LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 07/2013

Bible Quotation for today/There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate:
Proverbs 06/16-19 There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, a mind that thinks up wicked plans, feet that hurry off to do evil, a witness who tells one lie after another, and someone who stirs up trouble among friends.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
 Don’t give in to Lebanon’s men in black/By Michael Young/The Daily Star/February 07/13
February 07/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 07/13
 Bulgaria blames Hezbollah for deadly anti-Israeli bomb
Lebanon says ready to work with Bulgaria in bomb probe
 Hezbollah faces EU wrath after Bulgaria accusation
Future MP: Bulgaria accusation proof of Hezbollah foreign agendas
Miqati on Bulgaria's Accusation against Hizbullah: We Will Cooperate with it in the Investigation
 Hezbollah denies involvement in Arsal as town remains sealed
Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi faces limited options in Arsal
 STL defense team should be given sufficient time: Mikati
 Lebanese MP, Harb to file lawsuit against General Prosecutor Hatem Madi for obstructing justice
 RSF urges Lebanon's military to drop trial of journalist
 Lebanon: Road from Lassa fraught with dangers
Future’s draft law faces stiff opposition
 Reporters Without Borders Urges Lebanon to Drop Journalist Rami Aysha's Court-Martial
 Mustaqbal Urges 'Transparent Probe' in Arsal Incident, Says Madi's Move Another Attempt on Harb's Life
 Geagea Urges Arsal Residents to Cooperate with Army, Says Judicial Council Must Act against Madi's 'Farce'
 Aoun Urges State to Crackdown on Gunmen: Arsal Clash Must Not Be Turned into a Factional Issue
 Pressure mounts over Syria dialogue offer
Iran's Ahmadinejad on historic visit to Cairo
Obama to discuss Iran, Syria during his Israel visit amid spiraling tensions
 Reports: Israel Deploys 3rd Missile System to North

EU treats Hezbollah with its own logic
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=302237
By HERB KEINON 02/06/2013/J.Post
Political interests of some EU states dictate organization's stand on Hezbollah, which won't change because of Bulgarian report.The inclusion of Hezbollah on the EU’s terror blacklist is no slam dunk, even with Tuesday’s Bulgarian investigation of the Burgas bombing pointing a finger directly at the Lebanese movement’s involvement.
Logically one would think that catching an organization red-handed in carrying out a terrorist act on foreign soil leading to the murder of six people, five Israelis and a Bulgarian, would be enough to qualify that group as a terrorist entity.
But when it comes to Hezbollah, the EU has a logic all its own. An example of this came last month when the EU-observer, an online newspaper devoted to EU politics, reported that the union’s top counterterrorism official, Gilles de Kerchove, said responsibility for that blast will not necessarily qualify Hezbollah for the terror blacklist.
“There is no automatic listing just because you have been behind a terrorist attack,” he said in a comment that forces a double-take.
No, de Kerchove said, it is not only “the legal requirement that you have to take into consideration, it’s also a political assessment of the context and the timing.”
And there is the rub. There are key actors in the EU, foremost among them France and Germany, that have opposed including Hezbollah on this list for nearly two decades, and that are likely to continue to do so, despite the Bulgarian findings.
As de Kerchove said, “You might ask, given the situation in Lebanon, which is a highly fragile, highly fragmented country, is listing it going to help you achieve what you want?” There will, indeed, be many inside the EU asking that exact question, foremost the French, who are fearful that if the EU places Hezbollah on the list, then Paris will lose its leverage inside Lebanon.Placing Hezbollah on the list, these same voices will argue, could lead it to pull out of the Lebanese government, something that could significantly destabilize that country at an extremely volatile time in the region.
Besides, the issue of placing Hezbollah on the EU blacklist, something that would make it illegal to transfer funds from EU countries to the organization, was never really about evidence.
The US joined Israel in designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization years ago, so the Europeans really didn’t need the Burgas investigation to confirm that Hezbollah was much more than just a political organization.
No, for decades, since the twin bombings in Argentina in the early 1990s, there has been ample evidence of Hezbollah’s involvement in global terrorism.
The EU chose, and still continues to choose, to avert its eyes, not because of a lack of facts, but because of the interests and political considerations of some EU member states. And these interests and considerations will not change because of the Bulgarian report.
What are those interests, outside of influence inside Lebanon? For some the interests are economic, a concern that such a move could anger parts of the Arab world that invest in their economies. For others it is a fear of “provoking” Hezbollah, and a concern that blacklisting the organization would trigger a terrorist retaliation on their own territory, or against their own nationals.
The irony is that not all the EU feels this way. The Netherlands, for instance, has placed the group on its terror list, and Britain has blacklisted the organization’s military wing.
But it is precisely against that phenomenon – splitting the organization into a military wing and a political one – that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Tuesday in responding to the attack by saying, “there is only one
Hezbollah, it is one organization with one leadership.”The Bulgarians may have opened the door to this type of division by determining that at least two of those involved in the attack were “members of the militant wing of Hezbollah.”That could give the EU, which needs the consensus of all 27 member states, the wiggle room to ban part of the group, but not all of it.
But that would, of course, only be a partial solution. Hezbollah, as The New York Times reported Tuesday, has thousands of operatives and supporters fanned out across Europe raising money.
Declaring that the military wing is a terrorist organization will do little to hamper the activities of these fund-raisers, since they will always maintain that they are merely raising money for the “good” part of the Lebanonbased organization.

Hezbollah faces EU wrath after Bulgaria accusation
February 06, 2013/By Daily Star Staff/Agencies
BEIRUT/SOFIA: Prime Minister Najib Mikati vowed Lebanon’s government would cooperate with Sofia after Bulgaria said Tuesday it had unearthed evidence implicating two Hezbollah members in the July 2012 bombing that killed five Israeli tourists. The accusation led to renewed calls on the EU to declare the Lebanese movement a “terrorist” organization. If confirmed, the attack would mark the first operation carried out by Hezbollah in Europe. Mikati said his Cabinet was “ready to cooperate with Bulgaria to uncover the circumstances” of the attack. “Lebanon also reiterates its commitment to the security of Bulgaria and all members of the EU,” he added. “Lebanon trusts the Bulgarian authority in its investigation and is ready to cooperate to uncover the circumstances of the issue for the sake of justice.”Hezbollah had not yet issued a statement responding to its alleged involvement in the attack when The Daily Star went to press. The party’s media officer declined to comment on the matter, saying they were still looking into it.
“What we can make as a justified conclusion is that the two persons whose identity we have established belonged to the military wing of Hezbollah,” Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told reporters.
He said they “had Canadian and Australian passports but have resided in Lebanon since 2006 and 2010.”
The investigation’s conclusions were based on three fake driver’s licenses that were used by the bomber and suspected accomplices. The licenses were made in Lebanon and purported to be from the U.S. state of Michigan.
“From these three fake personalities ... We traced their whole activity on the territories of Australia and Canada and we have data for funding and complicity with Hezbollah,” he added. DNA evidence extracted from the bomber, who perished in the attack and was going by the alias Jacques Felipe Martin, was used to confirm his identity. The Obama administration said Hezbollah must be held accountable for the attack and urged Europe and other states to initiate an investigation.
“We call on our European partners, as well as other members of the international community, to take proactive action to uncover Hezbollah’s infrastructure and disrupt the group’s financing schemes and operational networks in order to prevent future attacks,” said John Brennan, a top national security adviser to President Barack Obama and forerunner to head the CIA. Brennan said the results of the investigation show that Hezbollah is “a terrorist group that is willing to recklessly attack innocent men, women and children and poses a real and growing threat not only to Europe, but to the rest of the world.”“Hezbollah’s dangerous and destabilizing activities threaten the safety and security of nations and citizens around the world,” the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon tweeted Tuesday.
Five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver were killed in the bus bombing at Bulgaria’s Burgas Airport, near the Black Sea. It is reportedly the deadliest attack on Israelis abroad since 2004 and also left 30 Israelis wounded.
Israel immediately blamed Iran and its “terrorist proxy” Hezbollah for the bombing, but Bulgarian investigators stopped short of blaming Iran. For its part, Tehran denied any involvement.
Israel and the United States have long pressed the EU to blacklist Hezbollah, and Tuesday both reiterated their stance, as did Canada. Britain’s Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher said that some Hezbollah members are aware that terrorist acts are not in the party’s interests. “Hope debate over responsibility will strengthen those in Hezbollah who know their interests are best served by rejecting terrorism,” Fletcher said in a tweet.
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said the EU should draw out the “necessary conclusions about the true nature of Hezbollah” in light of the investigation.
“This is yet a further corroboration of what we have already known, that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons are orchestrating a worldwide campaign of terror that is spanning countries and continents,” he said.
Israel deployed a third Iron Dome missile defense battery to the north of the country, a few days after carrying out an airstrike inside Syria targeting a military complex, Israeli media reported Tuesday.
The missiles, which are able to shoot down attacks within a 70 kilometer range, are intended to be a precaution against potential attacks from Syria and Lebanon. Israel fears the possibility of chemical weapons falling into the hands of Islamic militants should President Bashar Assad fall in embattled Syria.
After the bombing in 2012 the EU rejected calls to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization because of a lack of consensus among its 27 members. Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis of Cyprus, holder of the rotating EU presidency at the time, said Hezbollah had both a political and an armed wing and was “active in Lebanese politics.”EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Tuesday that member states would now “discuss the appropriate response,” saying that she “underlines the need for a reflection over the outcome of the investigation.”“The implications of the investigation need to be assessed seriously as they relate to a terrorist attack on EU soil, which resulted in the killing and injury of innocent civilians,” she said in a statement. Canada is taking “very seriously” the alleged involvement of a Canadian passport holder, Foreign Minister John Baird said.
“We urge the European Union and all partners who have not already done so to list Hezbollah as a terrorist entity and prosecute terrorist acts committed by this inhumane organization to the fullest possible extent,” he added.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov summoned the ambassadors of all Arab countries represented in Bulgaria to convey the results of the probe to their respective countries. He spoke later to his Lebanese counterpart Adnan Mansour. “As part of the international efforts to combat terrorism and in relation to the fact that the attack was perpetrated on an EU member state, Bulgaria will present the results of the investigation to its European partners,” his office said. “We will discuss with them concrete measures to contribute to the prevention of similar terrorist attacks in the future.”

Future MP: Bulgaria accusation proof of Hezbollah foreign agendas
Now Lebanon/Lebanon’s opposition Future MP Ziad al-Qadiri said that the accusation made by the Bulgarian state against Hezbollah is proof that the party has an agenda that extends beyond Lebanon’s borders, the National News Agency reported. “The accusation made by the Bulgarian government against two members of Hezbollah’s military council for the [Burgas bombing] is proof of the party having a foreign agenda beyond the Lebanese context,” Qadiri said in a statement issued on Tuesday.The opposition MP expressed his fear of “Hezbollah’s adventures having negative repercussions on the Lebanese state as a whole.”Qadiri also praised Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s stance regarding the issue.Earlier Tuesday, Miqati voiced Lebanon’s readiness to cooperate in investigations into a July bombing in Bulgaria that killed Israeli tourists, after Sofia had said that two people with Canadian and Australian passports linked to Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement were behind the July 2012 bombing of a bus that killed five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian.

Lebanon says ready to work with Bulgaria in bomb probe
February 05, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Tuesday Lebanon would cooperate with Bulgaria to unravel the circumstances of the 2012 bus bombing in Burgas after a probe implicated Hezbollah in the attack, as the United States and Israel stepped up pressure on the EU to take action against the Lebanese group.
The head of the European Union, Chatherine Ashton, said European states needed to reflect carefully on the results of the probe.
"Lebanon affirms its confidence that the concerned authorities in Bulgaria will seriously evaluate the results of these probes and [Lebanon] affirms its readiness to cooperate with the Bulgarian state to unravel the circumstances of this issue to achieve fairness and safeguard justice,” Mikati said, according to his office.
Mikati, who traveled to Bulgaria on an official visit last year, said his country condemns and opposes “any act or attack targeting any Arab or foreign country.”
Earlier Tuesday, Bulgaria’s interior minister said a probe into the July 18, 2012, bus bombing in the Black Sea resort of Burgas pointed to Hezbollah’s involvement, an allegation that both Israel and the U.S. maintain.
Bulgarian Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said three people were involved in the attack, two of whom had genuine passports from Australia and Canada.
"There is data showing the financing and connection between Hezbollah and the two suspects," Tsvetanov told reporters.
"What can be established as a well-grounded assumption is that the two persons whose real identity has been determined belonged to the military wing of Hezbollah," he said.
Both Israel and the U.S., which both regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, urged the EU to take action against the resistance group.
Ashton, according to a statement from her office, said European states needed to reflect carefully on the results of a probe.
“The implications of the investigation need to be assessed seriously as they relate to a terrorist attack on EU soil, which resulted in the killing and injury of innocent civilians,” the statement said.
She also stressed the “need for a reflection over the outcome of the investigation,” adding that the EU member states would discuss “the appropriate response “based on all elements identified by the investigators."
Mikati said Lebanon was keen on maintaining it sties with Bulgaria and other EU states.
“Lebanon emphasizes its tight relationships with Bulgaria and the European Union and its keenness on Bulgaria's security as well as that of the whole union and its desire is to keep good relations and develop it at all levels on the basis of mutual respect and in accordance with the rules governing countries' relations,” Mikati said.

Hezbollah denies involvement in Arsal as town remains sealed
February 06, 2013 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah Tuesday denied involvement in the Arsal incident that left two soldiers dead, as the Army said the man whose arrest sparked the clashes in the eastern town is connected to the militant Islamist Nusra Front.
“We vehemently deny any link with what happened and is now happening in Arsal,” Hezbollah MP Nawwar Sahili told reporters at Parliament, responding to remarks Future Movement MPs made over the weekend suggesting Hezbollah was behind fighting between soldiers and gunmen in the town.
He added that those who accuse the party of involvement want to “turn what happened into a sectarian conflict.” Those accusing the Army of bias or suggesting it cannot be trusted are doing so to “escape the responsibility of their provocation and to implicate Lebanon in incidents that could harm the country and thrust it into chaos.”
Expressing support for the Army, the lawmaker also addressed allegations that recently buried Hezbollah members had been involved in Arsal, saying: “There is no relationship whatsoever.”
He said one man died around the time of the Arsal incident “while fulfilling his jihadist duty,” and another man died after the killings in an accident.
For the fifth day, the Army maintained strict security at all Arsal entrances, checking the identification of residents on their way in and out of the town and searching all cars. Some Army units intensified patrols inside the town, but there were no raids on the homes of some 80 wanted men, one of whom is reportedly Arsal Mayor Ali al-Hujeiry.
When Brig. Gen. George Nader, commander of the Army’s airborne regiment, reached the entrance of Arsal after touring nearby military posts, he and other soldiers were greeted by schoolchildren bearing flowers. The soldiers hoisted the students onto their personnel carriers.
Head of Army Intelligence Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel told reporters that the Army was planning its response to the “aggression” against it and said that although the Army “does not take vengeance ... [it] will not forget, and whoever attacks the Army is wanted.”
Fadel also elaborated on the events last Friday that led to the deaths of Captain Pierre Bashaalani, 31, and Sergeant Ibrahim Zahraman, 32, as well as the wounding of nine others.
The officer said an Army Intelligence patrol of two civilian cars surrounded the car of Khalid Hmayyed, whom he described as “very dangerous; a professional with experience in criminal activities.”
Fadel addedthat Hmayyed worked with the Nusra Front, a “fundamentalist” group fighting with Syrian rebels, that played a role in the 2011 kidnapping of seven Estonians, and attacked an Internal Security Forces post near the Syrian border last November.
The general said that after Hmayyed shot at the patrol the Army retaliated and apprehended him. Snow and bad weather forced them to take to internal Arsal roads, and they drove into an ambush of some 80 men.
Fadel said the armed men took the wounded soldiers to Arsal’s municipality, where they beat them and showed off the bodies of Bashaalini and Zahraman in celebration. He said Hmayyed was “a major target and if he remained at large he would have affected the power of the state and stability in Lebanon.”
Various political forces weighed in on the ongoing events in the town, most expressing support for the Army and calling for a full investigation but taking different positions on the events that led up to the conflict.
After its weekly meeting, the Future parliamentary bloc said in a statement that “this dangerous and painful incident in Arsal has unveiled mistakes that worsened the situation [in Arsal] and disrupted the stability of the country through media campaigns and abhorrent sectarian provocation against the town and its residents.”
Expressing its opposition to any aggression against the Army, the bloc also urged an investigation, overseen by a military tribunal, “to unveil the facts of what happened, beginning with the killing of the victim Khaled Hmayyed, especially given the strange events that took place during the incident that need clarification.” The bloc also called on the Army to unseal the town.
Also calling for a transparent investigation and expressing support for the Army was Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, who stressed that the Army “protects Lebanese of various sects, religions and affiliations.” Jumblatt said “any attempt to draw Arsal into a confrontation with the Lebanese Army will only lead to sectarian conflict.”
Controversial Sidon Sheikh Ahmad Assir held a sit-in in Sidon in support of Arsal, amid tight security measures.
He also questioned who dispatched the Army “to assassinate Khalid Hmayyed, knowing the circumstances in the country and Arsal.”
“Whoever gave this order is involved in the killing of the Lebanese Army and is the party that instigated this conflict between residents of Arsal and the Lebanese Army,” ultimately pointing the finger at Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and saying the “Iranian project” had infiltrated Army Intelligence.
Assir said that any military action against Arsal would be considered a move against the entire Sunni sect, and threatened escalation in the event the town was attacked.
Some men burned tires inside Arsal, and called for a Wednesday morning demonstration against what they called the “siege” of the town.
Protesters caused road closures across the country Monday and Tuesday in solidarity with the Army; however the Army Monday urged people not to block roads.
Among those expressing condolences for the deaths of the Army personnel was U.S. military attaché Colonel David Brener, who visited Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi.

Lebanese MP, Harb to file lawsuit against General Prosecutor Hatem Madi for obstructing justice
February 06, 2013/By Wassim Mroueh/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: MP Butros Harb said Tuesday he would file a lawsuit against General Prosecutor Hatem Madi for abusing his power to obstruct legal proceedings in the case of an assassination attempt against him.
“I announce that I will file a lawsuit against Judge Hatem Madi for influencing judges in favor of a suspect and for abusing his power to disrupt the implementation of laws,” Harb told a news conference at his house in Hazmieh.
The lawmaker said he would make an example out of Madi but emphasized his remarks were not targeting the judiciary. Shortly after Harb’s remarks, Madi said he would respond in a “civilized and legal manner,” without using insults.“I do not use insults because I was raised with good manners, and if I decide to respond, I will do so in a civilized and legal manner,” he said in a statement.
Harb said he asked Speaker Nabih Berri to hold a parliamentary session to vote on lifting his parliamentary immunity in order to be able to confront Madi.
Madi asked Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi in a memo Monday that Harb’s parliamentary immunity be lifted for offending the judiciary and President Michel Sleiman.
In recent statements, Harb had thanked Sleiman for intervening in his case, allowing charges to be made against the suspect in the attempt on his life, and said the president’s move thwarted an attempt by some judicial bodies collaborating with Hezbollah.
Harb’s remarks came after Hezbollah member Mahmoud Hayek was charged on Feb. 1 with the July 2012 attempt on his life. Harb said that after keeping the investigation report of his case for two weeks without taking any action, Madi tried to strike a deal with Hezbollah.
“He agreed with officials from Hezbollah that a person calling himself Mahmoud Hayek would hand himself over to the [Internal Security Forces] Information Branch to give his testimony on the condition he is released the same day without having his identity closely examined,” Harb said. “This deal was opposed because it goes against proper investigation,” Harb said, adding that Madi tried to strike the same deal with Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr, who “apparently” opposed the deal as well.
According to judicial reports Tuesday no group has tried to strike a deal with the judiciary. The reports indicated that Hayek voiced his readiness to turn himself to authorities, on condition that he is immediately released if it turns out that he was not involved.
Harb said that when security bodies contacted Hayek to summon him for investigation after he was deemed a suspect, the answer they received was that he was a member of Hezbollah and that they should contact the party. “Despite insistence and repeated telephone calls, Hayek refused to appear before the Information Branch that was carrying out investigation,” he said. “For this reason the investigation stopped.”
The Batroun lawmaker said that whenever he contacted Saqr, the latter avoided telling him the real reasons behind the halt in investigations and why he refrained from charging Hayek.
Harb said that when he telephoned Madi to inquire about the matter, the latter showed no interest in the case.
“Of course he did not promise to settle the issue with me, which made me suspect that there was a secret.”
Harb said that after he complained to Sleiman about the judiciary’s mishandling of his case, the president urged the judiciary during the funeral of Brig. General Wissam al-Hasan “not to be hesitant because people stand beside [the judiciary].”Sleiman, continued Harb, urged the government and political leaders not to protect perpetrators and to unveil the truth about all assassinations and assassination attempts, including the one that targeted him. Harb added that Baabda Palace sources revealed on Dec. 11 that Sleiman had asked Madi in a meeting about the reasons behind the judiciary’s failure to take suitable measures against Hayek.
The lawmaker said that Sleiman’s insistence deterred Madi from putting more pressure on security bodies and the judiciary, making it possible for Saqr to file charges against Hayek.
Harb said that when he learned that Madi was still trying to strike the agreement in favor of Hayek, he made the comment that Saqr’s charges against Hayek had thwarted the deal Madi was trying to make at Hezbollah’s request.
Harb said it was Madi, not he, who offended the judiciary. “You insulted the judiciary ... when you collaborated with the suspect and put pressure on the investigation bodies to help the suspect at the expense justice,” he said.
“Madi claims that the president never intervened [to resolve] pending cases in judiciary, particularly in the attempt on my life. Then how does he explain the speech of President Sleiman during Hasan’s funeral?”
Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated calls for separating the judiciary from political bickering.
“We reiterate the call to keep Lebanon’s judiciary away from political disputes, and we stress that the judiciary is fulfilling its tasks honestly away from any influences whatsoever,” he posted in Facebook.
“The freedom of expression given to the nation’s lawmakers should not be harmed or targeted and the right of lawmakers to express their opinions freely should remain intact,” he added.
For its part, the Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri described Madi’s request as another attempt on Harb’s life.
“This request is a scandal that amounts to another assassination attempt against Harb,” the bloc said in a statement after its weekly meeting.
“Is it plausible to ask the judiciary [to lift] immunity from an MP who survived an assassination attempt when it barely fulfilled its obligations toward [resolving] the case?” the bloc asked.
Qortbawi said he received Madi’s request Monday, adding that he would study it calmly and make his decision in line with legal considerations only.

STL defense team should be given sufficient time: Mikati
February 06, 2013 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Tuesday that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s defense team should be given sufficient time to prepare for the trial of those accused of involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
During a meeting with STL defense head Francois Roux, Mikati “stressed the importance of giving the defense the necessary time to carry out its duties fully so that the court’s work is objective and fair,” the prime minister’s office said.Roux expressed his satisfaction with the political and judicial authorities’ cooperation with the STL, the Central News Agency reported. Roux and a defense delegation also met with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi.
The defense team has asked the tribunal to push back the trial’s start date, which is set for March 25, after the lawyers said the prosecution failed to disclose all relevant documents crucial to the case.
The attorneys, who were appointed last February to represent Hezbollah members Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi and Assad Sabra, cited in a statement last month the “continuing noncooperation of the relevant Lebanese authorities ... and the absence of the accused.”
In a hearing chaired by Pretrial Judge Daniel Fransen last week, the prosecution supported the defense’s request to delay the trial date. Fransen said he was not ready to make a decision on the issue but would do so swiftly.
The prosecution said that it would complete disclosure of all documents by March 11, however, following the lead of the defense attorneys, it did not suggest an alternative start date.
The proceedings will be held in absentia as the men remain at large.
Hezbollah has repeatedly denied involvement in the case, with Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah vowing never to hand over the suspects.)

 Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi faces limited options in Arsal
February 06, 2013/By Hasan Lakkis/The Daily Star
Sources familiar with events in Arsal believe Lebanese Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi has decided to treat the ambush and killing of three soldiers as a major crime, noting that he has already described it as premeditated.
Kahwagi has three options on how to proceed, each of which has its pros and cons. By sealing off the town until suspects are handed over, he has already put the first option into action. Surrounding Arsal will boost Army morale and project a strong image, but it might also provoke aggressive anti-Army sentiment in the town, feelings that could spread to Tripoli and Akkar.
Because of this possibility, the commander has opted not to use heavy force.
Kahwagi’s second option is to raid the locations where the wanted men are believed to be hiding. This would give the Army a chance to make a decisive move following much talk about the ongoing smuggling of weapons and fighters from border areas. It would also be a confidence builder for the Army. But the sources believe raids would be seen as targeting Arsal and Sunnis, given that the Army has not staged similar raids in Shiite-majority areas dominated by Hezbollah. Some politicians and clerics have already complained of this type of bias.
The sources ruled out the option of raids, citing the likely public outcry and the fact that it would force the Army to readjust its deployment.
The commander’s final option is a compromise, namely agreeing to unseal the town if some of those responsible for the attack are handed over. This would avoid further bloodshed and give the Army what it wants without destabilizing the country, but there is a possibility the true culprits would not be surrendered and such a settlement could make it difficult for the Army to act in the future without the consent of powerful figures in an area or sect.
Some sources believe the attack will result in some constructive outcomes. They say it has boosted popular and political support for the Army, a factor made clear in pro-Army statements by various politicians. The sources add that the ambush has also shed light on the fact that many villages on the border are being used by Syrian rebels and some fundamentalist groups.
They said the incident gives some political forces additional backing to their calls for closer monitoring of the porous border.
Other sources believe that how Kahwagi deals with Arsal will determine his future. It has still not been decided whether the commander’s mandate should be extended for two years, a decision that Parliament must make before its own term expires in June.
Khawagi’s position is delicate, but it is clear that he and the Army will not back off of their demand that those who killed soldiers be handed over so that the Army can restore its strong presence in Arsal and prevent any similar violations. In addition, the Army will continue to distinguish between the people of Arsal – 500 of whom are currently serving in the Army – and those who attacked it.

 

 

Iran's Ahmadinejad on historic visit to Cairo
February 05, 2013/By Aya Batrawy/Daily Star
CAIRO: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed the crisis in Syria with his Egyptian counterpart Tuesday in the first visit by an Iranian leader to Cairo in more than three decades, marking a historic departure from years of frigid ties between the regional heavyweights.
Ahmadinejad's three-day visit, which is centered around an Islamic summit, is the latest sign of improved relations between the countries since the 2011 uprising ousted Egypt's longtime ruler President Hosni Mubarak and brought an Islamist government to power in Cairo. Such a visit would have been unthinkable under Mubarak, who was a close ally of the U.S. and shared Washington's deep suspicions of Tehran.
Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Mursi gave Ahmadinejad a red-carpet welcome on the tarmac at Cairo airport, shaking the Iranian's hand and exchanging a kiss on each cheek as a military honor guard stood at attention.
The two leaders then sat down for a 20-minute talk that focused on the civil war in Syria, security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Iran is Damascus' closes regional ally, while Egypt is among those that have called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.
In September, Mursi offered a package of incentives to Tehran to end its support for Assad. The proposal included the restoration of full diplomatic ties, which would be a significant prize for Iran given that Egypt is the most populous Arab nation and a regional Sunni powerhouse.
Mursi's offer garnered no response from Iran, although officials from both countries have continued to hold talks on the Syrian conflict in recent months.
Such diplomatic overtures have raised concerns among Sunni Gulf nations, who are keeping a close eye on the Iranian leader's visit. The Gulf states, who are opposed to Iran's regional policies, accuse Iran of supporting Shiite minorities in the Gulf, and harbor concerns about Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Mursi and the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood group from which he hails have sought to ease Gulf concerns about its improved ties with Iran, and have stressed that the security of the Gulf nations - which Egypt has relied upon for financial aid to help prop up its faltering economy - is directly linked to Cairo's own.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr Kamel reiterated that on Tuesday, saying "Egypt's relationship with Iran will never come at the expense of Gulf nations."
During his visit to Egypt, Ahmadinejad is scheduled to meet with Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the head of Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world's premier Islamic institution. He is also scheduled to attend the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Cairo, which starts Wednesday.
Security officials said Ahmadinejad also will tour the Pyramids in Giza.
Once close, Egypt and Iran severed their relations after the 1979 Islamic Revolution when Cairo offered exile to Iran's deposed shah. Relations further deteriorated after Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.
Mursi's rise to power out of Egypt's own revolution complicates his ability to pursue better ties with Iran when Tehran is staunchly backing the Syrian government's bloody suppression of its own revolt. Cairo is home to the offices of the main Syrian opposition council, which has a strong presence of members of the Brotherhood's Syrian chapter.
The Egyptian president also faces pressure on the home front not to cozy up to Tehran.
On Tuesday, Egypt's hardline Daawa Salafiya, which is the foundation of the main Salafi political Al-Nour Party, released a statement calling on Mursi to confront Ahmadinejad on Tehran's support for the Syrian regime and make clear that "Egypt is committed to the protection of all Sunni nations."
On the other end of the political spectrum, liberal Egyptian politician Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat, nephew of the late President Anwar Sadat, said in a statement Tuesday that he is concerned about the Brotherhood's ties with Iran. Sadat was assassinated after signing Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. Iran then outraged Egyptian officials when it named a street in honor of his assassin, Khaled al-Islambouli.
Mohammed Abbas Nagi, an Egyptian expert on Iran, said Mursi may be trying to restore some level of diplomatic ties with Tehran in order to show that Cairo is pursuing a more independent foreign policy than that of his predecessor and to keep the door open to the Islamic Republic in case the Gulf states' support dwindles.
"Despite the fact that restoring relations is a sovereign decision fully belonging to Egypt, I don't see that Egypt will make a decision separate from the course of its relationship with the U.S. and Israel, for whom Iran is now the main issue," Nagi said.
Mursi visited Tehran last year to attend an international summit in the first visit by an Egyptian leader to Iran in years. He held a brief one-on-one talk with Ahmadinejad then and discussed Syria's civil war. But Mursi also used the opportunity in Tehran to lash out at Iran's ally, calling the Damascus regime "oppressive."
Egypt's leader has spearheaded an "Islamic quartet" of nations to try and resolve the Syrian crisis that includes Iran, as well as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which are two of the most vocal critics of the Syrian president.
While Saudi Arabia has largely abstained from the group's meetings in an apparent snub to Iran's Syria policies, Egyptian officials say they will try to revive those talks on the sidelines of this week's OIC summit.

Don’t give in to Lebanon’s men in black
January 31, 2013 /By Michael Young/The Daily Star
Evidently no one can free Lebanon of its turbulent priests. The latest example is the decision of the mufti of the republic, Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, to declare that Muslims who support civil marriage would no longer be considered Muslim.
In a fatwa issued Monday, Qabbani wrote that “every Muslim official, whether a deputy or a minister, who supports the legalization of civil marriage, even if it is optional, is an apostate and outside the Islamic religion.” In other words these officials, once they die, “would not be washed, would not be wrapped in a [burial] shroud, would not have prayers for their soul in line with Islamic rules, and would not be buried in a Muslim cemetery.”
For merely approving of civil marriage, a foundation of the civil state, one can be banished forever from his or her faith? This takes the debate over the authority of clerics in Lebanese life to a new high. Worse, it says that one of the most fundamental of civil habits, preparing a marriage contract, is a privilege solely of the clergy.
What Qabbani realizes is that civil marriage, if implemented, would represent a financial opportunity cost for religious professionals, who live off the services they offer. Worse, it would legitimize this notion of opportunity cost, justifying the idea that there are domains where the state must not defer to clergymen. Once that idea grows, clerics fear, their dominion over all personal-status actions will collapse.
We are under no obligation to feed the clergy, a major preoccupation of that mostly overweight profession, who have positioned themselves in highly lucrative corners of Lebanese life. But let’s assume for one moment that the status quo over marriage holds, and all the signs are that it will, what can we demand from our clergymen in exchange?
For a start, that they stay out of politics. This is addressed above all to the Maronite patriarch, Beshara Rai, whose political impulses, unlike his political talents, are second to none. When Rai came into office, his priority should have been to reform his malodorous church, which is riddled with factionalism and corruption. He had the means to do so, as most senior clerics were over retirement age. Rai did nothing.
Even as the patriarch has delayed reform of the church, he has embarked on political initiatives left and right. Rai has been a conveyor belt of political impulses, on virtually every topic under the sun. Now his priority is to push for a consensual election law, though that really is no business of his. Rai is constrained by his closeness to Michel Sleiman, so that he will neutralize any inclination he has that clashes with that of the president. Thank heavens, because on most matters Rai has tended to behave like a parochial Christian rather than as a man endowed with a national role.
So, we might allow Qabbani and Rai to continue to marry us, on condition that they stay resolutely out of political life. Would they agree? Certainly not Rai. Nor Qabbani, who has enjoyed playing politics, knowing this is accepted by his community.
But then again, is it within our rights to make such an exchange? Isn’t conceding marriage to the clerics a step too far? The line defended by supporters of civil marriage is that the churches and mosques have hijacked questions that should be well within the sphere of the state. Lebanese citizens must be granted the right to opt out of their sectarian cages, with a form of civil status as a replacement. In other words, we are entitled to tell clerics to stay out of our lives and our politics.
One wonders how this will wash with another prominent political cleric, namely Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Recall what happened several years ago when a satirical program poked fun at Nasrallah. His angry followers drove their motorbikes into Ashrafieh and clashed with youths in the Sodeco district. Their line of reasoning was that, as a cleric, Nasrallah was off limits to satire.
Nasrallah is the most extreme example of clerics having power in Lebanon. He indirectly has a say over the fate of most Lebanese through his political choices, but also uses his clerical status to justify his views on the religious choices of his community, while being shielded from critics outside Shiite ranks. One thing that has given Nasrallah his tremendous sway is the nature of the Lebanese system itself, which surrenders far too much influence to those speaking in the language of religion, and even more so those who use their religious clout to bolster a political agenda.
We have seen this in Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, who took his followers to Farayya last week for a day of frolicking in the snow. He had every right to do so, but one shouldn’t be surprised that the inhabitants of the area viewed the visit as a political challenge. For them, there are no borders between religion and politics. As they saw it, Assir’s aim was to show that he had the courage to defy his Christian foes in their heartland, since few Salafists generally take to the slopes in order to relax.
Everywhere, it seems, the Lebanese have made religion a part of their daily existence. Every other sentence has the word “God” in it, and to every good wish is appended some heavenly blessing. Now clerics are trying to intimidate believers who back civil marriage, as if this most sensible of demands invites divine punishment. Intimidation comes naturally to those who feel untouchable. Their boldness is our shame.
*Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @BeirutCalling.

Obama to discuss Iran, Syria during his Israel visit amid spiraling tensions
DEBKAfile Special Report February 5, 2013/The day Israel announced the posting of extra Iron Dome and Patriot anti-missile interceptors in its northern regions, Tuesday, Feb. 5, the White House in Washington disclosed that US President Barack Obama would be visiting Israel in the spring. The visit had been discussed when Obama phoned Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Jan. 28 to congratulate him on his success in Israel’s recent election. The communique went on to say that the US president was coming to discuss issues of common interest such as furthering the peace process but added, the start of Obama's second term offers an opportunity to reaffirm Israel's close relationship with the US and to discuss major issues like Syria and Iran.”
debkafile translates this as referring to the chemical weapons in the hands of Syria and most likely Hizballah as well as Iran’s nuclear program. The date of his visit was not released.
debkafile’s sources have divided the White House bulletin into two parts: security and political.
The reference to Syria and Iran as the “major issues” to be discussed in the framework of the “close relationship” points to Washington and Jerusalem being on the same wavelength on the military actions taken by Israel in Syria last week and those still to come.
It is also a signal from the White House to Tehran, Damascus and Hizballah that in so far as those three allies are planning reprisals for those actions, they will find the United States standing behind Israel.
The IDF command’s announcement expanding the areas of northern Israeli under the anti-missile interceptor shield was released shortly before the White House communiqué and during Israel’s chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz talks at US military chiefs in Washington.
According to the IDF bulletin, an extra Patriot missile interceptor and a third Iron Dome battery was deployed in Lower Galilee, a region which covers key towns north of Tel Aviv: Afula, Nazareth, Yoqn’am and Hadera. Batteries were posted earlier outside Haifa and areas of Upper Galilee closer to the Syrian and Lebanese borders.
The Israeli military command is therefore taking into account that some two million Israelis are potentially in danger of missile attack.
The Obama administration cannot be sure if the president’s visit, his first since 2008, will take place before or after a possible confrontation between Israel and Iran, Syria and Hizballah.
As for the political message, the White House announced the coming presidential visit on the day that the newly-elected Israeli Knesset held its first sitting in Jerusalem. It belied the propaganda pumped out by Netanyahu’s political foes throughout the election campaign, accusing him of souring ties with the Obama administration.
By announcing the coming visit at this time, President Obama showed the party leaders who are hanging tough in talks for a coalition government that Netanyahu has his confidence and support and the two leaders are in close rapport on major issues.
Last year, debkafile, alone of any other publication, disclosed that Obama and Netanyahu had reached an understanding to embark on regional initiatives in a spirit of partnership straight after the Israeli election.
President Obama’s trip will also include the West Bank and Jordan.