Al-Hassan’s Blood and the Power Craze

European Tyranny and the Satellite Channels

The decision adopted by the European Union to discontinue the broadcasting of the Iranian channels on Hotbird and Eutelsat came to complement the campaign of pursuit targeting the channels that refused to succumb to the American will or to the Saudi and Qatari money in the region, or are playing an influential role in shaping the Arab and international public opinion and covering the events and developments while exposing the near and distant goals of the mobile American plans throughout the Middle East. The European Union keeps boasting its states’ commitment to media freedoms and their respect of political, cultural and media plurality. However, these claims collapse in the face of the political pursuit organized by the EU governments against the satellite channels rebelling against American and Western hegemony and allowing the airing of viewpoints and inclinations opposing American and especially Israeli will.

The European states are always repeating to the Third World governments and populations they are playing a leading role around the world in establishing institutions respecting the legal restraints and operating with integrity and objectivity. However, the arbitrary decision to block a series of channels went against all the considerations which should govern the legal and professional framework in dealing with media performance. Hence, the decision was political and not judicial, and was taken from outside the context of the regulating mechanisms, without being based on any professional or legal considerations. The satellite companies offer services to satellite channels in accordance with commercial contracts. Hence, they have no authority to stop their broadcasting, as this prerogative is divided between the regulating bodies, i.e. the media council and the courts. Moreover, the decision to stop the broadcasting should be based on clear and set foundations, related to the media performance itself, and the extent of its respect of the restraints and regulations provided for by the law.

The European Union which imposed sanctions on the Syrian channels, on Al-Manar channel and recently on the Iranian channels, is confirming its transformation into an American colony, thus implementing the orders and violating the law in respect of the wishes of the United States and Israel. Indeed, the media message of these targeted channels on the religious level is one of brotherhood, dialogue and human partnership. Moreover, they oppose terrorism, Takfir and racism. And while the European Union is pursuing these channels, it is maintaining the channels of Takfir and terrorism that are spreading extremism and hatred and instigating violence.

This tyranny practiced by the European Union was previously exercised by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar against the same media outlets, when they issued their orders via the Arab League to Arabsat and Nilesat to stop Al-Alam channel and the Syrian channels. Unfortunately, this arbitrary behavior and tyranny were seen once again in the attitude of the European Union and the Gulf governments linked to the West. The liberation of the Eastern media outlets from American, European and Gulf political hegemony has started to require serious and stringent action, in order to acquire free and technical means capable of embracing a series of channels and television institutions that are by the dozens, and most of which are probably on the target list in the future. This also requires a global campaign using the new international balances, in order to ensure the issuance of binding decisions at the United Nations to prevent the undermining of the freedom of the media.

This necessitates steps by the free and independent governments in the region and the professional media corps in the Arab and Islamic countries, and assistance and support by the human rights and media organizations in Europe and the American continent that truly support the freedoms issue. The cosmic village flaunted by the West is prohibited to all those who oppose America and Israeli as per the American and European decisions against the media outlets. As for the tyrannical Gulf governments, they fear any idea which might be carried by a media outlet that has not succumbed to their funds and apparatuses. Hence, one should say to the European Union leaders: All of you are backward and tyrannical Sheikhs and Emirs when dealing with the media outlets opposing Israel and Western hegemony over the East.

Lebanese Affairs.

By Ghaleb Kandil

Al-Hassan’s Blood and the Power Craze

It is as though the same scene was repeated upon the assassination of General Wissam al-Hassan, the director of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch. We thus saw the launching of a series of accusations, while the riff-raff took to the streets and blocked the international roads in the Bekaa, the North and the South. Moreover, thuggery and threats issued by the militias of the Future Movement and the Lebanese Forces prevailed, alongside that of the so-called Free Syrian Army.

Firstly, not one politician or media outlet affiliated with the March 14 forces left any room for the security and judicial investigations which were launched the moment the assassination was carried out. In the meantime, media trials were seen on television channels, ones which controlled Lebanon for years since Al-Hariri’s assassination, before it turned out that the accusations which they said were political were based on false witnesses and lies, pushing each and every one of them to turn back and seek ways to cover this issue up and knock on the doors of the Syrian command to ensure reconciliation and forgiveness.

Secondly, the campaign launched following Al-Hassan’s assassination is the exact replica of the campaign which followed Al-Hariri’s assassination and led the country into a state of chaos and political turmoil, thus paving the way before the Israeli aggression in 2006 and turning Lebanon into an open arena for the activities of all the intelligence apparatuses around the world. This caused the collapse of national security and the multiplying of the espionage dens and the conspiracies against Lebanon. Al-Hariri and his partners did not draw the lessons from which experience and are now repeating the same mistakes with great lightness and neglect.

Thirdly, there was a rush yesterday to accuse Syria of having committed the new assassination, which puzzled observers in their attempts to unveil the logic of Al-Hariri and his entourage. Indeed, they wanted us to believe that Syria had become a wretched power without any reliable branches in Lebanon, when they announced the uncovering of explosives transported in a politician’s car, i.e. that of Minister Michel Samaha. And yesterday, what was required was to suddenly convince the Lebanese that Syria regained its security capabilities, despite the dangerous depletion in which its military and security institutions are drowning due to the cosmic war which has been launched against it since the spring of 2011.

Fourthly, since the eruption of the Syrian events, there have been numerous attempts to detonate the Lebanese situation and cause the eruption of a sectarian strife that would burn Lebanon and drown it in a sea of blood and anarchy. This aimed at transforming the country into a platform for implication in the war on Syria. However, the concerned national government and leaders, namely those in Hezbollah and Amal and the national Sunni leaders in the March 8 forces, were able to block the way before and thwart this plan, thus protecting Lebanese civil peace and stability. At this level, it is clear that those who planned Al-Hassan’s assassination wanted to pave the way once again before the strife plan, the biggest proof for that being the incidents witnessed a few hours following the announcement of the assassination of the Information Branch chief.

Fifthly, the March 14 camp set its goals and attempted to exploit the blood of General Al-Hassan. Consequently, it is trying to force the government to resign, and has made trade-offs under the cover of the night – as revealed by the newspapers – revolving around the entry into the government and the handling of key ministries in it. It is thus clear that to the March 14 forces, especially Saad al-Hariri and Samir Geagea, the issue is not about knowing the truth in regard to who assassinated Al-Hassan, rather about entering power and staging the coup which they have so far failed to carry out, despite all the money and intelligence backing they received from the Western-Turkish-Gulf axis.

Once again, as it was the case with Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, this team neither cares about the truth, nor about the investigations, security and stability. What is important is to gain power, while the blood of a great leader such as General Wissam al-Hassan becomes a mere card to reach the impossible end for Al-Hariri and Geagea.

News analysis.

By Nasser Kandil

Wissam al-Hassan’s Assassination: The Day Al-Hariri was Killed

Whoever coexisted with the experience of Al-Hariri’s assassination can see the same film repeated once again, between the condemnation of Al-Hariri’s assassination back then and Wissam al-Hassan’s today or dealing with them as though they are dangerous opponents whose positions became vacant.

Al-Hariri used to share the regional decision with President Bashar al-Assad in Lebanon, and was part of an alliance in which no one else could fill his shoes. His death was wanted to set the foundations for the comprehensive attack on President Al-Assad, by accusing him of having carried out the assassination. Moreover, Al-Hariri was wanted to be reckless in his dispute with President Al-Assad and to head to the Bristol meeting, while the Syrian team was wanted to wrongfully and lightly deal with the assassination to point the accusations in the desired direction. Consequently, the murder of the number two man in Lebanon constituted an opportunity to topple the number one leader, thus causing the collapse of Prime Minister Omar Karame’s government.

Today, Wissam al-Hassan shares Lebanon’s regional decision with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, after Syria became one of those represented by the Sayyed and after Wissam al-Hassan became the number 2 man. His death ought to pave the way before the methodic invasion targeting the number one leader, through Mikati’s government.

Wissam al-Hassan made a mistake the day he received the booby-trapped gift dubbed Samaha’s film, which set the foundation for the accusations of Syria and its allies of being behind his assassination. He thus received that gift and the attack was launched, spilling his blood. So, will the Sayyed’s allies act smartly at the level of the confrontation and topple the plan?

The main point is to avoid the repetition of the mistake seen when Karame’s government resigned. Do your investigations in France to learn why Wissam al-Hassan was absent the day Al-Hariri was assassinated, how Milad Kfoury arranged – upon French orders – Samaha’s film, how Wissam al-Hassan came back from Paris or from another location one day earlier, without anyone knowing how and when he returned, while even after his assassination, the security leaders did not know which car he was riding in a perfect emulation of Gibran Tueini’s assassination. It is not important whether you are happy or sad, just beware.

Arab File.

Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a presidential decree to form a committee to renovate and reconstruct the Great Omayyad Mosque in Aleppo, and another setting December 1 as the date on which legislative elections will be organized to fill the empty seats. For its part, the Ministry of Endowments assured that the attack against the Omayyad Mosque in Aleppo by the armed terrorist Takfiri groups affiliated with Al-Qa’idah was an attack against the sanctity of religion. He added that this marked a serious indicator throughout the nation and constituted an inherent part of the rogue aggression against “our country, its security and dignity.”

For its part, the Army’s General Command and the Syrian armed forces assured in a statement that some misleading media outlets participating in the bloodshed of the Syrian people have recently carried false information saying that the Syrian Arab Army was using cluster bombs in the face of the armed terrorist elements. The command added: “While the Syrian army does not hold such bombs, we would like to assure that this information is completely false and falls in the context of media misleading. It aims at shifting the attention of the public away from the crimes being committed by the armed terrorist gangs against the country and the citizens.”

Also in this context, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assured that Syria did not use cluster bombs as it was claimed by the human rights organizations, stressing there was no evidence proving these accusations. For its part, Syria assured in two identical letters addressed by the Foreign Ministry to the head of the Security Council and the secretary general of the United Nations, that the pieces of evidence confirming the implication of foreign states, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, in the arming of terrorist groups in Syria had multiplied, adding that this obstructed all the possibilities of seeing dialogue or peaceful solutions and harmed the Syrian state on the material and human levels.

At the end of the two letters, Syria expressed its hope in seeing the Security Council seriously acting to deter the terrorists, dry up their sources of funding and moral support and place all the countries around the world before their proclaimed responsibilities and commitment in the fight against terrorism. It added that the Security Council’s help at this level would positively contribute to the enhancement of security and stability in Syria, but also throughout the Middle East region, and would maintain the credibility of the United Nations and its member states.

In the meantime, the British The Times newspaper revealed that the British intelligence apparatuses determined the identity of the British national who headed a group of around fifty terrorists who had come to fight in Syria. It added: “The Jihadist is involved in the military training of terrorists, most of whom live in the capital London and include fighters from Chechnya crossing into Syria via Turkey.” On the other hand, United Nations Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi reiterated that the solution in Syria should stem from and for the Syrians, and that his mission to present a solution to the crisis was based on Kofi Annan’s plan and the Geneva Accord.

About his proposal to instate truce on Eid al-Adha, Brahimi said that there were positive signs coming from the Syrian government, adding that in case the opposition cooperated with the proposal, this would constitute a very small step towards a ceasefire, allowing the launching of the talks about the withdrawal of the heavy artillery, the discontinuation of the weapons flow from abroad and the drafting of a political project and solution for the crisis in the country.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi said in a joint press conference with Brahimi in Tehran: “The Syrian government has repeatedly expressed its willingness to achieve its people’s demands and has adopted the necessary steps in that direction. The Syrian people alone, just like any free and democratic people, have the right to call for the staging of elections, to choose a People’s Assembly, and see the drafting of a law and a constitution based on their own viewpoint. We all agree on that.” On the other hand, Brahimi said following his talks with Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahrastani in Baghdad, stated that while in the Iraqi capital, he discussed “the Syrian concerns and numerous problems, as well as the threat it is posing to its people, neighbors and civil peace.”

As for Al-Maliki, he called on the joint envoy to move swiftly to uphold Syria’s unity and regional security. While in Amman, Brahimi announced that the proposed ceasefire in Syria could be used as a basis for “real truce. If the Syrian crisis continues, it will not remain limited to Syria’s border and will affect the region.” Upon his arrival to Damascus, Brahimi also announced that during his talks with the Syrian officials, oppositionists on the domestic arena and the political dignitaries, he will try to ensure the discontinuation of the fighting during Eid al-Adha.

Egypt.

Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi’s letter to Israeli President Shimon Peres generated wide anger and controversy among the various political circles, at a time when Egyptian diplomatic sources said that what was featured in Ambassador Atef Sayyed al-Ahl’s credentials was a “routine” content and a protocol language which has been adopted throughout the world for decades. On Friday, tens of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets upon the invitation of several political powers, demanding the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi, the disbandment of the Constituent Assembly tasked with the drafting of the new constitution, the prosecution of the murderers of the revolutionaries and the presentation by the Muslim Brotherhood group of an apology to the Egyptian people for the attacks staged by its supporters against the demonstrators.

Tunisia.

Tunisia parties, organizations and civil associations which participated in a national dialogue conference held upon an initiative by the Tunisian General Workers’ Union, reiterated their rejection of the staging of the parliamentary and presidential elections on June 23 as proposed by the ruling tripartite alliance in the country. Tunisia’s journalists had organized a general strike in which all the media institutions participated. On Thursday, clashes between protesters supporting the Ennahda movement which controls the government and secularists opposing it in the southern part of the country led to the killing of one person and the injuring of nine others.

Kuwait.

The security forces prevented demonstrators from staging a march on Al-Irada Square on Monday night, which generated clashes with the Special Forces unit that arrested a number of oppositionists. For their part, Kuwaiti parliamentary blocs and political forces announced their boycotting of the elections, both as candidates and voters.

Israeli File.

The escalation of the electoral battle between the various parties was the most prominent issue tackled by the Israeli newspapers this week. They thus spoke about the return of Arieh Dari to the competition with the Shas party, assuring that this return meant the resumption of the sectarian rhetoric defending the followers of the Eastern sects and their bad economic and social conditions compared to those of the Western sects. They added that Netanyahu feared Darieh, as he considers the latter to be rowdy and a manipulator, which might cause him great trouble in comparison with the loyalty and submission which characterized the Shas Party under the command of Eli Yishai.

The papers also tackled the drills which will be carried out by the American and Israeli armies in Israel, and which will emulate – in one of its scenarios – the handling of the unmanned drones that might enter the Israeli airspace. This came against the backdrop of the Ayoub drone dispatched by Hezbollah to Israel last week. It is worth mentioning that this drone which was launched by Hezbollah is earning wide attention in the press.

At this level, Haaretz mentioned that the priority in the army’s exercises in the future will be given to anything that might be used as a launching base for missiles against the Israeli territories, the civilian population and the military targets. Haaretz added that the army will focus on the terrorist organizations’ infrastructure, as well as on the Lebanese army, in case it were to intervene in the fighting.

On the other hand, Yediot Aharonot mentioned that the Israeli authorities suspected that the Palestinian authority was helping Arab gangs inside the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 carry out money-laundering, with amounts reaching up to $552 million.