LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
 NOVEMBER 17/06

 

Biblical Reading For today

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17,20-25.
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, "The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be (in his day). But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation

 

Free Opinions & Studies

Hezbollah's Fallacies .By: Hassan Haydar 17.11.06
Another Lebanese Upheaval? By: Zuheir Kseibati 17.11.06 
Better to milk Lebanon than drink Golan wine-Ha'aretz 17.11.06
Nasrallah's Brinksmanship.By: Jefferson Morley-Washington Post. 17/11/06
Decree nisi. Al Ahram.By: Lucy Fielder 17.11.06

 

Latest New from the Daily Star for November 16/06

Aoun repeats call for Siniora to quit
Russia questions approval of Hariri court
Hizbullah rules out return to talks, says protests are likely
Noura Jumblatt receives Kyoto Prize for ecological efforts
Opposition MP stresses need for 'real partnership'
Cabinet crisis shows no sign of ending
Qassem warns local, regional officials not to be 'losers' by following US

Confusion comes out the winner in AUB elections

Qatari Red Crescent field hospital brings free care to Sidon area

This professor turned a temporary relief mission into a life's work

Spain, France, Italy launch new blueprint for Middle East peace

Tehran says Washington needs to clear up mixed signals over willingness to meet
Latest New from miscellaneous sources for November 16/06

Hezbollah And Its Allies Intensify Attacks On Seniora Government-Playfuls.com

Hopes Fade as Hizbullah Signals 'Civil Disobedience -Naharnet

Hizbullah Rules Out Return to Roundtable Talks -Naharnet

Lahoud Urges Formation of National Unity Cabinet to Avoid Protests -Naharnet

Europe Unveils New Peace Plan for Middle East -Naharnet

Shimon Peres: Ahmadinejad is 'Persian Hitler' -Naharnet

EU Parliament Calls for Ban on Cluster Bombs -Naharnet
Turkey Freezes Military Ties with France Over Armenian Genocide Bill -Naharnet
Annan pushes Lebanon court despite Lahoud protest-Reuters

Iran and Syria supplied Somali Islamists with arms, says UN-Independent

Somalian Islamists fought alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon - UN-Raw Story - Cambridge,MA,USA

UN Council to Get Plan for Murder Trial-New York Times

The Status Quo Ante-Arutz Sheva
SECOND TAKE - The Washington Post-Business Day

Analysis: Lebanon on a tinderbox-United Press International

Hezbollah rules out talks on Lebanon political crisis-Daily News & Analysis

US will talk to Iran, but not Syria-United Press International

 

 

Hopes Fade as Hizbullah Signals 'Civil Disobedience'
Hopes for a breakthrough in the stiff political standoff between Lebanon's anti- and pro-Syrian camps faded Thursday with Hizbullah indicating it was getting ready for "civil disobedience."
However, As Safir, citing highly-informed Lebanese sources, said last-hour talks to find a way out of this political impasse have produced an Arab-international "bouquet of ideas." It said that while neither rival political side would confirm or deny the new proposals, a senior Hizbullah official warned that the Shiite group was "putting the final touches on its choice toward resorting to the streets."
This solidified another statement by Hizbullah's politburo member Ghaleb Abou Zebib who warned that "civil disobedience is a legitimate option."
He assured that any attempt by the interior minister to refuse licensing demonstrations or sit-ins by Hizbullah and its allies "will not hamper our actions or activities." Abou Zebib, in an interview with the Lebanese Central News Agency on Wednesday, said the resignations of Hizbullah and Amal ministers from the cabinet on Saturday "are a fact that is not retractable regardless of the pressures or temptations."
As Safir said the "bouquet of ideas" was the outcome of recent "deliberations in Lebanon as well as in the Arab and international world, particularly with European diplomats in Beirut."It said the talks focused on a compromise that starts with agreeing on a head of state who does not belong to either rival camp and then set an immediate date for the presidential elections.
As Safir said the next step would be to lay down a new electoral law to be followed by early parliamentary elections, and finally the formation of a national unity government. But the leading daily An Nahar disagreed with As Safir's report, saying Arab and western diplomats have "launched intensive efforts" urging rival political leaders to get back to roundtable talks.
An Nahar said the diplomats' efforts did not tackle "details of the crisis," but were rather aimed at sounding the alarm against "sliding into" street protests that could lead to disorder. The alleged "bouquet" coincided with the arrival in Beirut of Speaker Nabih Berri, ending a four-day visit to Tehran. Berri, in an interview broadcast Wednesday by Al-Arabiya TV channel, dismissed cabinet meetings as "unconstitutional" since the resignation of all pro-Syrian ministers last week.
"Any (cabinet) session held now is unconstitutional because it would be in breach of Lebanon's national pact," which guarantees a representation for the country's different religious communities in the government, Berri said.The pro-Syrian speaker was referring to Monday's extraordinary cabinet session which adopted a U.N. document for the creation of an international tribunal to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins.
As Safir on Thursday quoted a top official in the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority as saying that the "passage of the international tribunal is not retractable."He said the international court "is going to be the borderline with any deal," the official told As Safir.The official said that Lebanon will soon receive the "final formula of the international tribunal from the United Nations.""The cabinet will approve it, and if the President refused to sign it within 15 days it will become effective and referred to the parliament," he added. Beirut, 16 Nov 06, 09:14

 

Aoun repeats call for Siniora to quit
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanese Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun called on Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to resign Thursday, adding that the opposition will no longer abide by any laws put forward by what he called an "unconstitutional government." "It is in your interest so that you are not rejected from your people, and it's in the interests of Lebanon; you must leave power," Aoun said.
"Prime minister," he said, "if the whole world is with you and your people are not, you won't be able to rule."
The former general's call follows failed consultation sessions that triggered the resignations on Saturday and Monday of six pro-Syrian ministers when anti-Syrian leaders rejected demands that Hizbullah be granted a third of the seats in Cabinet, which would give them a veto. Aoun and his allies are threatening to take to the streets if the anti-Syrian coalition rejects their demands.
He said he would no longer obey the government's orders.
Aoun's statement could mean the opposition might hold protests without requesting permission from the Interior Ministry because they regard Cabinet's decisions as unconstitutional. Acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat said Thursday that no party has demanded permission to hold protests and added that any demonstrations held will be considered "an uprising against the government."
Aoun also warned Fatfat against facing off against protesters from his Free Patriotic Movement, saying: "You'd better keep your gangs of men away and off the streets when we take to the streets because any confrontation won't be in your interests."
He added that "the government warns that street protests will have bad implications on the economy and might hinder the international aid conference be held in Paris in January.""Every time we say we will hold protests, the government says we will harm the economy," Aoun said. "If we represent Lebanon in the aid conference, we will bring more money and will manage it much better way than they will because we enjoy the people's confidence.""Who are [the international community] going to trust?" he asked. "Us or them?" The FPM leader said Siniora "has grown arrogant," adding that he should not "be so full of himself simply because the United States and Europe" support his government.
On Thursday Siniora received two phone calls from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Premier Tony Blair in which they reiterated their backing for his government. Siniora has vowed to try to keep his depleted government afloat and resist opposition demands after the ministers quit. Aoun also called on the three remaining ministers who joined Siniora's Cabinet as allies of Lahoud -Justice Minister Charles Rizk, Culture Minister Tarek Mitri and Defense Minister Elias Murr - to resign because they now leaned toward the March 14 Forces. "You have to resign because you no longer represent the political line according to which you were appointed," Aoun said.Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf had been the fourth Cabinet minister aligned with Lahoud until he resigned on Monday. - With agenci

Russia questions approval of Hariri court
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
Russia questioned on Thursday whether Lebanon's government had acted legitimately in approving a special court to try suspects in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "We are somewhat bothered" that the plan had been approved by the Lebanese government but opposed by its president, Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said when asked if Moscow questioned whether the government's approval had been legitimate.
Before Russia could consent to the plan along with its Security Council colleagues, "we will look at how it all fits into the Lebanese Constitution," he said. The UN Security Council is expected to convene on Monday to approve the final draft of the court that would try those accused of assassinating Hariri. A UN spokesperson told The Daily Star on Thursday that the members of the Security Council will study the draft, which he added was being translated into different languages before discussion on it begins "probably on Monday." The United Nations said Wednesday that Secretary General Kofi Annan intended to send his plan for the special court to the Security Council by Friday.
The statement by UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric came a day after Lebanon's president, Emile Lahoud, wrote Annan a letter saying that the Lebanese government's approval of the plan had been null and void because he had yet to approve it. Lahoud also said the Cabinet session that approved the draft was illegitimate. Six opposition ministers, including all of the Shiite ministers in government, did not attend the session.
But Dujarric told reporters, "we are moving on with the process and the secretary general intends to submit his report to the Security Council within 24 hours."Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade said on Thursday that "the draft is on its way to the Security Council and will be sent back to Beirut very soon."Asked if there were any signs of an improvement in the current ministerial crisis, he said that "the issue is being resolved through calm discussions.""Speaker Nabih Berri has returned to Lebanon and with his return communication will resume," he added.
John Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said he hoped the 15-nation council could act on the plan "very quickly - hopefully this week." Washington wants rapid approval so the court can be set up and ready to start work once a UN inquiry identifies suspects in the case.
Five ministers from Hizbullah and Amal quit the Lebanese Cabinet on Saturday when talks over creating a national unity government collapsed. Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf, loyal to Lahoud, resigned before Monday's Cabinet session.
Lahoud said the Cabinet decision on Monday did not bind the Lebanese state, although he added he supported the idea of the tribunal, "but with regulations." - With agencies

Hizbullah rules out return to talks, says protests are likely
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
BEIRUT: Resigned Labor Minister Tarrad Hamadeh ruled out any possibility Thursday of Hizbullah resuming national talks, saying "peaceful street protests" were likely. "This dialogue is a waste of time and does not yield any good results," Hamadeh, one of two Hizbullah members who resigned from Cabinet, told The Daily Star.Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt have called recently in separate statements for the opposition to resume the talks.
"The only way out of the crisis is to sit at the dialogue table and deal with our fears and worries," Siniora said during a televised interview on Wednesday night. During a separate interview also aired Wednesday night, Jumblatt said that "a new chapter should be opened" between the opposition and the government, once Hizbullah approves the statutes of an international court into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
"We hold a parliamentary session, we approve the draft law and then we form a government with a blocking minority or even more," consisting of Hizbullah and its allies, Jumblatt said. Mohammad Fneish, Hizbullah's resigned health minister, said in comments published Thursday that a solution could be found if the anti-Syrian camp agreed to the opposition's demands for such a "blocking minority," suggesting the deadlock may soon be lifted.
"The more the crisis develops, the more complicated things will become, Fneish said, adding that "the ball is in the camp of the majority."
"If the crisis goes on, the only way out, for us, is the holding of early parliamentary elections," Fneish said.
Hamadeh said the opposition was taking into consideration the "positive statements" made by various members of the March 14 Forces, but added that it still needed to see them translated on the ground. As-Safir newspaper reported Thursday a series of Arab and international efforts to resolve the crisis, beginning with an agreement on a consensus candidate for the presidency to be elected in November 2007.
The presidential election would be followed by the passing of a new electoral law, holding early parliamentary elections and forming a national unity government.Hamadeh admitted to Arab efforts to end the crisis, but said that until now there has not been an initiative agreeable to both camps.
Six ministers, five Shiites belonging to Hizbullah and Amal and one Christian aligned with President Emile Lahoud, resigned on Saturday and Monday, respectively, after week-long multiparty talks broke down.The talks had been called for by Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Amal Movement, and were intended to discuss expanding the Cabinet into a national unity government in which Hizbullah and its allies would enjoy veto power.
The March 14 Forces accuse the opposition of demanding veto power to halt the creation of the international court.
Hizbullah and its allies deny the charge and threaten to take to the streets to force a change.
Berri returned Thursday from a visit to Tehran, where he met with senior officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.In Beirut, Berri met the three resigned Amal ministers. He also held a meeting with Democratic Gathering MP Ghazi Aridi. Berri later met with Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja, who said after the meeting: "As long as there is a man like Berri, I am optimistic."
Khoja's visit came as press reports suggested the resurfacing of a Saudi initiative to solve the Lebanese crisis.
Earlier this month, Agence France Press reported that Saudi Arabia was making discreet contacts and holding talks, primarily through Khoja, with political figures in Lebanon to placate the political situation. At the time, Riyadh denied the report.
In the latest escalation of the crisis, acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat said Thursday that no party had yet requested permission to protest, adding that any demonstration would be considered an "uprising against the government."
As-Safir quoted senior Hizbullah sources Thursday as saying they were "now at the stage of putting the final touches on the street protests."
Meanwhile, Lahoud announced Thursday that he would not longer attend Cabinet sessions. Siniora responded by saying government sessions would be resumed next week.The prime minister received telephone calls Thursday from British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who both reiterated their countries' support for the government.

Opposition MP stresses need for 'real partnership'
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
BAABDA: MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said on Thursday that Hizbullah and Amal ministers had resigned from Cabinet not for reasons relating to an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, "but rather because we failed to agree on the majority of pending issues."The resignations last weekend were intended to ensure that no unilateral decisions were made, the Hizbullah legislator said, "and to secure real partnership in running the country.""We wanted all Lebanese to reach a consensus regarding the formation of an international court," he said. "However, the ruling majority attempted to turn it into a controversial issue in order to monopolize power and subject Lebanon to international hegemony."Hajj Hassan spoke to reporters following a meeting with President Emile Lahoud at Baabda Palace on Thursday. The two discussed the political situation in light of the resignations.
Hajj Hassan said citizens had no need to fear that demonstrations organized by the opposition would lead to instability, "because it is Hizbullah that is going to work on restoring stability to the country."Hizbullah would remain loyal to the Taif Accord and National Pact, he said, adding that he had told Lahoud that any future decisions made by the opposition would be "peaceful and democratic." Hajj Hassan said he hoped that the majority would attempt to establish "common ground" with the opposition "before things get out of control."

Cabinet crisis shows no sign of ending
By Mira Borji -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's polarized political class sank further into uncertainty Thursday, with both the March 8 and March 14 camps entrenched in opposing views on how to resolve continuing political deadlock. Resigned Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh said Thursday that he refused to accept accusations that resigned Shiite ministers were hampering the creation of an international tribunal into the assassination of late former Premier Rafik Hariri. "If we had received the UN draft even 24 hours before the Cabinet session was held, then they would have been able to say whether we intend to impede the tribunal," Khalifeh told the Voice of Lebanon radio station on Thursday.
Stressing the need to address the "governmental crisis," he urged his political opponents to be "rational" and resolve the problems plaguing the country.
Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet approved a draft to form the controversial tribunal Monday, despite the resignation of all five Hizbullah and Amal ministers and Environment Minister Yaacoub Sarraf, an ally of President Emile Lahoud. Also speaking to Voice of Lebanon on Thursday, Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel urged Lebanon's political elite to resume roundtable talks.
"The main problem was the conditional call to hold consultation meetings ... as if we were called by force to only discuss two items on the agenda, otherwise demonstrations would be held," Gemayel said. The minister was referring to Speaker Nabih Berri's call earlier this month for rival politicians to hold "consultation meetings" on the formation of a national unity government and a new electoral law. "One cannot say the problem lies in the government. In fact, it is in the rule of the country, starting with the presidency," he said. "The presidential post is the main issue to be discussed."
MP Nabil Nicholas slammed the government's "monopoly of authority," vowing a "surprising reaction" if the government did not change its mind.
"As [MP Michel] Aoun said, Siniora will not even have the time to pack his stuff and leave," Nicholas said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The Free Patriotic Movement leader made the comment during a speech earlier this year that focused on the overthrow of Siniora's government.
Nicholas, a prominent member of Aoun's Reform and Change parliamentary bloc, said vows made by the March 14 Forces to meet opposition demonstrations with demonstrations of their own was a "dangerous" development. "It means that the life of any member of the opposition who wishes to express his opinion is being threatened," he said.
According to Nicholas, by convening a session after the exodus of Shiite ministers the government had "violated the preamble to the Lebanese Constitution, which stipulates that any authority loses legitimacy when it contradicts the National Pact of coexistence."
Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah called Thursday for the formation of a new Cabinet, "with a head who does not monopolize power, violate the Constitution or threaten coexistence.""Siniora has lost his title as premier," Fadlallah said in a statement. "He no longer represents all of the Lebanese, but a certain political party."Fadlallah told all Hizbullah supporters to prepare for "peaceful" demonstrations.
"There will be no mayhem and no civil war," he said. "If [the March 14 Forces] consider themselves to be a majority, then why are they afraid of us demonstrating?"

Qassem warns local, regional officials not to be 'losers' by following US
Audience of 400 assembles from around world in support of hizbullah
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah's deputy secretary general warned Thursday that Lebanese and regional leaders who follow the wishes of the United States "will be branded as losers." "Those in Lebanon and the region, if walking with the US was once bountiful for you, then today only losers follow a loser," Sheikh Naim Qassem, told a group of 400 guests from around the world assembled at UNESCO Palace for a four-day seminar in support of Hizbullah.
Qassem addressed remarks to the Lebanese government, which he said had a decision to make. "It is better for you to leave the loser ... the US, and stand by your own people," he said. "Only then will you all win. Victory belongs to those who don't follow after others."
Citing the examples of Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Palestine and Latin America, Qassem said that wherever the United States goes, its policies fail.
"It has sabotaged all the places it entered and because of that, curses follow it," he said. "It failed in Iraq and was cursed there, and it failed in Palestine and Iran and Latin America and in Lebanon and curses are raining on it from everywhere. Show me one place the US entered and wasn't cursed.
"A world without US and Israeli hegemony is a world full of peace ... Peace is where justice is, and we want peace.
"The resistance is like a train," he said. "You either are on it or you are left behind. We call on everyone to ride the train so we will all survive. We assure you our political alliances cover the widest section of all sects which surprises the current authority, the current hegemony, and blocks the US mandate here."Qassem invited his audience to lend support to Hizbullah.
"Let us stand together against hegemony and injustice," he said. "Get to know us and the resistance through our work and stands, not through what you hear from the US and its agents."
As for Hizbullah's views on Islam, Qassem said the party doesn't impose its ideas on others, and that "each of us is free to choose their own beliefs and it is up to God to judge people.""The radical Islamic groups' practices mutilate the true image of Islam," said Qassem. "They don't recognize other religions except theirs, as if God gave them keys to heaven and they are the ones who pick who goes there or not."
Qassem went on to say that Hizbullah had achieved victory over Israel "through sheer willpower; our will to defend our land and women and children. Weapons don't create victory, willpower creates victory. This is our land, we will not allow the US and Israel to be on it or practice hegemony over it. We are defending ourselves, and we don't initiate offensives."Also speaking at the conference, former Premier Salim Hoss said the resistance had "destroyed the myth of the invincible Israeli Army."Hizbullah's weapons are temporary and were "not founded to remain forever," he said.
"The resistance was created because of the occupation, so once there is no more occupation or threats and our detainees return, then the arms issue is solved," he added. Indian MP Mohammad Salim said that "the resistance had inspired the peoples of the world," and that the war on Lebanon "was done by Israel on behalf of the US ... This world doesn't belong to [US presidwent George W.] Bush, [British Prime Minister Tony] Blair and [Israeli Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert. Civilizations embrace each other ... It is the uncivilized who speak of the clash of civilizations."

Confusion comes out the winner in AUB elections
Both march 8 and march 14 claim victory in hotly contested campus polls
By Nour Samaha -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 17, 2006
BEIRUT: The results of the Wednesday's student elections at the American University of Beirut were eventually re-leased Thursday, but only further chaos and confusion resulted. No clear winner emerged as both the March 14 and March 8 coalitions claimed to have won the elections and released conflicting figures to buttress their respective cases. Tabulations released by the March 8 coalition said it had won 44 seats, the March 14 coalition 37 seats and independents awarded 12, in addition to two seats up for re-election.
On the other hand, the March 14 camp claimed to have won 43 seats, with the March 8 awarded 31 seats, independents accounting for another 15 and the No Frontiers Party allotted four seats, also with two seats up for re-election.
The election results for the Student Representative Council were postponed Wednesday evening due to fears of clashes outside the university after large crowds had gathered to hear the results.Ibrahim Khoury, the director of Information and Public Relations at AUB, said it was "very difficult" to tell which side had actually won the contest. "The best thing to do is to wait and see at the upcoming University Student Faculty Committee (USFC) elections, when it will be a lot clearer who has won," he said.
The USFC elections are to take place in two weeks.In a telephone interview with The Daily Star, Makram Rabah, the sitting vice president of the USFC and head of the March 14 Forces at AUB, said: "We won and the results prove it."
"The FPM claimed the same thing last year as they are doing this year, and the fact that I, as a March 14 member, am the VP of the USFC proves they were wrong last year," he added. "This will be proven again this year in the 2006 USFC polls."Rabah said the previously unaligned No Frontiers had, after the election, "joined the March 14 coalition, increasing our win by four seats."In response, Hratch Hasferjian, leader of No Frontiers, said: "We ran independently during the SRC elections, but there could be a possible coordination with March 14 at the USFC level. This will be decided within the next couple of days."For his part, Fouad Howayek, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, said the March 8 alliances won the elections and that they would hold a news conference in the coming days to prove their claim.
"The same thing happened in the USJ elections, so we are calling all candidates to prove and sign which party they are with in order to demonstrate that we did actually win," he said in a telephone interview with The Daily Star. "There was a problem with the votes, and we are not accusing any particular group of tampering with the ballot boxes, but we do not think they were completely fair," he added.
Voicing support for such measures, Lynn Zoughain, head of the senior Faculty of Arts and Sciences March 14 campaign, said: "The results can never be completely confirmed until the independents decide and confirm which party they are with.""However, the fact that we won seats in the Faculty of Engineering, which is usually an FPM stronghold, shows our popularity has increased," she added.
There were some things on which the opposing camps agreed though.
Both sides agreed the March 14 coalition won the School of Business and a majority of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It was also agreed the March 8 camp won the Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, and a majority of the Faculty of Engineering.
Thursday saw a significant rise in tensions between the two camps in the build-up to the announcement of the results, with each side chanting political slogans and applauding their national political leaders, and booing those of the other side.
Security and riot police posted outside the university were increased from the previous evening, this time prepared for potential clashes.
Students gathered outside West Hall, each side cheering ecstatically with the announcement of each winner, who appeared once their faculty votes had been counted. The announcements came to an abrupt halt after a skirmish broke out between the two camps, and with the March 8 coalition slamming the results as illegitimate.
Immediately after the skirmish, Mohammad Hamadeh, leader of the Commoners Party and a March 8 coalition member, told The Daily Star that ballots had been tampered with."The results are wrong because there is a big problem with the number of votes placed," he explained. "Cheating has taken place. Our candidates inside [West Hall] confirmed that there were a lot more votes in the ballot boxes than there should be, meaning that the results are inaccurate.""Even though we won, despite the cheating that occurred, we feel the obvious tampering that occurred needs to be investigated, as it does not make the elections just," he added.Dean of Student Affairs Maroun Keserwani appeared in front of West Hall after the clash, stating in a speech to a quickly depleting crowd: "I swear on the lives of my children that no one tampered with the elections," before reading out the names of the winners of the elections. Keserwani's pledge was received by March 8 supporters shouting "liar" with intermittent booing.

Hizbullah Rules Out Return to Roundtable Talks
Naharnet: A Hizbullah minister who resigned has ruled out a return to the negotiating table to try to resolve Lebanon's political crisis after a walkout by pro-Syrian colleagues, in an interview published Thursday. "A return to the negotiating table would now be useless. It's a total waste of time," Energy Minister Mohammed Fneish said in L'Orient Le Jour newspaper, proposing early elections as a way out of the crisis.
Premier Fouad Saniora has refused to accept the withdrawal of the six pro-Syrian ministers. Even after five Shiite ministers, including Fneish, quit on Saturday, the government went ahead with a meeting to approve a U.N. plan for a tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri. The crisis follows the failure last week of a week of national roundtable talks on forming a national unity government as demanded by Hizbullah and its allies. Fneish said a solution was still possible if the dominant pro-Syrian camp goes back on its refusal to allow the opposition, led by the Hizbullah, to have a "blocking minority" in the government. "The more the crisis develops, the more complicated things will become. The ball is in the camp of the majority," the outgoing minister told the French-language daily."If the crisis goes on, the only way out, for us, is the holding of early parliamentary elections," said Fneish.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Nov 06, 12:53

Lahoud Urges Formation of National Unity Cabinet to Avoid Protests
President Emile Lahoud called Wednesday for the speedy formation of a government of national unity to resolve Lebanon's political crisis and avoid street protests. "We need a government of national union which represents all parties as soon as possible, or else there will be demonstrations on the streets that we are against," the pro-Syrian president said in an interview with Agence France Presse.
"All parties should return to dialogue in order to agree on a government of national union," he said. Despite the resignations of six pro-Syrian ministers, the cabinet on Monday approved a U.N. draft to set up an international tribunal for the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon has been in political turmoil since Hariri's murder, blamed on Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies.
An ongoing U.N. probe has implicated senior officials from Syria, which for decades was Lebanon's power-broker, and also Lebanese accomplices. Damascus strongly denies any connection with the Hariri killing.
Hizbullah, which has two government ministers who resigned on Monday, and its allies have called for a cabinet change that would secure them a "blocking minority" share.They also threatened to resort to street protests, prompting the ruling majority to warn of counter-demonstrations.
The anti-Syrian ruling majority has rejected the demand for a unity government before achieving a pledge for the ouster of Lahoud whose term was extended for three years in a Syrian-inspired controversial constitutional amendment in September 2004. Lahoud, who has been boycotted by visiting Western officials, said he was determined to stay in power "until the last moment." The president, who boycotted the cabinet session on Monday, reiterated that "the current government has lost its legitimacy" after the resignation of all five representatives of the Shiite community.
"When it comes to the country's fateful decisions, all parties should participate," he said. Lahoud also said the government's adoption of the U.N. draft for the creation of the Hariri tribunal was "not binding for the Lebanese state" because the decision was taken by an "illegitimate" government.
Speaker Nabih Berri too on Wednesday dismissed cabinet meetings as "unconstitutional."
In the interview, Lahoud again denounced "Western interference," chiefly by French President Jacques Chirac, which was aggravating the political crisis in Lebanon."It is one of the factors of the crisis ... and prevents dialogue among the Lebanese," he said. On Saturday, talks between top rival leaders collapsed after months of political stalemate because of disputes between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps in parliament.(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 15 Nov 06, 21:21

U.N. Report: Hizbullah Training Somalia's Islamic Forces
Hizbullah is providing advanced training to Somalia's Islamic Forces in exchange for their military support to the Shiite group during its summer war with Israel, according to a confidential U.N. report. The Washington post said on Wednesday that the 86-page report was prepared by a panel of U.N. weapons and financial experts. The confidential report said Iran, Syria, Libya and Hizbullah are providing arms, training and financing to Islamic militants as they seize political and military control in the East African state of Somalia.
To shore up support for their cause, Somalia's Islamic fighters provided military support in the summer to Hizbullah, sending 720 of its most experienced fighters to help battle Israeli forces, according to the report. The fighters were promised $2,000 in payments to their families for serving, and as much as $30,000 if they fell in battle. The report said that in exchange for their backing, Hizbullah provided advanced training to Somali fighters and sent five Hizbullah advisers to Somalia. It also allegedly solicited support for the movement from Iran and Syria.
It warned that the conflict could reignite a war between Eritrea, the chief foreign sponsor of the Islamics, and Ethiopia, which is backing Somalia's weak transitional federal government. The report asserts that a huge inflow of outside military assistance, in violation of a U.N. arms embargo, is contributing to the emergence of an alliance of militants called the Islamic Courts Union as the first Islamic government since the United States overthrew Afghanistan's Taliban in 2002.
It warns that Somalia could become the site of insurgency tactics used in Iraq, including "suicide bombers, assassinations and other forms of terrorist and insurgent-type activities." "The strongly sustained trend toward total military, economic and political dominance by the Islamic Courts Union in central and southern Somalia continues," according to the report by the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia. "They are currently the most powerful force in Somalia." The Washington post said the report will be presented to the Security Council this week.
It said that the report's authors recommend that the Security Council tighten a U.N. arms embargo, impose sanctions on Somali individuals and businesses buying weapons, and launch an international diplomatic effort to dissuade states from arming the combatants.
The developments in Somalia represent a setback for the United States, which had sought to prevent the militants from taking power, according to the Washington post. It said the report, however, provided no evidence to suggest that the United States provided clandestine support to anti-Islamic forces, as officials in Somalia's interim government have alleged.
But it did underscore the degree to which the United States' chief Middle East rivals, Iran and Syria, and its allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are prepared to challenge U.S. interests in East Africa, the paper said. The U.N. team detailed three Iranian consignments of arms, ammunition, medical supplies and doctors to the Islamic fighters since summer. The report says one July shipment included land mines, 1,000 machine guns and M-79 rocket launchers, and 45 shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.
It also says two Iranian nationals were negotiating the possibility of selling more weapons for access to Somalia's uranium deposits.
The report asserts that Syria has trained 200 Somali fighters in guerrilla warfare tactics and that Libya has provided arms and advanced military training to another 100. Libya also allegedly provided $1 million to finance future training missions and to pay salaries. Iran and Syria denied in separate letters to the U.N. team that they had shipped weapons to Somalia or trained Somali forces. The U.N. team did not receive a response from the Libyan government. The Washington Post said that representatives from the Islamic Courts Union said the allegations that they had received illegal arms shipments are "baseless." The report cites a case in which Egypt agreed to train Somalia's Islamic militants. And it accuses Saudi Arabia of providing several shipments of food and medicine to Islamic combatants. Egypt denied the allegation; Saudi Arabia has yet to fully respond to the charges.
The report asserts that the most flagrant violations of the U.N. arms embargo have been committed by Eritrea and Ethiopia, which have sent dozens of weapons shipments and thousands of combat troops into Somalia on behalf of their proxies. It also charged that Uganda and Yemen had joined Ethiopia in supporting Somalia's losing Transitional Federal Government.(Naharnet filephoto shows Hizbullah fighters during a military parade). Beirut, 15 Nov 06, 10:16

 

Lebanon, point of America's defeat
2006/11/14 -04:51:45 È.Ù
Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei told a visiting Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri and a delegation of Lebanese Hezbollah and Amal movements that the victory of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance Movement in the 33-day war against the Zionist regime has provided a source of honor and pride for the Muslims."What took place during the 33-day battle against America and the Zionist regime has no antecedent in the world of Arab and Islam and the dimensions of the great and invaluable event will further surface in future," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Ayatollah Khamenei called Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah a singular figure and appreciated Nabih Berri for his role during the 33-day resistance, saying, "The stage of the great victory was effectively set by the unity and solidarity among brothers of Hezbollah and Amal." Ayatollah Khamenei urged further strengthening of the unanimous attitude.
The Islamic Revolution Leader warned about possible political ploys by America and the Zionist regime to discourage the effects of the victory in Lebanon, adding the Lebanese people and the Islamic Resistance must keep alert for any potential threat. "However, at present the political awakening in Lebanon and the spirit of people and the Islamic Resistance and their followers in the world of Islam is much higher than before the 33-day war," Ayatollah Khamenei affirmed.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the enemies of the Lebanese nation suffer from an enfeebled spirit, adding with God's assistance, Lebanon will become the point of defeat of America and the Zionist regime.
Ayatollah Khamenei appraised the political developments across the region and the world as sign of a new era and said that America and its policies are going to end up in failure. "We must acknowledge the opportunities by making mind, relying on God and taking action."
Ayatollah Khamenei affirmed that the Islamic Republic of Iran currently enjoys a better than past position and a very hopeful prospect.
The IR Leader also appreciated the meeting of Asian Parliaments being held currently in Tehran.
During the meeting, also attended by the Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Nabih Berri credited the brave young combatants of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance, the unity of the Lebanese people and their support to the movement as well as unanimity among Islamic resistance movements for their victory in the 33-day war.
Berri touched on the Zionist regime's crimes in Lebanon and slammed the international community for keeping silence towards the developments. "God made those who were after Great Middle East to suffer from their own ploy and the recent developments is the starting point for the fall of American empire," Berri underlined.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker said the victory of the Lebanese people and Islamic Resistance in the 33-day war was notably instrumental to the failure of Republicans in the mid-term elections in America.
Berri also praised the Islamic Republic of Iran for its spiritual support to the Lebanese people, adding that despite America and the Zionist regime's efforts to prevent Iran's spiritual influence in the region, the country would become the principle power in the new round of developments.

Iran's star is rising? In the meantime the entire region is in the dark.
Hezbollah's Fallacies
Hassan Haydar Al-Hayat - 16/11/06//
Hezbollah says its battle to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is not related to the establishment of the International Tribunal, and that along with its allies, it is waging a political battle for other reasons supported by a broad spectrum of the people of Lebanon from all sects and ideologies. However, the Shiite ministers who resigned have failed to elaborate on those hidden reasons in their resignation statements, neither did the leaders of Hezbollah, who are fond of ascribing general and vague attributes to the government that could otherwise be ascribed to anyone since they are not backed by any proof. They also failed to explain whether their resignation was part of the simmering war of willpowers, waged by the pro-Syrian apparatus.
The reason behind this vagueness is that Damascus has been anxiously, but persistently, working to mobilize its advocates and supporters, who have sworn political or ideological allegiance to it, or those loyal to it out of gratitude for benefits, partnerships, or influence. Damascus is anxious about the establishment of an International Tribunal and the possible outcome of the investigations into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his fellow companions, as well as previous and following assassinations.
Damascus has been summoning Shiite, Sunni, and Christian leaderships that enjoyed its assistance during its guardianship over Lebanon, to remind them that the time has come for them to pay the bill and entice them with a foothold in the coming stage.
Damascus is the one coordinating the mobilization of the opposition and orchestrating its moves in conjunction with its supreme ally, Iran.
As for the talk about Hezbollah's motives being non-sectarian in nature, it is not very convincing, because, first: by definition, Hezbollah is a sectarian movement that represents a certain sect.
Second: When Hezbollah threatens to take to the streets if the government and its majority do not yield to the party's demands, it is actually threatening to use the Shiite sect and the Shiite residents of the Suburb, the South, and the Beqa Valley; even if its Christian ally, Michel Aoun, contributed by adding some brightness to the predominantly black background.
Third: Hezbollah has been monopolizing the representation of its sect through arms and money. Evidence of this monopoly can be seen in the stance of Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berry, who has grown fearful of falling into sectarian isolation or being boycotted by Syria if he does not back Syria's doctrine and endorse Hezbollah's demands of control over the broken third of the triangle or the resignation of its ministers from the government. This is despite Berry's persistence in stressing his distinction and his honest hopes and aspirations to protect the coexistence, which was a result of the Taif Accords, and spare the country from shocks of any kind.
Finally: No Shiite politician, regardless of the degree of his independence, dares to come forward as a replacement for the representation of the Shiite sect in the government. This is not out of solid, sound convictions, but out of fear of reprisal.
If Hezbollah's actions were sectarian in motive, why then can Hezbollah not accept the possibility of the existence of a political majority and minority, both encompassing the different sects? Why can Hezbollah not accept the verdict issued by the ballot boxes and the results of the stage-bound alliance forged during these elections and wait for the next date of electoral justice to prove, as it claims, that it indeed represents the actual majority?
The head of the Republic is Hezbollah's ally, the advocate of its polices, the defender of its interests, and the architect of its violations, who ruled that the government has lost its legitimacy because a group (meaning sect) has broken away from it. Yet, his statements completely contradict those of Hezbollah's to the effect that the Party cannot be political on the street and sectarian within the government.
Despite all this, the overwhelming majority recognizes Hezbollah's undisputed advocacy among the Shiite ranks, deals with it on such basis, and is willing enter into partnership with it, but according to its actual, rather than made-up, and inflated size.
Only two days back, Hezbollah's Secretary General Spoke to the owners of the devastated homes in the southern Beirut suburb, saying: "We are the people of this country, and we are determined to protect it."
Hezbollah's Secretary General spoke in a similar tone before the last July war, but that did not stop him from baiting Israel to inflict all this destruction on the country and its people. We hope that only the first part of the Secretary General's sentence applies to the reality in this country

Another Lebanese Upheaval?
Zuheir Kseibati Al-Hayat - 16/11/06//
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promises a colossal showdown with America and Israel in Lebanon.
During the era of the partnership of subordination between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush, the US overthrew the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, and toppled Saddam Hussein and the Baath regime in Iraq. The rest of the well-known story of lies is history, which began with Bush's self-appointment as the supreme commander of the world's 'war on terror'.
Today, years after his declaration of victory in the war in these two countries, there is an abundance of proof, in the daily scenes of killing, slaughter and kidnapping, that while the deeds of Bush and his strategic partner were thought the worst that could possibly happen, the worst is still to come with their star fading.
As for the Iraqis and the Afghans, they now have to face their destinies - with courage!
Hypothetically, assuming that we believe the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, who interpreted the defeat of Bush and his party in the US midterm elections as a victory for the Iranian nation; we had better expect another upheaval in Lebanon along the lines of: 'this country will be the battlefield for "vanquishing America and the Zionist entity"', especially as Tehran has nothing to lose but Lebanese blood.
The supreme leader is enticing the Lebanese people with the omen of an imminent defeat of the US and their enemies. According to this omen, the Israeli July War should be viewed as a 'rehearsal' and tryout for the decisive battle that is imminent because Khamenei decided that plotting of major political conspiracies is currently underway.
Accordingly, he is not interfering in the affairs of Lebanon, but has merely begun to mobilize America and the Zionist entity's enemies in the country for his battle that has been modified in light of a scenario based on the predicaments of Karazay in Kabul, Maliki in Baghdad, and maybe even Siniora in Beirut, who has received more than his share of accusations of treason, which were leveled by those who described him as an ally of Washington.
Khamenei's promise to the Lebanese that the new battle will take place on their soil, especially as Tehran has given up hope that the wounded Bush will listen to its advice and perhaps change his attitude. Bush, too, has given up on pressuring Tehran to change its attitude and abandon what the Americans and the British perceive as blackmail in the Uranium enrichment file.
Caught between these two states of despair, no one in Lebanon today dares pin any hope on keeping their country neutral during this 'enrichment storm', as the Iranian file is strongly behind all this country's crises. Among the pillars of the obstructed dialogue are those who expected, even before the July War, the possibility that the South would be the open battlefield for an Israeli-Iranian war waged with the Shehab and Ra'ad missiles.
The July War is not completely over; Israel has failed to achieve victory.
Add to this failure that of Bush to isolate Tehran, to put an end to the series of collapses in Iraq, to drive away the ghosts of Taliban and al-Qaeda from Afghanistan, and finally, to cleanse the US administration of the Republican's financial and sex scandals and 'heroism' of the neo-conservatives.
All this was in the supreme leader's mind as he took advantage of the White House's setbacks to promote the so-called 'Islamic Middle East' project. According to this, and in the event that Khamenei insists on this final duel, there will be an increase in the number of centrifuges in the Iranian reactors and, with that, the dissipation of all hopes to put an end to Iran's infiltration of the region's junctures, issues and conflicts.
In the Islamic Middle East, the antithesis of the Greater Middle East, it is Iran that determines when war will erupt in Lebanon. It is also Iran that decides which militia to support in Iraq, and which to undermine by reducing it to a star or celestial body in its orbit. It is Iran that will try to outbid the Arabs by publicly calling for the annihilation of Israel. The more it raises the price, the more Israel dashes the hopes of the Palestinians in life.
Khamenei and Nejad are not exaggerating when they say that they are witnessing the ascent of Iran's shining star. A lot of this is thanks to the arrogance of the Bush administration, its rationalization of all the Israeli violations in Palestine and Lebanon, and its blindness to the infiltration of the intelligence bodies to sow the seeds of sectarian mini-States and draw the borders of backyard gardens in Iraq.
Suddenly, Tony Blair wakes up to realize the need to unify the courses of all these crises and their underlying causes in the region. Bush, however, will not hold his advice above Israel's wishes. Therefore, there will be no resumption of the peace process with the Palestinians unless it is under the conditions laid down by Olmert, and no 'carrot' for Syria or Iran in exchange for their role to help put out the fires in Iraq.
Indeed, how can Damascus and Tehran help Bush out of the Iraqi quagmire for nothing in return? The price Bush has named is very unappealing, and Damascus and Tehran are raising the ceiling of the price, just as the victorious do with the defeated, without paying attention to the fact that in the reminder of his second term in office, Bush has broken free of all the constraints and domestic considerations.
The odds for the colossal clash are on the rise; its arenas have been clearly determined. Tehran would be mistaken, however, if it fell under the illusion of monopolizing the reins of initiatives, or under the misled hope of a day on which the US and Israel will surrender to its nuclear ambitions and recognize its administration of the 'Islamic Middle East'.
Iran's star is rising? In the meantime the entire region is in the dark.

Hezbollah's Fallacies
Hassan Haydar Al-Hayat - 16/11/06//
Hezbollah says its battle to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is not related to the establishment of the International Tribunal, and that along with its allies, it is waging a political battle for other reasons supported by a broad spectrum of the people of Lebanon from all sects and ideologies.
However, the Shiite ministers who resigned have failed to elaborate on those hidden reasons in their resignation statements, neither did the leaders of Hezbollah, who are fond of ascribing general and vague attributes to the government that could otherwise be ascribed to anyone since they are not backed by any proof. They also failed to explain whether their resignation was part of the simmering war of willpowers, waged by the pro-Syrian apparatus.
The reason behind this vagueness is that Damascus has been anxiously, but persistently, working to mobilize its advocates and supporters, who have sworn political or ideological allegiance to it, or those loyal to it out of gratitude for benefits, partnerships, or influence. Damascus is anxious about the establishment of an International Tribunal and the possible outcome of the investigations into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his fellow companions, as well as previous and following assassinations.
Damascus has been summoning Shiite, Sunni, and Christian leaderships that enjoyed its assistance during its guardianship over Lebanon, to remind them that the time has come for them to pay the bill and entice them with a foothold in the coming stage.
Damascus is the one coordinating the mobilization of the opposition and orchestrating its moves in conjunction with its supreme ally, Iran.
As for the talk about Hezbollah's motives being non-sectarian in nature, it is not very convincing, because, first: by definition, Hezbollah is a sectarian movement that represents a certain sect.
Second: When Hezbollah threatens to take to the streets if the government and its majority do not yield to the party's demands, it is actually threatening to use the Shiite sect and the Shiite residents of the Suburb, the South, and the Beqa Valley; even if its Christian ally, Michel Aoun, contributed by adding some brightness to the predominantly black background.
Third: Hezbollah has been monopolizing the representation of its sect through arms and money. Evidence of this monopoly can be seen in the stance of Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berry, who has grown fearful of falling into sectarian isolation or being boycotted by Syria if he does not back Syria's doctrine and endorse Hezbollah's demands of control over the broken third of the triangle or the resignation of its ministers from the government. This is despite Berry's persistence in stressing his distinction and his honest hopes and aspirations to protect the coexistence, which was a result of the Taif Accords, and spare the country from shocks of any kind.
Finally: No Shiite politician, regardless of the degree of his independence, dares to come forward as a replacement for the representation of the Shiite sect in the government. This is not out of solid, sound convictions, but out of fear of reprisal.
If Hezbollah's actions were sectarian in motive, why then can Hezbollah not accept the possibility of the existence of a political majority and minority, both encompassing the different sects? Why can Hezbollah not accept the verdict issued by the ballot boxes and the results of the stage-bound alliance forged during these elections and wait for the next date of electoral justice to prove, as it claims, that it indeed represents the actual majority?
The head of the Republic is Hezbollah's ally, the advocate of its polices, the defender of its interests, and the architect of its violations, who ruled that the government has lost its legitimacy because a group (meaning sect) has broken away from it. Yet, his statements completely contradict those of Hezbollah's to the effect that the Party cannot be political on the street and sectarian within the government.
Despite all this, the overwhelming majority recognizes Hezbollah's undisputed advocacy among the Shiite ranks, deals with it on such basis, and is willing enter into partnership with it, but according to its actual, rather than made-up, and inflated size.
Only two days back, Hezbollah's Secretary General Spoke to the owners of the devastated homes in the southern Beirut suburb, saying: "We are the people of this country, and we are determined to protect it."
Hezbollah's Secretary General spoke in a similar tone before the last July war, but that did not stop him from baiting Israel to inflict all this destruction on the country and its people. We hope that only the first part of the Secretary General's sentence applies to the reality in this country

 

Turkey Freezes Military Ties with France Over Armenian Genocide Bill
Naharnet: Turkey has suspended military relations with France in a dispute over whether the mass killings of Armenians in the last century amounted to genocide, the land forces commander said.
The move raises tensions with a key member of the European Union at a time when Turkey's negotiations to become a member of the 25-nation bloc look increasingly troubled, with neither side willing to give way on a dispute over divided Cyprus.
Gen. Ilker Basbug told reporters on Wednesday that military ties with France were suspended after lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament approved a bill in October that would make it a crime to deny that Turks committed genocide against Armenians. The bill would have to be approved by the French Senate and president to become law. "Relations with France in the military field have been suspended," the state-owned Anatolia news agency quoted Basbug as saying. Asked whether there were any cancellations of military visits, Basbug said, "There are no high-level visits between the two countries." Lale Sariibrahimoglu, an expert on military issues, said the cancellation of visits would not have a substantial effect on military contracts.
"In the past few years, France had not had very high chance of winning Turkish military contracts anyway, for example in helicopter and satellite procurement projects," she said. For example, the Eurocopter Group's Tiger helicopter was eliminated from the running to supply attack helicopters to Turkey, she said.
A Turkish, army-owned conglomerate, Oyak, has several partnerships with French companies, including Renault, and these investments were not likely to be affected, Sariibrahimoglu said. Turkey vehemently denies that it committed genocide against Armenians, though many nations have classified the World War I-era killings as such and say some 1.5 million Armenians were killed. Turkey acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died in mass expulsions and fighting, but says the number of dead is exaggerated and that most were killed in interethnic battles as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
France and Turkey are both NATO members, and Turkey has bought French weaponry. The two countries also have participated in military exercises together, and have sent troops to serve in the international peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
Turkey has said that the French lawmakers' vote has deeply harmed relations. A Turkish consumer's union has urged a boycott of French goods, and Turkey's broadcasting watchdog suggested a complete boycott of French films and other media. The European Union has criticized the French bill, saying it is not in line with the principle of free expression. The United States also criticized the bill, saying it obstructs a Turkish-Armenian dialogue.
The Armenian issue is one of the most divisive and emotional in Turkey. Those who classify the killings as genocide are often accused of treason.(AP) Beirut, 16 Nov 06, 14:15

.S. will talk to Iran, but not Syria
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- A top U.S. diplomat said Wednesday the United States was ready to talk to Iran about Iraq, but Syrian talks were not in the cards.
"We do not believe that the issue involving Syria's negative behaviors towards Iraq, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Iran or Palestinian radical groups is a question of lack of dialogue or lack of engagement," said Amb. David Satterfield, the State Department's senior adviser on Iraq, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
"We believe the Syrian government is well aware of our concerns and the steps required to address those concerns. But Syria has made a series of choices. And the last choice, the most significant and negative choice, was during the Lebanon war, when Syria cast its lot, as it remains today, with Iran, with Hezbollah, with forces of violence and extremism. When that changes, we will, of course, respond. The problem is not one of dialogue or engagement."
The State Department is, however, open to a direct discussion with Iran about its activities and interests in Iraq.
"We are prepared, in principle, for a direct dialogue with Iran," he said. "The timing of that dialogue is one that we are considering," he said.
Syria, on Iraq's northwestern border, is believed by the U.S. government to be an operating bzse for former members of Saddam Hussein's regime as well as a way station for foreign fighters going into Iraq. Iran is believed to be allowing the passage of bombs and weapons across its border into Iraq, and is believed to be influencing the Shiite militias there.

Analysis: Lebanon on a tinderbox
By CLAUDE SALHANI
UPI International Editor
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Lebanon is a relatively small country, approximately the size of Rhode Island. Yet, it comes with problems larger than Texas.
After years of relative calm and prosperity that followed a devastating 15-year civil war, Lebanon finds itself once again sitting on a tinderbox with a very short fuse. And there seems to be no shortage of instigators only too happy to strike that first match that would make Lebanon go up in smoke.
The latest political spat tearing apart the country's opposing politico-religious groups arose over the issue of whether to proceed, or not to proceed, with an international tribunal empowered to judge suspects implicated in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri, along with some 20 people, were killed on Feb. 14, 2005, when a powerful bomb was detonated as his convoy drove past in the downtown area Hariri had rebuilt and in which he took great pride.
The murder of Hariri occurred not long after he confronted Syrian President Bashar Assad, and spoke out against Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs. Part of the disagreement between Hariri and Assad was over Syria's proposal to amend the Lebanese constitution and allow President Emile Lahoud to run another half term. After Hariri's murder many accusing fingers immediately pointed towards the Syrian capital.
The Lebanese government headed by current Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a Hariri loyalist, would like to see the tribunal established, the trial move forward and those found guilty brought to justice. Better make that the Lebanese government minus the country's pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud. And less a handful of pro-Syrian Cabinet ministers, mainly from the Shiite Hezbollah bloc and their co-religionist colleagues from Amal.
"Lebanon's problem is that we live in a bad neighborhood," a former Lebanese ambassador to Washington likes to say half-jokingly. But a Lebanese journalist takes it one step further. "We are the bad neighborhood. We have become the bad neighborhood," he said while dining in one of Beirut's finer restaurants.
But one should not be fooled by appearances. Lebanon, being Lebanon, the fine dining and good wines are still readily available and reservations for a table in a popular upscale restaurant is a must, political tension prevailing or not. Whereas in the past, in times of crises one could feel the tension; now, the tension in the Lebanese capital is practically visible.
Lebanon and the Lebanese have always been very skillful in adapting to extraneous circumstances. Living in the bad neighborhood -- or, as is more likely the case this time around, being the bad neighborhood -- is just one of those circumstances you have to deal with when you are a small country, size-wise, surrounded by far bigger or more powerful states, some of which do not hold your best interests in mind. It's the law of the jungle.
Following the resignation of the Shiite government ministers, Syria's allies declared that Siniora's government was now "illegitimate" and could not pass the ruling on the tribunal. President Lahoud conveyed a message to Annan stressing that the plan to establish the tribunal had not received his approval. Therefore, said the president, the ruling was "invalid," "null and void," and "non-existent."
Not so, replied the prime minister, basing his arguments on the Lebanese constitution.
Lahoud, whose presidential term was extended through direct Syrian intervention, called the Cabinet session that gave the green light to the tribunal, "illegitimate," given the absence of six pro-Syrian members of the Cabinet. "The president has the sole authority to lead negotiations on international treaties and to ratify them in coordination with the prime minister," said Lahoud.
Meanwhile, at the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he plans to present to the Security Council within the next 24 hours a plan authorizing a special court to try the suspects implicated in the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister.
In New York, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric indicated the United Nations is "moving ahead with the process." The project will most certainly pass.
Washington has also weighed in on the issue, calling for quick Security Council action to approve the plan. The U.N. commission established to probe into the murder of Hariri and 14 other prominent Lebanese politicians and journalists found a number of senior Lebanese and Syrian security officials implicated in what appears to be a far-reaching conspiracy. Syrian officials, including President Bashar Assad, have denied any involvement in the killings.
Plots, counter-plots, assassinations and politics on a scale that would make Machiavelli's prince shudder with apprehension. Throw in Hezbollah's threats to take their grievances to the streets, a very dangerous endeavor given that it could be the spark that ignites the tinderbox.
As the former ambassador in Washington so aptly said, "We live in a bad neighborhood." I am sure he was not referring to his posh Embassy Row residence. (Comments may be sent to Claude@upi.com.

Hezbollah rules out talks on Lebanon political crisis
AFP -Thursday, November 16, 2006 16:37 IST
BEIRUT: A Hezbollah minister who resigned has ruled out a return to the negotiating table to try to resolve Lebanon's political crisis after a walkout by pro-Syrian colleagues, in an interview published on Thursday.
"A return to the negotiating table would now be useless. It's a total waste of time," Mohammed Fneish said in L'Orient Le Jour newspaper, proposing early elections as a way out of the crisis.
Even after five Shiite Muslim ministers, including Fneish, quit on Saturday, the government went ahead with a meeting to approve a UN plan for a tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 murder of former premier Rafiq Hariri.
The crisis follows the failure last week of a week of national roundtable talks on forming a unity government as demanded by Hezbollah, after months of political stalemate between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps in parliament.
Fneish said a solution was still possible if the dominant pro-Syrian camp goes back on its refusal to allow the opposition, led by the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, to have a "blocking minority" in the government.
"The more the crisis develops, the more complicated things will become. The ball is in the camp of the majority," the outgoing Hezbollah minister told the French-language daily.
"If the crisis goes on, the only way out, for us, is the holding of early parliamentary elections," said Fneish.

SECOND TAKE - The Washington Post
The Washington Post
THE reckless attack on Israel by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement this summer led to the devastation of the southern third of the country. Now Hezbollah’s leader, Hasan Nasrallah, has launched an even more dangerous campaign. Through political bluff and the threat of violence, he is attempting to stage a coup against the democratically elected Lebanese government. The pro-western administration of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, which lacks Hezbollah’s ruthlessness or military strength, has been resisting. But without help from the outside world, Lebanon could soon experience the reversal of its popular Cedar Revolution of 2005 or a return to civil war.
As was the case in the summer war with Israel, Hezbollah’s new offensive is backed by Iran and Syria and serves those governments’ agendas as well as its own. The Shiite Islamic party is demanding it be given enough seats in Siniora’s cabinet to provide it with a veto over all major decisions. Not coincidentally, the six Lebanese ministers already allied with Hezbollah and its allies resigned in the past few days, just as the cabinet was preparing to vote on the international tribunal to try the perpetrators of the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.
To its credit, the Siniora government rejected Hezbollah’s intimidation, and the 18 remaining ministers approved the tribunal unanimously. But Hezbollah is threatening street demonstrations that could lead to violence. That would serve the interests of the increasingly radical Iran-Syria axis, which is attempting to prevent the spread of democracy in the Middle East, drive out the west and ultimately destroy Israel.
The response should be the same concerted multilateral action that followed Hariri’s assassination and forced Syria to withdraw its army from Lebanon. Until Iran and Syria are made to pay a price for their attempts to radicalise the Middle East, they will have no incentive to rein in clients such as Hezbollah. Washington, November 15

The Status Quo Ante
by Ted Belman
Nov 15, '06 / 24 Cheshvan 5767
At the beginning of the Lebanon War II, the US and Israel were in agreement. Neither wanted to return to the status quo ante. Both were looking for a new balance of forces, in which the Fouad Siniora government would be strengthened and Hizbullah and its mentors, Syria and Iran, run out of town.
Not only could they not avoid the status quo ante, but what they got was worse. Syria and Iran are openly rearming Hizbullah. The expanded UNIFIL 2 is more intent on stopping Israel's overflights than on stopping the rearming of Hizbullah. Furthermore, Hizbullah is now calling for a veto over any Lebanese actions that might be intended to limit their "resistance" and it is also threatening to bring down the Siniora government.
When Condoleezza Rice caved in on her demand at the Security Council that only one resolution be passed, which would create an expanded UNIFIL with a robust mandate, and accepted France's position on a two-resolution process, the jig was up. The promised second resolution, which was to articulate a robust mandate, was not and is not in any way in the cards, though it was held out at the time as a certainty.
While Lebanon represents a significant defeat for the US and Israel, the Gaza retreat represents a calamitous setback. Not only did the touted benefits of Disengagement not materialize, but the military threat from Gaza increased exponentially. This was due, in large part, to the Rafah Agreement that was forced on Israel by Secretary Rice. Hamas is now arming and training in order to be as potent a threat as Hizbullah is. Egypt has openly permitted the smuggling of weapons into Gaza and has threatened Israel in order to get her to refrain from bombing Rafah to destroy the tunnels. In fact, Egypt has taken the position that the Gaza-Egypt border is none of Israel's business.
The US is powerless to stop the smuggling of weapons into Gaza or Lebanon. It proposes to add to the problem, with Israel's agreement, by rearming Fatah, believing that Fatah is not part of the problem but part of the solution. In both cases, Gaza and Lebanon, the US is betting on the weak horse. It is doomed to fail in both places.
Even so, my biggest complaint is with Israel. Israel is not making mistakes so much as it is wedded to the wrong policies. In Lebanon, it decided to avoid a massive land invasion for fear of ending in another occupation. Avoiding occupation is its guiding principle, rather then victory. Had it fully invaded Lebanon and destroyed Hizbullah, it would have succeeded in not returning to the status quo ante. Now, it is continuing over-flights and reporting on the rearmament of Hizbullah, but is not doing anything about it. Here we go again.
Similarly, in Gaza, the storm clouds are gathering, but Israel is dithering. God forbid Israel should destroy Hamas and re-occupy Gaza. Amir Peretz keeps telling everyone that Israel has no intention of remaining in Gaza. He justifies the present activity on the basis of the need to stop the firing of Kassams into Israel. Why not on the need to totally rout Hamas and destroy their growing arsenal of weapons? I believe this is significant. The former is obviously an act of self-defense. The latter smacks of preemption - and you know how the Left feels about preemption.
If these problems weren't bad enough, Israel is now faced with an Iran that is not only proceeding to develop nuclear weapons, but has just tested missiles capable of carrying them all the way to Israel. Will Israel preempt? I hope so.
Israel is also faced with an Iraq more radicalized then ever. If the US fails in Iraq, then it will be a calamity for the US, but even more so for Israel. The status quo ante with Saddam Hussein in power is looking pretty good. In fact, if the US can recommend that Israel release convicted murderer Marwan Barghouti as a peace move, then why can't it release Hussein as a means to restore order? Surely this is better then letting Iran take over.
It is clear that the US and Israel must reevaluate their goals and their strategies. The big picture in the Middle East pits the "moderates" (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Fatah) against the radicals (Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Syria and the Shia in Iraq). The radicals are supported by Russia and France. So far, the "moderates" are losing.
James Baker is soon to release his recommendations for a new US policy. It is expected to include a negotiated deal between these groups. Is such a deal possible? Is it achievable? Can it be achieved without sacrificing Israel? Will Israel be stronger or weaker for it? All questions of great concern for the Jewish State.
Israel must also change its policies from containment and "disengagement" to preemption and occupation. The threats from Hizbullah, Hamas, Syria and Iran must be wiped out. The best way is for Israel to invade south Lebanon and force the population north of the Litani. In this way, the new occupation will be sustainable. It should only withdraw on the signing of a peace agreement, if at all. Similarly, Israel should invade Gaza. If Gaza won't be pacified, the population must be moved to Egypt.
Only then will there not be a return to the status quo ante. On the other hand, even the status quo ante of the Oslo Accords is looking pretty good now.

 

Decree nisi
Al Ahram.-By: Lucy Fielder
November 16/06: After uneasy cohabitation with the government, Shia ministers have filed for divorce, plunging Lebanon into crisis, reports Lucy Fielder in Beirut
The proxy battle continues within Lebanese domestic politics, three months after US-supported Israeli bombing destroyed swathes of the country. Threats and rhetoric may have replaced the bombs and rockets, but the regional dimensions have emerged clearer than ever, with analysts talking about a new "Cold War" between the US (with Israel) and Iran.
A week of talks between Lebanon's main political players broke down on Saturday, and with them hopes of staving off a political crisis. The war polarised an already deeply divided society, and with its end came bitter recriminations, with Hizbullah threatening to take to the streets in a show of force. Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hizbullah has been seeking a greater say in decision-making since it claimed victory in the war with Israel. Together with the Shia Amal Party, Christian leader Michel Aoun and smaller allies, it was pushing for a national unity government that would bring Aoun in from the cold and give the alliance a veto-wielding one-third minority on government decisions.
The "14th March" anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, backed by Washington, was prepared to offer Aoun seats, but not enough for a veto -- a demand Prime Minister Fouad Al-Seniora denounced as "tyranny of the minority" in an interview with Reuters this week. Two Hizbullah and three Amal ministers resigned hours after talks collapsed on Saturday, to be followed a day later by Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf, a Maronite Christian Lahoud loyalist. The Sunni interior minister resigned in February. None of the resignations had been accepted at the time of writing; nine of the 24 ministers would have to resign to bring down the government.
Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment Middle East Centre in Beirut said it was no longer a question of whether Hizbullah would take to the streets to demand early elections but when and where. "They're still organising, which means it's not just one demo," she said. Some predict more resignations from parliament as well as a sustained campaign of protest and civil disobedience that would paralyse the country.
Although it is the only armed non-state party in Lebanon, Hizbullah says the protests will be peaceful. Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud weighed in with a letter to Al-Seniora. The government had lost its legitimacy, he wrote, citing Article Five of the Lebanese constitution, which says that all main sects must be "justly represented" in the cabinet. But he has no power to dissolve parliament, and the government believes its refusal to accept the resignations avoids the problem.
The "14th March" bloc, which holds the parliamentary majority, responded with its own brinkmanship and some sharp rhetoric. Following a meeting on Sunday, the bloc's leader, Saad Al-Hariri, accused resigning ministers of trying to prevent an international court being established to try suspects accused of involvement in the February 2005 assassination of his father, Rafik Al-Hariri. "This is a Syrian-Iranian plan to overthrow the legitimate authority and prevent the formation of the international tribunal," Al-Hariri said, words that echoed earlier White House warnings of a "coup".
"The crippling of the court and the protection of the criminals are the responsibility of a well-known murderous regime," he said, a clear reference to neighbouring Syria, fingered by the UN investigation and blamed by many Lebanese for the assassination. On Monday the remaining three- quarters of the cabinet held an extraordinary session to push through a draft UN plan for the tribunal.
"With this decision we tell the murderers that we will not give up our rights no matter what the difficulties and obstacles are," Al-Seniora said afterwards. The court is expected to comprise Lebanese and international judges and convene in a neutral location, most probably Cyprus. Hizbullah points out that it approved the tribunal in principle during the "National Dialogue" of Lebanese leaders earlier this year and says it has no intention of scuppering the plan.
Saad-Ghorayeb says Hizbullah wants more say over national defence, the scope and mandate of UNIFIL forces in south Lebanon and the running of the Hariri tribunal at a time of heightened US interest in Lebanon. US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton has urged Syria to respect the Lebanese government's decision though legal experts on both sides continue to wrangle over the legitimacy of a decision taken in the absence of Shia ministers.
Whatever the outcome of the debate, it seems certain that many Lebanese will view the court as unconstitutional. Signalling an all-out battle for government rather than elusive national unity, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah told supporters in the ruined southern suburbs of Beirut that the government had "zero credibility" and must be replaced by a "clean" one. The government "was in the know about the Israeli aggressions and asked Israel to prolong them," the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted him as saying.
Hizbullah and Aoun both say they have evidence to prove the claim. Although most analysts expect political turmoil rather than civil war, on-going accusations of betrayal and collaboration will make coexistence ever more difficult in Lebanon. While the opposition believes the government tacitly backed Israel in its aggressive bombardment of mainly Shia areas and then blamed their inhabitants for having brought the destruction upon themselves, the 14th March group believes Hizbullah, controlled from Damascus and Tehran, dragged Lebanon into a risky war that has set back its efforts to rebuild by more than a decade.
Lebanon's long-running internal disputes will be hard to resolve in isolation from the Israel/Palestine conflict and a change in the rules of the game between Washington and Tehran. Optimists say the Baker commission, expected to advise the US administration to open up dialogue with Iran, may herald a change.
"This is ultimately an extension of the US-Iran proxy war, whether the domestic players see it like that or not," says Saad- Ghorayeb.

Nasrallah's Brinksmanship
It has been just over three months since the United Nations brokered a cease-fire in the month-long war that left Lebanon battered and made Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a hero to many in the Arab world.
But Nasrallah's success is costing Lebanon potentially more than the 1,200 civilians killed by Israeli attacks. Commentators see a political quandary that has brought the country to the brink of war.
Nasrallah, supported by a majority of the country's impoverished Shiites, has pitted himself against both Lebanon's pro-Western government and the popular March 14 movement, a coalition of Christian and Arab middle-class groups staunchly against Syrian influence.
Talks to establish a national unity government broke down when six cabinet ministers aligned with Hezbollah resigned over the weekend. The remaining ministers then approved a plan, opposed by Hezbollah, for an international tribunal to try the assassins of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Hezbollah and its Syrian allies want to block the tribunal because U.N. investigators have implicated senior Syrian officials. Hezbollah says that the rebuilding the country is more important than satisfying the demands of the United States and Israel.
The internal power struggle has broader implications as the U.S. attempts to salvage a deteriorating situation in Iraq, an effort that some say will give leverage to American foes, Iran and Syria.
Political Impasse
Lebanon's latest power struggles have so far been peaceful, but tense nonetheless.
Nasrallah is banking on popular demands for rebuilding to trump politics in his push for greater control in Lebanon's government. He predicted Tuesday that Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's administration would fall and a "clean one will replace it" to rebuild areas destroyed by this summer's Israeli assault, according to Almanar.com, Hezbollah's news site. Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah could stage street demonstrations to win public support, but scoffed at talk of civil war.
Siniora has rebuffed Nasrallah's demand for veto power in a national unity government, which he called "tyranny of the minority."
The political impasse is edging toward "open confrontation between rival blocs, broadly defined by sect and external association," said the Economist. "Mr Siniora has UN legitimacy, the US, Europe and a solid parliamentary majority behind him," said the British weekly, republished in Ya Libnan.
The opposition's assets include "include the populist appeal of Hizbullah and of Michel Aoun (a former general, who won a sizeable chunk of the Christian vote in last year's election), and the political and military support of Syria and Iran."
One key demand of the March 14 movement is the establishment of an international tribunal to try the assassins of Rafiq Hariri, the billionaire former prime minster who was assassinated Feb. 14, 2005. A U.N. investigation has implicated senior Syrian officials.
"The international tribunal is necessary for a healthy Lebanon," said one commentator in Al Hayat. "Anyone who is motivated by a true patriotism should rejoice at the idea."
Hezbollah acknowledges that the international tribunal is important, but insists the issue is not fundamental to Lebanon's interest, according to the independent Lebanese news site Ya Libnan. "More important, in Hizbullah's estimation, is the danger of Lebanon falling under US and Israeli hegemony."
The Jordanian paper Al Rai (in Arabic) criticized "the March 14 forces and other groups which bound themselves to the US policy in the Middle East. These forces are now stuck in a stalemate."
The paper asked, "What would be the situation in Lebanon if Israel and the US could crush the resistance? American military bases would have been installed in the Lebanese mountains that overlook Damascus." Al Rai urged Washington to "reassess its priorities and talk directly to the powerful forces in the region," a clear allusion to Iran.
Iran's influence was visible at the height of Lebanon's cabinet crisis when a key power broker, parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, went to Tehran to consult with that country's supreme leader Ayatollah Khameini. After four days, Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, flew to London where he said he had no intention of returning to Lebanon soon.
Hopes for a political breakthrough, said NaharNet, are "thin."
And fears of civil war are thick.
America Falling
Lebanon's political crisis is taking place amid a transformation of public opinion about the United States.
Hezbollah, in the view of The Washington Post and many U.S. commentators, is to blame for last summer's war in Lebanon.The group's "reckless attack on Israel...led to the devastation of the southern third of the country. About 1,200 Lebanese died, including many civilians whom Hezbollah deliberately placed in the middle of the fighting, and some 15,000 homes were destroyed," the Post's editorialists wrote Wednesday.
That's not how most people in Lebanon see it, according to a new Gallup poll released Tuesday. The largest number blamed Israel and the second largest blamed the United States.
"In almost every category, the United States was the big loser," NaharNet said of the poll. "Nearly two-thirds of the Lebanese -- 64 percent -- said their opinions of the United States had worsened the war between Israel and Hezbollah."
"Almost half those polled described their opinions as 'much worse' after the war in which Israel's mainly U.S-equipped military did substantial damage to Lebanese villages, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. "
The poll also looked at countries the Lebanese admired.
"Rated on a 5-point scale from 'very favorable' as 5 to 'very unfavorable' as 1, France, once Lebanon's colonial ruler, was the most admired among 13 nations with a 3.6, with Canada at 3.5. The only countries below the midpoint 2.5 were the United States at 2.3, Britain 2.2 and Pakistan 2.0," according to the Associated Press dispatch.