LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
JANUARY 21/2006

Below News from the Daily Star for 21/1/06
Jumblatt: Hizbullah's alliance with Syrian regime root of differences with Nasrallah
Ahmadinejad meets with Nasrallah in Damascus
Finesse is sorely lacking in U.S. dealings with the Middle East
Naboulsi defends position, urges support of resistance
Siniora to ask for Arab help on Palestinian weapons issue
Brammertz will do his 'utmost to satisfy victims' families'
Presidential statement on 1559 to be issued by Security Council
Army confirms dynamite thrown from Ain al-Hilweh
Al-Qaeda suspects may not be linked with terror group: report
Finding a way out of the Cabinet crisis
Political parties tone down accusations, call for dialogue
Lebanese banks see increase in assets
Pollution from Lebanon spreads along coastline
Lebanese boy thought to have bird flu now clear
Below news from miscellaneous sources
Israel blames Iran, Syria for Tel Aviv suicide bombing -cbc 21.1.06
Foiling the hydra.Al Ahram 21.1.06
Iran president meets Palestinian militants in Syria-Reuters 21.1.06
Syria Supports Iran in Nuclear Standoff -abc news 21.1.06
Syria vs. democracy-miami.com 21.1.06
Annan announces Syria will cooperate with probe into Hariri murder -asianews 21.1.06

Naboulsi defends position, urges support of resistance
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
BEIRUT: The chairman of the Jabal Amel Ulemas Committee, Sheikh Afif Naboulsi, on Friday defended the resistance and said lies and false accusations will not deter Hizbullah supporters from protecting its arms. In a statement, Naboulsi called for political action in solidarity with the Shiite resistance group "that is protecting the country and trying to establish a sound balance between all parties in the Lebanese arena." He stressed the need to avoid reactionary rhetoric and demanded the media campaign against the resistance cease, saying it only serves the interests of the "Israeli enemy" and the U.S. In recent days, various political, religious and social figures have reacted fiercely to a lawsuit brought against the cleric.In a telephone call, Speaker Nabih Berri expressed the Amal Movement's support for Naboulsi and its readiness to "work to prevent attempts to widen the gap amongst the Lebanese people."
He said: "National symbols and religious authorities should be respected by all social categories, whether these authorities are Muslim or Christian." Sheikh Youssef Kanj released a statement urging Dar al-Fatwa, the supreme Sunni religious authority in Lebanon, to try those who filed the lawsuit, charging them with "interfering with religious affairs and stirring sectarian strife." On Wednesday, eight individuals, including MP Ghassan Mokheiber, filed a lawsuit against Naboulsi, alleging he was guilty of "identity theft, threatening and terrorizing in an attempt to obstruct the practice of civil rights, instigating sectarian division, and portraying political disputes as disputes between religions and sects."
The complaint read that on December 21, 2005, Lebanese newspapers ran a statement by Naboulsi, in which he said: "There are foreign attempts, aided by some local forces, to remove Amal and Hizbullah from the political landscape and install new Shiite representatives. We will not allow any Shiite political party to replace Amal and Hizbullah. The introduction of a new imported Shiite political party is illegal, because it does not represent the people."
It added: "We address a precautionary fatwa to every Shiite politician, who tries to take advantage of the ministerial crisis."
The plaintiffs said Naboulsi was not a member of the Shiite sect's religious committee and so could not issue a fatwa and prevent Shiite citizens from practicing their constitutional rights.
Despite a wave of criticism, the group issued a statement saying they intend to continue the motion. "We are capable of distinguishing between a simple expression of opinion and the clear practice of illegitimate pressure." Several Lebanese lawyers together with the Shiite Intellectuals' Gathering held a conference at Sidon's Saydet Al-Zahra Complex to respond to the lawsuit, which they described as "an instance of libel and slander" Former Premier Salim Hoss, who attended the conference, said "the resistance is always in danger, but it will survive as it has wide support in Lebanon." Hoss called attention to recent suggestions made by Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and ruled out any interference from the U.S., France and "even Syria," but welcomed positive Arab initiatives. Naboulsi also received telephone calls from various MPs, including Abdel-Latif Zein and Osama Saad, all of whom denounced the lawsuit. The International Human Rights Ambassador Ali Aqil Khalil criticized the lawsuit as "a dangerous violation of the World Declaration of Human Rights."

Finding a way out of the Cabinet crisis
By Walid Choucair -Daily Star
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah let it be known to Premier Fouad Siniora and the non-Shiite Cabinet ministers that there is only one way out of the ministerial crisis. Nasrallah said in a New TV interview Wednesday: "We will be content with the acknowledgement that 'the resistance is not a militia.'"While some observers hoped the prime minister and the majority leaders would accommodate Nasrallah's request - especially after he employed such moderate and reconciliatory rhetoric in responding to MP Walid Jumblatt's tirade against the resistance - the climate prevailing over the majority did not reflect enthusiasm for Nasrallah's suggestion. Why? Because the ministerial Policy Statement already describes the resistance as a resistance group and not a militia.
One minister said: "We never said the resistance is a militia, so why should we corroborate a point which the Cabinet already earned a vote of confidence for?" Perhaps, the acknowledgement that Nasrallah called for is the 19th suggestion, from the drafts that were exchanged between the leaders of the Shiite alliance and those of the Cabinet majority, for a solution to the return of the five Shiite ministers to the Cabinet. There are three main texts, which were amended at least 10 times as of two weeks ago. With Nasrallah's suggestion, the number of possible solutions for the ministerial crisis reached 19 after including each instance where new terms and expressions were included.
This considerable number shows how stagnant the situation has become after being manipulated by both camps over the last month. It is important to remember that the disagreement was ignited by the creation of an international court and the expansion of the international probe into former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination.
While Amal and Hizbullah sources object to this refusal to adopt a text repeating what was mentioned in the ministerial Policy Statement, the non-Shiite ministers disapprove of Nasrallah's suggestion because they fear it will suggest they used to consider the resistance as a militia but have now changed their mind.
However, the question raised today is: "Shouldn't the Shiite alliance back off in a bid to preserve the unity of the government?" Some observers believe the increased division during the past two weeks is due in part to external factors.
According to the observers, it is not a coincidence that the stand of some leaders aligned with the Cabinet majority, namely MP Walid Jumblatt, is linked to the progress made by the international probe into Hariri's assassination.
Securing a deal to allow the international investigation commission to meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa required a series of meetings by Arab League members.
This has given substantial weight to the international investigation, which will have now important regional repercussions. Lebanese opponents to Syria will seize this opportunity to launch a political attack against Syria's allies in Lebanon. Similarly, it comes as no surprise that Hizbullah and Amal are wary of local parties' stands regarding the international investigation targeting Damascus. It is not a coincidence either that they held a demonstration against U.S. tutelage and in solidarity with Syria and Iran, in the wake of a U.S.-European campaign against Teheran's nuclear activities. Some leaders aligned with the Cabinet majority do not rule out the possibility of a link between events unfolding across the region and the positions of the various domestic political groupings. Some of these leaders even believe new developments will emerge from the Syrian-Iranian summit currently being held in Damascus. They suspect that the outcome of the meeting might indicate how long it will take to reconcile the positions of the Lebanese parties. They believe there is also a possibility the meeting will further complicate the current crisis in the country.
**Walid Choucair is the director of the offices of Al-Hayat newspaper in Beirut

Jumblatt: Hizbullah's alliance with Syrian regime root of differences with Nasrallah
'I will not be persuaded the Syrian regime and Bashar are symbols of arabism'
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Twenty-five days before the passing of one year since Premier Rafik Hariri's murder, Druze leader and prominent figure of the March 14 Forces Walid Jumblatt explained the growing gap between himself and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a question of allegiance to the Syrian regime. In an interview with the Future Television on Friday, Jumblatt said: "The matter of difference between Sayyed Hassan and myself is that he, and Hizbullah, have formed an alliance with Syria - people, leadership and regime. We have not and will never. That is the difference, no more, no less." He said the discords broke out in the wake of the assassination of MP Gebran Tueni when the Cabinet requested from the Security Council to form a court with an international character and to expand the international probe to include assassinations since the attempt on the life of Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade on October 14, 2005. Jumblatt said under the shock of Tueni's assassination and with the Security Council session drawing close to discuss the report of the international committee, "there was no time to discuss with Hizbullah the nature of the court" which the Cabinet majority called for.
Jumblatt argued that whenever a delicate issue targeting Syria was raised Hizbullah showed reluctance. "The reason behind the discord is because he (Nasrallah) will not condemn [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and the regime for their actions in Lebanon, while we do condemn the Syrian regime," he added.
"I will not believe, or be made to believe, or say the Syrian regime and Bashar are the symbols of Arabism. No," he stressed. "The Syrian regime's way is to re-assure someone, then kill them. This is what they did with [former head of the Communist Party] George Hawi, this is what they did with Hariri and I have no doubt this is what they did with Gebran Tueni and the rest," he said. "This is how they operate, I know them very well." Jumblatt stressed Hariri's murder occurred under the tight grip of the Syrian security regime, which proves the implication of Syria in the assassination.
He asked: "How can a truck laden with 1,000 kilograms of explosives circulate in the country without the knowledge of the intelligence? How can Sayyed Nasrallah accept that?"
Jumblatt addressed Nasrallah, saying he still considers Hizbullah a resistance and not a militia, and respects the sacrifices of this resistance - as was stated in the government's Policy Statement - "especially Nasrallah's son Hadi" but "Nasrallah has to respect, in turn, the caravan of martyrs who sacrificed their lives before" the resistance.
The Progressive Socialist Party president accused the Syrian regime of murdering commanders, intellectuals and politicians in the name of the Arab-Israeli conflict, namely his father Kamal Jumblatt. "This is the biggest lie," he said.
Raising the issue of the Hizbullah's arms, Jumblatt said "I too want to have guarantees that protect me from the Syrian regime." Regarding allegations that he called for protection from Hizbullah, Jumblatt denied making any such call: "I did not ask for Hizbullah's protection; I asked if he could intervene to bring assassinations to an end.""But asking us to change our stands in return for such protection, absolutely not!" he added.

Ahmadinejad meets with Nasrallah in Damascus
Hizbullah, amal leaders make surprise trip to hold talks with Iranian president
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on a visit to regional ally Syria Friday, met with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who made a surprise visit to the Damascus. No statement was given following the meeting. Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri also headed to Damascus for a meeting with the Iranian president, heading a delegation from the Amal Movement. A statement following the meeting between Ahmadinejad and Berri said the two discussed "the necessity of preserving Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and its resistance."The statement added: "The president and the speaker spoke of the means to remain united in the face of looming dangers in the region, as well as the need to improve Lebanese-Syrian relations."
Ahmadinejad also pledged support to militant Palestinian factions at a meeting with their leaders in Damascus, a Palestinian group said. "The Iranian president stressed that Iran strongly stands behind the Palestinian people and their just struggle," Maher al-Taher, a senior official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said.
"He said the Palestinian people will be victorious as a result of their steadfastness, sacrifices and heroism." Ahmadinejad and Assad reiterated after talks Thursday that they backed the right of the Palestinians and Lebanese to resist Israeli occupation. Taher said Islamic Jihad leader Abdullah Ramadan Shallah was among those who attended the 90-minute Palestinian meeting with Ahmadinejad. Also present was Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Ahmad Jibril, leader of the PFLP-GC pro-Syrian faction. "We discussed the issue of pressure against Syria, Iran and Lebanon and confirmed the need to form a front that groups all the forces that opposes the Zionist-American schemes in the region," Taher said. Both Syria and Iran face possible showdowns with the UN Security Council - Damascus over its limited cooperation with an inquiry into the killing of a Lebanon's former Premier Rafik Hariri and Tehran over its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Israel accused Iran and Syria of planning and funding a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv that raised tension before next week's Palestinian election.
Thursday's bombing poses a challenge for interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who assumed power after Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said it was designed to sabotage the January 25 parliamentary poll. Sharon aide Raanan Gissin said Israel had "ample, concrete evidence" that the Tel Aviv bombing, for which the Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility, was bankrolled from Tehran and planned in Damascus. The bombing injured 30 people. Gissin's comments echoed similar accusations by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to Israeli media.
In a fax to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi rejected the accusation as "baseless."
The Haaretz daily reported that Mofaz said Israel had "decisive proof that the attack in Tel Aviv was a direct result of the axis of terror that operates between Iran and Syria."
Yediot Ahronot quoted Mofaz as saying Ahmadinejad, on a two-day visit to Syria, was holding a "terrorism summit" with Assad. Thursday's bombing by Islamic Jihad was the first in Israel since an 11-month truce expired at the end of last year.
Gissin portrayed the Tel Aviv bombing as a warning to European powers considering measures against Tehran over its nuclear program. "This attack was in Tel Aviv. Tomorrow it may be in Berlin or in Paris or in London - countries that may vote against Iran on the issue of its nuclear program," Gissin said. Gissin said Israel's evidence of Iranian and Syrian involvement had been presented to U.S. and European officials. Asked for details, he said: "It would be wrong to elaborate or to specify."

Siniora to ask for Arab help on Palestinian weapons issue
By Raed El Rafei -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's Premier Fouad Siniora is set to send a letter to Arab states "soon" urging them to exert pressure on the Palestinians in order to put an end to Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps. A spokesperson from Siniora's office told The Daily Star Friday: "The issue of Palestinian refugees is essentially an issue for Arabs to handle and not only Lebanese." Although in the last Cabinet meeting Thursday no concrete measures to tackle the issue of Palestinian arms were taken, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade said "the government will be engaging in talks with Arab partners to play a role in solving this issue." Hamade also said the government also wanted to "convince" the Palestinians of abandoning weapons outside the camps adding that dialogue will only take place with Palestinians "who are not Syrian agents." He accused pro-Syrian Palestinian groups of "provoking Lebanese and leading to the destabilization of the region." Hamade was referring to the incident at Naameh where two municipality employees were fired on by Palestinians from the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) representative in South Lebanon, Khaled Aref, said the issue of Palestinian weapons outside the refugee camps necessitates the mediation of Arab countries and Lebanese forces, namely Hizbullah. Hizbullah's secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, was "tackling in depth the issue of Palestinian arms outside the camps," Aref said, in an interview with Al-Markazia news agency Friday. "Palestinians were broadly consulting with other Arab countries and were keen on finding, through dialogue, a solution which guarantees the sovereignty of Lebanon and the national rights of the Palestinian people," he said. During Thursday's Cabinet meeting, the Lebanese government decided, in the absence of Shiite ministers, to "take actions in all directions" concerning the issue of Palestinian arms outside and inside the camps. In an earlier meeting at which the ministers of Hizbullah and Amal were present, the Cabinet declared Palestinian weapons would not be tolerated outside the camps and called for the organization of weapons inside the camps.
Water and Energy Minister, Mohammad Fneish, a member of Hizbullah, said the issue of weapons cannot be dealt with separately adding that relations with Palestinians should be handled "as a whole through calm dialogue."
Fneish also said problems cannot be solved with the current tensions and needed a "calmer" political atmosphere. He added that the government should be trying "to soften the crisis and not escalate it." Fneish refused to make links between the Naameh incident and the Palestinian weapons file. But according to Siniora's spokesperson, the Naameh incident increased tension with the Palestinians and made the weapons issue a priority.
The spokesperson said the Lebanese government had taken all necessary steps to tackle the Palestinian issue by forming a follow-up committee and improving the humanitarian conditions of Palestinians in the refugee camps. Meanwhile, Fatah's commander in Lebanon, Sultan Abu al-Aynain said that "he understood the Lebanese stance toward Palestinian arms outside the camps." Speaking at a news conference in the Rashidieh refugee camp, he called on the Lebanese to deal with Palestinian issues without referring to UN Resolution 1559. He said the Naameh incident was "not premeditated and does not have any political or security dimensions."Abu al-Aynain emphasized that dialogue on all Palestinian issues will be handled by the office representing the Palestinian Authority in Lebanon following the recent Cabinet decision to reinstate PLO representation in Lebanon. "This office will encompass all Palestinian forces and factions," he said. According to Aref, Palestinians have made an official request to the Ministry of the Displaced to remove the displaced persons currently residing in the former PLO offices on Corniche al-Mazraa.

Lebanese boy thought to have bird flu now clear
By Nada Raad -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
BEIRUT: A child suspected of having contracted bird flu has been found free of any infection, according to primary tests, his doctor told The Daily Star on Friday. Dr. Pierre Abi Hanna said the 6-year-old boy, who was moved Thursday from North Lebanon to Beirut State Hospital for tests and observation, will undergo additional tests and final results to confirm his health will be issued late Friday or Saturday morning. Abi Hanna said: "We will run additional tests for confirmation. But, he is in good shape. He no longer has a fever and is eating normally."
According to the doctor, a person infected with bird flu suffers from respiratory problems and his health deteriorates with time, symptoms which do not apply to the boy. He said that so far his patient's health has been improving, "but that additional tests are required to be 100 percent certain about the results." He said that in some cases, the health of a person infected with bird flu might show improvement before taking a turn for the worse. "Therefore, all the required tests should be taken for an accurate diagnosis."
Reports had emerged earlier that Taleb was a 37 year old man from the North, but the hospital confirmed he was a young boy. Taleb lives in Fneidek, a village 120 kilometers North of Beirut. His parents keep chickens and he has been in contact with them on a daily basis as he takes the eggs home every morning before school. Taleb was taken to the hospital after running a fever for three days, a fact which worried his parents especially as a number of their chickens had recently died. Lebanese officials have been assuring the public no cases of bird flu have so far been detected, either among birds or humans. "Lebanon is until now free of bird flu," said the president of the Lebanese Veterinarians' Association, Dr. Fouad Hajj. Speaking during a press conference Friday, Hajj announced the creation of an emergency committee to follow-up on avian flu in Lebanon and the world. Hajj said the committee consists of veterinarians and physicians and "is ready to answer questions from farmers and veterinarians on the issue." Dr. Rida Mais, a member of the committee, stressed that there was no danger in chicken or egg consumption. He said: "The cases of human contamination that were reported in the world resulted from direct contact with poultry in bad environmental conditions." He added: "The veterinarians and farmers are the people most exposed to bird flu infection." But on Friday, several birds and chickens were found dead in some areas of Akkar and Dinnieh. The animals, which were found in Qobeiyat, Jayroun and Sir, were immediately taken to laboratories in Beirut for tests. The official National News Agency reported Friday it is thought they died from a severe cold spell in the mountainous region. - With agencies

Presidential statement on 1559 to be issued by Security Council
By Majdoline Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
BEIRUT: The UN Security Council is set to meet Monday to issue a presidential statement calling on Lebanon to implement the remaining stipulations of UN Resolution 1559, and disarm "Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias."The UN diplomat who is involved with consultations currently underway between UN Security Council members to issue the rench-American-British proposed presidential statement, told The Daily Star Friday, the statement comes "as a follow up to the report by UN special envoy on implementing UN Resolution 1559 Terje Roed-Larsen, which was issued last October." The diplomat added that the statement also comes as a reminder that UN Resolution 1559 is "not fully implemented yet." "There appears to be a broad willingness to achieve consensus on the matter, and the presidential statement is expected to be issued Monday," the diplomat said. Unlike a Security Council resolution, which needs the approval of two thirds of council members, a presidential statement needs a consensus in order to be passed by the council. The presidential statement is also not binding on members, while resolutions are binding. In a copy of the draft statement received by The Daily Star, Lebanon was commended on the "significant progress made toward the implementation of Resolution 1559," especially on the withdrawal of Syrian military forces and on the holding of free parliamentary elections last spring. However, the statement added that it "notes with regret" that "disarming Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, the extension of government control over all Lebanese territories and free and fair presidential elections" had not taken place yet. The statement was first discussed Thursday, when the U.S. mission to the UN, in collaboration with both the French and British mission, distributed the draft to other Security Council members.
However, talking to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday there was no need for the Security Council to issue a statement concerning UN Resolution 1559.
"We have had discussions with the Lebanese authorities and the prime minister and they are all conscious of what needs to be done. I am not sure if a presidential statement at this stage is going to add anything to it ... But I think what is important is to continue working with the authorities to take appropriate measures at the right time to implement that aspect of the resolution."
The secretary general added that the UN resolution can not be "implemented overnight."
"We have made considerable progress on 1559 ... and the Lebanese authorities are very conscious of it [disarming militias] and are trying to work within their own system on how to proceed," he said. Annan added: "I think we should give them space to decide how to do it, and try not to impose something on them that could destabilize the situation, because we all want to help Lebanon, we want to see interference cease in Lebanon, we want to see Lebanon as a normal independent state that can run its affairs without outside interference, but we also have to be careful not to do anything that destabilizes the country."
Annan also said that the UN was aware of the delicate situation in Lebanon, and warned against arms smuggling into Lebanon, which was noted in Larsen's latest report.
"I think we should do everything to dissuade those who would ship weapons to Lebanon ... we don't need any more arms or any instigation in the situation and we will take measures to dissuade people who are sending in weapons. As to measures or initiatives, there are no specific initiatives, but we have made appeals, and it may well be that down the line some specific measures will have to be taken by the council."Meanwhile, a UN spokesman told The Daily Star that a UN Security Council meeting to extend the mandate of United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was not going to take place until the end of the month. "The secretary general has already sent a request to Security Council members to extend the mandate of UNIFIL. But the council is not expected to hold a meeting on that before the end of the month," the spokesman said.

Army confirms dynamite thrown from Ain al-Hilweh
By Mohammed Zaatari -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
SIDON: The national Palestinian factions in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp continued discussions Friday over the attacks on Lebanese Army bases in Sidon. On Thursday night, dynamite was thrown by unidentified persons at an army base near the camp. Investigations conducted by the army confirmed the explosives had been thrown from inside Ain al-Hilweh. Last Saturday, a hand grenade exploded near an army checkpoint outside the western entrance of the camp. Later, another checkpoint south of Sidon came under attack when an unidentified person threw explosives from a passing car. Army intelligence asked Ain al-Hilweh officials to surrender two people who were suspected of throwing the dynamite. The Palestinian follow-up committee, which includes representatives of several Palestinian factions, held an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the developments, in the presence of representatives of Sidon MPs Osama Saad and Bahia Hariri.
Sources said that while the first suspect was believed to have gone to Iraq, the second one was interrogated by the committee. However, the Lebanese Army insisted on the surrender of the suspects as soon as possible. Sidon's Mayor Abdel-Rahman Bizri also said the two suspects should be handed over in order to put an end to the attacks targeting the army. Another meeting was held by the representatives of the PLO, the Palestinian Forces' Alliance and the Islamic Forces.
The emergency meeting focused on the need to stabilize the security situation and react to any security infringements.
The secretary general of the follow-up committee, Abed Maqdah, condemned the attacks, adding that all the factions were keen on the preservation of "good and strong relations with the Lebanese Army." Hamas representative in Sidon, Abu Ahmad Fadel, said the Palestinian factions have agreed on the need to "strengthen the internal arena and avoid strife with the Lebanese." Sources said talks took place between Lebanese and Palestinian officials in an attempt to promote cooperation on security.

Army confirms dynamite thrown from Ain al-Hilweh
By Mohammed Zaatari -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
SIDON: The national Palestinian factions in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp continued discussions Friday over the attacks on Lebanese Army bases in Sidon. On Thursday night, dynamite was thrown by unidentified persons at an army base near the camp. Investigations conducted by the army confirmed the explosives had been thrown from inside Ain al-Hilweh. Last Saturday, a hand grenade exploded near an army checkpoint outside the western entrance of the camp. Later, another checkpoint south of Sidon came under attack when an unidentified person threw explosives from a passing car. Army intelligence asked Ain al-Hilweh officials to surrender two people who were suspected of throwing the dynamite. The Palestinian follow-up committee, which includes representatives of several Palestinian factions, held an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the developments, in the presence of representatives of Sidon MPs Osama Saad and Bahia Hariri. Sources said that while the first suspect was believed to have gone to Iraq, the second one was interrogated by the committee. However, the Lebanese Army insisted on the surrender of the suspects as soon as possible.
Sidon's Mayor Abdel-Rahman Bizri also said the two suspects should be handed over in order to put an end to the attacks targeting the army. Another meeting was held by the representatives of the PLO, the Palestinian Forces' Alliance and the Islamic Forces. The emergency meeting focused on the need to stabilize the security situation and react to any security infringements.
The secretary general of the follow-up committee, Abed Maqdah, condemned the attacks, adding that all the factions were keen on the preservation of "good and strong relations with the Lebanese Army." Hamas representative in Sidon, Abu Ahmad Fadel, said the Palestinian factions have agreed on the need to "strengthen the internal arena and avoid strife with the Lebanese." Sources said talks took place between Lebanese and Palestinian officials in an attempt to promote cooperation on security.

Pollution from Lebanon spreads along coastline
Neighbors along Mediterranean complain of effects on their eco-systems
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Sea and beach pollution has reached serious levels in Lebanon and is threatening our health, environment and tourism, with complaints emerging from neighboring countries on the effects it has on their eco-systems.The collapse of the Sidon dump last year, poor facilities for garbage disposal, lack of bins on beaches and many additional factors have contributed to the increase in pollution. Complaints from several neighboring countries, including Syria and Greece, reported that solid waste from Lebanon has reached their waters. In 2004, Nader Zantout and his sons Jade and Rani and Peter Koyess established Surf and Turf, a company that offers effective solutions to clean sand and gravel beaches, as well as removing solid waste from water.
Nader Zantout said "the company imported BeachTech vehicles from Germany and Marnett boats from Spain to help clean the water and sand." He added that "Surf and Turf is the only company in Lebanon that provides beach cleaning equipment and is the only agent of BeachTech vehicles in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia." Now, the company is trying to launch this initiative on a larger scale with help from the government. Unfortunately, Nader said that until now none of the concerned ministries have given them a clear response. Tourism is the main factor of economic growth in the country and Lebanese beaches are a major factor in attracting tourists, according to Rani. "The Lebanese have always complained about beach pollution; and now there is a perfect solution to the problem," he said. When contacted by The Daily Star Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis did not want to comment on the issue. For his part, Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf said the company had requested an interview and he was "supposed to meet with its owners early next week to discuss the project." He added: "I am for anything that cleans the beaches." Nader said "the company will soon move to Dubai if we don't get a sensible response from the government." "We have deployed all possible efforts and we will continue to try until the last minute because we care about the environment of this country," he continued.
But he noted that the company will not be able to afford the costs and the maintenance of the machines if no contracts are made with ministries. Public Works and Transport Minister Mohammad Safadi stressed the need for an "extensive cleaning campaign of all Lebanese beaches." But he added: "The ministry does not have sufficient funds to finance the campaign." "Unfortunately, our funds are limited but we hope that Surf and Turf will be available for such a cleaning campaign in the future," Safadi said.
However, this is one project that just can't wait. Last summer, the company carried out cleaning operations on Sidon's beach, which allowed the city's municipality to open a public beach. But it seems that cleaning the beach is not enough. Awareness campaigns are also needed to encourage citizens to preserve the cleanliness of the beach and maintain the environment. "Even when cleaning operations were ongoing, people were throwing garbage and polluting the area," Rani said. "We also placed waste bins but people continued to throw garbage along the coast," he continued.
Rani added that hospital waste, such as needles and tubes soiled with blood, were found on the beach during the cleaning operations. "This is a big threat to people; it's very dangerous to swim in the water," he said. Beachtech vehicles clean beaches by lifting and sifting the sand, drawing out even small pieces of dirt such as cigarette butts and glass shards while exposing the sand beneath to the sun's UV rays. The UV rays work to sterilize the sand thereby reducing bacteria and fungi.
Marnett vessels clean solid residues from the surface of the water. The size of the vehicles makes it easy for them to operate in bays, ports and even canals.
In an interview with The Daily Star, Mohammad Sareji, the president of the Lebanese Professional Divers' Association, said "any company or project aimed at cleaning Lebanese shores should be encouraged and supported at any price."
Sareji warned that garbage from Sidon's dump could soon reach all of the shores along the Mediterranean, adding that a "Greek newspaper recently reported that solid waste from Lebanon has entered its regional waters."
"Waste will reach all of the Mediterranean, including Cyprus and other countries," he said, stressing the need for a beach cleaning company to work in cooperation with the concerned ministries. Sareji noted that pollution of the sea would for the most part harm Lebanon's tourism sector, which represents is the main sector that generates economic growth.
"Tourists, who visit Sidon and see the pollution of the beaches there, will never want to return," he said. "It is a shame that such innovative company is disregarded by the government and the ministries," Sareji added. According to an article published in November by Environment and Development Magazine, two-thirds of the Lebanese public beaches are "highly contaminated."
Laboratory studies conducted by the Environment Hotline team at the American University of Beirut during the month of September 2005 showed that four out of six public beaches are highly contaminated. The beaches of Sidon and Ramlet al-Baida were identified as "highly polluted," while beaches in Tripoli and Baysarieh were identified as "less contaminated locations."Up until now, Lebanon has few beaches that are clean and safe enough for public bathing.

Annan announces Syria will cooperate with probe into Hariri murder
by Jihad Issa - 20 January, 2006
In Beirut many are convinced the commission of inquiry will be able to meet Assad. Syrian and Iranian presidents show unity and mutual support against international pressures on second day of their summit. Both reiterate support for Hezbollah.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – Yesterday, on the day the new head of the UN commission of inquiry into the Hariri assassination, Serge Brammertz, arrived in Beirut, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced that Syria was willing to cooperate fully with the probe into the Hariri assassination. Mr Annan said Syrian Foreign Minister Faruk al-Shara phoned him on Wednesday, and guaranteed Syria's full cooperation with Mr Brammertz.
In Beirut some observers believe the commission might speak to Assad without him appearing as a witness. His dignity will thus be preserved. In Damascus, Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad showed unity on the second day of their summit. They expressed support for their respective positions in their ongoing confrontation with the international community, and pledged their support for Hezbollah in Lebanon even though Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has called for the disarmament of the ‘Party of God’ in accordance with UN demands.
In addition to signing several cooperation agreements, Assad and Ahmadinajad renewed their unconditional support for the “Lebanese resistance and its military presence” rejecting all international pressures against Lebanon and Syria or any attempt of internationalising the Lebanese problem.
In a press briefing, the Iranian president also appealed to all Lebanese groups, of all religious denominations and political leanings to drop attitudes that divide the country. Tensions in Lebanon, he said, spill over into all other countries in the region.
He added that other states, especially the US, Great Britain and France should allow the peoples of the region to shape their alliances and find their own solutions to their problems.
Both presidents called on the US to pull out its forces out of Iraq and confirmed their support to the Palestinian people in its struggle against Israel, reiterating the legitimate rights of Palestinians to return to their land.
Ahmadinejad, who said both countries are political on the same level, announced a new summit to be held next month in Tehran. He thanked his Syrian counterpart for Syria’s support of Iran’s right to develop nuclear technology, a right that Assad considers an inherent right of any country.
In Beirut, Brammertz has already begun his work, announcing that the commission of inquiry’s mandate will be broader and include terrorist attacks perpetrated in Lebanon since October 2004 as requested by the Lebanese government.
A UN official who preferred not to be named confirmed today that some members of the commission of inquiry might travel to Syria next week, as reported in the Lebanese press, for an information-gathering meeting with President Assad. They should discuss how to organise a “formal” meeting with Assad who still refuses to be heard as a witness to the inquiry into the Hariri assassination of February 14 last year in Beirut.
Meanwhile, a battle of nerves continues in the Lebanese capital between Hezbollah and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is calling for the implementation of UN resolution 1559 on disarming militias. In an interview, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has pulled his ministers from the cabinet, called on Siniora to explain his views on the Shiite resistance.
Speaking to AsiaNews, General Michel Aoun called for early elections and, like Nasrallah, renewed his demand for a “new government of national government capable of governing the country in this very difficult historical moment”.

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2432
A Tale of Two Countries: Defining Post-Syria Lebanon
By Michael Young-January 20, 2006
When Shiite ministers recently “suspended” their participation in the Lebanese cabinet, though without resigning, it highlighted an increasingly apparent reality in post-Syria Lebanon: Two powerful camps coexist today. One, led by Hizballah, in alliance with the Amal movement, sits atop a Shiite community generally, though not unanimously, supporting their positions. The other reflects a cross-communal parliamentary majority, the cornerstone of which is the Sunni-led Future Movement of Saad Hariri, son of the murdered former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
This dichotomy is imperfect. Beyond sectarian affiliation, other fault lines divide the political actors, most importantly their attitude toward Syria. However, since the Syrian military withdrawal in April 2005, it would be fair to say that Lebanon is being buffeted by two broad visions for the future, and that the sectarian backdrop to this contest is mainly Sunni-Shiite, not Muslim-Christian, which was the main divide before Lebanon’s civil war began in 1975.
Two Visions for Post-Syria Lebanon
The Hariri vision is based on the classic urban merchant ideal, in which Lebanon is to be transformed into a liberal investment hub pursuing unhindered transactions with the West and the Arab world. Muslims and Christians must coexist in friendship, though the conservatism pervading this approach means the dictates of sectarianism are respected. Relations with Israel are to be governed by the 1949 Armistice Agreement, but no permanent agreement can be signed before all the Arab states accept peace. Proponents of this vision want the truth about who killed Rafiq Hariri, believe the Syrian regime was responsible, and have few qualms about seeing Damascus punished, whatever that means for regional stability. This vision is not strictly a Sunni one, but Sunnis are its main proponents and believe it embodies the values of the late prime minister.
The downside, and a potentially serious one, is that very different Sunni groups coexist under the Hariri “big tent.” Rafiq Hariri always highlighted the urbane moderation of his vision, but he could never completely conceal that, as a strong Sunni leader, he also appealed to radical Sunni Islamists and a Sunni underclass, both more likely to think in harsher sectarian terms than the pragmatists Hariri preferred to advertise.
Against this stands another vision, associated with the two Shiite parties—Hizballah and, far more ambiguously, the depleted Amal movement. This outlook is characterized by mistrust of the West, particularly the United States, and a desire to pursue the armed struggle against Israel, both in Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority. Proponents of this vision emphasize that Shiites have always staunchly defended Lebanese nationalism, have never cut deals with the outside, and proved their bona fides by expelling the Israelis in 2000. They refuse to regard Syria as an enemy, and recall that it was under the Syrians that Shiites were first given a prominent role in Lebanese political life. Economically, the parties oppose deep privatization of public utilities. Shiite employment in state institutions has been the paramount instrument of communal promotion in recent years. For poor Shiites, Hariri’s “merchant republic” offered few inducements. Even spatially, the community is concentrated in areas far from the rebuilt city center—the jewel in the crown of Hariri’s reconstruction of Beirut.
Many Shiites embrace this outlook, and specifically back Hizballah because, for the first time after decades of marginalization, the community is respected. No more ideological than others, Shiites nonetheless regard Hizballah’s militancy a badge of honor, and a legitimate lever with which to demand more in intersectarian bargaining. That is why they feel that UN efforts to disarm Hizballah will merely weaken their community once again. This dovetails with Hizballah’s own fear that, without weapons, it would be just another sectarian organization, forced to abandon its towering ambition to be a regional vanguard in the struggle against Israel and the United States. Arms also allow Hizballah to fulfill an implicit contract with Iran, whereby its threat to Israel from southern Lebanon can help deter an Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities. Neither the party nor its supporters sees a contradiction between Hizballah’s claim to be a guardian of Lebanese sovereignty and its alliances with Iran and Syria.
Goodbye Syria; Hello What?
Even before Syrian soldiers began pulling out of Lebanon, that prestidigitator of Lebanese minority politics, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, had grasped that the aftermath would be shaped by the struggle between the Hariri camp and Hizballah—between Sunnis and Shiites. That is why he sought to mediate between the two, hoping to enhance his own authority. The practical impact of this was Jumblatt’s engineering of a consensus around a controversial law governing parliamentary elections in summer 2005. The law gerrymandered districts so that Hizballah and Amal could maintain large blocs in the 128-seat parliament, despite the Syrian departure, while Jumblatt and Hariri expanded their sway.
The initial losers were the Christians, whose most powerful politician, Michel Aoun, was left out of the deal. However, the angry backlash in the Christian community was such that Aoun, who had just returned from exile, swept all seats in the Christian heartland, establishing his own substantial bloc. Aoun has tried to remain nonaligned in the Hariri-Hizballah faceoff, but his electors deeply mistrust Hizballah’s relationship with Syria, compelling him to strengthen his ties with the Hariri-Jumblatt alliance.
After the elections, Jumblatt’s strategy was to continue collaborating with the Shiites in a new government. The Druze leader induced the inexperienced Hariri to approve the re-election of Amal leader Nabih Birri as speaker of parliament, though Birri had been a main prop of Syrian hegemony. And when Hariri’s associate, Fouad Siniora, formed a government, he made sure Hizballah and Amal received key portfolios—the first time Hizballah entered the cabinet. However, this was an unnatural marriage. Soon, the compromise between the Hariri-Jumblatt camp and Hizballah and Amal turned into a virtual divorce.
The professed reason was passage, by a cabinet majority vote led by Hariri’s and Jumblatt’s ministers, of a decision asking the UN to form a tribunal “with an international coloring” to try those responsible for Rafiq Hariri’s murder. Hizballah and Amal, at least publicly, declined to sanction the decision and suspended their participation in cabinet sessions. In fact, the dispute went deeper, capping a period of palpable tension as Hizballah and Amal refused to adopt positions that might harm Syria. Damascus fears an international or mixed tribunal because it would have the power to convict Syrians, without the Syrian regime’s being able to control the outcome. The Shiite ministers were also displeased with Siniora’s running of cabinet sessions, where he often outmaneuvered them. He understood they could not resign, since Hizballah views its participation in the government as institutional cover to resist surrendering its arms.
Deadlock prevails to this day, with no clear sign when a solution might be forthcoming. Hizballah sought to make Hariri back an agreement that would have traded a Shiite return to the cabinet for Hariri’s approval of a resolution defending against the party’s disarmament. Hariri, rejected this, spurred on by the versatile Jumblatt, who, after failing to break Hizballah away from Syria, became the party’s most vociferous critic.
No consensus exists on a vision for Lebanon. Hizballah’s strategic alliances with Syria and, more significantly, Iran make improbable a serious dialogue on disarmament, which the party’s leaders consider an existential threat. Nor does Hizballah feel an urge to compromise, since it retains support among Shiites. The Hariri-Jumblatt tandem, in turn, controls a slight majority in parliament, but suffers from the physical absence of Saad Hariri, who lives outside Lebanon, fearing assassination. Moreover, Hariri is said to be under pressure from the Saudis to be more conciliatory with Syria, since Riyadh does not want events in Lebanon to destabilize the Syrian regime. The sectarian contours of the Hariri-Hizballah rivalry are sharpening, and while violence remains unlikely, the fight for Lebanon’s soul will continue for some time to come.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of Lebanon’s Daily Star newspaper and a contributing editor at Reason magazine.

Welch Says Hizbullah Should not Participate in Lebanese Government
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch said in an interview with a television station that he did not believe Hizbullah should participate in the Lebanese government. "If you're asking me as an American, I would say that it is not supposed to be in the government," Welch on Thursday told Marcel Ghanem, host of the talk show Kalam el Nass at the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation. Welch's visit to Beirut last week sparked riots by pro-Syrian groups led by Hizbullah, that accused the United States of intervening in internal Lebanese affairs. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused Washington of foiling reconciliation attempts that could have led to resuming the participation of Shiite ministers in the cabinet, ending a crisis that has paralyzed the government for over a month. Nasrallah has asked the government to officially declare that Hizbullah is a resistance group not a militia, to save the party from having to surrender its arms in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 that calls for disarming all militias in Lebanon. "We don't consider Hizbullah a militia, it is an armed group and in America's view it is a terrorist organization," Welch said.
He refuted the accusations that the United States was interfering in Lebanon's internal politics saying the goal for his visit was to promote the country's security and sovereignty in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions. "The days of intervening in Lebanese affairs are gone," the U.S. official said. He called on Syria and Iran to stop meddling in Lebanon and voiced his administration's concern about Damascus' influence over armed Palestinian radical groups. "We believe that Syria is a threat as a result of its intervention in Lebanon and its support for terrorist organizations," Welch said.The presence of armed radical Palestinian fighters outside refugee camps has sparked heated debate in Lebanon lately, after members of the pro-Syrian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command shot two municipal employees in Naameh, just south of Beirut. Beirut, Updated 20 Jan 06, 14:51

Israel blames Iran, Syria for Tel Aviv suicide bombing
01:18:32 EST Jan 20, 2006
An Israel police officer helps a wounded man at the site of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo/Naor Rahav)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Israel is blaming Iran and Syria for funding and planning a suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv that wounded 20, Israeli officials said Friday.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the Thursday-afternoon bombing, which wrecked a fast-food restaurant in a rundown part of Tel Aviv's centre. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party is facing a stiff challenge from Hamas, the other Islamic movement, condemned the attack as an attempt to sabotage the Jan. 25 election.
In a high-level security meeting to assess a response, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said Syria planned the attack and Iran funded it but Israel would not hit back at the Palestinians, said security officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
Mofaz cited "clear evidence" about Syrian and Iranian involvement, the officials said.
The explosion wrecked The Mayor's Shwarma, a fast-food restaurant specializing in grilled meat sandwiches, in a rundown part of downtown Tel Aviv - an area hit several times before by Palestinian attackers.
The bomber, who witnesses said pretended to be a peddler selling disposable razors, walked into the restaurant and blew himself up, even though most of the customers were sitting at sidewalk tables, relatively far from the bomber, said police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld.
Twenty people were wounded, one seriously, and the 22-year-old bomber was killed.
"I ran and saw the terrorist in two pieces," said Shlomo Eliav, 49, who owns a kiosk around the corner and has experienced several attacks. "I'm sick of this. I'm thinking of moving" to another part of town, he said.
This was the seventh suicide bombing aimed at Israelis since Palestinian militants declared an unofficial truce in February 2005. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for all - six in Israel and one at an army checkpoint on the West Bank of the Jordan River.
Islamic Jihad identified the assailant as 22-year-old Sami Abdel Hafez Antar from the West Bank city Nablus.
The militant group released a video made by the bomber before the attack. He said he was "offering himself to avenge the blood of martyrs." Brandishing a rifle and posing before a black Islamic Jihad flag, he said he carried out the bombing in response to Israeli attacks on civilians and militants. At the family home, a four-storey building in Nablus, Antar's mother was crying hysterically and could not talk. His brother, Sameh, 32, appeared puzzled. "I can't say anything about those who sent him," Sameh said. "All I can say is that my brother had everything. It seemed he wanted martyrdom and he got what he wanted."
The bombing came two days after acting Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert said he was interested in talks toward a peace treaty with the Palestinians, on condition they dismantle violent groups as stipulated in the internationally backed "road map" peace plan. Olmert is running for prime minister in March 28 elections as Ariel Sharon's successor. Sharon, felled by a massive stroke Jan. 4, is still in a coma and is not expected to recover. Sharon is believed to have favoured a long-term interim arrangement to test Palestinian intentions and has been skeptical of Abbas' ability to rein in militants. Sharon founded his new centrist party, Kadima, in November, bolting Likud because of its opposition to his peace moves. Likud reinforced its hawkish stand by choosing Benjamin Netanyahu, a former premier, as its leader. Polls show Olmert and Kadima far ahead, with Likud losing most of its strength but attacks like Thursday's could turn that around, especially with Sharon sidelined.
However, Raanan Gissin, a senior Israeli official, said Israelis have moved solidly to the centre now, advocating withdrawal from much of the West Bank. "One terrorist attack or two terrorist attacks are not going to sway them," Gissin said.
Gissin blamed inaction by Abbas' security forces for the Tel Aviv attack, charging militant groups have "moved into the void."
Abbas harshly condemned the bombing, which countered his efforts to control the militants by bringing them into the power structure. Hamas, the larger of the two Islamic groups, is running candidates for parliament and has mostly stopped attacks against Israel over the last year but Islamic Jihad persists.
Internal unrest threatens to disrupt the election, further evidence of Abbas' weakness.
"This is sabotage and aimed at sabotaging the elections, not only the elections but also the security of Palestinians," Abbas said at his office in the West Bank city Ramallah.
"The culprits must be punished."
In other violence, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian who was about to throw a firebomb on a highway on the southern West Bank late Thursday, Palestinians and military officials said.
© The Canadian Press, 2006

Iran president meets Palestinian militants in Syria
Fri Jan 20, 2006
By Suleiman al-Khalidi -DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on a visit to regional ally Syria, pledged support to militant Palestinian factions at a meeting with their leaders in Damascus on Friday, a Palestinian group said.
The talks came a few hours after Israel's defence minister accused Iran and Syria of being directly responsible for Thursday's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv which wounded 30 people. "The Iranian president stressed that Iran strongly stands behind the Palestinian people and their just struggle," Maher al-Taher, senior official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, told Reuters."He said the Palestinian people will be victorious as a result of their steadfastness, sacrifices and heroism."
Ahmadinejad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reiterated after talks on Thursday that they backed the right of the Palestinians and Lebanese to resist Israeli occupation.
Israel's Haaretz daily reported that Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said Israeli authorities had "decisive proof that the attack in Tel Aviv was a direct result of the Axis of Terror that operates between Iran and Syria".
TEL AVIV BOMB
Mofaz was also quoted as saying that Iran had funded the attack while the operational orders to the suicide bomber, who came from the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, were issued at the Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus.
Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Mofaz as saying that Ahmadinejad was holding a "terrorism summit" with his host, Assad. Islamic Jihad, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, claimed responsibility for the Tel Aviv bombing, the first in the Jewish state since an 11-month truce expired at the end of last year. Taher said Islamic Jihad leader Abdallah Ramadan Shallah was among those who attended the 90-minute meeting with Ahmadinejad. Also present was Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Ahmed Jibril, leader of the PFLP-GC pro-Syrian faction.
"We discussed the issue of pressure against Syria, Iran and Lebanon and confirmed the need to form a front that groups all the forces that opposes the Zionist-American schemes in the region," Taher said.
Both regional allies Syria and Iran are facing prospects of showdowns with the U.N. Security Council -- Damascus over limited cooperation with an inquiry into the killing of a Lebanese ex-prime minister and Tehran over its attempts to produce nuclear power. Ahmadinejad has caused an international furore by calling for Israel to be wiped out and describing the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed, as a myth.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Syria vs. democracy
BY URI DROMI dromi@idi.org.il JERUSALEM
Syrian President Bashar Assad seems to be in trouble these days. The Bush administration blames him for assisting insurgents in moving from Syria into Iraq and supplying them with arms. With the American death toll in Iraq mounting, this is a mistake that might cost the Syrian president dearly. The fate of his classmate in the school of Middle East tyrants, Saddam Hussein, should have caused him to think twice before engaging in such activity, or turning a blind eye to those among his lieutenants who do it. If this were not enough, another blow was inflicted on him last week by his former vice president, Abdel-Halim Haddam, who told Al Arabiya television in an interview from Paris that Assad and other senior Syrian officials threatened former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in February.
Exchanging barbs
Hariri, it should be reminded, backed a United Nations resolution that called for Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon, thus depriving Damascus of its long-time grip on the neighboring country. Haddam repeated his accusation in an interview to The New York Times on Jan. 6, in which he predicted that Assad's rule might not survive the crisis caused by the assassination inquiry. More barbs have been exchanged.
These damning interviews came at a most unfortunate moment for Assad. In the last several months he has fought hard to refute the allegations of the U.N. investigation team that Syria was involved in the assassination of Hariri. In an interview with France 3 television in June he said, ``We are certain of our innocence. There is no evidence that Syria is involved. There is no criminal evidence; and Syria has no interest in that crime, nor does it have a history of similar actions.''
Now that is a joke everyone in the Middle East will appreciate. If there is something the Assad family has excelled in, it's assassination of Lebanese leaders who dare defy Syrian control over their country, the most notable case being the car bomb that finished Bashir Jumayel days after he had been elected president of Lebanon in September 1982.
Assad is sweating. Only two weeks ago, Detlev Mehlis, the outgoing head of the U.N. team investigating Hariri's assassination was interviewed by Ghida Fakhry of the Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Here is an excerpt:
Fakhry: Do you feel Syria is definitely behind this [Hariri's] killing?
Mehlis: Yes.
Fakhry: The Syrian government?
Mehlis: Well, let us say Syrian authorities.
Fakhry: How high up [in the government] do you go?
Mehlis: Well, that is speculation so I cannot comment on this.
Mehlis couldn't, but Haddam could. Being vice president for years -- under Assad and before that under his late father -- Haddam undoubtedly knows something about how the Syrian regime carries out its sinister activities. ''Hariri received many threats,'' he told al-Arabiya in the same explosive interview. 'Assad told me he had delivered some very, very harsh words to Hariri . . . something like `I will crush anyone who tries to disobey us.' Hariri's nose started to bleed after this meeting.''
Haddam dismissed the speculation that the assassination was the job of an individual because such an operation ''needs a lot of sophisticated technology, tons of explosives and planners who have a leader.'' And as for who gave the order, or, at least, who gave an approving nod, here is what Haddam had to say: ``In principle, no government body in Syria, be it a security apparatus or otherwise, can single-handedly take this decision [killing Hariri].''
'Democratize' the Mideast
So Assad must now be sitting in his palace complaining about what the world has come to: One can't go on terrorizing and assassinating one's neighbors at one's desire anymore! An echo of Spiro Agnew's famous moan: ``The bastards changed the rules and didn't tell me.''
Coercing Syria to get the message, by talks or through sanctions, is a necessity. This whole episode sheds light on a much-broader issue, namely, the highly publicized initiative of the Bush administration to ''democratize'' the Middle East. If Syria is an example -- a country where the Allawite minority rules the Sunni majority and the regime is implicated in assassinating neighboring leaders -- then we all have a long and arduous road ahead of us.
Uri Dromi is director of International Outreach at the Israel Democracy Institute in

Syria Supports Iran in Nuclear Standoff
Syria Supports Iran in Its Mounting Nuclear Standoff With the West
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, and Syrian President Bashar Assad hold a press conference at the Ash Shaeb presidential palace in Damascus Thursday Jan. 19, 2006. Syria on Thursday backed ally Iran in its confrontation with the West over its nuclear program, saying critics have provided no convincing argument to deny Tehran the technology. The Syrian support came at a summit of the nation's two presidents to coordinate policies and consolidate their alliance under the shadow of U.S. pressure and the threat of international sanctions against both.(AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi).
By ALBERT AJI Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria Jan 19, 2006 — Syria asserted Thursday that Iran had a right to atomic technology and said Western objections to Tehran's nuclear ambitions were not persuasive.
President Bashar Assad of Syria, a longtime Iranian ally facing its own international criticism, said he backed Tehran's moves toward nuclear power and wanted to strengthen ties.
"We support Iran regarding its right to peaceful nuclear technology," Assad said at a news conference with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the start of two days of meetings. "It is the right of Iran and any other state to own nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Countries that object to that have not provided a convincing or logical reason."
Iraqi Police Lock Down Baghdad
British Message in a Bottle Gets Reply From Australia
Tel Aviv Attack
Russia's Foreign Minister Thursday called for a cautious approach to the mounting crisis over Iran's renewal of nuclear research, while a senior U.S. envoy accused Tehran of deceiving the world about its intentions.
The U.S. and key European nations have been pushing for Iran's referral to the U.N. Security Council, a first step toward possible sanctions over Iran's unsealing equipment earlier this month and announcing the start of small-scale experimental uranium enrichment, a potential step toward nuclear weapons.
Syria is facing its own international condemnation, over its reluctance to cooperate with a U.N. investigation implicating it in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Damascus has denied any role.
Ahmadinejad said the two countries needed to coordinate their positions.
"Considering that Syria is the steadfast party confronting Israel, and Iran is the defender of the Islamic revolution, this obliges us to have more consultation and cooperation," the Iranian president said in Farsi comments translated into Arabic.
"The circumstances in the region dictate on us such strengthening (of ties)," he said.
Syria, Iran's closest Arab ally, sits on the 35-nation Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which meets on Feb. 2 to vote on referring Tehran to the Security Council.
Gregory L. Schulte, America's delegate to the IAEA, accused Iran on Thursday of deceiving the world about its atomic program, saying that referring Iran to the Security Council would be meant to deny "the most deadly of weapons to the most dangerous of countries."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for a cautious approach.
Shi'ites seal power, Baghdad in security clampdown
Security Stepped Up After Bin Laden Threat
Tel Aviv Attack
"In this situation it is essential not to harm the global community, the nuclear nonproliferation regime," he said.
Moscow and Beijing carry great weight with other IAEA board countries and both have vetoes on the 15-member Security Council. They are opposed to sanctioning a country with which they have strong economic and strategic ties. In recent days, they have expressed reluctance even to the idea of referral.
Placing an embargo on Iran's oil exports would hurt Tehran, which earns most of its revenues from energy sales, but also roil world crude markets.
Schulte, in comments at a public lecture, played down differences with Russia and China, saying both "have been pressing very strongly on Tehran."
Alluding to comments by Ahmadinejad denying Israel's right to exist, Schulte said: "A country that threatens 'death' to other countries must be denied the most deadly of weapons."
Iran's top nuclear negotiator told the British Broadcasting Corp. that his country is ready to compromise with the West.
"If they want guarantees of no diversion of nuclear fuel, we can reach a formula acceptable to both sides in talks," the negotiator, Ali Larijani, told the BBC.
The offer to guarantee nuclear fuel won't be diverted to weapons was unlikely to satisfy Europe and the U.S., which are insisting Iran not enrich uranium at all.
Iran insists its plans for enrichment are only to produce nuclear fuel. But a series of suspicious finds by IAEA inspectors over almost three years have hardened suspicions that Iran wants to make weapons-grade uranium for nuclear warheads.
Europe, backed by the United States, on Wednesday rejected an Iranian request to renew talks.
France, Germany and Britain had been leading negotiations on behalf of the 25-member European Union.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told ZDF television from Egypt Thursday that talks had "reached a point where we would have risked our credibility if we had simply continued" but that "does not mean that we are no longer seeking diplomatic solutions."
Shi'ites seal power, Baghdad in security clampdown
Security Stepped Up After Bin Laden Threat
Tel Aviv Attack
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that "there's not much to talk about" until Iran halts nuclear activity. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, also rejected any return to talks
Ahmadinejad Wednesday accused the West of acting like the "lord of the world" in denying his country the peaceful use of the atom.
Associated Press writers George Jahn in Vienna and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
 

Foiling the hydra
AlAhram 20.1.06: Ayman Al-Zawahri, Al-Qaeda number two, was rumoured to have been killed in a US raid on a Pakistani border town last Saturday. What would have happened had the news been true? Despite the frenzied media and public interest the death of either Al-Zawahri or Bin Laden will change little, for Al-Qaeda's centre of gravity has shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq, where Jordanian-born Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi is now the uncontested champion of jihad.
Recent attacks in Jordan -- the bombing of three hotels and firing of rockets at the ports of Aqaba and Eilat -- were directly ordered by Al-Zarqawi. Al-Qaeda has been training members in Lebanon since early 2005, apparently on orders from Al-Zarqawi. According to French terror experts Al-Qaeda members have been trained to make bombs and detonate them through the use of mobile phones in the mountainous areas around Tripoli in northern Lebanon. In mid-September 2005, a French official disclosed that police had arrested Al-Qaeda members who arrived in France from Lebanon with instructions to bomb vital targets. Immediately afterwards seven rockets were fired into Israel from Hizbullah-controlled areas in south Lebanon. Al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attack.
Al-Zarqawi is promoting his image as Al-Qaeda's de facto leader. In attacking Israel he is claiming achievements neither Bin Laden nor Al-Zawahri can match. It is a calculated claim: attacks on Israel can bring financial backing from some quarters in the region of the kind Hamas, Hizbullah and Al-Jihad once received.
When, in the first half of 2005 Al-Zarqawi threatened to carry out attacks on European interests and citizens, he was merely asserting his new status as Al-Qaeda's senior military commander, a role that was once Al-Zawahri's.
No one has heard of Bin Laden for a year now. Al-Zawahri, meanwhile, has been sending out more messages than ever before. A peaceful transition of power seems to have taken place inside Al-Qaeda, with Al-Zarqawi assuming Al-Zawahri's military role as Al-Zawahri has stepped into Bin Laden's shoes.
Al-Zawahri's death would be of little consequence. He was the man in charge of organisation and strategy under Bin Laden, a role now occupied by Al-Zarqawi. Should Bin Laden and Al-Zawahri both disappear from the scene Al-Zarqawi may simply assume both spiritual and military command of the group. He is already promoting himself as an ideological leader through a series of essays -- six so far -- entitled "It wouldn't harm to let them down", in which he offers himself as a doctrinal thinker.
Al-Zarqawi has been slowly acquiring strategic, doctrinal, organisational and financial control of Al-Qaeda. He has left nothing to Al-Zawahri apart from spiritual guidance, of questionable impact on the dynamics and morale of the group.
The US needs a moral victory over Al-Qaeda. It would love to capture Al-Zawahri or Al-Zarqawi to make up, at least before the media, for its failure in Iraq. But the death of one commander is unlikely to spell the end of the group's lethal brand of extremism, something for which US policies in the region must be held responsible.