Source: Kataeb.org
Security & Justice
Lebanon Receives Interpol Warrant for Syrian Regime's Air Force Intelligence Chief
Lebanon has received an Interpol warrant issued by the United States for the arrest of Jamil Hassan, the former chief of Syria’s Air Force Intelligence Directorate. Judicial sources told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that the warrant was handed over to Lebanon’s Public Prosecutor, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, on Thursday. The judge promptly disseminated it to all relevant security agencies.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Lebanon’s Border Villages Face Renewed Devastation Amid Israeli Withdrawal
The Israeli army withdrew from the southern Lebanese village of Bani Hayyan on Friday morning, two days after entering the area in the Marjayoun district. According to local reports, Israeli forces demolished multiple homes as they retreated.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Monday 29 April 2019 18:37:30
Aoun in 2002 Interview: Shebaa Farms Are Not Lebanese
Amid the controversy sparked by a recent statement made by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat regarding Shebaa Farms, similar comments made by President Michel Aoun 17 years ago have been brought back to the forefront.
In a 2002 interview on MTV three years before his return from exile in France, Aoun made it explicitly clear that the disputed Shebaa Farms are not Lebanese, saying that they are not occupied lands.
"It is a lie and I am responsible what I am saying," Aoun said when asked about the need for Resistance given that the Lebanese Shebaa Farms are still occupied by Israel.
"We cannot change maps as we like. Shebaa Farms are not Lebanese. Even if so, they have been annexed to Syria long ago and Lebanon chose to keep mum about it," he said.
"The Lebanese government has never mentioned that it has an occupied territory subject to the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 242. On the contrary, it said that it is not concerned by this resolution and has no occupied territory," Aoun explained back then.
Resolution 242 was unanimously passed by the Security Council in an effort to secure a just and lasting peace in the wake of the Six-Day (June) War of 1967, fought primarily between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. The Israelis supported the resolution because it called on the Arab states to accept Israel’s right “to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.” It was also shored up by Arab countries as it called for Israel to withdraw from the territories conquered in 1967.
The disputed zone was occupied by Israel during the Arab-Israeli war in 1967.
Following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, the United Nations considered the Shebaa Farms to be part of the Syrian territory. To date, Syria has not provided documents proving its ownership.
"Assuming that Syria wants to return us this territory, then let it provide a document according to the international laws proving that the land is Lebanese," Aoun stressed.
Last week, Jumblat ignited a fierce debate after stating that Shebaa Farms are not Lebanese.
“In my opinion, the Shebaa Farms are not Lebanese. In 2000, the Lebanese maps were altered by Lebanese and Syrian officers,” he claimed in an interview on Russia Today.
