Ex-Security Chief Attacks UN Investigation Into 2005 Slaying of Rafik Hariri

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by the dailystar.com.lb -- Ex-General Security chief Jamil al-Sayyed launched a scathing attack on the U.N. body tasked with investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri Tuesday, saying the investigation should have been left to the Lebanese authorities. “Had the investigation been left in our hands I’m sure we would have reached a solution,” Sayyed, currently a Hezbollah- affiliated member of parliament, said while giving evidence to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in Leidschendam, the Netherlands. Sayyed, who was detained in 2005 for four years by Lebanese authorities due to suspected involvement in the case, asked, “The real question is why the investigation was sidetracked for four years, and in whose interest was it?”

President of the Trial Chamber Judge David Re criticized Sayyed’s treatment at the hands of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission at the beginning of the day’s session, saying he wished to put on the record “how badly you were treated in custody ... It is far below accepted international standards.” According to Re, Sayyed’s detention “breaches every international human rights standard.” Re’s fellow trial chamber judge Janet Nosworthy pressed Sayyed on certain actions taken by Lebanese authorities in the immediate aftermath of Hariri’s assassination that might be deemed suspicious, such as the quick removal of the vehicles destroyed in the bombing that killed the former prime minister. Sayyed conceded there were a lot of mistakes but maintained there had been no foul play by the Lebanese authorities. “I don’t see that any of the institutions were intentionally trying to eradicate evidence,” he said.

Sayyed resigned from his position due to political pressure shortly after the assassination. “The crime was bigger than all the institutions in place,” Sayyed said, claiming the crime scene investigators “didn’t have the right experience,” to which he attributed any mistakes made. Sayyed went so far as to accuse investigators from the IIIC of having demanded he fabricate evidence to make it seem as though the Syrian government had perpetrated the assassination. “I refused to be a false witness against Bashar Assad so [the commission] produced false witnesses against me,” Sayyed said. A number of testimonies provided to the IIIC in the early days of its investigation were subsequently revealed to be false. Sayyed said his treatment at the hands of the IIIC had changed his perceptions of international investigators. “I had the impression that the West had their own criteria, standards and ethics,” he said. “I have seen monsters ... When they act in our countries they become worse.” He said he had told one IIIC investigator, “When I look into your glassy eyes I realize that Hitler isn’t dead, he’s still living in you.”

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Norwegian Refugee Council says 'positive turn' for refugees in Lebanon

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by ANSA -- Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, hosting nearly 1.5 million refugees. In September 2017 at the UN General Assembly, Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for commencing returns of refugees from Syria without the need to ensure that returns were voluntary. "We, and virtually everybody else in the international community, maintain that the returns must be voluntary," said Mike Bruce, NRC's advocacy and information adviser in Lebanon. In addition, the organization said that since the Lebanese government does not allow formal refugee camps, Syrian refugees settle in informal settlements or find private accommodation. "Over 76 per cent of Syrians live below the national poverty line," NRC said. In 2017, there was an increase in unlawful evictions of Syrians living in Lebanese towns, evictions which NRC said "have severe impact on the lives of the affected Syrian refugees."

"Positive turn" in 2018

"In 2018, we have seen a positive turn," NRC said. "The negative rhetoric has subsided and there have been fewer evictions"."This year, the political dialogue has been much more moderate towards refugees and return," Bruce said. The organization said conditions remain difficult for refugees, however, as 74% of all Syrian refugees in Lebanon do not have legal residency and lack identification documents, risking arrest and detention. It said some have even dropped out of school out of fear of being arrested while travelling to school. Though struggles to obtain legal residency continue for refugees, NRC said a positive development is that the government of Lebanon has recently made an effort to improve the legal situation for newborn Syrians and Syrian youth. Previously, parents had to register their newborn babies within a 12-month timeframe to receive identity documents, but in March 2018, this deadline was lifted for refugees from Syria. Additionally, the government recently changed regulations to permit some Syrian youth aged 15 to 18 to obtain temporary residency, including youth who lack legal identity documents. "These changes are all extremely positive, and very bold moves by the government of Lebanon," says Bruce.

Lebanese Leaders Say Any Land Talks With Israel Must Include Maritime 'Energy Block 9'

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by the daily star.com.lb -- Lebanon’s top officials discussed a response to an Israeli proposal to solve a land dispute between the two states, with Beirut saying it wants any talks to include the maritime borders as well. “Israel wants to discuss only the land borders while Lebanon wants that, in addition to Block 9,” a political source said. Block 9 is an energy block containing potential offshore oil and gas reserves, part of which has been claimed by Israel. Lebanon, which views Israel as an enemy, has an unresolved maritime border dispute with its neighbor over a triangular area of sea of around 860 square kilometers. The zone extends along the edge of three of the five offshore energy blocks that Lebanon put to tender early last year. Block 9 is 1,700 square kilometers in size, of which 145-148 square kilometers are disputed.

Israel sent the proposal to Lebanon via UNIFIL and President Michel Aoun called for a meeting with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss a response. “Their [the Lebanese leaders’] message is clear that they will not accept negotiations without including Block 9,” the political source added. General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim is leading on Lebanon’s position and the Lebanese Army officials that partake in the tripartite meetings between Lebanon and Israel headed by UNIFIL report back to him. Few details of the meeting were revealed by attendees, however. Berri confirmed the talks touched on the border demarcations without going into further details. Hariri spoke to reporters, saying, “We are trying to be positive in working toward making progress with regards to the land and maritime border demarcations, and this meeting took place at the request of President Aoun to unify our thoughts and a decision to this topic.”

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'Largest-ever' Lebanese hashish haul fills entire football field

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by Joseph Haboush Josie Ensor, beirut --Telegraph-- Lebanese security forces have made the country’s biggest-ever drugs bust after confiscating 15 tonnes of hashish, which had been prepped to be shipped abroad. Pictures of the haul shared online showed thousands of packets of drugs lined up to fill an entire football field. “This is the biggest bust in the history of Lebanon with regards to drugs produced and prepared to be sold,” a Internal Security Forces (ISF) source told The Telegraph. A video showed security forces raiding a warehouse in southern Beirut where paint buckets were filled with the cannabis-products. The labels on the buckets belonged to a paint factory that was not related to the smuggling operation, according to an ISF statement.

Major General Imad Othman, the head of the ISF, said seven people had been arrested, including a Customs employee. “The drugs were set to leave Lebanon and go to Libya and then to Egypt, but we don’t know what the final destination was yet,” Gen Othman said. Last year, the Lebanese Army raided three of the homes owned by Ali Nasri Shamas, a notorious drug lord, where they found 4.5 kilograms of cocaine and 14.5 kilograms of hashish. It is unclear what the ISF plans to do with the latest haul, but in the past Lebanese security has burned crops of cannabis. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has ranked Lebanon in as one of the world’s top five sources of cannabis resin. Much of it is produced in the futile Bekaa region in the east. The cultivation of cannabis itself was forbidden in 1992, under pressure from the United States. However, large amounts are grown within the country, and personal use as long as not in public is not a major issue.

Several Parliament Blocs Request Copy of ‘Controversial’ Naturalization Decree

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by Source Naharnet -- Several parliamentary blocs dismayed by a decree reportedly signed by President Michel Aoun granting Lebanese citizenship to foreigners, have headed to the Interior Ministry on Monday to request a copy of the decree. A Kataeb delegation led by MP Nadim Gemayel said after leaving the ministry that Kataeb is requesting a copy to get acquainted with the names listed under that decree, in light of the “ambiguity” surrounding the issue, said Gemayel. He raised concerns over “secrecy revolving the matter,” adding that “some names are listed on the Interpol regulations which may expose the banking sector to serious US or European penalties.” But, MTV station said none of the blocs “received a copy as requested." A Lebanese Forces delegation and another of the Progressive Socialist party also headed to the ministry for the same purpose. Reports emerged lately saying that President Michel Aoun has signed the controversial decree one day before the government turned to its caretaker capacity. The law grants citizenship to some 300 people mostly including names of Syrian figures close to Syrian President Bashar Assad who are also subject to US financial sanctions, to Palestinians, Western and Gulf businessmen, as well as a number of stateless applicants. The decree has provoked criticism, especially since it will be issued by a caretaker government, and for including names reportedly close to the Syrian regime.

Hezbollah derives its clout from outside the Lebanese state

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This article does not necessarily represent khazen.org 

by Ali al-Amin -- thearabweekly.com -- In Lebanon, having a partisan bloc in parliament twice the size of Hezbollah’s bloc does not necessarily mean that group’s share in decision-making is commensurate with its size. Hezbollah has no more than 15 members of parliament but nobody in Lebanon doubts the party is the ultimate decision-maker in the government and parliament. The strength of Hezbollah comes from outside the framework of state institutions. The state in Lebanon is the party’s weakest leg. A mini-state within the state, Hezbollah has more power even though it does not draw that power from any democratic process. It draws its power from military and security considerations and imposes it on the state and its institutions in a model of power legitimacy never before seen in normal countries, be they democratic or dictatorial. For this model of power legitimacy to continue in Lebanon, other forces in the country must at least have formal representation in parliament. This representation is just a formality and is not meant to lead to effective participation in the management of public affairs. Surely these forces can have a say in minor side issues but they cannot touch the major political issues, such as those related to security, foreign policy and war.

Participation by the other political forces in Lebanon is limited to deciding matters that are not related to state sovereignty, including agreeing on each party’s share of public offices or providing services. All parties are equally engaged in corruption, a major element of the mini-state’s power and protection and its lever for exercising power over the state. Without corruption, the mini-state would vanish. Corruption is crucial for the survival of the evil connection between the mini-state and the state. The first objective condition for fighting the phenomenon of corruption in any country is an authority possessing the right of coercion and which has the responsibility to fight corruption. That authority is only accountable to the citizenry for its actions. This concept is quasi-absent from Lebanon. As the executive branch, the government in Lebanon is incapable of maintaining a monopoly on the legitimate use of power. More than that, it is unable to openly admit that it has the exclusive right to be in charge of the country’s security and military affairs. This painful reality serves as the perfect excuse for the government to flee from its constitutional responsibilities. Naturally, when huge gaps in exercising authority are left unfilled and when accountability is absent, the genie of corruption will escape from its bottle under the watchful and encouraging eye of the mini-state. The message to the Lebanese is simple: Your government is not qualified to govern. With this in mind, Hezbollah’s secretary-general declaring war on corruption in the state apparatus is extremely dubious and ironic. Hassan Nasrallah made that promise during the campaign leading up to Lebanon’s recent general elections. It is indeed dubious when it is known that all of Hezbollah’s alliances and agreements with other political forces in Lebanon were based on the principle: “leave my army and arms alone and do whatever you want with the rest of the country’s affairs.”

Hezbollah’s multiple wars on corruption have always been merely rhetorical. Not once has it carried through with its promises. Instead, it has often used the threat of exposing corruption cases as a tactic to blackmail opponents and critics into turning a blind eye on Hezbollah’s state-within-the-state project. Saying that is not to imply that Hezbollah itself is not guilty of corruption. It is known that Hezbollah did nothing to expose or intervene in cases of government corruption that occurred with Hezbollah’s collusion, if not encouragement. However, when the Lebanese government threatened to shut down the party’s communication network, Hezbollah resorted to its blackmailing tactics and almost staged a coup. The Lebanese are eagerly awaiting Hezbollah’s miraculous approach to stomping out corruption. The country’s economy and its citizens have been worn thin by corruption at all levels and by smuggling. The country’s borders have become porous to all sorts of smuggling operations — with Hezbollah’s complicity. To say Hezbollah will eradicate all of that when most of its power alliances are with figures and parties heavily suspected of systematic corruption is beyond fiction. When Lebanese citizens wish Hezbollah the best of luck in its war on corruption, they do so out of desperation. They have despaired of the government’s ability to curb corruption. However, wishful thinking is one thing and reality is another. Reality says that reforms and fighting corruption require state institutions that refuse to be subjected to an outside source of power.