LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
27/2011
Bible Quotation for today
ُEzekiel 18/1-9: "What is this proverb people keep
repeating in the land of Israel? The parents ate the sour grapes, But the
children got the sour taste. As surely as I am the
living God, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not repeat this proverb in Israel
any more. The life of every person belongs to me, the life of the parent as well
as that of the child. The person who sins is the one who will die.
Suppose there is a truly good man, righteous and honest. He doesn't
worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden
shrines. He doesn't seduce another man's wife or have intercourse with a woman
during her period. He doesn't cheat or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower
gives him as security; he feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked.8 He
doesn't lend money for profit. He refuses to do evil and gives an honest
decision in any dispute. Such a man obeys my commands and carefully keeps my
laws. He is righteous, and he will live, says the
Sovereign Lord.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
The cross, flip-flops and our worst
fears/By:
Hanin Ghaddar/September 26/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources
for September 26/11
Ban Concerned Over Oil Dispute,
Urges Lebanon to Start Exploration
France: We are Committed to
Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Middle East
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros
al-Rai: Lebanese people are ready for dialogue
Report: U.S. Not Seeking to Cancel
al-Rahi’s Entry Visa
Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni: March
8 is trying to portray patriarch as another Aoun,
Coordinator of the March 14 General
Secretariat Fares Soueid: We hope Bkirki remains above political rhetoric
March 8 lauds Rai, slams Geagea
Lebanon PM to convince allies rejection of STL costly
Beirut stocks at 2-year low as tumble continues
Miqati in New York: Lebanon's Interest Lies in Respecting U.N. Resolutions
Prime Minister Najib Mikati:
Lebanon must have excellent ties with foreign countries
Berri Meets al-Rahi: You Shouldn’t
Fear the Resistance, But You Must Protect it
Berri Says There is Enough Time to
Decide on STL Funding
Future bloc MP Ammar Houri: Lebanon
will “most probably” commit to international resolutions
Change and Reform bloc MP Emile
Rahmeh: LF’s rhetoric contradicts patriarch’s statements
Europe Competes over Williams
Successor
US and Pakistan near military
clash. Islamabad blames US Afghan "disarray"
Erdogan signals joint Turkish-Iranian action against Kurdish rebels in Iraq
UN Security Council to begin informal debate on Palestinian statehood
Analysis / After his stint at UN, Abbas is politically stronger than ever
Netanyahu expresses 'disappointment' with Abbas' UN speech
French Left Claims Senate Win in Poll Blow for Sarkozy
Egypt Seizes Smuggled Anti-Aircraft
Weapons
Ahmadinejad: Iranians Kidnapped in
Lebanon in 1982 Held in Israel
France:
We are Committed to Christians in Lebanon, Syria, Middle East
Naharnet /The French Foreign Ministry stressed on Monday the importance of the
presence of the Christian communities in the East, refuting some Lebanese media
reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy supported the immigration of
Christians in the East to Europe in light of the developments in the region. It
said in a statement: “France is committed to the Christian presence in Lebanon,
Syria, and the Middle East.” It reiterated Sarkozy’s statements in January in
which he said that Christians have lived in the East for 2,000 years, and
therefore it would be unacceptable for this humanitarian, cultural, and
spiritual diversity to disappear. It voiced its confidence in the “central role
they play as they have demonstrated their commitment to freedom in the ongoing
democratic process in the region.”Ad Diyar daily had reported last week that
Sarkozy had proposed to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi during his visit to
France that since the Christian population in Lebanon has dwindled to 1.3
million and 2.5 million in Syria, then why don’t they all immigrate to Europe?
He explained that Europe is capable of harboring them since it accommodated the
two million Iraqi Christians who fled the war in their country. The French
president added that given the clash of civilizations in the Middle East,
especially between Muslims and Christians, there is no room left for Christians
in the East, reported the daily.Al-Rahi reacted to the suggestion with
incredulity, wondering how such a matter could be possible, to which Sarkozy
responded by showing him statistics that three million Christians immigrated
from Lebanon during the past 20 years.
Report:
U.S. Not Seeking to Cancel al-Rahi’s Entry Visa
Naharnet /The State Department does not intend to cancel Maronite Patriarch
Beshara al-Rahi’s entry visa to the U.S. over his controversial statements on
Hizbullah’s weapons and Syria, As Safir daily reported Monday. The report came
after Ad-Diyar newspaper said Sunday that the Department might cancel the visa
to snub al-Rahi for linking the fate of Hizbullah’s arms to the liberation of
the remaining occupied Lebanese territories and for saying that Syrian President
Bashar Assad should be given the chance to introduce reform. Ad-Diyar also said
that al-Rahi will not meet with top U.S. officials in Washington after he told
U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly that he held onto his remarks. Connelly
reportedly told the patriarch that he needed to provide explanations on his
statements before setting dates with U.S President Barack Obama and other
officials. Al-Rahi snapped back by cancelling his visit to Washington, Ad-Diyar
said. As Safir’s Washington correspondent confirmed that a meeting hasn’t been
set with Obama, adding that Bkirki cancelled the Washington stop as part of the
patriarch’s pastoral visit after the U.S. administration set meetings between
lower-ranking officials and al-Rahi. The daily confirmed that the U.S. has
expressed reservations on his stances.
U.S. mulling (Considering) visa freeze on Rai: report
September 25, 2011/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: The United States State Department is currently considering a visa
freeze on Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai to prevent him from entering the
country, Ad-Diyar newspaper has reported. According to the newspaper the news
was announced by a bishop in New York, who also noted that talks are now ongoing
between the White House and Maronite bishops in the U.S. in order to ease
tensions. The patriarch drew condemnation earlier this month when he said Syrian
President Bashar Assad should be given time to implement reforms and warned that
the uprising in Syria could threaten Christians in the country. Rai has been
working to mend ties since his return to Lebanon two weeks ago.
Maronite
Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai: Lebanese people are ready for dialogue
September 26, 2011 /Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai said on Monday
that the Lebanese people are ready for dialogue after 36 years of sacrifices, in
reference to Lebanon’s civil war that erupted in 1975. During a lunch held at
Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence in South Lebanon, Rai also said that the
Lebanese people have “accomplished heroic acts in resisting enemies and have
sacrificed [everything they have] to protect Lebanon and preserve it.”“The
Lebanese people have [worked] to [maintain] their dignity,” Rai added. The
patriarch also commended the “generosity of the love” of people in the South,
and thanked UNIFIL and the Lebanese army troops in South Lebanon.“I am a witness
to the co-existence in all the towns that I visited. The [people] of the south
long for partnership… which can be achieved [through] dialogue.” Rai, who on
Saturday kicked off a three-day visit to South Lebanon, also thanked President
Michel Sleiman for attending the lunch.-NOW Lebanon
Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni: March 8 is trying to portray patriarch as another
Aoun,
September 26, 2011 /Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni said on Monday that “there is a
big difference between what Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai is trying
to say in his statements and the behavior of [the March8 alliance].”“The
patriarch is calling for love, partnership and for the establishment of a state,
while [members of March 8] want to portray [Rai] as another [Change and Reform
bloc leader MP] Michel Aoun,” Marouni told As-Sharq radio station. i also said
that “the reaction of the participants during the Lebanese Forces’ annual
commemoration of Lebanese Martyrs when former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir
made an appearance shows where the Christian conscience lies.”Sfeir celebrated
the LF’s annual mass on Saturday and was greeted with loud applause when he
entered the Fouad Shehab stadium in Jounieh, where the mass was held. “We cannot
continue with the current situation, and divisions among Christians is harming
Lebanon… We are working for unity, but unfortunately [March 8 Christians] insist
on giving a legitimate cover to [non-state] weapons,” Marouni said in a
reference to Hezbollah’s weapons.-NOW Lebanon
Ban Concerned Over Oil Dispute, Urges Lebanon to Start
Exploration
Naharnet /U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over Lebanese accusations
about Israel’s encroachment on Lebanese waters, saying that any unilateral
action would harm all countries in the region, a U.N. source said. The source
told An Nahar daily published Monday that Ban told President Michel Suleiman
during his visit to New York last week that the U.N. can play a role in the
delineation of Lebanon’s maritime borders under a Security Council resolution.
The newspaper said Suleiman and Ban discussed Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone
and the U.N.’s role in preventing Israel from infringing on 870 kilometers of
Lebanese waters that include oil and gas fields. The secretary-general
reiterated to the Lebanese president that the country should begin investing its
natural resources in undisputed waters on condition that Israel does not drill
for gas and oil in the controversial 870-kilometer area pending a diplomatic
effort to convince it to review the geographic coordinates that it submitted to
the U.N. concerning the northern part of the waters it claims.The Israeli
cabinet in July approved a map and submitted it to the United Nations. But the
map conflicts with Lebanon's proposed borders, which give the Jewish state less
territorial waters and was submitted to the U.N. last year.
Berri
Meets al-Rahi: You Shouldn’t Fear the Resistance, But You Must Protect it
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Monday that Lebanon is committed to
the implementation of international resolutions, noting that Israel’s failure to
respect them resulted in the formation of the Resistance. He said while hosting
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over a luncheon banquet in the southern town
of Msayleh: “The Resistance will defend Lebanon against any aggression and we
say to all sides that they should protect it rather than fear it.” He therefore
demanded that the international community pressure Israel to withdraw from the
Shabaa Farms and Kfarshouba hills and halt its ongoing violations of Lebanon’s
sovereignty. “Mutual coexistence in Lebanon is a strength that Israel lacks,”
Berri noted before a crowd of dignitaries that included President Michel
Suleiman. “We are keen on direct, frank, and unconditional dialogue in order to
reach an agreement over a defense strategy,” the Speaker stressed.
“Dialogue and building trust are central to building partnership among all
sides,” he stated. “We should all stand by the patriarch in liberating man from
his fears and insecurities in Lebanon,” Berri said For his part, al-Rahi noted
that the southern residents have put their past behind them, and they now long
for a new chapter of partnership between all towns and villages of the South “on
condition that it takes place through dialogue”.He also commended the efforts of
the Lebanese army, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, and security forces
in maintaining the country’s security.“The Lebanese are now ready for dialogue
after 36 years of sacrifices,” he stressed.The Patriarch concluded his three-day
tour of the South on Monday.He kicked off the tour by visiting Tyre and several
other towns on Saturday.On Sunday, he visited several towns, including the Druze
town of Bayyada in Hasbaya
Egypt Seizes Smuggled Anti-Aircraft Weapons
Naharnet/Egypt's security forces said on Sunday they seized anti-aircraft
missiles and launchers probably destined for the neighboring Palestinian
territory of the Gaza Strip.
The eight missiles and shoulder-mounted launchers were found in four wooden
boxes near the Suez Canal, security officials said, adding the smugglers
appeared to have fled moments before security forces arrived.The weapons were
smuggled into Egypt either through Sudan or Libya, said the officials, who
requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Israel has raised concerns that weapons smuggled from Libya, where a revolt
against leader Moammar Gadhafi left an abundance of arsenal, were finding their
way to the Islamist Hamas-controlled Gaza.Gun dealers are believed to smuggle
the weapons into the Palestinian enclave through a network of tunnels also used
to smuggle food and other contraband.
The Palestinian coastal enclave has been under blockade since 2006, after
militants captured an Israeli soldier in a cross border raid.**Source Agence
France Presse
Coordinator of the March 14 General Secretariat Fares Soueid: We hope Bkirki
remains above political rhetoric
September 26, 2011 /Coordinator of the March 14 General Secretariat Fares Soueid
said he hopes “Bkirki remains above political [rhetoric] and above aligning with
this or that team.”
“We did not hear the patriarch reiterate the political positions that he said
from Paris or Baalbek [during his visit to South Lebanon], but he spoke in a
cultural manner, and this is something good,” he told Voice of Lebanon (100.5)
radio on Monday. Rai on Saturday kicked off a three-day visit to South Lebanon.
“I will not allow myself to say that the patriarch says something and then
[takes it back],” Soueid added. A heated debate has erupted in Lebanon over
controversial remarks by the patriarch. Rai said earlier in September that the
international community must help “liberate the land [occupied by Israel],”
adding that “only then will we ask Hezbollah to hand over its weapons.” He also
urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be given a chance to implement reforms.
However, the patriarch later said during a visit to the Metn town of Al-Arbaniyya
that everyone "should forget all the statements that were taken out of context
and have nothing to do with my personal opinion.” Assad's regime has cracked
down on a string of unprecedented protests across the country, killing more than
2,600 civilian protesters since the uprising began in March, according to the
United Nations. -NOW Lebanon
Future bloc MP Ammar Houri: Lebanon will “most probably”
commit to international resolutions,
September 26, 2011 /Future bloc MP Ammar Houri said on Monday that “President
Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati will most probably commit to
international resolutions, otherwise, Lebanon would have to face sanctions and
restrictions.”Houri also told As-Sharq radio that “he noticed some components of
the government have yielded to Lebanon’s commitment toward the Special Tribunal
for Lebanon (STL)” probing the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. He added that “Lebanon should not continue with its current position on
the Syrian developments before the UN Security Council.” “Lebanon cannot defend
crimes and dictatorship,” Houri said, adding: “The Lebanese government’s stance
on the Syrian people’s suffering is very disappointing.” Earlier in August, the
UN Security Council issued a presidential statement condemning violence in
Syria, and Middle Eastern nations – including Saudi Arabia and Turkey – have
condemned the recent upsurge in violence in Syria. Lebanon did not block the
adoption but disavowed the document. -NOW Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc MP Emile Rahmeh: LF’s rhetoric
contradicts patriarch’s statements
September 26, 2011 /Change and Reform bloc MP Emile Rahmeh said on Monday that
“Lebanese Forces’ rhetoric contradicts that of Maronite Patriarch Bechara
Boutros al-Rai.”
“LF leader Samir Geagea’s speech during the party’s annual mass was a response
to the patriarch’s statements,” Rahmeh told OTV television. Geagea on Saturday
condemned the Lebanese government’s position on the Syrian uprising, saying, “It
gives a dark image of Lebanon and contradicts with the aspirations of the
majority of its people.”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.Regarding Lebanon’s 2013
parliamentary elections, Rahmeh said that “it is possible that the 1960
electoral law be adopted with some amendments to it.”
Lebanese parties are debating a new electoral law for the upcoming 2013
parliamentary elections. After the parliament agreed on drafting a law based on
proportional representation, some parties rejected the draft law and called for
renewing the 2009 electoral law, which is based on simple majority
representation.The MP also voiced his rejection of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) probing the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
and said that “it harms Lebanon’s sovereignty.”“I will ask Change and Reform
bloc leader MP Michel Aoun to allow me not to vote in favor of STL funding in
parliament,” Rahmeh added.Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently
dominate Lebanon’s cabinet – have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state
budget pertaining to the funding of the tribunal. Four Hezbollah members have
been indicted by the STL. However, the Shia group strongly denied the charges
and refuses to cooperate with the court. -NOW Lebanon
Prime Minister Najib Mikati: Lebanon must have excellent
ties with foreign countries
September 25, 2011 /Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Sunday that “Lebanon’s
ties with foreign countries must be excellent.”
“We have no choice but to be on excellent terms with the countries of the world,
except for Israel of course. Our main priority is national unity, and it is on
that basis that we approach all positions towards foreign countries,” Mikati was
quoted by the National News Agency as saying.
Mikati also said that “the objective of my [meetings] in New York is to protect
Lebanon and reinforce its role on the international level.”
“We have to work for the interest of Lebanon, and my message [for the Lebanese]
is to remain calm and respect one another,” he added.
The PM also said that he will be “meeting with the Foreign Ministers of the US,
Russia and China as well as the ambassadors of Arab countries to the UN.”
He added that during his upcoming meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, he will discuss “the reinforcement of the Lebanese army and the
Lebanese security forces.”
Mikati will also “meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and will discuss
the international resolutions that pertain to Lebanon and the Palestinian’s bid
to be accepted as a full member in the UN.”
Mikati arrived in New York to chair sessions of the UN Security Council, which
Lebanon heads for the month of September, the National News Agency reported on
Sunday.
Regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is investigating the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Mikati said that “Lebanon’s
interest is to respect all international resolutions, including the STL, and to
not be selective in implementing them.”
“But at the same time, Lebanon’s interest must be our priority,” he added.
Mikati also said that “he has not yet received any official stance [from
Lebanese parties] rejecting the STL, and that the government has not yet
discussed the STL.”
Regarding the oil exploration file, Mikati informed that “he will submit the
necessary maps of Lebanon’s exclusive economic zone to the UN and will ask for
its protection.”
In July, Israel's cabinet approved a map of the Jewish state's proposed maritime
borders with Lebanon, which is to be submitted to the UN.
Following Israel’s approval of the map, Energy Minister Gebran Bassil countered
that Lebanon will not give up its maritime rights. Lebanon and Israel differ on
their interpretation of the maritime border. The Lebanese Parliament in August
2010 passed an oil exploration bill, which calls for the establishment of a
treasury and a committee to oversee exploration and drilling off of Lebanon.
Mikati also met with Mahmoud Jibril, president of the executive council of the
Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC).Jibril promised the PM to investigate
the disappearance of the Lebanese-Iranian Shia cleric Imam Moussa Sader and to
inform the Lebanese state on every development.
The Amal Movement claims that Libya is complicit for the 1978 disappearance of
its founder, Sadr. Ousted Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi has repeatedly denied
involvement.
-NOW Lebanon
Turkey to Start Gas Exploration in Mediterranean Monday
Naharnet /Turkey will start Monday to explore gas and oil in the eastern
Mediterranean following a move by Greek Cypriots to press ahead with offshore
gas drilling, the Anatolia news agency reported. "We expect the ship to arrive
at noon to the region where exploration will start. The team will start
seismological research in the afternoon, after it reaches the region whose
(geographical) position was specified," said Huseyin Avni Benli, the head of the
institute that owns the ship, Anatolia reported.Benli did not elaborate on the
ship's exact destination. The ship Piri Reis, which embarked on its
controversial mission last week, has so far encountered no problems on the
Mediterranean, said Benli of Dokuz Eylul University, in the Aegean province of
Izmir.Benli said there was twice-daily communication with the ship through
satellite telephone, Anatolia reported. The ship left Urla port near Izmir on
Friday.Regional tensions have been rising after the Cyprus government,
recognized internationally but not by Turkey, made a deal with U.S. energy firm
Noble, which has already started exploratory drilling for gas off the southern
coast of the divided island.Turkey's decision to send the seismic ship comes
after it signed an accord with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a
statelet only recognized by Ankara, to explore energy supplies in designated
waters off the island.*Source Agence France Presse
Europe Competes over Williams Successor
Naharnet/The European countries are competing among each other to press their
candidates to succeed United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael
Williams as his tenure comes to an end on Sept. 30, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat
reported on Monday.European diplomatic sources told the daily that the Lebanese
government supports ex- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain Miguel Angel
Moratinos to succeed Williams, whereby President Michel Suleiman and Prime
Minister Najib Miqati voiced support for Moratinos’ candidacy during separate
talks with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki moon. The newspaper remarked that the
Lebanese cabinet justifies its support for Moratinos by saying that he closely
followed up the Lebanese developments when he was appointed as EU's Special
Representative for the Middle East Peace Process and then by becoming the head
of Spanish Foreign Ministry.
The competition is mainly limited to Moratinos along with former Norwegian
Ambassador to Lebanon Aud Lise Norheim and Switzerland's Special Envoy for the
Middle East Jean Daniel Ruch, al-Hayat said. However, the sources said that Ban
has his reasons to carefully choose his representative in Lebanon, besides “it’s
inappropriate to rule out the option of appointing Ruch and Norheim.”They noted
that Finland also has the will to press a veteran diplomatic official for the
candidacy.
Berri Says There is Enough Time to Decide on STL Funding
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri has said that authorities would take the
appropriate action when the time to pay Lebanon’s share of funds to the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon comes.
Berri’s visitors told al-Joumhouria daily published Monday that the deadline for
Lebanon’s payment of its share is not at the end of September as some expected.
“When we reach that phase” we’ll decide what action to take, he reportedly said.
“There is enough time before that date comes.”On Sunday, Premier Najib Miqati
said the payment has yet to be discussed by the cabinet. There are fears that
Hizbullah and its allies will attempt to block a decision to fund the STL.The
tribunal has indicted four Hizbullah members in the case of ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination. Their whereabouts are unknown.
March 8 lauds Rai, slams Geagea
September 26, 2011 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The March 8 camp praised the weekend visit to south Lebanon by the
Maronite patriarch as “historic,” while a speech by Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea highlighted a schism over the role of the Christians in Lebanon and the
region.
Patriarch Beshara Rai toured a host of villages and towns throughout the south
and will conclude the visit Monday, in what Sheikh Nabil Qaouk of Hezbollah said
was a “patriotic and historic visit that cements national unity.”
Rai said Sunday that his visit, which was heavy with symbolism and enthusiastic
receptions as he criss-crossed the south, had made him feel that he was “not the
Maronite patriarch, but the patriarch of all Lebanese.”
Rai urged rival factions to engage in national dialogue to save Lebanon, saying
that the country faced the challenge of restoring the unity of its people and
rebuilding its social fabric.
On the second day of his landmark visit, the first by a Maronite patriarch to
towns and villages near the border with Israel, Rai also said Lebanon could not
evade Security Council resolutions.
“The region is going through a difficult and delicate phase … Lebanon cannot
bypass the U.N. Security Council resolutions. All of us must look for the
future,” Rai said during a Mass he led in Sayidat Church in Hasbaya.
While March 8 politicians welcomed the patriarch’s visit, they took aim at LF
leader Samir Geagea for urging Christians to assume a leading role in popular
uprisings sweeping the Arab world.
Geagea’s address, delivered Saturday at a commemorative Mass for LF civil war
martyrs, earned a dismissal by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who termed the
remarks “political” rhetoric and denied that any group was receiving special
treatment from authorities.
Geagea repeatedly referred to “Hezbollah citizens” who were engaging in illegal
activities under the eyes of the authorities. He also urged Hezbollah to hand
over its weapons to the state.
In a radio interview Sunday, Charbel said Geagea’s remarks about special
treatment involved “exaggerations,” adding that he supported Hezbollah’s
disarmament if the Lebanese Army were given the weapons required to defend the
country against Israel. Former Minister Fayez Shukr, a Baath Party official,
said the LF leader’s “black past” disqualified him from speaking in the name of
the Christians.
Meanwhile, Rai’s second day in the south began in the Druze town of Bayyada in
Hasbaya where he was welcomed by Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Social
Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, representing Druze leader Walid Jumblatt,
Minister of State Marwan Kheireddine, Aley MP Talal Arslan and other MPs, as
well as senior Druze clerics and local dignitaries.Addressing the crowd, Rai
said: “I see in front of me a symbol of Lebanon. All its spiritual families are
here … How beautiful is Lebanon. We renew here our commitment to preserve our
various Lebanese communities.”
Noting that his three-day visit reinforced his call for “love and partnership,”
the slogan he launched upon being elected Maronite patriarch in March, Rai
renewed his call for national dialogue. “It is high time to sit together at the
dialogue table in order to raise all our concerns, responsibilities and fears,”
the patriarch said, addressing well-wishers who welcomed him the town of Khiam,
a few kilometers from the border with Israel.
“We are committed with our partners in the country to protect Lebanon and
fortify it against internal and external dangers threatening it,” Rai said.
“Political parties must meet and sit together at the dialogue table to save
Lebanon and bolster its internal stability.”
Amid tolling of Khiam’s church and chants of Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest) and
calls for noon prayers from the town’s mosque, Rai was warmly welcomed by
residents who showered the patriarch with rice and rose petals. Among the crowd
to welcome Rai were the health minister, who hails from Khiam, Hezbollah MP
Nawaf Musawi, Christian and Muslim clerics and other dignitaries.
Rai praised the resistance’s role in facing Israeli attacks. “We must remain
vigilant because we are facing the dangers of partition and dismemberment in the
region,” Rai said. “Lebanon is a land where religions and culture converge.
Thank you for opening your hearts to us. I thank your love and confidence.”
During a stop Sunday evening in Bint Jbeil, Rai said the visit had made him feel
as if he was not the patriarch of the Maronites but of all Lebanese, “which
confirms that the Lebanese are open-minded and love coexistence.”
US and Pakistan near military clash. Islamabad blames US Afghan "disarray"
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis September 25, 2011
Amid spiraling Pakistani-US tensions, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday,
Sept. 25, ordered Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to return home from New
York at once shortly after she warned the US against "hot pursuit" of terrorists
on Pakistani soil. A sense of crisis pervaded Islamabad as Pakistan's army chief
Gen. Ashfaq Kayani held a "special" meeting of his top commanders "to review the
security situation."
debkafile's military sources report Pakistan appears to be steeling itself for a
possible clash with US troops
should "hot pursuit" takes place.
"The United States must not make someone a scapegoat if its goals are not
achieved," the Foreign Minister Khar went on to say – apparently in response to
the US message that if Islamabad fails to shut down the Haqqani network's bases,
the Americans would.
Thursday, Sept. 22, the US Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen accused Pakistan's
powerful ISI spy agency of supporting the Haqqani group which attacked the US
embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on Sept. 13. His
charge was based on the tapes obtained by US intelligence recording telephone
conversations in the course of the attack in which the terrorists asked
Inter-Service Intelligence officers in Pakistan for orders on how to proceed.
Pakistani intelligence is also accused to controlling the audacious suicide
strike two days earlier on the Sayed Abad US Special Forces base which left 77
servicemen injured – the largest number of US casualties in a single attack in
the past decade.
Friday, Sept. 23, US CENTCOM chief Gen. James Mattis arrived in Islamabad and
confronted the Pakistani army chief with these charges. Gen. Kayani flatly
denied any ties between the ISI and the Haqqani terrorists. He also warned that
Pakistan would strike without mercy any acts of terror committed from
Afghanistan by "miscreants."
The White House then issued a statement demanding that Pakistan break any link
they have with terrorists.
The Americans bluntly accuse the ISI of funding and controlling the Haqqani
Network and engineering its attacks on US military targets in Kabul to shake up
security and wreck US political and military positions there ahead of the US
withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014.
Islamabad is seen in Washington as softening up the ground for pro-Pakistan
Taliban factions to move in as US troops move out in order pre-empt the rising
influence of Pakistan's traditional foe India which the ISI believes the United
States is helping.
The Pakistani Prime Minister raised the stakes Saturday, Sept. 24 by dismissing
US charges as
betraying "confusion and policy disarray within the US establishment on the way
forward in Afghanistan." He therefore held the Obama administration and US
military leaders no less responsible for the disarray in Afghanistan than its
foes, the Taliban and the Haqqani network.
debkafile's military sources report that them current crisis brings to a climax
ten years of mutual recriminations: The United States accuses Pakistan of
playing a double role in the US war against Al Qaeda and Taliban – earning an
annual $3 billion aid package from Washington while quietly nurturing Taliban
and Pakistani terrorist groups, some linked to al Qaeda, for operations in
Afghanistan and India. Until May this year, the governments kept their voices
down. Washington was concerned to maintain the important transit route supplies
to US forces fighting in Afghanistan and so, when the argument became too
strident, American secretaries of state or defense and CIA chiefs rushed over to
Islamabad to hush things up and chart new paths for cooperation. However, the US
Special Forces raid on the Pakistani garrison town of Abbotville, to kill Osama
Bin Laden, put an end to this on-again, off-again armistice. Washington refused
to believe that he had enjoyed asylum there for five years without the knowledge
of Pakistani military intelligence. Islamabad refused to take the American
breach of their sovereignty without forewarning or the Pakistani military
reacting lying down.
The acute differences burst out in the open. Pakistani public opinion, whose
anti-Americanism is ingrained, refused to tolerate the false face of common
interests and cooperation presented by Washington and Islamabad and insisted on
a policy change: "The US can be friends but not masters," because a watchword.
The Gilani government can therefore no longer afford to be seen obeying
Washington by cracking down on radical Islamic militias and terrorists operating
in the country, whether Taliban, the Haqqani Network of Al Qaeda. Such measures
would quickly be translated into burning American flags on Pakistani streets and
demonstrations against the government.
The heads of that government no longer hold back their criticism of America's
conduct of the Afghan war or their views that Washington has no chance of
attaining a negotiated peace even with a part of the Taliban command. Islamabad
would prefer the Obama administration to pull his troops out of Afghanistan at
once because, Pakistani leaders believe that the longer they stay, the greater
the debacle. They have no intention of being associated with this downfall.
Gilani is not the only Pakistani leader terming US policy in Afghanistan as
marked by "confusion and policy disarray." Friday, Sept. 23, the Washington Post
carried this comment: When President Obama told Americans in July that the “tide
of war is receding” in Afghanistan, 3,100 soldiers from the 172nd brigade were
just beginning to arrive in this rugged swath of the country — their first
Afghan deployment coinciding almost exactly with the war’s ebb. The timing
leaves [Col. Edward] Bohnemann to balance two separate directives that are often
at odds with each other: to do all he can to defeat insurgents, while also
preparing for an American departure by the end of 2014.
PM to convince allies rejection of STL costly
September 26, 2011 /By Mirella Hodeib The Daily Star
NEW YORK: Prime Minister Najib Mikati vowed Sunday to convince his allies in the
government of the negative repercussions that could result if funding for the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon is blocked, adding that one of the purposes of his
visit to New York was to clarify his Cabinet’s stance on the thorny issue.
Mikati also promised to explain to the officials he will meet during his visit
what he dubbed the “peculiar” nature of Lebanese domestic politics, and said
that Lebanon’s stability was his top priority.
“I always stress that Lebanon should not implement international resolutions
selectively,” said Mikati during a briefing for reporters.
“We cannot submit to the United Nations all the maps related to our Exclusive
Economic Zone and ask them to help us protect it, yet at the same time scrap all
resolutions and agreements related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” he
said. He said the issue of paying Lebanon’s share of funds to the
Netherlands-based STL has yet to be discussed by his Cabinet, adding that none
of the Lebanese factions will stand against the interests of their country.
There are fears that Hezbollah and its allies, which hold a dominant share in
the Mikati government, will attempt to block a decision to fund the STL after
the court named four members of the party as the primary suspects in the case of
the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
But Mikati vowed to convince the groups in the government of the consequences
that might result if the government decided to implement international
resolutions selectively.
“None of the parties have informed me that [they are] against paying our share
of funds,” said Mikati. “I will try to convince everybody of the negative
effects that might result from being selective in implementing international
resolutions.” Mikati, who is scheduled to hold separate talks Monday at the
office of the head of the U.N. Security Council with Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, in addition to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China’s
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, said he planned to meet with the world’s “most
influential” officials in a bid to garner significant support for Lebanon.
He also described Lebanon’s presidency of the U.N. Security Council during the
month of September as a “historic opportunity” that would allow Lebanon to
become acquainted with the stances of the international community on issues in
the Middle East.
Mikati will go to the monthly briefing on the Middle East at the U.N. Security
Council Tuesday, during which he will deliver a short speech. He is also set to
meet with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Mikati discussed Sunday
Lebanese-Libyan ties as well as the details of a conference in Beirut on
investment in Libya to be held on Nov. 24 with the chairman of the Executive
Board of the Libyan National Transitional Council.
Mikati also met with a delegation from the American Task Force for Lebanon, a
non-profit, non-sectarian organization seeking to promote peace and stability in
Lebanon and encourage the U.S. to invest more to restore the basic
infrastructure of Lebanese economic, political and educational institutions.The
prime minister said the primary goal of his visit to New York was to protect
Lebanon and bolster its role on the international scene. He added that Lebanon
had no other choice but to build positive ties with all countries except Israel.
“Based on this formula we [will] address internal and external challenges,” said
Mikati.
Mikati also said that the “calmness and dialogue” that governs the way he treats
domestic issues also applies to foreign relations.
He highlighted that he will take advantage of his stay in New York to explain
his government’s policy on a wide array of issues following “campaigns against
it [the government].”
During his meetings, Mikati said he will explain to officials the “peculiar”
political situation in Lebanon and how it is directly affected by any external
turmoil.
The prime minister added that one of his top priorities was to elude any
domestic tension through calmly tackling all challenges through constructive
dialogue.
“There is no winner or loser in Lebanon,” Mikati said. “But rather we should
rather work to serve Lebanon’s higher interests.”
The cross, flip-flops and our worst fears
By: Hanin Ghaddar,
September 26, 2011
The flipflops that caused an outcry among some Christians, leading to the owner
of the store that sold them to be sent to jail. (Image grab from YouTube)
To demonstrate for human rights, that’s necessary. To protest against torture,
injustice and discrimination, that’s exactly why most of us support the Arab
Spring. To rally for freedom of speech and religious rights, that’s more than
essential. However, to hold a protest and force a shop to close just because it
sells flip-flops with tiny images of the cross on them is nothing close to civil
engagement.
The flip-flops were Halloween-themed, and were decorated with an image of a
Dracula mansion surrounded by graves that had crosses on top. The only thing
anyone saw was the crosses, because that’s all they wanted to see. It was a huge
opportunity to make a victory.
The store happened to be located in the Christian residential area of Furn al-Chebbek.
The owner, Ali Fakih, happened to be a Shia. It looked to the mob that
demonstrated in front of the store two weeks ago like Hezbollah was humiliating
the Christian community and their religion right in the middle of their own
neighborhood. Closing the store and forcing the owner to apologize was not
enough. Fakih got arrested and is reportedly still being detained at the Baabda
Justice Palace, along with the manager of the store, for “instigating sectarian
strife.”
This is one of Lebanon’s scariest problems: We always want to blame others, to
feel that we are superior and that Lebanon would be alright if it wasn’t for
Hezbollah’s arms. But no. This ignorance has nothing to do with Hezbollah or its
arms.
It is us, and only us. Our ignorance and fear of each other have given Hezbollah
and others something to take advantage of and harness.
Back in 2006, when Islamists torched the Danish Embassy over cartoons mocking
the prophet Mohammad, we all criticized them, calling them medieval extremists.
But then we acted like extremists by arresting Fakih, who probably had no idea
the flip-flops were even being sold in his store. Very few people called this
what it really is: imprudence, backwardness and irrationality.
The Christians have valid fears, with Hezbollah buying up their land (and
everyone else’s), with their numbers dwindling, and with their co-religionists
elsewhere in the region being targeted. But thinking of themselves as an
endangered minority will keep the Christians divided and weak.
Other than Hezbollah, no one wants to reduce the Christians’ political presence
in the parliament or in state institutions. No one wants to marginalize them or
devalue any of them. But their fears are growing beyond any reason, and it is
being used by their leaders.
FPM leader Michel Aoun has long used the “fear of the Sunnis” to rally
Christians around him, while the other Christians are most afraid of the Shia.
As for the Shia, they’ve been either pulled in by Hezbollah or pushed by other
sects into Hezbollah’s lap.
The Christians are so worried about their existence and their rights as a
minority that they forgot about the rights and fears of others. What about my
right as a secular non-Christian to feel secure and unthreatened in Christian
areas in my own country? Will they only see me as a Shia, who, as long as she
complies with everything, will be OK? What if I react differently?
It is not about the Christians, the Sunnis, the Shia or the Druze. It is about
Lebanon. Do we belong here? Is this a country or a bunch of sectarian platforms
where insults and revenge are the main things driving people to demonstrate?
No one asked if Ali Fakih was a Hezbollah supporter. No one bothered to look
beyond his name. It doesn’t matter anyway, not for the mob that rallied against
him or for Hezbollah, which did not jump to help him as it helped the party
member who shot down a Lebanese army helicopter in August 2008, killing pilot
Lieutenant Samer Hanna. He spent a few months in detention and was then
released.
Ali Fakih is just a victim of petty sectarianism and fear. It doesn’t matter who
he is or what his intentions were. He just happened to have been selling the
wrong thing in the wrong place.
The funny thing is that Lebanon has always been considered a beacon of freedom
of speech, modernity and liberal thought in the region. Today, the Arabs around
us are progressing toward democracy, while we are obsessed with tiny crosses on
cheap flip-flops. Shame on all of us.
**Hanin Ghaddar is the Managing Editor of NOW Lebanon