Syria: Inevitable Death to Anyone Who Approaches Capital

Local Editor

A Syrian military source stressed on Wednesday that Damascus will remain safe, local daily Al-Watan reported. “Damascus is safe and will remain safe. There is no reason for panic. State guards are deployed in their positions and have the capabilities, courage and the skills enough for defeating terrorist and terrorism,” he said. “We repeatedly used every possible means to warn the terrorist groups that approaching Damascus will lead to their death and their leaders’,” he added, noting that “infiltration attempts are carried out across several axes, where all or most of infiltrators are often killed, while the rest flee away.” The source pointed out that “all formations of the Syrian army are ready to defend Damascus, whose land has not and will not be defiled by terrorists.”

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The Big Deal in Syria Game

Thursday, 10 January 2013 09:53

Signs of Agreement among Big Powers for Conditional Stay of Assad   Ali Qaderi - Expert on International Affairs   Asriran News Website   Translated By: Iran Review.Org   A review of the latest developments in Syria will show that conflicts between the Syrian army and the armed opposition have entered a new phase. The most suitable word which can be possibly used to describe this phase of Syrian conflicts is “the show of force in the battlefield between the army and the armed opposition.”   Although various armed opposition groups in Syria achieved relative unity following their meeting in Antalya, Turkey, and their command structure has become more centralized, those efforts have not been yet translated into tangible field results on the ground and the Free Syrian Army has not been able to change the balance of power in its favor.   The Antalya meeting was the opportunity that the United States gave Syrian armed groups and their regional and European supporters, especially France, in order to make their final decision about continuation of military operations in Syria. The reality, however, is that the actual results in the field following the meeting show that the armed opposition groups have not only been unable to score any important achievement in recent weeks, but the state of affairs has been also in favor of the Syrian army.   Of course, when the al-Tawhid Brigade, which is a unit of the Free Syrian Army, managed to conquer the Syrian Ground Forces Academy on the outskirts of the city of Aleppo, the commanders of the Free Syrian Army came to believe that the zero hour for the Syrian government in the north of country has arrived. However, after the Syrian army cut the strategic road connecting Al-Raqqa to Aleppo, thus completing the siege of the eastern side of Aleppo, it was clear that the Free Syrian Army’s dream had a long way to go before being realized.   Continued and steady advance of the Syrian army on the east, west, and southwest of the capital, Damascus, and subsequent withdrawal of the Free Syrian Army from Aleppo was followed by coordinated assaults of the armed opposition groups on military airports in the suburbs of Idlib, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor.   The latest new on the war of airports shows that the Syrian army has successfully repelled armed attacks on the military airport of Taftanaz on the suburbs of Idlib, the civilian airport of Deir ez-Zor as well as Kawirs, Ming, and Al-Neirab military airports on the suburbs of Aleppo. However, after the intelligence units of the Syrian army captured four Turkish air force officers, the conflicts spread to the vicinity of the international airport of Aleppo.   Review of the military strategy of the Free Syrian Army clearly proves that the movements of this army are by no means conducive to a situation which may lead to the fall of the Syrian government. The fact that the Syrian armed opposition has concentrated on military and civilian strategic centers instead of cities proves the reality that the Free Syrian Army is planning to increase its weight in the battlefield vis-à-vis the Syrian army. This is why the armed groups affiliated to the Free Syrian Army have made no effort to attack big and even small cities after their plan No. 2 for attacking Damascus proved to be a failure.   In fact, the main goal of the armed conflicts has changed from “toppling the government” to increasing the weight of the Syrian opposition in order to increase “their share of power.”   One of the main objectives of Antalya meeting was to unite various armed groups under a single command, in order to marginalize Jabhat al-Nusrah li-Ahl al-Sham (The Support Front for the People of Syria) which is also known as Al-Nusra Front and has known Al-Qaeda affiliations. The current trend of battlefield developments, however, shows that the influence of Al-Nusra Front among other armed groups is increasing. It is notable that the United States has put this group on its black list of terrorist groups.   The Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda is characterized by powerful organization and high combat power and has been a regular presence in almost all the conflicts between the armed opposition and the Syrian army: from Aleppo to Idlib in the north; from Hama to Homs in the center; and from the suburbs of Damascus to south and east of Syria. As a result, there has been no differentiation between the Free Syrian Army and Al-Nusra Front in most armed conflicts in Syria. According to the Lebanese daily As-Safir, the Al-Nusra Front has absorbed part of the Western and Arab funds which have been channeled to the Syrian opposition following their meeting in Morocco. Some have noted that sending the funds, which have reportedly amounted to 25 million dollars, to Al-Qaeda prompted Washington to reprimand its former ambassador to Syria and also led to deposition of a number of the US State Department officials.   Russia’s military and naval buildup in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which has been reported by the country’s Defense Ministry as having no precedence in the past decades, and holding of massive naval drills around the Syrian port of Tartus, are all meant to send a clear message to certain regional and European capital. This time, Moscow has chosen to send that message through a “series of naval drills from the Sea of Oman to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. A list of weapons used as well as the area covered by the naval maneuvers reveal that an integrated format has been used in all of them which pivots around a single theme: Syria.   The direct impact of these developments on a recent Syria peace plan forwarded by the UN – Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, is quite evident. The plan, also known as Geneva 2, was formulated after the recent convergence of views between Russia and the United States over Syria. The plan which was taken to Damascus by the seasoned Algerian diplomat last week includes certain points which indicate that a major development is possible in Syria crisis.   The plan focuses on the following points:   1. Nationwide crease-fire; 2. Presence of international observers to supervise implementation of the cease-fire; 3. Establishment of a constitutional committee to review the country’s constitution; 4. Establishment of a national unity government; and 5. Holding free parliamentary elections under the eyes of international observers.   Brahimi’s plan has made no mention of the incumbent President Bashar Assad’s resignation before the next presidential polls, which are scheduled to be held in 2014. It has also not called for drastic changes in the existing structure of the Syrian army and intelligence agencies.   What the plan actually calls for is to delegate all executive powers of the president to a “national unity government” which has been accepted by Bashar Assad provided that no obstacles are put on his way to take part in the forthcoming presidential election and compete with other candidates. Some say that Assad has not only showed no sensitivity toward a change in the system of government from presidency to a parliamentary democracy, but has also supported it as a way to allay tribal and religious concerns in Syria.   Therefore, it seems that after official acceptance of this plan by the Syrian president, it will form the axis of future negotiations between Russian deputy foreign minister and the US undersecretary of state over the shares of Assad, the opposition, and independent figures in the national unity cabinet and details of other issues.   The notable point is that the circle of Syrian opposition is now much wider than the Syrian National Coalition, also known as the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, and includes those opposition groups whose positions are similar to Moscow and Tehran. It should be noted that military developments in Syria were not the sole driving factor behind this solution. Such a development in Syria crisis can be indicative of possibility of a “big regional and international deal among involved parties.” On the other hands, the fact that the United States has accepted Iran as part of “Syria crisis resolution structure” within framework of “Geneva 2” initiative can be a result of the behind-the-scenes progresses made in talks over Iran's nuclear energy program. All these developments are also indicative of the precedence of a political and diplomatic solution over a military one. This approach can help to reduce the human cost of Syria crisis, especially taking into account that the brunt of such costs is borne by the Syrian people. The question, now, is “will this solution be able to quench the flames of conflict in Syria?”   Without any doubt, if and when this plan is endorsed by the White House, regional and European capitals would have no other choice, but to accept it.  Meanwhile, rejection of the plan by the armed groups affiliated to the Free Syrian Army will have negative effects on their fate.   The White House’s concern about repetition of Libya developments, gradual invigoration of Al-Qaeda in Syria and lack of trust in the ability of the Salafist ranks of the Free Syrian Army to deal with Al-Qaeda have given the United States ample reason not to cross the red line which has been drawn by Russians, namely, the Syrian army. Of course, it should be admitted that the ongoing conflict between the Syrian army and Al-Qaeda is a totally win-win game for Americans. Therefore, the final problem in Syria is the presence of Al-Qaeda and Jihadist Salafist groups in the country with the difference being that this time, the cost of their presence will not be solely shouldered by Syria. Those who dreamt of holding congregational prayers at the Umayyad Mosque [of Damascus] and paying tribute to Ṣalaḥ al-Din Ayyubi will also have to pay a price.   Key Words: Syria Game, Big Powers, Armed Opposition, Turkey, Antalya Meeting, Lakhdar Brahimi, Qaderi هل ستنخرط البحرية الروسية بالمعارك في سوريا؟   River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

CIA training FSA Al-Qaeda Terrorists from around the world to destabilize Syria

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Paul Larudee: has Palestine been Abandonned By Its Own Leadership?

Monday, September 24, 2012 at 11:00PM Gilad Atzmon

Introduction by Gabi Weber
http://othersite.org/palestine-abandonned-by-its-own-leadership-letter-from-paul-larudee-to-al-awda-list/

Paul Larudee, the co-founder of the Free Palestine Movement and one of the leading Pro-Palestinian activists in America, posted the following text on the Al Awda list. It seems as if BDS has given up on the most essential and crucial Palestinian principles.

While BDS was initially committed to the opposition of colonisation of all Arab lands, the current BDS' goal statement merely opposes only the colonisation of Arab lands occupied in 1967.
The BDS clearly changed its goal statement.
The following text raises serious questions. Perhaps one of our readers can provide the answers.

"Dear friends,

It is with great sadness that I must propose withdrawal of al-Awda endorsement from the BDS Campaign led by the BNC until the change in its mission statement has been corrected and until a public explanation is provided for the reasons for the change as well as the procedure by which the change was implemented. A more transparent public explanation of BNC finances is also recommended.

Obviously, this is not a proposal to stop boycott, divestment and sanctions. However, BDS actions and practices do not require endorsement of a particular movement. Everything that undermines the racist Zionist state deserves our support. Nevertheless, under no circumstances can we support any statement or action that legitimates such a state, which is the problem with the BNC-led BDS Campaign.
As I reported on July 10, the original BDS mission statement reads:

"1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall"
In fact, it still reads that way on one part of the website: http://www.bdsmovement.net/call. Unfortunately, that part of the website is historical, and reports what the original mission statement was when it was issued in 2005 (when al-Awda endorsed it), and not what it is today, which is found at http://www.bdsmovement.net/bdsintro, which reads:

"1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dismantling the Wall" (emphasis added)

When did this wording change? By what procedure was it amended? Were endorsers like al-Awda consulted or even notified about the change? What was the reason for the change?

1. When did the wording change?

Sorry, but I have no idea about this, and I doubt that anyone else on this list does, either. This is problematic. How can a change of this magnitude be made without the permission of its endorsers? How can endorsers be made to say something that they never endorsed? This is deception at its worst.

2. By what procedure was the statement amended?

One would think that such a change would require a proposal to and ratification by the governing committee of the BNC. However, there is no evidence that such a procedure was observed. Lacking evidence to the contrary, we must conclude that it was amended unilaterally by someone with control over the website.

3. Were endorsers like al-Awda consulted or even notified about the change?

Again, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, it appears that the change in language was introduced in the most surreptitious way possible, so as to avoid notice. One is reminded of the way the British territory of Gibraltar was enlarged by moving the boundary stones at night.

4. What was the reason for the change?

This is the most troubling part of the problem. A clue may be found in the following video, posted by Gilad Atzmon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVT6abeaGas&feature=plcp




Another clue comes from BDS Campaign founder Omar Barghouti's book, Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights. In the introduction, Barghouti describes the goal as some Zionist right wing sources name George Soros and his Open Society Institute as helping to fund BDS and some of its member organizations.

 We know that Soros is a "soft" Zionist and wants to preserve a Jewish state. Is his funding or that of any other funding organizations a reason for the change in the mission statement?

A full disclosure of funding sources and amounts, as well as any and all conditions of funding is needed. In addition, the use of those funds, including line item amounts, is needed in order to demonstrate accountability.

I again wish to express my sorrow at bringing these matters to your attention. I hope that my concerns are unjustified. However, I also hope that you will agree that this is an issue that must be addressed.
Paul Larudee"

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Aoun: Israel Has Ambitions in Lebanon, Some Forget it

Local Editor

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said on Wednesday that some Lebanese forget the Israeli threats around Lebanon and try to link Syrian events with Lebanese ones in order to spread chaos.

“Today, someone is trying to link Syrian events with incidents in Lebanon in order to spread chaos and reach a state of desperation,” Aoun said during a ceremony celebrating the Resistance and Liberation Day, which marks the 2000 withdrawal of Zionist occupation troops from part of South Lebanon.

“Israel, undoubtedly, has ambitions in Syria and Lebanon. This is the essence of struggle,” he also said.
“Israel withdrew from South Lebanon in 2000, but they still insist on… tampering with Lebanon’s stability. The 2006 July War was not a coincidence. They planned it, and used Hezbollah’s kidnapping of Israeli soldiers as a pretext to launch the war.”

He also warned that some groups were attempting to drag the Resistance into “domestic struggles.”
“What is unfortunate is that many Lebanese people deviated from the resistance path and forgot the Israeli threat.”

Aoun commented on Tuesday’s kidnapping of Lebanese men in Syria, calling it a “terrorist act.”
On Tuesday, Lebanese citizens were kidnapped in Aleppo province as they were headed back home by bus from a pilgrimage in Iran. Their families said that they were abducted by the Free Syrian Army.
The FPM leader also addressed the release of Shadi al-Mawlawi, saying: “It is inappropriate to celebrate the release of a [person] supposedly accused of at least smuggling arms.”

Aoun also said that Sunday’s killing of a Sunni cleric “was not an assassination” and voiced hope that the investigation into the matter would end soon.

Army troops shot dead sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahed and his bodyguard after they refused to stop at a military checkpoint.

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Salute to the Daughters of Palestine; the Mothers of Palestinian Political Prisoners

Posted on 09/05/2012by reham alhelsi 


I saw her during a protest in support of Hana’ Ash-Shalabi. She was sitting, surrounded by protesters, too weak to stand, and holding a poster of Hana’. People around her tried to convince her to go home and eat or at least drink something.

She looked at us and shook her head: ‘This is the least I can do. Hana’ is on hunger strike in an Israeli dungeon. She is on hunger strike for justice and for her dignity, for the dignity of all of us. Hunger striking in solidarity with Hana’ is the least I can do.’

She sat there, surrounded by mothers, grandmothers, daughters, comrades, and held tighter to Hana’s poster, as if protecting her, saving her from the jailors, taking away her pain.

I watched her, held tighter to my poster of Hana’ and thought of Hana’ in her dungeon; Hana’ the refugee who never saw her hometown Haifa (the only time she was allowed into Haifa, she was on hospital bed to be treated after her health deteriorated due to her hunger strike), and I looked at this woman, this elderly woman who was kicked out of her village 64 years ago, and who is hunger striking in solidarity with a fellow Palestinian. 

Mother of Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike Thai’r Halahleh.
source: google images

They never met, but like every Palestinian mother, Hana’ was her daughter, and like every Palestinian, Hana’ was her sister, comrade and friend.

On another day, in another protest tent, I looked at the mothers, every one of them hugging the framed picture of her detained child. Some held two pictures, others three.

One of the mothers hadn’t seen her son in over 27 years. She sat in a wheel chair, her body weak, but her spirits high and she hopes to see her son before she dies. When I asked her about her health, she smiled and said: ‘Alhamdullilah ya binty’.

Every now and then, she would give a zaghrouteh for the prisoners and their struggle. One woman came and kissed her hand and wrapped the Palestinian flag around her shoulder.

A young man in his early twenties walked towards another mother and kissed her hand. She too hugged the picture of her son who had received several life sentences.

My cousin introduced to another mother, whose two children received several life sentences. She held their pictures and every now and then would look at the pictures and smile at them. And as these mothers talked about their children, hugging their pictures, wiping the dust off the frame as if fearing the dust would cause discomfort to their children, I remembered my grandmother and the many times when she would spend the day visiting her 4 children, running from one jail to another, just to visit them, to see them, to hear their voice, to tell them how much she loved them, to ask if they were fine, if they needed anything.

She never complained, despite the harsh trip or the long distances she had to travel, and only thought of her children, my uncles, and seeing them and talking to them, and maybe, just maybe, being able to touch their fingers through the division wire during the visit. Her only worry was always missing a visit because my uncles were distributed in various jails. With time, as she was forced to travel even longer distances, we started dividing ourselves to be able to visit all my uncles whenever the visits happened to be on the same day.

Mother of Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike Bilal Thiab. source: google images

Today, as thousands of Palestinian political prisoners held captive in Israeli dungeons enter their 23rd day of general open hunger strike, solidarity actions, protests and marches extend from Jerusalem to Acca, from Gaza to Um Il-Fahim, from Nablus to An-Nasrah, from Cairo to Paris, from Amman to Rome, from London to Ankara. In the protest tents spread across occupied Palestine, their heads raised despite the pain, keeping back the tear, and often not succeeding, it is the mothers of Palestinian prisoners, our mothers, the daughters of Palestine, who are forever present.

They are the first to join protests in solidarity with their children on hunger strike, and in support of all their children, for a Palestinian prisoner is the son/daughter of every Palestinian mother.

They are the first to set up protest tents, the first to march towards the Red Cross or the UN buildings and remind the world of the heroes buried in Zionist dungeons. They are present everywhere, they lead the protests, their voices ringing through time and space, breaking the silence of the world, writing the names of their children high in the sky, high up, where no one can erase them, where no one can ignore them, where everyone can see them: Tha’ir, Bilal, Khader, Hana’, Hassan, Omar, Mohammad, Faris, Ja’far, Abdallah, Ahmad, Wurud and every single one of them.

Dear mothers,

Mother of Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike Hasan As-Safadi. source: google images

Add captionAdd captionI have no words to describe your greatness, because an ocean of words will fall short of describing your courage, your steadfastness, your patience. I see you, and I wish I could wipe away that tear before it falls, I wish I could bring a smile to your aching heart, I wish I could touch your hand and make all your nightmares disappear. I hear you zaghroutah despite your pain, ringing in the sky over Palestine, saluting the revolutionaries and freedom fighters everywhere, and slapping the cowards, the traitors and all those who want to sell Palestine in return for a Bantustan and a chair and a palace. I hear your prayer, shortening distances, breaking the walls of the dungeons and reaching your child in the dungeon: ‘Allah yirda 3alek yamma’.

Your children are our brothers, our sisters, our comrades, our friends. They are our voice raised against injustice, our rock standing steadfast in the face of the storm, our teachers, our leaders, our heroes. Since the Zionist terrorists occupied and colonized Palestine, your children have kept the flame of resistance alive, have chosen action over apathy, courage over cowardice, and resistance over surrender and dignity over food. And today, they continue to carry the flame of resistance, they continue to lead us, continue to defy the jailors, continue to resist, for us, for every Palestinian, for every dignified human being, for Palestine.

Your children are heroes, dear mothers of Palestine. With every battle, with every hunger strike, with every new day, they write the name Palestine in history books, they fight injustice and defy a blind, deaf and mute world. With every passing day, your children break the chains of captivity, break down the walls of the dungeons, and march towards freedom, towards Jerusalem. They are more free than we are, for they defy the chains and the walls and revolt, they defy the jailors and the killers and live, they defy injustice through stomachs empty of food and through hearts full of the love for Palestine.

They are the heroes of the Palestinian people, the heroes of Palestine, every single one of them. And it is our duty to support them in their struggle, to make their voices heard, to tell their stories and to make their demands ours. It is our duty to demand their freedom, demand justice for them. It is our duty to join them in their march towards freedom.

In his poem “My Mother”, late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish addressed his mother saying:

I must be worth my life

At the hour of my death

Worth the tears of my mother

Today, thousands of Palestinian political prisoners held captive is Israeli dungeons enter their 23rd day of general open hunger strike.

• Bilal Thiab enters his 72 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.
• Tha’ir Halahleh enters his 72 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.
• Hasan As-Safadi enters his 66 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.
• Omar Abu Shallal enters his 64 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.
• Mohammad At-Taj enters his 56 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.
• Mahmoud Sirsik enters his 50 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.
• Ja’far Izz Iddin enters his 49 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.

Faris An-Natour enters his 44 day of open hunger strike in protest of his arbitrary detention.

Abdallah Al-Bargouthi enters his 28 day of open hunger strike in protest of the policy of isolation.

Freedom for ALL Palestinian political prisoners held captive in Israeli dungeons.

Freedom for ALL political prisoners held captive in Israeli dungeons.

© http://avoicefrompalestine.wordpress.com/

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  

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Encircle and delegitimize the Zionist state.

Generation after generation until total Liberation
Image PalestineFreeVoice

Encircle and delegitimize the Zionist state.

By Fadwa Nassar

Edit and translation from French to English by Hiyam Noir

July 10 2011
.

The creation of the Zionist entity “ Israel”, was a rough decision made by United Nations , that did not have the requirement to a legal statute. In consequence, still today after more than sixty years Israel have no eligibility to assert legitimacy of its existence.

Imperialist and colonial states which assured its formation in 1947, by a vote was not only illegal, but also corrupt. Corrupt, because some of the voices have been persuaded by bribes of money. Illegal, because no power in the world has the right to snatch the land from a people, to be used as a one-stop center of mental behavioral health treatment for a population of European Jewry, on the pretext that those people were victims of a murder. And it is true that these colonial states, was pursuing a strategically goal, the creation of the Zionist entity in the lands of Palestine. In other words, to ensure their domination over the Arab nations, including Palestine, the heart of Arab countries - with the deliberate intention to dismantle the Arab nation of Palestine, before its indigenous people would have a chance to enjoy their unity in liberty and manifest themselves, as a sovereign nation.

The Zionist colony was thus created in part by an imperialist system. On the other hand, by the Zionist movement, a colonial and racist system. The establishment of an economic and political hegemony ruling over other nations, with European Jews in the frontline ravaging Arab lands. Western countries, but also the Soviet Union and its satellites at the time, had found the occurrence of this Zionist colony in the heart of the Arab world, a perfect opportunity to keep the Arab nation subservient at all levels.

The Arabs, following their successive defeats against the Zionist colony and in the face of colonial states as well, and due to foreign presence on their soil, their general acculturation, had developed an inferiority complex and a feeling of helplessness in the face of the colonizers, whom steadily increased its arrival. Since 1882 European Jewish settlers swarmed into a continent of an overwhelmingly Arab majority.

On the contrary,the Arab majority,not only the Palestinians, became the subject, of military assaults, but also economically and ideologically, of a doctrine holding that the colonizers geographic, economic and political needs justified the invasion and seizure of other peoples land and possessions.

Only the will to resist among the Palestinian people, to which were added the Arab forces shattered across many countries, enabled the culture of resistance to stand up, preventing a total collapse of the Palestinian society, and remaining firm in denial of legitimacy to the most extreme “operation hoax “of the twentieth century: The erection of a shallow Jewish state on Arab land. Despite uncountable Zionist crimes, the resistance of the Palestinian people aimed at ending the expulsion and fend off the occupation of Palestine lands, has always kept the flame alive. Arrogantly, acting as if they are above the law, the racist Zionist entity has managed remaining in force, continuing to expose its crimes and massacres.

Meanwhile deprived of shelter and protection; the Palestinian people have prolonged its bitter struggle for survival. Nonetheless the visual evidence of the candour, the vigorous and persistent character of the Palestinian resistance has become the guiding device towards freedom for the Arab people, whom always declined to grant a presence of a Zionist entity in the center region of the Arabian continent.

The Madrid Conference in 1992 and the Oslo accords in 1993 embodied imperialist and Zionists efforts and justified its colonial presence. But even in this dark period, the political organized opposition continued revealing that the only way to withstand colonial presence and re-conquer freedom and find dignity is resistance. The resent conflicts (uprising) in the Arab world will eventually lead to the collapse of Israel.

The Zionist enterprise “Israel” will not be able to survive, considering the facto, which all the countries involved in the conflict, are against the occupation of Palestine. Even in this dark period, the resistance continued, believing it is the only way able to find dignity and freedom; In Lebanon, the Hezbollah's resistance, born in 1982, and the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement of Hamas, born in 1987, the Islamic Jihad movement, born in 1982, is fighting for the Arab nation of Palestine, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Audacious military operations in Lebanon and Palestine are shaking the stability of the Zionist enemy, an indication that the collapse is that of Arab oppressive regimes, not the will of the Arab people. The liberation of southern Lebanon in May 2000 triggered a few months later, the al - Aqsa Intifada proclaiming the arrival of a new epoch: The Zionist state is now on the slip-slope, bowing down its head. For the Arab and Muslim people, the Zionist entity must disappear, and it can be destroyed.

For the people of the world, the Zionist entity has lost all credibility, and while it’s countless crimes and massacres continues, even within the colonial society the questions about its so-called legitimacy, calls for a reply. The discovery of the true story of the birth of this colonial enterprise, are capsizing the people of the West, large sections of their societies who earlier believed in the future of a “radiant Israeli socialism" and participated in the colonial enterprise between the 1950 and 1970 ties. These societies are now the progressive whom are de-legitimizing the Zionist enterprise which still, more than six decades later is moving towards its goal and so continues to this very day.

The progressive movement of de-legitimization of the colonial and racist Israel has spread throughout the world. International conferences, a Durban (2), international forums, some commissions of the United Nations itself have also contributed to the change. People around the world claim more and more solidarity with the resistance and has organized to block the roads in their own countries, boycott of Israeli made goods and sanctions against representatives of the Zionist entity, including arrest warrants of its war criminals. And the proliferation of the Zionist entity in media bypasses the media subject to Zionist lobbies and disseminates information and anti-Zionist analysis.

After the 2006 Zionist war against the resistance in Lebanon and the war on Gaza in 2008-2009 against the Palestinian resistance, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the destruction of the Gaza infrastructure, the international Palestinian movement have de-legitimized “ Israel” and have decided to move on to the encirclement. Intelligent “Assaults “, such as the AID-Flotillas of freedom, airport demonstrations, and peaceful activities during this year’s memorials of the NAKBA, when thousands of Palestinian refugees and their sympathizers moved along the borders, surrounding the Zionist entity.This equivalent development of international protests began after the wars of 2006 and 2008-2009.

Today, it is the Zionist entity of “Israel” that is surrounded behind it’s illegally erected “security” wall -not the Palestinians in Gaza Strip (GS). The Zionist entity, which surrounds the Gaza Strip (GS) and is choking al-Quds and the West Bank (WB) colonies, is now encircled: The region of al-Nagab is no longer an internal “Israeli” matter, but has become what it always should have been, a Palestinian, and a Palestinian international solidarity matter. In addition, Zionist leaders in fear of prosecution of its war criminals has prohibited their media to publish photos of military staff, so they would not be so easy recognized abroad by the law enforcement in foreign countries, to where they may intend to escape one day.

For every day that passes by, the Zionist enterprise “Israel” is losing international legitimacy; it is a fallacy, based on a myth. Facing the facts and the history, myths evaporates and people around the world are awakening from their slumber, when retrieving knowledge of the dark past. And on the battle grounds the ratio of military strategic powers are changing. When Arab and Muslim nations one day will realize that the Zionist entity, colonial and racist, was defeated by the Palestinian resistance, whose determination and faith in the justice of the Palestinian cause, has become the main instrument in combat and defense, the path to dignity and liberty will be possible.

________________________________________________________

"Palestine is the heart of Arab countries" - PalestineFreeVoice ________________________________________________________

Posted by Editor at 8:00 PM

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Lebanon’s Political Honeypot: What’s Behind the Telecoms Spat

Posted by Qifa Nabki

The following commentary is by a well-informed reader of this blog who goes by the pseudonym “Charles”. He was one of the authors of the excellent Lebanese Political Journal blog (largely defunct since about 2007, but a must-read during the post-Hariri assassination years), and his intervention provides some much-needed context on the larger issues behind the telecoms showdown in Lebanon.

Reader Commentary by “Charles”

It appears that the basic problem is a lack of state accountability. Two oligarchic factions are standing off against one another.
The discussion to privatize Ogero goes back to the days of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri (and Finance Minister Fouad Siniora) who had the political and economic clout to privatize Ogero and make it his own. From 2003-4, the Syrians severely limited Hariri’s privatizations, which resulted in Moody’s downgrading Lebanon’s bond rating, as the government was not following its own debt restructuring program according to the guidelines set out in Paris II, which included promises to privatize the telecommunications network, the electrical grid, MEA, amongst other things.

Of course, the re-election of Lahoud and the removal of Hariri put everything else on hold, but Hariri’s men remained in their positions in the ministries waiting for their leader to return to power. Omar Karami’s (and Finance Minister Elias Saliba’s) failures alongside Syrian heavy handedness almost guaranteed Hariri’s return to power and a return to privatizations.

When M14 won the 2005 elections and then negotiated Paris III, the privatizations were supposed to continue, but did not because of opposition from Jumblatt, Berri, and Hezbollah, who humiliated Hariri and Siniora by rudely making their opposition to privatization known during the PM and Finance Minister’s meetings in New York and DC (something we saw them do once again to topple Hariri’s gov’t in 2011).

The telecoms privatization continued to fester under Marwan Hamade who, despite his affiliation with the March 14th coalition (M14), also had problems with Abdel Monem Youssef who was still waiting to become the director of the newly privatized Ogero and make his millions. The M14 appointed and affiliated director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Kamal Shehadeh had major problems with both Hamade and Youssef.

The transfer of telecoms to Gebran Bassile was a remarkably intelligent move by Michel Aoun. Without a financial power base of his own, Aoun needed a source of wealth to finance his politics, and he went to the same sources of money that finance a huge portion of Lebanese government operating costs: (1) foreign backers; (2) and the government owned telecommunications networks that allow Lebanese to do what we do best: talk on cell phones.

Since then, both specific interests within the Future Movement (not the entire party, and definitely not all of M14) and specific interests within the FPM (not the entire party, and definitely not all of the March 8th coalition [M8]) have determined the debate over telecommunications. This debate went from being nasty under Gebran Bassile to being an all out war under Charbel Nahhas, under whose tenure the esteemed technocratic TRA head Shehadeh resigned in disgust (Shehadeh’s personality and political disposition is remarkably similar to Ziad Baroud).

Hariri/Siniora provide political backing and will reap the profit; Rifi provides enforcement; and Youssef holds the fort. Aoun/Bassile provide the political backing and will reap the profit; Nahhas, OTV, and the ISF Embassy division (this division swears allegiance to the FPM?) provides the enforcement; and Aoun holds the fort through tedious negotiations over cabinet formations.

In the mean time, Hezbollah established their own network, thus by-passing the squabbling over privatizations, making millions (if not billions) using its own telecommunications network, weakened the Lebanese government through depriving it of one of its greatest sources of revenue (receipts from telecommunications traffic), provided cheaper and better communications for its partisans and others, and defending its own interests with its weapons.
Sure, there is espionage stuff going on – which Future, the FPM, Hezbollah, Israel, etc. like to play up because once it is brought up Lebanese brains stop behaving rationally, but its really about who reaps the spoils from the biggest honey pot in the country.

The current squabble is over the privatization of Ogero and the possible creation of a third mobile network. Aoun and Bassile refused to play the Lebanese political game in which they would have made a deal with Hariri and received a cut (Lebanon’s system of creating consensus), and have been trying to take the candy away from Hariri/Youssef for years. Nahhas has been the most effective at dismantling the Hariri/Youssef network, which is why the relationship between the two factions has become so nasty. They don’t understand why Aoun isn’t playing by the corrupt rules of Lebanese politics with them, even though he does with almost every other faction.

Youssef hunkering down created a stalemate to be resolved in the future. Nahhas is trying to resolve the situation now, because…

Enter Najib Miqati, and the situation becomes an emergency for both FM and FPM, which is why they are behaving so badly at this precise moment. The Miqati billions were created through telecommunications. Taha Miqati was a small time construction contractor in Khaleej until he established his satellite communications up link, which created enough profit for the Miqati brothers to make their billions. Their business relationships with the Assad regime (and more specifically with Rami Makhlouf) involve telecommunications.

If Miqati gets the telecoms portfolio in the next government, Hariri will cut a deal and Youssef will get his pay out (and he’s been waiting a long, long time). Aoun and Bassile get screwed. However, Hariri has a much worse hand with which to negotiate if Youssef doesn’t have a full network and doesn’t have a large base of operations that he controls.

Miqati has the political might to privatize the telecoms networks, or at least upgrade them, but he will have to cut deals all around, including with HA, Berri, and Jumblatt. Hariri is in a much better position if Youssef is in a dominant position. Youssef can throw a wrench in the works of any future privatization deal.

Nahhas technically had the right to take his action with the equipment, but the FPM isn’t following the “no victor, no vanquished” consensus model of Lebanese politics. They made it personal, and Future is responding in a surprisingly immature manner given how much they have to lose in this.

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MP Nicolas to Al-Manar Wesbite: Telecoms Ministry Incident Very Dangerous

Hussein Assi

MP Nabil Nicolas to Al-Manar Wesbite:

• What Happened in Telecoms Ministry Very Dangerous
• Rifi’s Statement Untrue; Baroud Should Have Sued Him
• No Trust Crisis with Miqati from Our Side
• If Miqati Wants to Visit Aoun, He’s Welcome… Otherwise, He’s Free!

Member of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Lebanon MP Nabil Nicolas slammed as “very dangerous” Thursday’s events at the Telecoms Ministry where some 400 heavily-equipped members from the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch banned Telecoms Minister in the caretaker government Charbel Nahhas from entering the second story of the building attached to the ministry in Beirut. According to reports, a third telephone networks existed on the second floor; one that was established in 2007 yet not made available to Lebanese. The Information Branch’s behavior posed major questions on the nature of the Ogero-Mobile network and the purpose of its existence. MP Nicolas said that the incidents “signal a very dangerous development” and wondered who could guarantee that the recently-discovered network is not one for spying on the Resistance.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar website, Nicolas rejected the statements made by ISF chief Ashraf Rifi about a personal conflict with Minister Nahhas as untrue. He said Interior Minister in the caretaker government Ziad Baroud should have referred Rifi to the concerned justice authorities.

The MP found strange the news about Dar Al-Fatwa’s (top Sunni religious authority in Lebanon) intention to sue Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for “inciting strife” according to a WikiLeaks document in which former Justice Minister Charles Rizq, not Aoun, was quoted. He wondered why Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Kabbani only acted now, and was not provoked with slogans such as “the Sunni giant woke up”. (In reference to pro-Future Movement journalist Mohamad Salam’s remarks during the bloody events in Tripoli, north of Lebanon, earlier this year)

On the cabinet crisis, Nicolas denied the presence of a confidence crisis, at least from the FPM side. While wondering about the reasons behind what he described as “the battles launched by Miqati against Aoun”, he stressed that “no one asked Miqati to declare the cabinet from Aoun’s residence in Rabieh”.

WHAT HAPPENED IN TELECOMS MINISTRY IS VERY DANGEROUS

Commenting on the incidents which erupted on the second story of the Telecoms ministry building attached to the ministry in Beirut, Nicolas noted that the security forces deployed to protect the network did not correspond to the number of personnel usually deployed to protect an official building. He called on the judicial authorities to assume their responsibilities in this regard.

Nicolas urged Attorney General Judge Said Mirza to act, as well as the presidency and speakership. He stressed the need for all authorities to take action to deal with the situation. “Who can guarantee us that the recently-discovered network is not aimed at spying on the resistance?” he asked.

RIFI’S STATEMENT UNTRUE

While noting that all coups in the world start from the Telecoms networks, Nicolas slammed ISF Chief Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi’s comments about old problems with Telecoms Minister Charbel Nahhas as untrue.

Commenting on Rifi’s claims that he was carrying out orders by OGERO’s director Abdul Menhem Youssef, Nicolas noted that Minister Nahhas was still Youssef’s supperior. “Therefore, when the minister asks something which contradicts the demands of his employees, the minister’s opinion must be taken into consideration,” he said.

Nicolas stressed that what happened was “actually a riot”. He said that the FPM’s allies should be asked about their stances towards these incidents.

BAROUD SHOULD HAVE REFERRED RIFI TO JUSTICE AUTHORITIES

The Lebanese lawmaker said he had wished Interior Minister in the caretaker government Ziad Baroud had taken his decision to “refer Rifi to justice authorities first, and then let him do whatever he wants.”

He said that Baroud’s cry was “righteous, as he could not make achievements in his ministry while being pushed by President Michel Sleiman towards complete fiasco”.

According to Nicolas, Baroud’s statement was tantamount to holding President Sleiman responsible. “Baroud spoke about a direct responsibility of the head of the state who is believed to be the Constitution’s guardian”. He wondered “why the president did not order the army to evacuate the building from Information Branch personnel and end the riots”.

The MP denied the fact that Minister Baroud had no power to take a decision against Rifi. “After the Taef agreement, the minister became everything in his ministry,” he pointed out.

He rejected what some say is fear of vendetta against Rifi and other officials by the new majority in Lebanon. “Any officer who assumes his duties should not fear revenge. However, some should be questioned, especially in such a sensitive ministry.”

DOES CHARLES RIZQ HAVE ANY CREDIBILITY?

Nicolas tackled, during his interview with Al-Manar website, the news about Dar Al-Fatwa’s intention to sue Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for “inciting strife”, based on the contents of one WikiLeaks document.

He clarified that the document was not about a meeting between Aoun and the Americans, but about a meeting with former Minister Charles Rizq who claimed the statement was false, given that Aoun has sued him.

However Nicolas did not doubt the accuracy of the WikiLeaks documents, but questioned the credibility of Rizq himself, whose experience with former President Emile Lahoud is notorious.

Nicolas also wondered why Dar Al-Fatwa was seeking to create a sectarian problem in the country especially that Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohamad Rashid Qabbani was not provoked by slogans such as “the Sunni Giant woke up.”

He also asked why Dar Al-Fatwa did not sue other officials who incited Americans against the Resistance and who frankly called for assassinating Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah.

NO ONE URGED MIQATI TO DECLARE CABINET FROM RABIEH

On the cabinet crisis, Nicolas agreed with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah that foreign pressures are delaying the cabinet formation. “Nothing can be said after Sayyed Nasrallah,” he said. Nicolas recalled reminded of recent visit by US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman to Lebanon and predicted “things could not be resolved following that visit and that something would happen”.

The FPM MP said the effective confidence crisis with Prime Minister-Designate Najib Miqati was from the latter’s side, not the FPM said. “We are the ones who gave him our confidence,” he noted.

Asked about Miqati’s refusal to announce the cabinet from Aoun’s resident and that he’s not willing to visit Aoun, Nicolas said that “no one asked Miqati to visit Aoun. If he would like to visit the General, then he’s more than welcome. If not, he’s free to do whatever he wants,” Nicolas said.

LET MIQATI TELL US THE NUMBER OF HIS BLOC LAWMAKERS

Asked whether it was helpful that Miqati and Aoun do not meet while they should be cooperating to form the government, Nicolas answered that “Power Minister Gebran Bassil as well as Hezbollah Secretary General’s political assistant Hajj Hussein Khalil and Speaker Nabih Berri’s political advisor MP Ali Hasan Khalil are dealing with the issue, and this is fair enough.”

The MP wondered whether Miqati was expecting Aoun to visit him on a daily basis “to be satisfied”. “No, this is too much for Miqati,” Nicolas said. “First, Aoun is a former premier who once enjoyed the president’s authorities. Even more, Aoun heads a parliamentary bloc, which includes 28 lawmakers. Let Miqati tell us how many lawmakers he has in his parliamentary bloc,” he went on to say.

Asked about whether he agrees with Marada movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh who said that the new majority did not make a mistake when it nominated Miqati to form the government, Nicolas said that “the whole majority agreed on nominating him. However, love from one side is not possible.”

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New Majority… Triumphs

The new majority in Lebanon achieved another victory on Sunday…

In the first electoral challenge since the collapse of the government of Saad Hariri in what the latter said was a ‘coup’, his bloc was defeated in the Beirut Engineers Syndicate elections.

Final results of the polls showed that the March 8-backed list, as Free Patriotic Movement's Elie Bsaibes, the March 8 candidate for the chairmanship of the Beirut syndicate, garnered 6,699 votes while Lebanese Forces candidate Imad Wakim, who was backed by the March 14 forces, received 6,412 votes.

The winning list comprised Paul al-Hajj (6,694 votes), Rudolph Karam (6,570 votes), Mohammed Basbous (6,497 votes), Mustafa Fawwaz (6,565 votes) and Ayman Zeineddine (12,479 votes).

Meanwhile, the head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt stressed that the result of the election for the leadership of the syndicate reflected the importance of coordination between the PSP, the Free Patriotic Movement, Hezbollah and Amal Movement.

Jumblatt, who tasked State Minister in the caretaker government Wael Abou Faour with thanking FPM chief Michel Aoun and the Hezbollah leadership for their cooperation during the elections, told Lebanese daily As-Safir that the Iqlim proved that it has its own independent national word. "I don't want to say that al-Mustaqbal movement was defeated. This expression might be harsh, but the Iqlim proved that it has its own independent national word," he said.

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14 arrested, several injured during West Bank protests

[ 26/03/2011 - 08:00 AM ]

WEST BANK, (PIC)-- Fourteen Palestinians have been arrested and several injured as Israeli occupation forces (IOF) cracked down on protests across the West Bank on Friday.

The IOF fired stun grenades and rubber bullets and sprayed waste water mixed with chemicals to suppress the weekly Bil'in march in Ramallah city.

Three Palestinians were left injured, and dozens suffered from the effects of breathing tear gas.

Three more Palestinians were injured, dozens sustained breathing difficulties and 14 were arrested, most of them foreign activists when the IOF suppressed a weekly march in Nabi Saleh village near Ramallah.

The soldiers assaulted and pepper-sprayed the activists, blocked the village entrance, enforced a security cordon and occupied several homes and facilities, turning them into military barracks.

In separate incidents, the IOF intercepted a weekly march in the village of Al-Ma'sara near Bethlehem as protesters progressed towards the separation wall.

Meanwhile in the East Jerusalem district of Silwan, dozens of Palestinians, including senior citizens, choked as Israeli soldiers fired toxic gas and tear gas.

Clashes erupted after Friday prayers in the Al-Bustan neighborhood and quickly spread to most communities across Silwan as Palestinians fought back with stones and Molotov cocktails without report of arrest.

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