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Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9,14-15. Then the disciples of John approached him and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast (much), but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Latest News Reports From miscellaneous sources For 24/02/07
Jumblat Says reunion with Hizbullah 'Impossible', Police Discover ...Naharnet
Lebanese Worker Killed in Southern Nigeria -Naharnet
U.N. envoy to Assess Compliance with 1701 -Naharnet
French Navy Drills Off Lebanon's Coast -Naharnet
Al-Moustaqbal Fined for Libeling Lahoud -Naharnet
Geagea for New Cabinet and International Tribunal -Naharnet
Lebanon Presses for International Cluster Bomb Ban -Naharnet
Panic Prevails After Explosives, Detonators Found in Beirut -Naharnet
Suspicion of UN troops grows in south Lebanon-Guardian Unlimited
UNIFIL: Lebanon Okays Hizbullah Patrols-Arutz Sheva
Hizbullah rep says no talks on hostage swap-Ynetnews
Officials: Rice Tells Israel To Shun Syria-All Headline News
IDF: Escalated Conflict With Hamas More Likely Than War With Syria-All Headline News
UN Ambassador On Lebanon Bombings-Voice of America
Armed conflict with Syria unlikely, intelligence officials says-Ynetnews
War drills occupy French sailors amid Lebanon lull-Middle East Online
Lebanese journalist fined for libel-Guardian Unlimited
Explosive situation in Lebanon will continue-Counterterrorism Blog

Latest News Reports From The Daily Star For 23/02/07
Gemayel says UN may get tough to create Hariri court
More bombs, explosives, detonators turn up in and around shaken Beirut
Consider the Cabinet as having resigned
Hoss laments sectarian hatred fueled by power struggle
Iqlim al-Kharroub refuses to be a dump
FPM officials injured in car accident in Nigeria
Israeli aircraft violate Lebanese airspace again
Sayyed says recent bombings prove that 'real criminals' are still at large
Lebanon's national crisis
Draft international treaty would ban use of cluster bombs by 2008
PM offers LL30 million for Chouf families displaced by Civil War
Japan donates aid to Al-Mabarrat Association
Technical difficulties ground 'I Love Life' flight over capital
Journalist fined for criticizing Lahoud
AUB makes changes near the top
As thousands of youths flee, some stay behind to take care of family businesses
Actress stars in workshop on drama therapy

UNIFIL: Lebanon Okays Hizbullah Patrols
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
(IsraelNN.com) The Lebanese army has made a deal with Hizbullah terrorist guerillas, dividing up patrols in southern Lebanon, according to an officer of the United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL). Hajj Ali, a Hizbullah terrorist leader who lives in the village of Bint Jbil near the Israeli border, declared, "There will be another war in the summer. It is the beginning of the end for Israel; we are preparing." "Hizbullah still dominates the south, its security men policing the Shi'ite villages and its fighters patrolling the border," the Guardian reported. Shi'ite Muslims, aligned with Hizbullah, have re-armed, said the newspaper, which questioned the effectiveness of UNIFIL. Compounding the international force's problems in carrying out its mission of keeping Hizbullah out of the area is a growing suspicion among local residents. Analysts have noted that most of southern Lebanon is obligated to Hizbullah, which has provided residents with social and economic support. UNIFIL soldiers "are not our guests any more," said Hajj Ali of Bint Jbil, where Hizbullah scored a devastating blow on IDF troops in the village last summer by using advanced anti-tank missiles that Israeli intelligence did not know were in their possession. "UNIFIL has not lifted a hand against Israel but only intervenes to protect the Israelis, why are they on our land and why have they brought so many tanks?" said a villager in Maroun al-Ras, another town close to the border and site of major clashes with the IDF last summer. Southern Lebanon residents also have complained that Israel conducts surveillance flights over the area to monitor terrorist activity. UNIFIL has refused to carry out a U.N. Security Council ceasefire resolution clause that it disarm Hizbullah, and Israel has said the flights are meant to fill the vacuum.

U.S. to Israel: No Talks with Syria
Both the United States and Israel have asserted that Syria is helping smuggle Iranian, Syria and Russian weapons to Hizbullah. However, officials in the Olmert administration have left the door open for low-level exploratory talks with Damascus while categorically refusing direct talks at this stage.
This policy was criticized by American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who told government officials they "should not even think about" any dialogue with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert often sets policy according to advice and pressure from the Bush administration. He agreed to meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Secretary Rice even though he previously had declared that no negotiations could be held so long as the PA, which now includes Hamas, does not cease terrorist attacks. He also has stated that the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is a condition to direct talks but nevertheless met with Abbas twice in the past two months. Hizbullah rep says no talks on hostage swap There are currently no negotiations for prisoner exchange between Israel and Hizbullah, Lebanese Hizbullah parliamentarian Hasan Haballah says.

Haballah warns group may launch civil revolt in Lebanon if ‘doors closed in our face’
Roee Nahmias Published: 02.23.07, 13:36 / Israel News
There are currently no negotiations for a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hizbullah, according to Lebanese parliamentarian from Hizbullah Hasan Haballah. Hizbullah kidnapped Israeli soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser in a cross-border attack last summer, which sparked the war in Lebanon. Hizbullah demands the release of Lebanese prisoners in return for the Israeli hostages, but mediated negotiations have thus far been futile. Rearmament IDF says Hizbullah is back to pre-war capability / Hanan Greenberg Military Intelligence estimates Shiite group has succeeded in restoring war readiness In an interview with Nazareth newspaper Kul al-Arab, Haballah said, “We have two hostages and we cannot release them, except for as part of a prisoner exchange deal. We demand the release of all Lebanese prisoners as well as Arab and Palestinian prisoners (held in Israeli prisons) in the frame of an indirect deal between us and the Zionist enemy. “At the moment, however, no contacts are being mediated to complete the deal,” he said.
Haballah said Hizbullah was willing and ready for another confrontation with Israel : “We are on-call and fully prepared for any aggression at any moment.” “The resistance (Hizbullah) is militarily ready to block any possible attack on Lebanon, but right now there are no signs Israel will attack soon. The enemy knows it cannot achieve any of its goals. Israel regularly violates Lebanese airspace, and this is the answer to the Lebanese people who are relying on the international community, which cannot stop any aggression against Lebanon. Therefore, the resistance will respond to these violations at the right time and place,” he warned. The Hizbullah representative did not spare his wrath for the Lebanese administration either. Hizbullah, he said, was considering launching a civil uprising against Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s government and coalition, if their demands failed to be met.
'Revolution may be necessary'
He said the United States was to blame for the current tensions in Lebanon. “We place full responsibility (for the crisis in Lebanon) on the American regime which is working to prevent Lebanese stability. The opposition may turn to revolution if all the doors are closed to it. We rely on the fact that all doors are open to us, and that mutual understanding can be reached," he said.
“The February 14th group (term for Lebanese coalition headed by Siniora) cannot keep listening to American dictates,” he declared.
The timing of such a conflict, should it erupt, was vague. “There is no zero-hour,” Haballah said. “It is an idea which will be raised for discussion if all the doors become closed. The opposition did
not set a date for the civil rebellion. "The opposition will continue its activities until the end of this month, and then we will speak openly about our ensuing steps. Chairman of Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri will speak for the opposition about the efforts invested in the past three months and who it is that stands behind destroying the coalition.

Officials: Rice Tells Israel To Shun Syria
February 23, 2007 8:48 a.m. EST
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent
Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - During her visit to the Middle East this week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted that Israel refrain from even exploratory peace talks with Syria, according to government officials in Jerusalem. Israel's Ha'aretz quoted the officials as saying that Rice was very forceful in expressing Washington's position on the matter of negotiations between Syria and the Jewish state. The secretary pointed out that to start talks at this point would be viewed in Damascus as a vindication of its current policies, which stand opposed to American interests in the region and in defiance of international demands. Syria is believed to be playing a major role in the instability plaguing Lebanon and Iraq, continues to align itself with Iran, and is accused of facilitating the rearming of Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert backs the U.S. position vis-a-vis Syria, and insists that until Damascus ends its relationship with Hezbollah and Palestinian terror groups, it is not serious about peace. However, there are those within the Israeli establishment that believe Jerusalem must explore any possibility of peace with its neighbors, not least of whom is Defense Minister Amir Peretz.

U.N. Ambassador On Lebanon Bombings
22 February 2007
The United Nations Security Council has agreed to let the International Independent Investigation Commission lend technical assistance to the Lebanese government in its investigation of the terrorist bombings of two commuter buses near the mainly Christian town of Bikfaya. These attacks, which killed three people and injured at least eighteen others, took place on the eve of the second anniversary of the massive car bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and twenty-two others in Beirut. U-N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombings as a "callous terrorist attack." The United Nations, he said, "strongly rejects attempts to secure political objectives through violence and the killing of innocent civilians."
The U-N Security Council established the independent commission in order to assist Lebanese authorities in their investigation of the terrorist bombing that killed Rafiq Hariri. Acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Alejandro Wolff said that the U-N Security Council has since added to that mandate "numerous terrorist attacks and assassinations," including last November's murder of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. All of these attacks, said Mr. Wolff, seemingly amount to a "coordinated series of attempts to undermine the legitimacy, sovereignty and independence" of Lebanon's government.
Ambassador Wolff said that the U-N Security Council's action "is a clear message to all of those who would threaten the integrity of Lebanon and its sovereignty that this council is watching closely." The U-N Security Council, he said, is "standing up for Lebanon's sovereignty and its ability to govern itself without interference or intimidation."

Jumblat Says Reunion with Hizbullah 'Impossible', Police Discover Explosives in 3 Provinces
Druze leader Walid Jumblat was quoted Friday as saying a common denominator with Hizbullah was "impossible" as police found explosives scattered in Beirut, mount and south Lebanon raising fears of renewed violence in trouble-ridden Lebanon.
Jumblat, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party and a ranking member of the March 14 parliamentary majority, said reunion with Hizbullah is "impossible because of its political strategy that aims at eliminating others."Such a political plan, Jumblat told the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) in a Thursday evening live interview, aims at "creating the Hizbullah state in Lebanon" replacing the current pluralist state that represents 18 sects recognized by the nation's constitution. He accused Hizbullah of rejecting the creation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes "just to shield the Syrian regime" against punishment.
The March 14 alliance accuses Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime of masterminding the Hariri assassination and related crimes.
Jumblat made his remarks a few hours after police found explosives and detonation fuses scattered in Beirut, Mount Lebanon's Kesrouan province and the southern Jezzine district in what was seen by observers as an attempt to scare off supporters of the March 14 alliance that backs Premier Fouad Saniora's majority government. The explosives, according to police reports, were not set for detonation.
The Saniora Government has been facing since Dec. 1 a protest by the Hizbullah-led opposition to topple it in favor for a parcel of demands including the formation of a so-called national unity government that gives the pro-Syrian and Iranian-backed camp veto powers.
Beirut, 23 Feb 07, 08:53

U.N. envoy to Assess Compliance with 1701
A U.N. envoy will visit Lebanon next week to assess compliance with Resolution 1701 that ended last summer's war between Israel and Hizbullah, a U.N. spokeswoman said in Beirut on Friday. "The special advisor to the secretary general for the Middle East (Michael Williams) is coming next week," the spokeswoman, Pascale Kassis, said. "He will meet top officials and others concerned with the resolution, in line with the preparation for the report on Resolution 1701."U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to report to the Security Council in mid-March on compliance with the truce resolution.
It will be the U.N. envoy's third visit to Lebanon since the truce resolution went into force August 14, ending a devastating 34-day war sparked by the capture of two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid by Hizbullah. The two soldiers are still being held.(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 23 Feb 07, 12:45

French Navy Drills Off Lebanon's Coast
The rattle of machinegun fire echoes across the water as French peacekeeping sailors engage in shooting drills to maintain combat readiness off Lebanon's coast after UN-brokered truce ended the war between Israel and Hizbullah.
Wearing khaki bullet-proof vests, they shoot at red and yellow balloons designed to represent a moving dinghy navigated by a suicide bomber who is approaching to attack their warship. The self-defense exercise is part of a rigorous training program that includes nighttime helicopter navigation, refueling at sea and on-board fire drills with a disciplined cadence that fills their long days. The 150 sailors on board the frigate Sourcouf, which sailed into Lebanese waters at the end of November as part of a bolstered U.N. peacekeeping mission in the area "are always practicing their skills so as not to get rusty," said Captain Laurent Hava. "They have to be ready to face anything."
In July the warship's personnel were commissioned as part of an operation to evacuate more than 13,000 people from Lebanon when Israel launched its offensive following the capture of two of its soldiers by Hizbullah operatives. In addition, the team has to be able to respond to accidents, and so the clang of fire alarms rings regularly through the passageways of the 125-meter (400 foot) ship.
Clad in fireproof gear, their faces hidden behind oxygen masks, the ship's fire fighters practice evacuating an injured person on a stretcher through narrow corridors charged with smoke. "Fire is our greatest fear," said Lieutenant Pascale Glaser, the only woman on board. "It would destroy the ship much faster than a water leak." Refueling can be another matter of life and death at sea. When the ship cannot dock for reloading with supplies and petrol, it has to do so in open water without bumping -- or "kissing" as the sailors say -- the supply ship. The ship also is tasked with identifying boats that approach Lebanese waters, a system aimed at preventing arms smuggling to Hizbullah that Hava describes as "watertight." Around 30 ships are identified every day. Since its arrival the Surcouf has stopped a cigarette-smuggling ship, but none with weapons. "When a ship seems suspicious because it refuses to answer our questions, or it has a dubious flag or an illogical route, we tell the Lebanese navy which then checks it out," says Hava. "The measures are very dissuasive, no one tries to cross," he says. Amid the drills, Israeli warplanes continue to overfly U.N. peacekeeping ships, a practice French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie criticized last October as "dangerous." "There are still fairly occasional Israeli over flights," says Hava, declining to say how often his ship is "buzzed". But when the work is done, at least the sailors and marines aboard can unwind with a glass of wine or beer.
"As long as it doesn't affect the boat's functioning, it can limit binge drinking when we dock," says Hava.(AFP) Beirut, 23 Feb 07, 12:32

Armed conflict with Syria unlikely, intelligence officials says
Hanan Greenberg Published: 02.23.07, 11:04 / Israel News
The IDF intelligence branches do not anticipate a military conflict with Syria in the coming year, but foresee a possible escalation on the southern front with the Palestinians. On Sunday, the IDF intelligence branches, the Shin Bet and the Mossad will present the government with their annual intelligence report, which focuses on the threats to Israel's security. According to the report, a wide-scale military confrontation with Syria is very improbable at this stage, despite Iranian efforts to fuel the regional conflict through Hizbullah and terror groups in the Palestinian Authority. However, defense officials regard 2007 as a "crucial and substantial year" with regards to developments in the Middle East, most notably the international community's actions against Iran and the radical axis it is leading. Meanwhile, Israel continues to monitor the political developments in Lebanon and Hizbullah's attempts to rehabilitate following the war. The IDF should direct its attention to the Gaza Strip, where, despite the ceasefire, the terror organizations continue to build in strength and amass weapons, defense officials stated. They added that any irregular incident might bring to an escalation of terror activity in Gaza and spark an extensive conflict in the area. Additionally, intelligence reports point to attempts by Hamas to adopt Hizbullah's methods of operations.
War drills occupy French sailors amid Lebanon lull

Peacekeeping ship aims to prevent arms smuggling to Lebanon but fails to prevent Israeli overflights.
By Charlotte Plantive - ABOARD THE SURCOUF, Off the Lebanese coast
The rattle of machinegun fire echoes across the water as French peacekeeping sailors engage in shooting drills to keep sharp six months after a UN-brokered truce ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Wearing khaki bullet-resistant vests, they shoot at red and yellow balloons designed to represent a moving dinghy navigated by a suicide bomber who is approaching to attack their warship.
The self-defence exercise is part of a rigorous training programme that includes nighttime helicopter navigation, sea-based refuelling and on-board fire drills with a disciplined cadence that fills their long days. The 150 sailors on board the frigate, called the Surcouf, who arrived at the end of November as part of a bolstered UN peacekeeping mission in the area "are always practising their skills so as not to get rusty," said Captain Laurent Hava.
"They have to be ready to face anything."In July the warship's personnel were commissioned as part of an operation to evacuate more than 13,000 people when Israel that month launched its offensive in Lebanon following the capture of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah guerrillas.
In addition, the team has to be able to respond to accidents, and so the clang of fire alarms rings regularly through the passageways of the 125-metre (400 foot) ship.Clad in fireproof gear, their faces hidden behind oxygen masks, the ship's firefighters practise evacuating an injured person on a stretcher through narrow corridors charged with smoke."Fire is our greatest fear," said Lieutenant Pascale Glaser, the only woman on board. "It would destroy the ship much faster than a water leak."
Refuelling can be another matter of life and death at sea. When the ship cannot dock for reloading with supplies and petrol, it has to do so in open water without bumping -- or "kissing" as the sailors say -- the supply ship.The ship is also tasked with identifying boats that approach Lebanese waters, a system aimed at preventing arms smuggling to Hezbollah that Hava describes as "watertight."Around 30 ships are identified every day. Since its arrival the Surcouf has stopped a cigarette-smuggling ship, but none with weapons. "When a ship seems suspicious because it refuses to answer our questions, or it has a dubious flag or an illogical route, we tell the Lebanese navy which then checks it out," says Hava.
"The measures are very dissuasive, no one tries to cross," he says.
Amid the drills, Israeli warplanes continue to overfly UN peacekeeping ships, a practice French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie criticised last October as "dangerous"."There are still fairly occasional Israeli overflights," says Hava, declining to say how often his ship is "buzzed".
But when the work is done, at least the sailors and marines aboard can unwind with a glass of wine or beer."As long as it doesn't affect the boat's functioning, it can limit binge drinking when we dock," says Hava.

Suspicion of UN troops grows in south Lebanon
Friday February 23, 2007
The Guardian
Six months after a UN-brokered ceasefire ended Israel's war with Hizbullah, scepticism about the role of 10,000 UN troops is growing in south Lebanon amid signs that the militant Shia group is retraining and re-equipping its forces.
The international force, deployed to keep the peace and support the expansion of the Lebanese army's authority over the previously Hizbullah-controlled south, is perceived by villagers to be favouring Israel. "They are not our guests any more," said Hajj Ali, a revered Hizbullah fighter from the large southern town of Bint Jbeil, who limps from an injury sustained during the summer war. "If they continue to help the Israelis we will have to take action against them."Six months after a UN-brokered ceasefire ended Israel's war with Hizbullah, scepticism about the role of 10,000 UN troops is growing in south Lebanon amid signs that the militant Shia group is retraining and re-equipping its forces. The international force, deployed to keep the peace and support the expansion of the Lebanese army's authority over the previously Hizbullah-controlled south, is perceived by villagers to be favouring Israel. "They are not our guests any more," said Hajj Ali, a revered Hizbullah fighter from the large southern town of Bint Jbeil, who limps from an injury sustained during the summer war. "If they continue to help the Israelis we will have to take action against them."
Many in the south suspect Israel is trying to create a buffer zone along the border on Lebanese land allegedly captured during the war and that the UN is assisting it, furthering the popular perception that the UN forces, Unifil, are in south Lebanon to protect Israel from Hizbullah. Hizbullah, Lebanon's largest political party, is still part of the social fabric and continues military activities along the border.
Many in south Lebanon have struggled through the winter with intermittent electricity and running water, under threat from unexploded cluster munitions, which still litter large swaths of the countryside. More than 30 people have been killed and 180 wounded by bomblets since the war ended. Residents complain of Israeli overflights and incursions and this month a clash erupted when the Lebanese army opened fire on Israeli troops.
In the bomb-shattered village of Maroun al-Ras, overlooking the Lebanon Israeli border, 65-year-old farmer Mohammed Allawi was repairing damage to his house from Israeli shelling. He said many farmers were no longer able to tend their fields for fear of being shot by Israeli troops.
"Unifil has not lifted a hand against Israel but only intervenes to protect the Israelis, why are they on our land and why have they brought so many tanks?"
Hussein, a relative from Bint Jbeil, said the French were particularly unpopular. Hostility towards Lebanon's former colonial power can be found across the south. "Why are the French so aggressive?" asked Mr Allawi's wife, Fatmeh, "They come through the village at night in their big, noisy tanks, scaring the children. They never talk to us and we don't know what they are doing."Nevertheless, Unifil provides jobs and social services and plays a vital role in disposing of unexploded munitions. Hizbullah still dominates the south, its security men policing the Shia villages and its fighters patrolling the border, albeit with greater stealth than before. A senior Unifil official said operational bunkers had been found and that Hizbullah fighters had been seen on patrols.
As the UN destroys Hizbullah's military infrastructure, the threat of confrontation grows. The official, speaking off the record, said some areas controlled by the Lebanese army were off limits to the UN. Hajj Ali said they were Hizbullah military zones protected under a deal between Hizbullah and the Lebanese army. The UN official also said there had been an increase in Hizbullah activity north of the Litani river, outside Unifil's jurisdiction. "There will be another war in the summer," Hajj Ali said. "It is the beginning of the end for Israel; we are preparing."

Explosive situation in Lebanon will continue
By Olivier Guitta
While incidents keep on piling up in Lebanon, precursor signs are pointing to an escalation of the situation triggered by Syria's allies.
First incidents against the international forces of UNIFIL in the South are increasing. For instance last Sunday Spanish soldiers were attacked with stones by pro Hezbollah villagers in Debbine. Then on Monday it was the turn of French troops, a medical unit composed of doctors and nurses who came to Marun El Ras to treat for free some local villagers. The French were quite violently kicked out by locals favorable to Hezbollah who told them not to come back. These incidents have not been given much publicity but they spell disaster. On Tuesday a Minister even denounced Hezbollah's role in fomenting violence against UNIFIL troops. At the same time, UNIFIL troops are playing low profile and downplaying these stories in order to avoid terror attacks against their troops by Hezbollah terrorists. But the confirmation of new trouble has been given by the always very knowledgeable Kuwaiti newspaper Al Seyassah. Indeed it reports that during his last week end's visit to Tehran, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad was reassured by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameni. Indeed according to the new Iranian roadmap, Syria's allies Nabih Berri and Hassan Nasrallah will not let create the international Court. And Syria must work to implode Lebanon. Khameni promised Assad that he will prevent the two main Shia leaders: president of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri and the secretary general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah to approve the International Court. On the other hand, Khameni pointed out to Assad that he needs to work on overthrowing the current government. Assad returned to Damascus and told his entourage that he was going “to force Hariri and Siniora to capitulate and to accept an imposed solution”. Time will tell what's in store but unfortunately it looks like Lebanon is going to plunge again in bloody violence.February 22, 2007 08:27 PM

Inch by inch
By: Lucy Fielder - Al Ahram 23/02/07
As Lebanon's crippling political crisis continues, all sides fear a return to violence but none seems prepared to compromise, Lucy Fielder reports from Beirut -Forecasts of a breakthrough in Lebanon's political deadlock looked optimistic at best this week. A meeting between the 14 March leader Saad Al-Hariri and Shia speaker of parliament Nabih Berri, a key figure in the opposition, is anticipated. At the time of going to press, it is by no means clear that it will go ahead. A Western diplomat told Al-Ahram Weekly that polarised Lebanese politicians should take the initiative instead of depending on diplomacy. "Yes, there is outside intervention, and Syria's position is a major obstacle, possibly a decisive obstacle. But the two sides could also be making progress by meeting each other," he said. "The bottom line is that they don't trust each other."
Berri seems unwilling to waste time in a meeting where a good chance of success is not assured. In an interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, he said the governing coalition must cede the "blocking third" of cabinet seats demanded by the opposition, which is led by Hizbullah, and in return he would prevail on it to drop its call for early elections.
Berri warned: "there are many escalatory steps and I use the brakes quite a lot, as I did before and will do later. I do not know, however, for how long I can succeed given the mutual intransigence." Opposition protesters have been camped out in downtown Beirut since the start of December, demanding a greater say in government following Israel's war on Lebanon last summer. Reuters reported this week that the opposition was considering upping the ante with a civil disobedience campaign. Loyalists in the public service would cease to go to work, pay bills and taxes.
But Alain Aoun, nephew and aide to key Christian opposition figure Michel Aoun, told the Weekly that civil disobedience remained a last resort. "It was discussed from the beginning, but it's really an extreme measure and I hope we don't come to that." He said the opposition was, nonetheless, "reassessing" whether to escalate its pressure after anti- Syrian leaders Samir Geagea and Walid Jumblatt made inflammatory speeches at the 14 February rally commemorating Rafik Al-Hariri's assassination two years ago.
In the face of escalation, and with no consensus: "the government will have to face that it may be difficult to implement Paris III." Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora presented a loose economic plan to a Paris conference in January in return for more than $7 billion international assistance. "Any meetings are linked to progress and there is no new development that could trigger such a meeting, at least from our side," Alain Aoun said.
Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah also called for bilateral meetings last week at a rally to commemorate Israel's assassination of his predecessor, Sayed Abbas Al-Moussawi. But the main focus of his speech was resistance. He criticised the Lebanese authorities for seizing a consignment of weapons for his forces. "We are ready to provide the army with all the weapons it needs, but we will not forgive anyone who confiscates a bullet; we will not allow our arms to be confiscated," Nasrallah said. The resistance had plentiful weapons of all kinds, he said, and reserved the right to transport them in secret to hide them from Israel. The international tribunal to try suspects in Hariri's assassination remains the key point for all government loyalists and a rallying cry for Sunnis of most political stripes. But it is, in the words of a December International Crisis Group report, "the issue Hizbullah wishes would go away." Syrian-backed Hizbullah agreed in principle to the court from the start, but has stalled over procedural qualms. Among Syria's fears is that the court would aim to try the regime as a whole. Damascus maintains its innocence.
Hizbullah needs Syria's logistical support as a conduit for its Iranian-supplied weapons. Pressure has increased on the guerrillas to disarm -- following last summer's war with Israel -- and they cannot afford to bite the hand that feeds them. But being seen to shield Syria is increasingly embarrassing, even among Hizbullah's die-hard supporters. Osama Safa, director of the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies, said the group's regional and domestic agenda currently contradicts itself.
"While Hizbullah definitely doesn't want to see the tribunal happen and its friends embarrassed, it could really care less to lose all of its lustre just because of the tribunal," Safa said. "I think Hizbullah wants a graceful exit from this one but is unable to find one."
In his interview, Berri accused Fouad Al-Siniora of causing the latest crisis by insisting on a vote two days after Lebanon received a draft plan for the court from the United Nations. The opposition wanted an extension of three days to translate and study the draft, which was in English.
There is still no word this week on a date for Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa's long-anticipated visit to Beirut. Moussa returned from an earlier initiative empty-handed in December.
Talks between Saudi Arabia, which backs the Sunni-led governing coalition, and Iran, which backs Hizbullah, remain the diplomatic mission of the moment. One of the problems, in the words of the Western diplomat, is that "nothing's agreed until everything's agreed". For the government to give the opposition a veto- wielding "one third plus one" of the cabinet, the opposition needs to yield on amendments to the tribunal. And vice versa.
Former prime minister Salim Al-Hoss went to Damascus and Riyadh this week with a proposal for both sides to hammer out an agreement on the jurisdiction and powers of the court, followed immediately by the formation of a unity government that would then ratify it.
Hoss worked on improving relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia, said Issam Naaman, a former minister allied to Hoss. Relations have been sour since Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad referred to "half-men" in a post-war speech, which was seen as a reference to pro-US Arab leaders who criticised Hizbullah's conduct. Naaman said Assad would attend the March Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi and Iranian relations are improving, Hoss reported back, having a knock-on effect on Assad, who visited Tehran this week. Naaman said Assad told Hoss he was not against the court if the Lebanese could agree on it. Safa said the Syrian position had not changed. "Its attitude is, 'you can have as many courts as you like as long as you don't threaten anyone here'. But I don't think that's the international community's intention."
Pollster and analyst Abdu Saad said Saudi Arabia would not go this far towards a deal without a green light from Washington. "The Americans wouldn't mind now testing the other side but they want to use any deal as a barter in Iraq," he said. He pointed to an exchange of visits by Iranian Security Chief Ali Larijani and his Saudi counterpart Prince Bandar Bin Sultan as a sign that things are moving.
The Lebanese are depending on these last-ditch efforts after two days of sectarian clashes in January raised the spectre of renewed civil war. Safa expects no significant resolution until the Arab summit. "I'm not sure the US and international community will accept a power that will reinvent the role of the Syrians and Iranians in Lebanon, or that the majority in the government will accept the many initiatives, none of which are really serious enough to reach a deal," he said

Canada rules indefinite detention wrong
By BETH DUFF-BROWN, The Associated Press
OTTAWA - Canada's Supreme Court struck down the government's right to detain foreign terrorism suspects indefinitely and without trial, ruling Friday that the system violates the country's bill of rights. The Justice Department had insisted that the "security certificate" program is a key tool in the fight against global terrorism and essential to national security. But in a 9-0 judgment, the high court found the system violates the Charter of Rights and Freedom. It suspended the judgment from taking effect for a year, to give Parliament time to rewrite the law that deals with the certificates.
The certificates were challenged on constitutional grounds by three men from Morocco, Syria and Algeria — all alleged by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to have ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. "The overarching principle of fundamental justice that applies here is this: before the state can detain people for significant periods of time, it must accord them a fair judicial process," Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote in the ruling.
Opponents of the system say it violates the human rights of those who have no access to the evidence against them and who would face torture or death if deported to their native countries. Federal law currently allows sensitive intelligence information to be heard privately by a federal judge, with only sketchy summaries given to defense attorneys.
If those foreigners choose to fight deportation, they can spend years jailed while the cases go through the courts. Even if they are freed, they risk being labeled as terrorists. Though the security certificate program has been around since the 1970s, its use became more contentious after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, and more suspect since Canada used faulty intelligence in a case that led to a $9 million apology to another former terrorism suspect, Maher Arar. Five Arab Muslim men currently stand accused of terrorist links under the certificates; and all five deny any ties to terrorism. It was not immediately clear if the three men still in detention would be released or remain jailed until the law is rewritten.
The most notable is Adil Charkaoui, 33, a native of Morocco. The former University of Montreal student and pizzeria operator was arrested in Montreal in 2003 and freed on bail under strict conditions in 2005. He is accused by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service of belonging to the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, which has ties to al-Qaida and a history of terrorist attacks in Spain. CSIS also claims Ahmed Ressam, convicted in 2001 of plotting to blow up Los Angeles International Airport, identified Charkaoui as someone he met at an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan — a contention denied by Charkaoui.