LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 13/07

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5,13-16. You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Free Opinion
Lebanese Army needs Canada's urgent help and support. By: Elias Bejani.Global Politician. June 13/07
Unemployment and insecurity emptying Lebanon of Lebanese-Daily StarBy IRIN News.org-June 13/07
Sarkozy can help Lebanon by focusing on the interests of the people -Daily Star-June 13/07
Russia still won't let go of its post-communist neighbors-Mart Laar-June 13/07

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 13/06/07
Lebanese Troops Kill 16 Terrorists in Nahr al-Bared-Naharnet
Security Council Backs Saniora's Government in Fight Against Fatah al-Islam-Naharnet
Lebanon Informs U.N. that Pro-Damascus Palestinians are Massing Fighters-Naharnet
UN Security Council concerned arms are flowing from Syria to Lebanon-International Herald Tribune
Security Council Backs Saniora's Government in Fight Against Fatah al-Islam-Naharnet
Tawhid and Jihad Threatens to Chop Off Lebanese Heads Over Camp Siege-Naharnet
Ban to Help Lebanon Set up Tribunal, Mulls Extending Brammertz' Mandate-Naharnet
Yakan: Mediation Collapses as Camp Conflict Now In Qaida Hands-Naharnet
Sfeir hopes crises will 'teach us to live together'-Daily Star
Security Council meets to assess progress on Resolution 1559-Daily Star
Olmert 'will ask Bush to help get UNIFIL troops on Syrian border'-Daily Star
French envoy makes rounds in Beirut-Daily Star
Solana calls for renewed talks among Lebanese-Daily Star
Qaouk: 'True partnership' not subject to negotiation-Daily Star
New grenade scares in Achrafieh and Tripoli-Daily Star
Aoun: unity government key to avoiding chaos-Daily Star
12 magistrates shortlisted to serve on tribunal-Daily Star
Greek foreign minister arrives on Wednesday-Daily Star
Egypt decides to keep military hospital in Beirut-Daily Star
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya fumes at Gemayel remarks-Daily Star
Palestinian minister backs Lebanese Army-Daily Star
PA: 'Iran, Syria orchestrated Israeli kidnapping attempt'-Ya Libnan

UN Security Council concerned arms are flowing from Syria to Lebanon
The Associated PressPublished: June 12, 2007
UNITED NATIONS: The U.N. Security Council gave strong backing to the Lebanese government's fight against militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp and reiterated its "deep concern" about mounting evidence that arms are being smuggled across the border from Syria.
The council adopted a statement after a briefing by Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N. envoy for Lebanon-Syria issues, who expressed "alarm" at reports by the Lebanese army and observers that both arms and militia men are crossing the border from Syria to Lebanon.
"It seems today that the greatest obstacle to stabilizing the fragile situation in Lebanon is precisely the very presence of these militias and the build-up which we unfortunately are witnessing," he told reporters afterward.
The Security Council met and adopted the statement on the day a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri came into effect. The council gave Lebanon's deeply divided parliament until June 10 to ratify the statutes to establish the tribunal. Lebanon did not, so the court was automatically established by the Security Council.
The issue of the tribunal has sharply polarized Lebanon. It is at the core of a deep political crisis between the Western-backed government led by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the Syrian-backed opposition led by Hezbollah. The tensions have taken on an increasingly sectarian tone that has erupted into street battles in recent months, killing 11 people.
Clashes between the Fatah Islam militants and Lebanese troops in the Nahr el-Bared camp in northern Lebanon have claimed at least 130 lives since they broke out on May 20. The fighting — the worst internal violence in the country since the 1975-90 civil war — has dragged on, with the Lebanese army besieging the camp in efforts to uproot the al-Qaida inspired militants inside.
"The council condemns the ongoing criminal and terrorist acts in Lebanon, including those perpetrated by Fatah al-Islam, and fully supports the efforts carried out by the Lebanese government and army to ensure security and stability throughout Lebanon," the statement said.
Roed-Larsen said the Lebanese government is currently interrogating terrorists arrested for involvement in the recent violence.
Saniora has already said publicly "that there existed links between these militants, who entered Lebanon from Syria, and some of the Syrian intelligence services," he said. "We are awaiting the release of further information from the investigation."
The Security Council reiterated "its deep concern at mounting information by Israel and other states of illegal movements of arms in Lebanon, and in particular across the Lebanese-Syrian border." Members said they look forward to a report from a U.N. team currently assessing security along the border.
Roed-Larsen's report said "the picture that emerges from the Lebanese army report ... is that there is a steady flow of a variety of weapons, other provisions and armed elements, across the border from Syria."
He noted that Syrian President Bashar Assad has "has consistently denied reports of illegal arms trafficking through the Syrian-Lebanese border, except for individual incidents" and has pointed to his country's efforts in enforcing the U.N. weapons embargo.
Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari called Roed Larsen biased, saying "he has always aimed at escalating the Syrian-Lebanese relationship, at aggravating the situation, rather than at calming the situation."
"Those who would benefit from this tension are those who are working against the sovereignty of Lebanon, ... the territorial integrity of Lebanon and the unity of Lebanon. Of course, Israel is in far front of these powers," he said.
Roed-Larsen told the council, however, that "there is concern about allegations of widespread rearming and the possibility of renewed fighting among the Lebanese."
"What we have seen in Nahr al-Bared, in Ein El-Hilweh (refugee camp), and in Beirut and its surroundings may well have been only an opening salvo," he warned.
Roed-Larsen briefed the council on the 2004 resolution that called for disarming all militias in the country and extending Lebanese authority throughout the southern region. The resolution is linked to another adopted at the end of last summer's 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war that banned arms smuggling.
According to the Lebanese army, Roed Larsen said, weapons produced outside the country are arriving clandestinely in Lebanon on a regular basis.
The Lebanese government "is restricted" in extending its authority throughout the country "in the face of terrorist acts and of the challenge posed by Fatah al-Islam and other militias," he said. He cited the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah-Intifadah, both headquartered in Damascus.
The Security Council reiterated its strong support for Lebanon's sovereignty and its elected government led by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
It expressed regret that all the provisions of the 2004 resolution have not been fully implemented — "particularly the disbanding and disarming of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias," strict respect for Lebanon's unity and political independence, and free and fair presidential elections.

Lebanon, Syria: A Political Breakup and an Explosive Summer
Summary
The West is taking steps to break apart a pro-Syrian opposition alliance in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Maronite Christian leader Gen. Michel Aoun. The United States knows Syria can attempt to sabotage the ongoing U.S.-Iranian negotiations over Iraq, and Washington is looking for additional levers with which to pressure Syrian President Bashar al Assad to make the Iraq deal work and to weaken Syria's political clout in Beirut. With Lebanese presidential elections approaching, Syria is concerned it could lose the parliamentary support it needs in Lebanon to block any decisions that go against Syrian interests -- which means Lebanon is in for a (literally) explosive summer.
Analysis
While the United States has been bogged down in Iraq, Syrian President Bashar al Assad wisely used his time to consolidate power at home and gradually reaffirm Syria's role as Lebanon's main power broker. Syria relied heavily on the so-called March 8 opposition alliance led by Hezbollah, the Amal movement and Maronite Christian leader Gen. Michel Aoun to protect Syrian interests. And that they did by depriving the Western-backed government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of the two-thirds quorum needed to pass legislation that would create an international tribunal to try Syrian suspects for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
But Siniora now has taken the tribunal issue away from the Lebanese government and turned it over to the U.N. Security Council for implementation, with or without the approval of the Lebanese parliament. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1757 gives the Lebanese parliament until June 10 to establish the tribunal. If parliament does not, the tribunal automatically will come into force. Syria will ensure the parliament does not set up the tribunal, then will refuse to cooperate with what it will call an illegitimate and illegal U.N. mandate.
Syria might not be able to depend on its parliamentary-blocking ability much longer, however. Presidential elections in Lebanon are slated for Sept. 25. Syria wants to ensure that the next president can be bought by Damascus to serve as a stooge, much like Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has done. Siniora's Western-backed anti-Syrian alliance is not prepared to let that happen, however. Finding a compromise candidate is going to be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, in the near term.
In Beirut, rumor has it that former Lebanese intelligence chief Johnny Abdo is the front-runner to replace Lahoud in the upcoming elections. Abdo, who was an ally of al-Hariri, is firmly rooted in Lebanon's anti-Syrian camp. As Lebanon's former ambassador to France, Abdo also likely has Paris' support for his candidacy. To make sure their chosen candidate comes into power, the U.S. and French governments are heavily engaged in a diplomatic effort to break Syria's parliamentary stranglehold in Lebanon. To do so, Washington and Paris need to get Aoun to break his alliance with Hezbollah and go back to the anti-Syrian camp under Siniora.
The Lebanese political system is confessional, meaning constituencies are arranged along sectarian lines. Within each sect, several leaders compete for the hearts and minds of members. This has produced patron-client relationships, in which a confessional leader serves as a patron in exchange for his clients' unquestioning support. This support is only possible as long as the leader does not commit gross political identification violations, however.
Aoun committed such a violation when he allied himself with Hezbollah and alienated the vast majority of his Maronite Christian supporters, particularly in the Maronite stronghold of Kisirwan. Initially, Aoun wanted to affiliate with the Siniora-led March 14 coalition, but his demands for Cabinet portfolios beyond the actual political weight of his bloc could not be accommodated. When he failed to get his way, he turned to Hezbollah -- a partnership most Maronites found inexcusable.
Aoun is probably best described as a stubborn opportunist who can switch sides as frequently as he changes shirts. In 1988, he considered the Syrian army in Lebanon an ally of the Lebanese army. Less than a year later, he launched his war of liberation against Syrian forces because Syria did not nominate him for the presidency.
Though Aoun would love to be elected president in September, his chances of gaining the presidency are next to nil. Aoun simply lacks the domestic or foreign support to get the job. That said, Aoun is a more favorable ally for the March 14 coalition's Sunni faction than Aoun's Maronite rival, Samir Geagea, who is detested by the faction and has been implicated in atrocities against Sunnis during the Lebanese civil war. Already under pressure from his own constituency to part ways with Hezbollah, Aoun probably will reach an understanding with the March 14 coalition, allowing him to assert himself as the Maronite kingmaker in the government even if he does not get the presidency.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch privately assured members of the March 14 coalition during a recent trip to Beirut that he had secured word from Aoun that the latter's parliamentary bloc will attend the parliamentary session and establish the two-thirds quorum needed to elect Lebanon's next president. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner appears to have conveyed a similar message, and Welch's visit probably will be followed up by visits by other senior U.S. officials to ensure Aoun's support for the plan.
Syria probably has caught wind of these plans, and already appears to be pressuring Aoun's faction to remain on Damascus' side of the political divide. This may well have been the intended message of the June 4 bus bombing near a commercial center and church in Bouchrieh, a Christian suburb in eastern Beirut; it was the fourth bombing believed to have been carried out by Syrian operatives in the Lebanese capital in less than a month. We can expect similar explosive political messages in the coming weeks and months as pressure builds over the tribunal and presidential elections.
At present, Washington is focused on developing a political settlement in Iraq through negotiations with Iran. These negotiations have al Assad worried; Syria does not like the idea of an Iraq settlement freeing up U.S. forces across the border, or of jihadists returning home to Syria from Iraq to carry out attacks on their native soil. The United States sees Syria holding the spoiler card, and wants to ensure that Syria faces enough pressure to follow through with its commitment in this Iraq deal and cut off the flow of insurgent traffic into Iraq. To do this, Washington needs a stronger lever against al Assad, so it is using the political battle in Beirut to pressure Syria where it hurts.

Security Council meets to assess progress on Resolution 1559
Ban confirms extension of brammertz's mandate as head of hariri probe
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The UN Security Council met in New York on Monday for consultations on Resolution 1559, as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared his intention to extend the mandate of Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz as the head of the probe into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
As The Daily Star went to press, the Security Council had not yet met. The council was scheduled to meet at 10 p.m. Lebanon time to discuss the main points remaining for the full implementation of 1559: free and fair presidential elections in Lebanon, the disarmament of all Lebanese militias and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon. As for Brammertz, his mandate will be extended until December of this year, according to Ban's press office.
UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Ban had informed the Security Council last week of his intention to extend Brammertz' mandate, which expires this month. Ban "wishes to thank Mr. Brammertz for his leadership in advancing the investigation and for his commitment to providing continuity in the [investigation] commission's work," she added. In his last interim report, Brammertz reported some progress in his investigation and said the Hariri killing was most likely politically motivated. Hariri was killed along with 22 others in a massive bomb blast in Beirut on February 14, 2005.
Brammertz' German predecessor, Detlev Mehlis, had implicated senior Syrian officials in the Hariri slaying. Damascus has denied any connection with the assassination, which sparked weeks of mass demonstrations that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005. Four Lebanese generals who headed the country's major security forces at the time of the killing have been in custody since 2005 on suspicion of involvement in the slaying. - Agencies

Tawhid and Jihad Threatens to Chop Off Lebanese Heads Over Camp Siege
A Syrian al-Qaida-inspired group on Tuesday warned of attacks on Lebanese interests and citizens if the government does not lift its siege off Fatah al-Islam militants besieged in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared. In a Web statement, the group Tawhid and Jihad in Syria promised its support for the camp's fighters. The Tawhid and Jihad leader, Abu Jandal al-Dimashqi, met with representatives from Fatah al-Islam recently, the statement said. "We warn the Lebanese government that its vital interests, officials and sons living in Syria will be moving targets for us if it does not lift its siege off the camp," said the statement, posted on a Web forum where militant groups often issue messages. "Let the Lebanese government wait for the hell of kidnapping, shooting and chopping of heads if it does not respond to the demand," said the statement. Its authenticity could not be verified.
Tawhid and Jihad in Syria first became known in November, when its former leader Omar Abdullah clashed with Syrian security forces and blew himself up on the border with Lebanon. Al-Dimashqi then issued a May 28 audiotape claiming to be the group's new leader and calling on Syrians to kill Syrian President Bashar Assad and on other Arabs to topple their leaders as well. "Tawhid and Jihad" -- Arabic for "monotheism and holy war" -- is a name used by several groups apparently inspired by al-Qaida -- though their actual links to Osama bin Laden are not clear. Al-Qaida in Iraq formerly went by the name. The most prominent militant group in Syria is known as Jund al-Sham, but it is sometimes called the Jund al-Sham for Jihad and Tawhid.
The statement did not say when or where al-Dimashqi allegedly met with Fatah al-Islam's representative, whom it identified as the group's "security coordinator."
It said the representative "explained the ideology of the group, its aims to support Islam and the establishment of the State of Islam, which is a dream for every Muslim."
Tawhid and Jihad promised to support Fatah al-Islam, saying "Jews, Christians and the malevolent Crusaders in Lebanon and in Europe ... (and) Lebanese officials -- France and America's dogs, weaned on the breast of treason -- have all rushed to help against the brothers of Fatah al-Islam."(AP-Naharnet) (AP photo shows posters of Lebanese soldiers killed during clashes with Fatah al-Islam militants at Nahr al-Bared) Beirut, 12 Jun 07, 11:52

French envoy makes rounds in Beirut
By Hani M. Bathish -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
BEIRUT: French Foreign Ministry envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran said his meetings with Lebanese political leaders on Monday were positive and productive. Cousseran invited the participants in last year's Lebanese national dialogue to attend a round-table meeting in Paris planned for late June to restart and rebuild trust between rival political factions.
After meeting Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday evening, Cousseran met Monday with Reform and Change bloc leader MP Michel Aoun, Lebanese Forces (LF) chief Samir Geagea, parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri and Justice Minister Charles Rizk.
Diplomatic sources told the Central News Agency (CNA) on Monday it would be wrong to lend Cousseran's visit more weight than it merits, adding that the envoy had come to ensure a minimum level of interaction between Lebanon's sparring political camps ahead of presidential elections in September.
Cousseran expressed optimism after visiting Aoun in Rabieh, saying the latter had accepted France's invitation to the Paris talks. The French envoy was accompanied by Ambassador Bernard Emie, who said the visit was designed to explain the initiative put forward by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
"I am in Beirut to propose to the major political groups in Lebanon a meeting in France. It is a simple, clear and well-intentioned initiative, and it is based upon France's interest in taking part in the rebuilding of trust between the various Lebanese factions," Cousseran said, adding that he was in Lebanon to lay the groundwork for the Paris meeting. "We exchanged ideas and discussed the topics that could be put on the agenda for the meeting," Cousseran said. "We wish these ideas to be all-encompassing and bring politicians of divergent points of view closer together."
Later Monday, the French envoy met with Geagea, describing the meeting as both "positive and open" and announcing that the LF will be sending a representative to the Paris talks.Cousseran said he covered all matters with Geagea, adding that no major obstacles emerged during their meeting. He also said his discussions with the LF leader were essential for what would be negotiated in Paris. The French envoy later met Rizk, with the two men conducting their discussion over lunch. The two-hour meeting covered many issues of importance, said a CNA report.
Cousseran then met Hariri in Qoreitem.
Cousseran will meet Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on Tuesday. In the meantime, former President Amin Gemayel met at his home in Bikfaya on Monday with US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, who said his visit was to show US support for a democratic and sovereign Lebanon.
On the French initiative, Feltman said: "We stressed repeatedly that we support dialogue among the Lebanese and support this track, but it is up to the Lebanese to decide for themselves. We support all efforts aimed at bringing the Lebanese together for a serious and honest dialogue."
Despite a general patina of optimism surrounding the French initiative, Berri has expressed pessimism concerning both the government and the security situation.
The speaker received a phone call from Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Monday, during which both men expressed a lack of optimism, said a report from the National News Agency (NNA). The NNA said that Berri asked Moussa: "The majority no longer knows what it wants, so how can we in turn know how to treat this illegitimate government?"
On the other hand, most March 14 Forces politicians welcomed the French initiative but voiced hopes that the meeting could be held in Lebanon instead of in France. Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Fatfat told Voice of Lebanon radio on Monday that the French initiative aims to restart the dialogue without defining a specific aim for the meeting.
Fatfat said invitations will be issued to factions represented at the national dialogue meetings, as well as to some civil-society representatives. "The March 14 Forces see dialogue as the starting point to any political solution," he added. He said that had there been comprehensive dialogue in Lebanon it would have been a major step forward, but because that has not happened, everyone is responsive to the French invitation.
Phalange Party MP Antoine Ghanem said that the success of the French initiative is tied to developments during the next few days: "We can but welcome any initiative from any source to support a dialogue that was previously called for by Speaker Berri. All that had been agreed upon [during the national dialogue] was not applied because of political bickering."The country's political situation has been in a stalemate since six ministers resigned from the government last November. - With agencies
Abdullah to tour Europe
RIYADH: Saudi King Abdullah is to head to Europe next week for a tour that will include talks in Paris ahead of a conference there aimed at ending Lebanon's crippling political deadlock. A Western diplomatic source said Abdullah, currently on holiday in Morocco, would be in Spain on June 18, France on June 21 and Poland on June 24. France has offered to host informal fence-mending talks between rival Lebanese political groups, and factions from across the political spectrum have already given their support to the proposal. The Lebanese media has said the meeting would take place June 29-30 at La Celle-Saint-Cloud in the Parisian suburbs. Both Saudi Arabia and France back the government of beleaguered Premier Fouad Siniora, and Abdullah is expected to discuss the upcoming talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
An Arab diplomatic source in Beirut told AFP that Sarkozy would ask Abdullah to encourage rival Lebanese parties to attend the reconciliation meeting.
France and Saudi Arabia have been closely involved in efforts to break the deadlock in Lebanon's political system caused by the walkout of pro-Syrian opposition ministers last November. After Europe, King Abdullah is due to stop in Egypt and Jordan between June 25 and 28, an Arab diplomat in Riyadh said. - AFP

Ad-Diyar defamation case referred to appeals court
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Beirut Chief Investigative Magistrate Abdel-Rahim Hammoud referred Ad-Diyar newspaper's owner Charles Ayyoub and manager Youssef Howayek to the appeals court on charges of "defamation" against Hani Hammoud, the media adviser to parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, a judicial report said on Monday. Ad-Diyar published an article claiming that Hariri asked Hammoud to launch a smear campaign against Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun. Ayyoub and Howayek were not charged with slander or libel, but rather with defamation "for absence of necessary evidence," the judicial report said.

Sarkozy can help Lebanon by focusing on the interests of the people
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Editorial- Daily Star
The French government's ambition to revive dialogue as a means of breaking the political logjam in Beirut comes at an opportune time for two reasons: The issue of the Hariri tribunal is now in the hands of the United Nations, and France's policy on Lebanon is now in the hands of Nicolas Sarkozy. The court was a distraction, and President Sarkozy's predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was perhaps too close to one side of the Lebanese divide to have perspective on how it might be bridged.
Now both the government and the opposition in Beirut have an opportunity to restate their cases for fresh ears. More importantly, French diplomacy has a chance to refocus the debate by recasting it in the interests of the Lebanese people rather than those of their so-called "representatives." Virtually all of Lebanon's current political leaders can trace their defining moments to the 1975-1990 Civil War. Their experiences have left them with mindsets permanently framed by the concept of the "joint committees" that frequently arranged the temporary truces and other short-term arrangements that characterized that bloody conflict.
The result is that even since the war ended, Lebanon has been governed by a succession of what can rightly be described as "interim governments." Their mandates have been questionable, their policies incoherent and their momentum ephemeral at best. Worst of all, their members have concentrated on representing the parties to which they belong rather than the voters to whom they supposedly answer. Sarkozy has a chance to change this, but only if he imposes a clear price for entry to the negotiations that his country is trying to kickstart: All participants must arrive with clearly written policy statements on how to reform the electoral system so it reflects more accurately both the composition and the opinions of Lebanon's long-suffering population; and all must bring similarly detailed suggestions on how to amend the Taif Accord that ended the war so it can finally be implemented.

Ban to Help Lebanon Set up Tribunal, Mulls Extending Brammertz' Mandate
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will help Lebanon set up "in a timely manner" the international tribunal that would try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins, his press office said Monday. An agreement between the U.N. and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government came into force Sunday in line with Security Council Resolution 1757. The council imposed the court on May 30, but also gave Lebanon's parliament a last opportunity till June 10 to ratify it. The deadline passed Sunday.
"The Secretary General has begun, pursuant to resolution 1757, to undertake the steps and measures necessary to establish the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in a timely manner," U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said in a statement. "In establishing the tribunal, the Secretary-General will work in coordination with the Government of Lebanon whenever appropriate," she added. Montas said Ban believed that the establishment of the court "will make an important contribution toward ending impunity for the crimes falling within the jurisdiction" of the tribunal.
The tribunal is to be held in an as yet undetermined "neutral" location. For reasons of security, administrative efficiency and fairness, the location will be outside Lebanon, with both Cyprus and Italy mooted as possibilities. The court will include a three-member trial chamber -- two foreigners and one Lebanese -- and a five-judge appeals chamber -- two Lebanese and three foreigners. Over the weekend, Justice Minister Charles Rizk asked the Supreme Judicial Council to choose 12 judges to be candidates to the court. The panel met Monday but was not expected to immediately pick names.
All foreign judges are to be named by Ban, who will also appoint the prosecutor from nominations made by a panel of two international judges.
Meanwhile, the U.N. chief announced Monday that he planned to keep Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz as head of the U.N. commission investigating Hariri's murder until December 2007. Montas said Ban informed the Security Council last week of his intention to extend Brammertz' mandate, which expires this month.
Ban "wishes to thank Mr. Brammertz for his leadership in advancing the investigation and for his commitment to providing continuity in the commission's work," she added. In his last interim report, Brammertz reported some progress in his probe.(AFP-AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 11 Jun 07, 22:18

Yakan: Mediation Collapses as Camp Conflict Now In Qaida Hands
Leader of the Islamic Action Front Fathi Yakan declared collapse of the mediation efforts to broker a peaceful end to the Nahr al-Bared confrontation as the conflict was now in the hands of al-Qaida with which he had no contact. Yakan, who is among a group of Muslim clerics shuttling between Fatah al-Islam and the army command, said on Sunday: "The issue is now very complicated after the Nahr al-Bared dossier has been handed over (by Fatah al-Islam) to al-Qaida worldwide."
"We have reached a dead-end," he added. The mediators on Friday already said they had suffered a setback when they were able to see only Shahine Shahine, not more senior Fatah al-Islam leaders. However, another Fatah al-Islam spokesman, Abu Salim Taha said the mediation was not welcome as it required the Islamists to surrender as demanded by the Beirut government. Ministerial as well as security sources ridiculed Yakan's announcement, accusing him of trying to distance Fatah-al-Islam from the Damascus regime in a move designed to "eliminate suspicion" of Syrian involvement in this direction, the daily An Nahar said Monday. Beirut, 11 Jun 07, 10:32

Security Council meets to assess progress on Resolution 1559
Ban confirms extension of brammertz's mandate as head of hariri probe
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The UN Security Council met in New York on Monday for consultations on Resolution 1559, as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared his intention to extend the mandate of Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz as the head of the probe into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
As The Daily Star went to press, the Security Council had not yet met. The council was scheduled to meet at 10 p.m. Lebanon time to discuss the main points remaining for the full implementation of 1559: free and fair presidential elections in Lebanon, the disarmament of all Lebanese militias and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon. As for Brammertz, his mandate will be extended until December of this year, according to Ban's press office.
UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Ban had informed the Security Council last week of his intention to extend Brammertz' mandate, which expires this month. Ban "wishes to thank Mr. Brammertz for his leadership in advancing the investigation and for his commitment to providing continuity in the [investigation] commission's work," she added. In his last interim report, Brammertz reported some progress in his investigation and said the Hariri killing was most likely politically motivated. Hariri was killed along with 22 others in a massive bomb blast in Beirut on February 14, 2005. Brammertz' German predecessor, Detlev Mehlis, had implicated senior Syrian officials in the Hariri slaying. Damascus has denied any connection with the assassination, which sparked weeks of mass demonstrations that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005. Four Lebanese generals who headed the country's major security forces at the time of the killing have been in custody since 2005 on suspicion of involvement in the slaying. - Agencies

Qaouk: 'True partnership' not subject to negotiation
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
BEIRUT: Hizbullah's top official in the South, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, said Monday the opposition in general and Hizbullah in particular would "never" stop calling for true partnership in Lebanon. "Regardless of the fact that the international tribunal into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is now approved by the UN Security Council, our demand for partnership still stands, and our opposition to any form of US hegemony over Lebanon is also still valid," Qaouk said during a political rally in the town of Aytaroun in the South. Qaouk added that the demand for true partnership through the formation of a national unity government was "in no way subject to any bargains or usurpation." "The ruling coalition had better respect and abide by the principles of partnership, or they will be the biggest losers," he said, adding that the opposition wanted to form a national unity government "without prerequisites or conditions and without serving US interests in Lebanon."
Qaouk said the formation of a national unity government was an "imminent step."
"The formation of such a government is yet another accomplishment for the opposition and reveals how feeble the position of the March 14 Forces is," the Hizbullah official added. Also tackling the issue of the national unity government in light of news about a gathering of Lebanese politicians from both camps to be held in Paris in late June, the vice president of the Higher Shiite Council stressed the importance of forming such a government. "A national unity government is likely to save our country and avoid further complications," Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan said during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani on Friday.
Qabalan said any initiatives to solve the continued political deadlock in Lebanon ought to be "embraced and taken into consideration." - The Daily Star

Aoun: unity government key to avoiding chaos
FPM leader describes european tour as 'productive'
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
RABIEH: Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader and MP Michel Aoun warned Monday that failing to form a national unity government before scheduled presidential polls would draw Lebanon into a state of chaos "where each group will work on monopolizing power and seeking dominant positions."
"It is crucial that a national unity government be formed in order to avoid potential clashes and discords when discussing key issues related to the future - or the very existence - of our country," Aoun said during a news conference at his residence in Rabieh to brief the media regarding his visits last week to France, Italy and the Vatican.
Aoun was confident that a national unity government would find solutions to all pending or controversial issues in the country. He criticized as "absurd" Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's opinion regarding the establishment of a national unity government, as Geagea last week said a unity government should only be formed as part of a solution to all of the country's significant political questions. Aoun also said kleptocracy should be "abolished" in Lebanon. "Anyone who exploits their power or stands silent in the face of corruption should not be in a position of authority," he added.
Aoun said his European tour had been "productive," and that all the European officials he had met had stressed the importance of forming a unity government.
The FPM leader said he had sensed a "change in the attitude of France in relation to Lebanese issues," describing France as "more open."
"In turn," Aoun added, "I expressed to French officials the wish of the Lebanese for France to remain a friend of Lebanon and not of a certain group in Lebanon."
He also said the FPM was planning to take part in a summit to be held in Paris in late June gathering Lebanese politicians from various camps. "However, we should not expect that France will be the one offering solutions to the deadlock in Lebanon, for the most effective solutions are always internal," he added.
Commenting on continued fighting between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam, Aoun said the Lebanese government should file a complaint with the UN Security Council, "so that any country exporting terrorists to Lebanon is interrogated." "Such assaults on the Lebanese Army and on innocent civilians should not go unnoticed or unpunished. This culture of terrorism is the exact opposite of the culture of openness and tolerance Lebanon exemplifies," Aoun added. - The Daily Star

Olmert 'will ask Bush to help get UNIFIL troops on Syrian border'
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Israel will demand that US President George W. Bush work toward the deployment of an international peacekeeping force along the Lebanese-Syrian border to prevent arms smuggling. Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot said late Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to raise his concern over the rearming of Hizbullah during a meeting with Bush next Tuesday. The newspaper wrote on its Web site Ynetnews that Israel will take advantage of the renewal of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate in two months "to change the situation on the ground, as Hizbullah has improved its capabilities since before the outbreak of last summer's war.""According to one report, the Lebanese group is in possession of some 20,000 rockets that threaten Israel's home front. Some of the weapons are more advanced and have a longer range than the Zilzal and Fajr missiles in Hizbullah's possession last July," the Web site said.
Israel believes Hizbullah's weapons, many of them manufactured in Iran, are transported to Lebanon via Syria.
Last week Israeli Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who is participating in routine strategic talks with the US, warned that Hizbullah is armed "with missiles that could hit central and even southern Israel."
"The organization never left South Lebanon," he said during a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "It is not positioned on the border, but its men are situated in structures and parks."Ynetnews said "Israel will ask the US to use its influence on Siniora to have him deploy peacekeeping forces along the border as one of the conditions of renewing the UNIFIL forces mandate in August."Olmert is also expected to point out to Bush the success of the German naval forces in preventing weapons smuggling by sea, in asking that the international forces do more to prevent Hizbullah's rearmament, Ynetnews said. London's Sunday Times reported that Hizbullah has managed to rearm with thousands of rockets, which are hidden around South Lebanon.

Unemployment and insecurity emptying Lebanon of Lebanese
'We're suffering a huge brain drain'
By IRIN News.org
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
BEIRUT: Economic instability and persistent security threats are driving ever younger and more educated Lebanese abroad, creating a brain drain that threatens the country's economic and social future, researchers say. "We're suffering a huge brain drain," Kamal Hamdan, head of the Lebanese Center of Research and Studies, told IRIN. "Those who have the brains take their diplomas and leave. They are the young people who would go on to be middle executives and entrepreneurs. In the long term, their absence means we may face a serious shortage of policy developers and managers."
About 30 percent of Lebanese - nearly one in three people - want to emigrate abroad, and the figure rises to 60 percent in the 18-25 age bracket, according to a poll published in April and conducted by Information International, an independent Beirut-based research center.
The poll also found that almost 12 percent of undergraduates want to emigrate, along with more than 15 percent of the country's professionals.
The survey polled 997 Lebanese citizens of varying ages and creeds from across the country in February. Nearly half of all Maronites, the largest Christian denomination in the country, said they were considering emigrating, while some 22 percent of Shiites and 26 percent of Sunnis say they are considering moving abroad.
In addition, economist Elie Yachoui, board member of the National Council of Scientific Research in Lebanon, estimated that more than 50 percent of those who graduated from college in the past two years have left the country.
Lebanon is home to approximately four million citizens, but some 16 million people of Lebanese descent live abroad, with the largest communities in South America, West Africa, the US, Canada and Australia.
Almost since gaining independence in 1943, Lebanon has been plagued by regular political assassinations, and the country has been slipping in and out of turmoil since the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. In the last month, eight explosions have ripped through Beirut and its environs.
Abdo Asmar, 24, has been trying to leave Lebanon for years without any success. He has found work as a security guard for a private company, in what he says is "a flourishing career in Lebanon, given the circumstances."
Asmar recently received a job offer that would finally allow him to leave, but it is not the destination he was hoping for.
"I received a job offer to work as a security officer in the Green Zone in Baghdad, for 10 times the salary I'm paid now," he said. "Why would I bother to stay? If I'm going to die anyway, I'd rather die rich." Hadi Sabaa, 27, is equally pessimistic about the future of his country, even though he has a steady job at a local newspaper. Like many other journalism graduates, he is trying to leave for Dubai, "where reporters are appreciated, respected and decently paid. There, at least, I will not have to worry about where my children are at the time of the next explosion."
Political sensitivities have long hampered efforts to record data on actual numbers of Žmigres. No official census has been taken since 1932, for fear of upsetting the delicate power-sharing agreement between Lebanon's rival sects. "We haven't been allowed to conduct serious research for over 16 years now, because in Lebanon this subject is taboo, due to official fear of revealing the new confessional and religious make-up of the population," said Hamdan, whose own three children have left and do not have plans to return. Hamdan accused successive governments of "deliberately neglecting the need for an organized database, so that we don't know who left and who came back."The minimum wage in Lebanon is less than $200 per month and has not changed since 1996.
A report issued by the World Bank this May found that nearly 26 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) - or about $5.6 billion - comes from emigrants, based on a calculation of the balance of payments for 2006. The report also showed that 45 percent of these transactions come from the 400,000 Lebanese residing in the Gulf, in particular those living in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Yachoui blamed the high rates of brain drain on "bad policies, undertaken by successive governments, which failed to produce economic growth as the public debt skyrocketed." He told IRIN that, in addition to the current deteriorating security, the country's massive indebtedness also stands in the way of achieving economic growth. According to estimates, Lebanon's public debt in 2006 stood at slightly more than $40 billion, which is the equivalent of about 180 percent of GDP, one of the highest ratios in the world.
Billions of dollars pledged to Lebanon at the Paris III international donor conference in January will go simply to service public-debt repayments, and many pledges for project financing have yet to be approved because of the current political stalemate that has seen Parliament closed all year.
"Lebanon has three sources of revenue," said Yachoui. "One is natural, the second monetary, and the third - the most important - is our human resources. When this disappears, we lose the capability of managing the first two." For some, though, even successful economic reforms and a better salary would not entice them to stay. "I don't care if they fix the situation now or ever," said journalist Sabaa. "What good will economic reform do me if, on my way to buy some bread, a car bomb blows me away?" - IRIN

12 magistrates shortlisted to serve on tribunal
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
BEIRUT: The Higher Judicial Council nominated 12 Lebanese magistrates Monday to serve on the international court to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. Justice Minister Charles Rizk had requested that the council meet to discuss the names of potential magistrates for the court.
UN Security Council Resolution 1757, passed on May 30 to establish a mixed Lebanese-international court to try suspects in the February 2005 Hariri killing, has sparked heavy debate in Lebanon. Magistrate Antoine Kheir, the head of the council, said the names of the 12 selected magistrates will be kept undisclosed "until further notice, to preserve their safety and not to upset judges who were not shortlisted."
UN chief Ban Ki-moon will select four of the 12 nominees to serve on the court. One Lebanese judge will serve in the tribunal's trial chamber, along with two international judges, while two Lebanese judges will serve in the appeals chamber with three international judges. The names proposed by the council are binding and cannot be changed or added to by the Lebanese government. But this procedure does not apply to the deputy prosecutor at the court, who will also be Lebanese and will be appointed by the Lebanese government in cooperation with the UN.
The tribunal is not expected to begin functioning any time soon, because no country has yet been chosen to host the court or to incarcerate those convicted by the tribunal. Separately, the council also approved Rizk's proposal to assign Judge Dani Sharabieh as investigative magistrate in the assassination attempt against Defense Minister Elias Murr in July 2005 and Judge Rashid Mezher as investigative magistrate into the twin bus bombings in Ain Alaq in February which killed three people and wounded more than 20 others. Ban said Monday he will start work "the venues and selection of judges and prosecutors" in the near future. "There will be many very complex technical and administrative issues which needs our attention and support from all member states," he told reporters in New York. - The Daily Star

PA: 'Iran, Syria orchestrated Israeli kidnapping attempt'
Tuesday, 12 June, 2007
Jerusalem –WND/ An attempted Palestinian raid of the Israeli border this weekend, purportedly to kidnap an Israeli soldier, was orchestrated by Syria and Iran, according to security officials associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.
The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday thwarted an attempt by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad militants to kidnap a soldier on the Israeli side of a major crossing into the Gaza Strip.
Four militants approached the Israeli border in an SUV bearing "TV" signs in an attempt to disguise themselves as journalists. Reporters working in Gaza usually travel in cars with "TV" symbols to identify themselves. Upon reaching the crossing, the militants blew a hole in the border fence and attempted to storm an IDF position.
IDF troops rushed to the scene, chasing three of the militants back to the Gaza Strip. One of the militants, 19-year-old Mohammed Jaabari, became separated from the group and hid inside Israel. Jaabari was later shot dead after he opened fire when soldiers approached him, the IDF said.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The aim of the operation was to retreat with a prisoner," said Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad. "This was prevented by the use of Israeli helicopters."
This attempted kidnapping took place just before the one year anniversary of the kidnapping by Hamas and two other groups of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza and is being used as a bargaining chip by the Hamas-led Palestinian government to release Palestinian prisoners, including arrested militants, held in Israeli jails.
Palestinian security officials associated with Fatah said this weekend's Islamic Jihad kidnap attempt was "completely orchestrated" by Syria and Iran. They said the operation was directly ordered by Ramadan Shallah, the overall chief of Islamic Jihad who resides in Syria and travels frequently to Iran.
The Palestinian security officials said they had information phone calls were made between Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the group's leadership in Damascus right before, during and after Saturday's kidnapping attempt.
"This operation was an Iranian and Syrian way to explode things and have another card on the table," said a Palestinian security official.
The official said Hamas has shown flexibility regarding releasing Shalit, whereas Islamic Jihad is not part of the Palestinian government, answers to Iran and would take a more hardened stance if it has an Israeli prisoner.
The official also said a successful kidnapping and raid of the Israeli border was estimated by Syria and Iran to have drawn Israel into a larger conflict in Gaza, thus distracting Israel from its northern border with Syria, where according to Israeli troops Syrian forces have been mobilizing the past few weeks. After Shalit's kidnapping last year, the IDF launched the largest operation it had conducted in Gaza since Israel evacuated the territory in 2005.
The claims of Syrian involvement in the weekend attack comes after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office this week confirmed reports Olmert, using third party mediators, has offered Syria the Golan Heights if the Damascus regime cuts its ties with Iran and ends support for Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups.
The Golan Heights is strategic mountainous territory looking down on Israeli population centers twice used by Syria to launch wars against the Jewish state. Mainstream U.S. and Israeli military experts have long maintained Israel must retain the Golan to ensure against a ground invasion from Syria.
Olmert is reportedly using third party sources to explore the possibility of talks with Syria aimed at an Israeli retreat from the Golan.
The reports of a retreat from the Golan Heights follows the recent release here of a government-appointed committee report slamming Olmert's decision-making process during last summer's war against the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. The report prompted mass demonstrations and widespread calls for Olmert to resign, including from the prime minister's own deputy, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Analysts here have been publicly speculating Olmert's popularity could rise within his leftist base if he conducted negotiations with the Palestinians or Syria.
WND reported in the weeks prior to the report's release that Olmert, anticipating a major backlash, held meetings with leading leftist figures here pledging to carry out Israeli withdrawals in exchange for their continued support, according to diplomatic sources. The sources said Olmert told the leftist leaders he is willing to reach a final status agreement with the Palestinians or conclude a peace agreement with Syria.
Multiple Knesset members this weekend bashed Olmert's willingness to relinquish the Golan, stating the prime minister was endangering his country's security to save his political career.
Syria prepping for war?
While Olmert is reportedly exploring handing vital territory to Damascus, Syria, aided by Iran, has deployed a strengthened army along Israel's northern border and is prepared to launch a surprise war against the Jewish state, according to senior Israeli security officials.
With Israelis this week commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War – when neighbors Egypt, Jordan and Syria attacked the Jewish state – Israeli security officials told WND Syria has prepared for a confrontation and is capable of launching an immediate war.
The officials say the Syrian army is deployed along the Syrian side of the Golan Heights with strengthened forces after carrying out stepped-up training of troops the past few weeks. The officials noted the open movement of Syrian Scud missiles near the border with Israel and said Syria recently increased production of rockets and acquired missiles capable of hitting central Israeli population centers.
The Syrian army has improved its fortifications, according to the Israeli security officials, and has received modern, Russian-made anti-tank missiles similar to the ones that devastated Israeli tanks during the last Lebanon war, causing the highest number of Israeli troop casualties during the 34 days of military confrontations. Syria also received from Russia advanced anti-aircraft missiles.
The officials noted Syria stepped up the pace of weapons, including rockets, being shipped from the Syrian border to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Just couple of days ago , a truckload of weaponry meant for Hezbollah was confiscated by the Lebanese army.
Assad on a number of occasions the past few months has told his state-run media Damascus is preparing for war. He warned Israel to evacuate the Golan Heights.
Last weekend, Assad called for "better cooperation" between Damascus and Tehran in "the confrontation with the Zionist regime and the USA," according to a report published Sunday by Iran's official state news agency, IRNA.
Earlier this week, an official from Assad's Baath party warned in a WND interview if Israel doesn't vacate the Golan, residents in the strategic territory would launch "resistance operations" against Israeli communities.
Picture: Syrian President Bashar el Assad ( L) and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , during a meeting in Tehran
sources: WND