Rival parties agree to more defense talks in January
Aoun Has “remarks” on geagea”s strategy proposal
Lebanon”s feuding political leaders on Monday postponed until the New Year talks on formulating a national defense strategy. The 14 signatories of last May”s Doha Accord will meet again on January 22, a statement from President Michel Sleiman”s office said. It added that the third round focused on "the issue of the national defense strategy … and plans to form a committee of experts to find the conclusions and common denominators between the various proposals that were submitted."
Several participants – including former President Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces (LF) boss Samir Geagea, MP Butros Harb and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, a former Lebanese Armed Forces commander – have submitted strategy blueprints during the dialogue meetings.
Geagea and Harb presented their strategies on Monday.
The LF distributed a copy of Geagea”s blueprint, which focused on replicating the "Swiss model." The proposal stressing that the principal of neutrality had kept Switzerland out of World Wars I and II.
"However, the principle of neutrality does not mean that we should not work on equipping our armed forces," read the proposal, adding that Lebanese Army Special Forces should be trained in guerrilla warfare.
A "national guard" would also be established to assist the Special Forces, according to the proposal: "This way we will make use of the positive aspects of Hizbullah”s model and eliminate all the other aspects."
Hizbullah has its own plan, one participant who requested anonymity told AFP. MP "Mohammad Raad said during the meeting that Hizbullah also has a defense strategy it will submit on paper," the participant said.
Hizbullah”s arsenal is at the heart of the talks, which kicked off in October under Sleiman”s auspices. The group had verbally presented its defense views during national talks that were held in Parliament before the July-August 2006 with Israel.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought a cessation of hostilities in the 2006 conflict, also demanded that Hizbullah be disarmed. However, the resistance has rejected calls to disarm, arguing that its weapons are essential to defend the country against Israel.
Members of the parliamentary majority say Hizbullah”s weapons undermine the authority of the state, which should be the sole decision-maker on matters of defense.
Monday”s session follows two rounds of talks in September and November and is being attended by representatives of the main parliamentary blocs.
The presidential statement which was issued after the session added that the participants have agreed on reducing all forms of political incitement in the media against local parties as well as friendly states.
The leaders also agreed on "continuing reconciliation efforts and enhancing the dialogue”s chances of success," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri held talks with Sleiman on the sidelines of the dialogue session in Baabda.
Later on Monday, Berri received Defense Minister Elias Murr at his residence in Beirut.
Murr briefed the speaker on the outcome of his recent visit to Moscow, which saw Russia declare its willingness to provide the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with 10 MiG-29 fighter jets free of charge.
Earlier the same day, MP Michel Murr, who was present at the talks in Baabda, said that the dialogue session did not discuss the issue of foreign military aid to Lebanon.
Also Monday, Aoun told reporters after a weekly meeting of his Reform and Change parliamentary bloc that he had "remarks" on the strategy blueprint that was proposed by Geagea, adding that he would not disclose most of them to the media.
"The difference between my strategy and the one proposed by Geagea”s is that he wants the army to fight Israel whereas we prefer popular resistance since the army will never be on even terms with Israel," he said.
Geagea”s proposal did not leave out popular resistance, but suggested organizing resistance units in the form of a "national guard" that would assist the LAF and be under its command.
Aoun added that in his view "some parties" were proposing ideas with the sole aim of disarming Hizbullah.
On a separate level, Sleiman received visiting Iraqi Vice President Tarek Hashimi at Baabda Palace. Hashimi told reporters after the meeting that his country was in need of a Lebanese economic role.
"We need the Lebanese economic machine to operate in Iraq … We do not want Lebanese businessmen to hesitate to work in Iraq," he said.
Policeman killed at checkpoint near Sabra and Chatila
A Lebanese policeman was wounded on Monday when unidentified assailants opened fire at a checkpoint located at one of the entrances of the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra and Chatila in Beirut, well-informed security sources told The Daily Star.
Police patrols were still pursuing the assailants when The Daily Star went to press.
In another security development, the Lebanese Armed Forces announced Monday that Alwan Jaafar, who killed a soldier when he opened fire at an army checkpoint in Hermel earlier this month, was arrested in Syria on Sunday.
The arrest was the product of cooperation between Lebanese Army intelligence and Syrian security authorities, an army statement said.