Breakthrough expected in hostage crisis
As security sources predicted a breakthrough this week in the file of the hostages, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri...
Monday, 23 February 2015
Personal dispute behind Arsal grenade attack
South Lebanon schoolchildren protest motorbikes on corniche
Students from an art school in the south Lebanon city of Tyre laid down across the southern city’s corniche Monday to...
Lebanese-born US Marine gets 2 years in prison
RALEIGH, North Carolina: A U.S. Marine who vanished a decade ago in Iraq was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for leaving his post there and then fleeing to Lebanon after a brief return to the U.S.
The judge at Camp Lejeune, Marine Maj. Nicholas Martz, ruled that Cpl. Wassef Hassoun was guilty of deserting when he disappeared in 2004 and 2005. Hassoun was also convicted of causing the loss of his service pistol.
His sentence amounts to two years and five days, but he'll get credit for approximately eight months he spent in pretrial confinement. Hassoun also will have his rank reduced, lose his pay and receive a dishonorable discharge as part of the sentence.
While the judge determined Hassoun intentionally fled during the two disappearances at the heart of the case, he gave Hassoun a less severe punishment than he faced at the trial's outset. Had Hassoun been convicted of all charges and specifications, he could have been sentenced to a maximum of 27 years in prison.
His loss of the pistol could have resulted in a more severe offense under the military's destruction of property law, and he was found not guilty of a separate theft charge related to the pistol. Hassoun was also found not guilty on one of three specifications related to the desertion charge.
Phillip Cave, a retired Navy lawyer now in private practice, said he has seen similar cases result in sentences of one to three years, but sometimes circumstances can drive a sentence higher.
Hassoun's case occupied some of the same murky territory as that of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a soldier who left his post in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years. The Army is considering what, if any, charges or punishment Bergdahl should face. The two cases have no direct bearing on each other because they are in different military branches.
Hassoun's case began when he went missing from a base in Fallujah in June 2004. Days later, he appeared blindfolded and with a sword held above his head in an image purportedly taken by insurgents. An extremist group claimed to be holding him captive.
But Hassoun soon turned up unharmed at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, saying he'd been kidnapped. Officials were suspicious, and he was returned to Camp Lejeune in 2004 while the military considered charging him.
After his return, Hassoun was allowed to visit family in Utah but disappeared a second time in early 2005. Hassoun traveled to Lebanon but was detained by that country's authorities after Interpol issued a bulletin related to his deserter status, defense attorney Haytham Faraj said. The defense said court proceedings in Lebanon lasted until 2013, and Hassoun turned himself in to U.S. authorities after the government there lifted travel restrictions.
Prosecutors argued during trial that Hassoun made preparations to flee his base in Fallujah in 2004 and told others that he planned to leave. They displayed quotes during opening statements attributed to Hassoun: "I'll leave and go to Lebanon. I'm not kidding."
They said he was unhappy with how U.S. servicemen treated Iraqis during interrogations and that he was upset that training and a deployment kept him apart from the woman with whom he'd entered an arranged marriage.
Defense attorneys maintain Hassoun was kidnapped by insurgents in 2004, and they argued the military had no direct evidence that Hassoun purposely left the base. Faraj said the case against the Muslim serviceman began with "a rush to judgment that's worthy of a novel" after suspicious comrades told investigators about comments Hassoun made about the conflict between his native Lebanon and Israel.
President Obama to Governors: "I Look Forward to Making Progress Together"
President Barack Obama answers a question following his remarks to the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Feb. 23, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Earlier today at the White House, President Obama spoke to America's governors and reaffirmed his commitment to working with them to make more progress across our country.
As he reiterated in his remarks, America's resurgence is real. But even though our nation "is as well-positioned as we've been in a very long time," as the President noted, he also emphasized that we now have to focus on what kind of choices we need to make together going forward to ensure that our momentum is sustained:
Hariri backs Salam on new mechanism
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri Monday implicitly backed premier Tammam Salam’s bid to change the government’s decision-making mechanism, currently at the center of a widening row that has thrown the Cabinet into paralysis and prevented it from meeting for the second consecutive week.
Hariri also warned that the failure to elect a new president would not only affect the presidency seat, but also the country as a whole, while Speaker Nabih Berri decried that the vacuum has now spread to the other branches of power, the Cabinet and Parliament.
Hariri met Salam, with whom he discussed, among other things, the crisis arising from the dispute among ministers over a mechanism to govern the Cabinet’s decisions during the 9-month-old presidential vacuum.
Hariri did not speak to reporters after the meeting, which was held at the Grand Serail.
“The meeting was positive and fruitful and viewpoints between Hariri and Salam were identical on all issues discussed and ways to tackle them,” sources said, adding that the conflicting viewpoints among the key parties making up the 24-member Cabinet have made the search for a new decision-making system, as demanded by Salam, a big crisis that needs time to be resolved.
Ministerial sources who met Salam following his talks with Hariri said there would be no Cabinet sessions for now.
Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon told reporters after meeting Salam that the premier was consulting with all the parties in an attempt to reach a solution to the crisis, which he described as “a Cabinet crisis” rather than a rift over the decision-making mechanism.
Salam, backed by most ministers, is demanding a change in the current mechanism, which requires unanimous support from all 24 ministers on the Cabinet decisions. He argued that the mechanism has hindered the government’s productivity due to disagreement among ministers on decisions taken by the Cabinet.
In the face of Salam’s insistence on amending the decision-making system, seven Christian ministers and a Muslim minister, who met at former President Michel Sleiman’s residence in Yarze last week, oppose the change, saying the Cabinet should serve in a caretaker capacity until a new president is elected.Hariri also met at his Downtown Beirut residence with Kataeb Party leader Amine Gemayel with whom he discussed the presidential deadlock.
Hariri warned of the dire consequences resulting from the continued vacuum in the country’s top Christian post.
“We are facing a vast project to paralyze the state and its institutions. The failure to elect a president affects the whole country and not only the presidency, because a country without a head will not move on the right track,” Hariri told a delegation from the Beirut National Gathering that visited him at his Beirut Downtown residence. The group includes a number of Future lawmakers and former MPs.
Referring to the Future Movement’s dialogue with Hezbollah, he said: “We are trying to achieve stability through dialogue and consultations, but without a president there is no institution that brings the Lebanese together and tries to manage their affairs. This is the role of the presidency and this confirms the need to elect a president. Our attention today is focused on filling the vacuum that is affecting everyone, especially Beirut, which is the center of decision-making and economy.”
“If stability is achieved, Beirut would be the first to prosper and flourish. We see the fires, wars and killings surrounding us and we are exerting all possible efforts to prevent these fires from reaching our country and to maintain security and stability in it.”
He said when he decided to join a government with Hezbollah the moment he walked out of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s opening session, “it was for the country’s sake and because, God willing, justice will come sooner or later.”
Hariri later visited the grave of his slain father, former Premier Rafik Hariri, on Martyrs’ Square in Beirut, where he prayed for his soul and the souls of the other martyrs.
Meanwhile, Berri expressed his frustration with the paralysis crippling the presidency, Parliament and the Cabinet. “It is delusional to think that vacuum was only confined to the presidency. In fact, all posts have become vacant and paralyzed,” Berri said during a meeting with the new board of the Press Federation led by its chairman Aouni al-Kaaki.
“Parliament is paralyzed. Isn’t the Cabinet also paralyzed?” he said, referring to the suspension of Cabinet sessions until a new decision-making system is reached.
Slamming the Cabinet’s current system, which allows any one of the 24 ministers to veto a decision, Berri said that Lebanon now has “24 presidents, 24 prime ministers and 24 ministers.”
Berri stressed the election of a president was a top priority for all the Lebanese, both Christians and Muslims. He said the presidential issue would be discussed by the Future Movement and Hezbollah during their seventh round of talks after defusing Sunni-Shiite tension.
Berri said he was ready to support any agreement on the presidential election reached by the top Christian leaders.
For his part, Gemayel said priority should be given to the election of a president in order to strengthen national unity.
“Our priority is the election of a president. The election of the president is primarily to boost national unity, the spirit of the National Pact [on power sharing] and the functioning of institutions,” Gemayel told reporters after meeting Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai in Bkirki, north of Beirut.
Lebanese-born U.S. Marine found guilty of desertion
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.: A U.S. Marine who disappeared from his base in Iraq in 2004 and later fled to Lebanon was found guilty Monday of twice deserting the military and could face up to seven and a half years in prison.
Corporal Wassef Hassoun, 35, was convicted of deserting in Iraq to avoid hazardous duty and deserting again in 2005 with the intent to stay away for good, according to a statement from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where his court-martial was held.
After Hassoun vanished from his base in Fallujah, Iraq, in June 2004, the Arabic language interpreter turned up a month later in Lebanon claiming to have been kidnapped by militants, the military has said.
But military investigators accused the Lebanese-born Marine of taking unauthorized leave from his unit and stealing a service gun.
Before the start of military legal proceedings against him, Hassoun failed to report for duty at Camp Lejeune in January 2005, fled the United States and again went to Lebanon, the Marine Corps said.
He was listed as a deserter for nearly a decade before being taken into custody last summer.
Hassoun chose to have a military judge decide his case rather than a jury. He was found not guilty of stealing his military-issued pistol but guilty of negligence that resulted in its loss, according to the base statement.
The trial now enters the sentencing phase, which could bring Hassoun prison time, a reduced rank, forfeited pay and a dishonorable discharge, the Marines said.
Breakthrough expected in hostage crisis
BEIRUT: As security sources predicted a breakthrough this week in the file of the hostages, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri vowed Monday to assist in the release of 25 Lebanese servicemen being held hostage by ISIS and the Nusra Front on Arsal’s outskirts.
Also Monday, a senior security source confirmed to The Daily Star that progress has been made in the file of the hostages, expecting that “a positive breakthrough will emerge this week.”
The source, who is directly involved in negotiations but spoke on condition of anonymity, said talks to release the captive servicemen being held on the outskirts of the northeastern village of Arsal were “on the right track.”
During a meeting with the families of the hostages in his Beirut residence, Hariri said he wouldn’t spare any effort to resolve the 7-month-old crisis, according to a statement released by his media office.
Hariri also voiced his support for the crisis cell in charge of dealing with the hostage case, saying that negotiations should be restricted to the government. The abundance of actors involved in the case would only hinder a solution, he added.
Hariri expressed his solidarity with the families and said he was sympathetic to their demands.
Speaking during a news conference in Riad al-Solh Square in Downtown Beirut, Mohammad Taleb, the father of one of the captives, said Hariri vowed to hold talks with members in the Cabinet in addition to Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblatt and General Security head Abbas Ibrahim in an effort to reach a deal that would secure the servicemen’s release.
Taleb noted that the government was adamant on ending the issue and was willing to trade Islamist inmates detained in Lebanese prisons in return for the captives.
The case of the captive soldiers and policemen held by both the Nusra Front and ISIS since August has been shrouded in secrecy since the prime minister criticized media leaks by officials, saying they harmed talks. At least 37 servicemen were originally abducted by the militants during a five-day battle with the Lebanese Army. Eight hostages have since been released and four were killed.
Hussein Youssef, a spokesperson for the families, said the committee would remain tight-lipped over developments in the hostage dossier, in line with the government’s secrecy over the issue.
Youssef also noted that Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, an informal mediator close to the Nusra Front, has been tasked with negotiating the release of the hostages.
The spokesman also highlighted the credibility of comments made by Hujeiri with regard to the hostage crisis, stressing that the sheikh’s role as a mediator confirms his extensive knowledge about the case.
Speaking to The Daily Star Sunday, Hujeiri said the government and the Nusra Front resumed serious negotiations earlier this month with efforts leading to “a preliminary agreement that will make way for the release of the Lebanese servicemen.”
“There is one small complication left but when that is resolved the next step will be the implementation of the deal,” Hujeiri said.
A security source, tasked with following the issue, also confirmed to The Daily Star over the weekend that the government has resumed talks with the Nusra Front, and that positive signs had led to encouraging results.
The source did not elaborate on the nature of the new developments but cited the recent resumption of Qatari mediation as a factor, adding that members of the government’s crisis cell had been briefed on the matter, including Prime Minister Tammam Salam.
Meanwhile, the father of one of the hostages who visited his son over the weekend assured reporters Monday that all captive servicemen held by Nusra Front militants were in good health and being treated well.
Fadel Fayyad, from the southeastern region of Rashaya, checked on his son, Maher, who is among more than 10 soldiers and policemen detained by the Nusra Front.
STL hears testimony of international bomb experts
Hariri’s legacy of leadership
Under the slogan of “Educate, Empower, Engage,” the Hariri Foundation launched Friday an academy from the very place...
Kaag highlights importance of Lebanon’s stability
BEIRUT: The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag highlighted the importance of stability and security for Lebanon during meetings with Lebanese ministers Monday. Kaag held separate talks with Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi and Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan.
According to a statement issued by her media office, discussions also focused on the challenges the Lebanese government continues to face in addressing the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis.
“Noting the role played by Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s government, the special coordinator highlighted the urgency in determining the mechanism to elect a president as soon as possible,” the statement said.
According to the statement, discussions in both meetings also highlighted the importance of Security Council Resolution 1701 following the events of recent weeks.
Late in January, two Israeli soldiers were killed after Hezbollah attacked with missiles an Israeli military convoy in the occupied Shebaa Farms. The attack wounded six other Israeli soldiers, and a Spanish UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed in retaliatory fire from Israel.
Hezbollah was responding to an Israeli airstrike 10 days earlier in Qunaitra in Syria’s Golan Heights that hit a Hezbollah convoy, killing six party fighters and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander.
Kaag’s talks with Rifi and Hajj Hasan also focused on the security situation in the country and the assistance provided to refugee and host communities in the context of stabilization efforts for Lebanon.
Hajj Hasan urged the international community to assume its responsibility in combating terrorism by confronting countries financing militant groups, and urged nations to honor their pledges to help Lebanon cope with its refugee crisis.
Speaking after a meeting with Kaag, Hajj Hasan said he had discussed with the Dutch diplomat “Israel’s aggressions and the role of the international community in deterring Israeli attacks in the region, against Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians.”
“I explained that terrorism, which is threatening Lebanon and the whole region, would not have proliferated without the support of certain states with money, arms and training, enabling the commitment of [atrocities] in the region,” Hajj Hasan, who represents Hezbollah in the government, said in remarks carried by the National News Agency.
“It is essential that the international community bear responsibility for that terrorism, and compel certain member states to abide by U.N. rules,” he added.
The minister said discussions also covered the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon which placed tremendous strains on the economy and infrastructure. He called on donor states to honor their financial commitments to the host country.
U.K. ambassador decries presidential vacuum
Lebanon Maronite patriarch urges Hariri to stay
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai congratulated former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on his return to Beirut, saying Lebanon...
New Consumer Protections Hold Financial Advisors To Stricter Standards
As part of a larger effort to regulate the financial services industry, on Monday the Obama administration proposed new restrictions on those who manage Americans' retirement accounts.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
"Conflicts of Interest" Could Be Eroding Your Savings. Here's How We're Fixing It
This afternoon, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett posted the following message on LinkedIn, explaining why the President is taking action to address the "conflicts of interest" that are currently costing American workers millions in retirement savings.
Check out the original post on LinkedIn here.
Thanks to the grit and determination of millions of American workers, America is experiencing resurgence — and every single responsible worker in this country deserves the security of a dignified retirement.
You work hard every day to make ends meet and put a little away for yourself -- for a much-needed vacation, college tuition for your children, or – your retirement. If you’re working hard to build a nest egg for your future, you should have the peace of mind that you’re receiving the most out of your savings and that your hard-earned investment is protected. As the President has said, this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everybody does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.
ADP official sentenced to life in prison
ADP official sentenced to life in prison
Rifaat Eid, a leading member of the pro-Assad Arab Democratic Party was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment...
U.S. Marine who vanished in Iraq found guilty of desertion
WINSTON-SALEM: A U.S. Marine who disappeared from his base in Iraq in 2004 and later fled to Lebanon was found guilty on Monday of twice deserting the military and could face up to 7 1/2 years in prison.
Corporal Wassef Hassoun, 35, was convicted of deserting in Iraq to avoid hazardous duty and deserting again in 2005 with the intent to stay away for good, according to a statement from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where his court-martial was held.
After Hassoun vanished from his base in Fallujah, Iraq, in June 2004, the Arabic language interpreter turned up a month later in Lebanon claiming to have been kidnapped by militants, the military has said.
But military investigators accused the Lebanese-born Marine of taking unauthorized leave from his unit and stealing a service gun.
Before the start of military legal proceedings against him, Hassoun failed to report for duty at Camp Lejeune in January 2005, fled the United States and again went to Lebanon, the Marine Corps said.
He was listed as a deserter for nearly a decade before being taken into custody last summer.
Hassoun chose to have a military judge decide his case rather than a jury. He was found not guilty of stealing his military-issued pistol but guilty of negligence that resulted in its loss, according to the base statement.
The trial now enters the sentencing phase, which could bring Hassoun prison time, a reduced rank, forfeited pay and a dishonorable discharge, the Marines said.
Safeguarding Beirut a top priority: Hariri
Safeguarding Beirut a top priority: Hariri
The safety and stability of Beirut is key to protecting the rest of the country, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri...
Lebanon snatches 2 tons of cannabis from Libya-bound ship
1,000 Egyptians evacuated from strife-hit Libya via Tunisia
At least 1,000 Egyptians have been evacuated from Libya through Tunisia since Friday, the Tunisian transport ministry...
Lebanon facing multiple voids in government: Berri
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri expressed his frustration with the paralyses of state institutions Monday, saying it was "delusional" to consider the absence of a president as the only void in government.
In a meeting with the head of Lebanon’s Press Federation Aouni al-Kaaki, Berri said that all governmental bodies are facing disruption.
In addition to the presidential void and the ongoing deadlock in Parliament, Cabinet’s work has also come to a halt, Berri said, in reference to the suspension of Cabinet sessions until a new decision-making system is reached.
Slamming Cabinet’s current system, which allows any one of the 24 ministers to veto a decision, Berri said that Lebanon now has “24 presidents, 24 prime ministers and 24 ministers.”
Since President Michel Sleiman's term ended last May, the national unity Cabinet has been tasked with approving laws and decrees. The 24-member body has required unanimous approval for a decision to pass, which has hindered much of the Cabinet’s work.
A weekly Cabinet session scheduled was canceled last week due to disagreement over a new decision-making formula after Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced that he would suspend session pending a final agreement on a new system. It remains unclear whether Cabinet will convene this week, but the widening rift among ministers over the weekend makes it unlikely.
The speaker, who stressed the urgency of electing a president, said that the upcoming seventh round of talks between Hezbollah and the Future Movement would discuss the issue.
"One of the goals of the dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah was to motivate other [parties] to also [engage in] dialogue, and this is what happened,” Berri said in reference to anticipated talks between Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
The speaker welcomed talks between the two presidential rivals and expressed his readiness to comply with any decisions reached by the two parties.
Berri stressed that Christian dialogue was necessary for the election of a president and noted that Riyadh and Tehran would comply with any presidential decision reached by domestic forces.
South Lebanon schoolchildren protest motorbikes on corniche
Hariri’s legacy of leadership
Under the slogan of “Educate, Empower, Engage,” the Hariri Foundation launched Friday an academy from the very place...
What You Need to Know about Retirement "Conflicts of Interest," in Three Big Sentences:
Today, the President is announcing major actions to update the rules in place to protect you and your retirement savings.
What exactly is a retirement "conflict of interest" and why should you care? Read on for a quick primer. And if you're really short on time, just skip to the second big sentence to get a sense of what this means to the average American worker.
Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the new report released by the President's Council of Economic Advisors today, which gives an in-depth breakdown of how these conflicts of interest are hurting the middle class right now.
This Starts Today:
This morning, Senior Advisor Brian Deese sent the following message to the White House email list, detailing some of the steps the President will take over the coming weeks to help working- and middle-class families across America.
In the President's State of the Union address, he laid out his vision for Middle-Class Economics -- the theory that we can continue the progress we have made by promoting policies that build the economy from the middle out. In the run-up to the State of the Union and since, he has outlined specific proposals to achieve that goal -- in housing, jobs, education, to name a few.
The President's emphasis on Middle-Class Economics has begun to work -- delivering concrete benefits to families across the country and driving the policy debate in Washington as well. Over the next several weeks, the President will keep his foot on the gas by bringing forward new, concrete actions to strengthen the economic standing of working- and middle-class families.
This starts today, with the President announcing a new executive action to help more hardworking Americans save for retirement by cracking down on hidden fees that hurt consumers and back-door payments that help Wall Street brokers. Speaking at the AARP, the President will be joined by champions of consumer rights issues, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to announce this new move.
And that's just the beginning. Over the next several weeks, the President will announce new steps to protect consumers, make college more affordable, and help boost the wages of working and middle-class families trying to make ends meet.
Hezbollah minister urges nations to honor their pledges to Lebanon
Food safety training center to raise standards
In line with efforts to improve Lebanon’s food safety standards, Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan and the Lebanese...
Abu Faour threatens cosmetics factory with closure
Abu Faour threatens cosmetics factory with closure
The Ministry of Health Monday served a final warning to the owner of a cosmetics factory, requesting him to halt the...
Hariri meets hostage families, vows help
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri vowed Monday to assist in the release of 25 Lebanese servicemen being held hostage by ISIS and the Nusra Front on Arsal’s outskirts.
During a meeting with the families of the hostages in his Beirut residence Monday, Hariri said that he wouldn’t spare any effort to resolve the 7-months-old crisis, according to a statement released by his media office.
Hariri also voiced his support for the crisis cell in charge of dealing with the hostage case, saying that negotiations should be restricted to the government. The abundance of actors involved in the case would only hinder a solution, he added.
Hariri expressed his solidarity with the families and said that he is sympathetic to their demands.
Speaking during a news conference in Riad al-Solh Square in Downtown Beirut, Mohammad Taleb, the father of one of the captives, said that Hariri vowed to hold talks with members in the Cabinet in addition to Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblatt and General Security head Abbas Ibrahim in an effort to reach a deal that would secure the servicemen’s release.
Taleb noted that the government was adamant on ending the issue and was willing to trade Islamist inmates detained in Lebanese prisons in return for the captives.
The case of the captive soldiers and policemen held by both the Nusra Front and ISIS since August has been shrouded in secrecy after the prime minister criticized media leaks by officials, saying they harmed talks. At least 37 servicemen were originally abducted by the militants during a five-day battle with the Lebanese Army. Eight hostages have since been released and four were killed.
Spokesperson for the families, Hussein Youssef, said that the committee would keep a tight-lip over developments in the hostage dossier, in line with the government’s secrecy over the issue.
Youssef also noted that Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, an informal mediator close to the Nusra Front, has been tasked with negotiating the release of the hostages.
The spokesman also highlighted the credibility of comments made by Hujeiri with regards to the hostage crisis, stressing that the sheikh’s role as a mediator confirms his extensive knowledge on the case.
Speaking to The Daily Star Sunday, Hujeiri said the government and the Nusra Front resumed serious negotiations earlier this month with efforts leading to “a preliminary agreement that will make way for the release of the Lebanese servicemen.”
“There is one small complication left but when that is resolved the next step would be the implementation of the deal,” Hujeiri said.
Another source, tasked with following the issue, confirmed that the government has resumed talks with the Nusra Front primarily, and that positive signs had led to encouraging results.
The source did not elaborate on the nature of the new developments but cited the recent resumption of Qatari mediation as a factor, adding that members of the crisis cell, the government committee that follows the hostage case, had been briefed on the matter, including Prime Minister Tammam Salam.
Cave discovered in north Lebanon
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: A stalactite cave was discovered Monday in the northern Akkar region of Mount Akroum.
Amer Khatib discovered the cave as he was drilling a piece of land he owns in the village of Sahleh.
He immediately stopped the drilling and alerted authorities.
Mount Akroum is known for its rich archaeological sites and historical attractions.
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Regional crises not in Lebanon’s interest: Tripoli MPs, ministers
Al-Qaeda may target Future MPs: report
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Khorasan group may be plotting assassinations against Future Movement lawmakers to disrupt...
Consumer Protection Proposal
How can investors be sure they're getting good retirement advice? The White House says President Obama on Monday will move to protect Americans from conflicted and bad retirement advice.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
Lebanon to try TV figure over 'insulting Islam' on Twitter
BEIRUT: A Lebanese court Monday referred the case of TV comedy producer Charbel Khalil over allegations of defaming Islam on Twitter to an appeals court, judicial sources told The Daily Star.
Khalil and his lawyer, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, walked out of Beirut’s Justice Palace Monday to loud cheers from his supporters, announcing that the case would be seen by an appeals court.
Kanaan said Khalil will remain free, denouncing “the attempts to transform this case into a sectarian issue” and use it to incite strife.
Judicial sources said State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud found that there was enough evidence to move forward with the case, referring it to the State Prosecutor of Appeals in Mount Lebanon Claude Karam, who will continue investigations.
A group of friends, colleagues and supporters of Khalil gathered outside the court before the hearing to denounce the case filed against him.
Some of the protesters stood with a black ribbon tied around their mouths to signify censorship, while others held signs reading “Je Suis Charbel,” or “I am Charbel.”
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Abdel-Latif Derian accused Khalil last week of defaming Islam in a Twitter post last week, urging Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi to take action.
Derian also tasked a lawyer from Dar al-Fatwa with presenting a notice to State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud demanding the interrogation of Khalil.
In turn, Lebanese lawyer Tarek Shandab, representing 70 religious and civic figures, filed a lawsuit against Khalil, accusing him of insulting Islam and harming national unity.
Khalil, in turn, denounced Shandab as a liar, accusing him of giving false information to The Daily Star about the content of the picture.
Shandab was never contacted by The Daily Star. But last week, a judicial source told The Daily Star that Shandab’s lawsuit against Khalil alleged that the producer defamed Islam by sharing a picture showing a bearded man and a woman naked on a bed covered by the Islamic banner.
A comment posted under the purported photo read: “Jihad Niqah (sexual jihad) under the Prophet’s umbrella,” according to the judicial source, citing the lawsuit.
The Daily Star has not seen the picture, and the judicial source when contacted by The Daily Star Monday also said he has not seen the photo.
But Khalil did retweet a photo showing a veiled woman wearing a short dress and sitting on a bed covered with black sheets on which the Islamic slogan “There is no god but God and Mohammad is his Prophet” is written.
The picture makes reference to the concept of “sexual jihad,” which Muslim militant groups use as a religious justification for male fighters to receive sexual services in times of war.
Khalil also wondered whether Derian had seen the picture before taking legal action.
“I have a feeling that the mufti has not seen the picture,” he said. “If he had, he wouldn’t have done what he did.”
He also slammed the 70 organizations and figures represented by Shandab, accusing the lawyer and his partners of adopting ISIS-like thoughts and attitudes.
Shandab was also subject of mockery Monday by some of the demonstrators, who held a poster of the lawyer with the caption “Tarek Ajdab,” meaning “Tarek is dumb.”
The lawyer, who has also defended several Islamist terror suspects in Roumieh prison, called on the prosecutor general to arrest Khalil and sentence him with the “most severe sanction” for insulting Islam.
Khalil had previously defended himself over the criticism, writing on Twitter that the picture was widely shared over social media months ago.
This was the latest of the several controversies that have erupted over posts or sketches by Khalil, who directs the comedy programs “Basmat al-Watan” and “Douma-cratieh.”
Lebanon transport minister vows to enhance airport after health scandal
Lebanese welcome sunshine, survey storm damages
Skiers hit the slopes of Kesrouan and Metn Sunday, after a powerful storm buried villages across the country under...
Lebanon hostages 'treated well': family after visit
BEIRUT: The father of a Lebanese hostage who visited his son over the weekend assured that all captive servicemen held by Nusra Front militants were in good health and being treated well, media reports said Monday.
Fadel Fayyad, the mayor of Bikfaya in the district of Rashaya, checked on his son, Maher, who is among more than 10 troops and policemen detained by the Nusra Front since August, when the gunmen and their ISIS allies briefly overran Arsal.
Fayyad said he traveled to the militants’ hideouts in the outskirts of the northeastern border town with Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, a local unofficial mediator who is close to Nusra Front.
“All the servicemen are fine and receiving a good treatment from the kidnappers,” Fayyad said, adding that the Lebanese authorities should speed up negotiations for the liberation of Islamist inmates detained in Roumieh prison, in return for the soldiers.
He said he had met with Nusra Front commander in the area, Abu Malik al-Talli, who assured him that the hostages would be released as soon as the Lebanese authorities meet the captors’ demands.
“The state wants its military people, and we want our children, thus the state should respond to our demands for releasing the servicemen,” Fayyad quoted Talli as saying.
Between the two of them, Nusra Front and ISIS hold 25 Lebanese servicemen. Optimism about imminent solution of the long-drawn-out case resurged in recent days, after Qatar revived its mediation to secure their release.
Talks reportedly resumed with the Nusra Front primarily.
For TSA Officers, Congress' Inaction On Funding Could Hit Home
If Congress doesn't act to fund the Department of Homeland Security by Friday, then over 200,000 TSA employees won't be receiving paychecks — but many of them will still have to show up to work. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
If Congress doesn't act to fund the Department of Homeland Security by Friday, then over 200,000 TSA employees won't be receiving paychecks — but many of them will still have to show up to work.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Congress has until the end of Friday to figure out a way to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Otherwise, the department shuts down. But a "shutdown" doesn't mean workers go home. Instead, the vast majority of transportation security officers will have to keep showing up for work — but they won't be seeing paychecks until lawmakers find a way out.
For transportation security officers, it's a bad memory replaying way too soon.
A Case Of Deja Vu
As we enter this home stretch of the Homeland Security funding fight, some Republicans are working under the theory that a shutdown of the department is just not a big deal — and Americans won't even notice. Under federal guidelines, most DHS employees are deemed essential for "the safety of human life and protection of property," and therefore, they'll be required to work even during a shutdown.
"Look at the last shutdown. I think 85, 90 percent of all of the DHS workers were declared 'essential,' and came to work and they all got their paychecks," said House Republican Matt Salmon of Arizona.
Workers did indeed get their paychecks — but not until after the government shutdown in October 2013 ended.
For Francis Hamilton, a transportation security officer at Washington's Reagan National Airport, that meant waiting almost one month before getting paid again.
"It hurt. It really did," said Hamilton. "I had this stretch with maybe about $300 left."
Hamilton remembers stocking up at the grocery store as cheaply as he could while waiting for the next paycheck.
"I bought some bread, maybe like a box of juice. And a few frozen meats, but that was about it. Spent like a total of $50, so that way, the rest of the money — if there was an emergency, like for gas, anything else — I had to make it stretch. I had no choice."
Officers like Hamilton make about $35,000 a year.
'Nobody Works For Free'
Many TSA employees say it's frustrating to see the drama in fall 2013 repeating itself so soon.
"It is just the same movie all over again. That's what it is. So we'll just ride out the storm and see what happens," said TSA supervisor Fred Williams.
Out of the nearly 230,000 DHS employees, 200,000 are considered essential — so security checkpoints in the 450 airports across the U.S. will operate as normal.
And it's not just TSA officers that will get hauled into work during a shutdown. Most of border patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard will be called in too — and not get paid. For those living paycheck-to-paycheck, that could mean trying to get a loan from a credit union.
Stacy Bodtmann, an active member in TSA's union, said she signed up for none of this.
"If I'm not being paid, Stacy won't be at Newark Airport," said Bodtmann, who's been a transportation security officer for 13 years at Newark International Airport.
"I mean, we're in America. Nobody works for free," she said.
DHS officials say if an essential employee fails to show up, she would be considered AWOL — and could be disciplined.
"I'm sure I'll win that case in front of an arbitrator. So by all means, bring it on," said Bodtmann.
Bodtmann and some other union members were lobbying Capitol Hill earlier this month — not about the shutdown, but about changing the TSA pay scale. To be honest, Bodtmann said, any possible shutdown is low on the list of troubles for an agency that has serious morale problems now. But she said this standoff in Congress — simply to make political points about the President's executive action on immigration — just seems so pointless.
"Cut out all the b - - - - - - t and the smiles and the handshakes, and let's just get down to business and get it over with. That's how it would be handled in New Jersey," said Bodtmann.
Maybe if lawmakers were forced to go to work and not get paid, she said, they'd figure a way out a lot sooner.
Bassil: Christian presence vital for Lebanon, region
BEIRUT: The presence of Christians in Lebanon is vital for the entire region, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said.
“We are entrusted with (carrying out) the mission of our lord Jesus Christ, and we have to maintain it in Lebanon by remaining rooted in our land,” Bassil told the Lebanese Maronite community Sunday on the second day of an official visit to Mexico, the National News Agency reported Monday.
He stressed that Christians in Lebanon are key for the survival of Christians in the overwhelmingly Muslim Middle East. “If we (Maronites) ever leave Lebanon, I assure you that not a single Christian will remain in the country or in the whole Orient.”
He contended that Lebanon was unique in the Arab world for its political system based on equal power sharing between Muslims and Christians.
“Our Lebanese identity cannot be divided from our Christianity, it is not opposed to it and it does not undermine others sects, but it embodies Lebanon’s particularity, because it is the sole Christian-Muslim country in the Orient which is based on equality between these two religions,” Bassil added.
Bassil argued that the secular, but Christian-dominated Free Patriotic Movement to which he belongs, was battling to ensure that powers are restored to Lebanon’s presidential seat, which is reserved for Maronites, and for the enactment of a new electoral law to secure proper Christian representation in Parliament.
“Our battle today is aimed at ensuring equality. It is not a sectarian principle, but a national one for ensuring national (Christian-Muslim) partnership,” Bassil added.
Under Lebanon’s National coexistence pact, the presidency is limited to Maronite Christians, whereas the Prime Minister is a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker a Shiite Muslim.
Bassil began his Latin American tour Friday with a visit to Cuba, where he signed a memorandum of understanding with the island nation.
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