LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 3/06
Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7,31-37.
Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!") And (immediately) the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and (the) mute speak."
Free Opinions & Studies
Hezbollah and Returning the Favor-Hassan Haydar Al-Hayat - 03/11/06
Another day, another bombing: The Lebanese deserve better 04.11.06Happy days for America's Democratic Party.By David Ignatius 04.11.06
Foreign meddling and domestic inaction push Lebanon to the brink of crisis -Daily Star 04.11.06
An emerging clash of civilizations in Europe? By Patrick Sabatier 04.11.06
Latest New from the Daily Star for November 3/06
Rizk expects UN to approve Hariri tribunal this week
Israeli document: Mock air raids are a pressure tactic
Saudis mediate back-channel talks on unity government for Lebanon
Fadlallah says UNIFIL should give Lebanon missiles to stop Israeli airspace violations
LF vows to counter Hizbullah with street protests of its own
Grenade attack aimed to 'create mayhem'
Egyptian envoy urges Lebanese 'not to waste time' on trivial issues
Higher Shiite Council says unity government can defuse crisis
Hizbullah: New Cabinet 'will see the light'
Ramel al-Ali residents stage protest to demand explanation in youths' deaths
Lebanon needs compromise to preserve fragile stability
Hamadeh defends nominees for regulatory panel on privatization
Fneish signs deal with French firm to start using wind for power generationLebanon's advertising sector feels postwar pinch
Meeting aims for 'peaceful' army return to Taamir
Latest New from miscellaneous sources for November 3/06
Hezbollah threat deepens Lebanon political crisis-AP
Lebanon's democracy may be short-lived, US fears; warns Syria ...Earthtimes.org - USAFrance warns against destabilizing Lebanon-Raw Story - Cambridge,MA,USA
Bishops condemn confusion” reigning in Lebanon-AsiaNews.it
Syria says US accusations on Lebanon "rubbish"Reuters
Syria: US' Lebanon Claims 'Ludicrous'-The Media Line
Switzerland slaps arms embargo on Lebanon-Xinhua
Hezbollah denies US accusation it wants to topple Lebanese ...International Herald Tribune
War had unachievable goals-Ynetnews
US faults Syria, Iran, Hezbollah on Lebanon-Reuters
Hezbollah seeks bigger role in cabinet-Independent Online
Hezbollah Threatens Protests in Lebanon-ABC News
Key facts about Lebanon-Reuters
Documentary shows IDF battling Hezbollah-Canadian Jewish News
Crossfire War - Israel Conducts Mock Air Attack on Hezbollah ...NewsBlaze
Hezbollah leader says talks are under way-International Herald Tribune
War With Hezbollah Causes Israeli Cannabis Prices To Skyrocket-All Headline News
US Singles Out Syria-OhmyNews International
Petro-Canada buys gas assets in central Syria-Toronto Star - Ontario
Maronite Bishops appeal for calm in political arena-Council laments 'chaos'-
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 02, 2006
BEIRUT: The Council of Maronite Bishops voiced concern Wednesday over mounting political tensions, urging all Lebanese to work together toward national interests. In a statement issued after its monthly meeting in Bkirki, headed by Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, the council said: "The bishops strongly regret the chaos prevailing over the Lebanese political arena, which has divided the Lebanese into opposite groups that don't know what they want."Lebanon's political elite is divided over an international tribunal that will look into former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination, the formation of a national unity government, a new electoral law and other issues.
"In light of this situation, the Lebanese should put the country's interests above personal ones in order to find the adequate solutions to these problems," the statement said. The council also criticized Israel's continuing violations of Lebanese airspace.
"Lebanon's skies are still being violated by Israeli warplanes under the pretext of arms smuggling across the Syrian-Lebanese border, despite the presence of international forces in the South," it said. "Those violations do not augur well; on the contrary, they might represent the resumption of fighting, the bitterness of which was experienced by the Lebanese."Israeli warplanes conducted mock air raids over Beirut and other parts of the country Tuesday. The violations, described by army officials as the "most intensive" over the capital since the end of the 34-day war this summer, were condemned by France, the European Union and the United Nations.
The bishops also had harsh criticism for "infringements committed in some ministries, in particular the Education Ministry."
The Education Ministry was singled out for its "failure to appoint a competent director general and the disregard of traditions by holding official exams on Sundays."Also mentioned was the need to compensate farmers, industrialists and hotel owners, "who were stricken by the war on Lebanon."
The bishops also slammed recent clashes at local universities over political issues such as a fight which broke out last month at La Sagesse University between partisans of the Progressive Socialist Party and the Free Patriotic Movement. The Education Ministry was quick to response to the bishops, saying the appointment of a director general is carried out via a decree issued by the Cabinet. The ministry also emphasized its respect for all religions and sects, saying that it was forced to hold final exams under an exceptional schedule because of the war with Israel and that setting Sunday as one of the dates of the exams was a coincidence.
Mount Lebanon mufti lashes out at Hizbullah
By Maher Zeineddine - Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 02, 2006
CHOUF: Mount Lebanon Mufti Mohammad Ali Jouzou had harsh words for Hizbullah and its allies Wednesday, bluntly accusing the resistance of serving Iranian and Syrian interests. "All of the exploits Hizbullah brags about are purely Persian deeds, and do not benefit the Arabs or Arabism in any way," the mufti said. In comments made during a meeting with a delegation from the Progressive Youth Movement (PYP), Jouzou said that Lebanon - through Hizbullah - was being controlled by Iran. "Whoever does not see eye to eye with them is accused of being pro-American, and that is illogical," Jouzou added. The Mount Lebanon leader said he could not see the logic in bringing "a country to rubble" for the liberation of three detainees in Israeli prisons, in reference to the number of Leb-anese detainees held by Israel. Jouzou added that Hizbullah's claims of having maintained close ties with former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri were unfounded, "especially given that directly following the murder of Hariri, Hizbullah organized the March 8 rally in tribute to Hariri's murderers," in reference to the Syrian leadership. Responding to President Emile Lahoud's remarks on the formation of an international court to try those accused of Hariri's assassination, Jouzo said: "Lahoud's stance serves a sole purpose, that of defending his position along with that of the four former security chiefs and the Syrian regime."MP Alaeddine Terro, who presided over the PYP meeting with Jouzou, said the delegation had come to express support for Jouzo's stands. The PYP and Druze MP Walid Jumblatt "condemn the harsh campaign against Jouzzo" being led by Hizbullah and its allies, he said. Terro added that the opposition's demands for the formation of a national unity government and Lahoud's recent report on the establishment of an international court were aimed at preventing the formation of an international tribunal and concealing the identities of "Lebanese and Syrian parties who assassinated Hariri."
Hezbollah and Returning the Favor
Hassan Haydar Al-Hayat - 02/11/06//
Hezbollah has been fighting Israel since its inception in the mid-1980s. Hezbollah fought Israel until the former drove the latter out of Lebanon in 2000. It continued fighting; arguing that the withdrawal was not complete and that it must restore the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba Hills and release Lebanese prisoners, including perhaps prisoners of other nationalities from Israeli prisons. It also fought Israel last July and is still retaining two prisoners and wants to exchange them. It still argues that the battle with Israel is open and it must keep its arms, which are the only deterrent from targeting Lebanon.
Hezbollah is not concerned whether the Shebaa Farms or Kfarshouba Hills are Lebanese or Syrian, or that Damascus does not want to officially recognize they are Lebanese. It sees a natural alliance between the enemies of Israel and, thus, considers Syria, from which its arms come, in this way. Therefore, it does not matter if the party restores a territory to its ally, as long as it can settle this matter between them later. When it restores land from Israel, it returns the favor to Damascus, which has been sponsoring it. Syria, in fact, is serving the image of Hezbollah as a regional power that has a big following from the 'Atlantic to the Gulf', as well as its own opinion about what is happening around the world, whether in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and even Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil and Vietnam.
Syria turned Hezbollah into a platform to address Israel and the US, and made itself a gate for everything related to Hezbollah, including what comes from its other ally, Iran, which is anxious to replace the Arabs in the defense of their first cause - Jerusalem. Of course, returning the favor to Syria comes at the right time, especially as the International Tribunal in late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination is imminent. However, the Tribunal is only opposed by the allies of Damascus.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah appeared on the screen of his party's channel, reiterating words that are prevailing in Damascus and Tehran about a US project aiming to dominate the region and that this project is facing failure in Kabul and Baghdad, Gaza and Beirut. In each of these capitals, there is a strong force collaborating with the US and taking orders from it and implementing its wishes, contrary to the will of their resisting peoples. The government of Lebanon is not excluded in this regard, as it had sought with Israel, before the eruption of the recent war, to bring multinational forces to Lebanon under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to disarm Hezbollah. It also threatened, during the war, to prolong the war unless Hezbollah complies with conditions, including disarmament.
In other words, the ruling regime in Lebanon made the conspiracy of the last war with the Americans and the Israelis, or at least participated in its implementation, to reach a settlement for deploying a non-UN force in all of Lebanon, particularly on the borders with Syria. However, in light of Hezbollah's steadfastness, it had to acquiesce in strengthening the international force in South Lebanon, provided it is confined to that region only. It is now trying to change the task assigned to the force.
This implies, at most, an accusation of 'treason' to the ruling regime in Beirut. It also means that what applies to the Israelis and the Americans necessarily applies to those seeking to achieve their own goals in Lebanon, and perhaps in the region, because the 'conspiracy' of Fouad Siniora's government targets Syria, too. Whoever fought Israel will not hesitate to fight its 'agents'. More obviously, Hezbollah will not hesitate to use its arsenal in the face of the 'henchmen' of the US in the government.
Is not this what the Taliban is doing with Karzai's government and the heirs of al-Zarqawi with al-Maliki's government? Why should Hezbollah be an exception?
Foreign meddling and domestic inaction push Lebanon to the brink of crisis
Friday, November 03, 2006
Editorial-Daily Star
Lebanon is once again on the brink of a crisis caused by foreign meddling and domestic inaction. The White House is accusing Hizbullah, Iran and Syria of seeking the illegitimate overthrow of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government, parroting a theme long championed by a very recent visitor to Washington, Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt. The simplistic charge dovetails with much of the current US approach to the Middle East, but it also lends credence to the theory that the Bush administration's Lebanon policy is so flimsy as to be alterable by the last person who gained an audience with the president or one of his top advisers. Things are just as worrisome in Beirut, where Siniora's government and its allies have done a dismal job of making their case that Lebanon has no need for a national unity government at this juncture.
Few pieces of real estate on Earth are subject to the gambits and gambles of more outside parties than Lebanon. The players include Iran and Syria, to be sure, but America and Israel are also pulling a variety of levers in their attempts to shape this country's future to their own benefit. Coupled with the roles being played by France and Saudi Arabia, all of this attention from outside the country is pulling Lebanon apart as more powerful actors seek to further their own regional agendas.
What has been missing is a Lebanese agenda, carefully conceived and clearly articulated, that might start to build a truly national constituency. Apart from hollow slogans like "a fair and just state," Hizbullah has yet to outline a vision for the next stage, other than its own desire for more seats in Cabinet. Likewise, the March 14 Forces' approach to a host of pressing problems, including a new electoral law, has been vague at best and non-existent at worse. In such a climate, what are Lebanese citizens supposed to think about their country's political class? To whom can they turn for intelligent leadership?
As this newspaper has noted in the past, Lebanon's birth as an independent nation-state was attended by the tumult of World War II. The political figures who established the state made their share of errors, but at least they had clear ideas of what they wanted Lebanon to be and how much they were willing to compromise in order to accommodate the desires of others. The same cannot be said of today's politicians, who keep their constituents in the dark and try to impose their views on their opponents without even bothering to define what they are.
To reach peace, start with borders first
Commentary By Ghassan Khatib -Daily Star
Friday, November 03, 2006
The failure of the peace process to produce the desired outcome has provoked much speculation as to why it failed. The different sides to the conflict have different interpretations, mostly blaming the other. But few have questioned the approach on which the process was based.
When the United States and the Soviet Union invited the Israelis and Palestinians to the Madrid peace conference, the basis for the subsequent process, two sets of documents structured that process. One was the letter of invitation and the other the letters of assurances that were given by the US government to the different parties at the conference, primarily the Palestinians and the Israelis.
These documents, which set the frame of reference for the process, determined two phases, the interim and the final. The rationale was that the interim phase would create conditions more conducive to negotiating the final outcome. That included, according to these terms of reference, the substantial aspects of the conflict, i.e., borders, settlements, Jerusalem and refugees.
It is legitimate to question this structure. While the interim phase was intended to pave the road for the final phase, as it turned out the parties to different extents used that period to either prejudice the situation on the ground or promote the kind of final phase they desired.
Israel, for example, intensified settlement expansion in a way that aimed directly at influencing where the final borders would run. At the moment, Israel is constructing a wall along the route Israel wishes to become that border. Such activities, whether now or then, distort future possibilities and thus poison interim stage relations. In other words, a situation is created where the interim stage defeats its own purpose.
Recently, and while the Palestinian leadership was trying to coordinate a political initiative on the eve of the last UN General Assembly session, some Arab countries, led by Egypt, suggested that the terms of reference for the process be restructured to reach agreement on borders first and then work out the necessary steps to reach that point.
It is an eminently sensible suggestion and is based on a strong sense of international legitimacy. International law stipulates a complete end to the occupation. Thus the borders are already determined and any change to these borders not agreed to by the parties is illegal. The internationally backed "road map," which was accepted by all concerned parties, also stipulates in its last paragraph that the final objective of this plan is to end the occupation that started in 1967. At Camp David, Israel raised certain concerns about borders that were accommodated by the Palestinian leadership through the principle of a land swap, equal in quality and quantity.
Fixing the borders first will put an end to all the bad-faith interim maneuvering and prejudiced practices that are ultimately responsible for producing actions and reactions of a kind that undermine the desire and intention of those pursuing peace.
Settling the issue of borders in advance will not only reduce the tensions and increase confidence, but also allow the two parties to work out non-territorial issues that are of a particularly complicated nature, especially the issues of refugees and Jerusalem. The latter is non-territorial insofar as agreement needs to be reached on how exactly relations between the east and the west of the city are conducted and how free access of all to the city's religious sites is safeguarded, as well as the legal status of these sites.
The only reason not to accept this approach is if one of the parties - to whit, the one in control over the other - does not intend to end the occupation. If that is the case, adopting the above process of borders first will clearly expose that position.
**Ghassan Khatib is the former Palestinian Authority minister of planning, and has been a political analyst and media contact for many years. He is coeditor of the bitterlemons.org, an online newsletter publishing contending views of Israeli-Palestinian affairs, where this commentary first appeared.
Rizk expects UN to approve Hariri tribunal this week
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 03, 2006
BEIRUT: The UN Security Council will approve the formation of an international tribunal to try those accused of former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination this week, Justice Minister Charles Rizk said Thursday. Rizk said he expected the Security Council to ratify the final draft of a proposal for the court within "two days" after Russia and China gave their approval on the issue. The minister hoped the Lebanese would "assume their responsibility" and ratify the draft. In a clear reference to President Emile Lahoud's criticisms of the draft made earlier this week, Rizk warned that a government failure to ratify the draft would force the Security Council to move forward without Lebanese representation.
The Cabinet, which is chaired by Lahoud, earlier this year asked Rizk to assign two judges to negotiate the details of the tribunal with the United Nations. Judges Ralph Riachi and Chukri Sader have met with UN officials several times this year in New York to discuss the matter.
If the Lebanese are "not up to their responsibilities, especially on a crucial issue like Hariri's assassination, then international tutelage will be imposed on us," the justice minister added. Rizk praised Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's call, made during an interview with
Al-Manar Tuesday night, for the international court to be "a meeting point for the Lebanese."Asked about his relations with Lahoud, Rizk said the president was his "friend," but that "one should separate between friendship and responsibilities."
Rizk and Sader met Thursday with French Ambassador Bernard Emie to discuss the international tribunal. The minister also held separate talks with Russian Ambassador Serguei Boukin.
UN chief Kofi Annan convened a meeting of the Security Council Wednesday to ensure unity on the nature of the court, a spokesman for the UN chief told Al-Hayat newspaper in comments published Thursday. Stephane Dujarric said talks on the court had been held on "a constant basis" among the council's five permanent members. Separate sources close to Annan told Al-Hayat Wednesday's meeting had nothing to do with Lahoud's 32-page list of suggestions concerning the tribunal. Annan had called the meeting "to make sure the Security Council's position toward the court is united," the sources added. Other sources at the UN accused Russia of representing Syria's interests on the council.
These sources said Wednesday's meeting had also been an opportunity to "pressure the Russians and tell them they can't continue presenting Syria's views." For his part, Defense Minister Elias Murr said the court was a matter of life or death for Lebanon, and vowed to fight for the tribunal's creation during an interview with Future Television Wednesday night."This ... can guarantee a safe future for Lebanon," he said.
The defense minister, himself the victim of a 2005 assassination attempt, urged Lahoud not to "derail the creation of the tribunal," stressing the need for the court to investigate all assassinations and attempts since October 2004."The main objective of the creation of the court is to prevent new terrorist attacks from happening," he said. The Higher Judicial Council on Thursday denied media reports that it would issue a statement in response to Lahoud's comments on the tribunal.
Israeli document: Mock air raids are a pressure tactic
Compiled by Daily Star staff -Friday, November 03, 2006
An internal Israeli military document says the air force's illegal mock raids over Lebanon are intended in part to pressure the international community to press for the release of the two Israeli soldiers whose capture by Hizbullah on July 12 sparked the war, a senior Defense Ministry official said Thursday. The document, titled "Strategic diplomatic messages: the army must continue overflights to secure international pressure," was drafted by the army's planning wing and approved by the Israeli military's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Dan Halutz. It also wanted pressure on the expanded UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon to do more to stop arms being smuggled in to Hizbullah from Syria.
Israel has drawn intense international criticism by continuing the overflights despite UN Resolution 1701, which established a cease-fire on August 14 after 34 days of war. French and European Union officials have condemned the raids as violations of Lebanese sovereignty and urged Israel to stop them. Israeli officials have said the overflights are reconnaissance operations designed to gather intelligence. Last month, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said the overflights were necessary to monitor what he said was arms smuggling by Hizbullah.
A senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official criticized the army document, saying it appeared to overstep the army's prerogatives by outlining policies.
"If it turns out that this army document lists diplomatic goals, we will have to review the issue, because the army is in charge of Israel's security while others are responsible for political questions," the official, Aviv Shir-On, told Israeli radio on Thursday as commemorations marked 11 years since the assassination of then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist.
Israeli commanders want the international community to apply pressure on Lebanon and Hizbullah to release the two captured soldiers, Israeli radio said, citing the army document. Speaking from London, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Peres told reporters that Israel would like to negotiate with Syrian President Bashar Assad, but it would not do so while Syria supported Hamas and Hizbullah and demanded the return of the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967, as a pre-condition for peace negotiations.
"I for one would like to see us negotiating with the Syrians, but again the Syrians are having a double approach," Peres said. "They are hosting in Syria the leadership of Hamas, the most extreme part of it. They are helping Hizbullah and we are suspicious they are continuing to supply Hamas with arms."
This week Nigel Sheinwald, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's most senior foreign policy adviser, traveled to Damascus, meeting Assad and other senior figures. Blair is expected to return to the Middle East before the end of the year.
German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung arrived in Beirut late Thursday and is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Defense Minister Elias Murr today before traveling to Israel for talks with senior Israeli officials. He will be discussing the German role as head of the UNIFIL maritime task force charged with patrolling the waters off Leb-anon. After two incidents between German UNIFIL soldiers and Israeli warplanes, Jung will be looking for a clearer mandate for his forces. - Agencies
Saudis mediate back-channel talks on unity government for Lebanon
Hizbullah, syria, iran deny us claims of plan to overthrow siniora cabinet
Compiled by Daily Star staff -Friday, November 03, 2006
Saudi diplomats are secretly negotiating with political figures in Lebanon to agree on a national unity government, Arab diplomatic sources said Thursday after Washington accused Hizbullah and its domestic and regional allies of aiming to topple the Lebanese government.
"The kingdom is making discreet contacts and holding talks, primarily though its ambassador in Lebanon, Abdel-Aziz Khoja, to placate the political situation in Lebanon," a diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Saudi Arabia was also working to "remove barriers to holding national dialogue talks as called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri," the diplomat said. Berri called last week for consultation meetings among Lebanon's political elite to discuss the formation of a national unity government and the drafting of a new electoral law.
Both items are key demands of Hizbullah and its ally, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) headed by MP Michel Aoun.
Hizbullah, with two ministers in Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet, wants the inclusion of its allies in the government.
The diplomat did not rule out the possibility of "enlarging the current government, which would be a middle-of-the-road solution acceptable to all." Saudi Arabia's priority was to "avoid escalating tensions within Lebanon," the diplomat said.
This came as France's Foreign Ministry said Thursday it had no information on alleged plans by Hizbullah and its domestic and regional allies to destabilize Lebanon, but warned against any moves in that direction. "We have no specific details of plans of that nature," ministry spokes-man Denis Simonneau said. "France, for its part, reaffirms its support for the government of Siniora and for his efforts to stabilize Lebanon and permit the rapid reconstruction of the country," he added. Hizbullah and its allies rejected the US accusations and accused Washington of using Lebanon to wage "war" against Syria and Iran. "The latest American position is blatant interference in a Lebanese internal affair concerning the Lebanese people's choices over their government and policies," a Hizbullah statement said on Thursday. The statement added that "the American position is meant to obstruct the internal settlement sought by parties attempting to reach a comprehensive national solution." "It is also meant to throw Lebanon into Washington's battle against forces and states that are friendly and brotherly to Lebanon and its people, including Iran and Syria," it said.
The FPM also denied Washington's allegations.
"It is unfortunate that the highest levels of the American government have been penetrated with misinformation alleging that we - those who fought longest and hardest for Lebanon's independence from Syria - are now trying to bring back Syrian tutelage over Lebanon," Aoun said in a statement on Thursday. "It is time for the US administration to realize that the desire for a new government in Lebanon comes from the Leb-anese people" he added.
Aoun said that if the US truly desires democracy, then let it not lend its support to an "unrepresentative government which came about as a result of a Syrian-imposed electoral law, and let it work together with all Leb-anese to achieve a government ... for all the Lebanese people."Aoun's statement came following a meeting with US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman. No joint statement was issued after the meeting. A Syrian Foreign Ministry statement said "the rumors put about by the US administration according to which Syria, Iran and Hizbullah are seeking to destabilize the situation in Leb-anon are wrong." The comments came a day after Hizbullah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, gave Siniora until the middle of this month to agree on the formation of a unity government or face protests demanding a new election. An editorial in Syria's government-owned Al-Baath said newspaper the United States, "which claims to know everything," should make public any evidence of the alleged Syrian role in efforts to topple the Lebanese government.
US officials say the information is classified.
A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Ali Husseini, denied the US accusation and argued that Washington should review its policies in the Middle East. "These are repeated claims aimed to create divisions among Lebanese people and their government," he said.
The United States has no diplomatic ties with Iran and has strained relations with Syria, accusing both countries of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the Middle East. Both countries deny the charges and Iran says its offers only moral support to Hizbullah.
A spokesman for the US State Department said Nasrallah's ultimatum has raised US concerns about the intentions of Hizbullah and other players in Lebanon. Anti-Syrian politicians have dismissed calls for a national unity government, saying such demands were aimed at re-asserting Syria's influence in Lebanon. Berri said that Washington's expressions of strong support for Siniora's government could prove its undoing.
"Some kinds of love are fatal," Berri said in a statement. "Is it [the US statement] meant to defend Lebanon or push it toward constructive chaos? Does it echo concern for the government or incitement against it?" "Anyway, we reassure the White House that the Lebanese people have enough of a democratic tendency to make them resort to dialogue and consultations, rather than to the advice of the protector of Israel which violates international resolutions every day and whose planes never depart our airspace," the speaker added. - Agencies
Fadlallah says UNIFIL should give Lebanon missiles to stop Israeli airspace violations
Daily Star staff-Friday, November 03, 2006
BEIRUT: Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah sharply criticized Israel's violations of Lebanese airspace Thursday, calling on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to provide the Lebanese Army with defensive weapons. "Israel is still violating our skies without taking UNIFIL's role into consideration," the country's senior Shiite cleric said during a meeting with Spanish Ambassador Miguel Benzo Perea. "UNIFIL should provide the army with surface-to-air missiles so it will be able to prevent any Israeli violation of Lebanon's airspace."
Perea, in turn, said Spanish troops serving with UNIFIL "are unbiased and have a peacekeeping role." "Spanish soldiers work on preserving the country's security while cooperating with the Lebanese people and army," Perea said. Fadlallah also expressed opposition to foreign interference into Lebanon's affairs, which he warned might create conflicts in the country and complicate relations among the Lebanese.
"We do not accept any international or regional tutelage," the cleric said. The Israeli violations were also the subject of a discussion between Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh and Geir Pedersen, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's personal representative to Lebanon.
"Israel justifies its continued overflights by claiming the presence of weapons smuggling into Lebanon," Khalifeh said. "It seems that someone in the government has informed the UN of weapons smuggling without discussing the issue before the Cabinet, which means that the person is trying to conceal a probable attack on Lebanon," he added. In his latest report, UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen mentioned that a Lebanese government official told him that weapons were being smuggled into Lebanon. A few days later, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora denied the report.
Asked if Pedersen had spoken to Khalifeh of the UN's stand regarding Israel's violations of 1701, the health minister said: "There is a great fear from this issue and the UN is deploying all efforts to settle it."Following his meeting with Khalifeh, Pedersen also met with Siniora to discuss the Israeli violations. - The Daily Star
LF vows to counter Hizbullah with street protests of its own
Tourism minister: 'our body is fit for this'
By Leila Hatoum and Nafez Qawas -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 03, 2006
BEIRUT: The war of words being waged among Lebanon's leading political forces escalated Thursday, with a Lebanese Forces Cabinet member threatening that his party would also take to the streets to counter Hizbullah's calls for a national unity government. Tourism Minister and Lebanese Forces member Joe Sarkis vowed before entering a weekly Cabinet meeting Thursday that his party "will take to the streets to defend the Lebanese Republic." "Our body is fit for this, and we are able to demonstrate," Sarkis added. For his part, Energy and Water Minister Mohammed Fneish, who is also a Hizbullah member, told reporters on his way into the session that the resistance would have "no problem" with an LF demonstration.
Pro-Hizbullah Labor Minister Trad Hamadeh was less cordial, telling reporters: "We know their bodies are fit and we don't need anyone to tell us that.""We will practice all our democratic rights, as noted in the Constitution, to demand a national unity government that includes all Lebanese political powers that are willing to defend Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and future," Hamadeh added. The Cabinet session ended late Thursday night, with the ministers postponing a discussion on the formation of a regulatory committee within the Telecommunications Ministry to the next session.
Speaking to reporters before entering the session, President Emile Lahoud also addressed Sarkis' comments. "What kind of talk is this? We used to hear this talk during the days of the [Civil War]," Lahoud said. "This has been over since the rise of the state. Peacefully demonstrating is a democratic right and we are not against it, and anyone who wants to peacefully demonstrate is welcome. As for talks like 'our body is fit,' this is unacceptable.
"We also hear talk from abroad that we will ruin the country and that this is unacceptable and against international legitimacy, which must be respected. I tell you ... No matter what others say, there will be no problems in this country because we stand united," he added.
Concerning Israel's repeated violations of Lebanon's airspace, Lahoud hinted at an international conspiracy.
"The Israeli overflights have been occurring for some time now under the pretext of preventing arms smuggling to Hizbullah. Today, we heard that NATO has finalized an agreement with Israel to monitor its airspace," he said. "If we link this with what France said a month ago about its readiness to administer Lebanese airspace, this means when they prevent Israel from doing overflights, then other countries will do this instead and this is unacceptable," he added.
The president also demanded that Israel be brought to account for its alleged use of banned weaponry during the July-August war.
"Over two months ago we spoke of Israel's use of white phosphorous bombs, depleted uranium bombs and cluster bombs. Today this was confirmed through the results of British inspections," he said. "We made a decision in the Cabinet and we must hurry in filing a complaint against Israel, because they must know that when they do this they will be punished and won't be left free as when they committed the Qana [massacres in 1996 and this past summer]," he added. Concerning his recent list of suggestions for the formation of an international court to try those accused of killing former Premier Rafik Hariri, Lahoud said his criticisms did not mean he opposed the court.
"We are for revealing the truth behind the assassination," he said. "Yet, if people are to be accused for political reasons without evidence, we fear that some might tend to form a tribunal that would politically indict people, and this is unacceptable.""There is also the issue of their king witness [Mohammad Zuheir Siddik], who is in France, which refuses to hand him over to Lebanon to face the four detained former security chiefs," he added. "Why doesn't France accept that the four detainees go to Paris to face him?"For his part, Premier Fouad Siniora was asked about Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz's "concern" about the status of the Lebanese Cabinet."What more do you want now that our enemy is worried?" he asked. "Let him worry."Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh dismissed UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen's claim earlier this week that Siniora had complained of Hizbullah's receiving arms from Syria."Siniora denied this remark, and the Lebanese government didn't inform Roed-Larsen of this," he said. "The Foreign Ministry and the Lebanese Army also resent this remark."
Higher Shiite Council says unity government can defuse crisis
By Mira Borji -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 03, 2006
BEIRUT: The Higher Shiite Council said Thursday that a national unity government "constitutes the right step to get out of the present political crisis." After its regular weekly meeting, the council called on Lebanon's politicians to stop "tense" speeches, which "intensify" the political crisis, and deliver "moderate" statements. "The formation of a national unity government does not aim to undermine the work of the state. Nor does it look to thwart the investigation into former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination," the statement said.
The council also denounced foreign interference into Lebanon's internal affairs, notably when it comes to forming a government, and they called on all of the country's officials to reject foreign meddling in order to preserve Lebanon's independence, freedom and sovereignty. It also urged the government to "eliminate" the effect of the recent war with Israel by restoring damaged roads and bridges. "The council holds the UN Security Council responsible for the continued Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and Israel's insistence on challenging international resolutions, namely 1701," the statement said. The council's vice president, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, said the situation in Lebanon "is difficult," and urged the country's leaders to agree over controversial issues "without challenging each other."
Qabalan also urged UNIFIL to "protect Lebanese territory and put an end to Israel's impudent violations."
Hizbullah: New Cabinet 'will see the light'
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 03, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah expressed confidence on Thursday that a national unity government would be formed, while the March 14 Forces remained vague as to their next step in the matter will be. "The countdown for the formation of a national unity Cabinet has begun," the head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, said Thursday. "It will see the light sooner or later," he said, after a visit to Tachnag Party headquarters.
Raad said Hizbullah and its allies did not intend to bring about "a coup, but [rather to] unify the Lebanese ranks in order to face Israeli threats ... We won't mind if Prime Minister Fouad Siniora heads the national unity Cabinet."Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri continued to hold private meetings with leading politicians on Thursday in the run-up to consultations set to begin Monday on a national unity government and a new electoral law.
Sources close to the speaker told the Central News Agency on Thursday that Berri would meet with the head of the Future Movement, MP Saad Hariri, later in the day. Hariri was expected to return from Saudi Arabia in the evening. The Gulf kingdom has been mediating between the country's political parties in past weeks. Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja held a lengthy meeting with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah last week. The ambassador also met separately with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, Hizbullah's main ally.
While the details of the meetings were not disclosed, sources said talks focused on overcoming the current impasse between the two parties and the March 14 Forces. Democratic Gathering bloc MP Wael Bou Faour said Thursday that the March 14 Forces were prepared to consider expanding the Cabinet, but that recent comments "from political parties who accused the parliamentary majority of conspiring with Israel" were not helpful.
Nasrallah had leveled several allegations at "certain members of the government" during an interview with Al-Manar television on Tuesday night.
Bou Faour told the Voice of Lebanon radio that MP Walid Jumblatt may attend Monday's consultations. March 14 Forces MP Boutros Harb, also speaking to the Voice of Lebanon, said there was a need to "hold serious discussions about the means to resolve pending problems."
Lebanon's leading politicians should accept Berri's initiative "without setting any preconditions," he said, referring to Nasrallah's threat Tuesday of demonstrations should a national unity Cabinet not be formed by November 13. For his part, Defense Minister Elias Murr said Thursday that holding street demonstrations would only create more divisions in the country. He called on all parties to resolve their differences through Berri's consultations.
Grenade attack aimed to 'create mayhem'
Daily Star staff
Friday, November 03, 2006
BEIRUT: Acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat said Thursday that Wednesday night's attack on the Helou Barracks in Beirut was an "attempt to create mayhem inside the country and attack the Internal Security Forces for their role in keeping the peace." In a telephone interview with Tele Liban on Thursday, Fatfat said the incident was aimed at attacking all security forces "and not just me personally.""Investigations are under way and all security bodies are cooperating to investigate similar incidents that happened previously," he said. A grenade was launched at the Helou police barracks in Corniche al-Mazraa on Wednesday evening, causing no casualties but damaging a major ISF building. Police barracks were also targeted by the same type of grenades in two other incidents in October. "The October incidents, in which the same kinds of weapons were used, show that the same group is behind these terrorist and criminal acts," Fatfat said. The minister added that the aim of the incidents "is to exploit the current political tension to undermine any chance of reaching an agreement during the consultation meetings [proposed by Speaker Nabih Berri] next week."
"Security forces are not part of the political conflict. Their mission consists of protecting citizens," he said. "I hope the Lebanese don't resort to the streets because they know that none of the pending issues can be settled in the street," the minister added. - The Daily Star
Lebanon needs compromise to preserve fragile stability
1701 internationalizes hizbullah's armed status without regionalizing a solution
By International Crisis Group (ICG)
Friday, November 03, 2006
REPORT INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP
Editor's note: The following text is the executive summary and recommendations from the latest International Crisis Group, "Israel/Hizbullah/Lebanon: Avoiding Renewed Conflict" issued Thursday. The full report is available at www. crisisgroup.org.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 halted the month-long fighting between Israel and Hizbullah but did little to resolve the underlying conflict and, if poorly handled, could help reignite it. The resolution has held remarkably well, with only limited violations. However, the temptation by either party to overreach could trigger renewed fighting. The greatest threats would be attempts by Israel or UN forces (UNIFIL) to use 1701 as a blunt means of disarming Hizbullah in the South or by Hizbullah to test UNIFIL's resolve. 1701 should be seen as a transitory instrument that can stabilize the border by containing both sides' military impulses until bolder action is taken to address both domestic Lebanese matters (reforming and democratizing the political and electoral systems; building a strong sovereign state and army; resolving the question of Hizbullah's armaments) and, especially, regional issues (in particular re-launching the Syrian track and engaging Iran). In short the international community must be modest in implementing 1701 for as long as it is not prepared to be ambitious in its regional diplomatic efforts.
Resolution 1701 achieved a surprising degree of consensus. All relevant parties - Israel, Hizbullah and the Lebanese government, as well as key regional and other international actors - accepted the Security Council as the arbiter of the conflict while agreeing to the extensive deployment of Lebanon's army (LAF) south of the Litani River, the expansion of UNIFIL with a strengthened mandate in the same area and the need to build up Lebanese sovereignty over its own territory. Core stumbling blocks (e.g., releasing the abducted Israeli soldiers; ending Hizbullah's armed presence in the South) were mentioned in the resolution, but as strong aspirations, not immediate prerequisites. All in all, this is not negligible, nor was it pre-ordained. 1701 came about at a time of high tension, after a fierce diplomatic battle, and was accepted only because all sides needed a face-saving solution. Collective exhaustion produced an ambiguous outcome that nobody whole-heartedly endorsed but all reluctantly accepted.
After more than a month of violent conflict, Israel and Hizbullah were chastened, conscious of the limits of their military power and reluctant to continue hostilities. Israel had insisted both that it would not stop fighting until its soldiers were returned and Hizbullah was disarmed; 1701's ambiguity notwithstanding, it achieved neither. Israel had limited appetite for continued confrontation and now, in the wake of a war that reawakened and reinforced anxiety about a Lebanese quagmire, has little stomach for resuming it. Rather, Israelis chose to invest cautious hope in the presence of international and Lebanese forces in the South to rein in Hizbullah and in UN mediation to free the abducted soldiers.
Hizbullah's perceived victory may have emboldened the organization but it too labors under heavy constraints. With over 1,000 civilian deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes and the damage done to basic economic infrastructure, initiating another round of violence would be deeply unpopular with its own constituency, not to mention the country as a whole. The LAF's deployment to the South - for the first time in over three decades - and UNIFIL's strengthening in what heretofore had been a Hizbullah sanctuary was not the movement's preference. But it was deemed a price worth paying to end the fighting, avoid exacerbating domestic tensions and preserve as much as possible of the status quo, including its presence in the South.
The international community, and the US in particular, were left with little choice. By allowing the war to rage on for weeks, they had lost much of their credibility and faced increasingly hostile Arab and Muslim publics. Washington claimed from the outset that only a solution that dealt with the roots of the conflict - in its view, Hizbullah's armed presence - was worth pursuing. In the end, it settled for far less, namely a denser UN and Lebanese Army presence in the South and reiteration of the longer-term goal of disarming armed groups. Evincing signs of pragmatism, US officials for now are not pressing UNIFIL or the LAF to disarm Hizbullah, hoping instead to strengthen the central government and extend its territorial reach.
Such shared modesty must be preserved lest the fragile stability unravel. 1701 is not the proper framework for the necessary resolution of underlying issues in the Israeli-Lebanese relationship, and it must not be construed as such. It is inherently ambiguous, allowing for different interpretations, offering vague timelines, and covering conflicting long-term goals behind similar wording: strengthening Lebanese sovereignty means neutralizing Hizbullah for some and defending against Israel for others. It does not address Lebanon's domestic political situation. It places disproportionate emphasis on the question of Hizbullah and offers nothing to parties (Syria and Iran) with considerable interest and means of obstruction. Like its predecessor, Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004), it unwisely seeks to internationalize a particular aspect of the problem (Hizbullah's armament) without regionalizing its solution (addressing the broader Arab-Israeli conflict or the growing US-Iranian differences).
In sum, 1701 all at once elevates Hizbullah's armed status to the rank of core international concern; entrusts its resolution to a process (Lebanon's internal dialogue) that is structurally incapable of dealing with it; and defers the key political step (progress toward a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace) that is a precondition for settling it.
In carrying out 1701, therefore, the international community should keep its eye on the risks. With its deterrent power severely damaged by a military draw most interpreted as a defeat, Israel will not tolerate brazen attempts by Hizbullah to resupply. Conversely, Hizbullah will not accept efforts by Israel, UNIFIL or its Lebanese opponents to try to achieve politically what could not be done militarily. Implementation should focus on several interrelated goals:
l Containing Hizbullah, not by aggressively seeking to disarm it, but through the presence of thousands of Lebanese and UN troops in the South who can constrain its freedom of action, ability to display weapons and, especially, capacity to resupply. Hizbullah will test UNIFIL's resolve; UN forces must be ready to respond in a measured way that does not trigger escalation. Indeed, the establishment of checkpoints throughout the area already is confronting Hizbullah with a far different environment than the one it faced between 2000 and 2006;
l Containing Israel, by taking a clear stance against any violation of Lebanese sovereignty, in particular through overflights. Neither UNIFIL nor the LAF can risk being perceived as securing Israel without securing Lebanon or as being more preoccupied with one goal than with the other;
l Strengthening the Lebanese state by empowering the LAF to become a guardian of national borders and a protector of its lands, and forcing it to cede the place it has long held as the arbiter of internal disputes to other security organs and the police; and
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l Drying up the immediate potential triggers of renewed conflict through a prisoner exchange and setting in motion a process to resolve the Shebaa Farms issue.
While these measures can help stabilize the situation, they are not sustainable in the longer term. Once again, regional and international actors are using Lebanese players as proxies to promote their interests, exploiting and exacerbating both pre-existing domestic tensions and the political system's dysfunctionalities. Solving the question of Hizbullah and achieving real stability on the Israeli-Lebanese border will require steps both by the Lebanese state to reform the political system and, crucially, by the "Quartet" and the wider international community to engage Syria and Iran and work toward a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli dispute.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To the UN Security Council:
1. Promote effective implementation of Resolution 1701 on Lebanon by passing a follow-up resolution calling for:
(a) comprehensive Lebanese security reform, with the assistance of outside parties, based on the need to effectively assert the state's sovereignty and defend its territorial integrity;
(b) sustained and substantial international financial assistance;
(c) intensive efforts to address outstanding Israeli-Lebanese issues, including a prisoner exchange, a halt to Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and onset of a process to resolve the status of the contested Shebaa Farms by transferring custody to the UN under UNIFIL supervision pending Israel-Syria and Israel-Lebanon peace agreements; and
(d) intensive and sustained efforts to reach a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.
To the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL):
2. Accept that its task is essentially to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces, refraining from proactive searches for Hizbullah arms caches.
3. Investigate, publicly condemn and take appropriate action against flagrant violations of Resolution 1701, particularly attempts to resupply Hizbullah and Israeli overflights or other violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
4. Quickly provide financial and technical support for the clearance of unexploded munitions (UXOs) and other lethal war debris, including cluster sub-munitions that are sinking below the surface due to the onset of winter.
5. Avoid assuming an assertive armed posture in patrolling Southern Lebanon so as to minimize anti-UN sentiment among the local population.
6. Complete UN demarcation of the Shebaa Farms area and propose to Israel, Lebanon and Syria, placing it under temporary UN custody pending final peace agreements between them.
To the government of Israel:
7. Halt hostile operations in Lebanon, including the capture or assassination of militants and civilians, as well as violations of Lebanese waters and air space.
8. Cooperate with UN efforts to address remaining Israeli-Lebanese issues, including a prisoner exchange, provision of digital records of cluster-rocket launching sequences and logbooks with target coordinates, and resolution of the status of Shebaa Farms and Ghajar village.
To the government of Syria:
9. Engage in an open dialogue with Lebanon aimed at clarifying and addressing both sides' legitimate interests, in particular by normalizing bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and exchanging embassies.
10. Cooperate with UN efforts to demarcate the Shebaa Farms area and reach agreement with Lebanon on its final status.
To Hizbullah:
11. End all visible armed presence South of the Litani River and avoid provocative actions vis-a-vis Israel or UNIFIL.
12. Work within the context of the national dialogue on a mutually acceptable process that would lead to the end of its status as an autonomous force, notably through enhancement of the LAF's defense capabilities, reform of the political system and progress toward Arab-Israeli peace.
13. Limit territorial claims to those officially endorsed by the Lebanese government.
To the government of Lebanon:
14. Undertake, in cooperation with international partners, a thorough security reform aimed at re-establishing and defending the state's sovereignty over its territory, emphasizing defensive capabilities and reinforcing the army as an instrument of national defense.
15. Ensure that such security reform is not used to further any international or partisan domestic agenda.
16. Encourage Hizbullah's gradual demilitarization by addressing outstanding Israeli-Lebanese issues (prisoner exchange, violations of Lebanese sovereignty and Shebaa Farms); and reforming and democratizing Lebanon's political system.
17. Tighten controls along its border with Syria, using international technical assistance.
To the Lebanese Armed Forces:
18. Confiscate visible weapons south of the Litani River and seek to prevent arms transfers.
To the EU and its member states:
19. Provide technical and material assistance to Lebanon's security reform process, domestic security organs and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
To Arab states:
20. Support the building and equipping of the LAF.
21. Provide additional financial assistance to assist in reconstruction and reduce government indebtedness.
22. Cast off sectarian bias in dealing with Lebanon, ensuring relations are established with the central government rather than particular communities.
To members of the "Quartet" (US, Russia, UN and EU):
23. Conduct parallel discussions with Israel, Syria and Lebanon to re-launch Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese peace talks, making clear the goal is a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.