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| Vol. 2 No. 2 | February 2000 |
Aounists Win Student Elections at Lebanese University
25 January 2000
The Free National Current loyal to exiled former Prime Minister Michel Aoun swept all 24 seats in student elections at the Lebanese University's College of Literature and Humanities. Over 3500 students attend the college.
Lebanese Islamist Group Threatens to Abduct Israelis
25 January 2000
Radio Monte Carlo reported today that the militant Lebanese Islamist group Al-Muqawamah al-Mu'minah [The Faithful Resistance] has threatened to kidnap Israelis in order to trade them for its leader, Mustafa al-Dirani, currently imprisoned in Israel. Israel kidnapped Dirani from his home in 1994 in order to obtain information about Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who was shot down in Lebanon in 1986.
Attack against Russian Embassy Foiled
26 January 2000
Al-Nahar reported today that security forces foiled an attack against the Russian embassy a few days ago. Armed gunmen were spotted on the roof of a building near the embassy but fled "in a vehicle with military insignia" after being discovered. On January 2, a gunman claiming to be "a martyr for Grozny" fired several rocket-propelled grenades at the Russian embassy in Beirut, killing a security guard and wounding several others.
Israeli Agent Sentenced to Death by Military Court
28 January 2000
A military court sentenced Hussein Alayyan, 37, to death today for providing Israel with information that led to the July 1999 assassination of Hezbollah official Khodr Salameh in Hlalieh, near Sidon. Alayyan, a former member of the rival Shi'ite Amal militia, also delivered information to Israel about officials in charge of Hezbollah's radio and television stations. His mother, Khadija Mroue, was sentenced to one year in prison with hard labor, while his wife, Rola, received a two-year sentence.
Syria, Lebanon Discuss Transport Integration
31 January 2000
Lebanese Minister of Transport Najib Miqati and his Syrian counterpart held talks in Damascus today to discuss the integration of air, maritime and land transportation between the two countries. Abdul Karim told reporters that plans to extend rail transport from Homs in central Syria to Tripoli in northern Lebanon were nearly finalized.
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| "Dangerous outlaws" on public display |
In a bizarre public spectacle today, apparently intended to demonstrate the Lahoud regime's resolve to crack down on crime, the head of the Judicial Police lined up 22 recently arrested criminal suspects before journalists and photographers and praised the country's law enforcement agencies. "The Judicial Police worked day and night to bring those outlaws to justice," said Brigadier Samir Soboh. The suspects were charged with crimes ranging from possession of counterfeit currency to credit card fraud.
SLA Withdraws from Soujoud
4 February 2000
The South Lebanon Army (SLA) withdrew from the strategic mountain outpost of Soujoud overlooking the Iqlim al-Tuffah region early today. A spokesperson for the Israeli army said that SLA forces redeployed to two new positions that "afford better protection." In January, the SLA abandoned an outpost to the northeast of Soujoud at Kfar Houna. The new front line now runs through Rihan, a village east of Soujoud.
Bashar Assad, Ghazi Kanaan "Consult" with Lahoud
6 February 2000
According to government officials, President Emile Lahoud met today with Col. Bashar Assad, the son and heir apparent of Syrian President Hafez Assad, and Maj. Gen. Ghazi Kanaan, the head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon to discuss "current events in light of the relations of brotherhood and coordination between the two countries."
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| Lebanese army soldiers clear rubble from the Jamhour power station near Beirut |
Israeli aircraft struck three major power stations in Lebanon today in retaliation for Hezbollah attacks on IDF troops in the south Lebanon security zone. Five days later, US Assistant Secretary of State Edward Walker acknowledged that "the April Understanding made it very clear that civilian targets and infrastructure, especially power facilities, should not be targeted."
Murphy: The US Wants Syria out of Lebanon
8 February 2000
In an interview with the Lebanese daily L'Orient le Jour, former US ambassador Richard Murphy said the US Wants to see Syrian forces depart from Lebanon after the conclusion of a Syrian-Israeli peace treaty. "Of course, Syria will not pullout before Israel," said Murphy, but "I don't think it is in Syria's interest to maintain its army in Lebanon." Murphy was not speaking in an official capacity, however, and US officials have explicitly declined to discuss the Syrian occupation of Lebanon.
Probe of Embassy Attack Continues
9 February 2000
According to numerous press reports, Lebanese Investigating Magistrate Hatem Madi has questioned 13 people in connection with the attack last month on the Russian embassy in Beirut by a lone Palestinian gunman claiming to be a "martyr for Grozny." No arrests have been made yet. Around 32 people suspected of involvement in last month's Sunni Islamist uprising in Dinnieh are still in custody.
� 2000 Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. All rights reserved.