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Clinton reassures Lebanon on overtures to Syria
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BEIRUT – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reassured the Lebanese people Sunday that Washington supports "voices of moderation" and will never make a deal with Syria that undermines the country’s interests. Clinton spoke on a surprise visit to Beirut ahead of a critical June 7 election that could see the pro-U.S. Lebanese government ousted by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies, possibly paving the way for renewed Syrian influence over the country.

"The people of Lebanon must be able to choose their own representatives in open and fair elections without the specter of violence or intimidation and free of outside interference," Clinton told a news conference in Beirut after meeting with President Michel Suleiman.

"Beyond the elections, we will continue to support the voices of moderation in Lebanon and the responsible institutions of the Lebanese state they are working hard to build. Our ongoing support for the Lebanese armed forces remains a pillar of our bilateral cooperation," she added.

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Moussa to visit Beirut amid Cairo’s escalating spat with Hizbullah
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daily star, BEIRUT: The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, will arrive in Beirut on Saturday for talks in the wake of an Egyptian security operation that has prompted Cairo to accuse Lebanese authorities of "conspiring" with a Hizbullah cell captured in Egypt. The arrest of 49 men accused of belonging to Hizbullah reignited a bitter war of words between authorities in Cairo and the group’s chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Now Cairo appears to be trying to draw Lebanese officials into the spat.

Egyptian security authorities have claimed that the Hizbullah member accused of running the group, known as Sami Shehab, was traveling on a false passport issued by the Lebanese Interior Ministry.

Cairo is demanding that Lebanon launch an investigation into what is being described in Egypt as a "conspiracy" aimed at helping the cell to carry out attacks in the country.

Egyptian sources say that the use of official Lebanese government stamps by the group are indicative of "grave breaches" and "serious deviations" that should be investigated, the Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar pledged to investigate the matter but warned against jumping to conclusions. "This is very dangerous and it rarely happens," Najjar said. "Probably the passport was issued as a result of a fake ID." He added that it was "premature" to take an official position on the matter.

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With Votes for Sale in Lebanon
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By ROBERT F. WORTH, It is election season in Lebanon, and Hussein H., a jobless 24-year-old from south Beirut, is looking forward to selling his vote to the highest bidder. “Whoever pays the most will get my vote,” he said. “I won’t accept less than $800.”

He may get more. The parliamentary elections here in June are shaping up to be among the most expensive ever held anywhere, with hundreds of millions of dollars streaming into this small country from around the globe.

Lebanon has long been seen as a battleground for regional influence, and now, with no more foreign armies on the ground, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region are arming their allies here with campaign money in place of weapons. The result is a race that is widely seen as the freest and most competitive to be held here in decades, with a record number of candidates taking part. But it may also be the most corrupt.

Votes are being bought with cash or in-kind services. Candidates pay their competitors huge sums to withdraw. The price of favorable TV news coverage is rising, and thousands of expatriate Lebanese are being flown home, free, to vote in contested districts. The payments, according to voters, election monitors and various past and current candidates interviewed for this article, nurture a deep popular cynicism about politics in Lebanon, which is nominally perhaps the most democratic Arab state but in practice is largely governed through patronage and sectarian and clan loyalty.

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The Mountain and its Geopolitical importance – by: Paul Kerbage
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أهمية الجبل الجيوبوليتكية

 

لطالما تمتع الجبل بوظائف وأهمية جيوسياسية كبيرتين، فهو يمكن أن يكون ملجأ لجماعة معينة هاربة من ظلم جماعة أخرى أو يمكن أن يؤسس نواة وأرضاً خصبة لتصدير والقيام بثورات وحركات تمرد.

إنّ ظاهرة الجبل كملجأ للأقليات نلاحظه بشكل كبير في بلدان الشرق الأوسط عامة وأسيا خاصة عند الجماعات الدينية الأقلية التي هربت من الإضطهاد، فرأت في الجبل مكاناً وملاذاً آمناً لها، فاستوطنته ومكثت فيه.

إن الأقليات المسيحية أو الإسلامية في العالم العربي ذات الأكثرية السنية رأت في الجبال ملاذاً آمناً لها. فلبنان هو خير مثال على ذلك. فهذا الأخير وبفضل جباله وأوديته أي طبيعته الجغرافية شكل ملجأ آمناً عبر الأجيال لكل أصحاب عقيدة تخالف عقيدة الجماعة ذات الأكثرية والتي تحيط بها. فقد كان النساك من المسيحيين والمتصوفين من المسلمين والزهاد المتعبدون من الدروز يؤثرون مغاوره وكهوفه بالإضافة إلى الموارنة الذين فروا من اضطهاد اليعاقبة لهم، وجدوا في شمال لبنان ملجأً آمناً. وكذلك الدروز الذين حسبهم الإسلام على شيء من الهرطقة أتوا وسكنوا الجبل اللبناني. وأيضاً، تسربت جموع الشيعة هرباً من الضغط السني عليهم. ولبنان هو جبل بكل ما للكلمة من معنى. فقد كان الخط الفاصل الذي  كان الفاتح يستطيع الوصول إليه. وكذلك الأمر للعلويين الذين استوطنوا ما يسمى بجبل أنصارية خوفاً من الإضطهاد الإسلامي لهم، وكذلك الشيعة في اليمن.

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Lebanon’s net capital inflows up by 0.3 percent in 2009
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BEIRUT: Net capital inflows into Lebanon amounted to $2.036.4 billion in the first two months of 2009, up by 0.3 percent when compared to the same period of 2008. When compared to the same period of 2007, however, the rise was at a much sharper 77.5 percent. "The influx of capital into the country in the first two months of the year is deemed significant, even though the yearly increase was mild," Bank Audi’s Weekly Monitor said.

It added that amount of capital inflow into Lebanon in the first two months of 2008 was a record high when compared to the same months of previous years back then, and now, in the first two months of 2009, capital inflows have maintained their record high level, rising slightly above their value in the same period of 2008.

Although the trade deficit contracted in the first two months of 2009, as compared to the same period of 2008, it remained relatively large. Capital inflows of the first two months of 2009 not only managed to fully cover the trade deficit, rather it resulted in the momentous cumulative balance of payments in the first two months of the year, which also hit peak levels when compared to the same months of previous years.

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Lebanese Ambassador Khoury takes up post in Damascus
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DAMASCUS: Lebanon’s first ambassador to Syria took up his post in Damascus Monday in the latest sign of improving relations between the two neighbors after years of tensions. Career diplomat Michel Khoury assumed his duties as Lebanon’s first ambassador to Syria, more than a month after Lebanon opened its first-ever embassy in Damascus. Syria has also opened an embassy in Beirut. The opening of embassies in both countries sealed the establishment of full diplomatic ties between the long-feuding rivals for the first time since they gained independence from France in the 1940s.

Relations between the two countries reached a turning point in August when they agreed to establish ties and demarcate their contentious border. The agreement marked a final break in Syria’s longtime dominance over its smaller neighbor. Diplomatic ties with Syria have been a pressing demand by Lebanon’s anti-Syrian factions, the US and other Western states. Syria had dominated its smaller neighbor since the 1970s, when it sent its army into Lebanon, then engulfed in Civil War.

 

 

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Languages unifying or dividing tool – By Paul Kerbage
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اللغة، عامل توحيد أم انقسام؟

 


 

لا شك في أن اللغة هي عنصر أساسي في تكوين هوية الشعوب والإثنيات. فالشعب الذي يخسر لغته، يخسر تنوعه وتميزه عن باقي الشعوب. كما وأنها كانت عبر العصور والأجيال أداة لبناء المشاريع القومية، فالعديد منها ارادت ولاتزال تريد أن تبني كياناً مستقلاً لذاتها انطلاقاَ من لغتها.

فاللغة كانت ولم تزل عتصر توحيد. فالعديد من الدول بنت وحدتها انطلاقاً من توحيد اللغة. ففي فرنسا مثلاً، ألزم فرنسوا الأول استعمال اللغة الفرنسية مكان اللاتينية في المراسيم التشريعية. فهذا الإجراء بدأ بإضفاء جو من التميز والوحدة الوطنية. وأيضاً، إن الإتحاد السوفياتي هو خير مثال، فهذا الأخير ألزم الشعب تعلم اللغة الروسية، فكما نعرف، أن السوفيات شكلوا أعراق وإثنيات مختلفة. بهذا الإجراء أي تعليم الروسية، يزيل شيئاَ فشيئاَ الخصوصية اللغوية لهذه الشعوب المختلفة لإدخالها ضمن لغة واحدة موحدة. ففي ألمانيا النازية، كان ممنوع التكلم بغير اللغة الألمانية. إنّ الدول ذات التعددية اللغوية، وللخروج من المشاكل الناتجة عنها. تبنت استعمال لغات دولية، ففي إفريقيا مثلاً، تبنت بعض الدول لغة المستعمر السابق، كالإنكليزية أو الفرنسية. ولكن للتعددية اللغوية داخل البلد الواحد مشاكل خطيرة، ففي بلجيكا مثلاً، تشكل اللغة عنصر ومادة دسمة للصراع، فهنالك من يتكلم الوالون (wallon) ومنهم من يتكلم الفلامان (Flamand). فوحدة البلد عن طريق اللغة ضروري لهذا الأخير لتأمين اسقراره. فتبقى عنصر وأداة قوة. ففي القرن السابع، حاولت اللغة العربية بالتزامن مع الدين الإسلامي بسط السيطرة لغوياً على العالم ونجحت بشكل كبير عامة وفي الشرق الأوسط وإفريقيا خاصة. ويعتبر البعض أن اللغة العربية هي الرباط الهام الذي يربط العرب ويجعلهم أمة واحدة من المحيط إلى الخليج. ففي يومنا هذا، استطاعت الإنكليزية جعل نفسها اللغة العالمية الأولى وذلك لأسباب عديدة أهمها التطور والإقتصاد.

 

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Tanios Chahine Propaganda
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I have learned with great disappointment and sadness from a speech that H.E. General Michel Aoun has presented last Thursday April 2nd in front of the Lebanese students where he is praising Tanios Chahine and unfortunately General Aoun is just failing to GRASP or UNDERSTAND history and more dangerously trying to change the facts. All what I hope is that him seeking for the “TRUTH” is not the same with other problems that we are encountering in Lebanon. My reply is jut to clarify the position of Tanios Chahine and to correct the falsification of the Truth. I know you may say he is el Khazen for sure his position will be against Tanios Chahine. All what I ask you is to give me a chance and read my response and then YOU decide.

 The study of history is really an account of what one person does to another, what one group does to another, what one nation or group of nations does to other nations. How people interact! More specifically Learning and discussing Lebanese history is vital for Lebanese to better understand present situations and solve them. Those who are familiar with the Bible may remember that Solomon is reported to have said, "There is nothing new under the sun!" In other words, he thought that all that mankind could experience had already taken place. This is why I will be correcting what has been said about the role of Tanios Chahine. And furthermore it is shameful to be praising a criminal such as Chahine who has slaughtered young Children and women all because their family name was el Khazen! Is this the JUSTICE that H.E General Michel Aoun is looking for? It is all because of the PERCEPTION that some writers full of propaganda has published about Tanios Chahine at the time of the revolution in 1858 that has falsify history. Remember “History is written by the winners” (Alex Haley). Hence Falsification of history books and creation of a personality by the name “Tanios Chahine” that never have existed. “To the Catholics of Ireland Cromwell was a brute, The poor rural peasants he did persecute, Yet streets in his honor distant from England today The winners only write the history so true what they say.” (Francis Duggan)
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I the Crowd (About the Blog)
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I the Crowd – Malek El Khazen

Welcome to my Blog. The purpose of this Blog is to keep you updated with my articles, and political views. Your comments and opinion are much appreciated.
 
 I believe the main role of a government is to create a safe environment for its citizen. The first and only common reason in any "unstable" country is economical alienation of the population. Through lack of job stability, security and education leaders use social, geographic, ethnic, or religion differences  to assemble the crowd and lead them to extreme positions.

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Lebanese elections strange Phenom
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Lebanese elections strange Phenomenon.

Written By Malek el Khazen

The Lebanese elections are a strange phenomenon. Usually in an election in any developed countries, the citizens of these countries are interested about the candidates, biography, achievements and most importantly debating their political electoral Program or the party program they represent.   In another perspective, we the Lebanese voters have been all waiting for the next elections “June 7” 2009. Media, newspapers, elites and us the people we all discuss about these elections with passion. But notice our discussions are who do you think will win? Who will be running? Who will be part of this or that list?

For us to really improve our country I believe it is very important to know what we are voting for. Let us take a simple example, in the United States candidates start campaigning before 2 years of the elections. Yes 2 years!! But the citizens will know everything about the candidate from his personal life to all of his political stands throughout his life and most importantly achievements. Sometimes knowing so much, could backlash!  As an example, let us take many nominations from President Obama Cabinet where candidates have not paid all their taxes and had to withdraw. But in USA we can hold politicians accountable for. Since we know their platform and what they are running for.

 In contrast, In Lebanon can we hold these candidates accountable for? Let us not blame the candidates. The only ones to blame are OURSELVES!. Yes I will not say that all candidates have political programs. But many of them do. The issue is us as Lebanese (most of us) we do not ask about the programs, achievements and experience. All what we care about is who is running with who? We are constantly trying to predict results (note that this is not only in Lebanon even in developed countries their obsession with predicting results hence polls, which could be very bad). But I have to give a break to the Lebanese people since all of them seem to be EXPERT in only ONE field and this is foreign relations! But anything that is domestic we do not have any clue. The elections are in 2 month and we still are not aware of many candidates’ names and stands? My suggestion is for all the candidates to start campaigning and discuss their political programs. Then, when the list is created they can continue their campaign or retract themselves.

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