LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 23/06Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,11-28.
While they were listening to him speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.' His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do not want this man to be our king.' But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, 'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.' He replied, 'Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.' Then the second came and reported, 'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.' And to this servant too he said, 'You, take charge of five cities.' Then the other servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.' He said to him, 'With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.' And to those standing by he said, 'Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.' But they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten gold coins.' 'I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.'" After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
Free Opinions & StudiesFree Opinions & Studies of the Day
Pierre Gemayel Is another Martyr. By: Randa Takieddin Al-Hayat - 23/11/06
Hezbollah in the Opposition.By: Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat - 23/11/06
Al Qaeda Wants an American Madrid. By: Dr. Walid Phares- The Washington Times - November 22, 2006
from the Daily Star for November 23/11/06
Thousands pay respects to family of slain Gemayel
Jumblatt singles out Damascus in murder
Assassination heightens tensions in political arena
Minister 'asked for less security' ahead of fatal attack
Siniora promises legislation to speed up rebuilding process
Lebanon's new generation languishes in e-hibernation
Businesses heed request to show respect by closing
Fatfat denies Sabaa will return to bolster Cabinet
Merchants bemoan latest damper on customer traffic
Turkey would be an ideal partner to help stabilize a fragile Lebanon
Pressure, both direct and indirect, mounts on Syria
Latest New from miscellaneous sources for November 23/11/06
Who did it?-Guardian Unlimited
Italy faces calls for Lebanon pullout after killing-Reuters
Lebanese mourn assassinated minister-Guardian Unlimited
US to boost military help for Lebanon-ABC Regional Online
Bush Committed to Lebanon Democracy, Blair Doesn't Accuse Syria-Naharnet
Gemayel's Assassination Adds to Lebanon's Heightened Tensions-Naharnet
Lebanese pay respect to assassinated minister-Ireland Online
Lebanese Press: Syria's Supporters Wrongfooted by Murder-Naharnet
Syria Rejects Trial of its Citizens by International Tribunal-Naharnet
U.N. Approves Hariri Tribunal, Condemns Gemayel Slaying-Naharnet
Gemayel Was Rising Star in Family of Prominent Politicians-Naharnet
Gemayel's Killing Hits U.S. Mideast Policy-Naharnet
Middle East Leaders Fear Lebanon's Violence Could Spread-Naharnet
March 14 Forces Urge Massive Turnout at Gemayel's Funeral-Naharnet
Italy Steps Up Troops Security, Turkey Urges Arabs to Join UNIFIL-Naharnet
Lebanese Leaders Urge Unity Despite Anger Over Gemayel's Murder-Naharnet
Condemnation, participation, anxiety in lead-up to Pierre Gemayel ...AsiaNews.it
Siniora says Lebanon determined to set up court-Reuters
Minister's killing plunges Lebanon into new crisis-Reuters
Blair Says Assassination In Lebanon Shows Need For New Strategy-Playfuls.com
Lebanon slaying dims chances of US overture to Syria-International Herald Tribune
Assassination stresses the dilemma Syria poses for the White House-San Jose Mercury News
Slaying inflames Lebanon-Chicago Tribune
The World Assassination sparks civil war fears-The Australian
Normalization of ties with Iraq gives Syria more say with US-People's Daily Online
European leaders denounce minister's killing in Lebanon-International Herald Tribune
UN rights mission: Israel breaks law in Lebanon-Xinhua
Lebanon's chequered history of assassinations-Euronews.net
UN Forces In Lebanon Call On Israel To Stop Fly-Overs-All Headline News
Crossfire War - Agents of Teheran Assassinate Lebanon Minister-NewsBlaze
Serial killers in Lebanon-Kuwait Times
Killing of Christian politician jars Lebanon-Boston GlobeAttacks in Lebanon Since the 1970s
By The Associated
Associated Press
Attacks that have targeted prominent Lebanese, most of them opponents of Syria:
_ Feb. 26, 1975: Maarouf Saad, 46, a Sunni former parliament member from Sidon, is shot to death while leading a fishermen's demonstration. His assassination was among the causes of the civil war that broke out April 13, 1975.
_ March 16, 1977: Kamal Jumblatt, 62, a leader of the Druse community, is killed by unidentified gunmen who attack his car in the Druse-controlled Chouf mountains. He was leader of the Nationalist Movement, an alliance of Palestinian, leftist and Muslim groups.
_ June 13, 1978: Tony Franjieh, 34, oldest son of former President Suleiman Franjieh, a Maronite Catholic, is slaughtered at his home in the Cedar Mountain resort of Ehden with his wife, their 3-year-old daughter and 30 aides.
_ Sept. 14, 1982: President-elect Bashir Gemayel, 34, is killed by a bomb that demolished Phalange Party headquarters in Christian east Beirut three weeks after his election.
_ Oct. 7, 1986: Sheikh Subhi Saleh, 60, deputy chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council, the highest Sunni Muslim authority in Lebanon, is shot in Beirut by two masked assassins who escape on motorcycle. The sheikh was an outspoken advocate of coexistence between Lebanon's Muslim and Christian communities.
_ June 1, 1987: Prime Minister Rashid Karami, 64, is killed in an explosion aboard an army helicopter. A Sunni, Karami was serving as prime minister for a 10th time in 32 years. He had been a member of parliament since 1951 and served as a minister in several Cabinets.
_ Aug. 20, 1987: Mohammed Shokair, 70, political adviser to former President Amin Gemayel, is killed by gunmen who storm his home.
_ May 16, 1989: Mufti Sheik Hassan Khalid is killed by a bomb placed in a parked car in Beirut.
_ Sept. 21, 1989: Nazim Kadri, a 74-year-old Sunni lawmaker, is killed by gunmen.
_ Nov. 22, 1989: President Rene Mouawad, 64, is assassinated after only 17 days in office. Mouawad had hoped to form government of national reconciliation.
_ Oct. 21, 1990: Dany Chamoun, a 56-year-old right-wing National Liberal Party leader and a prominent Maronite Christian clan member, is killed along with his wife and two sons at their east Beirut home.
_ Aug. 31, 1995: Sheik Nizar al-Halaby, 43, a founder of the fundamentalist Habashi group, is killed by gunmen.
_ Jan. 24, 2002: Former Lebanese militia leader Elie Hobeika, 45, is killed in a car bombing. Hobeika had offered to testify in a Belgian lawsuit seeking to hold Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon responsible for a massacre of Palestinian refugees.
_ Feb. 14, 2005: Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, tilting toward the opposition, is assassinated in a massive bombing. Opposition blames Syrian and Lebanese governments, charges both deny.
_ June 2, 2005: Anti-Syrian journalist and activist Samir Kassir is killed by a bomb placed under his car.
_ June 21, 2005: Anti-Syrian politician George Hawi, former Communist Party leader, is killed by a bomb placed under his car.
_ July 12, 2005: Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Elias Murr survives a car bombing that targets his vehicle as he drives on a north Beirut suburban street. Although pro-Syrian, Murr later says he was threatened by Syrian intelligence chief in Lebanon.
_ Sept. 25, 2005: Prominent anchorwoman May Chidiac of the leading anti-Syrian TV station LBC loses an arm and a leg from a bomb placed under her car.
_ Dec. 12, 2005: Gibran Tueni, prominent anti-Syrian newspaper editor and lawmaker, is killed in a car bomb that destroys his vehicle.
_ Nov. 21, 2006: Pierre Gemayel, 34, the industry minister and a prominent Christian politician, is shot to death by gunmen in a Beirut suburb.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
Canada must take action against Syria, Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinians for terror in Lebanon
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Ottawa, Canada - Yesterday's assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel is another example of foreign state terror being used to destabilize Lebanon. Canada must not stand by and allow these vicious criminal actions to succeed.
"Prime Minister Harper understands the importance of democracy to the people of Lebanon," said Francois Hachem, director of the Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD). "Today, we are calling on the Prime Minister to take strong action against Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists within Lebanon as well as their sponsors in Syria and Iran. We must defeat those who use violence and murder, especially against the Christian minority, with the goal of making Lebanon yet another stage for global Islamist terror that threatens all nations including Canada."
"Syria has mocked United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 and 1701 and the UN refuses to act," said Hachem. "It is time that Canada recognized this fact, and take the necessary steps to hold the regime and its proxies responsible."
"Iran and Syria will continue to ignore criticism and UN resolutions," said Alastair Gordon, president of CCD. "Canada must consider meaningful action such as cancelling our active trade partnership with Syria as we did with South Africa during the Apartheid regime, moving our Lebanese immigration office back to Lebanon from Syria, ending our funding of UNRWA for its incitement of Palestinians against Christians in Lebanon, and helping bring to justice the killers of President Hariri and Minister Gemayel and those who have murdered and maimed journalists, clerics and democracy activists who have spoken out against Syrian occupation."
As a first step, Canada must send a high-ranking cabinet minister to the funeral of Minister Gemayel scheduled for Thursday. "This gesture will signal support to the people of Lebanon and let the Syrians and their proxies know that the Christian and Muslim people they seek to destroy and the nation they seek to re-occupy are not without friends", added Hachem.Hezbollah in the Opposition
Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat - 21/11/06//
After the resignation of the Shiite ministers, something that may be held against the current Lebanese government is that it is now non-charter. Not that anyone has questioned its constitutionality; as long it enjoys the confidence of the majority of Parliament, and as long as the House and the President of the Republic retain their mandate. And the fact that the government has become non-charter due to the resignation of ministers of one sect and political creed is, moreover, a precedent that might be repeated in the future with other sects, regardless of their size and importance. This is bearing in mind that recognized sects are often only represented by one minister, and are sometimes not represented at all. A charter means equality, not the right to veto.
When Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah was explaining the reasons for the resignation of the Shiite representatives from Fouad Siniora's government, he stressed that their presence was no longer meaningful because any disagreement would be put to the vote, with results contrary to their convictions. He thus considers disagreements and division in this government to be the rule, and not government solidarity that is led by the spirit of the charter. Therefore, it is not hard to imagine that he will try, through dialogue and consultation, to make votes inside the government the rule, and not an exception, as it is now. In this way, he would retain the power to veto decisions. The rest is clear: confronting the majority with one of two options; either they grant him this power, and, with it, running the risk of making a precedent, or holding early elections, which would overturn the equation of majority-minority. Consequently, Nasrallah would take full control of the government's decision-making.
The developments that should be expected are serious if he really thinks that the street is the decisive factor that will solve this dilemma. This alternative carries with it the possibility of the entire issue slipping into a violent confrontation that would end in civil war. This possibility is more than a bad omen, following Hezbollah's qualitative shift in policy, as announced by Nasrallah in his speech in which he mobilized the street.
Since the party was founded, and after the bombing of liquor retailers and the liquidation of local rivals that lasted for a few months, the party maintained the slogan of resistance to Israel, especially after the Taif Agreement, and against the backdrop of Syrian military presence. Over this period, the security and military capabilities of the State were placed at the disposal of the Resistance. The party, which came to be the only Resistance, no longer had need for official political decisions. The strategy of resistance was separate from the Lebanese State, and was tied up in the strategy of the Syrian-Israeli dispute. The legitimate authority that was formed after the Taif Agreement had no right to interfere in or question the work of the Resistance, regardless of the consequences this would entail for that authority. Due to the Syrian presence, it was forced to coexist with Hezbollah's independent authority. Moreover, thanks to the considerable resources provided by Syria and Iran, and the considerable skills of the party's leadership (at least compared to other Lebanese leaders), there was never any cause for internal conflict. Never any cause, that is, as long as everyone resigned themselves to this reality.
Not only this, but, at the time, the political echelon went even further than the Party to underline the cause of the resistance and the need to retain Hezbollah's weapons. So the Party became the party of the privileged, at least in so far as the resources of the State were at its disposal when Hezbollah decided to resort to armed force. The State acknowledged that only Hezbollah could carry out the task of armed resistance. Therefore, Hezbollah was exceptionally privileged.
After Hariri's assassination and the subsequent internal changes, the Party tried to maintain its previous position. This attempt manifest itself in the Party's alliance in the elections with the forces that stood to benefit from Syria's evacuation of Lebanon (Future
Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party and Lebanese Forces, in addition to Amal, of course) and the government's program to protect the Resistance. But with the latest developments, especially the passing of binding international resolutions, questions are now assailing the Party's fortified share of power.
Until a few days ago, Nasrallah continued to speak as the representative of the Resistance, Hezbollah, Amal, March 8, and the meeting of the political parties and national personalities. He was the loyal ally of Syria and the strategic ally, Iran, while insisting on remaining a part of the coalition government. Even after the July War and the accusations of government collusion with the Israeli aggression sponsored by the US, Nasrallah did not declare that he would leave the government and return to the ranks of the opposition. Moreover, he never even used the expression 'return to the opposition', except in his recent speech, after he warned on the eve of consultation that he might go back to the opposition. The first step toward opposition is to overthrow the government, instead of holding it to account and calling for a vote of confidence in Parliament and giving better representation when the time comes for elections. Hezbollah's shift from supporting the government to opposition, as Nasrallah proposes, is the first and most important transformation of the Party since its inception.
Nasrallah knows the meaning of this transformation, which is why he sought to avoid it. He put back the attempts to implement many times as long as he was able to take advantage of the widely-acknowledged fact that was stated one day about the Maronites: 'What is for us is for us alone and what is for you is for you as well as for us'. His is not an ordinary party that pleads for peaceful political action, especially since its turning to the opposition stemmed from its inability to control what is 'for you'. It is an armed party, almost the militarily strongest player in Lebanon.
No matter how many calls for peaceful and civilized moves, and no matter how much it stresses that its objectives are patriotic and non-sectarian, the Party cannot deny that it is armed and is moving toward toppling the government to set up another in its place. When the opposition is armed, and it seeks change, and its backbone is one sect alone, there is no longer any use in talking about institutions, the Constitution, or the CharterAl Qaeda Wants an "American Madrid"
Walid Phares
The Washington Times November 22, 2006
The latest audio by al Qaeda's Iraq commander -- posted 48 hours after the midterm elections -- sends a clear signal to the readers of the jihadi strategic mind: Al Qaeda and its advisers around the world want to provoke an "American Madrid." Portraying the United States as a bleeding bull in disarray, the war room projects its wish to see America's will crippled. The video attempts to do the following:
1. Convince the jihadists that the United States is now defeated in Iraq and beyond. While no reversal of the balance of power has taken place on the ground, the jihadi propaganda machine is linking the shift in domestic politics to a withdrawal from Iraq. It projects the change in Washington as a crumbling of the political process in Baghdad and America's foreign policy. Interestingly, others in the region are also "announcing" the upcoming defeat of America in the war on terror. Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah declared: "The Americans are leaving, and their allies will pay the price."
2. Spread political chaos at home. Jihadists portray the Democratic takeover of Congress and the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (and maybe others) as signs of American weakening in the resolve to fight jihadism. The video had a potential to frustrate U.S. citizens if it is not accurately interpreted by experts. Americans may end up believing that the message reflects the situation in the Middle East and that it is a logical outcome of a faulty U.S. policy. If the Bush administration and the new congressional leaders do not respond adequately to the video, some "chaos" of this sort may ensue.
3. The terminology used in the videotape is a powerful indicator that al Qaeda's political network relies on Western-educated minds, familiar with political processes in the United States and serving as advisers to the jihadists. A regular al Qaeda emir does not use the term "lame duck." It is more likely that a U.S.-based cadre, who understands the impact of political jargon on domestic audiences, had suggested the use of this word. Abu Hamza al Muhajir's use of the term batta arjaaa (lame duck) is striking to any native speaker of Arabic. This term does not exist in Arab culture, let alone in jihadi rhetoric. Its use is yet another proof of the Americanization jihad has undergone. Thus, Iraq's al Qaeda is using the term as a weapon -- something most likely requested by the jihadi brains operating on the other side of the Atlantic.
So what do the speechwriters want to achieve with these kinds of tapes? They aim at sapping American public morale during a time when reorganization is taking place in the U.S. government. Reading from the jihadi wishful thinking, the audiotape of al Muhajir and the statements made by other radical Islamists send the following message: Americans are being thanked for removing Mr. Bush's party from the leadership of Congress, which the jihadists attribute to the war on terror rather than U.S. domestic problems. Al Qaeda's audio tells citizens in the United States that they were wise for having responded positively to the previous messages by Osama bin Laden. Al Masri's words aim at convincing the American public to pressure their newly elected legislators to pull U.S. forces hastily from Iraq.
In short, al Qaeda wants an American Madrid: it wishes that a change of power in January would be accompanied by a change of national determination, not just a change of course within Iraq.
In the Salafis chat rooms, the commissaries explained to their audiences, that the Democratic Party victory in Congress means that America is now divided and al Qaeda can push to create more cracks in the system -- as it has successfully done in Spain. The masters of the forum, emulating al Masri's audiotape, said not only that "we got their soldiers on the run in Iraq," but "we got their citizens on the run on their own soil" referring to the November electoral outcome. They promised that with more killings in Iraq, they will break the will of Americans at home; and that the new Congress, seeking to fulfill one of its electoral promises will force the Bush administration to pack up and leave the Middle East.
In Washington, both the administration and the new congressional leaders failed to seriously respond to the al Qaeda message. Grave mistake; for ignoring the speech would help convincing the jihadists that America is divided and crumbling and would embolden them to strike further, not only in Iraq but also inside the United States. The silent treatment works in favor of the Salafi combatants: It only leads them to believe that they are right and that their strategy is working; just as Allah had crushed the Soviets in Afghanistan, he has divided the Americans. It is, therefore, imperative that Washington strikes back in a unified manner at every opportunity that arises. It must tell the dreamers of a terror caliphate that American democracy will not serve as a weapon to defeat freedom worldwide.
** Walid Phares is a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and the author of "Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against America."Pierre Gemayel Is another Martyr
Randa Takieddin Al-Hayat - 22/11/06//
Lebanon received another bloody message with the assassination of the young Minister of Industry, Pierre Gemayel, who struggled for the independence and sovereignty of his country. He worked with the majority to restore sovereignty and stop foreign interference.
How, then, can the Lebanese then refuse an international tribunal? Is it reasonable that these crimes against the honorable fighters for freedom and sovereignty continue at a time when there are some Arab countries that still have reservations about the International Tribunal?
Targeting minister Gemayel, who sacrificed his life for his country's sovereignty, is an intimidating message from the criminals who had assassinated former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Minister Basil Fuleihan and their fellow companions, Gibran Tueini, Samir Kassir and George Hawi. They are also those who tried to assassinate Minister Marwan Hamadeh and my colleague Mai Chidiac.
The assassins want to intimidate the Lebanese and spread panic and instability at a time when the date of the International Tribunal is approaching and the truth will be revealed.
Does not Lebanon have the right to be a model for punishing the murderers of officials and young people? All those who are opposed to the International Tribunal should be aware today that the death of Minister Pierre Gemayel was aimed to carry out a coup on whoever wants to liberate Lebanon and restore its sovereignty. Any opposition to the implementation of the International Court resolution is a response to the will of the assassins, who want to eliminate the youth of Lebanon and all those who have a promising future in a sovereign, independent country.
It is noticeable that the assassins target the youth who have a role in the future of the country and in implementing the principles that had been maintained by Pierre Gemayel - independence, boldness and courage. Lebanon is being exposed to a process of destabilization. No country, foreign or Arab, has the right to reject the International Tribunal.
The opposition forces of Hezbollah and Michel Aoun should show a sense of responsibility, in light of such a dangerous circumstance in Lebanon. They should unite the ranks of the Lebanese and show patriotism in defending the cause of the martyrs of liberty and the freedom of speech.
General Aoun must show responsibility and work to avoid further disasters in the country and in the Christian street, and to forestall a seemingly imminent civil war. The objective of the murderers of Pierre Gemayel is to prevent the establishment of the International Tribunal by all possible means, whether murder, destruction, or civil war.
Is it accidental that all the liquidations were done by only one body, and that all the victims were advocates of freedom who struggled for the sovereignty of their country and were among the majority that opted for independence? Do the killers want to turn Lebanon into another Iraq? Do those criminals want to expel the Christians, without whom Lebanon will cease to exist?
Lebanon, the country of coexistence, future and peace, is unacceptable to the criminals, who want destruction and devastation. If they stand trial, the Tribunal will definitely reveal the truth!
The International Tribunal is an indispensable demand for the sake of Lebanon
March 14 Forces Urge Massive Turnout at Gemayel's Funeral
The anti-Syrian camp has called for a massive turnout at the funeral of slain Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel on Thursday.
The service will first be held at the Maronite Cathedral of St. George in downtown Beirut at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT), said a statement from the "March 14" group that met at the Phalange party headquarters in Saifi on Tuesday. The body of Gemayel will then be taken to his home town of Bikfaya, in the mountains east of the capital, for burial. "The entire world will hear in the next few days the real voice of Lebanon, the voice of freedom, sovereignty and independence," said former MP Fares Soaid, reading the statement.
"The March 14 forces calls on their followers and friends ... to participate massively in the popular burial of the heroic martyr Pierre Gemayel," it said. They also called for a total shutdown of businesses across Lebanon. The group said "sadness has turned into anger" after Tuesday's assassination. "We will go after the criminals and all those who cover this crime ... the blood of Pierre Gemayel will not go in vain," it said. But "the March 14 forces also call on all their followers ... to stay away from any sign of discord which only serves the objectives of the evil criminals," it added.
Gemayel's Phalange party confirmed in a statement that the burial was postponed by 24 hours to Thursday, rather than originally announced.
Gunned down Tuesday in New Jdeideh, northern suburb of Beirut, Gemayel, 34, was the latest victim in a spate of attacks on Lebanese anti-Syrian politicians widely blamed on Damascus.A three-day period of national mourning was also officially announced in Lebanon, where Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday have been called off.On Tuesday night, mourners lit candles at a vigil held at the scene where Gemayel was assassinated.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 22 Nov 06, 09:00
Thousands pay respects to family of slain Gemayel
Grieving mother: 'they riddled him with bullets. they tore him apart'
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 23, 2006
BIKFAYA: Church bells tolled Wednesday morning as the body of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was brought home ahead of his funeral Thursday. The coffin was driven from the St. Joseph Hospital in Dora to his hometown of Bikfaya, northeast of the capital. Hundreds of weeping mourners led by former President Amin Gemayel, the slain minister's father, and his family, walked behind the coffin, waving the white-and-green flags of Gemayel's Phalange Party. "God be with you, groom," the crowd shouted. "God be with you, hero." "Pierre is alive inside us," others shouted.
"What can I say? They killed the hero of heroes. They are killing Lebanon's dream. The suspicion points toward Syria," said Rizkallah Gemayel, 45.
There was a heavy police and army presence in Bikfaya and many of the Christian neighborhoods of Beirut. "How long in this country are criminals going to force fathers to bury their own sons?" one mourner muttered after Gemayel's body was taken inside the family home.
Lebanon's former first lady, Joyce Gemayel, wept as she stood by her son's coffin. "They riddled him with bullets. They tore him apart," she sobbed.
The coffin of Gemayel was draped in the Phalange flag. Gunshots were fired into the air as the crowd marched behind the pallbearers along streets daubed with pictures of the slain minister. "Those who killed my father have struck again, but they will not succeed in killing Lebanon," said Gemayel's cousin Nadim, 24, son of President-elect Bashir Gemayel, killed in 1982.
Upstairs, Gemayel's bereaved father Amin, who served as president of Lebanon from 1982-88 after his brother's assassination, received well-wishers. In a televised interview with Lebanese Broadcasting Corp., Gemayel reviewed his son's brief career. The former president received condolence telephones calls from US President George W. Bush, French President Jacques Chirac, Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Among those paying their respects in Bikfaya were March 14 Forces figures, former premiers Salim Hoss and Rashid Solh and a parliamentary delegation from the Amal Movement. Gemayel said neither Hizbullah nor President Emile Lahoud had called or sent representatives to pay their respects. Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, an ally of Hizbullah, said in a separate interview that Gemayel's family told him "circumstances were not appropriate for his visit."
However, Aoun urged his supporters to participate in Gemayel's funeral, which is expected to be followed by a massive demonstration organized by the March 14 Forces. A Hizbullah spokesperson said the party had issued a statement condemning the assassination, adding "paying condolences is a normal duty and it will take place if not today, tomorrow. Timing is a small detail."Resigned Agriculture Minister Talal Sahili, a member of the Amal delegation, said the latest murder of a national figure was aimed at "sabotaging Lebanon's internal situation and weakening national unity."
"The assassins want to drive Lebanon into the unknown and prevent officials from reaching solutions to the current political deadlock," Sahili added.
Arab and foreign diplomats were also among those to pay their respects Wednesday, including US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, who held a closed-door meeting with Gemayel and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Bikfaya.
MP Ghassan Tueni, whose son Gebran was assassinated last December, and prominent TV presenter May Chidiac also traveled to the mountain town to pay their condolences. A massive portrait of the slain journalist has adorned the side of the Beirut headquarters of his An-Nahar newspaper since Tueni's killing. Gemayel's has now been raised alongside it, both bearing the words: "Martyr for Lebanese independence." - With agencies
Jumblatt singles out Damascus in murder
By Maher Zeineddine -Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, November 23, 2006
CHOUF: MP Walid Jumblatt said Wednesday that the assassination of Industy Minister Pierre Gemayel was aimed at reducing the number of anti-Syrian members in the Cabinet and undermining attempts to form an international court to try suspects in the 2005 killing of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
"Those who fear the implementation of justice will obstruct the creation of the tribunal, including [President Emile] Lahoud, who wants to protect himself or some of his officers," the March 14 Forces leader told reporters at his residence in Mukhtara.
"We represent legitimacy and they are illegitimate," he added, in reference to his political adversaries.
Jumblatt called on Speaker Nabih Berri to convene a parliamentary session to approve a UN draft for the formation of the Hariri tribunal.
"It will be for the sake of Lebanon, for the sake of Lebanon's unity and stability if Berri decided to make this historic step and hold a parliamentary session," the Druze leader said. Jumblatt accused Syria of ordering the murder of Gemayel and warned that more Lebanese politicians could be targeted in the near future. "I bluntly accuse the Syrian regime ... I expect more assassinations," Jumblatt said.
He further accused Syria of attempting to topple the Lebanese government and preventing it from forming the international court.
"The Cabinet will convene and will approve this tribunal," Jumblatt said.
With the Cabinet down to just 17 ministers from its original roster of 24 after the killing and the earlier resignation of six ministers, the loss of just one more minister would cause Premier Fouad Siniora's government to lose the quorum required by the Constitution.
"They might kill another minister, it is very possible, very plausible," Jumblatt said.
"They might of course kill other members of Parliament ... to reduce the majority in Parliament. They can do anything, because his only fear, Bashar's, is not to be indicted somewhere by the tribunal," Jumblatt said, referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Jumblatt said Assad could not afford to allow the court to be formed "because he knows that if a single corporal, a single individual, in Syria is involved in the crimes ... The totalitarian system [in Syria] is all involved."
Jumblatt also called on the five Shiite ministers who resigned to return to their posts "for the sake of national unity."
The ministers, representing Hizbullah and Amal, walked out of the Cabinet on November 11 over a failure to form a national unity government at national talks. A sixth minister, Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf - a Christian considered an ally of Lahoud - stepped down two days later.
Jumblatt urged a swift resumption of the roundtable talks between the country's political factions.
"What is true independence?" he asked. "Independence is diversity and plurality; it is the respect of the human being, like what the distressed father, Amin Gemayel, said Tuesday.""Independence is facing fascist regimes," Jumblatt added.
In reference to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Jumblatt said: "Following the July-August war, the divine victor started to call for a national unity Cabinet just a few days after the end of war and because the issue of the international tribunal was witnessing a progress in international organizations with the support of powerful countries.""Beware of provocation because it represents a danger to all of us," Jumblatt said.
Assassination heightens tensions in political arena
Sfeir urges restraint as hariri calls on all lebanese to attend funeral
By Mira Borji -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 23, 2006
BEIRUT: The assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel served as the latest point of contention among Lebanon's political elite on Wednesday. Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said Gemayel's murder was a "catastrophe," and urged the Lebanese to "restrain their emotions."
"Gemayel's assassination is a disaster ... It is not only the disaster of a family but also the disaster of a whole nation," the prelate said.
Sfeir's comments came during a meeting with a delegation from Gemayel's Phalange Party.
"I urge all the Lebanese to think deeply on the incident and restrain themselves ... Let them only think about the future of Lebanon," Sfeir added.
Phalange Party leader Karim Pakradouni said Gemayel "is the martyr of all Lebanon ... the martyr of Lebanon's youths."
Gemayel, the son of former President Amin Gemayel, was shot dead in a brazen daylight attack in the northern Beirut suburb of Jdeideh on Tuesday.
"They have not assassinated a person but a hope," Pakradouni said. "They want to sow strife and chaos ... If we want to honor Pierre, we should prevent strife and chaos" MP Saad Hariri called on all citizens to take part in Gemayel's funeral on Thursday to express support for Lebanon's freedom and independence. Speaking to Future Television Wednesday, the parliamentary majority leader called the late Gemayel "a brother who believed in revealing the truth [behind a series of assassinations ans attempts in Lebanon dating back to late 2004] and creating an international tribunal [to try former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's killers]."
"I urge all who want to put the criminals in jail to participate in Gemayel's funeral," he added. Resigned Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh also condemned the assassination. "The catastrophe has struck the entire country and the loss was for all Lebanon," he said in a statement. "The best way to express our respect to Gemayel is through the maintenance of national unity and promotion of civil peace."
In a less veiled reiteration of the opposition's demands, Loyalty to the Resistance MP Hassan Fadlallah said the late minister's death was aimed at catapulting the country from a "democratic, peaceful choice to strife and mayhem." "Those who planned and executed the killing wanted to impose a new course in the country, which might aim at sowing [more] strife and distracting the Lebanese from calling for a governmental change," he said in a statement. "The current authority is responsible for the tense atmosphere plaguing the country," he added. "The opposition is the one who will insist on revealing the results of investigations [into the series of assassinations]."
For his part, President Emile Lahoud vowed Wednesday to closely monitor investigations into Gemayel's killing. "I will not accept that this crime has the fate of all other crimes in the country," Lahoud said in a statement. "I urge security and judicial bodies to assume their full responsibilities and identify the criminals as soon as possible."Separately, Social Affairs Minister Nayla Mouawad told BBC radio on Wednesday that Syria's involvement in the latest murder in Lebanon was "very obvious."Speaking on the 17th anniversary of the assassination of her late husband, President Rene Mouawad, she said that there had been "all sorts of threats" ahead of the Gemayel's killing Tuesday.
"I am not the judiciary, but to me, it's very obvious that Syria and its allies are behind this assassination because we have had all sorts of threats, first of all from Syrian President Bashar Assad," she said. Following a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora Wednesday, Mouawad stressed the need to cling to national unity and prevent "criminals" from igniting conflicts. "Resorting to such criminal behavior not only aims to silence people, but also to reduce the number of ministers," Mouawad added.
Mouawad's son, Michel, called for a massive show of support during Gemayel's funeral on Thursday. "We are keen, more than anytime before, on preserving national unity," he said. "We tell the killing regime, whether it likes it or not, Lebanon is no longer an arena for its interests ... The international tribunal will be established and it will pay the price of its crimes," he added, addressing the Syrian government. For his part, Egyptian Ambassador Hussein Darrar voiced shock at the assassination of a "prominent minister," urging the Lebanese to unify their ranks in the face of an uncertain future.
"This painful tragedy will leave imprints on Lebanon's march for national struggle," he told Cairo's Middle East News Agency Wednesday. - Additional reporting by Nafez Qawas
Siniora promises legislation to speed up rebuilding process
PM answers critics with details of progress
By Lysandra Ohrstrom -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
BEIRUT: Legislation to expedite Lebanon's recontruction and support institutions that suffered losses during the July-August war with Israel will be presented to Parliament soon, Premier Fouad Siniora said Tuesday. The government has received more than $813 million of the $2 billion worth of financial assistance pledged by private donors and the international community at the Stockholm conference. Addressing the diplomatic corps at the Grand Serail about the progress that has been made rebuilding the country during the first 100 days since the August 14 cease-fire, Siniora defended his administration's postwar performance and asked donors to continue their support. "Despite some unjustified and unfair criticism, we are determined to perform our duty and address all postwar economic, social, and humanitarian issues which face us," the prime minister said.
Though the government remains fully committed to economic reforms, he added, the five-year plan presented before the war has been modified to accommodate Lebanon's recovery needs. The existing plan "will fail to achieve sustained and equitable growth and debt sustainability in the absence of a sizeable frontloaded program of external support," he said.
The government has successfully repaired water facilities, bridges, schools, roads, hospitals, electricity and telecommunications networks, airport runways and fuel tanks, cleared 1.7 million cubic meters of debris, and made progress cleaning up the oil spill from the bombing of the Jiyyeh power plant, he said. Compensation has been distributed to residents of 64 villages in the South Lebanon, the Western Bekaa, and the Dahiyeh whose homes were destroyed, said Siniora, and assistance to fishermen and families of the deceased has also begun.
After outlining the government's accomplishments, Siniora shifted to the political impasse facing the ruling March 14th coalition, urging politicians to present a unified front to preserve Lebanon's stability. "Do we want a progressive and growing economy able to raise the living standards of the Lebanese people and stem poverty?" he asked. "Do we want to drive our youth away, or rather make them feel like they have a role and future in their own country? Do we want to create opportunities and hope for future generations, or offer them the prospect of unemployment, despair and emigration?" Without significant additonal contributions from Western and Arab donors at the upcoming Paris III conference, the government is powerless to "kickstart Lebanon's shell-shocked economy," Siniora warned. According to a new joint study by InfoPro and the Finance Ministry, total annual public revenues for 2006 will be $920 million lower than had been expected before the war erupted. Combined with a sharp increase in government expenditures necessitated by the conflict, the revenue shorftall is expect to boost the deficit from 30 percent of spending to 40 percent.
Lebanon's new generation languishes in e-hibernation
Maybe our leaders want them to stay ignorant
Tuesday, November 21, 2006-First person
Daily Star
BEIRUT: I have been teaching marketing courses at the American University of Beirut for a few years now. Hundreds of Lebanese students have attended these courses already. One of the courses is "E-Marketing," which explores the use of information technology to create, communicate, and deliver value to customers through customer relationship management, knowledge management and supply chain management.
E-business is the continuous optimization of a firm's business activities through digital technology. E-commerce is the subset of e-business focused on transactions. The 21st century is based on globalization and technology. It is sad to sense the ignorance implanted in our beloved Lebanese children in the fields of e-marketing, e-business and e-commerce.
Our new generation is already years behind other generations in the Middle East in many fields, mainly technology. Not even 10 percent of our students use the Internet to reserve a hotel room or buy an airline ticket. They simply do not know how, panic because of unfounded mistrust, or have no credit card. Maybe our leaders want them to stay ignorant. Maybe they want them to stay in an e-hibernation stage and worry about trivial matters such as how many hours the electricity will come today, traffic jams or political disputes.
The new generation's brain is focused on which country to emigrate to and how to get a visa. Our new generation are our future and we should keep them, invest in them, retain them and educate them to become efficient, global and technologically advanced.
Major companies are shifting to e-business. In a few years no one will buy an airline ticket from a travel agent but directly from the airline Web site.
The Lebanese media should realize the damage we are doing to our boys and girls. Newspapers, journals and television stations should invest in their children. We all need to get our children out of this hibernation, and very soon.
Fatfat denies Sabaa will return to bolster Cabinet
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 23, 2006
BEIRUT: Acting Interior Minister Ahmed Fatfat denied media reports Wednesday that the man for whom he is officially filling in, Hassan Sabaa, had withdrawn his resignation. Fatfat told The Daily Star in a telephone interview that he would continue to hold the position Sabaa vacated for now.
Investigations into Tuesday's assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel "are ongoing," Fatfat said. He said the investigation is secret and no details were available for release. Reports had circulated in the media Wednesday that Sabaa was to retract a resignation submitted to Premier Fouad Siniora in February. The reports claimed that Sabaa had returned to protect the March 14 Forces' two-thirds majority in the Cabinet.
Sabaa resigned over accusations that security measures had been inadequate during violent riots in Downtown Beirut and in the Achrafieh neighborhood related to cartoon depictions of the Prophet Mohammad. The Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army failed to quell the riots, which caused millions of dollars in damage to buildings - including one housing the Danish Consulate - vehicles, and nearby churches.
Five Amal and pro-Hizbullah ministers who resigned on November 11 in protest of the majority's alleged monopoly on decision-making have yet to decide on whether they will return. "We have not heard anything yet," said Mohammad Khalifeh, the resigned pro-Amal health minister, in a telephone interview Wednesday. "Before the assassination there was a give-and-take discussion on the issue of us rejoining the Cabinet, but this has stopped."
The Shiite bloc was still waiting for a "meeting" of its leadership to discuss and decide on the matter, he said.
Khalifeh added that there were "diplomatic movements" aimed at resolving the issue.
"It would be inappropriate to speak of the matter before Gemayel's funeral," Khalifeh said. "We just fear the escalation in talks that might influence the situation."Saudi Ambassador Abdul Azizi Khoja urged the Shiite ministers on Wednesday to rejoin the Cabinet "due to the critical circumstances."
"My move comes in the context of preserving Lebanon's national unity ... I call upon the Lebanese to face what is happening with solidarity and bravery," he said. Resigned Agriculture Minister Talal Sahili said the murder "has exerted pressure on everyone." Talks over the resignations and the formation of a national unity government were headed toward a resolution before Tuesday's killing, which "brought things to chaos," he said.
But "someone is tampering with the country and doesn't want things to be solved."Egyptian Ambassador Hussein Darrar, meanwhile, called upon "all Lebanese parties to realize the dangerous phase and circumstances that the country is witnessing."
Turkey would be an ideal partner to help stabilize a fragile Lebanon
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Editorial-Daily Star
For weeks, Lebanese leaders have been bickering about the best way to readjust the country in the wake of the deadly war with Israel. Disputes over how to reconstitute the state after such a disastrous event emerged on nearly every topic, from the electoral law to a power-sharing arrangement
But with the killing of the young and promising industry minister, Pierre Gemayel, any disputes about how to rearrange the furniture are now superseded by the fact that the house is on fire. The urgent priority at this juncture is to put out the flames before the state itself is engulfed in rivalry and conflict - an outcome that would be to the detriment of all.
Fortunately, the Lebanese still have two strong pillars of state to prevent the roof from collapsing - Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. But their task is made more difficult by the fact that so many players near and far - including the United States, Syria, Iran and Israel - are actively, and often destructively, involved in Lebanese affairs.
Perhaps it is time for the Lebanese to ask for help. No state in the international community is better placed to play a supportive role in Lebanon than the one which is perhaps least interested in intervening: Turkey. Compared with other regional and international players, Ankara has few strategic or national reasons for wanting to be involved in Lebanon, but this makes it an even more attractive candidate to play an arbitrating role.
Turkey, which has deployed peacekeeping troops to Lebanon, already has a vested interest in maintaining stability in the country. Moreover, Turkey has good relations with all of the countries who seem intent on making Lebanon a battlefield in a deadly proxy war. Turkey's relations with each of these states are not polluted with adversarial undertones. Therefore, Turkey is in a good position to encourage all other parties to desist from pressuring, meddling or engaging in any kind of destructive behavior, whether overt or otherwise.
Admittedly, the Turks may not agree to play such or role, and the possibility exists that its efforts would fail even if it did. But because of the grave danger that Lebanon is facing, and the limited number of potential solutions at hand, it may be worth the while to seek Turkey's assistance, even if its coming and its effectiveness are improbable.
Pressure, both direct and indirect, mounts on Syria
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Britain on Wednesday refused to point the finger at Syria for the killing of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, while Western and Arab leaders voiced fears of further unrest in Lebanon and beyond. Amid Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to involve Damascus in the regional peace process, the British government pointedly adopted a wait and see approach to the assassination. "In terms of Syria, we have made it clear - and Sir Nigel Sheinwald made it clear during his visit - that Syria's conduct in Lebanon was one of the criteria by which we would judge whether they were playing a constructive role or not in the Middle East as a whole," said Blair's official spokesman. He was referring to a visit last month to Damascus by Blair's senior foreign policy adviser. "Reiterating that, however, should not be seen as pointing the finger at Syria," the spokesman added, "because what we shouldn't do at this stage is make assumptions. The prime minister strongly believes that it is still important that we do get a process going in the Middle East. You always have to push for progress and that's what he will do.
Blair denounced the killing Tuesday just hours after hailing the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iraq and Syria. Given Washington's considerably stronger language toward Damascus, it is unclear where a potential involvement of Syria in Gemayel's death will leave Blair's push for peace. Any rapprochement would likely see Damascus wanting the international community to drop its plans for a UN tribunal examining alleged Syrian involvement in the assassination, one analyst said. President George W. Bush also refrained from directly implicating Syria but accused Damascus and Tehran of "fomenting unrest" in Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Bush called Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to underscore US support for Lebanon's democracy and independence, the White House said. "President Bush reiterated to Prime Minister Siniora the unwavering commitment of the United States to help build Lebanese democracy, and to support Lebanese independence from the encroachments of Iran and Syria," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
The spokesman said Bush also "pointed out that violence and unrest in Lebanon will not stop the international community from establishing the special tribunal for Lebanon." Within the region, the Syrian ambassador to Washington, Imad Mustafa, said the killing of Gemayel was an attempt by Syria's enemies to frustrate its desire for engagement with Washington over the deteriorating situation over Iraq.
"Isn't it strange that whenever the situation would become slightly, slightly toward engagement with Syria, every time this happens, immediately an assassination takes place?" he said on CNN on Wednesday.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa called the killing of Gemayel a "terrorist assassination," adding that he feared "it could lead to turmoil in the country." Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abou al-Gheit said the assassination "did not target Minister Gemayel alone. It targeted the stability of all of Lebanon, at a time when Lebanon was seeking solutions to its problems. "These sensitive circumstances highlight the need for the truth to be unveiled," he told reporters, urging Lebanese leaders to remain united. German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the killing in a telephone conversation with Siniora as "an attempt to prevent Lebanon from pursuing its path toward national unity and an independent state," a view echoed in a statement Wednesday by French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy.
"What is urgent ... is for those who carried out and masterminded these murders to be made to answer for their crimes," he said. "What is happening is a destabilization of Lebanon, and we must respond with the greatest firmness." While saying he would "obviously avoid designating the guilty party," Douste-Blazy criticized Syria and Iran the day before the killing for "pushing for the destabilization" of the Siniora government.
In response, Iran accused France of exacerbating the political crisis in Lebanon. The French have "always aggravated the crisis in Lebanon," and the latest remarks show an "ignorance to the Lebanese will," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Husseini was quoted as saying by the Iranian Student News Agency. Iran also condemned the killing of Gemayel, dubbing it a "cowardly" assassination.
Also Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the slaying as "brutal," saying Lebanon was "faced with obscure forces seeking to destroy the country." "I call on all Lebanese not to let themselves be conquered by hate but instead to consolidate national unity, justice and reconciliation and work together to build a universal peace," the pope told followers in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican during his weekly audience.
Japan said it felt "extreme shock" and "strongly condemned this act," according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry.
Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, speaking late Tuesday by telephone with Italian Premier Romano Prodi, described the killing as an internal Lebanese matter, adding that he hoped it would not lead to national or regional unrest. - Agencies
Who did it?
Pierre Gemayel's murder is being blamed on Syria, but the dysfunctional politics of Lebanon mean there are a lot of suspects.
Dilip Hiro
About Webfeeds November 22, 2006 04:35 PM | Printable version
Since Pierre Gemayel, the assassinated Lebanese minister, belonged to the anti-Syrian coalition in the government, most commentators and politicians concluded that Syria was behind the murder.
But, according to James Steinberg, a deputy national security adviser to former United States president Bill Clinton, Syria was only "one possible suspect" in a region where politics amounts to "wheels within wheels within wheels." He added, "If you look at it rationally, the Syrians are on a semi-roll now, so why would they do something like that?"
Steinberg was obviously referring to the prospect of the Bush administration calling on Damascus to help stabilize the chaotic situation in Iraq. On the other hand, there is little doubt that the timing of Gemayel's killing is related to the appointment of a United Nations tribunal concerning the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005.
The establishment of such a tribunal would require a Lebanese law to be passed by parliament and signed by president Emile Lahoud, a Maronite Christian who is pro-Syrian. Following the resignation of six ministers - five Shia and one Christian - out of 24 on 12th November, he declared that the cabinet became unconstitutional due to the absence of ministers from one of the leading religious groups.
When viewed in an international context, the latest event in Lebanon seems to be a continuation of the proxy war between America and Israel on one side and Syria and Iran on the other. Following the end of the 34-day fight between Israel and Hizbollah in July-August, the ongoing struggle between these adversarial powers has entered a passive phase.
During the Israeli-Hizbollah war, the US colluded with Israel by blocking ceasefire moves at the UN Security Council while airlifting weapons and ammunition to Israel, which wreaked havoc on the Lebanese infrastructure and caused hundreds of civilian deaths.
Washington's actions damaged the popularity of the Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora, a Sunni Muslim, whose government is hailed by the Bush administration as an example of "the emerging democracy in Lebanon". (Never mind the fact that since the promulgation of a republican constitution in 1926 by France, Lebanon has been a democracy, except during its two civil wars.) More specifically, Bush's White House stance weakened the anti-Syrian coalition majority in the Siniora cabinet.
By contrast, since Hizbollah withstood the relentless Israeli bombing and artillery salvos, and continued to fire its missiles at northern Israel, its standing rose sharply. And the speed with which it offered monetary help and free labour to those who had lost property during the war as part of its reconstruction crusade further bolstered its popularity.
This was the background against which Hizbollah demanded that a "national unity" government be formed with an enlarged role for it. When its call was rejected by the anti-Syrian majority in the government, ministerial resignations ensued.
In his television address on Al Manar channel on Sunday, Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called on his supporters to be "psychologically" ready to protest for "days, weeks, or however long it takes" to force the resignation of the Washington-controlled government as a prelude to fresh elections.
There is a basic flaw in Lebanon's political system dating back to 1943 when a compromise was reached between the feuding Christian and Muslim communities. The national pact provided a formula of six Christian to five Muslim parliamentarians based on the 1932 census. Thus Lebanon became a "confessional" democracy, the qualifying term denoting a social system that recognizes the principle of 16 recognised religious sects being vested with political authority.
The Christian-Muslim ratio held until 1989 when a change in the constitution, induced by a 14-year long civil war, provided for Christian-Muslim parity even though by then Christians were only about a third of the national population. During the 1975-90 civil war Christians emigrated in large numbers while the birth rate among resident Muslims, especially poor Shias, soared.
Today, in the absence of an official census since 1932, educated guesses abound. Most estimates put Shias at 35-38% of the population and Sunnis around 20%, with the rest of the Muslims being Alawis or Druze. Yet Shias have the same number of parliamentary seats as Sunnis - 27 - in a chamber of 128 deputies. While Sunnis are entitled to premiership, Shias have to be content with the office of the Speaker.
So long as the parliamentary representation remains out of synch with the demographic composition of the Lebanese society, Lebanon will remain prone to violent clashes - and a playground for regional and international powers.
Lebanese Leaders Urge Unity Despite Anger
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and former President Amine Gemayel called on Tuesday for unity in the deeply divided country after Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel's assassination. "Assassinations will not terrorize us," Saniora told a press conference after an urgent cabinet meeting. "We will not let the criminal killers control our fate."Saniora said "it is time for all Lebanese to unite." "The government will take up all its responsibilities in order to protect the interests of the Lebanese," he pledged. Saniora said "this aggression increases our determination to see the creation of the international tribunal" to try suspects in the 2005 murder of five-time Premier Rafik Hariri. "It is time for all the Lebanese to rally around the international tribunal," he said.
"I call on the Lebanese…to be alert to the sedition planned for them," he said.
Gemayel, whose son was shot and killed in New Jdeideh, also appealed for calm and restraint from the supporters of the Phalange party.
"I call on you to remain calm. We do not want instinctive reactions or revenge," he told a crowd in tears at the Saint Joseph hospital where his son died of gunshot wounds. "We are thinking about how to protect ... Lebanon's freedom," said the anti-Syrian Christian leader.
As politicians from across the political spectrum called for calm in a country deeply divided between allies and opponents of Syria, angry young men burned tires and garbage containers in Ashrafieh.The mourning was also accompanied by blazing slogans against Syria, pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud, and Free Patriotic Movement leader, General Michel Aoun who has allied himself with Syrian-backed Hizbullah.
"Michel Aoun, you are the ally of murderers," those outside the hospital screamed, telling Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to "go to Iran."
Druze leader Walid Jumblat who was among several politicians who rushed to the hospital said: "We will emerge victorious."
"The tribunal is coming" he said, but warned against being dragged into an internal rift."We do not want to play the game of the assassins by spreading division and trouble," he said.Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea urged pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud to resign after fingers were pointed at Damascus over the assassination.He also urged calm, saying problems are not solved through chaos.
With tensions running high late Tuesday in Beirut, soldiers were out on the streets in force.(AFP-Naharnet-AP Beirut, 21 Nov 06, 19:50
Lebanese Press: Syria's Supporters Wrongfooted by Murder
There was broad condemnation in the Lebanese press Wednesday of the assassination of anti-Syrian minister Pierre Gemayel and most papers agreed that it had wrongfooted Syria's local supporters.
Hizbullah and its allies had planned to take to the streets to demand the toppling of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government and its replacement with a government of national unity.But after Gemayel's murder, it was the anti-Syrian parties which were calling out their supporters for a mass funeral for the slain Christian politician, an outspoken opponent of Damascus.
"The mass funeral on Thursday will allow the ruling majority to return to the streets and the opposition has been left in disarray," said the pro-Syrian Al-Akhbar daily."The opposition camp, which had been preparing for a showdown with the ruling majority, has been wrongfooted, and the crime has opened the door for complicated internal tensions," it said.
As-Safir daily agreed. "This assassination will force the opposition to put off its plan to bring down the government through mass demonstrations," the paper said."It's the (parliamentary) majority that supports the Saniora government that will now be bringing its supporters on to the streets."
The top-selling An-Nahar daily said Saniora's government had been left on a knife-edge by Gemayel's killing.
Down to just 17 ministers from its original complement of 24 after the killing and earlier resignations, it would take the departure, or killing, of just one more cabinet member for it to lose the statutory quorum of two-thirds plus one required by the constitution.
The assassination "constitutes a crisis for a government which counts on the number of ministers still alive in order to guarantee the constitutional quorum to press ahead with the procedures for the (proposed) international tribunal" to try Hariri's murder, An-Nahar said.
The Al-Mustaqbal daily owned by the Hariri family was in no doubt that that was precisely the intention of Gemayel's murderers.
"It is part of the war to bring down the government, by killing its members in order to make it lose its statutory quorum," it said.
And the paper was in no doubt that the culprit in both Hariri's killing and Gemayel's was the same -- Syria which was forced to end its 30-year hegemony on Lebanon by the popular anger over the former premier's murder."Instead of bombs, there were bullets, but the criminal is the same -- the killer and terrorist regime in Damascus. And the target is the same -- a free, democratic and stable Lebanon," the paper said.
The French-language L'Orient-Le Jour disagreed, arguing that if the killers' motives had been to sabotage the proposed international court, the plan had backfired."The brutal elimination of Pierre Gemayel... has only speeded up international approval of the planned joint (Lebanese and international) court," it said. For the English-language Daily Star, the big fear was a return to generalized political violence in a country still recovering from its 1975-90 civil war. "Don't let one family's latest tragedy become that of a whole country," it urged.(AFP) (AP photo shows furious Gemayel supporters raising aloft the slain minister's posters) Beirut, 22 Nov 06, 11:54
Mehlis Points Finger at 'Pro-Syrian Forces in Lebanon'
Former chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis accused on Wednesday "pro-Syrian forces in Lebanon" of involvement in Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel's assassination. The German prosecutor who led the investigation into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder before handing over the U.N.-backed probe to Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz in January also said Tuesday's killing was an attack on the United Nations.
"It is an attack on the Lebanese government and the planned international tribunal (to examine Hariri's murder) and it is also an attack on the U.N.," Mehlis told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily newspaper to be published on Thursday.
"It is apparent to anyone who is unbiased that all the clues after this attack clearly point to the forces who want to bring down the Lebanese government and get in the way of the tribunal. "These are the so-called pro-Syrian forces in Lebanon. They have an obvious motive."
Just hours after Gemayel's shooting, the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday endorsed plans for an international tribunal to try suspects in the Hariri murder case. Mehlis said it remained "in no way certain" that the tribunal would ever be set up. He said the Security Council's backing was only a quarter of the approval process. The idea of the tribunal now had to be given the green light by the Lebanese parliament and possibly also by the president or the prime minister, he said. Mehlis' investigation into the Hariri case pointed the finger at the Lebanese and Syrian secret services. In one report, Mehlis implicated Brig. Gen. Assaf Shawkat, Syria's military intelligence chief and the brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
His successor, Brammertz, has shied away naming anyone but has described it as a very complex operation. Four Lebanese generals — top pro-Syrian security chiefs under President Emile Lahoud including his presidential guard commander — have been under arrest for 14 months, accused of involvement in Hariri's killing. Syria has denied involvement in the murder and condemned the assassination of Gemayel as "a crime aimed at destabilizing" Lebanon.(Naharnet-AFP-AP) Beirut, 22 Nov 06, 18:58
Bush Committed to Lebanon Democracy, Blair Doesn't Accuse Syria
President George Bush called Premier Fouad Saniora to underscore U.S. support for Lebanon's democracy and independence, following the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, the White House said Wednesday.
"President Bush reiterated to Prime Minister Saniora the unwavering commitment of the United States to help build Lebanese democracy, and to support Lebanese independence from the encroachments of Iran and Syria," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
The spokesman said Bush also "pointed out that violence and unrest in Lebanon will not stop the international community from establishing the special tribunal for Lebanon."The U.N. Security Council had endorsed plans Tuesday for an international tribunal to try suspects in the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri after Gemayel was gunned down in New Jdeideh earlier in the day. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman said Wednesday that Gemayel's killers were out to undermine the Saniora government. But stressed London was not "pointing the finger" at Syria.
The comment came as Blair sought to keep open a channel of dialogue with Damascus, which he has urged to make a "strategic choice" to help the West in the Middle East region. The spokesman said it was too early to speculate as to who was behind the murder but reiterated that Syria's prospects of becoming a partner for peace in the Middle East depended on Damascus keeping out of Lebanese affairs.
"We genuinely don't know who was responsible for this act but clearly what it is aimed at trying to do is undermine the authority of the Lebanese government and that is totally unacceptable," Blair's spokesman told reporters. "We fully support Prime Minister Saniora in his efforts to try to maintain the authority of the Lebanese government."(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 22 Nov 06,
Italy Steps Up Troops Security, Turkey Urges Arabs to Join UNIFIL
Italy has stepped up security for its peacekeeping forces in Lebanon following the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, the defense ministry in Rome announced on Wednesday. Deputy Defense Minister Lorenzo Forcieri told parliament's defense and foreign affairs committee that security measures for Italian troops had been "intensified" in the wake of the attack, the ANSA news agency reported. "We are following the situation extremely closely. The Italian contingent has decided to intensify security measures," he said. Forcieri said Italy's caution had extended to canceling an Alitalia flight due to take members of the peacekeeping mission to Beirut on Wednesday. Italy is the biggest contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, committing 2,500 troops. Command of the force is due to pass from France to Italy in February.
Also Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Arab states to join UNIFIL, the Anatolia news agency reported.
"The Middle East is simmering. There are calls to do something about it but are you going to just sit on the sidelines like a spectator? Are you going to just give out advice?" Erdogan asked an international business gathering organized by a pro-Islamic businessmen's group in Istanbul.
"I want to issue a call to the Arab League. They have to give all their support in a very clear manner," Erdogan said. The Turkish leader underlined that Arab League member states must join the peacekeeping force in order to facilitate peace in the region. "This problem cannot be resolved by leaving Lebanon alone. This problem cannot be left to the U.N. alone," Erdogan said.Qatar is the first and so far only Arab state that has promised troops to UNIFIL. The emirate said in September that it would send up to 300 soldiers to the force.Turkey currently has 261 troops serving in UNIFIL.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 22 Nov 06, 17:47
Jumblat: Will Berri Convene Parliament to Approve Tribunal?
Druze leader Walid Jumblat accused Syria Wednesday of ordering the killing of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and questioned whether pro-Syrian Speaker Nabih Berri will hold a parliament session to approve a U.N.-backed international tribunal into the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri in which senior officials in Damascus have been implicated. Syria has strenuously denied any involvement in the 2005 assassination of five-time prime minister Hariri. "I accuse bluntly the Syrian regime... I expect more assassinations," Jumblat, a leader of the anti-Syrian majority in the Lebanese parliament, told a press conference at his Mukhtara hometown in the Chouf mountains. He accused Syria of seeking to bring down Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government to prevent it from going ahead with plans for the international court, which has been approved by the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council late Tuesday. "They might kill another minister, it is very possible, very plausible," Jumblat said.
"They might of course kill other members of parliament... to reduce the majority in parliament. "Yesterday they assassinated Pierre Gemayel in order to reduce the number of cabinet ministers so as to diminish the (anti-Syrian ruling) majority." "They can do anything, because his only fear, Bashar's, is not to be indicted somewhere by the tribunal," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Down to just 17 ministers from its original complement of 24 after the killing and earlier resignations, it would take the departure, or killing, of just one more cabinet member for it to lose the statutory quorum required by the constitution. Jumblat said Assad could not afford to allow the court to be formed and press ahead with charges against Syrian officials "because he knows that if a single corporal, a single individual, in Syria is involved in the crimes ... the totalitarian system (in Syria) is all involved."
The Druze leader appealed to the six-pro-Syrian ministers who resigned from the cabinet some 10 days ago to return to their jobs for the sake of national unity. He also urged a swift resumption of roundtable talks between the country's rival political factions, which collapsed when Saniora called for a cabinet meeting to approve the draft text on the international tribunal.
Addressing Berri, a Hizbullah ally, Jumblat asked: "Are you going to call for a parliament session to endorse the establishment of the international court?" once Lebanon receives the document from the U.N. Security Council."For the sake of national unity and stability, parliament should convene," Jumblat urged. He also slammed Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, accusing him of seeking to annul Hariri's tribunal and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 which calls on both Israel and Hizbullah to respect an Aug. 14 cease-fire which brought an end to the summer war on Lebanon.
"They (Hizbullah) don't want security in the south," Jumblat said. "They want the south an open arena for all conspiracies."(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 22 Nov 06, 12:35
Syria Rejects Trial of its Citizens by International Tribunal
Daily Star:Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad rejected any of his citizens be brought to justice by an international tribunal into ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder, al Hayat newspaper reported Wednesday. "Syria will not allow to turn in any of its citizens before an international judiciary because we are confident of our" judicial system, Mekdad was quoted as saying by the daily It said the official made his comments at a gathering organized Tuesday by Al-Qalamoun University few hours before the U.N. Security council approved a draft text for an international tribunal to try Hariri's suspected assassins. "Syria is 100 percent innocent from the crime and we don't need to assure that," he said, adding "if there were any Syrian who is involved in this crime, then he is a murderer and will be punished as criminals are penalized by the just Syrian judiciary."
Mekdad said the U.N. had previously established international courts in Sierra Leone and Yugoslavia because of weak judicial systems.
"But our judiciary is independent and impartial, that's why we won't accept any Syrian citizen be brought before an international court," he said.
The U.N. probe into the Hariri murder has implicated senior Syrian officials although Damascus has strenuously denied any involvement.
As another anti-Syrian Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was killed Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton indicated that the tribunal might be called upon to tackle that case as well, although he stressed that this would require passage of another Security Council resolution.
Lebanese judge Shukri Sader, who was involved in negotiations on plans for the tribunal, said that the court would be able to try suspects in 14 other attacks if those were found to be linked to the Hariri case.
Those attacks occurred between October 2004 starting with the assassination attempt on Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh and December 2005 with the killing of anti-Syrian lawmaker and An Nahar General Manager Gebran Tueni.
Mekdad also announced Syria's support for the formation of a government of national unity, a key demand by Hizbullah, which is backed by Damascus and Iran.About the Israel-Hizbullah war in the summer, Mekdad said Syrian President Bashar Assad "was confident from the beginning that we will emerge victorious."The Israeli offensive on Lebanon was sparked by a deadly Hizbullah cross-border raid on July 12 and ended on August 14 by a U.N.-brokered ceasefire. Beirut, 22 Nov 06, 13:01