ADL: ‘NAM Summit in Tehran is anti-Semitism’

Posted on August 23, 2012 |

 

Abraham Foxman, head of pro-Israel Jewish lobby group. the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has criticized UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon’s decision to address the 16th Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran (August 26-31); as an act of “anti-Israel, anti-American and anti-Semitism“.

 

Hillary Clinton’s Zionist Jew spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on August 20, that Iran doesn’t have the right to host NAM summit. “So we frankly don’t think that Iran is deserving of these high-level presences that are going there,” she said. She also, criticized Egyptian president Dr. Mohamed Mursi’s decision to attend the NAM meeting in Tehran.

Over 100 members countries of NAM have confirmed to attend the summit. Over 51 Presidents, Vice-presidents and Prime Ministers would be representing their countries.

 

The notable guests will include Dr. Mohamed Morsi (Egypt), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Kim Jong-Nam (N. Korea), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Asif Ali Zardari (Pakistan), Jalal Talibani (Iraq), Omar al-Bashir (Sudan), Manmohan Singh (India), Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, Hamid Karzai (US Occupied Afghanistan), Abdullah Gul (Turkey), Michel Sleiman (Lebanon), Elham Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Mahmoud Abbas (PA) and Raul Castro (Cuba). Iran will assume the rotating presidency of the NAM for the next three years.

Both the US and Israel has resented the decisions of Morsi and Abbas to attend the meeting.

 

Israel’s foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman in a letter to the Mideast Quartet – the grouping of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN that guides the Middle East peace process – has called the removal of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, a double agent.

 

He called Abbas “an obstacle to peace.” Abbas’ term as PA president expired in January 2009, but has been kept in that position by US-Israel-EU to stop Hamas taking over that position too.

Israeli daily the Jerusalem Post reported on August 19 that

“Israel is working through its embassies abroad and through direct conversations with various leaders to persuade other NAM countries – some of which have good ties with Israel – to either boycott the meeting or send only low-level representation to send a strong message to Iran of an abhorrence of its policies (toward the Zionist regime)“.

Daniel Mariaschin, executive vice president of B’nai B’rith International, a Jewish supremacist organization, said he fears that Iranian presidency of NAM during the next three years – will boost delegitimation of Israel.

 

In response to US-Israel blackmailing, Mohammad Kosari, member of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy – has called Dr. Mursi’ visit to Iran as Zionist entity’s great failure.  

“Americans attempted to prevent Mr. Mursi’s visit to Iran, but the Egyptian president will visit Iran, which is interpreted as failure for the US“, while stressing: “The Zionist regime and the US plots can only be materialized through difference and discord among Muslim states“.

Egyptian ambassador to the United Nations, Lebanese-born Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil, in an interview with China daily Xinhua, said that Ki-moon’s decision to attend the NAM summit in Iran has nothing to do with the illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic. He hoped Iran, who will take over NAM’s rotating presidency from Egypt, will address the priorities of the movement and have a successful presidency that will reflect interests of all NAM member countries. Khalil called US claim ‘absurd’ – that the summit will boost Iran’s image among the world community. He stressed that hosting of summit is the responsibility of the country which receives the rotating presidency of NAM and will not bring direct benefits to the country’s international relations.

Canadian Jewish journalist and blogger, Eric Walberg, posted on his blog on August 22, 2012.

“Egypt’s rapprochement with Iran is long overdue, held in check by the Mubarak regime’s toadying to the US and Israel. One of the first ships to go through the Suez Canal after the revolution last year, long before the MB came to power through its Freedom and Justice Party, was an Iranian warship. Even under Mubarak, the pressure to normalize relations was mounting, with trade increasing and normalization of relations between EgyptAir and IranAir. Full diplomatic relations are only a matter of months.”

Egypt along with India, Ghana, Indonesia and former Yugoslavia – were the founding members of NAM which was established at the height of the Cold War, in 1961 – to bring together nations that consider themselves independent of the world’s major power blocs. The organisation counts a total 119 countries plus the Palestinian Authority and 21 observer countries.

 

NY Times: UN Chief’s NAM Participation a Blow to US, Israel

The New York Times wrote that the decision by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to attend the upcoming NAM summit in Tehran is proof that the US and Israel’s anti-Iran policy has failed to find followers in much of the global scene. “The American-Israeli campaign” against Iran “is not resonating in much of the world,” the daily said on Wednesday. It noted that Ban’s decision “reinforced Iran’s contention that a reordering of powers is underway in the Middle East where Western influence is waning.” “The 120 countries that are in the Non-Aligned Movement represent the biggest single voting bloc in the 193-member General Assembly at the United Nations,” the daily said. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dissuade the UN chief from attending the NAM summit. The 16th summit of the NAM member states will be held in the Iranian capital from August 26 to 31, during which the Islamic Republic will assume the rotating presidency of the movement for three years.

Iran to Unveil Proposal for Ending Syria Crisis at NAM Summit

 

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Egypt’s election results: Palestinians Win & Zionists Lose?

Franklin Lamb

Beirut

Graphics by Alex

AL manar

The official results of the first round of the historic Egyptian presidential elections, the first ever in Mother Egypt where the results were not known in advance, present an encouraging snapshot of “new democratic Egypt” given that close to 50% of Egypt’s approximately 50 million eligible voters, some standing in line to vote in scorching heat for hours, will not be officially announced until late May.

But it appears, based on exit polls, that the two candidates who will face each other in the June 16-17 final round of voting will be the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammd Mursi (25%) facing Mubarak-era Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq (24%). Both finalists will carry substantial political baggage into Round Two. While Mursi will have the vast Muslim Brotherhood organization getting out the vote for him as well as the support of Islamist parties, his candidacy still faces pervasive voter doubt over having the long outlawed MB control both the Egypt’s Parliament and its presidency, thus effectively eliminating checks and balances to offset its pledge to enact Sharia law and remove Egypt from military rule.

Moreover, Israel and the US will back Mr. Ahmad Shafiq in various ways and he represents Egypt’s military, many of the countries wealthy and powerful voters, the business community, Coptic Christians, (ten percent of the voters) who understandably seek security above all else, and many others who will vote for what they calculate to be the lesser of two evils.

Yet barring surprises such as ex-President Hosni Mubarak being found innocent of all charges on June 2 when the verdict is to be announced in his case, which many lawyers are predicting is exactly what will happen, Mohammad Mursi will very likely prevail in the mid-June run-off and become Egypt’s first democratically elected President.

This will be good for Palestinian refugees in the diaspora, those under Zionist occupation in their own country, and will be welcomed by all who view the Palestinians full Return to their still occupied country and the dismantlement of the last 19^th century colonial enterprise, as a long overdue historical imperative.

The Prime Minister of the Palestinian government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, declared on Thursday that “The Egyptian presidential election results will have a very positive affect the course and future of the Palestinian cause as well as the role and place of the Muslim people in the world.”

Haniyeh knows that the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Hamas evolved, is highly sophisticated politically and while it tries to avoid attracting condemnation, or worse, upon itself and its allies from Washington and Tel Aviv, the MB intentions regarding Camp David, giveaway gas and other deals with Israel, and diplomatic relations with the occupiers of Palestine are clear. They will all eventually be discarded as will the remaining 19^th century colonial enterprise itself. And the Egyptian people overwhelmingly agree. 



Rashad Bayoumy:
"Is it a pre-condition to recognize Israel
in order to govern?"



Speaking with MB representatives in Cairo and Beirut over the past several months, the party’s position expressed to this observer is that the common thread that stitches together all the continuing regional uprisings can be described as a fundamental quest for dignity and the casting off of humiliation either from western imposed despotic regimes or from their illegitimate and aggressive agent, Israel.

Even before the completion of Egypt’s first democratic elections, which long-time election monitor Jimmy Carter has just labeled “very encouraging”there is broad recognition in Egypt that basic dignity demands the return of Palestine and its holy places, not just to the 1.5 billion Muslims and nearly as many Christians worldwide, but to all people of good will.

While no official MB decisions have been published regarding relations with Gaza and occupied Palestine, signs are everywhere from non-enforcement of Mubarak-Israeli-American pressures on Rafa, Gaza, travel and trade prohibitions that full normalization of relations between Egyptians and Palestinians under occupation is imminent.

Rats desert a sinking ship, fools ride

And Israel and its American lobby know it and are preparing.

On Capitol Hill, and among the more than 60 intensively active and well-funded pro-Zionist organizations in the US, a campaign has already begun to neuter the Egyptian voters choice next month as surely as was achieved during the three decades of Mubarak rule.

A couple of examples. AIPAC has launched a campaign to have the Obama administration, during the run-up to the coming election, now barely six months away, demand three things from the Mursi government:

Mr Powell started in Damascus with
a strong and clear message to Syria's
President Bashar al-Assad that
Washington expected change
including an end to Syria's support for
militant Palestinian and Lebanese
groups classified as terrorists.

• that is scrap elements of its political program and disassociate itself for “Islamism”,
• that it publicly pledge to fight“terrorism” i.e. the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance, and
• that it pledge to fully honor the Camp David accords.

When measured against what the MB stands for, and the Egyptian publics pleas to restore Arab and Muslim dignity, these demands are patently absurd.

Yet, empires and their agents do not easily abandon their goals.

Ever in the service of Israel, Elliot Abrams, writing in the Zionist Islamophoic Weekly Standard is proposing an approach that appears as fanciful and misguided as his WMD 2002-3 schemes to get the US to attack Iraq on behalf of Israel or his continuing five year campaign to get the US to bomb Iran for Israel.

Abrams is arguing, apparently seriously, that since the MB will be Egypt’s new government, Israel can still prevail if his advice is followed. Obviously unhappy with the prospect of the Muslim Brotherhood governing Egypt, Abrams does what he is paid to do for Israel, i.e. he paints Pigs hoping they will look like Princesses.

Eliot is publicly blaming the US for not sticking with the Mubarak regime like the Russians are with Syria’s government. He declared “Had Mubarak and the Army played their cards better, Shafik might have been Mubarak's successor without the harmful uprising that Egypt has experienced and Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel with all its blessings would be secure. Now, unless Shafik wins, it is finished but we (Israel?) still have some excellent options.”

Abrams and elements of the Zionist lobby is telling Congress that “srael must support Egypt’s "liberals" meaning, people who believe in democracy, liberty, and the rule of law rather than Islam as the guiding principles of Egypt and that the predicate must be that the electorate believes the MB had a clear chance and failed them.” He continued,“ If Shafik were to win many Egyptians will believe the elections were stolen by the Army and the old regime's machine, and in any event power will be divided between the MB on one side and the Army and president on the other. There will be no clear lesson to learn when conditions in the country then continue to deteriorate given that the previous annual 6.5 billion foreign infusion into Egypt’s economy has reversed to an annual 4 500,00 out flow and tourism in down by 40%.”

Abrams and other spokesmen for AIPAC and the Zionist lobby are arguing that Mubarak’s most recent Prime Minister, Ahmad Shafiq’s victory next month is not necessarily something Israel and the West should favor. Given that the MB is the leading party in parliament and with the Salafists having an Islamist majority there, Abrams claims that this is actually good for Israel since its lobby will organize Congress to push the idea that with the MB controlling both parliament and the presidency is dangerous and , “we can hold them and all Islamists in Egypt absolutely responsible for what happens to Egypt with its myriad problems and thus 100 percent of the responsibility for Egypt's fate will drop on the MB.”

Abrams continues, “If the MB’s Mursi wins and he will, the MB will be in charge--and be forced to deliver. And when they fail, as they will give Israel’s key friends in the international business community, it will be absolutely clear who was to blame and this is good for Israel. What is in Israel’s interest is to support Egypt’s military which it has worked closely with for years and encourage the army to fight with all its tools for its interests”.

Abrams summarizes his thesis in an AIPAC email to donors: “So as far as Israel is concerned, a Mursi victory should not be mourned; given the situation in Egypt, in this election we can assure that the loser will pity the winner. Two cheers for Mursi! Now let’s get to work.”

Franklin Lamb is doing research in Lebanon. He is reachable c\o fplamb@gmail.com

He is the author of The Price We Pay: A Quarter-Century of Israel’s Use of American Weapons Against Civilians in

He contribute to Uprooted Palestinians Blog

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Murr Accuses Syria to Save His Reputation, France to Accuse Iran

Mariam Ali The U.S. embassy telegrams continue its Wikileaks series being published on "al-Akhbar" Lebanese daily. The new cables show the U.S. officials focus as well as the French and the Arabs to accuse Syria of assassinating the leader Imad Mughniyeh claiming that the martyr is involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. It seems from the cables published today, that most of the meetings held in more than one capital seemed like speculation and expectation parties aimed at blaming Hizbullah and Syria in Lebanon's assassinations. All after Mughniyeh Lebanon's former Ambassador to the United States Simon Karam and the President of the National Liberal Party Dory Chamoun considered Mughniyeh's assassination "a gift to the Americans" as mentioned in the cable itself (No. 08BEIRUT237), while Walid Jumblatt told the Americans:" Either the "Israelis" killed him, or the Syrians, and in both cases his death is a good news." The cables explore the attitude of the Minister of Interior at that time Hassan as-Sabih who told the Ambassador Sison: "Maybe Syria wanted to send a message to Hizbullah or to the United States, or perhaps there is a splitwithin the Hizbullah itself." However, what is more surprising in the cable's text is what MP of the Free Patriotic Movement Ghassan Moukheiber told the Americans on the assassination of Mughniyeh; "In his meeting with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Moukheiber was surprised that the assassination of Mughniyeh came directly after he left the Syrian Intelligence Services Office. Adding that "the killing of Mughniyeh is a major challenge to Hizbullah," Moukheiber that "the coming days will reveal the nature of the performed deal." In the telegram issued by the U.S. Embassy in Damascus (telegram No. 08DAMASCUS142 date of February 26, 2008) the US Charge D'affaires Michael Corbin quotes sources as saying that "officials of the Syrian Military Intelligence and General Intelligence Directorate are currently throwing the blame on each other in case of the security breach that led to the killing of Mughniyeh." Telegram No. 08AMMAN3189 issued on November 25, 2008, tells that in autumn of 2008, the Assistant U.S. Secretary of State David Hale made a tour to Jordanian officials that included in addition to King Abdullah Royal Court Chief Nasser Lozi, Foreign Minister Salah Bashir and House Speaker Zeid Rifai and others. The meetings focused on U.S. assistance to Jordan, but one of the records of the U.S. Embassy in Amman referred to remarkable words of Rifai "Abdel Halim Khaddam told Rifai that the only thing that Bashar inherited from his father is that he accepted that political assassination is the appropriate way to get rid of opponents." U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Stephen Bercrawft referred to Rifai as saying " I speculate that the Syrian regime targeted the head of Hizbullah Imad Mughniyeh and Assistant Security Presidential Syrian Brigadier General Mohammed Suleiman as part of efforts to get rid of anyone who is linked to the killing of former President Rafiq Hariri. If the tribunal is held, there will be no one to testify." French Tactic: to Accuse Iran instead of Syria(Telegram No. 08BEIRUT1075 Date July 23, 2008) Jumblatt also revealed to US Charge D'affaires in Beirut, William Grant that "French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent his Special Envoy Claude Gayan to meet King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia whom Jumblatt described as the only serious assistant Arab leader to "March 14" in the Arab world." Gayan told Abdullah that "the Syrians were not involved in Drakar's blowing in Beirut in 1983 that led to the killing of 56 French on the same day of blowing up the Marine base. According to Jumblatt what Gayan intended from his words is that the Iranians are the ones who were behind the attack. "As Imad Mughniyeh is Iranian agent, the issue has become closed. This indicates that the Iranians were involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and others," Jumblatt said warning that "this would blow the tribunal." Khoja's Rumors The Saudi position from the assassination of the martyr Leader Hajj Imad Mughniyeh had been expressed by the Saudi ambassador in Beirut, Abdel-Aziz Khoja, through his meeting with the US Ambassador Michele J. Sison at his home on February 15, 2008 (telegram No. 08BEIRUT271 date of February 19, 2008). Khoja talked about rumors reporting that the "U.S. held a deal with Syria and that led to the assassination of Hizbullah's Leader Imad Mughniyeh." Khoja claimed that the "Secretary General of Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had participated in a meeting with Mughniyeh and officials from the intelligence of both Syria and Iran on February 12 i.e. two days before the assassination of Mughniyeh." In another matter, but in the same cable, the Saudi ambassador claimed that "Syria is planning to allow the election of Michel Suleiman before the Arab summit in Damascus and then to kill him before he could form a government which will cause to create gaps and spaces in the Lebanese institutions." Khoja told Sison that "Hizbullah doubts that Syria was behind the assassination of its Leader Imad Mughniyeh, the night before February 12." He pointed to the "absence of any Syrian official in the funeral of Mughniyeh in Beirut on the 14th of February," claiming that " the Iranian foreign minister, who attended the funeral, came to calm Hizbullah and to prevent it from taking steps toward Syria." In another paragraph from the cable, Khoja said that "many people in Saudi Arabia raised questions about the reasons behind the assassination of Mughniyeh, and the potential deal between Syria and the United States or "Israel"." "A rumor that is seriously spread in Beirut states that the United States held a deal with Syria that the latter withdraws from the tribunal Private for allowing the United States to get Mughniyeh," Khoja claimed pointing to another rumor that Syria and "Israel" held their deal that allowed the assassination of Mughniyeh, the "Israeli" target." Feltman: Murr Involved in City Bank Corruption Leaks related to the former minister, Elias Murr; do not stop as indicated by the telegram No. 05BEIRUT3155 on 28 September 2005 classified by the former U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Feltman. The cable mentions that during a television interview with the Minister of Communications Marwan Hamadeh on "LBC", Murr called from Zurich to confirm what Hamada said on TV that "Murr knows the identity of the man responsible for his bombing on July12." Murr spoke about the development of problems between him and the representative of the Syrian intelligence in Lebanon Rustom Ghazaleh, following a campaign of arrests launched in September 2004 against suspects who tried to plant a bomb at the Italian Embassy in Beirut. (Note by Feltman: Despite the fact that Murr didn't name Ghazaleh directly, but it seemed very clear from the content of the speech that Ghazaleh is the aim of Murr's statement.) According to Murr, Ghazali called the Police Chief Saeid Eid nd ordered him to call and verbally reprimand Murr. In reaction to the phone call, Murr called Ghazaleh directly and objected to the appointment of Eid for his criticism. Murr adds that Eid who heard the conversation with Ghazaleh in coincidence, told him: "You have to pack up and go home." After this call, Murr said, that he has received threats to kill him and left Lebanon for security reasons. According to Murr, "the attempted assassination of May Chidiac was the main event behind this public declaration. Murr concluded his intervention in the program by saying: "Now we are all equal." When Feltman called Murr the next day, the latter expressed his great satisfaction; as if an enormous burden has been removed from his shoulder. He joked that he might live forever in Zurich, because he angered the Syrians on the one hand and on the other hand because of his diet. Feltman says in this telegram, Murr's statement on Syria, is expected since the man has confidentially repeated that Syria is threatening and you pressing him. Feltman adds that "Murr chose the appropriate time. Talking through a live well-known, program to a channel that is directly linked to, in an interview with Marwan Hamadeh, gave further impetus to his statement." The question of the Syrian threat to Hariri before his death, is part of the faith here. This belief is reinforced by Murr's story on a pro-Syria that ended up as an opponent to Damascus. Lahoud's traditional statement demonstrated the dramatic isolation of President from his people and reality. And with all the opposition voices around him, Lahoud is still able to be the worst enemy for himself." Feltman continues, "The timing of Murr's statement was probably in his advantage. In the investigation of the Chairman of the International Commission of Inquiry, Murr's name rose to the surface as a potential target for the lifting of bank secrecy." "While it doesn't seem that Murr has any link to the assassination of Hariri, which occurred during Murr's stay in Zurich because of death threats in September 2004, it is rumored that he is involved in financial corruption along with the four Lebanese detainee's officers," Feltman clarified. "If the Lebanese government decided to investigate the issue of corruption associated with the collapse of the City Bank which has a bad reputation, Murr's involvement in some mysterious estate deals would be uncovered. Murr might think that the sympathy he earned for being a victim of Syria's attack, help to rescue his reputation in the event of disclosure of City Bank secrets," Feltman concluded.

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Elias Murr: Hezbollah Wants to Assassinate Me…

Former Defense Minister Elias Murr accused Hezbollah of being part of what he called a Syrian plot to murder him, revealed a leaked US Embassy cable dated November 14, 2005. According to the cable, published by Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Murr claimed that Syria was still managing a number of terrorist organizations. He said that armed Palestinian groups inside and outside the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, in addition to Hezbollah, make it impossible for Lebanon to enjoy stability. Mur expressed belief that real change would not take place if a change does not take place in Syria. “I’m not speaking of a regime change but a change in logic,” he said. “The moment the Syria regime changes its thinking way, the support of Syria allies in Lebanon will be suspended,” he declared. Murr also told his US hosts that the Lebanese army was not ready to deal with militias. He explained that the army is not well-trained and does not possess the necessary equipment for such circumstances. He predicted that the army would need some six to eight months “before we can depend on it.” During the same meeting, Murr spoke of a new threat targeting him. He claimed that Hezbollah would adopt a more aggressive position after the release of Detlev Mehlis’ report on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on December 15, 2005. Murr said that the party would seek to create Sunni-Shiite strife in Lebanon at Syria’s behest, adding that he became aware of these plans after intercepting a phone call between Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and As-Safir newspaper journalist Ibrahim al-Amin.

Source: Newspapers

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Murr Scared: Hezbollah Wants to Assassinate Me!

Local Editor

Day after another, new scandals are revealed by the famous US cables, known as WikiLeaks…

On Monday, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar published new cables, showing how some so-called March 14 officials did not waste any opportunity to defame the Resistance without making use of it.

For instance, the cable quoted Defense Minister in the caretaker government Elias Murr as claiming that he, alongside the Future Party leader Saad Hariri and former Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, was threatened of assassination by… Hezbollah!

The WikiLeaks cable dated May 14, 2008 reported about a meeting between Murr, General Martin Dempsey, Major General Robert Allardice, Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy for the US Military Central Command, and former US Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison.

HEZBOLLAH WANTS TO SHIFT BALANCE
Murr allegedly told his guests that there is not an army in the world that can conduct a coup d’état in 12 hours without significant preparation. The surveillance cameras that were placed at the airport by Hezbollah, used in conjunction with radios, were part of a larger plan by Hezbollah to shift the balance of power in the government, he claimed. For previous political assassinations, he explained, Hezbollah has typically spent two to three months monitoring its target, and then the last few weeks in closer scrutiny before attacking.

Murr noted that the airport cameras, stolen in September 2007 from Transportation Minister Mohamad Safadi's private aviation business office and installed on April 23, 2008, were positioned to watch private jet traffic. They were providing intelligence for an imminent assassination attempt.

HARIRI, SANIORA TOP TARGETS
He expressed belief that March 14 Sunni leader Saad Hariri (whose name is often mentioned as the next prime minister) and current Prime Minister Fouad Saniora (also Sunni) were the top targets, and he himself was next on Hezbollah’s list. He noted that all three had been likely to travel in the next few weeks.

The coup indicates that Hezbollah wanted to do something to bring down the Sunnis, Murr claimed. If Saad were killed, the Hariri dynasty would be over, and Sunni fighters would take to the street. He continued, Hezbollah would have a reason to use arms to defend itself because it will have pointed to Al-Qaeda as the mastermind of the assassination.

Murr supported this hypothesis by revealing that he had received reports that Al-Qaeda was preparing an attack on a plane over Beirut International Airport. Murr highlighted that these intelligence reports were coming from the LAF G-2 (military intelligence) office in Dahiyeh, the southern suburb of Beirut. Murr concluded that someone was feeding false information to the G-2 to prepare the atmosphere.
An alibi was further established when Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is purportedly financed by Iran, announced last month that Lebanon "will play a pivotal role in the fight," Murr posited. Then, when the Cabinet responded to the cameras on May 5 by transferring the head of airport security, Hezbollah seized the opportunity to launch its coup, he claimed.

ARMY DID NOT DO JOB
"The LAF did not do the job like it needed to," Murr assessed. He said that the army cannot enter into a civil war because it would be split. Another weak point, according to Murr, is that the LAF's current commander, General Michel Sleiman, is also the only presidential candidate. Once a general has his eye on becoming the president, Murr said, he can no longer take a stand against any single group. "He will play the hero to the end," Murr continued. Sleiman was playing two roles, Murr relayed, he was first trying to make a balance between the victorious Shia and the defeated Sunnis, while also serving as an army commander afraid of Hezbollah and of splitting the army.

Murr qualified his assessment of the LAF by recounting past LAF achievements, most notably Nahr al-Barid, and concluded that the LAF can be counted on again, if the internal political process is functional. He added that its future success is further guaranteed if the next LAF G-2 Intelligence Director, LAF commander, and Defense Minister are allies.

"I can't say I am disappointed (with the LAF's performance) because I always knew what I could expect. Besides, every army goes through a turbulent period," Murr said. "I could take one of two approaches now. I could criticize the LAF and explain its faults to the world. Or, I could acknowledge that the LAF had a difficult moment, and now it is time to equip, train, and develop a forward-looking program."

MURR DISAPPOINTED

Murr relayed that he had heard from politicians, LAF officers, and ordinary citizens that they are disappointed in what they see as a lack of support from the US. Some believe they have "been left in Saigon," Murr added. He said that he himself had not been expecting more because he understands how the "US agenda can't move according to Saad and Walid Jumblatt's agendas." Nevertheless, he said he was realistic and with his feet on the ground, it is time to move forward.

Murr urged Dempsey (whose next meeting was with Sleiman) to give the impression to Sleiman that the US is very serious about Lebanon and will continue to train and equip the LAF. Tell him that this "incident" will not change US policy towards the LAF, Murr encouraged. If the LAF doesn't have hope, it will go to Hezbollah, he warned. Right now, we need to have hope, a positive morale, and more time in order to survive and ultimately win, Murr rallied.

MURR WANTS WEAKENED HEZBOLLAH

In response to Dempsey's interest in what would prompt the LAF to stand up to Hezbollah, Murr outlined three possible regional scenarios which would result in a weakened Hezbollah, and consequently enable the LAF to take control. First, he described, Iran announces it has nuclear weapons and the international community conducts military strikes taking out its nuclear facilities. Additionally, the US (or international community) threatens or attacks Syria. Hezbollah is consequently weakened without its power and funding sources and the GOL will feel emboldened to discuss Hezbollah arms, he claimed.

Second, Murr continued, war could break out again between Israel and Hezbollah, and Hezbollah is defeated. The LAF takes over in the south and the GOL is again ready to discuss disarming Hezbollah. Murr commented that he did not see the likelihood of this scenario.

LET’S MOVE HEZBOLLAH TO GROUP OF GANGSTERS!

The third scenario takes a long-term approach during which the LAF is strengthened step-by-step while "waiting for better days." Murr cautioned that Hezbollah is also brainstorming now about its strategy, and this long-term approach could be a reinforcement race. "The best day for Lebanon will be when we move Hezbollah from a resistance movement to a group of gangsters." The goal of this scenario is to wait until the dynamics have changed to favor the GOL and the LAF, and then the empowered GOL and LAF would take on Hezbollah. However, Murr warned, this strategy would take a long time.

In these three scenarios, the premise is for Hezbollah to be weakened by external events while at the same time, the LAF has been strengthened, Murr said. With GOL resolve, the LAF can then take on Hezbollah, he added. When asked whether the LAF would use attack helicopters, if the US provided them, against Hezbollah, Murr responded, "The stronger the LAF is, the weaker Hezbollah is."

HARIRI INEXPERIENCED

Having argued that a strong LAF could ultimately stand up to Hezbollah, Murr continued laying out his strategy, focusing on the GOL's role. Murr said that Saad Hariri, who could be the next PM, is inexperienced and would need strong ministers in key positions in the new government, "or else he will fail."

According to the cable, Murr seemed to accept the ten-ten-ten formula for dividing the cabinet, if ten seats are for "strong" majority candidates and the president's ten are for "respectable, strong" individuals. = According to Murr, the opposition is determined to install its own people as the ministers of defense and interior so "there's no one who can say 'no' to any strategy to strengthen the LAF." He explained that the defense strategy is proposed to the Ministry of Defense, which then has the final word. Therefore, he deduced, it is less dangerous to give the opposition the Ministry of Interior than Defense.

While acknowledging that both positions were considered essential and it would be a "catastrophe" if the opposition held both, Murr downplayed the Interior Ministry (which oversees many of the politicized issues including electoral law, voter registration, and the Internal Security Forces). He told his guests that when he was previously the Minister of Interior, his sister lost an election by one vote, concluding, "Trust me! The Minister can't change election results! It's hard to cheat, I know!"

Moreover, he said, there should be international observers for the summer 2009 parliamentary elections. "Ideally, we win the parliamentary elections, and have a strong LAF Commander and G-2," he hoped. He concluded by stressing that it is an investment in the future to strengthen the LAF, regardless of what is happening on the ground.

This strategy requires teamwork, Murr stated. "You don't want to invest in the LAF if it is between the hands of Hezbollah," he said. The cable noted that while a Hezbollah-controlled Defense Ministry is a red line for Murr, he said he is unsure if he is willing to trade the Interior Ministry for Defense because the Interior Minister could impose conditions on the LAF.

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Wikileaks: Murr: "These are Sleiman's three C's; caution, coward, collusion..."

Via LLC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000681
SUBJECT: LEBANON: MINDEF MURR MEETING ON 11 MAY 2008
(...)
3. (C) Murr set the stage for our early Sunday morning by
telling us about his newest neighbors. Evidently, Free
Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun has received 200
new body guards to protect his residence in Rabieh which is
not far from Murr's home. These fighters had infiltrated into
Rabieh on dirt tracks that were not guarded. Now, according
to Murr, his nine year old daughter asks him, "who are those
dirty men with beards outside?" (Comment. If Murr were really
in distress about this new development, it is unlikely that
he would still have his two children in the house while his
ex-wife was out of the country. End Comment.)....

5. (C) Murr, clearly upset with the LAF's lack of
performance, told Charge that Sleiman was a "coward." Charge
recalled USDP Edelman's question to Sleiman about a lack of
LAF action leading to questions of either caution or
collusion on the part of the LAF. Murr agreed saying , "these
are Sleiman's three C's; caution, coward, collusion."...

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 4:34 PM

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Wikileaks: After being scolded by Eric Edelman, Michel Suleiman: "Sacrifice yourselves to protect Hariri and Jumblatt!"

Via FLC

I’d catch a grenade for ya

Throw my hand on a blade for ya

Original in English, tomorrow: Excerpt:

"... 12. Chargé d'affaires told (Michel)Suleiman that the embassy has spoken to a Lebanese army officer who complained that 'the politicians have gotten us in this mess' and that it was not the duty of the army that protects them ... The Charge told Suleiman that this was 'unacceptable' and that the Grand Serail must be protected the Grand Serail as well as the homes of political leaders, especially in light of rumors circulating about the possibility of exposure of these sites to 'attacks during the night'... During that meeting with Suleiman, the Charge got a call from Assistant Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman to consult with existing work and to speak to Suleiman. After scolding Suleiman, stressing the expectations of the U.S. government .... Suleiman immediately contacted his field commanders. Suleiman reiterated his orders to the commander of the regiment Brigadier Qais Saleh, a Shiite. Suleiman said specifically, 'you will defend the Grand Serail and Quraytem and Clemenceau to death. Sacrifice yourselves to protect these places. The enemy must pass over your dead bodies to enter..."

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 6:59 PM

Wikileaks: Elias Murr: "Bearded, dirty Hezbollah fighters are taking over the Christian areas!"

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 9:51 PM

Wikileaks: Michelle Sison:"Elias Murr is full of it!"

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 9:52 PM

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WikiLeaks: Murr Says Sleiman Will Fight Hezbollah!

Another WikiLeaks cable revealed on Saturday that Defense Minister in the caretaker government in Lebanon Elias Murr has told the Americans that President Michel Sleiman was set to fight Hezbollah till the end.

SLEIMAN WILL FIGHT HEZBOLLAH

According to the cable, Murr told then US ambassador to Beirut Michele Sisson that the president was disappointed that the independent Christians were choosing not to run in the election, citing prominent industrialist Nemat Frem inparticular.

Sleiman reportedly conveyed to Murr his “frustration” with Hezbollah, and said he would fight Hezbollah to the end. Murr said he sensed a change in Sleiman's attitude toward Hezbollah from when he was LAF Commander and believes that Sleiman is feeling increasingly hindered by Hezbollah, hence the hardening of his attitude.

Murr posited that Sleiman had expected Hezbollah would not compete strongly against the President's former aide, Nazem Khoury, for a seat in Jbeil district. Sleiman realized now, however, that Hezbollah would not make such an agreement and would strongly support its political ally Michel Aoun against Christian candidates, including Khoury, the cable quoted him as saying. Sleiman saw that Hezbollah’s only “gift” to Sleiman was the presidency, Murr said.

Murr claimed that his colleague in the cabinet, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, had been making frequent visits to Michel Aoun's residence, which is near Murr's. When he passed thisinformation on to Sleiman, Murr said, the president threatened Baroud with making him resign.

MURR FEARS HEZBOLLAH, FPM ATTACK

During the same meeting, which took place on the eve of Murr’s visit to Washinton, the Defense Minister discussed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) many successes and credited US military assistance. He made a plea for an additional close-air support deliverable to demonstrate to so-called moderate Lebanese Christians (whose votes key swing districts are expected to determine the outcome of the June 7 parliamentary elections) and continued US support for the moderates in Lebanon.

Murr noted that he would be the first Christian political figure from the Middle East to go to Washington since Obama's election. Appreciative of the anticipated May shipment of military equipment from the US (Ref C) and the impending arrival of the Caravan, Murr made a plea for the announcement of an additional close-air support deliverable from the US during his trip.

Murr requested "some sort of aviation to sell to Christian voters during the elections." He clarified that he knew it was unreasonable to expect an actual deliverable before the June 7 parliamentary elections, but argued that an announcement of something to come from the US would be ideal in demonstrating continued US support for the moderates in Lebanon. He also suggested that a US push for UAE provision of 10 Hawks (from the UAE's inventory of 30 Hawks to be retired) would be welcome.

Murr feared Hezbollah and Free Patriotic Movement opposition Christian leader Michel Aoun would attack him in the headlines if he returned from the US "empty-handed."

LEBANON WILL NOT ACCEPT MIG-29S BEFORE 2040

According to the cable, dated April 4, 2006, Murr relayed that the Russian Defense Minister wants to visit Lebanon. He added that the Russians have been asking when the LAF officers would go to Russia for training on the MiG-29s it offered to the LAF in December (Ref D).

Murr said he had already begun hinting to the Russians that he did not want the fighter aircraft. He reiterated to the Ambassador that Lebanon would not be accepting the MiG-29s for a long time. "Not before 2040!" he stressed.

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Wikileaks: Michel Sleiman to Jeffrey Feltman: "Elias Murr is the best choice for the Ministry of Interior because he antagonizes Hezbollah"

Wikileaks

"... Two days after the meeting, Feltman had dinner with Michel Suleiman. It lasted three hours in the officer's club at Yarze. Feltman explained the 'call' (07BEIRUT1641) as an attempt by Suleimann 'to correct the bad impression left by his performance during his meeting with Adelman'. Suleiman expressed his displeasure with the charge against him as a 'Syrian agent' and expressed  his fears that Damascus was concocting bad things for Lebanon..... Suleiman talked with admiration of Elias Murr, and  Saad Hariri. He added that the Sunnis 'discovered the Lebanese army' thanks to Hariri...  Suleiman wanted to leave a strong impression in Feltman's mind that he is 'independent from Syria', .....   Suleiman also spoke very negatively of President Emile Lahoud, in terms (according to Feltman, November 24, 2007, 07BEIRUT1852) that were never used in Diplomatic cables ,.... . At the end of this meeting, Feltman saw that Suleiman succeeded in convincing the Americans that he is not a 'Syrian agent'. But as far as presenting himself as a candidate for the presidency, Feltman goes on to say that Suleiman failed....

12 days later (07BEIRUT1723,  October 30, 2007), Feltman noted that 'Suleiman's positions evolved' significantly. Feltman visited him to inform him that the U.S. government was poised to impose sanctions against any individual who'd accept  appointment to a second government formed by President Emile Lahoud. Suleiman commented by saying that this was 'clear and good', .... Suleiman often reminded Feltman of his 'evolution' and stressed his conviction that the army should NOT remain neutral should one of the parties decide to change the status quo by force. Feltman believed that the 'evolution' in Suleiman's position was due to  three things: (1) the intervention of  Elias Murr has, and (2)  a threat by Walid Jumblatt that the Druze officers would not stand idly by and (3), Suleiman's 'ambitions'.... Suleiman saw that Hezbollah's declared support for his candidacy was to 'burn' him.... Suleiman saw that once Hezbollah & Syria's allies support a candidate, the later loses his appeal as people will brand him as a 'Syrian lackey'...  When Feltman asked for Suleiman's advice for any future President whether to keep Elias Murr in the Ministry of Defence, Suleiman replied that the Ministry of Defense is not important, especially if the relationship was good between the President and the government and the commander of the army......  but the presence of Murr, a rival for Hezbollah, in the Ministry of Interior, was thus essential..."

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 11:11 PM

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Lebanon's 'Von Seeckt', Elias Murr: "I am a patriot & Feltman is a liar!"

Via FLC

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 10:40 AM

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March 14 Wanted Russian Fighter Jets to ‘Scare’ Hezbollah!

Local Editor

Day after another, a new scandal is uncovered through the WikiLeaks documents…

The latest discovery in this context resides in the fact that the March 14 bloc wanted to get fighter jets out of belief such deal would “scare” Hezbollah, nothing more.

In 2008, while Lebanese were greeting with joy the announcement of a donation of ten MiG-29 Russian warplanes, believing it would strengthen the capacities of the Lebanese army against Israeli threats, the leaders of the March 14 bloc who were in power had in mind a completely different project.

Too simply, they wanted to exploit the Russian offer to weaken their political rivals, mainly Hezbollah!

This what was revealed by new WikiLeaks documents published on Friday by Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, detailing meetings that joined then US ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale with Lebanese officials, including the head of the caretaker government Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Defense Minister in the caretaker Government Elias Murr.

HARIRI WANTS TO WEAKEN HEZBOLLAH

According to the head of the caretaker government Saad Hariri, the Russian MiG-29 fighter jets would strengthen the March 14 forces and prevent Hezbollah from repeating the so-called May 7 incidents.

Hariri was speaking during a meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale on December 17, 2008.

He reportedly said that the planes would further weaken one of Hezbollah’s “excuses” to hold onto its arms. “Hezbollah is feeling threatened by the MiG deal and the party's al-Manar TV station dealt with it (the issue) negatively,” Hariri claimed, without convincing the US ambassador who admitted that there was no negative reaction from the Resistance group on the MiG deal. "A Hezbollah representative has stressed in an official statement his support to arm the Lebanese military to confront Israel," Sison wrote.

MURR BELIEVES JETS BEST WAY TO DESTROY HEZBOLLAH

Anoter leaked US Embassy cable published exclusively in Al-Akhbar on Friday revealed that Defense Minister Elias Murr had initially rejected a Russian grant of 77 tanks and 50,000 of their ammunition, saying that the Lebanese had no need for them.

The WikiLeaks cable spoke of a December 16, 2008, meeting between Murr and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov, during which the Lebanese official explained that Lebanon is in need of MiG fighter jets. The Russian official grew frustrated with Murr's request, eventually conceding to granting Lebanon 10 MiG-29 fighter jets for free.

Murr recounted the details of the meeting to then US Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison. He explained that he had no choice but to accept the offer because if he rejected it, he would have been labeled as a traitor who is following an American agenda. He went on to say that the Russian offer could be used against Hezbollah, noting that it could bolster the March 14 camp's chances of winning the 2009 parliamentary elections, according to the cable.

The MiG jets are the best way to combat and destroy Hezbollah, Murr claimed.

The December 22, 2008, cable revealed that Sison had opposed the MiG deal to which Murr responded that he will not reply to the offer before the end of 2009.

In a later cable, dated April 6, 2009, the minister informed the ambassador that Lebanon will reject the Russian offer, saying it won't accept it "before 2040."

GEAGEA ASSURES ISRAEL NOT THREATENED!

Even more, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea chose to offer guarantees to the United States that its ally, the Israeli enemy, would not be threatened by the Russian deal!

According to a WikiLeaks cable dated December 19, 2008, Geagea told US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale that Lebanese army pilots need hundreds of MiG-29 Russian fighter jets and tens of years of experience on the jets to “threaten” Israel.

Geagea reportedly warned during the meeting that MiG jets would "most probably complicate US efforts aimed at building support for the army inside Congress and with Israelis."

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