Franklin Lamb: Time for Transparency at Der Spiegel?Mohamad Shmaysani
25/05/2009 Prominent US analyst Dr. Franklin Lamb described the Der Spiegel headline on Hezbollah’s alleged involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri as “dramatic and provocative.
In an article titled “Time for transparency at Der Spiegel”, Lamb points that the “pro-Israel German weekly” offered what it called “new information” that came from secret sources based on documents reporters and editors may have seen. However, Lamb adds, “no documents were published and no blurred or redacted copies shown to its readers.”
“The shocking claims were said to be based on ‘Inside investigative sources who were working on the Rafic Hariri assassination and they had now solved the mystery and the case could soon be wrapped up.’ Eye catching,” Lamb writes.
“Nearly four years ago, precisely on October 24, 2005, Der Spiegel published Erich Follath’s report titled: Bye-Bye, Hariri. UN Report Links Syrian Officials to Murder of Former Lebanese Leader.”
25/05/2009 Prominent US analyst Dr. Franklin Lamb described the Der Spiegel headline on Hezbollah’s alleged involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri as “dramatic and provocative.
In an article titled “Time for transparency at Der Spiegel”, Lamb points that the “pro-Israel German weekly” offered what it called “new information” that came from secret sources based on documents reporters and editors may have seen. However, Lamb adds, “no documents were published and no blurred or redacted copies shown to its readers.”
“The shocking claims were said to be based on ‘Inside investigative sources who were working on the Rafic Hariri assassination and they had now solved the mystery and the case could soon be wrapped up.’ Eye catching,” Lamb writes.
“Nearly four years ago, precisely on October 24, 2005, Der Spiegel published Erich Follath’s report titled: Bye-Bye, Hariri. UN Report Links Syrian Officials to Murder of Former Lebanese Leader.”
“A massive international anti-Syria campaign was launched by the Bush Administration and Israel to demonize its government (headed by Prime Minister Omar Karameh), Dr. Lamb recalls in his article.
But things have changed, he says.
"This weekend, a new exclusive, secret, investigative report showing the real assassins was published by the same weekly, Der Speigel. Same author. Same editor. New target. “
Follath, according to Lamb, claimed solo that the international committee investigating the Hariri murder has finally cracked the long investigated case and reached “surprising new secret conclusions”, this time pointing to Hezbollah.
The American analyst notes that the 2009 Der Spiegel article is similar to the 2005 piece in many respects. He points that similar to 2005, Follath claims in his 2009 report that the investigator’s “apparently want to hold back the information that they have been aware of for about a month”.
"There are signs that the investigation has yielded new and explosive results”, "Spiegel has learned from sources close to the tribunal and verified by examining internal documents that the Hariri case is about to take a sensational turn”, "Intensive investigations in Lebanon are all pointing to a new conclusion, this time that it was not the special forces of Syria, but instead special forces of Hezbollah that planned and carried out Hariri's Feb. 2005 murder, the weekly said.
Without offering any proof, Der Spiegel asserts that "According to the Lebanese security forces, all of the telephone numbers involved (by the assassins -ed) apparently belong to the 'operational arm' of Hezbollah,” says Lamb.
Follath, according to Lamb, claimed solo that the international committee investigating the Hariri murder has finally cracked the long investigated case and reached “surprising new secret conclusions”, this time pointing to Hezbollah.
The American analyst notes that the 2009 Der Spiegel article is similar to the 2005 piece in many respects. He points that similar to 2005, Follath claims in his 2009 report that the investigator’s “apparently want to hold back the information that they have been aware of for about a month”.
"There are signs that the investigation has yielded new and explosive results”, "Spiegel has learned from sources close to the tribunal and verified by examining internal documents that the Hariri case is about to take a sensational turn”, "Intensive investigations in Lebanon are all pointing to a new conclusion, this time that it was not the special forces of Syria, but instead special forces of Hezbollah that planned and carried out Hariri's Feb. 2005 murder, the weekly said.
Without offering any proof, Der Spiegel asserts that "According to the Lebanese security forces, all of the telephone numbers involved (by the assassins -ed) apparently belong to the 'operational arm' of Hezbollah,” says Lamb.
Without an apology for what some thought was a ‘hatchet job’’ on Syrian President Bashar Assad four years ago, Der Speigel’s the new article added that President Assad is no longer as suspect. “Hardly anything suggests anymore that he was personally aware of the murder plot or even ordered the killing”, Dr. Lamb quotes Follath.
Lamb the timing of Follath’s report now that the UN investigative office has taken great pains not to leak or politize its work?
“In contrast to former Investigator Detlev Mehlis, (Sayyed) Hasan Nassrallah has never been known to order the killing of rival politicians, the 2005-2006 accusations against Syria where shown to be fallacious and based on a false witness, Der Spiegel has a rumored long history with Israeli intelligence, the “key” eight phones (mentioned in Follath’s report) were never in the hands of Hezbollah but rather a Muslim Sunni organization in Tripoli (north Lebanon) as Detlev Mehlis claimed to have documented, were “the surprising new conclusions” when the Court was set up but claimed no solid case had been put together,” he says.
Lamb also find puzzling the German weekly’s claim that it learned “from sources close to the tribunal” and verified by examining internal documents, that the Hariri case is about to take a sensational turn.”
“Der Speigel does not make it clear if it was the source that examined the internal documents or if it was Der Spiegel that examined these documents. If it is the latter, did the source to take these documents outside the very tight security building in The Hague? Surely, the investigation should be able to track this so-called source.”
“No evidence is offered by Der Spiegel for any of its “revelations” such as Hezbollah members who supposedly trained in Iran, bought phones, “two men who report only to their superior” (who else would they report to?) etc.
Lamb also find puzzling the German weekly’s claim that it learned “from sources close to the tribunal” and verified by examining internal documents, that the Hariri case is about to take a sensational turn.”
“Der Speigel does not make it clear if it was the source that examined the internal documents or if it was Der Spiegel that examined these documents. If it is the latter, did the source to take these documents outside the very tight security building in The Hague? Surely, the investigation should be able to track this so-called source.”
“No evidence is offered by Der Spiegel for any of its “revelations” such as Hezbollah members who supposedly trained in Iran, bought phones, “two men who report only to their superior” (who else would they report to?) etc.
How does Der Spiegel know all these secret things and why not offer some proof?
How does Der Spiegel know, for example who reports to who in Hezbollah?
Far too much left to the imagination by the author.
Does some of this highly secret information come to Der Seigel via recently apprehended Israeli spy cells—passed on from the three Israeli intelligence agencies known to be here in Lebanon or sources connected with them?”
It seems that even Hezbollah’s rivals in Lebanon are not crediting Follath’s report.
Druze MP Walid Jumblatt warned in a Sunday speech that the article is "the game of nations that could, God forbid, derail justice and use it for things that we don't believe in."
Lamb also poses interesting questions for Der Spiegel.
It seems that even Hezbollah’s rivals in Lebanon are not crediting Follath’s report.
Druze MP Walid Jumblatt warned in a Sunday speech that the article is "the game of nations that could, God forbid, derail justice and use it for things that we don't believe in."
Lamb also poses interesting questions for Der Spiegel.
The German Embassy in Beirut claims not to have heard about the article and would have no comment.
By press time, neither Mr. Follath nor his editors at Der Spiegel has replied to any of the following questions forwarded by this observer:
· Why was the “new investigation findings” released by Der Speigel two weeks before the election where similar rumors have been circulation from the time of the 10/24/05 Der Speigel Report?
· Could you comment on what some in Lebanon feel is the suspicious timing of the Report at a time where Israel is being pressured at the UN Security Council over its continuing violations of UNSCR 1701, the uncovering of several Israeli spy cells in Lebanon, growing US-Israel fears over the outcome of the upcoming election on June 7, US-Israeli concerns that Hezbollah and Lebanese security forces are cooperating closely on a number of issues and suggestions that a “solution” to Hezbollah’ weapons may be announced within the coming weeks
· How is it that Israel’s Foreign Minister Lieberman reportedly knew about the article before it was posted and apparently told aids he was “going to give this story legs” as he dictated the following statement which was reportedly embargoed until the story broke: "To the best of my understanding, if this is the conclusion of the investigators an arrest warrant must be issued immediately. If it is not, he must be forcibly arrested and brought to the International Court of Justice."
. Why did Der Spiegel run the sensationalist Hezbollah story, first on its website, departing from Der Spiegel’s policy of posting on its website articles from its print edition only after, not before, the latter is published. Der Spiegel website runs some Spiegel print stories but only a few days after they appeared in the print edition published them. According to someone who knows the policy of Der Speigel this was a first ever switch. ( pulsemedia.org) and the weekly was in a major rush to get the story out and to its ‘online partner” the New York times where it will may appear any minute.
· Why did the author cite only an anonymous source or sources,
· Why does the article allude to “anonymous documents" to bolster its claims, but fails to offer the reader any description or at least the title page of the report to give the reader some confidence in the articles veracity?
· Almost all of the Hezbollah operatives allegedly involved in the assassination are dead or missing. The Lebanese officer investigating the cell phones connection was killed, and Imad Mughniyeh, who oversaw the "special forces" unit, also was killed in Damascus last year, making the allegations tough to verify.
· Although the report examines both Hezbollah's motives in wanting to assassinate Hariri and the tribunal's motives in allegedly keeping the accusations against the group under wraps, it leaves aside questions regarding the motive of the leaker, who timed the revelations just before the Lebanese elections and at a juncture when Israel and Washington are trying to coax Syria away from Iran and Hezbollah.
No comments:
Post a Comment