July-War Secrets: Exposed by Nabih Berri and Retold by Ali Hassan Khalil (Episode 16)
TRANSLATED from Lebanese Daily As-Safir- Local Editor
Berri Leads Lebanese-International Operation Chamber: "Intention to Punish Victorious Resistance"
Hariri in Beirut, Does not Accept Remarks Welch Accepted: "Approve of Exact Resolution"
It is the time of roaring fire, and we have to make the most dangerous, accurate, and fiery negotiations. Mightily, we refuse the unjust standards and adjust their terms as we remember the innocent people's teary eyes that massacres have shut forever. And once we do so, we grow even mightier and more resolute, disapproving of the cheap international offers, for we wish not to disturb the eternal sleep of our deceased civilians.
We admit that certain political sides lurk for us, obstruct the negotiations, and freeze the move of Arabs and the UN, which has started to be translated as a resolution formula. Perfectly maintaining our mental powers, we acknowledge that death has strengthened us... Our martyrs have drawn our path and led our diplomatic battle.
Our martyrs have inspired us, so we cannot give up. Among the signs of the anger days is that the political guardian and the military guardian are ready - in a moment of an unfair international resolution - to end the game; Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah writes to MP Berri: "Even if the War continues, we are not going to accept an international resolution that fulfills "Israel's" conditions!"
MP Berri's eyes shine with the very anger; Berri refuses the deadly expressions that only serve the U.S. and "Israel"; objecting on emptying the South Litany Region of arms, he says, "It's incredible to look for the Resistance fighters to punish them instead of glorifying them!"
The calendar of 2006 does not show such days as those of the Resolution 1701, for every hour of those different days equals a longer time, the last minutes of which "Israel" makes use of to perform airstrikes that may compensate for its actual failure by making a political gain in the United Nations Security Council. On the other hand, Allah's men ‘scan' the ground for the "Israeli" troops and prevent them from desecrating the orchards of olive and willow, Aita el Shaab, and "the Thursday Market" of Bint Jbeil. Only the Lebanese people - not the enemy - can go for a walk in "Saf el Hawa" and quench their thirst, drinking the water of "the Ainata Creek" at night... The "Israeli" troops that went deep into Maroun el Ras have now become defeated.
As death beholds more souls upon the outrageous bombardment and airstrikes against the Lebanese regions, starting with the South and reaching the northernmost places, the international Resolution 1701 is issued. Now he who has been "absent from" Lebanon, which has been suffering this severe calamity, is back on a French airline to approve of the resolution without any adjustments, for he follows ‘the rule': "U.S. say, we do."
Friday, the eleventh of August, 2006, was the day for the widest and most accurate and difficult consultations with the United States envoy David Welch; as well, with the Lebanese sides that were living in American atmospheres, wanting to add choices and limits that could preserve "Israel's" interests and compensate for its harsh casualties.
This bloody Friday witnessed the race for formularizing draft resolutions and terms; for the continuous, thorough demolitions of tens of buildings in Beirut Southern Suburb; and for new massacres perpetrated against Akkar and the Marjeeyoun convoy in Kefraya in West Bekaa. Even though grand local and international officers made the arrangements for the setting off of the convoy, on which were 35 militants who had been given political orders to hand over their arms in the Marjeeyoun Barracks the day before, the enemy commanders could not control their thirst for vengeance, making "Israeli" warplanes strike the convoy. On the other hand, the chivalrous men in Bint Jbeil waited for no permission of the ministers of the mal time. Now they made another accomplishment on earth, demolishing more Merkava tanks at the Teir Harfa Delta in the West Sector and in Beit Yahoun and Aita el Shaab in the Middle Sector. Still, they crowned their accomplishments with the demolition of a "Super d' Ivoir" Vessel in the waters of the Mansouri Beach in the southern part of Tyr (Sur).
This entire "Israeli" warring madness, in fact, reflected the turbulence of the internal stance as the resolution time of the UNSC came closer: more than a side's interests intersected, and parties' calculations meddled with the unwell planned decisions, which led to a late decision to expand the ground operation in an attempt to pressure (the Resistance) as it had become obvious that the international atmosphere could no longer continue to cover up the War because of the disappointing results and the inability to make any infiltration or political move (against the Resistance.)
When David Welch (the United States Assistant Secretary of State) left Ain el Tineh with the latest points, which he wanted "to debate with "Israel"", MP Berri hurried in fortifying his proposals by calling Premier Fouad Siniora and informing him of the latest incidents. Then MP Berri sent a letter to Iran so as to inform it of the developments with France and the United States, whereby Berri had been keeping up with the developments made in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in particular the developments made by Russia and China.
Hariri Does not Accept Berri's Remarks, Welch Does
We informed Haj Hussein Khalil of the details of what went on with David Welch, as well as the latest formula and remarks that MP Berri made. As for Haj Hussein, he reported some of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's details regarding the way to deal with the stage between cease-fire and the procedures to come.
MP Berri was to meet with MP Saad Hariri in the evening. Hariri hadn't been in Lebanon since the beginning of the War on the twelfth of July, and now he returned on a French military helicopter in the afternoon to meet with Premier Siniora in the Governmental Palace before meeting with MP Berri at 6:45 PM. After an hour, it turned out to be that Hariri had come to iterate "the necessity of approving of the resolution" that the UNSC was going to issue. Hariri asked for "no objection on the resolution", showing "some data" he had attained through his "communications abroad"; yet, Hariri did not accept hearing the remarks we had made to David Welch, for he considered that the remarks were "unimportant" and that he could make no reservations therefore. Hariri made sure he wanted to be present when a solution was reached, too.
Afterwards, MP Berri met with MP Salim Al-Hoss, iterating the importance of what had happened so far and the necessity of paying attention to details while making a stance on the presumed resolution.
MP Berri called me after he had received the final draft resolution, and he requested that we assign to the translation a fine, accurate translator who could translate the expressions usage very carefully. Berri was in a hurry since we had started running out of time; soon, the meetings of the UNSC would begin.
Siniora's senior aide Dr. Muhammad Shatah arrived while MP Berri was writing down his remarks on the paragraphs and the standards of the draft resolution. MP Berri asked me to call Haj Hussein Khalil to the meeting, and Haj Hussein joined the meeting.
First, Dr. Shatah tried to ignore the remarks MP Berri was making, outsmarting Berri while simplifying the expressions' connotations even though they bore an ambiguity matching with the background which Berri guessed the draft resolution offered, particularly when it came to the use of expressions that could be explained as "emptying the South Litany Region of arms"; likewise, the use of the term "international force" instead of the United Nations Emergency Forces (UNEF) or the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL); also the standard regarding the missions of the "international force". Through his stance, Shatah ignored the draft resolution's text concerning "the international force's" missions; he made a remark regarding our "breaking the siege and opening of the Beirut International Airport"; and he made a reservation concerning the text including the captives' issue.
In the meantime, MP Hariri called more than once to ask us not to make any remarks and "to maintain the draft resolution in order not to obstruct its issuance." Also, Premier Siniora called and made the same kind of talk, but MP Berri asked him why we had to make a stance before "Israel" did.
In the end of the session with Dr. Shatah, MP Berri wrote down a group of remarks he wanted to send to Premier Siniora. The remarks were as such:
"1-The commitment of the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to say, during her speech to the UNSC regarding the justifications for the voting, that things are going to be handled in accordance with "the April Understanding, 1996" (also known as "The Grapes of Wrath Understandings") during the period between the cessation of aggressions and the full "Israeli" withdrawal to "the Blue Line"
2-Refusing (OP8), paragraph 2 regarding emptying the South Litany Region of arms and armed fighters
3-Reservation regarding (OP11), the paragraph that allows the UNIFIL to deal with the issues relevant to the previous paragraph (OP8)
4-Reservation regarding (OP12) in order to avoid any ambiguity; crossing the term "international force" and confirming the use of the term "UNIFIL" instead
5-Giving no final stance on the resolution before "Israel" approves of it
6-Making no public stance of support, denouncement, or reservation unless upon an understanding between us"
Nasrallah: Not Handing Over My Arms No Matter What Happens!
At 10:15, the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs (Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani), who was in the UNSC, phoned us and asked for our remarks on the draft resolution. He inquired about Rice's ‘promise', too.
MP Berri stressed an important, unavoidable remark: changing the expression "empty of arms" to "empty of apparent arms."
Sheikh Hamad: "We can mention this in the speech."
Berri: "This expression is dangerous, and it needs correction. Under no circumstances are we going to accept it. And in case they use it, that's going to be against our will, and we will still disapprove of it."
Now MP Berri said encouragingly to the Qatari Sheikh: "Today, you're the only Arab-delegation member that we can talk to." Berri then pointed out several other issues regarding which he had reservations:
"1- Holding Lebanon responsible (for the July War) throughout the introduction to the resolution, which is something untrue that prevents us from claiming compensation
2-Not mentioning the bloody massacres
3-Discrimination between the "Israeli" captives and the Lebanese ones"
We had gone out for a little while by the time Haj Hussein Khalil called, asking for the return to Ain el Tineh. We climbed up to MP Berri's private chamber at home. Haj Hussein was uneasy, telling Berri, "Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has studied the proposed text according to the details I informed him of, and he tells you that he adopts the remarks you've made, particularly regarding arms; otherwise, he's never going to give up or hand over the arms even if the War continues. Sayyed Hassan is not going to accept a resolution that fulfills "Israel's" conditions, and His Eminence insists - like you do - that the paragraph (concerning Hizbullah's arms), as well as the ambiguous text concerning the UNIFIL's missions, be adjusted."
Berri to Haj Hussein: "His Eminence is right about the issue of arms. Although Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim confirmed that he would refer this issue to Lebanon, I insisted that the expression "empty of arms" be changed to "empty of apparent arms."
Berri added, "Let's go back to the other points, the term "international force" is going to be adjusted, whereby the UN secretary general is going to make the term "UNIFIL" clear and explain that the UNIFIL is not going to have anything to do with arms and armed fighters; whereas the Lebanese Army is going to be in charge of the arms issue. As for the "Israeli" captives, Premier Siniora says that the resolution's content is going to be about the Lebanese government's duties, uninvolving Hizbullah."
Now MP Berri called Premier Siniora and informed him again of the proposal on "apparent arms". Siniora said that he and Berri would handle this issue together and that the government would give instructions regarding this issue later.
Haj Hussein asked, "Does it need a Ministerial-Council resolution?! Anyway, we see that any resolution like this is a plan for a confrontational war on the Lebanese Army, and we do not seek it! Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says, "I'm not giving up my arms no matter what happens!""
"Anyway," added Haj Hussein Khalil, "His Eminence sees that:
"If the resolution is adjusted and issued yet the unjust, political introduction remains, then I shall see that a part of this resolution is unjust since it holds us responsible for the War yet ignores "Israel's" responsibility and does not convict it for the assassinations and massacres. Also, we are going to object on some materials of this unfair resolution; we are going to deal positively with the resolution, however.
On the other hand, if the adjustments are not made, then we shall see that the resolution issued has unfair and unjust parts and that it means nothing to the Resistance. Therefore, I'm going to deal with it realistically and patriotically responsibly.""
Berri: Resistance Punished, Not Glorified
Satellite channels were broadcasting the incidents of the United Nations Security Council's session. More than once, we could see Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim calling MP Berri, who reported his remarks. We could see, too, how Sheikh Jassim communicated these remarks until the formula for the UN Resolution 1701 was made and Condoleezza Rice spoke on "the April Understanding" - as the deal was. Now it was the first time to mention the Shebaa Farms, yet, no clear formularization made "Israel" committed to any procedures. The issue of timing for cease-fire at 3:00 AM on Saturday, the twelfth of August, 2006, was made ambiguous, too.
Still, the standard we had objected on (regarding emptying the South Litany Region of arms and armed fighters) remained exactly as the American draft resolution had stated, and Lebanon's envoy did not object on it after we had asked Dr. Muhammad Shatah to report our objection to Premier Siniora. Hereupon, MP Berri was outraged, exclaiming, "It's incredible to look for the Resistance fighters to punish them instead of glorifying them after they've conquered "Israel"!"
As that long day ended, each one of us returned home with many fears, looking for the formula we were going to handle the following day.
Saturday morning, the twelfth of August, 2006, was different from the previous mornings, whereby the features of a new image for Lebanon were starting to be made upon the heroic steadfastness and actual achievements. In the meantime, the international resolution was imposed on the political movement and the ordinary people who were expecting the official stance and the stance of the Resistance's forces.
Caution masked the atmosphere as the time wasted bore danger and as "Israel" might bring about more revenge and bloodshed in an attempt to fulfill a ‘victory' - probably needed by the "Israeli" Military and government. Still, "Israel" had suffered a lot throughout the War: More than 25 officers and soldiers were killed, and more than twenty tanks were demolished. Now that Wadi el Hjeir shifted into a cemetery for the "Israelis", violent confrontations on all axes expanded, and the "Israeli" aggressors was unable to make any infiltration or accomplishment to reinforce the "Israeli" situation before the announcement of cease-fire. The only thing "Israel" was able to do was performing repeated and expanded airstrikes against all of the Lebanese regions until the northernmost places in Akkar and the regions by the Lebanese-Syrian borders.
Although that day was actually hard, it reinforced the Lebanese people's morale and manifested the image of victory, which would stay long in the reminiscence of the Lebanese and Arab peoples; yet, this image would haunt the "Israeli" entity, whose structure would reveal the features of disruption upon the fall of the legend of "the Invincible Military" and upon the confusion of the different political levels.
Episode 17:
-Berri Gathers Amal's, Hizbullah's Ministers; Ali Hassan Khalil, Hussein Khalil: Envoys to the Governmental Palace
-Saad Hariri ‘Asks for' Damascus's, Tehran's Approval of Resolution 1701; March-14-Alliance Delegation Asks Speaker for Parliament: "How Will Hizbullah Be Disarmed?"
Source: As-Safir newspaper, Translated and edited by moqawama.org
Berri Leads Lebanese-International Operation Chamber: "Intention to Punish Victorious Resistance"
Hariri in Beirut, Does not Accept Remarks Welch Accepted: "Approve of Exact Resolution"
It is the time of roaring fire, and we have to make the most dangerous, accurate, and fiery negotiations. Mightily, we refuse the unjust standards and adjust their terms as we remember the innocent people's teary eyes that massacres have shut forever. And once we do so, we grow even mightier and more resolute, disapproving of the cheap international offers, for we wish not to disturb the eternal sleep of our deceased civilians.
We admit that certain political sides lurk for us, obstruct the negotiations, and freeze the move of Arabs and the UN, which has started to be translated as a resolution formula. Perfectly maintaining our mental powers, we acknowledge that death has strengthened us... Our martyrs have drawn our path and led our diplomatic battle.
Our martyrs have inspired us, so we cannot give up. Among the signs of the anger days is that the political guardian and the military guardian are ready - in a moment of an unfair international resolution - to end the game; Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah writes to MP Berri: "Even if the War continues, we are not going to accept an international resolution that fulfills "Israel's" conditions!"
MP Berri's eyes shine with the very anger; Berri refuses the deadly expressions that only serve the U.S. and "Israel"; objecting on emptying the South Litany Region of arms, he says, "It's incredible to look for the Resistance fighters to punish them instead of glorifying them!"
The calendar of 2006 does not show such days as those of the Resolution 1701, for every hour of those different days equals a longer time, the last minutes of which "Israel" makes use of to perform airstrikes that may compensate for its actual failure by making a political gain in the United Nations Security Council. On the other hand, Allah's men ‘scan' the ground for the "Israeli" troops and prevent them from desecrating the orchards of olive and willow, Aita el Shaab, and "the Thursday Market" of Bint Jbeil. Only the Lebanese people - not the enemy - can go for a walk in "Saf el Hawa" and quench their thirst, drinking the water of "the Ainata Creek" at night... The "Israeli" troops that went deep into Maroun el Ras have now become defeated.
As death beholds more souls upon the outrageous bombardment and airstrikes against the Lebanese regions, starting with the South and reaching the northernmost places, the international Resolution 1701 is issued. Now he who has been "absent from" Lebanon, which has been suffering this severe calamity, is back on a French airline to approve of the resolution without any adjustments, for he follows ‘the rule': "U.S. say, we do."
Friday, the eleventh of August, 2006, was the day for the widest and most accurate and difficult consultations with the United States envoy David Welch; as well, with the Lebanese sides that were living in American atmospheres, wanting to add choices and limits that could preserve "Israel's" interests and compensate for its harsh casualties.
This bloody Friday witnessed the race for formularizing draft resolutions and terms; for the continuous, thorough demolitions of tens of buildings in Beirut Southern Suburb; and for new massacres perpetrated against Akkar and the Marjeeyoun convoy in Kefraya in West Bekaa. Even though grand local and international officers made the arrangements for the setting off of the convoy, on which were 35 militants who had been given political orders to hand over their arms in the Marjeeyoun Barracks the day before, the enemy commanders could not control their thirst for vengeance, making "Israeli" warplanes strike the convoy. On the other hand, the chivalrous men in Bint Jbeil waited for no permission of the ministers of the mal time. Now they made another accomplishment on earth, demolishing more Merkava tanks at the Teir Harfa Delta in the West Sector and in Beit Yahoun and Aita el Shaab in the Middle Sector. Still, they crowned their accomplishments with the demolition of a "Super d' Ivoir" Vessel in the waters of the Mansouri Beach in the southern part of Tyr (Sur).
This entire "Israeli" warring madness, in fact, reflected the turbulence of the internal stance as the resolution time of the UNSC came closer: more than a side's interests intersected, and parties' calculations meddled with the unwell planned decisions, which led to a late decision to expand the ground operation in an attempt to pressure (the Resistance) as it had become obvious that the international atmosphere could no longer continue to cover up the War because of the disappointing results and the inability to make any infiltration or political move (against the Resistance.)
When David Welch (the United States Assistant Secretary of State) left Ain el Tineh with the latest points, which he wanted "to debate with "Israel"", MP Berri hurried in fortifying his proposals by calling Premier Fouad Siniora and informing him of the latest incidents. Then MP Berri sent a letter to Iran so as to inform it of the developments with France and the United States, whereby Berri had been keeping up with the developments made in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in particular the developments made by Russia and China.
Hariri Does not Accept Berri's Remarks, Welch Does
We informed Haj Hussein Khalil of the details of what went on with David Welch, as well as the latest formula and remarks that MP Berri made. As for Haj Hussein, he reported some of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's details regarding the way to deal with the stage between cease-fire and the procedures to come.
MP Berri was to meet with MP Saad Hariri in the evening. Hariri hadn't been in Lebanon since the beginning of the War on the twelfth of July, and now he returned on a French military helicopter in the afternoon to meet with Premier Siniora in the Governmental Palace before meeting with MP Berri at 6:45 PM. After an hour, it turned out to be that Hariri had come to iterate "the necessity of approving of the resolution" that the UNSC was going to issue. Hariri asked for "no objection on the resolution", showing "some data" he had attained through his "communications abroad"; yet, Hariri did not accept hearing the remarks we had made to David Welch, for he considered that the remarks were "unimportant" and that he could make no reservations therefore. Hariri made sure he wanted to be present when a solution was reached, too.
Afterwards, MP Berri met with MP Salim Al-Hoss, iterating the importance of what had happened so far and the necessity of paying attention to details while making a stance on the presumed resolution.
MP Berri called me after he had received the final draft resolution, and he requested that we assign to the translation a fine, accurate translator who could translate the expressions usage very carefully. Berri was in a hurry since we had started running out of time; soon, the meetings of the UNSC would begin.
Siniora's senior aide Dr. Muhammad Shatah arrived while MP Berri was writing down his remarks on the paragraphs and the standards of the draft resolution. MP Berri asked me to call Haj Hussein Khalil to the meeting, and Haj Hussein joined the meeting.
First, Dr. Shatah tried to ignore the remarks MP Berri was making, outsmarting Berri while simplifying the expressions' connotations even though they bore an ambiguity matching with the background which Berri guessed the draft resolution offered, particularly when it came to the use of expressions that could be explained as "emptying the South Litany Region of arms"; likewise, the use of the term "international force" instead of the United Nations Emergency Forces (UNEF) or the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL); also the standard regarding the missions of the "international force". Through his stance, Shatah ignored the draft resolution's text concerning "the international force's" missions; he made a remark regarding our "breaking the siege and opening of the Beirut International Airport"; and he made a reservation concerning the text including the captives' issue.
In the meantime, MP Hariri called more than once to ask us not to make any remarks and "to maintain the draft resolution in order not to obstruct its issuance." Also, Premier Siniora called and made the same kind of talk, but MP Berri asked him why we had to make a stance before "Israel" did.
In the end of the session with Dr. Shatah, MP Berri wrote down a group of remarks he wanted to send to Premier Siniora. The remarks were as such:
"1-The commitment of the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to say, during her speech to the UNSC regarding the justifications for the voting, that things are going to be handled in accordance with "the April Understanding, 1996" (also known as "The Grapes of Wrath Understandings") during the period between the cessation of aggressions and the full "Israeli" withdrawal to "the Blue Line"
2-Refusing (OP8), paragraph 2 regarding emptying the South Litany Region of arms and armed fighters
3-Reservation regarding (OP11), the paragraph that allows the UNIFIL to deal with the issues relevant to the previous paragraph (OP8)
4-Reservation regarding (OP12) in order to avoid any ambiguity; crossing the term "international force" and confirming the use of the term "UNIFIL" instead
5-Giving no final stance on the resolution before "Israel" approves of it
6-Making no public stance of support, denouncement, or reservation unless upon an understanding between us"
Nasrallah: Not Handing Over My Arms No Matter What Happens!
At 10:15, the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs (Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani), who was in the UNSC, phoned us and asked for our remarks on the draft resolution. He inquired about Rice's ‘promise', too.
MP Berri stressed an important, unavoidable remark: changing the expression "empty of arms" to "empty of apparent arms."
Sheikh Hamad: "We can mention this in the speech."
Berri: "This expression is dangerous, and it needs correction. Under no circumstances are we going to accept it. And in case they use it, that's going to be against our will, and we will still disapprove of it."
Now MP Berri said encouragingly to the Qatari Sheikh: "Today, you're the only Arab-delegation member that we can talk to." Berri then pointed out several other issues regarding which he had reservations:
"1- Holding Lebanon responsible (for the July War) throughout the introduction to the resolution, which is something untrue that prevents us from claiming compensation
2-Not mentioning the bloody massacres
3-Discrimination between the "Israeli" captives and the Lebanese ones"
We had gone out for a little while by the time Haj Hussein Khalil called, asking for the return to Ain el Tineh. We climbed up to MP Berri's private chamber at home. Haj Hussein was uneasy, telling Berri, "Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has studied the proposed text according to the details I informed him of, and he tells you that he adopts the remarks you've made, particularly regarding arms; otherwise, he's never going to give up or hand over the arms even if the War continues. Sayyed Hassan is not going to accept a resolution that fulfills "Israel's" conditions, and His Eminence insists - like you do - that the paragraph (concerning Hizbullah's arms), as well as the ambiguous text concerning the UNIFIL's missions, be adjusted."
Berri to Haj Hussein: "His Eminence is right about the issue of arms. Although Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim confirmed that he would refer this issue to Lebanon, I insisted that the expression "empty of arms" be changed to "empty of apparent arms."
Berri added, "Let's go back to the other points, the term "international force" is going to be adjusted, whereby the UN secretary general is going to make the term "UNIFIL" clear and explain that the UNIFIL is not going to have anything to do with arms and armed fighters; whereas the Lebanese Army is going to be in charge of the arms issue. As for the "Israeli" captives, Premier Siniora says that the resolution's content is going to be about the Lebanese government's duties, uninvolving Hizbullah."
Now MP Berri called Premier Siniora and informed him again of the proposal on "apparent arms". Siniora said that he and Berri would handle this issue together and that the government would give instructions regarding this issue later.
Haj Hussein asked, "Does it need a Ministerial-Council resolution?! Anyway, we see that any resolution like this is a plan for a confrontational war on the Lebanese Army, and we do not seek it! Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says, "I'm not giving up my arms no matter what happens!""
"Anyway," added Haj Hussein Khalil, "His Eminence sees that:
"If the resolution is adjusted and issued yet the unjust, political introduction remains, then I shall see that a part of this resolution is unjust since it holds us responsible for the War yet ignores "Israel's" responsibility and does not convict it for the assassinations and massacres. Also, we are going to object on some materials of this unfair resolution; we are going to deal positively with the resolution, however.
On the other hand, if the adjustments are not made, then we shall see that the resolution issued has unfair and unjust parts and that it means nothing to the Resistance. Therefore, I'm going to deal with it realistically and patriotically responsibly.""
Berri: Resistance Punished, Not Glorified
Satellite channels were broadcasting the incidents of the United Nations Security Council's session. More than once, we could see Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim calling MP Berri, who reported his remarks. We could see, too, how Sheikh Jassim communicated these remarks until the formula for the UN Resolution 1701 was made and Condoleezza Rice spoke on "the April Understanding" - as the deal was. Now it was the first time to mention the Shebaa Farms, yet, no clear formularization made "Israel" committed to any procedures. The issue of timing for cease-fire at 3:00 AM on Saturday, the twelfth of August, 2006, was made ambiguous, too.
Still, the standard we had objected on (regarding emptying the South Litany Region of arms and armed fighters) remained exactly as the American draft resolution had stated, and Lebanon's envoy did not object on it after we had asked Dr. Muhammad Shatah to report our objection to Premier Siniora. Hereupon, MP Berri was outraged, exclaiming, "It's incredible to look for the Resistance fighters to punish them instead of glorifying them after they've conquered "Israel"!"
As that long day ended, each one of us returned home with many fears, looking for the formula we were going to handle the following day.
Saturday morning, the twelfth of August, 2006, was different from the previous mornings, whereby the features of a new image for Lebanon were starting to be made upon the heroic steadfastness and actual achievements. In the meantime, the international resolution was imposed on the political movement and the ordinary people who were expecting the official stance and the stance of the Resistance's forces.
Caution masked the atmosphere as the time wasted bore danger and as "Israel" might bring about more revenge and bloodshed in an attempt to fulfill a ‘victory' - probably needed by the "Israeli" Military and government. Still, "Israel" had suffered a lot throughout the War: More than 25 officers and soldiers were killed, and more than twenty tanks were demolished. Now that Wadi el Hjeir shifted into a cemetery for the "Israelis", violent confrontations on all axes expanded, and the "Israeli" aggressors was unable to make any infiltration or accomplishment to reinforce the "Israeli" situation before the announcement of cease-fire. The only thing "Israel" was able to do was performing repeated and expanded airstrikes against all of the Lebanese regions until the northernmost places in Akkar and the regions by the Lebanese-Syrian borders.
Although that day was actually hard, it reinforced the Lebanese people's morale and manifested the image of victory, which would stay long in the reminiscence of the Lebanese and Arab peoples; yet, this image would haunt the "Israeli" entity, whose structure would reveal the features of disruption upon the fall of the legend of "the Invincible Military" and upon the confusion of the different political levels.
Episode 17:
-Berri Gathers Amal's, Hizbullah's Ministers; Ali Hassan Khalil, Hussein Khalil: Envoys to the Governmental Palace
-Saad Hariri ‘Asks for' Damascus's, Tehran's Approval of Resolution 1701; March-14-Alliance Delegation Asks Speaker for Parliament: "How Will Hizbullah Be Disarmed?"
Source: As-Safir newspaper, Translated and edited by moqawama.org
