LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 24/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:60-69. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 The trap of regional peace-Ha'aretz 23/08/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 23/09
 Iraq shows video it says is confession of bomber-Washington Post
 EGYPT: How guilty are those in the 'Hezbollah cell'?-Los Angeles Times
 Egypt tries 26 men suspected of Hezbollah links-Reuters
 Barak: True nature of Iranian regime revealed-Israeli News
 Alloush: Hizbullah Forming Militias in Tripoli-Naharnet
Sfeir: Those who Cripple Formation Will Answer to God, the Homeland and History-Naharnet
 Caretaker Government Can Only Hold Cabinet Sessions in Case of Emergencies; New Bets on Regional Movement to Help Formation-Naharnet
 Najjar Denies Receiving Information on Barouk Station; Bassil Criticizes Attempts to 'Ridicule' case-Naharnet
 Wahab Fears for Aoun's Life-Naharnet
 Alain Aoun: There should be a deadline on cabinet formation-Now Lebanon
 Qabbani: Opposition cannot force Hariri to accept demands-Now Lebanon
 Zahra says Aoun obstructing cabinet formation due to regional causes-Now Lebanon
 Abu Faour: we are part of the majority-Future News
 Bassil lashes out at Justice Minister-Future News
 Soueid breaks hip in horseback-riding-Future News
 Joe Sarkis: Hariri has the right to refuse Aoun’s demands-Future News
 Legislative Council calls officials to cooperate with Premier designate in forming cabinet-Future News
 Shamoun: we won’t concede Lebanon’s best interest-Future News


Barak: True nature of Iranian regime revealed
Defense minister slams decision to appoint suspect of 1994 Buenos Aires bombings as Iran's defense minister
Roni Sofer Published: 08.22.09, 23:31 / Israel News
Defense Minister Ehud Barak slammed the decision to appoint Ahmad Vahidi as the Iranian defense minister. Barak claimed that the decision "proves once again the nature of the regime in Iran and its leader's intentions." A Defense Ministry statement read, "The entire world should study this case thoroughly and examine the intentions of the Iranian administration and its leader, who appoints a terrorist as a defense minister in its government." Ahmad Vahidi, who commanded a unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force at the time of the attack, was nominated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday along with others to fill Cabinet positions. Vahidi is also wanted in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires in which 85 people were killed and 200 wounded. Earlier on Saturday the Argentinean Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the appointment, calling it an affront to Argentine justice and the victims of the terrorist attack on the Jewish community center. The statement further read that news of the nomination was received with grave concern in Argentina.
Tehran brushed aside the criticism as part of a "Zionist plot", as Ahmadinejad press adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr wondered why the Argentineans didn't bring up the matter in the past.
US officials also reacted with concern. "If this report is true and if this man is confirmed as a cabinet minister and is wanted by Interpol for his involvement in a terrorist act, of course this would be disturbing," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

Iraq shows video it says is confession of bomber
Reuters
Sunday, August 23, 2009; 11:38 AM
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi official on Sunday showed a video of what he said was a supporter of late dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party confessing to organizing one of the truck bomb blasts last week in which 95 people died. The man, who appeared oddly calm for someone accused of taking part in the bloodiest attack of the year in Iraq, said he had orchestrated the bombing together with a leader of a branch of the now outlawed Baath party who was living in Syria.
"A month ago Sattam Farhan ... called from Syria and asked me to conduct a bombing operation to shake the administration," said the bald and mustachioed man, described as a former police chief named Wissam Ali Kadhim Ibrahim. "He said that if you can't do it, we have other factions that can."
Many Saddam loyalists fled to Syria after the fall of Saddam in 2003, and Iraqi officials frequently blame neighboring countries for fomenting violence in Iraq.
Baghdad security spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi, who showed the video to the media, had previously announced the arrest of a group of Baathists he alleged were responsible for Wednesday's bombings, which devastated the foreign and finance ministries. His office said on Sunday shortly after the taped confession was aired that every police officer manning checkpoints on the day of the blasts between Baghdad and Diyala province, where the prisoner said the attack was put together, had been arrested.
The bombings, in which more than 1,000 people were wounded, many by glass from the ministries' shattered windows, dealt a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's claim ahead of an election in January to have presided over a fall in violence.
U.S. PULLOUT
They also shook public confidence in the Iraqi security forces, six weeks after U.S. troops pulled out of urban centres and handed primary responsibility for defending the population against insurgent attacks to domestic troops and police. It was difficult to ascertain the veracity of the confession and of the detentions connected with the bombings. The government has often trumpeted the arrests of major terrorism suspects only to be proven wrong. The announcement that the culprits behind Wednesday's explosions had been arrested on the same day as the bombings was only made after two days of intense criticism of Iraqi security forces. Moussawi said other confessions from the network allegedly behind the blasts would be shown to Iraqis in coming days after the conclusion of investigations by judges. In the video, the man did not mention trucks or the foreign ministry. He hinted at collusion by someone in the security forces.
"I called someone in Muqdadiya (in Diyala province) to ease the passage of the car through checkpoints to Baghdad. He asked for $10,000," the man said. "A person called Sattar called me from Baghdad and told me that a car had been prepared in Khalis (in Diyala). I sent this person (from Muqdadiya) to Khalis who brought the car to Baghdad ... and it exploded outside the finance ministry." (Reporting by Muhanad Mohammad and Mohammed Abbas; writing by Michael Christie; editing by Andrew Roche)

Accused allege torture in Egypt jail
By Jailan Zayan (AFP)
CAIRO — Twenty-two men, dressed in white and crowded into a cage in a Cairo court, denied charges on Sunday of plotting attacks in Egypt for Lebanon's Hezbollah group, with some alleging torture by police. As the trial began, the alleged members of the cell pleaded not guilty to charges of "conspiracy to murder, spying for a foreign organisation with intent of conducting terrorist attacks and weapons possession." Some of the defendants said they had been tortured in police custody, with one man shouting to the judge: "If you dont' believe us, just look at our bodies." Four more accused are on the run and are being tried in abstentia, including alleged Lebanese mastermind Mohammed Qublan.
The accused include two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians. During the hearing one man shouted, "We are at your command Nasrallah," in an apparent reference to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who admitted in April that one of the defendants, Lebanese Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed Mansur known as Sami Shihab, was a Hezbollah agent.
Nasrallah said Mansur was tasked with smuggling weapons to militants in the Gaza Strip. Family members were barred from attending the hearing. Dozens of relatives stood outside the courtroom under the scorching heat in the hope of getting a glimpse of the defendants they had not seen in months. "We dont' know anything about him. We have not seen him or heard from him in over nine months," said the mother of Ihab Abdel Hadi, 30, who was arrested from his home in the north Sinai town of El-Arish in December.Ihab's wife Dina, 20, wearing a long black gown and niqab slitted to reveal her wet eyes, prayed nearby as she carried her one-year-old son. "He is innocent, totally innocent. He is not into politics. He is a simple builder who only cares about his family," the softly-spoken woman told AFP.
As the blue vans carrying the defendants rolled in amid a blare of sirens, female relatives began to wail. "May God punish the punishers," screamed one woman at the top of her voice. "Show some mercy during (the holy month of) Ramadan," shouted another.
Munira al-Hanafi, the wife of defendant Mossad Abdel Rahman al-Sherif, said her husband had been living in Saudi Arabia for the past two years and only came back to Egypt in April, when he was arrested at the airport. "If he were guilty, would he have come home in the middle of the storm?" she asked, standing next to Mossad's two sisters who were carrying plastic bags filled with food and drink they hoped to pass on to their brother. Authorities began arresting members of what has become known as the "Hezbollah cell" in 2008, accusing them of plotting attacks against Israeli tourists and on ships in the Suez Canal. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hezbollah's Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit accusing Iran of using Hezbollah to gain a foothold in Egypt.The next hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Alloush: Hizbullah Forming Militias in Tripoli
Naharnet/Former MP Mustapha Alloush has accused Hizbullah of forming militias in Tripoli and warned that the city might witness "a security explosion," the pan-Arab daily quoted him as saying in an interview published Sunday. The leading member of Al-Mustaqbal movement said Hizbullah has been trying to "recruit individuals to carry out militia-related activities by paying them sums of money." The Shiite party already has two groups in Tripoli, he claimed. "We have their names and we have informed the security forces. The rest is up to them," he added. Asked if a raid a few days ago of an apartment in al-Zahiriyeh, which belongs to an army recruit and where a large weapons cache was found, was linked to Hizbullah, he replied: "It was said that what was found is connected to Hizbullah. But I do not have any confirmations about that."  Meanwhile, a member of the Tripoli municipality, Ahmed al-Marj, told the paper that "the person whose apartment was raided has ties with Hizbullah." "There are individuals who are being recruited in several regions such as al-Qubba and al-Tabeneh. So far, 200 people have been recruited to create a Sunni-Sunni strife," he added. He stressed on the need to shun "infighting" by the region's families. "Maybe they want to distract us by creating infighting among the Sunnis in case there was a repeat of May 7 (2008 clashes) in Beirut. But we will not allow it," he said. "This is a weapon being used to create conflict and we have no interest in tensions or infighting," Marj added. Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 09:33

Sfeir: Those who Cripple Formation Will Answer to God, the Homeland and History
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir expressed concern over the current situation in the country during Sunday sermon and called for a new government to be formed as the only way out. Sfeir warned that "anyone who is obstructing the cabinet shape-up will answer to God, the homeland and to history." Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 11:08

Caretaker Government Can Only Hold Cabinet Sessions in Case of Emergencies; New Bets on Regional Movement to Help Formation
Naharnet/State Minister Khaled Qabbani said Sunday a council of ministers session was "out of the question" unless in case of emergency or an extraordinary event, as confrontational political tones subsided and as the country awaits the return from Saudi Arabia of the premier-designate to resume deliberations. The Lebanese An Nahar newspaper reported that behind "the scenes contacts with diplomatic Arab channels over the past two days have caused speculation there is a serious bet on a joint Saudi-Syrian movement that will bring results in the near future."The paper reported that the Saudi Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja visited Damascus recently in addition to Beirut. For its part, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat quoted opposition sources as saying that "obstacles to the government formation are caused by internal factors rather than external, contrary to what majority forces believe." They said pro-government forces were trying to "present a delay in the formation and Hizbullah's solidarity with MP Michel Aoun as caused by external factors." Meanwhile, majority members and some Arab sources said that Syria "is waiting for more sides to intervene to ask for its help in pressuring its allies to facilitate the premier-designate's mission." Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 10:57

Najjar Denies Receiving Information on Barouk Station; Bassil Criticizes Attempts to 'Ridicule' case
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Sunday a license for al-Barouk internet network was issued in June 2004 by then Cabinet Minister Jean Louis Qerdahi while in 2007 Minister Marwan Hamadeh refused to authorize interconnection by the company. In an interview with Voice of Lebanon Radio, Najjar denied reports the judiciary has "received any information or technical reports from the telecoms ministry or any other side of an Israeli transmission station in Tallat al-Barouk."  He also said the judiciary was unaware that the station had directed its satellite dishes toward the south or that "sophisticated Israeli-made equipment were found in there." In reaction, Telecoms Minister Jebran Bassil wondered: "Why is Minister Najjar seeking to undermine and underestimate what is already there?" He told An Nahar daily in comments published Sunday that he has still not "accuse anyone. It is not my job to investigate and punish." He said that all he did was "present all available data to the judiciary." "I do not understand why the justice minister is trying so hard to ridicule the case. In the beginning he issued a statement saying the station had nothing to do with internet but to television which completely false," Bassil said. "He then went on to say, after he refuted his statement, that the telecoms ministry did not inform the judiciary," he added. Bassil said the telecoms ministry has been waiting for a signal from the public prosecution "to make a move." "The judiciary has been aware of the operation since its start on April 2. Therefore, the question here is not whether the judiciary is informed of the case, it is whether the justice minister is aware of what is going on in the judiciary," he added. Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 10:13

Wahab Fears for Aoun's Life
Naharnet/Tawheed Movement leader Wiam Wahab said Saturday that he fears for Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun's life "because they will try to wipe him out by all means." In a radio interview, Wahab said the "harsh campaign" launched against Aoun is "beyond what is declared because he is the only one who stands against (Palestinian) naturalization."
Wahab said he was not the "only" mediator among Lebanese political parties with Syria. "I am Lebanese hundred percent. My mission was to convey a 10-word letter to Democratic Gathering bloc leader Walid Jumblat. That's it," he added. Beirut, 22 Aug 09, 16:41

Hizbullah Cell to be Tried by Egypt Security Court
Naharnet/Twenty-six men accused of plotting attacks on behalf of Hizbullah on tourist resorts and on ships in the Suez Canal will go on trial in an Egyptian security court on Sunday.
The suspects -- two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians -- face charges of "conspiracy to murder, spying for a foreign organization with the intent of conducting terrorist attacks and weapons possession." Four more accused are on the run and will be tried in absentia, including Lebanese alleged mastermind Mohammed Qublan who is believed to have left Egypt.
Defense lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsud told AFP that some of the defendants had confessed to planning attacks against Israelis.
"Those whose names appear on the list, including number two suspect Lebanese Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed Mansur known as Sami Shihab, told prosecutors during questioning that they initially planned attacks against Israeli tourists in Sinai in response to the killing of (Hizbullah leader) Imad Mughniyeh, but that orders came from Hizbullah leadership banning such activities," he said. Mughniyeh, a Hizbullah commander, was killed by a car bombing in Damascus in a February 2008 attack that was blamed on but denied by Israel. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah admitted in April that Shihab was a Hizbullah agent tasked with smuggling weapons to militants into the Gaza Strip. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hizbullah's Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit accusing Iran of using Hizbullah to gain a foothold in Egypt. The defendants said that their main goal was to help Palestinians in Gaza, Maqsud said. Egyptian security forces had said that five of the accused in what is being called the "Hizbullah cell case" belonged to the banned Muslim Brotherhood but that they had left the organization in recent years. In an interview aired on Monday by the U.S. television network CBS, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak claimed that the Brotherhood had contacts with Hizbullah and Hamas. "They have contacts with Hamas. They have contacts with Hizbullah. These are well-known and they have contacts with many organizations," he said, but added: "As long as they do not commit any terrorist crimes, I don't care." Hizbullah, formed after Israel occupied Lebanon in 1982, has limited its attacks in the Middle East to Israel and Lebanon, from which Israel withdrew in 2000. Israel and Hizbullah fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilians, a third of them children, as well as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. State security courts were set up under Egypt's emergency laws which have been in place since 1981. Their verdicts are final.(AFP) Beirut, 22 Aug 09, 16:07

Peres: Hizbullah Has 80,000 Missiles that Might Bring Calamity to Lebanon
Naharnet/Israeli President Shimon Peres said in comments published Saturday that Israel knew about "80,000 missiles" in the possession of Hizbullah. In an interview with the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper, Peres cast doubt on "Hizbullah's goals and the justifications for its presence."  "Hizbullah is working for its own interests and will always find a pretext to continue its policy against Israel, even if the (Israeli army) withdrew from Shebaa Farms and the Lebanese Ghajar village," he said. "Lebanon used to have an ambition to become the Switzerland of the Orient, and why not? But instead it has become the Iran of the region," he said. He said that Hizbullah's missiles "might lead to a disaster for the Lebanese because the last war brought unnecessary calamities to Lebanon." Peres was referring to Israel's 33-day war with Lebanon in the summer of 2006 and which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilians, a third of them children. Asked if Israel would respond to a Hizbullah attack against Israeli targets abroad to avenge the assassination last year of Hizbullah commander Imad Moghniyeh, Peres answered: "I do not know what this revenge is about. "Moghniyeh himself was a top assassin and he who kills becomes a target as well," he added. "He was the head of (Hizbullah's) special operations, and no one knows who killed him. There is no evidence that a certain side carried out the assassination. And obviously if Israel is attacked it will defend itself," Peres said. Moghniyeh was killed by a car bombing in Damascus in a February 2008 attack that was blamed on but denied by Israel. Beirut, 22 Aug 09, 13:35

Qabbani: Opposition cannot force Hariri to accept demands
August 23, 2009 /Now Lebanon
State Minister Khaled Qabbani speaks in an interview on Future News: -The opposition or any political party has the right to inform the Prime Minister-designate of their demands, but they cannot force him to accept them and threaten to obstruct the process of the cabinet formation if he did not respond. -The PM-designate Saad Hariri is keen on forming a national unity government in which all major political forces are represented fairly. -Cabinet formation will not stay blocked forever, and the constitution has given Hariri the right to form the cabinet in cooperation with the president, however he is wise enough to maintain his patience.

Zahra says Aoun obstructing cabinet formation due to regional causes
August 23, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra said in an interview published in Al-Balad newspaper on Sunday that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is deliberately obstructing the cabinet in response to demands from certain regional powers. He said that the LF is facilitating cabinet formation and are only requesting a service ministry. He denied that the LF were denied the public works ministry portfolio. Zahra announced that the March 14 forces are reviewing the role of alliance’s general secretariat and are working on developing a clear structure and new effective role for the body. He also said that the Maronite league is exerting efforts to arrange a meeting between LF leader Samir Geagea and Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh, adding that it would be “favorable” if such a meeting took place in the presence of the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. -NOW Staff

Alain Aoun: There should be a deadline on cabinet formation
August 23, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun speaks to LBCI on Sunday morning: -Efforts to form the cabinet should have a new beginning with new standards. -A deadline for the formation of the cabinet should be put forth because if the process was stalled we cannot stay without a cabinet forever. -The way that the majority have adopted in dealing with us in the cabinet formation process led to rigid responses from our side.

The Mailbox
Date: August 23rd, 2009
Future News
The Lebanese is confused whether he lives in a state similar to all political entities in the world, or inhabits a mailbox which’s role is restricted to receiving regional and international messages and sending replies to those concerned. Most of the Lebanese political figures isolate themselves with every visit made by a foreign official or President, and resort to silence till the results of the visit unveil. These people ignore that those who voted for them or appointed them as leaders and officials, wanted to conduct his affairs and solve his issues with what preserves his dignity and right to life under the minimum rate of humanitarian conditions. Everyone must put an end to the addiction of dependence on the abroad interests and to pay attention to the internal reality and its severe contradictions at all levels: cultural, economic, political, and to be aware that events will not warn anyone in advance. The main problem in Lebanon is that some politicians reach conclusions then build their theories, contrasting with the scientific logic which says that the conclusion is a result of the theory not the opposite. According to that, Lebanon remains open to the game of nations abroad and its audience on the inside that refuses to give the Lebanese welfare the priority over the interests of neighboring countries which is keen for the livelihoods and stability of its people.

Peres: Israel not interested in war with Lebanon
August 22, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Israeli President Shimon Peres said in an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Rai newspaper that will be published on Sunday that, “The state of Israel is not interested in a war with Lebanon and all problems between the two states can be resolved through negotiations.” He said that Israel is aware Hezbollah possesses 80,000 missiles and that these missiles could bring “disaster” to Lebanon. He questioned Hezbollah’s goal in amassing such a large number of weapons. Peres also said that Hezbollah is serving only its personal interests and will always find excuses to continue its confrontational policies against Israel, even if the Jewish state withdraws from the Shebaa Farms and the Ghajar village. “Who needs Hezbollah and what is the purpose of its existence?” he asked. He said Hezbollah has “ruined” Lebanon, has established a state within a state and built its own army which is as powerful as the Lebanese Armed Forces. “Lebanon aimed to become the Switzerland of the East and instead it became the Iran of the region,” he added. “If Hezbollah did not exist, we would not have needed any spy networks,” Peres said, in response to the presence of Israeli spy networks inside Lebanese territory. Peres said the best way to bring about peace with Syria is through direct negotiations. He said he is certain Syria wants the benefits of peace but he is not sure it is willing to pay the associated price. He said that there will be a two-state solution, with an Arab state called Palestine and a Jewish counterpart called Israel. “The Jews will have the right of return to Israel and the Palestinians will have the right of return to Palestine,” Peres said. -NOW Staff

Joe Sarkis: Hariri has the right to refuse Aoun’s demands
Date: August 22nd, 2009/Source: MTV
Former Minister Joe Sarkis told MTV Saturday that Premier designate Saad Hariri has the right to refuse MP Michel Aoun’s demands. Sarkis was surprised by MP Aoun’s insistence on his terms that is damaging his popularity among the Lebanese. “Each political team presented its demands to the designated Prime Minister who will examine the political reality and representation size of each,” said Sarkis who stressed that the two security portfolios are of President Michel Sleiman’s share. He pointed that obstruction might come from Hizbullah in case it did not desire the formula or did not grant Aoun the portfolios he wanted. Sarkis revealed that Hizbullah senior officials gave Premier designate Hariri guarantees to pressure Aoun to facilitate government formation, “but things changed.”

 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 24/09

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:60-69. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 The trap of regional peace-Ha'aretz 23/08/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 23/09
 Iraq shows video it says is confession of bomber-Washington Post
 EGYPT: How guilty are those in the 'Hezbollah cell'?-Los Angeles Times
 Egypt tries 26 men suspected of Hezbollah links-Reuters
 Barak: True nature of Iranian regime revealed-Israeli News
 Alloush: Hizbullah Forming Militias in Tripoli-Naharnet
Sfeir: Those who Cripple Formation Will Answer to God, the Homeland and History-Naharnet
 Caretaker Government Can Only Hold Cabinet Sessions in Case of Emergencies; New Bets on Regional Movement to Help Formation-Naharnet
 Najjar Denies Receiving Information on Barouk Station; Bassil Criticizes Attempts to 'Ridicule' case-Naharnet
 Wahab Fears for Aoun's Life-Naharnet
 Alain Aoun: There should be a deadline on cabinet formation-Now Lebanon
 Qabbani: Opposition cannot force Hariri to accept demands-Now Lebanon
 Zahra says Aoun obstructing cabinet formation due to regional causes-Now Lebanon
 Abu Faour: we are part of the majority-Future News
 Bassil lashes out at Justice Minister-Future News
 Soueid breaks hip in horseback-riding-Future News
 Joe Sarkis: Hariri has the right to refuse Aoun’s demands-Future News
 Legislative Council calls officials to cooperate with Premier designate in forming cabinet-Future News
 Shamoun: we won’t concede Lebanon’s best interest-Future News


Barak: True nature of Iranian regime revealed
Defense minister slams decision to appoint suspect of 1994 Buenos Aires bombings as Iran's defense minister
Roni Sofer Published: 08.22.09, 23:31 / Israel News
Defense Minister Ehud Barak slammed the decision to appoint Ahmad Vahidi as the Iranian defense minister. Barak claimed that the decision "proves once again the nature of the regime in Iran and its leader's intentions." A Defense Ministry statement read, "The entire world should study this case thoroughly and examine the intentions of the Iranian administration and its leader, who appoints a terrorist as a defense minister in its government." Ahmad Vahidi, who commanded a unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force at the time of the attack, was nominated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday along with others to fill Cabinet positions. Vahidi is also wanted in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires in which 85 people were killed and 200 wounded. Earlier on Saturday the Argentinean Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the appointment, calling it an affront to Argentine justice and the victims of the terrorist attack on the Jewish community center. The statement further read that news of the nomination was received with grave concern in Argentina.
Tehran brushed aside the criticism as part of a "Zionist plot", as Ahmadinejad press adviser Ali Akbar Javanfekr wondered why the Argentineans didn't bring up the matter in the past.
US officials also reacted with concern. "If this report is true and if this man is confirmed as a cabinet minister and is wanted by Interpol for his involvement in a terrorist act, of course this would be disturbing," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

Iraq shows video it says is confession of bomber
Reuters
Sunday, August 23, 2009; 11:38 AM
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi official on Sunday showed a video of what he said was a supporter of late dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party confessing to organizing one of the truck bomb blasts last week in which 95 people died. The man, who appeared oddly calm for someone accused of taking part in the bloodiest attack of the year in Iraq, said he had orchestrated the bombing together with a leader of a branch of the now outlawed Baath party who was living in Syria.
"A month ago Sattam Farhan ... called from Syria and asked me to conduct a bombing operation to shake the administration," said the bald and mustachioed man, described as a former police chief named Wissam Ali Kadhim Ibrahim. "He said that if you can't do it, we have other factions that can."
Many Saddam loyalists fled to Syria after the fall of Saddam in 2003, and Iraqi officials frequently blame neighboring countries for fomenting violence in Iraq.
Baghdad security spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi, who showed the video to the media, had previously announced the arrest of a group of Baathists he alleged were responsible for Wednesday's bombings, which devastated the foreign and finance ministries. His office said on Sunday shortly after the taped confession was aired that every police officer manning checkpoints on the day of the blasts between Baghdad and Diyala province, where the prisoner said the attack was put together, had been arrested.
The bombings, in which more than 1,000 people were wounded, many by glass from the ministries' shattered windows, dealt a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's claim ahead of an election in January to have presided over a fall in violence.
U.S. PULLOUT
They also shook public confidence in the Iraqi security forces, six weeks after U.S. troops pulled out of urban centres and handed primary responsibility for defending the population against insurgent attacks to domestic troops and police. It was difficult to ascertain the veracity of the confession and of the detentions connected with the bombings. The government has often trumpeted the arrests of major terrorism suspects only to be proven wrong. The announcement that the culprits behind Wednesday's explosions had been arrested on the same day as the bombings was only made after two days of intense criticism of Iraqi security forces. Moussawi said other confessions from the network allegedly behind the blasts would be shown to Iraqis in coming days after the conclusion of investigations by judges. In the video, the man did not mention trucks or the foreign ministry. He hinted at collusion by someone in the security forces.
"I called someone in Muqdadiya (in Diyala province) to ease the passage of the car through checkpoints to Baghdad. He asked for $10,000," the man said. "A person called Sattar called me from Baghdad and told me that a car had been prepared in Khalis (in Diyala). I sent this person (from Muqdadiya) to Khalis who brought the car to Baghdad ... and it exploded outside the finance ministry." (Reporting by Muhanad Mohammad and Mohammed Abbas; writing by Michael Christie; editing by Andrew Roche)

Accused allege torture in Egypt jail
By Jailan Zayan (AFP)
CAIRO — Twenty-two men, dressed in white and crowded into a cage in a Cairo court, denied charges on Sunday of plotting attacks in Egypt for Lebanon's Hezbollah group, with some alleging torture by police. As the trial began, the alleged members of the cell pleaded not guilty to charges of "conspiracy to murder, spying for a foreign organisation with intent of conducting terrorist attacks and weapons possession." Some of the defendants said they had been tortured in police custody, with one man shouting to the judge: "If you dont' believe us, just look at our bodies." Four more accused are on the run and are being tried in abstentia, including alleged Lebanese mastermind Mohammed Qublan.
The accused include two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians. During the hearing one man shouted, "We are at your command Nasrallah," in an apparent reference to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who admitted in April that one of the defendants, Lebanese Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed Mansur known as Sami Shihab, was a Hezbollah agent.
Nasrallah said Mansur was tasked with smuggling weapons to militants in the Gaza Strip. Family members were barred from attending the hearing. Dozens of relatives stood outside the courtroom under the scorching heat in the hope of getting a glimpse of the defendants they had not seen in months. "We dont' know anything about him. We have not seen him or heard from him in over nine months," said the mother of Ihab Abdel Hadi, 30, who was arrested from his home in the north Sinai town of El-Arish in December.Ihab's wife Dina, 20, wearing a long black gown and niqab slitted to reveal her wet eyes, prayed nearby as she carried her one-year-old son. "He is innocent, totally innocent. He is not into politics. He is a simple builder who only cares about his family," the softly-spoken woman told AFP.
As the blue vans carrying the defendants rolled in amid a blare of sirens, female relatives began to wail. "May God punish the punishers," screamed one woman at the top of her voice. "Show some mercy during (the holy month of) Ramadan," shouted another.
Munira al-Hanafi, the wife of defendant Mossad Abdel Rahman al-Sherif, said her husband had been living in Saudi Arabia for the past two years and only came back to Egypt in April, when he was arrested at the airport. "If he were guilty, would he have come home in the middle of the storm?" she asked, standing next to Mossad's two sisters who were carrying plastic bags filled with food and drink they hoped to pass on to their brother. Authorities began arresting members of what has become known as the "Hezbollah cell" in 2008, accusing them of plotting attacks against Israeli tourists and on ships in the Suez Canal. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hezbollah's Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit accusing Iran of using Hezbollah to gain a foothold in Egypt.The next hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Alloush: Hizbullah Forming Militias in Tripoli
Naharnet/Former MP Mustapha Alloush has accused Hizbullah of forming militias in Tripoli and warned that the city might witness "a security explosion," the pan-Arab daily quoted him as saying in an interview published Sunday. The leading member of Al-Mustaqbal movement said Hizbullah has been trying to "recruit individuals to carry out militia-related activities by paying them sums of money." The Shiite party already has two groups in Tripoli, he claimed. "We have their names and we have informed the security forces. The rest is up to them," he added. Asked if a raid a few days ago of an apartment in al-Zahiriyeh, which belongs to an army recruit and where a large weapons cache was found, was linked to Hizbullah, he replied: "It was said that what was found is connected to Hizbullah. But I do not have any confirmations about that."  Meanwhile, a member of the Tripoli municipality, Ahmed al-Marj, told the paper that "the person whose apartment was raided has ties with Hizbullah." "There are individuals who are being recruited in several regions such as al-Qubba and al-Tabeneh. So far, 200 people have been recruited to create a Sunni-Sunni strife," he added. He stressed on the need to shun "infighting" by the region's families. "Maybe they want to distract us by creating infighting among the Sunnis in case there was a repeat of May 7 (2008 clashes) in Beirut. But we will not allow it," he said. "This is a weapon being used to create conflict and we have no interest in tensions or infighting," Marj added. Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 09:33

Sfeir: Those who Cripple Formation Will Answer to God, the Homeland and History
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir expressed concern over the current situation in the country during Sunday sermon and called for a new government to be formed as the only way out. Sfeir warned that "anyone who is obstructing the cabinet shape-up will answer to God, the homeland and to history." Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 11:08

Caretaker Government Can Only Hold Cabinet Sessions in Case of Emergencies; New Bets on Regional Movement to Help Formation
Naharnet/State Minister Khaled Qabbani said Sunday a council of ministers session was "out of the question" unless in case of emergency or an extraordinary event, as confrontational political tones subsided and as the country awaits the return from Saudi Arabia of the premier-designate to resume deliberations. The Lebanese An Nahar newspaper reported that behind "the scenes contacts with diplomatic Arab channels over the past two days have caused speculation there is a serious bet on a joint Saudi-Syrian movement that will bring results in the near future."The paper reported that the Saudi Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja visited Damascus recently in addition to Beirut. For its part, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat quoted opposition sources as saying that "obstacles to the government formation are caused by internal factors rather than external, contrary to what majority forces believe." They said pro-government forces were trying to "present a delay in the formation and Hizbullah's solidarity with MP Michel Aoun as caused by external factors." Meanwhile, majority members and some Arab sources said that Syria "is waiting for more sides to intervene to ask for its help in pressuring its allies to facilitate the premier-designate's mission." Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 10:57

Najjar Denies Receiving Information on Barouk Station; Bassil Criticizes Attempts to 'Ridicule' case
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Sunday a license for al-Barouk internet network was issued in June 2004 by then Cabinet Minister Jean Louis Qerdahi while in 2007 Minister Marwan Hamadeh refused to authorize interconnection by the company. In an interview with Voice of Lebanon Radio, Najjar denied reports the judiciary has "received any information or technical reports from the telecoms ministry or any other side of an Israeli transmission station in Tallat al-Barouk."  He also said the judiciary was unaware that the station had directed its satellite dishes toward the south or that "sophisticated Israeli-made equipment were found in there." In reaction, Telecoms Minister Jebran Bassil wondered: "Why is Minister Najjar seeking to undermine and underestimate what is already there?" He told An Nahar daily in comments published Sunday that he has still not "accuse anyone. It is not my job to investigate and punish." He said that all he did was "present all available data to the judiciary." "I do not understand why the justice minister is trying so hard to ridicule the case. In the beginning he issued a statement saying the station had nothing to do with internet but to television which completely false," Bassil said. "He then went on to say, after he refuted his statement, that the telecoms ministry did not inform the judiciary," he added. Bassil said the telecoms ministry has been waiting for a signal from the public prosecution "to make a move." "The judiciary has been aware of the operation since its start on April 2. Therefore, the question here is not whether the judiciary is informed of the case, it is whether the justice minister is aware of what is going on in the judiciary," he added. Beirut, 23 Aug 09, 10:13

Wahab Fears for Aoun's Life
Naharnet/Tawheed Movement leader Wiam Wahab said Saturday that he fears for Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun's life "because they will try to wipe him out by all means." In a radio interview, Wahab said the "harsh campaign" launched against Aoun is "beyond what is declared because he is the only one who stands against (Palestinian) naturalization."
Wahab said he was not the "only" mediator among Lebanese political parties with Syria. "I am Lebanese hundred percent. My mission was to convey a 10-word letter to Democratic Gathering bloc leader Walid Jumblat. That's it," he added. Beirut, 22 Aug 09, 16:41

Hizbullah Cell to be Tried by Egypt Security Court
Naharnet/Twenty-six men accused of plotting attacks on behalf of Hizbullah on tourist resorts and on ships in the Suez Canal will go on trial in an Egyptian security court on Sunday.
The suspects -- two Lebanese, five Palestinians and 19 Egyptians -- face charges of "conspiracy to murder, spying for a foreign organization with the intent of conducting terrorist attacks and weapons possession." Four more accused are on the run and will be tried in absentia, including Lebanese alleged mastermind Mohammed Qublan who is believed to have left Egypt.
Defense lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsud told AFP that some of the defendants had confessed to planning attacks against Israelis.
"Those whose names appear on the list, including number two suspect Lebanese Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed Mansur known as Sami Shihab, told prosecutors during questioning that they initially planned attacks against Israeli tourists in Sinai in response to the killing of (Hizbullah leader) Imad Mughniyeh, but that orders came from Hizbullah leadership banning such activities," he said. Mughniyeh, a Hizbullah commander, was killed by a car bombing in Damascus in a February 2008 attack that was blamed on but denied by Israel. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah admitted in April that Shihab was a Hizbullah agent tasked with smuggling weapons to militants into the Gaza Strip. The arrests led to a war of words between Sunni Egypt and Hizbullah's Shiite Iranian backers, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit accusing Iran of using Hizbullah to gain a foothold in Egypt. The defendants said that their main goal was to help Palestinians in Gaza, Maqsud said. Egyptian security forces had said that five of the accused in what is being called the "Hizbullah cell case" belonged to the banned Muslim Brotherhood but that they had left the organization in recent years. In an interview aired on Monday by the U.S. television network CBS, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak claimed that the Brotherhood had contacts with Hizbullah and Hamas. "They have contacts with Hamas. They have contacts with Hizbullah. These are well-known and they have contacts with many organizations," he said, but added: "As long as they do not commit any terrorist crimes, I don't care." Hizbullah, formed after Israel occupied Lebanon in 1982, has limited its attacks in the Middle East to Israel and Lebanon, from which Israel withdrew in 2000. Israel and Hizbullah fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilians, a third of them children, as well as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. State security courts were set up under Egypt's emergency laws which have been in place since 1981. Their verdicts are final.(AFP) Beirut, 22 Aug 09, 16:07

Peres: Hizbullah Has 80,000 Missiles that Might Bring Calamity to Lebanon
Naharnet/Israeli President Shimon Peres said in comments published Saturday that Israel knew about "80,000 missiles" in the possession of Hizbullah. In an interview with the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper, Peres cast doubt on "Hizbullah's goals and the justifications for its presence."  "Hizbullah is working for its own interests and will always find a pretext to continue its policy against Israel, even if the (Israeli army) withdrew from Shebaa Farms and the Lebanese Ghajar village," he said. "Lebanon used to have an ambition to become the Switzerland of the Orient, and why not? But instead it has become the Iran of the region," he said. He said that Hizbullah's missiles "might lead to a disaster for the Lebanese because the last war brought unnecessary calamities to Lebanon." Peres was referring to Israel's 33-day war with Lebanon in the summer of 2006 and which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilians, a third of them children. Asked if Israel would respond to a Hizbullah attack against Israeli targets abroad to avenge the assassination last year of Hizbullah commander Imad Moghniyeh, Peres answered: "I do not know what this revenge is about. "Moghniyeh himself was a top assassin and he who kills becomes a target as well," he added. "He was the head of (Hizbullah's) special operations, and no one knows who killed him. There is no evidence that a certain side carried out the assassination. And obviously if Israel is attacked it will defend itself," Peres said. Moghniyeh was killed by a car bombing in Damascus in a February 2008 attack that was blamed on but denied by Israel. Beirut, 22 Aug 09, 13:35

Qabbani: Opposition cannot force Hariri to accept demands
August 23, 2009 /Now Lebanon
State Minister Khaled Qabbani speaks in an interview on Future News: -The opposition or any political party has the right to inform the Prime Minister-designate of their demands, but they cannot force him to accept them and threaten to obstruct the process of the cabinet formation if he did not respond. -The PM-designate Saad Hariri is keen on forming a national unity government in which all major political forces are represented fairly. -Cabinet formation will not stay blocked forever, and the constitution has given Hariri the right to form the cabinet in cooperation with the president, however he is wise enough to maintain his patience.

Zahra says Aoun obstructing cabinet formation due to regional causes
August 23, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra said in an interview published in Al-Balad newspaper on Sunday that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is deliberately obstructing the cabinet in response to demands from certain regional powers. He said that the LF is facilitating cabinet formation and are only requesting a service ministry. He denied that the LF were denied the public works ministry portfolio. Zahra announced that the March 14 forces are reviewing the role of alliance’s general secretariat and are working on developing a clear structure and new effective role for the body. He also said that the Maronite league is exerting efforts to arrange a meeting between LF leader Samir Geagea and Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh, adding that it would be “favorable” if such a meeting took place in the presence of the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. -NOW Staff

Alain Aoun: There should be a deadline on cabinet formation
August 23, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun speaks to LBCI on Sunday morning: -Efforts to form the cabinet should have a new beginning with new standards. -A deadline for the formation of the cabinet should be put forth because if the process was stalled we cannot stay without a cabinet forever. -The way that the majority have adopted in dealing with us in the cabinet formation process led to rigid responses from our side.

The Mailbox
Date: August 23rd, 2009
Future News
The Lebanese is confused whether he lives in a state similar to all political entities in the world, or inhabits a mailbox which’s role is restricted to receiving regional and international messages and sending replies to those concerned. Most of the Lebanese political figures isolate themselves with every visit made by a foreign official or President, and resort to silence till the results of the visit unveil. These people ignore that those who voted for them or appointed them as leaders and officials, wanted to conduct his affairs and solve his issues with what preserves his dignity and right to life under the minimum rate of humanitarian conditions. Everyone must put an end to the addiction of dependence on the abroad interests and to pay attention to the internal reality and its severe contradictions at all levels: cultural, economic, political, and to be aware that events will not warn anyone in advance. The main problem in Lebanon is that some politicians reach conclusions then build their theories, contrasting with the scientific logic which says that the conclusion is a result of the theory not the opposite. According to that, Lebanon remains open to the game of nations abroad and its audience on the inside that refuses to give the Lebanese welfare the priority over the interests of neighboring countries which is keen for the livelihoods and stability of its people.

Peres: Israel not interested in war with Lebanon
August 22, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Israeli President Shimon Peres said in an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Rai newspaper that will be published on Sunday that, “The state of Israel is not interested in a war with Lebanon and all problems between the two states can be resolved through negotiations.” He said that Israel is aware Hezbollah possesses 80,000 missiles and that these missiles could bring “disaster” to Lebanon. He questioned Hezbollah’s goal in amassing such a large number of weapons. Peres also said that Hezbollah is serving only its personal interests and will always find excuses to continue its confrontational policies against Israel, even if the Jewish state withdraws from the Shebaa Farms and the Ghajar village. “Who needs Hezbollah and what is the purpose of its existence?” he asked. He said Hezbollah has “ruined” Lebanon, has established a state within a state and built its own army which is as powerful as the Lebanese Armed Forces. “Lebanon aimed to become the Switzerland of the East and instead it became the Iran of the region,” he added. “If Hezbollah did not exist, we would not have needed any spy networks,” Peres said, in response to the presence of Israeli spy networks inside Lebanese territory. Peres said the best way to bring about peace with Syria is through direct negotiations. He said he is certain Syria wants the benefits of peace but he is not sure it is willing to pay the associated price. He said that there will be a two-state solution, with an Arab state called Palestine and a Jewish counterpart called Israel. “The Jews will have the right of return to Israel and the Palestinians will have the right of return to Palestine,” Peres said. -NOW Staff

Joe Sarkis: Hariri has the right to refuse Aoun’s demands
Date: August 22nd, 2009/Source: MTV
Former Minister Joe Sarkis told MTV Saturday that Premier designate Saad Hariri has the right to refuse MP Michel Aoun’s demands. Sarkis was surprised by MP Aoun’s insistence on his terms that is damaging his popularity among the Lebanese. “Each political team presented its demands to the designated Prime Minister who will examine the political reality and representation size of each,” said Sarkis who stressed that the two security portfolios are of President Michel Sleiman’s share. He pointed that obstruction might come from Hizbullah in case it did not desire the formula or did not grant Aoun the portfolios he wanted. Sarkis revealed that Hizbullah senior officials gave Premier designate Hariri guarantees to pressure Aoun to facilitate government formation, “but things changed.”