassese trying to reach accused with call to take part in trials
September 14, 2011
By Patrick Galey/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Antonio Cassese’s call for
the four men suspected of involvement in the 2005 assassination of statesman
Rafik Hariri to take part in trials was part of efforts to reach the accused,
the court’s spokesman told The Daily Star. Cassese, who previously urged the
accused to come forward and defend themselves, repeated Monday night his call
for the four suspects to take part in trials. “Judge Antonio Cassese reminds the
accused of their right to participate in the proceedings. By participating, the
accused can fully defend themselves against the charges and evidence presented
against them,” the STL said in an audio announcement on its website.
Meanwhile, victims of the 2005 bomb attack will have until the end of October to
register for participation in trials, a senior judge in the U.N.-backed court
probing the crime said Tuesday.
STL’s Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen ruled that, “barring exceptional
circumstances,” those injured or who lost loved ones in the attack had until
Oct. 31 to indicate their interest to get involved with court proceedings. “This
deadline for filing the participation requests is aimed in particular at
allowing those persons who have been granted the status of a victim [to
participate] in the proceedings, [in order] to make known ‘their views and
concerns’ from the start of the pre-trial stage of the case,” a court statement
said.
The STL is the first international criminal court that allows victims to
participate in trials.
Court Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare issued his first indictment against four
Hezbollah members in June. Although Lebanon is obliged to assist the STL –
including providing more than $32 million of funding in 2011 – Lebanese security
forces have been unable to apprehend any of the suspects, who are also the
subject of international arrest warrants. Hezbollah, which has called for a
boycott of the court, has vowed that security services will not get their hands
on its members.
“The Lebanese people – and especially the victims of this attack – deserve to
know the truth about what happened on Feb 14, 2005,” the public announcement
added.
The court stressed that the trial proceeding would be conducted to the highest
international standards and that the “tribunal’s judge will never convict an
accused unless guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt. Cassese himself has
come under fire from Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who
accused the Italian judge of favoring Israel – much to the private chagrin of
court staff. Monday’s message by Cassese followed the passing of deadlines of 30
days for Lebanese security forces to arrest the men. Cassese subsequently issued
a 30-day public advertisement, calling for the suspects to turn themselves in.
“This is one of the efforts to reach the accused and is part of the 30-day
public advertisement,” STL spokesperson Marten Youssef told The Daily Star. “As
for when trials begin, that is a decision that will be determined by judges
alone. The date will clearly depend on if [the] accused are apprehended,
preliminary motions such as dealing with in absentia proceedings if the accused
are not arrested, the amount of evidence submitted during disclosure and the
amount of time granted for the defense team to build their own case and review
the material submitted by the prosecution,” he added. The court has previously
suggested that trials may begin by mid-2012. Prime Minister Najib Mikati this
week indicated that Lebanon would pay its share of court running costs.
Hezbollah tight-lipped about Jumblatt’s remarks on arms
September 14, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah refrained Tuesday from responding directly to remarks made by
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt the day before, when he
rejected “linking the fate of Lebanon to the liberation of the Shebaa Farms.”
“Let us wait a little bit until the picture is clear. The problem is that
tension arises when Lebanese rush to comment on a stance, whether from this side
or another, without examining its intentions,” said Nabatieh MP Mohammad Raad,
the head of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc.“This is what happened
when commenting on positions made by [Maronite] Patriarch [Beshara] Rai; they
did not spend one moment to examine the dimensions of the stance taken by the
patriarch,” Raad told reporters after holding a meeting, accompanied by two
Hezbollah lawmakers, with former President Emile Lahoud at the latter’s house.
On Monday in his weekly editorial in PSP’s Al-Anbaa newspaper, Jumblatt assailed
controversial remarks made by Rai last week during his visit to Paris urging the
international community to work on liberating the Shebaa Farms, resolve the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict and guarantee the return of an estimated 350,000
Palestinian refugees to their homes in Palestine in a bid to facilitate the
disarmament of Hezbollah. “Linking the fate of Lebanon to the liberation of the
Shebaa Farms and linking its future to all the region’s conflicts are rejected,”
wrote Jumblatt.
“Therefore, the [Lebanese-Syrian] borders must be demarcated. This demand was
unanimously approved at the National Dialogue [conference] in 2006,” he added.
Jumblatt argued that linking Hezbollah’s arms to the return of Palestinian
refugees “will keep Lebanon held up indefinitely in the framework of regional
conflicts.”
Hezbollah maintains that its arsenal is essential to defend Lebanon against any
potential Israeli aggression and to liberate the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms,
Kfar Shouba Hills and the northern part of the village of Ghajar in south
Lebanon. For his part, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, a PSP official,
defended Jumblatt’s stances.
“Is it a sin that Jumblatt recalled decisions approved by the National Dialogue
[Committee]?” Abu Faour asked reporters after holding talks with Speaker Nabih
Berri at the latter’s residence in Ain al-Tineh. Abu Faour questioned whether
Jumblatt’s remarks were new or contradicted earlier statements by the Druze
leader.
“Has Walid Jumblatt ever said once that Hezbollah’s arms should be linked to the
[return of Palestinian refugees] or to resolving all conflicts in the region?
Did he ever say anything other than that he endorses the resistance’s arms as a
strategic defense choice?” asked Abu Faour. Meanwhile, Phalange (Kataeb) Party
leader Amin Gemayel said he was not surprised by Jumblatt’s remarks. “Walid
Jumblatt maintains his national stances and if it happened that in a certain
period and for certain reasons he adapted to a certain mood, this does not mean
that he gave up the principles for which he struggled during a tough period in
history,” Gemayel told reporters after meeting Druze spiritual leader Sheikh
Naim Hasan.
Aoun to Miqati: You are the One Committing Violations, Not
Sunni Sect
Naharnet /Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun
slammed on Tuesday Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s recent statements, stressing
that he is not targeting the Sunni sect, but the premier himself over his
violation. He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting:
“Your sectarian bias won’t prevent us from criticizing you.” Miqati had told al-Jadeed
television on Sunday that cabinet Secretary General Suheil Bouji, General
Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, Middle East Airlines director Mohammed al-Hout, Internal
Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi, and ISF Intelligence Bureau head Wissam
al-Hassan have performed their duties to the utmost. Addressing Miqati, Aoun
continued: “The Intelligence Bureau has committed violations and you have the
authority to dissolve it.” “You have committed the violation and you are being
targeted, not the Sunni sect,” he stressed. He gave the example of former
Premier Omar Karami, “who abided by laws, adopted national stands, and did not
exploit his sect for political gains.” Regarding the funding of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, the FPM leader said: “I have my own personal opinion on
the tribunal.” “I had informed United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that
its adoption under chapter seven of the U.N. charter is a violation of Lebanon’s
constitution,” Aoun noted. “I won’t support the tribunal even if Hizbullah
does,” he stated. Addressing administrative affairs, the MP said: “They don’t
want the country to advance.” “The bankruptcy of Electricite du Liban was
deliberate and they destroyed houses in order to employ Solidere to rebuild
them,” he added.
“They speak of privatization, but what does that mean? Ask Miqati if companies
have paid their dues,” he continued. Aoun noted: “The state pays and the
privatizers achieve the gains. Lebanon will become a state whether they like it
or not.”
The shepherd divides the flock
Lebanese Christians react to Patriarch Rai’s Syria statement
Aline Sara, September 14, 2011
Patriarch Bechara al-Rai’s comments on the Syrian uprising have sparked
controversy among Lebanon’s Christians. (NOW Lebanon)
During his visit to Paris last week, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai told
France 24 that the situation in Syria, where over 2,600 people have been killed
since the start of the anti-regime uprising in mid-March, was genocide. Though
his statement was vague—he did not clarify whom the genocide was being committed
against—he was clear about his conviction that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
is capable of implementing reform, deeming him “open-minded.”
And while Rai later said his words had been taken out of context, his statement
produced strong reactions among Lebanon’s political and intellectual classes,
and among the larger Christian population, which is strongly divided along
political lines.
NOW Lebanon asked members of the Christian community what they think about
Patriarch Rai’s statement.
To Rosie Azzar, a woman in her 50s from Rabieh, what Rai said was not shocking.
“As head of the Maronite Church, he knows things we don’t. Naturally, this
doesn’t mean I approve of what is going on in Syria, but we need to think a
little further than Achrafieh; we must think of the Christians who cannot speak
up,” she said, referring to the Christians of Iraq and Egypt. “We saw how in the
Western world, no one took care of them. Bachar [al-Assad] is not a saint, but
if he’s out, who will replace him? As long as the opposition is not organized,
then I support Rai’s claims.”
Tony, a resident of Achrafieh who, like most people interviewed did not want to
give his real name due to the political nature of the topic, echoed Azzar’s
thoughts. “It is undeniable today that if Assad falls, the Muslim Brotherhood
will take over, and when the Muslim Brotherhood takes over, the Salafists will
follow, and they are worse. Once that happens, the fate of Syrian Christians is
clear, and Lebanon’s Christians will follow.”
“If he said what he said,” Tony added, “it means it reflects the opinion of a
number of Christians in the region.”
Carole, a 26-year-old from Jbeil, is also worried about the spillover effect
Assad’s fall would have. “One has to think about what comes after Assad. If he
falls, and the Sunnis take over in Syria, it will spill into northern Lebanon.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Joseph, a shop owner in Achrafieh. “If Assad
falls,” he said, “what will happen to the Christians in Syria?”
“It’s been a while we’ve needed a patriarch like Rai,” he added, “and I think he
is very good.”
But for Soumaya, an Achrafieh resident in her 40s, Rai has disappointed her from
the beginning, though she has more of a problem with the patriarch’s statements
regarding Hezbollah’s arms than what he said about Syria.
Meanwhile Renee, an Achrafieh resident in her 70s, said she strongly disagreed
with Rai, specifically on Syria. “I don’t see why Syrian Christians should fear
a regime that will be more democratic and more open with regard to all of the
country’s communities. Today, it is about a head of state who is harming his
country and killing his people. He cannot stay in power, even if he manages to
reconcile everyone.”
Maria, 32, from Baabda, said she was troubled by the idea that Christians in
both Lebanon and Syria could accept that their security be provided to the
detriment of other communities’. She also questioned if Rai, as a major
representative of Arab Christians, realized the consequences of his statements.
“He’ll be responsible, in large part, for the possible retaliation of the
region’s Sunnis seeking revenge on Christians for watching their Syrian brothers
be persecuted and tortured. Christians will be the scapegoats given they will
have made their alignment with the Syria regime so clear [because of Rai’s
statements].”
“He’d be better off advising Christians in the Syrian army, especially
high-ranking ones, not to crack down on the protesters with such violence,”
added Maria. “And the patriarch should stop fueling the sense of fear between
Muslims and Christians but rather advocate reconciliation in order to establish
a strategy for the post-Assad era.”
To Christopher, 32, from Metn, Rai comes across “as a bling-bling arriviste,
without the wisdom expected from a man of religion.”
“What he said about Syria, because it made the situation appear unrealistically
mild, contradicts fundamental Christian beliefs of non-violence, human dignity
and liberty,” he said.
“I think he is trying to protect the Christian Syrians’ interests and making his
own path in politics, trying not to stay in [former Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros]
Sfeir's shadow,” said 28-year-old Michel from Awkar. “Too bad he isn't doing a
good job.”
He added that Christian leaders have a history of keeping quiet over human
rights violations if it means keeping their coreligionists safe. “A prime
example is the Second World War,” Michel said. “So why expect different now? At
the end of the day, Christians are a tiny minority in the Arab world. In a way,
it’s self-preservation.”