Ya Libnan – 4 Week Roundup – 9/23/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/08/wednesday_news_61.php

Wednesday News Briefs & Editorial
Published: Wednesday, 26 August, 2009 @ 12:04 PM in Beirut

Beirut – The Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad is back in action in Lebanon and is doing all it can to disrupt the formation of the cabinet through its allies the Hezbollah -led opposition. According to Syrian observers Syria is trying to make up for the loss of its allies in the polls by forcing on Lebanon’s majority the so called “ national Unity government “ in which the opposition will have the lion’s share of ministries through which they can control the country.

An Nahar political sources have reported that careful reading of the Syrian political stance towards Lebanon indicates that never before has an Arab country through its official media demanded that another Arab country should amend its constitution during the formation of a government .

An Nahar sources have also reported that Syria is allocating specific roles to its allies aimed at obstructing the formation of the cabinet unless their demands are met . While General Michel Aoun is charged with attacking the Prime minister designate and making impossible demands, Lebanon’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah is charged with attacking Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir who has been the most outspoken Christian spiritual leader against the obstruction of the Lebanese democratic institutions .

Yesterday Fadlallah slammed Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir over calling for a cabinet based on the outcome of the parliamentary polls. In a remark aimed at changing the constitution Fadlallah said : “We call for a popular majority and popular referendum … so that people would have their say.”

FP 2009 Update – Week 21 – The Cable

Week 21 at Laura Rozen’s The Cable was instructive in many ways…  Carl Levin holds up a key Middle East Diplomat’s nomination confirmation to bring light on an age old Libya reparations battle.   Egyptian and Palestinian leadership descend on DC.   Saudi Arabia is added to Obama’s stopover list for his overseas jaunt which is designed to continue building international G-20 support and Muslim Accomodation.  Paul Farmer’s name is added to the list of possible heads for USAID – his 20 year history of making water out of wine in the poverty laden world medical community is unmatched.   Netanyahu pragmatically offers a settlement freeze in exchange for unconditional support on Iranian issue – beyond that, his response was basically “What the Hell does Obama want from me?”   Saudi Arabia puts a leash on Western journalists following Obama’s trail.  Israeeli Foreign Minister Barak has an impromptu 15 minute meeting with Barack Obama, who drops in on his meeting with Gen. Jim Jones.  Sarkozy begins overtures and direct engagement with Iran as a lead up to Obama’s travel plans.

Gary H. Johnson, Jr. (2:57amEST)

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com

Libya claim delays Feltman confirmation vote
Tue, 05/26/2009 – 3:18pm
A compensation claim regarding Libya appears to be delaying the confirmation vote of Jeffrey Feltman to become assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, The Cable has learned.

Feltman’s nomination was forwarded by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the full Senate last week. But last Friday, before they broke for Memorial Day, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), usually a reliable Obama White House ally, put a hold delaying a Senate vote on the nomination until after the week-long recess, apparently at the request of an unidentified constituent with an unspecified, Libya-related claim. The case does not have to do with the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, but officials would not specify what it was regarding.

Ya Libnan 11 Day Roundup – 6/30/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/06/friday_news_bri_53.php
Friday News Briefs
Published: Friday, 19 June, 2009 @ 9:22 AM in Beirut
Beirut – The top story today in Lebanon is the meeting between Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc leader and head of the Progressive Socialist party ( PSP) MP. Walid Jumblatt. The meeting took place overnight according to PSP sources.

They discussed the past problems and specifically the May 2008 violence and both praised the efforts of Talal Arslan during and after that period .

They also discussed the future prospects for Lebanon and the region, and stressed the need to work together to move Lebanon and the region from the crisis state to the state of cooperation for the sake of the people of Lebanon.

They also confirmed to continue to work together towards full reconciliation, and agreed to continue communication and consultation during the next phase.

As Safir newspaper said Friday that the agenda of the talks included the stage that followed the Doha agreement and the challenges that emerged after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest speech.

According to As Safir, the two officials were also to discuss prospects of dialogue between Jumblatt and Damascus, in addition to relations between Hezbollah and the Progressive Socialist Party.

The location of the meeting will of course remain a top secret since Nasrallah has been hiding ever since the 2006 war begun

Ya Libnan 2 Week Roundup – 6/6/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/05/saturday_news_b_44.php

Saturday News Briefs
Published: Saturday, 23 May, 2009 @ 7:30 PM in Beirut
Beirut- Speaker Nabih Berri delivered an election campaign speech full of promises today in Baalbeck and tried to present the opposition as a moderate force that only wants the best for Lebanon. In his speech he insisted that the opposition is not power hungry and wants if successful in the upcoming elections to form a national unity government

Berri tried to reassure March 14 supporters and all the Lebanese people that the arms of the resistance will only be used against the Israeli enemy. But Berri did not explain how he can make such a promise, since the arms are not his and are in Hezbollah’s full control. Hezbollah after all used its arms when it occupied West Beirut on May 7, 2008 and its attacks against the Druze strongholds in Mt Lebanon.

Berri also said ” In the name of the opposition, without exception, we want the state, we want the Lebanese state but we don’t want power. We want the full implementation of the Taef accord. We want the court and the truth. We want to know who attempted to kill Lebanon with Hariri’s murder.
But according to observers the opposition always fought the Hariri tribunal and always criticized the Taef accord and always undermined the state. The mass resignation of all the Hezbollah and Amal ministers and the occupation of downtown Beirut are a clear example of undermining the state.

FP 2009 Update – Week 18 – The Cable

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/

Beef tenderloin and failing states: it’s what’s for dinner
Wed, 05/06/2009 – 4:25pm
Vice President Joseph Biden is hosting the presidential delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan for dinner tonight at his Naval Observatory residence. Among the guests are several members of the Senate and House foreign affairs committees (as well as Rep. Nita Lowey, the chair of the House appropriations state foreign ops subcommittee) that hold the purse strings on bills outlining some $1.5 billion in proposed military and civilian assistance to Pakistan that the administration would like to get out the door.

Pool reporter Carol Lee of Politico tallies the full guest list:

From the Afghanistan delegation:
   •  His Excellency Hamid Karzai President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad Ambassador of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Rangin Dadfar Spanta Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency General Abdul Rahim Wardak Minister of Defense of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Haneef Atmar Minister of Interior of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Dr. Zalmay Rassoul National Security Advisor of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Dr. Omar Zakhilwal Minister of Finance of Afghanistan
   •  His Excellency Wahidullah Shahrani Minister of Commerce and Industry
   •  His Excellency Asif Rahimi Minister of Agriculture
   •  His Excellency Amrullah Saleh Director General of National Directorate of Security (Director of National Intelligence)
   •  Mr. Homayun Hamidzada Spokesperson, Office of the President

From the Pakistan delegation:

   •  His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
   •  His Excellency Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians
   •  His Excellency Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Minister of Foreign Affairs
   •  His Excellency Husain Haqqani Ambassador to the United States
   •  His Excellency Nazar Muhammad Gondal Minister for Food and Agriculture
   •  Mr. A. Rehman Malik Interior Minister
   •  Mr. Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira Minister of Information
   •  Mr. Salman Faruqui Secretary General
   •  Mr. Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin Finance Advisor
   •  Lt. General Ahmed Shuja Pasha Director General
   •  Brig. Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain Military Secretary to the President
   •  Mrs. Ispahani, Spokesperson

The Guests:

   •  The Honorable Howard L. Berman, Representative (D-CA), HFAC Chairman
   •  Mr. James A. Bever, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near East, United States Agency for International Development
   •  Antony Blinken, Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President
   •  Donald A. Camp, Senior Director for South Asia,  National Security Council
   •  The Honorable Karl Eikenberry, American Ambassador to Afghanistan
   •  The Honorable Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
   •  Mr. Alonzo L. Fulgham, Acting Administrator, United States Agency for International Development

FP 2009 Update – Week 16 – The Cable

Laura Rozen hammers Harman this week on The Cable.   It is obvious Harman was involved in a scandal; however, the only reason we know is because of the FISA wiretapping of a Senator’s phones.  This case demonstrates the fact that, since Obama decided to maintain the current policy on domestic wiretapping, any contact Republicans have with FBI surveiled “suspected” moles will be known publicly at politically heightened moments like elections and democrat faux pas.  For Harman to lawyer up is an indication that she is worried about a lawsuit for her lunge for political power.  The most interesting element of Rozen’s blog this week, to me, was the development of Lute’s expansion of “war czar” reach to the extents of the MENASA region.  No mention was made of the Brussels Somalia donor conference, which was disappointing, just as it was disappointing that the Tokyo conference was not fully covered by Rozen, considering billions are on the table.  The Democrat yoke seems to have the attitude, ”The Kerry-Lugar initiative to Pakistan is only 7.5 billion dollars over 5 years, what is that compared to 11 billion dollars for one month of US Occupation in Iraq…oh, a billion more for reconstruction and stability…what is that compared to the cost of US occupation?”   This mentality bleeds into the Western Media as stories are omitted based on fffinancial rather than strategic value.   Indeed, apparently it is not real money, in terms of National Media coverage, until it crosses the 11 billion dollar barrier.   It is disconcerting that the cost of war and the cost of stability are being measured in terms of the cost of US occupatio:  US occupation or invasion, ideally, has nothing to do with money and everything to do with principles, values, law and freedom.  To measure the use of US invasion or occupation forces on their financial cost rather than their strategic aim is a mistake that is noticeable only in terms of omission.  

Rozen covers Hillary Clinton’s 100 day mileage and then notes her landing in Iraq.  A dinner held in Saudi Arabia by Prince Turki al Faisal is going to draw a crowd from Washington.  No doubt, the Taliban are the issue on the table.  The Iranian-sponsored Shia-Taliban are apparently holding the Afghanistan Opium routes open all along the Helmand River valley.    The Balochistan Steppe of Pakistan to Afghanistan’s South and Iran’s East is the staging area for all parties to the storm.  The fact that Prince Faisal with Gul created the Taliban nightmare will no doubt be on the docket for discussion in the closed, smoky circles around hookas and other teas as Saudi Arabia helps to formulate a masterplan for the MENASA region, while attempting to secure the Pakistani Nukes from the backlash of the raising of 15 or so Frankenstein Monsters in the Deoband Wahhab Madrassas and ISI training grounds…a Talibani force that is less than a hundred miles from overtaking Islamabad.  With Ross heading to the region, from Egypt on the 28th to start indicates that messages from the Palestinian Front will be couriered to the Saudi Heads directly from Ross to Turki at a nice sit down meeting we will read about in books 5 or 6 years from now by aids and soon to be outed insiders.  The main question is whether or not economic issues will be discussed in this meeting or whether or not these discussions will be put on hold for the Fiscal Stability Board.   Since Ross is heading in and he is meeting with Prince Turki, the main issue will be containing and dismantling the threat of the Taliban while leaving the road open to Iran’s maintenance – you know, to make sure that the leadership of Iran get their black market money while curtailing and stabilizing the opium trade into manageable gangs. 

Gary H. Johnson, Jr. (4/29/09, 3:11pmEST)

Ya Libnan Weekly Roundup – 4/18/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/04/saturday_news_b_38.php
Saturday News Briefs
Published: Saturday, 11 April, 2009 @ 7:28 PM in Beirut
Beirut – Finally Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah admitted in his televised speech last night that one of those arrested in Egypt over terrorism charges is a member of Hezbollah, but at the same time he rejected all accusations by Egypt that his group was plotting attacks in Cairo.
“I fully reject and deny all charges that Hezbollah was intending to launch an act of aggression in Egypt or at any part of the world,” Nasrallah said .

Nasrallah escalated his attacks against Egypt. “The Egyptian regime should be charged and condemned for besieging Gaza. The regime works day and night on destroying Gaza tunnels,” Nasrallah charged.

His statement comes two days after Egyptian Public Prosecutor Abdel-Magid Mohammed accused Nasrallah of dispatching agents to Egypt during Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip with the aim of recruiting local agents to conduct attacks, and to incite the people and the armed forces to revolt, to spy on Egypt and to smuggle weapons and cash to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Jerusalem Post Notes – 4/20/09

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239633075317&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Apr 13, 2009 21:19 | Updated Apr 14, 2009 9:02
Our World: Iran’s Western enablers
By CAROLINE GLICK
Egypt’s recent actions against Hizbullah operatives are a watershed event for understanding the nature of the threat that Iran constitutes for both regional and global security. For many Israelis, Egypt’s actions came as a surprise. For years this country has been appealing to Egypt to take action against Hizbullah operatives in its territory. With minor exceptions, it has refused. Believing that its operatives threatened only us, the Mubarak regime preferred to turn a blind eye.

Then too, now seems a strange time for Egypt to be proving Israel correct. Senior ministers in the new Netanyahu government have for years been outspoken critics of Egypt for its refusal to act against Hizbullah and for its support for the Hizbullah/Iran-sponsored Hamas terror group. By going after Hizbullah now, Egypt is legitimizing both their criticism and the Netanyahu government itself. This in turn seems to go against Egypt’s basic interest of weakening Israel politically in general, and weakening rightist Israeli governments in particular.

But none of this seemed to interest Egyptian officials last week when they announced the arrest of 49 Hizbullah operatives and pointed a finger at Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah and his bosses in Teheran, openly accusing them of seeking to undermine Egypt’s national security.

The question is what caused Egypt to suddenly act? It appears that two things are motivating the Mubarak regime. First, there is the nature of the Hizbullah network it uncovered. According to the Egyptian Justice Ministry’s statements, the arrested operatives were not confining their operations to weapons smuggling to Gaza. They were also targeting Egypt.

Ya Libnan Weekly Roundup – 4/11/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/04/saturday_news_b_37.php
Saturday News Briefs
Published: Saturday, 4 April, 2009 @ 3:32 PM in Beirut
Beirut – There were conflicting reports about the meetings last Thursday and Friday of the March 14 alliance. Friday reports pointed to a meeting of the four leaders of the March 14 on Thursday and another on Friday in Qoreitem at the residence of parliament majority leader Saad Hariri, but Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt denied that he took part in the meetings that brought together, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel and Hariri

Jumblat told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Saturday that he was at his house in Mukhtara , Mt Lebanon and didn’t participate in Thursday’s meeting in Qoreitem.

We know for sure that Jumblatt met Hariri on Tuesday evening at his residence in Qoreitem and he was accompanied by minister Ghazi aridi and MP Marwan Hamade . Ya Libnan published a picture of that meeting last Tuesday

Meanwhile, An Nahar has reported that the March 14 electoral list in the Shouf has been finalized. In addition to Jumblatt it includes MP Marwan Hamadeh for the Druze seats. Dory Chamoun and MPs George Adwan and Elie Aoun for the Maronite seats. Minister Nehmeh Tohme for the Catholic seat , and MPs Alaeddine Terro and Mohammed al-Hajjarfor the Sunni seats

Saturday

21:20 Hajj Mahmoud Qumati , Hezbollah’s VP of political council said his party will insist on partnership following the elections because Lebanon can only be ruled by consensus. He denied that the party’s position is based on a defeat for the opposition in the upcoming elections and predicted the opposite will happen

Is Hezbollah Destabilizing Egypt?

In order to create fertile regions in which to advance Shariah Law and Forced Prayer via the Institution of the Hisba (the religious police, the office of the Muhtasib/mutawwa), Islamic Supremacism and Contemporary Jihadism aim to do one key thing – destabilize the minds of all men, women and children in its violent wake.  This is a process which begins with the destabilization of borders, continues with the destabilization of government authority, advances by destabilizing economic security, creeps forward by destabilizing media through terror and its overall goal is to murder Reason so that destabilized minds might ripen for indoctrination and forced submission.  That is the way of Islam…was the path of Muhammad…and will always be the Deen of Hisba, whose completion is found via Jihad.  Whether or not Hezbollah is seeking to destabilize Egypt is not in doubt…Hassan Nasrallah is a jihadist terrorist pirate butcher, whose aim is to destabilize Lebanon’s minds, and instigate a crisis of national sovereignty in Egypt in which the Muslim brotherhood will rise and overthrow Mubarek.  He admits this openly.  It is not necessary for him to be an Iranian Agent…he espouses the doctrine of the Wilayat al Faqih, and though this dogmatic principle of Authority was founded by Khomeini’s Revolutionary zeal, the charisma of Nasrallah far surpasses that of Khameini in Iran, and this charisma is engendering recruits across the entirety of the Globe in a show of Islamic Supremacism that puts Al Qaeda to shame for their impotent world reach by comparison.

Gary H. Johnson, Jr. (4/11/09, 5:30amEST) 

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=91064&sectionid=351020203

Hezbollah denies ‘Cairo attack’ charges

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:45:47 GMT
Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has rejected accusations by Egypt that the movement was plotting attacks in Cairo.

“I fully reject and deny all charges that Hezbollah was intending to launch an act of aggression in Egypt or at any other part of the world,” Nasrallah said in a speech on al-Manar Television on Friday.

The Hezbollah chief however confirmed that one of the 49 people arrested by Egyptian security agents over alleged links to the Palestinian movement of Hamas was a member of the Lebanese movement.

“The brother Sami Shihab is a member of Hezbollah. We do not deny it and we are not ashamed of it … Sami was providing logistics to help the Palestinian resistance at the Egyptian-Palestinian borders … all other charges against him are false,” Nasrallah said.

His statement comes two days after an Egyptian public prosecutor accused Nasrallah of recruiting a 50-member cell with the aim of striking inside Egypt, during Israel’s devastating 22-day offensive on the Gaza Strip in December 2008.

Egyptian officials have also charged Nasrallah of planning to ’spread Shia ideology’ through Shihab in Egypt, branding him an ‘Iranian agent’.