Hier ien interview mit Siniora.....ach ja übrigens: wie ich gesagt habe>>>hezballah leutchen haben israelis AUßERHALB libanon gekidnapped und getötet.
When you heard of the operation carried out by Hezbollah outside the Shebaa Farms area on July 12 last, were you afraid Israel would wage war on Lebanon? PM Siniora: I was having a meeting with His Excellency President Emile Lahoud when we were informed of the operation. After the meeting, I sent for Haj Hussein Khalil (the political aide to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Mr. Hassan Nasrallah), and discussed the issue with him. I asked him, "Why the operation, and why outside the Shebaa Farms?' He replied: "We got the chance." I asked him:"Did you consult anyone?' He said, "Like whom?" I answered: "The government. Are you confronting it with a fait accompli?" I reminded him of what Mr. Nasrallah had said in the national dialogue, that the Resistance would not interfere in operations, and, if it did, it would only be as a reminder to the enemy in the Shebaa Farms area. I asked him, "What will the Israelis do?" He answered: "Nothing". I said to him: «Don't you see what is happening in Gaza?". He answered: "Lebanon is not like Gaza". I said: "They can do like what they are doing in Gaza, and more, and Lebanon is not ready to face a situation like that." He ruled out a response of that kind. In the end, I told him, "What happened has happened, how do we cooperate to contain any reaction?" Hours later, the war started.
Is it true that the Israeli objectives included vital targets besides the ones that were bombed? PM Siniora: Yes, and they said they were going to take Lebanon twenty years back in time. There were a number of targets: bridges, the airport and power stations, and others. This is why we acted to maintain our links with all the decion-making parties in the world: the permanent members of the Security Council, and all the influential countries, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as the Arab countries. The purpose of the communication was to stop Israeli aggression, or mitigate it, if it was impossible to stop it. We fought a tremendous diplomatic and media battle.
Did you succeed in saving some of the objectives from being bombed? PM Siniora: I think the most important goal for the Israelis was to hit the power stations, the airport and other vital installations.
Who helped you? PM Sinora: The Permanent members of the Security Council. Israel was determined to bring Lebanon to its knees and destroy its economy and we were acting to prevent this.
Who stood beside Lebanon? PM Siniora: France was at the forefront of those who moved to help us. Russia also contributed. There was also understanding with President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chinese officials. But the person one should most cordially mention is President Jacques Chirac. Honestly, he has done Lebanon a lot of favors. His attitude was firm. He has always been on the side of Lebanon. Mention may be made of the April Understanding in 1996 which gave international recognition of Lebanon's right to resist occupation. Of course, the role of prime minister al-Hariri played an important in reach that understanding. And President Chirac's role was evident in Paris 1, Paris 2, Paris 3.
The Seven Points
The war started, so where did the idea of the Seven Points come from? PM Siniora: The Seven Points are 100% Lebanese.
Aren't they the result of a 'diktat,' as the opposition claims? PM Siniora: No one forced the Points on us, neither the Americans, nor anybody else. They are completely a Lebanese conception- they were entirely my idea.
Where did they stem from? PM Siniora: From the outcome of what we saw during that period and from what we believe. The Seven Points include a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal, the release of Arab prisoners and Israeli soldiers and the restoration of the Shebaa Farms to Lebanon. My position was, and remains, that Lebanon is not in the process of abandoning an inch of its land. From the very beginning, I adopted the idea that we should liberate the Shabaa Farms, return to the armistice agreement, and extend Lebanese sovereignty to the whole territory- in other words, the Lebanese army would enter the South, which was forbidden to it. I also wanted the necessary support for Lebanon to overcome the crisis caused by Israel, which has long persisted Resolution 1701 was based on the Seven Points
Was the original wording of the draft resolution harsher? PM Sinora: Of course, that is well-known. The government rejected the first draft of the Resolution because it imposed more conditions on Lebanon. I rejected the draft. When the attack happened in Qana, I contacted Speaker Nabih Berri and told him I would ask the American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, not to come to Lebanon. And he in turn said: 'I am going to the prime minister's palace to see you. We issued a joint statement. I said: 'This is my stance, and if they want to bomb the palace I can't stop them.' I took a very tough attitude, and we managed to achieve a change in the interest of Lebanon. If it had not been for our collective stance, we would not be where we are now.
I do not deny that we had two options: either to bow to those who stood and repulsed the Israeli occupation with their bodies- these I salute and bow to their sacrifices, as I bow to the sacrifices of the Lebanese people, those who stood their ground, or were forced to flee but remained firm. These are facts that must be recorded. We should record also that this government, which has been made to drink a bitter cup at one time, is a government of political resistance that was able to mobilize all the world by Lebanon's side, impose the Seven Points and change the draft of Resolution 1701, make the decision to send the army to the South and took the attitudes that led to the withdrawal of Israel from all the territories it occupied recently. All that would not have happened if there was no government that could take this stance on behalf of the Lebanese people.
Did Hezbollah frankly approve the Seven Points? PM Siniora: Yes, Hezbollah totally approved the Seven Points. It openly expressed its sytance: at the Council of Ministers meeting on July 27 [he is reading out from some papers]; after the Council of Ministers heard what took place in Rome; after the interventions of a number of ministers who participated in the conference and other colleagues; when the council discussed the President's speech and confirmed its support and sponsorship of all its content and praised his role in managing affairs and following them up at all levels. Then came the spiritual summit. After that, there was another meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 5 government, which declared, "The Council reiterates its adherence to the consensus of all the Lebanese around the Seven Points and hopes that everyone will distance themselves from everything that could affect the unity of the national stance" Minister Mohammed Fneish, (of Hezbollah) said : "The Council of Ministers agreed on the mechanism of decision-making based on the Seven Points, according to the discussions held by the Council of Ministers". He added: "These are the points agreed upon. We have compared them with the proposals made in the Security Council and we will accept any part of these proposals that are compatible with the Points"
Were the Seven Points issued in coordination with Speaker Berri? PM Siniora: Yes, absolutely.
Did Hezbollah adopt a different position? PM Siniora: Absolutely not.
How do you explain the return of the party to a kind of ambiguity on these points? PM Siniora: Perhaps some felt that the topic had become serious. Perhaps they thought it would not be, and so went along with it. Speaker Berri knows that all the envoys who have come to us, especially the Americans, French and British, did not object to any of the points drawn up by the Lebanese government, which were approved unanimously by the Council of Ministers and were mentioned in my speech in Rome and adopted by the Council of Ministers to the letter. Let me go back to what the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said before the cameras: "I urge the Lebanese government to further political steadfastness and adherence to the Seven-Point plan agreed upon by all the Lebanese. Any divergence from the plan, which is considered in our view the preservation of our minimum national rights and demands, is a defection from the unanimity that we were anxious to achieve in the all previous stages."
Then, has the equation changed? PM Siniora: Perhaps… the Shebaa Farms
Is there anything new about the United Nations' efforts concerning the occupied Shebaa farms? PM Siniora: A United Nations team is drawing up a map to delineate Lebanon's rights, basing themselves on all the information we have given them and the archives of the French, which contain data on the twenties of the last century. Work is continuing, and I have hopes.
Is it true that the Iranian Foreign Minister has welcomed the United Nations mandate of the Shabaa Farms during the transitional phase? PM Siniora: The Iranian foreign minister visited us at the time and said that he would prefer if the farms were handed over directly to Lebanon. We told him that we also believe that would be better but that we were looking at what was currently possible. He was not pleased, but we consider that the resolution of the issue must be Lebanese in the end. I discussed the same subject with the Syrian Foreign Minister, and he was satisfied. Then, in contradiction to his attitude, we heard later the words of the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, in which he stated that the liberation of the Shebaa Farms should be linked with the return of the Golan Heights, and that they are subject to resolutions 242 and 338. We take the position that the farms are subject to resolution 425, and that is Lebanon's position basically. In the last meeting, the Syrian foreign minister affirmed that Syria had no objection to the Shebaa Farms being under United Nations mandate or, in other words, to UNIFIL forces being deployed there. I welcomed this attitude. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is supposed to present a report in June which will include the latest on the Shabaa Farms issue.
What are the recordings that Hezbollah says will disclose the positions of some parties if they are released? PM Siniora: There are no secrets in such matters. Issues are raised in the Council of Ministers and every minister has the right to express his opinion and concerns. The decision is always important. Supposing that the debate was about the decision to send the army to the South and there emerged different points of view, and then the decision was taken. What is important in the end is the resolution. There are no secrets in these matters and the minutes exist.
Hezbollah's armaments
It has been said that some of the principal parties in the government wanted a prolongation of the war so that Hezbollah would be forced to disarm. PM Siniora: In all honesty, I never heard anyone speaking at the Council of Ministers with that kind of logic. The government's position was clear. And the position I expressed was clear. Our dominating thought was to stop the war immediately. That is what we said in Rome and elsewhere. Now there are those who make allegations and invent stories. This saddens me. Israel fastened an unjust war on Lebanon. Israel's claim that Hezbollah crossed the Blue Line in no way justifies the war it launched. Even those in the world who support the Israeli position said that the response was not commensurate with the incident. The Lebanese government moved from the first moment to stop the war.
It saddens me when I say compare between where we were and where we are now. We as Lebanese were united to stop the aggression and have Israel withdraw and send the Lebanese army to the South. Where is this common stance today? I do not think that Israel ever dreamt of breaking up the Lebanese position and causing disunity as we Lebanese have succeeded in doing. Unfortunately, there is the decomposition today of the Lebanese Front not seen in the history of Lebanon.
The Tribunal
The tribunal is of an international character. Is that the problem? PM Siniora: We have felt for quite time some that the issue of the Court is the focal point of what we are witnessing. The first time we disagreed on the issue was when Gebran Tueini was assassinated; we had to push it forward, but some ministers abstained. Then we went back to talking of the Resistance, but this was not really the issue. In the national dialogue we were agreed on the issue of the Court. The dialogue unanimously approved of the Court and Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri, and related issues.
Then the tribunal is the problem PM Siniora: It is one of the obstacles. For the record, I say: I kept on repeating, 'What are your observations and concerns, let us discuss them.' As God is my witness, on the day we approved the establishment of the Court after the assassination of Pierre Gemayel (12-11-2006), I contacted the Secretary-General of the United Nations. I told him, 'Today, we approved of the text which is supposed to be the basis of a Bill that will be sent to the House of Representatives. Some ministers had submitted their resignations because a meeting was fixed to consider the issue of the court.
Why did you rush into it and not heed the calls for patience? PM Siniora: Speaker Nabih Berri has blamed me for not contacting him to fix a meeting of the cabinet. But he admits that I contacted President Emile Lahoud, and I told him I had to go to Japan and Korea, and that, by the the constitutional authority invested in me, I would hold a cabinet meeting on Monday if that was convenient for him; if not, then on Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday. I told my executive partner, His Excellency, the President the days he could choose. As far as Speaker Berri is concerned, there is the distribution of authority. My main concern was not to return to the Troika, which the Lebanese have from. We fixed the date for the meeting and then I contacted Kofi Anan. I told him I might go back to him and ask for some amendments. I make it appoint of considering my colleagues' concerns. Frankly, things happened that were unjustified: linking the Court with the government's legitimacy; the attempt to thrust the situation into the labyrinthine corridors of the government and divert attention from the Court. We should not politicize the issue of the Court. The first steps of politicization are to link the Court with the government. The two issues are different and should remain separate.
There are those who say that a court of an international character is more than Lebanon can bear. PM Siniora: Lebanon cannot sustain the failure to establish a tribunal. It touches the heart and essence of fundamental justice in the country and will lead to the continued obsession with assassinations; it will be a sword hanging over the necks of the Lebanese.
Are you delegated the authority to write a letter to the Security Council approving of the Court under Chapter VII? PM Siniora: The cabinet wants a price for that. I will do what is appropriate.
What happens after the Court is approved? PM Siniora: I believe that all eyes are now on the presidential elections, and we should proceed in that direction. What do the Lebanese people want? They do not want to surrender an inch of their land, and they do not want their country to be a battleground, or that there would be one alliance against another. Lebanon is an Arab country. The Taif Agreement has settled this. We do not want to replace the Syrian presence with American or Iranian or any other presence. Lebanon must be open to the world and our common enemy is Israel. The Lebanese want a return of State sovereignty. Ignore all the talk that is spreading around. They want a homeland and schools and job opportunities. They do not want to forsake the Resistance, and whoever does is a traitor. But we want the sovereignty of the State.
Are contacts between you and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah severed? PM Siniora: There is virtually no communication between us because of the security situation. Sometimes people come to visit me and others go to visit him.
What about your estrangement from Speaker Berri? PM Siniora: I tried more than once to remain in contact with him.
How do you explain his breaking off relations with you? PM Siniora: Perhaps he is embarrassed. But I have nothing for him except goodwill. President Berry cites Elzimkhshari from time to time, as if Elzimkhshari was a talisman. Elzimkhshari is one of the most important interpreters of the Koran and the hadith. I once commented on this, when I went to the Arab Book Exhibition (a few weeks ago), and went to a publishing house and picked out two of Elzimekhshari's volumes and sent them as a gift to Speaker Berri.
The strike and storming the Searil
When the opposition went on strike in Riad Solh Square and pitched its tents, were you afraid the protesters would storm the Serail? PM Siniora: My cabinet colleagues tell me they never saw me so calm. I was not afraid at all. As God is my witness, I was never so calm.
Perhaps because you knew the opposition wouldn't do it? PM Siniora: I have a lot of faith in God and the Lebanese. I am confident they are too wise to do such a thing.
You are accused of having played the Sunni card cleverly, and brought the masses into the streets by appealing to the Sunnis PM Siniora: Lebanese of all factions came to me. They were exercising their right of freedom of expression, like the other Lebanese. I cannot be an obstacle to their desire to express themselves. I believe that this government is a majority in the House of Representatives. This is the democratic system, whether we like it or not. We must acknowledge it. And they know that the government is supported by the majority of the Lebanese. I do not disparage the importance of the factions the opposition mobilized; I respect and bow my head to them. At least 60% of the Lebanese people support the government, and this is the result of the opinion polls; and the percentage is increasing. I do not forget those who oppose the government, so why should they ignore the majority of the people, who support the government? We extend our hands and open our hearts to those who oppose us. They are the sons of Lebanon. For this reason I constantly made up pretexts to reach out to them. They are my people. For your information, I am the inventor of the theories, 19 + 10 + 1 and 17 + 13. The Former means to take from the parties what would force them to try to meet on common ground: take from the majority the power to dictate terms; and take from the minority the ability to hold things up.
Why is amity lacking between and General Michel Aoun? PM Siniora: No, that's not true. There is no estrangement between me and any Lebanese leader. I talked with him after I returned from Paris. When I talk with him personally, things are like milk and honey. I contact him and I send him greetings on occasions. Of course, we hear later that things are different.
Did you seriously try to let Aoun's bloc join the government? PM Siniora: Yes, I did, but he would insist on provisions that didn't fit into the structure.
Did he insist that one of the members of his bloc be made minister of justice? PM Siniora: Yes.
Why? PM Siniora: I do not know. He wanted three of his people to be ministers, one of them as ministry of justice. I wish he could have been with us. The fact is, the cabinet is not a place for controversy. It's a place to agree on policies. The government appears before the House, which determines its destiny. Questioning the government is not conducted through speech sessions, invectives, and then passing a vote of confidence. See how the parliaments in Europe function.
Has the result of the incidents at Beirut Arab University abated for the moment, in terms of the sectarian clash between Shiites and Sunnis? PM Siniora: I was at the Paris when I received news of the clashes. I received a proposal to institute a curfew and call out the army in strength. I agreed immediately, and contacted the commander-in-chief of the army and Speaker Berri.
Hier ien interview mit Siniora.....ach ja übrigens: wie ich gesagt habe>>>hezballah leutchen haben israelis AUßERHALB libanon gekidnapped und getötet.
When you heard of the operation carried out by Hezbollah outside the Shebaa Farms area on July 12 last, were you afraid Israel would wage war on Lebanon? PM Siniora: I was having a meeting with His Excellency President Emile Lahoud when we were informed of the operation. After the meeting, I sent for Haj Hussein Khalil (the political aide to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Mr. Hassan Nasrallah), and discussed the issue with him. I asked him, "Why the operation, and why outside the Shebaa Farms?' He replied: "We got the chance." I asked him:"Did you consult anyone?' He said, "Like whom?" I answered: "The government. Are you confronting it with a fait accompli?" I reminded him of what Mr. Nasrallah had said in the national dialogue, that the Resistance would not interfere in operations, and, if it did, it would only be as a reminder to the enemy in the Shebaa Farms area. I asked him, "What will the Israelis do?" He answered: "Nothing". I said to him: «Don't you see what is happening in Gaza?". He answered: "Lebanon is not like Gaza". I said: "They can do like what they are doing in Gaza, and more, and Lebanon is not ready to face a situation like that." He ruled out a response of that kind. In the end, I told him, "What happened has happened, how do we cooperate to contain any reaction?" Hours later, the war started.
Is it true that the Israeli objectives included vital targets besides the ones that were bombed? PM Siniora: Yes, and they said they were going to take Lebanon twenty years back in time. There were a number of targets: bridges, the airport and power stations, and others. This is why we acted to maintain our links with all the decion-making parties in the world: the permanent members of the Security Council, and all the influential countries, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as the Arab countries. The purpose of the communication was to stop Israeli aggression, or mitigate it, if it was impossible to stop it. We fought a tremendous diplomatic and media battle.
Did you succeed in saving some of the objectives from being bombed? PM Siniora: I think the most important goal for the Israelis was to hit the power stations, the airport and other vital installations.
Who helped you? PM Sinora: The Permanent members of the Security Council. Israel was determined to bring Lebanon to its knees and destroy its economy and we were acting to prevent this.
Who stood beside Lebanon? PM Siniora: France was at the forefront of those who moved to help us. Russia also contributed. There was also understanding with President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chinese officials. But the person one should most cordially mention is President Jacques Chirac. Honestly, he has done Lebanon a lot of favors. His attitude was firm. He has always been on the side of Lebanon. Mention may be made of the April Understanding in 1996 which gave international recognition of Lebanon's right to resist occupation. Of course, the role of prime minister al-Hariri played an important in reach that understanding. And President Chirac's role was evident in Paris 1, Paris 2, Paris 3.
The Seven Points
The war started, so where did the idea of the Seven Points come from? PM Siniora: The Seven Points are 100% Lebanese.
Aren't they the result of a 'diktat,' as the opposition claims? PM Siniora: No one forced the Points on us, neither the Americans, nor anybody else. They are completely a Lebanese conception- they were entirely my idea.
Where did they stem from? PM Siniora: From the outcome of what we saw during that period and from what we believe. The Seven Points include a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal, the release of Arab prisoners and Israeli soldiers and the restoration of the Shebaa Farms to Lebanon. My position was, and remains, that Lebanon is not in the process of abandoning an inch of its land. From the very beginning, I adopted the idea that we should liberate the Shabaa Farms, return to the armistice agreement, and extend Lebanese sovereignty to the whole territory- in other words, the Lebanese army would enter the South, which was forbidden to it. I also wanted the necessary support for Lebanon to overcome the crisis caused by Israel, which has long persisted Resolution 1701 was based on the Seven Points
Was the original wording of the draft resolution harsher? PM Sinora: Of course, that is well-known. The government rejected the first draft of the Resolution because it imposed more conditions on Lebanon. I rejected the draft. When the attack happened in Qana, I contacted Speaker Nabih Berri and told him I would ask the American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, not to come to Lebanon. And he in turn said: 'I am going to the prime minister's palace to see you. We issued a joint statement. I said: 'This is my stance, and if they want to bomb the palace I can't stop them.' I took a very tough attitude, and we managed to achieve a change in the interest of Lebanon. If it had not been for our collective stance, we would not be where we are now.
I do not deny that we had two options: either to bow to those who stood and repulsed the Israeli occupation with their bodies- these I salute and bow to their sacrifices, as I bow to the sacrifices of the Lebanese people, those who stood their ground, or were forced to flee but remained firm. These are facts that must be recorded. We should record also that this government, which has been made to drink a bitter cup at one time, is a government of political resistance that was able to mobilize all the world by Lebanon's side, impose the Seven Points and change the draft of Resolution 1701, make the decision to send the army to the South and took the attitudes that led to the withdrawal of Israel from all the territories it occupied recently. All that would not have happened if there was no government that could take this stance on behalf of the Lebanese people.
Did Hezbollah frankly approve the Seven Points? PM Siniora: Yes, Hezbollah totally approved the Seven Points. It openly expressed its sytance: at the Council of Ministers meeting on July 27 [he is reading out from some papers]; after the Council of Ministers heard what took place in Rome; after the interventions of a number of ministers who participated in the conference and other colleagues; when the council discussed the President's speech and confirmed its support and sponsorship of all its content and praised his role in managing affairs and following them up at all levels. Then came the spiritual summit. After that, there was another meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 5 government, which declared, "The Council reiterates its adherence to the consensus of all the Lebanese around the Seven Points and hopes that everyone will distance themselves from everything that could affect the unity of the national stance" Minister Mohammed Fneish, (of Hezbollah) said : "The Council of Ministers agreed on the mechanism of decision-making based on the Seven Points, according to the discussions held by the Council of Ministers". He added: "These are the points agreed upon. We have compared them with the proposals made in the Security Council and we will accept any part of these proposals that are compatible with the Points"
Were the Seven Points issued in coordination with Speaker Berri? PM Siniora: Yes, absolutely.
Did Hezbollah adopt a different position? PM Siniora: Absolutely not.
How do you explain the return of the party to a kind of ambiguity on these points? PM Siniora: Perhaps some felt that the topic had become serious. Perhaps they thought it would not be, and so went along with it. Speaker Berri knows that all the envoys who have come to us, especially the Americans, French and British, did not object to any of the points drawn up by the Lebanese government, which were approved unanimously by the Council of Ministers and were mentioned in my speech in Rome and adopted by the Council of Ministers to the letter. Let me go back to what the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said before the cameras: "I urge the Lebanese government to further political steadfastness and adherence to the Seven-Point plan agreed upon by all the Lebanese. Any divergence from the plan, which is considered in our view the preservation of our minimum national rights and demands, is a defection from the unanimity that we were anxious to achieve in the all previous stages."
Then, has the equation changed? PM Siniora: Perhaps… the Shebaa Farms
Is there anything new about the United Nations' efforts concerning the occupied Shebaa farms? PM Siniora: A United Nations team is drawing up a map to delineate Lebanon's rights, basing themselves on all the information we have given them and the archives of the French, which contain data on the twenties of the last century. Work is continuing, and I have hopes.
Is it true that the Iranian Foreign Minister has welcomed the United Nations mandate of the Shabaa Farms during the transitional phase? PM Siniora: The Iranian foreign minister visited us at the time and said that he would prefer if the farms were handed over directly to Lebanon. We told him that we also believe that would be better but that we were looking at what was currently possible. He was not pleased, but we consider that the resolution of the issue must be Lebanese in the end. I discussed the same subject with the Syrian Foreign Minister, and he was satisfied. Then, in contradiction to his attitude, we heard later the words of the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, in which he stated that the liberation of the Shebaa Farms should be linked with the return of the Golan Heights, and that they are subject to resolutions 242 and 338. We take the position that the farms are subject to resolution 425, and that is Lebanon's position basically. In the last meeting, the Syrian foreign minister affirmed that Syria had no objection to the Shebaa Farms being under United Nations mandate or, in other words, to UNIFIL forces being deployed there. I welcomed this attitude. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is supposed to present a report in June which will include the latest on the Shabaa Farms issue.
What are the recordings that Hezbollah says will disclose the positions of some parties if they are released? PM Siniora: There are no secrets in such matters. Issues are raised in the Council of Ministers and every minister has the right to express his opinion and concerns. The decision is always important. Supposing that the debate was about the decision to send the army to the South and there emerged different points of view, and then the decision was taken. What is important in the end is the resolution. There are no secrets in these matters and the minutes exist.
Hezbollah's armaments
It has been said that some of the principal parties in the government wanted a prolongation of the war so that Hezbollah would be forced to disarm. PM Siniora: In all honesty, I never heard anyone speaking at the Council of Ministers with that kind of logic. The government's position was clear. And the position I expressed was clear. Our dominating thought was to stop the war immediately. That is what we said in Rome and elsewhere. Now there are those who make allegations and invent stories. This saddens me. Israel fastened an unjust war on Lebanon. Israel's claim that Hezbollah crossed the Blue Line in no way justifies the war it launched. Even those in the world who support the Israeli position said that the response was not commensurate with the incident. The Lebanese government moved from the first moment to stop the war.
It saddens me when I say compare between where we were and where we are now. We as Lebanese were united to stop the aggression and have Israel withdraw and send the Lebanese army to the South. Where is this common stance today? I do not think that Israel ever dreamt of breaking up the Lebanese position and causing disunity as we Lebanese have succeeded in doing. Unfortunately, there is the decomposition today of the Lebanese Front not seen in the history of Lebanon.
The Tribunal
The tribunal is of an international character. Is that the problem? PM Siniora: We have felt for quite time some that the issue of the Court is the focal point of what we are witnessing. The first time we disagreed on the issue was when Gebran Tueini was assassinated; we had to push it forward, but some ministers abstained. Then we went back to talking of the Resistance, but this was not really the issue. In the national dialogue we were agreed on the issue of the Court. The dialogue unanimously approved of the Court and Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri, and related issues.
Then the tribunal is the problem PM Siniora: It is one of the obstacles. For the record, I say: I kept on repeating, 'What are your observations and concerns, let us discuss them.' As God is my witness, on the day we approved the establishment of the Court after the assassination of Pierre Gemayel (12-11-2006), I contacted the Secretary-General of the United Nations. I told him, 'Today, we approved of the text which is supposed to be the basis of a Bill that will be sent to the House of Representatives. Some ministers had submitted their resignations because a meeting was fixed to consider the issue of the court.
Why did you rush into it and not heed the calls for patience? PM Siniora: Speaker Nabih Berri has blamed me for not contacting him to fix a meeting of the cabinet. But he admits that I contacted President Emile Lahoud, and I told him I had to go to Japan and Korea, and that, by the the constitutional authority invested in me, I would hold a cabinet meeting on Monday if that was convenient for him; if not, then on Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday. I told my executive partner, His Excellency, the President the days he could choose. As far as Speaker Berri is concerned, there is the distribution of authority. My main concern was not to return to the Troika, which the Lebanese have from. We fixed the date for the meeting and then I contacted Kofi Anan. I told him I might go back to him and ask for some amendments. I make it appoint of considering my colleagues' concerns. Frankly, things happened that were unjustified: linking the Court with the government's legitimacy; the attempt to thrust the situation into the labyrinthine corridors of the government and divert attention from the Court. We should not politicize the issue of the Court. The first steps of politicization are to link the Court with the government. The two issues are different and should remain separate.
There are those who say that a court of an international character is more than Lebanon can bear. PM Siniora: Lebanon cannot sustain the failure to establish a tribunal. It touches the heart and essence of fundamental justice in the country and will lead to the continued obsession with assassinations; it will be a sword hanging over the necks of the Lebanese.
Are you delegated the authority to write a letter to the Security Council approving of the Court under Chapter VII? PM Siniora: The cabinet wants a price for that. I will do what is appropriate.
What happens after the Court is approved? PM Siniora: I believe that all eyes are now on the presidential elections, and we should proceed in that direction. What do the Lebanese people want? They do not want to surrender an inch of their land, and they do not want their country to be a battleground, or that there would be one alliance against another. Lebanon is an Arab country. The Taif Agreement has settled this. We do not want to replace the Syrian presence with American or Iranian or any other presence. Lebanon must be open to the world and our common enemy is Israel. The Lebanese want a return of State sovereignty. Ignore all the talk that is spreading around. They want a homeland and schools and job opportunities. They do not want to forsake the Resistance, and whoever does is a traitor. But we want the sovereignty of the State.
Are contacts between you and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah severed? PM Siniora: There is virtually no communication between us because of the security situation. Sometimes people come to visit me and others go to visit him.
What about your estrangement from Speaker Berri? PM Siniora: I tried more than once to remain in contact with him.
How do you explain his breaking off relations with you? PM Siniora: Perhaps he is embarrassed. But I have nothing for him except goodwill. President Berry cites Elzimkhshari from time to time, as if Elzimkhshari was a talisman. Elzimkhshari is one of the most important interpreters of the Koran and the hadith. I once commented on this, when I went to the Arab Book Exhibition (a few weeks ago), and went to a publishing house and picked out two of Elzimekhshari's volumes and sent them as a gift to Speaker Berri.
The strike and storming the Searil
When the opposition went on strike in Riad Solh Square and pitched its tents, were you afraid the protesters would storm the Serail? PM Siniora: My cabinet colleagues tell me they never saw me so calm. I was not afraid at all. As God is my witness, I was never so calm.
Perhaps because you knew the opposition wouldn't do it? PM Siniora: I have a lot of faith in God and the Lebanese. I am confident they are too wise to do such a thing.
You are accused of having played the Sunni card cleverly, and brought the masses into the streets by appealing to the Sunnis PM Siniora: Lebanese of all factions came to me. They were exercising their right of freedom of expression, like the other Lebanese. I cannot be an obstacle to their desire to express themselves. I believe that this government is a majority in the House of Representatives. This is the democratic system, whether we like it or not. We must acknowledge it. And they know that the government is supported by the majority of the Lebanese. I do not disparage the importance of the factions the opposition mobilized; I respect and bow my head to them. At least 60% of the Lebanese people support the government, and this is the result of the opinion polls; and the percentage is increasing. I do not forget those who oppose the government, so why should they ignore the majority of the people, who support the government? We extend our hands and open our hearts to those who oppose us. They are the sons of Lebanon. For this reason I constantly made up pretexts to reach out to them. They are my people. For your information, I am the inventor of the theories, 19 + 10 + 1 and 17 + 13. The Former means to take from the parties what would force them to try to meet on common ground: take from the majority the power to dictate terms; and take from the minority the ability to hold things up.
Why is amity lacking between and General Michel Aoun? PM Siniora: No, that's not true. There is no estrangement between me and any Lebanese leader. I talked with him after I returned from Paris. When I talk with him personally, things are like milk and honey. I contact him and I send him greetings on occasions. Of course, we hear later that things are different.
Did you seriously try to let Aoun's bloc join the government? PM Siniora: Yes, I did, but he would insist on provisions that didn't fit into the structure.
Did he insist that one of the members of his bloc be made minister of justice? PM Siniora: Yes.
Why? PM Siniora: I do not know. He wanted three of his people to be ministers, one of them as ministry of justice. I wish he could have been with us. The fact is, the cabinet is not a place for controversy. It's a place to agree on policies. The government appears before the House, which determines its destiny. Questioning the government is not conducted through speech sessions, invectives, and then passing a vote of confidence. See how the parliaments in Europe function.
Has the result of the incidents at Beirut Arab University abated for the moment, in terms of the sectarian clash between Shiites and Sunnis? PM Siniora: I was at the Paris when I received news of the clashes. I received a proposal to institute a curfew and call out the army in strength. I agreed immediately, and contacted the commander-in-chief of the army and Speaker Berri.
PALÄSTINENSER UND SYRER MACHEN ÄRGER IN UNSEREM LAND:
Breaking News - Masked gunmen rob a bank in Lebanon Saturday, 19 May, 2007 @ 6:44 PM
North Lebanon - Four masked gunmen robbed around 120,000 dollars from the Mediterranean Bank branch in the northern town of Amioun Saturday, police reported.
A Police communiqué said the four, who have not been identified, escapade in a beige-colored car to an unknown destination.
However, a security source said the gunmen's escape car has been identified as one of the vehicles used by the Syrian-sponsored Fatah-Islam terrorist group in north Lebanon's Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp. The source who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that members of the Group had robbed two banks in the northern town of Tripoli and the southern coastal village of Gaziyeh earlier this year to finance terrorist attacks in Lebanon.
Police had arrested a number of Fatah-Islam members in connection with the twin bus bombings in the village of Ein Alaq on Feb. 13 which killed and wounded at least 20 people.
The police communiqué said a man hunt was underway for the four gunmen who robbed the Bank in Amioun.
PALÄSTINENSER SCHIEßEN AUF DAS LIBANESISCHE MILITÄR!!!!!!!!!! IN TRIPOLIS!!!! SCHEIß PALÄSTINA, SCHEIß NICOLE UND SCHEIß GAST! IHR SEID EINFACH NUR VERRÄTER! FOLGT DER HISBALLAH WEITER IHR IDIOTEN!
Tote bei Kämpfen in Libanon Auseinandersetzungen zwischen Armee und Extremisten
Bei Kämpfen zwischen libanesischen Armeeangehörigen und radikalen Palästinensern sind in der Nacht zum Sonntag bei Tripolis elf Personen getötet worden. Die heftigen Feuergefechte spielten sich bei einem palästinensischen Flüchtlingslager ab.
Zwei libanesische Sicherheitskräfte bei dem Flüchtlingslager Nahr al-Bared. (Bild Reuters)
(ap/sda/Reuters) Bei Kämpfen zwischen libanesischen Sicherheitskräften und radikalen Palästinensern in und nahe der nordlibanesischen Hafenstadt Tripolis hat es in der Nacht zum Sonntag elf Tote gegeben. Sieben libanesische Soldaten und vier palästinensische Kämpfer seien ums Leben gekommen, sagte der Chef der libanesischen Sicherheitskräfte, General Ashraf Rifi.
Extremisten festgenommen Der Nachrichtensender al-Arabija berichtete, mehrere Mitglieder der Gruppe Fatah al-Islam seien während den Kämpfen in einem palästinensischen Flüchtlingslager nahe der Stadt Tripolis festgenommen worden. Das Lager Nahr al-Bared ist eine Hochburg der Fatah al-Islam.
Die Kämpfe begannen, nachdem Polizisten auf der Suche nach Bankräubern auch eine Wohnung in der zweitgrössten libanesischen Stadt gestürmt hatten, die einem Islamisten gehörte.
Kämpfer der Fatah al-Islam, der Verbindungen zur Terrororganisation al-Kaida nachgesagt werden, besetzten danach Stellungen der libanesischen Armee am Eingang zum Flüchtlingslager. Die Soldaten forderten Verstärkung an und lieferten sich heftige Feuergefechte mit den Islamisten.
Kämpfer mit Verbindungen zur Kaida Laut einer 38 Jahre alten Vereinbarung darf die libanesische Armee das Flüchtlingslager selbst nicht betreten, da die Palästinenser dort selbst für die Sicherheit verantwortlich sind.
Die Extremisten sind nach Angaben der Regierung eine Frontorganisation des syrischen Geheimdienstes im Libanon - ein Vorwurf, der sowohl von der Gruppe als auch von Syrien zurückgewiesen wird. Erklärungen der Gruppe sind in der Vergangenheit auf islamischen Internetseiten veröffentlicht worden, die auch von al-Kaida benutzt werden.
In den Lagern kommt es sporadisch zu Kämpfen zwischen den verschiedenen palästinensischen Fraktionen.
Wollte noch wissen,wer als aussichtsreichster Kandidat für die Präsidentschaftswahl gilt und wer als Kandidat angemeldet ist. Danke für die Antworten im Voraus. MFG
Scheiß nicole? Junge ich scheiß auf deine ganze Partei...du Verräter...ich bin weder ein Anhänger der Hisballah sonst noch was..aber ich kann logisch denken..ich sehe wer recht hat..ich sehe wer die waren terroristen sind..Roni du dummkopg merkst du das nicht? Durch deine Beleidigungen spiegelst du nur deine Partei wieder...Die Mörderrpartei..ich lach mich tot...ey wo gibts denn sowas außer in Libanon..ein Mörder als Parteivorsitzender..naja in paar Jahren wirds diese Partei sowieso nicht mehr geben..ich hba keine Lust mehr mich hier mit kleinkindern zu streiten..dafür ist meine zeit zu kostbat...auf deinem niveau kann ich einfach nicht sinken...
da reden die richtigen weil ich recht hab mit "palästinensern und hisballah und aoun anhänger". ich habe von anfang an gesagt dass palästinenser nur schlimmes dem libanon antun und uns in eine kriese stürzen. danke syrien
Sie sind vermutlich noch nicht im Forum angemeldet - Klicken Sie hier um sich kostenlos anzumelden
..naja in paar Jahren wirds diese Partei sowieso nicht mehr geben..ich hba keine Lust mehr mich hier mit kleinkindern zu streiten..dafür ist meine zeit zu kostbat...auf deinem niveau kann ich einfach nicht sinken...
weil ich recht hab mit "palästinensern und hisballah und aoun anhänger". ich habe von anfang an gesagt dass palästinenser nur schlimmes dem libanon antun und uns in eine kriese stürzen. danke syrien