LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 14/09
Bible Reading of the day
John’s Second Letter 2/1-4: "1 But
false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among
you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master
who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2:2 Many will follow
their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned.
2:3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose
sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
2:4 For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to
Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment".
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 13/09
Suleiman Begins U.S. Visit
by Attending Mass in Washington Maronite Church/Naharnet
Baroud
in Syria Monday Offering Condolences in Suleiman's Name/Naharnet
Abu
Jamra: No Personal Dispute with Aoun, But Pending FPM Issues/Naharnet
Adwan:
LF Willing to Visit Syria as Part of Hariri Delegation/Naharnet
Jibril Vows Not to Give Up
Arms/Naharnet
Secret Meeting in Yemen
between Iran, Huthi, Hizbullah Officials/Naharnet
Qassem: We Hope Suleiman
Will do More Than Just Listen to U.S./Naharnet
Hezbollah: We're not responsible for rocket fire
into Israel/Ha'aretz
Report: Iranian official meets with Hezbollah reps, Yemeni rebels/Ynetnews
Dancing at two weddings/Haaretz
My Word: A question
in time/Jerusalem
Post
Six sailors saved after ship sinks off Lebanon/AFP
Iran's president pledges support to Hamas leader/The
Associated Press
North Korean plane carrying smuggled arms seized in
Thailand/guardian.co.uk
Israeli Druze lawmaker indicted for visiting Syria/Jewish
Telegraphic Agency
Palestinian stabs Israeli; militants fire rockets/The
Associated Press
Druse MK Said Nafa indicted for traveling to
Syria in 2007/Jerusalem
Post
Jumblat Sends Condolences Telegram
to Assad, Berri Condoles in Damascus/Naharnet
Suleiman
Begins U.S. Visit by Attending Mass in Washington Maronite Church
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Sunday attended a mass held at a Maronite
church in Washington in his first activity in the United States, ahead of talks
with President Barrack Obama. The mass was also attended by the members of the
official Lebanese accompanying delegation, Lebanese origin U.S. Secretary of
Transportation Ray Lahoud, and a number of Lebanese community members in
Washington.
After the mass, Suleiman met at the church with the Lebanese community members,
and made sure to shake hands with every one of them. The president asked about
the immigrants' situations, hailing their "faith and attachment to values" which
have been transferred with them to where they are now. Suleiman traveled to
Washington on Saturday for talks with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama amid
criticism by pro-Syrian forces on the objectives of his visit. An Nahar daily
quoted sources from the president's delegation as saying that Suleiman is
convinced about the need to hold talks with the Obama administration,
particularly that Lebanon has issues that it should defend including rejection
to naturalize Palestinian refugees, Security Council resolution 1559 and
discussing Hizbullah's arms on the national dialogue table. Political sources
questioned why Suleiman's visit would face criticism. They told pan-Arab daily
al-Hayat the president's agenda is clear and Suleiman has discussed his trip
with Syrian President Bashar Assad during their last talks in Damascus. The
sources denied that the Vatican convinced Obama to meet with Suleiman saying
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden informed the Lebanese president during his visit
to Beirut that Obama wants to hold talks with him soon. The sources added that
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had reiterated such a desire by Obama
and finally Lebanon's ambassador to Washington delivered the official U.S.
invitation to Suleiman. Suleiman meets Obama on Monday. Al-Hayat's sources said
Suleiman will stress that Lebanon doesn't accept any solution at its expense and
will urge the U.S. to withdraw resolution 1559 from circulation because the
Lebanese cabinet's policy statement clearly states that the issue of Hizbullah
arms would be discussed on the national dialogue table as part of discussions on
the country's defense strategy. The president will also stress Lebanon's
rejection to naturalize Palestinians and will discuss U.S. military aid to
Lebanon, the sources added. Beirut, 13 Dec 09, 20:20
Abu Jamra: No Personal Dispute with Aoun, But Pending FPM Issues
Naharnet/Former Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Issam Abu Jamra said that there
is "no personal dispute" with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, but
rather some pending important issues related to FPM "as a whole." After
participating in a mass in Sidon, Abu Jamra said: "At least one Greek Orthodox
minister from FPM should have participated (in cabinet), not necessarily me,
because FPM has a lot of members with high capabilities." Beirut, 13 Dec 09,
16:53
Baroud in Syria Monday Offering Condolences in Suleiman's Name
Naharnet/Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said he will head on Monday to Syria to
offer condolences in President Michel Suleiman's name to Syrian President Bashar
Assad over the death of his younger brother, Majd. In an interview with NBN TV
network, Baroud stressed he won't be carrying "any message" to Assad from
Suleiman who is on an official visit to the United States. "The visit intended
by PM Saad Hariri to Damascus, from his position as the head of government, will
reflect positively on the two countries," added Baroud, urging "not to keep
relations (with Syria) in a tense condition." Answering a question about Speaker
Nabih Berri's suggestion, on forming the National Commission for the Abolition
of Political Sectarianism, Baroud said: "Speaker Berri raised the subject based
on equal Muslim-Christian powersharing … no one would raise it to create a
problem in the country, the formation of the commission is mentioned in Taef
Accord, and no one wants to take unilateral moves or impose anything on the
other." About the situation inside the Internal Security Forces institution, the
interior minister said that things have reached a pacification period, and that
they were heading toward radical solutions. Beirut, 13 Dec 09, 21:02
Adwan: LF
Willing to Visit Syria as Part of Hariri Delegation
Naharnet/MP George Adwan said Sunday that the Lebanese Forces was willing to
visit Syria as part of the delegation headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri. "The
Lebanese Forces are willing to be part of the delegation that will accompany PM
Hariri to Syria," Adwan told reporters after visiting Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir in Bkirki. "Relations with Syria should take into account past
experiences that we hope would not recur," he said, pointing to sticking points
between the two countries – border demarcation, missing persons and Palestinian
arms outside the camps. Beirut, 13 Dec 09, 13:39
Jibril
Vows Not to Give Up Arms
Naharnet/Ahmad Jibril, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), said his group will not surrender its
weapons to the Lebanese government "if its view regarding the Palestinian issue
is confined to the security aspect only."In an interview with pan-Arab al-Jazeera
TV late Saturday, Jibril urged the Lebanese government to address Palestinian
refugee issues first. He said the Lebanese Cabinet should approve a law "as is
happening in Syria" dealing with the political situation as well as the living
and social conditions of Palestinian refugees. "After the Palestinians in
Lebanon feel assured of their wellbeing, we will then discuss security issues,"
Jibril said. Beirut, 13 Dec 09, 10:02
Qassem: We Hope Suleiman Will do More Than Just Listen to U.S.
Naharnet/Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem expressed hope that President
Michel Suleiman will do more than just listen to U.S. officials during his visit
to Washington next week.
"We expect President Suleiman to make Lebanon's voice heard regarding Lebanon's
clear stance on the Israeli occupation, and not just listen to them," Qassem
said in an interview published Sunday by the Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper.
"President Suleiman will in the end convey Lebanon's position which is a clear
stance against the Israeli occupation, in support of the liberation of Shabaa
Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills as well as the independence of Lebanon." Beirut, 13
Dec 09, 10:20