I Use Two Reliability Scales for Each Source in This Catalogue. 1. Source Reliability Scale*

I use two reliability scales for each source in this catalogue. 1. Source reliability scale* 2. Item reliability scale* I attach next to each source in this catalogue a source reliability scale. The item reliability scale will be attached to each report, and will not appear here. * The scale is constructed on a 1 to 10 basis, with 1(least reliable) and 10 (most reliable).

Syrian Businessman: A A= Abdulsalam Haykal He got his BA in political science from the American University of Beirut. He took several courses with me and I know him very well. He is extremely active in business and public relations. He is a frequent visitor to Beirut. He is on the American University of Beirut Board of Trustees. Source reliability: 10

BBC: A A= Khalil Osman, BBC World Service Trust This is an excellent BBC News analyst. He travels widely into the Middle East to cover events. He interviewed me by phone on a number of occasions. He later accepted an offer to work with the UN in Khartoum, Sudan. Three months ago he was moved, upon his request, to Iraq where he is working with the UN on the future of Kirkuk. He is an excellent source on Iraqi politics and has extensive contacts with the country's Shiite politicians. Source reliability: 10

Media: A A=Hamid Ghiryafi He is on the staff of al-Muharrir al-Arabi. He recently joned the staff of the Saudi- owned al-Hayat newspaper. Source reliability: 9

Media:B B=Muaffaq Madani He is a freelancer; he contributes reports and pieces to a number of Lebanese and Gulf newspapers and news agencies. Source reliability: 7

Media: C C=Nabih al-Burji He is a freelancer and the head of the Beirut office of the Saudi daily al-Hayat. Source reliability: 8

Media: D D= Nuhad al-Ghadiri This source is the editor in chief of al-Muharrir al-Arabi. He has excellent contacts with the Saudi royal family. Source reliability: 10

Media: E E= Hasan Sabra He is the owner of al-Shriaa weekly magazine, which is published in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Media: F F=Khalid AbuDahr He is the editor of the Beiruti (published in Paris) al-Watan al-Arabi magazine. Source reliability: 9

Media: G G= Ahmad al-Ayubi Director of the Lebanese Media Research Center and an expert on Islamic Studies Source reliability: 8

Media: H H= Riad Alameddine He is well-versed on Turkish-Kurdish relations Source reliability: 8

Media: I I= Rana Abu Dahr al-Rifaai, Media Consultant and has direct access to Saudi embassy staff in Beirut. Source reliability: 9

Media: J J= Hisham Bashir He is a security analyst and a free-lancer who is very close to Naeem Qassem in Hizbullah. Source reliability: 10

Media: K K= Nisrine Salih She is a free-lance journalist and has excellent connections with the Future Current. Source reliability: 9

Media: L L= Mahmoud Sadik He is a well-connected freelancer and has direct access to Lebanon's pro-Syrian politicians Source reliability: 8

Media: M Viviane Saliba Dagher She is on the staff of al-Maseera, a Lebanese Maronite oriented weekly magazine published in Beirut. Source reliability: 7

Media: N N= Anthony Geagea He is a columnist in al-Maseera weekly, which is published in Beirut. He is pro- Lebanese Forces. Source reliability: 9

Media: O O= Yasser Ghazi A Beirut-based correspondent for the published in Paris Al-Watan al-Arabi Source reliability: 8

Media: Q Q= Zein Hammoud, editor-in-chief of al-Shiraa magazine (Beirut) Source reliability: 10

Media: R R= Huda Shdid; a Beirut-based correspondent for al-Hawadith Magazine Source reliability: 7

Media: S S= Ihab Darwish A correspondent for al-Hawadeth Magazine Source reliability: 7

Media: T T= Walid Awad; magazine editor; he has been recently seeing top Hizbullah people, such as Wafiq Safa who heads HZ security apparatus, on a regular basis. Source reliability: 9

Media: U U= Michel Nawfal He is an editor in al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which was founded by the late Rafiq Hariri. He is also an expert on Iran. Source reliability: 9

Media: V V= Khalid Awad A columnist in the Beiruti al-Afkar weekly. Source reliability: 8

Media: W W= Charles Jabbour A columnist in the weekly al-Maseera, a Lebanese Maronite magazine. Source reliability: 8

Media: Y Y= Elias Maalouf Editor of the Arabweek Source reliability: 9

Media: Z Z= Jumana Nasr; she is also an expert on Turkey. Source reliability: 10

Media: AB AB= Zeina Khodr She is a Beirut-based correspondent for al-Jazeera. Source reliability: 10

Media: AC AC= Charles Abu Adal He is the chair of the advisory board of al-Usbu' al-Arabi magazine. Source reliability: 10

Media: AD AD=Mazen Qobrosly He is an editor of al-Mushahid al-Siyasi magazine, issued in London. Source reliability: 8

Media: AE AE= Milhim Karam He is the head of the Association of Lebanese Editors Source reliability: 10 (He passed away in June 2010)

Media: AF AF= Amer Mashmushe He is a free lancer on good terms with Tayyar al-Mustaqbal Source reliability: 10

Media: AG AG= Mona Alame She is a reporter with Lebanon's French weekly "Magazine." Source reliability: 10

Media: AH AH= Fuad Itani He is the editor of al-Thabat, a new weekly publication in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Media: AI AI= Ghassan bin Jiddu He is the head of al-Jazeera Beirut office. He is originally Tunisian, but his mother is Lebanese. He was naturalized as Lebanese citizen in the 1990s. He is the best connected journalist in Lebanon, and probably the entire Arab world. During the 1990s, he served as the Saudi owned al-Hayat newspaper's correspondent in Tehran. Source reliability: 10

Media: AJ AJ= Ibrahim al-Amin He is a prominent Lebanese journalist and has very close ties with Hizbullah. He is an authority on HZ, Iran and Islamic militant movements. He is also close to the Lebanese opposition. Source reliability: 10

Media: AK AK= Talal Salman He is the editor-in-chief and owner of al-Safir daily newspaper. He is Lebanon's most influential journalist. He is a staunch Arab nationalist. He is Shiite from the northern Biqaa. Source reliability: 10

Media: AL AL= Dalia Mahdawi She is a journalist working for Beirut's English language newspaper The Daily Star. Source reliability: 10

Media: AM AM= Hala Ballut She is a freelance journalist. She is aslso an associate with Lebanese al-Shira' magazine. Source reliability: 10

Media: AN AN= Charles Ayub He is the editor the influential al-Diyar, a Beiruti daily that supports the Syrian regime and Hizbullah. Source reliability: 10

Media: AO AO= Ali Hamade He is a prominet Druze TV commentator and journalist. He is a member of the March 14 coalition. He holds uncompromising negative attitudes towards the Syrian regime. Source reliability: 10

Media: AP AP= Lene Nuwayhid She is a free-lance journalist spercializing in Shiite affairs. She is a contributor to Reuters, AP and AFP. Source reliability: 10

Media: AQ AQ- Nasser Qandil He previously served as the director general of the Lebanese ministry of information. He is in Amal Movement and is on excellent terms with Syrian officials. Source reliability: 10

Palestinian Media: A A= Yusuf Salah He works for the pro-Hamas al-Quds satellite TV station, which maintains a major office in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Palestinian Media: B B= Amal Shihada She works for al-Hayat daily. Source reliability: 10

Saudi Media: A A= Ali Khushayban He is a freelance Saudi reporter. He reports frequently from Beirut and other cities in the Middle East. He is a specialist on al-Qaeda. Source reliability: 10

Chinese media: A A= Ren Ke He is a Chinese correspondent stationed in Beirut. He frequently calls on me for assessments on regional issues. Source reliability: 10

International Media: A A= Farnaz Fassihi She is a senior Middle East correspondent for The Wall Street Journal Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Economist: A A= Marwan Iskandar He is Lebanon's leading economist Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Economist: B B= Kamal Hamdan He is a leftist economist with certain communist leanings. Source reliability: 9

Lebanese Economist: C C= Samir Makdisi He is a professor of economics at the American UNiversity of Beirut and has contacts with the International Bank. Source reliability: 8

Japanese Expert on Iran: A A= Koichiro Tanaka He is the director of JIME, The Institute of Energy Economics, Tokyo, Japan. He is also an expert on Iran. He is also a personal friend of mine. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: A A= Muhammad Hajjar; he is a parliamentary deputy in the Sa'd Hariri bloc. Source reliability: 6

Lebanese Government: B B= Johnie Abdou, former directior of Deuxieme Bureau (intelligence service) and former ambassador to the USA Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: C C= Nawaf Salam, Lebanon's new permanent ambassador at the UN, and a close personal friend of mine Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: D C= Saad Hariri, leader of the 14 March Coalition and head of a parliamentary bloc. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: E E=Michel Pharaon, deputy in the Lebanese parliament, and a member of the Hariri parliamentary bloc. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: F F= Elie Skaf, opposition parliamentary deputy from Zahle, the largest city in the Biqaa, which has a mixed Christian population: Maronite, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. Source reliability: 7

Lebanese Government: G G= Mustafa Allush; he is a former deputy in the Lebanese parliament from Tripoli, and a very active member of Sa'd Hariri's Tayyar al-Mustaqbal; he is also a medical doctor. Source reliability: 8

Lebanese Government: H H= Abdallah Farhat; he is a deputy in the Lebanese Parliament. He is a Christian deputy on the parliamentary list of Druze leader Walid Junblatt, and also a member of the March 14 coalition. He has a PhD in political science and teaches in the Jesuit Saint Joseph University (Beirut). Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: I I= Jamal al-Jarrah; he is a deputy in Sa'd Hariri's parliamentary bloc and a very active meber in Tayyar al-Mustaqbal (Future Trend). Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: J J= Bahiyya Hariri; she is a parliamentary deputy and former minister of education. She is the sister of the late Rafiq Hariri. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: K K= Ahmad Fatfat; he is a parliamentary deputy from Dinniyye, Akkar, in northern Lebanon. He is a very active member in Saad Hariri's Future Trend. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: L L= Fawzi Salloukh; he is the former Lebanese minister of foreign affairs. He is Shiite and very close to the speaker of the house Nabih Berri. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: M M= Ziad Baroud. He is the former minister of interior. He was previously the director of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE). It was the centrality of thie 2009 parliamentary elections that drove president Michele Suleiman to include him in the cabinet as minister of interior, which is the body that organizes and supervises Lebanon's parliamentary elections. He is a presidential aspirant. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: N N= Ammar Houry He is a deputy in the Lebanese parliament. He is a member of Saad Hariri's parliamentary bloc and an active member in the Future Trend. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: O O= Imad al-Hout; he is a leading member in al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya and their deputy in the Lebanese parliament. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: P P= Hasan Munayminah; he is the minister of education in Saad Hariri's cabinet. He is a professor of histroy at the Lebanese University and a former director (this position comes between the dean and departments' chairpersons) of the faculty of arts at the same university. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: Q Q= Uqab Saqr; he is a deputy in the Lebanese parliament and member of the "Lebanon First Coalition" (Takattul Lubnan Awwalan). He is also affiliated with the Future Trend of Saad Hariri. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: R R= Sitreda Jea'jea' She is a Maronite parliamentary deputy from northern Lebanon. She is the spouse of the leader of the Lebanese Forces Samir Jea'jea'. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Government: S S= Marwan Sharbil He is the new minister of interior. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Politician: A A= Albert Mansour, former cabinet member Source reliability: 7

Lebanese Politician: B B= Charles Rizk,former Minister of Justice He is Maronite and has always had presidential ambitions. Source reliability: 8

Lebanese Politician: C C= Amin Gemayyil, chief of the Phalangist Party and former Lebanese president between 1982-88. Source reliability: 10 Lebanese Politician: D D= Usama Saad He is a former deputy in the Lebanese parliament from Saida, and the head of the Nasserite People's Group. He keeps close ties with Hizbullah, and is on their payroll. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Politician: E E= Samir Jea'jea' He is the leader of the Lebanese Forces, and a key component in the March 14 coalition.. Source reliability: 10

HZ Media: A A= Ibrahim Mousawi He is the head of HZ information unit and public relations representative. He has been recently appointed to HZ Shura Council. He received his BA in English from the Lebanese University and his master degree in political science from the American University of Beirut. Source reliability: 10

HZ Media: B B= Abdu Sa'd; he is also the director of the Beirut Research Center Source reliability: 10

HZ Media: C C= Ibrahim Farhat; he is a public relations officer in al-Manar TV. Source reliability: 10

HZ Media: D D= Ali Qassir He is a TV presenter at al-Manar T.V. as well as a program coordinator of Iran's Press T.V. (English). Source reliability: 10

HZ Media: E E= Ali Badawi He is a news reporter for al-Manar T.V. He often reports for al-Manar from Iran, Syria, and Iraq. Source reliability: 10

HZ Leadership: A A= Ghalib Abu Zeinab Member in Hizbullah's Politburo Source reliability: 9 HZ Leadership: B B= Mahmud Qammati Member if Hizbullah's politburo Source reliability: 9

HZ Leadership: C C= Jamal Taqsh He is a member of Hizbullah parliamentary bloc. Source reliability: 9

HZ Leadership: D D= Ali Ammar He is a member of Hizbullah parliamentary bloc Source reliability: 10

HZ Leadership: E E= Nabil Qawuq He is HZ official in southern Lebanon. He deals with the media and frquently meets foreign delegations hosted by HZ in the south. He is extremely radical in his views, even by HZ standards. Source reliability: 10

Former HZ Leader: A A= Subhi al-Tufayli He served as HZ secretary general between 1989-91. He was dismissed from HZ in 1998. He is presently at large in the northern Biqaa. He leads a loose group called Ansarullah (God's Partisans). Source reliability: 8

HZ Secretary General (HZSG) HZSG= Hasan Nasrallah Source reliability: 10

HZ Physician: A A= Ja'far al-Hurr He practices pediatrics at al-Sahil and al-Zahraa' Shiite hospitals in the southern suburbs. He is an exceptionally well informed source since he sees influential people in HZ and treats their children. Source Reliability: 10

Lebanese Sunni Fundamentalist Leaders: A A= Fathi Yakan; head of the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement. He lives in Tripoli, Lebanon. Source reliability: 10 Deceased. He passed awy in June 2009.

Amal Movement Student Activist: A A = Hussein Saade He is also close to the people in the office of Nabih Berri, Leader of Amal Movement and Speaker of the House. He received his BA in June 2008. He is currently employed by the Radisson Hotel in Beirut as a public relations manager. Source reliability: 10

HZ College Student Activist: A A= Bilal Hadwan He is a graduate student now. Source reliability: 10

HZ College Student Activist: B B= Hamed Khadra He is also a graduate student at the American University of Beirut Source reliability: 10

Shabab al-Mustaqbal College Student Activist: A A= Samir al-Masri He is a student at the Lebanese American University and is a recruit from Beirut in the Tayyar al-Mustaqbal (in reference to Sa'd Hariri's Future Trend). Source reliability: 10

Shabab al-Mustaqbal College Student Activist: B B= Khalil Gharib He studied at the American University of Beirut and was recruited from Tripoli in the Tayyar al-Mustaqbal (in reference to Saa'd Hariri's Future Trend). He presently works as an analyst with Nader Hariri, Saad's cousin and Bahiyyya's son. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Military: A A= Major General Elias Hanna Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Military: B B= Brigadier General Nader Farjallah Source reliability: 9

Lebanese Military: C C=Colonel Nabil Aqiqi Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Military: D D= Colonel Elias Habib Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Military: E E= Colonel Fuad Khuri. He is the director of the International Crime Control Bureau of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Military: F F= Major general Ashraf Rifi. He is the director general of the Lebanese internal security forces (ISF). ISF is a pro-Hariri Sunni-led apparatus. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Military: G G= Brigadier general Edmond Fadel He is the director general the Lebanese army intelligence apparatus. Source reliability: 10

Fateh Military: A A= Brigadier General Sameh Younis Source reliability: 10

Fateh Military: B B= Haj Khalid Arif He is a retired commander of PLO units in southern Lebanon Source reliability: 10

Palestinian Authority: A A= Abbas Zaki He was Palestinian Authority Chairperson Mahmud Abbas representative in Lebanon. He is a member in Fateh's Central Committee. Source reliability: 10

College Student: SS1 SS1= Abdulamir Tlais He is from Nabatiyye in southern Lebanon. He received his college degree last June and is now working as a math teacher in a public school in Beirut. He is an HZ reservist. Source reliability: 10

College Student: SS2 SS2= Haydar Mousawi Shiite college student from Baalbek; he is an HZ partisan. He graduated from the Lebanese University with a degree in Business and he is presently working for HZ- administered al-Zahraa hospital in the southern suburbs. Source reliability: 10

Political Activist: A A= Kamal Yazigi Kamal Yazigi is a senior member in Michel Aoun's Free Current; he is also a personal friend of mine. Source reliability: 10

Reform and Change Bloc: A A=Farid al-Khazen; he is a deputy in the Lebanese parliament and member in Michel Aoun's parliamentary bloc. He also teaches on a part-time basis at the American University of Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Jordanian Media: A Rami Khoury, former editor the Jordan Times; he is presently in Beirut, where he has an affiliation with the Daily Star Source reliability: 10

Jordanian Media: B B= Salih al-Qallab He is a free-lance Jordanian journalist. Source reliability: 10

Jordanian Media: C C= Atif Kilani He is a free-lance and widely read Jordanian journalist. Source reliability: 10

Political Consultant: A A= Ibrahim Gemayyil, consultant to former Lebanese President Amin Gemayyel, and a former student of mine. He is currently a member of the March 14 Bloc Steering Committee. Source reliability: 10

Political Consultant: B B= Tarik Ayntrazi, consultant to Sa'd Hariri Source reliability: 10

Political Consultant: C C=Ali Hamdan He is the political consultant of Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and leader of Amal Movement. Source reliability: 10

Political Consultant: D D= George Deeb He is a special consultant to Lebanese president Michel Suleiman. He was a professor of law at the Lebanese University and served as a consultant to the Prince of Qatar. Source reliability: 10 Political Consultant: E E= George Jabbur He was a political consultant to the late Syrian president Hafiz al-ASad. He later headed the Asad Libray. He presently performs as an advisor to Syrian president Bashar Asad. Source reliability: 10

Political Consultant: F F= Iskandar Bashir He is a retired professor and a former advisor to several members of Abu Dhabi's political elite. He maintains his contacts with them and travels regularly to the UAE on an ad hoc consultation basis. Source reliability: 10

Political Consultant: G G= Khalil Gebara He is a political consultant to Saad Hariri, leader of the Future Trend. Source reliability: 10

International Law Expert: A A= Nidal Jurdi, PhD He works for the UN in Beirut. He also comes from a Druze family that is very close to the head of the Druze-led Progressive Socialsit Party. Source reliability: 10

Amal Movement Operative: A A= Abbas Abdallah Source reliability: 8

Amal Movement Operative: B B= Ali Zaatar Source reliability: 8

Amal Movement Operative: C C= Iyad Farran. He operates in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. Source reliability: 10

College Student: A A= Walid Agha; student at the Lebanese International University Source reliability: 10 (He graduated and is currently working in the UAE in the hotel industry)

Confidant: A A= Wassim al-Abiad Confidant to former Lebanese prime minister Salim al-Huss; He is also a personnel manager at the American University of Beirut Source reliability: 10

Confidant: B B= Antoine Haikal He is a Catholic man in Walid Junblatt's Progressive and Socialist Party. He has a direct access to Walid Junblatt. He is from Shimlan in the Shuf Mountains. He is also an assistant librarian at the American University of Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Confidant: C C= Nader Sraj He is a professor of linguistics at the Lebanese University and a long-time confidant of the Hariri family, especially Saad and Bahiyya Hariri. I know him very well since he was affiliated with the Hariri Foundation between 1984-2000. Source reliability: 10

Academician: A A= Isam Shbaro He is a professor of history at the Lebanese university and director (a position between chairperson and dean) of the faculty of Arts. He is a prolific writer on the history of Beirut, as well as on Islamic movements. He is Sunni Muslim but has close contacts with Lebanese Shiites. Source reliability: 9

Academician: B B= Ahmad Mousalli He is a professor of Islamic Studies at the American Univeresity of Beirut and vice- president of Hizb al-Hiwar al-Watani of Fouad Makhzoumi. Source reliability: 8

Academician: C C= Radwan al-Sayyid Radwan al-Sayyid is a professor of religion at the Lebanese University. In the 1980s he headed the Libyan supported and Beirut located Institute of Development. He was a frequent visitor to Libya but has cutoff his Libyan linkages since he became an advisor to the late Rafiq Hariri and presently his son Sa’d. This source remains in touch with Libyan dissidents thanks to his participation in regional conferences. Source reliability: 10

Academician: D D= Munir Bashur He is a professor of education at the American University of Beirut. His wife Cathy is a former principal of the American Community School in Beirut. Source reliability: 10 Academician: E E= Talal Atrisi He is a professor of sociology at the Lebanese University and an expert on Iran. Source reliability: 10

Academician: F F= Talal al-Baba He is a retired Lebanese University economics professor. He presently works on special tasks for Bahiyya al-Hariri, a parliamentary deputy from Saida and sister of the later prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Source reliability: 10

Academician: G G= Daniel Reiche He is a German professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. He maintains close ties with the German embassy staff in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Academician: H H= Mansoor Moaddel He is an Iranian professor of Sociology at Eastern Michigan University. Source reliability: 10

Academician: I I= Hrair Dekmajian He is a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California. He is an expert on Sunni and Shiite Islamic movements. Source reliability: 10

Academician: J J= Zainab Mirza She is a part-time faculty member at the American University of Beirut. She is married to a Syrian, and travels frequently to Damascus. Source reliability: 10

Academician: K K= Sari Hanafi He is a professor of sociology at the American University of Beirut. He is a Syrian of Palestinian origin. He is very close to Syrian opposition members living in France. Source reliability: 10

Analyst: A A= Riad Qahwaji He is the director of the Near East and Gulf Center for Military Analysis. Source reliability: 9 UNIFIL: A A= SAM, Liaison captain Finn-Irish Battalion; he is no longer stationed in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

UNIFIL: B B= Timur Goksel, former UNIFIL Spokesman. He is a citizen of Turkey and on excellent terms with the Turkish foreign ministry and embassy in Beirut. He is retiring in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

UNIFIL:C C= Dalia Farran She is associated with UNIFIL, in connection with her appointment by the UN Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC). She is a former student of mine. Source reliability: 10

Iraqi Journalist: A A= Wael al-Rawi He is a freelancer who travels every now and then to Beirut. He has strong connections with al-Mahdi army. Source reliability: 10

Druze Community Leader: A A= Nabil Jurdi He is a ranking member in the Druze-led Progressive and Socialist Party (PSP). During the civil war, he was in charge of the civil administration in the Shuf Mountains. He presently runs a private school in Khalde, south of Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Leading Druze Politician: A A= Walid Junblatt. He is the most prominent Druze leader and head of the Progressive Socialist Party. Source reliability: 10

Venezuelan-Lebanese Citizen: A A= Siham Shuhaybir. She is a dual national of Venezuela and Lebanon. She is a dentist (my dentist) who did her professional training in Venezuela in the early 1960s. She frequently travels to venezuela and has family members permanently living there. Source reliability: 10

Center for Arab Unity Studies: A A= Khayr al-Din Hasib He is the director of the center which, in terms of the quality of publications, is perhaps the best Arab social science research center. He is an Iraqi national and the center is located in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Sunni Militant Activist: A A= Shaykh Umar al-Bakri He is an independent militant activist from Tripoli, Lebanon’s second largest city. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Judge: A A= Ghassan Rabah He is an appeals judge in Beirut's penal court. He is a prominent member of the Druze community who is very much trusted by Druze chief Walid Junblatt. Source reliability: 10

Iraqi Graduate Student: A A = Aws Abbas He is a graduate student at the American University of Beirut majoring in public administration. Before joining the master's program, he worked in Iraq with the USA army as a translator. He is a Kurd from northern Iraq. Source reliability: 9

Egyptian Diplomat: A A= Ahmad al-Bidewi He is the ambassador of Egypt in Beirut Source reliability: 10

Egyptian Diplomat: B B= Ahmad Hilmi He is the consul of Egypt in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Egyptian Diplomat: C C= Mohammad Abdulazim Abdulhamid al-Sayyid He is the Egyptian military attache in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Ba'th Party Activist: A A= Ahmad Lababidi He is a Syrian Ba'th Party activist living in Beirut. He was born and raised in Beirut, but he is not a citizen of Lebanon. He is a substitute English language teacher by profession. He also gives private English language lessons. His main occupation, however, is the Ba'th Party position, which involves information gathering. I have known this person since childhood as a classmate. He is Sunni Muslim, and his parents immigrated to Beirut from the city of Hama in Syria in the 1940s. Source reliability: 10 Jama'at Islamiyya Activist: A A= Mohammad Kilani He is a prominent activist of the Sunni Jama'at Islamiyya in the city of Sidon (third largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli), southern Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Jama'at Islamiyya Official: A A= Azzam al-Ayubi He is the head of the politbureau of al-Jama'at al-Islamiyya in Lebanon (also known the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood). Source reliability: 10

Hamas Representative: A A= Ali Baraka He is Hamas's representative and spokesman in Lebanon. He replaces Usama Hamdan who was appointed to Hamas's central committee. Source Reliability: 10

Middle East Airlines (MEA): A A= Mohammad al-Hout He is the director general of the MEA, Lebanon's national carrier. He is pro-March 14 coalition, and was appointed in his position by the late prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Source reliability: 10

Iranian Embassy Cultural Officer: A A- Ibrahim Hirshi Source reliability: 10

Iranian Diplomat: A A= Jalal Mehrabab; he is Iran's military attache in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Iranian Diplomat: B B= Massoud Husseinian He is the Iranian charge d'affairs in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Iranian Diplomat: C C= Ghadanfar Rukn Abadi He is the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon Source reliability: 10

Senior Lebanese Cleric: A A=Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Qabbani. He is the Grand Sunni Mufti of Lebanon. Source reliability: 10 Swedish Academician: A A= Johan Garde He is a senior lecturer at Ersta Skondal University College in Stockholm. He is a close personal friend of mine. Source reliability: 10

Neurologist: A A= Mahmud Kreidieh He is a Lebanese-American neurologist who practices medicine in California and Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Yemeni Diplomat: A A= Faysal Abu Raas He is Yemen's ambassador in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Palestinian-American Businessman: A A= Mohammad Oweis He is the president of Aramech, a furniture company in Mississippi. He is an expert on Yemen, where he travels regularly. Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Shiite Cleric: A A= Shaykh Abdulamir Qabalan He is the depty head of the Higher Shiite Islamic Council. The council administers and regulates personal status matters of Lebanese Shiites (including marriages, divorces, and inheritance). Source reliability: 10

UNRWA Consultant: A A= Layla Hilal She is a elgal consultant for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Work Agency) Source reliability: 10

Lebanese Opposition Leader: A A= Michel Aoun He is the leading Maronite politician, and the leader of the Free Current. In the 1980s, he served as the commander of the army and, in 1988, former president Amin Jemayyil appointed him as the head of a military cabinet. Source reliability: 10

Iraqi Diplomat: A A= Umar Barzanji He is Iraq's ambassador in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Hospital Director: A A= Wasim al-Wazzan. He is a urologist and the director of Rafiq Hariri Public hospital in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Analyst: A A= Sami Moubayyid He is Syria's best known analyst and journalist for Westerners. He was my student at AUB. He teaches at al-Kalamun University in Damascus. He has excellent connections with Syria's political elite. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Government: A A= Faysal al-Miqdad He is Syria's deputy minister of foreign affairs. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Diplomat: A A= Ali Abdulkarim He is the Syrian ambassador in Beirut Source reliability: 10

Russian Diplomat: A A= Serguei Boukine He is the ambassador of Russia to Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Iranian College Student: A A= Sadeg Kashani He is a graduate student at the American University of Beirut Source reliability: 10

Fateh al-Intifada Representative: A A= Hasan Zaydan He is the pro-Syrian Fateh al-Intifada representative in Lebanon Source reliability: 10

Iraqi Military Analyst: A A= Subhi Nazim Tawfiq Source reliability: 10

PFLP-GC Official: A A= Anwar Raja He is the public relations representative in Lebanon of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine--General Command (PFLP-GC) Source reliability: 10

Philanthropic Foundation Director: A A= Abdulsalam Marini. He is the director of al-Walid bin Talal foundation in Lebanon for humanitarian and educational affairs. Source reliability: 10

Retired Diplomat: A A= Hisham Dimashqiyya He is Lebanon's former secretary general of the ministry of foreign affairs. He also served as Lebanon's ambassador in Egypt. Source reliability: 10

Saudi Diplomat: A A= Ali Sai'd Awad Asiri He is Saudi Arabian Ambassador in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Saudi Diplomat: B B= Mohammad Hajjaj. He is Saudi Arabian military attache in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Sudanese Diplomat: A A= Idris Suleiman He is the ambassador of Sudan in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Sudanese Diplomat: B B= Al-Hadi Siddiq Ali Numayri He is Sudan's charge d'affairs in Lebanon Source reliability: 10

Turkish Diplomat: A A= Ali Tas He is Turkey's military attache in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

MTC Manager: A A= Isabelle Franjiye She is an accounts manager at Lebanon's Mobile Telecommunications Company. Source reliability: 10

Qatari Diplomat: A A= Saad bin Ali al-Muhannadi He is Qatar's ambassador in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Non-Militant Islamic Leader: A A= Shaykh Husam Qaraqira He is the head of the pro-Syrian Islamic Philanthropic Projects Association (al- Ahbash). Source reliability: 10

Future Trend Official: A A= Marwan Zanhur He is a Future Trend official (Tayyar al-Mustaqbal) in Tariq al-Jadidah in west Beirut. He is in charge of recruitment and mobilization of partisans and supporters. Source reliability: 10

Nigerian Diplomat: A A= Nasir Tunde Jimoh He is the chief schedule officer at the embassy Source reliability: 10

Japanese Diplomat: A A= Mikihiro Arakawa He is a counsellor at the Japanese Embassy in Beirut Source reliability: 10

Public Figure: A A= Rashid Jamali He is the former head of Tripoli's municipality and director of its al-Rabita al- Thaqafiyya (cultural league). He is a very well known figure in Tripoli and maintains good relations with the city's political groupings. Source reliability: 10

Egyptian Media: A A= Hamdi Qandil He is a prominent Egyptian TV/Media critic. Source reliability: 10

Egyptian Media: B B= Chirine Tadros She reports for al-Jazeera from Cairo and other Arab cities. Source reliability: 10

Egyptian Media: C C= Isam al-Aryan He is a columnist and activist in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Source reliability: 10 Egyptian Physician: A A= Nahla Naji She is a psychiatrist at Ain Shams University. I met her at a conference in Cairo last year. Source reliability: 10

Algerian Diplomat: A A= Ibrahim Hasi He is the ambassador of Algeria in lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Kuwaiti Diplomat: A A= Abdulaal al-Qina'ii He is the ambassador of Kuwait in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Kuwaiti Diplomat: B B= Sheikh Salem al-Sabbah He is the ambassador of Kuwait in Washington, D.C. I supervised his Master's thesis in 1991 on the GCC. Source reliability: 10

Yemeni Media: A A= Baabbad Farri He is a free lance Yemeni journalist. Source reliability: 10

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Representative: A A= Abu Ahmad al-Rifa'ii He is the representative of the PIJ in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Activist: A A= Amir Bitar He is an anti-regime activist. He currently resides in Beirut and pursues his studies (he is in his early thirties) at the American University of Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Activist: B B= Umar Idlibi He is the official representative of Syrian local coordination commtittees in Lebanon. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Activist: C C= Radwan Ziade He is a prominent member of the Syrian opposition. He is presently located in Beirut. Source reliability: 10

Syrian College Student: A A=Rami Bayraqdar He is a student at the American University of Beirut Source reliability: 10

Syrian College Student: B B= Haya Atassi She is a political science student at the American University of Beirut. She is from Homs. She is a paramedic who did volunteer work for the Syrian Red Crescent in Homs. Source reliability: 10

International Media: A A= Max Rodenbeck He is The Economist's Middle East Correspondent Source reliability: 10

Think Tank Director: A A= Muhsin Saleh He is the director of Palestinian al-Zaytuna research center in Beirut. He is on very close terms with Hamas. Source reliability: 10

Syrian Media: A A= Nour Malas She is a Freelancer reporting for several Western newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal. She is based in Dubai. She is a former student of mine. Source reliability: 10

Kurdish Activist: A A= Lokman Meho He is the Librarian at the American University of Beirut. He has a PhD in Library Science. He previously taught at Indiana University. He has strong ties to the Kurdish movement in Iraq and Syria. I supervised his master thesis in 1995. Source reliability: 10

UAE Diplomat: A A= Rahma al-Zu'abi He is the ambassador of the UAE in Beirut. Source reliability: 10