LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
APRIL 8/2006
Below
news fromThe Daily Star for 8/04/06
Venezuelan police arrest three suspects in killings
Families of missing to mark day war started
Southerners who fled after Israel's withdrawal set to return with promise of
fair hearing
Siniora, Bush to discuss donor conference
Metn MP stands by Maronite statement
Villagers want government to settle border tiff with Syria
Syria wants to steer clear of presidency in talks with Siniora
Brammertz expected to meet Assad
Annan's representative visits Nabatieh
Qassem sees Lahoud staying in power
Ministers to visit Ain al-Hilweh to assess conditions
Lebanon plans donor conference for Palestinians
Fadlallah: National talks are 'dialogue of the deaf'
Below
news from miscellaneous sources for 8/04/06
'Iran's Front Line'?TCS Daily - Washington, DC,USA
Damascus refuses diplomatic ties with Beirut and Siniora's visit-AsiaNews.it
Saniora to Hold Talks with Bush in a Show of U.S. Support to Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanese exilees expected to return from Israel-Arab Monitor - Italy
I Would Have Been Hizbollah Member-Totally Jewish
Two European satellite companies removed a Hezbollah radio-stationJTA
Syria prevents terror
on northern border-Jerusalem Post
Syria breaks taboo on violence against women-Reuters.uk
Brammertz to Meet with Assad and Sharaa Next Sunday-Naharnet
U.S. Ambassador Condemns Syrian Warrants Against Prominent Lebanese
Figures-Naharnet
Saniora meets Hamas representative in Lebanon-Bahrain News Agency
Marines attempt to stabilize Syrian border-Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
Damascus refuses diplomatic ties with Beirut and Siniora’s visit
by Jihad Issa -The Foreign Affairs Minister said an exchange of ambassadors
would be “premature” while the US Ambassador drew attention to the desire of the
Syrian government to intimidate Lebanon.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – Tension is brewing between Syria and Lebanon. Damascus has
officially declared that “at the moment” it does not want diplomatic ties with
Beirut and President Bachar el Assad seems to have refused to meet the Lebanese
Premier, Fouad Siniora. The Syrian Foreign Affairs Minister, Walid Moallem,
yesterday defined as “premature” an exchange of ambassadors with Beirut,
maintaining that bilateral agreements between the two countries “go well beyond
diplomatic ties”. For his part, Nasri Khoury, secretary of the central committee
of the Higher Lebanese-Syrian Council, confirmed to AsiaNews that the Syrian
president has refused to meet the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, at
least not before the attitude of the government of Beirut – with an anti-Syrian
majority – is clarified. Khoury, after meeting the deputy President, Farouk El
Chareh, said: “Syria wants a solution to all the problems that have emerged in
recent months, shattering the fraternal climate reigning between the two
neighbouring countries.” Ties, according to him, should be reestablished at all
levels and not only on the diplomatic front, because there were other unresolved
matters of not little importance, like economic, political and security links.
Khoury said vice-President El Chareh maintained that before the visit to Syria
of the Lebanese Premier, it was necessary to take time to resolve outstanding
issues, “without hurrying and with plenty of caution”, in order to reestablish
confidence between the two governments, after the rupture last year “that caused
much harm and ruined what the two peoples had built over several years”.
The US Ambassador, Jeffrey Feltman, described the approach of Damascus as
“another cynical plan of the Syrian government to interfere and to intimidate
Lebanon”. Damascus moves include a military court decision to arraign the Druze
leader Walid Jumblatt, the Lebanese Telecommunications Minister, Marwan Hamade,
and the journalist Fares Khashan.
Journalist sources in Damascus said the attitude of the Syrian government can be
traced back to its diplomatic triumph during the meeting of Arab League on 28
March: it managed to have the issue of ties between Lebanon and Syria dropped
from the final statement of the meeting. This had been requested by the 14 March
faction, led by the son of Rafic Hariri, MP Saad.
The fact that General Lahoud, a filo-Syrian, is still holding onto the
presidency of the Republic, despite calls from parliament for his resignation,
is also judged as another positive sign. Besides, there is anticipation for the
visit of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to Syria, planned before the trip
of the French President Chirac to Egypt.
Metn MP stands by Maronite statement
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Saturday, April 08, 2006
BKIRKI: Metn MP Ibrahim Kenaan said Friday that the Maronite Bishops Council had
voiced the concerns of the Lebanese "with transparency." Kenaan, a member of
Michel Aoun's Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, made the comments after a
meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, stressing that the state
could not be free, sovereign and democratic without respectable, balanced
institutions, a fair judiciary, and an efficient Constitutional Council. He
added that the monthly statement released by the bishops Wednesday "is a basic
contribution in directing the Lebanese and participants in the national dialogue
to establish balance and therefore democracy."In the statement, the Maronite
Church accused the ruling class of neglecting the country's interests and
slammed "inefficient" governmental and legislative institutions.This outcry by
the Maronite Bishops Council follows recent remarks by the prelate, who
criticized President Emile Lahoud, saying he was incapable of holding the
country's top post. The bishops also criticized the leaders' failure to address
economic situation in the country.
Commenting on the presidential crisis, Kenaan said: "Syrian tutelage is not only
represented by Syria's presence in Lebanon, but by its tools and methods, such
as unrepresentative electoral laws, interference in internal affairs and the
politicization of the judiciary."He also argued that the presidency was part of
a bigger problem, which is described as "the democracy crisis. He said he hoped
that soon the Lebanese would have the capacity and courage to forge a true
partnership with each other to eventually vote for a president who can
"establish balance."
Sfeir also met with former MP Fares Boueiz, who stated that "there is a general
feeling that the internal situation is not under the government's control."He
also indicated that the national dialogue had reached a critical phase.
Boueiz also warned that U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman's assurance that there
would be no bargains at Lebanon's expense did not rule out the possibility of
such bargains in the future.The former MP stressed that no one knows whether
President Lahoud will serve his full term or not for two reasons: first, the
impact of regional developments; and second, the failure of participants in the
national dialogue to reach a consensus."Lebanon should not have wasted the
opportunities it was offered recently," he complained, "but unfortunately some
who run or affect the country's affairs did not act realistically."
Villagers want government to settle border tiff with
Syria
By Adnan El-Ghoul -Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 08, 2006
NORTH BEKAA: Clashes over land use have erupted between the inhabitants of the
remote Lebanese village of Orsal and their counterparts on the other side of the
Syrian border. Last week, Syrian border guards shot at a group of Orsal
villagers, severely wounding one of them, Mohammad Hojeiry. Two days later, one
of Hojeiry's relatives retaliated by firing a hunting rifle at Syrian villagers,
wounding one of them as they allegedly worked on a field near Orsal.
"The Syrian villagers wouldn't dare trespass without the encouragement and
protection provided by the Syrian border guards," Orsal Mukhtar Abo Hassan
Hojeiry told The Daily Star.
Asked if the Syrians shot the Orsal villager as part of their "duty to stop
smuggling," as some news agencies reported, Hojeiry said: "The Syrians shot at
my relative to prevent him from reaching his property, which the border guards
have blocked with sand blockades."
He added that he believes the Syrian authorities are trying to "annex" a major
proportion of Orsal properties along the frontier. "The Syrians have intruded 5
kilometers into our territory," he said.
Hojeiry warned that if the Lebanese government does not solve the problem and
protect its citizens in Orsal, the clashes will escalate: "We will not tolerate
the Syrian trespassers and we may use force to drive them out of our
properties," he said. "Hundreds of lives may be lost unless the government takes
immediate action."
Hojeiry said he and his followers were preparing a strongly worded petition
demanding that the government and the United Nations intervene and push the
Syrian Army back to the international border.
Hassan Fleeta, a local schoolteacher, said he learned from official documents
that the path of streams determines the border.
"Topography professionals can easily demarcate the borderline, which we believe
the Syrians have penetrated deeply for decades," Fleeta argued.
He believes current political tensions have contributed to the border problem.
"The problem stirred clashes between Orsal inhabitants and those of the Syrian
village of Fleeta, from which my ancestors, from the Khatib family, came
originally centuries ago," Fleeta said.
He said the internal sectarian factor might affect the political affiliation of
Orsal inhabitants, pushing them to side politically more with those who oppose
Syria in Lebanon.
"Orsal is a Sunni village that sympathized historically with all Arab national
causes, but despite that, the Alawite Syrian regime treated us badly for 30
years," Fleeta said. "The Future Movement has gained many supporters in Orsal,
and the local inhabitants believe Syria had a hand in assassinating late Premier
Rafik Hariri.
"However," he added, "intermarriages are common occurrence across the border,
and any we can solve any dispute peacefully with our counterparts over land, for
which neither side has proof of ownership; the border demarcation will determine
which land belongs to who."
Many Lebanese and Syrian citizens own border properties acknowledged as being
inside Syria or Lebanon and have the proper documentation to prove it, he said.
"However, sometimes, people sell the rights to use a piece of land without
proper documents, which leads to disputes during inheritance procedures and
other cases of changing ownerships."
When Mukhtar Hojeiry appeared in news reports to protest the Syrians' firing at
Orsal villagers, many of his fellow citizens expressed opposing views. Hojeiry
admitted that not all of the villagers agree with his stand
"Many people, especially those who have political ties and private interests
with the Syrians, do not see any border disputes with Syria," he said. "But I
believe the border problem in Orsal is as important as that in Shebaa Farms in
the South."
He added that in Shebaa Farms, the government, the resistance and the UN look at
the border problem with Syria as an issue requiring international intervention.
"Why," he asked, "do they not care for our problem with Syria in this part of
the country?"
Nearby, shepherds were leading their sheep and goat herds home. The shepherds
said the border guards did not confront them as they conducted their daily work.
"We passed by the Syrian border guards and went around the sand blockades,
heading to Orsal properties without any hindrance," said one.
He added that he had crosses into Syrian territory, taking his herd in all
directions and meeting with his "colleagues" from Syrian villages.
"We don't know where the borderline lies exactly," he said. "We never thought it
mattered where we take our herds as long as we don't damage the cultivated plots
of land."
The clashes and disputes do not seem to have stopped dozens of vehicles loaded
with smuggled goods heading to and from Orsal. Hojeiry said the convoys could
still make their illicit journeys across the border loaded with all sorts of
smuggled goods.
"The exchange of goods between us and the Syrians has nothing to do with the
border dispute," he added. "In Orsal, our livelihoods depend on farming,
extracting stones and import-export," Hojeiry said.
He runs an agency to sell smuggled good and construction materials including
Orsal's famous natural stones.
"Corrupt members of the Syrian border guards secure safe passage," said the
mukhtar of the nearby Christian town of Al-Qaa, Samir Awad. "But the Lebanese
border police don't have close access to the borderline in our region.
"Border demarcation will solve all property problems between the citizens of
Lebanon and Syria," he argued. "However, the problem has not reached the point
where it is considered a 'real' border dispute that demands hard negotiations to
reach a settlement."In any event, he said, Syrians and Lebanese, especially
along the border, share such strong family ties that borders could never come
between them, even in a climate of political tension.
Syria wants to steer clear of presidency in talks with
Siniora
By Walid Choucair -Daily Star
Saturday, April 08, 2006
The Lebanese government and the March 14 forces are preparing for a long period
of talks and contacts regarding Premier Fouad Siniora's anticipated visit to
Damascus soon. The visit comes at the recommendation of Saudi Arabia, which
believes that Syria "seriously wishes to reach an agreement with
Lebanon."According to observers, Syria believes Siniora's visit should not be
rushed but that an agenda should be prepared to tackle all issues.Syria also
prefers that negotiations be held regarding bilateral relations within the
framework of joint institutions, which means reinvigorating the Higher
Lebanese-Syrian Council and drawing President Emile Lahoud into the
negotiations.
It seems that Damascus feels that it is capable of negotiating with the Lebanese
government from a strong position because the Parliament majority's demand that
Lahoud be ousted reached an impasse during the national dialogue.
The majority is incapable of settling the issue by April 28, when participants
resume their talks.
The Syrian command has sent letters indicating that it is not ready to respond
to issues which Siniora will raise during his visit, in probable reference to
the presidency. Arab insistence on Syria to facilitate Lahoud's ouster has been
one of the factors influencing the country's stance on the issue.On the agenda
for his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Siniora included the
demarcation of the Shebaa Farms border, which was agreed in the national
dialogue to be Lebanese.
Other items on the agenda include the establishment of diplomatic relations
between Lebanon and Syrian and the disarmament of Palestinians outside refugee
camps.Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem responded to this agenda, saying
that Lebanon wishes to prove the Lebanese identity of the farms before the
United Nations, not Syria.
He added that it is still premature to discuss diplomatic representation, and
that Syria has encouraged the secretary-general of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine General Command, Ahmad Jibril, to visit Lebanon and
press for granting Palestinians civil rights before the issue of the Palestinian
disarmament is raised.
In form, the Syrian reply to the agenda proposed by Siniora was: "The agenda is
still under examination."
In content, Damascus wishes to postpone the meeting for various interrelated
reasons.
The most pressing reason is to gain time to revive the Syrian proposal
stipulating that media campaigns against Syria must be stopped and security and
foreign policy must be coordinated. The proposal was presented by Saudi Arabia
as an Arab initiative and was rejected by the March 14 forces in January.
Some leaders of the majority believe that Damascus refuses to set a date for
Siniora's visit in order to "punish" politicians who approved during the
national dialogue the principle of disarming Palestinians and who pressed Syria
to present official documents demarcating the Shebaa Farms.The Syrian command is
taking its time so as to rally its allies in Lebanon, either to pressure the
government until it falls or to make a positive move toward the majority forces,
before the UN probe team releases its report into the assassination of former
Premier Rafik Hariri and incriminates, to a certain extent, Syrian officials.
Syria might also be awaiting the outcome of Iranian-U.S. negotiations in Iraq,
as they might have positive repercussions on Syria's regional stand in a way
that relieves its allies in Lebanon.This means that Syria's objection to
Lebanon's readiness to normalize relations will hamper the implementation of
decisions unanimously agreed upon by the national talks.
This in turn will hamper any Arab initiative toward Damascus, as Egypt and Saudi
Arabia have demanded a Lebanese consensus as a basis before they pressure
Syria.That consensus has not been forthcoming. However, Syria's rejection works
in favor of the March 14 Forces, who will once again resort to Cairo and Riyadh
to explain that their advice about normalization with Damascus was turned down
by the latter.
Families of missing to mark day war started
Daily Star staff-Saturday, April 08, 2006
BEIRUT: The families of the missing and kidnapped Lebanese in Syria and Israel,
advocacy groups and the Lebanese Association for Human Rights held a news
conference on Friday to commemorate the memory of April 13 - the start of the
Lebanese Civil War. "Remembered But Never Repeated," a series of activities in
the Press Federation headquarters, will be held to commemorate those who died
and went missing during the war. The head of the the Missing and Kidnapped
Lebanese committee, Waddad Halwani, spoke on behalf of all the committees."We
cannot reach real peace before resolving the issue of the detainees in Syria and
Israel, the kidnapped and missing persons," she said. She added that the key to
a healthy relationship with Syria consists of "putting an end to the cases of
the detainees in its prison." The same applies for detainees held in Israeli
prisons, Halwani said. "It is really shameful that our officials say that they
have assumed their responsibility regarding these cases through the
establishment of a joint Lebanese-Syrian committee, which has done nothing so
far," she said.
Halwani called on the authorities to "put this file at the national dialogue
table and on the Parliament and Cabinet agendas to discuss in extraordinary
sessions as soon as possible, make the laboratory analysis to the relevant
parents, monitor Anjar's cemetery and reveal the samples' analysis results and
open all mass graves." - The Daily Star
News in Brief Published on 08/04/2006
NLP backs Maronite Bishops Council statement
The National Liberal Party (NLP) expressed support to the Maronite Bishops'
Council's statement, which slammed the inefficiency of the governmental and
cautioned against unjustified tampering with the naturalization decree. In a
statement issued on Friday, the NLP warned that some Lebanese officials might
try to hamper the progress of national dialogue by failing to reach consensus
about the reform paper. The NLP also expressed concern about reports of
increasing Iranian intelligence and security activities in South Lebanon which
coincided with recent military exercises. The party urged the Lebanese
government to take a strong stand on the issue, as such activities might affect
the country's interests. The NLP finally congratulated the alliance of the March
14 engineers for efforts which led to their victory in the union elections.
Ministry for Displaced releases funds for Bqaawarta
Minister for the Displaced Neameh Tohme announced Friday that the funds
allocated for the displaced and the squatters in several areas in the mountain,
including Bqaawarta, were released by the Central Fund for the Displaced. Tohme
indicated that a list by the names of the beneficiaries from the funds had been
prepared. Tohme also expressed hope that with the help and understanding of
Druze leader MP Walid Jumblatt, the situation will be settled soon. However, the
minister said the funds will not target the owners of properties vacated by the
Syrian forces in the wake of their pullout from Lebanon last year. Many
Christians were displaced from the Chouf and Aley mountains after the fierce
battles of the 1983 "Mountain War," when Druze militiamen defeated pro-Israeli
Christian militias and seized control of towns there.
Salloukh to travel to Brussels, Luxembourg
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh will head on Monday to
Brussels then to Luxembourg where he will chair the Lebanese delegation taking
part in a meeting for the European-Lebanese Partnership Council scheduled for
Tuesday. In its first meeting, the council is expected to assess the
European-Lebanese partnership agreement, and raise political and economic
issues. The minister is expected to return to Lebanon on Wednesday. Salloukh met
on Friday with the director of the Middle East and Africa Department at the
Czech Foreign Ministry, Miloslav Stashik, who said his country supports the
national dialogue. Stashik added that the Czech Republic was the first to
support Lebanon's Independence Intifada. Several issues pertaining to bilateral
cooperation on the educational, development, trade and tourism levels were also
discussed.
Venezuelan police arrest three suspects in killings
Chavez vows to 'bring killers of brothers to justice'
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 08, 2006
BEIRUT: Venezuelan authorities arrested three people Friday in the kidnap and
murder of three Canadian brothers of Lebanese origin and their driver, Justice
Minister Jesse Chacon announced. A series of protests over the slaying of John
Bryan, Kevin and Jason Faddoul has rocked the Venezuelan capital. The bodies of
the three brothers, ages 17, 13 and 12 respectively, were found along with the
body of their driver over one month after they were kidnapped. The brothers died
from shotgun wounds to their heads."Three suspects in the Faddoul case have
already been presented to prosecutors," Chacon said, adding that they were part
of a group of five people accused of holding the brothers captive in Yare,
southwest of Caracas.
He added that police had also found the weapon used to kill the boys and their
driver. Meanwhile, the boys' mother begged for the media not to politicize their
deaths. I thank the media for their support, but what I need is help. I don't
need to politicize this situation; I need justice, because I don't want another
family to go through what I am going through," Gladys Diab pleaded in an
emotional interview with a local television station Friday. The kidnappers had
initially sought a five-million-dollar ransom for their release, according to
press reports. The sum was cut to less than half that, but the boys were killed
before it was paid.
Chacon promised that new details in the case would be released in the coming
hours and over the weekend.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pledged Thursday to tackle crime and "bring the
killers to justice" after facing local and international pressure over the
killing. "We will do all we can to get this solved, to get to the culprits and
make sure this doesn't go unpunished," announced Chavez outside the Miraflores
Presidential Palace.
"These are sad days," said Chavez, sending condolences to the families of the
victims, who hold both Venezuelan and Canadian citizenship and are originally
from Torza. "This case of three young brothers seems to have touched a cord with
the people of Venezuela, where 70 percent of the population is below 35 years
old," Joel Ramon Perez, the Venezuelan Charge d'Affairs in Beirut told The Daily
Star. Officially, there are about 700,000 Lebanese in Venezuela, but the
unofficial number is said to be closer to one million. "It is the first time a
crime of this type and ugliness hits the Lebanese community in Venezuela," said
Perez, adding that the protests in Venezuela are reflective of the great
influence of the Lebanese community in that country.
When asked about the latest updates in the investigation into the case, Perez
said he could not release any information until the probe is completed.
Recently, police arrested suspects in the kidnapping and killing of an Italian
businessman. While the two cases are similar in the "manner of the killing,"
Perez said it is too early to judge if there is any connection. At the time of
the interview, Perez received information that a Venezuelan of Lebanese origin
was found killed in Puerto Rico, with "more information to follow soon." The
protests in Venezuela sparked similar demonstrations in the Faddoul family's
hometown, with students and relatives demanding the criminals behind "this
heinous crime" be brought to justice. Officials from the Venezuelan Embassy
visited the relatives on Friday, and passed on their condolences and the latest
news about the case.
Siniora, Bush to discuss donor conference
By Majdoline Hatoum-Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 08, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is due to meet with U.S.
President George W. Bush on April 18 to discuss an upcoming international donor
conference for Lebanon, U.S. officials said Friday. Siniora, who will head a
ministerial delegation to Washington, will also meet with other senior U.S.
officials including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security
Advisor Stephen Hadley."The talks will focus on political and economic bilateral
relations and the U.S. role in the Middle East," the officials said. "They will
also discuss how to help Lebanon during the donor conference, especially as the
U.S. is one of the main countries backing Lebanon and is coordinating with other
donor countries," the official added.
After Washington, Siniora is expected to head to New York to meet with
representatives of countries and institutions that have pledged to participate
in the anticipated Beirut One donor's conference. No date has been set for the
conference so far, with the premier saying this week that it will not take place
until a currently debated economic reforms blueprint is passed in the Cabinet.
The reforms blueprint is expected to be the basis of the conference. "The
meetings in New York are meant to prepare for the donor conference, especially
since the Lebanese government has started to discuss the matter" at a special
Cabinet session on Monday, the official said. An international conference
grouping Lebanon, the European Union, the United States, United Nations, the
International Monetary Fund and Arab countries was expected to be held in Beirut
by the end of last year, but it was postponed because "the situation was still
not ripe."
Lebanon is currently under pressure to introduce reforms which have remained
elusive since November 2000, when international donors pledged during a
conference in Paris the sum of $4.4 billion to back fiscal adjustment and
economic development projects. U.S. sources also told a local newspaper, An
Nahar, that the U.S. president will assure Siniora that "Lebanon is still one of
the main concerns for the United States in the Middle East."According to the
newspaper, the sources said the Bush administration believes the time is ripe
for Siniora to discuss the situation in Lebanon in light of
regional developments, and added that Rice's recent statement on Hizbullah's
relationship with Iran and Syria and the role that the two regional powers are
playing in the country is an indication that the situation in Lebanon is now a
major U.S. concern.
Rice had recently said that Hizbullah's ties with Tehran and Damascus are the
"biggest problem that the Lebanese are facing at this time." And as Siniora
prepares for his trip to the U.S., negative signals seem to gathering around his
trip to Syria, with Ahmad Jibril, head of the Syrian-backed Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) accusing the premier of
"planting mines" in the way of his dialogue with Lebanon's parliament majority
leader MP Saad Hariri.
In an interview with pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat, Jibril said Siniora had told
him during their meeting recently that "no Lebanese premier would ever be able
to give Palestinians the right of owning property in Lebanon."
He further accused Druze leader MP Walid Jumblatt of attempting to "blow up"
Lebanon's national dialogue.
Jibril's statement came one day after his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister
Walid al-Moallem, where he dismissed the idea of establishing diplomatic
relations between Syria and Lebanon.Siniora had sent a list of issues to discuss
in Damascus with Syrian officials, including demarcating the borders between the
two countries and establishing diplomatic relations.
But Nasri Khoury, head of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council, informed Siniora
in a meeting during the day that there was still no word from the Syrian side on
the visit, sources close to the premier told The Daily Star.
The sources added that the premier does not intend to comment on Moallem's
statement, and will wait for "an official response by the Syrian
government."Jibril's allegations, however, were denied by Ambassador Khalil
Makkawi, head of the Lebanese committee to follow up on the issue of Palestinian
refugees in Lebanon. Makkawi, who said he was present during the meeting between
Siniora and Jibril, asserted that the premier did not say any of what Jibril is
claiming.
The ambassador added that Jibril might be planning to "cause a rift between
Hariri and Siniora, and this is very far from possible." Jumblatt, who met U.S.
Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman during the day, did not comment on Jibril's
statement. But his Progressive Socialist Party also issued a statement during
the day criticizing Jibril, labeling him a "Syrian fighter" who carried out
"hundreds of assassinations and terrorist acts."Meanwhile, Siniora also met
during the day with the representative of Hamas in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, who
described the recent visit by the Lebanese ministerial delegation to refugee
camps as "a very positive step," and said he hoped it will be followed by other
steps "to ease the living situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon."
Qassem sees Lahoud staying in power
Daily Star staff-Saturday, April 08, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah's deputy secretary-general says he expects President Emile
Lahoud to remain in office until the last day of his current mandate, stressing
that any alternative candidate could only assume the reins of power in 20
months. In an interview with the Arab daily Ad-Diyar to be published Saturday,
Sheikh Naim Qassem insisted that anyone who wants to undertake change must first
provide justification, ideas, mechanisms and evidence to persuade other parties.
He added that the recent clash between Lahoud and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora
in Khartoum had not not orchestrated by MP Saad Hariri, adding that he pitied MP
Walid Jumblatt and accused him of being influenced by the United States.
In another interview to be published Saturday, pro-Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah
agreed with Qassem's prediction that the president would complete his mandate
because there is no agreement on any alternative candidate so far.
In an interview with Al-Usbuh al-Arabi magazine, Fadlallah said the delay in the
national dialogue was due to a series of factors, including the burden of travel
and time to carry out consultations and crystallize common points among
participants.
Commenting on the Shebaa Farms issue, Fadlallah argued that demarcating the
border in the area would not be possible until the full withdrawal of Israeli
forces from them and a resumption of ties with Syria.
In comments to the central New Agency, Hizbullah's commander in South Lebanon
said the party had no qualms about creating a problem for the U.S. and its
political plans in the Middle East: "On the contrary," Sheikh Nabil Qaouk said,
"this honors us."His comments came in response to US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice's claim this week that Hizbullah was Lebanon's "biggest
problem." Qaouk added that U.S. interference in Lebanon was hampering national
unity and consensus.
He also expressed gratitude at Syria's support of Lebanon's right to liberate
its territories and resist to Israeli aggression.
Meanwhile, Lahoud met Friday with the head of Parliament's Popular Bloc in Zahle,
Elie Skaff, former Minister Suleiman Franjieh, former Minister Talal Arslan and
former MP Emile Lahoud Junior. - The Daily Star
Annan's representative visits Nabatieh
By Mohammed Zaatari -Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 08, 2006
SOUTH LEBANON: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal representative in
Lebanon, Geir Pedersen, paid a visit Friday to the southern region of Nabatieh,
in an effort to study the south's situation and kick off appropriate
developmental programs. The residents of the area informed Pedersen of their
suffering following the Israeli invasion and continued attacks. They also asked
that the UN hand over maps of mines planted by Israel in their land, as well as
give them priority in terms of services and contributions to educational,
cultural and environmental projects.
The first stop on Pedersen's visit was the Grand Serail, where he met with the
region's governor, Mahmoud Mawla, as well as Nabatieh Mayor, chairman of the
Confederation of Municipalities Unions, and a number of the region's mayors.
Mawla praised Pedersen's visit. In turn, Pedersen said: "This visit is free of
any political aspect, it is the first to Nabatieh and will be followed by many
other visits." He added: "We will study the projects being presented with the UN
development fund."
Pedersen further said that the UN is cooperating with the Lebanese leadership to
preserve "calm" along the southern borders and is urging Israel to halt its
violations of Lebanon's airspace. He also said he hoped a calm atmosphere would
continue to "allow the participants in the national dialogue to achieve their
goals."
Pedersen also met with MP Ali Bazzi at his residence in Kfarjoz.
Fadlallah: National talks are 'dialogue of the deaf'
Daily Star staff-Saturday, April 08, 2006
BEIRUT: Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said that "the
national dialogue is actually more like the dialogue of the deaf." In his Friday
sermon, delivered from the two Imams Al-Hassanayn Mosque in Haret Hreik,
Fadlallah asked: "Why are politicians holding the dialogue outside the
institutions? Doesn't it reflect a lack of confidence in institutions, which
have become a place where insults and irresponsible manners are witnessed?" The
cleric also criticized the government's reform project and asked if it will
burden the citizens with more taxes and if it is possible to address the
economic issue without resolving the political one. He further asked if the
project has come up with a defense plan that prevents Israel from attacking the
country or a plan that ensures job opportunities to the Lebanese youth and
rights to teachers and employees. In other business, Fadlallah said: "The United
States is working to perturb Lebanese-Syrian relations and is trying to meddle
in Lebanon's political affairs via its allies who are exerting pressure on the
resistance to hand over its weapons, whereas they do not have any defense policy
to stand up to the continuous Israeli threat." In response, Higher Shiite
Council Vice President Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan said from Cairo, where he is
participating in the 18th conference of the Higher Council for Islamic affairs:
"I urge the Lebanese people to get rid of the heated speeches and cling to the
national dialogue since it is the best way to resolve the problems and overcome
the obstacles that impede Lebanon's prosperity." Qabalan added that this
dialogue is "the way to national agreement" which will "rescue the country from
the political, social and economic crisis it is plunging into."
Concerning the resistance weapons, Qabalan said that those arms are "to protect
Lebanon against any Israeli attack, to liberate the remaining occupied
territories and to release the detainees." "The description of the resistance as
a militia is rejected," he said.As for the economic crisis, Qabalan said it has
generated social problems and called for government and private-sector action. -
The Daily Star
Saniora to Hold Talks with Bush in a Show of U.S.
Support to Lebanon
President George Bush has invited Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to visit
Washington in a show of U.S. support to the fledgling Lebanese government that
is seeking to liberate itself from Syrian influence and implement a challenging
economic reform program. An Nahar newspaper reported from Washington Friday that
Bush is scheduled to hold talks with Saniora on April 18 at the White House, to
reaffirm that his administration still considers Lebanon one of the top
priorities in the region.
It quoted sources as saying that the U.S. president will assure the premier that
"Lebanon is still one of the main concerns for the United States in the Middle
East."The sources said Bush will emphasize his country's "strong support for
Lebanon in its path towards complete liberation from Syrian hegemony and its
remnants."
The talks will also include helping Lebanon implement its economic reform plan
as well as U.S. military aid to the country.
During his visit, the premier is also scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley in addition
to other U.S. officials, An Nahar said. Al Mustaqbal newspaper quoted sources in
Saniora's office as saying that the premier will also travel to New York where
he will hold talks with representatives of countries that are expected to take
part in a donor conference for Lebanon. Saniora's U.S. visit comes as Lebanon's
top rival leaders are discussing divisive political issues that have catapulted
the country into a crisis. The talks that started on March 2, have achieved
breakthroughs on some issues but have made little progress on the fate of
pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud that the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority is
seeking to remove from power. The participants have set April 28 as the deadline
to continue discussions on this issue. The talks will then tackle the weapons of
the resistance or Hizbullah, a major concern for the United States.Washington,
that considers the group a "terrorist organization" has been adamant on seeing
the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 that calls for
the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon and free and fair presidential
elections. An Nahar's sources said the Bush administration believes the time is
ripe for Saniora's visit to the U.S. to discuss the situation in Lebanon in
light of regional developments.
The sources said that Rice's recent statement on Hizbullah's relationship with
Iran and Syria and the role that the two regional powers are playing in the
country, is an indication that the situation in Lebanon is now a major U.S.
concern.
Rice has said that the Party of God's ties with Tehran and Damascus "are the
biggest problem that the Lebanese are facing at this time." She expressed
concern about the two counties' intervention in Lebanon.
Syria, the major power broker in Lebanon for decades, pulled its forces out of
the country a year ago under international pressure and after mass protests that
followed ex-premier Rafik Hariri's assassination in Feb. 2005.
In spite of the withdrawal, Damascus is still accused of interfering in the
country through its allies, mainly Hizbullah. Arms shipments to the group are
reported to come through the border with Syria.
Lebanon is attempting to demarcate its frontier and establish diplomatic
relations with its neighbor, but it has so far been met with stiff resistance.
Iran, Hizbullah's main financial backer, is allegedly trying to fill the vacuum
in Lebanon left by Syria, with whom it has forged a strategic alliance. Beirut,
Updated 07 Apr 06, 13:32
U.S. Ambassador Condemns Syrian Warrants Against
Prominent Lebanese Figures
U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Feltman has condemned Syria's
warrants issued against cabinet minister Marwan Hamadeh, Druze leader Walid
Jumblat and journalist Fares Khashan calling the move a "cynical attempt" to
continue interfering in Lebanon.
"This is yet another cynical attempt by the Syrian government to continue its
interference in the Lebanese political process," Feltman said in a statement
posted on the U.S. embassy website Thursday.
He slammed Syria's "crude attempts to intimidate the Lebanese people and their
political leaders".
Hamadeh, who heads the Telecommunications ministry, said on Monday that the
warrants had been issued against himself, Jumblat who is a pillar of the March
14 anti-Syrian alliance and Khashan, a prominent journalist with the
Hariri-owned al Mustaqbal newspaper. The minister said he considered the
warrants "a threat against our security, after all that happened."
The anti-Syrian camp in Lebanon which has a majority in parliament accuses
Damascus of involvement in a series of bombings, including a failed attempt on
Hamadeh's life and the murder of former premier Rafik Hariri in February 2005.
A lawsuit was filed in February against Jumblat in a Syrian military court for
"inciting the U.S. administration to occupy Syria" as well as "defaming"
Damascus by blaming it for attacks on anti-Syrian figures.
It is not clear if the warrants against the two others are part of the same
case.
Feltman argued that the U.N. commission investigating Hariri's murder "found
converging evidence pointing towards the probable involvement of Syrian and
Lebanese security officials in the assassination."
"The UNSC (U.N. Security Council) has repeatedly called for full Syrian
cooperation with the investigation… We reiterate the need for Syria to comply
with Commissioner Brammertz's request for interviews with Syrian officials," the
statement said.
Feltman was referring to U.N. chief investigator Serge Brammertz who is seeking
to interview Syrian President Bashar Assad and his vice president Farouk Sharaa
for their possible connection with the killing.
The assassination, that was blamed on Assad's regime, sparked mass protests in
the Lebanese capital and led to international pressure on Syria to pull its
forces out of Lebanon. Although it ended its 30-year military presence in the
neighboring country, Damascus is still accused of interfering in Beirut's
internal affairs."The Lebanese people have accomplished much over the past
year," said Feltman."Though much remains to be done, the forces of repression
will not stifle the voices of freedom, and the Lebanese people have shown the
tenacity to prevail," he added. He said his country will continue to support
Lebanon as it strives to achieve independence and democracy. Beirut, Updated 07
Apr 06, 09:55
Brammertz to Meet with Assad and Sharaa Next Sunday
U.N. Chief investigator Serge Brammertz is expected to meet with Syrian
President Bashar Assad on Sunday as part of his probe of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri's assassination. An Nahar newspaper on Friday quoted diplomatic
sources as saying that Brammertz would meet Assad and Syrian Vice President
Farouk Sharaa in Damascus. The paper quoted a Syrian source as saying it will be
"an ordinary meeting that is part of the president's regular reception of
visitors." "The president will brief Brammertz on developments in
Syrian-Lebanese relations," the source added. Brammertz, a Belgian prosecutor,
has been seeking to interview Assad and Sharaa since he took over the probe in
January to question them on their possible involvement in the Hariri killing.
The interview request came after former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim
Khaddam, who has defected to France, said Assad threatened Hariri before he was
murdered. He has also said that such a decision could not have been taken
without the Syrian leader's knowledge. In his first report on the probe issued
mid-March, Brammertz said that Syria had cooperated with his commission but
stressed that more Syrian assistance would be "a critical factor" in order to
make further progress. He also said he would meet with Assad and Sharaa. Assad,
who denies any involvement in the killing, also revealed that he would meet with
the U.N. commission in a recent interview with Britain's Sky News television. He
stressed that the encounter would be a meeting, not an interrogation but
clarified hat no question would be off-limits.
Syria has praised Brammertz's work and qualified his report as "more objective
and more professional" than the previous two issued by his German predecessor
Detlev Mehlis, who had implicated Syrian officials and accused Damascus of
trying to obstruct the probe. Hariri's killing sparked massive demonstrations
against the Syrian occupation of Lebanon and increased the Assad regime's
isolation abroad. Syrian troops eventually left Lebanon, completing their
withdrawal in April last year.
The Syrian regime has since come under heavy international pressure to cooperate
with the U.N. investigation into Hariri's death. Beirut, Updated 07 Apr 06,
12:56
Syria breaks taboo on violence against women
Fri Apr 7, 2006
By Rasha Elass-DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria has broken a taboo by presenting a
high profile study on violence against women, which found that one in four
married women gets beaten -- usually by her husband or father.
The study, released this week by the state-run General Union of Women and funded
by United Nations Development Fund for Women, sheds light on the nature and
extent of violence against women in Syria.
It also coincides with calls for a campaign to raise awareness of the problem.
The results of the Syrian survey appear in line with studies in Egypt, Britain
and the United States, but campaigners said it breaks new ground simply by
drawing attention to the issue.
"This was a courageous study because it touched upon the very sensitive subject
of violence against women, which is an essential part for improving the status
of women," said United Nations Development Fund for Women spokesman Aref Sheikh.
Violence against women in Syria tends to be a family affair. Over 70 percent of
abusers are husbands, fathers or brothers while married women are most likely to
get hit, it said.
Excuses for the violence range from neglecting house work to bombarding husbands
with too many questions, the study found.
Less than one percent of surveyed women said they had been subjected to violence
from a complete stranger.
Encouraging a woman in Syria to report violence from family members is not easy,
a Syrian lawmaker said.
"Even though a man would go to prison if his female relative reported him for
assault, it is very rare in our society ... because that would bring shame onto
the family," Syrian member of parliament Souad Bukour told Reuters.
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Bukour, who is also the president of the General Union of Women, said she and
other activists hope the media and religious leaders will help them drive home
their message. "Our society has an overall male imprint, so we want to raise
awareness through programs like short drama series ..., and involve Muslim and
Christian religious leaders," she said.
The status of women in Syria, though better than in many developing countries,
still needs improvement, she said.
Last month Najah Attar, a writer and former culture minister, was appointed vice
president. Women hold 12 percent of Syria's parliamentary seats, the highest
rate along with Tunisia in the Arab world. "Syria has made significant
achievements... And the gender gap in education is reduced to the point where as
many women attend college as men," said Tamara Saeb, UNICEF spokeswoman in
Damascus. But like in some other Arab countries, Syrian law stipulates lenient
sentences to men who murder women relatives suspected of having sex outside
marriage in what is known as "honor killings." Other murderers usually get the
death penalty or life without parole.Some experts estimate that there are about
200 to 300 "honor" crimes a year in Syria, mostly in rural or nomadic
communities. This means about half of murders committed in Syria every year are
against women and in the name of honor.
French, Spanish companies remove Hezbollah radio
Two European satellite companies removed a Hezbollah radio station from their
list of stations.
The removal of Al-Nour this week from French and Spanish satellite carriers will
affect South America, Europe and Asia, the Coalition Against Terrorist Media
said in a release.
The moves follow the U.S. Treasury Department’s designation last week of
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television station, Al-Nour radio and the parent company of
both, the Lebanese Media Group, as Specially Designated Global Terrorist
entities.
“Once alerted to the problem, GlobeCast and Hispasat have been extraordinarily
responsive in removing Hezbollah’s media properties from broadcast and should be
congratulated,” said Mark Dubowitz, chief operating officer of the Foundation
for the Defense of Democracies, which funds the Coalition Against Terrorist
Media .
“Al-Manar and al-Nour are funded by the Iranian regime and used by Hezbollah to
recruit suicide bombers, raise money for terrorist operations, and incite
violent attacks.”
Lebanese exilees expected to return from Israel
Beirut, 6 April - Around 200 Lebanese citizens, mostly relatives of soldiers and
officers in the former South Lebanon Army - a militia organized and funded by
Israel during the occupation of southern Lebanon - are expected to return to
Lebanon from their exile in Israel. According to a member of Michel Aoun's Free
Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gibran Bassil, an agreement had been reached with
Hizbollah to allow those among the exilees in Israel or overseas, who have not
been sentenced in absentia for cooperation with the enemy, to return to their
homeland. As for those who had been convicted in absentia by Lebanese military
tribunals for entering enemy territory and collaborating the occupying power in
the past, a case by case settlement has been put on hold, while the fate of some
one hundred who had been convicted on criminal charges will not be reached by
the FPM-Hizbollah agreement.
'I Would Have Been Hizbollah Member'
by Alex Sholem - Thursday 6th of April 2006
A senior Welsh church figure came under fire this week after he met with
Hizbollah officials in Lebanon and expressed sympathy with their cause. Reverend
Christopher Gillham, Secretary of the Congregational Federation in Wales, was
part of a delegation of Welsh church officials on a Middle East visit when he
told Hizbollah members: “Had I been born in that part of the Lebanon, then I
could understand that I would have been a member of Hezbollah.”
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The comment, which echoed Cherie Blair and Liberal Democrat peer Jenny Tonge’s
expressions of empathy with Palestinian suicide bombers, astounded Jewish
community leaders and interfaith workers.
Board of Deputies Chief Executive Jon Benjamin told TJ: “By its very nature,
Hezbollah has set its face against peaceful coexistence with all of those living
in the region, including not just Jewish Israelis, but Christians as well.
“The fact that the delegation met with Hezbollah can at best be described as
naïve, but Revd Gillham’s statement displays a breathtaking lack of
understanding of what Hezbollah is about, it aims and its methods.”
And Sidney Shipton, coordinator of religious dialogue group, the Three Faiths
Forum, said: “We are happy to meet with anyone at any time. But what we feel sad
about is that so many religious leaders, particularly in the church, seem to
meet only one side in a dispute and not another. It all seems very unbalanced,
particularly with regard to the problems of the Middle East.”He added: “It is
doubly sad that a leader of a religious body would express a desire to be reborn
a terrorist, because everyone knows that Hizbollah is a terrorist organisation.”But
Reverend Gethin Abraham-Williams, the General Secretary of CYTÛN, the National
Council of Churches in Wales, defended the aims of the delegation, which visited
Lebanon and Syria, and met Syrian President Bashar al Assad.He said that the
group had held “conversations with a wide range of Christian, Muslim and
government leaders and those with political influence”.He said that when Rev
Gillham’s made the remark, during a meeting with Hizbollah representatives at
Khiam Prison, “he stressed it was his personal view and that he was not speaking
on behalf of the Welsh Churches”.He added: “At the beginning of the session, the
delegates clearly set out the aim of their visit, to listen and to learn how
peace and justice for all may be built in the region. They then listened to
Hizbollah’s perspective from Sheikh Nabil Kawook. “Neither CYTÛN nor its
delegation support terrorist activities in the Middle East or anywhere else.
CYTÛN is an active and committed member of the Council of Christians and Jews in
Wales and of the Inter-Faith Council for Wales.”
Syria prevents terror on northern border
By YAAKOV KATZ -Fearing a harsh Israeli response, Syrian
military forces stationed along the border with the Golan Heights are under
orders to prevent al-Qaida and Global Jihad cells from launching anti-Israel
attacks from within Syrian soil, a senior IDF officer told The Jerusalem Post on
Thursday. While Israel's northern border with Syria was quiet, IDF units
stationed in the Golan Heights were on constant high alert, with the main
potential threat coming from Global Jihad cells stationed in Syria, the officer
said. But President Bashar Assad was interested in keeping the border quiet and
preferred to let the Southern Lebanon-based Hizbullah to carry out his terror
attacks against Israel, he said.
"It would be suicidal for Assad to allow terror groups to attack Israel from
over the border," the officer said. "The Syrian troops prevent the terror groups
from even getting close to the border and do not allow them to launch attacks
from within Syria." The decision not to allow terror groups to use Syria to
launch attacks was evident in the capture two weeks ago of an al-Qaida cell
outside Damascus on its way to reportedly attack US forces in Iraq, Northern
Command sources said. While the sources said it was premature to declare that
Assad was cracking down on terror, the cell's capture possibly indicated an
attempt by the Syrian leader to decrease US and international pressure placed on
him since the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. "Things
change in Syria on almost a daily basis," a Northern Command source said. "But
it could be that Assad is trying to grow closer to the US and to do that he
knows that he needs to stop Syrian-based terror groups from going to Iraq to
attack American troops."
The IDF's current and greatest threat along the northern border, the senior
officer said, came from Global Jihad cells swarming throughout Syria. "These
terrorists don't have any rules," the officer said. "This is a terror
organization that makes no account of its actions and fires in all directions
without thinking of the consequences."
Assad, the officer said, was not the only neighbor of Israel currently facing
off against al-Qaida and Global Jihad terror cells. In December, an al-Qaida
cell operating in Southern Lebanon fired Katyusha rockets at Kiryat Shmona,
prompting Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah to immediately deny his
organization's involvement in the attack.
"Just like Assad, Nasrallah also doesn't want al-Qaida operating in southern
Lebanon," the officer said. "Al-Qaida has no restraints and jeopardizes
Hizbullah's diplomatic goals and attempts to remain the supreme leader of
Southern Lebanon."
But while Assad might be preventing terror groups from launching attacks against
Israel from within Syria, he was, according to the officer, transferring
weaponry to Hizbullah as well as funds to Islamic Jihad based in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip.
While senior Northern Command officers had recently warned that Assad might fire
missiles at Israel if he felt threatened by the US over the continued UN
investigation into the murder of Hariri, the officer told the Post on Thursday
that Israel would respond harshly and could easily knock out any opposing Syrian
military force. "We are much stronger than Syria," he said. "If they were to
attack us it would be like committing suicide."