AMMAN, Jordan, May 18 (UPI) -- Arab press roundup for May 18:
Lebanon's independent as-Safir daily quoted the chief of Lebanon's Christian Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, as confirming for the first time that four Iranians, including two diplomats, who vanished in the country in 1982 were killed. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving 11 years, told the paper the four Iranians were killed by Lebanese Forces elements. Iran's chargé d'affaires and military attaché, as well as a photojournalist and their driver, vanished at an LF checkpoint in 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, but Tehran believes the LF might have handed them over to Israel and are being held there. The LF were allied with Israel during the 1975-1990 civil war. Geagea told the paper the four Iranians "died shortly after their arrest" in Lebanon adding that the Lebanese and Iranian governments have been provided with this information. The daily said Iranian officials have been in indirect contact with the LF "through mutual friends" in recent months to know the fate of the four men and they were told they were killed on the orders of the military chief of LF in the Beirut at the time, Elie Hobeika. Hobeika was killed in a car bomb a few years ago in the Lebanese capital.
Another Lebanese daily, al-Anwar, commented that the U.N. Security Council's latest resolution, 1680, which "encourages" diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria and calls for demarcating their borders is unprecedented in international relations. The daily, which describes itself as independent, said the resolution complicates the situation in Lebanon and its relations with Syria. But since there is no Lebanese-Syrian dialogue, it argued, the Lebanese have to decide what their priorities are in getting out of their political and economic crisis through their own national dialogue. The paper said the leaders agree on most issues, but their positions are being determined by where they stand in the "big struggle between the Syrian-Iranian alliance and the American-French alliance." It added the armed clashes between Palestinian elements and the Lebanese army near the Syrian border on the day the resolution was issued may have been a coincidence, "but the clash sheds light on the role of Palestinian weapons outside the camps, and is within the bigger game."
Syria's official al-Thawra commented the Security Council resolution on Lebanon and Syria sets a dangerous precedent for the U.N. member states and the future of the international organization as a whole. The state-run daily said everyone knows that establishing diplomatic ties are the concern of the countries involved, saying the American and French-sponsored resolution was meant to embarrass Syria "without any encouragement" for its implementation of Resolution 1559, in reference to its withdrawal from Lebanon. The paper insisted that contrary to what some believe, the resolution violates Lebanon's sovereignty and independence more than Syria's own sovereignty. "This is another complication to the many in this sad region, and all for the sake of Israel, its policies and supporters in rejecting the peace plans."
Oman daily said Resolution 1680 came urging the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian borders but ignores that Israel has had no borders for more than 50 years. The Oman paper added in its editorial that not only did the Security Council interfere directly in relations between two Arab neighbors, it has "not dared to urge the Israeli entity to give back Palestinian rights and withdraw from the occupied Arab territories and remove the (Jewish) settlements." It insisted the international political game has been uncovered, saying the double standards have become clear and the credibility of the international community is at its lowest standard. "The U.N. has become an observer of struggles and confined its role to serve the strong powers, especially the United States, which succeeded in marginalizing the U.N. role and used the Security Council to implement its policies," the paper complained. The current world order, it stressed, does not indicate achieving peace and security, but is escalating further into turbulence, pre-emptive wars, rising terrorism and dominance of power. The daily said that instead of interfering in bilateral relations and serving strong countries, the U.N. would do better to end big struggles.
The United Arab Emirates' al-Khaleej condemned the abduction of a UAE diplomat in Iraq, Naji al-Nuaimi, as a terrorist act and asked what the "professional killers, kidnappers and saboteurs" want for their country. The pro-government daily said in its editorial that targeting diplomats representing countries helping Iraqis, and Iraqis themselves, can only be condemned when Iraq needs all the help it can get to be rehabilitated. The UAE's role in helping the Iraqis should not be rewarded with criminal behavior, it said, unless the aim is to keep the country in a state of chaos, sedition and bloodshed, as well as keeping Iraq "hostage to the occupation." The Dubai-based mass-circulation complained that Iraqis were no longer safe from death in their own country, saying that an urgent Iraqi-Arab-international action is needed to provide the right atmosphere to save the country. It said the professional killers and kidnappers are serving the extension of the occupation and are preventing the Iraqis from controlling their country.
