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Hariri meets with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in DC

(WASHINGTON, DC) — Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington, DC on Apr. 22, to discuss the security situation in Lebanon and the U.S.-Lebanon partnership.

“We are very opposed to entities like Hezballah and others using locations and places in Lebanon and nearby as pawns in this struggle,” Kerry said in a joint press conference prior to the meeting.

“We call on Iran and the Assad regime and others to respect the integrity of Lebanon, and permit it and its people to be able to find the peace and the stability that they have longed for so long.”

Kerry said he was “anxious” to see Lebanon elect a president amid an ongoing 11-month presidential deadlock.

“We’re anxious to see the presidency ultimately filled and to try to see the effects of Daesh and Nusrah and Syria moved away from Lebanon so that Lebanon can really have its sovereignty respected and its future protected and guaranteed,” he said.

Hariri thanked the U.S. for supporting the Lebanese army, which has made equipment donations to the army in recent months. He also expressed concern over Hezbollah’s involvement in the region.

“The involvement of certain factions like Hezballah in Iran also – and in Lebanon or in Syria or in Iraq or in Yemen has grown to a point that is extremely dangerous,” Hariri said.

The meeting comes one day after Hariri met with Lebanese-American congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and congresswoman Gwen Graham (D-FL) during a private gathering of members of the Lebanese Caucus.

WATCH Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Saad Hariri deliver brief remarks:

 

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning, everybody. It’s my pleasure to welcome to Washington and to the State Department the former prime minister of Lebanon and a good friend personally. Each time that I have gone to Beirut, almost every time, I’ve had occasion to be able to visit with Saad Hariri. And he has worked for moderation and for thoughtful political compromise to try to move this country forward. He’s worked through very difficult challenges, obviously.

And we’re particularly, here in the United States, committed to Lebanon’s stability and security. We’re anxious to see the presidency ultimately filled and to try to see the effects of Daesh and Nusrah and Syria moved away from Lebanon so that Lebanon can really have its sovereignty respected and its future protected and guaranteed.

So we have a lot to talk about, because right now, there are some 1.2 million refugees who have spilled over from Syria into Lebanon that destabilizes the country. We are very opposed to entities like Hizballah and others using locations and places in Lebanon and nearby as pawns in this struggle. And we call on Iran and the Assad regime and others to respect the integrity of Lebanon, and permit it and its people to be able to find the peace and the stability that they have longed for so long.

So we have a lot to talk about, and I’m very, very happy to welcome the former prime minister here. I know he remains very active and is very important to the politics of his country. And we will continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and the forces of moderation and those who want to work together peacefully to provide the future that the people of Lebanon deserve.

Welcome.

MR. HARIRI: Thank you. I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for having me here. Yes, we do have a lot to talk about. Lebanon is living a very difficult time. The region also is in a very, very dangerous time also, I would say. The involvement of certain factions like Hizballah in Iran also – and in Lebanon or in Syria or in Iraq or in Yemen has grown to a point that is extremely dangerous. We believe that Iran has a good – a country that we all need to deal with, and we believe that interfering into Lebanon is not something that we would like as Lebanese people.

I would like to thank you for the support of the Lebanese army. This is something that we try to always help, because this is the basic of our security. We’re facing Daesh; we’re facing Nusrah; we’re facing al-Qaida on our borders. We have 1.2 million refugees, like you said, and we need to elect a president. So hopefully, we’ll have some good talks. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Look forward to it. Thank you. Welcome. Thank you very much, folks. Thank you.

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Journalism freedom organization reinforces support for Lebanese journalist on trial

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Reporters Without Borders reiterates its support for Lebanese TV journalist Karma Khayat, whose trial before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague on charges of contempt of court and obstructing justice began last week.

Created to investigate Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination in 2005, the STL accuses Karma Khayat and her Arabic-language TV news channel, Al Jadeed TV, of endangering supposed confidential witnesses by filming them for a report after learning of their identity from an anonymous leak.

The report, which Al Jadeed TV broadcast in instalments from 6 to 10 August 2012, has not been removed from the station’s website or YouTube account. The charges were originally announced in April 2014.

This is the first time that a TV station has been the subject of a prosecution by an international court. The company that owns Al Jadeed TV, New TV S.A.L., is also being prosecuted. The STL is the first international court to be set up to investigate a single act of terrorism.

Now Al Jadeed TV’s vice-president, Khayat says the report’s aim was to draw attention to the STL’s problems and did not endanger the supposed witnesses because their names and their faces were pixelated in the video footage. The STL accuses her of undermining the public’s confidence in its ability to protect witnesses.

She is facing the possibility of a 7-year jail sentence and a 100,000-euro fine at the end of the trial, which began on 16 April.

Reporters Without Borders, which supports Khayat and her TV station, believes it is vital to preserve freely-reported news coverage in Lebanon at a moment in its history that is extremely delicate from both the political and security viewpoint.

“We condemn the decision to try Al Jadeed TV and Karma Khayat, who are guilty solely of holding the STL to account by broadcasting information obtained from leaks,” Reporters Without Borders programme director Lucie Morillon said. “The media have a duty to question the way the courts operate and to encourage a public debate on this subject.”

International media that covered this story have not been charged. They include the Canadian broadcaster CBC, the German news magazine Der Spiegel and the French dailies Le Figaro and Libération, which used confidential documents and internal STL leaks.

Khayat told the judge on 16 April: “The International Court was created for us and with our money. It is our duty to monitor its work.” Her lawyer, Karim Khan, said Khayat and other Al Jadeed TV employees have received death threats in connection with the case.

According to our sources, the report’s two main aims were to show that confidential information was being leaked from within the TSL, thereby endangering the proceedings, and to highlight the fact that is was easy to access “protected” witnesses, who had not been briefed about the confidential nature of their status as witnesses.

The first session of the trial, which began with the prosecution presenting its arguments, is due to end tomorrow. The trial will resume on 12 May, when the defence will have three days to present its witnesses and arguments. No date has been set for the verdict.

Members of a group that supports Khayat and Al Jadeed TV attended the start of the trial. They include Florence Hartmann, a French journalist who was convicted of contempt of court by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

The STL has also charged Ibrahim Al-Amine, the editor of the daily Al-Akhbar, and the company that owns his newspaper, with contempt of court and obstruction of justice. No date has so far been set for their trial.

Reporters Without Borders submitted an amicus brief on the Khayat case to the STL when a preliminary hearing was held on 13 May 2014.

Lebanon is ranked 98th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

Reporters Without Borders – Press Release

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New traffic law takes effect in Lebanon amid controversy

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon began implementing a new traffic law on Wednesday, which includes a mandatory seat belt ordinance and speed limits in an effort to reduce the number of deaths from road accidents.

The law has been criticized by some Lebanese leaders, who say lawmakers should fix potholes and non-functioning traffic lights before holding citizens responsible for speed limits and seats belts.

But police chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous said the law was a “roadmap” to reduce the number of deaths in Lebanon, which have been rising, according to the World Health Organization.

Police officials say they hope the new law would cut the number of road deaths in half by 2020.

Police have been sending out SMS messages and hanging out brochures to motorists and passengers at major Lebanese intersections this week, in efforts to inform Lebanese citizens of the change.

Officials say the new law has been working well on the streets. Police Capt. Eddie Kahwaji said his staff were “surprised by the commitment of the people.”

New traffic fines range between 50,000 Lebanese pounds ($33) and 3,000,000 Lebanese pounds ($2,000), depending on the violation. There are also the points fines, could lead to revoking the driver’s license for a limited time under repeat violations.

Heavier violations are for excessive speed over 60 kilometers (37 miles) and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

A police spokesperson admits the law may need fixes in the future, but says it’s a good start.

“There are always things being added to road safety principles in the world, and this law should be flexible,” Lt. Col. Joseph Moussallem told The Daily Star. “The main purpose of the traffic law is protecting citizens and not collecting fines.”

For more information about the new law and potential penalties, click here.

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Adnan Kassar donates $10M to the Lebanese American University

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Businessman Adnan Kassar donated $10 million to endow the Adnan Kassar School of Business at the Lebanese American University today, in the presence of LAU President Dr. Joseph Jabbra, LAU senior management, and Lebanese members of parliament.

Kassar is a former minister of economy and trade, and the chairman of Fransabank Group. He was also the president of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce.

“Today is President Adnan Kassar’s day at LAU, and from now and on, every day will be Adnan Kassar’s day at LAU,” said Dr. Jabbra. “His name on the school of business will be soaring up into the sky in the heart of Ras Beirut.”

LAU said Kassar’s donation is one of the biggest philanthropic investments in the university’s history.

Kassar donates $60,000 annually to endow scholarships to students in the Lebanese American University School of Business. (Photo Fransabank Corporate Communications)
Kassar donates $60,000 annually to endow scholarships to students in the Lebanese American University School of Business. (Photo Fransabank Corporate Communications)

Kassar and his brother are major shareholders of Fransabank and owners of a multitude of businesses in trade, shipping, travel industries. He is also a partner with Walid Jumblatt in a cement manufacturing firm.

“I consider private initiative as the main source for growth and development,” said Kassar. “Perhaps this explains my deep involvement in chambers of commerce and industry, which I consider as organizers for private initiative and for bringing about socio-economic growth and development.”

Dr. Jabbra highlighted Kassar’s achivements in economy and business, calling him an “extraordinary human being.”

“Alongside being a great defender of the private sector, he is an active participant in the advancement of society in Lebanon and in the entire region,” Jabbra said, adding that he has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Lebanese orphanages, hospitals, and major development projects in Beirut.

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Khayrallah Center aims to preserve Lebanese diaspora history

(ANN ARBOR, MI) — Dr. Akram Khater, director of the Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, said Lebanese-Americans have a responsibility to preserve their history of immigration to the United States.

“We have to build a place for ourselves here,” said Khater, during a keynote address at the Lebanese Collegiate Network student convention in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Apr. 11. “We have to carve out a place in American history for the Lebanese and for the Arabs in general.”

Khater said Lebanese-Americans have established an influential role in American immigration history.

“We belong in (the USA) because our values are American values, and American values are ours,” he said. “We didn’t just assimilate.”

The Khayrallah Center was launched in 2014 at North Carolina State University after receiving an $8.1 million endowment from Lebanese-American businessman Moise Khayrallah.

The center aims to study Lebanese history in the United States, and to preserve stories of early Lebanese settlers.

LISTEN to Dr. Khater’s remarks:

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Lebanon gets first shipment of $3B worth of Saudi-funded French arms

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The first installment of French military equipment arrived in Beirut on Monday under a four-year plan to help arm the Lebanese army in its battle against militants from neighboring Syria.

The $3 billion plan paid for by Saudi Arabia aims to help bolster the Lebanese army over the next four years with new transport vehicles, tanks, warships, and communication equipment.

The handover ceremony at Beirut’s international airport was attended by Lebanese and French defense ministers, including MP Samir Moqbel, his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, Lebanese Army Commander Jean Kahwagi, and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri.

Agence France-Presse reports that deliveries will include 250 combat and transport vehicles, seven Cougar attack helicopters, three small corvette warships, and a range of surveillance equipment.

The Saudi-deal also includes seven years of training for the 70,000 members of the Lebanese Army and 10 years of equipment maintenance, according to media reports.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, center, speaks with Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, left, as Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Assiri, second left, listens during a ceremony at the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2015. Lebanon has received the first shipment of $3 billion worth of French weapons paid for by Saudi Arabia. The handover ceremony occurred Monday at Beirut’s international airport and was attended by Lebanese, French defense ministers, and top army officers. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, center, speaks with Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, left, as Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Assiri, second left, listens during a ceremony at the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2015. Lebanon has received the first shipment of $3 billion worth of French weapons paid for by Saudi Arabia. The handover ceremony occurred Monday at Beirut’s international airport and was attended by Lebanese, French defense ministers, and top army officers. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The deal involves more than 20 French companies who will provide land, sea and air equipment, including armored vehicles, heavy artillery, anti-tank missiles, mortars, and assault weapons.

Security sources from Lebanon say the first shipment from France included 48 “Milan” anti-tank missiles.

“Lebanon’s victory against terrorism is a victory to all nations threatened by terrorism,” Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Moqbel said.

Lebanese army officials called the delivery a “turning point” in the army’s performance, according to the Associated Press.

“The Lebanese army paid a high price in Arsal and France helped and will help Lebanon so that it does not slip into chaos,” French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

Le Drian added that the next shipment of weapons will arrive to Beirut in May.

The $3 billion deal was signed in November in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has already provided $1 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army.

Many Lebanese view the deal as part of a competition for foreign influence, which they say could spark sectarian conflict.

Future Movement chief and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri thanked Saudi king Salman Bin Abdel-Aziz on Monday for “the kingdom’s keenness on Lebanon’s security and stability.”

 

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UNHCR chief meets struggling Syrian refugees in Lebanon

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres this week visited Syrian refugees living in harsh conditions in informal settlements in south Lebanon and called on the international community to do more to ease their plight.

Lebanon is host to nearly 1.2 million Syrian refugees, representing around a quarter of the country’s total population. The massive influx since the start of the Syria crisis in March 2011 has seen refugees settle in every corner of the country, putting a huge strain on stretched services and infrastructure.

“The equivalent of what we have in Lebanon in the United States would be more than 80 million refugees coming into the United States. You can understand that this has a terrible impact on the economy and society of Lebanon,” Guterres said on Tuesday in Debane, an informal settlement near the southern city of Ghaziye.

Almost a fifth of Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in informal settlements like Debane, where Guterres and Abdullah Al-Matouq, the UN’s secretary-general’s Humanitarian Envoy for Kuwait, met the residents and discussed the challenges they face.

Next to a dirt road in the shadow of the main coastal highway, the Debane settlement is a huddle of 23 makeshift shelters built from wooden planks and plastic sheeting and currently home to 30 Syrian families. Located on a strip of public land, the refugees are not allowed to make permanent constructions, with the result that living and sanitary conditions remain basic.

Mohammed, aged 44 years, and nine members of his family have lived there since 2012, when they fled the western Syrian city of Hama after their house was destroyed by bombing.

Asked by Guterres to describe the biggest difficulties facing them, Mohammed cited new government regulations requiring Syrians in Lebanon, including refugees registered with UNHCR, to pay a fee of US$200 each to renew their residency permits, which he said he and his family were unable to afford.

He also expressed his deep concern for his children’s education and the future of his unborn grandson. “These children, the new generation, there is no education here, the whole education system has changed for them, a whole generation is destroyed, what future is there for them?” he asked. “This little boy, who will be born in 10 to 15 days time, if we stay like this, he is going to be illiterate. This is an illiterate generation.”

Of the 400,000 school-age Syrian children in Lebanon, UNHCR and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are only able to provide funding for 106,000 places in the country’s state schools with the remaining three quarters receiving no formal education.

Afterwards Guterres said the visit had highlighted the dramatic needs not only of the Syrian refugees, but also the Lebanese government and communities hosting them, together with other host countries in the region.

He welcomed pledges totalling US$3.8 billion for the Syria crisis response in 2015 made by international donors at a conference in Kuwait last month, but stressed that even more would be needed due to the scale of the catastrophe.

“We cannot accept that the Syrian people will go on living in these absolutely tragic circumstances, and we cannot accept that countries like Lebanon and Jordan are facing such a dramatic challenge to their own economies and to their own stability,” he said.

Source: United Nations

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Lebanese actor Issam Breidy dies at 34

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese actor Issam Breidy died on Sunday morning after his vehicle collided with a concrete barrier used to separate a populated highway in Beirut’s Dora district.

Breidy’s Lexus reportedly flipped over the Dora bridge after colliding with the barrier, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

Media reports say Breidy was performing with his band in the Compass Lounge in Hamra before the accident. It is unclear what time the collision happened, but sources say it most likely occurred before dawn.

Breidy's Lexus landed on its side, according to this photograph posted on Twitter.
Breidy’s Lexus landed on its side, according to this photograph posted on Twitter.

The Lebanese Traffic Management Center confirmed that a citizen was killed in the Dora accident, without specifying an identity.

Breidy was born in 1980 in the Keserwan town of Feitroun. He studied fine arts at the Lebanese University and oriental music at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. He also graduated from Lebanese talent show “Studio El-Fan” in 2001.

The actor starred in several Lebanese dramas, including movies and theater plays in the Middle East.

Lebanese TV host Wissam Breidy, brother of Issam Breidy, announced funeral plans on Twitter.

“You are all invited to celebrate Issam’s life as he leaves onto a better one,” he wrote.

The funeral will take place at St. Georges Church in Feytroun on Tuesday at 4pm.

Dora is a populated transport hub for service taxis and buses to destinations north of Beirut. Traffic officials say accidents are common in the area.

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Arab-American students reverse university decision to screen ‘American Sniper’

UPDATE: The University of Michigan called their decision a “mistake” and returned to their original plan to show the film at the same location and time. Meanwhile, E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, said the decision to drop the film violated “freedom of expression.”

(ANN ARBOR, MI) — Arab-American students from the University of Michigan protested the university’s Center for Campus Involvement on Monday, after the center announced they would screen the controversial film, “American Sniper.”

A petition started by sophomore Lamees Mekkaoui garnered 280 signatures on Tuesday, which prompted the university to cancel plans and respond to the controversy.

“Student reactions have clearly articulated that this is neither the venue nor the time to show this movie,” said the Center of Campus Involvement in a prepared statement. “We deeply regret causing harm to members of our community, and appreciate the thoughtful feedback provided to us by students and staff alike.”

“American Sniper” has come under fire by left-leaning audiences for its “polarizing” views on the Iraq war. The film has also been accused of presenting a positive portrayal of snipers, who allegedly took pleasure in killing Iraqis.

The film follows the story of a U.S. Navy SEAL in Iraq, who is fighting to “protect his comrades,” according to the film’s synopsis.

Many Arab-Americans have expressed outrage over the Clint Eastwood film, calling it a “disturbing” portrayal of Muslims in American media.

“Middle Eastern characters in the film are not lent an ounce of humanity and watching this movie is provocative and unsafe to MENA and Muslim students who are too often reminded of how little the media and world values their lives,” said a collective letter to the university from “Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) and Muslim Students” on campus.

“The University of Michigan should not participate in further perpetuating these negative and misleading stereotypes.”

Film critics have also responded with mixed reviews, including many insiders who call it “patriotic.”

The university has since cancelled the event, but a student activities representative said the screening will be rescheduled to include a panel discussion.

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Egypt foils attempt to smuggle 3.5 tons of hashish from Lebanon to Libya

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Egyptian security officials foiled a plan to smuggle 3.5 tons of hashish from Lebanon to Libya on Monday, according to a statement by Lebanon’s Anti-Drug bureau of the Judicial Police.

The drugs were being transported from Lebanon to a ship called “Mare Ta Queen,” which was docked just outside Lebanon’s regional waters, according to Beirut-based newspaper An-Nahar.

Judicial Police say the ship was headed to Tobruq, a port city on Libya’s eastern Mediterranean coast, but was stopped by Egyptian officials near the coast of Damietta.

Authorities confiscated the ship’s cargo and detained all those on board.

Investigations are underway to locate the drug gang in Lebanon, which sources say most likely originates from the Bekaa Valley.

The latest smuggling operation comes just a few hours after drugs were found on two Venezuelan nationals who were attempting to travel to Lebanon with four kilograms of cocaine.

Security officials say they were arrested at Turkey’s Istanbul airport before arriving in Lebanon.

According to VICE News, Lebanon’s feuding militias are still using drugs as a source of income. Under international pressure, the Lebanese government is cracking down on smaller cannabis farmers, while drug lords continue to act with impunity.

WATCH more on hash farms in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley:

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