It is more of X said that, Y said the other, Z cursed all. I believe that for the next few months this will be the status quo.

Hizballah arrested people in dahyeh. Again. Remind me not to carry a camera in dahyeh.

Prince Talal Arslan said he is ready to mediate between Walid Jumblatt and Syria.

Minister Bassil and MP Samir Franjieh on the electoral law.

Groups of young people confronted each other in Ras Nabaa area in Beirut. The reason? Posters and flags. I refuse to accept there is some sanity in such acts. Both flags and posters can be replaced. No need to fight for a piece of cloth or paper. And please, no
word about the symbolism!

When you are a teenager and have access to guns, symbolism is not why you choose to fight. Maybe there is something with the Lebanese. They like to confront each other constantly. As long as they are peaceful good riddance!

A Lebanese, a self proclaimed prophet landed in jail in Saudi Arabia. Strange. We all know Saudi Arabia is a place of tolerance.

Islamists protested in downtown. Too bad I was busy elsewhere. It would have been a surreal experience to see them downtown. I do not minimize the humanitarian impact on their community of whatever the state did wrong, but really…

For example, the headlines today in the Arabic and English language local press were about the delay to appoint the army commander. Do not get me wrong. This is a very important matter and it should be kept away from both politics and headlines. You need a man able to do the job period. Instead, what we have is a list with several names, and this General is close to Hizballah, the other one to Amal, another one is close to March 14, to Hariri and you get the point. That should be irrelevant. Do you choose the army commander to be this or that party puppet or to lead the army?! What is this nonsense everyone included myself talked about for days now?

President Michel Sleiman will soon convene the national dialog session where the national defence strategy is going to be discussed. Meaning that Hizballah’s arms will be discussed. Briefly put: 1) Hizballah is not going to disarm.  2) Through the cabinet statement [read paragraph 24] Hizballah has been given the right - or it has taken it into its hands - to continue on the path of resistance, and further more, it has the legitimate cover to liberate the Shebaa, the Kfar Shouba hills.

If you allow me to ask, what in God’s name is there to further discuss? To ask them, pretty please don’t repeat your 2006 July adventure? OK. That may be it.

On a more serious note, depending on which faction from Hizballah [we may not see it in the press, but there is diversity of views and allegiance in Hizballah, as in any other party / movement / group] has the ascendant, in time, it is possible to see them taking small, baby steps towards a closer relationship with the army, some sort of coordination, and in God knows how many years, Hizballah might take us all by surprise and announce that its guerrilla fighters will take seriously the citizenship they carry, and they will be part of the army. This can also be wishful thinking, but what is life without hope?

However, for that to happen, the state has to be present in the Shia areas. Hizballah took over the places that the state ignored. Pure and simple.

Nabih Berri asked for a special session of the Parliament to discuss the economical aspects. Finally someone understands that the political games behind, under, above the curtain will always be here, but meanwhile this country has to be [well] administered. You cannot keep on feeding people with stupid propaganda when they have no electricity, huge bills, sewer, water problems etc.

As someone told me today, management is one thing and politics another one. Keep them separated and do your job. The MPs have to work for the sake of all, and each of them for the constituency they are part of.

I look forward to the day when MP X goes to his home town and in the press conference instead of talking of Sheikh Nasrallah, Hariri, Jumblatt etc X talks about the development of the town, how Z number of roads are now in good condition, about the medium and small businesses that just opened there, and so on.

The irony is that Lebanon can do extremely well on all levels. One small example. There are so many wealthy Lebanese living abroad that could invest in their home country. The state needs to be serious about lobbying in this direction, offering them a chance to do something good for the country.

Integrate the Lebanese into Lebanon.

I am not talking only about the diaspora. All Lebanese deserve to be part of this huge mechanism, and frankly speaking, if and when that happens, the road blocks, the tanks [they are really old and look like they’ve just got out of the museum, unfortunately], the army men I see everywhere, the many weapons that get into the country will have no purpose.

Sheikh Hassan Shahhal, who signed the understanding on Monday with Hizbullah’s Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, declared freezing the agreement pending “appropriate circumstances that allow its implementation.”

Sheikh Hassan made the announcement after a meeting with leaders of Salafi factions presided over by their highest authority Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal who had rushed to denounce and criticize the deal with Hizbullah, minutes after it was announced on Monday. [Naharnet]

This must be the shortest ever PR stunt of Hizballah. Maybe tomorrow they will sign another agreement with the Salafi or with others. In Lebanon not everything is logic, although everything has some sort of justification.

Jamaa Islamyya, the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Lebanon through the voice of Sheikh Faisal Mallawi declared that Hizballah is in a state of “real sedition with most of the Lebanese, especially the Sunni Muslims.”[Naharnet] 

“Hizbullah should go into serious and objective dialogue with authorities and effective factions so that mistakes committed by both sides would be clearly stated and defined to avoid committing them anew.”

I wonder if there is a group that does not have office / representative in Lebanon …

In other news, Egypt will deliver energy and gas to Lebanon.

The discussions between Lebanese and Egyptian officials resulted in the signature of an agreement under the terms of which Egypt will provide Lebanon with gas and electric energy.

“The meeting with President Mubarak was excellent,” PM Siniora told reporters in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Nazif.

Hizballah’s arms are still high on the agenda.They won’t give them up, not in the immediate future anyway [if ever], so the talks will be to find justifications, pretexts and that’s pretty much it. People here are so inventive. I am really looking forward to see what they come up next.

update: I was right to believe that Hizballah and the Salafi factions that signed the protocol found a common enemy: the American agenda. Maybe other enemies as well, but the point is that when they run out of common ideals, the Sunni extremists consider Shias as infidels. As far as I am aware of, the Shias don’t have the concept of turning the other cheek when attacked. Hence the romance will not last.  Taking in consideration the year we are in, and the hope that human nature advances [technology advance, we don’t], in theory this is a good agreement. Practice is different though.

Today, the highest Salafi authority, in the country, Sheikh Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal, labeled the agreement as:

“media crackling in favor of Hizbullah and the Shiite community.”[Naharnet]

“The Salafi movement totally rejects this document … and who signed it has no right to claim belonging to the Salafi movement or representing it.”

“This document is … harmful to the Sunni community and would end up in vain, God willing,” he added.  “Those who signed have no influence, and whoever wants to defuse tension should talk to forces that do exist.”

Back to square zero already? Perhaps.

For more, read Hanin Ghaddar’s commentary for NOW Lebanon.

The memorandum of understanding signed on Monday between Hezbollah and Salafists groups, represented mainly by Hassan al-Chahhal’s Belief and Justice Movement, was yet another attempt to weaken the Future Movement’s popularity on the Sunni street and presents the Salafists as being more open to dialogue and cooperation. It was also further revealed that Hezbollah still assumes the mantle of guardian of the nation’s security with total disregard for the authority and role of the state, while what Salafists there are in Lebanon are fragmented with no common agenda.

Michael Young has a very good op-ed on the latest events.

Recently, colleagues who closely follow events in Tripoli have started hearing of Syrian warnings to the Lebanese that there would be no peace in the city until the Salafists were routed. Who would conduct such an operation but the army, explaining why soldiers have been the victims of recent attacks. Syria’s implication in the bombings is highly probable, its objective being to push the army and the Salafists into a confrontation. This would create a serious rift within the Sunni community, weaken the disoriented pro-Hariri forces in Tripoli, and allow Damascus’ allies to regain the initiative in the city.

The reality is that Salafists in Tripoli are not strong. In the recent fighting between the Sunni quarters of Bab al-Tebbaneh and Qobbeh and the Alawite quarter of Jabal Mohsen, the Salafists, who belong to a variety of small groups, proved to be much less numerous than anyone had imagined. As a neighborhood leader in Bab al-Tebbaneh described it, the confrontations exposed the Salafists’ weaknesses, not their strengths. The brunt of the fighting was borne by the men of Bab al-Tebbaneh, though followers of a leading opposition politician used the hostilities to burnish his legitimacy as a “defender of the Sunnis.” The Alawite official Rifaat Eid admitted that the fighting erupted after a rocket propelled grenade was fired at his men by partisans of this opposition politician.

…

It was no coincidence, either, that the bombing occurred on the day of Michel Sleiman’s visit to Damascus. There were several messages to the president: that Lebanese security will continue to remain vulnerable if he opposes Syrian priorities (and that includes, among other things, Syrian choices for the post of army commander and military intelligence chief); that Sleiman’s priorities, in turn, such as addressing diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus and the fate of Lebanese prisoners in Syria, are secondary to the Syrians; that intimidation remains Syria’s modus operandi when it comes to its relationship with Lebanon; and that Sleiman would make a mistake to rely too much on the parliamentary majority, which is buttressed by a Sunni community that can be readily split.

…

The bus bombing yesterday ultimately targeted not the army but the Sunnis. Syria wants them irredeemably divided. Hariri must ensure that such a plan fails.

My 2 cents. The Sunni extremist groups and other smaller groups may gain more ground, because the Future Movement is not present enough in Tripoli. Saad Hariri and his MPs have to work hard, to go on the ground, and let people know they are there to help. When you are poor and you’re offered hundreds of dollars, thousands or more, to create trouble, you cannot afford the ethical dilemma. You just do it.The socio-economic aspect is the first to consider. The core of those who truly believe in Taliban like life style is small and with help from Future Movement will become even smaller.
On the other hand, the new government has to help Saad. There are many kept in jails since Nahr el Bared without proper investigation. Let the state bring them to justice. If they don’t have enough evidence, let them go and keep them under surveillance. There are enough state institutions, from police to intelligence services to follow up. Elias Murr is not containing the problem by keeping people behind bars in spite of the lack of evidence. He is merely  giving them a reason to stir up more trouble.

The situation in Tripoli and the Palestinian camps will continue to be tensed, and we’ll see more groups, and factions within groups fighting as proxies for others.

update:

The Syrian sources told NOW Lebanon that Wednesday’s discussions covered exchanging ambassadors, border demarcation, the Lebanese missing and detained in Syrian prisons and reviewing past treaties and accords between the two countries.

Let’s see what happens in the months to come before jumping up and down for joy.

After four days of debate, only five members of parliament voted against the government, with two MPs abstaining.

Not often did I see the Lebanese MPs being so eager to take the floor and make their views known to the world. The March 14 criticized Hizballah, while Hizballah tried to justify its resistance, arms and so on.It was rather hypocritical to have them talk about unity, when all, without exceptions use the affiliation to this or that sect, or to this or that group to climb up the ladder. In Lebanon what they lack is national affiliation. They should all have said that they are Lebanese period. It does not matter if they are Christians, Shiia, Sunnis, atheists or hindu. Until this mentality changes Lebanon is a country not only of minorities, but a federation of religious communities, where religion is of course being used as a cover.

However, at least they started to be active. Hopefully that will keep them going for a while. The country has many administrative issues that they have to worry about. The fact that legislative elections are around the corner makes them all interested to score points asap. If they manage to do things on the ground aside from pointing the finger at each other, no problem.

On Thursday, the European Parliament head Hans-Gert Poettering visited Bint Jbeil for 45 minutes. It was a small gathering with tight security, from the Lebanese army, UNIFIL [I saw the French and Italians], local police etc.

The mayor of Bint Jbeil welcomed Mr Poettering and another mayor had prepared a presentation of the area before and after the July 2006 war. On all sides people spoke with conviction. Mr Poettering is on a tour of the region [ Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine] since EU is looking for a more active role, and the goal is to protect the dignity of the invididuals in all the above countries.

The Daily Star interview with the head of EU Parliament.

Which concrete steps would you like to see?

A: One I mentioned already: Diplomatic recognition, the recognition of Lebanon and the exchange of ambassadors. Then concrete steps of border controls. I’m not here to say what the steps must be, but you’re asking me, so I give you these two. It’s a question now of Lebanon and Syria to develop confidence-building measures, and we want in the European Union to see these very concrete confidence-building measures.

Q: What is the EU position regarding the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon?

A: For us it’s important in the European Parliament that we have an international inquiry in the murder of Prime Minister Hariri and in that connection perhaps an investigation for other assassinations as well. So we have to insist that these assassinations are investigated on an international level. So there is a commitment of the European Parliament to this.

Q: Will you tell this to Syrian President Bashar Assad?

A: I might speak with him in the sense that we have to investigate in this question.

Q: How does the EU view developments in the region, such as Syrian-Israeli talks and negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program?

A: We in the European Union and European Parliament - and especially myself - it must be clear for everybody that we always will defend the integrity and security of Israel. People who take the existence of Israel into question will find our strongest opposition. Having said this, we must find solutions, and the Israelis must take steps as well. We in the European Union and in the European Parliament welcome that there are now negotiations or contacts or dialogue between Syria and Israel with the support of Turkey. So we should use all diplomatic means to find solutions [so] that the states in this region accept each other and that we find of course a solution for a viable Palestinian state as well.

That is the rhetoric. In practice, the EU can help at a social, humanitarian, and economic [through investments] level, but it cannot impose its vision on Israel, Syria, Lebanon or on President Abbas. It simply does not work like that, and the triumfal return of Syria to the table of international powers [ Syria was never really isolated] is proof enough that the West always chooses the easy and fastest way to achieve its own agenda.

Since my last visit in the spring, there have been serious improvements. Qatar is financing the reconstruction of the town, directly, not through the government. And to my absolute disappointment, the government continues to ignore the south. I am not talking only of BInt Jbeil. In the south there are Christian villages as well. I said it a zillion times and I will keep saying it - you want to take the popular support from Hizballah? Fine. Stop ignoring parts of the country. Act as the government for all Lebanese not only for some. I have been told many times in Bint Jbeil and the villages close by, that they don’t care about politics. They want a safe environment, they want full-time electricity, working sewage, roads, new schools and jobs. As Bilal Sharara, someone that I believe deserves the name of Mr Bint Jbeil, says, ‘we want what everyone else in the country wants.’

For decades, the south has been ignored by all governments. Don’t ask why. Or you can ask, but you may not like the answers I got. Hizballah rules where the government let it rule full stop.

Its not yet late for the government to take its mission seriously. Let’s say the government makes the roads. Will Hizballah bomb them? I don’t think so. Not unless they want to have the people going against them. Why does not the government play it smart and do its job? If the answer is that it does not care about the Shias, Christians, Sunnis there, then its just shameful and all the ministers starting with the Prime Minister should resign asap.

While making visits in the town, I was told privately, that they’d like to have the government there, to have rules, to know they can turn to someone for help. I find it extremely frustrating when I see that the government complains, while doing nothing. Can the people, the average citizens be blamed for taking the party’s side? Give them options and in a decade or so, the results will be much different than what we have today. Build trust, build citizenship. That’s the slogan the state needs to support and enforce through all peaceful means available.

Hezbollah’s arsenal has long been justified by the liberation of all Lebanese land and the release of Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails. In fact, meeting those two requirements and then consolidating a national defense strategy “which the Lebanese agree to and subscribe to by assuming its burdens and benefiting from its outcomes,” were the conditions for the party’s disarmament set forth in Aoun’s controversial 2006 Memorandum of Understanding with Hezbollah.

Hizballah’s arms were and continue to be an important topic on everyone’s agenda. After what happened in May, I’d say the party is looking for a calmer way to coexist with the others. What other way is there? Of course, there is also Hamas way, but look at what happened afterwards, and in Lebanon, you cannot have one group ruling everyone. Long story short. Hizballah is doing its best, for the time being, anyway, to reintegrate into the Lebanese mood. Given time, and pressure from inside and outside, Hizballah’s excuses to keep up the arms might be simply unaceptable for all sects, Shia included.

Update.

Israel has warned it intended to put an end to the arms smuggling into Lebanon amid fears that Hizbullah was obtaining anti-aircraft missiles that would “violate the strategic balance” in the Middle East. “Israel will not acquiesce to the continued smuggling of arms,” Haaretz daily quoted the Israeli security cabinet as saying after meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday. Haaretz said that the officials were updated on alleged Syrian transfers of advanced military hardware to Hizbullah, “including air defense systems, in an effort to limit the freedom of operations of the Israeli air force in Lebanon.” Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were alerted about the possibility of Syrian transfer to Hizbullah of more sophisticated weaponry. [Naharnet]

I wonder if this is the calm [relative calm] before the storm.

On August 5, the Lebanese News Agency posted the transcript of the ministerial statement. The following are excerpts of the statement:

“The introduction:

1- “Around two months ago, under Arab auspices and with the support of Lebanon’s brothers and friends, we reached an exceptional agreement that was highly necessary for that exceptional period. It is an agreement that returned us to the Constitution and the political process and the constitutional rules and customs in what would allow us to practice a democratic regime and resolve our conflicts by dialogue inside our constitutional institutions.

2- In Doha, we all agreed to prohibit the resort to weapons or violence regardless of the nature of the conflict and under any circumstances, in what would secure the adherence to the national partnership pact, which is based on the determination of the Lebanese people to live together in the framework of a democratic regime, and to restrict military and security power to the state only, thus securing the survival of the coexistence principle and civil peace for all the Lebanese.

3- “The Doha Agreement affirmed that all sides should abide by the principles and rules of the Lebanese Constitution and the Taef Agreement and [backed] the call for a national dialogue headed by the president, with the participation of the Arab League, over the mechanisms to reinforce the authority of the Lebanese State on its territories and its relations with various groups on the Lebanese lands, in what secures the safety of the state and the citizens.

4- “Our government – whose ratio of representation we agreed in Doha and which we pledged not to resign from or hinder its performance – is committed to implement this agreement fully and unequivocally. The reason is because [this agreement] leads to political stability and reconciliation and contributes to healing the wounds and reinforcing the ability of the state to safeguard the citizens and preserve their rights. This commitment is our only way to exit the state of economic stagnancy and confront the domestic repercussions of the international economic circumstances, in addition to resolving our increasing social crisis, fighting unemployment, and confronting the increasing rate of youth emigration.

5- “Therefore, the Lebanese people are hoping that our alliance in this government – the government of unanimous national will – will be a way to exit this crisis and avoid the threats of estrangement, towards rapprochement, calm and open dialogue over the great national choices that preserve Lebanon and safeguard the freedom of its citizens, their security and rights.

6- “They are the choices that entrench Lebanon’s unity, underpin its coexistence, and preserve its independence, sovereignty, democratic regime, and its distinguishing characteristics of diversity, moderation, openness and the sense of belonging to this country and the strong bonds with its expatriate citizens across the world. They also strengthen its balance in the Arab world and the entire world.

7- “The government ensures its adherence to the principle of unity and the supremacy of the state in all the issues pertaining to the general policy of the country, in what preserves Lebanon and upholds its national sovereignty, which is the principle that governs all the clauses of the ministerial statement.

8- “The government also highlights the content of the [Constitutional] oath speech of His Eminence the president of the republic, namely the approaches and calls for dialogue and adherence to the Constitution, the National Agreement, and the National Agreement Pact. [End of the Introduction]

“Part one: General Policy

9- “Our government corroborates its commitment to implement all the articles of the Taef Agreement. It will work hard to meet the label it was given, a government that works for the sake of national unity, and to rebuild its cracked pillars and restore the confidence of the Lebanese people in their state and institutions.

10- “The government’s efforts come in light of its awareness that the huge events witnessed in our country over the last years and months and weeks, and the wounds and fears of the Lebanese people, require from us to abandon violence, the violence of arms and threats and instigation. These events also make us avoid provoking sectarian feelings and other aggressive emotions, and instead, they call upon us to spread the values of tolerance, love and harmony, which represent the heart of Lebanon’s mission.

11- “Abandoning violence represents a double responsibility in referring to the Constitution and laws and institutions and respecting the rules of the Lebanese political regime on the one hand, and dealing with others respectfully with the spirit of genuine partnership and seeking to achieve the public interests and keeping disagreements in their original place so they do not turn into rifts or destructive struggles [on the other hand].

12- “The Lebanese people sense the threats that engulf their country and they are worried about their security and future, while at the same time, they are suffering from social, economic and financial impacts that have accumulated over the past difficult years witnessed in Lebanon. The government should frankly and openheartedly inform the Lebanese people about the crisis overwhelming their country, which should be encountered without delay. They also have the right to know the mechanisms to meet these crises, away from illusions and gratis pledges that surpass capacities, in order to avoid anything that negatively influences economic growth and sustainable development.

13- “The government is also committed to designing a doable action program and implementing it, upon which we will be held to account by the Parliament and Lebanese public opinion. This program will focus on the priorities of the coming period in the context of general policies, including long term approaches in various domains.

14- “The government stresses the fact that preparing for the coming parliamentary election is at the top of its responsibilities, but this does not mean that the logic of struggle and competition in political action and electoral activity will overshadow its resolutions and the jobs of its ministers. Instead, securing the good functioning of the state’s institutions and implementing the law and respecting the rights of the citizens without discrimination is what guarantees the execution of just and free elections. In any way, providing security for all Lebanese regions ensures that all Lebanese can practice their freedom to choose their representatives.

15- “The government is also committed to conducting parliamentary elections punctually according to the new electoral law that will be ratified by the Parliament, consistent with the Doha agreement, regarding the division of constituencies, and based on the reformative suggestions mentioned by the National Committee for the Electoral Law.

16- “Security issues in Lebanon still require redoubled efforts from the state to protect the Lebanese from assassinations and terrorism and to safeguard civil peace, away from violence with all means within reach. Fulfilling this duty is contingent upon the commitment of all the political rivals to what they agreed on and pledged in Doha, and their honest consent to the right of the Lebanese to enjoy a safe and stable life, and the right of the state to spread its control over all Lebanese territories, in order not to have any areas that are asylums for fugitives. The government will also be strict in fighting all sorts of murders and in putting an end to shootings that take place on various occasions and in demonstrations. The perpetrators will be pursued and brought to justice.

17- “It is the duty of the state not to overlook any attempts to play with peace or security and to put an end for mobile explosions and tensions – regardless of their reasons and pretexts – which threaten civil peace and crack national unity. Security is the right of the Lebanese, away from their political or sectarian affiliations. It is the condition for the establishment of the strong state and the wellbeing of democratic life. It goes without saying that security should not be subjected to compromise or political blackmailing. The commitment of all political forces to the Doha agreement at the level of civil peace and security is the criterion of their credibility in front of the Lebanese and the international community.

18- “It is the duty of the government – and the right of the Lebanese – to fight all sorts of terrorism and to hinder it from endangering Lebanon’s stability. Thus, the government will expend all efforts to prevent terrorist organizations from manipulating some of the Lebanese people and employing them as fuel in their aggression. Last year, the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces were attacked by terrorists. The armed forces were forced to encounter them and offer martyrs and huge sacrifices to defend Lebanon and the Lebanese. The Lebanese people gathered around these forces - namely the Lebanese Army - which gained more confidence and admiration from the Lebanese people. The Army deterred the Israeli enemy as it deterred the terrorism, which had nothing to do with the Palestinian cause and the tolerant values of Islam.

19- “Today, we should reinforce confidence in the legitimate armed forces, and offer them political support, so they fulfill their role in a way that reassures the Lebanese, who should feel that these forces guarantee their right to security and protect them from any aggression. The government keeps up its support for the Army and the Internal Security Forces and the affiliated security apparatuses. It will provide them with the best capabilities to fulfill their national duties according to the laws and based on the resolutions and approaches of the political authority.

20- “At the Arab level, our government will work hard to reinforce the relations with Arab brothers and entrench the bonds that link us, out of our belief in the necessity to activate joint Arab action, in the framework of the Arab League. The government underscores the necessity of Arab solidarity in defending our pan-Arab causes, namely the Palestinian cause, in addition to protecting joint interests…

21- “While the government ensures Lebanon’s adherence to the legitimate national and Arab rights in the face of Israel and its aggressions, it stresses the Arab solidarity apart from the policy of axes, to adhere to Lebanon’s higher interest and that of the Arabs. The Lebanese do not accept the custody of any [state] and refuse to be tools employed by regional and international players in their power struggle. A stable Lebanon – the homeland rather than the arena – and the formula based on coexistence, is a natural right for its citizens and an Arab and international need at the same time.

22- “The government looks forward to building unsurpassed relations with fraternal Syria, on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty and independence of both countries, and the trust and fraternal bonds. A sound relationship between two countries can never be built on estrangement or subordination. Hence, the government will work to purify Lebanese-Syrian relations, benefiting from the experiences of the past, in order to preserve the joint interests…

24- “Based on the state’s responsibility to preserve the sovereignty and independence and unity of Lebanon and the wellbeing of its territories, and in line with the Constitution, the government lays emphasis on the following:

“First: the right of the Lebanese people, army and resistance to liberate the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, Kafar Shuba Hills, and the Lebanese section of Ghajar village, and defend the country using all legal and possible means.

“Second: The commitment of the government to UNSCR 1701 with all its clauses.

“Third: “To work towards designing a comprehensive national defensive strategy to protect and defend Lebanon. This strategy should be reached during a dialogue called upon by His Eminence the president of the republic, with the participation of the Arab League, after the government gains the confidence of the Parliament…

28- “Based on the National Agreement Pact announced in Taef – which stipulated that the state spreads its control over all the Lebanese territories and stressed the need that the Palestinian brothers living in Lebanon should respect the state’s authority and laws- the government will work in line with what the national dialogue committee unanimously agreed upon, and will put an end to the Palestinian arms outside the camps and resolve the issue of security and arms inside the camps.

“It also underscores its responsibility and commitment to protect the Palestinian camps from any assault. With the cooperation of the Palestinian factions’ representatives and concerned Arab sides, the government will strive to reach appropriate solutions, in what preserves the security of the Palestinians and the Lebanese…

“Part Two: Priorities of the government’s action:

31- “Implementation of foreign policy

“Lebanon’s foreign policy stems from the unanimous national will and the duty to defend Lebanon’s rights and interests and characteristics and the responsibility of restoring its active role in the Arab world and the international community.

“This policy is also based on Lebanon’s commitment to the Charter of the Arab League and the United Nations and its concern about joint Arab action and international cooperation. The government will take pains to reinforce the Arab and international role of Lebanon in various domains, through an active presence and participation in the activities of Arab and international organizations.

“In this context, the government will endeavor to gain wider support for the election of Lebanon as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council for the years 2010 and 2011. The government will work hard to develop its relations with the European Union, on the basis of the partnership agreement, neighborly policy, and the Union for the Mediterranean.

“The government will strengthen the capacities of Lebanese diplomacy, through training and modernizing the working methods, so it fulfills its role to the best in developing the economic, political, and cultural relations with the world and defending Lebanon’s causes and interests, and enhancing its presence in international and regional forums and meetings and in the media…

34- “Restoring the Lebanese who took refuge to Israel

The government – in line with the [Constitutional] oath speech, which stressed the need to return our sons who fled to Israel – will work persistently to resolve this issue. It will provide necessary climates and possible facilities to secure their return, in what harmonizes with the laws and takes into account the circumstances of each one of them….

42- “General guidelines of the social, financial, and economic policy:

“…The government’s efforts at the level of social and economic policies will focus on three major points:

“First: “Achieving economic growth rates capable of returning Lebanon to the track of sustainable development and restore some of its missing prosperity. In addition, it will work hard to attract direct Arab and foreign investments that would contribute to finding new job opportunities, improving the living circumstances of the citizens, strengthening the status of the state’s general budget and reducing the rate of public debt…

“Second: Enhancing the target and efficiency of social services offered by the state to the citizens and developing social support programs for marginalized and needy groups. In addition, the government will reinforce the social security system and follow up on implementing reformative projects for the social security organization.

“Third: “The government emphasizes its commitment to the economic reform policy, which Lebanon submitted to the Paris III Conference, and strives to implement it in the form of policies and programs and sector reforms, taking into account the new international and local economic changes, which require amending the timetables which Lebanon abided by, in order to accord with the exceptional circumstances that the country passed through over the past two years…

43- “Reinforcing economic stability and growth and stimulating investments.

“First: The government is committed to continue implementing the economic revival program and speeding up sustainable development in what matched the capacities of the Lebanese economy and contributes to enhancing its productivity. This requires instantly discussing the program in order to ratify a large group of draft laws and reforms existing in the draft budgets of 2007 and 2008, which the government hopes from the honourable parliament to ratify as soon as possible.

“Second: “The government will endeavor to strengthen the partnership between the public and private sector. It will therefore consider the possibility of opening the area of investment in electricity production to the private sector or involve it in distributing power and collecting bills. In addition, the government intends to liberalize the telecommunication sector and embark on a privatization process, with emphasis on the principle of enhancing competitiveness, increasing the decree of disclosure, improving the quality, urging a price reduction and maintaining the interest of the citizens. (Please see the clause pertaining to telecommunication sector).

“In addition, the government will work to prepare a number of privatization projects and partnership with the private sector, including necessary draft laws in the transportation sector, sewage refining, oil refining and public parking lots and others…”