An Event and a Regional Trend

A new generation of Palestinian resistance is living the pains of birth while the cycle of illusions in the field of negotiations is losing its breath in the light of the dilemma of the final status negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian authority after freezing the talks for seven years.
The Palestinian resistance bombards the Zionist colonies, the camps and the masses of the occupation army and units which continue their invasion of Gaza in subsequent waves.
The Israeli stand is clear and does not need any prediction in all the issues of the final status and is based on rejecting offering any commitments and insists on the priority of eliminating resistance groups through the complete cooperation of the authority’s organs with the occupation, That is what made Fateh angry with Salam Fayyad and his group apart from the spread of corruption which represents a chronic disease which threatens of losing the injection that the Americans want to give to the Palestinian authority while Israel does not want to offer Palestinians even spiritual consideration. Consequently, Paris conference for the donating countries will be the only practical station that may bring some conditional aids which will be monitored by Israel which will quickly change them into a tool of political pressure.
The good news that the Palestinians circulated while they were burying their martyrs yesterday were about Siderot whose head of municipality resigned due to the impotence of the army to prevent the fall of missiles. Meanwhile, the resistance factions continued their preparations to confront the possible invasion while the collective punishment continues on the Strip. On the other hand, communications concerning dialogue among Palestinian groups opened a window of light and the indicators on this increased lately.

An Event and a Lebanese Trend

Lebanese circles’ attention is focused on the consequences of the assassination crime that targeted director of operations in the Lebanese army brigadier general Francois al-Hajj who was nominated for the position of the army’s leader after the election of Michel Suleiman as president. Political circles said the political confusion in the Lebanese reality after the assassination resulted from a possibility of a link between the criminals and Nahr al-Bared war and this was considered by the investigative sides as a main hypothesis. This means an American and a Western insistence on accelerating the compromise through responding to essential demands in general Aoun’s initiative. Aoun held al-Siniora government and the loyalists responsible for the series of crimes saying they only dealt with them through ready accusations. What was remarkable at this time is that most of the loyalists’ leaders did not resort to ready accusations.
The available information indicates that there is a possibility for a slow return of dialogue between the loyalists and the opposition.
The identification marks that can be recorded in the last 24 hours are the following:
– 1. A popular support for the army and a state of alertness and clinging to the national identity and the fighting doctrine inside the military institution which was expressed by Michel Suleiman immediately after the crime.
– 2. The opposition clearly stressed political conciliation and preventing any maneuver that changes the electoral elections to a new chapter in the dilemma.
– 3. The ambiguity of the French and Saudi stand despite the information about Saudi and French movements to urge Al-Hariri to respond to the conditions of general Oun for appointing a prime minister from outside the Future Trend.
– 4. The threats of al-Siniora government changed into sonic phenomena due to the reactions on its attempts to put its hands on the president’s authority’s trough appointing alternative ministers from the Future Trend.
– 5. The emergence of new equations at the Security Council, which do not allow the continuity of betting on invoking resolutions and statements in accordance with the language of the US and Western intervention in Lebanon and that is what stands behind he new tone of some of the loyalists.
– 6. The House Speaker’s Nabih Berry’s call to the loyalists to start dialogue with general Oun indicates the integrity of the opposition.

Arab and International Press

Flint Leveret and Hillary Man Leveret said in an article published in the New York Times that the US intelligence’s report Iran’ nuclear activity pushed democrats to criticize President Bush for exaggerating the Iranian nuclear file.
Al-Bayan said in its editorial that the specter of assassination hovers again over Lebanon and this time it targeted director of operations in the Lebanese army and some citizens.
Vladimir Sadvoy said in an article published in some Arab papers that the sharpness of the crisis inside the European Union escalated due to the relations between European states and Russia. Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy and France think theses relations are important for their interests.
Al-Khaleej criticized in its editorial the explosions in Algeria which killed innocent citizens.
Izz Addin al-Darwish said in an article published in the Syrian daily Tichrin that Syria clings to its invariables despite the regional changes.
The Saudi paper Al-Watan said in its editorial that the size of targeting Lebanon is not simple and the last crime proves that criminals can use events to serve their interests.

Satellite Stations’ Interviews

Al-Jazeera
Beyond the Item of News
The writer and political analyst Saj’an Qazzi said targeting the Lebanese army means targeting all the Lebanese people.
Nasir al-Sayegh said the crime was committed to obstruct the election of Michel Suleiman.

Lebanese Press

An-Nahar said the assassination of François Al-Hajj is a terrorist crime and represents a qualitative development in the series of assassinations in Lebanon.
Al-Akhbar said the crime shocked the loyalists and the opposition pointing out that some sides, including Waleed Junblat, called for a quick compromise.
The paper pointed out that Fateh al-Islam group is a possible suspect in the crime.

Television Stations’ News in Lebanon

Al-Manar said brigadier general Francois al-Hajj is a national officer who believes in resisting the Israeli enemy.
The NTV said the government should assume responsibility and discover the criminals who assassinated Francois al-Hajj.
The NBN said the criminal hand targeted this time the military institution which proved that it is the only guarantee for Lebanon’s stability.
The OTV wondered who killed Al-Hajj: his victory on terror or the collapse of the compromise.
The LBC said the message of the criminals is that the hand of terror is strong and can reach any target.
The Future quoted representative Saad al-Hairi as saying that the crime is an attempt to prolong the vacuum.