posted August 24, 2006 05:37 PM              

Monday, August 21, 2006

BENT JBAIL, Lebanon - It would aid the cause of peace if Canada dropped Hezbollah from its list of banned terrorist organizations, two Canadian MPs on a fact-finding mission to Lebanon said yesterday.

When asked if he was in favour of Hezbollah being taken off the terror list, Etobicoke Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj said: "Yes, I would be."

He likened the situation in the Middle East to that of Northern Ireland, where "if there wasn't the possibility for London to negotiate with the IRA, you'd still have bombings."

"Hezbollah has a political wing. They have members of parliament. They have two Cabinet ministers. You want to encourage politicians in this military organization so that the centre of gravity shifts to them."

New Democrat Peggy Nash, who represents the Toronto riding of Parkdale-High Park, said her discussions in Lebanon had led her to believe "that it is just not helpful to label them a terrorist organization."

"If the political parties in Lebanon who may disagree with Hezbollah, and be opposed to them and their philosophy, can figure out a way to work with Hezbollah and try to get along internally, then perhaps we should take a cue from that."

Both MPs said they would bring that message back to their caucuses, and eventually to the House of Commons, when they return to Canada this week.

Their visit came as Israeli armoured forces continued to withdraw from southern Lebanon yesterday, 36 hours after an Israeli commando raid in northern Lebanon threatened the UN-brokered ceasefire.

Maria Moureni, the Bloc Quebecois MP for Ahuntsic, is also a member of the Canadian delegation on a week-long tour of Syria, Lebanon and Egypt organized by the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

Asked her opinion of Hezbollah or its terrorist status in Canada, Ms. Moureni replied: "According to the government of Canada, Hezbollah is a terrorist group."

Stockwell Day, the Minister of Public Safety, said last night that the government would "in no way drop [Hezbollah's] terrorist designation."

"If that statement was made [by opposition members], I can't think of anything that could be more damaging to the hope of peace than to encourage the very group, Hezbollah, that is intent on the genocide of the Jewish people and the annihilation of Israel."

A government official added that engaging in talks with Hezbollah and "elevating them to negotiating status" would also encourage the organization.

A spokesman for interim Liberal leader Bill Graham's office said the party still believes that Hezbollah "belongs on the list of terrorist organizations."

Reached late last night and asked about his statement that he was in favour of Hezbollah's removal from the terror list, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj said his main concern was that international parties not be discouraged from negotiating peace with them.

"It's quite clear Hezbollah is a terrorist organization -- the way it's conducted itself, it has shot rockets into civilian areas, that's a war crime -- but what we have to do is change the legislation [that discourages communication] so we can sit down and try to bring about negotiated, non-violent solutions."

Hezbollah was formed in 1982 in Beirut and staged a series of suicide bombings that killed hundreds. Its political manifesto calls for the removal of Western influences from the Middle East, the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in Lebanon.

When Canada, under the Liberal government of Jean Chretien, added Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organizations in 2002, it noted the "Party of God" engages in car bombings, hijackings and kidnappings in Israel and Western countries. Its leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, has encouraged terrorist attacks against Americans and Jews as "moral" and "Islamic."

While acknowledging the Liberals put Hezbollah on the terror list, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj said: "When you realize that a mistake has been made that does not provide for a solution, you don't entrench your decision."

Earlier yesterday, after being taken to the ruins of a house in Qana, where 28 members of the same extended family died in an Israeli air raid, Ms. Moureni, who is of Lebanese descent, criticized Stephen Harper for supporting Israel during the war.

"This is Canada's shame," Ms. Moureni said. "Mr. Harper has given us a rather negative international image. We can see here that the attacks were [far] from being measured. The devastation is incredible."

As he met with Lebanese in towns such as Qana and Bent Jbail, which were badly hit during the war, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj repeatedly denounced Mr. Harper's support for Israel.

"We are deeply ashamed that our Prime Minister had some incredibly irresponsible comments to make at the beginning of the war," Mr. Wrzesnewskyj told a group of Lebanese who had lost many relatives during the conflict.

The NDP's Ms. Nash said Mr. Harper "had misread the amount of devastation that took place. What I am picking up here is that the time has come for a negotiated settlement, and it would be useful if Canada was a voice for negotiation. Canada's response was disappointing and bewildered people here.

"I feel just as badly for those who have suffered in Israel. It shows how futile war is."

Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro, who represents Peterborough, Ont., pulled out of the trip at the last moment, citing security concerns.

Ms. Wrzesnewskyj said he hoped to pay a visit to Israel before the end of the month. An NDP colleague was slated to visit Israel, Ms. Nash said.

Meanwhile, after a Cabinet meeting yesterday in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his government rejected the inclusion of UN peacekeepers from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Such a policy may make the work of those struggling to put together a force of 15,000 blue helmets to police the ceasefire more difficult. The only countries to volunteer a significant number of troops so far are the Muslim nations of Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. European countries such as France had indicated a willingness to participate in the force, but have been very slow to make concrete commitments because of concerns about the rules of engagement.

At a news conference Sunday in Beirut, Lebanese Defence Minister Elias Murr said anyone in Lebanon violating the ceasefire would be considered collaborators with Israel and dealt with "decisively" by Lebanese forces deploying to the south of the country.

© National Post 2006

posted August 24, 2006 05:50 PM              

VANCOUVER — The Liberals’ deputy foreign affairs critic has resigned after an uproar over his statements that Canada should negotiate directly with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is on Canada’s list of terrorist organizations.
Borys Wrzesnewskyj created a backlash within his own party when he made the statement during a visit by opposition MPs to Lebanon last week.

He was also reported to have said Hezbollah should be taken off Canada’s terrorist list, comments he later denied.

But when repeatedly pressed by reporters Wednesday on whether he’d actually made them, he finally admitted his statement was an error.

“I went to Lebanon without preconceived conclusions and my comments in South Lebanon were tempered by the overwhelming power of what I witnessed,” he said.

The suburban Toronto MP’s comments have dominated the Liberals’ three-day summer caucus retreat that was supposed to concentrate on strategy for the upcoming fall session of Parliament.

“It is important that the attention paid to statements I have made not impede the Liberal Party of Canada or our caucus’ efforts to bring forward policies which would reinforce the fragile ceasefire and aid in the humanitarian and infrastructure crises that exist,” Wrzesnewskyj said, reading from a prepared statement.

He also said he supports a UN resolution which says all warring parties must go back to the negotiating table.

His resignation came Wednesday after interim party leader Bill Graham asked him to explain his comments.

“Therefore, I consider that matter closed,” Graham said.

All 10 Liberal leadership hopefuls, including Wrzesnewskyj’s preferred candidate Gerard Kennedy, stepped up to condemn the remarks but some said he should have a chance to explain himself.

The controversy has exposed an apparent split in the party over its policy towards the Middle East.

A number of prominent members of Canada’s Jewish community, including power couple Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman, have left the party over its perceived lack of support for Israel’s bombardment of Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Frank Dimant, executive vice president of B’nai Brith Canada, welcomed the resignation.

“He was rightly isolated by members of his own caucus and ordinary Canadians for views that run contrary not only to government policy and the law of the land, but also contradict values such as respect for human life and tolerance for all freedom-loving peoples,” he said in a news release.

Dimant also praised Liberal leadership candidates Scott Brison and Carolyn Bennett, “who distinguished themselves from their peers by, rather than sitting on the fence on this issue,” immediately called for Wrzesnewskyj’s resignation.

Kennedy said he was satisfied with the Toronto MP’s statement and admired his decision to resign.

“I think Borys has clarified what he had to say," Kennedy said.

However, Bennett who called Tuesday for Wrzesnewskyj’s resignation, said she remains “worried” the MP accused Israel of engaging in “state terrorism.”

“You can’t throw around words like terrorism. That is appalling,” she said.

But Kennedy said that comment was included in Wrzesnewskyj’s blanket statement that he shouldn’t have drawn conclusions and spoke in the heat of the moment.

“I understand that. It’s a human thing, the conditions that he saw,” Kennedy said.

Bennett said the controversy should prompt parliamentarians to reconsider whether they should go on tours sponsored by groups with any particular bias or agenda.

Wrzesnewskyj’s trip was sponsored by a lobby group that promotes Canadian-Arab relations.

“It’s heart-wrenching seeing these kinds of things but you can’t go and see Lebanon without going to see Haifa,” (Agree-Lebanon got it much worse, more people died, more infrastructure destroyed-It's crazy that Israel is not put on the terrorist list?!?!?) she said, referring to the Israeli city that has been the target of many Hezbollah missiles.

Some frustrated MPs have complained the prolonged leadership race is to blame for the party’s lack of coherence on issues, particularly the conflict in Lebanon.

“Until a permanent leader is chosen, you’re not going to get the same uniform, consistent and clear policy that can be articulated by someone like Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper on behalf of his government and party,” said Montreal MP Irwin Cotler, the former justice minister.

Wrzesnewskyj (pronounced Rez-NEV-skee) is not the only Liberal to generate controversy over the Middle East. Former cabinet minister Denis Coderre marched recently in a peace rally in Montreal that included Hezbollah supporters hoisting the organization’s flag.

Coderre said Wednesday he attended the rally because it was a peace rally and that it’s unfair to say that all 15,000 people who were there were Hezbollah supporters.

He said efforts were made to have the Hezbollah flags lowered.

“I even denounced them myself,” he said.

“I was there and in a balanced way, denounced violence wheresoever it was.”

Thomas Hubert, the party’s youth leader in British Columbia, recently wrote on an Internet blog that Israel was the “most vile nation in human history,” and suggested Hezbollah might be considered freedom fighters.

He now has resigned his post on the youth wing executive.

posted August 24, 2006 05:53 PM              

MOSCOW (AP)--Russia Friday published a list of 17 groups it regards as terrorist organizations and didn't include the Palestinian militant movement Hamas or Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla group, both of which are regarded as terrorists in Washington.
Groups on the list, published in the official daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta, included al-Qaida and the Taliban as well as the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, a rebel group fighting for Kashmir's independence from India, and Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood.
The Russian Federal Security Service's top official in charge of fighting international terrorism, Yuri Sapunov, said Hamas and Hezbollah weren't a major threat to Russia and weren't regarded as terrorist groups worldwide.
But he said Russian security agencies took account of international lists of terrorist groups when exchanging intelligence with foreign counterparts.
Sapunov told Rossiiskaya Gazeta the list of 17 "includes only those organizations which represent the greatest threat to the security of our country." Also on the Russian list were groups linked to separatist militants in Chechnya and Islamic radicals in Central Asia.
Russia in the past has come under criticism for its refusal to list Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
President Vladimir Putin earlier this year provoked U.S. and Israeli anger by inviting leaders of Hamas to Moscow. The meeting made no progress in softening the group's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist or foreswear violence.
The European Union considers Hamas a terrorist organization and along with the U.S. slapped financial sanctions on the new Hamas-led government.
But it doesn't list Hezbollah as a terrorist group.
Israel is currently engaged in a fierce ground and air offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah guerrillas, who in return are firing a barrage of rockets into northern Israel. Israeli forces have also attacked the Gaza Strip to target Hamas militants.
The fighting over the last few weeks has caused devastation and hundreds of civilian casualties.

posted August 24, 2006 05:59 PM              

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Tory MP to skip Mideast visit

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Aug. 16.

The above article illuminates the ongoing practice of sponsored trips for MPs (and backroom political advisors) to the Middle East by organizations which "compete to show MPs their perspective." Read in the context of the larger article, your readership may come to believe that my participation in the current multi-party fact-finding mission to Egypt, Syria and Lebanon is subsidized by or paid for by the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR).

In fact, while organized by the NCCAR, my current trip is self-financed and was organized at my request. Indeed, as an MP, I have made an ongoing commitment to my constituents that I will not receive subsidization from any third-party organization while participating in international fact-finding missions. As such, I have travelled to Ukraine, Somalia and Darfur on fact-finding missions at my own expense.

I believe it important that any MP be able to report his or her respective findings on such missions clear of innuendo or any implication of third-party influence. Furthermore, I believe an MP's receipt of subsidization for like projects could prove a disservice to both Canada and the formulation of its foreign policy.

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Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP,

Etobicoke Centre, Toronto

posted August 25, 2006 04:39 AM              

LOL
You have to have a sense of humor with this kind of crap being spewed!

posted August 25, 2006 05:40 AM              

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=249JaIaubVw

posted August 25, 2006 04:09 PM            

You ask if we get this information on our TV? America / Canada / England and most of Europe have MONEY which means WE GET ALL KINDS OF NEWS, MATERIALS and other GOODS. We are living in some kind of 3rd world crap whole that has two news stations: Channel A - All Terrorism All Day Long and 2) How to Hate America 24/7.

You have so much nerve insinuating all of our news (remember honey we get Satellite even in our rural counties where cows outnumber people) has been filtered through some kind of "Bush-Brainwashing Channel". How in the hell can you prove YOU aren't the one getting the filtered news?

WE also have access to the internet, which has been proven again and again by all of us posting here and most of us posting articles and facts from a wide variety of sites.

You're arrogant nature may make your twit friends in your real life think you are something of a wunder-kind, but here you are just a username and you keep making yourself look like a fool by throwing out the "you're all brainwashed" stuff.

Funny.. I posted something to you the other day where you were quoted stating that the Media is not capable of brain-washing. You also posted in regards to protecting Iran and you used Pakistan and the bad example.

NOW you seem to think the media is a brainwashing mechanism and Paskistan deserves all of your loyalty.

You can't even figure out where your head is yet you keep trying to convince us you know better than we do. LMAO

You are a funny creature.

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The democratic world believes that it is not the terrorists that are to blame, but us. Us, the westerners.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the sooner you eliminate this misconception from your minds, the better.
We are NOT to blame. It is the freaking terrorists and the freaking terrorists only!!!! They are the bad guys. They do not understand concepts like peace, democracy, and respect for human life. They are, pure and simPle, EVIL!!!!! Behind all their political manipulations, if you carefully look at the actions of these MONSTERS, they are EVIL!!

http://www.mideastweb.org/log/archives/00000489.htm

posted August 25, 2006 04:22 PM              

Israel is the original terrorist state...and continues to terrorize Palestinians and surrounding Arabs like the Lebanese in the war that just happened.

posted August 25, 2006 04:27 PM              

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Mideast intrigue tangles Liberals

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Aug. 23.

I am disappointed by the stance which so many Liberal leadership hopefuls have taken in condemning one of their fellow members. I see very little wrong in what Borys Wrzesnewskyj said during his visit to Lebanon. Surprisingly, Amnesty International, a well-respected, worldwide organization, echoed similar language in describing Israel's action.

In previous federal and provincial elections, I voted Liberal. Yet, as I see very little backbone in the leadership hopefuls, I will most likely vote NDP. If the Bloc Québécois were an available alternative in this province, I would surely vote for one of their people, as their leader speaks with authenticity.

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Carm Caruana, Toronto

Amnesty Report Accuses Israel of War Crimes: http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/002610.html

Have to talk to Hezbollah
Aug. 25, 2006. 01:00 AM

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Outspoken Liberal MP exits foreign critic post

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Aug. 24.

The recent flap over a Liberal MP's suggestion that Canada should be encouraging a dialogue with Hezbollah is very unfortunate.

The rationale that one should never talk to a militant group is flawed and part of the verbal arsenal of the neo-con assault on common sense.

No one can dispute that Hezbollah is part and parcel of the 1.4 million Lebanese in southern Lebanon and its formation is the direct result of the political aspirations of the Lebanese Shia.

If we want to discourage a group from pursuing its political goals through violence, what better way than talking to it about its political goals. By not talking, the only avenue left open for grassroots political aspirations is violence.

Britain talked to the Irish Republican Army, Russia talks to the Chechens and even Israel has had several negotiations with Hezbollah. Even the Bill Clinton administration negotiated with Al Qaeda types in Bosnia. Russia does talk to Hezbollah, and can be used as an intermediary.

Refusing to talk to a genuine, though sometimes violent, political group is forcing it to further violence. How else do we deal with them? Kill them all, or hope they will be intimidated? That is playing directly into the neo-con view of the world.

And for a Canadian MP to have to resign a post over suggesting dialogue, is indeed a sad day for Canada.

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Akber Choudhry, Toronto

posted August 25, 2006 04:32 PM              

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Mideast conflict

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The human race never ceases to amaze me. Instead of learning how to live in peace with each other and avoid deadly conflicts, we allow them to occur repeatedly. Am I the only one who finds it completely ridiculous that after bombing, or allowing another country to bomb, a country's infrastructure into the ground, we turn around and pour hundreds of millions of dollars into rebuilding it? How many times do we have to go through this idiotic cycle?

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Kris Dubuque, Brampton