LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 21/09

Bible Reading of the day
 The Faith of the Centurion /Luke 7/1-9: "When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 Foiled Hezbollah attacks likely source for Israel-Lebanon tensions/Haaretz/By Amos Harel/December 20/09
World can still change Iran without bombing it/By Zvi Bar'el /Haaretz/December 20/09
 Foiled Hezbollah attacks likely source for Israel-Lebanon tensions/December 20/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 20/09
 Hariri Ends Visit to Damascus, Vows to Rebuild Ties with Syria/Naharnet
 Hariri from Damascus: We Want Special Lebanese-Syrian Ties Based on Honesty /Naharnet
 Jumblat: I Won't Comment on Hariri's Damascus Visit/Naharnet
 Larijani: Iran Backs Hizbullah, Hamas Because they Stood Up to Israel/Naharnet
 Rescuers Find 6 More Bodies from Shipwreck/Naharnet
 Rescuers Lose Hope of Shipwreck Survivors /Naharnet
 Analysis: 6 Alleged Hizbullah Plots Likely behind Israel-Hizbullah Tension /Naharnet
 Hizbullah: Hariri's Visit Helps Avoid Sunni-Shiite Strife /Naharnet
 Gemayel: I was Among the 1st Supporters of Hariri's Visit to Syria but the Wound is Deep /Naharnet
 MP Fadlallah Hopes Hariri's Visit Would Reflect Positively on Openness to Syria /Naharnet
 France: Only Security Council Resolution Annuls a Previous Resolution /Naharnet
 Nasrallah Slams 'Mercenaries' who Criticize Hizbullah's Weapons /Naharnet
 Jordan to maintain special relations with Lebanon: FM/Xinhua
 Iran Charges 12 at Prison Over Death of Protesters/New York Times
 Israel's deadly mistake/Boston Globe
 Qassem: We will not try failed diplomacy at the expense of successful Resistance/Now Lebanon
 Marouni says Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council should be abolished/Now Lebanon

Sfeir Hopes for Peace of Mind during Christmas
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir praised God for calm in the country and hoped the holiday season would bring peace of mind to the Lebanese.
During his Sunday sermon in Bkirki, Sfeir also hoped there would be tranquility during Christmas. He told believers that the Lebanese should welcome Christmas with an atmosphere of faith, spiritual happiness and peace of mind

Nasrallah Slams 'Mercenaries' who Criticize Hizbullah's Weapons
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has slammed what he termed as "mercenaries" who criticize the party's possession of arms. "Has it become a shame to possess the power of resistance and defense, have ability to harm the enemy and create the right balance?" Nasrallah wondered on Saturday day. Nasrallah also said on the occasion of Ashoura that religious and cultural differences could be overcome because the Lebanese have the same fate and common objectives. Turning to the U.S., the Hizbullah leader said Washington was in charge of launching wars in the region. He also described Israel as the "barracks of the American project" in the Middle East. Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 09:15

Qassem: We will not try failed diplomacy at the expense of successful Resistance
December 20, 2009 /Now Lebanon/During a ceremony for Ashura on Sunday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Hezbollah was not willing to once again, “try the failed diplomacy at the expense of a successful Resistance,” given that UN Security Council Resolution 425 has remained unimplemented for 22 years. He added that without the Resistance, the South would have not been liberated. “US President Barack Obama told [his Lebanese counterpart Michel] Sleiman that Washington is concerned with arms smuggling into Lebanon,” Qassem said, “because the arms harm Israel’s security,” while asking Obama, “Are you not worried that Israel possesses 400 nuclear heads and mass destruction weapons?”
“No one has the right to expose the Resistance, the Lebanese army and people,” Qassem said, calling for those “who are not resisting” to take adequate measures and participate in the Resistance. -NOW Lebanon

Hizbullah: Hariri's Visit Helps Avoid Sunni-Shiite Strife
Naharnet/Hizbullah leadership sources have said that Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus was "important and historic" adding it would help "avoid any "Shiite-Sunni strife."The sources told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Sunday that the party was relieved at the visit because "it would reflect positively" on Lebanon and produce "stability."
They said the party was keeping a close watch on the trip which would also "normalize ties" between the two countries and "consolidate national unity." Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 08:26

Hariri from Damascus: We Want Special Lebanese-Syrian Ties Based on Honesty
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri said following talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday that Beirut wants special relations with Damascus based on honesty and openness.
"We want special relations with Syria … based on honesty and openness," Hariri told reporters at the Lebanese embassy in Damascus after a new round of talks with Assad on Sunday.
Assad was keen on having honest ties based on mutual understanding, Hariri said at the end of his talks in Damascus. The meetings focused on what is in the interest of Lebanon and Syria and their peoples, the premier said. "We want to build a better future between the two countries, a future that benefits both countries' peoples," Hariri said. "Serious steps taken by us and President Assad will be interpreted in several fields."
There should be stronger economic and trade relations between the two countries and improved ties between state institutions, the premier added.
Asked if he had discussed with Assad about Syrian court requests to question Lebanese officials, Hariri said: "We didn't discuss about the issue. I believe this issue should be solved by involved agencies." A Lebanese source told Voice of Lebanon radio that the Hariri-Assad meeting stressed the "personal nature" of the visit. The two men didn't discuss the court requests, the source confirmed. Lebanon wants the Golan heights to return to Syria and Damascus wants all Lebanese territories occupied by Israel to return to Lebanon, according to Hariri.
Asked about what message he would deliver to the March 14 forces following his visit to Syria, Hariri reiterated that he was the prime minister of all of Lebanon and his objective was to improve relations with Syria. Hariri returned to Beirut following his press conference. Arab diplomatic sources had told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Hariri carried with him to Damascus a program based on "openness and reconciliation." The sources added that the premier seeks to set up "transparent relations" between the two countries.
Hariri had also told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat before his visit to Damascus that "there was mutual willingness to overcome the past and look to the future." The PM stressed that he "spontaneously" decided to visit Damascus when he accepted to form the government. Syria "is the closest state to Lebanon and its only neighbor," Hariri told al-Hayat.
Sources told An Nahar that Lebanon's fundamental demands were met before Hariri's visit to Damascus. They included the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, recognition of Lebanon's sovereignty by opening embassies in the two countries and keeping the issue of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination away from the relations between Lebanon and Syria.
The sources added that there are still pending issues such as demarcation of the border, finding a solution to Palestinian arms outside refugee camps and the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria. On Saturday, Assad gave Hariri a warm welcome at the capital's Tishrin palace.
They stressed the need to set up "privileged and strategic ties" between the two countries to overcome years of tensions, officials said.
The meeting helped "dispel the past (differences)," Syrian presidential adviser Buthaina Shaaban told reporters after the talks. "There is no doubt that the ice has been broken between the two sides," she said. Shaaban also noted that Syria "broke with protocol" by inviting Hariri to stay at the Tishrin guest palace which is usually reserved for visiting monarchs and heads of state. The two leaders discussed plans to mark their porous common border as well as "the challenges facing the two countries due to Israel's occupation of Arab land," Shaaban added.
Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Assad and Hariri discussed how to "bolster bilateral cooperation" and "ways of surmounting the negative effects which marred" ties in the past.
It quoted Hariri as saying his government was determined "to establish real and strategic ties with Syria," while Assad spoke of the need to promote "privileged and strategic ties between the two countries."(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 07:36

Rescuers Lose Hope of Shipwreck Survivors
Naharnet/Rescuers recovered another body Sunday from a ship that sank in rough seas off the northern Lebanese coast as chances of finding more survivors dwindled, a port official said.
"Rescue efforts are ongoing, but at this point we highly doubt there are any survivors left," Tripoli port authority chief Ahmad Tamer told Agence France Presse.
He said the latest body to be recovered was found off the Syrian coast of Latakia further north in the Mediterranean sea, bringing the total number of bodies found since the ship sank on Thursday to 12. Forty survivors have been found but 31 people are still unaccounted for. Rescue teams have been battling rough conditions in the hunt for survivors from the Danny F II, a freighter which went down in a storm with its British captain among those believed to have drowned. Vessels from Lebanon, Syria and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been engaged in the rescue operations alongside a Cyprus-based British helicopter. But officials say no survivors have been found since Saturday morning. In Lebanon all but two survivors had been released from hospital and were awaiting embassy arrangements to return to their countries. Most survivors were from the Philippines, Pakistan and Uruguay. A Russian, a Ukrainian and a Lebanese were also among those saved. A Lebanese rescue official has quoted one survivor as saying he saw the British captain go down with the ship. The Danny F II was carrying over 80 people when it capsized on Thursday about 11 nautical miles off the Tripoli coast after sending a distress signal at 3:55 pm. It had left Montevideo on November 29 with about 10,000 sheep and almost 18,000 cattle bound for the Syrian port of Tartous, north of Tripoli, but was forced to change course because of the bad weather. It was trying to reach Beirut when disaster struck. The ship's operator, Agencia Schandy, told AFP in Montevideo that it had a crew of 76 and six passengers -- four Uruguayans, one Brazilian and an Australian. But port officials in Tripoli put the number at 83, saying an earlier figure did not include the captain.(AFP) Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 12:41

Gemayel: I was Among the 1st Supporters of Hariri's Visit to Syria but the Wound is Deep
Naharnet/Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel described Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus as "natural" saying it was part of efforts to normalize ties with Syria despite the "deep wound." Gemayel told An Nahar daily in remarks published on Sunday that he was among the first to support Hariri's visit to Syria to solve all the lingering problems between the two countries. "The wound is deep and it takes a lot of effort and a big sacrifice to heal it" in order to achieve what's best for the nation, the former president said. He added, however, that the Assad-Hariri meeting won't produce any results if all Lebanese didn't join hands to improve ties between the two countries. Hariri loyalist and former lawmaker Mustafa Alloush also said the visit by Hariri was "very difficult on the personal level" and involves "great sacrifice." "But as prime minister of Lebanon, it is quite normal to have such a visit. ... It is necessary and there is a need to settle all aspects of the relationship," Alloush told The Associated Press.He said the visit did not mean some in Lebanon had dropped their belief that Syria was responsible for the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "But this matter is up to the international tribunal now; it is no longer a personal issue," Alloush said.(Naharnet-AP) Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 08:14

MP Fadlallah Hopes Hariri's Visit Would Reflect Positively on Openness to Syria
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah has hoped that Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus would reflect positively on the openness of some forces to Syria. The member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc also hoped that the era of attempts to build a Lebanese regime hostile to Syria would end. "The previous path in creating tension in Lebanese-Syrian ties was wrong and went against the interest of the Lebanese and the Taef," he said. Fadlallah described Lebanese-Syrian ties as being "brotherly and based on the Taef Accord."
Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 11:50

Analysis: 6 Alleged Hizbullah Plots Likely behind Israel-Hizbullah Tension
Naharnet/The series of alleged Hizbullah plots to attack Israeli targets in Turkey were likely behind the tension between the Jewish state and the Shiite party this past summer and fall, Haaretz daily reported Sunday. "The foiled attempts may explain the numerous warnings Israel has issued since August to Hizbullah to abstain from acts the group might regret," Haaretz said. The newspaper said that so far, there have been reports of at least six foiled attacks against Israeli targets overseas. The plots, according to Haaretz, were in retaliation for the killing of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh in a Damascus car bombing in February 2008, which the group blamed on Israel. Haaretz quoted Turkish media as saying that Hizbullah's planned attacks were extremely ambitious and organized well in advance, reportedly with the help of Syrian and Iranian intelligence. It is suspected that Hizbullah operatives planned to attack a series of targets linked to Israel and possibly the Jewish community in Turkey, the newspaper said. Turkish security forces managed to uncover the plots after receiving information from a Western intelligence service, Haaretz added. Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 11:20

France: Only Security Council Resolution Annuls a Previous Resolution
Naharnet/French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero has said that any U.N. Security Council resolution remains valid as long as the world body hasn't adopted another resolution to annul it. Valero told al-Balad daily in remarks published on Sunday that Syria and Lebanon should agree on implementing the articles of Security Council resolution 1559. Valero's comment came in response to Syria's request to annul 1559. Another source told the newspaper that a resolution cannot be annulled without the consensus of the major powers that have Security Council seats. However, Lebanese diplomatic sources told Ad-Diyar daily that 1559 does not exist anymore. Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 09:42

Marouni says Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council should be abolished
December 20, 2009 /Now Lebanon/In an interview with OTV television on Sunday, Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni said that Lebanon cannot continue a tense relationship with Damascus, adding that “rebuilding the relationship with Syria begins by abolishing the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council.”
The minister also said that the Kataeb has full confidence in Prime Minister Saad Hariri who, he said, will find a solution to Lebanese-Syrian issues, adding that it would have been better if Syria’s prime minister had visited Lebanon to congratulate Hariri [on forming a new government]. Marouni added that Hariri’s visit to Syria is the first step toward “breaking the ice” between the two countries. -NOW Lebanon

Foiled Hezbollah attacks likely source for Israel-Lebanon tensions
Haaretz/By Amos Harel /Naharnet/20/12/2009
The series of attacks on Israeli targets in Turkey planned by Hezbollah, as reported in the Turkish media, which was foiled by Turkish security forces two months ago, is likely to have caused the tension between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanon border this past summer and fall. So far, there have been reports of at least six foiled attacks by the organization against Israeli targets overseas, as retaliation for the killing of senior Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus in February 2008, which the group attributes to Israel. It's possible that the actual number of attempts that have been prevented is at least twice that number - if not more. Last week Haaretz reported an attempt by Hezbollah to attack Israelis in Turkey, as reported in the Turkish media. Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon (Yisrael Beiteinu) even praised the cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terror during a meeting with Turkish journalists, and thanked the Turks for their help in preventing the attacks.
In October, the Turkish media reported that police headquarters had briefed police officers in a number of cities to be on the alert for Hezbollah attempts to attack American and Israeli targets in Turkey. Iranian agents, posing as tourists, were thought to be assisting these potential the attacks.
Hezbollah's planned attacks, as reported in the Turkish media, were extremely ambitious and organized well in advance, reportedly with the help of Syrian and Iranian intelligence. It is suspected that they planned to attack a series of targets connected to Israel and possibly also the Turkish Jewish community - all at the same time.
Turkish security forces managed to uncover the plot after receiving information from a Western intelligence service. The foiled attempts may explain the numerous warnings Israel has issued since August to Hezbollah to abstain from acts the group might regret. Israel has threatened to respond against Hezbollah in Lebanon if the organization staged a major attack in Turkey.
Since the death of Mughniyeh, the head of Hezbollah's terror operations, in a mysterious car bombing in Damascus, Hezbollah leaders and even the Iranian media have time after time threatened Israel to avenge his death. But Hezbollah has avoided attacking Israel on its northern border and instead seems to have focused its resources on Israeli targets abroad, using the services of Iranian intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards. In addition to the attempts foiled in Turkey, international media have reported a long list of other foiled Hezbollah attempts in other countries. Since the countries involved usually have an interest in keeping the information under wraps, it is assumed that the actual number of such planned attacks is much higher.

World can still change Iran without bombing it
By Zvi Bar'el /Haaretz
20/12/2009
Syria has received a big compliment from the head of Military Intelligence, Amos Yadlin. "Syria is a secular country, and unlike Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, it does not reject the prospect of reaching a peace agreement with Israel," he said. Which means that because Syria is a secular state, it cannot have a deep emotional attachment to religious Shi'ite Iran.
Something is slightly confused here. Fundamentalist and Shi'ite Iran does not in any way oppose Israeli-Syrian dialogue, as long as Syria gets the Golan back, of course. Shi'ite Iran engages in full and lucrative peaceful relationships with Sunni countries like Pakistan, the Hindu nation of India and Christian nations like Germany and France. Until two years ago, it had a failed affair with Egypt, the great transgressor that sinned in striking a peace deal with Israel.
Iran is a rational country; it operates according to the interests that usually guide countries. Iran's nuclear program has become a menacing demon not merely because of the program, but because of the nature of the regime and its bellicose statements. After all, Iran was the focus of an "axis of evil" even before the world began to fret about its nuclear capacity.
The Islamic revolution that rocked the world, the capture of U.S. hostages, the nurturing of organizations like Hezbollah and later Hamas, and violent rhetoric by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who himself has generated an impressive opposition movement, are the factors that created Iran's menacing image. The result is that every Iranian technological advancement, be it a new missile, submarine or even a high-tech car, invokes fear immediately. Accordingly, the knee-jerk reaction in the West and especially in Israel is to talk about the Holocaust or bombing Iran. This in turn distorts public discourse.
Can we bomb? Where should we bomb? Was there or wasn't there a chance to wipe out the uranium enrichment labs? Can Israel bomb on its own? Should it do so? How would this affect relations with the United States? Everything revolves around the bomb.
The discussion around the world about what happened in Iran only six months ago has been put in a dark corner. The election, the blow to the Iranian leadership, Mir Hossein Mousavi's Green Movement, the widening fault line between the public and its leadership, the continued demonstrations in the streets despite political arrests, torture and rape - all this is perceived as trivial now. The potential for change that could produce a new Iranian foreign policy is no longer a strategic consideration. The U.S. administration no longer even mentions how peace between Israel and the Palestinians could help form a united Arab front against Iran.
Granted, this concept did not hold water from the onset because Iran pursued its own interests. But it did characterize a change in the American approach, and this change rests on solid foundations: Diplomacy, not a military strike, could change Iran's motivation. And motivation is the heart of the Iranian problem because the Iranian threat is based on capability and motivation. Many countries have the capability to threaten Israel or Western countries, but without motivation, this capability means nothing.
So far, threats, sanctions and tempting economic offers have been used to try to neutralize or at least delay the Iranian capability. Iran is not willing to accept the principle that it is forbidden something that Pakistan, India and Israel (according to foreign publications) are allowed.
The effort required to change Iran's motivation has not yet begun. Sweeping sanctions on gasoline imports into Iran could quiet down for a while those who seek to acquire the bomb, but they will not effect change in Iran. They will only help cement the solidarity between the opposition and the regime.
If we assume that Iran is a rational state, then dialogue between the Islamic Republic and the United States - not only on nuclear issues - is the proper leverage to be used. Recognizing it as a regional power, not just a "Shi'ite Iranian threat," could change its policy. But those who think Iran is crazy better skip the rhetoric, bomb already and be done with it.
 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 21/09

Bible Reading of the day
 The Faith of the Centurion /Luke 7/1-9: "When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
 Foiled Hezbollah attacks likely source for Israel-Lebanon tensions/Haaretz/By Amos Harel/December 20/09
World can still change Iran without bombing it/By Zvi Bar'el /Haaretz/December 20/09
 Foiled Hezbollah attacks likely source for Israel-Lebanon tensions/December 20/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 20/09
 Hariri Ends Visit to Damascus, Vows to Rebuild Ties with Syria/Naharnet
 Hariri from Damascus: We Want Special Lebanese-Syrian Ties Based on Honesty /Naharnet
 Jumblat: I Won't Comment on Hariri's Damascus Visit/Naharnet
 Larijani: Iran Backs Hizbullah, Hamas Because they Stood Up to Israel/Naharnet
 Rescuers Find 6 More Bodies from Shipwreck/Naharnet
 Rescuers Lose Hope of Shipwreck Survivors /Naharnet
 Analysis: 6 Alleged Hizbullah Plots Likely behind Israel-Hizbullah Tension /Naharnet
 Hizbullah: Hariri's Visit Helps Avoid Sunni-Shiite Strife /Naharnet
 Gemayel: I was Among the 1st Supporters of Hariri's Visit to Syria but the Wound is Deep /Naharnet
 MP Fadlallah Hopes Hariri's Visit Would Reflect Positively on Openness to Syria /Naharnet
 France: Only Security Council Resolution Annuls a Previous Resolution /Naharnet
 Nasrallah Slams 'Mercenaries' who Criticize Hizbullah's Weapons /Naharnet
 Jordan to maintain special relations with Lebanon: FM/Xinhua
 Iran Charges 12 at Prison Over Death of Protesters/New York Times
 Israel's deadly mistake/Boston Globe
 Qassem: We will not try failed diplomacy at the expense of successful Resistance/Now Lebanon
 Marouni says Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council should be abolished/Now Lebanon

Sfeir Hopes for Peace of Mind during Christmas
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir praised God for calm in the country and hoped the holiday season would bring peace of mind to the Lebanese.
During his Sunday sermon in Bkirki, Sfeir also hoped there would be tranquility during Christmas. He told believers that the Lebanese should welcome Christmas with an atmosphere of faith, spiritual happiness and peace of mind

Nasrallah Slams 'Mercenaries' who Criticize Hizbullah's Weapons
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has slammed what he termed as "mercenaries" who criticize the party's possession of arms. "Has it become a shame to possess the power of resistance and defense, have ability to harm the enemy and create the right balance?" Nasrallah wondered on Saturday day. Nasrallah also said on the occasion of Ashoura that religious and cultural differences could be overcome because the Lebanese have the same fate and common objectives. Turning to the U.S., the Hizbullah leader said Washington was in charge of launching wars in the region. He also described Israel as the "barracks of the American project" in the Middle East. Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 09:15

Qassem: We will not try failed diplomacy at the expense of successful Resistance
December 20, 2009 /Now Lebanon/During a ceremony for Ashura on Sunday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Hezbollah was not willing to once again, “try the failed diplomacy at the expense of a successful Resistance,” given that UN Security Council Resolution 425 has remained unimplemented for 22 years. He added that without the Resistance, the South would have not been liberated. “US President Barack Obama told [his Lebanese counterpart Michel] Sleiman that Washington is concerned with arms smuggling into Lebanon,” Qassem said, “because the arms harm Israel’s security,” while asking Obama, “Are you not worried that Israel possesses 400 nuclear heads and mass destruction weapons?”
“No one has the right to expose the Resistance, the Lebanese army and people,” Qassem said, calling for those “who are not resisting” to take adequate measures and participate in the Resistance. -NOW Lebanon

Hizbullah: Hariri's Visit Helps Avoid Sunni-Shiite Strife
Naharnet/Hizbullah leadership sources have said that Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus was "important and historic" adding it would help "avoid any "Shiite-Sunni strife."The sources told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Sunday that the party was relieved at the visit because "it would reflect positively" on Lebanon and produce "stability."
They said the party was keeping a close watch on the trip which would also "normalize ties" between the two countries and "consolidate national unity." Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 08:26

Hariri from Damascus: We Want Special Lebanese-Syrian Ties Based on Honesty
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri said following talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday that Beirut wants special relations with Damascus based on honesty and openness.
"We want special relations with Syria … based on honesty and openness," Hariri told reporters at the Lebanese embassy in Damascus after a new round of talks with Assad on Sunday.
Assad was keen on having honest ties based on mutual understanding, Hariri said at the end of his talks in Damascus. The meetings focused on what is in the interest of Lebanon and Syria and their peoples, the premier said. "We want to build a better future between the two countries, a future that benefits both countries' peoples," Hariri said. "Serious steps taken by us and President Assad will be interpreted in several fields."
There should be stronger economic and trade relations between the two countries and improved ties between state institutions, the premier added.
Asked if he had discussed with Assad about Syrian court requests to question Lebanese officials, Hariri said: "We didn't discuss about the issue. I believe this issue should be solved by involved agencies." A Lebanese source told Voice of Lebanon radio that the Hariri-Assad meeting stressed the "personal nature" of the visit. The two men didn't discuss the court requests, the source confirmed. Lebanon wants the Golan heights to return to Syria and Damascus wants all Lebanese territories occupied by Israel to return to Lebanon, according to Hariri.
Asked about what message he would deliver to the March 14 forces following his visit to Syria, Hariri reiterated that he was the prime minister of all of Lebanon and his objective was to improve relations with Syria. Hariri returned to Beirut following his press conference. Arab diplomatic sources had told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Hariri carried with him to Damascus a program based on "openness and reconciliation." The sources added that the premier seeks to set up "transparent relations" between the two countries.
Hariri had also told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat before his visit to Damascus that "there was mutual willingness to overcome the past and look to the future." The PM stressed that he "spontaneously" decided to visit Damascus when he accepted to form the government. Syria "is the closest state to Lebanon and its only neighbor," Hariri told al-Hayat.
Sources told An Nahar that Lebanon's fundamental demands were met before Hariri's visit to Damascus. They included the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, recognition of Lebanon's sovereignty by opening embassies in the two countries and keeping the issue of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination away from the relations between Lebanon and Syria.
The sources added that there are still pending issues such as demarcation of the border, finding a solution to Palestinian arms outside refugee camps and the issue of Lebanese missing in Syria. On Saturday, Assad gave Hariri a warm welcome at the capital's Tishrin palace.
They stressed the need to set up "privileged and strategic ties" between the two countries to overcome years of tensions, officials said.
The meeting helped "dispel the past (differences)," Syrian presidential adviser Buthaina Shaaban told reporters after the talks. "There is no doubt that the ice has been broken between the two sides," she said. Shaaban also noted that Syria "broke with protocol" by inviting Hariri to stay at the Tishrin guest palace which is usually reserved for visiting monarchs and heads of state. The two leaders discussed plans to mark their porous common border as well as "the challenges facing the two countries due to Israel's occupation of Arab land," Shaaban added.
Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Assad and Hariri discussed how to "bolster bilateral cooperation" and "ways of surmounting the negative effects which marred" ties in the past.
It quoted Hariri as saying his government was determined "to establish real and strategic ties with Syria," while Assad spoke of the need to promote "privileged and strategic ties between the two countries."(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 07:36

Rescuers Lose Hope of Shipwreck Survivors
Naharnet/Rescuers recovered another body Sunday from a ship that sank in rough seas off the northern Lebanese coast as chances of finding more survivors dwindled, a port official said.
"Rescue efforts are ongoing, but at this point we highly doubt there are any survivors left," Tripoli port authority chief Ahmad Tamer told Agence France Presse.
He said the latest body to be recovered was found off the Syrian coast of Latakia further north in the Mediterranean sea, bringing the total number of bodies found since the ship sank on Thursday to 12. Forty survivors have been found but 31 people are still unaccounted for. Rescue teams have been battling rough conditions in the hunt for survivors from the Danny F II, a freighter which went down in a storm with its British captain among those believed to have drowned. Vessels from Lebanon, Syria and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been engaged in the rescue operations alongside a Cyprus-based British helicopter. But officials say no survivors have been found since Saturday morning. In Lebanon all but two survivors had been released from hospital and were awaiting embassy arrangements to return to their countries. Most survivors were from the Philippines, Pakistan and Uruguay. A Russian, a Ukrainian and a Lebanese were also among those saved. A Lebanese rescue official has quoted one survivor as saying he saw the British captain go down with the ship. The Danny F II was carrying over 80 people when it capsized on Thursday about 11 nautical miles off the Tripoli coast after sending a distress signal at 3:55 pm. It had left Montevideo on November 29 with about 10,000 sheep and almost 18,000 cattle bound for the Syrian port of Tartous, north of Tripoli, but was forced to change course because of the bad weather. It was trying to reach Beirut when disaster struck. The ship's operator, Agencia Schandy, told AFP in Montevideo that it had a crew of 76 and six passengers -- four Uruguayans, one Brazilian and an Australian. But port officials in Tripoli put the number at 83, saying an earlier figure did not include the captain.(AFP) Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 12:41

Gemayel: I was Among the 1st Supporters of Hariri's Visit to Syria but the Wound is Deep
Naharnet/Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel described Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus as "natural" saying it was part of efforts to normalize ties with Syria despite the "deep wound." Gemayel told An Nahar daily in remarks published on Sunday that he was among the first to support Hariri's visit to Syria to solve all the lingering problems between the two countries. "The wound is deep and it takes a lot of effort and a big sacrifice to heal it" in order to achieve what's best for the nation, the former president said. He added, however, that the Assad-Hariri meeting won't produce any results if all Lebanese didn't join hands to improve ties between the two countries. Hariri loyalist and former lawmaker Mustafa Alloush also said the visit by Hariri was "very difficult on the personal level" and involves "great sacrifice." "But as prime minister of Lebanon, it is quite normal to have such a visit. ... It is necessary and there is a need to settle all aspects of the relationship," Alloush told The Associated Press.He said the visit did not mean some in Lebanon had dropped their belief that Syria was responsible for the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "But this matter is up to the international tribunal now; it is no longer a personal issue," Alloush said.(Naharnet-AP) Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 08:14

MP Fadlallah Hopes Hariri's Visit Would Reflect Positively on Openness to Syria
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah has hoped that Premier Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus would reflect positively on the openness of some forces to Syria. The member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc also hoped that the era of attempts to build a Lebanese regime hostile to Syria would end. "The previous path in creating tension in Lebanese-Syrian ties was wrong and went against the interest of the Lebanese and the Taef," he said. Fadlallah described Lebanese-Syrian ties as being "brotherly and based on the Taef Accord."
Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 11:50

Analysis: 6 Alleged Hizbullah Plots Likely behind Israel-Hizbullah Tension
Naharnet/The series of alleged Hizbullah plots to attack Israeli targets in Turkey were likely behind the tension between the Jewish state and the Shiite party this past summer and fall, Haaretz daily reported Sunday. "The foiled attempts may explain the numerous warnings Israel has issued since August to Hizbullah to abstain from acts the group might regret," Haaretz said. The newspaper said that so far, there have been reports of at least six foiled attacks against Israeli targets overseas. The plots, according to Haaretz, were in retaliation for the killing of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh in a Damascus car bombing in February 2008, which the group blamed on Israel. Haaretz quoted Turkish media as saying that Hizbullah's planned attacks were extremely ambitious and organized well in advance, reportedly with the help of Syrian and Iranian intelligence. It is suspected that Hizbullah operatives planned to attack a series of targets linked to Israel and possibly the Jewish community in Turkey, the newspaper said. Turkish security forces managed to uncover the plots after receiving information from a Western intelligence service, Haaretz added. Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 11:20

France: Only Security Council Resolution Annuls a Previous Resolution
Naharnet/French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero has said that any U.N. Security Council resolution remains valid as long as the world body hasn't adopted another resolution to annul it. Valero told al-Balad daily in remarks published on Sunday that Syria and Lebanon should agree on implementing the articles of Security Council resolution 1559. Valero's comment came in response to Syria's request to annul 1559. Another source told the newspaper that a resolution cannot be annulled without the consensus of the major powers that have Security Council seats. However, Lebanese diplomatic sources told Ad-Diyar daily that 1559 does not exist anymore. Beirut, 20 Dec 09, 09:42

Marouni says Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council should be abolished
December 20, 2009 /Now Lebanon/In an interview with OTV television on Sunday, Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni said that Lebanon cannot continue a tense relationship with Damascus, adding that “rebuilding the relationship with Syria begins by abolishing the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council.”
The minister also said that the Kataeb has full confidence in Prime Minister Saad Hariri who, he said, will find a solution to Lebanese-Syrian issues, adding that it would have been better if Syria’s prime minister had visited Lebanon to congratulate Hariri [on forming a new government]. Marouni added that Hariri’s visit to Syria is the first step toward “breaking the ice” between the two countries. -NOW Lebanon

Foiled Hezbollah attacks likely source for Israel-Lebanon tensions
Haaretz/By Amos Harel /Naharnet/20/12/2009
The series of attacks on Israeli targets in Turkey planned by Hezbollah, as reported in the Turkish media, which was foiled by Turkish security forces two months ago, is likely to have caused the tension between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanon border this past summer and fall. So far, there have been reports of at least six foiled attacks by the organization against Israeli targets overseas, as retaliation for the killing of senior Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus in February 2008, which the group attributes to Israel. It's possible that the actual number of attempts that have been prevented is at least twice that number - if not more. Last week Haaretz reported an attempt by Hezbollah to attack Israelis in Turkey, as reported in the Turkish media. Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon (Yisrael Beiteinu) even praised the cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terror during a meeting with Turkish journalists, and thanked the Turks for their help in preventing the attacks.
In October, the Turkish media reported that police headquarters had briefed police officers in a number of cities to be on the alert for Hezbollah attempts to attack American and Israeli targets in Turkey. Iranian agents, posing as tourists, were thought to be assisting these potential the attacks.
Hezbollah's planned attacks, as reported in the Turkish media, were extremely ambitious and organized well in advance, reportedly with the help of Syrian and Iranian intelligence. It is suspected that they planned to attack a series of targets connected to Israel and possibly also the Turkish Jewish community - all at the same time.
Turkish security forces managed to uncover the plot after receiving information from a Western intelligence service. The foiled attempts may explain the numerous warnings Israel has issued since August to Hezbollah to abstain from acts the group might regret. Israel has threatened to respond against Hezbollah in Lebanon if the organization staged a major attack in Turkey.
Since the death of Mughniyeh, the head of Hezbollah's terror operations, in a mysterious car bombing in Damascus, Hezbollah leaders and even the Iranian media have time after time threatened Israel to avenge his death. But Hezbollah has avoided attacking Israel on its northern border and instead seems to have focused its resources on Israeli targets abroad, using the services of Iranian intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards. In addition to the attempts foiled in Turkey, international media have reported a long list of other foiled Hezbollah attempts in other countries. Since the countries involved usually have an interest in keeping the information under wraps, it is assumed that the actual number of such planned attacks is much higher.

World can still change Iran without bombing it
By Zvi Bar'el /Haaretz
20/12/2009
Syria has received a big compliment from the head of Military Intelligence, Amos Yadlin. "Syria is a secular country, and unlike Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, it does not reject the prospect of reaching a peace agreement with Israel," he said. Which means that because Syria is a secular state, it cannot have a deep emotional attachment to religious Shi'ite Iran.
Something is slightly confused here. Fundamentalist and Shi'ite Iran does not in any way oppose Israeli-Syrian dialogue, as long as Syria gets the Golan back, of course. Shi'ite Iran engages in full and lucrative peaceful relationships with Sunni countries like Pakistan, the Hindu nation of India and Christian nations like Germany and France. Until two years ago, it had a failed affair with Egypt, the great transgressor that sinned in striking a peace deal with Israel.
Iran is a rational country; it operates according to the interests that usually guide countries. Iran's nuclear program has become a menacing demon not merely because of the program, but because of the nature of the regime and its bellicose statements. After all, Iran was the focus of an "axis of evil" even before the world began to fret about its nuclear capacity.
The Islamic revolution that rocked the world, the capture of U.S. hostages, the nurturing of organizations like Hezbollah and later Hamas, and violent rhetoric by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who himself has generated an impressive opposition movement, are the factors that created Iran's menacing image. The result is that every Iranian technological advancement, be it a new missile, submarine or even a high-tech car, invokes fear immediately. Accordingly, the knee-jerk reaction in the West and especially in Israel is to talk about the Holocaust or bombing Iran. This in turn distorts public discourse.
Can we bomb? Where should we bomb? Was there or wasn't there a chance to wipe out the uranium enrichment labs? Can Israel bomb on its own? Should it do so? How would this affect relations with the United States? Everything revolves around the bomb.
The discussion around the world about what happened in Iran only six months ago has been put in a dark corner. The election, the blow to the Iranian leadership, Mir Hossein Mousavi's Green Movement, the widening fault line between the public and its leadership, the continued demonstrations in the streets despite political arrests, torture and rape - all this is perceived as trivial now. The potential for change that could produce a new Iranian foreign policy is no longer a strategic consideration. The U.S. administration no longer even mentions how peace between Israel and the Palestinians could help form a united Arab front against Iran.
Granted, this concept did not hold water from the onset because Iran pursued its own interests. But it did characterize a change in the American approach, and this change rests on solid foundations: Diplomacy, not a military strike, could change Iran's motivation. And motivation is the heart of the Iranian problem because the Iranian threat is based on capability and motivation. Many countries have the capability to threaten Israel or Western countries, but without motivation, this capability means nothing.
So far, threats, sanctions and tempting economic offers have been used to try to neutralize or at least delay the Iranian capability. Iran is not willing to accept the principle that it is forbidden something that Pakistan, India and Israel (according to foreign publications) are allowed.
The effort required to change Iran's motivation has not yet begun. Sweeping sanctions on gasoline imports into Iran could quiet down for a while those who seek to acquire the bomb, but they will not effect change in Iran. They will only help cement the solidarity between the opposition and the regime.
If we assume that Iran is a rational state, then dialogue between the Islamic Republic and the United States - not only on nuclear issues - is the proper leverage to be used. Recognizing it as a regional power, not just a "Shi'ite Iranian threat," could change its policy. But those who think Iran is crazy better skip the rhetoric, bomb already and be done with it.