Pope urges peace from Lebanon

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon on Sept. 14 to urge peace at a time of great turmoil in the Middle East, saying the import of weapons to Syria during the country’s civil war is a “grave sin.”

The pontiff was welcomed by top leaders including the Lebanese president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker as well as Christian and Muslim religious leaders. Cannons fired a 21-shot salute for the pope. The pope told reporters on the plane that imports of weapons to Syria are a “grave sin.” Syria’s rebels have appealed for weapons shipments to help them fight the regime. He also described the Arab Spring that has already removed four long-serving dictators as “positive.” “It is the desire for more democracy, for more freedom, for more cooperation and for a renewed Arab identity,” the pope said. He warned against the risk that the push for more freedom could end in intolerance for other religions.

The pope denounced religious fundamentalism, calling it “a falsification of religion.” “Let me assure you that I pray especially for the many people who suffer in this region,” he said upon arrival.

Benedict, the third pope to visit Lebanon after Paul VI in 1964 and John Paul II in 1997, will be addressing concerns of the region’s bishops over the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

In the meantime, U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi was set to meet top Syrian officials and opposition leaders tolerated by the regime as he attempts to persuade all sides in what he says is a rapidly worsening conflict to lay down their arms.

Syria regime ‘nears’ its end

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 14 at a conference in the Ukrainian Black Sea resort of Yalta that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was nearing its “inevitable” end despite violence threatening the entire region. “A public movement in Syria has started and is spreading all across the country. No power can stop this movement,” he added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu held a phone conversation with Brahimi on Sept. 14. They discussed the latest developments pertaining to Syrian refugees.

On the ground, Syrian regime forces used fighter jets and helicopter gunships to pound the city and province of Aleppo, where fierce clashes raged around a military airport, monitors said. 

Muslim world anger rises over film

The California-made film on the Profet triggered an attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya's city of Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans on Tuesday, the anniversary of the Sept 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on the United States.

In Tunis, at least five people were wounded by police gunfire near the U.S. embassy, and a big fire had reportedly erupted within the embassy compound. Protesters had earlier leapt over the compound wall.

Witnesses said Sudanese police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters to prevent them from approaching the U.S. embassy outside Khartoum, but some jumped over the wall

The wave of indignation and rage over the film, which portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a womanizer and a fool, coincided with Pope Benedict's arrival in Lebanon for a three-day visit.

The protests present Obama with a new foreign policy crisis less than two months before seeking re-election and tests Washington's relations with democratic governments it helped to power across the Arab world.

It also emerged that Libya had closed its air space over Benghazi airport temporarily because of heavy anti-aircraft fire by Islamists aiming at U.S. reconnaissance drones flying over the city, after President Barack Obama vowed to bring the ambassador's killers to justice.

The closure of the airport prompted speculation that the United States was deploying special forces in preparation for an attack against the militants who were involved in the attack.

A Libyan official said the spy planes flew over the embassy compound and the city, taking photos and inspecting locations of radical militant groups who are believed to have planned and staged the attack on the U.S. consulate.

There were protests in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

MARINES TO YEMEN

The Pentagon said it had sent a "fast" platoon of Marines to Yemen to bolster U.S. embassy security after clashes in Sanaa.

U.S. embassies were the main target of anger and protest but most embassy staff were not at work because Friday is the Muslim weekend across the Arab World.

The frenzy erupted after traditional Muslim Friday prayers. Fury over the film has been stoked by Internet video footage, social networks, preachers and word-of-mouth.

Protesters clashed with police near the U.S. embassy in Cairo. Two Islamist preachers in Egypt told worshippers that those who made the movie deserved to die under sharia (Islamic law) but they urged protesters not to take their anger out on diplomats or others.

Sudanese demonstrators broke into the German embassy in Khartoum and hoisted an Islamic flag, while one person was killed in protests in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

Police in the Sudanese capital had fired tear gas to try to disperse 5,000 protesters who had ringed the German embassy and nearby British mission. Witness said police stood by as a crowd forced its way into Germany's mission.

Demonstrators hoisted a black Islamic flag saying in white letters "there is no God but God and Mohammed is his Prophet". They smashed windows, cameras and furniture in the building and then started a fire.

Staff at Germany's embassy were safe "for the moment", Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Berlin. He also told Khartoum's envoy to Berlin that Sudan must protect diplomatic missions on its soil.

Sudan's Foreign Ministry had criticized Germany for allowing a protest last month by right-wing activists carrying caricatures of the Prophet and for Chancellor Angela Merkel giving an award in 2010 to a Danish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet in 2005 triggering protests across the Islamic world.

BASHIR UNDER PRESSURE

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is under pressure from Islamists who feel the government has given up the religious values of his 1989 Islamist coup.

The official body of Sudan's Islamic scholars called for the faithful to defend the Prophet peacefully, but at a meeting of Islamists, some leaders had said they would march on the German and U.S. embassies and demanded the ambassadors be expelled.

The Foreign Ministry said in its statement: "The German chancellor unfortunately welcomed this offence to Islam in a clear violation of all meanings of religious co-existence and tolerance between religions."

Sudan used to host prominent militants in the 1990s, such as Osama bin Laden, but the government has sought to distance itself from radicals to improve ties with the West.

A Lebanese security source said a man was killed in Tripoli as protesters tried to storm a government building.

Earlier, a U.S. fast food restaurant was set alight. Twelve members of the security forces were wounded by stones thrown by protesters, the source said.

Protesters also clashed with police in Yemen, where one person died and 15 were injured on Thursday when the U.S. embassy compound was stormed.

U.S. and other Western embassies in other Muslim countries had tightened security, fearing anger at the film may prompt attacks on their compounds after the weekly worship.

Obama has promised to bring those responsible for the Benghazi attack to justice, and the United States also sent warships towards Libya which one official said was to give flexibility for any future action.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington had nothing to do with the crudely made film posted on the Internet, which she called "disgusting and reprehensible", and the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff called a Christian pastor in Florida to ask him to withdraw his support for it.

Palestinians staged demonstrations in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israeli police, some on horseback, used stun grenades and made a number of arrests outside Jerusalem's Old City as a few dozen demonstrators tried to march on the nearby U.S. consulate.

"Israeli police prevented an illegal demonstration from reaching the U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem and used stun grenades after rocks and bottles were thrown at them," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

In Nablus, in the northern West Bank, several hundred people protested and burned an American flag, witnesses said.

AMERICAN FLAGS BURNED

The largest protests were in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Islamist group Hamas, with at least 30,000 Palestinians staging rallies across the coastal territory.

Some 25,000 took to the streets of Gaza City, answering a call by Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad faction and waving the green and black flags of the two factions.

American and Israeli flags were set alight, along with an effigy of the film's producer.

Protesters in Afghanistan set fire to an effigy of Obama and burned a U.S. flag after Friday prayers in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Directing their anger against the U.S. pastor who supported the film, tribal leaders also agreed to put a $100,000 bounty on his head.

About 10,000 people held a noisy protest in the Bangladeshi capital. They burned U.S. flags, chanted anti-U.S. slogans and demanded punishment for the offenders, but were stopped from marching to the U.S. embassy. There was no violence.

Thousands of Iranians held nationwide protests. There were also rallies in Malaysia, Jordan, Kenya, Bahrain, Qatar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iraq.

Walid Jumblatt: Syria crises may have repercussions on Israeli Arabs.

Most prominent Druze leader Walid Jumblatt warns about the repercussions of the 18-month Syrian violence beyond its borders.

The war in Syria directly affects Lebanon. The two countries have a long-standing relationship, throughout which Syria has been eager to exercise control over Lebanon. In particular, the Syrian Baath regime sees Lebanon as a small city of its own nation, and the internal conflicts in Tripoli are linked to the developments in Syria.

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, head of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), is seen as key in the delicate political balance between the two nations; his actions in relation to the subject have triggered serious discussion.

He believes that Lebanon is in a state of despair, and that the ongoing Syrian crisis will lead to the emergence of new political entities in the region. But he dismisses any possibility that the tiny country could be divided. Detailing Druze support for the uprising against the 12-year rule of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, he says Druze members of the Syrian regime are slowly abandoning the sinking ship.

On Israel, he claims, it will receive the greatest benefit from the crisis. He believes the violence in Syria could be a golden opportunity for Israel to expel Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan, clearing Israel of Arabs while strengthening the foothold of Palestinians in Jordan.

Based on the clashes in Tripoli, we could say that Lebanon is moving back towards the old days. Why is that?

The Syrian regime has its partners in the north of Lebanon. One of them is Ali Eid, leader of the Alawites. He has Sunni and Shiite partners as well. The people, on the other hand, extend support to the resistance and uprising in Syria. Some people and parties want to make the north of Lebanon involved in the ongoing controversy. We have to be alert to make sure that we do not give them this pretext. By the clashes in the north of Lebanon, we would justify an intervention by the [Bashar al] Assad regime in the domestic affairs of Lebanon on the grounds of protecting his Alawite supporters -- it is wise to refer to “some” of the Alawites, because the majority of the Alawites do not support him. Lebanon has to be careful about this.

Do you think the Assad regime will successfully protect its supporters?

The regime interferes with internal affairs, arguing that its supporters in Lebanon are in great danger. Everybody is now aware how insane Assad is. We all see what he has done in Aleppo, Hama and other parts of Syria. There are 1.5 million homeless people in the country. The neighboring countries host 500,000 Syrian refugees. Why should we give him a reason for intervention in the domestic affairs of Lebanon?

Hezbollah says it is backing the Assad regime. Does this lead to any problems in your relations with them?

We are not political partners; we are in the same government. This was a necessary coalition due to the conditions in 2011. Back then, there was no uprising in Syria. This is the subject matter that we cannot agree on with Hezbollah. They support the Assad regime, but we are opposed to it. That we are in the same government does not necessarily mean that we have political agreement. We were forced to make a coalition government to address potential internal problems in Lebanon.

Some claim that the West aims at dividing Lebanon into cantons. Do you think that this is possible?

Lebanon will not be divided; it is not like Bosnia or other similar countries. It is a tiny country. Religions and sects live together in this country. Some right-wing groups sought to divide Lebanon in 1975 and 1976, but they failed. The war lasted 17 years, but in the end there was no partition.

What will happen to the Druze in Syria?

Things were bad for them at the beginning, but it is better now. The Druze support the popular uprising in Syria. Nearly 10 high-level military officers have left the army so far -- I cannot give any names due to security concerns. The Druze are also active in Jordan, Paris and the Syrian National Council [SNC]. Of course, more should be done, but we are trying to do our best. Recently, a predominantly Druze city near Damascus was bombed. This is tough, but the future of the Druze in Syria will be shared with the Muslims and Arabs. There are 400,000 Druze in Syria and 170,000 in Lebanon. We are a minority; there are 23 million people in Syria.

Do you support the Druze rebels in Syria?

I do not see the developments from a sectarian perspective. We are in dialogue with all parties that are opposed to the Assad regime. We supported the military officers in their decisions to leave the army. Some of them are now in Turkey and some others will travel there.

Some reports claim that partition of Syria was discussed in a summit in Shanghai chaired by Russia, which the US also attended. Can you confirm this?

It is true. Under the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916, France wanted to partition Syria to create an Alawite state in İskenderun, a Damascus state, a Druze state and an Aleppo state. The Druze people opposed this project and they prevented partition of the country. Now we are in 2012 and it is like we are back in 1916. The same scenario is being repeated; it is like they have taken us back 100 years.

Today, Russia is playing increasingly big role in the region amid escalating tensions in the region. What’s your take on that?

Russia is trying to recapture the glory of the Russia of the tsar era. Russia, the US and Israel are making plans for the partition of Syria, and maybe Turkey is included in this dangerous game. In addition to Russia, Iran is also a rising power in the region. It tries to protect the Assad regime, but once it realizes Assad will be gone it will be part of the partition of Syria. Iran is supplying material aid and arms to the Assad regime. It appears that Iran is in favor of the creation of an Alawite state. And there is also an oil pipeline project between Basra and Tartus. In addition, there are arms deals between Russia, Iran and [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al] Maliki. All these plans and games are against the Syrian people.

How to you assess a possible Russia, Iran, Syria and maybe China axis?

True. This is happening because of the power vacuum after the American withdrawal from the region. The US has withdrawn from Afghanistan and Iraq. For this reason, Russia and Iran are trying to fill the void.

Some argue that Russia and China will replace traditional major powers in the upcoming decade. Do you agree with this prediction?

I do not want to think this big. What I know is what is happening right now. Getting back to history, the Ottoman state made a lot of war with Iran. Back then, the Turks were in Basra. Today, the Persian Empire [Iran] is on the shores of Lebanon and within Lebanon; it is also in Syria. This is the difference today.

It appears that the incidents in Syria will have reflections and repercussions in Lebanon as well.

We are making efforts to ensure that the developments do not affect Lebanon. We tell all the parties that we are all against the Syrian regime and Assad, but that the fall of Assad cannot be performed in Tripoli. We should not give him reason to interfere with the domestic affairs of our country.

But how will you prevent this?

Who will fight against whom? Hezbollah is the greatest military power in Lebanon. Nobody could fight against it. We wish for this power to be acquired by the state someday. Lebanon is in a state of despair on this matter right now.

What kind of map could be made of this region?

Due to the Russian and Iranian policies, as well as failure to supply heavy weaponry to the rebels, the unity of Syria is in danger. We are against direct intervention of the West in Syria, but we want arms supplied to the rebels. Sadly, no step has been taken on this matter. Meetings of the Friends of Syria have been held in Tunisia, Istanbul and Paris, but none of them was successful. It is like the West is doing nothing in regards to the ongoing massacre in Syria. They criticize Turkey, arguing that it is not taking action to intervene. Turkey will not be able to do so unless a decision is taken in the West. So far, the decision of the US has been in favor of reluctance and indifference.

Why do you think the US has not been active on the Syrian issue, considering that it tends to be active in every other matter?

There is only one reason: to make sure that subsequent developments do not pose any danger vis-à-vis Israel. The only concern is to protect Israel and its security. I am not sure of the Iranian policy on this matter; there are some question marks. But Putin paid a visit to Israel. The second most influential Jewish lobby is in Moscow. Putin must have assured Israel that the recent developments in the region would not affect its interests.

Will a greater Israeli state emerge out of this turmoil?

It seems remote for now. The only concern of the world now is to protect Israel from chemical attacks and missiles. For this reason, there are CIA officers in Jordan and special teams of Russia in Tartous. But this will inevitably happen. Israel may tell its Arab citizens to go to their other homeland, namely Jordan.

So you are saying that a Palestinian state will be established in place of Jordan?

We are not in a position to make a decision on this matter. Today, there is an extreme right party in power in Israel. And the attempts to create two separate states have so far failed. For this reason, we should not ignore the potential insane acts of the Israeli extremists. They may want to send the Palestinians to Jordan. The population of the Palestinians has been on the rise and this is creating a lot of pressure among the Jews in Israel. For this reason, they may try this move.

A huge number of Palestinian refugees migrated from Syria to Jordan, and 60 percent of the Jordanian population is of Palestinian origin. Does this not automatically ‘Palestinize’ Jordan?

You are right. But it is necessary that all this happens now. Israel may take lessons from what happens in Syria. What is happening in Syria now? 1.5 million people are homeless in Syria and 500,000 Syrians are refugees. Israel may learn lessons from this and send the Palestinians in Gaza to Jordan. This is consistent with the old and new projects of Israel anyway. And that project is creation of a non-Arab Israeli state.

How do you see the power struggle between Turkey and Iran?

Turkey needs to be careful about this. The foreign policy of Russia and Iran poses danger for Syria and Turkey. The greatest issue in Turkey is the Kurdish problem. This problem should be addressed within the unity of Turkey. Otherwise, it will remain a bleeding wound.

Could Turkey stand against Iran, if it resolves its Kurdish issue?

I do not think a conventional war will break out between the two countries. If you are referring to a cold war, I have no idea about it. I believe that there is a cold war in economic interests. In fact, the only issue that needs to be resolved is the Kurdish issue, because Syria and Iran use the Kurdish card against Turkey. I do not want to say that they are using the Kurds; but Turkey needs to resolve its Kurdish issue.

The relations between Turkey and President of the Iraqi Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani are firm; could this be influential?

This is a positive development and it will help. But one problem remains, and this is the PKK issue. This needs to be resolved. I believe that Turkey should take measures to recognize the social, cultural and ethnic rights of the Kurds in Turkey. Some still approach the Kurdish issue from a Kemalist perspective. And this is wrong because there is plurality in Turkey and it is an asset for the country.

What is the size of the Druze population in the Middle East? Do you have contact with all of them?

I am an Arab, and I told you I support the Syrian people. There are Druze people who support the Syrian regime; on the other hand, there are Druze people in Israel, but we have no connection with them. At the same time, there are Druze people against the Jews in Israel. We are in touch with them and we support them. This is not about the Druze people; it is about homeland.