LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
June 7/2006

Below News From the Daily Star for 706/06
New opposition group vows to topple Siniora Cabinet
Widows of murdered Sidon judges demand justice
Hoss flays political class for 'cheap sectarianism'
Franjieh defends relationship with Damascus
Bar warns of tough action over judicial selection
More fallout over Beirut riots
Leaders set to debate defense strategy in talks
Anjar graves don't live up to initial hype
Sami Gemayel denies reports that he clashed with army soldiers
Hizbullah boss plays down importance of rioting
New grouping pledges support for Hizbullah
March 14 Forces say protest over skit could shape national dialogue
Brammertz offers no hints on content of Hariri report
Judges report progress on shaping of Hariri tribunal
Below News From miscellaneous sources for 7/06/06
Hizbullah delegates get frosty reception from patriarch-Daily Star
Syrian Opposition Urges Regime's Ouster-Washington Post
Lebanon, UN might establish int'l tribunal over Al-Hariri's-KNA
US adds Iran, Syria to human trafficking blacklist-Middle East Online
Roed-Larsen Discuss Syria-Lebanon Ties with Mubarak-Naharnet
Bar warns of tough action over judicial selection-Daily Star
Lebanese Soccer Fans to Watch World Cup Without Extra Fees-Naharnet
Hizbullah Riots Show Group's Power in the Streets-Naharnet
Six Years After Israeli Ouster, Lebanon Divided About Hizbullah Arms-Naharnet
USA State Department: Lebanon Making Progress on Human Trafficking -Naharnet
UN: Syria should not extradite refugees-UPI

Leaders set to debate defense strategy in talks
Jumblatt says recent developments aimed at igniting tensions
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Political bickering intensified in Lebanon days before rival leaders got ready to debate Lebanon's defense strategy during the national dialogue session Thursday and ahead of the third report on the investigation into the killing of former Premier Rafik Hariri. The recent tensions were prompted by last Thursday's riots, which broke out after the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation aired a comedy that impersonated Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Thousands of Hizbullah supporters took to the streets, blocking roads, burning tires and attacking several citizens from different neighborhoods including the Christian neighborhood of Achrafieh and destroying both public and private property.
Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, a leading figure of the March 14 Forces, said developments in the last few days were the implementation of "an order to ignite the situation." In an interview with As-Safir newspaper published Tuesday, Jumblatt rejected Nasrallah's claims that "the movement was spontaneous and that he had assumed full responsibility for it."The move was "programmed and planned and it paved the way for a larger move," he said.
Commenting on Nasrallah's calls to form a national unity government, a suggestion that was fully backed by MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, Jumblatt said there was no justification to change the government since it was the result of "democratic and fair elections that generated a parliamentary majority."
Jumblatt reiterated his objection to the understanding agreement signed by Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and to Nasrallah's calls to set a defensive policy, saying he would express his opinion in the issue during the national dialogue session Thursday. Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel challenged his political rivals who were "seeking to occupy a government position by drawing on the sympathy of Christians, accusing them of stealing the Phalange Party's slogans and undermining its struggle.""The movement toward independence launched on March 14, 2005, will continue its hard work in cooperation with all its supporters to achieve the desired national goals," he said.
Gemayel, whose brother Sami along with two friends Gilbert Rizk and Bassam Samarani claimed they were beaten by rioters on Thursday, was speaking following a meeting with a delegation of Phalange students.
He said Thursday's riots would be discussed during the coming national dialogue session as "there is a growing number of Lebanese who now fear Hizbullah's weapons."Premier Fouad Siniora said the Lebanese will carry on holding discussions over Lebanon's defense strategy and Hizbullah's arms until reaching a formula that pleases all the Lebanese.
"There are those who are worried about compromising on the account of the resistance but we will discuss this issue until we reach a consensus that protects Lebanon against Israel," Siniora said during a conference organized by the Center for Lebanese Studies. MP Boutros Harb said he supported Nasrallah's calls to sign a code-of-honor agreement, proposing to tackle it as the first article to be raised during the dialogue session.
The "Honor Agreement" would "set ethics and guidelines for politicians within the framework of respecting freedom of opinion, expression and laws," Harb said.
Meanwhile, MP Ali Khreis said the political situation in Lebanon was as "transparent and fragile as glass."
Khreis called on government officials "to set Lebanon's protection and interest above all considerations and to agree on both trivial and important matters because there is no alternative to Lebanon and because no one can annihilate the other."
Khreis, a member of Speaker Nabih Berri's Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc, made his comments following a meeting with Public Works and Transport Minister Mohammad Safadi on Tuesday.
Amid the political bickering between the two political camps, President Emile Lahoud warned against plots targeting Lebanon, saying "there is a new attempt to instigate strife in the country.""They are trying to put the Lebanese at odds and widen the gap among them ... but differences among the Lebanese can be sorted out and the Lebanese will certainly unite to protect their country," he added. On the upcoming national dialogue session, Lahoud said: "I hope participants can understand the resistance is Lebanon's honor and dignity and therefore should be protected," adding: "It is time for us to address questions that would unite and not divide the Lebanese."
The Central News Agency (CNA) reported Tuesday that a meeting of the March 14 Forces would be held before the national dialogue session Thursday to coordinate positions. The CNA also revealed that the Future Movement prepared a document in response to the defense strategy proposed by Nasrallah during the last session, and is trying to convince the March 14 Forces to adopt it. Sources close to participants in the national dialogue said they believed Thursday's session will not be decisive, as the March 8 and the March 14 forces will try to avoid any decisions on the eve of UN investigator Serge Brammertz' trip to New York.

New opposition group vows to topple Siniora Cabinet
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
BEIRUT: A newly founded opposition group vowed to topple Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet and called for early parliamentary elections "to prevent the collapse of a country and a nation." The Lebanese National Gathering - announced Tuesday in a news conference by former Premier Omar Karami - said the ruling class has failed to rebuild the country, strengthened sectarian tensions among the Lebanese and attempted to transform Lebanon into a regional battlefield.
The group included some 30 politicians among them former pro-Syrian ministers Suleiman Franjieh, Eli Ferzli, Albert Mansour, Abed Rahim Mrad and Michel Samaha. Once Siniora's Cabinet is toppled, the gathering said it will then attempt to form a coalition government, draft a new electoral law, hold new parliamentary elections and then form a national unity government.
"We are an opposition group with clear goals. Our duties are to monitor the government's performance and correct it until we topple it through democratic means," said Karami. Although the gathering did not include Hizbullah, the Amal Movement or the Free Patriotic Movement, which also criticize the government for what they claim is inadequate performance, Karami said they will soon draft understanding agreements with the three parties.
"We held discussions with all the parties. But Amal and Hizbullah are part of the Cabinet and it is not logical for them to be members in an opposition gathering, while the FPM has its own reasons ... but we share with them the same princi-
ples and goals," said Karami. The opposition group, whose members participated in all Cabinets formed since 1992, held the ruling class and the parliamentary majority responsible for corruption and for the county's $38 billion debt.
"The participants in this gathering are all transparent and were never involved in any corrupt activities ... we are all subject to the law and are ready for investigations," Karami added. He dismissed allegations that the front was a mouthpiece for Syria, saying "its relations with Syria is based on principles and not tutelage." Franjieh also said the gathering is "Lebanese before being anything else and proud of its relations with Syria. We do not betray our past or give up our principles and this is what differentiates us from" the ruling class."They turned against Arab nationalism, Islam and Christianity and headed toward the West and toward South Lebanon," he added.

Widows of murdered Sidon judges demand justice
Families blame Authorities for failure to find, prosecute killers
By Mohammed Zaatari -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
SIDON: The Justice Ministry will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the murder of four judges in Sidon, despite the judiciary's inability to capture the perpetrators who remain at large. Judges Hassan Othman, Walid Harmoush, Imad Shehab and Issam Bou Daher were shot and killed while attorney Salam Salim, stenographer Camille Serhal, two security guards and a member of the public were wounded in the attack on June 8, 1999.
Today, after seven years, no progress has been made in the case, although officials insist that the available information shows that the perpetrators are hiding in Ain al-Hilweh, the Palestinian refugee camp outside Sidon.
Bahija, widow of Hassan Othman, blames the authorities for the neglect, saying "after seven years, the case remains untouched despite the change in political circumstances and the possibility of dealing with issue openly."
Othman said she wondered whether the judiciary was being pressured into maintaining a silence over this issue. She asked why it would be "so difficult to try the murderers whose whereabouts are known to the authorities."
Speaking on behalf of the other widows, Othman said the case of the four judges should be raised at the next national dialogue session on June 8. Othman said that the four widows visited Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, demanding to know who killed their husbands and why. They also asked that the issue be included on the agenda of the national dialogue session.
The widows have also visited MP Bahia Hariri who "has backed us for the past seven years," State Prosecutor Said Mirza and the president of the Higher Judicial Council Antoine Kheir.
Suzanne, the widow of Issam Bou Daher, said she "expected that the truth behind a major incident such as this should have been revealed a long time ago," and called for serious handling of the case. Bou Daher's daughter Nancy, who was born shortly after he was shot, told The Daily Star she had written a card to her father asking him to return home "as soon as possible." Nancy's elder sister Sally said she remembered when she used to accompany her father to the Justice Palace.
"He died! The murderers killed my father!" she said, adding that she wants to become a judge to "chase the criminals and beat them."The judicial authorities plan to mark the event with a wreath-laying ceremony at the commemorative plaque dedicated to the memory of the four judges. Meanwhile, the Gathering of Popular Committees and Leagues called on the government to make June 6 a day to commemorate those who went missing during the Israeli occupation and to halt all judicial activities on that day. The gathering made the call in a statement released on the day that marks 24 years since the Israeli forces kidnapped six of its members who were heading to South Lebanon in order to defend the country in the wake of an Israeli incursion in the Awali area. The gathering urged the government to uncover the fate of hundreds of missing Lebanese, Palestinians and Arabs who disappeared during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

More fallout over Beirut riots
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BEIRUT: The political fallout from Thursday's riots after the broadcast of a satirical comedy sketch lampooning Hizbullah's secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, continued to rain down on the Lebanese street on Monday.
The Future parliamentary bloc denounced the "insult" of a national and religious leader, but said the media and public freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution must be respected.
The bloc also slammed "the anarchist conduct of rioters, who abused the right to protest, offended fellow citizens and damaged private and public property," and called for the aggressors to be tried in court. Thousands of Nasrallah supporters rose up in anger at the perceived insult on Thursday night, briefly cutting off the Airport Road with burning tires, stopping vehicles on the nearby highway and assaulting several citizens in the Beirut neighborhood of Achrafieh. The weekly comedy appears on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) television channel and regularly includes sketches mocking Lebanese politicians. The Future bloc applauded the public's restraint, the security forces' rapid response to the riots and acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat's handling of the matter. The bloc also said they will form a committee of jurists to review the proposed electoral law. In addition, it urged the government to put the agreements reached during the national dialogue into effect.
Meanwhile, President Emile Lahoud said the army was for all Lebanese and "any attack on the army would be considered an attack against the state.""We will never allow the army to become a tool or a means used by some to meet foreign interests and threaten the country's unity," the president said in a statement.
In other developments, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, the Hizbullah commander for the South, said the "March 14 Forces' stands and statements have started to pose a real threat to national unity and to the achievements of the resistance."
"The insult to the head of the resistance a couple of days ago was not a mere coincidence and was not an innocent attack, but was in line with foreign pressure and international resolutions," Qaouk said during a funeral in the Marjayoun town of Adsheet.
MP Farid Khazen said participants in Thursday's session of the national dialogue would "undoubtedly" discuss last week's riots. "It is natural that the next dialogue session would be affected by the recent developments," Khazen told the Voice of Lebanon radio.Asked if he thought Aoun, who sat out the last round of talks as an observer, would make his opinions known during this week's session, Khazen said "the general" would more than likely take a stand on Hizbullah's weapons "sooner or later."
Also Monday, Sheikh Mohammad Ali Jouzou, the mufti of Mount Lebanon, said Thursday's riots harmed Hizbullah more than LBC."We now fear for Hizbullah from Hizbullah itself and we fear for Hizbullah from Hizbullah's Shiites," he added.
"If we object to the insult of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, why doesn't Hizbullah object to the insult of the dignities, dogma, confessions and religious and historic symbols of others?" the mufti asked.
"Let Hizbullah hold itself to account before calling others to account," Jouzou said.

Sami Gemayel denies reports that he clashed with army soldiers
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BEIRUT: Sami Gemayel on Monday denied media reports that he had clashed with the army, reiterating that his injuries had been sustained when he was attacked by Hizbullah supporters last Thursday. "I was beaten by the protesters, not during a confrontation with the Lebanese Army," the son of former President Amine Gemayel said.
Speaking during a news conference, Gemayel said he and his friends had attempted to prevent rioters angry over a perceived insult to resistance leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah from entering Beirut's Monnot Street bar district.
"When the army arrived, about 45 minutes later, there was pushing but the army did not hit us; it was the protesters who did," he added.Gemayel said Hizbullah was responsible for the rioters' assault on him and his friends, and for damage done to private property. He also held the March 14 Forces responsible for the slow response time of security forces to the riots.
The news conference came in response to broadcasts on Hizbullah-owned Al-Manar and NTV, which showed Gemayel and his friends standing in front of army soldiers and Internal Security Forces members.
The footage shows Gemayel screaming "Attack!" and trying along with his friends to break through a wall of security forces.
The elder Gemayel this week dismissed the reports as "inaccurate," saying his son and friends had been standing outside of a restaurant "when protesters attacked them, wounding Sami and two of his friends, who were rushed to hospital for treatment."
The former president held a separate news conference at the Phalange Party headquarters on Monday in which he said he believed "fear for the future is justified now more than ever" after Thursday's riots.

Anjar graves don't live up to initial hype
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
BEIRUT: The remains of 28 skeletons unearthed last December from what were initially called "the mass graves of Anjar" and which shook Lebanon politically and socially, turned out to be a "natural cemetery" with remains dating back to the 17th century. "There is no evidence of it being a mass grave, no evidence of any crime committed on this site, no evidence of torture or injuries from gun shots as it was reported earlier," State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza said in an official statement released on Tuesday. Mirza's statement said he had reviewed the file of the remains exhumed in Anjar, which included complete DNA test results and the findings of on-site investigations.
A piece of military clothing, which was found at the site and which was used by some politicians to hurl accusations of Syrian involvement in some form of massacre, turned out not to be part of the cemetery "as there was no mixing between it and the biological matter," said Mirza, implying that the clothes were put there recently as they did not show any signs of decomposition. "The graves found on the Nabi Uzeir hilltop are an ordi-nary cemetery where settlers buried their dead, dating back to the beginning of the 17th century until the mid-20th century, with the most recent remains 50 years old and the oldest 350 years old," said Mirza.
In a December 7, 2005, article, a nearby resident had told The Daily Star that the area of the mass graves was known as the "haunted hill of the dead," which the residents believed to be a burial place for previous tribes and settlers.
Mirza listed the findings and identifications of the remains: one fetus, one infant just one month old, one infant between nine and 12 months old, seven children aged 2-14, one youth between 16 and 25 years of age, 15 between 30 and 59, eight between 60 and 80.The investigation determined that a total of 44 bodies were found at the site, not 28 as had originally been reported, with 18 males, 10 females (one of them pregnant) and 16 of unidentified gender.

March 14 Forces say protest over skit could shape national dialogue
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BEIRUT: Last week's riots over a comedy-show impersonation of Hizbullah's leader might affect discussions of Lebanon's defense strategy during the coming national dialogue session on June 8, a March 14 Forces member said.
A skit aired by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation in which an actor impersonated Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah prompted several thousand supporters of Hizbullah to protest, burning tires, blocking roads and damaging both public and private properties. Nasrallah had proposed during the last dialogue session a defense strategy in which his party's military wing would defend Lebanon against any Israeli aggression. He also rejected domestic and international calls to merge his military wing into the Lebanese Army. The March 14 political alliance strongly condemned the riots and said they would come under discussion.
"We will not use these riots as an excuse to disarm Hizbullah, but we will discuss things openly. The riots are creating tension and fear among the Lebanese and politicians need to realize how serious the situation is," said Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. Geagea said that the upcoming dialogue session would discuss last week's events "to prevent its repetition in the future." "No one is targeting the Shiites or any other sect or religion. Political differences are something normal and present everywhere and everyday but
there should be a justification for violence that targets people and neighborhoods" from other religions.
Geagea dismissed rumors of a possible division within the March 14 ranks over each party's position on Hizbullah's proposed strategy of defense. "We have a unified position on Lebanon's defense strategy and we will announce it during the session," Geagea said.  Geagea's ally, Saad Hariri, leader of the Future Movement, said participants in the national dialogue would meet with "a positive attitude" to seek the country's best interests.

Judges report progress on shaping of Hariri tribunal
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BEIRUT: Two Lebanese judges overseeing the formation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said Monday that "important measures" had been adopted toward getting the court off the ground. Judges Ralph Riachi and Choukri Sader met with Justice Minister Charles Rizk upon their return Monday from a second trip to UN headquarters in New York to monitor the court's advancement.
"There was a great level of cooperation and understanding between the UN team and the Lebanese delegation [in New York], where intensive steps were taken to move this issue forward," said a statement released after the meeting.
The minister's office would not comment further on the matter when contacted by The Daily Star, saying the judiciary had promised UN Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel that it would "keep quiet" on the issue.
Michel has been working to sort out details of the tribunal with Lebanese officials since UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave the body the green light back in March. Meanwhile, media reports said on Monday that the head of the International Investigation Commission into the assassination, Serge Brammertz, had inspected for the last time over the weekend the crater left by the massive explosion
that killed Hariri and 22 others on February 14, 2005. The Daily Star has reported that Brammertz requested the crater be filled in order for the seaside road near the St. Georges Hotel to reopen before the end of June.
Brammertz was said to have set up a tent at the bomb site last month, at a cost of $40,000, and to have had the hole re-dug to examine the possibility of an underground explosion detonated simultaneously with one above ground.
Security sources told The Daily Star that all the forensic experts brought in by the commission have "packed up all their equipment and left their residency at the Monroe Hotel." Several media outlets in Beirut's said on Monday that Brammertz would leave for New York on Friday, as he is expected to hand in his second report to the UN Security Council on June 15.
With less than 10 days until the details of the report become known, officials in Syria and the United States are gearing up for the next round of what has been a very public row.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the report would "reflect Syria's positive cooperation with the UN investigative team.""We expect the report to reveal new leads that will show the truth and prove Syria's innocence in this heinous crime," Mekdad told Al-Hayat newspaper in its Monday edition.
"There has been a great change in the way the commission has worked with us since the arrival of Brammertz, which has changed the manner in which accusations and evidence have been presented," he said.
However, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch indicated that Syria was a suspect in the crime. "It is my personal opinion that there is a strong presumption of responsibility, possibly, on the part of the Syrian regime," Welch said on Saturday during a visit to Kuwait. The assistant secretary said he hoped Syria would "cooperate to relieve us of any concern in this regard." Ironically, Lebanon has taken a rather diplomatic stance concerning the investigation, with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora avoiding any explicit reference to Syria's cooperation, or lack thereof, with the probe.
"The report will show progress in the inquiry, as it will establish links between the different explosions," Siniora told the media over the weekend.

Leaders set to debate defense strategy in talks
Jumblatt says recent developments aimed at igniting tensions
By Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Political bickering intensified in Lebanon days before rival leaders got ready to debate Lebanon's defense strategy during the national dialogue session Thursday and ahead of the third report on the investigation into the killing of former Premier Rafik Hariri. The recent tensions were prompted by last Thursday's riots, which broke out after the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation aired a comedy that impersonated Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Thousands of Hizbullah supporters took to the streets, blocking roads, burning tires and attacking several citizens from different neighborhoods including the Christian neighborhood of Achrafieh and destroying both public and private property.
Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, a leading figure of the March 14 Forces, said developments in the last few days were the implementation of "an order to ignite the situation."In an interview with As-Safir newspaper published Tuesday, Jumblatt rejected Nasrallah's claims that "the movement was spontaneous and that he had assumed full responsibility for it."
The move was "programmed and planned and it paved the way for a larger move," he said.
Commenting on Nasrallah's calls to form a national unity government, a suggestion that was fully backed by MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, Jumblatt said there was no justification to change the government since it was the result of "democratic and fair elections that generated a parliamentary majority."
Jumblatt reiterated his objection to the understanding agreement signed by Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and to Nasrallah's calls to set a defensive policy, saying he would express his opinion in the issue during the national dialogue session Thursday.Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel challenged his political rivals who were "seeking to occupy a government position by drawing on the sympathy of Christians, accusing them of stealing the Phalange Party's slogans and undermining its struggle.""The movement toward independence launched on March 14, 2005, will continue its hard work in cooperation with all its supporters to achieve the desired national goals," he said.
Gemayel, whose brother Sami along with two friends Gilbert Rizk and Bassam Samarani claimed they were beaten by rioters on Thursday, was speaking following a meeting with a delegation of Phalange students.
He said Thursday's riots would be discussed during the coming national dialogue session as "there is a growing number of Lebanese who now fear Hizbullah's weapons."
Premier Fouad Siniora said the Lebanese will carry on holding discussions over Lebanon's defense strategy and Hizbullah's arms until reaching a formula that pleases all the Lebanese.
"There are those who are worried about compromising on the account of the resistance but we will discuss this issue until we reach a consensus that protects Lebanon against Israel," Siniora said during a conference organized by the Center for Lebanese Studies.MP Boutros Harb said he supported Nasrallah's calls to sign a code-of-honor agreement, proposing to tackle it as the first article to be raised during the dialogue session.
The "Honor Agreement" would "set ethics and guidelines for politicians within the framework of respecting freedom of opinion, expression and laws," Harb said.
Meanwhile, MP Ali Khreis said the political situation in Lebanon was as "transparent and fragile as glass."
Khreis called on government officials "to set Lebanon's protection and interest above all considerations and to agree on both trivial and important matters because there is no alternative to Lebanon and because no one can annihilate the other."
Khreis, a member of Speaker Nabih Berri's Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc, made his comments following a meeting with Public Works and Transport Minister Mohammad Safadi on Tuesday.
Amid the political bickering between the two political camps, President Emile Lahoud warned against plots targeting Lebanon, saying "there is a new attempt to instigate strife in the country.""They are trying to put the Lebanese at odds and widen the gap among them ... but differences among the Lebanese can be sorted out and the Lebanese will certainly unite to protect their country," he added. On the upcoming national dialogue session, Lahoud said: "I hope participants can understand the resistance is Lebanon's honor and dignity and therefore should be protected," adding: "It is time for us to address questions that would unite and not divide the Lebanese."The Central News Agency (CNA) reported Tuesday that a meeting of the March 14 Forces would be held before the national dialogue session Thursday to coordinate positions. The CNA also revealed that the Future Movement prepared a document in response to the defense strategy proposed by Nasrallah during the last session, and is trying to convince the March 14 Forces to adopt it. Sources close to participants in the national dialogue said they believed Thursday's session will not be decisive, as the March 8 and the March 14 forces will try to avoid any decisions on the eve of UN investigator Serge Brammertz' trip to New York.

Brammertz offers no hints on content of Hariri report
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
BEIRUT: The UN probe chief investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri made a last round of meetings with officials in Beirut on Tuesday before heading to New York, where he is soon to present his second report on the murder to the UN Security Council. Brammertz's meetings came as UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen continued his own round of talks with regional leaders. Roed-Larsen is in Abu Dhabi meeting with the leadership there as part of a regional tour to find a solution to the Lebanese-Syrian crisis. He has already visited Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
After a meeting with Brammertz at the Foreign Ministry, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said: "No official in Lebanon or elsewhere knows anything about the con
tent of the report, and we all have to wait until it is actually published before making any comments about it."
As the June 15 deadline for the report approaches, US and Syrian officials have been airing their respective expectations on its contents. Brammertz's first report avoided implicating Syria, unlike two previous reports by his predecessor, Detlev Mehlis.
As has become his habit, Brammertz remained tight-lipped and refused to talk to the media, expressing irritation at their presence and preventing them from taking photos of the meeting at the ministry.
Salloukh said the chief investigator was expected to hand in the report to Secretary General Kofi Annan on June 10 or 11, and "it is not clear if it will be the last report of its kind."
"Brammertz is studying the possibility of staying as head of the commission, since the government had officially asked for a term extension until the investigation is completely and thoroughly done," said Salloukh.
He also did not rule out the possibility that arrangements for an international tribunal to try suspects in the case could be completed by the end of July. Foreign Ministry aide Boutros Assaker will also be heading to New York on Wednesday on behalf of the Lebanese government, and will be receiving the report after it is first handed over to Annan.
According to the National News Agency, the tent set up at the bomb site was to be dismantled on Tuesday night, after which it will be up to the Lebanese government to decide when to reopen the seaside road.
As Lebanese officials abstained from commenting on the report, their Syrian counterparts have been generally positive in their predictions."Let us be cautiously optimistic and say that if this investigation is conducted in a legal and professional manner based on fact, we have nothing to fear," said Syria's ambassador to Washington, Imad Mustafa, in an interview with the Syrian Internet site AllforSyria. "If Brammertz will fulfill his promise and conduct a professional, fair and thorough investigation, we would be satisfied. Our only concern is if things happen in a politicized way."
Brammertz also met with the investigating magistrates working on all assassinations and attempts in Lebanon since October 1, 2004, when Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade targeted by a car bomb.
According to judicial sources, Brammertz informed the judges of "his latest findings at the blast site." - With agencies

Bar warns of tough action over judicial selection
Lawyers contemplate open-ended strike
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BEIRUT: The head of the Beirut Bar Association said Monday that "appropriate steps" may soon be taken to end the political scuffle over appointing new members to Lebanon's highest legal authority. Political bickering has prevented Justice Minister Charles Rizk from appointing five new judges to fill vacant seats on the Higher Judicial Council. The seats have been vacant for more than seven months. Speaking after a meeting with his association, the Tripoli Bar Association and the Higher Judicial Council's president, Judge Antoine Kheir, Boutros Doumit said there would be continuous discussions and meetings between the two associations until the debate is settled in a manner that preserves the judiciary's dignity and independence.
"Both associations will take the appropriate steps to end this professional and national crisis," Doumit said.
"Our objective is to preserve the judiciary's independence and dignity. This institution is a basic factor in establishing democratic systems, therefore we are keen on reaching a solution," Doumit added.
Lawyers and politicians threatened last week to go on an open-ended strike if Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and his justice minister failed to reach a consensus on the judicial appointments in the near future.
Rizk submitted a list to Siniora last week of five candidates, four of them put forward by the council's three top judges and a fifth by Rizk, who had replaced the council's choice of Faisal Haydar with another Shiite judge, Abdel-Latif Husseini.
Sources close to Rizk said that the minister would not amend his decree as "he is not convinced about the reasons to replace Husseini." Ministerial sources said the lawyers' stance might pressure the government to discuss the issue at the next Cabinet session.Siniora's office said the prime minister rejected Rizk's decree because "he was committed to the recommendation of the judges, as they are the experts on this matter."
According to the sources, Siniora argued that "if we are keen on the independence of our judiciary and on strengthening it, then the judges' proposal is a step leading toward a stronger and independent judiciary."
"This issue must not be politicized and I did not interfere in it because I am keen on strengthening the judiciary and making it independent." Observers described the conflict as a power struggle between the parliamentary majority and its opponents.
The majority accuses the opposition of hindering the development of the country and its institutions, while the opposition say the March 14 alliance is trying to control state institutions.

Forecasters predict end of heat wave
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006: The heat wave in Lebanon over the last few days is expected to ease, with the meteorological department of the Civil Aviation Directorate General predicting cooler weather as of Tuesday night. The warm fronts are expected to diminish in the next couple of days. Southwesterly to northwesterly winds will reach speeds varying between 10 and 30 kilometers per hour, but are expected to climb to around 40 kph. Temperature on the coast will range between 19 and 31 degrees Celsius, while in the mountains temperatures will vary between 18 and 30 degrees. In the Cedars, the temperature will range between 14 and 26 degrees, and in the Bekaa between 17 and 38 degrees.Humidity will vary between 60 and 85 percent.

Restaurant owners clinch discount on World Cup
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006: Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis held a meeting with representatives of the ART television network, which has the exclusive right to broadcast this year's World Cup, and the Association of Lebanese Restaurants, Cafes, Pastry Shops and Nightclub Owners on Tuesday. Speaking from the Monroe Hotel, Sarkis said that ART had agreed to reduce its supply prices by one third to owners of restaurants and pubs to help tourism. The minister urged the owners of touristic businesses wishing to subscribe to ART to directly contact the station to benefit from the new pricing. Sarkis said he wished that better results had been reached but the short time, technical logistics, and the costs which the station initially requested made it impossible. But due to the late decision, some owners of restaurants and bars may not have time to install ART cable in time for the start of the World Cup.

Waad Party re-elects Hobeika as president
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006: The Waad Party re-elected Gina Hobeika as president for four years, a statement said Tuesday. The party also elected 10 members to its political council, including Louis Abu Khalil, Hamza Abu Zeid, Joe Hobeika, Rima Farah, Antoine Neameh Antoun, George Sabbagh, Jimmy Karam, Abdo Shakhtoura, William Bayda and Roy Antipas. According to the report, three substitute members were also elected and Hobeika will later appoint four additional members with the approval of the council's elected members. "We preserved our party's dignity and did not use our martyred president, Elie Hobeika, to occupy a parliamentary or ministerial position as others did," said Hobeika.

Sorbonne to open branch campus in Abu Dhabi
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006: Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi will open its doors to students starting next October, reports said Tuesday after a news conference was held at the Press Federation's headquarters in Beirut. Zaki Nassima, member of the university's board of directors, said "Lebanon was chosen to launch the opening of the university because it is the cultural and civilized confidence in the region and the center of the Francophonie."

69 doctors receive diplomas from AUB
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006: The American University of Beirut (AUB) handed 69 doctors their diplomas at Issam Fares Hall in the School of Medicine, a report issued by AUB's office of information and public relations said Monday. Among those who attended the ceremony were the president of the Doctors Association, Mario Aoun, and Wassim Wazan, representing Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh, as well as many academic figures and doctors. Aoun called on the government to study the needs of the labor market, notably "the geographic distribution of doctors." He also urged the graduates to remain "loyal to their profession and support their association."

Jarrah Scouts Federation honors group's founder
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006: The Jarrah Scouts Federation held a commemorative ceremony Tuesday for the late founder of the association, Abdel-Rahman Abdel-Qader Yammout, at the Islamic Center in the Beirut neighborhood of Aisha Bakkar. Present at the ceremony were Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani and MP Mohammad Hajjar, representing Future parliamentary bloc leader MP Saad Hariri, in addition to other representatives from the government, charities and local associations.

Future TV accuses Aoun of inciting violence
Daily Star staff- Wednesday, June 07, 2006:Future Television has accused MP Michel Aoun of instigating violence against the station after Aoun stated on Monday that "if we [the Free Patriotic Movement] wished to reply to the Future [bloc], we would have burned down its television station a long time ago." In a statement released on Tuesday, Future Television reminded Aoun that "recovering one's right by oneself is the tradition of underdeveloped societies." The station stressed that "according to psychology, the slip of tongue reveals what every person thinks, even the most rational of them." Future Television expressed fear for the implicit messages of Aoun and said that it would let public opinion judge for itself.

State Department: Lebanon Making Progress on Human
Trafficking but Still Below Acceptable Standards
The U.S. State Department has said in its annual report on human trafficking that Lebanon still falls short of the acceptable standards although it has made "significant efforts" to improve its record.
In its 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report, the State Department said Lebanon "does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so."
The report gave Lebanon a 'Tier 2' assessment, a middle ground position. The 'Tier 3' includes countries that failed to take noticeable steps to comply with the minimum standards. The report described Lebanon as a destination country for the trafficking of women for domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, saying the government "did not significantly improve its inadequate record of prosecution of traffickers." "An undetermined number of the domestic servants suffer physical and sexual abuse, nonpayment of wages, and withholding of passports that confines them to the employer's home," it said.
"Eastern European women come to Lebanon on "artiste" visas to work as adult entertainers, but may become victims of involuntary sexual servitude," the report added. On protection of trafficking victims, it said that the government "signed a memorandum of understanding with a local NGO to operate a shelter for trafficking victims, which provides medical, psychological, and legal services."
It also said that "the government closed 10 employment recruitment agencies for violations of workers' rights, including physical abuse." In attempts to prevent trafficking in persons in 2005, the report said that the country "made modest progress" by signing an agreement with the Sri Lankan labor ministry to establish education centers for domestic workers destined for Lebanon. It recommended that Lebanon "enact a comprehensive law to specifically criminalize trafficking offenses and significantly increase criminal prosecutions of abusive employers and sex traffickers."Beirut, 06 Jun 06, 11:59

Hizbullah delegates get frosty reception from patriarch
Sfeir: nothing can excuse rioting
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BKIRKI: A Hizbullah delegation visited Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir in Bkirki on Monday to voice their concerns about the riots on Thursday night in Beirut. Sources close to the patriarchate told The Daily Star that the delegation was given a cool reception by the prelate. Sfeir said nothing could excuse "such unacceptable acts of violence," and strongly encouraged the delegation to take responsibility for the riots, the sources added.
Thousands of Hizbullah supporters took to the streets of Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday, burning tires and blocking roads to protest an LBCI comedy show that impersonated Hizbullah secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Several people were assaulted by Hizbullah supporters in the neighborhood of Achrafieh.
Following the meeting, Ghaleb Abu Zainab, a member of Hizbullah's political council, said Information Minister Ghazi Aridi "has disappointed the party, because his position regarding the LBCI comedy show reflected the political stand of the March 14 Forces, to which he belongs."But Abu Zainab denied that Hizbullah had made any personal attack against the minister. "We did not say that Aridi has sided with LBCI; we said that since he is the information minister, his position must serve all of Lebanon," he added.The delegation's meeting with Sfeir was held before the official launch of the annual Maronite Bishops' conclave, which will continue until Saturday.
Asked why Hizbullah refused to apologize for Thursday's riots, Abu Zainab said the party had denounced the violence and called on the Internal Security Forces to "do their job" and arrest those involved in the riots.
"Hizbullah did not call for the demonstration. However, it worked alongside the security forces personnel to contain the riots," he added.The Hizbullah official downplayed the riots, saying "only a few cars were damaged."
Abu Zainab also urged the government to draft a law to prevent "impersonating the country's revered authorities."
Asked whether the riots had affected Hizbullah's relations with the Free Patriotic Movement, he said: "Our relations are as good as they can be. We have close national political positions and the agreement between us is strategic."
"Some parties are trying to prove that our consensus with the FPM is not real," he added.
"Following the demonstrations, the March 14 Forces launched political lies and misrepresentations in an attempt to exaggerate what happened instead of dealing seriously with the matter," Abu Zainab said.Concerning MP Walid Jumblatt's call after the riots to outlaw all honorific titles, Zainab said: "Whoever proposes such ideas must begin by applying them to himself before others. "Titles are not innate; they are the result of sacrifices and people's convictions that their leaders deserve such titles." After the meeting, Bkirki closed its doors to start the annual conclave of Lebanese and international Maronite bishops.
 
Aoun Says His Agreement with Hizbullah is Best Guarantee Against Civil Strife
Gen Michel Aoun has accused the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority of wanting to destroy his agreement with Hizbullah which he said is the best guarantee against a return to civil strife.
Aoun, speaking at a press conference, sought to downplay the apparent sectarian nature of the disturbances that followed the airing of a TV show that mimicked Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
"There will be no return to (civil) war whatever the appearances…we are capable of controlling the situation although, as in all societies, there are certain marginal elements," said Aoun.
During the night time protests, Hizbullah supporters entered predominantly Christian neighborhoods near the former Green Line that split the city along sectarian lines during the 1975-1990 Civil War, raising renewed fears of religious strife.
In the Christian district of Ashrafiyeh, four people were injured during the unrest. It is still not clear if they were hurt while clashing with Hizbullah followers or with troops who tried to break up the struggle.
The Free Patriotic Movement leader said it was due to his understanding with Hizbullah, which was signed in Feb., that Thursday's potentially explosive events did not get out of hand.
"The situation is stable today not thanks to the government but due to the cooperation agreement," the FPM leader said.
Aoun, whose followers are mostly Christian, accused the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority known as the March 14 Forces, of seeking to "burn" his agreement with the Shiite Hizbullah.
"They want to destroy all the positive initiatives that we are undertaking…all that happened aims at burning the (agreement) paper," Aoun charged.
He accused authorities of exaggerating the unrest to serve their own interests.
"They are not working to solve problems but to stay in power and score gains," Aoun said.
Asked about his rift with parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, Aoun said that if he were to respond to the accusations launched by the Future Movement's television station, his followers would have "burned down" the station.
"If we were to give the Future Movement's media the response it deserves, we would have burned down the station (Future TV). But we are above these conflicts," Aoun said. Beirut, 06 Jun 06, 11:24

Roed-Larsen Discuss Syria-Lebanon Ties with Mubarak
U.N. Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen has met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo as part of a regional tour to find a solution to the Lebanese-Syrian crisis. After the meeting Monday, Roed-Larsen said he listened to Mubarak's "advice on the issues and problems of the region, specifically those that relate to Lebanon's current condition."
He said they discussed Lebanon "as part of the general condition in the Middle East and the issues that influence the implementation of resolutions 1559 and 1680." "Those are the issues that are significant in Lebanese politics," he added.
Roed-Larsen is in charge of overseeing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, that was passed in 2004. It calls on foreign troops to leave Lebanon, all militias to disarm, the extension of the government's authority throughout the country and respect of the country's sovereignty and independence.
Based on a report by Roed-Larsen, the U.N. Security Council last month passed Resolution 1680, that reasserted the council's commitment to the full implementation of 1559 and strongly urged Damascus to establish ties with Lebanon and delineate the common border. Roed-Larsen also said Monday that he discussed with Mubarak regional developments and their impact on the Lebanese-Syrian crisis. They talked about the Iranian nuclear standoff with the west and the situation in the Palestinian Territories and Israel.
"The current condition in the Middle East is becoming more complicated and dangerous than before. Conflicts in the region are developing quickly and are affecting one another." There is "a need to deal with all of these crises as a single one."
The envoy met with Saudi King Abdullah and other officials in Riyadh on Sunday a day after he held talks with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit in Cairo. Beirut, 06 Jun 06, 12:17

US adds Iran, Syria to human trafficking blacklist
Iran, Syria, Saudi could face sanctions if they do not take measures against human trafficking within 90 days.
By P. Parameswaran - WASHINGTON
Iran and Syria were added to a US blacklist of countries trafficking in people, a State Department report said Monday, while raising concerns over an influx of sex workers to Germany for the World Cup soccer tournament.
Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, Laos and Belize were also on the blacklist for the State Department's annual "Trafficking in Persons Report" which analyzed efforts in about 150 countries to combat trafficking for forced labor, prostitution, military service and other purposes. The six countries join Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Sudan, Cuba and Myanmar among the "Tier 3" worst offenders of human trafficking who could face sanctions if they do not take immediate measures within 90 days.
"By calling to account any nation, friend or foe, that can and should do more to confront human trafficking, we are pressing countries into action," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in the presentation of the 290-page report.
"The harsh reality of human trafficking stuns even the hardest of hearts," she said.
The United States estimates that up to 800,000 people - primarily women and children - fall victims each year to trafficking, Rice said.
Iran and Syria, both of which have been accused by Washington of backing international terrorism, were cited in the report for being a "source, transit and destination country" for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation.
The United States is currently in the forefront of international efforts to slap UN Security Council sanctions on Iran if it does not suspend uranium enrichment activities, which could lead to the manufacture of nuclear bombs.
"Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent, credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims of trafficking with beatings, imprisonment and execution," the State Department said.
A key criteria of US law, which is used as a basis for the rankings, is protection of human trafficking victims.
"The law specifically says victims should not be punished for acts they commit after they've been trafficked, whether it's prostitution or anything else," said John Miller, a State Department advisor on efforts to stem the problem.
"We hope this situation will change in the next year," he said. Last year, Syria was not rated at all while Iran was in "Tier 2," comprising countries which were making "significant" efforts to deal with the problem.
Nations deemed to be complying with US and international efforts to fight trafficking are placed in "Tier 1."
A notable relegation from Tier 1 to Tier 2 this year is Portugal, cited as a destination and transit country for women, men and children trafficked from Brazil, Eastern Europe and Africa.
Germany, where prostitution is legal, was criticized for reportedly allowing sex workers to be trafficked into the country to meet the demand from hundreds of thousands of soccer fans during the World Cup which runs from June 9 to July 9.
"Are we concerned about the World Cup? And the answer to that, in terms of trafficking, is yes," Miller said, adding that he had expressed his concern directly to the German envoy in Washington over reports of sex trafficking ahead of the World Cup.
"This has become a big issue in Europe with Swedish ministers, a French soccer coach, the Irish Women's Federation, all speaking out," he said, citing reports that thousands of women were transported to Germany for sex during the premier sports event. Research and evidence available showed that "when you have large flows of women for sexual purposes, there is going to be trafficking and there is a link between prostitution and sex trafficking," he said.
Germany remained on Tier 1 in the US trafficking ranking, drawing criticism from some rights activists.
"It is unconscionable to give Germany Tier One status when it is blatantly encouraging sex trafficking," said Janice Shaw Crouse of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the largest US public policy womens group.
The United States itself came under scrutiny in the report, which cited abuses, "some of them considered widespread," committed by Pentagon contractors or subcontractors of third country workers in Iraq. They include illegal confiscation of passports, deceptive hiring practices and substandard living conditions of largely low-skilled workers from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Lebanon, UN might establish int''l tribunal over Al-Hariri''s assassination
LAW-LEBANON-UN-TRIBUNAL
Lebanon, UN might establish int'l tribunal over Al-Hariri's assassination
BEIRUT, June 5 (KUNA) -- Lebanon's Justice Ministry said Monday talks with the UN might lead to establishing an international tribunal to prosecute persons accused in the assassination of former Premier Rafiq Al-Hariri.
This was in a press release by the ministry after a meeting between Justice Minister Charles Rizk and Judges Ralf Riachi and Sheukri Sader who are in-charge of holding the talks with the UN regarding the tribunal's establishment.
The meeting, noted the release, reviewed the talks with the UN regarding the tribunal's duties, legislations and relevant technicalities. The two judges said the talks were characterized with a high understanding and cooperation, added the release.
The release said such talks prove the strength of ties between Lebanon and the UN.
Based on recommendations of the team probing the assassination of Al-Hariri, Lebanese authorities last September arrested Commander of the Republican Guards' Brigadier Mustafa Hamdan, former Director of General Security Major-General Jamil Al-Sayyed, former Director of Internal Security Major-General Ali Al-Haj and former Director of Army Intelligence Brigadier Remon Azar. They were accused of premeditated manslaughter, conducting terrorist acts and possession of explosives.
Last December, the UN Security Council extended the team's term, which started on June 15, 2005, for a six-month period.

Syrian Opposition Urges Regime's Ouster
By DANICA KIRKA
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 6, 2006; 1:35 AM
LONDON -- Key Syrian opposition figures on Monday urged Syrians to work to oust President Bashar Assad by using acts of civil disobedience reminiscent to the upheaval that freed nations behind the Iron Curtain.
Describing Assad's regime as oppressive and corrupt, the leaders pledged to bring democracy to Syria, which has been ruled by Assad since the death of his father, Hafez, in 2000.
A general view of Damascus, the Syrian capital, Saturday, June 3, 2006. Security forces fought Islamic militants near the Defense Ministry on Friday in a gunbattle that killed five people, the government said. The director-general of state broadcasting, Fayez Sayegh, said the anti-terrorism police killed four militants and detained six others, of whom two were wounded. (AP Photo Bassem Tellawi). (Bassem Tellawi - AP)
Diplomatic Dispatches
Nora Boustany 's column reporting on Washington's diplomatic community appears each Wednesday and Friday in The Post.
"The people are fed up with the government," former Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam told The Associated Press after a conference uniting forces against Assad. "Of course they are scared. Our plan is to encourage them to get rid of this fear. ... The military is not going to get involved." Two of the group's most prominent members are Khaddam and Ali Sadr el-Din Bayanouni, head of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Both exiled leaders forged an alliance in March after long being at odds, forming the National Salvation Front for Syria and urging the government's ouster and formation of a transitional government.
The two leaders stood shoulder to shoulder following a news conference, insisting that working together was in the best interest of Syria _ whatever their past disagreements might have been.
"This is also a response to the accusations, the exaggerations of the regime, when it says that the alternative to it is chaos," Bayanouni said.
Diverse groups are represented in the front, including former members of the ruling Baath party and the outlawed Brotherhood, a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim group blamed for a campaign of assassinations and bombings in Syria in the early 1980s that was brutally crushed by authorities in 1982.
A member of Syria's ruling elite for three decades, Khaddam broke with Assad last year and fled to Paris with his family. He said he was certain the Syrian people would support a peaceful change of government.
"We want a change of government and a democratic Syria ... like what happened in Eastern Europe through the people's will," he said, speaking through an interpreter. At one point he corrected an interpretation to insist that he wasn't advocating revolution. Amnesty International claims that 10,000-25,000 people were killed at Hama in 1982 to put down a revolt by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, though conflicting figures exist and the number could be considerably smaller or larger than this. The Syrian government has made no official claim about the number killed.
A representative from the Kurdish minority as well as liberal and democratic groups also attended the London meeting.
The alliance has pledged that the proposed transitional government would abolish Syria's 1963 state of emergency and release all political prisoners.

Bar warns of tough action over judicial selection
Lawyers contemplate open-ended strike
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
BEIRUT: The head of the Beirut Bar Association said Monday that "appropriate steps" may soon be taken to end the political scuffle over appointing new members to Lebanon's highest legal authority. Political bickering has prevented Justice Minister Charles Rizk from appointing five new judges to fill vacant seats on the Higher Judicial Council. The seats have been vacant for more than seven months.
Speaking after a meeting with his association, the Tripoli Bar Association and the Higher Judicial Council's president, Judge Antoine Kheir, Boutros Doumit said there would be continuous discussions and meetings between the two associations until the debate is settled in a manner that preserves the judiciary's dignity and independence.
"Both associations will take the appropriate steps to end this professional and national crisis," Doumit said.
"Our objective is to preserve the judiciary's independence and dignity. This institution is a basic factor in establishing democratic systems, therefore we are keen on reaching a solution," Doumit added.
Lawyers and politicians threatened last week to go on an open-ended strike if Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and his justice minister failed to reach a consensus on the judicial appointments in the near future.
Rizk submitted a list to Siniora last week of five candidates, four of them put forward by the council's three top judges and a fifth by Rizk, who had replaced the council's choice of Faisal Haydar with another Shiite judge, Abdel-Latif Husseini.
Sources close to Rizk said that the minister would not amend his decree as "he is not convinced about the reasons to replace Husseini."Ministerial sources said the lawyers' stance might pressure the government to discuss the issue at the next Cabinet session.Siniora's office said the prime minister rejected Rizk's decree because "he was committed to the recommendation of the judges, as they are the experts on this matter."
According to the sources, Siniora argued that "if we are keen on the independence of our judiciary and on strengthening it, then the judges' proposal is a step leading toward a stronger and independent judiciary."
"This issue must not be politicized and I did not interfere in it because I am keen on strengthening the judiciary and making it independent." Observers described the conflict as a power struggle between the parliamentary majority and its opponents.
The majority accuses the opposition of hindering the development of the country and its institutions, while the opposition say the March 14 alliance is trying to control state institutions.

Canadian Terror Probe Expands to Seven Nations
TORONTO (AP) - Police said Monday more arrests are likely in an alleged plot to bomb buildings in Canada, while intelligence officers sought ties between the 17 suspects and Islamic terror cells in the United States and five other nations.
A terror suspect is transferred to a prisoner transportation vehicle in Pickering, Ont., to be taken to an arraignment at the courthouse in Brampton on Saturday. (CP)
A court said authorities had charged all 12 adults arrested over the weekend with participating in a terrorist group. Other charges included importing weapons and planning a bombing. The charges against five minors were not made public.
The Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa, is believed to be among targets the group discussed. Toronto Mayor David Miller said CN Tower, a downtown landmark, and the city's subway were not targets as had been the speculated in local media, but declined to identify sites that were.
A Muslim prayer leader who knew the oldest suspect, 43-year-old Qayyum Abdul Jamal, told The Associated Press on Monday that Jamal's sermons at a storefront mosque were ``filled with hate'' against Canada.
Authorities said more arrests were expected, possibly this week, as police pursue leads about a group that they say was inspired by the violent ideology of the al-Qaida terror network.
``We've by no means finished this investigation,'' Mike McDonell, deputy commissioner for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told AP. ``In fact, you might look at it that, really, we're just starting with the arrests. We have a responsibility to follow every lead.''Although both Canadian and U.S. officials said over the weekend there was no indication the purported terror group had targets outside Ontario, McDonell told AP on Monday that there are ``foreign connections,'' but he would not elaborate.A U.S. law enforcement official said investigators were looking for connections between those detained in Canada and suspected Islamic militants held in the United States, Britain, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Denmark and Sweden.
American authorities have established that two men from Georgia who were charged this year in a terrorism case had been in contact with some of the Canadian suspects via computer, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing.

Canadian Counter-Terrorism Police Units Arrest 17 Terror Suspects in Toronto
TORONTO (AP) - Canadian police foiled a homegrown terrorist attack by arresting 17 suspects, apparently inspired by al-Qaida, who obtained three times the amount of an explosive ingredient used in the Oklahoma City bombing, officials said Saturday.People leave the court house after attending a court hearing after police arrested many men in connection with a possible terrorist plot on Saturday, June, 3, 2006 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
The FBI said the Canadian suspects may have had ``limited contact'' with two men recently arrested on terrorism charges in Georgia. About 400 regional police and federal agents participated in the arrests Friday and early Saturday.
``These individuals were allegedly intent on committing acts of terrorism against their own country and their own people,'' Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement. ``As we have said on many occasions, Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism.''The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested 12 adult suspects, ages 43 to 19, and five suspects younger than 18 on terrorism charges including plotting attacks with explosives on Canadian targets. The suspects were either citizens or residents of Canada and had trained together, police said.
The group acquired three tons of ammonium nitrate - three times the amount used to blow up the Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injured more than 800, said assistant Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioner Mike McDonell. The fertilizer can be mixed with fuel oil or other ingredients to make a bomb.
``This group posed a real and serious threat,'' McDonell said. ``It had the capacity and intent to carry out these attacks.''
Luc Portelance, assistant director of operations with Canada's spy agency, CSIS, said the suspects ``appeared to have become adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaida'' but that investigators have yet to prove a link to the terror network. Five of the suspects were led in handcuffs Saturday to the Ontario Court of Justice, which was surrounded by snipers and bomb-sniffing dogs. A judge told the men not to communicate with one another and set their first bail hearing for Tuesday.
Alvin Chand, a brother of suspect Steven Vikash Chand, said outside the courthouse that his brother was innocent and authorities ``just want to show they're doing something.''
``He's not a terrorist, come on. He's a Canadian citizen,'' Chand said. ``The people that were arrested are good people, they go to the mosque, they go to school, go to college.''FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko said in Washington there may have been a connection between the Canadian suspects and a Georgia Tech student and another American who had traveled to Canada to meet with Islamic extremists to discuss locations for a terrorist strike.
Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, U.S. citizens who grew up in the Atlanta area, were arrested in March.
Officials at the news conference displayed purported bomb-making materials including a red cell phone wired to what appeared to be an explosives detonator inside a black toolbox. Also shown were a computer hard drive, camouflage uniforms, flashlights and walkie-talkies. A flimsy white door riddled with bullet holes was on display but no details about it were available.
According to a report Saturday in The Toronto Star citing unidentified police sources, the suspects attended a terrorist training camp north of Toronto and had plotted to attack the Canadian spy agency's downtown Toronto office, among other targets in Ontario province. Authorities refused to confirm those reports.
The suspects lived in either Toronto, Canada's financial capital and largest city, or the nearby cities of Mississauga or Kingston.
Also at the court hearing was Aly Hindy, an imam of an Islamic center that houses a school and a mosque and has been monitored by security agencies for years. He said he knows nine of the suspects and that Muslims once again were being falsely accused. ``It's not terrorism. It could be some criminal activity with a few guys, that's all,'' said Hindy. ``We are the ones always accused. Somebody fakes a document and they are an international terrorist forging documents for al-Qaida.''
Rocco Galati, lawyer for two suspects from Mississauga, said his client Ahmad Ghany, 21, is a health sciences graduate from McMaster University in Hamilton. He was born in Canada, the son of a medical doctor who emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. Shareef Abdelhaleen, 30, is a computer programmer who emigrated from Egypt 20 years ago with his father, now an engineer with a nuclear utilities services company, the lawyer said. The charges came under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act, which was passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks - and after Osama bin Laden named Canada as one of five ``Christian'' nations that should be terror targets. The other countries - the U.S., Britain, Spain and Australia - have all been targeted. Portelance, of Canada's spy agency, said it was the nation's largest counterterrorism operation since the adoption of the act and that more arrests were possible. The adult suspects from Toronto are Chand, alias Abdul Shakur, 25; Fahim Ahmad, 21; Jahmaal James, 23; and Asin Mohamed Durrani, 19. Those from Mississauga are Ghany; Abdelhaleen; Zakaria Amara, 20; Asad Ansari, 21; Saad Khalid, 19; and Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43.