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Viewing cable 06BEIRUT897, MGLEB01: New TV's Criticism of Judiciary Crosses

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BEIRUT897 2006-03-21 15:56 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Beirut
VZCZCXRO6776
OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHMOS
DE RUEHLB #0897/01 0801556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211556Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2675
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 000897 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA; INFO R, NEA/PPD, NEA/PI 
 
 
E.O. 12958:    N/A 
TAGS: KPAO PHUM KMPI KDEM OEXC SCUL LE
SUBJECT: MGLEB01: New TV's Criticism of Judiciary Crosses 
GOL Redlines 
 
REF:  A) 03 BEIRUT 9; B) 03 BEIRUT 2269; 
 
C) 03 BEIRUT 5167; D) 03 BEIRUT 5443 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  An episode on Arabic-nationalist, 
independent New Television's (New TV) weekly 90-minute call- 
in program "Al Fasad" (Corruption) 3/10 strongly criticized 
Lebanon's judiciary, naming judges -- both Syrian appointee 
holdovers and friends of March 14 leaders -- it alleged were 
corrupt.  Public Prosecutor and March 14 proponent Said 
Mirza. ,  acted immediately, demanding the episode not be re- 
broadcast as scheduled and that presenter Ghada Eid appear 
in court on Monday 3/13.  New TV's latest run in with 
Lebanon's judiciary highlights the influence Syrian- 
appointees still exert over Lebanon's governing 
institutions, the limits on press freedom on sensitive 
issues, and the difficulty of untangling decades of mutually 
beneficial relationships between Lebanon's political class 
and its government institutions.  In other words, not all 
"March 14" figures are necessarily living up to the "spirit 
of March 14." Efforts to convince Lebanon's skeptical 
population that its government is transparent and 
accountable suffered a setback this week, but New TV, which 
has marketed itself as an independent "champion of the 
people," isn't a white-hatted hero of a responsible 
journalism, either.  END SUMMARY. 
 
New TV Ends up in Court After Call In Program 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) After Arabic-nationalist, independent New 
Television aired an episode of its weekly 90-minute program 
"Al Fasad" (Corruption) hosted by Ghada Eid 3/10, the 
station received a telephone call from Lebanon's Office of 
the Public Prosecutor.  Complaining about the program's 
allegations of corruption in the judiciary, the official 
told New Television not to re-run the episode as scheduled. 
As New Television was re-broadcasting on Saturday, 3/11, 
members of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) Information 
Unit swept into the studio.  Waving a summons from the 
judiciary, the officers demanded that the program's host, 
Ghada Eid, appear for a judicial hearing on Monday.  New TV 
interrupted the broadcast immediately. 
 
3. (SBU) When Eid arrived at the Palais de Justice Monday 
morning she was referred to the criminal court, not the 
Publication Court which normally hears cases of defamation. 
Grilled for nine hours, Eid was asked to provide proof of 
her allegations that the judiciary was corrupt; she was 
illegally denied the right to a lawyer.  After questioning, 
Eid was released, with no indication of whether further 
action will be taken against her or New TV. 
 
Not New TV's First Clash with GOL Authorities 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) New TV, a private station that ranks third in news 
viewership among Lebanese audiences, was established in 1991 
by businessman and Hariri-opponent Tahseen Khayat.  New TV 
is the only private Lebanese television not backed by a 
political party; its investors include the Government of 
Qatar, believed to have invested in New TV to counteract 
Saudi support for Rafik Hariri's Future Television. 
 
5. (SBU) New TV markets itself as Arab nationalist, and as a 
"true" opposition station looking out for the average 
Lebanese citizen; its programming and news often flirt with 
the sensational.  It has had run-ins with Lebanon's 
authorities before.  In January 2003, then-Prime Minister 
Rafiq al-Hariri's government cut off New TV's satellite 
links to prevent it from broadcasting a talk show that 
included Saudi oppositionists. (Ref A) (President Lahoud 
reversed Hariri's order days later.) In June 2003, the state 
prosecutor announced that the station would be investigated 
for slander after it broadcast allegations of corruption 
against then-Transportation Minister Najib Mikati and then- 
Surete Generale chief Jamil as-Sayyed (the latter is now 
jailed on suspicion of involvement in the Hariri 
assassination) (Ref B).  In December 2003, Khayyat was 
briefly detained on allegations of ties with Israel, and 
then-Information Minister Michel Samaha imposed a 48-hour 
news moratorium on his station for additional criticism of 
Mr. Sayyed as well as of Syria's military intelligence 
 
BEIRUT 00000897  002 OF 003 
 
 
"proconsul" in Lebanon, Brigadier Rustom Ghazaleh (Refs C 
and D). 
 
6. (SBU) In May 2004, late Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri sued 
New TV, for "defamation, fabrications, and sectarianism" 
after a series of programs criticized municipal corruption 
and accused Prime Minister Hariri's son of illegal 
transactions in Saudi Arabia.  New TV later issued an 
apology; the lawsuit is still pending.  Shortly after, New 
TV's Sidon correspondent Ali Hashisho found three grenades 
on the windshield of his parked car and a note warning him 
that the car was booby-trapped; authorities have not 
determined who made the threat. 
 
7. (SBU) Until the Syrian withdrawal in April 2005, Khayyat 
carried out a vocal campaign against Syrian occupation, 
criticizing Ghazaleh in particular.  Khayyat's Arab backers 
often intervened to placate Syrian anger.  Although 
Lebanon's "opposition" is now in power, New TV has stuck 
with its anti-government stance, criticizing equally those 
in power now who also benefited under Syrian occupation and 
tapping into popular discontent over the slow pace of reform 
to increase its viewership. 
 
Is the Judiciary a Red Line for the Media? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
8. (SBU) Ms. Eid introduced the week's episode of her 15- 
month old program "Al Fasad", acknowledging that "speaking 
about a corrupt or non functional judiciary was taboo" but 
that "no one will be able to deny truth" after "an honest 
look."  After a three minute taped interview with Lebanese 
lawyer Roula Al Khazen, who described corrupt judicial 
practices, including bribery, unfair sentencing and delays 
in sentencing, viewers were invited to call in with 
questions or comments.  Eid's on air guest was lawyer Joseph 
Abou Fadel, legal and judicial affairs editorialist at 
sensationalist pro-Syria Ad-Diyar newspaper.  He accused 
Syria of corrupting Lebanon's judiciary during its 
occupation of Lebanon.  He also detailed cases of judicial 
"corruption" under Prime Minister Hariri. Callers described 
cases of bribery, political interference, and corruption and 
named names. 
 
9. (SBU) Lebanese we talk to tell us that Public Prosecutor 
Mirza's actions against New TV are not about censorship per 
se but rather expose long accepted red lines for Lebanon's 
relatively-free press.  Among the "taboo" topics still 
remaining after Syrian withdrawal is discussion on the 
tangled web of mutually beneficial relationships between 
Lebanon's political class and its government institutions. 
Even a March 14 proponent such as Judge Mirza -- close to 
the Hariris -- may well recognize the Pandora's Box that is 
opened by a televised on air call in program-and if he 
doesn't, the hundreds of Syrian-appointed judges below him 
certainly do. 
 
10. (SBU) The Public Prosecutor's apparent willingness to 
take action against New TV and its political talk show host 
Ghada Eid may be in reaction to pressure from largely Syrian- 
appointed judges intent on laying down a marker against 
criticism.  Similarly, Mirza may also be responding to 
pressure from March 14 forces - some of whom benefited from 
Syria's presence and who were themselves involved in 
corruption, in other words, "March 14" figures not living up 
to the "spirit of March 14."  Equally, Mirza and more 
genuine "March 14" figures may wish to prevent unfounded and 
unhelpful accusations of a government that is doing its best 
to promote more transparent and accountable government 
institutions.  Eid, herself, tells us that she is convinced 
that Mirza's actions were motivated by a desire to preserve 
the "dignity" of the judiciary. 
 
But New TV isn't so Innocent Either 
----------------------------------- 
 
9. (SBU) New TV is not as innocent or clean as it would like 
to appear, however.  Its sensationalistic reporting seems to 
have one purpose -- increasing viewership.  It has 
successfully done so, primarily -- and perhaps most 
satisfyingly to some of its investors -- at the expense of 
Hariri-owned Future Television.  Khayyat and his station 
have often appeared to be pawns in much bigger feuds, and at 
various levels:  Lahoud used them against Hariri, for 
example, and New TV's Qatari sponsors have used them to 
embarrass Hariri's patrons in Riyadh.  Some suspected that 
 
BEIRUT 00000897  003 OF 003 
 
 
Khayyat's audacious jabs at the Syrian-Lebanese security 
apparatus were an attempt to ditch his money-losing and 
poorly-managed station in a way that made it appear to go 
out in a blaze of muckraking glory. 
 
10. (SBU) Comment: New TV's latest run in with Lebanon's 
judiciary also highlights the influence Syrian-appointees 
still exert over Lebanon's governing institutions, the 
limits on press freedom on sensitive issues and the 
difficulty of untangling decades of mutually beneficial 
relationships between Lebanon's political class and its 
government institutions.  Convincing Lebanon's skeptical 
population that its government is transparent and 
accountable suffered a setback this week, but New TV, who 
has marketed itself as an independent "champion of the 
people" isn't a white hatted hero of a responsible 
journalism, either.  In reforming its government 
institutions, Lebanon still has some way to go. 
 
FELTMAN