Obama told me so: 01/14/15

Wednesday, 14 January 2015

Hezbollah firepower exceeds EU armies: Israeli general

BEIRUT: Israel’s former national security adviser said the Jewish state faces threats posed mainly by non-state entities motivated by Islamic ideology, the Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.

“The strongest of them is Hezbollah, which was formed with a dual purpose in mind: It represents Iran’s long reach in the area and against Israel, while at the same time it aims to control Lebanon, where the Shi’ites are the largest ethnic group,” Amidror said, pointing out that the resistance group most closely resembles an army with an arsenal totaling some 150,000 missiles and rockets, several thousand of which can target any area in Israel.

“This rare and substantial firepower apparently even exceeded the firepower possessed by most of the European states combined,” Amidror said in a report published on the website of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.

Hezbollah “is well organized into a military-style hierarchy and appears to possess command and control systems of high quality. It was established by Iranian leaders, but its leadership has always consisted of Lebanese people who were closely linked to Iran’s interests,” the report added. “Hezbollah assisted the Shiites by providing for their needs in the civilian sphere as a base for building its military power.”

Amidror said Israel must be prepared for three principal security scenarios in the near future, including a large-scale ground war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the possibility of a military operation in Iran.

The senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies said the Israeli army must prepare for these challenges while providing ongoing security. The feat “will be neither easy nor cheap,” he added.

Nasrallah met opposition officials for political solution in Syria

BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said he has met top Syrian opposition official Haytham Manna as well as other anti-Assad figures in a bid to help end the four-year-old civil war in neighboring Syria.

“I had already met, besides Syrian dissident Haytham Manna, a number of other opposition [officials] in an effort to contribute to a political solution to the Syrian crisis,” Nasrallah said in excerpts from a wide-ranging interview with pan-Arab satellite channel Al-Mayadeen.

The long interview with Ghassan Bin Jeddo is scheduled to be broadcasted Thursday evening.

Manaa is a Syrian writer and human rights activist who helped create and become spokesperson of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCC), one of the two main opposition groups active in the uprising that became a civil war in Syria.

Nasrallah revealed that a certain country involved in the Syria crisis has informed Russia of its readiness to accept any deal to end the conflict, “including the survival of the regime,” provided that Syrian President Bashar Assad is removed from power.”

That country, according to Nasrallah, does not mind that Assad be succeeded by a new president from the same Alawite sect to which Assad belongs.

Nasrallah denied that Hezbollah fighters were militarily exhausted in Syria.

“Contrary to what the enemy thinks,” Nasrallah warned, “the resistance is fully ready in southern [Lebanon], and is ready to face any possibility.”

In the interview, Nasrallah will name a powerful country supporting ISIS jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

On Lebanon, Nasrallah renewed support for Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s presidential nomination.

“Any talk on the presidential election must be with the general [Aoun],” Nasrallah stressed.

Nasrallah praised former Prime Minister Saad Hariri for engaging in dialogue with Hezbollah despite opposition by some Future Movement officials.

A third round of Hezbollah-Future talks is set for Friday.

Homeland Security Secretary Defends Executive Actions On Immigration

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

Audie Cornish talks to Jeh Johnson, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), about what the effects would be on DHS if Congress did not vote to fund it.

Kahwagi vow to eradicate terrorists from Lebanon

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Army chief vowed Wednesday to uproot terrorism from the country, hours after experts dismantled a 10-kilogram explosive device near a military base in the northern city of Tripoli, in the latest security incident to jolt the country in as many days.

Addressing Arab and foreign military attaches and representatives of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon at his office in Yarze on the occasion of the New Year, Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi thanked Lebanon’s allies for helping the country face security challenges, especially in the battle against Islamist militants seeking to destabilize the country.

“Today, we reiterate what we had confirmed to you before which is our determination to continue fighting terrorism with full force and firmness until we eradicate its roots from our country,” Kahwagi said.

In addition to Parliament’s failure to elect a new president, the socioeconomic problems plaguing Lebanon, including the influx of about 1.5 million Syrian refugees into its territory, he said the Lebanese Army faced “an unprecedented ferocious assault by terrorist organizations” in the northeastern town of Arsal and in the north last year.

“But the Army was up to the responsibilities laid on its shoulder, thwarting with the blood of its martyrs a scheme by those terrorists which was aimed, according to confessions by detained [jihadi] leaders, at setting up an emirate of darkness stretching from the eastern border to the sea,” Kahwagi said.

“Consequently, the Army had prevented the rekindling of strife in the country and exposing the unity of the Lebanese to enormous dangers,” he added.

He said the case of 25 soldiers and policemen still held hostage by ISIS and the Nusra Front on the outskirts of Arsal since August was a top priority for the Army. “We will not spare any efforts or means to liberate them and secure their return to their institution and families,” he added.

“We look with all due respect and appreciation to your countries for standing on the side of the Army in the battle against terrorism and for being keen on Lebanon’s unity and stability in this critical stage of its history,” Kahwagi said.His remarks come as the Army is still locked in an open battle against ISIS and Nusra Front militants who briefly overran Arsal in August after deadly fighting with Lebanese troops, in the most serious spillover of the Syrian war into Lebanese territory.

Since the Arsal fighting, the Army has clashed several times with the militants entrenched on Arsal’s rugged mountains. The jihadis have killed several soldiers in ambushes near Arsal. The Army also deployed heavily in Tripoli in October, crushing Islamist militants linked to ISIS and the Nusra Front.

In his speech, Kahwagi said last year’s $3 billion Saudi gift to buy French arms for Lebanon’s military would have “a great impact in bolstering the Army’s capability to decide the battle [against terrorism] in Lebanon’s favor.”

The Army chief also vowed continued cooperation and coordination with UNIFIL to deal with Israel’s attacks and violations of Lebanese territories, preserve stability in the region and respect U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

Earlier Wednesday, a military expert safely dismantled a 10-kg improvised explosive device discovered near an Army base in Tripoli.

The expert dismantled the device - a gas cylinder containing 10 kilograms of explosives – placed on the side of the main Majdlaya-Qalaa road and primed for detonation, the Army said in a statement. It added that a 15-meter electric wire was also connected to the IED.

The discovery of the explosive device came two days after security forces raided the notorious Roumieh Prison in an unprecedented operation that dismantled Islamist militants’ operations room and transferred them to a more tightly controlled jail block. The raid came after information was gathered that some inmates had been in contact with two suicide bombers who detonated themselves in Tripoli last week.

Wednesday’s discovery also came a day after the Army arrested in Tripoli a Lebanese man suspected of plotting a suicide attack.

The arrest of the suspected would-be suicide bomber came days after a twin suicide bombing targeted a crowded cafe in Tripoli killing at least nine people and wounding more than 30 others, in an incident that rekindled fears of a return to the wave of suicide bombings that rocked the country last year as a fallout of the war in Syria.

A delegation of European Union ambassadors met Prime Minister Tammam Salam, voicing support for the raid on Roumieh Prison and condemning the Tripoli bombings.

“We commend the security operation led by the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army in Roumieh Prison,” EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst told reporters after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the families of Islamist inmates in Roumieh Prison called for the authorities to grant them permission to visit their relatives following the raid on the prison’s Block B.

“The families have been trying for several days to visit their sons and to be assured of their conditions following reports purporting that some had been injured, while some media spoke of deaths among them,” the relatives said in a statement. “The last attempt [to visit] was Wednesday, but again the families were not allowed to meet their sons.”

Police have denied reports about casualties among the prisoners.

Future-Hezbollah talks to tackle presidency

BEIRUT: The next round of talks between the Future Movement and Hezbollah will address the issue of the presidential election, Future MPs said Wednesday, as ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri underlined the importance of talks among rival factions.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem ruled out the possibility of electing a new president soon, citing “complications” in the crisis that has left Lebanon without a head of state for nearly eight months.

However, Speaker Nabih Berri expressed hope that the launching of dialogue between Hezbollah and the Future Movement last month would help facilitate the election of a successor to former President Michel Sleiman, whose six-year tenure ended on May 25.

“This relatively positive climate in Lebanon is the result of dialogue,” Berri was quoted by MPs during his weekly meeting with lawmakers at his residence in Ain al-Tineh.

Berri, according to the MPs, hoped the Future-Hezbollah talks would make “more achievements and steps at all levels, at the forefront of which is the presidential election issue.”

For his part, Hariri, in a message to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, underscored the need for the feuding parties to engage in dialogue, in a clear allusion to the talks between his Future Movement and Hezbollah and attempts to arrange a meeting between Aoun and his arch Christian rival, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.

The message was delivered to Aoun by Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, a leading member of the Future Movement.

“We agreed dialogue is useful for all the Lebanese and is a safety base for them provided there is no stubbornness by any party,” Machnouk said after meeting Aoun at the latter’s residence in Rabieh, north of Beirut.

“Gen. Michel Aoun is a main pillar for guaranteeing any dialogue, be it between Lebanese Muslim parties or Lebanese Christian parties.”

Machnouk said he had briefed Aoun on the outcome of two dialogue sessions held by senior officials from the Future Movement and Hezbollah in the past few weeks. A third round of talks between the two rival parties is scheduled to take place at Ain al-Tineh Friday. Machnouk is one of three Future officials representing his party in the talks with Hezbollah.

The interior minister also briefed the FPM leader Monday’s security operation that dismantled Islamist militants’ operations room at Roumieh Prison and transferred them to a tightly controlled jail block.

Describing Future’s dialogue with Hezbollah as “an irreversible strategic option,” Machnouk said: “It is too early to talk about progress ... But we have a firm desire to make it successful. We are behaving on this basis and we hope the other parties will do the same.”

Machnouk said Hezbollah’s military intervention in Syria and the party’s arsenal were not on the dialogue agenda after being put off until the election of a president.

Future MP Samir Jisr said the third dialogue session with Hezbollah would discuss the presidential election. “The Future-Hezbollah dialogue will shift next Friday from generalities to the political chapter, the most important of which is the election of a president,” Jisr told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.

Referring to last week’s twin suicide bombing that targeted a crowed café in the northern city of Tripoli, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 30 others, he said: “What happened will make us more determined on dialogue.”

Jisr added that the first item discussed by Future and Hezbollah officials was defusing sectarian tensions.

Future MP Atef Majdalani said the talks with Hezbollah would continue until sectarian tensions were reduced and a president was elected.

“The dialogue sessions between the Future Movement and Hezbollah will continue to reach a solution to the two main problems raised by [former] Prime Minister Saad Hariri: defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions and finding a mechanism to facilitate the election of a new president,” Majdalani told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.

Following a second round of talks last week, the Future Movement and Hezbollah said they had made “serious progress” to defuse sectarian tensions exacerbated by the conflict in Syria.

The two sides also agreed to support the continued implementation of a government security plan in all Lebanese territories following the successful restoration of state authority in Tripoli.

Defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions is the main item on the dialogue agenda which, according to officials from both sides, also includes finding a mechanism to allow the election of a president, boosting efforts to combat terrorism, promoting a new electoral law and energizing stagnant state institutions.

The Future-Hezbollah dialogue has won support from rival politicians, as well as from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, the U.S. and the European Union.

Efforts are also underway to launch a similar dialogue between Aoun and Geagea in a bid to break the presidential deadlock.

EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst reiterated the EU’s support for intra-Lebanese talks and called for the quick election of a president.

Eichorst, who met Prime Minister Tammam Salam along with a delegation of EU ambassadors, also voiced support for the raid on Roumieh Prison and condemned the Tripoli bombings.

“We consider that dialogue among various political parties will reconcile viewpoints and help in defusing the tense situation at all levels,” she told reporters at the Grand Serail. “We, as the European Union, hope for Lebanon to have a president as soon as possible and for institutions to function and Parliament to be able to approve necessary draft laws.”

Meanwhile, Qassem ruled out an imminent presidential election.

“I don’t think the presidential election will take place soon due to complications in the presidency issue, even though Hezbollah has a clear stance in supporting Gen. Aoun,” he said in an interview with Al-Joumhouria newspaper.

He said Lebanon had entered a new phase of stability as a result of the ongoing Future-Hezbollah talks.

“Certainly, any step that brings the Lebanese together will lead to further stability. Therefore, when the dialogue between Hezbollah and the Future Movement was launched, we considered that we have entered a new phase of further stability in Lebanon,” Qassem said.

“The climate of tensions is being eased and the circumstances for trouble-makers are no longer conducive as they were before.”

ICRC ready to help with Lebanese hostage negotiations

BEIRUT: A top official at the International Committee for the Red Cross said his organization would be willing to help set up a prisoner exchange for Lebanese servicemen captured during clashes in the northeastern town of Arsal.

Peter Maurer, the president of the ICRC, also said new restrictions on the entry of Syrians into Lebanon were a matter of Lebanese sovereignty, but his organization was working with authorities to ensure that humanitarian cases were unaffected.

Speaking at a news conference after a regional tour of Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, where he met top officials, Maurer also said that civilians and local communities are bearing a disproportionate amount of the burden of the massive refugee crisis, saying the international community had only “limited openings” to resettle those displaced by war in the region.

This was “in the [Middle East] in particular, with not seen before numbers of displacement, impact of the displacement on the infrastructure of neighboring countries, on health systems, food, water, sanitation systems and more,” he said.

During his visit to Lebanon, the ICRC chief met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas.

Maurer said 2014 had brought an almost unprecedented number and intensity of conflicts. Lebanon, in particular, has borne the major brunt of the Syrian refugee crisis, with over a million Syrian refugees in a country of 4 million.

Maurer said the ICRC had increased its Lebanon program budget from about $4 million to a little over $43 million, in the steepest increase in its projects around the world last year.

But he said the organization must come up with long-term solutions, because the crises facing the region will not disappear in the near future.

He said many countries in the region are confronted with the challenge of balancing their own security with the need to protect civilians.

“The control of entry and exit of a border is basically an issue in the sovereignty of countries and is not an issue of international humanitarian law,” he said, referring to Lebanon’s controversial new visa restrictions for Syrians.

“As a humanitarian actor we cannot question on the basis of the Geneva Conventions the fundamental right to basically manage entry of foreign populations into the territory.”

“Our core concerns are not so much the respective restrictions,” he said, adding that the ICRC was not focused on the legality of the decisions taken to restrict entry.

“Our core concern is the humanitarian impact that those restrictions have on people, and what we are eager to, in each and every case ... is to find practical solutions for those who suffer from the impact of those restrictions and may be endangered because of those restrictions,” he added.

When asked whether the ICRC endorsed broader efforts to resettle refugees in the West and the Gulf Arab states, Maurer said the issue was a political one between nations but reiterated that local communities had disproportionately borne the effects of the refugee crisis.

“When you come to this region you are humbled by what the local populations did for those people displaced,” he said.

“And you feel this enormous discrepancy between the enormous amount of burden which has been absorbed in the region because of those displacements, and the relatively little openings that are given by countries beyond the region to resettle populations which are in need of resettlement.”

When asked whether he had discussed the issue of captive servicemen with officials in Beirut, Maurer said the ICRC was willing to assist in organizing a prisoner exchange.

“ICRC is known for being available if respective parties to conflicts agree to be helpful in exchanges of prisoners, hostages, whatever you call it,” he said. “I think the governments in the region know, and I have reconfirmed our willingness to help if this is in the interest of the parties concerned.”

ISIS and the Nusra Front are still holding 25 Lebanese soldiers and policemen captive following a battle in the troubled northeastern town of Arsal, and had previously killed several.

Both groups are demanding a prisoner exchange to free the men.

Maurer outlined his organization’s priorities in the region in the coming year.

“There is no question that ICRC will continue to focus on the key areas of its competence: on water, sanitation, medical, and livelihoods; on responding to impact of violence; on ensuring international humanitarian law in the conduct of hostilities; and on detention, by engaging with all armed actors,” he said.

But he said the ICRC has not been able to access key vulnerable communities in the region.

“We do not have access to important parts of Iraq and Syria, and we do not have the necessary cooperation in order to deliver on our humanitarian commitments in many parts of the region,” he said.

“Lebanon is a kind of exception where we are able to operate in a much more satisfactory way.”

He said the organization faced a huge challenge in gaining access to cities under the control of ISIS, such as Raqqa, Mosul and Fallujah.

Officials and residents at odds over Naameh landfill extension

BEIRUT: Municipal leaders and politicians were at odds with civil society groups Wednesday over the closure of the controversial Naameh landfill as lawmakers stood by the Cabinet decision to delay while local residents threatened to protest. Mayors of the Naameh area met with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and several ministers Wednesday to discuss Cabinet’s decision to delay the closure of the landfill by three months. All the municipal leaders left the meeting in support of the decision.

“We won’t go to the streets, we won’t block any roads, and the landfill will not close on Jan. 17,” Mayor of Baawerta Ahmad Ayash told The Daily Star after the meeting.

“It’s true we have had bad experiences in the past but this time the decision to shut down the dump [in April] is a final one.”

Ayash, other mayors and Jumblatt had all previously said that they staunchly opposed any delay on the closure of the Naameh landfill, but Jumblatt also came out and expressed his support for the Cabinet’s decision.

“The pressure by political parties and civil society was the reason we reached this clear plan,” he said after the meeting when asked about his change of stance. Jumblatt implied that his previous position was to ensure the Cabinet makes the best possible decision.

Jumblatt, who is influential in the area, also said he was glad to see the new strategy included giving financial motives to the residents of Naameh.

The Campaign to Close Naahmeh Landfill held a meeting Wednesday evening after which they told the media they did not agree with their municipal leaders’ stance.

“We call for the immediate resignation of the Environment Minister [Mohammad Machnouk] following his failure to find an alternative landfill,” a spokesperson told reporters.

They also warned that they would not accept any delay in the closure of the landfill and would block its entrance at 5 p.m. on Jan. 17, the date it was originally supposed to close.

This could lead to a repeat of last year’s protest that saw local residents block the entrance to the landfill, resulting in enormous pile-ups of trash around the capital. The protests were only dismantled following a pledge by Jumblatt that it would be closed on Jan. 17 2015.

The Naameh landfill was opened in 1999 under a six-year contract but remains open 17 years later, significantly impacting residents that live in close proximity to the dump. Locals say there is high cancer rate in their communities due to toxins emitted to from the landfill.

Cabinet approved a national solid waste management plan Monday drafted by the Environment Ministry which included a three-month delay in the closure of the Naameh landfill to April 17, with an option to extend that a further three months.

In the towns of Abay and Ain Darafill, winds blowing northwest drag the pungent smells of the landfill in and cloak the smell of trees in the villages. The streets are covered in banners demanding the immediate closure of the landfill.

The Mayor of Abay-Ayn Darafill Ghassan Hamza said that these two towns were the most affected by the toxins released from the landfill. He told The Daily star that he supported the extension as it was under new circumstances, adding that his constituents were resilient.

“We will speak to the community and say that if you’ve been able to bear this for 17 years then you can be patient for three more months,” Hamza said

Noises of trucks that work in the landfill reached the western end of the two towns where a woman named Farida Hamzeh walked with her two children. “Let’s get it over with and let’s close this damn landfill,” Hamzeh said. “We have suffered a lot and our children have got diseases from the toxins of the landfill to the point where we can’t go and stand on our houses’ balcony. We want them to have mercy on us and we will be waiting for their promises.”

“He who drank the river won’t choke on the stream,” she said quoting a Lebanese proverb.

A large banner hangs at the entrance to the town of Baawerta, that sits directly south of the landfill, that read: “The Naameh Landfill to where??????”

“Let’s be reasonable,” Baawerta Mayor Ayash said. “The solutions are very clear, if we close the landfill [several] random dumps would mushroom but now the Cabinet has found the alternative.”

“Today, during our meeting with MP Jumblatt, and the ministers and the other officials, we have accepted to endure the exceptional situation because Lebanon is now in an exceptional phase.

“We won’t go to the streets on the 17th because everybody is serious about the solutions.”

Sources familiar with the issue told The Daily Star Jumblatt requested that all mayors in the affected regions hold a meeting with residents to explain the substitute solution plan to end the Naameh landfill. He also stressed that, “going to the streets will make things worse.”

Local residents remained adamant on the protest. “We have no trust in the new deadline,” a representative told Wednesday’s news conference. “We call on all Lebanese to come and support our protest on Jan. 17.”

Fresh start for restaurants with focus on food safety

BEIRUT: From shawarma spots to fine dining restaurants, the Health Ministry’s sweeping crackdown on food safety has, at times, been tough to stomach. Establishments cited for hygiene issues are dusting themselves off and moving forward with a stricter eye on safety measures and suppliers. Restaurant managers say that despite the negative publicity, they have been able to stay in business.

“We still have the same customers, the same people who always come,” said Malak al-Batata manager, Wassim Shaar.

The casual dining mainstay in Hamra was closed by the Health Ministry for nearly a week due to general hygiene issues and the need for renovation.

Shaar said that renovations to the kitchen floor had already been in place several months prior to the restaurant’s citation and subsequent closure.

“I told [the inspector] I need 15 days to renovate,” he said. “I was surprised that, three days later, they closed the restaurant.”

He said he consulted with food and hygiene company Boecker to improve food safety standards, and the restaurant has since re-opened with a closer watch on hygiene.

The Daily Star spoke to several establishments that were publicized for food safety violations. Many were reluctant to speak for fear of attracting further attention.

Beginning in November, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour publicized the names of more than 1,000 restaurants, supermarkets, slaughterhouses and farms for unsatisfactory food sampling or inspection results. Some were shut down, pending required improvements and standards. Many were cited for unsafe meat and dairy products.

Fine dining establishments weren’t exempt from the campaign. Zaitunay Bay’s upscale seafood restaurant, Karam al-Bahar, was cited for its soujouk, raw fish, makanek and shrimp.

However, a manager, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that safety standards have always been high. He said it has promptly followed up on violations, and is working with consultancy Boecker to ensure safety and hygiene standards are met.

He added that an investigation revealed that the main issue was the water treatment at Zaitunay Bay.

“We are working on fixing this. We plan to get our own private water treatment system.” His remarks echoed many establishments cited by the ministry that blamed faulty suppliers of water, meat and dairy products.

Major supermarket chain TSC was cited for unsatisfactory meat. Its head of marketing Christine Khoury said the problem lay with the supplier, who was relying on Beirut’s main slaughterhouse in Karantina. The slaughterhouse had also made the minister’s list, and was temporarily shut down.

“We deal with suppliers certified by the Health Ministry. How could we know?” Khoury said. She added that the meat supplier has since switched slaughterhouses.

She added that TSC continues to reinforce its own internal safety policy for hygiene monitoring, as well as staff training guidelines.

Safety measures include regularly scheduled deep cleaning, the use of hair nets and gloves while handling foods, and keeping meat, fish and produce in separate storage facilities.

Some establishments felt that the wave of media attention caused the public to falsely associate them with unhygienic practices.

Abdallah Bendakji, owner of Grand Café, was told by the Tourism Ministry to update the flooring of his Downtown location. He felt that reports portrayed his restaurant in an unfair light, as he had no food or hygiene violations cited by the Health Ministry. He further emphasized that restaurant owners need clarity and transparency from ministries, as navigating the rules can be a challenge.“Tell me what the rules are and I will follow them. The ministries should make the rules clear.”

A staff member from the Health Ministry’s food safety office, responsible for overseeing inspections and sampling, said that restaurants should inquire with the ministry if they were unclear on the laws.

He added that food safety does not begin with restaurants, but rather, the source.

While some restaurants are now looking to acquire international food safety certifications, such as ISO 22000, he said that this can’t always guarantee food hygiene.

“Restaurants trying to apply ISO 22000 will still have trouble ensuring food safety if the source of the food is unclean,” he said.

“Here in Lebanon, there is a problem with the traceability of the products. The water must be clean, as well as other inputs.”

According to the staff member, that the food safety campaign was a positive contribution to public health, as the publicity is forcing restaurants to tighten their standards and question the source of their food.

“Now the restaurants are going back to suppliers and putting them under pressure,” he said.

Abou Faour’s campaign has not come without its share of criticism, Economy Minister Alain Hakim called it a “media circus.” Bloggers have questioned the fairness and transparency of his inspection and sampling methods.

Hussein Hasan, assistant professor of food science and technology at Lebanese American University said that Abou Faour’s efforts were good, but not as good as proponents may think, particularly if it fails to streamline the responsibilities of all ministries involved in food safety.

“It is good that he raised awareness of food safety. The problem is, he is fighting alone,” said Hasan, who is also a senior food expert at the Ministry of Economy.

“Lebanon is one of the few countries where food safety is tackled by seven different ministries.”

Currently, the Tourism, Health, Economy, Agriculture, Industry, Environment and Interior ministries all have a hand in the management of food establishments.

Synchronization and consistent application of rules through all points of the food chain, from farm to fork, remains a challenge, according to Hasan.

International standards such as ISO 22000 can play a vital role for food safety, he said, particularly in developing countries such as Lebanon, where the government has traditionally been inconsistent on food monitoring.

“Each food service establishment is taking measures to improve product safety, but if all of the measures are not placed in the right frame, you will not achieve the best result,” Hasan said, explaining that standards like ISO 22000 can help food service businesses identify gaps in their current safety systems.

He questioned the sustainability of the food safety campaign unless a law on the issue was passed.

“In two years, another minister will take [Abou Faour’s] position. They need to approve this law to have [a centralized] food safety authority.”