DOCSLIB.ORG

Public Transcript of the Hearing Held On

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Public Transcript of the Hearing Held On 20150325_STL-11-01_T_T135_OFF_PUB_EN 1/104 PUBLIC Official Transcript Procedural Matters (Open Session) Page 1 1 Special Tribunal for Lebanon 2 In the case of The Prosecutor v. Ayyash, Badreddine, Merhi, 3 Oneissi, and Sabra 4 STL-11-01 5 Presiding Judge David Re, Judge Janet Nosworthy, 6 Judge Micheline Braidy, Judge Walid Akoum, and 7 Judge Nicola Lettieri - [Trial Chamber] 8 Wednesday, 25 March 2015 - [Trial Hearing] 9 [Open Session] 10 [The witness takes the stand] 11 --- Upon commencing at 10.01 a.m. 12 THE REGISTRAR: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is sitting in an 13 open session in the case of the Prosecutor versus Ayyash, Badreddine, 14 Merhi, Oneissi, and Sabra, case number STL-11-01. 15 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: Good morning. We will continue with the 16 evidence of Mr. Siniora today. 17 And good morning to you, Mr. Siniora. We trust you are 18 refreshed. 19 THE WITNESS: Good morning. 20 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: I just note the appearances. We have 21 Mr. Cameron appearing for the Prosecution. For the Legal Representative 22 for the Victims, we have Mr. Mattar and Ms. Abdelsater-Abusamra. For the 23 Defence we have Mr. Aoun for Mr. Ayyash; Mr. Korkmaz for Mr. Badreddine; 24 Mr. Hassan for Mr. Oneissi; Mr. Young for Mr. Sabra; and Mr. Khalil, who 25 is halfway through his cross-examination we hear, for Mr. Merhi. And Wednesday, 25 March 2015 STL-11-01 Interpretation serves to facilitate communication. Only the original speech is authentic. 20150325_STL-11-01_T_T135_OFF_PUB_EN 2/104 PUBLIC Official Transcript Witness: Fouad Siniora –PRH108 (Resumed) (Open Session) Page 2 Cross-examination by Mr. Khalil (Continued) 1 there are two representatives of the Defence Office seated in the court. 2 So you will have heard the good news there, Mr. Siniora, that 3 Mr. Khalil has assured us that he is halfway through his 4 cross-examination and has maybe 15 minutes to go. 5 Over to you, Mr. Khalil. 6 And just one further word, Mr. Siniora. We understand that you 7 are linguistically gifted and speak fluently the three official languages 8 of the Tribunal. We just had a little difficulty yesterday with the 9 French-English-Arabic relay around the courtroom, so could we just -- 10 could I just ask you again to watch the transcript as you are doing and 11 wait until the words stop being typed. That will allow us to record what 12 you're saying. Thank you. 13 Mr. Khalil. 14 MR. KHALIL: [Interpretation] Good morning, Your Honour. Good 15 morning, honourable members of the Bench. 16 WITNESS: FOUAD SINIORA [Resumed] 17 [Witness answered through interpreter] 18 Cross-examination by Mr. Khalil: [Continued] 19 Q. [Interpretation] Good morning, Prime Minister, how are you doing 20 today? 21 A. Good. Thank you. 22 Q. We will continue regarding what we were discussing today and the 23 last ministerial statement that was issued before the assassination of 24 Prime Minister Hariri. The government is formed of the Deputy Prime 25 Minister, Mr. Issam Fares. You were minister of finance. Mr. Marwan Wednesday, 25 March 2015 STL-11-01 Interpretation serves to facilitate communication. Only the original speech is authentic. 20150325_STL-11-01_T_T135_OFF_PUB_EN 3/104 PUBLIC Official Transcript Witness: Fouad Siniora –PRH108 (Resumed) (Open Session) Page 3 Cross-examination by Mr. Khalil (Continued) 1 Hamade was minister of economy and trade, and the minister of defence was 2 Mr. Mahmoud Hammoud, and the minister of interior was Mr. Elias El-Murr. 3 I would like to touch upon two issues in this ministerial statement. 4 The first issue is in the text in the Arabic language line 13 of 5 the ministerial statement, and in the English version it's line 16. I 6 will be reading. 7 "The government ..." 8 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: Mr. Siniora, you've got a copy of that, I 9 think Mr. Khalil gave it to you to read overnight? 10 THE WITNESS: [Interpretation] Yes. Yes. 11 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: Mr. Khalil, you were reading something on to 12 the record. 13 MR. KHALIL: [Interpretation] Yes, Your Honour. 14 PRESIDING JUDGE RE: Mr. Siniora, you've read the document. I 15 think Mr. Khalil has a question to you of this document. 16 MR. KHALIL: [Interpretation] Thank you, Your Honour. 17 Q. So line 13, Mr. Prime Minister: 18 "The government affirms its solidarity with its sister state 19 Syria in the face of all unfair pressure, accusations and threats against 20 it, including the Syria Accountability Act that is before the US Congress 21 and that affects Lebanon as much as it affects Syria ..." 22 My question, Mr. Prime Minister, is: On the basis of what is 23 mentioned in this ministerial statement, can we say that the Syria 24 Accountability Act was at the time unfair and it addressed unfair 25 pressure, accusations, and threats? Wednesday, 25 March 2015 STL-11-01 Interpretation serves to facilitate communication. Only the original speech is authentic. 20150325_STL-11-01_T_T135_OFF_PUB_EN 4/104 PUBLIC Official Transcript Witness: Fouad Siniora –PRH108 (Resumed) (Open Session) Page 4 Cross-examination by Mr. Khalil (Continued) 1 A. First of all, I would like to say that this was an act that was 2 adopted in the United States of America. Number two, the people working 3 closely with Prime Minister Hariri had nothing to do with this act. 4 Third, one of the allies of the Syrian regime, General Aoun, and Prime 5 Minister Hariri had nothing to do at all, directly or indirectly, with 6 this. This statement mentions this act that was adopted by the US and it 7 asserts and says that this is a threat to both Syria and Lebanon. The 8 Lebanese government approved this statement and it was adopted by 9 Parliament. 10 Q. Thank you, Your Excellency. Can we say that the Lebanese 11 government presided by Prime Minister Hariri has asserted at the time and 12 confirmed its solidarity in the face of the Syria Accountability Act as 13 it was mentioned specifically in the statement? 14 A. Yes. 15 Q. Thank you. I will move on to the second point in this statement. 16 Line 26 -- in the English translation it's on the second page, the first 17 paragraph, and I will be reading. 18 "The special relations between Lebanon and Syria are a permanent 19 and crucial choice determined by legacy, history, geography, brotherhood, 20 and common interests, they are not a seasonal bet based on the 21 circumstances; the government is also determined to strengthen these 22 relations, both politically and culturally, and to develop them 23 economically, and to enhance them through common projects and the 24 organization of the exchange of facilities, services, and expertise in 25 the context" - and this is what is important for me - "in the context of Wednesday, 25 March 2015 STL-11-01 Interpretation serves to facilitate communication. Only the original speech is authentic. 20150325_STL-11-01_T_T135_OFF_PUB_EN 5/104 PUBLIC Official Transcript Witness: Fouad Siniora –PRH108 (Resumed) (Open Session) Page 5 Cross-examination by Mr. Khalil (Continued) 1 the Lebanese-Syrian Brotherhood, Co-operation and Co-ordination Treaty 2 and its institutions." 3 My question to you, Your Excellency, is the following: What we 4 understand from this paragraph is that the special relations between 5 Lebanon and Syria can be strengthened and this is a very important 6 choice. This can be done through the Lebanese-Syrian Brotherhood, 7 Co-operation and Co-ordination Treaty and its institutions. When we talk 8 about its institutions, Your Excellency, of course that includes the 9 security institutions that are mentioned in the treaty, in the 10 co-operation and -- Brotherhood and Co-operation Treaty, especially 11 Article 5 that refers to the defence committee that is composed and that 12 includes both the ministers of defence and interior in Lebanon and Syria. 13 Is this correct, Your Excellency? 14 A. Dear counsel, this is a ministerial statement that was adopted 15 and approved by the Council of Ministers. It is also based on this 16 treaty that we are talking about. Therefore, all what you are trying to 17 say and all that you're referring to in this paragraph and all the other 18 paragraphs of the statement is included in the treaty. The question is 19 not in the text, it's in the practices, the practices that were leading 20 at the time, and in the context of this Lebanese-Syrian security 21 apparatus it was leading to the consequences that we saw. 22 You are referring to these paragraphs. Yes, every one of these 23 paragraphs was adopted by the cabinet, by the government, and by the 24 Parliament and all -- everything in it is also based on the treaty. Yes, 25 this was adopted and ratified. This is not the question. The question Wednesday, 25 March 2015 STL-11-01 Interpretation serves to facilitate communication. Only the original speech is authentic. 20150325_STL-11-01_T_T135_OFF_PUB_EN 6/104 PUBLIC Official Transcript Witness: Fouad Siniora –PRH108 (Resumed) (Open Session) Page 6 Cross-examination by Mr. Khalil (Continued) 1 is: How was this translated in the -- into reality? How was it 2 translated on the ground? And this led to a violation of every item of 3 this statement. 4 There is a paragraph here that talks about the government, that 5 the government intends to further strengthen Lebanon's relation and it 6 talks about strengthening the judiciary, but we all know how the 7 judiciary was manipulated. Parliament adopted a law and ten days later 8 it has to rescind that law.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Increasing Enterprise Growth and Jobs in Lebanon
    INCREASING ENTERPRISE GROWTH AND JOBS IN LEBANON OPTIONS TO INCREASE SME GROWTH AND JOBS ASIA & MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC GROWTH BEST PRACTICES PROGRAM Students at a Lebanese vocational school learn how to create garment patterns through a specialized training program in Beirut. 1 MAY 2015 Students at a Lebanese vocational school learn how to create garment patterns through a Thisspecialized publication training was producedprogram in for Beiru reviewt. by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Douglas Muir, Janet Gohlke-Rouhayem, and Craig Saltzer of Chemonics International, Hayley Alexander of Banyan Global, and Henri Stetter of the Pragma Corporation for the Asia & Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices Program contract no. AID-OAA-M-12-00008. INCREASING ENTERPRISE GROWTH AND JOBS IN LEBANON OPTIONS TO INCREASE SME GROWTH AND JOBS ASIA & MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC GROWTH BEST PRACTICES PROGRAM Contract No. AID-OAA-M-12-00008 Contracting Officer Representative, William Baldridge [email protected] (202) 712-4089 The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 1 SECTION I: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 6 A. Purpose of Assessment..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Lebanon: Managing the Gathering Storm
    LEBANON: MANAGING THE GATHERING STORM Middle East Report N°48 – 5 December 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. A SYSTEM BETWEEN OLD AND NEW.................................................................. 1 A. SETTING THE STAGE: THE ELECTORAL CONTEST..................................................................1 B. THE MEHLIS EFFECT.............................................................................................................5 II. SECTARIANISM AND INTERNATIONALISATION ............................................. 8 A. FROM SYRIAN TUTELAGE TO WESTERN UMBRELLA?............................................................8 B. SHIFTING ALLIANCES..........................................................................................................12 III. THE HIZBOLLAH QUESTION ................................................................................ 16 A. “A NEW PHASE OF CONFRONTATION” ................................................................................17 B. HIZBOLLAH AS THE SHIITE GUARDIAN?..............................................................................19 C. THE PARTY OF GOD TURNS PARTY OF GOVERNMENT.........................................................20 IV. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 22 A. A BROAD INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR A NARROW AGENDA .......................................22 B. A LEBANESE COURT ON FOREIGN
    [Show full text]
  • Middle East: Lebanon [307]
    20. Middle East: Lebanon [307] Commitment “We will support the economic and humanitarian needs of the Lebanese people, including the convening at the right time of a donors conference.” 1418 Statement by Group of Eight Leaders at the St. Petersburg Summit1419 Background Three days prior to the commencement of the 2006 G8 Summit at St. Petersburg, Hezbollah guerillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed three others in a cross-border raid. In response to the attack, the Israeli government sanctioned a full-scale military operation against Lebanon, including air and artillery strikes, incursions by ground troops and a naval blockade. The Lebanese Higher Relief Council estimates that the Israeli offensive resulted in the nearly 1,200 casualties1420 and the Lebanese government estimated the cost of damage to its infrastructure and economy at USD3.6 billion.1421 On 16 July 2006, at the St. Petersburg Summit, the G8 leaders issued a joint statement in which they expressed their “deepening concern about the situation in the Middle East, in particular the rising civilian casualties on all sides and the damage to infrastructure.”1422 In that same statement the G8 leaders made the commitment to attend a donors conference and extend financial support to Lebanon for its reconstruction and humanitarian relief efforts. The International Donor Conference for Lebanon was held on 31 August 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden. Close to 60 governments and organizations were invited to attend.1423 Conference organizers aimed to raise approximately USD500 million, but in total more than USD940 million in new funds were pledged at the conference.1424 At the time of the conference this brought the total pledges raised to help with the rebuilding of Lebanon to USD1.2 billion.1425 On 27 January 2007 a second donors conference was held in Paris.
    [Show full text]
  • Lebanon Unstable and Insecure | the Washington Institute
    MENU Policy Analysis / PolicyWatch 2266 Lebanon Unstable and Insecure by David Schenker Jun 11, 2014 ABOUT THE AUTHORS David Schenker David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Brief Analysis Military coordination with Hezbollah may be providing a quick fix, but the country's long-term strength can only be achieved with a reconstituted March 14 coalition. uring his June 4 visit to Lebanon, Secretary of State John Kerry encouraged lawmakers to elect a new D president, pledged $51 million to help Beirut host Syrian refugees, and announced that the administration would seek additional funding for Lebanese security forces. "The bottom line," he said, "is that a secure and stable Lebanon is a prerequisite for a secure and stable region." Coming a day after the "reelection" of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and amidst a presidential vacuum in Beirut, Secretary Kerry's visit actually highlighted Lebanon's insecurity and instability. Regrettably, it is unclear if the administration's latest initiatives will do much to prevent a further deterioration. Presidential Vacuum O n May 25, Michel Suleiman completed his six-year term as president and vacated Baabda Palace. In accordance with the Lebanese constitution, the parliament should have elected a new president by that date, but the pro- Western March 14 bloc and the Hezbollah-led pro-Syrian March 8 coalition have been unable to agree on an acceptable candidate. In the absence of consensus, the political blocs have refused to attend parliamentary sessions since the initial balloting on April 23, preventing the quorum necessary for a vote.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effect of Syrian Crisis on Lebanon Foreign Policy
    T.R. ULUDAĞ UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES COURSE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS POST-ARAB SPRING IN MIDDLE EAST REGION: THE EFFECT OF SYRIAN CRISIS ON LEBANON FOREIGN POLICY (MASTER DEGREE THESIS) Maria Helena MOTA ESTEVES Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tayyar ARI BURSA 2018 T.R. ULUDAĞ UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES COURSE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS POST-ARAB SPRING IN MIDDLE EAST REGION: THE EFFECT OF SYRIAN CRISIS ON LEBANON FOREIGN POLICY (MASTER DEGREE THESIS) Maria Helena MOTA ESTEVES Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Tayyar ARI BURSA-2018 ABSTRACT Name and Surname : Maria Helena Mota Esteves University : Uludağ University Institution : Institute of Social Sciences Field : International Relations Branch : International Relations Degree Awarded : Master Thesis Page Number : xviii+152 Degree Date : …. /…. /2018 Supervisor : Prof. Dr. Tayyar ARI POST-ARAB SPRING IN MIDDLE EAST REGION: THE EFFECT OF SYRIAN CRISIS ON LEBANON FOREIGN POLICY This study focuses on the Lebanon position in the aftermath of Syrian conflict, including the main aspects of Lebanese Foreign Policy. It includes regional and foreign interference in Lebanese affairs that intentionally led to the instable situation in the country. Briefly includes Domestic/foreign factors longstanding by geopolitical aspects that determine Lebanon political vacuum and current sectarian division. Moreover, Refugee crisis and sectarian challenges aggravated the Lebanese crisis, since they are a consequence of Syrian conflict, our case of study. The thesis is divided in three main chapters. Firstly, the analysis of both Realism and Liberalism under the Security concept in the main theories of I.R,. From defining the security studies framework that impacted the definition of security in World politics, the conceptualization of security and securitization theory is analysed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Monthly-March 2012 English
    issue number 116 |March 2012 WAGE HIKE LEBANON AIRPORTS “the monthLy” interviews: RITA MAALOUF www.iimonthly.com • Published by Information International sal RENT ACT TWELVE EXTENSIONS AND A NEW LAW IS YET TO MATERIALIZE Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros March INDEX 2012 4 RENT ACT 7 GLC AND BUSINESS OWNERS LOCK HORNS WITH NAHAS OVER WAGE HIKE 10 ElECTIONS 2013 (2) 12 WILL LEBANON OPERATE FOUR AIRPORTS OR ONLY ONE? 14 IDAL 16 THOUSANDS OF MOBILE PHONE LINES AT THE DISPOSAL OF SECURITY FORCES P: 21 P: 4 17 REOPENING OF BEIRUT Pine’s FOREST 18 VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS: DR. HANNA SAADAH 19 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF IMPOTENCE ON MEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST: MICHEL NAWFAL 20 ALF, BA, TA...: DR. SAMAR ZEBIAN 21 INTERVIEW: RITA MAALOUF P: 12 23 TORTURE - IRIDESCENCE 24 NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSICS (2) 39 Mansourieh’s HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER 28 THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT LINES ASSOCIATION (INMA) 40 JANUARY 2012 TIMELINE 30 HOW TO BECOME A CLERGYMAN IN YOUR RELIGION? 43 EgYPTIAN ELECTIONS 31 POPULAR CULTURE 47 REAL ESTATE PRICES IN LEBANON - 32 DEBUNKING MYTH #55: DREAMS JANUARY 2012 33 MUST-READ BOOKS: CORRUPTION 48 FOOD PRICES - JANUARY 2012 34 MUST-READ CHILdren’s bOOK: CAMELLIA 50 VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES 35 LEBANON FAMILIES: HAWI FAMILIES 50 BEIRUT RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - JANUARY 2012 36 DISCOVER LEBANON: CHAKRA 51 lEBANON STATS 37 CIVIL STRIFE INTRO |EDITORIAL ASSEM SALAM: THE CUSTODIAN OF VALUES The heart aches proudly when you see them, our knights when the demonstrators denounced the Syrian enemy: of the 1920s and 30s, refusing to dismount as if they “Calls for Lebanon’s independence from the Syrian were on a quest or a journey.
    [Show full text]
  • The Promise and Failure of the Zionist-Maronite Relationship, 1920-1948
    The Promise and Failure of the Zionist-Maronite Relationship, 1920-1948 Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Ilan Troen, Graduate Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Master’s Degree by Scott Abramson February 2012 Acknowledgements I cannot omit the expression of my deepest gratitude to my defense committee, the formidable triumvirate of Professors Troen, Makiya, and Salameh. To register my admiration for these scholars would be to court extravagance (and deplete a printer cartridge), so I shall have to limit myself to this brief tribute of heartfelt thanks. ii ABSTRACT The Promise and Failure of the Zionist-Maronite Relationship, 1920-1948 A thesis presented to the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts By Scott Abramson Much of the historiography on the intercourse between Palestinian Jews and Lebanese Maronites concerns only the two peoples’ relations in the seventies and eighties. This thesis, in contrast, attempts a departure from this scholarship, joining the handful of other works that chart the history of the Zionist-Maronite relationship in its earliest incarnation. From its inception to its abeyance beginning in 1948, this almost thirty-year relationship was marked by a search of a formal alliance. This thesis, by presenting a panoptical survey of early Zionist-Maronite relations, explores the many dimensions of this pursuit. It details the Zionists and Maronites’ numerous commonalities that made an alliance desirable and apparently possible; it profiles the specific elements among the Zionists and Maronites who sought an entente; it examines each of the measures the two peoples took to this end; and it analyzes why this protracted pursuit ultimately failed.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Report
    The Party of God and Its Greatest Satan The 36-Year Confrontation Between Hezbollah and the United States September 2020 Table of Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................3 Part I. The United States’ Place in Hezbollah’s Ideology ..........................................................5 Section A. Khomeini and Fadlallah: The Ideological Sources of Hezbollah’s Anti-Americanism . 5 Section B. Hezbollah in its Own Words ............................................................................................ 6 Part II. Hezbollah’s Anti-Americanism in Action in Lebanon and Abroad ...............................8 Section A. Ideology in Action–Generally: Pragmatism and Gradualism ........................................ 8 Section B. Phase I: Violent Confrontation From the Shadows (1982–1990).................................... 8 1. Attacking America in Lebanon .................................................................................................................. 9 2. Attacking the United States Globally ....................................................................................................... 11 Section C. Phase II: Hezbollah Adapts Its Attacks against the U.S. to the Taif Regime and Pax Syriana (1990–2001) ........................................................................................................................ 12 Section D. Phase III: Sinking the U.S. in the Iraqi Quagmire and Wrestling Over Lebanon
    [Show full text]
  • Letter Dated 20 October 2005 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council
    Letter dated 20 October 2005 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council I have the honour to transmit herewith the report of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission prepared pursuant to resolution 1595 (2005), by which the Commission was established to assist the Lebanese authorities in their investigation of the bombing on 14 February 2005 that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others. The report details progress made in the investigation of the crime and sets out the conclusions reached by the Commission at this stage of the investigation. It is important to note that the criminal investigation is yet to be completed. To that end, the report points out in some detail the steps necessary to advance further the investigation as it is taken up by the Lebanese authorities, including the need for greater cooperation from all States, in particular the Syrian Arab Republic. I wish to thank Detlev Mehlis, Head of the Commission, and the members of his team for their excellent work under difficult circumstances. They have carried out their task in an impartial, independent and professional manner. The attached report, by necessity, is only the essence of their meticulous efforts. The Commission has transferred to the Lebanese authorities the full product of its work. This consists of more than 16,000 pages of documents, including the transcripts of interviews of 450 witnesses and suspects. I would also thank the Government of the Lebanese Republic for its support for, and cooperation with, the Commission. It is my intention to extend the mandate of the Commission until 15 December 2005 in accordance with paragraph 8 of resolution 1595 (2005).
    [Show full text]
  • WARS and WOES a Chronicle of Lebanese Violence1
    The Levantine Review Volume 1 Number 1 (Spring 2012) OF WARS AND WOES A Chronicle of Lebanese Violence1 Mordechai Nisan* In the subconscious of most Lebanese is the prevalent notion—and the common acceptance of it—that the Maronites are the “head” of the country. ‘Head’ carries here a double meaning: the conscious thinking faculty to animate and guide affairs, and the locus of power at the summit of political office. While this statement might seem outrageous to those unversed in the intricacies of Lebanese history and its recent political transformations, its veracity is confirmed by Lebanon’s spiritual mysteries, the political snarls and brinkmanship that have defined its modern existence, and the pluralistic ethno-religious tapestry that still dominates its demographic makeup. Lebanon’s politics are a clear representation of, and a response to, this seminal truth. The establishment of modern Lebanon in 1920 was the political handiwork of Maronites—perhaps most notable among them the community’s Patriarch, Elias Peter Hoyek (1843-1931), and public intellectual and founder of the Alliance Libanaise, Daoud Amoun (1867-1922).2 In recognition of this debt, the President of the Lebanese Republic has by tradition been always a Maronite; the country’s intellectual, cultural, and political elites have hailed largely from the ranks of the Maronite community; and the Patriarch of the Maronite Church in Bkirke has traditionally held sway as chief spiritual and moral figure in the ceremonial and public conduct of state affairs. In the unicameral Lebanese legislature, the population decline of the Christians as a whole— Maronites, Greek Orthodox, Catholics, and Armenians alike—has not altered the reality of the Maronites’ pre-eminence; equal confessional parliamentary representation, granting Lebanon’s Christians numerical parity with Muslims, still defines the country’s political conventions.
    [Show full text]
  • Lebanon: the Chimera of a Shi'a "Third Way"
    LEBANON: THE CHIMERA OF A SHI’A ‘THIRD WAY’ Rodger Shanahan* As the wave of popular protests and armed uprisings in the Arab world reshapes regional politics, Iran’s influence in the Levant is coming under enormous pressure as the Assad regime looks increasingly unable to better the armed opposition. But those who see a post-Ba‘athist Damascus as the prelude to the isolation, if not demise of Hizbullah, will be disappointed. Both Lebanese domestic politics and Hizbullah’s role within it are complex, and thoughts of a sudden shifting of support away from the Shi‘a Muslim party by its base because of greater regional demands for political plurality misreads the domestic context within which the Party of God operates. Of course, a post-Assad world is of concern to Hizbullah for several reasons. Syria has provided key logistic resupply routes and the diplomatic, and intelligence and security resources that only a friendly neighboring state can bring to bear. That having been said, the porous Lebanon/Syria border and Hizbullah influence over Rafiq Hariri airport’s security apparatus mean that a great deal of the logistic support could continue although the heavier weaponry would be more difficult to move. Assad’s fall could also reduce Hizbullah’s decisive martial edge over its political rivals. External training and logistic support from a Sunni-aligned Syrian government to the March 14 bloc or independent Sunni groups, or even the tacit acceptance of its conduct on Syrian soil could markedly improve the opposition’s militia capability. A situation which has something resembling military parity between political groupings could destabilize the country, but a Hizbullah less sure of the cost to itself of armed action may also result in a party more likely to countenance negotiated settlements than is currently the case.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliamentary Election Law
    issue number 161 |December 2015 Lebanon’s BALANCE OF PAYMENTS ADIEU, SURPLUS! SINGLEHOOD OF LEBANESE POLITICIANS DISTRIBUTION OF THE INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL FUND REVENUES www.monthlymagazine.com • Published by Information International sal PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION LAW PLURALIST, PROPORTIONAL OR A BLEND OF BOTH? Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros December INDEX 2015 5 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION LAW: PLURALIST, PROPORTIONAL OR A BLEND OF BOTH? 18 RELATIONS BY MARRIAGE WITHIN THE POLITICAL CLASS: RECONCILIATIONS, ALLIANCES AND HOSTILITIES 22 SINGLEHOOD OF LEBANESE POLITICIANS: FIVE PRESIDENTS, ELEVEN MINISTERS AND THIRTEEN MPS 28 WATER CUT OFF FROM THE GRAND SERAIL: LBP 175 MILLION FOR A WATER WELL 29 VAT REVENUES: LBP 35,000 BILLION 30 MUNICIPAL AND IKHTIYARIAH COUNCILS: P: 5 BETWEEN ELECTIONS AND EXTENSION OF TERM 32 DISTRIBUTION OF THE INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL FUND REVENUES 34 Lebanon’s BALANCE OF PAYMENTS 36 USD 205 MILLION FOR TÉLÉ LIBANT 37 RED DIESEL SUBSIDIES: LBP 22.5 BILLION SQUANDERED 38 LBP 3.6 BILLION FOR THE MEETING VENUE OF A NON-CONVENING CABINET 39 SOLIDERE STOCK PRICE: P: 28 FrOM USD 40 TO USD 9 41 FUNDS IN LEBANESE BANKS: USD 152 BILLION 43 YOUSSEF GEBRAN (1921-1999) 44 LEBANON FAMILIES: THE AL-DOBBS AND AL- DABDOUBS 45 DISCOVER LEBANON: WADI BAANQOUDAIN 46 OCTOBER 2015 HIGHLIGHTS 50 DID YOU KNOW THAT?: EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA 50 RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TRAFFIC - P: 37 SEPTEMBER 2015 51 lebanon’s stATS |EDITORIAL PIONEERING LEBANESE ARTISTS BY MOSTAFA FARROUKH “In a lecture published in the September issue 1947 of Les Conférences du Cénacle, Beirut-born painter Mostafa Farroukh (1901-1957) traces history of art in Lebanon from its birth, elaborating on the interaction between artists and their environment and the importance of government involvement in promoting art as a fundamental tool to educate the masses and chasten the public taste.
    [Show full text]