Warning: Undefined array key "rbname" in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 14
Hello !
Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Sixteen Years After the End of Syrian Tutelage, Lebanese Politicians Recall the Historical Moment
2021-03-17
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] On the 16th anniversary of the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Leb
...an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozeen flavors of Christians. It is the home of Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
 in the wake of the Cedar Revolution, political parties and groups, who took part in it, no longer agree on anything but its slogans.
The revolution has turned into a popular uprising against all political authorities, including the so-called March 14 forces, especially with the deterioration of the social and economic situation.

In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat, Antoine Haddad, academic and former vice president of the Democratic Renewal Movement, said: "The moment of March 14th is historic and unique, unprecedented in the history of Lebanon. It is only comparable to the October 2019 uprising, in terms of size, diversity, and popular support."

But he noted that the "sectarian parties", which participated 16 years ago in the Cedar revolution, have committed the mistake of neglecting vital issues.

While the March 14 Forces have neglected the people’s demands for reform and fighting corruption, the forces active in the October 17 uprising are today ignoring the "issue of illusory sovereignty", which is mainly represented by the weapons of Hezbollah and the Iranian hegemony over the state, Haddad underlined.

For his part, the head of the Future Movement, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri
...Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too....
, described the March 14 as a "homeland project", saying that Lebanon should not return to sectarian mobilization.

"The martyrdom of [former prime minister] Rafik Hariri and his lover companions created the March 14 movement, an exceptional uprising in the history of Lebanon, which opinion and politicians consolidated with their blood and sacrifices. It opened the doors of exile and prison, lifted tutelage and broke the barriers of sectarian and regional loyalties to restore the values of national unity and coexistence," Hariri said.

While the head of the Lebanese Forces
A Christian political party founded by Bashir Gemayel, who was then bumped off when he was elected president of Leb...
 Party, Samir Geagea
...Geagea was imprisoned by the Syrians and their puppets for 11 years in a dungeon in the third basement level of the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. He was released after the Cedar Revolution in 2005...
, affirmed that the March 14 "continues... until the goal is achieved," the president of the Kataeb Party, resigned MP Sami Gemayel talked about "that essential day in our struggle for illusory sovereignty."

"After 16 years, independence was achieved while accountability was absent and reforms were postponed..." Gemayel stated, adding: "We will not abandon our call for illusory sovereignty and accountability. There is no value for the first without the second, and vice versa."
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Resistance Conference in Beirut Declares Resistance's Victory, U.S. Policy's Defeat in Region
2010-02-11
The first conference of the Arab-International Forum for Support of the Resistance was held January 15-17, 2010 in Beirut. Over 3,000 individuals from the Arab, Islamic, and Western world were in attendance; figuring prominently among them were leaders of the Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi resistance movements, and representatives from Iran and Syria.

The guest list included: Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas Political Bureau head Khaled Mash'al, and Iraqi Scholars Association chairman Sheikh Harith Al-Dhari, who represented the Iraqi resistance. There were also senior officials from Islamic and Arab countries, including Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Mir-Tajeddini, who read a letter from Ahmadinejad; a Syrian Ba'th Party official representing Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad; and numerous Lebanese officials, including a representative of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, a representative of Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'd Al-Hariri, and former Lebanese prime minister Salim Al-Hoss. Also among the participants was International Union of Muslim Scholars head Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, as well as officials and intellectuals from various Western countries. The latter included British MP George Galloway, as well as former U.S. attorney-general Ramsey Clark and American attorney Stanley Cohen, who for years have been active in providing legal defense for accused terrorists.

During the conference, in what was in effect a show of strength by the elements of the pro-Iran camp, participants underlined the right to armed resistance against the Israeli and American occupations, and also the importance of the resistance in thwarting the West's policy vis-à-vis the Middle East and creating a just world order. The official website of the conference explained that the idea to convene it was born of the increase in pressure and in attempts to eliminate the option of resistance to occupation after the resistance "proved its great effectiveness in thwarting the hostile plans in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, and Afghanistan."[1] The conference's concluding statement called for coordination among all the resistance movements, and declared the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq to be a model for ways of "countering the terrorism being implemented by Israel and the U.S."

Iran's and Syria's representatives stood out at the conference; these two countries' support for the resistance was esteemed by the participants. In contrast, moderate countries, particularly Egypt, were the target of attacks. The concluding statement called for these countries to adopt resistance, sever relations with Israel, act to remove this country from the U.N. and from other international organizations, and to prosecute Israeli and American "war criminals."

This conference was held a year after the shift in the balance of power in the Middle East that led to the crumbling of the moderate Arab camp which had been a counterbalance to the pro-Iran camp in the Arab world and had vehemently opposed the resistance organizations. The crucial factor in the weakening of the moderate camp was Saudi King Abdallah's reconciliation with Syria. Saudi Arabia, which reached an agreement with Syria on the establishment of a unity government in Lebanon despite the electoral victory of the March 14 Forces -- a Saudi ally -- paved the way for Syria to return to Lebanon with no guarantee of Hizbullah's changing its policy, and without Syria having to provide anything tangible in exchange.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hariri vows March 14 wonŽt ŽsurrenderŽ Bekaa
2009-04-22
[Beirut Daily Star: Leb] Electoral rhetoric heated up on Monday and over the weekend, with the country's political foes exchanging accusations and criticizing each others' agendas. On Sunday, Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri announced the March 14 Forces ticket for West Bekaa. Meanwhile, Premier Fouad Siniora over the weekend continued his tour of Sidon as Speaker Nabih Berri visited several villages in South Lebanon. As candidates battled it out, President Michel Sleiman prepared to head to Turkey on Tuesday for an official two-day visit.

Hariri announced on Monday the March 14 forces' list in the district of Western Bekaa- Rashaya. During a gathering held in the town of Rashaya, Hariri said the majority would not "surrender the Western Bekaa-Rashaya district to the candidates of foreign tutelage."

"The people of this district will vote on June 7 for state-building and for dignity. They will vote for the dignity of Lebanon, of Beirut and for what was done to Beirut. They will vote for Lebanon and Palestine to say that Palestine is our cause."

The list in the district included Ministers Robert Ghanem and Wael Abu Faour, MP Jamal Jarrah, MP Antoine Saad, Amin Wehbeh and Ziad Qadri.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hizbullah vows 'no operations abroad'
2009-03-31
Hizbullah vowed on Monday that it would deter any possible Israeli aggression but would not carry out any military operation outside the country. "We will not carry out any operation outside our Lebanese territories, but we will not accept after today that the Israeli enemy stages any assault against our land," head of Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohammad Raad said at a funeral in the southern town Sujod.

Hizbullah abducted two Israeli troops in July 2006 from the Israeli side of the border, prompting Israel to launch a devastating 34-day war on Lebanon.

But Raad stressed that "Israel will pay the price for any possible attack on Lebanon, and will receive the proper response."

As for the Western attempts to open dialogue with Hizbullah, Raad said "Hizbullah welcomes this gesture," but "it is a mistake if we assume the United States will abandon Israel for the sake of the Arabs."

"The United States' interest is with Israel, and the US foreign policy will not change," he said.

Britain announced earlier in March that it is willing to open dialogue with the political wing of Hizbullah, while the United States reaffirmed that it still considers the Lebanese party a terrorist organization.

Raad also commented on the parliamentary elections in June, criticizing the attempts of the March 14 Forces to marginalize a large segment of the Lebanese society.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Sfeir urges reflection after voting age lowered
2009-03-23
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir called for "reflecting on the repercussions" of amending the law allowing 18-year-olds the right to vote prior to passing it. During his Sunday sermon at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Bkirki Sfeir said: "The issue of voters' age has become a subject of discussion. One has to contemplate repercussions before ratification." Lebanon's Parliament on Thursday approved a bill lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 but the measure will not come into effect in time for the June parliamentary election. The law needs to be cleared by the Cabinet within four months before being ratified. Lebanon's electoral law was amended last September ahead of the June 7 vote which will pit the March 14 Forces against the opposition. But MPs at the time refused to adopt some amendments including lowering the voting age and introducing a quota for women in Parliament. Also in his Sunday sermon, Sfeir said Pope Benedit XVI's Africa tour reflects the efforts of the Catholic church in assisting the continent's residents combat all sorts of aliments.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Siniora meets MPs to discuss allocation of cabinet posts
2008-06-01
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Fouad Siniora began on Friday consultations with the various parliamentary blocs in a bid to form a new national unity government. Sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri told The Daily Star on Friday that a late afternoon meeting between Berri and parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri was "very positive." The sources added that Berri sees no obstacles facing the formation of the new government.

Siniora kicked off the consultations by meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, deputy Speaker Farid Makkari, Independent MPs Michel Murr and Hussein al-Husseini.

After talks with Siniora, Makkari said that he told the prime minister that the new government must take Lebanon from political confrontation to political dialogue. Makari added that the cabinet must adopt the inaugural speech of President Michel Suleiman and start preparing for next year's parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad told reporters after meeting Siniora that the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc has forwarded its requests regarding the number of ministers and the portfolios it wants in the next government. Raad said the bloc has requested that the opposition get a Sunni minister and a Druze minister at the expense of Hizbullah's Shiite representation in the government. The Hizbullah bloc also discussed with Siniora the prospects of the next ministerial platform. "There were no differences between our vision and Siniora's vision on the issue of the resistance," Raad said.
Hezbollah military threats are working like a charm ...
Media reports on Friday said that the opposition wanted to trade two Shiite ministers for a Sunni and a Druze minister and two draft picks next year. Under such formula, Hizbullah, the Amal Movement, and the Free Patriotic Movement would give their Sunni and Druze allies the chance to take part in the government.
Loyal votes, bought and paid ...
Meanwhile, Berri's Liberation and Development bloc insisted after talks with Siniora that the Interior Ministry portfolio in the new government should go to a neutral figure.
Assuming they can find one in all of Lebanon ...
The next interior minister is likely to be appointed by the president as he is required to remain neutral while conducting next year's legislative elections.

Meanwhile, Murr lashed out at the opponents of his son, Defense Minister Elias Murr, saying that "Elias Murr is our candidate for the government and this is the case for a big portion of the people of Metn." "I want to tell some lawmakers who are against appointing Elias Murr in the new government that they would not have made it to Parliament had it not been for the votes of the supporters of Elias Murr's father," he said, in an indirect criticism of members of MP Michel Aoun's Reform and Change bloc. "It is up to Siniora and to the president to appoint Elias Murr in the ministry that best suits him," Murr added.

Aoun told reporters after meeting Siniora on Friday that his bloc wanted five ministers in the next cabinet, adding that the posts would be distributed among different Christian sects.

Meanwhile, MP Hagop Parkradounian of the Armenian bloc, which is allied with Aoun, told reporters after talks with Siniora that it wants two ministers in the next government. Pakradounian said that former minister Alain Tabourian was one of the bloc's nominees for the next government.

Meanwhile, the different blocs representing the March 14 Forces maintained a low profile regarding their demands in the next government. Hariri only told reporters that the general atmosphere was positive, while Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said he preferred not to make any comment. MP George Adwan, representing the Lebanese Forces bloc, also declined to reveal the number of ministers requested by his bloc. However, the Tripoli bloc, headed by MP Mohammad Safadi, requested that Safadi remain in his post as public works and transportation minister.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Geagea: Freedom in Lebanon is irreversible
2008-03-21
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea warned that the pro-government ruling camp would "if it had to" elect one of two presidential hopefuls -- Boutros Harb or Nassib Lahoud by simple majority. Geagea, in an interview published by the daily An Nahar on Thursday, ruled out presidential elections in Lebanon would take place ahead of an Arab summit scheduled in Damascus March 29-30. "We will discuss the next steps after the summit," Geagea said from New York.

Geagea stressed that the ruling March 14 coalition "should reach a settlement" to the ongoing political crisis and "establish an interim rule."

He denied he will run for presidency if efforts to elect Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman failed. "If the majority (March 14 Forces) had to elect a president by a half-plus-one (of MPs' vote) it will certainly choose one of its two candidates - MP Boutros Harb or former MP Nassib Lahoud," Geagea stressed.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Aoun threatens to raid all government institutions
2007-11-08
Free Patriotic Movement chief Gen. Michel Aoun warned that the Hezbollah-led opposition will raid all government institutions, including the Serail, if the ruling coalition elected a President by a simple majority.

Aoun also warned against "confrontation" in the event that the majority March 14 Forces resorted to electing a new head of state by a half-plus-one vote of the MPs or if the status quo continued. "When a popular action takes place, everything will be raided," Aoun said in an interview with the satellite Al-Jazeera news network.

Aoun accused March 14 of trying to "completely eliminate" the opposition. "We have given up a lot of our demands. What is left for us is to pack our bags and leave the country," Aoun said.

Aoun reiterated that "going back to the people" was the best alternative for deciding on the next president. "Let the people vote for the next president, and not just a few leaders," he insisted.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Majority OKs Berri's initiative to resolve Lebanon crisis
2007-09-14
As promised, the ruling March 14 parliament majority accepted on Thursday a proposal by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to resolve Lebanon's deep political crisis and called for cancellation of reciprocal conditions.

"March 14 Forces urge the opposition … to spare the country the dilemma of reciprocal conditions which hampers the dialogue and does not guarantee avoiding a presidential vacuum," said the statement read at daybreak by MP Saad Hariri. "March 14 welcomes the principles of dialogue and agreement and stresses that dialogue is the Lebanese' only salvation and (the only way) to rebuild trust in their nation, state and institutions," the statement said at the end of a late-night meeting of March 14 leaders at the residence of former President Amin Gemayel in Bikfaya.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon's March 14 is almost set to accept Berri initiative
2007-09-12
The ruling March 14 coalition appeared to be set to accept an initiative launched by Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to resolve the country's deep political crisis. The daily An Nahar on Monday, citing sources close to March 14 Forces, said the pro-government alliance seemed likely to accept Berri's proposal seen as a last-ditch olive branch that could help end the country's months-long political stalemate.

Berri had announced that the Hezbollah-led opposition was willing to drop its demand for a national unity government on condition the country's feuding political parties agreed on a consensus presidential candidate. An Nahar said March 14 apparently tends towards supporting one part of the initiative which calls for "dialogue and discussion" among the pro- and anti-government camps, without having to "abandon the fundamental minimum constitutional rights."

The sources said March 14 has reservations regarding Berri's insistence to elect a new president for Lebanon by a two-third quorum. "What if a consensus presidential candidate had been agreed upon after the (ruling) majority had already relinquished its right to elect a president by a simple majority?" one source asked.
You know that's what's gonna happen...
However, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh stressed that March 14 would make its final decision vis-à-vis Berri's initiative at a meeting to be held before Berri makes TV appearance on Thursday. Hamadeh, a senior leader of the March 14 coalition, described Berri's initiative as a "move on the right track." However, he said the offer remains a "mere move" which should be pursued at all levels.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Aoun may try to form a parallel Lebanon government
2007-09-09
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun hinted at the formation of a parallel government if the country's competing political camps fail to agree on the next president for Lebanon. "The second government will include members of all (the country's) religious sects in line with the proposal of President (Emile) Lahoud," Aoun told Dubai Satellite Channel.

Lahoud has said he would name army commander General Michel Suleiman as his provisional successor if Parliament fails to elect a head of state by Nov. 24. Aoun said the Hezbollah -led opposition was seeking to unify its ranks in a new government, stressing that he will not "abandon Hezbollah for the sake of March 14 Forces."

According to the constitution the head of the government should be a Muslim Sunnite. Since Aoun is a Christian Maronite , any government he may try to form will be considered illegitimate and won't be recognized by the world community and the Arab countries. The only 2 countries that could recognize such an illegitimate government would be Syria and Iran.

Aoun accused the United States of political discrimination. "The blind American support for the Siniora government is obvious … America became a party in the conflict between (government) opponents and followers," Aoun said.

US ambassador to Lebanon Jeffery Feltman said Aoun sounded just like Syrian minister Buthaina Shaaban in his criticism of the United States. Ms. Shaaban is the minister of expatriates and an outspoken critic of the US.

Meanwhile, Maronite Patriarch Boutros Sfeir told LBC television that "we want a president who is at an equal distance from all the political parties," stressing that the new head of state has also go to be "accepted by all." Sfeir's remarks came following talks in the Vatican with Pope Benedict XVI, who was reportedly praying for Lebanon to appoint the next president in line with the constitutional deadline. "The new president has to be a fair and just man, who will be the pride of the nation and not come on the throne to fill his pockets or cause any trouble," Sfeir stressed.

This obviously rules out any chances for Aoun, because he is viewed by political analysts as the most polarizing politician in Lebanon. Aoun's alliance with Hezbollah is considered by most analysts "as the cause of Lebanon's ills add to this his obnoxious character which has gained him many enemies".

The summer war and the occupation of downtown Beirut by Hezbollah and Aoun's FPM has angered many Lebanese and forced the emigration of many who no longer see a future for them in Lebanon.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon Braced for Electoral Showdown After Court Appeal Failed
2007-08-01
Lebanon will face an electoral showdown on August 5 after intense efforts failed to postpone parliamentary by-elections in Metn and Beirut for the two seats vacated by the murders of Pierre Gemayal and Walid Eido failed. Former President Amin Gemayel, who announced he will run in the disputed by-elections to replace his slain son, met for two hours on Wednesday with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.

Gemayel confirmed that the electoral battle in Metn was underway. Sfeir on Tuesday intensified his efforts in a bid to forge a compromise between Gemayel and Gen. Michel Aoun, who announced that he and his allies the Tashnag Party and MP Michel Murr would jointly contest the Metn seat.

MP Ibrahim Kanaan from Aoun's parliamentary bloc met Sfeir on Tuesday at the patriarch's summer mansion in north Lebanon. Sfeir also met March 14 Forces MP Samir Franjieh and former legislators Mansour Ghanem al-Bon and Fares Soueid. "If they want a battle, let it be a battle," Aoun told supporters at Dbayeh. "We are ready."

Gemayel, however, told supporters in Bikfaya that the election showdown in Metn was a "battle aimed at preventing Syrian influence from returning to Lebanon."

The daily An Nahar said Wednesday that an initiative launched from Rabieh calling for the withdrawal of the electoral contestants was turned down by Gemayel.
Link



Warning: Undefined property: stdClass::$T in /data/rantburg.com/www/pgrecentorg.php on line 132
-12 More