LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 9/2006

Below news from Miscellaneous sources for 9/2/06
Lebanon pledges protection for foreign diplomatic missions-www.chinaview.9.2.02
Lebanese leader accuses Tehran of plotting torchings with Syria -© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com 9.2.06
Did Not, Will Not and As Long As. By: Walid Choucair Al-Hayat - 9/02/06
Below news from the Daily Star for 9/2/06
Siniora says Lebanon facing major challenges
Geagea: Blame for riots was issued "hastily"
Candidate Mallat details campaign platform
Geagea faces lawsuit over online attack on Muslims
SMS warning to French part of stepped-up security
UN probe chief in New York
Qassem: Hizbullah rejects foreign plots
LF silent on Dakkash bid
Patriarch calls for calm, forebearance
March 14 Forces tight-lipped on Hizbullah-FPM agreement
U.S. Rotary scholars in Lebanon as part of cross-cultural awareness efforts
Qatar to donate $25 million to restore National Library
First lady: Child asthma rate 'horrific'
The Aoun-Nasrallah initiative is a wake-up call for March 14 Forces
Let's admit to a growing Islamist problem-By Michael Young

The Aoun-Nasrallah initiative is a wake-up call for March 14 Forces
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Editorial-Daily Star
The accord struck between Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun ought to serve as a wake-up call to Lebanon's parliamentary majority, otherwise known as the "March 14 Forces." After a meeting on Monday at the Mar Mikhail Church, Nasrallah and Aoun issued a joint statement of understanding which put forth proposals for resolving a number of pressing issues in the country. The meeting, which was the culmination of months of contacts and preparation, marked the first time that a serious effort was made to address thorny issues, such as Hizbullah's weapons, corruption in government, Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons and former South Lebanese Army members in Israel. During a news conference to announce the joint statement, both Nasrallah and Aoun repeatedly welcomed other parties to join in the dialogue that they have started. But their call has so far been met with little enthusiasm by the members of the March 14 Forces.
The parliamentary majority, which rode to power on a wave of public outrage over the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, has yet to engage in serious dialogue with parties outside their alliance. The public who voted them into office during Lebanon's first parliamentary elections since the end of Syria's 30-year occupation last spring were highly optimistic about Lebanon's future. The end of Syria's occupation and the election of a new government, many believed, would usher in a new era of democratic and accountable governance. The newly elected leaders would start a process of reform that would re-energize the economy and eliminate corruption - or so it was believed.
Yet all the public was optimistic was despite the fact that the March 14 alliance had offered no concrete proposals to achieve any of these objectives. In fact, during a tour of European capitals ahead of the elections, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a member of the parliamentary majority, admitted to French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier that he was ashamed that his electoral alliance hadn't even bothered to put together a political platform.
Nearly a year later, there is still reason for Jumblatt and others in the parliamentary majority to be ashamed. The March 14 Forces have not yet produced any concrete plans to move the country forward. Although security is a pressing concern among citizens, who have witnessed a string of deadly bombings since Hariri's assassination, the majority has failed to take adequate steps to protect citizens' lives and property. There has also been a failure to address other pressing concerns such as corruption, stagnation or judicial reform.
When the majority came to power, many had hoped that they would carry the late Hariri's legacy forward. Hariri was a man of action who worked tirelessly for the good of his country's citizens. But Jumblatt, Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea have not yet taken action to improve the situation in the country.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he will launch his national dialogue initiative after the commemoration of Hariri's assassination on February 14. The start of the dialogue will mark another chance for the parliamentary majority to take action and address the thorny issues that they have so far chosen to ignore. One sincerely hopes that the March 14 Forces do not squander this opportunity.

Siniora says Lebanon facing major challenges
Daily Star staff-Thursday, February 09, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Thursday the country is currently facing three major challenges: the implementation of the Taif Accord, economic, social and administrative reforms and establishing security for the people.
In a speech delivered at the Issam Fares Hall at the American University of Beirut, Siniora said with the full implementation of the Taif Accord, public affairs could operate based on consensus and based on the Constitution.
He added that tackling economic, social and administrative reforms have been outlined in the government's policy statement, "which we will proceed with in force and without hesitation."
The premier stressed that the only vision of a successful future comes with providing job opportunities for youths and securing a decent living for all Lebanese, "something that late Premier Rafik Hariri strived for."
Establishing security and stability "demands that we respect the Constitution, separating powers, rebuilding the security apparatus, and protecting our borders," he said.
Siniora recalled Hariri's belief in the power of the government, quoting the late premier as saying "there is no solution but with the government and its security apparatus."
Speaking about Sunday's riots, Siniora criticized "the government's neglect and its underestimation of the situation and the harm done to the citizens."
"The perpetrators and the reckless will be punished. There are investigations being carried out in the security forces and the army. We will not go back to the past. We will win, with the help of the government and for the government," he said.
"I am not concerned with studying and assessing what happened and finding the reasons behind it, but as a Muslim and as a responsible citizen, I do not find any justification for what happened. I don't see in the riots anything but destruction for the name of Islam and the country."Siniora said he was pleased to speak with students about issues facing the country, as they are the future of Lebanon. Commenting on the upcoming one year anniversary of Hariri's assassination, Siniora
praised the late premier for leading a political initiative that has survived until today since the Taif Accord and that settled conflicts in Lebanon in the interest of the country and the government.
Siniora said Hariri's effort to reconstruct the country after his ascension to power was planned on five levels: "Reconstructing and developing state institution by recruiting competent young people. Rebuilding the country's politics, particularly its electoral and municipal aspects. Consolidating productivity institutions and private companies and finally, returning Lebanon to its rightful place among Arab and international countries through efficient and regular contacts."
"Conflict over Lebanon is over, thanks to the work and sacrifices of Hariri, the last of which was his assassination. It is over thanks to the efforts, deaths, pain and unity of millions of the Lebanese." "Lebanon, the country and the state, and Lebanon, the freedom and sovereignty, has won. And Hariri's example, the state of the Taif, has survived," he said. - The Daily Star

Geagea: Blame for riots was issued "hastily"
By Raed El Rafei - Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 09, 2006
BEIRUT: While some members of the March 14 Forces maintained their accusations of the Syrian regime's hand in provoking Sunday's riots in downtown Beirut, a leading member of the coalition said information supporting the claims was "not 100 percent accurate." "Because everybody wanted to reveal the truth behind Sunday's riots rapidly, the information provided by some politicians was not 100 percent accurate," said Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.
While defending the coalition's motives, Geagea also admitted March 14th members had provided some information "hastily" because of the general "state of shock" caused by the riots.
Without naming him, Geagea criticized former Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh for his attacks on March 14 Forces, saying: "March 14 hastiness in giving information should not be used to claim that political conditions were better in the past, especially that freedom - as well as the state and Lebanon - were missing."
In an effort to calm tensions between Franjieh and the parliamentary majority, Bishop Roland Abou Jaoude, an envoy of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, met with Franjieh. After the meeting, Jaoude said it was "unfair" to accuse Franjieh of coordinating with Syrian security forces to allow infiltrators to spur Sunday's riots.
The bishop added that officials would continue to mediate between various political forces in order to ease nationwide tensions.
The March 14 Forces said Monday that Syrian, Jordanian and Palestinian militants had infiltrated Lebanon with the intent of turning a peaceful demonstration in protest of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad into violent sectarian clashes.
However, only one day later, Ahmad Fatfat, the acting Interior Minister and March 14 member, said preliminary investigations could not verify these claims. Geagea denied allegations of divisions within the March 14 camp, adding "it was the right and duty of the interior minister to verify the information."
Contacted by The Daily Star, former MP Fares Soueid said his allies in the coalition who made the statement on Monday were "very sure" of their information, notably that concerning the infiltration of Jordanian Muslim extremists to regions of Northern Lebanon. Soueid added that the information has been presented to State Prosecutor Said Mirza, and said, "Let them sue us if we are proved wrong." "I am surprised how Minister Fatfat could say the information was wrong only hours after he was put in charge of the Interior Ministry," he said.
Soueid further said that after the March 14 Forces called for an official complaint to be sent to the UN Security Council regarding Syria's alleged interference in the protests, "Syria had put pressure on Sunni figures in the North to deny March 14 Forces information."The former MP said Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, who resigned hours after the riots, is not the only politician to blame for the riots because the Cabinet as a whole cannot make any solid political decisions and is therefore incapable of guaranteeing national security. Soueid went on to accuse pro-Syrian forces of "trying to pull the country back in time to when Lebanon was under the Syrian tutelage by defending pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud."
Meanwhile, Shiite parties criticized the March 14th camp for laying responsibility for Sunday's riots on Syrian and Palestinian forces without providing any proof. During an Ashoura commemoration in Sidon, Energy Minister Mohammad Fneish said Syrians and Palestinians were accused of instigating the riots before investigations had even been opened.
Fneish criticized the parties who called for the demonstrations on Sunday for evading their responsibility in the riots and "lacking courage." The Hizbullah minister called for investigations to uncover the cause of the riots, "whether it was the exaggerated tension or the loss of control over the organization of the control or the presence of infiltrators."
In a statement, Dar el-Fatwa rejected any responsibility for the riots.
The highest Sunni authority in the country said the riots were caused by infiltrators instigated by "former political and security forces."

Candidate Mallat details campaign platform
By Nada Bakri - Special to The Daily Star
Thursday, February 09, 2006
BEIRUT: Prominent Lebanese lawyer and presidential candidate Chibli Mallat said he is determined to fight corruption, strengthen the judiciary and recognize the essential role of women in society if he is elected president.
Mallat, who announced his presidency during a press conference held at the United Nations headquarters in New York last September, said he will aim - through a non-violent movement expressed during the Independence Intifada - to help Lebanon reclaim its historic role in the world. The attorney, who describes himself as "Lebanon's first independent democratic presidential candidate," was speaking during a gathering with professional women on Wednesday.
"I, Chibli Mallat, want to be president for all Lebanese. My presidency is one that would bring the Lebanese together onto a higher stage of democracy and return the country to its historic position regionally and internationally," he said.
If elected president, he said, his reign would "allow Lebanon, through the strong non-violent movement that culminated on March 14, to claim its place among the nations as a prosperous society which leads economically, politically and culturally."
Mallat said his candidacy was a message to every "competent and achieved professional" that belongs to the Independence Intifada camp to be able to take such a step."There is no reason that should prevent someone who shares the visions and views of the March 14 camp from running and winning the presidential seat."
Mallat said the yet-to-be-announced presidential campaign should be held through a competitive and open process in which candidates were free to debate their programs, promote their achievements and use their power of persuasion.
Outlining his platform, Mallat said corruption can be eradicated through boosting the rule of law. "Corruption is first fought by good example sets by people at the top acting equally with other citizens under the law."
He also pledged to encourage women to be more active socially and increase their presence in political decision-making.
The candidate stressed the need to reform the democratic system to allow the people to vote directly for their president, in addition to enhancing the separation of powers and creating a fair electoral process.
Mallat said Lebanon's main problem is the confessional system which, he said, "is preventing people from being equally represented."On the economic level, he said there is a need for balanced and bold measures to be taken to improve the economy. He proposed adopting the four criteria of the euro-model: price stability, budgetary position with a checked deficit, stability of the currency and long-term production-enhancing interest levels.

Geagea faces lawsuit over online attack on Muslims
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 09, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea is facing a lawsuit on charges of defaming the Prophet Mohammad and religious sentiments, creating sedition and instigating terrorism and attempt to damage national unity. Lawyer May Khansa filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Geagea as head of the LF, and against the writer of an article which insulted the Prophet, Muslims in general and Hizbullah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Khansa also filed the lawsuit against everyone whom the investigation reveals to be an accomplice in the crime.
In an article published on www.lebanese-forces.org, claiming to be the LF's official Web site, "Shiite and Sunni"Muslims were referred to as "stupid" beings that "had not risen yet to the level of the apes."It also severely defamed the Prophet Mohammad, claiming the miracles he did were "myths."The writer of the article also attacked Nasrallah, calling him a liar who has been misleading "the stupid Shiites" ... and so on; and underestimated Hizbullah's achievement in fighting Israel, saying that the Israelis didn't withdraw back in 2000 because of the resistance's attacks.
But the LF's media officer Antoinette Geagea told The Daily Star that the aforementioned Web site "is not the official LF Web site. The official one is www.lebanese-forces.com."She said that the LF is into process of filing a lawsuit against that Web site. "There are many Web sites which were opened by LF supporters, and after (Samir) Geagea returned we started organizing the Web sites carefully, and we launched our official Web site four months ago and informed the media about it."
http://www.dailystar.com.lb
According to Antoinette Geagea, the return of Samir Geagea at the time was the LF's priority, before looking into the issue of the various LF Web sites. Geagea was released from prison on 26 July of last year after a general pardon from the Parliament. He had spent 11 years in prison after being charged with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rashid Karami.
Antoinette Geagea added that any piece of information found on any Web site other than www.lebanese-forces.com or not taken from it is not considered official. She also said that the LF is trying to find a way to hold responsible all those who have similar Web sites through a small committee headed by Antoine Chidiac, but that the mission is not easy as there are a large number of Web sites" created by LF supporters. "We have contacted May Khansa and told her that the Web site is not related to us. We wish that she doesn't proceed with this lawsuit, but if she decides to go on with it, we will demand that she apologize and pay compensation on the bases that she abused her right of litigation."
Khansa told The Daily Star that when she spoke to the LF about it they said they would call her back in five minutes but actually called after an hour or so saying that the Web site was not the official LF one.
She also said that she was not convinced with what they are saying about the Web site, and that Geagea is also responsible because he is the head of the LF. She added she will go on with the lawsuit, and if the LF proves it had nothing to do with it then she will apologize to them.

LF silent on Dakkash bid
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 09, 2006
BEIRUT: Former MP Pierre Dakkash, known as the "compromise candidate" for the Baabda-Aley by-election, continued his rounds of meetings with prominent politicians on Wednesday, with the Lebanese Forces withholding their response to his candidacy until next week. "I am very optimistic about my candidacy after the several rounds of meetings," said Dakkash, after a meeting with Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, a prominent Shiite cleric.
"Recent consensus is more encouraging and is a reflection of where Lebanon will be heading - toward compromise," said Dakkash, referring to the recent meeting between Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun and Hizbullah's secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Dakkash, who ran an unsuccessful campaign in the Lebanese parliamentary elections held in May as a candidate on Kesrouan MP Michel Aoun's list, has revamped his campaign and has been making his rounds as "compromise candidate" given his good relations with all the major political groups.
Dakkash also mentioned that he will be meeting with LF leader Samir Geagea next week to "hear his response to my candidacy," and until then, will continue his rounds of "dialogue."
"The aim is to avoid an electoral battle and maintain Lebanon's unity, and thus I am making my rounds to understand the internal needs and international issues and what the Lebanese people need and want," said Dakkash to the media after a meeting with former Prime Minister Salim Hoss. Dakkash clarified that he was not nominated by Aoun, and said "he just supports my efforts and my stance."
"I have not been nominated by any political party," said Dakkash, the third candidate to put himself forward for the Baabda-Aley's Maronite seat, formally held by the deceased LF MP Edmond Naim, Dakkash is running along with two other candidates, journalist May Chidiac and Dory Chamoun, the head of the National Liberal Party, who both put themselves forward as independent candidates. Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan met with Aoun, where the issue of the Baabda-Aley seat was discussed, and the two groups agreeing
on the "basic expectations" of the candidate for the seat.
"We focused more on the meaning of compromise and characteristics the candidate should generally have, without deciding on any particu-lar names," said Adwan after the meeting.
Adwan wouldn't specify if Dakkash met the requirements, and said: "I will not be taking any position in regards to any candidate, as we are still discussing the foundations of the candidacy and we are still working in the generality sphere."
Adwan listed "general expectations" about the candidate, such as independence from any political parties and a commitment to "making balanced decisions for the good of Lebanon."
"Things will be clearer next week, where we [LF] will be stating our decision over the candidates," added Adwan.

Patriarch calls for calm, forebearance
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, February 09, 2006
BKIRKI: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir called on the nation on Wednesday to "stand like an unassailable dam in the face of the greedy and in defense of our country so that Lebanon remains the country of freedom, democracy, independence, sovereignty, understanding and love." Speaking before a delegation from the Beiruti Families' Association, Sfeir said he deeply regretted Sunday's riots which inflicted heavy financial losses on businesses and residents in Achrafieh.
The prelate stressed that "despite the minor misunderstandings that happen in every family, discords should not lead to what we witnessed recently."Speaking to a separate delegation led by the THG Company's chairman of the board, Talal Maqdessi, Sfeir applauded Lebanon's efforts to "rise again" after the violence in its capital and to preserve faith in the country.
Maqdessi said that he informed the Patriarch of the financial losses that his companies had suffered because of the riots, and of the measures that the group had taken to maintain operations.
Meanwhile, the Maronite League denounced "a degeneration of political rhetoric as of late, through which politicians have exchanged ignoble accusations." In a statement, the League said: "This heinous dialogue is far from being democratic ... it is rather the assassination of democracy and freedom for being held out in flagrant disrespect of the opponent."
The League said it felt compelled to point out to those who have adopted this rhetoric the people's "disgust" with such insults.
Commenting on Sunday's riots, the League indicated that Interim Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat's efforts to investigate and announce the results of the probe have been laudable, but not enough to quash internal strife.
The League also slammed "the usual justification about intruders," saying that "intruders will always try to infiltrate and foreign forces will always lurk for the opportunity to foment division and undermine Lebanon."
The League held the demonstration's organizers responsible for failing to stress the nature of the protest and foresee the potential for violence. It also held security forces and the former Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa responsible for failing to prevent the riots, as both were in possession of information about elements supposedly planning to hijack the demonstration.
The League further criticized the Interior Ministry decision not to respond to the riots with force. The ministry said the policy was meant to avoid an escalation of the situation that could have led to numerous deaths.
"This is an excuse uglier than the guilt," it said, adding that the logic of refraining from action leads to a failure to protect innocent citizens.

March 14 Forces tight-lipped on Hizbullah-FPM agreement
Analysts: pact part of plan to undermine 'Independence intifada'
By Adnan El-Ghoul -Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 09, 2006
BEIRUT: The March 14 camp remained cautiously silent on Wednesday, refraining from issuing a clear stance regarding this week's announced "joint understanding" between Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement. Enthusiasts, however, defended the agreement against the limited criticisms that have appeared to date. Meanwhile, former Premier Salim Hoss received a delegate from the Hizbullah Politburo, including Mohammad Qmati and Ghaleb Abou Zeinab, with whom he discussed Monday's announced agreement. "We affirmed to Hoss the agreement is an example to be followed in the proposed national dialogue, during which other parties could contribute, add or amend the contents of the joint statement," Qmati said.
Describing the general air of careful consideration surrounding the agreement, Qmati said the various political parties "are mostly going through a wait-and-see period. Some figures and parties praised the agreement; others are taking more time to study it."However, he pointed out that political reactions have been mostly positive and that no major party has openly rejected the Hizbullah-FPM pact.
MP Samir Franjieh welcomed the agreement, but saw in the joining "a realignment of political forces in Lebanon in the face of the anti-Syrian coalition, which could lead to further polarization" between the two main components of the national divide.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Michel Aoun have repeatedly insisted their pact is not directed against other political groups or coalitions. However, pro-Syrian groups have begun to promote the joint understanding as "the beginning of disbanding of the March 14 Forces."But according to Metn MP Ibrahim Kenaan, "the concept of the meeting is based on the spirit of attracting instead of repelling forces, aiming to unite rather than divide."
The FPM member said it required courage "to extend one's hand to the other." He further called the agreement "a call for independence par excellence."Kenaan also dismissed allegations that by signing the pact the FPM had agreed to grant Hizbullah an exclusive say on the resistance's weapons.
"The statement tackled the arms issue in two different dimensions," he said. "On one side, the Lebanese have reached national consensus on the facts that justify resisting the occupation. On the other side, we have dealt with deciding where and when the need for these arms recedes; this will be the result of a national dialogue between all the Lebanese political factions."
Local analysts said the agreement was a "political coup" that many March 14 figures fear is part of a plan intended to foil the "Independence Intifada."As-Safir publisher Talal Salman said he hoped the agreement would help eliminate the "sectarian climate" in the country, and perhaps bridge gaps between pro- and anti-Syrian camps.
Former Minister Wi'am Wahhab said "the meeting is a plan for a new Lebanon, around which all Lebanese forces could rally."
Former MP Talal Arslan's Democratic Lebanese Party commended the pact as a "document defending Lebanon's sovereignty and calling for political moderation."
In a statement, the DLP said "the meeting exceeded or annulled the ongoing categorization of the existing coalitions, which had divided the Lebanese and confined the public opinion within antagonistic polarization."
Energy Minister Mohammad Fneish said the agreement "is not intended to create one coalition against the other. The Lebanese people are fed up with March 8 and March 14 groupings."
However, Fneish lashed out at those "who allege the resistance's arms and not implementing Resolution 1559 are at the origin of the problem. To abide by the dictates of the U.S. and other foreign powers does not lead to independence or sovereignty.
"The joint statement approves the resistance's right to liberate the occupied territories in the Shebaa Farms and the hills of Kfar Shouba. The future of the resistance will depend on the national dialogue which will determine the best strategy to defend the country against Israeli aggression."

Let's admit to a growing Islamist problem
By Michael Young -Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 09, 2006
In the aftermath of the rioting Sunday that led to the ransacking of several neighborhoods in Ashrafieh and the burning of a building housing the Danish embassy, there was a consensus in official Beirut that Syria was to blame. Perhaps it was, in part, but many adopted that expedient line to cover-up something far more disturbing: There is a growing Sunni Islamist movement in Lebanon, some of whose members are violent, and no one has control over them.
It seems plausible that the Hariri camp and the office of the mufti at Dar al-Fatwa initially sought to take advantage of the Sunday demonstrations protesting the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. Both perhaps sought to reassert their Islamic credentials amid accusations from pro-Syrian groups that the parliamentary majority is in the pocket of Western powers; perhaps, too, they wanted to flex their sectarian muscles. Rioting was certainly not on the agenda, and from the statements of Prime Minister Fouad al-Siniora and Interior Minister Hassan al-Sabaa, the organizers offered assurances that they would control the marchers. That explains why there was wholly inadequate security around the Danish embassy, and why both the Hariri camp and the Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, were so quick to point a finger at outsiders: everybody would buy into that argument, though Geagea also had to demand Sabaa's resignation to assuage his angry Christian base and deflect attention away from his close alliance with an embarrassed Future Movement.
There were very likely agents provocateurs acting on behalf of the Syrians. However, this was to be expected and only made the government's laxity in providing an efficient defense cordon more incomprehensible. But it would be a mistake to miss the forest for the trees: the extent of the damage was too wide, the statements of some Lebanese demonstrators interviewed on television too enraged, for the destruction to have been solely the work of a few infiltrators.
What the Hariri camp and Dar al-Fatwa don't want to tell us is that they have, at best, nominal influence (if indeed any influence at all) over a swathe of radical Sunni Islamist groups, particularly in North Lebanon and Sidon, that care little for the religious tolerance that Muslim moderates strive to highlight. While a large majority of Sunnis accept the rules of the confessional game, including the Jamaa Islamiyya, the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, there are myriad splinter groups endorsing a far more aggressive, exclusivist ideology, supporting the establishment of an Islamic state. Even the Jamaa is frequently ambiguous in its rhetoric. As Bernard Rougier has written in a book on Islamist militancy in Lebanon: "To conserve their political audience on the ground, Jamaa militants are often obliged to speak the language of Salafist Islamism, though this risks contradicting their public commitments."
These extreme Sunni groups tend to recruit from the periphery of Lebanese life, in poor, often rural regions like Dinniyeh and the Akkar. They also have a solid hold over the poorer neighborhoods of Tripoli and Sidon - especially around the old souqs - and have extended into popular Sunni areas of Beirut. They are very different in outlook than the conservative but also outward-looking, urban and urbane Sunnis whom the late Rafik Hariri liked to flaunt and who tend to live from commerce and services. Hariri's great success for many years was his sweeping these groups under the rug, so that he came across as the sole representative of Lebanese Sunnis. In his image, the community exuded temperate cosmopolitanism.
The most visible glitch was with the Ahbash movement, which has fought Dar al-Fatwa for control over certain mosques in Beirut. However, the fact is that Hariri had little margin to eliminate the Ahbash, a virtual extension of Syrian intelligence, propped up by the Syrian regime to be used both as a counterweight to the Muslim Brotherhood and an instrument to play Sunni politics and contain Hariri.
The real moral of last Sunday's violence was not that Syria manipulated hoodlums to destroy Christian property, but that multi-confessional Beirut had its first sighting of Islamist extremists. It was a distant echo of the January 2000 uprising in Dinniyeh, but that took place too far from the capital to matter. Syria is using Islamists to destabilize an independent Lebanon, and it has reportedly tried of late to infiltrate Al-Qaeda type groups through the northern border. The Sunni extremists will readily collaborate with Damascus if that helps advance their objective of creating an Islamist state. However, this game is as dangerous for Syria as it is for Lebanon. President Bashar Assad may prove as inept at riding the Sunni Islamist wave in Syria to protect his own regime as the Hariri camp was in trying to use it last weekend to enhance its domestic standing.
So what is to be done? At the least the state must return to those areas in the North and Sidon from where it has been absent in recent years, and where Islamists are thriving. But that means more than sending in more security forces, though this is necessary; it also means promoting economic opportunities and distributing social services to the periphery.
Such policies will not shake the convictions of the most hardened Islamists, nor does pouring money into an area turn a true believer into a fervent secularist. But state intervention will help draw potential recruits away from Islamists, allow the state to compete with these relatively small groups in distributing favors, and allow security agencies to have a better sense of what is going on in more isolated regions.
If the parliamentary majority is really worried about Syria's effort to wreak havoc in Lebanon, then, instead of concealing the presence of extreme Sunni Islamist groups, it must address the issue openly. These groups are no less dangerous to social peace than are Syria's agents, and the two will collaborate if they haven't already done so. Lebanon's mainstream Sunni representatives saw their endeavor backfire on Sunday. Unless they admit to the reality of religious extremism, we should expect more destruction, and maybe worse, down the road.
***Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.

Qassem: Hizbullah rejects foreign plots
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Interview
BEIRUT: Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem denied the resistance is "a platform used by some parties to carry out plots against others" on Wednesday, in response to accusations Syria was using Hizbullah to harm Lebanon.
During an interview with the National News Agency, Qassem rejected plans to turn Lebanon into an arena for U.S. and foreign tutelage "for the sake of strengthening certain parties at the expense of others, or for settling scores from Lebanon."
Qassem stressed the only condition for his party's full and open cooperation in Lebanese society was "no relations with the Israeli enemy."
Pointing to Hizbullah's relations with both the March 8 and March 14 camps, Qassem highlighted "the need for cooperation between all parties to save the country."
"The resistance had acknowledged previously the 'quartet' [Hizbullah, Amal, the Future Movement and Progressive Socialist Party] and voiced its support for the Future Movement and MP Saad Hariri," he said. "But even while MP Walid Jumblatt didn't acknowledge the quartet, we have never discontinued our contacts or cooperation with the Future Movement."
He said Hizbullah's statement of understanding with the Free Patriotic Movement on Monday was solely due to the fact that the FPM was the only group that agreed to such a document.
Despite labeling relations with the Lebanese Forces as "normal," Qassem accused its leader Samir Geagea of "trying to give strategic dimensions that lead to separation instead of rapprochement."
Geagea "is trying to accuse Hizbullah of doing things that are not in Hizbullah's best interests," he said.
Qassem said Hizbullah's "one clear agenda" was to "rebuild the country," adding that the resistance "doesn't serve anyone and is not a passage for the plots of other sides to be carried out."
Qassem also said Shiite ministers, who recently ended a boycott of government, were "surprised" at how the Cabinet was functioning, especially that decisions were still being made without their approval.
Qassem said that Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa was "wise" to resign after Sunday's riots over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
"This doesn't mean that things should stop here, but there should be more honest judicial investigations," he said. "If the government can't preserve security and can't oversee the judiciary, then what can it do?"
As for the upcoming commemoration of the one year anniversary of former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination, he said "Hariri's assassination anniversary concerns us directly."
In addition to its own "media, political and social activities," Hizbullah will participate in a conference commemorating the event to be held on February 26 by the Future Movement.

Iranian fingerprints on cartoon-rage riots?
Lebanese leader accuses Tehran of plotting torchings with Syria
Posted: February 7, 2006
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
The ongoing riots throughout the Middle East and the burnings this past weekend of Danish government offices in Damascus and Beirut in protest of newspaper cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad bear the fingerprints of "Iranian and Syrian plotting," Lebanese leader Walid Jumblatt charged during an exclusive interview.
He warned Syria and Iran might use the cartoon riots as a pretense to attack American and European troops in Iraq.
"It seems the Syrian regime and the Iranians are not allowing us to have independence. I think they are behind these attacks [of Danish offices]. In Lebanon, we are squeezed by this kind of alliance between the Syrian regime and the Iranian regime," said Jumblatt, speaking from Beirut to WND Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein and ABC Radio's John Batchelor on Batchelor's national program for which Klein serves as a co-host. (Listen to an audio file of the Jumblatt interview.)
Jumblatt, Druze leader and head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party, yesterday told WND the Danish office burnings were directed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in part using undercover soldiers acting as rioters.
Later, during the radio interview, Jumblatt clarified he thinks Syria worked together with Iran to orchestrate the riots. "All over the Islamic world there were civilized protests except in Lebanon and Syria," said Jumblatt. "I suggest the Syrian government and regime with their allies were behind these attacks."
This past Sunday, thousands of Muslim demonstrators in Beirut clashed with police, storming the city's Danish consulate and setting it ablaze over cartoons in Danish and other European newspapers that mocked Muhammad. A nearby Maronite Catholic church was also attacked, prompting fears the protests could turn into a sectarian clash. In Damascus on Saturday the evacuated Danish and Norwegian embassies were burned during protests that also damaged the Swedish embassy. Rioters reportedly tried to storm the city's French mission but were held off by police.
Jumblatt highlighted the timing of the burnings, which came just two weeks after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met in Damascus with Assad and Lebanese terrorist Imad Mugniyah, who reportedly was involved in the riots. Some have been comparing the weekend's Syrian and Lebanese attacks on European government buildings to the Iranian assault on the American embassy in 1979. Ahmadinejad is accused of being one of the perpetrators of the 1979 attack.
Jumblatt told WND Iran and Syria have a "military alliance and overall cooperation. They are both under mounting international pressure and have plenty of reason to foment violence as a tool against the West. They are working together." He contended Assad used the protests to stir regional passions alongside the continuing probe into the assassination last February of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, for which Damascus has been widely blamed. The United States and some European countries are calling for United Nations sanctions against Syria.
Jumblatt noted Iran is looking to escape sanctions for its alleged nuclear ambitions. The Lebanese leader accused Syria of using plainclothes soldiers to torch Beirut's Danish consulate. "Those involved, including more than 300 arrested, were found to be people working for Syria, including Syrian soldiers disguised as civilians," said Jumblatt. "They were sent from remote areas in the south, a kind of orchestration. Even though clerics of al-Jamal Islaimya (an extremist Lebanese splinter faction) denounced violent protest, they couldn't control the Syrian saboteurs."
Asked if he thought pro-Syrian Lebanese President Amil Lahoud was involved in plotting the anti-Western riots, Jumblatt replied: "Lahoud is just a Syrian tool. We don't have a Lebanese president. ... [Lahoud] is directed and ordered by the Syrian regime. That is our biggest problem."
Jumblatt warned Syria might use the cartoon riots as pretense to attack U.S. and European interests in Iraq:
"Syria allows insurgents to cross into Iraq and out. They are sending agents there. These same agents are sabotaging the peace in Lebanon. I do think Syria could use the violence to attack U.S. troops and innocent Iraqis."
The Muslim Middle East protests continued today from New Zealand to Afghanistan, where this morning protesters attacked a Norwegian military base. A 14-year-old boy was reportedly killed in clashes with police in Somalia.
In Iran, protesters reportedly hurled rocks and firebombs at the Danish embassy. An Iranian newspaper launched a competition asking readers to submit cartoons about the Holocaust.
The cartoon controversy erupted a week ago following a request by Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September for cartoonists to create satirical drawings of Muhammad. Muslims are prohibited from creating images of Muhammad. Some Muslims consider caricatures to be particularly blasphemous.
The Muhammad cartoons have been reprinted in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Jordan, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, New Zealand, Norway and Poland.
Said Jumblatt: "Printing such cartoons I believe is a blasphemy against Islam under the guise of freedom of the press. But let's keep the protests peaceful. No one wants to insult any religion."

Lebanon pledges protection for foreign diplomatic missions
www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-08 12:19:50
BEIRUT, Feb. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh on Tuesday said in a statement that the Lebanese government will reinforce security for foreign diplomatic missions and foreigners in the country.
Salloukh condemned the recent attacks on foreign missions, staff and their property, especially the burning of the Danish Consulate in Beirut on Sunday.
He said these acts run counter not only to the tenets of Islam, but also to the purpose of the demonstrations over the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish and other European newspapers.
Salloukh also condemned the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, and urged the Danish government to take measures to overcome the serious consequences brought about by the incident.
Meanwhile, according to Lebanon's Acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fattfat, Lebanese security forces have detained 416 rioters, nearly half of whom are Syrian and Palestinian

Nasrallah and Aoun show that a little bit of work makes a world of difference
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Editorial
On Monday, while Lebanon's March 14 Forces were busy huddling among themselves in Beirut, a groundbreaking meeting, which saw two ideologically different parties reaching out to one another, was taking place in a small church in the southern suburbs of the city. Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun were holding their first-ever meeting at the Mar Mikhail Church in Shiyah. After hours of negotiation, the two parties issued a joint statement in which they proposed solutions to a number of extremely sensitive issues. They agreed, among other things, that Hizbullah should have the right to bear arms as long as there is occupied Lebanese territory, and that both parties will work to free Lebanese detainees from Syrian prisons and to allow the return of former South Lebanese Army members from exile in Israel.
The meeting marked a dramatic departure from the norm in Lebanese politics: Two unallied political parties actually met face to face, put shoulder to wheel and, through their efforts, were able to reach agreement on thorny issues. Indeed, the landmark meeting came only after both parties had done a considerable amount of homework, involving a lengthy series of preparatory meetings between their representatives. Although one can disagree with or criticize the content of their accord, one cannot dispute the fact that the two parties did their homework and that their agreements were born out of good old-fashioned effort. If only Lebanon's formal government institutions operated in a similar manner.
Ironically, on the same day that Aoun and Nasrallah were holding their landmark meeting, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was talking about dialogue in Parliament. Berri convened a seminar on "The Role of Parliaments in National Dialogue," in which the speaker praised the positive role that parliaments can play in promoting public discussion. Citing formerly conflict-ridden countries such as Sierra Leone, Argentina, Chile, Rwanda, Kosovo and Northern Ireland, Berri said that in many states parliaments have have been an instrumental force in promoting national reconciliation.
Berri has already put forth an initiative to start a national dialogue in Lebanon's Parliament. But while there has been much talk of holding a national dialogue, there has been little effort to actually start one. And while Berri, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Future Movement leader Saad Hariri and others have been busy talking about dialogue, Nasrallah and Aoun have actually achieved it.

FPM-Hizbullah understanding fails to draw reaction from March 14 Forces
March 8 camp comforted by 'long-awaited' move
By Adnan El-Ghoul -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
BEIRUT: Monday's agreement between Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement failed to prompt much reaction from March 14 forces Tuesday, whereas "the long-awaited move" comforted many parties within the March 8 camp, who believed the agreement "marks the beginning of a new era in Lebanon's political life."
In comments on the Hizbullah-FPM "joint statement of understanding," March 14 politicians were contemplative and vague in assessing the new understanding.
The Executive Committee of the National Bloc Party issued a statement welcoming the joint agreement, but at the same time criticized the document for "being unclear regarding the stance on sovereignty."
"While speaking of protecting Lebanon's sovereignty, the agreement allows Hizbullah to keep its own private army and decide on matters of peace and war unilaterally," the statement said.
Speaker Nabih Berri lauded the Aoun-Nasrallah agreement, seeing in the meeting an example of how dialogue should proceed on the national level. The speaker said he would be calling for the proposed dialogue after the marking of the first commemoration of the killing of former Premier Rafik Hariri on February14.
"If we want to reach concrete results in any dialogue, the top leaders must meet and discuss the issues face to face," he said.
Berri added that "second-line representatives or third-line leaders" could not accomplish an agreement. "They need months and probably more. Top leaders could accomplish the task within weeks," he said.
Echoing Nasrallah and Aoun's call on the government to resign, many other parties said the Cabinet should be dissolved "if it admits its failure to tackle sensitive national issues."
The National Bloc said the government must make "firm decisions or resign."
Meanwhile, the March 14 Forces gave the government one week to file a complaint against Syria "for instigating violence and riots in Lebanon."
Many pro-Syrian forces feel the FPM-Hizbullah agreement will not only shake Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet, but also topple the majority alliance.
The landmark meeting between Nasrallah and Aoun pleased many pro-Syrian parties, such as former MP Talal Arslan's Lebanese Democratic Party and former Minister Wiam Wahab, who saw in the agreement an indication of the "tumbling March 14 Forces and their schemes in the face of the rising alliance, which begins in Palestine and ends in Iran, against the U.S.-Israeli alliance."
Former President Amin Gemayel said he was not surprised by the agreement. "Michel Aoun and Nasrallah have been courting each other since the general's return from Paris. The only exception was during the 2005 parliamentary elections."
In principle, most national leaders welcome any rapprochement between Lebanon's political parties. However, disagreements over several thorny issues remain at the heart of the reservations regarding the agreement.
Gemayel said he welcomed Aoun's understanding with Nasrallah insofar as "what serves Lebanese interests." The former president hoped the proposed national dialogue would begin as soon as possible.
However, Gemayel said the "March 14 Forces had disagreed with Aoun over many issues, particularly over his rejection of the possibility of a Syrian involvement in Hariri's killing and in the subsequent series of bombing and murder attempts."
Gemayel further said he had not found "anything new" in the joint statement. "The joint statement reflected the Cabinet's Policy Statement, including the stance on the resistance's arms.
"Despite not introducing new elements to the agreement, Aoun chose to side with Hizbullah and other pro-Syrian forces after he refused to respond to the repeated calls from March 14 Forces to join them in their quest for freedom, total independence and sovereignty."
At the same time, Gemayel said he would also call on Hizbullah and Amal to serve the same national goals which all parties share. "For that purpose, we encouraged the Hizbullah and Amal ministers to end their boycott and work with the Cabinet. We will also invite them to participate in commemorating February 14."
According to the former president, the ongoing political bickering was not as harmful as many would like to believe, but was rather a tool to reach national consensus on many issues.
"The extreme exchanges between Hizbullah and Walid Jumblatt were the only exception, while all other arguments had expressed the difference of political views in a positive manner," Gemayel added.
Former Minister Joseph Hashem said the agreement had rekindled the hopes of the Lebanese people because "it has incorporated all of the demands put forward by the March 14 Forces."