Archive for December, 2009
Israel to withdraws from Ghajar by end January 2010
According to An Nahar Israel will withdraw from the Lebanese side (northern part) of the border village of Ghajar by the end of January 2010 based on a deal between UNIFIL and Israel.
Lebanon has reportedly informed the U.N. about its acceptance of the deal , but UNIFIL is still waiting for the Israeli official response.
The deal stipulates that the residents move between the northern and southern sides of the village without any difficulties.
The residents of Ghajar a protested earlier this month over news that Israeli troops planned to withdraw from the northern part of the village which Israel occupied during the 2006 war with Hezbollah
“They will divide our people, cut families in two,” the villagers chanted.
Secretary for the town council Hussein Khatib insisted that Ghajar residents have no connection with Lebanon. “We would be like refugees in Lebanon,” Khatib said.
Jumblatt: We are Arabs first and foremost
Progressive Socialist party leader MP Walid Jumblatt along with MPs Wael Abou Faour and Marwan Hamaded met in Limassol (Cyprus) with a Druze delegation from Israel based National Communication Council and Said Naffah member of the Israeli Knesset and leader of the Free Druze Arab movement.
Following the meeting Jumblatt told al Nahar : ” These meetings are very important . KM Nafah has revealed that 63.7 % of the Druze in in Israel have refused to enlist in the Israeli army. Jumblatt added this confirms the Druze Arabism regardless where they are .. He concluded: “We are Arabs first and foremost ”
The Lebanese security arrested a suspect in the Haret Hraik blast
The Lebanese security arrested a suspect in the Haret Hraik bomb that targeted Hamas . The security forces believes that the bomb size was a lot less than the reported 15 kg TNT . 3 people were killed including 2 Hamas officials and several were wounded in this Hezbollah stronghold. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea questioned the presence of a Hamas office in Lebanon and asked if the Lebanese authorities knew anything about it . Source: Al Akhbar
Yemen DM claims Houthi leader is dead
A Houthi rebel leader in north Yemen may have suffered critical injuries during an airstrike by Yemeni national forces, the government said.
The Yemeni Defense Ministry on its Web site last weekend referenced mounting claims that Abdul Malik al-Houthi was either dead or critically wounded in a recent air attack.
Iran’s al-Alam news station report Monday that a rebel spokesman denied the claims, though the Defense Ministry said he died and was buried in north Yemen, Voice of America reports.
The government in August launched a major military operation against Houthi rebels in the north of the country. Aid groups complained the government operation created a humanitarian disaster for the thousands of families displaced by the conflict. UPI
48 illegal Filipinos repatriated from Lebanon
The first batch of 48 Filipinos who were repatriated from Lebanon on immigration-related offenses arrived on Monday, while another batch of 105 others will arrive on Tuesday, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Those who arrived were composed of 45 adults and three children. They were welcomed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by officials of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) and the Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto G.B. Asuque.
The DFA said the OFW returnees were repatriated using Assistance to Nationals (ATN) funds. They stayed at the Filipino Workers Resource Center while the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) were negotiating with the employers and immigration authorities for their exit clearances. Source: globalnation
Phalange party slams Nasrallah speech, calls it a warning to Christians
The Phalange party which is headed by former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel issued a statement on Monday in which it condemned Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Sunday speech marking the day of Ashura. The statement stated
- Nasrallah’s call for Christian parties to engage in calm dialogue, was a warning to Christians.
- Hezbollah involves Lebanon in wars, which, negatively affect the country’s sovereignty and independence.
- Not allowing the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to immediately investigate the Haret Hraik explosion on Saturday proves Hezbollah’s intention to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty
-Nasrallah’s call for truce between Lebanese parties is a way to avoid the national dialogue session and to avoid discussing the party’s arms.
The party reiterated its commitment to Lebanese institutions and UN Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1559. It also said that it sticks to its position against Article 6 of Ministerial Statement, which pertains to Hezbollah and its arms.
Israel to build 700 homes in occupied East Jerusalem
Israel plans to build nearly 700 new apartments in disputed East Jerusalem, defying demands by the United States and the Palestinian Authority for a freeze on settlement construction. While Israel has imposed a partial freeze on construction in the West Bank, government spokesman Mark Regev says that does not apply to Jerusalem, which Israel says is the eternal capital of the Jewish people.
“I want to be very clear. In the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem, there is not going to be a freeze, there cannot be a freeze. We never promised to freeze construction in those areas,” he said.
The United States, which is a sponsor of the Middle East peace talks, says Israeli settlements are an obstacle to peace, and the issue has strained relations with Israel’s right-wing government. VOA
Qaeda claims it was behind bombing attempt of Detroit-bound airliner
The Saudi arm of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility on Monday for the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner on Friday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant Islamist Web sites.
“Those who would slaughter innocent men, women and children must know the United States will do more than simply strengthen our defenses,” President Obama said Monday
Israel to distribute gas masks to population
According to Bio Prep Watch (BPW) a newswire dedicated to coverage of biological terror threats , “Israel will begin distributing to its entire population gas masks in two months, though no reason has officially been given by the Israeli government.”
BPW added :”No indication or threat has been made against Israel from any country that an attack is planned. No country in the Middle East is believed to be likely to engage in chemical or biological warfare with Israel, either.”
BPW added “The gas mask distribution has, however, raised questions as to Israel’s potential plans to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Such an attack could cause an unconventional response from Iran. Iran’s chemical and biological weapons capabilities are currently not known.”
BPW says that there are rumors that Israel is preparing for a war to rein in Hezbollah in Lebanon.
According to BPW only Israel has chemical weapons in the entire Middle East
Geagea slams Hezbollah for not recognizing dialogue talks
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told Central news agency that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Sunday speech conveyed the message that he does not recognize the national dialogue sessions to discuss the national defense strategy.
Geagea blamed Hezbollah attitude on General Aoun
He said Hezbollah has a “legitimate agent” among the Christian parties – a reference to the Free Patriotic Movement leader who has adopted and has been defending Hezbollah’s positions
Geagea said he expected Nasrallah acted in his speech as if ” the national dialogue does not exist.”
Commenting on Nasrallah’s call on Christian parties to engage in calm dialogue, Geagea said :
“I want to remind Sayyed Hassan that the problem is not a Christian one, but a national one,” he said, voicing hope the national dialogue sessions would soon be held to discuss Hezbollah’s arms and reach common ground.
Commenting on Saturday’s Haret Hraik explosion which targeted Hamas he asked, “What are the reasons for a Hamas office in Dahiyeh? Was the government aware of its existence?”
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