LCCC NEWS BULLETINS
FEBRUARY 13/2006

Below news from miscellaneous sources for 13/2/06
Jumblatt accuses Hizbullah of serving Iran
Fatfat reveals Al-Qaeda has been looking to establish presence in Lebanon for months
Saad Hariri urges mass turnout for February 14
Saad Hariri's statement
Statue at Hariri blast site symbol of 'truth'
Lahoud: Relations with Sfeir 'excellent'
March 14 Forces urge big February 14 turnout
In revival of Arab mediation efforts, Siniora travels to Gulf
A year after Hariri's assassination turmoil reigns
Hotels push up Valentine's to get around commemoration

Jumblatt accuses Hizbullah of serving Iran
By Leila Hatoum and Maher Zeineddine
Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: Druze MP Walid Jumblatt attacked Hizbullah Sunday, saying it is "an armed force which controls the lawless South and which serves the best interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran." Speaking before visitors in his mountain refuge of Mukhtara Sunday, Jumblatt, who had said late last week that Hizbullah is a militia, said "the loyalty in this country is divided," and that Lebanon is "facing a great conflict."
He added that Hizbullah's power, which is drawn from the $300 to $400 million in aid from Iran, "can create a state within a state. Let them give us the same capabilities and aid and see what we can do. But our plan is to build one country."
Jumblatt again stressed that the Shebaa Farms is not Lebanese but in fact Syrian and that Syria had altered the maps pushing the borderline to show that Shebaa Farms is Lebanese and this way Hizbullah's resistance to the Israeli occupation of a supposedly Lebanese territory would be justified.
Jumblatt displayed a Lebanese Army map dating back to 1962, which he said clearly shows the Shebaa Farms outside Lebanese borders, Jumblatt added that the imprisoned former chief of Lebanese General Security, Jamil Sayyed, had given him a map in 2001 on which changes had been made to the original map, putting Shebaa Farms in Lebanon.
Sayyed is charged, with three other former security chiefs, with planning, and taking part in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. They are currently awaiting trial.
The Druze leader explained that in this way, "Syria and Iran could extend their influence in Lebanon through the continuation of Hizbullah's role."
Jumblatt continued that Hariri "was not convinced of the 2001 forged map and that is one of the reasons why he was assassinated."
Sources close to Premier Fouad Siniora told The Daily Star Sunday that "Premier Siniora has not seen the maps that Jumblatt is talking about, and the maps should be examined first."
Siniora has stated on numerous occasions that the Shebaa Farms are Lebanese.
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, who is pro-Hizbullah and the Amal Movement, echoed Siniora's statements saying that the Shebaa Farms "are in fact Lebanese territories occupied by Israel."
Jumblatt added that Lebanon "continues to be a hostage of Syrian and Iranian greed."
As an example of the aid extended to Hizbullah, and which shows the extension of Syria and Iran's role in Lebanon,
Jumblatt said a truck loaded with arms "crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border into Lebanon late Friday to one of the armed forces in Lebanon. The army stopped it for some time before allowing it to continue on its way."
Jumblatt also replied to Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's comment about Lebanon's political majority-minority combination, in which the Hizbullah chief stated the majority was an "imaginary" one.
"We are not an imaginary majority as someone said recently at an event," Jumblatt said.

firm on lodging complaint with UN Security Council against Syria
Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: The March 14 Forces pledged to maintain their battle for "independence, national unity and a competent modern democratic state" Saturday, reiterating calls on the government to lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council against Syria for alleged aggressions and interference in Lebanon.
Expressing their support for a national dialogue in Parliament, the coalition called on all citizens to participate in Tuesday's planned rally at Martyrs' Square as a gesture of loyalty to Lebanon, former Premier Rafik Hariri and all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Lebanon.
Saturday's meeting of the March 14 Forces at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut also marked the first time participation of newly elected MP Ghassan Tueni, father of the late MP Gebran Tueni.
In a statement read by Minister Marwan Hamade, the group said national independence had not been achieved due to the representation of Syria through "disciples" in Lebanon, drawing particular attention to President Emile Lahoud.
It said Lahoud "still seeks to turn back the hands of time through the assassination of symbols and heroes of the independence movement, the terrorist bombings in secure areas, security violations, leakages of weapons and ammunition threatening Lebanon's stability, and through manipulating his people's fate according to the Syrian-Iranian alliance and to considerations to defend Iranian nuclear installations and Syrian regional and international interests," it said.
It also accused Lahoud of conspiring with the Syrian regime to turn last week's peaceful protest against cartoons of the Prophet into sectarian violence.
While denouncing the February 5 "terrorist attack" on Achrafieh, the March 14 Forces applauded the area's residents, political and spiritual leaders for thwarting the alleged conspiracy.
The group pledged to continue investigations into the clashes, to punish the perpetrators, and to take the necessary security and political measures to avoid the reccurrence of such acts.
The participants also reiterated their support to the international investigation into Hariri's assassination and other martyrs, and to an international court to try the accused.
The group said it was determined "to remove obstacles hampering the implementation of democracy, whether by enforcing Article 1 of Resolution 1559 and electing a new president or by restoring to the government its power and capacity to face obstacles."
However, the statement from the March 14 Forces stressed the need to hold the proposed dialogue in Parliament based on the Taif Accord.
It added Syria must recognize Lebanon's sovereignty and end its interference in Lebanon's internal affairs and attempts to destabilize the country; recognize the Lebanese identity of the Shebaa Farms; demarcate the Lebanese-Syrian border; and settle the file of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons.
Also needing serious address, it said, were the disarmament of foreign forces in Lebanon, Hizbullah's weapons and dispatching the army to South Lebanon by virtue of the Taif Accord.
According to Hamade, interim Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat said security forces are coordinating their efforts to provide the maximum level of national security. - The Daily Star

Fatfat reveals Al-Qaeda has been looking to establish presence in Lebanon for months
By Raed El Rafei - Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: Interim Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat told a French newspaper that Al-Qaeda has been looking to "establish itself" in Lebanon for months. In an interview with Liberation published Saturday, the interim minister said: "We know that for four or five months Al-Qaeda has been trying to establish a presence in Lebanon.
"The organization is infiltrating its fighters and recruiting locally. The soil is fertile."
Fatfat further revealed that "we recently dismantled two groups suspected of belonging to this network."
According to the new head of the Interior Ministry, "13 individuals from different Middle Eastern countries" were arrested last month on charges of "preparing attacks" in Lebanon.
"I think there are several factions inside Al-Qaeda, and that one of them could be manipulated by the Syrian security services," he said. Fatfat replaced Hassan Sabaa last week, after the former minister resigned over violent protests in Achrafieh against Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
In separate comments made Saturday, Fatfat denied reports by Lebanese media claiming the he had alluded to Al-Qaeda training camps in Lebanon during the Liberation interview.
Fatfat said he had never mentioned any such camps.
Contacted by The Daily Star Sunday, the Liberation journalist who conducted the interview said: "I did not mention anything about the presence of Al-Qaeda training camps in Lebanon in my article."
In another interview with a local radio station, Fatfat said: "There were political mistakes made by the organizers" of the "Black Sunday" demonstration.
He added that a small number of individuals from various local fundamentalist political organizations infiltrated the demonstration and spurred participants to violence.
Fatfat held Muslim leaders' mosque sermons responsible for mobilizing the people without proper precautions.
Addressing accusations that no decision had been made by security forces to stop the rioters in an attempt to avoid a confrontation with the Sunni community, Fatfat said the military officer in charge of security, who requested but was denied permission to shoot rioters, was himself a Sunni. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry said the preliminary ISF report on the riots needed "more clarification."
Fatfat and Premier Fouad Siniora asked ISF General Inspector Brigadier Simon Haddad to extend the investigations into this month's riots.
Haddad was also asked to investigate whether there were gaps in coordination between the ISF and army, according to a statement published Saturday by the ministry.
The ministry further rejected reports published Saturday by Ad-Diyar claiming security forces were trying to blackmail Syrian nationals in Lebanon.
An Ad-Diyar article on Saturday reported security forces were stopping Syrian cars under the pretext of traffic violations. According to the article, policemen then placed illegal items in these cars without their owners' knowledge in order to blackmail them and coerce false testimony against the Syrian regime.
The ministry statement said State Prosecutor Magistrate Said Mirza has been told to investigate the report.
Separately, Justice Minister Charles Rizk denied other media reports that Saudi Arabia has requested Lebanese authorities repatriate one of its nationals.
According to the reports, Ali Assad Akbar was among the 13 alleged Al-Qaeda members arrested for planning terror attacks in Lebanon. - With agencies

Saad Hariri urges mass turnout for February 14
Future movement leader returns for commemoration
By Majdoline Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: Saad Hariri, son of former slain Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri, called on all Lebanese to participate en masse in commemorating his father's assassination Tuesday, saying it would be a "great national day." Returning to Beirut from more than six months of self-imposed absence to take part in events commemorating his father and to hold talks with political allies, Hariri also vowed to confront what he called "terrorist acts" - a string of bombings that have targeted anti-Syrian figures since his father's assassination.
"They are giving Lebanon two alternatives: chaos or a return to the security regime, a regime of tutelage and domination," he said, referring to Syria's former hegemony over Lebanon.
He added that Tuesday "will be a day of a renewal of faith in the unity of Lebanon."
"I appeal to all honorable Lebanese to adopt a united historic stand on this day in which we affirm that our national unity comes before any other consideration," Hariri told a news conference at Qoreitem.
The young politician has been spending his time between Saudi Arabia and France, in fear for his own life, since he inherited his father's political legacy.
Referring to the Syrian security apparatus, which is accused by the Lebanese anti-Syrian politicians of the ongoing assassinations of key figures in the country, Hariri said: "We will tell them that the Lebanese will not allow the killers and criminals to return to the (Lebanese) arena and that the freedom square (Martyrs' Square) will remain the square for those who made independence, national unity and sovereignty."
Asked if he intended to stay in Beirut, Hariri said that his permanent return to the country had not yet been decided.
"The danger still exists," he said. "I returned because of February 14 because I want to be with the Lebanese on this black day."
Answering a question by The Daily Star, Hariri said Lebanon is currently rebuilding its security system "from scratch."
"The former security apparatus that ruled Lebanon was working to dismantle all aspects of the country, and they were able to do this to a large extent. As everyone knows, six month ago Lebanon didn't even have a forensic laboratory to examine explosives; now we do. Through my visits to all the European and Arab states, as well as the U.S., I am working to get the proper equipment for our security forces, to be able to face the terrorism and vandalism facing the country," he said.
Speaking about Hizbullah and its weapons, Hariri said: "What I think of the resistance's arms is very clear, and I have said it in Washington."
Hariri met with U.S. President George Bush in Washington last month, where he reasserted
that disarming Hizbullah was a matter of internal dialogue.
Asked about Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's accusation that Lebanon's parliamentary majority was an "imaginary" one, Hariri - who told some reporters following the press conference he had a "special respect and love for Nasrallah" in his heart - said he disagreed with this allegation.
"Right now, we have to sit down at a dialogue table like Speaker Nabih Berri suggested, and discuss everything that concerns the country ... if we do this we will find solutions to all the problems we are facing," he said.
Hariri also rejected accusations of working under an American agenda - something that has been repeatedly voiced by state-controlled Syrian media.
"I say we only have a Lebanese agenda for Lebanon. We have our borders - we don't want anyone to interfere in our internal affairs and we don't want to interfere in anyone's internal affairs," he said.
Tackling the issue of the Lebanese presidency, Hariri reiterated an ongoing demand by anti-Syrian politicians that pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud should resign.
"Forcing the president to step down is a duty for all the Lebanese people," he said, adding that despite all the security upheaval the country has witnessed during the last year, Lahoud still clings to his post.
"All he cares about is the presidency," Hariri said. "The Cabinet's Interior Minister resigned last week because of a security incident, and he (Lahoud) - despite the security chaos in the country for over a year now - is still determined to stay in post."
Hariri also said he has not had any contact with the international investigation committee probing his father's death.
"I don't want to hear anywhere that I have interfered in its work in any way, shape or form," Hariri said.

Saad Hariri's statement
Monday, February 13, 2006
"Don't allow them to kill the truth. Go to Freedom Square and show them the truth once again. Tell the entire world that Lebanon is for its people and not for anyone else, that the cause of the martyrs of freedom will not die."
"Brothers and sisters,
It is a precious moment for me to be in Lebanon; the country that Rafik Hariri gave his blood for; the city that Rafik Hariri loved; and the city that loved Rafik Hariri. It is a very precious moment for me to address all the Lebanese from this great city; to address all the dear Lebanese cities and regions that were and will always be, God willing, the regions with which we will draw Lebanon's unity, dignity, sovereignty and Arabism.
I address you from Koraytem, from the heart of Beirut and from the home of Rafik Hariri in the name of his spirit and the spirit of all the martyrs who fell on the road to freedom. I want to tell all the Lebanese that we are here not to mourn Rafik Hariri and all the martyrs of independence.
We are here to prevent the assassination of Rafik Hariri once again. We are here to prevent the death of Lebanon by those who never stopped manipulating Lebanon's stability, unity and its democratic regime.
We are here to renew the pledge to face terrorism which started with the assassination attempt against Marwan Hamade and killed Rafik Hariri, Basel Fuleihan and their companions, Samir Qassir, George Hawi and Gebran Tueni, and injured May Chidiac, Elias Murr and dozens of Lebanese citizens that were hurt in their souls, homes and institutions. They thought that the claws of the security regime would emerge once again.
We will tell them that the Lebanese will not allow the murderers and the criminals to return. Freedom Square will remain the square of those who achieved independence, unity and national unity. They thought that if they attacked and sabotaged Achrafieh, they would be able to turn the Muslims against the Christians.
We will tell them that there are no Christians or Muslims in Freedom Square. There are only Lebanese people who are saying to the world that Lebanon is first. Two days separate us from February 14. They want you to drop this day from the memory of history, just as they are trying to erase March 14 from the conscience of the Lebanese people.
This is what they are doing on a daily basis, here and outside the borders. This is what they are declaring, writing and instigating for.
The masked faces are back to show their strength once again. They are threatening to overthrow the dream of March 14. They are threatening Lebanon that the security regime that killed Rafik Hariri and all free martyrs will return to assassinate Lebanon.
They are dreaming of turning Lebanon into a graveyard. We are working with all the Lebanese for a free, sovereign, Arab and independent Lebanon. We are working for the Taif Accord, the Constitution, and for having a democratic and prosperous Lebanon. This dream will be achieved by God's will.
They are putting before Lebanon two choices: Either to have chaos or return to the security regime, the regime of tutelage and hegemony. We and all the Lebanese will tell them that these are illusions.
Achrafieh told them that it will not allow turmoil to pass. We will tell them: We will not allow turmoil to enter any Lebanese region.
On February 14, Lebanon will go back to the Freedom Square, and the Lebanese flag will flutter and no other flag will flutter over it.
We will go together to the Freedom Square; to the Martyrs Square; to the Square of Independence, the Square of Rafik Hariri.
February 14 will be the day to renew the faith in Lebanon's unity. It is a great national day and the participation in it is a great national duty.
I call upon all honest Lebanese to have a united historical stance, to emphasize that our unity is above any other consideration, that March 14 forces will always be united and represent the will of the Lebanese people in defending this unity. We will be together on February 14. We will be with Beirut, and all its quarters from Tarik Jdideh to Achrafieh; and with Tripoli, Dinnieh, Minieh, Bsharri, Zghorta, Koura, Batroun and all loyal regions in the North.
We will be with Mount Lebanon, from Kesrouan and Jbeil to Metn, Aley and Baabda. From the Chouf; the Chouf of Martyr Kamal Jumblatt to Iklim al-Kharoub, and beloved Sidon, the Sidon of Rafik Hariri; to the South, the South of Resistance and Liberation.
We will be with the Bekaa, from Baalbek, Ersal and al Fakiha. From all the villages of Middle Bekaa, and from every village and town in West Bekaa which Rafik Hariri loved and where he found great loyalty.
It is not Saad Hariri's call. It is the call of Rafik Hariri to all the Lebanese. The spirit of Rafik Hariri is calling you. The spirits of Basel Fuleihan and the companions of Rafik Hariri are calling you. The spirits of Samir Qassir, George Hawi and Gebran Tueni are calling you.
Don't allow them to kill the truth. Go to Freedom Square and show them the truth once again. Tell the entire world that Lebanon is for its people and not for anyone else, that the cause of the martyrs of freedom will not die, and that the series of assassinations and terrorism, that throwing rocks on houses and churches will not sway our national unity.
This is what I wanted to tell you, and this is what we will all say on February 14.
Long live Lebanon."

Statue at Hariri blast site symbol of 'truth'
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: A memorial statue was erected at the bomb site where former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed and a symbolic pyramid of books near Hariri's grave was completed on Sunday in commemoration of the passing of one year since his assassination.
"We are presenting Lebanon with the statue that embodies the essence of 'Truth,' which all of Lebanon believes in and seeks," said Tima al-Khalil, one of the members of Citizens for Lebanon, an independent group that launched the first petition back in February, 2005 demanding the truth and called for an international investigation into the assassination.
"We want people to remember how and where it all began, and how far we have come as Lebanon, and so we marked the spot where it all began with a beautiful symbolic artwork," said Khalil.
A circular and colorful memorial now stands mere meters away from the bleak bomb site on the Beirut waterfront where Hariri and 20 other people were killed back in February 14, 2005.
The words, "truth, freedom and justice for all," are carved on the trunk of the colored glass artwork, sculpted by Lebanese artist Nalsi Massoud.
"It's all in the color, where the center of the circle is a mix of all colors representing the truth. All the colors of all the political parties, from orange to green to blue to yellow wrap around the center to finally reach a united color of blue and red where all of the Lebanese walk along holding hands," Massoud told The Daily Star as she pointed to the memorial. Handicapped figures were also included as part of the circle that makes up Lebanon as a testament to "equality."
At the same time a pyramid of 35,000 books, constructed by the Future Youth group, supporters of the slain Hariri, was unveiled near Hariri's flower-strewn grave as a symbol of the number of students Hariri educated through his charity foundations.
"Each student educated by Hariri donated a book for the pyramid, as a thank you and a reminder that Hariri didn't just focus on rebuilding buildings, but also on rebuilding people," said Mohammad Ghazayel, a member of the Future Youth.
"Hariri educated the less-privileged youth all across Lebanon and from all sects and backgrounds," said Ghazayel, pointing to the Bible and Koran hanging in the center of the pyramid, along with a portrait of Hariri.
With just one day left before the declared "Day of National Unity" on Tuesday, the number of visitors at Hariri's grave had risen in response to the national call for people from all over the country "to come together" in remembrance of the former premier, who governed the country for a decade until he resigned just a few months before his death.
The color of blue also began to reinvade the streets of the capital as more people are seen wearing blue bands and scarves, the color of Hariri's Future Movement, along with more billboards and posters in honor of Hariri being posted, with a giant poster of Hariri now standing at the Raouche rock on the Lebanese coast.

Lahoud: Relations with Sfeir 'excellent'
President and Patriarch hold private meeting
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Monday, February 13, 2006
BKIRKI: President Emile Lahoud met with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir Saturday, the first such meeting since the prelate suggested last December that Lahoud should resign if he could not protect the dignity of his post. On the sidelines of a Mass held to ordain four bishops, Sfeir and Lahoud held a private meeting described by Lahoud as "excellent, as always."
"I am always positive about meeting with the prelate and it's not only today," he said.
According to a presidential spokesperson, Lahoud and Sfeir discussed "the need for confronting what happened in Achrafieh with more unity and solidarity among the Lebanese people," in reference to the Muslim demonstration that quickly turned violent earlier this month in the Christian neighborhood. "The law should be applied to those who tarnished Lebanon's image, when people protested insults made to the Prophet Mohammad and Islam."
Precautionary security measures to prevent the recurrence of another "Black Sunday" were also discussed.
Meanwhile, an article published Sunday in Ad-Diyar quoted "well informed sources" as saying Lahoud and Sfeir had discussed the "overall situation" in Lebanon since last Christmas, the last time the leaders met.
Both men denounced the use of the media to wage personal campaigns, while Sfeir informed the president of his efforts to put an end to the public attacks.
At another Mass, Sfeir said he was saddened by the February 5, riots and by the fact "they showed international public opinion the Lebanese people are unable to govern themselves."
Sfeir also met with Michel Rene Mouawad, the son of Social Affairs Minister Nayla Mouawad, who presented the prelate with statements from Lebanon's Central Bank and State Prosecutor Magistrate Said Mirza refuting allegations he was under investigation for planning a coup d'etat in Guinea.
Mouawad told Sfeir he would agree to a meeting with former Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh "to ease the tensions if the need arises."
Franjieh slammed the March 14 Forces during a news conference last week, accusing the alliance of preparing for a coup. He further personally accused Mouawad of being "an expert in coups, as he was preparing for one in Guinea and all his accounts in the banks are frozen because of a lawsuit filed against him by Guinea's president."

In revival of Arab mediation efforts, Siniora travels to Gulf
Pm and saudi king to discuss Lebanese situation
By Adnan El-Ghoul -Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: On the eve of the passing of one year since the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora heads to Saudi Arabia on Monday in what is being viewed as a revival of Arab initiatives to mend Lebanon's relations with Syria.
Efforts by officials in the kingdom, as well as in Egypt, had largely been put on hold since the shock victory by Hamas in parliamentary elections last month in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The election victory also forced Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to shift his attention to the Palestinian Authority and postpone a planned trip to Damascus and Beirut during which he was expected to help ease tensions between the two countries. Siniora will meet Monday with Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz, in addition to other officials in the kingdom, to discuss the Arab initiatives.
The contents of an earlier Arab initiative were leaked to leaders of the March 14 camp last month and promptly dismissed as "Syrian views," killing the initiative before it saw the light of the day. Similar efforts by Arab League leader Amr Moussa suffered the same fate.
The attacks on the Saudi initiative caused considerable anger in the Gulf kingdom, with Saudi officials insisting the document had originated with them and took the best interests of both sides into consideration.
Sources close to the Lebanese Cabinet said Siniora will also discuss with Saudi officials other matters related to preparations for a planned donors' conference to aid Lebanon. Siniora's trip comes on the heels of a significant political shift in Lebanon, notably a joint understanding between Hizbullah and Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement last week.
In related events, French President Jacques Chirac is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in March to discuss recent developments in the region, including in Lebanon. Chirac has already dispatched an envoy to meet with King Abdullah to prepare for the upcoming visit.
Local observers believe the reconciliation efforts being made in Lebanon reflect a French-Saudi understanding to encourage dialogue between the various political groups as a "means to solve the political stalemate and implement UN resolutions."
Meanwhile, in his own political shift, MP Walid Jumblatt announced on Friday that Hizbullah was not a resistance group, but rather a militia.
In response to the Druze leader's new stance, the March 14 Forces also adjusted their position, declaring "the issue of the resistance's weapons is a matter of controversy that no longer enjoys a national consent."
However, looking to ensure that Tuesday's February 14 commemoration is "an occasion for national unity rather than a partisan event," majority leader Saad Hariri and other Future members have disagreed with Jumblatt regarding the resistance, calling on Hizbullah and the FPM to participate fully in the event.
Hariri, who stopped over in Saudi Arabia on his return to Beirut, said he would support a Saudi initiative to ease tensions with Syria.
"Nothing bad comes from Saudi Arabia. Siniora's visit will only bring what is good for Lebanon," he added.
Siniora is expected to return to Lebanon Monday evening, only to leave for Rome for another one-day trip on Wednesday. The premier will attend Thursday's regular Cabinet session.
Siniora is to visit both Pope Benedict XVI and Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

A year after Hariri's assassination turmoil reigns
Stability and Unity is still a distant mirage
Compiled by Daily Star staff -Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: The killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri one year ago transformed Lebanon's politics and led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops, but long-desired stability and unity in the country is still a distant mirage.
On a Beirut street corner, a large black billboard bears the picture of Rafik Hariri with an electronic counter ticking off the days since the premier's assassination and is expected to stay in place until the truth of who killed him is revealed.
It appears that counter is going to continue to tick for some time as the reverberations continue a year after the giant bomb blast that killed Hariri, the country's most prominent politician.
"Lebanon is going through a period of considerable tension ... The country is prey to sectarian conflicts that are unprecedented since the Civil War," said Hussein Agha, a political scientist and associate professor at St. Antony's college in Oxford.
Lynn Zovighian, a 19-year-old political science student at the American University of Beirut said: "The year that has just gone has been peppered with disappointments, with continued attacks and political conflicts, even among those of the same camp."
For Lebanese, the February. 14, 2005 blast - which killed 22 others - is known as the "earthquake" that transformed Lebanon's politics in a way unthinkable before the assassination. It triggered a series of events that drove out the Syrian Army and brought the first government led by Damascus' opponents in years.
Damascus' relations with Beirut are at their lowest point in decades.
The fallout is still not over. Lebanese are eagerly waiting for the investigation to be completed. Meanwhile, the country is sharply polarized between pro- and anti-Syrian camps, raising worries that the splits that fueled years of civil war could reopen.
Further raising tensions is a mysterious campaign of 14 other bombings that have killed 11 people, including three anti-Syrian figures - a politician and two journalists - and wounded the defense minister and a prominent anchorwoman. Other anti-Syrian figures have gone abroad for protection, including Hariri's son, Saad.
Saad Hariri returned to Beirut Sunday - after months of self-exile in Saudi Arabia - to take part in what were expected to be massive demonstrations Tuesday on the first anniversary of his father's murder.
There are those in Lebanon who accuse Syria in the bombings, saying it wants to
destabilize the country to show there can be no peace without its help. Syria denies any role in the bombings or the Hariri assassination.
Still, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is optimistic. "The conflict over Lebanon has been decided in favor of the nation, its Arab identity, independence, completion of its liberation and consolidation of its sovereignty," Siniora, a longtime confidant of the late Hariri, said in a statement ahead of the anniversary.
A blanket of flowers still surrounds the grave of Hariri, the man credited with rebuilding the nation from the destruction of the 1975-90 war. A few blocks away, the large crater punched into a seaside road by the one-ton truck bomb that killed him remains untouched as the inquiry continues - a symbol of how the country remains in limbo.
"Everything is at a standstill," said Mohammad Safah, the guardian of Hariri's grave. "He was the protector of Lebanon and now that he's gone, the economy is at a standstill, and the security and political situation is worsening. Everything has gone bad."
But he went on, saying he had hope in Saad Hariri and in the UN investigation eventually finding the killers.
"Lebanon is still in transition," explained Samir Franjieh, an MP from the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority. "But we have gone significant steps forward."
One year after the assassination, Lebanese are divided between those who blame Syria for the killing and those who claim Damascus is being framed.
Franjieh, the Christian MP, acknowledged that anti-Syrian forces "have stumbled ... and their leaders have been killed or threatened."
But, he said, "there is major and noticeable progress: the departure of the Syrian Army, the restoration of freedom and a large part of the state's sovereignty over its institutions."
The elections meant the end of Damascus' domination of Parliament, and some prominent pro-Syrians were driven into the political wilderness. But divisions quickly emerged in the coalition that helped drive out the Syrians, forming a new tangle of political alliances.
Christian leader Michel Aoun, who went into exile in France 14 years ago after losing a "war of liberation" against the Syrian Army, returned, seeking to establish a new leadership role. But he fell out with the main anti-Syrian parties.
This month, he joined hands in an alliance with Hizbullah's secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a close ally of Syria.
Hizbullah, meanwhile, has struggled for a new political role after years leading its armed fight against Israeli forces. For the first time, it has a minister in the government, but also faces pressures for it to disarm. - Agencies

Hotels push up Valentine's to get around commemoration
By Meris Lutz -Special to The Daily Star
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: When the commemoration of the death of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri threatened to dampen romantic celebrations this year, many hotels simply rescheduled special Valentine's Day packages for the weekend preceding February 14.
The Movenpick's Zeina Fleihan Maroun said they were fully booked on Saturday, February 11; in fact they are not even making special arrangements for Tuesday.
"It's going to be very limited. We, the Movenpick, celebrated on Saturday," she said.
And in fact, the Movenpick went all out for couples celebrating Valentine's, expecting February 14 to be a slow day.
A five-star package was prepared for couples, from the prerequisite rose petals strewn across the beds, heart-shaped chocolate cakes and surprise champagne bottles in the rooms.
Dinner at the up-and-coming Hemingway's Bar and Cigar Lounge featured a five-course meal, on a table covered in roses and lit with heart shaped candles. A single rose petal hung in the champagne glass.
The hotel's spa also featured packages for couples, with the spa rooms strewn with candles and roses.
Mira Hawa, the hotel's sales and marketing manager confirmed that the hotel was at 92 to 95-percent booked.
At the Safir Heliopolitan Hotel, where the package also included dinner and a room with roses, chocolate, and a luxurious breakfast in bed, Maya Kataya, guest service agent said: "It was very successful, more than we expected."
Kataya said she could not predict whether the Safir Heliopolitan would offer the same early packages again, but that she hopes Valentine's Day will be revitalized in time for next year.
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The Sea Rock Hotel's receptionist supervisor Wassim Nasser said his hotel also moved its celebrations to Saturday in view of the mass cancellations that happened last year. "It was very bad because last year the restaurant was fully booked, but after [the assassination] only two people came."
Several other hotels reported disappointing turnouts on Saturday despite advertising lavish packages at reduced prices.
Manuel Levion, the front-office manager at the Royal Plaza Hotel, said business was "not like we'd hoped." The Royal Plaza offered a night in an executive suite, candlelight dinner and special amenities for $200, almost half the regular price of an executive suite.
He said that next year the hotel is planning to offer a better package for an extended period of time, continuing to take into account Hariri's commemoration on February 14.
The Gefinor Rotana Hotel's duty manager Antonio Jholmieh said business was not as usual, and that this has been the calmest Valentine's Day he can remember.
However, he also said that he agrees Valentine's Day should "definitely" not be held on February 14, even though it hurts local hotels and restaurants.
"Ethically, it shouldn't be done," he said.
But, he added: "Life should go on. ... We all hope that things will calm down."

March 14 Forces urge big February 14 turnout
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Monday, February 13, 2006
BEIRUT: The March 14 Forces are making every effort to prompt massive Lebanese participation in the February 14 demonstration marking the passing of one year since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and to show their strength on the local arena.
However, this year's turnout may not be as big as last year's March 14 "Independence Intifada," with the absence of MP Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement supporters in the wake of the alliance forged between the FPM and Hizbullah.
An MP in Aoun's parliamentary bloc said on Saturday that the FPM will send an official delegation to the rally, "if the party receives an official invitation."
MP Nabil Nicolas said in a statement to the Central News Agency: "If we are invited, we will be present through an official delegation to avoid disputes between the people."
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said in a statement issued on Saturday that "all private, public and educational institutions should close on Tuesday, February 14" to mark the day of Hariri's assassination.
Meanwhile, March 14 figures and parties are urging people to participate in the rally, stressing the need to maintain national unity and follow the path of the late premier.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Democratic Renewal Movement "asked all the Lebanese to join the demonstration held in Martyrs' Square to commemorate the killing of Rafik Hariri and all the martyrs of freedom, sovereignty and independence."
MP Butros Harb underlined the "need to continue the march toward the achievement of Lebanon's independence and sovereignty and the building of a modern country."
Speaking Sunday, Harb urged the Lebanese to "carry on the 'Cedar Revolution' that started on March 14 and to participate in Tuesday's demonstration to honor the memory of the martyrs who died for freedom."
MP Bahia Hariri said "we will not allow anyone to ruin our national unity; I ask all the Lebanese to show their support of Lebanon's freedom by gathering in the Freedom Square on February 14," adding: "On February 14, we should all call for the unity of the Lebanese, Muslims and Christians, for the uncovering of the truth and the building of a modern country."

Shaba'a farms belong to Lebanon
date: 12 02, 2006
Beirut, Feb. 12 (BNA) Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salough called today for the liberation of Shaba'a Farms which were still under Israel's occupation. He also asserted on Lebanon's commitment to Arab causes, especially those relating to comprehensive and just peace, pointing out to the Arab peace initiative of the 2002 Summit in Beirut, as capable of realizing the aspired peace.
In a statement published here today, Sallough stressed on the importance of completing investigations into Hariri assassination in order to unveil the criminals and reinforce social harmony in Lebanon. He also noted that Lebanon respects UN resolutions and deals with them as per International Law and UN Charter.
Rice reiterates view that Syria and Iran encouraging Muslim violence
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WASHINGTON Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is again calling on Muslim leaders to take a stand against protests over drawings of the Prophet Muhammad.
Rice tells A-B-C's "This Week" that Iran and Syria have been inflaming sentiments over the cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper four months ago. She says Iran could have urged people to turn away from violence. Instead, she said Tehran has only made more threats.
Earlier today, Iran denied U-S and Danish accusations that its government had encouraged protests that targeted Western embassies in Tehran.
Rice responded that little happens in the tightly controlled nation without a government O-K.
A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry is demanding that U-S and Danish officials apologize for their accusations.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Uncertainties haunt Lebanon a year after Hariri
Sun Feb 12, 2006
By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT (Reuters) - It has been a tumultuous year of change in Lebanon.
The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri on February 14 last year triggered a chain of events that in a few months turned the political landscape on its head in the country of four million.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Beirut, blaming Syria for killing the man who was behind the rebuilding of Lebanon from the wreckage of the 1975-1990 civil war and demanding Syrian forces leave Lebanon.
The unprecedented protests forced Damascus to bow to international pressure and end 29 years of military presence in April; anti-Syrian groups won a majority in parliament for the first time in May and June elections to dominate government; and a UN inquiry implicated Syrian officials in the murder.
A Christian leader who opposed Syrian domination returned from 15 years of exile and another was freed after 11 years in jail.
But when Lebanese gather in central Beirut on Tuesday to mark the anniversary, the sense of achievement on the road to the "freedom, sovereignty and independence" that they sought will most likely be outweighed by concern about the future.
"The Lebanese people have achieved their freedom and sovereignty. Now we are trying to preserve this freedom and this sovereignty," Hariri's son and political heir Saad al-Hariri told a news conference in Beirut on Sunday.
"We have a lot of challenges because there is a lot of interference in Lebanese politics."
The pullout of Syrian forces from Lebanon left a security vacuum that allowed an erosion of stability with several bombs and separate attacks that killed two anti-Syrian journalists and a politician.
Saad al-Hariri, leader of the parliamentary majority, was forced to flee Lebanon for more than six months on security worries only to return on Saturday for the anniversary.
Other leaders remain prisoners in their own homes, rarely venturing out for fear of assassination.
Many politicians in Lebanon blame the attacks on Syria, saying they were designed to show that the Lebanese could not run the country by themselves. Damascus denies any role.
INTERNAL WOES
Cracks have appeared in the anti-Syrian coalition and UN investigators asked for extensions after the early optimism that they would wrap up their inquiry quickly disappeared, partly for lack of full Syrian cooperation.
Sectarian tensions rose, first between Shi'ite Muslims and the other sects over the roles of Syria and Hizbollah, the only armed group in Lebanon.
Shi'ite leaders have refused to denounce Syria and call for normal relations with Damascus until the investigation ends into the killing of Hariri. They have also rejected the disarming of Hizbollah as demanded by a 2004 UN Security Council resolution that also called for the pullout of Syrian forces.
Political squabbles largely paralyzed government, where pro-Syrian Hizbollah and allies have five ministers, forcing a delay in an international aid conference in Beirut.
Earlier this month Sunni Muslim militants marched to the Danish mission in a Christian area of Beirut to protest against the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammad. The protest turned to riots in which the building housing the mission was torched and a nearby church and property vandalized.
The violence opened civil war wounds and many officials, who acknowledge mishandling of the situation that lead to the resignation of the interior minister, hailed restraint by the Christians which they said averted dangerous sectarian confrontations.
Several spoke of Syrian hands in the violence.
"They are presenting Lebanon with two options: either chaos or to return to the (pro-Syrian) security regime, the regime of hegemony and authoritarianism," Hariri said.
(Additional reporting by Alaa Shahine)

War Claws in Lebanon
12/02/2006
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
the general manager of Al -Arabiya television. Mr. Al Rashed is also the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al- Awsat, and the leading Arabic weekly magazine, Al Majalla. He is also a senior Columnist in the daily newspapers of Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is a US post-graduate degree in mass communications. He has been a guest on many TV current affairs programs. He is currently based in Dubai.
Lebanon is once again in danger of becoming a battleground for regional conflicts and one where alliances were made with an exiled General who lived in Paris and a Sheikh victorious in war. This marriage inaugurates a new era of disputes and alliances that illustrates an omen. At a time when Lebanon is falling, people are idly standing by without taking any action. They stood by at the beginning of the first civil war, which erupted after an attack on a bus, which took 15 years to calm. Despite the readiness of everyone to reconcile, the guns did not become silent for another few years because the means were lacking. Common factors between the previous one and the upcoming conflict abound. Unfortunately, for the Lebanese, it is erupting at a time when the rest of the region is enjoying economic prosperity.
The upcoming Lebanese civil war is backed abroad and is carried out by local hands. We already know that the losers of the future are the winners of today, including those with the forces on the ground. When the infighting begins, regional and international powers will take part in the conflict and a huge fire will consume all those involved. It is for this reason that we must blame the men of reason in Lebanon and not the foolish or those with limited interests that will escape on the first flight and reside abroad.
The number of intellectuals in Lebanon is not limited, at the forefront of which is the Hezbollah movement that has long resisted internal and external pressures, keeping away from battles and disputes. It had further abandoned for many years major posts as had it sought to occupy high-ranking titles and posts, it would never have been the party known as the national party that has acquired the nation's respect, not only from the religious Shia districts.
The Maronite patriarchy had also been the voice of reason, however, if it chooses to adopt silence now, it will simply push people towards the idea of conflict and will lose any remaining influence that it has upon people. Moreover, it could become the people's guide to militia.
The fact remains that no party will be victorious in the imminent Lebanese war, just as no group was victorious in the previous Lebanese war. As that conflict began, it generated militia leaders who would later become ministers of weak governments.
Local Lebanese powers risk defaming their history and losing their supporters if they allow themselves to be divided by antagonistic alliances and dragged into war. Their efforts of the past twenty years that include the bloodshed of citizens would be wasted in a war that may last another twenty years to come.
As for the unsuccessful parties, they will be the ones who have no basic existence in the country. What harm would come to General Aoun if he were to return on the first flight to France if he lost as he did after facing Syrian authorities in 1990, leaving thousands of his supporters behind.
Conflicting external powers want to see a battlefield in Lebanon so that they can deliver a message to the rest of the Arab world that they can throw the region, starting with Lebanon, into a pit of fire.
This message will be clearly delivered when Lebanon is no longer stable, when it will be impossible to repair the social and political damages and even in government and administration.
It is evident that Lebanon is the easiest passage for the overwhelming powers and that when countries are over-congested with disputes, this will be the first country in the region to represent the risks of destruction.

Hariri's son returns to Lebanon after 6 months
Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:08 AM IST
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon's parliamentary majority leader, returned to Lebanon on Saturday night, more than six months after he left the country because of security worries, an aide said.
Hariri returned to Beirut three days before Lebanon marked the first anniversary of the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Hariri left Lebanon in late July and weeks later said a plot to kill him had been uncovered. He spent most of his time in France and in Saudi Arabia, meeting the leaders of both countries.
Hariri also held talks last month with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington.
A U.N. inquiry into the Feb. 14, 2005, killing of Hariri's father has implicated Syrian security officials and their Lebanese allies in the murder. After the murder, large demonstrations in Lebanon forced Syria to bow to international pressure and end its 29-year military presence in Lebanon in April.
Saad al-Hariri led an anti-Syrian coalition to victory in parliamentary elections in May and June. He has demanded that those responsible for his father's death be brought to justice and remains a fierce critic of Damascus. Syria denies any role in the assassination of Hariri.

Tufaili: Hezbollah Should Disarm to avoid Civil War
Saturday, 11 February, 2006 @ 8:25 PM
Beirut, Lebanon- Sheikh Subhi Tufaili, who had the highest position in Hezbollah until he was fired, has said that the Party should give up its weapons for fear that other groups in Lebanon may use this as a pretext to rearm themselves.
Tufaili, a fugitive wanted by the Lebanese government for leading an insurrection against it in 1999, refuted Hezbollah's argument that it was keeping its weapons to face Israeli threats against Lebanon.
"The slogan of protecting Lebanon from Zionist threats and dangers is not a logical reason and convincing argument for keeping weapons," Tufaili said in his hometown of Brital near the ancient city of Baalbek.
Tufaili, who served as Hezbollah's first Secretary-General in the 1980s, was fired by present leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah after he led the so-called "hunger revolt" against the government in the impoverished Baalbek region.
Tufaili said he feared that other groups in Lebanon would use Hezbollah's argument to start rearming themselves. He warned that this may lead to a renewal of the civil war that ravaged the country between 1975 and 1990.
"The other sects will not accept the arming of one sect and not the others, even if the price is civil war and ripping the country apart," Tufaili said.
"We should not reach a day when we say that the weapons were the cause for religious strife," he added referring to Hezbollah's arms.
Speaking at a mosque on the occasion of the Shiite commemoration of Ashoura, Tufaili called on the government to resolve the legal case against him as soon as possible.
The government has issued an arrest warrant for the cleric to answer charges of anti-government mutiny and attempted physical attacks on state officials. But no move was made by police or the army to grab him from hideouts in Brital, despite several public appearances he had made in the remote town.
Source: Naharnet,