LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
APRIL 16/06

Below news from miscellaneous sources for 15/04/06
High Military Court in Lebanon Declares Lack of Jurisdiction-CGGL.org
Sfeir: The Controversy Over Lahoud has Harmed the Presidency-Naharnet
Syria's allies want to topple Lebanon's government-Ya Libnan
Lebanese "Spites" and regional "Dialogues".By: Walid Choucair Al-Hayat
Cyprus could host Hariri murder trial-Cyprus Mail
Lebanon PM to seek Bush's help on Israeli pullout-Ha'aretz
Syria's Broken Promises-Alarab online
Lebanese PM to seek Bush's help-Reuters
Nasrallah:Resistance is the Only Guarantee -SANA
Nasrallah: US wants another civil war in Lebanon-Al-Bawaba
Plot to kill Hezbollah chief uncovered; 9 held-Gulf Times
Nine Charged in Alleged Hezbollah Plot-Los Angeles Times
Iran priming Hezbollah for war with US, Israel?IsraPundit
Lebanese official felicitates Iran for access to nuclear fuel-IRNA
Syrian dissident calls for healing touch-Aljazeera.net - Qatar
Iraqi Bust Nets Ring Smuggling Oil to Syria-Washington Post
Ripples from Iraq disturb Bahrain-International Herald Tribune
WASHINGTON CALENDAR Washington events for April 17 - 21-MarketWatch
Iraqi government says it has thwarted oil-trafficking to Syria-Monsters and Critics.com

High Military Court in Lebanon Declares Lack of Jurisdiction,
Drops Charges against Human Rights Attorney Dr. Muhamad Mugraby
Beirut, April 15, 2006: All charges against human rights defender and lawyer Dr. Muhamad Mugraby were dropped by a higher military court on Saturday noon, apparently in response to a world wide campaign condemning his prosecution. Dr. Mugraby had been charged with the crime of "defaming the military establishment and its officers." The trial in this case was set for Monday, April 17, 2006. To assist in his defense the Dutch Lawyers For Lawyers Foundation sent a delegation of seven lawyers from Amsterdam, namely Willem van Manen, Leo Spigt, Christien Wildeman, Judith Lichtenberg, Ilan de Vré, Jens van den Brink, and Gerrard Boot. The delegation also included a member of the British House of Commons, Julian Brazier. Observers from various international human rights organizations have been gathering in Beirut to attend the trial, now canceled.
The Military Court of Cassation held that the statements of Dr. Mugraby at the European Parliament were general, comprehensive and highly critical of all Lebanese state authorities and agencies without exception. The court added that such statements were not directed specifically against the military justice system or its officers and hence did not constitute the crime provided under Article 157 of the Military Justice Code. Dr. Mugraby, acknowledged the court, considered the statements to fall within his right of free _expression.  On another front, the organizers of the rally called for the morning of April 17th near the military court building in support of Dr. Mugraby announced that they are going ahead with it as part of the continued action in support of human rights and democracy in Lebanon.  Attorney Muhamad Mugraby has called for a press conference jointly with his Lebanese and European lawyers, representatives of human rights organizations, and British MP Julian Brazier, on Monday April 17th, at 12:00 noon at the Meridien Commodore Hotel, Hamra, Beirut, to discuss the impact of the ruling.
For further information: E-mail info@cdrl.org and visit http://www.cdrl.org/.

Sfeir: The Controversy Over Lahoud has Harmed the Presidency
Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir has said the controversy over the fate of President Emile Lahoud has harmed the position of the presidency and warned of the divisions dominating the political situation in the country.
In a speech on the occasion of Western Easter, the head of the Maronite Christian church on Friday lamented the situation in Lebanon where he said political wrangling and divisions were tearing the country apart Sfeir said the top posts in the country were also affected by the internal splits, notably the presidency.
"The presidency has almost lost its luster and dignity because of the debates surrounding it that have caused damage to the respect (it deserves)," the patriarch said. He said as a result, the top executive post -reserved to the Maronites- is losing its influence at the expense of the other leading government positions. According to Lebanon's sectarian-based system, the top three posts are divided among the country's largest communities. The president is always Maronite, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of Parliament a Shiite.
"This is destabilizing the pillars of the government and making them weaker," Sfeir said. Lebanon's anti-Syrian parliamentary majority considers Lahoud the last vestige of Syria's influence over Lebanon and has been seeking to depose him. However, it does not command the necessary votes in parliament to do so.  Some anti-Syrian politicians, including cabinet ministers and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, have had open confrontations with the head of state. An exchange of insults earlier this month between cabinet ministers and Lahoud was broadcast on television. The president's fate has dominated national dialogue talks grouping the country's top 14 rival political leaders who are discussing contentious issues related to Lebanon's future. However, the participants have failed to reach an agreement on this issue sparking speculations that Lahoud may stay in power until the end of his extended term in 2007.
The Patriarch is expected to hold closed-door talks with the president on Sunday after Easter mass at Bkirki. Sfeir said the Lebanese are paying the price for this squabbling between politicians that is pulling the county in opposite directions.
"The divisions in the government have led to a split among the Lebanese who are now two blocs confronting each other," he said. Those paying the highest price for this polarization are the Lebanese themselves who are resorting to emigration in order to escape the dire economic situation that the government is unable to address, Sfeir said. "However, we are believers and we can not surrender to despair," he added. Beirut, Updated 15 Apr 06, 09:09

Lebanese "Spites" and regional "Dialogues"
Walid Choucair Al-Hayat - 15/04/06//
In the context of present Lebanese speech skirmishes, biding "lost time" before the national dialogue resumes on the 28th of this month, Lebanese parties are taking some positions that are closer to spite than to rational and realistic political stands.
The dialogue has been put on hold because the settlement between the parties conducting it since March 2nd, i.e. the "14 March" coalition on one hand, with Amal, Hezbollah and Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement coalition on the other, has seemingly reached a dead-end concerning the main clause on the replacement of the President Emile Lahoud.
Apparently, the first party is not prepared to support Aoun's presidential ambitions to attract him into the coalition of powers that seeks to remove Lahoud and conclude the matter with a two third majority. For its part, the second party, who is not "a charity", demands a price for Lahoud's removal, or at least the participation in naming his successor, on the condition that he not be one of the 14 march coalition.
The subtext seems obvious as well: before defining its relationship with Lebanon and being awarded for its move by concerned Arab States and the International community, Syria is not ready to facilitate Lahoud's removal from presidency. In the meantime, Washington and Paris consider that Damascus should show its readiness to change its behavior, starting with Lebanon and more precisely, the Presidency issue…
Here is where mutual Lebanese spites interfere: some voices in the 14 March coalition speak out and say "let Lahoud stay in office until the end of his extended term. Then we can elect a majority president without the need for the two thirds (because the constitution allows such a majority in the second round of elections). But this will go against the interests of the 14 March coalition, for Lahoud will hinder its seizing power for his remaining year and a half in office. On the other side, some, and namely general Aoun say: if Lahoud is to stay then he must be brought to the dialogue table. On both sides, these spites only serve to bide time.
Certain figures in the majority party ignore, by practicing spites (although aware of their importance) that major Arab players, and namely Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, took their time in extending a serious demand to Syria to facilitate Lahoud's removal because they have their priorities, preferring for example to curb Syria's closeness to Iran, in the context of the strategic alliance between Teheran and Damascus, to other matters. These Arab States are monitoring Damascus' readiness to become a "tool" in the hands of Iranian politics, which is their main fear for Gulf, Iraqi and Lebanese imperatives.
With the Arab "understanding" of Damascus' awkward position, between international pressures on it on one side and its closeness to Iran on the other, the Syrian side has a lot to fear from the news of the American-Iranian dialogue on Iraq. Syria' worries center around Washington's decisions concerning this dialogue, and its exclusion from it.
For this reason the formation of the Iraqi government was delayed as it will be once more, because of Tehran's enrichment of industrial Uranium. But such a formation will come sooner or later, which incites Damascus today to hold on to all its cards in its relationship with Arab States, in Iraq and in Lebanon, where it holds the weakest card, Lahoud, while it awaits the extent to which the Iranian ally will go. The worst-case scenario for this specific card is for Americans and Iranians to conclude an - although limited - settlement that excludes Syria, when the latter waits with a different concern for the results of the International Investigation committee into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri…Damascus' concern is such that it froze the outcome of the Lebanese dialogue and suspended the remaining clauses on its agenda, whether those concerning the presidential change or the resistance arms. This translates into confusion amid all Lebanese parties that express their state through spites, until further notice.

Beirut to call for Israeli pullout from Shabaa Farms
By Reuters - Last update - 21:41 15/04/2006
Lebanon's prime minister said on Saturday he would ask U.S. President George W. Bush next week to put pressure on Israel to pull out of a border strip to enable his government to extend its authority over all Lebanese land.
Fouad Siniora, a member of Lebanon's anti-Syrian majority coalition, will meet Bush in Washington on Tuesday. He is expected to hold talks with other U.S. officials before meeting United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York.
"We would expect the United States to extend its real support to Lebanon and this would help Lebanon to re-emphasize and reconfirm its sovereignty and its independence," Siniora told Reuters in an interview at his office in central Beirut.
"This would allow the government to maintain its role in the region as a beacon of democracy."
Lebanon says the Israeli-occupied border area of Shabaa Farms is Lebanese territory and Israel's 2000 pullout from south Lebanon was incomplete, a claim that has allowed Hezbollah guerrillas to continue to launch sporadic attacks on Israeli forces there. Israel and the UN say Shabaa is Syrian. Siniora said he would push through Beirut's claim that it was Lebanese during his talks in Washington and New York.
"I'm going to present to President Bush our case... Israel has to withdraw from the Shabaa Farms and has to stop violating our airspace and water," the prime minister said. This was essential if the Lebanese government was "to become the sole monopoly of holding weapons in the country" and would help Lebanese reach a consensus on how to defend their country, he said.
The U.S. played a pivotal role in pushing Syria into withdrawing from Lebanon a year ago, two months after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.Washington has repeatedly expressed support for Siniora's government, formed last year after the anti-Syrian coalition won the first general election in 30 years without direct Syrian meddling.
But in recent months the anti-Syrian forces in Lebanon appeared to be on the back foot with international attention diverted to rising tension over developments in Iraq and Iran.
"Very important as well is to seek the support of President Bush so that Lebanon will not become in any way a ball in the courtyard of others or Lebanon to become a courtyard for others' confrontations in the region," Siniora said.
Lebanon's rival leaders are engaged in a "national dialogue" aimed at resolving the country's political crisis, the worst since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. One key issue is the disarming of Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran. The Shi'ite Muslim group says its weapons are still required to liberate Shebaa Farms and to defend Lebanon against any Israeli threats.
A UN Security Council resolution in 2004 demanded the disarming of all militias in Lebanon. A UN envoy is following up the implementation of the resolution and a U.N. inquiry is investigating Hariri's killing.
The Hariri inquiry has implicated Lebanese and Syrian officials in the murder. Syria has denied any links.
Siniora said he would discuss with Annan the "real progress" being made on setting up an international tribunal to try suspects in the Hariri murder and how Lebanon could get the UN to recognise that Shebaa was Lebanese.
UN officials say Syria must come forward and officially notify the U.S. that Shabaa is Lebanese territory.
Siniora said Syrian officials had not yet set a date for him to visit Damascus to discuss this and establish diplomatic ties, a step he said would benefit both countries

Syria's allies want to topple Lebanon's government
Saturday, 15 April, 2006 @ 8:20 PM
Beirut- Former Prime Minister Omar Karami and former MP Suleiman Franjieh, two staunch Syrian allies, have said they will soon announce a national opposition front to topple Premier Fouad Siniora's government.
"We are in the final stages of announcing the formation of the front," announced Karami Friday in a joint press conference with Franjieh at the former premier's Tripoli home. He said the main goals of the new coalition will be replacing Saniora's cabinet with a national unity government and then holding early parliamentary elections. Karami accused the anti-Syria parliamentary majority of bringing the country to a standstill because of ongoing bickering with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and his allies. "We've been saying for a long time and since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1559 that there are divisions in the country…this has led to paralyzing the government," Karami said. He told reporters that he and Franjieh decided to unite to "confront the devastation that we've seeing on all levels." Karami, a Sunni Muslim and Franjieh, a Maronite Christian, are Syria's closest allies in northern Lebanon where they head powerful clans. Franjieh was Interior Minister in a cabinet headed by Karami when former PM Rafik Hariri was killed in Feb. 2005.
Karami said tensions are bound to increase in the country as Lahoud seems determined to stay in power until the end of his term in Nov. 2007 despite the pressure on him to step down. Franjieh in his part said that he and Karami are opposed to the return of Syrian troops to the country after their withdrawal in April last year in accordance with resolution 1559.
"I speak in my name and that of Premier Karami when I say that… we are against the return of the Syrian army but we believe in strategic relations with Syria."Franjieh denied that his front would be used as a tool by Syria to serve the neighboring country's interests in Lebanon. The former legislator also said that establishing diplomatic relations with Syria should go hand-in-hand with stopping a media campaign against the Damascus regime.
"I spoke with President Assad in this issue and he is not against establishing an embassy in Lebanon," he said.
Source: Naharnet, Ya Libnan

Cyprus could host Hariri murder trial
By Jean Christou
THE Foreign Ministry said yesterday it had not been asked by the United Nations to host the trial of the suspects accused in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. The Ministry issued a statement in response to reports out of Beirut that Cyprus was one of three options being considered by the UN to host the trial.“We have had no request from the UN,” Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Sotos Zacheos told the Cyprus Mail. “Of course, Cyprus has a previous record of holding such events, as we have hosted UNMOVIC [the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq] in the past.” Zacheos said that if a request was made by the UN, it would be looked at as there were regulations to be followed in such cases. Lebanon’s Daily Star reported yesterday that the UN was considering several locations, but that Cyprus appeared to be top of the list. Detlev Mehlis, the UN's chief investigator into the murder of the former Lebanese premier, was in Cyprus in October last year to finalise his report into the February 2005 assassination. The work was carried out in Cyprus due to security concerns in Lebanon. The Daily Star quoted a source within Lebanon's Justice Ministry that the other two locations being considered were Egypt and Austria. “But Cyprus has the best odds since it is logically the closest and cheapest of all solutions," the source told the newspaper. In addition to being close to Lebanon, financial estimates have shown that Cyprus would be less expensive than other European countries, the paper added.
 Another Lebanese newspaper reported on Wednesday that the cost of holding the proceedings in Cyprus had been estimated at $162 million, while the figure would reach at least $315 million in any other European country.
The trial could take years. The Lebanese penal code would be used, but the UN has already asked Beirut to amend the law in such a way that it abolishes the death penalty for the Hariri trial.
According to UN instructions, a mixed Lebanese and international court should be established to try the case. It is expected to consist of a five-panel bench that would include two Lebanese, one Arab, probably from Egypt, and two others from non-Arab countries. Experts in international law would also be included. Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2006

Syria’s Broken Promises
By Hichem Karoui
There have been more and more cases of arrests in Syria, making some people wonder: Does the regime benefit from the state of anarchy in neighbouring Iraq, the amplified uproar on the Iranian nuclear dossier and Hamas’ ascent to power to tighten the grip on the opposition and civic societies? It has been noticed that the Syrian regime seems to be centred on the security posts which puts into question the credibility of any change at the top while the same structures and organisations remain in power.
The late President Hafedh Assad stayed in power for 30 years until he died in 2000. His firm rule had paved the way for the access of his son Bachar Assad, whose legitimacy is affected by the regime’s failure to handle the economic and social challenges and the reformists’ aspirations. Needless to say, like the majority of other Arab countries, Syria is facing serious economic, social and political problems, and at the same time it is witnessing a population boom.
In spite of his promises and despite the fact that he belongs to the young generation educated in the West familiar to free thinking and democracy, Bachar Assad has not introduced himself as the Gorbachov of Syria, for he does not seem eager to launch the equivalent Syrian Perestroika or Glasnost which could lead to him being ousted from power. Some Syrian observers say that he repressed the reform movement that he himself had helped to launch as soon as he noticed its results on the political order. The government reshuffle initiated by Bachar shows that the authority centre in Syria is still unstable, which makes decision making in the country more obscure.
Some reports show that official powers of the country have remained in the hands of Alaouite officials. As an illustration, they say that Bachar’s brother, Maher, appeared as the strong man in the Republican Army, whose main task is protecting the presidential palace and the capital. Bachar appointed Ghazi Kanaan, the former head of intelligence in Lebanon and a trusted man of his father, as Interior Minister in October, 2004. It seems that Kanaan is well-known for his intelligent methods and precise tactics, although he has become a supporter of gradual reform. Bachar also appointed his brother in law, Asef Shawket – considered a hardliner – as head of the military intelligence.
Another hardliner, Bahjat Suleiman, presided over the internal security branch of General Intelligence. Besides, Gen. Mohamed Mansour replaced Kanaan as the head of the political security, and some reports point that his power is increasing. As for Gen. Shalash, Bachar’s cousin, he is in charge of the President’s protection. Brigadier Ali Habib replaced Hassen Turkmani as the Chief of Staff in May, 2004; the latter replaced Mustapha Talas as the Minister of Defence. Except for Turkmani –a Turkmen, as his name indicates – all other officials are Alaouites. The only Sunni official who was holding an important position was the former Vice President, Abdelhalim Khaddam; although he fled abroad and started accusing his old friends.
It can be concluded that the new hierarchical order of government positions in Syria has followed the same old method used by the late Assad. No substantial change has occurred in the institutional structures of the state.zopinionz

Resistance is the Only Guarantee of Lebanon's Civil Peace and Security."
Nasrallah: " Resistance is the Only Guarantee of Lebanon's Civil Peace and Security."
Saturday, April 15, 2006 -BEIRUT, (SANA)
Leader of Hizbullah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stressed continuation of the Lebanese national resistance, calling for protecting it and preserving its arms for facing Lebanon's and the Arab Nation's enemies.
" Resistance, , and not the international guarantees, is the only guarantee of the civil peace and security in Lebanon. " Nasrallah said during a ceremony commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad Friday. " The ongoing national dialogue and the need to establish a national defense strategy is the only option before the Lebanese to defend Lebanon against the Israeli danger." He said. The Leader stressed that the dialogue is continuous saying "I will keep on participating in the dialogue,"
He warned against the Israeli-US scheme in Lebanon and the region as a whole as a " moving war project to sow seeds of partition." Nasrallah said he will not accuse any party of planning to murder him until the results of the official investigation are out. He pointed out that if the leaders, during the dialogue sessions, failed to tackle the presidential issue, the parliamentary majority as well as the Cabinet should normalize their relations with the President until the end of his term.
When the dialogue starts discussing Lebanon's defense strategy, Nasrallah said that all Lebanese should volunteer and bear the responsibility of protecting their land," "When we discuss the defense strategy, we will look for one by which all parties, religions and sects participate in defending and protecting the country," the Leader added.
He lashed out at those who accused the party of monopolizing the resistance saying: "Who is stopping them from resisting? No one is. Go ahead resist and I will leave an empty place for you.""It's is a shame to accuse us of monopolizing the resistance after all the sacrifices we made and the martyrs who died," Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah: US wants another civil war in Lebanon
Posted: 15-04-2006 , The leader of the Lebanese Hizbullah movement has accused the United States of plotting another civil war in Lebanon. "America's real plan is to fuel a civil war, while the national plan is for all Lebanese to live in peace with one another," Hassan Nasrallah said Saturday. "There will be no return to civil war. All the political powers as well as the media must work to reduce religious tensions and make everyone understand that they will not allow Lebanon to be destroyed again."
Nasrallah said he planned to participate in the resumption of "national dialogue" talks aimed at ending the country's political crisis. "We have no other choice but to pursue this dialogue despite the dangers to our security," Nasrallah said, according to AFP.© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)