Monday, June 9, 2008
Army deployed after Bekaa clashes
Troops have been deployed in the Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, after at least one person was injured in clashes between rival political factions.
Reports say fighting in the villages of Saadnayel and Taalabayeh was sparked by arguments among residents, which escalated into gun battles.
The army says it is looking for those involved in the weekend's violence.
Sporadic fighting has broken out in Lebanon despite May's peace deal which ended the 18-month political stalemate.
The army moved into the Bekaa Valley villages on Monday to quell fighting between pro-and anti-government supporters.
A local radio station reported that mortar rounds and rockets had been used but the army is said to have restored calm in both villages.
The army says it has also carried out raids in the mountain village of Majdelbanna, in the Aley region, and has detained several people suspected of involvement in clashes there over the weekend. (BBC)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Iran's Lebanese 'aircraft carrier'
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria over a possible return of the Golan Heights have major implications for the Lebanese political and militant organisation Hezbollah.
A peace deal with Israel is likely to be conditional on Syria severing its connections with Hezbollah, but it would also remove Syria as the bridge to the group's other state backer, Iran.
In Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut, Alam Shourab, a young manager of a mobile phone shop, is very happy with the movement's dependence on Iran.
Here dozens of buildings and bridges that were bombed by Israel during the summer war in 2006 are are being rapidly and impressively rebuilt mostly with funding from Iran.
"I think this is a good thing," he told me, "Israel is supported by America, so there's nothing wrong with Hezbollah being supported by Iran."
The support is considerable. At the Carnegie Endowment independent think tank in Beirut, Paul Salem put it in a nutshell: "Hezbollah was set up, established, trained, armed, financed... wholly by Iran."
He says Hezbollah has about 50,000 salaried employees and "a large modern army" - most of whom are paid with money from Tehran. (BBC)
Labels: Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Syria
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Remains 'were from five Israelis'
Israel's military says human remains handed over by Hezbollah were of five Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 war with the Lebanese Shia movement.
Military sources said four had died when their helicopter was shot down two days before the conflict ended.
The fifth was killed by an anti-tank missile in a separate incident.
The remains were delivered on Sunday after Israel released a Lebanese-born man who had served six years in prison for spying for Hezbollah.
Correspondents say the exchange raised speculation that there had been progress in indirect talks between Israel and Hezbollah over a broader prisoner swap.
This could involve two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah in 2006 - an incident which prompted the 33-day war - and a number of Lebanese citizens held by Israel. (BBC)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Israel deports freed Hezbollah spy to Lebanon
Israel freed and then deported to Lebanon on Sunday a convicted Hezbollah spy while the Shiite militant group handed over the remains of Israeli soldiers, sparking talk of a wider exchange.
Lebanese-born Nessim Nisr was released after more than six years in prison on charges of collaborating with Hezbollah. He was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross at Rosh Hanikra crossing point on Israel's border with Lebanon.
Simultaneously Hezbollah handed over to the ICRC on the Lebanese side what it said were the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in the summer 2006 war.
A senior Israeli official confirmed that the army had received a coffin but said tests had to be carried out on the contents to confirm whether the remains were those of Israeli soldiers.
"A coffin apparently containing body parts of soldiers killed during the Second Lebanon War has been transferred by Hezbollah to the IDF (Israeli army) as a gesture for the ongoing negotiations on a prisoner exchange," the official said.
"The coffin will be examined and the body parts will be examined to determine whether they indeed belong to Israeli soldiers."
Israel and Hezbollah have been involved in indirect negotiations aimed at securing the release of two Israeli soldiers captured in July 2006 in a deadly cross-border raid that sparked the 34-day war that summer.
Germany is acting as mediator in negotiations between Hezbollah and Israel on a prisoner exchange. (AFP)
Labels: Germany, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Nasrallah earns rebuke from Iraqi president - but praise from Iranian speaker
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called on Hizbullah's secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday not to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs. "Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah does not have the right to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs, as we have not interfered in Lebanon's affairs," Talabani said after a large-scale meeting with heads of Iraqi dailies and newspapers.
"Iraq is an independent country and is the cradle of civilization. All those preaching Jihad and patriotism have learned from us," he added.
"[The Shiite holy city of] Najaf has graduated militants and Shiite clerics, and it is not acceptable that students impose their opinions on their teachers," Talabani said, referring to the Hizbullah leader's speech on May 25 in which he tackled the issue of the resistance in Iraq.
Nasrallah said in a speech to mark Liberation Day on Monday that the resistance in Lebanon has served as an example to other resistance movements in the Arab world.
"There is a strategy for liberation and removing the occupation, and a strategy of defending the homeland and people in the face of aggression, threats and invasion ... This is our message today to Lebanon and the Arab and Islamic worlds; it's a joint message by the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq to the whole nation," he added. (Daily Star)
Labels: Hezbollah, Iraq, Lebanon
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Lebanon daily: Israel waived demand for details on missing airman Ron Arad
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on Tuesday that Israel conceded its demand to receive substantive information about missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad in exchange for the release of Samir Kuntar.
According to the report, Hezbollah notified a German United Nations mediator that it is not willing to accept Israel's demand to release only Lebanse prisoners, and stressed that there will be no swap without Kuntar's release.
The newspaper also mentioned that Hezbollah showed it made multiple efforts to search for Arad.
Contrary to reports in Israel, Hezbollah's "inside sources" claimed that the organization rejects Israel's demand that only Lebanese prisoners, and no Palestinians, be freed in the deal.
Israeli sources on Monday said that Israel and Hezbollah had struck a deal securing the release of two Israeli soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, captured by the Lebanon-based militant group in a July 2006 cross border raid that sparked the Second Lebanon War. (Haaretz)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon
J'lem sources say Israel and Hezbollah strike prisoner swap deal
Israeli sources said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had struck a deal securing the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by the Lebanon-based militant group in a July 2006 cross border raid that sparked the Second Lebanon War.
The sources explained that in exchange for the captives, Israel would release Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese militant currently imprisoned in Israel for the 1979 murder of a Nahariyah family, an Israeli citizen jailed for espionage on Hezbollah's behalf and four other Hezbollah men captured by Israel during the 2006 war. The deal reportedly will also include the return of the remains of ten Lebanese, currently held by Israel, to Hezbollah.
Earlier Monday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah hinted that a prisoner swap would soon be completed, telling supporters in Beirut that Kuntar would soon be freed.
The sources refrained from commenting on whether the Israeli captives, Ehud Golwasser and Eldad Regev, were alive. However, a medical report encompassing evidence from the site of the kidnapping near Israel's northern border maintained that at both Israel Defense Forces soldiers were seriously hurt at the scene.
The sources added that the fact that the deal did not include any Palestinian prisoners held in Israel may be indicative of the Israeli captives' condition.
The timetable for the exchange of prisoners is not yet clear. (Haaretz)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon
Hezbollah 'to back Iraq resistance'
Hassan Nasrallah, 'the secretary-general of Hezbollah, has said that his organisation "is siding with the resistance in Iraq" in a speech to hundreds of thousands of supporters in Beirut, the Lebanese capital.
"The Iraqis, Shia and Sunni, who took part in the political process wanted to give it a chance," he said in his address on Monday.
"But now that the real American goal in Iraq has been exposed the Iraqi government is put to a test."
It is the first time Nasrallah has issued a challenge to the Iraqi government to take a stand against the US military presence in Iraq.
"The Americans allowed the elections and the formation of parliament and a government so that they get an Iraqi legitimisation of the occupation," he said, referring to a reported Iraqi-American agreement that would allow the US to have a permanent presence in Iraq.
The speech by Nasrallah, aired over a video link to supporters, was part of celebrations to mark eight years since Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon. (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Iraq, Mehdi Army
Hezbollah has warning for Lebanon's new government
Lebanon's new president got a red carpet welcome Monday, but was quickly thrust into the political thicket as Hezbollah's leader warned against any efforts to disarm his Iranian-backed guerrilla group.
Sheik Hassan Nasrallah delivered his stern message after military bands and an honor guard saluted President Michel Suleiman on his first day on the job.
Suleiman, the former army commander, was a consensus candidate agreed on by both Hezbollah and its pro-Western political foes, but he drew pointed comments from Nasrallah after saying in his inauguration speech Sunday that there should be a dialogue over Hezbollah's arsenal.
The Shiite militant group has rejected demands it disarm, insisting its weapons are needed to protect Lebanon from Israel.
Nasrallah's speech was his first since Hezbollah fighters seized several areas of Muslim west Beirut in several days of fighting this month, forcing the Western-backed Cabinet to agree to a political deal designed to give Hezbollah and its allies a veto over government policies.
The Hezbollah leader pledged to comply with a provision of the Arab League-brokered agreement that forbids the use of arms to achieve political gains. But he warned that the government shouldn't try to use the military against Hezbollah and its allies. (AP)
Hezbollah head urges co-existence
Hezbollah is not seeking to control Lebanon or impose its views on other political forces, the group's leader has told a large crowd in Beirut.
Hassan Nasrallah addressed thousands of supporters via video link to mark the Israeli pullout from Lebanon in 2000.
"Lebanon is a pluralistic country. The existence of this country only comes about through co-existence," he said.
He said Hezbollah would not use its arms to attain its goals. Lebanon saw fierce factional violence recently.
It was the first speech by Mr Nasrallah since Hezbollah gunmen seized several parts of Beirut, forcing the government to agree to a deal that has strengthened the Shia Muslim group's political role in Lebanon.
"I reaffirm the Doha agreement clause that prevents the use of arms to attain political goals," said Mr Nasrallah, whose Syrian- and Iranian-backed group has Lebanon's most powerful military force. (BBC)
---------------
DOHA AGREEMENT
Western-backed ruling majority to get 16 cabinet seats and choose prime minister
Syrian-backed opposition to get 11 cabinet seats and veto power
Three cabinet seats to be nominated by president
The use of weapons in internal conflicts is to be banned
Opposition protest camps in central Beirut are to be removed
New law to divide country into smaller electoral districts
Monday, May 26, 2008
Nasrallah: Israel prisoner swap to yield results soon
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted Monday that a prisoner swap with Israel would be completed in the near future, telling supporters in Beirut that a Lebanese terrorist jailed in Israel for murdering members of a Nahariya family in 1979 would soon be freed.
"Samir Kuntar and his brothers will soon be among you," Nasrallah told thousands of supporters, who gathered to watch his speech on a screen in the Lebanese capital. The Hezbollah leader rarely appears in public, fearing Israeli assassination.
"Releasing the prisoners is our duty and it is our holy mission," Nasrallah said without providing any further details.
Hezbollah is holding two Israel Defense Forces soldiers kidnapped in July 2006 in a cross-border attack, which sparked a 34-day conflict between the two sides. The group has refused to allow Red Cross access to Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, or even say whether the captives are alive or dead.
"The family has been informed of some positive developments within
the next 30 days regarding my brother as well as all the other
prisoners held in Israel," Bassam Kuntar, Samir's brother, told the German news agency DPA on Monday. (Haaretz)
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Brief Roundup of Reactions to Golan Heights Return
Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says Israel should return the Golan Heights unconditionally to the Syrians. (VOA) This is likely in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Livini's demands that Syria cut off ties with Iran and militant groups, which Syria reportedly rejected.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad on the other hand, expressed his displeasure that Syria was conducting any sort of talks with Israel.
Talks are being mediated through Turkey, though according to an official Turkish radio station, Israel has expressed the desire to hold direct talks with Damascus, while the latter has been hesitant to take that step. (JPost)
Apparently in response to these "shock" revelations (regardless of their being confirmed for weeks, the Syrian Defense Minister is visiting Iran to "follow up on joint defense agreements, ways to boost defense ties and (talks) on the latest regional and international developments."
Domestically, Iran is being accused of issuing a media black out, by asking newspapers and web sites to "ignore" coverage of talks between the two countries. (Haaretz)
Israel
In Israel, Netenyahu has issued a statement saying the Knesset and the majority of Israeli citizens would reject Olmert signing any release of the Golan Heights from Israeli control. (JPost)
Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit on Sunday suggested the disputed region could be leased from Syria for 25 years as part of a future peace deal. Arguing that the move would allow for a gradual removal of Jewish settlers living in the area. Former army chief Dan Halutz offered a different outlook, arguing that Israel did not need the Golan Heights for defensive purposes. Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, defended the negotiations. (AFP)
Syria
Haaretz writers argue that the Syrian regime is split into two camps, 'moderates', that support closer ties with the US, and 'hawks' who 'attribute supreme importance to ties with Iran,' thanks in prime, to Iran's strategic interests in Lebanon, being tied closely to Syria's. (Haaretz)
Militant Groups
There is some indication that Hamas and Islamic Jihad may be considering moving their offices from Damascus to Tehran, in the event that the talks reach more advanced levels. After the targeted assassination of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyah on Syrian soil, and with allegations of Saudi Arabian or Syrian involvement, militant groups may be viewing their offices in Syria, as increasingly under security risk.
We thought we would try something new today and conduct a round up of news and summaries, rather then directly posting six articles of reactions to the same topic. Comments, Complaints, or Suggestions? Email us or comment directly.
Labels: Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Syria
Hezbollah's army survives under Lebanon peace deal
Hezbollah fighters have pulled back since seizing parts of Lebanon's capital, but their brazen display has made one thing clear: A private army blamed for terrorist attacks on Western interests and dedicated to the destruction of Israel will be a fixture in this weakened country for a long time.
Lebanon is an ideal incubator for Hezbollah's military clout, just as Afghanistan served al-Qaida. Lebanon's U.S.-funded military doesn't interfere with the thousands of rockets and missiles that militants are believed to have hidden in basements and bunkers throughout Shiite Muslim areas of the tiny country.
Hezbollah's refusal to discuss disarmament at talks with Lebanese factions in Qatar last week means it has formidable firepower to unleash at will. This could have wider implications, given Hezbollah's summer war with Israel two years ago, though some Lebanese suspect Hezbollah's main objectives include local power grabs and settling ethnic scores.
"Hezbollah's mask has dropped," said Ayman Kharma, a Sunni Muslim cleric whose fourth-floor apartment in the northern city of Tripoli was blasted during fighting this month with a militia allied to Hezbollah. "We were in favor of Hezbollah when it was fighting Israel. Now we see it from the inside." (AP)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
History in the making for Hezbollah
British statesman Sir Winston Churchill once said, "History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." On another occasion, he said, "Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed."
These two quotes came to my mind, as I imagined Hasan Nasrallah, the secretary general of Hezbollah, seated somewhere in Beirut, watching his allies and opponents hammer out a deal in Doha - to his favor - on Wednesday.
He must have been a very happy man because all of the Doha resolutions were almost tailor-made to Nasrallah's liking. Nasrallah finally got what he had been asking for, mainly a greater say for the opposition in the Lebanese government, and the ability to veto any resolution that runs against the interests of Hezbollah.
True, no early parliamentary elections are going to happen (as Hezbollah had requested) to oust the parliamentary majority of Saad al-Hariri, but the entire issue of Hezbollah and its arms was glossed over at the Doha meeting.
A fighter who often said that he seeks martyrdom in his war with Israel, Nasrallah, like Churchill, would certainly prefer that it be postponed. He needs time to enjoy the fruits of victory taken by Hezbollah in Qatar. He might be idolized by millions of Arabs, seen as a war hero and a charismatic, honest and inspiring leader. He might be hated beyond imagination by his opponents, seen as a terrorist and an Iranian stooge. But setting emotions aside - they don't really count in politics - the man has in every sense of the word proven his intention, and succeeded, in writing history; his way. (Asia Times)
U.S. on the Outside in Peace Efforts
Just days after President Bush returned from the Middle East, the Middle East is moving beyond the Bush administration.
Two major peace efforts -- a surprise announcement of indirect talks between Israel and Syria brokered by Turkey and an eleventh-hour deal to prevent a new Lebanese war brokered by Qatar -- were launched without an American role, and both counter U.S. strategy in the region.
For years, the Bush administration has resisted overtures from Jerusalem and Damascus to participate in revived peace efforts over the Golan Heights. The administration balked at including Syria in the Annapolis conference on Middle East peace last year, relenting only under pressure from allies, according to Western officials.
At his Senate confirmation hearing on May 1, James B. Cunningham, the ambassador-designate to Israel, said expanding peace talks to include Syria would be difficult. "We have taken the position that it is not very useful right now for us to be talking to Syria," he said. As a result, over the past year Turkey has taken the initiative to launch shuttle diplomacy, a role once reserved for U.S. secretaries of state. (Washington Post)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, U.S.
Reactions to Doha agreement
The barricades are being dismantled and so are the opposition protest camps.
Under the leadership of Qatar, the Arab League has brokered an end to Lebanon's 18-month political crisis.
Feuding factions have agreed to stop fighting and elect a unity government and new president.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al Thani, Qatar's prime minister, said: "With God's help and thanks to the co-operation of the Lebanese representatives and efforts of the Arab League seceretary-general, we have been able to reach an agreement based on consensus between all the Lebanese brothers."
Amr Moussa, the Arab League general-secretary, said it was a deal based on the principle of "no victor, no vanquished".
While all rival Lebanese parties agreed it was necessary to reach a deal to build co-existence and unity, some in the March 14 pro-government camp made clear they were not happy.
Amin Gemayel, a pro-government Christian leader, said: "This agreement is not perfect.
"We had to make a lot of sacrifices. But the most important thing now is to reconcile the country ... To make all the parties work together." (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Lebanese Political Factions Reach Agreement
Lebanon's rival factions agreed Wednesday to end the country's political crisis in a deal that enhances the standing of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah and paves the way for filling the vacant presidency.
After 18 months of deadlock and a recent round of street fighting that left more than 60 dead, the country's U.S.-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition came to terms after five days of negotiations in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar.
The crisis took on regional importance as a proxy for broader issues -- the struggle for influence between the United States and Iran, the growing Sunni-Shiite sectarian divide in the Middle East, and the durability of Hezbollah despite long-standing U.S. efforts to marginalize it.
The United States' top diplomat for the region, David Welch, nevertheless welcomed the agreement as "a necessary and positive step" that will let the country's political process move forward, the Associated Press reported. (Washington Post)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Deadline extended in Lebanon talks
Arab mediators have extended a deadline for rival Lebanese leaders to agree on one of two proposals put forward to end the political crisis, amid talks in Qatar.
Lebanese leaders are yet to respond to the proposals and one side had asked for more time, Ahmad Abdullah al-Mahmood, Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told reporters.
"The committee approved [that request] giving until tomorrow [Wednesday]," he said without disclosing details of the proposals.
The talks earlier suffered a set-back after the opposition rejected a Qatari proposal to postpone discussion on a proposed electoral law and the election of a president.
The opposition refused to delay discussions on the electoral law, suggesting that talks continue in Beirut.
If the electoral law is worked out, it would help clear the way for a new president to be elected in parliament.
The two sides have agreed on General Michel Suleiman as a consensus candidate to succeed Emile Lahoud, the former pro-Syrian president, who stood down at the end of his term of office in November. (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Monday, May 19, 2008
Lebanon talks hit snag over power-sharing plan
Talks to end Lebanon's political crisis suffered a setback on Monday after the Hezbollah-led opposition appeared to ignore proposals by Qatari mediators aimed at pulling the country back from the brink of civil war.
The Arab League intervened last week to end Lebanon's worst domestic fighting since the 1975-1990 civil war and pave the way for the Doha talks between the U.S.-backed ruling coalition and the opposition to end an 18-month-old crisis.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani made proposals on Sunday on power-sharing in a new government and the rivals had been expected to hammer out a compromise over a new election law on Monday.
Agreement on these points would pave the way for parliament to elect army commander General Michel Suleiman as president, a post that has been vacant since November.
But a statement issued by opposition leaders after a meeting on Monday was short on detail and restated existing demands, disappointing the ruling camp and casting a pall over talks. (Reuters)
Labels: Arab Leauge, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Israel to Hezbollah: Forget Palestinian prisoners in swap for IDF soldiers
Israel will not release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for two soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah, it recently informed the Lebanese organization. And if Hezbollah continues to insist that Palestinians be included in the deal, Israel may break off the negotiations, a senior official familiar with the talks told Haaretz.
In that case, the official said, Israel would have to evaluate whatever intelligence it has about the two soldiers and decide whether it justifies declaring them dead.
Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were kidnapped by Hezbollah in a cross-border raid on July 12, 2006. Their abduction ignited the Second Lebanon War. Since the war, Israel and Hezbollah have been conducting indirect negotiations on a prisoner swap via a German mediator, Gerhard Konrad. Ofer Dekel, who Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appointed to conduct the talks for Israel, frequently meets with Konrad in Europe.
Israel recently asked Konrad to give Hezbollah what it termed its "final offer": In exchange for the two soldiers, or their bodies if they are dead, Israel will release Lebanese prisoners. Israel would also return the bodies of Hezbollah members buried in Israel, but would not release any Palestinians.
"From Israel's perspective, we have reached the outermost limits of the negotiations," the senior official said. "The ball is now in Hezbollah's court, and it must make a decision." (Haaretz)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Palestine
LEBANON: All Roads Do Not Lead to Beirut
In the wake of the deadly conflict that has left Lebanon with at least 65 dead and 200 injured, the roads in and out of the Land of the Cedars have proved a difficult journey for most. As the rubble was being cleared by large trucks -- after an Arab delegation was able to negotiate a breakthrough among feuding politicians – some Lebanese are asking how long the roads will remain clear.
Usually bustling with traffic, Lebanon's roads connecting the country to the outside world came to a full stop May 7. A protest against the high cost of living ignited a bloodbath on the streets of Beirut, which spread to the mountains, the eastern Bekaa valley and the northern city of Tripoli.
Pro-Syrian and Iranian opposition gunmen -- comprised of the Shia Hezbollah and Amal movements as well as the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), a Lebanese organisation affiliated ideologically to the Damascus regime -- fought governing majority groups, the Sunni Future Movement and the Druze Progressive Socialist Party (PSP).
The conflict erupted after the government said it would investigate the expanding independent Hezbollah telephone network and reassign airport security chief Wafiq Shoucair over his alleged links to Hezbollah.
Air traffic came to a complete halt after opposition members closed the roads leading to the Rafik Hariri International Airport, Lebanon's only gateway for air passage. Jihad al-Bina, Hezbollah's reconstruction arm, poured piles of sand and rubble on the highway and set old tires ablaze, blackening the tarmac. (IPS)
HRW urges Lebanon to probe rights abuses during clashes
Ongoing political talks being held by Lebanese leaders in Qatar need to address violations of humanitarian law that occurred during recent clashes between pro-government and opposition gunmen, according to a Sunday press release by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
In the statement, HRW said it documented several human rights abuses committed by both opposition and pro-government fighters, and urged the political leadership in Lebanon to "support impartial judicial investigations and not try to shield their supporters."
In addition to reports of maltreatment of captured fighters, a preliminary probe conducted by the human rights group indicated that at least 12 of those killed during the clashes had nothing to do with the fighting.
"Armed gunmen have acted as if they are above the law in Lebanon for far too long," said HRW deputy Middle East director Joe Stork. "The Lebanese government should bring to justice all those who killed civilians, or who executed fighters in their custody."
Opposition fighter violations included the use of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) in "densely populated areas of Beirut," including two reported instances where gunmen, using automatic weapons and RPGs, shot at civilians attempting to flee the conflict in Ras al-Nabaa. (Daily Star)
Labels: Hezbollah, Human Rights Watch, Lebanon
Lebanese Sunnis bitter after Hezbollah triumph
Sunni Muslims are bitter and fearful after Shiite Hezbollah's triumph in Beirut, watching their backs on the streets and some even moving to safer spots.
It is an ominous sign of how Lebanon's latest political crisis has sharply worsened sectarian tensions in a country still traumatized by its 1975-1990 civil war.
"They entered and they carried out the plan. But who did they liberate Beirut from?" Mohammed Zaghloul, a 41-year-old Sunni, asked bitterly of Hezbollah, as he sat on a street corner in the Tarik Jadideh neighborhood, once controlled by Sunni groups.
The rise in sectarian feeling could be highly damaging to Lebanon's future and have implications across the wider Middle East, already struggling with Shiite-Sunni tensions sparked by the Iraq war and Iran's rising influence.
Until the recent fighting, Lebanon's long crisis had been largely political, as all sides worked to keep the country's ever-present sectarian issues from surfacing. But last week's fighting roiled up sectarian anger. Unchecked, the tensions could stoke another full-fledged civil war. (AP)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
327 put signatures to joint statement blaming Hizbullah for country's strife
A group of 327 intellectual, political and media figures as well as social activists released an appeal on Sunday calling for "Peaceful Civil Resistance" to defend "the Lebanese nation and entity." "What is happening can now be clearly defined as a gruesome attempt to a coup d'etat not only targeting the nation's existence but also the Lebanese entity," the appeal said.
"Hizbullah has declared a confessional war to accomplish the party's project of seizing full authority and join Lebanon to the Gaza-Damascus-Tehran axis by destroying the Lebanese society," it added.
According to the signatories, the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to protect the country and its citizens from militias backed by the Syrian intelligence and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards "have been paralyzed."
"The LAF has also been forced to accept Hizbullah's conditions, at the expense of the Lebanese people, to protect the national institution's unity," the appeal said.
It added that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, designated to ensure the execution of UN Security Council resolution 1701, was "turned into Hizbullah's hostages."
"In order to protect its peacekeepers, the international community pressured the government into accepting Hizbullah's conditions," the appeal said. (Daily Star)
Lebanese leaders make some progress at Qatar talks
Rival Lebanese leaders made progress on issues at the heart of their political crisis on Sunday but Qatari-mediated talks face major hurdles to a deal to pull Lebanon back from the brink of a new civil war.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani met with members of the U.S.-backed ruling coalition and Hezbollah-led opposition to try to end a crisis that has paralyzed the government and left Lebanon with no president.
But delegates said Sheikh Hamad had yet to win final approval on one of the prickliest issues on the agenda -- the shape of a new government -- after making several proposals including one to split seats three ways equally among rivals.
A six-member committee created on Saturday to lay the framework for a new election law has made progress and was now working out the details of how to divide Beirut electorally. (Reuters)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Lebanon talks open in Doha
Talks aimed at ending Lebanon's protracted political crisis have opened in Qatar.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, opened Friday's meeting in Doha, which follows a deal brokered by the Arab League on Thursday to end the worst fighting among Lebanese since the 1975-90 civil war.
Fouad Siniora, Lebanon's prime minister, and Saad al-Hariri, who leads the majority bloc in parliament, are among those from the government who are attending the talks.
Nabih Berri, the assembly speaker, and Mohammed Raad, a Hezbollah MP, are among the opposition delegates.
The talks got under way at the Sheraton hotel in Doha.
Addressing Lebanese leaders at the opening session, Al-Thani said: "Dear brothers, I am delighted to welcome you here in Doha ... representatives of all the Lebanese forces or envoys of Arab countries or organisations which are concerned about what is going on in Lebanon [and] all [who] want to protect its future by maintaining its unity."
"I hope that you reach an agreement to avert dangerous consequences [in] hard times that threaten a country which we are all demanded to maintain and protect." (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Qatar
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Arab mediators broker Lebanon deal: sources
Arab League mediators brokered a deal on Thursday to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the civil war, political sources said, after the U.S.-supported government backed down in its conflict with Hezbollah.
The sources said the head of an Arab League delegation, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, would announce the deal at a news conference in Beirut shortly.
Sheikh Hamad will invite the government and Hezbollah-led opposition to Qatar for talks to resolve a broader political conflict which has paralyzed Lebanon for 18 months, the sources said.
The deal, brokered after two days of talks, includes the lifting of a Hezbollah-led blockade on Beirut's sea and air ports, the end of an armed presence in the streets and a pledge not to use weapons to settle political differences, they said.
Lebanon's Middle East Airlines said it expected the first commercial flight for a week to arrive at Beirut airport on Thursday night. (Reuters)
Labels: Arab Leauge, Hezbollah, Lebanon
Bush Denounces Mideast Extremists
President Bush invoked the specter of the Holocaust to warn Israeli lawmakers on Thursday afternoon that they must take seriously the incendiary language of extremist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as he celebrated the state's 60th anniversary by sketching out a more hopeful future of peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs.
On the second day of his Middle East trip, Bush toured the historic Dead Sea fortress Masada before returning here for an address to Israel's Knesset that, halfway through his final year in office, served as a broad and emotional restatement of support for Israel.
Citing Hamas' call for the "elimination" of Israel, Hezbollah followers' chants of "Death to Israel, Death to America" and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's vow to wipe the Jewish state off the map, Bush said such language can't be dismissed as mere propaganda.
"There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain away their words. It is natural," Bush said. "But it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century." (Washington Post)
Labels: Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, U.S.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Arab mediators hold Lebanon talks
An Arab League delegation is mediating between opposing factions in Lebanon which have brought the country close to civil war.
Delegation members opened talks in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, on Wednesday to try to defuse tensions between Lebanon's US-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition.
"The Arab League mission opens a window for a solution," a senior Lebanese political source said.
Lebanon's Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is close to the opposition, called the mission the "last chance for compromise or chaos".
Hezbollah and its allies last week routed government supporters and briefly seized control of large parts of Beirut, before handing them over to the army.
The Lebanese army continued to patrol throughout the country on Wednesday with orders to use force to restore security if necessary, security officials said.
Rula Amin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Beirut, reported earlier that opposition bulldozers had partially opened the road to the airport to allow the delegation through. (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Arab Leauge, Hezbollah, Lebanon
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Top Lebanese politician Hariri says won't surrender to Hezbollah
A senior pro-government political leader in Lebanon, Saad al-Hariri, said on Tuesday his majority coalition would not surrender to Hezbollah, whose fighters have routed supporters of the Sunni-led government in Beirut.
"They simply are demanding that we surrender, they want Beirut to raise white flags... This is impossible," Hariri told a news conference.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army expanded its troop deployment to several tense areas around the country Tuesday, hours after it said soldiers will use force if needed to impose order after almost a week of clashes between the Western-backed government and Hezbollah-led opposition.
Also Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said that Iran's support for Hezbollah's coup in Lebanon will affect Tehran's relations with Arab and Islamic countries.
The rising sectarian tension in Lebanon between Shi'ite supporters of the opposition and Sunni backers of the government has left the army as the only neutral player to help end the current crisis. (Haaretz)
In Lebanon, a Call for U.S. Action
Politicians in Lebanon's Western-backed governing coalition criticized the United States on Monday for not doing enough to counter the opposition Hezbollah movement's recent takeover of West Beirut.
At the same time, President Bush, who will visit the Middle East this week, vowed continued support for the Lebanese government and its military, which announced that it would take a greater role in containing violence.
Christian, Sunni and Druze politicians -- members of a coalition known as March 14 -- said U.S. statements on the crisis have been too weak and called for more pressure on Hezbollah and its Syrian backers. The politicians said they felt abandoned by the United States.
The coalition members also want the United States to take the initiative in broadening a U.N. resolution that would place Beirut's airport and harbor in the hands of international peacekeeping troops.
"We need the U.S., but we are hearing nothing substantial from them," said Nayla Mouawad, a cabinet minister and leading member of the March 14 coalition.
Hezbollah is ideologically inspired by Iran, which backs the organization financially and militarily. "Iran is turning Lebanon into a Mediterranean forward post," Mouawad said.
Bush, in a statement Monday, promised continued U.S. support for Lebanese President Fouad Siniora and Lebanon's military. "The international community will not allow the Iranian and Syrian regimes, via their proxies, to return Lebanon to foreign domination and control," Bush said. (Washington Post)
Labels: Hezbollah, Lebanon, U.S.
A deadly miscalculation in Lebanon
The Lebanese government made a fatal underestimation of how far leaders of the Shi'ite group Hezbollah would go to preserve what they believe are their rights, such as an intelligence network and the freedom to carry weapons.
The result is at least 81 people dead in clashes across the country since violence erupted on May 6; a political and military victory for Hezbollah and Iran and a stinging setback for the government and Saudi Arabia.
The crises was sparked last week in Beirut when the government of Prime Minister Fouad al-Siniora ordered the communication and surveillance network at Runway 17 of Beirut Airport be dismantled, claiming it was "illegal and unconstitutional".
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on May 6 that lasted until 4 am, lobbied for by Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh. The network is one of the primary espionage tools used by Hezbollah in its war against Israel, keeping tabs on comings and goings at Beirut Airport.
Adding insult to injury, the Lebanese government dismissed Wafiq Shuqayr, the Shi'ite security commander of the airport, for planting the system in accordance with Hezbollah's wishes, supposedly behind the back of Siniora.
Hezbollah cried foul, claiming the network had been in place for years, adding that dismantling it was a red line because otherwise Beirut Airport would be "transformed into a base for the the CIA, the FBI and Mossad, referring to American and Israeli intelligence. (Asia Times)
Hezbollah's shots ring in Bush's ears
While this week's trip by President George W Bush to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt was never conceived as a triumphant "victory lap" around the region, the swift rout of United States - and Saudi Arabia-backed forces by Lebanon's Hezbollah has provided yet another vivid illustration of the rapid decline in Washington's influence in the Middle East during his tenure.
The events in Lebanon will no doubt cast a long shadow over Bush's tour, which was due to begin Tuesday. After all, only three years ago he hailed the "Cedar Revolution" there as vindication of the kind of democratic transformation of the region that he insisted the invasion of Iraq was designed to launch.
Three years and a brief war between Israel and Hezbollah later, the Iranian- and Syrian-backed group appears more powerful and entrenched than ever, just as its Sunni Islamist ally in the Palestinian Territories, Hamas, remains solidly in control of Gaza and grows in popularity in the West Bank, in major part due to the apparent lack of progress in peace talks - formally initiated by Bush at Annapolis in the US last November - between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government. (Asia Times)
Labels: Hezbollah, Iran, Lebanon, U.S.
US victims of attacks in Israel sue Swiss bank
American victims of bombings and rocket attacks in Israel have sued Swiss bank UBS AG for more than $500 million, accusing the bank of helping fund the militants behind the attacks through dealings with Iran.
The lawsuit seeks damages from Switzerland's largest bank for more than 50 U.S. citizens hurt or relatives of those killed in bombings in Israel between 1997 and 2006 that it said were carried out by militant groups Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
UBS AG broke several 1996 U.S. laws that prohibit persons and companies from engaging with state sponsors of terrorism and were designed to impede Iran's access to foreign capital, the suit said.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday in federal court in New York, cited U.S. government reports that conclude Iran has been the main sponsor of Hezbollah and Hamas since 1996, including providing tens of millions of cash annually. The U.S. government considers Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations.
"UBS knew full well that the cash dollars it was providing to a state-sponsor of terrorism such as Iran would be used to cause and facilitate terrorist attacks by Iranian-sponsored terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah and PIJ," the lawsuit said.
UBS spokeswoman Rohini Pragasam declined to comment on the suit. (Reuters)
Labels: Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel, Switzerland, U.S.
ANALYSIS / In Lebanon, the new reality has taken over
"The army should enter the governmental palace and remove [Lebanese Prime Minister] Fouad Siniora," Wiam Wahab, a Druze member of parliament allied with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, declared on Monday.
"This demand is Hezbollah's immediate goal, and it will not retreat from it," agreed an associate of Christian General Michel Aoun, another Nasrallah ally, in a conversation with Haaretz. "This government's days are numbered. One can imagine 1,000 proposals for resolving the crisis, with involvement by the Arab League, religious scholars or anyone who wants to deal with this crisis, but Siniora's removal, the establishment of a national unity government in which the opposition has a veto, and amending the election law are our [Aoun's] and Hezbollah's minimum demands."
A few hours later, Aoun reiterated these demands publicly.
The Christian general's announcement came in response to a statement by former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel, head of a rival Christian party that belongs to the governing coalition: "Hezbollah must promise that it will never again aim its weapons inside Lebanon."
To Gemayel, that is a precondition for any political dialogue. But it also represents a retreat from the government's support for UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which demanded Hezbollah's disarmament. This retreat was also evident in the fact that several government spokesmen called for reaching understandings with Nasrallah on Monday, while Nasrallah himself remained silent. (Haaretz)
Monday, May 12, 2008
Hezbollah's street fight just a first step
At least 38 people were killed and 30 injured in the recent gun battles pitting opposition Shi'ite Amal and Hezbollah fighters against members of the Sunni Future Movement, which is part of the majority March 14 alliance in government. As the opposition's militia clamped down on government headquarters, the balance of power seems to have been shifted permanently in the Land of the Cedars.
Since the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 - allegedly at the hands of the Syrians - and the subsequent resignation of Shi'ite ministers from government, conflict between the opposition and majority factions has been brewing. The government comprises the Sunni Future Movement (headed by Saad Hariri, son of slain premier Hariri), the Druze Progressive
Socialist Party (PSP), the Christian Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb party.
For the past three years, the Syrian- and Iranian-backed opposition has been battling the Western-backed majority, originally over the internationalization of the tribunal for the prosecution of Hariri's killers. (Asia Times)
Lebanon tense as Arab League tries to end crisis
Lebanon was on a knife-edge on Monday after days of deadly sectarian battles that have driven the nation to the brink of civil war, as Arab ministers prepared to send in a team to try to end the crisis.
While Beirut was calm, Lebanese troops moved into the Druze mountains southeast of the capital after supporters of the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition engaged in heavy fighting on Sunday.
Many people have fled the region, where homes were hit by rockets, shop windows broken and cars set ablaze in the weekend firefights.
"Even the Israelis didn't do this to us," said one elderly Druze woman in the town of Shwayfat. "They (Hezbollah) came into our homes, terrified our children and broke everything."
In Beirut, there was an uneasy calm although schools and some businesses remained shut following five days of unrest that has left 47 people dead and scores wounded in the worst sectarian violence since the 1975-1990 civil war. (AFP)
Labels: Arab Leauge, Hezbollah, Lebanon
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Ex-IDF Chief: Hezbollah control of Lebanon may benefit Israel
Former IDF chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak said Sunday Hezbollah's persistent attempts to take over Lebanon could eventually benefit Israel in its struggle against the militant group.
"If an armed conflict erupts it will be simpler to strike Lebanon when Hezbollah is the legitimate ruler," Shahak told the Army Radio.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel's Vice Premier Haim Ramon told cabinet members that Lebanon must be viewed as a "Hezbollah state," after the Shiite guerilla group seized control over the western part of the Lebanese capital over the weekend.
"Lebanon has no government. It is a fiction, there is only Hezbollah," Ramon said during the weekly cabinet meeting. "Hezbollah is directly responsible for everything that happens [in Lebanon], and the organization completely controls the state." (Haaretz)
Labels: Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon
Hezbollah fighters pile pressure on Lebanon rivals
Lebanon's factional violence spread to the mountains around Beirut on Sunday where gunmen from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement battled Druze supporters of the ruling coalition.
The fighting in Aley, a town in the mountains overlooking Beirut, and nearby villages killed at least eight people.
Hezbollah, which is also backed by Syria, and its allies have in recent days routed pro-government gunmen in Beirut in Lebanon's worst civil strife since the 1975-1990 civil war.
The campaign led by Hezbollah has increased pressure on the governing coalition, which is supported by the United States and Saudi Arabia, to accept the opposition's terms for ending 18 months of political conflict.
Hezbollah and allied Druze fighters took control of several villages in the Aley area on Sunday, security sources said. Explosions and gunfire echoed across the pine-covered hills.
The clashes brought the death toll in five days of fighting across Lebanon to 53. At least 150 have been wounded. (Reuters)
Fighting rocks north Lebanon city
At least one person has been killed in clashes between supporters of Lebanon's government and the Hezbollah-led opposition in the northern city of Tripoli.
The fighting, which began late on Saturday and continued throughout the night, came hours after Lebanese opposition forces started to withdraw from the streets of Beirut, Lebanon's capital.
An Al Jazeera correspondent reported on Sunday that all groups involved in the clashes have agreed on a truce to allow the evacuation of injured people.
An army official in Tripoli said government supporters had fought loyalists of an Alawite sect with links to Hezbollah in the Bab al-Tebbaneh, Kobel and Jabal Mohsen neighbourhoods.